Can Video Games be Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Can Video Games be Art - Essay Example Different critics have argued that generally, games cannot be considered as forms of art. These include film critics such as Roger Ebert and art critics such as Jonathan Jones. The argument of these critics against qualification of video games as art mainly draws from a philosophical point of view (â€Å"The Guardian† WEB). However, the recent criticism of Robert Ebert about video games was countered by the US government, which emphasized that video games are a form of art (Tassi WEB). Regardless of all the controversies surrounding video games and their authenticity as an art form, there are those individuals, who like to identify with video games, and are greatly involved in playing them. Such individuals support video games, and most think of it as a form of art, despite what the critics might say about video games. An example of such individuals is Blissel Tom, a popular author of the book Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter. He is a man that is obsessed with video games, and confesses publicly, how he can spend many hours playing video games. Blissel is convinced that video games is a form of art, and in his book, he refers to video games as an art form. According to him, video games are an important art form. Recently, I met one of my childhood friends, who lives in a different state. I learnt that he has taken up video games seriously, and he loves playing them whenever he is free. I talked with him lengthily about video games, and realized that he is well informed about video games. When we separated back while still young children, my friend had not been exposed to video games, and had never played them. However, several years down the line, he presents himself as an ardent fan of video games, and comes out as being obsessed with video games and being knowledgeable about them. He too considers video games as an art form, since like other art forms; it requires skills and talent to play them. Besides the Federal Government, which has categorized video games under the other traditional art forms, the Smithsonian American Art Museum also considers video games as an art form. Previously, this museum undertook seven consecutive months hosting an exhibition, which they called ‘The Art of Video Games.’ In this exhibition, the museum aimed at celebrating video games as an art form, which has existed in homes for an approximate 40 years (â€Å"Smithsonian American Art Museum† WEB). According to Jewell, video games today have revolutionized, and cannot compare to those of the past decades. She notes that these are an amalgamation of all the different types of the traditional art forms (WEB). These views coincide with Blissel’s views, as all these consider video games as art. According to Blissel (350), video games are an important part of a person’s social life. In his book Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter, Blissel sharply argues against the critics of video games, including those who do not cons ider video games as an art form. In the cultural aspect, Blissel considers video games as important as other art forms in the society, and equal to them in capacity. In his book, Blissel compared video games to traditional art forms such as movies, and novels. In Blissel’s comparison of video games with other traditional art forms, he finds out that video games have both a positive and

Strategy Management and Health Information Technology Essay

Strategy Management and Health Information Technology - Essay Example As will be discussed in the preceding sections, this level of organic growth was most heavily impacted with regards to the acquisition of several key firms that offered software and logistics solutions with regards to the application of EMR (Goodwin et al, 2013). Finally, the current business seeking to broaden upon the way in which the Canadian health system integrates with and understands/utilizes electronic medical records. This is of course something of a gamble as it cannot be definitively determined which direction the health and governmental organizations that control the system might develop. Nonetheless, this is a gamble that Telus Health has been willing to take. Telus Business Strategy: As with any firm, Telus Health is most supremely interested in maximizing profits. Likewise, in order to affect such an end, it is necessary for the firm to grow into new markets, integrate with new products, and gain a higher level of customers/sales. Although there are many means to affec t such an end, the particular business strategy that Telus Health has chosen to engage with can most definitively be described as one of acquisition. An acquisition strategy is a strategy that many firms/organizations would doubtless love to be able to pursue. However, there is a costly requirement in order to pursue such an end. Generally, firms that pursue an acquisition strategy have excess capital in reserve. In order to do this, it is necessary for the firm to of experienced a large degree of success in the past or to have assets that it is willing to leverage in order to affect such a strategy. A small company with extra capital may use an acquisition strategy to gain a competitive advantage. An acquisition strategy entails purchasing another company, or one or more product lines of that company. For example, a small grocery retailer on the east coast may purchase a comparable grocery chain in the Midwest to expand its operations. As the reader can see, the acquisition of KinL ogix, MD Practice Software LP, and Wolf EMR have all served to underscore the level and extent to which the firm is leveraging the strategy of acquisition in order to boost profits. Explanation of Telus Health broader objectives In order to gain a larger share of profitability, firms generally seek to make gambles with regards to what direction they believe the industry is moving towards (Business Policy and Strategy, 2010). Accordingly, many times such gambles pay off. Conversely, many firms see their profits and viability wither and died based upon incorrect calculations of future markets in the direction to which current trends are pointing. Likewise, Telus Health has made a significant gamble with regards to the current market and prospects of the way in which the Canadian healthcare system will integrate with EMR. As such, the reader can see that Telus Health has come to the understanding that EMR will dominate the Canadian healthcare system in the near future. Accordingly, Tel us Health desperately wants to be part of the transformation by acquiring as many EMR firms that coalesce with its mission and desired future mission as possible. This is done as

Cirque Du Soleil Essay Example for Free

Cirque Du Soleil Essay Danielle Savoie cant fold herself into a pretzel or spin around on her head. But she walks a tightrope every day managing the information systems that make it possible for the Cirque du Soleil to entertain more people each year than the Yankees and Red Sox combined. The circus, which features astonishing acrobatics and Broadway-caliber music and dance productions, started out as a novelty in 1984 with one show and little fanfare. But this year, 11 different shows on four continents will entertain more than 7 million spectators paying up to $125 each to see a circus without animals. Savoie, the companys vice president of information technology, is struggling to keep pace. Why? Over the past five years, the number of software applications used by Cirque du Soleil employees has ballooned from roughly 40 to more than 200. Although these tools run a wide range of operations—from handling human resources and finance to making costumes and scheduling performing artists—these applications could not share data. This shortcoming threatened productivity or even the prospects for a show to go on without major headaches if, for example, a spotlight wasnt delivered to the right place or a performer couldnt be quickly found to replace someone who had bec0me sick. Savoie realized the organization needed to install software that would give employees access to these applications and databases without completely redesigning the systems setup, which she had pieced together on the fly. Consider the logistics that Savoie and the Cirques 3,300 employees must track: Six of the 11 shows are constantly in motion, touring North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. More than 250 tractor-trailers haul 700 tons of equipment around the world each day. More than 20,000 performers must be scheduled, transported and tracked for these shows. So must costumes and stage equipment. The database for just the alterations of these costumes has 4,000-plus entries and is growing every day. This juggling act, which combines acrobats, dancers and trapeze artists with elaborate lighting and musical production, has made Cirque du Soleil a $500 million corporation in just two decades. All of which is great news for Guy Laliberte, the shows co-founder and a former fire-eating stilt-walker. But for Savoie and her staff, Cirque du Soleils fantastic growth and unique culture created an information systems disarray not uncommon to any organization that grows real big, real fast with neither the luxury of time nor the benefit of experience to develop an ideal plan to deploy software to manage the free-wheeling monster. When I got here in 2000, I was the only I.T. person, Savoie says. Now we have 100 people on staff. Because of the way weve grown, we have to make up for lost time right now. During this boom, Cirque du Soleil added show management software used to make or order costumes and assign artists, as well as point-of-sale systems for merchandise. Many of the applications were developed in-house because of Cirque du Soleils unique business. Where did Savoie start? With basic applications to support day-to-day operations in the midst of the growth spurt. The company implemented SAP software for human resources, logistics and finance in 2000 and, later, installed a full-blown version of SAPs enterprise resource planning software for procurement, costume manufacturing, and event and artist scheduling. But it was using Microsoft Windows 2000 and Office XP for most of its other applications, including the companys Web site, its intranet, the point-of-sale system, and myriad other programs such as one to track the performers medical records. Most of these applications, however, couldnt communicate with each other. Moreover, the individual troupes traveling through North America or Europe were running their applications on different operating systems, and as a result, these troupes acted more like independent businesses instead of parts of a larger organization. And the arrangement made it difficult for workers across these different business units to collaborate, Savoie says. We had data in lots of different places, but could only combine it and analyze or utilize it manually, she recalls. As recently as six months ago, for example, production managers on any traveling troupe arriving at its destination would begin by conducting an inventory of all the equipment needed for a given performance. The lights, speakers, stage, decorations and the posts needed to suspend the enormous tent were all tracked with paper and pen. And when the manager realized something was missing, he or she would have to pick up a phone and call back to company headquarters in Montreal to get a replacement. Usually, the item in need made it to the location in time for theperformance. When it didnt, the crew would either have to buy a replacement locally, scramble to get it from another troupe or just do without. Equipments one thing, but performers are harder to replace in a pinch. There is a finite number of people on the planet who can pull off the acrobatic feats that take place during a Cirque du Soleil show. There are more than a dozen Olympic medalists in the organization. Scheduling performers based on the characters needed for each show is a full-time job. Each character has specific costume and makeup instructions, which are stored in a database. Then theres the matter of feeding the performers and support staff. In these traveling cities, more than 300 meals are prepared each day requiring thousands of pounds of meat, seafood and fresh produce. Getting on the Same Page To give employees access to data and tools from more than 200 applications running on multiple operating systems, Savoie embarked on a year-long project to install IBMs WebSphere Business Integration Server Express Plus software to connect her disparate systems. The goal: Organize all the application environments onto a single, standardized platform for access and development. We wanted to [streamline] our in-house applications with the financial data we have with our SAP applications to create one vision of all our information, Savoie says. We needed a common language for all our applications. The IBM WBI Express software was implemented on IBM eServer xSeries 245 and 355 systems. The project took just over a year from start to finish and cost roughly $175,000. Savoie and her team, along with IBM consultants, broke up the project into four separate pieces. The first phase took place during 18 weeks in which Cirque du Soleils information-technology staff and IBM consultants deployed the methodology of the project. They essentially determined what functions and applications they wanted to integrate into the SAP planning system as well as how they wanted to collect, disseminate and access information from the various applications. This is the most important part of any integration software implementation, says Yefim Natis, an analyst at Gartner who tracks IBM WebSphere implementations. You dont just plug this in. You have to think through all the processes and get all the people involved in the same room to discuss what they want and how they want to do it. Savoie says this part of the project was fairly straightforward. For example, they didnt want to reconstruct existing connections between applications used in the field by production managers. They merely wanted to be able to gather all the inventory, sales and performer data into one field and have it accessible to everyone from either a PC or a handheld device. Next, Cirque du Soleil spent four months building the Web interface to the planning system so that information could be accessed, edited and analyzed from the corporate intranet. The project was completed in May. Under the five-month-long third phase, financial information was consolidated. Data on ticket sales, procurement, merchandising and other financial matters that had been stored separately on either the Windows operating system or the SAP system was now connected so that executives could get a snapshot view of the entire company. Finally, the developers spent the last 2 1/2 months integrating the Cirque du Soleil intranet with its online help-desk system so performers, managers and other staff could resolve problems quicker instead of exchanging phone calls about scheduling deliveries or other issues. Now that everyone had access to the same information regardless of the application or operating system from which it had originated, Cirque du Soleil could begin to make strategic business decisions with a global vision. For example, when a key performer was unavailable to work because of illness or injury, the staff could sift through the database of all performers with that particular expertise from any computer in the organization. Then they could find a replacement who was available and closest to the production in need. At the same time, they could pull up the performers work history, measurements and biography to aid the costume designers in making alterations, and the marketing staff who create the programs and advertising materials. All sales conducted at the fixed and mobile sites—T-shirts and the like—are now automatically downloaded to the system and available to executives in real time, rather than an unpredictable and often delayed collection of manual documents from far-flung locations. When new products are needed to stock the show in Sydney or Seattle, Cirque du Soleil now knows exactly how manyT-shirts it needs by size and style, and can order them in bulk for delivery the next day. The operational efficiencies are important, but the flexibility our developers now have is just as important, Savoie says. Now, when we install another best-of-breed application or develop one of our own, we dont have to worry about what works with which system. We know that it all can be adapted to one common language. Efficiency Behind the Scenes Back on the streets, the production managers are also benefiting from the behind-the-scenes improvements made in Montreal. Now that the integration software has been implemented, production managers use an entirely new system to create an inventory of equipment necessary for the new mobile city. Instead of checking off a paper list of all the lights, cameras, speakers and stage materials needed for a production, each piece of equipment is tagged with a bar code thats scanned by a handheld device connected to the network. Cirque du Soleil says these mobile devices have cut in half the time it takes to inventory an entire 180,000-square-foot mobile city, and virtually eliminated errors. Its something that no one sees because it doesnt affect the day-to-day performance, Savoie points out. Its too early to say exactly how much money weve saved, but I know that going forward, the time well save just on the development side makes it worthwhile. [pic] Cirque Du Soleil Base Case Headquarters: 8400 Second Ave., Montreal, Quebec, Canada H1Z 4M6 Phone: (514) 722-2324 Business: Provides live performances that combine acrobatics, opera and traditional circus performers in 11 different production groups scattered throughout the world. Vice President of Information Technology: Danielle Savoie Financials in 2004: Reported sales of more than $500 million. Challenge: Implement IBM WebSphere Business Integration software to connect all of its disparate systems and applications. BASELINE GOALS: †¢ Grow revenue by 8% to $540 million in 2005, from $500 million in 2004. †¢ Reduce development time for software connecting business and performance-related applications from eight to six weeks. †¢ Trim time spent connecting business software applications to corporate intranet from 20 to 16 weeks. - Cirque du Soleil performs balancing act with CGI [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] Integrator takes over IT functions for Montreal-based entertainment company [pic] [pic]4/11/2006 5:00:00 PM [pic][pic]by Vawn Himmelsbach, www.itbusiness.ca | | |Cirque du Soleil has signed a 10-year IT outsourcing contract with CGI, valued at $130 million. Montreals world-renowned| |entertainment company, which combines circus and theatre, wanted to offload some of its less strategic IT functions as | |its operations expand around the globe. | |â€Å"We have very rapid growth and we wanted to leverage the infrastructure provided by CGI,† said Danielle Savoie, CIO of | |Cirque du Soleil. | |As part of the contract signed last week, CGI is in charge of providing IT operations, help desk and application | |evolution of Cirques global infrastructure, including its Montreal headquarters, four permanent shows in Las Vegas and | |one permanent show in Orlando. | |This involves transferring 84 IT positions to CGI from Cirque du Soleil in Montreal, Las Vegas and Orlando. A certain | |number of technicians have stayed on with Cirque to perform more strategic IT roles. | | CGI is also in charge of the IT infrastructure behind Cirques travelling shows. On tours, only one technician is | |required to set up the IT infrastructure, such as point-of-sale and ticketing applications (since Cirque runs a | |centralized IT infrastructure out of Montreal). | |Cirque will keep IT strategy and direction in-house, as well as global planning and architecture design. â€Å"We didnt want | |to lose this strategic knowledge,† said Savoie. â€Å"When we want to re-engineer some part of our business processes, its | |important to have this knowledge.† | |CGI will manage its PCs, servers and the help desk, said Normand Paradis, vice-president of business engineering with CGI| |Group Inc. in Montreal. â€Å"We will also take over support and evolution of the portfolio of applications.† This includes a | |wide range of applications, from administrative functions like payroll to tour equipment, costumes and merchandise. | | Over the course of the lifecycle of these applications, modifications are made to respond to new business requirements, | |said Savoie. â€Å"Every year we have to make some evolution in this portfolio,† she said, adding CGI is now responsible for | |these modifications. | |â€Å"They have over 100 applications of various sorts we will be maintaining for them from strictly administrative to | |(costumes),† said Paradis. | |â€Å"They design and build these costumes (and) we provide the IT support behind that,† he said. â€Å"But its just one of the | |things they do – for them its really all about intellectual property.† This includes costumes, music, even the acts | |themselves – all of which are part of the intellectual property theyre managing. And they have to use a lot of systems | |to do that, he said, in order to protect it properly. In its aquatic show â€Å"O† in Las Vegas, for example, costumes | |deteriorate quickly in water, so CGI will keep track of items like costumes, diving equipment and maintenance. | |â€Å"On top of that they run a large financial system and large payroll system,† he said. â€Å"For a circus, doing the payroll is| |not exactly their core activity, but it better get done because if the guys dont get paid youre not going to see too | |many shows.† | |This is the beginning of CGIs foray into the entertainment and sporting event sectors, which it began last year with the| |World Aquatic Championships in Montreal. CGI expects its partnership with Cirque du Soleil to strengthen its expertise | |within these areas. â€Å"For us its working with a major player,† said Paradis. â€Å"They have a very strategic brand [and] they| |are well known on a global basis.† | |The transition process to outsource these IT functions started last week and will take place ov er the coming 12 months. |

Factors Causing High Employee Turnover Rates

Factors Causing High Employee Turnover Rates Staff Retention Human Resources Management Chapter 1 Introduction Employee turnover in the industry has become the custom today in the manufacturing, service and merchandising industry. Employees are moving from one form of employment to another because of several factors that the employers have not yet grasped. In this regard many industry players are busy defining ways to protect turnover of its employees. The most affected part of this is the merchandising industry. In the bid to prove influence in the fastest upcoming sector executives in the merchandising industry are fighting hard the high trend of their staff consistently changing jobs (Rueben 22). Today generating an atmosphere favorable and valued by all employees in the ever changing employee market may not be as pain-streaking as it may appear to the larger population. It engages a number of issues may make the brilliant minds that make up your staffs want to stay in the organization. A combination of this contribution may eventually lead to higher number of employees and thus reduce tur nover. The contributions made above require that they be performed in tandem for observable achievement to be achieved. Grasping the skill of staff retention requires that management delve deeply into what causes turnover of staff in institutions. Many questions should be put on the table in order to ascertain reasons why one would want to work in one organization and not prefer to work in another organization. The managements should not rest at that but proceed to look into the subsequent period that the employee has been absorbed into an organization. By asking these questions it is easy to discern that there are a lot of issues that have been left wanting for a long time. I find it easy to look at these issues by sympathizing with the employee and trying to assume his shoes at the company. This in real meaning requires doing proper research on standard ethical models that might be brought on board to encourage retention of employees. In the recent past the employers used to retai n employees. The confidence thus gained goes down well with those in the precincts of work thus offering them purpose and presence. Boosting the moral of workers is one way of improving confidence of staff. In this regard even the general productivity of the company of the company can be noticed. Working closely and collectively in addition grants the staff presence. Al in all its just a matter of saying thank you as morality demands. There are different styles of leadership in institutions that influence how relationships in the work place take place. People in leadership roles should be in the fore front in show wing proper codes of conduct to their employees, as opposed to taking the hind seat. In turn the employees may feel very motivated within the working environments that they are working. This enabling environment will thus lead to a sense of belonging by the individuals and cohesiveness thus leading to teamwork translating into a proud team. For one to retain staff he or she has to consider several important issues of the work place. Background Draper Co. Ltd. Found in 1987 is a sweater manufacturer that employs more than 100 people in Hong Kong. Since garment companies had bloomed in recent years. The role for merchandising people become more difficult and the manpower is short in the labor market. Draper is facing the problem of high staff turnover rate. In addition, with opening of the mainland market, many foreign enterprises had set up their merchandising sections in Hong Kong and some enterprises also invite Hong Kong garment companies to cope with their expanding business. As a result, the job vacancies of staff increased tremendously. Among the merchandising industry, garment sections are highest in demand for staff. This is due to the fast growing of the sectors as well as the high employee turnover rate and the lack of talent in the labor market. With the goal of identifying predictors of turnover, factors and employees intention to leave or stay with the company will be the major issue of Draper Co. Ltd. Research Problems Initially, the establishment of the project required the involvement of different parties who would provide data and statistical analysis. The study required involvement of external organizations which would require them to allow access their staff to cooperate during the course of the research. Unfortunately some of these merchants turned down request to take part a little after the project was already initialized, it was quite unfortunate. The team of researchers contacted several nationwide merchandise groups to request them to take part in the research as a subsequent measure. Within a short period of time, two particular staff articulated formal concern and primarily arranged to play a part in the project but with the approval of the Board of Governors of their respectful organizations. The team of researchers used up considerable hours meeting with a variety of the team of people representing the staff and giving important information related to the research and showing present ations that highlight the scope of the study. An agreement was made with these staff that the research panel would conduct industry job and staff retention survey within the merchandise organization, rather than concentrating on organizational loop holes as it would imply that there are indeed loop holes, in their respective organizations which might not be the truly case. However because of various unpredicted situations including the falling ill of one of the team members who acted as coordinator of the research team and these respectful staff, the staff in the end made the decision to withdraw its cooperation, leaving operation of the research between a rock a rock and a hard place. The research team then informed the Draper Co. Ltd of the current problems and suggesting a different research method design that would still be in line aims of the project and the objectives outlined before the research was initially flagged off. In this respect, a decision was made to advertise acro ss various merchandise outlets to secure individual people working as staff to act as respondents from different retail outlets, thus eliminating the process of approaching company heads or Board of Governors for endorsement to guarantee a speedy and effortless contact with respondents. The Draper Co. Ltd was highly involved in endorsing the submission for change in the approach for the research. The research carried out by the team concerned conducting 100 partially controlled telephone interviews with staff from different merchandising firms including own staff at Draper Co. Ltd . The research method design of the survey was cautiously designed and conversant with preceding works that dwelled on employee equality and diversity concerns all over the work environment (e.g. Sutherland and Davidson, 1997). The design of the interviews was such that it could be in accordance with the aims and corresponding objectives of the Draper Co. Ltd and eventually deal with a array of concerns as well as the recognition of possible occupational improvement barriers and the recognition of approaches for conquering these limitations, chances for education and training, job promotions and provision for leadership. The partially controlled interview timetable was then stored in secure modules and safe websites secured with passwords, which eventually made it easy for members of the research panel to enter information directly into the research database and online pages, and at the same time carrying out interviews with respondents all over the merchandising industry. The details of the research methodology and what will be contained in the schedule for the research is described in the subsequent sections. Research Objective This study was led by a research team commissioned by the Draper Co. Ltd. The research team was selected by the management of the company with advice by the legal advice wing experts. It was agreed that 16 members be brought aboard the team of researchers. The main goal of identifying predictors of turnover, factors and employees intention to leave or stay with the company will be the major issue of Draper Co. Ltd. The aims of the project were as follows: To examine two sets of potential causes of job turnovers and eventual staff retention mechanisms: firstly, those that impede the retention of workers in the organization and secondly, those that speeds the exit of the players from the organizations. Identify strategies for overcoming these barriers. Investigate the feasibility of constructing a national database, documenting the career paths of women in the merchandise industry. Develop, publish and disseminate good practice guidelines and recommendations using reports, conference presentations, feedback seminars, academic journals and merchandise specialist and national press. The objectives of the project were to: Investigate two sets of potential reasons for staff leaving the company: firstly, those that accelerate the exit of workers and staff and secondly, those that impede the efforts of retaining staff in the organization. Identify strategies for overcoming these reasons. Investigate the feasibility of constructing a company database, documenting the career paths of workers in the merchandise industry. Develop a promotion system, which is more sensitive to the needs of employees Develop an image of the company, which is based entirely upon team cohesion. Provide a concept of role models, which can be utilized by young employees to resolve possible work life balance conflicts. Produce a set of solutions, which can be applied to other retail settings. Develop, publish and disseminate good practice guidelines and recommendations using reports, conference presentations, feedback seminars, academic journals and merchandise specialist and national press. Research Questions: Why this company has high staff turnover rate Why staff relationship will make new comer difficult to fit in team work What relationship caused high staff turnover rate How to retain staff in this company Does the management policy affect staff retention? Does the company is responsive to employees needs and wants Does companys reputation retain staff? Terminologies Merchandising Retention Welfare Turnover Respondent Outsourcing Glass ceiling Dissertation Outlines Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction This Section looks at the main literature in this area. The first sections focus on the structure of merchandising and the broader profile of the sector. The section then moves on to its main concern which is the job retention of staff at junior and senior levels in merchandising. Merchandising is an economic sector, which has traditionally been associated with the employment of staff. Overall, 60% of staff are low skilled employees and 40% are highly skilled in terms of there educational background. Even as these figures show that the merchandising sector clearly employs a larger number of low skilled than the skilled, it is not a ‘balanced industry (Stillsmart, 2004). The representation of low skill workers in the merchandising sector however, follows a number of important patterns. Official statistics are used to highlight the predominance of staff in part time work in the merchandising sector and the under representation of a section staff at senior levels. According to Sti llsmart, (2004), official figures are general and are unlikely to provide a clear understanding of the dynamics relating to the position in which staff is employed in merchandising sector. The following sections therefore outline theories that have been offered to account for these disparities, particularly in relation to barriers for staff attempting to progress into senior management positions. An examination of managing diversity is then offered and potential mechanisms for ensuring merchandising organizations fully utilize the talents of all employees to maximize productivity is discussed. 2.2 The structure of the merchandising sector The merchandising sector is the largest private sector employer in the Hong Kong yet it is rarely recognized as such. Stillsmart (a not for profit organization, set up and part funded by Government to identify and address the skills needs of the Hong Kong merchandising sector), suggest that this is, possibly because its workforce is not concentrated in any particular region or locality. In fact, the merchandising sector is the largest public sector employer in the Hong Kong. Furthermore, Wang XI Inc is the Hong Kongs second largest employer after the Jubilee (Stillsmart, 2004). Overall, the merchandising sector employs three million people throughout the Hong Kong, which accounts for approximately ten per cent of employment throughout the Hong Kong. However, the structure of the industry is unusual, and is described by Stillsmart, as ‘hourglass shaped. The vast majority (95%) work in firms with less than ten employees. Consequently, there is significantly less (just over two th ousand) merchandising employers with more than fifty staff, reflecting the â€Å"hourglass shape† of the industry profile. 2.3 Job Retention and improvement Strategies The welfare reform programs of the 1990s moved many families from cash assistance into the work force. The strong economy provided an abundance of entry-level, low-skill job opportunities to support this transition. For most of these families, however, finding a job is only the first step in the difficult path toward self-sufficiency. Like other working parents, adults who leave welfare (â€Å"leavers†) often encounter barriers to job retention and advancement. Between 1994 and 2002, the welfare caseload declined drastically, by more than 2.5 million cases (or 50 percent). Simultaneously, the number of single mothers either divorced or never married— in the work force increased by more than 1.2 million (or 22 percent). Government welfare programs have been instituted to help keep women employed and off welfare. Job retention and improvement strategies are becoming increasingly important to state policymakers as unemployment rates rise and slowed economic growth, corpora te lay-offs, and hiring freezes limit job opportunities for parents who are moving into the work force. Current and former welfare recipients and those who dont have a strong attachment to the work force may find it more difficult to gain employment in hard economic times, thus increasing the demand for job retention and improvement services for those who currently are employed. 2.4 Present profile of turnover of employees Employment expectations have risen slightly in (Q1) from an already high level in Q4. Of the 514 sales executives surveyed, 54% expect to increase their hiring which is slightly up from 53% the previous. As the years go by, expectations have remained solid. The 54% planning to grow headcount this year is at the same level as Q1 2004, though there are some variations between the sectors surveyed. Companies are extremely confident about how they will perform in the next six months with 95% of respondents forecasting their companys performance to be excellent or good in the first half of 2007. Respondents in Hong Kong report higher levels of staff turnover than in any other market surveyed in Asia with 37% stating that turnover in the last twelve months has exceeded 10% (Hudson, 2007). Hudson, one of the worlds leading professional recruitment, outsourcing and capacity management solution providers, today released findings of its broad quarterly Hudson Report for Asia. With a status as a key socio-economic indicator in the present market since its Asia launch in September 2000, the survey has been built on the premise that employers expectations of an increase or decrease in staffing levels represent a significant indication of their optimism in the growth of their organization and their industry as a whole. The Hudson Report represents the expectations of over 1450 key employment decision makers from multinational organizations of all sizes in all major industry sectors, with 400 of these executives based in Hong Kong. 2.4 The general profile of employees in the merchandising sector Traditionally the merchandising sector is associated with the employment of low level and unskilled workers, the vast majority of whom work in the lower ranks of the organizational hierarchy. The profile of employees in merchandising also follows a number of other patterns. The merchandising sector for example employs a large proportion of young people. According to recent estimates 29% of those employed in the sector are between the ages of 16 to 24. This is compared to the overall economy figure of 14%. It has been suggested that this figure may be due to the popularity of merchandising as a part-time occupation for young people and students (Stillsmart, 2004). Merchandising is also a popular choice for older workers (persons over 55). In terms of ethnic minority employment, the merchandising sector employs a similar fraction to those figures available nationally (Stillsmart, 2004). Recent research has shown however, that certain recruitment practices may prevent ethnic minorities from gaining employment in merchandising organizations. For example a study for Birmingham and Manchester cities in Britain for example, found that employers might specify jobs as a matter of course that require the staff to work on Saturdays without realizing that a large pool of potential workers would be unable to work on this day as it is their Sabbath (Vector research, 2003). 2.4 The trends common in the merchandising sector Merchandising is an economic sector, which has customarily been associated with the employment of diverse people of different background. Overall, 55% of merchandising employees are women and 45% are men (Stillsmart, 2004). This gender factor in the merchandising sector remains fairly consistent throughout other nations and regions of the Hong Kong and this profile has been fairly consistent over the last 10 years. Skill level has also played a bigger part in influencing how long an employee is wiling to stay in a given organization. Better salaries in other organizations may lead to employees moving from their respective place of work in pursuit for better opportunities (Hudson, 2004). Level of qualification gives workers a broader scale of work opportunities that they willingly take into considerations. Stillsmart (2004) suggest that Hong Kongs larger ethnic population is likely to be the source of this greater proportion of the workers in the capital run by ethnic minorities may p roprietorship driven by highly skilled male people. It is important to note however, that the representation of retention in the merchandising sector follows a number of important patterns discussed in the subsequent sections. Firstly the prevalence of staff turnover in the merchandising sector will be discussed. Secondly, evidence will be presented to show the under representation of employee needs at senior levels within the merchandising sector. 2.4.1 The prevalence of staff turnover in the merchandising sector Statistics from Stillsmart (2004) indicate that merchandising sector employment occupy three quarters of all employment in the Hong Kong economic sector, which accounts for 40% of all employment. This is a significant figure when, compared to the economy overall, where only 25% of people are employed permanently. The other majority of those working are part time workers employed in sales and customer service occupations. Figure 2.1 outlines the proportion of full and part time employment in the merchandising sector by gender. Source: Survey by National Employment Institute 2.4.1.1 Job retention in the labor force as a whole The prevalence of staff turnover when compared with other sectors of the economy is particularly evident in the merchandising sector. This trend is also reflected in employment across the Hong Kong, particularly in the service industries. The numbers of staff entering the labor market has dramatically increased over the past thirty years and this rise in numbers has mainly been in by young people with low skill (Burke and Nelson 2002; Davidson and Burke, 2002). Because of this influx of young energetic minds quickly induces training for the staff. After gaining much needed experience then leave the industry for more lucrative jobs in other sectors. Youthful persons in the Hong Kong are far more likely than middle and old aged persons to work as part-timers (EAC, 2004). According to the National Office of Statistics, in 2005, 42% of young employees in the Hong Kong worked in the sector compared to just 9% of old people. Interestingly, the number keeps on increasing in the industry whe reas companies are reporting a high staff turnover hence posing a big threat to company survival in the highly competitive industry (EAC, 2004). Source: Survey by National Employment Institute 2.4.3 Explanations for the prevalence of staff turnover among staff in the merchandising sector Traditionally, the predominance of staff turnover is largely attributed to the level of education and other academic qualifications (e.g. those with degrees go for more lucrative jobs in other lucrative industries vacating there positions) traditionally occupied by them which limits the productivity of the company (Thompson, 2004; Stillsmart, 2004). When addressing the merchandising sector specifically, Lynch (2003) comments that it is the very nature of the merchandising industry that contributes to the high proportion of turnovers. In the merchandising industry, recruitment is largely secured from the local labor market, staff requirements vary due to seasonal demands and employees are often required to work unfriendly hours as outlets open longer. These are all factors that lead to the reduction of morale and interest in the jobs within any organizational sector, and specifically the merchandising sector. In addition, Lynch (2003) further suggests that due to these delimiting fact ors in the industry and the continuous fluctuation of workforce in particular, potential merchandising companies are provided with an available pool of labor that accepts inferior terms and conditions of employment, as staff attempt to resolve their need to educate and retain their staff. 2.4.3.1 The under representation of staff interests in the merchandising sector by executives and senior officials Official statistics show that there is a higher proportion of college educated in managerial and senior occupations in the merchandising sector than in comparison to the economy a whole. It is important to note, however, that if the representation of staff; male and female, skilled and unskilled were equal throughout the sector. Furthermore, low skilled staff tends to predominate in certain types of management positions including personnel, which are roles traditionally associated with low skilled. 2.5 Recruitment and Retention of Paid Staff It can be surely asserted that, paid staff is a vital part of the retail and merchandising sector. Lynch (2003) further suggests that almost half (40%) of Canadas estimated 161,000 nonprofit and voluntary organizations has least one paid staff member. The sector as a whole employs just over 25% of the total economy. Twenty percent of paid staff in merchandising organizations is in permanent positions and 56% work full-time. The survey asked all organizations involved about the challenges they face recruiting the type of paid staff they need. Twenty-eight percent of organizations said that this is a problem for them; 8% said that the problem is serious. Organizations with paid staff were also asked if they have problems retaining staff. Nineteen percent said that they do, with 8% saying that the problem is serious. As a group, problems relating to paid staff were reported less frequently than other types of capacity challenges. Nevertheless, challenges relating to paid staff are signi ficant for some organizations. 2.5.1 Size of Paid Staff Complement In general, the more paid staff an organization has, the more likely it is to report problems with staff recruitment and retention. Forty-one percent of organizations with 13% of paid staff members reported problems recruiting paid staff. This rises to 30% among organizations with 20 to 50 staff members, 63% among those with 100 to 500 staff members, and 73% among those with 1000 or more staff members. The relationship between the number of staff an organization has and staff retention problems is less pronounced. Seventeen percent of organizations with one to four staff members said this is a problem for them. This increases to 26% among organizations with 100 or more staff members (Stillsmart, 2004). Source: Survey by National Employment Institute 2.5.2 Reliance on Paid Staff Lynch (2003) suggests the greater the percentage of an organizations workforce that is comprised of paid staff (As opposed to volunteers), the more dependent on paid staff the organization can be said to be. The more reliant an organization is on paid staff, the more likely it is to report difficulties employing and retaining staff. Lynch (2003) further suggests that this relationship is particularly strong for staff recruitment. For example, among organizations in which staff makes up one-third or less of the workforce, 15% said that staff recruitment is a problem for them and 19% said that staff retention is a problem. Nevertheless, among organizations in which staff comprises two thirds or more of the workforce, 54% said that staff recruitment is a problem and 20% said that staff retention is a problem (Stillsmart, 2004).. Source: Survey by National Employment Institute 2.6 The Glass ceiling theory The under representation of minority group in management positions in the merchandising and other occupational sectors has led theorists to assert that a ‘glass ceiling exists. The minority in this case includes: physically handicapped, less educated and women. The term ‘glass ceiling is used to reflect the ability of and minorities to view the world above them but the metaphorical ceiling prevents the minorities from accessing the better opportunities they can view. This glass ceiling effect occurs when minorities with equivalent credentials as the other employees, i.e. those who traditionally occupy positions of power within organizations, are prevented from accessing top jobs simply because they have particularly weaknesses (Davidson, 1997; Powell, 1999; Konrad, Prasad and Pringle, 2004). Nevertheless, the proportion of minorities in management has increased over the past three decades in almost all countries and legislation in some countries (e.g. Affirmative Action L egislation in the U.S. and Canada) has contributed to this trend (Powell and Graves, 2003). Despite this encouraging increase, recent research by Catalyst (2005) has shown that the glass ceiling is firmly in place. In the U.K., seventy-eight Financial Times Share Index (FTSE 100) companies in 2004 had physically challenged directors, up 13% from the previous year. However, only eleven FTSE 100 companies had female executive directors, which was below the 2002 figure and twenty-two of the FTSE 100 boards in 2005 were all-male (Singh and Vinicrombe, 2005). These statistics largely reflect the experiences of white staff. It is important to highlight that black and ethnic minority staffs across the globe often face significant hurdles. Although there is a general lack of data on ethnicity and employment or physical handicap and employment, ethnic minority employees are under- represented at senior and professional levels in the labor market (Commission for Racial Equality, 2004). In Hon g Kong in 2004 for example, 17% of ethnic minority men were managers or senior officials compared to 10% of ethnic minority staff. The highest percentages of staff and men in these positions were Indian and Chinese (Commission for Racial Equality, 2004). Research has highlighted that a glass ceiling exists even in occupations where staff predominate. Approximately 90% of nurses, for example, are female but male nurses often experience greater career success than female nurses (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2005). The number of women studying merchandise in England now outnumbers men (Davidson and Burke, 2004) but partners of top merchandise firms continue to be predominantly men. An examination of data from the top 10 ten merchandise firms in the Hong Kong in 2005 revealed that on average, 15% of female partners in the top 10 merchandise firms are women (The Merchandise Society, 2005). Recent research has highlighted that whilst women and physically challenged are now achieving mor e senior roles, they are more likely than men to find themselves on a ‘glass cliff (Haslam, 2005). According to Haslam (2005), this is because staff are more likely to secure positions of leadership when organizations are not performing at their optimum level. This means that their appointments are made under more risky circumstances which make them more uncertain. This suggests that not only do staff experience hurdles to achieving senior roles; they are placed under greater scrutiny and face increased pressures when they do reach leadership positions. The disadvantaged experience of the glass ceiling is an important area of study and has implications for the future development of talent in organizations of all sectors including merchandising. Research has shown for example that frustrated by the glass ceiling, many workers quit and start their own businesses (Powell, 1999; Davidson and Fielden, 2003). This can have a detrimental affect within organizations as competent and e xperienced staffs remove themselves from the selection pool. 2.5.1 Pay Differences However, research shows that staff leaders and staff at all levels of the workforce are generally paid less than men with equivalent skills, training and experience, for performing the same roles. In 2005, the percentage difference between the average hourly earnings of staff working full-time in Great Britain for example was 17.1 % (Equal Opportunities Commission, 2004). In the US, staffs earn approximately 77 cents for every dollar earned by men (Retailers Bureau data, 2000, in Nelson and Michie, 2004). The Equal Opportunities Commission in the U.K. (2005) highlights three main reasons for this pay difference. Firstly, there is discrimination in pay systems. Staff are paid less than men for performing the same roles. Secondly, ‘occupational segregation exists. Many employees is concentrated in low paid jobs. Thirdly, staffs assume caring responsibilities for children and other relatives/dependents, which affects their progression at work due to the lack of flexible working. 2.6 Perspectives on barriers to staff in management Authors have identified an array of complex factors that contribute to the existence and pervasive nature of the ‘glass ceiling. Three main perspectives have been offered to explain the adversity facing staff aspiring to senior levels within organizations. These are commonly referred to as the ‘person centered or ‘gender-centered approach (Powell, 1999), the organizational structure perspective (Fagenson, 1993; Kanter, 1977) and the social systems perspective. It is widely acknowledged that the glass ceiling is a result of a culmination of these three main perspectives (Omar and Da Factors Causing High Employee Turnover Rates Factors Causing High Employee Turnover Rates Staff Retention Human Resources Management Chapter 1 Introduction Employee turnover in the industry has become the custom today in the manufacturing, service and merchandising industry. Employees are moving from one form of employment to another because of several factors that the employers have not yet grasped. In this regard many industry players are busy defining ways to protect turnover of its employees. The most affected part of this is the merchandising industry. In the bid to prove influence in the fastest upcoming sector executives in the merchandising industry are fighting hard the high trend of their staff consistently changing jobs (Rueben 22). Today generating an atmosphere favorable and valued by all employees in the ever changing employee market may not be as pain-streaking as it may appear to the larger population. It engages a number of issues may make the brilliant minds that make up your staffs want to stay in the organization. A combination of this contribution may eventually lead to higher number of employees and thus reduce tur nover. The contributions made above require that they be performed in tandem for observable achievement to be achieved. Grasping the skill of staff retention requires that management delve deeply into what causes turnover of staff in institutions. Many questions should be put on the table in order to ascertain reasons why one would want to work in one organization and not prefer to work in another organization. The managements should not rest at that but proceed to look into the subsequent period that the employee has been absorbed into an organization. By asking these questions it is easy to discern that there are a lot of issues that have been left wanting for a long time. I find it easy to look at these issues by sympathizing with the employee and trying to assume his shoes at the company. This in real meaning requires doing proper research on standard ethical models that might be brought on board to encourage retention of employees. In the recent past the employers used to retai n employees. The confidence thus gained goes down well with those in the precincts of work thus offering them purpose and presence. Boosting the moral of workers is one way of improving confidence of staff. In this regard even the general productivity of the company of the company can be noticed. Working closely and collectively in addition grants the staff presence. Al in all its just a matter of saying thank you as morality demands. There are different styles of leadership in institutions that influence how relationships in the work place take place. People in leadership roles should be in the fore front in show wing proper codes of conduct to their employees, as opposed to taking the hind seat. In turn the employees may feel very motivated within the working environments that they are working. This enabling environment will thus lead to a sense of belonging by the individuals and cohesiveness thus leading to teamwork translating into a proud team. For one to retain staff he or she has to consider several important issues of the work place. Background Draper Co. Ltd. Found in 1987 is a sweater manufacturer that employs more than 100 people in Hong Kong. Since garment companies had bloomed in recent years. The role for merchandising people become more difficult and the manpower is short in the labor market. Draper is facing the problem of high staff turnover rate. In addition, with opening of the mainland market, many foreign enterprises had set up their merchandising sections in Hong Kong and some enterprises also invite Hong Kong garment companies to cope with their expanding business. As a result, the job vacancies of staff increased tremendously. Among the merchandising industry, garment sections are highest in demand for staff. This is due to the fast growing of the sectors as well as the high employee turnover rate and the lack of talent in the labor market. With the goal of identifying predictors of turnover, factors and employees intention to leave or stay with the company will be the major issue of Draper Co. Ltd. Research Problems Initially, the establishment of the project required the involvement of different parties who would provide data and statistical analysis. The study required involvement of external organizations which would require them to allow access their staff to cooperate during the course of the research. Unfortunately some of these merchants turned down request to take part a little after the project was already initialized, it was quite unfortunate. The team of researchers contacted several nationwide merchandise groups to request them to take part in the research as a subsequent measure. Within a short period of time, two particular staff articulated formal concern and primarily arranged to play a part in the project but with the approval of the Board of Governors of their respectful organizations. The team of researchers used up considerable hours meeting with a variety of the team of people representing the staff and giving important information related to the research and showing present ations that highlight the scope of the study. An agreement was made with these staff that the research panel would conduct industry job and staff retention survey within the merchandise organization, rather than concentrating on organizational loop holes as it would imply that there are indeed loop holes, in their respective organizations which might not be the truly case. However because of various unpredicted situations including the falling ill of one of the team members who acted as coordinator of the research team and these respectful staff, the staff in the end made the decision to withdraw its cooperation, leaving operation of the research between a rock a rock and a hard place. The research team then informed the Draper Co. Ltd of the current problems and suggesting a different research method design that would still be in line aims of the project and the objectives outlined before the research was initially flagged off. In this respect, a decision was made to advertise acro ss various merchandise outlets to secure individual people working as staff to act as respondents from different retail outlets, thus eliminating the process of approaching company heads or Board of Governors for endorsement to guarantee a speedy and effortless contact with respondents. The Draper Co. Ltd was highly involved in endorsing the submission for change in the approach for the research. The research carried out by the team concerned conducting 100 partially controlled telephone interviews with staff from different merchandising firms including own staff at Draper Co. Ltd . The research method design of the survey was cautiously designed and conversant with preceding works that dwelled on employee equality and diversity concerns all over the work environment (e.g. Sutherland and Davidson, 1997). The design of the interviews was such that it could be in accordance with the aims and corresponding objectives of the Draper Co. Ltd and eventually deal with a array of concerns as well as the recognition of possible occupational improvement barriers and the recognition of approaches for conquering these limitations, chances for education and training, job promotions and provision for leadership. The partially controlled interview timetable was then stored in secure modules and safe websites secured with passwords, which eventually made it easy for members of the research panel to enter information directly into the research database and online pages, and at the same time carrying out interviews with respondents all over the merchandising industry. The details of the research methodology and what will be contained in the schedule for the research is described in the subsequent sections. Research Objective This study was led by a research team commissioned by the Draper Co. Ltd. The research team was selected by the management of the company with advice by the legal advice wing experts. It was agreed that 16 members be brought aboard the team of researchers. The main goal of identifying predictors of turnover, factors and employees intention to leave or stay with the company will be the major issue of Draper Co. Ltd. The aims of the project were as follows: To examine two sets of potential causes of job turnovers and eventual staff retention mechanisms: firstly, those that impede the retention of workers in the organization and secondly, those that speeds the exit of the players from the organizations. Identify strategies for overcoming these barriers. Investigate the feasibility of constructing a national database, documenting the career paths of women in the merchandise industry. Develop, publish and disseminate good practice guidelines and recommendations using reports, conference presentations, feedback seminars, academic journals and merchandise specialist and national press. The objectives of the project were to: Investigate two sets of potential reasons for staff leaving the company: firstly, those that accelerate the exit of workers and staff and secondly, those that impede the efforts of retaining staff in the organization. Identify strategies for overcoming these reasons. Investigate the feasibility of constructing a company database, documenting the career paths of workers in the merchandise industry. Develop a promotion system, which is more sensitive to the needs of employees Develop an image of the company, which is based entirely upon team cohesion. Provide a concept of role models, which can be utilized by young employees to resolve possible work life balance conflicts. Produce a set of solutions, which can be applied to other retail settings. Develop, publish and disseminate good practice guidelines and recommendations using reports, conference presentations, feedback seminars, academic journals and merchandise specialist and national press. Research Questions: Why this company has high staff turnover rate Why staff relationship will make new comer difficult to fit in team work What relationship caused high staff turnover rate How to retain staff in this company Does the management policy affect staff retention? Does the company is responsive to employees needs and wants Does companys reputation retain staff? Terminologies Merchandising Retention Welfare Turnover Respondent Outsourcing Glass ceiling Dissertation Outlines Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction This Section looks at the main literature in this area. The first sections focus on the structure of merchandising and the broader profile of the sector. The section then moves on to its main concern which is the job retention of staff at junior and senior levels in merchandising. Merchandising is an economic sector, which has traditionally been associated with the employment of staff. Overall, 60% of staff are low skilled employees and 40% are highly skilled in terms of there educational background. Even as these figures show that the merchandising sector clearly employs a larger number of low skilled than the skilled, it is not a ‘balanced industry (Stillsmart, 2004). The representation of low skill workers in the merchandising sector however, follows a number of important patterns. Official statistics are used to highlight the predominance of staff in part time work in the merchandising sector and the under representation of a section staff at senior levels. According to Sti llsmart, (2004), official figures are general and are unlikely to provide a clear understanding of the dynamics relating to the position in which staff is employed in merchandising sector. The following sections therefore outline theories that have been offered to account for these disparities, particularly in relation to barriers for staff attempting to progress into senior management positions. An examination of managing diversity is then offered and potential mechanisms for ensuring merchandising organizations fully utilize the talents of all employees to maximize productivity is discussed. 2.2 The structure of the merchandising sector The merchandising sector is the largest private sector employer in the Hong Kong yet it is rarely recognized as such. Stillsmart (a not for profit organization, set up and part funded by Government to identify and address the skills needs of the Hong Kong merchandising sector), suggest that this is, possibly because its workforce is not concentrated in any particular region or locality. In fact, the merchandising sector is the largest public sector employer in the Hong Kong. Furthermore, Wang XI Inc is the Hong Kongs second largest employer after the Jubilee (Stillsmart, 2004). Overall, the merchandising sector employs three million people throughout the Hong Kong, which accounts for approximately ten per cent of employment throughout the Hong Kong. However, the structure of the industry is unusual, and is described by Stillsmart, as ‘hourglass shaped. The vast majority (95%) work in firms with less than ten employees. Consequently, there is significantly less (just over two th ousand) merchandising employers with more than fifty staff, reflecting the â€Å"hourglass shape† of the industry profile. 2.3 Job Retention and improvement Strategies The welfare reform programs of the 1990s moved many families from cash assistance into the work force. The strong economy provided an abundance of entry-level, low-skill job opportunities to support this transition. For most of these families, however, finding a job is only the first step in the difficult path toward self-sufficiency. Like other working parents, adults who leave welfare (â€Å"leavers†) often encounter barriers to job retention and advancement. Between 1994 and 2002, the welfare caseload declined drastically, by more than 2.5 million cases (or 50 percent). Simultaneously, the number of single mothers either divorced or never married— in the work force increased by more than 1.2 million (or 22 percent). Government welfare programs have been instituted to help keep women employed and off welfare. Job retention and improvement strategies are becoming increasingly important to state policymakers as unemployment rates rise and slowed economic growth, corpora te lay-offs, and hiring freezes limit job opportunities for parents who are moving into the work force. Current and former welfare recipients and those who dont have a strong attachment to the work force may find it more difficult to gain employment in hard economic times, thus increasing the demand for job retention and improvement services for those who currently are employed. 2.4 Present profile of turnover of employees Employment expectations have risen slightly in (Q1) from an already high level in Q4. Of the 514 sales executives surveyed, 54% expect to increase their hiring which is slightly up from 53% the previous. As the years go by, expectations have remained solid. The 54% planning to grow headcount this year is at the same level as Q1 2004, though there are some variations between the sectors surveyed. Companies are extremely confident about how they will perform in the next six months with 95% of respondents forecasting their companys performance to be excellent or good in the first half of 2007. Respondents in Hong Kong report higher levels of staff turnover than in any other market surveyed in Asia with 37% stating that turnover in the last twelve months has exceeded 10% (Hudson, 2007). Hudson, one of the worlds leading professional recruitment, outsourcing and capacity management solution providers, today released findings of its broad quarterly Hudson Report for Asia. With a status as a key socio-economic indicator in the present market since its Asia launch in September 2000, the survey has been built on the premise that employers expectations of an increase or decrease in staffing levels represent a significant indication of their optimism in the growth of their organization and their industry as a whole. The Hudson Report represents the expectations of over 1450 key employment decision makers from multinational organizations of all sizes in all major industry sectors, with 400 of these executives based in Hong Kong. 2.4 The general profile of employees in the merchandising sector Traditionally the merchandising sector is associated with the employment of low level and unskilled workers, the vast majority of whom work in the lower ranks of the organizational hierarchy. The profile of employees in merchandising also follows a number of other patterns. The merchandising sector for example employs a large proportion of young people. According to recent estimates 29% of those employed in the sector are between the ages of 16 to 24. This is compared to the overall economy figure of 14%. It has been suggested that this figure may be due to the popularity of merchandising as a part-time occupation for young people and students (Stillsmart, 2004). Merchandising is also a popular choice for older workers (persons over 55). In terms of ethnic minority employment, the merchandising sector employs a similar fraction to those figures available nationally (Stillsmart, 2004). Recent research has shown however, that certain recruitment practices may prevent ethnic minorities from gaining employment in merchandising organizations. For example a study for Birmingham and Manchester cities in Britain for example, found that employers might specify jobs as a matter of course that require the staff to work on Saturdays without realizing that a large pool of potential workers would be unable to work on this day as it is their Sabbath (Vector research, 2003). 2.4 The trends common in the merchandising sector Merchandising is an economic sector, which has customarily been associated with the employment of diverse people of different background. Overall, 55% of merchandising employees are women and 45% are men (Stillsmart, 2004). This gender factor in the merchandising sector remains fairly consistent throughout other nations and regions of the Hong Kong and this profile has been fairly consistent over the last 10 years. Skill level has also played a bigger part in influencing how long an employee is wiling to stay in a given organization. Better salaries in other organizations may lead to employees moving from their respective place of work in pursuit for better opportunities (Hudson, 2004). Level of qualification gives workers a broader scale of work opportunities that they willingly take into considerations. Stillsmart (2004) suggest that Hong Kongs larger ethnic population is likely to be the source of this greater proportion of the workers in the capital run by ethnic minorities may p roprietorship driven by highly skilled male people. It is important to note however, that the representation of retention in the merchandising sector follows a number of important patterns discussed in the subsequent sections. Firstly the prevalence of staff turnover in the merchandising sector will be discussed. Secondly, evidence will be presented to show the under representation of employee needs at senior levels within the merchandising sector. 2.4.1 The prevalence of staff turnover in the merchandising sector Statistics from Stillsmart (2004) indicate that merchandising sector employment occupy three quarters of all employment in the Hong Kong economic sector, which accounts for 40% of all employment. This is a significant figure when, compared to the economy overall, where only 25% of people are employed permanently. The other majority of those working are part time workers employed in sales and customer service occupations. Figure 2.1 outlines the proportion of full and part time employment in the merchandising sector by gender. Source: Survey by National Employment Institute 2.4.1.1 Job retention in the labor force as a whole The prevalence of staff turnover when compared with other sectors of the economy is particularly evident in the merchandising sector. This trend is also reflected in employment across the Hong Kong, particularly in the service industries. The numbers of staff entering the labor market has dramatically increased over the past thirty years and this rise in numbers has mainly been in by young people with low skill (Burke and Nelson 2002; Davidson and Burke, 2002). Because of this influx of young energetic minds quickly induces training for the staff. After gaining much needed experience then leave the industry for more lucrative jobs in other sectors. Youthful persons in the Hong Kong are far more likely than middle and old aged persons to work as part-timers (EAC, 2004). According to the National Office of Statistics, in 2005, 42% of young employees in the Hong Kong worked in the sector compared to just 9% of old people. Interestingly, the number keeps on increasing in the industry whe reas companies are reporting a high staff turnover hence posing a big threat to company survival in the highly competitive industry (EAC, 2004). Source: Survey by National Employment Institute 2.4.3 Explanations for the prevalence of staff turnover among staff in the merchandising sector Traditionally, the predominance of staff turnover is largely attributed to the level of education and other academic qualifications (e.g. those with degrees go for more lucrative jobs in other lucrative industries vacating there positions) traditionally occupied by them which limits the productivity of the company (Thompson, 2004; Stillsmart, 2004). When addressing the merchandising sector specifically, Lynch (2003) comments that it is the very nature of the merchandising industry that contributes to the high proportion of turnovers. In the merchandising industry, recruitment is largely secured from the local labor market, staff requirements vary due to seasonal demands and employees are often required to work unfriendly hours as outlets open longer. These are all factors that lead to the reduction of morale and interest in the jobs within any organizational sector, and specifically the merchandising sector. In addition, Lynch (2003) further suggests that due to these delimiting fact ors in the industry and the continuous fluctuation of workforce in particular, potential merchandising companies are provided with an available pool of labor that accepts inferior terms and conditions of employment, as staff attempt to resolve their need to educate and retain their staff. 2.4.3.1 The under representation of staff interests in the merchandising sector by executives and senior officials Official statistics show that there is a higher proportion of college educated in managerial and senior occupations in the merchandising sector than in comparison to the economy a whole. It is important to note, however, that if the representation of staff; male and female, skilled and unskilled were equal throughout the sector. Furthermore, low skilled staff tends to predominate in certain types of management positions including personnel, which are roles traditionally associated with low skilled. 2.5 Recruitment and Retention of Paid Staff It can be surely asserted that, paid staff is a vital part of the retail and merchandising sector. Lynch (2003) further suggests that almost half (40%) of Canadas estimated 161,000 nonprofit and voluntary organizations has least one paid staff member. The sector as a whole employs just over 25% of the total economy. Twenty percent of paid staff in merchandising organizations is in permanent positions and 56% work full-time. The survey asked all organizations involved about the challenges they face recruiting the type of paid staff they need. Twenty-eight percent of organizations said that this is a problem for them; 8% said that the problem is serious. Organizations with paid staff were also asked if they have problems retaining staff. Nineteen percent said that they do, with 8% saying that the problem is serious. As a group, problems relating to paid staff were reported less frequently than other types of capacity challenges. Nevertheless, challenges relating to paid staff are signi ficant for some organizations. 2.5.1 Size of Paid Staff Complement In general, the more paid staff an organization has, the more likely it is to report problems with staff recruitment and retention. Forty-one percent of organizations with 13% of paid staff members reported problems recruiting paid staff. This rises to 30% among organizations with 20 to 50 staff members, 63% among those with 100 to 500 staff members, and 73% among those with 1000 or more staff members. The relationship between the number of staff an organization has and staff retention problems is less pronounced. Seventeen percent of organizations with one to four staff members said this is a problem for them. This increases to 26% among organizations with 100 or more staff members (Stillsmart, 2004). Source: Survey by National Employment Institute 2.5.2 Reliance on Paid Staff Lynch (2003) suggests the greater the percentage of an organizations workforce that is comprised of paid staff (As opposed to volunteers), the more dependent on paid staff the organization can be said to be. The more reliant an organization is on paid staff, the more likely it is to report difficulties employing and retaining staff. Lynch (2003) further suggests that this relationship is particularly strong for staff recruitment. For example, among organizations in which staff makes up one-third or less of the workforce, 15% said that staff recruitment is a problem for them and 19% said that staff retention is a problem. Nevertheless, among organizations in which staff comprises two thirds or more of the workforce, 54% said that staff recruitment is a problem and 20% said that staff retention is a problem (Stillsmart, 2004).. Source: Survey by National Employment Institute 2.6 The Glass ceiling theory The under representation of minority group in management positions in the merchandising and other occupational sectors has led theorists to assert that a ‘glass ceiling exists. The minority in this case includes: physically handicapped, less educated and women. The term ‘glass ceiling is used to reflect the ability of and minorities to view the world above them but the metaphorical ceiling prevents the minorities from accessing the better opportunities they can view. This glass ceiling effect occurs when minorities with equivalent credentials as the other employees, i.e. those who traditionally occupy positions of power within organizations, are prevented from accessing top jobs simply because they have particularly weaknesses (Davidson, 1997; Powell, 1999; Konrad, Prasad and Pringle, 2004). Nevertheless, the proportion of minorities in management has increased over the past three decades in almost all countries and legislation in some countries (e.g. Affirmative Action L egislation in the U.S. and Canada) has contributed to this trend (Powell and Graves, 2003). Despite this encouraging increase, recent research by Catalyst (2005) has shown that the glass ceiling is firmly in place. In the U.K., seventy-eight Financial Times Share Index (FTSE 100) companies in 2004 had physically challenged directors, up 13% from the previous year. However, only eleven FTSE 100 companies had female executive directors, which was below the 2002 figure and twenty-two of the FTSE 100 boards in 2005 were all-male (Singh and Vinicrombe, 2005). These statistics largely reflect the experiences of white staff. It is important to highlight that black and ethnic minority staffs across the globe often face significant hurdles. Although there is a general lack of data on ethnicity and employment or physical handicap and employment, ethnic minority employees are under- represented at senior and professional levels in the labor market (Commission for Racial Equality, 2004). In Hon g Kong in 2004 for example, 17% of ethnic minority men were managers or senior officials compared to 10% of ethnic minority staff. The highest percentages of staff and men in these positions were Indian and Chinese (Commission for Racial Equality, 2004). Research has highlighted that a glass ceiling exists even in occupations where staff predominate. Approximately 90% of nurses, for example, are female but male nurses often experience greater career success than female nurses (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2005). The number of women studying merchandise in England now outnumbers men (Davidson and Burke, 2004) but partners of top merchandise firms continue to be predominantly men. An examination of data from the top 10 ten merchandise firms in the Hong Kong in 2005 revealed that on average, 15% of female partners in the top 10 merchandise firms are women (The Merchandise Society, 2005). Recent research has highlighted that whilst women and physically challenged are now achieving mor e senior roles, they are more likely than men to find themselves on a ‘glass cliff (Haslam, 2005). According to Haslam (2005), this is because staff are more likely to secure positions of leadership when organizations are not performing at their optimum level. This means that their appointments are made under more risky circumstances which make them more uncertain. This suggests that not only do staff experience hurdles to achieving senior roles; they are placed under greater scrutiny and face increased pressures when they do reach leadership positions. The disadvantaged experience of the glass ceiling is an important area of study and has implications for the future development of talent in organizations of all sectors including merchandising. Research has shown for example that frustrated by the glass ceiling, many workers quit and start their own businesses (Powell, 1999; Davidson and Fielden, 2003). This can have a detrimental affect within organizations as competent and e xperienced staffs remove themselves from the selection pool. 2.5.1 Pay Differences However, research shows that staff leaders and staff at all levels of the workforce are generally paid less than men with equivalent skills, training and experience, for performing the same roles. In 2005, the percentage difference between the average hourly earnings of staff working full-time in Great Britain for example was 17.1 % (Equal Opportunities Commission, 2004). In the US, staffs earn approximately 77 cents for every dollar earned by men (Retailers Bureau data, 2000, in Nelson and Michie, 2004). The Equal Opportunities Commission in the U.K. (2005) highlights three main reasons for this pay difference. Firstly, there is discrimination in pay systems. Staff are paid less than men for performing the same roles. Secondly, ‘occupational segregation exists. Many employees is concentrated in low paid jobs. Thirdly, staffs assume caring responsibilities for children and other relatives/dependents, which affects their progression at work due to the lack of flexible working. 2.6 Perspectives on barriers to staff in management Authors have identified an array of complex factors that contribute to the existence and pervasive nature of the ‘glass ceiling. Three main perspectives have been offered to explain the adversity facing staff aspiring to senior levels within organizations. These are commonly referred to as the ‘person centered or ‘gender-centered approach (Powell, 1999), the organizational structure perspective (Fagenson, 1993; Kanter, 1977) and the social systems perspective. It is widely acknowledged that the glass ceiling is a result of a culmination of these three main perspectives (Omar and Da

Real Estate Investment Trusts :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Real Estate Investment Trusts A real estate investment trust, or REIT, is a company that buys, develops, manages and sells real estate assets. There are three types of REITs; they are equity REITs, mortgage REITs, and hybrid REITs. An equity REIT is a corporation that purchases, owns and manages real estate properties; it does not own or originate real estate loans. It may also develop properties. A mortgage REIT is a corporation that purchases, owns and manages real estate loans; it does not own real estate properties. It may or may not originate commercial and/or residential loans. A hybrid REIT is a corporation that purchases, owns and manages both real estate loans and real estate properties. It has the qualities of both an equity and mortgage REIT which is why it is referred to as a hybrid. One of the most distinguishing characteristics of a REIT is that they are required to distribute at least 95% of taxable income to shareholders. REITs allow participants to invest in a professionally-managed portfoli o of real estate assets. This is important because prior to Congress's creation of REITs only extremely rich individuals were able to benefit from ventures in the real estate market. By pooling assets together in a manner similar to that of a mutual fund, REITs allow the everyday investor the chance to invest in real estate properties. The main benefit of a REIT is that it is exempt from double taxation. The normal corporation is taxed on earnings, and then when dividends are paid, the individual receiving the dividend is taxed. REITs can deduct dividends distributed from taxable income. This results in only one level of taxation. The main disadvantage of a REIT is that since nearly all earnings are distributed as dividends, the trust must find capital to reinvest into the business from other areas. These funds are usually raised by investments in the market, and through the capital gains realized from the sale of the REITs assets. The second method by which REITs procure capital to reinvest into the business raises an accounting issue regarding the classification of assets. Currently, the buildings and property that REITs utilize to raise income are classified as property, plant, and equipment. However, it can be argued that these assets should be classified as inventory. The accounting definition of property, plant, and equipment specifies those properties of a durable nature used in the regular operations of the business.

Cuban Relations Essay -- Essays Papers

Cuban Relations In the year 1959 a politician named Fidel Castro led a revolution against the Cuban government under Fulgencio Batista. Castro used his influence to persuade the Cuban people to fight for him in the revolution against Batista’s government. With the people on his side, Castro successfully overthrew the Cuban government and was eventually elected President. These people believed in Castro, and that he would make Cuba a better place to live and work in. Once Fidel Castro had control, he named himself dictator for life and made Cuba a socialist nation who openly embraced communism. Cuba became the only communist nation in the Eastern Hemisphere. As a result of this new socialist regime many Cubans fled to the United States into south Florida, which is only a mere ninety miles from Cuba. Shortly after Castro took control of the government, relations with the United States declined. Capitalist leaders, like the United States wanted to make sure that socialist countries trying to establish a communist system, such as Cuba would fail because the goal of communists is to develop a system free from private ownership, which is not in the best interests of the countries who are wealthy due to private ownership i.e. the United States of America. Under The Kennedy administration, America attempted to dethrone Castro from power in Cuba many times, including the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. While these attempts to get rid of Castro failed, in 1962 American President John F. Kennedy signed the Cuban Embargo to stop all imports, exports, and diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. The signing of this embargo was basically the beginning of the end for diplomatic relations between the United States of... ...the sanctions which have suffocated the Cuban economy in the past four decades. Until Castro wishes to comply with the government of the United States, the embargo will stand and Cuba’s economy will hurt because of it. Works Cited 1. U.S. Rejects Ending Trade Embargo on Cuba. Website. . 2. Senators who vote in order of Ending the Embargo. Website. 3. The Cuban Economy. Website. < www.pitt.edu/~press/books/cubaneconomy.html.> 4. Faces of Cuba. Website. 5. Fidel Castro:History Archive. Website. 6. U.S. Department of State. Website. < www.state.gov/www/regions/wha/cuba/.>

How can ICT Help Special Needs Children Integrate Themselves in Society?

How can ICT Help Special Needs Children Integrate Themselves in Society? â€Å"We are seen as ‘abnormal' because we are different, we are problem people, lacking the equipment for social integration.† (Brisenden, 1986) Not so long ago, society was to blame for secluding and cutting off special needs people, from complete partaking in society and as a result, these impaired people ended up demoralized and feeling inferior to others. Today we know that special needs people, try their best to learn to communicate with the rest of society. The problem is not whether they succeed or not, the problem is; Are we, as part of society, doing enough effort to help them in their lifetime struggle? The International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) has recently initiated learning environments which integrates Computer Technology and Good teaching in order to increase the motivation and self-esteem of special needs students. Researchers following closely the program have stated that Computer technology enhances these children's ability to solve problems and make decisions, they build a positive self-image, they are excited about learning and thus they become better citizens. One major reason for using ICT was to reduce the large rate of dropouts. Researchers have concluded that Children with Literacy Problems (mostly dyslexics), often lack behind the rest of their class, give up on learning and end-up as school dropouts, feeling unable to fit in a society. ISTE has created a learning program called Video Disk Spaced System. This proved to be highly successful as it was not only a support for these children, in order to keep up with the rest of the class but it also managed to promote that positive self-image concept. Computer technology motivated these kids and they in turn appreciated the potential of ICT in a learning environment. Results have shown that ICT did help these special needs children as the dropout rate decreased to three times lower than the natural average. ICT can also help physically impaired children by fulfilling their dreams. In example Sharita a physically disabled child dreams to become a writer but unfortunately she cannot move her fingers. Computer technology has helped her fulfil her dream by devising a long extended stick in the form or a finger with which she can press the letters on a computer keyboard. Another concrete example regarded Megan who is unable to speak and write because she has Cerebral Palsy, however through ICT she was awarded as the Top English Student in her class. A Light Talker was devised, which is basically a matrix of letters and phrases. Through the use of a head switch (because Megan can only control the movement of her head), she can stop vertical movements of light at the desired row and stop the horizontal movement of light at the desired letter or phrase. Through ICT Megan is thus able to communicate with tremendous effort. However one has to keep in mind that without this device Megan can neither develop her intellectual potential, nor can she express herself as a part of society. Through the examples discussed above one can realise that by Integrating Computer Technology with learning, these special needs children are becoming more eager to learn, they are being provided with new ways to manipulate their environment in order to communicate better with the rest of society, barriers are being blown away and a variety of new worlds opened up, all by the use of Computer Technology. Apart from all this, ICT has provided them with what any individual wants that is their independence. Illegal Copying of Intellectual Property Alert!! You may be Unaware of Committing Computer Crimes†¦ * What is Illegal Copying? A widely used term which means the same as illegal copying is Copyright Theft or Copyright Infringement. Copyright theft occurs when making use of protected work such as: software programs; another writer's text; movies; sounds; and images, without actually paying the required fee for authorisation. * Illegal Copying and the Use of Computers: The use of Computers has made the act of copying far easier and handier than in the past. Burton (1996) argued that the Internet is one big copying machine that is basically ridiculing copyright laws. * What is considered as Copyright Violation? Software Piracy – Software copying such as copying a program from one diskette to another. Network Piracy – Distributing unauthorised copyright materials in digitized form ex: record companies have protested against sending unauthorized copies of digital recordings over the internet. Plagiarism – Illegal Copying of Academic Property: such as another writer's text, journals etc. Interpreting and presenting them as one's own. Ownership of media – Altering images, movies and sounds. * Plagiarism: Illegal Copying of Academic Property: You as a student may think it is harmless making one copy of an Academic Software program while the teacher is looking away, but you need to keep in mind that if all students should think the same as you think, then one single act of software piracy, will be then multiplied thousands of times. In addition to this if you are caught copying illegally Scholar property, you may end up sued by the school itself. Interpreting other writers' texts (found while researching for assignments) and presenting them as your own is also considered as a criminal offence and one can end up permanently suspended from school. * The Results of Getting Caught : If you are caught using pirated academic software, you could: Face civil fines (which you don't afford and your parents may want to kill you) Endure humiliating publicity End up with a criminal record (which affects you future) * A Word of Advice: It is not ethical to illegally copy any intellectual property nor is it worth risk taking because there is a high percentage of getting a computer virus and worse the risk of getting caught!