Identify and Discuss the Key Influences of the Strategic Hrm Diagnostic Model That Have Significance for Employee Recruitment and Selection Essay Example

Identify and Discuss the Key Influences of the Strategic Hrm Diagnostic Model That Have Significance for Employee Recruitment and Selection Essay The Strategic HRM Diagnostic Model (Stone, 2002:26) attempts to provide Human Resource Managers with an analytical framework designed to assist in the prediction and prevention of possible problems. The approach encourages HR managers to be pro-active, and to consider the nature of the internal and external environments before pursuing a particular course of action (Stone, 2002:25). The influences of the environments span all activities of Human Resource Management and this essay explores those that have significance for two HR activities in particular. The two of which are employee recruitment and employee selection. An organisation has extremely little, to no, control over its external environment, the aspects of which are too numerous to list. The external environment influences HRM practices, thus influencing HR activities, both directly and indirectly. In other words, an aspect of the organisation’s external environment may directly affect the processes of employee recruitment and selection through influencing HRM practices, but at the same time it will influence the organisation’s internal environment, hence affecting the processes through strategic alignment. One major external environmental influence may be politics. The state of politics may affect the processes of employee recruitment and selection in various ways. For example, political instability has had a dramatic influence on the practices of employee recruitment in Algeria (Mellahi Wood, 1996). This study addresses the impact the civil war has had on recruitment practices, among other things. An interesting discovery was that the lengthy political crisis led small and medium sized firms away from ‘rationalistic’, strategically driven practices and forced them into, what is referred to as, a ‘coping mode’. We will write a custom essay sample on Identify and Discuss the Key Influences of the Strategic Hrm Diagnostic Model That Have Significance for Employee Recruitment and Selection specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Identify and Discuss the Key Influences of the Strategic Hrm Diagnostic Model That Have Significance for Employee Recruitment and Selection specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Identify and Discuss the Key Influences of the Strategic Hrm Diagnostic Model That Have Significance for Employee Recruitment and Selection specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The ‘coping mode’ is reactive, as apposed to pro-active, fostering a ‘stay alive’ strategy; hence greatly affecting the management of human resources both directly and indirectly. Laws and regulations may also influence the HR activities of employee recruitment and selection. Changes in legislation could be seen as an indirect influence, in that an organisation’s objectives and strategy may have to be reconsidered due to restricting business opportunities or increasing competition as a result of the changes (Stone, 2002:17). Laws and regulations regarding equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, sexual harassment, privacy and terminations, however, prove to have a more direct influence, in that they have facilitated the creation of new jobs such as sex equity expert, gender bias officer and harassment facilitator (Lehn, 1997). The creation of new jobs requires the recruitment and selection of new employees, whether they are from outside or within the organisation; hence the direct influence. The process of employee selection is influenced in particular by equal employment opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action (AA) legislation (Sullivan, 1998), which require fair treatment for all members of the community and the elimination of discrimination. These factors play a major role in shaping the selection criteria and although they remain the same with respect to time, unlike other aspects of the external environment, they must still be considered a direct influence. The environmental influence of the labour market may also affect employee recruitment and selection. According to Doverspike, Taylor, Shultz and McKay (2002) â€Å"U. S. employers say they simply cannot find enough employees, let alone skilled employees†. This is due to the growth of the U. S. economy and the decrease of unemployment. This study explores various contributing factors of the shortage of job applicants in the U. S. , which is a significant problem for both private and public sectors. One such contributing factor is the changing demographic makeup of the workforce. Doverspike et al. 2002) explains that it is necessary to focus recruiting methods on the characteristics of certain ‘untraditional employee’ groups, so as to attract them amid the changing demographic makeup. Untraditional employee groups, for example, are Baby-Boomers, generation Xers, minority groups and any other group that requires special consideration when recruitment and selection processes are implemented. The state of economy can also have a more direct influence on the recruiting process, in that, the value or effectiveness of particular recruiting methods depends greatly on the state of economy (Teigen, 2002). For instance, high unemployment usually infers that unsolicited applications are more frequent and of better quality than they are when the labour market is tight. Also, in a situation of full employment several recruiting methods may need to be used simultaneously in order to generate even a few qualified candidates (Stone, 2002:180). Finally, technological advancement and the rate of technological change can influence employee recruitment and selection. In fact, a study was carried out by Byrne (2000) on the affect technological advancement has had on the management of the company, General Motors. Byrne (2000) states that â€Å"new technology, particularly the internet, is causing radical transformation that is nothing less than a new industrial revolution†. Thus, to survive and thrive in this century, managerial practices must change; hence influencing HR activities. These are only a small portion of the potential influences on HR activities from the external environment. Many more have significance to employee recruitment and selection, but it is important to remember that political, legal, environmental, economical and technological aspects of the external environment, as well as other aspects, affect HRM and HR activities periodically. In other words, although these aspects are key influences on HRM, they are managed through the development of a long-term strategy (Stone, 2002:18). This strategy, which is often referred to as the ‘corporate strategy’ or ‘master strategy’, is selected in light of the organisation’s external opportunities and threats and internal strengths and weaknesses. It influences HRM from within the organisation because strategic HRM requires HRM objectives and strategies to be linked, as closely as possible, to the organisation’s objectives and strategies. Thus, different types of organisational strategies produce a need for particular HR strategies (Stone, 2002:21). The successful integration of strategies, otherwise known as strategic alignment, has proven to improve an organisation’s environment for success (CCH, 1995). This is apparent in the case study of Colgate Palmolive’s development and implementation of their ‘global vision’ (Anfuso, 1995). Without successful integration, an organisation’s effectiveness would be substantially impaired (Grundy, 1998:50). Other aspects of the organisation’s internal environment, aside from its objectives and strategy, include the organisation’s purpose or mission, its structure and its culture. The purpose of an organisation is influenced by external factors and greatly influences the objectives and strategy, as well as the culture of an organisation. It can be considered, along with the organisation’s culture, when assessing its influence on the activities of employee recruitment and selection because it is essentially the projection of an organisations culture to the community. The purpose moulds the culture, thus potential employees deduce the values and beliefs of the organisation from its mission. The image of an organisation may affect the recruiting and selection processes by attracting or deterring potential applicants. According to Kristof (1996) â€Å"applicants are attracted to work environments that are compatible with their personal characteristics†. It is also important for management to foster a culture that promotes the achievement of the organisation’s strategic business objectives (Greene, 1995). With this in mind, selection criteria may be based on personality and attitude rather than skill or knowledge. Organisations use this tactic in hope of reducing the possibility of consequences and undesirable behaviours (Stone, 2002:211). An example of organisational culture having a negative influence on HRM is the case of Australia’s four largest banks (Westpac, National Australia, ANZ and Commonwealth). These organisations foster cultures which are high on authority and low on warmth, teamwork, employee commitment and concern for performance. Westpac’s culture, for example, is described as old-style ‘command and control’ and poses a dramatic influence on employee recruitment and selection through employee turnover, with the focus on women employees (Gray, 1997; Lyall, 1997). The structure of an organisation, as mentioned above, should be such that it helps achieve the organisation’s strategic objectives. The restructuring of an organisation to suit a selected strategy directly influences the activities of employee recruitment and selection. Organisations with narrow spans of control that are hierarchical in structure, for example, tend to be authoritarian, rigid, formal, highly specialised and bureaucratic. Whereas, organisations with wide spans of control that are flat in structure tend to be more flexible, adaptable, informal, less specialised and more entrepreneurial. Each type of structure requires employees with particular qualities and skills; therefore, the recruitment and selection processes are influenced. Downsizings and the financial costs of maintaining a full-time work force may initiate a change in the structure of an organisation. According to Burgess (1996) these factors have motivated employers to make greater use of independent contractors, temporary workers and executive leasing; hence, eliminating a number of jobs. Essentially, viewing employee recruitment and selection in a strategic light requires the HR manager to conduct each activity with top priority (HR Focus, 2000). This is because, for many organisations, competing for skilled employees is imperative as they are seen as a source of competitive advantage (Thomas, 2001; Way, 2000). To reiterate, the implementation of strategic alignment encourages the activities of recruitment and selection to reflect the direction of the strategic HRM objectives, which again reflect the direction of the strategic business objectives. The external environment influences the activities of recruitment and selection both directly and indirectly. Their direct influence is periodical and ever-changing and their indirect influence is a result of their affect on the organisation’s internal environment, which then influences the strategic HRM objectives. This essay is by no means a comprehensive study of all the possible influences of the Strategic HRM Diagnostic Model that have significance for employee recruitment and selection. Instead, it logically maps the influences of key aspects of an organisation’s internal and external environments, on the HR activities of employee recruitment and selection. Reference List- Anfuso, D. 1995. â€Å"Colgate aligns HR with its global vision†. Personnel Journal 74[1]:1 Burgess, J. 1996. â€Å"Workforce casualisation in Australia†. Journal of International Employment Relations Review 2[1]:33-54 Byrne, J. A. 2000. â€Å"Management by web†. Business Week 3696:44-52 CCH. 1995. â€Å"Successful companies integrate HR practices with business goals and full leverage employees†. Human Resources Management, Ideals and Trends 330:56-57 Doverspike, D. , Taylor, M. A. , Shultz, K. S McKay, P. F. 2000. â€Å"Responding to the challenge of a changing workforce: Recruiting non-traditional demographic groups†. Public Personnel Management 29[4]:445-457 Gray, J. 1997. â€Å"Macho bank culture drives top women from Westpac†. Australian Financial Review 3:1-32 Greene, R. J. 1995. Culturally competitive HR strategies†. HR Magazine 40[6]:115- 123 Grundy, T. 1998. â€Å"How are corporate strategy and human resources strategy linked? †. Journal of General Management 23[33]: 49-72 HR Focus. 2000. â€Å"The top HR issue of 2000†. HR Focus 77[4]:1 Kristof, A. L. 1996. â€Å"Person-organisation fit: An integrative review of its conceptualizations, mea surement, and implications†. Personnel Psychology 49:1-49 Lehn, A. 1997. â€Å"Against all reason? †. Review 49[4]:30-37 Lyall, K. 1997. â€Å"Bank women resigned to frustration†. Weekend Australian 8-9th March:6 Mellahi, K Wood, G. T. 2003. From kinship to trust: Changing recruitment practices in unstable political context†. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management 3[3]:369-381 Stone, Raymond J. 2002. Human Resource Management. Milton: John Wiley Sons. Sullivan, J. 1998. â€Å"Recruitment in the next millennium†. RCSA Journal 3:10 Teigen, M. 2002. â€Å"The suitable few: Managerial recruitment practices in the Norwegian state bureaucracy†. Scandinavian Journal of Management 18:197-215 Thomas, T. 2001. â€Å"The battle for talent†. Business Review Weekly 23[12]:72-73 Way, N. 2000. â€Å"Talent war†. Business Review Weekly 22[32]:64-70

Geography and Information About France

Geography and Information About France Population: 65,312,249 (July 2011 estimate)Capital: ParisArea of Metropolitan France: 212,935 square miles (551,500 sq km)Coastline: 2,129 miles (3,427 km)Highest Point: Mont Blanc at 15,771 feet (4,807 m)Lowest Point: Rhone River delta at -6.5 feet (-2 m) France, officially called the Republic of France, is a country located in Western Europe. The country also has several overseas territories and islands around the world but the mainland of France is called Metropolitan France. It stretches north to south from the North Sea and the English Channel to the Mediterranean Sea and from the Rhine River to the Atlantic Ocean. France is known for being a world power and it has been an economic and cultural center of Europe for hundreds of years. History of France France has a long history and according to the  U.S. Department of State, it was one of the earliest countries to develop an organized nation-state. As a result of the mid-1600s, France was one of the most powerful countries in Europe. By the 18th century, though, France began having financial problems due to the lavish spending of King Louis XIV and his successors. These and social problems eventually led to the  French Revolution  that lasted from 1789 to 1794. Following the revolution, France shifted its government between absolute rule or  constitutional monarchy  four times during the Empire of  Napoleon, the reigns of King Louis XVII and then Louis-Philippe and finally the Second Empire of Napoleon III. In 1870 France was involved in the Franco-Prussian War which established the countrys Third Republic that lasted until 1940. France was hit hard during  World War I  and in 1920 it established the  Maginot Line  of border defenses to protect itself from the rising power of Germany. Despite these  defenses,  however,​  France was occupied by Germany early during  World War II. In 1940 it was divided into two sections - one that was directly controlled by Germany and another that was controlled by France (known as the Vichy Government). By 1942 though all of France was occupied by the  Axis Powers. In 1944 the Allied Powers liberated France. Following WWII a new constitution established Frances Fourth Republic and a parliament was set up. On May 13,  1958,​  this government collapsed due to Frances involvement in a war with Algeria.  As a result,​  General Charles de Gaulle became the head of government to prevent civil war and the Fifth Republic was established. In 1965 France held an election and de Gaulle was elected as President but in 1969 he resigned after several governmental proposals were rejected. Since de Gaulles resignation, France has had seven different leaders and its recent presidents have developed strong ties to the  European Union. The country was also one of the EUs six founding nations. In 2005 France underwent three weeks of civil unrest as its minority groups began a series of violent protests. In 2017  Emmanuel Macron  was elected president. Government of France Today France is considered a republic with an executive, legislative and judicial branch of government. Its executive branch is made up of a chief of state (the president) and a head of government (the prime minister). Frances legislative branch consists of a  bicameral Parliament  made up of the Senate and the National Assembly. The judicial branch of Frances government is its Supreme Court of Appeals, the Constitutional Council and the Council of State. France is divided into 27 regions for local administration. Economics and Land Use in France According to the  CIA World Factbook, France has a large economy that is currently transitioning from one with government ownership to a more privatized one. The main industries in France are machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, textiles, and food processing. Tourism also represents a large part of its economy as the country gets about 75 million foreign visitors each year. Agriculture is also practiced in some areas of France and the main products of that industry are wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes, beef, dairy products, and fish. Geography and Climate of France Metropolitan France is the part of France that is located in Western Europe to the southeast of the United Kingdom along the Mediterranean Sea, the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel. The country also has several overseas territories which include French Guiana in South America and the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean Sea, Mayotte in the Southern Indian Ocean and Reunion in Southern Africa. Metropolitan France has a varied topography that consists of flat plains and/or low rolling hills in the north and west, while the rest of the country is mountainous with the Pyrenees in the south and the Alps in the east. The highest point in France is Mont Blanc at 15,771 feet (4,807 m).The climate of Metropolitan France varies with ones location but most of the country has cool winters and mild summers, while the Mediterranean region has mild winters and hot summers. Paris, the capital and largest city of France, has an average January low temperature of 36 F (2.5 C) and an average July high of 77 F (25 C). Sources Central Intelligence Agency. (10 May 2011). CIA - The World Factbook - France. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.htmlInfoplease.com. (n.d.). France: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/country/france.htmlUnited States Department of State. (18 August 2010). France. Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3842.htmWikipedia.com. (13 May 2011). France - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France

1. Identify the artifacts produced on the images during CT scans Essay

1. Identify the artifacts produced on the images during CT scans. Describe the - Essay Example measurements are consistent, so any error of measurement will usually reflect itself as an error in the reconstructed image (Barrett, and Keat, 2004, 1680). Artifacts have a major role to play in diagnostic accuracy because their presence can degrade the quality of image of computed tomography or CT scan. In this article, various types of CT artifacts and strategies to avoid or minimize them will be discussed. Based on their appearance, there are several categories of CT artifacts and they are shading artifacts, streak artifacts,ring artifacts (Goldman, 2007, 222), distortion (Barrett, and Keat, 2004, 1680), slab artifacts, step artifacts and blurring artifacts (Siemens, 2). Beam hardening effects is the most common shading artifact. they are due to imperfect correction of beam hardening and occur in almost all CT images. They appear as "nonuniformities in the CT numbers of a uniform material, such as CT numbers that are lower at the center of a uniform phantom than at the periphery" (Goldman, 2007, 222). The nonuniformities are most of the time less than 5HU and usually unapparent unless viewed through a narrow window. larger hardening occurs if the scan is passing through a contrast medium or thick bone regions. Shading artifacts can also occur due to scattering. But scattering is uncommon in recent scanners. Streak artifacts are very common and are encountered in almost all scanners. they occur mainly due to bad detector measurements or inconsistent measurements. Such inconsistencies occur due to metals, partial volume effects, motion, insufficient intensity of X-ray and malfunctioning of the tube arc (Goldman, 2007, 222). (Goldman, 2007, 222). Ring artifacts or partial ring or arc artifacts occur due to drift in calibration, errors, measurement inaccuracies and imbalances. The current generation CT scanners have corrective algorithms and are able to detect inaccuracies in measurements (Goldman, 2007, 222). Metallic artifacts