HRM Module Examination Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HRM Module Examination Questions - Essay Example It should be noted that without work-life balance, employees tend to feel guilty and deprived of not being able to attend to activities involving their family as their career life robs them of these. Thus, they compensate these through several absences in order to make time for non-work activities. Absences also occurs when employees are physical exhausted and are suffering from sickness from overworking. In order to improve attendance, companies should strive to make the workplace worth going to. The workplace should not be a venue of stressful and tiring tasks by designing leisure activities every now and then. Also, rapport among colleagues should be established. Rewarding employees who are always present can also be pursued. Instead of adopting the total renumeration approach, the CIPD is pushing through the total reward system which is comprised of flexible benefits, opportunity for personal growth, recognition of achievements, flexible working hours, and others that are indeed favorable for employees. The CIPD argues that the total reward system will yield benefits such as â€Å"easier recruitment of better quality staff, reduced wastage from staff turnover, better business performance, and enhanced reputation of the organisation as an employer of choice.† The first and last advantages from CIPD are seen to be obvious benefits from a total reward system. As employees are favored, adoption of this scheme will surely boost company image thereby allowing it to recruit prospective applicants more efficiently. However, for the reduced wastage from staff turnover, this is quite questionable because adopting total reward system might not necessarily decrease turnover. Also, since employees have different personalities a more relaxed management approach might not work for some and might even promote a carefree attitude among employees. There are five stages in the process of performance management namely strategy definition,

The use of microrobotics in healthcare Research Paper

The use of microrobotics in healthcare - Research Paper Example Nanobots are engineered nanodevices or nanomachines whose size is as small as a microbe and are expected to have a wide range of application in the field of medicine as therapeutic agents and other medical uses (Kroeker). The tiny size of the robot is their unique feature which will enable them to interact at the bacterial and virus levels. They could also be easily injected into the bloodstream by which they can reach the target site to fix any problem. This potential application is now being considered for cancer treatment as cancer-killing robots can be injected in to the bloodstream by which they can locate the malignant cancer cells and destroy them through laser or other mechanisms. The efficiency of the nanorobots is such that the tumor could be completely removed right till the last molecule. Such a utility of the nanorobots offers immense benefits both to the patient and the medical team as it is less traumatic and at the same time more efficient than other forms of treatmen t that are currently in use such as chemotherapy. In chemotherapy apart from the malignant cells some non-target normal tissue cells are also damaged. This causes unwarranted stress to the body which is already waging a battle to fight out the tumor cells. Surgery, which is being touted as the last alternative in cancer treatment is also not always effective as it still retains the chance of a tumor relapse as even if a single molecule is left in the body from the surgery the tumor has the potential to return. In such cases even the effort from the medical team might go in vain as it is not always possible to completely remover the tumor cells. The use of nanorobots in such cases will not only cause the non-target cells to remain undamaged while eliminating every single cancer cell but will also ensure that the patient will not be out through a highly invasive or traumatic procedure. Only such a treatment will result in complete recovery for the patient (What are the capabilities of Nanobots?). In addition to their potential use as cancer curing agents, nanorobots could also be used in other common ailments. They can be used to remove particles from the bloodstream by which clogged arteries can be completely opened up by removing every cholesterol molecule. In case an organ is affected nanorobots can be made to swim to the affected region and perform a micro-surgery on the organ in a non-invasive and less traumatic manner thereby preventing the need for any surgery on the already damaged organ. The fact that surgeries are still a painful experience for all concerned cannot be sidelined and hence researchers are constantly searching for an alternative procedure that would be less invasive and traumatic. They can also be used to repair normal tissue damage such as internal wounds. In addition to clearing the damaged tissue cells nanorobots can also be engineered to build newer and healthy cells in the area and seal the wound. By this process the presence of any scar tissue from the wound healing process can also be alleviated. As nanobots do not necessarily warrant a surgical intervention those people suffering from allergies to anesthetics, hemophilic patients who are incapable of undergoing surgery and others with surgery related problems would be immensely benefited by nanobots.. Studies have also shown that nanobots can also function as

Rhetorical analysis assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rhetorical analysis assignment - Essay Example Thereby this essay intends to use the basics of rhetorical analysis to analyze and interpret the article The Gun that killed my Sister published in the opinion section of Politico. The author Elvin Daniel commands an intimate relationship with the content of the article as his sister was killed in the October 2012 Brookfield, Wisconsin spa shooting, thereby the approach of Elvin in the given article happens to be emotive and personal. This article intends to bring to fore one of the salient politico-social issues that have raked in much controversy in the America political and social circles, which is Gun Control. The author does not preach a tough or staunch stance towards the issue of gun control, but rather tends to extend a reasonable and emotive plea to the readers that the online sale of guns ought to come within the legal purview of background checks. The overall approach of the author towards gun control is sane and logical as he mentions that, â€Å"I’ve seen how dev astating Gun violence can be (Elvin 1).† Irrespective of the fact that the author in a way happens to be the firsthand victim of gun violence, as his sister got shot by her husband with a gun procured online and without succumbing to any background checks, the reason extended by the author is also based on facts and commonsense. The author believes that the online sale of guns is fraught with dangerous possibilities, as he goes on to cite the conclusion arrived at by a report that, â€Å"every year tens of thousands of criminals and domestic abusers like Radcliffe are looking for guns on Armslist.com, where they can easily buy weapons from private sellers without a background check (Elvin 1).† The overall purpose of the author is to move the public opinion in support of the fact that the online sale of guns must come within the ambit of background checks. Going by the fact that the writer’s sister herself got killed by a gun procured online without any background checks, the opinion expressed by the author happens to be utterly valid, credible and reliable. The thing is that the author is no way against guns as he acknowledges that, â€Å"I’m a gun owner, a hunter, and a member of the National Rifle Association (Elvin 1).† However, the writer staunchly supports a responsible attitude towards arms that no way opposes or decries a background check while purchasing arms at any online portal. The writer intends to target a range of readers subscribing to Politico. The writer is targeting the common citizens, many of whom end up being victims of the gun violence on a daily basis. The writer may also be targeting the anti gun control organizations like the National Rifle Association, encouraging them to support a reasonable and midway approach towards gun control. The article also has an undeniable political angle as it also happens to target the law makers, ordinary citizens, think tanks, pressure groups and anybody who is concerne d about the issue of gun control. The article contains ample information that helps the readers construct the writer’s persona in their minds. Even a cursory perusal of the article testifies to the fact that the writer happens to be a person who has personally suffered from gun violence, as he clearly

The role of coaching in improving performance Essay

The role of coaching in improving performance - Essay Example Had it not been for the coaching that they had received at the right time, they would still be struck at one place or the other. International Coach Federation (ICF), the international accrediting body for coaching, the defines coaching as, â€Å" an ongoing partnership that helps [people] produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives and†¦deepen their learning, improve their performance, and enhance their quality of life†. In Sir John Whitmore’s words, coaching is defined as â€Å"unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.† (Whitmore 2002). A coach could be someone to train you in a new skill, encourage and motivate you, give you feedback for improvement and provide you with individual attention. Plants grow in wild; however they cannot match the yield from that of a well-cultured farm. The culturing that creates a well-maintained farm out of an unevenly undulated jungle in what coaching does to an individual. At an organization level, training plays a very significant role. After getting fresh talent into the organization, it is the responsibility of the management, to ensure that they are provided with the right training plus coaching at the right time. Only this will guarantee that they work in alignment to company’s goals and objectives. Coaching at its basic level is ‘observation and feedback’. (Luecke 2004). This simple yet magical definition can turn around organizations and boost-up individual performances to great heights. That is, coaches will normally be experts, who has 360 degree experience in the field, using which they can guide prospective employees on the opportunities and challenges of undergoing coaching. (Sherman and Freas 2004). The corrective measures needed or the area to be focused and worked upon will be obtained through the feedback. Thus coaching can pump in the invaluable component of ‘trigger for change’ into

Doctrine of Judicial Precedent Essay Example for Free

Doctrine of Judicial Precedent Essay Introduction Statutes and case law are two significant sources of the UK law. In the convention of common law, the law applied to a case is decided through judicial precedent and statutory interpretation. There can be effectiveness of judicial precedent and statutory interpretation in separation as well as when they are combined in the development of law. To what extend can a judge develop the law through the operation of doctrine of judicial precedent and application to the rules of statutory interpretation will be discussed in this assignment. In the first place, this assignment will give an introduction to judicial precedent and statutory interpretation. In the second place, how can judicial precedent and statutory interpretation develop the law will be analysed and evaluated. Eventually, the conclusion of this assignment will be given. Judicial precedent, a procedure whereby judges follow previous case with sufficiently similar facts, regulates case law, which is crucial to protect law stability. As MacCormick said: â€Å"to understand case law†¦ is to understand how it is that particular decisions by particular judges concerning particular parties to particular cases can be used in the construction of general rules applying to the actions and transactions of persons at large.† (James, 2010) Judicial precedent applies to the doctrine of stare decisis. That is to not disturb the decisions that are settled. For instance, through the stare decisis, the House of Lords held that the manufacturers owed a duty of care to their ultimate consumers of their goods in the case of Donoghue v Stevenson (1932), creating a binding precedent followed in Grant v Australian Knitting Mills (1936) in respects of duty of care and neighbor principle. The binding precedent is a legal principle formed by the ratio decidendi, the reason for the decision. This means that the ratio decidendi must be followed with the recognition of the legal reason for the decision in the previous case (Jacqueline, 2010). The remainder of a judgment is Obiter dicta. It is a statement made by the way, which though is not binding but can be persuasive in the future cases. Statutory interpretation is the process of how the statutes interpreted and applied by a judge. There are four approaches developed to deal with the task of interpretation, including literal rule, golden rule, mischief rule and purposive rule. When literal rule is applied, the words in the statutes are given their dictionary, original or everyday meaning, with the respect to the will of Parliament. For instance, in Whitley v Chappell (1868), with the application to literal rule, the court held that the defendant was not guilty since a dead person is not, in the literal meaning of the word, ‘entitled to vote’. Golden rule was defined in Grey v. Pearson4 (1857), â€Å"the ordinary sense of the words is to be adhered to, unless it would lead to absurdity, when the ordinary sense may be modified to avoid the absurdity but no further.† One of the illustrated cases is Re Sigsworth (1935). A son murdered his mother entitled to nothing since the court applied golden rule to modification to prevent repugnancy and absurdity. Instead of determining what the Parliament said, the Mischief rule is applied to what Parliament meant. The Mischief rule was applied in Smith v Hughes (1871). Lord Parker CJ held that the activities of prostitution were in a â€Å"street or public place† for the intension of the Act to prevent the mischief of the impact of solicitation on the passers by. With a wider application, purposive rule is aimed to give promotion to the general legislative purpose emphasizing the provisions. Lord Denning stated â€Å"we sit here to find out the intention of Parliament and of ministers and carry it out, and we do this better by filling in the gaps and making sense of the enactment by opening it up to destructive analysis†. In Cutter v Eagle Star (1998), instead of literal rule, purposive rule is applied, holding that car park was a road, which underlies the Road Traffic Act (1988). Also, a purposive approach is now often applicable as a result of European Law. (James, 2010) Examples and evaluations of development The judicial precedent is regarded as the backbone of the common law whereas approaches of statutory interpretation have developed as significant tools in interpreting the statutes. Furthermore, there has been a notable synergy between judicial precedent and statutory interpretation in the development of law. First of all, the development of law can be achieved by applying a suitable decision from previous cases with similar materials. In the case of Shaw v DPP (1962) the House of Lords held that a crime of conspiracy to corrupt public morals existed. The conspiracy to corrupt public morals consisted of an agreement to corrupt public morals by means of the magazine, and the defendants had been rightly convicted. This was followed in Knuller v DPP (1973), being held that an agreement to publish adverts to facilitate the commission of homosexual acts between adult males in private was a conspiracy to corrupt public morals (E- lawresources, N/D). Therefore, with the application to doctrine of judicial precedent, the decision in a previous case can be applied to similar cases in the future, which then can contribute to the development of law in terms of quantity, certainty and stability. In addition, since consistent decisions are provided, the law is more possible to ensure fairness, and the citizens can be more willing to trust the law with confidence of being treated fairly. On the other hand, it is said that the doctrine of judicial precedent can be too rigid, as there seems to be a tendency that the binding precedent will be strictly applied in the decisions of cases. Also, since there are no uniform cases, the operation of the doctrine of judicial precedent may lead to a certain degree of injustice, leaving limited space for the development of law. However, the rigidity of judicial precedent can be avoided in practice through the exceptions of decisions including application of overrule and distinguishing (James, 2010). As Posner (1990) claimed: â€Å" judges follow the previous decisions of their court when they agree with them or when they deem legal stability more important in the circumstances than getting the law right. But a precedents analogical significance means simply that the precedent contains information relevant to the decision of the present case.† (Richard, 1990) Despite following the precedent strictly, judges are able to change the decisions in cooperation with facts. The Practice Statement was made by Lord Gardiner in1966, allowing the House of Lord to change its previous decision when it appears â€Å"right to do so† in an attempt to achieve justice (Jacqueline, 2010). To illustrate, in Miliangos v George Frank (Textile) Ltd (1976), the House of Lord overruled Re United Railways. In the case of Re United Railways (1961), it had been held that all debts were to be paid in sterling in an English civil case. In the case of Miliangos v George Frank (Textile) Ltd, the House of Lords held that damages could be awarded in any other foreign currency in the contract, due to the changes in conditions of foreign exchange (Vaughan, 2010). This was stated as â€Å" the existing reason ceased now for a rule† by Lord Denning (Michael, 2004). Distinguishing is another technique used by judges in order to avoid a previous binding decision that may cause inconvenient or unsuitable results. The case Balfour v Balfour (1919) is often cited in conjunction with Merritt v Merritt (1970) by way of illustration of how distinguishing works. In both of the cases, a wife sued her husband for breach of contract. In Balfour v Balfour, based on the fact that the parties had not yet been divorced when the agreement was formed, the court held that there was no enforceable agreement, owing to a rebuttable presumption against intention to create a legally domestic agreement. In the case of Merritt v Merritt, however, the claim was successful. The court was able to distinguish the material difference between two cases. Lord Denning stated that â€Å"When †¦ husband and wife, at arm’s length, decide to separate and the husband promises to pay a sum as maintenance to the wife during the separation, the court does, as a rule, impute to them an intention to create legal relations.† (Zander, 2004) As a result, the appeal from the husband in this case was dismissed. The exceptions of decisions enable the judges to be more flexible in relation of following or refusing earlier decisions from similar cases, which seems to extend the power of the law lords to create law and the space for the development of law. However, it may decrease the level of law certainty and predictability. Regardless of the role statutory interpretation plays in helping judges deal with the task of interpreting statutes, the application and development among the four rules of statutory interpretation can promote law to adapt to changing needs. In practice, judges are continually applying the existing rules to new fact situations and thus being able to keep pace with the changes of society. Firstly, approaches to statutory interpretation can attribute to the creativity and flexibility of law. Applying purposive rule, the court of the case of Royal College of Nursing v DHSS (1981) held that the Abortion Act 1967 aimed at preventing the mischief of ‘back-street abortions’ where no medical care was provided. Therefore, with the advancement of medical technology, abortion became legal to be administered by nurses. (James, 2010) In addition, rules of statutory interpretation can ensure the willing of Parliament. Judges cannot make law, which is the role of Parliament, however, they can and do try to give effect to Parliament’s intentions by using statutory interpretation. For instance, in the case of R v Registrar General ex parte Smith (1991), purposive rule was applied instead of literal rule due to the fact that the applicant was confirmed to be dangerous to his natural mother by a psychiatrist and ‘Parliament could never have intended to promote such serious crime.’ Consequently, the applicant was failed to obtain his birth certificate (Jacqueline, 2010). Approaches to statutory interpretation provide opportunities for judges to apply to different rules flexibly based upon the facts and the intention of Parliament. However, increases of flexibility and creativity of law may cause decreases of certainty and consistency. Last but not least, as two major aspects of the UK law, the interrelationship of the doctrine of judicial precedent and the rules of statutory interpretation are significant to the development of law. For example, in Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v Boots Ltd (1953), there is a technical legal meaning of â€Å"offer for sale†. With the application to literal rule, the display of goods in a store shelf was held as an invitation to treat but not an offer to sell. This decision was followed in Fisher v Bell (1961). The court held that the display of product in a shop window was an invitation to treat and thus there was no violation of the Act. (James, 2010) Conclusion As a consequence, with doctrine of judicial precedent, previous cases can be applied to cases with similar facts in the future, whereas with statutory interpretation, different decisions can be made with choices of different rules depending on different facts. The synergy between these two aspects produces certainty, elasticity and appropriate space for the gradual development of law. In conclusion, although a degree of rigidity and instability might occur in the progress of law development. Judicial precedent and statutory interpretation in combination can attribute to an increased level of certainty, consistency, flexibility, and elasticity of the law, creating an appropriate space for a gradual development of law. Bibliography: 1.James, H., 2010, Learning Legal Rules 2.Jacqueline, M., 2010, Unlocking The English Legal System 3.E-lawresources, N/D, [Internet] Available from http://www.e-lawresources.co.uk [Accessed 11 /11/ 2012]†¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¬ 4.Richard, A, P., 1990, The Problems of Jurisprudence 5.Vaughan, B., 2010, Foreign Currency Claims in the Conflict of Laws 6. Michael, Z., 2004, The Law-Making Process

Belonging Related Texts Essay Example for Free

Belonging Related Texts Essay What do you think the most powerful influences that impact on an individual’s sense of belonging? * Strictly Ballroom by Baz Lurhmann * The Red Tree by Shaun Tan * Who you are by Jessie J You will almost always find where you belong if you search for it. So ultimately a sense of belonging comes down to perception. This starts from places and/ or relationships, which potentially alter your understanding or you and the world around you, so you can accept the person you are and your individual identity by creating this sense of belonging. In strictly ballroom by Baz Lurhmann, The Red Tree by Shaun Tan and who you are by Jessie J the composers use a wide range of techniques to convey the ideas belonging through forcible authority, challenging authority and alienation. These are illustrated through the concept of belonging to a person or place. These three ideas demonstrate what the most powerful influences are that can cause someone to feel a part of something or not. Forcible authority is illustrated in the film ‘Strictly Ballroom’ by Baz Lurhmann. Forcible authority is when a person or group has the power to make you feel a certain way that you may not agree on and make you feel as though you do or don’t belong. This is conveyed in the film when Barry Fife the president of Australian Dance Federation (ADF) forces Scott Hastings to dance a particular way. The forcible authority is demonstrated in Strictly Ballroom with close ups and bright lighting on Barry’s face. This creates attention and power to the audience’s concept on Barry. Scott then feels isolated from the ADF as a result of Barry’s ideas for the ADF. Forcible Authority is also shown in ‘The Red Tree’ by Shaun Tan. This is conveyed through visual techniques of the little girl standing alone in many pages of the book. The concept of a powerful influence is a little red leaf with â€Å"without sense or reason† this demonstrates herself as a symbol of the ‘little red leaf’ with many factors contributing to that idea. E. g. ‘The little girl with the red hair’ The little girl becomes frustrated by society and not being able to find her place or where she feels she belongs without sense or reason. Here the most powerful influences that influence the little girl is her on mind set on other people and how she see’s everyone trying to conform and belong to a place she hasn’t been nor understands. Forcible authority is again conveyed in the song ‘who you are’ by Jessie J through the singers lyrics. Jessie illustrates a strong opinion on society’s sense of belonging when she states â€Å"forget how to fit the mold, yeah! † this informs the audience that society’s conception of belonging is based on a mould and she feels out casted because she doesn’t know how to find her place in society anymore. Jessie feels as though society has clung to a certain way of thinking and living, this is because of the forcible authority, which is the society as a powerful influence on Jessie’s sense of belonging. Challenging Authority is another idea shown in ‘strictly Ballroom’ this can be when you choose to do something about following other rules from a higher authority. This is illustrated when Scott is introduced to Fran’s grandmother Ya Ya. She explains that dancing comes from the heart. The close ups of Ya Ya’s hands beating the traditional rhythm of the Paso Doble on Scott’s chest gives both Scott and Fran the inspiration to dance their own moves which demonstrates to the Audience how they are challenging authority and now have somewhere to belong to. Challenging authority is illustrated in ‘The Red Tree’ when the little girl struggles to find herself in society; this becomes an issue throughout the whole book, always feeling as though she didn’t belong. The very last page is her standing in her room with a large Red Tree filled with lots of red leaves and you can see that she has accepted herself in the society. She has done this because she has a glowing smile on her face. Jessie demonstrates challenging authority in â€Å"Who you are† by giving advice to other people to be yourself instead of living a lie and following society’s rules. This is illustrated when Jessie sings â€Å"Don’t lose who you are in the blur of the stars! † Alienation is the estrangement of somebody who is forced or unforced to distance people from each other or of people from what is important or meaningful to them. Strictly Ballroom demonstrates many moments of alienation, one particularly is Scott feeling as though he doesn’t belong in the ADF because he doesn’t confine with the ballroom dancing rules. This is illustrated when himself and Fran dance their own steps and cause a stir in the ADF judging, this is a powerful impact on belonging because if you don’t follow the rules you are forced to feel neglected. Alienation is also illustrated in The Red Tree through pictures and descriptive language. The visual technique as quoted, â€Å"nobody understands†, It is raining and the brushstrokes are soft but distinctive nd the colours are dull and dark creating the audiences idea of how the girl is feeling. The girl is a seclusion to society showing her being an ‘outsider’, the visual techniques are a powerful influence to belonging and clearly demonstrate how the girl feels alienated by society. Jessie J also shows alienation in ‘Who you are’ b y the visual technique in the film clip, Jessie sings â€Å"Sometimes it’s hard to follow your heart. † In this particular part she is sitting in an empty bathroom with dim lighting, this demonstrates her feelings of loneliness and confusion. Jessie feels confused because she doesn’t know what the right thing to do is and this causes her alienation to the environment she is in, this particular songs provides proof with her excluding herself from society until she makes up her mind. Jessie being the most powerful influence as she is the only one making the decision to alienate herself. Strictly Ballroom by Baz Lurhmann , The Red Tree by Shaun Tan and Who you are by Jessie J all convey powerful influences such as authority to demonstrate people belonging and not belonging . This is conveyed through the techniques of forcible authority, challenging authority and alienation.

SM Prime Holdings (SMPH): Internal and External Analysis

SM Prime Holdings (SMPH): Internal and External Analysis Introduction Organizations are dynamic nowadays. One reason for this is the complexity of the environment they belong to and the need to constantly respond to this intricacy. Environment consists of various factors that affect how organization operates. These components include both internal and external factors that can either make or break the companys success. In addition to this, they have to react to various trends in which they are subject, for example the emerging environmental awareness of the public. To put all of these into perspective, one company will be used to illustrate how these factors influence the operations of the company. SM Prime Holdings (SMPH) is the mall operations arm of SM Investments Corporation which is todays one of the Philippines biggest conglomerates, occupying a dominant position in most of its lines of business, namely shopping malls; retail merchandising; banking and finance; and property. It all started with a simple vision of its founder and chairman, Mr. Henry Sy, to sell shoes to every Filipino (SMIC, 2009). Today, SMPH is the Philippines largest mall operator that owns and runs world-class malls over the country, providing millions of square meters of floor area for a fully integrated shopping, dining, and entertainment experience (SMIC, 2009). Moreover, it manages the parking area and the amusement facilities of the mall such as SM Cinemas, SM Ice Skating and SM Science Discovery Center. As of December 2008, there are 36 SMPH malls 33 here in the Philippines and 3 in China and this year it is expected that three new SM malls are opening. By the end of 2009 the total gross floor area (GFA) of all SM malls would total to 4.5 million square meters, a 5% increase from 2008s GFA. Above all, SMPH recorded a good financial performance year last year as it delivered a seven percent increase in net profit to Php6.4 billion, from a 12% growth in revenues worth Php17.8 billion (SMPH, 2008). Overview of the Internal Environment Every organization differs from one another. Each has its own unique characteristics that contribute to the over-all success of the company. These unique characteristics are often called the internal environment, which is composed of elements within the organization. These elements include employees, management, and corporate culture (Cliffs Notes, 2009). Out of all of these elements, there are two distinctive attributes that are vital to a company and these are its structure and culture. These two provides background on how the company operates. SMPHs Internal Environment For SMPH, understanding how their internal structure and culture operates allows them to organize, to take advantage of their strengths, to improve their weaknesses, and to develop an environment that breeds and encourages success among its employees (Organizational Culture 101, 2007). Moreover the success of the whole SM Group is attributed to its founder, Mr. Sy, whose determination and passion is considered exceptional. His influence has remained strong and visible both in its organizational structure and culture. Organizational Structure According to Drucker it is the correct design of structure which is of the most significant in determining organizational performance (Mullins, 2005. p. 597). In SMPH, they made sure that the structure is well-defined so that it will lessen confusion for their employees as it limits and controls what they do, for the organization is structured around high levels of formalization and specialization. Also the company has a strict adherence to chain of command that helps employees to identify their position in the company. Lastly, it is highly centralized wherein all decisions have to be made by higher ranking officials (Robbins, 2003, p. 575). In other words, the organizational structure of SMPH describes the management philosophy of Mr. Sy which is conservative yet with fine tuned instincts. Organizational Culture Like every individual, organizations also have their own personality that set them apart from others. In case of SMPH, their work ethics is prominent. For them everything is a serious business. Furthermore, they are guided by traditional Confucian values which are highly influenced by Mr. Sy who is an immigrant from mainland China. Hard work, frugality, discipline, love of study, self-sacrifice for the family welfare and harmonious social relationships are the Confucian values integrated to the company. These are the anchor values of SM Group which are the building blocks of their success (Flores, W. L., 2007). Overview of the External Environment Aside from managing its resources, organizations operate in a larger scale called the external environment. But unlike their internal resources wherein they have a full control of, the external environment suggests otherwise and in some cases may be considered as a threat. The number of the external environment factors is virtually unlimited for there are many macro factors that could impact organizations productivity. The only distinction between these factors is the degree of its impact to the company (NetMBA, 2007). SMPHs External Environment: PESTLE Analysis of SMPH SMPH, being the number one mall operator in the Philippines, regularly reviews its external environment. In their perspective, understanding the environment they belong is vital to the planning function of management for it influences the companys success rate. They identify and analyze the key trends, forces, and phenomena having a potential impact on the formulation and implementation of their strategies. In effect, the environmental assessment attempts to prepare the organization to acclimatize to environmental changes to take advantage of opportunities and to minimize the adverse effects of threats (Appelbaum, 1991). (P)olitics The Philippines is a democratic republic with an elected bicameral legislature, and a multiparty system. Filipinos exercised their right to vote every three years and despite the rumors to the contrary that the current President, Ms. Arroyo would not step down from office; there would be an election next year (US Department of State, 2007). This issue is important for the business sector as the next countrys leader may affect the operations of their organizations. This can influence them due to the reforms the new public officials would take. For SMPH, the results of the upcoming election would greatly affect them because it may affect the stability of the country and may undermine their confidence in their expansion plans. (E)conomics The countrys economic system is mixed economy wherein most of the companies are owned privately; however, government can control when the need for it arises. One of the features of the Philippine economy, it is consumer driven and the sales at the countrys biggest malls have been a gauge of trends in consumer spending. Almost 70% of the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) is contributed by consumer spending. Moreover the 30% of this total consumer spending happens inside malls, and two-thirds of this slice of the pie is accounted to SM alone (Balea, 2009). But according to the Fitch Ratings Inc. the countrys GDP is predicted to be at its lowest at 2.5%, which is lower than the 1998 Asian Crisis (Burgonio, 2009). Given this forecast, this can predict how SMPH would perform this year. This economic downturn will most probably affect the company and would be visible in its financial statements. (S)ocial-Cultural One social-cultural factor that affects organizations is the consumer buying behavior. Consumers are the source of profit of the company and that is why they are researching in great detail to learn the buying behavior of their consumers in order to track consumer trends and respond to it. Understanding the purchasing patterns answers what consumers buy, where they buy, how much they buy, when they buy and why they buy (Kotler Armstrong 2007. p. 129). In a recent survey conducted by the global market research firm Synovate, it revealed that during the six month stretch of December 2008 to April 2009, 92% of residents in Metro Manila, which is comprised of all social brackets and where malls are concentrated, have cut their spending, while 61% did less impulsive buying. Moreover 55% said theyve focused on food and other necessities and spent less on recreation as well as luxury items. In short, Filipinos are still spending but they are spending for the cheaper and basic things (Balea, 2009). Although SMPH may not be directly affected by this buyer behavior, this may affect its tenants total sales. Since tenants rental fees are determined through a percentage of their income or through a fixed monthly rent basis, SMPHs total revenue may squeeze (Narciso, 2009). (T)echnology The continuous improvement of technology has dramatically changed every organizations process; for example new marketing channels were introduced like the internet. Here in the country, internet penetration is still low. As of 2008, only 14.6% of the Philippine population is internet users; however it is forecasted to record a 23% growth annually. If this trend continues it will revolutionize the way Filipinos live. A good example of this is e-commerce, wherein markets, which were once unreachable because of distance and costs, are now open through cyberspace (Internet World Stats, 2009). Although e-commerce is still an unfamiliar territory here in the country wherein only 3% in National Urban Philippines made online purchase, it has a strong promise especially in the coming years due to the increasing accessibility of the internet, greater PC penetration and enactment by the government of appropriately strong e-commerce legislation (Internet World Stats, 2009). With this implication SMPH may find a new competitor by means of the so-called e-malls. This can be a serious threat for the company since this brings many advantages to consumers such as convenience, accessibility, interactivity and immediate response. (L)egal The current legal system of the Philippines is based on the 1987 Constitution but there is an on-going movement that is aimed to revise the current system. According to several lawmakers the business sector would be the number one beneficiary of the constitutional change as the proposed amendments include creation of a more efficient and competitive business environment among others (Rubio, 2009). SMPH is highly subjected to this change. If this would push through, all corporate laws may be altered which would affect how the SMPH operates taxes may rise, new labor codes may be enacted, ownership act may be amended. (E)co-Environment The Philippines is a developing company and as a result of this is the degradation of the natural environment. That is why theres environmental legislation and provision that protects welfare of the environment. Hence these should be followed strictly by both the private and public business sectors. For SMPH, this is very much applicable since they are mall developers. They have to be in compliance with the rules and standards or else they would be penalized (Kirk, 1998, p. 83). A particular example of an environmental legislation that should be followed by SMPH is to secure an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) during the conceptualization stage of their expansion plans. Getting an ECC certifies that the project under consideration will not bring about an unacceptable environmental impact and the proponent has complied with all of the environmental legislation preventing and controlling water, air and land pollution. Securing an ECC is important for SMPH because if they fail to do so all their expansion plans will be put on a halt (Kirk, 1998, p. 83). Competition Here in the Philippines, malls have become a huge phenomenon in the country. Most often than not, whether for recreational, dining or shopping purposes, Filipinos go to mall. With this high demand for shopping malls, this translates competition for SMPH and as of now there are three primary players in the shopping mall industry and these are Ayala Land, Robinsons Land and of course SMPH. Although the industry seems attractive with only 2 competitors for SMPH, the rivalry is still high since both Ayala Land and Robinsons Land are also expanding and has its own loyal customers. But an advantage being in the mall operations business is that it has high barriers to entry due to the huge capital needed to start up a mall, to find strategic locations and to attract reputable anchor tenants. With regards to SMPHs stand against its competitors, SMPH, with a 51 year experience under its belt, is still the mall of choice for tenants since they can enjoy heavy consumer traffic with almost 2.5 million foot traffic. This enormous number of SMPHs customers is due to their malls convenience, affordability and diversity, and these translate to high customer power. But theres also threat for substitutes like no-fuss shopping complexes (e.g. Tutuban Centermall, Greenhills) that is becoming a serious peril due to its cheaper prices. Knowledge Management In our daily lives, knowledge is considered as power. Same goes in businesses. But knowledge management is not merely gathering all the data, for it is more involved in processing all these information into a cohesive knowledge. Being efficient with the sourcing, analyzing, dissemination and storage of knowledge can be a source of competitive advantage for a company. With the case of SMPH, knowledge management is essential especially during times of expansion wherein they gather all information demographics of the area, spending capacity, competitive environment level of commercial and retail activities in the surrounding area and distance from other SM malls that will aid them in decision-making (SMPH, 2008). Financial Management The entire worlds economic system depends upon the exchange rate. The currency exchange rates effect global businesses like a thermometer, it measures the health of global economics (JD Files, 2009). Last year the Philippine Peso (php) was one of the worst performing currencies in Asia, closing at 47.52 php to a dollar. This is a 15% decline from the 2007s 41.29 php. (James, 2008) This can affect SMPH, since most of the Overseas Filipino Workers remittances are spent by their beneficiaries in shopping malls, tourism and entertainment. If the peso weakens, it increases the value of dollar remittances and this translates to more OFW beneficiaries spending in their malls. International Market Entry Many companies successfully operate in a niche market without ever expanding into new markets. However, some businesses could achieve increased sales, brand awareness and business stability by entering a new market (My Business, 2009). For instance, the company could review new geographical market to serve and at this time of globalization, many companies try to penetrate the international market as a source of their growth. Relating this to SMPH, the company expanded internationally through an acquisition of three SM shopping malls in China through a share swap agreement. This move allowed SMPH to gain a foothold in Chinas fast-growing economy and use this as a platform for long-term growth outside the Philippines where it is clearly the dominant player in the mall business (SMPH, 2007). Ecology According to Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, ecology means the scientific study of the processes influencing the distribution and abundance of organisms, the interactions among organisms, and the interactions between organisms and the transformation and flux of energy and matter. (n.d) In other words, ecology is about environmentalism. Today, one of the biggest issues in ecology is the increasing effect of global warming. Global warming as its name suggest is the gradual increase in the temperature here in earth. This is caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollution that is collecting in the atmosphere like a thickening blanket, trapping the suns heat and causing the planet to warm up (NRDC, 2009). Major sources of CO2 emissions are deforestation and burning of fossil fuels. This global concern is alarming for it may bring about natural disasters that may affect peoples health, bring ecological imbalance, rise in sea levels and change in crop and food supply. Here in the country, the effects of global warming are now being felt. According to World Wide Foundation (WWF), â€Å"The Philippines is extremely vulnerable to the ravages of climate change. Food and freshwater shortages, receding coastlines and an increase in political and economic turmoil are the bleak picture that climate change paints for the country.† (Burgonio, 2007) With these consequences organizations have taken additional measures to respond to these impending catastrophes since they have the leverage to start the change and besides they are also the biggest offenders. In addition to this, various pressure groups, like WWF, are negotiating the companies to adopt energy-efficient saving measures in their operations to help in the global effort to cut CO2 emissions, the leading cause of global warming. (Burgonio, 2007) Ecology and SMPH SM CARES aims to unify and integrate all SMPHs CSR initiatives that are geared towards caring their shoppers and nurturing Mother Earth. Under SM CARES, the company has therefore taken an aggressive stance in protecting the environment through four major initiatives: Solid Waste Management, Water Conservation, Energy Efficiency, and Air Quality Efficiency. Below are some of SM CARES programs (SMPH, 2008). SM Cares Activities Solid Waste Management SM Supermalls holds Trash to Cash, a recycling market every first Friday and Saturday of the month in all SM Prime malls in the country. Here, the public can convert their recyclable trash into cash. To date, Trash to Cash has generated over Php10 million in recyclable items and is estimated to have saved nearly 11,000 seven-year-old trees. Mall tenants are also educated on the benefits of waste segregation. As a result, solid waste in the malls garbage depots has been reduced by as much as 20% a month and two tons of garbage per mall is diverted away from landfills every week. Water Conservation Since its inception a few years back, SM Supermalls now saves about 2.4 billion liters of precious water every year through tertiary treatment plants that recycle water for use in the cooling towers of the malls air-conditioning systems, toilet flushing, and landscape irrigation. Add to that, the use of waterless urinals in mens toilets save another 315 million liters of water annually. Energy Efficiency SM malls control their air-conditioning systems through the Focus Enterprise Building Management System. This computerized process closely monitors the building temperature to optimally balance supply versus demand for cool air. As such, mall areas that are full of people are made cooler while those less congested are left a bit warmer. The system saves almost 50 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year. All tertiary treatment plants mentioned earlier utilize a device known as a sequential batch reactor that saves up to 500,000 kilowatt hours annually. To reduce the use of light bulbs during the day, the new SM malls are designed to have glass walls and ceilings to light up the mall with sunlight. Lighting has also been replaced from fluorescent to energy efficient bulbs and has saved the malls a considerable amount of kwh annually. SM CARES also avidly supports Earth Hour, an annual global movement that encourages households and establishments to shut down a ll power sources for an hour, thereby heightening awareness for energy conservation. Air Quality Efficiency SM strictly enforces the no-smoking policy inside the malls, and requires all public utility vehicles entering and parking in its mall terminals and depots to present certificates of having passed smoke emission testing. They also encourage the use of bicycles by providing safe parking spaces for them. Green Bags Pioneering efforts to promote eco-shopping in the Philippine retail industry, SM Supermalls recently unveiled the new SM Supermalls Greenbag. The SM Supermalls Greenbag enables shoppers to participate in the global cause to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags. The SM Supermalls Greenbag which is available in all SM malls is made from 100-percent polypropylene (PP) material. It is recyclable, non-toxic, allergy free and nonreactive to human skin. The Greenbags size is equivalent to two regular SM Supermarket shopping bags and has an estimated life span of two years. It is very light, handy and can be folded into a small pack. The SM Supermalls Greenbag comes in four exclusive designs by world-renowned artist Manuel Baldemor, turning this utility item into a prized art piece. Another contribution of SMPH to ecology is through green architecture. Early this year SMPH unveiled their first mall to turn â€Å"green†, the SM North EDSA via the Sky Garden. It uses roof gardens that help in neutralizing global warming for roof gardens are known to reduce the effects of ‘urban heat islands and are energy efficient that cut down up to 20% air-conditioning costs. It also catches rainwater, which will be released into a storm water infrastructure that is subsequently recycled for landscaping and car park maintenance. Lastly roof gardens also lessen the plumbing design and systems expenditure. With all of these green features, the Sky Garden is an example of how a large-scale property developer can contribute to the improvement of the environment (The Philippine Star, 2009). Policies and Decision Making Since SMPH is a mall developer, ecological factors like global warming are always part of their discussion. As a matter fact preserving the environment is part of SMPHs objectives and that is to ensure environmental sustainability through various programs on energy, water and air conservation. For them more than just complying with the legal standards (e.g. environment legislation), they also have the responsibility to the community since their company is in the position to make a difference (SMPH, 2008). The management regularly holds meetings to discuss their effect to the environment as well as to discuss the effectiveness of their programs and their up-and-coming activities. One situation wherein SMPH considers the environment in their decision-making is every time they expand and open new malls. During the conceptualization stage, SMPH constantly explores breakthrough architectural models for its malls that are environment-friendly. The Sky Garden at SM City North EDSA, which is a first in the Philippines, is a noteworthy showcase of the companys innovative thinking. Utilizing the latest in green architecture, the Sky Garden brings their customers closer to nature and at the same time contributes to environmental conservation (The Philippine Star, 2009). To stress even more SMPHs integration of ecology in its company, they held a conference on Sustainability, Energy, and Green Design Initiatives. The conference was aimed at providing a fresh view on how green design initiatives can influence sustainability and promote environmental preservation. Some of the countrys seasoned architects and engineers shared their views on the subject with SMs executives to bring more awareness on how these timely subjects can impact their mall operations (Manila Bulletin, 2008). Through this conference, the management reassessed its policies concerning the environment and recognized the link between a healthy economy and a healthy ecology. Evaluation and Recommendation With all these initiatives on responding to the ecological issues, it seems that SMPH is reacting well but actually they are kind of late already. Their competitor, Ayala Malls, has been the pioneer to this trend and is successful in incorporating ecology programs in their system. Ayala Malls was the first to retrofit the existing structure of their malls to a more eco-friendly one. Furthermore all of their malls show a close-to-nature effect; in contrast to SMPH wherein most of their malls look like a concrete jungle. As a recommendation, SMPH may restructure all of their malls. But this could be done little by little so it will not interrupt the malls activities. Another precaution is that this can be very costly but if SMPH is really determined to be environment-friendly in all their malls this is the best means to show it. An alternative method is to put more in-door plants and garden to make their malls at least appear as eco-friendly. Another first by Ayala Malls is their integration with its mall tenants by means of â€Å"Greenology† that bolsters the malls environment awareness campaign. Through Greenology, Ayala Malls mark the trend of being an eco-friendly and eco-chic establishment by showcasing remarkable events that aims to capture the hearts of concerned mall patrons and environmentalists (Ayala Land, 2008). Although SMPH also has their own mall-wide activities such as Trash to Cash and their Green bag, they do not have monthly activities like the Ayala Malls. In addition to this their tenants do not actively participate as much as those in the Ayala Malls. A likely proposal for SMPH is to create an earth-friendly philosophy encompassing all mall activities that are related to conservation of the environment. Then make an apt title to it so that it will create awareness to the people, like the Ayala Malls Greenology. SMPH should also communicate to its tenants to support and participate in the activities. Together they can brainstorm and come up with ideas that are appropriate with the objective. For example, every month all the mall tenants would feature a product that would help in preserving the environment or are made with environment-friendly materials. But the good news for SMPH is that even though they are not proactive in responding to ecological factors, what matters most is that they are trying to keep up and do all their best to preserve the environment. All of their programs are actually well-thought of and practical. Their advocacies for Solid Waste Management, Water Conservation, Energy Efficiency, and Air Quality Efficiency are properly executed. As a matter of fact, SMPH has received some accolades for these activities including an Outstanding Achievement in Energy Efficiency and Conservation from Don Emilio Abello Awards for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Best Practices for Buildings (SMI, 2008). However with all of these good strategies what is lacking to SMPH is publicity. They do not create so much buzz about their environmental concern and activities that makes the public think that they are not doing anything for the sake of the environment. That is why Ayala Malls remains to be the top of mind of the customers when it comes to being eco-friendly mall. To counter this SMPH should make use of public relations to show their plans in connection to greener lifestyle. They should utilize the different kinds of media to create awareness that they are good corporate citizen. Also they can sponsor events such as the yearly celebration of Earth Day to show their support for nature as well as to use this event to promote the earth-friendly facilities of their mall. All in all, SMPH has been sound with all its action plans towards the emerging environmental awareness and it would probably have a 65% marking since theres still a room for improvement. Conclusion Through the years, SM malls has become synonymous to the phrase one-stop shopping. You can ask any Filipino about what mall comes first into their minds and without batting an eyelash, they will respond and say SM. This is how great the impact SM has to the Filipinos. It is more than just the shopping, dining or entertainment experience it is part of the culture already. But before SM became an icon in the country, it started like any other rags to riches story. Its success can be traced back to its founder, Mr. Henry Sy. Even at his age, Mr. Sy is still very hands-on with the business. The countrys shopping mall magnate is a contrarian who not only survived but prospered after every political and economic crisis in the last five decades. This is because he studies the environment very well and handles every downturn as a challenge to seek new opportunities. These work ethics of Mr. Sy is visible in the company and are the main drivers for the continuous achievement of SM. (Tan-Co, 2001) Also contributing to the accomplishment of SM Group is its response to ecology. Although it is still lagging behind its competitors, SMPH is doing its share to conserve Mother Nature. They have opened their first green mall and have conducted various activities to counter their enormous carbon footprint. All these efforts towards being environment-friendly, shows the commitment of SMPH to be the mall of choice that cares to preserve the nature.