Discuss the changes that have taken place in the British Media since Essay

Discuss the changes that have taken place in the British Media since the Second World War and comment on possible differences be - Essay Example The censorship put on the British media had the effect of crippling the assumptions of the editors, civil servants and military personnel. During the war, th e newspapers or channels which even so much as a new and improved strategy for the war was threatened to shut down or worse put through a law suit. As the war saw the British television rise as the means of mass communication, so it saw the press services plummet. Although not many areas had television in the 1947s except for London, but the 1950s saw such an increase in that number that now most of the households has a television set in them. As television became to main mode of media, newspapers had to take a sideline and become a little softer, incorporating more and more non-political news. Another impact of television going mainstream was that newspapers now had to hire more and more specialized journalists and reporters. In 1957, finally, again, the most number of newspapers were sold. After this the newspaper sale steadil y declined. Under a censorship agreement which had been undertaken during the war which banned the process from publishing any facts about the war at all. This lifted as immediately as the war was announced over. And now the press was declared free and the master of its own self. The lack of reel meant that there were no cinemas for people so people could only go to see events was to wait for the event to be played again after a few days. Anything that could help people feel normal again was welcome with open arms, be it radio, or TV, or newspaper. It was becoming uincreasingly necessary for the British public to normalize and come back to positive thinking, as everything was still dark and sad even after the war had ended. People were grieving, cities were bombed and food was scarce. Since 1925, BBC had been the prime wireless radio network for the public (www.bbc.co.uk, 2008). Britain was extremely patriotic. After the war, they issued cartoons of other nations in the daily news. They also made many war-songs to keep up the spirits of the public. Near the 1990s, the British now had emerged after long and hard years of industrial age, and a new market. Now all they had to worry about where the stock exchange an the war worries. Churchill had become prime minister and john major gave Britain a heart-attack in the form of the â€Å"Black Wednesday†, 19992. As a result the British journalism suffered from such a bad switch in the power. Now press was more involved with any form of negative statements, and moral issues. People found it easier top raise their voice against an injustice with the help of media. Consumerism was in the air, and more and more ways of selling papers were found and pondered upon. The answer to this dilemma was found in the form of fear. It was a pioneer act to sell papers and was an old one at that as the sale of The Times was nearly 278000 the day World War II broke out. Entertainment and politics were merged a little while after the scandals in the John Major era on the Tory issue. New Labor now accepted the power of media. Now the invasion into the personal lives of ‘celebrities’ is everyday news (Andrew Marr, 2005, TV) it was claimed that the need for such news involving scandals of the celebrities and the hunger bad news was always there in the media, (Stephenson, 1998). Now it was only just heightened. To really calculate the change in the British media from the 1940s to present, one need to know the part that censorship played. In World War II all photos were

Key Points Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Key Points - Essay Example Firstly, the article highlights that the financial distress impairs the ability of banks and other financial institutions to generate liquidity and thus, take a precautious approach to building risk profile of their loans. It becomes difficult for small businesses to get access to credit from these institutions which can be major contributors to the recovery of the US economy. Eichengreen (2011) is of the view that recent financial crisis is much more severe as compared to the Great Depression as it is likely to the growth rates of advanced economies as these economies are highly credit driven. Secondly, the article highlights that there is a little evidence from the Great Depression suggesting that the increase in the public debt in the form of higher budget deficit and government borrowing actually contributes to the slowdown in the investment. Although, it is argued that over public debt leads to change in tax policies, and higher interest rates making investments unattractive but the evidences from the Great Depression period suggest that after it the public debt increased by more than double however, the interest rates were not high. Thirdly, Eichengreen (2011) presented evidence from the Great Depression period that the slowdown in the economy actually created opportunities for businesses to take advantage from and reorganize themselves in a way that they are able to create more value in the period of recovery following the depressed conditions in the economy. However, one aspect of recovery that is more relevant to the recent crisis mentioned in the article is the slowdown in technology generation and implementation which can surely have greater implications for the current

Hollywood Portrayal of Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hollywood Portrayal of Cancer - Essay Example Sweet November and Autumn in New York are both love stories that are centered on the appreciation of the beauty of life. In exploring this theme, the movies placed the main characters in a situation where one of them is terminally ill. Sweet November is a love story that revolves around Nelson Moss (played by Keanu Reeves) and Sara Deever (Charlize Theron). Deever took it as a mission to help Moss overcome his obsession with work and success, and thereby allowing him to appreciate and enjoy life. This mission would be achieved in just one month. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that Deever is afflicted with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that is the main reason for Deever's decision to lead an unusual lifestyle of "curing" men of their misbehaviors towards women. The story ends tragically, with Deever ending her relationship with Moss and facing the consequences of her illness alone.. Autumn in New York is a love story between a womanizing older man and a young, vibrant woman. Early on the story, Charlotte Fielding (Winona Ryder) and Will Keane (Richard Gere) fell in love, and as Keane was ending the relationship in the same manner as he had ended his past relationships, Fielding agreed to the fact that they would have no future together because she was sick. The story ended in tragedy as Fielding dies of a rare disease after the last-resort surgical operation failed to save her life. There are many similarities in the two movies in the manner that cancer was portrayed. First, the illness was equated to the certainty of death. The drama in both films revolves around the fact that the women have little time left. Both protagonists also dealt with the disease in a similar manner - they gave up on medical treatments. In Autumn of New York, Charlotte Fielding even signed a directive that no surgery will be made on her. In one of their conversations, Fielding told Keane, "I don't want to give hope, when there is none" (Chen, 2000). The same attitude was somewhat projected by Sara Deever in Sweet November. She decided to take on a different course in life, away from the regular treatments usually provided by hospitals to cancer patients. Both films in a way concluded that there were no other options for the two cancer-afflicted characters, and that subjecting themselves to medical treatments and procedures would yield the same result, that is, eventual death. The character in Autumn in New York died at the end of the film, while in Sweet November, the character decided to come home and perhaps yield to medical cure for her illness, although the last scene seemed to indicate that she would be spending the rest of her life wilting away and succumbing to death. She left the viewers thinking that she would die, in the same way that her lover agreed to letting her go and face death. Both stories depict the dying characters, both of which were white women, still in flawless appearance. This would fall under what Comedienne Carol Burnett referred to as the Movie Star Disease (as cited in Lallanilla, 2005), where the ill character,

PTSD Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

PTSD - Research Paper Example The victims become hopeless and if the shock does not subside the victims get disturbed by painful memories. They feel that their normal status cannot be restored. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder usually occurs with battle scared military officers who go through a win or die battle. Many soldiers suffer from the disorder situations when they are fighting a losing battle. Traumatizing incidences such as bombast makes them scared. The soldiers get maimed while some die. The incidences and aftermath of the war have been the leading cause of the mental disorder. The disease is also prevalent in emergency care workers. Most of the emergency care workers who suffer the disorder are those who take care of the victims whose life is in danger. The death of the victims leaves shocking memories that they cannot forget. The medical officers who treat and take care of the victims of emergency events are also at risk of suffering from the disorder. Children are less likely to develop the disease than adults. They have weak memories, and they are less engaged in life-threatening events. The primary cause of Post-Traumatic Disorder among children is bullying. Bullying also affects adults. Individuals facing domestic violence are predisposed to the disorder. Disasters such as earthquakes and Tsunami results to the massive destruction. The victims of the disaster are traumatized. For many years terrorist attacks has been threatening peoples life. The effects of the attacks are unbearable and terrible. The disorder is prevalent among the people held hostages by terrorists. The torture the in the cells leaves the freed culprits traumatized. Drug abuse especially alcohol also co-occur with the mental disorder. Intake of narcotics hinders the recovery of the PTSD by medication. Alcohol abuse worsens the PSTD conditions (Krippner, 2012). Childhood neglect, kidnapping and sudden death of loved ones also put individuals at risk of gettin g the disorder. The police

Contributions of Mansa Musa to the greatness of Mali Empire Essay

Contributions of Mansa Musa to the greatness of Mali Empire - Essay Example The Mali Empire extended to the east from the Atlantic coasts along the River Niger delta, which is known for the richness in agriculture, to beyond the village of Timbuktu. The northern border of this region was formed by the Sahara desert well known for dryness and hot climate. A tropical jungle formed the south. The Mali kingdom owes its success to the Niger River, which rises in southwest sides of Guinea and flows towards the east of West Africa through Nigeria shortly before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. Along the banks of the River, Niger laid fertile soil that was left behind when the river became flooded each year. For this reason, many important cities emerged in the Niger delta and thus, trading of goods became more popular. Muslim traders that came from northern Africa, Orient, and Arabia found their way to different regions of Timbuktu due to the domestication of camels and good economic prospects in the Mali Empire at that time. They were able to transport their goods across the dry and hot Sahara desert to do business with people who lived along river Niger. Musa being the leader of Mali Empire denied non-believers of Islam access to river Niger markets. The trade made the River Niger’s markets thrive, thus, developing this empire (Tschanz 4-7). A natural trading intersection was formed in Timbuktu. The northern bank of river Niger became the stopping zone for camels. Timbuktu occupied the central bend of the river, which means that only boats were used to move goods along the river from east to west.

Rights of Homosexuals Essay Example for Free

Rights of Homosexuals Essay Almost everyone knows Ellen DeGeneres—she is just the very famous TV personality who publicized her admission that she is a â€Å"homosexual,† even chronicling her daily life (in a very comical and amusing way) in a television show in the early 90’s. Even until now, she is still a famous person as she is now a much-acclaimed TV host with her own show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and is married—to a girl. Ellen’s story can be a proof of how far society and the press have openly accepted the homosexuals. Homosexual people can be pertained to both gay people (who are usually involved in a male-male relationship) and lesbians (who are in a female-female relationship). However, being â€Å"gay† can also be applicable to both male-male and female-female relationships and is now accepted more by the general public compared to the period before the 50’s. The visibility of the gay people is now so flamboyant that a person is left to wonder: â€Å"Was there a time when they were persecuted? † The answer to that question is a resounding â€Å"yes. † There was indeed a time when the gays and lesbians were thought of as a minority group in the most degrading way possible. It is surprising and amazing how they were once regarded as criminals and â€Å"mentally ill and immoral† (Gross xiv). Today however, they are now so accepted that shows, series, and movies are being produced and have become popular one after another. Their story of how they fought for visibility, recognition, and liberation from being closeted is worthy of a re-telling and a movie that can be surely made into a Hollywood hit. This paper will recount the important events and personalities which has made homosexual empowerment possible and the tremendous role that the media played in the whole thing. The Power of the Press Mass media is undeniably a very powerful force that has a great and influential impact in the daily lives of the people. Weather reports, economic and political news, fashion forecasts, music videos, commercials, and infomercials—the media holds a great variety and a vast amount of information which is being fed and devoured by the general public, and whether they like it or not, these information are affecting them on a personal and naturally, on a major scale, too. What is media exactly and what is its purpose? There are a great number of these speculations, but it actually depends on how it is being used and by who: â€Å"The purposes of communication have always remained the same: artists wish to entertain and stimulate; entrepreneurs aim to make money; governments and interest groups hope to inform or persuade; advertisers help to sell goods and ideas† (Cannon). Because of the media, communication to the greater and general public is faster and easier. Even if it is undeniable that the mass media has brought negative effects, there are still positive things which everyone should be and is grateful for. As what Buckingham has written in his report, the negative and positive effects are undeniably linked together, as what is expected from everything in the society today: The negative effects of media may be impossible to separate from their positive effects. Potential positive effects relate to learning and education, as well as processes such as social interaction, identity formation and cultural experience. Apparently ‘inappropriate’ content may also provide valuable opportunities for learning. In seeking to prevent negative effects, it is important to ensure that we do not also undermine or preclude the potential for positive effects. (3) There are a lot of things which people and the society should credit to media. Aside from the usual studies and researches that prove the effects and influences that it does to people (as that to Buckingham’s) that are both positive and negative, and the information (overload) that is happening on an almost daily basis, the media can also be credited to the fact that a lot of important historical events have happened because of them—they either made it such a big issue that it is impossible for people not to mobilize and address the conflicts or issues. Media (or the people from the press) have more than often put their lives on the line in order to inform the public about the truth that is happening around them. The press can perhaps be perplexing because they are just so powerful that they can mobilize the people when they tell the truth (or sometimes, their version of it) whether people want to hear it or not. Sometimes, they are even more so powerful that they can not tell the truth and keep the public in the dark. Almost many events that have happened globally are reported by the press, and sometimes, these events are even caused by the media. In addition, all these things that have happened in the past can still affect the present and the future. Harvey Milk and Matthew Sheppard for example are just two individuals whose advocacy and death was made known to the public television that it made thousands of people act against the discrimination to lesbian, gay and transgender people (Lacayo, Barovick, Cloud and Duffy). Their stories which have been so abuzz with controversies were so popular in the past, and yet, years later, people still look back to these two brave individuals and how their death has affected many. Hollywood, for instance, has even made a movie based on Harvey Milk and his advocacy for the equal protection for the gay and lesbian community. In simple terms, media has immortalized important historical events, and life-changing and influential people by talking about them that even in later years, people are still influenced by them. In short, media has played such a very important role in the people’s lives, and the best way to exemplify this conclusion is through a recount of the evolution and expansion of the gay rights which has been well chronicled by the press. The journey that the gay, lesbian, and transgender people have endured and lived through is such an agonizing story of death, sacrifices, and eventually, of freedom and respect. Homosexuality There has been a great confusion of the definition of who are the gay, lesbians, bisexuals, and the transgender. Vast studies and characterization can be used as a reference to define these people. Over the years, the description of gay, lesbians, bisexuals, and the transgender has also evolved along with their liberation and the development of their basic human rights. Homosexuality is not new and not a disease—according to today’s judgment, that is. However, decades ago, it was a different case altogether. In the past, gay people were defined by having relationships with people of the same sex—if one made out or has a â€Å"special friend† that is the same gender that he or she does, and then he or she is defined as a gay person. However, different groups suggest otherwise. Long ago, being a gay person meant that one is a â€Å"criminal, mentally ill, and immoral† (Gross xiv). There are different cases though as according to TIME Magazine, being a homosexual person has grounds based on â€Å"The Institute of Sex Research, founded by Alfred C. Kinsey, [which] defines a homosexual as anyone who has had more than six sexual experiences with a member of the same gender. † However, as of now, as human rights are being demanded by people of all groups, being a gay person is not so considered as a crime anymore—in many parts of the globe, that is. Homosexuality has become very apparent in the society nowadays that if a person is to declare him- or herself as gay (like Ellen DeGeneres for example), it is not such a big and horrifying issue, but it is still an issue. How far has the â€Å"outing† (Gross ix) of homosexual people gone through in the past until the current time? If a person would look at the facts, it would not be surprising and only right to be amazed. Homosexual Advocacy, its Evolution and their Human Rights Homosexuality can be traced even as far as to the ancient Romans whose emperors were rumored to be bisexuals, and the surprising thing is—the society back then was not as against it compared to the American society back in the 50’s or 60’s. Moreover, farther from the ancient Romans are the biblical passages and accounts of homosexuals being punished in the Promised Land of Israel with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. God was furious with the sexual criminal acts that the Sodomites were doing that He decided to destroy the city completely. Unfortunately, this story is what is usually used by Christians or anti-homosexual groups in trying to voice out their opinion and displeasure with the gay people. However, the call for the gay rights did not exactly happen overnight or in a snap. This was a very slow and painstaking process that actually originated with the call of the African-Americans to equality with the white Americans. Racial discrimination has been a long standing issue experienced globally but was most experienced in the United States of America since people from all parts of the globe were actually migrating to the US as they were lured by its promise of greener pastures. Eventually, the discrimination against the minority groups—African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians who constituted the population of the majority, were advocated by a number of famous people, and most notable of them is in the person of Martin Luther King Jr. He was assassinated for fighting in what he believed in—that equality should reign among age, gender, and most especially that of race. The advocacy and dispute of the blacks vs. the whites eventually paved the way for the fight for recognition of the homosexuals (Gerstmann 3; TIME). However, even if the homosexual (and bisexual) community were inspired by the advocacy of the African-Americans, they still had a far way to go with regard to their decision to be out in the open and eventually fight for their liberation. There were many factors which comprised the fight of the homosexual community, and unfortunately, it involved a lot of death and sacrifices that were publicized by the media. According to Larry Gross in his book, Up from Invisibility: Lesbians, Gay Men, and the Media in America, the first ever advocacy for gay recognition and empowerment happened in the person of Lisa Ben who gave out copies of a magazine that â€Å"signaled the first stirrings of the modern gay rights move ¬ment in the United States† (xiii). What she did was both courageous and dangerous, for in those years, being a homosexual person meant persecution because it was considered a crime. As what a gay person was found saying in the BBC video about the Stonewall Riot, â€Å"the word homosexual cannot even be uttered. † Years later after Lisa Ben’s small magazine and advocacy, gay movements were mobilized little by little but were not very successful as they were often beaten up by the police for being â€Å"fags† or â€Å"drag queens. † The early 1960s can be also said that it had the same turn of events as that of the 50s. It was only during the late 1960’s that people finally acted and pursued their one goal—equality—freedom, respect, basic rights will follow after and come with it (Bendersky; Gross). The most famous Stonewall riot that happened in the month of June 1969 in Greenwhich Village, New York City was a historic landmark for their fight for equality: â€Å"The turning point came in the summer of 1969 in Manhattans Greenwich Village, when 400 gays flooded the streets for several nights to protest police raids on the Stonewall Inn, a homosexual bar on Christopher Street† (TIME). With the riots, movements, and publication of weeklies (like of Grant Ford’s Gay Life), the community of the gay, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender was soon heard and felt by the people not only in the United States of America; people around the globe also became aware of their fight: The struggle is being fought on many levels. Politically, the movements victories are now barely balancing its defeats. Thirty-nine cities, towns and counties, including Detroit, Washington, D. C. , and Minneapolis, have enacted ordinances forbidding discrimination against homosexuals in jobs and housing, but only five of those communities have been added to the list in the past two years. (TIME) When the famous Harvey Milk was elected in the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, another milestone in their advocacy was again met. Harvey was out in the open as a gay person, and he was elected in a high position in the society. Milk made such a great impact because not only was he a politician—he was a politician who is gay and who is demanding for an anti-discrimination gay act to be passed. Moreover, when the advocacy of the Church was made clear that they were against gay rights and that teachers who are gay should not be deemed fit to teach in public schools, Milk fought hard against that judgment. Eleven months later, Milk was killed, and the act was passed. In addition, the Civil Service Commission ruled in 1975 that being a homosexual person should not be the grounds for a person to be unemployed. When Milk died, it was not only the gay community who was enraged by this event but also people from all over. Even the straight ones were now on the same side, and the fight was biggest and strongest as ever with the equality for the homosexual people (Bendersky). People have now become more open to the concept of homosexuality and has come to grips with the reality that people should be accepted for how they are. How unbelievable it may seem when years ago, the gay and lesbian people were being beaten up by the police and or being horrifyingly mistreated by the straight community that they are even publicly put on trial and/or persecuted; and yet, decades later, the world has opened up to them. As what appeared in the TIME Magazine issue which has been cited for seemingly countless times in this paper, companies and corporations on a national level have publicly voiced out that â€Å"they do not discriminate in hiring or promoting people because they are homosexual. † The most ground breaking is the support and the next step of the media. As what is understandable, if the media is able to openly portray and even give a spot on stories or characters who are homosexuals in a non-villain role, then it means the general public is able to accept and watch such role being enacted out: â€Å"Television and movies are treating gay themes more openly and sympathetically. ABCs hit series Soap, for example, has two homosexual characters, one a macho football player† (TIME). Years later, although things have been better in terms of the gay people being not regarded as retards or criminals, they are still far from fully realizing their goal. If in the past they were fighting for freedom from discrimination or safety and survival from those people who made it a point to not only discriminate the gay people but to also hurt and in some cases, even kill them, the 90’s brought in a new fight—the homosexual people want to get married. According to Gerstmann, there is even no such thing as gay rights. There are only basic human rights which can be enjoyed by people no matter their gender, age, or race. Marriage is a basic human right, and yet, people who are of the same sex are deprived of it (Gertsmann 3-4). Their community in the past seemed to be fighting for survival—for their endangered lives because of the discrimination happening. Now, the homosexual community is fighting for their basic human right—to be married to the person they love—even if it means that they belong to the same gender. When the then President Bill Clinton made a speech in 1996 that he supported the marriage and union of people who are of the same-sex, homosexual people were overjoyed, for it meant a huge leap for them. However, when only a short time later, the Doma Bill was passed wherein a marriage can only happen between a man and a woman, the gay community was outraged at Clinton’s treachery and lies. Years later, Bendersky of the Huffington Post writes in November 2008 of the Proposition 8 in California that calls a marriage to be made only between a man and a woman. In some countries and states, being a homosexual person is still a crime and is subject for persecution—death penalty in public. There are still some states in America which openly oppose same-sex marriages and outing of closeted homosexual people; they even forbid some basic rights—like entrance to schools. Clearly, there is still a discrimination going on even if it is not openly voiced out. Even if the entertainment industry has long been open to the portrayal of gay or lesbian people and has produced shows, series, and movies, even that of cartoons and commercials where the characters are blatantly gay or the plot revolves around them, there is still an underlying tension with regard to the subject of homosexuality. Famous shows like Will and Grace or The Ellen DeGeneres Show may be famous on national television show and is already accepted by the general public, but it does not necessarily mean that they have already achieved their goal. In Aaron Belkin’s article for example, he writes that President Barrack Obama is going to fire his Arabic linguist because the linguist declared on national television that he was a homosexual person. There is a reason for that however. In the same article of Belkin, he further writes that there is a law that states that the â€Å"military MUST fire any service member who acknowledges themselves as being gay. † Years later, the death of Milk and the appalling and well-publicized death of Matthew Sheppard seem to be a waste as the homosexual community has still not met their goal for their fight for equality (Lacayo et al. ). Conclusion In conclusion, from the â€Å"outing† of the homosexual people to the fight for their equality and to the expansion of their rights, they have come a long way. From the ancient Romans to the Harvey Milk and Matthew Shepard, homosexuality has long been present, will always be present, and the press has played a big part in both its development and dramatic sensationalization. Whether people like it or not, the events of the past will continue to haunt and affect the events of the present and of course, the future. One thing that everyone should remember is, the whole adventure that the gays and lesbians went through is one amazing roller coaster ride, and that despite the sickening downs they experienced, the exhilarating ups are definitely worth it—one is merely to look at the entertainment industry today and acknowledge where they are now. Works Cited Buckingham, David, Natasha Whiteman, Rebekah Willett, and Andrew Burn. â€Å"The Impact of the Media on Children and Young People With A Particular Focus on Computer Games and the Internet. † Byron Review, Centre for the Study of Children, Youth an Media, Institute of Education, University of London. 30 Apr. 2009. 7 May 2009. http://www. dcsf. gov. uk/byronreview/pdfs/Buckingham%20Impact%20of%20Media%20Literature%20Review%20for%20the%20Byron%20Review. pdf. Belkin, Aaron. â€Å"Obama To Fire His First Gay Arabic Linguist. † The Huffington Post. 7 May 2009. 8 May 2009. http://www. huffingtonpost. com/aaron-belkin/obama-to-fire-his-first-g_b_199070. html. Bendersky, Ari. â€Å"Where is Harvey Milk Today? † The Huffington Post. 1 Dec. 2008. 8 May 2009. http://www. huffingtonpost. com/ari-bendersky/where-is-harvey-milk-toda_b_146933. html. Cannon, John. â€Å"Mass Media. † The Oxford Companion to British History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Encyclopedia. com. 30 Apr. 2009 http://www. encyclopedia. com. Gerstmann, Evan. Same-Sex Marriage and the Constitution. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Cambridge University Press, 2008. Gross, Larry P. Contested Closets: The Politics And Ethics Of Outing. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 1993. . Up from Invisibility: Lesbians, Gay Men, and the Media in America. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001. Lacayo, Richard, Harriet Barovick, John Cloud, and Washington Duffy. â€Å"The New Gay Struggle†. TIME Magazine. 26 Oct. 1998. 8 May 2009. http://www. time. com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,989406,00. html? loomia_si=t0:a16:g2:r2:c0. 177585:b22455434xid=Loomia. Time Inc. â€Å"How Gay is Gay? †. TIME Magazine. 23 Apr. 1979. 8 May 2009. http://www. time. com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,920281-1,00. html.

The Human Resource Planning Of Asda Management Essay

The Human Resource Planning Of Asda Management Essay The human resource planning is a persistent process by which it looks to assurance flexible re-sourcing connected to internal and external environmental pressures. An effective Human Resource planning can facilitate those two companies anticipating possible usual problems. Forward planning will allow the two companies developing and implementing successful approaches in relation with: à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢Recruitment à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢Selection à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢Induction à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢Training à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢Retraining à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢Career progression à ¢Ã… ¾Ã‚ ¢Development ASDA and Tesco both are the leading supermarket in UK. As I left ASDA and join in Tesco. Therefore I know the aim and objective of the both company. Both companies strategies are to ensure good customer service and increase the sales for business development. A good plan will help both companies following activity: ASDA: Evaluate future recruitment needed because ASDA needs staff that know the products that the company is selling and know how to put those products and make great offers in order to catch the customers attention and interest so they can buy them despite the actual economic situation Creating training programs for the employees as for example the store staff needs to have good communication skills, they need to put the products in the right place and always be updated Building up promotion and careers development to motivate the staff and offer them a better place to work so they can perform well. Avoid redundancy as it can have a bad effect on the other employees Evaluating future needed equipments, technology and premises. Controlling the staff wages and salaries while keeping the competitiveness of the salaries TESCO: Evaluate future recruitments needed as Tesco is increasingly expanding businesses and actually have more than 2482 Tesco Extra, superstores, Metro, Express etc. in more than 14 countries across the world. Creating training programs for the staff as the staff for example in the till needs to serve customer fast, also they need to have a good customer service. And they also have self-scanned tills for customer that make customer happier. Build up promotion and career development strategies which will benefit both the staff and the organization Avoid redundancy as this can affect the other workers they will be de-motivated and it will give a bad image to the organization Build a flexible workforce to meet up with the changing requirement and environment. Controlling the staff wages and salaries while in the mean times guaranteeing the competitiveness of the salaries Evaluating future necessities from equipments, knowledge, technology and premises. HRM MODEL USED IN BOTH COMPANIES: According to Truss et al. (1997) the development of human resource management from personnel management has produced a number of models and theories. There are two models most widely used in human resource management are the hard and soft forms which are based on different analyses and thoughts of management control plans and human nature. Soft and Hard models are used in ASDA and Tesco organisations as human resources planning which are most important in the organisational development. Hard and Soft models of HRM are discusses as follows: HARD HRM: Hard HRM pushes the resource characteristic of human resource management; Legge cited in Gill (1999) refers to this as Practical Instrumentalism. This hard model pushes HRMs give attention on the vital consequence of the close combination of human resource strategies, systems and performance with business strategy. Besides this viewpoint human resources are mainly an issue of production, cost of doing business more willingly than the only resource capable of turning inorganic factors of production in to wealth. Human Resources are analyses as passive, to be provided and organized as numbers and skills at the correct price, rather than the foundation of original force (Legge, 1995, cited in Gill, 1999). Hard HRM is as calculative and tough minded as any other branch of management, communicating through the tough language of business and economics. This emphasis on the quantitative, calculative and business-strategic aspects of managing the headcount has been termed human asset accounting (Storey, 1987). The hard HRM approach has some kinship with scientific management as people are reduced to passive objects that are not cherished as a whole people but assessed on whether they posses the skills/attributes the organisation requires (Legge, 1995; Vaughan, 1994; Storey, 1987; Drucker et al, 1996; Keenoy, 1990 cited in Gill, 1999). A different view of HRM is associated with the Michigan Business School (Fombrun, Tichy and Devanna, 1984). There are many similarities with the Harvard map but the Michigan model has a harder, less humanistic edge, holding that employees are resources in the same way as any other business resource. People have to be managed in a similar manner to equipment and raw materials. They must be obtained as cheaply as possible, used sparingly, and developed and exploited as much as possible (www.hrmguide.co.uk). SOFT HRM: Storey (1989) cited in Price (2011) describes that Soft form of human resource management characterised by Harvard model. Soft HRM put pressures on the human aspects of HRM. It is giving more attention with communication and motivation in the organisation. This model distinguished that people should guide properly rather than managed. They are more involved in influential and realizing planning objectives in the organisation (www.hrmguide.co.uk). However, Soft HRM places an importance on human and is linked with the human relations school of Herzberg and McGregor (Storey, 1987 cited in Gill, 1999). Legge (1995) cited in Gill (1999) refers to this as Developmental Humanism. at the same time as emphasising the significance of integrating HR strategies with Business objectives, the soft model emphasises on taking care of employees as valued resources and a source of competitive benefit through their promise, flexibility and excellent skill and performance. Employees are positive rather than inactive inputs into dynamic processes, competent of development, worthy of confidence and teamwork which is accomplished through contribution (Legge, 1995, pp 66-67 cited in Gill, 1999). The soft version is seen as a method of releasing untapped reserves of human resourcefulness by increasing employee commitment, participation and involvement. Employee commitment is sought with the expectation that effectiveness will follow as second-order consequences. Walton (1985, p. 79) suggests that a model that assumes low employee commitment and that is designed to produce reliable if not outstanding performance simply cannot match the standards of excellence set by 5 world-class competitors and discusses the choice that managers have between a strategy based on imposing control and a strategy based on eliciting commitment (Gill, 1999). The soft model of HRM is based on viewing the individual as a human being utilising human talent and capability and generating commitment from employees (linked with the Human relations movement-see work of Maslow, Mayo, McGregor and Herzberg). Other features of the soft approach include: Generating a motivated, skilled and harmonious workforce. Generating commitment to the organisation and its goals objectives, Strategies and organisational culture Winning individuals hearts and minds Treating human being as humans and not a resource or commodity Generating two-way communication between management and the workforce to promote commitment and harmony. HRM PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT METHODS USED IN TESCO AND ASDA: Recruitment and selection process within ASDA. The recruitment processes within ASDA consist of 2 steps: Online application by which the applicant needs to fill in the information required in the application which may include some verbal, numerical and personality tests, which will enable the company gathering all the information that it need. And this will let ASDA decide whether the candidate is suitable or not. If the candidate succeed, the next step will depend on the role that the candidate applied for, the applicant will may be asked to attend interviews, or to a group assessment centre which the applicants will be asked to perform tasks designed to highlights the skills. Recruitment and selection process within Tesco The recruitment process of Tesco for example team members consist of two steps application. Online application which consist of filling in the information that the candidate is asked to do online which contain personal details, previous work experiences, qualifications, and additionally a questionnaire that put the candidate in real life situation for example if the customer service, dealing with complex situation with customer etc. Is the candidate have effectively passed the first application step, he or she will be called to the store for an OJE (On Job Evaluation) and a face to face interview. With the OJE which only last 15 minutes the manager will give the applicants tasks to do so he or she can see how the candidate perform in real life situation and the manager evaluate the candidate customer service and skills and then he or she reflected against what they are looking for in a candidate. And then after that the candidate will have an interview with the business managers. Finally he will asses the candidate meet their requirement or not. In comparing the two processes we can see that Tesco spend much more on recruiting and selecting than ASDA by using on job evaluation (OJE) system but despite it is taking more time, it is very effective as it shows and indicates if the candidate is the right person for the right job. STAFF TURNOVER: Marchington, M. Wilkinson, A (2007) in a study of CIPD (2004) finds that labour turnover rates vary considerably between industry sector and occupational group, at the same time as do the costs of recruitment. Most employers are more concern about collect statistics on labour turnover, but they also facing problem with lack of data or software issues (IRS Employment review 2004). Many employers also performs exit interviews, and both of these tasks are usually carried out by HR department where no involvement of line manager. The information is used to improve HR practices and policies such as communication, induction, learning and development and selection in an effort to reduce turnover (CIPD 2004b, p31). Perhaps the issue is the most difficult due to all cases of labour turnover are treated in the similar way, without giving any allowances for the performance levels and latent of the employees who quit from organization doing comparison with available employee. It is pointed that, manager is comparatively happy if an unskilled or poor performer were to leave, and there are suggestions from the researchers that if the future of the company is uncertain then employers in reality encourage turnover for not to carrying staff (Smith et al 2004 cited on Marchington, M. Wilkinson, A., 2007). On the other hand, if turnover was determined along with high-flyers or high skilled or highly experience and those who remained were unskilled or poor performers or lacked of ambitions, in that case this could have serious penalty for the organization. However, a high rate of labour turnover could be benefited for the company if the organizations aim is to trim back the workplace or reduce costs of production (Sadhev et al 1999 cited on Marchington, M. Wilkinson, A., 2007). Alternatively, Rubery et al (2004); Smith et al (2004) cited on Marchington, M. Wilkinson, A., (2007) argued that employers may come to a decision to use temporary employment agencies for recruiting staff so that they pass the problem to somewhere else. Glebbeek and Bax 2004 cited on Marchington, M. Wilkinson, A., 2007 point out that company should decide whether an optimum level of labour turnover with the mix of internal labour market and keep new recruits coming in, or whether the cost of turnover make most cases costly and unnecessary. According to Linda Maund (2001) some internal causes of an increasing labour turnover: The recruitment and selection procedure is not enough and imperfectly matches individuals to jobs. Employees are not well motivated and dont feel the organization from the core. S/he will consider better opportunities outside the organization and employee does not feel any interest to do better for the organization. Not equality in wages and salaries with competitors. THE EXIT PROCEDURES Tesco and ASDA both company paying attention of staff turnover percentages. They both are dedicated to find the way to reduce staff turnover in their company. For that reason they follow exit procedures who are leaving the job. Concerning Tesco and ASDA the exit procedures that this company follow is similar to other companies as it undertake an exit interview with the person who is leaving the job, so the staff will have the opportunity to give explanation their reasons for leaving the job, or in the case of the staff choosing another employer, or to air their grievance, all this helped Tesco to what it is now as those criticism helped the company to take decisions to change their policies, especially if this employee is leaving for a competitor. What Tesco and ASDA do is that despite the interview that make the manager listen to the staff and know the reason of leaving such as challenging work environment, salary, discrimination, promotion. If the employee is a good performer they try to keep him or she in the organization, as he or she is beneficial to the company and the organization doesnt want to loose of their staff because he may give more with the competitors and they can use the staff knowledge and what this staff has gained of knowledge against the previous company. And this is including the resignation of the staff. RETAIN EMPLOYEE: In the case of redundancy Tescos transfer staff to other superstores that are in need of workforce because as we know that Tesco in one of the fastest growing companies in the world, so in redundancy situation the company offers alternative job and all this is with discussion with the worker. The same thing applies to ASDA because this outplacement can keep this employees working and performing in the same level and improve confidence of the other employees and also it gives a good image about the two companies. However, Tesco and ASDA both companies are giving employee discount to motivate employee which is more effective to retain employees. By following those procedures the two companies can get better in the domain knowing if it comes to keeping good employees working for them, and those solution that were mentioned above are measured as the best and the commonly used by professional and leading organizations around the world. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT: One major area of the human resource functions of particular relevance to the effective use of human resource training and development. A number of academic people would argue against the significance of training as a main influence on the success of an organisation. Training works outside-in; education works inside-out. Therefore training is benefited for the organisation if they learn to be wise in how to use of an individuals capability and it helps to achieved business goals. Training has four main levels such as output training, task training, performance training and strategic training. However, these four main levels of need for any organisation for improve the skills. Different levels of training will required different time period based of staff capabilities. Training for change is important for the long-term survival of an organisation. Increasing importance is being placed both on the necessary for continual training to maintain change and on training as a very important investment for the future. THE BENEFITS OF TRAINING: The main reason of training is to develop knowledge and skills, and to change approach is one of the important motivational factors. This helps to many potential benefits for not only individuals but also organisation. The key benefits of training are as follows: Boost the self-confidence, motivation and loyalty of employee. Give recognition, increased responsibility, and the opportunity of employee promotion. Give a feeling of personal satisfaction and achievement, and broaden opportunity for career development and Assist to improve the availability and quality of employees. Finally it can say that Training is the main factors of organisational performance development. Tesco and ASDA both company giving more attention of the employee training as they know that it is the major issues for the employee developments which lead to the increase organisational performance achieved the goals. HR PERFORMANCE IS CURRENTLY INDICATED AND MONITORED: The organisational performance fully depends on human resource management activities (Ulrich 1997a) in the organisation. Employees are the key resource of the organisation. Therefore, HR will make a significant impact on company performance when a suitable HR strategies and procedures are developed and implemented effectively. Apparently Tesco and ASDA both companies focus on the HR activities which leads to increase the organisational performance. The HRM-performance model (Phillips, 1996b) is discussed as follows: Human resource measurement, demonstrating the link between HRM strategy and organisational performance needs the examination of some set of variables. The methodology for make sure high central strength would preferably allow a calculation of how different human resource management strategies or individual activities affect economic performance of the company at the same time as controlling other issues that might pressure those performance results. High internal validity indicates to the level to which the outcomes can be indiscriminate to conclude the impacts of human resource management practices (Bratton and Gold, 2007). Phillips (1996) model (see appendix I) is showing the relationship between HRM practices and organisational performance. Tesco and ASDA both companies HR performance is currently indicated and monitored by Phillips (1996) HRM-organisational performance. The human resource management added-value model is indicates the total relationship between three major elements. Human resource management Human resource performance measures, at both individual staff and work team levels. Organisational performance measures. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: The human resource management element consists of HR strategy, policies, programmes, practices and system (see appendix I) which be present in work organisations and that impacts on staff and team performance, and cause effects individual and organisational performance (Bratton Gold, 2007). STAFF PERFORMANCE MEASURES: The second element of Phillips (1996) model (see appendix I) indicates the performance effects of human resource management, approximately in part by staff performance measures. Academicians have a few options to measuring individual employees and groups. Saks (2000) cited in Bratton Gold (2007) draws three measurements they are discussed as follows: Traits: Evaluating the individuals personal traits is more important, and it is one of the significant tasks of HRM. It may find out the employees loyalty or commitment to the organisation. Behaviours: It is focus on what employee does and does not do in the organisation such as absent from work, poor time-keeping and resigning from service. Outcomes: It focuses on the employee outcome in workplace during the time of workplace that helps to measure employee performance such as number of unit completed, accident level or customer complaints etc. Moreover, at present team work became more common in the organisation. According to Saks (2000) cited in Bratton Gold (2007) team performance is strongly influenced by four input variables for example team structure, team norms, team composition and team leadership; and process variables such as team working and team learnings which impacts on the team performance outcomes. ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES: Organisational performance depends on the individual employee and team work measurements (see the appendix I). According to the researchers cited in Bratton Gold (2007) discussed several organisational performance measures techniques such as labour productivity ratios, product and service quality, unit cost ratios, revenue productivity and return on investment (ROI). However, researchers also design organisation performance measures techniques on the basis of goal achievement. This technique is relying on four specific indicators such as profit-related directories, productivity, quality and perceptual measures of goal achievement. Bratton and Gold (2007) also states three important reasons for organisational outcomes measures: Employee-related outcomes as they are directly influenced by HR practices. Different rewards and training programmes are to influence on the employee outcomes. These outcomes such as productivity, quality and employee unit cost which can manipulate the organisations financial operational goals. The outcomes can manipulate the individual psychological contact as well as behaviour which involves with the outputs. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Human resource management is a planned technique to managing employment relations which highlight that influencing peoples potentiality is critical to getting competitive advantage, this being achieve throughout a distinguishing set of incorporated employment policies, programmes and practices (Bratton 2007). Employees are the key driven force in any organisation. Organisational success depends on the employee performance. Discrimination in workplace plays psychological impact on the employees mind which may lead to negative impact on employee performance. Therefore, HR main duty is to most effective uses of human resources in organisation. They need to employ right person for the organisation and build up employee based on the current requirement by the training and development process. UK is a multi-cultural country. Different cultural people lives and come to shopping in the superstores. Consequently HR should be fair for all employees and keep in eye on the employees to make sure equal opportunity ground in workplace for each employee. To get potential benefit from the employee motivation is significant for the organisation. HR required to ensure reward systems to motivate employees. Tesco and ASDA both HRM is works for the business development. For that reason both company is continuously developing their system on the basis of current business trends. I recommend ASDA to follow the on job evaluation (OJE) system to recruit best person for the organisation. And both company need to focus on the skills development process and evaluation process which are linked to employee motivation. Finally it can say that human resource management has thought new prominence as concerns persevere about international competition, the development of technology and the productivity of employee (Bratton 2007) in both companies to increase business efficiency.