The Universe Next Door

Purpose of book 1. outline basic worldviews underlying way we in west think about selves. 2. trace historically how worldviews have developed from breakdown in theistic worldview, moving in turn into deism, naturalism, nihilism, existentialism, eastern mysticism, new consciousness of New age and Islam recent infusion from Middle East. 3. show how postmodernism puts a twist on worldviews 4. encourage us all to think in terms of worldviews with consciousness of not only our own way of thought but also that of other people, so we can first understand and genuinely communicate with others in pluralistic society. Chapter 1Worldview or vision of life is framework or set of fundamental beliefs thru which we view world and our calling and future in it. Vision need not be fully articulated, may be so internalized that it goes largely unquestioned. May not be explicitly developed into a systematic conception of life. May not be theoretically deepened into a philosophy. may not even be codified into creedal form. May be greatly refined thru cultural historical development. Vision is a channel for ultimate beliefs which give direction and meaning to life. Integrative and interpretative framework by which order and disorder are judged.Standard by which reality is managed and pursued. Set of hinges on which all our everyday thinking and doing turns. Worldview is commitment of heart expressed as story in set of assumptions true, partially true, or false that we hold consciously and subconsciously and consistently or inconsistently about basic constitution of reality and provides foundation on which we live, move, and have our being. Commitment – Worldview involves mind and soul and heart. Bible sees as wisdom, emotion, desire, and will, and intellect. Presuppositions expression – expressed as a story of your life. Assumptions T, PT, F, etc. eality is everyone’s own perception of world. Foundation on which we lived expressed by words and actions. We all ta ke some position whether we realize it or not, Chapter 2 Clockwork Universe: Natualism How did theism get replaced with deism? Deism came about to replace chaos with unity of theological and philosophical explanations. Shift from scriptures to reason or human intuition (inner light). Started studying world form based on matter and how things were put together. Orderly, mechanized, clockwork timing with perfect mechanical precision. Science was born. Middle ages directed toward God and studying Him to become good and holy.Theology was born. Some deists Christians some not. To deist God is distant, foreign, alien, and unavailable. 1. Wv? 1 – a transcendent God as a first cause created universe then left it to run on its own. God is not immanent not triune, not fully personal, not sovereign over human affairs not providential. 2. Wf? 2 – cosmos God created is determined, because it is created as a uniformity of cause and effect in a closed system so no miracle is possible . Any tampering or interference by God would be considered as saying His creation is flawed. Locked up in cause and effect clockwork world. Humans cannot change. 3. Wv ? human beings though personal are part of clockwork of universe. Deism says we are just puppets and no free will. No one has special relationship with God. 4. Wv? 4human being may or may not have a life beyond their physical existence. Destroyed triune and led to naturalism and nihilism. Warm still believed in afterlife cold did not. 5. Wv? 5 – thru innate and autonomous human reason and the methods of science, we can not only known universe but can infer at least something of what God is like. Cosmos, this world, is understood to be in its normal state; it is not fallen or abnormal. Deism human reason is autonomous and not from God.Learn about God from universe. Theists believe God revealed Himself in nature but also with His word. Deists God no communicate with man/architect and designer only. 6. Wv? 6ethics is intuitive or limited to general revelation because universe is normal it reveals what is right. Weather disaster is natural events. Deists do not consider human reason or universe itself to be fallen. Normal state. 7. Wv? 7 history is linear for course of the cosmos was determined at creation. Still meaning of the events of history remains to be understood by the application of human reason other data unearthed and made available to historians. . Cold deists use their own autonomous reason to determine their goal in life, warm deists may reflect on their commitment to a somewhat person God and determine their goal in accordance with what they believe their God would be pleased with. MODERN DEISM Sophisticated scientific deism – cold deism God is embodiment of laws of physics. Sophisticated philosophic deism – there is something out there but is it God? Popular deism – belief in a being, force, or intelligence. Cold deism God is simply abstract force bringing world into existence. Warm deism God is clearly personal and even friendly. Monotheistic therapeutic deism – . God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth. 2. God want people to be good nice, and fair to each other, as taught in bible and by most religions, 3. Central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself. 4. God does not ;need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve problem 5. Good people go to heaven when they die. UNSTABLE COMPOUND 1. Autonomous human reason replaced Bible and tradition as authority for way reality was understood. 2. Autonomous human reason replaced bib and tradition as authority for morality. . Deists rejected biblical notion of Fall and think universe is a s it should be. 4. Universe cannot be reordered, human action is determined. 5. Today find more aspects of deism to question. Chapter 4 Naturalism Deism (God is reduced) connects theism (God exalted) and n aturalism (no God at all). BASIC NATURALISM 1. WV ? 1 Prime reality is matter. Matter exists eternally and is all there is. Cosmos rules. God does not exist. Nothing comes from nothing. Something always was and was matter of cosmos itself. 2. Wv ? 2 cosmos exists as a uniformity of cause and effect in a closed system. 3. Wv ? human beings are complex machines personality is an interrelation of chemical and physical properties we do not yet fully understand. 4. Wv ? 4 death is extinction of personality and individuality. 5. Wv ? 5 thru our innate and autonomous human reason, including the methods of science, we can know the universe. The cosmos, including this world is understood to be in its normal state. 6. WV ? 6 ethics is related only to human beings. Theist God foundation of values. Naturalist human beings foundation of values. For ethics to matter has to be personality along with consciousness and self-determination.Naturalists say ethics is autonomous and situational and came from human experience, need, and interest. Also say all humans have a sense of moral values that come from culture and growing up in environment. 7. Wv ? 7 history is linear stream of events linked by cause and effect but without an overarching purpose. Natural history begins with origin of universe. 8. Wv ? 8 naturalism itself implies no particular core commitment on the part of any given naturalist. Rather core commitments are adopted unwittingly or chosen by individuals. NATURALISM IN PRACTICE: SECULAR HUMANISM Humanism says overall attitude human beings are of special value.Emphasis on value of individual person. Term used since Renaissance. NATURALISM IN PRACTICE: MARXISM Scientific socialism. Marx believed human history began with people living in family like tribes. No private property. Individuals identified with community as a whole. Technology developed and division of labor develops and controllers of tools and resources society depends on enables them to exploit others. Class struggle since primitive tribes with classes dominated by those controlling means of production. Classless society will result with less competitive individuals working for good of all.

A Study on Work Life Balance Essay

For fresh graduates, getting in the big four firms have long been considered as one of the ideal places where everyone aims for. This is because there are significant benefits from working at a Big 4 Firm. For instance, every Big 4 firm offer superior training to staffs, networking opportunities with professionals across different industries, and possibility to be hired at one of the client companies. Hence, many young accountants and fresh graduates are willing to take on lower pay to work in these firms. However, working in a Big 4 firm is never an easy task, especially during peak season from January to April. Typically, an employee has to work ten to twelve hours a day during weekdays and weekends. Heavy work hours has greatly affected employees in maintaining work life balance and brought challenges to both employees and employers. The current study identifies the factors that could affect employees’ work life balance in one of the Big Four accounting firms – Deloitte Macau. Both questionnaire surveys (n=30) and interviews (across two management level) have been conducted and reveal convergent outcomes. Recommendations have been provided to further improve the work-life balance in Deloitte Macau. Introduction of Deloitte Macau Deloitte Macau is an accounting firm that provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services to national, multinational and enterprise clients in Macau. The firm is a member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL), a UK private company limited by guarantee. Each DTTL firm is structured differently in accordance with national or local laws, regulations, customary practice, and other factors, and may secure the provision of provision of professional services in its territory through subsidiaries, affiliates, and/or other entities. Currently, there are fifty-nine professionals working inside the company, ranging from junior (A1 and A2), senior, manager and senior manager. Besides, Employee may also have the opportunity to become partner, who receives a share in the profits of the company and have a say in management. Furthermore, The increase in pay is substantial. An audit partner at Deloitte reported an annual salary range of USD $387,000 to $416,000. However, it also means additional responsibilities for bringing in new business and managing employees. Definition of Work-life balance The social structure and complexity has changed rapidly in the past decades, the society is facing massive confrontation of different responsibilities and commitments, these changes were formed as a result in increased global competition, renewed interest in personal lives and family values, aging workforce (Lockwood, 2003), as well as the blurring of work-non-work boundaries (Humbert and Lewis, 2008), work-life balance has become a predominant issue in the workplace. Extensive researches have been conducted about work-life balance; however, the context of work-life balance is very broad and will have different meaning towards different situation and interpretation. Researchers gave different definition of work-life balance, Wise (2003) states that â€Å"work-life balance is about helping employees better manage their work and non-work time. † According to Business dictionary, work-life balance is a comfortable state of equilibrium achieved between an employee’s primary priorities of their employment position and their private lifestyle. It is a stability of body or mind† (Guest, 2001). Thus, different people may have their â€Å"right† combination of paid work and other aspects of their lives. Most psychologists would agree that the demands of an employee’s career should not overwhelm the individual’s ability to enjoy a satisfying personal life outside of the business environment. In this sense, balance is the result of collective actions, not an action in itself. Whereas researchers also define meaning of â€Å"life† in three senses, they define life as unpaid work obligations, leisure in general and ultimately anything that is not employment. Maclnnes, 2008). Focus among the different definition of work-life balance As work-life balance has such broad term of definition, its implication and application to real world situation as a result is comprehensive. According to Lockwood (2003), the working definitions of terms used regarding work-life balance covering different aspects, including work-family, which refers to the work-life balance in specific areas such as quality of life, flexible work , option, life balance etc. ; work-family conflicts, which efers to the push and pull between work and family responsibilities; work-life balance from the employee viewpoint, which refers to the dilemma of managing work obligations and personal or family responsibilities; work-life balance from the employer viewpoint, which refers to the challenge of creating a supportive company culture where employees can focus on their job while at work; others such family-friendly benefits, work-life programs, work-life initiatives and work-family culture etc. ave been evolved as research areas of defining work-life balance. In the current study, we are going to focus on work-life conflict from the employees’ viewpoint, to explore the problems they encounter and what they could do for managing work and non-work obligations. Objectives and methodology of the study After focusing the definition of work-life balance for the study, we have set objectives in line with information collected from employees of Deloitte Macau to come up with several purposes: to find out the causes that led to employee’s non-work-life balance in the work context, to investigate ways that employer can do to tackle the causes for improving the situation, to observe how employees could do to prevent from getting imbalance between work and non-work context, and finally give out recommendation on application for tackling the problems from both employer and employee viewpoint. Methodology of the study  The study is conducted with a combination of pragmatism approach together with the support of literature review for inductive results. By using pragmatism approach, it is believed that causes that negatively affect the work life balance of employees of Deloitte Macau could be found out in a systematic and more comprehensive way, and with the identification of the causes, employer could help enhancing employee’s work-life balance with appropriate strategies. In this case, both questionnaire and interview were used as the research strategies for the appropriateness and applicableness of this paper. Sampling and participants Questionnaires were distributed across the three operational departments of Deloitte Macau, the auditing department, compliance department and tax department for the freedom of choice staff made to complete the questionnaire. On the other hand, a manager from auditing department and an assistant manager who is in charge of supervising both tax and compliance department were selected to participate in this study. Data collection Primary data is collected from questionnaire and interview. As mentioned earlier, pragmatism and inductive approach was used for the research methodology. Both questionnaire and interviews were applied for data collection tool. Target participants of questionnaires were employees from junior to middle management level across the three operational department of Deloitte Macau. The questionnaire sampling was based on the random sampling approach while interview with mangers belongs to purposive sampling. Interpretation of data received will be outlined and elaborated in the findings session. Findings From Questionnaire A survey was carried out from 6th Feb to 9th March 2013 by asking Deloitte audit, tax and compliance staffs to fill a questionnaire. The aim of the survey is to evaluate the work and non-work balance of the staffs and find out the causes of this imbalance. A total 31 questionnaires (sample size) were completed among total 59 staffs (population size). In order to have a better understanding of the causes that lead to imbalance work and non-work life, literature review is carried out in advance and we find that the causes are mainly: Technology boom Lacking appropriate skill Overtime and limiting budget Multi-tasking. Thus, we also set them as the choices in our questionnaire (question 13 in Appendix A) for asking the causes.

Power and politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Power and politics - Essay Example tanding the consequences of power and politics, the next appropriate step would entail appraising the merits and demerits of power-wielding and politicking in workplaces. Finally, appropriate recommendations become necessary in either optimizing the benefits of power and politics, or mitigating the negative effects of the two concepts of organizational theory. In the contexts of organizational theory and organizational behavior, workplace politics feature as one of the most influential concept in management of corporations. In essence, politics entails the process of using either formal or personal power in influencing subordinates. Conventionally, presidential politics are iconic processes used in influencing a nation’s citizenship. Presidential candidates and other elected leaders use their formal or personal powers in wooing voters to their sides. Similarly, politics is as alive and practical in workplaces as it is in national and state administration contexts. Typically, workplace politics emerge whenever employees are subjected to an unhappy workplace environment (HEYMAN, 2007). In addition, organizational politics emerge whenever a part or a whole of a company’s workforce is dissatisfied with an existing or a new hierarchical structure. Whatever the cause, organizational politics are meant to exert influential or coerc ive pressure on the opposing side, especially the top leadership. Technically, organizational politics is a coercive approach meant to place those behind a political movement at an advantaged position (WITT, 2010). Essentially, leaders are the spear tips in organizational politics. Formally, leaders are responsibly for coordination, control, influence, and inspiration of subordinate employees within an organization. During politics, leaders intensify their coordinating and influential efforts in negotiating for favors and advantages. Occasionally, political activities within an organization heighten whenever different leaders subscribe to

Different writing systems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Different writing systems - Research Paper Example This data analysis evolves around the number of words, spellings, and other developments. Moreover, the writing development of both languages is analyzed by using the composition component of the Two-way Immersion Narrative Writing Rubric Assessment. This confirms whether the students have acquired writing skills in both their native language and English concurrently. It depicts also an example of successful development of bilingualism and bi-literacy. Majority of educators in America find it hard to connect bilingual students with their writing system due to the code-switching technique used by those students. This refers to relating of an object in the current environment with the one that the student was used to in their previous environment. Bi-literacy has many positive effects, from facilitating the acquisition of an additional written language to allowing creative uses of writing systems. While it is, noticeable those bi-literates can outperform mono-literate native speakers o f their first language in L1 reading and writing. It is even more interesting that bi-literacy’s effects extend beyond written language, to include analyses of the spoken language and non-linguistic cognition. Sometimes things can go wrong, for instance, when the L2 orthographic input is misinterpreted and affects L2 pronunciation, which turns out to have positive effects. Bi-literates are also qualitatively different from mono-literates. This difference is evident in meta-linguistic awareness, but perhaps the most dramatic evidence comes from brain-imaging studies that show different activation patterns in bi-literates and mono-literates reading the same language, and from evidence that bi-literacy reduces biases in perception and thinking. Researchers need to look  at bi-literates with other language combinations to enhance fairness in their decision-making and problem solving. This

Market Solution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 2

Market Solution - Essay Example The morale of employees is the least in the organization because of the huge scrutiny and investigation by the investment companies, especially the media, public, and most prominently Wall Street. Furthermore, the customer confidence in Classic Airlines is decreasing along with the Rewards program, which saw a nineteen percent reduction in Classic Rewards members and also a twenty one percent reduction in the flights per each member. The rising costs of labor and fuel have jeopardized the success of Classic Airlines as it is unable to compete for the most efficient valued numerous flier miles. The aftermath of 9/11 has led Classic Airlines to see a restrained structure of costs unlike the younger airline companies. Adding to the problems is a fifteen percent decline in the board cost over a period of eighteen months (Classic Airlines, 2007). Most of the best opportunities are a result of dilemmas. Such is the case of Classic Airlines. It has the power to change its problems into profitable opportunities via meticulous changes to the whole scenario; therefore the situation is handled carefully. Classic Airlines should keep in mind all the travelers who need a higher level of personal service as compared to the ones they might expect to get from competitors. The customers can greatly help the airlines to enhance the confidence of the general public. This can easily be done without letting additional costs come in the path of Classic Airlines. Contended customers are the best type of advertisement for each and every organization and is also a base to gain attention of the new customers (Classic Airlines, 2007). Classic Airlines should look into the aspect of refurbishing their Classic Rewards Program by coming into partnership with an airline company to enhance the experience of customers on flight. Such a trail would improve the frequent flyer mile partnership and also the opportunities for purchase, which would then make Classic

Analyze the Slave Petitions in light of the key changes taking place Essay

Analyze the Slave Petitions in light of the key changes taking place in this new American society - Essay Example They campaigned for equality and recognition of their rights and racial acceptance among other Americans, who still embraced unjust treatment through slavery. This compelled blacks in new American society to lobby for recognition through petitions that they submitted to congress and senate for redress despite the open hostility that they faced from their white counterparts. Slave petitions were vital in the campaign for the rights of blacks, mostly slaves, in new American society. This is what later resulted to the 1963 match to Washington. During the match, Martin Luther delivered his renowned speech advocating for the rights of black slaves in new America. Besides King and his proponents’ efforts, there several other slave petitions were praiseworthy for the changes attained in new American society. They brought recognition for Black Americans, enhanced justice and appreciation. Before the petitions, the nation’s culture and societal set-up was one that could not withstand the face of revolutionary changes. As such, the culture, societal set-up and political landscape of the U.S. changed significantly and subsequently during the course of the journey. The America revolution began during the 18th century during when it attained its independence from the British. The declaration of independence rendered Americans including blacks free and independent (Williams 21). Essentially, slave petitions in the new American society sought to restore black Americans’ sovereign and the recognition of their rights (Main, Mark and John 226). Slave petitions propagated for liberty and self-representative and were an awakening during the revolutionary war. Proponents of slave petitions opted to pursue the representative way. In 1774, blacks submitted the petition of "A Grate Number of Blackes". Through the petition, enslaved Americans advocated for freedom as a fortune of the revolution (Dorsey 152). It is during this time that the slaves also took

Business Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Research - Essay Example To quote Henry R. Luce, "Business more than any other occupation is a continual dealing with the future; it is continual calculation, an instinctive exercise in foresight." This extract alone tells us the importance of Business Research; the process of obtaining information. This paper, in its first part, will discuss the purpose and importance of business research in detail. It will also put light on how it is conducted and its strength and weaknesses. The second part of my paper will examine and analyze my own business research proposal.With globalization taking its toll in its truest sense, the business world has become more competitive than ever. New businesses are formed, the market keeps growing and changing, competition keeps increasing. In order to remain informed, it is absolutely essential for businesses today to carry out research about the market, about businesses and about anything that helps them to make informed decisions. Research is not only for scholars, but it is for anybody, any business that wishes to update its knowledge base.In the past, there was no such (or maybe just a vague) concept of information. Firms used to sit in their seats and guess which decisions will be successful and which will fail. Today, fortunately or unfortunat ely, guess work will not get most businesses far. It is important to have information before making the right decision. This is the most important aspect of business research; it facilitates in smart decision making.... If, for instance, a firm has some kind of knowledge about some new, relevant technology being developed in the market, and none of the other competing firms have this (because they don't carry out market research), this firm will be at a much better position in its market only because it carried out business research and thus was informed. Finally, some importance should be given to another, related and spawned off advantage; it helps in problem-solving. Business Research is a great tool used for solving any business problem. It makes it easier to see all sides of a problem and gives firms a 360 degree, comprehensive view of the problem at hand. How Business Research is Conducted There are many different ways that a business can conduct research. There is primary research, which means researching a question yourself by going out in the field and then there is secondary research, which means searching using second-hand or desk information. Different groups and sources have different names for methods. Essentially, they are all the same. The following primary methods are useful for our purpose: Appreciative Inquiry, Case Study Design, Focus Groups, Interview Designs, Questionnaire, Observations and Surveys. Some of these are qualitative, for example, interviews while some are quantitative.Additionally, business research is conducted as a process. There are many different stages in the process of business research. It starts off with formulating a research question, that is, the focus of the research must be specified here. Then there is the hypothesis that gives your predictions and analysis of the answer to you research question. To test this hypothesis, some kind of a method (discussed earlier)

Close Reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Close Reading - Essay Example This particular day, Bill Hutchinson’s family becomes the unlucky victim. His wife, Tessie, gets the marked slip. In order to adhere to the demands of tradition, every villager picks a stone from the collected sample. Tessie is stoned to death in what narrates the tale of a community eating a member of its own. The Lottery depicts symbolic cannibalism through the death of Tessie Hutchinson. A community ganging up to celebrate the death of its own symbolizes peer pressure. It is a kin to the warnings about smoking. The difference is that Jackson is trying to warn people against primitive loyalty to a group. Jackson questions the absence of logic in group psychology and collective conscience of this particular community that agrees to slaughter its member in a brutal manner. Two things happen on this day: the first thing is peer pressure while the second thing is the forceful exclusion of a member of the community with the purpose of giving the rest of the members a chance to bond. The story narrates how lunch is prepared in time for the ultimate enjoyment once the unfortunate member has been excluded. Another theme that features in the text is the people’s unchallenged loyalty to tradition. This tradition presents a horrendous experience to the unlucky victim and his/her family members. It explains the excitement and nervousness that hang over the community’s head on this particular day. No member of this community has the courage to defy the norm. Nobody has the courage to question the logic behind the ritualistic execution of a member of the community. This element of loyalty is captured in the following line, Precisely, Jackson presents an element of a dead community. The community is trapped in a rotten traditional architecture. Since people are loyal and do not think about the origin and relevance of their tradition, it is unlikely that this community would rescue its members from the horror

Risk Involved in Foreign Direct Investment Essay

Risk Involved in Foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) is responsible in regulating the telecommunications sector. The political aspect is also explored as it is the political system that drafts the rules that outline how business operations are run. In conclusion, I argue that multinational companies need to strike a consensus with the Sri Lanka government in reference to regulatory conditions. As it will become clear in this paper, the role of multinational corporations in the development of economies cannot be underestimated. However, some risks for example those related to the political aspect of governance may prove to be a big obstacle to multinational corporations seeking to invest in Sri Lanka. It is on this basis that this paper comes up to consider the response options available to multinational corporations that operate in the country. Through the use of questionnaires, data relating to the operation of multinational corporations and the risks involved is collected. Through the use of statistical means the data is compiled and analysed. The study finds out that indeed there are political and regulation risks that define operations of multinational corporations in Sri Lanka. This regulation becomes a critical aspect as the rules and regulations are not applied across the board. Through the use of econometric analysis, it is found that political and regulation risks are statistically significant as they influence investing patterns. The small inflow of FDI indicates the response by MNCs towards such regulation. It is however proposed in this paper that the firms should respond by negotiating with governments rather than such withdrawals. It is concluded on the basis of the findings that there indeed exist a connection between political and regulation risks and operations of MNCs in Sri Lanka (Akram 2003).

American Express Company Essay Example for Free

American Express Company Essay American Express Company, sometimes known as AmEx, is a diversified global financial services company headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. At present, there are 58,300 employees worldwide working in American Express earning annual revenue of $24. 5 billion. Its assets are valued at $124 billion, with $620 billion in annual purchase volume on American Express Cards and $87. 9 million cards-in-force. Each day, American Express makes it easier, safer and more rewarding for consumers and businesses to purchase the things they need and for merchants to sell their goods and services. An engine of commerce, American Express provides innovative payment, travel and expense management solutions for individuals and businesses of all sizes. Most of all, it helps the customers realize their dreams and aspirations through industry-leading benefits, access to unique experiences, business-building insights, and global customer care. It enables its customers to do more and achieve more. The vision of American Express is to work hard every day to make American Express the world’s most respected service brand. â€Å"Living up to our values is our first priority. † They believe in three operating principles they are: Offer superior value propositions to all of the customers Operate with best-in-class economics Support the American Express brand American Express is the worlds largest card issuer by purchase volume. They process millions of transactions daily as the premium network for high-spending card-members. The American Express is also known for helping mall business owners succeed by delivering purchasing power, flexibility and financial control. Adding on to its roles American Express also provides commercial payment tools and expertise that help companies control their spending and save billions of dollars, offer marketing and information management insights that help merchants build their businesses. The American Express employees are customer loyal experts with industry-leading rewards programs and platforms. They operate the world’s largest travel network serving consumers and businesses and are recognized as the most innovative company in our industries. They are dedicated to serving their customers, 24/7, around the world. The Values which they operate on reflect who the company is and what it stands for as a company. They believe in Customer Commitment, Quality, Integrity, Teamwork, Respect for People, Good Citizenship, Will to Win Personal and Accountability. Human Resource Practices at American Express Being a service industry firm, the employees form the base of all its operations and so the company gives a lot of importance to its HR practices which starts from assessing the need for new employees or new recruits. At American Express it starts with Projecting head counts, Assigning requisition number, identifying relevant profiles and estimating the number of candidates. The recruitment process starts with projecting the head counts i. e. by assessing how many candidates are required at a particular point in time in various departments. As per the requirements identified for different departments the company assigns a Requisition Number which differentiates various job requirements from one other. The Requisition Number is a unique code assigned by the company to different jobs which consists of the job description, minimum requirement for the job and the selection criteria. American Express then identifies the profiles that are relevant as per the requirements given by the Requisition Number and then estimates as to how many candidates will actually appear for the selection process. The company uses different sourcing channels for identifying relevant profiles as per its requirements. American Express uses both internal as well as external sources of recruitment. The Internal sources of the company consist of Employee Referral and Internal Sourcing Team under which the HR department asks its employees to refer the suitable candidates as per the job requirement. A candidate selected via an Employee Referral leads to the Employees getting a specific amount as a form of reward for contributing a resource to the Organization. As a part of the External sources the company contacts with External Vendors and Consultants and also goes to colleges for hiring. Beside this the company uses Job Postings also by advertising in job portals like www. Naukri. com, www. monsterindia. com etc. American Express also uses Social Networking Sites for inviting application by posting on www. facebook. com and www. linkedin. com . Beside the electronic media the company also advertise in newspapers like Times of India and Hindustan Times. American Express, for certain type of jobs, also invites walk-ins. After deciding when to hire and selecting different profiles as per the job advertisement given, the company goes for recruitment. For the recruitment process American Express generally prefers face to face interview. Face to face interview is given preference because of the fact that American Express being a service firm needs to test a candidate’s personality , his/her body language as how the person carries himself/ herself and his attitude towards work and also how he/she interacts with people. Face to face interview besides acting as a platform for assessing an applicant on the above mentioned parameters also allows the company to check the data provided by the candidate. The decisions regarding entry level staffing depends upon the attrition level of the company at a particular period of time. The entry level staffing is done in the form of bulk hiring and contacts from employment agencies are also utilized for the same. Wherein the company sends the required qualifications along with the Requisition Numbers for the vacant positions and then these requirements are matched up with the available candidates’ profiles. American Express hires students from across Campuses of local colleges if they are invited for the same by that particular college for recruitment else they don’t go for hiring in campuses by their own judgement. The interviews are usually held on Fridays, but as the need may be, sometimes they are conducted on Saturdays and Sundays as well. The turn ups on weekend drive ranges from 300-350 for Non Voice Requirements and 150-200 for Voice Requirements. For executive hiring American Express has tie ups with employment agencies wherein experienced people are searched for the Organization. Along with executive hiring American Express is into head hunting as one of its processes for executive hiring to have talented pool of people for the organization. American Express also prefers people from IITs IIMs for filling up their executive positions. In case of executive hiring American Express generally sells its profile to have good resources for the organization. Once the selection mode is finalized then the series of face to face interviews gets started as the further steps of selection process. Executive hiring is process which requires time duration of 3-4 months at least. American Express is into Bulk Hiring for Voice Process as well as Non-Voice Process. Apart from Bulk Hiring it is also into Executive Hiring. American Express follows a set process for conducting these various levels of interview. Since the number of turn ups for the Voice Non-Voice Processes are largely high they avoid taking an initial HR Screening Process; the reason behind this is lack of time. The Requisition Numbers that they get have a deadline that need to be met hence a HR Screening Process becomes too time consuming so it is avoided in the cases of Bulk Hiring. American Express is very staunch when it comes to hiring any candidate per se. Hence they believe that a Face to Face Interview interaction would be an ideal way to judge the candidate. The American Express has four Levels of Interview. First, Personal Introduction Round, where the candidate is required to give an elaborate insight into his Educational Background, his past Work Experience, a glimpse into his personality the Attitudes and abilities he possesses. Next step is the Voice Assessment Test for Voice Process and the Written Test for the Non-Voice Process. Wherein the candidates are judged upon various parameters like, their Communication, Accent, Voice Modulation, Pronunciation, Vocabulary, Spelling, Grammer etc. The reason behind doing these tests is to find the right candidate for the right role i. e. f one would suit for a Voice or a Non-Voice Process. The third step is the Operational or the Technical Round. In this the candidate is assessed on the skills that they possess and that are crucial to meet that particular job requirements. The candidate is interviewed on his Technical competencies abilities. Finally, they have something called the Offer Round. It is also called the Salary Negotiation Round. This round is all about the Compensation Discussion, a discussion between the HR Manager the Candidate over the expected compensation the industry set Compensation Level. Once this discussion comes to a pause a final compensation is decided and an offer is rolled out to the candidate. The Levels of Interview slightly differ in the case of Executive Hiring. The First step in Executive Hiring is matching the profile according to the Requisition Number. Here the one thing that we need to make a note of is the fact that, a stringent HR Screening Process is followed, where the HR Manager strictly follows an HR Screening Checklist, to check whether the candidate matches the requirement as has been mentioned in and by the Requisition Number and the Job Description. All the other levels and steps being the same the only difference lies in the fact that they do not take any Written Test or Voice Assessment Test. This Step is eliminated from the process of Executive Hiring. The reason being that, this level generally constitutes of Top Level Management Employees Officials and their mode of operation differs from the base or Ground level Employees. Rest they go through the same levels and steps of the Interview Selection Process. American Express believes in On the Spot job offer for Bulk Hiring wherein once the interview process is completed the candidate is given an offer letter. Executive Hiring or Non Bulk Hiring Offer is rolled out in 2days. (Within which the Candidate’s Confirmation is required). When the company hires the candidates in bulk then the entire process of interviewing to offer takes around 2 days and after the completion all the selected candidates are offered a job-letter. To close each Requisition an Average of 2 months is required starting from the process of selecting the forms, short-listing the candidates then conducting group discussion and PI and finally closing up of interview takes around 2 months. Niche Skills and Top Level Security Profiles take approximately an average of 3-4months. The technical skills which are niche, uncommon and difficult in nature to find takes approximately around 3 months because in this the company looks for a specific quality which can be used for further growth and development of the organization. Profiles of Vanilla Skills take 2 months to close. The American Express conducts a thorough Criminal Background Check, education verification and work experience. All portions of the check are completed before the Employee can begin his/her employment with the Organization. These checks are often used by American Express as a means of objectively evaluating a job candidates qualifications, character, fitness, and to identify potential hiring risks for safety and security reasons. The Background check at American Express is also used to thoroughly investigate the Employees Background and past information in order to get a security clearance. So this background check is extremely crucial in American Express recruitment process. They give huge importance in the same. If any of the above mentioned criteria doesn’t match in this process or a failure to adhere to the background check norms could eventually lead to the cancellation of the Candidates offer and Blacklisting of the candidate. Wherein the company cancels the application of the candidate or the candidate’s selection is being closed. Information’s which are being written in the resume has to be genuine and should be according to the actual background, experience of the candidate and basically those perfect information reflects the personality the ability of the candidate. It is very easy for the candidate to prove or perform the same on the spot and simultaneously differentiate himself as the able candidate for the respective post. The American Express out sources its Background Check process to various firms. These are Syndicate firms which does the background check for its new hires in return for a fee amount. The On-Boarding Process begins when Candidate joins them for an informative first–day orientation where they learn the ins and outs of American Express history and culture. On-Boarding involves integrating and acculturating new employees into the organisation and providing them with the tools, resources, and knowledge to become successful and productive. It is a 2 day process. On boarding includes orientation collection of documents such as the Experience Certificate or Letter, Reference Letter, Educational Documents, Identification Proof etc. Orientation at American Express is a social function which serves as a familiarization programme provided to new employees. It stands as a ‘getting to know us’ programme. So they give information about their policies and working culture means how to work with American Express. In this on boarding process the new joiners are also made to fill various forms such as the provident fund and gratuity. A Separate Training Department with group or individual training in specified areas focused on carrying out assignments connected with related field they are working in which helps in improving the skills and knowledge of the employees. Special training is given to all the candidates from Campus Recruits to Bulk Hires to Executives who are recruited. This training focuses mainly on the rules and regulations the company follows and what all are the objectives the company has to achieve. The Training Methods or Forms of Training that American Express uses are vast. It comprises of Formal Training, for all employees whether they are new hires of existing employees. All and one have to undergo a formal training session in American Express. Another form of Training that American Express follows is Lectures and Classroom Trainings where in the Employees obtain training in a traditional classroom environment as per their convenience and time. It provides the employees with an environment that includes a lab, an instructor, and a structured approach to teaching. Another mode of Training that it follows is Online Training. This method is generally used in case of training the Top Level Officials and Managers. American Express Values every second of its Employees time especially when it is related to the Top management because they are involved with the major operations of the organization. So instead of disrespecting their time by calling them for a classroom session it looks for their convenience. They take up their training programs online which is quicker, simpler and convenient for them. The next form of Training method that they apply is Questionnaire. Where in the HR Manager floats a Questionnaire to it Employees / Trainees and they collect their responses and give them the feedback. â€Å"An unusual method of training its employees but it tends to be more effective than classroom sessions† says Saumyajit K. Pal, HR Manager (MIS Analytics), American Express.

Budgeting as a Performance Management Technique

Budgeting as a Performance Management Technique â€Å"Financial measures are inadequate for guiding and evaluating organisations’ trajectories through competitive environments.† Kaplan and Norton (1996: 24) In the introductory quotation, Kaplan and Norton, in their call for a balanced performance management scorecard employing financial, customer, internal business process, and learning and growth perspectives, cite one reason why finances, including budgeting, are increasingly ineffective when used to the exclusion of other factors. The Beyond Budgeting Round Table (â€Å"BBRT – Beyond Budgeting Round Table† 2007: n.p.), self-described as â€Å"an independent, international research collaborative†, and others have identified additional drawbacks associated with focusing on budgeting as a performance management tool. This essay begins by identifying and discussing those drawbacks then continues with a discussion and evaluation of a proposed solution proposed by the BBRT. Over the past two decades the pace of competitive change has been occurring at an ever-increasing rate, but the budgetary processes of many organisations have not changed (Coombs 2005: 34). Coombs suggests that traditional budgetary processes add little value because they limit an organisation’s ability to react to environmental changes. Increasing numbers of organisations recognise this problem as indicated by expressions of dissatisfaction with existing budgeting processes (Fraser 2001: n.p.). Fraser claims that, as organisations realise the diminished value of budgeting in performance management, they are acknowledging the increasing costs of, and time required by, the current budgeting process. Parmenter (2003: n.p.) claims that increasing numbers of organisations in Europe, Asia, New Zealand, and the United States believe that the budget is a hindrance to management. Fraser (2000: n.p.) contends that the budgeting process, as part of the conventional performance improveme nt model, is too rigid to respond to rapid changes in today’s economy. In â€Å"About Beyond Budgeting – The Budgeting Problem†, the BBRT (2007: n.p.) identifies and describes problems with the traditional budgeting process. These problems are associated with budget management time and cost, user value, shareholder value, flexibility, business costs, product and strategy innovation, focus, relationship to strategy, culture, and ethics: Budgeting Time and Cost. The budgeting process is time consuming. Estimates of time consumed are as high as five months for each cycle, occupying 20 to 30 percent of financial managers’ and senior managers’ time. As an example of the cost of the traditional budgeting process, Ford Motor Company calculated the annual cost of its budgeting at US $1.2 billion. User Value. Although the budgeting process provides an element of control to some managers, the people who actually use budget information realise little value. For instance, almost 80 percent of finance staff time is spent on lower value activities with the small remainder devoted to higher-order activities such as financial analysis. Shareholder Value. Budgets concentrate on internal targets, which are heavily influenced by prior period budget results, rather than focusing on maximising value to customers and shareholders. Flexibility. Budgets are often too inflexible to support quick responses to changing environmental factors. Only one-fifth of all organisations change their budgets within the related fiscal period. Business Costs. Not fully spending budgeted amounts is discouraged in many organisations leading to a failure to adequately question budgetary requests. In this way, unnecessary business costs are protected rather than reduced. Product and Strategy Innovation. Traditional budgetary practices discourage risk taking because emerging opportunities are too often not reflected in current period budgets. Focus. The focus of budgets is frequently on sales goals instead of customer satisfaction. Although most organisations recognise the importance of customer satisfaction, individuals are often not rewarded on this factor; rather, they are rewarded on achieving sales targets. Relationship to Strategy. Budgets are often â€Å"divorced† from strategic decisions due to the poor support that budgets provide to organisational strategy. Culture. Traditional budgeting creates and maintains dependency cultures in organisations because people are deemed successful when they strictly adhere to budget figures. Ethics. The high importance of meeting budgetary goals may cause people to behave unethically, even fraudulently. Fortunately, there is an alternative to the traditional budget model. Coombs (2005: 34) suggests that this alternative should create and support a â€Å"performance climate†. The alternative should empower managers and encourage entrepreneurship throughout the organisation; should be externally-, rather than internally-, focused; and should provide an environment that promotes individual motivation. Claiming that it is â€Å"at the heart of a new movement searching for ways to build lean, adaptive and ethical enterprises that can sustain superior competitive performance†, the BBRT has developed a solution to increase the effectiveness of performance management in the twenty-first century (Fraser 2001: n.p.). Two concepts underlie the BBRT solution (â€Å"About Beyond Budgeting – Concepts† 2007: n.p.): adaptive processes and devolved networks. The BBRT recommends replacing fixed budgets with adaptive processes incorporating ambitious, regularly reviewed targets based on benchmarks, peer goals, and previous fiscal period results. The BBRT also recommends replacing centralised decision-making and performance accountability with devolved networks, which are achieved through decentralisation, to increase productivity, motivation, and customer service. The BBRT’s concepts of adaptive processes and devolved networks each embody six principles (â€Å"About Beyond Budgeting – The Principles† 2007: n.p.). Adaptive process principles include: (1) formulating goals based on maximising performance potential, (2) evaluating and rewarding based on contracts for relative improvement, (3) conducting action planning in a continuous and inclusive manner, (4) ensuring resource availability, (5) coordinating actions across the organisation based on customer demand, and (6) basing management controls on effective governance and ranges of performance indicators. Devolved network principles include: (1) instituting a governance framework with clear principles and boundaries, (2) establishing a high-performance climate, (3) delegating decision-making authority, (4) assigning decision-making responsibility commensurate with authority, (5) expecting accountability for customer results, and (6) creating information systems that supp ort ethical behaviour. The inadequacy of traditional budgeting as a performance management tool, considering the ever-increasing pace of environmental change faced by most organisations, is well supported by research conducted by the BBRT and others. The concepts and principles offered by the BBRT seem solid if somewhat limited in scope in that the BBRT, in heavily focusing on budgeting, does not furnish a comprehensive solution for the array of performance management issues faced by today’s managers despite its implicit call for such a holistic approach in its purpose of â€Å"searching for ways to build lean, adaptive and ethical enterprises that can sustain superior competitive performance†. Perhaps incorporating the BBRT’s recommendations into Kaplan and Norton’s broader balanced performance management scorecard approach, (1996: 44)—financial, customer, internal business process, and learning and growth perspectives—would yield a significantly stronger and more comprehensive approach for modern organisations. References Beyond Budgeting Round Table (2007) â€Å"About Beyond Budgeting – Concepts†, available from http://www.beyondbudgeting.plus.com/BBRTweb4/bbconcept.htm [Accessed: 7 March 2007]. Beyond Budgeting Round Table (2007) â€Å"About Beyond Budgeting – The Budgeting Problem†, available from http://www.beyondbudgeting.plus.com/BBRTweb4/bbprob.htm [Accessed: 7 March 2007]. Beyond Budgeting Round Table (2007) â€Å"About Beyond Budgeting – The Principles†, available from http://www.beyondbudgeting.plus.com/BBRTweb4/bbprinc.htm [Accessed: 7 March 2007]. Beyond Budgeting Round Table (2007) â€Å"BBRT Beyond Budgeting Round Table†, available from http://www.beyondbudgeting.plus.com/BBRTweb4/index.htm [Accessed: 7 March 2007]. Coombs, Hugh (2005) â€Å"Budgets Should Be Geared for Rapid Response†, Western Mail, June 18, 2005. Fraser, Robin (2000) â€Å"Beyond Budgeting: Organizational Devolution and Performance Management†, Strategic Finance, October 1, 2000. Fraser, Robin (2001) â€Å"Figures of Hate: Beyond Budgeting†, Financial Management (UK), February 1, 2001. Kaplan, Robert S., and Norton, David P. (1996) The Balanced Scorecard, Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Parmenter, David (2003) â€Å"Abandon Budgets and Set Your Enterprise Free†, New Zealand Management, October 1, 2003.