Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere Book Review

Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere Book Review In Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere by Julie T. Lamana, Armani Curtis, a young African-American girl living in the Ninth Ward district of New Orleans, is completely uprooted from her world when Hurricane Katrina rips through her neighborhood. In her search to be reunited with family members, she discovers personal strengths and the real meaning of community. The publisher lists the book for ages 10 and older. Summary of the Story Its late August 2005 and 9-year-old Armani Curtis, looking forward to her birthday weekend, cannot wait to join the double digits club. Nothing, not even the persistent rumors of a storm, can burst Armani’s excitement until she notices her parents’ apprehension. Focusing on her celebration, Armani is disappointed when the other members of her family, including her beloved MeMaw, seem preoccupied with threats of a dangerous storm. When her older brother Georgie tells her the next door neighbors are evacuating, she makes him promise not to tell her parents until after her birthday. Despite their worries and a stormy black sky, Armani’s parents celebrate her tenth birthday with a Bar-B-Q, a delicious buttercream cake with blue frosting, and a brand new puppy which she promptly names Cricket. The celebration is cut short when a neighbor bursts into the backyard telling everyone it’s too late to evacuate and to prepare for a major storm.   Powerful winds begin to blow shattering windows and panic ensue when Georgie notices a rapidly approaching wave of water rolling over everything in its path and heading towards their home. The levee protecting their Ninth Ward neighborhood has broken and there is nowhere to go. The family flees to the attic to save their lives, but their nightmare is just beginning. Trapped in the attic with the floodwaters rising, Armani’s asthmatic baby brother is gasping for air while there are only a few bottles of water between them.  Their crisis grows more distressing as Armani’s brother and then her father, jump into the fast-moving floodwater to capture her birthday puppy. Stranded, the family of refugees must wait for rescue while worrying about the outcome of those family members who jumped into the water. Once on dry land, Armani is left to watch over the younger kids while her mom searches desperately for a clinic to help the sickly baby. Armani realizes it is up to her to keep her small group together amidst the crisis around her. In the process, she discovers how to trust, how to survive, and how to nurture hope in the face of great despair. Author Julie T. Lamana Julie Lamana knows first-hand the destruction brought on by Hurricane Katrina. In 2005 Lamana worked as a literacy aide in a Louisiana school. In the aftermath of the hurricane, she helped displaced children and found in her experiences the seeds to write a story. As a child growing up in a military family, Lamana moved many times and found it difficult to create lasting relationships and thus found comfort in books. Now retired from education, she spends her time writing and is currently at work on her next middle-grade book. Lamana and her family Lamana live in Greenwell Springs, Louisiana.   Recommendation and Review For readers who like survival stories, Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere is a fearsome read. Real life scenarios based on Julie Lamana’s personal experiences dealing with Hurricane Katrina create the story foundation for those uncertain first few days in the Ninth Ward district of New Orleans, Louisiana.  These experiences provided material for an authentic, emotional story for readers who value accurate detail and realistic characters. The character of Armani Curtis transforms from a self-centered, judgmental child, to a conscientious young girl who learns to accept and trust others. Despite many warnings of the approaching storm, Armani is determined to not let anything take away from her special occasion. Lamana deliberately highlights Armani’s self-centered character (pretty typical of her age) so readers can clearly identify the great emotional changes the hurricane brings about forcing Armani to put aside her childish ways in order to make independent and protective decisions about her younger siblings. Within a matter of days, Armani’s childhood vanishes.  Fear and distrust color her every action, but over time Armani begins to allow others to help her rebuild trust. Like a gathering storm, this story starts out at a leisurely pace gradually building in intensity. A typical day of riding the bus, dealing with bullies, and sitting on the front porch swing with her beloved MeMaw slowly moves into whispered rumors of a gathering storm. Television newscasts, neighbors’ midnight evacuations, and an ever-changing colorful sky take Armani and her family from a birthday celebration to a fight for survival.   A Gentle Warning for Parents Julie Lamana has personal experience with Hurricane Katrina and she witnessed the devastating physical, social, and mental effects of the hurricane. Hence, she gives readers an authentic story where a very young girl must deal with death, disease, and despair. While not graphic in detail, there is no sugarcoating about the dead bodies floating in the water, the mass looting, or desperate â€Å"crazies† that Armani meets as she struggles to make sense of the chaos around her. A worthy book to understand how a natural disaster affects a community and a family, I highly recommend Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere. Be sure to have a box of tissues close by. (Chronicle Books, 2014. ISBN: 9781452124568)

Benefits of Walking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Benefits of Walking - Essay Example Walking reduces weight by burning excessive calories in the body. For instance, a person who weighs sixty kilograms can burn up to seventy-five calories simply by walking for thirty minutes at 2mph. walking is therefore an exercise highly recommended for people who would like to lose weight. The faster an individual walks for a given time duration, the more calories are burned. Another health benefit of walking is that walking lowers the risk of getting certain diseases. Brisk walking for up to thirty minutes daily can help reduce the risks of getting diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, certain type of cancer and asthma among others. Doctors believe that walking improves blood circulation within the body therefore reducing the risks of getting diseases. In addition to lowering the risk of acquiring certain diseases and maintain good weight, walking gives an individual energy. Although it may seem a paradox, researchers have found out that brisk walking is an energizer. As an individual walks, blood circulation in the body is boosted which implies that oxygen supply in the body becomes sufficient thereby making one to feel energetic and alive. Walking also eases the muscle tension, strengthens joints and hence making an individual feel relaxed, and

Muhammad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Muhammad - Essay Example In short, everything in the universe was worth worshipping and the One they did not worship was the One Creator. They were totally unaware of His unity and their need of Him. If He was recognised to all by anyone, it was through intermediaries who too were worshipped. This was a dark period - the background - when the Sunnat Allah1 - the law of Allah for guidance and leaving anyone astray - repeated history and set in motion the natural law of reaction. The light of guidance shone and spread to the four corners removing the darkness of 'Shirk' (associated with God) and ignorance replacing it with faith and knowledge. In such a gloomy atmosphere which had encompassed pre-Islamic Arabia, there glittered a light in the birth of Muhammad (PBUH). Never before or after any individual placed in such adverse circumstances has so completely purged his society of the multifarious deep-seated evils, giving it a new and healthier shape, and had so much influenced the course of contemporary and future history. Muhammad's (PBUH) practical teachings had transformed a savage race into a civilized who brought about the most wonderful revolution in the history of mankind. He was the benefactor of humanity and being the last and greatest of all the prophets, his teachings were universal and for all times to come. As it were these The First verses that were revealed to Prophet (PBUH) were from Surah Al-Alaq: "Read in the Name of your Lord Who created - created man from a blood-clot. Read and your Lord is most Bountiful, who taught by the pen - taught man that he know not" (96:1-5). As it were these verses make perfect the purpose of human life. It has been told in Surah Al-Alaq that true knowledge was essential for attaining higher human qualities. Without that, life is meaningless. If anyone possesses true knowledge but is deficient in action then he does not derive the benefits and the knowledge is of no use. Muhammad (PBUH) was a great promoter of education and advocated the "pursuit of learning even unto distant China". He inculcated love for learning among the illiterate Arabs which paved the way for their outstanding intellectual achievements, ultimately making them pioneers in the domains of science and arts during the "Medieval times". Muhammad (PBUH) proclaimed the sovereignty of God and liberated mankind from the thralldom of unholy associations with His Divinity. He upheld the dignity of man and practiced the high ideals of equality, fraternity and justice he preached. He advocated the unity of God and thereby the unity and equality of mankind. He denounced the differences of colour and race and was the "Prophet in human colour and consequently a true specimen of Islamic unity and brotherhood". As the celebrated English writer Robert Briffault paid rich tributes to the teachings of Holy Prophet of Islam, when he said: "The ideals of freedom for all human beings, of human brotherhood, of the equality of all men before the law of democratic government, by consultation and universal suffrage, the ideas that inspired the French Revolution and the Declaration of Rights, that guided the framing of the American Constitution and inflamed the struggle for independence in the Latin-American countries were not inventions of the

An Analysis of the Woolcock Street Investments Case Assignment

An Analysis of the Woolcock Street Investments Case - Assignment Example This case began in 1987 when the Eagle Star Nominees, Inc., designated as trustees for the BSL Growth Trust Company, engaged a company doing engineering work to design foundations for a warehouse and offices in Townsville. When the building’s construction had been finished, the trustee Eagle Star then decided to sell the property to the plaintiff. In the contract of sale, there was no warranty indicating that the building had no defects. Likewise, the buyer did not conduct any building inspection, survey before purchase, or any sort of appraisal to determine whether or not the building had been constructed in an optimal manner. Also, there was no assignment in contract by the vendor of the rights to proceed against others in case of defects. Just more than a year after the property had been turned over, the defects become apparent. The building had unmistakable structural distress and this was because of how the foundations were arranged, as well as the material below the foundations. The buyer filed a case against the engineering company and its employee, stating that the company owed a duty of reasonable care in designing the foundations of the building and ensuring the safety of the premises. In response, the company said that they owed no such duty of care to the buyer and that they were not at fault, because they in fact had asked the trustee to allow them to do soil tests, however they were told that such soil tests were not necessary and to simply use structural footing sizes. A lawsuit for damages was then filed, and the main question that the courts were tasked to respond to was: â€Å"Whether or not a subsequent buyer of commercial property had the right to sue the builder for design malfunctions?† The court ruled against the buyer and ruled that the duty of care owed to a subsequent or remote purchaser by the engineer that built the foundation of the building in question does not hold when the defective building is used for commercial purposes. This means that there is no case that can be filed against the engineer by the subsequent buyer because the building was not used as a dwelling, but rather as a commercial establishment. Previous Jurisprudence It is difficult to talk about Woolcock without talking about the progenitor case, Bryan v. Maloney. [(1995) 182 CLR 609, 616–17, 623 (Mason CJ, Deane and Gaudron  JJ) (‘Bryan’)]. In that case, the plaintiff was able to successfully claim damages against the builder, despite the fact that she was a subsequent buyer of a residential property and the sale was concluded seven years after the property had been built. The plaintiff had inspected the house many times before purchasing it, with no observations made that there were any defects. However, after six months, it was discovered that there were cracks on the wall and this was because the builder had constructed footings that were inadequate to withstand the changes in the

Parental Consent Abortion Essay Example for Free

Parental Consent Abortion Essay Abortion I. Introduction: A. Attention Grabber: rhetorical question, story, quote, shock, scare, stats, allusion, etc.: Did you know that teenage girls are more than 24 times more likely to die from childbirth than from first trimester legal abortion? B. Why audience should care: Every girl is at risk of getting pregnant, and if parental consent is the reason for childbirth the effects hurt mother and father. C. Background Info. According to the encyclopedia of American law fertility rate went down bc. of abortion and birth control- By the 1870s, a woman’s right to make decisions about REPRODUCTION was restricted by federal and state laws. -ABORTIONS , which increased markedly in the 1850s and 1860s, especially among middle-class white women, had been legal until the fetus â€Å"quickened,† or moved inside the uterus. The -AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (AMA) and religious groups led the successful move to have state legislatures impose criminal penalties on persons performing abortions. In some states, women who had abortions could also be held criminally liable.(Progressive) D. Thesis: Women under the age of 18 should be allowed to obtain an abortion #without parental consent because every person controls their own body and forcible restriction can lead to drastic consequences. II. Need Step A. What is the problem? Teenagers feel pressured to have the child because they have no right over their own body. If they dont get the proper help they need problems may arise. The American Academy of Pediatrics also opposes parental-involvement laws: Legislation mandating parental involvement does not achieve the intended benefit of promoting family communication but it does increase the risk of harm to the adolescent by delaying access to appropriate medical care. [M]inors should not be compelled or required to involve their parents in their decisions to obtain abortions, although they should be encouraged to discuss their pregnancies with their parents and other responsible adults.(Naral) B. What is/are the cause(s)? Laws making clinics have parental note/ judicial-bypass provisions fail to protect young women. C. How big a problem? It affects everybody, the parents, the child, and the family. -Approximately one-third of American women become pregnant before the age of 20. -Twenty-five percent of teen mothers live below the federal poverty line. Nearly 80 percent of teen mothers eventually go on welfare. Teens that give birth also spend a greater length of time receiving public assistance—an average of three years longer than older mothers through age 35. Teen mothers are also more likely to have lower family incomes later in life.(NARAL) D. What are the ill effects of this problem? Harmful to the teen, and teens future The American Medical Association concluded in a 1992 study that parental-consent and notice laws increase the gestational age at which the induced pregnancy termination occurs, thereby also increasing the risk associated with the procedure. Although a first or second trimester abortion is far safer than childbirth, the risk of complications significantly increases for each week that elapses after eight weeks. (Philip, Diana) â€Å"A Toledo, Ohio judge denied a bypass for a 17-year-old, an A student who planned to attend college and who testified she was not financially or emotionally prepared for college and motherhood at the same time, stating that the girl had not had enough hard knocks in her life. (Philip, Diana) III. Satisfaction Step A. Solution(s) or steps age-appropriate health and sex education with medically accurate information; access to confidential health services, including family planning; life-options programs that offer teens practical life skills and the motivation to delay sexual activity; and programs for pregnant and parenting teens that teach parenting skills and help ensure that teens finish school. B.Specific details on how this problem can be solved: an emphasis should be placed on reducing teen pregnancy. C.Best plan or most important first step: Access to health services, including family planning. A Pennsylvania study found that of the 60 judicial districts in the state, only eight were able to provide complete information about Pennsylvanias judicial-bypass procedure. Some county courts referred minors to anti-choice crisis pregnancy centers that typically provide false and misleading information about abortion and pressure women to carry their pregnancies to term. (Borgman, Caitlin). D. Reasons it is best or most important: Lays foundation and protection for the child and teen. IV. Visualization Step A. The world will have less teenage births, less unsafe abortions and less children homeless and in poverty. B.If we do not solve this problem there will be more teen moms, poverty and unsafe abortions. â€Å"With their parents guidance, more teenagers will choose childbirth over abortion† (Philip) C.In countries where abortion is restricted like poland â€Å"go abroad to the Netherlands, Germany and Austria for abortions.2 Women who are not lucky enough to live in environments such as the EU may be forced to go to foreign countries and undergo underground, unsafe abortions.† (â€Å"this house†) V. Conclusion A. Minors should be allowed to obtain an abortion without parental consent because every person controls their own body and has the right to choose and restricting abortion can lead to drastic consequences. B. Education about sex, family planning, and a bill that allows minors to recieve abortion without parental consent. C. Individuals can talk to their parents about their views on abortion and inform them that they have the right to choose. Individuals can also call your local congressman or write a letter informing them of the dangers of restricting abortion. D. In our everyday lives we can remember how living in the U.S. is a blessing and our freedoms can not be taken away from us. We must remember that every women has a right to their body and giving birth is not the only way to end the suffering of an unwanted pregnancy.

Christianity: Salvation by Grace Essay -- Religion Christian

Christianity is a faith based on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Fisher, 1991) Christianity is a one God religion as presented in the New Testament. Today, Christianity and the church are culturally diverse, even in the aspects of race. It is even said that Sunday mornings is the most segregated time in the world. There is one central belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, all Christians can come to this conclusion. Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and that we are all under the judgment of God because we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Other religions may often depict that it is only necessary to do some good when it comes to God in order to get into heaven. However, Christianity is the only religion that supports the teachings of salvation by grace. Meaning that our efforts, sincerity, and good works alone will not guarantee us a place in heaven, but instead it is our faith in what Christ did on the cross along with obeying the gospel, and living faithfully until his return that will place us there. Followers of Jesus Christ were persecuted, but by 380 CE, despite strong opposition, Christianity became the official religion of the vast Roman Empire (Fisher, 1991) At least three things can derive from Christianity; a set of beliefs, the way of life and a community of people. Christ is the Greek form of the Hebrew word "Messiah", meaning "anointed one". Christianity originally developed as a part of Judaism. Jesus was a Jew. It is said that he lived from about 3 BC to 30 AD. He lived and taught in Palestine, to the Jews. Christianity also teaches that God created the universe and all that is in it. While we as humans have both physi... ...sians 4: 4-6) Jesus said â€Å"Upon this rock I shall build my church† (Matthew 16:18). The Church of Christ, the only one that you can find in the bible. References Bercot, D. (2006). Retrieved February 13, 2009, from History of The Early Church: http://www.earlychurch.com/index.php Fisher, M. P. (1991). Living Religions. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Public Education. Morrison, M. (n.d.). Discipleship 101. Retrieved February 13, 2009, from Worldwide Church of God: http://www.wcg.org/lit/disc/16grace.htm Christianity. (2009, February 11). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 04:45, February 14, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christianity&oldid=270002186 Muslims. (2006, March 25). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 04:46, February 14, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muslims&oldid=45357695

Role and Functions of Hr Managers

Role and functions of HR Managers Introduction The Human Resource Department deals with management of people within the organisation. There are a number of responsibilities that come with this title. First of all, the Department is responsible for hiring members of staff; this will involve attracting employees, keeping them in their positions and ensuring that they perform to expectation. Besides, the Human Resource Department also clarifies and sets day to day goals for the organisation. It is responsible for organisation of people in the entire Company and plans for future ventures and objectives involving people in the Company. Handy, 1999) Research has shown that the human aspect of resources within an organisation contributes approximately eighty percent of the organisation’s value. This implies that if people are not managed properly, the organisation faces a serious chance of falling apart. The Human Resource Department’s main objective is to bring out the best i n their employees and thus contribute to the success of the Company. These roles come with certain positive and negative aspects. However, the negative aspects can be minimised by improvements to their roles and functions. These issues shall be examined in detail in the subsequent sections of the essay with reference to case examples of businesses in current operation. Positive aspects of Roles and Functions of the Human Resource Department Recruitment of Employees This is one of the most fundamental roles of the HR department. This is because this function ensures that the Company under consideration selects the most skilful and competent person from a sea of applicants at that time. This function involves evaluation of ability and competency of potential employees in relation to what the Company needs. This role falls under the Staffing role of management. If this function is performed well, then the organisation will increase value consequently being on the right pathway to achieve its organisational and departmental goals and objectives. (Hyde, 2004) Effective recruitment can be done through a number of ways. First of all the Company can conduct educational and psychological measurements. This task will involve assessment of abilities, skills and character evaluation of applicants. Through psychometric evaluation, the Company can ensure that employees have the right attitude necessary to fit into the organisation. Another method Companies use to recruit members of staff is through interviews. Here, the Human Resource Department can ask applicants questions that evaluate their decision making abilities and how they would deal with certain situations if presented with them. The Department can also employ the use of written interviews where applicants answer questions addressing key issues in the organisation. Through these channels, the Department contributes towards organisational performance. An example of a Company that performs this role well is Tesco Ireland. The Company notifies the public about vacancies. It then posts a questionnaire online and interested parties fill it at that time. This is then evaluated and those who fall within their minimum requirements are invited for an interview. In the interview, applicants are asked a number of questions and those who did extremely well are further analysed and retained. Those who did moderately well are not immediately eliminated; instead, their interview questions are kept on file then these are reviewed after six months. By so doing, the Tesco Ireland makes sure that its employees are highly capable and that they will enrich the organisation. (Hyde, 2004) Improvement of Compensation Packages One of the major functions of the HR department is to motivate employees. This can be done through rewards especially for those who have done well. The HR department needs to evaluate performance of employees and those who have exceeded expectations should be compensated for their actions. Research has shown that rewarding employees for good performance is the number one incentive for keeping up this trend. These compensation packages can come in the following ways; – Holiday Offers – End of Year Bonuses – Equities – Awards – Salary Increments – Provision of Flexible Working Hours – Straight forward Promotion Schemes and Career Developments If the HR department includes these incentives, then it will ensure that employees are satisfied with the Company. It will also contribute towards good staff retention rates. This is especially crucial in increasing stability within the organisation. It also makes employees identify with the firm and instils a sense of loyalty. Handy, 1999) Planning in the Organisation The Human Resource Department is placed with the responsibility of ensuring that it plans adequately for all the organisation’s future engagements that will involve people. One important aspect of this is planning for employees in the organisation. It is important that the organisation ensures that all the employees under its wing are just enough to increase value to the organisation. The Department must ensure that staff members are not too many because if they exceed this amount, then the organisation stands too lose. It must plan adequately to ensure that staff members are not too few either, otherwise they will be overworking those who are already in place. Consequently, there will be poor motivation resulting from fatigue. The HR department is also bestowed with the responsibility of planning future organisational goal in relation to people or clarifying these same goals to staff members. This function of the department ensures that people in the organisation have a general direction which they are working towards. Organisations that have a clear direction are always more effective; those members of staff will be more result oriented rather than just working for the sake of it. The Department is also responsible for setting day to day objectives necessary for streamlining activities within the organisation and thus ensuring that work is not just done haphazardly. (Hyde, 2004) Negative Aspects of Functions and Roles of the Human Resource Department There are a number of problems that arise as the department goes about its activities Problems in Recruitment The department may sometimes be unable to adequately coordinate and incorporate all the employees needed in the Company’s operations. One such example is the NHS. In the year 2004, the organisation was found to be wanting in its human resource department’s functions. The Company was recruiting a large proportion of its employees; 40% from Asian and African countries. This means that the organisation was draining medical personnel from those needy countries and using them for themselves. (Katherine, 2002) Such a practice showed that the HR department had exercised bad judgement in ts staffing function. Instead, it could have used these foreign nurses as temporary measure and put in place a strategy to train local nurses such that it could stop depending on those poor countries for supply of nurses. Problems in Remuneration In the process of trying to motivate members of staff to perform better, the Human Resource may make deals that eventually cause problems. A case in p oint is the Home Depot. This Company has an employee Compensation policy that requires that one should be rewarded for the time they have served the Company. The Home Depot Company offers an end of year bonus, basic salary and grant on stock shares as an incentive for some of its employees The CEO of the Company Robert Nardelli lost his job in the year 2007. This was because the company has experienced a lot of losses under his leadership; its shares fell by eight percent in the stock exchange and he deserved to leave the Company. However, because the Human Resource Department had put in place a policy that requires all members of staff to be given the incentive mentioned above, he left with a lot of money. It was reported that he had with him about two hundred and ten million dollars. The Company had no way out of this payment because HR had already passed that policy and they were bound by the law. This goes to show that sometimes policies made by the HR department do not benefit the Company especially if the parties involved are considered as losses to the Company. (Michael, 2007) Problems in Planning Sometimes the HR Department can employ people who may not contribute towards organisational principles. A classic example is the Arthur Andersen Company that fell apart in the year 2002. This was an American Company that dealt with audits. It was initially very successful in its operations prior to that fateful year. But in the latter years of its operations, the Company was involved in two accounting scandals that tarnished its name and subsequently caused failure. The Company failed to plan well for the kind of employees it recruited. This was witnessed when one of its employees in the Legal Department called Nancy Temple was fined in the Court of law for non adherence to accounting laws. This problem could have been prevented if the HR department had evaluated this employee before hiring her and also evaluation should have been done during her performance. If HR had been extremely critical, then they would have realised that the employee did not adhere to Company principles and would therefore have terminated her employment. Beside this, the Arthur Andersen Human Resource department also failed in its communication function to employees. The department should have ensured that they constantly communicate to members of staff about the goals and objectives of the Company on a day to day basis. This would have made them very clear in the minds of employees and would have prevented the downfall of the Company. Strategies to Improve Human Resource Department’s  Ã‚   Value to the Organisation Training and Internships It is not necessarily a guarantee that a candidate who did well in the recruitment exercise is the best in performing an organisation’s functions. New employees need orientation into the Company’s functions and can also improve some inefficiency that these new employees may have in relation to their skills. This is the purpose of placing them on internships. (Norbert, 1967) Training is also essential for members of staff who have been working for the organisation for a long time. This is especially so in the wake of technological advancements, legal changes and changes in service delivery. It is important for an Organisation to keep up with industry trends otherwise it faces the danger of becoming obsolete; especially in the background of increasing competition. Training need not be restricted to improvement of skills; it can also involve improvement of attitudes. This is normally characterised by attendance of workshops and other forms of talks. Training also increases motivation of employees and gives them that extra boost of energy needed to get them through tough times in their jobs. All the above tasks are placed under the Department of Human Resource because it is the one that will asses when training is needed, who needs the training, where and by whom. This aspect is a sure to improve value of the HR Department in the organisation. An example of a company that adheres to this principle is Marks and Spencer retail chain outlet. The Company offers training for twelve moths. Here new employees are taught all that is necessary to meet organisational goals and objectives then they can start work when they are ready to do so. (Norbert, 1967) Making Better Use of Time The Human Resource is conferred with the responsibility of ensuring that all members of staff perform to their best ability. It could improve this area by facilitating better use of time in all departments within the organisation. Time is one of the most crucial yet intangible assets of the Company. The proper use of this resource could maximise production and achievement of organisational goals. (Harold, 2003) The Department can do this by planning activities to be carried out in the organisation. It can make schedules for the various activities that have to be done in the organisation and thus facilitate better flow of information. In addition to this, the Company can also ensure that all members of staff are held accountable for not performing a certain task. This is especially in regard to maintenance of the schedules. In so doing, human the Human Resource Department will be ensuring that employees do not simply report to work and that the time spent at work is directly proportional to output. Improving Organisational Culture The Human Resource Department can try to improve organisational culture through a three step procedure. The first step of the process is observation. In this step HR finds out what makes ups or what the company’s culture is like. HR should also be very intense on the organisational needs. Here, HR should realise that personal fulfilment works better and therefore should try to ensure that the change is relevant to every staff member. In this stage, HR should try to explain to all staff members or stakeholder the advantage of transforming the culture in the organisation. This should be made clear so that all can see the advantages at the individual level and not simply at the organizational level. Erica, 2006) Then HR should try to eliminate all inhibitions in staff member’s minds. It is possible that some may claim that they tried one or two strategies before and it did not succeed. This are what are called ‘cries of despair’ and HR should try its best to explain to staff members the need of changing the culture of the organisation. The next step is the analysis of various aspects. Here, there is collect ion of data needed in making certain that culture changes. This stage involves checking out the success features or the factors that can facilitate its success. There should be calibration of data collected. Staff members should be made to understand that there are no perfect situations for implementation of changes. The analysis should involve assessing whether the information is sensible or not. Whether data gathered will be helpful or not and if it is too little or too much. Staff members should be requested for data that will help change the culture. Of course when trying to bring in change HR Department should have perceived benefits, a deadline for execution and also the realised gains in relation to the change in culture. In this step, there should be reality checks which should be done often. There should also be continuous integration. Through this scheme HR Department should be able to change the culture in the organisation and add value to it. (Harold, 2003) Conclusion The Human Resource Management team’s main function is to manage people. There are positive and negative aspects of this function; first of all, the HR department enriches the organisation through recruitment procedures and an example an effective HR team in this area is Tesco Ireland. HR department also ensures that members of staff follow a general direction by frequently clarifying and reminding them of the organisation’s goals. Besides this, they are also responsible for organising incentives or compensation packages to motivate employees. All these functions contribute towards organisational effectiveness. However, there are some negative aspects of HR; it has to bear the burden of blame if an employee performs poorly like the Arthur Andersen Company. Besides this, some policies made by the department may be detrimental to the Company like in the Home Depot Company’s case. Improvements to their role can be done by arranging training for staff members, organising activities for the organisation and changing organisational culture. (Erica, 2006)