Succubus Blues CHAPTER 6

I woke up the next day, determined to go see Erik and get the truth about vampire hunters. Then, as I was brushing my teeth, I remembered yesterday's other crisis. Seth Mortensen. Swearing, I finished up in the bathroom, earning a disapproving look from Aubrey for my profanity. There was no telling how long this tour thing with him might take. I might have to wait until tomorrow to see Erik, and by then, this vampire hunter or whatever could have struck again. I set out for Emerald City, wearing the most nonattractive outfit I could muster: jeans and a turtleneck, with my hair pulled severely back. Paige, all smiles, approached me as I waited for Seth in the cafe. â€Å"You should show him Foster's and Puget Sound Books while you're out,† she told me conspiratorially. Still waking up, I took a sip of the mocha Bruce had just made me and tried to reason out her logic. Foster's and Puget Sound Books were competitors of ours, though not major ones. â€Å"Those places are dives.† â€Å"Exactly.† She grinned at me with her even white teeth. â€Å"Show him those, and he'll be convinced we're the best place for him to do his writing at.† I studied her, feeling seriously out of the loop. Or maybe I was just distracted still about the Duane thing. It wasn't every day one had his immortality revoked. â€Å"Why†¦ would he do his writing here?† â€Å"Because he likes to take his laptop and write in coffee shops.† â€Å"Yeah, but he lives in Chicago.† Paige shook her head. â€Å"Not anymore. Where were you last night? He's moving here to be closer to his family.† I recalled Seth mentioning his brother, but I had been too caught up in my own mortification to pay much attention. â€Å"When?† â€Å"Now, as far as I know. That's why this was his last stop on the tour. He's staying with his brother but plans on finding his own place soon.† She leaned close to me, eyes gleaming predatorily. â€Å"Georgina, if we have a famous author hanging out here regularly, it'll be good for our image.† Honestly, my immediate concern wasn't where Seth would be writing. What freaked me out was that he would not be departing for a different time zone anytime soon, a time zone where he could then forget about me and let us both get on with our lives. I could run into him every day now. Literally, if Paige's wish was realized. â€Å"Won't that be distracting to his writing if his presence is widely known? Annoying fans and whatnot?† â€Å"We won't let it become a problem. We'll make the most of this and respect his privacy. Careful now, here he comes.† I drank more of my mocha, still marveling at the way Paige's mind worked. She could think of promotional ideas that never would have entered my head. Warren might have been the one to invest capital in this place, but it had been her marketing genius that made it a success. â€Å"Good morning,† Seth told us, walking up to the table. He wore jeans, a Def Leppard T-shirt, and a brown corduroy jacket. The lay of his hair did not convince me he'd brushed it this morning. Paige looked at me pointedly, and I sighed. â€Å"Let's go.† Seth silently followed me outside, that awkward tension building between us like a solid barrier. He did not look at me; I did not look at him. It was only when we stood outside on Queen Anne Avenue and I realized I had no plan for today that conversation had to occur. â€Å"Where to start? Seattle, unlike Gaul, is not divided into just three parts.† I made the joke more to myself, but Seth suddenly laughed. â€Å"Seattle peninsula est,† he observed, playing off my observation. â€Å"Not exactly. Besides, that's Bede, not Caesar.† â€Å"I know. But I don't know very much Latin.† He gave me that quirky, bemused smile that seemed to be his trademark expression. â€Å"Do you?† â€Å"Enough.† I wondered how he would react if I mentioned my fluency in Latin dialects from various stages of the Roman Empire. My vague answer must have been interpreted as lack of interest because he looked away, and more silence fell. â€Å"Is there anything special you wanted to see?† â€Å"Not really.† Not really. Okay. Well. The sooner we got this started, the sooner it would end and I could see Erik. â€Å"Follow me.† As we drove off, I sort of hoped we might naturally flow into meaningful conversation, in spite of our bad start yesterday. Yet, as we traveled, it seemed clear Seth had no intention of carrying on any discourse. I recalled his nervousness in front of the crowd yesterday and even with some of the bookstore staff. This guy had serious social phobias, I realized, though he had made a valiant effort in shedding them during our initial flirtations. Then, I had gone and turned on the back-off vibes, undoubtedly scarring him for life and undoing whatever progress he had made. Way to go, Georgina. Maybe if I could broach some compelling topics, he would muster his earlier confidence and bring back our rapport – in a platonic way, of course. I attempted to recall my profound questions from last night. And once again, they eluded me, so I switched to mundane ones. â€Å"So your brother lives around here?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"What part?† â€Å"Lake Forest Park.† â€Å"That's a nice area. Are you going to look for a place up there?† â€Å"Probably not.† â€Å"Do you have another place in mind then?† â€Å"Not really.† Okay, this wasn't getting us anywhere. Annoyed at how this master of the written word could be so short on spoken ones, I finally decided to cut him out of the conversation altogether. Having him involved was too much work. Instead, I chatted on amiably without him, pointing out the popular spots: Pioneer Square, Pike Place Market, the Fremont Troll. I even showed him the shoddier representatives of our competition, per Paige's instructions. I neglected anything closer to the Space Needle than a brief nod, however. No doubt he'd seen it from Emerald City's windows and could pay the exorbitant fees to visit it up close if he really needed the tourist experience. We went to the U District for lunch. He followed without protest or comment to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant. Our meal progressed quietly as I took a break from talking, both of us eating noodles and staring out the nearby window to watch the bustle of students and cars. â€Å"This is nice.† It was the most Seth had spoken in a while, and I nearly jumped at the sound of his voice. â€Å"Yeah. This place doesn't look like much, but they make a mean pho.† â€Å"No, I meant out there. This area.† I followed his gesture back to University Way, at first seeing nothing more than disgruntled students hauling backpacks around. Then, expanding my search, I became aware of the other small specialty restaurants, the coffee shops, and the used bookstores. It was an eclectic mix, somewhat tattered around the edges, but it had a lot to offer quirky, intellectual types – even famous, introverted writers. I looked at Seth, who looked back at me expectantly. It was our first direct eye contact all day. â€Å"Are there places to live around here?† â€Å"Sure. If you want to share a house with a bunch of eighteen-year-olds.† I paused, thinking that option might not be so unappealing for a guy. â€Å"If you want something more substantial in this area, it'll cost you. I guess Cady and O'Neill ensure that's not really an issue, huh? We can drive around and look, if you want.† â€Å"Maybe. I'd honestly rather go there first.† He pointed across the street, to one of the used bookstores. His eyes flicked back to me uncertainly. â€Å"If that's okay with you.† â€Å"Let's go.† I loved used bookstores but always felt a little guilty walking into them. Like I was cheating. After all, I worked around bright, crisp books all the time. I could obtain a reprint of almost anything I wanted, brand new. It seemed wrong to take such visceral pleasure from being around old books, from the smell of aged paper, mildew, and dust. Such collections of knowledge, some quite old, always reminded me of times long past and places I'd seen, triggering a tidal wave of nostalgia. These emotions made me feel both old and young. The books aged while I did not. A gray tabby cat stretched and blinked at us from her spot on the counter as we entered. I stroked her back and said hello to the old man near her. He glanced up briefly from the books he sorted, smiled at us, and returned to his work. Seth stared around at the towering shelves before us, an expression of bliss on his face, and promptly disappeared into them. I wandered over to nonfiction, wanting to peruse the cookbooks. I had grown up preparing food without microwaves and food processors and decided it was high time to let my culinary knowledge expand into this century. Finally settling on a Greek cookbook with lots of colored pictures, I dragged myself away a half hour later and looked for Seth. I found him in the children's section, kneeling next to a stack of books, completely absorbed. I crouched down beside him. â€Å"What are you looking at?† He flinched slightly, startled by my proximity, and tore his gaze away from his find to look at me. This close, I could see that his eyes were actually more of a golden-amber brown, his lashes long enough to make any girl jealous. â€Å"Andrew Lang's fairy books.† He held a paperback entitled The Blue Fairy Book. On top of the stack near him sat another called The Orange Fairy Book, and I could only assume the rest followed color-coded suit. Seth glowed with literary rapture, forgetting his reticence around me. â€Å"The 1960s reprints. Not as valuable as, say, editions from the 1800s, but these are the ones my dad had, the ones he used to read to us from. He only had a couple, though; this is the whole set. I'm going to get them and read them to my nieces.† Flipping through the pages of The Red Fairy Book, I recognized the titles of many familiar stories, some I hadn't even known were still around. I turned the book over and looked inside the cover but found no price. â€Å"How much are they?† Seth pointed to a small sign near the shelf he'd obtained them from. â€Å"Is that reasonable for these?† I asked. â€Å"It's a little high, but it's worth it to me to get them all in one go.† â€Å"No way.† I gathered up part of the books, rising. â€Å"We'll talk him down.† â€Å"Talk him down how?† My lips turned up in a smile. â€Å"With words.† Seth seemed dubious, but the clerk proved an easy target. Most men would eventually cave before an attractive, charismatic woman – let alone a succubus who still sported a residual life force glow. Besides, I had learned bartering at my mother's knee. The guy behind the counter didn't stand a chance. By the time I finished with him, he had happily lowered the price by 25 percent and thrown in my cookbook for free. Walking back to my car, arms laden with books, Seth kept glancing at me wonderingly. â€Å"How did you do that? I've never seen anything like it.† â€Å"Lots of practice.† A vague answer worthy of one of his. â€Å"Thanks. I wish I could repay the favor.† â€Å"Don't worry – hey, you can actually. Would you mind running an errand with me? It's to a bookstore, but it's a scary bookstore.† â€Å"Scary how?† Five minutes later, we were on our way to see my old friend Erik Lancaster. Erik had been ensconced in the Seattle area long before me, and he was a well-known figure to almost every immortal entity around. Versed in mythology and supernatural lore, he regularly proved to be an excellent resource for all things paranormal. If he had noticed that some of his best patrons never aged, he wisely refrained from pointing that out. The only annoying thing about seeing Erik was that it required a visit to Krystal Starz – a stunning example of New Age spirituality gone wrong. I didn't doubt the place might have had good intentions back when it opened in the 1980s, but the bookstore now touted a barrage of colorful, highly commercial merchandise more weighted in price than any sort of mystical value. Erik, by my estimation, was the only employee with legitimate concern and knowledge of esoteric matters. The best of his coworkers were simply apathetic; the worst were zealots and scam artists. Pulling up into the store's parking lot, I immediately felt surprise at the number of cars there. This many people at Emerald City would have constituted a signing, but that sort of event seemed odd in the middle of the workday. A heavy wave of incense poured over us as we entered, and Seth appeared just as surprised as me by all the people and stimuli. â€Å"I might be a minute,† I told him. â€Å"Feel free to look around. Not that there's much here worth seeing.† He melted away, and I turned my attention to a bright-eyed young man standing near the door and directing the crowd around. â€Å"Are you here for the Gathering?† â€Å"Urn, no,† I told him. â€Å"I'm looking for Erik.† â€Å"Erik who?† â€Å"Lancaster? Older guy? African-American? He works here.† The young lackey shook his head. â€Å"There's no Erik here. Not as long as I've been working here.† He spoke like he'd founded the store. â€Å"How long has that been?† â€Å"Two months.† I rolled my eyes. A veritable veteran. â€Å"Is there a manager around here I can talk to?† â€Å"Well, Helena's here, but she's going to be – ah, there she is.† He gestured to the far side of the store where the woman in question appeared as though summoned. Ah yes, Helena. She and I had tangled before. Pale-haired, her neck bestrewn with crystals and other arcane symbols, she stood in a doorway marked meeting room. A teal shawl covered her slim shoulders, and like always, I wondered how old she was. She looked to be in her lower to mid-thirties, but something about her demeanor always made me think she was older. Maybe she'd had a lot of plastic surgery. It would be fitting, really, considering the rest of her trumped-up, artificial persona. â€Å"Everyone? Everyone?† She spoke in this obviously faked, high-pitched voice, meant to sound like a whisper, albeit one that could reach loud volumes. So mostly it came out raspy, like she had a cold. â€Å"It's time to start.† The masses – thirty or so, I'd say – moved toward the meeting room, and I followed, blending into the crowd. Some of the people around me looked like Helena: theme-dressed, in either all-black or too-vibrant shades, with a plethora of pentagrams, crystals, and ohms in attendance. Others looked like average people, dressed much like me in my work clothes, trailing along in excited curiosity. With a frozen, fake smile plastered across her face, Helena beckoned us into the room murmuring, â€Å"Welcome, welcome. Feel the energy.† When I passed by her, the smile faltered. â€Å"I know you.† â€Å"Yes.† The smile diminished further. â€Å"You're that woman who works at that big bookstore – that big, commercial bookstore.† A few people stopped and listened to our exchange, no doubt the reason she refrained from pointing out the last time I was in here, I had called her a hypocrite pushing marked-up crap merchandise. Compared to certain national chains, I hardly considered Emerald City commercial. Still, I shrugged in acknowledgment. â€Å"Yeah, what can I say, we're part of the problem in corporate America. However, we do sell all the books and tarot cards that you do, often at a discount if you're a member of Emerald City's Frequent Readers Program.† I mentioned this last part loudly. Extra advertising never hurt. Helena's weakening smile disappeared altogether, as did some of her raspy voice. â€Å"Is there something I can help you with?† â€Å"I'm looking for Erik.† â€Å"Erik doesn't work here anymore.† â€Å"Where'd he go?† â€Å"I'm not at liberty to discuss that.† â€Å"Why? Are you afraid I'll take my business elsewhere? Believe me, you were never in danger of having it.† She raised delicate fingers to her forehead and studied me seriously, eyes nearly going crossed. â€Å"I sense a lot of darkness in your aura. Black and red.† Her voice rose, drawing in the attention of her acolytes. â€Å"You would benefit greatly from some clearing work. A smoky or rutilated quartz might also help. We have excellent specimens of both for sale here. Either would lighten up your aura.† I couldn't resist a smirk. I believed in auras, knew they were perfectly real. I also knew, however, that my aura looked nothing at all like a mortal one, nor would someone like Helena even be able to see it. Indeed, a true human adept, capable of perceiving such things, would notice that in standing with a group of humans, I would be the only person without a discernible aura. It would be invisible to all, save someone like Jerome or Carter, though some particularly skilled mortal might be able to feel its strength and be understandably cautious. Erik was one such mortal, which was why he always treated me with so much respect. Helena was not. â€Å"Wow,† I crooned. â€Å"I can't believe you were able to deduce all that without your aura camera.† Krystal Starz proudly touted a camera that would photograph your aura for $9.95. â€Å"Do I owe you something now?† She sniffed. â€Å"I don't need a camera to see others' auras. I am a Master. Besides, the spirits who have assembled for this Gathering tell me plenty about you.† My smile increased. â€Å"What do they say?† I'd had little dealings with spirits or other ethereal beings in my long life, but I would know if any were present. She closed her eyes, hands to her forehead again, lines of thought creasing her face. The onlookers watched in wonder. â€Å"They tell me that much troubles you. That the indecision and monotony in your life force you to lash out, and so long as you choose the path of darkness and distrust, you will never find peace or light.† Her blue eyes opened, caught up in her own otherworldly ecstasy. â€Å"They want you to join us. Sit in our circle, feel their healing energy. The spirits will help you to a better life.† â€Å"Like they helped you out of the porn industry?† She froze, paling, and I almost felt bad for a moment. Adepts like Erik weren't the only ones with reputations in the immortal community. A crackpot like Helena was well known too. Someone who had apparently been a fan of hers back in the day had recognized her from a movie and passed on this bit of dirt to the rest of us. â€Å"I don't know what you mean,† she finally said, face struggling for control in front of her minions. â€Å"My mistake. You reminded me of someone called Moana Licka. You sort of rub crystals the way she used to rub†¦ well, you get the idea.† â€Å"You are mistaken,† Helena said, voice on the verge of cracking. â€Å"Erik no longer works here. Please leave.† Another retort rose to my lips, but then, beyond her, I caught sight of Seth. He had wandered up to the edge of the crowd, observing the spectacle with the others. Seeing him, I suddenly felt foolish, the thrill of humiliating Helena turning cheap and shallow. Embarrassed, I still managed to hold my head high as I withheld my remarks and walked away from her. Seth fell into step beside me. â€Å"Let me guess,† I said dryly. â€Å"Some people write the stories, and some people live them.† â€Å"I think you can't help but make a sensation wherever you go.† I assumed he was being sarcastic. Then, I glanced over and saw his frank expression, neither censuring nor snide. His earnestness was so unexpected that I stumbled slightly, paying more attention to him than where I was going. Having a much-deserved reputation for gracefulness, I recovered almost immediately. Seth, however, instinctually held out a hand to catch me. As he did, I suddenly had a flash of†¦ of something. Like that moment of connection back in the map aisle. Or the surge of fulfillment I got when I read his books. It was brief, fleeting, like maybe it hadn't happened at all. He seemed as surprised as I felt and released my arm tentatively, almost hesitantly. A moment later, a voice behind me broke the spell entirely. â€Å"Excuse me?† Turning, I saw a slim teenage girl with cropped red hair and piercings up and down her ears. â€Å"You were looking for Erik, right?† â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I can tell you where he's at. He left about five months ago to start his own store. It's in Lake City†¦ I forget the name. There's a light there, with a grocery store and a big Mexican restaurant†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I nodded. â€Å"I know that area. I'll find it. Thanks.† I eyed her curiously. â€Å"Do you work here?† â€Å"Yeah. Erik was always pretty cool to me, so I'd rather see him get business than this place. I'd have gone with him, but he doesn't really need any other help, so I'm stuck with Nutso in there.† She jerked her thumb back in Helena's direction. The girl had a serious, practical demeanor different from most of this place's employees. I recalled now that I'd seen her helping customers when I'd come in. â€Å"Why do you work here if you don't like it?† â€Å"I don't know. I like books, and I need money.† I dug through my purse, searching for one of my rarely used business cards. â€Å"Here. You want a new job, come talk to me sometime.† She took the card and read it, surprise filling her features. â€Å"Thanks†¦ I think.† â€Å"Thanks for the info about Erik.† Pausing, I considered further, and dug out another card. â€Å"If you've got a friend – anyone else who works here and is like you – give this to them too.† â€Å"Is that legal?† asked Seth later. † Dunno. But we're short-staffed at Emerald City.† I figured a specialty store like Erik's must be closed by now, so instead I turned toward Lake Forest Park to return Seth to his brother's house. I confess, relief flooded me. Being with one's hero was tiring, not to mention every interaction between us swung between wildly opposing poles. I'd probably be safer limiting our relationship to me simply reading his books. I dropped him off at a cute, suburban home, its front yard littered with children's playthings. I saw no sign of the children themselves, much to my disappointment. Seth gathered up his haul of books, gave me another scattered smile as he voiced his thanks, and disappeared into the house. I was almost back to Queen Anne when I realized I'd forgotten to ask him for my copy of The Glasgow Pact. Annoyed, I entered my building and immediately heard the front desk attendant solicit me. â€Å"Miss Kincaid?† I walked over to him, and he handed me a vase of flowers teeming with shades of purple and dark pink. â€Å"These came for you today.† I accepted the vase with delight, inhaling the mingled scents of roses, irises, and stargazer lilies. They had no card. Typical. â€Å"Who brought them?† He gestured beyond me. â€Å"That man over there.†

Origins of World War II Essay

After the end of the First World War, the statesmen of all the major countries felt that such alarming war must anyhow be averted in order to ensure international peace, security and safety. This is why the League of Nations was set up and it was believed that such a ‘multinational’ organization would be able to peacefully settle all international disputes and guarantee peace and security in the international sphere. However, the success or failure of the League actually depended upon the attitude and activity of its members, particularly the Big Powers. But, unfortunately, soon it was found that the major Powers were at cross purposes. They adopted their foreign policy in their own interest and showed little respect to the principles underlying the League of Nations. Particularly, the dream of three allies – Germany, Japan and Italy was fundamentally different from the ideals of the Western Powers and Soviet Russia. The Trio (Germany, Japan and Italy) intended to have some share in the Afro-Asian areas which had already been divided among the Western Powers. Thus, it was really a conflict between two policies – â€Å"status quo† and â€Å"New Order†. Flouting the League The first shock to League of Nations was given by Japan. In 1931 Japan violated the League Covenant and the Kellogg Pact by occupying the Chinese territory of Manchuria and setting up a puppet state there. China appealed to the League which condemned this act of aggression and appointed a commission under Lord Litton to report. But the fulmination of the League had no effect on Japan who, when the commission’s report went against her, withdrew from the League in 1933. The defection of Japan was a serious blow to the League. But worse was to come when Germany had begun secretly rearm to arm as soon as Hitler came into power. But after the failure of the Disarmament Conference, Hitler came into the open. In 1935, he repudiated those clauses of the Treaty of Versailles which had imposed limitations on her armed strength, and reintroduced conscription. In the next year he denounced the Locarno Treaty and re-occupied and refortified those zones of the Rhineland, which had been demilitarized by the Treaty of Versailles. The Great Powers were at cross purposes and so nothing was done to resist Hitler’s insolent violation of the treaty obligations. Italy under Mussolini pursued an imperial policy and in 1935 made an unprovoked attack upon Abyssinia, a member of the League. The emperor of Abyssinia, Haile Selassie, appealed to the League against the act of wanton aggression. The League declared Italy to be the aggressor and recommended the application of economic sanctions. The Italian campaign was short, swift and brutal. After some resistance Haile Selassie fled abroad and his capital Addis Ababa was occupied by Italian troops. The King of Italy was proclaimed Emperor of Abyssinia. Italy withdrew from the League of Nations in 1936. Foreign Policies and International Relations When Hitler came to power he was pledge to recover for Germany the position of power and importance which she had held before the First World War. He envisaged the formation of a ‘Third Reich’ or empire which would include all Germans in a new or greater German state. This involved the ultimate absorption of Germans in a new or greater German state. This involved the ultimate absorption of German-populated regions of Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland. The dictated treated treaty which Germany had been forced to accept stood in the way of realizing his ambition. Hence Hitler was determined to tear away the Treaty of Versailles which had imposed humiliating restrictions upon Germany, and to make her a power to reckon with. His first significant step in this direction was to withdraw from the Disarmament Conference and to announce a program of conscription. Next he left the League of Nations and openly flouted it by occupying the demilitarized Rhineland. England, France tamely acquiesced in this violation of treaty obligation and so Hitler was encouraged to take larger risks. The Phony War-the events of Europe especially the civil war associated with Spain prove beyond doubt that the shadow of Fascism was falling across Europe, long before the actual outbreak of World War II. The Spanish civil war which broke out in 1936 was an event of utmost importance. It has been aptly called the ‘Little World War’ because it involved all other powers. The Spanish civil war was a prelude to World War II. In Spain, Italy and Germany is defiance of the principal ‘Collective Security’ undermined a democratic government and Britain and France demonstrated a complete callousness which resulted in the victory of Fascism in Spain. The outcome of Spanish Civil War foreshadowed that, in future, Fascisms might apply the same tactics on a bigger scale. The smoldering discontent against monarchy forced Alfonzo XIII of Spain to leave the country in April 1931. Immediately afterwards President Zamora declared Spain to be republic. In Spain the extreme republicans started anti-clerical riots and centrifugal tendencies demonstrated themselves in the attempt to establish autonomy in Catalonia and certain other provinces. The election of the Constitutional Assembly on June 28, 1931, showed a definite landslide for republicanism and in the Cortes the socialists with 117 seats became the largest single group. Spain adopted a radical republican constitution based on German, Soviet and Mexican model with a president and a cabinet responsible to the Cortes. The Church was deprived of its hold over education and civil liberties were guaranteed. Expropriation of the large landed estates proceeded apace. Most of these reforms were carried out by the radical minister Manuel Asana. In the election of 1933 the Asana government fell the Cortes was dominated by a moderate coalition ministry which did not enforce the laws against landed estates and church. Premier Lerroux tried to establish a pro-Fascist government and suppressed the radical opposition. President Zamora now dissolved the Cortes and ordered fresh election in 1936. In the election of February, 1936, the popular Front parties composed to republicans’ socialists and communists secured 258 seats and the right parties 215. Asana became the president and Santiago Cascaras Quiroga became the Premier. The government had to face immediate opposition from unruly groups like Spanish Phalanx and the Army. The attempt of the Government to steer a middle course failed to quell disturbances and the Fascists after careful preparation staged a military revolt on June 18. Military revolts took place in a number of garrison towns in Spain and Spanish Morocco. During the Spanish imbroglio Hitler had learnt all he needed about the weakness of the victors of Versailles. He had found that this intervention in Spain had not met with any resistance from the powers and so he was emboldened to embark upon a policy of naked aggression. He turned his attention to Austria whose union with Germany had been expressly prohibitive by the treaty of Versailles. He encouraged Nazi agitation within Austria, bullied the Austrian chancellor into appointing a Nazi minister and forced him to agree to conduct foreign affairs as Germany’s dictator. Germany and Italy were naturally interested in installing a Fascist power in Spain. The Salazar government of Portugal saw in the radical republic the germs of Bolshevik state and activity aided and abetted in its downfall. Italy and Germany saw in the rise of a Fascist Spain great advantage to their cause. Ideologically the adherence of Spain would help the spread of Fascism and materially it would weaken France increase the possibility of exploiting Spanish mines and raw materials in a future war against democracies and strengthen the hold of Italy in the Western Mediterranean. The Labor opposition strongly urged help to Government legally constituted. But Stanley Baldwin and even Churchill, who opposed the Nazi aggression on every other issue, felt that nothing could be done for helping the Republicans. The behavior of the French government during this period was an enigma to the rest of the world. The Republic was in dire need of more arms but contrary to all expectations the French Popular Front government prohibited all export of arms to Spain on July 25, 1936. This was a violation of an earlier agreement whereby France had undertaken to supply arms to Spain. The British government was steering a middle course. It was unwilling to alienate Italy whose friendship was earnestly sought for as a counterpoise to Nazi Germany. When Blum suggested the formation of a Committee of Non-Intervention it was welcomed. This committee was formed in August 1936, with twenty seven nations. The purpose of the committee was to enforce the agreement reached among powers to hold a ring around Spanish Civil War so that others might not be involved in it and to prevent any military aid on either side. The Fascists power had no intention of letting down Franco and while Britain and France meticulously applied the principle of non-intervention to prohibit export arms to Spain, the rebels received planes, munitions and men from Germany, Italy and Portugal. Thus while the legitimate government of Spain was deprived of all aids from outside and ran short of the sinews of war, in the name of non-intervention, the rebels secured active foreign aid. The League Council passed a resolution in May 1936, and directed all other states not to intervene in the Spanish Civil war. The Fascist powers were now free to act as they liked Spain. Men and arms poured to the rebels while the legitimate government suffered from lack of supply due to the intervention of the Committee of Non-intervention. The dubious role of the Non-Intervention Committee merely provided a shield for Fascist aggression in Spain. Italy and Germany were allowed to strike another blow at the democracies. Next in 1938 he poured troops into Austria and incorporated it in Nazi empire. Till now Italy had been the most effective protector of Austria, but she was now busy with her own acts of aggression in Abyssinia and so did not interfere with a fellow aggressor. The ease with which Hitler had annexed Austria whetted his territorial appetite and encouraged him to further acts of aggression (Paul 59). Czechoslovakia an artificial creation of the peace treaties contained a considerable element of German population. Hitler first began a ‘war of nerves’ by a bombardment of accusation, abuse and menaces and then declared that his patience had been exhausted. He peremptorily demanded that Sudetenland which was predominantly inhabited by the Germans should be ceded to the Reich and that he would take it by force it peaceful means failed. At that time, Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister, tried to persuade Hitler to resist himself. Soon the Munich Pact was signed by the Big Powers and they intended to satisfy Hitler by giving him Sudetenland of Czech-Slovakia. As Fleming observes, â€Å"Nations have often being conquered by enemies, but never before a proud and worthy people been bludgeoned into submission by its own allies† (Fleming 56). Thus, Hitler was encouraged to proceed towards Poland and soon the crisis further aggravated. Original of world war II- having taken Memel Hitler began to mature plans for an assault upon Poland. He demanded the Danzig should be incorporated in the German Reich and the Polish Corridor should be ceded to Germany. This was the last straw. Chamberlain gave up his policy of appeasement and announced that in the event of an aggression on Poland, Great Britain would come to the rescue the Polish government. Thus, when Germany attacked Poland, the Second World War broke out, because Britain and France now realized that the policy of appeasement ended in a fiasco (Ray 112). So long, Hitler had intended to neutralize Britain and had signed a non-aggression Pact with Soviet Russia. Naturally, he thought that now he would find little resistance against his plan of occupying the Polish Corridor. In fact, he desired to localize the the Polish war on which he had set his heart. To isolate Poland, Hitler now attempted to win Great Britain. In a message, delivered verbally to the British Ambassador, Sir Neville Henderson, he expressed his desire to solve in his own way the question of Polish Corridor and Danzig, but at the same time, he pledged himself for the continuance of British Empire. He even expressed his readiness to render German assistance, if required, to Britain. On August 28, the British Government proposed direct negotiation for resolving the differences between Poland and Germany. Hitler in reply demanded that Warsaw should send an emissary with full powers to negotiate with German government. The proposal had no chance of being accepted and the British government in reply sent a counter-proposal of a restoration of normal contact. It was presented by Neville Henderson to Foreign Minister Ribbentrop on August 30. On September 1, the German army marched into the Polish territory to execute ‘Case White’. A last-minute effort for peace by Mussolini failed and the Anglo-French Powers declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. Conclusion Thus, the outbreak of the Second World War was not at all a surprising affair. In fact, the Big Powers pursued different policies in self interest and when their unity was badly needed, they differed with from one another. Soviet Russia alone emphasized on the policy of a united stand, because it believed in the doctrine ‘peace is indivisible’. However, the capitalist countries like Britain and France talked with it for common safety but, in reality, they adopted a half-hearted policy. While France was directly involved in a rivalry with Germany, Britain intended to keep a safe distance. As Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister, held â€Å"Clemenceau or Poincare would have left Mr. Baldwin no option† (Churchill 154). In other words, France intended to fight against German militarism, but Chamberlain was not ready to join it. America was outside the league at that time, and hence, it had no responsibility to prevent the Global War. The Spanish Civil War and the weakness of France actually encouraged Hitler to continue his aggressive policy (Fleming, The Origin of the Cold War, 62). Moreover, Italy and Japan were longing for some territorial advantage against the wishes of the Western Powers. In such circumstances, a Global War was the only inevitability.

A Study Of How Puberty And Peer Pressure Affects Adolescents

A Study Of How Puberty And Peer Pressure Affects Adolescents The tweens of today are having things on their mind, at a young age it was cupcakes, glitter, hot wheels and dinosaurs. Now at the tween years have more things on their mind than just rainbows and trains. This has to deal with peer pressure, puberty, also with trying to be popular. Which will be the cause of ten year olds wanting to become a teenager already? There are issues that an everyday child deals with on a daily basis. What is Peer pressure? Peer Pressure is the influence of people do try to. When you were a little kid, your parents usually chose your friends, putting you in play groups or arranging play dates with certain children they knew or liked. Now that youre older, you decide who your friends are and what groups you spend time with whether your parents like them or not. Parents may think their child is to be sweet, innocent, and always doing the right thing. When peer pressure comes along that goes downhill, it is a perception that changes when the parent is away from the child. Puberty is the physical change from a child to mature into a mature adult. With female tweens, they can develop breast, hair growth or many other physical changes. With males it is mainly voice changes or height changes. Puberty varies with the tween and can be a good thing or a bad thing for a tween to deal with. According to Steven Dowshewn of www.kidshealth.org, He states â€Å"Sometimes it can be hard to deal with all these new emotions. Its important to know that while your body is adjusting to the new hormones, so is your mind.† This will affect teens for years and years to come. Popularity shows tweens are can be either be two ways: Your either sweet person with a good personality or the meanest person some people ever came in contact with. People use their popularity for good things for instance running for class president, or wanting a to win votes. Using your popularity of evil, can be like â€Å"I run this entire school I am going to get it if I have to drop you off the face of the planet.† Lots of popularity shows what type of person you are or if you want to be popular. In other words, Tweens have many things to worry about in elementary, middle and high school. From peer pressure tweens into drugs, sex, drinking alcohol or may other situations. Puberty in males and females for tweens at a young age, females in particular. Popularity at school which can be used for good and evil, or for votes to win an election. Tween days will come and go, it shows that you cannot always stay that way forever.

Private and Public Finance for Property Case Study

Private and Public Finance for Property - Case Study Example These policies may include measures to prevent pollution as well as economic policies that stimulate the economy. According to Griffith and Wall (2007), Public finance captures many scenarios that are common in everyday life and the important role that is played by the government in ensuring fairness and equity in the society. For example, everyone wants to enjoy good roads, street lighting, and excellent security but given an option, no one would pay for them. After all, no one really hates free things. Public finance, therefore, captures the concept of free riding and what the government does to avoid it. The basic premise is that if someone volunteers to construct a road then all of us can enjoy the service without paying for it. The problem is that hardly will anyone volunteer to construct this road. Public finance covers this and many other challenges and how the government comes in to solve them. Flynn (2007) argues that the main reason behind the existence of public finance is the provision of key public goods and services. These public goods and services mostly include defense, policing, roads, health care, education, pension as well as welfare benefits. Provision of these public services would not lead to a socially optimal outcome if left in the hands of the private sector whose major motivation is profit. That is why the state comes in to provide these services since it is motivated by the good of the public and not profits. The existence of public goods is a further justification of public finance. In most cases, these public goods are least profitable to private enterprises and therefore the government is forced to chip in and provide them free of charge to the general public. Therefore public finance is crucial for a number of reasons. There are some goods that are very important and the citizens of a country should enjoy them even if they are not able to pay the  market rate for them.

The Use of Evidence Based Practice in Nursing Essay

The Use of Evidence Based Practice in Nursing - Essay Example In nursing, evidence-based practice calls for the re-evaluation of research for the purpose of improving inadequate practice. In clinical settings, the use of evidence based practice takes into account factor such as the consideration of the need for change, where the research question’s formulation is based on the shortfalls of current health practices (McGonigal & Mastrian, 2011). The use of evidence based practice also takes into account the best existing evidence, understanding it, and integrating it after making the necessary improvement. Models for implementing evidence based practice in clinical settings Some models for implementing evidence based practice in clinical settings include the Ottawa model of research use, the Stetler model, and the IOWA model of evidence-based practice. The Ottawa Model of Evidence Based Research in Nursing The Ottawa Model of Research Use (OMRU) was first created as an interactive model (Kirchhoff, 2004). The Ottawa Model of Research Use is quite effective in practice contexts and holds that research is a dynamic process that involves interconnected actions as well as decisions being made by different people in relation to each of the theory’s elements. The Ottawa Model of Research has undergone different evaluations, with the most recent including factors such as evidence based innovation, the practice environment, potential adopters, the adoption of innovators, the implementation of interventions, and the results of the execution of innovations. The Stetler-Model The Stetler Model of Research Utilisation is a model that is practice-oriented, and is used mainly as a conceptual and procedural guide for the execution of research outcomes in practice. The theory’s first part consists of the five stages of research utilisation (Stetler, 2003). The theory’s second part has to do with clarifying the existing data as well as options for each stage. The Iowa Model of Research is basically used to enhance the general quality of healthcare, and is a creation of the Quality Assurance Model Using Research (Stetler, 2003). Research utilisation is perceived to be an organisational procedure through which different factors are used to unite the practical implementation of research theories. The IOWA Model The Iowa Model can be used for the purposes of implementing quality healthcare as it provides a framework for medical practitioners to make decisions about the daily practices that impact patient care outcomes (Larrabee, 2009). The Iowa Model encourages health practitioners to generate practice questions, whether as a means to solve an existing concern, or simply to acquire new knowledge. These three models allow for medical practitioners to be able to share important data with others within as well as without a medical organisation; thereby increasing nu rsing knowledge and encouraging other medical organisations to take on evidence based practices. Three information technology applications in quality management Three information technology applications that are very important in quality management processes in healthcare sectors include electronic health records, bar coding, and the use of the clinical decision support system. Electronic health records were first created to serve as a type of electronically based file cabinet holding various types of information about a medical facility’s patients. Its continued improvement meant that it would further benefit by integrating text, handwritten

Thought Control in the US - The Media and the Peace Process Essay

Thought Control in the US - The Media and the Peace Process - Essay Example Chomsky suggests that in America, you can say anything as long as it doesn't contradict the decisions that have already been made by the state and be obedient. As the broader meaning of thought control emphasizes the value of the human benefit under democratic setup, it is unfortunate to find political vested interests of an elite group of the state is protected by manipulating political thought control and behavioral conceptions. The author who has also written a famous book â€Å" Necessary illusions† argues that the U.S.A has followed this style of thought control since long ago and is presently reflected in its state policy towards Arab-Israeli conflict. He points to the contradiction inherent in the fact that, in survey after survey, the American public supports the concept of a Palestinian state. What makes it more interesting is that U.S.A which prefers military confrontation in Israel applies the â€Å"principle of historical engineering† which has also roots in Wilson’s administration in 1920’s and is nothing but historical containment of enemy through pervasive media propaganda and through imposing vested interests. He also comes up with another theory called â€Å"Memory hole† which means that historical records are altered in defense of state policy and strongly argues that it is responsible for unilateral thought control process. Overall, he expresses anger over the manipulation of the control of thought by the U.S.A and the responsible journalists which in the true sense affects the peace process.... rical engineering" which has also roots in Wilson's administration in 1920's and is nothing but historical containment of enemy through pervasive media propaganda and through imposing vested interests. For the defense of state's policy through thought control process U.S.A relies on "Newspeak", "Media propaganda", Memory hole" and "Responsive journalism", the author discuses in a beautiful style. He draws from the political novel, 1984, by George Orwell to explain the chameleon character of words used by the government and subsequently by the press to direct the thought of control in defense of state policy. The word "peace process" is the best example of exploiting the newspeak in the context of Arab-Israel conflict. The meaning of this word varies from country to country, but the media propaganda directs the thought control in the interests of U.S.A. The author expresses shock over the response of media showing the example of Bernard Gwertzman's article in New York Times dated 2 June 1985 criticizing the Palestinian peace stand and favoring the stand of U.S.A. This has violated the original meaning of peace process and supports the emergence of newspeak. He also strengthens his theory of thought control by quoting the "responsible journalism" and strongly condemns the Gwertzman's false statement published in the New York Times stating that P.L.O has not supported the peace stand. He also comes up with another theory called "Memory hole" which means that historical records are altered in defense of state policy and strongly argues that it is responsible for unilateral thought control process. Even though there were strong Arab peace proposals as mentioned in Thomas Friedman's "Two decades of seeking peace in the Middle East" dated 17 March 1985, unfortunately

WTO Members - TRAMONTANA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

WTO Members - TRAMONTANA - Essay Example PATRIA, XENIA and MOLVANIA are WTO Members producing and exporting of cars to TRAMONTANA and some companies within these countries have no plans to move towards the production of recyclable cars. However the industry in MOLVANIA, produces mainly recyclable cars and plans to phase out production of non-recyclable cars shortly and MOLVANIA is considering introducing legislation modeled on TRAMONTANA's recyclable car programme. As a WTO member, TRAMONTANA has breached the obligation of the national treatment where a member should treat foreigners and local equally: Imported and locally-produced goods should be treated equally — at least after the foreign goods have entered the market. The same should apply to foreign and domestic services, and to foreign and local trademarks, copyrights and patents. This principle of â€Å"national treatment† (giving others the same treatment as one’s own nationals) is also found in all the three main WTO agreements (Article 3 of GA TT, Article 17 of GATS and Article 3 of TRIPS), although once again the principle is handled slightly differently in each of these.National treatment only applies once a product, service or item of intellectual property has entered the market. Therefore, charging customs duty on an import is not a violation of national treatment even if locally-produced products are not charged an equivalent tax. TRAMONTANA will pay $300 per recyclable car produced to any domestic car manufacturer. This first measure of its programme is against the WTO obligation of National treatment. - According to the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT): "This agreement will extend and clarify the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade reached in the Tokyo Round. It seeks to ensure that technical negotiations and standards, as well as testing and certification procedures, do not create unnecessary obstacles to trade. However, it recognizes that countries have the right to establish protection, at levels they consider appropriate, for example for human, animal or plant life or health or the environment, and should not be prevented from taking measures necessary to ensure those levels of protection are met. The agreement therefore encourages countries to use international standards where these are appropriate, but it does not require them to change their levels of protection as a result of standardization." As the agreement states, TRAMONTANA does not have to change its level of protection as a result of standardization. In this case, it forbids non recyclable cars and recyclable cars from countries where non recyclable cars are produced to be imported. 2. As a response to these accusations TRAMONTANA could argue that on the opposite, they want to comply with the objectives of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade like the "Protection of Human safety and Health: The largest number of technical regulations and standards are adopted to aim at protecting human safety or health" and the "Protection of the Environment" which let to adopt this measures. TRAMONTANA can also offer a defense in explaining the set of measures is not to be adopted ate the same moment but gradually, leaving other countries the sufficient time to adapt to the new standards. 3. According to the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes article 10: Third parties Any Member having a substantial interest in a matter before a panel and having notified its interest to the DSB (referred to in this Understanding as a "third party") shall have an opportunity to be heard by the panel and to make written submissions to the panel. These submissions shall also be given to the parties to the dispute and shall be reflected in the panel

Magnet environment in Riyadh Military Hospital ICU unit Essay

Magnet environment in Riyadh Military Hospital ICU unit - Essay Example Many of the United States hospitals have engaged in developing plans required for reorganizing the nurse staffing while reducing operational cost to fit the magnetic environment according to Halligan (2006). These hospitals are using the magnetic approach in restructuring the nursing system that has proofed to be advantageous as it makes use of external management consultants who serve similar role with nurses hence reducing nurse retention. Since the introduction and implementation of magnetic hospitalization in Riyadh military, the hospital has experienced significant changes in its health care method of operation. Most of the implementation of magnetic environment focuses on the nurse job satisfaction as well as their turnover. Riyadh has to device a way o f retaining its magnetism in order to improve its nursing staff condition by examining cost containment and reorganization. The management in Riyadh has however shown that the hospital has been reluctant in revealing its reorgan ization process to the consultants for guidance according to Cranley, Cummings, Ferrone, Harvey and Tourangeau (2010). This is because they believe they best positioned to identify their appropriate change direction. The aspect of magnetic environment implementation in Riyadh should be because the nursing staff has been experiencing significant restructuring as well as external configuration. The general mix in nursing skills and sponsoring therein in service education is definitely an aspect that needs to be incorporated in implementation of magnetic environment. This is because such training reduces nurse attrition as well as rationalizing nurse retention as suggested by Magnet (2005). Due to the current shortage of nurses in the country, Riyadh Military Hospital intensive care... The main topic of the essay is the implementation of magnetic environment in Riyadh Military Hospital ICU unit involves clinical specialists’ deployment, more flexible working schedules, and professional models of care delivery. This essay then tells more about the evolution of nursing as a profession that has led to many hospitals to pursue magnetic accreditations hence a resurgence in the nursing grant rounds. The essay then goes through a specific case of intensive care unit in Riyadh Military Hospital, which is a challenging environment. As a result, there needs, a well-implemented magnetic environment to ensure there is nurse attrition and retention. This is because the intensive care unit deals with critically ill patients. This needs to take place in a magnetic environment where nursing, respiratory, and medical teams need to expect problems and stay informed of the patient’s problem. For the past four years, Riyadh Military Hospital has experienced a rapid impro vement in patient outcomes and this is attributed to the well-implemented magnetic environment. This has been due to the reduction in nurse attrition for those nurses who contribute to their best towards the critically ill patients. The aspect of magnetic environment implementation in Riyadh should be because the nursing staff has been experiencing significant restructuring as well as external configuration. . The implementation department should put into consideration that in promoting the retention of the nursing staff they should focus on modifying the work place.

Non profit mangement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Non profit mangement - Essay Example However, a close look and in-depth analysis of successful NPOs can help illumine understanding on the mystery behind the success of NPOs. One of the most popular and well established NPO is Oxfam. Oxfam is an international organisation that w as funded in 1942 by a group consisting of Quakers, Oxford academics and social activists in Oxford. This founding group later came to be known as Oxfam Great Britain, being based in Oxford, Oxfordshire, up to the moment. The success of Oxfam as an NPO is underscored by it comprising 17 organisations that work in more than 93 countries. The main agenda of Oxfam is poverty eradication, advocacy, disaster relief and management and policy research. Again, as if Oxfam’s robust size is not enough, Oxfam has about 5,960 employees and several fully fledged affiliates such as Oxford Great Britain (GB), Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Ireland, Oxfam America, Oxfam Quebec, Oxfam Novib (based in Netherlands), Oxfam Australia, Oxfam France, Oxfam Belgium, Oxfam Hong Kong, Oxfam Germany and Oxfam India. The fact that Oxfam has been in operation since 1942, is widely distributed in the world, has several strong affiliates and a large number of employees bespeak strong organisational and management acumen, particularly when the fact that the organisation does not exist for profit. Thus, the main point of this discourse is to review, analyse and evaluate the strategic positioning and operational tactics of an identified non-profit organisation (Oxfam) so as to instill understanding on how NPOs are managed and their operational systems executed. This is done in light of Oxfam’s general strategic positioning and direction as a whole and not a particular activity or function. A very salient part of NPOs operations is financial organisation and strategy. One of the important facets of financial management for NPOs is the identification of sources of finance. This aspect of financial management is important so that the

Ecommerce and Best Practices in CRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Ecommerce and Best Practices in CRM - Essay Example In addition, by changing paper-based or manual business processes with electronic methods, and by utilizing information flows in contemporary and active manners, e-commerce can improve order processing, delivery, and payment for services, products, and goods as well as minimize corporations’ inventory and operating expenses (Laudon and Laudon 25). This paper presents a detailed analysis of the e-commerce activities specially customer relationship management (CRM). The basic aim of this research is to analyze best practices in customer relationship management. The internet has become a common medium (or source) for electronic commerce (e-commerce), since it is creating up to date methods for organizations to collaborate with their stakeholders and customers. In simple words, e-commerce means carrying out business activities/operations on internet (Norton, 2001, p. 371) and (Worthington, 2003). Amazon.com is one of the most well-known examples of e-commerce. It uses e-commerce to run its business. When someone gives or submits an order at Amazon.com or even just views the web site, Amazon.com is able to scratch various online and e-mail advertisements to user’s interest. Another benefit of e-commerce that Amazon.com uses is the capability to communicate and collaborate with stakeholders and partners (Ray, 2004). This business has created a very useful web site that helps customers buy and ship chocolates. Kim Land, who is director of Godiva Direct says, â€Å"in the beginning this system was launched to make money.† And in two years, online sales have reached to more than 70 percent. This corporation successfully implemented the internet to alert the public to the exercise of catching sharks, taking away their fins for soup, and returning them to the ocean to die. In addition, the implementation of web site also helped people

Traditional learning styles adaptation Essay Example for Free

Traditional learning styles adaptation Essay In the last decade, many universities have started to adapt traditional learning styles to new technologies. They have done so because flexible learning allows the student to study at their own time and pace, which fits in with their lifestyle with the aid of technology. Technology has allowed the delivery of lectures to become more varied and imaginative and therefore more accessible to a wider student base. They have also done so because flexible learning allows students to access university courses without having to step foot within a lecture hall therefore it has become more widely available to students as it fits in with their lives and can be worked around their schedules, whether they are in the outback, different country, working etc. Technology has allowed the lectures to be accessible anywhere anytime as long as you have access to internet. Task 2 1.Reference Lodge, J 2010. ‘Communicating with first year students, so many channels but is anyone listening?’ A practice report’. The international Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 100-105. 2.Purpose and argument Communication with students is constantly changing with new technology, whilst many enjoy communicating through social networking and other online media sites, many also prefer a more traditional method of communication. Technology will continue to develop and getting important information over to students without it becoming lost within social networking sites will continue to become difficult. Therefore there needs to be options for getting messages across to students from all age groups. 3.Academic credibility Jason lodge is a psychological scientist and a well-known lecturer at Griffith University. He is also a researcher at the University of Queensland as well as other well-known Universities in Australia. His paper ‘Communicating with first year students: so many channels but is anyone listening: a practice report’ was published in 2010 making it fairly recent and not out dated. Most of his referencing is also fairly recent within the last ten years making it more academically credible. The other 12 end text references that Lodge uses are also based on factual information and published in journals and well known publishers such as Emerald Group Publishing Limited. 4.Headings and their main ideas Abstract In today’s modern world, universities have to keep up with the quick changing world of technology in order to communicate students. As technology changes frequently, it is difficult to find out what the students prefer for these communications. Social networking and other new online deliveries were generally met with a positive feedback from students. Background New technologies Higher education has radically changed with the modernisation of new information. Adopting new technology too eagerly has led to a situation where communication between and organisations and students are being lost. It is difficult to find which hi-tech channel is efficient and successful in getting messages across to students without getting lost and what is best for studying. The issues surrounding communication with first year students Various groups of students are entering higher education which presents complications in making sure communication needs of all students are met. The younger generations seems to be thriving on modern technology whilst the older generation prefers the more established lines of communications. However what is better for some students may not necessarily be good for others therefore finding something that works for everyone is fairly difficult. The current research Introduction Understanding students’ needs and preferences for communication channels within university life needs to be closely monitored and met. This needs to take into consideration, the wide age range within the first year of University life. Which communication method also needs to be observed as the more popular means of communication? Methods Social networking sites seem to be the most popular form of communications. With this in mind a group of students in their first year of studying were asked to complete a survey about which communication methods they preferred to receive messages from regarding administrative and educational issues. Results and discussions The result of this research showed that social networking sites were amongst the highest preferred methods of communications amongst university students for unofficial teamwork between students. However concerns were raised about the privacy of social networking sites when it came to communications with the university. On the other hand, when it came to communication about administrative or academic issues, students preferred to have contact either via email, in person or by phone. Recommendations The recommendations were that official messages from the Universities were best left to more recognized methods of communications but that the universities could use the social media outlets for more informal communications as long as they kept the messages short and to the point. The recommendation also suggested that it didn’t really matter what the generation gap was amongst the first year students as they were all catching up with the know-how of modern technology. Outcomes of discussion and reflections The problems of communicating necessary information to students seem to be across the board throughout other learning institutions. Students are continually inundated with information from the establishments therefore institutions need to make it simply for students to use and access, they need to present it in such a way that it is interesting, eye catching and encourages the student to participate with the organization as well as making it cost effective for the establishment. It was also established that social networking sites are probably best left for the students to communicate informally amongst one another rather than universities trying to communicate with students through these mean as their messages were largely overlooked and went unnoticed. As technology continues to grow and more forward, this will always present a communication problem for universities with first year students as they themselves are often also trying to not only cope with life as a first year student but also with the many new technical forms of communication that are constantly flooding the market. 5.Relevance or usefulness This reading will be very useful in doing my assignment because Lodge covers all aspects of flexible learning. He has looked at the problems that modern technology brings and how the different generations within the first year of learning will cope with it. How the delivery of the materials will be received from first year students and the problems that first year students face in accessing the materials as technology continues to grow and improve. Lodge has also tried to establish in what way is the best method for establishments to get their communications across to students.

The Chi-Square Goodness-of-Fit Test Essay Example for Free

The Chi-Square Goodness-of-Fit Test Essay The chi-square goodness-of-fit test is used to analyze probabilities of multinomial distribution trials along a single dimension. For example, if the variable being studied is economic class with three possible outcomes of lower income class, middle income class, and upper income class, the single dimension is economic class and the three possible outcomes are the three classes. On each trial, one and only one of the outcomes can occur. In other words, a family unit must be classified either as lower income class, middle income class, or upper income class and cannot be in more than one class. The chi-square goodness-of-fit test compares the theoretical, frequencies of categories from a population distribution to the observed, or actual, frequencies from a distribution to determine whether there is a difference between what was expected and what was observed. For example, airline industry officials might theorize that the ages of airline ticket purchasers are distributed in a particular way. To validate or reject this expected distribution, an actual sample of ticket purchaser ages can be gathered randomly, and the observed results can be compared to the expected results with the chi-square goodness-of-fit test. This test also can be used to determine whether the observed arrivals at teller windows at a bank are Poisson distributed, as might be expected. In the paper industry, manufacturers can use the chi-square goodness-of-fit test to determine whether the demand for paper follows a uniform distribution throughout the year. Karl Pearson introduced the chi-square test in 1900. The chi-square distribution is the sum of the squares of k independent random variables and therefore can never be less than zero; it extends indefinitely in the positive direction. Actually the chi-square distributions constitute a family, with each distribution defined by the degrees of freedom (df) associated with it. For small df values the chi-square distribution is skewed considerably to the right (positive values). As the df increase, the chi-square distribution begins to approach the normal curve. The chi-square goodness-of-fit test is used to analyze the distribution of frequencies for categories of one variable, such as age or number of bank arrivals, to determine whether the distribution of these frequencies is the same as some hypothesized or expected distribution. However, the goodness-of-fit test cannot be used to analyze two variables simultaneously. A different chi-square test, the chi-square test of independence, can be used to analyze the frequencies of two variables with multiple categories to determine whether the two variables are independent. Many times this type of analysis is desirable. The chi-square test of independence can be used to analyze any level of data measurement, but it is particularly useful in analyzing nominal data. Suppose a business researcher is interested in determining whether geographic region is independent of type of financial investment.

What Is Succession Planning Commerce Essay

What Is Succession Planning Commerce Essay In Lawrence S. Kleimans writings about the post-hiring phase, he suggests several elements that include training and development, compensation, productivity improvements and both financial and non-financial rewards (p.8). However, another crucial element that todays employees seriously consider when accepting a job opportunity is the succession planning framework of the organisation in question. Succession planning basically involves the establishing of the right people in the right positions at the right time to enable the division and ultimately the organisation to progress towards its goals. Atwood (2007) reiterates this when he explains that succession planning is the on-going process of identifying future leaders in an organisation and developing these leaders to enable them to helm the organisation effectively (p. 1). Atwood also goes on to explain that the succession planning process involves the reviewing of the organisations strategic plans, analysing the existing workforce, forecasting potential trends and developing employees through a structured plan to take over from current leaders who retire or decide to leave the organisation for whatever reasons (p. 1). In Rothwells (2010) writings, succession planning is defined as a means by which to identify and develop internal talent to meet current and future talent needs of the organisation (p. 7). The author further emphasises that succession planning is a deliberate and systematic effort of an organisation to ensure leadership continuity within the organisation. It is also a means to develop intellectual and knowledge capital for the future, and to spur individual advancement (p. 7). Singer and Griffith (2010) suggest that succession planning is more than just replacement planning or merely filling vacancies within the organisation as they occur. The author also states that comprehensive succession management integrates talent management with the organisations strategic planning (p. 1). Succession planning is a proactive initiative which does not wait for the talent or those in key positions to leave the organisation before the process kick-starts. Succession planning is an initiative that is ahead of the curve, anticipating, developing, and ensuring that key tasks are accomplished and knowledge is shared as well as transferred healthily (p.7). Another explanation of succession planning to mull over is Olstein, Marden, Voeller and Jennings (2005), whereby the authors suggest that succession planning is a utility that encompasses a well-developed plan to prepare for the future generational change (p.15). Succession planning is further reiterated as a methodical process that involves analysing the existing workforce, identifying the needs of the workforce in the future and determining the gap between the current and future. It also includes implementing solutions so that the organisation is able to achieve its corporate aspirations (p. 16). Hastings (2005) explains succession planning in four phases as illustrated below in diagram 1.1: Diagram 1.1: Four Phases of Succession Planning (Source: Hastings, 2005, p. 2) The diagram above talks about 4 phases in succession planning that are crucial for the process to be effective. Hastings also reiterates the earlier statements that succession planning is an on-going process and not just a one-time effort. The organisation has to keep the cycle of succession planning going in order for it to be able to effectively position its leadership candidates in the right places. 1.1 Who Needs Succession Planning? Succession planning should be undertaken by organisations who wish to continue their successes in the future or who plan to expand their success in the future. Shipman (2007) states that competitive organisations know that investing in their employees with career development and a good succession planning framework is an investment that will reap multiple rewards (p. 24). Shipman also states that due to the ageing workforce, succession planning is a priority that must be looked into in todays organisations (p. 25). It is an initiative that should involve employees with good performance and who show great potential for leadership roles within the organisation. Succession planning can involve employees from all levels of jobs. Hastings (2005) states that succession planning is needed for staff, with input from staff as well, as staff need to be aligned to the organisations succession planning framework in order for it to work effectively (3). In Rothwells (2005) writings he states that organisational leaders must realise that their companys long-term viability is at stake if they do not seriously structure succession planning. It will affect the retention of qualified talents within the organisation which will lead to serious effects on the organisations strategic objectives (p. 27). An effective succession plan will enhance the smooth transfer of business and allow the organisation to maintain good relationships with employees and business partners by way of (excerpt from the Canada Business Network): Protecting the business legacy Building value for the organisations and its business Providing financial security for stakeholders Dealing with unexpected leadership absences such as death, resignations or termination. Preparing for the future of the business Therefore it can be concluded that succession planning is not only need for the organisations workforce but also for the organisation itself to maintain its competitiveness and to achieve its corporate objectives and goals. 1.2 The Importance of Succession Planning According to Rothwell (2005), succession planning is important for 4 main reasons (p. 41): The continued success and survival of the organisation which depends on the right people being at the right positions at the right time. The lack of good leadership in the market at large to take on the helm of an organisation To encourage diversity and multiculturalism within the organisation To establish the basis for career path planning, development and training plans In the Houston Chronicle (http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-succession-planning-5129.html ), Louise Balle suggests that succession planning is an approach whereby an organisation or business owner transfers knowledge or even the administration of the business to another capable or well-equipped individual upon retirement, disability or even death. Balle further reiterates that a succession plan is important because it offers the organisations management or the business owner an alternative for when the need arises. In Elizabeth Harrins (2010) article in The Glasshammer website, it is stated that the number of managers available to step into leadership roles will drop dramatically in the coming years according to a study by EgonZehnder International. The study states that the average company will be left with just one half of its talents by 2015, due to the fact that there are just not sufficient people with the right skills and experience to take the reigns for the future (except from http://www.theglasshammer.com/news/2010/04/27/developing-future-leaders/ ). Therefore, succession planning is a crucial element to ensure leadership continuity within an organisation, without which the organisation will have no capable leaders at the helm for the future. The HR Council for the Non-Profit Sector (excerpt from http://hrcouncil.ca/hr-toolkit/planning-succession.cfm#_secA3 )states that succession planning is important because it can offer the following benefits: The assurance that the organisation is prepared for leadership crises and can maintain leadership continuity. The continued supply of qualified and motivated people who are capable and prepared to take on the current senior positions within the organisation. Assures alignment of the organisations vision and human resources that reflect a good understanding for strategic human capital planning. Shows the organisations strong commitment towards developing its peoples career paths as well as enabling the organisation to facilitate effective recruitment and retention of high-performing employees. A strong reputation as an employer who invests in its people and provides opportunities for advancement. Strengthen employee engagement conveying the message that the organisation values its employees. In an article in The StarBiz (2 July 2007), it is stated that Malaysian companies are generally aware of the importance of succession planning, particularly larger corporations. The article quotes SMR Technologies Bhd Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr R. Palan as saying that common sense dictates that an organisation should have a succession plan in place despite their size and status. Palan also states that in Malaysian government-linked companies, much effort has been made to develop the next level of leadership in a conscious and planned manner. He said that there is a common trend worldwide for large companies to focus on developing stars and A players the top 5 per cent of a companys manpower. He reiterates that smooth successions were a result of well-thought plans to ensure business continuity (excerpt from http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/7/2/business/18179462sec=business ). Dr Palan offers an example in The General Electric Company (GE), whereby he states GE is arguably one of the most successful companies in the world with a good track record of returns to shareholders. Dr Palan explains that this is attributed to GEs CEO Jack Walsh, having a pool of three successors, before he retired, to take on the administration of the company. One succeeded Jack Walsh whilst the other two went on to contribute successfully in other corporations. Dr Palan stresses that companies should have a succession plan as it is the only way to stay relevant in a changing world (excerpt from http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/7/2/business/18179462sec=business ). Another statement by a Malaysian business stalwart in The StarBiz (2 July 2010) Dr Michael Yeoh states that Malaysian corporations were now increasingly aware of the importance of succession planning in order to establish business continuity in the interests of stakeholders. He quotes that some listed companies on Bursa Malaysia now have three or four possible candidates that could replace the CEO if and when necessary (http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/7/2/business/18179462sec=business). 1.3 The Current Issues in Succession Planning The current issues affecting succession planning can take on many facets. According to Rothwell (2001), these issues can include (article 78); An aging workforce and retirement of Baby Boomers. Changes in the work environment with varying processes, technologies and mechanisms. Changes in the workforce with regard to diversity, with the increasing number of immigrant workers in all sectors. Globalisation which includes rules and regulations, government polices and processes as well as evolving methods of business transactions. Military conflicts, affecting countries with civil instability. Technology accelerators, that enable business to be done in a myriad of methods which are different from past business transactions in the 1990s and before that. Tight labour market Unethical and unprofessional behaviour of organisation leadership, that includes prejudice, unequal opportunities and unprofessionalism, amongst others. According to Mathis and Jackson (2010), issues surrounding succession planning are prevalent worldwide. The authors state that the percentage of the aging population in the workforce in Japan, Germany, Italy and England, are even higher than in the USA. Their analysis says that with the growth of the immigrants, employers are facing both legal and workforce diversity issues. The authors also state that in countries with growing native workforces, such as China and India, succession planning is crucial (p. 290). Mandi (2008) explains that issues relating to succession planning can stem from various aspects. Effective succession planning involves the identification and selection of future key leaders, however, if there are no suitable candidates for leadership within the organisation, that poses another problem (p. 88). Organisations must have a formal and structured succession planning framework to ensure the success of this process. Without a formal and structured framework, organisations are sure to meet failure. Many organisations today, especially the smaller establishments, may not see the succession planning as mission critical until a leadership crises hits them. However, succession planning does not always guarantee success for the organisation, however, it can set the organisation on the right path to success. Achieving that success is altogether another aspect to consider and analyse. 1.4 How To Effectively Conduct Succession Planning According to an article in The Star (30 October 2012), change can be traumatic. Large organisations, small businesses, families and even governments are at their most vulnerable during a leadership transition. In many cases, the moment a new CEO takes up the reins, there will be issues, regardless of how competent or experienced the new leaders is on paper. The article suggests 6 critical steps to kick-start succession planning within the organisation: Align the board and top management with the organisations business strategy and map out short-term, mid-term and long-term wins. It defeats the purpose of identifying new leadership candidates to lead the organisation into the future if the future itself is not clear. Build leadership profiles. Identify the attributes needed to help the company achieve its corporate goals. Identify the ideal skills needed and analyse the boards or top managements vision of the ideal CEO in the next five to ten years. Identify high potential talent. Find people within the organisation and externally, who have leadership potential and match them to the ideal vision of the corporate leadership. Develop talent. Have clear cut developmental plans for high-potential leadership candidates, so as to groom these candidates to take on the intended leadership roles within the organisation. Identify their areas of weakness or inexperience and device structured plans to address these areas and provide them with opportunities for more exposure within the organisation. This might mean giving them the opportunity for hands-on experience in management positions that they have never dealt with previously, sending them on overseas assignments, improving their technical skills and business acumen and even shadowing a member of senior management to learn the ropes. Coach high potential candidates. Management succession candidates should receive one-on-one sessions with high level executives to learn more about top management functions and how to manage problems. Internal mentoring is a powerful tool and is incredibly valuable. External executive coaching is also an excellent way to learn new and innovative techniques from other successful leaders. Transfer knowledge. It is crucial for succession planning to establish mechanisms that maintain succession planning despite board or management turnover. The succession planning momentum must be maintained regardless of the changes happening within the organisation. Only then can succession planning be effectively administered within the organisation. Close monitoring of candidates progress. Succession candidates must be closely monitored with regard to their progress and development. A candidate chosen today may not be suitable anymore after a one-year period. Candidates must be evaluated periodically on their current suitability for potential leadership positions in the future. According to Durai (2010), prerequisites for successful succession planning include the following (p. 246); Complete support and patronage from top management. The organisation must periodically review the list of critical positions within the organisation and bring them under the succession planning programme. Whilst determining HR strategies for training and development, the succession planning requirements must be taken into account. The knowledge, skills and capabilities of employees must be developed on a sustained basis. A proper mechanism must be established to provide constant feedback to the potential successors about their performance and progress. The organisation needs to adopt a strategic and holistic approach to succession planning as well as the development of its leadership. 1.5 Conclusion Many organisations realise the importance of succession planning and have great plans to support this idea. However well these plans may have been crafted, there may be hitches in them that need to be addressed. According to Durai (2010), these impediments may include the following (p. 246): Lack of criteria for the identification of the successor Organisations must set clear-cut criteria for the selection of potential succession candidates. This will outline an unbiased framework for the selection of eligible and capable candidates. Existence of traditional succession planning systems Many traditional succession planning systems entail the selection of succession candidates to replace specific individuals instead of the position. This kind of system can often end-up with the identification of a few subordinates by the senior managers for inclusion in the succession planning programme. The organisation should instead identify key positions to be included in the succession planning programme. Only then it should develop a pool of high-potential candidates for inclusion in the succession planning process. Inaccurate diagnosis of development requirements There are many cases where organisations make a wrong assessment of skills requirements of potential candidates. When skills requirements are misjudged, it can lead to the inaccurate selection of training and development approaches as well as performance evaluation methods. Therefore it is crucial for organisations to engage proven methods to identify skills and knowledge requirements for its succession planning candidates. Insufficient emphasis on interpersonal skills requirements Leaders should have good interpersonal and team-building skills that can help them engage employees. Therefore, succession planning candidates for leadership positions must be evaluated on their ability to engage people within the organisation. Often this is not properly evaluated leaving gaps on communication, motivation and socialisation skills for potential candidates. Lack of sufficient and timely sharing of feedback The lack of feedback and guidance towards a succession candidate can drive the successor out of the organisation due to frustration and a lack of purpose. Therefore it is importance for potential candidates to know that they are in the succession planning line for leadership positions in order for them to be well-aligned with HRs plans. Lack of follow-up actions In many organisations, succession planning often remains in the background without clear-cut follow-up plans and actions. In these organisations, management fails at taking succession planning to its logical end, resulting in the chosen candidates for succession being left in limbo. This speaks about bad planning and implementation for succession planning within the organisation. Absence of managerial initiative and support Management initiative and support are crucial to the success of succession planning. Therefore it is important for HR to educate management on the benefits of succession planning so that management can support this concept on a sustained basis. Psychological effects and insecurity of superiors It is quite common for managers to feel threatened when succession planning is done for their positions as they see it to be an end of their own career. In cases like this, an insecure superior may display disinterest and even apathy in sharing his skills and knowledge with potential candidates. To address this, top management must enlighten managers about the purpose surrounding the succession planning framework and dispel apprehensions about the programme. QUESTION 2: COMPETENCY-BASED PAY 2.1 What is Competency-based Pay? Lawrence Kleinmans article on Human Resource Management (HRM) offers a broad perspective of human resource management. The article suggests that human resource has gone beyond just hiring and paying employees. Instead, he states that HRM encompasses a whole paradigm of human capital management with many facets, one of which includes the strategic intent behind an employees pay scale. Traditionally, wages have always been determined by the assigned job of an employee. However, in todays human resource management, many organisations are adopting the approach of competency-based pay. According to Caruth and Handlogten (2001), competency-based pay is a salary structure whereby workers are paid not simply for the job they may be doing presently , but on the basis of the total number of jobs they are able to perform or on the basis of the depth of knowledge they have acquired (p. 146). Another explanation of competency-based pay by Baldwin (2003) states that employees value depends on what they can do, based on their respective competencies. The more an employee is able to do, the more the organisation can expect and the greater the individuals value (p. 101). The author states that competency-based pay stresses importance on the competency of an employee (p. 101). According to Robbins, Odendaal and Roodt (2003), competency-based pay is another alternative to job-based pay. Instead of having an individuals job title define his or her pay, competency-based pay sets pay levels on the basis of how much an employee can do and how many skills the employee has (p. 161). The United Kingdoms Local Government Employers (excerpt from www.lge.gov.uk ) define competency-based pay as a system that rewards individuals who positively contribute to the overall values and objectives of the organisation basically meaning, rewarding the way people work and not just acknowledging their delivery capabilities. Another definition to consider is one by Jackson, Schuler and Werner (), who explain that a competency-based pay structure is associated with the skills of individuals, whereby pay rates are reflect the value assigned to the demonstrated skills of employees and not the value affixed to their job or task (p. 383). In article by Sriyan De Silva (1998) for the International Labour Office, competency-based pay or skill-based pay refers to a pay system which is linked to the depth of skills an employee acquires and applies. De Silvafurther adds that competency-based pay is a person-based pay system and not a job-based pay system. It rewards an employee for what the employee is worth it rewards a broad range of skills which encourages the employee to be multi-skilled and flexible (excerpt from http://www.ilo.org ). 2.2 Why Adopt A Competency-based Pay Scheme? Caruth and Handlogten (2001) suggest that the competency-based pay schemes are a result of organisational downsizing and restructuring. As organisations become leaner and more cost conscious, it is crucial for employees to be able to perform multiple tasks. (p. 146). Kusluvan (2003) states that competency-based pay systems motivate employees to develop and apply their agility and initiative when performing their duties or servicing customers (p. 795). This is a kind of incentive to draw more hidden talents out of employees and harness their hidden potential. In todays materialistic world, as much as it may sound decadent, money is the highest motivating factor for workers. Employees who were once redundant and unproductive can be actually change to be more innovative, contribute more productively and achieve performance excellence by way of monetary incentives. This, of course, may not work for certain groups of people who are not motivated by money however, the majority seems to jum p with the sight of monetary-based incentives. Robbins, Odendaal and Roodt (2003) suggest that competency-based pay offers flexibility from a management perspective (p. 161). Filling vacancies is easier when employee skills are interchangeable this is especially true in todays context whereby organisations are downsizing and cutting the size of their workforces. The authors state that downsized organisations require more generalists as compared to specialists (p. 161). With competency-based pay schemes employers are less likely to encounter self-centeredness amongst employees and the attitude of Its not my job. Another aspect that Robbins, Odendaal and Roodt (2003) raise is that competency-based pay schemes help meet the needs of ambitious employees who confront minimal advancement opportunities (p. 161). These employees are able to increase their earning capacity and knowledge without a promotion in job title or role. Competency-based pay is also able drive performance excellence and improvements. Robbins, Odendaal and Roodt q uote survey of Fortune 1000 companies which found that 60 per cent of those on a competency-based pay scheme indicated higher success rates in increasing organisational performance, whilst only 6 per cent considered this approach unsuccessful (p. 161). In todays business environment, where productivity is number one, competency-based pay systems offer employers an edge to garner more productivity from their employees, resulting in better business performance and more improvements. 2.3 The Advantages and Disadvantages of Competency-based Pay Advantages Disadvantages According to Messmer (2007), competency-based pay schemes create incentives for sustained improved performance (p. 174). This approach appeals to high performers who prefer to be paid on the basis of what they contribute and not on seniority (p. 174). According to Messmer (2007), competencies must be outlined carefully to avoid potential discrimination charges. Messmer also suggests that it may be incompatible with labour contracts associated with unionised workers (p. 174). Competency-based pay schemes helps employees grow in place and provides them the guidance for closing knowledge gaps required for lateral moves within the organisation (Arthur, 2001, p. 67). Competency-based pay schemes can lead to employees being topped-out, which means they can learn all the skills the programme calls for them to learn, which in turn will frustrate employees after they have become challenged by an environment of learning, growth and continual pay raises (Robbins, 2003, p. 179). It reduces the need for promotion in order to earn higher wages and offers employees the opportunity earn higher wages through skills enhancement (DeSilva, 1998, www.ilo.org ). Competency-based pay schemes do not address the level of performance, instead it only deals with whether an employee can perform the skill (Robbins, 2003, p. 179). The broadening of skills results in employees developing a better perspective of operations in its entirety (DeSilva, 1998, www.ilo.org ). Associating competency to pay requires substantial investments in training and development facilities as well as competence assessment systems, in order to provide all employees the opportunity to increase competency and pay levels (White, Druker, 2000, p. 88). Competency-based pay schemes break down narrow job classifications and enlarges job roles (DeSilva, 1998, www.ilo.org ). Can be tedious and challenging to manage as pay has to be constantly calculated based on the set formula and criteria. 2.4 How To Conduct An Effective Competency-based Pay Scheme For Middle Managers in the Marketing Department It is crucial for an organisation to constantly evaluate and review their total pay structure in order to remain relevant in the ever-evolving business environment and to retain critical talents. In order to drive performance and maximise value, it is crucial to remunerate employees based on their competence levels, skills sets, capabilities, contributions and result-based performance. Competency-based Pay for Campaps Middle Management This study will analyse competency-based pay scheme to be implementedforCheeWah Corporation Berhad a stationary solutions provider in Malaysia operating with the brand name Campap (excerpt from www.campap.com). The company has outlets located in major cities in Malaysia and has a marketing department comprising of 55 employees. The marketing department comprises the following organisational structure: Diagram 2.1: CheeWah Corporations Marketing Department Organisation Chart In the case of CheeWah, the competency-based pay scheme will be introduced first to middle managers in the marketing department, which are the Senior Marketing Managers. The competency-based pay scheme will need to take into account the companys vision which is We aspire to be the LEADING supplier that commits to meet and exceed our customers expectations (excerpt from www.campap.com ). Their human resource management is aligned around the theme Developing our people to drive corporate growth. Before this study delves into CheeWahs competency-based pay model, other pay models will be discussed for comparison. Competency-based Pay Models Kusluvan (2003) describes a competency-based pay model whereby it is a process identical to a selection strategy where traits most valued by the organisation are identified and ways to embed these traits into the employees competencies and performance goals are derived (p. 795). Heneman (2002) describes a competency-based pay model whereby compensation is adjusted when an employee demonstrates with knowledge and performance tests that he or she has the required skills to reach the next level (p. 160). Wright (2004) describes a competency-based pay model that takes into account innovation, quality enhancement and cost reduction aside from the employees skills and competencies (p. 4). In the case of CheeWah, the competency-based pay model for middle managers will take the following approach: CheeWah Corporations Competency-based Pay Model for the Marketing Department Organisational Vision, Business Strategy and Human Resource Mandate Required Employee Behaviour HR and Reward Policies Industry Leadership Proactive and constantly seeking to expand their areas of coverage. Regular association and engagement with industry leaders and leadership platforms. Pay raise based on annual achievements of industry engagement opportunities. Financial remuneration for each leadership platform penetrated on an annual basis. Corporate Growth The ability to establish new business opportunities and penetrate new markets. A 2 percent commission on each new business gained and 10% increment per annum for the total number of new business gained per annum. The opportunity for an all-paid overseas trip for the achievement of industry awards for performance excellence. Cost Reduction/ Minimisation The strategic ability t