Analysis of Green Space and its Accessibility in AL-Madinah City, Essay

Analysis of Green Space and its Accessibility in AL-Madinah City, Saudi Arabia, - Essay Example Green spaces are of great importance both for ecological balance and for the health of individuals (Heidt and Neef, 2008). They play a fundamental role in providing opportunities for rest, relaxation and enjoying the beauty of nature for the urban population wishing to escape the daily stresses of urban life. Moreover, green spaces facilitate sport and leisure activities. In reference to the ecological benefits green space absorbs and expels pollutants from the environment, by acting as an urban heat sink thereby protecting urban biodiversity. Green spaces are important for improving the air quality during the day, ridding it of carbon dioxide and other pollutants; they also beautify the environment, create a soothing atmosphere, and protect people from the glare and heat of the sun This research will develop and extend current methods for the spatial analysis of patterns of green space accessibility with regards to all segments of the population in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Increasing rates of urbanization in Madinah have led to increased pressure on many of the services and facilities, especially green spaces and gardens which are a key requirement for high density neighborhoods as they beneficial for the human life and for the environment as well. Thus, there is need to analyze these patterns and accessibility in order to guide green space planning both now and into the future.The huge evolution in Geographic Information Systems techniques can be used to analysis the accessibility to green spaces.... he services and facilities, especially green spaces and gardens which are a key requirement for high density neighborhoods as they beneficial for the human life and for the environment as well. Thus, there is need to analyze these patterns and accessibility in order to guide green space planning both now and into the future. The huge evolution in Geographic Information Systems techniques (Spatial Analysis, Modelling, Spatial Assessment, Network analysis) can be used to analysis the accessibility to green spaces. During GIS analysis of access to green space, it is imperative to compare the official classification of land area with the land use pattern on the ground. According to Chang (2008), classifying land portion is a viable method of appreciating land use in an area. Chang (2008), in his study, analyzes the accessibility of green space in terms of land area use. He compared the land use matrices in different areas in order to ascertain green space accessibility by considering the impact of different land uses over the accessibility of green spaces (Chang, 2008). Chang (2008) found that the impacts of land use, such as commercial and industrial activities, are directly proportional to area dweller’s access to the green space. The aim of this research is to analyse: [1] the geographical distribution of green spaces and [2] the factors that affect accessibility to green spaces to ensure that any future development addresses the issue of equitable distribution and access to parks and green spaces. The study will analyze the geographical distribution of green spaces and their facilities in Madinah by collecting relevant data from various parks of the city. The results will be represented through tables, graphs, and maps to show the pattern of geographical

All of the psychoanalyst Essay Example for Free

All of the psychoanalyst Essay Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that  their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the  childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that  their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the  childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that  their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the  childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that  their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the  childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial. Psychoanalytic – Freud- Psychoanalytical theory was formulated by Freud based on how the human mind functions. He believed that there were factors outside of the individual person’s awareness (unconscious thoughts, feelings and experiences) that influence their emotions, behaviour and actions, and that their past experiences, and their future. The Psychoanalytical Theory highlights the importance of the unconscious mental processes and childhood development issues as they relate to childish impulses, childish wishes, juvenile desires and the anxiety of reality. The Psychoanalytical Theory is also based on the idea that a person’s personality is formed throughout the childhood years, that children go through certain stages at certain points of their childhood and depending on how well the child copes with each of these stages, their adult personality will be affected. This influences current practise as Freud’s observations into the link between our unconscious actions and our mind are still seen as beneficial.

Pattern of Multinational Corporation based on cultural difference

Pattern of Multinational Corporation based on cultural difference With the development of economical globalization, the internationaloperation has become an important trend of development for enterprises.Multinational corporations are playing more and more important roles in theworld economy. While getting the big world market, they have to be facing morecomplex internal and external management environments. The cultural differenceis a noticeable influence factor. With more practice of management, moremanagers and scholars began to pay attention to this problem and do a lot ofresearches. How to reduce the adverse influence of culture difference inmultinational corporations human resource management (HRM) has become afocus in the field of trans-culture management. Subsidiaries and joint ventures in foreign countries are primary vehicles to market products internationally and to take advantage of the manufacturing capabilities of other countries (Li and Scullion 2006). Providing with the competitive labor cost and abundant resources, China now is the ideal manufacturing powerhouse where foreign investments have been booming up over the past decade. However, if there are major gains to be made, there are also risks. One of these is the management of human resources (Sergeant  and Frenkel 1998). Challenged by mainly the culture differences, managing the Chinese employees is never an easy task for a foreign manager. The high rate of turnover has been a substantial problem in managing Chinese employees in joint ventures in the Peoples Republic of China (Beamer, 1998). Many of the foreign executives still hold the concept that Chinese employees are eager to work for foreign companies in order to learn those advanced management knowledge and so on, and simply believe that the employees commitment is driven by such attitude. And therefore behave like evangelists on a mission to convert Chinese people to Western business practices (Jean 2009). However, as mentioned by Courtois (2009), the expectations and characterizations of Chinese nationals are shifting. Mentioned by Gross (2007) as well, most importantly, there is the need to ensure that differences in local practices and management are ironed out. At the very least, such differences should be understood and respected.  In another word, it is crucial that foreign managers shall understand the importance of learning how culture difference could be a key issue when managing Chinese employees and therefore make sure that they have the right attitude on managing Chinese employees before they start it. Cross-cultural researchers have argued for the need to develop frameworks that can help people from different cultures overcome obstacles to work together productively (Bond 2003). Some of the typical Chinese culture which are easily to be involved in work must be fully understood and foreign executives shall be aware of how to play with these culture differences so that enable themselves to manage people in an effective way. Such management which is based upon learning the culture and behavior of Chinese employee will help the company to form a stable and efficient HRM method in the long run. With increasing of the practical experience gained by foreign executives, more and more typical work related Chinese culture has been familiarized by western countries. Such as face and guanxi, were once and maybe still are the hard culture concepts for foreign executives to deal with when managing Chinese employees. Another challenging issue foreign managers have to face is that there is no such mature HRM knowledge in China. In earlier time, Child (1994) pointed out HRM is absent in Chinese companies while recently Li et al. (2007) mentioned that in China, HRM policy and practice are in a state of flux. Therefore, this has made it difficult for foreign managers to introduce their preferred approach in joint ventures (Sergeant  and Frenkel 1998). Literature Review Human resources management theory Human resources management functions Human resource management (HRM) is a function in an organisation wherein it focuses on employee-related activities. In other words, it deals with the management of, recruitment of and providing direction for the people who work in the organisation. It is usually involved with issues that are related to people. Among these is the process of hiring, organisation development, compensation, wellness, employee motivation, administration, performance management, safety, training, communication and the benefits . Similarly, Ledge (2005) states that human resource management is the management of a workforce and it can be both an academic theory and business practice. In addition, According to Lipiec (2001), human resource management is the process of coordinating an organisations human resources, or employees, to meet organisational goals. Human resource professionals deal with such areas as employee recruitment and selection, performance evaluation, compensation and benefits, professional d evelopment, safety and health, forecasting, and labour relations. Price (2004) defines human resource management as a belief of people management on the idea that human resources are significant factors in maintaining the success of a business. He discussed that a company obtains a competitive advantage by practicing an efficient usage of its personnel, using their expertise and creativity to reach the organisations purposes. Moreover, human resource management (HRM) seeks to employ capable, flexible and committed personnel. In contradiction, Bach (2005) stated that HRM is unitarist, the interests of employees and other stakeholders are marginalised, there is a great importance on the individual firm that is channeled on each employee, there is a logical playing down of external and collective issues. Some of the challenges today in human resource management are maintaining a diverse workforce, dealing with major technological changes, keeping up with governmental regulations, handling corporate restructuring and downsising, and formulating strategies essential to personnel management . These challenges need to be addressed in order to render an effective management of human resources. It is said that the philosophy of human resource management is based on the simple belief that human resources are the most important asset in achieving and sustained business success. This realisation became the driving force behind the creation of human resource management resulting in organisations taking a strategic approach to the management of their people. The true worth of human resource management is becoming more widely understood as human resource management steadily interweaves all aspects of people management and development within the company . Thus, the HR has to gain knowledge of and become skilled at in the host country because the setting may be diametrically opposed to the home nation. Even on a more personal note, managers in HR have a lot to do with the employees in the company. Especially in a foreign country, the manager should be aware of the local practices and traditions if there are any. The fringe benefits the company offers may have to be adjusted in rela tion to what the host country deems acceptable. Considering all these responsibilities and the ramifications involved if there is no proper implementation, the position as HR manager should be handled by one who has relevant qualifications and experience.Although the knowledge may be gained and experience earned, it is necessary primarily because the tasks involved calls for managerial functions. They may not be very necessary if the need is for HR staff. As a member of the staff, there will be a lot of information to be gleaned and eventually, imbued. However, as the position specifically requires managerial functions, so should there be expertise in the field.HRM should not be underestimated. Efficient management is no mean feat, especially in a foreign setting like in host countries where there are a myriad of differences in the social, cultural, political, economic and ethical aspects. Overall, it can be said that the human resource management is not just about the functional responsibility of a company. More so, there is a need for managers to participate in the practices of the human resources in a daily basis. In other words, the human resource management is not just a mere department of the company but it entails the active participation of the head of the company such as the manager (Human Resource Management, 2007). we adopt a holistic perspective in considering the impact of the countrys environment as well as the multinational corporations (MNCs) strategy on human resource (HR) practices. More importantly, we argue that within MNCs human resource management (HRM) is playing a central role in the process of balancing local and global forces. HR can be critical in helping MNCs deal with local differences while also helping the company implement practices that are critical for its global strategy. Specifically, we argue that HR plays a key role in developing s ocial capital, which may provide the necessary substitutes for formal control that would otherwise be neglected. Our contribution lies primarily in outlining how this new role of creating human capital confers on HR the task of filtering mission-critical practices through a localization mesh that ensures success. In addition, given the importance of social capital as an informal mechanism that allows MNCs to coordinate and integrate activities, we suggest ways in which an MNC can build social capital within the context of the Latin American pan-regional cultural values. 2.3 International Human Resource Management International human resource management or IHRM is about the management of people in the international environment. By international, IHRM implies that it involves the intersection of multiple fields in the management. For instance, it includes the human resource management as well as international management. Through the phenomenon of international human resource management, one is able to gain a broader meaning and understanding of the traditional HRM (Academy of Management Human Resource Division, 2004). Many expatriate human resource (HR) policies, particularly in the area of compensation, remain rooted in the past because they continue to favor the expatriate over local staff and do not take into account the increasing qualifications and aspirations of these local employees. Inequitable treatment leads to low commitment and poor work performance among local staff. More importantly, inequitable treatment creates tension between local and expatriate employees and causes the local staff to be less willing to be cooperative or supportive of the expatriates with whom they have to work. Without local support, expatriates may experience greater difficulty adjusting to their new jobs and the new environment, which is a contributing factor in the failure of expatriates. It is critical that multinational companies are aware that some existing HR practices have potentially unintended negative consequences and that neglecting the impact of these practices on local employees hurts the effectiveness of the organization as well as the ability of expatriates to succeed in their assignment. According to Briscoe and Schuler (2004), there is an increasing need to discuss the issue on international human resource management because the conduct of business is increasingly international in scope and managing human resources is critical to the successful conduct of global business. With the emerging trends such as globalisation and modernisation, the process of international human resource management is greatly affected. Particularly, the changes incurred by international human resource management have been greatly shaped by these trends. Through globalisation, there is a perceived disappearance of the national or geographic boundaries. The conduct of business activities from one country to another has become highly possible through the globalisation process. And with the aid of modernisation, the conduct of business affairs or activities has become faster and more convenient. Budhwar and Debrah (2001) provide various factors that paved the way for the increased need in human resource management by business organisations. According to them, human resource management is all the more important because of the increasing levels of globalisation as well as internationalisation of business, the growth of new markets (such as in Africa, Eastern Europe, China, India, South-East Asia and Latin America), the growth of new international business blocs (such as NAFTA, the European Union, ASEAN) and an increased level of competition among firms at both national and international level. And so, it seems to be that the world develops to become a global business village, thereby increasing the need to know the ways in which managers in various parts of the world cope with the problems and issues that are related to the management of human resources. This study aims to get a clearer picture of why multinational companies (MNCs) send out expatriates. It identifies three organizational functions of international transfers: position filling, management development and coordination and control. Based on an empirical study with results from 212 subsidiaries of MNCs from nine different home countries, located in 22 different host countries, it shows that the importance that is attached to these functions differs between subsidiaries in MNCs from different home countries, between subsidiaries in different host regions and in addition varies with the level of cultural difference. Sees position filling as most important for subsidiaries of US and British MNCs and in the Latin American and Far Eastern regions. It argues that these differences might have important consequences for expatriate management. It sees management development as most important for subsidiaries of German, Swiss and Dutch MNCs and as tending to occur more in Anglo-Sax on countries than in the Far East. Indeed, the internationalisation of almost all business is evident on the prevalence of MNCs/MNEs (Multinational Corporations/Multinational Enterprises). And so, as the business organisations become more active in the international arena, the need for human resource management becomes more crucial. But as one tends to venture into the international business, there are more problems and issues that need to be addressed. And so, the globalisation of business presents the managers and the organisations more challenges and difficulties especially in the field of human resource management. This has been confirmed by Clark et al. (1999) by stating that while there is an increasing number of organisations that seek to operate in foreign markets, there is also an increasing challenge for the international management of human resources. Among the key three challenges to international HRM are marginality, parochialism and ethnocentrism. With this, it is essential to develop a better understanding of, and sensitivity to, the impact of different national settings on the management task. 2.4 Significance of Human Resource Management The need for human resource management by business organisations, especially the major ones, is crucial to its success. In fact, this aspect cannot be eliminated by organisations if they are to ensure an effective and successful conduct of business. This is because human resource management serves as an organisational function that realises the goals of the company. With the effective management of human resources, the company is also effective in the conduct of its activities or the delivering of its business. And so, it can be said the human resource management is integral to the success of every business organisations. Jahn (1999) considers the humans as the greatest assets of the organisation. Because without the humans, organisations will not be able to complete the everyday functions such as cash flow management, dealing with customers, communicating through all forms of media as well as making business transactions. Indeed, it is the humans and their potentials that drive the organisation. The human resource management ensures that employees are able to meet the goals of the organisations. In other words, HRM maximises the productivity of an organisation through the process of optimising the effectiveness of its employees. And in spite of the ever-increasing pace of change in the business world, this mandate on HRM is unlikely to change in any fundamental way. According to Encyclopedia of Small Business (2002), the basic mission human resources will always be to acquire, develop, and retain talent; align the workforce with the business; and be an excellent contributor to the business. Furthermore, the managing of international employees by multinational and domestic organisations is perceived to be important in the changing landscape of the business environment. In fact, there has been a fundamental change in the global thinking, as evident in the actions, of the organisations. With this, human resource management is important in realising the need for organisations to remain innovative in what may be contracting and rationalising markets or even markets that are being shaken up by new entrants and new competitive behavior. Meanwhile, the initiatives which are aimed at improving the financial, temporal as well as functional flexibility are introduced in order to address the need to deliver the radical cost improvements. And with the increasing flexibility, there is also the desire of the firms to change their employee and their sense of involvement (Brewster, Harris and Sparrow, 2004). Today, the true worth of employees among business firms is more widely expressed through human resource management. The idea that human resources are the most important asset in achieving and sustained business success becomes the driving force behind the creation of human resource management resulting in organisations taking a strategic approach to the management of their people. Since this conceptual realisation, human resource management has become increasingly influential in the fashions and implementations of corporate strategy. A review of the origin guides us in providing an adequate definition of strategic HRM. Management development as defined by Bromley as follows: A conscious and systematic process to control the development of managerial resources in the organization for the achievement for goals and strategies (Molander,C. (1986) Management Development. Bromley: Chartwell-Bratt) The traditional concept of workforce or succession planning (forecasting vacancies and/or new knowledge, skills, and abilities, identifying/cultivating in-house and outside talent pools) is more important than ever in a fast paced environment. (Robert Kreitner., 2001). The idea Human Resource Management (HRM) came from the U.S. in the 1980s because the companies in USA were developed at that time, because of this, the models of Strategic HRM were emerging. The strategic HRM pays its attention to the manpower planning. It focuses on the effective management of people. It views people as a source of competitive advantage. HRM i s a strategic way of developing, motivating and gaining the potential of both the people and the external resources. The combination of a globalized workforce with massive mobility is compelling organizations to work with growing numbers of people from different cultures, with different customs, values, beliefs, and practices. This article describes some of the factors HR managers and company leadership must account for to create global people policies and practices that reflect the common culture of the organization, yet adapt to local realities and business needs. Cases drawn from the authors consulting work with multinational business not only describe specific challenges faced by those firms, but also highlight the broader trends that all global companies need to understand and manage. As multinational corporations become increasingly central to the world economy, the need to attract and retain executives to manage these corporations gains in importance. For the multinational executive, the traditional business functions of marketing, finance, production and personnel must be synthesized with u nfamiliar political, economic and sociocultural systems. These unique dimensions of the multinational executives job require a reward/compensation system that considers these diverse variables. Through a detailed literature review and discussions with specialists in the field, thirteen factors were identified as being unique to the multinational executives job: (1) size of the company, (2) number of expatriates abroad, (3) industry characteristics, (4) relative inflation, (5) relative living costs, (6) cultural differences, (7) currency fluctuations, (8) relative buying power, (9) difficulty with communication systems, (10) freedom to act enjoyed by the executive, (11) key strategic and financial measures for which the executive is responsible, (12) exposure to different legal systems, and (13) working under different political systems. These factors were then presented (via questionnaires) to samples of international line executives and human resource management executives, who wer e asked to rate the desirability of using these variables in a compensation program for international executives. The similarities and differences of opinions contained in their responses were analyzed, and reasons for the differences were studied and documented. Finally, using statistical techniques, the researcher developed a set of decision-making systems that incorporated many of the traditional and nontraditional variables developed earlier in the research. Customer satisfaction has become a very important aspect of business management in the high technology market. Companies that provide products and services worldwide often are concerned that customer satisfaction may be impacted by cultural differences. This study examines measures of customer satisfaction in areas around the world to determine whether or not there is a difference in satisfaction scores provided by Help Desks. A sample of more than 11579 surveys from three large international companies in the computer and me dical electronics areas was used. The statistical results at a 5% confidence level indicate there is a difference in customer perception in Help Desk support between that provided to US customers than that provided to Thailand customers. The results clearly indicate that companies need to understand these differences in order to optimize the use of their resources and to adjust their service offerings to respond to their different customer needs and expectations. A growing body of research has challenged the commonly accepted view that multinationals have evolved into globally integrated networks, demonstrating instead that such organizations are sites of conflict between competing rationalities emerging from distinctive national institutional contexts. However, this research has neglected professional service firms (PSFs) in spite of them often being held as exemplars of the integrated network model. This article redresses this imbalance by focusing, in particular, on how PSFs seek to coordinate the horizontal flow of their human resources as a mechanism of inter-unit knowledge sharing. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of individual factors on the transfer of human resource management (HRM) knowledge in Chinese subsidiaries of multinational corporations, and to explore the relationships between individual factors and introduce the concept of joint effect-integrated capability. Based on the notion that certain factors can affect knowledge transfer (KT), Cindy ¼Ã‹â€ 2008 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ° examines the effect of four factors, i.e. cultural difference and adaptability, language and communication, working relationship, and motivation and willingness, on the transfer of HRM knowledge. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted between January and April 2004 and an exploratory data analysis was carried out with the assistance of Nvivo software. The study has found that Chinese HR managers have the ability of all four factors to fac ilitate the transfer of HRM knowledge. The findings further suggest that integrated capability-joint effect could be generated from the four factors and affect the transfer process jointly. When the capability is positive, it facilitates the transfer. Conversely, when the capability is negative, it impedes the transfer. The findings not only extend the understanding of the effect of single factor on KT, but also the interrelationship between individual factors, their joint effect-integrated capability and the transfer process. Existing research has concentrated on studying the effect of single factor on KT, knowledge management by and large. There is little research investigating the correlations between individual factors. He addresses this gap and introduces the concept of joint effect, integrated capability. So-called cross-culture human resource management, the enterprise is cross-cultural human resources management. Cross cultural enterprises, just as its name implies, it is to point to by from different cultural backgrounds and cross-cultural differences exist composed of staff. In cross-cultural in human resources management, enterprise or the company is due by the two countries or multinational companies in the host country composed of partnership and across the nation, the government and international business management of cross-cultural economic entity, so the cultural factors of influence multinational enterprise is comprehensive. Research method and methodology There are two research methods, that is ,qualitative and quantitative research methods. The former focuses on a descriptive method,the laster is to be gathered from the source are in descriptive form and thus may vary based on the source or the respondent. quantitative research method can be useful for the study if the focus is on driving towards a point or deriving a particular information based on the other information that were gathered. We try to combine both the qualitative and quantitative research method. 2.1qualitative and quantitative research While the research will be using statistical means for the interpretation of the data, descriptive assessment will also be combined to give the researcher more insight concerning the cultural adaptability of companies in the foreign market as well as issues regarding the human resource management of the corporations.so one of the most important approaches for this research is the semi structured interview which can provide abundant objective information and help me to gain insight into the related problems and phenomena. Interview can be more in-depth and can address more complex hypotheses and it is easier to obtain the appropriate respondent through interview (Alderman 2009). In order to explore the ideas behind related problems, both foreign managers and representatives of Chinese employees will be interviewed as I believe that comparison of ideas from both sides will help this research to generate more depth and objective view towards the research question. Moreover, the informat ion provides by Chinese employees could explore the idea of how Chinese employees view their foreign managers management methods, and that paves the way for further analysis. The interviewed will be conducted with both structured questionnaire and free talk. The aim of such a design is to collect basic required data for analysis and obtain any new ideas could possibly be given by interviewees at the same time as the interview goes on.Besides, through interview, other specific HRM practices could be explained in a detail way, issues such as recruitment, performance management, training, retention, etc. These information are essential for the research to deploy the analysis of HRM issue. Beside, with these data gained from the interview and the previous review of related literatures, a qualitative analysis could be achieved eventually.Another effective approach is email contact with key persons in the organization. Such approach is particular effective as the way of operating it is re latively easy and free. When the research proceeds, some new information may need to be acquired in order to help develop necessary analysis in different stage of the research. Through email contact, such information acquisition could be achieved in an effective way. Telephone interview could be more effective compared to email contact, however, considering that the topic of the conversation may not be that free as it involves different culture and ideas about other peoples behaviour and so on, therefore, telephone interview is not an appropriate approach for this research.In addition, one of the superior managers from headquarters who is in charge of the overall HRM within the whole group will also be contact through email. By doing so, a view on managing Chinese employees in the subsidiary from the parent company could be derived, which could help the research to achieve a more complete analysis towards the topic. Meanwhile, email contact could also be perceived as an effective wa y to prove the information gained from interview. Questions in the email will be designed differently according to the position and the role of the receiver within the company. 2.2Comparative research Comparative research focus is found the differences and similarities between different cultures, and then determine what theory is applied to all cultures, which is only applicable to a particular cultural background. This method is not the premise of so-called body culture, only different culture of the similarity is believed to be the universal phenomena. Most experts and scholars all previous is adopted the method of comparison research of cross-cultural management problems, because in the management of cross-cultural environment, you need to identify the differences between the different cultures, and only after comparing to identify. 2.3 Data Collection Design For the research strategy of this study, the fundamental idea is to make comparison of related literatures and empirical experiences provided by communicating with related employees in the case study, so that to obtain depth understanding of opinions explained by those related literatures and to explain the practical situation with more relative literature reviews, therefore, to achieve a more overall and practical research on this topic through such comparison.For the research design of this study, basically, this research will be conducted based on a case study of a multinational manufacturing company in China. Before that, relative literature review will be processed in order to generate more accurate analysis and ideas on the research question. The ultimate quality and success of research are often a reflection of the time and effort invested in developing research ideas and concepts, a stage of planning that includes becoming familiar with the literature (Congdon and Dunham 1999 ). Then, taking the advantage of the fact that I had been working for the company for almost 5 years and had built up good relationship with all related managers and other employees, I can easily get access to the company and get sufficient information as required for this research. Besides, the company is showing great interest of this research and would like to cooperate with my work since this research could somehow help them to improve the management of Chinese employees in some way. This research adopted the personal administered questionnaire. Clark et al, (1998) stated that the great advantage of the personally administered questionnaire is that the researcher has more control, can clarify or repeat any questions and can strengthen open-ended questions by allowing larger answers and asking supplementary questions. Through this process, new factors maybe identified and a deeper understanding of the

My Visit to a Greek Orthodox Church :: Observation Essays Descriptive Essay

I have decided to visit a Greek Orthodox Church, Saint Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox church. I went alone because I figured that this would not draw too much attention during the service. I tried to find a nearby church that will give the service partially in English. When I found one near me it was my luck that I went at the time when it was all spoken in Greek. The English service was at six in the evening, and the all-Greek service started at ten in the morning. So to my discouragement I was at a lost at any attempts that I had preplanned to adapt to this new environment. I didn’t even get the name of the priest. While I was there sitting in the back I was able to dissect some of the norms of the church and the culture with in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The church external appearance was quite different than other churches that I have seen. It was basically a big white stucco block with a gold dome on top and four decorated spikes on each corner of the building that surrounded the dome. The people of course were all Greek and were very well dressed. Most of the men and boys all wore suits, and If not they had some kind of vest on. I don’t know if this was some kind of rule or tradition, but it mostly seemed as a respect to God. The women all wore the basic dresses, and all the skirts fell down below the knee. Everybody was proper and ordered. As I walked in the church I entered a lobby of some kind. What I saw hear was something like social hour. Everybody was in there. They were all speaking Greek, and I felt as if I was in a family reunion party. The children were all together; the adults talked together and the young adults all were together. The way they all socialize is when someone comes up to say he llo, they give each other a kiss on the cheek and a hug. These people are all very close to each other. It seems as if the church is the center of their lives. I admire that trait as well. To enter the auditorium you must enter this little room, which has a piece of garment from St. Constantine and St. Helen. Also there were candles lit. As they walked through this little room they lit a candle and knelt down for a moment to pray, and then touched each garment and made a cross over their chest.

Lord of the Flies: Writing an Interpretive Composition

Piggy is an important character in William Golding's Lord of The Flies. The novel follows a group of boys who crash land on a deserted island. At first, the boys believe that they will be rescued and will soon return to their normal lives. The reality of the situation, is that the world outside of the island is in war. The island becomes their new home. Using Piggy's physical features, mental state, and emotional level, Golding makes Piggy a symbol of security, and civilization. Piggy's character plays a major role because he serves as Golding's personification of intelligence, and critical thinking. Piggy is very important in the story, he is the character that gives the story kind of a mysterious twist; he is the character that turns the story upside down. He is the smartest on the island, without piggy the island would be a huge mess. Piggy from the beginning told the boys how to maintain themselves. Golding’s symbolism is strangely in Piggys appearance. The boys criticize Piggy from when he got on the island all the way up until his death. They nag at him because he is overweight, has asthma, ugly, he has pale skin, and has a speech impediment. This all symbolizes civilization. Without Piggy on the island the boys would be a mess, and they would lack proper thinking abilities. Even though Piggy is the obvious choice for the boy’s leader, they decide to go for the more athletic, and good-looking one Ralph. Ralph is chosen because the boys didn’t like the fact that Piggy was overweight, and lacked all abilities to be a leader. They didn’t know or even give him a chance to show who he was, had they done that they would have found out that Piggy is the more mature one out of all the boys; he does have the ability to be a leader. Piggy in every way seemed older, the boys had hair that kept growing, Piggys was already starting to bald because he had handicaps that made him look older then he really was. Piggy is clearly the most mentally stable boy on the island. For example when the boys said there was a ‘beast’ on the island, Piggy knew that no large animal could possibly sustain itself on the island, not by itself anyways. There is nothing on the island, just these boys he tried to tell them that; he tried to tell them there is nothing to fear. â€Å"I know there isn’t no beast—not with claws and all that I mean- but I know there isn’t no fear either† (page 84). He tries to tell the boys, that the only thing to be afraid of is themselves. They have all turned into such monsters and they are the only ‘beasts’ on the island. Piggy stays calm under pressure and thinks through situations clearly and thoughtfully, moreover; he is mature and independent. Piggy should have been elected leader even though his physical features don’t meet the boy’s standards. All of the other boys constantly leave him alone to fend for himself and take care of the young boys on the island. His independence is a principal factor that keeps him from turning into a monster like the rest of the boys do by the middle of the novel. At the beginning of the boys' journey, Piggy found the conch, which is a shell that when blown brought all of the boys into a ‘family’ meeting. This allowed the conch to represent order and democracy. Until his death, Piggy tries to make the boys stay calm and close. By the end of the novel on the boys have become completely divided, and Piggy and Ralph are completely on their own. Piggys glasses have been stolen by the other boys in the separate group, in his desperate effort to get his glasses back, he expects the talk to be quite peaceful and mature. That’s not what he got, when he got to the boy’s camp they began screaming at him calling him down, and making him feel more useless then he already is without his glasses. During his plead Jack decides it is a smart idea to throw a huge bolder on Piggy’s head. I’m not sure if his clear intentions were to kill Piggy or to scare them away, but it deffinatly resulted in Piggy’s death. The boys aren’t very clear and in their own ‘state’ of mind. They have absoloutly no reassurance in their minds, they don’t know what they’re going to do. They have all lost their minds. The bolder that is crushing down on Piggy is a symbol of radical breakdown of civilization, meaning there is no ‘peace’ anymore. The story kind of took a turn from here, the boys were trying to hunt Ralph, their intentions were to kill him aswell. Piggy’s character was very important to the story. Piggys personality at the beginning of the novel is similar to his personality at the ending. He became the voice of reason on the island, he likes to get every word he needs to say out. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies just wouldn’t have been the same if Piggy wasn’t in the story, it wouldn’t have had the twists and turns it had.

Federal Government Essays - E-commerce, Standards Organizations

Federal Government Essays - E-commerce, Standards Organizations Federal Government Electronic Commerce and - FACNET - Electronic Commerce Electronic Commerce (EC) is a concept whereby the acquisition of supplies and services is conducted via a paperless exchange of business information through computers. This new approach to procurement activity requires agreed upon formats and standards by which computers can communicate to each other and transfer information back and forth. This exchange of information is defined as Electronic Data Interchange, or EDI. The Federal Government?s recent attempts to streamline Government and reduce costs have focused on the potential of Electronic Commerce to help in achieving these goals. A Brief History of EC, EDI and FACNET FACNET stands for the "Federal Acquisition Computer Network". It is "the Government wide Electronic Commerce/Electronic Data Interchange (EC/EDI) systems architecture for the acquisition of supplies and services that provides for electronic data interchange of acquisition information between the Government and the private sector, employs nationally and internationally recognized data formats, and provides universal user access." FACNET, simply stated, is the EDI standardized format by which the Federal Government will proceed in it?s quest to establish electronic commerce for Federal Government procurements. The groundwork for FACNET began with the National Performance Review, initiated on March 3, 1993. This six month intensive review of the Federal Government had as its goal the creation of a Government that worked better and cost less. The report generated by the NPR was the first in a series of steps to improve Government efficiency, and it described approximately 100 actions and recommendations by which to improve government. The Federal Government?s complex acquisition process, which procures over $200 billion worth of supplies and services each year, was identified as one area in which major, readily obtainable savings could be attained if a systematic reform of the acquisition process were implemented. Benefits for the government and its suppliers, as noted in the NPR report, were: Government BenefitsSupplier Benefits Lower PricesImproved profitability and cash flow Increased competitionIncreased opportunity to participate in government acquisition Increased buyer productivityIncreased operating efficiency Better management informationImproved payment process Reduced acquisition time and costs Better inventory control The President?s Executive Memorandum of October 26, 1993, "Streamlining Procurement Through Electronic Commerce", was issued as a result of the NPR recommendations. It noted that by moving to EC, the acquisition process would promote customer service and cost-effectiveness. Access to Federal contracting activity would also be increased for the more than 300,000 suppliers currently doing business with the government. Issued to the heads of executive departments and agencies, it established the objective of streamlining acquisition through the use of electronic commerce. Specific objectives established by the President for EC were: 1. Exchange acquisition information electronically between the private sector and the Federal government to the maximum extent practicable. 2. Provide businesses, including small, small disadvantaged, and women-owned businesses, with greater access to Federal acquisition opportunities. 3. Ensure that potential suppliers are provided simplified access to the Federal government?s EC system. 4. Employ nationally and internationally recognized data formats that serve to broaden and ease the interchange of data. 5. Use agency and industry systems and networks to enable the government and potential suppliers to exchange information and access Federal acquisition data. Implementation of EC was to be implemented via the following milestones, and was to be accelerated where practicable. 1. By March 1994 define the architecture for the government-wide EC acquisition system and identify executive departments or agencies responsible for developing, implementing, operating, and maintaining the Federal electronic system; 2. By September 1994 establish an initial EC capability to enable the Federal government and private suppliers to electronically exchange standardized requests for quotations, quotes, purchase orders, and notice of awards and begin government-wide implementation; 3. By July 1995 implement a full-scale Federal EC system that expands initial capabilities to include electronic payments, document interchange, and supporting data bases; 4. By January 1997 complete government-wide implementation of EC for appropriate Federal purchases, to the maximum extent possible. FACNET Establishment The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA), signed into law on October 13, 1994, established the Government EDI network used for broadcasting solicitations. FACNET (Federal Acquisition Computer Network) was established as the government network to be used for broadcasting solicitations and information between the private sector and the Federal Government. In accordance with FASA, each Federal agency began developing their FACNET capability, led by the Electronic Commerce Program Management Office (ECPMO) of