SUNRISE SENIOR LIVING (SRZ)....FIRM THAT'S NOT WORTHY INVESTMENT Research Paper

SUNRISE SENIOR LIVING (SRZ)....FIRM THAT'S NOT WORTHY INVESTMENT - Research Paper Example The company operates in a high competitive market in US where Assisted Living Concepts Inc and Brookdale Senior Living Inc are two major competitors of it. Financial ratio analysis has shown that company is not at all profitable in terms of major profitability ratios. Though it has quite good asset turnover but capital structure of the company is very much unstable. Liability holds 90% of the totals assets and 10 times more than equity capital. Therefore, it operates with a huge amount of debt which indicates high possibility of bankruptcy in near future. By projecting key financial parameters for next financial year, it is identified that net profit would remain negative in next financial year. Profitability of the company would also remain very much weak compared to its competitors. The company is also much behind in terms of market share, profitability and operating efficiency than its competitors. From, detailed analysis of the company in financial and non financial perspective, it can be recommend that currently the company is not investment worthy. Introduction This paper deal with detailed analysis of Sunrise Senior Living Corporation, a US based multinational senior care service organization. ... The company operates in healthcare industry and provides senior living services to the aged people. It operates through 300 locations in home country United States and also in Canada and United Kingdom. Sunrise offers independent living, Alzheimer’s care, assisted living and personal carte, short term stays and nursing and rehabilitative care. This healthcare organization specializes in assisted living for the old people along with Alzheimer’s care through skilled nursing. The company is listed in fortune 1000 company. Recently, Sunrise Senior Living Corporation has been acquired by the Health Care REIT. SSL was established in 1981 in Virginia by Paul and Terry at an aims of long term healthcare to look after the senior citizen of the society. This objective of the business was termed as assisted living. Within next few decades the company penetrated throughout the United States and expanded in United Kingdom as first foreign market. In 2001 the company expanded its for eign market into Canada. The company changed its name as Sunrise Senior Living from Sunrise Assisted Living in 2008. It closed down all centers in Germany in 2010. Currently, the company employees near about 31,000 employees to provide senior living services through healthcare centers in more than 300 retirement communities across the world. Industry overview and trend Sunrise Senior Living operates in healthcare sector and long term care industry. This industry has been growing in western countries like United Kingdom, United States and Canada. Increasing life expectancy among the people, falling of birth rate are the key drivers for growth of this industry. According to the

Research Methods Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Research Methods - Assignment Example The study below details a research conducted on a number of stock exchange items with graphical representation of their performance in price changes and volumes to aid indicate to the investors different items on the various counters and stock markets. Analyzing the stock market requires the application of technical skills that one may need for close monitoring the movements of a stock on daily basis to capture all the changes and use them to make investment decisions or advice the different stakeholders about the stock. Looking at the historic data of a security allows one to better understand its behavior and therefore make it easier to predict the next movement in prices. The prediction may never prove 100% unless if one predicted that the market will move up, come back down and eventually stagnate at one time. It is therefore vital to follow up on the daily movements of a stock in order to present a relatively close prediction of the price movements and the volumes traded. The percentage change of a stock aids in understanding the volatility of the stock, which plays a major role in comparing with a benchmark period, or stock. Looking at the volumes that a stock is able to trade in a day reflects the momentum of the market, which displays the actual movement of the stock within a specified period and hence dictating the efficient nature of the market (Singal, 2006, p.1). These may reflect a week, a day, a month or on yearly basis. The analysis below is based on the stock prices and considered on volumes traded on a weekly basis for different indices over a period of a year each and the detailed explanation of their meaning to an investor. Download the weekly data of the index for the calendar year 2009 and make a time plot of the data. Comment on the variability of the index looking at the plot. Report the standard deviation

Everest Report Essay Example for Free

Everest Report Essay Introduction Everest simulation is a group task program created by Harvard this program allows teams to gain new experiences in relation to group tasks. The Everest teams were given two opportunities to complete the simulation, during the two simulations team members learnt how to problem solve and make strong decisions to ensure the group and individual goals were met. This exercise is a valuable tool to learn as it places students in teamwork situation within professional organisations. The following report will examine both simulations outcome of results and the significant events which took place. Focusing on the group and individual’s experience based on the theory concepts attitudes, leadership and groups and teams. As the results were at a distance the report will look at the type of strategy’s adapted between  both attempts. As we did not have a clear leadership style and no clear communication within the first simulation this affected the overall confidence and support in achieving a higher group and individual score this report will discuss what type of leadership theory was approached during both simulations and the change of structure through the group experience. Preparation of Everest Simulation As the Everest simulation is a group based task we were formed into our numbered groups. Group 35 decided during the tutorial to take part in the first simulation through face to face contact, in this meeting were technical issues within the Wi-Fi system and we could not continue with the Everest climb. Some members suggested we continue at a later time through the Skype program. During this conclusion we had a few encounters as a few of the team members including myself were not familiar within the Skype program ,including the time chosen for first climb would not be suitable for group members external conditions. It had seemed we were facing a dilemma, we found ourselves problem solving even before the first Everest climb. As a group we problem solved to ensure we could support all members individual commitments with minimal conflict. It is imperative when forming a group task to ensure all group members are satisfied with the final decision according to (Lakein’s, 1973 cited in Macan, 1994) there were forms of time management descriptions were individuals confirm the importance of their personal needs and facing the task of prioritising these activities to ensure the goals are met and accomplished. This evidence suggests that most individuals preparing for a group task will prioritise and be committed to complete the Everest simulation1. Critical Analysis of Attitudes / groups and teams within Everest simulation 1and 2 Group experience and result: This first group reflection is based on the first Everest simulation which subsequently took place via a virtual mode of Skype, This virtual interaction gave the group a total group result/of 67 The attitudes of the team were very positive in building strong relationships with one another, this first simulation was at a forming stage and we moved into the storming  stage of adapting to each other’s behaviours and personality’s. Time management had become an issue as we were trying to contact a few Everest tem members who did not respond to the initial set time for virtual meeting after 45minutes after the initial start time. As there was a cultural diverse group of personality we found ourselves developing strategies within a social interaction, gaining respect for each individual member and personal commitments. As prior to commencement there were difficulties with computer problems during face to face meeting within the library. It is imperative as a group that consistency is vital to gain a more efficient and effective result in productiveness. Motivation and emotional factors of not knowing each other on a closer bases and the link of a virtual experience was a concern ( Baltes, 2002, cited in , Bordia, 1997) Demonstrates that studies have shown computer based teams are less satisfied and positive of those who meet in a face to face environment. As we all had no prior recognition of familiarisation w it one another this became a little difficult to conduct a virtual group task, As our score was a little low this may have been due to the unclear communication of a virtual experience at times as a group it was unclear to know if we would proceed due to messaging being transmitted and encoded with no clear construction. As stated by (Bos 2002 and Jensen, 2000 cited in Hertel, 2012) â€Å"Differences between computer-me diated and face-to-face teams for negotiation tasks have seldom been explored. It is usually recommended that negotiation and conflict management should rather be realized face-to-face than at a distance because they involve complex interaction and the need to build trust† As a group within the first simulation we had no clear discussion on the Everest group goals and what we initially would like from this experience prior to climb. Due to the external noises and distractions during the virtual simulation through Skype at times it seemed there was low level of satisfaction in completing the tasks in front, once the simulation was completed their was job satisfaction in completing a score of 67%. Everest Simulation 2 was completed as another form of meeting this time we wanted to build a better performance rate in the second simulation, we decided it may be more productive to meet in house face to face, this was probably the most suitable decision. At this stage were forming close  relationships and building trust as a group, getting to know the behaviours of one another. Our second team score was 96% this was a significant rise in results, the probability of a higher score may have come from the confidence we all gained in communicating as a team and not as individuals. There was a sense of inclusion and respect for all suggestions on how we would help all team members meet the goals of the summit climb more effectively and efficiently. This was not evident within the virtual simulation as we had no group structure or clear goals. Individual Experience and result: My individual experience and result of the first simulation within the Attitudes and group and team theory, I originally was very hesitant as I knew it was imperative to form a strong team ethic to ensure we succeeded in the tasks set out by the Everest simulation. Originally I have only ever been in face to face situations with group tasks; I was excited about a new challenge of virtual learning but at the same time not sure about how I could build trust through the comfort of technology. As an individual researched the job description of my position as the marathoner, this preparation was to ensure I could support my team members in the higher success of reaching the summit and meeting the group goals and individual goals set. During and before the climb we had no briefing regarding the Everest team goals and we just commenced the climb as a member of a team I know this is an important part of team building of relationships and discuss within your team. This can also affect the trust of a group and team and we are already reluctant to gain relationships with team members, I wondered whether this may have been due to the virtual experience I had been a part of as discussed by (Li 2004 cited in Brahm and Kunze, 2012) moderating the role of trust is more difficult in the virtual team thus can create trust attitudes and the relationship of team trust and team cohesiveness. My total result for the first Everest simulation was at 67% I feel this may have been due to the confusion on whether to speak up or just sit back and not interact with the group due to the lack of clear communication. The Everest simulation 2 was a much more positive and enjoyable task as an individual I was more confident with a face to face meeting, at one stage I was a natural leader by gaining the confidence in expressing my interest and advice in  having the next simulation meeting together. I suggested this may create a higher score for us as a team. As an individual I could relate to the flexibility of a virtual meeting but was hesitant in the process and the clear low result we may achieve. Speaking up and having voice was the start of feeling comfortable within my team environment, there may have been other team members who felt the same decision was necessary as stated by (Argyris, 1991 cited in Morrison, Wheeler-Smith, Kamdar 2011, pg. 183) â€Å"Group and team members often do not share their opinions, ideas, and concerns, and such an absence of voice can have serious negative implications for group performance†. As an individual going into a group task I feel it is important to have your say to benefit your team in success. My individual score of the second simulation was a result of 100% this high score I feel was from the result of strong decision making and problem solving within the group. We also had sufficient time between climbs to take our time and work through questioning every step we took as a group; I fe el my extroverted approach to this questioning assisted in the high individual score. In the end it is vital to have clear goals and achieve success through positive and effective construction within a team environment. Group Experience within Leadership Everest simulation one and the leadership dynamic through the virtual experience of Skype may have affected the initial role of the team leader and the response of no clear structure or coordination within the group. As our group existed to remain new to the first simulation we were still adapting to each other’s behaviours. As a leader it is imperative to gain confidence in building the relationships within your group, the team leader assigned seemed quite held back and not confident in becoming assertive within the decision making process, whether this was due to a virtual leadership role and difficulties familiarisation of a new group of people.. We as a group required a strong leader who could guide us all in our role for a successful climb. Our leader was more of a Laissez-faire style who generally was happy for all team members to come together and have freedom in the decision making process. At the beginning of the confusion in the virtual Everest climb our leader was introverted but was a supportive leader and happy for us to move when required. The group still had respect for the  authority of the leader as this member was still in form of legitimate power due to the job description and role within the Everest simulation. We all know the role we were required to play. Our group had quite a few natural leaders who were supportive with the knowledge of what was the next option. Put a quote in about importance of a strong clear confident leader; also talk about difficulties faced by leaders in virtual roles During the first climb there were a few scenarios were as a group we would problem solve wether to move on and leave the critically ill, I found myself waiting on the other end of disruptions from a clear answer from our team leader. In the end it felt more like a self-reflective answer from all members on their own individual goals. Individual experience and result: My individual experience of Everest simulation one was at first curious to see how leadership would be demonstrated through a virtual experience, as managing group or team in a work environment can have its challenges my initial thought was leading a team with no visual contact could affect the process. As we did not have a briefing or discuss the goals of the team I felt it was unorganised through the leadership process. I knew the role of the leader would have some advantage in ensuring we all meet our own individual goals and those of the Everest team as discussed by At times I feel l was a natural leader who assisted my team in achieving maximum success through supportive questions and answers. At the same time I was aware we were all team members from diverse cultural backgrounds, i respected this and showed respect for all my team members. Leadership was not as strong at the first simulation, but progressed over periods as we started to form a stronger group. As stated in our Team contract we referred to having a specific team leader but collaborated together in a final vote. Virtual teams can have difficulty in leading (Hertal udo,2005 pg 72) suggest that virtual experiences â€Å"by hand are feelings of isolation and decreased interpersonal contact, increased chances of misunderstandings and conflict escalation, and increased opportunities of role ambiguity and goal conflicts due to commitments to different work-units. Following from this quote it is evident from our second simulation of face to face interaction, we had a change in leadership style our leader demonstrated characteristics  in becoming a democratic leader, this assisted me in growing confidence to become more effective and efficient in meeting the individual and team goals and my leader became more engaged in the learning process. This may have also resulted in a final group result of 96% and my individual result of 100%. Due to the change in leadership we become a confidant ad trustworthy group with a sense of social glue. Leadership with social face to face interaction showed more qualities for a successful leader and team. Conclusion Based on the analysis of the two attempts of the Everest simulations it is recommended that as a group we remained more productive and efficient in meeting our goals through face to face collaboration. As our results varied remarkably amongst both simulations The Everest simulation is a wonderful learning device to gain improvement in new expertise utilised in the team and group environment of a workplace, ensuring group development throughout the process likewise evident in the significance of integrating the team contract and policies to track when members required assistance. References: 1:Baltes et al., 2002; Bordia, 1997; Hollingshead McGrath, 1995; Warkentin et al., 1997) page 86 cited in 2: Gersick, Connie J G. (1988). TIME AND TRANSITION IN WORK TEAMS TOWARD A NEW MODEL OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT. Academy of Management Journal. 31 (1), 9-41. http://search.proquest.com.wwwproxy0.library.unsw.edu.au/docview/199773909?accountid=12763 3: Hertel, Guido Geister, Susanne Konradt, Udo. (2005). managing virtual teams: A review of current empirical research. Human Resource Management Review. 15 (1), 69-95. 4: Morrison, Elizabeth Wolfe 1; Wheeler-Smith, Sara L. 1; Kamdar, Dishan 2. (January 2011.). Speaking Up in Groups: A Cross-Level Study of Group Voice Climate and Voice.[Article]. Journal of Applied Psychology 96 (1), 183-191. 5 .P. J. Lamberson and Scott E. Page. ( April 2012). Optimal Forecasting Groups. Management science. 58 (4), 805-810http://mansci.journal.informs.org/content/58/4/805.full.pdf+html 6.Macan, Therese Hoff. (June 1994). Time Management: Test of a Process Model. Journal of Applied Psychology.. 79 (3), 381-391. 7.Taiga Brahm, Florian Kunze, (2012) The role of trust climate in virtual teams, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 27 Iss: 6, pp.595 – 614 cited on 11/10/13 http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=17047848show=abstract HHAY, RATHTANA V, KLEINER, BRIAN H (2013). Effective communication in virtual teams Industrial Management/ Business source premier. 55 (4), 28-30. Cited 12/10/13

Strategies for Effective Succession Planning

Strategies for Effective Succession Planning Abstract Most managers know that talented people are hard to find. If managers try to replace current employees, they often find that recruiting comparably qualified employees from outside the company may cost much more than keeping current employees. Companies will face problems when employees retire and take with them the knowledge and experiences. Succession planning is about filling the organizations talent pipeline and building internal bench strength. This paper through qualitative analysis, literature research and inductive methods of analysis, based on this study constitute the framework of dissertation. In this paper I try to explain effective succession plans and how to institute a succession plan. By citing some cases of some popular companies to explain why companies need succession plans and how these plans affect companies. Succession plan helps to ensure leadership continuity in key positions, retain and develop future intellectual and knowledge capital. Companies may face seri ous human resources crisis. By writing this research paper I realize no matter I am an employee or employer, I should always consider the future. The world is changing fast, only if I prepare for the change in the future can I chase the pace of the world. Keyword: succession planning, continuity, replacement, effect, HR crisis Introduction More and more managers are complaining that they cannot find satisfied employees to fill the void in working positions. When some excellent employees leave their companies, its hard to recruit new employees who are competent to the jobs. In todays fast-paced world, organizations cant miss a beat, especially when it involves their people. The reason that these organizations are facing this dilemma is they dont prepare well for the future. Its a disaster when organizations cannot get the right people to replace the positions in time. However, some famous companies like Microsoft, Intel and Apple; they seldom face this kind of problem. Lets take a look at how these well-know corporations deal with this. Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, has always had to leave his job because his health state. Usually a company will be affected by the absence of its CEO. However, during his absence, Apple maintained operated smoothly and successfully. Even nobody has questioned: What will Apple do without Steve? Over the last 40 years, Intel has maintained a high level of growth and creation while it has transited through five CEOs. Paul Otellini, Intels current CEO, had been working at Intel for more than 30 years before becoming CEO, and his supervisors have devoted their whole careers time at this company. Innovation and predictability have become the characteristic of the Intel. On the other hand, the replacement of Bill Gates at Microsoft was a schemed case that cost Microsoft more than eight years to complete. The long-term strategy would give Microsoft a chance to absorb new managers into the management level and provide the guarantee which both customers and investors are looking for. (Douglas Welton, 2009) In fact, not only these companies, all the successful companies use a helpful tool to maintain high-quality continuity in leadership. This wonderful tool is calledsuccession planning, thats the key point why they can operate successfully all the time. Main body Background In previous years, labor in the United States was plentiful and taken for granted. Managers had lots of time to evaluate and prepare employees for advancement over long time spans and to overstaff as insurance against surprise losses in key positions. That was true in that time because most jobs did not require comprehensive prequalification. Seniority (sometimes called job tenure), as measured by time with an organization or in an industry, was sufficient to ensure advancement. Succession planning and management activities mainly concentrated on leaders at the peak of tall organizational hierarchies because organizations were controlled from the top down and were thus heavily dependent on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of top management. However, as time changed, few organizations have the luxury to overstaff in the face of drastic global competition from low-cost labor abroad and economic restructuring efforts. That is particularly true in high-technology companies where several months experience may be the equivalent of a years work in a more stable industry. At the same time, products, markets, and management activities have grown more complex. Many jobs now require extensive prequalification, both inside and outside organizations. Its not just for positions, leadership competency have become important factors fewer employees compete for diminishing advancement opportunities. As employee authority has broadened the extend of decision makers, leadership influence can be exerted at all hierarchical levels rather than limited to those few granted authority by virtue of their lofty titles and managerial positions. (William J. Rothwell, 2010) Unfortunately, United States is facing a demographic crisis. From these two charts of US population by age, we can see from 1965-2025, people who are 55 or older is the most fast growing group and they make up the main population of US, Whereas the population of other groups is maintaining nearly the same. Baby Boomers started leaving their positions in 2008. Its supposed that Gen X will replace Baby Boomers positions. However, the population of Gen X is much smaller than Baby Boomers; most of them are too young to be qualified to some managing positions, so Gen X cannot fill the void which results from Boomers leaving. The average retirement age in US was 62; it means the number of people who are not working is becoming larger. From 2010 the growth rate of labor force will fall dramatically from 12% to 2%. Projected labor force change by age shows huge hole in future workforce. What happens to work force if more and more employees are retiring with a low growth rate of work force? Definitely it results in a shrinking pool in workforce. Its a bad news to companies because they will suffer a lot if they cannot find the right person to fill the positions in time, especially when some skillful and experienced senior managers leave or retire from companies. For these reasons, organizational leaders must take proactive steps to plan for future talent needs at all levels and implement programs designed to ensure that the right people are available for the right jobs in the right places and at the right times to get the right results. The continuity of the organization over time requires a succession of persons to fill key positions. The best way to find talented individuals to fill roles in your organization is not the typical system of placing ads, making calls, and looking for individuals who might be unhappy in their current positions, and trying to do this during the two-week notice period of a departing employee is not going to help to find the best person for the position. (William J. Rothwell, 2010) Thats where succession planning comes in. Whats succession planning? Succession planning is a process for identifying and developing internal people with the potential to fill key leadership positions in the company. Succession planning increases the availability of experienced and skillful employees that are hopeful to undertake these roles as they become available. This process focuses on seeking the right person, not just the available person. Its built on the idea of recognizing the potential leaders in organization and developing them so that they are ready to move up when the opportunity arises. Its one of the best methods to promote recruitment and retention in organization. Although people often mix up replacement plans and succession planning, the latter goes beyond former planning because its focus is larger than one position or department. While often related to planning for senior executive replacements only, it is really broader than that can extend as far down the organization chart as managers want to go. It also differs from replacement planning because successors are considered by level on the organization chart. A talent pool is identified based on each level of management and a typical goal is to prepare as many successors as possible to be 80 percent ready for promotion to any position at the next level on the organization chart. The remaining 20 percent of development is provided when individuals have been promoted to higher level responsibility. Succession planning is usually based on the assumptions that: A goal is to identify a talent pool of many people who are willing to be considered for promotion and work to be developed for it. The future may not be like the past, and the competencies required at each level may be different in the future so that merely cloning past leaders is not appropriate. Development occurs primarily on the job rather than by off-the-job training experiences. (William J. Rothwell, 2007) Why succession planning matters? Some people question whether its worth to spend time and money on succession planning. They argue that, with many people losing their jobs and working below their skill level, it should be easy to find satisfied replacements for the reduced number of people who can afford to retire at a time that retirement funds with the stock market. But that thought is not true. The people who leave their work do not match perfectly to the people who will be replaced as retirements or job growth. For example, the job growth in health cares. How many workers leave from information technology can become accountants? The fact is that succession planning is needs whenever in good and bad situations. Organizations should consider the future; they should plan for change in the future. Competition for the talents is tend to be more and more intense, just rely on the external human resources will delay the development of organization. They should focus on the internal human resources planning to maximize the advantage of companys value. Succession planning is critical to the business because the high-potential employees will one day become the leaders of the Company. This is why they need to be provided with opportunities to learn widely in organizations. These candidates should also be trained to widen their experiences to look into the working environment so that they can get a good understand of what are they expected to be to remain successful. Another reason its important is the candidates recognized in the plan will eventually bear the responsibility for assuring the company is capable of meeting future challenges. These high potential candidates must be carefully selected and then provided training and development that gives them skills and competencies needed for tomorrows business environment.( Tom Bartridge,2005) It helps to improve employees commitment and retention, by given the opportunity to become high-potential leaders, employees will become more active in engaging the planning. To meet the career development expectations of existing employees, they will work harder to get the chance. The world is changing fast; the knowledge is exploding every day, so as the marketing organizations face. What is important today may become inferior next month. Organizations will be in trouble without plans for future change. To meet the responding flexibly to change, a succession plan is necessary. Succession planning does not belong to big companies only. Small business like family-owned firms also needs it. Succession planning is an important component of any business strategy process. Family-owned firms make 80% to 90% of all United States business, yet only 3% of all family businesses survive beyond the third generation. Succession planning will aid the business owners in preparing for the time when they arrive retire, addressing extreme matters such as illness or death, securing the survival of the business through the transition of ownership, maximizing the return of the retiring owners investment and minimizing tax burden at transfer. Succession planning process Now lets look at one of the most famous business leaders, Jack Welch, who started his working at General Electric in 1960. As he raised his position in the organization he displayed leadership qualities that distinguished him from his peers. What did Jack Welch think about succession planning? One of his most admired skills was the ability to develop his subordinates so there was always someone ready to take his place when Jack was offered a promotion. How successful was his strategy? In 1981 he became the CEO of General Electric and served in that position until he retired in 2000. Furthermore, in 1991, Jack Welch stated: From now on, choosing my successor is the most important decision Ill make. It occupies a considerable amount of thought almost every day. Thats a very strong statement for someone who owns the prospective and leadership competency to increase the value of General Electric from $13 billion to $410 billion dollars during his tenure. Its clear that succession planning and development of future leaders does not exist lonely. It needs to reflect the companys strategic goal. For any organizations to implement an effective succession plan, a number of key issues that need to be considered: The succession planning program must have the support and backing of the companys senior level management. Identify what skills the organization will need in 5, 10 or 15 years. Identify high-performers that are almost ready to step into those critical positions. Analyze the workforce and identify who will be eligible for retirement within the next Critical positions must be identified and included in the Companys succession planning program. Succession planning must be part of an integrated HR process that includes training, development and performance appraisal. A system for communicating succession planning information to managers must be established. Managers need to identify the responsibilities, skills and competencies that will be needed by their replacements. A systematic approach for identifying, nominating and selecting potential successors must be established. Background information on potential successors, such as education, experience, skills, appraisals and potential should be reviewed. The training and development requirements of potential successors need to be determined. The skills of potential successors must be developed through work experiences, job rotation, projects and other challenging assignments. A system for monitoring candidates development plan progress by senior management should be established. Succession planning must include a system for providing feedback and encouragement to potential successors. Succession planning is basically a numbers game that requires good organizational skills and the ability to pay attention to details. Finally, the succession plan must belong to the organization and not to the HR department in order to make sure it has the attention it deserves.( Tom Bartridge, 2005) Any succession planning will be organized to integrate all its components and emphasizes the internal development of existing employees in the organization. (Rothwell, 2005a) A succession planning starts from preparation. The first priority in the preparation is deciding members of succession planning team. This group will determine the scope of the entire project by formulating how many levels of management will be concluded. Here is an overview of the basic steps of the succession planning process: Preparation Get commitment Assess the organization. Determine key positions. Identify competencies for key positions. Identify and assess candidates. Create development plans. Measure, monitor, report, and revise. Preparation A succession planning starts from preparation. The first priority in the preparation is deciding members of succession planning team. This group will determine the scope of the entire project by formulating how many levels of management will be concluded. Get commitment No succession planning program can operate without managers and employees at all levels totally understanding why a succession program is needed. At the same time, executives, managers, supervisors and employees must clearly understand their role in the program. Organization should also link strategic and workforce planning decisions connect succession planning to the needs and interests of senior leaders. (William J. Rothwell, 2007) Assess the organization During this step, constitutors should assess current problems and practices or organization, whats situation around organization and analyze the strength, weakness, opportunity and threat (SWOT) of organization. Whats more, they will analyze present work requirements and individual performance to get overview of organization. Determine key positions. Decisions makers should analyze the gaps by determining current supply and anticipated demand. They should check whether the positions arrangement is reasonable and what modification should be done to make the operation more efficient. At the same time, future conditions should be considered, whether the organization needs some new positions to meet the changes in the future. Identify competencies for key positions. In this stage decision makers identify core competencies and technical competency requirements of those key positions, they align the organizations strategic objectives with the work and competencies need to realize those objectives. At the same time, they will identify the future work requirements and individual potential. The future will not necessarily be like the past. The organizations future requirements should be driven down to each level, job and function. The result should be expected future job descriptions and future competency models. Identify and assess candidates. Firstly, HR audits develop a pool of high potential candidates based on the requirements of positions, and then managers identify some high potential successors and their developmental needs. After observing their working for periods of time, their supervisors will evaluate those potentials. The candidates for promotion to higher level responsibilities should be considered against the background of the future. In other words, every individual who wants promotion is really working to be developed on an escalator because the competitive environment within which the organization performs is not static. Things are changing as individuals are being developed. It is not enough to suppose that successful performance in the past will make sure successful performance in the future. Instead, decision makers should find impersonal ways to determine how well potentials will perform at a future time or at a higher level of management. Create development plans To better help candidates improve themselves to make them qualified to the higher level positions; organizations should create development plans for them. This step focuses on closing developmental gaps found by previous step. To carry out this step successfully, managers should establish an individual development plan for each employee to narrow gaps between what the individual does now and what he or she must do successfully in the future to function at higher levels of responsibility. An individual development plan is like a learning contract. It is usually completed between an individual and supervisor. Candidates are inspired to take advantages of resources to help them build the competencies they need at higher levels of management. Resources may consist of training courses inside the organization, seminars or conferences outside the organization, internal job rotation experiences, and many other competency building efforts. (William J. Rothwell, 2007) Different plans apply to different level, job and function. Candidates should be given opportunities to express themselves. Not just tell them what to do, let them deal with problems by themselves to train them how to be a manager in the future. Measure, monitor, report, and revise The results of a succession planning program can be evaluated by measuring program success against the objectives established for the program in step B. By tracking selections from talent pools, listening to leader feedback on success of internal talent and internal hires, analyzing satisfaction surveys from customers, employees, and stakeholders and assessing response to changing requirements and needs. E. How succession planning works in hospitality Average turnover rate in hospitality industry ranges between 50-400% for employees and 25-200% for managers annually. Its pretty high when compared to other industries. For instance, in the electronics industry (well- known for its high turnover) the rate of turnover is only about 27%. High turnover rate is accompanied by high turnover cost; hotels have to spend a lot of money on recruiting new employees and managers, not to say the lose results from vacancies before the new candidates are selected. The profound changes that have occurred in the hospitality industry and the implications of these changes have affected the ways the hospitality industry hires, develops, and retains employees. It is critical for any hotels to pay attention on the aspect of hospitality human resources: managing the organizations human capital and retaining its professional employees. There are many departments in a hotel to satisfy different demands of customers. For example, front desk, food and wine, housekeeping and finance department they are all necessary to a hotel and any of them fail to operate properly will interrupt the integral organization. To avoid this kind of human resource crisis, succession planning is necessary to hospitality industry. A good succession planning in a hotel should develop different plans for different departments. The function and work of each department is distinctive, so plans makers should focus on each departments characteristic. When designing the talent pool for each department, decision makers should not forget the cross training. Cross training can provide hotels human resource backup to prepare for the peak season. Conclusion Succession planning is not something a good company can ignore because the consequences of not being prepared to replace key personnel will have a major impact on an organizations ability to achieve its goals and strategic targets. The succession planning process needs to be considered as part of the companys strategic planning process because it deals with projecting future changes by anticipating management vacancies and then determining how to meet these challenges. (William J. Rothwell, 2007) When it comes to hospitality people have to talk about the employees. Employees are the most important part of hotels operation. They have the strongest effects on customers who decide the success or failure of hotels. A succession planning is here to provide hotels with continuous talent pool to keep hotels run successfully and progressive. Succession planning should be approached with same conscientious objectives that one would benefit the management of any valuable asset. Retirement fund assets are invested in different vehicles depending upon an individuals appetite for risk. Investment yields are tracked. Investment strategies are modified when results do not meet expectations. Retirement fund managers are kept or fired based on portfolio results. Succession planning efforts should be managed similarly. Create a strict structure to gather assessment information, articulate goals, track progress and evaluate results. In this context, the people who should be at the top of your organization in the future will emerge as stars. (Richard Houston, 2007)

The Heart Of Darkness :: Essays Papers

The Heart Of Darkness The novel, Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, is literally about Marlow’s journey into the Belgian Congo, but symbolically about the discovery of his heart and soul during his journey, only to find that it is consumed by darkness. He realizes that the man he admired and respected most, is really demonic and that he may be just like him. He is able to come to this realization however, before it takes the best of him. The main character of the story, Marlow, is a thirty-two year old English seaman who has been traveling all his life. All he really wants is to find some shred of goodness in the European domination of Africa. He finds his thoughts completely consumed by one man named Kurtz. Kurtz is a man in charge of the most successful ivory business in the Congo. He is the focus in the novel, in that he is the one whom the other characters react to. Marlow’s thoughts are so consumed by Kurtz, that he is built up to be much more of a man than he truly is. In turn, Marlow is setting himself up for a let down. He says at one point, â€Å"I seemed to see Kurtz for the first time...the lone white man turning his back suddenly on the headquarters, on relief, on thoughts of home...towards his empty and desolate station†(P.32). When Marlow reaches Kurtz’s station, he begins to become disillusioned. He begins to hear about, and even see, the acts that Kurtz is committing, and becomes afraid of him. He sees in Kurtz, what he could become, and wants nothing to do with it. He does not want people to know he has any type of relationship with him, and says in response to the Russian, â€Å"I suppose that it had not occurred to him that Mr. Kurtz was no idol of mine.† (P.59). It is at this point that he begins to discover the darkness in his heart. Towards the end of the story, right before Kurtz dies, Marlow looks at Kurtz, and says â€Å"I saw on that ivory face the expression of somber pride, of ruthless power, of craven terror-of an intense and hopeless despair.† (P.118), and then Kurtz screams, â€Å"The horror, the horror.† (P.118) and he dies. He is referring to what he sees inside himself. This is just what Marlow was afraid he was becoming, he looked deep inside himself, and saw Kurtz.

Identification of Bacteria in Wastewater Essay example -- Scientific R

The analytical techniques for direct detection, enumeration, isolation and identification many different types of pathogenic bacteria in wastewater and accompanying sludge require well-trained technicians. Also it's usually are unpredictable, difficult, hugely expensive, costly and time-consuming procedures. The task would be enormous if one contemplates the monitoring of hundreds of pathogens and parasites on a routine basis in water and wastewater treatment plants, receiving waters, soils and others environmental samples (Lucero-Ramirez, 2000 and Bitton, 2005). To avoid these problems, Toze (1997) reported that the indicator microorganisms are indicators of fecal pollution used to determine the relative risk of the possible presences of microbial pathogens. Indicator organisms are also used as models for the behavior of pathogens e.g. to determine the efficiency of treatment processes. In this study the bacterial load of the effluent samples examined in this study was summarized in Table 1. There are no significant differences between geometric means of TBC and TC cell number in all samples collected from STP1, STP2 and STP3. The log10 CFU /100 mL of TC of effluent samples collected from STPs was significantly different from the log10 of FC and enterococci cell number (P ≠¤0.05 as determined by ANOVA). The geometric mean values for the TC ranged from 6.12 to 5.39 log10 CFU /100 mL. Enterococci levels in treated effluent at STP1 were significantly less than STP2 and STP3. According to data collected from STPs under study, STP2 is specific for treated of the domestic sewage coming from medical centers, while STP1 treated the wastewater coming from laboratories that operate on the experiences of pharmaceutical in the educationa... ...tion complies with the WHO guidelines for unrestricted irrigation regarding the FC content (≠¤1000 CFU/100 mL or 3 log10 CFU/100 mL). According to Alcalde et al., (2003) the effluent which has these parameters can be used for unrestricted irrigation of several crops during the entire year without any additional disinfection treatment. This results were accepted by Deportes et al. (1998) who reported that during storage, indicators and pathogenic microorganisms remained either undetectable or at low level. Moreover, survivals of microorganisms that are associated with solids are more than when they are suspended in water (Straub et al., 1992). Works Cited Straub, T. M., Pepper, I. L. and Gerba, C. P. (1992): Persistence of viruses in desert soil amended with anaerobically digested sewage sludge. Journal of Applied Environmental and Microbiology (58), 636–645.

History of Sunnah

Deutsch |Francais| Espanol | About Us |Contact Us islamweb english Thursday, November 29, 2012 Muharram 15, 1434 Welcome to Islam Fatwa Articles Fiqh Boys & Girls E-Books Women Multimedia Quran Recitations Lectures Athan Duaa Islamic Songs Movies Services Prayer Times Weather Forecast Calendar Converter Special Folders Palestine Ramadhaan Oasis Hajj & Umrah Xmas & New Year's Sacred Months Valentine's Day Newsletter Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon Sign up for our Email Newsletter VoteCan Morsi restore Egypt’s leadership? Yes No Vote Results History of the Sunnah -I: At the time of the Prophet [Rate: The article has not yet been rated] Rating 0 | Vote! Print Send this Article to friend Read : 11234 | Print : 429 | Sent : 0 | Rate : 0 22/09/2010 Muslims were, early on, aware of the significance of the Sunnah and its authority. They, one generation after the other, were keen to preserve the Sunnah because they saw that as a part of the preserving of the last revelations man is ever to receive.Their efforts were unabated, and the remarkable job they did is unparalleled in the experience of any other religion or civilization. At the time of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ): One of the main reasons behind this is the fact that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) clearly taught the Companions may Allaah be pleased with them the importance of his Sunnah, its place in Islam and their role in saving it, teaching and conveying it to others around them and to those who would come after them.In so doing, he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) followed an effective methodology, which will be briefly outlined below: 1. He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) emphasized the importance of seeking knowledge and teaching it to others. He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his men tion ) said: â€Å"Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim (male and female). † [Ibn Maajah] Also, he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: â€Å"Whosoever pursues a path to seek knowledge therein, Allaah will thereby make easy for him a path to Paradise.No people gather together in one of the houses of Allaah (mosques), reciting the Book of Allaah and studying it among themselves, without tranquility descending upon them, mercy enveloping them and angles surrounding them, and Allaah making mention of them to those (angels) who are with Him. † [Muslim] 2. He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) always had a center for teaching. Most of the time, it was the mosque. 3. He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) was soft in his dealings and always facilitated things and made them easy for others.He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) was merciful and humble and made himself readily available. 4. He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) never pushed people into anything. Instead, he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) gradually taught them and led them to change. He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) always motivated them to follow his example and be their best. 5.He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) would not continuously teach or work with them, but he would give them enough breaks to avoid overstressing or boring them. 6. He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) spoke plainly and clearly and he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) talked to people at their level of understanding and intellectual ability. Whenever appropriate, he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) spoke to people in their own dialect for the Arabs had different dialects. . He sallal laahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) used the method of repetition. He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) would repeat whatever he wanted to stress for three times to insure that all heard him properly and clearly understood what he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) was saying. 8. When questioned, he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) would give more than what is expected as an answer and use the occasion to further clarify things for all, and teach about other things. . Whenever the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) had to choose between two ways, he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) chose the easier way, which had facility and mercy if there was nothing forbidden in that, and he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) kept away from the difficult and harsh ways. 10. He sallallaahu `alayhi w a sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) attached special attention to teaching the women and provided them special times for questions.He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) encouraged them to ask and learn. 11. He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) used to do his best in everything, and he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) perfected whatever he did, thus setting an example for others. The era of the Companions and their Followers The Companions may Allaah be pleased with them did their utmost to convey Islam to the generations succeeding them in the best and most accurate way possible.They sincerely loved it, honestly lived according to it and faithfully preserved it and kept any impurity or irregularity out of it. Their role in the preservation of Islam was one of utmost importance to its continuation, but they were highly prepared for it by the best teacher and trainer, the Prophet sallallaahu ` alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ). Thus the studying of this era, especially with respect to the history and authority of the Sunnah, is necessary to all Students of Knowledge.And since this article will not provide enough details to properly cover the subject, it is recommended that the readers consult the following list of books on the subject: Studies of Early Hadeeth Literature by M. M. Azami, Sunnah Qabla at-Tadween (the Sunnah before Writing) by Ajaj Al-Khateeb, The Sunnah and its Place in Islam by Mustafa As-Siba'ee, Manhajj an-Naqd fi Uloom Al-Hadeeth (The Methodology of Critique in the Sciences of Hadeeth) by Noor-ud-deen Etr, Al-Hadeeth wal Muhaddithoon (Hadeeth and Hadeeth Narrators) by Muhammad M.Abu Zahou, and Hujjiatus Sunnah (The Authority of the Sunnah) by Houcine Chouat. Methodology of the Companions in Preserving the Sunnah Before discussing the Companions' ways of learning, practicing, preserving and conveying of the Sunnah, it is worthwhile to she d some light on the main points one needs to understand about the Companions may Allaah be pleased with them and their methodology: 1. The Companions may Allaah be pleased with them were fully aware of the responsibility they shoulder after the death of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ). . The Companions may Allaah be pleased with them are all trustworthy. They may Allaah be pleased with them never doubted one another in the matters of this religion and the narration of Hadeeth. 3. The Companions may Allaah be pleased with them have developed a methodology for scrutinizing Hadeeths and narrators, and by doing that have established the rules of ascertaining narrations for those who came after them. 4. The ability of different Companions may Allaah be pleased with them to understand the Sunnah, memorize it and convey it varied from one Companion to another. . The Companions may Allaah be pleased with them left Makkah and Madeenah to many places around the Muslim world, at the time, for the purpose of delivering the message and teaching Islam to those who accepted it thus spreading the Sunnah throughout the land. It is interesting to note that about 750 Companions may Allaah be pleased with them narrated Hadeeths, seven of whom narrated a high number of Hadeeths, and about twenty narrated an average number, the rest narrated a small number.The seven who narrated a large number of Hadeeths are: Abu Hurayrah who narrated 5374 Hadeeths, ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Umar narrated 2630, Anas Ibn Maalik narrated 2286, ‘Aa'ishah narrated 2210 Hadeeths, ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Abbaas narrated 1660, Jaabir Ibn ‘Abdullaah narrated 1540, and Abu Sa'eed AI-Khudri narrated 1100 Hadeeths may Allaah be pleased with them. They understood their role and were aware of the significance of their ability in narrating the Hadeeths and did their best to deliver them diligently and accurately. Muslims of all times are indebted to t hem may Allaah be pleased with them.History of the Sunnah -II: The era of the Companions and their followers Related Articles The two most authentic books of Hadeeth The Sunnah: The second source of legislation Origination of Sunnah from the Prophet More New Popular Guest Book Articles Fatwa Multimedia Subject Published on 1 Words of divorce 2012/11/29 2 Youth loved by Allaah – II 2012/11/29 3 Youth loved by Allaah – I 2012/11/29 Occasions 1 The Sacred Months 2 The Sacred Month of Muharram 3 The beginning of a New Islamic Year All rights reserved to IslamWeb.  © 2012