Mountain West Health Plans Inc Essays

Mountain West Health Plans Inc Essays Mountain West Health Plans Inc Essay Mountain West Health Plans Inc Essay Mountain West Health Plans Inc In every organization, success depends on, among other factors, the leadership exhibited by its management. Leadership may be defined as the behavioral act of creating conducive environment whereby people exploit their full potential with a view of realizing organization’s vision and mission. There are four key leadership styles, commonly referred to as Dimensional Behavioral Model, and illustrated as Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 representing dominant-hostile, submissive-hostile, submissive-warm, and dominant-warm respectively. In the case of mountain west health plans Inc. the leadership styles displayed by Quinn, Rasmussen and Evelyn are very elaborate and reflect directly to the performance of the organization. Evelyn Gustafson’s leadership style reflects Q3 whereby there is low concern for productivity but a very high concern for people. Being experienced and knowledgeable on the tasks, her main objective was to make sure that the whole of her d epartment’s staff was comfortable, happy and gave satisfactory information to subscribers. The latter was achieved through training and the end result was customer satisfaction and a very peaceful working environment. The style is useful in coordinating and harmonizing people in the firm. However, Evelyn’s overfriendliness to subordinates had a negative effect to the firm’s efficiency. She gave them too much freedom and breaks, the end result being few calls being made and complaints of customers hold-up. This style of management tends to be unstructured, decisions are made based on popularity, conflicts resolved on smoothing-over and there is likelihood that someone with, say Q1 behavior, may take advantage of the Q3 submissiveness. Evelyn derived her influence from happiness and comfort of subordinates around her with no complaints whatsoever. Her main desire was to satisfy her social needs. Erik Rasmussen on the other hand had a Q1 style of leadership whereby he preferred productivity over the feelings of people. His main objective was to ensure the number of calls went up, costs went down and efficiency improved, all of which he achieved. Erik was hostile and aggressive, he was a hands-on manager with a mind to win, and his communication was one way – ‘do it my way or leave’. This style focuses predominantly on results and it is well structured. Testimony to this is that Erik managed to raise turnover from 10% to 30%. However, the domineering effect of this style instills fear and insecurity, which leads to low morale and poor quality of output. In the case of Mountain West, although the number of calls increased, the quality of those calls reduced and led to increased complaints from unsatisfied customers due to inaccurate information by pressed staff. This style suppresses development of skills and denies subordinates opportunity to make independent decisions. Erik’s source of influence is the belief that people must be pushed to work and his desire to satisfy his recognition and respect needs. Quinn, as the leader in the firm, should recommendation that Erik reduce the hostility towards workers while at the same time maintaining the dominant effect by adopting the Q4 behavior. Once the workers feel respected, they will get motivated to work and will not be affected by the pressure exerted by Erik. This change will be possible through performance appraisal which will highlight the gains in output and the dwindling quality of work. Quinn will have to reiterate that the consequence of subscribers’ complaints will be loss of their confidence and probably loss of business. Therefore Eric should warm up to people but still be forceful. From the above discussion, the management style adopted by a manager is very crucial on the performance of the firm. The manager should have clarified expectations, be given freedom to perform and held accountable for the results. This will ensure that the best leadership style is followed.

Implication Of Hand Hygeine Compliance Program. How Can We Make It

Implication Of Hand Hygeine Compliance Program. How Can We Make It Implication Of Hand Hygeine Compliance Program. How Can We Make It Better – Term Paper Example Hand Hygiene Compliance Program: Implications and Ways of Improvement Hand Hygiene Compliance Program: Implications and Ways of Improvement For a long time, hand hygiene among health care workers is pivotal in preventing transmission of infectious agents but despite a Center for Disease Control joint commission requirement on hand hygiene guidelines implemented in hospitals, compliance among health care workers remains low. According to studies, that hospitals may best improve compliance by assessing the barriers to, measuring the rates of compliance, educating staff on the importance of hand hygiene, making sanitizing products more available for staff use, and holding staff accountable. The CDC’s latest guideline includes two major new recommendations: 1. Health care workers should use alcohol-based hand sanitizers for routine hand disinfection when hands are visibly soiled, and 2. Health care facilities should establish ongoing monitoring programs for hand hygiene compliance (Haas and Larson, 2008). Medline’s Hand Hygiene Compliance Program which addresses the primary defense against healthcare-acquired conditions, includes an intensive education module developed by an expert panel of professionals which provides health care workers with tools, education and awareness of proper hand hygiene to increase compliance rates and decrease spread of infection. Among the free benefits of this program is an online educational program with modules and interactive competencies, an access to 200+ free CE Credits Experience additional online education from their university ( including access to over two hundred courses that include CE credits), and a Facility Awareness and Tools Placards to promote proper hand hygiene to staff members, patients and visitors. Direct observation cannot be considered a gold standard for assessing hand hygiene, because there was no relationship between observed adherence and number of dispensing episodes or the used product volum e (Medline, 2012).Use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers has increased the convenience of hand hygiene and made it less time-consuming since sinks become less needed and dispensers are small and accessible at every stage of patient care (some dispensers can be worn or carried in a pocket). An observational study in two ICUs by Earl, etc. established that availability of alcohol-based hand sanitizers "resulted in a sustained increase in hand antisepsis rates among health care workers." Boyce and colleagues compared the effects of either using an alcohol-based sanitizer or washing hands with the hospitals unmedicated soap and found out that the former was less damaging to nurses skin (Earl et al., 2001).In an observational study in Geneva, Switzerland, Pittet and colleagues measured the rates of hand hygiene compliance before and during a hand hygiene improvement program implementation. The program has increased compliance rates from 48% to 66% in three years and significantly decreased the number of hospital-acquired infections. 11,17. The multidisciplinary and multifaceted promotion involved the display of color posters in 250 hospital locations being collaborated by Health care workers whose ideas (i.e. hand hygiene, hospital-acquired infections, and protecting hands with creams, etc.) were translated by an artist into cartoon-like messages. The program also prioritized the increase of availability of alcohol-based hand sanitizer bottles at each bedside and also provided pocket-sized bottles to staff. Hand hygiene convenience also increased upon enhancement of the accessibility of hand sanitizers (Pittet et al., 1999; Pittet et al., 2000).The most important factor in the program’s success may be due to the administrative hospital-wide prioritization, some funding, encouraging the participation of senior staff, and voicing support for the program. Improving compliance for hand hygiene requires leadership, collaboration, accessibility of hand hygiene produ cts, feedback on compliance and infection rates, and individual accountability.ReferencesEarl, M.L., et al. (2001). Improved rates of compliance with hand antisepsis guidelines: a three-phase observational study. Am J Nurs, 101(3), 26-33.Haas, J.P. and Larson, E.L. (2008). Compliance with hand hygiene guidelines: where are we in 2008? American Journal of Nursing, 108(8), 40 – 44.Medline (2012). Hand hygiene compliance program. Retrieved September 25, 2012, from medline.com/programs/hand-hygiene-compliance-program/Pittet, D., et al. (1999). Compliance with hand washing in a teaching hospital: infection control program. Ann Intern Med, 130(2), 126-30. Pittet D, et al. (2000). Effectiveness of a hospital-wide program to improve compliance with hand hygiene: infection control program. Lancet, 356 (9238), 1307-12.

Contrasting Codified Constitutions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Contrasting Codified Constitutions - Case Study Example The second part of the discussion relates to the amendments and the procedures related to the amendments of the two constitutions. Certain specific aspects of these constitutions as well as the safeguards incorporated or even the different forms of knowledge that could be use to interpret constitutional principles including the social and legal aspects are the main focus of this essay (Bogdanor and Rudden, 1995). The first part thus discusses main constitutional principles and separation of powers in the country in its constitutional forms. The second part of the essay discusses the amendments of a constitution and the different procedures for amending the constitutions of the two countries chosen. 2. The State shall secure that the operation of the legal system promotes justice, on a basis of equal opportunity, and shall, in particular, provide free legal aid, by suitable legislation or schemes or in any other way, to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities. (Constitution of India, 2007) In the matter of separating the judiciary from the executive, the Constitution states that -'The State shall take steps to separate the judiciary from the executive in the public services of the State'. b. ... (Constitution of India, 2007) In the matter of separating the judiciary from the executive, the Constitution states that -'The State shall take steps to separate the judiciary from the executive in the public services of the State'. In this context the roles and structure of the Executive could be given. The Executive consists of the President of India and the Vice President. The constitution states that - a. There shall be a President of India. b. The executive power of the Union shall be vested in the President and shall be exercised by him either directly or through officers sub-ordinate to him in accordance with this Constitution.(Constitution of India, retrieved 2007) The extent of the Executive Power of the Union is given by the following clauses - Extent of executive power of the Union.- (1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the executive power of the Union shall extend- (a) to the matters with respect to which Parliament has power to make laws; and (b) to the exercise of such rights, authority and jurisdiction as are exercisable by the Government of India by virtue of any treaty or agreement: Provided that the executive power referred to in sub-clause (a) shall not, save as expressly provided in this Constitution or in any law made by Parliament, extend in any State to matters with respect to which the Legislature of the State has also power to make laws. (2) Until otherwise provided by Parliament, a State and any officer or authority of a State may, notwithstanding anything in this article, continue to exercise in matters with respect to which Parliament has power to make laws for that State such executive power or functions as the State or officer or authority thereof could exercise immediately before

A growth strategy for Fifers Bakery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

A growth strategy for Fifers Bakery - Essay Example Fifers bakery is a large scale bakery supplying retailers with breads, cakes and other baked products. At present the company has no strategic plans for the next five year. To be able to develop a strategic plan the company should be aware of the key innovation trends and new product and category opportunities. A Growth Strategy should be planned to enable the company to anticipate the changes in the internal environment caused by the external environment in time. To start the process of selecting a market-dominating business and marketing strategy we must take the first four steps: Setting the vision for Fifers Bakery, gathering environmental and competitive intelligence, and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the company.Fifers Bakery vision is to create business opportunities for both business owners and their employees to upgrade operations and increase both profits and wages. The company should be focusing on innovation that will lead the company into major growth. It i s also the company's focus to develop and produce new products that are not available in in-store bakeries and offer good customer service that has a personal touch in order to have customers coming back. The knowledge in information technology will be given importance since this will help the company to shorten its work from years to hours, minutes or seconds. Overall the vision of the company is to provide services that will benefit not only the company but its customers as well. To develop the best Growth Strategy for Fifers Bakery we must first understand the world outside the organization. Our focus will be our competitors, technology, market size and trends, our clients, availability of key resources (people and materials) and others that includes customer request and suggestions. Aside from the above mentioned external environment it also includes strategic implications for baking industry, category opportunities, new product opportunities and retailer and distribution drivers. Identifying the strength and weaknesses of Fifers Bakery includes the internal environment of the company. This includes the ability of the company to get new clients products and services, research and development , automation and equipments, knowledge and skills, employee diversity, capacity, training, company structure and culture, total Quality Management Systems, finance including cash flow, ROI leadership and others. From the above listed focus we will be able to start working on our Growth Strategy that will help Fifers Bakery survive or even lead the baking industry in the next five years. Topic The objective of this study is to be able to create a Growth Strategy for Fifers Bakery. The baking industry is complex, extremely competitive and fractious. The need for change and the focus for innovation are important. A Growth Strategy for Fifers Bakery will start at defining the company's goals. The attainment of such goal will mean that the vision has become a reality. It is best to identify first what markets we will do business. Since Fifers Bakery is a supplier for a retailer, then we will need to focus on those retailers who can cope up with the demand of the customers. We should not be only focusing on the orders; we should also overview the services being given to the customers. Baking industry has becoming very stiff that you need to improved or change some items in order to attract customers. We will be able to choose from being a marginal player with a small percentage or a big player with a significant portion of the market or we will dominate the market and crush all competition. It is important to identify which market we will focus. Customers play a vital role in the success of the organization. Fifers' bakery can make and bake the best cakes and bread in the world but if it is not what they need it would be a waste of time,

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]