State of Racism and Gender Discrimination Free Essays

?State of Racism and Gender Discrimination What is discrimination? Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of a different person or groups of people based on certain characteristics. In the United States there are seven protected characteristics or classes that are defined by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Employment Act, and the American Disabilities Act that can not be discriminated against: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, and disability. This paper focuses on two of the protected classes: race and gender discrimination. We will write a custom essay sample on State of Racism and Gender Discrimination or any similar topic only for you Order Now What is racism? Racism (also known as discrimination against a race or races) is a belief that all members of one racial group have superior characteristics or abilities specific to that group; it allows the ranking of races based on superiority and implies the importance of one race over the others (â€Å"Racism† 2008). Supremacy ideology is core to racism. In the 20th century, the face of racism was largely black and white; however, in recent times there have been examples of racism against Native Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans, Latin Americans, and some other immigrant groups (â€Å"Racism in the United States† 2008). Today, racism has become multi-colored and multicultural. Racism and racial discrimination are very powerful forces which unfortunately harm the whole economy. Racism can take place in many areas such as the job market, housing market, educational system, and health care services. Even today, racial discrimination against minorities (especially African Americans) can be found in the housing market (i. e. making renting apartments, taking out mortgages, and buying houses extremely difficult or even impossible in some areas). This is not to say, that there has not been significant attempts and progress made, in order to eliminate racial discrimination. Racial discrimination and segregation used to be legal across the southern states of the United States (â€Å"Martin Luther King and the fight against racism in the US† 2008). Many people have tried to stop racial discrimination throughout the history of the United States. One extremely influential and pivotal leader that many people are familiar with is Martin Luther King. While this paper is not a historic telling of Martin Luther King, his ideals are as influential today as they were then. He did not want people to be judged by the color of their skin but by the capability of their character. He tried to revive the Civil Rights movement in the mid 1950s. However, he was tragically assassinated on the balcony of his hotel in Memphis, Tennessee (â€Å"Martin Luther King and the fight against racism in the US† 2008). After his passing and after many fundamental changes in the constitution, African American communities are no longer limited in their rights from society (â€Å"Martin Luther King Jr. † 2008). Today, the eyes of ethics and the highest laws of the land bids society to stop racial discrimination in all its forms, along with other types of discriminations defined under title VII, ADA, and ADEA. Gender or Sex Discrimination is the belief that one gender is more valuable than the other, and can also create doubts in the abilities of a certain sex and exacerbate stereotypes (â€Å"Sexism† 2008). In most countries around the world, gender discrimination is illegal in most circumstances (Manohar 2008). In the United States, Title VII protects against gender and sexual discrimination. There are two types of gender discrimination: disparate treatment and disparate impact (â€Å"Gender or Sex Discrimination† 2008). Disparate treatment is treating people differently because of his or her sex (â€Å"Gender or Sex Discrimination† 2008). The other is disparate impact, when the company policy does not include certain individuals or does not include everyone equally (â€Å"Gender or Sex Discrimination† 2008). The fire department is a good example of disparate impact. The qualifications of the fire department are extreme (i. e. he ability to carry and lift a lot of weight), which makes it hard for women to qualify for a job as a firefighter (â€Å"Gender or Sex Discrimination† 2008). These requirements are important to becoming a fire fighter and many argue that they are more than necessary. However, this does not mean that the fire department does not want to work with women. It is just the policy to set the standards high. Another interesting example: A male employee was fired by his employer because he refused to work at night (â€Å"Small Business Encyclopedia† 2002). This company had a policy saying that women did not have to work at night because the company was located in a high crime area. The male employees had to work the night shifts for the company, while the women employees did not. The male employee in question filed a suit under Title VII against his employer claiming sexual discrimination. The company claimed that several female employees would quit if they were forced to work at night. The company also claimed the policy was a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ). This case is interesting because BFOQ can be used as a defense to allow certain discrimination. BFOQ is an exception provided by Title VII for jobs that require a specific religion, sex, national origin, or age as a reasonable necessity for normal operations of a business. Although BFOQ applies to the fire department qualifications, the courts deemed that the company who asked only its male workers to take the night-shift was could not use BFOQ as a valid defense (â€Å"Small Business Encyclopedia† 2002). In the workplace, sexual discrimination usually involves sex becoming a factor in deciding on who gets a job, promotion, or other benefits. Many researches have shown that women are treated unfairly compared to men in hiring, promotions, and benefits (â€Å"Small Business Encyclopedia† 2002). For instance, a young man, who dropped out from high school and does not have a degree, gets a job in a high position over a young woman who has her master’s degree. While the young woman is better qualified for the position than the young man, the man gets the job. This paradigm illustrates gender discrimination. The reverse has also held true. There have been cases where men have been discriminated against, as discussed above. There is also a particular form of sexual discrimination called sexual harassment. Sexual harassment includes inappropriate words or actions of a sexual nature to the opposite sex (â€Å"Small Business Encyclopedia† 2002). Courts expect managers to understand that sexual discrimination may exist in the workplace and companies to take proactive measures to ensure that the environment is free from sexual discrimination. The first law of any federal importance in the United States regarding discrimination was The Civil Rights Act of 1871, also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871; it was mainly established to protect Southern African Americans from the abuse being delivered to them from the Ku Klux Klan. Although the Act had been interpreted by the courts many times, it had very little effect. For one, the Act was loosely defined and provided loopholes for state officials, who did not get litigated under the statue. However, this hole was patched up in 1961, when the Supreme Court of the United States decided Monroe v. Pape. The decision included several provisions to close the inadequacies found in the Civil Act of 1871. The Act is now one of the most powerful statues, in which the State and Federal courts may protect those whose rights are being violated. In particular, Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act enforces the prohibition of public sector employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, and religion, but it rarely applies to the private sector. Eventually, the first Federal law to promote equal opportunity and prohibit employment discrimination in the United States was passed. The law is called the Executive Order 8802, also known as the Fair Employment Act. It was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941. The law promotes and ensures that all Federal agencies and departments involved with the defense industry were administered without discrimination to race, color, or nationality on the vocational and training programs being offered to its employees and contractors. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited racial segregation in schools, public places, and employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or nationality. Originally conceived to help protect African Americans, it also explicitly included sections to protect women in the bill; as a result the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was founded as well. At the time of its creation, this law was seen as one of the most important legislations that abolished all forms and respects of discrimination. During its time at the House Judiciary Committee, the bill was expanded and strengthened to include bans against racial discrimination in employment, segregation in all public facilities, and protection of the rights of black voters. The bill was later passed out to the House Rules Committee, at which the committee’s chairman Howard W. Smith expressed his intention in canning the bill. But after pressures from civil rights groups and movements, Chairman Smith finally let the bill pass through and it was brought to a vote. It passed in the House on February 10, 1964 and was sent to the Senate. During the bill’s stay at the Senate, a group of southern state Senators launched a two month filibuster trying to prevent its passage through the Senate. In compromise, a revised weaker bill than the House version was brought to the tables for Senate vote on June 10, 1964 and was passed. Originally conceived to help protect African Americans, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 also explicitly included sections to protect Women’s Rights in the bill. Added by Howard W. Smith of the House Rules Committee Chairman, it was first seen as a guise to prevent the bill from passing (since at that time it was normally conceived that some groups of men within the House and Senate would oppose Women’s Rights). The Bill was later successfully passed and marked the first time legislation was put into effect to protect women. The Civil Rights Act was later followed by the Civil Rights Act of 1968, commonly known as the Fair Housing Act of 1968; which expanded the prohibition of discrimination to include the housing sector. It specifically prohibited discrimination on the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, nationality and later gender, and the protection of families with children and of the handicapped. The next important anti-discrimination law to pass was the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. With more than 70% of women with children in the U. S. work force, the law was setup to protect women against discrimination due to their pregnancy (or intentions of becoming pregnant). Employers with prejudices against working mothers (due to the fear of lost productivity, extra costs, expenditures and accommodations associated with pregnant women) who might have been likely to discriminate against them were deterred. The Act also enables the distribution of a monetary pay-out as a result of discrimination against pregnant women. In 2006 alone, The U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission handled 4,901 claims with monetary amount awarded totaling about $10. 4 million (EEOC 2006). The Civil Rights Act was amended again for the last time in 1991, in an effort to address various limits imposed by past United States Supreme Court’s decisions on the rights of employees who had filed law suits against their employers. It was basically setup to bring forth the emotional distress damages caused by employment discrimination while setting a limit on the amount the jury could award (â€Å"List of Anti-Discrimination Acts† 2008). Before the 1991 Act was put into effect, a plaintiff could only sue their employer for discrimination and recover lost wages or salary, lost benefits, attorney fees, court fees, other legal fees, and other costs associated with reinstatement. To prevent from unreasonable court settlements, the punitive damages awarded was capped at $300,000 for most cases (excluding ethnic and/or racial discrimination) (â€Å"List of Anti-Discrimination Acts† 2008). The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission still handles thousands of discrimination cases every year. There is statistical evidence that suggests racial discrimination in the workplace is still commonplace. In 2000, the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) reported a study in North Carolina that states accusations of racial harassment on the job nearly quadrupled between 1996 and 2000. Mindy Weinstein, attorney at the EEOC office in Charlotte, North Carolina, says, â€Å"There’s a new generation of workers today who were not raised in the civil rights movement, who may not have been aware of the laws that came about because of that time†¦ We think it’s largely a reflection of what’s going on in society as a whole† (â€Å"Racial Discrimination† 2008). Since Barack Obama’s win the 2008 presidential election, people would like to believe that racism has seen its last day; unfortunately this is not the case. According to the research of Brown University, during 1970 to 1994, when America liberalized their uncompetitive banking markets, it reduced the wage gap between blacks and whites. Economists call the wage difference between black workers and white workers the â€Å"racial wage gap† (most of which comes from bias). Gary Becker, a Nobel-prize winning economist, argued that prejudice of employees was economically inefficient. Brown University found that deregulation of the American banking industry increased competition and lowered interest rates on loans. People found it easier to start their own business. They found that in an initially high degree of racial bias, the black-white wage gap declined the most. This evidence shows competition itself can not eliminate racial discrimination. Competition can only reduce the bias from employers. Changing attitudes takes a lot of time and effort; even though Obama’s election victory denotes a change in history, there is still a long way to go (â€Å"Race and Red Tape† 2008). Wage gaps can be seen in between genders as well. Though a wage gap between white men and white women may be expected, it is surprising to see this is not the only wage gap that exits between the sexes. In other racial groups, such as African Americans, Latinos, and Asian/Pacific Islanders, men earn more money than women within their own respective race (U. S. Census Bureau 2000). According to a study, women working 41 to 44 hours per week earn 84. 6% of what men earn working similar hours; women working more than 60 hours per week earn only 78. % of what men earn working the same hours (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2002). More over, women tend to work longer before they receive promotions and get a higher pay. Most people think a higher education may increase women’s salary, but the evidence suggests otherwise. The data does not show a narrow gender gap in wages at higher levels of education. On the contrary, at the very highest levels of education, the gap is at its largest (Hilary M. Lips 2008). Racial discrimination is an important issue in the business world and is a genuine problem that still exists—and in some cases it’s getting worse. According to a study published in 1998 by the nonprofit group Catalyst called â€Å"Women of Color in Corporate Management: A Statistical Picture,† it was shown that minority women, while now accounting for almost a quarter of all women in the workplace, occupied only 15 percent of the management positions held by women. The study verifies that a combination of racial discrimination and the glass ceiling was a differentiating factor in those numbers (Racial Discrimination 2008). Glass ceiling is a symbolic phrase referring to an invisible cap preventing qualified women and minorities from progressing into key higher level management positions, or in some cases any management positions. These individuals describe the cap as a â€Å"glass ceiling† because they can see the opportunity that should be theirs through the glass, but due to the ceiling, they can not go any higher. In 1995 the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission described the American labor force as being segregated by gender and race, where â€Å"white men fill most top management positions in corporations† (Glass Ceilings: The Status of Women as Officials and Managers in the Private Sector 2004). The report affirms that the percent of women officials and managers in the private sector used to be 29% in 1990 and had increased to 36. 4% in 2002. Although this is an improvement, women embody 48 percent of all employees, but only 36. 4% of them are in key power positions. In the National Employment Summary released in 2005 by the EEOC, the average salary reported was $40,325. This report indicates that the median income of men is above average ($44,090) and the median income of women is below average ($36,417) (â€Å"National Employment Summary† 2005). The median salary for White and Asian employees was above average as well ($41,525 and $50,762 respectively); whereas Black, Hispanic, and Native American employees had median salaries below the average income (â€Å"National Employment Summary† 2005). When graphed, these findings show that White male population has an income graph that is skewed towards the right, whereas most minorities and women have a normal income distribution. The data here supports the idea that more White men are employed in higher paying jobs. The Federal Glass Ceilings Commission argues that: â€Å"The successful elimination of glass ceilings requires not just an effective enforcement strategy but the involvement of employers, employees and others in identifying and reducing ttitudinal and other forms of organizational barriers encountered by minorities and women in advancing to higher level management positions in different workplace settings. † (Glass Ceilings: The Status of Women as Officials and Managers in the Private Sector 2004) Racism and gender discrimination hurt not only the people discriminated against, but also the economy as a whole. It prevents good, qualified individuals from progressing and attributing to the market. As a result, l ess qualified or poorly qualified people get placed in key positions. This prevents business’ from reaching their potential, and thus prevents the nation from reaching its. These issues are not restricted to the United States. Racism can be found in all countries across the globe, and its effects can be devastating. Africa suffers from constant political unrest where attempts at genocide are commonplace. Will racism and gender discrimination ever come to an end? It is a difficult question to answer, especially since it is human nature to differentiate between â€Å"us† and â€Å"them† (â€Å"So stereotypes persist because we want them to† 2000). The hope and desire for America is that the definition of â€Å"us† truly changes to encompass all Americans (â€Å"from all walks of life†). Works Cited EEOC (U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). 2006. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. eeoc. gov/index. html Feinberg, Mark PhD. â€Å"So Stereotypes Exist Because We Want Them to†. American Psychological Association Public Interest Directorate. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. apa. org/pi/oema/racism/contents. html â€Å"Gender or Sex Discrimination†. 008. Retrieved November 29, from: http://www. discriminationattorney. com/lawyer-attorney-1287322. html â€Å"Glass Ceilings: The Status of Women as Officials and Managers in the Private Sector†. 2004. U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. eeoc. gov/stats/reports/glassceiling/index. pdf Lips, Hilary M. â€Å"The Gender Wage Gap: Debunking the Rationalizationsâ € . Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. womensmedia. com/new/Lips-Hilary-gender-wage-gap. html â€Å"List of Anti-Discrimination Acts†. 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/List_of_anti-discrimination_acts#United_States Manohar, Uttara. â€Å"Gender Discrimination at Workplace†. October 24, 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2008, from: http://www. buzzle. com/articles/gender-discrimination-at-workplace. html â€Å"Martin Luther King and the fight against racism in the US†. 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2008, from: http://www. socialistworker. co. uk/art. php? id=14531 â€Å"Martin Luther King Jr. . November 30, 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2008, from: http://www. 123HelpMe. com/view. asp? id=42718 â€Å"National Employment Summary†. 2005. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. eeoc. gov/stats/jobpat_eeo4/2005/jobs/UnitedStatesSummary. html â€Å"Race and Red Tape†. November 13, 2008. The Economist print edition. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. economist. com/finance/displaystory. cfm? story_id=12597512 â€Å"Racial Discrimination†. November 29, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. nswers. com/topic/racial-discrimination â€Å"Racism†. 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Racism â€Å"Racism in the United States†. 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Racism_in_the_United_States â€Å"Sexism†. 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Racism_in_the_United_States â€Å"Small Business Encyclopedia†. 2002. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from: http://www. answers. com/topic/gender-discrimination How to cite State of Racism and Gender Discrimination, Papers

Existing Laws on Sex with Minors-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Existing Laws on Sex with Minors. Answer: The thesis statement that has been analyzed in this essay deals with the factors that must be taken into consideration in reviewing the existing law on sex with minors. Introduction: the factors that must be taken into consideration in reviewing the existing law on sex with minors The following essay discusses the factors that must be taken into consideration in reviewing the existing law on sex with minors. There is the discussion that surrounds cases on sex with minors, evidence for existing law, evidence against existing law and improvements to existing law. Cases on sex with minors Statutory rape is referred to as the sexual activity where an individual is below the legal age to consent to the behaviour in the jurisdiction of common law. These statutory laws provide the minors with protection against the adults who are in a position to exploit the minor or take advantage of him (Jordan, Patel Rapp, 2013). Evidence for existing law Sex with the minors is easily accessible. One of the options to curb this is the extra-territorial legislation (ETL). This legislation is an effect on the local laws that governs the age limits for consensual sex, sexual relationships between partners f the same sex and the children for sexual exploitation. The Childrens and Young Persons Act criminalises the sexual exploitation of children who are under 14 years or between 14 to 16 years. The offender comprises of both the citizens, residents and corporate entities. The success of a case of sexual abuse of a minor rests on the strength of its evidence and its availability. The difficulties arise when there is locating of witnesses and the need of interpreters during the trial and the preparations for the trial. The victims are one of the important factors in the investigation and prosecution procedure. There are many child-friendly provisions to protect the interests of the victims (Dysart, 2012). Evidence against existing law The Child Protective Service undertakes the statutory role to investigate and intervene the cases of child abuse. Child abuse affects the victims in various ways. Physical abuse is the most dominant form of abuse. The Clinical and Forensic Psychological Service and the Counselling and Intervention Unit support the child protective service. These provide for the specialised services for the abused victims so that they are able to overcome the trauma of the abuse, build their resilience and take proactive steps to protect themselves from further abuse (Kelemen Johansson, 2013). The main and ultimate goal is to identify the way to improving the prevention, identification of and interventions for victims and survivors of these crimes of sexual abuse towards minors. Sex trafficking of the minors is to be understood as an act of abuse and violence against children. The minors who are trafficked for sexual purposes and sexually exploited should not be considered as criminals. The efforts t o prevent, identify and respond to the sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of the minors requires a collaborative approach which is build upon the core capabilities of the people and entities from the range of sectors (Tanielian, 2013). There is a need to confront the demand and the individuals who commit and benefit from these crimes. There is the need for training and public awareness campaigns to address this commercial sexual exploitation and the sex trafficking of minors. Efforts have to be shown so that it is effective in public health and public safety domains. The childrens rights law exists for safeguarding the children, their well-being and individual rights. These policies and laws promote legal defence and the protection of the children (Cole Sprang, 2015). Improvements to existing law The factors that are addressed are the social welfare of the children, their health, education and special need, chid trafficking and how the juvenile justice system deals with the minors. In the efforts to improve the implementation of the existing State laws that are beneficial to the minors, have certain challenges (Miller, 2013). Mostly the perception is that the children who are exploited are referred to as bad kids. There is the need to support the services of child welfare and other agencies through funding. The identification of the legal intervention is a challenge. The State laws and regulations that are used to address the sexual exploitation of the minors form a diverse and complex array. A limited number addresses the sexual exploitation directly but many are important elements of the comprehensive response to the problems. The use of secure detention helps to expose the youth to violence and other harm from those who are detained, highlighting the need to develop the al ternative means of protection. Analysis of the Joshua Robinson Sex Case The martial arts instructor Joshua Robinson had unprotected sex with two underage girls and showed an obscene video to a six-year-old. He had committed a serious offence and had been penalised. The public were angry, as he was not charged testified at statutory rape. According to the law, these two victims were more above 14years of age when they had sex with Robinson. The girls had consented to the sexual act, which led to him not being charged with statutory rape. The prosecution had sentenced him to five years of imprisonment. The AGC has said that the law is the same for the residents and the non-residents of Singapore. Thus, it is seen that the ultimate goal is to identify the way to improving the prevention, identification of and interventions for victims and survivors of these crimes of sexual abuse towards minors. Conclusion Thereby, the discussion on the factors that must be taken into consideration in reviewing the existing law on sex with minors. Thus, the issue of reviewing existing laws on sex with minors has been discussed. The Childrens and Young Persons Act criminalises the sexual exploitation of children who are under 14 years or between 14 to 16 years. The respective statutory laws provide the minors with protection against the adults who are in a position to exploit the minor or take advantage of him. The main and ultimate goal is to identify the way to improving the prevention, identification of and interventions for victims and survivors of these crimes of sexual abuse towards minors. References Cole, J., Sprang, G. (2015). Sex trafficking of minors in metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural communities.Child abuse neglect,40, 113-123. Dysart, T. L. (2012). The Protected Innocence Initiative: Building Protective State Law Regimes for America's Sex-Trafficked Children.Colum. Hum. Rts. L. Rev.,44, 619. Jordan, J., Patel, B., Rapp, L. (2013). Domestic minor sex trafficking: A social work perspective on misidentification, victims, buyers, traffickers, treatment, and reform of current practice.Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment,23(3), 356-369. Kelemen, K., Johansson, M. C. (2013). Still neglecting the demand that fuels human trafficking: A study comparing the criminal laws and practice of five European states on human trafficking, purchasing sex from trafficked adults and from minors.European Journal of Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice,21(3-4), 247-289. Miller, L. (2013). Sexual offenses against children: Patterns and motives.Aggression and Violent Behavior,18(5), 506-519. Tanielian, A. R. (2013). Illicit Supply and Demand: Child Sex Exploitation in South East Asia.NTU L. Rev.,8, 97.

Battle of the Bismarck Sea in World War II

Battle of the Bismarck Sea in World War II Battle of the Bismarck Sea -Conflict Dates: The Battle of the Bismarck Sea was fought March 2-4, 1943, during World War II (1939-1945). Forces Commanders Allies Major General George KenneyAir Commodore Joe Hewitt39 heavy bombers, 41 medium bombers, 34 light bombers, 54 fighters Japanese Rear Admiral Masatomi KimuraVice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa8 destroyers, 8 transports, approx. 100 aircraft Battle of the Bismarck Sea -Background: With defeat looming in the Battle of Guadalcanal, the Japanese high command began making efforts in December 1942 to reinforce their position in New Guinea. Seeking to shift around 105,000 men from China and Japan, the first convoys reached Wewak, New Guinea in January and February delivering men from the 20th and 41st Infantry Divisions. This successful movement was an embarrassment to Major General George Kenney, commander of the Fifth Air Force and Allied Air Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area, who had vowed to cut off the island from re-supply. Assessing the failures of his command during the first two months of 1943, Kenney revised tactics and embarked on a rapid training program to ensure better success against maritime targets. As the Allies set to work, Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa began making plans to shift the 51st Infantry Division from Rabaul, New Britain to Lae, New Guinea. On February 28, the convoy, consisting of eight transports and eight destroyers assembled at Rabaul. For additional protection, 100 fighters were to provide cover. To lead the convoy, Mikawa selected Rear Admiral Masatomi Kimura. Battle of the Bismarck Sea - Striking the Japanese: Due to Allied signals intelligence, Kenney was aware that a large Japanese convoy would be sailing for Lae in early March. Departing Rabaul, Kimura originally intended to pass south of New Britain but changed his mind at the last minute to take advantage a storm front that was moving along the north side of the island. This front provided cover through the day on March 1 and Allied reconnaissance planes were unable to locate the Japanese force. Around 4:00 PM, an American B-24 Liberator briefly spotted the convoy, but the weather and time of day precluded an attack (Map). The next morning, another B-24 spotted the Kimuras ships. Due to the range, several flights of B-17 Flying Fortresses were dispatched to the area. To help reduce the Japanese air cover, Royal Australian Air Force A-20s from Port Moresby attacked the airfield at Lae. Arriving over the convoy, the B-17s began their attack and succeeded in sinking the transport Kyokusei Maru with the loss of 700 of the 1,500 men on board. B-17 strikes continued through the afternoon with marginal success as the weather frequently obscured the target area. Tracked through the night by Australian PBY Catalinas, they came within range of the Royal Australian Air Force base at Milne Bay around around 3:25 AM. Though launching flight of Bristol Beaufort torpedo bombers, only two of the RAAF aircraft located the convoy and neither scored a hit. Later in the morning the convoy came into range of the bulk of Kenneys aircraft. While 90 aircraft were assigned to striking Kimura, 22 RAAF Douglas Bostons were ordered attack Lae through the day to reduce the Japanese air threat. Around 10:00 AM the first in series of closely coordinated aerial attacks began. Bombing from around 7,000 feet, B-17s succeeded in breaking up Kimuras formation, reducing the effectiveness of the Japanese anti-aircraft fire. These were followed by B-25 Mitchells bombing from between 3,000 and 6,000 feet. These attacks drew the bulk of the Japanese fire leaving an opening for low-altitude strikes. Approaching the Japanese ships, the Bristol Beaufighters of No. 30 Squadron RAAF were mistaken by the Japanese for Bristol Beauforts. Believing the aircraft to be torpedo planes, the Japanese turned towards them to present a smaller profile. This maneuver allowed the Australians to inflict maximum damage as the Beaufighters strafed the ships with their 20 mm cannons. Stunned by this attack, the Japanese were next hit by modified B-25s flying at low-altitude. Strafing the Japanese ships, they also made skip bombing attacks in which bombs were bounced along the surface of the water into the sides of enemy vessels. With the convoy in flames, a final attack was made by a flight of American A-20 Havocs. In short order, Kimuras ships had been reduced to burning hulks. Attacks continued through the afternoon to ensure their final destruction. While the battle raged around the convoy, P-38 Lightnings provided cover from Japanese fighters and claimed 20 kills against three losses. The next day, the Japanese mounted a retaliatory raid against the Allied base at Buna, New Guinea, but inflicted little damage. For several days after the battle, Allied aircraft returned to the scene and attacked survivors in the water. Such attacks were viewed as necessary and were partially in retribution for the Japanese practice of strafing Allied airmen while they descended in their parachutes. Battle of the Bismarck Sea - Aftermath: In the fighting at Bismarck Sea, the Japanese lost eight transports, four destroyers, and 20 aircraft. In addition, between 3,000 and 7,000 men were killed. Allied losses totaled four aircraft and 13 airmen. A complete victory for the Allies, the Battle of the Bismarck Sea led Mikawa to comment a short time later, It is certain that the success obtained by the American air force in this battle dealt a fatal blow to the South Pacific. The success of Allied air power convinced the Japanese that even strongly escorted convoys could not operate without air superiority. Unable to reinforce and re-supply troops in the region, the Japanese were permanently put on the defensive, opening the way for successful Allied campaigns. Selected Sources HistoryNet: Battle of the Bismarck SeaLong Lancers: Battle of the Bismarck SeaPacific Wrecks: Battle of the Bismarck Sea

The Adventure of The Speckled Band Essays

The Adventure of The Speckled Band Essays The Adventure of The Speckled Band Paper The Adventure of The Speckled Band Paper I think the reader and Holmes thinks he is capable of committing a crime as firstly the size and strength of him enable to easily overpower or extremely hurt some one. He also seems slightly apprehensive that Miss Stoner has been talking to Holmes in case he could possible get found out about something. He also has a motive as if his step-daughters were to marry, he would have to pay our i 250 to each of them, and inconveniently one of his step-daughters is shortly to marry. I think he is a stereotypical villain as he is a very big, tall being and is very angered towards Holmes and many other people. In the end Dr Grimesby Roylott succeeds in killing of his daughter by using his deadly Indian snake so he does not have to part with any of his money, however, his plan backfires and the snake turns on its owner and he is the victim of a deadly bite. In the story Watson describes Holmes as a very well dressed person with good manners and overall follows the role of typical gentlemen. He tells us of Holmes being a late riser, as a rule. This suggests Holmes gets his own way no matter what and he is very strong willed. Holmes behaves very calmly and cautiously when faced with a client, also when he comes under threats from Dr Grimesby Roylott makes an unexpected entry to Holmes office. He also make sure he takes in every minor detail when dealing with a case to help give him the best chance of solving it and not making any mistakes, You have come by train this morning, I see whatever your reasons maybe, you are perfectly correct. I think the author wants us to see Holmes as a very intelligent and inquisitive person who is very good at his job. He is also very reassuring and comforting as shown by when Helen Stoner is in distress about her situation after telling him what has been happening, Holmes reached forward out of his chair and stroked Miss Stoners forearm. Holmes carries out his investigation carefully by visiting Helen Stoners residence personally and examining every possible cause of the crime. He is also asks lots of questions to make sure everything is clear in his mind and he is sensible and doesnt want to take any unnecessary risks as he tells Watson to slip his Revolver into his pocket as his life may depend on it. But this does suggest he his willing to endanger himself to some extent. Holmes solves the crime by way of elimination until he is satisfied that each possibility was not the cause. Holmes dominates the story as he is the main character and has a very important role as he is the one to be solving the crimes at the end of the day. Conan Doyle reflects the fact that the Police were not very good in ways of solving the many murders and other crimes that were happening at the time and therefore many people who had the money would turn to private detectives such as the likes of Holmes to get a better chance of the crime being solved. There are two main settings in the story, Holmes office and Stoke Moran. There seems to be a link between the two main characters in the story and the two main settings. Holmes office is warm and welcoming, just like him, Ha! I am glad to see Mrs Hudson has had the good sense to light the fire. This link in called pathetic fallacy, where the mood and the atmosphere compliments the scene. Stoke Moran is unlooked after, rundown and rather abandoned-looking, just like Dr Grimesby Roylott. In the text itself, these two settings are described. Firstly, Holmes office is welcoming and we can gather this from Holmes himself, who when asked by Watson what is going on, he tells of that there is a young woman waiting for him in the sitting room, this suggests that he has unhesitatingly welcomed her in and allowed her to make herself at home, we also know that he has got up early especially to meet her. Holmes office is warm and welcoming, just like him, this is suggested by Ha, I am glad Mrs Hudson has had the good sense to light the fire. This link in called pathetic fallacy, where the mood and the atmosphere this suggests Holmes has his own place well organised and he wants the best for his guests. This is back up by I shall order you a cup of coffee as I observer you are shivering, which again suggests he wants the best for his clients. On the other hand, Stoke Moran is described as the family ruin and after the past century nothing was left save a few acres of ground. It is unlooked after, rundown and rather abandoned-looking, just like Dr Grimesby Roylott. I think the settings do fit a classic story as one setting seems to be duller and gloomier (Stoke Moran) than the other (Holmes Office). This is interesting as the villain and also the crime is situated at Stoke Moran. The atmosphere in Stoke Moran is cautious and apprehensive as is the mood, this fits with the scene as the outside is dark and dreary. There seems to be a totally different atmosphere of Stoke Moran for different times of the day. When Holmes is travelling there with Watson to examine Stoke Moran, Watson tells of how delightful the surroundings on a lovely sunny day. However, when Holmes and Watson are waiting for the signal to invade Stoke Moran to carry out further investigations they are met with very dark and gloomy surrounding and are very careful to watch their step, especially as they aware of the wild animals roaming free. It is also interesting to see the contrast between travelling to Stoke Moran and arriving there. The story is put together in chronological order and in terms of when the mystery of the story is being described, which also includes some flashbacks of events from Holmes client. The story isnt too long but is longer than a typical short story as in this one there are lots of events and red herring presented as well such as when it was first thought the gypsies were to blame for the low whistle in the dead of night and also because of the fact they were bandanas. These are used to keep the reader involved and also help to create unexpected events later on. Conan Doyle uses short sentences and victims speech to build up tension, e. g. It is not cold which makes me shiver, It is fear Mr Holmes, it is terror. He uses long sentences to keep the writing flowing and the reader reading on without stopping to take in all the information. The story is narrated by Watson who is Holmes side kick, this is interesting as what he is telling us in the story is primary evidence as he is one step behind Holmes all the way, as well as we, the readers are too. We also arent in doubt about its reliability even though he does include bias positive comments on his friend, such as I had no keener pleasure than if following which were submitted to him

The history and culture of Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The history and culture of Japan - Essay Example Japan's history is a rich and varied one, with the different periods marked by remarkable change. In the Yayoi period (300 BC - AD 300), rice cultivation was introduced from China and Korea, and Japan's oldest religion, Shinto, identified "divine forces in nature and in such human virtues as loyalty and wisdom."The Kofun period (300-645) showed the emergence of powerful clan rulers, and Japan begins to establish close contacts with mainland Asia. The Asuka period, (645-710) brought a great wave of reforms and new aristocratic families were created. During the Nara and Heian periods (710-1185) the emperors began to practice Buddhism, believing its teachings would protect the state. The Muromachi era (1333 to 1568) brought disintegration of the central government, firearms were introduced by the shipwrecked Portuguese soldiers, and Christianity was introduced . Finally in the Edo period (1600-1868) Japan enters into an age of "peace and national isolation". The United States wants to u se the Japanese ports as supply bases for its commercial fleet, and, in a surprise move, Japan accepts the US demands and opens its doors for the first time in two centuries. In the Meiji period (1868-1912), the emperor was restored, and Japan made its transition to nation-state. The Showa period (1926-1989) brought many more changes for Japan, including World War II and its aftermath, including the necessary economic recovery. In 1941 Pearl Harbor brought the US into war in the Pacific and in August of 1945 "the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the second on Nagasaki; the emperor airs by radio a statement of unconditional surrender." (Background, 2005, p. 5). The years of 1945-1952 brought allied occupation of Japan, with women gaining legal equality as well as the right to vote. Japan's political life was changed to a parliamentary state, and with the peace treaty signed in 1951, Japan regained independence. The "High Growth Age" in Japan occurred from the late 1950's t o the early 1970's and Japan was rewarded with a booming economy. (Background, 2005, p. 5). Japan is made up of five islands; however there are some thirty-six hundred islands in the entire group, and dozens that are actually inhabited. Japan has twenty-nine thousand kilometers of coastline, and the total land area is 142,000 square miles which makes Japan one-twenty-fifth the size of the United States, or roughly the size of Montana. Ostensibly, some one billion years ago these Japanese islands were part of the Asian mainland, however movement of the earth's plates resulted in part of the Asian coastline breaking free and traveling east. Then a mere 100 million years ago, in the area that is now the Sea of Japan, a huge lake appeared, eventually linking up with the Pacific Ocean in the north and south, leaving the highest regions to become the islands of Japan. (Lafayette, 1995, p. xi). Seventy percent of Japan's land mass is made up of high mountains and hills. These mountains have over two hundred volcanoes and geothermally active areas. There are eleven peaks in Japan that are over three thousand meters high, and thirteen that are over 2500 meters high. These mountainous areas make Japan one of the most scenic groups of islands in the world.(Layfayette, 1995, p. xi). The climate of Japan is generally rainy, with a fairly high humidity. The Japanese enjoy warm summers and long cold winters in the north, and hot humid summers and short winters in the central regions. The southwest has long, hot, humid summers, and mild winters. (Library, 2005, p. 1). Japan's population is currently 127,417,224 million people, a huge number for such a small area. Japan is second only to the United States in the number of large cities-they presently have ten cities with populations over one

How Intersectional Identities Must Shape an Asian American Agenda for Assignment

How Intersectional Identities Must Shape an Asian American Agenda for Social Change - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that a census of our own presents a masterpiece that resulted from a 2010 Queers Southeast Asian survey. This sample had 364 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Asian Americans from the entire United States. Intersectionality connects to the diversity of Asian American people through the difficulties in communication. Often when in public places, the Asian American people fear to talk because they will be oppressed due to their inadequate knowledge of the native English language. Therefore, to emphasize on discrimination based on the diversity of the Asian American culture, many people from this race miss various educational scholarships based on their racial backgrounds. The educational experience of many Asian Americans is biased. To drive the social agenda of the Asian American community of affirmative action, equity must be allowed to prevail in the selection processes of students set to join universities. The excessive acceptance by the educational establishments on the previous cases of racial discrimination threaten the authorities to face stern legal actions form the social change activists. In fact, intersectionality in the education system is prime in the classroom balance experience in multiple learning institutions of the United States. Furthermore, affirmative action requires the equal enrollment of the minority into the prestigious educational systems, to eliminate the educational segregation attached to racial diversity. The immigration experiences of the Asian Americans present a partisan treatment of the immigrants based on their racial background. The continuous efforts by the elected members of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) indicate the difficult requirements that the authorities have put in place to discourage the inhabitation of undocumented immigrants in the United States. Such provisions as the military enlistment and the requirement of good moral conduct cast the Asian American community in the bad picture as they require many strict eligibility criteria to be permanent legal residents of the United States.

How Effective Korean Air Hr Strategy Is Management Essay

How Effective Korean Air Hr Strategy Is Management Essay This report discusses the details of suggested HR scorecard for Korean Air that shows how effective HR strategy is crucial for the successful achievement of its own strategic goals with appropriate measurement system HR Scorecard. Development process began with a clear statement of the companys strategy and operational goals with a strategy map showing the causal linkages in the value creation process. As next steps of process, workforce competencies and behaviors and strategically relevant HR system policies and activities are identified to create HR scorecard and the process concludes with presenting suggested HR scorecard with measurement. >During analyzing HR system and the organization, some points to be improved were emerged and these are mentioned with recommendation. If the HR concerns are solved, the company will be more resilient to face external environment with competitive workforce. HR Scorecard helps employees know and understand the organization strategic goals, encour age them to have skills and responsibilities in accordance with the goals, and guide them to achieve goals with measures. To make measurement system, the cooperation of HR managers and line managers for choosing proper metrics is very important. As strategies and goals are changed, the metrics and measurement system of HR Scorecard should be updated to be an effective and influential tool for strategic success. ii I. INTRODUCTION Many CEOs agree with the concept People are the most important assets and the fact that the companies with more effective HR management systems outperform their competitors, however, HR function and influence on companys performance are difficult to measure. Besides professionalism in Human resources are challenged to take a more strategic perspective and HR professionals are requested to prove Human resources are competitive advantages with measuring HRs performance corresponded with corporate strategy and its contribution to the company. Effective HR measurement system shows a clear and consistent view of how the company can implement its strategy in the organization and how HR can contribute to companys success with discovering and solving current HR problems. To start with defining corporate strategy of Korean Air, it will be evaluated how HRM play a strategic role, produce core values and interrelated with every level in the organization for achieving companys strategic goals using creating its own HR scorecard. II. BACKGROUND OF KOREAN AIR 1. Company overview Korean Air is an international airline headquartered in Seoul, Korea. As Koreas first private airline in 1962, it has grown into the worlds largest air cargo carrier and the thirteenth largest airline in the world. According to World Air Transport Statistics, Korean Air is the worlds largest commercial airline cargo operator since 20041. and was rated as the best airline in Asia for the third straight year, having the best business class on routes to Asia in 2009. 1 2. Corporate Vision and Mission Keeping with its vision To Be a Respected Leader in the World Airline Community, Korean Air is committed to provide best service that customers can value and trust and make a corporate culture that encourages innovation upon their mission Excellence in Flight 2). 3. Major Business Processes Passenger service takes the biggest part, however, cargo service gives the company considerable profits with a reputation as the largest international air cargo carrier. Korean Air has developed catering, maintenance, and unusually for an airline, an aerospace manufacturing business with researches and development programs for general aviation craft, military trainer and satellite since 1976 3). The aerospace division generated revenues of $470 million in 2008 and employs a little over 2,500 staff.4) 1) Business Review 2) (As of 2008) [Unit: Hundred Million Won, 1 US Dollar à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 1,150 Won] 2) Operating Results 2) (based on 2008 IATA standards) 4. Structure Korean Air reorganized a corporate structure with new promotions for divisional responsibility management in 2003. It offers flexible management for planning, budget, recruiting and other key functions to all divisions. Every head of divisions would take a firm responsibility for outcomes and be appraised based on achievement.5) 2 a) Employees 2) (Total: 18,600, As of January 2009) b) Organization chart 2) 5. Business strategy Korean Air takes improved business strategies to implement corporate missions as below. 1) Globalization: To be ranked as global leading carrier with globalized manpower, service, and brand image. 2) Knowledge management : Encouraging learning and continuous improvement. 3)E-Business: Introducing more e-Commerce solutions and constructing upgraded Intranet for training and fast communication. 6. Relationship with external entities 1) International competitors : Business travelers who still consider Singapore Airlines with its young fleets and strong branding and Cathay Pacific which has a superior hub location due to its geographical proximity to China as superior in service and quality to Korean air.6) 2) Global airline alliance SkyTeam: Korean Air is a founding partner in SkyTeam, the worlds second largest airline alliance of eleven members and three associate carriers and expands its operations by code sharing and seat trading.7) Recently, Korean Air helped Uzbekistan airway and Garuda Indonesia to be joined.8) 3 III. HR SYSTEM AND THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF HR IN KOREAN AIR 1. HR system of Korean Air 1) Job Grade system Job Units are divided largely as Administration, Engineering, Cockpit crew and Cain crew. 9) Administration and engineering units operate a Course system for training and application purposes. Each unit has job grade scheme organized differently for every job unit and course to fortify expertise competencies. 2) Development training system à ¢-   Training organization Korean Air has developed and operated various training programs.10) Human resources development department and center take a charge of establishing training plans and integrated education. Professional training organization offer enriched education. As an implementation of Ubiquitous learning, Cyber campus is used. à ¢-   Training programs The training programs are prepared for each job grade and divided as Management development training, global competency training, job skills improvement training, and organization revitalization training. 4 3) Appraisal system 11) The appraisal system is based on measuring a contribution to company and individual work competency including performance, job aptitude and leadership. As Total analysis with giving feedback, they use appraised data for granting differential rewards or training and development. 4) Compensation and welfare system 12) Korean Air provide incentives, benefits (housing, medical and education support and culture leisure benefits) and favors such as discounted tickets and easier ticket purchase as a privilege of being with airline. 2. The Strategic Role of HR in Korean Air The long term strategies of Korean Air can be defined as follows; à ¢- ² To be ranked among top 10 international passenger airlines Developing new routes and reinforcing SkyTeam network Heighten global image awareness with excellent quality service and culture sponsorship 1) Korean Air will reopen the route to Saint Petersburg and launch Irkutsk, Russia this year. When Tunxi international airport in China opens this March, a route will be put on Huang Shan line. It is planned to expand a route network to Central Asia, Europe and Africa and extend the number of destination cities to 140 cities by 2019 through SkyTeam. To attract more customers, more investment for ordering A380 Airbus fleets and changing new luxury and upgraded seats for all classes is drawn from revenue. 13) 2) As global cultural sponsorship, Korean Air tries to cultivate different type of brand image. Korean Air sponsored the multimedia guide at the Louvre Museum in Paris and Russias State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg in 2008. It is spread out to the British Museums new set of handheld Multimedia Guides.14) 5 à ¢- ² To make China its biggest Market Korean air has strategic relationships with China Airlines and China Southern Airlines and makes an effort to expand it more with other Chinese airlines. Routes to Guangzhou, Dalian, Weihai, Yantai, Changsha and Shenzhen were added and its route network has covered 19 Chinese cities with more than 150 flights. It is one of the most expansive networks in the China among non-Chinese carriers and chosen as The best foreign airline in China. 15) Korean Air established a Chinese-only counter China Express in Incheon International Airport and began its operation to enhance convenience for a growing number of Chinese tourists.16) For brand awareness, outdoor billboards in Kunming, Wuhan, and Zhengzhou were built. Book donations to poverty schools and inviting children in earthquake damaged cities to Jeju island are one of its social responsibility activities in China.17) à ¢- ² To be a leading air cargo carrier Korean air made a contract to create Central Asian logistics hub with Uzbekistan government and Navoi airport in 2008 with cooperation from Hanjin Transportation Co., Ltd. (ground transport) and Korea Airport Service (airport ground handling). 18) By 2013, constructing an airport infrastructure and attracting investments from global logistics companies will be kept up. Whole project is planned to be finished by 2018. In China, cargo terminal in Tianjin will be completed until the end of 2010 for activating the market.19) HR Strategic roles for these major strategies All strategies are global related and to achieve these goals, it is necessary to recruit manpower with international competency and train its employees with various and differential programs per position as long term system. 1. Recruiting As the demand of international professional staffs for conferences with SkyTeam and developing Chinese market is increased, fluent English speakers, China regional experts and MBAs with proper educational backgrounds are highly needed to improve business competiveness. Common recruitment is by internet, headhunters, employment agencies, internal sources and college recruiting. 2. Training : Korean air operates Global online education system around 50 branches in the world. The systems handle the hands-on skills of reservation, ticketing, customer service, transportation, maintenance, and language study. Yet, it is needed to be more practical and wide ranged for employees to solve their problems encountered at work. 1) Foreign languages: New flight attendants take 4-week training included correcting pronunciation and aviation English and Japanese at cabin crew training center. Every employee depends on online education system afterwards. 6 2) Management knowledge: Customized MBA courses developed with Seoul National University for executives are offered. Manager level complete AMS courses which cover specialized knowledge of air transportation industry and management theories.20) 3) Overseas regional specialists: To enlarge global network, area specialists are indispensable. 1 year of Overseas services- short term international assignment for senior managers and managers is executed to send them to foreign branches for experiencing local languages, cultures and operating systems. New employees go to Mongolia as volunteering activities to plant trees for desertification for brand image and giving opportunities to look around the Mongolia as a next market. 3. Corporate culture: Korean air has reformed hierarchical culture which caused serious accidents as creating a central clearinghouse for monitoring and investigating safety reports and audit findings so that all divisions are ordered to share and coordinate data. In 2009, Koreas Ministry of Gender Equality signed an agreement with Korean Air to promote a women-friendly corporate culture and support career possibilities for women. 21) 7 IV. HR SCORECARD OF KOREAN AIR Step 1: Define Business strategy 21C leading global airline with globalized human resources, services, and brand image To be ranked among top 10 international passenger airlines To make China its biggest Market Leading air cargo carrier Step 2: Value chains of each division Step 3: Outline a strategy map and identify the strategically required organizational Outcomes Strategy map 8 Outcomes 1) More customers choose Korean air because of excellent service and flight convenience. 2) Korean air will leap to global brand not restricted to an airline in Korea. 3) Empowerment and teamwork will help to be a Learning organization. 4) Improved revenue is expected owing to transport increase of passengers and cargos Step 4: Identify the Required Workforce Competencies and Behaviors Speaking good level of English, Chinese or other languages to deal with foreign customers and doing business with international companies Fast operation based on participation and empowerment immediate feedback, open communication Service-oriented and committed employees for attracting and retaining customers Top management who educated with efficient and practical management knowledge Continuous trained maintenance and engineering manpower for safety Creating a powerful corporate brand with full understanding competitors and the future direction of company.22) Deepened knowledge about other countries to start or have projects with. Professional service training force for satisfying every needs of passenger service Step 5: Identify the Strategically Relevant HR system Policies and Activities 1. Inspiring allegiance to the company and raising morale 1) Setting up firm policies of compensation and benefits for motivation Specify pay per performance, rewards, recognition, retirement, family friendly benefits, time off with pay, maternity leave and safety health protection programs. 2) Rewarding individuals and teams, team development 3) Encouraging organizational commitment, job satisfaction and job security 2. Professional training schemes for cabin and customer services Reinforcing on-line and OJT programs, participation in related seminars of experts, comparison with those of competitors, refined grooming and etiquettes. 3. Provide segmented and enriched education for required job skills and the knowledge improvement of all level from in or outside. University-industry collaboration for academic programs Arrangement of related reputable institutes to short term education Job rotation for internal training by superiors Increasing overseas dispatch for studying languages and cultures Support to study abroad for highly performed employees. 4. Recruit right employees Select candidates with language proficiency, proper educational backgrounds and global experiences under conditions of detailed job description and specification for reduction training costs and fast adaptation to the organization. 9 Step 6: Design the HR Scorecard Measurement System Applied assessing measures for HR activities about workforce competencies and HR systems for HR scorecard are as follows; Assessing HR system 24) 10 Step 7: Periodically Evaluate the Measurement System It is hard to manage all of HR systems with interrelated metrics as the organization is bigger and its business is diversified. Currently Balanced scorecard, a computerized model, help top management track and monitor HR data with marketing and finance metrics for companys strategic success. With establishing customized software system (refer to http://www.activestrategy.com or http://senalosa.com), it is expected to have improved effectiveness for updating and evaluating HR information periodically. Yet, it should be implemented on the premise that creating Scorecard team to select and validate measures and collecting data with cooperation of all departments. 11 V. Conclusions and Recommendations 1. Conclusions Below suggested HR scorecard process of Korean Air shows how the scorecard measures the organizational outcomes, workforce competencies and behaviors and HR system policies and activities aimed at implementing the corporate strategy 21C leading global airline with globalized human resources, services, and brand image. Basic themes are 1. Create service-oriented workforce, 2. Provide enriched training for global competency, and 3.Raise morale and create positive corporate culture. For example, the theme Create service-oriented workforce is implemented from Recruiting and selection. The metrics for recruiting can be chosen among No. of applicants per sources; No. qualified applicant/position, proportion of employees selected based on validated selection methods. After selecting, the step would be moved to Training and appraisal with related metrics. Outcomes also can be measured upon 3 major tiers of customer responses, international corporate image, and inner communication derived from the strategy. 12 With metrics for each process combined with strategic goals, HR performances can be objectively and quantitatively. It is easier to see and check from the start to the final purpose of company increased revenue from the point of view of HR. The scorecards will be a more efficient tool to evaluate HR system when proper measures are added, refined and connected as the organizations strategic goals are achieved and developed. Besides, periodically revising the HR Scorecard help HR managers assess how well it supports the organizations strategy implement efforts. 2. Recommendations Despite aggressive strategies to grow, Korean air hasnt been identified as distinctive global airline. Among business travelers who still consider Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific China as superior in service and quality to Korean air. HR should play a pivotal role for reinforcing employee development one of an organizations competitive advantages more than ever because the competencies will be determined as Human resources with definite strategic goals ultimately. 1) Training Foreign languages and academic learning Company puts a huge energy to China market so speaking Chinese is another challenge. Furthermore their English proficiency is still rather below compared with Singapore airline, Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways as Asian airlines. It is important to create competitive environment with rewards or punishments through taking a test regularly and prepare for efficient language learning system with qualified teachers and teaching methods. Speaking languages with proper level is not accomplished within short period so it should be planned as long term schedule or to save relative costs, hiring international manpower at the first step should be considered. 2) Corporate culture: Chronic top down and secretive management style due to primogeniture and reluctance to outsiders is one of organizational factors in Korean Air to be improved. The solution of safety concerns and increasing customer expectation of broad and excellent services is satisfying employees as internal customers. Research has long shown that accidents and poor service quality are rooted primarily in social aspects not technology such as inferior management, decision making, teamwork, employee motivation or communication, can translate into loss of customers, market share, organization assets and, above of all, life. 26) High quality service is principal for differentiating among airlines and influential in customer choice. HR need to check whether the company has positive corporate culture encourages innovation, improvement and responsibility of each employee. Supervisors open door policy for communication, treating employees with respect and dignity can be a start. 3) Appraisal and compensation Fair compensation with appraisal will strengthen the organization. Regular in-house training for the system by HR department will be helpful for understanding and participation. Compensation should have its own schemes to prevent further grievances. Fairness of salaries and promotions should be kept because pay equity is connected to job satisfaction. 13 These three HR factors should be complemented with validated measures and implemented into HR scorecard soon for achieving strategies efficiently. HR managers need to cooperate with line managers to select effective measures for evaluating required HR activities and revise HR scorecard as the strategies are changed. It is important to have a comprehensive human resources measurement policy which enables to collect consistent information relevant with overall business strategy. With a solid HR metrics program, HR management can make business decisions that are based on facts and use the exact figures to support company performance. *Word count: 2,933. 14 Notes 1) International Air Transport Association (2008), World Air Transport Statistics. 52nd ed. Canada: IATA. Section 4: Airline ranking 2007. p.95-96. 2) http://www.koreanair.com/local/sg/gd/eng/au/ci/eng_au_ci_ov.jsp, accessed Feb 15, 2010. 3) http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rok/kal.htm, accessed Feb 15, 2010. 4) http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/06/18/328529/interview-korean-air-chief-executive-cho- yang-ho.html, accessed Feb 16, 2010. 5) http://www.airportal.co.kr/life/history/lee/LfLeeGu010.html, accessed Feb 16, 2010. 6)http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/profile/2009-08-23-travel-airlines-korea_N.htm, accessed Feb 16, 2010. 7) http://www.skyunionvirtual.co.cc/about/carriers/koreanair.html, accessed Feb 16, 2010. 8) http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Indonesia%3a+Korean+Air+expands+codeshare+with+Garuda.- a0218567145, accessed Feb 16, 2010 9) http://recruit.koreanair.co.kr/personal/personal_b.asp, accessed Feb 15, 2010. 10) http://recruit.koreanair.co.kr/personal/personal_d.asp, accessed Feb 15, 2010. 11) http://recruit.koreanair.co.kr/personal/personal_e.asp, accessed Feb 15, 2010. 12) http://recruit.koreanair.co.kr/personal/personal_f.asp, accessed Feb 15, 2010. 13)http://www.etimes.net/service/etimes_2007/ShellView.asp?LinkID=6001ArticleID=201002041 8164103144, accessed Feb 17, 2010, The replacements will be in 32 B777s and A330s, which have recently been furnished with Kosmo Suites (First Class), Prestige Sleeper (Prestige Class) and New Economy (Economy Class) seats. 14) http://www.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/02/17/2009021700672.html, accessed Feb 17, 2010. 15) http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-136897605.html, accessed Feb 18, 2010. 16)http://news.mk.co.kr/english/newsRead.php?rss=Ysc=30800011year=2009no=461130, Korean Air Puts Effort to Attract 1.3 billion Chinese Tourists, accessed Feb 18, 2010. 17) http://www.newswire.co.kr/newsRead.php?no=452353lmv=A02 , Korean air is the best foreign airline in China, accessed Feb 19, 2010. 18) http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4128479/, Korean Air Builds A Logistics Hub In Central Asia, accessed Feb 19, 2010. 19) http://www.sgtusa.com/detail.php?number=7280thread=22r07, Interview with COO Lee Jong hee, accessed Feb 19, 2010. 20) http://www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?type=2aid=2009110446921nid=910sid =0001, accessed Feb 19, 2010. 21) http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2900768 On board, gender equality still up in the air, accessed Feb 19, 2010 22) Steven Howard, Corporate Image Management: A Marketing Discipline for the 21st Century 23) Gary Dessler (2008), Human Resource Management: 11th ed. Singapore: Prentice Hall. Chapter 2: Strategic HRM and the HR scorecard. p.62 24) Gary Dessler (2008), Human Resource Management: 11th ed. Singapore: Prentice Hall. Chapter 2: Strategic HRM and the HR scorecard. p.67 25) Brian E. Becker, Mark A. Huselid, Dave Ulrich (2001). The scorecard: Linking people, strategy, and performance. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. p.66. 26) Steven H. Appelbaum, Brenda M. Fewster (2003). Human resource management strategy in the global airline industry A focus on Organizational development. Equal opportunities International. Vol. 21. No.7. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). p.70.