Working capital management - a business organizations success Essay

Working capital administration - a business associations achievement - Essay Example Working capital administration is basic for a business association's prosperity and even negligible endurance. By centering in this perspective, organizations can guarantee adequate income so as to settle developing transient commitments and account anticipated operational costs (McClure 2008). Without productive strategies in overseeing working capital, an organization can show benefit yet may be illiquid to settle its present liabilities along these lines risking its relationship with loan bosses. Working capital administration likewise covers the proficient assortment of records receivable and offer of stock so as to produce money. The better the organization oversees working capital, the less cash it needs to get. Holding unnecessary money is likewise observed as wasteful on the grounds that it tends to be utilized for venture which amplifies investor riches. Probably the best case of organizations which profits by concentrating on working capital administration is PC goliath Dell, Inc. The organization's prosperity can be straightforwardly credited to its effective stock administration framework which dispenses with exorbitant creation. Interestingly with regular makers, Dell's creation is tied up with client request empowering it to dispose of stock holding cost.

Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet - The Cause of Ophelias Insanity :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

Hamlet: The Cause of Ophelia's Insanity  â â â â â â Shakespeare, through his complicated employments of imagery and sensational incongruity, masterminds a splendidly definite record of how Hamlet's psychological change filled in as the main impetus of Ophelia'sâ expanding insanityâ and inescapable suicide.â He floods the early demonstrations with a looming feeling of disarray inside Ophelia, for her sentiments toward villa incredibly differentiate those of her sibling and father.â Ophelia starts to enthusiastically notice her family's recommendation as the ruler ends up expelled from a clear example of thought. Be that as it may, on the grounds that her affections for him are veritable, this serves just to lift up her psychological strain.â In the stature of Hamlet's garbled fierceness, he gives Ophelia a definitive mechanism for her following madness.â The homicide of Polonius is the best among numerous components that were contributed by Hamlet to the serious destiny of Ophelia.   â â â â â â An introduction, made out of alerts from Polonius and Laertes, is thoughtfully set up by Shakespeare during Ophelia's underlying appearances in the play, helping in the groundwork for her resulting mental decay.   â â â â â â Pol.  â â â â â â â â â â â â â What is between you?â Give me up reality.  â â â â â â Oph.  â â â â â â He hath, ny master, generally made a huge number  â â â â â â â â â â â â â Of his love to me.  â â â â â â Pol.  â â â â â â â â â â â â â Affection, puh!â You talk like a green young lady  â â â â â â â â â â â â â Unsifted in such risky situation.  â â â â â â â â â â â â â Do you accept his tenders as you call them?  â â â â â â Oph.  â â â â â â â â â â â â â I don't have the foggiest idea about, my master, what I should think.  â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â (I, iii, ln.107-113)  Ophelia straightforwardly affirms her confusion.â Polonius' reaction is introduced in a way which is obviously planned to genuinely scorn Hamlet before his little girl, making clear his assessment of their involvement.â His purpose for her activities, be that as it may, will simply amplify her confusion.â Ophelia yields that she doesn't know about an answer with which to stop or even improve this situation.â For this explanation, no preventive measures are taken, as it were permitting the circumstance to decline.   â â â â â â Hamlets mind develops increasingly more obfuscated as his objective turns out to be clear, also, amidst his swarming distraction, he pushes Ophelia to the purpose of mental breakdown.â This idea shows up in the subsequent demonstration, after Ophelia first observes an unhinged Hamlet.   â â â â â â Oph.  â â â â â â â â â â â â â Lord Hamlet†¦  â â â â â â â â â â â â â †¦with a look so desolate in imply  â â â â â â â â â â â â â As in the event that he had been loosed out of hellfire  â â â â â â â â â â â â â To talk ofâ abhorrences - he precedes me  â â â â â â Pol.  â â â â â â â â â â â â â Mad for thy love?  â â â â â â Oph.  â â â â â â â â â â â â â â My master I don't have the foggiest idea  â â â â â â â â â â â â â But I genuinely dread it.  â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â (II, I, ln. 87-97)  Her disarray has advanced into a condition of fear, and this fear will start to infiltrate her cognizance as it develops increasingly extreme.

MIT Info Session

MIT Info Session Barkowitz and I have decided that today would be a good day to liveblog a Ben Jones info session. Now, weve never done a joint liveblog before so be easy on us, but the way this is supposed to work is that we figure we can each only type fast enough to catch half of what he says, so between our two entries youll get either ALL of what he says or half of what he says . . .twice. Woo-hoo! Here we go, were in 26-100 and Ben is now beginning his pitch. 2:00 He began by asking who was from where, getting a feel for the demographics. There are no international students here so it looks like we get to skip the Intl admissions part of the speech. Hes now giving a brief history lesson of MIT. In 1861 MIT was founded by William Barton Rogers but it didnt actually open its doors until 1865. It wasnt in Cambridge at first, it started right across the river. 2:06 MIT is very much a problem solving based approach to education We encourage you to come up with your own procedure to solving problems Hes talking about how, for example, in Eric Landers Bio class (human genome guy? yeah, thats him) you will spend the first three minutes learning what would have taken an hour in your AP Bio class and then the next 57 minutes learning stuff that you didnt even know existed and learning how to actively learn, pursue topics, and be inspired by the education you get. Why do you like teaching undergraduates? Ben asked professors. There are two main ways to leave a legacy, they say, I could work 24 hours a day coming up with groundbreaking research or I could take some time off from that to touch thousands of people and create the next generation of scientists. 2:11 Academics: Schools of Science, Engineering, Architecture, Sloan School of Management, and Humanities/Arts/Social Sciences. Humanities!? Look, you can be a great scientist, but unless you can explain your work, youre pretty much useless to the world. You have to take just as many humanities classes in the humanities as you do in physics/chemistry/math. You dont apply to each of these schools, you apply to MIT, thats all. You arent limited to a specific school because its important to see what you really are interested in during your freshman year. Yes, that means the intended major part of your app is barely considered (so STOP WORRYING ABOUT IT). 2:15 IAP: MIT operates on a 4-1-4 schedule (4 months of school, 1 month of IAP, 4 months of school). Whats IAP? IAP (Independent Activities Period) is the month of January where instead of taking REAL classes, you take awesome classes (completely optional awesome classes) like chocolate tasting, LEGO robots, charm school, and ballroom dancing (there are hundreds of others). IAP is a nice break from academics and a chance to just chill (wouldnt want a bunch of undergrads going insane would we? No, thatd be bad). 2:18 UROP: UROPs (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program) are very popular amongst undergraduates because it allows a chance for young students to get research under their belt and to explore the nitty-gritty of some real topics that theyre interested in. You can start a UROP as a freshman, first semester, by just finding an area youre interested in and start asking professors. After a quick application process BOOM, UROP. Granted, its a bit more complicated, but Im summarizing because this is a live-blog. As such, on to a different topic, forward ho! 2:20 Work Hard, Play Hard: But Ben, I like having a life, if I come to MIT then my life will be boring and suck! Wrong MIT has hundreds of clubs and organizations with almost any variety of anything youd ever want to do. Seriously, everything. Underwater hockey, curling, juggling, its all here. Sports? 41 varsity (most division III, some division I (crew, pistol, fencing)) and many many more intramural. Apparently MIT is a great place to go for water, shooting, ropes, and fencing. That means if you ever want to be a pirate, come to MIT (rumor has it that there is actually a pirates license that you can earn if you take all the PE classes in these disciplines. Aaargh!). 2:25 Hacking: Hacking is the students reminding the administration that they are smarter than them. nuff said. 2:26 Blogs: Summarized? Read the blogs, theyre honest, real, and helpful. Now its time to talk about the application! 2:29 The rumor is that you need perfect scores to get into MIT. Wrong Scores are used in conjunction with many other things (classes taken, academic rigor) to decide whether or not you will be able to do the work here. Take hard classes, do well, and youll be in good shape. Ooh, heres a gem. Said by Ben Jones himself, If you have a 7_ _ anything on an SAT then DONT TAKE IT AGAIN. You will be judged exactly the same as anybody who gets an 800 or a 790. 700=800, thats why MIT is awesome. Hes now walking through the components of the app (teacher and counselor recs, interview, essays, and all sorts of other exciting stuff). 2:33 Application Component What is something you do purely for the fun of it?: They look for a sense of balance, they want to know if youll be able to just take a break and do something you enjoy when you get here. If you put something like I like to go to the nursing home and change diapers then the admissions office will, um, tilt their heads sideways like a confused puppy and wonder about you. Application Component Teacher Recommendation: Find a teacher that knows you, that youve seen outside of class before. Admissions doesnt want letters explaining the curriculum of BC Calc and why you were awesome at it because that doesnt help them. They want to know about how you work, they want to know about your learning style and about you as a student, not about how you pwnd math. 2:37 Application Component Interview: The interview is an excellent scale tipper when two applicants are very well matched. If one person has a glowing interview report and the other has no interview report, the phosphorescent kid will have the upper edge. Application Component Extracurriculars: Theres a reason there arent spots for 10 ECs. Its about quality, not quantity. MIT wants to know about you, not about how much crap you can shove into your day. If 4 or 5 ECs and some room to describe them can oftentimes be more descriptive than listing a bunch of random sports that any one of several hundred other applicants are also listing. What about those sports helped you as a person? Why did you choose to list them? 2:41 Ben just rattled off some admissions stats (all of which are available on this website). Now hes talking about financial aid, which Ill leave to Barkowitz to blog while I take a typing break. *breaks* 2:44 *sniff* I want financial aid . . . waaaaaaahhhh!!!!! 2:47 Study Abroad: MIT has a study abroad office, research abroad, internship abroad, and all sorts of Get me out of this country options. Theres a program in Cambridge and Spain that helps MIT students to study there. If youre interested in Study Abroad, know that there a lot of options, and that you should bug Chris about it because he probably knows much more than I do. http://global.mit.edu 2:53 QA Session: Male to Female is ~55/45 Is it easier to get in as a woman? No, female applicants are much more self-selective while some guys tend to just fling themselves at MIT (I imagine this kind of like Defend Your Castle with the castle being MIT and the hordes being the male applicants). 2:57 Class sizes? Freshman classes can be large (lectures upwards of 500 kids) but recitations are much smaller (twenty or less) and thats where a lot of the learning happens. Dont worry about class sizes too much, its not a big adjustment from high school. Think of lecture as a big talking textbook and the recitations as your typical classroom settings. 2:59 Thats about all I have left to blog. Hes talking about housing now, which isnt something Im willing to touch in a liveblog (too much there to talk about, I couldnt do it justice in a setting like this) and I think everybody is about to be whisked away on tours. If you wait about 15 minutes Ill get a group shot uploaded, hope you had a good time!

The Influence of Technology on Literature Essay - 1697 Words

The Influence of Technology on Literature This essay will discuss the way new technologies have influenced some of the areas of literature. Whilst the writer of this essay acknowledges the development of cyber books for their pure entertainment value, this essay will focus on the influence of new technology in the practical advances in the literature and associated industries. This includes the influences that new technology has had on the entertainment aspect, the educational aspect, the industry aspect and the employment aspect. This essay will discuss the influence that new technologies and new uses for old technologies have had on some aspects of literature and the producers and consumers of books. This includes authors,†¦show more content†¦One of the noted limitations of this ‘new technology’ is its seemed ability to mishear or misinterpret the voice activation. The author must remember that even though utilising new technologies, they must still ensure they perform editing and drafting. One of the major topics of ‘new technology’ seen emerging in the literature industry is that of the E-Book. The E-Book’s purpose is eventually to outsell and make obsolete the written book. Hirsh (2003) makes the argument that the paperback book will never become extinct. He argues that those readers who read as a hobby enjoy the physical aspects of the book such as the weight, feel and experience of reading a book. He also argues that that experience would be diminished were they to sit in front of their palm pilot or computer screen to experience the book (Hirsh, 2003). One author (Staley, 2003) argues that new technology, far from removing the book from existence, more so creates a new and more efficient method of distributing and buying books for the end user. Through the use of e-commerce and electronic bookshops, avid readers, students and academics have access to all manner of books via the internet and their credit card. Whilst there are many advances and influences of new technology on the authors of books, large steps have also been made that influence the users of theseShow MoreRelatedDystopian Literature : The Dark Sides Of Our Dreams1456 Words   |  6 PagesUsing the text as a frame of reference, how does dystopian literature demonstrate the power of fear? Dystopian fiction shows what happens if people don t fear for what s to come. Fear influences people very substantially, changing the actions they make. As it says in the text, â€Å"Dystopias are the dark sides of our dreams. There are common themes and stylistic choices because all of the distorted mirrors that authors are holding up are trying to show us the same things. They are trying to give usRead MoreThe Colonization Of China And Portugal1495 Words   |  6 Pagesone another limited the amount of influence each culture had on the other, as their proximity allowed the cultures to blend regardless of trade relations. However, as the Age of Exploration unfolded, western nations rapidly came into contact with eastern nations. The massive differences in culture between East and West opened the door to new, dramatic influences on eastern nations. The colonization of China and Portugal provides one example of this form of influence. Although trade routes to ChinaRead MoreA Culture-Based Perspective Concerning the Desirable Characteristics of Mobile Phones1643 Words   |  7 PagesSelection of Mobile Phone A Culture-Based Perspective Concerning the Desirable Characteristics of Mobile Phones as Tools of Communication Technologies I. 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Details of Essay Samples for College Students

Details of Essay Samples for College Students Ruthless Essay Samples for College Students Strategies Exploited The ways students ought to be taught about their well-being. By pursuing the following educational goals, they should be progressing towards the path of fulfilling one's potentials. Some students utilize the very first idea that arrives in their head and work on it, but the outcome isn't successful. Many students think that it is a waste of time. To compose a strong argumentative essay, students should start by familiarizing themselves with a number of the common, and frequently conflicting, positions on the research topic so they can write an educated paper. Topics for a cause and effect essay can be found on the internet, or you may brainstorm with a friend and see what you could work out but obviously, you can even find online suggestions on writing papers for college. Choosing topics for argumentative essays is important for your general success. The Basic Fa cts of Essay Samples for College Students Understanding how to compose a strong argumentative paper will help you advance your very own argumentative thinking. Remember that you could make funny argumentative essays if you do a few things. Now things started to get really intriguing. Sit down, consider the story you wish to write. Ok, I Think I Understand Essay Samples for College Students, Now Tell Me About Essay Samples for College Students! Somebody gets essential wisdom and experience there. Every student demands help with homework from time to time. Lies You've Been Told About Essay Samples for College Students Below are a few frequent scholarship essay questions. Opinion essay would like you to discuss and in a larger degree to support a single opinion. Bridget's essay is quite strong, but there continue to be a couple little things that could be made better. Stephen's essay is rather effective. The New Angle On Essay Samples for College Students Just Released It is often as large or as small as it is possible to consider! Students are accustomed to the fact which their professors give them with the assignment's topic. Attempt to consider what age is fantastic for students to date with one another. Main parts are 3 paragraphs known as the body of the essay. Click the category, and you'll see all the available samples. Besides the situations that you should always remember, in addition, there are some items which you shouldn't do when creating the content of your college essay. The Downside Risk of Essay Samples for College Students An argumentative essay requires you to choose a topic and have a position on it. As soon as you feel you locate a topic that strikes your fancy, go with this. Thus, don't be afraid to consult her or him if you stuck when deciding upon a topic. The very best topic for your essay is one which is aligned with your subject of study. The New Fuss About Essay Samples for College Students Arguments always happen in a specific context. An argumentative essay is a certain kind of academic writing. All argumentative essays should have a conclusion paragraph. How people will act if there won't be any rules whatsoever. You wouldn't show as much as a work interview in jeans and a t-shirt, and therefore do not package your college essay like that either. Upcoming college students might also be requested to compose a college essay for a portion of their first requirements. Some feel parents ought to be allowed to provide permission for their minor children to have tattoos, because they are making the decision for their own children. It isn't only about the topic a student chooses to write on, but instead, how they write about doing it. To help students know how to compose an assignment, we've made a massive database of free college essays. A student should be so cautious when selecting a topic for a superb descriptive essay. Most college students, however, tend to choose a topic they are enthusiastic about and create the essay have substantive details. The duration of your essay is not what universities start looking for. Argumentative Essay Topics for student relevant coursework There are lots of argumentative essay topics for college students simple to find, but you ought to choose something quite intriguing. Academic papers can't contain any signals of plagiarism. Nowadays it is extremely difficult to locate a trustworthy essay writing service. If you discover that the writer did not provide just what you expected, request a revision, and we'll make the corrections. Thank God it is at the very start of the text. If you aren't prepared to master the art of academic writing alone, there is absolutely no need to go the site of an official writing service for students and purchase an inexpensive paper written from scratch to stick out from the remainder of your peers!

Spirituality and Strength Free Essays

My Strengths Strength is a word that is greatly misinterpreted. Strength is to overcome challenges that you face and to grow from them. To most, strength only comes in physical form, while for others strength comes emotionally as well as spiritually. We will write a custom essay sample on Spirituality and Strength or any similar topic only for you Order Now One can be small yet strong or one can even be scared yet strong. Strength has no set rules or requirements. Strength is going against all odds to end up prevailing. Being physically strong is the ability to sustain the capacity of a force without breaking or yielding. To be mentally strong is to emerge with confidence through an emotional series of events. For one to be spiritually strong they must have faith in what you believe when the odds are stacked against you. Everyone in life strives to be strong. Why? It is human nature. Physical strength is to prevail through obstacles that test your body to its limits. Physical strength is fighting a disease such as skin cancer. Listening to the doctors tell me that the chances of living a long healthy life are not excellent. After telling me all this they expect me to be that same person who was lways there for others. But who was there for me? Physical strength is fighting the never ending battle of drowsiness, when I was diagnosed with mononucleosis. This was a hopeless battle when I had so many things to do in so little time, Meyer 2 with no energy to spare. Yet, all I wanted to do was to fall into a deep sleep and escape all my responsibilities for the moment. Physical strength is being the strongest that I can be. This is waking up six days a week at the first light of day and pushing my body to its limits at the gym surrounded by other bodies dripping of sweat. It is to fight the endless struggle of laziness of a typical college student and workout even when I have had a long day, with few hours of sleep, and no time in my schedule. Physical strength is a daunting task to seek out but with hard work and perseverance it can be achieved. Mental strength is the ability to overcome hardship, pain, and suffering. The ability to use those experiences from depression in a positive way, to grow and develop from the most painful situations imaginable. That is what mental strength is all about. I have always been told that the strongest are always most successful. My success is the new person that I have become. I ignore the Judgmental looks and comments made by those I love and those I hate. I handle being ridiculed and gossiped about by those, who in the past, I had put all my trust in. Mental strength is dealing with the drama and stress of high school. It takes strength to walk down those cramped hallways alone and be watched by those who I used to be able to call my friends, and having no one to talk to. Even though I feel as though I am alone within a crowd of faces and shadows, bumping into me, trying to knock me down I do not get intimidated. On weekdays at six in the morning I look in the mirror and plaster on a brave face to fool others into thinking that nothing is wrong. I have the strength to not fall in to the deadly trap that people lay out when they make fun of you have with everyone and with yourself. Spiritual strength is the will to believe when all others do not. It is the fight for faith, something that could be imaginary, but that I see as real. It is the urge to die for what I believe in. I maintain my strength while I am tested on my faith in God by countless people, Judging me for following and acting on my beliefs in God. I would rather die protecting my spirituality then live a lie full of regret. In my times of trouble I have come to realize God is the light, the truth, and the way when all other paths are taken over with darkness. My strength is overcoming the hardship of following the unknown and not knowing where it will take me. It is putting my faith trust in God, and praying when I feel scared or upset. Every Sunday morning and Wednesday night I devote myself to the life of the church, the body, and the blood of Jesus Christ. Some say that by having spiritual strength I am condemning myself. On the contrary, in having spiritual strength I am freeing myself to a life full of Joy and happiness. Above all, to have spiritual strength is to have faith, love, patience, dedication and hope in God. In conclusion, there are three types of strength I have exhibited throughout my life; physical, mental, and spiritual. To have physical strength is to excel in challenges that are made upon the body. To have mental strength is to when my limits are tested. To have spiritual strength is to stick to what I believe is morally right in life. These strengths tie into how I live my life day by day. How to cite Spirituality and Strength, Papers

life journey free essay sample

College Essay One of my favorite quotes is, â€Å"when life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile.† (Unknown) I’m sitting here writing this college essay thinking to myself that I never thought I’d make it to this part of my life; like furthering my education was out of the question. But here I am sitting at my computer and telling about why I want to attend college. Life has given me something I could cry about every day, but I don’t want to cry anymore. I want to embrace life and smile every chance I get. Plus someone once told me that it takes more work to frown then it would to smile. On March 7th, 2006, my life took a turn that would change my life forever, and that’s where my journey begins. It was a beautiful day, and my little sister and I were just getting off the bus and playing around outside until my mom came running out of the house telling us we needed to come in and sit down in the living room. We will write a custom essay sample on life journey or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She was crying hysterically while calling her brother telling him to come over as soon as he can; it was an emergency. Something wasn’t right because my dad’s car was in the drive way and his coat was on the kitchen chair but he was nowhere in sight. Time was moving too fast to comprehend what was going on at the time. All I knew was deep down my dad wasn’t okay, but I made myself be strong for my little sister. I knew my gut feeling was right because before I had time to blink the police were at the door along with the paramedics. I wanted to cry I wanted to yell I wanted to run upstairs and just see my dad. My uncle and Aunt soon arrived and immediately took us to their house. As we were driving away, I knew deep down that I would never see my dad again. That night my mom came over to the house where we were staying. I could tell she was crying. In those few minutes she said three words that turned my life around: â€Å"Dad is gone†. My stomach doing fl ips, my heart was shattered I could feel the pain. That pain I felt that night was indescribable. On March 7th, 2006 my dad committed suicide and was pronounced dead at the scene. I have changed so much since his passing. I was in a bad place after my dad died. It really took a tool on my grades freshmen and sophomore year. I wanted to change, but I couldn’t find the strength to want to change my ways. That change did not happen till summer going into my junior year. Towards the end of the summer I really realized I needed to change after the loose of my friend Erica. It showed me once again how life is short so make life the best it can be. In August I began to research some churches in my area and came across Christ Community Church and sent an email to the head of the church letting the church employees know I’m interested. At this point in time I am still involved in my church. My religion has saved me in so many ways! I started my junior year with my head held hi gh. I am proud to say that I got honor roll my junior year and plan to continue that strike throughout my senior year. If people were to ask me what got me through tough times and what motivated to me keep going, I would say this, â€Å"You see that sky? You feel the ground underneath your feet? Now stand there and shut your eyes. What do you see? You see nothing. Now open them, how could you see the beauty of the earth, who you are and where you’re going with your eyes shut where you only see darkness? You can’t. SO the beat of my heart kept me going. I know I’m here for a reason and I’m meant to see what my future hold, and not shut my eyes and stay in the darkness. There are positive things I’ve gotten out of everything and what I’m still getting through. I am stronger. I know who I want to be. I know that life is short and to make the best out of everything I have. Age for me is just a number it doesn’t even compare to my life e xperiences and my maturity level. In the past 2 years I have finally been able to smile because I changed my perspective on life and I’m finally proud of whom I am and know I have purpose in life. Life will throw you in hurdles and through loops without you having any say. Sadly those hurdles and loops came early in my life. This tragedy will always be a part of who I am and what I’ve been through. Things in my life have happened for a reason so accept the bad and love the great because I know someday and even now it will all make sense. â€Å"It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.† (Aristotle Onassis)

Should Backpacks be Allowed in School Essays

Should Backpacks be Allowed in School Essays Should Backpacks be Allowed in School Paper Should Backpacks be Allowed in School Paper Also, backpacks are an excellent place for students to hide objects that are prohibited. Firstly, backpacks are very bulky and awkward. In a classroom, there is no designated space for backpacks to be kept so students might put It on the back of their chair, put It on their desk, or even leave them on the floor. This then causes many accidents because people are not always looking at the ground as they walk so many students and teachers could trip. If the school allows backpacks In class and tells you that they must not be kept on the ground, this presents another problem for students because the only available place left would be on their desk, thus impairing on their workspace and learning. There Is also the issue of backpacks in hallways. As everyone knows, the time to travel between classes is not very long and the hallways can get very congested, especially the staircases. Now imagine everyone carrying a backpack; the result would be a much uncoordinated mass of people. Hallways would not only be even more congested, students will now have to be extra careful in order not to trip and get swallowed into the never-ending swarm of students. Just the reason about backpacks being big and inconvenient alone should be enough to convince everyone that backpacks in class re a huge mistake. Subsequently, allowing backpacks means that students will have to bring it to every class which could lead to major health concerns for students. As a result of allowing backpacks, students will now most likely go directly to class which means they will have to carry the necessary materials and textbooks for half the day. This is extremely bad for the back because studies have shown that if the weight of a backpack is more than 20% of the carriers body weight, people are more prone to muscle and Joint injury and severe back, neck and shoulder pain. Although earning a backpack correctly will heavily reduce the chance of injury, many teens are not aware of the correct way to carry backpacks. Shoulder straps should help balance the weight; the backpack should fit snugly against the body and legs should be used to lift the backpack, not the back. Furthermore, research has shown that adults with severe back problems say that they often had back pain as a child. This reason should make you realize that not allowing students to bring their backpacks to class Is more advantageous than permitting them to lug their bags to each class. The resent of illegal items like weapons and drugs has always been a concern for school authorities but students tend to keep those things In their lockers. However, If backpacks were allowed In class, students would now have the opportunity to conceal a gun or a knife In their backpack and bring It Into class. Students can also hide Items to help them cheat on a test or exam Like cheat sheets or electronic devices. Another Issue Is theft because If something Is stolen during class, the thief doesnt have many options as to where he/she could hide it but having a backpack will certainly change Nat I en last AT things Tanat can De anneal In a Ticktack goes on. Backpacks In class will allow restricted items including electronics devices, weapons and drugs to be smuggled easily into class. In summary, backpacks in class provide more trouble than advantages. They are unnecessarily large and space consuming which leads to jam-packed classrooms and hallways, they cause health concerns that can be quite serious, and they can be used to harbor items that are restricted from school. Some things are meant to be left in the locker, and backpacks are definitely one of them.

Cruz Surname Meaning and Origin

Cruz Surname Meaning and Origin The Cruz surname comes from a personal name meaning cross or dweller near a cross, from the Spanish cruz and Latin crux, meaning cross. It may also be a habitational name indicating one who came from any of several places with Cruc, Cruz or La Cruz in their name. Variants of this surname originated in just about every European country, including Cross (English), Groze (French) and Kreuze and Kreuziger (German). Cruz is the 82nd most popular surname in the United States. Cruz is also a popular Spanish name, coming in as the 17th most common Hispanic surname. Surname Origin:  Spanish, Portuguese Alternate Surname Spellings: CRUCES,  DE CRUZ, DE LA CRUZ, DA CRUZ, CRUZADO, CRUSE, CRUISE, CROSS, DCRUZ Famous People with the Surname CRUZ Ted Cruz - Republican senator from Texas; US presidential candidateBobby Cruz - Puerto Rican salsa singerCelia Cruz - Cuban American singerPenelope Cruz - Spanish actressMaria Silva Cruz - Spanish anarchist Where Do People With the CRUZ Surname Live? Surname distribution data at  Forebears  ranks Cruz as the worlds 186th most common surname, found in greatest numbers in Mexico and with the highest density in Guam. The Cruz surname is the most common surname in Guam, where one in forty-five bear the name. It ranks 11th in Honduras and the Northern Mariana Islands, 12th in Palau and Puerto Rico, and 15th in Nicaragua and Mexico. Within Europe, Cruz is most frequently found in Spain, according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler, especially in the southern regions and Canary Islands. It is also very common in northwest Argentina. Coat of Arms Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Cruz family crest or coat of arms for the Cruz surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. Genealogy Resources for the Surname CRUZ How to Research Hispanic HeritageLearn how to get started researching  your Hispanic ancestors, including the basics of family tree research and country-specific organizations, genealogical records, and resources for Spain, Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean and other Spanish speaking countries. CRUZ Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Cruz surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Cruz query. FamilySearch - CRUZ GenealogyAccess over 10 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Cruz surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. GeneaNet - Cruz RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Cruz surname, with a concentration on records and families from France, Spain, and other European countries. CRUZ Surname Family Mailing ListsThis free mailing list for researchers of the Cruz surname and its variations includes subscription details and searchable archives of past messages. The Cruz Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Cruz from the website of Genealogy Today. References Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Comparison between Illiad and Gilgamesh male friendships Essay

Comparison between Illiad and Gilgamesh male friendships - Essay Example Both stories indicate how the relationship of friends creates the story or the plotline. Although both stories do not revolve around the theme of friendship, they use friendship as an instigator or an opening for other themes to evolve into. It is not mere friendship that is presented in both epics; rather it is a deep bond of two male individuals. Since epics are stories that revolve more on war, fighting and situations of victory and defeat, the main characters are usually male. From this, we can deduce that there will be a topic of friendship somewhere within the story as war and fighting usually create a strong bond between comrades. Because they treat each other as one unit, these soldiers or warriors feel a strong connection between each other, creating a stronger bond of friendship. This is the primary reason the theme of male friendship is very prominent in epics or classical stories, since these stories are focused on wars, victories and travelling or exploration. Why is mal e friendship a big deal in these epics? Because the friendship, rather its end, became the catalyst for the many changes in the decisions and perspective of the main character. The main characters’ friends seem to be like the glue to their old persona and when the friendship ends, the main characters’ became lost and tried to regain their old self back through revenge, for Achilles, and exploration, for Gilgamesh. Both of the friendships have an impact on the main characters’ personal development and it created within them the need to become round characters rather than flat characters. In Iliad, Achilles and Patroclus’ friendship was clearly seen on how Achilles trusted Patroclus to carry out his armor in times when the Achaeans seem to be losing hope. Achilles allowing Patroclus to wear his armor shows how much he trusted his companion in pretending to be him to give hope to the losing warriors. It also shows how Patroclus trusted and adored Achilles wh en he accepted this task even if he knows that this may cause his death. On the other hand, Gilgamesh and Enkidu’s friendship started out after they battled each other. It seems that Gilgamesh developed a friendship with Enkidu because he was the only person who was able to stand up to him. Enkidu was the personification of his weakness, thus, to become his strength, he befriended the man. Their friendship was not based on adoration, unlike Achilles and Patroclus. Their friendship was based on their strength and their love for adventure. They admired and respected each other, and this was definitely seen on how Gilgamesh reacted when Enkidu stood before him to fight him in his evil ways. Achilles and Patroclus’ friendship was based more on a mentor student relationship, wherein Achilles was the teacher of Patroclus. This was clearly seen when Patroclus readily accepted the task of wearing Achilles armor and pretend to be Achilles despite knowing that it is a deadly fea t to be Achilles. The poets who wrote Iliad and Gilgamesh used the death of these friendships in order to develop the characters of Gilgamesh and Achilles. In Iliad, the death of Patroclus pushed Achilles to make peace with Agamemnon to fight the Trojans, specifically Hector, in order to avenge Patroclus’ death. In Gilgamesh, the death of Enkidu made Gilgamesh search for the means on how to escape death. This allowed him to come into terms with

Response to article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Response to article - Essay Example I believe that the corporate society will have to change to accommodate generation y since they need new and young blood to operate optimally. I agree with Thatcher that the future of American workforce is brighter. The days of richest Americans getting richer for doing less with the middle class doing all the work and getting less earnings for it are ending. A new generation have learnt to take their extracurricular skills seriously such that they can create jobs for themselves. In addition, many will not do a job they hate just to be employed. They would rather stay in their parent’s houses doing nothing because their parents can provide for them. To them, the world provides enormous opportunities and they have to choose the best. In the 21st century, advancement in technology has empowered many and they would want the companies they work for adopt these technology. In conclusion, generation y understands the easier options of carrying out business and will not bow to old complex methods. Companies will have to adopt easier options to accommodate them, making it easier for the existing

Training and Development of Employee Soft Skills

Training and Development of Employee Soft Skills Introduction This paper will discuss training and development of employees and focus on soft skills. This will compare the literature with case studies and conclude on the benefits of training in organisations. Skills of employees are broken down into two main headings, hard (technical) that allow them to perform the tasks that make up the role, and soft skills that encourage interactions, with colleagues, peers and customers. This paper has concluded that both skills need to be present to gain the most from the customer relationship, although soft skills will increase the benefit of hard skills, they allow the communication of technical skills. Soft skills are the interaction between individuals, which includes communication and empowerment, autonomy and decision making. Soft skills are discussed as the last competitive edge organisations can posses, that add value. This skills are difficult to assess, many are already present in employees, but not nurtured. The theorist during the early 1990’s discussed soft skills from a management perspective; it was discussed as the hidden value (or skill) that organisations could offer. This perspective has now changed, to one of marketing theory, discussed in areas such as relationship marketing and customer value. This is opinion by marketers is that by encouraging soft skills in employees it will add value to the product. Marketing theory discusses that customer loyalty can offer the organisation repeat business; this is valuable as it utilises economies of scale, lowering marketing and production costs. This is a cost effective method to maintain and increase business, leading to a higher level of revenue, but it requires the organisation understanding what the customer requires from this relationship. The question raised at this point, is should customer loyalty be taken for granted, or can it be effected by actions from the organisation, therefore should it have resources ploughed into it. Can employees be trained to meet the needs of the customer? Can organisations build on this through skill utilisation of the human resource, can training affect the relationship, and will lack of training have a negative affect on this. The skills that are needed are classified as soft, in contrast to the hard technical skills that are required for job performance. At first the area researched was the customer’s opinion of their loyalty, why they made repeat purchases and what actually influenced their decisions. This area proved subjective, they enjoyed the experience of purchasing, and often attributed to the organisations representative. It then followed to look at the skills of organisations in further depth, studying the skills of their representatives, and how the training and developing of soft skills could add to this relationship. Literature states that the evaluation of training is neglected, although it must be noted that there is no universal method that can be employed. Evaluation of training is a subjective area, with various factors that impinge on the successful transfer of new skills. Numerous organisations were contacted, but the response level was low, therefore it was decided to review soft skills within three organisations, as an interaction with both colleagues and ultimately customers. The three organisations that were chosen are all in different industry sections and in different stages of the life cycle. The first organisation agreed to the research, but then became reluctant to disclosure further information. The organisations felt that the economic position they were in would not be helped by a report written into the possible causes, although, it was stressed this was not the purpose of the paper. It was agreed to keep the organisation anonymous, but meant that their accounts could not be discussed in relation to training. To maintain neutrality throughout the paper all three organisations would study in the same method. This focussed the paper on utilisation of soft skills, the amount of training invested in them and the ultimate benefit to the organisation. The paper concludes individually on all three organisations. Assessing their levels of commitment to skills training, the value they place in this, and the culture that encourages the transfer of skills. The main conclusions are drawn from this section. 3.0 Aims and objectives The aim of this paper is to study the value of soft skills training in terms of attracting repeat customers and increasing company profits. This aim is wide, to allow for other discussion which after reviewing the literature review and case studies, will appear relevant to the paper. The first objective is to determine the extent to which training can improve the soft skills of employees that are customer facing, combining this with practical experience. In terms of being combined with experience, it may be useful to study whether training before extensive experience of dealing with customers is more effective than training employees who already have significant experience. Do employees get stuck in their ways and find it harder to change. Although it must be noted that the organisational structure and culture will have a direct affect on level of transfer of new skills. The second objective will be to determine to what extent employee and managerial soft skills can influence the tendency of customers to become repeat, and potentially loyal, customers. Again, soft skills will only be one potential factor influencing customer choices, and it will be necessary to attempt to determine the impacts of the other aspects of the marketing mix: price, promotion, place and product. It is hypothesized that there will be certain combinations of the various aspects that will have the desired effect; however this may vary according to customer demographics. The third objective will be to determine the extent to which soft skills can be converted to company profits, as a result of gaining more customers, and repeat customers, and how this is affected by company training policies and expenditure. In other words, the data will be used to attempt to discover if expenditure on soft skills training actually produces significant rewards for a company. It will be necessary to study several organisations who have invested in soft skills training programs, and attempt to determine the perceived improvement in the soft skills of their employees. This should also be compare against an organisation that have not invested in soft skill training, to contrast the skills of the employees. The areas that will be examined will involve the structure, culture, leadership and training programmes within the organisations. These findings will be compared to the literature review and a marketing database Factiva to determine the importance customers place on the soft skills of company employees. Surveys of customers were considered; however they may produce even more distorted results, as many customers are unsure of their personal reasons why they make repeat purchases. The surveying of organisations will determine their expenditure on training, both in time and capital, and focus on soft skills. This should be discussed with the value they place on the customer and the level of repeat business they expect. 4.0 Methodology This chapter discusses the research methods used for the project and the justification for the choice of methods.   It discusses methods that were not used, with justification of why they were not included.   Included is a critique of methods selected, and with hindsight identifies any changes that would have enhanced the research.  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper evaluates customer loyalty that is demonstrated through repeat business. Can organizations influence the level by training their employees in soft skills?   Selection of the topic was stimulated and formed the identification of customer loyalty perhaps being the last competitive edge that organisations can offer.     The nature of the research was discussed with colleagues and fellow students this not only added practical ideas and suggestions, it opened new avenues of thought.   This was the discussed with lecturers sounding out ideas, gauging opinions and clarifying the question.   Focusing in on the question was obtained by employing relevance trees, narrowing the research area.   This gave direction to the research, although with reviewing the literature this changed several times (Buzan, J. 1995).   Next, a research proposal was compiled, with the benefit of organising ideas and setting a time-scale for research.   Theoretically, the proposal would highlight any difficulties with the research question and access to data.   Creating a time-scale would focus on targets and meet deadlines in the completion of the paper.   This time scale proved invaluable when new avenues were investigated, it helped focus on where the project should be. The literature review, discussing theories and ideas that exist on the topic formed the foundation of the paper.   The findings from the research are then tested on theories for validity (Saunders, M. et al 1997).   The literature review was challenging, there is a great deal of academic research on training, but very little on the topic area. Journals and books were the back bone for the review, both in marketing and management theory. Tertiary data sources, such as library catalogues and indexes were used to scan for secondary data.   This produced journals and newspaper articles, books and Internet addresses.   With the amount of literature, it took time to sort out relevant material to the research.   Narrowing down the search Bell’s (1993) six point’s parameters was applied.   Applying key words that were identified in the first search produced relevant and up-to-date material (Bell, J.1993).   A limitation on the literature search was the amount of time to read all articles and books on the subject. Whilst reviewing the literature references to other publications were followed and reviewed.   Bells checklist on identifying the relevance of literature found was a practical method to reduce the amount of reading (Bell, J. 1993). Ethical considerations in research fall into three categories, during design, collection, and reporting of the data.   These areas were carefully considered at all stages of the research (Oppenheim, A.1996:84).   The data sought throughout the research should remain within the scope of the project (Saunders, M. et al 1997).  Ã‚   Participants were instructed on the purpose of the paper and how their input would be used. The person privacy must not be evaded during interviewing Oppenheim (1996) referred to this saying â€Å"respecting the respondents right to privacy, as the right to refuse to answer certain or all questions† (Oppenheim 1996:84).   By participating in the research, no harm should fall on the participant.   Consent must be obtained from both the organisation and individuals before commencement of research.   The data sought throughout the research should remain within the scope of the project (Saunders et al 1997).  Ã‚   Questionnaires were selected to obtain the overall picture of soft skills from employees and there relevance to customer retention. Before the questionnaires were distributed a letter was delivered given to all employees explaining the purpose of the research, and how the information was to be used.   The letter contained a contact number for the researcher, and gave a guarantee of anonymity of the information.   An advantage of communicating to respondents before the questionnaire was that it increased the response rate, and addressed ethical concerns (Saunders et al 1997).   Fellow students were used to pilot the questionnaires; to test the information gained from the questions and the time take to complete it.   From this, adjustments were made on the wording, removing technical jargon (Bell 1993).   Closed questions maintained the anonymity of the participants, but had the disadvantage of limiting the data that could be collected, therefore a mixture was used.   A cop y of the questionnaire is in appendix four. Processing the data from the questionnaires was achieved using a spreadsheet programme; variables were coded and entered into the computer.   This information was quantitative and proved easy to evaluate.  Ã‚   Other methods of research gave qualitative data; this was evaluated using key words, and summarising the script to show trends, although some subjectivity will always remain (Cresswell 1994).   Classifying the data into categories before it was analysed, putting it in groups of similar responses, allowed the data to be workable, then conclusion were drawn (Saunders et al 1997).   Interviews were used on key employees to gain the formal structure, market segment and background of the organisations (Wass Wells 1994).   After the questionnaires, some employees came forward interested in offering themselves for further input to the research.   Although helpful, they could show bias; those coming forward could have an axe to grind, using an interview to grind it, therefore this was rejected (Saunders et al 1997). Case studies of organisations that through varying levels require repeat business to compound and improve their market share have been reviewed and compared to the literature. The case studies discuss the organisations strategy, culture and management style. To produce primary data on customer loyalty proved to be a vast task, taking a lot of time to produce results. Internal and external operations of several organisations would have to be compared to reach any level of validity. Other methods of data collection were considered and rejected.   Focus groups would have offered free flowing information. This could have been facilitated with discussion led by the researcher.   The idea was rejected due to the limited resources. The amount of data collected would have taken a long time to analysis, and could have been bias. It was decided to do case studies on organizations and interview employees. The questionnaire remained anonymous, not only to protect employees, but to allow for the information to flow without recourse. The findings of this will be presented in section seven and in the appendices. Choosing a multi-method approach for a research strategy allowed several methods for the collection of data.   Adding validity of findings and different perspective to the research, each method selected complimented and triangulated the results of another.   Questionnaires and interviews triangulate the results from observation (Saunders et al 1997).   Each method employed for research has its own advantages and disadvantages’; using a multi-method approach reduces bias and increases validity (Saunders et al 1997). Multiple regression analysis will be the best method for analysing the data, once potential bias has been identified and removed. Several models will need to be tried, as the relationship may not be simple, and the model that is found to be most accurate would have implications for the analysis of the third objective, as there will potentially be an optimal level of soft skill training, above which the rewards will not match any further increase in expenditure. Multiple regression will often be the most apt form of analysis, as it will offer information on the explanatory power of certain variables, which will be useful when concluding whether training or experience are most important for soft skill development, the relationship between training and experience, and any potential significance of which of the two is acquired first. Also, for the second objective, multiple regressions can be used for both employees and managers, to determine whether it is the soft skills of employees, or of managers, that have more impact on the number of repeat customers a company receives.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The major limitation of the study lies in its relatively small sample size and the limited coverage. This was mainly attributable to the limited time and other resources available for the study. 5.0 Literature review   This section of the paper is broken down into five sections, which are all relevant. The first section will discuss training and development, followed by the changes in modern organisations, and what is expected of them. The third section will discuss skills and the requirements from them followed by a section of the theory on how to train; if the method selected for training is not appropriate then the end result will disappoint the organisation. The final section will discuss from the marketing aspect the value in attracting repeat business. 5.1 Training and Development This section will discuss what training and development is the benefits to the organisation and focus of the soft skills. 5.11 What is training and development? Training can be defined as a planned process to change attitudes, knowledge or skills and behaviour through a range of activities to achieve effective performance. When this training is in the work situation, it develops the employee to satisfy current or future needs of the organisation (Beardwell, I et al 2004). It is generally accepted that methods of training can usually be separated into two categories: on-the-job, and, off-the-job. On-the-job training is implemented at the trainees workplace, while off-the-job training is conducted away from the trainees workplace and takes them outside of their work environment (Mullins, L. 2005). Training can be used as a change agent, to change the culture of an organisation. It is a tool that can improve organisational effectiveness, especially in fiercely competitive markets. All too often organisations that are facing financial problems will cut back the training program, where as they could be used to increase overall performance. The training budget is viewed too often as an expendable, and the first to cut or even go in crises (Rogers 2004). 5.1.2 Why train Nobody in business would disagree with the clichà © that a company is only as good as the people in it. But opinions differ on how that translates into practice, and what it means in terms of the way a firm goes about gathering and developing a world-class staff line-up. With near full employment in the UK, the fight for talent is as ruthless as ever, and getting, hanging on to and developing those people remains the HR issue of the moment. The principal function of any organisation is to increase the value of the business and therefore enhance the wealth of its Owner(s). This is obtained by efficient use of the limited â€Å"resources† available to them (T Blackwood, 1995). Garrick (1998) discussed that HRD is inextricably linked to market economics, that knowledge is prized in so far as it can generate a market advantageâ€Å"(Garrick 1998:5). Leading to the assumption that HRD can give the organisation advantage aiding the ability to increase profit.   Therefore using that theory HRD should be viewed as a vital function of all organisations, and not just there to satisfy training issues, a proactive role. Garavan et al (2000) discusses the emergence of strategic HRD practices, which are directly linked to the organisation’s strategies, with profit maximising paramount, HRD is a tool that should be employed to obtain and support this (Garavan et al, 2000).  Ã‚   It is argued that organisations require new skills to survive; the new thinking is based on complexity and chaos theory. Organisations are viewed as self-regulating, emergent, open, whole systems. This contrasts the metaphor of organisations being machines to that of organisations as living systems (Capra 2002 cited in Nixon 2004:58). For organisations to prosper in the future global economy, workplace culture needs to enhance a learning organisation, fluid responses to the ever changing environment. This can only be obtained with proactive HRD policies, disseminat ing a culture of learning through out the organisation (Nixon 2004).   Since the late 1990s the business environment has drastically changed (Mullins, L. 2005). Chaos theorists have argued that the world of the organisations is â€Å"turbulent and chaotic, making it impossible for them to predict the future†. Therefore conventional approaches to strategic decision making are no longer appropriate (Harrison, R. 1997:78). Competition and the pace of change in business require continuous improvement, therefore it means continuous learning. From this demand the market for business education has grown with a proliferation of courses, full- and part-time, open and bespoke (Mullins, L. 2005). Investment in training and development is an issue that provokes varying reactions amongst business managers. The allocation of time and resource is an issue to organisations, therefore there is a tendency to focus towards on the job training and learning through experience. 5.1.3 What are Soft Skills The term that describes this interpersonal dimension of life at work is soft skills. Soft skills are attitudes and behaviours displayed in interactions among individuals that affect the outcomes of such encounters. These differ from hard skills, which are the technical knowledge and abilities required to perform specific job-related tasks more formally stated in job descriptions. In the past, it was felt that managers and employees did not need soft skills as long as they could do their work, but now even positions in hard, task-oriented roles require soft skills as well as technical skills (Muir, C. 2004) This introduces new challenges on how the organisation responds to the interpersonal evolution, how do you measure the need for soft skills, and how to design programs that address such needs? One theory is to ensure the workforce is a high-performing by (1) the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for the organisation to accomplish its current mission and that is (2) appropriately prepared for achieving the vision for the future (Muir, C. 2004) This position includes working collaboratively with Human Resource and Development partners in staffing and employment, organisation development, diversity, performance management, and total compensation to recruit, develop the capabilities of, and retain desired staff. This is used to create conditions that engage employees in productive, meaningful work. These conditions are a result of designing systems, providing needed resources, and implementing policies that support employees and that develop their skills and knowledge in ways that match the organisations evolving challenges and priorities. Guidance is vital in the training function, throughout the organisation to foster an enterprise-wide view of capability development (Muir, C. 2004) Soft skills development has been viewed as a fad. This is now viewed as a necessary component in organisational development. These skills it can be argued that these skills are at the very heart of creating capability in employees and leaders. Individuals require the technical skills unique to their role, whether they are craft workers in a maintenance department or payroll specialists in accounting. However, even at the individual employee level it soon becomes apparent that little work gets done in isolation. All employees must be skilled at participating in team projects and affirming others. They must be adept at managing conflict and creating inclusive relationships that improve team performance and launch ideas. Indeed, the soft skills of negotiating solutions are the essential tools of effective contributors everywhere (Muir, C. 2004) Moreover, those formal leadership roles, it is vital to be proficient in soft skills. Thinking systemically and acting strategically is the linchpin of effective leaders, but excellent soft skills are necessary to actually implement the vision and to communicate values, standards, and expectations. Although this is limited where command-and-control approach is appropriate. Individuals support what they help create, and soft skills are the essential tools for helping them contribute to their full potential (Muir, C. 2004) While soft skills are apparently essential workplace requirements, they are also it appears that they are lacking. According to Field and Ford (1995) soft skills are like an iceberg, `under the surface, and although hard to understand, help employees contribute fully to the new, challenging work environment. This makes them liable to subjectivity, difficult to define, observe or measure and open to the influence of work organisation and the social construction of skill in the workplace. Thus, it is the premise of this paper that an organisations culture, the predominant management style and the extent of management/employee soft skills will have an influence upon workplace participation (Field, L and Ford, B 1995). Soft skills are an important factor in the success of decentralised, participatory work environment programs. Soft skills include teamwork, decision making and conceptualisation. Changes to workplace organisational structure require soft skills to foster improved communication and understanding of accountability. The subsequent globalisation of markets, deregulation of various sectors and the pressure to be competitive have all had major implications for the management of organisations and the skills required of the workforce (Connell, J. 1998). 5.2 The changing nature of organisations Over the past decade organisations are changing, through pressure from the markets and the environment. This has forced change on many, this section will discuss the implications on organisations and how it has forces a change in the skills required from employees. This section will also discuss management sttl and the culture of organisation, and how this impacts on training. 5.2.1 Changing environment The present challenge facing learning facilitators is how will training continue to be relevant in todays ever-changing business landscape? Political, economic, social and technological factors are irrevocably changing the way and the nature of commerce. Throughout the UK, the economy is a state of flux, swinging from a traditional manufacturing base to small to medium-sized service based organisations. The sustained strength of the pound has not helped UK businesses that export products, thereby witnessing the decline of manufacturing. Forward thinking businesses are now recognising that it is through their people that competitive advantage can be achieved. Best (2001) discussed the â€Å"new economy, as a knowledge-based economy without borders, where the race is between companies and locales over how to learn faster and organise more flexibly to take advantage of technology-enabled market opportunities†Ã‚   (Best (2001) cited in   DeFillippi, R. 2002). Organisations have changed in the way they operate, shifting from immobile-wired infrastructures to mobile, miniature, and wireless modes of communication, computing, and transacting.   Customers now demand 24 hour service, with â€Å"any time, any place solutions of their problems (DeFillippi, R. 2002). Radical shifts are taking place in management theory; these shifts need to be reflected in the theory of training and development. The move towards a knowledge economy makes these shifts vital to the survival of the organisation. Ideas of training tend to focus on results; typically they are short-term and assume transferable skills. Ideas of personal development may be insufficiently focused on the workplace. Therefore for an organisation to enter the knowledge economy, it is vital for them to review their training and development to a broader aspect (Bryans,  P. Smith, R. 2000). Increasingly, as the nature of business and organisations change, its leaders are recognising that their most valuable assets are their skilled employees and, more significantly, the knowledge, both tacit and explicit, that is possessed by these employees. The knowledge is power clichà © has never been more accurate than in todays corporate world. This added value that this can b e seen in products and services is now dependant on knowledge based intangibles (Rogers 2004). 5.2.2 Organisational Structure There is conclusive evidence that the world of work has changed significantly over the past 20 years. Handy (1989) sees fundamental changes in organisational life reflected in what he refers to as the shamrock model with its three groups of workers core, contract and temporary or flexible. Guirdham (1995) says that the nature of work, the nature of organisations and the structure of the workforce have all changed and will continue to change (Handy (1989) and Guirdham (1995) cited in Falconer,  S and Pettigrew, M 2003:49) Reshaping of organizations, re-engineering, restructuring; all these things have led to leaner organizations and the dismissal of a lot of people. Many workplaces have disappeared from the scene, many competences are also disappearing and there is a risk of destroying uniqueness of some cultures as a whole (Civelli, F 1997:248). The corpus of knowledge, experiences and abilities, position or job status in an organisation was traditionally also a guarantee of job security. However, these are losing their traditional importance. In the marketplace it is difficult to recognize and get to know the abilities and knowledge of whole populations of young, highly educated people; the marketplace has difficulty in understanding the traditional value of experience (Civelli, F 1997). The major problem is how the knowledge, experience and capabilities can be actualised. The product in a society of more and higher educated people and with more institutionalised training is, paradoxically, a poorer work market. The relationship between people and work is institutionalised as a qualification at school and work experience. People learn not only inside the boundaries of institutions, but in everyday life situations. Illich, (1971) stated that most part of things we learn we have learned outside schools and outside works, factories, offices, banks or training courses (Illich, (1971) cited in Civelli, F 1997:248). Handy (1994) wrote instead of an organization being a castle, a home for life for its defenders, it will be more like a condominium, an association of temporary residents gathered together for their mutual convenience (Handy, C. (1994) cited in Civelli, F 1997:250). 5.2.3 Management Style and Organisational Culture The major viewpoint on work organisation this century have focused on increasing worker productivity through various strategies such as scientific management, human relations, the quality of working life and attempts to change organisational cultures. While the culture of organisations has increasingly become the focus of multidisciplinary research, concepts and definitions are as elusive as they are controversial. Arguments tend to polarise between anthropologists and management writers. Anthropologists view culture as the sum of the behaviours, values and attitudes of the group or the organisation, while management writers tend to adopt the view that culture is the product of management strategy and, as such, can affect productivity depending on whether it is weak or strong (Wiener, 1988). The strong (Deal and Kennedy 1982) and the excellent (Peters and Waterman 1982) culture strategies linked `positive culture with increased productivity. These culture strategies functioned for a time as the â€Å"new management panacea† amongst American organisations, when faced with losing the competitive edge they looked to Japan for an explanation of the qualities which led to their success. These qualities included transformational leadership style, encouraging the creation of a shared vision and a collective co Training and Development of Employee Soft Skills Training and Development of Employee Soft Skills Introduction This paper will discuss training and development of employees and focus on soft skills. This will compare the literature with case studies and conclude on the benefits of training in organisations. Skills of employees are broken down into two main headings, hard (technical) that allow them to perform the tasks that make up the role, and soft skills that encourage interactions, with colleagues, peers and customers. This paper has concluded that both skills need to be present to gain the most from the customer relationship, although soft skills will increase the benefit of hard skills, they allow the communication of technical skills. Soft skills are the interaction between individuals, which includes communication and empowerment, autonomy and decision making. Soft skills are discussed as the last competitive edge organisations can posses, that add value. This skills are difficult to assess, many are already present in employees, but not nurtured. The theorist during the early 1990’s discussed soft skills from a management perspective; it was discussed as the hidden value (or skill) that organisations could offer. This perspective has now changed, to one of marketing theory, discussed in areas such as relationship marketing and customer value. This is opinion by marketers is that by encouraging soft skills in employees it will add value to the product. Marketing theory discusses that customer loyalty can offer the organisation repeat business; this is valuable as it utilises economies of scale, lowering marketing and production costs. This is a cost effective method to maintain and increase business, leading to a higher level of revenue, but it requires the organisation understanding what the customer requires from this relationship. The question raised at this point, is should customer loyalty be taken for granted, or can it be effected by actions from the organisation, therefore should it have resources ploughed into it. Can employees be trained to meet the needs of the customer? Can organisations build on this through skill utilisation of the human resource, can training affect the relationship, and will lack of training have a negative affect on this. The skills that are needed are classified as soft, in contrast to the hard technical skills that are required for job performance. At first the area researched was the customer’s opinion of their loyalty, why they made repeat purchases and what actually influenced their decisions. This area proved subjective, they enjoyed the experience of purchasing, and often attributed to the organisations representative. It then followed to look at the skills of organisations in further depth, studying the skills of their representatives, and how the training and developing of soft skills could add to this relationship. Literature states that the evaluation of training is neglected, although it must be noted that there is no universal method that can be employed. Evaluation of training is a subjective area, with various factors that impinge on the successful transfer of new skills. Numerous organisations were contacted, but the response level was low, therefore it was decided to review soft skills within three organisations, as an interaction with both colleagues and ultimately customers. The three organisations that were chosen are all in different industry sections and in different stages of the life cycle. The first organisation agreed to the research, but then became reluctant to disclosure further information. The organisations felt that the economic position they were in would not be helped by a report written into the possible causes, although, it was stressed this was not the purpose of the paper. It was agreed to keep the organisation anonymous, but meant that their accounts could not be discussed in relation to training. To maintain neutrality throughout the paper all three organisations would study in the same method. This focussed the paper on utilisation of soft skills, the amount of training invested in them and the ultimate benefit to the organisation. The paper concludes individually on all three organisations. Assessing their levels of commitment to skills training, the value they place in this, and the culture that encourages the transfer of skills. The main conclusions are drawn from this section. 3.0 Aims and objectives The aim of this paper is to study the value of soft skills training in terms of attracting repeat customers and increasing company profits. This aim is wide, to allow for other discussion which after reviewing the literature review and case studies, will appear relevant to the paper. The first objective is to determine the extent to which training can improve the soft skills of employees that are customer facing, combining this with practical experience. In terms of being combined with experience, it may be useful to study whether training before extensive experience of dealing with customers is more effective than training employees who already have significant experience. Do employees get stuck in their ways and find it harder to change. Although it must be noted that the organisational structure and culture will have a direct affect on level of transfer of new skills. The second objective will be to determine to what extent employee and managerial soft skills can influence the tendency of customers to become repeat, and potentially loyal, customers. Again, soft skills will only be one potential factor influencing customer choices, and it will be necessary to attempt to determine the impacts of the other aspects of the marketing mix: price, promotion, place and product. It is hypothesized that there will be certain combinations of the various aspects that will have the desired effect; however this may vary according to customer demographics. The third objective will be to determine the extent to which soft skills can be converted to company profits, as a result of gaining more customers, and repeat customers, and how this is affected by company training policies and expenditure. In other words, the data will be used to attempt to discover if expenditure on soft skills training actually produces significant rewards for a company. It will be necessary to study several organisations who have invested in soft skills training programs, and attempt to determine the perceived improvement in the soft skills of their employees. This should also be compare against an organisation that have not invested in soft skill training, to contrast the skills of the employees. The areas that will be examined will involve the structure, culture, leadership and training programmes within the organisations. These findings will be compared to the literature review and a marketing database Factiva to determine the importance customers place on the soft skills of company employees. Surveys of customers were considered; however they may produce even more distorted results, as many customers are unsure of their personal reasons why they make repeat purchases. The surveying of organisations will determine their expenditure on training, both in time and capital, and focus on soft skills. This should be discussed with the value they place on the customer and the level of repeat business they expect. 4.0 Methodology This chapter discusses the research methods used for the project and the justification for the choice of methods.   It discusses methods that were not used, with justification of why they were not included.   Included is a critique of methods selected, and with hindsight identifies any changes that would have enhanced the research.  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper evaluates customer loyalty that is demonstrated through repeat business. Can organizations influence the level by training their employees in soft skills?   Selection of the topic was stimulated and formed the identification of customer loyalty perhaps being the last competitive edge that organisations can offer.     The nature of the research was discussed with colleagues and fellow students this not only added practical ideas and suggestions, it opened new avenues of thought.   This was the discussed with lecturers sounding out ideas, gauging opinions and clarifying the question.   Focusing in on the question was obtained by employing relevance trees, narrowing the research area.   This gave direction to the research, although with reviewing the literature this changed several times (Buzan, J. 1995).   Next, a research proposal was compiled, with the benefit of organising ideas and setting a time-scale for research.   Theoretically, the proposal would highlight any difficulties with the research question and access to data.   Creating a time-scale would focus on targets and meet deadlines in the completion of the paper.   This time scale proved invaluable when new avenues were investigated, it helped focus on where the project should be. The literature review, discussing theories and ideas that exist on the topic formed the foundation of the paper.   The findings from the research are then tested on theories for validity (Saunders, M. et al 1997).   The literature review was challenging, there is a great deal of academic research on training, but very little on the topic area. Journals and books were the back bone for the review, both in marketing and management theory. Tertiary data sources, such as library catalogues and indexes were used to scan for secondary data.   This produced journals and newspaper articles, books and Internet addresses.   With the amount of literature, it took time to sort out relevant material to the research.   Narrowing down the search Bell’s (1993) six point’s parameters was applied.   Applying key words that were identified in the first search produced relevant and up-to-date material (Bell, J.1993).   A limitation on the literature search was the amount of time to read all articles and books on the subject. Whilst reviewing the literature references to other publications were followed and reviewed.   Bells checklist on identifying the relevance of literature found was a practical method to reduce the amount of reading (Bell, J. 1993). Ethical considerations in research fall into three categories, during design, collection, and reporting of the data.   These areas were carefully considered at all stages of the research (Oppenheim, A.1996:84).   The data sought throughout the research should remain within the scope of the project (Saunders, M. et al 1997).  Ã‚   Participants were instructed on the purpose of the paper and how their input would be used. The person privacy must not be evaded during interviewing Oppenheim (1996) referred to this saying â€Å"respecting the respondents right to privacy, as the right to refuse to answer certain or all questions† (Oppenheim 1996:84).   By participating in the research, no harm should fall on the participant.   Consent must be obtained from both the organisation and individuals before commencement of research.   The data sought throughout the research should remain within the scope of the project (Saunders et al 1997).  Ã‚   Questionnaires were selected to obtain the overall picture of soft skills from employees and there relevance to customer retention. Before the questionnaires were distributed a letter was delivered given to all employees explaining the purpose of the research, and how the information was to be used.   The letter contained a contact number for the researcher, and gave a guarantee of anonymity of the information.   An advantage of communicating to respondents before the questionnaire was that it increased the response rate, and addressed ethical concerns (Saunders et al 1997).   Fellow students were used to pilot the questionnaires; to test the information gained from the questions and the time take to complete it.   From this, adjustments were made on the wording, removing technical jargon (Bell 1993).   Closed questions maintained the anonymity of the participants, but had the disadvantage of limiting the data that could be collected, therefore a mixture was used.   A cop y of the questionnaire is in appendix four. Processing the data from the questionnaires was achieved using a spreadsheet programme; variables were coded and entered into the computer.   This information was quantitative and proved easy to evaluate.  Ã‚   Other methods of research gave qualitative data; this was evaluated using key words, and summarising the script to show trends, although some subjectivity will always remain (Cresswell 1994).   Classifying the data into categories before it was analysed, putting it in groups of similar responses, allowed the data to be workable, then conclusion were drawn (Saunders et al 1997).   Interviews were used on key employees to gain the formal structure, market segment and background of the organisations (Wass Wells 1994).   After the questionnaires, some employees came forward interested in offering themselves for further input to the research.   Although helpful, they could show bias; those coming forward could have an axe to grind, using an interview to grind it, therefore this was rejected (Saunders et al 1997). Case studies of organisations that through varying levels require repeat business to compound and improve their market share have been reviewed and compared to the literature. The case studies discuss the organisations strategy, culture and management style. To produce primary data on customer loyalty proved to be a vast task, taking a lot of time to produce results. Internal and external operations of several organisations would have to be compared to reach any level of validity. Other methods of data collection were considered and rejected.   Focus groups would have offered free flowing information. This could have been facilitated with discussion led by the researcher.   The idea was rejected due to the limited resources. The amount of data collected would have taken a long time to analysis, and could have been bias. It was decided to do case studies on organizations and interview employees. The questionnaire remained anonymous, not only to protect employees, but to allow for the information to flow without recourse. The findings of this will be presented in section seven and in the appendices. Choosing a multi-method approach for a research strategy allowed several methods for the collection of data.   Adding validity of findings and different perspective to the research, each method selected complimented and triangulated the results of another.   Questionnaires and interviews triangulate the results from observation (Saunders et al 1997).   Each method employed for research has its own advantages and disadvantages’; using a multi-method approach reduces bias and increases validity (Saunders et al 1997). Multiple regression analysis will be the best method for analysing the data, once potential bias has been identified and removed. Several models will need to be tried, as the relationship may not be simple, and the model that is found to be most accurate would have implications for the analysis of the third objective, as there will potentially be an optimal level of soft skill training, above which the rewards will not match any further increase in expenditure. Multiple regression will often be the most apt form of analysis, as it will offer information on the explanatory power of certain variables, which will be useful when concluding whether training or experience are most important for soft skill development, the relationship between training and experience, and any potential significance of which of the two is acquired first. Also, for the second objective, multiple regressions can be used for both employees and managers, to determine whether it is the soft skills of employees, or of managers, that have more impact on the number of repeat customers a company receives.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The major limitation of the study lies in its relatively small sample size and the limited coverage. This was mainly attributable to the limited time and other resources available for the study. 5.0 Literature review   This section of the paper is broken down into five sections, which are all relevant. The first section will discuss training and development, followed by the changes in modern organisations, and what is expected of them. The third section will discuss skills and the requirements from them followed by a section of the theory on how to train; if the method selected for training is not appropriate then the end result will disappoint the organisation. The final section will discuss from the marketing aspect the value in attracting repeat business. 5.1 Training and Development This section will discuss what training and development is the benefits to the organisation and focus of the soft skills. 5.11 What is training and development? Training can be defined as a planned process to change attitudes, knowledge or skills and behaviour through a range of activities to achieve effective performance. When this training is in the work situation, it develops the employee to satisfy current or future needs of the organisation (Beardwell, I et al 2004). It is generally accepted that methods of training can usually be separated into two categories: on-the-job, and, off-the-job. On-the-job training is implemented at the trainees workplace, while off-the-job training is conducted away from the trainees workplace and takes them outside of their work environment (Mullins, L. 2005). Training can be used as a change agent, to change the culture of an organisation. It is a tool that can improve organisational effectiveness, especially in fiercely competitive markets. All too often organisations that are facing financial problems will cut back the training program, where as they could be used to increase overall performance. The training budget is viewed too often as an expendable, and the first to cut or even go in crises (Rogers 2004). 5.1.2 Why train Nobody in business would disagree with the clichà © that a company is only as good as the people in it. But opinions differ on how that translates into practice, and what it means in terms of the way a firm goes about gathering and developing a world-class staff line-up. With near full employment in the UK, the fight for talent is as ruthless as ever, and getting, hanging on to and developing those people remains the HR issue of the moment. The principal function of any organisation is to increase the value of the business and therefore enhance the wealth of its Owner(s). This is obtained by efficient use of the limited â€Å"resources† available to them (T Blackwood, 1995). Garrick (1998) discussed that HRD is inextricably linked to market economics, that knowledge is prized in so far as it can generate a market advantageâ€Å"(Garrick 1998:5). Leading to the assumption that HRD can give the organisation advantage aiding the ability to increase profit.   Therefore using that theory HRD should be viewed as a vital function of all organisations, and not just there to satisfy training issues, a proactive role. Garavan et al (2000) discusses the emergence of strategic HRD practices, which are directly linked to the organisation’s strategies, with profit maximising paramount, HRD is a tool that should be employed to obtain and support this (Garavan et al, 2000).  Ã‚   It is argued that organisations require new skills to survive; the new thinking is based on complexity and chaos theory. Organisations are viewed as self-regulating, emergent, open, whole systems. This contrasts the metaphor of organisations being machines to that of organisations as living systems (Capra 2002 cited in Nixon 2004:58). For organisations to prosper in the future global economy, workplace culture needs to enhance a learning organisation, fluid responses to the ever changing environment. This can only be obtained with proactive HRD policies, disseminat ing a culture of learning through out the organisation (Nixon 2004).   Since the late 1990s the business environment has drastically changed (Mullins, L. 2005). Chaos theorists have argued that the world of the organisations is â€Å"turbulent and chaotic, making it impossible for them to predict the future†. Therefore conventional approaches to strategic decision making are no longer appropriate (Harrison, R. 1997:78). Competition and the pace of change in business require continuous improvement, therefore it means continuous learning. From this demand the market for business education has grown with a proliferation of courses, full- and part-time, open and bespoke (Mullins, L. 2005). Investment in training and development is an issue that provokes varying reactions amongst business managers. The allocation of time and resource is an issue to organisations, therefore there is a tendency to focus towards on the job training and learning through experience. 5.1.3 What are Soft Skills The term that describes this interpersonal dimension of life at work is soft skills. Soft skills are attitudes and behaviours displayed in interactions among individuals that affect the outcomes of such encounters. These differ from hard skills, which are the technical knowledge and abilities required to perform specific job-related tasks more formally stated in job descriptions. In the past, it was felt that managers and employees did not need soft skills as long as they could do their work, but now even positions in hard, task-oriented roles require soft skills as well as technical skills (Muir, C. 2004) This introduces new challenges on how the organisation responds to the interpersonal evolution, how do you measure the need for soft skills, and how to design programs that address such needs? One theory is to ensure the workforce is a high-performing by (1) the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for the organisation to accomplish its current mission and that is (2) appropriately prepared for achieving the vision for the future (Muir, C. 2004) This position includes working collaboratively with Human Resource and Development partners in staffing and employment, organisation development, diversity, performance management, and total compensation to recruit, develop the capabilities of, and retain desired staff. This is used to create conditions that engage employees in productive, meaningful work. These conditions are a result of designing systems, providing needed resources, and implementing policies that support employees and that develop their skills and knowledge in ways that match the organisations evolving challenges and priorities. Guidance is vital in the training function, throughout the organisation to foster an enterprise-wide view of capability development (Muir, C. 2004) Soft skills development has been viewed as a fad. This is now viewed as a necessary component in organisational development. These skills it can be argued that these skills are at the very heart of creating capability in employees and leaders. Individuals require the technical skills unique to their role, whether they are craft workers in a maintenance department or payroll specialists in accounting. However, even at the individual employee level it soon becomes apparent that little work gets done in isolation. All employees must be skilled at participating in team projects and affirming others. They must be adept at managing conflict and creating inclusive relationships that improve team performance and launch ideas. Indeed, the soft skills of negotiating solutions are the essential tools of effective contributors everywhere (Muir, C. 2004) Moreover, those formal leadership roles, it is vital to be proficient in soft skills. Thinking systemically and acting strategically is the linchpin of effective leaders, but excellent soft skills are necessary to actually implement the vision and to communicate values, standards, and expectations. Although this is limited where command-and-control approach is appropriate. Individuals support what they help create, and soft skills are the essential tools for helping them contribute to their full potential (Muir, C. 2004) While soft skills are apparently essential workplace requirements, they are also it appears that they are lacking. According to Field and Ford (1995) soft skills are like an iceberg, `under the surface, and although hard to understand, help employees contribute fully to the new, challenging work environment. This makes them liable to subjectivity, difficult to define, observe or measure and open to the influence of work organisation and the social construction of skill in the workplace. Thus, it is the premise of this paper that an organisations culture, the predominant management style and the extent of management/employee soft skills will have an influence upon workplace participation (Field, L and Ford, B 1995). Soft skills are an important factor in the success of decentralised, participatory work environment programs. Soft skills include teamwork, decision making and conceptualisation. Changes to workplace organisational structure require soft skills to foster improved communication and understanding of accountability. The subsequent globalisation of markets, deregulation of various sectors and the pressure to be competitive have all had major implications for the management of organisations and the skills required of the workforce (Connell, J. 1998). 5.2 The changing nature of organisations Over the past decade organisations are changing, through pressure from the markets and the environment. This has forced change on many, this section will discuss the implications on organisations and how it has forces a change in the skills required from employees. This section will also discuss management sttl and the culture of organisation, and how this impacts on training. 5.2.1 Changing environment The present challenge facing learning facilitators is how will training continue to be relevant in todays ever-changing business landscape? Political, economic, social and technological factors are irrevocably changing the way and the nature of commerce. Throughout the UK, the economy is a state of flux, swinging from a traditional manufacturing base to small to medium-sized service based organisations. The sustained strength of the pound has not helped UK businesses that export products, thereby witnessing the decline of manufacturing. Forward thinking businesses are now recognising that it is through their people that competitive advantage can be achieved. Best (2001) discussed the â€Å"new economy, as a knowledge-based economy without borders, where the race is between companies and locales over how to learn faster and organise more flexibly to take advantage of technology-enabled market opportunities†Ã‚   (Best (2001) cited in   DeFillippi, R. 2002). Organisations have changed in the way they operate, shifting from immobile-wired infrastructures to mobile, miniature, and wireless modes of communication, computing, and transacting.   Customers now demand 24 hour service, with â€Å"any time, any place solutions of their problems (DeFillippi, R. 2002). Radical shifts are taking place in management theory; these shifts need to be reflected in the theory of training and development. The move towards a knowledge economy makes these shifts vital to the survival of the organisation. Ideas of training tend to focus on results; typically they are short-term and assume transferable skills. Ideas of personal development may be insufficiently focused on the workplace. Therefore for an organisation to enter the knowledge economy, it is vital for them to review their training and development to a broader aspect (Bryans,  P. Smith, R. 2000). Increasingly, as the nature of business and organisations change, its leaders are recognising that their most valuable assets are their skilled employees and, more significantly, the knowledge, both tacit and explicit, that is possessed by these employees. The knowledge is power clichà © has never been more accurate than in todays corporate world. This added value that this can b e seen in products and services is now dependant on knowledge based intangibles (Rogers 2004). 5.2.2 Organisational Structure There is conclusive evidence that the world of work has changed significantly over the past 20 years. Handy (1989) sees fundamental changes in organisational life reflected in what he refers to as the shamrock model with its three groups of workers core, contract and temporary or flexible. Guirdham (1995) says that the nature of work, the nature of organisations and the structure of the workforce have all changed and will continue to change (Handy (1989) and Guirdham (1995) cited in Falconer,  S and Pettigrew, M 2003:49) Reshaping of organizations, re-engineering, restructuring; all these things have led to leaner organizations and the dismissal of a lot of people. Many workplaces have disappeared from the scene, many competences are also disappearing and there is a risk of destroying uniqueness of some cultures as a whole (Civelli, F 1997:248). The corpus of knowledge, experiences and abilities, position or job status in an organisation was traditionally also a guarantee of job security. However, these are losing their traditional importance. In the marketplace it is difficult to recognize and get to know the abilities and knowledge of whole populations of young, highly educated people; the marketplace has difficulty in understanding the traditional value of experience (Civelli, F 1997). The major problem is how the knowledge, experience and capabilities can be actualised. The product in a society of more and higher educated people and with more institutionalised training is, paradoxically, a poorer work market. The relationship between people and work is institutionalised as a qualification at school and work experience. People learn not only inside the boundaries of institutions, but in everyday life situations. Illich, (1971) stated that most part of things we learn we have learned outside schools and outside works, factories, offices, banks or training courses (Illich, (1971) cited in Civelli, F 1997:248). Handy (1994) wrote instead of an organization being a castle, a home for life for its defenders, it will be more like a condominium, an association of temporary residents gathered together for their mutual convenience (Handy, C. (1994) cited in Civelli, F 1997:250). 5.2.3 Management Style and Organisational Culture The major viewpoint on work organisation this century have focused on increasing worker productivity through various strategies such as scientific management, human relations, the quality of working life and attempts to change organisational cultures. While the culture of organisations has increasingly become the focus of multidisciplinary research, concepts and definitions are as elusive as they are controversial. Arguments tend to polarise between anthropologists and management writers. Anthropologists view culture as the sum of the behaviours, values and attitudes of the group or the organisation, while management writers tend to adopt the view that culture is the product of management strategy and, as such, can affect productivity depending on whether it is weak or strong (Wiener, 1988). The strong (Deal and Kennedy 1982) and the excellent (Peters and Waterman 1982) culture strategies linked `positive culture with increased productivity. These culture strategies functioned for a time as the â€Å"new management panacea† amongst American organisations, when faced with losing the competitive edge they looked to Japan for an explanation of the qualities which led to their success. These qualities included transformational leadership style, encouraging the creation of a shared vision and a collective co