American History II

One of the wonders of the modern world is the influx of modern ideas and the continuing improvement of the quality of human lives. The contemporary society caters to the innovations on the lifestyles and needs of people. Due to the inevitable changes in the needs of people and the creations of their productive and innovative minds, they develop dwellings that fit people’s needs. As a result, cities have been created and are continuing to grow with the process of industrialization and modernization. Cities render various advantages to its settlers. One of its main advantages is the promotion of commerce.The degree of civilization and knowledge existing in a country can be estimated through the proportion of the population living in the towns and cities. In cities, the different aspects of the city is developed and improved. There are also people offering the same trade and services. Thus, there is infinite rivalry, which leads to improvement (Dana, 1848). Cities were originally founded by individuals who congregated for the purpose of national protection and defense. However, in countries with well established governments, men only resort to settling in the urban due to its advantages.The high scale and affluence of the business transactions in cities could not be found elsewhere. Furthermore, the subdivisions of employments offer various fields of exercise in different skills and talents (McCulloch, 1852). As a result, cities became the center of political and economic freedom. In the medieval era, cities were concentrated by entrepreneurs who profited from the restrictions of the lords and the vassals. Nowadays, cities are also the center of the political and economic arena (Lachmann, 2002). The development of cities also has negative implications.The increasing concentration of the population in cities tends to congest the dwelling and cause little social and economic mobility. High concentrated places are also characterized by poverty due to the numer ous structural factors in the urban environment (Gilbert, 2004). In addition, the standard of living becomes low, and people are having a difficult time in seeking for employment due to the numerous people seeking for jobs. Urbanization also poses a threat to the environment, industries and factories continue to grow and come out that may bring substances and elements noxious to our environment (Gilbert, 2004).Due to the growing problems brought by urbanization and congesting cities, the U. S. government began its attempts to address these problems through the implementation of various programs which aim to help the citizens in the cities. They improved their healthcare and social welfare to help people without homes and employment. They also strengthened the laws which aim to protect the people and the environment in the noxious effects of urbanization. References Dana, W. B. (1848). Merchants' Magazine and Commercial Review. New York: Published At 142 Fulton Street. Gilbert, M. A. (2004, April). More than job creation: A case study of empowerment zones and opportunities for economic mobility (Abstract). Paper presented at the annual meeting of the The Midwest Political Science Association, Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, Illinois. All Academic. Retrieved August 11, 2008 from http://www. allacademic. com/meta/p83598_index. html. Lachmann, R. (2002). Capitalists in Spite of Themselves. New York: Oxford UP. McCulloch, J. R. (1852). A Dictionary, Practical, Theoretical, and Historical, of Commerce and Navigation. London: Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans.

Morality & differentiate Essay

Morality is defined as the ability to differentiate what is right and what is wrong. While the concept may seem simple enough, in reality however it is much more complex than that. The main question is how does one define right and wrong? If something is deemed as â€Å"right†for one person, does it automatically mean that it is the right one for another? This rather confusing view of morality is exemplified in the current saying that â€Å"one man’s terrorist is another man’s patriot. † Truly, morality is not that easy to define. Morality however it seems is more often than not defined by the society at large. A society is define as a group of individuals that have common interests as well as have their own culture. This concept of society and morality is highly apparent in the novel by Azar Nafisi title â€Å"Reading Lolita in Tehran, A Memoir in Books. † Nafisi is in Iranian scholar who emigrated in 1997 to the United States. The book mentioned in the title is the novel by Vladimir Nabokov which tells the story of a middle aged man who has sexual obsessions with a pre-teen girl, specifically a twelve-year old girl. Although Nafisi’s novel isn’t just about this particular book, Lolita is however one of those books considered as controversial in Iran. Novels like One Thousand and One Nights, Invitation to a Beheading, The Great Gatsby and Pride and Prejudice, are also included and their similarity to what is happening in Iran. It is Lolita however that gets a rather good exposure in the book. Nafisi’s novel however goes much deeper that what the title actually says. It gives a rather good view on what happens to the people when a society suddenly changes its view on things. Nafisi’s book gives a closer look to what happened in Iran when Ayatollah Khomeini gained power after the Islamic revolution. One of this was the decree requiring women of Iran to follow a dress code. Iranian women were now required to wear veils. An issue that Nafisis tackles a lot in her book. This simple decree caused a great deal of change in Iran. Prior to the decree, Iranian women did not wear veils. For most women, the decree was considered as a restriction to their freedom. Women who do not follow this rule are often detained. As a result, wearing the veil also restricted how people interacted with one another. One reason for this change in interaction is the differences in their reactions to the decree. While some stated that they â€Å"hated†it, others supported it saying it made them feel more â€Å"relaxed. † In general though, women who did not wear veils were considered immoral and even unchaste by the society at large. The decree requiring the veil also allowed for segregation and discrimination. The veil made women have a less status that the men. The veil did not only change the relationships that people had with each other but also on their individual roles and responsibilities. While women were still allowed to go to universities, these were still subjected to suppression by those in power. Segregation was not the only thing that was practiced in the universities but those who were found talking to the opposite sex were punished by the religious authorities. In fact, because the school where Nafisi taught was rather liberal, school officials were often asked if they believed the school was located in Switzerland, the word being connected with all things considered decadent and lax. The wearing of the veil also made women subservient to men who had to follow whatever was said to them. This change in culture actually continued despite Khomeini’s death. According to Nafisi, Khomeini’s real death would only come when women were not required to wear scarves in public anymore. By interjecting the novel Lolita in her book, Nafisi shows what the society truly is. A country doing its best to live in a fantasy world. In Lolita, the main protagonist Humbert Humbert, wishes to have the perfect Lolita. Implementing the decree on the wearing of the veil in reality reveals Khomeini’s dream of having a truly perfect Koranic society. Nafisi argues that much like story, where Humbert’s pursuit eventually destroys Lolita, Iran may likely experience the same. Living in a fantasy world though may not be that bad. Nafisi’s book tells us that â€Å"we all need to create a paradise to escape into. † ( 281) She however immediately corrects this and say that â€Å"fiction was not a panacea, but it did not offer us a critical way of appraising and grasping the world – not just our world but that other world that had become the object of our desires. † ( 282) Going back to Lolita and its relation with the Iranian society, Iran is much like Humbert who despite molesting the young Lolita, appears normal in other parts of his life. By implementing a standard on morality, the Iranian society was telling people that it was normal to do so in order to run the country better. And like Humbert, the Iranian society does not blame itself but others for what is wrong. Humbert wants Lolita to become what is perfect for him, no different from what the regime wants for its citizens. The Iranian regime blames the â€Å"dissidents† for what has happened to the country hence the imposition of the new rules or codes of morality. The new codes of morality while restricting activities of most of its citizens, have also made their lives more exciting. What was then ordinary activities where now being done as a secret mission. People who wanted to watch foreign films, eat ice cream, or even meet without wearing veils were doing so in secret. Thus while the citizens were openly showing their support for the rules, they were also secretly doing normal things that were now considered as taboo. The imposition of codes of morality this did not totally alter the responsibilities of the citizens and their roles but only on how they performed it. As mentioned earlier, the issue of morality is a very complex one. By imposing a standard on morality, the Iranian regime thus changed the way its citizens behaved. Women now found their freedom curtailed as they were required to wear veils and not allowed to talk to persons of the other sex. Activities that were regularly considered as norm where now being done in secret. While most people were still allowed to hold their jobs, they faced the constant scrutiny of the religious sector. While Iranian women and people around the world viewed these changes as something negative, the regime however defended its actions by stating that the change was needed. Thus even if the propagator, Khomeini, had died, the practice continued. Another effect that the rules had, specifically on Nafisi, was her having to quit the university and teaching a class and discussing books in secret. For Nafisi, the university was no longer a place where students can have honest discussion asking â€Å"how could one teach when the main concern of university officials was not the quality of one’s work but the color of one’s lips, the subversive potential of a single strand of hair? † (11) This activity leads to Nafisi bonding with her students since most of them feel that they have been made irrelevant by the new regime. The rule requiring women to wear veils becomes more oppressive when Nafisi reveals that when the students that decided to be with her came to the room, their removing the veils and scarves was an act that was not as simple as one imagines. According to Nafisi, â€Å"each one gained an outline and a shape, becoming her own inimitable self. † (5) Because of their continuous gathering, they begin to have hope. The students draw on the parallelism on what they are currently experiencing with what they are reading. Nafisi explicitly states in the book that â€Å"[h]ope for some means its loss for others; when the hopeless regain some hope, those in power – the ones who had taken it away – become afraid, more protective of their endangered interests, more repressive. † (276) What this tells us is that instead of just living their lives simply, getting jobs and having a family, Nafisi, her students, and maybe some other Iranians, now found a different purpose in life. They know that they have to be strong if they want their society to change. That even if hope is all that they have left, it is better than nothing. On reading the book, Heywood’s point that morality is actually concerned with not only the ethical questions but also how right and wrong are different is made clearer. The question that arises is how can an individual survive if that person has a different perception on himself or herself which is different from what society says? The answer is not simply to become political and institute change. Although it can be considered that the personal is political, at the core of the fight for political rights is the desire to protect ourselves, to prevent the political from intruding on our individual lives. (273) Imagination or fantasy is the one that bridges the political and the personal. The regimes â€Å"first task had been to blur the lines and boundaries between the personal and the political, thereby destroying them both. † (273) In summary, we need to keep in mind what a society is. A group of individuals with something in common and that includes moral principles. When a society has different principles on morality, like what happened in Iran, nothing good can come out of it. This is most true when a society that has experienced freedom before is suddenly restricted. Some groups will feel oppressed and will fight it. Those in power meanwhile, will do what they to prevent that from happening. The one good thing about Nafisi’s novel is that it does not in provide any political analysis on the situation in Iran. Rather it is about what people can do despite the tyranny around them. That students can learn when they apply and feel what they have read. Morality will always be a very tricky issue. The debate on the concept of right and wrong will not end overnight. If there is one thing that Nafisi’s novel teaches us, it is that setting a standard for morality is not an answer.

Exploring the elizabeth age - write about Robert Herrick or Philip Essay

Exploring the elizabeth age - write about Robert Herrick or Philip Henslowe - Essay Example Herrick’s compositions were contemporary with other poets including George Herbert and John Donne. Herrick’s history remains unknown apart from a few letters and 1,403 poems found in his book The Works both Humane and Divine of Robert Herrick, Esq.  (1648). His educational history remains unknown as the period between his birth and death does not provide detailed information. Herrick was born in Cheapside to Nicholas Herrick and Julian Stone. Social and Cultural Influence At the time Robert Herrick was beginning his career, there were many social and cultural aspects that influenced his career both positively and negatively. However, it is essential to note that Robert Herrick through his career has managed to influence black American music as well as society. According to Kampf, eight outstanding individuals have made lasting contributions to the American nation (2). Robert Herrick falls among the individuals who have influenced the black American poetry culture. Des pite the difficulties and problems that blacks encountered at the time, Herrick was able to elude most of them in order to launch a perfect career. The black church influenced Herrick’s career. He noted in an interview that without the church experience, he would not have known if he would have been able to sing in public places (Nakesha and Shameera 23). Poetry in church choirs is a common African American activity and is something that influenced many African American poets at the time. For instance, Marian Anderson and Leonyne Price were also introduced to music through church choirs (Nakesha and Shameera 24). Quoting from Grace Bumbrey, CBS provides that African American churches have been hugely influential with the black society, and hence their performance (21). CBS calls the church of the 1990 â€Å"the rock that blacks depend on† (12). According to Norment, the American society was influenced by black poetry (2). Most of the blacks during slavery demonstrated their propensity for imprisonment through poems (Norment 2). Despite the fact that Herrick was not part of this era, he is born of this blood. Black poems are the forefathers of poetry categories such as jazz and rhythm & blues (Norment 3). According to Norment, the American society, which was then dominated by white people, was profoundly influenced by black poetry of the day (23). Black poetry during the 1990s was copied and expanded by whites, and thus whites managed to become rich and famous for what was known to be imitations (Norment 24). Problems Encountered Despite the fact that Herrick is not categorized among the best poets, he encountered many problems. 1n the 1660s, the poetry was seen as very sophisticated and social, and therefore, blacks were not allowed to participate (Nettles 8). However, this problem seemed to have been dissolved with the emergence of Marian Anderson (Nettles 9). The poetry door came down with the existence of Leotyne Price. Since she was a woman, her performance in the opera was not seen as a threat to the male dominated society (Nettles 6). According to many researchers, this aspect never made any sense since it showed that one gender was allowed to sing and the other denied (Nettles 5). Other issues included financials in a sense that white poets were much more preferred to black ones. However, if there was a talented black poet, he would be hired for much less amount (Nettles 6). This aspect of the opera gave birth to the term â€Å"color-blind casting,†

The advent of the internet age and mobile technology Essay

The advent of the internet age and mobile technology - Essay Example With this virtual shrinking of distances between people comes the ability to be much more customized in terms of solutions and marketing. To be sure, the ability of companies to remain competitive in today's global business climate depends on their ability to anticipate and meet the personal needs of each individual with whom they conduct transactions. Technology enables businesses to detect various degrees of individual interest in various subjects, and then match marketing campaigns in a way that is most likely to resonate with various categories of people. A more standardized approach may have been necessary back in the day when companies depended on a certain amount of business within a particular defined geography and set of hours in order to deliver goods and services most efficiently within those constraints. Standardization was also a marketing tool designed to reassure potential consumers of a particular product or service that the purchase were making was identical in quality to those of other who are making the same purchase. In the pre-internet age, when product information and research was not as readily available as it is today, such an assurance would have been very important to consumers who would otherwise have little reason to be confident that their purchases would meet their needs. Today, howev

Comparison Between the Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis Essay

Comparison Between the Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis - Essay Example The King lived approximately between 2750 and 2500 BCE. The first half of the story focuses on the friendship between Gilgamesh-king of Uruk and Enkidu. From the Epic, Enkidu is a wild man created by the gods as Gilgamesh’s peer to relieve him from oppression caused by the people of Uruk. In a joint mission, the two gentlemen began a journey to the Cedar Mountain where they defeated Humbaba. Humbaba was the monstrous guardian to the Cedar Mountain. This victory called for a celebration and they killed the Bull of Heaven for the celebration. However, this did not go well with goddess Ishtar who sentenced Enkidu to death as a punishment for the actions. The second of half of the Epic highlights how Gilgamesh was distressed at the death of Enkidu and this resulted to him taking a long and perilous journey to discover the secret of eternal life. He later learned that you cannot get everything you are looking for in life. He realized upon creation of man, the gods let death be his share and hence life withheld in their own hands. However, it is worth noting that Gilgamesh fame survived the death of Enkidu because of his account of Siduri’s advice, his great building projects and what he was told about the great flood. GENESIS Genesis is a Greek word that means â€Å"origin† or â€Å"birth†. It is the first book of the Torah or Pentateuch. Genesis is also the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Torah is a Hebrew word for â€Å"instructions† while Pentateuch is a Greek word for â€Å"five scrolls†. In regards to tradition, the Torah was dedicated to Moses by god. However, several scholars are of the opinion that Torah was composed from four different sources between 950 BCE and 500 BCE, which were later joined together around 450 BCE. The book of genesis is structured around ten toledot sections; however, modern commentators see it in terms of a primeval history. The book of Genesis is an example of â€Å"antiquarian history†. That is, a type of literature telling of the first appearance of humans, the origins of culture, the stories of ancestors, cities and heroes. Similarities There are several similarities between the epic of Gilgamesh and the book of genesis. One of the similarities lies on the flood account. The first point of similarities was the fact that God chose a righteous man to build an ark because of an impending great flood. In both cases, animals of all kinds were to be on the ark and birds were used after the rains to determine if floods waters had subsidized. After the rains stop stopped, both arks settled on mountain whereby Noah’s Ark and Utnapishtim’s on Ararat and Nisir respectively. It is worth noting that these mountains were not far from each other and sacrifices took the center stage after the flood. Apart from the floods, there was also the similarity in terms of the themes. Apart from the theme of seduction and civilization as r evealed by Eve and Shamhat; the theme of love and friendship and God’s chosen people also stood out. Themes Love and friendship The greater understanding and great love that emerged between Enkindu and the King; makes King Gilgamesh a better leader to the people of Uruk allowing him to better understand and identify with them. The epic of Gilgamesh may lack a female love interest, but the revelation of erotic love plays a vital role. Love and friendship in the epic is not considered not only as a part of life, but also as a vital part of the poem to

Primary causes behind the start of the Cold War Essay

Primary causes behind the start of the Cold War - Essay Example Cold War is recognized as an era of extreme tension and hostility between Soviet Union and the United States of America. The War had its origins at the end of Second World War and ended in the early decade of 1990s. The fear of nuclear escalation did not allow the two economies to indulge into an active war therefore; this war is known as Cold War. This war is different from the other wars because it was not an active war and it was fought through propagandas, military clashes, economic clashes and diplomatic bargaining. Most of the world economies came under the impact of Cold War including the neutral economies, newly independent economies and others. Various factors contributed to intensify the conflicts between the two nations however, a few of them appeared as the primary causes of Cold War. The aim of this essay is to discuss the primary causes of Cold War. In general, there are three views about â€Å"who was to blame for the Cold War? (Johndclare)† The Traditional view is supported by western writers who blame Soviet Russia for the Cold War and they argue that Stalin was seeking to establish a Soviet empire. The Revisionist view is supported by western writers who blame America for the Cold War. They argue that Truman could not understand the impact of Second World War on Russia. Third view is the Post-Revisionists view which considers the hatred of both nations as the primary cause of Cold War. ... The historians have disagreements over the exact date of Cold War however; most of the historians agree that this war started when the President of the United States, Truman announced an anti-communist policy. The Second World War has its significance in the discussion of Cold War because the war started immediately after the Second World War. The ideological, political and economic differences between the United States and Soviet Union were not much prominent before the World War II however; mutual suspicions and distrust intensified the differences between the two nations and came on screen after the World War II. These differences and the factors intensifying these differences became the primary causes of Cold War. The defeat of Nazi Germany became the collapse of old Europe and appeared as a common victory of American and Soviet soldiers who celebrated the victory together in Germany in 1945. However, the conflicts between Soviet Union and the United States increased when it came to make a decision about the occupied Germany and the composition of a new Polish government. These conflicts intensified when the two nations failed to agree on a common plan relevant to the control of atomic energy and Soviets started communizing the lands under their occupation which threatened the United States on the division of Europe. The United States could see the spread of Communist State in the Western Europe whereas; the Soviet Union was threatened by American nuclear power and control. Fuller argues that the fear of democratic west about the Soviet Union was the primary cause of Cold War. If at one end, Soviet Union had a fear of western invasions of her new satellites, then at the other end, the western states were seeing the spread of Marxism.

Developmental Difficulties and Young Offenders Essay

Developmental Difficulties and Young Offenders - Essay Example As the review is based entirely upon research, we would examine each issue in the light of scientific findings supported by well-known theorists. In the end the evaluative findings would be summarised by a brief conclusion. In order to measure the depth of psychological influence on young offenders, it would be a mistake if we lag behind in considering the developmental changes that indulge young children into several difficulties, which reveal only when they become offenders. These difficulties having more to do with psychology, and the issues, which are related to it, are psychiatric disorders escorting towards bullying, crime, depression and suicidal behaviour, take place mostly between the ages of 12 to 25 years. If we analyse the stages of development according to Freud's theory, he believed the early years of life to be the most crucial determinants of personality formation and that every child passes through defined stages of development, each of which is dynamically different. So Freud felt that each of us must successfully negotiate these stages of development. If we fail, personality difficulties of various degrees are likely to appear. Piaget's theory advocates children's understanding of right and... Lawrence Kohlberg borrowed Piaget's two stages of moral reasoning into three developmental levels. Level 1, 'Preconventional Morality' refers those youngsters who avoid punishment and do things for the sake of their own personal gain, the second level 'conventional morality' is the level of reasoning in which right and wrong are defined by conformity to law and moral rules while third and highest level 'post conventional morality' refers to those who allow moral rules to be changed or broken for the sake of higher order moral principles. So it is clear that young offenders uphold in the third category where their perception allows everything fair and morally right for them. Kohlberg's theory distinguishes between "what is right" and "why do right" and research suggests that such offending attitude lies in between 'what' and 'why'. Piaget's theory depicts cognitive development from infancy to childhood as a series of four stages, each characterised by distinctive modes of thoughts that differ qualitatively from thinking in earlier and later stages. It is from those distinctive thoughts we can visualise each and every child reacts in a different manner to different circumstances. Some children perceives an offending attitude when they are subjected towards negligence and are sensitive while others not. So, it is very easy to associate youth with offending attitude but according to researchers to highlight the major aspects behind the scene is probably a difficult task. The concern is not the young offenders but the difficulties they are confronted to and the reasons behind such attitude is the major task, which is often neglected by us. According to Inhelder and Piaget the main area to be emphasised upon is the psychological

Second Language Teaching Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Second Language Teaching - Research Paper Example Acquisition of second language is facilitated by speaking; in fact, engaging in conversation through which the student gains control of over the topic of discussion, this offers a chance for participants to express their ideas, thereby providing substantial intake. In this case, this involves activities in classrooms, which are natural interesting and comprehensible (Archibald, 2000). On the other hand, teaching programs, which offer comprehensive input in classrooms in a way that attributes in the classroom, are considered to be the best for acquisition of second language to the intermediate level. Nonetheless, the perfect input, which facilitates the acquisition of second language, resembles the input acquired by students in the elementary school. Therefore, the comprehensive, necessary input is based on their instantaneous interest, which is not complex and not graded with stringency. On-going, specific, and immediate feedback Feedback is offered to students in the process of lear ning after an evaluation, or when they make mistakes, and this becomes an object of attention; for instance, feedback evoked by a mistake by the students in the elementary school is immediate, whereby the educator is expected to ensure that the student has recognized the mistake and corrected it (Folse, 2004). On the other hand, an educator can issue specific feedback, whereby a recast is involved as a form of negative feedback whereby learners are likely to ignore. Ongoing feedback involves learners asking questions in the learning process, whereby they seek classification as they provide feedback and teachers are expected to tune their input in the necessary level in order to facilitate effective acquisition of second language (Folse, 2004). Feedback is considered to a crucial way of involving and consolidating students in the learning process. In fact, this is a process that is utilized in identifying areas of second language teaching that need improvement. Moreover, feedback has been considered a fundamental element in the second language teaching, whereby it is a product, process and genre through which teachers apply crucial components of their instructional repertoires. Grouping structures and techniques Grouping structures and techniques are based on the structure of language and descriptive linguistics; in fact, this involves isolating grammatical and syntactic elements in the process of teaching the second language (White, 2000). In this case, these structural groups are used either deductively or inductively for predetermining the sequence of the learning process, and on the other hand, there is a need for meta-linguistic content in the learning process that facilitates learning. Building background and vocabulary development Students in the elementary school are influenced by academic background knowledge in the learning process of second language. Therefore, educators are expected to understand the way to build’ students’ background knowledge and vocabulary development through direct teaching of specific vocabulary in a given way (Folse, 2004). In this case, teachers in elementary school apply research based steps of vocabulary instruction model to assist students that are struggling to increase their confidence and acquire second language. In addition, there is a need to focus on particular strategies applied in this step while introducing words in a way that is not intimidating them (Folse, 2004). Apparently, this allows students to process the words based on multiple

Project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Project management - Essay Example Quality assurance includes two major elements; the first is quality control examination which comprises the examination of the physical characteristics of the structure, system, material, component, part, and subsequent comparison with the acceptable standards associated with those examinations (Arditi & Gunaydin, 1997). The second element of quality assurance is termed as quality administration. This is defined as the management and documentation which assures that the specified quality control examinations were carried out. In general, the contractor’s definition is preferred by the project organization since it defines the vehicles by which all project requirements are to be determined and identified. The word quality has different meanings in different circumstance; the quality of a product may have greater or lesser significance depending on the need and requirement of the user. Thus, quality is the degree to which a product meets the requirement of the customer. On the o ther hand, Quality control includes all the efforts to manage quality and maintain assurance of continued high quality of a product or service. Thus quality control conveys an idea about determining and maintaining that quality of product or service which will satisfy the consumer by its performance, cost and delivery. It is important to understand the difference between quality assurance and quality control. Quality control is used to prove that deliverables are of recognized quality, and that they are complete and right. Quality assurance, however, refers to the procedure used to create deliverables and can be done by a manager, client or even a third party. Also, Quality assurance is based on the process approach. Quality monitoring and assurance ensures that processes and systems are developed in a manner that deliverables are of superior quality. This process is intended to

Final Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Final Project - Essay Example heir clinic visits, store and retrieve information on the patient’s current diagnosis and to provide user interface for performing the above stated tasks. Considering the above stated requirements, the database structure will be designed in such a way that it has a table for registering new patients, a table that stores diagnosis information for the patients and finally, a table that stores booking information for the patients. The registration table will have the following fields; Patient Identification number, patients first name, patients surname, patients phone number, patients email address, patients location, patients ZIP address, patients Date of Birth, and patients date of registration. On the other hand, the table that stores diagnosis information will contain the following fields; Patient Identification number, patient name, Date of the diagnosis, diagnosed condition and the recommended treatment. Finally, the table that stores scheduling information will contain the user identification number, the patient’s name, and the patient’s date of visit, the name of the doctor to visit and the room number to visit. To prevent data redundancy and to normalize the database, the patients Identification number will be utilized as the primary key in all the tables and also as a foreign key of the database. To retrieve the data, appropriate SQL statements will be used together with a chosen scripting

The inspector in JB Priestlys Essay Example for Free

The inspector in JB Priestlys Essay An Inspector Calls by JB Priestly is a morality play that deals with responsibility, society, class and family. In this essay I am going to explore the way the playwright creates a function for the inspector, and how it is displayed through, several different techniques. We are told nothing whatsoever about the inspector except form his name. Inspector Gooles name is weird and sort of resembles a ghost or a spirit. He might have been a spirit, sent on behalf of the dead women, to torment and make the other characters of the play feel guilty. JB Priestly obviously didnt want any of the characters to really know who he was. The inspector was very mysterious and a suspicious character. Some of the inspectors functions include how he moves the story forward. The inspector moves and does things at his own will. When he interrupts, no one does anything, he moves onto each suspect when he likes. Also leaves when he likes. In Act one, the Birlings family were having a celebration and were all enjoying themselves. However, when the inspector had arrived from nowhere, the atmosphere had dramatically changed. The atmosphere is now much tense for both the characters and the audience. When the inspector had arrived, he created at once an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulness. Thats how the inspector changed the atmosphere for both the characters and audience and this shows the effect too. This function of the inspector changes everything for the worse, and their evening is destroyed. Inspector: (cutting in) Never mind about that. You can settle that between you afterwards. (to Sheila. ) What happened? This creates tension especially when he is cutting in, this also indicates that the inspector can interrupt when he likes and is a dominating character when he speaks. The inspector also takes control of the situation all the way throughout the whole play, he is the person that structures the play. This effects the characters and the audience in an important way. It portrays to the characters and audience that the inspector is a person, which is in charge and is very determined in whatever he does. The inspector represents four main things and they are: responsibility, society, class and family. The way the inspector represents responsibility, is very powerful. For example in the inspectors final speech, he says We are members of one body. We are responsible for each other. Thats the way the inspector had symbolised responsibility. The inspector felt very strong about responsibility too, he said And I tell you that the time will soon come when, if men will not learn that lesson, then they will be taught it in fire and blood and anguish. The function of the inspector was to illustrate that we are responsible for each other and our actions. This effects the characters in many ways. This makes Sheila and Eric realise what they have done to the poor girl. This also effects the audience, it makes them also realise about people around them and we all should be responsible for each other. Audiences that were watching the play in 1945, set in 1912 would have been shocked, to see a man strongly representing something that he had believed in.

knockout mouse

knockout mouse Knockout Mouse 1. Introduction Generally, DNA was first transferred by design into an organism and expressed as protein, therefore the potential of the tool that was being discovered must be found quickly by the scientist. Early experiments were limited to bacteria and viruses, but soon after the field of experiments were enlarged to those on animals and plants. (E.Hill, 2002). This topic, â€Å"knockout mouse† relates to the field of genetic engineering which further delves into a more specific technique called transgenic technology. â€Å"Knockoutscience.com†(2009) analyses that transgenic technology refers to the alteration of a certain genomic DNA of an organism in genetic engineering. As the result, both offspring of a transgenic organism and the parents (homozygous) will share the same genotype. The most common type of transgenic organism used in research is the knockout mouse, thoughknockout rats andknockout rabbits have also been developed. A knockout mouse defines a mouse which is being genetically engineered by turning off one or more genes through a process called gene knockout. â€Å"Genome.gov â€Å"also explains that a knockout mouse is a laboratory mouse in which researchers have inactivated, an existing gene by replacing it or disrupting it with an simulated piece of DNA. The loss of gene activity often causes changes in a mouses phenotype, which includes appearance, activities and other observable physical and biochemical characters. â€Å"Knockoutscience.com† (2009) also elucidates that it has become routine to develop knockout mice with disruptions in specific genes. By observing the resulting phenotype, scientists are able to view the effects of this gene disruption from these knockout mice. It is true to say that the phenotype is a direct result of the gene knockout and can offer evidences as to the biological role of the gene, but rarely the phenotype can also be the result of compensatory or indirect effects of the gene knockout. Sometimes the result obtained in a phenotype can be completely unrelated to the disrupted gene. Additionally, some gene knockouts create alethal phenotypewhere the organism fails to develop in utero, making in vivo studies exceedingly difficult. It was claimed that this technique may help to solve dopamine-related neurological illnesses.(Carol A.T, 1996) The technique allows transgenic animals that lack of a certain gene or its associated protein product to grow. In experiments with mice, researchers were able to knockout the animals dopamine transporters, causing the mice to behave as if they had been given huge doses of cocaine or amphetamine. Walinski.H(2009) states that knockout mice have different way of uses. First, the specific functions of particular genes can be tested and the regulation of these particular genes can be observed. The effects of a particular gene can be determined by examining what is happening in anin vivo model, we are able to determine the effects a particular gene may have. These effects would be impossible to observe in a culture dish. Another useful application of knockout technology is in biomedical research and drug development. Knockout mouse can be used to study the evolution of thousands of genetically based diseases at the molecular level in order to seek for the best medications that act on that gene. For Example, Lili.X and Asok.C (2005 ) both agree that Duffy positive and Duffy knockout mice have revealed both human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax and mouse malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii by using parasite invasion. Furthermore, the knockout technology may lead to the discovery of the next generation of blockbuster therapies for curing numerous diseases based on novel targets from the human genome. 2. Background Genetics Timeline for the key events in the history of knockout mouse 1900 Japanese fancy mice became mutant resources for mouse genetics. 1915- The first verterbrate linkage (mapping) was discovered between albino (c) and pink-eyed dilution (p) loci in the mouse. 1923- Discovery of X-ray induced mutations in mouse before the phenomenon was confirmed in fruit-flies. 1980- Specific-locus tests were conducted extensively in the mouse with various chemical mutagens, including N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU). 1981-1991- knockout mice are established. 1981- The first embryo stem (ES) cell was identified in the mouse. Martin Evans and Matt Kaufman in Cambridge, U.K., isolate mouse embryonic stem cells, which can develop into the full range of tissues. 1982-Transgenic mouse technology was established through the generation of the â€Å"giant mouse† mutant. 1985- Introduction of the Cre-loxP system by Brian Sauer act as temporal control of transgenic gene expression. 1987- Mario Capecchis team at the University of Utah describes a method for making knockout mice, as does Oliver Smithiess group at the University of Wisconsin. 1989- First knockout mouse was made by combining ES cell and gene-targeting technologies. 2007- International Knockout Mouse Consortium was organized and the Banbury II meeting was held in Brussels, Belgium. Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine was awarded for the development of mouse knockout techonologies. 3. Genetic Technique There are several method to produce knockout mouse, such as gene deletion, homologous recombination method, pronuclear microinjection and gene targeting. However, only gene targeting will be mentioned herein. Gene Targeting is the elimination or alteration of a genes function. One of the advantages of gene targeting is a mutant allele can be mended by substituting a wild-type allele over the mutant one in its normal chromosomal location, and such technique known as gene replacement. In this way, both position effect and the DNA rearrangements associated with ectopic insertion can be prevented, as a single replication of the gene is inserted in its normal chromosomal environmental. (Griffiths.A and Susan R.Wessler,etc, 2008). 4. Social Issues Recently, the evaluation of animal and human welfare as it may be affected by biotechnology is becoming a hot issue. The lack of an conscience and the information of the processes involved is one of the most important fact. ( Marie.B, 1997) Marie.B (1997) also states that the moral evaluation process is complicated by the fact that many techniques and developments in biotechnology are appropriate for patent. Some of the biotechnologists are reluctant to reveal appropriate information is understandable. Therefore, education concerning transgenic animal care and utilize is indeed very importance, involving the careful consideration of the reasons for manipulating the genome of any organism as genetic engineering is a dangerous and sensitive social issue. ( Marie.B, 1997) Pros and Cons of Knockout Mouse Advantages Disadvantages Provides important clues about what that gene normally does because human share many genes with mice. (Genome.gov, 2009) Limitation of the utility of knockout mice as models of human disease. (Walinski.H, 2004) Gives better understanding and observation of the characteristics of knockout mice. ( Genome.gov, 2009) The lack of adult mice limits studies to embryonic development and makes it more difficult to determine a genes function in relation to human health. ( Genome.gov, 2009) Gives information that can be used to better understand how a similar gene may cause or contribute disease in human. ( Genome, 2009) The gene that being examined might serve a different function in adults than in developing embryos, giving a false information. (Genome, 2009) Useful in studying and modeling different kinds of cancer, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, substance abuse, anxiety, aging and Parkinson disease. Fails to produce an observable change in a mouse or may even produce a different characteristics from those observed in humans in which the same gene is inactivated. ( Genome.gov, 2009) Offers a biological context in which drugs and other therapies can be developed and tested. Producing custom knockout mice is very expensive. It can be from 3000 to as much as 30,000 (Walinski.H, 2004) Useful in drug development and helps to discover the next generation of blockbuster therapies for curing numerous diseases based on novel targets from the humane genome. (Walinski.H, 2004) The cost of equipping and maintaining such a facility is usually very high. ( Walinski.H, 2009) 5.0: Conclusion In conclusion, it is clear that knockout mouse offer a lot of benefits for us. Therefore, a thorough discussion of biotechnology issues is needed, as concurrence must be practiced as to protect transgenic animals. The field of transgenic animal biotechnology is likely to rise as the techniques develop further and will link to more applications by using many more animal species. Thus, it is important that the welfare and ethical concerns must continue to evolve. (Marie.B, 1997) In short, technology essentials together with thoughtful ethical decision-making are equally important to maintain the balance of living creatures. 6.0: Bibliography * Connor A.B, 2007, Schematic and Time Line for the Generation of Knockout Mice, Viewed 25 January 2010, http://web.mit.edu/ki/facilities/transgenic/services/timeline-complete.pdf * Davidson, NC 28036, Homologous Recombination Knockout Mouse, Department of Biology, Davidson College, viewed 15 January 2010, http://www.bio.davidson.edu/Courses/genomics/method/homolrecomb.html. * Eisen, Eugene J, 2005, Mouse in Animal Genetics and Breeding Research, viewed 25 January 2010, http://site.ebrary.com/lib/sunway/docDetail.action?docID=10173945p00=knockout+mouse * Garagna, S, 2004, Mouse Genetics after the Mouse Genome, Viewed 25 January 2010, http://site.ebrary.com/lib/sunway/docDetail.action?docID=10070304p00=knockout+mouse * Genome.gov, 2009, Knockout Mice, Viewed 25 January 2010, http://www.genome.gov/12514551 * Genoway ( 2006), Gene deletion, conditional knockout mouse, viewed 11 february 2010, http://www.genoway.com/conditional_knock_out_mouse.htm * Griffiths.A.J, Wessler.S.R, Lewontin.R.C and Carroll.S.B (2008), Introduction to genetic analysis, W.H,Freeman and Company, England. * â€Å"Google docs†, 2010, Gene targeting construct, Viewed 25 January 2010, http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:j6mj7wNqd7gJ:tmc.ctrl.ucla.edu/targeting.pdf+history+knockout+mousehl=engl=my * Hudson, 2010, Taconic enters marketing pact with Transposagen Bio for knockout rat models, viewed 25 January 2010, http://www.pharmabiz.com/article/detnews.asp?articleid=53683sectionid= * Marie.B (1997) Transgenic animlas, viewed 11 february 2010,http://www.ccac.ca/en/Current/Current_Transgenic.htm * National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2007, What is transgenic technology? Viewed 15 January 2010, http://www.knockoutscience.com/ * Research Resources, n.d., Transgenic Knockout Mouse, viewed 25 January 2010, http://www.cellmigration.org/resource/komouse/protocols/mouse_timeline.pdf * â€Å"University of California†, n.d., Transgenic and Gene Targeting Core, viewed 25 January 2010, http://cancer.ucsd.edu/tgm/genetargeting.asp#timeline * Table, http://www.knockoutmouse.org/ * Tamminga, Carol A. Molecular biology, I: a mouse knockout. (molecular technique called gene knockout which allows the development of animals that lack a certain gene and its associated protein product).American Journal of Psychiatry153.11 (1996): 1387.Academic OneFile. Web. 6 Feb. 2010. . * Twyman. R, 2003, Knockout Mice: The inactivation of a specific gene in a mouse, viewed on 15 January 2010, http://genome,wellcome.ac.uk/doc_WTD021038.html * Walinski.H, 2004, Studying Gene Function: Creating Knockout Mice, viewed on 25 January 2010, http://www.scq.ubc.ca/studying-gene-function-creating-knockout-mice/ * Walter E.Hill. , 2002, Genetic Engineering, Taylor Francis, Biddles LTd, Guildford and Kings Lynn, Great Britain. * â€Å"Wikipedia†, 2009, Knockout Mouse, viewed on 15 January 2010, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knockout_mouse * Xu, Lili, and Asok Chaudhuri. Plasmodium yoelii: A differential fluorescent technique using Acridine Orange to identify infected erythrocytes and reticulocytes in Duffy knockout mouse.Experimental Parasitology110.1 (2005): 80+.Academic OneFile. Web. 6 Feb. 2010. . * Y. Gondo (2008), Trends in large-scale mouse mutagenesis: from genetics to functional genomics. Nat. Rev. Genet. 9(10):803-810., http://www.nature.com/scitable/content/Knockout-mice-timeline-6638351, Viewed On 11 February 2010.

Strategic Human Resource Management in Cadbury Schweppes

Strategic Human Resource Management in Cadbury Schweppes 1.1 Introduction The strategic management of an organizations human resource has been recognized as one of the keys to business success. This particular strategy generally involved the optimization of the employees potentials mainly through training and performance assessment. This organizational strategy has been integrated in several businesses mainly to improve profitability, establish stronger customer relations as well as achieve considerable business expansion. Strategic human resource management (SHRM) has indeed been applied to fulfill various important business goals and plans. Hence, major companies including Cadbury Schweppes, have been developing and applying various means on how to strategically manage one of their essential assets. Cadbury Schweppes is one of the major global players in the food manufacturing sector, specifically confectionery and beverage products. About two hundred countries worldwide are enjoying the companys world-renowned quality products and brands. The company has been able to expand successfully in different foreign countries mainly through its dedication to quality production as well as effective management and marketing practices. In order to progress further, the company still aims to continue on producing quality brands and products, meeting the needs of its shareholders and operating towards optimum performance. Cadbury Schweppes knows that its achievement to operate globally is attributable to its workforce. Thus, the company has been employing different strategies in order to strategically improve its human resources towards continuous global success. This study then analyzes how the company applies strategic human resource management it its operations. In particular, focus was centered on the assessment of the companys strategies for maximizing the potentials, assessing the performance and enhancing the skills of its workforce. This research was conducted mainly to determine the relation of Cadbury Schweppes global success to its SHRM practices. 1.2 The Research Background Strategic human resource management (SHRM) was actually derived from the conventional HR concepts. Due to the growing pressures in business, particularly in the need to become more competitive and innovative, organizations and human resource departments see it necessary to reconsider existing HR practices. The application of the new concept involves the modification of HR policies, provision of training programs, development of performance measurement systems as well as the promotion of the employees overall well-being. In turn, the changes in the HR practice then allowed companies to overcome some of the major hurdles in the business sector. Cadbury Schweppes is among the major companies operating in the world. Aside from multiple branches in several foreign countries, the product lines of the company as well as its market have continuously grown over the years. Along with its global growth and success, the company has constantly upgraded its SHRM efforts as well. The researcher then aims to determine how these HR strategies had contributed to the companys global achievement. Investigating on this HR topic can stress the connection between workforce and business efficiency. As effective employees have long been considered as essential to good business operations, identifying how the strategic management of human resource can contribute to greater success will then be of benefit to many other companies. The researcher then attempted to achieve this objective by using some of Cadbury Schweppes HR staff for information. Using a survey as the research instrument, the data obtained were then analyzed to develop the findings. 1.3 Research Value Considering the increasing competitiveness in the business sector, organizations are in need of maximizing its resources in order to operate successfully. One of these important resources is the organizational workforce. By means of determining the different approaches related to strategic human resource management, workforce issues encountered by other companies may be resolved. In addition, companies intending to operate of expand on the global level may achieve this goal by assessing and improving their human resource strategies. This research may also be of value to employees as this could encourage business companies in general to give due value to their workforce so as to achieve better business outcomes. This investigative study could also contribute to the human resource sector particularly by increasing awareness on SHRM and the new approaches other companies could apply. Clients or consumers may also benefit from this study as the increased awareness on SHRM approaches can likely enhance both production and service provision of other companies. 1.4 Research Aims and Objectives This study aims to determine the role of strategic human resource management in the achievement of Cadbury Schweppes global growth and success. Below are the specific objectives of this research study: To determine the role if strategic human resource management in shaping the development processes of Cadbury Schweppes To analyze the performance assessment, training and potential-maximizing strategies of the global company To identify and analyze the human resource strategies of the company that allowed it to operate globally To relate various human resource management theories to the identified strategies of the company 1.5 The Research Outline The entire study is divided into five chapters. The first chapter presents the background of the study, the objectives, research problems and its significance. In the second chapter, literatures and published documents pertaining to strategic human resource management and the strategies applied by Cadbury Schweppes are discussed. The research methodology used for this study is discussed in chapter three. Specifically, this chapter focuses on the description of the participants, sampling technique and the research instruments utilized in the process. In chapter 4, the results of the survey are presented. Literatures supporting the findings of the study are also integrated in the discussion section of the chapter. Finally, the fifth chapter summarizes the findings of the research; significant conclusions as well as appropriate recommendations are also included in the final chapter. Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 A Brief Historical Background of Cadbury Schweppes Cadbury Schweppes is actually a company established by a merger involving two of the greatest companies in UK. Jacob Schweppe was the one behind the perfection of the carbonated mineral water manufactured in Switzerland in 1783. On the other hand, John Cadbury established the now world-renowned chocolate manufacturing company in 1824. Over the years, both companies have operated successfully and became household brand names in the British region. It was not until 1969 when these two manufacturing giants decided to merge. Through organic program and acquisition, both companies were able to expand the business worldwide (Cadbury Schweppes 2006a). As two big companies joined into one, the new company developed and implemented several business strategies that led to its success. For instance, during the middle part of the 1980s, Cadbury Schweppes decided to center its attention on its international brand confectionery and beverages. Through this strategy, the company was able to strengthen its key brand names and even led to the purchase of some other major food brands such as Motts, Canada Dry, Trebor, Bassett, Dr. Pepper and Seven Up as well as Hawaiian Punch. The acquisition of other popular brands of the company continued up to the new millennium. In 2000 for example, Cadbury Schweppes acquired the Snapple and Hollywood and even took the second spot in the French soft drink sector when it acquired Orangina. In 2002, the company placed number two in chewing gum production by acquiring Dandy, a Danish chewing gum brand and became the number one company in confectionery at the global level. For $4.2 billion, the company also a nnounced its acquisition of yet another major brand called Adams (Cadbury Schweppes 2006a). 2.1.1 A Brief History and Importance of SHRM Strategic human resource management is considered as the extension of HRM. While HRM is focused on the theoretical concepts, SHRM is centered on how these theoretical foundations should be implemented. The concept of SHRM was actually brought about by the growing pressures of change. Organizations started to realize that changes in the conventional human resource activities must be carried out. This change would help much organization overcome new issues and challenges related to the human resource concept. In turn, human resource agencies and departments have been active in encouraging HR managers to develop means of applying strategy to the HR function (Niehaus 1995). This then gave rise to what is now called SHRM. Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) is a strategic approach that helps in managing employee relations. This HR concept emphasizes that leveraging peoples capabilities is critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage. SHRM is actually applied by means of a distinctive set of integrated employment policies, programs and practices. Considering the increasing competition in the working sector, it is important that the employees are equipped with the abilities so as to assist their organization in overcoming such challenge (Bratton Gold 2003). SHRM gives emphasis on the integration of learning and organization. This means that the conception of learning must be considered by the organization as a purposeful business process (Ruona Roth 2000). Walton (1999) noted that SHRM is made of the introduction, elimination, modification and directional procedures and responsibilities where all employees are armed with the knowledge, skills and competencies necessary for them to pe rform various organizational tasks effectively. Through SHRM processes, employees are able to learn how they can improve their skills and enrich their knowledge, which are very useful in their overall work output. The efficiency of the employees will naturally lead to greater productivity and higher levels of customer satisfaction as well as loyalty. The application of SHRM is also essential for the personal and professional development of the employees, which in turn makes them more confident and committed in their work. The ultimate outcome of SHRM is the attainment of a strong and sustainable competitive advantage out of the companys workforce. For companies, generating competitive advantages out of their workforces is an important key in becoming globally competitive (McWilliams, Van Fleet Wright 2001). Schuler, Dowling and De Cieri (1993) noted that in order to successfully compete in the global market, human resources must be deployed effectively. 2.1.2 A Brief History of Human Resource Strategy of Cadbury Schweppes plc and its impact on the company The human resource strategy of Cadbury Schweppes originated from the company main operation purpose which is to work together to produce brands that others would love. In particular, the company developed a goal related to corporate social responsibility (CSR) in order to achieve this. This goal would direct the company to become socially responsible not only to their consumers but to the people working for it as well. As this goal covers the workforce sector, Cadbury Schweppes develops human resource strategies that are patterned CSR and ethical practices. In fact, one of the essential factors the company uses in its business operations is ethical behavior as well as the establishment of close relations with its stakeholders. The company generally believes that ethical business practices and respect for human rights are core foundation on how the company works and deals with people; the company also claims that good ethics works well with good business, resulting to long term succes s (The Times 100 2006). These core values then became the main influence for the companys human resource strategies. The HR strategies of the company are also influenced by the Quaker values which promote social reform, justice and equality. Thus, from the beginning of its operations, the company has always treated its employees with respect; the company also cares for the welfare of its staff. This explains why the company included sport facilities, parks and housing opportunities for its employees. It is also part of the companys human resource strategy to inculcate its ethical business culture to its employees by ensuring that all staff members understand the values and behavior the company expects from them; this has been achieved through the companys à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Our Business Principlesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? statement. The good practice of Cadbury Schweppes was even recognized in 2003 by the Management Today magazine where it was voted as one of the most admirable companies for fulfilling it environmental and community responsibility. During the same year, the company also placed second for the Food and Drink sector in the Business in the Community per cent club index for doing its social responsibilities (The Times 100 2006). 2.2 Human Resource Strategies of Cadbury Schweppes Over the years, the company has implemented several means to manage its human resources strategically. These strategies include those that maximize potentials, train employees, manage HR risks and assess performance. 2.2.1 Maximizing Potentials One of the key personnel of Cadbury Schweppes is its managers. Thus, in order to optimize their skills, the company applied various strategic programs. One of which is its Building Strategic Capabilities (BSC) program that was developed in 1998. This program course was applied in order to maximize the potentials of the companys managers. The program is made up of three important elements. One is that the program course involved the study of real strategic issues rather than hypothetical cases; this made the course content more applicable to actual business problems the managers would encounter. Another important element of this program course was that the process of strategic decision-making is studied from goal-setting to performance-monitoring. This element of the program aims to enhance the managers strategic language, in order for them to be equipped with the necessary processes and standards for effective strategy implementation. Finally, this program is also made up of an eleme nt, which exposes managers to practical or hands-on training. This element is conducted by letting the program participants interact with the members of the top management. For the past five years since this potential-maximizing program has been implemented, Cadbury Schweppes BSC program is still used as the main approach for executive development (Morley Hepplewhite 2004). The company has continuously developed programs and strategies that would optimize the skills of its staff. For example, in 2005, Cadbury Schweppes pursued its People Strategy through its Building Commercial Capabilities program. This strategy is a group learning and development activity which is implemented to ensure that the full potential of all employees are realized. The program aims to develop the participants marketing and sales expertise as well as their commercial decision-making skills; this is done by studying the standard Cadbury Schweppes marketing and selling technique. A total of 1,000 managers have participated in this program (Cadbury Schweppes 2006b). 2.2.2 Training Training is an important aspect of the companys SHRM strategy. Aside from ensuring that all employees have equal access to the companys training opportunities, Cadbury Schweppes also develops training programs that improve the competency of its workforce. For this year, the company developed Passion for People, a people management training program. This aims to teach the standard approach used for managing people; it is also the goal of this program to refresh such management approach among current employees (Cadbury Schweppes 2006b). Bob Stack, Cadbury Schweppes Chief Human Resources Officer, also explained that this program is also conducted for the purpose of improving the drive performance skills of the managers. Furthermore, it is the objective of this training program to instill among employees the values and behavior that make up the companys culture (Cadbury Schweppes 2006c). The company does not only provide training opportunities to the new employees but also offer regular updates of the existing staff members. This strategy is also applicable in cases when one of its employees becomes disabled. When this happens, Cadbury Schweppes sees to it that an alternative job is offered. Moreover, re-training efforts are also provided to the employee if necessary (Cadbury Schweppes 2006b). 2.2.3 Risk Management In order to support the SHRM strategies of Cadbury Schweppes, the company include appropriate HR policies particularly in the recruitment, selection and hiring of employees. Other common work issues are also covered by the companys HR regulations. Through these strategic policies, the company is able to maintain its standards and meet desired business outcomes. Patterned after its ethical business practices, the companys policies promote equal employment opportunities within its global businesses. Thus, Cadbury Schweppes is a company committed to selecting employees based on their abilities and potentials; it is part of the companys SHRM strategy to optimize the talents and experience the employees have and help them realize their other capabilities. The company believes that by shaping its HR policies with this ethical commitment, the business will not only employ people of talent but it will also help is establishing a good image in the communities where it operates (International Labor Organization 2002). In recruiting and selecting employees, it is Cadbury Schweppes aim to hire the best people for the position it offers and use methods that are free from bias and discrimination. For employee selection, the company ensures that necessary criteria including skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience of the applicants are clearly defined. Psychometric testing, assessment techniques ad other selection methods should also be non-discriminatory. It must be clearly described why the applicant was selected; for this, records for employee selection decisions are kept and stored. The advertisements of the company for the job positions it is offering should also be patterned after the equal employment aspect. In particular, the company must ensure that the advertisements present enough opportunities that most people can apply for. Moreover, these advertisements must reach even underrepresented communities and groups (International Labor Organization 2002). In order to improve its selectio n process, the company had also recently used an online system for its testing procedures. An electronic version of its psychometric tests has been installed so as to make this vital phase of selection faster and more efficient (Graduate Recruiter 2006). The risks involved in human resource management are also controlled by Cadbury Schweppes through relevant policies. For instance, the company follows a compensation structure which is not influenced by the employees color, race, ethnic origin, gender, marital status, religion, disability or age. The career development of the employees is also dependent solely on their merits and abilities. The access of the employees to training is also covered by the companys policies. Specifically, regardless of the employees race or origin, all employees of Cadbury Schweppes have equal access to training. Moreover, if certain employees are in need of educational or skill support, the company provides them with the necessary training; this would allow them to progress equally with other employees (International Labor Organization 2002). Fairness and equality are also part of the companys policies used for handling work issues, grievance matters and discipline. When such issues arise, the company ensures that the situations are assessed fairly and on the same basis as with similar cases. For bullying and harassment, the company also requires all its business units to develop clear guidelines that would help manage these human resource problems. These ensure that the employees are aware on how to report and address these matters. The development and use of these guidelines also help these issues from happening (International Labor Organization 2002). Aside from preventing HR-related risks through policies, the company also develops helpful programs that would promote the well-being of the employees. For example, the company conducts education programs for the employees health and nutrition; whole-family health management schemes are also implemented. In order to support these programs, the company also provides nutrition-oriented on-site cafeterias. Medical facilities are also made available in the company to meet the employees basic safety and health requirements. Aside from the employees physical well-being, their mental health is also cared for; this is done through the provision of counseling services. This aims to assist the employees in handling personal and work-related issues (Cadbury Schweppes 2006b). 2.2.4 Performance Assessment The SHRM application of the company also involves the assessment or measurement of the performance of its employees. Specifically, the company uses a two-part performance measurement system. The line manager is the one in charge of assessing the individual performance of the employee every half and end of the year. Clearly developed performance objectives are used for the evaluation. The line manager presides a formal meeting with the employee to be assessed; during this time, the set objectives set at the beginning of the year is documented by the line manager and signed by the employee (Cadbury Schweppes 2006d). The utilization of a performance measurement system at Cadbury Schweppes allowed the company to fulfill its goal of giving due value on its employees development, growth and performance management. Through this system, the company is able to recognize and reward the employees who have displayed exemplary performance and gave much contribution to the companys success. Having a designed system allowed the company to apply a consistent approach for appraising the employees performance, even for those working in other international offices. This approach is composed of tools that facilitate the employees career development and personal growth; Reward programs are also included. These programs generally help in motivating the employees to contribute more for attaining business success (Cadbury Schweppes 2006e). The managers of the company are also assessed using this system. Specifically, the company makes use behavioral factors that support its global leadership needs, which include accountability, adaptability, aggressiveness, forward-thinking capability, motivation, collaboration, teamwork and company values. A separate assessment process is also used by the company in order to evaluate other potentials of its managers; this enables the company to identify other roles its managers could perform. Due rewards are also provided to the individual based on the outcome of his or her performance appraisal (Cadbury Schweppes 2006d). Aside from the individual performance of the employees and managers, the overall performance of the business in relation to the people it serves is also assessed. For this, Cadbury Schweppes uses the climate survey tool that has the ability to identify the relation between overall business performance and employee engagement. This tool was initially used for the companys 10,000 global managers in 2004 and then applied too all employees the following year (Cadbury Schweppes 2006d). 2.3 Impact of the companys HR strategies The use of multiple strategies related to SHRM application has generally been beneficial for Cadbury Schweppes. The performance measurement system of the company for example, motivated the employees to work their best. This finding was further stressed when a study finding showed that almost 90% of the companys global employees are proud to be employed by Cadbury Schweppes. The survey conducted by the company also showed that the employees are highly committed and engaged to good work performance. The commitment of the employees represents the employees attachment to the company while engagement indicates the level of effort the employees are willing to give for the company; they key factors have been directly related to the surveys key areas. The findings clearly showed that Cadbury Schweppes succeeds globally through its employees engagement and commitment, which were brought about by its HR strategies. The outcome of the survey was further stressed by the employee turnover records of the company. As of 2003, the turnover rate was at low level of 2.5% at an annual basis; executive population has also dropped minimally from 180 to 165 in 2003 to 2004. The number of women working in the company on the other hand had increased from 11% in 2003 to 13% in 2004. Despite the promising outcome of the survey, the company sees it necessary to continuously improve the level of engagement employees have for good performance (Cadbury Schweppes 2006e). The performance appraisal system also made the employees more aware of what the company expects from them; this strategy also encouraged the employees to constantly seek ways on how their performance can be improved. The utilization of the performance system has also been helpful for the company as it becomes more knowledgeable with the operation areas that need improvements (Cadbury Schweppes 2006d). In general, having a performance appraisal system in the companys SHRM strategy helped it to become proactive in maintaining its good business practices and in developing ways on how to be a better company. The training and programs of the company has also been showing positive outcomes. Its communication-related programs for example, have been able to enhance the employees communication and engagement level. These skill developments in turn, enabled the company to accomplish several collective bargaining agreements. The SHRM efforts of the company also encourage share ownership among the employees. Specifically, the HR strategy of Cadbury Schweppes made its all-employee share plan arrangements accessible to its employees in UK, US, Spain, New Zealand, Mexico, Portugal, Netherlands, Germany, Australia, France and Ireland. This achievement helped in bringing the companys global employees together (Cadbury Schweppes 2006b). The use of ethical practices in the recruitment and selection of the companys employees has also been of benefit especially in ensuring the high standard performance of the staff. Improving the means of recruiting through information technology systems has also helped the company in short listing the best applicants. Since this development has improved the speed of the of the recruitment process, the company has more time to assess job-related exercises. The improved psychometric test allows Cadbury Schweppes to gain information that emphasize the candidates distinct abilities (Graduate Recruiter 2006). Chapter III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction Strategic human resource management has been recognized by various companies as an important factor for achieving business success. Cadbury Schweppes is among those major companies who have long been applying various human resource strategies to achieve good business outcomes. This research was then conducted with aim of identifying the role of SHRM in the achievement of global success using the case of Cadbury Schweppes in UK. In order to achieve this research aim, the researcher used the descriptive method of research. A total of 30 respondents from the companys human resource department were selected in random. The survey questionnaire, structure in Likert-format, served as the main research instrument for this study. In addition to primary information, the researcher also used books, journals and other literatures as sources of secondary data. By means of weighted mean computation and the Likert scale, the results of the survey were then analyzed; relevant literatures were used t o discuss these results. 3.2 Data Requirement In order to achieve the objectives of this research, the researcher would need data that would describe the role of SHRM to the global growth and success of Cadbury Schweppes. For this, the researcher would have to contact people who are knowledgeable of the HR strategies developed and implemented by the company; people who are aware of how these strategies had impacted Cadbury Schweppes would also be helpful in answering the needs of this study. Thus, the researcher saw it appropriate to use some of the human resource staff from the company. Considering their participation and experience with these HR strategies, they would be able to provide the data required of this study. 3.3 Research Design In this research, the descriptive method was utilized. The purpose of employing the descriptive method is to describe the nature of a condition, as it takes place during the time of the study and to explore the cause or causes of a particular condition. The researcher opted to use this kind of research considering the desire to acquire first hand data from the respondents so as to formulate rational and sound conclusions and recommendations for the study. According to Creswell (1994), the descriptive method of research is to gather information about the present existing condition. This research method is advantageous for the researcher due to its flexibility; this method can use either qualitative or quantitative data or both, giving the researcher greater options in selecting the instrument for data-gathering. The aim of the research is to determine the role strategic human resource management in the global growth of Cadbury Schweppes; the descriptive method was then appropriate for this research since this method is used for gathering prevailing conditions. The research used human resource management employees as respondents from Cadbury Schweppes based in UK in order to gather relevant data; the descriptive method was then appropriate as this allowed the identification of the similarities and differences of the respondents answers. 3.3.1 Research Philosophy In order to carry out the research, the researcher ensured that a certain research philosophy framework is followed throughout the process. In particular, as this study will make use of human participants for data collection, ethical considerations were taken into account. This is in line with the researchers aim of carrying out the entire process ethically. Among the significant ethical issues that need attention include consent, confidentiality and data protection. Gaining Consent Securing permission and gaining the consent of the participants for this study is an important ethical consideration. In order to do so, the researcher relayed the aims of the research clearly to all participants. Each participant was asked to accomplish a consent form, stating in detail all the activities involved as well as the purpose of the study. The reasons why the human resource staff of the company was selected as participants were also stated so as to enable the selected participants to connect the aims of the research with that of the participant qualifications. In the consent form, the researcher also discussed in detail all the treatments or procedures to be done in the process. The possible risks that may be part of the research were also discussed with the participants in orde Strategic Human Resource Management in Cadbury Schweppes Strategic Human Resource Management in Cadbury Schweppes 1.1 Introduction The strategic management of an organizations human resource has been recognized as one of the keys to business success. This particular strategy generally involved the optimization of the employees potentials mainly through training and performance assessment. This organizational strategy has been integrated in several businesses mainly to improve profitability, establish stronger customer relations as well as achieve considerable business expansion. Strategic human resource management (SHRM) has indeed been applied to fulfill various important business goals and plans. Hence, major companies including Cadbury Schweppes, have been developing and applying various means on how to strategically manage one of their essential assets. Cadbury Schweppes is one of the major global players in the food manufacturing sector, specifically confectionery and beverage products. About two hundred countries worldwide are enjoying the companys world-renowned quality products and brands. The company has been able to expand successfully in different foreign countries mainly through its dedication to quality production as well as effective management and marketing practices. In order to progress further, the company still aims to continue on producing quality brands and products, meeting the needs of its shareholders and operating towards optimum performance. Cadbury Schweppes knows that its achievement to operate globally is attributable to its workforce. Thus, the company has been employing different strategies in order to strategically improve its human resources towards continuous global success. This study then analyzes how the company applies strategic human resource management it its operations. In particular, focus was centered on the assessment of the companys strategies for maximizing the potentials, assessing the performance and enhancing the skills of its workforce. This research was conducted mainly to determine the relation of Cadbury Schweppes global success to its SHRM practices. 1.2 The Research Background Strategic human resource management (SHRM) was actually derived from the conventional HR concepts. Due to the growing pressures in business, particularly in the need to become more competitive and innovative, organizations and human resource departments see it necessary to reconsider existing HR practices. The application of the new concept involves the modification of HR policies, provision of training programs, development of performance measurement systems as well as the promotion of the employees overall well-being. In turn, the changes in the HR practice then allowed companies to overcome some of the major hurdles in the business sector. Cadbury Schweppes is among the major companies operating in the world. Aside from multiple branches in several foreign countries, the product lines of the company as well as its market have continuously grown over the years. Along with its global growth and success, the company has constantly upgraded its SHRM efforts as well. The researcher then aims to determine how these HR strategies had contributed to the companys global achievement. Investigating on this HR topic can stress the connection between workforce and business efficiency. As effective employees have long been considered as essential to good business operations, identifying how the strategic management of human resource can contribute to greater success will then be of benefit to many other companies. The researcher then attempted to achieve this objective by using some of Cadbury Schweppes HR staff for information. Using a survey as the research instrument, the data obtained were then analyzed to develop the findings. 1.3 Research Value Considering the increasing competitiveness in the business sector, organizations are in need of maximizing its resources in order to operate successfully. One of these important resources is the organizational workforce. By means of determining the different approaches related to strategic human resource management, workforce issues encountered by other companies may be resolved. In addition, companies intending to operate of expand on the global level may achieve this goal by assessing and improving their human resource strategies. This research may also be of value to employees as this could encourage business companies in general to give due value to their workforce so as to achieve better business outcomes. This investigative study could also contribute to the human resource sector particularly by increasing awareness on SHRM and the new approaches other companies could apply. Clients or consumers may also benefit from this study as the increased awareness on SHRM approaches can likely enhance both production and service provision of other companies. 1.4 Research Aims and Objectives This study aims to determine the role of strategic human resource management in the achievement of Cadbury Schweppes global growth and success. Below are the specific objectives of this research study: To determine the role if strategic human resource management in shaping the development processes of Cadbury Schweppes To analyze the performance assessment, training and potential-maximizing strategies of the global company To identify and analyze the human resource strategies of the company that allowed it to operate globally To relate various human resource management theories to the identified strategies of the company 1.5 The Research Outline The entire study is divided into five chapters. The first chapter presents the background of the study, the objectives, research problems and its significance. In the second chapter, literatures and published documents pertaining to strategic human resource management and the strategies applied by Cadbury Schweppes are discussed. The research methodology used for this study is discussed in chapter three. Specifically, this chapter focuses on the description of the participants, sampling technique and the research instruments utilized in the process. In chapter 4, the results of the survey are presented. Literatures supporting the findings of the study are also integrated in the discussion section of the chapter. Finally, the fifth chapter summarizes the findings of the research; significant conclusions as well as appropriate recommendations are also included in the final chapter. Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 A Brief Historical Background of Cadbury Schweppes Cadbury Schweppes is actually a company established by a merger involving two of the greatest companies in UK. Jacob Schweppe was the one behind the perfection of the carbonated mineral water manufactured in Switzerland in 1783. On the other hand, John Cadbury established the now world-renowned chocolate manufacturing company in 1824. Over the years, both companies have operated successfully and became household brand names in the British region. It was not until 1969 when these two manufacturing giants decided to merge. Through organic program and acquisition, both companies were able to expand the business worldwide (Cadbury Schweppes 2006a). As two big companies joined into one, the new company developed and implemented several business strategies that led to its success. For instance, during the middle part of the 1980s, Cadbury Schweppes decided to center its attention on its international brand confectionery and beverages. Through this strategy, the company was able to strengthen its key brand names and even led to the purchase of some other major food brands such as Motts, Canada Dry, Trebor, Bassett, Dr. Pepper and Seven Up as well as Hawaiian Punch. The acquisition of other popular brands of the company continued up to the new millennium. In 2000 for example, Cadbury Schweppes acquired the Snapple and Hollywood and even took the second spot in the French soft drink sector when it acquired Orangina. In 2002, the company placed number two in chewing gum production by acquiring Dandy, a Danish chewing gum brand and became the number one company in confectionery at the global level. For $4.2 billion, the company also a nnounced its acquisition of yet another major brand called Adams (Cadbury Schweppes 2006a). 2.1.1 A Brief History and Importance of SHRM Strategic human resource management is considered as the extension of HRM. While HRM is focused on the theoretical concepts, SHRM is centered on how these theoretical foundations should be implemented. The concept of SHRM was actually brought about by the growing pressures of change. Organizations started to realize that changes in the conventional human resource activities must be carried out. This change would help much organization overcome new issues and challenges related to the human resource concept. In turn, human resource agencies and departments have been active in encouraging HR managers to develop means of applying strategy to the HR function (Niehaus 1995). This then gave rise to what is now called SHRM. Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) is a strategic approach that helps in managing employee relations. This HR concept emphasizes that leveraging peoples capabilities is critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage. SHRM is actually applied by means of a distinctive set of integrated employment policies, programs and practices. Considering the increasing competition in the working sector, it is important that the employees are equipped with the abilities so as to assist their organization in overcoming such challenge (Bratton Gold 2003). SHRM gives emphasis on the integration of learning and organization. This means that the conception of learning must be considered by the organization as a purposeful business process (Ruona Roth 2000). Walton (1999) noted that SHRM is made of the introduction, elimination, modification and directional procedures and responsibilities where all employees are armed with the knowledge, skills and competencies necessary for them to pe rform various organizational tasks effectively. Through SHRM processes, employees are able to learn how they can improve their skills and enrich their knowledge, which are very useful in their overall work output. The efficiency of the employees will naturally lead to greater productivity and higher levels of customer satisfaction as well as loyalty. The application of SHRM is also essential for the personal and professional development of the employees, which in turn makes them more confident and committed in their work. The ultimate outcome of SHRM is the attainment of a strong and sustainable competitive advantage out of the companys workforce. For companies, generating competitive advantages out of their workforces is an important key in becoming globally competitive (McWilliams, Van Fleet Wright 2001). Schuler, Dowling and De Cieri (1993) noted that in order to successfully compete in the global market, human resources must be deployed effectively. 2.1.2 A Brief History of Human Resource Strategy of Cadbury Schweppes plc and its impact on the company The human resource strategy of Cadbury Schweppes originated from the company main operation purpose which is to work together to produce brands that others would love. In particular, the company developed a goal related to corporate social responsibility (CSR) in order to achieve this. This goal would direct the company to become socially responsible not only to their consumers but to the people working for it as well. As this goal covers the workforce sector, Cadbury Schweppes develops human resource strategies that are patterned CSR and ethical practices. In fact, one of the essential factors the company uses in its business operations is ethical behavior as well as the establishment of close relations with its stakeholders. The company generally believes that ethical business practices and respect for human rights are core foundation on how the company works and deals with people; the company also claims that good ethics works well with good business, resulting to long term succes s (The Times 100 2006). These core values then became the main influence for the companys human resource strategies. The HR strategies of the company are also influenced by the Quaker values which promote social reform, justice and equality. Thus, from the beginning of its operations, the company has always treated its employees with respect; the company also cares for the welfare of its staff. This explains why the company included sport facilities, parks and housing opportunities for its employees. It is also part of the companys human resource strategy to inculcate its ethical business culture to its employees by ensuring that all staff members understand the values and behavior the company expects from them; this has been achieved through the companys à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Our Business Principlesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? statement. The good practice of Cadbury Schweppes was even recognized in 2003 by the Management Today magazine where it was voted as one of the most admirable companies for fulfilling it environmental and community responsibility. During the same year, the company also placed second for the Food and Drink sector in the Business in the Community per cent club index for doing its social responsibilities (The Times 100 2006). 2.2 Human Resource Strategies of Cadbury Schweppes Over the years, the company has implemented several means to manage its human resources strategically. These strategies include those that maximize potentials, train employees, manage HR risks and assess performance. 2.2.1 Maximizing Potentials One of the key personnel of Cadbury Schweppes is its managers. Thus, in order to optimize their skills, the company applied various strategic programs. One of which is its Building Strategic Capabilities (BSC) program that was developed in 1998. This program course was applied in order to maximize the potentials of the companys managers. The program is made up of three important elements. One is that the program course involved the study of real strategic issues rather than hypothetical cases; this made the course content more applicable to actual business problems the managers would encounter. Another important element of this program course was that the process of strategic decision-making is studied from goal-setting to performance-monitoring. This element of the program aims to enhance the managers strategic language, in order for them to be equipped with the necessary processes and standards for effective strategy implementation. Finally, this program is also made up of an eleme nt, which exposes managers to practical or hands-on training. This element is conducted by letting the program participants interact with the members of the top management. For the past five years since this potential-maximizing program has been implemented, Cadbury Schweppes BSC program is still used as the main approach for executive development (Morley Hepplewhite 2004). The company has continuously developed programs and strategies that would optimize the skills of its staff. For example, in 2005, Cadbury Schweppes pursued its People Strategy through its Building Commercial Capabilities program. This strategy is a group learning and development activity which is implemented to ensure that the full potential of all employees are realized. The program aims to develop the participants marketing and sales expertise as well as their commercial decision-making skills; this is done by studying the standard Cadbury Schweppes marketing and selling technique. A total of 1,000 managers have participated in this program (Cadbury Schweppes 2006b). 2.2.2 Training Training is an important aspect of the companys SHRM strategy. Aside from ensuring that all employees have equal access to the companys training opportunities, Cadbury Schweppes also develops training programs that improve the competency of its workforce. For this year, the company developed Passion for People, a people management training program. This aims to teach the standard approach used for managing people; it is also the goal of this program to refresh such management approach among current employees (Cadbury Schweppes 2006b). Bob Stack, Cadbury Schweppes Chief Human Resources Officer, also explained that this program is also conducted for the purpose of improving the drive performance skills of the managers. Furthermore, it is the objective of this training program to instill among employees the values and behavior that make up the companys culture (Cadbury Schweppes 2006c). The company does not only provide training opportunities to the new employees but also offer regular updates of the existing staff members. This strategy is also applicable in cases when one of its employees becomes disabled. When this happens, Cadbury Schweppes sees to it that an alternative job is offered. Moreover, re-training efforts are also provided to the employee if necessary (Cadbury Schweppes 2006b). 2.2.3 Risk Management In order to support the SHRM strategies of Cadbury Schweppes, the company include appropriate HR policies particularly in the recruitment, selection and hiring of employees. Other common work issues are also covered by the companys HR regulations. Through these strategic policies, the company is able to maintain its standards and meet desired business outcomes. Patterned after its ethical business practices, the companys policies promote equal employment opportunities within its global businesses. Thus, Cadbury Schweppes is a company committed to selecting employees based on their abilities and potentials; it is part of the companys SHRM strategy to optimize the talents and experience the employees have and help them realize their other capabilities. The company believes that by shaping its HR policies with this ethical commitment, the business will not only employ people of talent but it will also help is establishing a good image in the communities where it operates (International Labor Organization 2002). In recruiting and selecting employees, it is Cadbury Schweppes aim to hire the best people for the position it offers and use methods that are free from bias and discrimination. For employee selection, the company ensures that necessary criteria including skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience of the applicants are clearly defined. Psychometric testing, assessment techniques ad other selection methods should also be non-discriminatory. It must be clearly described why the applicant was selected; for this, records for employee selection decisions are kept and stored. The advertisements of the company for the job positions it is offering should also be patterned after the equal employment aspect. In particular, the company must ensure that the advertisements present enough opportunities that most people can apply for. Moreover, these advertisements must reach even underrepresented communities and groups (International Labor Organization 2002). In order to improve its selectio n process, the company had also recently used an online system for its testing procedures. An electronic version of its psychometric tests has been installed so as to make this vital phase of selection faster and more efficient (Graduate Recruiter 2006). The risks involved in human resource management are also controlled by Cadbury Schweppes through relevant policies. For instance, the company follows a compensation structure which is not influenced by the employees color, race, ethnic origin, gender, marital status, religion, disability or age. The career development of the employees is also dependent solely on their merits and abilities. The access of the employees to training is also covered by the companys policies. Specifically, regardless of the employees race or origin, all employees of Cadbury Schweppes have equal access to training. Moreover, if certain employees are in need of educational or skill support, the company provides them with the necessary training; this would allow them to progress equally with other employees (International Labor Organization 2002). Fairness and equality are also part of the companys policies used for handling work issues, grievance matters and discipline. When such issues arise, the company ensures that the situations are assessed fairly and on the same basis as with similar cases. For bullying and harassment, the company also requires all its business units to develop clear guidelines that would help manage these human resource problems. These ensure that the employees are aware on how to report and address these matters. The development and use of these guidelines also help these issues from happening (International Labor Organization 2002). Aside from preventing HR-related risks through policies, the company also develops helpful programs that would promote the well-being of the employees. For example, the company conducts education programs for the employees health and nutrition; whole-family health management schemes are also implemented. In order to support these programs, the company also provides nutrition-oriented on-site cafeterias. Medical facilities are also made available in the company to meet the employees basic safety and health requirements. Aside from the employees physical well-being, their mental health is also cared for; this is done through the provision of counseling services. This aims to assist the employees in handling personal and work-related issues (Cadbury Schweppes 2006b). 2.2.4 Performance Assessment The SHRM application of the company also involves the assessment or measurement of the performance of its employees. Specifically, the company uses a two-part performance measurement system. The line manager is the one in charge of assessing the individual performance of the employee every half and end of the year. Clearly developed performance objectives are used for the evaluation. The line manager presides a formal meeting with the employee to be assessed; during this time, the set objectives set at the beginning of the year is documented by the line manager and signed by the employee (Cadbury Schweppes 2006d). The utilization of a performance measurement system at Cadbury Schweppes allowed the company to fulfill its goal of giving due value on its employees development, growth and performance management. Through this system, the company is able to recognize and reward the employees who have displayed exemplary performance and gave much contribution to the companys success. Having a designed system allowed the company to apply a consistent approach for appraising the employees performance, even for those working in other international offices. This approach is composed of tools that facilitate the employees career development and personal growth; Reward programs are also included. These programs generally help in motivating the employees to contribute more for attaining business success (Cadbury Schweppes 2006e). The managers of the company are also assessed using this system. Specifically, the company makes use behavioral factors that support its global leadership needs, which include accountability, adaptability, aggressiveness, forward-thinking capability, motivation, collaboration, teamwork and company values. A separate assessment process is also used by the company in order to evaluate other potentials of its managers; this enables the company to identify other roles its managers could perform. Due rewards are also provided to the individual based on the outcome of his or her performance appraisal (Cadbury Schweppes 2006d). Aside from the individual performance of the employees and managers, the overall performance of the business in relation to the people it serves is also assessed. For this, Cadbury Schweppes uses the climate survey tool that has the ability to identify the relation between overall business performance and employee engagement. This tool was initially used for the companys 10,000 global managers in 2004 and then applied too all employees the following year (Cadbury Schweppes 2006d). 2.3 Impact of the companys HR strategies The use of multiple strategies related to SHRM application has generally been beneficial for Cadbury Schweppes. The performance measurement system of the company for example, motivated the employees to work their best. This finding was further stressed when a study finding showed that almost 90% of the companys global employees are proud to be employed by Cadbury Schweppes. The survey conducted by the company also showed that the employees are highly committed and engaged to good work performance. The commitment of the employees represents the employees attachment to the company while engagement indicates the level of effort the employees are willing to give for the company; they key factors have been directly related to the surveys key areas. The findings clearly showed that Cadbury Schweppes succeeds globally through its employees engagement and commitment, which were brought about by its HR strategies. The outcome of the survey was further stressed by the employee turnover records of the company. As of 2003, the turnover rate was at low level of 2.5% at an annual basis; executive population has also dropped minimally from 180 to 165 in 2003 to 2004. The number of women working in the company on the other hand had increased from 11% in 2003 to 13% in 2004. Despite the promising outcome of the survey, the company sees it necessary to continuously improve the level of engagement employees have for good performance (Cadbury Schweppes 2006e). The performance appraisal system also made the employees more aware of what the company expects from them; this strategy also encouraged the employees to constantly seek ways on how their performance can be improved. The utilization of the performance system has also been helpful for the company as it becomes more knowledgeable with the operation areas that need improvements (Cadbury Schweppes 2006d). In general, having a performance appraisal system in the companys SHRM strategy helped it to become proactive in maintaining its good business practices and in developing ways on how to be a better company. The training and programs of the company has also been showing positive outcomes. Its communication-related programs for example, have been able to enhance the employees communication and engagement level. These skill developments in turn, enabled the company to accomplish several collective bargaining agreements. The SHRM efforts of the company also encourage share ownership among the employees. Specifically, the HR strategy of Cadbury Schweppes made its all-employee share plan arrangements accessible to its employees in UK, US, Spain, New Zealand, Mexico, Portugal, Netherlands, Germany, Australia, France and Ireland. This achievement helped in bringing the companys global employees together (Cadbury Schweppes 2006b). The use of ethical practices in the recruitment and selection of the companys employees has also been of benefit especially in ensuring the high standard performance of the staff. Improving the means of recruiting through information technology systems has also helped the company in short listing the best applicants. Since this development has improved the speed of the of the recruitment process, the company has more time to assess job-related exercises. The improved psychometric test allows Cadbury Schweppes to gain information that emphasize the candidates distinct abilities (Graduate Recruiter 2006). Chapter III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction Strategic human resource management has been recognized by various companies as an important factor for achieving business success. Cadbury Schweppes is among those major companies who have long been applying various human resource strategies to achieve good business outcomes. This research was then conducted with aim of identifying the role of SHRM in the achievement of global success using the case of Cadbury Schweppes in UK. In order to achieve this research aim, the researcher used the descriptive method of research. A total of 30 respondents from the companys human resource department were selected in random. The survey questionnaire, structure in Likert-format, served as the main research instrument for this study. In addition to primary information, the researcher also used books, journals and other literatures as sources of secondary data. By means of weighted mean computation and the Likert scale, the results of the survey were then analyzed; relevant literatures were used t o discuss these results. 3.2 Data Requirement In order to achieve the objectives of this research, the researcher would need data that would describe the role of SHRM to the global growth and success of Cadbury Schweppes. For this, the researcher would have to contact people who are knowledgeable of the HR strategies developed and implemented by the company; people who are aware of how these strategies had impacted Cadbury Schweppes would also be helpful in answering the needs of this study. Thus, the researcher saw it appropriate to use some of the human resource staff from the company. Considering their participation and experience with these HR strategies, they would be able to provide the data required of this study. 3.3 Research Design In this research, the descriptive method was utilized. The purpose of employing the descriptive method is to describe the nature of a condition, as it takes place during the time of the study and to explore the cause or causes of a particular condition. The researcher opted to use this kind of research considering the desire to acquire first hand data from the respondents so as to formulate rational and sound conclusions and recommendations for the study. According to Creswell (1994), the descriptive method of research is to gather information about the present existing condition. This research method is advantageous for the researcher due to its flexibility; this method can use either qualitative or quantitative data or both, giving the researcher greater options in selecting the instrument for data-gathering. The aim of the research is to determine the role strategic human resource management in the global growth of Cadbury Schweppes; the descriptive method was then appropriate for this research since this method is used for gathering prevailing conditions. The research used human resource management employees as respondents from Cadbury Schweppes based in UK in order to gather relevant data; the descriptive method was then appropriate as this allowed the identification of the similarities and differences of the respondents answers. 3.3.1 Research Philosophy In order to carry out the research, the researcher ensured that a certain research philosophy framework is followed throughout the process. In particular, as this study will make use of human participants for data collection, ethical considerations were taken into account. This is in line with the researchers aim of carrying out the entire process ethically. Among the significant ethical issues that need attention include consent, confidentiality and data protection. Gaining Consent Securing permission and gaining the consent of the participants for this study is an important ethical consideration. In order to do so, the researcher relayed the aims of the research clearly to all participants. Each participant was asked to accomplish a consent form, stating in detail all the activities involved as well as the purpose of the study. The reasons why the human resource staff of the company was selected as participants were also stated so as to enable the selected participants to connect the aims of the research with that of the participant qualifications. In the consent form, the researcher also discussed in detail all the treatments or procedures to be done in the process. The possible risks that may be part of the research were also discussed with the participants in orde