Environmental Management System of Starbucks Coffee

Environmental Management System of Starbucks Coffee Background of the company Starbucks Coffee is the number one purveyor of coffee in the world. Starbucks Coffee is an American global coffee company and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Moreover, Starbucks Company is the largest coffeehouse company in the world ahead of Costa Coffee, with 20,737 stores worldwide. Howard Schultz, the Chairman and CEO of Starbucks . With what stated above, Howard is actually trying to make Starbucks a second home in our daily lives. That is why, they are trying to bring ‘family’ into the picture whereby people of all ages can come to Starbucks and enjoy themselves. Starbucks started their first store in 1971 opened in Seattle, Washington. Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker got the idea from Alfred Peet of opening Starbucks coffee store. Starbucks is now introducing a healthier option of food and drinks for children. Therefore, working parents can now enjoy their cup of coffee while doing their work without worrying about what food and drinks t heir children can consume. Furthermore, with a family concept it too can build a closer relationship between families. Introduction to the services / products of the company Starbucks is very particular about meeting all their customers’ needs. The environment of their outlet is well equipped from friendly staff, a comfy place to relax to enjoy a good cup of coffee with your loved ones and not to mention good Wi-Fi. Thus, working parents can come to Starbucks and do their work without feeling stressed out. All in all, Starbucks is the perfect place for families to dine in. In addition, Starbucks serve both hot and cold beverages, whole-bean coffee, micro-ground instant coffee, full-leaf teas and also snacks. Most Starbucks stores also sell pre-packaged food items, hot and cold sandwiches, and items such as mugs and tumblers. Since 1987, Starbucks had opened an average of two new stores every day and had been profitable as local company in early 1980s. In addition the store initially sold just coffee beans and coffee making equipment rather than the drinks they had become famous nowadays. Starbucks is also famous for having good services and serve good quality of coffee. Moreover, Starbucks also introduced the new drive-thru concept stores with consistency in kind so that customers have the option to enjoy their favorite coffee on the go, or at the store should they prefer to stretch their legs and relax. Identification of the potential environmental impacts that maybe caused by the services / products of the company. (10marks) Overall, Starbucks Coffee is recognized by many environmental associations for their endless contribution as a â€Å"Green† company. Throughout the process of growing, processing and transporting the coffee beans, Starbucks Coffee has been in support of environmentally-sound coffee growing practices and to ensure the sustainability of its product supply. Starbucks Coffee strives to reduce their environmental impact through some initiatives targeting issues like recycle, reuse, waste reduction as well as education partners and consumers. However, there are some negative environmental impacts that are caused by the services and products of Starbucks Coffee. Firstly, based on the Starbucks 2007 CSR Annual Report, each Starbucks Coffee store uses 6.78kW/h of electricity, 0.058 thermos of natural gas, and 25 gallons of water, on average, per square foot per month (Saed, 2009). The most serious environmental impact is water wastage. Recently, Starbucks Coffee is criticized by environmental experts for wasting 23.4 million liters of water per day caused by running taps at its nearly 10,000 outlets worldwide (Saed, 2009). The wastage of water is a threat to the environment and wildlife as the tap water is sourced from rivers and underground water. Since coffees are brewed and served to customers in packaging like paper cups, undoubtedly another inevitable wastage of Starbucks Coffee is its coffee cups. It is estimated that the company produces more than 2 billion paper cups per year (Mother Nature Network Holding Company, 2010). Since Starbucks Coffee uses disposable paper cups made of 10% recycled paper fiber and 90% new paper, enormous quantity of natural resources like trees, water and energy are required for the processing of the paper cups. In addition to that, the company’s paper cups are laminated with plastic resin lining, thus are unable to be recycled. After consuming their coffees, the paper cups are highly likely to end up in a landfill in which decomposing of the paper cups occurs. This will result in the release of methane gas, which is a greenhouse gas with 23 times the heat-trapping power of carbon dioxide (Saed, 2009). Emission of this greenhouse gas causes greenhouse effect which will lead to global wa rming. Although Starbucks Coffee is encouraging customers to bring in their own reusable cups and enjoy a 10% discount by doing so, more initiative is needed to motivate customers to be more environmental-friendly. The company’s environmental management system. There are five environmental management system that have been implement by Starbuck Company are building greener stores, recycling reducing waste, Starbucks recycling infrastructure, reducing waste with reusable Cups and water conservation. First Starbuck build greener stores. Starbuck is a store that having LEED ® Certified Stores. They have created environmental awareness on a global scale since from the design stage right through to construction and operations. Besides that, Starbuck also pay attention in energy conservation renewable energy, they have pay attention and committed to reducing the quantity of using energy and also supporting new, renewable solutions and prefer to use the energy in the green way. Second, recycling and reducing waste. Starbuck company said that they have 39% of their retail stores in USA AND Canada were able to offer front of store recycling and 71% of coffee were able to recycle and be a fertilizer. Starbuck also working with Paper Recovery Alliance to increase acceptance of their materials while customize their recycling program to accommodate varying regional requirements as much as possible. Besides that, in 2013 Starbuck have 80%(more than 3,200) of their stores in USA and Canada have recycled cardboard boxes and other back-of-store items. Starbuck Company also encourage their customers to find out if their packaging is recyclable in their neighbourhoods at Earth 911. Third, Starbuck recycling infrastructure. Starbuck Company proves that the cups that they are using can be accepted as a valuable raw material in a variety of recycling systems. Starbuck also working and collaboration as a member of the Foodservice Packaging Institute’s Paper Recovery Alliance and the Plastics Recovery Group to find and bring up solutions to scale and address common challenges. Fourth, reducing waste with reusable cups. Reusable cups are an important component for Starbuck Company in the waste reduction strategy. Since 1985 Starbuck rewarded customer with 5% discounts that bring their personal tumblers and 5% of the beverages made in their stores in tumblers and brought in by their customers. I felt that this is the effective way to encourage people to involve in recycling.      Lastly, water conservation. In 2008, Starbuck Company has set a goal to reduce water consumption by 25% in 2015. Since then, they have identified a number of opportunities to use this precious resource more wisely and spent the last few years testing and validating these solutions. They have cut water consumption by 21.1% through several measures, including the use of efficient fixtures and equipment that actively monitors consumption to identify spikes in water usage and taking action and upgrading the water filtration systems in their stores to take care and protect about the cleanness of river and streams. Starbuck Company have also dominate water extends to water consumption, protection and serving clean water in coffee-growing communities. Through C.A.F.E. Practices and the resources, Agronomists of Starbuck Company have provide coffee farmers at their six farmer support centers around the world, Starbuck Company help increase their yield and quality, while still reducing the water usage for coffee processing and ensuring workers have access clean drinking water to provide customers a good and clean coffee. What are Starbuck doing now are managing water that can be seen â€Å"going down the drain† provides one set of challenges, but much of their water footprint happens behind the scenes. Leaks can develop below floors, outside in sprinkler systems, even in toilets. To combat these invisible enemy, Starbucks Energy and Resource Conservation team uses advanced analytics to identify stores that are using excessive amounts of water. Facilities experts will visit the stores that are using excessive amounts of water to diagnose and rectify aberrant. This practice has relief in excessive water use. The company objectives whether it complies with SMART approach in EMS. The Starbucks Company has complied with SMART approach in EMS. The company has specific target to address, measurable target with showing percentage, achievable target, realistic with showing how they achieve the target, and time-bound. The Starbucks Company is searching the ways to reduce environmental footprint, tackle climate change and stimulate others to do the same. The company have specific target to achieve their objectives such as reducing and recycling waste, energy conservation, water conservation, and building greener stores. For the specific target of reducing and recycling waste, the Starbucks Company has a measurable plan that to have recycling available in all of their stores and serve 5% of beverages in reusable cups by 2015. The target is achievable and realistic because the Starbucks Company offered a 10-cent discount for customer in order to encourage customers to use reusable tumblers or mugs for their beverage in the US and Canada. Furthermore, the customers who drink hot beverage in store are served with ceramic mugs. Besides, cardboard boxes, milk jugs, syrup bottles, and coffee grounds which can be found behind the counter are sent to recycling services but recycling success depends on the obtainability of commercial recycling services where the store is located. Another specific target is energy conservation, time-bound is year 2015, the Starbucks Company has measurable target that commit to reduce 25% of energy consumption and to cover 100% electricity consumption with renewable energy. The target is achievable and realistic because the company has made substantial progress in developing and understanding new approaches to reduce energy consumption in the last few years and continue to find additional renewable solutions. Furthermore, the specific target of water conservation, the Starbucks Company commit to reduce 25% water usage in all their stores by 2015. The target is achievable and realistic because the company has changed continuous streams of water to manual faucets, and clean blender jugs using a blast of higher pressure water instead of open tap. Besides, the company also plans to install efficient water fixtures, such as toilets, spray heads used to rinse dishes, and low-flow faucets in new stores. Alternative ways to improve environmental performance of the company beside the approach stated in company policy. Recycling and reducing waste About the cup being used, there are many ways to reduce the cup waste through encourage customer to use ceramic mug. Offer discount for using ceramic mug and their own cup instead of only their Starbuck brand cup. When staff giving order, may ask customer for using ceramic mug if they are having their coffee in the shop. Use ceramic mug also for customers when request for water, reduce the use of paper and plastic cup possible. In addition, customer environmental awareness is important too, not provide paper tissue in self-counter which customer use extravagance, is only provided one to two tissue for them when purchasing one drink. Energy conservation Energy play an important role in a coffee shop, from roasting coffee to the whole shop, it use energy. However to reduce the use of energy is difficulty, even the LED lighting was installed, but it just reduce not much percent. There is a way to reduce one of the use of energy which is HVAC system: heating, ventilation, cooling. It could consider landscaping the outdoor environment, put some comfortable furniture at outdoor, have a cover and more plant to make it a cool place and good ventilation. If customer prefer have drink at outside rather than indoor, thus it could save more facilities provided. Water conservation Water is everything for the Starbuck’s business, from the making beverages until the cleaning job, all about the water. A small wisdom of life for cleaning, we can use the water in a useful way which use more than one. For example, use the water to flush toilet after wash the vegetables and fruits, and after mop the indoor would use the water to flush the outdoor. Moreover, there are many save water technique offer in the market. In the market, there is a save water toilet which only flush 1.5 liter water once instead of normal 3 liter water, it save 50% of water in normal toilet use. In order to save water, sensory faucet would also consider to use for customer and staff, it will come out right amount water for wash hand. Tackling climate change Currently Starbucks’s coffee-growing communities in Sumatra, Indonesia, and Chiapas, Mexico, however there are many Starbucks store in different countries. In other means, there is a high cost for transfer the coffee bean to each country which only from certain coffee-growing communities, it also consume a lot of fuel. Fuel is precious naturals mineral, one day there will be exhausted. There is a way to reduce the use of fuel which is develop more coffee-growing communities in different countries so that coffee bean can get in local and not transfer from other place, it also benefit to reduce cost of the beverage. References Mother Nature Network Holding Company (2010). Starbucks and the Environment. Retrieved on November 22, 2014 from: http://www.mnn.com/money/sustainable-business-practices/stories/starbucks-and-the-environment Saed, T. (2009). The Impact of One Cup of Starbucks Coffee. Retrieved on November 22, 2014 from: http://globalcitizens.pbworks.com/w/page/9036435/The%20Impact%20of%20One%20Cup%20of%20Starbucks%20Coffee Taylor,B. Kelly,J. (2013)Global Responsibility Report Goals Progress 2013. Retrieved from http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/global-report. Starbucks Corporation. (2014). Environmental Stewardship. Retrieved from http://www.starbucks.com.my/responsibility/environment.

About Going to School Essay

As young Americans living in the 21st century, we have many options when it comes to what we want to do after we graduate high school. Many choose to go to college and earn a degree while others choose to go straight to work or join the military. While all are very good choices for the young men and women who choose each path, some might be more rewarding than others. Earning a degree is something I think all young adults should do regardless of which path they choose; it brings much more economic security, many more job opportunities, and, in most cases, a broader understanding of the world and how it works. One of the first major reasons for my believing this is the economic benefits of the college degree. As we all know, we have been in economic downturn for the past several years, and one study in 2008 found that this was due to a lack of college degrees, or partially at any rate. â€Å"One of the biggest developments in this year’s report is the strength of the relationship between higher education and the economy,† said Dewayne Matthews, Lumina’s vice president for policy and strategy. â€Å"People are beginning to understand that job growth is a structural issue, and that higher education is the key to economic growth. (UPI Top New, 2010) See more: My Writing Process Essay As you can tell, there is a correlation between what our economy does and the education that we, as Americans, receive after we leave high school and start to enter the real world. It is saying that the American economy cannot survive with employees that have limited knowledge and education. This is not to say that those who do not go to college do not contribute to society however there is an extremely important need for an educated populous to pull us out of this economic deficit. The opportunities for person to find a well paying job are exponentially increased upon receiving a degree from an accredited college or university. â€Å"America needs more workers with college degrees, certificates and industry certifications. † (Arabia 2000, 2010) This quote indicates another point I am trying to make: The employers in America simply cannot find the people they need to fill the jobs that require higher education and training. It used to be that you didn’t need a degree to get a job, sure it helped, but you didn’t have to have it. Well in today’s society it’s practically a requirement and the trend seems to only be growing. If this is the case, wouldn’t you want to arm yourself with as much education and prowess before meeting with employers who won’t consider your application if you do not have a degree attached to it? The answer is yes, you are more likely to get a job over someone if you have a degree and they do not. There is a correlation between jobs and degrees, and the article â€Å"Help Wanted: Projecting Jobs and Education Requirements through 2018† (Arabia 2000, 2010) indicates that this relation is growing closer and even estimates that 63% of all jobs will require some type of post-secondary degree by the year 2018. As you can see, there is substantial evidence leaning towards employers needing a degree, specifically the ones that will allow you to live in a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. Instead of exercising the appropriate mental muscles, we’re allowing ourselves to become a nation of nitwits, obsessed with the comings and goings of Lindsay Lohan and increasingly oblivious to crucially important societal issues that are all but screaming for attention. What should we be doing about the legions of jobless Americans, the deteriorating public schools, the debilitating wars, the scandalous economic inequality, the corporate hold on governmental affairs, the commercialization of the arts, the deficits? † (Guelph Mercury (ON, 2010) this seems rather harsh, but it speaks some truth. There seems to be a lot of Americans these days not contributing anything but TV ratings to society. It’s not a very pretty picture to paint of our country, but the author is saying that our world view is extremely limited and higher education helps broaden that. Going to college is a unique experience in its own, going off on your own, being independent and everything that comes with it. But what about the education you are receiving, when you receive a college education you receive the social responsibility as a global citizen to help us advance as a society. Through your college experiences you are obtaining the tools to go out and change the world, to be a responsible global citizen and to change the way things are going in this country. By not obtaining higher education you are sitting by and watching as the world zooms passed and doesn’t even glance your way. For those who choose to go to work or the military instead of college first, there are still options for you to earn a degree and become successful and earn a higher pay and better job. If you attended a career center and decided to go straight to work, you can and should pursue a degree in the field that you trained in, some jobs might even pay for you to go and getting more training in order to have you as a strong asset in the future. Other companies might even pay towards your student loans after graduating college. New Hampshire has a program called â€Å"Stay Work Play† (Work-Life Newsbrief & Trend Report, 2009) that uses incentives for companies to keep jobs in the state by paying $8,000 towards your college loans and get you to work for them. As for the military, you have the option to go to college for free. The GI Bill of Rights (FDCH Congressional Testimony, 2010) was created at the end of World War II and contains a provision to help pay for servicemen and women to attend college. This give you the option to earn a degree and still serve your country, and get a high pay and maybe earn a higher status in the military by having a degree that helps you perform a job for them. There are thousands of opportunities awaiting you when you start your journey after earning a high school diploma, as you can see. Living in this current economy is not a fun experience and the more money you can make helps not only you but it helps the economy start to thrive again. You have the opportunity to prove the nay-sayers in the world wrong, and help change the world and become an effective global citizen. For those who don’t think they should earn a degree or think they can’t because they chose to go into the military or work, you can still do it! In this day and age we all need an edge in order to get anywhere and succeed, empower yourself to become the successful young man or woman you know you can be and get a degree.

The Golden Lily Chapter 1

MOST PEOPLE WOULD FIND being led into an underground bunker on a stormy night scary. Not me. Things I could explain away and define with data didn't frighten me. That was why I kept silently reciting facts to myself as I descended deeper and deeper below street level. The bunker was a relic of the Cold War, built as protection in a time when people thought nuclear missiles were around every corner. On the surface, the building claimed to house an optical supply store. That was a front. Not scary at all. And the storm? Simply a natural phenomenon of atmospheric fronts clashing. And really, if you were going to worry about getting hurt in a storm, then going underground was actually pretty smart. So, no. This seemingly ominous journey didn't frighten me in the least. Everything was built on reasonable facts and logic. I could deal with that. It was the rest of my job I had a problem with. And really, maybe that was why stormy underground trips didn't faze me. When you spent most of your days living among vampires and half vampires, ferrying them to get blood, and keeping their existence secret from the rest of the world†¦ well, it kind of gave you a unique perspective on life. I'd witnessed bloody vampire battles and seen magical feats that defied every law of physics I knew. My life was a constant struggle to hold back my terror of the unexplainable and try desperately to find a way to explain it. â€Å"Watch your step,† my guide told me as we went down yet another flight of concrete stairs. Everything I'd seen so far was concrete – the walls, floor, and ceiling. The gray, rough surface absorbed the fluorescent light that attempted to illuminate our way. It was dreary and cold, eerie in its stillness. The guide seemed to guess my thoughts. â€Å"We've made modifications and expansions since this was originally built. You'll see once we reach the main section.† Sure enough. The stairs finally opened up to a corridor with several closed doors lining the sides. The decor was still concrete, but all the doors were modern, with electronic locks displaying either red or green lights. He led me to the second door on the right, one with a green light, and I found myself entering a perfectly normal lounge, like the kind of break room you'd find in any modern office. Green carpet covered the floor, like some wistful attempt at grass, and the walls were a tan that gave the illusion of warmth. A puffy couch and two chairs sat on the opposite side of the room, along wit h a table scattered with magazines. Best of all, the room had a counter with a sink – and a coffee maker. â€Å"Make yourself at home,† my guide told me. I was guessing he was close to my age, eighteen, but his patchy attempts at growing a beard made him seem younger. â€Å"They'll come for you shortly.† My eyes had never left the coffee maker. â€Å"Can I make some coffee?† â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"Whatever you like.† He left, and I practically ran to the counter. The coffee was pre-ground and looked as though it might very well have been here since the Cold War as well. As long as it was caffeinated, I didn't care. I'd taken a red-eye flight from California, and even with part of the day to recover, I still felt sleepy and bleary-eyed. I set the coffee maker going and then paced the room. The magazines were in haphazard piles, so I straightened them into neat stacks. I couldn't stand disorder. I sat on the couch and waited for the coffee, wondering yet again what this meeting could be about. I'd spent a good part of my afternoon here in Virginia reporting to a couple of Alchemist officials about the status of my current assignment. I was living in Palm Springs, pretending to be a senior at a private boarding school in order to keep an eye on Jill Mastrano Dragomir, a vampire princess forced into hiding. Keeping her alive meant keeping her people out of civil war – something that would definitely tip humans off to the supernatural world that lurked beneath the surface of modern life. It was a vital mission for the Alchemists, so I wasn't entirely surprised they'd want an update. What surprised me was that they couldn't have just done it over the phone. I couldn't figure out what other reason would bring me to this facility. The coffee maker finished. I'd only set it to make three cups, which would probably be enough to get me through the evening. I'd just filled my Styrofoam cup when the door opened. A man entered, and I nearly dropped the coffee. â€Å"Mr. Darnell,† I said, setting the pot back on the burner. My hands trembled. â€Å"It – it's nice to see you again, sir.† â€Å"You too, Sydney,† he said, forcing a stiff smile. â€Å"You've certainly grown up.† â€Å"Thank you, sir,† I said, unsure if that was a compliment. Tom Darnell was my father's age and had brown hair laced with silver. There were more lines in his face since the last time I'd seen him, and his blue eyes had an uneasy look that I didn't usually associate with him. Tom Darnell was a high-ranking official among the Alchemists and had earned his position through decisive action and a fierce work ethic. He'd always seemed larger than life when I was younger, fiercely confident and aweinspiring. Now, he seemed to be afraid of me, which made no sense. Wasn't he angry? After all, I was the one responsible for his son being arrested and locked away by the Alchemists. â€Å"I appreciate you coming all the way out here,† he added, once a few moments of awkward silence had passed. â€Å"I know it's a long round-trip, especially on a weekend.† â€Å"It's no problem at all, sir,† I said, hoping I sounded confident. â€Å"I'm happy to help with†¦ whatever you need.† I still wondered what exactly that could be. He studied me for a few seconds and gave a curt nod. â€Å"You're very dedicated,† he said. â€Å"Just like your father.† I made no response. I knew that comment had been intended as a compliment, but I didn't really take it that way. Tom cleared his throat. â€Å"Well, then. Let's get this out of the way. I really don't want to inconvenience you any more than is necessary.† Again, I got that nervous, deferential vibe. Why would he be so conscientious of my feelings? After what I'd done to his son, Keith, I would've expected rage or accusations. Tom opened the door for me and gestured me through. â€Å"Can I bring my coffee, sir?† â€Å"Of course.† He took me back into the concrete corridor, toward more of the closed doors. I clutched my coffee like a security blanket, far more frightened than I'd been when first entering this place. Tom came to a stop a few doors down, in front of one with a red light, but hesitated before opening it. â€Å"I want you to know†¦ that what you did was incredibly brave,† he said, not meeting my eyes. â€Å"I know you and Keith were – are – friends, and it couldn't have been easy to turn him in. It shows just how committed you are to our work – something that's not always easy when personal feelings are involved.† Keith and I weren't friends now or then, but I supposed I could understand Tom's mistake. Keith had lived with my family for a summer, and later, he and I had worked together in Palm Springs. Turning him in for his crimes hadn't been difficult for me at all. I'd actually enjoyed it. Seeing the stricken look on Tom's face, though, I knew I couldn't say anything like that. I swallowed. â€Å"Well. Our work is important, sir.† He gave me a sad smile. â€Å"Yes. It certainly is.† The door had a security keypad. Tom punched in a series of about ten digits, and the lock clicked in acceptance. He pushed the door open, and I followed him inside. The stark room was dimly lit and had three other people in it, so I didn't initially notice what else the room contained. I knew immediately that the others were Alchemists. There was no other reason they'd be in this place otherwise. And, of course, they possessed the telltale signs that would have identified them to me even on a busy street. Business attire in nondescript colors. Golden lily tattoos shining on their left cheeks. It was part of the uniformity we all shared. We were a secret army, lurking in the shadows of our fellow humans. The three of them were all holding clipboards and staring at one of the walls. That was when I noticed what this room's purpose was. A window in the wall looked through to another room, one much more brightly lit than this one. And Keith Darnell was in that room. He darted up to the glass separating us and began beating on it. My heart raced, and I took a few frightened steps back, certain he was coming after me. It took me a moment to realize he couldn't actually see me. I relaxed slightly. Very slightly. The window was a oneway mirror. He pressed his hands to the glass, glancing frantically back and forth at the faces he knew were there but couldn't see. â€Å"Please, please,† he cried. â€Å"Let me out. Please let me out of here.† Keith looked a little scragglier than the last time I'd seen him. His hair was unkempt and appeared as though it hadn't been cut in our month apart. He wore a plain gray jumpsuit, the kind you saw on prisoners or mental patients, that reminded me of the concrete in the hall. Most noticeable of all was the desperate, terrified look in his eyes – or rather, eye. Keith had lost one of his eyes in a vampire attack that I had secretly helped orchestrate. None of the Alchemists knew about it, just as none of them knew about how Keith had raped my older sister Carly. I doubted Tom Darnell would've praised me for my â€Å"dedication† if he'd known about my sideline revenge act. Seeing the state Keith was in now, I felt a little bad for him – and especially bad for Tom, whose face was filled with raw pain. I still didn't feel bad about what I'd done to Keith, however. Not the arrest or the eye. Put simply, Keith Darnell was a bad person. â€Å"I'm sure you recognize Keith,† said one of the Alchemists with a clipboard. Her gray hair was wound into a tight, neat bun. â€Å"Yes, ma'am,† I said. I was saved from any other response when Keith beat at the glass with renewed fury. â€Å"Please! I'm serious! Whatever you want. I'll do anything. I'll say anything. I'll believe anything. Just please don't send me back there!† Both Tom and I flinched, but the other Alchemists watched with clinical detachment and scrawled a few notes on their clipboards. The bun woman glanced back up at me as though there'd been no interruption. â€Å"Young Mr. Darnell has been spending some time in one of our Re-education Centers. An unfortunate action – but a necessary one. His trafficking in illicit goods was certainly bad, but his collaboration with vampires is unforgiveable. Although he claims to have no attachment to them†¦ well, we really can't be certain. Even if he is telling the truth, there's also the possibility that this transgression might expand into something more – not just a collaboration with the Moroi, but also the Strigoi. Doing what we've done keeps him from that slippery slope.† â€Å"It's really for his own good,† said the third clipboard-wielding Alchemist. â€Å"We're doing him a favor.† A sense of horror swept over me. The whole point of the Alchemists was to keep the existence of vampires secret from humans. We believed vampires were unnatural creatures who should have nothing to do with humans like us. What was a particular concern were the Strigoi – evil, killer vampires – who could lure humans into servitude with promises of immortality. Even the peaceful Moroi and their half human counterparts, the dhampirs, were regarded with suspicion. We worked with those latter two groups a lot, and even though we'd been taught to regard them with disdain, it was an inevitable fact that some Alchemists not only grew close to Moroi and dhampirs†¦ but actually started to like them. The crazy thing was – despite his crime of selling vampire blood – Keith was one of the last people I'd think of when it came to getting too friendly with vampires. He'd made his dislike of them perfectly obvious to me a number of times. Really, if anyone deserved to be accused of attachment to vampires†¦ †¦ well, it would be me. One of the other Alchemists, a man with mirrored sunglasses hanging artfully off his collar, took up the lecture. â€Å"You, Miss Sage, have been a remarkable example of someone able to work extensively with them and keep your objectivity. Your dedication has not gone unnoticed by those above us.† â€Å"Thank you, sir,† I said uneasily, wondering how many times I'd hear â€Å"dedication† brought up tonight. This was a far cry from a few months ago, when I'd gotten in trouble for helping a dhampir fugitive escape. She'd later been proven innocent, and my involvement had been written off as â€Å"career ambition.† â€Å"And,† continued Sunglasses, â€Å"considering your experience with Mr. Darnell, we thought you would be an excellent person to give us a statement.† I turned my attention back at Keith. He'd been pounding and shouting pretty much nonstop this whole time. The others had managed to ignore him, so I tried as well. â€Å"A statement on what, sir?† â€Å"We're considering whether or not to return him to Re-education,† explained Gray Bun. â€Å"He's made excellent progress there, but some feel it's best to be safe and make sure any chance of vampire attachment is eradicated.† If Keith's current behavior was â€Å"excellent progress,† I couldn't imagine what poor progress looked like. Sunglasses readied his pen over his clipboard. â€Å"Based on what you witnessed in Palm Springs, Miss Sage, what is your opinion of Mr. Darnell's state of mind when it comes to vampires? Was the bonding you witnessed severe enough to warrant further precautionary measures?† Presumably, â€Å"further precautionary measures† meant more Re-education. While Keith continued to bang away, all eyes in my room were on me. The clipboard Alchemists looked thoughtful and curious. Tom Darnell was visibly sweating, watching me with fear and anticipation. I supposed it was understandable. I held his son's fate in my hands. Conflicting emotions warred within me as I regarded Keith. I didn't just dislike him – I hated him. And I didn't hate many people. I couldn't forget what he'd done to Carly. Likewise, the memories of what he'd done to others and me in Palm Springs were still fresh in my mind. He'd slandered me and made my life miserable in an effort to cover up his blood scam. He'd also horribly treated the vampires and dhampirs we were in charge of looking after. It made me question who the real monsters were. I didn't know exactly what happened at Re-education Centers. Judging from Keith's reaction, it was probably pretty bad. There was a part of me that would have loved to tell the Alchemists to send him back there for years and never let him see the light of day. His crimes deserved severe punishment – and yet, I wasn't sure they deserved this particular punishment. â€Å"I think†¦ I think Keith Darnell is corrupt,† I said at last. â€Å"He's selfish and immoral. He has no concern for others and hurts people to further his own ends. He's willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get what he wants.† I hesitated before continuing. â€Å"But†¦ I don't think he's been blinded to what vampires are. I don't think he's too close to them or in danger of falling in with them in the future. That being said, I also don't think he should be allowed to do Alchemist work for the foreseeable future. Whether that would mean locking him up or just putting him on probation is up to you. His past actions show he doesn't take our missions seriously, but that's because of selfishness. Not because of an unnatural attachment to them. He†¦ well, to be blunt, is just a bad person.† Silence met me, save for the frantic scrawling of pens as the clipboard Alchemists made their notes. I dared a glance at Tom, afraid of what I'd see after completely trashing his son. To my astonishment, Tom looked†¦ relieved. And grateful. In fact, he seemed on the verge of tears. Catching my eye, he mouthed, Thank you. Amazing. I had just proclaimed Keith to be a horrible human being in every way possible. But none of that mattered to his father, so long as I didn't accuse Keith of being in league with vampires. I could've called Keith a murderer, and Tom would have probably still been grateful if it meant Keith wasn't chummy with the enemy. It bothered me and again made me wonder who the real monsters were in all of this. The group I'd left back in Palm Springs was a hundred times more moral than Keith. â€Å"Thank you, Miss Sage,† said Gray Bun, finishing up her notes. â€Å"You've been extremely helpful, and we'll take this into consideration as we make our decision. You may go now. If you step into the hall, you'll find Zeke waiting to take you out.† It was an abrupt dismissal, but that was typical of Alchemists. Efficient. To the point. I gave a polite nod of farewell and one last glance at Keith before opening the door. As soon as it shut behind me, I found the hallway mercifully silent. I could no longer hear Keith. Zeke, as it turned out, was the Alchemist who had originally led me in. â€Å"All set?† he asked. â€Å"So it seems,† I said, still a bit stunned over what had just taken place. I knew now that my earlier debriefing on the Palm Springs situation had simply been a convenience for the Alchemists. I'd been in the area, so why not have an in-person meeting? It hadn't been essential. This – seeing Keith – had been the real purpose of my cross-country trip. As we walked back down the hallway, something caught my attention that I hadn't noticed before. One of the doors had a fair amount of security on it – more so than the room I'd just been in. Along with the lights and keypad, there was also a card reader. At the top of the door was a deadbolt that locked from outside. Nothing fancy, but it was clearly meant to keep whatever was behind the door inside. I stopped in spite of myself and studied the door for a few moments. Then, I kept walking, knowing better than to say anything. Good Alchemists didn't ask questions. Zeke, seeing my gaze, came to a halt. He glanced at me, then the door, and then back at me. â€Å"Do you want†¦ do you want to see what's in there?† His eyes darted quickly to the door we'd emerged from. He was low-ranking, I knew, and clearly feared getting in trouble with the others. At the same time, there was an eagerness that suggested he was excited about the secrets he kept, secrets he couldn't share with others. I was a safe outlet. â€Å"I guess it depends on what's in there,† I said. â€Å"It's the reason for what we do,† he said mysteriously. â€Å"Take a look, and you'll understand why our goals are so important.† Deciding to risk it, he flashed a card over the reader and then punched in another long code. A light on the door turned green, and he slid open the deadbolt. I'd half-expected another dim room, but the light was so bright inside, it almost hurt my eyes. I put a hand up to my forehead to shield myself. â€Å"It's a type of light therapy,† Zeke explained apologetically. â€Å"You know how people in cloudy regions have sun lamps? Same kind of rays. The hope is that it'll make people like him a little more human again – or at least discourage them from thinking they're Strigoi.† At first, I was too dazzled to figure out what he meant. Then, across the empty room, I saw a jail cell. Large metal bars covered the entrance, which was locked with another card reader and keypad. It seemed like overkill when I caught sight of the man inside. He was older than me, mid-twenties if I had to guess, and had a disheveled appearance that made Keith look neat and tidy. The man was gaunt and curled up in a corner, arms draped over his eyes against the light. He wore handcuffs and feet cuffs and clearly wasn't going anywhere. At our entrance, he dared a peek at us and then uncovered more of his face. A chill ran through me. The man was human, but his expression was as cold and evil as any Strigoi I'd ever seen. His gray eyes were predatory. Emotionless, like the kinds of murderers who had no sense of empathy for other people. â€Å"Have you brought me dinner?† he asked in a raspy voice that had to be faked. â€Å"A nice young girl, I see. Skinnier than I'd like, but I'm sure her blood is still succulent.† â€Å"Liam,† said Zeke with a weary patience. â€Å"You know where your dinner is.† He pointed to an untouched tray of food in the cell that looked like it had gone cold long ago. Chicken nuggets, green beans, and a sugar cookie. â€Å"He almost never eats anything,† Zeke explained to me. â€Å"It's why he's so thin. Keeps insisting on blood.† â€Å"What†¦ what is he?† I asked, unable to take my eyes off of Liam. It was a silly question, of course. Liam was clearly human, and yet†¦ there was something about him that wasn't right. â€Å"A corrupt soul who wants to be Strigoi,† said Zeke. â€Å"Some guardians found him serving those monsters and delivered him to us. We've tried to rehabilitate him but with no luck. He keeps going on and on about how great the Strigoi are and how he'll get back to them one day and make us pay. In the meantime, he does his best to pretend he's one of them.† â€Å"Oh,† said Liam, with a sly smile, â€Å"I will be one of them. They will reward my loyalty and suffering. They will awaken me, and I will become powerful beyond your miniscule mortal dreams. I will live forever and come for you – all of you. I will feast on your blood and savor every drop. You Alchemists pull your strings and think you control everything. You delude yourselves. You control nothing. You are nothing.† â€Å"See?† said Zeke, shaking his head. â€Å"Pathetic. And yet, this is what could happen if we didn't do the job we did. Other humans could become like him – selling their souls for the hollow promise of immortality.† He made the Alchemist sign against evil, a small cross on his shoulder, and I found myself echoing it. â€Å"I don't like being in here, but sometimes†¦ sometimes it's a good reminder of why we have to keep the Moroi and the others in the shadows. Of why we can't let ourselves be taken in by them.† I knew in the back of my mind that there was a huge difference in the way Moroi and Strigoi interacted with humans. Still, I couldn't formulate any arguments while in front of Liam. He had me too dumbstruck – and afraid. It was easy to believe every word the Alchemists said. This was what we were fighting against. This was the nightmare we couldn't allow to happen. I didn't know what to say, but Zeke didn't seem to expect much. â€Å"Come on. Let's go.† To Liam, he added, â€Å"And you'd better eat that food because you aren't getting any more until morning. I don't care how cold and hard it is.† Liam's eyes narrowed. â€Å"What do I care about human food when soon I'll be drinking the nectar of the gods? Your blood will be warm on my lips, yours and your pretty girl's.† He began to laugh then, a sound far more disturbing than any of Keith's screams. That laughter continued as Zeke led me out of the room. The door shut behind us, and I found myself standing in the hall, numbed. Zeke regarded me with concern. â€Å"I'm sorry†¦ I probably shouldn't have shown you that.† I shook my head slowly. â€Å"No†¦ you were right. It's good for us to see. To understand what we're doing. I always knew†¦ but I didn't expect anything like that.† I tried to shift my thoughts back to everyday things and wipe that horror from my mind. I looked down at my coffee. It was untouched and had grown lukewarm. I grimaced. â€Å"Can I get more coffee before we go?† I needed something normal. Something human. â€Å"Sure.† Zeke led me back to the lounge. The pot I'd made was still hot. I dumped out my old coffee and poured some new. As I did, the door burst open, and a distraught Tom Darnell came in. He seemed surprised to see anyone here and pushed past us, sitting on the couch and burying his face in his hands. Zeke and I exchanged uncertain looks. â€Å"Mr. Darnell,† I began. â€Å"Are you okay?† He didn't answer me right away. He kept his face covered, his body shaking with silent sobs. I was about to leave when he looked up at me, though I got the feeling he wasn't actually seeing me. â€Å"They decided,† he said. â€Å"They decided about Keith.† â€Å"Already?† I asked, startled. Zeke and I had only spent about five minutes with Liam. Tom nodded morosely. â€Å"They're sending him back†¦ back to Re-education.† I couldn't believe it. â€Å"But I†¦ but I told them! I told them he's not in league with vampires. He believes what†¦ the rest of us believe. It was his choices that were bad.† â€Å"I know. But they said we can't take the risk. Even if Keith seems like he doesn't care about them – even if believes he doesn't – the fact remains he still set up a deal with one. They're worried that willingness to go into that kind of partnership might subconsciously influence him. Best to take care of things now. They're†¦ they're probably right. This is for the best.† That image of Keith pounding on the glass and begging not to go back flashed through my mind. â€Å"I'm sorry, Mr. Darnell.† Tom's distraught gaze focused on me a little bit more. â€Å"Don't apologize, Sydney. You've done so much†¦ so much for Keith. Because of what you told them, they're going to reduce his time in Re-education. That means so much to me. Thank you.† My stomach twisted. Because of me, Keith had lost an eye. Because of me, Keith had gone to Re-education in the first place. Again, the sentiment came to me: he deserved to suffer in some way, but he didn't deserve this. â€Å"They were right about you,† Tom added. He was trying to smile but failing. â€Å"What a stellar example you are. So dedicated. Your father must be so proud. I don't know how you live with those creatures every day and still keep your head about you. Other Alchemists could learn a lot from you. You understand what responsibility and duty are.† Since I'd flown out of Palm Springs yesterday, I'd actually been thinking a lot about the group I'd left behind – when the Alchemists weren't distracting me with prisoners, of course. Jill, Adrian, Eddie, and even Angeline†¦ frustrating at times, but in the end, they were people I'd grown to know and care about. Despite all the running around they made me do, I'd missed that motley group almost the instant I left California. Something inside me seemed empty when they weren't around. Now, feeling that way confused me. Was I blurring the lines between friendship and duty? If Keith had gotten in trouble for one small association with a vampire, how much worse was I? And how close were any of us to becoming like Liam? Zeke's words rang inside my head: We can't let ourselves be taken in by them. And what Tom had just said: You understand what responsibility and duty are. He was watching me expectantly, and I managed a smile as I pushed down all my fears. â€Å"Thank you, sir,† I said. â€Å"I do what I can.†

Concept Of Strategic Human Resource Management - 1552 Words

Introduction Human Resource Management (HRM) has effectively been an integral part of organizations’ since the end of the 19th century. There has been continuous shift in name change, focus and responsibilities of HRM, with the role progressively evolving since the days of the industrial revolution, reflected in the change of terms from Welfare Officers, Personnel Management, Human Resource Management (HRM) and most recently Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM). Many academics have written different viewpoints and articles on the concept of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM). This research will predominantly review the underpinning concept of SHRM: the resource based view (RBV); the universalistic and contingency†¦show more content†¦The term Strategic HRM as a broadly used term, was coined in the early 1980’s, as discussed in one of the earliest research papers on the subject (Tichy, Fombrun and Devanna 1982). SHRM is generally concerned with systematically linking people with the organisation and more specifically, about the integration of HRM strategies into corporate strategies. This theory is backed up more recently by Martin-Alcazar et al . (2005), SHRM is ‘the integrated set of practices, policies and strategies through which organisations manage their human capital, that influences and is influenced by the business strategy, the organisational context and the socio-economic context’. It is reasoned that a clear strategy and an effective workforce to carry out that strategy, is fundamental to the long term profitability of an organisation, this precipitated changes in the nature of the HR function from being reactive, prescriptive and administrative to being proactive, descriptive and executive (Boxall, 1994; Legge, 1995). Resource Based View (RBV) The philosophy of SHRM is underpinned by the Resource Based View (RBV), the implication is that it is the range of resources in an organization, including its human resources, that produces its unique character and creates competitive advantage. HRM delivers addedShow MoreRelatedConcept of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM)1969 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿Contents TOC o 1-3 h z u HYPERLINK l _Toc324275713 Introduction PAGEREF _Toc324275713 h 1 HYPERLINK l _Toc324275714 What is Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM)? PAGEREF _Toc324275714 h 1 HYPERLINK l _Toc324275715 The simple structure PAGEREF _Toc324275715 h 2 HYPERLINK l _Toc324275716 Machine Bureaucracy PAGEREF _Toc324275716 h 4 HYPERLINK l _Toc324275717 Professional Bureaucracy PAGEREF _Toc324275717 h 5 HYPERLINK l _Toc324275718 The divisionalized form PAGEREFRead MoreHuman Resource Theories and Concepts1609 Words   |  7 Pagesusing Human resources models, concepts and assumptions, how and why people are of value to organisations and how and why it is assumed that HRM/SHRM can contribute to company success through valuing and managing its employees. According to Legge (2009 pg77), human resource management is defined as the strategic and approach to the management of an organizations most valued assets which is the people or the staff members. There is a traditional definition or way of human resource management andRead MoreDesign and Implementation of Sets of Strategic Human Resource Management Practices 1694 Words   |  7 PagesThe design and implementation of sets of strategic human resource practices continues to lack coherence and consistency, primarily because the concept of fit is still so little understood. Strategic human resource management refers to managing people in organizations proactively, such that it helps a business gain competitive edge. It is directed by the organizational strategy, as opposed to human resource management which aims to on better management of people only. SHRM is gaining widespreadRead MoreHuman Resource Theories and Concepts1594 Words   |  7 Pagesusing Human resources models, concepts and assumptions, how and why people are of value to organisations and how and why it is assumed that HRM/SHRM can contribute to company success through valuing and managing its employees. 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Management is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively (Rumelt, 2011). Since organizations can be viewed as systems, management can also be defined as human action, including design, to facilitate the production of useful outcomes from a system. According to David (2011), strategic management can be defined as the art and science of formulating, implementingRead MoreThe Relationship Between Hrm Practices And Employees Performance From An Islamic Perspective Essay1395 Words   |  6 Pagesstrive providing customers with products and services they need with best quality; In order to compete in such a competitive, dynamic and always changing environment, organizations has to invest more on their human resources and equip them with needed knowledge and skills. 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