Government: Less is More Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Government: Less is More      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Land of liberty, land of freedom, a land by, for, and of the people. Have you honestly ever affected one word the government has spoken? Do you do anything in daily life without the subtle involvement of Uncle Sam? Everything you see and use is government approved, or else it is illegal to use it.    There are many groups adamantly protesting, or rather complaining, about the amount of control the government has. I am not of the belief that the government is out to get us and we should buy as many weapons as possible to fight them off. I also don't believe we should not obey laws because we are not happy with them. I do feel, however, we need to become aware of the problems we face because of this excessive control. Let's look at some of these problems.    First of all, our government knows more about us than we know about ourselves. They have access to virtually any information they could ever want. There is no apparent harm in this, but why is it necessary? And if it is, maybe we should change our programs so it's not. There is a potential, a highly unlikely one I will admit, for our government to take advantage of that information to our detriment. Why take the chance?    Most of the areas our government has too much control over involve money. For example, the welfare system in our "free enterprise" society is simply the government taking our money, whether we want to give it or not, not to mention how much of it they want, and distributing it as they feel best. I can understand the need for welfare during the depression. It was a plan of action for a time of crisis, and it worked. We have been out of that crisis for seventy years. I think it's time to change. Our curr... ...y, yes. Respectfully, of course. Nonviolently, absolutely. But when told how to think or how to behave we don't. We disobey social protocol that stifles and stigmatizes personal freedom. I learned the awesome power of disobedience from...every great man who led those with right against those with might." (Heston) Works Cited    Belz, Joel. "Wrong Without a Remedy." World. Nov. 20-27, 1999 Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "Major Provisions of the Welfare to Work Legislation." CBPP Web Page. Cbpp.org/609wtw.htm, URL#325298, 6-9-98. De La Rocha, Zach. "Snack Charmer." Evil Empire. Sony Entertainment 1996. Heston, Charlton. "Winning the Cultural War." Speech given to Harvard Law School Foru. Feb, 16, 1999 Orwell, George. 1984. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1983 Thomas, Cal. "Outlaws and Their Guns." World. Nov. 20-27, 1999.

marketing rules Essay -- essays research papers

This is an introduction with insight on what Guerrilla Marketing is. The main idea of Guerrilla Marketing is to try and get the most out of advertising, by using the least expense. There was a statement that suggested using alternative plans rather than standard expensive plans discussed in textbooks. Most of those plans are developed for large corporations with a huge spending budget. Guerrilla's don't have the same revenue to spend on large advertising campaigns. The best plan is to make the most of the money that is available to the company. Technology is a huge benefit to business owners of today. In today's society this is something that must be pursued and will also offer huge benefits to the Guerrilla's. There also was general information about tomorrow's customer. One aspect that stood out, was the fact that they will be less forgiving and will greatly appreciate warmth and attention. There was also a list of the fastest growing areas. These areas are Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Texas and Utah.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Entrepreneurial marketing is to be very profitable for the owner who wants to get it right the first time. This helps by focusing on the task at hand and trying to perfect the operation. The single most effective improvement a company can make, is reducing as many errors as possible. There also is a slim possibility that only a few customers are enough to run a business and make a profit. This is very important in understanding the way key customers spend at your company. 80/20 rules are very important to keep in mind. This is a rule that tells us that 80% of the profits come from 20% of the customers. There is also the key to try and make the most out of the money spent. One great example is how to use a business card effectively. The business card should have as much information as possible. This will help to get the entire guerilla effect. A business card can provide valuable information, but it can also be used as a resume. A small business also has the chance to get up close and personal with it's customers. This is a great tool for the Guerrilla that is willing to try and be involved with the customer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are thirteen important marketing secrets. This is a list of secrets that are used by the guerilla's in the marketing industry. The main secrets that stood out t... ...Guerilla that understands the thought process of the consumer and uses that understanding to better the chances of the sale. This can be the use of the point of purchase displays or the way the music is played, and the overall feel of the area. It is good to create a human bond that will help to enforce the quality of the shopping experience. There are also language of colors that will help the business. It is important to understand the aspects of the colors and how they affect the consumer. One of the best aspects is to use the name of the individual. This makes the consumer comfortable and will help them in repeating business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How Guerilla's win battles is very important in creating a marketing plan to be followed. This can be a very tough task and hard to implement. It is also very important to launch this in a slow motion. Take small steps to the goal and be sure to move slowly. This will allow for a comfort level to be developed. Another very important aspect is to measure the results. It is impossible to know how a marketing plan is if there is no data to compare the changes to.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Sanger Rainsford: The Realist Essay -- essays research papers

Sanger Rainsford: The Realist   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most dangerous game began as a sport for one man. His name is Sanger Rainsford. In Richard Connell’s story â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game,† Sanger Rainsford, an avid hunter, is lost at sea, stranded on â€Å"Ship-Trap† Island-every sailor’s worst nightmare. Rainsford goes through a series of events that prove to be life-altering. Even though Sanger Rainsford went through many trials and tribulations, he never lost his intelligence, composure, or his bravery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rainsford is an intelligent man. Early in the story, â€Å"Rainsford remembered the shots. They had come from the right, and he doggedly swam in that direction† (34). Rainsford had just fallen in the water, swam fifty feet further out, but he kept his senses in the right direction. In total darkness, Rainsford used his intelligence and intellect to reach the land. Also, I don’t think that Rainsford knew he was being sized up when Zaroff was staring at him, but when â€Å"Rainsford’s bewilderment showed in his face† (100), he quickly understood what Zaroff was leading too. Rainsford wasn’t a murderer. Sure he liked to hunt game, but he wasn’t bored as Zaroff was. Rainsford never bought into all the old tales. ‘â€Å"One superstitious sailor can taint the whole ship’s company with fear†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (20). He never got worked up or stressed out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rainsford kept his composure. He stood for right and wrong, but was content through dinner. ‘â€Å"...

Conspiracy Theories about Princess Diana’s Death Essay

Introduction Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. She was an eminent celebrity of the late 20th century well known for her fund-raising work for international charities (http://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/The%20House%20of%20Windsor%20from%201952/DianaPrincessofWales.aspx [henceforth HoTM]). Sadly, she was famous not only due to her good deeds, but mostly because of her divorce with Prince Charles and later on, controversial relationship with the son of Egyptian billionaire – Dodi Al Fayed. Princess Diana was constantly surrounded by paparazzi who accompanied her in almost every minute of her life and who tried to photograph her. Unfortunately this unhealthy interest of paparazzi in Diana’s private life ended tragically. Princess Diana and her partner Dodi Al Fayed died in a car accident on Sunday 31th August 1997 in Paris, France (HoTM). At around 12:20 am that day, Diana and Fayed left the Ritz hotel to return to the apartment in Rue Arsà ¨ne Houssaye, they got into the car driven by Henri Paul, the Acting Head of Security at the Ritz Hotel also Trevor Rees-Jones, a member of the Fayed family’s personal protection team, was in the front passenger seat (HoTM). Their car was followed by paparazzi. The driver, who wanted to run away from them, suddenly lost control over the car and collided head-on with the 13th pillar supporting the roof of a tunnel at an estimated speed of 105 km/h (King 2001: 10). Although the French investigation concluded that the accident was caused by a drunken driver, there are still conspiracy theories surrounding Princess Diana’s death. They assume that firstly, the accident was staged to get rid of the paparazzi, secondly The British Secret Service planned the accident and finally it was the Royal Family who assassinated Princess of Wales. Diana Spencer was one of the most famous woman in the world, the pre-eminent female celebrity of her generation: a fashion icon, an image of feminine beauty, admired for her involvement in AIDS issues and the international campaign against landmines (http://www.biography.com/people/princess-diana-9273782). During her lifetime, she was often referred to as the most photographed person in the world. (http://www.biography.com/people/princess-diana-9273782). Considering her life and her popularity it should come as no surprise that people from all over the world were interested in the mystery of her death. Loss of such  an iconic person always forces people, especially the most faithful fans to think about it more deeply. That is why all the speculations and conspiracy theories about the ‘real’ cause of Princess Diana’s death are born. Conspiracy theories – definition As Christopher Hodapp (2008: 9) explains, â€Å"[a] conspiracy theory is the idea that someone, or a group of someones, acts secretly, with a goal of achieving power, wealth, influence or other benefit†. Christopher Hitchens represents conspiracy theories as the â€Å"exhaust fumes of democracy, the unavoidable result of a large amount of information circulating among a large number of people† (Hodapp 2008: 25). Although conspiracy theories are viewed with skepticism by scholars because they are rarely supported by any conclusive evidence, they create a lot of controversy and due to that fact many people believe them. Together with wars, secret assassinations and terrorist attacks taking place in nowadays world, people’s trust in their governments and politicians constantly decreases (Burnett 2005:9). Many people believe that they work in very secretive ways and various facts about well-known historical and current events are hidden (Burnett 2005: 9). In order to reveal the truth, amateur investigators started to create their own deductions about various events on The Internet (Burnett 2005: 9). They have also formed different conclusions about Princess Diana’s death, which later on have grown up and gained the status of conspiracy theories. As we talk about conspiracy theories, we have to answer two questions: What are the attributes of conspiracy theory? How theories about Diana’s death meet the criteria of conspiracy theory? According to Keely (1999: 117), â€Å"Central to any CT is an official story that the conspiracy theory must undermine and cast doubt upon.† This can be related to the official cause of Princess Diana’s death given by the police. Secondly as Keely (1999: 117) claims, â€Å"[t]he true intentions behind the conspiracy are invariably nefarious†, in Diana’s case, those true intentions can be understood as a willingness to kill her. Finally, the last criterion states that the main tool of the conspiracy theorist is data which if true would tend to contradict official version (Keely 1999: 118). These data, concerning Diana’s death theories, could be all the information which put the blame on the Royal Family. Having ensured that theories about Diana’s death meet the criteria of conspiracy  theories, we can examine some of them. Staged accident theory From among dozens of conspiracy theories about Princess Diana’s death circulating on the Internet, the one stating that Diana Spencer did not die, but she arranged her death in order to get rid of paparazzi, because she was tired of constant intrusions into her private life, is the least probable. Conspirators claim that she wanted to disappear from the public life so she staged the accident and that now she leads a normal life, somewhere in a hidden place with a different identity (http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/historical/a/princess_diana_2.html). Although this may seem ridiculous for most people, conspirators claim that they have evidence. They support their theory saying that the bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, who was also taking part in this car accident still lives, but Mercedes auto experts after deep examination of a smashed car revealed that it would have been almost impossible for anyone to have survived such a dramatic accident (http://theunexplainedmysteries.com/di ana.html). Another piece of evidence that conspirators believe supports their theory is that just six hours before the accident Princess Diana talked to Daily Mail reporter Richard Kay and told him that she was about to withdraw completely from public life (http://www.public-interest.co.uk/diana/dipress.html). Although those presented pieces of evidence are believed to be facts by the conspirators, they can be easily discredited. One simple, although significant piece of evidence that confirms the death of Princess Diana is the fact that Dr Robert Chapman carried out Diana’s post-mortem examination the day after her death. This proves that at that time she could not have been alive (http://dianaremembered.wordpress.com/). The truth is that the conspiracy theory mentioned above is present only on the Internet, one cannot read about it in a book, that is the reason why it appears to be the least probable scenario. However, there are some theories which make people think about them as they seem to be more probable. M16 theory The second conspiracy theory about Princess Diana’s death stirs up the  greatest controversy as it states that The British Secret Service -the M16- planned the accident. They believed that Diana was a threat to the British throne and therefore the stability of the state. Another motive was to protect the new world order from the princess with inconvenient ideas, such as banning land mines as conspirators claim (Burnett 2005: 273). John King in his book Princess Diana: the hidden evidence (2001: 45) states that M16 mission was to â€Å"[e]liminate one of the most prominent figures on the world stage†. King (2001: 10) points out that Diana was seated directly behind the passenger side-front seat, which according to Professor Murray of Birmingham University, whom the author interviewed, should have been the safest seat in the car, â€Å"the most survivable.† According to King (2001: 11) seconds after the accident M16 agents showed up at the place of the accident and after making sure that Princess Diana’s condition is fatal, injected the driver – Henri Paul with cocktail of alcohol and drugs and then they disappeared as quickly as they showed up. There can be a lot of different reasons why such important British agency planned to kill Princess Diana. Noel Botham (2004: 94) comments that â€Å"some rogue autonomical cells in British Secret Service claimed that Princess Diana is a threat to the state and they are also suspected of eavesdropping her throughout her years in the Royal limelight.† Another important fact is that the only survivor – bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones – was a former member of the crack Parachute Regiment, one of the toughest in the British Army. Therefore he could also have been an M16 contact (King 2001: 124). It appears that this conspiracy theory is more probable than the previous one, considering the fact that gathered evidence, even though not confirmed, bases on some logical and factual information. The following theory is closely connected with the aforementioned in a sense that some conspiracy theorists claim that the Royal Family planned the accident and used M16 as a tool. The Royal Family theory As we examining various theories about Princess Diana’s death, it is impossible not to mention the Royal Family with whom she related for fifteen years through her marriage to Charles, Prince of Wales. In this theory conspirators claim that it was the Royal Family who planned Princess Diana’s death. The conspiracy theorists support their hypothesis with the  explanation that the House of Windsor was furious about the fact that Princess Diana might marry Dodi Al Fayed, a Muslim, who would became a stepfather to Princess William and Harry, the heirs to the British throne (King 2001: 190). Andrew Golden, the author of the Sunday Mirror’s article entitled Queen To Strip Harrods Of Its Royal Crest wrote that â€Å"[t]he Royal Family may withdraw their seal of approval from Harrods(†¦) as a result of Diana’s affair with owner’s son Dodi Fayed† (King 2001: 189). According to King (2001: 190) after some time a prestigious royal warrant actually was withdrawn from Harrods. Thus, it appears that the Royal Family tried to express their disapproval of Diana’s relationship with Dodi Al Fayed whose father was the owner of Harrods. Later, as King (2001: 191) points out, it was revealed that Prince Phillip in particular was extremely unhappy about the relationship despite the fact that Diana was no longer Prince Charles’ wife. One of the most prominent supporter of the theory that Diana and Dodi were murdered by the Royal Family was Dodi’s father- Mohamed Al Fayed. He claimed that the English Crown wanted to hide the fact that the couple was about to be engaged and that Diana was pregnant with her Egyptian boyfriend’s child – a scandal that the British Royal Family would not be able to put up with (Hodapp 2008: 323). However, later it was revealed that according to tests ran on samples of her blood collected at the scene, information about the pregnancy was untrue (Hoddap 2008: 324). Bearing in mind the two aforementioned conspiracy theories this one appears to be the most reliable as it provides quite strong motive, namely the fact that the Royal Family treated Diana’s relationship with Dodi as a threat to the throne. Conclusion Controversy over Princess Diana’s death has bothered people from around the world for almost twenty six years. As a result, dozens of different conspiracy theories about this tragic event were created. Some of them, for example the one stating that Princess Diana staged her own death are almost improbable while others, like the theory assuming that the Royal Family planned Diana’s accident may seem more reliable. The three theories examined in this paper are still being refreshed and reinvestigated by different authors who try to find new evidence and confirm the theory that the death

Social Darwinism

This began in the nineteenth century as a way of supporting natural selection and the basis that the species best suited to survive any given situation would prevail over the lesser beings. The actual concept of Social Darwinism was not the idea Charles Darwin presented, but the confirmation people needed. The main issues relevant to this theory are business, sexism and racism. From generation to generation, all species change slightly over time.Organisms of very type share similarities with their ancestors. Sometimes children will show similarities from their grandparents, great-grandparents or ever further back. If a certain individual has a superior trait which will help them survive more effectively, that individual's offspring is more likely to also show that trait. Variations in the traits are on a genetic level and these variations happen randomly at different intervals in time. These beneficial traits will prosper but most mutations don't show up in offspring and will not be passed to future generations.Social Darwinism pass the philosophical beliefs into business practices in modern day. The survival of the fittest concept is proven if one takes a look in Fortune magazine. The best businesses will move on through monetary success and popularity and those businesses who fail will not be passed on. Each generation produces new and better ideas. As business progresses, people will have more information available to them whenever, wherever they need it. Andrew Carnegie states, â€Å"The law of competition may be sometimes hard for the individual, [but] it is best for the race in every department. The Gospel of Wealth, 1889) The adaptation theory in Social Darwinism encourages those in business to work harder to be on top to show greater success. When we think about business and success, many people think of males. In our history, the woman's role is mainly in the home, providing for their husbands and being a fertile ground. Social Darwinism shows that me n are the more fit sex and women are weak. Although physically women as a whole are generally weaker than men, this theory has some imperfections. But, what this theory does not show is the ntelligence of women.More recently, success is defined regarding intelligence as opposed to physical strength, so the survival of the fittest theory does not exclude women. Looking deeper, the sexist theory does not always ring true. The greatest influence in the sudden development of racism in the 19th century Europe was the replacement of the Christian belief that â€Å"God created all people equal† by â€Å"Darwinism†. By suggesting that man had evolved from more primitive creatures, and that some races had evolved further than others, it provided racism ith a scientific side.The element of Darwinism which appeared most appliable to the development of society was the belief that the excess of population over the means of support was a constant struggle for survival in which it wa s the strongest or think that some races were morally better than others In conclusion, people can take parts of the Social Darwinism theory to apply to modern day ideas such as business. sexism and racism. Charles Darwin's ideas may not always be seen as true but for now, it shows many possibilities.

Critical Evaluation of International Essay

A review of literature on international HRM reveals three different approaches (Dowling et al. , 1999, p. 2): Comparative, Cross-cultural and multi-national. Firstly, according to Adler (1997), the early approaches to researching international HRM focused on cross-cultural differences and examination of human behaviour from an international perspective. Certainly, research on cross-cultural organizational behaviour has become a conduit for the understanding of the dynamics of multicultural domestic and international workplaces within the advent of globalisation. There are different levels of analysis within cross-national HRM, national factors, contingent factors and organisational level. Cross-national HRM researchers claim that it is at the levels of national factors and contigent variables that they can make useful contributions through the examination of the impacts of such determinants of HRM policies and practices (Boxall, 1995; Brewster et al, 1996). However, other researchers (Budhwar and Sparrow, 1997; Jackson and Schuler, 1995) argue that national factors and contingent variables are not enough in themselves to provide an understanding of the context-specific nature of HRM practices. It is important therefore, to consider analysis of the impact of organisational-level strategies (Budhwar and Sparrow, 1997). Secondly, the comparative approach focuses on similarities and differences in HRM practices within an international context. Undeniably, Budhwar & Sparrow (2002) note that the increase in globalisation of business transactions, the emergence of new markets such as the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) as well as hyper competition among organisations at equally the domestic and international level have been associated with an increased significance and need for comparative human resource management (HRM) studies. As a result, there has been a growing number of studies addressing the configuration of HRM in different national contexts (Budhwar & Sparrow, 2002). According to Rechie, Lee and Quintanilla (2009) one of the most significant role of comparative HRM research is to provide managers, principally those working in multinational firms, with specific guidelines concerning how to design and implement an effective HRM system taking into consideration cultural differences especially when their business operation enters into different cultural contexts for example western multinationals seeking to do business in China. This notion of being responsive to the context and standardisation of HRM policies and practices has generated controversial but nonetheless critical topics of discussion in comparative HRM, such as the debate on localization versus standardization, and the process of transferring HRM policies and practices across nations (Rechie et al, 2009). The thirdly, multinational approach, tends to focus on HRM practices in multinational organisations. The HRM extant literature reveals that there are two distinct schools of thought as regards approaches to managing people within MNCs: (i) convergence and (ii) divergence. According to Brewster et al. , (2007), the convergence approach is said to be one of the most dominant strands in international management research. On the one hand, the convergence approach has three main assumptions: firstly, the ultimate aim in all organisations is to improve performance through high-performance work systems (Brewster, 2001). Secondly, the universal aim of performance improvement can be achieved by using sound and effective management philosophies that hold true despite of differences among national environments (Girgin, 2005). Thirdly, proponents of the convergence approach argue that if local practices are different from these principles, they are expected to be replaced with ‘the one best way’, converging mainly on the American model as the leading industrial economy (Dowling et al. , 1999). According to Girgin (2005) the concept of convergence towards the one best way practice has been encouraged and/or supported by the forces of globalisation, which has led to the opening of world markets, deregulation, regional integration and improvements in communication technologies. Although HRM as a field of practice was developed in America, the principles and practices designed for America may not hold for other parts of the world. Barlett and Ghoshal (1989), say that, the main suggestion of the globalisation argument is that nationality factors in the operation of national systems and of companies are no longer influential or important as international companies become ‘trans-national’ which converge to a new ‘best model’. Yes, the IHRM literature shows that because multinational corporations are embedded in their home institutional environments, they may attempt to transfer ‘home’ practices to their foreign operations in different cultural environments (Edwards et al. , 1999). However, the study of HRM practices in Europe (see Brewster et al 2007) suggest that national differences are significant in the determination of HRM practices. On the other hand, the divergence approach or contextual paradigm searches for contextually unique practices and approaches to management, it does not search for evidence of similarities (Brewster, 2001). Within the IHRM literature, the focal point of the divergence standpoint is the dissimilarity of policies and applications across different national and regional contexts and tries to understand the particularities of the context with a view to interpret why and how such differences have emerged in these settings (Brewster, 2005). Within the divergence school of thought, there are two distinct approaches to managing human resources in multinational organisations: (i) the culturalist and (ii) the institutionalist perspectives. Based mainly on Hofstede’s (1980) value-based behavioural dimensions and concepts of national culture which have made an attempt to explain the influence of culture upon Multinationals’ behaviour, the culturalist approach has found widespread acceptance in the IHRM literature. Hofstede (1980) came to a conclusion that culture was the main determinant of the variations in work-related values, attitudes and behaviours among employees and managers within the same organisation, and of the same profession, age, or gender. Hofstede found that there were four dimensions that explained the differences in work-related values and behaviours: (i) Individualism and collectivism, (ii) Uncertainty avoidance, (iii) Power distance and (iv) Masculinity and femininity According to Girgin (2005), the culturalist approach endeavours to build an understanding of differences in work organisations, managerial behaviour and human resource practices based on attributes of national cultural distinctiveness in terms of values, ideas and beliefs shared by people in a given society. Under the divergence school of thought, the institutionalist perspective is the second. The main argument of the institutionalist perspective is that national institutional contexts (for example, government systems, training and development systems) play a major role in determining structures and strategies of organisations (Girgin, 2005). According to Girgin (2005), those who support the Institutionalist perspective stress the pressures on companies to acquire and maintain legitimacy in relation to the environment and the way that interlocking practices can bring benefits in particular systemic contexts. This perspective presents itself as a more comprehensive framework for the comparative study of different national systems (Girgin, 2005). For example, despite the knowledge of the influence of culture on organisational behaviour, HR practitioners cannot simply measure cultural values across their operations and predict behaviour, due cognisance must be given to various institutional contexts. As noted by Dewettinck and Remue (2011) certain practices are shared across or within particular contexts; some are distinctive of certain countries; some are unique to certain sectors or sections of an organization or even individuals. Without doubt, while each of the above approaches sharpens the focus on some aspects of HRM, it is possible that solely focusing on one aspect may unavoidably, hinder capturing the positive aspects from other perspectives(Mayrhofer and Brewster, 2005). Indeed what appears to be more significant in researching international HRM is the context. According to Dewettinck and Remue (2011) the notion of context and/or focus on contextual factors has been reflected in the cross-cultural embedment of many international HRM studies (Brewster, Mayrhoferand Morley, 2004), in addition, the Globe project which was focused on leadership also reveals that context is important (House and Javidan, 2004). For example, a recent study by Hartmann et al. (2010) of western multinationals operating in China shows that these organisations implement relatively unchanged HRM practices from their home country in their Chinese subsidiaries. The study of Hartmann et al. , reveals that consideration of contextual factors is important in the understanding of HRM practices and the management of people in an international context. As a matter of fact, results of Hartmann et al. ’s study indicate that, although the Chinese subsidiaries of Western multinationals were able to implement unchanged HRM practices such as talent management from their headquarters, the practices were not successfully internalised. This demonstrates the significance of national cultures and being responsive to local needs in implementing HRM practices. The example above actually shows that context is an important aspect in researching international HRM regardless of the approach taken. In conclusion, there is indeed something to be learnt from each of the perspectives. Each of the perspectives do make considerable contribution to the understanding of international HRM.

The Pros and Cons of Police Discretion

Drawing the line between the appropriate functions of discretion among members of the police force remains to be an important component of policing. With the discovery of police discretion, there had been different debates as to its importance and hindrance in the application of law within communities. Many arguments have been placed as a result of such discovery and have prompted different set of opinions and views concerning its continued practice.In the end, by actively enforcing the needs of accountability and the synchronization of processes, the process of discretion can be minimized or limited at a certain extent wherein it is due compliant with the rule of law and objective in nature. The way policing has been practiced in the realms of law enforcement has spurred an enhanced approach in the dealing with crime prevention and maintenance of peace and security within a particular community. However, the subjectivity of interpretation among police officers when it comes to exerc ising discretion has resulted in various criticisms since its discovery.Due to this, there had been clamors for the abolishment and the promotion of its control. The paper seeks to showcase the relative pros and cons of police discretion. By showcasing its relative strengths and weaknesses, it exposes the reality behind the subjectivity and bias of such actions. Realizing such scenario, there is a need for a redefinition and structuring of police objectives that will ensure the application of the rules and laws while at the same time ensuring that police discretion is rooted on objectivity and accountability.Defining Discretion Before dwelling deeper in the relative strengths and weaknesses of police discretion, it is first important to emphasize on its meaning and its relationship with the police practice. By properly defining the term ‘discretion’, it may be proper to link it to the police practice since such term is associated with different meanings. Linking it with policing objectives, the term ‘discretion’ must actively partake and coincide with (1) judgment, (2) choice, (3) discernment, (4) liberty and (5) license (APSU, 2001).Seeing such, ‘discretion’ means the freedom in making choices responsibly under the circumstances aforementioned. â€Å"Discretion designates power or freedom to judge and decide what needs to be done in a particular situation† (Seri, p. 2). Establishing parameters and causes Also before elaborating on the strengths and weaknesses of police discretion, it is also proper to point out the relative causes of such concept and how it has cultivated the development of such practice. Determining such parameters, one must look at the variables or factors that enhance police judgments and leads them to practice discretion.Examples include (1) offender variables, (2) situation variables, and (3) system variables (APSU, 2001). Under the element of offender variables, the practice of subjectivity and prejudice somehow are manifested in the practice of law enforcement. â€Å"Gender and mental health status affect how police handle many incidents† (APSU, 2001). Such issue only brings about unequal practice and in the facilitation of sanctions and punishments for different violations. Another important variable involves the situation where the police enforces and uses discretion.It is in this situation that the priority is given on things that are unimportant rather than the actual case (APSU, 2001). This lack of logical judgment on what matters most often results in a biased and inaccurate results. Lastly, the system in a society also serves as an important and tool for the practice of discretion among the police force. The actual practice of discretion is dependent on the current situations that a system might be facing. Such system in relationship with discretion varies, that is why such practice also is different depending on the particular situation.(APSU, 2001) Pos itive Outcomes After the discussion concerning its definition and relative parameters and causes, the paper will highlight the positive outcomes of police discretion. One important outcome of the issue is that it legitimizes the role of the police not only as the protector of laws but at the same time they are given the interpreting power to analyze situations. â€Å"The police enjoy innumerable opportunities for discretionary judgment and wider margins of discretion than any other sector within the state apparatus† (Seri, p. 3).Another important outcome of the said practice is that it creates a different aura for the police force that practice discretion. The creation of laws are only relevant if they are ought to be enforced and practiced. â€Å"Their discretionary power allows police officers to transform the spirit of laws. With their interpretation of a particular issue, there is a legitimization of its overall hold of a particular society in creating control† (Se ri, p. 3) The practice of discretion also improves the way police enforces the rules and regulations stipulated by the law.Since they serve as the executor and protector of such laws, they are expected to address every challenges and hurdles given to them. â€Å"Like other â€Å"street level bureaucrats†, police officers must adapt to law and norms on specific situations, deciding on the extent which legal policy extend reflects the original law on the books† (Seri, p. 3). Lastly, the practice of police discretion is an important factor of police power and the maintenance of its hold and grasp of people within a particular community.The concept of discretion in itself is creating the determination of who are good and law-abiding citizens and who are criminals (Seri, p. 4). Such power remains to be vital in the overall functions of police practice. Negative Consequences Given the positive influences that police discretion creates, there are also implications in such pra ctice. One important consequence is the relative abuse of power among police officers in the issue of discretion. Such actions often emanates on both the extremity and unequal judgment given by authorities.â€Å"The exercise of police discretion to stop, search, arrest or charge suspects is now regarded as inevitable and not necessarily improper, given the limits of police resources, variations in the seriousness of offending behaviours and the inappropriateness of criminal law for dealing with some situations of conflict and disorder† (Bergen, 2005, p. 127). In addition, there seems to be a lapse and undue changing of laws that somehow have been an effect of irresponsible police discretion.Prior to its original function of responsible practice under the basis of laws, there is now a scenario that challenges the foundation of accountability and laws. â€Å"Discretion allows the police to challenge mechanisms of accountability and to erode the laws and rules that they are req uired to enforce, in part because of the proactive character of policing and the limited, retroactive character of accountability† (Seri, p. 4) Such misuse can create different problematic instances in the realm of law enforcement.The practice of discretion is often times biased and prejudiced upon citizens and results in a negative impression and simplification among races and ethnicity in society. There are â€Å"instances of police stereotyping, harassment and breaches of basic human rights† (Bergen, 2005, p. 127-128). Controlling Police Discretion Given the relative importance and challenges brought about by the issue of police discretion, there needs to be a controlling mechanism that will seek to prevent the misuse and abuse of power by police. By controlling such concept, the process becomes objective, justified, fair and equal.The last part of the paper seeks to showcase several approaches in creating a fair avenue for police discretion while at the same time ad dressing the individual needs of citizens as far as safety and security is concerned. One important realization is that police will continue to use discretion. (Kelling, 1999, p. 38). But in this setup, instead of creating an avenue for unjust and subjective interpretations, the manner in which it shall be applied should be dependent on a basis; laws and regulations in a particular state.Doing such actions can help enhance and prevent the process of bias and prejudice in apprehending alleged violators. Another vital criterion that can be exhausted in the process is the creation of rules and standards on as to how police practice discretion. Such feat may prove to be difficult in nature due to its relatively varied and diverse situations; however by making standards and rules, there can be a synchronized way of facilitating and improving the practice of discretion. It is a practice that is characterized as fair and equal treatment among different people.Moreover, there needs to be co ntinued training and development among police officers concerning amendments and changes in laws. Being familiar with such tenets can help prevent the occurrence of abuse and misuse of power. By actively cooperating among the citizenry and the academy, policemen/women can have a fair advantage and at the same time understanding within the community. (Kelling, 1999, p. 41). Accountability is the one often undermined and stepped on when police misuse their discretion.That is why, there needs to be a constant effort to enhance accountability while preserving the ability of the police to practice discretion. There needs to be an establishment of â€Å"accountability standards that identify competent and/or excellent performance violations of organizational rules, and incompetent and uncaring work, including performance with organizational rules† (Kelling, 1999, p. 38). Conclusions Indeed police discretion poses both positive and negative consequences in the community and society. On a high note, its importance in the practice of enforcement can clearly be seen. However, due to its uncontrolled state, it often leads to abuse and misuse among members of the police force. In the end, there is a need to control the practice of police discretion by placing and putting accountability and other important standards that can help prevent bias and subjectivity. In the end, after all such efforts had been made it still boils down to one common theme; the protection and maintenance of security among member of the community and society.