Japanization and Japanese Working Practices

Japanization and Japanese Working Practices Introduction Japan, a land of incredible diversity; modern yet steeped in custom; home of the friendliest of welcomes. Japanese celebrate the time of year with hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties under the blossom trees. Japanization is the process in which Japanese culture dominates, assimilates or influences other cultures. It’s also called nippanization. Japanese style management and HRM has been selectively adapted and applied around the world. Japan has a homogenous culture and foreign immigrants are very small percentage of its population. Japanization is not accepted completely around the globe. Here we are going to examine why the spread of Japanese management is constrained by local culture and working practices with the help of a case study material. Japanization Japanese are collectivistic, where as Britain and United States people are individualistic. In-group in Britain includes only a nuclear family i.e., spouse, children and sometimes spouse’s widowed or infirm parent. In India it is a joint family includes grand parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, other relatives and close friends. But in Japan we can find an additional member in the in-group: the company for which a person works. In Hofstede’s study Japan scored 46 on individualism. On the other hand USA and UK scored 91 and 89 respectively. Japanese are very hard working. Also they have strong sense of duty and indebtedness. (Tayeb, 2005) The trade unions in Japan are company based. The companies like Toyota, Nissan and Hitachi has their own unions. In UK it is craft based. I.e. fire fighters, mine workers and teachers and so on has their unions. Indebtedness: In 2003, canon prepared to buy Mizuho shares, but later it fell into financial troubles i.e. to pay a debt to Fuji bank. Fuji bank made canon out of trouble when it fell into problems 30 years ago. Ringi method: It is a special characteristic of Japanese enterprises in decision making. In this process the written proposal will be circulated first to those who are going to be affected and then to the senior management. It is very time consuming process. So it is used for only important decision making. (Misumi, 1984). Quality circles: It is a small group activity in which blue collar and white collar workers from different departments of a company assembled voluntarily. These volunteers are trained in problem identification and problem solving techniques. It is perfectly tuned with the Japanese collectivism. Life-time employment (Nenko): Japanese HRM practices are sustained by their certain management practices such as life time employment. This obviously creates stable work environment and no fear of Unemployment. It means that employees are hired after their education and remain with the same company till their retirement. Nenko is operated by large firms. Japanese Management Kaizen philosophy: Kaizen is defined as continuous improvement that involves each and every employee from executives to labourers with managers in between them. Kaizen is a driving force and a vital tool to Japanese success. This philosophy has been implemented round the globe followed by the Japanese successful lead. It is used as a method to increase production values and improve employee morale and safety. Kaizen is taken from words ‘kai’, which means continuous and ‘zen’, which means improvement. Kaizen concept is the primary difference between how change is viewed by Japanese and in the west. Western companies reject kaizen just because of without knowing about it. American companies run by years without any change. On the other hand Japanese companies are in a state of continuous change and improvement. After World War 2, most of the Japanese companies brought new challenges everyday and moulded those challenges into progress. Displaying goals, recognition and suggestions helps to improve communication and boost morale. This is an endless process. If we do not maintain the standards it results in the â€Å"two steps forward and one step backward† effect. Only for this reason maintenance and improvement go collectively by Japanese managers. By improving standardised activities and processes, kaizen aims to eliminate waste. â€Å"People are behind our success. Machines don’t have new ideas, solve problems and grasp opportunities. Only people who are involved and thinking can make a difference. Almost every auto plant in UK and USA has the same machinery but how people are utilized and involver varies widely from one company to another. The work force gives any company its true competitive edge†. (Toyota motors-general manager) Generally Japanese managers have an easier time implementing employee suggestions than managers in the USA. Japanese managers show their willingness to  go along continuous change which contributes to following change. Making the job easier. Making the job more productive. Removing drudgery from the job. Improving product quality. Removing nuisance from the job. Saving time and cost. Making the job safer. Japanese manufacturing techniques: Japanese style of manufacturing has three interlinked parts involved in it. Flexibility Quality Minimum waste In the 1980’s, imported cars accounts for 27% of us sales. Same changes had occurred in other industries in UK and USA also. The manufacturers like motorcycles, camera, television and video equipment have disappeared by the higher quality Japanese products. Poke-a-yolk: It is purely a Japanese term which means mistake or fool proofing. Poke-a-yolk is the basis of zero quality control method used for eliminating and avoiding mistakes. Basically this technique is used in manufacturing units, hospitals, aircraft maintenance and human resources. Lean production: Lean production system is one which produces cars more cheaply with higher quality than its rivals. In 1998, ford and GM took 50% more hours to make a car than Toyota. In 2006, Toyota builds an average car within 29 hours. On the other hand GM workers took 33 hours. It’s a big improvement. Mr Cowger said, 90% of the 178 gm plants almost in 33 countries adopted the lean production system. Toyota implemented the ‘just-in-time’ manufacturing system in which suppliers sends parts daily or many times a day. Toyota develops a new model in 18 months compared to three years it takes GM. This is not Japanese companies vs. American companies; it is smart Japanese companies vs. smart American companies. The key reason why Toyota is over taking GM as the dominant car industry is its production system i.e. lean production system. In Toyota, workers grouped into teams and they are allocated to individual goals to correct mistakes. (s.steve, BBC news) Historical perspective: The origin of benchmarking There is no doubt that the art of benchmarking is originated in Japan. Simply it is defined as loaning of employees to other organisations. Benchmarking means being humble enough to acknowledge that others may be smarter, and being clever enough to learn how to become just as smart – or even smarter. The essence of benchmarking is it enables us to learn our own processes and also from others. USA, UK and other companies are benchmarking Toyota production system (TPS). It is mainly focuses on the implementation of the waste reduction tools. This system is known as ‘the Toyota way’. (Forrest breyfogle, 2008). The reasons for the failure of Japanese firms overseas: Inability to cope with larger overseas responsibilities Difficulties with new environment Personal or emotional problems Lack of technical competence Inability of spouse to adjust Japanese style management is more suitable to blue collar than white collar workers Poor communication Status difference between managers and staff Improper presentation of objectives No promotion for non-Japanese Local managers not involved in key decisions Toyota acts on overwork culture: Japanese corporate culture has been criticised in UK for being workaholic. Previously it allowed workers to work two hours overtime a month for voluntary activities such as ‘qc’, stands for quality circles. This decision came into action after a court order at the death of a 30 year old Toyota worker collapsed at the plant and died due to overwork. Public criticism has been growing on overworking culture. Toyota is best known for using ideas of employees to improve production methods and minimize costs. (BBC news, 2008) Psychological safety: Psychological safety was the root cause for the failure of Toyota concept in other countries. It is especially crucial where knowledge constantly changes, workers need to be collaborating and workers make decisions without intervention of the management. (p.gupta, 2008). Hofstede’s research: Hofstede’s framework is widely used by researchers and practitioners in the field of intercultural management. According to hofstede the differences in responses could be examined by four main factors. Power distance Uncertainty avoidance Individualism Masculinity Power distance: Power distance relates to the extent to which societies discriminates the different levels of employees in any organization i.e. how unequally the employees are treated in any company. It is the relation between blue collar and white collar workers. It should be less in order to achieve any success. In high power distance countries superiors seen to be more powerful than heir subordinates. Countries with low power distance favour a more democratic style of management. Uncertainty avoidance: It refers to the degree to which they try to avoid uncertain situations by discouraging the risk taking activities. Countries with low uncertainty avoidance will adopt flexible structures and encourage more diverse views. (Chris. B, Paul. S guy. V, 2007) Individualism: Individualism means the extent to which individuals try to merge into groups. In the usa we can find more individualism. It is to gain self-respect and personal achievement. In the contrast, collectivistic society’s people are integrated into strong groups. Masculinity: It measures the extent to which male values are dominated such as assertiveness, acquisition of money and goods and not caring for others. References: Toyota works on over work culture, Thursday, 22 may 2008 http://search.bbc.co.uk/search?site=News+-+Businessq=toyota%20culture%20in%20uktab=allscope=all Misumi, J. (1984).’Decision making in Japanese groups and organisations’, in international year-book of organisational democracy. Volume. 2, Chichester: Wiley. Forest breyfogle,dec 10th 2008. http://www.smartersolutions.com/blog/forrestbreyfogle/?p=551 Monir h. tayeb 2005. International human resource management, a multinational company perspective Gupta,p.’general motors and Toyota cultural differences’.

The Benefits Of Gasification Technology Over Incineration Environmental Sciences Essay

Both gasification and incineration are capable of change overing hydrocarbon-based risky stuffs to simple, nonhazardous by-products ( Beginning: U.S. Department of Energy March 30, 2000 ) , but gasification can be seen to be more good for many grounds. The procedure as a whole uses less O than conventional incineration significance that fewer air emanations may be produced incorporating possible pollutants. It besides means less C dioxide is produced potentially intending less impact on planetary clime alteration from waste incineration. Any C dioxide produced during gasification is present at higher force per unit areas than in watercourses produced in conventional incineration, doing it easier to capture and take before release into the ambiance. ( Source NETL – National Energy Technology Laboratory, United States Department of Energy Website ) . Gasification is a procedure in which stuffs are exposed to some O, but non plenty to let burning to happen. The ensuing gas mixture of C monoxide, H and methane ( with smaller measures of C dioxide and N ) is called syngas and is itself a fuel. It has a calorific value so can be used as a fuel to bring forth electricity or steam or as a basic chemical feedstock in the petrochemical and refinement industries. The calorific value of the syngas will depend on the composing of the input waste waste to the gasifier. Harmonizing to research undertaken by Euromia for the Greater London Authority, syngas possibly used to bring forth energy more expeditiously than incineration utilizing gas engines or even fuel cells, whereas conventional incineration can merely bring forth energy less expeditiously via steam turbines ( Eunomia Research and Consulting 2008 ) . Gasification is besides shown to be more cost effectual than conventional incineration and potentially better at raising gross. The syngas can be converted into many valuable merchandises, runing from bring forthing energy in the signifier of electricity to harvest home of chemicals such as sulfur. ( U.S. Department of Energy. March 2000 ) . Hydrogen can besides be harvested and used in other applications. Hence the syngas is used for many applications whereas the treated gas from conventional incinerators goes straight back out into the environment. Besides, the energy produced may be eligible for more Reclamations Obligations Certificates ( ROC ‘s ) than conventional incineration therefore once more increasing the possible income. ( Source – Ilex Energy Consulting. September 2005 ) . Another benefit of syngas production is that concluding emanations of pollutants such as Sulphur Oxides and Nitrogen Oxides, and other particulates are greatly reduced as compared to conve ntional incineration systems. Due to the high sum of O used in the conventional incineration procedure any sulfur or nitorogen compunds in the waste are converted to Sulphur Oxides and Nitrogen Oxides which so have to be treated seperately. In contrast in the low O environment of gasification these are non so readily formed and where they are the modern gasification systems are designed to retrieve 95-99 % of them and in the instance of sulfur this forms a high-putiry sulfur by-porduct. ( Source U.S. Department of Energy. March 2000 ) Another benefit of gasification is the existent works itself. They are modular and hence made up of little units which can be added to or taken away from. This proves an advantage as waste watercourses can change for illustration, if there is a alteration in policy and recycling additions. Therefore they are more flexible and can run at a smaller graduated table so conventional incinerators. They are besides non so reliant on a big provender of waste merchandises to go on working like the conventional incinerators. They are besides faster to construct than conventional incinerators and hence are faster to utilize. Hence, in drumhead, gasification is more cost effectual, cleaner and more efficient than conventional incineration and more utile in that it produces many byproducts that can be used in down watercourse production.The factors impacting the pick of bag filters or ESP in waste incinerators.There are many factors act uponing the pick of bag filters or electrostatic precipitators in incinerators. Below are six of these factors. Factor one: The type of waste being incinerated Different provender stocks for the incinerator will bring forth different air watercourses and dust or ash merchandises. This is of import as for illustration the combustibleness of some all right stuffs produced regulations out the usage of electrostatic precipitators. Bag filters are really efficient at roll uping all right particulates but non so good at big particulates. ( Source I Fanthom, C. Cottingham ) Most common ESP filtration is best used for gaining control of light atmospheric dust. Unless a ego cleaning electrostatic precipitator is used, beginning gaining control or direct ducting from a heavy dust bring forthing incineration will rapidly make full up the aggregation plates. Heavy dust aggregation requires storage for a big volume of dust. The surface country of bag filters is much greater than surface country of electrostatic aggregation home bases and work better for dust gaining control of heavy dust bring forthing incineration than ESP would. ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dustcollectorexperts.com/electrostatic/ ) If the dust is hygroscopic ( i.e. a stuff which attracts wet from the ambiance. If non protected from contact with the ambiance ( by being stored under vacuity or under a dry gas ) some hygroscopic stuffs will finally pull so much H2O that they will organize solutions ) and these can blind bag filters doing them ineffective. Factor two: Features of the airstream The features of the airstream can hold important impacts on the aggregator system. For illustration cotton cloth bag filters can non be used where air temperatures exceed 82 grades centigrade. Besides condensation of steam or H2O vapors can blind bags doing them uneffective. Assorted chemicals created in the airstream can respond with the H2O in the airstream and signifier caustic liquids such as sulfuric acid which can eat any metal in the bag i.e. if it is rearward jet bag filter with a metal coop. ESP ‘s can defy caustic stuff doing aggregation possible. The individual most of import factor act uponing the Elecrostatic precipitator is the electric resistance of the gas being caught. Fabric filters take dust from a gas watercourse by go throughing gas through a cloth and go forthing dust on the surface of the cloth. It is hence non sensitive to dust electric resistance. A fabric filter can work on emanation degrees of 10-20 mg/NM3 whereas an ESP needs to be sized to suit demands. Factor three – Cost With most designs of ESP ‘s they have to close the line down in order to keep them which incurs a cost. With most bag filters they can be changed online, non incurring a cost of closing down. The power ingestion utilizing a bag filter is higher than utilizing an ESP, evidently incurring more costs for more power. Bag filters need to be changed more often than an Electrostatic Precipitator. Typically bags need altering every 4 old ages. An ESP needs a full service every 20-30 old ages. The ESP ‘s are more expensive to put in than the bag filters Dust tonss may be needed to be reduced before the Electrostatic Precipitation procedure ( precleaner may be needed ) hence adding to the cost. Factor Five – Conformity with Environmental ordinances and jurisprudence. In 1990 the Environmental protection Act ( EPA ) introduced Integrated Pollution Control ( IPC ) necessitating higher control of emanations in most industries. More late the waste Incineration Directive was introduced and has imposed important alterations on any procedure combustion waste stuffs. For illustration the entire emanation value for Cd is 0.05 mg/Nm3. ( Source – The Waste Incineration Directive 2000 ) . Hence the type of intervention demands to be chosen in order to fulfill these ordinances. It will besides depend how near the waste incinerator is to edifices and the type of edifice i.e. is it near a residential country. Hence more ordinances need to be considered sing public wellness. Factor Six- Space How much infinite is at that place for the installings. ESP ‘s are larger than bag filters and therefore take up more infinite.Methods for cut downing heavy metals in landfill leachate.There are assorted methods for cut downing heavy metals in landfill leachate -biological, biodegredation utilizing anaerobiotic and aerophilic procedures and chemical and physical methods. Plants can be used to handle leachate utilizing at that place natural up return procedures. One such intervention that has been investigated is utilizing vertiver grass ( N. Roongtanakiat, T.Nirunrach, S.Chanyotha, D. Hengchaovanich. 168-175. 2003 ) . The vertiver grass took up more heavy metals as the strength of the leachate increased and the heavy metals were equally distributed in the shoot and the root. The consequences of the field test at the landfill site besides indicated that vertiver could be used in rehabilitating landfills and nearby countries. The vertiver workss were shown to decease after 80-85 yearss if 100 % leachate was used so they could non e straight used on immature landfills, but could be used on immature landfills if limited leachate were used. The shoot of the works should be harvested sporadically in order to take the heavy metals from the contaminated dirt and to excite new growing for more consumption. Artificial wetlands utilizing aquatic plants can be used as they grow in anerobic environments and can digest heavy metal concentrations. ( Source M. Pawlouskia, L. Pawlouskia, page 205 ) In one survey they were combined with combined with aerophilic interventions have besides been studied as a remotion method for heavy metals in leachate. The survey was undertaken at Alback landfill site in Sweden In 2003. ( Source – Persson, K. M. , Van Praahg, M and Olsberg.G, E. ( 2007 ) Their leachate intervention system consists foremost of an aeration measure, followed by several wetlands with different deepnesss and flora, intermediate commixture and aeration in a ditch, and eventually deposit in a pool. The concentrations of Cd, Cu, Zn, nickel, lead and Cr were studied. Lead and Cr could non be detected at all in the leachate after it had been through the intervention system. The entire rates of decrease in the whole wetland system for Cd, Cu, and Zn concentrations were on mean â€⠀œ 83 % 74 % and 68 % severally. Nickel passed unchanged through the wetlands. The lone job with this intervention is that the remotion rates of the heavy metals is limited due to some metals looking as composites which are difficult to entree and take in this system. The phytoremediation of leachate is cost effectual and in many instances native workss can be used. ( Source A Chehregan, B Malayen 1560 – 8530,2007 ) Aerobic intervention of the leachate has been shown to be another effectual method that can be used. An illustration of this is an probe whereby leachate is recirculated through the waste mass and air is injected into the waste mass. It was found that the remotion efficiency for Magnesium, Iron, Lead and Zinc was 93 % , 90 % , 43 % and 76 % severally. ( Source – M.Sartaj, M. Ahmardifar, A.Karmi Jastini 107-116 2010 ) Bacterial systems are besides used. Bacterial floc on the on the leachate surviving in an aerated system with O degrees maintained above 5mg/l. The heavy metals are taken in by the bacteriums and incorporated into their cell biomass. ( Source – Arden Quarry Landfill Website ) Chemical intervention is besides used – Three armored combat vehicles are used in which pH is adjusted, metal precipate atoms coagulate and are flocculated and foods are added to promote microbic growing The usage of ferric and ferrous oxides as coagulates separate and clot the heavy metals leting remotion. The usage of oxidizers such as H peroxide or K permanganate react with the heavy metals and pull them out of the leachate leting remotion. Simple pH accommodation of the leachate causes the heavy metals to precipitate from the leachate and therefore be removed. ( Source – United States Environmental Protection Agency 1995 ) Other methods include revolving biological contractors, drip filters, aerated lagunas, up flow anaerobic sludge cover reactors, surface assimilation, deposit, floatation, rearward osmosis and air denudation.Techniques for the separation of plastic types originating from municipal wastesThe recycling of plastics is a major option to landfill and incineration. For the mechanical or chemical recycling methods used some signifier of segregation demands to be undertaken foremost. Plastics come in 7 major signifiers each separaletly classified by their rosin indentification codification by the Society of Plastics industry in 1968. The codification is shown on each fictile merchandise by a trigon of trailing pointers environing a figure for illustration: Pet Polyethylene phenolphthalein – Fizzy drink bottles and oven-ready repast trays. ( Source www.wasteonline.org ) The first and most basic, but of import, point of separation can is done by the consumer of the plastics either as a homeowner utilizing a recycling system designed y the local council or as a company segretagating the waste for recycling. They use the codifications on the plastics. These are so taken away, reduced in size and farther segregated by a assortment of techniques. Fictile separation techniques are based on the differences in the physical belongingss or surface features of the plastic. Manual separation of plastics is still used chiefly for big points on a conveyer. This is non a peculiarly specific technique as operator mistake can happen often ( Source R. Pascoe pp 7 2000. ) Manual screening on the footing of coloring material is besides used. Density separation is a common method for the separation of plastics. All the different types of plastics have different densenesss. Separations are by and large of the sink/float types utilizing an aqueous medium of known denseness. By careful alteration of medium denseness utilizing salt solutions or all right atom suspensions it is possible to divide plastics provided they have a sensible denseness difference ( & A ; gt ; 100 kg m-3 ) ( Source – R. Pascoe, pp15 200 ) Another method utilizing denseness is the usage of gravitative centrifuges. These work utilizing the atoms of the plastics. These are fed in to a seperation liquid. Those atoms with a denseness lower than the liquid float and are removed m=by paddles. Atoms that are denser than the liquid sink and are removde from the underside. Hign separation efficiency can be hard due to the hydrophobic nature of plastics which can intend air bubbles attah to the surface doing the plastics to drift. Plastic segregation by de nseness can be accelarated by centrifugtion ( Source – J. Aguado. Pp 23.1999 ) Besides utilizing a liquid medium, differences in solubility have been investigated for the separation of plastics. A combination of dissolvers and dissolution/precipitation stairss allows the different types of plastics to be isolated. ( Source – J. Aguado. Pp 25.1999 ) A vry new separation technique has been investigated for assorted plastics using selective wetting features. The surface of specific plastics can be selectively changed from hydrophobic to hydrophilic by utilizing a wetting agent. Then, when little air bubbles are introduced into a separation cell, they adhere to the surface of the hydrophobic plastics and drift them to the H2O surface.. Plastics with the same denseness can be separated by this procedure. The fictile centrifuge can be used for many intents: for dividing plastics from mixtures, riddance of foreign affair such as paper, fibres, aluminum foil, Cu wire french friess, sand, and glass from plastics ; elucidation of waste H2O incorporating all right rosin pulverization ; etc. ( Source K.Saitoh, I. Naguna, S.Izuni. 1976 ) One of the most common methods of fictile segregation is the usage of Near Infrared ( NIR ) Spectroscopy. The reflected radiation from the energy givwn to the plastic is measured in a infrared sensor and the ensuing spectrum is assigend to a specific polymer by comparasion with a spectra library. Different polymers can so be readily identified. It has a really speedy response clip and hence is really efficient. Contaiminations from the waste watercourse such as labels do non adversley impact this type of separation. Another separation technique utilizing visible radiation is the usage of optical maser spectral analysis. The optical maser penetrates the surface and steps emission spetra of the plastics. Different plastics step otherwise on the graduated table. Polarised visible radiation is besides used and this checks the differences of crystallinity. This method chiefly applies to the segregation of Polyvinyl Chloride ( PVC ) from Polyethylene terephthalate ( PET ) bottles. UV visib le radiation is besides used. his is used to divide polymers that exhibit different UV induced fluorescence. To human eyes, PET will remain clear while PVC turns black therefore this is a really common manner to manually screen bottles. X-ray techonology can be used on both automated and manual lines and is used to segregate plastics by coloring material and rosin. Many other methods exist for the segregation of plastics including dry methods such as air classifiers, electrostatic separation, and chemical speparation.

HR PRACTICE ON GRAMEEN BANK Essay

In any comprehensive work, like this, credit must go to the multitude of people. I am still students and just novice. Hence, I have taken help from different people for preparing my report. Now here is a petite effort to show my deep graduate to those helpful people. First, I commit my selves grateful to Allah for his unlimited kindness and maximum helpful hand in continuing my report preparation. I express my sincere gratitude to honorable supervisor, Ms. Monsura Zaman, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Faculty of Business Administration, ASA University Bangladesh, for their guidance and valuable remark about the convention of the report. I have come to believe, deeply and firmly, that we can create a poverty free world if we want to. I came to this conclusion not as a product of a pious dream, but as a concrete result  of experience gained in the work of the Grameen Bank. It is not micro credit alone which will end poverty. Credit is one door through which people can escape from poverty. Many more doors and windows can be created to facilitate an easy exit. It involves conceptualizing about people differently; it involves designing a new institutional frame work consistent with this new conceptualization. Grameen bank has taught me two things first our knowledge base about people and their interactions is still very inadequate: second each individual person is very important. Each person has tremendous potential. She or he alone can influence the lives of others within the communities, nations, within and beyond her or his own time. Background of the Study Successful human resource management makes it possible for the organization to acquire the number and types of people necessary to ensure the continued operation of the organization by the†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. So it acts an important role in HR department. As a part of BBA program, my honorable supervisor, Ms. Monsura Zaman, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.., assigned me to prepare a report on related topic on Human Resource Management course. I have selected our report topic as â€Å"HRM practice in microcredit Sector of Bangladesh (Grameen Bank).†. Executive Summary The importance of human resources management (HRM) practices to the success or failure of organizational development system performance has, until recently, been generally overlooked. In recent years it has been increasingly recognized that getting HR policy and management. In this paper, I take my theoretical point of departure in recent work in organizational economics on systems of human resource management (HRM) practices. Though this program good balance between theory and practice is gained. Furthermore this is Thesis assignment is a vital requirement for obtaining Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program. I worked Grameen Bank’, how they practice HRM on their microcredit sector. Microcredit is the extension of very small loans (microloans) to impoverished borrowers who  typically lack collateral, steady employment and a verifiable credit history. It is designed not only to support entrepreneurship and alleviate poverty, but also in many cases to empower women and uplift entire communities by extension. In many communities, women lack the highly stable employment histories that traditional lenders tend to require. Many are illiterate, and therefore unable to complete paperwork required to get conventional loans. As of 2009 an estimated 74 million men and women held microloans that totaled US$38 billion. Grameen Bank reports that repayment success rates are between 95 and 98 per cent. Report Overview Introduction Background of HRM: Human Resource Management is defined as the people who staff and manage organization. It comprises of the functions and principles that are applied to retaining, training, developing, and compensating the employees in organization. It is also applicable to business organizations, such as acting, news presenters and Models etc. Human Resource Management is defined as the set of activities, programs, and functions that are designed to maximize both organizational as well as employee effectiveness. Scope of HRM without a doubt is vast. All the activities of employee, from the time of his entry into an organization until he leaves, come under the horizon of HRM. The divisions included in HRM are Recruitment, Payroll, Performance Management, Training and Development, Retention, Employee Relation, etc. A human resources management (HRM) professional is responsible for successfully acquiring, developing, motivating, and retaining employees. That is, they are on the â€Å"people† side of business operations, and because people do the work of organizations, a company’s success rests heavily on the quality of its HRM. An HRM professional is a full business partner who adds value to business decisions and aligns HR practices with those decisions. The work calls on you to know about compensation and benefits, labor relations laws, how to forecast working needs, organizational learning, and organizational change. Students’ specialty courses include â€Å"Competitive HRM Practices,† â€Å"Negotiations,† and â€Å"Cultural Aspects of  International Business.† They also select an honors seminar in â€Å"Management of Innovation.† In the classroom and on co-op, students gain the acting base of knowledge and the business expertise that’ s needed as an HRM professional. Human resource management is an effective tool for students interested in helping businesses succeed in a changeable personnel environment. This guide is based on Human Resource Management in a Business Context, and includes links to extra articles, notes, tips and exercises. It introduces you to the essential elements of HRM, its origins and applications. HRM is viewed as an all-embracing term describing a number of distinctive approaches to people management. They help you to understand and evaluate the different and sometimes ambiguous views of human resource management by investigating its origins, explanatory models, technology and practice. Human resource (or personnel) management has in the sense of getting things through people. It’s an essential part of every manager’s responsibilities, but many organizations find it advantageous to establish a specialist division to provide an expert service dedicated to ensuring that the huma n resource function is performed efficiently. â€Å"People are our most valuable asset† is a clichà © which no member of any senior management team would disagree with. Yet, the reality for many organizations is that their people remain under valued under trained under utilized poorly motivated, and consequently perform well below their true capability The rate of change facing organizations has never been greater and organizations must absorb and manage change at a much faster rate than in the past. In order to implement a successful business strategy to face this challenge, organizations, large or small, must ensure that they have the right people capable of delivering the strategy. The market place for talented, skilled people is competitive and expensive. Taking on new staff can be disruptive to existing employees. Also, it takes time to develop ‘cultural awareness’, product/ process/ organization knowledge and experience for new staff members. As organizations vary in size, aims, functions, complexity, construction, the physical nature of their product,  and appeal as employers, so do the contributions of human resource management. But, in most the ultimate aim of the function is to: â€Å"ensure that at all times the business is correctly staffed by the right number of people with the skills relevant to the bu siness needs†, that is, neither overstaffed nor understaffed in total or in respect of any one discipline or work grade. These issues motivate a well thought out human resource management strategy, with the precision and detail of say a marketing strategy. Failure in not having a carefully crafted human resources management strategy, can and probably will lead to failures in the business process itself. Origin of the Report: This report has been prepared as a requirement of the Thesis program based upon the Grameen Bank where my organization supervisor is Golam Morshed Mohammed (Senior Principal Officer, International Program Dept.), and my institution supervisor is Golam Mahbubul Alam,( Assistant Professor, Department of Business Administration, Stamford University). My institute supervisor duly approved the topic decided for doing the report. Since the MBA program is an integrated, practical and theoretical method of learning, the students of this program are required to have practical exposure in any kind of business organization in last term of this course. Scope and Objectives of the Study A clear objective helps in preparation of well decorated report in which other take the right type of decision. So I identify objective are very much important. Our purpose of preparing the report is: To know the human resource management (HRM) practice of Grameen Bank. To identify the various avenues for improving the HRM policies of Grameen Bank To know about the management ability of Grameen Bank. Suggesting strategies to improve the HRM policies of Grameen Bank. This study covers the HRM policies of Grameen Bank along with some recommendations to improve the HRM policies of Grameen Bank. Methodology A sample survey was conducted to collect primary data using two pre-designed survey instruments from concerned groups following an appropriate sample  design. In view of the complexities involved in generating quantitative data for assessing the real impact, qualitative data were also collected. In the context of the unique features of the area an attempt was made to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the private HRM sector. Data Collection: This study is mainly based on secondary data available from the various divisions and departments of Grameen Bank, in addition to these other necessary information have been collected from the relevant journals, annual reports of the Grameen bank, website and publications of other relevant institutions have also been taken into consideration. Primary sources of data: Face to face conversation with the Grameen Bank administrative dept. and International depts. Officers & staffs. Conversation with the clients. Different’ manuals of Grameen Bank. Secondary sources of data: Procedure manual published by the Grameen Bank. Files and documents of the branch. Annual report of Grameen Bank. Unpublished data. Different text books. Web sites. Unstructured data: This data was compiled using information from Grameen Bank branch and centre visits, informal discussions with branch managers, field staff and various management level officers conducted during field and head office visits. Limitations of the Study As a student of faculty of Business Administration, this is my first initiative for making a report on â€Å"HRM Practice in Microcredit sector of Bangladesh: A case study on Grameen Bank†. By meeting with officers, I was really unable to collect enough information from due to their official restrictions. While carry out the study I had to face a few limitations, which are mentioned below: The main constraint of the study is inadequate access to information. The employees did not disclose much information for the sake of the confidentiality of the organization. Since the bank and other companies personal were very busy, they could provide me very little time. The clients were too busy to provide me much time for interview. The time frame fixed to prepare the study report was hard to be met. As a result, sufficient concentration could be given on it, which was needed for a much better study. Chapter 2 An Overview on Microcredit in Bangladesh What is Microcredit? Much of the current interest in microcredit stems from the Microcredit Summit (2-4 February 1997), and the activities that went into organizing the event. The definition of microcredit that was adopted there was: Microcredit: programmers extend small loans to very poor people for self-employment projects that generate income, allowing them to care for themselves and their families. Definitions defer, of course, from country to country. Some of the defining criteria used include- size – loans are micro, or very small in size target users – microenterpreneurs and low-income households utilization – the use of funds – for income generation, and enterprise development, but also for community use (health/education) etc. terms and conditions – most terms and conditions for microcredit loans are flexible and easy to understand, and suited to the local conditions of the community. Three C’s of Credit Character: means how a person has handled past debt obligations: Form credit history and personal background, honesty and reliability of the borrower to pay credit debts are determined. Capacity: means how much debt a borrower can comfortably handle. Income streams are analyzed and any legal obligations looked into, which could interfere in repayment. Capital: means current available assets of the borrower, such as real estate, savings or investment that could be used to repay debt if income should be unavailable. Microcredit in Bangladesh Microcredit programs in Bangladesh is implemented by NGOs, Grameen Bank, state-owned commercial banks, private commercial banks, and specialized programs of some ministries of Bangladesh government. In the microfinance sector total loan outstanding is around TK 248 billion (including Grameen Bank TK 72 billion) and savings TK168 billion. The total clients of this sector is 35 million (including 8.4 million clients from Grameen Bank) that accelerates overall economic development process of the country. Credit services of this sector can be categorized into six broad groups: i) general microcredit for small-scale self employment based activities, ii) microenterprise loans, iii) loans for ultra poor, iv) agricultural loans, v) seasonal loans, and vi) loans for disaster management. Loan amounts up to BDT 50,000 are generally considered as microcredit; loans above this amount are considered as microenterprise loans. LICENSING STATUS OF THE NGO-MFIS IN BANGLADESH The Microcredit Regulatory Authority (MRA), established by the government in August 2006, received applications from 4241 private institutions (NGO-MFIs). But, around 1000 applications of them were found to be very small organizations that had fewer than 1000 borrowers or less than the USD 58,000 in outstanding loans that is generally considered as the minimum initial operating portfolio of a single branched MFI to be sustainable. However, till August 2012 the MRA had approved licenses in favor of 651 NGOs. There are another 210 applications are under process for a final decision although they are mostly small organizations but with some potentiality to become viable in course of time. As of August 2012, 3380 applications have been rejected. Recently MRA has invited new applications for obtaining license to conduct microcredit activities. STATE OF MICROCREDIT IN BANGLADESH In the backdrop of global ‘double-dip’ recession and over-indebtedness crisis in microcredit sector in several countries, Bangladesh’s microfinance sector shows strong resilience and continues to contribute towards enhancement of macroeconomic growth. Bangladesh microfinance sector is mature now and its assets constitute around 3 percent of GDP in 2011. Total outstanding loan of  this sector (only licensed MFIs) has increased by 20.0 percent from BDT 145.0 billion in June 2010 to BDT 173.8 billion in June, 2011 disbursed among 20.7 million poor people, helping them to be self-employed and accelerating overall economic development process of the country. The total savings has also increased by 23.25 percent to BDT 63.3 billion in June 2011 compared to previous year from 26.1 million clients, over 93 percent of them are women. Table 2 shows the market scenario of NGO-MFIs in Bangladesh. The top three MFIs contribute 54 percent of total loan outstanding as well as savings of the microfinance sector in Bangladesh. Two of the largest MFIs, viz., BRAC & ASA, are each serving over five million borrowers. There are a few more developing fast. On the other hand the smallest 428 NGO-MFIs have contributed only 4 percent of total loan outstanding and 5 percent of total savings. Institutional concentration ratio is highly skewed in favor of large MFIs: just 22 institutions are in control of 76 percent of the market share while three largest organizations have control of over 50 percent in terms of both clients and total financial portfolios. Table 3 depicts the scenario of micro enterprise loan, i.e., loans above BDT 50,000, of different NGO-MFIs in Bangladesh. It is observed that micro enterprise loan outstanding is BDT 40 billion which is around 24 percent of total loan outstanding in which the top ten NGO-MFIs contributed around 19 percent. It also shows that BDT 40 billion is disbursed to around 6 lakh borrowers which are only 3 percent of total borrowers. The table expresses that only the top NGO-MFIs are capable to run micro enterprise loan. Selected Indicators of NGO-MFIs in Bangladesh It is observed from table 4 that savings per member has been increasing over the years. In 2006 savings per member was Tk. 1,207 which stands at Tk.2495 in 2011 – an increase to more than double within the last five years. The loan outstanding per borrower also increased over the years and average growth rate of loan outstanding per borrower is around 17 percent in 2011 compared to the previous year. The loan outstanding per borrower has increased by more than 100 percent within the last five years. These two indicators, savings per member (average saving size) and outstanding loan per borrower (average loan size) increased over time perhaps due to the increase in the income level of the poor resulting in an increase in their need for higher amount of loans from the MFIs. The ratio between borrowers to clients (members) remained steady for the last few years, which is within 70 to 80 percent and the savings to outstanding loan ratio has also been stable from 2006 to 2011. Since the total number of branches of MFIs has increased at a much higher rate in 2011 compared to the previous year, the number of members and borrowers per branch has decreased. Substantial rate of increase in the sizes of loans per borrower and savings per member has resulted in a rise in the total loan outstanding and savings in the sector. Consequently outstanding loan and saving per branch has also increased. The loan outstanding amount per branch which was TK 8.42 million in 2010 has increased by 14.4 percent in 2011.

How to Use Attribution Correctly as a Reporter

To a journalist, attribution simply means telling your readers where the information in your story comes from, as well as who is being quoted. Generally, attribution means using a source’s full name and job title  if thats relevant. Information from sources can be paraphrased or quoted directly, but in both cases, it should be attributed. Attribution Style Keep in mind that on-the-record attribution—meaning a sources full name and job title are given—should be used whenever possible. On-the-record attribution is inherently more credible than any other type of attribution for the simple reason that the ​source has put their name on the line with the information theyve provided. But there are some cases where a  source might not be willing to give full on-the-record attribution. Lets say youre an investigative journalist looking into allegations of corruption in city government. You have a source in the mayors office who is willing to give you information, but theyre worried about repercussions if their name is revealed. In that case, you as the reporter would talk to this source about what kind of attribution they are willing to commit to. You are compromising on full on-the-record attribution because the story is worth getting for the public good. Here are some examples of different kinds of attribution. Source – Paraphrase Jeb Jones, a resident of the trailer park, said the sound of the tornado was terrifying. Source – Direct Quote â€Å"It sounded like a giant locomotive train coming through. I’ve never heard anything like it,† said Jeb Jones, who lives in the trailer park. Journalists often use both paraphrases and direct quotes from a source. Direct quotes provide immediacy and a more connected, human element to the story. They tend to draw the reader in. Source – Paraphrase and Quote Jeb Jones, a resident of the trailer park, said the sound of the tornado was terrifying. â€Å"It sounded like a giant locomotive train coming through. I’ve never heard anything like it,† Jones said. (Notice that in Associated Press style,  a source’s full name is used on the first reference, then just the last name on all subsequent references. If your source has a specific title or rank, use the title before their full name on the first reference, then just the last name after that.) When to Attribute Any time the information in your story comes from a source  and not from your own firsthand observations or knowledge, it must be attributed. A good rule of thumb is to attribute once per paragraph if you are telling the story mainly through comments from an interview or eyewitnesses to an event. It might seem repetitive, but it’s important for journalists to be clear about where their information originates. Example: The suspect escaped from the police van on Broad Street, and officers captured him about a block away on Market Street, said Lt. Jim Calvin. Different Types of Attribution In his book News Reporting and Writing,  journalism professor Melvin Mencher outlines four distinct types of attribution: 1. On the record: All statements are directly quotable and attributable, by name and title, to the person making the statement. This is the most valuable type of attribution. Example: The U.S. has no plans to invade Iran, said White House press secretary Jim Smith. 2. On Background: All statements are directly quotable but cant be attributed by name or specific title to the person commenting. Example: The U.S. has no plans to invade Iran, a White House spokesman said. 3. On Deep Background: Anything that is said in the interview is usable but not in a  direct quotation and not for attribution. The  reporter  writes it in their own words.   Example: Invading Iran is not in the cards for the U.S.   4. Off the Record: Information is for the reporters use only and is not to be published. The information also is not to be taken to another source in hopes of getting confirmation.   You probably don’t need to get into all of Mencher’s categories when you’re interviewing a source. But you should clearly establish how the information your source gives you can be attributed.