Improving Performance & Effectiveness of your Company

A year ago, the administration has met the top eight managers of the company for a thorough departmental evaluation. The conference yielded outstanding overviews of where the company is, where it should be going, and how it can get where it should be. Each department head devised a plan on how to contribute to the vision of the company, which each department was able to materialize.A year later and the goals have been met. However, the overall state of the company stayed the same. If it moved forward at all, the move was too little and subtle to affect the company vigorously.This is why the management has decided to create an action plan which will homogenize the departmental plans that were created and now being observed so that the positive effects aid the company in moving forward. EXAMINATION OF THE VARIABLES The initial evaluation made by the managers is sufficient to zero in on department-specific issues and concerns. Initially, these issues and concerns of the individual emplo yees and the small group (departments) were considered the best determinant of the company’s progress meter. From these evaluations, the managers identified the problems and devised ways of solving them.Likewise, they uncovered opportunities that were not used before. Lastly, action plans have been created. While the managers succeeded in their implementation of their action plans, it did little for the company. The company remained stagnant as a whole even if the departments soared at meeting goals and exploiting opportunities. Solving problems, Meeting goals One important aspect of the process was identifying the problems in detail by specifying those which bothers each department. By looking into the details, the managers ensured building a strong foundation for the company.It is also by looking at these minute problems that the bigger ones are avoided. With a better foundation, a company is stronger and small problems are sure to not affect it. The identification of probl ems led to an evaluation for coming up with solutions. This further resulted in slating several goals which will keep the employees focused. Goals are important as it unites all the different activities that happen in the background of the company. The goals of the company became the guide line for the employees and managers alike. Opened opportunitiesThe evaluation also enabled the opening of opportunities which the departments have not identified before. By looking at these opportunities and exploiting them, the company was able to minimize the wastages. The opportunities also helped maximize the advantageous edge that the company already enjoys. Heterogenous However effective the departmental initiatives were, the problem was that the initiatives were definitive. Instead of helping the company as a whole, each department strived at achieving their own goals which were rather specific for their areas rather than focusing on the goals of the company as a whole.Thus, the positive re sponse received upon the action plan of the managers did little to grow the company. CONCLUSIONS The process, recommendations, and actions were good, but they were not good enough. The managers were effective on the task given to them, but putting off the focus on the company and concentrating on the areas was a bad choice. Instead, the vision and mission of the company as a whole should be a chief consideration for all initiatives big and small. With this, every little inch in which the company grows will be monumental and evident. RECOMMENDATIONSIt is worth for the initiatives of the managers to be carried on. Given that they have been effective in their respective areas, they should also be introduced in other departments in which they may also be needed; even though the need might not be obvious or immediate. To do so, another meeting with the managers should be called to order. Then, the managers will be prompted to share to the group the successes of their respective departmen t. From these sharing, the managers will be encouraged to adapt the initiatives of another department that are not yet applied in their own area.However, the initiatives that will be adapted should be fit to the department who is also adapting it. Meanwhile, marketing and advertising should be made available as well to boost sales which is primarily important for the business. EVALUATIONS A twelve-month recourse will be put into place, after which an evaluation will be made as to the progress of the company. If the company improved, the initiatives will be continued and even propagated with new ones. If not, a new proposition should be looked at.One would be evaluating for problems in the company as a while instead of by-area. The managers should also introduce new breakthroughs. Employee participation may also be encouraged later on, where the employees will be given the chance to voice out what they think and feel about improvements that can be made to the company. Employee welfar e will also be considered. With all the follow-up initiatives, a focal vision will give every action plan the effectiveness it needs. In return, it will also give the company the effectiveness it deserves.

Roles of Human Resource in Managing Employee Expectation

ROLES OF HUMAN RESOURCE IN MANAGING EMPLOYEE EXPECTATION INFLUENCE THE SUCCESS OF MERGER & ACQUISITION By KASMARIZA KASSIM A project paper submitted to Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business Universiti Utara Malaysia in fulfilment of the Requirements for the degree of Master of Human Resource Management 1 TABLE OF CONTENT TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES LIST OF FIGURES ix xiii xiv CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION 1. 1 1. 2 1. 3 1. 4 1. 5 1. 6 Background Study Problem Statement Research Questions Research Objectives Significant of Study Definition of Terms 1. . 1 1. 6. 2 1. 6. 3 Employee’s Expectation Leadership Communication 1 2 4 5 6 7 7 7 8 2 1. 6. 4 1. 7 1. 8 1. 9 Commitment 8 9 9 9 Scope of Study Assumptions Structure of the Study CHAPTER 2 : LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1 2. 2 Introduction Evaluation of Merger & Acquisition 2. 2. 1 2. 2. 2 2. 2. 3 2. 2. 4 2. 3 2. 4 2. 5 Pre-Deal Due Diligence Integration Planning Implementation 11 11 12 13 13 14 17 18 19 Evaluation of Employee Expectations The Importance of Managing Employee Expectation Evaluation of Strategic Human Resource Management in M&A 2. 5. 1 2. 5. 2 2. 5. 3 2. 6 2. 7 2. 8 Leadership by Human Resource Communication by Human Resource Commitment by Human Resource 21 22 24 25 26 26 Research Model/Framework Research Hypothesis Development Conclusion CHAPTER 3 : METHODOLOGY 3. 1 3. 2 Introduction Research Design 3. 2. 1 3. 2. 2 3. 3 3. 4 3. 5 Type of Study Unit of Analysis 27 27 28 28 29 30 31 Population and Sampling Procedure Data Collection Procedure The Measurement 4 3. 6 3. 7 3. 8 Questionnaire Design Data Analysis Techniques Conclusion 2 33 35 CHAPTER 4 : FINDINGS 4. 1 4. 2 4. 3 4. 4 4. 5 Introduction Overview of Collected Data Respondents’ Profile Reliability Analysis Major Findings 4. 5. 1 4. 5. 2 4. 6 4. 7 Pearson Correlation Coefficient Multiple Regression 36 36 36 39 40 40 42 45 45 Summary Findings Conclusion 5 CHAPTER 5 : DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 5. 4 5. 5 5. 6 Introduc tion Discussion Limitation of Study Recommendations for Future Research Theoretical and Practical Implication Conclusion 46 46 50 51 51 52REFERENCES APPENDIX A : Questionnaire APPENDIX B : Frequency Analysis APPENDIX C : Descriptive Statistics APPENDIX D : Reliability Analysis APPENDIX E : Correlations Analysis APPENDIX F : Regression Analysis 53 58 63 66 76 77 78 6 LIST OF TABLES Table 3. 1 : Table 3. 2: Table 3. 3 : Table 3. 4 : Table 4. 1 : Table 4. 2 : Table 4. 3 : Table 4. 4 : Table 4. 5 : Table 4. 6 : Sample Breakdown Likert-Scale Measurement Items Questionnaire Layout Response Rate Respondents’ Profile Reliability Analysis Inter-Correlations of the Major Variables Results of Regression Analysis Summary Findings 30 31 31 32 37 37 38 41 43 44 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2. 1 : Figure 2. 2 : Merger & Acquisition Life Cycle Comparison of Where HR Playing A Lead Role in very Successful Deals vs. Less Successful Deals 15 21 Figure 2. 3 : Research Framework 25 8 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUC TION 1. 1 Background of Study. Merger and acquisition (M&A) has certainly become the mechanism for companies to respond to the demands of the business world. It has been since several years, a main topic for strategic literature, since its advantages in its right use can be estimated in high levels of competitive advantages for companies.Companies that are facing changes in their organizational structures through a M&A, present important modifications in the processes, politics, values and frame of references. Each participant of this processes either the acquiring or the acquired, have to face different process and challenges. Clearly, both companies are affected part of their identity and way of doing things. The challenges of this adaptation are more evident when the difference of core business between the both companies is more obvious. Therefore, the kind of industry is a fundamental element to understand the transition.First of all, some fields are more appropriate to realize an M&A, for instance, industries, where the economy of scale is very relevant, and much easier to be understood in term of economy. Moreover, if the companies are complementary in their own business, synergies are most likely to be reached in terms of marketing, finances and organizational goals which make it a â€Å"natural† growing process. 9 Through the last century, companies paid more attention to the three following mindsets: strategy, economics and finance.Nevertheless, these last years, it has seen the emergence of a fourth mindset, as human factors to achieve a perfect integration of both companies. Though M&A process is regarded to be an integral organizational change, but the human component often appears to be the determinant element to succeed or fail (Parra, 2006). This is because people are susceptible to fear modification in their environment; therefore the implementation has to be executed with clear and structured plan in order to diminish possible resistanc e. To manage M&A process efficiently in the best conditions is very far to be easy.If some barriers are perfectly identifiable such as human costs of scale, weak innovation and so forth, there are others more niggling to identify and measure like the invisible structure of mindsets. For all of these reasons, an important and deep study has to make before the bargaining of M&A (Parra, 2006). 1. 2 Problem Statement The M&A is an ongoing process. This means that the operation runs from the moment the company is interested by another one until and after the achievement of the M&A. For instance, a number of M&A succeed in the long run, often after a long period of time.This illustrates that M&A process is always running, even 10 before the bargaining of transactions independently of the need or circumstances that surround the process. The M&A process has to launch and develop through companies integration. This is highly oriented toward the management of people and the strategies develop ed to incorporate them into the new vision and philosophy that the company will create with the merger. This stage of the process represents the problem that will be analysed, described, and explained in this study.Though integration and its success depends on many factors like corporate culture compatibility, corporate size and dimensions, management style and, ability to communicate effectively, another vital issue to acknowledge is the appropriate environment throughout the whole process of M&A where human talent is involved. This cannot be realised without the assistance and involvement of human resource. Having said, the M&A strategy should be driven by human resource. It is inevitable that human resource play vital role in the human side of the M&A process especially managing employee expectation.There are literally hundreds of reasons why the M&A failure rates are so high and many have been traced was due to the exclusion of human resource professionals in the pre-deal planni ng phase. Human resource only function to the last minute inclusion after the transaction has closed. This is a classic case of â€Å"too little, too late† (Clemente & Greenspan,1999). 11 In order to obtain a better insight of the situation above described, this thesis project addresses its focus on studying the transition process in a M&A developed by two giant oil and gas service providers in Malaysia; SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad and Kencana Petroleum Berhad.Some factors will structure the analysis of this investigation such as employee expectation, leadership, communication & commitment. Most importantly, this thesis will look into the factors that influence the M&A success through human resource initiatives by focusing on the employee expectation. The initial and basic assumptions of this investigation is being able to explain and analyze how human resources initiatives and leading roles, being the most important dimension in M&A process could be considered to have the m ost impact to the success or failure of the integration .This is critical since the merger between SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad and Kencana Petroleum Berhad has triggered issues in oil & gas industry. The involvement of risk and massive investment made so far by both companies, are the key reasons why this M&A cannot afford to accept failure as the closure. 1. 3 Research Questions This research will initially be guided by these questions: 12 RQ1- Is there any significant relationship between human resource strategic roles in terms of leadership and employee expectation towards the success of M&A?RQ2 – Will there be any relationship between human resource strategic roles in terms of communication and employee expectation towards the success of M&A? RQ3 – Will human resource strategic roles in terms of commitment contribute in managing employee expectation towards the success of M&A? 1. 4 Research Objectives There aren? t many studies on the relationship between the empl oyee expectation and strategic human resources in the case of M&A. However, the main objective of this study is to determine which amongst the variables contributes most to the success of M&A.They are addressed by specific objectives such as: RO1 – To determine significant relationship between human resource strategic roles in terms of leadership and employee expectation towards the success of M&A. RO2 – To examine the relationship between human resource strategic roles in terms of communication and employee expectation towards the success of M&A. 13 RO3 – To determine the relationship between human resource strategic roles in terms of communication and employee expectation towards the success of M&A. 1. Significant of Study In general this research aims to promote the understanding of employee expectation after the announcement of M&A to the management, as well to explore the impact of human resources roles on the success of the integration. Even though in toda y? s rapid growth of business and the acknowledgment of the benefits gained by proceeding with M&A, it is observed that the research done was insignificant. Most M&A research preaches on corporate culture compatibility, corporate size and corporate dimension as factors contribute to the integration success.This issue needs to overcome in ensuring that the management are aware that in every M&A, there is the human side to deal with. Apparently, the most common factors cited as „keys to M&A success? are communication, cultural integration and fit, integration project planning, due diligence, leadership and talent placement and management. All of these factors are intrinsically linked to human resource. Hence, the involvement of human resource in this big step taken is vital. Since employees are the one drives the success of a company, human resource being the backbone of a company, functions to manage the employee expectation in any M&A process. 4 This study is hoped to give an insight to the management of SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad on the awareness of the importance of human resource strategic roles in managing employee expectation towards the M&A success. Since the integration stage is still at the initial stage, it is worth getting the feedback on the employee expectation. The finding will at least assist in ensuring that the rest of the process is carried out in accordance such as cultural assimilation and placements. 1. 6 Definition of Terms For the purpose of this study the following terms are defined as follows: 1. . 1 Employee Expectation : Employees concern that transform into expectations concerning both themselves and their work group. These expectations are with respect to immediate job and employment worries to longer term status, and behavioural and cultural concerns in the „new? organization (Surkund, Purang & Gupta, 2006). In this case, the expectations reflected by the affected employees of SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad in the proce ss of M&A. 1. 6. 2 Leadership : A process whereby ones influences others to achieve a common goals (Northouse,2001).In this case, it is referred to the management of SapuraCrest 15 Petroleum Berhad through human resource strategic role and the affected employees. 1. 6. 3 Communication : Defines as the communication transaction between individuals and/or groups at various levels and in different areas of specialization that are intended to design and redesign organizations, to implement design and contribute from day-to-day activities (Frank & Brwnell, 1989). In this case the communication is meant between the management of SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad through human resource strategic role and the affected employees. . 6. 4 Commitment : The meaning behind commitment in the organizations appears to be shifting from a â€Å"desire to remain in, and identify with, the organization towards a highly proactive, innovative and challenging approach to work, as a mutually beneficial psycholo gical contract between organization and individual (Vinicombe, 1998). This summarise the intention definition of commitment in this study where human resource strategic role acts on behalf of the management of SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad in ensuring commitment is offered to employees throughout the process of M&A. 6 1. 7 Scope of the Study The research is carried out on SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad? s (SCPB) affected employees. The announcement to merge with another giant oil & gas service provider in Malaysia, Kencana Petroleum Berhad has triggered some concerns amongst the affected employees. This study is primarily designed to review the relationship between SapuraCrest Petroleum? s human resource strategic roles and employee expectation on the merger plan success. 1. Assumptions A researcher assumes that all respondent at SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad (SCPB) answer all questions sincerely and that respondents are fully understand and aware the purpose and objectives of this stud y. Researcher also assumes that the sample in this study represents the population of organization that is going through a merger exercise in Malaysia. 1. 9 Structure of the Study This study consists of five chapters. The first chapter outlines the introduction, purpose and objectives of this study.It also touches on the research problems, questions and the significant of the study. Chapter Two discuss on review of related literature based on the research done, research model framework, and research hypothesis development. 17 Elaboration on the research design, sampling and data collection procedures, measurement & instrumentation and, data analysis techniques are outlined in Chapter Three. Chapter Four discusses on the overview of the data collected, profile respondents, reliability test, major findings, correlation analysis of variables, multiple regression and summary findings.The final chapter presents the discussion of the research done, recommendations for future research as w ell as limitation. 18 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1 Introduction Chapter Two offers a literature review on issues related to M&A, employee expectation and human resource management. The development of research framework/model and hypotheses will be discussed in this chapter. Then, it is followed by theoretical framework. 2. 2 Evaluation of Merger & Acquisition Mergers and acquisitions represent the end of the continuum of options companies have in combining with each other.This combination has the greatest implications for size of investment, control, integration requirements, pains of separation, and people management issues (Doz & Hamel, 1998; Hamel, 1991; Harbison, 1996; Sparks, 1998, 1999). With the focus on mergers and acquisitions, it is important to distinguish them. In a merger, two companies come together and create a new entity. In an acquisition, one company buys another one and manages it consistent with the acquirer? s needs. However, both suffer the same predicament .The primary purpose of merging and acquiring new firms is usually to improve overall performance (Lubatkin, 1983) by achieving synergy, or the more commonly described as the â€Å"2 + 2 = 5† effect (Cartwright and Cooper, 1993) 19 between two business units that will increase competitive advantage (Porter & 1985). However, the mere existence of potential synergism is no guarantee that this possibility will be realized (Cartwright & Cooper, 1993). Recent research indicates that these M&A has a negative impact on the economic performance of the new entity (Cartwright & Cooper, 1993).With the estimated rates of their success from 20-60 percent, it sure will paralyse the competitiveness in the new entity (British Institute of Management, 1986). Therefore, although M&As are usually extremely well planned out in terms of financial and legal aspects, the conclusion that has to be drawn is that these poor results have come to be attributed to poor human resource planning. Consequent ly, for sustained competitive advantage to be achieved, it is imperative that the M&A be implemented from a financially and legally sound standpoint, as well as from a behavioural approach.Most mergers and acquisitions follow a four-stage process as per discussed by Schmidt & Griffin, 1993. There are the pre-deal stage, due diligence stage, integration planning stage and implementation stage. 2. 2. 1 Pre-Deal Based on its growth strategy, the acquirer searches for an appropriate target or partner, assesses potential targets and develops a plan for executing the deal. This first phase involves searching for suitable entities for M&A. During this phase it is usually done to develop a set of criteria for the selection of a suitable 20 entity.In this early phase the organization defines its objectives and desired outcomes of the merger or acquisition and searches for suitable entities. This often involves extensive research and gathering of market intelligence to access the potential of suitable candidates. 2. 2. 2 Due Diligence After making the offer, the acquirer ensures that the deal is strategically and economically sound and has a high likelihood of success. Thorough, detailed execution of this stage is critical. Once a suitable entity has been identified, usually the next step is to make an offer to acquire or merge with the new entity.This offer is usually made conditional on the completion of the due diligence. During this second phase, a review of the new entity is undertaken to ensure the soundness of the deal and to access any risks involved with the completion of the deal. During this phase the organization will typically review the financial statements, strategies, business plans, resources and operations of the entity to confirm their assessment of the commercial suitability of the deal. Often many transactions do not go beyond this phase because the due diligence highlights the inappropriate risks associated with the deal. 2. 2. Integration Planning The acquirer creates a comprehensive plan for integrating the two organizations. This stage takes place within the first 100 days of the decision to 21 merge and can begin during due diligence if both sides believe the deal will go forward. The detailed plans, milestones and activities are developed to ensure the successful implementation of the deal. This phase is often conducted under very tight time frames and requires extensive and detailed involvement from experienced personnel. Detailed project management plans are established to ensure the smooth implementation of the deal. 2. 2. Implementation The final stage builds on all the planning that has gone before. Implementation can take months or even years to complete, depending on the complexity of the deal and the size of the merging companies. This phase requires the execution of the detailed planning conducted in phase three. Again, this phase is usually conducted under tight time frames and requires the execution of many co mplex plans simultaneously. Strong project management skills are required during this stage. The implementation phase is very visible to, shareholders, staff, clients and competitors and is conducted under tremendous scrutiny of these parties.However, according to the study carried out by the Ministry of Manpower Singapore (2003) there should be another stage that sums up M&A process. This neglected final stage is known as evaluation. The final phase requires reviewing the performance of the new entity to ensure that a successful integration has been completed and that the objectives of the M&A have been achieved. Performance of 22 the new entity is assessed against the original objectives determined in the pre deal phase. Figure 2. 1 Merger & Acquisition Life Cycle Source : The Ministry of Manpower Singapore,2003 There are numerous reasons for companies to merge or acquire. Some of the most frequent include: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Horizontal mergers for market dominance; economies of sc ale Vertical mergers for channel control Hybrid mergers for risk spreading, cost cutting, synergies, defensive drivers Growth for world-class leadership and global reach Survival; critical mass Acquisition of cash, deferred taxes, and excess debt capacity Move quickly and inexpensively Flexibility; leverage Bigger asset base to leverage borrowing 23 ? ? ? ?Adopt potentially disruptive technologies Financial gain and personal power Gaining a core competence to do more combinations Talent, knowledge, and technology Hence, M&A are supposed to create new, stronger organizations, but history shows that such combinations often fall far short of expectations. Every M&A promises to create value from some kind of synergy, yet statistics show that the benefits that look so good on paper often do not materialize. The result, more often than not, is value destruction. The literature on M&A indicates that failure rates typically range from 50 to 70 percent or even higher.A Business Week (2004) s tudy of megamergers conducted between 1998 and 2000 found that in more than 60 percent of the cases, shareholder value was destroyed. Why do so many corporate combinations that looked like such great opportunities end up in disaster? Recent research suggests that contrary to common belief, it is not poor strategic fit that most often causes M&A to fail but poor execution. The errors can be seen, for example, in instances of insensitive management, lack of trust building and communication, slow execution, power struggles, or a leadership vacuum following the deal.Even with this kind of information, most corporate combinations still place special emphasis on the strategic and financial goals of the transaction, whereas the cultural and people implications rarely receive as much attention. 24 2. 3 Evaluation of Employees Expectations in M&A Mergers between different organizational entities have been a widespread phenomenon during the past decades. Our newspapers abound with stories abo ut organizations in the process of merging their activities. It is expected that approximately one in three employees will face a merger or acquisition in their working ife (Hubbard, 1999). In the past decades, many works, both academic and business, have been dedicated to this phenomenon, and the reasons for merging and the actual implementation have both been described extensively (Cartwright & Cooper, 1993). The issues under investigation have initially concerned the strategic, financial, or operational side of mergers. However, even thoroughly planned mergers often fail to materialize and much of the variance in the prediction of merger failure remains unexplained (Amiot, Terry, & Callan, 2007). Many companies believe that M&A are a key means for growth.By combining, companies may gain market share, new markets, a wider range of product offerings, control over the supply chain, and cost efficiencies. It isn? t just being bigger that matters. Employees may not always agree with t he merger rationale, but their understanding of it guides decisions and actions, motivates them to devote the energy and time to changes, sustains their performance and retention during the merger, and develops an enthusiasm for a better future (Walker & Price,2000). 25 Merger announcements should not simply be a cliche.Stating that the merger will enable us â€Å"to become more competitive globally† or to â€Å"become the technology leader in our industry† says very little to employees. Beyond increased shareholder value, an acquiring company should define specific benefits expected and how they will be realized (Walker & Price,2000). A focus on the â€Å"human side† of mergers could therefore be valuable. Human dynamics become even more relevant with the growing trend toward related combinations which involve a great extent of people integration (Cartwright & Cooper, 1996).The human side of mergers has been examined according to a variety of perspectives and t heories such as expectations in certainty on the future direction of the company, departure of key personnel, cultures clashed, job Security and morale (Cartwright & Cooper, 1996). 2. 4 Importance of Managing Employee Expectation An estimate by Davy et. al (1998), blames â€Å"employee problems† as being responsible for one-third to one-half of all M&A failures. Therefore, the underlying causes of employee resistance need to be studied carefully because their understanding has the potential of improving merger planning outcomes.Managing employee expectation is crucial as it leads directly to the success of merger. This is very much related to the importance of employees? engagement. According to Harter, Schmidt and Hayes (2002), a highly engaged employee will 26 consistently deliver beyond expectations. Employee engagement is critical to any organization that seeks to retain valued employees. The Watson Wyatt (2010), a consulting company has proved that there is an intrinsic link between employee engagement, customer loyalty and profitability.As organization going globalize and become more dependent on technology in a virtual working environment, there is a greater need to connect and engage with employee to provide them with an organizational â€Å"identity† (Vazirani, 2007) All those who are involved with the M&A process should take into consideration the human expectations. They should be able to understand human attitudes and behaviours in order to manage the expectations. Given the magnitude and importance of the employees? sychological reactions on the merger outcome, it is very important to understand the sources of this stress and the way it affects the organization in order to be able to reduce employee resistance as a way to maximize synergy realization (Moran, 2005). 2. 5 Evaluation of Strategic Human Resources Management in M&A Given the increased importance of people issues in an M&A transaction, it? s somewhat surprising that survey results conducted by Towers Watson (2008) shows that human resource function tends to be only peripherally involved in much of the M&A process. It? not until the planning and implementation phase of the acquisition that human resource plays a more predominant role, with 38% of 27 respondents saying that they? re brought to the leadership team at the integration planning stage and 35% of respondents saying they have a leadership role during the integration implementation phase. There is evidence to suggest that bringing human resource to the leadership team earlier in the acquisition makes sense it is interesting to note that very successful dealmakers appear to involve human resource in more aspects of the deal than others.The data shows that a small number of very successful dealmakers chose to involve human resources a lot earlier in the process. For example, 17% of very successful dealmakers involved human resource in the due diligence phase with some involving their human resou rce function in the target evaluation phase. It is believed this may be an appropriate response to the impact of people issues in affecting long-term deal success. Figure 2. 2 : Comparison of Where HR Playing A Lead Role in very Successful Deals vs. Less Successful DealsSource : Canadian Financial Executive Research Foundation, 2010 28 If one assumes that human resources is the unit best equipped to help the new company manage the people-related issues of a merger, the next step is to look at how human resource functions during a merger or an acquisition. According to Schmidt & Griffin (2002), below are strategies that should be taken or at least considered by human resources in dealing with M&A process : 2. 5. 1 Leadership by Human Resources The greater the frequency and magnitude of change, the more important leadership and culture become.Leadership holds it all together. It is a make or break function (Arian, 2007) He confirms that leadership is the most important driver of emplo yee engagement. During periods of transition and disruption, employees look first to leaders for guidance about how to react and behave, for motivation, and for focus. Experience shows that what leaders do during mergers and acquisitions has a significant impact on how employees of both organizations react and promote a sense of community and purpose. Positive employee perception of leaders is crucial to successful change.Employees want to believe that leadership cares about them. When employees are convinced that leaders genuinely do care about them, they become more open and willing to make necessary transitions (Arian, 2007). Companies that foster a high degree of leadership visibility and involvement during M&A instil a supportive organizational culture with a better than average chance of success (Olson, 2007). Leaders set the priorities and create the positive business 29 momentum and discipline required during M&As.They instil in employees the necessary level of commitment, e ngagement, confidence and comfort to work through difficult transitions. Leaders, who by their statements and actions inspire a shared sense of purpose, coherence, community and trust, enable employees to focus and remain highly engaged during M&As and post-merger integration. Establishing and sustaining cultural alignment during the first 100 days is particularly important in shaping the newly formed organizational culture and employee perceptions of it. Leadership intervention is a critical symbol of the new organizational culture (Olson, 2007).Strong leadership and maintaining energy for change among employees are the two principles of success that reinforce each other when executed well (McKinsey, 2008). Only human resource truly has its fingers on the pulse of the acquired employees. Only human resource can shape the organizational mindset that will move the merged firm forward in the marketplace. Therefore human resource must take a leadership role in these most important area s. 2. 5. 2 Communication by Human Resource It is well accepted that communication is the key tool within any changes (kanter, Stein & Jick, 1992).Any failure to communicate leaves employees uncertain about their future and will lead them to seek other means to reduce this uncertainty, such as reliance on rumours and other means of informal 30 communication which are not an effective means in reducing anxiety (Rosnow, 1988). This is because it tends to focus on negative and inaccurate information. Buono and Bowditch (1989) mention that, during mergers and acquisitions activity, â€Å"rumour mills and the grapevine work overtime, leading to more anxiety and, in many cases, counterproductive behaviours.Often based on fears rather than reality, these rumours can significantly exacerbate employee anxiety, tension and stress†. This anxiety and uncertainty are usually leading to dysfunctional outcomes. The extensive literature on managing communication in periods of organisational c hange and merger, shows that frequent and honest communication to staff about the merger has a stabilising effect (Ashkenas et al. , 1998). The literature suggests communication strategies serve to reduce uncertainty, but also acknowledges that staff are frequently sceptical about management messages.Furthermore, it is evident that such scepticism is not misplaced in times of change where futures are uncertain and directions are evolving. Procedural justice research emphasises the importance of two-way communication, in which both management and employees can voice their opinions, concerns, desires and provide information. Research shows that employee opportunity to voice an opinion results in the process being perceived as fairer, although this is negated if that opinion is perceived to be ignored by the decision maker (Citera and Rentsch, 1993).With all concerns mentioned earlier, clear communication is the tool to ensure their anxiety is entertained. The primary goals of post mer ger 31 communications should be to inform, and more importantly to inspire! The best median will be none other than human resource as the intermediary. 2. 5. 3 Commitment Another crucial human resource role is helping employees cope with change. It has far-reaching consequences, including maintaining productivity, stemming the loss of key talent and smoothing the integration of the two cultures. Change can be particularly difficult for employees involved in a M&A, especially those who work for the target.Unanswered questions about job security, relocation and new reporting relationships, spawn rumours, anxiety, resentment and the loss of top talent, who can most easily find jobs elsewhere. All this can lead to lower productivity and diminution of a company? s intangible assets. In the growing world of global financial services mergers, these issues take on heightened importance (Schmidt & griffin, 2002). Exhibiting commitments to the employees in the light of merger is essential. Th ings rarely remain the same in the wake of a major transaction.Roles and responsibilities change. Employees are normally re-assigned or worst case scenario, terminated. New policies and new procedures are adopted. Employees must be aided and psychologically prepared, to accept the changes that are inevitable. They must be made understand that additional changes may have to be enacted in the future as the integration process moves through its various stages. Helping employees to 32 accept and understand change is a commitment by human resource where it will accelerate the process and minimize the pain associates with the uncertainty. . 6 Research Model/Framework Based on the literature discussed earlier, the following research framework has been developed as a model for this study. This research model is designed to identify the relationship between dependent variable of employee expectation and three independent variables of human resources strategic roles. Based on the literature r eview presented, further investigations on the relationship among the variables are accomplished. The model framework is as per illustrated in Figure 2. 3 below. Figure 2. 3 : Research FrameworkDEPENDENT VARIABLES Leadership Communication Commitment H1 H2 H3 DEPENDENT VARIABLES Employee expectation towards M&A success 33 2. 7 Research Hypotheses Development From the model in Figure 2. 3, three (3) hypotheses are developed as below: H1) There is a significant relationship between human resource strategic roles in terms of leadership and employee expectation towards the success of M&A. H2) There is a relationship between human resource strategic roles in terms of communication and employee expectation towards the success of M&A.H3) There is a relationship between human resource strategic roles in terms of commitment and employee expectation towards the success of M&A. These hypotheses had been tested using appropriate data analysis technique. 2. 8 Conclusion This chapter has presented a review of literature that focused on the employee expectations and how human resource strategic roles could assist in managing them subsequently ensuring the success of merger & acquisition. Research framework has been developed to see the significant relationship between employees? expectation and human resource Strategic roles.The following chapter describes in details of the procedures and methodology used for data collection and analysis for this paper. 34 CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3. 1 Introduction This chapter provides the methodology use in this research to study the significant relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variables. This chapter begins with research design, population and sampling procedures, data collection procedures and data analysis techniques. 3. 2 Research Design A research design is a master plan explaining the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing the information.The design is to ensure that all of the information gath ered are appropriate for solving the problem (Zikmund, 2003). Research design offers critical choice points to carry out the research. It outlines the details or the necessary procedures in carrying out the research. This research intends to investigate the relationship between independent and dependent variables, as well as it offers a platform for hypothesis testing. According to Sekaran (2006) studies that engage in hypothesis testing usually explains the nature of certain relationship. 35 3. 2. Type of Study The method used to analyse data was carried out using quantitative survey where the researcher measured the phenomena under investigation with the use of statistical analysis of raw data collected from a structured questionnaire. It used various statistical tests and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) to interpret the results of data. The study will be carried out specifically among affected employees at SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad. 3. 2. 2 Unit of Analysis The u nit of analysis refers to the level of aggregation of the data collected during the data analysis (Sekaran, 2000).The problem statement of this study focused on how the success of merger is significantly influence by the relationship between strategic roles of human resources and employee expectation. Data was collated from individuals working at SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad. The approach to this study was a survey study where data was generated via distributing questionnaires. Affected employees had been asked to furnish and answer the questionnaire to the problem statement of this study; evaluate the existence of relationship between human resource strategic roles and employee expectation. 6 3. 3 Population and Sampling Procedure The samples at SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad are selected using the simple random sampling technique. The simple random sampling method is chosen because every element in the population has a known and equal chance being selected as the sample. According t o Sekaran (2006), simple random sampling has the lease bias and offered the most generalization. In order for this research to become more reliable, it is important to have the right sample size. The population of this study cover all affected employees in SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad.Affected employees are defined as the first cohort joining the new entity. Due to tight time frame of the thorough implementation process of M&A as well as the business and operations requirement, the management has decided to implement the merger in phases. It started off with all employees that are hired directly under SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad cost centre. There are 134 employees all together. The rest of the 1466 employees are hired under business unit cost centres. Due to the operations requirement these employees will not be affected immediately. The second phase will only commence 8 months later.The reason why only this population chosen is very much aligned to the significant of this study a s per mentioned in Chapter One. Out of 134 affected employees, the random sample of 100 employees is identified via Raosoft Sample Size Calculator with 5% margin error and 95% tolerance of confidence level. 37 Below is the breakdown of the 100 participated employees Table 3. 1: Sample Breakdown Category/ Job Grade Tea Lady & Driver (DO & OA) Non Executive (G1-G3) Admin & Secretary (S1-S4) Executive (E8-E6) Middle Management (E5-E3) Senior Management (NG-E2D) Management TechnicalNon-Technical 4 6 7 6 22 20 4 15 13 3 3. 4 Data Collection Procedure The major approach in generating data for this study is through questionnaires which intended to measure employee expectation towards merger & acquisition. The survey is conducted at SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad. The questionnaire was distributed to 100 employees both via email as well as hard copy extended by hand. The respondents were given 1 week to respond to the survey. 38 3. 5 The measurement The major measures for this research are em ployee expectation, leadership, communication and commitment.Participants are required to respond to all questionnaire items for measures using a five-point likert scale. Two scales are used in this research. First is nominal scale, specifically for Section A. Likert Scale is used for Section B, C, D and E. The scale below show the measurement used in Likert-Scale scoring from 1 to 5 (Sekaran, 2003). Table 3. 2: Likert-Scale Strongly Disagree 1 Uncertain Uncertain Agree Strongly Agree 5 2 3 4 Source : Sekaran, 2003 Responses on items for each measure are averaged to form an overall score such that higher scores indicated a higher standing on the measures.The items for each of the measures are given in the Appendixes. Table 3. 2 outlines the measurement items. Table 3. 3: Measurement Items Variables Employees Expectations Items 5 Scales Five-point Likert Scale Sources Adopted from Clemente & Greenspan (1999) 39 Leadership 5 Five-point Likert Scale Adopted from Avolio, Gardner & Walum bwa (2004) Adopted from Cartwright & Cooper (1993) Adopted from Allen & Meyer (1990) Communication 5 Five-point Likert Scale Five-point Likert Scale Commitment 7 3. 6 Questionnaire Design The questionnaire consists of five (5) sections.The first part contains information regarding respondent? s demographics features which include age, gender, academic qualification, job grade, length of service and job classification. The second part of the questionnaire consists of questions on employee expectation, which subsequently followed by leadership, communication and commitment in that order. Table 3. 4 : Questionnaire Layout Sections A Variables Respondent Background: ? Age ? Gender ? Academic Qualification ? Job Grade ? Length of Service ? Job Classification Employee Expectation Leadership Items 6 B C 5 5 40 D ECommunication Commitment 5 7 3. 7 Data Analysis Techniques The first step in statistical analysis involved physically going through all the completed questionnaires page by page a nd browsing through them in order to understand the responses. Raw data, as per written in the questionnaire will be coded for analysis purposes by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Program. The analysis of data begins with reliability test for the scales through Cronbach? s Alpha. The Cronbach Alpha testing is used due to well accepted reliability test tools applied by social researcher (Sekaran, 2005).Cronbach? s Alpha reliability analyze that the closer Cronbach? s Alpha is to 1. 0, the higher the internal consistency reliability (Cronbach, 1946). Cronbach scale analyzes: I. II. III. reliability less than 0. 6 is considered poor reliability in the range 0. 7 is considered to be acceptable reliability more than 0. 8 is considered to be good Secondly, in order to determine whether there are significant relationships among the independent and dependent variables, Pearson Correlation 41 Coefficient analysis was carried out.The scale model suggested by Davies (1971) is used to describe the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable, as shown below: I. 0. 7 and above – very strong relationship, II. 0. 50 to 0. 69 – strong relationship, III. 0. 30 to 0. 49 – moderate relationship, IV. 0. 10 to 0. 29 – low relationships and V. 0. 01 to 0. 09 – very low relationship. Thirdly, Multiple Regression Analysis was conducted to exam which among the three independent variables is the most important variables in exhibiting employees? xpectation. According to Sekaran (2005), the correlation coefficient, R, will indicate the strength of relationship between two variables and it will also show how much of the variance in the dependent variable will explain when several independent variables are theorized to simultaneously influence it. Besides that the square of multiple, R2 is the amount of variance which will explain the dependent variable by the predictors. Beta value ( ) is used to identify the most important variables. This is known as Multiple Regression. 42Finally, frequency distribution is being carried out to obtain a count of number of responses associated with different values of one variable and to express these counts in to percentage terms 3. 8 Conclusion This chapter discussed the research method proposed for this study by presenting the theoretical framework and research hypothesis. Aside to that, it also includes the discussion of sampling design, data collection, questionnaire, measurement and data analysis. 43 CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS 4. 1 Introduction This chapter outlines the results of data analysis obtained based on data collected from respondents.The main purpose of this research is to study the relationship between the independent variables of HR strategic roles namely leadership, communication and commitment with the dependent variable which is employee expectation. The findings intend to verify the hypotheses made in chapter two. The statistical method of Pearson Correlation is used to determine the existence of any relationships between the independent variables and dependent variable. In addition, regression analysis is conducted to examine independent variable and determine which serve the most important to explain employee expectation.This chapter also illustrates the reliability test made to the instruments used using Cronbach Alpha. All in all, this chapter is divided into eight segments which includes; overview of data collection, profile of respondents, goodness of measure, descriptive analysis, major findings, summary of findings, and conclusion. 44 4. 2 Overview of Collected Data A total of 100 sets of questionnaires were distributed to respondents. All 100 sets of questionnaires were returned on a timely manner; within 1 week. It has been found that all questions were answered by the respondents and considered valid and ready-fit to be analyzed.Table 4. 1: Response Rate Data Questionnaire distributed Collected question naire Usable questionnaire Discarded questionnaire Total 100 100 0 0 Percentage (%) 100 100 0 0 4. 3 Respondents’ Profile The survey demonstrated the details concerning demographic characteristics or respondents? profile as shown in Table 4. 2 below. Table 4. 2: Respondent Profile No 1 Demographic Age Categories ? Below 25 ? 25-34 years ? 35-44 years ? 45-54 years ? 55 and above ? Male ? Female Frequency 8 55 34 3 0 57 43 Percentage (%) 8 55 34 3 0 57 43 2 Gender 45 3 Academic Qualification Secondary ? Diploma ? Degree ? Master ? PhD ? Professional ? DO &OA ? G1-G3 ? S1-S4 ? E8-E6 ? E5-E3 ? NG-E2D ? Below 2 years ? 2-4 years ? 5-7 years ? 8-10 years ? More than 10 years ? Management ? Technical ? Non- Technical 6 11 67 9 1 6 4 13 6 42 32 3 18 56 24 1 1 7 43 50 6 11 67 9 1 6 4 13 6 42 32 3 18 56 24 1 1 7 43 50 4 Job Grade 5 Length of Service 6 Job Classification The study indicates more than half of the respondents are within the age of 25 – 34 years old, where approxim ately one third of the respondents are within the age of 35 – 44 years old.It is self explanatory, when majority of 57% of the respondents are male due to the nature of business which is oil & gas, which known for performing tasks under harsh environment. A highest rate of respondents 67% 46 did their degree and only small percentage of 9% holds master degree followed by 1% who pursued PhD. Lastly, this questionnaire managed to capture different job classification where 7% from the management, 43% from technical and 50% from non-technical. 4. 4 Reliability Analysis According to Sekaran (2003), the closer the reliability coefficient gets to 1. , the better it is, and those values over . 80 are considered as good. Those value in the . 70 is considered as acceptable and those reliability value less than . 60 is considered to be poor (Sekaran, 2003). According to George & Mallery (2003), reliability is the degree to which measure are free from error and therefore yield consistent results. Table 4. 3: Reliability Analysis Variables Employees Expectations Leadership Communication Commitment No. Of Items 5 Items Dropped 0 Cronbach? s Alpha 0. 6 5 5 7 0 0 0 0. 8 0. 6 0. 8 As shown in table 4. , alpha value for independent variables ranges from 0. 6-0. 8 which can be considered good. In addition, dependent variable has found to be at 0. 6 on acceptable value. 47 4. 5 Major Findings The results of Pearson Correlation Analysis and Linear Regression are presented in the following section. 4. 5. 1 Pearson Correlation Coefficient According to Sekaran (2003), in research project that includes several variables, beyond knowing the means and standard deviations of the dependent and independent variables, the researcher would often like to know how one variable is related to another.This means that the researcher should see the nature, direction and significance of the bivariate relationship of the variables used in the study which is the relationship between any two var iables among the variables tapped in the study. A Pearson correlation matrix will provide this information, which will indicate the direction, strength and significance of the bivariate relationships of all the variables in the study. Theoretically, there is a possibility of a perfect positive correlation between two variables, which is represented by 1. 0 (plus 1), or a perfect negative correlation which would -1. (minus1). While correlation could range between -1. 0 and +1. 0, and the researcher need to know if any correlation found between two variables is significant or otherwise (i. e. ; if it has occurred solely by chance or if there is a high probability of its actual existence) As for the information, a significance of p ? 0. 05 48 is the generally accepted conventional level in social sciences research. This indicates that 95 times out of 100, this can be sure that there is a true or significant correlation between the two variables, and there is only a 5% chance that the r elationship does not truly exist.The correlation matrix between dependent variable and independent variables are exhibited in Table 4. 5 below. The finding from this analysis is then compared against the hypotheses developed in this study. Table 4. 4 : Inter-Correlations of the Major Variable Variables Leadership Communication Employee Expectation Employees -. 544** . 502** Expectations Leadership . 782** Communication Commitment – Commitment . 460** . 857** . 680** – **Correlation is significant at the 0. 01 level (2-tailed) *Correlation is significant at the 0. 05 level (2-tailed)Hypothesis 1: There is significance relationship between human resource strategic roles in terms of leadership and employee expectation towards the success of M&A. The relationship between leadership is tested against employee engagement. The results between the two variables is found as r=. 544, n=100, p?. 05. The correlations coefficient indicates that there is a strong relationship betwee n the variables. Hypothesis 1 is accepted. 49 Hypothesis 2: There is significance relationship between human resource strategic roles in terms of communication and employee expectation towards the success of M&A.The relationship between communication against employee expectation is investigated. The results shows quite similar to leadership where the two variables are found as r=. 502, n=100, p ? .05. The relationship is significant with strong relationship. Hence, hypothesis 2 is accepted. Hypothesis 3: There is significance relationship between commitment and employees’ expectation in SapuraCrest Petroleum Berhad. The relationship between commitment against employee expectation has found to have poor significant with r=. 406, n=100, p

Australia’s legal system

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Language that we use Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Language that we use - Essay Example In the present world thousands of languages exist. People from different parts of the world speak different languages. The Chinese speak Mandarin, Australians speak English, Arabians speak Arabic, the Argentines speak Spanish, etc. How well others the language you use defines you and not the language you use. Non-verbal communication has the same importance as the verbal. If a person is in foreign land and not familiar with the local language, he interacts with other through non-verbal movements or in other words signs. Deaf and dumb persons use the sign language. It helps them in communicating with others and makes their lives a lesser difficult. Human beings are different from other animal, that's why they are called as social animals. This is because they can think and most importantly can communicate easily with each other. To reduce the gap between geographical areas and the curiousness of man to know what's on the other side has made him to invent different languages. Thousands of years ago they started communicating with each other. In 3500BC alphabets were invented in the written form. This helped in the introduction of postal service. This way communication between different parties was made. The Chinese invented paper and the book came by 100AD. Slowly all the writings were entered into the books. Books were best for storing information for long time without causing much damage. Newspapers were introduced into the Europe by 1450AD.Words or short phrases can exhibit the distinction between purely informative and partially expressive uses of language. Many of the most common words and phrases of any language have both a literal or descriptive meaning that refers to the way things are and an emotive meaning that expresses some (positive or negative) feeling about them. Thus, the choice of which word to use in making a statement can be used in hopes of evoking a particular emotional response. This is a natural function of ordinary language, of course. We often do wish to convey some portion of our feelings along with information. There is a good deal of poetry in everyday communication, and poetry without emotive meaning is pretty dull. But when we are primarily interested in establishing the truth-as we are when assessing the logical merits of an argument-the use of words laden with emotive meaning can easily distract us from our purpose. Language is not static it is organic. It grows out of usage and need. What's important is not whether a word is being used in its original meaning, but whether it is understood within the cultural milieu it is being used in. Words come and go and when deemed necessary add to their meanings in any language that is vibrant. It is only a word's roots that remain fixed not the word itself. If words cannot evolve to meet cultural needs, perceived or otherwise, the language is doomed. One of the difficulties many people face is understanding the language. If a person lands up in a foreign land and not familiar with the local language faces many problems. The same has happened to Tan and her mother in the essay "Mother Tongue". Her mother was not familiar with English language and hardly understands it. This became a major problem to her. She can't communicate with others and cannot build friendly relationships with her neighbours. She can't go to the market alone since she cannot speak English

Applications of Information Technology Essay Example for Free

Applications of Information Technology Essay Driving force in educational reform Students have many opportunities to learn the basic computer skills to facilitate their learning. Multimedia learning centre (MMLC) in secondary school Classroom with a projector 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT at Home ? Smart home technology ?Allows people to control household and other domestic appliances over the Internet ? Personal computer ?Has become a necessity for many households 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT at Home ? Personal computer Uses of personal computer 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT at Home ? Home office ?Refers to a small computerized office setup at home ?Self-employed persons can work at home and communicate with others through the Internet. Clients Self-employed person Colleagues 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Public Places ? Information kiosk ?Provides information on nearby facilities in public places ? Electronic Money ?Can be used for petty cash payments ?Example: Octopus Octopus Kiosks 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Public Places Internet access service ?It is provided in various public places. ?The public can obtain information from the Internet more conveniently. Internet access service in public area 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Business ? Office automation ?Office automation helps office workers improve working efficiency productivity, data security and communications with others An automated office 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Business ? Intranet ?A private and small-scale Internet of an organization ?Helps improve workflow and enables efficient collaboration and  communication. Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Business ? E-commerce ?Refers to commercial activities carried out in an electronic network ?The Internet is now the most popular way to conduct e-commerce. e-bay, a popular online auction site 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Business ? E-commerce We can also purchase groceries online (http://www. wellcome. com. hk) We can book tickets online (http://www. cityline. com. hk) Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Government ? Information technology has become an  important means of providing government services. ? Under the ‘2004 Digital 21 Strategy’, the Hong Kong SAR government has committed to developing e-government. 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Government ? Electronic Service Delivery ?A web site that provides a wide range of government information and services ?The services include, application for government job vacancies payment of government bills purchasing books making appointments for The use of public services 1. 1 Applications of Information Technology in Our Daily Life ? IT in Government ? Employers concerned about exposing of company confidentials More difficult for employers to monitor work progress 1. 2 Information Technology and the Information Age ? Digital Divide ? Describes the growing gap between those people who can access and make effective use of IT and those who cannot ? Separate people into two groups ?Internet users ?Non-Internet users.

Reaction about helen of troy Essay Example for Free

Reaction about helen of troy Essay This culture of this story is extremely different than the culture of today. The characters in this story are outrageous. For one thing, the majority of the characters are Greek gods and goddesses. Greek mythology was very popular 3200 years a go, however presently it’s primarily a thing of the past and these gods don’t show up too frequently in modern day literature. The closest things we have to Greek goddesses in entertainment today are the Kardashians. Also, as far as I can remember, no magic apples have ever flown in and disrupted any of the weddings I’ve been to. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but it seems as though there was an abundance of magical fruits and enchanted vegetables in the time of Helen of Troy. This is something we seem to be lacking in our modern day culture. One thing I did find relevant to our modern culture is the way that the three goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite reacted upon hearing that whoever had possession of the apple would be the, â€Å"Fairest of them all†. It seems that today, a lot of girls will do anything to be the most beautiful. Something is not right in our heads, and we know it. For this reason, it didn’t surprise me when they each offered such high bribes so that Paris would choose them to receive this over-glorified apple.This culture of this story is extremely different than the culture of today. The characters in this story are outrageous. For one thing, the majority of the characters are Greek gods and goddesses. Greek mythology was very popular 3200 years a go, however presently it’s primarily a thing of the past and these gods don’t show up too frequently in modern day literature. The closest things we have to Greek goddesses in entertainment today are the Kardashians. Also, as far as I can remember, no magic apples have ever flown in and disrupted any of the weddings I’ve been to. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but it seems as though there was an abundance of magical fruits and enchanted vegetables in the time of Helen of Troy. This is something we seem to be lacking in our modern day culture. One thing I did find relevant to our modern culture is the way that the three goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite reacted upon hearing that whoever had possession of the apple would be the, â€Å"Fairest of them all†. It seems that tod ay, a lot of girls will do anything to be the most beautiful. Something is not right in our heads, and we know it. For this reason, it didn’t surprise me when they each offered such high bribes so that Paris would choose them to receive this over-glorified apple.This culture of this story is extremely different than the culture of today. The characters in this story are outrageous. For one thing, the majority of the characters are Greek gods and goddesses. Greek mythology was very popular 3200 years a go, however presently it’s primarily a thing of the past and these gods don’t show up too frequently in modern day literature. The closest things we have to Greek goddesses in entertainment today are the Kardashians. Also, as far as I can remember, no magic apples have ever flown in and disrupted any of the weddings I’ve been to. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but it seems as though there was an abundance of magical fruits and enchanted vegetables in the time of Helen of Troy. This is something we seem to be lacking in our modern day culture. One thing I did find relevant to our modern culture is the way that the three goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite reacted upon hearing that whoever had possession of the apple would be the, â€Å"Fairest of them all†. It seems that today, a lot of girls will do anything to be the most beautiful. Something is not right in our heads, and we know it. For this reason, it didn’t surprise me when they each offered such high bribes so that Paris would choose them to receive this over-glorified apple.This culture of this story is extremely different than the culture of today. The characters in this story are outrageous. For one thing, the majority of the characters are Greek gods and goddesses. Greek mythology was very popular 3200 years a go, however presently it’s primarily a thing of the past and these gods don’t show up too frequently in modern day literature. The closest things we have to Greek goddesses in entertainment today are the Kardashians. Also, as far as I can remember, no magic apples have ever flown in and disrupted any of the weddings I’ve been to. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but it seems as though there was an abundance of magical fruits and enchanted vegetables in the time of Helen of Troy. This is something we seem to be lacking in our modern day culture. One thing I did find relevant to our modern culture is the way that the three goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite reacted upon hearing that whoever had possession of the apple would be the, â€Å"Fairest of them all†. It seems that today, a lot of girls will do anything to be the most beautiful. Something is not right in our heads, and we know it. For this reason, it didn’t surprise me when they each offered such high bribes so that Paris would choose them to receive this over-glorified apple.This culture of this story is extremel y different than the culture of today. The characters in this story are outrageous. For one thing, the majority of the characters are Greek gods and goddesses. Greek mythology was very popular 3200 years a go, however presently it’s primarily a thing of the past and these gods don’t show up too frequently in modern day literature. The closest things we have to Greek goddesses in entertainment today are the Kardashians. Also, as far as I can remember, no magic apples have ever flown in and disrupted any of the weddings I’ve been to. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but it seems as though there was an abundance of magical fruits and enchanted vegetables in the time of Helen of Troy. This is something we seem to be lacking in our modern day culture. One thing I did find relevant to our modern culture is the way that the three goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite reacted upon hearing that whoever had possession of the apple would be the, â€Å"Fairest of them all†. It seems that today, a lot of girls will do anything to be the most beautiful. Something is not right in our heads, and we know it. For this reason, it didn’t surprise me when they each offered such high bribes so that Paris would choose them to receive this over-glorified apple.This culture of this story is extremely different than the culture of today. The characters in this story are outrageous. For one thing, the majority of the characters are Greek gods and goddesses. Greek mythology was very popular 3200 years a go, however presently it’s primarily a thing of the past and these gods don’t show up too frequently in modern day literature. The closest things we have to Greek goddesses in entertainment today are the Kardashians. Also, as far as I can remember, no magic apples have ever flown in and disrupted any of the weddings I’ve been to. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but it seems as though there was an abundance of magical fruits and enchanted vegetables in the time of Helen of Troy. This is something we seem to be lacking in our modern day culture. One thing I did find relevant to our modern culture is the way that the three goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite reacted upon hearing that whoever had possession of the apple would be the, â€Å"Fairest of them all†. It seems that today, a lot of girls will do anything to be the most beautiful. Something is not right in our heads, and we know it. For this reason, it didn’t surprise me when they each offered such high bribes so that Paris would choose them to receive this over-glorified apple.This culture of this story is extremely different than the culture of today. The characters in this story are outrageous. For one thing, the majority of the characters are Greek gods and goddesses. Greek mythology was very popular 3200 years a go, however presently it’s primarily a thing of the past and these gods don’t show up too frequently in modern day literature. The closest things we have to Greek goddesses in entertainment today are the Kardashians. Also, as far as I can remember, no magic apples have ever flown in and disrupted any of the weddings I’ve been to. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but it seems as though there was an abundance of magical fruits and enchanted vegetables in the time of Helen of Troy. This is something we seem to be lacking in our modern day culture. One thing I did find relevant to our modern culture is the way that the three goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite reacted upon hearing that whoever had possession of the apple would be the, â€Å"Fairest of them all†. It seems that today, a lot of girls will do anything to be the most beautiful. Something is not right in our heads, and we know it. For this reason, it didn’t surprise me when they each offered such high bribes so that Paris would choose them to receive this over-glorified apple.

Case Study Of An Abusive Parental Relationship Social Work Essay

Case Study Of An Abusive Parental Relationship Social Work Essay Abstract: Child abuse and neglect are common social issues in differing degrees are prevalent in all countries of the world. This paper will discuss the case of Child L who is in an abused relationship with her mother. The paper will also focus on the issues faced by her mother as a single black parent with unstable financial and emotional history. It deals with the assessment of the situation with reference to the facts as presented in this case study and talks about intervention strategies to develop a care plan for Child L. Attention has been paid to interact with Child L and engage her in direct communication keeping in mind anti-discriminatory practices. Justification for interventions suggested has been included wherever necessary. Introduction: Until as late as a few decades ago, womens and childrens issues were not given due consideration. Women were usually blamed for their powerlessness to look after their children and guard them from domestic violence. This was mainly because they were unable to walk out of their abusive relationships with their husbands due to societal pressures and not having independent means of income (Humphreys Stanley 2006). Things have changed but slightly and single parenting has become more common. However, there is need to support single parents and provide them training in good parenting skills for them to be able to raise their children in a healthy environment. Socialization of children begins in the family, particularly, with the parents. Children learn to form attitudes that determine how well they will be adjusted as adults in society. They learn life skills, relationships, conflict resolution skills, and communication by emulating their parents or other socializing agents. Hence, it is not enough to blame abusive parents for their bad parenting but support by way of training, counselling, advice needs to be provided to them so that they can learn to be good parents. When all efforts in supporting abusive parents fail to bring about any appreciable change in the parents attitude or behaviour other intervention strategies like placements in foster homes need to be considered. The childs protection and well-being is in the balance here. Facts of the case: Subject, Child L is a 2 year old black girl Subject does not go to any nursery or play school Mother does not take her to the hospital or to see any doctors Subject does not have a father Subject has an abusive mother Mother suffers from personality disorder Subject under child protection plan Mother does not adhere to the child protection plan Mother has history of violence and convictions Mother was also a looked after child Mother is a school drop-out at 14 Mother does not have a permanent job Comprehensive assessments of risks that Child L is exposed to: Child L is isolated from the community as she does not go to play school and does not have any social interactions with people other than her abusive mother. The child needs to interact with others because social interactions create awareness and helps to build confidence; self -esteem and a positive attitude towards societal values, cultural standards and the willingness to accept authority of others and share responsibilities. The child is an infant and is probably not able to communicate effectively with others or express her anxieties and stress. Parents need to spend quality time with their children to understand their needs and desires. Talking to children and listening to them is a good way of spending quality time and having a good parent-child relationship. This helps children to have positive self esteem and develop a healthy respect for others as well. Mother is unable to provide a stable home for the child and the seventh floor bedsit accommodation is not conducive to proper child development. Living conditions have an important impact on health and development of children. The risk to proper child development is higher in low income homes (Ross and Roberts 1999). However, family income is not the only determinant of a childs proper growth and development. Mother is not mentally or emotionally stable and has convictions for aggression and violence. Research shows that mothers who are verbally aggressive with their children were found to be controlling and gave directions even for their play activities (Wiley-Blackwell 2008). They demonstrated a tendency to restrain their children by grabbing their wrists or shoulders. It was also found that children with verbally aggressive mothers refused to accept their manipulations and orders, though their resistance was often weak, short lived and indirect. It is important to remember that a parents verbally aggressive behaviour might damage the self confidence and self esteem of the child causing the child to have behaviour disorder in later life (Dwivedi Harper 2004). Child L does not have any one to intervene on her behalf in the event of her mother abusing her physically. The scene described in the case study when the mother asks her daughter to piss off is unfortunate. This scene took place in a public place, namely the GPs chamber. This is an example of the verbal aggression that Child L is exposed to with no one to intervene on her behalf. Physical and emotional abuses of this nature happen with many children in our society. Children are subjected to threats, commands, loud angry words, accusations and words full of mistrust directed towards them all the time. Mothers behaviour has been termed as unpredictable not suitable for healthy parent-child interactions. Parent behaviour has a deep impact on childrens emotional growth. The unpredictable nature of Child Ls mother can cause her anxiety and apprehension. The child will grow up feeling confused by her mothers outbursts and alternate mellow behaviour. This will impact her self confidence and her trust in other adults and she will not know how to emotionally deal with different situations. Mother does not have a support system and has very few friends or family members. As such she does not get much help in raising her daughter alone and she is impatient with her because she is over-worked and tired. In such cases the children are left pretty much by themselves and do not have much supervision or monitoring. The impact of being left unsupervised and unmonitored can have negative implications on young children, especially from poor families. Mother does not have a steady means of earning with practically no education and does not have a steady paid job. Studies have showed that children of employed mothers tend to be better adjusted socially and do better in academics. Daughters of employed mothers are more positive and less shy. Children with employed mothers also fit into leadership roles quite comfortably. For poor or working class people a mothers employment status is important as that has a direct connection with the mothers sense of well being (Hoffman 1998). Mother has a history of violent behaviour and the child is at risk of abuse. Instance of her verbal aggression towards the child has been noted. When a child is witness to violent behaviour at such a young age as Child L, the impression tends to be very deep and she may carry the scars of this fear throughout her life. Her faith in her mother will be shaken as she knows her mother to be her only care giver. In such cases children find it hard to have healthy attachments with parents, siblings or friends. Such children may develop depression and anxiety disorders in adulthood. The child does not have proper medical attention as the mother does not allow her to interact with social workers or doctors. This may be a dangerous trend as all children must have medical check-ups to determine healthy growth. In case of abused children, like Child L in this case, it is important for a medical practitioner to examine her for physical injury that may have been inflicted on her by her unstable mother. The advice of the doctor or health practitioner is also valuable in determining whether the child needs psychological help as well. Child L is lonely and this manifests itself in her reluctance to go away with her mother from the surgery where she is inclined to stay and play with the health practitioner. Isolation and loneliness only add to the burden of being abused by ones intemperate parents. Child L is isolated and does not have many relatives or friends to communicate with and form healthy attachments. This will increase her trauma and result in poor people skills in adult life. The child belongs to an ethnic minority group and is at risk of facing discriminatory behaviour from others in the community. Black African women face racial discrimination, oppression and demoralization even today. However, anti-discriminatory practices need to be implemented and the social care worker needs to be well trained in understanding diversity and in getting appropriate and timely health care for Child L (Malek Joughin 2004). Under the circumstances it is very difficult to monitor the childs condition. It is difficult to reach the child as the mother is not inclined to allow her daughter to socialize and be friendly. The social care worker assigned to care for Child L needs to be able to mitigate the mothers hostility (Falkov, Diggins Mayes 1998) and have access to the child at all times to be able to prevent her being abused. Monitoring Child Ls physical and emotional condition is also important as that will allow the social care practitioner to assess the childs current needs and provide intervention when necessary. Since the mother was also raised in a foster home she may not know how to cope with her childs emotional needs. Research shows that quite often parents who had been abused as children grow up to be abusive parents as they emulate the behaviour they had been exposed at a sub conscious level. As they were never given the opportunity to have responsible and caring parents they themselves do not develop good parenting skills (Saisan, Smith Segal 2010). Though the risk factors present in Child Ls case are many, it may be helpful to mention here that not all children respond to the same risks and their causal factors in the same ways. There is no specific risk aspect that can be associated specifically with mental, emotional or physical hazard for a child (Nemours 2006). Different risk factors can affect different children differently and children may exhibit different symptoms after being exposed to the same risk. The symptoms Child L demonstrates should be noted and then plan for appropriate interventions should be developed. Child Ls Needs, Safeguarding and Interventions: The Child Protection Plan is a means to help families and professional social care workers to interact and be able to establish the guidelines for parents to better safeguard their childs interests. The keys points of a child protection plan (Haringeys LSCB) entails that the child is to be kept in a safe and secure environment, the childs welfare has to be of foremost importance and the family should receive the support they need to raise their children in safety. Protection against witnessing violence- Witnessing violence can be a terrifying experience for young children and can cause emotional trauma. The mother needs to protect her child and not be the cause of her distress. Child L needs to be kept under child protection plan to safeguard her from being physically abused. The mother needs to be counselled about her creating an extremely damaging environment for her child by her aggression. Mothers untreated mental and behaviour disorder- Parents who suffer from depression, anxiety disorder, mental instability have trouble taking care of themselves, much less their children. As is demonstrated in the case study Child Ls mother is mentally and emotionally not very balanced hence she is quick to anger and is aggressive with her daughter. Parents who are themselves traumatized and struggling to behave normally may appear be distant and withdrawn from their children. Treatment for the mother is important as it will mean better care for Child L. Lack of proper parenting skills. Child Ls mother was a looked after child herself and probably did not have the opportunity to learn good parenting skills. She probably has unrealistic assessment of her daughters needs and the amount of care she deserves. The mother needs to be given parenting classes, support from community support groups and/or counselling therapy sessions to get over her own problems and learn good parenting skills. The plan should keep in mind the Children Act 1989 s 17(1) which says that it is the duty of every local authority to safeguard children and take care of their welfare within their area and provide a range of services appropriate for childrens needs (DH). Isolation and lack of support. As we all know that parenting is not an easy task and people need to spend a lot of time and effort to raise a child, especially, when the parent is a single mother. In this case study not only is the mother a single parent, but she has added problems of not having financial stability or a support system by way of friends or family. Child L needs to be protected from being isolated and in order to do that effectively, her mother needs to be supported to be emotionally and financially stable. Care must be taken to socialize the child and her mother. Safeguarding against abuse and neglect. Since Child L is under child protection plan, she should be closely monitored and any signs of abuse or neglect must be reported and taken very seriously. Repeated abuse can have lifelong repercussions for the child and can impact her relationships in future and damage her sense of self-esteem. Monitoring closely will also help monitor her mothers behaviour which can be remedied by putting her mother through anger management programmes or good parenting lessons. Scientific evidence proves that the family, school and community have a large role to play in the physical and mental health of individuals. Interactions with parents, peers and others in the community impact their behaviour beyond their normal genetic propensities. Child L, therefore, needs to be allowed to spend time with others in the community to be able to understand a wider range of behaviour patterns and be able to learn from them. This will help her to make correct choices as an adult. Socializing plays an important part in the general growth and well being of a child. Socializing teaches a child life skills and peer interactions help establish self-esteem and self confidence. The risk of Child L being isolated and not allowed to socialize can render her incapable to handling conflicts in adult life. There are several positive outcomes of socialization and these prepare the child for an independent and responsible adult life. Interactions with peers and others in the school, neighbourhood and community helps the child to learn how to regulate emotions, think independently and adapt behaviour to suit the type of interaction (Berns 2010). Research done by the National Institute of Child Health and Development shows that the quality of mother-child interaction, especially the mothers sensitivity to her childs physical and emotional needs was more important than whether or not the mother was employed as it determined the sense of security a child experienced, of attachment and love from the mother. The mothers employment status has little bearing on the childs behaviour but may be impacted if the mother is negative or insensitive to the childs needs. Safety of the child comes first and the case should be handled by professionals. Instead of focussing on individual case by case basis legislation is passed as a broad spectrum measure to curb the increase in incidents of child abuse. However, since the dynamics of child abuse can be varied people need to report child abuse and get help from professionals (Gil 1971). The child should be protected against repetitions of abuse and alternative solutions must be considered, for example, putting child under protection plan where the child is monitored by professionals regularly or be put in foster homes where proper care will be given to the child. Professional intervention in the form of direct communication with the child should be done by social care givers. While interacting with the child, the social work practitioner must ensure that the child feels reassured and relaxed. Since Child L is almost an infant the social worker needs to be very calm and friendly. S/he needs to reassure the child that the mothers aggressive and dismissive behaviour towards the child is not the childs fault. There is nothing wrong with her and she is just as lovable as any other 2 year old. Gaining the confidence of the child should be the primary objective so that the child feels free to come to the social worker if she needs help. Social worker must keep in mind that the child has limited language and cannot quite explain what she experiences. Observation is more important than interrogation (Saisan, Smith Segal 2010). Child Protection Plan Data has to be collected at different levels with sampling from all strata of society, while focussing more on lower income families. Social care professionals need to be trained to identify (Beckett 2007) and classify children who are victims or at risk of child abuse. Monitoring and reporting at all community levels must be ensured. Parents need to be monitored to check if they are receiving their basic rights and support from the government. A round the clock response system has to be put in place to receive and deal appropriately with complaints from abused children or anyone reporting abuse. A prevention plan needs to be implemented to prevent children from being abused further. Every Child Matters is a programme that helps to advance positive outcomes for children, young adults and families. It is an instrument of change and a tool to implement the Governments policy of elementary reforms for children and guidelines for safeguarding their well being. In this case study, as Child L is but an infant, the social care practitioner must involve the mother in this programme to be effective in this individual case. Every Child Matters draws its inspiration from the framework provided by the Childrens Act 2004. The four key aspects of the legal framework are given below (Fraser 2007): Children must be engaged in positive activities to bring about an attitudinal change. This can be streamlined by engaging experts in communication who will be able to provide the right motivation and remove barriers to learning. Young people must be encouraged and motivated to join and volunteer for community service. Creating awareness for young people to make the right choices about their own lives. Support should be based on individual basis depending on the needs of the child. Community groups need to be organized at different levels to work on child and family issues. Volunteers and social workers need to be able to provide guidance and counselling for abused children and their family members. A body should be set up to coordinate the work. Social programs should be introduced to raise public awareness on this issue and advise people on human and child rights to prevent children from being exploited and abused. Social workers team must be multi-disciplinary and be trained to identify victims that need immediate safety and protection and be able to organize for their safekeeping. Social workers should carry out home visits and on the spot inspection and coordinate with child protection agencies. Government and community social work agencies are doing a fair amount of work in this field. We need to integrate the effort made by these agencies by organizing life skills training (Maennantharat 2010), self protection training, and raise awareness about domestic violence, especially amongst minority sections of the community. A core group of professionals from multidisciplinary fields, including members of the community mental health team, will have to be involved in developing the plan further. The plan needs to include a continual assessment of the situation and check for adherence with the child protection plan and also include areas of concern as listed below (Haringeys LSCB): Indentifying and addressing the root causes that may harm the child. Being able to create a schedule that will have time bound activities for the social care givers and family members to stop the sufferings of the child. Specific tasks that target short term and long term child focused outcomes with deadlines and consequences for not being able to meet the target. A daily monitoring task for social workers for individual children to check the safety of the children on a day-to-day basis. A contingency plan has to be set up if the child protection plan fails in delivering the required outcomes. A regular reviewing system for the child protection plan has to be set up to check for efficacy. If the parent fails to adhere to the child protection plan as in the case study and the child is exposed to significant harm, care proceedings have to be started in a family court (Family Justice Council 2010). The local authorities in collaboration with social care workers will try to work out the necessary changes required of the family before involving court proceedings. A full assessment is required with provision of services mentioned in the child protection plan. The parents, in this case the mother of Child L, should contact a specialist child care law solicitor in case the case needs to be presented before a court. Legal aid scheme is available to parents free of cost for their legal representation. Family group conferences should be organized that will include the wider family and community support groups to encourage the mother to arrive at a solution. A guardian has to be appointed till a decision is taken to allow the parent or relatives custody of the child or the child to be put in foster care. Conclusion It is important to be conversant with knowledge and awareness of normal family interactions and child development process to be able to identify children who receive inappropriate and less care. It will also help the social worker to assess a childs situation and understand whether the child is at risk of neglect or abuse. A thorough and logical assessment of the case will help to implement programs that prevent child abuse and neglect. It will be useful in assessing a childs current needs and whether these needs are being met. In the event of the child having to be placed in a foster home it will help to customize placements based on a childs individual needs (AAP Policy 2000).