Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Preventing Substance Abuse - 940 Words

Preventing substance abuse involves developing numerous strategic partnerships. Substance abuse is a multidisciplinary issue, and requires a correspondingly multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach. The strategy for drug abuse prevention must begin with segmenting the market, or analyzing the needs of the community. Is the greatest proportion of abusers in the community youth? If so, what kinds of drugs are most commonly used in the community? Are seniors in the community abusing prescription medications? The strategy will be more effective when there is a better idea of the demographics of the target population. Beginning with the assumption that substance abuse will be a problem in community schools, it is important to engage educators, school administrators, school board representatives, and parents. Community organizations, including recreational facilities, and also local businesses, will also be involved in promoting strategies that prevent substance use and abuse. Regarding school board and school administration, curriculum needs to reflect the goal of substance abuse prevention. Teaching prevention in schools must be done with a concerted effort that involves parents. Moreover, changing the minds of students about drugs would require the involvement of young role models that can steer at risk youth away from drugs. At-risk youth need to be better identified early, so that their substance use issues never fester into substance abuse problems. In addition toShow MoreRelatedPreventing Teen Substance Abuse Within Rural Areas1205 Words   |  5 PagesPreventing Teen Substance Abuse in Rur al Areas Teenagers living in rural communities are more susceptible to drug and alcohol abuse than their urban counterparts. Although it may seem that living in a less populated area would present teens with less opportunity for trouble, the lack of stimulation creates an atmosphere conducive to substance abuse. PsychologyToday.com has listed boredom among the top reasons that teens get themselves into trouble (Lohmann, 2010). Public programs and activities provideRead MoreRelapse in Substance Abuse Treatment Essay1165 Words   |  5 PagesRelapse Prevention in Substance Abuse Treatment In relation to drug abuse, relapse is resuming the use of a chemical substance or drug after a period of abstinence. The term can be said to be a landmark feature of a combination of substance abuse and substance independence. The propensity for dependency, repeated use, and tendencies that take the form of the substance being used, are some of the issues that drug users’ experience. Substances that enhance most severe tendencies in users and pose highRead MoreCritique of School Based Programs654 Words   |  3 Pagesis a school based intervention; the goal of the program is to prevent alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use along with violence. This is done by targeting major social and psychological factors that increase the start of substance abuse and additional risky behaviors. Substance abuse problems are multifaceted; LST addresses multiple risk and protective factors. Core Components The core components of the program teach 1) personal self-management skills; that encompass decision making and problem solving;Read MoreSubstance Abuse And Smoking, And How It Affects Family Relationships1463 Words   |  6 PagesThe topic that will be discussed in the following paper will focus on the issues of addiction; in specific, substance abuse and smoking, and how it affects family relationships. Living with someone who struggles with substance abuse is a very difficult battle amongst many families worldwide. When we were brought into this world, we were not born with a set of values and expectations, but rather, that is something that we learnt over our years of development. Primarily, we spend most of our time withRead MoreCognitive Behavioral Therapy For Substance Abuse1574 Words   |  7 PagesSubstance abuse consists of an individual exhibiting dysfunctional behavior as a result of consuming psychoactive substances that eventually culminate in adverse consequences. A ccording to the 2013, National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 24.6 million Americans over the age of 12 were current illicit drug users; moreover, 136.9 million Americans were current alcohol users, which is more than half (52.2%) of the American population (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services AdministrationRead MoreThe Cost Of Addiction / Substance Abuse Essay936 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of the Cost of Addiction/Substance Abuse Stevens Smith (2013) ascertain that alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs have cost $180-$484 billion dollars annually, yet that dollar estimate does not include what damage it causes to the family and victims of substance abuse users. In contrast, research indicates to use caution when deciphering the costs of substance abuse due to new data that is constantly changing (Single, 2009). Furthermore, some associated costs may not be reported becauseRead Moreprescription drug abuse1523 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Prescription Drug Abuse Millions of people throughout the world are taking drugs on a daily basis. If you were to ask someone why they take prescription drugs, most people would be taking them for the right reason. However, it’s estimated that twenty percent of people in the United States alone have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons.1 Prescription drug abuse is a serious and growing problem that often goes unnoticed. Abusing these drugs can often lead to addiction and even deathRead MoreDrug Abuse And Its Effect On Society Essay1167 Words   |  5 Pageschemical substance applied into treating, diagnosing and preventing one from disease infections or a substance that is used by a person to enhance his or her physical and mental state in the perceived effect. Drugs used for different purposes and their effect depend on which cause for usage. It causes both positive and negative consequences directly to the user and in the long-run it affects the whole society or community. Drug addictio n is the activity of uncontrollable dependence on a substance by theRead MoreBenefits And Limitations When Prevention Providers Are Looking For Successful Programs Essay1722 Words   |  7 PagesThere are many benefits and limitations when prevention providers are looking for successful programs. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, or NIDA, provides a large research-based guide of the most effective prevention programs. This research should be the number one tool when looking into different types of programs, although it does not include every single program. A common problem in the prevention field consists of registries missing important strategies, including environmental approachesRead MoreUnderstanding Drug Use And Addiction. The National Institute1116 Words   |  5 PagesUnderstanding Drug Use and Addiction The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) describes addiction as a, â€Å"chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences† (â€Å"Understanding Drug Use and Addiction,† 2016). Long-term use can effect and change a person’s ability to learn, judge, and make decisions. Stress, memory issues, and behavior problems are also common side effects of extended drug use. There is not one single factor

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

De-Scalers free essay sample

When water is heated limescale deposits can form, especially in machines such as fully automatic coffee makers, espresso machines and all hot water units. In this context you often hear about hard and soft water. The hardness of the water indicates the proportion of limescale. Your water supply company will provide more information about hardness of your water. If your groundwater flows through calcareous rock layers, eroded magnesium and calcium carbonate will cause limescale deposits in your water. Why do I need to remove limescale? In addition to loss of coffee flavor limescale deposits can severely damage your machine and shorten its lifespan significantly. Limescale deposits in your machine lead to: Longer scalding time with higher electricity charges Lower water temperatures causing inferior coffee flavor Blocked machines pipe Corrosion of metal parts and sealing gaskets Expensive repairs Only regular and timely descaling with a high-quality descaler, such as ceragol ultra Premium Descaler, ensures a long lifespan and optimal coffee flavor. We will write a custom essay sample on De-Scalers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Your coffee maker is a high-tech machine which needs regular, gentle care. What do you expect from your descaler? Limescale deposits are removed by acids in the descaler. Only the right mixture of effective acids and gentle additives for the metal parts and sealing gaskets allows for optimal results during descaling. The quick reaction time and immediate reusability of the machine after rinsing are basic demands on a premium descaler. Why amidosulfonic acid? Descaling with citric or acetic acids The big problem when descaling with citric or acetic acids are the released flavor additives which cause an obtrusive smell during descaling. The plastic parts of your fully automated coffee maker tend to taken on these smells and influence the smell and taste of your coffee negatively. Plastic parts and sealing gaskets of your unit can be attacked by the vinegar or acetic acid. Citric acid tends to flake during descaling. This can block the valves and water pipes and lead to high repair charges. An additional problem is that the limescale is actually sealed in by an indissoluble layer which occurs repeatedly when using descalers based on citric acids. Descaling with vinegar, acetic acid or citric acid takes significantly longer than descaling with ceragol ultra Premium Descaler. Descaling with amidosulfonic acid Descaling with amidosulfonic acid, the active ingredient of our ceragol ultra Premium Descaler, does not require any reaction time. During the descaling program the limescale is dissolved and flushed away. This process is completely odorless and neutral in taste. After thorough rinsing your machine is once again food-safe. The additives in ceragol ultra Premium Descaler guard and protect the metal and plastic components of your fully automatic coffee maker. The right time to descale Automatic coffee machine w. auto descaling indicator Please ask your water supply company about the hardness of your water and set the water hardness according to the operating instructions of your manufacturer. Your machine will indicate when descaling is needed. Automatic coffee machine w/o descaling indicator Descaling becomes necessary as soon as you notice a delay in operation or irregularities during coffee preparation. Another telltale sign is the reduction of the amount of foam produced on the coffee. The machine must be descaled periodically and in due time.

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Japanese Obon Festival free essay sample

A Buddhist monk, able to see the dead, saw his mother struggling in the afterworld of Hungry Ghosts, the Hell of Starvation. Horrified by his clairvoyant vision, the Buddhist monk, Mokuren, ran to Buddha and was instructed to give each Buddhist monk offerings on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Doing so and seeing his mothers release, Mokuren realized how much she had sacrificed for him and danced in great joy and gratitude. Much like the story of Mokuren, the Japanese Obon (pronounced o-bone) festival is a family oriented celebration which appreciates the sacrifices of ones ancestors. Japans fashion of celebrating their ancestors sacrifices has its origins steeped in Buddhist culture. Obon has been celebrated annually since its introduction by the Chinese in the seventh century (more accurately 657 A. D. ). Abbreviated from Urabon (the Japanese transliteration of the Sanskrit word Ullambana), Obon means to hang upside down, which communicates the retched suffering of either body or spirit, literally or metaphorically, of being hung upside down. We will write a custom essay sample on Japanese Obon Festival or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Obon is a ritual, which operates according to Sakyamuni Buddhas Urabon Sutra, the story of Mokuren. This ritual was practiced the same way Sakyamuni Buddha instructed Mokuren to do, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. This tradition changed over the centuries and is now more commonly practiced August 13-16th, though most places in Okinawa (southern Japan) still celebrate Obon on the Lunar Calendars seventh month. Like the story implies, Obon is not a mournful celebration and is known as the Festival of Light or the Festival of Joy. For the three days of Obon, people may dance, eat good food, play games, and pray to show the joy they have for what their ancestors had to give up when they were alive. These celebratory features however, must be prepared for to adequately honor the ancestors spirits. Before the Obon festival begins, families gather and prepare their homes and the familys shrine in order to show thanks to their ancestors. Once the family has gathered, the home first must be cleaned, which functions to purify the area for the arrival of the ancestors sprits. To feed the spirits, food offerings, mostly vegetables, fruits, and rice are placed at the butsudan throughout the three days of Obon. The butsudan (a Buddhist altar) is an essential part to a traditional Japanese home, especially during Obon, being that it is the center of spiritual faith of the house. Positioned at the butsudan altar to help direct the spirits home are Lanterns, called chochin, and flower arrangements, called ikebana. Incense sticks are placed at the altar, which is thought to sooth and please the familys ancestors and chase away malignant spirits. Praying at the butsudan alter is also done at this time, sometimes asking a Buddhist or Shinto priest to invite the spirits home. It isnt uncommon to also position a lantern with the familys crest at the doorway (referred to as mukae-bi), to guide the souls to the right home. The family then will set out to their familys shrine and do much of the same thing; using chochin lanterns to bring the spirits home (the term for this being mukae-bon). This work is implemented to show how grateful the family is for what their ancestors have given up and sacrificed during the time they were alive. Once the set up is accomplished, fun gatherings take place so the people may show their appreciation to their familys ancestors. Due to the sweltering summer heat in Japan, yukata or cotton Kimonos are worn to the carnival-like celebration. Takoyaki (rounded fried dough often containing octopus), fried squid and chicken, sushi, dango (tofu and rice dessert), manju (Japanese confectionary), chocolate-dipped bananas, and snow cones with red beans are just some of the common food items of the Obon festival. A variety of games are also a large feature of the celebration. These games vary anywhere from catching fish from a kiddy pool using a small net, to throwing rings at bottles for prizes. Although the food and games have a significant role to play, the bon odori (Obon folk dance) is the pinnacle of the Obon gala. The bon odori dancing is done to welcome the spirits of the dead back to the living world. Different areas in Japan have different dances as well as unique songs to match them. Some songs have a pertinent spiritual significance to them and thusly, the bon odori will too. Hokkaido, far north of Japan, entertains with the folk song Soran Bushi, where in Kagoshima, the far south, uses the song Ohara Bushi. Anyone may participate in this special dance, allowing those who do the ability to show thanks and joy to their ancestors. The Buddhist teachings, which has soaked Japan in its colours, preaches not the joy of getting what you want, but rather the bliss of awareness. Completing the celebratory festival, the souls must be sent back to the afterworld to rest peacefully. Toro nagashi, meaning floating lanterns, is the final tradition of the Japanese Obon. Once th e sun begins to set, the people will take their family in-crested chochin lanterns to the waters edge. Lighting the lanterns, they send them off floating to the other side. The fire lit in these lanterns are said to guide the spirits wherever they go and here, they guide them back to the afterworld. Families that live by the coast, use the ocean as the sending place for toro nagashi, but for those not near the ocean will often use rivers or lakes to send off their ancestors. Regardless of which is used, this process of Obon is beautiful, but melancholy. Sending off the spirits of grandmothers, grandfathers, parents, wives, husbands, and children is often a very emotional process for the Japanese. Each family, on land or on boat, will watch as their lanterns float farther and farther away. The glow of each lantern causing the water to look much like the starry sky, spotted with many warm lights. Those who participated in toro nagashi have a heightened awareness of the challenges and sacrifices their ancestors had to take. For centuries Obon has been a sacred gathering for the dead and the living to teach and celebrate the awareness appreciating anothers sacrifice brings. Japanese Obon Festival free essay sample A Buddhist monk, able to see the dead, saw his mother struggling in the afterworld of Hungry Ghosts, the Hell of Starvation. Horrified by his clairvoyant vision, the Buddhist monk, Mokuren, ran to Buddha and was instructed to give each Buddhist monk offerings on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Doing so and seeing his mothers release, Mokuren realized how much she had sacrificed for him and danced in great joy and gratitude. Much like the story of Mokuren, the Japanese Obon (pronounced o-bone) festival is a family oriented celebration which appreciates the sacrifices of ones ancestors. Japans fashion of celebrating their ancestors sacrifices has its origins steeped in Buddhist culture. Obon has been celebrated annually since its introduction by the Chinese in the seventh century (more accurately 657 A. D. ). Abbreviated from Urabon (the Japanese transliteration of the Sanskrit word Ullambana), Obon means to hang upside down, which communicates the retched suffering of either body or spirit, literally or metaphorically, of being hung upside down. We will write a custom essay sample on Japanese Obon Festival or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Obon is a ritual, which operates according to Sakyamuni Buddhas Urabon Sutra, the story of Mokuren. This ritual was practiced the same way Sakyamuni Buddha instructed Mokuren to do, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. This tradition changed over the centuries and is now more commonly practiced August 13-16th, though most places in Okinawa (southern Japan) still celebrate Obon on the Lunar Calendars seventh month. Like the story implies, Obon is not a mournful celebration and is known as the Festival of Light or the Festival of Joy. For the three days of Obon, people may dance, eat good food, play games, and pray to show the joy they have for what their ancestors had to give up when they were alive. These celebratory features however, must be prepared for to adequately honor the ancestors spirits. Before the Obon festival begins, families gather and prepare their homes and the familys shrine in order to show thanks to their ancestors. Once the family has gathered, the home first must be cleaned, which functions to purify the area for the arrival of the ancestors sprits. To feed the spirits, food offerings, mostly vegetables, fruits, and rice are placed at the butsudan throughout the three days of Obon. The butsudan (a Buddhist altar) is an essential part to a traditional Japanese home, especially during Obon, being that it is the center of spiritual faith of the house. Positioned at the butsudan altar to help direct the spirits home are Lanterns, called chochin, and flower arrangements, called ikebana. Incense sticks are placed at the altar, which is thought to sooth and please the familys ancestors and chase away malignant spirits. Praying at the butsudan alter is also done at this time, sometimes asking a Buddhist or Shinto priest to invite the spirits home. It isnt uncommon to also position a lantern with the familys crest at the doorway (referred to as mukae-bi), to guide the souls to the right home. The family then will set out to their familys shrine and do much of the same thing; using chochin lanterns to bring the spirits home (the term for this being mukae-bon). This work is implemented to show how grateful the family is for what their ancestors have given up and sacrificed during the time they were alive. Once the set up is accomplished, fun gatherings take place so the people may show their appreciation to their familys ancestors. Due to the sweltering summer heat in Japan, yukata or cotton Kimonos are worn to the carnival-like celebration. Takoyaki (rounded fried dough often containing octopus), fried squid and chicken, sushi, dango (tofu and rice dessert), manju (Japanese confectionary), chocolate-dipped bananas, and snow cones with red beans are just some of the common food items of the Obon festival. A variety of games are also a large feature of the celebration. These games vary anywhere from catching fish from a kiddy pool using a small net, to throwing rings at bottles for prizes. Although the food and games have a significant role to play, the bon odori (Obon folk dance) is the pinnacle of the Obon gala. The bon odori dancing is done to welcome the spirits of the dead back to the living world. Different areas in Japan have different dances as well as unique songs to match them. Some songs have a pertinent spiritual significance to them and thusly, the bon odori will too. Hokkaido, far north of Japan, entertains with the folk song Soran Bushi, where in Kagoshima, the far south, uses the song Ohara Bushi. Anyone may participate in this special dance, allowing those who do the ability to show thanks and joy to their ancestors. The Buddhist teachings, which has soaked Japan in its colours, preaches not the joy of getting what you want, but rather the bliss of awareness. Completing the celebratory festival, the souls must be sent back to the afterworld to rest peacefully. Toro nagashi, meaning floating lanterns, is the final tradition of the Japanese Obon. Once th e sun begins to set, the people will take their family in-crested chochin lanterns to the waters edge. Lighting the lanterns, they send them off floating to the other side. The fire lit in these lanterns are said to guide the spirits wherever they go and here, they guide them back to the afterworld. Families that live by the coast, use the ocean as the sending place for toro nagashi, but for those not near the ocean will often use rivers or lakes to send off their ancestors. Regardless of which is used, this process of Obon is beautiful, but melancholy. Sending off the spirits of grandmothers, grandfathers, parents, wives, husbands, and children is often a very emotional process for the Japanese. Each family, on land or on boat, will watch as their lanterns float farther and farther away. The glow of each lantern causing the water to look much like the starry sky, spotted with many warm lights. Those who participated in toro nagashi have a heightened awareness of the challenges and sacrifices their ancestors had to take. For centuries Obon has been a sacred gathering for the dead and the living to teach and celebrate the awareness appreciating anothers sacrifice brings.

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Cooperative Learning Tips and Techniques

Cooperative Learning Tips and Techniques Cooperative learning is a teaching strategy classroom teachers use to help their students process information more quickly by having them work in small groups to accomplish a common goal. Each member that is in the group is responsible for learning the information given, and also for helping their fellow group members learn the information as well. How Does It Work? In order for Cooperative learning groups to be successful, the teacher and students must all play their part. The teachers role is to play the part as facilitator and observer, while the students must work together to complete the task. Use the following guidelines to achieve Cooperative learning success: Arrange students heterogeneously in groups as few as two and no more than six.Assign each member of the group a specific role: recorder, observer, bookkeeper, researcher, timekeeper, etc.Monitor each groups progress and teach skills necessary for task completion.Evaluate each group based upon how well they worked together and completed the task. Classroom Management Tips Noise Control: Use the talking chips strategy to control noise. Whenever a student needs to speak in the group they must place their chip in the middle of the table.Getting Students Attention: Have a signal to get students attention. For example, clap two times, raise your hand, ring a bell, etc.Answering Questions: Create a policy where if a group member has a question they must ask the group first before asking the teacher.Use a Timer: Give students a predetermined time for completing the task. Use a timer or stopwatch.Model Instruction: Before handing out the assignment model the instruction of the task and make sure every student understands what is expected. Common Techniques Here are six common cooperative learning techniques to try in your classroom. Jig-Saw: Students are grouped into five or six and each group member is assigned a specific task then must come back to their group and teach them what they learned.Think-Pair-Share: Each member in a group thinks about a question they have from what they just learned, then they pair-up with a member in the group to discuss their responses. Finally they share what they learned with the rest of the class or group.Round Robin: Students are placed into a group of four to six people. Then one person is assigned to be the recorder of the group. Next, the group is assigned a question that has multiple answers to it. Each student goes around the table and answers the question while the recorder writes down their answers.Numbered Heads: Each group member is given a number (1, 2, 3, 4, etc). The teacher then asks the class a question and each group must come together to find an answer. After the time is up the teacher calls a number and only the student with that number may answer the question .   Team-Pair-Solo: Students work together in a group to solve a problem. Next they work with a partner to solve a problem, and finally, they work by themselves to solve a problem. This strategy uses the theory that students can solve more problems with help then they can alone. Students then progress to the point that they can solve the problem on their own only after first being in a team and then paired with a partner.Three-Step Review: The teacher predetermines groups before a lesson. Then, as the lesson progresses, the teacher stops and gives groups three minutes to review what was taught and ask each other any questions they may have.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Development Is Impossible Without Industrialisation Essay

Development Is Impossible Without Industrialisation - Essay Example This paper will critically examine the statement that development is impossible without industrialization. Development has been defined as the process of acquiring and securing the freedoms that we have reasons to value. They make our life richer and allow us to be fuller social persons (Amartya Sen cited by Oden 2001). Development is a complex multidimensional process which cannot be addressed by economic growth alone. It must be approached with a dynamic perspective and the process of development is not the province of one nation. Nations have to cooperate and coordinate with one another. In Africa a large number of people fall below the extreme poverty line, which affects income, education and health. Unless the problem of poverty is resolved, no development can take place. This requires effective sustainable development which translates into jobs creation, education and health amenities. Sustainable development requires efficient, established and regular institutions and processes but most importantly it requires efficient industrial sectors. History provides sufficient evidence that industrial civilization brought about sustained prosperity. The Industrial Revolution brought all the development goals set forth at the UN Conference - clean water and sanitation, the elimination of disease, plentiful food (Tracinski, 2002). Industrial capitalism could make man’s physical environment healthier. Nations with large populations demonstrate a marked transformation and higher income growth. Development may vary across nations and may also vary over time, but development is impossible without industrialization. Nations benefit when they step into industrialization. Virtually every country that has experienced rapid growth in productivity and changes in life style over the last two hundred years has done so by industrializing (Murphy, Shleifer, & Vishny, 1998). Countries like

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Paper Topic in the direction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paper Topic in the direction - Essay Example 6 years later, he developed a document that would abolish slavery Northwest (Jefferson,  12). He sticks to the decision of emancipating slaves who would be within the process of democracy. Abolition will be pushed until the owners of slave agree to free the human property in a wide spectrum of emancipation. Jefferson thought that the act was not democratic and was against the principles and rules of American Revolution for the nation to enact the abolition issue or for planters to let the slaves go. Although Jefferson continued advocating for abolition of slavery, the reality behind slavery was that it was becoming entrenched in the American system (Jefferson,  34). The population of slaves on Virginia increases tremendously from a figure of 292627 slaves in 1790s to 470000 in 1830s. Jefferson thought that the slave trade abolition would weaken the issue of slavery and increase its ultimate. Instead, the issue of slavery became more vast and profitable. Trying to eradicate the Vi rginia support for slavery, Jefferson discouraged crop cultivation that are labor intensive such as tobacco, and encouraged the product of less labor-intensive crops such as wine grapes, sugar maples, grained rice, and wheat. In 1800s, the most valuable commodity in Virginia was mainly slaves. His stance in ending the issue of slavery did not change. From mid 1770s until he died, Jefferson advocated a similar plan to gradually emancipate. First, the issue of transatlantic slave would be removed; secondly, the lawn owners would upgrade the violent features of slavery by improving the living conditions and moderating the punishment for the slaves. Thirdly, those born under the slavery regime would set free following abolition. Like the current leaders, Jefferson supported the removal of freed slaves that was present in US. His unintended effect on the plan was the objective of removing the issue

Friday, January 31, 2020

Human Resource Outsourcing in India Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Outsourcing in India Essay This article attempts to discuss HRO in Indian context and the possible future of HRO in the Indian business scenario. Certain preparatory actions are also prescribed to effectively used HRO as a strategic business tool. HRO – HRM Architecture: Today, as we have moved into service – economy, dealing with knowledge and knowledge workers is very important as human capital has become a critical success factor for organizations. HRM is seen as a distinct identity, separate from Administration and Facilities section of the establishment. This can be clearly seen from the importance being given to HRM Architecture. In addition to the traditional roles for HR, over the years, in the IT and ITes sectors, distinct roles have emerged such as corporate HR, business HR, generalist HR, techno – functional HR, etc. The job holders in these roles are expected to give different â€Å"deliverables† as related to their functional aspects. It is pertinent to note that a 1998 survey by center for effective organization at university of southern California’s Marshal School of business shown that 79% of HRM managers describe themselves as â€Å"business partners† and 53% of line managers agreed that HR managers are now performing the roles of business partners. Thus, today HRM is getting well embodied into business functions such as marketing, finance or operations. This can be, in a way, considered as a starting point of HRO, because, from this, emerges the need for HR function to work smart for business results – whether by doing functions and activities all on their own, or by getting some of them done through outsourcing. Additionally, it also puts pressure on HR function to find â€Å"partners† who can â€Å"take over† specific transactions and processes at a lower cost. In this way, HR will get focused on â€Å"tangible† results (which was one of the complains against HR in the past). Thus, to some extent, it will help free up time for core-HR activities that result in improvements which positively influence the bottom line. A word of caution though that it may not â€Å"free up† time, and should not free up too much time. After all, HR is essentially a personal touch button of the organization and too much outsourcing might result in lack of personal touch and decreased human interaction which may frustrate the employees. HRO Evolution: HRO is always an evolutionary exercise for the organization. Initially, companies are reluctant to outsource, they prefer to do every act in the own backyard. As the organization grows in terms of its life cycle, slowly, â€Å"experimentation† phase will begin when they start outsourcing certain simple transactions or processes. Sometimes, they may even take a parallel run with the vendor. When the experience is positive and as they make progress, companies may make decisions to penetrate further into the HRO space. According to Everest Research institute’s annual HRO study, the most commonly outsourced HR functions include: †¢Pay roll †¢Benefits †¢Employee data management †¢Info systems †¢Contact centers. As the companies find that there are substantial benefits from outsourcing, they feel attracted to go in for deeper penetration. Thus, it is possible to categorize companies adopting different levels of HRO in their organization. (See Table 1) Table 1 LevelActivities OutsourcedType of HROBenefits 1Admin services, pay – roll, pension, PF mgt. , etc, temporary staffingTransactionCost efficiency 2L1 + training, new employee induction and executive searchProcess†¢Standardization †¢Cost †¢Replication of good practices 3L1 + L2 + campus hiring, online assessments, HR audits, employee surveys etc. Function†¢Quality †¢Cost, benchmarking etc. HRO in Indian Business The debate on HRO in India still hovers around the following questions: ‘Has HRO really arrived in India? ’ ‘Are we missing the HR outsourcing bus? ’ ‘Should companies outsource their HR functions? ’ We also seem to be aware that â€Å"The New Mantra is HR Outsourcing† In this maze of debates and arguments, some facts need to be cleared. â€Å"HR outsourcing in India has not seen the required momentum and is limited to trickle effect, with companies outsourcing a few selected, low end HR processes† – Says Anil Mahajan in an interview for an article on HRM. In India, most common outsource processes are related to training, pay – roll processing, benchmarks studies and legal compliance. Some HR consultants feel that in Indian HRO scene, quality is an issue. It is reported that some MNC’s wanted to outsource end to end HR solutions, but could find a suitable vendor and hence decided to set up its own outsourcing centre. While many experts in the field believe that there is a good scope for HRO in India, it is a fact that our present share in the global market of US $ 80 bn. is only a minuscule. Estimates show that size of HR outsourcing in India is about US $ 2. 5 – 3. 5 bn. But another study shows flat markets in HRO world wide between 2005 – 2007 but 2008 promises to be different! In the flat world of today, as India becomes more and more global in business and economy it will be a compelling need for companies to resort to outsourcing in the interest of survival and growth. Thus, even though, as of now, HRO in India has not caught up sufficiently time is right for making rapid strides to catch up and make best use of the opportunities presented by the wave of HR outsourcing. HRO as Double – edged Weapon: In India, we are fortunate to have the double advantage of HRO as we all know, HRO operates in an environment where there are abundant takers and abundant givers. HRO activities have two edges one as the service provider and another as a client who is outsourcing the process / transaction. At present many Indian companies are acting as service providers as a natural step, India with its vast millions of English speaking, trainable youth who are willing to learn and serve clients as and idle platform to take on the HRO wave. Thus, India may finally become the outsourcing centre for HR services. The growth in the HRO itself may trigger further developments. Any HRO companies may, in turn, begin to outsource some of their process to another service provider. Thus, a virtuous HRO business cycle may get activated. After all, â€Å"We Are All in Services Now† (Prof. James Teboul). According to him, the process, people and credibility are 3 key elements in the making of value proposition. People interaction may place a sort of limitation on HRO spreading without a human face! The basic tenet of HR philosophy should be that HRO must be implemented with utmost regard to â€Å"Human face† of activities being outsourced. This is because of the uniqueness of the HR issues. There cannot be a straightjacket solution for all human issues hence human interaction element needs to be always kept in mind and given a priority. We need to get over certain drawbacks as a community of employers in order to benefit from the HRO wave. If we have to shape up, good future we need to know aht we should to and what we should not so that our progress is never stalled. Hence, it is necessary to appreciate the barriers identified for the spread of HRO in our country. The following are some of the barriers identified in literature on the subject: †¢Cultural shift and top management thinking †¢Confidentiality and cost factors †¢Lack of awareness on cost-to-benefit equation of HRO †¢Quality of end results. A word or two about each of these barriers will clear the aspect. Cultural shift requires us to trust and be trusted. The two parties’ involved, namely service provider and client, need to trust each other not only about confidentiality but also about the capability to delay it. Many employers and top management feel that it is better to have own HR persons dealing with all the issues instead of outsourcing. Reasons may be many for such outlook, but there is a need to change in order to think professionally and ethically. If we can trust an advocate or a doctor or the tax consultant, why not HR service provider? Confidentiality and cost factors relate to the ability of HR service provider to handle information professionally and confidentially. Ethics both personal and corporate – play a great role. If we think proper work ethics can be created through good leadership, we need to develop and nurture such leaders appropriately. Lack of awareness among persons about cost / benefit equation needs to be overcome by education right from the top level to look at HRO as a hard core business option and to quantify the benefits correctly. Lastly, quality issues need to be addressed again through building a quality culture by following the total quality management (TQM) practices. Internal and external customer orientation among all and education and training for all on TQ practices and bring about improvement in quality. The Indian experience of TQM is quite satisfactory in this regard and there is a bright chance of success for improving the quality aspects of HRO. Preparatory Activities: While is it necessary to be clear about changes that we need to make on an individual or a company basis, it is equally important to focus on the preparations needed by us a community of service economy. For any service economy to grow, especially in the network era of today, there is a need for adequate preparation so that ultimately, the environment of business responds favorably to the needs of the market. In this regard, certain preparatory activities have to be undertaken immediately. The various activities for this purpose can be broadly classified as: †¢Infrastructural †¢Educational †¢Business/ operational †¢Social Under each of these, there are various elements that have to be taken under consideration. The following matrix will show these points clearly. As most of these items are self explanatory in nature, a detailed description of individual items is not done in this article. However, it has to be emphasized that these sub elements are very important contributions to the climate of HRO in a microeconomic sense. The elements given in the matrix are only illustrative and are not exhaustive. Preparatory activities needed for HRO Infrastructural / Technical †¢Telecommunications and network accessibility †¢Roads †¢TransportEducational – Training Related †¢Curriculum in colleges †¢HRO training centers †¢E Learning transactions / process Counseling centers Business Related †¢Performance parameters †¢Quality measures †¢Feedback †¢Relationships / Cultural sensitivitySocial †¢Quality of the work – Life balance †¢Stress management †¢Time management †¢Security at workplace Conclusion: In conclusion, it may be said that HRO is going to slowly but steadily beco me a part of business strategy. HR professionals will drive the initiatives of HRO, of course with support from top management. The time is now ripe for HRO to succeed in view of HRM being seen and treated as an important element of business resources in the service economy of today. Certain new roles have emerged which confirm this position. Though the Indian share of the revenue pie today is very small, there is a very good possibility of our riding high on the HRO wave that is round the corner. As a community, it is necessary to identify barriers and identify the changes or adjustments we need to make as individuals and companies. As HRO operates as a subset of BPO and overall business environment, certain preparatory steps need to be taken as a community in general. With all this, it is possible to ride high on HRO wave in the next few years.