Equal Opportunities for Women’s Career

Ladies frequently experience male ruled obstructions when they try to ascend to the highest point of association positions. Regardless of the moves that have been made for equivalent open door work, people that start in a similar activity regularly are not paid similarly, and don't progress at a similar rate. In a male commanded business world, the ladies are viewed as more vulnerable, less keen, detached, delicate, with an absence of duty to their profession frequently as a result of family commitments. Chiefs frequently structure unions with those that will in general have a similar foundation and way of life as themselves, since ladies are viewed as various they can't bond with those upper level supervisors and regularly get neglected when new administration positions are open. (Maume p. 483) The unreasonable impediment is the absence of portability for ladies in professions, because of biases against women†s capacity to proceed just as men. Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1991, known as the Glass Ceiling act, built up the discriminatory constraint commission to study and make proposals about taking out the hindrances and to make chances to propel ladies and minorities. In the event that men hold the higher positions, picking who is generally reasonable for advancement almost certainly, ladies will stay in the minority with power positions. Ladies frequently move into male occupations either in light of the fact that economic situations power workers to venture down into the work line to enlist ladies or on the grounds that men rethink and afterward empty employments. (Maume p. 483) Traditionally ladies are offer less open door for preparing than guys, in the event that ladies are not getting equivalent training for an organization, at that point it can't just be sexual orientation that may later reason terrible showing in a higher administration position. Preparing is regularly costly, since organizations overall feel that ladies are progressively worried about family needs they offer it to those they accept will remain the longest and in their (male) personalities be generally mindful, the men. Studies show that following 12 years 56% of white men will be sitting tight for advancements with 44% previously progressed, while 85% of white ladies and 93% of dark ladies will stay hanging tight for an advancement. Maume p483) Some men regularly feel that the unreasonable impediment does basically not exist and that women†s over the sum total of what execution has been causing the partition in dispersion of intensity. One case of this view is an article that was imprinted in Men†s Health magazine, despite the fact that this isn't academic it gave understanding to the publicity that is kept alive by men to other men. The article was named â€Å"The Glass Ceiling has been shattered† and proceeded to depict that ladies were essentially mediocre in the executives positions. The essayist Jeffrey Csatari accepts that men didn't manufacture the discriminatory limitation. It was worked by women†s terrible showing, he located an investigation in the University of Minnesota that discovered female administrators will in general recruit hesitant and self destroying representatives with no corporate potential, instead of male partners who recruited self decisive and skillful representatives. (Csatari p. 43) This article was distributed in a national men†s magazine, with no notice about the preparation level of the administrators considered, it might be factors in the preparation they were given or occupation experiece instead of sexual orientation that caused the distinctions in representative decision. Men made the investigation standard, which made the test one-sided since men were composing the guidelines of which worker would be effective and which would fizzle, maybe ladies don't just settle on choices on what is said yet are intently mindful to non-verbal communication also. The financial analyst Solomon Polachek holds a theory that every occupation has a pace of decay that activity abilities devalue with absence of utilization. Income power decreases at decay, in this manner if ladies intend to take part inconsistantly in the work advertise they would best profit by occupations with low decay rates like instructing and administration work. Duncan p. 479) These employments are frequently delegated women†s occupations, which have a generally lower beginning compensation than male occupations. In the event that the view that Mr. Polachek holds were all inclusive than it would make headway for ladies practically incomprehensible in the event that they wanted to have families and take off work for any timeframe. Contrasts in male and female inclinations in occupations do exist in any case and can represent a portion of the imbalance in the business world. The Hawthorne Studies of the 1930†³s and studies since have demonstrated that ladies pick places that are increasingly important, with positive social relations rather than guys that pick professions on premise of pay potential. (Tolbert p168) The conventional perspectives on ladies as the supporting accomplice and the man as the essential worker have become hindrances for ladies that might want to progress. Employment integration doesn't yet exist wide spread be that as it may, there has been word related integration. Ladies have been going into generally male employments in expanding numbers. At the point when a vocation gets a dominant part of female tenants the occupation will in general become a female â€Å"ghetto† with the guys proceeding onward to more lucrative situations inside that field. (Britain p17) The legislature has passed laws yet ladies all in all need to endeavor to break the observations men hold of their capacities. The twofold obligations of ladies at work alongside their life nightfall, with family unit obligations alongside childcare ought to be instances of the quality of women†s capacities not as only a shortcoming. The elective that men might want to propagate is that ladies ought to be increasingly similar to men. Ladies are reacting to the test of the work environment, some are moving to the more significant levels, yet through much affliction. The decision of numerous ladies is to begin their own organizations, for example, Mary Kay makeup, and Avon that is female ruled. The capacities of an individual to succeed are not established in their sexual orientation yet in the individual objectives and information. Ladies are normally being kept from the more significant level situations by men that consider just different guys their companions, and ladies as second rate. In the event that ladies need to endeavor to be increasingly similar to men to progress in business, does this imply they are to quit delivering kids and renounce the family that guys are qualified for so as to accomplish the equity that they merit. Ideally, ladies will have the option to accomplish both profession and family without yielding one for the other, or be viewed as powerless. The capacity to be a mother is an indication of devotion, responsibility, and quality not shortcoming, as guys accept.

Business Event Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Event Management - Assignment Example The lawful commitments in arranging a vocation occasion essentially comprise of getting the consent from the Institute and authoritatively welcoming the organizations to the occasion. Typically, a division from inside a college, school or a school sorts out such occasions. They need the authorization from the school specialists. Second, the scene should be reserved, which has its legitimate prerequisites. Thus, the backers that the administration promptly looks for need to qualify the lawful necessities for supporting such an occasion. The supporters ought not be advancing an unlawful item or administrations. The Operations Team liaised intimately with The Legal Department in regards to licenses, protections, and agreements required for the occasion. This office additionally worked intimately with different divisions to guarantee they meet all guidelines required by the LSBF. Additionally they gave data in regards to minor legitimate issues experienced and guaranteed they give the la wful office and correspondence and lawful documentation that is essential to this occasion. The activities office is the primary body of the entire occasion. It is tied in with making courses of action, the planning, assets, coordinations, feel, oversight, enrollment of participants and on the spot coordination between the colleagues, so the entire occasion continues as arranged and the members gain however much from it as could be expected. This area of the business occasion is about advancement. The promoting isn't just to draw in the potential workers yet in addition the organizations and foundations that will impart their market information. Likewise, showcasing adventures out into planning flyers, banners, sites and internet based life pages. Advertising is additionally a vital component in promoting. Individuals love to go to courses and occupation fairs that have extraordinary open speakers sharing their insight. This part is the life saver of the entire occasion. Financing the occasion requires

When Your Grandchild Lives With a Drug Abuser

When Your Grandchild Lives With a Drug Abuser Addiction Print Helping Grandchildren That Live With a Drug Abuser By Susan Adcox Susan is the author of the book Stories From My Grandparent: An Heirloom Journal for Your Grandchild. She is a freelance writer whose grandparenting expertise has appeared in numerous publications. Learn about our editorial policy Susan Adcox Updated on February 02, 2020 Patrick LaRoque | Getty Images More in Addiction Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery When a parent of a grandchild misuses drugs or alcohol, grandparents are put in a terrible position. Of course, a grandparents first instinct is to try to fix things, but substance abuse can be an intractable problem. Often, grandparents must settle for doing everything possible for their grandchildren, but even that course of action has risks. Does Drug Abuse Constitute Child Abuse? Grandparents who love their grandchildren think that they deserve parents who do not misuse drugs or alcohol, and this is true. All children deserve parents who are fully there for them. Parents are not perfect, though, and can struggle with a variety of issues. Unless a child is being injured or neglected, a parents substance use disorder is unlikely to qualify as child abuse. This is especially likely to be true when there is another parent in the family who ensures that children get appropriate care or  when a parents drug misuse does not occur when he or she is in charge of the children.   That said, studies do show that a parent with a substance use disorder is three times more likely to physically or sexually abuse their child than a parent who does not misuse drugs.?? Basic Steps for Grandparents Some steps that grandparents can take are obvious ones. They can make sure that the grandchildren know that they have people in their lives who they can talk to about what theyre going through. Ensure that they know there are people who love them and will see that they are taken care of. They can nurture their relationship with their grandchildren so that if they ever have to take over their care, the children wont feel that they are being turned over to strangers. They can create opportunities for the grandchildren to be with extended family, to get to know aunts, uncles, and cousins. Those family members also often step in during family crises. What Not to Do Pointing out a parents faults is seldom productive. Even children who know that a parent has a substance abuse problem want to believe the best about their parent. Hearing a grandparent verbally attack a parent is likely to cause problems in the grandparent-grandchild relationship. In addition, parents can be quick to cut off grandparents who are perceived as working against them. The most essential thing that grandparents must do is to preserve contact with their grandchildren.   Sometimes grandparents struggle with staying quiet, feeling that they must take a stand when parents engage in unwise and destructive behavior. Doing otherwise feels inauthentic and wrong.  Speaking up about someones drug or alcohol  habit seldom changes anything, however. If only it were that easy! And staying quiet does not constitute an endorsement of their behavior. If grandchildren bring up the topic, however, grandparents may take advantage of the opening to discuss the dangers of substance abuse in a way that is age-appropriate. It is still best, however, to refrain from placing blame.   Effects of Substance Abuse on Everyday Life Parental substance abuse can have a wide-ranging impact on families. Often, there are economic consequences, as the parent can have difficulty holding a job or may miss work. Sometimes children are given basic care but dont get help with homework, health routines, grooming, or other non-essential but important items.??   In the case of economic struggles, grandparents are  put in a no-win situation. If they readily step in with economic aid, they may be enabling a parents habit by making it possible for them to spend even more money on alcohol or drugs. The usual money mistakes that grandparents sometimes make with adult children can have a greater impact when substance abuse is in the picture. Generally speaking, it may be best if grandparents bail out the parents only when not doing so will have a direct and detrimental impact on the grandchildren. Boundaries Matter Even when parents struggle with substance use disorders, they often still see themselves as loving parents and want to fill the parental role. Thus, it is important for grandparents not to overstep boundaries. A grandparent who is afraid that there is no money for school clothes, for example, can offer to take the grandchildren shopping and can even include the parent in the excursion. This is a far better solution than just buying clothes for the children without asking the parents or allowing them to have input. Emotional Impact Children whose parents abuse drugs or alcohol may suffer a variety of emotional effects. These include:?? Ambivalence: Children typically love their parents, even when they may dislike the way alcohol or drugs make them behave.Confusion: Children of substance abusers never know what to expect, because they never know when a parent is going to be under the influence.Lack of trust: Because alcoholics and substance abusers often promise and fail to deliver, children sometimes grow up feeling that they cant trust anyone.Guilt: Substance abusers often blame their behavior on  other family members. Its only natural for children to wonder if they are at fault, even when they are not named.Shame:  Since its natural to identify with family members, children may take the shame of addiction on themselves.  Worry: Once children reach a certain age, they realize that substance abuse has consequences, including accidents and run-ins with the law. They may worry that their parent will  be incarcerated or die. They may also know that abusers sometimes lose their parental rights, and they may worry about losing their family. Statistics also show that children of substance abusers have an increased risk of developing a substance use disorder themselves due to genetic and environmental factors.?? Still, the presence of loving grandparents can be a positive force working against the repetition of the cycle. Psycho-Social Effects Substance abuse in a family also affects a childs psychological and social functioning.?? Children feel at fault or feel that they must try to fix things. When children react in this way, they often feel a lot of pressure. They may feel that they must be perfect in every way. Grandparents can help by taking any opportunity to point out that the situation is not their fault and that they do not have the power to fix it. They can encourage their grandchildren to do their best but let them know that its also okay to mess up occasionally. At other times, children under-perform or act out. This is a more difficult syndrome for grandparents to handle. They can try to stave off academic difficulties. There are many ways that grandparents can support their grandchildren in school. A truly  troubled child, however, will need counseling or therapy. Grandparents can sometimes get parents to agree to such measures if they refrain from tying the childs behavior to a  parents substance abuse. Children whose parents misuse alcohol or drugs are often reluctant to bring friends home. This reluctance can impact their social development. Grandparents can help by sometimes including their grandchildrens friends in outings and visits. This is a practice that needs to be developed early on, however. If grandparents dont include friends when their grandchildren are young, its unlikely to work when they try to include the friends of tween or teen grandchildren. Yes, many grandparents would prefer to have their grandchildren all to themselves rather than sharing time with their friends. Still, what is best for the grandchildren should be the controlling factor. In Case of Abuse or Neglect Although substance abuse on the part of a parent doesnt automatically qualify as child abuse, abuse can occur when a parent is under the influence. Children can also experience neglect, usually defined as a failure to provide food, clothing, shelter, or medical care. Neglect can also occur when parents fail to protect children from risk.?? Grandparents who know that grandchildren are being abused or neglected are legally and morally bound to report the situation, even if it is the grandparents own child who is at fault. Sometimes, however, grandparents are unsure whether a situation really qualifies as abuse or neglect. Every state has an abuse hotline, and those who man the phone lines can often offer clarification. Sometimes reports can also be made online. Although reports can be made anonymously, it is best when callers provide their names and contact information so that they can be asked for further information or verification. Ones identity can be kept confidential. In the case that children must be removed from the home, most grandparents will want to be contacted so that they can be involved in care decisions. In fact, a 2008 act ensures that grandparents have that right.??  Many grandparents in this situation end up raising grandchildren, either as official foster parents or in a more informal custodial placement. Of course, grandparents who report abuse run the risk of being cut off from grandchildren, especially if the agency decides that the children are not at risk. Even if a report is anonymous or confidential, parents may correctly deduce the identity of the reporter. Also, parents sometimes simply withdraw from contact with any outside parties. They may even move to avoid contact with protective services. Still, if grandchildren are truly at risk, grandparents have no choice. Grandparents and Self-Care When grandchildren are in a bad situation, grandparents suffer, too. When grandchildren live with someone who misuses drugs, grandparents may feel that it is their fault. If the person is their own child, they may feel responsible in some way. If the person misusing drugs is the spouse, they may feel that they should have opposed the relationship. The truth is that individuals are responsible for their own decisions. Second-guessing every decision that one made as a parent is unproductive and will only cause additional problems. One of the best strategies for grandparents dealing with a family member who misuses drugs is to live the best life they can. By caring for themselves physically and emotionally, grandparents will  offer  their grandchildren positive role models. They will convey that life is full of possibilities. They will be physically and emotionally able to offer their grandchildren a safe place when it is sorely needed.

The Fight for Equal Education The Book Persepolis by...

The Fight for Equal Education Although there are some rights that are undeniable to humans, it is not always the case that they are made available. This is especially prominent for the rights of women, who since the domestication of plants and animals have been sent to the bottom of society, and used to carry out the purpose of men. One way in which men have taken the power away from women is by taking away their education, and in turn their ability to develop independently and to be. functional parts of society. In her book Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi described the struggle of growing up as a young girl in Iran, as well as the support given to her by her parents. They encouraged her to pursue education so that she was able to develop her†¦show more content†¦Encouragement can only get one so far, and without the ability to attend the same colleges men do, Fuller was still left at a disadvantage. It is for these reasons that Fuller pursued the equal rights of women. She experienced firsthand the benefits of education, as well as her inability to further her education in the same way as men. Marjane Satrapi sacrificed many things for education, and her parents made sure she had access to it, no matter what the cost. As a girl in Iran Satrapi faced many disadvantages even beyond a lack of education which was prevalent because of the many restrictions on their clothing, the hijab they were forced to wear, and that they were unable to wear makeup (Satrapi 3-341). These restrictions attempted to control women in every aspect by denying them certain rights and regulating their actions, and because the restrictions are not imposed on men as well, they lead to an inequality that is unfavorable for women. In order to overcome these restrictions, Satrapis’ parents sent her to school in Vienna where she could pursue an education without the restrictions imposed upon her in Iran (Satrapi 145-153). There Satrapi could learn without the distraction of the restrictions she faced in Iran. It also allowed her to freely study and receive the most beneficial education possible for her. Upon her return to Iran, andShow MoreRelatedPersepolis Social Class Essay1428 Words   |  6 Pagesthere were various intolerances in society based on gender, education, political opinion, and economical status and this has been practiced in several ways; however, there is Marjane Satrapi, a girl from a wealthy family who had become the living witness of these inequalities during the Iranian Revolution, who later wrote a book entitled Persepolis. In her book, she comments that these types of inequities should be improved. Marjane Satrapi let us know that In Iran, women and men were treated differentlyRead MoreThe Islamic Revolution And The Iranian Revolution Essay1379 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the Islamic Revolution in the Iranian country, education was essential to the people. 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Based on the Complete Persepolis, in 1979Read MoreThe Iranian Revolution And The Islamic Revolution Essay1330 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the Islamic Revolution in the Iran, education was essential to the people. Sha wanted the Western education because he believed that it was best for Iranian people. Most of the women were involved in the demonstration of wearing the veil has some western education. The Islamic revolution wanted things to go back on the Islamic culture. Based on the complete Persepolis, in 1979, a revolution took place, and later called â€Å"The Islamic Revolution†. This is the period they were forcing people toRead MoreThe Feminist Movement By Marjane Satrapi2711 Words   |  11 PagesSince ancient times, women have not been considered equals to men in society. The farther back in time, the more suppressed women are depicted. The 1900’s, conversely, has sparked a worldwide effort by women to fight for more freedoms equality, known as the feminist movement. The feminist movement follows the feminist theory, which provides an outline of the inequalities and oppressions women face. Women’s roles in the workplace, home and in society have vastly changed since this feminist push.Read MorePersepolis Was Set In Iran, During The Islamic Revolution1928 Words   |  8 PagesPersepolis was set in Iran, during the Islamic Revolution in the 1979. A reason why this graphic novel was created was so the narrator could talk about her experience on how it was to live in a community that constantly tried oppressing people. Islamic Revolution not only brought pain and sadne ss in a community but it ruined the personality of the citizens. 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However the discovery of oilRead MoreLiterary Criticism : The Free Encyclopedia 7351 Words   |  30 Pages Bildungsroman From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search In literary criticism, a Bildungsroman (German pronunciation: [ˈbÉ ªldÊŠÅ‹s.Ê oËÅ'maË n]; German: novel of formation, education, culture),[a] novel of formation, novel of education,[2] or coming-of-age story (though it may also be known as a subset of the coming-of-age story) is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood (coming of age),[3]

I Am My Best Teacher - 774 Words

Over the past school year, I’ve started developing my own idea of what it means to be a teacher, and how I can be the best teacher to the students who walk into my classroom at the beginning of each semester. As a new teacher, who isn’t much older than some of her students, being able to relate to them on a personal level becomes an important part of my pedagogy. Throughout my academic career the professors I connected with the most were those that didn’t take themselves so seriously. They were open with students, and obviously cared deeply about their work. Those professors’ classes became the courses I worked the hardest in, and inevitably became my favorite classes. It is their pedagogy that I strive to emulate and make my own. For me to connect with my students, it is important that I am as open with them as I can be, while still retaining the teacher persona. I believe that being honest with them promotes a trusting relationship where they feel comfortable talking to me about the issues they are having in regards to the classroom. I let them know that it’s okay to be frustrated with a paper that research can be hard, that everyone gets overwhelmed; I’ve been there too, and am still going through it. I give them tips that work for me, and tips that have worked for other people. My students come into my office knowing I’m there to help them with whatever they need, and sometimes it’s just an ear to listen while they vent their frustrations, and helping them workShow MoreRelatedA Good Teacher Needs Multiple Things999 Words   |  4 PagesA good teacher needs multiple things to be successful. Among some of the most important traits are patience, perseverance and the ability to ada pt in any situation. Without these things, a teacher could find themselves up a creek without a paddle. Patience is essential to the modern teacher. With all of the potential distractions that children face in an age where an escape from reality is at their fingertips, teachers must be patient in order to get their desired results from a class. With allRead MoreA Worthy Leader689 Words   |  3 Pages Leaders are people that challenge a person to be the best they can be. A leader is a person that uses encouragement to bring out the best in a person, and will pull someone through a difficult phase in life. A leader is someone that takes a person’s weakness and makes it a strength. I met four such people this year. It is my opinion that these four people are very worthy leaders. It is often said that the best leaders need no recognition. These four people though worthy of a medal, at the end ofRead MoreMy Personal Philosophy Of Education976 Words   |  4 PagesMy philosophy of education is for every student to reach his or her full potential. This is by inspiring all students and helping them realize how much they can achieve. 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Staff Development and Performance Appraisal in a Brazilian Research Centre Free Essays

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www. emeraldinsight. com/1460-1060. We will write a custom essay sample on Staff Development and Performance Appraisal in a Brazilian Research Centre or any similar topic only for you Order Now htm Staff development and performance appraisal in a Brazilian research centre Cristina Lourenco Ubeda and Fernando Cesar Almada Santos ? Staff development and appraisal 109 ? ? University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil Abstract Purpose – The aim of this paper is to analyse the staff development and performance appraisal in a Brazilian research centre. Design/methodology/approach – The key issues of this case study are: the main organisational changes which have taken place over the last decades; the aspects of the organisational structure that have either contributed to or hindered competence-based management; the development of necessary researchers’ competences related to main projects and processes and the way of appraising the development of their competences. The analysis of this paper was carried out considering the following phases: strategic planning, speci? cations of projects and processes, competence-based management and performance appraisal of researchers. Findings – Although integration was found between the performance measurement and strategic plans de? ned by the research centre, competence-based management is still centred on individuals and based on their tasks. The link between researchers’ competences and their social context is not considered. Originality/value – Feedback from the results of research projects and recycling of organisational processes would allow the studied organisation not only to identify the individual competences necessary for each activity, but also to improve the relationship between professional growth and innovation brought about by competitive strategies of companies. Keywords Competences, Innovation, Human resource management, Performance appraisal, Research organizations, Brazil Paper type Case study Introduction Current competitive markets are highly in? uenced by the markets being globalised, technological innovation and stiff competition. Competence-based management appears in this scenario as an approach to human resource management which provides interaction between human resource systems and a company’s strategy (Santos, 2000; Schuler and Jackson, 1995; Meshoulam and Baird, 1987). Technological changes require companies to develop human competences as an important factor to achieve success and have competitive advantage (Drejer and Riis, 1999). The main objective of developing competences is to enable people to assimilate the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for their jobs (Sandberg, 2000). Strategic human resource management has attempted to link its practices to innovation strategies of companies which deal with changing, unpredictable and demanding markets (Hagan, 1996; Huselid et al. , 1997; Mills et al. , 1998; Jayaram et al. , 1999; Drejer, 2000a; Ray et al. , 2004). Human resource management consists of systems such as selection, staff’s performance appraisal, career management, compensation and motivation practices. European Journal of Innovation Management Vol. 10 No. 1, 2007 pp. 109-125 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 1460-1060 DOI 10. 1108/14601060710720573 EJIM 10,1 110 All these systems may favour or hinder the development of competences which are necessary for a company’s strategy (Sandberg, 2000). The systems in human resources may help a company to increase its competitiveness by implementing competence-based management. Models for competence-based management have been widely used in order to align individual abilities with core competences of a company. A structure of competences is basically understood as a link between people’s development and a company’s strategy. Competence-based management uses a structure of competences to align its strategic objectives with its key processes in human resource management (Le Deist and Winterton, 2005). The aim of this paper is to analyse a Brazilian research centre by reinforcing the main challenges of implementing competence-based management in this centre which deals with innovation. Its mission is to develop solutions for sustainable development of Brazilian agribusinesses by creating, adapting and transferring knowledge and technology to bene? t society (Ubeda, 2003, p. 50). This research is relevant because: . it highlights the production and transfer of technology as a distinct factor in terms of innovation which allows companies to achieve a leading position in international markets (Fleury and Fleury, 2004); and . the development of competences which is directly linked to market demands is analysed (Mans? ld, 2004; Schroeder et al. , 2002; Hagan, 1996; Drejer, 2000a; Drejer and Riis, 1999). As a consequence, this analysis is based on a theoretical proposal concerning the development of individual competences which reinforces performance appraisal as a tool to identify and monitor staff’s competences, as well as taking into account a company’s core competence and external demands. The paper is based on three relevant topics: (1) Working competi tively involves placing high value on people, considering their experiences, ideas and preferences. Their participation in organisations is necessary because employees and managers have to discuss a company’s objectives together. (2) Encouraging employees’ participation means creating opportunities to offer people a collective perspective concerning the signi? cance of their professional practice and a way of being part of the future. (3) It is fundamental to consider not only the staff’s speci? c quali? cations needed for the positions in the organisational structure, but also their knowledge, experiences, skills and results for future innovations. Individual competences which are identi? d by performance appraisal in all the hierarchical levels of an organisation are important aspects concerning the success of a company’s competitive strategy. Once the company is aware of the individual competences needed for each process, it can identify new ways of developing its human resources by changing the focus of its human resource systems. An integrated model for human resource management with a business-oriented strategy uses individual competences as a reference for the systems in human resource management, such as selection, training and development, compensation and career management. Taking this into account, Dutra (2001, p. 27) says that: . . . organisations and people, side by side, create a continuous process of competence exchange. A company transfers its assets to the people, enriching and preparing them to face new professional and personal situations, inside or outside of the organisation. Its staff, in turn, while developing their individual abilities, transfer their learning to the organisation, providing it conditions to cope with new challenges. Competence-based management Competence-based management has a direct effect on the future performance of its human resources (employees, managers and directors). It also considers attitudes, values, personal characteristics and relationships in teams which are necessary for innovation and not only the knowledge and skills required for completing their jobs (Conde, 2001). Therefore, competence-based management is a strategic practice which aims at increasing the global performance of a corporation by increasing the individual performance of its employees (Hagan, 1996). It is necessary to identify factors which produce differences between individuals according to the results of their jobs and experiences (Moore et al. , 2002; Drejer, 2000b). For this reason, every company which strives for competitiveness in its market recognises that competence-based management and performance appraisal are strategic functions, as this has brought about innovation by recycling companies’ processes and individuals’ activities (Bitencourt, 2004; Drejer and Riis, 1999; Houtzagers, 1999; Baker et al. , 1997). Competence-based management creates opportunities for effective strategic human resource management. However, without performance appraisals, both for individuals and teams, a company can neither monitor its own development nor the progress of its staff’s performance. As a consequence, it cannot develop or manage its individual competences (Ritter et al. , 2002; Robotham and Jubb, 1996). Therefore, the main objectives of competence-based management are: . to guide managerial decisions related to providing employees with the resources necessary for them to carry out their work satisfactorily, as well as to meet their training needs; . to plan staff’s activities and identify the work conditions that in? uence their performance; . to guide the company’s human resource policies and guidelines; and . to reward, promote and even punish, warn or ? e employees. Development of individual competences When considering social interaction between people and objectives, competitive strategy makes use of a formal structure to exchange information and human resource management that provides guidelines for selection, job design and evaluation, performance appraisal and rewards (Devanna et al. , 1984). A competitive strategy formulation must be based on the strongest competences of a company. Constant progress of competences creates opportunities for systematic Staff development and appraisal 111 EJIM 10,1 112 re? ement and reformulation of competitive strategy and, by doing so, new ways can be identi? ed to develop competences (Fleury and Fleury, 2004). Developing individual competences is cyclical. According to environmental demands, companies de? ne their competitive strategy and core competences in order to channel their energy into their speci? c characteristics and, consequently, to adopt human resource systems that support the identi? cation and management of their individual competences. In this paper, development of individual competences is considered as a way of supplying information to other systems and processes. First of all, the company must: . establish what the strategy and organisational competences are; . de? ne the speci? cations of products and processes; . study the perspectives of necessary individual competences for each speci? c process; and . plan and carry out performance appraisal (Figure 1). When competence-based management is integrated into a company’s strategy, one can observe the relationship between identifying personal competences and main human resource systems: selection, training and development, compensation and career management. Companies which integrate competence-based management into strategic planning become able to make use of some tools, such as a balanced scorecard in order to measure the organisational performance in four balanced perspectives: ? nance, customers, internal processes and staff’s learning and growth. Kaplan and Norton (1997) highlight the importance of creating a strategic feedback system to test, validate and modify the hypotheses which are incorporated into strategic business units. When cause and effect relations are incorporated into the balanced scorecard, they allow executives to establish short term goals which re? ct their best expectations in de? ciencies and impacts and consequently affect performance measurements. From the feedback obtained by performance appraisal, supervisors and employees can identify what the necessary skills and knowledge are for activities to be developed, and what type of training is necessary to improve project management. Competence and human performance Individual competence associates explicit knowledge, personal skills and experiences with individuals’ results and judgement of organisational values which are obtained in ? their social context (Hipolito, 2001, p. 1; Fleury and Fleury, 2000; Zari? an, 2001; Sveiby, 1998). It considers the production and handing in of results which are linked to employees’ mobilisation, that is to say, it incorporates the value added by them to business, as shown in Figure 2. Ubeda (2003) emphasises that competence involves the individuals working closely in a team by doing practical activities, as well as their daily routine which results in a constant â€Å"know how to learn†. The individuals must be apt to take the initiative and assume responsibilities to cope with professional situations which they come across. This responsibility is undoubtedly the counterpart of decentralising decision making. Individuals will not give orders anymore, but they will individually assume the Staff development and appraisal INNOVATION 113 STRATEGY F F Mission Objectives E E E CORE COMPETENCES D B D SPECIFICATIONS OF PRODUCT AND PROCESSES A C E B A INDIVIDUAL COMPETENCES K C K PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL Figure 1. The competence development process Source: Ubeda (2003, p. 50) responsibility for evaluating a situation, the required initiative and the effects that will inevitably arise from this situation. Therefore, a person or a team (when accepting responsibilities) accepts to be judged and be appraised for the achieved results in terms of performance for which they are responsible. They commit themselves to producing and handing in results of their activities. Thus, it is not possible to consider competence without presenting the logic behind human performance, as performance appraisal guides the development of individual competences according to business needs (Moore et al. , 2002; Lawler, 1995). The use of competences means rethinking the procedures of staff’s appraisal because: . . each individual becomes aware of which result must be reached and how it can be achieved. The competences form the basis of the language used to de? ne the expected behaviour which enables performance and improvement to be carried out (Conde, 2001, p. 80). EJIM 10,1 114 INDIVIDUAL COMPETENCE SKILL Know how to do something PRODUCTION AND DELIVERY Results ATTITUDE Intend to do something POTENTIAL Knowledge Figure 2. The individual competence concept Source: Hipolito (2001, p. 81) According to Dutra (2001, p. 33), one of the most dif? ult issues concerning people management is to de? ne and appraise performance in terms of the results to be handed in by a determined person, company or business. Performance appraisal makes it possible to identify three individual aspects that interact between themselves: development, effort and behaviour (Figure 3): Each aspect must be dealt with in a different way, concerning not only the way to appraise, but also the actions which follow the appraisal. In general, companies mix these three aspects and emphasise effort and behaviour. At the current moment, staff’s professional growth is the most important aspect of performance and it is worthy of special attention (Dutra, 2001, p. 35). Dejours (1997, p. 54) highlights performance appraisal as evaluating a job that can take place in two ways: evaluating usefulness and social relationships. Evaluating the technical, social or economic usefulness of the individual is linked to the workplace and the person who does it is generally in a hierarchical position (boss, manager or organiser) to appraise the usefulness. Evaluating social relationships is related to the alignment of the job and production with standards which have been socially established by peers in the same hierarchical level which enables the individual to belong to a collective group. This evaluation is related to the job and its activities. What is appraised and evaluated is the job and not the individual. From the perspective of the human factor theory proposed by Dejours (1997, p. 55), this is an essential point because an individual’s contribution to the job effectiveness makes recognition and compensation possible. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL BEHAVIOUR DEVELOPMENT EFFORT Figure 3. The three aspects of performance appraisal Source: Dutra (2001, p. 35) Recent studies point out models of performance appraisal based on behaviour and attitudes, but not only the ones focused on the analysis of functional features of each job (Moore et al. , 2002). They reinforce the increasing in? uence of technology, functional requisites and organisational learning in terms of developing competences (Drejer and Riis, 1999). According to Zari? an (2001, p. 121), nobody can compel individuals to be competent. A company can only create favourable conditions for their development. Thus, motivation becomes a key element in terms of developing competences. It is necessary for the employees to feel useful and be able to assume responsibilities. The individuals will be more motivated as they consider that the practice of their competences also contributes to the development of their projects and perspectives. Performance appraisal as an instrument to identify employees’ competences Competence-based management is supported by organisational competences that directly in? ence an individual’s competences, which are necessary for carrying out tasks and processes and, then are considered in performance appraisals. Consequently, the feedback concerning the data from these appraisals enables the whole organisation to recycle strategies and competences. Many authors highlight the dif? culty of measuring the impact of developing competences regarding a company’s performance (Mans? e ld, 2004; Moore et al. , 2002; Ritter et al. , 2002; Drejer, 2000a; Sandberg, 2000; Hagan, 1996). This situation is worsened if the individual metrics of each work process are thought to be measured. Becker et al. (2001) emphasise that performance appraisal systems are incoherent in terms of what is measured and what is important. When implementing a company’s strategy, human resource managers have to be able to understand exactly how people contribute to a company’s results by being valuable and how to measure this contribution. This situation only takes place if these managers really participate in the development of a company’s strategy. These authors state that satisfactory performance appraisal produces two types of results: 1) it improves the decision-making processes of the sector responsible for human resource management by focusing its activities on the aspects of the organisation that contribute to the development of a company’s strategy; and (2) it provides a better allocation of resources, de? ning direct relations between human resource investments and strategic assets of a company. Developing competences in a research centre Aiming at eva luating competence-based management in practice, a case study in a research centre located in Brazil was carried out. This organisation is a unit of a Federal public research corporation which consists of 37 research centres, three national service centres and 11 central unit of? ces and is present in almost all the States of the Brazilian Federation. This corporation has invested in training and quali? cations of its staff since it was founded. In 2003, there were a total number of 8,619 employees. Out of 2,221 researchers who work in this corporation, 45 per cent have a master’s degree and 53 per cent a PhD. Staff development and appraisal 115 EJIM 10,1 16 The studied research centre is responsible for developing new technology which can facilitate the life of producers and agricultural workers in the country. The organisation was chosen because it has implemented a performance appraisal system which aligns the development of its products and processes with human resource management. Methodology An empirical study was undertaken from February to November, 2003 using the following data colle ction instruments: interviews with opportunities for participants’ comments and analysis of documents. Seven professionals from this research centre were interviewed: four employees of the human resource area, the associate head of the research centre and two researchers. The participative observation of the researchers, the interviewees’ comments and the documental analysis provided a personal and close contact with the organisation identifying institutional materials, norms, routines and programs developed by the professionals. The key questions of this case study focus on: . the main organisational changes which have taken place over the last decades; . he aspects of the organisational structure that have either contributed to or hindered competence-based management; . the development of necessary researchers’ competences related to main projects and processes; and . the way of appraising the development of researchers’ competences. The case study The studied research corporation experienced some organisational changes over time that had clearly de? ned its bus iness-oriented strategy. There is a real concern about integrating this strategy with human resource management, however, the performance appraisal system shows an irregular historical background. The investigated corporation was founded in the 1970s, a period of outstanding economic growth in Brazil. Moreover, the Brazilian government supported the training of experts in research in public organs and in the agricultural sector (Ubeda, 2003). At that time, the corporation did not experience either ? nancial or human resource problems because the objective of the Federal government was to form a vanguard institution in its ? eld. The research guidelines of research were de? ned by the corporation’s headquarters and then followed by the research centres. The corporation’s concern about integrating strategies with human resource management increased from the 1990s onwards, as well as plans to implement a structured performance appraisal system (Table I). The research centres were regionally located according to product lines and were set up to solve local problems. These units followed and carried out nationwide policies, as well as guidelines de? ned by the corporation’s headquarters. At this moment, there was no concern about performance appraisal. From 1988 onwards, due to the current Federal Constitution being approved, public institutions became more concerned about the strategic management of the appraisal of processes and results, not only of the organisation but also of the individuals. Period Institution’s organisational scenario 1970s Development and consolidation of the studied corporation Employment and development of human resources Availability of ? nancial resources for project development Modernisation of management Application of strategic planning Focus on results Analysis of global scenarios Rede? nition of the research centre’s mission and vision Formulation of a global policy for the organisation consisting of research policy, businesses’ policy, and business communication policy Focus on the customers Organisational re-structuring of processes and projects 1988-1992 1994-1998 1999-2003 Source: Ubeda (2003, p. 69) Aiming to follow these changes of organisational and technological paradigms, the studied organisation started to adopt strategic planning principles in its institutional culture and drew up its ? st corporate plan for 1988-1992. In 1991, the corporation initiated a process of organisational change, using strategic planning techniques, focusing on their operations and processes in the market, guiding research projects towards solving social problems, and not only exclusively towards the progress of pure science, attempting to ? nd an increase in ef? ciency and effectiveness to continue being competitive and to guaran tee its sustainability (Nader et al. , 1998). From 1994 onwards, a new system to appraise individual job performance was created and integrated with both strategic planning and the institutional management system of the whole corporation, as well as with the operational plan of each research centre. To remain competitive and to guarantee sustainability, the corporation adopted a process of organisational change based on a management model drawn on results and customers’ requirements, as well as having been supported by the balanced scorecard methodology (Kaplan and Norton, 1997). From 1997 to 1999, the institution started implementing a new strategic management model in order to provide guidelines which really showed what was de? ned by the corporation. Therefore, the entire organisation’s staff would work in favour of the de? ned goals (Sentanin, 2003). Within its job structure, the institution manages its human resources by linking the achievement of the proposed goals of its annual operational plan to negotiating the proposed activities for each employee in the performance appraisal system. The performance appraisal system, besides being an instrument to recognise achieved results, is also used to identify human competences, which are important for research, and is a basis for selection, training and compensation practices in research centres. Concerned about meeting the needs of its customers, the corporation de? nes its strategic objectives and conveys them to its research centres that incorporate them into the annual operational plan. These units establish important processes to ful? the proposed goals in the performance appraisal systems of researchers, and consequently, researchers develop new practices and technology (Figure 4). Staff development and appraisal 117 Table I. Organisational scenario of the studied corporation EJIM 10,1 118 Corporate Strategic Plan Plan of Each Unit Annual Operational Plan Figure 4. Performance strategic management process in the organisation studied Performance Measurement Strategic Planning F E E D B A C K Strategic Management Model Based on Processes Performance Appraisal Source: Ubeda (2003, p. 82) In each research centre, there is an internal technical committee which co-ordinates research regarding themes and developed projects. This committee analyses pre-proposals and proposals of projects and processes of its unit with technical, operational and ? nancial criteria. Thus, each new project undergoes evaluation and approval of the committee. Once a project is approved, it can be developed, and after it is concluded, it is evaluated once again to re? ect on the results, assuring both the commitment of its staff and the quality of its technical projects and processes. The units’ type of structure is ad hocratic, according to Mintzberg’s (1983) terminology, because it consists of teams which develop the approved projects, as well as them being concerned with innovation and always centred on the development of new products and processes. The head of research of each unit co-ordinates and appraises the performance of the projects which are carried out. The structure of this centre is the re? ection of its strategies, since it attempts to create an integration of specialties using its project teams with the aim of competitiveness and customer satisfaction. As for the job structure, there are two functional careers: research and support for research. Data analysis, results and implication of this research Research on competence-based management was focused on performance appraisal because it is an important instrument to identify human competences based on the innovation strategy of the studied centre. In this performance appraisal system there is explicit planning of the following activities: . what the results of the jobs are expected to be; . ow the product should be presented and what the standard of performance is expected to be; . . when the deadline for the product to be presented is; and feedback of the results of the jobs. However, since 1994 when it was implemented, the performance appraisal system has undergone modi? cations to improve its methodology, attempting to make its participants aware of the need for periodic dialogue and monitoring the activities, as well as for the impartial and speci? c appraisal of the activities planned in relation to the availability of means to carry out these activities. The planning of employees’ activities must be made according to the goals of its unit, area or sector, and to the projects under the responsibility of the studied research centre (Ubeda, 2003, p. 82). Performance appraisal must consider the employee’s individual competences and the results of the job which were de? ned in strategic planning. Competence-based management aims at guiding managerial decisions, the processes of professional development, as well as planning the human resource systems. An analysis of the development of competences in the Brazilian research centre was carried out by comparing the main theoretical issues of the literature with practices of the organisation which was studied (Figure 5). Firstly, the strategic objectives (item 1 of Figure 5) of the studied organisation were formulated according to the corporation and unit’s missions and the corporation’s objectives. A synthesis of the theoretical issues concerning organisational competences (item 2 of Figure 5) is presented as follows: . eveloping organisational competences is based on the internal abilities of companies (Wernerfelt, 1984); . these competences consist of skills, abilities and technology which enable a company to meet the speci? c needs of its customers, that is to say, to achieve a competitive advantage superior to competitors (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994); Staff development and appraisal 119 FORMULATION OF STRATEGY (1) Objectives are defined according to the corporation and unit’s missions and the corporation’s objectives PRACTICES OF THE STUDIED ORGANISATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCES (3) ISSUES OF LITERATURE ON ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETENCES (2) ISSUES OF LITERATURE ON INDIVIDUAL COMPETENCES (4) ISSUES OF LITERATURE ON PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL (6) F E E D B A C K PRACTICES OF INDIVIDUAL COMPETENCES OF THE STUDIED ORGANISATION (5) ITEMS OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL IN THE STUDIED ORGANISATION (7) Core of this analysis: researchers Focus of the performance appraisal: researchers’university degree qualifications Figure 5. Analysis of the development of competences in the research centre EJIM 10,1 . . 120 they require an understanding of competitive advantage mechanisms which may be used over time. When competitive strategies are being developed, companies have to make the best use of their speci? c features (Grant, 1991); and a competence can be de? ned by considering four elements and their relationships: technology, people, organisational structure and organisational context (Drejer and Riis, 1999). The main features of organisational competences practised in the researched company (item 3 of Figure 5) were: . focus on the internal ability of research in agriculture and breeding; . support for competitive agribusinesses development in the global economy; . ncouraging the development of agribusinesses with the sustainability of economical activities and environmental balance; . diminishing environmental imbalanced aspects of agribusinesses; and . supplying raw materials and food which encourage the population’s health, improving the nutritional level and quality of life. Individual competence issues in the literature (item 4 of Figure 5) may be summarised as follows: . individual competence links explicit knowledge, skills and experiences of individuals to the results and judgements of value built within their social ? etwork (Hipolito, 2001; Fleury and Fleury, 2000; Zari? an, 2001; Sveiby, 1998); . individual competence can be explained altogether by the skills (to know how to do something), attitudes (to intend to do something), knowledge (to understand why to do something and search for solutions) and results (to produce and come ? up with the solution) (Hipolito, 2001); and . in order to develop complex competences, complex systems involve not only many people in different areas of the organisation, but also interlocking technology. It is very dif? cult to understand and imitate them because they are very dependent on people and technology (Drejer and Riis, 1999). To develop individual competences in the research centre (item 5 of Figure 5), the following initiatives were carried out: . stimulating and rewarding creativity; . seeking effectiveness, developing actions with a focus on the achievement of results and solutions with compatible and competitive costs; . planning the company for the future by strategically positioning its resources and abilities; . eing committed to honesty and ethical posture by placing high value on human beings and dealing with all groups of society with respect; . attempting to meet the particularities of customers’ demands by following the principles of total quality; . stimulating leadership when creating, adapting and transferring knowledge, products, services and technology; . . . . encouraging partnerships with other organisations and individuals; developing partnerships in terms of science and technology in agribusinesses; striving for scienti? c rigour, using scienti? methods in research, caring about the exactness and precision of procedures in all the phases of the process, and not tolerating bias in results; and supporting teams which deal with problems in a systemic way in order to attain the ? nal objectives of their jobs. With regards to the issues presented in the literature on performance appraisal (item 6 of Figure 5): . the three main aspects of performance appraisal are people’s development, effort and behaviour (Dutra, 2001); . models for performance appraisal are based on behaviour and attitudes, and not only on the speci? functional analysis of each job (Moore et al. , 2002); and . technology, functional requisites and organisational learning in? uence the development of competences (Drejer and Riis, 1999). However, the main items of performance appraisal in the studied organisation (item 7 of Figure 5) are limited to: . rese archers’ ability of monitoring the projects being carried out; . researchers’ scienti? c publications, such as articles, proceedings of congresses and scienti? c journals, books and chapters of books; . production and transfer of technology; and . publicising the research centre’s image. Although there is integration between performance appraisal and strategic plans de? ned by the research centre, competence-based management is still centred on the individuals, and it is also based on their tasks and not on the individuals linked to their social context, as previously pointed out by Moore et al. (2002), Zari? an (2001), Drejer and Riis (1999) and Dejours (1997). The previous fact is also a result of the dif? culty in measuring innovation and the degree of the development of a research project. Until the moment the research project does not achieve the proposed objective, it is dif? ult to quantify how much this research has progressed over time. All the risks are assumed and the decisions are centralised by researchers who coordinate the project teams. These facts took place because of the studied organisation which did not manage to deal with complex competences in a decentralised way. Although this research centre is a reference in Brazil, the competence notion of this institution recognises only the scope of skills (to know how to do it) and knowledge (information and experiences), not considering the scope of the attitudes (to intend to do it). The organisation only recognises competences based on a university degree quali? cation, and does not include the initiative and the responsibilities necessary to cope with complex situations. It does not centre the development of individual competences either on speci? c projects or on integration and team work. Staff development and appraisal 121 EJIM 10,1 122 Project management and performance appraisal are centred on the main researchers’ skills and knowledge, minimising the importance of the competences of the other members of the research project team. However, it is important to mention that the quantitative criteria of performance appraisal do not only re? ect the concern about customers’ satisfaction, but also guide the distribution of resources and the human resource policies of the studied institution. Performance appraisal does not consider either the team aspect or the concept of feedback structured by 360 degrees appraisal in which all the staff appraise and are appraised by their superiors, subordinates and colleagues (Borman, 1997). Employees are appraised by their superiors in the studied centre. The results of the performance appraisal system contribute to strategic planning, however, the organisation and superiors are not appraised by the employees. In addition, an investigation into the organisational atmosphere was not made. There is not a channel for the feedback of performance appraisals which could result in both the development of researchers’ competences and the innovation process of this centre. The processes in which technology is transferred and research is carried out are not de? ned according to the guidelines and parameters of this research centre, but they are de? ed by the corporation. Regarding cultural aspects, there is a great resistance and incredulity of the performance appraisal systems and the development of competences, despite the employees being already familiar with the appraisal systems of the research projects. Considering this incredulity, the appraisers do not take the role of planning and monitoring individual jobs. â€Å"There is alwa ys something more important and more urgent to do than ‘to sit down with somebody to plan actions related to the individuals’ job and his/her respective performance† (Nader et al. 1998, p. 17). In Table II some theoretical references are compared with the investigated institution’s practice. This is an approach combining the presence of the aspects of: competence (skills, attitudes, knowledge, production and handing in), Competence-based management elements in the studied organisation Table II. Elements of competence-based management in the organisation studied Performance appraisal integrated with strategic planning Performance appraisal integrated with human resource systems Development of skills Development of knowledge Development of attitudes Consideration of the social context of project teams Development of competences according to production and delivery Performance appraisal based on results Use of balanced scorecard to establish and rede? ne goals Participation of all members of a research project team in the performance appraisal through 360 degrees performance appraisal Concern about employees and researchers’ professional growth considering all the elements of competence Feedback of appraisals in terms of attitudes, opportunities of professional growth and social context to develop new strategies Source: Adapted from Ubeda (2003, p. 95) Present Absent X X X X X X X X X X X X the performance appraisal model, and the strategic integration of processes with human resource management. Conclusions When dealing with current competitive markets and needs for technological innovation, as well as stiff competition for new market niches, competence-based management is really a strategic practice adopted by companies to attain competitive advantage in order to serve the customers quickly and ef? iently. As a consequence, the alignment of human resource management practices and business strategies is of fundamental importance to company’s competitiveness, and it emphasises people as a distinct resource for success. Thus, competence and human performance help the development of projects and internal processes. Competence-based management is carried out bas ed on identifying individual competences, using performance appraisal of results from an individual’s job. It is based not only on the competitive strategy and the organisational structure, but also on processes and projects of a company. It is also a reference for managers’ decisions concerning the selection, training and compensation policies of a company’s staff. To implement a consistent performance appraisal system which is capable of appraising the competences of each employee, it is necessary to check which knowledge, skills and attitudes should be developed in order to improve the internal processes of the organisation, without remaining focused only on jobs and tasks. In this case, the research centre is basically just concerned with its operational plans whose main reference is striving for productivity. However, it was observed in practice that the development of individual competences does not link the performance appraisal system to the collective and social approach of competence-based management, and it also does not include the scope of attitudes in order to integrate strategic planning, its monitoring, performance appraisal, the feedback of results of a research project and the improvement of processes. It is exactly this feedback, if well managed, that makes a difference, not only when identifying individual competences necessary for each activity, but also in the possibility of sharing professional growth concurrently with innovation and competitive strategy of companies. Feedback linked to the organisation’s strategy could increase the integration between all its organisational units and levels possible. New research to obtain greater understanding of the relationship between competence-based management and performance appraisal is necessary because the existing literature does not speci? ally examine the development of individual competences. The main contribution of this paper is to present not only the dif? culty of managing human competences, but also a vision of the process of developing competences in a research centre by analysing its particularities and limitations. References Baker, J. C. , Mapes, J. , New, C. C. and Szwejczewski, N. (1997), â€Å"A hierarchical model of business competence†, Integrated Manufacturing Systems, Vol. 8 No. 5, pp. 265-72. ? ? Becker, B. E. , Huselid, M. A. and Ulrich, D. (2001), Gestao estrategica de pessoas com scorecard: ? nterligando pessoas, estrategia e performance, Campus, Rio de janeiro. ? ? Bitencourt, C. C. 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Corresponding author Cristina Lourenco Ubeda can be contacted at: crisubeda@yahoo. com. br ? To purchase reprints of this article please e-mail: reprints@emeraldinsight. com Or visit our web site fo r further details: www. emeraldinsight. com/reprints Staff development and appraisal 125 How to cite Staff Development and Performance Appraisal in a Brazilian Research Centre, Essays

Technology Revolution Essays - Digital Media, Broadband,

Technology Revolution The technology revolution is upon us. In recent years there have been many triumphs in technology. Now more than ever, people are able to communicate over thousands of miles with the greatest of ease. Wireless communication is much to thank for the ease of communication. What used to take weeks threw mail, now takes seconds over the Internet. But just like any revolution there are social consequences, especially when the revolution takes place around the globe. Since the world does not evolve at the same pace, lesser developed countries as well as minorities in developed countries have not even come close to reaping the benefits of a world connected at the touch of a button. The social argument is that as this revolution proceeds, the gap between the haves and have-nots will widen to the point of ill repute. Others argue that because of technological advances the world is a much better place. This seems to be the debate at hand. The problem domestically is that providing high-speed Internet services to rural communities is difficult. Tom Daschle, a senator from Senator from South Dakota highlighted the digital divide between those who have access to high-speed Internet services and those who live in undeserved areas where such capabilities may not be readily available. The reason that this so critical to Senator Daschle is because those without access to high-speed Internet services could be cut off from affordable information on education and healthcare. The major issue domestically is the distance problem. Rural areas are so far from the more technologically advanced urban areas that getting high-speed phone connections to these rural areas is difficult. To help remedy this problem many phone companies are trying to enter the long-distance market. By doing this, it will enable telephone companies to make greater investments in rural areas at a lower more affordable cost. Another option to connect this dist ant areas is the exploiting of wireless technology. Wireless technology can be a way around the distance problem posed by offering these rural communities Internet access over traditional landlines. John Stanton of western Wireless says, Economically, wireless is a better way of providing universal service. There is also another problem with Internet access on the domestic front. This problem is that of race. According to a new Federal survey, African-Americans and Hispanics are less than half as likely as whites to explore the Internet from home, work or school. This study also reinforces the fear that minority groups are increasingly at a disadvantage in competing for entry-level jobs because most of these jobs now require a knowledge of computers and comfort in navigating the Internet. Donna L. Hoffman, a professor at Vanderbilt University says, The big question is why African-Americans are not adopting this technology, its not just price, because they are buying cable and satellite systems in large numbers. So we have to look deeper to cultural and social factors. I think there is still a question of Whats in it for me? Most division in computer use correlates to income levels and education. Sixty-one percent of whites and 54 percent of blacks in households earning more than $75,000 used the internet regularly, but the figures drop to 17 percent of whites and 8 percent of blacks when families are earning $15,000 to $35,000. It has become obvious that race and socio-economic standing has something to do with the involvement in this technological revolution. Internationally is where the largest problems lie. In many corners of the world, there are dozens of developing countries where widespread access to the Internet remains a distant possibility. While some of the worlds most remote places have the internet, there are still no connections in Iraq, North Korea and a handful of African countries. In many of the developing countries with internet access, the access is basically concentrated in the largest cities and is prohibitively expensive when set against an individuals income. In order to shorten the gap of technology between developed and lesser-developed countries, especially in the realm of the internet, there is an annual conference called INET. The purpose of this conference is to educate those who are not as technologically advanced and sending participants home with additional technical and administrative