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Critical Analysis of the Strategic human resource management in India The WritePass Journal

Critical Analysis of the Strategic human resource management in India Abstract Critical Analysis of the Strategic human resource management in India AbstractIntroductionSHRM literature: DevelopmentsBackground: Choice of countryProcedure for review of articlesResearch questionsScope of the reviewIdentification of articlesCharacteristics of the reviewed studiesConclusionReferencesRelated Abstract The last two decades have witnessed many developments in the research and practice of managing human resources. While the debate began with a consideration of the changing role of HRM, more recently there has been increased interest in conceptualizing and testing the links between business strategy and performance. In India, research in the area of HRM gained recognition with the ushering in of the new economic era of liberalisation during the early 1990s. The primary objective of this article is to provide a synthesis of the strategic human resource management (SHRM) literature as it relates to India. Specifically, this review will consider the dominant theoretical perspectives adopted by scholars; ways in which HRM and performance are defined and operationalised; the approach taken to research design along with noting the control and contingency variables used. The review also draws out the potential contributions of the existing studies to solving the ‘black box’ prob lem. Finally, the article also presents the implications for future research on SHRM in India. Keywords: India, Strategic human resource management, HRM, firm performance Introduction Empirical research in the field of SHRM has proliferated significantly since the seminal work of Huselid in 1995. Many recent studies have discussed SHRM in the Asia-Pacific context (Audea, Teo, and Crawford 2005; Bae et al. 2003; Benson and Rowley 2003; Wan, Kok, and Ong 2002). Furthermore, the growth of India as an emerging market prompted institutions such as the World Bank to project the country as the world’s fourth largest economy by 2020 (Budhwar and Varma 2010). This increasing focus on India makes it an interesting setting for this study. The review aims to provide a synthesis of literature in the area of HRM and performance linkages in India. The study reviewed articles between 2003 (first empirical article: Singh 2003) and 2010 in academic journals, focusing on the HRM and performance debate. Specifically, this review will consider the dominant theoretical perspectives adopted by scholars; ways in which HRM and performance are defined and operationalised; the approa ch taken to research design along with noting the control and contingency variables used.   Finally, the review also examines the potential contributions of the reviewed articles to solving the ‘black box’ problem. This article is organised as follows. The first section reviews the extant literature on SHRM.   The next section discusses the need for a review of SHRM in India. The third section outlines the research methodology used in this paper. The final sections discuss the results and present the main conclusions and implications of this study. SHRM literature: Developments Lengnick-Hall et al. (2009) identified seven themes across time in the SHRM literature: (1) explaining contingency perspectives and fit, (2) shifting from a focus on managing people to creating strategic contributions, (3) elaborating HR system components and structure, (4) expanding the scope of SHRM, (5) achieving HR implementation and execution, (6) measuring outcomes of SHRM, and (7) evaluating methodological issues. Each of these themes played a significant role in the evolution of the field. Empirical research has suggested a relation between HRM practices (whether as individual practices or as a bundle) and organizational performance (Paauwe 2009). Wright and Boswell (2002) proposed a typology of HRM research based on two dimensions: level of analysis (individual/ organizational) and number of practices (single/ multiple). Many articles published after Huselid (1995) have not only analysed the effects on performance at an individual practice level like recruitment and selection (e.g. Koch and McGrath 1996), performance related pay (e.g. Dowling and Richardson 1997; Lazear 1996; McNabb and Whitfield 1997), training and development (e.g. Kalleberg and Moody 1994), and internal career possibilities (e.g. Verburg 1998), but also at multiple practice level, that is, bundles or combinations of HR practices (e.g. Arthur 1994; Gould-Williams 2003, 2007; Guest, Conway, Dewe 2004; Subramony 2009). At the multiple practice level, it is possible to analyse HR practices as a system, which has been referred as a high performance work system (e.g. Huselid 1995) or as a HR practice configuration (e.g. Delery and Doty 1996; Delery 1998). Delery (1998) suggests four types of possible relationships as: a) additive (where each HR practice has its own, unique effect on performance outcomes); b) interactive (the effect of each practice depends on the up-take of other practices within the bundle); c) positively synergistic (some HR practices mutually complement each other); and d) negatively synergistic (an inappropriate combination of HR practices that leads to more negative consequences than the mere absence of the practice).   Ã‚  More recently, Subramony (2009) categorized the HRM bundles as a) empowerment- enhancing (those HR practices that boost employee autonomy and responsibility levels); b) motivation-enhancing (bundles that provide employees with adequate levels of direction an d inducements); and c) skill-enhancing (bundles that augment the knowledge and skill levels of the workforce). It is now generally accepted that human resource management bundles can favourably affect the performance of business firms. The treatment of HR practices as a bundle is more effective than as an individual practice; when considering its impact on performance (MacDuffie 1995; Ichniowski 1997; Guest 2004). Though empirical research suggests that there is an association between HRM and performance, there is little understanding of the mechanisms through which HRM practices influence effectiveness (Delery 1998, 289). This largely unexplained facet of the HRM-performance relationship has been labelled the â€Å"black box† (Boselie et al. 2005). The discussion on the black box problem was triggered by Guest (1997) when he stated the need for more theory driven research in the area of HRM, performance and the linkages between the two concepts. Legge (2001, 30) reiterated the ‘need to open up the ‘black box’ of the process that links HRM and organizational performance’. Background: Choice of country India has been chosen as the research context for the following key reasons. India is one of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries. Indian economy grew by 7.4 percent over the fiscal year 2009-10 (FICCI 2010). The sustained performance has been guided by robust growth in both service and manufacturing sector. The Indian economy adopted a structural adjustment programme at the beginning of 1991. The structural adjustment programme or liberalization initiated the process of the opening up of an otherwise closed economy of India (Som 2008). Thereby, an increasing need to understand HRM practices in India since the 1990s emerged since liberalisation of economic policies took place (Budhwar and Sparrow 1997). The operation of large number of MNCs in India has fuelled the need for the top managers of these organizations to learn about the nature of HR systems appropriate for the Indian context. HRM in India has rapidly evolved into a specialized function in organisations (Budhwar et al. 2009; Budhwar and Varma 2010), especially in the last two decades. Indian national context is marked by regional, sectoral, socio-cultural, institutional, and economic-political variations. Thus, the nature of the HR function varies from traditional personnel administration to strategic HRM/HRD. Numerous studies have explored the impact of HRM practices on firm performance in western economies like US and UK (e.g. Huselid 1995; Becker and Grehart 1996; Ichniowski 1997; Becker and Huselid 1998; Wood 1999), whereas there is a dearth of empirical research in non-westernised context, specifically India. Given, these factors, we would argue that the contextual focus of this review is justified. This study aims to review the body of literature from a theoretical and methodological perspective. Formalized personnel functions have been existent in Indian organizations since 1920s in India (Budhwar and Sparrow 1997; Rao 1999; Budhwar 2001). The personnel function then was primarily driven by the concern for labour welfare in factories. The personnel function started expanding beyond the welfare aspect into the three areas- labour welfare, industrial relations, and personnel administration in the 1960s. In the 1970s, the focus of personnel function shifted toward greater organizational ‘efficiency’. By the 1980s, terms such as HRM and HRD gained importance (Rao 1999). The 1990s saw a rapid change in the HRM function due to ushering in of liberalisation (Som 2007, 2008, 2010; Budhwar and Varma, 2010). Budhwar and Varma (2010) analysed the HRM literature in the Indian context and revealed that research has been pursued on a very broad variety of subjects. These   include (1) the evolution of the personnel function in India, (2) the role of unions and industrial relations in the new economic environment, (3) factors determining HRM, (4) HRM and firm performance (e.g. Singh 2003; Chand 2010), (5) HRM in MNCs operating in India (Budhwar and Bhatnagar 2009; Bjorkman and Budhwar 2007), (6) strategic integration and devolvement of HRM (e.g. Budhwar and Sparrow 1997); (7) organizational learning capability (e.g. Bhatnagar 2007), (8) employee relations, (9) turnover issues (e.g., Budhwar et al. 2009; SamGnanakkan 2010; Krishnan and Singh 2010), (10) comparative HR in public and private sector organizations (e.g. Budhwar and Boyne 2004), (11) emerging patterns of HRM in the business outsourcing sector (e.g. Budhwar et al. 2006), (12) the applicability of Western HR models in India, (13) H RD and training, and (14) comparative HR between India and other countries (e.g., Lawler et al. 1995; Budhwar and Khatri 2001; Budhwar and Sparrow 2002; Varma, Pichler, and Srinivas 2005; Woldu, Budhwar, and Parkes 2006). While there is a significant increase in volume of empirical research in India, there is no previous study that has reviewed SHRM in India. Thus for the purposes of the current study, the review will expand upon one major sub-theme- HRM and firm performance. The next section presents the procedure adopted for this review. Procedure for review of articles Research questions To accomplish the study objectives, the following research questions were posed. How have HRM practices been operationalised? How has the concept of performance been operationalised? What has been the dominant theoretical perspective that has been adopted? What were the sample characteristics of the research study (e.g. individuals, workplaces, industries or sectors etc.)? Who are the respondents (e.g. Single rater vs multiple raters per unit of analysis or Single vs multiple actors? What data collection methods have been used (e.g. case study, survey, interviews, large scale secondary data etc.)? Does the study deal with how HR practices linkages with performance (Black Box problem)? What are some of the areas future research should focus on? The following sub sections discuss the scope of review and identification of articles. Scope of the review There are four important criteria used in selecting articles for review. First, the articles were based on empirical research. Thus, conceptual papers were left out from the review. Second, the articles analysed data from workplaces in India. Third, articles used HRM practices and firm performance as variables. Fourth, articles had to be published in English. Also, the review excludes research published in books, conference proceedings and unpublished dissertations. Identification of articles There are 20empirical articles in total which study the impact of HRM practices in India. The literature search was conducted using the following databases- ABI/ Inform, Academic Search Premier, Emerald Fulltext, EBSCO. The search was based on three key descriptors ‘human resource management practices’, ‘firm performance’ and ‘India’. The full text was reviewed in order to eliminate those articles that were not actually related to HRM practices and firm performance. Empirical studies with specific focus on India and Asia have been presented in special issues of international journals like Journal of World Business (39(4), 2004), Employee Relations (29 (6), 2007), Human Resource Management (47 (1), 2008; 49 (3), 2010). Thus, an exclusive search was conducted in these issues. A total of 20 articles from 14 journals met the selecting criteria. A list of journals contributing these articles is given in Table 1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Insert Table 1 here Characteristics of the reviewed studies Table 2 summarises the empirical studies reviewed in the study. Studies in Table 2 differ in sample size and demographic characteristics, industry context, operationalisation of HRM and performance, data collection and analytical method, directions for future research. Each of these aspects is discussed in the subsequent sections. Drawing on an extensive body of SHRM literature, we isolate potential research areas for investigation in India.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Insert Table 2 here Operationalisation of HRM One of the significant conceptual issues involves understanding how the central construct in this literature, the human resource system, affects firm performance outcomes. Many researchers (Guest 1997, 2001; Boselie et al. 2005, Paauwe 2009) have shared the concern of lack of theory in conceptualisation of HRM, performance and its subsequent link. Hesketh and Fleetwood (2006) contend even if there was sufficient conclusive evidence for statistical association between HRM practices and organizational performance, it is not enough to explain the association. Another significant issue that has been raised in SHRM literature is the distinction between HR policies and practices (Purcell et al. 2003). The policies refer to the stated firm’s intentions whereas the practices are established on observable, actual activities operationalised in the firm (Wright and Boswell 2002; Wright and Nishii 2004). Paauwe and Boselie (2005) state that the majority of previous studies focus on intended HR practices rather than the ‘actual’ HR practices or the employees’ perception of them.   Also, Purcell and Hutchinson (2007) discuss the role of front line managers (FLMs) in ascertaining the level of employee commitment. They argue that the outcome impact on employee attitudes of HRM policies would be more positive if the FLM leadership behaviour is also perceived as positive. Thus, it is argued that research would be more appropriate if it considers multi-actor respondents e.g worker, FLM and employer perceptions. An important finding is that the reviewed studies have used various measures of HR practices. This is consistent with the empirical literature in the West where there is no definite operationalisation of HRM (Paauwe 2009). Another important finding is some studies, such as Paul and Anantharaman (2003) built an industry-specific instrument to measure HR practices. Ketkar and Sett (2010) have extended Wright and Snell’s conceptualisation of HR flexibility. All other reviewed studies have adopted measures from either existing literature on high involvement HRM (e.g. Bjorkman and Budhwar 2007, SamGnanakkan 2010), innovation, high commitment or progressive HR practices (e.g. Som 2008; Cooke and Saini 2010), bundles of practices (Guchait and Cho 2010), or have used existing practices in organisations surveyed to operationalise HR practices (e.g. Chand and Katou 2007). Measure(s) of performance Guest (1999) argues that there is no general theory about performance and its measurement, which can be referred to as the ‘criterion problem’. Dyer and Reeves (1995) suggested that the HR practices work at four levels sequentially- HR (employee), organisational, financial and market. The performance outcomes can be measured as financial, organizational and HR-related outcomes (Boselie et al. 2005). However, as reported by them, the majority of researchers, US commentators in specific, have taken financial outcomes such as profit and productivity. The empirical studies by Ramsay et al. (2000) and Godard (2001) have strongly criticised the use of financial outcomes alone and led to a renewed attention to a pluralist perspective. Paauwe (2004) builds on this pluralist perspective, stressing HRM’s duality in its focus on added value and economic rationality versus moral values and relational rationality. Four studies (Singh 2003; Som 2008; Mulla and Premarajan 2008; Ketkar and Sett 2010) have used the financial measures of performance. The majority of studies have used organisational measures of performance (e.g. Chand and Katou 2007; Cooke and Saini 2010; Guchait and Cho 2010). Only two studies (Paul and Anantharaman 2003; Chand 2010) have adopted multiple performance measures financial and organisational. The remaining studies used HR-related outcomes like organisational commitment (Paul and Anantharaman 2003, 2004; Shahnawaz and Juyal 2006; Maheshwari, Bhat, and Saha 2008; Guchait and Cho 2010; SamGnanakkan 2010), intentions to leave (Guchait and Cho 2010; SamGnanakkan 2010) and employee performance (Ketkar and Sett 2010). There is limited research on HR-related or proximal outcomes which are treated as intervening variables between HR practices and organisational performance (Kehoe and Wright, forthcoming). This suggests that majority of the research in India is based on unitarist perspective. Another limitation of the reviewed studies is that none have studied the potential impact of HRM practices on negative employee outcomes such as dissatisfaction, stress, burnout and fatigue (Guest 1999; Purcell 1999). Sample size The HRM and performance studies present two unique sets of issues owing to sample size. While large sample sizes are difficult to obtain, given the unit or firm level of analysis, the more related challenge is that practically important relationships may be missed because of inadequate statistical power (Gerhart 2007).   A commonly used approach to determining the needed sample size for a latent variable model is based on the number of parameters estimated (Williams and O’Boyle Jr. 2008). A study with more parameters suggests a need for a larger sample size. Thus, sample size plays an important role in a research study. It is important to classify studies on the basis of primary levels of analysis (Boselie et al. 2005). The sample size used in the reviewed studies ranged from a low of 54 employees (Cooke and Saini 2010) to a high of 4,811 employees (Stumph, Doh, and Tymon 2010). The majority of studies reported sample size of over 100. It is suggested that when testing sophisticated models, large number of samples should be used (Hulland, Chow, and Lam 1996; MacCallum, Browne, and Sugawara 1996). The units of analysis were either a single organisation or multiple organisations. The sample in multiple organisation study ranged from 2 (Shahnawaz and Juyal 2006) to 439 organisations (Chand 2010). Respondents A methodological issue that continues to be debated concerns who should provide information about HRM (Guest 2011). There has been an ongoing call for using data collected from multiple informants about the presence of practices (Gerhart et al. 2000). Marchington and Zagelmeyer (2005) suggest that most of the high commitment studies have relied on management respondents to estimate the impact of HR practices on performance. It has been suggested that, particularly in the context of large organisations, senior HR managers are not always reliable informants and that it is more sensible to seek information from those experiencing the practices, namely workers. Paauwe (2009) makes a plea for a more contextual approach to HRM. He also suggests that future research should explore HRM- Performance link in light of broader multiple stakeholders like employees, government, trade unions, consumer organizations, etc (Paauwe and Boselie 2005). Also, research should endeavour to adopt a broader v iew of performance, taking into consideration employee concerns and wellbeing (Guest 2004). The majority of the reviewed studies have reported data from a single respondent, mainly focusing on senior management (Singh 2003; Agarwala 2003). While acknowledging the possible rater bias, such studies suggest that future studies could use a multi-rater approach, specially collecting data from heads of other functions. Ketkar and Sett (2010) proposed that their choice of single respondent senior managers from departments other than HR is consistent with the proposition of Batt (2002).   Batt (2002) argued that selection of non-HR managers as respondents could improve the reliability of measurements as these managers are expected to be more objective about the HR systems. Only three studies have used multiple respondents.   These include Sharma (2008) and Chand (2010), who have drawn samples from employees and customers, and Som (2008) who used samples drawn from senior executives MD, Director, VP, GM and HR personnel. Industry context Datta, Guthrie, and Wright (2005) suggest that industry characteristics may have wide implications for HRM. While there have been an increasing number of studies that discuss the impact of HRM practices on performance, research on the contextual factors that moderate the efficacy of these practices has been largely ignored. The findings of studies conducted in specific industry contexts are not necessarily generalisable to other industries. Seven studies (Singh 2003; Agarwala 2003; Khandekar and Sharma 2005; Bjorkman and Budhwar 2007; Som 2008; Stumph et al. 2010; Cooke and Saini 2010) draw on samples from multiple industries. Few studies have drawn samples from software industry (Paul and Anantharaman 2003, 2004), hotel industry (Chand and Katou 2007; Chand 2010), banking (Sharma 2008), and the information and communication technology industry (SamGnanakkan 2010). Theoretical basis Boselie, Dietz, and Boon (2005) identify three commonly used theories for defining the HRM and performance relationship, namely, contingency theory, resource based view (RBV) and Abilities, Motivation and Opportunities (AMO) framework. Contingency theory argues that HRM responds accurately and effectively to the organisation’s environment and complements other organisational systems (e.g. Arthur 1994; Huselid 1995; MacDuffie 1995; Delaney and Huselid 1996; Delery and Doty 1996; Wright et al. 2001). RBV advocates that HRM delivers ‘added value’ through the strategic development of the organisation’s rare, inimitable and non-substitutable internal resources, embodied in its staff (e.g. Boxall and Steeneveld 1999; Guthrie 2001; Batt 2002). RBV has become the dominant theoretical paradigm in most recent SHRM literature (Lengnick-Hall et al. 2009). AMO model argues that organisational interests are best served by an HR system that attends to employees’ interests, namely their skill requirements, motivations and the quality of their job (Appelbaum et al. 2000; Bailey, Berg, and Sandy 2001). It is interesting to note that these three approaches represent different traditions in HRM research. Contingency theory is based on organizational institutional theory. RBV can be traced back to concepts in Organizational economics, whereas the AMO framework has its theoretical underpinnings in industrial/ organizational psychology. Five studies (Bjorkman and Budhwar 2007; Som 2008; Cooke and Saini 2010; Guchait and Cho 2010; Ketkar and Sett 2010) have explicitly specified the theoretical basis for review. Bjorkman and Budhwar (2007) draw on the resource based view (RBV) of strategic human resource management literature. Som (2008) found empirical evidence based on a universalistic or a best practices perspective. Cooke and Saini (2010) integrate three existing theories- RBV, ‘new’ institutional theory and organisational politics perspective. Guchait and Cho (2010) support a configurational or bundles approach to HRM.   Ketkar and Sett (2010) extends the existing conceptualisation of HR flexibility used by Wright and Snell (1998). All the other articles reviewed did not contain a clear reference to the conceptual perspective adopted in the study. Data collection method(s) Hesketh and Fleetwood (2006) argue that most of the researchers show an empirical association between HRM practices and organizational performance. The authors argue that the existence or non-existence of empirical association does not necessarily imply causal connection between them. Also, Wright et al. (2005) identified that most empirical studies studying HRM and performance are post-predictive in nature. This means HRM practices were measured after the performance period. A more appropriate approach would involve assessing HRM practices at one point of time and assessing performance at some future point of time (Huselid 1995; Youndt et al. 1996; Paauwe 2009). The more recent studies (Guest, Conway, and Sheenan 2003; Wright et al. 2005) control for both past and subsequent performance. Seventeen studies used the cross-sectional quantitative survey method. Although some studies have suggested use of longitudinal surveys, none of them have applied the method in their own study. The cross-sectional nature of the reviewed studies does not allow for any conclusions regarding causal relationships. Two studies (Agarwala 2003; Bjorkman and Budhwar 2007) have used a mixed methodology using quantitative survey and interviews. The study by Cooke and Saini (2010) can be classified as a purely qualitative study. Only one study (Mulla and Premarajan 2008) was based on secondary data. The study drew on data from Chairpersons’ speech and directors’ reports of 100 companies listed by the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) database, Prowess. It can be concluded that survey method is the dominant method for researching the HRM and performance literature in India.   Although, a social survey offers a great deal of insight into the phenomenon of interest, it is unable to answer some basic questions. For instance, even if a presented theory allows the understanding of reality, the question remains why this reality should be as it is according to this theory (Mingers, 2004; Stavenga, 2006). Thus, future research could focus on adopting a qualitative or a mixed method f or collecting data. Directions for future research Several suggestions for future research have been made in the reviewed studies. The key issues that have been put forth are the black box problem (Agarwala 2003; Chand and Katou 2007; Bjorkman and Budhwar 2007; Som 2008; SamGnanakkan 2010); the need for longitudinal studies (Singh 2003; Paul and Anantharaman 2004; Som 2008; Chand 2010; Ketkar and Sett 2010); the need to study additional variables (Singh 2003; Paul and Anantharaman 2004; Bjorkman and Budhwar 2007); and the use of multiple respondents (Singh 2003; Cooke and Saini 2010; Ketkar and Sett 2010; SamGnanakkan 2010). Some studies suggest that future studies could be cross-national (Singh 2003; Chand 2010; Cooke and Saini 2010; Guchait and Cho 2010) and could use different industry settings (Paul and Anantharaman 2003; Sharma 2008; Cooke and Saini 2010). In this article, we will focus on a key issue that emerges from the existing studies- the black box problem. Boselie et al. (2005) has noted that despite the increasing volume of research on HRM and performance, there has been little focus on the ‘how’ aspect of the linkages.   Purcell and Hutchinson (2007, 3) note the critical link in the black box problem is ‘how HR practices influence employee attitudes and improve worker performance’. This involves a call for making the research more worker-centric (Guest 2011). The workers’ perceptions and behaviour has become increasingly vital in understanding the relationship between HRM and performance. A number of studies have discussed how the HR practices influence financial performance (Huselid 1995; Wright and Snell 1998; Ahmad and Schroeder 2003). An increasing number of human resource scholars suggest it is important to explore the ‘black box’ containing the links between HRM practices and distant organizational performance measures such as proï ¬ tability or stock value (Becker and Gerhart 1996; Tremblay et al. 2010; Krishnan and Singh 2011). Researchers argue that HRM practices have only an indirect effect on organisational performance (Appelbaum et al. 2000; Delery and Shaw 2001; Way and Johnson 2005). While there have been many studies that have acknowledged the existence of black box issue, Boselie et al. (2005) found 20 articles that have discussed the issue in detail. The black box issue has been investigated using two routes. The first route is through quantitative studies that have substantiated the need for identifying the role of intermediate variables in the HRM and performance linkages (Razouk 2011). Becker and Grehart (1996, 793) stated ‘unless and until researchers are able to elaborate models, including key intervening variabless of these intermediate variables are employees’ attitudes, behaviours and performance, measured on an organizational level (Sels et al. 2006). Fey et al. (2009) have worked on dataset of 241 firms consisting of subsidiaries of 241 MNEs operating in Russia, USA, and Finland. The findings demonstrate that motivation and ability are important mediating variables in the HRM– Multinational enterprise subsidiary performance relationship. Boon et al. (2011) show that some relationships between perceived HR practices and employee outcomes appear to be indirect, occurring via Person–Organisation and Person–Job ï ¬ t. Elorza, Aritzetab, and Ayestaran (2011) conducted multilevel analyses of a sample of 732 employees from 26 Spanish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study supported a model in which employees commitment mediates between the actual system and unit-level absenteeism, which in turn has an effect on productivity. The second route used to investigate black box issues rely on in-depth qualitative research. Authors (Truss 2001; Purcell et al. 2003, Purcell and Hutchinson 2007) suggest that qualitative research is more appropriate to explore the black box since there could be an existence of a gap between intentions of HR managers and practice experienced by employees. In Indian research context, three articles (Agarwala 2003; Paul and Anantharaman 2003; Ketkar and Sett 2010) have discussed the black box problem concerning HRM practices and performance linkages. Agarwala (2003) demonstrates that certain combinations of Innovative Human Resource Practices (IHRPs) lead to specific employee attitudes, such as organizational commitment. The study attempts to provide an explanation for the HR-firm performance link. Paul and Anantharaman (2003) developed a HRM-performance linkage model with four intervening variables- competence, teamwork, organisational commitment and customer orientation between HRM practices and operating performance. The operating performance in turn has an impact on financial performance. Ketkar and Sett (2010) confirm the concept of HR value chain. The study proposes that HR systems have a direct impact on firm-level HR outcomes such as employee performance (also referred to as proximal outcomes). Also, the effects of HR systems on more distal operational and financial outcomes are mediated by HR outcomes. To summarise, studies have started investigating the black box issue in emerging and developing economies. In India, however, the studies are still scarce. There has been no study which has used the route of qualitative research to explore the black box. Future research should aim to continue ‘the search for holy grail’ by exploring the issue further. Conclusion Researchers (e.g., Bowen, Galang, and Pillai 2002; Zhu et al. 2008) highlight that strategic HRM research mainly has been limited to advanced market economies. India’s growing economic importance as an emerging market economy makes it an interesting research context. The growth of SHRM in India thus has wide ranging implications for researchers as well as practitioners. However, we would like to acknowledge some limitations inherent in the study which should be considered in evaluating its findings. First, the review is specific to a single country, India. Future research could seek to extend the scope to other emerging economies. We also suggest a comparative review of India with other emerging economies or Western economies offers an interesting case. Second, the number of reviewed studies is less which reflects that the field of SHRM in India is still growing. Third, the review has been limited to articles discussing the HRM and performance linkages. Thus, we may have failed to cover articles on other relevant issues in SHRM like role of HR in cross-border mergers and acquisitions (Budhwar et al. 2009), strategic integration and devolvement of HRM (e.g. Budhwar and Sparrow 1997). Although not the focus of this paper, these topics could be of academic interest and exploring them further may have important implications. Despite these limitations, t he article provides significant insights in the burgeoning field of SHRM in a promising world economy, India. The study suggests that while there has been an increasing volume of research on SHRM in India, the literature needs to more actively engage in conceptual and methodological debates. The review also highlights the areas of SHRM research that merit future attention in India. Furthermore, the study contributes to the extant literature by reviewing the state of empirical research in India on SHRM. References Agarwala, Tanuja. 2003. 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Bowen, D, M.C Galang, and R Pillai. 2002. The role of human resource management: An exploratory study of cross-country variance. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources 40 (1):123-145. Boxall, P. , and M.   Steeneveld. 1999. Human resource strategy and competitive advantage: a longitudinal study of engineering consultancies. Journal of Management Studies 36 (4):443-463. Budhwar, P. S. 2001. Doing Business in India. Thunderbird International Business Review 43 (4):549-568. Budhwar, P. S. , and J. Bhatnagar, eds. 2009. The changing face of people management in India. London Routledge Budhwar, P. S., and G. Boyne. 2004. Human Resource Management in the Indian Public and Private Sectors: An Empirical Comparison. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 15 (2):346-370. Budhwar, P. S., and N.   Khatri. 2001. Comparative Human Resource Management in Britain and India: An Empirical Study. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 13 (5):800-826. Budhwar, P. 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Empirical study about the causes and social and health related impact Research Proposal

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Outsourcing In The Hotel Industry Business Essay Chapter 1 1.1 Introduction Outsourcing is the opportunity for the organization in hospitality industry and some others industry as well which can provide service and product for them and can enhance their profitability without producing things are internally. As an example Hotels can outsource their food and beverage, marketing process, HR process etc., from their outsource provider. By outsourcing firms can get more opportunity in the market to run their business in a better way.Becouse it can be really risk free and more productive in terms of the flexibility and availability. According to Fair and Shaw (1997) abstract, outsourcing can be defined as the process of acquiring an item that the company cannot produce internally. It engages delegating or replacementing an internal service or role with an external service which is provided by experts who are skilful in the condition of that service accordingly. In another way outsourcing is the way to operate a business with less management and operation risk and within a time frame. It can increase the profitability within the organization and can enhance the brand image in terms of better service and efficiency. Because when firms prefer the outsource rather than doing things by won they can get some more option and more trust and less risk which can make their service more effective and productive. 1.2 Problem Statement In the new global economy, outsourcing has becoming a central issue among expert in the hotel industry. Outsourcing is a method, which has been adapted by various companies to provide various services to customers and employees. Someone else, from an external resource, implements outsoaring. By using this method, it helps the company to reduce cost. Most companies use outsourcing/third party for better efficiency. Established company utilize this method to improve their service quality. Outsourcing provides specialised functions to help complete the task. In fact, many hotels are opting for the outsourcing business strategy to help the hotel business in keeping up with their rival hotel and the same time cut on their cost. In the research paper it discussed that the benefit of hotels outsourcing of HR and Marketing section. So, the problem statement is To what extant hotels are benefited by doing outsourcing -a study on Holiday Inn hotel. In the research work, the researcher must have very clear understanding of the topic or problem they are investigating. Without clear and sufficient theoretical knowledge it will become difficult to conduct any research work. For my research topic it is important to acquire theoretical knowledge about the functions of outsourcing in order to analyse the importance, impact and prospects of outsourcing. This research work could not be completed properly without collecting data and gathering information correctly and using them appropriately. A lot of text books, reference books, journals and reports were consulted to prepare this research work in line of the aim and objectives of the research work. The most important task was to get the primary data from the management team of Holiday Inn Hotel. 1.3 Research Question Its absolutely essential to develop a research question that I interested in or care about in order to focus my research and my paper .This study is set up to answer following research question To do outsourcing is a good idea for hotel business? Is Outsourcing more effective than doing things by own? How outsourcing can give some extra benefit for the organization? How outsourcing can reduce the cost and risk for the organization? What are the main reasons for outsourcing HR and Marketing process? How outsourcing has positively contributed to the financial position of the hotel? How correctly executed outsourcing can enhance the hotels competitiveness? 1.4 Significance/scope of the research This research can help individuals, especially decision-makers and planners, as well as firms identify the various components of outsourcing that can bring many potential benefits, such as cost reduction, performance improvement, flexibility, specialisation, and access to innovation on the business of hotels by utilising it. It is a fact that most companies are at under great pressure to take up outsourcing as a major competition. The Hotel Industry is one of the thriving businesses in the world. In fact, in this globalised world many hotels are opting for the outsourcing business strategy to help the hotel business in keeping up with their rival hotels and at the same time cut on their cost. For this case study I want to try to find out to what degree the hotels can benefit from outsourcing their HR process and Marketing process from the study of Holiday Inn hotel in Brentwood, UK. There are two types of outsourcing which is implemented in the hotel industry. This includes selective outsourcing and complete outsourcing. Selective outsourcing pertains to certain functions which are chosen for outsourcing, which can be the database of customers or accounts records of the hotel and etc. On the other hand, complete outsourcing refers to the whole function which is outsourced. Though hotels are recognising the importance of outsourcing, this does not mean that this business strategy is applicable to all. Outsourcing can be viewed as the process whereby activities traditionally carried out internally is contracted out to external providers. Outsourcing has become a significant facet of modern hotel management. As the market for outsourcing grows, it will have a dramatic impact on how businesses are structured, managed and viewed by owners, employees, and customers. In spite of fairly extensive coverage given to hotel outsourcing management issues, there has been limited academic research in this area. Besides, no specific accounting focused studies concerned with hotel outsourcing have been found in the literature. 1.5 Research Objectives The purpose of this research work is to examine and assess the effectiveness of outsourcing of the hotel. The main objective of this research is to examine and discuss the influence the outsourcing of the hotel and its impact on cost and benefits. This research work also aims to provide an insight of how important the outsourcing is to increase the productivity of the hotel. Outsourcing carries significant implications for a hotels cost structure and control procedures. In light of this, it is important that hotel accountants are appropriately equipped to play an active role in outsourcing decision-making and control. The objective of this research is to provide a management accounting perspective on issues surrounding hotel outsourcing management. This work outlines the many costs and benefits that should be considered when deciding whether to outsource. The objectives are as follows: To criticallydiscuss the effect and influence the outsourcing of the hotel on business performance. To study about how does outsourcing is managed by the hotel. To discuss and identify critically how it helps cut costs while managing outsourcing. To discuss about how it help compete with other hotels in order to cut costs and earn profits for the hotel. 1.6 Ethical Issues In preparing my research project it is important that I need to consider with the ethical issues that will arise when I was collecting data and trying to make communication with people. I also believe seriously the human rights and wrong of what I may be undertaking and the moral values and principles that guide my actions. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ I have done my communication section very clearly and sincerely for the understanding of the nature and reasons for my research, whom it may benefit and how, and what costs or risks are involved for informants. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ I respect peoples even they are not cooperate with me, or pull out from the project. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ I also tried to avoid, or at least acquire some ladder to reduce, pointless Destruction, hazard or false to the collection of people I was learning and working with them as well as sourcing embarrassment to them. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ I tried to protect the individuality of respondents where essential and treat them with respect. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ For the privacy I did not allowed any third parties access to sensitive information I may have obtain. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Regarding the confidentiality it was totally in memory contracts with the person, the group of people, or an organisation, about what may be done with their data. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Regarding the anonymity I can give the certainty that there was a require of identifiers vis-à  -vis information that basically indicate which individuals or organisations provided which data. Consideration of the above issues clearly I can take it very critically when I need to handle the responsive information. 1.7 Hypotheses Successful implementation of outsourcing can result in enhanced brand recognition and profitable for the hotels. Outsourcing can reduce cost and risk and can give some better feedback for the organization. Outsourcing can enhance hotels competitiveness Outsourcing can be a positive contribution for the financial position of the hotel Chapter 2 2.0 Literature review 2.1 Introduction of Literature review 2.2 Outsourcing Contract with two organization one is outsource supplier and another one is outsource holder . most of the big companies currently prefer the outsource process for their different type of service, such as call canter services, food and beverage outlet-mail services, recruitment process ,Marketing and HR process. Those processing can be handle by the supplier and outsource holders can trust them fully because outsourcing providers basically more careful and aware regarding their responsibilities. Knowles and also Davis .Lockwood, Pantelidis and Alcott (2008) define contract catering and food services management as operations that provide meals in outlets that do not have the provision to produce them. Moreover Coates (1971 cited by Wilson, Murray, Black and McDowell 1998:74) define a contract caterer as: An individual or company, who in recognition of financial reward, will undertake to administer, control and direct a specified catering operation within the guidelines stipulated by the [client] company. 2.3 Reasons of outsourcing Although the main objective of outsourcing is often cost reduction, many companies fail to realize any cost benefits. In particular, Gartner is predicting that by 2007, 80% of organizations that outsource customer service projects with the primary goal of cutting costs, will fail in that attempt. Part of the reasoning behind this statistic is the high staff attrition rates at outsourcing companies, sometimes as high as 80% to 100%. Combine this added cost from attrition along with the hidden costs of client loss due to increased frustration and its clear that an outsourcing engagement, if not careful monitored, can easily fail. Among the lots of reason of outsourcing some key reasons are flexibility, cost reducing, availability, good quality etc. All those factors are influencing the organizations of hospitality industry to go for outsourcing. It can reduce the risk management for the particular organization as well. Another important reason for outsourcing is the time convenience in terms of quick service. Outsourcing is an important phenomenon in hotel sector. It is changing from a tactical to a strategic perspective, with greater scope and relevance to the creation of competitive advantages. The opening up of hotels to outsourcing and strategic alliances improves individual competitiveness, but also has strong repercussions on destinations, especially those in a stage of maturity and requiring new approaches to improve competitiveness. This change in inter organizational relationships to a strategic perspective requires new theoretical and practical frameworks to make it easier for hotels to outsource their operations with greater potential for competitive advantage. 2.4 Outsourcing and organizational performance Outsourcing is attractive to senior management because it improves some of the Dimensions of organizational performance (Lilly et al., 2005). According to the survey, conducted by Accenture and the Economist Intelligence Unit, two-thirds of the respondents all of whom had been outsourcing a major business process for at least two years agreed that outsourcers who know how to manage the process can enhance their companys performance and achieve a high level of satisfaction with the results (Lacey and Blumberg, 2005).Gilley and Rasheed (2000) proposed that organizational performance in hotels improves for three reasons. First, an increased focus on a firms core competencies is an important benefit associated with outsourcing (Dess et al., 1995; Gilley and Rasheed, 2000; Kotabe and Murray, 1990; Venkatraman, 1997). The evolving literature on core competencies has been concerned with the make-or-buy decision that every firm faces. Should a hotel run its own restaurant, clean its own rooms and common areas, and trim its own trees, or should it outsource these tasks to vendors that specialise in catering, janitorial services and grounds keeping (Espino-RodrÄ ±Ã‚ ´guez and Padro ´n-Robaina, 2005; Taylor, 2005; Walker and Weber, 1987)? Ronald Coase (1937) first tackled this question 70 years ago in a classic article. His broad argument was similar to Adam Smiths: if an outside party can do the work more efficiently and inexpensively than can the firm itself, then the outside party ought to do it: if the firms employees can do the job better, then the work ought to remain in-house (Bahli, 2002; Espino-RodrÄ ±Ã‚ ´guez and Padro ´n-Robaina, 2005; Taylor, 2005). 2.5 Conclusion of literature review There are a number of studies that focus on explaining the effect of outsourcing. Abraham and Taylor (1996) find that firms contract out services with the objectives of smoothing production cycles and benefiting from specialisation. Raa and Wolff (2001) find a positive association between the rate of outsourcing and productivity growth (Jiang and Qureshi, 2006). Elmuti (2003) also provided support for empirical evidence for an outsourcing-productivity relationship. He found that outsourcing accounted for about 40 per cent of the variance in productivity. Many outsourcing studies in hospitality industry debate the advantages and disadvantages contractor catering and food service management operations. This research critically discuses to what extent hotels can benefit from outsourcing their food and beverage operation. A hotel may benefit from outsourcing their Food and beverage facility because managers can focus on their core competency. Also, it brings to the hotels external suppliers investment and with it innovation at minimum financial risk. For this reasons hotels are likely to gain better competitive advantage. Chapter 3 3.0 Methodology 3.1 The nature of study In light of the substantial international literature describing hotel outsourcing, it appears that outsourcing in hotels is relatively limited. Like there are some key sections for outsourcing for the hotel Industry those are HR process, marketing and pay roll. 3.2 Source of Data and Data Collection Procedure The research has been conducted with primary data. For the primary data collection process I used the qualitative date collection process which is interview base. For my study I chose structure interview and prepared a list of question. Based on my question I have done my interview through asking question step by step which helped me to get result very clearly. 3.3 Population and Sample Size of this Study Holiday Inn is the UKs largest and fastest-growing hotel brand with over 580 budget hotels and more than 40,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland And from all of them my research area is Holiday Inn Brentwood, UK, were considered as the population for this study. From the management team 8 to 10 were selected as the respondents for collecting the data for my research. The responses of the respondents interviewed were analysed to gain insights into qualitative aspects of the outsourcing activities used by their firms. Qualitative analysis of the collected data from the respondents firms has been made. 3.4 Interview Question The research data were collected using Interview Question. At first a request letter were e-mailed to all the operation management team of the Holiday Inn Hotel , a population of more than 8 team members in total. In all, 3 responses were received, representing a response rate of over 40%. And finally got the appointment for the interview with the Operation Manager of Holiday Inn Hotel and two of the members from their management team. Non-response bias may also possibly have affected the results. Respondents were asked to answer their question step by step .interview question was divided into three sections, each of which is detailed below. A copy of the questionnaire is included as Appendix 2. Interview with Operation Manager It was a face to face interview and the time period was one hour. There was a sample question which contains 3 sections. All regarding outsourcing of Holiday Inn hotel. First section was regarding outsourcing functions and benefits; second section was regarding the suppliers and quality of outsourcing and the third section was the opinion part of the respondent. Interview with the management team members It was also a face to face group interview with two management team members. It was more than 30 munities discussion and was a very effective session for my research. Location The interviews were in Holiday Inn Brentwood M25, Jct.28, and Brook Street, Brentwood, CM14 5NF United Kingdom. Other details The research was conducted between 5th December and 6th December 2010.Respondant was Ujjal Chwdhury the operation Manager, Ashfaq Khan and Azaz Bhimani the management team members.The researcher is Farhana Sorker. 4.0 Finding and Analysis 4.1 Background of the organization The first Holiday Inn opened in  Memphis,Tennessee  in  1952. The chain was established to provide inexpensive accommodations for families and travelers within the US. It was acquired by the Intercontinental Hotels Group  (IGH) in  1990. In October  2007, IHG announced a worldwide relaunch of the Holiday Inn brand including a redesigned welcome experience along with signature bedding and bathroom products. Included within the Holiday Inn brand is  Holiday Inn Express, a mid-priced chain of express hotels which focuses on value and convenience for business travelers who dont require more than the most standard amenities. 4.1.1 Brand Image of Holiday Inn Hotel One of the worlds most recognised hotel brands with a global reputation for service, comfort and value. Holiday Inn offer todays business and leisure travellers dependability, friendly service and modern attractive facilities at an excellent value and at convenient locations throughout the world. Since 1952 Holiday Inn Hotels have provided the services business travellers need, while also offering leisure travelers a comfortable, casual atmosphere where they can relax. And now, a global relaunch of the Holiday Inn brand family is in its final stages and is expected to be complete by the end of 2010. The relaunch will improve quality and service levels, and drive consistency, creating a new, more contemporary brand image at all Holiday Inn hotels around the world. 4.2 Summary of findings 4.2.1 Outsourcing Function in Holiday Inn Hotel Holiday Inn Hotel working with Hcareers to outsource their recruitment process which is basically working for their workforce. Hcareers have a very good image in the market as a outsource provider.And they are providing the accurate one in the accurate place for theorganization.Currently Hcareers operating their business among three countries, those are US which is Hcareers.com , Canada which is Hcareer.ca and Hcareers.co.uk in United Kingdom. And all are working for the hospitality related organization. Who are looking for the job in the hospitality sector they can go and open the page and can apply over their. Hcareers trying to provide more flexible system for the job seeker. According to the operation manager of Holiday Inn Hotel it is clear that they are really happy with Hcareers service and they are getting the right person in the right place for their organization. Also they are working with caters.com for their outsourcing And for their marketing process they are using HS company and getting all the services for their promotion process. 4.2.2 Benefits of Outsourcing Outsourcing is the exercise of getting service from outside firms to maintain work usually performed within an organization which can be a familiar concept. Holiday Inn currently outsources their recruitment processing and marketing as well. Most of organization do not concern about the benefits of outsourcing. Outsourcing can reduce cost and save money, which can be a big reason to go for outsourcing but there are some more reason as well .outsourcing can reduce the management risk for the organization and can give a financial support as well. Flexibility and availability of service or product is an good example as well. And Holiday Inn is one of the companies getting the following benefits from the outsourcing. Control capital costs:  reducing cost for the organization is not only the good point to outsourcing but also it is a really major factor. Outsourcing exchange fixed expenditure into changeable expenditure, which can make complimentary assets for savings somewhere else in their industry, and allows them to stay away from huge expenditures in the early phases of their business. Outsourcing also makes their organization more attractive for the investors, since they are able to drive extra assets in a straight line into revenue-producing performance. Increase efficiency:  Doing everything by own the companies need to follow some more investigate, expansion, promotion, and delivery charge. Thats why Holiday Inn decides to do the outsourcing process. By outsourcing they are getting more efficiency in their business. Reduce labour costs.  Maintaining the HR department by own can be very costly for an organization, and its also heard to get feedback on right time by the temporary employees. So that Hiloday Inn working with Hcarear and caters.com and this Outsourcing by which they can focus their human resources where they require them mainly. Start new projects quickly.  Holiday Inn getting the best service and facilities from their outsourcing firms. Because of the flexibility, efficiency and availability they can start a new project within a very short time and can get the services from their outsource providers as their requirement. Focus on your core business.  All organization has restricted capital, and all managers has inadequate time and concentration which is not different for Holiday Inn. Outsourcing helping them for their business to move its focal point from tangential performance toward work that hand out the customers outsourcing helpful for managers to place their precedences extra evidently. Reduce risk.  All business has some risk and they have to face it when they operate their business. Every thing can change very quickly in this world .Outsourcing providers take for granted and handle this risk for the Holiday Inn Hotel, which normally a large amount better for come to a decision how to avoid risk in their section of proficiency. 4.2.3 Suppliers Hcareer and caters.com and HS company are the outsource suppliers for Holiday Inn Hotel.Hcareer and Caters.com is for their recruitment process and HS Company is for Marketing strategy. 4.2.4 Quality maintain by outsourcing The Product Specification Quality Requirements (PSQRà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢),The ultimate goal of The PSQR is to act as a central point to assemble, share and verify critical information related to the product. The Product Specification (PS) details the products bill of materials, packaging and other physical components and their assembly or relationship together. The Quality Requirements (QR) details what is expected from the product in terms of appearance, workmanship, performance, testing and packaging. Together they form the complete PSQR, which becomes a controlled document, and becomes the marching orders for the Quality Team at the outsourced manufacturers facility to see that the product produced and shipped is equivalent to everything outlined and detailed in the PSQR. Typically, the development of the PSQR is a cumulative and additive process with a focus on continuous improvements over a reasonable amount of time. Team involvement is essential to make the PSQR comprehensive and relevant for all users. Seldom is it perfect from the start. It is only after considerable c ontributions and sharing / debating by various personalities and disciplines within the system that a PSQR can be at its peak of usefulness and relevance. All participants in the PSQR development process must pay very close attention to details to ensure success. The following template has been developed and refined over a number of years in practice of managing the quality of products at outsourced suppliers facilities. Designed to be prepared in close collaboration with the outsourced supplier it presents a standard format for compiling the Product Specifications and Quality Requirements and may easily be adapted to meet special requirements as needed. In this way Holiday Inn getting the more quality service from their supplier and controlling the quality of their company. 5.0 Recommendation The key things for outsourcing that have to have a good negotiation power when an organization decide to do any outsource, need to have a right people in contract respect to details to be actually tern on the negotiation basis and the contract need to be actually followed up so ether way in terms of breach of contact than both party should know in respect of what is can do things and what cant do things in respect to the both of the organization (Outsourcing provider and outsourcing holder) to help. And the same time the cost element effect organization can subsidise quite a lot because the delivery will be on time. So based on that its better for organization to move forward and to get a better product and resource its better to go for outsourcing. 6.0 Conclusion At the end of this research it clearly understandable that hotels are really benefited by doing outsourcing in terms of management risk and cost quality control process. It can enhance the hotels competitiveness and can reduce the operational risk which indicate that outsourcing has positively contributed to the financial position of the hotel. By outsourcing when an organization can get more benefit rather than doing things by own, so it can be happen that most organizations are really dependent on outsourcing. From the hospitality industry hotels are like Holiday Inn hotel getting a big amount benefit which is helping them to operate their business very frequently with a good quality and assured them to keep the business for long time. By this kind of facility organization can achieve their goal on time.

Compare And Contrast Essay -- essays research papers

One of my favorite things to do is to reminiscence with my father. It is so relaxing just to sit back and talk about old times. Something that it really funny when my father and I discuss things from the past is the major differences between our pasts even though we both grew up in the same town. Now when people say that "times are a changing'" I really know what they mean. In my town there is a beautiful lake. The scenery around the lake is absolutely breath taking. When my father was younger, him and his friends would always swim in the lake. He would tell me amusing stories of the bike rides and walks down to the lake. My favorite part of the stories of the lake have to be what him and his friends did before they actually jumped in the lake. They had to throw rocks in the water to scare away the snakes! I couldn't even imagine swimming in a lake knowing that there were snakes in the water. When I was younger, I was never aloud to go to the lake. The bike ride was extremely to far away for me and my friends to take on. The lake was posted private property by new owners of homes in the area. Plus, as rumor has it, the lake is contaminated from a new large company in the area. Hence, I never spent my summer days swimming around in the lake in my town like my father did. One of my beloveded memories deals with going to the local park. My mom or dad used to bring me there wi...

Examination Day

The short story Examination Day written by Henry Sleasar, is a story about young children being tested by the government to get knowledge of how smart the kids are. The government keep control of the kids and all the families. The government summon every kid that turns twelve, to come into their head quarters for an exam to prove how clever the kids are. The government summons a twelve year old boy in for his exam. The boy Dickie and his parents were having breakfast when his mum brings up the subject to Dickies father. His father just tells her not to worry that every thing will be alright. Dickie and his father go into the government head quarters for Dickies appointment. When it was Dickies turn to set the exam he was given a glass of liquid drink. This drink makes you tell the truth and be honest with what you say. They connected Dickie up to some machines ready for the examination. Dickies father went home to his wife to wait for a phone call to see if their son was alright or not. After the exam Dickies parents got a disappointing and sad phone call about their son. Dickie had pasted the exam so he was put down by the government because he had been one of very few to past the exam. Every child that passes the exam has to be put down. If they fail the exam they are sent home to your family and they get to live on with their lives. This exam determines if you live or if you die.

Ecclesiastes Essay Example

Ecclesiastes Essay Example Ecclesiastes Essay Ecclesiastes Essay Fatema Begum wav 10100 Professor Wilder 10. 11 . 13 Ecclesiastes On the Hereafter In the book of Ecclesiastes, the Preacher describes all the meaningless luxuries and pleasures of the world. Such worldly pleasures are empty and valueless because one wont be able to take or hold on to it after death. He reveals the dead is unconscious and ones future after death is a mystery, implying there is no life after death. In that sense everything is meaningless in the present life. Thus, the author comes to a conclusion that without God, there is no truth or meaning to life. The eacher of Ecclesiastes looks back at his own life and shares all that he tried to find satisfaction in. From property, women, wealth to wisdom and philosophy he gave himself whatever his heart desired. However, he realized that all pleasures are meaningless. It was Just a temporary distraction. Everything is left behind at death. Same goes for wisdom and knowledge, whats the point of working hard and being wise when the intelligent and ignorant both share the same destiny. Just like the foolish, the wise man too will age and soon be forgotten. Whereas in wealth, its ointless to possess them as well, because after we die, our possessions are to be passed to others. Therefore, being rich or striving to be rich is a waste of time and effort. All these possessions mean nothing in the end, because they will be passed down, as that is the continuous cycle of life and death. Throughout Ecclesiastes, the teacher emphasizes the present, and enjoying life as it is. This indicates that perhaps he didnt believe in an afterlife. He does not directly state that there is no life after death but goes to explain that one should not have any hopes of n afterlife. One should make the best of life because it does not last and death can strike at any time. The author writes it is better to be alive than dead because they lack awareness. He states for the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. (Eccles. 9. 5-6)The fact that the author writes dead people have no further reward might mean he does not believe in heaven. Although he does mention heaven in Ecclesiastes quite a few times, he never says thats where all souls all ltimately go. Furthermore, the teacher declares everyone shares the same fate, whether one is wicked or righteous. This signifies that there is no punishment after death or in other words theres no hell. If there is no heaven or hell after death clearly this means no one will be Judged or be held in account for what they have done throughout life. After death, rewards and punishment have come to an end. On Eccles. 9. 10-11, the author says Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning or knowledge nor wisdom. This dismisses the idea of a soul living forever. Its saying work with all your might because once death hits the soul dies and is cut off from all worldly matters. The dead nave no idea whats going on and take no part in anything The living have hope rather than the dead because they no longer contribute to anything. Anyone who is among the living has hope ?even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! (Eccles. 9. 4-5) The author of Ecclesiastes would not have stated all this if he believed that the dead would rise again. He seems to be saying enjoy what you have while you can, because life is not going to last forever. Clearly the author does not believe in an afterlife. The Book of Ecclesiastes addresses the importance of living a meaningful life by placing God in the center of ones heart. Many people strive to be wealthy or educated but that is all meaningless in the authors eyes. He believes strongly in the fact that our accomplishments, wealth, and materials mean nothing after death thus implying there is no afterlife. He concludes by saying enjoy life but always acknowledge and remember God.

The Wounded Warrior Project Essays

The Wounded Warrior Project Essays The Wounded Warrior Project Paper The Wounded Warrior Project Paper The Wounded Warrior Project The Wounded Warrior Project (WAP) was started in 2003 in Ranked Virginia by John Amelia. During Johns tour his Marine Corps helicopter crashed killing four and injuring 14 more including himself. His experience coming home opened up many gaps in service delivery to wounded military members. To help fill in these gaps John created WAP in his basement with 50 dollars. Today WAP is one of the nations most recognized and fastest growing veteran service charities. Amelia brought together a group of people and raised $5,000. With that money they put together backpacks filled with comfort items (underwear, socks, calling cards, a CD player, t-shirt, and a pair of socks). For John it was easy to decide what to put in the backpacks because it is all the stuff he wanted when he returned home. In an article written by John he explains how the backpacks were a hit When I delivered those backpacks, they just caught on like wildfire, and got a call three or four days later from a guy at Bethesda and Walter Reed and he said, Can you get me any more of those? (Amelia n. P). The backpacks handed out by John and the WAP brought great success. John goes onto say how the backpacks was the major stepping stone to push WAP to the next level it just turned into so much more because every time we went there, warriors were inspired by stories that told them about other wounded veterans (Amelia n. P). Just like any other charity, the Wounded Warrior Project is to give help and bring awareness to people in need. In Wops 2012 annual report they state their purpose To raise awareness and enlist the publics aid for the needs of injured service members; to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other; and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs (WAP 2012, p. 6). The Wounded Warrior Project focuses its programs under four categories, mind, body, economic empowerment, and engagement. Mind programs include Project Odyssey and Restore Warriors, which help soldiers readjust into civilian life. The main body program is Soldier Ride, which helps maximize rehabilitation so soldiers can return to their normal lives faster. Economic Empowerment allows wounded warriors to pursue their economic goals by providing higher education programs and information technology training. Last but not least the Engagement programs are focused on keeping the wounded warriors involved with the charity. All of the programs outlined above can be found and explained in greater depth at www. Underproductions. Org/programs. Since Wounded Warrior Project was founded in 2003 their finances have grown at an exponential rate. In Wops 2013 annual report on page 28 lies the financial report. Outlined where assets accumulated to $1 77,862,039 and the total liabilities and net assets equaled to SSL 911 Thats an imaginable jump from $5,000 dollars just ten years earlier. With everything that WAP has accomplished and all the money raised there of course will be doubts. An article written by Tim Make goes in depth about some veterans feeling like Wounded Warrior Project is too concerned with raising money, then with actually helping the veterans. An interview held by Make and an unnamed veteran brings some light on this topic Theyre more worried about putting their label on everything than getting down to brass tacks. Its really frustrating (Make n. P). The veteran then goes on to say that he has never oaten any real help from WAP, only a backpack with razors, shaving cream, and socks. This makes you wonder, with all of the money raised by WAP, why did this veteran get so little and no real help? There are many ways for someone to help add donations to the Wounded Warrior Project. For me the most successful would be to organize a state wide run through a major city (Detroit). To enter in this run you will have to donate at least $10 to WAP. I feel like a running event would be optimal due to the previous success of other organizations using fundraisers that are similar.