The Strategy of Localizing HR Practices from the Perspective of Multinational Corporation

The Strategy of Localizing HR Practices from the Perspective of Multinational Corporation Localization of International Human Resources Management Contemporary international human resources management strategies are focusing on how they can be able to localize human resources policies and practices for the betterment of their organizations; when localizing human resources policies, it takes the forms of international coordination, global leadership development and management, cultural intelligence, and diversity management.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Strategy of ‘Localizing’ HR Practices from the Perspective of Multinational Corporation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When managing a diverse global human capital, multinationals (MNCs) have the mandate of facilitating production of work of difference cultural beliefs, social settings, with diverse views, thinking styles, personalities, and emotional intellectualism. Despite the differences, they offer a rich ground for diverse views and decisions that when effectively managed they can be of high benefit to the multinationals (Kaplan and Norton, 2001). In international human resources management (IHRM), there are three main approaches, they include, the MNC may send people from the country of incorporation to represent the company abroad (expatriates approach), hire host countries employees, or hire a third countries employees. With globalization and improved education across binderies, the countries are able to produce people with the knowledge and the expertise to operate and run multinationals; this has come as a blessing to the multinationals that are nowadays relying on local people to manage and run international businesses, the approach is called localization of IHRM (Maznevski and DiStefano, 2000). This paper evaluates the emerging strategy, localization; it will evaluate how the concept came into operation, how MNCs manage/adopt it as well its advantages and disadvantages. The emergence of localization The idea to use local people for the management and running of multinational came from the challenges that use of experts had on MNCs; the main issue that expatriates had is the costs that are associate with their deployments. In most cases the costs of deploying expatriates is high and calls for increased operational costs to the MNs. Other than the general operational costs, in most cases, the company is responsible other human needs like housing, security and the welfare of the expatriate. Expatriates have higher remuneration than local employees who have the same post, qualification as well as responsibilities; the high remuneration does not necessarily mean that they can perform better but the notion that they are foreigners and experts creates the urge for high pays.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 Warner 2003, the cost of an American expatriate in China is about six times higher than that of a Chinese expatriate; with this kind of a difference, then when dealing with the expatriates, then the firm violates the noble objective of efficiency, cost management and profit improvements. Other than remuneration, there are other costs that come along with an expatriate, they include, cost of families, including relocation expenses, special allowances like education, mileage, accommodations, recruitment and training costs; it is also a challenging task to get a person who is qualified and willing to work in a foreign country (Takeuchi, Chen, and Lam, 2009) When a manager is operating in an industry, it is by default required that he understands the cultures, environment, and the general conditions that he is working under; when they are understood, then the firm will be able to make such responsive decisions. The issues of using expatriates come into play here; they are people with different backgrounds, culture and belief thus the y may not be able to connect with the situation on the ground (both market and the work force they are managing). With this the MNCs is not bound to be competitive and chances of loss of business to the local venders is high. Other than the personal bias, the expatriates may not have the drive and motivation to follow the market situation as well as the day-to-day occurrences of the market. This may be aggravated more by their temporary job assignments in the foreign country. When it comes to the issue of local employees, they are able to connect to the market and have deeper analysis of the situation on the ground; this facilitates making of market effective decisions and the use of the local information and experience to make sound decisions. Cultural differences, language barriers, and perception of the locals is another issue that faces expatriates; they are people with differences with the locals and thus they need incur further costs in their efforts to seek acceptance and und erstanding of the locals behavior and their character traits. In the case of a local executive, he has grown in the country and developed such special skills and culture intelligence that he can understand and make more business responsive questions to the good of the organization (Triandis, 2006). The concept of localization In simple terms localization means MNCs relying on local people for the provision of technical and otherwise jobs in their country; after an establishment, the MNC decides instead of having other people to manage and operate an international business, the choice made is local people. When using this model, the normal process of human resource that starts with planning, recruiting and selection is done to ensure that, the local person to secure the position has been vetted for experience, qualification and capability.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Strategy of ‘Localizing’ HR Practices from the Perspective of Multinati onal Corporation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More After choosing the local person, sometimes there is need to orient, train, and inform the person o matters of the company that may be special to the company’s management or otherwise. This may be done through seminars, or in some cases, the employee may travel to the parent company for such training and assist in making the final plans. When the employee starts working, it will be assumed that he performs his duties with diligence and for the best interest of the employer; he will need to be appraised, motivated and appropriate measures to keep him going put in place. Recruitment and selection After knowing the country of venture as well as the human resources method to adopt, the MNC must on the ground and start the recruitment method; the method is slightly special and takes different forms where the company can hire a recruiting firm in the local country to make the recruitments. Al ternatively, the MNC can get on the ground and undertake the task; the earlier is more preferred. The recruitment and selection of appropriate staff is the foundation of any quality-conscious firm; thus, the MNC needs to enact such appropriate measures that ensure they have recruited people of high dignity, experience and who can perform effectively (Hollinshead, 2009). In the past, professionals were recruited based on technical criteria, experience, and membership of an appropriate professional body; although these criteria are still important, technical skills are only a part of the overall service delivery, which also includes functional criteria such as marketing and business skills and the ability to foster client relationships. Different countries needs different category of people thus when called upon to recruit for particular company; there are some special traits that may have much weight in a country A than they have in country B. The customer-centered firm should take i nto account all these criteria and consider recruitment as the first stage of retaining loyal, well- motivated and happy employees. Technological changes call for competent and skilled employees thus; organizations should ensure that their employees match the current technology. During the interview, the panel should ensure that they identify the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate. This will assist them in making the final decision (Trudel, 2009).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Training and development With the people deployed, the next major and very important step is t orient, train, and mentor the recruiting; every company has its own organizational culture that makes them what they are; the recruits needs to be well acquainted with the culture as he will be needed to instill such culture to the international branch. To get such mentoring and orienting, the parent company may decide to have him on board in the parent company or can use trainings, seminars and one-on-one training to orient and get the manager on board. On the other hand, when on the ground, professional employee, need to be continually trained to improve their skills, decision making, and expertise; they have limited set of skills that require continual upgrading to match the changing market demands and technology. Only by updating these skills using well-developed programs, can professional firms ensure that they equip their staff with the skills needed to respond to future business exp ectations. The management should ensure that employees are well motivated; highly motivated employees are more productive (Harzing and Van Ruysseveldt, 2004). 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 organization (Hampden–Turner and Trompenaars, 2006) Motivation, appraisal and evaluation With all policies and strategies set, the parent company management should be keep to appraise, motivate and evaluate the local emplo yees to ensure they live to the expectations of the MNC. When appraising, care needs to be taken to ensure that the situation and condition on the ground has been well understood and advice coming from the locals understood effectively. The employee must be appraised appropriately to enable the human resources department to establish the areas that need to be improved. It is through effective communication and feedback that these areas of weaknesses can be established; programs to facilitate communication should be put in place. Those who meet expectations of the management should be rewarded accordingly. With contemporary business environments, there are a number of scientific appraisal models that an employer can use, they include balanced score card appraisal model (Trudel, 2009). Retaining It is more cheap, efficient and easy to retain employees within an organization; as the employees meet the organization’s expectations, it is important for the organization to realize t hat the employees also have their targets that they want met. Many employees think of looking for another job if the current job is not satisfactory this stage. The human resources department must come up with measures that are aimed at retaining employees. One of the ways is to make the working environment as comfortable as possible. Remuneration and rewards of employees are other ways that can be used. Rewards mean that the efforts of the employee are recognized (Fernandez-Alles and Ramos-Rodrà ­guez, 2009) Advantages of localization Numerous advantage have come with the new MNCs human resources management style.  From a wider angle, when a company employ’s locals, they eliminate the risks and business challenges associated with deployment of expatriates. When an MNC employs the local people, they are developing opportunity benefits of developing local managerial skills that promote talents and develop talents to the local people; when this happens, the locals feel they are working with a company of their own that they can depend on and respect as their own. With such moves, an improved business-customer relationship can lead to customer loyalty and growth in business. People are more willing to trade with local companies that seem to be promoting their own culture, and wellbeing’s; they will be able to develop good business relations with the customer, suppliers and other stakeholders like the government and shareholders if any. The costs of personal culture contexts/tensions and cross-culture misunderstandings will be saved as the locals understand what the nation or the country they are operating in wants.  One of the most important attribute of a well-managed company is the motivation of its local staffs; when an MNC is, manage by a foreigner, the local workforce feels less motivated than when a local person is the business leader. When accompany has high employees motivation, then it is bound to perform better than when the motivation is minimal and wanting (DiStefano and Maznevski, 2000).  When locals are given the task of managing MNCs, other than using their experience and qualification, they use the general understanding and learnt social aspects about the country to make such decisions that are responsive to the needs of the country of operation. For example, they may be able to know the cultures or tribes they should deploy in certain areas, as they have been known to have some special attributes that can favor the MNC. The net effect is an improved business. Through inpatriation, local managers are able to combine any international experience with the local experience for the good of the company; when they successful do this, then the company stands to benefit. For example, they may combine root-marketing methods to international marketing approaches and come-up with a strategy that fits the county of operation.  Despite the above advantages, a number of challenges MNCs face when they take the option of using local people. Disadvantages of localization When the MNC rely on localization method of recruitment, then the control and the influence that the parent management has will be diluted and the locals may highjack the management. When this happens the running of the organization as a single unit moving to single noble destination is lost. In the case that the concept has been adopted by all MNCs they risk the career development of international managers and expatriates; in some companies, the method of expatriates had been used for rewarding and motivating employees in the organization; when the chances has been lost, then the MNC is likely to suffer demonization. When deploying the local people, there is needed to have training, mentoring, and coaching of the local people to align them with the needs of the organization; this task may become expensive and challenging task to the organization. Sometimes, the trainings may be done but the expected outcome fails to come outs lea ding to cost losses. It is also very challenging to get a person who can be molded to the needs of an MNC since there is much influence from experiences and exposure. Another challenge that comes with employing local people is lack of new ideas, creativity and sometimes innovativeness in a foreign company; this is caused by the similar ideas and decisions or way of thinking as may be expected from the local employee. The lack of exposure can lead to decisions that do not favor the business (Bullen and Eyler, 2010) Conclusion MNCs need to have an effective and efficient human resources team; there are three main options available to the company they are deploying expatriates, deploying local people or using people from a third country. When using the localization method, using country is of operation employees, the MNC stands to benefit reduced human resources costs, cultural intelligence, and builds customer confidence. The main challenge with localization is loss of parent’s company management controlling power as well as scarcity of creativity in the companies as the local people experience is confined in their country. International human resources management team has the role of ensuring the MNC’s human capital is highly motivated for favorable working environment. References Bullen, M. L. and Eyler, K. ,2010. Human resource accounting and international developments: implications for measurement of human capital. Journal of International Business Cultural Studies, 1(1), pp. 31-16. DiStefano, J. J. and Maznevski, M. L., 2000. Creating Value with Diverse Teams in Global Management. Organizational Dynamics, 29(1), pp. 45-63. Fernandez-Alles, M. and Ramos-Rodrà ­guez, A. ,2009. Intellectual structure of human resources management research: A bibliometric analysis of the journal Human Resource Management, 1985–2005. Journal of the American Society for Information Science Technology, 60(1), pp. 161-175. Hampden–Turner, C. and Tromp enaars, F.,2006.Cultural Intelligence: Is Such a Capacity Credible? Group Organization Management, 31(1), pp.56-63. Harzing, A.W. and Van Ruysseveldt, J. ,2004. International Human Resource Management. London: Sage. Hollinshead, G. ,2009. International and Comparative Human Resource Management. Basingstoke: McGraw-Hill Kaplan, R. S. and Norton, D. P.,2001. Transforming the Balanced Scorecard from Performance Measurement to Strategic Management: Part I. Accounting Horizons, 15(1), pp. 87-104. Maznevski, M. L. and DiStefano, J. J.,2000.  Global Leaders Are Team Players: Developing Global Leaders Through Membership On Global Teams  . Human Resource Management, 39(2/3), p.185. Takeuchi, N., Chen, Z. and Lam, W. ,2009. Coping with an emerging market competition through strategy-human resource alignment: case study evidence from five leading Japanese manufacturers in the Peoples Republic of China. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 20(12), pp. 2454-2470. Triandis, H. C.,2006. Cultural Intelligence in Organizations. Group and Organization Management, 31(1),pp. 20-26. Trudel, J. M. ,2009.  International human resources management: a new challenge.   Portuguese Journal of Management Studies, 14(2), pp.149-161.

Leadership Development Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership Development Plan - Assignment Example With the help of these techniques, individuals can make sure that they identify their strengths and weaknesses and carry out necessary initiatives for capitalizing on the requirements of the corporate world. One of the most effective framework developed for evaluating the competencies of an individual is MBTI which was developed by Isabel Meyers and Katherine Briggs. The main idea behind this inventory model is that everyone needs to appreciate the individual differences and look for developmental opportunities so that the skills are further polished and refined. Considering the matrix developed by the experts, there are four sets of preferences of individuals which are as follows: According to the developers, there are sixteen classes in which people’s personalities can fall. I believe that I belong to the class ‘ESFJ’ which means that I have high extroversion, sensing, feeling and judging capabilities. I believe that this reading is true to a great extent as I am friendly and outgoing person. I can easily express my feelings and make sure that people around me have a good time to cherish. Moreover, I make decisions on the basis of feelings which means that the decisions are already made either by my traditions, culture or ingrained perceptions. Moreover, I have the ability of leading people as I am aware of the techniques of inducing others to motivate towards achieving the desired objectives. In various life situations, I get a bit hard with myself. There is a gap between my own perceived performance and my ideal behavior and due to this discrepancy I struggle against the feeling of guilt and depression. Sometimes, I get overwhelmed with these feelings and I end up in moments of emotional pain. I try to motivate myself by showing the brighter side of various aspects of my life such as my kind, unselfish and charitable nature. I am always ready to help people out and

Government Debt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Government Debt - Essay Example The following theories affirm that there is no alarm when government acquires debt. Attainment of key objectives in providing amenities to the citizens should be the primary concern of the government holding the people's wealth in the form of taxes, fees and fines (Burda & Wyplosz, 2005). Policy makers take account of risk factors more than the mere increase in price value of the loans before going for one. Therefore, it is imperative to say that the increase in government debt should not be a prime concern to the citizens since an amount borrowed and well spent can warrant further borrowing as the amenities set up provide an indispensable source of creating more national wealth (Gordon, 2006). As the government expands the supply of money through creating national debts, inflation is bound to occur. When the government tries to pay off this debt, the supply of money in the circulation tends to decrease causing deflation. Thus, when there is payment of any noteworthy sum of liability more than the national debt is being made at any given time; up to, ten times less, the amount is due for repayment (Gordon, 2006). This is to say if the government paid all its debt today, money supply would contract upwards by approximately ten per cent (Carlin & Soskice, 2006). This would translate into a decrease by around one third of money in circulation, and a reduction by one-third the price of the price of commodities. This adjustment period hampers the monetary trade, translating into large pay cuts and citizens not being able to afford basic amenities. This forces Companies to adjust their workforce salaries below the minimum wage rate (Wells & Krugman, 2009). It is worth denoting that a gigantic government debt should not be a bother to the citizens, as payment of this lump some debt will result to citizens bearing the complex consequences of an expensive lifestyle. It is imperative to state that a range of factors determine the coupon payment including the face value, frequency of payment and maturity of the bonds. It is vital to consider the yield on comparable investment plans in the loan repayment schedules. The government thus gets enough time to get value for the advanced loans before they are due for repayment (Pentecost, 2010). Considering the current market value of the bonds issued and debt owed, the government will pay a lower end sum amount than the amount formally lent. In case the bonds were issued to internal lenders, it significantly becomes clear that the money is ploughed back to the economy and money owed to the country’s citizens and held by the state in accomplishing fiscal objectives (Blinder and Baurnol 2010). Therefore, this implies that the size of government debt should not bother the citizens on its repayment manner as at times, the debt tends to be lower compared to the amount borrowed initially, implying that the remaining portion caters for a better and improved economy. The debt to income ratio (DTI) measures the government’s revenue that goes in settling debts (Dornbusch, Fischer & Startz, 2001). The government has a duty to cater for the welfare of its citizens and cannot collect enough revenue in taxes to cover for all the recurrent expenses, and physical developments. This necessitates for borrowing to meet the obligations and targets of the fiscal year. There is a need for

Rape In The Us Military Criminology Essay

Rape In The Us Military Criminology Essay Cases of rape and sexual assault in the ranks of our U.S. military continue to grow, and very few proactive steps seem to be taken, by higher up to bring the offenders to justice, to try and put an end to these horrific occurrences. The military institution seems unable to end this issue on its own, and seems in need of our country to step in and make sure these crimes stop, the offenders come to justice, and the victims get the help and support they need. To get to the heart of the issue is it important to know why rape is so common in the military, why these crimes often go unreported, and what steps the military and our country can take to help prevent future rapes. It is important to look into rape cases and try to determine the causes of the rape. What are the situations in which these rapes occur? In a documentary shown in class titled The Invisible War a large number of women talked about being raped while serving in the military. None of these women did anything that would suggest their interest in sexual relations, but each one of them was forced into the act. One common element that relates all these cases together is that in each situation the woman that was violated was one of the only women in her military unit. With such a high ratio of men to women the risk of sexual assault and rape greatly increases. In one case concerning the Coast Guard the unit was all men until a new female recruit was stationed there along with them. Almost immediately she had everyones attention, and it was greatly unwanted. She immediately became a victim of verbal sexual misconduct, and as a result asked to be moved to another duty station. Her authorities denied this request. As a result a few weeks later her own brothers in arms raped her. In the military camaraderie is something that is strived after, but these men displayed nothing of the sort. With such a minority of women, and in some cases one woman on her own risk of rape greatly increases. Just because there is a minority of women doesnt really explain why men would take advantage of this. One possible answer to this mystery can be answered in a study that was conducted in the Navy that revealed a history of men coming into the service having either raped or having attempted rape at twice the rate of the civilian population. (West West, 2012) This suggests that a large amount of men in the military have a history of rape that when mixed with easy targets makes the chances of rape occurring escalate. With recruits like this being allowed into our countries military, it is obvious why so many rapes happen. Physical explanations and actual cases and studies do help give an explanation of rape in the military, but there is also a sociological perspective and ethological and psychophysiological explanations. The sociological perspective of rape helps to explain why the military as an organization is a place where rape offenders thrive. There are three aspects that are used to explain this theory. The first aspect looks into the militarys organizational structure and culture. The military is a hierarchal one that was organized to produce warriors who are taught to overcome barriers and to be manly. This culture is a very masculine one. Aaron Belkin states a commander hierarchy combined with a culture that emphasizes dominance creates a recipe for rape. Women do not fit into this type of military very well, and that ones that try often find themselves the victim of a horrible crime. The second aspect, masculinity, was just viewed in combination with the first. The final aspect is the mechan ism for redress. The fact that the whole procedure for investigation is done in-house poses a serious problem. Other countries take cases of rape outside the military and hand it over to civilian police. These three aspects make up the sociological perspective of rape. To introduce ethological and psychophysiological explanation as an understanding of human actions which we saw as primarily voluntaristic, motivated strategies manifest in competing interests, arouses, not altogether surprisingly, a sense of vertigo or indeed nausea. (Littlewood, 1997) With these perspectives on rape it does help us to understand a little better why rape occurs in the military. With rape being such a serious crime, it is a strange fact that so many rapes go unreported. Answering that question will give a better understanding of how serious rape affects the victims of the crime. Often when stats are gathered about a crime, many crimes arent reported. This dark figure of crime is credited to the fear that rape puts into victims minds. A very sad example is from The Invisible War. Kori, one of the victims, was being interviewed and during the interview she finally admitted to her husband that she was only a victim of sexual assault but that she in fact had been raped, and not only was she raped, but in one of the sexual assaults she was beaten so severely that her jaw was smashed. And the discs in her neck were damaged so badly that she required surgery, which the Coast Guard did not do-even though there was physical evidence of assault. (West West, 2012) Finding something hard to tell your own husband puts in perspective how hard it would be to tell anyone e lse, especially a member of the unit in which you were raped. In the military when subordinates are targets of a higher ranks wants and desires it makes it difficult to disobey those orders, no matter how unlawful. In the Army Times news article A Secret Sex Life, army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair has engaged in a deliberate, degrading course of conduct where he targets his subordinates to satisfy his abhorrent desires. (Gould, 2012) This follows up on the previous point, because the victims are for the most part helpless when the offender has power over them both physically and with rank. When the person who commits the rape is also the person who gives you your daily orders and commands it makes it very difficult to accuse that person. One reason it is so difficult is that to achieve these higher ranks an individual has to demonstrate loyal dedication to the military and they are viewed as the best examples in the ranks. So when this person is accused of a crime by an insubordinate that has been in the military for less than a year it becom es a matter of whose word has more swaying power. Rather than suffer the embarrassment of the rape, and still not find justice, victims choose the alternate route, keeping silent. In the article A Secret Sex Life an unnamed female captain said she repeatedly tried to end the relationship andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦she asked Sinclair to transfer her out of his command. (Gould, 2012) Although this didnt start out as actual rape, just fraternization, it escalated into a sexual relationship in which the female officer felt trapped and was exposed to sexual assault. The women even threatened suicide at one point to try and get her point across to the general, and to prevent having to suffer the embarrassment of everyone knowing the truth about her and the general. All these unreported cases of rape are known as the dark figure of crime. This dark figure of crime is that portion of the total crimes committed each year that never comes to light. (Hemmens Walsh, 2011) Rapes in the military are definitely underreported, an issue, which desperately needs to be addressed, and a solution needs to be made. If more rapes were reported it would give investigators a better idea of why they happen, where the majority of them take place, and how to best help eliminate future rapes from occurring. With the above information on why rapes occur and why so many go unreported what steps can the military take to prevent future rape? Being a member of the United States Marine Corps I know first hand quite a few of the steps that the Department of Defense, DoD, is taking to try and prevent future rapes. The main tactic they use is to try and educate us, the members of the military, is to show us how rape destroys both the life of the offender and the victim. They make it very clear the strict punishment that will be imposed on the offender if he or she chooses to commit this heinous crime. One problem with these educational videos is that they often come across as comical and poorly done. The lack of seriousness and maturity that many military members show during the viewing of these films really shows me how serious the issue must be. Knowing that the punishments dont usually fit the crime makes me very pessimistic while watching these films too. The truth of the matter shows that a round 87% of sexual crimes remain a secret and do not ever attract the attention that they need to go to trial. The DoD does have aims to better protect the rights of rape defendants. We see this with the Pentagonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦finalizing changes to the militarys rape law that experts say will shore up the rights of troops accused of sexual assault. (Tilghman, 2012) So instead of trying to protect the victims the DoD is taking the opposite approach in trying to protect the offenders who are on the defensive. One good change that the DoD is going to take is that they will allow civilian agencies access to victims and offenders records, and military personnel wont only use them. This will at least allow the victims the use of their own attorneys. The military does use the Uniformed Victim Advocate, UVA. The UVA is a member of the chain of command whose main role is to help victims of a military crime. This is a method that helps the victim deal with his or her issues, and know how best to address the crime committed, but it doesnt help prevent the actual crime from happening. In order to put an end to rape happening in the military the chain of command needs to make it clear that there is a zero tolerance policy when rape is committed, and they need to stand behind this rule. One of the main steps that the military needs to take in order to help prevent rape is to have a better screening process for those interested in joining. As we saw before with the Navy recruits being allowed to join, this cannot be allowed. The last and most important step that the military needs to take is to address the sociological perspective of rape and the three aspects that go along with it. They need to either ban women from the military altogether, a path that I feel would be the most appropriate, or they can take measures to give the females in the military more protection. I feel women in the military will always be vulnerable to attacks, and even though all rapes dont involve women a majority of them do. Rape, in the military, needs to stop. The DoD needs to put its fist down and make punishment for offenders and the protection of victims of the utmost importance. It affects too many people, and if it isnt tolerated in the civilian world then the same should hold true for the military lifestyle as well. Rape is too common in the military, too often it goes unreported, and more safety nets and precautions need to be put in place if women are to be a productive part of our military. Following simple guidelines for insuring these issues being resolved would go a long way for our country and would help produce a positive view on the U.S. military.

Planets and Solar System Essay -- Science Astronomy Astronomical Essay

Planets and Solar System "A planet is a celestial body that revolves around a central star and does not shine by its own light " (Grolier, 1992). The only planetary system that is known to man is our solar system. It is made up of nine planets which range in size and make-up. The nine major planets in our solar system are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. There are also many other minor planets which are also in our solar system, but they are unimportant compared to the nine major planets. In this paper I will discuss the planets and how they are each unique. Mercury which is the planet that is closest to the sun is the first planet I will discuss. Mercury is the smallest of the inner planets. It is speculated that the heat from the sun made it impossible for the gases present to become part of the planetary formation. The surface of Mercury is extremely hot. It is approximately 470 degrees celsius on the surface and is thought to be even hotter at the two " hot spots." These " hot spots " are on opposite ends of the equator. It is the heat of the surface that makes it impossible for Mercury to have any type of atmosphere. Mercury orbits the sun once every 88 days and has a true rotation period of 58.6 days. " It is the closest planet to the sun and therefore orbits faster than any other planet " (Thompson/Turk, 542, 1993). It is said that Mercury rotates three times for every two trips around the sun, so that during every alternate perihelon passage the same face points directly at the sun. " Geologically, the most remarkable features of Mercury are compressional cliffs or faults, just the sort of wrinkles that might form in the crust if the interior of the planet shrank slightly " (Morrison, 74, 1993). It is speculated that it was the solidification of Mercury's metallic core that caused this global shrinkage. Mercury is also " . . . enriched in metal or depleted of rock " (Morrison, 74, 1993). It is also believed that some of the inner core of Mercury is still in a fluid state. Scientists also believe that Mercury's surface is made partially of silicate rock. The best way to describe Mercury is, " . . . small, heavily cratered and airless " (Morrison, 71, 1993). Venus is the second closest planet to the sun and is said to " . . . most closely resemble Earth in size, density, and... ...n see the planets of most importance are the ones closest to the sun and Earth. Little is known about the far off planets therefore it is hard to give them full recognition. Much is known about Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The other three planets are not as well known as these six are. Whether more planetary systems exist doesn't really matter. There are still plenty of things we don't understand about our own solar system. Scientists will have their work cut out for them in the future. Each and every planet has distinct differences and that helps show us how truly great God is. The planets will never fully be understood and will always be a great topic of discussion. Works Sited Cattermole, P. (1995). Earth and Other Planets. New York: Oxford University Press. Grolier Electronic Publishing, Inc. (1992). Hunt, G. & Moore, P. (1983). Atlas of the Solar System. Chicago: Rand Mc Nally & Company. Morrison, D. (1993). Exploring Planetary Worlds. New York: Scientific American Library. Thompson, G. & Turk, J. (1993). Earth Science and the Environment. New York: Saunders College Publishing & Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

The Renaissance Person – Henry VIII – by Casey Krol

The Renaissance â€Å"Person† Henry VIII is a Renaissance person, due to his intellectual intelligence of several subjects and profound skills. The Renaissance was a cultural movement the took place from the fourteenth to seventeenth century, that saw a revival in learning, architecture, literature, and classical art (Henry VI†). Henry VIII was a Renaissance person as he was very had various contributions in literature and cartography, and was intelligent in several subjects. In addition, he also contributed greatly through elisions, military, and political ways to England.Henry VIII founded a new religion, improved a Navy to the point of dominance, and enforced a imperialism policy. As a result, throughout Henry Vic's reign as King from 1509 to his death in 1547, he passed many laws and policies witch had great influence on the shaping of England to the nation it is today (Hutting). Henry VIII demonstrated many characteristics off Renaissance person. Henry VIII wrote bo oks, composed music and was a passionate patron of the arts (Henry VI'). Henry VIII is the author of a book called â€Å"Assertion Septet Sacramento†, which attacked Martin Luther and supported the Roman Catholic Church.As a result of this publication, Henry VIII received the title â€Å"Defender of Faith† by Pope Leo X (Hutting). In addition, he was educated in the classics, being fluent in Latin and French, along with knowledge in Spanish, Italian and Greek. Along with those qualities he was also a highly skilled musician, mathematician, architect, and a ship designer. Henry VIII was also a cartographer and was responsible for the start of English map making Coffee). Besides being a strong and ruthless ruler, his intellect helped him accomplish many f his goals throughout his reign as king.In the vast accomplishments of Henry VIII, he had a major influence on religion in England. First of all, Henry VIII established the Church of England in 1534, and became the supre me head when he passed the Act of Supremacy (Palmer 22). The trigger to the reformation was the refusal of a annulment by the Pope, for the marriage between Henry VIII and Catherine (Palmer 96). To further separate the relationship between king and pope, and set the foundations of the emerging Church of England, Henry VIII pasted numerous statutes. Such as the Submission of theClergy, which gave the King supremacy over the church. In addition the Treason Act of 1 534 enforced the belief the King was the head of state, and if refused could be punishable by death (Henry VI†). Additionally Henry VIII was the first English Monarch to approve the translation of the Bible into English (Hutting). Which is significant, as it allowed the people of England to read the Bible for themselves, especially if they did not know how to read Latin. To sum it up, Henry VIII was a great leader and still has millions of people following the Anglican religion he founded.An equally significant aspect of Henrys reign as king is the political influence he had on England. He added imperial concepts to the natural feudal concepts of Kingship. Which basically resulted in a policy which England would extended it's power through diplomacy or military force(Henry VIII Accomplishments). Which proved significant throughout England's history and their colonization of the world. On the other hand the Act of Appeals in 1 533 helped the constitutional development of England. This act made all religious or other appeals that would usually go to thePope, directed to the King in any English land. Henry VIII also decreased the power of thou nobles, and increased the power of Parliament and the monarchy (Hutting). As a result of Henry VIII reign as king, he set policies that would influence England greatly in the future, in the aspect of the current day parliament and imperialism. Military accomplishments of Henry VIII are far from few. First of all, he is known as the â€Å"Father of the Navy', as the English Navy grew in numbers and power over his reign. As the number of royal warships Jumped form five to fifty ships.The first naval sock in Britain was built in Portsmouth, along with the establishment of the Navy Board, in 1546. This greatly contributed to England's future exploration and colonization of the world, through dominance of the sea (Hutting). Henry VIII also began wars with France and Scotland, seeing a English victory over Scotland in the battle of Flooded in 1513. He also created several coastal fortresses in 1540, which improved the defense of the invasion prone island (Henry VIII Accomplishments). Throughout these accomplishments in the military aspect, Henry VIII helped stimulate the idea of nationalistic pride Coffee).In conclusion, Henry VIII was a Renaissance person due to his contributions to England's politics, military, and religion, along with his personal intellect in different subjects. He is known as the â€Å"father of the Navy' as he bolster ed England's forces to a level of world best (Hutting). He also became the head of the Church of England, and founder of the Anglican Church. He also set a sense of nationalistic pride through wars and installed the imperialism policy which benefited England throughout history Coffee). As a result, King Henry VIII became one of the most known and expected Renaissance people of all time.

Questions you most wanted to ask about tree planting and need immediately

Planting a tree can have tremendous influences on communities. Tree planting improves our environment. Planting a tree can add to our incomes and decrease energy costs. To plant a tree can enhance our quality of life and improve our health. I cant think of many things that touch us so completely as does planting a tree. My point is, we need trees to be planted! Q: How do you plant a seedling or sapling?A: There are actually two major methods of tree planting. One is planting a tree with an intact root ball. The trees can either be bound by fabric and string or potted in a plastic container. These trees are designed to plant...read more. Q: When is the season for planting trees?A: Bare-root tree planting is done during dormant winter months, most often after December 15th but before March 31st. Q: Do I really need to mulch my new tree?A: New seedlings and saplings need plenty of moisture. Lack of water is the main cause of severe stress to newly planted trees. Mulch is a trees best friend. Q: How do I know I am ready to plant a tree?A: Are you prepared to plant and rear a healthy tree? Take this tree wellness quiz to see just how prepared you are to successfully raise a healthy tree...read more. Q: Where can I buy trees to plant?A: Trees can be purchased in most states at private, industry and government nurseries. You need to check with your state forester for specific sources suited for your planting area...read more. Q: Where can I buy tree planting equipment?A: Before you begin a big planting job you need to purchase the right planting equipment. Using proper equipment correctly will insure proper planting and will be easier on the planter...read more. Q: Where should you plant a seedling or sapling?A:Use common sense when planting a tree. If the tree is expected to grow tall or expand widely give it the room it needs for future growth. Understanding species moisture, light and soil needs is extremely important. Q: What are root balled tree saplings?A:Root balled saplings are usually older than two to three year-old seedlings and are dug from commercial or government nursery plots. They are delivered individually with roots covered by an earth ball enclosing. Q: What are bare-root tree seedlings?A: Bare-root seedlings are usually two to three-year-old trees and lifted from commercial or government nursery beds. They are delivered in bulk with roots covered in only a very moist medium or slurry. Q: How many trees are planted in the United States?A: Hundreds of nurseries in the United States grow over 1.5 billion trees annually, which reforests nearly three million acres. This number represents over six trees.