3 Stories That Prove Nursing is Worth It

3 Stories That Prove Nursing is Worth It Nursing is not a career for the faint of heart. From managing challenging patients to dealing with emergency situations, it’s a field that demands a lot from those who choose it. For many nurses, though, the breakthrough moments that make it all worthwhile show why so many women and men find nursing as their calling. Patients can change your life in unexpected ways.While part of being a healthcare professional is caring for people you may never see again, sometimes the fates align, and you find that there’s a patient to whom you just can’t say goodbye. Nurse Amber Boyd, from New Mexico, found this to be the case when she cared for a newborn baby girl who suffered from severe birth defects. The baby’s parents were out of the picture, and Boyd realized that she could provide the love and care that baby Nicole needed. â€Å"Right around her first birthday, she was making progress, [but] her needs were beyond anything anyone could’ve accommodated at ho me. Her biological parents, their rights were taken away and her twin sister had already gone home with another family. They just weren’t medical professionals and she essentially needed ICU care at home. [The hospital] was looking into medical foster care†¦.I said, ‘Well, that’s something I could do from home†¦But then I said, ‘This is crazy, am I crazy?'†Little things can matter as much as big ones.From NurseTogether.com comes the inspirational story of a nurse whose above-and-beyond took very little time out of the daily routine, but paid many dividends for one patient.â€Å"One of the women living there had night terrors. She was never able to name that which she feared, but woke every few hours screaming in panic. Her confusion and fear touched my heart as I tried to imagine experiencing her quality of life. I immediately discovered that she would calm down and return to sleep if I spent 10-15 minutes talking to her. Soon thereafter, I discovered that if I came to work 20 minutes before my shift started, held her hand, and talked with her she slept peacefully the entire night through. 20 minutes a day, five days a week out of the life of a student nurse was a small price to pay for her peace of mind.†Sometimes nursing life is just plain funny.From NursesAreAngels.com: â€Å"I was performing a complete physical, including the visual acuity test. I placed the patient twenty feet from the chart and began, ‘Cover your right eye with your hand.’ He read the 20/20 line perfectly. ‘Now your left.’ Again, a flawless read. ‘Now both,’ I requested. There was silence He couldn’t even read the large E on the top line. I turned and discovered that he had done exactly what I had asked; he was standing there with both his eyes covered.†If you too have a nursing tale that is funny/inspiring/illuminating/nursetastic, we’d love to hear it!

Platos Allegory of the Cave and You, Screws

Platos Allegory of the Cave and You, Screws The ‘Allegory of the cave’ and ‘You, Screws’ are two metaphors that different authors have used to show some similarity in the way people think and limit themselves to view the world and reality as though they are shattered from the rest of the world or landed in a prison. Plato succeeded to create a wonderful piece of art that denotes how people are ignorant to the extent of not being aware of their own surroundings.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Platos Allegory of the Cave and You, Screws specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It portrays a humanity that has failed to be wise, so nobody can achieve anything, and as a result, people are stuck in the darkness of their ignorance. This is so because they have time, and there are a lot of chances for them to change the things for better, and it is a matter of realizing what is at their disposal to make the best way out of the difficult situation. I rrespective of the status that one may have, Plato brings out a fact that it is possible to succeed and join the elite of the society. The same sentiments are echoed in You, Screws , the author of which understands that everything is exposed, and everyone can get it. The story features a man who has been imprisoned for seven years for charges of terrorism. The thing that two articles have in common is a theme of prison. However, the authors depict different types of prisons. Plato portrays a prison as a mental state, i.e. the inability of human beings to perceive light or rather the real situations with different circumstances that occur in the world and gain some experience to become more wise. In You, Screws, the author talks about a real (physical) prison where some of the prisoners are taught to act as leaders to the rest. These poses a question for a reader whether it is a physical or a mental prison that hinders a person from achieving something in his/her life. As far as Brey ten is concerned, people will always drag you to the pit the moment they realize that you has finally been enlightened. Breyten was a prisoner on his own, and he will never let imprisonment deter him from advancing in knowledge. Thus, he addresses his article to all screws who decide to listen to him as a way of gaining knowledge. He says that he does not regret much of having been shattered from the world but â€Å"I normally resent all attempts at dragging me back particularly when they come from the sentimentally deprived or the vicarious heart-eaters and self shitters who wallow in victimization and heroism by proxy† (Breytenbach 15).Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is what is echoed in Plato’s allegory of the cave. The thing is that ordinary folks that are not enlightened will always misunderstand those who have an intellectual insight. The character in Platos story at last understands his environment and tenaciously overcomes the challenges experienced in the cave, which are his mental incapacitations in his long and tortuous intellectual journey. Plato’s Cave represents human knowledge â€Å"showing the intellectual journey to truth as a gradual and arduous process† (Plato 134). He compares people to prisoners in a cave whose only perception of reality is a play of shadows on a wall that they face them. Everyone has a role to play in bringing change to his/her life. One should do his/her best trying to avoid the thoughts that prevent him/her from perceiving the world from a broad perspective. Only being able to face challenges and difficulties, people can get an understanding of the real world. Plato classifies this process in four stages. The first stage includes forming an attitude that is based on the reality’s outward appearance constituted by sights and sounds of experience though it takes a while be fore the human mind distinguishes reality. Breyten understands that in order for one to stay in darkness having no power over his/her own destiny, he/she needs to continue closing the eyes and avoid noticing some crucial facts. He is aware that purpose is an intention, and everybody has the ability to achieve his/her goal using the circumstances that the life may present to him or her. The prisoner goes through these stages, and that is why it is possible for him/her to address people though an ex-convict. The second stage requires the ability to recognize the difference between a deceptive entity and knowledge and the real ones. In this case, the scary shadows on the walls are the true carvings. The puppeteers and the things inside and outside the cave described by Plato indicate that empirical discoveries never penetrate the ideal realm of truth, thus calling for the need to leave the cave. The third stage starts when people get outside the cave and see the sun that seems to tend to blind them. This sun is the light of truth, thus the reality turns out to be dangerous and as much fearsome for the prisoners as the shadows on the walls. This makes it difficult to understand the nature of entity that happens to be an idea, a concept, and something nonmaterial as Plato later realizes.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Platos Allegory of the Cave and You, Screws specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Accordingly, practice and learning are the key ingredients for realization of the true form of reality. The fourth stage begins when one acknowledges the source of the intellectual light. Plato realizes that the Good elucidates the concepts that help us understand the truth. The prisoner knows that holding his head high and standing on his dignity will signify victory as far as address the masses concerned. Plato maintains this concept by saying that only those who can achieve enlightenment should be leaders of the rest. The released prisoner is a leader because he overcomes his fears and difficulties and gains the necessary knowledge, thus he is able to lead the rest. He does not resist the enlightenment as the others do but rather embraces it with open arms. The prisoner described in You, Screws takes a leadership position in the United States after being released from the ‘dark’ world or rather a prison. This comes in line with Plato’s allegory of the cave since it is only after setting free, the prisoners are able to get a real picture of their world outside the cave. Plato’s belief that only the enlightened grasp the invisible truths lying under the apparent surface is reflected in You, Screws when the prisoner achieves a leadership position in the United States that happens to be a foreign, unknown, outside world for him. He understands that all are equal living in the same place and excluded from the outside world with the same walls. This indicates th at it is upon everybody to act with bravery to achieve whatever a person needs without immersing in apathy considering that one is doomed or cursed. Actually, everything is exposed to everybody to get it. Breyten knows pretty well that there are always warders and prisons to govern and control the society by those who are above the law. In this case, the aspect of not progressing is nullified. This is what Plato calls the escape from the limitation of the cave. He maintains that everyone should be lifted up to look at the Mountain meaning that everybody ought to be enlightened even if it calls for the rest to give hand. Additionally, Breyten is aware that there is no chance to escape the fears of existence, except by maintaining dignity and being responsible for each person’s actions. From Plato’s acknowledgement that the truth is in a way embedded in people’s minds, Breyten calls for the prisoners to become useful to their societies through employment. Thus, ev eryone needs to change their thoughts and attitudes to be able to live a worthy life.Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There is nothing for the free or the slaves since all have opportunities even if they are bloated. Mental imprisonment is definitely the worst situation in life as far as enlightenment is concerned, so one should fight to the last breath to set free from that cave. Breytenbach, Breyten. â€Å"You, Screws.† Harper’s Magazine Feb. 2007: 15-20. Print. Plato, Allan. ‘The Allegory of the Cave’, The Republic of Plato. 2nd ed. New York: Basic Books, 1968. Print.

Globalisation Transationals and Economic Policy Essay

Globalisation Transationals and Economic Policy - Essay Example 136-137). Assuming that Boeing has a headstart, the likely outcome is that of Airbus deciding not to produce the aircraft, in favor of 0 loss, rather than to enter the market against Boeing, in which both firms would each incur losses amounting to -5. However, once Europe decides to subsidize Airbus, the outcome of the game shifts in favor of Airbus, and it can decide to go head-on with Boeing in the market, earning profits while Boeing incurs losses. Moreover, should Boeing decide to not produce as it would be incurring 0 loss in this, Airbus by producing the aircraft would allow it to raise its profits from 0 loss in the previous scenario with no subsidy to 110 profits post-subsidy by Europe. Krugman further notes that out of this, 100 represents a gain of national income for Europe, and conversely, a loss of the same amount for America. This shows that under some circumstances, a country can lift its welfare by supporting its own firms against foreign competitors. At the same time , a domestic firm can lower the profits of other firms which wish to enter the domestic market. Another reason for strategic trade policy as the case above is when viewed from the possibility of existence of external economies - one in which it has been observed that innovative firms, with huge investments in R&D fail to "appropriate fully the knowledge they create". This case is not evident in "perfectly competitive models" as when increasing returns is tied with economies of scale in markets with imperfect competition. The argument for strategic trade policy based on externalities however need not affect other countries' welfare negatively - as when governments choose particular industries or firms to support. However, this is not the case when externalities are at the national level, in which clearly free trade is at the mercy of a government's protectionist policies. Pursuing a strategic trade policy is limited by at least three factors that make it a less desirable option. First, external economies are difficult to measure, measurement of which is needed to formulate interventionist policies (i.e. difficult to measure the exact external benefit of say, a $10 investment in R&D). Second, rent-seeking firms could water down the gains from interventionist policies. Third, a country's considerations for its economy overall adds greatly to the empirical difficulty of formulating strategic trade policies (that is, "a country cannot protect everything and subsidize everything"). The above considerations however, according to Krugman do not render the pursuit of strategic trade policy undesirable. In most cases, they point to caution as to the difficulties are due to empirical considerations - and yet, governments are not altogether, lacking in information. In what sense, of any, is it appropriate to consider that international trade in today's world is free International trade in today's world can be considered free to a certain extent by measuring the progress done compared to the past. For example one indicator suggests that the pace of international tra

Prometheus Bound Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Prometheus Bound - Essay Example As a punishment for this rebellion, the powerful Zeus commanded Hephaestus, the blacksmith of the gods, to bind Prometheus deep in a gorge, in a mountain. Accompanying Hephaestus in this god-given mandate were Kratos and Bia, representing Power and force respectively. After Prometheus is chained in the gorge, he laments about the excessive punishment that Zeus has commanded for him. The Oceanids, the daughters of the Oceanus, the sea God, arrives and start consoling Prometheus. Shortly, Oceanus arrives and offers to go to Zeus to plead with him so as to forgive Prometheus for the rebellion. But Prometheus warned Oceanus that such an action would make Zeus wrath to turn to him, Oceanus. Towards the end of the play, Zeus strikes Prometheus with terrible sufferings, organ devouring eagle that perpetually devours his regenerating liver. In this play, Prometheus is the personification of reason and justice/truth; Prometheus defies the unjust mistreatment of human beings and fights for the common good of human beings. In the process he is cruelly punished by the cruel and tyrannical Zeus. In the face of the power of Zeus, Prometheus is utterly powerless. This fact shows that in the face of tyrannical power, reason is helpless. But despite the cruel punishment, Prometheus did not give up, but continued fighting for the good of human beings. In this play, language is used skilfully to develop the theme of the play. To begin with, in asking Hephaestus to execute his god given mandate to bind Prometheus, Kratos describes Prometheus as a malefactor. As a faithful servant of Zeus, Kratos used this strong term to show the seriousness of Prometheus crime; according to Zeus, Prometheus crime was a very serious crime. Kratos also describes Prometheus as a traitor, this also emphasises the seriousness of Prometheus crime according to the god Zeus. In describing his sufferings after he was bound to the gorge,

Information System Analysis On Hdfc Bank

Information System Analysis On Hdfc Bank As part of the RBIs liberalization of the Indian Banking Sector in 1994, The Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited received an in principle approval to set up a bank in the private sector. The bank was registered as HDFC Bank Limited, in August 1994 at Mumbai, India. HDFC Bank commenced its operations as a Scheduled Commercial Bank in January 1995. HDFC is one of the Indias premier housing finance company and it experiences an impeccable track record in Indian market as well as internationally. overview HDFC Bank provides a wide range of financial products, assistance and services to its more than 18 million customers across various hundreds of cities in India using multiple distribution channels including ATMs, phone banking, mobile banking and net banking. HDFC Bank is a dynamic bank, with a young and zealous team determined to achieve the vision of becoming a world-class Indian bank. The business philosophy is primarily based on four core values Customer Centred, Operational Excellence, Product Leadership and People. With the belief that the ultimate identity and success of the bank will reside in the exceptional quality of our people and their extraordinary efforts, the bank is proving to do exceptionally well. As on the year ended March 31, 2010, the Bank had a total income of Rs. 19,980.5 crores and net profit of Rs. 2,948.7 crores as against Rs. 19,622.9 crores and Rs. 2,245.0 crores respectively in the previous year signifies the growth and scope of the bank.The bank has three principal business sectors: 1.retail banking, 2.wholesale banking and 3.treasury operations. vision and mission HDFC Banks mission is to be a World Class Indian Bank, maintaining high standard against international standards, putting forward best practices in terms of product offerings, service levels, technology, audit compliance and risk management. The main objective is to continue building excellent customer franchises all across distinct businesses so as to be the best provider for target retail and wholesale customer segments, which will result in healthy profits, consistent with the Banks risk appetite. HDFC Bank is dedicated to do these while also ensuring the upmost levels of ethical standards, integrity and regulatory compliance. Business strategy: Increase the market share in Indias banking and financial services sector by a disciplined growth strategy aiming at balancing quality and growth in profitability. Enhance its technology and open saleable systems in order to deliver increased number of products to increased number of customers and to hold operating costs; Maintain high standards through credit risk management; Develop more and more innovative products and services that attract its targeted audience and address inefficiencies in the Indian market; Develop products and adapt to services that reduce its cost of funds; Aim at healthy earnings growth in financial segment with low volatility. Infrastructure and Operations Profile HDFC Bank was incorporated in August 1994, and, currently has an nationwide network consisting of 1725 Branches and 4232 ATMs in 779 Indian towns and cities. Refer figure 1. HDFC Bank in India operates on the following basic segments: Personal Banking: Includes all financial deals between a commercial bank and an individual. Wholesale Banking: Includes all sorts of financial dealings within Corporates, medium and small Enterprises, Financial Institutions and Trusts as well as the Government Sector. NRI Banking Includes personal banking relations with the Non Resident Indians. HDFC Bank has been recognized, felicitated and awarded by a number of organisations. MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM The Banking sector is pretty much used to the concept and implementation of Management Information System since decades. Earlier during the start of 1980s the term MIS was used for the mainly making reports and to analyze the data.. This was then send to Top management, and decision were taken by them accordingly. Management of Information system is really benefitial during taking decisions and is a collected result of both- Data mining and Data Warehousing. Refer figure 2 for benefits of MIS. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ARCHITECTURE: Hub And Spoke Architecture The head quarter of HDFC is located in Mumbai. It has a network based IP which is centralized and the branches are spread across the nation and is connected to the main data centre at Chandvilli in Mumbai. Maharashtra. Network: A regional hub is defined such that the branches are categorized under different regions each having its regional hub. At the main region, the different branches coming under a single location are connected to the hub. These are then further connected to the central data centre using pipes having bandwidth of either 2 Mbps or 64 Kbps.There are two hubs instead of one. In a matter of years to come, HDFC Bank has decided to put connections with the feature of built-in redundancy in the network itself. Like, Madras could be connected to Bangalore and Kolkata, with all three of them being connected to Chandivili. Therefore, if the Kolkata-Chandivili link fails, then Kolkata will use the Madras link to connect to the Chandivili data center. VSAT solutions is used for networking. Servers The bank uses SCO Unix and MicroBanker from i-flex solution. With an increase on number of Banks branches, it became necessary to consider Unix/RISC operating systems instead of an Intel Unix platform, and thus the bank selected the Sun platform. Presently the bank is running its application on a Sun platform. As there was a rise in the volume of transactions, the total number of branches as well as the number of users has resulted in up-gradation of the hardware platform also.The database used is DAS and network SAN. Banking applications The software used by the bank for corporate and retail banking are different. The reason for this is that there was no package which could cater to both the domains. For the corporate sector HDFC Bank used MicroBanker after Flexcube. The Flexcube UBS uses a Compaq Alpha box-GS160. It also uses SAN solutions from Hitachi Data Systems. For the retail sector, the bank uses an offering from i-flex solutions : Finware. There were no issues faced by the bank regarding migration as the products they used were easily upgradeable and were usually supplied by the same set of vendors. The vendors also ensured that the programs that they were supplying had the feature that could conveniently help in migration or upgradation. Storage The bank currently using SAN technology, but they may have to consider NAS technology in the future. This calls for huge investment as various areas such as backup, disaster recovery need to be addressed. The bank has to store data according to the RBI guidelines for seven years, and as it is not necessary to store the data on the net-the bank uses tapes for off-line storage of data. The bank anticipates storage costs to decrease, and bulk purchases would be economical. Disaster Recovery setup The approach is that is needed to protect our data first as the basis for a business continuity plan. The disaster recovery site of the bank is located in Chennai. The data which is tored at the main site is also replicated in real-time online at the site in Chennai as well. Servers store the data at the site of DR and constant replenishment takes place. Incase of any disaster , the data is replicated and is available to use. Hence , both the bank and the customer have a feeling of security. BANK : HDFC BANK Vendor NCR: To provide Cheque Clearing solutions to cheque clearing operations department About NCR: (Refer figure 3) NCR is one of the prime leading vendor of payment and image processing solutions. Its core objective is to assist the financial institutes and companies to deliver products incorporating innovation in the constantly changing scenario of payments. The solution enables transaction with references to items to be captured digitally centralized or distributed to ATMs, branches, processed, archived and exchanged. These solutions are built with intensive knowledge and consulting and analysis by experts, integrated with a full range of high quality imaging transports and ATMs, and supported by a wide range of global customer services.. Other solutions included are like the cheque image processing, image storage and the retrieval, cheque and document imaging software etc. CHEQUE CLEARING PROCESS (INDIA): (Refer figure 4 and 5) The advent of the clearing process takes place with the cheque being deposited in the bank/branch from where it is drawn. The delivery of the cheque takes place to the specific branch or bank. Then the cheque is sent for payment if there are funds available and if the banker is convinced that it is genuine. In case if the cheques are left unpaid, they are returned to the present bank through another clearing which is known as Return Clearing. Signature Verification System (SVS): Refer Figure 6 The Signature Verification System further strengthens the entire process of verification by complete electrification of the whole process. By taking the image of the signature cards, the operators now can have direct access to the stored image of the cheque as well as signature card ,during the time of verifying cheques. The end result is that the entire process of cheque signature verification is carried out at a faster rate, also being more accurate as well as cost-effective compared to that of any other manual process. CONCLUSION: A management information system is a process which necessitates the manager with the information required to manage an organization efficiently and effectively. MIS is considered an essential component of effective and reasonable business decisions. The report concludes that Management Information System is par beneficial to the Banks for its transaction. We have seen the cheque Clearing Process and the involvement of IT for the same.IT contribution to banking Sector has really facilitated fast communication and real time networking. The Signature Verification System ensure the security and thus maintains the faith of the customer. Thus, the degree of customer satisfaction is enhanced. Comment on the HDFC Bank HDFC Bank has done exceptionally well considering its enthusiasm in MIS. Along with NCR it has received many award for preforming excellent. IT has been falicitated with the Multi-Channel Capability award for using the NCR APTRA eMarketing solution by NCR. IT facilitated the customers; communication via email,mobile services etc. It has also received the best ATM Installation and Management Solution award for HDFC Bank adapting to the NCR APTRA eMarketing solution to enhance customer service, reduce ATM transaction times and operating costs, and increase new revenue channels through its ATM network. Thus, establishing such IT infrastructure has reduced cost of paper for letters and faster access to the services available. It has also enhanced the customer experience. But, a lot more can be done on security which can again expand the applications for the customers and will built a sense of trust for the same. REFERENCES 1. www.hdfcbank.com 2. www.scribd.com 3. www.ncr.com 4. www.banktech.com 5. www.rbi.org.in 6. wiki.answer.com

Kingdoms of medieval civilization

The fall of Rome and the rise of Germanic kingdoms marked the end of ancient times and the beginning of the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages, the center of European culture shifted from the lands around the Mediterranean Sea to regions that had barely been touched by Greco-Roman civilization. A new civilization, medieval civilization, took shape during the early Middle ages (A.D. 500-1050). There were few strong rulers or governments in this period, and a political system grew up in which power was divided among many local lords (Perry, 1988,). By the fifth century, Germanic peoples had established kingdoms in Italy, Spain, Gaul, and England. These lands formerly belong to Rome (Crofton, 1994, 254).   At its height, the Roman Empire had been a world of cities with a rich culture. By the end of the Empire, many towns were abandoned as people fled to country estates. The center of political, social, and economic life shifted from city to countryside. Since the Germanic invaders were rural people, they did not try to revive the old cultural centers or build new ones of their own.   The decline of Roman rule left the western and central Europe disorganized. A new medieval style of government appeared in the kingdom of the Franks. A Germanic people, the Franks had migrated westward from their homeland in the valley of the Rhine River. As Rome’s border defenses weakened in the fourth and fifth centuries, Frankish tribes settled in Roman territory. About 481 a Frankish ruler named Clovis united the various Frankish tribes and conquered the Romans and other Germans in northern Gaul. In 768, Charlemagne became king of the Franks. Charlemagne was an extraordinary figure in medieval history. Charlemagne expanded his kingdom by conquering the Lombard kingdom in Italy and taking part of northern Spain from the Muslims. He added Bavaria (in what is now Germany) to his kingdom and after terrible wars forced the Germanic Saxons to submit to his rule and convert to Christianity. Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of Rome in 800 which indicated that the Roman idea of strong centralized government had not died. Charlemagne’s empire did not, however, have Roman law or political organization. Moreover, it had no great cities that could serve as centers of trade and learning. What Charlemagne did however, was to blend Germanic, Christian and Roman elements that came to characterize the civilization of the Middle Ages (Perry, 1988, 141-143). The kingdom of Charlemagne break apart after his death and divided Europe which was then   threatened with invasions from the Viking raiders ( Vikings are the ancestors of the Swedes, Norwegians and Danes of today) from the north ,   the Magyars from Central Asia , and the Muslims. The terrible invasions went on until early in the tenth century and had terrible consequences for Western Europe. Like the earlier Germanic invasions, they weakened central authority, disrupted trade, hurt agriculture, and left settlements and monasteries in ruins. Few kingdoms had the capacity to protect its own people so that people no longer look to a central ruler for security. They turned instead to local lords who had their own armies. As a result, western Europe had entered an age in which lords, not kings, held political power. In fact, kings at that that time were regarded only as chief feudal lord. Living in age of warfare and disorder, lords sought allies among their fellow nobles. The basis for these alliances was the lords’ land. In exchange for military assistance and other services, one lord granted land called a fief to another noble. The system of relationships that grew out of this granting of fiefs was called feudalism. It became the main political arrangement in Europe after the breakup of Charlemagne’s empire in the ninth century. In some ways, feudalism grew out of the traditions of the Germanic tribes. Feudal law included many elements of Germanic law and feudal attitudes reflected Germanic respect for the warrior (Perry, 1988,144-145 ). Because they lived in violent times feudal lords built homes designed to serve as fortresses .The first castle was built in the ninth century at the time of the Viking raids.   These castles were encircled by massive walls and strong guard towers.   Sometimes, feudal lords would fight against each other for supremacy (Crofton, 1994, 265). It is obvious therefore, that because of the disorder of territories brought about by the fall of Roman Empire, the Germanic kingdoms flourished,   which combined the Germanic, Roman and Christian elements that characterized the western kingdoms of the medieval civilization. And as invasions plaqued the west from all quarters, small self-protecting feudal kingdoms governed by nobles or lords was established. References Crofton, Ian (e d). (1994). The Guinness Compact Encyclopedia. London: Guinness Publishing Limited Perry, Marvin. (1988). A World in History. New York: Houghton-Mifflin, Inc.         

A Journey from HRM to SHRM Essay

The radical change taking place in the workplace and the work force has led to the dramatic evolution of traditional human resource management to strategic human resource management. The days of the strictly administrative human resource function are over. HR management must now be considered a critical strategic partner and must contribute to the overall objectives of the company. Strategic HR management is characterized by focusing more on strategic rather than operational issues. However, the administrative work must still be done efficiently. Strategic HR management involves making the function of managing people the most important priority in the organization, and integrating all human resource programs and policies within the framework of a company’s strategy. Strategic HR management recognizes that all decisions on finance, marketing, operations or technology are made by an organization’s people. Strategic HR management involves the development of a consistent, aligned collection of practices, programs, and policies to facilitate the achievement of the organization’s objectives. It considers the implications of corporate strategy for all HR systems within an organization by translating company objectives into specific people management systems. The most important consideration of strategic HR management is that there is no one best way to manage people. Therefore, the specific approach and processes will vary from organization to organization. It may even vary in an organization with clearly defined business units or functional areas. However, all HR programs and policies must be consistent and must therefore be integrated within a larger framework, leading to the facilitation of the organization’s vision and its objectives. Human resource management has been traditionally defined as the set of philosophies, processes and procedures a firm uses for the following four basic tasks: †¢ Managing the entry and exit process. The HR function has normally been responsible for recruiting people the organization would need in the future. Therefore, manpower forecasts are made and a corresponding plan is made. HR managers have also been involved in the exit or separation process. This is normally done by retirement or by having the employee fired. †¢ Managing the growth and development process. There are traditional HR tasks such as orientation or socialization, training and development, and performance appraisal. Processes are also designed so that employees understand the overall scope and direction of the organization. †¢ Managing the reward and recognition process. Rewards come through the administration of compensation and benefits, and recognition comes in the form of promotion, job assignments and rotation. However, the process of rewards and recognition includes the countermeasures of demotions and disciplinary action. Performance appraisal is also a critical input into the reward and recognition system. †¢ Managing the overall organization climate. In the highly competitive and rapidly changing business environment of today, it is necessary to foster a climate that challenges employees to better levels of performance. Of course, the organizational climate is not a variable to be managed or designed. However, it is necessary for all the organization’s processes and procedures, from its compliance with the law to its new strategic initiatives, to be aligned. In the shift from traditional HR to strategic HR, there are a number of issues which HR practitioners must contend with. The first is whether the main responsibility for people management programs should rest with staff specialists in the corporate HR department or with the line managers who are the ones most in contact with the workers. Traditional HR assumes the role of handling transactions as they arise. These may involve compliance with changing laws, rectifying problems between supervisors and subordinates, recruiting and screening applicants for current needs and basically responding to events after these happen. Strategic HR is much more transformational and realizes that the success for any initiative form growth, adaptation, or change within the organization are dependent upon the employees who utilize any change in technology or produce any changes in the organization’s product or service. HR, therefore, plays a transformational role by assisting the organization in identifying and meeting the larger challenges it faces in its external environment by ensuring that the internal mechanisms that facilitate change are in place. Traditional HR departments must, therefore, rethink, redefine and re-evaluate their roles. HR managers must learn to operate their departments more like a business. Businesses must have clear strategies, outcomes, products, services and structures to attain specific objectives which are aligned to the corporate objectives. HR practitioners must answer the following questions: †¢What is the HR strategy? Strategy defines how a business positions itself and allocates resources to products to deliver value to customers. An HR strategy articulates the purposes of HR within the firm, the deliverables or outcomes from HR work, and the services delivered by the HR department. †¢What are the products or services of HR? Many typologies of HR work exist to describe types of HR processes. The new HR typologies will identify new HR products or services required to meet changing business needs. Many of these new products will ensure the flow of intellectual capital and knowledge within a firm, while others will ensure the development of a new generation of leaders within a firm. †¢How should HR be organized to ensure that the strategy is executed? Increasingly, organizations are being defined less by structure and more by how capabilities are acquired and developed. The tremendous growth of outsourcing is clear evidence of this development. As HR functions articulate clear strategies, products or services, they identify the organizational choices that ensure that capabilities, even across organizational boundaries, meet strategic goals. It is clear that human resource management must operate strategically. The central idea behind strategic HR management is that all initiatives involving how people are managed need to be aligned with and in support of the organization’s overall strategy. No organization can expect to be successful if it has people management systems that are at odds with its vision. As a prerequisite for understanding how to strategically manage human resources, it is necessary to understand the process of strategic management.