Cookridge Ltd Essay Example for Free

Cookridge Ltd Essay Inkwell is a Public limited company and was established in 2003, seven years ago by two of its three controlling shareholders, Paul Farnon and Victoria Dawson. Two years ago Anil Gupta bought into the company and joined the board as Finance Director. The company has its head office and warehouse on the industrial estate in Birmingham, where the management team and account department resides, including a large central warehouse. 4.2 The business was set up to offer a part exchange facility online accessible 24 hours a day or physically bring them into one of the 60 shops, and supplies a complete range of re-manufactured inkjet and toner cartridges through nationwide high street shops. Its main competitors are suppliers in the cartridge supplier sector in UK. Its main internal stakeholders are its Board of Directors, being the investors and manager of the organization. Employees, they are the workers of the organization in various departments to run its operations in return for a salary. Its external stakeholders are its: Supplier’s, these are the people that provide the supplies of re-manufactured inkjet and laser toner cartridge after it has been refilled. Customers that pay on cash, order online, or buy at one of the nationwide network of shops. These customers account for 80% of Inkwell Limited revenue. Government of UK, they are interested in the performance of the business in order to be able to collect the taxes on the profit levels. 4.4 The shareholders are still heavily involved in the day to day operations with Paul Fernon as Managing Director with 40% shares with the largest share, Victoria Dawson as Sales Director with 30% shares and Anil Gupta as Finance Director with 30% shares. A qualified Accountant Alex Fox has been employed as the first member of the accountant team that reports to Michael O’Payne but have direct access to the Finance Director as well. 4.5 Inkwell Limited is organized into departments and has an equivalent of 180 employees including  the accounting de partment – see Appendix on page for a structured chart. Analysis and evaluating the system Structure and Function 5.1 The Company Accountant is Michael O’Payne who’s responsible for the running of the accounting department. The first member of the accounts team is Alex Fox with other 5 full time staff. 5.2 The computerized system in the head office is an integrated system which is linked between the different accounting functions. While in other 60 shops they are on a stand-alone basis and data and information are stored separately. 5.3 The different section of the department, its staff and responsibilities: General Ledger and Inventory- Michelle Labelle account clerk. Responsible for entering relevant data into the general ledger, keep financial control over companies inventories. Purchase ledger- Liana Khan accounts clerk. Responsible for liaising with suppliers and other associated transactions. Sales ledger- Greg Morris accounts clerk. Responsible for dealing with customers and other associated transactions. Costing- Alan Cook costing technician. Responsible for dealing with in put costs and other associated transactions. Payroll- Sharon Ward, BA (Hons) is a personnel database and wage clerk. Responsible for preparing monthly salaries and wages for all the employees and all associated transactions and second is to maintain the personnel database. 5.4 The accounting functions in details are: Processing and recording of the financial transactions of the credit customers and credit suppliers of the different sections in the accounts department. Preparation of management information’s on credit sales, credit purchases, costing and payroll associated returns and documents. 5.5 Michelle Labelle in the general ledger and inventory function: Enters all data requiring input directly into company’s cash book and its petty cash imprest system and keep financial control over the company’s inventories. If inventories get above three days’ holding in any shop Michelle has to telephone and get justifications for the variance. 5.6 Liana Khan in the purchase ledger function: Makes sure that all supplier’s invoices and credit notes are entered into the Accounts Payable Ledger, and for Subsequently arranging the payments to suppliers. 5.7 Greg Morris in the sales ledger function Uses a credit reference agency to ensure that potential new credit customers have no history of poor payments. Checks any new customer who applies is always given a line of credit after this trial period. 5.8 Alan Cook in the costing function: Uses a target costing approach, working out what the cost of each component such as ink or plastic, and Supplies management with the monthly basis, and Advises management of variances from target. 5.9 Sharon Ward in the payroll and personnel database function: Operates the company’s two payrolls prepares the pay slips from the rotas prepared by the managers for the staffs. The salaries staffs are paid monthly on the last working day of the month using the Bankers Automated Clearing System (BACS). 6 Review of the accounting system 6.1 Record Keeping System A business needs an effective and manageable recordkeeping system. This is why in the business environment with regulated accounting structures, it is vital that organizations have the necessary records of evidence to support business operations. All transaction is electronically and manually processed to be made available. The necessity to provide access to recorded information is crucial. These are information’s relating to the different accounting function, such as; Purchase Sales Payroll Cash and Banking Record keeping systems are used; To better support the performance of the organization activities and enable better decision making all throughout the structure of the organization. To make sure that information is available for future or current processes, and helps also in the improving and upgrading of the manual or computerized processes. To address any future issues that may arise internally or  externally, such as fraud, lawsuits and other an-ethical accusations. To support the employees in the different functions of the business to be more efficient, productive in the accuracy of delivering the work. Records which are processed and made available are then used to produce other financial reports. Michelle Labelle in the general ledger and inventory function record and process the different inventory, supplier’s data to make available information on: Suppliers Cost prices Selling prices Profit margins Re-order level and quantities The data is used to know the overall cost of inventory, purchase and how much owed to better plan for future costs. Greg Morris in the sales ledger function processes the cash, cheques and other financial data to ensure that information is available on demand for: Customers Selling prices Bad debt Amount customers owed This information is used for different purposes such as; it is used by the debt collection agency for the collections of debt. The use of computerized recording system is more efficient than paper base. This is due to because the use of paper base recording system is more likely to produce errors then having a computerized format that data is just inputted in. Using a computerized system is less costly and time consuming. 6.2 Internal System of Control For an organization to have efficient and effective operation of its activities, internal system of control procedures is used by the management in place to ensure that the organization achieve its goals. This is where policies and procedures come in place to establish an internal control system to maximize the detection of frauds and errors, and to minimize their occurrence also. Existing internal system of control in Inkwell limited are: Supervision of the accounts office by a Company Accountant and Senior accounts member. A staff rota is prepared by the managers to ensure adequate staff coverage for all the opening hours of their shops. An information technology policy exists which sets out rules relevant to securing the computer systems. The computer system throughout the company is password protected. Company cheques are required for authorization by the three directors company accountant and other financial documents for approval. Reconciliation of the purchased stock against recorded inventory level. Purchases duties are segregated to minimize the risk of fraud. A credit rating agency is used to ensure that potentially new credit customers have no history of poor payments. Policy for dealing with non-payment of debt exists, and its state out the actions and procedure. Cheques and cash from customers are kept in office safe until it is banked. Internal control that is missing or can improve is: Company policies and procedures. Disciplinary measure to breach of policy or miss conduct. Management supervision. Segregation of duties Staff Recruitment procedures Staff training and Continual Professional Development. Restriction on accessing of computer systems. Enforcement on Computerize backup of financial documents. Retention and disposal of records throughout the business. Accounting standard and procedures. Risk assessment. Liquidity management. Verification and checks of accounting data. List of authorized access. Checks relating to wages paid out Credit control system. 6.3 Fraud Fraud is the use of deception with the intention of obtaining an advantage, avoiding an obligation or causing loss to someone else or to an  organization; this is the general definition of fraud. It is an unfortunate fact of life and comes in many forms and is recognized as a criminal activity in many countries including UK. Possibility and opportunity of fraud within Inkwell limited is possible due to the internal control is not efficient, efficacious, being deficient and the opportunity of fraud is there for the taking. Fraud covers a wide range of area criminal activity. Common types of fraud are: Theft Dishonestly taking someone else’s property. False accounting – Dishonestly destroying, defacing, concealing or falsifying an accounting record for personal gain or to cause loss to someone else. Bribery and corruption – taking or giving a bribe that might influence the actions of others. Deception – Obtaining property, money, services or evading liability by deception Methods that can be used to detect fraud Fraud can be detected by the experience manager by simple observation and through experience and also through a robust internal control system. Some sigh can include: Employees acting suspiciously – looking shifty and hiding paperwork Employees with higher levels of spending than you would expect from their income Employees working long hours and taking less than the normal holiday entitlement. Employees who have a grudge against the organization. Employees who are known to be short of money. The usage of the internet to for online sale is also at risk of fraud, since customers give Debit and Credit Cards details to pay their debts. Card fraud transaction can be detected by using Business rules. Opportunity and Potential areas of risk of fraud taking place are:  £3000 worth of a particular make of cartridge was unaccounted for during reconciliation of inventory with purchase order. Goods not appearing on the warehouse inventory record. Cash and cheques are entered manually which can be easily be subject to false accounting Complaint’s on wages being underpaid Only one staff operates and have access to payroll system Lack of written instructions Computer are not logged out and locked when not in use. No system in place for warehouse or administrative employees to record and know the time they arrive and when they leave the office The usage of debit or credit card detail by customers over the internet to pay. 6.4 Working Methods and Practices The working methods used in Inkwell Limited are: Computers are attributed to each staff whether part-time or fulltime to work on. The computer systems are run on an integrated network, with all PCs linked to two printers in the department. Every shop has PCs and printers of its own. Microsoft office excel spreadsheets is used in the accounting system for recording of the different data. All computers use Windows Vista operating system and loaded with Microsoft office 2007 consisting of 80-user operating license, and one new computer loaded with Sage Payroll software to unable payroll and personnel system to be run in-house. Internet access is available on every computer with Mozilla Firefox as web browser. Password is used on the computers. Large trade customers are put on a cash-with-order basis for the first three months of business. A credit reference agency is used potentially new customers have no history of bad credit. All cash and cheques are removed from the till, leaving a float of  £50 cash in each for the start of the next day. Staff salaries are paid monthly using the Bankers Automated Clearing System (BACS). Prepared by the wage clerk, signed by the Company Accountant and banked on 24th of each month. The methods and practices can be improved in the following: All 60 computers at the shops operate on a stand-alone system. Excel Spreadsheet being used for recording accounting data. Debt collection agency being used to collect bad debt is expensive. Password used for the computers. The removal of all cash and cheques, from the individual tills are not  practiced. Backing up of computerized data. 6.5 Training Training is essential for every personnel of an organization, as it improve the ability of the staff to perform its work and therefor reducing the amount of errors and hired part time staff used to perform tasks that can’t be done inside the organization. This is why every staff must get the opportunity to continue their professional development and be skilled to perform the task at hand. Inkwell Limited does not have the proper policy and systems in place to encourage employees to be enrolled in a part time or full time course, unless they take it on themselves to address the issue to the management. Benefits of training: Staffs are updated to the accounting standard and regulations. They will be motivated to work and be more efficient due to possibility of a promotion or career opportunity being increased, therefor errors is reduced. Staff will be more skilled to meet the needs of the organization. Professionally regulated staff will be governed by a recognized code of ethics from a professional accountancy body. Will better know how to, manage the time to do the tasks, therefor becoming more flexible and productive. Development of an ethical approach to the work and to employers and clients, acquired by experience and training. WEAKNESSES IDENTIFIED Record keeping system No completion of trial balance, statutory accounts as planned. Window dressing of the accounts. Transaction accounting are not done on a day to day basis Accounting record data entry is not being viewed as apriority by Michael O’Payne and Anil Gupta. Having unusual entries found in the general ledger. Errors may occur in inputting data into the computer. Internal System of Control No proper recruitment procedures in place to hire staff that has dismiss. The existing policies are not fully followed. This includes the Computers information technology policy, with no proper password, and logging off the computer after use. A lack of internal control for detection and fraud prevention Lack of segregation of duties. No proper scheduling back up of all IT systems being followed. No proper security for the shops. No policy for Data protection. No list of authorized personnel to access certain documents. No follow up control in place to the internal controls being followed. No supervision is done to monitor the signing in and signing out in the business. For the 60 shops, computers run on a stand-alone system. No safeguard for the proper security procedures in place/security issues relating to debit and credit cards details over the internet (Identity theft). Fraud Possibility of fraud is high; this may be caused due to: Nothing is done to ensure working practices undergoes a proper way. Inadequate guidance on how to detect and deal with fraud. Low effectiveness of security systems especially the password which does not improved each time is changed and can be guessed easily. A lack of supervision, monitoring and checks of accounting activities and records kept. Debit and Credit cards usage over the internet for customers to pay their debt can be subject to identity theft. Noncompliance to internal control. Unaccounted Cartridge’s worth  £3500, with no record in inventory. Details of transactions being deleted in the database, relating to one-off significant payments. Working Methods and Practices Breach of software and user license for software in use, can bring legal action against the company. No coverage or placement of professional personnel to carry out the work of absent staff. Lack of enforcement of legal requirement trough out the business and working practice is very low due to low standards Liquidity management is very poor. Lack of motivational skills from the directors of the business. No adequate physical controls to ensure the security and safe keeping of the businesses assets so that they do not go missing or are stolen. Working conditions and schedule are not respected by the Directors, having problems prioritizing work Lack of staffs, causing over working of staffs and no coverage or placement of professional personnel to carry out the work of absent staff. Therefor agencies are hired to do the work, which is costly. Job rotation is not practiced in the organization A required computer program needs to be attributed to these functions: Invoicing which is carried out. Data on Excel spreadsheet is manually input. Training More training is needed for operating: Quickcost system Payroll and personal system: Several teething problems experienced with the integrated payroll and personnel database. Need for education is needed for: Professional approach to work. Reliability in terms of competence. How to properly handle a secure credit and debit card transaction. Recommendation Recommendations are done following the various weaknesses identified and mentioned above. Record keeping system The management must ensure that the planned working schedule is followed strictly. If problems meeting the targets occur, it should be communicated to the responsible supervisors so proper action can be taken. Working schedule should be adjusted in so that the review of the payments and all other relating transaction are done earlier so that they don’t have to window dress. Different task must be prioritized by the management, so that conflict does not occur, were task are neglected. Accounting record data entry must be prioritized by the two organization’s directors Michael O’Payne and Anil Gupta. The directors must review the benefits that will be gained. Unsure that the proper records relating to the daily business transaction are entered into the general ledger. Verify the data inputted in the computer to ensure that is correct. Internal System of Control Standard policy and guidelines of hiring staffs should be introduced, pointing out the necessary detailed document that is needed making the  process more transparent and reliable. Staffs should be sensitized of the policies in place and know the importance of respecting them. Setting up a fraud policy which sets out the way to detect and deal with fraud, throughout the different working procedure and practice. Duties should be segregated, by setting up a system, which when combined, could lead to fraud. The existing policy should be re-enforce, so that the record kept on the computers would be backed up on the server regularly to prevent loss of data instead of doing it once a day. Alarm systems should be installed for all the shops of the organization, to better protect the business assets from being stolen. Proper policy and procedures should be introduced. The Data Protection Act should be communicated to all staffs, to better protect the company’s and the customer Data. A list of authorized personnel should be produced and communicated to the staffs. Staff personnel should be put in charge of verifying that all policies in place are being followed. A logging system should be set up to have a record of who comes in the office and at what time. Such system should be monitored to ensure all staff complies. An integrated network should be set up on a server to connect the computers together with proper licensed software. Safeguards should be implemented on the procedure for transaction involving debit and credit card details provided by the customers. A standard and effective Sage Accounting package should be bought to unable: A standard layout of the invoices issued to customers. Enable data to be imported and exported from and to Excel spreadsheets. Enable better detection of errors in the different account ledgers. Fraud To reduce the possibility of fraud and make the internal control system fraud resistant, the various techniques should use: Accounting activities should be supervised on a regular basis. The records and calculation of financial document should be sampled and checked regularly for errors. Make sure that the fraud policy which will be introduced set out the way to detect and deal with fraud, throughout the different working procedure and practice and to make any adjustment necessary. Managers of the various departments should be given areas of responsibilities and answerability to ensure that fraud is kept to a minimum. Value of a business rule management system (BRMS) approach to fraud detection can be implemented. Business rules can be used  to validate various conditions for detecting anomalies that can indicate fraud. Enables institutions to react quickly in their effort to keep pace with fraudsters. Disciplinary measures or penalties should be set up for breaking an internal control or if a staff is practicing fraudulent act. Physical security should be re-enforced, locking up valuable items away, such as cash and cheques. Set up a limit to which a financial transaction should be requiring authorization, by one or more authorized signature. This may range from petty cash or cheques over a certain amount. Doing a regular reconciliation of the accounts to the financial documents to make sure they balance and errors corrected. Management should carry out Risk Assessments as part of the of an effective internal control system. Working Methods and Practices Make sure that all computers use license software in all the shops and departments, monitor that the license are not broken causing legal action to the organization. Adequate number of specialized staffs should be introduced for the coverage of staff that is absent. The business must comply with all relevant External regulations. Such as international accounting standards even government regulation from HMRC. This will aid in raising the standard of working practices. Better management of buying inventory from suppliers. Credit to customers should be reduced. The managers should undergo a management course, to learn how to better manage their business, motivate their employees through training, giving out bonuses, paying for overtime and other incentives. All assets should be recorded and proper management of the assets should be put in place, to know the life cycle. Directors should produce an effective working schedule, reducing the stress on employees. Adequate number of specializ ed staffs should be introduced for the coverage of staff that is absent. Produce an effective rota to unable the staff to rotate to different accounting functions in the organization. A standard and effective Sage Accounting package should be bought to unable: A standard layout of the invoices issued to customers. Enable data to be imported and exported from and to Excel spreadsheets. Enable better detection of errors in the different account ledgers. Training More training should be provided for: Quick cost system Payroll and personal system To ensure that staff has the necessary skills and knowledge to be more effective and reliable in their work, in terms of competence: Staffs Training should be invested in by the management, to better handle the daily tasks. Including Debit Credit cards transactions This should include internal or external training courses for using any newly introduced accounting package. Telephone support lines made available by the software provider. Workshops on the improvement of staffs’ communications skills. Cost benefit analysis Improvement Recommended Cost of Time Benefits Time spent by manager in Training 25 hours Ãâ€" 3 Ãâ€"  £25 per hour Time spent by 5 account staff 25 hours Ãâ€" 5 Ãâ€"  £15 per hour TOTAL TRAINING COST  £ 1875 1875 3750 The work output will be more accurate due to the raise of standard. The organization will appear more professional, more efficient, meanings fewer errors and problems. Cost of hiring new Accounting staffs  £ 192000 The different responsibilities can be segregated and work will be done faster. Setting up of computers on a network Cost of hardware Installation cost  £ 5000 1000 6000 Access to data will be easier which will speed up the work and save time. New accounting Package Cost of the software Installation cost cost of training the staff 10000 3000 3500 16500 Many routine operations will be speeded up, save time and reduces wages bill. 9.2 To carry out a Risk assessment the management will require 2 hours per month. This will discourage and reduce the risk of fraud in the accounting system by identifying the areas of the risk of fraud and then setting up a system in place to detect any possibility of fraud and then deal with it, making the system more reliable. Appendices SWOT Analysis Strengths Record keeping system Using an archiving computer package to store full accounting records. Easy access to past exact copy of company accounting transactions. Sage Payroll software was loaded in the accounts department to enable the new payroll and personnel system to be in house. Excel spreadsheets are used for maintaining the inventory information. Integrated General, Accounts payable and Accounts Receivable set of ledger principal financial accounting system. Internal system of control An information technology policy exist which sets out rules relevant to securing the computer systems. The computer system throughout the company is password protected. A credit rating agency is used to ensure that potentially new credit customers have no history of poor payment. Value of a business rule management system (BRMS) approach to fraud detection benefits: The performance of the rules is high enough to provide real-time detection of anomalies based on several criteria, including multiple sources, transaction values, card-use frequency, merchant and location of the charges. If implemented new detection policies can be activated in hours, instead of months, helping to reduce lost revenue and increase customer satisfaction and provides safety in online transaction.

Human Resourcing Planning in Global Brand

Human Resourcing Planning in Global Brand Introduction The report on Human Resource Planning focuses on the HR plan followed by one of the leaders in global IT services, the Wipro.The Company has booked itself a decent position in the niche market category of consumer goods, business process outsourcing services, product engineering services and illuminating solutions. The report tries to analyze the importance of a well structured human resource planning system in a multinational company like the Wipro.The need for a carefully constructed legal and organizational framework for the employment of staff, and the need for a very effective grievances system has been closely studied in this report. A sincere attempt has been put in to identify and understand the detailed recruitment process of staff. Wipro provides an ideal platform for organizations seeking IT solutions because of its strong human resources, superior performances and sincere commitment towards quality ensurement.It provides business and technology consultations services to a number of organizations worldwide. About the company Wipro stands for Western India vegetable Products ltd.It began its operations in 1945 as a vegetable oil manufacturer in Amalner,India.The company has its equity shares listed in India(both in National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange)and also in US(New York stock exchange) . Wipro has its services spread over wide horizon of activities. Some of which are manufacturing, media, healthcare, telecom, transportation, aerospace, automotive, communication, energy, pharmaceuticals, financial and banking services, insurance, and technology. It has over 800 plus clients and about one lakh associates from 70 different nations. It maintains more than seventy two outlets and employs ninety six thousand people over fifty five nations. Wipro is the third largest R D service provider in the world. It keeps track of all the latest developments in the technological field. It believes that such latest technological innovations has an important bearing on the competitive strength of the concern.Wipro can be termed as a leading vendor of enterprise technology. It is because of its strong brand power that Wipro is now able to reach new heights. Need Importance of Human resource planning The term human resource embraces the entire workforce in an organization form the top level to the bottom level. Human resources are considered to be the most important asset of an organization. The success of every organization depends on the efficiency of its manpower. The increasing global competition, rising customer demands, shortage of skilled and able workers has all contributed towards increasing the relevance of human resources in this era (Webb, 1989). The HR department of every organization should learn how to manage the employee performances effectively. Human resources are the power house of any organization and it is very much essential to nurture them through proper planning and management. The problem is how to utilize and manage these resources to deliver maximum results. Human resource planning is an effective technique of empowering the people with competitive skills required for business management. It is a systematic process through which the need and availability of human resources for accomplishing the organizations strategic objectives are identified and assessed (Mathis Jackson, 2007). HR planning is concerned with determining whether the organization contains the right number of employees, with right skills and competencies in the right place at the right time. The HR plan should contain a detailed study of the skills, talents, knowledge, competency, experience and creativity of its employees. This informations forms the basis for taking optimum career decisions like promotions, de-promotions, dismissals and transfers. Apart from studying the capabilities of its own employees HR plan also assesses the external environment for meeting the labor supply requirements of the organization. It involves forecasting of future manpower requirements of the company and making necessary moves to fill in the vacancies. The HR strategies must be in consistent with the organizational objectives. In any organization it is essential to link the human resource plans with its business strategies and objectives (Rothwell Kazanas, 2003). The HR plans have great impact on the strategic plans of the company. The aim of HR practitioners is to coordinate and align their efforts with the strategic planners. The business objectives can be closely related with the HR objectives as HR is an important part of the organization. Easy attainment of goals is possible only though combined human effort. HRP at Wipro HRP tries to highlight the means through which people are appointed and developed to increase the organizations efficiency (Armstrong 2006).HR plans estimates the number and kind of employees that an organization would require to perform its jobs efficiently and effectively. Following are the important HRP goals in Wipro: Determining the future staffing needs . Accepting and adopting the changes in the internal and external environment. Optimum and efficient utilization of existing workforce. Systematic procedure for advancement of employees. The figure given below shows the HR planning process followed in Wipro Estimating manpower Required Recruitment process Development and training of Selected candidate Promotions and transfers Fixing of payment scale Here the HR planning system is broken down into different phases and arranged in the hierarchical order. Recruitment process Recruitment is the process of inviting applications from suitable candidates and selecting the best candidate from amongst them. The aim of recruitment is to create a pool of applications (Aswathappa 2005).It involves searching various sources to find suitable candidates and persuading them to apply for the jobs. Recruiting is the term applied to the phase of personal management that involves reaching out and attracting a supply of people from which to select qualified candidates for job vacancies. An effort is made to attract potential employees with the necessary characteristics for the jobs available (Megginson, 1981) So recruitment means to finding and encouraging prospective applicants to fill up the vacancies in the organization. Recruitment can be made within the organization or from external environment. There are two sources for recruitment: The external source and the internal source. The internal recruitment can be done through promotions, transfers, employee recommendations and references. Whereas the external means for recruitment includes advertisement, campus recruitments, employment exchanges and agencies. In wipro the recruitment process follows three important stages. They are:- Stage I Written test, Stage II- Personal interview, (Stage II consist of two parts) (i)Interview to test the technical skills (ii) Interview to test the HR knowledge. Stage III Placements Stage I Written test Here the applicants shall be required to undergo a written test. It shall include questions to test the aptitude of the candidates. Sometimes the applicants might have to face verbal questions too. Stage II Personal interview Technical interview comes first in stage II. Technical interview is conducted to assess thee basic technical knowledge. The elimination process starts from here. The applicants shall be selected to the next stage on the basis of the performance. The next is the HR interview. Here the interviewers shall include some general questions like asking the candidates to give a self assessment, asking about their ambitions, family background, their knowledge regarding the company etc. A group discussion may also be conducted to assess the communication skills and vocabulary of the candidates. The filtering process shall be completely depending on the individual performance of the candidates in the above stages. The final stage is the placement of employees. Placement implies accepting the selected candidate and placing him in the post for which he has been appointed. It is concerned with matching the selected candidates with the jobs. Once a candidate clears all the stages the Manager (HR) shall provide him with the employee code number. He/she has to agree upon the terms and conditions of appointment and shall submit their joining letter. After recruitment the newly elected candidate must have to undergo compulsory training, to make them well equipped and familiar with the organization. The talent transformation department of Wipro takes care for this. The following illustration shows in detail the recruitment process followed in Wipro:- Recruitment process Written test Technical Interview HR Interview Placement Personal Interview Measures taken by the company to promote employee welfare Wipro considers its human resource as one of their most priced asset and hence has taken every precaution to make sure that they retain their employees and strengthen their commitment. It has launched various welfare measures for its employees. Such as educational facility for their children, medical reimbursement, housing finance, recreational facilities, insurance policies and canteen facilities. Among these, promotional opportunities play a very important role in making employees happy. Promotion means advancement from the current post to a higher post. Promotions offer better status and payment to the employees in the concern. Opportunities for advancement shall be based on the performance of the employees. Understanding grievances of employees A well structured grievance system is essential for effective identification and redressal of employee grievance. Such an efficient grievance system is a must for ensuring employee satisfaction and better labor relationship (Durai, 2010).It is a prerequisite for every organization to ensure quality employee performance. According to Wagen (2007) a grievance process should consider the following aspects: The process must be duly agreed by everyone in the company. The process must be communicated in English. The procedure followed for filing the complaint must be unambiguous. An objective approach must be followed while dealing with the complainants. Confidentiality must be followed wherever it is necessary. The entire process must be clearly documented. The grievance procedure to be followed is stated below (Selwyn 2006):- i. The employee shall specify his grievance or complaint (in writing) and a copy of the sane shall be forwarded to his employer. ii. The employer shall call upon the employee to attend the meeting where the matter is going to be discussed. The employee has to ensure his attendance. Once the meeting concludes the employer shall inform the employee about his decision with regard to the grievance. The employer must inform the employee his right to make an appeal if he is not satisfied with the judgment. iii. The employee should communicate his intention of making an appeal to his employer. Accordingly the employer shall again call a meeting to discuss on this matter. The employee should take every effort to ensure his attendance. After the hearing the employer shall convey his final decision to the employee. Wipro maintains a very effective grievance system. The grievance process followed by the company contains all the necessary ingredients as discussed above. By following such a system the company is able to easily resolve employee conflict and maintain a peaceful environment. Disciplinary process in the company Discipline is an indispensable factor in human resource planning in a large organization like Wipro.Discipline ensures strict adherence to the procedures, plans and rules of the company. Absence of discipline can bring utter chaos and confusion within the organization.Wipro follows a strict and fair disciplinary system. Following are the important questions raised during the disciplinary procedure of the company: What acts of offence, violation, misconduct have been done by the individual? Did such act amount to breach of code of conduct? The impact of the offence. Is the offence in anyway related to the job performance of the employee? In case of minor offences the employees shall be given warnings or memos. But if such act of offence has affected the company in a grave manner the employee shall be dismissed immediately. Acts of deceit, willful suppression or destruction of important information, willfull negligence of duty, causing personal injury or accidents shall invite dismissal with immediate effect. The dismissal procedure includes: 1. Issuance of sufficient show cause notices 2. Providing an optimum opportunity to be heard 3. Ensuring the presence of the individual during the hearing 4. Permitting the employee to present witnesses 5. Hearing of the witness account 6. Recording of all the procedures and decisions taken in the meeting by the officer in charge 7. Announcement of the decision It should be noted that the presiding officer be impartial and fair in his decisions. IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEE WELFARE ORGANISATION What is ACAS? ACAS means Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service. It was established in the year 1975 under the Employment Protection Act. The purpose of ACAS is to ensure better working life and improve the labor relations. ACAS is directed towards solving of employee problems and raising their standard of performance by conducting quality education and training programs for them. ACAS plays three important roles in improving the employee relations (Currie 1997).They are:- 1. Advisory role: ACAS can be viewed as an advisory body as it offers advisory and consultation services to the organization and employees who feel that they have been overlooked or unfairly treated. Through the informations contained in the code of conduct issued by ACAS, it shows an organization the need to maintain a fair grievances and disciplinary system. Many organizations have adopted the principles of ACAS. 2. Role of Conciliation: Here ACAS tries to resolve employee conflicts before the issue reaches the hearing phase. The conciliation officer tries to guide and make both the parties understand the probable outcome of a tribunal. 3. Role of Arbitrator:-In common practice, the employee conflicts are solved within the organization. But the need for an arbitrator arises when the internal dialogues fail to settle the issue. Most of the organizations prefer ACAS to don the role of arbitrator. While acting under this role ACAS may appoint an arbitrator or even form an arbitration board. Such decisions shall be based on the complexity and relevance of the issue. ACAS codes and principles mainly stresses on the importance of maintaining discipline in the organization(Taylor, 2005).ACAS has set specific codes and procedures to be applied on the disciplinary system and dismissal process of the company. Following are the important points covered by the ACAS code in this respect:- Every company should maintain specific and systematic disciplinary procedures and these procedures must be kept with the company in the written form. The name and designation of the person authorized for taking disciplinary actions must be separately stated. The procedure must precisely state the grounds on which disciplinary actions shall be evoked against the defaulting employee or employer. The employee has to be informed about the complaint raised against him. And he should be provided with a reasonable opportunity of being heard. The company should have fair warning system. Proper warnings have to be raised whenever it is necessary .An opportunity must be given to the employees to correct their actions. Every employee has the right to appeal. The company should have a well structured complaint redressal committee before whom the employees shall appear. The employees have the right to representation. Any employee or member of the trade union can accompany the employee during the hearing. Hence ACAS plays a very important role in ensuring a fair and effective grievance and disciplinary system in an organization. Employment Tribunal The Employment tribunals were introduced in the year 1964 for the first time under the Industrial Training Act (Pettinger 1999). Employment tribunal is another important organization which plays a very important role in promoting employee welfare in the industry. They deal with safeguarding employee rights. The tribunal is empowered to give a fair trial to the employees who have been unfairly dismissed (Chandler, Waud 2003). If an employee is dismissed on the basis of any incorrect informations or if he has been denied the right to appeal then the employment tribunal (if the employee is able to prove his innocence) shall dismiss all the allegations against him. Person, persons or bodies like labor unions filing the case to the employment tribunal is termed applicants. And the other party (employer or the company) against whom the case has been filed is termed respondents. The applicants as well as the respondents have the right to present witnesses to their support. The tribunal may require each of the parties to produce necessary documents or evidences while conducting the trial. The decisions shall be taken on just and equitable basis. Two remedies are available to the employees who have been unfairly dismissed. One is to seek re-engagement and the other is to claim compensation. The employment tribunal has the power to issue orders for re-engagement and awarding compensation for the aggrieved employee. The tribunal has been setup to provide a platform for easy settlement of disputes between the employees and the employers (Pettinger 1999).In this manner employee tribunal tries to solve the grievance of employees in a very effective manner. It stresses on the fact that no employee shall be dismissed unless he has been given a reasonable opportunity to prove his innocence .The ultimate objective of the tribunal is to promote and protect employee welfare and rights through fair trials. Apart from the tribunal, the Trade Unions, welfare organizations formed by the employees themselves, government agencies set up under various statutes are in the continuous process of protecting the rights of employees and increasing their job satisfaction. They ensure that the employee grievances are met in a satisfactory manner and a fair and just disciplinary process is followed by the concern. SUMMARY The report on Human Resource Planning tries to highlight the importance of human resources and the need to effectively plan and manage the human resource in a large organization like the Wipro. Human resource planning is concerned with determining whether an organization has the right number of employees, in the right place at the right time. The report goes through the various phases of human resource plan followed by Wipro.The HRP goals of the organization have been clearly stated in the report. The various stages in the recruitment process of the company have been well explained with the support of a detailed illustration. The report also explains the importance of having a well planned and systematic grievance and disciplinary system in an organisation.The disciplinary process followed by the company has been studied in detail. The dismissal procedures have been clearly mentioned in the report. The report attempts to bring out the importance and impact of various employee welfare organizations like ACAS and the Employment tribunals. The principles and procedures specified by the ACAS and the tribunals must be considered while developing the grievance and disciplinary process. CONCLUSION On the basis of the report we arrive at the conclusion that Human Resource Planning is an indispensable part for any organization. An organization enjoys the following advantages of having a well built HR planning system. They are:- It helps in estimating future manpower requirements of the organization. Scarcity of employees An entity contains a number of jobs requiring highly specialized knowledge. And there is a shortage of skilled employees.HRp helps to identify such talents and ensures adequate supply of such talented employees thereby alleviating the problem of shortage in the organization. Trying to cope up with the changes With frequent changes and development in field of technology, market conditions etc, it demands more sophisticated operations. And an effective HRP tries to solve this problem by supplying the right person with right skills. Growth and development Employees leave the organization due to various reasons like death, retirement, dismissals, transfers etc, and it is necessary that these gaps have to be filled. Through proper HR planning such problems due to growth and development can be dealt effectively. It understands manpower requirements and takes suitable actions to supply the right kind of persons, considering the current business operations and future activities of the organization.

Donald Trump Promotes Classical Liberalism Essay -- Classical Liberali

Classical liberalism was the dominant ideology of capitalism during the periods of eighteenth century. It view was widely accepted. It said that government should just sit back and watch business so they do not cheat the government also to enforce contracts. The classical had many creeds they were Psychological, economic, and ,political. Each view has its own points. In this paper I will discuss those points and show you how Donald Trump is a classical liberalist. Psychological creed of classical liberalism is based on four assumptions of human nature. People were believed to be egoistic, coldly calculating, essential inert, and atomistic. Hobbes a economics argued that people were motivated by the desire for pleasure and to avoid pain. Jeremy Bentham believed pleasure differ in intensity but there was no qualitative difference. He argued that "quality of pleasure being equal, to a pushpin is as good as poetry," The theory he is trying to say about human motivation is that the we are lazy and selfish. A big part of classical liberalism is that we are coldly calculating. Being coldly calculating means that when a situation comes about we dissever what will make us receive less pain and more pleasure. Although the human motivation is by pleasure it is the decision that are cold, selfish, dispassionate, and rational assessment of the situation to choose how to avoid the pain and receive the pleasure. The emphasis on the importance of rational measurement... Donald Trump Promotes Classical Liberalism Essay -- Classical Liberali Classical liberalism was the dominant ideology of capitalism during the periods of eighteenth century. It view was widely accepted. It said that government should just sit back and watch business so they do not cheat the government also to enforce contracts. The classical had many creeds they were Psychological, economic, and ,political. Each view has its own points. In this paper I will discuss those points and show you how Donald Trump is a classical liberalist. Psychological creed of classical liberalism is based on four assumptions of human nature. People were believed to be egoistic, coldly calculating, essential inert, and atomistic. Hobbes a economics argued that people were motivated by the desire for pleasure and to avoid pain. Jeremy Bentham believed pleasure differ in intensity but there was no qualitative difference. He argued that "quality of pleasure being equal, to a pushpin is as good as poetry," The theory he is trying to say about human motivation is that the we are lazy and selfish. A big part of classical liberalism is that we are coldly calculating. Being coldly calculating means that when a situation comes about we dissever what will make us receive less pain and more pleasure. Although the human motivation is by pleasure it is the decision that are cold, selfish, dispassionate, and rational assessment of the situation to choose how to avoid the pain and receive the pleasure. The emphasis on the importance of rational measurement...

Anorexia Essay -- essays research papers

INTRODUCTION Anorexia Nervosa is a mental condition which affects one’s both physical and mental health. It is a condition that causes one to have a distorted self-image and forces themselves to starve even if their body weight is already dangerously low. They often restrict their food intake to the point where they are extremely thin. Anorexia is found to occur most often in women, especially those who are aged 15 to 35. There have been cases reported as early as the age of 7 and as late as the age of 80. Researchers believe that about 5 to 10 percent of women overall have a distorted body image but approximately 1 to 2 percent of those women suffer from anorexia nervosa. Often at times anorexia can begin during the early teen years. Over 90 percent of the victims of anorexia are found to be women but yet many cases go unnoticed or unreported. The definition of one who is anorexic is that they are approximately about 15 percent underweight for their age and height, yet still refuses to gain the weight required to be at the minimal standard. They have an intense fear of gaining weight and often starve themselves to the point where there are not receiving the proper nutrients and intake required for a healthy diet. Often anorexics restrict themselves to fewer than 1000 calories per day and may even go as low as 100 calories a day. CAUSES   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anorexia Nervosa has often been associated with both being a physical and mental disease. The number one ca...

Downfall of the Roman Empire :: Ancient Rome Roman History

Downfall of the Roman Empire The Roman Empire was strong for a time. It was founded on geography, family values, military strength, and wise leadership. It flourished because of social, economic, political, military and religious strengths. However, when the very things that make a civilization flourish start to decline, the civilization will also lead to a downfall. The first reason for the fall was economic decay. The rulers of Rome had expensive lifestyles. To aid their image, they needed money. They gained money through taxation on the poor. In response to the torment of tax collectors, the poor fled to barbaric lands. The poor made up a large percentage of the Roman population. Barbarians disrupted trade on the Mediterranean sea. Rome's gold and silver were being drained into buying luxuries from China, India, and Arabia. The government decreased the silver content in money. The value of the money also decreased. Diocletion attempted to curb the inflation. He issued an edict that fixed maximum prices and wages throughout the Empire. It was an unrealistic and unenforceable idea which failed. The emperors still felt the tax issue needed to be addressed. They decided to make the hereditary class of tax collectors pay the difference. In other words, if a poor person could not pay their full share, the tax collector paid the rest. This concept wi ped out a whole class of moderately wealthy people. Later, slavery split communities. Rome believed the workers of society should not benefit from slavery. Slaves then had to reason to try hard or improve. Eastern slaves started doing technical work. Thus, all technical work was looked down upon. Labor was cheap and worthless. Upper-class Romans were content with what they had become. They felt no need to improve their inventions, they were content with slaves. Another reason for the fall of Rome was political issues. Citizens no longer displayed patriotism, they were indifferent. Only the rich ran for office. Only the rich could run for office. It had become too expensive to hold office. The officers were forced to pay for public engagements themselves. The wealthy men destroyed Greco-Roman civilization. The loss of Greco-Roman civilization led to the decline of classical civilization. The general pattern of the classical civilization was based upon slavery being at the root of society. The army had proven itself to produce many leaders. The army needed to be maintained. Again, taxes were forced mainly on the poor or made more people impoverished.

Relationship Between Humans and Objects

CUL341 INDIVIDUAL REPORT Indeed, there is a powerful relationship between humans and objects in today’s society. An object is a tangible something that one can take hold off with their senses. Some objects have the power to create social relations between humans, for example there is the trident and the wand that changes the image of a person who utilizes the object. Indeed, such are objects that allow the power of symbolism to give meaning to human activity.The trident is one of these objects that have the great power to create social relations. A trident is a long stick usually having a small double-u (w) looking symbol at the top of it. It’s a three-pronged spear known for giving social power to a person or vice versa, a powerful person in the society carries it and utilizes it to express their power. Although the object has many other uses such as fishing and also as a weapon, there are several examples in history where it would be carried just to symbolize power.In Hinduism, their God Shiva and the Roman God Neptune too are both are known for a trident being clutched to them most of the time. The trident gives a different image of one who carries it; it expresses their power to the society. In Roman myth, God Neptune used it to create earthquakes and other natural disasters as it was indeed a powerful object, and hence created social relations between the Gods and their worshippers as it allowed them to see the power it has.Today we obviously don’t see powerful people carrying it around; however, it is still seen in animated TV shows and movies to give a meaning to the character. It is seen in the little mermaid where King Triton bears it on him to convey his power to the rest of the creatures of the sea. Also in the Lion King, the monkey who is characterized to be an influential persona popping up when someone needs advice amongst the animal kingdom bears the trident on him at all times. Thus, again the object is able to create social relations amongst the characters.Another object that was discussed is the wand. The wand is a thin stick made from wood, of even sometimes metal. They are known to give a magical sense to one who bears it. The wand indeed also creates social relations amongst people as when one utilises a wand, he is will be known to be a person who performs magical spells. The wand is used to perform magical spells so therefore, the one who bears it is conveyed by the society to have great power as wands can only be owned and used by a fairy, wizard, witch or a sorcerer.Wands are known to have also created social relations in historical myths and legends. In Roman myths, Mercury also beared a wand that allowed the worshippers to have a powerful view of Mercury amongst the society. In fairy tales and other science fiction, the magic wand is used to do many powerful acts used for good and evil. Evil acts include defeating or transforming people into animals and good acts can include used for protect ion or other useful acts like opening a locked door.Some fairytales in which the wand is used widely is Cinderella where the fairy godmother would have the power to perform good acts such as make Cinderella beautiful and grant her clothes to go to the ball. Furthermore, in today’s world we most often exposed to wands and their magic in popular fiction novels and movies/TV shows. A well known novel plus movie is Harry Potter. Harry Potter is a wizard who studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His aim in the movie is to defeat his enemy Lord Voldemort who killed his parents.Everything in the fictional movie is pretty done through the power of the wand. The good acts, the bad acts by wizards and witches gives viewers insight to how a single object can create such social relations in a society. Indeed, a single object can have the power to shape ones image of a persona. Indeed, in the modern world, the relationship between objects and humans has developed to becom e a great influence on the view one has for another in the society. It is evident that the triton and the wand both are very good examples of such objects enhance their powers to create social relations amongst humanity.A Trident has been used in history and even today in fiction movies to allow a view of a persona to be great and powerful. Similarly, the wand also creates social relations amongst a society where one can be seen as a normal person and just by bearing a wand; he will be seen to be a wizard whom can perform magical spells. Indeed, Objects can enhance the power of symbolism and give a different meaning to a person. REFERENCES http://www. ehow. com/about_4759212_magic-wand-stories. html http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Trident

Cultural Brief of Taiwan

INTRODUCTION POLITICAL, LEGAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIROMENT HOFSTEDE’S DIMENSIONS Geert Hofstede is a Dutch researcher who identified five dimensions of culture to help understand how and why people from various cultures behave the way they do. The five Hofstede’s cultural dimensions are power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity vs. femininity, and time orientation. Taiwan has a high power distance meaning that people blindly obey the orders of their superiors, and strict obedience is found. Taiwan ranked high in uncertainty avoidance meaning that the people do not like uncertainty and tend to have a high need for security and a strong belief in experts. In individualism Taiwan ranked as a low individualistic country meaning that people look after themselves and their immediate family members. In regards to masculinity Taiwan ranked as a high masculinity country meaning that they place great importance on earnings, recognition, advancement, and challenge. In this type of culture people are encourage to be decision makers, and have high performance levels. On the last dimension Taiwan ranked high in long term orientation meaning that they focus more on long range goals. TROMPENAAR’S DIMENSIONS Although Hofstede’s dimensions are the most recognize cultural dimension a more recent research is gaining attention. This research was made over a period on ten years by another Dutch researcher Fons Trompenaar. Trompenaar’s dimensions are Universalism vs. Particularism, Individualism vs. Communitarianism, Neutral vs. Emotional, Specific vs. Diffuse, Achievement vs. Ascription, Sequential vs. Synchronous, and Internal vs. External. GLOBE DIMENSIONS The GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness) research project is another study to measure cultural difference. This research is an extensive analysis that integrates previous analysis. Countries were selected very carefully so that every major geographic in the world was represented. This project or research is considered one of the most sophisticated studies because it was made by a multicultural team of researchers that had and broad knowledge and experience in those fields. The GLOBE project can be use to foresee the most appropriate, effective, and suitable organizational and leader practices within a culture. The GLOBE is a more extensive research and includes more dimensions than Hofstede’s and Trompenaars’s research. The GLOBE project identified nine cultural dimensions Uncertainty avoidance, Power distance, Collectivism I, Collectivism II, Gender egalitarianism, Assertiveness, Future orientation, Performance orientation, and Humane orientation. CULTURAL NORMS, VALUES, AND BELIEFS Taiwan’s population is generally Han Chinese and is divided into three groups based on their language: Taiwanese, Hakka, and Mandarin. The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese, but Min-nan dialect is also widely spoken. English is the most popular foreign language which makes it part of their regular school curriculum. Most people in Taiwan have traditional values based on Confucian ethics, but industrialization is making them change their values. Some traditional values such as piety towards parents, ancestor worship, and emphasis on education and work remain strong. Taiwanese values are based on Confucianism which describes the position of the individual in society. This system of behaviors and ethics put emphasis on the obligation of people towards one another based on their relationship, and stresses duty, loyalty, honor, respect for age and sincerity. There are five classifications of relationship: ruler and subject, husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters, and friend and friend. Taiwan’s culture is collective which means they are willing to suppress their own feelings for the good of the group. Taiwanese have a very important concept of the face called â€Å"Mien-Tzu†. They believe the face reflects a person’s reputation, dignity, and prestige. This concept is not only applied to individuals but also to businesses. â€Å"Guanxi† is another term related to the connections and types of relationships Taiwanese use to conduct business. Businesses are conducted among friends, friends of friends, family, and people of your own level or higher statues. This concept is believed to open doors, smooth problems, and open more connections. Taiwan’s religion is based on the â€Å"three teachings†; Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Each religion has its own temples, priest, and sacred texts, but most people practice a blend of the â€Å"three teachings† referred to as popular or folk religion. Family is very important in the Taiwanese culture and one thing that brings family together every day is food. Dinner is the most important meal of the day because it reinforces family relationships. The exchange of food means equality and people of higher ranks are never invited to dine at one’s home. Fish the favorite food, and food is mostly cooked in soups, stews, and deep fry. Taiwan is famous for its tea and it can be found in almost every corner of Taiwan. Tea is the most famous drink because it is considered stimulating, conducive to conversation, and beneficial to health. EXPECTATIONS REGARDING DRESS APPOINTMENTS Taiwanese are very punctual and they expect to be always on time for an appointment. They are very easy in scheduling appointments and the best way to set an appointment is by telephone or email. Most firms have business hours from 9AM to 5:30PM Monday to Friday, so contact them between those times if you want to be contacted in a timely manner. Punctuality is very important but they understand and respect when late, but if previous notice is given. Holidays are a very hard time to set appointments because they do not work specially during the holidays of Chinese New Year, Tuan-Wu (or Dragon Boat Festival) and Mid-Autumn holiday, therefore; it is very hard to get a hold of anyone during this time of the year. BUSINESS ENTERTAINING Taiwanese pay very close to business entertaining because they consider it essential in creating a successful business relationship. Business entertaining should never be considered a waste of time since Taiwanese pay very close attention and dedicate a lot of time to this activity. The most popular type of business entertaining is having dinner and drinking a great amount of alcohol until very late. During dinner make sure not to talk about business unless the host brings it up. This time should be use to learn more about Taiwan’s people, culture, and the host interest. Taiwanese are food lovers so expect about twenty dishes during dinner. The tradition is that the host serves the guest in their plates a little food, but they are free to take more food. It is recommended that you leave a little bit of food in your plate when done because leaving your plate empty signifies that you are still hungry. After the great meal tea is serve which signifies that the event is finished, and it is polite if you leave after finishing the tea even if the host invites you to stay. BUSINESS CARDS Taiwanese people are very friendly and courteous, and social relations are very important. They believe in creating strong relationships because their belief is that one cannot do anything alone without help from others. The use of business cards is used at the first meeting. Business cards are exchange and it is considered an easy way to overcome initial shyness and start forming a connection. The exchange of business cards also represents or demonstrates a person’s name and reputation. TITLES AND FORMS OF ADDRESS Title and status of authority are very important in Taiwanese culture. When meeting a person for the first time it is important that you address the person by their academic, professional, or honorific title and their surname. People pay very close attention to status of authority such as age, education, occupation, and gender. Age is one of the factors taken seriously because they expect to show the greatest respect. This is a problem whenever a younger expatriate comes to manage older people. It is difficult for them to accept the fact that a younger person manages them. Taiwanese traditionally have three names. The surname or last name, and two personal names. An interesting thing about their personal names is that their names usually have some significant meaning. Asking about the meaning of their names is a good way for breaking the ice. GREETINGS Greeting in Taiwan are also very important and they have a different types of greetings depending on the person being greeted when greeting someone in Taiwan the oldest person in the group is greeted first. Taiwanese use a handshake as the most common type of greeting with foreigners. In the Chinese culture they have a sign that represents respect, looking towards the ground. Taiwanese do not expect for foreigners to greet the same way because they know we have different greeting styles, so to be on the safe side a firm handshake and a warm smile is the best choice. GESTURES Everywhere in the world no matter what language you speak people or cultures always have gestures that have a significant meaning. In Taiwan there are four types of gestures: greeting gestures, touching gestures, beckoning gestures, and nonverbal gestures. We will start first with the greeting gestures, handshaking has become popular and its spreading rapidly, but a bow is the most traditional form of greeting. Hugging and kissing when greeting is very rare and uncommon. A special gesture for elders is to cover your left fist with your right hand, or put your hands together and bring them to your heart. Touching gestures are not very welcomed in Taiwan they are not a touch oriented society. Public signs of affection are rare, but it’s normal for same sex persons to hold hands in public. Beckoning gestures are done with an open hand facing downward and never use your index finger to point at someone. Never use your hand to beckon someone facing upward because that gesture is only used for animals. Avoid touching or moving objects with your feet, and never put your feet on top of furniture because feet are considered lowly and dirty. There are a lot of nonverbal gestures but this are a few of the most common. In respect to elders always open the door for them, give up your seat if no other sits are available, talk to them first when you enter a room, and take off your glasses when you talk to them. Posture should be straight, so do not slough. Having a loud and rude behavior in not acceptable when doing business but it is acceptable in restaurants. Being able to read gestures will help you understand people even if you do not speak the same language, so make sure you know the most important one in order to create the right impression and business relationship. GIFT GIVING Gift giving is one of the things you need to pay really close attention since a lot of gifts have a very significant meaning, and you might give the wrong impression. Taiwanese are food lovers and a good choice for a gift is a nice food basket or a good quality bottle of alcohol. Taiwanese culture has a sign of politeness by refusing a gift the first time offered and it is ok to offer the gift again, but not force it. Some of the things that should not be given as gifts are: Scissors, knives or cutting utensils because they represent to sever the relationship. Clock, handkerchiefs or straw sandals because they are associated with funerals and death. White flowers or chrysanthemums because they signify death. Never wrap gifts in white, blue, or black paper. Never wrap gifts in red, pink or yellow because they are considered auspicious colors. The number four is considered a bad luck number so never give anything in groups of four. On the other hand; the number eight is a lucky number so giving groups of eights is giving good luck to the recipient. Avoid giving anything made in Taiwan. Presents should be given using both hands, and gifts are not open when received. So make sure that when giving a gift you take in consideration the gift giving etiquette, so you can make a successful gift and the right impression. LANGUAGE OF BUSINESS (COMMUNICATION STYLES) It is very important that people who want to make business in Taiwan speak Mandarin Chinese, so negotiation is more fluent. It is important to speak the official language of Taiwan because the levels of English of multinational and major MNC’s based in the country are low. The use of translators is employ but it slows down a process that it’s already slow. INTERACTION STYLES NEGOTIATION ISSUES Taiwan is a collective society so they believe in having very strong business relationships before making a negotiation. They spend a great amount of time trying to know the company before considering any type of negotiation. When foreigners want to make negotiations in Taiwan they get frustrated because of the process being too slow. Managers have an authoritarian point of view and expect to be obeyed by their subordinates 100%. Their decisions are accepted without being question and in rare cases subordinates have something to say. They expect to be asked first before any actions are taken in their absence, therefore very little initiative in taken in the lower side of the chain. Any decisions taken when the manager is not there they are considered suspicious. VIEW OF WOMEN EXECUTIVES Taiwan is a male-dominated society and women play a small part in business. Women in the business field usually have the lowest levels in the organization even if they a high qualified. Equality is progressing very slowly and it may take years before equality is reached. Even though males are considered the decision makers foreign business women will be treated with great respect and courtesy.