What caused the Euro crises of 2010 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What caused the Euro crises of 2010 - Essay Example To reiterate, the euro crisis was but a function of lack of a common regulatory system to moderate free-riding and/or inject firepower to member states [economies] faced with insolvency risks, and that other factors such as the globalization of finance as well as the global recession that followed the 2007-2009 global financial crisis only added fodder to a system precariously on the edge. The Eurozone as originally structured was more of a gentleman’s agreement requiring member states to follow a similar fiscal path, yet with much weird freedom to follow own fiscal policies that includes masking of internal monetary undertakings. This feature brought on board fiscally free riding peripheral economies as represented by Greece economic dynamics; pursuing parallel fiscal policies in total disregard of the Maastricht treaty, under which member nations had pledged to limit their debt spending (Cameron 2012; European Commission 2008). Though Greece became the pillar of focus in a crisis that has proved counterproductive to a number of the austerity measures implemented, the pursuit of wealth in non-approved mechanisms were widespread across Europe, with quite a number of states securing future cash flows [via sovereign rights]; in effect, providing governments with a vehicle to raise future revenues that kept up with the debt targets, but in contravention to the lon g regarded conventional best practices and internationally agreed standards: â€Å"In â€Å"Boomerang† Mr. Lewis captures the utter folly and madness that spread across both sides of the Atlantic during the last decade, as individuals, institutions and entire nations mindlessly embraced instant gratification over long-term planning, the too good to be true over common sense† (Kakutani 2011). Like the bursting of the US housing bubble that ignited a second global financial crisis in less than a

Leonardo the Renaissance Man Essay Example for Free

Leonardo the Renaissance Man Essay During the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci became a legend. He is noted as one of the greatest artists of his time as well as one of the greatest artists that ever lived. Throughout his life he accomplished many things and did them with astounding ability. Today people refer to someone who appears to have excelled in countless things as a â€Å"Renaissance Man†. Leonardo da Vinci is one of the best examples of this classification. Through always searching for more knowledge, he became well versed in many areas. Leonardo excelled in painting, scientific studies, mathematics, and countless other fields. Leonardo da Vinci is the best example of a true Renaissance Man. Although Leonardo was accomplished in many areas, his true talent was in his artwork. â€Å"Leonardo da Vinci excelled as a painter and was a pioneer of many painting techniques† (Leonardo Da Vinci: High Renaissance Artist, â€Å"Leonardo Da Vinci†). His skill in art came naturally. At a young age, it was discovered that Leonardo was talented at it. He loved to draw and was eventually admitted into an apprenticeship with one of the best known artists at the time, Andrea del Verrochio. Here he learned many techniques for painting which included oil painting, sfumato, tempera, and chiaroscuro. He used these techniques to paint many of his famous works. Some of which include the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper, Madonna of the Rocks, and countless more. Leonardo was a member of the Compagnia di San Luca, a guild for talented artists. He was always sought after by commissioners and was paid highly for his work in the guild. Some say the reason why Leonardo was so highly adored was because he had a way of making the painting seam real and because he sought perfection in everything he did. Before starting a painting, Leonardo would sketch and do studies in his notebook in order to practice that perfection. If he started the final and it wasn’t good enough, he would abandon his work. Leonardo painted throughout his lifetime and had a very successful art career, painting over 25 successful pieces. Today he’s thought of as one of the best artists in history. â€Å"Leonardo was obsessed with unlocking the secrets of science†¦He believed by studying it carefully, it could be accurately reproduced† (Arwen, Leonardo da Vinci- the Genius). Throughout his life, Leonardo was fascinated by nature and all of its sciences. As a child he would sit outside and reproduce images of birds and flowers in his notebooks. This admiration for science continued into his adulthood when he started constructing drawings of the human body. Leonardo was so intrigued by this concept that he dissected human bodies in an attempt to learn all he could about them. All together, Leonardo performed nearly 30 dissections. While performing these studies, he drew his findings. He completed detailed sketches of the heart, skull, fetus, muscles, and bones which are still used today. Although natural curiosity kept Leonardo studying the human body, he started his obsession because he believed he would be able to better depict people in his paintings. Leonardo had a theory that artists possessed a unique skill of observation and they could accurately reproduce images if they studied what made them up. Anatomy was just one branch of Leonardo’s sci entific studies. He also studied aerodynamics, optics, geology, and mechanics. Leonardo eventually applied his findings by creating countless inventions such as a flying machine, a parachute, tanks, underwater equipment, and a number of weapons. Leonardo was very interested in mathematics and he had some success in this area as well. A friend of Leonardo said, â€Å"In his early forties this obsession with mathematics overtook him, and his notebooks began to fill up with geometrical sketches and diagrams† (Geometry in Art and Architecture, Unit 14). Just as Leonardo believed science was important in art, he also believed math was. He thought math was the basis of all things and it needed to be understood for painting purposes. Leonardo was interested especially in geometry. He discovered the proof for the Pythagorean Theorem and illustrated a book with one of the leading mathematicians at the time, Luca Pacioli. Leonardo also applied math in many of his architectural designs as well as his inventions. He used math to calculate the volume of his horse statue, in order to figure out how much bronze would be needed to complete it. It can be seen in his notebooks how infatuated Leonardo was in the study of math. For on numerous pages he drew and examined different geometrical shapes. Overall, it can be seen that Leonardo was well versed and successful in many areas. He was an accomplished painter, completing over 25 well known pieces. Also, Leonardo achieved advancements in science by dissecting over 30 bodies and drawing images of his findings which are still used today. He was knowledgeable in math and even illustrated a book with a leading mathematician. Leonardo da Vinci became a legend in his time and still is one to this day. He mastered many areas of study, obtaining the classification of a universal genius. There is no doubt that Leonardo da Vinci is the best example of a true Renaissance Man.

Marks And Spencer Employee Relations

Marks And Spencer Employee Relations Marks and Spencers has been one of the largest retail markets in the UK and the employee relations that exist within the company have both positive and negative aspects. Marks and Spencers employee relations have always been influenced by the conventional system of industrial relations. The company now has 65000 employees all around the world out of which 80% of the staff works directly on the sales floor. MS is amongst the top 6 retail suppliers in the UK and have extended their operations in 29 different countries. Most of the stores are mainly franchises but it also owns a huge number of stores in Hong Kong. The profit turnover of MS is close to 7.3 billion. MS not only caters to clothing but has also widened the market by offering other products that range from furniture to food and financial services. (Marks and Spencer, 2000) Initially there were problems and issues with the employee employer relationship and hence the company had to adopt a different employee relation approach. The company adopted some changes and principles within the management such as: Change in working hours Competitive rate package Employee discounts Pension schemes Bonus and extras (Yvonne, 2010) Change in work timings: With the introduction of Sunday trading in the UK, Marks and Spencer had to create flexible shift timings in order to work on Sundays. Most of the staff work 36-38 hours per week and currently some of the staff work more than normal work schedules. (Yvonne, 2010) Competitive performance related rate packages: The salaries are frequently matched with the market to keep up with the changes in the market. Employee discounts: The staffs and employees of Marks and Spencers receive a discount of 20% on all the purchase made. Pension: Marks and Spencers provide secure retirement benefits for its employees if they have worked in the company for more than a year. The company also provides additional health and dental care for its employees. They also provide SAYE for all the employees across the world. (MS, 2007) The company is not represented by any trade union. The employee relation of MS is taken care by the Human Resource Management (HRM) and it is closely aligned to the business objectives and strategies. The trade union in the UK is the most influential association for protecting employees rights. In 2001, Marks and Spencers had announced closing down stores in Europe especially Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal and Spain. The company had planned to close down some of the stores in Europe as a part of cost cutting measure which would help in saving 250 million GBP in 2006-07. The UNI commerce and the national trade Union had raised concerns and had tried to reverse the company decision as it had breached the laws. The Marks and Spencer staff members and the trade union had demanded to reverse the decision to close the stores in Europe and also to initiate and establish talks with the trade union. The trade union actions (TUC) had advocated Marks and Spencer to revisit and change some of the employment policies and practices. Currently Marks and Spencers are not under any governed trade unions. In 2005, trade union ` which mainly focuses on employee relations mainly in the retail sector had started campaigning and informing the employees and staffs of MS about the advantages that trade union can add and also serve the employees with vast knowledge. (Georgina,2006).To deal with these employee related issues, Marks and Spencer had hired a consultation company Business Involvement Group (BIG) (HRM in Marks and Spencer, nd) The stakeholders involved in the employee relations processes of the Organization: MS has always been known for having strong human resource strategies with the help of Human Resource Management (HRM).The HRM helps in laying down strong internal policies and procedures which helps in achieving business objectives of the company. The managers in MS are allowed to adopt appropriate strategies that will help in improving the companys productivity. MS HRM policies also help in contributing to commitment and loyalty of the employees. The HRM also initiated a new change in the company to help the employees and staffs change their attitude towards how they work and perform. Therefore, MS had commenced feedback sessions with its employees on the performance and the areas of improvement and these constant interactions with the staffs had helped the company in changing and developing new skills, increase competence and improve productivity. What is the orientation of the organization to industrial relations? If its not unionized, how does MS maintain communication with the employees? MS follows a sophisticated paternalistic approach which refuses to recognize any trade unions but they have strong internal HRM policies which will help in ensuring that all the employees goals and grievances are taken care of without the involvement of the trade union organization. MS also have a network of elected employee representatives known as BIG (Business Involvement Group) which aims at resolving issues that affect the employees. BIG provides an opportunity to voice their individual opinion, concerns and grievances. The employees also have a great opportunity to positively affect the organization by providing ideas which will help in improving the working conditions and the productivity of the employees. Every store across the globe has BIG representatives who are usually elected by their staff members to help the other employees resolve the issues. The national BIG aims at- Better communication between management and staff Continuous development of the employees BIG also aims at engaging the employees in discussing and debating the various changes that are required which can change the employees working condition and improve efficiency. MS also have a wide range of learning and development which helps the employees to grow with the company and also achieve their goals. (MS, Employee Handbook, 2009) How does MS handle collective grievances? MS procedure is available for all the employees to address any issues, grievances and complaints. Work well programme was also introduced in MS which help in creating and maintaining a productive and healthy environment. The grievance can be in any form such as workload pressure, employee employer relationship, roles and responsibilities, work stress, organizational environment or even personal relationship. In case, the complaint is with respect to a generic company policy, then the internal BIG will handle such issues. The employees line manager provides all the necessary information to the local BIG and the local BIG flags the issue in the common forum with the national BIG. If the issue is collective and if the complaint is common among other employees, the national BIG contacts the policy owner or the HR to revise the policy and a written response will be sent to the employees who had raised the grievance. MS believes in treating its employees with dignity and any form of discri mination or harassment will be dealt very seriously. The company has now 3500 BIG representatives covering all its stores. The company also provides workshops to the employees to help in performing the role better. (The Marks and Spencer WorkWell Programme, 2002) How does MS establish fair pay and conditions? The company is periodically audited which is part of the ethical trading initiative which helps the company, government, trade unions and human rights department. The company believes in providing good working conditions and fair rates of pay. Development of standards between the company and the employees suppliers help in achieving continual improvement for the business. The employees and staff working in MS are treated with respect and without violating the human right law. The company complies to the local governments regulations in the below areas- Working hours and working conditions Minimum age of employment provided Terms of employment Health and safety of the employees Free from discrimination Right to collective bargaining Rate of pay with par with the local labor law Regular checks in all production and sales sites are made periodically to ensure the working conditions of the employee are as per the rule (Ethical Trading ,2002) If MS is not unionized, how does it regard its relationship with the trade unions? The company has 80% of its employee workforce as women and the company now is 98% unionized in Ireland and there are 2 collective agreements with 2 different unions- MANDATE and SIPTU. The governing reasons for MS to have the company unionized are- Some of the management policies and procedures do not suit the local government as the culture of UK is not always compatible with the other countries. The conventional system did not help in the change strategy established by the business. Marks and Spencer are not affiliated with any trade union currently in the UK but many trade unions have been convincing the company to permit trade unions within its operations. The government has also been involved very closely with the operations of Marks and Spencer as it is one of the largest employers in the UK. M S has to comply with all the rules and regulations laid by the government. The company was also asked to submit a report on internal controls and risk management by the government and this had helped the company to detect some issues and obtain control. The company has also faced allegations from trade union called UNITE criticizing the employee relations implemented by the company. There have been a number of advantages for the employees owing to the partnership with the 2 trade unions in Ireland- Flexible working hours introduced for its employees to have a better work life balance. Profit sharing pension scheme has been introduced Better medical facilities available for its employees for free checkup Training and development in technical aspects, job analysis and problem solving areas which has helped employees improve their productivity and efficiency These changes have helped MS ensure a positive feedback in Ireland and as a result have also attracted number of candidates for employment. (Marks and Spencer, 2000) The problems in the companys industrial relations culture and practice? The company should allow its employees to join trade unions because the company can discharge a separate internal team BIG working on employee relations which is not very effective. MS also needs to realize that any decisions taken impact many of its own employees which can cause more fiction. The employee problems need to be addressed by a neutral governing body who are not affiliated to the company so that the employees problems are addressed and necessary actions are taken. The pension scheme established by the company has also raised concerns among employees. The company has not matched up the profits directly to the employees and the pension scheme introduced by MS was not taken well by the employees. The employee turnover is also high in Marks and Spencer as the employees are not satisfied with the working conditions, changes that take place within the organization and other factors. (MS, 2007) Recommendations: The company needs to introduce a knowledge management process which can be an advantage for the employees and the company. This helps the company to handle the jobs effectively and efficiently. The company should also allow the employees to join trade unions as the internal consultation system BIG is not effective on employee relations. BIG representatives do have the technical competence to handle issues put forward by the employees. (Brunes, 2004) MS definitely need to work on the employee relations area as the competition within the retail sector is high and the employees play a very important vital role towards contribution of a profitable company. Although the company provides a good remuneration package, refined human resource management strategies and good training development for its employees, the external factors such as constant unconstructive media reports and from the trade unions make it difficult for MS to provide good employee relations. (HRM in Marks and Spencer, n.d) To obtain a good employee relationship, it is very essential for the MS management to be involved. MS need to have the below HRM approach- Good management leadership to take necessary decisions Clear understanding of policies and procedures by the management to prevent any conflicts arising. Management should also consider the employee involvement in case of any change in process MS management should also build a good rapport with its employees by encouraging and motivating with rewards and recognition. MS should also focus on improving the interpersonal communication skills of all its organizational members. Well defined strategy and contingency plans in place to handle any unforeseen event. More employee participation in various events so that it helps in improving the responsibility and commitment. MS management to be more transparent with the policies and decisions made which will help in growth and development of the company (HRM in Marks and Spencer, n.d) CONCLUSION: MS have been very successful in implementing changes in a very effective technique. MS needs to build on its own strength and try to overcome the threats. MS needs to understand the work related issues and try to work on them. Work Well Programme has cited that one of the biggest issues in MS was the presence of good management. Literary References Brunes, B. (2004) managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organizational Dynamics, London , Prentice Hall Ethical Trading (2002), [online], available from http://www.examstutor.com/business/resources/companyprofiles/marksandspencer/ethicaltrading.php [8th May 2010] Georgina Fuller (2006), Union Udsaw Seeks recognition at Marks and Spencer, personneltoday, 20th Oct 2006 HRM in Marks and Spencer,[online] Available from http://www.ivoryresearch.com/sample13.php [8th May 2010] MS (2007) Marks and Spencer to revamp final pension Scheme, accessed, available from http://www2.marksandspencer.com/thecompany/mediacentre/pressreleases/2007/fin2007-01-23-00.shtml [8th May 2010] MS, Employee Handbook (2009),[Online] available from http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/documents/specific/howwedobusiness/our_people/employeehandbook [8th May 2010] Marks and Spencer (2000) [online], available from http://www.ncpp.ie/dynamic/docs/markspencer_cs.pdf [8th May 2010] Stanley Chapman (2004), Socially Responsible Supply Chains: Marks and Spencer in Historic Perspective, Research paper Series: International Center for Corporate Social Responsibility, The University of Nottingham Staff Writer (2007) Marks and Spencer: Neat Pension fund arrangement , Insurance Business Review The Marks and Spencer WorkWell Programme (2002), [online] , available from http://www.resourcesystems.co.uk/Conferences/WorkWell%20Handouts.pdf [8th May 2010] UK Government (2007), Turnbull Report, available from http://www.frc.org.uk/corporate/internalcontrol.cfm [8th May 2010] Yvonne Miller (2010) An Analysis of Employee relations at Marks and Spencer, available from http://www.articleblast.com/Advertising_and_Marketing/General/An_analysis_of_employee_relations_at_Marks_and_Spencer__________________/ [8th May 2010]

Promoting the Use of Civil Disobedience Essay examples -- essays resea

According to St. Augustine â€Å"an unjust law is not a law at all†(p186). This belief has been shared by many influential leaders in the past, including Henry Thoreau, Mahatma Ghandi, and Martin Luther King. They all believed in a non-violent approach to solving their social grievances. In most cases their approach was successful and was noticed by society and brought about a change in the laws. This nonviolent perspective stems straight from Jesus, who says, â€Å"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.†(p192). Others believe that by being disobedient you are under minding the laws and thus creating chaos within society. But, if unjust laws are not brought into light or under minded, then there will be no change in those laws. Martin Luther King felt there is a misconception of time in that the very flow of time cures all ills. On the contrary, time is neutra l and it can be used either destructively or constructively(p190). The way in which one should go about voicing their ...

Human Resource Development Essay

Involve them, trust them and treat them as resource or assets. 3- Fours on strengths of people and help them overcome their weakness. 4- Integrate individual’s needs & aspiration to organization Objectives of HRD:- 1- Develop high motivation level – To strengthen superior-subordinate relationship 3- To develop a sense of team spirit, team work & inter team collaboration. 4- To develop the original health, culture & climate. 5- To generate systematic info about HR 6- To increase the capabilities of an organization to recruit, select, retain and motivate talented employees. 7- To develop constructive mind in employees. 8- To generate info about HR for manpower planning, placement, successive planning and like. Author – Meera Sharma SCOPE: The field of HRD or Human Resource Development encompasses several aspects of enabling and empowering human resources in organization. Whereas earlier HRD was denoted as managing people in organizations with emphasis on payroll, training and other functions that were designed to keep employees happy, the current line of management thought focuses on empowering and enabling them to become employees capable of fulfilling their aspirations and actualizing their potential. This shift in the way human resources are treated has come about due to the prevailing notion that human resources are sources of competitive advantage and not merely employees fulfilling their job responsibilities. The point here is that the current paradigm in HRD treats employees as value creators and assets based on the RBV or the Resource Based View of the firm that has emerged in the SHRM (Strategic Human Resource Management) field. The field of HRD spans several functions across the organization starting with employee recruitment and training, appraisals and payroll and extending to the recreational and motivational aspects of employee development. The main functions of HRD are:- 1. Training and development Training and development is aimed at improving or changing the knowledge skills and attitudes of the employees. While training involves providing the knowledge and skills required for doing a particular job to the employees, developmental activities focus on preparing the employees for future job responsibilities by increasing the capabilities of an employee which also helps him perform his present job in a better way. These activities start when an employee joins an organization in the form of orientation and skills training. After the employee becomes proficient, the HR activities focus on the development of the employee through methods like coaching and counseling. 2 Organization development OD is the process of increasing the effectiveness of an organization along with the well being of its members with the help of planned interventions that use the concepts of behavioral science. Both micro and macro changes are implemented to achieve organization development. While the macro changes are intended to improve the overall effectiveness of the organization the micro changes are aimed at individuals of small groups. Employee involvement programmes requiring fundamental changes in work expectation, reporting, procedures and reward systems are aimed at improving the effectiveness of the organization. The human resource development professional involved in the organization development intervention acts as an agent of change. He often consults and advising the line manager in strategies that can be adopted to implement the required changes and sometimes becomes directly involve in implementing these strategies. 3. Career development It is a continuous process in which an individual progresses through different stages of career each having a relatively unique set of issues and tasks. Career development comprises of two distinct processes. Career Planning and career management. Whereas career planning involves activities to be performed by the employee, often with the help of counselor and others, to assess his capabilities and skills in order to frame realistic career plan. Career management involves the necessary steps that need to be taken to achieve that plan. Career management generally focus more on the steps that an organization that can take to foster the career development of the employees.

Sensory Disabilities and Age of Onset

Sensory Disabilities and Age of Onset Sensory disability refers to the impairment in seeing or hearing. As per Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (2010):Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sensory Disabilities and Age of Onset specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The sensory impairment encompasses both visual loss (including blindness and partial sight), hearing loss (including the whole range) and multisensory (which means having a diagnosed visual and hearing impairment with at least loss in each of the modalities or deaf-blindness) (p.1) As a result of this, students who are sensory impaired may be affected in a number of ways in regards to their learning. For instance, the rate at which they advance academically may be slowed down significantly because of the difficulties they undergo in accessing the necessary information. They may also not be able to communicate appropriately with their peers and teachers about the knowledge they have acquired in clas s. Inability to move, and connected with it restrictions is another challenge that they are likely to encounter because of obvious reasons. The student may also suffer socially as he/she may not be able to interact freely with others due to fear arising from mocking at peers. â€Å"Their self esteem, particularly if learners experience negative attitudes and stereotyping may also suffer as a result (Effective practice Guides, 2011, p. 6) Teaching the Sensory Impaired Using Assistive Technology (AT) Due to the above stated problems, various advancements in technology have been made to help the affected learner. The problem, however, is that each student has a different problem and, as such, requires a different style and approach if he/she is to be helped academically. Different assistive technologies are as well applied in countering these cases.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For visual impairment cases, for example, print media materials, magnified computer images and information, screen readers and Braille can be used to help the visually disabled to screen hearing aids, FM systems, and speech to text translation devices that can also be employed when dealing with the students with hearing difficulties. Use of the AT Devices to Teach Language Arts Language teaching involves training learners on how to use a given language both in speech and written form. Magnified computer images can be used especially where the visual problem is congenital, in other words, where the student has visual memory or where the student involved still uses his vision as the primary way of reading. Through this, words and names on monitor screens can be accompanied with images for language learning. Speech to text translation devices can be used to directly transmit a teacher’s voice to a receptive screen for those who have hearing impairment in reading lessons, fo r example. Braille can be used for reading purposes for those who are visually impaired. Age of Onset As earlier stated, learners’ problems vary. To encounter them effectively a teacher has to individualize his approach based on the learner’s studying style. â€Å"Knowing if the student has a congenital or adventitious sensory loss affects how students will gain access to the instruction† (Beard, et al, 2011, p. 142). This is due to the fact that the presence or lack of hearing or visual memory will highly influence which type of style and AT is to be employed for a particular student.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sensory Disabilities and Age of Onset specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The style the teacher will utilize in his/her interaction with the learner will also be influenced by the subject taught. Style and AT used in mathematics and sciences will obviously be different from the one emp loyed in language and arts classes, for instance. The learner’s preference, however, should be given a key consideration. It is also important to take these kinds of students away from the others where a teacher realizes that the student will encounter problems in adapting in order to help them avoid the likely embarrassment that they may undergo in class. This can happen, for instance, when learning the subject that call for lots of diagrams, figures and illustrations to be applied, which may also give a challenge to the visually impaired students. References Beard, L.A. , Carpenter, L.B and Johnson, L.B(2011). Assistive Technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc. Effective practice guide.(2011). Understanding visual impairment in learners and young people. RNIB: Supporting Blind and Partially Sighted People , 1-7, Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/services-we-offer-advice-professionals-education-professionals/guidance-teaching-and-learning Specialist Sch ools and Academies Trust (2010). Complex Learning difficulties research project. International Networking for Educational Transformation,1-8. Web.