Problems that Researchers in the Arab World Encounter

Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Assignment Essays

Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Assignment Essays Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Assignment Essay Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Assignment Essay Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Ashley Gatt Glen Providence XCOM/285 July 31, 2011 Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report What can a company do in order to boost the employees’ morale, to improve productivities, to enhance efficiencies, and to retain good employees for a long-term? What can a company do to ensure that the business succeed (goals)? Companies cannot operate their businesses without the employees. For this reason, companies need to provide their employees a benefit package that will promote the companies’ concern and consideration for employees’ well being. Many companies offer standard employee benefits package that the employees take it as a typical employment package. Instead of offering common employee benefits package, those that provide tuition reimbursement (employee educational assistance) program experience positive results in organizational development and employee retention. Many successful companies that provide tuition reimbursement program showed that they have low employee turnover rate while enjoying high productivities and enhanced efficiencies from the employees (Babcock, 2009). In this paper, new professional opportunities that the employees with the business and communication bachelor’s degree can pursue are identified. Detailed information of types of careers and the earning potential of people with the degree often have are presented. At the same time, this paper elaborates both tangible and intangible benefits that the company can realize by implementing the tuition reimbursement program. As soon as employees earn the bachelor’s degree in business and communication, the opportunities for a new profession will become tangible and within reach. The employees with the bachelor’s degrees in business and communication can explore new professional opportunities to work in the areas of advertising, marketing, business management (administration), human resources, and corporate training. The bachelor’s degree programs in business and communication require students to take courses in sociology, finance, business management, economics, marketing, and other business related courses that will round out the candidate’s business and communication skills in order to advance within the workplaces. Additionally, the employees with the business and communication specialties (skills) can take aim in research and development or public relations division to grow into a professional public relations manager, trainer, or director (executive). The employees with the newly attained bachelor’s degree were taught and trained to develop diverse skill set. In addition to gaining the skill set to handle the administrative tasks, the newly minted graduates would have gained additional skills that may include: * Marketing and public relations * Speech presentation * Responding to public and consumer inquiries Maintaining contacts * Critical thinking and creativity * Strong research skills * Problem solving * Competitiveness and enthusiasm * Learning how to work with a wide range of clients * Understanding market demands * Research and analysis * Conflict management * Strong writing skills (ULinks. com, 2007) People with the degree often work as a mediator, buyer, sales manager, supervi sor, development officer, labor relations specialist, business trainer, benefits administer, mediator, corporate relations officer, communication specialist, customer sales representative, college recruiter, and others. People with the bachelor’s degrees in business and communication have choices of professions that vary in range from government agency jobs to Fortune 500 company jobs. Employers who are seeking to hire people with the bachelor’s degrees in business and communication are mainly looking for people with strong relational skills, computer skills, writing skills, and critical thinking abilities along with specialized business education that includes accounting, finance, economics, business law, management, public relations, marketing, and sociology. The undergraduates in business and communication majors are especially adapted to the latest computer technologies such as Internet, e-commerce, e-mails, and other electronic communication. Two of the most desired skills many employers seek are social and writing skills learned from the business and communication courses. Because business and communication skills are in demand in the diverse industries, those with the bachelor’s degree in the field do not need to limit their prospects. Other industries that offer employment opportunities for the undergraduates are technology, government, education, social services, broadcasting, and even religious professions (ULinks. com, 2007). When it comes to work, the employment benefits are one of the criteria that people seriously weigh before making the final decision. The employment benefits college-graduates are typically offered are quite different from those offered to employees without a degree. While high school graduates try to hold on to their low paying jobs, people with higher degrees tend to weigh on the potential benefits the companies offer. A college degree offers graduate students extra benefits (earning potential) such as wider career options, better promotion opportunities, and lower chance of unemployment. Many college graduates can work in the fields that are unrelated to their major field of study while people without college degrees struggle to keep the ones they already have. Companies are more favorable toward promoting college graduates because those employees with college degrees are perceived as more dependable and serious about their jobs. People with degrees have higher chances of keeping their jobs than those people without the college degrees. Earning potential of people who have the bachelor’s degree is proven to be higher than those who do not. According to the an article in USA TODAY, Census Bureau conducted a survey among people with and without college degrees and discovered that the people with the degrees earn nearly $1 million more over his or her lifetime than a high school graduate (USA TODAY, 2002). Moreover, a college graduate can earn $2. million working full-time job during the typical period of work-life (between ages 25 to 64) whereas a high school graduate can expect to earn $1. 2 million during the working years (USA TODAY, 2002). Implementing tuition reimbursement program not only benefits the employees who take the advantage of such program, but it also benefits the company. The tuition reimbursement program, sometimes known as employee educational assistance program, can boost employee mo rale while generating greater work efficiency resulting from highly motivated and knowledgeable employees. Many human resources gurus believe that tuition reimbursement program is one of the best and most affordable employee retention tools around (Business and Legal Reports, Inc. , 2010). While employees gain new skills and knowledge by completing the degree courses, the company (employer) spends less money by supporting its employees earn college degrees than paying for the employees to attend seminars, classes (marketing or language), or training new employees. According Jodi Albin, a human resource specialist for Pacific Continental Bank, the investment in upgrading employees’ educational levels actually translate into long-term employee loyalty (low employee turnover rate) (Shufffler, J. , 2008). The companies can use tuition reimbursement program as an effective recruitment means. The employees who work for the company that demonstrates its appreciation by boosting the company morale and culture will be more productive and efficient; thus, the company will benefit due to the improved production and efficiency. Successful companies recognize that investing in employees in attaining new skills and education is beneficial for the companies as well as for the employees. Companies that extend their employee benefits package by including the tuition reimbursement program have lower rate of employee turnovers, higher productivities, and improved company morale. To be specific, the tuition reimbursement program, a worthy investment, improves the workplace environment, increases productivities and efficiencies, and, turns around, brings many intangible benefits to the company. Employees who earned college degrees in business and communication can elevate higher flexibility to apply their newly learned skills in other departments. Overall, the companies that implemented the tuition reimbursement program reap benefits also because most of the employees who attain the bachelor’s degrees in business and communication are highly motivated and productive, tend to stay loyal (employee retention), and look for advancement within the companies. References Babcock, P. (2009). Always more to learn. HRMagazine, 54(9), 51-56. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from EBSCOhost database. Business and Legal Reports, Inc. (2010). Does tuition reimbursement benefit employers? Retrieved July 31, 2011, from http://hr. blr. com Shuffler, J. (2008). Tuition programs are good investments. Oregon Business Magazine, 31(9), 51, Retrieved July 31, 2011, from EBSCOhost database. ULinks. com. (2007). Business Communication Degree: Business Communication Class, Business Communication Training. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from ulinks. com USA TODAY. (2002). Amount of schooling affects earning potential. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from usatoday. com

Project Planning and Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Project Planning and Control - Essay Example Project management may be defined as the sum total of the functions of conceiving, formulating, scheduling, implementing, supervising, controlling, and reviewing a project with the objective of completing it on time according to specifications and budget. Marion Haynes (2002, p.3) describes project management in the following words: Project management focuses on a project. A project is an undertaking that has a beginning and an end and is carried out to meet established goals within cost, schedule, and quality objectives. Project management brings together and optimises the resources necessary to successfully complete the project. These resources include the skills, talents, and cooperative efforts of a team of people; facilities, tools, and equipment; information, systems, and techniques; and money. Newman, Warren, and McGill defined a project and its value as â€Å"simply a cluster of activities that are relatively separate and clear-cut. Building a plant, designing a new package, soliciting gifts of $500,000 for a men’s dormitory are examples. A project typically has a distinct mission and a clear terminating point†. The multifarious tasks within an organization get simpler and more amenable to effective execution when they are broken up into separate projects that are distinct and specific in terms of cost, time frame, activities, and the project team. As such it is most often likely that a given project remains as a part of a larger organizational project with a longer time frame.

Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Research - Essay Example Conservation is mostly defined as preserving resources, that is; utilizing in away that avoid wastage of materials and environmental degradation. In this case, conservation involves natural resource conservation. Here, non renewable resources have to be conserved since they cannot be renewed (Edwards, 2005). Therefore, conservation of the environment is considered as the conservation of all the natural resources. Governments of different countries must contribute by laying down strict legislations to counter the activities that are not environment friendly, and lead to unsustainable development. Sustainability has its basis on a simple principle, which is all things that we require for our survival and well-being depend, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Therefore, sustainability creates and maintains the terms under which humans and nature can live in productive harmony that allows for the fulfillment of the economic social and other requirements of present and future generations. Further, sustainability may also be defined as a set of values (Chapin et al, 2010.). For instance, Edwards (2005) studied sustainability statements from almost forty different organizations concerned with sustainability issues and developed a list of seven common themes ;stewardship, respect for limits, interdependence, economic restructuring ,fair distribution ,intergenerational perspective and nature as a model and teacher. It is clearly seen that stewardship, conservation n sustainability protect the same natural resources however, they differ in the approaches and strategies. While conservation concentrates in avoiding wastage, stewardship concentrate on management and planning of this natural resources and sustainability puts weight on principles and set values on existing in a way that will not compromise the future generations. Ecological and

Ripe Figs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ripe Figs - Research Paper Example Although she had to wait only for a few months, she would go into the garden to see how ripe the figs were, to know how much time was left for her to go down the Bayou-Lafourche. The narrator called her â€Å"as restless as a humming-bird†, dancing out to the fig trees to know the condition of the figs. When she would see them ripening, this would â€Å"made her sing and dance the whole long day†. This showed that Babette felt as if she would speed up the natural process of ripening of the figs, by checking out everyday how they were. And every day, she would come back â€Å"disconsolate†, which means that she would feel frustrated enough when she would see that the figs were ripening very slowly. When Maman Nainaine told her that the fips were ripening fast, she said, â€Å"I think they have ripened very late† (400). Her impatience had made her feel that she had waited very long for the figs to get ripened. So, we see that Babette had the weak point of im patience, which made her feel as if time was moving slowly for her. In contrast, Maman Nainaine had a very patient personality. She was practical enough to know that figs take ample time to get ripened. She had told her god-child to wait to go to her cousins, till the figs get ripened. She was in no hurry, which depicted her calm personality. She wanted to make things go according to her wishes. She patiently waited for the ripening of the figs, when Babette would go down to the fig trees every day. In contrast to Babette’s personality, the narrator has called her â€Å"as patient as the statue of la Madone†. This comparison gave a saintly touch to her personality. For her, time had move very fast, like when she said, â€Å"how early the figs have ripened this year!† This was because she was waiting for nature to complete its natural course of action. Hence, we see that

The Sustainability Strategy Challenges Facing Organizations Business Essay

The Sustainability Strategy Challenges Facing Organizations Business Essay Arguably, sustainability is said to be the greatest challenge to the present and future management practices. Dimensions of economic, social and environmental raise the question of meeting present needs without compromise to future generations ability in meeting their needs. For this reason, global environment presently challenge tackling require Non Governmental Organizations, corporate, private, individual, public, non-profit organizations and government sector commitment. Such sectors need to address issues such as environmental efficiency, seizing advantages of developments of renewable energy, satisfying green consumers and business sustainability among others. Every sector need to prioritize in network of global sustainability across multiple practices (Galea, 2004). Similarly, working with industrial associations and policy landscape intense understanding would be significant. Comprehensive models assist consumers establish strategies and appropriate practices which enable com petitive advantages, thereby making business sustainability vital. In addition, the models assist modern managers to device strategies and policies for the environment to facilitate major changes. However, in a bid to achieve sustainability, business communities encounter major challenges. For example, according to findings there are challenges that may be observed on business world, and therefore academic experts or modern managers should find common grounds for competitive reasons (Blcakburn, 2007). Organizations seem to be realizing that issues of sustainability are complex. Therefore, varied perspectives are required in production of innovative solutions. To begin with, one of the major challenges of sustainability is in assigning and measuring value of ecological impacts of a firm. This nvolves eceological footprint where the question is raised on whether carbon footprint is final. Despite firms restless efforts, industrial operations have been observed to have a continued discharge and generation of enormous wastes. Pollution of the natural environment has therefore been inevitable. Such pollution has caused damages to households or other enterprises. For example, in an attempt to ensure sustainability in healthcare organizations the UK government is responsibly operating the states healthcare system. Such operations enable the population to enjoy the benefits related to publically financed Healthcare. U.S government on the other hand provides majority of the privately funded programs. In provision of healthcare for everyone, different countries are now investing in sustainable healthcare because of the current impacts related to change in climate within our environment. Conventional drug use such as herbal drugs would facilitate clean and safe environment. With such, disposals of chemicals related to unavoidable wastages of drug substances via approaches such as burning could be lowered. Consequently, systems of accounting do not ascribe such costs with their sources and neither is the record kept systematically. With an up-ward trend, companies and organizations are being compelled to internalize such environmental costs via stricter environmental regulations and procedures or via damages liability suffered by others. Accurate companys measurement of the true environmental related costs has been offering a huge range of benefits. Correct measurement helps the management to track performance relative to past performance. Similarly, such measurements can offer external investors benchmark who are concerned with performance of the environment by firms plus their finances. In addition, the measurements can evaluate the firms exposure to the environment and financial risk originating from environmental performance. However, despite such measurement benefits, tools to adequately measure the cost are not available (Galea, 2004). For example, Trucost Ltd, a London research firm has created databases fro estimating the externality costs for global largest corporations. Firms emissions or wastes are measured with the use of individual information sources and each emission is given a monetary value through multiplication of its physical quantities by a speculated price. Nevertheless, results from such measurements are usually estimates hence actual measurements are never acquired. Secondly, firms have been facing the challenge of building a sustainability corporate culture which is enduring. Questions are raised in this challenge on what next for the company after key sustainability leaders quit the company. Challenge is on where the firm should begin with such an occurrence. Normally, sustainability initiatives are always associated or linked to few key individuals within a firm, particularly those on leadership potions. When these individuals leave the company, the initiative of sustainability may begin to atrophy. Nevertheless, those firms whose culture of sustainability is strong, the initiatives of sustainability endure for long. Companies experience a challenge in maintaining such a culture and there is need therefore for the firm to consider several aspects. Firms or companys structure need to learn something from safety movement which will act partly as the core culture of majority of manufacturing and extractive firms. Companies must also evaluate the differences between its sustainability and that of other organizational cultures. Similarly, its necessary to establish which practical tools and devices can be applied to embed culture like incentive systems or organizational designs. Thirdly, firms are being challenged to promote and ensure supply chains sustainability. Argument here may involve whether suppliers from less developed countries should be treated differently from those in developed nations. For example, acting as intermediaries between tourism service providers and tourists, tour operators incorporate varieties of services which are tourism related. Such corporations forms full holiday packages which are then marketed to clients via travel agents or directly. Generally, every package consists of accommodation and food provision, transport or even events and activities such as social activities or excursions. Since most of the products or services within the package are provided via supply chains of companies which are subcontracted, agents or organizations or tour operators are not in direct control at all times of the social or environmental effects of such goods. However, consumers always expect firms to always avail quality, environmental friendl y and social sustainable products. Firms are therefore responsible fro ensuring all inputs going into their products are sustained. For effective implementation of sustainability policies, tour operators offering products that are contracted should operate closely with suppliers. Sustainability performance will therefore be achieved all through the holiday package lifecycle. Establishment of such supply chains have been challenging for firms since it requires them to establish coherent company policies with management system in accompaniment. Management systems should however set clear actions and targets for economic, social or environmental performance. Particularly, such challenges arises where management systems are not based on the existing internal processes to maintain implementation costs at lower levels plus promoting integration of all firms operations. Similarly, incorporating employee incentives into sustainability has posed a challenge to companies operations. Firms will always wonder whether existing incentive plans for employees would possibly be connected to goals of sustainability. Normally, only strong practices within organizations prevail. If organizational practices contradict its policies, there is a possibility of green washing. For this reason, firms therefore need to invoke structures and systems that ensure firms practice sustainability. Mangers of sustainability must know the employee incentive plan that can result in companys implementation of the organizational policy sustainability. Challenges faced by firms relate to ways of incorporating targets of sustainability into staff incentives (Blcakburn, 2007). Similarly, they are also challenged in knowledge of what extent context influence applicability or effectiveness of a particular approach towards incorporating the staff incentives to sustainability. Also, limit ation comes in establishing what ways can an existing staff incentive plan be connected to the companys policy of sustainability. Another challenge faced by firms involves identity of business risks which are associated with water shortage and quality. For example, poverty, climate change, malnutrition and water scarcity have posed the biggest challenges to Unilever. However, to address such issues, the company has improvised ways of reducing water use both to the company and their consumers. Similarly, the company has produced an overview of sustainable development in 2008. The publication explores the most material issues of the company such as nutrition, sustainable agricultural sourcing, hygiene and climate change among others. In the overview, an explanation has been offered on the ways of integrating sustainability to Unilevers business or brands. Through such integration, improved health, hygiene and nutrition is reached. Companies may be limited in acquisition of tools or devices in risks evaluation incase of a climate change. According to report released by Global Equity Research group , investors and companies have been swift in identifying opportunities in water-related technologies or business. However, they are slow in identifying the increasing business risks associated with water supply pressures. Firms are limited in knowledge of their firms risks in relation to water and their chain of supply. Similarly, companies have been constrained in acquisition of water conservation or supply contingency plans. Due to this challenge, San Fransisco in California held a 2-day conference which widely featured on risk assessment, water conservation and water recycling. Similarly, Deloitte Touchà © principal in presentation described anticipated water shortage in the future posed serious threats to businesses. Such threats were to face firms that have not developed water supply or conservation contingency plans in the future. Overall consensus revealed that business enterprises particularly those within water intensive industries headed for an increased risk level from supply of water issues globally. Consequently, managers who fail to plan water related risks will ultimately be compelled to address the issues through supply disruptions, diminished quality and increased costs (Blcakburn, 2007). Primarily, business experience challenges or water risks in physical form through disruption or supply reduction. In addition, the limitation is in form of regulatory where firms do not have ability to obtain discharge or use permits. Reputation is also affected due to public perception of the firms use of freshwater or wastewater creation. Industries such as mining, energy food or beverages have more water intensity than others. They are therefore exposed to more water related risks. Another challenge facing the business operations in sustainability is identity of aboriginal perspective on sustainability of business. At the same time determination of the best approaches for engaging aboriginal communities constructively. Aboriginal groups maybe closely tied more to sustainable life ways, the question raised is whether they can offer any teaching to corporations. Aboriginal individuals act as an integral part of the organization. Normally, they form distinctive constituencies which assist in creation and improvement of public perception of firms performance. Long-term good quality and secure supply of raw materials that are competitively priced has been the biggest challenge in organizations and its fundamental in a firms operation. Most companys decisions are based highly on aboriginal individuals needs and perspectives inclusive of resources and public lands. Aboriginal communities provide suppliers, employees, customers or contractors. On the other hand, aboriginal businesses involve a growing business sector with high ability to avail services and goods for the firms operations. Firms are usually limited in providing sound, strategic sense of business in support of aboriginal people involvement. In Canada for example, they have assisted in economic growth and encouraged a proactive work in building mutually beneficial relationships in business with the aboriginal individuals. Many firms have had very positive aboriginal groups interactions and the parties experience symbiotic benefits. However, other business operations under similar regions have experienced negative interactions. Nevertheless, its not clear over what approaches offer the most competitive edge. When firms build more robust understanding of sustainability based on aboriginal perspective, developer and aboriginal community relationship create mutual respect and trust hence positive engagement. Similarly, understanding of this perspective sustainabil ity informs business operations or communities on new sustainability approaches and stakeholder engagement. Such approaches are both within and outside aboriginal communities. In this perspective, questions raised relate to what are the best or worst practices in working with aboriginal communities. Similarly, the perspective seeks to know whether the best practices differentiate by aboriginal group or by sectors and if so, how that happens (Galea, 2004). Lastly, firms experience challenges in measurement of economic impact of NIMBY. Firms are always limited in knowing whether NIMBY claims are justifiable or whether they are valid. Compnys seek to know whether economic values can be assigned claims of NIMBY. NIMBY groups can impede substantially on the progress of a company projects. Although companies maybe aware of the risks linked to NIMBY-ism, challenges exist since it has not been proved whether the claims of NMBY are justified. Questions arise on whether NIMBY-ism can generate any economic value and how evaluations would be made. Similarly, firms seek to know correlation between NIMBY activism and economic impacts that are subsequent, whether positive or negative. In conclusion, we have evaluated the effectiveness of business sustainability and how the seven challenges have impacted on the implementation of such sustainability. Firms need to devise proper ways of tackling such challenges in ensuring proper flow of business operations. Challenges have been revealed to be continued discharge and generation of enormous wastes, incorporating employee incentives into sustainability and ability to sustain corporate culture which is enduring. Similarly, other challenges include promotion and ensuring supply chains sustainability, identity of business risks associated with water shortage and quality. Identity of aboriginal perspective on business sustainability and measurement of eceonomic impact of NIMBY have also been associated with challenges facing sustainability.

The Study of the Affects of Long Term Agruculture on the Soils of Europ

The Study of the Effects of Long Term Agruculture on the Soils of Europe 1. Introduction Soil, like iron, is a natural resource. Just as iron is mined from the earth, soil is mined for its nutrients by farmers across the globe. What most people don't realize is that like iron, soil is a non-renewable resource. Soils form naturally at rates of 0.5-0.02 mm/yr, whereas the average human-induced erosion rate is 2.0 mm/yr in the U.S.(Yassoglou, 1987). These numbers reflect the dire predicament of soils around the world, and demand answers to questions such as: What causes the degradation of soils? What role have humans played in the deterioration of soils? How much more abuse can the soil withstand? Due to the lengthy history of agriculture in Europe and the Mediterranean, these areas might provide insight into the answers of these questions. 2. Is there a problem of soil degradation in Europe? 2.1 Factors that degrade soils Soil degradation as it pertains to agriculture, refers to a deterioration in at least one of the five soil qualities: volume, structure, organic matter and/or biological activity, chemical composition, and fertility. Of the many processes that lead to the deterioration of these qualities, erosion is the most prevalent and pernicious. Erosion contributes directly to the degradation of all five qualities, and is indirectly involved in other processes of soil deterioration (Yassoglou, 1987) . Due to its importance as a factor of degradation, and the limited scope of this paper, erosion will be the focus of this inquiry. 2.2 Variables that affect soil sensitivity to erosion Soil sensitivity is dependent upon the initial state of the soil following pedogenesis, influxes of material, and the... ...(Morgan,1987). Further study could be pursued in the effect of degrading influxes on single soil properties. A complete study of soil degradation within the European Community as a whole should be done, as well as adopting a set of universal standards for measuring soil loss (Yassoglou, 1987). An interesting question to pose at this point is " If soil degradation is such a problem, why hasn't productivity been adversely affected?" The irony is that the same technological advances that increase soil degradation , increase actual productivity of the farm. Fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery all increase yields per a given area, and it is these factors that have prevented an agricultural crisis in Europe. In essence, we are running our own experiment on the soil, to see if our technology can outrace its destruction of the very foundation upon which it is built.