Performance Support Systems :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Performance Support Systems Introduction In all of the research and documentation used to create this paper Performance Support System (PSS) and Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS) are used synonymously. The term Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS) will be used in this paper. Defining EPSS. Performance Support (PS) is the concept of integrating knowledge and learning experiences, with software tools to improve the quality and quantity of worker performance with as little support as possible from other people. PS also provides an electronic foundation to enable organizational learning. EPSS is the computer system the results from applying the concept of performance support (EPSS website). Some people may confuse EPSS with an Information System (IS), an electronic manual, or Computer-Based Training (CBT). IS are designed to help a user use the application, whereas EPSS are designed to provide support on how to do the work. An electronic manual is just an on-line book. An EPSS may contain an electronic manual, but EPSS not only shows you the information, but how to apply it. CBTs facilitates what you need to learn EPSSs facilitates performance. Why Use an EPSS? "The rate of change in organizations today is tremendous. Just when one downsizing or reengineering effort ends, the latest business software is released and there is something new to learn. The result? An environment in which employees are continuously novices again" (Dawson 29). An EPSS can be used to continually train and retrain employees while providing task specific assistance and training at the touch of a button. An EPSS can also provide assistance to infrequently encountered problems as well as create a consistent set of answers to customers’ frequently asked questions. In many corporations today, the time, length, and cost involved in training is excessive. EPSS solves those problems. First, EPSS provides a cost effective way to train employees. Although the initial setup cost of EPSS can be expensive, these cost normally relate to start-up and maintenance. "Instructor led class where teaching time takes roughly 3 times longer compared with computer based instruction. The overhead costs of instructor led training are also much higher. [Also] with instructor led courses, the more students use the program, the more the program costs. Technology based alternatives eliminate these costs" (Winslow & Caldwell 76). Secondly, EPSS provides an alternative to training where employees are absent from work by bring the instruction to the employees.

Leadership & Ethics- Research Paper Essay

Introduction With the collapse of major corporations like Enron, Tyco International, WorldCom and the like, corporate corruption and mismanagement has been in the forefront of some of the major issues that corporate organizations have to overcome and manage. With this research paper, my aim is to review and present three scholarly journals that highlight the impact that leadership can play on the ethical performance of an organization. Firstly, in the â€Å"Cultural & Leadership Predictors of Corporate Social Responsibility Values of Top Management: A GLOBE Study of 15 Countries†, the study states, that with the spread of globalization, it has become imperative to understand managerial values that guide their actions. The authors suggest that the three main dimensions of managerial values that are relevant to the study of CSR are: shareholder/owner values where the aim is to maximize profits, stakeholder relations which refers to ethical and positive relations towards employees, consumer groups and the like and thirdly, community/state welfare which is based on the principle of public responsibility. In a more in-depth analysis the study explores the correlation of societal culture factors such as institutional collectivism, in-group collectivism and power distance on the above three managerial values that impacts managerial decision making. Furthermore, the paper proposes that visionary leadership and integrity enhances corporate social responsibility (CSR) values on moral and ethical grounds. Secondly,† The Association Between Ethical Leadership & Employee Outcomes – The Malaysian Case† will help understand the value in gaining employee commitment and trust through effective ethical leadership skills. This article studies the impact of ethical leadership on the employee outcomes in areas such as organizational commitment and trust. A micro study was done on the country of Malaysia which has experienced a tenfold increase in corporate crime over the last 15 years. From the study one gathers that the main reason for such an exponential increase in such crimes is due to fact of the failures on part of corporate leadership to act ethically in their decision making process. Lastly, with â€Å"Leadership Styles & the Moral Choice of Internal Auditors† I will examine how an employee’s self interest and management leadership guides their ethical decision making. This study plays close attention to one set of an organization’s workers – the Internal Auditing professionals, in order to understand the how their choice in making ethical decisions are subjective to various factors , one of them being leadership. The primary viewpoint of this study indicated that an auditor’s decision making is enhanced by the leaders who adopt a standard achievement oriented leadership style and when they see clear benchmarking, fair performance assessment and growth opportunity. In conclusion, this can be held true for any employee within an organization. Hypothesis According to the GLOBE study, there were three main hypotheses that the researches proposed. The first hypothesis testing was split in two parts wherein, they proposed that â€Å"societies stressing institutional collectivist values will have a positive relationship with stakeholder’s relations and community/state welfare CSR values while societies stressing in-group collectivist values will only have a positive relationship with shareholder relations CSR values (Waldman et al).† The second theory states that cultures that have a high power distance tend to have low CSR values (Waldman et al). Lastly, visionary leadership and integrity on part of CEO’s, adds variance to the prediction of followers (stakeholders) CSR values that go beyond the effects of societal cultural values (Waldman et al). With the Leadership and Employee Outcome – The Malaysian Case, the two main hypotheses of the study were based on the notion that â€Å"there was a significant relationship between ethical leadership behaviour and employee’s organizational commitment and, that ethical leadership behaviour was positively associated with employee’s trust in leaders (Ponnu, Tennakoon).† This study aimed to examine the empirical significance of ethical leadership on employee attitudinal outcomes. The main hypothesis of the â€Å"Leadership Styles & the Moral Choice of Internal Auditors† study was to understand the motivational factors that influence internal auditors when faced with ethical dilemmas pertaining to â€Å"spilt loyalty, expectation gaps and conflict of interest (Woodbine , Liu).† The authors proposed that the dependent and independent variables such as â€Å" personal needs strengths, leadership styles, the interaction between needs strength and leadership styles and situational factors impact an internal auditors moral choices when faced with an ethical issue (Woodbine , Liu).† Sampling In the GLOBE research paper the selected firms were picked from diverse sectors such manufacturing, information systems and tourism, however government run and educational institutions were excluded from the sample. Each firm had an average of 500 employees with six or more respondents from each firm. The final analysis was based on the responses of 561 firms from over 15 countries from various regions and a total of 4656 individuals completed the survey. The respondents comprised of CEO’s and several of their subordinates i.e. top executives. The leadership (two variables- vision and integrity) and societal cultural dimensions (three variables – institutional collectivism, in-group collectivism and power distance) were measured using reliability and confirmatory factor analyses. Cronback’s alpha for the above measures ranged from 0.70 to 0.90 for a five factor model. A two factor model was also used however it was not considered to be a good enough of fit. Control Variables such per capita gross domestic product, firms performance, average of age of respondents, average education and average gender, were used to enhance precision of the model (Waldman et al). Mean, standard deviations and correlations amongst the variables were interpreted and a hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the three main hypotheses. All survey items were standardized by country using Z – scores, so as to control potential differences in items scores and rating processes between countries (Waldman et al). Lastly various data collection strategies were put in to play in order to avoid single source bias issues. The Malaysian cross sectional case study was based on the primary data collected from 172 intermediate managerial employees from a wide variety of industries within the corporate sector in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The sample included 77 males and 97 females, age range from 20 to 53 and with 84% of the respondents holding bachelors or post graduate degrees. The data was collected through self administered questionnaires and â€Å"convenience sampling was used in drawing samples ((Ponnu, Tennakoon).† SPSS Version 14.0 was used to analyze the data and test the studies hypothesis. Correlation matrix and reliability analysis was done all variables to determine relationships among constructs and lastly in order to allow for correlation amongst factors,† exploratory factor analysis using principle components with oblique rotations was conducted (Ponnu, Tennakoon).† With the Internal Auditors case study, the sample population description comprised of full time internal auditing jobs with respondents that had at least one year experience with their respective organizations. The study was conducted in Australia and comprised of mailed out questionnaires. The total sample size was 128. The demographics were as follows: 84 males and 44 females, average male age 44 years and average female age of 36 years. Out of the 128 respondents, 48 of them were audit managers of equivalent. Organizations involved in the sampling were government departments, private sector and accounting firms. Statistical methods that were employed included correlation analysis for the dependent variables using a two tailed test and significant relationship amongst the three variables was found to exist and Q-Q plots and detrended normal plots were used to validate normality and reliability. For the independent variables such as leadership styles, growth needs and the like principal component analysis was used. Reverser measurement and regression analysis using stepwise method was used to explore relationships between the variables and in certain instances to test validity of model. Major Results & Findings From the two GLOBE tables listed below the hypothesis that in-group collectivist values results in positive shareholder/owner is unconfirmed. The statistical analysis has confirmed and supported the authors proposal in that institutional collectivism positively predicts stakeholder CSR values, with a positive ÃŽ ² coefficient of 0.13 (P ≠¤ 0.01); power distance is negatively predictive of stakeholder CSR values, with a ÃŽ ² coefficient of -0.20; and that the leadership variables of vision and integrity enhanced CSR values, with ÃŽ ² coefficients of 0.23 and 0.13 respectively and variance of 9% (P ≠¤ 0.01) (Waldman et al). With GLOBE table 2, total variance amongst the three main managerial values are: shareholder/owner dimension equals 22%, stakeholder values is 45% and community/state welfare is 28% with a 5% significance level. Hence the model best suits stakeholder CSR values. The main findings with the GLOBE study are as follows: 1.The authors multidimensional of managerial values with the dimensions of shareholder/owners, stakeholders and community/state welfare values were appropriately construed. 2.The research indicates that manager from wealthier countries are more inclined to favor shareholder/owners values and less likely to consider the welfare of the state or community at large. In comparison, managers from poorer countries feel a greater personal responsibility towards society. 3.Managers from institutional collectivist societies tend to have greater value for the three managerial values while there has been no significant relationship between the two variables for in-group collectivism. 4.In societal cultures that have great power distance, managers tend to devalue CSR values, thus leading to a more manipulative use of power with little consideration given to stakeholders such as employees, customers, environmentalist. This could pose a definite risk for multinational firms in today’s global economy. 5.Organization variables such as CEO leadership in terms of vision and integrity are very likely to account for variance in managerial attitudes and decision making. One of the major recommendations of the GLOBE study is the need for multinational firms to pay close attention to cultural and leadership factors that have a critical impact on management CSR values. For example CSR values and policies of a multinational firm could be strong and this may be due to the home country’s high institutional collectivism and low power distance however managers in a subsidiary country may have weaker stakeholder CSR values as a result of weak institutional collectivism and high power distance (Waldman et al). The resulting scenario could lead to conflicting policies and business practices that can have an adverse effect on multinational firms. This further reiterates the authors’ proposal that in cases such as this, it’s the firm’s leadership values of integrity and vision that help managers look beyond the economic and cultural limitations. In the Malaysian case as mentioned earlier, correlation analysis was preformed to test strength and linear relationship amongst the variables. With the first hypothesis there was a medium positive correlation between ethical leadership behaviour and organizational commitment. The Malaysian Table 1 below shows correlations r = .46 and p < .0 5 and, co-efficient of distribution is 21% of the variance, which can be explained. Hence with the supporting empirical data the research shows that â€Å"high levels of perceived ethical leadership behaviour are associated with higher levels of employee’s organizational commitment (Ponnu, Tennakoon).† As for the second hypothesis, there was a strong positive correlation between ethical leadership behaviour and employee trust. The Malaysian Table 2 below shows correlations r = .634 and p < .0 5 and, co-efficient of distribution is 40% of the variance, which can be explained. Hence with the above results supporting hypothesis 2, it can be safely concluded that â€Å"high levels of perceived ethical leadership associated with higher levels of employee’s trust in leaders (Ponnu, Tennakoon).† Some of the main antecedents to the Malaysian case findings are as follows: 1.If leaders make ethics a cornerstone of all business practices they gain internal organizational fellowship and employees tend to value a more social exchange with the organization rather than an economic exchange. Employees reciprocate these sentiments through organizational behavioral commitment and are â€Å"willing to exert considerable effort in terms of job dedication and job commitment, on behalf of the organization (Ponnu, Tennakoon).† 2.When an organizational leader priortizes the group’s interest first, who does not wish to seek personal gain at the expense of others, who respects the rights of others and treats them fairly; tends to harness employees trust. 3.When leaders empower employees and involve them in decision making processes they not only facilitate employee well being and growth but increases their trust in them as well. With the Internal Auditors case the major findings of the study support Path goal and ERG theories (Woodbine, Liu). As per the table below, internal auditors are motivated to make ethical decisions based on their personal growth needs. Leadership styles play a significant role as well especially Standard achievement oriented approach that encourages individual performance and achievement (Woodbine, Liu). Lastly gender, age and experienced was an important predictor, as female respondents that were younger and less experienced showed less motivation towards making moral ethical choices. Conclusion The GLOBE study has been extremely informative and clearly structured to provide an in-depth understanding of how societal cultural factors and leadership guide managerial values when it comes to decision making within an organization. Some of the key limitations to the study were that the analyses were limited to 15 countries and the surveyed firms did not represent a wide range of industries (Waldman et al). Actual CSR performance was not measured and lastly, due to multiple levels of data to be collected, additional insight could not be gained. The study indicates that even though leadership integrity is a significant and unique predictor of managerial CSR values, it remains to be an under researched variable. This may be due to the fact that leadership integrity is associated with more tangible organizational outcomes such as reductions of business of costs. However, the authors still believe that it a significant factor that enhances managerial decision making and is worth future examination and research. My personal opinion would also include a more directed research towards in-group collectivism in order to find a relationship between individualistic societies and importance of CSR values towards society at large. The study concluded that, organizations that have strong corporate social responsibility values gain the trust of both internal and external stakeholder which in turn solidifies the foundations for an ethical culture. It also states that Neo – charismatic leadership that is guided by the principles of visionary leadership and integrity have a strong impact on an organization’s ethical performance. The Association Between Ethical Leadership & Employee Outcomes – The Malaysian Case† study showed me a direct link between leadership ethical behavior on employee commitment and trust. It empirically proved that unethical leadership can adversely impact employee outcomes that in turn affect organizational performance. I noted related some factors such supervision, leadership honesty, trustworthiness, fairness and care, have an impact on employee perception and outcomes. The key limitations of the Malaysian study as noted by the researchers due to time and budget constraints, was that, convenient sampling may not be representative of the entire population due to insufficient representation of the entire corporate sector of the country and could be subject to self-selection bias; secondly the study could not measure if distance with top/senior management has an effect on employee perception of ethical leadership. Hence lower level employees who have very minimal contact with upper level management may rely more on information based on public opinion then direct leadership experience (Ponnu , Tennakoon). Both authors found that their study although valid and reliable, needed to be border in terms of sample size and area of study in order to fully understand and demonstrate the importance of ethical leadership. It was also suggested that since the research focused on† superior direct relationships â€Å"(Ponnu, Tennakoon) it would be recommended to gather relevant data from lower level employees within the organizational hierarchy. Finally they suggested further research on the relationship between â€Å"employee psychological empowerment and authenticity of ethical leader behavior (Ponnu, Tennakoon)†. As per my personal suggestion further research can be geared towards relating individual organizational commitment and performance. In conclusion to the Malaysian study, the authors state that corporate crime is still rising as a large number of top executives do not see the importance of ethical leadership values in their business operations. Corporate leaders should set an example of strong ethical and moral values in order to earn loyalty and trust of all major internal and external stakeholders. Organizations that have strong ethical leaders and principles are held in high esteem and enable the organization to employ and retain the best human capital available in the market. The case study on the internal audit profession, provided for a keen micro analysis on the personal motivations that guide employees to make moral decisions especially in professions that require a high level of ethical decision making. The limitations of this study as mentioned by the authors included variable identification and measurement, sample size and the use of a far too simple three vignette based model (Woodbine, Liu). Further research in to gender differences and issues that affect one’s ethical and moral decision making ability. Lastly a broader analysis that analysis the organization as whole as opposed to a particular profession would help enhance understanding of the internal motivations that guide moral decisions when faced with ethical dilemmas. The authors also recommend a new variable for research i.e. â€Å"employee religious affiliation† as a possible predictor to moral choices. Even though the authors conclude that codes of conduct and governance systems provide for an internal control mechanism, whistle blowing channels and develop cultures of honesty and accountability, the study strongly suggests that employee’s moral choices are still subject to their motivation needs. Finally, employee’s motivation to making moral decisions can be difficult to predict however they can be encouraged with proper leadership (Woodbine , Liu). All three scholarly articles empirically supported the main objective of this study, which was to reiterate the sound business principle that, ethical leadership lead to the responsible management of business processes and decision making that will in turn help an organization manage its risk of failure as a result of unethical business practices. Works Cited Ponnu, Cyril H., Tennakoon , Girindra. â€Å"The Association Between Ethical Leadership & Employee Outcomes – The Malaysian Case.† Electronic Journal of Business Ethics & Organizational Studies 14:1 (2009). Web. Sept 19th, 2010. Walman, De Luque, Washburn et al. â€Å"Cultural & Leadership Predictors of Corporate Social Responsibility Values of Top Management: A GLOBE Study of 15 Countries.† Journal of International Business Studies 37:6 (2006). Palgrave Macmillan Journals. Web. Sept 19th, 2010. Woodbine, Gordon F., Liu, Joanne. â€Å"Leadership Styles & The Moral Choice of Internal Auditors.† Electronic Journal of Business Ethics & Organizational Studies 15:1 (2010). Web. Sept 19th, 2010.

Global Warming is a Hoax Essay - 506 Words

The essay opens up with McKibben talking about how the political campaign against global warming is flawed because at our current point there is nothing much that can be done to fix it.(Mckibben,1) He then goes to state that humans are the biggest culprit behind global warming and supports this by giving examples such as SUVs and American ignorance.(2,9) He concludes by saying that if ten percent of America were to go green, it still would not save the planet, but ten percent could get the government’s attention to pass laws making everyone go green. (11) To start my response, I am of a personal belief that global warming is a hoax. Over the course of my education, many of the arguments for global warming have been disproven to me. My†¦show more content†¦Rising water temperatures actually have beneficial effects on coral. It is like leaving a plant in the sun. I watched a documentary where the famous marine biologist, Jean-Michel Cousteau, talks about the Great Barrier Reef and how temperature affects it. Normally it sits comfortably between 85 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures lower than 70 can cause the coral to turn white and die. However, after the existing coral dies, new coral grows on top of it and the cycle starts again. Aside from this this, coral has been known to adapt to survive in waters where the temperature can get below 60 or rise above 90. So the coral population is in no real danger. Another point he makes is that Polar bears are getting scrawnier because the seal habitat has declined because global warming causes the ice to melt. This is false. A common fact global warming supporters forget to mention is that arctic and Antarctic snowfall replenish the ice each year. Polar bears and seals are more in danger of poaching than losing their habitat to global warming. Both species are on the endangered list. However, weighing anywhere between 775 to 1,200 pounds. Polar bears are still the largest species of bear living on the planet. So, in short, I have spent an hour and a half of my time to respond to a person who doesn’t know what he is talking about, doesn’t cite his research, and is arguing for a theory that I myself haven’t found to be credible or factual. I’m glad I couldShow MoreRelatedGlobal Warming A Hoax?935 Words   |  4 PagesGlobal Warming a Hoax? Have you ever had second thoughts about the possible outcome of an action, or who you could possibly be harming? Is it even possible for extreme weather to be caused by something as simple as driving your vehicle? There are many organizations that continue to make accusations that our actions are directly related to climate change. As we move into the future, more and more data is being released showing how the worlds pollution is affecting the climate. This doesn t comeRead MoreGlobal Warming Is A Hoax1506 Words   |  7 PagesGlobal Warming is a Hoax Since 1975, the surface of the earth s average temperature has risen by 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit; global warming caused by greenhouse effect has become the focus topic of the world. It has long been recognized academically that due to the burning of coal, oil, natural gas and so on the carbon dioxide is the main culprit of global warming. I watched a documentary, which called â€Å"The Great Global Warming Swindle.† In the documentary, the scientists pointed out that there isRead MoreGlobal Warming Is No Theory Or Hoax Essay2076 Words   |  9 PagesGlobal warming is no theory or hoax, extensive scientific research by researchers across the globe can assure us of that. Although a large amount of information on the issue is readily available to the public, many Americans including our President-elect don’t believe in global warming. 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The 3 Organizational Theories And Assess Their Efforts,...

Nationwide Diploma in Business L6 ASSESSMENT TASKS Rajeev Pandey Student Id - 12001199 1.1: The 3 Organizational Theories and assess their efforts, talents, and weaknesses Classical theory: efforts: This concept helps management to divide all employees and their task description in work fields, predicated on their ability and in addition it assists business in growth of the corporation. talents :This theory has therefore talents being numerous have control, obligation. It helps to business to which method the very best for run business. weaknesses: the primary weakness associated with the concept is so it does not have good behavior they are rude it putts the bad influence on company also on connection of men and women. Humanistic concept: Contributions: this notion has large amount of share in general management it helps the employees to enhance their motivation degree, business offered them various task of works. skills: Humanistic concept has good talents to provide the free environment and workers have all of the legal rights to really helps to increase the communication skills. Weaknesses: sometimes the mangers did appreciate the ongoing work n’t done by employees and it also reduced the motivation and confidence amount of workers. Contingency concept : Contributions: In assists the business to really make the practices that are right decision generating for the business that is future. It helps the corporation just how to works in the tasks andShow MoreRelatedManaging The Global Workforce Final 1. As A Human Resource3674 Words   |  15 Pagesemployees. The average 33-year-old may respond differently then would a 55-year-old seasoned employee to an employee performance management system. 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True Love Essay - 763 Words

Throughout many of our lives we are presented with feelings of lust and desire. During these fits of longing we are presented with many different ways to react to these conflicts, some of which aren’t the most rational way to go about coming to a conclusion. However, in most cases we will be given a new, more positive outlook on life because as humans we enjoy the unexpected surprise that is brought fourth from these internal conflicts. It is from these types of situations that we are given new meaning and purpose from these apprehensive feelings arisen from passion and love. Most of us, given the circumstance, exquisitely enjoy the feeling of immense emotional attachment to a loved/cherished one. On the other side most of us also†¦show more content†¦Mabel realizes at this point that she may be out of her mind, but she also sees that she still would like to live and this man is presenting her with a chance that could essentially bring some meaning back into her life with his passion and love. Under the circumstances this is one the things that we need to push us to make us stronger because when we are given the choice to live life with or without love most of us realize that a life without love is not a life at all. When we are given the love that we so desperately need it gives us both purpose and fulfillment which allow us to live satisfactory lives. Having love and passion also helps us feel more alive in the world because it gives us something to live for and this is defiantly displayed at the end of the story when the male has strong feelings of love towards Mabel â€Å"†¦And as she went, the blanket trailing and as he saw a glimpse of her feet and her white leg, he tried to remember her as she was wrapped in her blanket. But the he didn’t want to remember, because she had been nothing to him then, and his nature revolted from remembering her as she was when she was nothing to him† (lines 175-178). It is in this we see how sometimes in the heat of love our animal instincts take over and render us powerless but at the same time bring us meaning and purpose. When we are blinded by passionShow MoreRelatedtrue love is not true3697 Words   |  15 Pagesto write an article on LOVE for my publication book.   Love   What is love? Love is not what you assume it is. That s why so many marriages end in divorce. 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Communities of Practices in a Construction Company

Question: Describe about the Report for Communities of Practices in a Construction Company. Answer: Introduction The concept of Community of Practice (CoP) is a recent denomination with a long history back to the old age. CoP is a concept of knowledge sharing and learning in an organisation. Currently, the members of every organisation are focusing on implementation of communities of practice to improve the organisational performance. It is the concept of sharing knowledge among the people belonging to the same community in regards to their profession (Kim and Yoon, 2011). Considering the benefits of communities of practices, it has grown to be a necessity in the current business scenario. Hence, the paper developed to evaluate the role of communities of practice in a construction organisation and discuss its main characteristics and functions. In order to evaluate the role of communities of practice, Al Sahel Contracting Company LCC has been chosen for the study. It is one of the reputed construction companies in the United Arab Emirates operating since 1976. ASCC employs around 350 professional experts and 2150 unskilled and skilled labours (Alsahelcon.com, 2016). Along with that, the company has several professional sub-contractors. The organisation employs professionals belonging to different communities of practice. The study presents different communities of practice that exists in the organisation and explains their characteristics and functions. Furthermore, the paper evaluates the issues and success of the community of practice in the ASCC and explains the areas of improvement in terms of sustainability. Along with that, the study discusses the strategies that are required for improving sustainability through the community of practice. Community of Practice The concept of communities of practices was first introduced by Lave and Wenger. Communities of practices are a group of people belonging to same professions sharing knowledge and experience among themselves to improve the performance of the industry. The construction industry of UAE has a community of practice for the construction organisation owners to share knowledge and implement learning to active sharing of experiences (Kim and Yoon, 2011). On the other hand, Al Sahel Contracting Company has certain other communities that involve a group of architects, civil engineers, contractors, labour union, and designers. All these communities play an active role in improving the performance of the organisation. The Architectural Association of the UAE, Society of Engineers and the UAE Contractors Association are several active Communities of Practice that controls the operations of the organisation (Robichaud and Anantatmula, 2011). The company needs to be an active member of the UAE Contractors Association to carry on with its operations in the market. Furthermore, the architects working for the ASCC must be a member of the Architectural Association of the UAE, and the engineers must get an enrolment or registration from the Society of Engineers (Kim and Yoon, 2011). All these Communities of Practice guides the operations of the professionals belonging to a particular community. On the other hand, these authorised bodies act on behalf of the entire group of professional to implement necessary rules and regulations in the market. Furthermore, the CoP act as a medium of sharing knowledge and learning that improves the skills and talents of every professional (Probst and Borzillo, 2008). The Labour Union act as a group of people who work on behalf of the contract labours to provide them with better work and work environment. The CoPs arrange meetings and conferences in which the issues met by the construction industry are discussed to provide the professionals with better strategy and solutions to the problems. Hence, it can be seen that the CoPs work on behalf of the professionals to provide them with proper assistance and knowledge sharing (Robichaud and Anantatmula, 2011). The CoPs also aims to provide the workers with learning opportunities by sharing their views and problems. On the other hand, the CoPs introduce necessary legislations that must be followed by the members to maintain uniformity in professional practices. Main Characteristics and functions The Communities of Practice that is present in the Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC presents various common characteristics and functions that are important to understand. It helps to evaluate the role of Communities of Practice in a construction company (Marcelino-Sdaba, Gonzlez-Jaen and Prez-Ezcurdia, 2015). Furthermore, the characteristics and functions help to understand how these communities work and their importance in improving the performance of the organisation. The characteristics and functions of Communities of Practice in Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC are discussed herein below: Characteristics The characteristics of CoPs in the Al Sahel Contracting Company are discussed herein below: Group of people: The Communities of Practice is made of group of people working in an organisation or in a particular industry. The group is created to maintain unity and uniformity in professional practices (Koh and Crawford, 2012). It is not a team or task force: The Communities of Practice are not a team or task force that is created to accomplish a particular task. CoPs are created to share knowledge and problems among the group members to increase their efficiency and practical skills. There must be a common practice: It is important to have some common practice among the community members (Koh and Crawford, 2012). For example, the Architectural Association of the UAE consist of all architects working in the UAE market. They have a common profession to be a member of the community. Exchange of Knowledge: Exchange of knowledge is the most important characteristic of a Community of Practice. Information is provided to the community members regarding the industry and new practices (Raymond and Bergeron, 2008). Discuss problems: The problems faced at work are discussed and experienced members share their views to provide solution to the problems (Koh and Crawford, 2012). The community members are asked to share their problems that are discussed in the seminars to develop the members skills and knowledge. Implement universal legislations: Universal rules and regulations are implemented by the Communities of Practices to maintain uniformity in the practices (Probst and Borzillo, 2008). Functions The functions of CoPs in the Al Sahel Contracting Company are discussed herein below: Share knowledge: Sharing knowledge is the most important function of CoPs. The members of the communities are asked to share their experiences and views regarding any problem arising in the industry. Furthermore, the members are taught about new technologies that can be used in the professions to which they belong to improve their performance (Raymond and Bergeron, 2008). Conduct meetings and conference: The CoPs conducts meeting on a regional or national platform to introduce the professionals to the industry leaders (Jaya and Frederika, 2015). Furthermore, the meetings and seminars are held to analyse common problems arising in the industry and get solution of the issues. Implement rules and regulations: Implementing common rules and regulations for the benefit of the community members is an important function of the CoPs (Jaya and Frederika, 2015). The Community of Practices regulates the operations of the members to maintain uniformity in the practices. Collective bargaining on behalf of the entire community: The authorised bodies act on the behalf of the entire community to collectively bargain with the employers and maintain a uniform wage rate throughout the country. Evaluation of Success and Issues of Community of Practice In the contemporary business scenario, Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC has identified the sustainable utilisation of Community of Practices effective for collaboration and knowledge sharing among the workforce (Talbot and Venkataraman, 2011). The identified communities of practices and organisational networks of the group have been instrumental in understanding the issues relevant to the organisational management reviewing the intricacy of the governance challenges, the efficiency of organisational decision-making, the ascendancy pattern and co-management procurements, and the existing social capital structure among the stakeholders to obtain mutual understanding (Blatt, 2008). Moreover, communities of practices have influenced the association of individuals seeking support and knowledge creating knowledge networks within the organisational structure. For instance, the team leaders of Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC have established clear distinctions for the rest of the subordinates to stre ngthen the knowledge sharing tactics for professional development of the new talents. Also, the social capital structure of the group has influenced the organisational human resources to exchange sufficient knowledge and information working together as a team (Mahalingam and Levitt, 2007). Meanwhile, the communities of practices have enforced networked governance, inter-organisational governance and purposeful individual collaborations so that the knowledge sharing efforts and combined actions of the team members can form learning network effective for every individual participant (Schuiling, Cathcart and Badescu, 2008). As Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC has identified the most sustainable CoPs regarding designs and functionality are concerned, significant advantages have been accomplished at the managerial level. The latest technologies have been effectively utilised within the CoPs to achieve interactive settings. For instance, telephonic conversations, video conferencing and the internet platform have been identified as the networking technologies to connect the operations of the members of CoPs (Aubry et al., 2011). The performance development of the subordinates has been one of the essential parts of the systematic process. Through the identification of the area of operations, the management of Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC has evaluated the most significant CoPs networks protecting the interests of the subordinates. As a result of such events, CoPs have served the organisation to be improved promoting knowledge sharing and performance assessment. On the other hand, the CoPs have contributed to creating the existence of bridges providing disciplined collaboration and diversity management (Lundin and Sderholm, 1995). In this way, the knowledge transfer can find broader standards within the organisational culture. By identifying the roles and responsibilities of the subordinates, Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC Group has improvised significant activities patterns through CoPs to meet the communitys orientation creating sustainable networks in the target market. Area of improvement in Community of Practice (CoP) Group in terms of sustainability Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC has unified engineers community, designers community, architects community and other distinct communities at the expertise level. Therefore, maintaining sufficient communities of practices have been the key to the organisational sustainability. In the existing business affairs, Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC is needed to take a look at their engineers communities of practices to provide significant corporate sustainability in the massive target market (Sacks, 2013). The commitments of the communities are massively important to the business success of a construction organisation. As the network of connections of the engineers has shared domain interest at the corporate structure, significant CoPs collective competence can increase the productivity of the firm in an automatic way (Aubry, Mller and Glckler, 2011). As one of the large-scale construction organisation of the target market, Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC needs to manage complex construction project man agements with a high level of difficulties. Hence, the activities of the architects must dictate terms for sustainable business growth. In terms of larger industry perspective such as construction industry, self-forming CoP has contributed in an efficient manner to the organisational success of Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC. The designing architects community of the corporation has formed a significant community of practice providing inventiveness at the operations management (Okafor C, 2014). Meanwhile, the designing architects community of Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC has held the key to success. The emerging community of practices has connected the members providing opportunities of knowledge sharing through meetings and seminars. Through the identification of contemporary issues in engineering project managements, the CoPs have explored the ramifications of latest ideas and innovative thinking of the members for instrumental decision-making. By understanding the goals and objectives of the firm, CoPs core group has maintained programmatic integrity to meet the objectives of the firm (Antonio et al., 2013). Also, Al Sahel Contracting Co LLCs management has enforced knowledge and skill development programmes among the subordinates of the designing group to fix any issues linked to the project management. Evidently, Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC corresponds to a cross-section of the identified CoP group so that the strategic functionality and business proposition of the cons truction firm will be highly benefitted (Tukiainen and Granqvist, 2016). The acceptance of the CoPs core group has provided the leverage to the members of the group to focus on their work on a positive note. The collective collaboration from the team members has influenced the performance standards of the participants to prove their worth securing corporate sustainability (Indelicato, 2014). Thus, Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC has been highly recommended to concentrate on the designing architects community for further propagation. Strategy for improving sustainability through community of practice Different strategies can be used to improve sustainability through community of practice. It can be seen that every community works on individual perspective to improve the performance of the members belonging to a particular community. Hence, there is a need to improve the strategies of the communities of practices to improve sustainability through community of practice. The recommended strategies with proper justification are presented herein below: Communication among the communities: There is a need of proper communication among different communities of practices to improve their performance. It will help to share the problems among all members of the organisation and help to improve their performance. Furthermore, it will lead to sustainable development of business (Abaza, 1996). Communication among the communities will lead to unity in the organisation that will help the management to implement a better workplace environment. Common goal for all communities: There must be a common goal set for the members of all communities that is sharing of knowledge and improving performance in a sustainable way (Mller et al., 2013). It will help the management to seek the common targets and missions of the company. Implement technology: There is a need to implement technology in the practices of the CoPs. The organisation can develop a common community for all employees of the organisation using the social media platform to interact with each other and share their problems and views (Mller et al., 2013). The social media platform will act as a medium of learning and sharing knowledge. Implement enhanced corporate social responsibility: There is a need to implement corporate social responsibility policies in the operations of the CoPs to improve sustainability in the organisation. It will improve the performance of the CoPs and help the organisation seek growth in a sustainable manner. Conclusion As identified in the above discussion, communities of practices have enforced collective learning process including organisational subordinates in a shared sphere of influence of human endeavour. Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC has identified their management issues and problems relevant to complex business challenges to implementing effective CoPs in the required space. Meanwhile, a clique of engineers and designers of the organisation has seemed to be managed using efficient knowledge sharing techniques. Through the identification of the same issue, the engineers belonged to the CoP must explore the latest techniques to evaluate the best management methodologies. In a nutshell, in modern project development scenario, communities of practices of Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC can share their concerns and issues on a given problem that is similar to each of the member. Understandably, the frequent conversations and knowledge sharing endeavour of the participants can identify the best soluti on available to the problem. Moreover, the CoPs have included three primary characteristics such as domain, community and practices within the organisational culture of Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC to manage any project management issues based on unified expertise. Conclusively, the identified communities of practices in the organisational culture of the construction firm have given the significant competitive edge to the business. References Abaza, H. (1996). Integration of sustainability objectives in structural adjustment programmes using strategic environmental assessment.Project Appraisal, 11(4), pp.217-228. Alsahelcon.com. (2016).Al Sahel Contracting Company LLC. [online] Available at: https://alsahelcon.com/about-us/introduction/ [Accessed Aug. 2016]. Antonio, R., Isabel, O., Gabriel, P. and Angel, U. (2013). A proposal for improving safety in construction projects by strengthening coordinators competencies in health and safety issues.Safety Science, 54, pp.92-103. Aubry, M., Mller, R. and Glckler, J. (2011). Exploring PMOs through community of practice theory.Proj Mgmt Jrnl, 42(5), pp.42-56. Aubry, M., Richer, M., Lavoie-Tremblay, M. and Cyr, G. (2011). Pluralism in PMO performance: The case of a PMO dedicated to a major organizational transformation.Proj Mgmt Jrnl, 42(6), pp.60-77. Blatt, R. (2008). Organizational Citizenship Behavior of Temporary Knowledge Employees.Organization Studies, 29(6), pp.849-866. Indelicato, G. (2014). A Compendium of PMO Case Studies: Reflecting Project Business Management Concepts.Project Management Journal, 45(2), pp.e4-e4. Jaya, N. and Frederika, A. (2015). An Identification of Construction Project Overheads for Sustainable Cost Management and Controlling Practices (CMCPs).AMM, 776, pp.121-126. Kim, J. and Yoon, O. (2011). The Effect of PMO Functions on IT Project Performance.The Journal of Information Systems, 20(3), pp.129-159. Koh, A. and Crawford, L. (2012). Portfolio Management: The Australian Experience.Proj Mgmt Jrnl, 43(6), pp.33-42. Lundin, R. and Sderholm, A. (1995). A theory of the temporary organization.Scandinavian Journal of Management, 11(4), pp.437-455. Mahalingam, A. and Levitt, R. (2007). Safety Issues on Global Projects.Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 133(7), pp.506-516. Marcelino-Sdaba, S., Gonzlez-Jaen, L. and Prez-Ezcurdia, A. (2015). Using project management as a way to sustainability. From a comprehensive review to a framework definition.Journal of Cleaner Production, 99, pp.1-16. Mller, R., Glckler, J., Aubry, M. and Shao, J. (2013). Project Management Knowledge Flows in Networks of Project Managers and Project Management Offices: A Case Study in the Pharmaceutical Industry.Proj Mgmt Jrnl, 44(2), pp.4-19. Okafor C, W. (2014). Integration of Sustainability Principles into Construction Project Delivery.J Archit Eng Tech, 03(01). Probst, G. and Borzillo, S. (2008). Why communities of practice succeed and why they fail.European Management Journal, 26(5), pp.335-347. Raymond, L. and Bergeron, F. (2008). Project management information systems: An empirical study of their impact on project managers and project success.International Journal of Project Management, 26(2), pp.213-220. Robichaud, L. and Anantatmula, V. (2011). Greening Project Management Practices for Sustainable Construction.Journal of Management in Engineering, 27(1), pp.48-57. Sacks, R. (2013). Modern Construction: Lean Project Delivery and Integrated Practices.Construction Management and Economics, 31(4), pp.394-396. Schuiling, R., Cathcart, R. and Badescu, V. (2008). Aims, obstacles and potential stakeholders of macro-engineering projects.International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, 8(3), p.207. Talbot, J. and Venkataraman, R. (2011). Integration Of Sustainability Principles Into Project Baselines Using A Comprehensive Indicator Set.International Business Economics Research Journal (IBER), 10(9), p.29. Tukiainen, S. and Granqvist, N. (2016). Temporary Organizing and Institutional Change.Organization Studies.

Performance of Organization and Employee Retention

Question: Post No. 1The advantages of removal of personal details The decision not to screen and shortlist job candidates based on personal information collected through the application form minimizes any avenue for erroneous presumptions or perceptions. It aids HR managers focus on selection based mostly on the job criteria or person specifications such that only adequate candidates are shortlisted in the end. Such criteria can be based on the six-factor formula including skills and competencies, personality and physical features, experience, qualifications, and development potential (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010); these are relevant and measurable factors that can be used to further streamline applicants regardless of sex, race or national origin. Disadvantage of removing personal details Capturing a persons biodata such as age, sex, gender, marital status, disability, race or national origin provides applicants with an equal opportunity for and fairness in employment (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010). It improves the image of the organization to the candidates especially in terms of compliance with government regulations and laws as well as international labor and human rights bodies. Discriminations are prohibited and equality is practiced. For example, the Civil Acts law and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) code of conduct prohibit sex discrimination in payment of wages to jobs that require equal skill and effort of men and women working under the same conditions in the same establishment (Tiemo and Arubayi, 2012). It enables the effective and efficient handling of applicants after reports have been generated using such information from their biodata in order to enhance the recruitment and selection system monitoring (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010). Trends can be identified and areas for further investigation pointed out. For example the preference of the female sexes to apply for a call center position than for a place in welding is a common tre nd; type of disability can be investigated in order to streamline the shortlisting process. Such information also help facilitate the shortlisting process, structures the interview as well as provide an idea about recruitment costs with the aim of cost-effectiveness (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010).My standThe use of biodata and other personal details as part of information collection during screening and shortlisting dates back in time. The application form is the first contact between the organization and the applicant and errors resulting from the information filled in can further lead to disproportionate effects (Robertson and Smith, 2001). Most recently, there have been calls to eliminate irrelevant aspects in the application form that do not relate directly with ones ability to carry out the advertised job position (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010). Information such as gender, religion, ethnic group, sexuality, political opinion or marital status have been identified as barriers to t he provision of equal opportunity and are perceived as divisive and creating rooms for bias, favoritism or nepotism during screening and selection. This is a predominant issue during recruitment and selection in Nigeria especially in areas of gender equality women make up about 60 percent of the population but only few are offered senior managerial positions especially in the public sector (Tiemo and Arubayi, 2012). I therefore, proffer that HR managers pay close attention to the information filled in and that screening should be centered mostly on the job specifications and only personal details relating to the job position should be designed into the application form in order to recruit the best hands and eliminate areas that can give rise to bias.Post No.2Avoiding Employment Discrimination during Recruitment SelectionDiscrimination against race, gender, origin, tribe, color, etc. is not only illegal but also illogical, morally untenable and cannot work in the current globalized environment where the focus should be on attracting the best talent.Organizations with unbiased approach to diversity that focus on good candidates for the job based on merit are seen as reputable organizations to work for and are able to engage the commitment of the best talent needed to sustain their businesses.Many countries have come up with legislation or laws that protect people in employment from discrimination on the basis of gender, marriage, rage, religious and other beliefs, extra. Discrimination can either be direct and/or indirect as well as prejudice in terms of association or perception (Equality Act 2010). With direct discrimination, preferential treatment is accorded to a group of people on basis of protected characteristics that include race, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender, disability, extra. The disadvantaged group mainly includes women who work, racial, religious and ethnic minorities, people with physical or mental disabilities, young or old groups, extra.Indirect discrimination on the other hand occurs when there are conditions that make it hard for disadvantaged group to compete equally with others. A good example would be working long hours which would not favor married women with children.Prejudice comes when there are inflexible and irrational attitudes usually coming from family or friendship associations especially in situation where some groups feel that certain category of people are inferior.For discrimination to be removed, organizations need to take active measures where there is a process to identify discrimination barriers and remove them and with proper mechanism for monitoring and reporting incidents of discrimination.Case for removing personal information related to protected characteristics in the initial process of recruitmentOrganizations while recruiting should not only be seen to comply with discrimination laws but should always portray an image of mutual respect and trust that form a strong foundation for establishing a psychological contract with the people they are targeting (Pilbeam Corbridge, 2010).It should therefore be clear that candidates will be assessed on their ability and suitability and any message or indication to the contrary should be avoided as .Such information could be interpreted wrongly by government watch dogs to imply that the organization is not complying with relevant discrimination laws orThose involved in the evaluation and shortlisting process may get the opportunity to exercise personal prejudices, biases, perceptions and other unnecessary assumption that may disadvantage the vulnerable groups (Pilbeam Corbridge, 2010).The right talent may fear to respond to the advertisement thinking that there is employement discrimination in the organizationCase against removing personal information related to protected characteristics in the initial process of recruitmentThere are genuine circumstances that may support leaving personal information such as age, gend er, extra but this must be supported by a proper justification and or backed up by law. For instance:Such information can be maintained if it is captured for equal opportunities monitoring purposes and the objective is clear and the respondents will not be misled.Bona Fide Occupation Qualification Defense (BDOQ)-under different laws like Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964 in US, there are specific statutory circumstances or provisions one can use as a defense to discriminate against religion, sex, extra, but the justification for discrimination should be made very clear. Such justifications may include customer preference, intimate personal care like the case with patients where women prefer to be handled by fellow women and vise-versa.In US police for instance, one cannot join the force when he/she is above 50 years. A religious institution cannot recruit top managers from other regions.If there is justification for discrimination, personal information relating protected char acteristic can be maintained in the recruitment documents but in all other incidences, employment discrimination is against the laws and should be discouraged at all times.Post No. 3IntroductionOne of the most invaluable departments of an organization is the Human Resource Department and more so today than ever. This department is responsible for numerous functions of a business, especially those revolving around the staff and how they are linked to other resources and overall strategic plan. One of the key functions of this department is the selection and recruitment of employees. This is accomplished through hiring directly and/ or subcontracting some of the work or personnel. Whichever method is used, there is always a procedure to be followed and this normally includes examining the job specifications, publicizing, selecting and recruiting (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010:91, 159-178). During this process, candidates are asked to provide information about themselves that best explai ns to the potential employer why the candidate in question is best suited for the job. Some of this information is personal and the following discussion will highlight the writers opinion regarding this point. Pros for RetainingOnes personal background could be considered relevant in situations where the employer absolutely needs this information for planning purposes. For instance, where employee profiles are created and issues such as age, health are addressed in order to plan for retirement and insurance packages (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010:95). Alternatively, such information is also considered useful when an employer is looking for specific applicants, an example being female nannies within a particular age group, from a specific ethnic group simply because the potential clients requested for such specifications. Or better still if a survey is being conducted during the selection period such as the example discussed in the case study. Likewise, such information is useful in cases where the employer is creating personal files, should one be hired (pp.175-178, 192). Positives of RemovingDespite the above advantages, I strongly believe that if a business is to survive in such a competitive environment, candidate personal information is the least of its worries during selection and recruitment. Organizations should focus on details such as ones skills, qualifications, competencies, expertise, integrity, confidence, creativity and not necessarily how old one is or which race/ religion they belong to (Kumar, 2010). As long as one is well qualified and deserves the position being interviewed for, one should rightfully earn it. Most organizations give probation durations, if the new recruit is slacking and does not show any potential to perform, then he or she should be let go during or after this period. Secondly, this information should be eliminated so as to give equal opportunity to all applicants. In Munoz and Munozs report (1999), they cite situations where personal information clouded the recruiters judgment. Case in point is where some recruiters favored same gender applicants over the opposite gender. This is absolutely wrong because it negatively reflects on the organization and its employees integrity plus they probably missed out on other well qualified applicants, to which they will never know because not everyone was given a fair chance. The other reason why personal information should be left out in todays selection and recruitment process is the advancement in technology. Almost everything is currently operated through some form of technology. Businesses have had to cope with this burst of advancement or risk losing out. In the same sense, organizations should then consider their current position, the technology level they have or will need and recruit candidates that best serve the intended purpose based on such findings. The technology field is filled with all age groups, ethnicity, gender, religions. Organizations simply have to go for the best irrespective of ones personal status. What should matter the most in this case is the technology know-how and any additional desirable competencies (Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2010:97). Answers: Post 1 The decision, not to screen and shortlist job hopefuls concentrate around individual information assembled into the application structure and minimizes any road for mistaken presumptions or perceptions. It helps HR executives focus on the determination constructed for the most part as for the occupation criteria or individual decisions such that merely attractive hopefuls are shortlisted finally. Such criteria can be concentrated around the aptitudes and capacities, personality and physical contrivances, experience, abilities, and headway potential. I see that it improves the picture of the relationship between the candidates particularly in respect to pleasantness with government regulations and laws also worldwide work and human rights bodies. Post 2 Enrollment procedure is a fundamental process in the foundation where talented workforce gets gained for the profit of the firm. Separation in contracting is a bad habit that does not permit the best competitors to get utilized. It happens crosswise over race, ethnic, and sex and physical handicaps and is blocks in divisive and making spaces for slant, predisposition or nepotism in the midst of screening and determination. Affiliations while selecting should not simply be seen to consent to detachment laws yet should reliably portray a picture of regular appreciation and trust that structure a robust foundation for securing a mental contract with the people they are centering. Post 3 HR segment is in charge of various capacities of business, particularly those spinning around the staff and how they are connected to different assets and generally vital arrangement. Part of the office is the choice and enlistment of representatives. The focal points of holding are for individual arranging and valuable when a business is searching for particular candidates in the association. Organizations ought to understand the consistent changing environment and dependable intend to be in a position to adjust quickly to being adaptable. They must have a strategy set the best way of gathering this data since few candidates may discover being requested such data as interfering and redundant to the employment. References Leghari, J. M., Suleman, U., Leghari, I. B., Aslam, S. (2014). Role of HRM Practices in Performance of Organization and Employee Retention. European Journal of Business and Management, 6(31), 219-223. Schmitt, N. (2014, July). How staffing functions communicate to Organization members and the public. In Meeting the Challenges of Human Resource Management: A Communications Perspective: A Communication Perspective (p. 88). Routledge. Woods, S., Zibarras, L., Hinton, D. (2014). Recruitment and selection.