Budget for Foster Adoption Center Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Budget for Foster Adoption Center - Assignment Example The assignment "Budget for Foster Adoption Center" is based on the tabulated budget. Justification of the funds allocated in each budget section can be summarized as follows; direct costs, which represent, costs incurred in the performance of the project and for this intention be granted reasonable and allowable amount. With the sole responsibility of ensuring the smooth daily running of the program, direct cost is justified to attract an allocation of 144,300$ of the total monthly allocation of 209,600$. Direct costs comprise of expenditure groups such as salaries, consultants’ fees, and employees’ benefits. For example, under salaries, the executive had the biggest share of 25,000$ because of the nature of the job in terms of responsibilities to be undertaken. For the case of social workers, their salaries amount to 50,000$ with an explanation based on the calculation rate of 5 workers with a salary of 5,000$ each. Based on this, they are justified to attractive packa ges or salaries to boost their morale and make them reach the set target as per the program objectives and aims of the organization. Consultation fees attracted 8,000$. This is paid to individuals not employed by the organization and therefore the number days will be put in consideration. This amount supported by the fact that, there are always additional costs such as travel and per diem included. According to Nice (2002), indirect cost or administrative costs are not usually specific but will still be considered as costs in the long run.

Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana Essay Example for Free

Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana Essay Late Monday morning on August 29, 2005 a little more than 4 hours after Katrina slammed into New Orleans, and just hours after arriving in Baton Rouge, FEMA director and Bush the Younger’s childhood friend Michael Brown conducted a video conference briefing with the President who sat and listened quietly in Crawford Texas. Brown emphatically relayed to Bush, â€Å"This is, to put it mildly, the big one, I think. † Then Brown voiced his fear that â€Å"the government might not have the capacity to respond to a catastrophe within a catastrophe† The Superdome, he said was not equipped to be â€Å"a refuge of last resort. † The President asked no questions (A. P. 2006). Although Brown did a fairly decent job of trying to convey the potentially devastating nature of what was occurring, the real problem was that Brown had not been on the ground in Louisiana long enough to accurately understand the true impact of the storm (Brinkley 2006). By the time that he would come to realize that his lack of experience was simply no match for the enormity of this disaster, it may have been too late. The storm would ultimately leave 1,322 people dead, and 2,300 people missing in its wake (A. P. 2006). Two years later, in the autumn of 2007, FEMA and Michael Brown would be called upon again. First water and now fire had come to claim the day. What a difference a disaster would make. In the early afternoon of Tuesday October 23, 2007, at the Southwest D. C. offices of the Federal Emergency Management Administration, FEMA Deputy Administrator Admiral Harvey E. Johnson stepped up to a podium. He was there to give the national media a 1PM press briefing on the California wild fires that were currently raging throughout a large swath of land and threatening homes from Santa Barbra County to the US-Mexican border. The fires had been raging for three days. In time, they would force the largest civilian evacuation in the United States’ history, as one million residents of seven California counties were force to leave their homes. While the camera feeds fed the press conference to Fox News and MSNBC along with a few other news agencies, Johnson began fielding questions of a common variety. Someone wanted to know about the traffic of commodities coming into California. Another person asked how FEMA would deal with people who refused to evacuate. Then another person asked the Deputy Administrator â€Å"Are you happy with FEMA’s response so far? † And yet another one asked â€Å"Are there any lessons to be learned from Katrina? † â€Å"I am very happy with FEMA’s response so far, Johnson said [it’s a] very smoothly, very efficiently performing team †¦ And so I think what you’re really seeing here is the benefit of experience, the benefit of good leadership and the benefit of good partnership, none of which were present in Katrina. † (Kamen 2007) Johnson spoke like a true professional, answering all of their questions with a unique sense of cordiality. However, this was precisely because none of these people asking the questions were actually reporters at all. This was a staged event! It was not real! Due to fact that the Deputy Administrator’s office had botched the scheduling of this event, and ‘real’ pool reporters were only afforded a 15 minutes notice, none of them were able to show up. The FEMA staff decided to ‘fake a move’ (Ibid). Thus, while the cameras that were hooked up to their dedicated feeds were rolling in earnest, this was all a lie. Two day later, the gig was up! This ill-conceived stunt gained a staring role in the next few news cycles, which only served to bring back the haunting memories of the striking ineptness displayed by FEMA during the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. This immediately prompted Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff to comment, â€Å"I think it was one of the dumbest and most inappropriate things I’ve seen since I’ve been in government† (MSNBC 2007). White House Press Secretary Dana Perino was a bit more subdued in her criticism, â€Å"It is not a practice that we would employ here at the White House or that we we certainly don’t condone it† (Ibid). However, this was about as far as the analogies and the memories would be allowed to go. Twenty-four hours before Katrina made landfall, a FEMA executive in Denton Texas turned down a ‘Red High Priority’ plea for 300 Rubber Boats from the Louisiana Department of Wild Life and Fishing. The official simply scrawled â€Å"REQUEST DENIED† across the top of the document (Brinkley 2006). FEMA also turned down a U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service offer to save the lives of people who may have been stranded in Orleans, St. Bernard, and St. Tammany parishes. Furthermore, from his community in West Palm Beach Florida, Representative Mark Foley offered airplanes that were ‘on the ready’ to evacuate victims. So too, he was turned down as well. So it went with a host of reports stating that FEMA seemed strangely ambivalent to any kind of aid for Katrina victims (Ibid). Five months later, the Senate Homeland Security Committee which oversees the Department of Homeland Security of which FEMA is a part, released over 800,000 pages of memos, emails, strategy plans, and intradepartmental correspondence. These now public documents tell the shocking story of a government agency rife with ineptness. That Sunday before the storm, the U. S Department of the Interior offered substantial material aid of the sort that would naturally be needed in any disaster of this kind. They were also turned down. Senate Homeland Security Chairwoman Senator Susan Collins (R-Main) bristled at these findings, â€Å"That is incredible to me† she said (Ibid). No one seemed to understand why FEMA would turn down aid with a catastrophe of this magnitude, especially when it was being offered from a number of its own peer agencies. Even more riveting was the slew of reports that the U. S. government was refusing the massive amounts of aid offered from capitals around the world. From millions of dollars from citizens and governments in Europe, to barrels of oil from Venezuela; and 1600 disaster trained physicians from Cuba; the snubbing of this aid was mind-boggling (Ibid). What’s more, rumors continue to abound even until this day, after more than three years, of shocking scenes of official neglect that existed in New Orleans during those horror-filled hours in the immediate aftermath of Katrina. Stories of widespread police brutality and even White vigilantes ‘hunting down Blackfolk’, have become just one part of an International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita which has aimed the majority of its widespread enmity towards FEMA (Langley 2007). The tornadoes of despair have not ceased for the victims of Katrina, and the heartache still abounds as well. Twenty-six months later, after wildfires went wild in California, FEMA Administrator David Paulison stepped forward immediately to tell the American People, â€Å"The safety of the firefighters, individuals and families in the impacted areas is of utmost concern. † (FEMA 2007). Contrary to the widespread sense of government disregard that many felt in response to Katrina, the victims of the California Wildfires were immediately afforded a sense of assurance that FEMA was working with the highest sense of urgency on their behalf. Victims of this disaster were instantly promised that this would not be a â€Å"repeat of Katrina† (Philbin 2007). So it was, that with amazing efficiency, within hours FEMA had approved grants that allowed the state of California to recoup as much as 75% of the cost of fighting the wildfires. They had a joint field office open within 48 hours. FEMA’s regional office in California also stayed open 24/7, and coordinated its efforts with state, local, and federal agencies, including the Department of the Interior, D. O. T, the Army Corps of Engineers, Health and Human Services, and the U. S. Forest Service (EKU October 24, 2007). FEMA put its resources on full blast for the residents of Southern California, opening shelters, handing out blankets, food and water. From Katrina in August of 2005 to the California Wildfires of 2007 it was as if we were watching a Tale of Two Cities. One can only hope that FEMA keeps itself together and that tragedies coupled with that kind of governmental ineptitude never happen again. References Associated Press (March 1, 2006) (Video File) Washingtonpost. com Katrina: the warnings bush received. Retrieved from http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp- dyn/content//video/2006/03/01/V12006030101864 html Brinkley, Douglas The great deluge: Hurricane katrina, new orleans, and the mississippi gulf coast. Harper Collins 2006 334-335, 250 CNN (Tuesday October 23, 2007) Lessons from Katrina being applied to fire response. Updated 8:29 PM Retrieved from htt://www. cnn. com/2007/POLITICS/10/fire. fema/index. html EKU Fire Chief (website) (Oct 24, 2007) FEMA responds to california wildfires. Retrieved from http://firechief. com/leadership/incident- command/Fema_wildfire_10242007/ FEMA (October 24, 2007) Contingency Planning and Management Federal emergency management agency coordinating national response to California wildfires. Retrieved from http://www. contingencyplanning. com/articles/52388/ Kamen, A (October 26, 2007) Washington Post FEMA meets the press: Which happens to be†¦ fema. p. A19 Langley, D (July 22, 2007) Worker’s World Katrina-Rita tribunal to focus on u. s. crimes Retrieved from http://www. workers. org/2007/us/katrina-rita-0726/ MSNBC (Saturday October 27, 2007) Chertoff blast FEMA’s faux press conference. Calls agency’s use of fake reporters ‘one of the dumbest’ things he’s seen. Updated 7:21 PM. [Retrieved At:] http://www. msnbc. com/id21490838/ Philbin, P (October 24, 2007) (transcript) California wildfires: fema responds. Agency vows aggressive effort on wildfires. Washington Post. com. External Affairs Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency. [Retrieved At:] http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp- dyn/content/discussion/2007/10/24/DI2007102400890. html

Inanna: Goddess Of Heavon And Earth :: essays research papers

When one gains power they sometime change the person they were because they love the feeling of supremacy and control they receive. Inanna, also known as Ishtar, came to the mighty warrior, â€Å"her brother† , Gilgamesh two times, in two different stories, each time looking for something that he possessed. However, this goddess, of Heaven and Earth, was depicted as two different figures when she asked for the mighty Gilgamesh’s assistance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first encounter with Gilgamesh shows Inanna as a girl who cannot overcome her inner fears, and is begging for the assistance of this mighty ruler. She cried, â€Å"O Gilgamesh, in the days when the fates were decreed†¦ they (the animals) would not leave my tree.† It also depicts Inanna as a somewhat timid person who is afraid to fight these mighty creatures with her own knowledge and fortitude. The conquering of her fears symbolizes Inanna coming out of the shadows of girlhood; moreover, this foreshadows the needs that must be met as a woman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Inanna, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, has been a woman for many years and is no longer vulnerable and innocent like she was in their first encounter. She now is looking for a husband whom will fulfill her desires as a woman, â€Å"Come to me Gilgamesh, and be my bridegroom; grant me the seed of your body†¦Ã¢â‚¬  When Gilgamesh does not obey her plea, she believes he must pay; moreover, this leads to the death of his beloved companion Enkidu.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The depiction of the goddess, in the second confrontation, is completely different from the one we saw when she was crying for courage. Inanna is no longer the girl who was afraid of the serpent, Anzu bird, and the Lilith; but instead, she is a woman who knows what she wants and if it is not given to her, she will take matters into her own hands. This turn from vulnerable to possessive was in direct correlation to the power in which she received when Gilgamesh conquered her fears. Though the goddess didn’t change her physical form, her needs certainly did. The first time Gilgamesh and Inanna met, she was young and did not have the power of the me.

Cause and Effect of Sleep deprivation Essay

I am a firm believer that many factors such as our culture, our upbringing, and beliefs that we were introduced to all affects what we do, how we live and even what we eat! People in China, Vietnam and Switzerland have been known to eat dogs for thousands of year, some as a source of survival during war and famine while others eat it as a cuisine meaning it is a part of their regular diet! I’ve even read somewhere that people in China have been known to say that a huge reason they consume dog meat is to keep them warm in the harsh winters! Have they heard of a jacket and hot coco? They don’t see it any different from eating cows and pigs, but someone like me thinks that is disgusting! I see people all the time whose treat their dog as their best friend, I’ve heard that when you begin to grow attached to your dog you soon see them as people. I could never imagine it being okay to eat a dog! Functionalism has a lot to do with this also when you come to think of it. This tradition has been the norm in these places for years! It wasn’t until recently that proposed laws have been presented to implement a law that bans the eating of cats and dogs. Americans are truly the people of the land of the free and are strong believers that a dog is a mans best friend, in my opinion. Beating, not feeding, and mistreating dogs are all violations of the law, neglect, and animal abuse! I could not even imagine hearing a story of someone eating one! It is common knowledge here that dogs are like people and should be treated as such and so they are not put on a dinner plate, at least the way I view things. I strongly feel that our individual believes and knowledge is the reason we eat what we eat, they are culturally relative in more ways that one. This definitely is a beautiful thing as everyone can be their own person and act how they feel but this causes cultural diversity conflict all the time! Take this scenario for instance; two people are meeting for a blind date and obviously know nothing about one another. It becomes time to order and the woman is disgusted by the menu because everything is meat and fat of the meat from some type of animal, see, she’s vegetarian. The woman loves animals and does not believe in eating them and this sparks a conversation. Do you think it’s a good one as her date has already ordered the number four, which is the half slab of baby back ribs with chicken shish kabobs, and a side of pork rings? I can imagine that she stormed out of there after giving him a good lecture. Though her actions are understandable they aren’t quite right. Ethnocentrism would be the perfect would to explain that situation! The woman thinks that he beliefs are the right ones and that the man is wrong for eating what he loves to eat! Ethnocentrism is when you believe that your culture, your beliefs are better than everyone else’s and only yours make sense! This is a big reason there is conflict within cultures. Instead of using cultural relativism and trying to understand others point of view or even just accepting it as their choice we fight for what we think is the right way, the only way. Interactionism helps us understand that our mind plays a role in our how what our body does including why we eat or don’t eat what we eat. I love dogs, so I would vomit at the thought of eating one. However, once again this doesn’t mean I should hate someone that eats it as a dish at home. Being open and understanding can truly help because just as the conflict theory states that there is a power struggle between cultures, these cultures have the power to become knowledgeable of one another and ultimately obtain culture relativism.

Feral Children- Danielle Crockett Essay

Feral children are individuals who have lived isolated from human contact at a very young age, and has lived without human care, love, or social behavior. Danielle Crockett was a feral child rescued from from her abusive Florida home on July 13, 2005 by Plant City police officers responding to a child abuse report. Danielle was 7 when she was found and weighed a shocking 46 pounds. The first report of a young girl living in the rundown rental home was from a neighbor seeing the thin face of Danielle appear briefly in her bedroom window. At the time of her rescue she was under the care of her mother Michelle Crockett and Michelle’s two grown up sons. Feral children, including Danielle Crockett, are not treated with love or affection at a very young age, depriving them of essential development years. The circumstances of Danielle Crocket’s upbringing were highly unusual, isolated, abusive, and tragic. Danielle was confined to her small bedroom, which was not in any way su itable for a child. The walls and floor of the room were smeared with her feces, including animal feces as well. Danielle was not clothed, was surrounded by used diapers, and was left alone in her room day and night. She was malnourished, incapable of speech, and unable to walk. Although Danielle was born a perfectly healthy baby, she developed what was classified as environmental autism from no one ever caring for her beyond the extremely basic needs to maintain survival. It was determined that Danielle was rarely spoken to or interacted with, and was left alone in her room with nothing to occupy her. After her rescue and rehabilitation in a hospital, Danielle was still incapable of speech and basic skills but was put through foster care. After two years of moving from homes Bernie and Diane Lierow adopted Danielle in 2007. Today, now known as Dani, she is living with her new loving parents and older brother as she learns the basic skills that she was never taught as a child. Danie lle is enrolled in speech, physical, and occupational therapy, as well as horse back riding to compensate for her lost years. She now knows a vocabulary of some basic words, responds to her name, can chew her own food, swim, show affection, and has progressed in ways no one dreamed possible when she was first found. Danielle’s initial upbringing was unnaturally cruel, unfair, and abusive, however her family today has helped her grow and is essential to her development and happiness. Unfortunately Danielle Crockett is not the only reported feral child case, and there are many reported and unknown circumstances as well. Genie the wild child is an example of a child isolated and abused at a young age. Similar to Danielle, Genie was confined to a room and neglected as a young girl, however unlike Danielle, Genie was strapped down to a potty chair for 10 years. Both girls were malnourished, neglected, and not shown any kindness for an extensive period of time. In contrast to the undetermined theory of physical abuse towards Danielle, Genie was beaten by her father whenever she made noise or uttered the few words she knew such as â€Å"no† â€Å"stop it† and â€Å"no more†. The difference between the cases of the two girls is somewhat apparent in the intent of their caregiv ers. Danielle’s mother Michelle insisted that she did â€Å"the very best she could† and felt a sense of loss when her daughter was taken from her. However, Genie’s father decided that his daughter was â€Å"retarded† and that she needed to be held captive, beaten, yelled at, and not shown affection. Similarly feral children, including Genie and Danielle, receive the punishment of neglect that they do not deserve and grow up deprived of basic social skills. Society can go about the difficult task of socializing the victims of abnormal socialization in isolated children in many ways. First and foremost, it is important to show the recovering children love, patience, and kindness in a healthy, happy, and calming environment to help them move on from the traumas they may have experienced as a feral child. It is common for isolated children to lack social, speech, and physical skills, therefore there being an importance on teaching them these basic skills as they grow and develop. Feral children are commonly as advanced as young children when found and benefit from treatments such as speech therapy. The process of recovering isolated children are lengthy and at times extremely difficult, but it is important to show them love and kindness in order for them to have a chance at being comfortable and happy. Danielle Crockett lived an unfair and cruel childhood. She did not deserve the neglect she received, and her mother did a terrible job of looking after her. Danielle was a perfectly healthy baby who could’ve turned out to be a fully functioning teenager today if it wasn’t for the abusive circumstance of her upbringing. However, the chances of Danielle being adopted by the loving parents that she now has were highly unlikely, and thanks to them she has progressed amazingly and has been very lucky to be found by them. Without proper socialization in the early years of life children grow up to be unable to trust, speak, and communicate with the world. It has been proven that in the first 5 years of life 85% of the brain is developed, making it the most crucial developmental period for children. Danielle, being 7 when she was found, missed out on her 5 crucial years of development and will never be as capable and developed as she could’ve been if she had experienced normal socialization at any earlier time in her life. The story of Danielle is an unfortunate and heart breaking case of a negligent parent who should’ve never had the opportunity to be near a beautiful and healthy baby.

Stevie Smiths poem Essays

Stevie Smiths poem Essays Stevie Smiths poem Essay Stevie Smiths poem Essay The poem The River God could be classed as a reflective poem due to the many sides and emotions portrayed throughout the poem by the river. This could make the reader reflect with the river while also going on a journey with the river throughout the poem. The poem is about a river which seems playful and humorous at the start of the poem but nearer the end seems lonely and spiteful due to a woman trying to leave him, which resulted in what I infer as the river drowning her, wash away the fear but really believing he was being loving and caring towards the woman. I think that the voice of the poem may be of a fictional manifestation in a river or maybe even the poet themself. To me, the poet is speaking and reflecting upon their self but also speaking out to the reader. The poem is structured in a series of lines of different lengths. In general every fourth line is longer than the earlier three. In the middle of the poem is the longest line which might make it the most important, this could also be seen as the poem building up to something until its at a pivotal point and then slowing down again. I think the poet has used this structure to make the poem on the page look like a flow of a river. I think this because there are no verses in the poem which makes its constant and consistent like the flow of a river is. The general rhyming pattern of the poem is AABBCCDD. I think the poet has chosen this rhyming pattern because it makes the poem flow more easily when it is read, which furthers the idea of a rivers flow being constant. I think that when the rhyme scheme changes are when the river bends or turns a corner. Occasionally the rhythm is jaunty and further gives across the idea of the river being playful and humorous. When the rhyme scheme changes towards the end it could be the water hitting the banking or the river is separating off into separate streams. As well as this, it could be the river coming to an ultimate stop. The main images that the poet uses are of a powerful and mighty river, As I throw them up, which could be in reference to the river drowning someone and maybe taking away their life. This also links with the title The River God as the idea of the river taking someones life is similar to that of God being the only one who gets to take away peoples lives.  The poem is dominated by a word set linked to rivers and water. These words include; pebbles,pools,fish,swimming,drown,float,bathe,weir,drowning,flow,bethed,water,deep,river bed, weed, smooth, wash and wide. I think these words have been specifically chosen to create a particular effect, drowning, this possibly shows a sinister side to the river. Also, deep makes it seem like a mighty river which again links with the title. The poet uses many repetitions in the poem. The main ones which stand out to me are the repetition of the words I and me which could show arrogance and selfishness of the river. As well as this there is repetition of the word old which is used to get across to the reader that the river is old and this could add to the idea of the river being lonely as old and lonely are words that are often associated to one another. There repetition of the words drown and drowning show the spiteful side to the river. Other poetic techniques that the poet uses could be alliteration, fish floats. The repetition of the f sound which makes the poem flow could be inferred as sounding like water. There is a mixture of tenses throughout the poem. It starts of in present tense towards the start but begins to turn into past tense, bathed in me, in the middle when the river is telling a story. Towards the end it begins to turn into present tense once again. The mixture of tenses show that the poem is a reflective poem.  The use of caesura in the poem shows the reader how the poem should be read. There a two lines in the poem that begin with a single word followed by a full stop. These words are Go and Now. The use of caesura has the effect on the reader that the river is lonely and has been left before, and because the poem and the journey is coming to an end, it wants the reader to leave it then to stop anymore loss. When first reading the title The River God a peaceful and desolate river comes to mind. This could be due to the fact that the word God is associated with peacefulness while also being solitary and alone.  After having read the poem, the river to me seems playful and loving while at the same time spiteful and humorous. The river could be seen as being playful and humorous, contrary to rules, because someone who breaks rules could be doing something fun and daring. The line contrary to rules could also link with the title The River God because of the idea of God setting out rules such as the ten commandments. The river seems playful and humorous also, Hi yih, yippity-yap, merrily I flow, because it seems like it is celebrating or cheering about something due to the non-standard English.  The river also seems loving and caring, To be my beautiful dear, through the use of vocabulary.  Throughout the poem there are many references to God and religion. For example, in line 10 O I may be an old foul river the spelling of the O is like that of the spelling at the start of a prayer, which may show that the river isnt all bad. Also the word bless could be a reference and shows that the river isnt all spiteful as it bless peoples swimming. In lines 11-26 I feel sympathy for the river as it seems lonely; this is shown to me in the line So I brought her down here, To be my beautiful dear. The river also appears to be impatient to me, this is shown in the line Oh will she stay with me will she stay, this beautiful lady or will she go? Also I feel that the river doesnt know its own strength as it thinks its trying to help the woman and play with her when it seems to me like it is drowning her wash away her fear.

Coffee Shop ( Editing ) Example

Coffee Shop ( Editing ) Example Coffee Shop ( Editing ) – Essay Example COFFEE SHOP BUSINESS PLAN Presented By: Department Coffee House Business Plan Mission ment: My objective is to provide a highly customized, gourmet coffee experience to my customers in a luxurious yet aesthetically appealing vintage environment. Unique Selling Points: Air roasted coffee: The hand-picked coffee beans would be air roasted, rather than following the conventional method of drum roasting. This would ensure a superior level of taste, quality and texture, over the contemporary coffee shops. (Theroasterie.com, 2015). A complementary dessert would accompany a premium cup of coffee. Vintage Environment: The coffee shop would have an exotic environment, completed with antique style furnishings, and walls adorned with artwork. This would definitely attract the up-scale clientele. Vigorously trained, friendly and professional staff. A highly-customized coffee experience, allowing the customers to choose the intensity of flavors, the texture, the base bean, and the brewing method for their custom-blend. Market Segmentation: Our target market mainly consists of affluent professionals and white-collar workers looking for a quiet place to relax and rejuvenate themselves after a tiring day; retired personnel who want to sit back and enjoy their leisure time sipping their favorite beverage; and students who need a break from their studies or a cool place to hangout. Market Research: Coffee shops or cafes have become extremely, popular, promising and productive business option during the past few years (Bplans.co.uk, 2015). Apparently, there is strong competition in the market, with a number of established coffee franchises like Starbucks, Costa Coffee, The Coffee Bean, and many others ruling the market. However, these offer virtually similar and generic type of beverages, which bore the adventure-seeking and up-scale consumers. Our product/service business aims to fill this niche in the market by providing an unconventional and perfectly tailored coffee experience. (Marketing Donut, 2015) Location: The coffee shop will be located in a densely populated and commercialized area in New York City, surrounded by offices, apartments and educational institutions. This would highlight the stark contrast between the hustled outside environment, and the peaceful and quite environment of the coffee shop. Reference List Bplans.co.uk, (2015). Coffeehouse Sample Business Plan - Executive Summary. [online] Available at: bplans.co.uk/coffeehouse_business_plan/executive_summary_fc.cfm [Accessed 24 Jan. 2015]. Marketing Donut, (2015). Writing a business plan. [online] Available at: startupdonut.co.uk/startup/business-planning/writing-a-business-plan [Accessed 24 Jan. 2015]. Theroasterie.com, (2015). What is Air Roasted Coffee? | The Pilots Blog. [online] Available at: theroasterie.com/blog/what-is-air-roasted-coffee/ [Accessed 24 Jan. 2015].

Self-Publishing a Family Memoir

Self-Publishing a Family Memoir Self-Publishing a Family Memoir Having previously published many children's books, Malaika Rose Stanley is no stranger to publishing. Yet with Loose Connections, she attempted something completely different from her usual style of writing. Read on to know what it was like for her to  self-publish her book and go on a familiar yet new adventure.Loose Connections is my first independently published book, my first book for adults and my first non-fiction book. But I have a history of writing traditionally published books for children dating back to 1996. I had to look back and check - and I’ve completely shocked myself with the realization that I’ve been involved in this writing and publishing malarkey for twenty years!‘Write what you know’ is a well-worn authorial snippet of advice, a clichà ©. At times, I’ve taken heed but at others, I’ve totally ignored it. My motivation for Loose Connections and for all my books has been to write what I love, to write what stirs my soul ; I don't plan them so much as channel what flows through me.My sons were born in the 1980s and I started writing children’s books when I realized that the lack of diversity in children’s and young adult books had persisted from my childhood to theirs – and I wanted to do something about it. I started to write Loose Connections because I wanted to tell another invisible story - of my mother’s incarceration in a mental hospital as an unmarried mother of a mixed-race child, and of what came before and after. At first, I tried to write the story as fiction; I tried to write it without including myself so the transition to ‘creative non-fiction’ and ‘family memoir’ was a lengthy process. I have files buried on my hard-drive that are at least ten years old.Why I chose self-publishingI decided to go down the route of self-publishing partly because I am familiar with and realistic about the barriers into traditional publishing for peop le like me. I’m not a bright, young thing with a literature degree from Oxbridge or a creative writing master’s degree from East Anglia or City East, at the beginning of my writing career.I’m not seen as ‘commercially viable’ or ‘marketable’ with a blog with thousands of followers, a huge social networking platform or a reality TV fan-base. I’m more likely to be perceived as a grizzled old cynic, with a chip on my shoulder and an axe to grind.It’s not true, of course - I’m actually rather delightful, with a story to tell! Loose Connections was published at the beginning of June - and my first Amazon review says it’s a ‘†¦wonderfully moving book†¦ really well written, clear and simple but heartbreaking too.’ Also true! I decided to self-publish even though I didn't have a huge social networking platform or fan-base. The Reedsy experienceThe Reedsy marketplace was a revelation. Although there is an option to ‘shortlist’ up to five professionals, I quickly narrowed down my choice to two editors and sent them a request for a quote for a structural edit together with a synopsis and the first chapter of my book. They both responded very quickly and it was clear that they were highly skilled and experienced. I thought either would be able to do a good job so my final choice came down to cost, although I definitely struck gold with Gillian Holmes. She did a first read-through, followed up with a phone call about possibly libelous content and my overall intentions for the book, a few minor copy editing corrections and queries about continuity, proposed cuts and a couple of gaps, in tracked changes – and then a detailed restructuring proposal. Wow! Her recommendations were straightforward and simple but I clearly hadn’t been able to see the wood for the trees – excuse th e continuing lumberjack analogies – and her suggestions were spot on!How to Write a Memoir: Breathe Life into Your Story in 8 Steps Read post What were, for me, the unforeseen advantages of self-publishing have been huge: creative control of my own work, choosing my own editor and designer and yes, compared to traditional publishing, which can take months – or years – even the speed of the process from word doc manuscript to e-book download and beautifully typeset, beautifully packaged paperback book! I would definitely recommend Reedsy and the self-publishing option to any new and aspiring authors and to grizzled old cynics alike. Two months ago, I swore blind I would never do it again, but now I’m already planning my next project, an anthology.Loose Connections  is available on both  Amazon US and Amazon UK, get your copy now!Ever thought of writing a family memoir? Would you self-publish it like Malaika did? Leave your  thoughts and experiences, or any questions for Malaika, in the comments below.

The Right to Truth Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Right to Truth - Assignment Example A possible limitation and challenge to implementation of the right to truth is lack of compliance by the state agencies. For example, the ICC was established as a mechanism to implement the right to truth and many states signed and agreed to state parties. Unfortunately, some states are withdrawing from Rome Statute while others fail to provide the evidence necessary for the court to establish the truth. Overreliance on the states is also a limitation. Other rights such as the right to get impart information, right to be free from ill-treatment and torture, right to effective investigation and hearing by independent, competent and impartial tribunal rely on the right to truth. For example, in a gross human rights violation case such as enforced disappearance, extrajudicial executions, torture and other crimes enshrined in the international law victims relatives deserves to know the truth about what happened in the past (Commission on Human Rights, 41). The national human rights bodies, national criminal tribunals, commissions of inquiry, truth commissions, International Criminal Tribunals and other administrative bodies work collaboratively to define truth depending on the context. Human Rights High Commissioner recommends that these institutions critically examine the scope and content of truth. Sometimes legal proceedings determine the meaning of truth given the evidence presented and parties involved thus is such a context the jury defines the meaning of truth (Noyes, 97). Learning the truth helps the victims understand the circumstances that resulted in the violation and the people or institutions involved. With such knowledge, the victims may decide to seek an informed legal redress or forgive. Furthermore, it brings inner healing, consolation, and forgiveness from the side of the patient.  Ã‚  

Energy sources and the interchangeability of energy, propose a Essay

Energy sources and the interchangeability of energy, propose a replacement for fossil fuels (petroleum, coal, natural gas), as - Essay Example Each source has its own characteristic significance and one needs to identify its suitability based on local possibilities and circumstances (Renewable energy sources in the United States 2011). Hydropower Hydropower means using water to produce electricity. This is a clean way of producing electricity. Small and big dams both can be used to turn turbines. Hydropower is suitable where ever flowing waters from rivers are available. Currently, around 7% of the electricity in the US is produced by hydropower sources. Major hydropower projects in the US are located on the Colorado River, the Tennessee Valley. Solar Energy Sun is the most potent source of renewable energy. Efficient solar technologies can give the most viable solution to the world energy needs. Technologies to harness this particular source are advancing rapidly. In the US, summer is the most appropriate season to harness solar energy due to longer daylight hours and a high angle. California State in the US boasts several solar installations and solar energy so harnessed is clean and nonpolluting. Wind Power Wind is yet another renewable source of energy that is clean and available most part of the year. Coastal regions where wind velocity is greater than normal are most suitable for Wind turbine installations. The western part of the US is the most potential region where winds velocity is high. Wind turbines are usually installed at higher altitudes to harness continuous but less turbulent stream of winds. Currently, wind energy meets only 1 percent of the total energy needs of the country but its use has been rising rapidly. Geothermal Power Geothermal source of energy uses Earth's heat to produce electricity. Geothermal source of energy is available continually in certain regions of the US and it is based on the premise that temperature inside our earth is fairly constant throughout the year. The various technologies are in use and those can be described as geothermal heat pumps, deep reservoirs and direct-use systems. Geothermal power plants recover heat from water or steam to convert it into electricity. Heat pumps are used for heating purposes at residential and commercial buildings. Binary-cycle geothermal power plants can use water with even moderate temperatures – in the range of 38 to 149 degree centigrade; thus, it has been economical to harness this clean source of energy. Nevada, Hawaii, Utah and California in the US are known to have geothermal power plants in operations. Biomass Power Biomass or Biopower is the second largest source of energy among renewable in the US. Available biomass such as grassy or woody plants, food crops, residues from farms, organic wastes obtained from municipalities and industries are used as direct heating or to produce electricity. Since Biopower is available from plant sources, it can be produced in any part of the country. Biomass self-balances carbon release in the environment hence is nonpolluting. A Clear Case of Respons ible Stewardship and Integrity While buying fossil fuels, one is paying only for a commodity and does not compensate for environmental degradation and health damages caused to fellow citizens. Using any of the renewable sources of energy and discarding the use of fossil fuels firmly establishes that we not only respect our environment but are deeply concerned with preserving the same for our future

Comparison of the Effectiveness of India and Chinas Politics and Research Paper

Comparison of the Effectiveness of India and Chinas Politics and Economics in the last decades - Research Paper Example This paper is one of the best examples of comparison of the effectiveness of Chinese and Indian economic policies during the last decades. The reasons behind better economic performance of China are considered. During the analyzed period, The Chinese demonstrated a remarkable ability to execute on its social and economic agenda with the concerted planning of the socialist government and leveraging the competencies and entrepreneurial capabilities of the Chinese masses. In India`s case the observation is that even as the middle classes have swelled, the large parts of India remain agricultural, and that there are issues surrounding the rise of cities versus the continued reliance in agriculture of a large majority of the Indian population. This in turn has implications for the ability of India to do well financially and to lift its masses out of poverty, as well as care for its social well-being China achieved better results than India, because of some fundamental differences in the defectiveness of their executions relative to their reform strategies, some differences in governmental structures and existing constraints, and differences in underlying cultural contexts and political contexts for pushing growth. There have been profound differences in investments in fundamental social services like education, with China being better able to educate its masses than India, resulting in long-term disparities in the ability of the nations to lift its masses out of poverty and improve their economic lot.

Administrative agencies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Administrative agencies - Essay Example Examples of administrative agencies include Central Intelligence Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Federal Election Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (abbreviated SEC) is a federal agency whose primary role or responsibility is to enforce the federal securities laws and to regulate the securities industry, stock and options exchanges and other electronic securities markets in the U.S. It was created by section 4 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, commonly referred to as the 1934 Act. . The SEC also implements the Securities Act of 1933, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and other statues. Before the enactment of the SEC and other federal securities law, there existed the professed Blue Sky Laws, endorsed and enforced at the state level. They controlled the offer and sale of securities to protect the public from being defrauded. The provision varied across states, though all involved a compulsory registration of offerings and sales. Also, every US stockbroker and brokerage firm had to register. Despite their good intentions, Blue Sky Laws failed to achieve the effectiveness and efficacy that was needed. For instance as early as 1915, the Investment Bankers Association encouraged its members to make securities across state lines through the mail, thus effectively â€Å"ignoring† Blue Sky Laws. Through the Pecora Commission, hearing on abuses on interstate frauds took place. It was after that that Congress passed the Securities Act of 1933. Contrary to the Blue Sky Laws, this act regulates interstate sales of securities at the federal level. The successive Securities Exchange Act of 1934 regulates the secondary market. The main function of

Personal and Social Relationships Research Paper

Personal and Social Relationships - Research Paper Example On the other hand, there are some who find it hard to reveal the experiences they have had before to people around them. (Lerner, 1986) When it comes to making friends, what matters is whether you have the same kind of experience the other person has and also the readiness you have to share with the other person. At the same time, you should be willing to listen to their experience because he or she might be having a different experience other than yours or nearly the same. This is very important because it makes them feel that they are recognized by the person to whom he is sharing the same experience. Because of this he or, she will al, ways be willing to share with the same friend and this, in turn, strengthens your relationship. (Kling, 1996) On the other hand, it is easy to for one to lose a friend if you don’t give him time to share out what he has to with you. If a friend listens to you it is very important that you equally give him or the same attention. Friends are ve ry important because in time of need they will always be ready to stand for you before other people. Their company also proves to be very interesting when hanging out. (In Smelser, 1963) Some people may find it difficult to relate wi, the others because they have specific interests only in particular areas. It might be because that people around them don’t share similar interests. ...They normally meet and discuss certain issues which all of them tend to prioritize. Currently, the internet has greatly contributed to grouping these people with specific interests together. Regardless of place and time they can easily interact through the Sometimes at the early stages of a relationship it may feel easy and exciting but for a long-lasting relationship, both partners must be actively involved by giving their efforts in building the relationship. Building a good foundation is very important for a relationship and this involves respect between the partners as well as appreciating wh at your partner has done for you. For example, in couples, they always tend to appreciate whatever has been done for them even if it is something small. This may also mean taking into consideration what your partner says and then giving compliments. This makes either of the partners feel that he or she is valued in a relationship. (Brody, 1994). Furthermore, the partners in the relationship may try to discover what they both have in common so that whenever they are spending time both will be enjoying the same things. As much as people are not perfect any of the partners can make a mistake in a relationship and because of this, there must be an established way of apologizing for the mistake. This is important because it makes the other partner feel that you are responsible for the actions you did. Sometimes partner in a relationship may get a topic which they will never come to an agreement and on such occasions, both have to agree to disagree and continue with the relationship. (Mar inelli, 1999).

Administrative agencies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Administrative agencies - Essay Example Examples of administrative agencies include Central Intelligence Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Federal Election Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (abbreviated SEC) is a federal agency whose primary role or responsibility is to enforce the federal securities laws and to regulate the securities industry, stock and options exchanges and other electronic securities markets in the U.S. It was created by section 4 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, commonly referred to as the 1934 Act. . The SEC also implements the Securities Act of 1933, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and other statues. Before the enactment of the SEC and other federal securities law, there existed the professed Blue Sky Laws, endorsed and enforced at the state level. They controlled the offer and sale of securities to protect the public from being defrauded. The provision varied across states, though all involved a compulsory registration of offerings and sales. Also, every US stockbroker and brokerage firm had to register. Despite their good intentions, Blue Sky Laws failed to achieve the effectiveness and efficacy that was needed. For instance as early as 1915, the Investment Bankers Association encouraged its members to make securities across state lines through the mail, thus effectively â€Å"ignoring† Blue Sky Laws. Through the Pecora Commission, hearing on abuses on interstate frauds took place. It was after that that Congress passed the Securities Act of 1933. Contrary to the Blue Sky Laws, this act regulates interstate sales of securities at the federal level. The successive Securities Exchange Act of 1934 regulates the secondary market. The main function of

Early Design on the American Landscape- TOPIC- Effigy Mounds, Iowa Essay

Early Design on the American Landscape- TOPIC- Effigy Mounds, Iowa - Essay Example It has been realized that a number of these ancient landscape designs have been eroded by the time factors but, the altered cultural model has necessitated the preservation of some of these remaining historic sites. It is imperative to explore various preservation concepts that have been used over time to keep the ancient artifacts and scenic landscape to the present time. US have numerous sites of cultural heritage that is characterized by a wide range of architectural techniques. Various modes of preservation have been used to keep such historical pieces of art on land. It is equally important to establish some of the original structures that existed where a given feature currently occupy. Effigy mounts has been referred to a representation of some sort in the form of a picture or object that is easily identifiable by many. It may also mean a symbol that is used by different cultures to for the purposes of historical value or having a known significance to such community or groups of communities (Birmingham, Robert and Leslie, 66). In the modern times however, icons of places are mostly represented by beautiful architectural buildings. Though past icons such as monuments, statues and historical buildings are still recognized as icons of different places, there is a rapid change in the way icons are perceived and this has been brought about by the construction of amazing pieces of architecture. This paradigm shift has been driven by the demand for popularity and instant fame as well as for business purposes. Different regions are now in competition with one another in the construction of stunning architectural buildings. Most of Effigy Mounts features’ management is undertaken by Natural resources department of Iowa. It is just one among the many state owned tourist attraction sites in the US in co-operation with the museum agencies of the federal state. Effigy mounds are one of the greatest caretakers of various attractive sites in US. The attractive f eature is found in Iowa State; this state is one of the centers that showcase the master piece of art. The planning of this state was so planned in a way that it captures the need of the entire community at large. The location of the park is so strategic that it lies between the outskirts of the main town centre and the upcoming neighborhood. In the context of art as a perfect tool that actually symbolizes the creativity and the ultimate performance of the society, we shall consider its land mark park. The design and the infrastructural alignment in the city’s artistic work are such that administrative block being at the centre and residential environment forming an attractive settlement ring around it. About the Effigy mounts According to data from Effigy mounts, Iowa state city boasts of a well equipped schools of visual arts and monumental items where such beautiful artifacts are found. This state has various departments and these are divided into three main parts; one dea ls with filming affairs, another one repair and finally the department of artifacts. The library department is concerned with the management of the park’s arts records which they can produce at the demand or consent of the state’s authorities. There is a cultural heritage and museum department in the state which houses some of the finest artistic material in the region. Among them are some of the traditional items that were used

NaCl solutions Essay Example for Free

NaCl solutions Essay The different concentrations of NaCl solutions led to the net movement of water molecules in the samples through osmosis. The samples soaked in higher NaCl concentrations, 0. 75 M and 1 M, slightly increased in mass due to less absorption of water. Samples soaked in less NaCl concentrations, on the other hand, became bulky due to considerably high absorption of water. As discussed by Bowen (2000), water molecules flow from the solution with low solute concentration to the part with higher concentration of the solute. Thus, there was a higher net water movement towards the fruit in solutions with low NaCl concentrations than in solutions with high NaCl concentrations. Therefore, water flows in response to the differences in molarity across a samples’ membrane. When sufficient water molecules moved to equalize the NaCl concentration on both sides of the membrane, equilibrium is reached and the net flow of water ceases. The Effect of Solute Concentration on Plant Cells The process of substance’s diffusion across the cell membrane is called osmosis. Osmosis is important to plants because low water content in their cells causes withering. This happens when water moves out of the cells by osmosis. Without enough water there is little pressure inside the cells (turgor pressure) through the vacuoles, thus, the plant sags. By, watering the plant, its cells become engorged with water, giving a firmer body for the plants. The Effect of Solute Concentrations on Red Blood Cells When red blood cells were placed in distilled water, it rapidly absorbed water until it bursts (plasmolysis), hence, cloudy appearance was observed. The distilled water represented hypotonic solution, hence, its molecules moved into the cells. This is the reason why plasma, the liquid portion of our blood is made of water with dissolved salts and proteins to prevent the unnecessary gain or loss of water by our blood cells. Discussion and Conclusions Diffusion in a Solid and in a Liquid Based on the results of this experiment, the rate of diffusion of solid particles is affected by its molecular weight. Since methylene blue has a higher molecular weight than KMnO4, it diffused slowly. The medium on which the particles diffuses, also affect the rate of diffusion. Liquid medium favors diffusion more than hardly vibrating solid particles. This is the reason why KMnO4 diffuses faster in liquid medium than in agar. Moreover, the temperature which denotes kinetic energy of the particles affects the particle movement. Particles in high temperatures or with high kinetic energy, move and diffuse faster that particles in low temperature. The Effect of Solute Concentration on Plant and Animal Cells The net movement of materials in and out of the cell is affected by the concentration of the solute. Based on concentration gradient, water flows from area of low solute concentration to region of high solute concentration. Thus, when the plant cells were exposed to a solution of low solute concentration (hypotonic), water flowed into the cell. The swelling of elodea plant in distilled water is an indication of the high solute concentration in its cells. Meanwhile, the cloudy appearance of the red blood cells in distilled water indicates plasmolysis or bursting due to the excessive absorption of water. The cell membrane protected the plant cells from bursting. References All About Agar. (n. d. ). Science Buddies. Org. Retrieved October 30, 2008, from http://www.sciencebuddies. org/mentoring/project_ideas/MicroBio_Agar. shtml Bowen, R. A. (2000). Osmosis. Retrieved October 30, 2008, from http://arbl. cvmbs. colostate. edu/hbooks/cmb/cells/pmemb/osmosis. html McCandless, Jr. J. R. (1997). Diffusion, Osmosis and Cell Membranes. Science Education Connection. Retrieved October 30, 2008, from http://biology. arizona. edu/sciconn/lessons/mccandless/reading. html Senese, F. (2007). Matter. General Chemistry Online. Retrieved October 30, 2008, from http://antoine. frostburg. edu/chem/senese/101/matter/index. shtml

Gender Discrimination Of Black Women Sociology Essay

Gender Discrimination Of Black Women Sociology Essay It is illegal, selfish and unlawful to discriminate people because of their gender or race when it comes to the institution of employment. This includes; recruitments, transfers, trainings, layoffs, incentive packages, promotion, job classifications, salaries/remunerations, terms of work and retirement benefits. This is what the federal law says in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Hagen, 2011). It was passed in 1964 and has not changed yet. Meaning, it is still the indispensable law on discriminatory procedures. This law is binding to all employers (state, private, employment agencies, NGOs), regardless of their setups. Besides the federal law, the California State Law, FEHA, is quite clear and specific about gender discrimination at work (Fair Employment Practices Guidelines, 2005). Like the state of California, many other states and nations strongly forbid sex and race discriminations when it comes to the work-place. Well, according to the latest statistics, the gender and race discrimination is still as alive and active in the U.S as it was before the passing of the law in 1964. The country continues to reflect unreasonable and illicit discrimination of women in the work force. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (USBLS) reveals that women working within the same environment, and doing the same job as men, earn much less compared to their colleagues (Gregory, 2003). Further to this, according to the World Economic Forum on Gender Disparity (WEFGD), there is no nation in the world that has managed to eliminate gender or race discrimination in the workplace. The purpose of this paper, however, is to look at the gender discrimination of black women in the work force and how it differs from black men and white men and women in the workforce. In order to do this, this work begins by looking at the general discrimination of women, and how it becomes more specific when it comes to black women in the work force. It also looks at the gap between black women and black men in the work place. Thirdly, it looks at how the discrimination of black women differs from black men and white men and women in the work force. And lastly, the paper concludes with a summary of the contents discussed in the entire paper. General discrimination of women The gender gap between men and women is obviously huge, and deeply historical. The disparity is even scarier when one pictures the conception of boys and girls in the developing world. Boys are seen as insurance to the family, with much expectation that they will one day get a job and support their family. It is also seen as their birth-right to inherit their familys property. The situation is not the same with girls. Girls are seen as expenses to the family. In some environments women even moan when they discover that they have conceived a girl. The world is perceived to be for men, while women belong at home. Its no wonder in India when a baby-girl is born she is received as the servant of the household. Clearly, the discrimination of women in the society is a disturbing reality. With the perception of men as insurance and women as household servants, women cant stop themselves from feeling inferior. Everything shows they are. Their identity has been forged by the discriminatory structures of the society. One thing that the male dominated society is slow to learn is that women have a place in the social and economic development of the society. The devastating effects of women discrimination in one way or the other comes round to men (William, 2012). While most developed countries, like the U.S, cunningly try to play everything right, they cannot help conceal the fact that gender discrimination is real and kicking in the workplace. When it comes to promotion, job classification, sexual harassment, working terms etc, the United States is evidently on the spot (Gregory, 2003). According to the research by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), one in every five girls is uncomfortable with her gender. They feel girls are more restricted when it comes to freedom, education, employment opportunities, and security matters. They also believe that women are more likely to be harassed and victimized by their employers than are men. But despite all the international laws, including the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), prohibiting all forms of inequalities, gender discrimination remains a serious social setback (Blanchfield, 2010). Besides, it is a reality that most women continue working in employments stereotyped as female occupations. It is also a damn veracity that women in the same job categories as men earn much less than their male colleagues (Drydakis, 2012). Apparently, women earn 23 cents less for every dollar a man earns. Even when it comes to promotion, few women make it up the ladder. Then there is the issue of harassment. Women are constantly harassed and intimidated in their workplaces (Ferriss, 1971). Most employers do not take into consideration issues such as pregnancy and family responsibility (William, 2012). If they do, the pay reflects it all. Well, somebody might argue that women do not negotiate sound enough with their employers for better salary as men do. That might be true, but evidences from women who have tried negotiating for their pay are found to have met bitter reactions. It is even true that most women who negotiate for their salaries during interviews are more likely to be dro pped than men who employ the same tactics. And lastly, there is nothing more frustrating than to be discriminated first of all, because you are a woman, and secondly, because you are black (Feder Brougher, 2012). This is what black women go through. Discrimination of black women in the work force African American women have greatly progressed when it comes to education and taking up tasks that were once reserved for men and possible white American women. In fact, in the black American community today, women are more professional and educated than black men. However, these women still have it rough when it comes to securing places in the work force. For those who happen to find jobs, they are constantly faced with challenges of either gender or racial discrimination, or even both (Gregory, 2003). Black women blame their predicament on three reasons. One, they are discriminated because they are black. Two, they are discriminated because they are women. And three, they are discriminated on the grounds of the combination of the two (race and gender). In addition to the twin vulnerabilities, African American women live in neighborhoods that are miles away from the employment opportunities. They also earn much less compared to what the black men and white women and men earn (Perlman, 1994). There is also the existing negative stereotype of African American single mothers (Bobbitt-Zeher, 2011). Way before the federal law on gender discrimination was passed in 1964, single black mothers were totally under-respected and disregarded in the society. In actual fact, they earned less salary and received minimal benefits compared to what the white single mothers earned and received. Apart from the few changes that were brought about by the legislation of 1996, which prohibited discrimination against single mothers, this mentality literally lingered on to todays workplace. For instance, as of 2007, the poverty rate for African American children from single mother families was at 49.4 percent compared to 42 percent of white American children from single mother families. Nothing much has polarized the discrimination of black women in the last few years than the anti-poverty policy introduced by George W. Bush. This policy, also called the marriage initiative, assumed that single mothers were poor because they were not married. Well, this has worked well for white single mothers who moved into marriage with their husbands from wealthy backgrounds. But the same cannot apply to the black single mothers. They are not married primarily because of the poor economical prospects, and not vice versa. Getting married isnt the solution, but getting good jobs. Unfortunately, this is where the problem is. Worse still, white employers would rather employ black men than hire black women in their work force. It is much worse for black single mothers. A combination of race and gender discrimination of black women in the work force is perhaps the worst social inequality, especially if it is coming from the society that is supposed to champion equal human rights for all. Like the white women, the black women find themselves between very odd situations, especially if they have to make decisions based on the available options. Here is a professional woman with all the academic qualifications looking for one of the best jobs on the land, but the society says no, your place is the stereotype female jobs. In fact, with all the qualifications you wont earn as much as men do. Then there is the issue of harassment and unequal treatment at the workplace (Sanchez-Hucles, 1997). This is the situation most women find themselves in. Much to the wound, black women have also to bear the racial discrimination. Like black men, they face the negative stereotypes from the white race which limit their ability to be fairly employed in the work force. In many ways, they find themselves excluded from working in most of the enviable jobs and organizations. Besides, black women also have to deal with oppressive attitudes that deny them equal opportunities in the workplace. This double vulnerability (gender and race) is the reason behind the discrimination of black women in the work force (Ferriss, 1971). The Impact of black women discrimination The discrimination of black women in the work force is a significant social setback and its consequences directly impact on the society, especially on the black families. It is a reality that black families in the United States mainly generate their family income from their wages. Unlike the white American families, which largely generate their income from inherited and well established firms, the black community has to go and look for job opportunities to get their income. Little known is that black women are also the major income providers for their families. When there are limited economic prospects and labor market opportunities for black women in the work force, the entire black families suffer the consequences, so is the national economy (Roscigno, 2007). How black women differ from black men While both the African American women and men suffer from the racial discrimination, it is the women who are on the worst end, given the negative gender disparity in America and elsewhere in the world. Despite great progress that African American women have gained, especially in education and occupational status, they are still considered inferior to black men, and white men and women. Worse still, in the workplace, black women are paid much less than black men. A research conducted in 2005 showed that black women earned only eighty seven cents for a corresponding dollar earned by men. By 2006, over thirteen percent of African American women were poorer compared to only seven percent of black men (Alkadry Tower, 2011) There is also the aspect of job security. Most employers are so relaxed when it comes to employing black women. They would rather have the black men around than employee black women. There is no better way to explain this except on the line of gender discrimination and a little bit of racial prejudice. It is also astonishing to see black women, who are generally more educated and in high professional positions than black men, earn much less than they do (Sanchez-Hucles, 1997). Black women and white men and women in the work place Like with the research on black women compared to black men, statistics carried out in 2005 showed that white women earned 15 percent more than what black women earned for the same job. This was narrowed down to 85 cents for black women for every 1 dollar earned by white women. They also showed that black women earned 67 cents for a corresponding dollar earned by white men. When this data was reviewed in 2006, a high percentage of 13 of black women were found to be poor. Only 4 percent and 7 percent of white men and women respectively were found to be poor. This revealed the extent to which discrimination on black women had negatively impacted on their livelihood. It is also shocking true that for every black woman employed in the work force; two white women are equally hired. The other difference between black and white women is explicit when it comes to finding their first jobs. Observably, young African American women get their first jobs after a long struggle. It is not so with the white women; they get their first jobs within a shorter period (Perlman, 1994). Conclusion Despite all the developments, especially on laws prohibiting inequalities of any nature, gender and racial discrimination are still significant social realities. The United States, particularly, continues to reflect unreasonable and illicit discrimination of women in the work force. But it is not just women. Black women are the most affected with this negative stereotype in the workplace. In reality, African American women face up to the same issues as white women, and so are the African American men and white men. However, factors such as gender, race and social stereotypes have made it so difficult for black women to feel equal with the rest of the categories. In addition to carrying the burden of searching for a job and putting up with the discriminatory issues at the workplace, black women also have an extra baggage of dealing with the economic insecurities among African American men. While white women rely on their white men for economic support, black women face the realities o f dealing with their own economic situation. It is high time the states, and in deed the entire social setup, came up with policies that would help black women overcome the predicaments that have been unfairly and unlawfully imposed on them by the societal structures. The black women, just like the white women, black men and white men, have the right to freedom, equal job opportunities, education and security. They need to be respected and protected from harassment and victimization at the workplace.

On the Rainy River Essay -- Literary Analysis, OBrien

Life can bring unexpected events that individuals might not be prepared to confront. This was the case of O’Brien in the story, â€Å"On the Rainy River† from the book The Things They Carried. As an author and character O’Brien describes his experiences about the Vietnam War. In the story, he faces the conflict of whether he should or should not go to war after being drafted. He could not imagine how tough fighting must be, without knowing how to fight, and the reason for such a war. In addition, O’Brien is terrified of the idea of leaving his family, friends and everything he loves behind. He decides to run away from his responsibility with the society. However, a feeling of shame and embarrassment makes him go to war. O’Brien considers himself a coward for doing something he does not agree with; on the other hand, thinking about the outcome of his decision makes him a brave man. Therefore, an individual that considers the consequences of his acts is nobler than a war hero. The Vietnam War was a conflict that many people did not comprehend. In fact, the war was atrocious and bloody. According to The Vietnam War: a History in Documents, 58,000 US soldier died and more than 700,000 came back with physical and emotional marks (Young, Fitzgerald & Grunfeld 147). For many Americans this war was meaningless. In the same way, O’Brien admits, â€Å"American war in Vietnam seemed to me wrong; certain blood was being shed for uncertain reason† (40). O’Brien believes the war was not significance. Furthermore, the lack of logic in the matter makes him confused about going to war. That’s why, he does not understand why he was sent to fight a war for which causes and effects were uncertain. The author continues by saying, â€Å"I was too good for... ...hermore, going to war was an act of cowardice. He had to put aside his morals and principles and fight a war he did not believe in. Overall, the author showed us the courageous and coward s acts of O’Brien the character. The fact that he was a coward made him do a heroic act. O’Brien made the valiant decision to go to war. It would have been easier and cowardly to jump and swim away from all his fears. However he decided to turn back, and fight for something he did not believe in. Thinking about the consequences of running away makes him a hero. He went to war not because he wanted to fight for his country, but for his own freedom. Either choice he could have made would take some kind of courage to carry out. Going to war required some sort of fearlessness. In other words, running away from the law would have been brave; but going to war was even tougher.

Exam for ACC

The USC requires that a HAD take an instrument in good faith. This means that Answer d. Kate must be assured in writing that the instrument has no defects. Correct Answer: Kate must have acted honestly and observed all reasonable commercial standards of fair dealing. Question 3 Thomas inherits a promissory note previously held by his deceased grandfather. Thomas has no notice that the note has been dishonored or is overdue. Thomas has the rights of Answer a holder only. Question 4 4 out Of 4 points Jason, Inc. Manufactures chain saws. Margin is injured while using a chain saw manufactured by Jason, Inc. ND sues the company for product liability based on negligence. To win, Margin must show that Answer Jason, Inc. Did not use due care with respect to the chain saw. Correct Jason, Inc. Did not use due care with respect to the chain saw. Question 5 One universal defense to liability for payment on a negotiable instrument is Answer forgery Question 6 Kennedy buys a new pink scooter. Kenn edy reads in the documents included in the packaging with her scooter that it is covered by an implied warranty of merchantability; this means that Answer he scooter is reasonably fit for the ordinary purpose for which it is sold.Question 7 O out of 4 points Suppose that Ray owns a jewelry store. Ray defrauds his old Aunt Cathy out of her watch and sells the watch to Missy. If Missy does not know that the watch was acquired by fraud, what title does she take? Answer She takes avoidable title, based on Ray's avoidable title. B. She takes good title because she was a good faith purchaser. Question 8 Tom bought a new Corvette 9 months ago and planned on cruising it in Daytona. The Corvette is constantly in the shop for the first 9 months that Tom owns it.Tom is not able to drive the Corvette to Daytona because of the constant need for repairs. Tom is very frustrated. Tom may have a cause of action based upon a lemon law. A lemon law deals with Answer defective automobiles. Question 9 S cott is studying the LLC. Scott learned that one of the policies behind the USC is to encourage commerce. Thus, some of the harsh rules of contract law have been modified by the ICC. For example, under the common law of contract law, if terms were left open in a contract, there would be no agreement, no meeting of the minds, and there would be no contract.In entrant, as a general rule, under the USC if there are some open terms in a contract Answer the contract will be void because of the open terms. The contract will be valid if the parties intended to form a contract and there is a reasonable basis for the court to grant a remedy. Question 10 Under the Sac's perfect tender rule, what options does a buyer have when the seller tenders nonconforming goods? Answer The buyer must reject all of the goods. The buyer may accept all, or part, or none of the goods. Question 11 Tees has a special project. Tees has a daughter. Tees spoils her daughter.Tees wants to give her daughter the bigge st birthday celebration possible. Tees wants her daughter to have a birthday party that the other parents she knows will be talking about for years to come. As part of the decorations for the birthday party extravaganza, Tees wants to suspend a heavy, candelabra above her backyard pool. Tees goes to the local hardware Store. Tees finds a helpful sales associate. Tees details her plan to the sales associate. The sales associate suggests that Tees buy a particular brand of clear roping for the job. In reliance upon this recommendation, Tees buys the rope.

World Wrestling Entertainment

WWE, Inc. The WWE is not just the biggest wrestling company in the United States, but it is also the biggest in the world. The company has gone about this by spreading the WWE name and logo all over the world through international expansion. The expansion of the WWE product into overseas market was more of a necessity considering the current situation of the wrestling industry in the United States. Linda McMahon, CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. outlined her reasoning behind the push to expand globally in a press conference held on August 23, 2004.The main reason being an increased demand for the WWE product abroad, as well as impressive attendance numbers when events were held internationally. Additionally, attendance at live events or house shows, were very low. Linda McMahon said that by providing more shows overseas to fans that normally do not have the chance to see the WWE live, they will be satisfying a need as well as covering for a declining market in the United St ates (wwecorporate. com 2011). Due to the increase in live events overseas, the WWE also hired more international staff members in order to handle and continue the expansion.Another aspect that helped the WWE expansion internationally is their television presence in many countries. On their corporate website, the WWE lists thirteen countries in which they have television deals. Included are the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Mexico, and others. Obviously, this is important because their push to increase live events overseas would not be successful if they did not have television deals in place. Otherwise, the people in these international markets would have no clue as to who the wrestlers are and no reason to want to pay money to see them live or purchase WWE products.The WWE also has licensing agreements with about 75 licensees worldwide. The licenses use the WWE logo and its trademarked wrestling characters on all types of products and merchandise. This licensing program has expan ded internationally to include the United Kingdom, Italy, India, Japan, South Africa, and Australia. (www. wwe,inc. com) World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. used horizontal integration in 2004 with the purchase of their rival, World Championship Wrestling. With the acquisition of World Championship Wrestling, it allowed World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. o be the only major wrestling company in North America. WWE had monopolized the wrestling industry. With World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. as the only big name in town, the wrestlers were in an awkward position. If the wrestlers were let go by the WWE or had a dispute with management over their contracts, their only alternatives would be to work for a much smaller company that could not match the kind of wages the WWE offered, or to find a new line of work. WWE Superstars do not have a union to represent them.The biggest asset in the acquisition of World Championship Wrestling wasn’t the company and all intellectual proper ty that went with it; rather it was the video tape library it possessed. The WWE went on to acquire the video tape libraries of other defunct promotions like the AWA, ECW, and Jim Crockett Promotions. Collecting a majority of the wrestling video tape library in existence gave the WWE a competitive advantage. Linda McMahon has publicly said that the video library â€Å"is a leading growth project for the company†.The library of video footage allowed them to test the waters of an on demand channel featuring all of the classic material. At her press conference on August 23, 2004, Linda McMahon said that the WWE 24/7 On Demand service is being counted on to provide the company a strong source of revenue in the future . The exciting news for fans of the WWE is that they have so much footage that only a portion of what they have now has been digitalized (November 4, 2010 – World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc). When Vince McMahon and Linda McMahon decided to buy out all other wrestling corporations they united the sport under their own belt and logo and gained all monetary compensations. When Linda McMahon decided to start WWE On Demand 24/7, the WWE, Inc. struck gold by making wrestling able to be seen overseas via cable networks. This globalized the following of WWE fans. Now merchandise created through the many forms such as music, merchandise, movies, pay per views and live events, and video tapes or DVDs could be sold anywhere in the world and be profited from WWE, Inc. , their suppliers, creators and merchandisers.WWE can have a show in any of these countries and have a sold out venue and also be welcomed into these poorer countries with open arms because of the job availability WWE created for them. WWE also sent venues overseas to support our troops, who were serving in the Iraq war, and this also established an emotional empathy type connection with some of WWE’s followers. Because the WWE, Inc. is such a huge corporate conglomerate it is made up of an extensive board of directors and an independent audit committee. Vincent Kennedy McMahon is the Chairman and the CEO of the WWE, Inc. The board is consists of mutual family members and loyal friends.George Barrios is the Chief Financial Officer and oversees the WWE’s financial, accounting and investor relations, strategies and their activities. Jim Connelly is the Senior Vice President of Consumer Products and oversees the WWE’s global licensing, home entertainment and book and magazine publishing’s. Kevin Dunn is the Executive Vice president of television productions and manages a state of the art television studio with 140 wrestlers and he also sits on the Board of Directors. Donna Goldsmith is the Chief Operating Officer, sits on the Board of Directors and is part of the Chief Executive Committee for the WWE.Brian Kalinowski is the Executive Vice President of all global digital media initiatives through web and mobile interactive technologies, content production and electronic commerce. John Laurinitis is Executive Vice President of talent relations and promotes all wrestlers appearances outside the venues. Stephanie McMahon is the Executive Vice President of Creative Development and Operations. Stephanie McMahon oversees the creative process for all television and pay per views as well as directing and producing WWE televised live events.Stephanie also oversees all aspects of other talent management, branding, booking live events, and marketing for the WWE, Inc. Stephanie McMahon is also the daughter of CEO and Chairman, Vince McMahon, and has been raised in this industry, including having her own wrestling persona. Andrew Whitaker is the Executive Vice President, International. Andrew is responsible for determining the strategic direction and revenues for the WWE, Inc. outside of the United States for all business units. Michelle D. Wilson is the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Integrated Brand Initiatives.Mic helle oversees the strategies and financing for pay per views, advertising, promotions for the WWE and its wrestlers, research and demography for the company to keep it innovative, all creative services deemed needed for the company to flourish, and maintains and scripts all public and government relations. Michelle also oversees the WWE’s integrated sales and sponsorship business (WWE,Inc Corporate. com). All of these people are the geniuses behind the success of this company. Without any one of them the company would struggle in that field. These people have served on this committee throughout the lifespan of the WWE.There are so many Vice Presidents and departments because the WWE is a national and international success with their hands in every means of entertainment, merchandising and promotions that are possible. Because each of these members has their own stakes in the business and independent audit committee of the board of directors is required to make sure that ever ything is running smoothly and within a budget. The independent audit committee consists of at least three directors. These directors can have no ties, directly or indirectly, with any board member, family member, worker, or wrestling persona of the WWE, Inc. o ensure that everything is maintained fairly and unprejudiced. With the auditors having no gain or stock in the WWE all audits are accurate and financially sound statements. The audit committee assists the board in overseeing: * The accounting and financial reporting practices of the WWE, Inc. * The audits of the WWE’s financial statements including the WWE’s internal controls and internal auditing functions * The reality and accuracy of the financial statements put out from the WWE, Inc. * The WWE’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements (www. wwe,inc. om) The WWE’s system of their disclosure controls and system of internal controls regarding finance, accounting, legal compliance and the ethics that the management and Board of Directors have established within the company. This company promotes corporate citizenship through many means but choose to call it corporate social responsibility instead. â€Å"WWE has a strong philosophy to give back to the communities and lives that we touch. † (WWE, Inc. corporate website page) The WWE carries its corporate citizenship or responsibilities by having a PG rating on all shows and at all venues to promote a family orientated atmosphere for all ages.WWE also is host to numerous charities and programs, such as literary programs to help children read, WWE in Your Corner, and WWE also contributes to the military members by hosting shows here and overseas to military members serving our country. WWE also implements types of programs for helping retired, current or want to be wrestlers. It seems here that the WWE does try to uphold laws and contributes back to everyone in one form or another. The WWE is so extensive that it is its own United States citizen and has even had members run for senate, like Linda McMahon, and governor, Jesse â€Å"The Body† Ventura.Some win, some lose, no different than when a wrestler enters the ring or the WWE trying its hand in the restaurant industry. Linda McMahon stepped down as CEO of the WWE, Inc. on September 16, 2009. Linda McMahon officially announced her candidacy to run for the United States Senate for Connecticut. During this time others in office put the WWE, Inc. in the spotlight for political tirades against Mrs. McMahon and her qualifications. The WWE headquarters is based out of Stamford, Connecticut and this is also where the McMahons live. On November 1, 2010, President Obama and his wife Michelle visited Stamford, Connecticut and Mrs.Obama paid a visit to the WWE headquarters. After the President left the WWE, Inc. was told they were under investigation for distributing merchandise near select polling locations. The Secretary of State for Connec ticut, Susan Bysiewcz, stated that if anyone turned out to the polls wearing any type of WWE merchandise, including a simple wrist band that the voters would be told to either remove it, cover it up or to go home and change and come back. The WWE, Inc. took this to federal court and won because there is no law on what attire a voter should wear to vote. (Time Magazine, November 2010).On November 8, 2010 Linda McMahon lost to Richard Blumenthal and says she feels that there was corruption in the way the polls were run. Linda McMahon contributed fifty million dollars to her own campaign in the senate race. Linda McMahon is not going to return to her position of CEO at WWE, Inc. but plans on running again for a political party in the future. With Linda not returning to WWE, Inc. this leaves Vince McMahon as the chairman and now the CEO of WWE, Inc. The community that surrounds WWE, Inc. stands behind the WWE for the majority being that the McMahons contributes too many charitable facto rs in the community.With the President and his wife visiting Stamford it opened up many economical doors in the community promoting tourism and the trickle effects from the tourism and notoriety of the situation. No matter what changes the United States goes through in our economy WWE, Inc. still sells out every wrestling venue and almost all merchandise with their logo on it is a top seller and carries high demand for the public. Vince McMahon has received deals with people like Walt Disney to lease his wrestlers, like Duane â€Å"The Rock† Johnson, to star in their movies.Billions of people worldwide have an avid and loyal following of the WWE. The WWE has reached many countries outside the United States through television airing and internet access. Once again WWE is sending a wrestling venue for Christmas to our troops to show their dedication and gratitude to the men and women serving our country. â€Å"This will be the first Christmas though that the WWE will take it t o the troops in the United States instead of flying to Iraq (www. wrestlezone. com)†. WWE, Inc. has gotten the four factors of the marketing mix down to a science and the right marketing team behind them to do so effectively.The market researchers for WWE seem to be highly into utilizing environmental scanning as well. The marketing researchers have studied all the factors, such as global, technological, social cultural, and economic. WWE, Inc. really has no competitive factors to study at the moment, because there is no other competition right now; therefore, WWE dominates the industry. It seems everything that the WWE has its logo on is in mass market production throughout the world. The WWE may have started out as niche marketing but it quickly grew into a mass frenzy. The WWE logo and name brand is now worldwide.Vince McMahon and his marketing research team are genius. They have definitely done their market segmentations to a science and have even made merchandise availabl e for the poor to be able to purchase their products. The demographic segmentation is analyzed before the WWE even enters an agreement to bring their show to that arena. Everywhere they have a show it is a sellout every time. With the WWE, Inc. branching into television, music, movie theaters, magazines, clothing, internet, and other merchandise they have extensively covered every means of technology to appeal to audiences and consumers.World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is committed to conducting its business fairly, honestly and in accordance with law. All officers, directors and other employees (collectively, including outside directors in their capacity as WWE directors, referred to herein as â€Å"employees†) should read this Code of Business Conduct carefully. This Code is not meant to be all inclusive, and in many cases, employees will be required to sign additional acknowledgement forms that they have read and understand various Company policies. www. wwe,inc. com) W WE, Inc is more extensive than what I thought it would be. This corporation is a citizen in itself that started as a small business and evolved into a worldwide corporation. I do not think that Vince McMahon ever imagined the take off and demand his company would acquire. Vince McMahon was smart enough to hire tech and business savvy individuals to help ensure that he stayed on top of the game. Without his Vice Presidents in each area, this ompany would not have been able to overtake the wrestling market and branch out into every form of marketing, selling, technical areas, and merchandising that the WWE has done. This corporation is definitely one of the best in the world. Everything it touches, besides the restaurant venue, has turned to complete profit. REFERENCES www. wrestlezone. com retrieved 5/31/12 www. wwe,inc. com retrieved 5/31/12 www. wwe,inc. com/corporate retrieved 5/31/2012 November 4, 2010 – World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. magazine Time Magazine, November 2010 http://graphjam. memebase. com/vote/page/1184/ retrieved 5/31/12

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