New Approaches Of Human Resource Management Business Essay

New Approaches Of Human Resource Management Business Essay Human resource Management is the backbone of organisations growth in this changing business world. Organisations are having are a large budget and a separate development for HRM due to the internationalisation and globalisation phenomen. The importance of HR in the UK has increased during the past years, which has led organisations to review their policy on handling human resource which in some case is the core competence of the organisation. The term HRM and HR have largely replaced the term personnel management in managing people in the organization. Historical development of HRM. HRM has developed over time from mere administrative role to modern role of strategic development. Strategic HRM has gained both credibility and popularity over the past decade, employee are considered as part of the overall strategy Personnel Management Human Resource Mgt. Nature of relations Focus individualistic Contractual basis Focus unitarist -vision and mission -Employees as partners in the org. Relation of power and Mgt. Centralized Top management full authority Decentralized -Power shared between top, middle and lower mgt. -TQM approach -Bottom up approach Leadership and Mgt Role Transactional Task oriented focus on procedures punishment for non compliance Transformational people oriented -focus on shared vision. Corporate culture and vision, trust and flexibility. Pay policies and Job design Based on skills and knowledge -ability to perform the job as per contract -Division of labor no value added -Job design functional based Designed to encourage continuous job performance and improvement -linked to value added -Job design teamwork and cyclical based. -Job Rotation Tesco which operates in a fiercely competitive sector has been successful by using a human resource led business strategy. Although the analysis above show more coordination between employees and employers, the fact is the working environment is more competitive for both parties. On one hand theres organisation like Tesco who is investing a huge budget for the HRM whereby the cost will be recovered through there sales that is being paid by the general public. On the otherhand employees which are with less job security dont have much choice other than to show there commitment and as well having transferable skills with the changing employment market. Human resource practitioner. HR people are the strategic database of organizations. Source (www.bized.co.uk) HR Practitioners acts as the bridge of communication flow between Mangement and employees. Sometimes heavily involved in the operational role, handling grievances and discipline while new demands are made from them. It is quite difficult to measure the effectiveness of the HR as it is so complex. The HR Practitioners should be able to: Add Value demonstrate their impact on the business Recruitment and retention Aware of labor market, recruitment source and key talent retention. Succession planning- Clear workforce development plan Turnover, change to business (technological or legal) Motivation and Engagement Demonstrate that people make a difference (Employee motivation and engagement). Employer of choice To engage the best talent and keep these people engaged. Source ( Mr Vedula Notes ) Line managers in HR practices. Line managers are responsible for group of employee normally in the lower layers of management hierarchy and these employee do not themselves have any managerial or supervisory responsibility. Line Managers Responsibility People management Managing operational costs Providing technical expertise Work allocation and Rota Monitoring and checking quality Dealing with customers/clients Measuring operational performance -performance appraisal Line managers Role In organization like Tesco they a play a vital role in terms of implementing and enacting HR policies and practices. The checkout line managers would be in better position to convince their staff for any overtime or bank holiday shift. As employees feels more positive about the relationship with their line managers. So they are more likely to have higher levels of job satisfaction, commitment and loyalty associated with better performance and discretionary behaviors. Line managers also help in structuring people actual experience of doing a job. They play a crucial role in acting upon the advice or guidance from HR ( Implentation of new legislation selling alcohol to under ages customers). Line managers control the work flow by directing and guiding the work of others. They also have to report to HR about any changes about the number of employees they need or any leavers to fill the gap for. So they always have to work in collaboration with HR. A well managed line managers are more likely to go on to lead high performing teams, therefore the support of senior management and action on the continuous development of line managers are critical. Recruitment and Selection. Recruitment is the process of Attracting, viewing and selecting competent people for a job at an organization. Source (www.1000ventures.com) HR planning and stages involved in the process. Human Resource Planning is the process of analyzing an organizations likely future needs for people in terms of numbers, skills and locations. They uses the right recruitment and training techniques to satisfy these needs. It ensures the firm has right number of people, in the right place, with the right skills at the right time. Tesco need for recruitment arises when there is new outlet opening in the UK and international expansion. There is also leavers , resigners or those who retires to be replaced. Any change in strategy, process and technology might rise to the need of more staff. In Tesco the latest one was the introduction of IT sales assistant in the shop and the self service checkout. Tesco uses a workforce planning table to establish the likely demand for new staff which are quarterly reviewed. Tesco can adjust staffing levels and Recruit accordingly to meet its strategic objectives, for example, to open new stores and maintain customer service standards. A Job description sets out Job title Job holders responsibility To whom the job holder is responsible Asimple description of roles and responsibilities. A Person specification sets out the skills, characteristics and attributes that a person needs to do a particular job. These two tools combine to make the basis for job advertisement. They help job applicants and post-holders to know what is expected of them. They should: Information to attract suitable people Checking device to select applicants with the right skills for interview Targets and standards for job performance. Process for recruitment in two organizations. Tesco internal recruitment The process looks at its internal Talent Plan, internal mgt development programme and options which lists current employees looking for a move, either at the same level or on promotion. In case none of them match their requirement Tesco advertises the post internally on its intranet for two weeks. Tesco external recruitment Tesco advertises vacancies via their website or through vacancy boards in stores. Applications are made online for managerial positions. The chosen applicants have an interview followed by attendance at an assessment centre for the final stage of the selection process. People interested in store-based jobs with Tesco can approach stores with their CV or register though Jobcentre Plus. The store prepares awaiting list of people applying in this way and calls them in as jobs become available. . Tesco will seek the most cost-effective way of attracting the right applicants. It is expensive to advertise on television and radio, and in some magazines, but sometimes this is necessary to ensure the right type of people get to learn about the vacancies. IKEA Recruitment Process Ikea developed global recruitment process, offering higher quality at lower cost by using modern technology. Ikea arrange open days for its future workers where they can chat with existing employees. Ikea recruitment strategy focuses on variety and ethics rather than pervious experience which has keep their turnover very low. Innergy (Agency) helps Ikea managing their recruitment process. BrassRing had been chosen by Ikea as its Global e recruitment platform and was implemented by ARINSO International. The recruitment process was highly manual and non consistent before. This project would allow Ikea to restructure its recruitment processes. Interview technique and selection methods. Interview technique is designed to predict future job performance on the basis of applicants oral responses to oral inquiries. Advantages Highlight communication skills , verbal and social skills Can assess knowledge Compatibility between the applicant and the employees Applicant asked question might help for selection decision .( Pay , Perk or Future studies) Flexible to gather more info. Disadvantages subjective evaluations are made decisions made on the first impression interviewers form stereotypes concerning the characteristics required for success on the job not as reliable as test Interviewers may be biased to candidate they like Interviewers may use multiple, leading ,embarrassing and provocative questions Interviewers may talk more than listening Interview technique has low reliability and low viability. Selection methods Psychometric Testing- good record and liability. Ability Test Focus on mental abilities and physical testing Inventories Self report questionnaires interests, aptitudes and preferences E-assessment Testing anytime and anywhere Loss of control over administration of test Assessment centers Provide fuller picture combining a range of technique Selection practices and procedures in two organisations. Selection involves choosing the most suitable people from those that apply for a vacancy, whilst keeping to employment laws and regulations. Screening candidates is vital within the selection process ens8uring the best candidate fit the gap. Line managers for the job often take part in the interview to make sure that the candidate fits the job requirements. Tesco selection external management stages IKEA recruits people based on fact they will be suitable on the culture. As stated above the selection process is mostly carried out by agency but within IKEA there are development methods which include training, coaching and performance management. As such creating a source of internal recruitment as Tesco has, but the process of external recruitment is carried out by the agencies mostly Procedures for monitoring and rewarding the employee. Employers have always monitored their staff in one way or another because they have always needed to be able to check the quality and quantity of their employees work. Helping to identify the need for training, refresher courses or appraisal. Job evaluation and factors determining pay.. A method of determining on a systematic basis the relative importance of a number of different jobs used when: Determining pay and grading structures Ensuring a fair and equal pay system Ranking. Jobs are compared to each other based on the overall worth of the job to the organization. Advantages Simple. Very effective for few jobs Disadvantages Difficult to administer -jobs increases. Rank judgments are subjective. Process to be repeated for each new job to be filled. Classification Jobs are classified into an existing grade/category structure or hierarchy Advantages Simple. The grade/category structure exists independent of the jobs. Classification easier than the Ranking Method. Disadvantages Classification judgments are subjective. The standard used for comparison biases Some jobs may appear to fit within more than one grade/category Factor Comparison A set of compensable factors are identified as determining the worth of jobs: Skill Responsibilities Effort Working Conditions Advantages The value of job- monetary terms. Applied to a wide range of jobs. Applied to newly created jobs. Disadvantages Judgments are subjective. The standard used for determining the pay for each factor may have build in biases The point method Each factor is then divided into levels or degrees which are then assigned points. The points for each factor are summed to form a total point score for the job. Jobs are then grouped by total point score and assigned to wage/salary grades Advantages The value of job monetary terms. Applied to a wide range of jobs. Applied to newly created jobs. Disadvantages Judgments are subjective. The standard used for determining the pay for each factor may have built-in biases Reward system. Rewards can be categorized in the above matrix. As well as competitive salaries at all levels, in every area of the business, Tesco also offer a whole package of other ways to help you make more of your money, safeguard your future and look after your health. Motivational theory and reward. National Business Awards, the company just chosen as Employer of the Year was Tesco. In their citation the judges said that Tesco was voted Employer of the Year because its solutions were seen to be more holistic, Tesco have invested  £12m this year alone in training schemes Tescos Employee Reward Program has some similarity to Taylors theory. Its financial reward packages are a motivating factor. At Tesco the Mayo theory is seen to be operating throughout the company. Communication is an extremely important factor in motivating employees. In 1959 Frederick Herzberg developed the Two-Factor theory of motivation Abraham Maslow argued that humans are motivated by five essential needs Tesco promote new and more open lines of communication between managers and staff Directors and senior managers spend a week on the shop floor listening to ideas and suggestions from customers and staff; A talent spotting scheme to fast-track shop-floor workers up the promotional ladder A better understanding of individual employee circumstances. The result of all these initiatives is that Tesco is continuing to show record sales growth and profits .Employees highly trained are demonstrating commitment to the organisation and feels valued within the overall strategy. This if felt by customer with a higher level of service which gives organisation added value and prestige. Organizations approaches to monitoring performance. Tescos purpose is to serve its customers. Tescos organizational structure has the customer at the top. Tesco needs people with the right skills at each level of this structure. There are six work levels within the organization. Each level requires particular skills and behaviors. Work level 1 frontline jobs ability to work accurately and with enthusiasm and to interact well with others. Work level 2 Team leaders the ability to manage resources, to set targets, to manage and motivate others. Work level 3 running an operating unit management skills, including planning, target setting and reporting. Work level 4 supporting operating units and recommending strategic change. Business knowledge, analytical skills and to make decisions, and the ability to lead others. Work level 5 responsible for the performance of Tesco as a whole. ability to lead and direct others, and to make major decisions. Work level 6 creating the purpose, values and goals for Tesco plc. a good overview of retailing, and the ability to build a vision for the future and lead the whole organization. Rights and procedure on exit from an organisation. Evaluation of exit procedures and compare to best practice. When skills are relatively scarce, recruitment is costly and it takes several weeks to fill a gap the level of turnover is likely to be problematic for the org. The operation of an Exit Procedure is extremely important as it helps the company To identify and correct hidden organizational and management problems It enables the organisation to comply with its legal duty to monitor the reasons why people is leaving It helps to ensure the return of Company property It enables a proper handover of work and administrative matters to take place to examine the reasons why people are leaving to identify whether any improvements in employment practice could be made UW-EXTENSION ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY UW-EXTENSION EXIT POLICY AND PROCEDURES Resignation: If an employee decides to leave employment with Extension, the employee is responsible for providing adequate written notice The employee will receive written confirmation of the resignation from the hiring Exit Questionnaire: All separating employees shall complete an Exit Questionnaire,available from the supervisor or divisional personnel representative, and bring thecompleted questionnaire to the exit interview Exit Interviews: Prior to the last day worked, an exiting employee will have an exit interview. theemployee and supervisor are encouraged to discuss any matters of interest.Information collected during the Exit Interview Process shall be confidential and will notbe used in any way to reflect upon the exiting employee Exit interview data shall be compiled, summarized, and reported to the ExecutiveCommittee on a quarterly basis Other Out-Processing Procedures Matters to be reviewed or collected at this time are: Keys and key cards. Computer access authorization codes. Telephone cards or ID cards. Corporate credit cards. Forwarding address. Identification cards/badges. Return Employee Handbook. Arrange last paycheck and vacation pay.* Insurance conversion and benefits continuation rights.* Tesco exit procedures is not so complex as UW as the nature of the workforce they have is different. They have staffs on temporary contract, part timers and on flexible hours. They do conduct a view point every six months to monitor the workforce concern and appreciation and there is a clause of intended stay with Tesco. Their every little helps slogan is part of the ethos and culture in Tesco. In the SBUS exit interviews are commonly performed in person with the departing employee. More often talking with the departing employee to more completely explore and understand his or her views during the exit interview. Criteria for redundancy selection The selection criteria used by the employer must be carefully and exactly defined so that they can be fairly and consistently applied to each employee. The criteria must also be agreed by the employees representatives Redundancy selection criteria. It must be objective, non-discriminatory and applied consistently. A pool of employees, all or some of whom will eventually be made redundant. Selection criteria for redundancy may be: Skills, qualifications and aptitude these can help keep a balanced workforce. Standard of work performance with this method, you need to provide supporting objective evidence, for example from the business appraisal system. Adaptability it may be important for your business that employees accept different types of work as needs change. Attendance/disciplinary record you must apply this method consistently, and be sure your records are accurate and that you understand the reasons for absences. Length of service -last in, first out, The following criteria are considered unfair and can give rise to claims under Unfair Dismissal or the relevant discrimination laws: trade union reasons carrying out duties relating to redundancy, as an elected representative of the employees maternity grounds sex, race or disability grounds Conclusion. Tesco has been very successful over the past years by a fully intergrated HR department and as such demonstrated a model implementation of HR. The big picture of Tesco strategy is discussed with all employees thus clarifying their role and importance in the organization. The HR department in Tesco is proactive which has allowed the organization to focus on Human resource with such practices with training issues. They perform their task with the Tesco Steering Wheel Strategy and practicing a total quality approach throughout the organization.

If there is a long drawn-out war with Iraq (or any other :: Economics

If there is a long drawn-out war with Iraq (or any other country), what implications might this have for Britain's fiscal deficit? Also trace out the possible effects, if any, on: a) Monetary Policy, b) Inflation and c) Unemployment. The economic policy followed by a country engaged in war is ,certainly, different of that followed by a country when in peace. Britain now finds itself a few steps away from war with Iraq and the questions concerning the implications of this ,unnecessary for many, war are not little. Firstly, before we analyze the effects of war with Iraq on fiscal policy and deficit of the UK we must briefly outline the role of fiscal policy and what is a fiscal deficit. Fiscal policy is a so-called demand management policy and is defined as the manipulation of government expenditures and/or of taxes in order to influence aggregate demand and thus economic activity and employment. In the case of Britain, there is a fiscal deficit. A rise in government expenditures and/or a decrease in taxes (i.e. an increase of injections over withdrawals) leads to an even greater (through the multiplier) rise in national income and thus of employment. Deficit spending could lead to an expansion of economic activity; this policy is known as expansionary (or, reflationary) fiscal policy. It can be said, with great certainty, that Britain's fiscal deficit will increase largely during the war. Being an OECD[1] member country and a country with similar economic performance from time to time, Britain can be considered largely an economy with many common aspects to the U.S. economy in many aspects. The U.S. economy had three major peaks in deficits and all of them reflect wars: the Civil War of the 1860s, WWI and WWII. So one can expect that a long drawn-out war with Iraq will mean that the British economy will run on deficit for a long time. This should not suggest that deficits will occur after the war as well, though. U.S. economy has recovered and reduced the stock of debt after these wars. There are also political factors that need to be considered in the case of Britain. Because of the high public unrest and anti-war movement that occurred in Britain before the war the government might feel obliged to prove to the people that war against Iraq was a wise thought. UK government would be able to provide that short-term feel-good factor by cutting taxes and possibly increased spending. If pressure on the government mounts, and it is already mounting very fast with numerous resignations and public protests, it is very likely that it would see more clearly the If there is a long drawn-out war with Iraq (or any other :: Economics If there is a long drawn-out war with Iraq (or any other country), what implications might this have for Britain's fiscal deficit? Also trace out the possible effects, if any, on: a) Monetary Policy, b) Inflation and c) Unemployment. The economic policy followed by a country engaged in war is ,certainly, different of that followed by a country when in peace. Britain now finds itself a few steps away from war with Iraq and the questions concerning the implications of this ,unnecessary for many, war are not little. Firstly, before we analyze the effects of war with Iraq on fiscal policy and deficit of the UK we must briefly outline the role of fiscal policy and what is a fiscal deficit. Fiscal policy is a so-called demand management policy and is defined as the manipulation of government expenditures and/or of taxes in order to influence aggregate demand and thus economic activity and employment. In the case of Britain, there is a fiscal deficit. A rise in government expenditures and/or a decrease in taxes (i.e. an increase of injections over withdrawals) leads to an even greater (through the multiplier) rise in national income and thus of employment. Deficit spending could lead to an expansion of economic activity; this policy is known as expansionary (or, reflationary) fiscal policy. It can be said, with great certainty, that Britain's fiscal deficit will increase largely during the war. Being an OECD[1] member country and a country with similar economic performance from time to time, Britain can be considered largely an economy with many common aspects to the U.S. economy in many aspects. The U.S. economy had three major peaks in deficits and all of them reflect wars: the Civil War of the 1860s, WWI and WWII. So one can expect that a long drawn-out war with Iraq will mean that the British economy will run on deficit for a long time. This should not suggest that deficits will occur after the war as well, though. U.S. economy has recovered and reduced the stock of debt after these wars. There are also political factors that need to be considered in the case of Britain. Because of the high public unrest and anti-war movement that occurred in Britain before the war the government might feel obliged to prove to the people that war against Iraq was a wise thought. UK government would be able to provide that short-term feel-good factor by cutting taxes and possibly increased spending. If pressure on the government mounts, and it is already mounting very fast with numerous resignations and public protests, it is very likely that it would see more clearly the

Cultural Issues of Human Resource Management

International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 45 Carrying Cultural Baggage: the contribution of socio-cultural anthropology to cross-cultural coaching Barbara St Claire-Ostwald, CINCRA International Coaching & Training Consultancy, UK Email Contact: [email  protected] com Abstract This study examines the cultural awareness of professionals working in organisations.Given the multicultural nature of today’s workforce, it is becoming increasingly important for companies and coaches alike to take into account how cross-cultural differences may affect daily working practices. The study draws on a review of current research into cultural dimensions and looks at the complex relationship between personality and culture – our ‘cultural baggage’. In order to explore the opinions and cultural awareness of participants, a questionnaire was developed.The purpose of the questionnaire was to identify themes and orientatio ns to cross-cultural issues in terms not only of communality but also of paradoxes. The results highlighted a high level of recognition of cultural dilemmas and a perceived need and willingness to address and reconcile them. However, the diversity of opinions about the potential benefits of specific methods of addressing cultural dilemmas suggested considerable uncertainly about dealing with cross cultural issues.Key Words: Cross-cultural, cultural baggage, cultural dimensions, coaching, mentoring, socio-cultural anthropology Introduction The aim of this paper is to report on the results of a study designed to explore the emerging discipline of cross-cultural coaching (Rosinski 2003) and to establish the levels of awareness about, and attitudes to cross-cultural issues; the patterns and/or relationships between awareness, attitudes and cultural dimensions among businesses and business consultants, coaches, mentors and coaching/mentoring organisations.I began this study from the pers pective that while there has been some research into mentoring and coaching, there appeared to be little that focussed specifically on cross-cultural influences. In my review of the available literature, it became increasingly clear that the integration of a cultural perspective into coaching was very much at the ‘pioneering’ stage. The main aims of this study were to try and establish levels of awareness bout, and attitudes to cross-cultural issues; and to study the patterns and/or relationships between awareness, attitudes and the cultural dimensions developed by Hofstede and Trompenaars and HampdenTurner among businesses and business consultants, and coaching organisations. Cross-cultural coaching addresses the way in which cultural differences affect the daily lives of people, and raises awareness of cultural differences and the effect they can have on the process of managing others and doing business in general.In today’s global economy organisations underst and that to sustain successful and resilient businesses and to keep their competitive edge, they must develop employees who understand their global business, and employ people with global skills. Rosinski (2003) and Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997) have developed pioneering work in cross-cultural competencies and coaching methods. At a fundamental level, their International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 46 work has been based on the works of socio-cultural anthropologists Hofstede (1980) and Schwartz (1994).Their contribution in overcoming cultural miscommunication, tension and conflict, including the perils of stereotyping and ‘mono-culturalism’, has helped to formulate and explore the hypothesis of this study. Cultural baggage: a by-product of cultural systems Socio-anthropological thinking is based on the premise that all humans are born with the same basic physical characteristics, but depending on where they g row up, each individual is exposed to different climates, foods, languages, religious beliefs etc.Therefore, ‘are we really self-made or did our parents, teachers, families and friends have a hand in it? ’ (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 1997, p. 54). Thus, one could argue that the socioanthropological perspective on culture takes a holistic view, describing culture as a pattern of learned and shared behaviours of people and/or groups consisting of belief systems and languages; and of social relationships be they personal, organisational, or institutional. (Hall, 1963; Hall and Hall, 1987; Hofstede, 1980; Kondo, 1990; Levi-Strauss, 1966; Schwartz, 1994).Therefore, at a fundamental level, it could be argued that culture is a representation of a complete way of life of a people who share the same attitudes, values and practices. Csikszentmihalyi (1997, p. 7) makes the distinction of ‘identity’ by using snowflakes as a metaphor: â€Å"They look identical as they fall, but taking a closer look, we soon discover that they are not identical†. Hence, he argues, rather than seeing identity as a single unitary self, perhaps cultural identity should be viewed as being multi-faceted, i. e. cknowledging that people have a number of selves or identities depending on context and setting. For example, the biggest barrier individuals and/or employees encounter is not necessarily that they come from different parts of the world, or that they speak a different language or even occupy a different physical space, it is the baggage they carry in their own cultural suitcases which needs to be explored. Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner maintain that what people expect depends on where they come from, and the meanings they give to what they have or are experiencing.They argue that â€Å"expectations occur on many different levels, from concrete, explicit level to implicit and subconscious ones† (1997, p. 21). Furthermore, they describe culture a s consisting of various layers: †¦The outer layers are the products and artefacts that symbolise the deeper, more basic values and assumptions about life. The different layers are not independent from one another, but are complementary [†¦]. The shared meanings that are the core of the culture are man-made; are incorporated into people within a culture yet transcend the people in culture. (1997, p. 7) Cross-cultural dilemmas Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner argue that â€Å"Every culture distinguishes itself from others by the specific solutions it chooses to certain problems which reveal themselves as dilemmas† (p. 8); to this end, they have incorporated best management theories into their own analysis of the task of managing across cultures. These theories were realized by using a participant questionnaire profiler, which was based on their Seven Dimensions of Culture model and by incorporating Trompenaars and Woolliams framework for managing change across cultures. Similarly, Rosinski points out the dangers of our assumptions and beliefs systems when working with coachees from varying origins and backgrounds. He argues that by providing a framework for integrating coaching and cultural perspectives, i. e. examining numerous International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 47 cultural orientations, styles and approaches to coaching, the development of a cross-cultural mindset will be facilitated.For example, he writes: Our identity could be viewed as this personal and dynamic synthesis of multiple cultures. Our behaviour will typically vary depending on the group we happen to be associated with [. †¦]. The fact that our behaviours depend in part on the particular cultural context further justifies the need for coaches to integrate the cultural perspective into their practice. In some cases the obstacle to someone’s progress may be cultural rather than psychological, thus calling for a di fferent coaching dialogue. p. 1) Furthermore, he maintains that cultural awareness is more than just realizing another culture is different from our own; it is also about learning to value that other culture. He argues that culture is behind our behaviour, and often without our realization. It can influence how close we stand, how loud we speak, how we deal with conflict and as a result, by failing to understand how culture impacts our needs and preferences, culture can often lead us to misinterpret behaviour.Methodology As the research was exploratory, I focussed the design on two main aspects: the initial review of literature which drew on a broad array of coaching and socio-anthropological theories and studies, and the less extensive, but nevertheless in-depth cross-cultural coaching work of Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997), and Rosinski (2003). In turn, this provided the basis for the primary research, which took the form of a questionnaire which was sent to a small expert survey sample to identify cross-cultural themes and patterns.To ensure that survey participants had some recognizable expertise on the subject under investigation, I adopted the model in (Fig. 1) below. On the one hand, I was attempting to quantify levels of awareness of cross-cultural issues, as well as to explore the accompanying opinions, beliefs and assumptions, and how they relate to the dimensions of culture. I was also trying to make sure that the survey respondents would have an interest in this particular area of study. Fig. Survey Sample and Questionnaire Model Corporate/Business Consultants Awareness Opinions Coaching Organisations The survey sample was not only limited in size, but also in terms of the geographical make-up of the participants, who were mostly from the U. K. with the rest from continental Europe. By International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 48 extension it would be difficult to generalise from the resul ts, however, this was not the intention of the study.While gender could also be a factor which might influence attitudes and responses, the exploratory nature of the study precluded it from being a controlled variable at this point, although this issue could form the basis for further research. The purpose of the initial questionnaire was to elicit the opinions of the survey participants in order to identify themes and orientations to cross-cultural issues, in terms of communality as well as potential paradoxes.It was also intended to see how these opinions and orientations fitted with responses to questions about the various cultural dimensions identified and developed by Hofstede and Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner. The questionnaire was therefore divided into two parts. The first section addressed the opinions about attitudes, values and behaviours pertaining to culture in general, cultural dilemmas and, to crosscultural coaching and training specifically.I also decided to use a n umber of similar questions to check for inconsistencies in responses, which might indicate either a paradox in terms of opinions, possibly a conflict between a ‘norm’ and a given individual’s personal view, or could reflect a lack of appreciation for, or indeed indifference to, a given issue. The second section of the questionnaire was constructed on the basis of Hofstede’s and Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner’s cultural dimensions, and sought to elicit culture-specific values, beliefs and assumptions which could influence cross-cultural interaction within a professional environment.Results, discussions and recommendations In analyzing the responses to the questionnaire, it was evident that there was a high level of recognition of the importance of cross-cultural issues, and the need to address and reconcile them. However it was very difficult to define or quantify levels of cultural awareness, which was to some extent unsurprising given the complexit y of the issues involved. But as I outlined in the methodology, a major objective was also to explore the quality of awareness and understanding of cultural dilemmas and dimensions.In this respect, the first section of the questionnaire (on attitudes to culture and potential cross-cultural training solutions) was very instructive in terms of perceptions about the relationship between culture and personality. In my opinion, the most notable contrast was that there was considerably greater agreement that culture shapes the personality and a lot more uncertainty about how the individual shapes culture. This impression was further reinforced by the general agreement that managers from different cultures do not necessarily find it easy to adapt their behaviour to fit the different needs of another culture.From a coaching perspective, it suggests some attention needs to be paid to how an individual perceives and relates to his/her culture. For example, there is a clear difference between seeing culture as providing a framework for social interaction, which is constantly evolving, and on the other hand perceiving culture as providing a set of social constraints. In either case, there may be some elements of our culture, which at an individual level are considered to be important in our everyday lives, while there are others which may be difficult to accept, which could be sources of tension with other members of our culture.Given that such perceptions may be operating partly at a subconscious level, this may not be easy to establish. But they appear to me to be a significant element in the process of gaining a better understanding of our cultural baggage, i. e. in how we synthesize the myriad of cultural groupings to which we are exposed on a daily basis. There was greater diversity of opinion about the benefits of specific cross-cultural training solutions, and when, where and how they might be applied.The initial conclusion that can be drawn is this shows that the process of integrating the cross-cultural domain into both business and coaching practice is still at an early stage of development. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 49 As far as improving the general awareness and understanding of the benefits of cross-cultural training, three sets of responses in the first section seem to me to define some of the issues that need to be addressed.Firstly the fact that half of the respondents believed that cultural issues within organisations are dealt with only if they relate to behavioural issues is indicative of a certain level of resistance to dealing with these issues, which may be due to an appreciation of the complexity of such issues. On the other hand, if cultural issues in some organisations are only addressed when there is a behavioural conflict, then this will tend to cast them in a negative light.Hence it does lead to the conclusion that some organisations are not sufficientl y aware that ignoring and playing down cultural differences, as well as evaluating them negatively, is a major contributor to miscommunication, misunderstanding and conflict. Secondly, while coaches largely agreed that business managers recognise that diversity training should now include cross-cultural training for employees sent on global assignments, the business organisation responses were much divided.This leads me to conclude that some businesses are either unaware, or possibly not persuaded of the benefits of this specific approach. Nevertheless this set of responses, and the fact that none of the respondents disagreed that incorporating the dilemmas deriving from the differences in cultural dimensions help organisations to integrate their cultural orientations suggests that the key area of uncertainty among businesses and coaches is the method and/or models of integrating cultural dilemmas.The point that this suggests to me is, that before any attempt is made to develop the skills necessary to negotiate the differences between cultures, a greater awareness of how we negotiate difference in our own culture is required. This is to say we need to be more consciously and self-critically aware of the assumptions that underlie our habitual responses and modes of interaction, in other words our cultural baggage. In principal this is already the main focus of traditional coaching and mentoring.But I believe considerably more research needs to be conducted into how these methods and skills can be developed to take account of and integrate cross-cultural issues and dilemmas. From national to cross-cultural perspectives Cross-cultural research has largely focused on national differences because it is much easier to establish a person’s nationality, than to identify him/her as belonging to another type of cultural grouping, be that regional, professional, political, economic or social.The most frequently cited reason is that a given individual will be a mem ber of numerous forms of socalled sub-cultures or higher level cultures (e. g. European), which in effect rules them out as unique independent variables. But I believe that without exercising some control for the effect of these ‘other’ cultural variables, it is difficult to be sure that attributing a given behaviour, belief, value or attitude expressed by an individual to national cultural influences is theoretically or empirically valid.For example, even at a national level, there has to be particular care to acknowledge the difference between ethnically diverse nations such as Canada or Malaysia; ethnically and/or religiously divided nations such as Belgium or the former Yugoslavia, or relatively homogeneous nations such as Japan or Korea, let alone very complex national cultures such as China or India. In essence, this does nothing more than acknowledge that socio-cultural anthropology is the study of the dilemmas and problems of differences and similarities not onl y between, but also within societies.In the specific context of this study, one of the most interesting aspects of the responses to the second section of the questionnaire on cultural dimensions was the differences in opinions both within and between coaches and business organisations. My original intention in including a section on cultural dimensions was to explore the relationship between these responses and those on the first section of the questionnaire. But the differences of opinions between the two sets of respondents on ‘universalism vs. particularism’ and ‘individualism vs. ommunitarianism’ (Fig. 6) suggested to me that I had to consider whether these opinions in some way reflected values that were influenced by the differing needs and requirements of the corporate and coaching environments. I cannot conclude whether this was the key influence International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 50 on thes e responses. However I do think this emphasizes that it is tenuous to assume that the responses to such value dimensions questionnaires can be ascribed largely to national culture.I also believe that the way that corporate and professional culture influences our habits and values requires a great deal more in-depth research. For example, it might be interesting to establish whether there are differences in the responses to a cultural dimensions questionnaire between professional groups, e. g. doctors, police officers, computer programmers, sports professionals, etc. , and how these compare to national differences. However, it also has to be acknowledged that the difficulty of drawing any definite conclusions about key influences is clearly a limitation to the use of questionnaires in general.This does suggest it would have been preferable to be able to expand and explore the data that was generated by the questionnaires via follow-up interviews. But, as discussed in the methodology, this would have required a lot more time and resources than were available to me in this study. Nevertheless analyzing the results in relation to the problem of ignoring and playing down the importance of cultural differences also suggested that the questionnaire design needed refinement.Specifically, I was unable to deduce or make any assumptions about what level of importance each respondent attached to each of the dimensions. A system of ranking the various value dimensions is not a new concept or methodology, in that it is very similar to the two ‘basic bipolar’ dimensions of ‘openness to change vs. conservation’ and ‘selfenhancement vs. self transcendence’ that are incorporated as higher dimensions in the Schwartz Value Inventory (Fig. 4).But more importantly I think that more research into developing a system of ranking the value dimensions would not only help to identify those value dimensions, which may be ignored, downplayed or even n egatively evaluated, but also provide a potentially very useful tool for integrating the cross-cultural dimension into traditional coaching and mentoring practices. Conclusion From this specific perspective, a focus on quantifying how national cultures differ along the various value dimensions that have been identified does run some risk of contributing to the formation of cultural stereotypes, which have little or no predictive value.This is why greater emphasis needs to be placed on understanding our own ‘cultural baggage’ from a coaching perspective, particularly on the dynamic processes of the way in which our own culture has, and is evolving. The building blocks of improving cultural awareness and developing cross-cultural skills therefore have much in common with the key skills associated with building rapport as a coach or mentor. For the coach or business organisation, it is therefore about understanding the processes involved with the different ways in which we negotiate social interaction, and the elements of the various models of culture.These range from the apparently simple distinction between the visible and invisible level of values (Fig. 1) to the complexity of Schwartz’s ‘Theoretical model of relations among motivational value types and two basic bipolar value dimensions’ (Fig. 4). It is about raising our awareness of what is subconscious and invisible up to a conscious and visible level; and from there we can develop the skills necessary to negotiate ways of interacting with others whose values, attitudes and habits, or indeed in contexts are unfamiliar to us.I believe that if this is to be achieved, coaching and cross-cultural research needs to transcend the limitations of a focus on national culture. It needs to acknowledge that cultural identity should be viewed as being multi-faceted, and that people have a number of selves or identities depending on context and setting. The work of Schwartz, Hofstede and Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner has provided very valuable insight into the cultural dimensions, which help to identify the way in which values differ between national cultures.However, they would also be the first to acknowledge that International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 51 national cultures are in a constant state of change, and this in turn dictates the need to evolve their questionnaires, re-analyze the accompanying databases of results, and amend and redefine their models accordingly. But perhaps the key aspect for further research is to develop methods that place a greater emphasis on the processes though which culture changes.In other words how human actions and practices change, and new meanings evolve in response to changes to social contexts. By this I mean for example: the impact of increased migration (whether voluntary, or in response to political or economic factors), or the proliferation of new forms of communicati on like the internet, not only on working environments, but on the myriad ways in which we organize our social lives. The point being that this should help to move research and practice from a focus on more abstract concepts such as values, to the ways in which culture is produced and negotiated.Consequently, as Rosinski (2003, p. xviii) said, ‘intercultural professionals will be better equipped to fulfil their commitment to extend people’s worldviews, bridge cultural gaps, and enable successful work across cultures’. References Clutterbuck, D. (1985), Everyone needs a Mentor, Fostering talent at work (3rd Ed), Trowbridge: The Cromwell Press Clutterbuck, D. (2003), ‘The Problem with research in mentoring’ The Coaching and Mentoring Network Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1997), Living Well, The Psychology of Everyday Life, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson Flaherty, J. 1999), Coaching – Evoking Excellence in Others, Burlington MA: Elsevier Foucault, M. (1 980) Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings 1972-1977, Ed. Colin Gordon, New York: Pantheon Books Gray, J. (2000), Two Faces of Liberalism, London: Polity Press Hall, E. T. (1963), The Silent Language, Greenwich Connecticut: Fawcett Publications Inc. Hall, E. T. (1976), Beyond Culture, Garden City NY: Anchor Press Hall, E. T. (1984), The Dance of Life – The Other Dimension of Time, Garden City NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday Hall, E. T. & Hall, M. R. 1987), Hidden Differences – Doing business with the Japanese, Garden City NU: Anchor Press/Doubleday Hall, E. T. & Hall, M. R. (1990), Understanding Cultural Differences, Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press Hofstede, G. H. (1980), Culture’s Consequences – International Differences in Work-Related Values, Beverly Hills: Sage Publications Hofstede, G. H. (1991), Cultures and Organizations – Software of the Mind, London: McGraw-Hill U. K. , (1997) New York, McGraw-Hill U. S. A. , Third Millenniu m Edition, and (2004) New York: McGraw-Hill U. S. A. Hofstede, G.H. (1998), Masculinity and Femininity – The Taboo Dimension of National Cultures, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Hofstede, G. H. & McCrae, R. R. (2004), ‘Personality and Culture Revisited: Linking Traits and Dimensions of Culture’, Cross-Cultural Research, Vol. 38, No. 1, p. 52-88 Hussey, J. & Hussey, R. (1997), Business Research: A practical guide for undergraduate and postgraduate students, London: Macmillan Press Ltd. Jarvis, J. (2004), Coaching and Buying Coaching Services – a CIPD guide, London: CIPD Enterprises Ltd Kerlinger, F. N. 1979,) Behavioural Research: A Conceptual Approach, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Kondo, D. (1990), Crafting Selves: Power, Gender and Discourses of Identity in a Japanese Workplace, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp. 9, 11-24 International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 52 Kram, K. E. (198 8), Mentoring at Work – Developmental Relationships in Organizational Life, Lanham: University Press of America Kuhn, T. S. (1962), The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Chicago: University of Chicago Press Levi-Strauss, C. 1966), The Savage Mind, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson Megginson, D. & Clutterbuck, D. (1995), Mentoring in Action – a practical guide for managers, London: Kogan Page Ltd. Nietzsche, F. quotes, QuotationsPage (2005) http://www. quotationspage. com/quotes/Friedrich_Nietzsche/ Oxford Dictionary of English (2003), Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson (Editors), Oxford: Oxford University Press Peterson, D. & Hicks, M. D. (1996), Leader as coach: Strategies for coaching and developing others, Minneapolis, MN: Personnel Decisions International Potter, J. Wetherell, M. (1995), ‘Discourse analysis’, in Smith, J. , Harre, R. , van Langenhove, R. , (Eds), Rethinking Methods in Psychology, London: Sage Robson C. (1992), Real World Research: A Resource for Social Scientists and Practitionerresearchers, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Rosinski, P. (2003), Coaching Across Cultures, London: Nicholas Brealey Schwartz, S. H. (1994), Beyond Individualism/Collectivism – New Dimensions of Values. in Individualism and Collectivism: Theory Application and Methods, U. Kim, H. C. Triandis, C.Kagitciabasi, S. C. Choi and G. Yoon (Eds) Newbury Park CA: Sage. Tao Te Ching quotes, ThinkExist quotations (2005), http://en. thinkexist. com/quotes/Tao_Te_Ching The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000), 4th Ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin The Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Sociology (1991), 4th edition, Guilford, Connecticut: The Dushkin Publishing Group, Inc. Trompenaars, F. & Hampden-Turner, C. (1997), Riding the Waves of Culture, London: Nicholas Brealey (2nd Ed) Trompenaars, F. & Hampden-Turner, C. 1993), The Seven Cultures of Capitalism, London: Piatkus Trompenaars, F. & Woolliams, P. (2003), Journal of Change Manage ment Vol. 3, 4, p. 361375: Henry Stewart Publication Watson, T. J. (2001), In Search of Management – Culture, chaos and control in managerial work, London: Thomson Learning Whitworth, L. , Kimsey-House, H. , Sandahl, P. (1998), Co-Active Coaching, Palo Alto, CA: Davies-Black Publishing Zachary, L. J. (2000), The Mentor’s Guide – Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Zeus, P. & Skiffington, S. 2002), The Coaching at Work Toolkit – A Complete Guide to Techniques and Practices, Australia: McGraw-Hill Barbara StClaire-Ostwald is an international coach and freelance consultant who specialises in cross-cultural awareness and developing successful and effective communication skills for global managers and teams. Barbara grew up in the United Kingdom as a Polish/British dual national. Prior to setting up her coaching practice CINCRA, she lived and worked in the UK, Continental Europe and North Africa for over 30 years; working for multinationals in the private, public and not for profit sectors.Barbara is a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) and until recently, Chair of the EMCC European Conference Committee. She is also a member of the British Psychological Society, Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, British Sociological Association and the Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research (SIETAR). She is tri-lingual (Polish, English, French) and she is able to converse in Dutch, German, Czech and Slovak.

Sports Vocabulary for English Learners

The words below are the most important words used when discussing sports. Words are categorized into different sections. Youll find example sentences for each word to help provide context for learning.   Equipment Ball - Pick up the ball and throw it to me.  Football - American footballs are different than European footballs.  Hockey puck - He slapped the hockey puck into the goal.  Golf ball - Golf balls are small and very hard. Golfers can hit them over 300 yards!Bat - The baseball player picked up the bat and stepped up to the plate.  Cue - The pool player put resin on his cue while he considered his shot.  Golf club - You can carry up to 14 golf clubs when you play golf.  Hockey stick - The hockey stick was originally made of wood.  Ice skates - Ice skates have a long thin blade that slides over the ice.  Mitt - The baseball player catches the ball in a mitt.  Racing car - He got into the racing car and drove down the track.  Tennis/ squash/badminton racket - Many professionals bring six or more racquets with them to the match.  Saddle - Put the saddle on the horse and well take a ride in the hills.  Skis - Skis are long and thin and can be difficult to use.  Snow board - Many people prefer to use a snowboard to descend the slope.  Shuttlecock - The shuttlecock is used in the game of badminton.  Surfboard - In Hawaii, surfers use their surfboards to go down waves. People Athlete - Athletes need to stay in excellent shape.  Badminton player - The badminton player picked up the racket and began the game.  Basketball player - Some basketball players are paid over $5 million a year!Boxer - Boxers fight in categories such as lightweight and heavyweight.  Cyclist - The cyclists on the Tour de France often ride over 100 kilometers a day.  Diver - The diver spent one hour under water.  Footballer /football player - Europes top footballers are often national heroes.  Golfer - Golfers need steady nerves as they hit the small golfball two hundred yards into a crowd of spectators.  Gymnast - Gymnasts are often young and train hours every day.  Hockey player - Hockey players skate quickly on the ice.  Jockey - A jockey needs to be small and lightweight.  Ice skater - Ice skaters are often elegant artists on the ice as they skate to the music.  Racing driver - The racing driver sped past his nemesis.  Skier - The skier raced down the hill t o beat the best time.  Squash/tennis/ badminton/volleyball/rugby player - Tennis players have to travel all over the world for important tournaments.  Surfer - Many people think the life of a surfer on the beach must be a dream come true.Swimmer - Are you a strong swimmer?  Weight lifter - The weight lifter lifted over 200 kilos.   Places Circuit - The race circuit cuts through the city and out into the country.  Court - A basketball court has a wooden floor.  Course - The golf course has eighteen beautiful holes.  Feld - The soccer field is located at the end of this street.  Gym - How often do you go to the gym to workout?Pitch - The players came onto the rugby pitch to begin the match.  Ring - The boxers got into the ring, shook hands, and began the fight.  Rink - During the winter, I like to go to the rink and ice-skate.  Stadium - Some stadiums can hold more than 100,000 people! Types of Sports Athletics (do) - Children should do a wide range of athletics.  Badminton (play) - You need a net, two racquets, and a shuttlecock to play badminton.  Basketball (play) - I used to play basketball when I was in high school.  Boxing - Boxing is a violent sport.  Cycling - Cycling calls for great stamina.  Diving - Diving off a cliff must take courage.  Football (play) - He played football during college.  Golf (play) - How often do you play golf?Gymnastics (do) - My sister did gymnastics when she was younger.  Hockey (play) - We liked to play hockey up in the north.  Horse racing - Horse-racing is quite an expensive sport.  Ice skating - Ice-skating is a popular Olympic sport.  Motor racing - Motor-racing might be exciting, but its very loud.Riding - Riding through the woods must be lovely.  Rugby (play) - We played the rugby match last week.  Skiing - Skiing can be very a very expensive sport because of lift tickets and equipment.  Snooker (play) - We play ed snooker until early in the morning.  Squash (play) - We play squash indoors with a long racket and small, hardball.  Surfing - Surfing is big business in California.  Swimming - Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise because it involves all our muscles.  Tennis (play) - She played tennis on her high school team.  Volleyball (play) - The women played volleyball on the court.  Weightlifting - Weightlifting requires keeping a strict diet.  Windsurfing - Windsurfing is a popular sport in Hood River, Oregon.