Green Marketing Examples

GREEN MARKETING PRACTICES OF INDIAN FIRMS Introduction According to the American Marketing Association, green marketing is the marketing of products that are presumed to be environmentally safe. Thus green marketing incorporates a broad range of activities, including product modification, changes to the production process, packaging changes, as well as modifying advertising. Yet defining green marketing is not a simple task where several meanings intersect and contradict each other; an example of this will be the existence of varying social, environmental and retail definitions attached to this term. Other similar terms used are Environmental Marketing and Ecological Marketing. Thus â€Å"Green Marketing† refers to holistic marketing concept wherein the production, marketing consumption an disposal of products and services happen in a manner that is less detrimental to the environment with growing awareness about the implications of global warming, non-biodegradable solid waste, harmful impact of pollutants etc. , both marketers and consumers are becoming increasingly sensitive to the need for switch in to green products and services. While the shift to â€Å"green† may appear to be expensive in the short term, it will definitely prove to be indispensable and advantageous, cost-wise too, in the long run. Why Green Marketing? It is really scary to read these pieces of information as reported in the Times recently: â€Å"Air pollution damage to people, crops and wildlife in he US totals tens of billions of dollars each year†. â€Å"More than 12 other studies in the US, Brazil Europe , Mexico , South Korea and Taiwan have established links between air pollutants and low birth weight premature birth still birth and infant death†. As resources are limited and human wants are unlimited, it is important for the marketers to utilize the resources efficiently without waste as well as to achieve the organization's objective. So green marketing is inevitable. There is growing interest among the consumers all over the world regarding protection of environment. Worldwide evidence indicates people are concerned about the environment and are changing their behavior. As a result of this, green marketing has emerged which speaks for growing market for sustainable and socially responsible products and services. Thus the growing awareness among the consumers all over the world regarding protection of the environment in which they live, People do want to bequeath a clean earth to their offspring. Various studies by environmentalists indicate that people are concerned about the environment and are changing their behavior pattern so as to be less hostile towards it. Now we see that most of the consumers, both individual and industrial, are becoming more concerned about environment-friendly products. Most of them feel that environment-friendly products are safe to use. As a result, green marketing has emerged, which aims at marketing sustainable and socially-responsible products and services. Now is the era of recyclable, non-toxic and environment-friendly goods. This has become the new mantra for marketers to satisfy the needs of consumers and earn better profits. Green marketing is the process of developing products and services and promoting them to satisfy the customers who prefer products of good quality, performance and convenience at affordable cost, which at the same time do not have a detrimental impact on the environment. It includes a broad range of activities like product modification, changing the production process, modified advertising, change in packaging, etc. , aimed at reducing the detrimental impact of products and their consumption and disposal on the environment. Companies all over the world are striving to reduce the impact of products and services on the climate and other environmental parameters. Marketers are taking the cue and are going green. Green marketing was given prominence in the late 1980s and 1990s after the proceedings of the first workshop on Ecological marketing held in Austin, Texas (US), in 1975. Several books on green marketing began to be published thereafter. According to the Joel makeover (a writer, speaker and strategist on clean technology and green marketing), green marketing faces a lot of challenges because of lack of standards and public consensus to what constitutes â€Å"Green†. The green marketing has evolved over a period of time. According to Peattie (2001), the evolution of green marketing has three phases. First phase was termed as â€Å"Ecological† green marketing, and during this period all marketing activities were concerned to help environment problems and provide remedies for environmental problems. Second phase was â€Å"Environmental† green marketing and the focus shifted on clean technology that involved designing of innovative new products, which take care of pollution and waste issues. Third phase was â€Å"Sustainable† green marketing. It came into prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000. Green marketing is a vital constituent of the holistic marketing concept. It is particularly applicable to businesses that are directly dependent on the physical environment; for example, industries like fishing, processed foods, tourism and adventure sports. Changes in the physical environment may pose a threat to such industries. Many global players in diverse businesses are now successfully implementing green marketing practices. MARKETING MIX OF GREEN MARKETING When companies come up with new innovations like eco friendly products, they can access new markets, enhance their market shares, and increase profits. Just as we have 4Ps product prices, place and promotion in marketing, we have 4ps in green marketing too, but they are a bit different. They are buttressed by three additional Ps, namely people, planet and profits. A. PRODUCT: The products have to be developed depending on the needs of the customers who prefer environment friendly products. Products can be made from recycled materials or from used goods. Efficient products not only save water, energy and money, but also reduce harmful effects on the environment. Green chemistry forms the growing focus of product development. The marketer's role in product management includes providing product designers with market-driven trends and customer requests for green product attributes such as energy saving, organic, green chemicals, local sourcing, etc. For example, Nike is the first among the shoe companies to market itself as green. It is marketing its Air Jordan shoes as environment-friendly, as it has significantly reduced the usage of harmful glue adhesives. It has designed this variety of shoes to emphasize that it has reduced wastage and used environment-friendly materials. B. PRICE Green pricing takes into consideration the people, planet and profit in a way that takes care of the health of employees and communities and ensures efficient productivity. Value can be added to it by changing its appearance, functionality and through customization, etc. Wal Mart unveiled its first recyclable cloth shopping bag. IKEA started charging consumers when they opted for plastic bags and encouraged people to shop using its â€Å"Big Blue Bag†. C. PLACE Green place is about managing logistics to cut down on transportation emissions, thereby in effect aiming at reducing the carbon footprint. For example, instead of marketing an imported mango juice in India it can be licensed for local production. This avoids shipping of the product from far away, thus reducing shipping cost and more importantly, the consequent carbon emission by the ships and other modes of transport. D. PROMOTION Green promotion involves configuring the tools of promotion, such as advertising, marketing materials, signage, white papers, web sites, videos and presentations by keeping people, planet and profits in mind. British petroleum (BP) displays gas station which its sunflower motif and boasts of putting money into solar power. Indian Tobacco Company has introduced environmental-friendly papers and boards, which are free of elemental chlorine. Toyota is trying to push gas/electric hybrid technology into much of its product line. It is also making the single largest R&D investment in the every-elusive hydrogen car and promoting itself as the first eco-friendly car company. International business machines Corporation (IBM) has revealed a portfolio of green retail store technologies and services to help retailers improve energy efficiency in their IT operations. The center piece of this portfolio is the IBM SurePOS 700, a point-of-sale system that, according to IBM, reduces power consumption by 36% or more. We even see the names of retail outlets like â€Å"Reliance Fresh†, [email  protected] Fresh and Desi, which while selling fresh vegetables and fruits, transmit an innate communication of green marketing. Green marketer can attract customers on the basis of performance, money savings, health and convenience, or just plain environmental friendliness, so as to target a wide range of green consumers. Consumer awareness can be created by spreading the message among consumers about the benefits of environmental-friendly products. Positing of profiles related to green marketing on social networks creates awareness within and across online peer groups. Marketing can also directly target the consumers through advertisements for product such as energy saving compact fluorescent lamps, the battery –powered Reva car, etc. WHY IS GREEN MARKETING CHOSEN BY MOST MARKETERS? Most of the companies are venturing into green marketing because of the following reasons: a. Opportunity In India, around 25% of the consumers prefer environmental-friendly products, and around 28% may be considered healthy conscious. There fore, green marketers have diverse and fairly sizeable segments to cater to. The Surf Excel detergent which saves water (advertised with the message—†do bucket paani roz bachana†) and the energy-saving LG consumers durables are examples of green marketing. We also have green buildings which are efficient in their use of energy, water and construction materials, and which reduce the impact on human health and the environment through better design, construction, operation, maintenance and waste disposal. In India, the green building movement, spearheaded by the Confederation of Indian industry (CII) – Godrej Green business Center, has gained tremendous impetus over the last few years. From 20,000 sq ft in 2003, India's green building footprint is now over 25 million sq ft. b. Social Resoponsibility Many companies have started realizing that they must behave in an environment-friendly fashion. They believe both in achieving environmental objectives as well as profit related objectives. The HSBC became the world's first bank to go carbon-neutral last year. Other examples include Coca-Cola, which has invested in various recycling activities. Walt Disney World in Florida, US, has an extensive waste management program and infrastructure in place. c. Governmental Pressure Various regulations rare framed by the government to protect consumers and the society at large. The Indian government too has developed a framework of legislations to reduce the production of harmful goods and by products. These reduce the industry's production and consumers' consumption of harmful goods, including those detrimental to the environment; for example, the ban f plastic bags in Mumbai, prohibition of smoking in public areas, etc. d. Competitive Pressure Many companies take up green marketing to maintain their competitive edge. The green marketing initiatives by niche companies such as Body Shop and Green & Black have prompted many mainline competitors to follow suit. e. Cost Reduction Reduction of harmful waste may lead to substantial cost savings. Sometimes , many firms develop symbiotic relationship whereby the waste generated by one company is used by another as a cost-effective raw material. For example, the fly ash generated by thermal power plants, which would otherwise contributed to a gigantic quantum of solid waste, is used to manufacture fly ash bricks for construction purposes. BENEFITS OF GREEN MARKETING Today's consumers are becoming more and more conscious about the environment and are also becoming socially responsible. Therefore, more companies are responsible to consumers' aspirations for environmentally less damaging or neutral products. Many companies want to have an early-mover advantage as they have to eventually move towards becoming green. Some of the advantages of green marketing are, * It ensures sustained long-term growth along with profitability. * It saves money in the long run, thought initially the cost is more. * It helps companies market their products and services keeping the environment aspects in mind. It helps in accessing the new markets and enjoying competitive advantage. * Most of the employees also feel proud and responsible to be working for an environmentally responsible company. PROBLEMS OF GREEN MARKETING Many organizations want to turn green, as an increasing number of consumers' ant to associate themselves with environmental-friendly products. Alongside, one also witnesses confusion among the consumers regarding the products. In particular, one often finds distrust regarding the credibility of green products. Therefore, to ensure consumer confidence, marketers of green products need to be much more transparent, and refrain from breaching any law or standards relating to products or business practices. PATHS TO GREENNESS Green marketing involves focusing on promoting the consumption of green products. Therefore, it becomes the responsibility of the companies to adopt creativity and insight, and be committed to the development of environment-friendly products. This will help the society in the long run. Companies which embark on green marketing should adopt thefollowing principles in their path towards â€Å"greenness. † * Adopt new technology/process or modify existing technology/process so as to reduce environmental impact. Establish a management and control system that will lead to the adherence of stringent environmental safety norms. * Using more environment-friendly raw materials at the production stage itself. * Explore possibilities of recycling of the used products so that it can be used to offer similar or other benefits with less wastage. Marketing Strategies The marketing strategies for green marketing include: – * Marketing Audit (including internal and external situation an alysis) * Develop a marketing plan outlining strategies with regard to 4 P's *Implement marketing strategies Plan results evaluation CONCLUSION A clever marketer is one who not only convinces the consumer, but also involves the consumer in marketing his product. Green marketing should not be considered as just one more approach to marketing, but has to be pursued with much greater vigor, as it has an environmental and social dimension to it. With the threat of global warming looming large, it is extremely important that green marketing becomes the norm rather than an exception or just a fad. Recycling of paper, metals, plastics, etc. in a safe and environmentally harmless manner should become much more systematized and universal. It has to become the general norm to use energy-efficient lamps and other electrical goods. Marketers also have the responsibility to make the consumers understand the need for and benefits of green products as compared to non-green ones. In green marketing , consumers are willing to pay more to maintain a cleaner and greener environment. Finally, consumers, industrial buyers and suppliers need to pressurize effects on minimize the negative effects on the environment-friendly. Green marketing assumes even more importance and relevance in developing countries like India. References Chopra, S. Lakshmi (2007), â€Å"Turning Over a New Leaf†, Indian Management, Vol-64, April-2007 Ottman, J. A. et al, â€Å"Avoiding Green Marketing Myopia†, Environment, Vol-48, June-2006 www. greenmarketing. net/stratergic. html www. epa. qld. gov. au/sustainable_ industries www. wmin. ac. uk/marketing research/marketing/greenmix. html http://www. coolavenues. com http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Green_marketing Presented by MD. Mudhassir P. Swapna

Analyst Apple 4ps

Analysis, segmentation and marketing mix of Apple Introduction The aim of this report is to analyse the current position of the company which includes the products, current strategic position, and current financial strength. Different types of marketing tools are used in this report. PEST analysis and Porter’s five force model for looking into the external environment. SWOT analysis for looking into the internal environment of the organization.This report also looks into market segmentation and the marketing mix of the product. Apple was first introduced by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne on April 1, 1976 to market and sell the Apple personal computer kit. The first computer kits were hand built and was kept for a public display first at the homebrew computer lab. This computer kit consisted of Motherboard with RAM, CPU, and some video chips.Since then apple have come a long way in the market all over the world and they are one of the leading companies in electroni c products. This can be known with the information given below: Current Strategic Position Apple believes in continuous improvement and they look into all the key sectors like environment, health and safety management systems and the quality of our products, processes and services.Looking into the Principle and goals of Apple, Apple has set out their own principles where they look to meet all the health and safety requirements, promote energy efficiency, and their main goals are; innovation is the most important thing for apple, to increase the number of sales of the product in the education field, providing new and user friendly software for the customers, and last but not the least providing high quality products to the customers.Looking into the current strategic position of Apple, with the introduction of its own operating system, hardware, software application, and with a completely new design, Apple looks to meet all the customer requirements like new products, ease of use, an d an innovative design of the product. Apple is currently focusing on, brand awareness and improving the product by increasing the financial investment on marketing and advertisement, they are looking at expanding the retail segment by opening more number of stores all over the world, they are looking at keeping it up with the competition by mplementing a cost leadership strategy, and they are looking to continue the reputation of being the leader in innovation for new technology by implementing product differentiation strategy. Looking into the current finance position of Apple, on October 19, 2009 Apple announced the financial results for the year 2009. The company posted revenue of $9. 87 billion and a net quarterly profit of $1. 67 billion. These results can be compared to the revenue of $7. 9 billion and net quarterly profit of $1. 14 billion in the previous year quarter. International sales also helped 46% of the quarter’s revenue.Gross margin is 36. 6% when compared to the previous year quarter which was 34. 7%. Apple reached 17% increase when compared to the previous year quarter by successfully selling 3. 05 million Mac computers during the quarter. PEST analysis and Porter’s five forces are very important tools to establish the external environment of Apple: PEST Analysis Political Factors Different countries have different rules and regulations which can act as a positive or a negative barrier which can result in restricting the companies or lend opportunities to the company.Good thing for Apple is NAFTA, European Union and other regional trade open doors so that the company can have a wider market in Europe, Asia, Latin, and America which can offer enormous potential to the company. Beatles lawsuit against Apple can affect the reputation of the company in a negative way. There is a direct impact on the overall business of the company (Apple) due to the political uncertainties caused by terrorism. Apple relies on the government to give a grant and intellectual property obtained from third parties. Economic FactorsApple has been affected in the last year by the slow economic and that resulted in low consumer spending. However the current economy shows consumer spending, some amount of improvement, and investment might increase as well. In US due to the weak economic condition the educational segment is encountering a large loss in many states. Hence this has caused a negative impact over the Apple’s sales in the educational segment. With respect to sales of product Apple having a worldwide market can be affected by currency exchange rate and by international trade regulations as they obtain the components of the product from foreign suppliers.Social Factors Apple have designed their own computers and their own software’s which will help this generation as the computer and internet usage is rapidly growing worldwide. With the introduction of Mac people have more information, gain more knowledge about different types of computers and becomes a good source of opportunities for the Apple computer industry. Education has become the primary issue for the new generation which is a key factor for the company’s business. Social factors also include internet revolution, shopping online, Brand awareness of the company. Technological FactorsTechnology is experiencing a rapid boom in this generation, and people appreciate more and more innovative changes in their systems and are switching over to the new information appliances and Apple have been successful in providing new appliances. There is a rapid growth in the usage of the internet which is also a good opportunity for the company. The traditional desktop is becoming outdated with new products coming into the market like Mac laptops. This new technology can be used in schools, collages, and by professionals as they will be able to gain the more knowledge and this in turn increases the demand of the product.Porter’s five f orces Porter’s five forces model is an excellent model to use to analyze a particular environment of an industry. In this report we are entering the PC industry and hence Porter’s model will help us to find out about: Competitive Rivalry Competitive rivalry for Apple is very high as it is a competition among the big companies and it is fierce as everyone is aiming at a larger market share, intensive price cuts and changes. PCs are differentiated as hardware / software configurations. Competition is mainly based one cost. The main competitor for Apple is Microsoft.Microsoft also has their own operating system but is providing it to the customers in a very cheap price when compared to Apple. Hence I can say that there is a fierce price competition. Bargaining Power of suppliers. (Low) Looking into Apple, the company is highly dependent on component suppliers. If the supplier wants to increase his profits he can put pressure on the market by supplying the components at a higher price. Apple is running at a higher risk than other as they are working with only few selected suppliers. Bargaining Power of customers. Low) In the PC world there is high number of suppliers in the industry and Apple being a part of it, has its product price higher than the other company products. Hence there will be lot of options for the customers to buy the cheapest and the best product. Threats of substitutes. (Low) In the present generation PCs represent 90% of the market share as they have multiple configurations, performance and price ranges. Looking into Apple they have their own operating system called as Mac and there is no product competing in the market. Threat of new entry.In the world of PCs any company that has a new technology that is efficient in terms of price and performance is considered as a threat to the industry. Looking into Apple there is no threats from any new entrants as there is no product competing in the market. Apple has a very good brand imag e and it will be very difficult for the new entrants to pose a threat to the company. SWOT analysis is also a very important tool which will help in establishing the internal environment of Apple: SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is a market tool which helps to understand the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats in a business.During the strategic planning process the most commonly used tool is SWOT. STRENGTHS: Corporate reputation is high. Apple manufactures have their own product and their own operating system hence they have a good control over the product. Leader in innovation and product differentiation. Apple has a very good strategic alliance with HP. Creativity style. WEAKNESSES: Apple has set high prices on their products. Apple has high inventory in their products. Apple has problems in distribution of their products. Apple has too many product lines. OPPORTUNITIES: Demand for innovation. Internet. Growing industry.Employee benefit programme. Opportunity to create a ne w software markets and selling the hardware in those markets. THREATS: There is fierce competition among the PC industry. Loss of market share. Price competition. Increase in supply’s costs. Market Segmentation The market segmentation includes: Demographical bases. Geographical bases. Behavior bases. Psychographic bases. 2. 1 Demographical bases (age, family size, life cycle, occupation) Looking into Apple, the Demographical market segment is successful because they are developing products on the age, life cycle, occupation of the people.They are distributing their products into various places and the PCs are categorized on age, family size, for example they would have more games and entertainment in the PCs for the kids and a professional PC with all the latest software’s. 2. 2 Geographical bases (states, regions, countries) Looking into the geographical bases of Apple they have established their business all over the world like U. S. , South America, Europe, Japan, a nd Australia. Recently Apple chose to implement a vertical growth strategy and began expanding their own retail stores.The company also sells its product via third-parties dealers, or via internet through their own website or through the iTunes online music stores. 2. 3 Behavior bases (product knowledge, usage, attitudes, and responses) In this market segment Apple providing good product knowledge to the customers by advertizing on search engines, T. V. as they have a very good brand image. Using this brand image they are continuously coming up with new ideas and products and attracting the customers. Apple has got a very good response rate as many of the customers are looking for new designs and innovative products which Apple is successfully delivering. . 4 Psychographic bases (lifestyle, values, personality) Looking into Apple the psychographic market segment is successful because they are developing products on the lifestyle of the people such as Mac book for the younger generat ion. Apple having a very good brand image has very good value for its products as they are different and innovative. Looking into the personality (style) sector Apple is providing their products with different colors for the people who like fancy colors. MARKETING MIX Marketing mix is the combination of the product, the price, place and promotion. These are popularly known as Four Ps.When the marketing condition like political, social, economic, and technological factors change even the marketing mix has to be changed. The four Ps are listed as below: 3. 1 Product: Apple is committed to sell original, good looking products that have an easy-to-use interface. The company offers a range of personal computing products, related devices and various third party hardware-products. In addition, the company offers software products (Mac OS X), server software and related solution; professional application software; and consumer, education and business oriented application software.Apple has been very innovative by finding new usages for its Mac computer, such as desktop publishing and strong graphics/animation capabilities. The Mac functionality for managing multimedia files from cameras, DV recorder and MP3 devices has been very popular and successful. 3. 2 Price: Apple price is known to be above average in the industry. The company is using a differentiation strategy and focuses more on innovation, and quality. This strategy is justifying their premium prices.Lately, however, their new technology and their high cash flow allowed them to lower their price and to offer more discount to certain markets such as the education market. This new pricing strategy may help Apple to compete better with the non-Mac user market but might cause some issue with the brand image/recognition. 3. 3 Place: Apple’s operating segments are comprised of: U. S. South America Europe Japan Australia. Recently Apple chose to implement a vertical growth strategy and began expanding their own retail stores.The company also sells its product via third-parties dealers, or via internet through their own website or through the iTunes online music stores. 3. 4 Promotions: The best in the Apple Mac is that songs can be played only from iTunes and hence Apple In 2003, formed a strategic alliance with PepsiCo. The Pepsi iTunes music promotion calls for people to use the winning code found under the Pepsi’s bottle caps products to redeem songs from Apple’s iTunes music Store. This promotion has already been successful for both companies and increased the awareness of the iTunes presence in the market.In 2003, Apple also announced marketing partnerships With America Online that are aimed at driving iTunes use deeply into the mainstream. Apple computers could play a song only from the iTunes. Apple and America Online have agreed to put iTunes â€Å"buy this song† buttons next to every song that’s listed in AOL’s music service, which its 25 mil lion subscribers can access. Clicking the button will automatically launch the iTunes music jukebox and begin downloading the song; billing will be handled through the customer’s existing arrangement with AOL.Apple has a joint venture with Hewlett Packard. Apple has produced an iPod for PC users and the success of this product was a good way for the company to capture non-MAC users. The company’ also drew on endorsements from music stars. In 2005, Apple Computer has initiated a partnership with Wal-Mart that saw the iPod shuffle featured at Wal-Mart discount locations around the country. Read more: http://www. ukessays. com/essays/marketing/analysis-segmentation-and-marketing-mix-of-apple-marketing-essay. php#ixzz2QZbbQKIn

Bbm Project Report

I also declare that this report is original and genuine and has not been submitted to any other University for the award of any Degree, Diploma or other similar titles or purposes. Â  I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone who helped me to complete this project. I express my sincere gratitude and profound thanks. Sainath, Principal and Mr. James Thomas, H. O. D of New Horizon College and all my teaching and non teaching staff for their encouragement throughout the project. I would like to give my sincere thanks to my beloved guide Miss Uma. C. S, Department of Management, New Horizon College for his continuous guidance and support given to me while doing the project. I last but not the least thanks my parents, my friends and all those without whose co-operation I would never be able to complete this project. Management of Bangalore University during the year 2009-2010. It is certified that all corrections/suggestions have been incorporated in the project report and a copy is deposited in the department library. This project work has been approved as it satisfies the academic requirements for the award of Bachelors of Business Management Degree.

Fall of royalty in europe Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Fall of royalty in europe - Research Paper Example Historically, the ruling families consisted of several junior and senior branches which originated from a common ancestor. Therefore, these individuals usually used a common surname, and they were also referred to by their titles. The royal intermarriages were also considered critical, because, they brought forth several thrones to a sovereign dynasty. In Europe, there were numerous intermarriages between the European royal families and the descendants of Queen Victoria (Eilers 39). In the past, the royal dynasty names in Europe were obtained from the father who was the head of the family. In cases whereby the queen regnant belonged to another household, the children were considered as members of the house of the prince. This asserts that Queen Victoria was an affiliate of the Hanover House. However, her male descendants belonged to the house of Albert who was her husband. The house of Albert is known as Saxe-Coburg and Gotha which is also a branch of the House of Wettin. In 1917, th e name of this house was changed to Windsor (Junor 29). After the marriage of Maria Theresa who was from the House of Habsburg and Prince Lorraine, Theresa acquired the name Habsburg-Lorraine in order to associate closely with the Habsburg dynasty. Portugal had already refused the issuance of Queen Maria II and Prince Consort to become the sole members of the Braganza. In Russia, Elisabeth from the House of Romanov died, hence; her nephew Duke Peter Ulrich from the Oldenburg house served as her heir. The dynasty name of Romanov was retained despite the fact that Peter had inherited the rule from her aunt. Lately, in the 20th century, the children of most regnant females in Luxembourg and Netherlands have also managed to retain their household affiliation (Herman 65). Furthermore, the descendants of Queen Elizabeth have also managed to retain their maternal dynasty name. Later on, Prince Philip was later surnamed Mountbatten. In several countries, there are certain ways through which the royal household can change. For example, if a foreign prince is invited by another royal household to fill a vacancy in another throne, there are several changes that can be made in the royal family. According to historical research, there is an instance whereby Queen Anne from the House of Stuart died without an heir; therefore, she was succeeded by a prince from the House of Hanover who was considered as the closest relative to the dynasty. There is a vast difference between individuals from the blood royal family and those who are married into a royal family (Aronson 1). In most cases, the individuals who fall within the first category are known as dynasts because they are the potential successors of a throne. Additionally, there are several relatives of the monarch who have certain privileges. The relatives can either be related by blood or marriage. According to royalty in Europe, there were certain precise functions of a royal family, which were entirely dependent on the monarchy. Some of the monarchies exercise executive power whereby members of the royal family perform public, ceremonial or social functions. On the other hand, these members refrain from involving themselves in the actual governance of a country or performing in electoral politics (Eilers 45). Based on a constitutional monarchy, when a monarch dies, there is an order of succession among the royal members. This law of succession is only based on the laws

A Review of How to Improve E-Commerce Term Paper

A Review of How to Improve E-Commerce - Term Paper Example It has become remarkably easy for people to hack and conduct crimes with the use of technology. Cybercrimes are exceedingly rampant in modern times since everyone is computer savvy and everything is done through the internet. Site security is responsible for making it possible for people, or organizations to conduct business. This paper will review the manner in which it can be made possible. This is through security measures that are put in place to ensure customer data confidentiality. E-commerce is the exchange of goods, services, and products over the internet. This exchange can only be made possible if the internet site that makes this exchange possible is safe (Margherita, 2005). A secure system is ready to make these transactions possible and accomplish them without any side effects. Security is all about the confidentiality, the availability, and integrity of the system (Ghosh, 2001). If these threes aspects are not met, then it is clear that the site security intended to off er security is not dependable. For the audit, helping people understand that people, or organizations value their confidentiality is the most crucial factor. Confidentiality means that whatever happens between the service provider and the clients get whatever they want without having the network oversee what happens between their deals. They cannot, therefore, interfere with the conducting of business. It would be considered a breach of privacy, which is considered a breach in confidentiality (Ghosh, 2001). The other most notable thing is integrity. It is imperative for the sites providing these services to be honest. They are supposed to give the services to clients as they were provided by the service provider. If the services being delivered were to arrive any different from how they were intended, the site’s security would be deemed as incompetent. This means that everyone will be scared of doing business in the way they usually do business. Integrity is the factor that c reates trust among the people or organizations doing online business (Ghosh, 2001). The availability of site security is also something worth noting. It is the availability of security that enables the transactions to be possible. Without them, these transactions would be impossible as crimes would be on the rise. This is since the security systems can be penetrated by anyone with exceptional computer skills and intellect. The site security can impact the conducting of business online with such availability. It can be positive and/or negative. These three aspects are appropriate in the way, and manner that site security can impact the growth and development of e-commerce (Ghosh, 2001). To ensure that the confidential nature of the business is maintained, site security could make some changes to the security systems available. Some of these changes and modifications are aimed at making the clientele feel much safer while conducting some of their businesses. Security features are upgr aded for the complete protection of the customers. These features include; authentication, authorization, and encryption (Smith, 2004). They all lead to the protection of the customers hoping to use the internet to conduct business. Authentication ensures that customers are who they say they are. This is particularly crucial in the site’s security measures to curb the infiltration of customer data. Once this is done, it is extremely easy for customers to access their businesses through the

How far neuromarketing can go ethically Literature review

How far neuromarketing can go ethically - Literature review Example The key source to win such intensive battle i.e. capturing target audience’s attention was the use of highly targeted communication based on effective and thorough research along with the integration of science (4imprint, 2010). Traditionally, marketers and advertisers utilised focus groups and interviews to gain insights regarding the needs and wants of the consumers. With such techniques/tools, the marketers were able to read the mind of the consumers by gauging the responses which provided them with superiority in the marketplace. But with the changes in consumer-driven marketplace, organisations have started seeking out new methods and ways to gather consumer opinions and reactions regarding a particular brand in the marketplace (4imprint, 2010). With the improvements in technology, and with increasing research of the marketers, the result has been presented in the form of neuromarketing. Neuromarketing has been highly used and it has been estimated that the usage of neuro marketing will be increasing with the passage of time. It may sound futuristic, but with the advancement of technology in this new era, marketers have been provided with an opportunity to tap into the minds of the consumers. Not only this, these new technologies allow the marketers to scientifically understand the needs and desires of the consumers. With the integration of thorough research and science i.e. (technology), marketers and advertisers have gradually enhanced their ability to exactly pinpoint the reasons and causes due to which people tend to purchase a product. In addition, such technologies have uncovered the response of brain to various advertisement and marketing tactics (4imprint, 2010). Technology that organisations once fantasised is now a reality which has constantly helped the giant organisations like Campbell’s Soup and Pepsi to enhance their brand image along with the marketing of their products (4imprint, 2010). The concept of Neuromarketing came into e xistence almost a decade ago by an Atlanta Advertisement firm i.e. Bright house in June 2002, with a specific aim. The main aim of Neuromarketing was marketing research (Fisher et al., 2009). With the help of neuromarketing, the organisation was able to enhance its knowledge regarding the needs and desire of the customers along with the buying behavior of the consumers in the market. As Neuromarketing is a combination of neuroscience and marketing practices, it provides the organisation with perfect opportunity to understand, predict and eventually control human behavior. As indicated by Fisher et al. (2009) that the problem is based on the fact that such integration of sciences and research is quite unclear that is it only an academic field of research or business practices despite the advantages and benefits associated with neuromarketing through which organisations were able to predict human behavior and eventually consumer behavior. Similarly, Murphy et al. (2008) that several n euromarketing companies claim that with the help of neuromarketing, the organisations would be able to fully understand the buying behavior of consumers but on the other hand, very little academics and scientific approaches validate such claims. The question that has risen is whether such neuromarketing is another trick of marketers and advertisers to manipulate the demands of the products or it is just a practice to

Concert paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Concert paper - Essay Example The venue received approximately 1500 patrons for the concert which lasted for approximately five hours. Event organizers ensured all patrons assumed their respective places before the concert began. Inside the church, there were VIP lounges at the front sections while general fans took the common seats. Prior to the kick off, ushers distributed program leaflets, which provided detailed chronological activities of the event to the settled crowd. The concert started just a few minutes past the scheduled time. Performing groups present were the University of Arizona’s Symphonic Choir in conjunction with Arizona Choir attached to the St Paul’s Episcopal Church. The two choirs teamed up for preparation to present an event dubbed â€Å"Serenade†. Basically, it was an event involving an afternoon of performance in praise of Christian hymn music. The University’s Symphonic choir opened with a short performance of the song, â€Å"How can I keep from singing†, which is a piece of art composed by Robert Lowry, a renowned hymn writer of American Christian music. The choir, under the guidance of Elizabeth Schauer, completed their opening presentation upon which they paved way for the Arizona choir. Arizona Choir, with the support of the chamber orchestra comprising of 10 members, took to the stage with a spectacular performance of the song â€Å"Serenade to music†. The Arizona choir later backed up their earlier performance with â€Å"Peter Quince at the C lavier†. At the stage, the event’s artist groups integrated both vocal and instrumental elements in their performances. All the music performed by the groups in collaboration with the chamber orchestra was Christian hymns. The deliberate selection of this music style was meant to fit the purpose of creating an environment for an afternoon of praise. The first song performed by the Arizona University Symphonic choir was purely a Christian hymn song. The

Risk Factors of Obesity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Risk Factors of Obesity - Research Paper Example The Higher mortality rate with colon cancer has been linked with high body mass index (BMI). Endometrial cancer is clearly common in obese women, who gain weight again increasing risk. Cardiovascular Disorders is another disease associated with obesity (Brophy et al., 2010). Elderly persons who suffer from obesity develop the cardiovascular disorder. The elderly are idle most of the time and do not engage in physical exercise. As a result, many fats accumulate in their body, and they end up being obese (Brophy et al., 2010). Hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance are to be the cause of cardiac risk factors that tend to cluster in obese people. Most of the old people who suffer from obesity develop this problem and end up dying (Brophy et al., 2010). Type 2 Diabetes is another disease caused by the accumulation of fatty foods in the body. It is a chronic disease. Overweight and obesity is the main threat for type-2 diabetes, and it is the cause of the current epidemic of noninsulin-dependent diabetes (Brophy et al., 2010). Stimulation of excess insulin promotes synthesis body fat and cholesterol. Low-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides and decreased High-Density Lipoprotein are as a result of the impaired insulin. Central obesity increases the likelihood of severe diseases especially cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.   The abdominal fat of central obesity seems to be more insulin resistant than bordering fat deposited over the abdomen and legs (Brophy et al., 2010).

The Will of God and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Will of God and Ethics - Essay Example The fundamental question of theology is, â€Å"Does God tell us what to do and therefore it is right, or does God happen to be right and tell us the right thing to do?† Does justice precede theology, or theology precede justice? The distinction is important. If one states that good precedes God, one might be being blasphemic, as God might do something evil; in any respect, obedience to God is a mere logical consequence, not a highest duty. But if one states that God precedes good, the question is, why? As Sayre-McCord puts it, â€Å"Many have thought the right answers to these questions are found in an appeal to God. On their view, moral principles are the expression of God's will — they are His commands to us — and they get their authority from their source. In important ways, though, this merely shifts the puzzles back a step. Whatever problems one might have making sense of eternal transcendent standards re-emerge when trying to make sense of an eternal trans cendent being who might issue commands...[O]ne is also left with the difficulty of explaining why God's commands are authoritative† (2007). ... in light of which He counts as morally perfect), in which case speaking of morality as consisting of God's commands will not explain the origin or nature of these independently existing standards...Alternatively, one might eschew an appeal to God's knowledge or goodness and claim that there is no independent standard for God's will and nature...If we reject the idea that God's commands reflect His knowledge of right and wrong, and reject as well the idea that God is all good, it seems reasonable to wonder why his commands have any special authority† (Sayre-McCord, 2007). Euthyphro exposes some of the obvious logical dilemmas of the theological position admirably. Socrates asks Euthyphro, â€Å"What is the meaning of "attention"? For attention can hardly be used in the same sense when applied to the gods as when applied to other things. For instance, horses are said to require attention...† When Euthyphros offers that piety is other obedience or care of the Gods, it begs the question, why would omnipotent entities care for what a human being has? Either the gods want the obedience of people who can offer them nothing, in which case the gods are either petty or helpless, or they do not, in which case the gods do not care. This difficulty is especially applicable to the modern world: Assuming an omnipotent and good God essentially obviates the idea of obedience or sacrifice, since God can get anything He wants. Further, Socrates exposes the issues of theodicy and hermeneutics, the question of what God or the Gods want. â€Å"And further, Euthyphro, the gods were admitted to have enmities and hatreds and differences?† If the gods had differences, then how could one be pious? Try to represent the general opinions of the god, or only obey directives of all the gods? Since

Organizational behaviour of Oman Air Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Organizational behaviour of Oman Air - Essay Example This paper presents Oman Air Company. The SWOT analysis of the firm has been performed to find the internal and the external environmental situation of the company. The international carrier of the Sultanate of Oman is Oman Air and the company is based in Muscat. 33.8% stake of the company is held by the government and the key operation of the company is in providing international and domestic passenger services. It also offers charter work and local air taxi. Oman Air was founded during 1993 and it has a strong business presence in the Sultanate of Oman. Airlines industry is highly susceptible to political changes as the political environment plays a major role in determining the travelling frequency of travelers especially international. Unstable political environment markedly reduced the international traffic inflow. Since Oman Air is the national carrier for the Sultanate of Oman the business is largely monopolistic in nature. According to the official report of Oman Air during t he year 2008 the company faced net loss of 42.775 million RO due to economic downturn. Though in Oman the economic downturn did not have a huge impact and the passenger traffic rose by 19% the company faced losses due to economic slowdown in the international market. The internal environment of a company can be assessed using McKinsey’s 7-S framework. The seven variables of the McKinsey framework offer the needed structure to analyze the operations of an organization and the interdependency of the variables is useful while analyzing complex organizations (Waterman et al, 1980). Strategy – Oman Air is the leading carried in Oman and their strategy is to maintain a positive work culture and thus promote customer friendly operations. Providing a reliable, safe and seamless flying experience which is further enhanced by friendly and warm customer services. Support in bound local tourism and become the first choice airline. Structure – The organizational structure of Oman Air is large and handling such a large structure is difficult. In order to become more efficient in its operations the communications from the corporate to the employees has to be made clearer by making changes in their organizational structure. Systems – The cargo operations management system is completely automated thus enabling automated end to end cargo operations, processing efficiency, accurate tracking, flight capacity that is optimized and e-freight capabilities (press release, 2011). Skills – The prominent skill of the employees at Oman Air rests in offering customer friendly services. Managers are responsible for monitoring and assessing the skill of each crew member. This gives the needed framework to enable inclusion of its corporate strategy into the employees work practices. Staff – Recruitment and selection of new staff is based on their field experience and educational qualification. To maintain high levels of performance the staff are trai ned on a continuous basis. Style – The staff are lead in an effective manner by the managers. The managers are kept updated by higher level of the board of directors. Shared values – The main value of Oman Air lies in its staff members. A value of importance is instilled in all staff members. The well being of the company directs all individuals and the culture of the company is imbibed in its work

The Crucible Essay Example for Free

The Crucible Essay In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, John Proctor shows his protagonist character by the respectable and honorable man he lives to be. In order to understand why John Proctor is the protagonist of the story, a definition of the word protagonist is indispensable. A protagonist is essentially the main character of a story, mostly known as the good character. The author spends most of his time on him, and usually the character changes or evolves during the course of the novel. The protagonist is frequently the hero of the novel and rivals with the minor ambitious character also known as the antagonist. With many complex characteristics, he is the center of the plot. Proctor has failed in his marriage, been accused of witchery, and concludes his life with forgiveness. Proctor exemplifies true heroism in his acts of clamorous times. As Proctor’s truths of adultery are revealed, he settles these rumors with claiming that it is truthful. John Proctor is most likely the true protagonist. In the Crucible, Abigail Williams is portrayed as the antagonist of the allegory. Proctor cheats on his wife, Elizabeth, with Abigail while Elizabeth is ill. The story proceeds with Abigail becoming jealous and desiring John for herself. John shows that he regrets his affair by stating to Abigail, I will cut my arms off before I ever reach for you again. The focus of this sequence of events is how John deals with this situation. The Crucible literally means a hard test. His test is to overcome his troubles in his marriage and society. Society at this time is accusing its people of witchery. John works through his marriage problems and stumbles upon false accusations. As Abigail creates chaos throughout the town, the idea of witches has spread too. Proctor is accused of being a witch. He was chosen to be accused by the author because he is the protagonist. The focus is mainly on his life and his family. He chooses the right thing as he goes through the trials. He admits to his adultery with Abigail to prove that she lies. Proctor realizes what he has to do to save his wife. He is a hero by admitting his wrong doings and confessing his sorrow for acting upon them. Proctor learns to forgive through these trials. John knows how to represent his beliefs and stand up for his rights through forgiveness. After he admits to his sin, he is told to write on the church door for what he did. He refuses to after already admitting his actions. Proctor did not want to put his family to shame even more. I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is fraud. Im not the man (Act 4, pg.109) He knows that God knows and forgives but he shall not exploit it for others to judge and assume. Proctor concludes his life being content with the final decision he has made. He shows that he is a hero to his family and neighbors. John Proctor shows many characteristics of a protagonist. He is a hero to many as he risks his life because he knows he believes in God. The story focuses on his marriage and the aftermath of the direction of his wrong doings. Often the novel will focus mainly on the protagonist’s personal situation. Proctor is the main character as Abigail Williams serves as antagonists throughout the story. She fights to break down Proctor and make him love her. Proctor prevails by doing the morally correct action by confessing and sticking to his beliefs. John Proctor displays qualities of a heroic protagonist.

Terror Human Rights

Terror Human Rights Has the â€Å"war on terror† enhanced or harmed human rights? In the words of Howard Zinn, historian, playwright, social activist: How can you make a war on terror if war itself is terrorism? The war on or against terrorism continues to wage as we talk about it and attempt to find solutions to the looming danger that threatens our civilization in itself. The war on terror has been used as a weapon by governments around the world to achieve selfish motives, to satisfy egos and secure futures. There is no tangible enemy, and it is unlikely that international terrorism can be brought to an end by means of war. Terrorism continues to be an unknown enemy, without a clear identity and that is why military invasion like the ones repeatedly brought about by United States on already ravaged countries is not a solution. Terrorism is a theatre where the acts of terror attract the attention of the public in a dramatic manner creating a sense of shock, awe and unprecedented grief. However it must be remembered that no war is correct, no war is worth the loss of our morals as human beings. In the present article, the argument that is to be presented is that the so called ‘war on terror has harmed the human rights of many all over the world. The phrase has been used to deprive millions of people of their dignity, assets and life itself. The article attempts to understand the question of how many rights can be given up for security of the nations that claim to have been attacked and have hence waged the war on terror. Terrorism in the modern sense is violence or other harmful acts committed (or threatened) against civilians for political or other ideological goals. Most definitions of terrorism include only those acts which are intended to create fear or ‘terror, are perpetrated for an ideological goal as opposed to a lone attack), and deliberately target or disregard the safety of non combatants. Any form of military action can be termed terrorism. The famous quote that, â€Å"One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter†, has been the basis of attempts to justify revolutionary movements which have been termed as acts of terror. It was during the French Revolution that the words terrorist and terrorism became popular. The word terrorism began in 1795 during the reign of terror by the revolutionary government during the French Revolution. Terrorist acts were committed in order to gain attention of the world. For example, in the Munich Olympics in 1972, 11 Israelis were killed by the Black September Organisation and even though the eleven killed were the immediate sufferers the true effect was felt by nearly 1 billion people watching the news in the world. Terror has been continuing over the ages in one form or another. What is seen as a crime by some is the act of protection of ones own identity and culture by the other. In this sense, the most recent event that completely stunned the world was the bombing of the two world trade centre towers on September 11, 2001. The world watched with disbelief as United States faced attack on its own soil. What followed and continues is an example of the â€Å"war on terror†, as specified and focused on by George Bush, President, United States of America. The use of the word war here is not only misleading but regressive. According to the US understanding, terrorism includes only the anti state violence acts like September 11, 2001. The question here that can be put forward is then what about state violence, what about the use of excess police force, the use of military/ paramilitary in an indiscriminate manner. The morning of September 11, 2001, was a day that will remain etched in our minds forever as the event killed 2973 innocent people whose human right to life had been curtailed. However the world must remember what followed and continues as you read this is also gross violation of human rights. In an attempt to fight the terror which caused September 11, United States government has been carrying out massacres on innocent civilians in both Afghanistan and Iraq. In attempting to find the enemy, and eradicate it, the US policies and arbitrary use of military force has not only killed many more people but has resulted in some of the worst human rights violations witnessed in human history. The immediate effect of September 11 was the widespread discrimination against Islamic Muslims especially young males. The world has remained a silent spectator to the steps taken by US which has used providing long denied â€Å"freedom† to civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan as an excuse to enter these countries. The reason provided for the invasion has been the emancipation or the upliftment of the people in these two countries. However, instead of upliftment these countries have been ravaged of all resources and are continued to be plundered. Human rights have become a latter issue with people attempting to stay alive amongst continuous bombings and military invasions. The world has been a silent spectator for nearly five years after the falling of the two towers to United States government that has been taking steps, using force to achieve illusioned motives and actions completely opposed to the basis of International Law. The right to fair trial is a basic human right, constructed to protect individuals from restriction or deprivation of basic rights and freedoms such as right to life and l iberty. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides for this right in Article 10. Along with this the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) provides for the right to fair trial in Article 14. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), also includes the right to be free from arbitrary arrest and detention(Article 9), the right to be present at trial(Article 21), the right to be free from torture(Article 7) and the right to appeal(Article 26). The four Geneva Conventions of 1949, which protect civilian populations and those fighting in hostilities, principally during international armed conflicts but also during internal conflicts such as civil wars, contain provisions to ensure a fair trial. However legitimizing of the Patriot Act puts all this in a gaping question. This act is squarely against various rights protected and guaranteed by the Constitution of United States and various international documents such like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Convention against torture and All forms of Racial Discrimination. The Patriot Act allows non- citizens to be detained without charge without a right to fair trial and be held in prison indefinitely if convicted. This Act also allows the government in United States to look into details of the lives of the citizens in the country without prior permission. This includes, monitoring of emails, wiretapping, keeping an eye on property acquisitions, educational as well as financial records. This Act is clearly against the right to privacy and allows the government to arbitrarily interfere. The United States governments acceptance to the Military Commissions Act can be co nsidered a major step towards human rights violation in the ongoing â€Å"war on terror†. Acceptance of such documents which allow the use of uncensored force are opposed to the basic idea of International Law. Under the rubric of the â€Å"war on terror†, the United States government has detained thousands of people in their own territory and around the world. A majority of the detainees are denied access to a fair trial and are held without a charge. There is a clear violation of the basic fundamental right to due process, which is a clear right guaranteed by the US Constitution. Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib tell a story of torture so evil that it shakes the foundation of human rights. There have been revelations of brutality in these prisons in the form of beatings, sexual humiliation and methods of torture which are almost surreal to a normal person. Guantanamo Bay, the famous prison outside territories of United States has given the world pictures of the torture within the â€Å"war on terror†. It has been and continues to be a lawless place. The circumstantial evidence of torture at Guantanamo Bay is cogent and well documented. The most discouraging revelation is the fact that the methods of torture were encouraged and propagated by the Military Commission which provided acceptance to such inhuman treatment. Though the detention at the Guantanamo Bay prison is clearly against the articles of the Geneva Conventions, and particularly Article 75 of the First Protocol Additional to the Geneva Convention of 1977 which states that coercing a prisoner to confess in unlawful, the defence of United States government to the detention remains that the definition of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay includes enemy combatants and not prisoners of war; hence the Geneva Convention does not apply. It is clear that Guantanamo was chosen as a base for torture so as to hold detainees beyond the reach of the United States as well as International Law, which clearly states that the use of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment is prohibited. No matter how one defines the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, the fact underlying the whole scenario remains that sadism and humiliation are at work in every cell in this prison by one of the strongest governments in the world. Guantanamo Bay has become one of the strongest symbols of human rights abuse carried out in a planned manner by the United States government, and five years of such lawlessness and killing is too long a time to go unstopped. President Bush indeed confirmed the fact that there are secret prisons of the CIA in various countries away from the United States soil. The clear indication here is that somehow US wants to take its suspects beyond the reach of their own law and treat them in an inhuman manner. Another important thing to note here is that there are countries all over the world which have allowed United States to create such torture prisons on their own soil. Not only the United States but many countries in the world are losing sight of the basic human right to life, dignity and respect in the ongoing â€Å"war on terror†. United States Government also has policies under which individuals are transported to other countries for the purpose of interrogation. Among these countries are countries with records of torture. This policy is known as the policy of â€Å"extraordinary rendition† of detainees for the purpose of gathering information using forms of torture. â€Å"Extraordinary Rendition† is the illegal practice of abducting foreign nationals for detention and interrogation in secret overseas prisons. Recent accounts of rendition have a chilling pattern- black clad masked men grab foreign nationals, strip them, beat them and take them to the so called â€Å"black site† prisons, where these people are subjected to unspeakable horrors including no sleep, water boarding, beatings, isolation and mental torture. This often leads to false confessions. After the September 11 attacks, extraordinary renditions clearly involve kidnapping of persons the United States suspects to be a part o f the Al Qaeda network and transporting them to countries where torture is used to derive information on how to bring the â€Å"war on terror† to a successful end. On 18th December 2001, CIA operatives kidnapped two Egyptians, Ahmed Agiza and Muhammed al-Zery, who had sought asylum in Sweden. They were seized and conveyed by a US government-leased private jet to Egypt where both were subjected to, amongst other things, the use of electrodes to sensitive parts of the body. It transpired that the Swedish government cooperated after being assured that the exiles would not be tortured. Seymour Hersh in his book Chain of Command: the road from 9/11 to Abu Ghraib has revealed that the CIA confessed to Congress that before 2001 it there were about 70 extraordinary renditions, which were assigned the status of being absolutely urgent. However since 9/11 the Bush Government has refused to even discuss the forced return of such prisoners. The worldwide flow of prisoners in relation to the â€Å"war on terror† continues to grow and prisoners have been kidnapped and tortured not only from the war zones but also from contries like Sudan, Croatia, Albania, Malaysia and Pakistan. If the prisons of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay represent what democracy means to countries like Iraq then the whole credibility of American leadership is under question. Across the country and the world racial discrimination has been faced by many, particularly the Muslims. Across United States, after the attacks on 9/11 individuals of Middle Eastern descent and racial minorities became targets of vicious racial discrimination. Thousands of Islamic men were taken into custody without a right to fair trial. Deportation of thousands of people belonging to religious minorities has taken place without any access to judiciary. Persons suspected of any connection with terrorist organizations have been detained without any notification to families for unspecified amount of time. The question that arises here is that is President Bush truly above the law, as he is authorizing torture on these thousands of detained individuals on the basis of suspicion, denying them the basic human rights. A sign of the fact that Bush considers himself above the International Law is the instance on December 5th 2007, when the US Supreme Court heard administration lawyers defe nd the indefensible: that the President can ignore the writ of Habeaus Corpus and hold people indefinitely, without charge and without question. The hearing challenges the judicial system of United States, and attempts to say that fear not freedom is guiding the judiciary in the US. This in itself questions the basic values of truth, justice and liberty which are the cornerstones of a just society. Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights clearly states that, â€Å"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.† This read along with Article 9(1) of the ICCPR provides everyone with a basic guarantee of protection of the right against arbitrary arrest and detention, a clause that United States government has been flouting for years now. International standards clearly talk about not only the grounds of arrest not being arbitrary but also specify that the arrest should be on definite grounds and procedures established by law. There is a clear fallacy concerning liberty and security. Today we face a trade off between national security which is pitted against civil liberties and human rights. The most important question as posed by David Luban in his article on eight fallacies about liberty and security is â€Å"How many of your ‘own rights are you willing to sacrifice for added security?† However this trade off seems rather dishear tening as there is no definite way off knowing how much added security is a person to gain at the loss of liberties. The future of human rights as minute increments for security looks bleak as there is a growing belief that basic rights of citizens ought to be abandoned or at least suspended in order to deal with the growing threat of terrorism. This means that if two or more people endanger property in any manner they can be termed a ‘terrorist organization by the Secretary of the State, individuals may be put behind bars for thinking of pro Islamic virtues, or teachers is school would be stripped of their headscarves as this a threat to security but not a threat to their religious way of life. In the words of Amnesty International, attacks by armed groups reached new levels of brutality and intensity in 2005 but insisted that the perpetrators should be brought to justice through fair trial, not torture or secret detention. The â€Å"war on terror† was failing, the report claimed, and would continue to fail â€Å"unless human rights and human security are given precedence over narrow security interests.† Civil liberties as we have known them are under severe attack now. One belief that threatens them is that the so called â€Å"clash of civilizations† has threatened the integrity of a nation to such an extent that exceptional and unprecedented actions are required to deal with the problem and this includes putting civil liberties at stake for national security. In todays world there are examples that governments world over cannot even provide the rudiments of human security in war torn areas like Sudan and Darfur to people facing hardships at the indigenous levels and to the one billion people who survive with less than one dollar a day. If security of life cannot be provided at such basic levels, even a discussion to gain security in return of liberties being suppressed seems like a lost cause. The question that can be asked is â€Å"Has the era of human rights come and gone?†, the answer to which may be that the era hasnt gone but human rights are challenged in order to respond to the concerns over human security in the world today. Maybe the restrictions on liberty are justified but only to the extent of preserving liberty itself and not for attaining order or security, which is what the world powers seem to be doing in the ongoing war on terror, with illegal deportations, use of torture and invading all boundaries of privacy of citizens; acts that are opposed to the basic beliefs of liberty and security to human beings. Is it correct to assume guilt, to frame people on beliefs of suspicion and to torture them indefinitely? In the case of Rasul v Bush, the US courts held that the detainees in Guantanamo Bay have a right to be heard. Everyone has a right to fair trial, a right to live with dignity and respect, with protection of privacy and related aspects of human rights. Addressing a Counter Terrorism Committee, the late High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello said that: â€Å"[Such] measures must be taken in transparency, they must be of short duration and must respect the fundamental non- derogable rights embodied in our human rights norms. They must take place within the framework of the law. Without that, the terrorists will ultimately win and we will ultimately lose- as we would have allowed them to destroy the very foundation of our modern human civilization.† In conclusion as stated by the 9/11 Commission Report (2004:395), it can be said that: â€Å"We must find ways of reconciling security with liberty, since the success of one helps the other. The choice between security and liberty is a false choice†¦ our history has shown us that insecurity threatens liberty. Yet if liberties are curtailed, we lose the values that we are struggling to defend.†

The effectiveness of employee performance appraisal

The effectiveness of employee performance appraisal Performance Appraisal and Reward system is viewed as the systemic model that correlates supervisory feedback with the employee behaviour, attitude and motivation (Gomez-Mejia, 2007: p. 21-24). Historically, the Performance Appraisal and Reward system has been viewed as the feedback and critics framework to help the employees in enhancing their productivity and performance by virtue of constructive feedbacks, reviewing and rewarding past performance, setting the future goals, employee motivation, training and growth planning and problem solving/grievance handling (Hall et al. 1989: p. 54-67). However, the Performance Appraisal and Reward system in the modern world has been viewed as the tool for evaluation of productivity and efficiency of employees to determine their standing against the salary increments, bonus, promotions and layoff policies (Andres et al., 2010: p. 1599-1607). This has resulted in very narrow viewpoints about the system by employees (Reinke, 2003: p. 23-27) whereb y some take it negatively as well (Daley, 2007: p. 290-293). But Cook and Crossman (2004: p. 526-541) explained that the satisfaction with the Performance Appraisal and Reward system is better in employees that play the role of both appraiser and appraisee. They further explained that best results are obtained when 360 degree feedback system (appraising the managers) system is practiced by the organisation. This is the problem that the author proposes to address in this research. In the modern era when employees exhibit pessimism about the Performance Appraisal and Reward system (Daley, 2007: p. 290-293) because they consider it as the mere tool for deciding increments, bonuses, promotions and continuity in the company (Andres et al., 2010: p. 1599-1607), what makes it so vibrant in companies like KFC resulting in high employee motivation and reduced attrition (Huck, 2010: p. 1-3)? The proposed topic is: The effectiveness of Employee Performance Appraisal System (EPAC): A case study on KFC. 1.2 Background of the Organisation Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is the highest revenue earning chain restaurant of Yum! Restaurants which is ranked at number 239 on the Fortune 500 list that exceeded global revenues of 11 Billion US Dollars in year 2008. KFC is regarded as the fastest growing brand in chain restaurant segment in the world that operates like a Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) producing good Chicken dishes under the name finger lickin good. (Huck, 2010: p. 1-3) The company was founded as Kentucky Fried Chicken by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, though the idea of KFCs fried chicken actually goes back to 1930 (Shuker, 2008: p. 8-11). In UK alone, KFC employs more than 22000 people in more than 780 stores across the nation (Huck, 2010: p. 1-3). KFC was regarded as the second best employer on the Britains Top Employers 2010 list. It achieved 3.5/5 stars in Pay and Benefits, 4.5/5 stars in Training and Development and 5/5 stars each in Career Development, Working Conditions and Company Culture in the five attributes rated by CRF Institute in the Britains Top Employers 2010 survey. (Huck, 2010: p. 1-3) KFC has an excellent employee performance measurement system, promoted by parent company Yum! Restaurants. The Champ Card peer rewarding system has been elementary in achieving high motivation and reducing employee turnover. (Corporate Executive Board, 2006: p. 4) 1.3 Purpose of Research Employee Performance Appraisal System (EPAS) is the mechanism of longitudinal (over a period of time) performance management of employees (Smither, 2001: p. 1-7). If designed appropriately, it can result in effective bonding between supervisors and subordinates by virtue of open discussions, appraising strengths and weaknesses of subordinates and the work systems in which they operate, identification of trainings requirements, awareness of future goals, confidence boosting, rewards and recognitions, motivation, etc (Smither, 2001: p. 1-7). The end result can be boost in organisational productivity (Gomez-Mejia, 2007: p. 21-24) and even enhancement of the revenues and profits (Boice and Kleiner, 1997: p. 197-201). But the Performance Appraisal system needs to be designed very effectively and efficiently to ensure that the desired outcomes supporting boost in productivity and hence the revenues and profits can be tangibly achieved (Boice and Kleiner, 1997: p. 197-201). Gabris and Ihrke (2000: 41-44) argued that ineffective measurement systems are going to be questioned by the employees and hence may be unacceptable to them. If ineffective measurement systems are followed, the EPAS will not be perceived to be useful and hence the relationship of participants in review meetings will determine the results and not the actual performance of the employees (Bradley and Ashkanasy, 2001: p. 83-85). In this research, the author wants to learn about how exemplary performance appraisal systems, like the one practiced by KFC, are designed and how are they accurately linked with employee motivation, productivity, and the overall organisational performance. The rewards and recognition system studied by Corporate Executive Board (2006: p. 4) emphasised on the peer relationships, spot reward system for quick wins and celebrating individual and group successes in vibrant ways (like clapping for colleagues, announcing quick wins, giving away Champ Cards, etc.). These attributes are highly advocated by Gabris and Ihrke (2000: 41-44). 1.4 Research Questions Following are the proposed Research Questions for the study: What are the areas of employee performance evaluated by KFC in their EPAS? What are the criteria and performance measures applied in KFCs EPAS? How effective is KFCs EPAS in measuring employees performance? How KFCs EPAS affects motivation and future growth of the employees? What are the scope of improvements in KFCs EPAS? 1.5 Research Objectives Following are the proposed Research Objectives of this study: To study the features of KFCs EPAS and learn the underlying causal factors that contributed to its phenomenal success across the world. To map the learning points from KFCs EPAS with empirical evidences in academic literatures and understand how the academic world have been advocating about such causal factors. Identify new learning points that has not yet been identified by the academic world and discuss about them. Present the value additions from KFC case study to already existing theoretical background in the academic literatures. Present a critical analysis of how KFC can further improve their EPAS by identifying the traits advocated by academic literatures but not prevalent in KFC EPAS. 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction Gomez-Mejia (2007: p. 21-24) explained that supervisors feedback through performance appraisal systems can result in two types of responses of the employees Cognitive response and Behavioural response. He analysed that dysfunctional feedbacks (ambiguous, one way, inconsistent, judgemental, misdirected, coinciding with salary increments, etc.) can cause uncooperative cognitive response and reduced employee performance and functional feedbacks (job related, two way, explicit, consistent, clear, not linked with salary increments, etc.) can result in goal oriented cognitive response and improved employee performance Gomez-Mejia (2007: p. 22). Hence, the most effective systems of appraising performance are: functional, relevant, uniform and consistent. Pragmatism is important because it helps to ensure that the system will be easily understood by employees and effectively put into action by managers (Gomez-Mejia (2007: p. 22-24). Drawing upon arguments by Briscoe Schuler (2004: p. 5-57) performance can be viewed as a combination of several factors, such as motivation, ability, working conditions and expectations. It has been established that there are certain factors that affect employees performance more than others. These factors, according to Dowling et al (1999: p. 4-29), include the compensation package, the nature of task, support from higher management, the working environment and the overall corporate culture. In this chapter, the author has presented an organised literature review to analyse how the case study of KFC can be supported by the theoretical foundation already established by empirical theories. In essence, the research instrument can only be designed with the help of such theoretical foundation as explained by Saunders et al. (2007: p. 44-50). 2.2 Elements of Employee Performance Evaluation Traditionally, performance appraisal of employees has been viewed as the psychological test bed for employees that comprises of critics ratings, decision making on rewards and recognitions, deciding amount of salary increments, deciding future expectations, deciding continuity in the company, deciding promotions, measuring the alignment with departmental and organisational goals, etc (Elmuti et al., 1992: p. 42-48). The modern performance appraisal system is linked with quality improvement philosophies of the organisation that was originally conceptualised by Deming (Elmuti et al., 1992: p. 44-45). However, Levy and Williams (2004: p. 881-889) argued that the modern performance appraisal theories have travelled a long way to transition from mere enforcement tool of organisational objectives and quality targets to the system that influences the overall corporate culture and social system. This shall be very much evident in the case study of KFC where the EPAS is viewed to be contribut ing positively to the congenial and highly vibrant work environment in the organisation (Huck, 2010: p. 1-3). 2.3 Link between EPAS, Performance Measures and Staff Motivation EPAS can directly contribute to staff motivation if it is perceived to be fair, transparent, clear, consistent, continuous, bilateral and development oriented (Kavanagh et al., 2007: p. 132-137; Boice and Kleiner, 1997: p. 197-201). As reiterated by Boice and Kleiner (1997: p. 197-201) and Gomez-Mejia (2007: p. 21-24), discrete, one-sided, ambiguous, misdirected, and judgemental appraisals are perceived to be unfair and result in negative cognitive response, demotivation and reduced performance of employees. Boice and Kleiner (1997: p. 198-199) argued that surprises during annual performance reviews may result in retaliation by employees given that they deserve the right to avail continuous feedback. OConnor et al. (2010: p. 729-735) described that performance measures need to be realistic, practical and transparent to the employees such that positive cognitive and behavioural responses can be achieved. The objective of performance appraisal system should be to motivate the employees to achieve highest performance levels against the measures and not get threatened by the measures perceiving that they may be used against them if supervisor is not happy OConnor et al. (2010: p. 729-735). 2.4 KFCs EPAS in measuring performance and motivating their staff KFC has highly congenial and highly vibrant work environment. KFCs EPAS is designed on peer recognition model in which employees can recognise each other by giving away champion cards against quick wins. This is also carried out vertically in which juniors can reward seniors and vice versa. Such on the job recognitions are mapped with the corporate goals and values. This system in KFC meets the SSMART objectives: supports organisational goals and values, simple and sincere, meaningful, adaptable, relevant and timely. (Huck, 2010: p. 1-3; Corporate Executive Board, 2006: p. 2-4) 2.5 Effects of KFCs EPAS on KFC performance and competitive advantages The reports by Huck (2010: p. 1-3), KFC Holdings (Malaysia) Annual Report (2009: p. 8-9) and Corporate Executive Board (2006: p. 2-4) revealed that the key competitive advantage of KFC is the high employee retention and productivity against close rivals like McDonalds. KFC has been rewarding their high performing employees consistently and have been able to retain talents by virtue of their on-the-spot recognition scheme. 2.6 Conclusions The EPAS system should ensure congruence between organisational goals and employee performance and hence cannot be achieved in discrete form (like annual reviews). It has to be continuous and on-the-job. The model by KFC is closely linked with the theories presented by Gabris and Ihrke (2000: 41-44), Kavanagh et al. (2007: p. 132-137) and Boice and Kleiner (1997: p. 197-201) that advocated transparency, consistency, bidirectional, fostering trust relationships, strengthening the colleagues on-the-job, setting of good examples, celebration of quick wins, heart to heart recognition by individuals, and celebration of group success as the key objectives of EPAS that can finally result in high employee motivation and corporate productivity. 2.7 Conceptual Framework The author proposes to conduct interpretive study in which the outcomes of the primary research shall be categorised, classified, and tagged appropriately such that wise interpretations can be drawn and compared with the theoretical foundation of past empirical studies. The author shall compare responses to all questions with the literature review, one-to-one, such that close correlation with the past theories can be framed. Gaps in KFCs EPAS against past theories and vice versa will be identified such that the conclusions and recommendations can be drawn. This approach is called qualitative interpretive study as described by Saunders et al. (2007: p. 44-107). Also Wolcott et al. (2002: p. 85-90) termed this approach as critical thinking research. This is further explained in the next chapter. 3.0 Research Design 3.1 Introduction AERA (2003: p. 2-11) emphasised that Research Design is the collection of various attributes of conducting the research that helps in making the study more focussed, purposive, unbiased, valid, reliable and ethical. Further to this, Bryman and Bell (2003: p. 3-45) described that Research Design begins with the philosophical approach that the author wants to take and leads to appropriate choices of methodology, approach, methods, instruments, sampling methods, data collection and analysis methods, pilot design and ethical considerations. The discussions follow. 3.2 Research Philosophy and Methodology Bryman and Bell (2003: p. 3-45) described that two philosophies are most prevalent in social and business research studies positivism and interpretivism. Positivists try to prove theories through research whereas interpreters try to learn theories through research. Hence, positivists always begin with hypotheses formulation and try to accept and reject them based on outcomes of study whereas interpreters begin with research questions and try to address them through learning from research. Hence, positivists always prefer scientific and objective research whereas interpreters prefer observational research, action research, descriptive research and critical thinking research. (Bryman and Bell, 2003: p. 3-45) Saunders et al. (2007: 44-107) described that positivists normally prefer quantitative research because it only takes numbers as inputs and comprises of scientific methods (like mathematical modelling, experimentation, statistical analysis, etc.) (Bryman, 2004: p. 59-77) whereas interpreters prefer qualitative research because it can take any form of inputs (text, numbers, pictures, etc.) and comprises of interpretive, analytical thinking and observational methods (Bryman and Bell, 2003: p. 3-24). The author perceives that positivists can frame hypotheses because they are seasoned experts in their respective subject matters and are very confident about what they want to prove. The author is an amateur in performance appraisal and hence wants to conduct this research to learn the best practices of EPAS from KFC and map them with literatures. Keeping this approach in mind, the author has selected interpretive philosophy with qualitative research. 3.3 Research Approach 3.3.1 Inductive Approach Qualitative researchers welcome any form of valid inputs (like text, numbers, pictures, voice recording, observations, experiences, etc.) and hence carry out inductive approach of learning (Bryman and Bell, 2003: p. 21-45). Given that the author has selected qualitative research, he wants to adopt inductive learning approach. 3.3.2 Deductive Approach Quantitative researchers only entertain numerical inputs that are applied in experimental setups or mathematical and statistical models to derive the outputs. The model of learning is in the form of P à   Q, where P is independent variable and Q is dependent variable and à   denotes the processor between P and Q. This is called deductive approach of learning. (Bryman and Bell, 2003: p. 21-45) The author has not adopted this approach because the methodology chosen is Qualitative. 3.4 Research Methods 3.4.1 Techniques and instruments Qualitative research is conducted using grounded theory, ethnography, phenomenology and action research techniques. Grounded theory employs learning from past theories, ethnography employs human observation and analysis, phenomenology employs learning from human experience and action research employs learning by participation and involvement. Grounded theory doesnt employ any specific instrument, ethnography employs observation charts, phenomenology employs structured and semi structured questionnaire and action research employs cause-effect charts. (Thompson and Walker, 1998: p. 63-69) The author wants to study EPAS by capturing human experiences (employees at KFC) and hence has proposed the choice of phenomenology with structured questionnaire. As described by Thompson and Walker (1998: p. 63-69), structured questionnaire helps in reducing bias and improving validity because the respondents are closely tied to the context of the questions. These reasons supported the authors choice of structured questionnaire. 3.4.2 Data Sampling, collection and analysis The author has chosen purposive sampling against quota sampling, convenience sampling and snowball sampling. Purposive sampling deals with mapping each possible candidate with pre-determined qualification criteria. Quota sampling deals with purposive sampling for multiple populations with different pre-determined criteria sets, convenience sampling deals with choosing respondents by virtue of ease of access and snowball sampling deals with testing purposive sampling against multiple pre-determined criteria sets and expanding the one that is most relevant. The data collection shall be cross sectional (not tagged with historical significance) and the data analysis shall be interpretive with critical thinking approach. This is further explained in the Reflections chapter. (Cooper and Schindler, 2003: p. 34-109). 3.4.3 Pilot Study As reiterated by Saunders et al. (2007: p. 52-63), pilot study can be very useful to enhance the quality of the instrument and test the interpretations of respondents and validity of the questions asked. It also helps in measuring time taken in conducting interviews. The author proposes to conduct pilot study among few friends and request for constructive feedback to enhance the questionnaire. 3.5 Conclusions The author has proposed to conduct the study employing interpretive philosophy, qualitative methodology, inductive learning approach, phenomenology technique, purposive sampling, cross sectional data collection and interpretive data analysis with critical thinking approach. 3.5.1 Validity and Reliability The validity and reliability shall be assured by carefully designing the structured questionnaire instrument and conducting pilot study to test and enhance it. The structured questionnaire instrument shall be based on the review of most relevant literatures and will be aligned with the research questions and objectives. 3.5.2 Generalisability Although the findings shall be applicable to KFC (due to case study approach), the author shall closely map the findings with the outcomes of the literature review to achieve generalisations. 4.0 Access and Resource Implications 4.1 Access to Subjects The author has access to employees in KFC given his association with the organisation. The study shall be conducted on selected employees of KFC outlets in London after obtaining permission from the Restaurant Managers. 4.2 Ethical Considerations The research shall be conducted in transparent manner keeping the rationale of study very clear to all respondents and the Restaurant Managers. The willingness to participate will be obtained from all respondents prior to starting the study. No deception shall be carried out in any form or shape. In addition, the author shall ensure that the emotional aspects, beliefs and ethnic/religious origin will be highly respected in the process of conducting the study. Moreover, the author shall honour the intellectual properties of literature sources by using Harvard referencing. 4.3 Resources The author proposes to conduct the study alone although volunteers are always welcome. The author plans to conduct face to face interviews and hence will have to bear travel expenses to all outlets and distribute the questionnaire in printed format. The theoretical foundation established from literature review shall be the primary resource that will help in accurate mapping with primary research and critical thinking. 5.0 Proposed Action Plan The author proposes the following action plan for the study. The weeks are proposed to be counted from the day the author gets a go-head from his supervisor to proceed with the study. The overall project shall be completed in eight weeks including weekends whereby the author has planned to dedicate about four hours per day to the study except the Week 6 in which the author may have to work for eight to ten hours a day to secure access to all respondents and conduct the interviews. The author has planned to conduct this entire research alone although volunteers to extend helping hand will always be welcomed. Activity Weeks WK1 WK2 WK3 WK4 WK5 WK6 WK7 WK8 The chapter 1 comprising of research context, aim and objectives, research questions and research structure design will be completed. The author shall conduct extensive research on various journal articles, past research reports, peer reviewed internet sites, books etc. and prepare the list of relevant literatures that shall be included in the References section. The author shall complete Literature Review Chapter (2) and Research Design and Methodology chapter (3). The author shall conduct purposive sampling to select respondents, design the questionnaire and conduct the interviews. (parts of chapter 4) The author shall interpret the responses, map with literature review, discuss the mappings critically and them present the conclusions and generalisations. (Parts of Chapter 4 and the entire Chapter 5). 6.0 Reflections on Learning As explained by Evans (2007: p. 1-4), the research is closely implicated with the ethics, values and cultural identity of the researcher. The philosophical considerations of the research is closely linked with what the researcher wants to achieve out of the study. Evans (2007: p. 104) and Cornish et al. (2007: p. 1-16) further described that the researcher may like to conduct research to study a problem area in depth that he/she wants to address in future, to closely study and understand the subject matter where he/she wants to build his career, discover the solutions to problems that has been bothering him/her for a long time, prove the existence of some theories or correlations between some variables that he/she has discovered during his/her experience in this world, to promote the light of education and learning, etc. The learning methods in research has often clashed in the past like the epistemological oppositions between Interpretivism and Positivism that has been prevailing f or ages (Lorenz, 1998: p. 309-316). The interpreters have been largely depending upon human analytics skills and positivists have been largely depending upon scientific evidence of existing phenomena in natural sciences (Lorenz, 1998: p. 309-316). But Bowden (2005: p. 4-52) and Irez (2007: p. 17-27) presented very unique reflection that can diminish all conflicts and standoffs among different believers. He explained that every researcher wants to know the truth and hence it doesnt matter how he/she knows the truth as long as he is able to get to it. The truth always more important than beliefs of individuals (Irez (2007: p. 18-19). If this is the case then why shouldnt we forget all the conflicts and employ the best of all philosophies and methodologies? He analysed that this thought approach may be correlated with the philosophy of Realism which is neither linked with positivism nor with interpretivism. Every research is in fact the relationship between subjects and aspects of the world. This is what comprises of the truth. One may like to know the truth by engaging with the subjects (interpretivism) or with the aspects of the world (positivism) or with both (realism). This can be understood from the following figure presented by Bowden (2005): Figure 1: The concept of Realism presented by Bowden (2005) The outcome may be descriptive, analytical or critical thinking. In descriptive outcome, the researcher may like to describe the outcomes to build a new theory, in analytical outcome the researcher may like to analyse the outcomes with respect to past theories and in critical thinking outcome the researcher may like to critically think on existing perceptions or existing ways of thinking and compare with the research outcomes to evolve the similarities and differences. (Bowden, 2005: p. 4-52; Wolcott et al., 2002: p. 85-103) As described by Wolcott et al. (2002: p. 85-103), critical thinking is a human skill that is developed by cognitive thinking and analysis (learning from the tangible evidences with a wider out of box thinking approach). It neither involves open ended interpretations nor a blind belief on experimentation or simulation results. The researcher applies cognitive thinking to all the outputs by comparing with multiple valid evidences (inputs) without showing any bias towards a particular type of input. The author has adopted critical thinking approach in this study. In this approach the author shall first develop theoretical foundation about the EPAS framework by browsing through various research reports, journal articles, books, peer reviewed Internet sources, etc. and short-listing the most relevant resources with respect to the research questions and research objectives. The structured questionnaire shall be an outcome of the theoretical foundation formed with the help of the literature review and shall be closely aligned with all the research questions. The responses of structured questionnaire will be closely mapped with the literature review by interpreting and analyzing the outcomes of each question independently and comparing with the theoretical foundation. The differences and similarities between the literature review outcomes and the structured questionnaire outcomes will be evolved by following critical thinking approach and finally the conclusions, recommendations and generalisations will be presented. The author believes in knowing the truth and hence is highly influenced with the realism philosophy. However, interpretivism has been selected in the research design because the author is not a subject matter expert of EPAS and hence wants to learn it by following the inductive learning approach. In future, the author wants to develop his career as human resources manager and hence wants to learn the best practices of EPAS thoroughly given that the author perceives it to be the most difficult challenge in human resources management given that the recipients are the agents that are highly impacted by the EPAS framework. In general, the author wants to develop his skills pertaining to focussed research, discovering the sources of information, finding the truth, critical analytics and deriving specific and general conclusions. These skills are very important in human resources management field because all policies and procedures (like the EPAS framework) are results of reflections from the employee surveys and measurement of their performance at work (Bradley and Ashkanasy, 2001: p. 83-96). The framework itself is meaningless if the criteria of measurements, evaluations and decision making is not understood and accepted by both the parties the appraisers and the appraisees. If the author achieves the role of Human Resources Manager, he perceives that two way communications based on research efforts and fact finding efforts will be key to success and accurate data and information will be the key driver to successful HR planning and implementation, especially in designing the EPAS framework. These skil ls can be generated with the help of this study. Finally, the author wants to reiterate that he will take the learning to his professional world and apply them as actionable outcomes, not only to practice his profession efficiently and effectively but also conduct more academic research studies in future. This study is expected to be very useful for students as well as professionals.