Human Resource Management in International Organizations Essay

Human Resource Management in International Organizations - Essay Example In fact now a debate has started whether the concept of 'managing diversity; forms an alternative to 'equal opportunities' based on gender bias. In the UK, human resource practitioners and academics alike are becoming more aware of the emergence of managing diversity. There is now a view that, after twenty years of the ' stick' of legal compliance (which has achieved little), the 'carrot' of underpinning the business case for equal opportunities will perhaps achieve more (Dickens 1994). Thomas1 (2000) argues that, with the growing number of mergers and acquisitions, workforce diversity will become more of a priority for organizations and, therefore, in the future, people will become clearer on what diversity is and how to manage it. The business case for managing diversity therefore offers a way to operate equal opportunities as a strategic issue, a core value linked to organizational competitiveness (Dickens 1994). Diversity not only comes in the form of culture and values, but it also consists of several other visible and non-visible factors, which include personal characteristics such as sex, race, age, background, culture, disability, personality and work-style. Harnessing these differences is bound to create a productive environment in which everybody feels valued, their talents are fully utilized and organizational goals are met. Therefore, the way to place this on the corporate agenda is to see the concepts as providing both tangible as well as intangible benefits, besides being socially and morally right. Considering these factors, the underlying philosophy of managing diversity tends to imply that an organization can gain massive competitive advantage, resulting in enhanced performance with the help of a satisfied human capital. It rests on the premise that the organization will be able to serve increasingly diverse customers, meet increasingly complex business and management problems by actively seeking and managing a diverse workforce (Stephenson and Lewis 1996; Cox 1991). In the era of globalization, when MNCs prefer to take advantage of multi-location facilities, lower costs of production, expertise from the world over, diversity is bound to be there at the workplace. It is for the organization to manage the diversity by recognizing, appreciating, valuing, encouraging and utilizing the unique talents and contributions of individuals from across a wider spectrum of society. But circumstances sometimes create peculiar conditions which brings to the fore the inherent weaknesses prevalent in our society. There are rules and regulations which provide broad guidelines for keeping a delicate balance in dealing with such matters so that mutual harmony is maintained amongst the workforce. The guiding principle behind this thought is that the world is a rich and diverse place, full of interesting cultures and people who should be treated with respect. Skirmishes arising out of 'discriminatory' behavior often result in tensions amongst colleagues. Though there are federal laws in place, but it is the human character and nature which has to

Biography of Paulo Coelho Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biography of Paulo Coelho - Essay Example His first works were widely performed by Elis Regina but he received much of his artistic and commercial success on collaborations with Raul Seixas. Writings- Although Coelho had written many works in the 1970s his breakout work was The Pilgrimage in 1987. This autobiographical work outlined his spiritual journey wherein he walked the 500 mile Way of Saint James in Spain. His follow up book, the Alchamist (released in 1987) helped cement him as one of the great writers of this generation. Philosophical and spiritual views: In an interview conducted on his own blog, he identifies that although he was once an atheist and a Buddhist he has since returned to Catholicism. He identifies that he has tried everything that there is and stated that all religions have the same objective. File Sharing- Coehlo is a big proponent for file sharing technology as a means of spreading his work. He releases much of his personal work on his blog and had permitted personal translations of his works to be republished. Current life: He founded the Paulo Coelho Institute which provides financial assistance to needy people and has aided in a number of charitable causes. He lives in Rio de Janiero and occasionally in Europe. He is married to Christina Oiticica whi is a Brazilian Artist. Summary: Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian Lyracist and writer. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, and he was given a traditional Jesuit education as a young man. Because of prolonged disagreements with his mother over his future career path he subsequently spent a portion of his youth in an insane asylum. According to an interview that appeared on his blog (2007) he identified that he had been committed to an insane asylum three times for his non-conformist beliefs. Although he had a brief stint at law school he ultimately dropped out to work as a lyricist in which he received commercial and artistic notoriety working with artists such as Elis Regina and Raul Seixas. It is upon this foundation