A Case Analysis of Calyx and Corolla Essay -- Flower Companies Busines

A Case Analysis of Calyx and Corolla This analysis focuses on the case study of Calyx & Corolla, a mail order flower company. Calyx & Corolla is a relatively new company that utilizes a different distribution channel than conventional companies for fresh flowers. Calyx & Corolla mails flowers direct from the growers to the customers via Federal Express and eliminates the middleman (Appendix A). This permits Calyx & Corolla to provide fresher, longer-lasting flowers to consumers. The management of Calyx & Corolla is contemplating a change in their long-term business strategy as they examine their ability to compete with more traditional outlets such as retail flower shops and wire services like FTD. Ruth Owades, the founder of Calyx & Corolla, has hired Marketing Consultants (MarCo) to assess the strengths and weaknesses of her business and make recommendations on how her company can fully develop their mail order concept. Background: Calyx & Corolla is a small mail order flower company that was founded in 1988 by Ruth Owades. Ms. Owades secured $2 million in capital from approximately 18 different investors in order to launch the company. By 1991, Calyx & Corolla exceeded $10 million in annual sales and Owades and her associates were reassessing the firm's long-term growth strategy (Wylie and Salmon, 1991). Up to this point, Calyx & Corolla was primarily a mail order company, but management is now considering expanding their market and is unsure of how they should proceed. Recently, a well-financed venture capital-backed start-up failed and Calyx & Corolla acquired some of its assets. Another unproven competitor recently entered the market, financed by a large Japanese conglomerate. The company's success is primarily due to a few key employees. Ruth Owades plays a major part in the selection and pricing of flowers and other merchandise that appears in the catalog. Fran Wilson, the vice president of operations, is responsible for customer orders and service, day-to-day communications with growers, systems development, and finance. Ann Hayes Lee is responsible for merchandise development and catalog creation and production. She is also responsible for non-direct mail initiatives that are aimed at accelerating the growth of the business. Calyx & Corolla espouses the values and creativity of these individuals and their employees. Taking into consi... ...ists will cost $20 C&C could find (1000) floral shops interested in selling C&C products at a substantial profit. C&C would allow floral shops to keep 30% of the sale Particpating floral shops would sell (1) C&C product per week The average sale at the florist shop would be $47.63 (from Appendix B) The average COGS at the florist shop would be $10.95 (from Appendix B) Sales Revenue Estimated C&C Estimated Floral Shop Number of Rate of Number of Sales Revenue Sales Revenue Catalogs Customer Orders per Order @ per Order @ Distributed Response Received $47.63 x 0.7 Average Sale $47.63 x 0.3 Average Sale 1000 52 52000 $1,733,732 $743,028 Costs of Goods Sold (COGS) Number of Rate of Number of Estimated Catalogs Customer Orders Cost of goods sold Distributed Response Received @ $10.95/sale 1000 52 52000 $569,400 Florist Derived Catalog Business Sales and Marking Costs (SMC) Number of Production & Number of Costs for Costs for Total Sales & Catalogs Mail Costs @Order Shipping Handling Marketing Costs Distributed $20/Catalog Received Orders Orders per Group 1000 $20,000 52000 $468,000 $260,000 $748,000 Sales Revenue - COGS - SMC for Catalog Sales for C&C = $416,332

Interpersonal Process: Decision Making in Organizations Essay

The crucial part of any organization is making good decisions in the various contexts. To reach good decisions, they need reliable information, experience in interpreting information, and reaching a consensus. However, this process of decision-making remains incomplete without the consultation process as the view and expertise of other people in an organization can help to admit one or alter one’s mind. The process of decision-making is supported by various tools and techniques that help an organization better sort and analyze the information by adding numerical and objective precision to minimize the level of subjectivity. As organizational decision-making process is people-centric and it always has some level of subjectivity in it, some sort of training can enable managers to be better decision makers. A supportive environment where one is fairly criticized for making wrong choices and proper support from other group members and superiors enables managers to make better decisions (Kippenberger, T, 1998). The importance of interpersonal process of decision-making is obvious in all types of decisions made in the organizational context such as strategic decision of investment and direction of future growth taken by the board of director and tactical decision about material handling and effectiveness at departmental levels taken by managers. In addition, in the 21st century of market-oriented and customer focused approach also puts pressure on employees to make decision about their own tasks, responses to customers and improvement to business practice. The process of first collecting alternative possibilities and then converging on a solution is referred as decision making. In fact when we decide we try to cut off from all other alternatives as the Latin root of the world decision suggests and means. In the presence and emergence of new innovative solutions and huge variations in the ways business are being done, decision making process still remains a human process. However, the advance methodologies and MIS have reduced the level of human efforts in collecting  and sorting the information thus making the decision-making process comparatively less complicated and difficult. As we have already explained that decision-making is a human-centric process, the importance of interpersonal skills of influencing others, conflict resolving, communicating, and conveying the messages etc cannot be minimized. Decision-making is not only confined to only choosing among the alternative solutions and diverging but this process also involves dialogs, brainstorming, contemplative reflection, critique and conflict resolution. In addition, interpersonal processes of decision making is much evident in new types of organizational structures such as team-based matrix structure where collaborative and group decision-making are increasingly being used to enhance decision-making process as compared to the conventional decision-making processes. GLOBALIZATION: The fast spread of phenomenon of globalization is increasing the present level of complexity o the ways of decision-making as to collect and process the data becomes a difficult and cumbersome issue. As boundaries of the countries are getting wider and non-evident in the presence of globalization, organizations are under huge pressures to make decisions collaboratively to effectively manage the flow of goods, services, labor and capital. These organizations to win the increasingly competitive environment have started to rely on participatory and inclusive approaches to decision-making and knowledge creation. As global organizations have their offices spread across many countries of the world make use, they have to arrange meeting online, face-to-face discussions and group participations from distant and geographically disparate locations. This process of decision making utilizes certain online technologies and solutions to increase the level of efficiency, however, these tools only support the human-centric decision-making process and don’t become alternative to interpersonal process of decision-making. In addition, these tools enhance and improve  communication, learning, creativity and problem solving abilities of management (Anonymous, 2007). GROUP DECISION MAKING: Over the past few years group decision making has become much common and popular as its important function is to come up with a collective decision through discussions, and diversity of ideas, and thus making this process more interpersonal. Sometimes individual members’ enduring attitudes is shifted to the more polarized group position. One of the benefits of this interpersonal process of decision-making is the group members’ learning from each other and mutual persuasion. However, the view point of one member has strong influence on the behavior and attitude of other members even if they sometimes don’t give due importance to each other’s arguments (Isenberg, 1986). Seeking the arguments of most participants but also resolving and mitigating the minority objections is another from of group decision making referred as Consensus decision-making. It is more participative, collaborative and interpersonal approach of decision making. For instance, many organizations use Robert’s Rule of Order for structuring debate and passage of proposals to reach to a majority decision, however, the goal of full agreement and consensus is often missed. As this process often formulate adversarial debates and competing factions, disturbing group members’ relationships, it become much difficult for a group to cooperatively and collaboratively implement a contentious decision (Jeffery, A. B., 2005). REFERENCES: Kippenberger, T, (1998), â€Å"Strategic decisions: the value of diversity and conflict†, The Antidote, 3(7), Emeraldinsight [Online], Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.scu.edu.au/journals.htm?issn=1363-8483&volume=3&issue=7&articleid=873429&show=html (Accessed: 02 December, 2010) Jeffery, A. B., Maes, J.D., Bratton-Jeffery, M.F., (2005), â€Å"Improving team decision-making performance with collaborative modeling†, Team Performance Management, 11(1/2), pp. 40-50, Emeraldinsight [Online], Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.scu.edu.au/journals.htm?issn=1352-7592&volume=11&issue=1/2&articleid=1464479&show=html (Accessed: 03 December, 2010) Baron, R.S., & Kerr, N.L. (2002). Group Process, Group Decision, Group Action. 2nd edn. Buckingham: Open University Press

Essay on Modernism in Literature - 1532 Words

The turn of the 20th century conveyed revolution in psychological, social, and philosophical thought. It was time for something neoteric. It was time to break out of the mundane tradition. This time of revolution conceded men, such as Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, and Sigmund Freud, to rise to fame with their radical and cutting edge theories. Also, women were exasperated of their modeled roles in society. They sought to be independent, they longed to have the ability to vote, and most of all, they wanted legal equality. This time period also brought the renewal of European expansion. With new motivations, such as economic motivations, social imperialism, and the new theories of racial superiority, the British empire began concentrating on†¦show more content†¦The space in between the front lines of the defenders and the attackers was known as No Man’s Land. (Trench Warfare) Thousands of battle hardened soldiers would put their lives on the line by running into this no m ans land, just to win a few feet in the battle of the frontline. This led to hundreds of thousands of casualties just to gain two or three feet on the battlefield. There is no better picture of this theory of irrational creatures than in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness, which was published in 1902. (Heart of Darkness) This novella is the story of a man, Marlow, who gathers a crew of sailors to journey down to the Congo, in British controlled Africa. As Marlow and his men begin the adventure down the river, they are soon given a mission to capture Mr. Kurtz, the best ivory extractor in all of Africa. The problem is, Kurtz has gone crazy, and his methods have gone tribal. The corporation believes he has gone insane. Its not until Marlow finally gets to Kurtz through a very trying journey, that he realizes Kurtzs actions are like the rest of ours, except Kurtz was tired of hiding behind civilization. Marlow realizes that we are all evil and we are all corrupt, but we attempt to hide it with civilization. The horror, the horror (Conrad) are Kurtz last words he utters to Marlow before he dies. Kurtz realizes the life of evil he has lived, theShow MoreRelatedEssay on Modernism at Its Finest in Literature756 Words   |  4 PagesModernism at Its Finest In the beginning of the twentieth century, literature changed and focused on breaking away from the typical and predicate patterns of normal literature. Poets at this time took full advantage and stretched the idea of the mind’s conscience on how the world, mind, and language interact and contradict. Many authors, such as Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, and Twain, used the pain and anguish in first hand experiences to create and depict a new type of literature, modernism. In thisRead MoreThemes of Modernism859 Words   |  4 PagesThemes of Modernism The term Modernism refers to the shift in values and cultural awareness that appeared in the art and literature of the post- World War One period. Modernism showed that there had been a change since the previous Victorian period. The Victorian era and its literature showed a very optimistic outlook on life, but the new era of Modernism rejected this idea and chose to portray life to be extremely pessimistic. Many of the Modern writers showed the world and society to be in anRead MoreThe Era Of Modernism : What People Do People Perceive Through Their Perceptions?945 Words   |  4 Pagesillustrating† (Modernism). Just as Jackson Pollock had been saying, modern art has a peculiar way of being perceived. Just as importantly as reading modern literature, the writing in such an art shows that reality is what people perceive through their perceptions. The era of Modernism was a time of great progression and innovation that set the foundation for the present day literature, redefinin g how readers read and writers wrote literature. During the earlier years of Modernism, T.S. Eliot, VirginiaRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain864 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many different time periods in literature, and throughout these periods the way authors or poets wrote their works gradually changed during each period. These periods are known as realism, modernism, and also post-modernism. As one period of literature would come to a close and the new one would begin author wanted to make a change in the way literature was written. With each change in period, author s would want to do something different than the previous period due to the fact of theRead More Modernism Essay801 Words   |  4 PagesModernism â€Å"An inclination to subjective distortion to point up the evanescence of the social world of the nineteenth century bourgeoisie.† -Barth, â€Å"Literature of Replenishment† (www.iath.virginia.edu/elab/hfl0255.html) Modernism was rebellion against not only the repressive principles of the Victorian era but also the emergence of the fast-changing, materialistic corporate society. The period precedingRead MorePostmodernism And The Future Of Literature1214 Words   |  5 PagesPostmodernism and the Future of Literature During the 19th and early 20th, Western world experienced numerous historical events and influential changes, including the Word Wars and technological revolutions. These phenomenons affected the society at large, including in the aspect of art and literature. 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Therefore, it is usefulRead MoreThe Themes Of Cultural And Spiritual Crisis940 Words   |  4 Pagescrisis fragmentation by T.S Eliot Modernism is a critical topic that has not only engulfed the contemporary literary discussion, but has attracted interest in the field of poetry. It therefore explains the critical relationship among modernism, culture and spiritual desires of the society. One of such attraction has not spared the contribution by Eliot. The poem by Eliot is characterized by a lot of themes that define and demonstrate elements of modernism. 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Yet, it’s actually a lot different then your thinking. Modernism is the movement in visual arts, music, literature, and drama, which rejected the old Victorian standards of how art should be made, consumed, and what it should mean. Modernists want the absolute truth

The Correlation Between Two Rivals Traditions Of Economic...

Name: Professor: Course: Date: Midterm Exam Q1. The correlation between two rival traditions of economic thought by Hunt Lautzenheister and the great divide in social sciences Smith’s economic theory of economic welfare was, above all else, policy-oriented theory. His principal concern was to ascertain what social and economic forces were most conducive to increasing human welfare, and, by this, to recommend policies that would best promote human happiness. Smith’s definition of economic well-being was quite simple and straightforward. According to Smith, Economic welfare depends on the amount of the annual produce of labour and the number of consumers (Hunt 22). In every economy, welfare increases as the composition of productive output†¦show more content†¦The three social classes each received a distinct form of monetary return; rent, wages and profits. These forms of class income primarily correspond to the three parts of the production costs and determines the prices of commodities. However, Smith assumed that selfish and acquisitive motives characterized all economic behaviour despite his admission that in noneconomic behaviour , people had other motives, including those considered altruistic. The assumption that all economic behaviour depends on selfish, acquisitive motives was to become the foundation of neoclassical economics beginning in the late nineteenth century. Within the context of Smith’s theory of history, capitalism represented the highest stage of civilization, and capitalism would reach its greatest height when in had evolved to a state in which the government had adopted a laissez-faire policy. It allows the forces of competition and the free interplay of supply and demand to regulate the economy, which would be almost entirely unhindered by government interventions. According to Smith, the level of production in any society depends on the number of production labourers and the level of their productivity. Productivity, in turn, depends on specialization. According to the same scholar, specialization is the greatest improvement in the productive power of labour, and the greatest part of the skill. In most instances, there exist two principles that govern the extent of

Essay about Racial Profiling Problem or Solution

Everyday people are pulled over for speeding, and broken tail lights, but does it become an issue when law enforcement start pulling people over for no reason. Racial Profiling, while sometimes used inappropriately, can sometimes be a good thing because it can help cut down on illegal immigrants, drug trafficking, and help prevent terrorism. Many issues arise regarding legal immigrants and non-legal immigrants in quiet neighborhoods nationwide. Racial profiling has been increasing for many years, from the 1500’s up to present time. Debora Kops defines racial profiling in two ways; a narrow definition and a broad definition. Narrow definition describes stopping and searching based solely on race itself, while the broad definition not†¦show more content†¦As the news media exploded, terms like â€Å"Driving while Black† or â€Å"Driving while Brown† were used and known by members of the community (Kops 41-42). In 1999, President Bill Clinton took the steps to begin a process of collecting data on race and ethnicity of the public who were stopped and searched by federal agencies in attempt to gain tangible numbers to better understand policing activities (â€Å"Data collection†).More than twenty states to this date have passed legislation prohibiting racial profiling and mandating data collections on all stops and searches. There are many benefits to data collecting; departments are provided with information on all stops and searches, including length of stop and the result of such stop, assessing the relationships between law enforcement and the citizens, and having the ability to identify misconduct in the field. Law enforcement agencies also hope data collection will help teach the community and develop training programs about racial profiling. Data comparing, ensuring the data collected is true and that law enforcement are following through are some of the concerns many have with this program (â€Å"Racial Profiling† ). As the United States continues the war over seas and the war on the boarders, Immigration Operations and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, have arrested over thirty thousand immigrants in 2007 alone, almost doubled from the previous year(Little 75). Massive sweeps byShow MoreRelatedTitle: Police Abuse. The essay includes the definition of police abuse, the causes, examples of police abuse, relationship with racial profiling, suggestions of solutions about the problem.1196 Words   |  5 Pagesrift has widened the threatening racial discrimination. The reasons for the gap are complex and deep. According to the experts, it is based on the nation s painful racial history. The current practice of racial profiling, where skin color is a criterion to pull over a driver is ongoing today. For instance, when Reggie Miller, who is Black, had been ordered to pull over by a Nashville police officer for driving with expired tags, had suffered chronic back problems as a result of the beating. It wasRead MoreNarrow Views On The United States939 Words   |  4 Pagesbut also by America government official’s racial profiling citizens of all nationalities that set foot into America territory. As citizens of the United States, we are concerned about criminality undermining our society; drugs, terrorist attacks and violence are increasing in our communities. Although crime is a serious problem in our society, government resources are limited and we live under a terrorist threat. 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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) defines racial profiling as â€Å"the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion or national origin† (2005). Do not confuse racial profiling with criminal profiling; criminal profiling is usually practiced by police in which they use a group of characteristics that are associated with crime to target individualsRead MoreEssay on Criminal Profiling1253 Words   |  6 PagesCriminal profiling is one of few first things to think of when it comes to forensic psychology. Criminal profiling is featured in popular television shows such as in Law and Order and CSI. Often in those shows, the police officers were able to catch the criminals based on the criminal profile that forensic psychologists came up with. In a theory, the polices rely on criminal profiling to catch criminals, educate the public a bout a possible criminal, and confirm the witnesses’ accounts. CriminalRead MoreRacial Profiling in Canada Essay examples1300 Words   |  6 Pagesis dispute regarding what defines racial profiling. Critics ask Is it racist, or is a necessary part of law enforcement. Racial profiling is identified by Adele Cassola in her article as unjust whereas Denyse Coles argues that racial profiling is necessary and is not considered racism. According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission â€Å"Racial profiling is based on stereotypical assumptions because of one’s race, colour, ethnicity, etc.† whereas criminal profiling â€Å"relies on actual behaviour or onRead MoreAnalysis Of Richard Wright s Black Boy 1116 Words   |  5 Pageslaws and prejudicial mindsets. Each and every American now shares the same rights regardless of race, heritage, or religion. The massive progression of racial equality does not, however, entitle one to the exclamation that we have found and implemented the solution to racial inequality. The idea that one has found the inerrant solution to such a broad and complex issue is incredibly ignorant in light of events that occur daily. Each passing day is riddled with innumerable occurrences ofRead MoreRacial Profiling1356 Words   |  6 PagesRunning head: RACIAL PROFILING Racial Profiling: Are we Fighting it the Right Way? Racial Profiling: Are we Fighting it the Right Way? I would like to talk about an issue that is plaguing our community today and making the job of a Police Officer even more difficult than it already is. All for one reason, statistics!! Racial profiling to me is a lot like any other problem in our society today. Many have different opinions on why it happens, and what we should do about it if it does happen

Maneka gandhi free essay sample

The main issues before the court in this case were as follows; -whether right to go abroad is a part of right to personal liberty nder Article 21 . Whether the Passport Act prescribes a procedure as required by Article 21 before depriving a person from the right guaranteed under the said Article. -Whether section 10(3) (c) of the Passport Act is violative of Article 14, 19(1) (a) and 21 of the constitution. -Whether the impugned order of the regional passport officer is in contravention of the principles of natural Justice. The Supreme Court in this case reiterated the proposition that the fundamental rights under the constitution of India are not mutually exclusive but are interrelated. According to Justice K. lyer, a fundamental right is not an island in itself. The expression personal liberty in Article 21 was interpreted broadly to engulf a variety of rights within itself. The court further observed that the fundamental rights should be interpreted in such a manner so as to expand its reach and ambit rather than to concentrate its meaning and content by Judicial construction. We will write a custom essay sample on Maneka gandhi or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Article 21 provides that no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except in accordance with procedure established by law but that does not mean that a mere semblance of procedure rovided by law will satisfy the Article , the procedure should be Just , fair and reasonable. The principles of natural Justice are implicit in Article 21 and hence the statutory law must not condemn anyone unheard. A reasonable opportunity of defense or hearing should be given to the person before affecting him, and in the absence of which the law will be an arbitrary one. One of the significant interpretation in this case is the discovery of inter connections between Article 14, 19 and 21 . Thus a law which prescribes a procedure for depriving a person of personal as o ul II t t tl the requirements otA 14 and 19 also. Moreover the procedure established by law as required under Article 21 must satisfy the test of reasonableness in order to conform with Article 14. Justice Krishna lyer in this case observed that, the spirit of man is at the root of Article 21, personal liberty makes for the worth of the human person and travel makes liberty worthwhile. The court finally held that the right to travel and go outside the country is included in the right to personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 . Section 10(3) (c) of the Passport Act is not violative of Article 21 as it is implied in the provision that the principles of natural justice would be applicable in the exercise of the power of impounding a passport . The defect of the order was removed and the order was passed in accordance with procedure established by law. The honble Supreme Court in this case laid down a number of other propositions which made the right to life or personal liberty more meaningful. Maneka Gandhi case has a great significance in the development of Constitutional law of India.

The role that HRM plays within the strategic direction of an organization

For an effective operation, organizations need human and physical resources; properly managed organizations have an appropriate number of personnel with experience and expertise (Bandt and Haines, 2002). To ensure that the right number of people is available when required, human resources management should develop effective framework of personnel management. In contemporary business world, business leaders are forging a certain direction for their company to enhance competitiveness.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The role that HRM plays within the strategic direction of an organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Human recourses management (HRM) has a role to play in strategic direction of an organization. Effective personnel management is one role of managers; it is concerned with people at work and their relationship with their employer. Well-managed human resources results into an orchestrate team (McGol drick, Stewart and  Watson, 2001). This paper discusses the role played by HRM with the strategic direction of an organization. Roles of Human resources management The role played by human resources department involves those that look into the interests of employees, employer, and third parties like the government, labor unions, and employees relatives. When the roles are played well, then an organization can be assured of a motivated work force that yields high returns. Highly motivated employees are a benefit to their organization and also have a chance of career development. The following are the roles of human resources: Human resources planning Management should ensure that employees’ need at one particular point is known and measures taken to ensure right number are maintained. Planning involves using past staff needs and predicting the future needs. Employees can be sourced internally or externally: to ensure that there are adequate plan, then management should under stand the availability of employees. The main aim of human resources planning is to ensure that there is the right number of employees, at the right time, at the right place, and at the right cost. HRP helps the organization create and develop employee training and management succession programs. Training programs ensure that the right people are trained at minimum cost. Management succession programs eliminate unfair promotions. This programs therefore reduce both management and employee conflicts. Through HRP, management is compelled to assess critically the strengths and weaknesses of its labor force and personnel policies. Collective actions are therefore taken to correct the weaknesses. When managing change, consultations with the affected groups and individuals may occur at an early stage in the change process, decisions can be undertaken unhurriedly and by considering all relevant options, rather than being taken in crises. Through human resource planning, an organization is able to adhere to equal employment opportunity (EEO) policy through analysis of the different employees it has. The organization is able to identify areas in which it is biased in employing (Paauwe, 2009). Hiring When a particular department establishes area/areas that require more employees, the hiring process starts timely enough that at no point will the organization suffer a deficit. When placing advert/adverts for position/positions, whether internal or external, it is important to define clearly the minimum qualifications required and the responsibilities of the successful candidate. When applications are received, they are sorted, and short listed candidate are contacted.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to the recruiting organization organizational culture, interviews take different angles. Some organizations have aptitude tests only, others have the panel i nterview and others have more than one stage of interviews. Whichever the method, the objective of the process is to give the human resources management team an opportunity to learn the strengths and weak points of an applicant, then relate them to the demands of the advertised position. This will assist the when choosing the best candidate. Labor shortfalls and surpluses are avoided since HRP ensures that there is the right number of employees as the organization may require achieving its goals. Cases of corruption in form of â€Å"ghost workers† are rarely reported in organizations whose management undertakes HRP honestly and seriously. Careful consideration of the likely future human resources requirements could lead the firm to discover new and improved ways of managing human resources (Storey, 2007). Orientation Successful candidates need to be oriented to their new environment; they need to learn the organizational culture and code of conduct of their new company. Organ izations code of ethics defines how an organization responds to internal or external stimulus. In most organizations, they are in blueprints and an internal policy. They form part of organizational training needs. Organizations that uphold high respects for their code of ethics maintain good internal and external relations with their stakeholders. Training, appraisal and motivation To enable employees perform their duties effectively, continuous training system and employee’s appraisal is important. It helps management establish areas that needs improvement. Some organizations have employees training as a continuous process to ensure that employees are up-to-date with the changes in the industry. Motivational measures should be put in place to ensure that employees are loyal to the organization and they work efficiently. This ranges from attractive salaries or/and benefits, to developing a good working environment. This ensures that employees are retained as assets in the org anization (Storry, 2005). Enforcing employment contract and related legal laws When an employee has been employed in a certain organization, there is the contact that the employee signs with the company, the HRM have the role of ensuring that the contracts need have been complied with accordingly. When this is done, then the company will be at peace with authorities and the employees will have their psychological contracts fulfilled. Employees sell labor and their intellectualism to their employer; at the end of a certain period, the employer is expected to compensate employees for the work done; the employment contract specifies the rate of pay as well as any benefits thereon. Employment is a legal engagement where the employer engages an employee for a consideration. Wages and remunerations are among the financial gains that an employee’s stand to benefit from his employer (Legge, 2004)Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The role that HRM plays within th e strategic direction of an organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Tangible and non-tangible benefit includes paid leaves, insurances, loan agreement policies and sick leaves. In most organizations, labor cost constitutes a large portion of the organizations budget; when it comes to company’s performance, wages that an organization pays has an effect on the company’s competitiveness directly and indirectly, it supports the strategic plans and actions developed within the organization. In labor-intensive industries, the cost of labor is high than in capital-intensive industries. There are some internationally recognized labor laws that give minimal direction to the wage rate payable in certain industries; they are developed with agreement with domestic governments after considering the nature of the industry and its benefits to international community. If a company is in an industry regulated by international labor laws, then its human resource management has the role of enforcing the policies. Different countries after considering their economics standing have set some regulation of wage rates payable; domestic legislations are concerned with minimal wage rate, which all companies operating in the economy are expected to have (John, 2004). Ensuring fair treatment and legal compliance Human resources policies are internal, national, and international policies. Adhering to these policies is important to avoid conflicts. Internal human resources policies Every company has its own policies defining the relationship between the employees and their employer. I have learnt that this document is not a human resources document but a document for the entire organization’s employees. Having one and understanding what it says is crucial. Internal policies define issues like salaries, promotions, appraisal mechanism, transfers and duties and responsibilities of employees. National policies Differe nt countries have different labor laws and legislations. Understanding of these laws is important to ensure that there is no violation. Previously, I thought that it is the HRD only, which should understand these laws, however, I have realized that they are national laws that a company should ensure that their employees understand and if possible make a copy to each employee. These laws define discrimination, sexual harassment, taxation policies among others. International laws There are some international labor laws that a company should ensure that they are not violated. They include laws on gender discrimination. Understanding of these laws is important in international diversification of a company (Beardwell and Claydon, 2010).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Summary of reasons why HRM is crucial in strategic management of an organization The human resources department has the mandate of ensuring that adequate employees are available at all times. It has the mandate of planning, deploying, employing, training, retaining, and dismissal of employees. When the department is undertaking this duty, it looks into quantitative and qualitative aspects. Qualitative means the right number of employees and qualitative means employees with right skills. Workers engage their mind, time, expertise, and intellectualism in their works; they expect to be compensated through wages, salaries, bonuses, and non-cash benefits. According to employment agreement, an employer and employee are obliged to respect labor law in the country of operation and uphold to employment-contract terms and conditions. Developing an efficient team is the role of personnel management assisted by top and line managers; it starts with human resources planning to appraisal, motivat ion, rewards, and ends with termination of employment contract. Terms of employment vary with organizations and so do human resources practices like selection, contracting, and recruitment. One of the major functions of human resources department is developing a compensation strategy that satisfies all the employees irrespective of their rank, an effective reward strategy should be able to trigger motivation and increase the zeal to work-hard in an organization (Armstrong, 2006) Conclusion The human resources department has the mandate of ensuring that adequate employees are available at all times. It has the mandate of planning, deploying, employing, training, retaining, and dismissal of employees. When the department is undertaking this duty, it looks into quantitative and qualitative aspects; to ensure that the objectives of the department are met, the company uses the assistance of line and top managers in enforcing and reinforcing the policies set. When undertaking its roles, i t should ensure that national and international labor laws have been enforced and rights of employees respected. References Armstrong, M. ,2006. A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. New York: Kogan Page. Bandt, A. and Haines, S.(2002). Successful Strategic Human Resource Planning. San-Diego: Systems Thinking Press. Beardwell, J. and Claydon, T. ,2010. Human Resource Management A Contemporary Approach .New Jersey: Prentice Hall. John, B.P.,2004. Organizational Behavior, from theory to Practice. New York: Wiley. Legge, K., 2004. Human Resource Management: Rhetorics and Realities (Anniversary ed.). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. McGoldrick, J.,  Stewart J.,   Watson, S.,2001. Theorizing Human Resource Development.  Human Resource Development International, 4(3), 287-290 Paauwe, J. ,2009. HRM and Performance: Achievement, Methodological Issues and Prospects. Journal of Management Studies, 46 (1), 123 Storey, J.,2007. Human Resource Management: A Critical Text. New Y ork: Thompson. Storry, A., 2005. How to Find Keep the Best Talent: Train Motivate.  Franchising World, 37(9), 52-54. Swanson, R. A.,2002. Human resource development and its underlying theory.  Human Resource Development International,  4(3) 287-290. This essay on The role that HRM plays within the strategic direction of an organization was written and submitted by user Christina Owens to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.