Organizational change part i Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organizational change part i - Essay Example All stakeholders have to be involved in the change process for it to be effective. There are various types of change depending on which part of the organization needs to be changed. The most critical part of organizational change lies with the leaders. An organization’s leaders have to manage the change through planning, assessment and evaluation and have to ensure that every stakeholder in the organization buys in to the ides of change and is involved in it (Cole, Harris & Bernerth, 2006). Despite change being recognized as an inevitable and necessary evil in almost all spheres of life, organizational change poses a lot of challenges to leaders. Effective management of organizational change takes four main steps namely; recognizing the need to have effect the change, planning for the change, training staff with regard to the impending change, and getting support from the employees and other stakeholders during the change process (Cole, Harris & Bernerth, 2006). The first step involves conducting a systematic diagnosis of the organization as it is currently so as to identify the need for initiating change and determine the organization’s ability to manage the change. Planning process involves determining the objectives of the change as well as outlining the procedures to be taken when effecting the change. At the end of the change process, it is necessary to conduct an assessment of the whole process to determine if the objectives were met. Organizational change can be said to be successful if it meets its objectives and the benefits of the change are realized by the management and employees of the organization (Cole, Harris & Bernerth, 2006). Successful change also improves communication among employees and other stakeholders. Health care organizations have also encountered numerous challenges that have often forced them to change in one way or another so as to effectively treat patients (Rashid, 2007). Changes in lifestyles have led to emergence of new diseases while technology has made treatment of some diseases much easier. Healthcare organizations need to adopt technology and also support research so as to discover better ways of fighting diseases. This requires a change of strategy, mission, and mode of operation or human resource. In some cases change may be needed in all aspects of the organization (Rashid, 2007). Readiness for change is one of the issues that change management experts have focused on in the recent few years by recommending strategies that organizations need to take in order to be fully prepared for change. Readiness for change is a very crucial concept in healthcare given the ever changing nature of treatment. Healthcare organizations have to be strategically positioned so as to meet the demands brought about by change (Rashid, 2007). An organization’s readiness for change depends on various factors such as organizational culture, flexibility of the organization’s policies, and the abi lity of leaders to manage changes in the working environment. Managing change in a healthcare facility is not different from other organizations. The leaders have to be very assertive and proactive in steering health organizations in the right direction. This requires constant assessment of the current level of operations in the organization and determining what needs to be done so as to help improve treatment of patients. Departmental heads

Medical school application essay statements Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Medical school application statements - Essay Example My job was to advocate for the organization at government hearings to increase education-related funding for neighborhoods. I also volunteered as an advisor for one of its subgroups, Entre Nuestras Familias, which is geared towards educating high school students in sexual-education and unplanned pregnancy prevention. Finally, my thesis compelled extensive reading research under the supervision of Dr.Ptak of Harvard medical school. It was founded on existing research where I proposed an alternative medication to patients who underwent Mitral valve replacement by inhibiting harmful side effects. By labeling ferromagnetic nano-particles with medication such as anti-coagulants and injecting them in to the blood stream, the drugs can be isolated within the heart by magnetic targeting and drug levels can be maintained at low levels throughout the body.  My volunteer experiences provided me the opportunity to make a difference in a few small communities and hopefully the right direction t o my future as a physician.  And my thesis equipped me with the technical and mental diligence imperative of a medical student. I chose to discuss these elements of my CV because I believe they best demonstrate my zeal for medicine, devotion to help people and dedication to improve

Cultural Imperialism Is A Very Old Phenomenon Media Essay

Cultural Imperialism Is A Very Old Phenomenon Media Essay During the past five hundred years, European countries colonized southern countries in the name of spreading Christian civilization to the primitive people in other parts of the world, as well as securing resources and workers for economic production. As cultural imperialism occurs, it is said to be for the own good of the other, conquered civilization, to spread universal values, rights and standards of development. The United States are currently not the only cultural imperialists, but the spread of American values in the entire world is at the leading edge of a wave of spread of Western goods and consumerist culture. Today, the phenomenon might take a different form, as it is a lot more subtle and less brutal than the European colonization: it is being done in the name of freedom of the market and freedom of expression. There are two sides and two major views on the ongoing process. Some consider the propagation of the American culture as unavoidable and beneficial to the world, for some American cultural imperialism is a threat to other cultures. I will try to review both of them to make a better and more reasonable assumption. People who do not see the hegemony of American culture as a threat, state that through the media, the United States is spreading some universal values and human rights. To some authoritarian countries, it spreads ideas of freedom of expression, democracy, equality, and rights concepts that should be, in some peoples opinion, universal. Universality of some values may be possible human nature is not that different from one culture to another, and many values are shared across cultures. However, the majority of the worlds cultures undervalue women and children in practice if not in ethos. Finally, the majority of the worlds people, regardless of the names given to governmental regimes by those with authority, continue to live without real participatory democracy. American ideals of equality, freedom, and democracy now available in the world may give more freedom to women, children, and to minorities in all cultures, and will promote anti-racist, anti-sexist or anti-authoritarian mess ages and regimes.   Irving Kristol, in The emerging American Imperialism, presents imperialism as an unintended consequence of market expansion rather than a conscious goal: one of these days, the American people are going to awaken to the fact that we have become an imperial nation. But he later argues that it is not something unintentional, but that in fact many nations have facilitated and welcomed American cultural values along with American products and ways of life: it happened because the world wanted it to happen. To him, the American missionaries live in Hollywood, which is different from the Old European imperialism, which was based on bureaucratic colonial governments and resource extraction.   Christopher Dunkley, in American Cultural Imperialism: No Bad Thing says that America provides some of the best available anywhere in the world. One of the reasons that American series are so successful in the world is that thanks to its immigration policies, the US has a population with a mixture of Anglo Saxons, Scandinavians, Asians and so on that provides American broadcasters with a domestic audience which is, to all intents and purposes, international. Please the American audience and you can guarantee you will please the world. Some theories of globalization see, instead of cultural imperialism, the movement of products and ideas from across national and cultural borders in ways that produce real changes in cultures like that of the United States. In 1994, MacQuail wrote in his book Mass Communication Theory that not only was United States influencing other cultures, but other cultures were also influencing the US: While one-way flow may be evident in terms of information flows on an information theory quantitative estimate, the reality is that as media technology and economies become more intertwined, this seemingly one-way flow reverses itself into a two-way flow in which what sells abroad influences what Americans see at home. In that perspective, we can talk about an interpenetration of cultures instead of the invasion of American culture in the world. Language is another consideration when speaking about cultural imperialism. English is indeed the language of business, higher education, diplomacy, the Internet, science, popular music, entertainment and international travel. The importance of learning English is not just a political or economic issue4. Logically and arguably, the world needs to have one kind of universal language at a basic level. Economically, having a central language could prove as a great advantage when companies can use the same computer programs in one language. As of 2006, an estimated 1 billion people speak English  5. There has been a greater desire to learn English since the Internet has made such a big impact on the world. The reality is that language and cultural barriers and misunderstandings can get in the way of effective communication and create complications in the work world. With the aid of having a universal language, work can be done more efficiently, safer, and with fewer complications than when there is the factor of a language barrier. For international companies, which have branches all over the world in hundreds of different countries with different languages, this universal language could mean a whole new level of production and growth, and in essence, raise the standard of living for many. Richard Pells states that the effectiveness of the English language as a mass communicator has been essential to the acceptance of the American culture. Unlike other languages, the simpler structure, grammar, and use of more concise sentences in the English language, are all advantageous for the composers of ad slogans, cartoon captions, newspaper headlines, and movie and TV dialogue. English, Pells says, is thus a language exceptionally well suited to the demands and spread of American mass culture10.   The American cultural imperialism as a threat to other cultures We should not forget that the differences in cultures make the world a rich and diverse place. Every individual of each country should have the right to express his or her own culture. A cultural uniformity would lead to the extinction of cultures and it would definitely represent a great loss.   However, the American culture is intruding on most cultures in the world, in many cases threatening their existence. Superman, Spider-man, and Batman replace local heroes; Pepsi and Coke replace local fruit drinks; and trick or treat begin to replace Dia de los Muertos. Perhaps more insidious, to compete with American cultural imports, local varieties and products begin to mimic American products. All the exportation of goods and information from the United States to the entire planet contributes to the exportation of the American culture.   We know that the United States is the leader in exporting its information. One problem is that the United States sells its information and media products so cheaply that it is impossible for the whole world to compete. The American producers budget to cover their costs within the US market and can consequently sell at unbeatable prices internationally. A consequence is that it is much cheaper to buy, for example, a blockbuster Hollywood movie made in the United States than to make a less expensive local production in another country. As a famous movie director George Lucas says, the United States is a provincial country with a culture that has invaded the world via Hollywood. As long as there has been a talking Hollywood, Hollywood has had a huge impact on the rest of the world. Lucas points out that people in other countries are troubled by what they see as US culture squashing local art and cinema. The motivations behind American cultural imperialism parallel the justifications for U.S. imperialism throughout history: the desire for access to foreign markets and the belief in the superiority of American culture. Though the United States does boast the worlds largest, most powerful economy, no business is completely satisfied with controlling only the American market; American corporations want to control the other 95 percent of the worlds consumers as well. Many industries are incredibly successful in that venture. According to the Guardian, American films accounted for approximately 80 percent of global box office revenue in January 2003. And who can forget good old Micky Ds? With over 30,000 restaurants in over one hundred countries, the ubiquitous golden arches of McDonalds are now, according to Eric Schlossers Fast Food Nation, more widely recognized than the Christian cross. Such American domination inevitably hurts local markets, as the majority of foreign industries are unable to compete with the economic strength of U.S. industry. Because it serves American economic interests, corporations conveniently ignore the detrimental impact of American control of foreign markets. It is easy enough to convince Americans of the superiority of their culture, but how does one convince the rest of the world of the superiority of American culture? The answer is simple: marketing. Whether attempting to sell an item, a brand, or an entire culture, marketers have always been able to successfully associate American products with modernity in the minds of consumers worldwide. While corporations seem to simply sell Nike shoes or Gap jeans (both, ironically, manufactured outside of the United States), they are also selling the image of America as the land of cool. This indissoluble association causes consumers all over the globe to clamor ceaselessly for the same American products. In recent years, American corporations have developed an even more successful global strategy: instead of advertising American conformity with blonde-haired, blue-eyed, stereotypical Americans, they pitch diversity. These campaigns-such as McDonalds new international Im lovin it campaign-work by drawing on the United States history as an ethnically integrated nation composed of essentially every culture in the world. An early example of this global marketing tactic was found in a Coca Cola commercial from 1971 featuring children from many different countries innocently singing, Id like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony/Id like to buy the world a Coke to keep it company. This commercial illustrates an attempt to portray a U.S. goods as a product capable of transcending political, ethnic, religious, social, and economic differences to unite the world (according to the Coca-Cola Company, we can achieve world peace through consumerism). Today, the spread of American culture goes through every communication medium: 90% of the information available on the Internet is in English, CNN is seen in 120 countries, Stephen King is the number one best seller in the world. Obviously, there is already a process of cultural uniformity going on, and this can be seen as a great loss.   More recently, Viacoms MTV has successfully adapted this strategy by integrating many different Americanized cultures into one unbelievably influential American network (with over 280 million subscribers worldwide). According to a 1996 New World Teen Study conducted by DMBBs BrainWaves division, of the 26,700 middle-class teens in forty-five countries surveyed, 85 percent watch MTV every day. These teens absorb what MTV intends to show as a diverse mix of cultural influences but is really nothing more than manufactured stars singing in English to appeal to American popular taste. If the strength of these diverse American images is not powerful enough to move products, American corporations also appropriate local cultures into their advertising abroad. Unlike Levitts weak multinationals, these corporations dont bend to local tastes; they merely insert indigenous celebrities or trends to present the facade of a customized advertisement. MTV has spawned over twenty networks specific to certain geographical areas such as Brazil and Japan. These specialized networks further spread the association between American and modernity under the pretense of catering to local taste. Similarly, commercials in India in 2000 featured Bollywood stars Hrithik Roshan promoting Coke and Shahrukh Khan promoting Pepsi (Sanjeev Srivastava, Cola Row in India. BBC News Online). By using popular local icons in their advertisements, U.S. corporations successfully associate what is fashionable in local cultures with what is fashionable in America. America essentially samples the worlds cu ltures, repackages them with the American trademark of materialism, and resells them to the world. Compounding the influence of commercial images are the media and information industries, which present both explicit and implicit messages about the very real military and economic hegemony of the United States. Ironically, the industry that claims to be the source for fair and balanced information plays a large role in the propagation of American influence around the world. The concentration of media ownership during the 1990s enabled both American and British media organizations to gain control of the majority of the worlds news services. Satellites allow over 150 million households in approximately 212 countries and territories worldwide to subscribe to CNN, a member of Time Warner, the worlds largest media conglomerate. In the words of British sociologist Jeremy Tunstall, When a government allows news importation, it is in effect importing a piece of another countrys politics-which is true of no other import. In addition to politics and commercials, networks like CNN also present foreign countries with unabashed accounts of the military and economic superiority of the United States. The internationalization of television news, while unquestionably a crucial aspect of the processes generally lumped together as globalization, seems paradoxically to be the least well examined, yet most alluded to, aspect of the globalization phenomena. (Paterson, C. Global television news services, Media in Global Context: A Reader, Oxford University Press:1997, p.145). As Paterson points out in his article, few people actually seem to know that most television broadcasters buy international news from transnational news agencies like Rauters, Worldwide Television News and Associated Press Television. Or as Paterson puts it: since television is the major force in shaping how Europe and America see the world, and is becoming so in the rest of the industrialised world and much of the developing world, then the images selected by these few television journalists of similar training and background, are absolutely crucial determinants of how people world-wide perceiver other nations and global issues.  Some of these major news corporations are more closely allied with Rupert Murdoch, and Rupert Murdoch is widely believed to have used his print and broadcast news holding in Britain to bolster Thatcher and Thatcherism (Bagdikian:1989, found in Paterson, C. Global television news services, Media in Global Context: A Reader, Oxford University Press:1997 p.154). Commercialisation gives further reason for concern about international news. The tabloidization regarding printed media, and overflow of clichà ©s in television, as Paterson points out, is principally a process of dumbening down news, and putting emphases on news concerning sports and stars etc. which may perhaps have further impact on peoples political perception (or maybe lack of it). This trend rises questions about consumerism in the west, and what impact this may have on a global scale. But why is it happening and with such success?  cultural imperialism is understood in the terms of the imposition of one national culture upon another and the media are seen as central to this process as carriers of cultural meanings which penetrate and dominate the culture of the subordinate nation. (Barker, C. Global television, Blackwell Publishers: 1997 p.183)  . In conclusion media have speeded up the connection between cultures and thereby started to erase the boundaries of space, and even more profound boundaries of nations and government ensuring free flow of information and influence. The fact that America arguably is in the centre of this development rises concerns about which influences and the voice of whom we are hearing. The homogenisation thesis involved, as posed by many theorists, is both seen as an advantage and a reason for concern. This concern perhaps mainly because of the threat of American cultural imperialism and a consequent loss of diversity, and the possible immense power of position for whom leads this trend because of what seems to be an ability to override governments. The capitalistic nature of media prevents any revolt against the almost monopolistic position the western world has on globalisation via media, and there seem to be no authority that can intervene in this process preventing a monopoly. So however roman tic the idea of cultures being brought closer together is, there are also power struggles and the possibility to exploit this development, which American officials openly admit to be attempting.   The rise of English as an international language of trade and politics has been one of the strongest vehicles for the transmission of American culture. The place of English in the world has crystallized in the past decades you can read signs in English in every capital, and fluency in English has become a taken-for-granted prerequisite for upper-level positions in international trade and politics. While the forces leading to the rise of an international language differ greatly from cultural imperialism, it would be difficult to separate the two. As English becomes a global language, it becomes clear that language and culture cannot be separated. The AP National Writer journalist Anthony Ted says every one from the French to the Indonesians worry that where English goes, America will follow. Scholars Nye and Owen admitted that it is the goal of the United States to have English as the international language: It is in the economic and political interests of the United States to ensure that, if the world is moving to a common language, it be English; that if the world is becoming linked by television, radio and music, the programming be American; and that, if common values are being developed, they be values with which Americans are comfortable. According to them, not only it is intentional, but also it is a developing reality. If this spread of values, language, and information is purely because of economic and political interest for the United States, the well-being of other cultures and their freedom of expression are not taken into consideration except instrumentally can they be bought and sold for a profit, or can they be used to political advantage to the profit and advantage of the US.   Not all social critics see the Americanization of the world as a negative phenomenon. Proponents of cultural imperialism, such as David Rothkopf, a former senior official in Clintons Department of Commerce, argue that American cultural imperialism is in the interest not only of the United States but also of the world at large. Rothkopf cites Samuel Huntingtons theory from The Clash of Civilizations and the Beginning of the World Order that, the greater the cultural disparities in the world, the more likely it is that conflict will occur. Rothkopf argues that the removal of cultural barriers through U.S. cultural imperialism will promote a more stable world, one in which American culture reigns supreme as the most just, the most tolerant, the most willing to constantly reassess and improve itself, and the best model for the future. Rothkopf is correct in one sense: Americans are on the way to establishing a global society with minimal cultural barriers. However, one must question whet her this projected society is truly beneficial for all involved. Is it worth sacrificing countless indigenous cultures for the unlikely promise of a world without conflict? Around the world, the answer is an overwhelming No! Disregarding the fact that a world of homogenized culture would not necessarily guarantee a world without conflict, the complex fabric of diverse cultures around the world is a fundamental and indispensable basis of humanity. Throughout the course of human existence, millions have died to preserve their indigenous culture. It is a fundamental right of humanity to be allowed to preserve the mental, physical, intellectual, and creative aspects of ones society. A single global culture would be nothing more than a shallow, artificial culture of materialism reliant on technology. The attempt by UNESCO to regulate a more equal flow of communication between the North and the South, to protect cultural diversity and to protect countries from cultural imperialism unfortunately resulted in the withdrawal of the United States because it did not correspond to its financial interests. Since 1984, which is the date of the American withdrawal, UNESCO keeps trying to influence and give recommendations to governments, but it has no power over the main country that owns most of the communication flow in the world: the United States of America.  

Taking the Test :: Essays Papers

Taking the Test Many essays have been written that one could describe as touching, or something one could easily relate to. A very good example is â€Å"Taking the Test† by David Groff. He writes about taking an AIDS test, and records all his feelings and emotions as he waits for, and receives, what could be something that may lead to a death sentence. This essay is enjoyed by many people, because it is touching, it is easy to relate to the pressure, and stress that is connected with taking a test, and it is a new, recent subject that could, or does, affect people now. This essay is very touching. The reader feels very sympathetic towards the man taking the test. Even more so because the author announces that he is gay. The way he describes his emotions and feelings, fear, confusion, and loneliness, is very moving. He notices very small things because he almost believes he is infected, and it makes everything that much more precious. The way he makes everything sound very beautiful, as he describes it, is understandable, despite the fact that he is awaiting his sentence, â€Å"life or death,† because even though HIV does not mean death, it means an inevitable pain, and suffering, if not physically, then mentally, and if not for you, then for the loved ones. Had he told the reader the outcome of the test, the reaction to the story would have been different. If he was positive, the reader would become overly sympathetic, overlooking the reason for the story which was not sympathy, but to teach a lesson, â€Å"As long and as well as you can, live, live.† (Groff 75) Had the author been negative, the reader would have pushed the essay away, again overlooking the lesson, and thinking that the author worried for nothing. Groff pushes all the right buttons, keeping his audience begging for the outcome of the test. A reason that this essay is touching to many readers is because it is easy to relate to. Many people understand the pressure and stress that is connected with taking a test, even if it is a pop quiz in math. Unfortunately, many people know how it feels to take, and fail, an AIDS test. Many people know someone close to them who has taken the test and â€Å"failed.

Environmental assessment Essay

This paper has been written to analyze in-depth, the pollution, covering air, water, chemicals, and other such related issues in the United States. Further, I would also be developing an environmental health teaching plan to address one of these issues. Environmental issues are becoming very prevalent in today’s world. The question is why the environment and its concerns are becoming more prevalent, important and famous now. For this, we will need to look at the history. For decades we have neglected this seemingly dangerous issue due to which it has been going unnoticed. The reason we never before paid heed to this concern or issue is because this issue’s repercussions were not evident in the previous years. As no such notice regarding this issue was taken into consideration, it could not even be rectified. (Abel & McConnell, 2007). However, with the advent of global warming and other factors such as acid rain, prevalence of carbon dioxide and the ever increasing penetration of green house gases has put many lives at stake making many people fear that this world will not continue to exist or survive for more than 10 years from now on that means that by 2018 this world will have used most of the resources and this is basically due to the wastages of resources available to us. The basic thing that we have to consider here is to think hard about the issue as to how we can prevent our precious resources from depletion, disappearance and from vanishing. To answer this question we can simply say that we should use our resources optimally. (Kemp, 2007). It is believed that the next war that would be held would be for the sole purpose of resources. The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre highlights the hidden objective of the resources. Although this act would be illegal and an immoral thing or practice, therefore many countries other than the one going for the war would object to this act for spoiling the world peace. U. S is a super power of the world and it is always trying to get hold of the resources. They are doing this by capturing resources, snatching them and raiding the countries that have abundant of these resources such as O. P. E. C countries and countries with no or minimal problems of the water shortage or the countries thave abundant of resources like the crude oil, natural coal and the natural gas. (Harris 2004). The reason why some countries have been the target of the United States is because although these countries might have some kinds of resources, however they do not have any resources that can be used to combat the threat or the attack coming from the super power such as the US and countries that are the allies of the U. S. such as European Union that also includes Turkey. Furthermore, these countries have a very weak defence and military, but the most important two factors that are responsible for their vulnerability are mentioned below. †¢ Lack of Decisive and Prowess Leadership. †¢ Ignorance to the current affairs and the intelligence. This is one of the major problems that might create huge problems for the countries US has their eyes on. With all the afore mentioned details to the problem, now let us go deeper in to the affects of the ignorance this problem environment exploitation that is also supported by the fact that he next war expected to take place is on the resources. The mere resources which were once used with out any fear of them being depleted once are now being depleted all because of the lack of the knowledge and the lack of the far sightedness of the problem. Now this problem has become very prominent and inevitable. The depletion of resources is not a small problem but it is vice versa. It is a very big problem that can greatly affect our future generations and if this problem goes unsolved today then our generations will have no future or to put it more realistically our future generation is going to be at the mercy of an unsafe future with lots of pollutants in the air. Therefore, if this problem goes unrectified then its repercussions can be innumerable, our future generation is at stake and now is definitely the time to act upon. (Horner, 2007). The United States of America, in past many years have taken initiative to contribute towards environment uplift and betterment of the environment. Environmental hazards do not have any boundary. The boundaries separating the countries subordinate to environmental impacts. Global warming, green house gases, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide penetration know no boundary and their impact is much due to which there is a dire need now is to prevent exposure to these hazards. However, the US cannot alone can not take any initiative to combat this seemingly deadly hazard and so it requires input and the cumulative effort to prevent this penetration in to our lives and body but as the US is one of the major super powers of the world, it must take the initiative. Furthermore, US is well equipped with resources and can lead the world to save the environment. (Houghton, 2004). US has repeatedly been warned of the repercussions of the gases from chimneys that their factories and companies are producing and how their industrial wastage is discarded. Furthermore, US have broken many protocols and pacts on this regard and continue to exploit environment. US can also be given the name of one of the world‘s biggest pollutants. The environments can also affect international marketing decisions and the planning system of the countries. This is because two different states have two different governments and thus having different polices and laws. Therefore, the marketing decisions that are taken in a country are different from each other according to the social, economic and political environment that exists in the country. (Kitchen & Schultz, 2000). Reference Abel,D. C. & McConnell,R. L. (2007). Environmental Issues: An Introduction to Sustainability. 3rd Edn. Prentice Hall, Paperback. Horner,C. C. (2007). The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism. Regnery Publishing, Inc. , Paperback. Kemp,D. D. (2007). Exploring Environmental Issues (Kindle Edition). 1st Edn. Taylor & Francis. Kitchen,P. &Schultz,D. (2000). Communicating Globally: An Integrated Marketing Approach. London, Macmillan Business. Scorecard. (n. d. ). More Facts on Pollution. January 3rd, 2009. Retrieved from: http://www. scorecard. org/

Operative Report on Russell Jones

OPERATIVE REPORT Jones, Russell 8004320 Kurt Brockton, MD May 17, 2013 SURGEON: Kurt Brockton, MD PREOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS 1. Primary hyperparathyroidism. 2. History of lung cancer. POSTOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS 1. Primary hyperparathyroidism. 2. History of lung cancer. PROCEDURE Subtotal parathyroid resection. ANESTHESIA General. PROCEDURE IN DETAIL With the patient in the supine position after adequate prepping and draping of the neck, a standard collar incision was made. Hemostasis was obtained with a cautery. The platysma muscle was elevated from the underlying strap muscles to the thyroid notch superiorly and the sternal notch inferiorly.Strap muscles were dissected free of the midline. The right thyroid lobe was exposed. The middle thyroid vein was divided between three 0 silk ties. The gland was reflected anteromedially. Upon reflection of the gland there appeared to be an enlarged parathyroid gland attached to the lateral aspect of the lower pole. The gland was reflected more anterio rly, and the right upper gland was found posterior to the middle portion of the gland. The left thyroid gland was exposed, and the middle thyroid vein was divided between three 0 silk ties. The gland was reflected anteromedially.A right lower gland was found attached to or adjacent to the lateral aspect of the lower pole corresponding to the position of the lower gland on the right side. The gland was reflected more anteromedially, and the right upper gland was found on the posterior side of the midportion of the thyroid gland but not as medial as the one on the right side. Biopsies were taken of the left upper, left lower, and right upper glands. The right lower gland was removed in toto. The path report revealed the right lower gland to be an adenoma, and the remainder of the glands appeared normal.Only a small amount of parathyroid tissue was seen in the left upper gland, but the cut surface appeared to be parathyroid and bled as it would do. Hemostasis was obtained with a cauter y where necessary. Some Surgicel was placed over the cut end of the left upper gland. Strap muscles were then closed with 3-0 Vicryl, the OPERATIVE REPORT Patient Name: Jones, Russell Hospital No. : 8004320 May 17, 2013 Page 2 subcutaneous and platysma with 3-0 Vicryl, and the skin with skin staples. A dressing was applied. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was sent to the recovery room in stable condition. Kurt Brockton, MD

Lady Macbeth In The Tragedy Of Macbeth; The Iron Butterfly Essays

Lady Macbeth In The Tragedy Of Macbeth; The Iron Butterfly Essays Lady Macbeth in The Tragedy of Macbeth; the "Iron Butterfly" In William Shakespeare's, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is the dominator of the play. Lady Macbeth's character is not as eclectic as her husband's but it is just as dramatic. Lady Macbeth has a rich and fascinating combination of qualities. She is not a monster without feeling; her husband adores her, for example, "Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck," (III, ii, 45). Macbeth also refers to Lady Macbeth as his dear partner. Lady Macbeth is horrified by blood and during her sleepwalking soliloquy she refers to her little hand suggesting a delicate nature and stature by uttering this: "All the perfumes / of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand." (V, i, 43-44). All of this, however, does very little to soften her true nature. She is sly and artful as she urges Macbeth to kill Duncan and she is particularly treacherous when she continually urges him to shake off his torments. For example, in this scene from the play, Shakespeare gives the reader an idea of the twist that he gives her personality and how ruthless she can be: I have given suck, and know How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you Have done to this. (I, vii, 54-59). In the next examples you can see how she persuades Macbeth to ignore his torments of his guilt of the murder: "These deeds must not be thought / After these ways; so, it will make us mad. " (II, ii, 33-34), and "Why, worthy thane, / You do unbend your noble strength, to think / So brainsickly of things?" (II, ii, 43-45). Seemingly, she suffers no pangs of conscience. It is easy for her to be "bright" and "merry" and it seems second nature for her to play at being the most gracious of hostesses. Duncan is completely deceived by her "thoughtfulness." Also, take in consideration that in the midst of her chaotic dinner party, she retains her composure and saves her husband from added embarrassment. In today's vernacular, she might accurately be characterized as being an "iron butterfly"-delicate but invincible. She is impatient and absolute when her husband cannot carry out the details of their assassination plot. Although it is Macbeth who commits the actual deed of murder, it is Lady Macbeth who returns to Duncan's chamber and smears the blood upon the grooms. Her self-control is superhuman; in fact, Macbeth is terrified of it and her unfailing resourcefulness. In this example, Shakespeare demonstrates how much self control she has over the evil deed: "A little water clears us of this deed: / How easy it is then!" (II, ii, 66-67). In fact, Lady Macbeth tried to murder Duncan herself, but he appeared to look like her father while he was sleeping so she could not. Selfishly, she fastens her husband's attention on the throne of Scotland. It is she who sees to the details of the crime: "Only look up clear. / To alter favor ever is to fear. / Leave all the rest to me." (I, vi, 69-71). It is she who is more concerned that Macbeth has failed to kill Duncan, when he reconsiders the murder, than the possibility that their plans have been exposed. It is she, rather than Macbeth, who says, Go get some water, And wash this filthy witness from your hand. Why did you bring these daggers from the place? They must lie there: go carry them, and smear The sleepy grooms with blood. (II, ii, 45-49). She immediately perceives that the blood and the daggers are incriminating and admonishes Macbeth for being so foolish. Throughout the play, her courage and her practicality work together successfully. It is only in private that Lady Macbeth shows her weariness. Almost naively, she urges Macbeth to sleep and, here, her faith in sleep is deeply ironical. It is only after she has suffered a mental breakdown, that you realize how deeply her crimes have haunted her. This is an quotation from the play from the

8 Crazy Things That Could Happen to the Workplace Within 30 Years

8 Crazy Things That Could Happen to the Workplace Within 30 Years Ever think about how the workplace of the future will be different? Here’s some food for thought: a few scenarios to consider as we plan our careers in a changing world. 1. Driverless CarsThis isn’t so much about the workplace, but will certainly change commutes and also fundamentally alter fields like mass transit and transportation, and maybe also change the face of the auto industry forever.2. No More OfficesMore and more companies might opt to have workers set up remotely, either at home or in shared co-working spaces. This will save companies lots of money on office space and give them the ability to hire talent from around the world.3. Big BrotherGPS monitoring might enable employers to track your location, your health, and your productivity. This certainly won’t be popular, but as long as the technology exists, some companies will want to use it.4. Workers’ ChoiceMore and more millennials entering the workforce are demanding that their employers mee t their ethical standards. Expect workers to switch companies and jobs more than they used to as they follow their passions and try to sculpt their ideal careers.5. Work ‘Til You DropWe’re all living longer, and companies are getting rid of costly retirement programs. We’ll all probably have to work much, much longer, particularly as medical advances keep us alive well past the life expectancy of our parents’ parents.6. Part-Time PlusFreelancing may be the wave of the future. It’s much cheaper for an employer to hire a freelancer, without having to provide benefits or health insurance. And many workers prefer the control and flexibility that lifestyle affords them. The steady 9-5 may be a dinosaur by the time our kids enter the job market.7. Artificial IntelligenceArtificial intelligence will start to replace as many jobs as feasible, putting more manual tasks in digital hands. This will destroy certain jobs, but create others in technology and serv ice.8. No More BossesZappos did it with their controversial â€Å"holacracy.† More and more companies are restructuring from the typical linear grunt-level-up-to-big-boss model. We can expect more lateral, integrative hierarchies to start forming, which will change the face of how we work and who we work for.9 ways the workplace will be different in 2050

Boeing Company Analysis

Boeing Company Analysis The general external environment consists of six factors (see Exhibit 1) in assessing how a firm operates. These are the industry trends that cause Boeing to make strategic decisions that have an impact on their business. Some examples of the current external environmental factors affecting companies in the Aerospace and defense industry are discussed as follows. The economic factor consists of issues involving the current recession. During a recession the amount of leisure, optional and business travel decreases significantly. This affects the airlines and ultimately affects Boeing. It affects Boeing because if the airlines are not able to make a profit then they hold off or cancel plane orders. The Socio-cultural trend right now is geared towards being environmentally friendly. Many industries including the aerospace and defense industry is looking for ways to not emit gas or other pollutions to preserve the environment. In fact, Boeing has been working on their latest commercial plane the 787 dream liner. It is said to be â€Å"the most fuel efficient and world’s first commercial plane made with composite materials†. (Wikipedia 2010) The technological factor addresses concerns with being able to innovate using the best technology found through advanced research and development. Currently, Boeing is looking for technological changes to create a competitive edge for their newest project, the 787 dream liner, to outperform their leading competitor, Airbus. Legal and Political factors being discussed is Boeing not being able to sell to all countries and the possibility of some of the U.S. military programs being cancelled. â€Å"Boeing is looking to sell aircraft to Taiwan and china does not like the idea of this happening since they are the largest stakeholder to both the United States and Boeing (Cohan 2010)†. Recently U.S. defense secretary Robert Gates announced that â€Å"the U.S. is proposing to revise spending on military equipmentà ¢â‚¬  (Shalal-Esa 2010). The demographic trends coincide with the technology factor because buying patterns of travelers establish the need for these technological changes in the industry. Customers that spend money for the first class amenities or that rather purchase a plane ticket with an airline that offers more, are the reason why airlines request these changes from Boeing. Also, Boeing has very demanding customers. The airlines are the customers in Boeing’s industry and if they do not get what they ask for they look elsewhere to satisfy those needs. Firms need to ensure that they adjust to these trends before the change occurs. Failing to react in time and ignoring these factors could cause a firm to lose out to other firms that have already adjusted. Understanding and achieving success in the external environment will definitely make Boeing an idolized corporate leader among their customers and other competitors. The aerospace and defense industry is the major industr y Boeing is apart of. In this industry there are many changes in how it operates. The consumers who Boeing and the industry are trying to sell to are the large airlines who are still trying to recover from the 9/11 attacks and a slumping economy. You have to be able sell planes as cheap as possible without sacrificing quality and keeping costs low. The current industry dynamics are addressed in the general external factors above. All of these are a concern for the industry and some companies are adjusting to these changes and some are not. If a company does not make the necessary changes and ignore these new trends then they may find themselves not being able to attain profitable returns. Those firms who do make changes will have a competitive advantage and will be profitable, compared to their competitors.

Nintendo Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nintendo - Case Study Example Apart from this, the ease with which customers can adapt to the games is also a driving force and making the competition more intense within the industry. 4. Nintendo is focusing on delivering products which are unique and are not being used in the industry by others. As such, it is focusing on the differentiation strategy by producing gaming consoles which are radically different from the competitors. Nintendo has been using differentiation strategy however, it is using it relatively defensive manner. 6. One of the key strengths of the firm is its ability to manufacture technologically simple gaming consoles and other products. However this not guarantees the competitive position for the firm as big giants like Sony and Microsoft. Though it has a competitive advantage in producing handheld gaming consoles however, its advantage is not sustainable as it requires consistent improvements in technology to dominate the market. 8. It needs to further develop its existing markets by diversifying into other and related products in the existing markets. It needs to improve its existing markets by launching new products in the same markets it is serving

Contemporary Management Accounting System Essay

Contemporary Management Accounting System - Essay Example Hopwood (1976), in his book ‘Accounting and Human Behaviour† had stated that, â€Å"Accountants and other members of the management team searching for means of understanding and improving standard setting and budgeting; must therefore see the process in its entirety and respond to it as a complex human and technical problem rather than one standing in technical isolation.† This implies that there has been a paradigm shift in the principles and practices of management accounting. Management accounting no longer comprises of only the technical aspect of accounting, but also the multifaceted management aspect of the business on the whole. The area of management accounting has undergone considerable changes during the past years. One of the major factors that had influenced the modifications in the management accounting practices have been the dynamically competitive and swiftly altering organizational environment that is prevalent today. Additionally, the present day business settings comprise of ongoing reformation in the working atmosphere, as well as continuing progress in the financial information arrangements. With the advent of new information system practices and the development of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, there has been a vast change in the management as well as financial accounting practices of modern day organizations. ... Hence, the role of management accounting professional were considerably influenced by the inclusion of various information systems as well as by the use of superior and efficient reporting tools (Roussoulis, 2007). Consequently, it can be stated that owing to these diverse changes in organizations leading to the emergence of modern contemporary organizations, the responsibilities of management accountants has been varying throughout the previous couple of decades. The modern accounting literature has constantly emphasised that there is a strong requirement for management accountants to diverge and deviate from the conventional bookkeeping role, to a more active role, that offers dynamic support to the organization’s management and comprises of rising involvement in business decision-making (Kaplan, 1995; Granlund & Lukka, 1997; Granlund & Lukka, 1998; Jarvenpaa, 2001). Furthermore, it has also been mentioned that the management accountants in the contemporary organizations are endowed with more responsibilities other than the routine categories of accounting tasks (Roussoulis, 2007). Under the prevalent business conditions, the management accountants of contemporary organizations are supposed to act like business partners for the management of the organization in addition to being change agents for the organization (Anthony & Govindarajan, 2007). The Concept of Management Accounting Management Accounting is one of the fundamental segments of the core management role of an organization. The management accounting practices comprises of the recognition, assessment, accretion, scrutiny, research, interpretation and correspondence of information that are required by the

Principles of Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Principles of Accounting - Essay Example In simple terms accounting can be also referred to as â€Å"the language of business† because of its role that helped in recording and processing the financial information that the firm requires for management purpose (Mukherjee & Hanif, 2003; Galanza, 1995). The main purpose of accounting is to provide financial information that is required by an economic unit to enhance the efficiency of its operations. The tern economic entity not only signifies a business unit but also the entities that are operating without the purpose of profit-making like the public charities, clubs, churches and government bodies. The accounting information helps in decision making in the organization. For instance decision like availability of cash while going for purchasing of new equipments or whether the business is running in profit requires the knowledge of accounting information. This accounting information for a business unit is recorded by the accountant (Nobles, et al., 2012). Book keeping Me thod Book-keeping is referred to as the science and arts of recording business transactions and other financial transactions that are related to any institution, firm and associations of person or company. It is recorded in certain books at regular interval following certain definite rules. It is called as science because it represents certain systemized knowledge that are based on certain set of principles, which are followed throughout the process to ensure that the reason for recording the transaction can be explained carefully. On the other hand it is called arts since it involves the human ability and skill for recording the business transaction as per the principles (Kumar & Prasad, 1999). Scope The process of Book keeping involves two significant steps. Firstly the process involves recording of all the transaction in a book called journal. Secondly transferring all the transactions that were previously recorded into another book called as ledger. In order to know the net effe ct of all the transactions the various accounts that are recorded into the ledger are balanced. The main theme of book keeping is to prepare and maintain the records till the stage of preparation of Trial Balance (Rao, 2005). Importance Book-keeping serves as the foundation of the entire financial reporting and accounting process. The responsibility of book-keeper is to analyze and record all the financial transaction occurring in an organization. The sum total of all the transaction forms the basis of everything that includes grant proposals, cash forecast, budget, tax return and financial reports. The employees and other staff of an organization must understand the goal and mission of a non-profitable organization, in order to perform their jobs in an effective and professional way. This is particularly true for the accounting system. Each transaction that is being recorded while book-keeping is significant for the volunteers, donors, board members, management, community and emplo yees of the organization. Accurate information delivered in timely manner provides the stakeholders of the organization with the comment regarding the financial health of the organization.  

Strategic management (Shouldice hospital) Case Study - 1

Strategic management (Shouldice hospital) - Case Study Example The organization largely focused on enhancing the productivity of the organizational staff by rendering training activities and in encouraging the people to take further research work. These activities along with rendering more financial rewards to the hospital staffs in terms of bonuses and other financial gains helped in motivating the people to act more effectively while rendering required services to the employees. However the organization currently is focusing to increase the infrastructural facilities and in increasing the area of the concern to help draw more number of patients from large number of areas. Owing to the above activities the hospital organization helps in the growth of health tourism in the region. The managers of the health organization also worked to enhance the relationship with the trade union bodies which helped in the motivation of the employees in the organization. The focus on the customer profile helped the organization gain a larger market owing to the popularity enabled by the communication activities of the people. The patients having obtained better services from the health concern went on expanding their communication activities praising the activities of the concern. ... strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. Strengths of the company refer to the potential of the resource and policy guidelines of the company to capture large markets. Again a company can also suffer from the obsolete range of production and equipment standards which dampens the strength of the company to gain high productivity. The above points focus on the internal position of the company while the strengths and weakness focus on the external situation of the company. Opportunities focus on the advantages that the company gains in respect to the external marketing and social conditions while the act of the other competitors along with the scarcity of the resources results in increase in threat of the company (Hayward, 141). Based on the above discussion the analysis would be done on Shouldice hospital. The hospital organization reflects some potential strength like possessing a strong research team which helps render potential research activities in the field of hernia medic ation. Further the service rendered by the hospital also earns potential popularity among large number of patients in that it helps in rendering low cost medical and operational activities to them. Operational guidelines of the hospital also focused on rendering transparency of information by rendering brochures to the patients including all types of information concerning different types of packages for different types of hernia ailments. The hospital administration also helped the patients to walk around the premises and meet other patients round different corners. This fact further enriched the relation of the organization to its client base. Further strengths possessed by the hospital organization reflected on the large number of nursing staffs which were present in the

Nokias business strategy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Nokias business strategy - Coursework Example The intention of this study is Nokia as a leadership company working in the field of wireless communication and communication devices. It has become one of the largest producers of mobile phones despite being headquartered in Finland which is one of the smallest countries of the globe. The company has been able to gain significant foothold within the highly dynamic technology driven industry of mobile communication. Its people centric approach backed by state of the art research and development center, constantly helps it to innovate and meet the changing requirements of its more than 800 million customers. The company was started in 1865 by Fredrik Idestam primarily as a wood pulp company in Finland. By 1980s, it had diversified into huge conglomerate involved in tire manufacturing, paper, footwear, television, consumer electronics and telecommunication equipments etc. In 1981, it had created world’s first wireless network and revolutionized communication. Wireless service wa s cheaper to landline because of higher infrastructure cost and therefore preferred in countries where people have to survive arctic winter and tough terrain. In 1987 first mobile phone was launched and in 1992, first mobile phone with GSM technology was introduced. Thereafter started the success story of Nokia and its strategy of innovation and patenting knowledge which became the mainstay of its leadership phenomena. In 2005, its N series mobile handsets, equipped with huge features became a craze amongst the users. It was also the year that saw the sale of billionth sale. 2. Organization structure Nokia is a public limited company that is listed in major stock exchanges across the globe vis-a-vis New York exchange, Helsinki exchange, London exchange etc. Its corporate governance principles are subject to Finnish Laws. It has 139,000 people working across 115 countries. In its devices and service segment alone, 41% of the staff are women! (ibid). Diversity is intrinsically incorpo rated within its business goals and culture. The company enjoys organic type organizational structure that highlights the horizontal communication and thrives on flexible approach and shared learning. A well defined hierarchy within human resource is designed towards higher productivity across its five major segments: mobile phones which meets the need of common man through mobile sets which are affordable and feature laden; smart devices use symbian technology to deliver multiple service; location and commerce introduce integrated services for consumers and facilitate platform for ecommerce for corporate customers ; markets broadly ensures market and sale of its products and services; and Nokia Siemens network ensures telecommunication network and broadband services. 3. Business process and system Organic organization is broadly defined as structures that are highly adaptive and flexible to change and promote continuous learning environment (Robbins and Coulter, 2002). Organization al culture becomes a critical factor that promotes specific code of behaviour amongst the workforce that helps to inculcate sense of stability and desired motivation for improved outcome.

International accountancy standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International accountancy standards - Essay Example Policies and frameworks have been developed in efforts to accommodate the entire human race into a more domesticated environment even while in a separate geographical orientation. Such ways through which the world has become integrated is through economic unions and integrations, through these, the world trade has been compressed onto a more unified unit in matters of trade, commerce, politics and social cultural divide among many others. Moreover, the emerging trends in financial operations are pointing out towards the same direction of globalization. More efforts by individual persons or nations are exerted towards harnessing global trade and relations in one global perspective. Though variations are persistent within the structures of governments and individual companies, there have persistently risen the needs to unify the systems through which the global players operate. International accounting standards stand to provide avenues through which trading organizations and the natio ns would converge through application of more unifying methods. This paper therefore is intended to analyze the arguments by many proponents of a more unified world through the use of common language and a standard financial reporting system. These are the main hindrances that have in the past been seen to water down the efforts of global advocacy for a unified globe. Language barrier in financial matters and accounting field has all through stood a block to these efforts. Accounting platforms vary by the common measuring unit and thus the efforts to interpret financial records have always been troublesome by the fact that different organizations or states use varying currencies. However, this has not been so hard for the economic blocks such as the European Union who uses a common currency, the euro. People are divided along language inclinations and people are found to identify themselves through cultural lines, language affiliation and the geographical identity. However, in the a dvent of the current global advancement in technology, these barriers are easily getting eroded and more unification result from the common use of technology. Nevertheless, countries and regions stand distinct on, matters of financial reporting as well as financial language. Technology has done relatively little to address unification of languages. This is the reason for the proponents of a common language in financial reporting to advance the proposition. Common international financial reporting standards are meant to drive the world to uniform global standards of accounting (Centre for Audit Quality, 2009, 1-7). IASB (International Accounting and Standard Board) is the overall body that is mandated to oversee the accounting policies and implementations thereof. Constituted in 2001, the body designs policy frameworks that run the accounting field as pertains to financial reporting in the world. According to the report by Centre for Audit Quality (2009), IRFS has been adopted and ac cepted in many countries since 2001. This is seen to be a positive step towards realization of a more unified system of accounting in the world. However, close analysis requires thorough scrutiny on feasibility of the adoption of this common standard of accounting among organization in different countries. Nations ascribed to the standards operate the different sectors of their economies by the international standards of ac

Nokias business strategy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Nokias business strategy - Coursework Example The intention of this study is Nokia as a leadership company working in the field of wireless communication and communication devices. It has become one of the largest producers of mobile phones despite being headquartered in Finland which is one of the smallest countries of the globe. The company has been able to gain significant foothold within the highly dynamic technology driven industry of mobile communication. Its people centric approach backed by state of the art research and development center, constantly helps it to innovate and meet the changing requirements of its more than 800 million customers. The company was started in 1865 by Fredrik Idestam primarily as a wood pulp company in Finland. By 1980s, it had diversified into huge conglomerate involved in tire manufacturing, paper, footwear, television, consumer electronics and telecommunication equipments etc. In 1981, it had created world’s first wireless network and revolutionized communication. Wireless service wa s cheaper to landline because of higher infrastructure cost and therefore preferred in countries where people have to survive arctic winter and tough terrain. In 1987 first mobile phone was launched and in 1992, first mobile phone with GSM technology was introduced. Thereafter started the success story of Nokia and its strategy of innovation and patenting knowledge which became the mainstay of its leadership phenomena. In 2005, its N series mobile handsets, equipped with huge features became a craze amongst the users. It was also the year that saw the sale of billionth sale. 2. Organization structure Nokia is a public limited company that is listed in major stock exchanges across the globe vis-a-vis New York exchange, Helsinki exchange, London exchange etc. Its corporate governance principles are subject to Finnish Laws. It has 139,000 people working across 115 countries. In its devices and service segment alone, 41% of the staff are women! (ibid). Diversity is intrinsically incorpo rated within its business goals and culture. The company enjoys organic type organizational structure that highlights the horizontal communication and thrives on flexible approach and shared learning. A well defined hierarchy within human resource is designed towards higher productivity across its five major segments: mobile phones which meets the need of common man through mobile sets which are affordable and feature laden; smart devices use symbian technology to deliver multiple service; location and commerce introduce integrated services for consumers and facilitate platform for ecommerce for corporate customers ; markets broadly ensures market and sale of its products and services; and Nokia Siemens network ensures telecommunication network and broadband services. 3. Business process and system Organic organization is broadly defined as structures that are highly adaptive and flexible to change and promote continuous learning environment (Robbins and Coulter, 2002). Organization al culture becomes a critical factor that promotes specific code of behaviour amongst the workforce that helps to inculcate sense of stability and desired motivation for improved outcome.

The process of International Assignments Essay Example for Free

The process of International Assignments Essay Human resource management (HRM) is a strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization’s most valued assets: the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of its objectives. â€Å"HRM aims to help the organization to achieve success through people. As Ulrich and Lake (1990) remark, ’HRM systems can be the source of organizational capabilities that allow firms to learn and capitalize on new opportunities’. HRM is concerned with both meeting human capital requirements and the development of process capabilities: in other words, the ability to get things done effectively†1. These strategic goals and objectives are most important and mandatory in a world which becomes more and more global. To be successful, companies have to keep up with their competitors, which usually mean that getting things done effectively is crucial in everything they do. Globalization has brought remarkable developments in the diversity and complexity of International Human Resource Management (IHRM) and management of the global workforce is a critical dimension of companies’ international business. 2 1. 2 Objective of the term paper According to Harvey and Moeller3 there are currently 850,000 subsidiaries of multinational corporations operating globally. Furthermore, 65 per cent of Multinational Companies (MNCs) surveyed in a GMAC global relocation survey are expecting expatriate manager numbers to rise steadily over the next decade. Expatriate managers continue to be a viable means for exercising control over foreign operations and they can therefore have a direct impact on organizational performance. 4 Furthermore, international assignments are also the single most expensive per-person investment a company makes in globalizing its workforce, and unfortunately, most firms are getting anaemic returns on this investment. To improve their return, managers must understand the best practices, thinking, and scientific research on international assignments. 5 According to the above fact and the current worldwide growth of the expatriation missions worldwide, this term paper should give an overview of the Process of International Assignments and its importance for internationally operating Companies – with special focus on the Repatriation of Expatriates. 1. 3 Approach First of all, the question is answered on who should be recruited and how the best person possible for the job can be acquired. If a company is not able to find the right candidate internally, personnel are often recruited externally. But this brings along some other problems which should not be left behind, as insufficient commitment or lack of corporate identity and boundaries to the parent company. 6 Once some appropriate candidates for the vacant position are found, companies have to sort out according to the required characteristics and qualifications as well as the official job description, if available. Next, a number of objectives must be incorporated in the design of expatriates’ pay packages when it comes to negotiating and setting up contractual conditions for the future employee. Chapter three therefore deals with elements a contract should consist of as well as compensation itself. If the contract is finally set up and signed, training for the respective employee and proper preparation regarding the international assignment is fundamental. This can ensure the employee’s success as creating a global mind, overall understandings of the expatriates’ coming tasks as well as differences in local and domestic culture are only some of the toughest tasks an expatriate has to face during his international assignment. Preparation and support given by the company are therefore urgently needed, not only in giving information about host country, upcoming tasks and the stay itself but also in regards to questions related to family, friends, home-flights and all other social questions arising. The last stage of a foreign assignment is the process of repatriation. This phase is the most difficult and unpredictable one. The expatriate not only has to arrive and settle down at home, but also in headquarter where things, positions and people might have changed. â€Å"Often when they return home, expatriates face an organization that does not know what they have done for the past several years, does not know how to use their knowledge and does not care†7. As the process of international assignments is very complex and this term paper limited, each chapter only gives a short and simple overview of the single topics summing up important facts and figures submitting general conspectus. 2. Personnel recruitment and selection 2. 1 International staffing strategies Key question to international staffing regards the selection of one of the four different staffing strategies: ethnocentric, polycentric, geocentric or regiocentric. 8 Choosing the right strategy generally depends on different influencing factors like the characteristics of the parent company or foreign company, conditions in the host country as well as individual characteristics of the employee. 2. 1. 1 Ethnocentric staffing The ethnocentric approach usually indicates that companies are satisfied and happy with the strategy of the headquarter and they now try to implement their domestic standards also in the host country. 9 Home personnel are educated to lead worldwide. This means that key positions in domestic and foreign operations are held by Parent Country Nationals (PCNs). 2. 1. 2 Polycentric staffing The polycentric orientation stands in direct contrast to the ethnocentric orientation, being more variable and independent. Evaluation and control is determined locally and therefore a high level of autonomy can be found in those subsidiaries. 10 Local personnel, Host Country Nationals (HCNs), are educated to lead locally. 11 2. 1. 3 Geocentric staffing Following the geocentric staffing approach organizations are generally complex and interdependent worldwide like McDonalds or Apple. Universal standards for evaluation and control apply and nationality does not matter in favour of ability. The best talent educated to lead worldwide. 12 This also implicates working with Third Country Nationals (TCNs). 2. 1. 4 Regiocentric staffing The fourth staffing strategy is a mixture of the polycentric and the geocentric approach. Managers are generally selected on the basis of being the best in the region, with international transfers generally being restricted to regions. This kind of strategy has become more and more popular during the last years with many MNCs choosing to organize operations regionally. 13 2. 2 Personnel recruitment General target of personnel recruitment is to find an appropriate candidate for the right job. This process may be either conducted from outside or inside the company. Both ways of recruitment possess of advantages and disadvantages, but these can only be named exactly in a concrete recruitment case. 2. 2. 1 Internal recruitment There are different ways of internal recruitment. Personnel may be transferred or promoted to the job as an example. Another form is an apprenticeship of young people, having the advantage to shape future personnel right from scratch. Employees may also perform an on-the-job training for their future position or responsibility. 14 According to Scherm recruitment for international assignments within the company is mostly done by above-mentioned promotions or relocation of staff from one facility to another. 15 The advantages of internal recruitment are on hand. Companies know their potential expatriate longer, are used to their behaviour, thinking, skills and company as well as product specific knowledge. This reduces the risk of selecting the wrong candidate. According to the Global Relocation Trends Survey 200916, only 11 % of the expatriates expected to go abroad have been newly recruited externally. Due to the high selection risks, internal recruiting dominates. As basis for the recruitment decision performance measurements, personal reports, interviews with the employee as well as career plans are taken into account. 17 2. 2. 2 External recruitment If qualified personnel cannot be found internally, recruitment is done outside the company. This is also the case if the company is not able to qualify their personnel within a set time frame or due to lack of experienced staff. It is most important that companies know the relevant job market if they want to succeed in recruiting employees externally as well as doing this in an economically way. External recruitment can then be divided into two segments, passive and active external recruitment. Whereas active external recruitment means addressing potential candidates through e. g. different institutions, media or by using social networks, passive external recruiting companies set their emphasis on spontaneous, speculative applications of respective candidates or mouth-to-mouth propaganda of their great company image. 18 In case recruitment for an international assignment is done externally the risk for selecting the wrong candidate is often minimized by outsourcing the task to an external consultant or agency as they generally have more experience. 19 Nevertheless, the traditional ways of searching for the right candidate, e. g. simply advertising the vacancies in the local newspapers or online, employment centres or job fairs, are still applicable. Candidates from outside the company may bring in new ideas and may have a wider range of experience due to their former tasks but the selection process might take longer, might require extensive personnel resources and might be more expensive (e. g. advertising and interview process, personnel consulter). 2. 3 Personnel selection For an international assignment to become a great success for both, company and expatriate, selecting the right candidate out of several is one of the most important steps of the whole process. Several selection strategies are used and quite common but failure situations in individual assignment cases are widely spread in MNCs. 20 In order to make sure that the candidate possesses the right characteristics, qualifications, and skills a detailed job description and information about coming management tasks can be very helpful during this process. Unfortunately, these proper specifications are often not available or only give a rough overview of upcoming challenges. 21 2. 3. 1 Selection criteria A first impression about the population of expatriates provides the demographic data study of the Bookfield Global Relocation Trend Surveys. 22 For 2009 it is stated that 75 % of all expatriates have been aged between 30 and 49 whereas 80 % of them have been male. Only 9 % have had prior experience as international expatriates. 27 % have been single and therefore sent without partner and almost half of them have been sent off together with their kids. 23 Usually the HR Manager selects the expatriate according to the following criteria: A specific or subject-related qualification as the expatriate often has no other specialist on site. Personal characteristics like motivation, discipline, patience, endurance, and readiness to take on responsibility. Cultural openness, willingness to learn and experience new things, open-minded, no resistance to change. Family-related criteria The single criteria may overlap to a certain point. In literature different weightings for all of these criteria exist but they all agree to the fact that Family and Cultural openness should be most taken into account. 24 2. 3. 2 Final selection process and instruments Generally, there are no other specific selection processes or criteria used for finding a candidate for an international assignment than the ones used in national context. Among selection process and criteria four are widely known, starting with the general application documents. Job requirements and the matching candidate personal profile decide in first instance who is to be invited to a personal interview. If it is decided to recruit a candidate internally, generally the previous career and the internal development of the employee are taken into account. Often, prior to an invitation to a personal interview, candidates have to successfully take part in an assessment centre focusing more and more on intercultural competences like empathy, cultural understanding, behaviour etc. 25 It is seen as an advantage of the external assessment of intercultural competence in intercultural assessment centres that the requirement regarding the behaviour and orientation are high and the candidates will be evaluated by several observers over a longer period. 26 In addition to this, personal interviews, together with wife or husband of the respective expatriate are increasing as it is important that they support and understand situation and coming tasks. They can help the expatriate to stay grounded and sometimes they even move with the expatriate to the new country. Last, tests can be used as a selection technique ranging from general mental ability tests to psychological tests. Finally, neither in literature nor in practice a general opinion which of the above mentioned selection processes and criteria are most appropriate or useful in regards to international assignments or the identification of intercultural competent employees exist. 27 3. Contractual conditions of the employment abroad 3. 1 Objectives of a contract No matter if a company operates nationally or internationally, the contract of an employee should be compliant with labour law standards, offer transparency and motivate staff in order to decrease fluctuation. Further, it should provide the legal and financial frame work of the working relation and last but not least should be economical and cost effective for the company. Protection of human life, health, and comfort by creating a strong and cohesive culture as well as safe working environment should been given highest priority and objective of contracts. 3. 2 Compensation Depending on the international orientation of the company as well as kind and duration of the international assignment there are three different compensation policies which can be differentiated, following below. 3. 2. 1 Ethnocentric compensation policy The Ethnocentric compensation policy is often used in combination with the Balance Sheet Approach: During a short-term assignment (delegation, 1 to 5 years)28, the employee retains his residence in the home country. His family usually stays back there, as moving those with the expatriate would exceed costs. The salary is paid by the parent company in the currency of the country of origin and charges can be passed on to the foreign company if applicable. The employee remains employee of the parent company and retains his employment contract. A supplementary agreement to this contract is set up for all specialties such as tasks, duration, home flights, remuneration vacation etc. 29 About 60 % of German companies are using this compensation policy for their assignments. 30 Advantages are on hand: The expatriate can maintain home country living standards and generally receives a surplus for the additional future challenges and efforts. Therefore, this approach is accepted by most employees. Disadvantages for the company are sometimes massive compensation differences within a country e. g. the salary of a PCN might be considerably higher as that of a HCN. This fact might de-motivate local employees. Furthermore, the ethnocentric compensation policy is complex in administration. 31 3. 2. 2 Regiocentric compensation policy The Regiocentric compensation policy is often used in combination with the Going Rate Approach: During long-term assignment (relocation, 1 to 5 years)32 compensation is based on the Host Country. As the term ‘relocation’ already says, the employee gets directly involved in the foreign company. Usually, the family moves with the expatriate to the hospitable country and the salary is paid in the local currency directly by the foreign company. However, there are ways to still pay out a part of the salary in the currency of the home country, if desired. The existing contract with the parent company is brought to rest. The employment relationship however is not cancelled just like during military service or parental leave. At the termination of employment abroad the contractual ties between employee and parent company come back to life again. 33 Currently, approximately 11 % of German companies are using this compensation policy for their assignments. 34 Advantages are quite obvious: As the salary of the expatriates is linked to the salary structure of the host country salaries might be less costly in low-wage countries. Further the approach encourages equality between locals and expatriates and the identification with the host country. Due to an expected change in the living standards as well as huge variation between the expatriates’ salaries in different countries this approach is often very low accepted by expatriates. 35 3. 2. 3 Global compensation policy The global compensation policy neither considers the standards of the parent country nor those of the host country. Compensation is set globally and independently from other countries. This approach should provide the basis for an international remuneration policy. It should fit into corporate identity and should give international expatriates of MNC the opportunity to gain international experiences on the same level, offering transparency and the same salaries worldwide. Although corporate guidelines for a compensation policy often exist, they can hardly be found in the above described pure form but are being mixed up as due to costs and laws in the host countries compensation policies often require adjustment. 36 4. Preparation and support In order to make the international assignment a huge success for both the candidate and the company there are several measures which can be taken to prepare and support the expatriate. Support is an on-going process and done by superiors, responsible persons or agencies. It does only end after repatriation whereas the preparation phase should start directly after recruitment and ends with the expatriate departing. According to Festing, training and support have to take the process of cultural adjustment into account, and can therefore be divided into the phases described below37. 4. 1 â€Å"Pre-Departure† Training Preparation and training can help to improve the ability to interact effectively and adequately with foreigners in working and non-working environments38. An ideal pre-departure preparation is therefore quite necessary. This preparation should enhance knowledge about cultural, political, legal, economic, and social conditions of the host country and provides the expatriate with all general information. If the expatriate is not fluent in the host country language, foreign language instructions and trainings should be offered. Other practices of pre-departure training include look-and-see-trips, orientation by lectures and briefings, cross-cultural trainings in order to understand why foreign partners think and behave in different ways as well as briefings by returnees who can give the expatriate valuable and important insider information. These pre-departure trainings should be extended to the expatriates’ family wherever possible and necessary. 39 4. 2 â€Å"Start-upâ€Å" Training After departure of the expatriate, the start-up training in the host country begins. The parent company helps the expatriate and his or her family in different forms (coping with the adaptation to a foreign environment, accommodation, school for children, safeguarding the interests of the expatriate in the parent company etc. ) and continues to be present. The intensity of the support varies depending on the resources and systems the different MNCs have implemented. A mentor system is most common and should ensure that each expatriate has been assigned a senior executive at home or on-site, who has a â€Å"parent† function. 40 Furthermore, a detailed employee orientation plan for the new position in the host country can be helpful for the expatriate to find his or her way around. The continuous and direct contact to the headquarter during this stage is crucial as the expatriates should still feel connected to the company and not be left behind. Often expatriates continue to learn the language of the new country in local courses, receive specific further trainings or coaching either by experts from the parent company or by local trainers. 4. 3 â€Å"Cultural shock preventionâ€Å" Training As adoption of new thoughts and behaviours of a new culture and situation requires more time than any cross-cultural training program can offer the expatriate in advance during this stage the expatriate requires extensive support. As expatriates tend to see everything more from a touristic point of view first, they finally arrive in the host country. They easily get frustrated or disappointed by a variety of things (language barriers, behavioural differences, climate etc. ) during this stage and the experience of unpredictability in combination with the feeling of abandonment and isolation possibly comes over the expatriate and his or her family. Helpful during this stage is the assigned mentor. The expatriate can talk with the mentor about his or her feelings and share information and experience. An information exchange with other expatriates is also advantageous as they often understand problems, feelings, and thoughts better as the mentor. If the expatriate is accompanied by his or her family and the spouse does not work during the international assignment, cultural adaptation difficulties are quite more problematic and more intense than the expatriates’. 41 5. Repatriation 5. 1 Reintegration Generals â€Å"When the expatriate is sent abroad he expects the new, unknown situation and the problems involved. But when he returns to his home country, he encounters it completely unexpected†42. This statement of Adler still describes the situation an expatriate often has to face when returning to the home country very well. They have left with a special task or order to complete but when they return they often do not exactly know how their position in the headquarter and their life will look like. Further problems are often connected to the duration of the assignment, the expatriates personal experiences made in the host country, cultural differences on-site and abroad, the expatriates personal situation as well as the repatriation support. 43 Therefore, it is hard to find a general recipe for successful reintegration planning. Individual solutions have to be found and every international assignment and expatriate has to be looked after individually. â€Å"The repatriation of staff into the parent company already starts with the selection and preparation decisions for the foreign assignment. The reintegration does not end with the return to the parent company and is not completed until the staff has been introduced to its new position in the company’s headquarters, performs effectively and feels comfortable with his job†44. In order for the expatriate to reintegrate successfully and not to quit the company after the assignment and a consequent loss for the mother company of investment and expertise (human capital), the reintegration process should be divided into the three stages following below. 5. 2 Before expatriation Already before the international assignment has taken place it should be discussed with the expatriate what he or she expects of a future position, how the expatriate would like to develop, how the expatriate sees the future career as well as tasks. This is often done by the mentor of the expatriate for the international assignment. As the expatriation program is very expensive and time consuming for a company, failure rate or the possibility of the expatriate leaving the company after the assignment should be eliminated. Generally, an employee, who is willing to work and live for probably years in a foreign country, with all personal consequences, should be integrated into an internal performance program, right at the beginning of the assignment. Setting up an agreement outlining the type of position expatriates will be placed in upon repatriation, the compensation and a general idea of their future job description should be arranged prior to going abroad. 45 Another possibility to limit reintegration problems is the idea to limit the assignment in its duration in advance to about 3-5 years. This limitation should prevent the expatriate from getting too attached to the way of living, behaviour, values, and culture of the host country and facilitate repatriation upon return. 46 It is seen as advantageous that the expatriate is able to foresee a concrete end to the assignment. 47 5. 3 During expatriation During the assignment, it is important that the expatriate has continuous contact and an on-going information exchange with the home office. This can be done by the mentoring program itself, regular home flights, company newsletters, information exchange platforms, and media like intranet or weekly telephone conferences with superiors and colleagues. 48 The expatriate should feel as a part of the company and should also be able to develop a worldwide network, learn to think global, and actively exchange information, knowledge and experience with other colleagues and expatriates. There should never come up the feeling to be forgotten or left behind. 5. 4 After expatriation As indicated by Johnston, from the repatriate’s perspective problems associated with reintegrating into the home country are loss of status, loss of autonomy, loss of career direction, and a feeling that the company undervalues international experience. 49 In order to avoid these problems, most MNCs offer a reorientation program where their repatriates take part in. These reorientation programs can provide immediate help in most of the work-related questions arising after expatriation. The repatriate is given information on new products, organizational changes, personnel, corporate culture, market and new strategies and developments. Sometimes also an experience exchange with former expatriates takes place in order to facilitate reintegration and manage the reverse culture shock as well as sudden change in lifestyle. The former expatriates can help the repatriates to cope with their new experiences as they have been mainly through the same. Additionally, repatriates are often used to train and coach colleagues that are about to begin their assignments to share their experience and give the expatriate the perception that their work and international expertise is valued, recognized, and needed. This should avoid professional disappointment and under-utilization of newly developed global skills of the expatriates. The new position of the repatriate should fit to newly developed skills and experience or the former position should be extended but not restricted to nine-to-five work. Career deficits upon returning should be compensated by HR training methods. Social repatriation measures also include support in the adjustment back to social lifestyle, status, housing, financial counselling, and tax assistance, school systems and children’s education as well as spouses new job search, if applicable. 50 6. Conclusion 6. 1 Target achievement â€Å"Expatriation is an important step towards becoming a global leader†51. Furthermore, an international assignment is a powerful experience in shaping the perspective and capabilities of effective global leaders. People are the key to success; they are the ones behind the strategy. Developing and retaining human capital becomes more and more important nowadays. â€Å"During expatriation, managers find the opportunity to acquire and/or master their coping, cross-cultural communication, conflict resolution, negotiation, networking, and coaching skills. They also develop business, technical, and managerial competencies while overseas, where they have to adapt to a variety of roles such as integrator, balancer, change agent, mentor/motivator, and talent developer. If international assignments are important to global leadership development, then this opportunity should be given early in a manager’s life†52. Additionally to give mangers and/or employees the opportunity to international assignments they have to be prepared and supported to become successful. This term paper points out that cross-cultural training, support, preparation, and repatriation training can make a difference in the history of successes of international assignments of MNCs, although it is mainly underestimated. Employees are hired everywhere in the world, wherever the necessary skills, training and experience can be found. Due to time pressure, employees are often sent to foreign countries on very short notice. Furthermore, there is still a prevalent belief that intercultural knowledge and skills are not really essential to success when collaboration with foreigners. In addition to this ignorance, there are doubts about the training effectiveness. Managers are frequently not convinced that cross-cultural training is really an effective means for gaining control of the complex issues of international cooperation. These facts make it somehow quite difficult to progress in the international assignment process. 53 6. 2 Prospects Today, an international assignment is more than only vacation abroad. The learning-by-doing approach had become outdated. In order to keep up with internationalization, companies should focus on developing global leaders and therefore structure their IHRM process quite well. This includes a strategic expatriation and repatriation policy as losing repatriates to the competition will sooner or later create a huge competitive risk and already costs the company quite a lot of money. In order to progress and ameliorate the international assignment process however, companies have to conduct further research in some fields. This starts with selecting the right candidate for the job. How does the job look like in detail and which requirements are set? How long should the assignment exactly take and what are the specific goals? A concrete job description is one step forward to a structured IHRM process. If the expatriate e. g. is accompanied by the spouse, which possibilities does the company have to find an adequate job for both in the same region (dual career couples)? If it would be possible to enhance satisfaction of the spouse of the expatriate, this might also reduce the risk of failure of the assignment. The same question is to be asked upon their return. Furthermore, research is also needed with regard to the question of how the allocation of the position the expatriate will receive upon return can be planned and implemented in the long run. The expatriate should have the impression that career planning is well structured and thought-out. Another question could be how expatriates are able to successfully pass on their knowledge generated abroad, in their home company. Organisational learning should be most important as otherwise the expensive purchased knowledge is lost and worthless. The above named questions are only several which could arise during each company’s individual research and amelioration process. List of references Adler, N. J. (1986): International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior, Boston 1986 Armstrong, M. (2003): A handbook of human resource management practice, 9th edition, Kogan Page Limited, London 2003 Bergemann, N. , Sourisseaux, A. L. 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(2002): Toward the boundaryless career: a closer look at the expatriate career concept and the perceived implications of an international assignment, in: Journal of World Business, 2002, 37. Jg. , Nr. 3, pp. 216-227 Trends Survey 2009: Toronto et al. : Brookfield Global Relocation Services Wagner, D. , Zander, E. , Hauke, C. (1992): Handbuch der Personalleitung: Funktionen und Konzeptionen der Personalarbeit im Unternehmen, Munchen 1992 Weber, W. , Festing, M. , Dowling, P. , Schuler, R. (2001): Internationales Personal-Management, 2. Auflage, Wiesbaden 2001 Declaration in lieu of oath I hereby declare that I produced the submitted paper with no assistance from any other party and without the use of any unauthorized aids and, in particular, that I have marked as quotations all passages, which are reproduced verbatim or nearby-verbatim from publications. Also, I declare that the submitted print version of this term paper is identical with its digital version. 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