Monday, May 25, 2020
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Analysis - 1744 Words
Surname 1 Author: Professorââ¬â¢s name: Course name: Date of Submission: The Portrayal of Women On the surface of the novel, ââ¬Å"The Girl with the Dragon Tattooâ⬠is a simple uncomplicated thriller, but at a deeper level, the novel is a complex and in-depth examination and analysis of the violent abuse against women in Sweden, particularly concentrating on the distorted and rather warped philosophies as well as the failure of the government that permit and accentuate such acts. More importantly, the novel plays the important role of the manner in which the society has allowed and accepted the many issues and challenges that women are subjected to by men. In the novel, Lisbeth Salander is used by the author to depict the challenges that womenâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦However, one of the main issues and challenges existing in the play is that the revenge by Lisbeth is highly glorified and praised in a manner that manner that seems to highly support and promote tolerance and expectations for violent reactions and actions as a way of seeking retribution. The message th at the novel clearly depicts is that institutional powers demonstrated in the play can only be established within the deeply founded patriarchal ideals and that the only way this can be solved is by the victims taking the problems in their own hands. A more effective approach as demonstrated through removing the veil of oppression and expose domination in relationships and at the workplace. Lisbeth is demonstrated as an independent, defying the existing natural behaviors, characters and the ideals within the Swedish community. She is demonstrated as being significantly intelligent and demonstrates powerful aggressiveness. Apart from her character, her physical features and abilities also demonstrate contradictions to the conventional female being. She is demonstrated to have jet-black hair, and her eye brows are light such that it becomes rather difficult to distinguish them from her ghost-like white face. The decision of the author to demonstrate and depict her in this manner indicates of the authorââ¬â¢s attempt toShow MoreRelatedThe Style Of David Fincher s Se7en1386 Words à |à 6 Pagesevaluate various aspects of the movie; including script, acting, art direction, cinematography, sound and editing, coupled with the authorââ¬â¢s own opinion and factual evidence collected from the movie itself. The following table presents a detailed analysis of the filmââ¬â¢s style, which links areas with approaches. Script (Expressive): Writer Andrew Kevin Walker drafted a script based on his personal representation of New York and his difficulty and misery that he experienced in the city. The scriptRead MoreSadie Hawkins Day and Valentine Grams18321 Words à |à 74 Pagesby wholesalers to schools, hospitals and other institutions and its peanut products that are used by manufacturers in food such as granola bars, ice cream, candy and cereal,â⬠according to Bloomberg.com. More laboratory testing and epidemiological analysis with the aid of the Center of Disease Control and Preventiom (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have traced the strain of Salmonella Typhimurium found back to the PCA, confirming contamination. However, traces of salmonella have alsoRead MorePaper on Food Adulteration8417 Words à |à 34 PagesTable of Contents Title Page Number Introduction 1 Background 6 Research Questions 11 Hypothesis 12 Methodology 13 Data Presentation and Analysis 14 Summary of Research Findings 41 Conclusion 43 Works Cited 44 Appendix 46 Introduction For centuries, the beauty of Bengali women has been defined by their dark skin-tones, generous curves, sharp facial features and long, wavy hair. The traditional Bengali woman adorned herself with glass bangles, bindi, nupur and nose-pin and wore saris or moreRead MoreAutobilography of Zlatan Ibrahimovic116934 Words à |à 468 Pagesbroke again. I don t know. Sometimes there were no spoons at home, and then she d come after me with a rolling pin. But then I got away, and I talked with Sanela about it. Sanela is my only full sibling. She s two years older. She s a tough girl, and she thought we should play some games with mom. Fuck, hitting us in the head! Insane! So we went to the store and bought a bunch of those spoons, really cheap ones, and gave them to mom as a Christmas present. I don t think she got the ironyRead MoreA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words à |à 209 Pagesused in conjunction with the correct constellations, this chapter is devoted to the latter. The author gives a descriptive list of the twenty-eight mansions of the moon, according to the ââ¬Å"Indianâ⬠system, and assigns to each its correct talisman. Analysis of the passage shows that it is a compound of ââ¬Å"Indianâ⬠doctrines, the tenets of Dorotheus of Sidon (both attested by Ibn abi ââ¬Ël-Rijà ¢l) and elements from a list ascribed to Hermes (attested by the Ihwà ¢n al-Safà ¢Ã¢â¬â¢) (pp.14-21). At the beginning of theRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words à |à 702 Pagesfollowing classification of cases by subject matter to be helpful. I thank those of you who made this and other suggestions. Classification of Cases by Major Marketing Topics Topics Most Relevant Cases Marketing Research and Consumer Analysis Coca-Cola, Disney, McDonaldââ¬â¢s, Google, Starbucks Product Starbucks, Nike, Coke/Pepsi, McDonaldââ¬â¢s, Maytag, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Newell Rubbermaid, DaimlerChrysler, Kmart/Sears, Harley-Davidson, Boeing/Airbus, Merck, Boston Beer, Firestone/Ford
Thursday, May 14, 2020
What Is a Hominin Reassessing our Ancient Family Tree
Over the last few years, the word hominin has crept into the public news stories about our human ancestors. This is not a misspelling for hominid; this reflects an evolutionary change in the understanding of what it means to be human. But it is admittedly confusing to scholars and students alike. Up until the 1980s, paleoanthropologists generally followed the taxonomic system developed by the 18th-century scientist Carl Linnaeus, when they spoke of the various species of humans. After Darwin, the family of Hominoids devised by scholars by the middle of the 20th century included two subfamilies: the subfamily of Hominids (humans and their ancestors) and that of Anthropoids (chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans). Those subfamilies were based on morphological and behavioral similarities in the groups: thats what the data had to offer, comparing skeletal differences. But debates as to how closely related our ancient relatives were to us heated in paleontology and paleoanthropology: all scholars had to base those interpretations on was morphological variations. Ancient fossils, even if we had complete skeletons, were made up of myriad traits, often shared across species and genus. Which of those traits should be considered significant in determining relatedness of species: tooth enamel thickness or arm length? Skull shape or jaw alignment? Bipedal locomotion or tool use? New Data But all that changed when new data based on underlying chemical differences began to arrive from laboratories like the Max Planck Institutes in Germany. First, molecular studies in the late 20th century showed that shared morphology does not mean shared history. At the genetic level, humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas are more closely related to one another than we are to orangutans: in addition, humans, chimps and gorillas are all African apes; orangutans evolved in Asia. More recent mitochondrial and nuclear genetic studies have also supported a tripartite division of our family group as well: Gorilla; Pan and Homo; Pongo. So, the nomenclature for analysis of human evolution and our place in it had to change. Splitting Up the Family To better express our close relationship to the other African apes, scientists split the Hominoids into two subfamilies: Ponginae (orangutans) and Homininae (humans and their ancestors, and chimps and gorillas). But, we still need a way to discuss humans and their ancestors as a separate group, so researchers have proposed a further breakdown of the Homininae subfamily, to include Hominini (hominins or humans and their ancestors), Panini (pan or chimpanzees and bonobos), and Gorillini (gorillas). Roughly speaking, then--but not exactly--a Hominin is what we used to call a Hominid; a creature that paleoanthropologists have agreed is human or a human ancestor. Species in the Hominin bucket include all of the Homo species (Homo sapiens, H. ergaster, H. rudolfensis, includinging Neanderthals, Denisovans, and Flores), all of the Australopithecines (Australopithecus afarensis, A. africanus, A. boisei, etc.) and other ancient forms like Paranthropus and Ardipithecus. Hominoids Molecular and genomic (DNA) studies have been able to bring most scholars to consensus about many of the previous debates about living species and our closest relatives, but strong controversies still swirl around the placement of Late Miocene species, called hominoids, including ancient forms like Dyropithecus, Ankarapithecus, and Graecopithecus. What you can conclude at this point is that since humans are more closely related to Pan than gorillas, Homos and Pan probably had a joint ancestor who probably lived between 4 and 8 million years ago, during the late Miocene. We just havent met her yet. Family Hominidae The following table is adapted from Wood and Harrison (2011). Subfamily Tribe Genus Ponginae -- Pongo Hominiae Gorillini Gorilla Panini Pan Homo Australopithecus,Kenyanthropus,Paranthropus, Homo Incertae Sedis Ardipithecus,Orrorin,Sahelanthropus Family Hominidae Finally... Fossil skeletons of hominins and our ancestors are still being recovered around the world, and there is no doubt that new techniques of imaging and molecular analysis will continue to provide evidence, supporting or refuting these categories, and always teaching us more about the early stages of human evolution. Meet the Hominins Toumaà ¯ (Sahelanthropus tchadensis)Lucy (Australopithecus afarensisSelam (Australopithecus afarensis)Ardipithecus ramidusFlores man (Homo floresiensis Guides to Hominin Species AustralopithecusDenisovansNeanderthalsHomo erectus and Homo egaster Sources Agustà J, Siria ASd, and Garcà ©s M. 2003. Explaining the end of the hominoid experiment in Europe. Journal of Human Evolution 45(2):145-153.Cameron DW. 1997. A revised systematic scheme for the Eurasian Miocene fossil Hominidae. Journal of Human Evolution 33(4):449-477.Cela-Conde CJ. 2001. Hominid Taxon and Systematics of the Hominoidea. In: Tobias PV, editor. .Humanity from African Naissance to Coming Millennia: Colloquia in Human Biology and Palaeoanthropology Florence; Johannesburg: Firenze University Press; Witwatersrand University Press. p 271-279.Krause J, Fu Q, Good JM, Viola B, Shunkov MV, Derevianko AP, and Paabo S. 2010. The complete mitochondrial DNA genome of an unknown hominin from southern Siberia. Nature 464(7290):894-897.Lieberman DE. 1998. Homology and hominid phylogeny: Problems and potential solutions. Evolutionary Anthropology 7(4):142-151.Strait DS, Grine FE, and Moniz MA. 1997. A reappraisal of early hominid phylogeny. Journal of Human Evolution 32(1):17-82 .Tobias PV. 1978. The earliest Transvaal members of the genus Homo with another look at some problems of hominid taxonomy and systematics. Zeitschrift fà ¼r Morphologie und Anthropologie 69(3):225-265.Underdown, Simon. How the word hominid evolved to include hominin. Nature 444, Nature, December 6, 2006.Wood, Bernard. The evolutionary context of the first hominins. Nature volume 470, Terry Harrison, Nature, February 16, 2011.
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Aspects of Romanticism in Mary Shelleyââ¬â¢s Frankenstein Essay
The world around us holds so many different things. There is the natural beauty of nature, found in waterfalls, and forests, deserts and beaches, that help us to appreciate where we come from. There is the supernatural, almost the exact opposite, being something that we either envy and want or despise and fear, such as witches and vampires, superheroes and magic. Everything we feel as people, as individuals plays into what we want and how we act. All of these things are aspects of Romanticism, which we can see in Mary Shelleyââ¬â¢s Frankenstein. Nature has a soothing and healing affect. There is poison ivy which will irritate your skin, but growing near it in the surrounding area, is jewelweed, a natural cure for the itch. There is theâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Once you are dead you have ended, there is no more. By creating new life, and in essence, playing God, Victor upsets the balance in the world which becomes a major hazard later on. The monster, who is created from vario us men or ââ¬Å"raw materialsâ⬠as Victor calls them, to soothe his conscience, is ghastly to look at due to the stitches and scars that cover his body. Who wouldnââ¬â¢t be afraid of something so hideous, ââ¬Å"his yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneathâ⬠(56), standing above all humans, a towering 8 feet tall, and his strength is enormous, able to crush bones in seconds. The monster appears to learn quickly, able to master the art of speech over a few months, where it takes humans years to learn how to talk in full and complete sentences. Almost all of his attributes are increased to ââ¬Å"super humanâ⬠level, strength beyond normal, his height, his intelligence, and his capacity for emotion. He can love, he can hate, he can fear, and they are all taken to an extreme level. He falls in love, on a non romantic level, with Safie and Felix, wanting the best for them and caring for them, showing a very protective side, finding great j oy in bringing happiness to ââ¬Å"hisâ⬠family. After being run from the hovel the monster lives in the forest, his body better equipped to the harsh conditions and bitter temperatures, allowing him to live in the Arctic desert where Victor ultimately tracks him. Though the monster needsShow MoreRelatedRomanticism In Frankenstein Essay740 Words à |à 3 Pages Mariah McCoy Dr.Bardot His-102 16 June 2017 Historical Relevance Within Frankenstein Imagine a world without Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution,and Romanticism. Mary Shelley uses these topics in her novel to expose the effects that each of these had on society. Frankenstein is a novel that was published in the early 1800ââ¬â¢s and tells a story about a man by the name of Victor Frankenstein. Technology and critical thinking skills plays a huge role in the novel and real life.By analyzingRead MoreMary Shelleyà ´s Frankenstein; Or, the Modern Prometheus, an Analysis of the Subtitle1219 Words à |à 5 Pages(Shelley 37). Ab initio Victor Frankenstein, the main protagonist, is being put on a level with Prometheus through the subtitle. An indication that Mary Shelley did indeed have the myth in mind as she wrote the novel, is not only her subtitle, but moreover the parallels between the Prometheus myth and Frankenstein, which are undeniable. The title itself gives a lot away of the story which follows. It links the modern world with the ancient Greek myth. Victor Frankenstein ââ¬Å"stealsâ⬠the secret of lifeRead MoreMary Shelley and Flannery OConnor: Gothic Isolationists1724 Words à |à 7 Pages Gothic fiction is a genre of literature that combines fiction, horror and Romanticism with a particular focus on the mysterious and supernatural aspects. Gothic fiction originated in England during the latter half of the 18th century. This distinctive genre of literature soon developed into a 19th century phenomenon. The success of this dominant genre in England is frequently attributed to Mary Shelley. Despite its success during this time period, gothic fiction ceased to be a dominant genre byRead MoreMany Of The Main Ideas Behind The Literary Movement Of1603 Words à |à 7 Pagesmovement of Romanticism can be seen in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Although the dark motifs of her most remembered work, Frankenstein may not seem to conform to the brighter tones and subjects of the poems of her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, and their c ontemporaries and friends, William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Mary Shelley was a contemporary of the romantic poets. Despite this apparent difference, Mary Shelley was deeply influenced by the romantics, and the reader of Frankenstein can certainlyRead MoreThe Impact Of The Romantic Period In Frankenstein By Mary Shelley964 Words à |à 4 PagesMary Shelley and her novel, Frankenstein Mary Shelley, wife of Percy Shelley, became a highly respected household name after she wrote and published her famous novel, Frankenstein, during The Romantic Period. Mary Shelley indirectly reflects her backstory and The Romantic Period through Frankenstein, and even impacts The Romantic Period through her novel. Evidence of both the reflection of The Romantic Period and Ms. Shelleyââ¬â¢s impact on it are found in her background, the time period itself (as wellRead MoreIn What Ways Does Frankenstein Complicate the Romanticist Conceptions of Creativity and Individualism? Make Reference to Frankenstein and at Least One Other Romanticist Text.1884 Words à |à 8 PagesIn what ways does Frankenstein complicate the Romanticist conceptions of creativity and individualism? Make reference to Frankenstein and at least one other Romanticist text. Mary Shelleyââ¬â¢s novel, Frankenstein, complies with all the fundamental principles associated with Romanticism; use of the supernatural and sublime, especially with regards for nature, thus leading to pantheism, compassion and a sense of morality towards humankind, individual freedom and rebellion against contextual societalRead MoreAnalysis of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1720 Words à |à 7 PagesAnalysis of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Analyzing a book can be a killer. Especially when it contains tons of subtle little messages and hints that are not picked up unless one really dissects the material. Mary Shelleys Frankenstein is a prime example. It is analyzed by scholars all the time because of the subtle messages it sends through its themes, one of which needs to be discussed that is called Romanticism. Romanticism dealt with simplifying things as a break from the previous age whichRead MoreFrankenstein, By Mary Shelley1532 Words à |à 7 Pageswho created a new genre, there will be criticism, and Shelley is no exception. Shelley received criticism surrounding Frankenstein not only because she was a female writer, but because of her writing style. Originally, Frankenstein was published anonymously and was thought that her husband, Percy Shelley, wrote it (ââ¬Å"Mary Shelley Biographyâ⬠2016). Shelley may have published Frankenstein anonymously because ââ¬Å"ââ¬â¢women understood that they got a â â¬Å"better hearingâ⬠if it was thought they were malesââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ (EzellRead MoreWhy Did I Choose A Passage From Frankenstein?1504 Words à |à 7 PagesWhy did I choose a passage from Frankenstein? It is a work which portrays a lot of themes, symbols, motifs and it is contextualized in a period with a lot of changes in the society. In this essay I will explore the many aspects of Frankenstein that influence in the society for its later staging of horror films. Mary Shelley was a British novelist and she was best known for her novel Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus; this science-fiction novel was published in 1818 and it was set in 1789 inRead MoreFrankenstein Novel Analysis Essay1664 Words à |à 7 PagesMyrjun Angeles Ms. Ammendolia EWC4UI 10/13/17 Frankenstein Novel Analysis Frankenstein is partly an epistolary novel. In what way do the letters at the beginning of the text help frame the story that follows? The series of letters at the beginning of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley are from Robert Walton, and were sent to his sister, Margaret Saville. In each letter, Walton tells his sister of updates while heââ¬â¢s on one of many sea trips and to coincide with that, readers of the novel get a glimpse
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
A Case Analysis on Role Of Human Resource
Question: Prepare a Business Report that addresses the human resource issues raised in the case study as provided on the Moodle course site. Answer: Introduction: This report is an analysis of a given case study that is based on the strategic role of human resource within the organizational environment. The case study highlights upon the key issues related to the strategic human resource management depicted throughout the case scenario. It lays importance upon the need to develop a strategic as well as coordinated approach within any organizational environment for developing the most essential assets of any organization, its workforce(Bowen and Ostroff, 2004). The report provides important information about the various aspects of strategic human resource management and the roles that it has in the present business environment. Within the context of any organization the development of effective strategies is possible once organizational approaches for managing human resource are effectively understood by the firm. Various approaches which serve creation of particular strategies like developing capability of resources, higher performance, effect ive practices, higher commitment of management, etc. Human resource is considered to be one of the competitive advantages of any firm. Human resource management forms an integral part of the organization which deals with the welfare of both the organization and its employees (Chadwick, 2005). It basically coordinates the functions of al employees. In the context to human resource management, the changing situation of the competitive environment has led to the development of the concept of strategic human resource management. In the latest competitive environment, roles and responsibilities of the strategic human resource management have been increasing at a much wider pace(Bowen and Ostroff, 2004). Legal issues involved in Redundancy policy: The concept of redundancy as a human resource approach refers to a situation whereby the position of an employee is or will be becoming surplus towards the requirements of a business. As mentioned in the case study, the company Wordsmiths had acquired the book retailer Mainly Books, and this has raised the number of workforce and in turn exceeded the overall requirement of business (Campos e Cunha and Cunha, n.d.). There are excessive workforces and not all of them are equally productive to the organization. So, the CEO of Wordsmiths had a consultation with Gemma who is the human resource manager at the organization. It was decided upon to implement the redundancy policy. Commonly, redundancies are implemented for commercial reasons, and not due to any other causes like performance or capability issues. Any provisions of redundancy would be clearly stated in the Individual Employment Agreement or Collective Agreement on how a business would deal with the circumstance (Chadwick, 2005) . As referred to in the case study, the organization and its employers need to act in good faith that extends towards employers consulting with employees regarding the changes to organization such as how this would impact upon the workforce, informing the employees clearly about the selection criteria for redundancy, providing the employees with a reasonable notice period if chosen, and also advising them regarding any resource or assistance to be offered to redundant employees. Another important aspect the employer must take an account of is the impacts the redundancies upon the existing workforce. Since the process of downsizing might sometimes have adverse impact upon staff morale and productivity, it is important that the organization or its employers adopt a fair means to incorporate the process within the organization. If workforce within the mentioned organization bears a perceived idea that the employer does not treat the employees fairly in the process of redundancy, they w ould rather prefer moving on themselves since they would grow a belief that the organization would treat them the similar way during their turn. This would prove to be harmful for the organization in the long run. With reference to the given case study about Gemma, the Chief Executive Officer of Wordsmiths, Allan had suggested target individuals who are closer to retirement age while adopting the process of redundancy. This approach of Allan is quite justified and feasible since these are the individuals who have completed several successful years of employment and now at the verge of retirement. These individuals would not regret if few more years of their employment are cut off (Chen, 2009). Rather they would prefer taking a break after such a successful career. On the other hand, the younger generation of employees who are in the middle way of their career or have just started their career would prefer continuing with their services. And so, if the organization chose to redundant employees of the younger generation, then it would have created lot of buzz and resentment among the employees (Warner, 2013). So, the decision taken up by Allan was justified and feasible in terms of organizationa l approach. Human Resource Information System: As depicted in the case scenario, strategic human resource involves the implementation of human resource information management system. Basically this refers to the intersection of organizational human resources and that of information technology by means of human resource software(Warner, 2013). This concept permits all activities as well as processes of human resource to take place electronically. The CEO of the company Wordsmiths, Allan, had asked Gemma to configure the human resource information system for providing useful data regarding the workforce of the organization. In order to incorporate as desired, Gemma must lay effort in developing an effective system of information to maintain all confidential data nad information about the organizational workforce. The system must be developed and controlled in such a manner that the higher level authorities may extract and use the given set of information during the time of need. This human resource information system (HRIS) develop ed by Gemma would offer payroll, recruiting, benefits, training, and compliance solutions. Most of these would be flexibly designed as well as integrated databases, comprehensive attributes, effective reporting functions as well as analysis abilities which would be needed to manage the entire workforce. This system would provide Gemma with effective assistance. For an instance, an effective human resource information system would allow the organization to manage its employees by means of effective elements like HR and Payroll. Besides these essential software solutions, this human resource information system must offer various other options for helping the organizations to understand as well as utilize the collective skills, experiences, and talents of the employees(Warner, 2013). When Gemma would be implementing this system in the organization, it would enhance the process of communication and also prevent tedious paperwork by replacing it with easily-accessible and centralized loc ation for all policies of the organization, announcements, etc. Employee activities like time-off requests and W-4 form changes may be automated, thereby leading to fast approvals as well as less paperwork. Human Resource Planning: As referred to the given case study, it is evident that the organization Wordsmiths had immense of market reputation and recognition. The firm conducts its business in an effective manner and possess adequate market share in the country of Australia. Now, with the acquisition of another firm Mainly Books, the organization has rather increased its size and dimension, and with this it has taken up additional roles and responsibilities upon it (Chen, 2009). So, some changes are now required to be introduced in the process of human resource planning. The concept of strategic human resource planning links the management of human resource directly with the strategic planning the firm. Therefore, the company must incorporate the qualitative form of human resource planning (Collings and Mellahi, 2009). This type of planning process would ensure sufficient human resources for meeting the strategic goals as well as operational plans within the firm. It would enable it to assign the right kind of job to the right employee at the right time to bring about the desired positive outcome. The qualitative planning process would keep up the economic, social, technological, and legislative trends which effect upon the organizational human resources of Wordsmiths. This form of strategic human resource planning would enable the organization to predict the required needs of the HR management within the firm after thorough analysis of the present inventory of human resource, the availability of labor in the external market and also the environment where it would operate in(Wang, 2012). Qualitative form of human resource planning would be effective for this organization as it means after successful determination of number of employees in each department within the firm, it is necessary to determine the various types of jobs that would state the minimum qualification required by the hired employees. Quantitative nature of human resource planning includes forecasting of demand as well as supply. It refers to the perfect number of individuals while qualitative approach shows the right quality of workforce required at the firm (de Waal and Roobol, 2014). Generally three methods exist with the process of demand forecasting. Statistical approaches are the reliable means for long range employee forecasting. It includes regression analysis as a significant forecasting technique for estimating the requirements of the workforce depending on sales, output, etc, while both dependent as well as independent variables are related to each other. Managerial judgment is another impor tant aspect of demand forecasting (Townsend et al., 2011). When this organization uses the approach of qualitative method of human resource planning, it would enable managers to think and stay ahead by predicting successfully the actual requirements of the organization. Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing HR functions: The human resource department of an organization is solely responsible to conduct different functions. The department is responsible to oversee employee payroll as well as tax filing including that of employee benefits as well as health of an organization. This department is responsible to manage legal compliance, oversee training and development, and maintain files as well as records(Thompson, 2011). Often, due to greater dimension of responsibilities of the human resource department, it has been becoming excessively complex and comprehensive. This results in the business to outsource its major functions of human resource management. The concept of outsourcing human resource activities has its own advantages and disadvantages. Advantages of Outsourcing: Some of the advantages that the mentioned firm may enjoy by outsourcing human resource activities are - 1. Managing risk With respect to the provided case scenario, outsourcing would enable the mentioned business to minimize all risks. By outsourcing, the firms would remain abreast on multiple federal as well as state employment laws. When outsourced, the staffs help businesses to comply with all changing laws for avoiding costly lawsuits (de Waal and Roobol, 2014). It would also enable the firm to maintain as well as audit various policies of the firm for ensuring the entire organization to stay updated. 2. Saving cost Outsourcing supports in reducing the maintenance cost. A completely functional human resource department requires separate office space with trained experts and human resource staffs. So, most of the small business firms prefer outsourcing all activities to external entities to meet the required objectives(Innes and Wiesner, 2012). This reduces all sorts of expenses considerably. 3. Efficiency Outsourcing HR activities would create increased efficiency in the overall system. Advanced technology used in the human resource management would support in streamline vital functions like payroll, compliance management, benefit administration, etc. Outsourcing therefore helps in preventing wastage of time in tedious paperwork. 4. Employee development The concept of outsourcing enables businesses to manage performance as well as development of employees. This enables periodic monitoring of performance as well as finding report for management (Janssens and Steyaert, 2009). This lessens the burden of the managers by reducing needless responsibilities. The managers may increasingly focus on the development of the workforce. Disadvantages of Outsourcing HR activities: Some of the disadvantages of the outsourcing that the mentioned firm may face are - 1. Poor performance Organizations often outsource activities for limiting costs. However, reduced costs leads to decreased quality of performance by the firm that serves the outsourced firms(Sheehan and Cooper, 2011). Any sort of poor performances in the work or human resource related activities may reduce the overall reputation and image of the firm. This also impacts negatively on the company recognition. 2. Distance This concept of outsourcing often leads to a sense of distance amidst that of the company and its employees. When HR department is inaccessible instantly, the workforce faces delays within communication, and makes employees feel frustrated. This reduces the morale of the workforce. 3. Recruitment problems Often that outsourced-employees lack the proper understanding of the organizational culture and practices internally. Since human resource department hire employees, this lack of understanding shifts to new employees who fail to fit within the organizational culture. Most importantly, the organizational success depends greatly upon the performance of organizational workforce (Janssens and Steyaert, 2009). 4. Information leaks Outsourcing human resources activities often results in communicating important and sensitive information of the company. The process of outsourcing often causes release of essential information to the other organization where outsourcing activities are bestowed upon. This increases the chances of information leaks. 5. Loss of control or Dependency Once human resource activities or functions are outsourced to external means, the organizational management or higher authority often relies upon the external means for getting their tasks done(Kaufman, 2001). This leads to loss of effective control upon the important activities, and they become increasingly dependent upon the external sources. As mentioned in the case scenario, Gemma is the chief human resource manager. She is at such a position where she is solely responsible for taking effective decisions at the given situation. In this situation, before hopping on to any final decision, it is important for her to understand the internal as well as external circumstances of the organization (Kramar, 2013). Since she has been assigned with one of the greatest responsibilities of the organization that is to seek for strategic human resource management within the firm, she is responsible for taking key decisions regarding the human resource management and functions at Wordsmiths. With the company Wordsmiths acquiring the book retail store Mainly Books, the overall dimension of activities and organizational functions have widened and the scopes of human resource department have increased greatly. With the acquisition of Mainly Books, the responsibilities of Wordsmiths have increased greatly, and so the human resource departm ent would have to put greater effort to maintain all activities and functions of the company. Gemma, who is the concerned human resource manager at Wordsmiths, needs to make important decisions like whether to take up all activities within the firm or to outsource human resource activities to external means. Although outsourcing has great number of advantages, it is not justified on behalf of Gemma to adopt such an approach (Lange, 2013). It is better for the mentioned organization to conduct all activities within the organization itself and not outsource those. This would ensure increased quality and effectiveness of the incorporated functions. Conclusions: As referred to in the case study, the organization and its employers need to act in good faith that extends towards employers consulting with employees regarding the changes to organization such as how this would impact upon the workforce, informing the employees clearly about the selection criteria for redundancy, providing the employees with a reasonable notice period if chosen, and also advising them regarding any resource or assistance to be offered to redundant employees (Lee Cooke, 2011). Another important aspect the employer must take an account of is the impacts the redundancies upon the existing workforce. Recommendations: Since the process of downsizing might sometimes have adverse impact upon staff morale and productivity, it is important that the organization or its employers adopt a fair means to incorporate the process within the organization. Qualitative form of human resource planning would be effective for this organization as it means after successful determination of number of employees in each department within the firm, it is necessary to determine the various types of jobs that would state the minimum qualification required by the hired employees (Mahoney, 2000). Quantitative nature of human resource planning includes forecasting of demand as well as supply. It refers to the perfect number of individuals while qualitative approach shows the right quality of workforce required at the firm. Although outsourcing has great number of advantages, it is not justified on behalf of Gemma to adopt such an approach. It is better for the mentioned organization to conduct all activities within the orga nization itself and not outsource those. This would ensure increased quality and effectiveness of the incorporated functions. References Bowen, D. and Ostroff, C. (2004). Understanding HRM-Firm Performance Linkages: The Role of the "Strength" of the HRM System.The Academy of Management Review, 29(2), p.203. Campos e Cunha, R. and Cunha, M. (n.d.). Impact of Strategy, HRM Strength and HRM Bundles on Innovation Performance and Organizational Performance.SSRN Journal. Chadwick, C. (2005). The vital role of strategy in strategic human resource management education.Human Resource Management Review, 15(3), pp.200-213. Chen, C. (2009). Strategic human resource practices and innovation performance: the mediating role of knowledge management capacity.Strategic Direction, 25(6). Collings, D. and Mellahi, K. (2009). 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