Filipino Voting Pattern

THE CAMPAIGN First World techniques, Third World setting The Philippines uses state-of-the-art campaign techniques, but its elections are taking place in a political culture that is pre-modern and oriented toward the family. BY LUZ RIMBAN SATURDAY, JANUARY 3RD, 2004 | Filipino politicians use the latest campaign techniques, but still look upon voters as mendicants. | | | ADVERTISING  guru Reli German tells the story of the time he was tapped to produce commercials and jingles for then candidate Ferdinand Marcos’s 1965 presidential bid.The campaign was more of a family venture with no less than Marcos’s wife Imelda herself directing the troops. She would drop by German’s office to look over campaign materials and listen to the jingles being prepared for her husband’s campaign. â€Å"It was more of Imelda that we were dealing with directly for the campaign in 1965,† German recalls. One night Imelda summoned German and his production team to the Marc os home in San Juan, where they were led to her bedroom, which had a closet full of shoeboxes.The group, a team of professional advertising people, did not know exactly what they were doing in Imelda’s boudoir, but the mystery was soon revealed. German remembers that â€Å"she took three shoeboxes and the boxes were offered to us, and they were full of money! † With that, the campaign production team was paid, and paid handsomely. German’s story does not only provide insights on the other uses Imelda made of her shoes (or, more precisely, the boxes they had come in).It also tells us that advertising professionals had been involved in Philippine election campaigns as far back as 1965, when radio was reaching its peak and television, just beginning to make a dent in Filipinos’ consciousness. Then and now, however, professionals like German are relegated to the background, hidden members of the campaign team who are traditionally composed of the candidateâ⠂¬â„¢s trusted family members. Campaign professionals, though, have actually been around longer than that.Soon after the United States introduced elections in the Philippines, the country’s former colonizer also exported to the islands U. S. -style campaigning. This included the use of the mass media to create and manipulate public images, the hiring of public relations and advertising professionals, and later, the employment of sophisticated tools like campaign research and polling. Candidates like Manuel Quezon, Ramon Magsaysay, and Ferdinand Marcos were sold to voters partly through images crafted by experts and peddled to the public through newspapers, radio, and later, television.At least in terms of elections, the Philippines is not the laggard of Asia, but perhaps the first country in the region that has mastered the use of first-world election techniques. | The first national-level Philippine elections were held in 1907. Photo shows voters reading campaign posters iss ued for that election. | | | But it isn’t easy applying first-world election know-how to a third-world political setting. Despite what appear to be advanced campaign methods, the Philippines is still basically a feudal society where the family lords over political life.And with the weakening of political parties — alongside the weakening of other institutions in society — the family has remained the country’s basic political organization. This feudal, family-oriented base is one of the factors that stunts the growth of political-campaign professionals. Four decades after Imelda Marcos successfully steered her husband to power, Philippine campaigns are still far from being well-oiled political projects run by professionals. In the Philippine setting, a political campaign machine — especially one designed for a presidential candidate — can be a complex structure with various compartmentalized sub-groupings.The professionals would be embedded s omewhere within, a silent and unknown minority who bow to tacticians and campaign operators. These tacticians and operators, in turn, are usually members and friends of a political clan. It isn’t altogether surprising that a campaign can still look like a mom-and-pop affair with the candidate’s wife as campaign manager, the husband a fundraiser, and all sorts of hangers-on filling the backroom. There is a difference in this year’s election, however. It is the first presidential election in decades in which political advertisements will be allowed.It is the first time that the power of media in general — and television in particular — may determine who wins. At no other time in the nation’s history will candidates be sold like soap and toothpaste because 40 million voters will be relying on little more than visibility and image to make their choices. More than ever before, candidates and their campaign machineries will now need to use the med ia specialists, campaign managers, and assorted professionals to make themselves known to the public, and through whatever means available.By passing the law lifting the ban on political advertisements, â€Å"Congress was in fact saying there’s another way of winning,† says political consultant Malou Tiquia. And part of the message to candidates may be that there could be more room for the pros. For some candidates, this may be a welcome development, since it may mean more effective campaigns, i. e. more votes. But it may not necessarily be good news for the public. As U. S. political scientist Dan Nimmo points out in his book,  The Political Persuaders, hiring professionals may just mean more sophisticated manipulation. Without question,† says Nimmo, â€Å"the new technology introduces not only the possibility but indeed the likelihood of systematic deception in electoral politics. † More and more, candidates will be seen in images and settings that do not really reflect who they really are and what they are going to do once elected to office. With more professional sleight of hand at work, the public may have a harder time distinguishing fact from fiction, especially when they remain unaware that experts now have more say in the show. IN THE  so-called mature democracies of the West, there are experts for every task in a campaign.In the United States, the election industry is huge, manned by a wide range of specialists including campaign managers, political consultants, public relations people, speechwriters, audio-visual experts, and fundraisers. They operate by a set of rules and design campaign strategies based on scientifically obtained data provided by another component of that growing industry: the profession of campaign research that includes not only pollsters but also psychologists and behavioral experts. | President Quezon addresses a crowd. | | | That is not the case in the Philippines. For starters, there are very f ew such professionals in the country.For example, there are only two or three reputable independent polling agencies in the Philippines. Image specialists, political consultants, and campaign managers are also hard to find. Two years ago, an organization called the Association of Political Consultants of Asia was formed, bringing together political technicians aiming to transform political consultancy and campaigning from craft to science. Still, quips one political consultant: â€Å"It’s easier to find a cardiologist who can do open heart surgery than to find a good spin master. † That is partly why families and friends remain the captains of Philippine political campaigns.Fernando Poe Jr. ’s campaign machinery, for instance, is packed with his siblings and supporters in the entertainment world. Brother Conrad Poe handles logistics, sister Elizabeth Poe is the official scheduler, while erstwhile comedian and Senator Tito Sotto is the campaign manager. Even acto rs Rez Cortes and Richard Gomez have been assigned parts to play in the campaign, as has Poe’s swarm of stuntmen-friends who dabble as spokespersons, rallyists, and even act as Poe’s security cordon. On that point, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo isn’t far behind. Her brother Diosdado ‘Buboy’ Macapagal Jr. s her campaign manager and fundraiser. First Gentleman Mike Arroyo is in the thick of her campaign, too, even if just last year, he had gotten embroiled in a scandal that portrayed him as using an alias to stash away millions of pesos of surplus campaign funds from his wife’s 1998 vice-presidential bid. Of course, a family-run campaign does not necessarily translate into an inefficient and ineffective venture. The most politically experienced clans have even elevated political campaigning to an art, and have over time mastered how to best maximize manpower, resources, and connections.Elite families are especially skilled at this, putting the charismatic and media-savvy members at the frontlines, assigning the crafty and the cunning to the management side, and mobilizing the clan and its network for other tasks in the campaign, including recruiting campaigners, poll watchers, goons, bodyguards — even hitmen, if need be. But with this election promising more pros, campaigns are bound to be slicker than ever. There is, for instance, the advertising agency Campaigns and Grey and its stable of image specialists working for presidential candidate Raul Roco.There will also be groups like Tiquia’s Publicus Ltd. , a political consultancy firm that provides campaign services to senatorial and local candidates. There is even the television production team TAPE Productions — which puts out programs like the noontime variety show â€Å"Eat Bulaga! † — acting as image makers for Fernando Poe Jr. Most of these professionals, though, remain in the background. â€Å"It’s an underground indu stry-most of these people don’t carry calling cards, don’t introduce themselves, don’t appear at press conferences, don’t advertise their services,† says a political consultant. They get hired by referral and by word of mouth. The really good ones are overloaded with clients and forced to turn down others. † For this article, they refused to be identified. â€Å"You let the spotlight fall only on your principal,† this political consultant adds. Another one says, â€Å"The pros are often relegated to the backroom, or they don’t have the stature to face the public. † â€Å"Undocumented experts,† is how yet another political consultant describes himself and his peers. The secrecy is understandable.Most of them have day jobs, either as reporters, columnists, businessmen, advertising executives, legislative staff, or civil servants. Elections and political campaigns don’t come that often and cannot be a stable sou rce of livelihood, which is why most political professionals consider themselves â€Å"political sacadas† or sharecroppers whose work is seasonal. Besides, in the professions where they officially belong, moonlighting for politicians is an ethical taboo. Journalists working as public relations practitioners or political consultants would be violating the rules on independence, impartiality, and conflict of interest.Some advertising agencies even insist that they have no history or record of involvement in political campaigns. Yet as far back as 1965, the presidential campaign was already a battle of the ad agency executives. | Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos display their affection for each other during their heyday. | | | For that particular campaign, adman Billy Esposo writes in a recent column, Marcos hired Proctor and Gamble’s creative team, which was composed of, among others, Miniong Ordonez, now of Jimenez Basic Advertising. Reli German was part of that team.On the other side of the fence, says Esposo, Diosdado Macapagal’s â€Å"image team was headed by the late Fenny Hechanova, himself a former adman from a pioneering agency called Philprom. † When Marcos ran for reelection four years later, Esposo continues, he got Greg Garcia, who eventually headed the prominent ad agency Hemisphere-Leo Burnett. Greg Garcia, now retired but still part owner of Leo Burnett, is the chief image handler of Senator Panfilo Lacson. The reticence of many professionals in admitting their political work stems from the stigma it apparently carries. Political campaigning is often viewed as an illicit undertaking.Players are perceived to ink deals and engage in dirty tricks and special operations that can go from wooing special interest groups and thinking up a candidate’s position on issues, to peddling propaganda, buying the media, and negotiating for votes with local party leaders. But much of the bad name suffered by political professionals has also been blamed on Marcos. After he declared martial law in 1972 and abolished elections, the political pros’ skills and talents were put to use only to promote his Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (the only active political party at that time) or push his New Society.It was a situation that didn’t allow skilled political organizers to thrive and develop a profession called campaign management or political consultancy. Although the Development Academy of the Philippines and the Department of Interior and Local Government became training grounds where political managers could hone their skills managing political organizations, all their work was still for Marcos’s benefit. The only other option was to escape the system and cross over to activist organizations or the underground Left, such as the National Democratic Front (NDF) or the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).Today’s top party and campaign people, in fact, trace their roots to these diverse beginni ngs: Lakas’s Gabriel Claudio and Ronaldo Puno were products of the DILG, while Horacio ‘Boy’ Morales and Rigoberto Tiglao, came from the leftist movement. PERHAPS  the unsuspecting public should be thankful that the country still has a relatively tiny community of campaign management experts, resulting in often-chaotic campaigns that either reveal more than the candidate wants the public to know, or reveal so little that the voters are left annoyed.In truth, present Philippine campaigns are quite like those in the United States were more than 100 years ago. In The Political Persuaders, which was published in 1970, Nimmo writes, â€Å"A century ago, candidates relied on their wits, their friends, and a few trusted allies to mount a campaign for office. Few men specialized in selling political advice. The campaign specialists of that day were primarily party politicians. † | Joseph Estrada is mobbed by adoring crowds during his 1998 campaign. | | |Accordin g to Nimmo, the campaign management industry is a â€Å"direct descendant of the public-relations profession† that became popular in the 1920s. That was when U. S. capitalists were under attack by consumers who were reading in newspapers about unsavory business practices. Countering such criticism required a specialist who could proclaim the good side of U. S. industry. Thus was born the PR agent. â€Å"In the process,† Nimmo continues, these PR people â€Å"made increasingly adroit use of the means of mass communication; the result was the burgeoning field of mass advertising. It would not be long before public relations and mass advertising would cross over to the world of politics, especially with the rise of television, and give birth to a profession that proclaims the good side of political candidates. Nimmo recounts that election campaigns soon became a battle for public exposure. That battle, however, hasn’t been easily fought and won. Many other things compete for the voters’ attention, and candidates need people who are masters not only at constructing the candidate’s message and image, but also at sending these in the most effective way that will make full use of manpower, time, and limited resources.In short, campaigns need strategies. The U. S. -trained Tiquia, formerly a legislative staff member in the Philippine and U. S. Congresses, defines the ingredients that make for a good campaign strategy. These are listed in a book entitled Campaign Politics: defining the voting population being targeted, creating the message to be communicated, managing resources, timing, and tactics. Tactics include direct voter contact such as campaign events, rallies, and even door-to-door campaigning, and indirect tactics like media advertisements, billboards, and campaign paraphernalia.Having a professional campaign team to implement the strategy is another necessity. The team is supposed to put order into the traditionally topsy- turvy exercises called campaigns. In this country, however, third-world realities can get in the way. For instance, Tiquia says, there are times when a candidate hires a professional campaign team that may find itself clashing with family members, or with yet another professional team working for the same politician. Problems like these only slow down the campaign.Campaign Politics also advises politicians to plot their moves way in advance, get their hands on the best people before the competition beats them to it, and plan carefully how resources are to be spent. But there’s that manana habit of the Filipino-his penchant for not planning ahead and waiting till the last minute-which can wreak havoc on the campaign in many ways. As examples, Tiquia cites candidates who are buying TV spots only now, and are finding out that there are none available because an enterprising agency had purchased all that was left months ago.It is now selling these â€Å"on the secondary marketâ €  at much higher rates. There were, however, a few who bought spots early, and at rates that were far, far cheaper. Among the more visible swift-footed ones are presidential candidate Raul Roco and Panfilo Lacson, whose ads had been airing regularly since the campaign started, and senatorial candidate Mar Roxas. As if operating in such a third-world conditions weren’t enough, political professionals in the Philippines also have to deal with obsessive-compulsive candidates who try to control the campaign every step of the way.Among the cardinal rules for campaigns, says one of the political consultants interviewed for this piece, is that â€Å"a candidate cannot think and campaign at the same time; a candidate shouldn’t handle his or her own campaign. † But most candidates refuse to leave things to the experts. Despite the enormity of her duties as president and candidate, Gloria Arroyo still decides where her campaigns sorties will go, political consultants say. Even members of her campaign still cannot fathom why she chose to launch her presidential bid in the hills of Cavinti, Laguna.Observers could only guess that  feng shui  might have had something to do with it; taking the team to high ground probably bodes good luck, they said. But after Cavinti, the president went north, leaving observers still trying to discern a pattern in her campaigning — if there was really any at all. One consultant, though, says, â€Å"Look at the route she has taken, and you’ll see that it’s like she’s drawing the number eight on the map-she goes up, she goes down, forward, then backward. † Poe is said to be no different, at least as far as his political rallies are concerned. Remember that he’s a movie director, so he wants to have a say in how his rallies are produced,† says a political professional. But the king of Philippine movies is also a political neophyte, which has unfortunately resulted in P oe being kept in an artificial world where everything is stage-managed. Hence, every interview, every appearance has to be scripted. And having written lines for scripts, Poe tends to have a say in how his campaign is managed. â€Å"The best candidate surrenders himself to his handlers,† says another political consultant. And if there was one who embodied this, it was Joseph ‘Erap’ Estrada in 1998. Erap was a good follower in the sense that when you said the schedule was like this, even if it was so hot or he was already dead tired, he would still follow the schedule to the letter,† says Lito Banayo, who was on Estrada’s 1998 campaign team, and is now on Lacson’s. â€Å"That’s why he was a joy to handle. Perhaps because he was an actor, he was used to having a call time, he had to be on the set at this certain time. He (carried that) discipline in the campaign. † But another plus factor in the Estrada campaign was its near-perfec t machinery, which was due to a generous influx of funds.Ample funds and resources make a large part of a successful campaign. Reli German even says, â€Å"The three most important things (in a campaign) are money, money, and money. † The Estrada campaign in 1998 had that in huge quantities. Recalls Banayo: â€Å"There were really a lot of people who helped in that campaign by way of cash as well as material donations. † A feature of Estrada’s campaign sorties, for instance, were the motorcades and caravans where Estrada would appear beside his showbiz friends Poe and Nora Aunor, and they would then toss candies to the crowd.Banayo says they never ran out of candies because the supplies just kept coming. Banayo explains the â€Å"symbiotic relationship† of campaign elements: â€Å"Once the perception or image of a candidate improves, the survey results become stacked in his or her favor, the numbers go up, the resources will pour in accordingly. † Making the candidate more visible, his image more winnable, translates into more campaign contributors. Traditionally, political consultants say, donors such as Filipino-Chinese businesspeople who put in large sums of money into election campaign, initially give equal amounts to all candidates.The money reportedly starts getting bigger only by April, when donors have a clearer idea who among the candidates is pulling away from the pack, and likely to lead the race. But Tiquia laments how fundraising, like the other aspects, remains a hidden but very important facet of Philippine campaigns. Candidates do not, in the course of the campaign, reveal who their funders are, and methods for raising funds are not always above board. In the United States, Tiquia notes, fundraising is a profession.Professional fundraisers’ methods include organizing events or dinners, or sending out mail asking supporters to contribute to the campaign kitty. There are limits to the amounts supporters c an donate. In this country, it is the field of contributors that is limited. The money comes mostly from Filipino-Chinese businesspeople; the bigger players are the likes of Lucio Tan and Eduardo Cojuangco, whose hearts, minds, and pocket the candidates have to compete for. In exchange, candidates promise them the moon, the stars, and even a piece of the economy.And now to lure them — and the voters — candidates are tapping political professionals. The irony is that takes a lot of money as well. Nimmo notes, â€Å"The professionals are for hire, but at very high prices. Fewer and fewer politicians can afford the costs of candidacy†¦. In an age when less affluent members of society are already disillusioned with a political arrangement which they perceive are shutting them out, it will hardly produce harmony to request that they play by the rules of an electoral game they cannot afford to enter. Source: http://pcij. org/stories/first-world-techniques-third-world-s etting/ ‘Voters Harder To Fool With Empty Promises' by Kathleen A. Martin, ABS-CBNnews. com Posted at 01/17/2013 11:22 AM | Updated as of 01/17/2013 11:22 AM MANILA, Philippines – Aspiring politicians will need more than a catchy jingle and an empty promise to capture the hearts of Filipino masses, advertisers said. Yoly Ong, group chairperson at Campaigns and Grey, said that based on various focus group discussions, Filipinos are more selective when voting for candidates. They (the masses) actually say, ‘peke yan e,' because the promises are different from what the politicians actually do,† Ong told ANC's Inside Business. â€Å"In fact, I've come to the conclusion that it's harder to fool the masses today,† Ong continued. Ong is behind President Benigno Aquino III's successful campaign in 2010, and the brains behind the catchy â€Å"Pag walang corrupt, walang mahirap† slogan. â€Å"They (Filipino voters) have very different behaviors toward c andidates. For presidential candidates, they don't want the jingles. What they want to know is what the guy is going to do to improve their quality of life,† Ong said. But for the senatorial candidates, I guess it's more of remembering who to vote for because there's 12 people you need to choose,† Ong noted. Ong believes that for the national elections, the â€Å"air war† or the television and radio will be the primary venues for warring candidates. But local candidates such as congressmen and mayors will still need to battle it out â€Å"retail-elections† style, or going from house to house. Consultant Greg Garcia concurs with Ong, but stressed the role of television in political campaigns has â€Å"dramatically† changed over the years. If you're not on TV, don't even think about running for national office because the penetration of TV is just fantastic,† Garcia said. â€Å"I always advise clients that 80% of their money should go into media , and 80% of that 80% should go to television. Television is the only way to communicate to as many people as you can in the shortest amount of time,† he added. Garcia is the man behind Vice President Jejomar Binay's successful 2010 bid. Garcia said Binay's narrative of â€Å"Ganito kami sa Makati, sana ganito din sa buong bayan† was the secret behind the vice president's win. The campaign for the vice president was really right on†¦ and I think every candidate must have a narrative to win,† Garcia said. â€Å"It's not just about name recall, what's important is recalling the candidate's narrative,† he stressed. Source: http://www. abs-cbnnews. com/-depth/01/17/13/voters-harder-fool-empty-promises Philippine Elections Will Stop Being A Sham When Voters Wisen Up By: Ilda, November 9, 2012 Poor Filipinos. We can only stand back and watch in awe at how the Americans conduct their successful Presidential election.Less than a day after the US Presidential e lection, the winner could be declared without a hitch and without much contention from the losing candidate. Months of campaigning from both candidates come to an abrupt halt as soon as the winner is announced. It is back to work for everyone in the White House. The ease with which the US election sailed by so smoothly is not even because they have a computerized voting system. For many decades, US elections have always come and gone with hardly any drama. It’s just another walk in the park for people who follow a system that works.In relative terms, there’s hardly any cheating that would cause the sorts of delays that could put entire institutions in doubt. In contrast, even the Philippines’ very first computerized election in 2010 was fraught with allegations of fraudulent activities as reported by some of the members of the local and international community who participated and observed the election. As mentioned in my previous article immediately after the 2 010 election, foreign observers concluded that there was massive cheating involved in the first ever-automated Presidential election.Apart from the problems encountered with the machines, there were other elements whose presence was questionable considering they should not have been in the polling stations in the first place. Observers witnessed a chaotic scene with strong military presence and lots of instances of intimidation in and around the polling stations. One international observer who was assigned at the Pampanga and Tarlac region even specifically mentioned that intimidation was rampant in Hacienda Luisita, the hometown of President Benigno Simeon â€Å"BS† Aquino.These were observations made by outsiders who are completely unbiased. It is incomprehensible why our public officials allow these things to happen. This is why until now there are still some people who question the legitimacy of President BS Aquino’s win. The following is a summary of their observa tion all throughout the country: Serious and systematic irregularities: – Vote buying – People lining up outside the candidate’s house waiting to receive cash or goods – There was no privacy in the polling stations – People could see what the voter is writing The ballot sheet could not be folded to cover the information – There were voters who were not stamped with indelible ink – There were voters who were stamped with ink before voting – There were people taking pictures and videos of voters for intimidation purposes – Police and military presence was strong. Despite reports of massive election fraud, majority of Filipinos don’t seem inclined to do or don’t even want to know anything about them. The Commissions on Elections (Comelec) and President BS Aquino’s media cohorts were quick to declare the election a success.They wanted everyone to think that the first automated voting system delivered as expected and that Aquino’s win was a decisive one. Unfortunately, we will never know the truth. Filipinos will always be in the dark as to what truly happened because they chose to ignore boring details. Filipinos have this tendency to just listen to what the Philippine media is telling them. The Filipino people’s preference for turning a blind eye to impropriety is what’s preventing our country from moving forward. It is turning the Philippines into a nation of cheaters.The irony is that we cry foul after a bad deed is done but we ignore the deed as it transpires. It seems we don’t want the inconvenience of having to deal with the fallout of reporting a crime in progress. We don’t even have protection for whistleblowers. Instead of commending people for their bravery in coming forward, Filipinos turn against the whistleblowers, making them look like they are making mountains out of molehills. People who are seen supporting the whistleblowers are c onsidered â€Å"sore losers†. This discourages people from doing the right thing.Vigilance against crime is what will actually foster an environment of trust in our society. If we know that illegal activities are not tolerated, we can be assured that people will be honest with their day-to-day activities. Sadly, we shun people who go out on a limb to expose corruption or any form of malpractice, but what we need to do is to help promote a society in which it is possible to speak out without reprisal about corruption, dangers to the public and environment, and other vital social issues. Until we change the way we think and do things collectively as a people, we will never have a smooth election like the Americans.Here are some of the lessons I learned during the 2010 election that could help us in the 2013 Senatorial election and even the 2016 Presidential election: 1. Campaign platforms No one comes up with a credible platform during elections because voters don’t care about platforms. They cared about Noynoy’s love life and what he does in his spare time. Voters were also smitten with the â€Å"Aquino Legacy† and are convinced that Noynoy will continue whatever it is they think that Ninoy or Cory could have achieved but for whatever reason did not. The voters don’t even have a clue what a platform is.You have to wonder now how they plan to evaluate how Noynoy sticks to his campaign promises during his term of office. Lesson learned: Most Filipino voters are star-struck ignoramuses. If you want to run for the presidency in 2016, get an image makeover or try to appear â€Å"good† and â€Å"humble†. 2. Surveys and Polling firms Some Filipinos were dumb enough to think that if a candidate is popular, it means that he should be voted in as president. The fact of the matter is, candidates with a lot funds can hire polling firms and publish reports when it is favorable to them.It was also reported that polling firms c onducting the surveys in 2010 were closely linked to the presidential candidate leading the polls. Likewise, despite the number of candidates allowed to run, people were actually just choosing between two candidates. Lesson learned: Next election, call for more transparency around poll survey questionnaires; clamor for more polling firms to conduct surveys and be vigilant and critical of Media’s interpretation of the poll results. 3. Media Bias Noynoy Aquino was given more exposure by prominent media outlets like thePhilippine Daily Inquirer  during the campaign period.It didn’t matter how trivial the news was; Noynoy Aquino was always on the front page. Broadcast networks such as ABS-CBN also helped expose Noynoy to the masa through shows that flagged the â€Å"Aquino Legacy†. Lesson learned: Media outlets owned and operated by members of the Philippine oligarchy will give more exposure to whoever presidential candidate offers concessions they can benefit fro m. 4. Religious endorsements A week before Election Day, the leader of Iglesia ni Cristo announced that they will be endorsing presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino.It has been said that this religious group actually waits for the last minute before announcing their endorsement because they want to ensure that whoever they endorse actually wins — presumably with the aim of making a few deals with the president once in office. It was also said that Noynoy’s party was secretly courting that leader’s guarantee that the INC votes will be in their favor. Lesson learned: The endorsement of religious leaders depends on which candidate is popular; religious leaders can make or break a presidential aspirant; Filipinos will vote for whoever their religious leaders instruct them to vote for. . Election Day thugs and vote buying It seems that all of the above exercise with the possible exception of item number four will have no bearing on Election Day to the majority of vote rs because of the presence of thugs in the polling stations. As previously mentioned, police and military personnel who have no business being in polling stations and who are under the payroll of candidates, hang around to intimidate voters. If the Police and the military themselves are involved in this illegal behavior, to whom can the voters report the irregularity to?The illegal activity called vote buying involves the buyer and the seller. They both are accountable for their actions. In this case, both parties won’t be willing to report each other because they both benefit from the activity. Unfortunately, the voter who sells his vote will only benefit in the short term. Lesson learned: As long as irregularities like this happens on Election Day, any efforts at educating the voters will just go down the drain. 6. Automated Machines It turns out that automated machines are not foolproof.Reports abound of machines malfunctioning, machines found kept in someone’s shed , the discrepancies in time lapsed, and allegations of malicious software installed in the machine itself. Lesson learned: Filipinos cannot be trusted with both manual and automated election. Filipinos are very resourceful at finding a way to cheat. Lastly, here is the bottom-line: Filipinos are ultimately to blame for allowing fraudulent activities to happen. Politicians will keep trying to get away with cheating but it is up to us to decide if we will let them. Source: http://getrealphilippines. om/blog/2012/11/philippine-elections-will-stop-being-a-sham-when-voters-wisen-up/ 2013 Mix-And-Match Voting By  Ramon Casiple, Mon, Jan 7, 2013 The weak political party system in the Philippines can be seen in the way voters will vote in the 2013 national and local elections. A cursory study of the voting patterns in the past elections showed that voters vote for a candidate on various grounds, among them their personal relationship to the candidate, a candidate’s popularity (not necessarily in politics), endorsement by respected persons, and, of course, what the candidate stands for in relation to voters’ own.Nowhere in this list is a voter’s recognition of the candidate’s political party platform and program. The candidate, in this sense, sells himself, not the party. A tacit recognition of this can be seen in the way candidates and political parties present themselves to the voters. In streamers and billboards, the face and name of the candidate stands out compared to the party. Even in the party-list system—where the party-list groups are the ones to be elected–it has become more advantageous to present faces of their nominees in addition to the group names.The result is mix-and-match voting by individual voters. Rarely do they vote straight for a party’s candidates. Source: http://ph. news. yahoo. com/blogs/communityvoices/2013-mix-and-match-voting-130754846. html Everything I Need To Know About Improving The Ou tcome Of Philippine Elections I Learned In Kindergarten By: benign0, February 25, 2013 Campaign platforms You’d think that the call for platforms is so new this year considering how much of the mainstream has now taken up the cudgels of beating this concept into the tiny skulls of the Filipino voters.Yet only just four years ago, the idea of demanding platforms from candidates making their pitch to voters was so exotic. So exotic it was that I  wrote a piece  back in mid-2009 outlining the basic how-to’s of developing a campaign platform. As evident in what I wrote there, â€Å"If we are to expect Filipinos to courageously rally around a serious effort to become a better country in the foreseeable future, it would help to see a leader who has it clear in his or her mind how to get us from A to B. † it is obvious that the concept back then was quite new.The call for platforms rose to a crescendo as the presidential campaign leading to the 2010 elections march ed on. But as it became more apparent that the then front-running candidate, Benigno Simeon â€Å"BS† Aquino III lacked one, had no inclination of producing one, and was happy enough to run entirely on the back of his family pedigree, many folk who had by then drank enough of BS Aquino’s Yellowist Kool Aid were loudly extolling the irrelevance of revealing clear governance platforms during an election campaign.Instead, what to them was BS Aquino’s qualification to lead the country was his  perceived  honesty, integrity, and lack of a track record of corrupt practices. Funny how the most important lessons are learnt after the disaster had already wrought havoc. BS Aquino is now President of the Philippines and the very same bozos who thought platforms were not  that  important are now parroting what we had been saying back in 2009. Voter educationIn the lead up to and then in the aftermath of the 1986 EDSA people power â€Å"revolution†, the idea t hat in â€Å"freedom† lies the singular key to Philippine prosperity became deeply-ingrained in the Filipino psyche. It was all about freedom, and a blanket of demagoguery built around this simpleton’s message descended upon and enveloped the Philippine National â€Å"Debate† in the subsequent 27 years. The Vote — the â€Å"freedom† to choose one’s leaders — guaranteed that the  right  ones would be elevated to office as the prevailing thinking went.This was, the activists insisted, the â€Å"power† that the Filipino people â€Å"regained† after the 1986 â€Å"revolution†. But then as one bozo after another got elected into office since 1986, it became quite clear that the erstwhile thought leaders of the time simply gave Filipino voters too much credit. It turns out they were really not that smart after all. Freedom in the hands of the Filipino voter was like a blowtorch in the hands of a two-year-old. And so the idea of â€Å"educating† Filipino voters came about.The thing with â€Å"voter education† is that it is really not that complicated. It comes down to something most normal people learned in kindergarten — that we are ultimately all accountable to ourselves for the decisions we made in the past. In a society renowned for a collective faculty for thinking that is stunted by amnesia and voodoo logic, â€Å"voter education† should start with a re-visit of these kindergarten basics; that being accountable as a â€Å"voter† encompasses a system of three key acts of responsibility: (a) Select the right leaders; b) Use the system to hold them accountable; and, (c) Hold ourselves accountable for the quality of the leaders we choose using the system. A lot of the focus of this year’s â€Å"voter education† activist fad is on just the first one,  selecting the right leaders. The harder part of the equation — keeping politicians on their toes  in between elections  is where the  real  deal lies. Unfortunately Filipinos are simply not up to delivering their part of the deal in between fiestas. And so politicians gravitate to the same old buffoonery†¦ Grandstanding politiciansThe reason Filipino politicians are so at liberty to make big, lofty, colourful, noisy, but  hollow  promises during election campaigns is because the Filipino voter simply drops the ball once the fiesta is over. Because Filipino voters simply fail to  use the system to hold them accountable  as a matter of routine in between elections and utterly lack an ethic of  holding themselves accountable for the quality of the leaders they choose  during those fiestas, Philippine politics is a con man’s wet dream. You only need a lousy product and a million suckers to make a lot of money in business.And Philippine politics is, indeed, good business. And so we come to†¦ The role of social media in Philippine polit ics In a recently-concluded â€Å"convention† that saw one of the current crop of â€Å"thought leaders† after another pontificate about what such a  kewwwlllthing social media is, we learned that social media is unprecedented in the way it†¦ – breaks traditional commuinication barriers; – serves as a platform for unfiltered egalitarian â€Å"dialogue†; – elevates â€Å"political discourse† by; – providing a more â€Å"inclusive† discussion community; and, – prompts — and demands — quick response from its participants.Yadda, yadda, yadda. In short (cutting through all the fad jargon), social media  transmits  andamplifies  the â€Å"voice of the people† at an unprecedented scale and efficiency so that every schmoe and her dog has a crack at the proverbial bullhorn once wielded by only the most powerful and influential people. Sounds nice —  on paper. The thing with partic ipating in social media chatter is that it is really a form of high-tech Chinese whispers. The Twitter â€Å"retweet† and the Facebook â€Å"share† functions are the 21st Century facilitators of this game — and it is now a game played on a vast scale.Communication engineers will point out that the principle of signal degradation as data is transmitted, relayed, and re-amplified a number of times as transmission distance increases over a channel is the same as the way hearsay information is perverted in a typical Chinese whispers game. Human debate unfortunately remains  analog, so the advent of social media — the  digital intermediary  in the propagation of this â€Å"debate† — merely served as a more efficient way to  accurately  spread low-quality information.With every digital factoid passing through Filipino brains in between retweets, the signal progressively  degrades  into noise. We see this degradation in  signal-to-n oise  ratios everyday — when we make photocopies  of photocopies  and make photocopies of  those  photocopies, the quality of the copy worsens as the number of copies increase. Enlarge one of these nth-generation copies and you will come up with a really bad image. In the same way, amplify and transmit a bad signal over several iterations and all you get for your trouble is a louder and even noisier signal.That is essentially what social media is doing for the Philippine National â€Å"Debate†. * * * Indeed, everything essential to practicing democracy  properly  comprises stuff most well-bred people learned as little kids. Having a plan to get where one wants to go. Acquiring relevant information and applying it shrewdly. Regarding sales pitches with a critical mind. Being respectful and prudent when communicating with other people — regardless of the communication technology being used. You don’t really need a Masters Degree in political à ¢â‚¬Å"science† to really get all that.When one understands  fundamental  problems using  common sense, we tend to have a more practical regard for some of the silver-bullet â€Å"solutions† that the savviest spin-meisters around us build buzzes around. Source: http://getrealphilippines. com/blog/2013/02/everything-i-need-to-know-about-improving-the-outcome-of-philippine-elections-i-learned-in-kindergarten/ BLOG POSTS: Policy Dialogue Series 2004 Academe Meets the Political Parties It has often been said that political parties in the Philippines are based on personalities, not on platforms and ideologies.But individuals do not aggregate demands of sectoral interests. Ideally, parties become the key venues where policies and programs are shaped. In the end, it is still the parties who can be made accountable to their constituents and to the people come post-electoral politics. While it may be true that voting patterns in the Philippines have reflected preference for personalities rather than parties, the platforms of the political parties should still be subjected to public scrutiny. Source: http://twsc. upd. edu. ph/training_PDS1. html Date: March 01, 2004 Filipino Voting PatternsBy: Reynz According to some of the articles on the Internet about Filipino voting patterns, most Filipino voters choose their candidates based on the following: 1. ) Utang na loob (Debt of gratitude) 2. ) Winnability 3. ) Charisma 4. ) Media exposure 5. ) Eloquence 6. ) Pakikisama 7. ) Ka-ching! ka-ching! In other words, Filipino voters rarely vote on the basis of the following: 1. ) Capability 2. ) Leadership skills 3. ) Knowledge of the job 4. ) Moral upbringing and, 5. ) Fortitude Source: http://www. reynaelena. com/2013/02/03/filipino-voting-patterns/ Date: February 03, 2013

The strategic role of the Royal British Navy in the First World War

Introduction The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom (UK) is the oldest part of Britain’s combat forces and is often referred to as the â€Å"Senior Service†. The Naval Service is comprised of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Fleet Air Arm and reserve forces. From the 18th century up to the end of World War II, the Navy was the world’s principal and most powerful navy. Therefore it played a very important role during the period in keeping Britain’s position as the ultimate ‘superpower.’ The Royal Navy used various strategies and tactics such as the Antwerp, Mesopotamia, Gallipoli and the Zeebruge campaigns. The involvement of various sections of the Royal Navy helped to make sure of victories against serious enemies and opponents of British interests (Benbow 2011). This paper discusses the role of the Royal British Navy during the First World War by analyzing the war tactics they used in varying campaigns both on land and on sea. In the first place, the Royal Navy was crucial from a defensive point of view, a point made all the more acute by the fact that Britain is an island nation that is relatively isolated geographically. In terms of the home front, therefore, the navy was the first and more imperative line of defence. It must be considered, as an adjunct to this, that the wealth and power of Britain relied in large part on his expansive Empire, which could not have been protected by means other than naval power. It might be argued, of course, that Britain had established effective naval supremacy at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 (Benbow 2011; Halpern 1994). However, despite the nation’s best efforts in conflicts such as the Seven Years War, among others, the state of affairs in 1805 had in actual fact been reversed to a significant extent by the turn of the 20th century. By the time of WWI, Britain’s navy was fairly outdated and its competitors were on the ascendant (Benbow 2011). The changing status quo by WWI made the burden on the navy heavier than ever. It still remained its 19th-century reputation as the ultimate military power and it had massive capacity to move soldiers and vessels across large international spaces territories. It still, moreover, had the capability to prevent rivals from doing similar strategic moving of troops and equipment (Halpern 1994). The floating gun vessels in particular were a devastating tool in the arsenal that frequently made it impossible for foreign leaders to act against Britain. The crucial fact was that the Royal Navy was able to stymie the efforts of foreign powers, making certain that there was always a supply of tradecrafts and raw materials so that Britain’s factories could make and distribute their products overseas. The Laissez Faire economic model that Britain adopted as the basis of its trading would not have been possible without the authority of the Royal Navy (Friedman 2001; Halpern 1994). It is clear , therefore, that regardless of apparent historical supremacy, the navy as important as ever in economic and defensive terms during WWI. Another aspect of the Royal Navy’s powerful role was control of communications and supply lines, so that it was possible to link up the Empire and control activities across the globe. Throughout the whole period, the Royal Navy’s war preparation and entry into the First World War demonstrates its state-of-the-art operation. This ability, however, arose not just through the navy itself but also the vast and sophisticated underpinning of expertise and strategy. For example, the Royal Navy was backed by a comprehensive research programme into maritime history, careful studies of allied and defensive maneuvers, and knowledge of politics and power in various regions across Europe and beyond (Friedman 2001). An important part of this was that Navy’s role in reconnaissance and observation. It was able to procure information about the capabilities of rivals, for example, whether political, military, or economic. The strategic role of the navy is best discussed in the context of contemporary events. The Germans marched into France and Belgium in August 1914 and desperately needed a â€Å"flying column†. At this time, Britain had between 20 000 to 30 000 navy reservists but could not make sure that all these reservists played a full role. Those parties in charge of strategy concluded that there were enough reserve soldiers to create two groups that would form vital brigades. So, in Britain the Naval Brigades and the Royal Marines Brigade were set up. The brigades became publicly recognized as the RND (Royal Naval Division) and soon after they were sent to Ostend, where they took part in a fierce battle in Antwerp. This battle demonstrates a number of different things about the strategic important of the navy. On the one hand, it indicates a clear purpose: the opposing of a German threat on the continent which, if unimpeded by the reservists, might have become a serious threat. The Marines were among the only British forces participating at the battle of Antwerp, and they brought about Germany’s withdrawal of a large proportion of their troops from the French front in order to capture of Antwerp (Stephenson 2011). However, the extent to which these soldiers struggled in due to poor training and shortages of proper equipment suggests that at this stage the Royal Navy was of limited strategic value. Thus, the Belgium army, which was comprised of mainly six divisions, was overcome by the Germans at Liege and the River Gate and had to retreat to the stronghold city of Antwerp (Halpern 1994). Had the Royal Navy been more adept in the first place this might never have occurred. However, the strategic role of the navy in this instance was salvaged to an extent when Winston Churchill, astutely realizing the important of Antwerp, bolstered the city using the Royal Navy Division. In this way, a key strategic position, in terms of Allied shipping, was saved by virtue of the navy. This point is made all the more compelling by the fact that the Belgians were forced to withdraw their forces from the fray on 6t October 1914, opening the path to a German victory. The intervention of the Royal Navy therefore came at a critical moment, heightening its importance (Grove 1987). The tactics of the Royal Naval Division on this occasion also suggests strategic relevance. An innovative plan was devised by which the troops dug trenches so that they could position themselves strategically during the battle. The aftermath of the battle is also worth mentioning. On 11 October 1914, the residual divisions of the Royal Navy Division arrived back home in England and immediately commenced their training camp in Blanford in Dorset (Jolly 2000). Crucially, they brought with them Belgian experience and the innovation of British armed forces. Changes were made to the training to better prepare the Naval Division as well as the Marine substitutes, that in the future would be selected and serve in Royal Marine battalions. Thus, through the navy’s combat experience and later role in Britain, the capability of the armed forces was enhanced. The French believed the Germans were on maneuvers in Belgium and sent some ships to trouble the German cavalry which were by now in North of Dunkirk. This maneuver was successful, which managed to give the impression that it was the central army. The British forces began to move ahead towards Brasa and captured Fort Zain. They also stopped efforts by the Turks to obstruct the river so the Turkish forces retreated from Brasa. Then, General Sir Arthur Barrett, the commander of the British army, deployed regiments to the city and the British forces established a strong occupation on 23 November 1914 (Knight 2006). The triumphant campaign allowed the majority of the British troops to return home, leaving only a small garrison. This episode is more than mere narrative. It reveals that for certain periods the Royal Navy was rendered almost redundant in a military sense due to a lack of conflict at sea. This is suggested by the fact that on 28 August, marines were located on ships during t he battle of Heligoland, with no lives lost. Later, however, at the Battle of Coronel in November, the British forces experienced a loss of 196 soldiers. One of the last encounters at sea was in 1914 during the Battle of the Falkland Islands in December. The importance of the navy was brought back into focus when, towards the end of 1914, the deadlock between the Western and Eastern Fronts ceased (Friedman 2011). This allowed the British Navy to establish and consolidate maritime control and superiority, but it was not practical to have the opening of a similar instance as Trafalgar. The British administration therefore needed to begin searching for an alternative that would conclude the war. During December 1914, the strategic importance of the navy on the Western Front became apparent. The British government had responded to a request for assistance from Russia, which was struggling to fight the Turks in the Caucuses. On 2 January 1915, the Secretary of State for War, Field Marshal Lord Kitchener agreed to demonstrate British strength to support Russia (McMillan 2013). Kitchener could not take any troops from the Western Front, so he turned to naval capacities for active involvement. As a result, the best location for action would be the tapered strip of water from the Mediterranean into the Sea of Marmara. The purpose and plan, masterminded by Winston Churchill, was to avoid the Turkish capital, First Lord of the Admiralty. Churchill created a complicated structure of a ‘third Allied front’ which gave tremendous assistance to Russia. The Royal Naval Division, moreover, went on to form an important part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary force (MEF), was wh ich also included the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), the 29th Division (British Army) and the Royal Naval Division (RND) (Dupuy 1967). Responsibility for the division was given to General Sir Ian Hamilton, The marines’ first conflict was in March 1915, where they targeted Turkish citadels and 22 individuals lost their lives while several others were injured. On 25 April the Plymouth Battalion with a group of 2nd South Wales Borderers landed on â€Å"Y† beach where a number of soldiers lost their lives (Churchill 1940). However, these successes were not without setbacks, and it should not be concluded that the Royal Navy was unequivocally of strategic value in these cases. There had been an early problem when the navy initially landed on 25 April and this had given Turkey chance of help to organize their defenses from Germany especially on top of cliffs that gave a direct view of the neighboring beaches and into the interior of the land (Dupuy 1967). On 28th April, the Chatham Battalion landed on the Anzac shoreline in order to safeguard a beach, and they stayed there until 12th May despite many deaths and casualties. On the 29th April, the Admiralty gave control of the Royal Navy Division to the British War office and it became the 63rd Royal Naval Division. The 63rd also had control of the RM training division located at Blanford (Herwig 1987). During May and June, Royal Marines participated in warfare at the 2nd and 3rd Battles of Krithnia. Additionally, there was action at Achi Baba on the 12th June. The MEF held their initial position at Gallipoli to try and find a conclusion to the struggle (Herwig 1987). One point of important to note about this episode is that the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF), along with the Royal Navy, experienced various levels of difficulties and higher levels of casualties. This prompted MEF’s withdrawal from Gallipoli, moreover. Winston Churchill’s administration has received severe criticism for the large number of lives lost over this period, and it can reasonably be questioned whether such as campaign can be deemed of strategic value. One might even say it was a strategic folly in human terms; and as Osbourne (2004) points out, the fact that Churchill stepped down from the Admiralty as a result is damning. Following the activities of this period, more action then took place in the sea rather than on land. The Battle of Jutland was the largest wartime conflict that occurred at sea during World War I. The battle commenced on 31st May 1916 when Germany fired against the British Battle Cruiser regiments. Royal Marines proved their strategic value here, as they were involved in 10% of the most important naval attack on crafts (Osbourne 2004). This proportion comprised mainly RMA whose job during this time was to operate guns. As it got bigger, the battle looked like it was getting out of control. The next day, British demolisher vessels attacked and sunk the Pommern. However in total, the Germans lost 11 ships while the British lost 14 ships, which suggests strategic folly in numerical terms (Osbourne 2004). In May the same year, RMLI brigades arrived from Gallipoli and were repatriated to France where new resources and weapons were organised. In addition, they were given more manpower and upgraded weapons to machine guns. In July, the RM Company was joined by companies called Howe and Anson the 188th Brigade of the re-titled 63rd RND (Herwig 1987). This group moved to a fairly quiet region of the Western Front. At this point, because of new weapons technology it was necessary to safeguard the line using three trench positions. Common Trench warfare was intended for use in heavy infantry but that was not commonly experienced through the commando tactics of RMLI (Friedman 2011). These battalions became a vital element to the Battle of Ancre Heights near Beaumont Hill. There were financial implications for this battle, as well as many casualties. On 17th April 1917 the 1st and 2nd regiments participated in armed combat at Miraumant and also during the 2nd Battle of the Scarpe later that m onth. During this armed effort, troops from the 63rd Division took over captured Gavrelle, led by General C. Lawrie. Immediately afterward, the 63rd Division also participated in the Battle of Arleux (Friedman 2011). The RND marched to various regions including Arras and Ypres during the winter weather, carrying heavy army equipment. In Ypres, the battalions trained very hard to prepare for a key offensive on the German border, north of Ypres. When it happened, the attack would take the forces to the strategic location of the Paddebrek stream, in the north region of the canal (Randier 2006). Because of significant losses earlier that year the 1st and 2nd RMLI contingents joined together to increase their masses numbers. However, at this point, there were some signs that the war was moving towards an end and the Germans begun realizing that their momentum begun to slow down. Finally, on 8th August the British put into place their counter plan to impact on German troops, disturbing all levels of hierarchy in the army, including the German High Command. This appeared to be a possible chance for victory, although it is vital to point out that victory was not guaranteed. On 2nd to 3rd September 1918, the 1st and 3rd Armies fought at the Battle of Drocourt-Queant, alongside the 63rd (RN) division in the Third army (Morison 1942). On 27th September to 1st October 1918, the 1st and 3rd Armies also engaged in combat at the Battle of the Canal du Nord. During this time, the 63rd RN group was once again a component of the third Army (Stephenson 2011; Osbourne 2004). As has emerged through this essay, the strategic value of the Royal Navy was mixed. Many historians viewed Gallipoli as a catastrophic tragedy, facilitated by confusing tactics and problems that allowed the enemy to prepare for the attack (Stephenson 2011). However, despite awful circumstances, the Marines still managed several successes demonstrating that they were a significant force on the ground in the capacity of infantry. Many of the experiences acquired by soldiers in World War I were valuable resources that were applied again in the experiences they would go through in WWII (Stephenson 2011). This essay has detailed the many triumphs of the Royal Navy; however, of them all the Zeebruge campaign was arguably the most important in strategic terms (Koerver 2010). After dealing with frightful conditions and dreadful weather, the Marines still managed to carry out their responsibilities and sabotage the canal (Stephenson 2011). Their accomplishments led to an unintentional benefit of giving a confidence boost and momentum for all British soldiers involved in the conflict in other places (Knight 2006). As a final, but by no means insignificant point, the importance of the Royal Navy as a blockading force deserves a mention. The efforts of the marines and the navy kept Germany surrounded, creating barrier to many trade routes and ports, causing starvation and eventually defeat. This contributed to higher levels of bankruptcy, as Germany exhausted its finances trying to keep up with Britain (Stephenson 2011; Osbourne 2004). In conclusion, is clear that the Royal Navy was an indispensible strategic tool during WWI. It had the capacity to fight effectively in different environments and landscapes, as has been outlined in the narrative sections of this essay. It was also useful in observing and introducing a wide range of tactics, strategies, and military equipment to Britain, which helped to evolve many modern aspects of warfare that are still with us today (Knight 2006). Its versatility on land and sea, moreover, which has been outlined throughout this essay in description of campaigns, was enormously useful. In concrete terms, the most essential raids that consolidated included Antwerp, Mesopotamia, Gallipoli, and Zeebruge, all of which involved the Royal Navy. Of course, it certainly had its shortcomings, and some of its failures and blunders have been discussed. However, this is an inevitable part of the operations of any force. In the end, while the Germans lost the war for a wide range of reasons, the impact of the British Royal Navy was certainly one of them; it was undoubtedly of great strategic value. Reference List Benbow, T Naval Warfare 1914-1918: From Coronel to the Atlantic and Zeebrugge. (Newbury: Amber Books Ltd, 2011) Churchill, W The Second World War. Vol. 2, Their Finest Hour ( Houghton Mifflin Company, 1949) Dupuy, T. N. The Military History of World War I: naval and overseas war, 1916-1918. (New York: Franklin Watts, 1967) Friedman, N., Naval Weapons of World War One: Guns, Torpedoes, Mines, and ASW Weapons of All Nations: An Illustrated Directory (UK: Naval Institute Press 2011). Grove, E. Vanguard to Trident, (London: Naval Institute Press/The Bodley Head, 1987) Halpern, P. A Naval History of World War I. The Standard Scholarly Survey. (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1994) Koerver, H. J. German Submarine Warfare 1914 – 1918 in the Eyes of British Intelligence, (Reinisch: LIS 2010) Herwig, H. H. Luxury Fleet: The Imperial German Navy,1888-1918. (Oxon: Routledge, 1987) Joll, R. Jackspeak. (UK: Maritime Books, 2000) Will Knight, UK unveils plans for a new submarine fleet. New Scientist (Environment) 2006, McMillan, M. The War That Ended Peace: The Road to 1914(London: Profile Books Ltd, 2013) Morison, E. Admiral Sims and the Modern American Navy. (UK: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1942) Osbourne, E. W. Britain’s Economic Blockade of Germany, 1914–1919. (London and New York: Routledge 2004). Randier, J. La Royale: L’histoire illustree de la Marine Nationale Francaise. (Brest: Editions de la Cite, 2006) Stephenson, D. With our backs to the wall: Victory and defeat in 1918. (UK: Penguin, 2011)

Influence Of Cultural Differences On HRM Practices Research Paper

Influence Of Cultural Differences On HRM Practices - Research Paper Example In order to understand the implications of culture on HRM practices, it is important to learn how culture is perceived by stakeholders mainly labor in an organization and also how it manifests into organizational policies and procedures. According to Hofstede (2001), a culture is a social phenomenon which is learned, shared, trans-generational, symbolic, patterned and adaptive. Also, it is a multilayered phenomenon which is easy to observe but difficult to change in terms of its foundation. These layers of culture include artifacts, espoused beliefs and underlying assumptions (Schein, 2004). In addition to that, culture defines commonality existing in preferences of the workforce and their responsiveness towards organizational practices. Since it defines shared notions driving workforce, labor tends to discard any practice that is inconsistent with it or creates ambiguity. Furthermore, culture is a stable phenomenon which is difficult to change at least in the short-term. Hofstede (2 001) further asserts that five fundamental dimensions of management define how the behavior of human resource alters itself in different cultures. These dimensions include power distance between management and labor, uncertainty avoidance, individualism vs. collectivism, masculinity versus femininity and long-term versus short-term orientation. A careful analysis of these dimensions would illustrate the rationale behind differences among organizational practices prevailing in US and UAE. In extension to Hofstede’s work, Aycan et al. (2000) explain that a culture governing workforce of an organization comprises of internal traditions, the external environment surrounding the organization and socio-cultural norms existing in that particular social segment whereas this combination is known as a model of cultural fit. Organizations tend to follow HRM practices that conform to their internal model showing compliance with organizational objectives and traditions followed by the wor kforce.  

Ethical Theories Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical Theories Paper - Essay Example determined solely by its resulting consequent, though there is still a debate over the extent of consideration that should be offered to intended consequences, foreseen consequences and actual consequences. Utilitarianism can be said to be a reductionist and a quantitative approach to ethics, as well as a form of naturalism (Zilioli, 2007). It is the opposite of deontological ethics, virtue ethics, ethical egoism, and pragmatic ethics. This is an absolutist and deontological approach. It is based on the fact that individuals should believe in doing things because it is the right thing to do meaning and the duty of an individual to perform a certain act, which can be regarded as right. It does not believe that each act should be done because it results in happiness but should be done because it is the appropriate thing to do. Kant’s ethics are based on A Priori reasoning while Mill’s and Bentham’s are based on A Posteriori logic (Zilioli, 2007). This is a theory which was developed in anthropological research as axiomatic in the few initial decades of 20th century by Franz Boas and popularized later by his students (Peoples & Bailey, 2012). Boas did not coin the term. Cultural relativism involves certain methodological and epistemological claims. It is still debated whether these claims necessitate a particular ethical stance or not. This principle should be carefully distinguished from moral relativism. This is a principle of truth based on the statement "if one believes something it is true." The outcome of individual relativism results in two obvious absurdities, and consequently one nail-in-the-coffin objection. To begin with, the most obvious absurdity that is a consequent of individual relativism is if everybodys beliefs are true, then there would not be any false belief. This means everybody is always right, and their beliefs are true and cannot be false. The second relatively obvious absurdity is if there are no false beliefs, then no one will ever

Narrative Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Narrative - Assignment Example he narrator will increase in the future due to the sharing of what the narrator considered and embarrassment during the dinner at the high-end restaurant where the story ends with, Meg grinned. â€Å"Sure. All Americans slurp.† This will make the narrator and Meg have an understanding that they are equal and all are faced with different multicultural differences and similarities that they have the duty of helping each other to perform. This will aid the two of them to understand the need to help each other understand their differences, in the process generating a close band and augmenting their friendships. Meg will be very instrumental in teaching the narrator the ways and practices in America while the narrator will be responsible to relate the cultures and practices of the Chinese. Over time, the narrator and Meg will have a better understanding and mastery of the other friend’s culture and practice. Having helped each other, they will be appreciative of the roles played by the other and will make them close to each other through the times taken. They will be able to appreciate the differences and similarities in culture and nationality leading to the development of a bond between tem allowing for a close interaction and development of affection translating to better friendships in future to their adult lives. Being friends and having a good understanding of each other and the ability of the two to compromise as exemplified by the researcher to take a milk shake despite being full for the benefit of her friend shows the extend they can go for each other happiness. Meg is not disappointed or worried after the embarrassment of the narrator at her family’s dinner, shows that she is willing to understand the shortcomings of the narrator and is willing to take an extra mile to assist. They will, therefore, be ready t o do everything for each other to ensure they coexists in a peaceful and understanding manner with each other leading to the creation of strong

Development of Energy Derivatives in Risk Management Essay

Development of Energy Derivatives in Risk Management - Essay Example An off-shoot of this transfiguration is augmented market fluctuation which has resulted in an equivalent increase in demand for risk management products. This requirement is mirrored in the development of financial derivatives ranging from the harmonized futures and options products to the wide spectrum of over-the-counter or OTC products as offered. Financial risks may be construed as the risks to an organization which crop up as a result of price vacillations, either directly or indirectly, influencing the value of a company (Sprcic, 2007). A fusion of greater deregulation, international competition, interest rates, and foreign exchange rate fluctuation, along with commodity price suspensions, and hoisted corporate concerns, have resulted in increased significance of financial risk management in the years that trailed. ... interest rate confrontation, the way and limit of managing such risks has frequently witnessed a major role in the success or failure of a business. As a result, we can discuss that financial risk management is one of the most significant corporate operations for the reason that it contributes to the actualization of the primary target of the company, which is stock-holder wealth maximization (Sprcic, 2007). It is possible to conduct financial risk management in two unique manners. On one hand, the first approach can be the employment of a diversification approach in the assortment of businesses that are operated by the corporation. On the other hand, the second approach can be the corporation's involvement in financial transactions. In the case of such diversification, which has been one of the most prominent tools of risk management, firms which are basically concerned about the fluctuations of their earnings, have switched to the financial markets. This is solely because of the reason that the financial markets have embellished more straight approaches to risk management which excel the requirement to straightway invest in actions which help in the alleviation of instabilities. The errand of financial risk management has been provided by the increasing accessibility of an assortment of derivative implements in order to shift financial price risks to other worthy parties which are capa ble of benefiting from it. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Introduction to Derivatives Prior to the accurate development of derivatives markets, the

Legal Analysis Memorandum Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Legal Analysis Memorandum - Assignment Example As well they observed the defendant handing a bag of white powder to someone standing beside the couch. After identifying themselves, and being granted entrance into the house, the police officers explained to all present what they had observed. At that point they saw sandwiched between cushions on the couch, what appeared to be a firearm. Upon inspection they discovered a total of four firearms, none of which were registered as required by DC law. Thereafter the police then conducted a pat-down search of Mr. Blake and everyone else in the room. The officers found that Mr. Blake had on his person a large amount of suspected marijuana, suspected cocaine, and money ($400). Another occupant of the room had a baggie of suspected cocaine (white powder). Mr. Blake was then charged with possession of a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance, and possession of an unregistered firearm. ... II. Rule: The â€Å"reasonable expectation of privacy† is determined by the findings in Minnesota v. Carter. As well determined by the Minnesota Court is the issue of whether Blake enjoyed the right to a Commercial Business based expectation of privacy since he and the owner of the house in question conducted business out of the basement of this house. The â€Å"lawfulness of the search† in this matter is settled by the case law in Rawlings v. Kentucky, where the Court specifically held that the search that was incident to the observation of drug parts and subsequent obtaining of a warrant was lawful although the evidence was found inside a purse which the defendant had put the drugs in just before the police arrived. Due to the temporality of the placement and proximity of the evidence to the Defendant, the defendant was not allowed to prevail on his argument of an unlawful search. The issue of whether the evidence was in â€Å"plain view† to the officers is add ressed by the Court in Horton v. California, which found this term to be defined broadly enough to cover the Blake scenario. The issue of a lawful search in a more intrusive scenario was determined to be unlawful because of the close proximity and no probable cause basis in the case of Florida v. Jardines. Finally, the issue of unlawful entry and subsequent violations thereto was addressed in Mapp v. Ohio, wherein the Court imposed the standard granted in the Fourth Amendment’s right to privacy on the States and their agents, in not allowing evidence that was seized without a warrant and against the will of the occupant of the house where there was no probable cause and a

Slavery a Comparative Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Slavery a Comparative Analysis - Essay Example Stanley Elkin was born in the 1930s in New York, and later became a Jewish American writer and a short tale novelist. Stanley Elkin is the writer of Slavery: A Problem in American Institutional and Intellectual Life (1959), describing the narration of slavery in Americas work was described as the most controversial and faced a lot of criticism. His writings motivated mostly by Tannenbaum’s study of slavery in North America and Brazil, â€Å"Slave and Citizen (1948)†, compared his study with the modern world to establish why the American slavery was exclusive. He died in May 31, 1995 after suffering multiple sclerosis since 1960. James McPherson was born in October 11, 1936 in valley city, North Dakota. He is an American civil war historian and is the George Henry '86 Professor Emeritus of United States olden times at Princeton University where he has taught since1962. He placed an added fifty years into learning American Civil war, in 1982; he wrote the ordeal by fire d escribing the American civil war. ... rson’s ordeal by fire describes the societal, economic, political and ideological differences that led to a disastrous and intermediary event in American history. Modernization theme is carried out all through the book. McPherson explores the origin of war; slavery associated with war and at the start of war itself and later describes the consequences of the war. He disputes that the war and rebuilding were part of the stages in America’s modernization and that the Republican Party was the motivating force behind the idea of modernization. He proceeds to associate modernization with religion whereby Protestants were its main supporters while Catholics and southerners were against the idea of modernization, thus the vast difference between North and South America in terms of development. Stanley Elkin’s slavery book emphasized that there is a coercive nature in slavery and used the Nazi resemblance to make comparisons. Elkins focused on the effects because of slav ery and the effects the camps had on the slaves too, which made them become more resistant, hence the harsh treatment by the slaveholders. He compared the slavery in the south to Nazism and in many ways, the slaves in the North were far much better than those in the south (Elkins, 1959). The shared mechanism that he believed emerged in both institutions was â€Å"infantilizing trend of complete authority†. They were referred to as property of their slaveholders. Elkin suggested that a major part of North American slavery lacked traditional checks of religion and law on the power of slave owners. Elkin combined knowledge of the history of the holocaust and slavery, he compared the outcome of the holocaust with American slavery something the earlier historians had left untouched. The religious society also

Sociology for Social Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sociology for Social Work - Essay Example Applied research on the other hand, as postulated by Pickering (2001), has to do with pursuing knowledge so as to enhance program application or policy assessment. In most instances, social programs are assessed on the basis of their effectiveness in diminishing an experienced problem or in enacting desirable changes. Information retrieved by way of applied research can be inculcated into social programs like the one Ms. W was signed into. It is characteristic of all sociological research to commence with a theory. As such, the research identifies a client, for our case Ms W, whereupon he attempts an explanation, ultimately offering the derived explanation for the exhibited behaviour patterns. As postulated by Frankfort-Nachmias and Leon-Guerrero (2003), the researcher identifies causal relationships between variables. Variables in sociological research are features of individuals or items that ideally can take on two or more values. As sociologists try to explain Ms W’s behaviour they may give a specific explanation regarding the relationship that characterises two variables, for instance, the husbands death and her denial to own her problems. Ms W. denial can be measured according to a variety of variables. These could be her lack of acknowledgment of having paranoid schizophrenia, her s trange behaviour in public as well as her refusal to take medication. The researcher states the relationship that exists between these variables in a hypothesis as Astbury (1996) contends. A hypothesis is a tentative statement which tends to assume to know how the variables relate to each other. A researcher could assume that upon the death of Ms. W’s husband together with the frustration she received from her dealings with the government, she was overwhelmed and thus broke down into paranoiac schizophrenia. Research methods are constituted by a combination of

Grammar school Essay Example for Free

Grammar school Essay Intoduction Education in its general sense is a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills, and habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next through teaching, training, or research. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of others, but may also be autodidactic Any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational. A right to education has been created and recognized by some jurisdictions: Since 1952, Article 2 of the first Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights obliges all signatory parties to guarantee the right to education. It does not however guarantee any particular level of education of any particular quality. There are three forms of learning defined by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): formal education, education and non-formal education. Systems of schooling involve institutionalized teaching and learning in relation to a curriculum, which itself is established according to a predetermined purpose of the schools in the system. Schools systems are sometimes also based on religions, giving them different curricula. In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses and their content offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latinword for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults. A curriculum is prescriptive, and is based on a more general syllabus which merely specifies what topics must be understood and to what level to achieve a particular grade or standard. An academic discipline is a branch of knowledge which is formally taught, either at the university–or via some other such method. Each discipline usually has several sub-disciplines or branches, and distinguishing lines are often both arbitrary and ambiguous. Examples of broad areas of academic disciplines include the natural sciences, mathematics, computer science, social sciences, humanities and applied sciences. Educational institutions may incorporate fine arts as part of K-12 grade curricula or within majors at colleges and universities as electives. The various types of fine arts are music, dance, and theater. Enrolment is the total number of students properly registered and/or attending classes at a school. Every year or every school year the different schools were increasing the total number of students who were officially enrolled in their school. We need to be enrolled so that we will be indicated in the master list of enrollees and for us also to be officially enrolled in such institution. ADVANTAGE * Convenience is one of the major advantages of online schools. It allows students to work and learn at their own pace without the unyielding time restrictions of traditional schools. Online schools provide access to learning materials at anytime. This allows students the flexibility to schedule their learning around families, jobs and other activities. Another major advantage of learning from an online school is the accessibility it provides. Students can learn from anywhere in the world. This is an especially important benefit for students who wish to study in a different country. It also allows students to travel without the repercussions of being absent from school * Provide HR personnel and employees access to benefits information around-the-clock * Reduce administrative tasks and eliminate paper-based processes * Grant employees instant access to benefits elections through online confirmation statements * Review data and statistics about employee enrollment activity through reporting capabilities DISADVANTAGE: There are some disadvantages that are associated with the online ordering system. One is that of you do not have access to the Internet you cannot order. The other one is that you may be ripped off. * Being a successful student at an online school requires self-discipline. This is a disadvantage for students who have difficulty with time management and procrastination. While being able to set your own schedule can be an advantage, it can also be a disadvantage. Some students need the structure of traditional schools. Another disadvantage of online schools is the technology involved. It just isnt available to everyone. The world is rapidly becoming more and more connected by modern technology, but some people still do not have ready access to a computer and Internet connection. And many of those who do have the required equipment are too intimidated by it to take advantage of online schools. Learning through online schools restricts interaction between teacher and student. This is a disadvantage for those students who need the immediate feedback that such interaction provides. REFERENCES: http://www. ask. com/web? qsrc=1o=102140l=dirq=disadvantage+of+online+enrolment+system http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Enrollment http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Education http://www. ask. com/web? qsrc=1o=102140l=dirq=advantage+of+online+enrolment+system Answer: Education is a process of human growth by which one gains greater understanding and control over oneself and one’s world. It involves our minds, our bodies, and our relations with the people and the world around us. Education is also characterized by continuous development and change. The end product of the process of education is learning. Schooling is a specific, formalized process, usually focused on the young, and whose general pattern traditionally has varied little from one setting to the next. 2. Describe how school function as transmitter and re-creators of culture. Answer: Teachers design the classroom so that the Americans and Hispanic cultures are honored and children learn to operate effectively in both languages. American cultures have always embraced many cultures. Nevertheless a primary responsibility of the school is to assist foreign born students in the acquisition. 3. Describe how schools can operate as vehicle for social, democratic, and economic reconstruction. Answer: Social deconstructionists – proponent of the theory of education that schools and teachers need to engage in the reconstructing and reforming of society to eradicate its ills and shortcomings. Economic reconstructionists- subscribers to an educational perspective or motivational that focuses on developing students who take critical stances toward the dominant social and economic status quo. 4. Identify the four basic purpose of school. A. Intellectual purpose- promote academic learning, B. Political and civic- purposes help the students to learn how to govern themselves wisely and justly. C. Economic purpose schools will prepare students for the future. D. Social purpose- adapt to social expectations. 5. Explain why students in elementary classrooms learn to deny desire, delay gratification, cope with interruptions and work through social distractions. Answer: because they are surrounded by so many other students who want the same thing they want. 6. Describe the range of educational experiences for middle-grade students, based on the grade configuration of the school, the size of the school, the administration’s and teacher’s orientations, the goals of the school and the staffing patterns. Answer: the goals that schools set for students influence middle-school education in other ways as well, including the curriculum offered and the instructional method used. It was found that classroom structure for students in the middle grades varied from completely self-contained classrooms, in which one teacher taught one from of students all major subject areas, to completely departmentalized schools in which each teacher specialized in a single subject area and taught several different classes of students. The middle schools showed a greater percentage of departmentalized staffing. Teachers also differed by the type of licensure held. Teachers with secondary licensure were more likely to be subject matter oriented, and middle-grade students were taught by subject matter experts showed higher level pf achievement. 7. Explain how the greater variety of choices secondary students have can result in different high school experiences, based on tracking, the courses in which they enroll, the feedback they receive from teachers, and the tacit agreement they make with their teachers, Answer: early adolescences are characterized by a variety of developmental needs and dramatic evaluation in the maturation rate. 8. Identify four areas suggested to improve the quality of high schools. A. pressure on the teacher B. influence on tracking C. classroom treaties D. specialty shops 9. List and explain some of the characteristics of schools that are effective with respect to academic. Answer: the teacher’s expectation – high can do expectation Communication among teachers – high degree of colleagueship Task orientation – serious attitude. Academic engaged time- keep students working Part II 1. Raise your hand before you speak 2. No chewing gum 3. No talking in class 4. Do your homework or they will contact your parents 5. If you are late for class you will have to go to the principal office. 6. The principal said it was okay for him to whoop me. ** I felt #6 was unfair because other people shall not be able to whoop you.

Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM) in Bank Study

Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM) in Bank Study The importance of human resource management cannot be undervalued in todays intensely competitive global market place. The reason for this is that there is a very small margin for error from becoming a market leader to becoming a market joke. A lot of emphasizes is now put on good human resource management, as it is the difference between employing a qualified work force and hiring inept workers. Human resource management nowadays is not just about employing people or drafting work policies; it is also about being able to rapidly respond to customers needs and competitors moves. In Abbey Nation Bank human resources is viewed as a source of having a competitive advantage in this competitive market situation. What this means is that human resources is now playing a more vital role than ever in the organizational hierarchy of a company. This is because a carefully implemented human resource policy can obtain a high quality workforce More and more these days the importance of strategic human resource management is coming to the forefront of many businesses. Here the word strategic means keeping in view the long term results or the so called bigger picture. Strategic human resource management focuses is human resource programs that can lead Abbey National Bank to long term on right track In strategic human resource management, an HR manager becomes a very important player in the company, the reason for this being that rather than acting as passive administrators, they play a more proactive role in policy formulation. The HR manager thus becomes a resource manager as he or she will utilize the full potential of their human resources From the above we can thus see that strategic human resource management is now coming to play a very important role in todays business world. Strategic human resource management is all about strategically managing a business. For Abbey National Bank human resources management is important for improve employees skills and competent advantage. (Smallbusinessbible 2008) Assess the impact of strategic human resource management activities in AbbeyNational The impact of strategic human resource management activities in Abbey National Bank as follows: High Skills Employees As impact of SHRM activities in Abbey National Bank is to improve employees skills and provide best customers services to its customers on improve employees learning about their tasks which can helpful for them. Best services to customers. Customers are a base for any organization and we cannot forget this factor. With SHRM we can provide best services to customers and can get feedback from customers that how we serve you. New innovative and reliable organization performance Innovation and reliable performance of Abbey National Bank can possible by using SHRM theories apply on employees and provide best training to employees and give them reward in bounce and other packages to employees. Revise employees performance according to organizational goals. With the help of SHRM, we can measure performance of employees on the basis of settle goals which are settle to achieve these goals and provide best information structure which can improve communication among employees. Provide new skills to employees to get competent advantage over competitors. By using SHRM practices, employees of Abbey National Bank can improve professional skills and provide new ideas that can get competitive advantage over other banks in the market. Evaluate the contribution of Strategic Human  Resource Management to the achievement of Santanders objectives at Abbey National Bank Improve business performance Contribution of SHRM is in Abbey National Bank for the objectives of Santander Bank is first to improve business performance on the basis of mission statement and provide right people for right job in all departments. Develop organizational culture To achieve Santanders objective there should be improve cultural environment of Abbey National Bank so that it can helpful to employees and provide right information with communication channels. Competitive advantage As competitive advantage, there should be hire such people who are more skilful and professional basis are strong and that can participate to achieve objectives of Santander Bank. (2011 EzineArticles.com) Analyse the business factors that underpin the new human resource planning in  Abbey National Government policies: UK Government policies are changing policies for banking industry due to current economic conditions in the world. There should be develop new policies for employees and develop their skills according to requirements of bank.   Because Government has cut HSMP immigration system and no more high skilled people can enter in UK due to current recession and pressure of population.   Business Competition As business competition, Abbey National Bank should be hire such people which are more educational and high skills who can achieve requirements of jobs. There should be made a strategy to develop employees skills according to   Location of operation In UK, in some areas are not more business type, for example in towns there are not more business activities and while in these are there should be opened new branches for customers and provide best services to public. Assess the human resource requirements for next two years In the next two years Human Resource requirements will be as well: Identifying personnel requirements (numbers, skill sets, experience, qualifications) Match personnel to organisational requirements; Internal factors: Employees development For Abbey National Bank, in next two years Human Resource requirements are basis market situation and compete competitors.   While employees development is very important so that we can get competence advantage over competitors. For example, Barclays, HSBC, Nationwide and other banks in UK are use different policies for development of employees. Skill requirements: On the basis of skills for the next two years HR requirements, provide high skills employees to organization and develop different approaches so that employees can achieve objectives of Abbey National Bank. External factors: Government policies: UK Government policies are changing with the passage of time and during for next two years there should be hire highly skilled people who can contribute for success of Abbey National Bank. Education For the HR requirements, there will be need to provide short term and long term courses to employees from different top ranking institutions of UK. So that, employees personal skills and professional development can achieve and there will be more chances of competency advantage over competitors in future.   Training: Training of employees is a base to provide better performance and achieve determine objectives.   In Abbey National Bank, there should be made more plans for employees training and for best results provide different methods for example customer care and customer feedback approaches also helpful for Abbey National Bank. Process of developing a human resources plan for Abbey National First, we should understand demands of HR department and then we can determine a plan for   Abbey National Bank.   In current market situation and economic recession there should be hire high skills people who can understand and can drive Abbey National Bank in right direction and to achieve determine goals by HR policies and practices.   New employees should be hire only in this condition that there will be need more staff and there is no more chances to promote current employees means current employees cannot match job criteria. While there should be also provide best training to current employees and match their performance with determine standard which is defined in objectives of   Abbey National Bank. (2000-2010, 2011 Buzzle.com) Present a critical evaluation on how the human resources plan can contribute to meeting an Abbey Nationals objectives HR contribution to meeting can provide as follows: Employees performance: Human Resource plan can contribute to Abbey Nationals objectives by improve employees performance and evaluate on different scales. Customers feedback: Provide best products and services to customers and consider them as basic and focus on customers satisfaction. Then take feed back from customers and comments of customers about products and services. New ideas for workforce development By using Human Resources plan, Abbey National Bank can drive its employees in right direction and can get its objectives which are determined in mission statement. Explain the purpose of Human Resource Management Policies in organisations Human resource management is playing vital role in Abbey National Bank.   Its purpose not only select people for right job but utilize their competency and develop skills which can compete to other competitors in banking industry.   The skills that are necessary to meet the organizational goals are developed in employees. This point is considered during the planning phase and included in the policies devised for meeting goals. Nowadays, the human resource department does much more than just recruiting employees for the company. Using the human resource effectively in order to give bank a competitive advantage and completing the set targets, are some of the priorities. The mission statements reflect the strategies, goals and the overall approach of companies. The values inherited and the policies redefined   by firms are based on the mission statements; which are the driving force thatmotivatethe employees to move ahead. (2000-2010,2011 Buzzle.com) Analyse the impact of regulatory requirements on human resource policies in an organisation The effects and impacts of laws and regulations on the plans of businesses cannot be overemphasized as the above indicate. Recent insurance scandal in Britains oldest insurance company, Equitable, nearly caused its demise.   Equitables crisis is alleged to have started as a result of loopholes in regulation governing British insurance industry when it emerged that it did not have sufficient funds to honour guaranteed annuity policies to a large group of policyholders. The immediate impact on the Equitable insurance was that a court ruled that it closes all new businesses meaning a fall in services leading to huge debts and also lost of trust and market position to the insurance community and public as a whole which will inevitably force the mutual company to change its business plans and operations.   In the UK, the recent spate of financial scandals leading to loss of pensions for retired workers has prompted the government to put forward a bill in parliament to avoid future los s of pension funds to retired workers. Analyse the impact of organisational structure Organizational structure refers to the way people are organized Culture The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a workplace are itsculture. The culture and structure of an organization affect one another. A structure appropriate to the organization helps to develop a healthy culture. Communication In companies with rigid structures, communication tends to follow reporting lines. In companies with flatter structures, communication may occur more easily across departments. Job Satisfaction Studies have found arelationshipbetween job satisfaction and organizational structure. Organizations with flatter structures may foster more feelings of self-actualization and create less anxiety in employees. Customer Relations Relationshipswith customers may suffer if departmental relationships cause the customer difficulty in getting problems addressed. Multi-functional teams that can answer a customers questions and resolve issues have a positive effect on customer satisfaction. Projects Organizational structure impacts the success of a companys projects. If project personnel also perform routine operational work, it may be difficult for them to focus on projects and meet schedules. If the flow of information across departments is difficult, it may affect ability to share resources effectively. Analyse the impact of organisational culture Analyzing organizational culture can occur on many different levels. On the theoretical level, one of the foremost individuals on the study and analyzing organizational culture is Dutch sociologist and writer Geert Hofstede. Hofstedes studies of how corporations and companies function most effectively is compared to how a good company had many comparisons to a successfully run nation, and how the culture of a people had an effect on organizational culture, and vice-versa. When a company is not running to its full potential, there are various reasons that a culture may not be working. The CEO may want to chart an aggressive course looking to be willing to take chances and to exploit every little opportunity, while the mid level managers might be prone to avoiding uncertaintyand thus play it way too safe. The organizational culture can be one of the most important factors in whether a large corporation succeeds or fails, but it is also one of the hardest things to change about a company since by its very definition organizational culture is shared throughout the entire company. This is why success tends to breed success while a sinking company is so hard to turn around, even if huge changes are made at the top. On a practical level, especially with a quick turnaround or shift in culture as the eventual goal, there are a few things to keep in mind. One is feedback. Setting up a system of quick feedback means someone at the top can get a quick, if not instant, response to a program or situation. Sometimes if a bad situation, such as a CEO who tended to over micro-manage, gets removed, then that simple action can provide an instant feedback, or in that case an instant response to the removal of bad influence. A good leader will be able to ride this early momentum to at least set the base of a new style of organizational culture. When analyzing organizational culture, you also want to figure out what types of managers and workers you have on every level, and: a) what type of organizational culture can maximize their abilities for the larger good of the company, or b) if the workers and supervisors already in place simply do not have the ability to shift to the organizational culture that is best. Analysing both strengths and weaknesses can help determine where a company is, and what direction it can most effectively head towards. A company with a very strong culture wants to make sure it doesnt go so far that no new ideas are let into the conversation. This would kill innovation. Likewise, in a company with a weak culture, if bureaucracy is a problem, while eliminating the unnecessary layers, your company still has to function. Analysing organizational culture can be difficult, but it is a process that is well worth undertaking. Examine how the effectiveness of human resources management could be monitored in Abbey National Bank An important aspect of Abbey National Banks focus and direction towards achieving high levels of competency and competitiveness would depend very much upon their human resource management practices to contribute effectively towards profitability, quality, and other goals in line with the mission and vision of the bank Staffing, training, compensation and performance management are basically important tools in the human resources practices that shape the organizations role in satisfying the needs of its stakeholders. Stakeholders of an organization comprise mainly of stockholders who will want to reap on their investments, customers whose wants and desires for high quality products or services are met, employees who want their jobs in the organization to be interesting with reasonable compensation and reward system and lastly, the community who would want the company to contribute and participate in activities and projects relating to the environmental issues. A comprehensive Human Resource Strategy plays a vital role in the achievement of Abbey National Banks overall strategic objectives and visibly illustrates that the human resources function fully understands and supports the direction in which the organisation is moving. A comprehensive HR Strategy will also support other specific strategic objectives undertaken by the marketing, financial, operational and technology departments. Right people in right place There should be select right people for right job while there should be select talented people to achieve objectives of bank. Right mix of skills: In Abbey National Bank employees skills should also be evaluate according to achieve competency advantage in market. Employees are developed in the right way: For the development and rise up performance of employees there should also be use different tools and training programmes so that employees can compete and doing their jobs according jobs descriptions. (2011 EzineArticles) (10.4.4) Make justified Recommendations to improve the effectiveness of human resources Management Work of Human resource management is not end on reqruite people and pay them and discharge rather than which people are working in Abbey National Bank they should be utilised them according to objectives of organization. While there should also get competence advantage over competitors in market by provide best customer focus strategy. Employee attitude surveys: For the effectiveness of human resources management in Abbey National Bank there should be surveys about employee that they are satisfied about their jobs and they are working according Abbey National Bank objectives. Benchmarking HR performance: To achieve human resource effectiveness there should be benchmarking system for HR performance and evaluate and redefine all activities which are determined in objectives of Abbey National Bank.