End of Life Care Essay

When a loved one is dying, conversations about the end of life can be uncomfortable and difficult. Still, discussing end-of-life care is important. Depending on the circumstances, you might be able to help your loved one make important end-of-life decisions — such as whether to remain at home, move to a nursing home or other facility, or seek hospice care. Also, you can work with your loved one’s health care team to make sure your loved one remains comfortable at the end of life. Pain, anxiety and other end-of-life symptoms can often be treated. Even at the end of life, you can continue to support and nurture your relationship with your loved one. Simply being there can be an important source of strength and comfort for everyone. Grief When a loved one dies, grief can feel like a dagger in your heart. Often, grief triggers raw, intense emotions. You might wonder how you’ll ever pick up the pieces and heal your wounds — yet not feel as if you’re betraying your loved one’s memory. There are no quick fixes for the grief and anguish that follow a loved one’s death. As you face your grief, acknowledge the pain and know that it’s part of the healing process. Take good care of yourself, and seek support from friends and loved ones. Although your life will never be quite the same, the searing pain of grief will eventually become less intense. Accepting your new â€Å"normal† can help you reconcile your losses and move on with your life. Hospice Care Also called: End-of-life care Hospice care is end-of-life care provided by health professionals and volunteers. They give medical, psychological and spiritual support. The goal of the care is to help people who are dying have peace, comfort and dignity. The caregivers try to control pain and other symptoms so a person can remain as alert and comfortable as possible. Hospice programs also provide services to support a patient’s family. Usually, a hospice patient is expected to live 6 months or less. Hospice care can take place * At home * At a hospice center * In a hospital * In a skilled nursing facility ————————————————- What is the role of the family? Family members often make sacrifices to care for relatives. Families provide care, pain management, and protect the patient. Although they may lack knowledge, caregivers gain satisfaction and pride from providing care, but are also at risk for depression and health problems related to caregiver stress (Haley & Bailey, 1999: Haley et al., 2001; Weitzner, Haley, & Chen, 2000). Some cultures may believe caring is the community’s duty and obligation. Caregivers benefit from social support, maintaining social activities and roles, and psychological interventions that teach coping skills. Most people want their family to be given choices about treatment and few wanted the physician to decide alone (Bradley, 1998). End of life: Caring for a dying loved one Whether you bring a dying loved one home or keep vigil at the hospital, you can take measures to provide comfort and relief at the end of life. Caring for a dying loved one isn’t easy. Even when you know the end of life is approaching, you might not feel prepared. Understanding what to expect — and what you can do to increase your loved one’s comfort — can help. * Choosing where to die Your loved one may have various choices for end-of-life care. Options may include: * Home care. Many people choose to die at home or in the home of a family member. You can assume the role of caregiver or hire home care services for support. Hospice care — services that help ensure the highest quality of life for whatever time remains — can be provided at home as well. * Inpatient care. Some people may prefer round-the-clock care at a nursing home, hospital or dedicated inpatient hospice facility. Hospice and palliative care — a holistic treatment approach intended to ease symptoms, relieve pain, and address spiritual and psychological concerns — can be provided in any of these environments. When you discuss the options with your loved one, consider his or her preferences as well as special physical, emotional and psychosocial needs. Evaluate how much support can be provided by family members and friends. For help determining the best option, talk with your loved one’s health care team or a social worker. You might ask for a referral to palliative or hospice care specialists — health care providers trained in specific care for people nearing the end of life. * Spirituality at the end of life As your loved one approaches the end of life, he or she may talk about spirituality or the meaning of life. Don’t force the subject — but if it comes up, encourage your loved one to explore and address his or her feelings. You might ask your loved one open-ended questions about his or her beliefs and experiences or most meaningful moments. You may want to invite a spiritual leader to visit your loved one as well. * Saying goodbye You can help your loved one communicate his or her final wishes for family and friends. Encourage your loved one to share his or her feelings, including thanks or forgiveness, and give others a chance to say goodbye. This may stimulate discussion about important, unsaid thoughts, which can be meaningful for everyone. Your loved one might also find it comforting to leave a legacy — such as creating a recording about his or her life or writing letters to loved ones, especially concerning important future events. * Recognizing when death is near It’s difficult to predict exactly when someone will die. As death approaches, however, your loved one may show various signs and symptoms indicating that the end of life is near. Look for: * Restlessness and agitation. Your loved one may frequently change positions. * Withdrawal. Your loved one may no longer want to participate in social events or other favorite activities. * Drowsiness. Your loved one may spend most of his or her time asleep. * Loss of appetite. Your loved one may eat and drink less than usual. * Pauses or other changes in breathing. This may happen when your loved one is asleep or awake. Providing comfort The active phase of dying usually begins several days before death. Although you can’t change what’s happening to your loved one, you can help him or her feel as comfortable as possible — ideally with the support of palliative or hospice care specialists. Your loved one also may experience a brief, final surge of energy. Though it can be confusing to see your loved one with renewed vitality, remember that this is a normal part of dying. If it happens, take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy your loved one and say your final goodbyes. * Keeping vigil For many families, keeping vigil near a dying loved one’s bed is a way to show support and love. If you decide to keep vigil, continue talking to your loved one. If you think your loved one would want to share this time with others, invite family members or close friends to show their support as well. Express your love, but also let your loved one know that it’s all right to let go. What is working? Mental health providers with palliative expertise can improve communication and resources. Mental health experts help providers understand the patient’s concerns and culture. They explain confusing medical terms and clarify CPR, pain management, and other treatments and encourage collaboration. Mental health providers also help relieve the common emotional distress and grief resulting from a terminal illness or care giving. COPING WITH BEREAVEMENT â€Å"IN OUR HEARTS, WE ALL KNOW THAT DEATH IS A PART OF LIFE. IN FACT, DEATH GIVES MEANING TO OUR EXISTENCE BECAUSE IT REMINDS US HOW PRECIOUS LIFE IS.† * Coping With Loss The loss of a loved one is life’s most stressful event and can cause a major emotional crisis. After the death of someone you love, you experience bereavement, which literally means â€Å"to be deprived by death.† Remember — It takes time to fully absorb the impact of a major loss. You never stop missing your loved one, but the pain eases after time and allows you to go on with your life. * Knowing What to Expect When a death takes place, you may experience a wide range of emotions, even when the death is expected. Many people report feeling an initial stage of numbness after first learning of a death, but there is no real order to the grieving process. Some emotions you may experience include: * Denial * Disbelief * Confusion * Shock * Sadness * Yearning * Anger * Humiliation * Despair * Guilt These feelings are normal and common reactions to loss. You may not be prepared for the intensity and duration of your emotions or how swiftly your moods may change. You may even begin to doubt the stability of your mental health. But be assured that these feelings are healthy and appropriate and will help you come to terms with your loss. * Mourning A Loved One It is not easy to cope after a loved one dies. You will mourn and grieve. Mourning is the natural process you go through to accept a major loss. Mourning may include religious traditions honoring the dead or gathering with friends and family to share your loss. Mourning is personal and may last months or years. Grieving is the outward expression of your loss. Your grief is likely to be expressed physically, emotionally, and psychologically. For instance, crying is a physical expression, while depression is a psychological expression. It is very important to allow yourself to express these feelings. Often, death is a subject that is avoided, ignored or denied. At first it may seem helpful to separate yourself from the pain, but you cannot avoid grieving forever. Someday those feelings will need to be resolved or they may cause physical or emotional illness. Many people report physical symptoms that accompany grief. Stomach pain, loss of appetite, intestinal upsets, sleep disturbances and loss of energy are all common symptoms of acute grief. Of all life’s stresses, mourning can seriously test your natural defense systems. Existing illnesses may worsen or new conditions may develop. Profound emotional reactions may occur. These reactions include anxiety attacks, chronic fatigue, depression and thoughts of suicide. An obsession with the deceased is also a common reaction to death. * Dealing with a Major Loss The death of a loved one is always difficult. Your reactions are influenced by the circumstances of a death, particularly when it is sudden or accidental. Your reactions are also influenced by your relationship with the person who died. A child’s death arouses an overwhelming sense of injustice — for lost potential, unfulfilled dreams and senseless suffering. Parents may feel responsible for the child’s death, no matter how irrational that may seem. Parents may also feel that they have lost a vital part of their own identity. A spouse’s death is very traumatic. In addition to the severe emotional shock, the death may cause a potential financial crisis if the spouse was the family’s main income source. The death may necessitate major social adjustments requiring the surviving spouse to parent alone, adjust to single life and maybe even return to work. Elderly people may be especially vulnerable when they lose a spouse because it means losing a lifetime of shared experiences. At this time, feelings of loneliness may be compounded by the death of close friends. A loss due to suicide can be among the most difficult losses to bear. They may leave the survivors with a tremendous burden of guilt, anger and shame. Survivors may even feel responsible for the death. Seeking counseling during the first weeks after the suicide is particularly beneficial and advisable. Living with Grief Coping with death is vital to your mental health. It is only natural to experience grief when a loved one dies. The best thing you can do is allow yourself to grieve. There are many ways to cope effectively with your pain. * Seek out caring people. Find relatives and friends who can understand your feelings of loss. Join support groups with others who are experiencing similar losses. * Express your feelings. Tell others how you are feeling; it will help you to work through the grieving process. * Take care of your health. Maintain regular contact with your family physician and be sure to eat well and get plenty of rest. Be aware of the danger of developing a dependence on medication or alcohol to deal with your grief. * Accept that life is for the living. It takes effort to begin to live again in the present and not dwell on the past. * Postpone major life changes. Try to hold off on making any major changes, such as moving, remarrying, changing jobs or having another child. You should give yourself time to adjust to your loss. * Be patient. It can take months or even years to absorb a major loss and accept your changed life. * Seek outside help when necessary. If your grief seems like it is too much to bear, seek professional assistance to help work through your grief. It’s a sign of strength, not weakness, to seek help.

Thermodynamics And Kinetics Of Materials And Processes Environmental Sciences Essay

In natural philosophies, thermodynamics ( from the Greek I?I ­I?I?I · therme, intending â€Å" heat † and I?I?I?I ±I?I?I‚ , dynamis, intending â€Å" power † ) is the survey of energy transition between heat and mechanical work, and later the macroscopic variables such as temperature, volume and force per unit area. Its primogenitor, based on statistical anticipations of the corporate gesture of atoms from their microscopic behaviour, is the field of statistical thermodynamics ( or statistical mechanics ) , a subdivision of statistical natural philosophies. Thermodynamicss is the scientific discipline which relates kineticss of fluids with thermic and energy, thermodynamics trades with heat, work, and power. In this study a set of statements and expressions are described and explained.State of a System, 0th jurisprudence of thermodynamics:The zeroth jurisprudence of thermodynamics provinces that when two organic structures have equality of temperature with a 3rd organic structure, they in bend equality of temperature with each other [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] . If A, B, and C are systems or organic structures, we said that the organic structures or the systems are in thermic equilibrium or changeless temperature, A and B in thermic equilibrium and B and C are in thermic equilibrium besides. if T ( A ) = T ( B ) and T ( B ) = T ( C ) so T ( A ) = T ( C ) .Figure ( 1 ) : Thermal equilibrium between two organic structures.Work, Heat, 1th jurisprudence of thermodynamics:The first jurisprudence of thermodynamics provinces that during a rhythm a system ( command mass ) undergoes, the cyclic integral of the heat is relative to the cyclic integral of the work [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] . In another words the preservation of energy provinces that the alteration in the internal energy of any closed system equal the heat added to the system minus the work done by the system. the undermentioned equation shows that: See Piston cylinder system with H2O inside the cylinder, province ( 1 ) as shown in figure ( 2 ) below shows the initial province of the system ( H2O has internal energy ) and it is in equilibrium province, when an external burden applied to the Piston the system transferred to province ( 2 ) and work and heat transferred into and from the system to make to the 2nd equilibrium place ( province 2 ) .Figure ( 2 ) : Application of the first jurisprudence of thermodynamics.Internal Energy, Expansion Work:The internal energy is a thermodynamic belongings ; besides it can be defined as the sum of random energy included in certain sum of the mater due to the internal motion of atoms. Besides it is extended belongings because it depends on the mass of the system. The sum of internal energy of any stuff as thermodynamic belongings depends on the mass of the organic structure and it specific heat capacity, for illustration if we increase the temperature of metal its internal energy increased based on the temperature difference, besides metals have high specific heat capacity than liquids.Figure ( 3 ) : Comparison between metal and ice based on the internal energy.Heat content:The heat content is defined as the heat transportation during the procedure which is given in the footings of the alteration in internal energy, force per unit area and volume [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] . The undermentioned equation shows the chief parametric quantities of heat content. The thermodynamic potency H was introduced by the Dutch physicist Kamerlingh Onnes in early twentieth century in the undermentioned signifier: Where Tocopherol represents the energy of the system. In the absence of an external field, the heat content may be defined, as it is by and large known, by: where ( all units given in SI ) H is the heat content ( in Js ) , U is the internal energy ( in Js ) , P is the force per unit area of the system, ( in Pas ) , and V is the volume, ( in three-dimensional metres ) . Form pV ( sometimes called â€Å" flow work † ) is motivated by the undermentioned illustration of an isobaric procedure. Gas bring forthing heat ( by, for illustration, a chemical reaction ) in a cylinder pushes a Piston, keeping changeless force per unit area P and adding to its thermic energy. The force is calculated from the country A of the Piston and definition of force per unit area P = F/A: the force is F = pA. By definition, work W done is W = Fx, where ten is the distance traversed. Uniting gives W = pax, and the merchandise Ax is the volume traversed by the Piston: Ax = V. Thus, the work done by the gas is W = pV, where P is a changeless force per unit area and V the enlargement of volume. Including this term allows the treatment of energy alterations when non merely temperature, but besides volume or force per unit area are changed. The enthalpy alteration can be defined I†H = I†U + W = I†U + I† ( pV ) , where I†U is the thermic energy due to warming of the gas during the enlargement, and W the work done on the Piston.Joule-Thomson Experiment:Joule-Thomson experiment is used to find the C dioxide coefficient. And comparing the experimental value with the deliberate value. Figure ( 3 ) shows the experimental setup of Joule-Thomson experiment.Figure ( 3 ) : Joule-Thomson experimental apparatus ( Taylor ) .The fluid allowed fluxing steadily from a high force per unit area to low force per unit area through a porous stopper inserted in a pipe. At steady conditions the pipe is insulated from any heat loss to environing, the flow speed should be low so the differences in kinetic energy between the upstream and the downstream are negligible. Measurements ‘ of temperature and force per unit area up watercourse and downstream the media should be taken ( G.F.C. Rogers ) . Ploting curves for both warming and chilling procedure for force per unit area and temperature of the gas, the aforethought curves are shown in figure ( 4 ) .Figure ( 4 ) : Isenthalpic curves and the enthalpy inversion curve ( Taylor ) .Adiabatic Procedures:Adiabatic means the procedure during which the heat is prevented from traversing the boundary of the system ( G.F.C. Rogers ) . The system is thermally insulated from the environing conditions, so for adiabatic procedure the first jurisprudence of thermodynamics is reduced to the alteration in internal energy peers the work done by the system or on the system.Figure ( 5 ) : Adiabatic procedure in P-V diagram ( G.F.C. Rogers ) .What is Thermochemistry:Thermochemistry is the survey of energy produced or absorbed in chemical reactions and any physical transmutation such as runing or boiling. Thermochemistry, by and large, is concerned with the energy exchange attach toing transmutations, such as commixture, stage passages, chemical r eactions, and including computations of such measures as the heat capacity, heat of burning, heat of formation, heat content, and free energy ( E.H. Cole ) . Thermochemistry remainders on two generalisations. Stated in modern footings, they are as follows: Lavoisier and Laplace ‘s jurisprudence ( 1780 ) : The energy alteration attach toing any transmutation is equal and antonym of energy alteration attach toing the contrary procedure. Hess ‘s jurisprudence ( 1840 ) : The energy alteration attach toing any transmutation is the same whether the procedure occurs in one measure or many.Figure ( 6 ) : Energy motion ( www.howstuffworks.com ) .What is Calorimetry:The word calorimetry was derived from the lateen word calor which means heat and Greek word metry which means step ; it is the scientific discipline of mensurating the sum of heat. To mensurate the energy produced from certain fuel or affair calorimeter is used. Calorimeter is a device consists of barrel filled with H2O and a bomb filled with fuel ( oil fuel or coal ) besides and electric circuit is used to bring forth electrical signal to fire the discharge inside the bomb, after that the heat transportations to the H2O inside the calorimeter, by mensurating the initial and concluding H2O temperature and cognizing the H2O sum in the calorimeter, the sum of heat green goods from the fuel discharge can be estimated. The figure below shows the calorimeter.Fi gure ( 7 ) : Calorimeter ( E.H. Cole ) .Second Law of Thermodynamicss:The 2nd jurisprudence of thermodynamics is the jurisprudence of heat and power, it can be expressed as: It is impossible to do an engine to run in a ( thermodynamics ) rhythm, in which the lone interactions are positive work done on the milieus and heat transportation from a system which remains at changeless temperature ( E.H. Cole ) .Figure ( 8 ) : The schematic of 2nd jurisprudence of thermodynamics ( www.howstuffworks.com ) .The undermentioned expression of the jurisprudence has been proposed: It is impossible to build a heat-engine rhythm which will bring forth merely the consequence of lifting a weight ( net work or shaft work ) if heat is exchanged with a individual thermal reservoir ( Max Planck ) , and heat can non of itself flow from a colder to a hotter system ( Rudolf Clausius ) .Carnot Cycle:Said Carnot a Gallic scientist of the early 19th century, he proposed a heat engine rhythm based on the 2nd jurisprudence of thermodynamics. Carnot said that the work by the heat engine rhythm increased by increasing the temperature differences between the hot and the cold reservoirs ( Leonard ) . So the efficiency of Carnot rhythm depends on the temperatures of the hot and cold reservoirs.Figure ( 9 ) : Caront rhythm in Pressure-Volume diagram, ( www.howstuffworks.com ) .The public presentation of heat engine rhythm nine expressed as the dividend divided by the cost, the intent of power rhythm is to present shaft work, which is the dividend. The cost depends on the heat suppl y from the hot reservoir.Third jurisprudence of Thermodynamicss and absolute information:The Third Law of Thermodynamics is the lesser known of the three major thermodynamic Torahs. Together, these Torahs help organize the foundations of modern scientific discipline. The Torahs of thermodynamics are absolute physical Torahs everything in the discernible existence is capable to them. Like clip or gravitation, nil in the existence is exempt from these Torahs. In its simplest signifier, the Third Law of Thermodynamics relates the information ( entropy ) of affair to its absolute temperature ( G.F.C Rogers ) . The Third Law of Thermodynamics refers to a province known as â€Å" absolute nothing. † This is the bottom point on the Kelvin temperature graduated table. The Kelvin graduated table is absolute, intending 0A ° Kelvin is mathematically the lowest possible temperature in the existence. This corresponds to about -273.15A ° Celsius, or -459.7 Fahrenheit. In actuality, no object or system can hold a temperature of nothing Kelvin, because of the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The Second Law, in portion, implies that heat can ne'er spontaneously move from a colder organic structure to a hotter organic structure. So, as a system approaches absolute zero, it will finally hold to pull energy from whatever systems are nearby. If it draws energy, it can ne'er obtain absolute nothing. So, this province is non physically possible, but is a mathematical bound of the existence. In its shortest signifier, the Third Law of Thermodynamics says: â€Å" The information of a pure perfect crystal is zero ( 0 ) at nothing Kelvin ( 0A ° K ) . † Entropy is a belongings of affair and energy discussed by the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The Third Law of Thermodynamics means that as the temperature of a system approaches absolute zero, its information approaches a changeless ( for pure perfect crystals, this invariable is zero ) . A pure perfect crystal is one in which every molecule is indistinguishable, and the molecular alliance is absolutely even throughout the substance. For non-pure crystals, or those with less-than perfect alliance, there will be some energy associated with the imperfectnesss, so the information can non go nothing. The Third Law of Thermodynamics can be visualized by believing about H2O. Water in gas signifier has molecules that can travel about really freely. Water vapour has really high information ( entropy ) . As the gas cools, it becomes liquid. The liquid H2O molecules can still travel about, but non as freely. They have lost some information. When the H2O cools farther, it becomes solid ice. The solid H2O molecules can no longer travel freely, but can merely vibrate within the ice crystals. The information is now really low. As the H2O is cooled more, closer and closer to absolute zero, the quiver of the molecules diminishes. If the solid H2O reached absolute nothing, all molecul ar gesture would halt wholly. At this point, the H2O would hold no information ( entropy ) at all.Standards of Equilibrium:The province of system is determined by the molecules within the system boundaries. The equilibrium has different significances, if we have material in solid or liquid stage we said that stuff is in stage equilibrium if its stage does non alter. Besides if the province of the stuff is changeless we said that stuff in thermodynamic equilibrium ( William C. Reynolds ) . The macroscopic belongingss that can in rule be measured as a map of the thermodynamic equilibrium province and that are in some manner relevant to energy are called thermodynamic equilibrium. Any conglomerate characteristic of all the molecules, such as their entire energy, is a thermodynamic belongings. When the province is fixed the thermodynamics belongingss are fixed.13. Helmholtz and Gibbs free energy:The thermodynamics potencies consists of four measures, these measures are internal energy, the heat content, the Helmholtz free energy and the Gibbs free energy. So Helmholtz and Gibbs are portion of thermodynamics possible. The Helmholtz free energy depends on the internal energy, temperature, and information. Equation below shows the relation between internal energy, absolute temperature, and information in Helmholtz free energy equation. Gibbs free energy as shown in equation below depends on internal energy, absolute temperature, information, absolute force per unit area, and the concluding volume. The four thermodynamic potencies are related by beginnings of the â€Å" energy from the environment † term TS and the â€Å" enlargement work † term PV. A mnemotechnic diagram suggested by Schroeder can assist you maintain path of the relationships between the four thermodynamic potencies.14. Hess ‘s jurisprudence:Hess ‘s jurisprudence states that the energy alteration in any chemical or physical reaction does non depend on the way or figure of stairss required to finish this reaction.Figure ( 10 ) : Chemical reaction stairss with energy sum.The I†H for a individual reaction can be calculated from the difference between the heats of formation of the merchandises minus the heat of formation of the reactants. In mathematical footings:15. Clausius-Clapeyron equation:The Clausius-Clapeyron equation relates the fluctuation of force per unit area with temperature along the saturated-vapor ( or liquid ) line to the heat content and volume of vaporisation. Th is equation is utile in building a graphical or tabular equation of province from a lower limit of experimental measurings ( Williams C. Reynolds ) . The clausius-Clapeyron equation allows gauging the vapor force per unit area at any temperature if the heat content of vaporisation and vapor force per unit area at some temperatures are known,16. Ideal Solution and Non-ideal Solution:In chemical science, an ideal solution or ideal mixture is a solution in which the heat content of solution ( or â€Å" heat content of blending † ) is zero ; [ 1 ] the closer to zero the heat content of solution is, the more â€Å" ideal † the behaviour of the solution becomes. Equivalently, an ideal mixture is one in which the activity coefficients ( which step divergence from ideality ) are equal to one ( Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia ) . A solution whose behaviour does non conform to that of an ideal solution ; that is, the behaviour is non predictable over a broad scope of concentrations and temperatures by the usage of Raoult ‘s jurisprudence. In contrast to ideal solutions, where volumes are purely linear and commixture is ever complete, the volume of a non-ideal solution is non, in general, the simple amount of the volumes of the component pure liquids and solubility is non guaranteed over the whole composing scope.Figure ( 11 ) : Behavior of non ideal solutions.17. Statistical mechanics:Statistical mechanics or statistical thermodynamics is a mathematical tool trades with high population or informations. It ‘s related with macroscopic thermodynamic belongingss such as work, information, free energy, and heat. Ludwig Boltzmann is the male parent of statistical thermodynamics ; he started the work in statistical mechanics in 1870.18. Raoult ‘s Law /MIXTURES:The partial vapour force per unit area of a constituent in a mixture is equal to the vapour force per unit area of the pure constituent at that temperature multiplied by its mole fraction in the mixture. Raoult ‘s Law merely works for ideal mixtures In equation signifier, for a mixture of liquids A and B, this reads ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/phaseeqia/idealpd.html ) : In this equation, PA and PB are the partial vapor force per unit areas of the constituents A and B. In any mixture of gases, each gas exerts its ain force per unit area. This is called its partial force per unit area and is independent of the other gases present. Even if you took all the other gases off, the staying gas would still be exercising its ain partial force per unit area. The entire vapor force per unit area of the mixture is equal to the amount of the single partial force per unit areas. The Po values are the vapour force per unit areas of A and B if they were on their ain as pure liquids. xA and xB are the mole fractions of A and B. That is precisely what it says it is – the fraction of the entire figure of moles present which is A or B. mole fraction utilizing, for illustration:19. Reversible/irreversible/Adiabatic/isobaric/isothermal/Isochoric procedures:The reversible procedure is the procedure that the system takes topographic point one time and returns to its original province without any alteration in the system or environing [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] . The irreversible procedure, this procedure done when the system undergoes certain procedure it transferred from province and can non return to its original province without any alteration in the system or environing [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] . Adiabatic procedure, this done when the system transferred from one province to another without heat transportation to environing [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] . Isobar procedure, it is a procedure with changeless force per unit area [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] . Isothermal procedure, the system transferred from province to another at changeless temperature [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] . Isochoric procedure, procedure with changeless volume [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] .Figure ( 12 ) : The thermodynamics processes [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] .20. Heat of Vaporization:Heat of vaporisation or latent heat of vaporisation is the sum of heat needed to reassign certain sum of affair from liquid province to vapor province. Heat of vaporisation depends on the affair itself, its sum ( mass ) , and the temperature. Table below shows the heat of vaporisation of H2O at different temperatures [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] . No. Temperature ( Co ) Heat of Vaporization kJ/kg ) 1 5 2489.6 2 10 2477.7 3 15 2465.9 4 20 2454.1 5 25 2442.3 6 30 2430.5Table ( 1 ) : Heat of Vaporization for H2O at different temperatures [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] .21. Restricting Procedures:Restricting procedure done when fluid go throughing through valve or sudden reduction in country, the flow is steady and the force per unit area Idaho drooped across the valve ; in the choking procedure the heat content is changeless, so the choking procedure is a procedure with changeless heat content. One application of restricting procedure is the restricting calorimeter, restricting calorimeter is a device used to find the quality of a two stage liquid-vapor mixture [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] .Figure ( 13 ) : Restricting procedure [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] .22. Joule Thomson Coefficient:Joule-Thomson coefficient relates to the choking procedure, it ‘s the consequence of divergence of temperature bead to coerce bead for a steady province, steady flow through partly opening valve. The equation below shows Joule-Thomson coefficient: Positive Joule-Thomson coefficient means that there is temperature bead during the choking procedure, but when it is negative the temperature rises during the restricting procedure [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] .23. Maxwell ‘s Relationss:Maxwell dealingss are mathematical dealingss for compressible fluids, this relation are related four belongingss, the thermodynamics belongingss in Maxwell dealingss are force per unit area ( P ) , Temperature ( T ) , specific volume ( V ) , and information ( S ) . Maxwell dealingss are summarized in three positions as shown below, the first position the basic equation, the 2nd position the Maxwell relation, and the last position is the working equation [ Gordon J. Van Wylen ] .Basic equationMaxwell RelationWorking EquationWhere: Uracils: internal energy. CP: specific heat under changeless force per unit area. Thymine: Temperature. Curriculum vitae: specfic heat under changeless specific volume. Phosphorus: Pressure. Volts: Volume. Second: Information. Hydrogen: Enthaply.24. Chemical equilibrium in gases:Thermodynamicss equilibrium are established when no alteration in macroscopic belongings is obtained that is intend the system is isolated from the milieus. The equilibrium is classified to three types ‘ mechanical equilibrium, chemical equilibrium, and thermic equilibrium. In chemical equilibrium there is no reaction or affair transportation from one portion of the system to another portion ( P.K. NAG ) . The system may be in mechanical equilibrium yet the system may undergo self-generated Change of internal construction due to chemical potency, such as chemical reaction or a transportation of affair, the system so is said to be in chemical equilibrium if all interactions or alterations in the system cease to take topographic point. A burning mixture of O and gasolene is non in chemical equilibrium one time the mixture is ignited.25. Statements of the Second Law/ Kelvin /Planck/Clausius Statement:Kelvin-Planck statement:It is impossible to build a device which, runing in a rhythm, will bring forth no consequence other that raising of a weight and chilling of heat reservoir ( M.L. Mathur ) . It is impossible to build a cyclic device whose consequence is to pull out heat from a heat reservoir and wholly change over into work ( M.L. Mathur ) .Clausius statementIt is impossible to build a cyclic device which will bring forth no consequence other than the transportation of heat from a low temperature beginning to high temperature heat beginning ( M.L. Mathur ) . The heat can non flux by itself ( with out the aid of an external bureau ) from low temperature to high temperature ( M.L. Mathur ) .Figure ( 14 ) : This is non possible ( Kelvin-Planck ) .26. Information of a Mixture of Ideal Gases/ Gibbs-Dalton ‘s Law:The Gibbs-Dalton equation trades with gas mixture belongingss, the entire thermodynamic belongings of a mixture of ideal gases is the amount of the belongingss that the single gases would hold if each occupied the entire mixture volume entirely at the mixture temperature, ( M.L. Mathur ) , besides the mathematical signifier of Gibbs-Dalton equation as shown below:No.MeasureEquation1 Internal Energy 2 Heat content 3 Specific heat under changeless force per unit area 4 Specific heat under changeless specific volumeTable ( 2 ) : Gas mixture equations ( M.L. Mathur ) .27. Handiness:Handiness is the system maximal available energy. This non merely depends on the given province of the system but besides on the concluding province to which the system has to be taken and mode in which it is done. When handiness of the system is required to be determined so the concluding province of system ought to be dead province ( M.L. Mathur ) . The undermentioned points should be observed when finding the handiness of any system: The concluding province of the system is dead province. The system undergoes alteration of province by a reversible procedure. The construct of handiness introduce wholly a new and good construct in the field of heat engines where overall thermic efficiency, obtained on the footing of entire chemical energy of the fuel was the lone footing for comparing engines and their public presentation.28. Real Gases /Virial Equation of State /Van der Waals Equation of State:The continuity of liquids and gases were studied by Van der Waals, the equation of equation of province for gas was obtained in 1873, and the general signifier of Van der Waals equation is: Where: a: changeless measures the cohesive forces. B: changeless accounts the volume of gas molecules. V: specific volume. : Universal gas invariable. Thymine: Absolute gas temperature. The restrictions of Van der Waals equation are ( M.L. Mathur ) : The invariables a and B are measured changeless for a substance where as they are non ; this has been proved theoretically every bit good as by experimentation. The p-v secret plan of Van der Waals equation differs from Andrews secret plan. The value of the critical volume obtained from Van der Waals equation Al coefficient is 3b as compared to its experimental determine value of 2b for the moist substances. The critical coefficient is 0.375 for Van der Waals gas equation but from experiments it was from 0.2 to 0.3 for most substances.29. Fugacity:Fugacity ( degree Fahrenheit ) was used in the first clip by Lewis, the value of fugacity approaches the value of force per unit area as the missive tends to zero, when the ideal gas conditions applies. The derived function of the Gibbs map of an ideal gas undergoing an isothermal procedure is ( P.K.NAG ) : aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦ ( 6 ) aˆÂ ¦aˆÂ ¦.. ( 7 ) For an ideal gas the fugacity f equal the gas force per unit area P, fugacity has the same dimensions as force per unit area.Figure ( 15 ) : Fugacity with temperature.30. Dalton ‘s Law, Raoult ‘s Law, Henry ‘s Law:Dalton states that the force per unit area of a mixture of gases is equal to the amount of the partial force per unit area of each component. This can be easy done utilizing perfect gas equation for component every bit good as for the mixture ( M.L. Mathur ) . Raoult ‘s jurisprudence [ for F. M. Raoult, a Gallic physicist and chemist ] provinces that the add-on of solute to a liquid lessens the inclination for the liquid to go a solid or a gas, i.e. , reduces the freeze point and the vapor force per unit area ( see solution ) . For illustration, the add-on of salt to H2O causes the H2O to stop dead below its normal freezing point ( 0A °C ) and to boil above its normal boiling point ( 100A °C ) . Qualitatively, depression of the freeze point and decrease of the vapour force per unit area are due to a lowering of the concentration of H2O molecules, since the more solute is added, the less the per centum of H2O molecules in the solution as a whole and therefore the less their inclination to organize into a crystal solid or to get away as a gas. Quantitatively, Raoult ‘s jurisprudence states that the dissolver ‘s vapor force per unit area in solution is equal to its mole fraction times its vapor force per unit area as a p ure liquid, from which it follows that the freeze point depression and boiling point lift are straight relative to the mode of the solute, although the invariables of proportion are different in each instance. This mathematical relation, nevertheless, is accurate merely for dilute solutions. The fact that an appropriate solute can both lower the freeze point and raise the boiling point of a pure liquid is the footing for year-round antifreeze for car chilling systems. In the winter the antifreeze lowers the freezing point of the H2O, forestalling it from stop deading at its normal freezing point ; in the summer it guards against furuncle over by raising the boiling point of the H2O. In chemical science, Henry ‘s jurisprudence is one of the gas Torahs, formulated by William Henry in 1803. It states that: At a changeless temperature, the sum of a given gas dissolved in a given type and volume of liquid is straight relative to the partial force per unit area of that gas in equilibrium with that liquid. An tantamount manner of saying the jurisprudence is that the solubility of a gas in a liquid at a peculiar temperature is relative to the force per unit area of that gas above the liquid. Henry ‘s jurisprudence has since been shown to use for a broad scope of dilute solutions, non simply those of gases. An mundane illustration of Henry ‘s jurisprudence is given by carbonated soft drinks. Before the bottle or can is opened, the gas above the drink is about pure C dioxide at a force per unit area somewhat higher than atmospheric force per unit area. The drink itself contains dissolved C dioxide. When the bottle or can is opened, some of this gas escap es, giving the characteristic hushing ( or â€Å" dad † in the instance of a bubbly bottle ) . Because the force per unit area above the liquid is now lower, some of the dissolved C dioxide comes out of solution as bubbles. If a glass of the drink is left in the unfastened, the concentration of C dioxide in solution will come into equilibrium with the C dioxide in the air, and the drink will travel â€Å" level † ( hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry's_law ) .31. Lost Work Rate, Irreversibility Rate, Availability Loss:Information is produced as a consequence of irreversibilities present in the procedure, this may explicate with the aid of construct of lost work. The doomed in work is zero in a reversible procedure and it increases with the addition in irreversibility of the procedure till it becomes maximal in instance of wholly irreversible procedure. The lost work is therefore defined as the difference of work obtained in a reversible procedure and existent procedure ( M.L. Mathur ) . The undermentioned notes for the work lost should be taken: For a reversible procedure when the work lost is zero the alteration in information is given by: The information of a system can be increased by two ways, foremost by adding heat to the system or by holding it undergoes an irreversible procedure. The addition in entropy due to work lost is called entropy production. For an adiabatic procedure, the alteration in information is associated with irreversibilities merely.32. Irreversibility and Entropy of an Isolated System:The information of an stray system can ne'er diminish. This is known as the rule of addition of information. An stray system can ever be formed by including any system and its milieus within a individual boundary. Some times the original system which is so merely a portion of the stray system called a subsystem. The system and milieus together include every thing which is affected by the procedure ( P.K. NAG ) . Information may be decreased locally at some part within the stray system. But it must be compensated by a greater addition of information some where within the system so that the net consequence of an irreversible procedure is an entropy addition of the hole system. The entropy addition of an stray system is a step of the extent of an irreversibility of the procedure undergone by the system. The information of an stray system ever increases and becomes a upper limit at the province of equilibrium. When the system is at equilibrium any imaginable alteration information would be zero.33. Reversible and Irreversible Procedures:A reversible procedure ( ideal procedure ) is one which is performed in such a manner that at the decision of the procedure, both the system and milieus may be restored to their initial provinces, with out bring forthing any alterations in the remainder of the existence. Let the stare of a system be represented by A and allow the system be taken to province B by following the way AB. If the system and besides milieus are restored to their initial provinces and no alteration in the existence is produced, so the procedure AiB will be reversible procedure. In the contrary procedure the system has to be taken from province B to A by following the same way BiA ( P.K. NAG ) . Any irreversible ( natural ) procedure carried out with a finite gradient is an irreversible procedure. A reversible procedure, which consists of a sequence of equilibrium provinces, is an idealised conjectural procedure.Figure ( 16 ) : Reversible procedure ( P.K. NAG ) .33. Dynamicss: Chemical reaction rates, half lives:Half-life is the period of clip it takes for a substance undergoing decay to diminish by half. The name originally was used to depict a feature of unstable atoms ( radioactive decay ) , but may use to any measure which follows a set-rate decay. The original term, dating to 1907, was â€Å" half-life period † , which was later shortened to â€Å" half-life † sometime in the early 1950s. Half-lives are really frequently used to depict measures undergoing exponential decay-for illustration radioactive decay-where the half life is changeless over the whole life of the decay, and is a characteristic unit ( a natural unit of graduated table ) for the exponential decay equation. However, a half life can besides be defined for non-exponential decay procedures, although in these instances the half life varies throughout the decay procedure. For a general debut and description of exponential decay, see the article exponential decay. For a general debut and description of non-exponential decay, see the article rate jurisprudence. An exponential decay procedure can be described by any of the undermentioned three tantamount expression: where N0: is the initial measure of the thing that will disintegrate ( this measure may be measured in gms, moles, figure of atoms, etc. ) , National trust: is the measure that still remains and has non yet decayed after a clip T, t1 / 2: is the half life of the decaying measure, I„ : is a positive figure called the mean life-time of the decaying measure, I » : is a positive figure called the decay invariable of the decaying measure.34. Temperature, force per unit area and i?„G:Gibbs equation shows the relation between force per unit area, temperature, and the alteration in free energy. The equation below shows that relation. G ( P, T ) = U + pV a?’ TS which is the same as: G ( P, T ) = H a?’ TS where: Uracil: is the internal energy ( SI unit: J ) P: is force per unit area ( SI unit: pascal ) Volt: is volume ( SI unit: M3 ) Thymine: is the temperature ( SI unit: K ) Second: is the information ( SI unit: J per K ) Hydrogen: is the heat content ( SI unit: J )35. Information and Disorder:Work is a macroscopic construct. Work involves orderly gesture of molecules as in the enlargement or compaction of a gas. The kinetic energy and possible energy of a system represent orderly signifiers of energy. The kinetic energy of a gas is due to the co-ordinated gesture of all the molecules with the same mean speed in the same way. The possible energy is due to vantage place taken by the molecules or supplantings of molecules from their normal place. It may province approximately that the information of a system is a step of the grade of molecular upset bing in the system.Figure ( 17 ) : Information and upset ( www.physcis.com ) .36. Osmotic force per unit area / Arrhenius Law:The Arrhenius equation is a simple, but unusually accurate, expression for the temperature dependance of the rate invariable, and hence, rate of a chemical reaction. The equation was foremost proposed by the Dutch chemist J. H. new wave ‘t Hoff in 1884 ; five old ages subsequently in 1889, the Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius provided a physical justification and reading for it. Nowadays it is best seen as an empirical relationship. [ 2 ] It can be used to pattern the temperature-variance of diffusion coefficients, population of crystal vacancies, creep rates, and many other thermally-induced processes/reactions. A historically utile generalisation supported by the Arrhenius equation is that, for many common chemical reactions at room temperature, the reaction rate doubles for every 10 grade Celsius addition in temperature ( hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrhenius_equation ) . In short, the Arrhenius equation gives â€Å" the dependance of the rate changeless K of chemical reactions on the temperature T ( in absolute temperature, such as Ks or grades Rankine ) and activation energy Ea, as shown below:37. Partition maps:In statistical mechanics, the divider map Z is an of import measure that encodes the statistical belongingss of a system in thermodynamic equilibrium. It is a map of temperature and other parametric quantities, such as the volume enveloping a gas. Most of the aggregative thermodynamic variables of the system, such as the entire energy, free energy, information, and force per unit area, can be expressed in footings of the divider map or its derived functions. There are really several different types of divider maps, each matching to different types of statistical ensemble ( or, equivalently, different types of free energy. ) The canonical divider map applies to a canonical ensemble, in which the system is allowed to interchange heat with the environment at fixed temperature, volume, and figure of atoms. The expansive canonical divider map applies to a expansive canonical ensemble, in which the system can interchange both heat and atoms with the environment, at fixed temperature, volume, and chemical potency. Other types of divider maps can be defined for different fortunes ( hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org ) . pi: indicate atom impulse. eleven: indicate atom places. d3: is a stenography notation functioning as a reminder that the pi and eleven are vectors in three dimensional infinite.38. Le Chatelier ‘s rule for Temperature:In 1884, the Gallic Chemist Henri Le Chatelier suggested that equilibrium systems tend to counterbalance for the effects of unhinging influences. When a system at equilibrium is disturbed, the equilibrium place will switch in the way which tends to minimise, or counteract, the consequence of the perturbation ( hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org ) ..If the concentration of a solute reactant is increased, the equilibrium place displacements to utilize up the added reactants by bring forthing more merchandises. If the force per unit area on an equilibrium system is increased, so the equilibrium place displacements to cut down the force per unit area. If the volume of a gaseous equilibrium system is reduced ( tantamount to an addition in force per unit area ) so the equilibrium place displacements to increase the volume ( tantamount to a lessening in force per unit area ) If the temperature of an endothermal equilibrium system is increased, the equilibrium place displacements to utilize up the heat by bring forthing more merchandises. If the temperature of an exothermal equilibrium system is increased, the equilibrium place displacements to utilize up the heat by bring forthing more reactants.39. Colligative belongingss:Colligative belongingss are the belongingss of the solution based on the figure of molecules per unit volume of the solution. Colligative belongingss include the vapor force per unit area, boiling and stop deading point, and osmotic force per unit area ( hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org ) . The vapor force per unit area of an ideal solution is dependent on the vapor force per unit area of each chemical constituent and the mole fraction of the constituent nowadays in the solution. The boiling temperature of the solution before making the vapour stage, the freeze point is the lowest temperature of the solution before it transferred to solid province. The osmotic force per unit area of a dilute solution at changeless temperature is straight relative to its concentration. The osmotic force per unit area of a solution is straight relative to its absolute temperature.40. Information and the Clausius inequality:The 2nd jurisprudence of thermodynamics leads to the definition of a new belongings called information, a quantitative step of microscopic upset for a system. Entropy is a step of energy that is no longer available to execute utile work within the current environment. To obtain the working definition of information and, therefore, the 2nd jurisprudence, allow ‘s deduce the Clausius inequality. See a heat reservoir giving up heat to a reversible heat engine, which in bend gives up heat to a piston-cylinder device as shown below ( hypertext transfer protocol: //en.wikipedia.org ) .Figure ( 18 ) : Piston-cylinder device.

Vermont Teddy Bear

As a good marketing strategy, it would be wise for Vermont teddy Bear to penetrate at least the distribution channels of various toy stores. Therefore as a suggestion, the company should at least create a special â€Å"manufacturer-to-dealer† program which will be initiated and targeted towards the specialty and toy store businesses operating today. In this notion, it is recommended also to Vermont that it sets up a special discount program offer in its website which will be geared towards potential visitors who are willing to be distributors of the company’s products.Basically, the rationale for this suggestion comes in the aspect of attaining more exposure or advertising mileage without themed to add more mediums of advertising. Acquiring a list of specialty stores which are willing to distribute and resell the teddy bear products can help Vermont Teddy Bears to save money. Also, this will widen the market segment of the company since people are not actually invoiced to look for toys online as the primary channel but to go to a toy store which can provide both visual and tangible aspects of product presentation.Moreover, the establishment of special product discounts for wholesalers can increase the web traffic of Vermont because it will not only concentrate on individual clients but to corporate customers as well. When it comes to the demands of the target market, the creation of additional channel for distributorship certainly meets this aspect. Ordinary people can purchase their teddy bears online while wholesale customers or distributors can also manage to acquire more information on how they will profit from partnering with Vermont as a manufacturer.

Sales promotion and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sales promotion and Management - Essay Example For instance, coffee is one of the most valuable import commodities in the whole of the United States of America. To be able to cope with the demand resulting from the popularity of coffee as the most preferred beverage in the world, there have been numerous retail chains that have been established. There has been a remarkable and continued expansion of their operations in the sector. This paper will analyze and critically evaluate the various promotional techniques used in the sector and further evaluate their effectiveness. In addition, the issue of budgeting for the chosen promotional activities and the respective returns will also be discussed. Large self-service retail chains or coffee shops have always provided customers with an experience. This is by the way they provide a wide range of innovative products and services, through well-targeted promotions that have an impact on their buying decisions. Some of the most common promotional techniques that are closely related to product trial include the use of free samples, bonuses, coupons, and discount on purchases and in the shop display. The main reason behind the use of trials is that they determine repurchase behaviour among consumers. In addition, they also mediate in the relationship between sales promotions and repeat-buying behaviour. Repeat-buying behaviour of customers is widely influenced by the values or tastes obtained and perceived on the product or the taste of the coffee in a given retail chain as commonly stated by many. Additionally, the product characteristics, knowledge, trial, availability and subsequent purchase factors influence the customers towards making re-buying decisions in relation to the type of promotional technique employed by the coffee chains. Moreover, the decision by consumers to re-purchase the products on offer or in this case, revisit the retail chains is largely affected by customers’ level of satisfaction that is obtained from the products. It is also

Summarizing a case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summarizing a case study - Essay Example Analysis From the case study, it is clear that the Delta III project was at risk for several reasons. In the opinion of Scott (1999), the project risks at Delta III can be categorized into four such as ‘customer mandate, scope and requirements, execution, and environment (p.223). Since the Pinnacle warehouse automation integrated with SAP R/3 had threatened job opportunities, it raised severe ethical problems among the warehouse employees. It seems that an effective change management program might eliminate such labor issues to a large extent. Change management programs are very crucial for an organization to change its structure from the current state to a desired future state. According to Stewart (2000), change management programs play a vital role in overcoming resistance from employees and other officials. The unprecedented volume of R/3 transactions that arose as a result of a large contract between FoxMeyer and University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) also exacerbated th e situation. Shortage of skilled and knowledgeable personnel was another issue that added to the failure of Delta III project and thereby bankruptcy of FoxMeyer Drugs.

Gastineau v. Gastineau, 151 Misc. 2d 813, 573 N.Y.S.2d 819 (1991) Essay

Gastineau v. Gastineau, 151 Misc. 2d 813, 573 N.Y.S.2d 819 (1991) - Essay Example Gastineau left his job as a result of this ailment (Aspen 2011) According to Ullah v. Ullah, 555 N.Y.S.2d 834 (2nd  Dep’t 1990) it is stated that both parties should gain an equitable share. The court found that Marcus dissolute the marital assets and the marital status were taken as if they existed. There has to be proof that the assets are not lost as part of marital purpose. The nature of the defendant in the football is said that in the year 1989 he tried to seek job in a few places with no success and the place where he worked previously also did not offer him a job (Thomas, 2013). The entire amount that was acquired when both parties were together would be shared by the couple after a divorce. The court argues that the defendant will still have an obligation to pay more as he continues to make a living (William 2012). The defendant claims that his name had gotten a negative connotation. The defendant did not appear in court for a number of court dates and so according to the domestic law 243 he got a fine of $ 83, 000. The domestic relations law 170 intervened and granted the plaintiff a divorce based on the inhuman and cruel treatment. The case was resolved fairly (William,

Meteorology Concepts, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, And Flooding Summary Essay

Meteorology Concepts, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, And Flooding Summary - Essay Example They have similar circumstances in which give birth to them and are associated with similar geographic and climatic conditions. In the recent past many great Hurricanes have been known to cause immense damage to coastlines of various nations. The most prominent and notorious hurricane known to have wreaked havoc in the recent history of mankind id Hurricane Katrina that struck the western coast of north America devastating human settlement, leaving hundreds dead and homeless.(Prothero 276) The primary cause of a hurricane is a steep pressure gradient. If the pressure gradient of the immediate atmospheric layer over sea and land exceeds a certain level under the prevailing atmospheric conditions, it leads to the formation of a swirling vortex of warm and cool air layers or air streams that intertwine and start whirling at extremely high speeds. The warm air rises above making space for the heavier / denser and colder air to rush into the land mass.This happens at great dimensions near sea shores and coastal areas where the air temperature and pressure gradient exists for large volumes of air. The extreme pressure and temperature difference causes the triggering of a hurricane that gathers moisture and air mass as it travels towards the nearest coastal point. Due to lower air pressure near coastal areas during the day time, (because lands heats up and cools down faster than water due to lesser specific heat capacity), hurricanes rush into coastal stretches sweeping along and across their territories. The chief ingredients of hurricanes are warm water and warm air. As water starts evaporating, they rise up and gather in the atmosphere where they begin to condense. These water drops then start coagulating and form a cloud. The water droplets on condensation release heat and causing the moist cool air to rise up making way for more warm air. This cycle of warm air with water vapor rising and condensing to create low pressure continues, until it leads to the formation of a vortex above the sea. They become lethal only when they pickup solid masses like: tin sheds trees, construction equipment, concrete, metal and other solid chunks of masses lying open on the ground. This gives it that devastating strength and inertia to cause unthinkable damage to areas where it has swept across. Typhoons are also borne out of wind and water and due to climatic imbalances affecting coastal areas and causing large scale damage to human property and lives. A Typhoon is very similar to a hurricane and the circumstances under which a typhoon is created are the same as that of a hurricane. Several factors contribute to the formation of a typhoon. Hurricane and Typhoons are the major two natural threats that endanger life and human settlement in coastal areas. Apart from the Tsunami, which is a rather rare calamity and is linked with deep sea earthquakes, these two natural disasters pose a more immediate threat to life and property located along the coastlines of various nations. Factors which contribute to the birth of a Typhoon are similar to those of a hurricane, like warm water vapor, warm air above, the sea surface, atmospheric pressure above sea, temperature and pressure imbalances, steep temperature and p

Methods for Resolving Small Scale Systems Problems Essay - 1

Methods for Resolving Small Scale Systems Problems - Essay Example General systems theory is often used to solve many problems. Problems are nothing new for human being. Since the creation of mankind, it is a common fact that human beings are continuously facing different problems and adopt various techniques to cope with these problems. Situations that may arise time to time always require some action to cope with them. Moreover, problems may be well defined and at small scale like opening a can, solving some mathematical problem and scoring in any specific game. On the other hand problems and issues may be of large scale. This may include the opening of a business which requires proper strategies, planning at each and every step. So, each and every problem always requires some specific strategy and solution. However, it does not mean that one solution is used to resolve any particular issue only and it is not suitable for some other problem. 2. After that you have to choose the strategy in order to solve the problem. For that purpose you should consider all those strategies and solutions that are available. Just adopt one that you think best out of all. Here, I want to mention that the basic reason to explain all the above mentioned details is to make it clear that problem solving always requires some specific phases whether short term goals are required to achieve or long term goals. So, here we can also say that problem solving of large scale systems can be applied to smaller scale systems as well because the basic thing to follow is to consider all the required phases accordingly. Now, I am going to explain briefly some of the systems methodologies that are described to resolve the problems of large scale systems. I will further explain that how these strategies can be applied to smaller scale systems. Basically, systems science and systems theory evolved to handle the real world and to resolve complex, intertwined, large scale and small scale systems problems. Remember, problems always contain some sort

Airplane accident Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Airplane accident - Research Paper Example So far, NTSB has established that aviation can profit from more training of pilots and the re-evaluation of the existing safety procedures in cases of engine malfunctions. Thesis: Despite pilot errors being the primary  cause of the airplane accidents, there are other issues such as mechanical dysfunction, poor weather, and landing accidents that can result in aviation accidents. Literature Review Statistics show that the number of airplane accidents experienced in developed nations has dropped since 2010 even though aircraft accidents in developing nations have increased. According to Learmount, in 2010 in the United States alone there were 26 fatal airplane accidents, compared with 28 accidents in 2009 (Learmount). According to Flightglobal, which researches aircraft malfunctions and evaluates them for the benefit of aviation and aerospace experts in the air transport industry, the number of commercial aircraft accidents from 2010 to 2011 rose to 32 from 28 (Rapoport 46). Airline safety professionals have attributed this fact to the emergence of in-flight malfunctions when the planes encounter severe weather or when birds interfere with the engines while the planes are in flight. According to NTSB statistics, between 2004 and 2008, there were approximately 245 commercial aviation accidents that occurred as a result of different reasons such as adverse weather or fuel exhaustion (2010 NTSB aviation statistics released). The numbers of plane crashes would increase over the years at a steady rate so that in 2010, general aviation aircraft, which include commercial aircraft, had 267 aircraft accidents (2010 NTSB aviation statistics released). Even though adverse weather is a common cause of plane crashes, many pilots still choose to navigate through it rather than delay flights. This may in part be due to the pressure of maintaining the passengers’ preferred schedules. According to Jarboe, there were 111 weather-related commercial aircraft crashes in Pue rto Rico and the United States in 2004 alone. Between 2010 and 2011, 15% of all aviation accidents were the result of the malfunctioning of in-flight systems due to adverse weather (Jarboe 2). Harsh weather systems are also thought to have caused the malfunctioning of in-flight systems in the ill-fated Air France’s flight AF447. Air crash investigators who examined the different parts of the ill-fated flight AF447 also confirmed that the malfunctioning of the pitot tube may have pushed the pilots to erroneous decisions. All avionics mechanical systems are dependent on pitot tubes.   This device is responsible for measuring the impact of oncoming air. However, the simple design of pitot tubes makes them susceptible to blockages which can be caused by mud wasp nests, dead insects, and ice. According to Jackson, the failure of the pitot system is viewed as being the worst possible malfunction that can occur when a plane is in flight (Jackson). Numerous airplane accidents that took place in the past can be have been traced to the existence of a faulty pitot tube. According to Jackson, in 1995, an X-31A research aircraft crashed in California after its pitot tube was covered by ice (Jackson). Another plane, the Austral Lineas Aereas Flight 2553, similarly crashed, causing the deaths of its 74 passengers, when its pitot tube was completely frozen. Its pilots had actually presumed that the plane was stalling- which is something that is

Perpetual Mercy Hospital Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Perpetual Mercy Hospital - Case Study Example The present case reflects the situation of analyzing the organization’s strength in combating competition. Background of the medical sector in US In USA earlier hospital sector was considered as a fully charitable sector which was used by the doctors as field of practicing their skills. The entire hospital sector was funded by some trusts who wanted to do some charitable work. In 1960s the whole scenario was changed with the introduction of the Hill Burton Act. The hospitals were provided with more and more funds for expansion construction work and other facilities. During this time the commercial insurance sector that is the medical insurance sector also grew a lot enabling the general people to take advantage of the medical facilities. More over the employers also started giving medical facilities to their employees in terms of fringe benefits. Fringe benefits are the benefits given the employer to the employee in cash or in kind (Thuronyi, 1998, p. 515). Again in 1980s the US hospital sector experienced a vast change in terms of innovation in medical facilities like the introduction of health maintenance organization, preferred provider organization and ambulatory health care facilities. In one hand the US government reduced the medical aid provided to the hospital in other hand the health maintenance organization that provided preventive medical facilities and preferred provider organization who served as a link between medical facilities provider and employer reduced the normal foot fall of the patients in hospital. The emergency and repetitive health care was also taken care by the ambulatory services. As a response to the changed environment of the health sector the Perpetual Mercy Hospital also involved itself in the work of preferred provider organization through their clinic named Downtown Health Clinic. Objective The main objective of this case is to find out a possible way in which the Downtown Health Clinic can be made most efficient in fulf illing the expectations of the patients and at the same time becoming a non replaceable clinic. The main objective of the Downtown Health Clinic was to expand the hospitals referrals base and also to increase the footfall of the insured patients which in turn will help them to become financially self sufficient. As the Peripheral Mercy Hospital main objective was to use the Downtown Health Clinic as the preferred provider organization and enhance the base providing the employment physical examination and workers compensation and treatment. Another thing of concern is that only 35% of patients are from referrals. The main objective of the clinic was to increase the referral base but as the percentage of patients coming through reference in quiet low. Another objective of the case is to extend the working hours in an effective way so that the clinic does not have to bear much cost for increasing the working hours. The patients also complained about the waiting time. The objective of t his case is also design the working hours in such a way that will reduce the waiting time of patients. Moreover as most of the patients served by the clinic were female therefore at the clinic should offer more services to the female patients. There was also a suggestion of introducing a gynecological department

Development of Pad Conditioner Drop Detection System Dissertation

Development of Pad Conditioner Drop Detection System - Dissertation Example The project focuses on the design of a sensor system that can trigger accumulation of copper on the pad or detect the optimal parameters of the CMP equipment. Contents Development of Pad Conditioner Drop Detection System 30 1 1.0 Introduction 5 1.1 Background information 5 1.2 Statement of the problem 6 1.3 Statement of the problem 8 On 13h Dec 2010 PCUD712 went to check P2 trace and found Cu was not fully polished at wafer. This problem of having wafer edges that are not fully polished has caused the need for this project. No one did recognize the occurrence of the problem until one of the maintenance team did a random testing. Making CMP equipment that has a sensor can trigger any drop caused by the presence of copper and call for a response from the team. 8 1.4 Project scope 8 1.5 Objective 9 1.6 Specific objectives 9 2.0 literature Review 10 2.1 Types of planarization 10 2.1.1 Doped Glass Reflow 10 2.1.2 Spin etch planarization (SEP) 10 2.1.3 Spin on deposition (SOD) 11 SOP is mo stly applied in deposits on different glasses, porous low-k dielectrics and polymer ILD. By mixing different base catalysts and suitable additives, a precursor solution is prepared at room temperature. Pretreated wafer surface provides an effective surface for solution spreading. A little amount of the solution is dripped on the wafers that are then rinsed, spun dried baked and later cured. This process shows excellent gap filling qualities. Nevertheless, several defects are noted on the spin in the deposited materials. When the materials from this process are exposed to plasma, they show non-homogeneity in subsequent operations. Undue stresses are induced by the tendency of the spin to absorb moisture from the air and releasing it with evolution of thermal stresses. The stresses result to cracking, peel off, shrinking, degradation and contamination of interconnects and thermal instability. 11 2.1.4 Reactive ion etch and etch back 11 2.1.5 Chemical mechanical polishing 12 Historical ly, grinding has always been an inexpensive operation compared to polishing. The level of polishing required nowadays in the IC fabrication can not be matched to these advantages (Yoshio, 2000). Unlike grinders, polishers use elastic media to sever bonds on a molecular level ejecting nanometer sized particles. The grinders’ use rigid media that create cracks through a work piece, the clusters are micron sized. Recent research has shown that the maximum force is a key variable of sub surface damage (Chandra etal., 2000 p.81). CMP focuses on the insights accruing from the investigations on minimizing force/grit by applying knowledge of errant particles that plague polishing processes (Chandra & Bastawros, 2004 p.65). The process involves incorporating the wafer pattern into a gimbal and replacing the polishing pad with two diametrically opposing wheels. The trapped particles will induce a torque on one of the wheels thereby making the gimbal rotate away from offending particle. Through optimization of the dynamics of the gimbals’ response to the acute forces resulting from the errant particles, a defect mitigating maximum-force minimization is realized at low cost. 15 2.2 IC interconnects 17 2.3 Photometric dispersion analyzer (PDA 2000) 19 To monitor properties of flowing suspension and emulsions, a PDA 2000 is used both in laboratories

Children Act 1989 Essay Example for Free

Children Act 1989 Essay Task 1 links to learning outcome 1, assessment criteria 1.1. Produce an information sheet which outlines the following:  · the current legislation for home based childcare †¢ the role of regulatory bodies. The two most important pieces of legislation covering home-based childcare are the Children Act (2004) and the Childcare Act (2006(. Children Act (2004) This influential piece of legislation which arose from ‘Every Child Matters’ and identifies five outcomes for all children: * Be healthy * Stay safe * Enjoy and achieve * Make a positive contribution * Achieve economic well-being These outcomes should underpin all practice of a childminder. Childcare Act (2006) This Act introduced the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum into England and Wales, and place a statutory duty on the local authority to work towards ensuring the five outcomes set out in the Children Act (2004) are being met. Other relevant legislation of importance is: Equality Act (2010) The intention of this Act is to combine the fragmented discrimination legislation, bringing together the Sex Discrimination Act (1975), Race Relations Act (1976), and DDA (1995). Promotion of equal opportunities in all settings is essential, and relevant policies and procedures should be developed, monitored and assessed. Education Act (1997) This Act incorporates all previous Acts since 1944. It recognise the rights of parents regarding their children’s education and set a time frame on the legal process for identifying and assessing a child’s needs as set out in the Code of Practice. Public Health (Control of Disease) Act (1984), RIDDOR (1995) and Health Protection Agency Act (2004) All these legislations are focused on protecting people’s health, covering notification and exclusion periods for certain infectious diseases and reporting of certain accidents and incidents. OFSTED is the regulating body for England Wales. Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. They report directly to Parliament and are independent and impartial. They inspect and regulate services which care for children and young people, and those providing education and skills for learners of all ages. Their aim is to promote improvement and value for money in the childcare services they inspect and regulate, so that all children and young people, parents and carers, adult learners and employers benefit. OFSTEDs job is to check places where children and young peopleare looked after the people who look after children and young people schools and colleges adult learning and training how teachers are trained

Economic Problems Solved By Various Societies Economics Essay

Economic Problems Solved By Various Societies Economics Essay The recent turbulence in financial markets in most developed economies has shown that market forces are no better at solving societys economics than any other mechanism This question relates to how economic problems are solved by various societies. An economics system is a countrys plan to answer the economic problems of what should be produced, how and for whom; it is an Organized  way in which a state or  nation  allocates  it resources  and apportions  goods  and  services  in the society. There are three major types of economy, a free market economy, a planned economy and a mixed economy. A free market economy  is a system for  allocating goods within a society which is mainly driven by  supply and demand; purchasing power within the market determines who gets what is produced, rather than the state. Examples of these economies are US, France. In this type of economic system, speculation, assumptions, and market forces are significant in determining economic growth. The aim of a market economy is to reduce or be completely devoid of all pre-determined prices for some products, and the level of regulation is minimal. 2The role of the  government in a market economy is to ensure that the market is stable enough to carry out its economic activities properly. Free-market economics is closely associated with laissez fair economic philosophy, which limits government involvement in economic matters to regulating This system has the biggest advantage of rewarding hard work and consumers getting what they can afford rather than giving everyone the same thing. It leads to growth through individual prosperity but monopolies arise and distort the market The next economic system is the planned economy, in this kind of economy the major decisions such as the goods, production method, distribution and the prices of the goods, all these important decisions are made by the government. Countries such as the old USSR and North Korea have a totalitarian government with socialist economies, where the government fix prices from the procurement of raw materials to the price its sold to the consumer. It is usually stable; it aims to meet a collective objective rather than individual needs, under such a system, rewards, whether wages or perquisites, are to be distributed according to the value that the state ascribes to the service performance. And finally a Mixed Economy, it is an Economic system in which resources are more equally divided between private and government ownership. This system integrates both elements of the market and planned economies in one organized system seeking to reach a balance between them. The business sector and the government play an important role in decision making as regards to the economy but a mixed economy results in neither business entities nor the government controlling the  economic  activities of that country. In a mixed economy, there is a lot of flexibility in certain sectors and in other sectors government control exists. Free market economy compared to a planned economy or a mixed economy has it its various advantages and disadvantages; A planned economy in theory appears more stable than the other two because it is not subject to various economic crises that the market economy and a mixed economy face, i.e. the business cycles such as the housing market bubble and the recession with high rate of unemployment There is also a question of efficiency, free markets and mixed economies contrast sharply with  controlled markets  , in which governments directly or indirectly regulate prices or supplies, which according to free-market theory causes markets to be less efficient. ; It  also lacks innovation that the other two systems possess, free market and mixed economies encourage specialization of labour, eliminate costly and complex bureaucracy. However, a planned economy has some advantages over the free market system in regard to efficiency; a planned economy  aims to use all existing resources for manufacturing public goods rather than directing some of those resources to advertising or marketing. It appears that a free market system could lead to more inequality due to the uneven distribution of power and wealth; property owner, big business shareholders will have access or gain more power compared to the less well off. A disadvantage of a market economic system is that, though competing firms try to be efficient to keep costs and prices low, it sometimes creates a monopoly, a few large firms may hike prices, sometimes pricing a certain part of the society out of various products. A planned economy on the other hand , national income could be distributed more equally in accordance with needs; public goods that would be described as necessities such as health care, In a planned economy, state planners would allocate state resources toward public goods and state projects, this might not necessarily be available in a market economy, or might require precise government provision (which then makes it a mixed economy), in a mixed economy, the government would have to achieve this goal through taxation or inflation. Mixed and free market economies are flexible, production reacts almost immediately to the movement of demand; a planned economy lacks the kind of flexibility and because of this, it reacts slower to changes in consumer needs and variable patterns of demand and supply. A planned economy eliminates the individual profit motives as the driving force of production and places it in the hands of the state planners to determine what is the appropriate production of different sets of goods; on the other hand because a market economy is profit oriented, it leads to innovation and creativity which a planned economy lacks. In a mixed or market economy, there is a plethora of choices, it lets the consumer choose according to their preferences which is evident through the interaction between supply and demand but a planned economy more often than not cannot detect consumer preferences. A free market system might not be better than a planned economy or a mixed one, it all lies in the balance, and no one system can guarantee absolute success. The market economy is clearly the system of choice in todays global marketplace but mixed economies should be encouraged which is largely what countries like France, U.K and the US practice, there is a considerable amount of government interventions to ensure stability although they could be classified as practicing a free market system because they allow market forces drive their economic activities. What the financial meltdown of 2007-2010 showed was that a totally free market doesnt necessarily make the best system. With some of the developed countries manufacturing less and relying more on financial services as the basis for their economic growth, for examples the UK, leaving the various financial institutions with little or no regulations has left the consumers exposed and the world economy in tatters. In conclusion, having a system where the government step in with regulations is imperative to prevent this sort of melt down in the near future. There ought to be directives and regulatory bodies to police the activities of private business enough to protect the end user and the economy but not too much, so as not to stifle growth. Free market system has shown it is not fail proof just as much as a command economy is not. A market economy combined with some degree of regulation, and special directives to stabilize prices by the government to protect people with low income can provide idyllic circumstances for developing countries like India, Brazil, China and other South East Asian countries to attain growth and prosperity.

Human Resource Outsourcing in the UK

Human Resource Outsourcing in the UK HUMAN RESOURCE OUTSOURCING: A GENERAL STUDY OF UNITED KINGDOM RETAILERS’ USE OF OUTSOURCED PERSONNEL, REASONS AND BENEFITS. ABSTRACT: Human Resource outsourcing is considered an important factor in today’s business world. It is constantly growing, especially in the global world where companies outsource not just within their country but across borders. This research concentrates on Human Resource outsourcing in the retail sector, including both small and medium size firms in the United Kingdom. The ultimate aim of this research is outlined below: To find out why companies outsource their Human Resource – their first and foremost reasons. To find out what benefits there are in this process. To find out if there are any control mechanisms linked to the process. To find answers to these questions, five retail managers were interviewed: three respondents interviewed were conducted face to face and two were phoned interviewed. Again, fifty questionnaires were sent out to recruitment agencies who are the suppliers of the Human Resource, to confirm if they share the same opinion with retail managers who are their clients. Out of the fifty questionnaires, 30 were retrieved and analysed. The results revealed that companies do not outsource all of their Human Resource functions. Recruitment is the key function outsourced for the simple reason of convenience and time saving. However, benefits are enormous including cost effectiveness, achieving higher core competency levels, greater flexibility and accessibility to expertise, reducing workload of staff etc. Results also depict two categories of outsourced staff, which are temporary staff and permanent staff with temporary staff being the majority. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1There have been many issues surrounding outsourcing of Human Resource. It implications are wide and varied. Though there are many benefits, it is faced with challenges as well. Companies who have managed their challenges well have been successful others on the other hand have redrawn from the process. The topic was chosen because is an issue being discussed currently all over the globe and the retail sector is proving to be a sector that employs a greater percentage of the workforce. Chapter one gives a definition of outsourcing and discusses what outsourcing is all about. It gives relevant examples of those companies practicing Human Resource outsourcing and the results of their practice. Chapter two is the literature review. The literature review establishes concise framework and reveals various reasons why companies tend to outsource and its subsequent benefits. It also raises the issues of concern and the control outsourcers have over their suppliers. It discusses people’s opinion about the Human Resource outsourcing giving the pros and cons of the issue. Part two of chapter two gives the factors that drives the process Chapter three is basically about the retail sector and how it operates in the United Kingdom analysing the importance of the Human Resource in retailing. How data was collected is discussed in chapter four and further analysed. Finally findings are reported and conclusion with limitations given in the last chapter. 1.2Background of study Outsourcing has been defined by Gupta and Gupta (1992) as ‘the concept of hiring outside professional services to meet the in-house needs of an organisation or agency’ another explanation is a managerial approach delegating non-core functions of the organisation to other specialist and efficient services providers. In recent times, many companies are considering outsourcing their Human Resource because it is becoming a viable option. In the United Kingdom (UNITED KINGDOM), the situation has been drastic, especially in the retail sector. Human Resource indeed is one of the major factors of production and cannot be ignored in anyway for a business success. Human Resource is constantly growing and keeping abreast with the dynamic business world, which relies heavily on the technology advancement and specialist skills. The term ‘Human Resource’ was once seen in companies operations as a department that issued policies, heard grievances and problems of it staff. As time went on, it then included various aspects of training that benefits administration and staffing. The focus however is gradually changing again, now as a strategic consultant to the main business, trying to match personnel and their skills with the corporate goals of the company with the view of achieving competitive advantage. Human Resource outsourcing is becoming popular due to the perceived numerous benefits with emphasis on cost effectiveness and adding value to the organisation. In the United Kingdom, the growth of Human Resource outsourcing stemmed from increased demand in the public sector but now the private sector is also expressing more interest. (Winkleman et al, 1995) explained: outsourcing is actually not a new concept because organisations have always hired outside providers services in assisting their operations, especially Information and Communication Technology (ICT). What makes it different today is the range of services organisations are asking for from suppliers and the extent to which it has become politically correct and responses to changing market and corporate conditions. The rationale for outsourcing is simple and compelling in that contracting part of the operation is seen to be cheaper than the company doing all by itself. (Hendry,1995) in his discussion states that outsourcing not only enable organisation to make gains but also allow them to focus more especially on those activities it can perform better in-house. Even though the cost factor is obvious, (Rubin, 1990) emphasized the point that it is more important to understand the managerial basis of decision-making. Aside its cost effectiveness, it also has a strategic dimension whilst organisations attempt to find the ‘right size to fit a new environment’. The reason why organisations decide to outsource is the seasonal demand swings where there may be need for more hands on board to meet customer demand. Analysing the diagram below†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦, outsourcing could be considered as a continuum in that at one point staff may be needed temporary and at some points may be taken on to perform complete responsibility. Timing is also a key factor in the process. Thus from the diagram, the short-term market exchanges at one point and the long-term relational exchanges at the other. Operational task to relieve capacity overload Consultancy, capacity augmentation skill providers (Stopper, 2005) reported British Petroleum (BP) in 1999 spent $600 million towards its global human resource administration and management, for a contract of seven years. In the year 2000 however, BP’s revenue increased to $22 billion, about 8% of the total amount spent on the Human Resource that year. BP reduced its ongoing operating costs by at least $15million a year and avoided more than $30million in capital expenditures as a result of outsourcing it Human Resource services. (Dell, 2004) in his research, reported a Conference Board survey of 122 large companies in 2003. The report revealed that 79% of top managers voted cost reduction as the motive for outsourcing Human Resource services. Other research proved among the reasons for outsourcing, the most prevalent, thus 42% voted providing better services to employees and 25% to improve efficiency, effectiveness or productivity. The motive of BP Human Resource outsourcing was to reduce cost but improve efficiency. EXULT, the supplier took total charge of BP’s total Human Resource process, leaving BP dealing with stuff that require more attention, such as their policy .Advocators of Human Resource outsourcing share their views on the grounds that Human Resource has an increasingly complex legal environment, and for succes s in mergers and or acquisitions, it requires special skills, knowledge and Human Resource attention. The question is ‘‘will the process work for everyone’’? Is it necessary for every company or an organisation considering outsourcing its Human Resource? There are therefore arguments in support of and against Human Resource outsourcing in this debate. This study seeks to answer the following questions finding out basically why companies will outsource their Human Resource and to what benefits there are for such companies. It also analyses the level of control the company has on the process. Contrarily to this opinion, (Morton, 2003) argued that Human Resource outsourcing is a faddish trend. His question is, ‘‘would the supplier know one’s business as well as the owner and can he really visualise the exact issue on the ground’’? Again, is it advisable for an outsider to take decisions on your behalf’’? His words are: ‘‘your people are your biggest resource. It is important to keep hold of power over them’’. Klaas, with his theoretical study on the impact of Human Resource outsourcing also believes that companies should not take things for granted but rather be well aware of the potential dangers of the process of Human Resource outsourcing before engaging in it. His concern, however, is on the variables of Professional Employer Organisations (PEOs). The PEO variables involve staff time cost, administration fees, HR outcomes and compensation cost. These however, vary from one company to the other. He therefore advised that companies should carefully research into these variables and consider whether to outsource or not. The word ‘trust’ is also very important in determining the relationship in any successful outsource. 1.3RESEARCH QUESTIONS: What drives the Human Resource outsourcing process? To what extent does Human Resource outsourcing help or hinder a firm’s success? 1.4AIM OF THE STUDY: The ultimate aim of this study is to establish the principal factor associated with the decision to outsource, and the benefits organisations derive from doing so. 1.5OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: Explore the reasons for Human Resource outsourcing Examine and analyse the various benefits derived from outsourcing the Human Resource sector of a company Examine how successful Human Resource outsourcing has been Provide the essential keys to successful Human Resource outsourcing what aspect of the Human Resource function do companies outsource what category of staff do companies outsource 1.6 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY: 1.6.1 History of Human Resource outsourcing in the United Kingdom. A research by Arthur Anderson concluded that 75% of the top 200 United Kingdom firms believed that personnel administration is a core function and should not be outsourced, 49% also assessed training as a core function whilst 39% agreed to payroll being a fundamental activity to the business. The study however identified a change in perception over the last four years. Functions previously seen as core and for that matter should not be outsourced are now considered eligible for outsourcing. One of the opinions that the human resource outsourcing has been mainly reactive rather than proactive since it deals with the consequences rather than being involved from the onset. Further argument on core competencies emphasises on the fact that the Human Resource function, importantly has more work to do with fewer resources. The recent development in technology creates more function for the human personnel department. This means that personnel need to work and learn the varying skills and knowledge needed to control such machines. In effect Human Resource professionals have moved away from the conventional way of Human Resource Management whilst they master new and different skills and competencies. They must therefore exhibit a better and broader understanding of organisational strategies and manage change. Having leadership skills, creatively and being innovative are very important skills in Human Resource outsourcing. Consultant seeking for business and top management who assure that as far as outsourcing has worked for Information Technology; it must also work for Human Resource. The human resource department in attempt to restructure the entire industries end up as formulators and implementers of downsizing and as targets of downsizing themselves. As a result, Human Resource managers in the United Kingdom trying to redefine their role from being a personnel and employee relations functions to become a â€Å"strategic partner† within the company. This will not stop them from delivering their usual good services to employees and shareholders. The human resource function is therefore under pressure to compete by being better, faster and more cost-effective. There is also pressure from employees as they seek accurate information and efficiency; again they take increasing responsibility for the choice and cost of various benefits as well as increasing their level of expectation. 1.6.2 The extent of Human Resource outsourcing in the United Kingdom A survey by magazine ‘Human Resource’ in May 2000 revealed the following results. There were 50 executive interviewees from the Financial Times Stock Exchange top 250. The findings were that despite a long history and noise on Human Resource Outsourcing, more than a third of companies in the United Kingdom does not outsource any of their human resource work. They solely perform all their human resource functions in-house. 58% of respondent retain their benefits work in-house whiles 46% their payroll and then 59% their pensions. It was noted that car fleet management seems to be the only service where large-scale outsourcing takes place. It employs about 46%, taking advantage of services provided by companies such as LEX. The study suggests that companies engaged in outsourcing do not even outsource the whole process out rather a portion of their main Human Resource functions. About 55% of respondents outsourced part of their recruitment function as compared to only 9% outsourcing it all. In the same way, 61% outsourced some of their training function but no one outsourced the entire function. The survey also suggested that the level of personnel especially the senior level was a major factor why companies outsource, for instance a third of companies outsource for their senior staff in terms of recruitment as well as training. The survey revealed that fleet management is most commonly outsourced in its entirety, next is pensions and then payroll, other functions partially outsourced are training, pensions, benefits, recruitment and payroll. Payroll and personnel –related outsourcing is well practised in the United States (US) and some analysts have predicted United Kingdom following suit but in a modified form sometime to come. The survey showed the figure below Outsourcing prevalence for different human resource functions in % Source: Human Resource HR survey May 2002 There are five competence factors influencing the outsourcing phenomenon downsizing rapid growth or decline restructuring increased competition globalisation Theorists Peter and Waterman (1982), promulgated the concentration on what companies â€Å"do best† and promoted the idea of sticking to the knitting. Hamal and Prahalad (1990) introduced the core competencies, which is the concentration on the company’s main strategies. In 1986 Miles and Snow initiate the concept of the network organisation, in this situation the core company focused on its major activities whilst contracting out and managing activities of third party. This theory was further developed by Reich in 1991 stating that western companies would have to concentrate their efforts on ‘knowledge based’ activities to form elements of an enterprise web. 1.6.3 Advantages of Human Resource outsourcing The main advantages of the Human Resource outsourcing are listed as: Enhances time management Provides better quality products / services Reduces fixed costs Better investments through technological advancement Support managers to focus in their communicating and integrating Human Resource policy Suppliers having dealt with different organisations always have new experience and approaches 1.6.4 Disadvantages of Human Resource outsourcing Main problems associated with Human Resource outsourcing are: Hidden cost is underestimated Inadequate knowledge and understanding by suppliers of core business Accountability of supports service provided Inability of suppliers to maintain quality of service Communication problems between the two parties 1.6.5 Limitation of Human Resource outsourcing Bill Carney in his article identified five key limitations Immediate cost savings Provider limitations Profit maximisation not guaranteed Limited customization Limited control Supplier management 1.6.6 Is Human Resource outsourcing right for everyone? Human Resource outsourcing is not the solution to all modern Human Resrource and administrative problems. Many companies do not consider the nature of their business to develop a comprehensive sourcing analysis framework. The underlying business needs of reducing cost often done through downsizing of staff may not be realised One significant disadvantage with the process is the potential misalignment of corporate and Human Resource strategies and priorities. Thus what seems beneficial to one Human Resource manager may not be same in the wider corporate context. 1.6.7 Effective organisational entry practices To have an effective entry practice, depends on good analysis throughout the sequential process. should an error happen, the whole sequence may be affected and prove more costly to employers, not only in terms of financial loss but will also disrupt the progress of work. This process might also de-motivate established staff and loose out to the competition. The diagram below shows the stages in the organisational entry process. Basic stages of the organisational entry process ANALYSIS RECRUITMENT Assess the best way to attract the candidates matching the selection criteria Determine how the company wants to present itself to recruits Link recruitments strategy to the information the company needs to gain in the selection process Assess the performance of previous recruitment drivers Evaluation of knowledge, skills and abilities required in the short term Long-term planning on how job profile may change Evaluation of organisational culture/strategy and how it may change ANALYSIS Review / feedback from each stage of the process to raise the efficiency SELECTION Determine which tools to use to assess if a candidate matches the required criteria/competencies Determine the level of flexibility the company can afford in the terms offered to attract the best recruits Link selection strategy to information about corporate culture Determine what the new employee needs to know to work effectively and fit in as soon as possible INDUSTRIAL Source: Market tracking international ltd ( MTI) A survey conducted by the DDI (1991) involving 1000 HR directors from leading United Kingdom companies depicts that ‘hiring the right people’ was rated as the most important issue people may face. The next one is â€Å"motivating and retaining employees† with regard to staff turnover costs, the result of the survey showed that 10% of firms incur costs in excess of  £5million per annum; and more worryingly, 69% of firms do not bother to calculate the cost of staff turnover. Further research showed that the 1980s and the early 1990s recession contributed to cost-cutting, downsizing and restructuring in a number of industry sectors. This led to the change in the employment market and altering the recruitment and selections strategies of organisations. It again suggests that new job opportunities are more likely in the service sector, commonly among highly skilled. Also there has been an increase in the part-time, temporary and contract-work as companies strive to achieve flexibility in order to cope with changing market demands. The graph below shows how United Kingdom employment sectors are affected by staff shortages 1.6.8 Types of Human Resource outsourcing Researchers have grouped outsourcing into the following groups: Total outsourcing: outsourcing is considered as total outsourcing when a company decides to outsource about 70%-80% of a particular function to a single supplier with the aim of concentrating on the company’s core competencies. This â€Å"hundred percent† of a personnel service has generated into argument. First of all, it is argued that a major portion of personnel work is so central to the strategic objectives and the culture of the organisation. For this matter the company itself can only effectively carry out the personnel work. The second argument is certain situations are hard to predict but may require immediate responses example is industrial dispute. For this reason it becomes difficult to contract out such tasks to a supplier who can not guarantee the proper action needed. Further arguments suggest that they have not yet discovered a significant Human Resource supplier for 100% total outsourcing. There exist only few suppliers who are able to take on a complete personnel service. Multiple / selective outsourcing: companies negotiate with numerous suppliers so as to keep them in a state of healthy competition under short-term contracts. It has an aim of retaining suppliers on larger-term contracts. Joint venture / strategic: it refers to partnering with other suppliers in executing a particular project so as to share risk and rewards. The outsourcing is the risk factor to the company (client) and the same time maintain strong ownership and control Temporary outsourcing partnership: is a short-term contract usually 1-2 years for the smaller companies who cannot justly handle external consultancy. Transformational outsourcing (Information Technology Information System applications): it is an application within the technology / information system field. Business process outsourcing (BPO): is considered as the sharpest end of the outsourcing spectrum, it involves outsourcing critical important business processes such as finance and accounting, internal audit and procurement etc. it is actually a rapidly growing area. Insourcing: this could mean reclaiming of application that had previously been outsourced; it is done in two ways, either hiring consultants to re-engineer the in-house department or through conventional in-house bidding. Partial outsourcing transfer: is the partial transfer of services and associated resources, it involves outsourcing fairly routine and well established practices such as pay roll and at the same time retaining newer systems in-house. The company remains the managers of the process and takes most decisions. Asset purchasing: is where the supplier decides to buy the entire set of physical assets from the clients company. It is also a form of cash flow to the company for selling its assets. There is also transfer of personnel from the company to the supplier; however the place of work does not change. (Lee, 2002) also categorised Human Resource outsourcing into three aspects: Professional Employers Organisation (PEO) – Application Service Provider (ASP) Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) PEOs have a duty of managing a company’s human resources, take charge of employee’s legal issues and undertake basic Human Resource functions as recruitment and selection including performance appraisal. In most cases PEO form partnership with other suppliers. The PEO concentrate on the Human Resource aspect of the business, the company on the other hand handles the other aspect. Sometimes due to the nature of Human Resource, the company may decide to enter into strategic alliance or joint venture in order to have some level of control over the Human Resource management. Within the context of Human Resource outsourcing, organisations specific needs and processes vary. Some organisations tend to outsource virtually all of it Human Resource Processes whilst others concentrate on specific areas of the process such as staff recruitment, staff training, payroll or resources. About 9% outsourced all of it recruitment function while about 55% of respondents outsource part of their recruitment function. Amstrong (2001) introduced a list of Human Resource areas that are often outsourced. These are: Training, Payroll Management, Health and Safety Monitoring and Advice, Recruitment and finally Employee Welfare and Counselling activities. More so Workplace Employee Relations Survey (WERS) in 2004 revealed that Training, Payroll and Resourcing of temporary positions are the most common component that companies seek to outsource. It is noted that very few organisations such as British Telecom, Boots the Chemist, Procter Gamble have outsourced their entire Human Resource functions and the most recently is Unilever. ASPs: Application Service Providers focuses on software applications. They deal with software processes and rent to users. They have standardised off-the shelf applications and the customised Human Resource software development. It is designed to manage payroll, benefits among others. BPO: this refers to Business Process Outsourcing, which focuses on outsourcing managerial and operational functions in Human Resource. BPO is also in charge of monitoring the latest information systems. In the United Kingdom, a change in political ideology after 18 years of conservative government rule is seen as a driver of the outsourcing, as a means of reducing cost and raising efficiency, the use of outsourcing was promoted. This really showed in the public sector through the introduction of market-based instruments and the formation of internal market as in the health service Different authors have classified outsourcing drivers. According to (Winkleman et al, 1993) there are two basic drivers for outsourcing success; these are cost reduction and strategic shift in how organisations operate. (Grupter et al, 1992) added two more drivers as market forces and technical considerations. (Hiemstra et al, 1993) also indicated four drivers, which are cost, capital, knowledge and capacity. (Beulen et al, 1994) suggested five main drivers for outsourcing: quality, cost, finance, core-business and cooperation. 1.6.9 Drivers for outsourcing: ( Beulen et al; 1994) outlines the following general drivers for outsourcing: Quality: actual capacity is temporarily inefficient to comply with demand. The quality motive can be subdivided into three aspects: increased quality demands, shortage of qualified personnel and outsourcing as a transition period. Cost: outsourcing is a possible solution to control increasing costs and its compatible with a cost leadership strategy by controlling and decreasing costs, a company can increase its competitive position. Finance: a company has a limited investment budget. The funds must be used for investments in core business activities, which are long-term decisions. Core-Business: core-business is a primary activity with which an organisation generates revenue. To concentrate on core-business activities is a strategic decision, all subsequent activities are mainly supportive and should be outsourced. Cooperation: cooperation between companies can lead to conflict. In order to avoid such conflict those activities that are produced by both organisations should be subject to total outsourcing. However these factors cannot be in isolation, they are not sufficient enough as attention needs to be given to the context in which such decisions are taken. Consideration should be given to the internal and external environment within which the organisation operates. The organisation’s objectives and most importantly its culture may effect the implementation and sustainability of the policy, once made. Considering the factors that drives and influence outsourcing decisions, Chris Fill in his research established three key emerging issues: the contextual factors represented by an organisation’s particular internal and external conditions the strategic and structural aspects associated with an organisation’s decision to reconfigure the costs associated with the process or activity under review It is very necessary for managers to consider these three aspects when deciding to outsource. A framework illustrates the process A composite outsourcing decision framework Outsourcing Management Consideration And judgement Contextual factors Strategy Structure Transaction Costs Source: Management Decision vol. 38 No.1, (2000) CHAPTER TWO 2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW: The most important and cherished asset of any company is its Human Resource – the staff. Even with all the most current technology, personnel are first because without manpower, nothing gets done. The success of every organisation depends on the quality of staff employed. On the other hand it could be disastrous if the right decision is not taken in choosing the right people with the right skills in the right position. The kind of skills employed makes a vast difference between a business success and it failure. In the business environment, some companies may employ solely skilled personnel, others require both skilled and semi skilled personnel and others unskilled labour force. In the retail sector for example, the nature of the work demands both skilled and semi skilled staff with the semi – skilled dominating. The skilled staff basically are managers such as the marketing and advertising managers, accounting managers, purchasing and supplier managers and general ov erseers. The challenge is how to get those people into the right places in order not to under utilise or over utilise their services. For instance, it might not be necessary to employ a professional who is to be paid as a sales assistant to be serving customers, but rather have a responsibility of planning and strategising how to win customers and be ahead of it competitors. In order to make the best decision, t Human Resource Outsourcing in the UK Human Resource Outsourcing in the UK HUMAN RESOURCE OUTSOURCING: A GENERAL STUDY OF UNITED KINGDOM RETAILERS’ USE OF OUTSOURCED PERSONNEL, REASONS AND BENEFITS. ABSTRACT: Human Resource outsourcing is considered an important factor in today’s business world. It is constantly growing, especially in the global world where companies outsource not just within their country but across borders. This research concentrates on Human Resource outsourcing in the retail sector, including both small and medium size firms in the United Kingdom. The ultimate aim of this research is outlined below: To find out why companies outsource their Human Resource – their first and foremost reasons. To find out what benefits there are in this process. To find out if there are any control mechanisms linked to the process. To find answers to these questions, five retail managers were interviewed: three respondents interviewed were conducted face to face and two were phoned interviewed. Again, fifty questionnaires were sent out to recruitment agencies who are the suppliers of the Human Resource, to confirm if they share the same opinion with retail managers who are their clients. Out of the fifty questionnaires, 30 were retrieved and analysed. The results revealed that companies do not outsource all of their Human Resource functions. Recruitment is the key function outsourced for the simple reason of convenience and time saving. However, benefits are enormous including cost effectiveness, achieving higher core competency levels, greater flexibility and accessibility to expertise, reducing workload of staff etc. Results also depict two categories of outsourced staff, which are temporary staff and permanent staff with temporary staff being the majority. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1There have been many issues surrounding outsourcing of Human Resource. It implications are wide and varied. Though there are many benefits, it is faced with challenges as well. Companies who have managed their challenges well have been successful others on the other hand have redrawn from the process. The topic was chosen because is an issue being discussed currently all over the globe and the retail sector is proving to be a sector that employs a greater percentage of the workforce. Chapter one gives a definition of outsourcing and discusses what outsourcing is all about. It gives relevant examples of those companies practicing Human Resource outsourcing and the results of their practice. Chapter two is the literature review. The literature review establishes concise framework and reveals various reasons why companies tend to outsource and its subsequent benefits. It also raises the issues of concern and the control outsourcers have over their suppliers. It discusses people’s opinion about the Human Resource outsourcing giving the pros and cons of the issue. Part two of chapter two gives the factors that drives the process Chapter three is basically about the retail sector and how it operates in the United Kingdom analysing the importance of the Human Resource in retailing. How data was collected is discussed in chapter four and further analysed. Finally findings are reported and conclusion with limitations given in the last chapter. 1.2Background of study Outsourcing has been defined by Gupta and Gupta (1992) as ‘the concept of hiring outside professional services to meet the in-house needs of an organisation or agency’ another explanation is a managerial approach delegating non-core functions of the organisation to other specialist and efficient services providers. In recent times, many companies are considering outsourcing their Human Resource because it is becoming a viable option. In the United Kingdom (UNITED KINGDOM), the situation has been drastic, especially in the retail sector. Human Resource indeed is one of the major factors of production and cannot be ignored in anyway for a business success. Human Resource is constantly growing and keeping abreast with the dynamic business world, which relies heavily on the technology advancement and specialist skills. The term ‘Human Resource’ was once seen in companies operations as a department that issued policies, heard grievances and problems of it staff. As time went on, it then included various aspects of training that benefits administration and staffing. The focus however is gradually changing again, now as a strategic consultant to the main business, trying to match personnel and their skills with the corporate goals of the company with the view of achieving competitive advantage. Human Resource outsourcing is becoming popular due to the perceived numerous benefits with emphasis on cost effectiveness and adding value to the organisation. In the United Kingdom, the growth of Human Resource outsourcing stemmed from increased demand in the public sector but now the private sector is also expressing more interest. (Winkleman et al, 1995) explained: outsourcing is actually not a new concept because organisations have always hired outside providers services in assisting their operations, especially Information and Communication Technology (ICT). What makes it different today is the range of services organisations are asking for from suppliers and the extent to which it has become politically correct and responses to changing market and corporate conditions. The rationale for outsourcing is simple and compelling in that contracting part of the operation is seen to be cheaper than the company doing all by itself. (Hendry,1995) in his discussion states that outsourcing not only enable organisation to make gains but also allow them to focus more especially on those activities it can perform better in-house. Even though the cost factor is obvious, (Rubin, 1990) emphasized the point that it is more important to understand the managerial basis of decision-making. Aside its cost effectiveness, it also has a strategic dimension whilst organisations attempt to find the ‘right size to fit a new environment’. The reason why organisations decide to outsource is the seasonal demand swings where there may be need for more hands on board to meet customer demand. Analysing the diagram below†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦, outsourcing could be considered as a continuum in that at one point staff may be needed temporary and at some points may be taken on to perform complete responsibility. Timing is also a key factor in the process. Thus from the diagram, the short-term market exchanges at one point and the long-term relational exchanges at the other. Operational task to relieve capacity overload Consultancy, capacity augmentation skill providers (Stopper, 2005) reported British Petroleum (BP) in 1999 spent $600 million towards its global human resource administration and management, for a contract of seven years. In the year 2000 however, BP’s revenue increased to $22 billion, about 8% of the total amount spent on the Human Resource that year. BP reduced its ongoing operating costs by at least $15million a year and avoided more than $30million in capital expenditures as a result of outsourcing it Human Resource services. (Dell, 2004) in his research, reported a Conference Board survey of 122 large companies in 2003. The report revealed that 79% of top managers voted cost reduction as the motive for outsourcing Human Resource services. Other research proved among the reasons for outsourcing, the most prevalent, thus 42% voted providing better services to employees and 25% to improve efficiency, effectiveness or productivity. The motive of BP Human Resource outsourcing was to reduce cost but improve efficiency. EXULT, the supplier took total charge of BP’s total Human Resource process, leaving BP dealing with stuff that require more attention, such as their policy .Advocators of Human Resource outsourcing share their views on the grounds that Human Resource has an increasingly complex legal environment, and for succes s in mergers and or acquisitions, it requires special skills, knowledge and Human Resource attention. The question is ‘‘will the process work for everyone’’? Is it necessary for every company or an organisation considering outsourcing its Human Resource? There are therefore arguments in support of and against Human Resource outsourcing in this debate. This study seeks to answer the following questions finding out basically why companies will outsource their Human Resource and to what benefits there are for such companies. It also analyses the level of control the company has on the process. Contrarily to this opinion, (Morton, 2003) argued that Human Resource outsourcing is a faddish trend. His question is, ‘‘would the supplier know one’s business as well as the owner and can he really visualise the exact issue on the ground’’? Again, is it advisable for an outsider to take decisions on your behalf’’? His words are: ‘‘your people are your biggest resource. It is important to keep hold of power over them’’. Klaas, with his theoretical study on the impact of Human Resource outsourcing also believes that companies should not take things for granted but rather be well aware of the potential dangers of the process of Human Resource outsourcing before engaging in it. His concern, however, is on the variables of Professional Employer Organisations (PEOs). The PEO variables involve staff time cost, administration fees, HR outcomes and compensation cost. These however, vary from one company to the other. He therefore advised that companies should carefully research into these variables and consider whether to outsource or not. The word ‘trust’ is also very important in determining the relationship in any successful outsource. 1.3RESEARCH QUESTIONS: What drives the Human Resource outsourcing process? To what extent does Human Resource outsourcing help or hinder a firm’s success? 1.4AIM OF THE STUDY: The ultimate aim of this study is to establish the principal factor associated with the decision to outsource, and the benefits organisations derive from doing so. 1.5OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: Explore the reasons for Human Resource outsourcing Examine and analyse the various benefits derived from outsourcing the Human Resource sector of a company Examine how successful Human Resource outsourcing has been Provide the essential keys to successful Human Resource outsourcing what aspect of the Human Resource function do companies outsource what category of staff do companies outsource 1.6 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY: 1.6.1 History of Human Resource outsourcing in the United Kingdom. A research by Arthur Anderson concluded that 75% of the top 200 United Kingdom firms believed that personnel administration is a core function and should not be outsourced, 49% also assessed training as a core function whilst 39% agreed to payroll being a fundamental activity to the business. The study however identified a change in perception over the last four years. Functions previously seen as core and for that matter should not be outsourced are now considered eligible for outsourcing. One of the opinions that the human resource outsourcing has been mainly reactive rather than proactive since it deals with the consequences rather than being involved from the onset. Further argument on core competencies emphasises on the fact that the Human Resource function, importantly has more work to do with fewer resources. The recent development in technology creates more function for the human personnel department. This means that personnel need to work and learn the varying skills and knowledge needed to control such machines. In effect Human Resource professionals have moved away from the conventional way of Human Resource Management whilst they master new and different skills and competencies. They must therefore exhibit a better and broader understanding of organisational strategies and manage change. Having leadership skills, creatively and being innovative are very important skills in Human Resource outsourcing. Consultant seeking for business and top management who assure that as far as outsourcing has worked for Information Technology; it must also work for Human Resource. The human resource department in attempt to restructure the entire industries end up as formulators and implementers of downsizing and as targets of downsizing themselves. As a result, Human Resource managers in the United Kingdom trying to redefine their role from being a personnel and employee relations functions to become a â€Å"strategic partner† within the company. This will not stop them from delivering their usual good services to employees and shareholders. The human resource function is therefore under pressure to compete by being better, faster and more cost-effective. There is also pressure from employees as they seek accurate information and efficiency; again they take increasing responsibility for the choice and cost of various benefits as well as increasing their level of expectation. 1.6.2 The extent of Human Resource outsourcing in the United Kingdom A survey by magazine ‘Human Resource’ in May 2000 revealed the following results. There were 50 executive interviewees from the Financial Times Stock Exchange top 250. The findings were that despite a long history and noise on Human Resource Outsourcing, more than a third of companies in the United Kingdom does not outsource any of their human resource work. They solely perform all their human resource functions in-house. 58% of respondent retain their benefits work in-house whiles 46% their payroll and then 59% their pensions. It was noted that car fleet management seems to be the only service where large-scale outsourcing takes place. It employs about 46%, taking advantage of services provided by companies such as LEX. The study suggests that companies engaged in outsourcing do not even outsource the whole process out rather a portion of their main Human Resource functions. About 55% of respondents outsourced part of their recruitment function as compared to only 9% outsourcing it all. In the same way, 61% outsourced some of their training function but no one outsourced the entire function. The survey also suggested that the level of personnel especially the senior level was a major factor why companies outsource, for instance a third of companies outsource for their senior staff in terms of recruitment as well as training. The survey revealed that fleet management is most commonly outsourced in its entirety, next is pensions and then payroll, other functions partially outsourced are training, pensions, benefits, recruitment and payroll. Payroll and personnel –related outsourcing is well practised in the United States (US) and some analysts have predicted United Kingdom following suit but in a modified form sometime to come. The survey showed the figure below Outsourcing prevalence for different human resource functions in % Source: Human Resource HR survey May 2002 There are five competence factors influencing the outsourcing phenomenon downsizing rapid growth or decline restructuring increased competition globalisation Theorists Peter and Waterman (1982), promulgated the concentration on what companies â€Å"do best† and promoted the idea of sticking to the knitting. Hamal and Prahalad (1990) introduced the core competencies, which is the concentration on the company’s main strategies. In 1986 Miles and Snow initiate the concept of the network organisation, in this situation the core company focused on its major activities whilst contracting out and managing activities of third party. This theory was further developed by Reich in 1991 stating that western companies would have to concentrate their efforts on ‘knowledge based’ activities to form elements of an enterprise web. 1.6.3 Advantages of Human Resource outsourcing The main advantages of the Human Resource outsourcing are listed as: Enhances time management Provides better quality products / services Reduces fixed costs Better investments through technological advancement Support managers to focus in their communicating and integrating Human Resource policy Suppliers having dealt with different organisations always have new experience and approaches 1.6.4 Disadvantages of Human Resource outsourcing Main problems associated with Human Resource outsourcing are: Hidden cost is underestimated Inadequate knowledge and understanding by suppliers of core business Accountability of supports service provided Inability of suppliers to maintain quality of service Communication problems between the two parties 1.6.5 Limitation of Human Resource outsourcing Bill Carney in his article identified five key limitations Immediate cost savings Provider limitations Profit maximisation not guaranteed Limited customization Limited control Supplier management 1.6.6 Is Human Resource outsourcing right for everyone? Human Resource outsourcing is not the solution to all modern Human Resrource and administrative problems. Many companies do not consider the nature of their business to develop a comprehensive sourcing analysis framework. The underlying business needs of reducing cost often done through downsizing of staff may not be realised One significant disadvantage with the process is the potential misalignment of corporate and Human Resource strategies and priorities. Thus what seems beneficial to one Human Resource manager may not be same in the wider corporate context. 1.6.7 Effective organisational entry practices To have an effective entry practice, depends on good analysis throughout the sequential process. should an error happen, the whole sequence may be affected and prove more costly to employers, not only in terms of financial loss but will also disrupt the progress of work. This process might also de-motivate established staff and loose out to the competition. The diagram below shows the stages in the organisational entry process. Basic stages of the organisational entry process ANALYSIS RECRUITMENT Assess the best way to attract the candidates matching the selection criteria Determine how the company wants to present itself to recruits Link recruitments strategy to the information the company needs to gain in the selection process Assess the performance of previous recruitment drivers Evaluation of knowledge, skills and abilities required in the short term Long-term planning on how job profile may change Evaluation of organisational culture/strategy and how it may change ANALYSIS Review / feedback from each stage of the process to raise the efficiency SELECTION Determine which tools to use to assess if a candidate matches the required criteria/competencies Determine the level of flexibility the company can afford in the terms offered to attract the best recruits Link selection strategy to information about corporate culture Determine what the new employee needs to know to work effectively and fit in as soon as possible INDUSTRIAL Source: Market tracking international ltd ( MTI) A survey conducted by the DDI (1991) involving 1000 HR directors from leading United Kingdom companies depicts that ‘hiring the right people’ was rated as the most important issue people may face. The next one is â€Å"motivating and retaining employees† with regard to staff turnover costs, the result of the survey showed that 10% of firms incur costs in excess of  £5million per annum; and more worryingly, 69% of firms do not bother to calculate the cost of staff turnover. Further research showed that the 1980s and the early 1990s recession contributed to cost-cutting, downsizing and restructuring in a number of industry sectors. This led to the change in the employment market and altering the recruitment and selections strategies of organisations. It again suggests that new job opportunities are more likely in the service sector, commonly among highly skilled. Also there has been an increase in the part-time, temporary and contract-work as companies strive to achieve flexibility in order to cope with changing market demands. The graph below shows how United Kingdom employment sectors are affected by staff shortages 1.6.8 Types of Human Resource outsourcing Researchers have grouped outsourcing into the following groups: Total outsourcing: outsourcing is considered as total outsourcing when a company decides to outsource about 70%-80% of a particular function to a single supplier with the aim of concentrating on the company’s core competencies. This â€Å"hundred percent† of a personnel service has generated into argument. First of all, it is argued that a major portion of personnel work is so central to the strategic objectives and the culture of the organisation. For this matter the company itself can only effectively carry out the personnel work. The second argument is certain situations are hard to predict but may require immediate responses example is industrial dispute. For this reason it becomes difficult to contract out such tasks to a supplier who can not guarantee the proper action needed. Further arguments suggest that they have not yet discovered a significant Human Resource supplier for 100% total outsourcing. There exist only few suppliers who are able to take on a complete personnel service. Multiple / selective outsourcing: companies negotiate with numerous suppliers so as to keep them in a state of healthy competition under short-term contracts. It has an aim of retaining suppliers on larger-term contracts. Joint venture / strategic: it refers to partnering with other suppliers in executing a particular project so as to share risk and rewards. The outsourcing is the risk factor to the company (client) and the same time maintain strong ownership and control Temporary outsourcing partnership: is a short-term contract usually 1-2 years for the smaller companies who cannot justly handle external consultancy. Transformational outsourcing (Information Technology Information System applications): it is an application within the technology / information system field. Business process outsourcing (BPO): is considered as the sharpest end of the outsourcing spectrum, it involves outsourcing critical important business processes such as finance and accounting, internal audit and procurement etc. it is actually a rapidly growing area. Insourcing: this could mean reclaiming of application that had previously been outsourced; it is done in two ways, either hiring consultants to re-engineer the in-house department or through conventional in-house bidding. Partial outsourcing transfer: is the partial transfer of services and associated resources, it involves outsourcing fairly routine and well established practices such as pay roll and at the same time retaining newer systems in-house. The company remains the managers of the process and takes most decisions. Asset purchasing: is where the supplier decides to buy the entire set of physical assets from the clients company. It is also a form of cash flow to the company for selling its assets. There is also transfer of personnel from the company to the supplier; however the place of work does not change. (Lee, 2002) also categorised Human Resource outsourcing into three aspects: Professional Employers Organisation (PEO) – Application Service Provider (ASP) Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) PEOs have a duty of managing a company’s human resources, take charge of employee’s legal issues and undertake basic Human Resource functions as recruitment and selection including performance appraisal. In most cases PEO form partnership with other suppliers. The PEO concentrate on the Human Resource aspect of the business, the company on the other hand handles the other aspect. Sometimes due to the nature of Human Resource, the company may decide to enter into strategic alliance or joint venture in order to have some level of control over the Human Resource management. Within the context of Human Resource outsourcing, organisations specific needs and processes vary. Some organisations tend to outsource virtually all of it Human Resource Processes whilst others concentrate on specific areas of the process such as staff recruitment, staff training, payroll or resources. About 9% outsourced all of it recruitment function while about 55% of respondents outsource part of their recruitment function. Amstrong (2001) introduced a list of Human Resource areas that are often outsourced. These are: Training, Payroll Management, Health and Safety Monitoring and Advice, Recruitment and finally Employee Welfare and Counselling activities. More so Workplace Employee Relations Survey (WERS) in 2004 revealed that Training, Payroll and Resourcing of temporary positions are the most common component that companies seek to outsource. It is noted that very few organisations such as British Telecom, Boots the Chemist, Procter Gamble have outsourced their entire Human Resource functions and the most recently is Unilever. ASPs: Application Service Providers focuses on software applications. They deal with software processes and rent to users. They have standardised off-the shelf applications and the customised Human Resource software development. It is designed to manage payroll, benefits among others. BPO: this refers to Business Process Outsourcing, which focuses on outsourcing managerial and operational functions in Human Resource. BPO is also in charge of monitoring the latest information systems. In the United Kingdom, a change in political ideology after 18 years of conservative government rule is seen as a driver of the outsourcing, as a means of reducing cost and raising efficiency, the use of outsourcing was promoted. This really showed in the public sector through the introduction of market-based instruments and the formation of internal market as in the health service Different authors have classified outsourcing drivers. According to (Winkleman et al, 1993) there are two basic drivers for outsourcing success; these are cost reduction and strategic shift in how organisations operate. (Grupter et al, 1992) added two more drivers as market forces and technical considerations. (Hiemstra et al, 1993) also indicated four drivers, which are cost, capital, knowledge and capacity. (Beulen et al, 1994) suggested five main drivers for outsourcing: quality, cost, finance, core-business and cooperation. 1.6.9 Drivers for outsourcing: ( Beulen et al; 1994) outlines the following general drivers for outsourcing: Quality: actual capacity is temporarily inefficient to comply with demand. The quality motive can be subdivided into three aspects: increased quality demands, shortage of qualified personnel and outsourcing as a transition period. Cost: outsourcing is a possible solution to control increasing costs and its compatible with a cost leadership strategy by controlling and decreasing costs, a company can increase its competitive position. Finance: a company has a limited investment budget. The funds must be used for investments in core business activities, which are long-term decisions. Core-Business: core-business is a primary activity with which an organisation generates revenue. To concentrate on core-business activities is a strategic decision, all subsequent activities are mainly supportive and should be outsourced. Cooperation: cooperation between companies can lead to conflict. In order to avoid such conflict those activities that are produced by both organisations should be subject to total outsourcing. However these factors cannot be in isolation, they are not sufficient enough as attention needs to be given to the context in which such decisions are taken. Consideration should be given to the internal and external environment within which the organisation operates. The organisation’s objectives and most importantly its culture may effect the implementation and sustainability of the policy, once made. Considering the factors that drives and influence outsourcing decisions, Chris Fill in his research established three key emerging issues: the contextual factors represented by an organisation’s particular internal and external conditions the strategic and structural aspects associated with an organisation’s decision to reconfigure the costs associated with the process or activity under review It is very necessary for managers to consider these three aspects when deciding to outsource. A framework illustrates the process A composite outsourcing decision framework Outsourcing Management Consideration And judgement Contextual factors Strategy Structure Transaction Costs Source: Management Decision vol. 38 No.1, (2000) CHAPTER TWO 2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW: The most important and cherished asset of any company is its Human Resource – the staff. Even with all the most current technology, personnel are first because without manpower, nothing gets done. The success of every organisation depends on the quality of staff employed. On the other hand it could be disastrous if the right decision is not taken in choosing the right people with the right skills in the right position. The kind of skills employed makes a vast difference between a business success and it failure. In the business environment, some companies may employ solely skilled personnel, others require both skilled and semi skilled personnel and others unskilled labour force. In the retail sector for example, the nature of the work demands both skilled and semi skilled staff with the semi – skilled dominating. The skilled staff basically are managers such as the marketing and advertising managers, accounting managers, purchasing and supplier managers and general ov erseers. The challenge is how to get those people into the right places in order not to under utilise or over utilise their services. For instance, it might not be necessary to employ a professional who is to be paid as a sales assistant to be serving customers, but rather have a responsibility of planning and strategising how to win customers and be ahead of it competitors. In order to make the best decision, t