A Balance of Power :: Career Employment Businesses Essays

A Balance of Power Eliminating "co-dependent" behavior has become as important for employment health as it is for psychological well-being. Today’s workers are realizing that the only source of employment security is the security they create for themselves, by becoming self-reliant and career resilient (Brown 1996). Continued employment is tied to lifelong learning and ongoing skill development, practices that enhance career growth and the potential for career advancement and mobility. This trend toward career independence is reflected in the new breed of independent contractors and temporary workers who move from job to job and project to project, marketing themselves for temporary assignments in a variety of organizations rather than seeking permanent jobs. When the self-employed are counted, these "free agents" comprise more than 16% of the U.S. population, roughly 25 million people who are continually marketing their skills, abilities, and achievements to realize their employment goals (Pink 1997). Workers are recognizing the need to ensure their marketability to employers, and employers are facing increased pressure to make their organizations attractive to workers. In the current tight labor market, where workers remember job loss as an outcome of corporate restructuring and downsizing, company loyalty has gone by the wayside. Brown (1998a) reports that even newly hired workers are on the lookout for a "better" opportunity, with 50-60% of them changing jobs within the first 7 months of employment. To offset excessive turnover, many companies are offering advantages associated with free agency (Reich 1998): "flexibility in how, when, and where you work; compensation linked to what you contribute; freedom to move from project to project." This shared responsibility for employment has resulted in the evolution of various partnership arrangements. Formal employment contracts, which are designed to satisfy the needs of both employers and employees, are being developed through collective bargaining and contain employment stipulations that are agreeable to both parties (Brown 1997). Through such contracts, "employers provide the opportunities, tools, and support to help employees develop their skills and maintain their employability; the employees have the responsibility of managing their careers by taking advantage of the opportunities they are given" (ibid., p. 1). What are the implications of this shared responsibility? Today’s workers must be entrepreneurial. They must function as free agents, marketing themselves and the skills they can offer to employers who serve as "customers." How Can Career Development Programs Be Updated? Career development programs, although continuing to focus on career awareness, exploration, and development, must be updated to contain strategies for employment in the 21st century.

Business Plan for a Clothing Company

The product I will be supplying to society will be a fashion store called FrSh. Popular culture is no longer regional. The tradition of cable television and the Internet has created a world where a fashion statement can make you or break you .FrSh will offer young customers the youth-oriented products and clothing that are popular in large urban areas but not available locally. The target customer is in their late teens to their mid 20s, who enjoys the urban scene and the city look, participates in youth sports like skateboarding and basketball, and looks toward new urban clothing trends in large city areas for inspiration. FrSh will provide the distinctive clothing, shoes and products that are just ahead of the fashion curve. I will create a cost-effective operation that will quickly bring new fashionable clothing and products to the customer. I originally cam up with this idea because I was fed up of people wearing the same clothes to fit in and wanted to find an alternative to what everyone was wearing so that I would stand out whilst fitting in. I have always enjoyed going to parties and with that comes the responsibility of looking good. I also made shirts whilst in high school and sold them to people. My goals for FrSh will be†¦.. * Accessible store where you always find something new that you want. * Excellent vendor relationship that will facilitate quick shipment of orders. * Establish an effective strategy for advertising to our target customers. * Create a store image that our target customers see as both attractive and trendy. FrSh competitive advantage is offering product lines that make a statement but won't leave you broke. The major brands are expensive and not distinctive enough to satisfy the ever changing taste of our target customers. FrSh offers products that are just ahead of the curve and so affordable that our customers will return to the store often to check out what's new. Another competitive factor is that products for this age group are part of a lifestyle statement. FrSh is focused on serving the Urban youth. We want to represent their style and life choices. We believe that we will create a loyal customer base that will see FrSh as part of their lives. We will pride ourselves by setting the most affordable prices for our consumers. We will cover all of our liabilities and make sure we will have contracts will all of our partners which we will be considering into bringing into the company. W will be running a close cooperation. FrSh will advertise in the Universities and daily student newspapers and free Weekly papers, which is focused on FrSh target customer groups. FrSh will also plan three events to raise its visibility with target customers. We will assemble a group of boy and girl Dancers and sponsor them with the FrSh logo. The Dance competition will be followed by a street basketball game. Smokejumpers will book a local popular alternative college group to play at the event. We will find co-sponsors for the events that are also focused on the same target customers. At these events, FrSh will distribute stickers, hats, t-shirts, and promotional material offering 50% discount on purchases this will draw us customers.

International development project analysis Essay

Introduction: – †¢ New science, technologies and ideas are crucial for the achievement of the goals, but global research investments are insufficient to match needs and do not focus on the priorities of the poor. †¢ Many technological and policy innovations require an international scale of research effort. †¢ DFID’s (Department for International Development) Central Research Department (CRD) commissions research to help fill this gap, aiming to ensure tangible outcomes on the livelihoods of the poor. †¢ CRD seeks to influence the international and UK research agendas, putting poverty reduction and the needs of the poor at the forefront of global research efforts. †¢ CRD manages long-term research initiatives that cut across individual countries or regions, and only funds activities if there are clear opportunities and mechanisms for the research to have a significant impact on poverty. †¢ CRD works closely with DFID’s Chief Scientific Adviser to maintain external links, particularly with UK Science, Whitehall and political stakeholders, to promote DFID’s agenda. †¢ DFID is seeking views to help it develop a new research strategy 2008-2013. Your chance to get involved When developing policies, it is recognized that consulting with a wide range of interested groups helps to ensure that the impact of its proposals on different sectors of society is taken into account. Public consultations are carried out wherever possible as recommended in the Code of Practice on Consultations by the Cabinet Office in January 2004. The Code aims to increase the involvement of individuals and groups in public consultations, minimizing the burden it imposes on them, and giving them enough time to respond. This guidance is used in conjunction with the compact between the government and the voluntary and community sector which includes a specific code of good practice on ‘Consultation and Policy Appraisal’. If you would like to take part in DFID public consultations, information will be posted on these pages. . . . Page-2 Page-2 Consultation The Cabinet Office is conducting a review of Consultation Policy to see how Government consultations can be improved and is keen to hear your views. As the centre–piece of this review, Hilary Armstrong MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Social Exclusion, has launched a paper entitled â€Å"Effective Consultation† to seek evidence on Government consultations. The consultation is aimed at anyone with an interest in responding to government consultation exercises, from those who regularly respond to the Government’s consultations to those who might be interested in doing so. These might include business organizations, voluntary and charitable sector organizations, campaigning bodies, trades unions, citizens, etc. The Better Regulation Executive is keen to meet with people who have experience of Government consultations and to discuss with them how Government consultations can be improved. The BRE is therefore organizing a series of events with Government Offices including two, larger, public seminars on the subject. †¢ Annual Reports: Assessment of performance on government consultations. †¢ Code of Practice: The Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Consultation sets out the basic principles for conducting effective Government consultations. †¢ Consultation Guidance: Guidance for running consultations in government. †¢ Current Cabinet Office Consultations: A list of current Cabinet Office consultations with links for more information. †¢ Government Consultations: Links to departmental consultation websites. †¢ Effective Consultation Events: Further details on the Better Regulation Executive’s program of Consultation events. The following eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were agreed at the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000 and nearly 190 countries have subsequently signed up to them. The eight Millennium Development Goals: 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. 2. Achieve universal primary education. 3. Promote gender equality and empower women. 4. Reduce child mortality. 5. Improve maternal health. 6. Combat HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases. 7. Ensure environmental sustainability. 8. Develop a global partnership for development. . . . Page-3 Page-3 REPORTS AND FORMATS Annual Report Format for DFID-contracted Research Programmes Front cover with Title of Research Programme, Reference Number and the Period Covered by the report. Include a table of contents, annexes, etc. , as necessary. 1. Background Information Title of Research Programme: Reference Number: Period covered by report: Name of lead institution and Director: Key partners: Countries covered by research: Planned Actual Start Date: End Date: Total programme budget: 2. One page summary (A narrative focussing on two main questions: (i) How far have intended outputs as listed in the logframe been achieved? And (ii) What is the impact of the research programme so far? ) 3. Key Themes – Progress towards outputs and impact What are the research outputs? Outputs OVIs Progress Recommendations/Comments Where are the research impacts? Purpose OVIs Progress Recommendations/Comments 4. Lessons learnt †¢ Working with Partners †¢ Good Practice/Innovation †¢ Project/programme Management †¢ Communication 5. Programme Management Annual Report Summary sheet for R4D 1. Background Information Title of research programme: Reference Number: Period covered by report: Name of lead institution and Director: Key partners: Countries covered by research: Start Date for research programme: End Date for research programme: 2. One page summary 3. Products and Publications Inception Phase Report Format Front cover with Title of Research Programme, Reference Number and the Period Covered by the report. Include a table of contents, annexes, etc. , as necessary. 1. Background Information Title of research programme: Reference Number: Period covered by report: Name of lead institution and Director: Key partners: Countries to be covered by research: 2. A document of overall plans to complement your research proposal and setting out: †¢ Themes. †¢ Planned activities. †¢ Areas for development during life of the research program. †¢ Where appropriate, a response to referees comments on the original research proposal and/or any comments or note of endorsement from the CAG/CARG. 3. Finalized log frame 4. Plans for capacity development 5. The Management structure for the research program 6. Ongoing monitoring arrangements for the research program 7. Communication strategy 8. Annual activity plan 9. Detailed financial plan.

A Review of the Pirates House and the History of the Restaurant

A Review of the Pirates' House and the History of the Restaurant The Pirates House is a notable eatery and bar built up in 1753. It’s situated in Savannah, Georgia. It is believed that Pirates House is the oldest building standing in Georgia. This restaurant stands out as one of the major tourist attractions in Georgia. This comprehensive narrative reviews the restaurant as a business as well as a historic entry together with the activities that were undertaken in the restaurant since it was established. Criteria 1 Pirates House was based on a plot of land that had been set aside to be a botanical research garden. The garden was assigned to Oglethorpes Trustees. Oglethorpe selected botanists from around the globe to procure plants for the venture, such plants include, cotton, therapeutic herbs, indigo and flavors. The garden was put up with the hope of boosting the wine and silk industries that were mushrooming by then, the garden later centered its operations to growing mulberry trees. The soil and climate states in however did not favor the mulberry trees. The wine and silk industries also crumbled as a result of those factors. The garden would later develop cotton farming that quickly became the staple for the residents of Georgia. The small building had therefore been built to house the gardeners who worked in the farm. The house was formerly known as the herb house due to its old age. By 1754, Savannah was rapidly growing as a port town thus the residents decided that it was no longer relevant to have a botanical garden. The herb house was therefore transformed to serve as a tavern and an inn where visiting seamen from abroad would be housed (McGrath and Pirates House). The pirate’s house started to constantly house seamen and pirates and with time, it started to earn a bad reputation and the general public started to avoid it. The pirate’s house did not earn its status by rumor; many sailors had been reported missing from this restaurant. Duisburg captains who needed slave men frequented the inn and took away vulnerable drunkards. The restaurant was initially owned by captain Flint. The savannah gas company would later buy Pirates house and the neighboring land in the 1900s. Mrs. Hansell Hilyer who was the wife to the president of Savannah Gas Company was attracted to the design of the building in the premises they had bought. She rehabilitated the museum house into a restaurant with 15 dining rooms with a capacity of 120 guests. It started operations and served several varieties of southern dishes. Frances McGrath’s book â€Å"The Pirates House Cook Book lists the recipes that the restaurant offered. Criteria 2 The pirate’s house is a notable restaurant most significantly because of the stories that it is founded on. The restaurant holds an annual competition known as the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgias where they different entries showcase their innovative recipes and at the same time have a time to celebrate the history of the restaurant (McGrath and Pirates House). The restaurant has earned several good reviews for their delicious food and their exclusive service and theme. The residents of historic Georgia view it as a source of their pride and it relatively sees a consistent flow of tourists who come to share the experience and learn the history. The pirate’s house has been used in a handful of contexts which includes Robert Stevenson’s book â€Å"Treasure Island† which was written in 1881. It is believed that the novelist was inspired by the house and the activities that were happening in the house. Some pages of the novel where the action was from the res taurant are displayed in one of the rooms in the restaurant. The pirate’s house serves several people each with a different goal. May people travel from far destinations to have an exclusive service in a restaurant that is believed to be haunted by the souls of the initial owners and those of the sailors that died in the restaurant in the 17s and 18s. Besides that, people like to see the restaurant for its old design from the 17s (McGrath and Pirates House). Criteria 3 One of the most fascinating parts of the hotel is the set of ancient staircases that lead into unseen tunnels that are underneath the restaurant. It is believed that the tunnels beneath the restaurant ran to the banks of Savannah River. The strong men drinking at the bar were dragged via the staircases, to the tunnels and drugged. They would then be dragged through the tunnel to a ship and forced to be part of the crew. The restaurant is a vibrant business that has employed a handful of employees. In the event that the restaurant is closed, several people would lose their jobs and a spring of pride for the Historic Georgia would have dried. People visiting the town often visit the restaurant for delicious foods and interesting ghost stories. Since the 18s, the structure of the restaurant has barely changed. This is most likely because the restaurant needs to preserve the original feel of the house since it was built. Many people who would like to see the building and attribute it to the story behind it will often visit the restaurant and that acts as the restaurant’s point of sale. Conclusion This restaurant has been a favorite spot for everyone who visits as it was the same case for the privateers and sailors for several years. The food and drinks were as terrific as they still are now. It is no surprise that the pirates would hang around the place that they enjoyed and loved when they were alive, like we do today.

What are the effects in the job market when women are less educated Research Paper

What are the effects in the job market when women are less educated than man - Research Paper Example As a result, these women, should they be forced by need to work, will be confined to low productivity and income jobs. Women, up to now, are still vastly overrepresented among unpaid workers or in the informal sector. As education and experience are valuable inputs to productivity and earnings, non-diversification of the human capital deeply impacts the rate of economic development. Education is widely recognized as the prerequisite to economic security and opportunity. In analysis, the state of diversification in the job market presupposes the condition that there is no enhanced creativity in limited viewpoints as women is often not in the equation. This creates a narrow selection in the existing talent pool that often stagnates growth. The job market will negate a picture of strength as there would be less demand for labor without diversified aptitudes and abilities in its workforce. It will also have less ability to demand higher absolute and relative wages as job specialization would be diminished. A relatively weak job market ultimately prevents the increase in employment which would be accompanied by slow economic growth and perpetuates further market and institutional failures (World Bank, 2012). World Bank. (2012). Gender Difference in Employment and Why They Matter. Retrieved October 15, 2012, from World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development:

Amazon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Amazon - Essay Example Amazon remains focused on providing convenience and excellence in customer service, much of which is promoted with the assistance of technologies. The company’s internal culture is aligned to respond and adapt to changing market conditions, giving the business a significant competitive advantage over other rivals. 2. The features of Amazon’s strategy Amazon is a leader in understanding its target market characteristics and then adjusting the organisational culture, products and services, and marketing strategies to appeal to these known characteristics. Amazon has identified three market segments that the business will service, including consumer customers, seller customers, and developer customers. It is a very customer-centric organisational model that seeks, primarily, growth as an objective. Amazon accomplishes this by establishing a pricing structure under a price leadership strategy, offering a vast assortment of merchandise, and injecting convenience into the bus iness model (Stockport 2010). The business’ vision to be the most consumer-centric business in its industry reflects how Amazon continues to develop strategies, both corporate-level and business-level, to ensure that it fulfils these promises for focus on providing value to its many diverse markets. One method of promoting this value and convenience is the recent program entitled Frustration-Free Packaging, which was designed to ensure consumers could easily remove their products from Amazon’s packaging. Cloud computing, additionally, provides its developer customers with low-cost IT services and the ability to outsource many business functions for further cost-savings. The continual development of new services, such as the MP3 Music Store, IMDb.com allowing for television program viewing, and launch of the Office Supplies Store in 2008, illustrates the constant evolution of the business model that caters to a wide variety of target markets with varying needs. Innovati on, as compared to competition, is what makes this business model difficult to replicate by rivals and secures the promises of being consumer-centric that makes up the foundation of corporate strategy. 3. Analysis of Amazon’s internal environment Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, is a firm believer in corporate frugality. In the company’s headquarters, this thrift is evident with employee desks that have been recycled from doors, at an estimated cost of $130 USD and monitors that rest on telephone books to avoid the high costs of stands (University of Graz 2013). Amazon maintains very powerful competitive advantage as it relates to human capital, having established a firm set of values and a shared vision that allows for decentralised business function for better teamwork and interpersonal relationship development. In order to develop the appropriate service culture necessary for Amazon to achieve its mission of consumer-centrism, the organisation must have leadership t hat is visionary, one that establishes and iterates mission and vision, and inspire others through positive and ethical leadership traits (Fairholm 2009). Figure 1: Internal Competency Framework Success factors for internal efficiency Figure 1 illustrates the six competencies of the internal organisational culture at Amazon that contribute to fulfilment of the customer-centric mission and vision. The decentralised structure provides employees with opportunities to engage socially and professionally to establish a team culture that is flexible and where knowledge transfer is part of the organisational model with tacit and explicit knowledge holders in multiple divisions of the business model. Coupled with a cultural attitude for reducing overhead (the Amazon frugality culture), the business is able to devote more resources

Amazon.com - Not Your Average Bookstore Case Study - 3

Amazon.com - Not Your Average Bookstore - Case Study Example For example, one can book the latest Harry Potter book on internet and get it immediately as it is released. It has exploited technology to have a definite and advantageous position within the industry Amazon has used disruptive technology to run its business because it helped transform traditional bookstore in physical format to a virtual store where people can access books of their choice without actually holding them physically. The conceptualization of a virtual store is innovative strategy that has changed the very concept of market. Disruptive technology broadly refers to a new concept that disrupts existing market and creates a new one with more value. Amazon has taken business and marketing to a new level where time and space have become irrelevant. Access to goods and products has become easier and selling and buying more convenient, both for buyers and sellers. It is like mobile phones which has redefined communication. Amazon has been constantly innovating to maintain its customers’ loyalty by personalization and customization to their changing preferences. It has been able to create a one stop shopping experience for the customers and also welcomes personal recommendations and reviews. By providing customers with unique experience of book world where customers not only buy what they want, Amazon has also been able to earn customers’ commitment and loyalty by ensuring that their recommendations are incorporated within the broader strategy and goal of the business. For example, it has started Amazon3 on the recommendations of its customers and provides them with virtual space to store the personal data or books. Amazon’s e business model primarily relies on exploiting technology to meet customers’ changing preferences and uses them to constantly evolve. From a mere virtual book store, it has evolved into a comprehensive service center offering people storage in cyber space to