The quality of education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The quality of education - Essay Example ation as it started to take steps at commercializing accomplishments with affordable mass accessibility, which led to disproportionate number of academic resources to serve each learner and poor ratio between scarce number of teachers to the growing student population. This according to W. Brown was the consequence of mismanagement of both the financial and political systems in their failure to balance priorities with state budgeting and marketing education with impertinent models that had mostly been strategically business-oriented. With the facts briefly yet sufficiently presented, W. Brown devoted the second half of her address to enhance her claims from an informative level to a more persuasive and dynamic rate of appeal she occurred to bring her audience to not only listen but empathize on acting with urgency as she encouraged the listeners to advocate the thoughtful conviction that the consequence of education with poor quality is dangerous ignorance in the sense that an improperly educated mass could possible run the risk of yielding to certain self-governing incapacities toward personal development as well as impaired discernment of democracy in the future. Based on the author’s knowledge of the prevailing situation both of the cause and experienced reality of the effects thereafter considering how effectively she delivered concrete examples by comparing the past and current conditions of public education in California, Wendy Brown did acquire unquestionable grounds for summoning authorities as well as concerned parties to take this matter seriously. Her arguments are clear enough that it sensibly establishes a good critique of the problematic systems and factors that essentially determine the measure of quality in public education so that this is channeled across to every individual understanding with a sense of direction and commitment towards proper resolution. It is quite significant and interesting to be involved with the aforementioned issue,

An Invaluable Study with Slight Setbacks A Review of Weeks Coming Out Essay

An Invaluable Study with Slight Setbacks A Review of Weeks Coming Out - Essay Example A closer examination, however, of how specific social events influenced homosexual identity would have greatly aided in creating an understanding of the relationship and origins homosexual identity has in British society. Thus, Weeks emphasizes the structural existence of homosexuality, while failing to consider the forces that might have established this structure. "We tend to think now that the word 'homosexual' has an unvarying meaning, beyond time and history." Weeks writes. "In fact it is itself a product of history, a cultural artifact designed to express a particular concept." (3) Often who we define as a homosexual runs no further than the sexual acts in which a person engages. The basis of this definition, however, fails to consider what type of person is or is not a homosexual. Weeks suggests that the reasons for crafting this shallow connotation towards homosexuality appears to have been to provide a standard on which to label permissible and impressible behavior and also to limit the number of those who are viewed as untraditional. In addition to carefully describing the differences between historical and social aspects of homosexuality, Weeks makes sure to describe the differences in treatment towards various types of "homosexuals." Weeks pays particular consideration towards Lesbians, who Weeks describes as "invisible women" (80) and who debatably may have suffered even more hardships than homosexual men. Like most gender studies, Weeks also tackles the objective of showing that although the idea of "homosexuality" is a product of specific circumstances, homosexuality is wide ranging and alludes any historical or cultural constructs. After the introductory section of this book, these two objectives are placed in the background as tools for understanding the history of homosexuality in Britain.As Weeks linearly traces the development of homosexual struggles in England, he crafts the notion that the acceptance of homosexuality in England is growing significantly. Thus, homosexuality appears to be escaping the negative conceptions with which it has previously been associated. Weeks primarily bases his argument that the acceptance of homosexuality in England is growing by citing the increasing number of gay rights supporters. After levels of prejudice against homosexual rose to peak levels after World War II, radical movements in the 1970's by the Gay Liberation Front resulted in stagger numbers of supporters and gay badge wearers. Furthermore, Weeks makes a slight mention that homosexuality was once even more confined than is has been over the course of the previous centuries. Although homosexuality was prevalent, occurring in "knightly orders," "medieval scandals," and certain "monarch courts" (35), it was always confined. In Weeks's portrait of the widening acceptance of homosexuality throughout the previous century, he fails to create an in-depth portrait of how England's various cultural and economic transitions helped to impact perspectives of homosexuality. The book is not without its failures. I

Some wonderfull events in my life Essay Example for Free

Some wonderfull events in my life Essay Everybody in the world is pass from different and various events during his/her lives. I also observed and pass through the many events from my childhood up to present now. As I grow up I perceives knowledge form the education, nature, etc. He enjoys events or occasion, makes friends, etc. Friends are very important in ones life because friends are responsible to give shapes of ones life. I got a chance to live in a good life in a big city when my dad transferred to a city. I did my kinder garden in a small village of just 2000 population of people. Mostly villages are not as developed as large cities. I was like a poor village boy at that time, but as my dad got job in city it also proved helpful to me because I got a chance to live like a modern boy. Therefore this event of getting job led me to live in a good life. When I was in Middle school, I had a lot of friends in my school and near by my area too, as I was very successful in making a bad friends rather than good friends. In other words I learned those activities, which parents want to keep away from their kids. I learned to smoke, started drinking alcohol, harassing girls and started all those activities that were illegal at that time of my age. I did not study for my school and was failing in my subjects. However, I got rid of those bad friends as soon as I could, otherwise I do not think that I can be a good educated person in the society with the company of those friends. Actually after entering in to a new community, I made very good contacts with very bad people. Therefore, this event of making friends proved to be unsuccessful or bad for me. My last event is love event, which I encountered when I was in High school that proves to be very important and helpful in my life until now. I liked one girl in my school. She was my girlfriend for two long years. Those two years are considered among the best years of life. She is two years younger than me, but she was an A student and I was a B student. She is intelligent and always helped me in my study matter. She encouraged me to get good grades in exam. She became very happy if I get good grades and we always had a party after each exam in any subjects. Only because of her help I reached up to college otherwise if she did not meet me in High school, IÂ  could not even graduate from my High school. Everybody says that to have a girlfriend during college education is not a good thing, because if we have a girlfriend, we also need to spend time on them that cause an adverse effect on education especially if anybody is in professional school. However, according to me, it is depends on a how a girlfriend is. If she understands the importance of education and life, she helps a boy in achieving success. I am doing BS in Biochemistry and will going to transfer in Spring 2005. I can say that she was behind me to push me up to college, and even in future I need her to get my degree because she is the one who always encouraged me to do well. Therefore, this love event in my life proves to be very successful, and helpful in my life.

Institutional Structures Of Brazil And China Economics Essay

Institutional Structures Of Brazil And China Economics Essay There are a number of factors that multi-national corporations ought to consider before investing in another country. The challenges that are faced vary from country to country. In some cases there are similarities within the institutional structures of these countries that may attract corporations to take advantage of the favorable factors. On the other hand some instructional structures are capable of limiting the policy alternatives available to investors and other policy makers. The control in power among government organizations such as the legislative, judicial and executive makes it difficult for the policy making process to be reviewed. This paper seeks to analyze and discuss five areas of the institutional structures of Brazil and china that are likely to influence global corporations like OPEC to invest in the petroleum industry of another country. A discussion of the comparative attractiveness of these markets is also presented after the assessment of the two countries. A brief back ground of the two countries is also presented. A logical conclusion is drawn from such assessment at the end of this paper. overview of Brazil With the exploitation of large natural resources and a large labor intensive economy, Brazil has risen to the position of being the leading economic power in South America as a major emerging economy. Revenues from the production and supply of oil have made a significant contribution to the development of the economy. Petrobras (a major oil producing company in Brazil founded in the year 1953) has established itself as the biggest oil company in the Latin America in terms of revenue and market capitalization; according to the rankings from Latin Business Chronicle, Petrobras 2008 revenue was 118.3 billion. While the company (Petrobras) has withdrawn itself from being Brazils legal monopolist in the petroleum industry in 1997, it continues to play a significant role as a major oil producer, with production exceeding 2 million barrels of oil per day. Information presented on CIA- world fact a book show that in 2008 Brazils estimated oil production in barrels of oil equivalent per day w as 2.422 million. The country is governed under the 1988 constitution of amendment, of which it is presently being run by the federal republic (government type). The countrys president (leader of government) who is elected into office by the highest votes can serve a four year term (and may do so on two terms), has both the positions of the head of state and head of government. Brazil has an increasing economy based primarily on financial, service, manufacturing and trade (Britannica concise encyclopedia, 2010). With an increasing and developing agricultural, mining, manufacturing and service sectors, Brazil is placed at the top of all the countries within South America. This has allowed the country to accomplish a well established position in the global market and economy. According to a report produced by the World Economic Forum, the Brazilian economy was ranked as the top country in rising evolution of competitiveness in 2009. Brazil posses a large mineral wealth comprising of iron ore, tin, quartz, industrial diamonds, gem stones, gold, uranium, bauxite and platinum. The newly found offshore oil and natural gas deposits can place the country in the position of being a major gas and petroleum producer. The country also has a very large food processing and the principal manufacturing industries produce of products such as shoes, chemicals, steel, aircraft textile and machinery. The main source of Brazils electricity comes from water power, and it has a great untouched potential for hydroelectricity, more so in the Amazon basin. Brief overview of Russia Russia has gone through a period of industrialization since the disintegration of the Soviet Union (in 1991) shifting from an internationally-isolated, predominantly planned economy to a market-oriented and internationally-integrated economy. The economic restructuring and development process which began in the 1990s has witnessed the nationalization of most industry, with the distinct exclusion in the energy and security-related sectors. Today, Russia has been experiencing significant economic development as one of the major emerging market. In addition, Russia has a favorable balance of trade where exports exceed imports in a significant way. According to CIA-the world fact book, Russias estimated exports for 2008 and 2009 are 471.6 billion and 295.6 billion respectively, whereas their imports for the same period are 291.9 billion and 196.8 billion respectively. Russias Petroleum industry is another major contributor to the economy and is one of the biggest oil producers in the glo bal market. According to a June 2009 report present by the Energy Information Administration, Russia is ranked the 2nd largest oil producer with the production of 9,677 thousand barrels of oil per day. The report also ranked Russia as the fourth biggest consumer of petroleum in the world with consumption of approximately 2,811 thousand barrels per day. As it relates to oil export, Russia is ranked as the 2nd biggest net exporter) with 6,866 thousand barrels per day. The government type of Russia is a Federal Republic which basically means that the country has a federation of states run by a Republican type of government. This type of government is comprised of both a President and a Prime Minister that jointly runs the countrys affairs. The President holds the position of head of state while the Prime Minister holds the position of head of state; the Executive authority is carried out by the government and the Legislative Authority is carried out by both the government and the two chambers of the Federal Assembly of Russia. The safe guarding of property rights issue has continued to be an area of serious concern while the strong state interference in private sector continues to be a norm. Russias industry is mainly divided between internationally competitive product producers. In 2009, Russia was the worlds biggest exporter of both petroleum and natural gas and was ranked in third spot as the biggest exporter of steel and main aluminum. In order for businesses to conduct foreign investments there are a few risk factors that can serve as barriers for investments. These risk factors could undermine growth and economic stability and they should be taken into consideration so that businesses would remain profitable and have sustainable market share in this competitive global era. Every business transactions have some level of risk. However, when business transaction takes place across global borders, additional risk is prevalent as oppose to domestic transactions. This section, examines the stability of both Brazil and Russia as it relates to the potential investment of Oil Industry. In order to compare and contrast both countries on its stability, considerations have to be given to the Political, Economic, Regulatory and Technological environment. Compare and contrast Brazil and Russia as it relates to political stability Brazil has a Federal Government type meaning their political environment is made up of a number of self-governing states united by a federal government (Babylon translation, 2004), whereas, Russia on the other hand is made up of a Constitutional Federation (Federal Republic). The issue here is whether governments action could affect the profitability of investing in Brazil or Russia. Brazil is a stable government who is open to the idea of foreign investors. It is the largest foreign direct investment recipient in Latin America, attracting an estimated USD 42 billion in 2008 (United Nations report). Although Brazil is considered as friendly or appropriate environment for investment, the governments implementation of high level taxation and regulatory requirements exist. Brazil has a cooperate tax of 34% as compared to Russia 20% (Brazil income taxes 2010). As a result, conducting business in Brazil as compared to Russia with taxation as the variable makes Russia more of an attractive market since businesses in Russia will have more disposable earning for expansionary purposes of the oil industry. The level of corruption in a country has far reaching ramification on investments and on the doing business climate. According to Transparency International (2010) which gives corruption perception indices on a scale of 1-10 (1 being highly corrupt and 10 being free from corruption), Brazil has a corruption perception index of 3.5 whereas; Russia has a corruption perception index of 2.3. Hence, Russia highly probability of investors in the oil industry being subjected to unfair business practices than that of Brazil. Compare and contrast Brazil and Russia as it relates to their Regulatory stability According to Bloombergs report (2008), the Brazilian economy grow at the fastest paste since 2004 and in sync with standards and poors report the country is expected to maintain annual growth up to 4.5%. This type of economic growth gives credit to the country for potential investment. Thus, the previous year Brazil recorded a record high of $34.6 billion foreign investment. This amount of foreign direct investment together with a tripled export rate will cover Brazils current account deficit (Standard and Poors, 2008). Brazil stable economy have drawn investors and trade agreements between Brazil and other countries. Russia on the other hand, economy has been contracting due to falling oil prices and trade disputes with neighbors. This has resulted in Russia being the first G-8 nation to be downgraded since the start of the global economic crisis. Russia has been struggling with rising inflation, high unemployment, negative economic growth and social unrest which have become a disin centive for foreign direct investment including that of the oil industry (Walker and Robbins, 2009). Compare and contrast Brazil and Russia as it relates to their Economic stability As every other country Russia has regulatory system in place, however as a result of corruption, regulations are not enforced as to aid in the fear treatment of investors. The influence of governments on prices, bureaucratic inconsistency and other forms of government controls detours investments in various sectors. The regulatory environment in Russia makes it difficult to start, operate and close a business. Bureaucratic procedures are drawn out and complicated. For example, obtaining a business license takes more than 18 procedures and 218 days (The heritage foundation 2010). Investment law is very subjective to federal law which allows Government a lot of discretionary control over foreign investment. That is to say, while investment laws speculate the national treatment or foreign investors, federal law is given the prerogative in the protection of the constitution and defense of state. In retrospect, the Russian government in 2006 introduced what is known as the strategic secto rs law under which interests by foreign investors must be pre-approved by the Russian government which has been marred by corruption (Russia been ranked 147 out of 149 countries on transparency international index or 2008 and bribery being rampant), inadequate infrastructure and unreliable contract enforcement. All of these factors affecting the oil industry in various ways. The court system however, in Brazil has proven to be highly ineffective. This is due to lack of human resource and efficient functionary equipment, especially when dealing with issues pertaining to shareholder rights and claims. This comparison shows that both markets have varying weaknesses as it relates to regulatory systems. However, specific to oil industry, Brazil has a comparative advantage in that, the country has had regulatory stability for over 10 years of petroleum Law (Hale, 2009). In addition to these, other factors influences the attractiveness of the market relative to the potential oil industry. Provided hereunder is the convertibility of currency which is another deeming factor that can influence investment opportunities in Brazil or Russia. Convertibility of Local Currency to Dollars The convertibility of a countrys local currency also plays an important role in further development of an economy. With the U.S dollar being the world reserve currency, developing countries would do well to have a close, if not full convertibility rate to the U.S dollar. In Brazil the currency used is the Brazilian Real (R$), also known as BRL. At present the exchange rate for Brazilian currency to the U.S dollar is 1.82 BRL to $1 U.S.D. Though not fully convertible, the Brazilian Real stands strong. Ever since 2003, the U.S dollar has fallen 50% against the BRL. The reason for the strength in the Brazilian Real is the fact that Brazils exports surpass its imports. Thus more foreign currency comes in, than the BRL goes out. This can affect the Brazilian currency positively as a convertible currency would mean free movement of capital, which can help strengthen the economy. Oil is in great demand all over, for it has a vast number of uses. If the oil industry were to come to Brazil it will yield much higher profits due to its close conversion rate to the US dollar of 1.82 BRL to $1 U.S.D as mentioned earlier. As of 2009, Brazil had the second largest oil reserves in the region of South America, of 12.6 billion barrels as was proven by The Oil and Gas Journal (OGJ). 2.4 billion barrels of oil was produced in Brazil each day and continued to rise throughout the years. With increases such as these, the Short-Term Energy Outlook forecasted as of September 2009, that oil production would reach around 2.61 million and 2.81 million in 2010. Brazil, in this respect clearly has high potential where the oil industry is concerned and would prove to be a profitable area for investors wishing to position their industry in the country. However, investors must still be cautious. Although Brazil is high on foreign exchange, in order to sustain this level of foreign currency coming into the country, and to deter inflation of their currency, trade barriers and the high tariffs ar e place on some goods to prevent or minimize imports. Taxes are also very high and are placed on all citizens in the country to cover government spending. So at the end of the day a heavy amount of a businesss profits would go towards paying taxes. So while an oil industry may work well in Brazil, there are other areas of concern that investors must take into consideration before selecting the country as a target market. Russia on the other hand has achieved full convertibility of its currency since the year 2006. Russias currency uses the ruble or RUB. At present, its rate to the US is 1 RUB to 0.03 US dollars. This therefore opens Russias economy to freer movement of trade and a major player in international financial markets (Encyclopedia.com, 2006). A fully convertible currency has gained Russia multiple benefits such as the opening of ruble accounts for both foreign and local investors alike and the advantage of investing in both foreign and domestic businesses. Russia is quickly becoming a globally established economy. However, there remain few problems with the Russian currency. According to The Worlds Favourite Currency Site, Russians inflation rate, compared to the US Dollar, is near 6.5 percent, while the ruble has weakened to 33 rubles per US dollar. Russia, as the largest oil producer on the globe, can suffer greatly from fluctuations. This is because as prices rise and fall, so must the prices of oil change to reflect. This, as a result, hinders the ability for the country to plan a proper budget for its economy and consequently, the ability to plan for expansionary purposes for the economy as a whole. Comparing and contrast trade agreements International relationship specific to the WTO and OPEC as it relates to the Brazil and Russia As the result of globalization, international relations between countries have become increasingly significant, hence the reason why, the rules regarding international trade became necessary. On average 52.3% of Russias total trade turnover takes place with the European Union which is also the biggest investor in Russia accounting for 75% of Russias foreign direct investment. Notwithstanding this, Russia is the worlds largest economy which is not part of the WTO and with Russia being the second largest producer of oil in the world, it is not part of OPEC. Russias non-membership in these critical organizations limits its ability to play an active role in the decision making process as an emerging market. In the case of the WTO, despite recommendation for accession into the WTO by the EU and other members of the BRIC forum, Russia has failed to implement some of the necessary regulatory requirements as the leadership of the country has shown the lack of political will to do so. There h ave been years of rescheduling, timetabling and back and forth negations to ensure that Russia becomes a member of the WTO, however in June 2009 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin made an appalling decision to abandon efforts for accession into the WTO. In retrospect, the development of Russia by exploiting opportunities made available through the WTO and its multilateral trade agreements is hindered. Similarly, Russias non-participation in OPEC has had far-reaching ramifications for the oil industry since it is not able to play a role in controlling the supply and price of oil. On the other hand, Brazil is a member of several international economic organizations as such as the WTO and WCO. The WTO is a global international organization which deals with trade between nations. Brazils membership into the WTO represents the fact that the regulatory requirements of the WTO have been met by Brazil which allows for the exploitation of balance of rights and obligations and ensures that there is security and fairness as it relates to multilateral trade. Traditionally Brazil has produced just about enough oil to aid in its local consumption. However in 2008 with the discovery of off show oil deposits which may contain as much as 100 billion barrels of oil Brazil may become one of the worlds emerging oil exporters. In this regard Brazilian authorities have expressed the desire to become members of OPEC whenever it commences oil exports. This motive will stands to provide mutual benefits for both Brazil and the OPEC since the addition of Brazil as a member of OPEC will allow for the organization to have control over a larger percentage of the worlds oil hence more influence on oil supply and by extension prices. Similarly, Brazil will now have influence over world oil prices as a member of OPEC. This gives Brazil a comparative advantage over Russia relative to the oil industry in that although Russia have been a major exporter of oil, it has not established relations hips with other oil exporting countries to facilitate the regulation of oil supply, prices and corruption in the industry. Further, while Russia is suffering from quickly depleting oil supply Brazil has been able to locate new oil reserves resulting in more clout for Brazil on the international scene as it relates to trade as a decision maker in the oil industry. Market size and attractiveness Both Russia and Brazil are part of the four emerging markets (BRIC) with great potential for economic growth. Brazil has a population of 192,272,890, ranked number four in terms of population size on the market potential index for emerging markets in 2009. Brazilians has a mean disposable income of USD 16,208 with an emerging middle class. The level of economic growth has left some inequalities and therefore 75% of the population earns below the mean disposable income. The rapid growth of the middle class in Brazil has resulted in higher demands for oil and oil related products impacting positively on the industry. Growth of the upper/elite class is also evident with a 124% increase in average disposable income from 2002-2007 of USD 72,932. These levels of growth have been complemented by increased government spending and a falling debt to GDP ratio. The decreasing amount of public and foreign debt stands to benefit the economy in terms of employment since government can spend more o f its resources the capital side of the budget equation and in some cases less taxes are necessary to service recurrent expenditure and debt hence more disposable income is available to circulate in the economy. These economic conditions amongst many others are responsible for the position Brazil has established in the global market as one of the worlds fastest emerging and most attractive markets. Russias population stands at 141,927,297 as of 1 January 2010 with steady growth of the upper/elite class driving oil consumption to an all time high. The changing lifestyle of persons in the upper class fueled by high-end motor vehicles has resulted is a ravenous demand for oil and oil based products. Russias low debt to GDP ratio of 6.8% should allow for efficient distribution of wealth and steady economic growth. However because of the level of corruption there is inefficient distribution of wealth and the overdependence on the oil industry hinders the countrys ability to compete in ot her areas. Russia also has the highest disposable income of emerging markets with 87% of per capita income being disposable, with projected increase of disposable averaged at 15% annually. There is a widening middleclass especially in Moscow which has a disposable income that is more than three times that of the national average. The average disposable income is $ 1023. This comparison clearly shows why both countries are regarded as emerging markets and are generally attractive to investors. This will yield much benefit to the oil industry because of the increasing demand tied with improvements in the standard of living and disposable income. Russia however is confronted with the problem of depleting oil supply, hence, if demand continues to rise Russia oil imports will peak resulting in a steep fall in GDP. It should also be noted that the spread of wealth in Brazil is more equitable than that of Russia which creates a gap in class strata which is known to cause increases in indig ent rates which leads to civil unrest in some cases. Conclusions The oil Industry is clearly very dynamic and is affected by several variables in the economy including: the type of government, economic freedom, regulatory systems, currency fluctuation and convertibility, general economic condition , trade and international relations, market size and attractiveness and many other related factors. With Russia and Brazil being members of the BRIC forum of emerging markets and the concurrent peaks in demand for oil, efficient and prudent economic management should ensure the equitable spread of wealth which should stimulate economic growth. However limitations of governments and other related variables are impediments to the achievement of these noble dreams. Hence, based on the evaluation of critical areas in this paper it is conclusive that both Brazil and Russia presents opportunities for investment and in specific areas one may have a comparable advantage over the other. Clearly in generalization Brazil offers a more stable and predictable investm ent environment which hinges on its steady system of government with established trade relations and a regime prone to fighting corruption as opposed to Russia which have been marred by corruption at all levels and mismanagement in its oil industry. The emergence of future oil exporting potential by Brazil will further position Brazil to be one of the worlds economic powers. While Russia have had some level of growth, much of it is not attributed to the efforts of it government system but rather to economic factors as a result of changing spending patterns. Our recommendation of Brazil as the choice investment market is relative to outlook from the perspective of the oil industry and may vary for other industries. It is arguable that based on the industry being examined and the economic variables under consideration that Russia may be found suitable for investment.

Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management

Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management Compare and contrast the key features of the academic fields Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management (HRM) respectively. The fields of Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management have been subjects of intense academic study since the time of their inception. Management literature is rich with varied definitions and diverse range of opinions that exist regarding the focus and the scope of these two academic fields. Industrial relations focuses primarily on the regulation, control and governance of the employment relationship. (BUIRA, 2008). The field has more of a pluralistic stance and focuses not just on the workers and the management but also on the state and other institutions influencing the employment relationship. Human Resource Management is A distinctive approach to employment management which seeks to achieve competitive advantage through the strategic deployment of a highly structured and capable workforce using an array of cultural, structural and personnel techniques. (Storey 1995:5). Although originally HRM was considered as one of the branches of IR, it is now recognized as a separ ate field of study. Many argue that HRM being rooted just in psychology and organizational sociology has a much narrower focus in contrast to IR which is a multi-disciplinary field of study.HRM is seen as concerned with just one aspect of industrial relations, that is regulation of employment relationship. It does not take into consideration the dynamics of this relationship nor does it account for the institutional and outside forces that have a determining effect on this relationship. (Rubery and Grimshaw 2003, Blyton and Turnbull 2004, Rubery, Earnshaw and Marchington 2005).Rather its marriage with just the welfare of the firm has come under severe criticism. The field of industrial relations is seen as being better empowered in addressing this problem. The primary objective of human resource management is to achieve viability and maximization of profits. The management seeks to establish a cost-effective system of labour management. (Geare 1977, Osterman 1987, Godard 2001). It tries to attain competitive advantage and flexibility such that the management gains enough power to function autonomously. It thus seeks to promote better organizational performance. Whereas the field of industrial relations is also concerned with enhancing the performance of the organization it also gives due weightage to maximizing the welfare of the employees, recognizing that labour is not a commodity but a valued asset of production. This however does not mean that HRM is not concerned with employee betterment. On the contrary it sees a direct link between organizational growth and employee welfare with the former leading to the latter. Hence it focuses on the former, thinking that the latter will automatically be taken care of. Both the fields of HRM and Industrial Relations while recognizing the value of human potential to contribute to the efficiency of the organization, have different pathways of achieving their goal. With a single-minded goal of better organizational performance, HRM may at times neglect or may even exploit these resources. In contrast the industrial relations system recognizing the existence of inherent conflicts between the organizations goals and workers welfare is based upon trade union representation and collective bargaining giving the employees a platform to voice their grievances. (BUIRA, 2008). HRM downplays these conflicts and instead focuses its attention on recruitment, selection, training and other parameters vital to organizational success. The field of industrial relations relies heavily on the rules and procedures laid down by the state to address any issues associated with the employment relationship. HRM, on the other hand does not follow any said rules. Instead it focuses on the best way to use human resources through effective recruitment, selection, training, appraisal, motivation and cooperation. (Silva, ). For HRM, managing culture is more important than just restricting itself to rules and regulations. (Storey, 2001) The field of industrial relations says power is inherent in the employment relationship.(BUIRA 2008:3)Thus employees are usually at the receiving end in terms of wage differentials and inequalities prevalent in the workplace. For this reason a number of laws and regulations are in place in many countries to undermine managerial authority. However the notion of power varies from organization to organization. HRM also recognizes the existence of this power relationship. However its treatment of it is rather different. The management of work and people in the firm involves strategic tensions including trade-offs between employer and employee interests. (Boxall and Purcell, 2008). HRM tries to use this power in ways that enables the organization to function more effectively. The management shares knowledge which results in high level of trust and commitment among the employees. HRM has more of an individualistic orientation and links rewards and pay to performance, a feature which is abs ent in industrial relations. HRM sees conflicts as an infrequent part of the employment relationship between the management and the workers and precisely so, because both the management and workers have the same interests. It is left to the management to provide a reasonable solution to these problems in case they arise and this is done by providing higher wages or training which may result in employment security.HRM does not rely on mediation or any sort of third-party intervention. It is more concerned with employee commitment rather than compliance. (Marchington and Wilkinson,2008).On the other hand the field of industrial relations emphasizes on the role of collective bargaining and trade unions to address these conflicts. Management is not looked upon for solutions as they are seen to be biased and more concerned with curbing workers voice. HRM gives management the most dominating role, considering it to be the be all and end all of all decisions while governments and trade unions only play a limited role. It is the management that is solely seen as being responsible for organization efficiency or inefficiency. Whereas, industrial relations sees the management, government and trade unions as being equal partners in shaping the direction of the firm. Thus, it just does not restrict itself to workers and management but all those who are affected by the employment relationship. The academic field of industrial relations encourages students to think out of the box and to engage in critical and reflective thinking. (BUIRA, 2008). The complexities involved in the employment relationship and the factors outside the workplace shaping this are looked at, to form an intelligent and well-informed decision to tackle with irregularities in the workplace. The issues of ethnicity, gender inequality, power are all taken into account which are issues not generally included in the HRM domain. The field of industrial relations inculcates a sense of enquiry into the student to question and seek answers to those questions. Although the fields of industrial relations and human resource management have differing interests, there are many areas where their interests coincide. Ultimately both the fields are concerned with achieving organizational efficiency and we should seek to attain a symbiotic relationship between the two with the two completing rather than competing with each other. The debate surrounding the field of industrial relations that it is now outdated and that the problems of human factor at work are better addressed by novel new approaches such as Human Resource Management is redundant. (Colling and Terry, 2010). The collectivistic nature of the field of industrial relations should supplement the individualistic outlook of HRM. It is essential to treat the employment relationship as complex and study it within a particular social context. A thorough understanding of both would facilitate a better understanding of the theoretical and practical problems that underpin relationships at workpla ce. (Marchington and Wilkinson, 2008)

Philosophy of Science Essay -- Informative, Scientific Method

Background In the modern technological and highly specialized world scientists are seldom aware of the work of philosophers; it is practically unparalleled to find them queuing up, as they have done in Popper's case, to swear to the great practical beneficial influence which that philosophical work has had upon their own (1). In his paper he started by the following â€Å"The problem which troubled me at the time was neither, 'When is a theory true?' nor, 'When is a theory acceptable?' My problem was different I wished to distinguish between science and pseudo-science; knowing very well that science often errs, and that pseudo-science may happen to stumble on the truth† (2) Karl considers the empirical method of observations ensued by test or series of tests to approve a theory, and analysis of the results (empirical method) is not acceptable. As an alternative he recommended the following â€Å"I often formulated my problem as one of distinguishing between a genuinely empirical method and a non-empirical or even a pseudo-empirical method--that is to say, a method which, although it appeals to observation and experiment† (2) He established that the main problem in the philosophy of science is that of demarcation, i.e., (distinguishing between science and what he terms 'non-science). Karl popper summarized his ideas in seven points as followed: 1. It is easy to obtain confirmations, or verification, for nearly every theory-if we look for confirmations. 2. Confirmations should count only if they are the result of risky predictions 3. Every 'good' scientific theory is a prohibition: it forbids certain things to happen. 4. A theory which is not refutable by any conceivable event is non scientific. 5. Every g... ...ns no observation is free from the possibility of error. 6- Karl popper considered that scientific logic is deductive logic. so all scientific theories are tested by trying to falsify them. In order to do this, scientists deduce predictions from theories and if the predictions prove to be false, then deductive logic dictates that the theory is false. If the predictions prove to be true, then the theory is not proven true, simply this means that is corroboration to this theory. 7-last one (conventionalist twist) or a’ conventionalist stratagem'.)these words created to explain the trying some admirers of some theories to rescue the theory from refutation tried to save their theory, By introducing some auxiliary assumption, or by re-interpreting the theory in this way that it escapes refutation, but they destroyed or at least lowered, its scientific status (2).

The Labor Debate, An American :: essays research papers

'The Labor Debate:'; The American Dream Revisited   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Immigration is one hot topic in modern day conversation. Many believe that immigrants coming to the United States are taking many well-needed jobs away from able-bodied Americans. On the other hand, there are still those that believe that the jobs being taken away are not ones that Americans would perform due to the terrible working conditions, low pay, and lack of medical coverage. The immigration problem has come to a point where the United States must make a decision to spend a lot of money to curtail the amount of immigrants using force and funds of an overbearing amount, or to just let the immigrants continue to go about their business in trying to find a way into a country where they are mildly welcome. The article 'The Labor Debate'; discusses both the pros and cons of immigrants, both legal and illegal alike, taking jobs of their own in a country where they might not be welcome.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I believe that the immigrants are not necessarily taking jobs away from the American worker. Those occupations that the immigrants possess are truly illegal for any employer to employ any American. The job sights include unsanitary conditions, dangerous equipment use without proper safety precautions, extremely long working days, and less than minimum wage for average pay. There is not one citizen in this country that would stand for such an outrageous environment to work in. Many would go directly to an inspection board to have the factory/plant evaluated to see if the factory could pass any sort of inspection. Hence, the factory/plant would be closed down and there would be even fewer jobs for Americans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Those immigrants out there that are working are helping to construct certain items that citizens of the United States do not want to be a part of. Take as an example the sewing of blue jeans, a product that graces the legs of half the country. Many Americans out there need this clothing for working and playing in. However, the tedious work of sewing blue jeans does not fit into the description of the American dream for the citizens of this country. If it helps to put some food on the table for a starving family from Mexico, ask yourself if it is truly worth it to throw all the illegal immigrants out to send them to a place where no jobs are available to pay them money that can even provide this meager amount of food?