IHRM and HRM Difference Free Essays

In a highly competitive global economy, where the other factors of production—capital, technology, raw materials, and information—are increasingly able to be duplicated, â€Å"the caliber of the people in an organization will be the only source of sustainable competitive advantage available to companies. Domestic HRM and international HRM are both concentrate on human resource management, but there are many differences also. No mater domestic HRM or international HRM an organization’s HRM activities are also include these 6 parts. We will write a custom essay sample on IHRM and HRM Difference or any similar topic only for you Order Now The first part is human resource planning, before the company employs the employees the company should know what kind of employees their need. Then the second part is staffing (recruitment, selection, placement), the company select the employees what they need from the HR market. The third part is compensation (remuneration) and benefits. The company should set the employees’ wages. Then, the forth part is deal with the industrial relations. It is common in every company that there are many troubles in employees or in employees and the company, so the company should set a department which is especial deal with the problem. The fifth part is performance management. The company’s main project is to make profits, so at the end of the year the company will reward or punish according to the employee’s performance. The last part is training and development. And these parts are completed one by one. There are also many differences between domestic HRM and IHRM. IHRM complexity can be attributed to six factors. The first is more HR activities such as international taxation; international relocation and orientation; host-government relations; language translation services. For example, to a domestic company it is only concerned with the tax rates in his country, but for a international company it is not only focus on his PCN’s tax rates but also focus on his TCN’s tax rates. The second is need for a broader perspective such as program design and administration for several employee groups; long term consequences on key decisions made. For example, to a domestic company it pays all attention to his program design and administration in his country, but for a international company it is not only focus on his PCN’s program design and administration but also pays attention to his TCN’s program design and administration. The third one is more involvement in employees’ personal lives. One obvious difference between domestic and international HRM is that staff are moved across ational boundaries into various roles within the international firms foreign operations—these employees have traditionally been called expatriates. An expatriate is an employee who is transferred out of their home base into some other area of the firm’s international operations. There are many factors will determine the assignment succeed or failed such as level of support to handle for PCNs and TCNs, banking, investments, home rental while on assignment, coordinating home visits , final repatriation, level of explanations particularly on the comp. ackage components , marital status during selection process. The forth one is variations in the mix of expatriates and locals, for example if the company want maturity evolves, the company need to support expat and virtual team. All these such as foreign subsidiary increased autonomy, high potential selection and development, long term succession planning necessitates flexibility and focus fluctuation within the HR department, not needed for domestic HR to the same degree. The fifth one is risk exposure, the IHRM will face heavier financial and human consequences in case of assignment failure. The last one is broader external influences such as the type of government; the state of the economy ; generally accepted practices of doing business in host countries. We can conclude that HRM is important to every company no matter it is domestic company or international company, so the manager should pay more attention to the HRM or the company will fail. How to cite IHRM and HRM Difference, Papers

Strategic Leadership free essay sample

Strategic leadership. This assignment critically evaluates leadership theories within a strategic framework by drawing upon literature sources and contrasting different academic perspectives. It will explore the relevance of strategic leadership within a small organization , as it appears that, from an initial review of the literature, that strategic leadership theories are aimed at large, complex, corporate organisations. Recommendations will be made as to whether or not the strategic leadership theories are of relevance to a small organisation and which theories have more relevance than others in this pecific organizational context. Leadership The concept of leadership is not new and it has been suggested that it was philosophers from ancient civilisations who first started to examine the definition of leadership (Grint 2001). The oldest known military text The Art of War (circa 400 BC) states: the leader of armies is the arbiter of the peoples fate, the man on whom it depends whether the nation shall be in peace or in peril (Sun (undated)). We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Leadership or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As early as the fourth century BC Plato believed leadership and the development of leaders to be of fundamental importance (Bass 1990). However, over the last few decades the oncept of leadership has been heavily studied and debated; so much so that, for the first-time reader on the subject matter, the definition leadership appears, at first sight, to be intangible. It would appear that every layperson, when asked, instinctively knows what a leader is, but when asked to describe this in detail they falter. Fielder (1987) states that there have been at least 65 definitions of leadership put forward, and Stogdill (1974) argues that there are almost as many definitions as there are commentators. Leadership has been defined by Bennis (1998) as a function of knowing yourself, aving a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realize your own leadership potential. However, Heifetz argues that there is little chance of ever resolving an all-embracing definition of leadership. This view is supported by Drucker (1996) who argues that the only definition of a leader is someone who has followers and Nanus (1997) who states that leadership is like the Abominable Snowman, whose footprints are everywhere but who is nowhere to be seen. Recent research carried out by the South West Regional Development Agency concludes that Despite recognition of the importance of eadership, there remains a certain mystery as to what leadership actually is or how to define it (Bolden 2004). Everyone has their own intuitive understanding of what leadership is, based on a mixture of experience and learning, which is difficult to capture in a succinct definition. The situation appears to be far more complex than less would have us believe. There does however appear to be some consensus that leadership is not management, and Zaleznik (1977) was one of the first to delineate the differences between leadership and management. He saw a leader as an artist, who uses reativity and intuition to navigate his way through chaos, whilst the manager is seen as a problem solver dependent on rationality and control. The dichotomy between leaders and managers was forcefully established by Bennis and Nanus (1985) who suggest that managers do things right whilst leaders do the right thing. Bennis (1989) went on to draw twelve distinctions between the two groups: Managers Leaders Managers administer Leaders innovate Managers ask how and when Leaders ask what and why Managers focus on systems Leaders focus on people Managers do things right Leaders do the right things Managers maintain Leaders develop Managers rely on control Leaders inspire trust Managers have a short-term perspective Leaders have a longer-term perspective Managers accept the status-quo Leaders challenge the status-quo Managers have an eye on the bottom line Leaders have an eye on the horizon Managers imitate Leaders originate Managers emulate the classic good soldier Leaders are their own person Managers copy Leaders show originality Source: Bennis (1989) Northouse (2004) also saw a distinction between leadership and management and observed that in general terms managers concerned themselves with tasks while eaders concerned themselves with people. Central to most of these distinctions is an orientation towards change. This concept is well represented in the work of Kotter (1990) who concluded that management is about coping with complexity whilst leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change. He proposed that good management brings about a degree of order and consistency to organisational processes and goals, whilst leadership is required for dynamic change. Strategic Leadership As with the definition of leadership, there is a similar problem when attempting to tie down precisely what strategy is. There are strongly differing opinions on most of the key issues of strategy and the disagreement runs so deep that a common definition of the term strategy is illusive (De Wit 2004). This leads to their being little hope of ever being able to define strategic leadership.

My Work Experience Diary Essay Example

My Work Experience Diary Essay It was my first day of work experience, (I worked at the Morrisons head office at the Cutler Heights Division) I woke up at 8:00a. m, and I got ready and went downstairs and ate breakfast. I went to my work experience with my brother in his car, I got there on time, I was nervous and thought it was going to be boring but it was quite interesting really. I went inside and the receptionist told me to sit down while she called someone. A man named Mike came and took me into the administration department and into his office. (He was the company accountant). He told me all about the company and what it does and what I was going to do. I had my own desk with a computer. I started off with some filing and later on I did some production orders on the computer. There were 7 people in the same as room as me. They were friendly and kind to me. I finished at approximately 3:00, the senior clerk (whose name was Angela) told me I had done a good job and I could go home. I was working next to a motorway and had to go through tunnels to get to the bus stop. At first I couldnt find the bus stop but after ten minutes I found it and had to wait for about five minutes before the bus came. We will write a custom essay sample on My Work Experience Diary specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on My Work Experience Diary specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on My Work Experience Diary specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer I got on and I found out that the bus was going the other way from which I came in the morning, but I thought he might be going another way so I sat down. I was worried I might be going somewhere else so I thought I should ask him, when I asked him he told me Huddersfield. I told him to let me off at the next bus stop and asked him where the bus stop to Bradford was. He told me and I got off and I had to walk quite a long way back, but I found the bus stop straight way and got on, this time I asked the bus driver where the bus was going and he told me Bradford. I was relieved, I sat down and got home fifteen twenty minutes later. The next day, I woke up earlier because I had to go on the bus. I didnt want to go because I was tired but I managed to get up and get ready. I got at my workplace on time. I went to my desk and sat down and waited for the Angela to come and tell me what work I should do. I started off doing some lot number accounting that was just sorting out some lot numbers. I did that for most of the day and did some typing on the computer later on; I was bored to death and shattered at the end of the day. I went straight home and went to sleep for a few hours. The next few days were the same, I felt like not coming but I thought I might as well. On the last day of the first week the manager Karen asked me, how I was settling in and if I liked the work or not. I said, Its alright. I was happy at the end of the day when I went home so I could go home and relax. The next week on Monday, I wasnt feeling too well, so I decided not to go, so I stayed at home and watched TV and played on my computer. II phoned and told my manager that I wasnt coming in and she said it was fine and told me that she hoped I would be better tomorrow. The next two days I went to work and did similar work on both days, which were typing, and some filing. On Thursday I went quite late because I overslept and Angela was talking to Karen, when I went in I was a bit nervous because I thought she might ask me why I came late but when I went in Angela looked at her watch and gave Karen a glance to tell her that I was late but Karen didnt notice her. She just came over and gave me some paper to sort out. Later on when everyone had gone to lunch, Angela came to me and asked me why I came late, I told her that I overslept and I apologized to her. She said if this was a real job, the manager wouldve given me a warning and some bosses may even throw me out. The rest of the day I did some production orders and went home before 3:00 because everyone was finishing early so I got home early. The next day I made sure I went in early and they were all working when I went in, I went to the desk and started doing the work that was already on the desk. At break everyone went to get a snack from the canteen but I was fasting so I had to stay. Karen asked me how Id liked the job and I said it was very good. I did some filing and accounting and finished at 3:00 and said goodbye to everyone and I left and took one last look at the Morrisons Company and left smiling.

Statistics on Tweens and Dating Violence

Statistics on Tweens and Dating Violence While many adults have become aware of the prevalence of teen dating abuse and violence, few realize that preteen girls (and boys) are also victims and that the earlier they become sexually active, the more likely tweens will experience abuse and violence throughout their teen and young adult years. According to the July 2008 Tween and Teen Dating Violence and Abuse Study commissioned by Liz Claiborne Inc. and loveisespect.org, The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline, tweens involved in relationships with the opposite sex experience significant rates of dating abuse and violence. For the purposes of this study, the following groups were defined as follows:Tweens - adolescents age 11-14Teens - adolecents age 15-18Parents - adults with a child age 11-14 The survey revealed the following about tween dating violence and abuse: Tweens who have been in a relationship report peer pressure and emotional and physical abuse. 62% know friends and peers whove been verbally abused by a boyfriend/girlfriend. 36% know friends and peers whove been pressured by their relationship partner to do something they didnt want to do.20% of 13 and 14-year olds in relationships know friends and peers whove been physically abused (kicked, hit, slapped or punched) by a boyfriend/girlfriend. Tweens identify abuse as a serious problem but dont know what to do about it. 24% say dating abuse and violence is a serious problem among their age group, and 37% say verbal abuse is a problem. Only 51% of tweens say they know the warning signs of a bad tween dating relationship, and 54% say they would know what to do if a friend asked for help. Tweens who engage in sexual activity are more likely to experience teen dating violence and abuse. 69% know say theyve experienced one or more types of abuse in a relationship 61% have been called names or put down verbally. 34% were physically abused . 36% were pressured to have oral sex when they didnt want to . 34% were pressured into having sexual intercourse when they didnt want to . In marked contrast, teens who delay sexual activity experience significantly less teen dating violence and abuse. 36% have been called names or put down verbally. 9% were physically abused . 15% were pressured to have oral sex when they didnt want to . 15% were pressured into having sexual intercourse when they didnt want to . Teens and tweens in relationships are most likely to discuss their experiences with friends and parents. 67% of tweens in relationships discuss their experiences with friends. 67% of tweens in relationships discuss their experiences with their mom. 78% of teens discuss their dating relationships with friends . 48% of teens discuss their dating relationships with their mom . Parents who delay talking to their tweens about relationships may find themselves out of the loop later on. 70% of parents who havent talked to their tween say its because their child is too young. 67% of parents say they know a lot or everything about their tweens dating relationship, but only 51% of tweens agree. 20% of tweens say their parents know little or nothing about their dating relationships, although only 8% of parents admit that . 38% of parents say their tween has been in a relationship, whereas 47% of tweens say that about themselves . Only 8% of parents say that their child has hooked up with a partner, versus 17% of tweens who say theyve hooked up. For parents, educators, and other adults concerned by these findings, two factors clearly have impact on the incidence of tween and teen dating abuse: Delaying the age at which a teenager first has sex greatly reduces the chances she/he will be involved in abuse.Talking to a child very early on about dating, relationships, and sexual behavior even before it seems necessary is essential to maintaining open communications between parent and child and may reduce the incidence of abuse. The Tween and Teen Dating Violence and Abuse Study was conducted January 2-18, 2008 by TRU (Teenage Research Unlimited) and the surveys findings were released July 8, 2008.

The effect of atmosphere on customer perceptions and customer behavior Essay

The effect of atmosphere on customer perceptions and customer behavior responses in chain store supermarkets - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in the current age of globalization and the increased diversity of products, the shopping behavior of most people has changed significantly. Gone are the days when a shopper would simply walk into his or her favorite store and purchase what he or she likes. However, the shopping and customer world has changed, with many more options available. Even the option of going to the store or supermarket has been expanded to include online shopping and deliveries. In some ways, the shopping experience has evolved with more customers focusing less on shopping and more on the experience of shopping. Retailers also have better options in their products, prices, as well as store spaces, allowing for greater diversity in their options. Retailers are also eager to gain brand loyalty from customers as an added business advantage. In order to secure such loyalty, retailers have set out to improve the environment in their stores. They believe that with an enticing environment in their stores, they would be able to promote positive emotions and feedback from customers and draw them into the stores. Factors which refer to the store’s environment can impact on customer feelings and experiences, also affecting their purchasing behavior, their level of consumption, how much they would spend, and their satisfaction with the experience. A good experience while shopping in a store would likely prompt a repeat visit in the future; it can also facilitate spending in the store, including impulse purchasing. Currently, profits from chain store supermarkets are not too remarkable, and concerns have been raised on how to provide pleasant and inviting shopping experiences for customers in order to increase customer spending as well as increase their time of stay in the store.  

Write Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Write Experience - Essay Example They deliver on time and follow our quality procedures, which our contract stipulated. Unfortunately, they have had lapses in their quality assurance procedures, due to a labor strike that affected their workforce. Because of this, the remaining workers were pressed to do more, which obviously, they could not achieve. Several employees admitted being too tired for the quality check procedures we had asked them to perform. On June 2, 2012, only one employee was present for quality checks, instead of three, and he worked double shifts. This affected his judgment and he missed checking several packages, which the CCTV also showed. Because of this, some of the ingredients that the supplier delivered had been contaminated and still delivered to us. At present, we are working with the supplier regarding this problem. They admitted their quality lapses and are willing to pay for the hospitalization and medical expenses of those who are affected. We also suspended our contract with them, until they could hire enough people for their quality management system. At present, we already contracted a new supplier, who agreed to our renewed meticulous quality standard system. In addition, we also assigned one of our staff to conduct additional quality checks. She is Mrs. Linda Ashcroft, a nutritionist and food technologist. She will be in charge of designing, assessing, and implementing food quality standards. She presently evaluated our delivery, storage, cooking, and service systems and provided recommendations that we will immediately implement. We also invited the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct a monthly review of our food and service quality. They are willing to send representatives to perform regular inspections. We hope that through these efforts, we can regain your confidence in our restaurant. We will do better from this time forward and we will be become more critical of our quality standards and procedures, and subject our suppliers to the

Technological Advances: The Negative Effects

Technological Advances: The Negative Effects Technological advancement as a term can be defined as being able to improve the standard of living through altering the production process and increasing the level of production with fewer resources (Mabry Sharplin; 1986). This definition is closely linked to the act of using computers, robots and the like but any move towards more efficient ways of providing services is a technological advancement. When one begins with premise that the gradual shift from human-sensitive methods of construction will pose a problem in South Africa as a developing country, plain human knowledge becomes sufficient as a technological advancement. Technology varies in its purposes and uses. It has become the backbone of any sort of development initiative in the developing world. Characterised by efficiency, accuracy and cost benefits. Developed countries are suited better to manage the negatives that come from the overt use of technology. Their economies are strong enough to manage unemployment and the like. Often, people that fear or are weary of fast evolving technology are referred to as Luddites, this is untrue and grossly inaccurate for the Luddites (circa 1800s) were working but uneducated people who destroyed all symbols of advancing technology. Nobel laureate Wassily Leontief, who gave the keynote speech for the National Academy of Engineering at its 1983 symposium The Long-Term Impact of Technology on Employment and Unemployment, cannot fairly be called a Luddite, yet he expressed concern about what he saw as technological advancements undesirable distributional effects across income groups (Mabry Sharplin; 1986) The construction industry is slowly eliminating jobs that are human-sensitive. Jobs that previously required a strong human presence can now be done off-site (precast) and brought to site just to assemble. The jobs are becoming lower skilled and routine. With this in mind, one would think that there would be more jobs created but the opposite happens, jobs seem to be eroding. The implementation of new technology offers the companies a competitive edge over their rivals at the cost of jobs. In construction, efficiency is very important. Delays in time mean penalties and this requires more money. Redundancy caused by advancements in technology has been happening in the automotive industry where machines have rendered the jobs of many humans obsolete and have left some fastening bolts for eight hours a day. In the construction industry, though you will not find a machine laying bricks, there are other materials that are being developed to render using bricks and blocks outdated. Aluminium beams and columns are now de-rigueur in architectural circles and this will not take long at all to catch up with the industry and it will just be a matter of time before construction gangs of fifty will shrink to ten because of cranes doing all the heavy lifting and then ten men just fastening bolts. Technological advancement, in itself, is an indication of development in any country. Said advancement should not hinder the growth of the country by creating a poverty trap. A developing country has a few defining characteristics, defined below: Majority living below the poverty line Ex-colony Subject to economic inequality Inequality in the working environment As technology advances further and further it hinders growth through promoting the utilizing methods that arent human-sensitive. Chapter 2 The role of South Africas history 2.1 History Colonialism played a role in the current problems South Africa faces. To understand how technology affects employment, we need to have a clearer understanding of how we got to where we are from a developmental point of view. Colonisers occupied the country and divided the country geographically to make it more manageable. They then developed city centres and these city centres became economic hubs in their regions. During the 1886 Witwatersrand Gold Rush, employment was created for the natives. Many natives left their homelands to work in the Gauteng mines. The cities close to the mines kept flourishing as there became a need for other industries to support the influx of natives and wealthy mine owners to the mining cities. The homelands remained underdeveloped. Many decades later, rural areas are still underdeveloped and creating employment in those areas is hard because there are very few economic development initiatives. 2.1.1 Migration to the cities. As aforementioned, the movement of many natives from their homelands for employment in the mining cities left many homelands underdeveloped. The lure of employment opportunities in a quickly developing country proved to be problematic. W.W Rostow (circa 1960), cited by Utting (2011; Development Management IV: Course Notes; 189:190) discussed the modernization theories of development. The underlying principle of this modernization theory was that economic development was integral to the overall development of any society. Economic development is South Africa seemed to be happening in the mining cities only and not in the rural areas. 2.1.2 Consequence of migration. As men left to work in the cities, they left their families at home. Families that were uneducated and had no other means of income and mostly made a living through farming. Formal education was, and for the most part is just a fallacy to people living in rural areas. This is creating a problem because on one hand; low-skill level jobs are being automated, on the other hand; you have many people from the rural areas coming in with little-to-no education looking for employment. This contributes to creating what is termed a poverty trap. 2.1.3 Previously Disadvantaged Individuals People of colour were oppressed during the unjust reign of apartheid which officially began in the election of 1948 and lasted until 1994. In that time, people of colour were oppressed in every way imaginable. The end of apartheid brought about great elation and spelled the end of an oppressive regime, we also adopted many problems from there. For instance, the problem of unemployment. A complex issue that has no single solution. The previously disadvantaged individuals, i.e. people of colour in South Africa, are now trying to keep-up with the developed world. The issue is the means that are taken to develop South Africa further. The methods which utilize an excess of technology will widen the gap between the rich and poor. The previously disadvantaged will be left destitute and with very few opportunities to develop themselves let alone along with the country. 2.1.4 Addressing the issue of inequality Government implemented Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), which has now become Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), to facilitate the development of PDIs. Government also put a policy in place that was set to address inequalities in the workplace by giving construction companies a BEE status. This meant that a certain portion of the workforce had to be composed of PDI. This, of course, is a step in the right direction towards addressing inequalities in the workplace. An overwhelmed Government Decades after the 1886 Gold Rush, present Government still feel the effects of mass migration to the cities. Change of political regime brought about new challenges for Government. The two most important: Creating Jobs: Job creation isnt particularly the responsibility of Government. They are supposed to create an environment that supports and promotes job creation. Presently, graduates form the majority of the unemployed in South Africa. Homelands are still under-developed and this doesnt seem to be changing. Policies to address the unemployment and subsequent poverty problem in rural areas are addressed by issuing policies. The problem with policies is they are therapeutic, generic and do not address the problem of each rural area on a case by case basis. Another problem with policies is that they are developed by people who do so remotely so they do not know the actual problem, on the ground. Adequate Housing: Housing has is a problem especially in towns surrounding big cities like Durban and Johannesburg. The RDP programme was developed for this purpose. Independent contractors tender and build the house. Unfortunately, many contractors dont fulfil their obligation. The problem doesnt get better and we see violent service delivery protests. The tender process in itself is heavily flawed and marred by political interference and corruption. 2.2.1 Failure to create jobs. As aforementioned, the current Government is struggling to create job or rather failing to create an environment that promotes job creation. According to the World Bank (2011), Local Economic Development (LED) refers to the collective efforts between Government and non-governmental institutions to create an environment that is conducive to both economic growth and employment. In essence, LED provides the community ways to improve their chances of getting investment from external sources and their own business environment. The aim is to create a better life for all. Rural communities dont have much of this happening and the focus needs to move towards decentralization. The concentration of rural development policy makers in urban areas is also to the detriment of rural areas. The sheer distance leads to misappropriation of funds and resources and this keeps the rural areas underdeveloped. Top-down centralized policies rarely accomplish their goals because the policy makers arent anchored in the rural reality on the ground (International Labour Office; 2012) 2.2.2 Critical analysis of the tender process The tender process was initially meant to open up opportunities for people of colour to enter the world of business and trade. Unfortunately, the tender process is marred by corruption and political interference and this in counter-productive and robs the people it was meant to help in the first place. The process begins by realising a need for a service in a particular community and then sending that particular project out to tender with various contractors who then send back their estimates of how much it would cost to build the required infrastructure. The corruption begins when the tenderers start bribing officials to give them the contract. Too often the contractors themselves are incompetent and end up breaching contracts. The reason for their incompetency can be credited to the lack of knowledge. Most new contractors have no formal training and make very few attempts at getting adequate training and the cycle keeps on going. The process itself is not flawed; the issue is with monitoring it. There isnt an independent body that monitors the tendering process and this leads to corruption and moves back as a nation. Monitoring, or lack thereof, is not the primary solution to corruption because corruption is prevalent in all developing countries. Chapter 3: Basic education and training Lack of a proper educational framework in rural areas Bantu Education was established to give people of colour the most basic education. A means to create more muscle for the machine that was apartheid. The structure was such that skills development formed part of the school curriculum. Students who left the institution of Bantu Education left with skills and could go start looking for work immediately after. Universities were reserved for Whites only. In rural areas however, school infrastructure was few and far in between. As South Africa developed and established itself as a source of mineral wealth many moved into the urban areas (See, Chapter 1) and left the rural areas as they were. Rural areas dont have any economic development, chances for employment are slim. Even if businesses are encouraged, their longevity is cut short because there is no Local Economic Development. Schools in rural areas do not, to this day, receive adequate resources to teach. School buildings are of mud block construction. The chaos that arises from there can only be imagined when the rainy season starts. The education system in South Africa is not at its most stellar as we saw during the Limpompo Textbook Fiasco (M. Madia, 2012). This in turn creates problems when the students produced from rural schools are thrust into a society that demands a good knowledge of technology and pliable minds. The students, coming from a background with no knowledge of computers and the like will end up looking for employment that requires a low-skill level. On the other end of the spectrum, employers are looking for ways to increase productivity without affecting profits. On a building site, having concrete delivered, as opposed to mixing it on site, saves time and consequently saves money. Lower-skill jobs are slowly becoming redundant and the education system in rural areas isnt keeping up with the demand for technology savvy candidates. As a result, a cesspool of unemployment and everything it carries many other social problems such as crime and corruption. Desperation can kill you. Language barriers (machinery use) Communication is essential on site for all operations to continue. The language barrier between employer and employee makes the employee less desirable for employment. Employees from rural areas are often not well versed in languages either than their home-language. Similarly with machinery use, employers wouldnt employ someone with a minimal understanding of the language of instruction. Besides that being a health and safety hazard, it wouldnt be beneficial and training would take longer than it should. Misunderstandings on site (machinery use) Any sort of misunderstanding on site has a financial repercussion. With this in mind, employers avoid workers with little-to-no understanding of the language of instruction. There is a clear disconnection between the education department in rural areas and the required calibre of graduates. This in turn leads to students coming from that system to be left behind. When that happens and the very students are put into a system that requires a certain level of knowledge, knowledge that they lack. Subsequently, these people bear the grunt of job displacement due to the introduction of technology and/or automation. Chapter 4: Methods of construction The manner in which construction projects are carried out has changed dramatically. Change is constant and will not stop as humans develop further and further. From the times of the great Pharaohs, where heavy materials were rolled on logs, to present day where heavy materials are hauled into the air with cranes. 4.1 Evolution of Methods Traditional construction was of mass concrete. The older buildings like the Durban Station were of mass concrete and required many labourers to set up shutters, mixing concrete and pouring. Mixing of concrete was done on site. Technological advancements moved towards using central concrete depots and having concrete delivered to site. The purpose of technological advancement is to increase production while utilizing the least amount of resources. To a very large extent it is good, the problem begins when technology advances at the cost of peoples jobs. Project Planning Project planning has become more streamlined and can be managed by a single person as opposed to be an entire team. Project planning in South Africa has attracted a great amount of attention over the past few years because of its association with infrastructure. As South Africa develops further, infrastructure will be required. Many construction projects are complex and required teams to manage them, over time computer programmes were developed and managing large projects became easier. Technology has afforded us the opportunity to much with very little resources. It has also created a situation where those who do not adopt are left behind. This is well and good in a developed state but South Africa is a developing country with a 25% unemployment rate and threatening to grow as more and more technology is being introduced into the industry. The industry itself will do better, productivity will increase but many people will be permanently displaced, in terms of employment. The planning of projects will eventually be handled by a single person using a computer programme. The availability of jobs will decrease as companies need fewer people to run successful projects. Chapter 5: Construction Materials Building materials arent exempt from advancements. There has been a movement from mass concrete, to brick and block and now we are in the age of steel and glass construction. The movement from one age to the next has an adverse effect on employment. Presently, steel and glass construction needs just a few men and a crane. A shift in the paradigm of construction. Lighter Materials. Construction materials have gotten lighter while retaining their strength. Materials like fibreboard are now common place in offices. Even materials that always were the heaviest, like concrete, have had their share of technological advancement. Air-infiltrated concrete is lighter than conventional concrete. The secret is in the air bubbles that are trapped within the concrete that make it lighter while making it a bit easier to work with. This particular type of concrete is strong enough to take the loads of conventional concrete but can also be used as a cantilever slab (with reinforcing). Precast Items. With the paradigm shift of construction materials, precast items are becoming more common. From lintels in residential construction to entire floor slabs in commercial property. A shift that has brought about increased productivity. Concrete pouring and curing is the most time consuming exercise on site and having that time saved means saving money too. The problem, again, with such an advancement is how it affects employment. Concrete mixing, as a low-skill level job, employed quite a few labourers (proportional to size of project) and with concrete mixing being removed from equation, many are left jobless. The biggest hurdle is the lack of training initiatives for workers that have been displaced due to automation. They are left unemployed and unemployment leads to other social problems. Chapter 6: Globalisation According to the Education and Training Unit of South Africa (2012), globalisation refers to the changes in technological, political and economic that make the world different in its functioning to the way it was twenty or thirty years ago. The proof of globalisations can be seen in the emergence of giant corporations with branches all over the world. Globalisation forces developing nations to adjust their structures in order to match those of the developed nations. All this to help developing nations secure loans to help their flailing economies. BusinessDictionary.com refers to globalisation as a movement towards integration of many aspects of trade. In the same vein, they go on to say that globalisation threatens weaker economies when applied discriminately. Keeping up with the world. Even though South Africa has mineral wealth, it is still an emerging economy. The reason for this is the colonial history of South Africa (Refer to Chapter 2). The international markets play a role in how development in South Africa is implemented. This is where politics come into play. P. Kingsworth in his article Globalisation of South Africa describes the conditions under which the fate of common South Africans would be controlled by international markets. After the failure of the Reconstruction Development Plan (RDP) in 1996, the Growth Employment and Redistribution program (GEAR) was set-up to take its place. The difference between GEAR and RDP was that; where RDP promised free basic services, GEAR privatised utilities and would bill all users. Some of these users live below the poverty line. Rapid advancements in technology threaten jobs and yet the poorest of the poor must still pay for services. Global trends to employers. To employers, global trends dictate how they should react to the current market. Technological advancements give them an edge of the opposition and that edge equals more profit. As crude as it may seem, profit is the bottom-line to most, if not all, employers. Globalisation has afforded employers a chance to compete on an international scale. Increased connectivity with international markets offers them the option of showcasing their services overseas. In order to be able to satisfy international demand, they need to automate systems. That is a factor that leads to job loss. Chapter 7: Technology: Computer Programmes With globalisation burning hot at the heels of a developing South Africa, computer programmes come as part of the globalisation package. It was an inevitable move and one that was greatly needed in terms of development. Computer programmes dont directly affect low-skill employees, its a challenge that will face those that havent been introduced to computer programmes in University. Again, the highlight of the clear disconnect between the industry and the education system. Many graduates fall into the chasm unbeknown to them, with very little help from the industry and Universities. CCS For contractors CCS or the Candy system is a computer programme that is specifically aimed at making the job of a contractor manageable. A contractor with many projects going on at the same time will need a computer programme that will integrate forecasting, estimating, valuations and project planning. The design of the Candy system is such that it can be understood by anyone with a knowledge of construction. Corruption has created a distorted view of contractors. It is a general view that many contractors cannot manage projects and therefore cannot control funds. Quantity surveyors are usually employed to help them control funds for contractors. Programmes like CCS have now given smaller contractors with the option of being able to control their own projects and therefore their own funds without needing a quantity surveyor to do the work for them. WinQS for Professional Quantity Surveyors WinQS is a programme designed more for professional quantity surveyors as it offers an in-depth interface that will require a quantity surveying background. WinQS can produce complete bills of quantities because it has JBCC contracts within the programme itself. On a consultation with Steve Naidoo (2012; August 5th), he explained the great help that came with the introduction of computers. Doing bills on chart paper and having to transport them great distances, as opposed to emailing, has made work a lot easier. Consulting firms will employ the use of WinQs more widely. A company that employed many quantity surveyors will need fewer with the introduction of such programmes. The results of automation are clear in South Africa. People are losing jobs and not enough is being doing to boost small enterprises. What is being done is being overshadowed by corruption while the fate of South Africas youth dangles helplessly in the face of poverty and a host of other social problems. Chapter 8: Case Studies I have selected two cases that I felt were relevant to highlight my growing concerns about the problems that come with technological advances. I cannot deny the great leaps we have taken with the help of technology. The problem is how these leaps tend to take developing nations back a few steps, especially when coupled with international pressure (via Globalisation, see Chapter 6). The first example highlights the advantages offered by technology and its advancements, it also highlights the change and how it would affect a developing nation. The Ark Hotel, China The Broad Group, a construction company based in China, was able to build a 30 Storey building in just 15 days. The fastest construction of a hotel. What was amazing was how there were zero injuries. The hotel itself was designed and built to withstand an earthquake with a magnitude of 9 on the Richter scale. Building materials were all prefabricated and brought to site to be assembled. This could be the secret to their Super-fast power as it was dubbed in the British DailyMail (2012). The movement to precast and prefabricated materials is as inevitable as the first steps of a healthy toddler. South Africa, as the toddler, is expected to start running before it knows how to walk. The Ark Hotel, was built like a structure made of Legos. All the pieces were made and fabricated off-site and brought to site to be assembled by a few specialists and a crane. Construction like this in a developing nation could cripple it. In countries where the construction industry employs the most people, a move towards using prefabricated material could be disastrous not only in the short-term but in the long-term too. Sanrals E-Toll Sanral has undertaken to build open-road tolling for road users in Gauteng. The network will be 560kms covering 34 of Gautengs busiest interchanges the most infamous being; Allandale, William Nicol, Rivonia and Elands. The reason that E-Tolling was introduced is to fund the improvements of roads. The tolling will be based on a user-pay system. It will become necessary to get an E-Tag for the motor vehicle that will be transporting passengers and every month a statement will arrive at your doorstep, detailing your daily commute through the several tolls on your way to your destination. This system could be rolled out throughout the entire country. According to Sanral (2012), only 19% of the countries roads are tolled roads, the remaining 81% arent tolled roads. The reality is that the money that is made from the tolled roads is insufficient to perform maintenance on roads. The system will be unmanned and thus starts the problem. The people that were employed will now be jobless as tolls will no longer need people to collect monies. This is yet another example of how technology is making people redundant. One cannot help but be in awe of the great technological leap, the same technological leap is at the same time robbing people of jobs and yet again bring the problem of unemployment to the fore. Chapter 9: Resolution In cases like these were it is one power reigning supreme over a nation, a solution cannot be employed. Resolutions can however be offered. These suggestions are subject to reviewing and adjustment. Using human-sensitive methods on site that dont rely heavily on the use of machinery. The human resource is abundant and renewable. Employers in South Africa ought to be looking into using this readily available resource. It may be argued that machines do not take sick-days, thats acceptable but machines will not be the ones using your project upon completion. We are creating a society we cannot afford. 25% of the population is unemployed and as more technology is being introduced more people will lose their jobs in favour of automated systems. Site work can be carried out by labourers instead of machines. Simple tasks like batch concrete mixing can be carried out by labour instead of machines and be delivered to site. The problem is not one dimensional; for instance, a contractor has a need to keep a healthy stream of work coming in because of the corrupt nature of the construction industry where certain parties are earmarked for jobs. In cases like this, the contractor will be trying to turn a profit on every job and one way of doing that is by always completing jobs on time, he does this by having a smaller team that uses specialist technology to help complete jobs quickly and usually under-budget. He keeps his business afloat and doesnt employ many. Government regulation.* The dilemma facing South Africa is the corrupt nature of our leaders. Technology provides a higher level of production while neglecting the steps taken to reach that level of productivity. Technology renders humans redundant and government is aware but is benefitting through the use of technology. Technology entrenches the divisions of the past by keeping the privileged employed and the rest of the country in close proximity of poverty. Perhaps, the only difference between present day and apartheid is that those who can adapt and use technology stand a better chance of being employed over those that very little knowledge of technology and the way in which it works. Unfortunately, those that have a limited knowledge of technology form the majority of the countrys population. The onus is therefore on Government to regulate how technology is introduced and implemented in the construction industry in South Africa before we are faced with a situation where the poor have nothing to eat but the rich. Training of people and subsequent employment The best way to get a better workforce is by training them. During Apartheid, skills-training was a part of the school curriculum. That aspect of the curriculum must come back to address South Africas skills shortage. The only difference is the training will be for specific industries. Science and technology, research and development, medicine and engineering are fields that require younger thinkers. It seems like our education system is amassing an army of entrepreneurs that have no idea of how to manage their businesses. Small business fail because of mismanagement. The use of people as a resource can also be seen as a technological advancement because with enough training, efficient ways of carrying tasks out are inevitable. Addendum 1: Supporting documentation Addendum 2: Bibliography Education and Training Unit of South Africa; 2012; Understanding Globalisation (Online); available at www.etu.org.za ; Accessed 26 August 2012 Kingsnorth, P; 2004; The globalisation of South Africa (Online); available at uk.oneworld.net; Accessed 26 August 2012 Mackenzie, C; 2012; Theyre now a super-fast power: How the Chinese built a 30 storey hotel from scratch in just fifteen days (Online); available at www.dailymail.co.uk ; Accessed 27 August 2012 Sabol, L; 2007; Technology, Change, and the building industry (Online); available at http://www.dcstrategies.net/files/2_sabol_technology_change.pdf; Accessed 27 August 2012 Mabry, R. H, Sharplin, A. D; 1986; Does more technology create unemployment? (Online); available at http://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/does-more-technology-create-unemployment; Accessed 24 August 2012 International Labour Office; 2012; Boosting Local Economies in rural areas (Online); available at www.ilo.org/led; Accessed 15 August 2012 European Science Technology Observatory; 2002; Impact of technological structural change on employment: prospective analysis 2020 (Online); available at http://www.mcrit.com/espon_scenarios/files/DOCUMENTS/eur20258en.pdf; Accessed 18 August 2012 Kletzer, L. G; 1998; Job Displacement (Pages 115-136) (Online); available at http://www.jstor.org; Accessed 10 August 2012 Talbot, D; 2012; Tectonic Shifts in Employment (Online); available http://www.technologyreview.com; Accessed 12 August 2012 Moavenzadeh, Fred, Koch Rossow, J. A; 1975; The construction in