We The People Means essays

We The People Means essays A long time ago in 1789, the term We the People, which is stated in the constitution, represented a very exclusive group. This term represented the white males that were landowners. As you can see, the world has changed a lot from back then. Here in 2002, We the People refers to all U.S. citizens and covers more diverse groups. The three reasons that this changed had taken place was because of the use of formal Amendments, informal Amendments, and there were many court cases. First of all, the formal amendment helped this change big time. For instance, the 15th amendment states that The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied... on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Also in the 19th amendment it is said The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied... on account of sex. Both of these formal amendments show an example of how the term We the People has increased in how many people it represents from then to now. Another issue that helped increase the representation of We the People was the informal amendment. Informal amendments are common changes that do not affect the wording of the Constitution. Some examples of informal amendments that changed the meaning would be the actions of President Roosevelt during World War II. The law at the time was that there was to be segregation between the black and white soldiers. The president took action on this issue and got rid of the segregation. This is an example of informal segregation. The last reason that helped to increase the number of people represented by We the People is court cases from the past and present. One big case, for instance, would be that of Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka Kansas. This issue started because of the segregation of blacks and whites in public schools. This changed a l ...

What is the Best Job for Your Personality

What is the Best Job for Your Personality In an ideal world, everyone has a career that they love. But sadly this isn’t always the case. Very rarely will the average person say that they love what they do. Fortunately, there are all sorts of tools out there that measure how compatible a person’s personality is with any given job. If we found out your personality type, what would be the best job for your personality? Would you be willing to change careers if it meant loving what you do?Regardless of what your answer is, take a look at the infographic below that compares various personality types with different career paths and see where you fall.   [BusinessInsider]

Law report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law report - Essay Example Complicating matters for the yacht owners and the master, Rule C goes on to state that: †¦Demurrage, loss of market, and any loss or damage sustained or expense incurred by reason of delay, whether on the voyage or subsequently, and any indirect loss whatsoever, shall not be allowed as general average (York-Antwerp Rules, Rule C). It is therefore clear, that neither the master nor the yacht’s owners may claim as general average acts, the damages sustained upon the master’s discharge of the ship. However, this does not preclude general average acts. It only means that damages for delay and damages related to lost charters are exempted from general average acts. The damages sustained to the ship during the discharge are recoverable because, although those damages were sustained after the salvage operations were conducted they can still be regarded as direct consequence of the salvage operations under Rule A of the Antwerp Rules, 2004. ... foresees that it is possible, â€Å"then the subsequent accident does not break the chain of causation† (Australian Coastal Shipping Commission v Green and Others, 357). In such a case, the subsequent accident is a direct consequence of the general average act and is claimable as a general average act. In this regard, having intended to carry the ship to Southampton, the master must have contemplated that a change in those plans, following a fire would have incurred the risk of subsequent accidents. This is particularly so when the ship was placed on dry dock, which was not a part of the original plans and certainly not in contemplation of the master. Now faced with the necessity of having to place a ship on an unplanned dry dock following a fire, the master must have reasonably foreseen that subsequent accidents were possible. Moreover, the yacht was placed on dry dock as a direct consequence of the fire damages incurred while on the original journey. Therefore, the damages s ustained in the course of continuing the rescue of the distressed ship was a continuation of the salvage operations and therefore the general average acts continued at that particular point. The owners may therefore claim general average acts in respect of the damages sustained during the master’s discharge. The master however, is unable to claim special damages in respect of delay and loss of earnings as a result of the delay. This is because the concept of general average arises out of the imposed duty for all parties with an interest in a general average act to contribute to the cost of salvaging a distressed ship. The law of general average acts function together with the law of salvage and â€Å"sue and labour† and culminate to regulate the act of â€Å"saving (Mukherjee, 22). It is possible for

Geography and gender, sharia law and it's effects on women and men in Essay

Geography and gender, sharia law and it's effects on women and men in countries with sharia - Essay Example Islamic law is derived from the Qura’n, the revelation of God to Prophet Muhammad. Life in an Islamic society is supposed to follow the tenets of Islamic law. Islamic law includes prayer, fasting, pilgrimage as well as laws pertaining to family, crime and commerce. Islam however does not have an official clergy. Therefore Islamic law or sharia, meaning the path, was developed by the ullema, the scholars who have come to assume a position of power and status in Islamic society. It is the ullema who issue fatwas or religious edicts. However within Islam there have been voices of concern at a too strict interpretation of Islamic law without any consideration for the milieu into which Islam originated. The Egyptian Sheikh Muhammad Abduh had maintained that injunctions in the Qura’n relating to the observance of ibadat or tenets of worship were to be followed strictly but those relating to masdaba or rules of living should be interpreted with the consideration of the context they originated in. This is a view that is controversial and still unresolved in Islam. The view again that Islam is a patriarchal religion or misogynistic has been refuted by modern scholarly criticism which has proved that Islam inherited certain perceptions of women from biblical lore. Zayn R. Kassam states that interpretations about women entered Islam through certain strands of early Islamic literature such as the qisas al-anbiya, the asbab al-nuzul, the hadith, the tafsir and the fiqh. These were all oral sources of commentaries i n Islam until they were collated and written quite later. The qisas al-anbiya literally means the â€Å"stories of the prophets† and was a principal source for the entry of biblical lore into Islam perhaps because the earliest Muslims were essentially converts from Judaism and Christianity. The asbab al-nuzul was incorporated into the tafsir, or commentaries on the Qura’n, providing an explanation of

Nagel, Chisholm, and Locke - Metaphysics of the Mind Essay Example for Free

Nagel, Chisholm, and Locke Metaphysics of the Mind Essay It is very difficult to attribute characteristics to a mind when we know it does not actually exist in the physical realm. Though, personal identity has been connected to the mind. However, it is tricky to determine what exactly comprises one’s personal identity. Although it is a difficult concept to grasp, philosophers such as Nagel and Chisholm attempt to construct their own position on the characteristics of the mind. By comparing Nagel and Chisholm’s positions on personal identity, it is evident that identity is a development of both body and mind. Nagel shows that we cannot properly identify a mind, and if this is the case then it is impossible to attribute personal identity to a mind. In turn, he attacks the idea that personal identity can be defined in terms of physical attributes. Chisholm shows that although things are constantly changing, they still remain the same. He argues that it is the mind that holds our identity, regardless of physical alteration. In my view, the physicalist perspective of identity is the most logical when contrasted to the mentalist argument simply due to the fact that we do have a self-identity, and Nagel does not attempt to define what it is. Locke’s argument finds a middle ground between Nagel and Chisholm as he argues for a conscious and bodily continuity of the mind. In order to identify the mind-body problem and argue that identity is a development of the mind, Nagel’s position must be analyzed. Firstly, when addressing the mind-body problem, Nagel states that one cannot explain the mind body relationship through logic, functions, or intentions. He argues that these states can be ascribed to robots that may indeed behave like people, however robots do not experience anything, and it is experience that influences the mind (436). Nagel’s bat analogy helps solidify his position on experience which is that no one can experience the same thing as another. He claims that; â€Å"even to form a conception of what it is Kristen Biduk 6949215 like to be a bat†¦one must take up the bat’s point of view† (442). Meaning, one must have the same thinking patterns as the other which Nagel argues is impossible. He argues that it is our consciousness which provides the mind-body problem. Although one can relate to what it is like to be a bat, it is impossible to fully comprehend it because in order to become a bat, conscious-ness must be forgotten. For that reason, one cannot know that others have a mind, but one can perceive that they do. Chisholm opens his argument with providing an analysis of the Ship of Theseus and explains that identity is transitive, meaning that it is always changing. Similarly, he uses the example of the river and how although it is the same exact river, it is given different identities based on geographical location. The identity of the river is changing. Based on his view of alteration, Chisholm suggests three possibilities for alteration and identity. Firstly, we can deny the transitivity of identity, but he proves this to be a problem. His second suggestion is that nothing alters, but this too proves to be problematic. For example, if one was to cross the border of the United States of America and the border patrol officer asked if he was the same as the person in the photo, he would say no. Because, when that photo was taken he had certain characteristics, and now, x amount of years later he has different characteristics, and is therefore a different person. Clearly this is an issue. Thirdly, he analyzes Butler’s position on the misuse of the word ‘is’ in that, for example; there exists something at a certain place (P) at a certain time (t) that is identical with same thing at a different place (Q) at a different time (t1). By saying identical, he means they exist in together, however it is mathematically impossible. He concludes that such things are entia per alio (made of). Entia per alio is something that exists because a Kristen Biduk 6949215 mind makes it up. For example, a pencil is entia per alio because without a mind, it is simply an object. The mind makes the pencil an object for writing. Without a mind giving meaning to something, that something has no identity. In regards to self-identity, I find it difficult to agree with the mentalist perspective. Nagel’s writing, â€Å"What is it like to be a Bat? † does not provide sufficient insight to the development of self and self-identity. He bases his writing solely based on defining the mind. It is true to say that we cannot properly identify a mind. How can we as a whole, understand something we do not actually know exists? We can assume it exists but it provides no understanding. Based on this belief, Nagel concludes that because we cannot properly identify a mind, we cannot connect personal identity to a mind. But where can we find our personal identity? He claims that our identity does not lie within our physical attributes which leaves identity suspending in the air. The mentalist perspective is limiting in the sense that it does not take in to account outside variables that can impact one’s identity. We are not born with an identity and I feel as though Nagel’s position is implying that we are. Additionally, our identity is developed from our consciousness, and we do not become conscious of ourselves at infancy. We develop our self-identity through time and it is consistently changing. Chisholm is much more realistic when it comes to defining personal identity. We cannot assume that our identity is purely based on our minds, for our minds are influenced by our physicality. In turn, our physicality is influenced by society. We identify with ourselves based on what others think of us. For example, if someone weighs three hundred pounds, they may identify themselves as unhealthy because that is what society has told them. Similarly, if that three hundred pound person lost weight and now weighed one hundred and thirty pounds, that Kristen Biduk 6949215 person may identify themselves as healthy. If they used diet and exercise as a method to lose the weight, they may identify as athletic. This proves that personal identity is indeed transitive. It will always be in a constant state of change depending on the influences around them. We have identity because others around us have provided us with our identity. One could argue then that if one was to lose only ten pounds then identity will not change because the change is only slight. If we analyze the Ship of Theseus once more, Chisholm argues that slight changes still have an impact on our identity because our identity is always changing. By using the problem of Theseus’s ship however, it gives us ideas of identity for inanimate objects. One could argue that it is not relatable to beings with consciousness however I would have to disagree. Our consciousness, or our memories are what hold our self-identity. If we lose an arm or leg, we are still the same person because our minds still hold our memory. While the mentalist perspective does not take into account physical impressions, and the physicalist perspective lacks some insight on our own consciousness, Locke provides an explanation that touches on both sides. Locke argues for a conscious continuity and not a bodily one. He begins with clarifying that all minds have a common structure wherein there are two qualities within our identity: primary and secondary. The primary quality consists of consciousness. I can identify with myself because I am conscious of my own existence. The secondary qualities consist of qualities that are changing, such as hair length or weight. He insists that our primary qualities are what provide us with identity however he agrees that secondary qualities must be analyzed. Our secondary qualities are always changing while our primary qualities are static. Without the secondary qualities, our identity would not change, Kristen Biduk 6949215 which Chisholm proved. In comparison to both Nagel and Chisholm, Locke’s argument holds the truest because he takes into account both perspectives and develops the most logical understanding of identity. Additionally, Locke states that there is a first and third person perspective on identity. The first person identity is what one makes of himself. The third person helps confirm one’s identity. Both of these together help form one’s true personal identity. For one without outside influences has nothing to base their identity on. For example, if one was to look at cases of people raised in isolation, it will be seen that they have no sense of reality or identity. They were left to their own thoughts with no outside stimulation. When they leave their isolated prisons, they rediscover their identity by identifying with their outside influences. In conclusion, it is almost impossible to justify the mind/body problem. Both Nagel and Chisholm’s perspectives on identity are fairly vague and both lack a deeper understanding of the mind. I truly believe that it is the mind that holds our identity. However an identity is highly structured by its outside influences. Without a body or without society, one would have no identity. Some can argue that there can be a mind without a body, but it just doesn’t make rational sense. If hypothetically, one was to have their mind switched into a different body, he would still identify as himself. For it is our mind that holds our identity, however our mind is within a body.

Womens Identity in the Early 1900s Essay examples -- Women Studies,

Ibsen wrote this play in 1879. It is a three-act play with prose dialogue. The play takes place in the 19th century in Europe. It is a play about a woman, who struggles to find her own identity. The main point is women need treated as humans and not dolls. Women need to know their place and that they have rights. They also have duties as a wife and mother. As a wife, they need to be trustworthy and as a mother, they need to be role models. As do husbands need to respect their wife and know that, they have their own opinions and titled to them. Women cannot be good wives and role models to their children, if they do not know who they are and what their roles are in life. Ibsen uses the symbolism in his setting to show various aspects of Nora's character and reveal the theme of women's identity in the early 1900's. Symbolism, is used before the play even begins. The title A Doll's House is a symbol of tendencies for characters to play roles. The setting is in Helmers' apartment; the set is set up to furnish the thought it is his home and not hers (obj. 3). Nora returns with a Christmas tree setting the mood for the play (obj. 3). She also brings presents for the children. The presents signify pushing roles onto the children (obj. 3). Helmer proceeds to call Nora his "little lark" and "little squirrel" (pg. 1559). She answers "yes" (pg. 1559) right away leaving the impression that she is inferior compared to Helmer. He treats her in a demeaning way that she tolerates because she really knows no different. This also sets the tone that Helmer is superior over Nora throughout the play (obj. 3). He shows us his superiority over her with the macaroons that he forbids her to have. Yet she has them anyway and hide... ...he image of man; therefore, women have the same capabilities as do men (obj. 1). Every human being in life is equal and needs treated with respect and dignity (obj. 1). Ibsen is aware that women need to know who they are in order to be productive in society. He does a good job of bringing out the overall theme in A Doll's House of women's identity (obj. 2). In the theme, we are able to see his view of women and their need to be independent. Ibsen used symbolism to define the characters and the role of women's identity in society. This is not a typical structure of a home in 19th century, which left the ending causing immense controversies. Ibsen was taking a stand when he wrote this play (obj. 1). In the way, he wrote the play using Nora as the protagonist and Torvald as the antagonist, made this one of the best-constructed plays of the 19th century. Women's Identity in the Early 1900's Essay examples -- Women Studies, Ibsen wrote this play in 1879. It is a three-act play with prose dialogue. The play takes place in the 19th century in Europe. It is a play about a woman, who struggles to find her own identity. The main point is women need treated as humans and not dolls. Women need to know their place and that they have rights. They also have duties as a wife and mother. As a wife, they need to be trustworthy and as a mother, they need to be role models. As do husbands need to respect their wife and know that, they have their own opinions and titled to them. Women cannot be good wives and role models to their children, if they do not know who they are and what their roles are in life. Ibsen uses the symbolism in his setting to show various aspects of Nora's character and reveal the theme of women's identity in the early 1900's. Symbolism, is used before the play even begins. The title A Doll's House is a symbol of tendencies for characters to play roles. The setting is in Helmers' apartment; the set is set up to furnish the thought it is his home and not hers (obj. 3). Nora returns with a Christmas tree setting the mood for the play (obj. 3). She also brings presents for the children. The presents signify pushing roles onto the children (obj. 3). Helmer proceeds to call Nora his "little lark" and "little squirrel" (pg. 1559). She answers "yes" (pg. 1559) right away leaving the impression that she is inferior compared to Helmer. He treats her in a demeaning way that she tolerates because she really knows no different. This also sets the tone that Helmer is superior over Nora throughout the play (obj. 3). He shows us his superiority over her with the macaroons that he forbids her to have. Yet she has them anyway and hide... ...he image of man; therefore, women have the same capabilities as do men (obj. 1). Every human being in life is equal and needs treated with respect and dignity (obj. 1). Ibsen is aware that women need to know who they are in order to be productive in society. He does a good job of bringing out the overall theme in A Doll's House of women's identity (obj. 2). In the theme, we are able to see his view of women and their need to be independent. Ibsen used symbolism to define the characters and the role of women's identity in society. This is not a typical structure of a home in 19th century, which left the ending causing immense controversies. Ibsen was taking a stand when he wrote this play (obj. 1). In the way, he wrote the play using Nora as the protagonist and Torvald as the antagonist, made this one of the best-constructed plays of the 19th century.

Buisness Letter Order

Hi. How are you? I don’t think you remember me. I am a your niece [Your name] thrice removed. I am Evelyn’s little girl. You visited us last Christmas. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you how much fun I had that Christmas getting to know you all over again. I hoped to keep in touch with you after Christmas. Remember when I told you about the business venture I have with Christie? You remember Christie? she’s your other neice, my cousin. You also met her at Christmas.Christie is the girl with the long dark hair and dark eyes. She’s is the most  friendly person you could ever meet. Well, you saw that when you met her at Christmas. She’s a graphic artist and graduated valedictorian. Christie receives so many job offers from major companies, even DISNEY! She’s married now with a baby. The baby is adorable. Her husband is a really nice guy. The baby is one year old, and her name is Isabel. As for me, I am a graphic artist too and also a computer e xpert. I graduated just this year. Christie and I have invested in a space for a store we want to open at the huge mall at Rockaway in New Jersey where we live.It is a custom designed gift basket store for all occasions. Though the huge Rockaway mall stores are varied, they are lacking a store, which provides something more personal to the public. There are too many stores, which consist of cold impersonal items such as electronics, Order#31114685 Pg. 2 clothes, music, on the first floor. Books, videos games, furniture, on the second floor, food, toys, shoes on the third, computer disks, thimbles, exotic furniture, movies, bed clothes, on the fourth. Desks, paper products and hair brushes etc on the fifth.Appliances on the sixth, hair cutters and fur coats on the seventh. I know these items can seem personal, however not as personal as a customized gift basket. Our idea is to open a store in the mall as well as a virtual storefront on the Internet. Christie and I have already accumu lated 100,000 in seed money between us however; we’re going to need a little more to make our dream a reality. But let me first tell you about our little store before I ask you for the money. Christie and I are thinking of a huge friendly store designed for people to enter andleisurely choose inside colorful bins filled with personal items such as stuffed bears, pretty personalized stationary, candy, pretty colored pens and pencils, plastic jewelry (The kind you would find in a bubble gum machine) and all scents of perfume oil; all forare low price. The design for our store is openly friendly. Tall walls painted a sunny yellow color, greet the customers are greeted as they arrive. The concept is for people to be able to enter our store and freely look over our inventory inside the bins to choose what they want to have fortheir gift basket. The customers then will arrive at the cashier, pay for the items and choose what customized gift basket you want. Our customers will choos e from a large portfolio of different types of gift baskets for all occasions, painted with rich bright colors, custom-made by Christie. Her specialty is a yellow and brown celophane wrapped gift basket in the shape of Spongebob Squarepants. She paints the straw baskets and stuffs them for the customers herself. Order#31114685 Pg. 3 The competition as I said before Aunt Betty, is non-existentThey are all cold and impersonal electronics, and we think boring. We see that they have a normal amount of customers streaming in and out of these stores, however it will definitely not be as much as there will be coming into our stores. Like I said before, our gift baskets are for all occasions and are already in demand. We have orders for Birthdays, holidays, weddings, christenings and anniversaries. The list is very long and is getting longer as word gets out since finishing our website. Our virtual store on the Internet is expertly done, if I shouldsay so myself with colorful pictures of th e assortment of the many gift baskets we can create and Christie and myself. I also included our history as computer graphic designers and has generated over 200 orders already with over 100 orders in backorders. We have money already, over $200. 00 however we need some more to keep this dream going. We can save you money, legally as a small business tax exemption that will make you a lot more money in future, Aunt Betty. Socially, we will be famous as we make more money for you globally as well as nationally.The truth is people today would rather give a gift that is personal instead of something cold and impersonal like an electronic something which needs batteries every two weeks. I hope to hear from you soon, after you receive this letter, Aunt Betty and see you this coming Christmas. Maybe then you can see the space we have rented out in the mall for our store. I am sure you will like it. Best wishes. Sincerely, [Your signature] [Your name] -Works Cited- The Little, Brown Handbo ok fourth Edition H. Ramsey Fowler Jane E. Aaron; Copyright ? 1989 by Scott, Foresman and Company.

Dramatic Devices Essay

How Does Miller Use Dramatic Devices to Show the Impact of the Arrival of Marco and Rodolfo in this scene?  In the play ‘A view from a bridge’ Miller uses many dramatic devices in many scenes. I am going to be looking at the dramatic devices miller uses to show the impact of the arrival of Marco and Rodolfo.  In the early 1950’s Italy was a very poor country because the economy was very slow to grow particularly in the south which was less industrialised. This meant that many Italians left Italy for America with the help of dockyard owners who knew that they may well get cheap labour from immigrants until they had paid for their passage over to America. Once they had paid their fare, the immigrants were left to make their own way. The play is set in this time in Brooklyn where the family the play is about, Eddie, Beatrice and their niece Catherine, lives. The family are awaiting the arrival of Beatrice’s two cousins Marco and Rodolfo who have illegally immigrated to America to seek a better life and to earn money to send home to their families  Before the arrival of the two cousins the family are just living normally. Eddie and Beatrice are having a few problems with their marriage which are only made worse as the play goes on. Eddie and Catherine have a very close relationship and she looks up to him like a father. Eddie is very protective of Catherine and does not want her to get a job, wear high heel, wear short skirts or even grow up at all. He has looked out for her like a daughter since he and Beatrice took her in. However he is seeing her less and less as a niece or a daughter and more like a woman. He is starting to question his feelings for her, and the arrival of a possible new love interest for Catherine does not please Eddie. Catherine and Beatrice are quite close and Beatrice is quite like a mother figure to Catherine. In the first scenes we see that Beatrice sticks up for Catherine when Catherine wants to get a job and Eddie does not want her too. We can see there is tension in the family before the two Italians arrive but their arrival does not help the tension in the family. From the scene where Marco and Rodolfo arrive we can foresee that something is going to happen and there is going to be problems, especially between Rodolfo, Catherine and Eddie. Towards the end of the scene Rodolfo and Catherine are mostly talking to each other and Catherine seems quite smitten with Rodolfo. Especially when she finds out what a good singer he is. ‘(enthralled) leave him finish, it’s beautiful’ Eddie sees this and dislikes the fact that Catherine is giving Rodolfo so much attention. He firstly stops Rodolfo singing ‘look, kid; you don’t want to be picked up do ya?’ The reality is Rodolfo probably would not get picked up but Eddie did not want him to sing because he did not want Rodolfo to please Catherine. After he has stopped Rodolfo singing he tells Catherine to take her high heels off, this embarrasses and angers Catherine. Beatrice sees what Eddie is doing and is also angry at him for it. ‘Beatrice watches her go and gets up; in passing, she gives Eddie a cold look, restrained only by strangers, and goes to the table to pour coffee’ this quotation from the stage directions tells us how Beatrice is annoyed with Eddie for putting Catherine down and also shows us how she looks out for Catherine. Rodolfo irritates Eddie again by saying ‘especially when they are so beautiful’ and indicates to Catherine. Eddie can see that something is going to happen between Catherine and Rodolfo and we can see this from the stage direction with says ‘his face puffed with trouble’ this tells us that he does not want something to happen between Catherine and Rodolfo. Marco and Rodolfo clearly have a good brotherly relationship and Marco seems to have some control over Rodolfo as he seems able to tell him what to do. From this we can see that if there was ever a problem for Rodolfo, Marco would help him and look out for him.

Critical Analysis of the Strategic human resource management in India The WritePass Journal

Critical Analysis of the Strategic human resource management in India Abstract Critical Analysis of the Strategic human resource management in India AbstractIntroductionSHRM literature: DevelopmentsBackground: Choice of countryProcedure for review of articlesResearch questionsScope of the reviewIdentification of articlesCharacteristics of the reviewed studiesConclusionReferencesRelated Abstract The last two decades have witnessed many developments in the research and practice of managing human resources. While the debate began with a consideration of the changing role of HRM, more recently there has been increased interest in conceptualizing and testing the links between business strategy and performance. In India, research in the area of HRM gained recognition with the ushering in of the new economic era of liberalisation during the early 1990s. The primary objective of this article is to provide a synthesis of the strategic human resource management (SHRM) literature as it relates to India. Specifically, this review will consider the dominant theoretical perspectives adopted by scholars; ways in which HRM and performance are defined and operationalised; the approach taken to research design along with noting the control and contingency variables used. The review also draws out the potential contributions of the existing studies to solving the ‘black box’ prob lem. Finally, the article also presents the implications for future research on SHRM in India. Keywords: India, Strategic human resource management, HRM, firm performance Introduction Empirical research in the field of SHRM has proliferated significantly since the seminal work of Huselid in 1995. Many recent studies have discussed SHRM in the Asia-Pacific context (Audea, Teo, and Crawford 2005; Bae et al. 2003; Benson and Rowley 2003; Wan, Kok, and Ong 2002). Furthermore, the growth of India as an emerging market prompted institutions such as the World Bank to project the country as the world’s fourth largest economy by 2020 (Budhwar and Varma 2010). This increasing focus on India makes it an interesting setting for this study. The review aims to provide a synthesis of literature in the area of HRM and performance linkages in India. The study reviewed articles between 2003 (first empirical article: Singh 2003) and 2010 in academic journals, focusing on the HRM and performance debate. Specifically, this review will consider the dominant theoretical perspectives adopted by scholars; ways in which HRM and performance are defined and operationalised; the approa ch taken to research design along with noting the control and contingency variables used.   Finally, the review also examines the potential contributions of the reviewed articles to solving the ‘black box’ problem. This article is organised as follows. The first section reviews the extant literature on SHRM.   The next section discusses the need for a review of SHRM in India. The third section outlines the research methodology used in this paper. The final sections discuss the results and present the main conclusions and implications of this study. SHRM literature: Developments Lengnick-Hall et al. (2009) identified seven themes across time in the SHRM literature: (1) explaining contingency perspectives and fit, (2) shifting from a focus on managing people to creating strategic contributions, (3) elaborating HR system components and structure, (4) expanding the scope of SHRM, (5) achieving HR implementation and execution, (6) measuring outcomes of SHRM, and (7) evaluating methodological issues. Each of these themes played a significant role in the evolution of the field. Empirical research has suggested a relation between HRM practices (whether as individual practices or as a bundle) and organizational performance (Paauwe 2009). Wright and Boswell (2002) proposed a typology of HRM research based on two dimensions: level of analysis (individual/ organizational) and number of practices (single/ multiple). Many articles published after Huselid (1995) have not only analysed the effects on performance at an individual practice level like recruitment and selection (e.g. Koch and McGrath 1996), performance related pay (e.g. Dowling and Richardson 1997; Lazear 1996; McNabb and Whitfield 1997), training and development (e.g. Kalleberg and Moody 1994), and internal career possibilities (e.g. Verburg 1998), but also at multiple practice level, that is, bundles or combinations of HR practices (e.g. Arthur 1994; Gould-Williams 2003, 2007; Guest, Conway, Dewe 2004; Subramony 2009). At the multiple practice level, it is possible to analyse HR practices as a system, which has been referred as a high performance work system (e.g. Huselid 1995) or as a HR practice configuration (e.g. Delery and Doty 1996; Delery 1998). Delery (1998) suggests four types of possible relationships as: a) additive (where each HR practice has its own, unique effect on performance outcomes); b) interactive (the effect of each practice depends on the up-take of other practices within the bundle); c) positively synergistic (some HR practices mutually complement each other); and d) negatively synergistic (an inappropriate combination of HR practices that leads to more negative consequences than the mere absence of the practice).   Ã‚  More recently, Subramony (2009) categorized the HRM bundles as a) empowerment- enhancing (those HR practices that boost employee autonomy and responsibility levels); b) motivation-enhancing (bundles that provide employees with adequate levels of direction an d inducements); and c) skill-enhancing (bundles that augment the knowledge and skill levels of the workforce). It is now generally accepted that human resource management bundles can favourably affect the performance of business firms. The treatment of HR practices as a bundle is more effective than as an individual practice; when considering its impact on performance (MacDuffie 1995; Ichniowski 1997; Guest 2004). Though empirical research suggests that there is an association between HRM and performance, there is little understanding of the mechanisms through which HRM practices influence effectiveness (Delery 1998, 289). This largely unexplained facet of the HRM-performance relationship has been labelled the â€Å"black box† (Boselie et al. 2005). The discussion on the black box problem was triggered by Guest (1997) when he stated the need for more theory driven research in the area of HRM, performance and the linkages between the two concepts. Legge (2001, 30) reiterated the ‘need to open up the ‘black box’ of the process that links HRM and organizational performance’. Background: Choice of country India has been chosen as the research context for the following key reasons. India is one of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries. Indian economy grew by 7.4 percent over the fiscal year 2009-10 (FICCI 2010). The sustained performance has been guided by robust growth in both service and manufacturing sector. The Indian economy adopted a structural adjustment programme at the beginning of 1991. The structural adjustment programme or liberalization initiated the process of the opening up of an otherwise closed economy of India (Som 2008). Thereby, an increasing need to understand HRM practices in India since the 1990s emerged since liberalisation of economic policies took place (Budhwar and Sparrow 1997). The operation of large number of MNCs in India has fuelled the need for the top managers of these organizations to learn about the nature of HR systems appropriate for the Indian context. HRM in India has rapidly evolved into a specialized function in organisations (Budhwar et al. 2009; Budhwar and Varma 2010), especially in the last two decades. Indian national context is marked by regional, sectoral, socio-cultural, institutional, and economic-political variations. Thus, the nature of the HR function varies from traditional personnel administration to strategic HRM/HRD. Numerous studies have explored the impact of HRM practices on firm performance in western economies like US and UK (e.g. Huselid 1995; Becker and Grehart 1996; Ichniowski 1997; Becker and Huselid 1998; Wood 1999), whereas there is a dearth of empirical research in non-westernised context, specifically India. Given, these factors, we would argue that the contextual focus of this review is justified. This study aims to review the body of literature from a theoretical and methodological perspective. Formalized personnel functions have been existent in Indian organizations since 1920s in India (Budhwar and Sparrow 1997; Rao 1999; Budhwar 2001). The personnel function then was primarily driven by the concern for labour welfare in factories. The personnel function started expanding beyond the welfare aspect into the three areas- labour welfare, industrial relations, and personnel administration in the 1960s. In the 1970s, the focus of personnel function shifted toward greater organizational ‘efficiency’. By the 1980s, terms such as HRM and HRD gained importance (Rao 1999). The 1990s saw a rapid change in the HRM function due to ushering in of liberalisation (Som 2007, 2008, 2010; Budhwar and Varma, 2010). Budhwar and Varma (2010) analysed the HRM literature in the Indian context and revealed that research has been pursued on a very broad variety of subjects. These   include (1) the evolution of the personnel function in India, (2) the role of unions and industrial relations in the new economic environment, (3) factors determining HRM, (4) HRM and firm performance (e.g. Singh 2003; Chand 2010), (5) HRM in MNCs operating in India (Budhwar and Bhatnagar 2009; Bjorkman and Budhwar 2007), (6) strategic integration and devolvement of HRM (e.g. Budhwar and Sparrow 1997); (7) organizational learning capability (e.g. Bhatnagar 2007), (8) employee relations, (9) turnover issues (e.g., Budhwar et al. 2009; SamGnanakkan 2010; Krishnan and Singh 2010), (10) comparative HR in public and private sector organizations (e.g. Budhwar and Boyne 2004), (11) emerging patterns of HRM in the business outsourcing sector (e.g. Budhwar et al. 2006), (12) the applicability of Western HR models in India, (13) H RD and training, and (14) comparative HR between India and other countries (e.g., Lawler et al. 1995; Budhwar and Khatri 2001; Budhwar and Sparrow 2002; Varma, Pichler, and Srinivas 2005; Woldu, Budhwar, and Parkes 2006). While there is a significant increase in volume of empirical research in India, there is no previous study that has reviewed SHRM in India. Thus for the purposes of the current study, the review will expand upon one major sub-theme- HRM and firm performance. The next section presents the procedure adopted for this review. Procedure for review of articles Research questions To accomplish the study objectives, the following research questions were posed. How have HRM practices been operationalised? How has the concept of performance been operationalised? What has been the dominant theoretical perspective that has been adopted? What were the sample characteristics of the research study (e.g. individuals, workplaces, industries or sectors etc.)? Who are the respondents (e.g. Single rater vs multiple raters per unit of analysis or Single vs multiple actors? What data collection methods have been used (e.g. case study, survey, interviews, large scale secondary data etc.)? Does the study deal with how HR practices linkages with performance (Black Box problem)? What are some of the areas future research should focus on? The following sub sections discuss the scope of review and identification of articles. Scope of the review There are four important criteria used in selecting articles for review. First, the articles were based on empirical research. Thus, conceptual papers were left out from the review. Second, the articles analysed data from workplaces in India. Third, articles used HRM practices and firm performance as variables. Fourth, articles had to be published in English. Also, the review excludes research published in books, conference proceedings and unpublished dissertations. Identification of articles There are 20empirical articles in total which study the impact of HRM practices in India. The literature search was conducted using the following databases- ABI/ Inform, Academic Search Premier, Emerald Fulltext, EBSCO. The search was based on three key descriptors ‘human resource management practices’, ‘firm performance’ and ‘India’. The full text was reviewed in order to eliminate those articles that were not actually related to HRM practices and firm performance. Empirical studies with specific focus on India and Asia have been presented in special issues of international journals like Journal of World Business (39(4), 2004), Employee Relations (29 (6), 2007), Human Resource Management (47 (1), 2008; 49 (3), 2010). Thus, an exclusive search was conducted in these issues. A total of 20 articles from 14 journals met the selecting criteria. A list of journals contributing these articles is given in Table 1.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Insert Table 1 here Characteristics of the reviewed studies Table 2 summarises the empirical studies reviewed in the study. Studies in Table 2 differ in sample size and demographic characteristics, industry context, operationalisation of HRM and performance, data collection and analytical method, directions for future research. Each of these aspects is discussed in the subsequent sections. Drawing on an extensive body of SHRM literature, we isolate potential research areas for investigation in India.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Insert Table 2 here Operationalisation of HRM One of the significant conceptual issues involves understanding how the central construct in this literature, the human resource system, affects firm performance outcomes. Many researchers (Guest 1997, 2001; Boselie et al. 2005, Paauwe 2009) have shared the concern of lack of theory in conceptualisation of HRM, performance and its subsequent link. Hesketh and Fleetwood (2006) contend even if there was sufficient conclusive evidence for statistical association between HRM practices and organizational performance, it is not enough to explain the association. Another significant issue that has been raised in SHRM literature is the distinction between HR policies and practices (Purcell et al. 2003). The policies refer to the stated firm’s intentions whereas the practices are established on observable, actual activities operationalised in the firm (Wright and Boswell 2002; Wright and Nishii 2004). Paauwe and Boselie (2005) state that the majority of previous studies focus on intended HR practices rather than the ‘actual’ HR practices or the employees’ perception of them.   Also, Purcell and Hutchinson (2007) discuss the role of front line managers (FLMs) in ascertaining the level of employee commitment. They argue that the outcome impact on employee attitudes of HRM policies would be more positive if the FLM leadership behaviour is also perceived as positive. Thus, it is argued that research would be more appropriate if it considers multi-actor respondents e.g worker, FLM and employer perceptions. An important finding is that the reviewed studies have used various measures of HR practices. This is consistent with the empirical literature in the West where there is no definite operationalisation of HRM (Paauwe 2009). Another important finding is some studies, such as Paul and Anantharaman (2003) built an industry-specific instrument to measure HR practices. Ketkar and Sett (2010) have extended Wright and Snell’s conceptualisation of HR flexibility. All other reviewed studies have adopted measures from either existing literature on high involvement HRM (e.g. Bjorkman and Budhwar 2007, SamGnanakkan 2010), innovation, high commitment or progressive HR practices (e.g. Som 2008; Cooke and Saini 2010), bundles of practices (Guchait and Cho 2010), or have used existing practices in organisations surveyed to operationalise HR practices (e.g. Chand and Katou 2007). Measure(s) of performance Guest (1999) argues that there is no general theory about performance and its measurement, which can be referred to as the ‘criterion problem’. Dyer and Reeves (1995) suggested that the HR practices work at four levels sequentially- HR (employee), organisational, financial and market. The performance outcomes can be measured as financial, organizational and HR-related outcomes (Boselie et al. 2005). However, as reported by them, the majority of researchers, US commentators in specific, have taken financial outcomes such as profit and productivity. The empirical studies by Ramsay et al. (2000) and Godard (2001) have strongly criticised the use of financial outcomes alone and led to a renewed attention to a pluralist perspective. Paauwe (2004) builds on this pluralist perspective, stressing HRM’s duality in its focus on added value and economic rationality versus moral values and relational rationality. Four studies (Singh 2003; Som 2008; Mulla and Premarajan 2008; Ketkar and Sett 2010) have used the financial measures of performance. The majority of studies have used organisational measures of performance (e.g. Chand and Katou 2007; Cooke and Saini 2010; Guchait and Cho 2010). Only two studies (Paul and Anantharaman 2003; Chand 2010) have adopted multiple performance measures financial and organisational. The remaining studies used HR-related outcomes like organisational commitment (Paul and Anantharaman 2003, 2004; Shahnawaz and Juyal 2006; Maheshwari, Bhat, and Saha 2008; Guchait and Cho 2010; SamGnanakkan 2010), intentions to leave (Guchait and Cho 2010; SamGnanakkan 2010) and employee performance (Ketkar and Sett 2010). There is limited research on HR-related or proximal outcomes which are treated as intervening variables between HR practices and organisational performance (Kehoe and Wright, forthcoming). This suggests that majority of the research in India is based on unitarist perspective. Another limitation of the reviewed studies is that none have studied the potential impact of HRM practices on negative employee outcomes such as dissatisfaction, stress, burnout and fatigue (Guest 1999; Purcell 1999). Sample size The HRM and performance studies present two unique sets of issues owing to sample size. While large sample sizes are difficult to obtain, given the unit or firm level of analysis, the more related challenge is that practically important relationships may be missed because of inadequate statistical power (Gerhart 2007).   A commonly used approach to determining the needed sample size for a latent variable model is based on the number of parameters estimated (Williams and O’Boyle Jr. 2008). A study with more parameters suggests a need for a larger sample size. Thus, sample size plays an important role in a research study. It is important to classify studies on the basis of primary levels of analysis (Boselie et al. 2005). The sample size used in the reviewed studies ranged from a low of 54 employees (Cooke and Saini 2010) to a high of 4,811 employees (Stumph, Doh, and Tymon 2010). The majority of studies reported sample size of over 100. It is suggested that when testing sophisticated models, large number of samples should be used (Hulland, Chow, and Lam 1996; MacCallum, Browne, and Sugawara 1996). The units of analysis were either a single organisation or multiple organisations. The sample in multiple organisation study ranged from 2 (Shahnawaz and Juyal 2006) to 439 organisations (Chand 2010). Respondents A methodological issue that continues to be debated concerns who should provide information about HRM (Guest 2011). There has been an ongoing call for using data collected from multiple informants about the presence of practices (Gerhart et al. 2000). Marchington and Zagelmeyer (2005) suggest that most of the high commitment studies have relied on management respondents to estimate the impact of HR practices on performance. It has been suggested that, particularly in the context of large organisations, senior HR managers are not always reliable informants and that it is more sensible to seek information from those experiencing the practices, namely workers. Paauwe (2009) makes a plea for a more contextual approach to HRM. He also suggests that future research should explore HRM- Performance link in light of broader multiple stakeholders like employees, government, trade unions, consumer organizations, etc (Paauwe and Boselie 2005). Also, research should endeavour to adopt a broader v iew of performance, taking into consideration employee concerns and wellbeing (Guest 2004). The majority of the reviewed studies have reported data from a single respondent, mainly focusing on senior management (Singh 2003; Agarwala 2003). While acknowledging the possible rater bias, such studies suggest that future studies could use a multi-rater approach, specially collecting data from heads of other functions. Ketkar and Sett (2010) proposed that their choice of single respondent senior managers from departments other than HR is consistent with the proposition of Batt (2002).   Batt (2002) argued that selection of non-HR managers as respondents could improve the reliability of measurements as these managers are expected to be more objective about the HR systems. Only three studies have used multiple respondents.   These include Sharma (2008) and Chand (2010), who have drawn samples from employees and customers, and Som (2008) who used samples drawn from senior executives MD, Director, VP, GM and HR personnel. Industry context Datta, Guthrie, and Wright (2005) suggest that industry characteristics may have wide implications for HRM. While there have been an increasing number of studies that discuss the impact of HRM practices on performance, research on the contextual factors that moderate the efficacy of these practices has been largely ignored. The findings of studies conducted in specific industry contexts are not necessarily generalisable to other industries. Seven studies (Singh 2003; Agarwala 2003; Khandekar and Sharma 2005; Bjorkman and Budhwar 2007; Som 2008; Stumph et al. 2010; Cooke and Saini 2010) draw on samples from multiple industries. Few studies have drawn samples from software industry (Paul and Anantharaman 2003, 2004), hotel industry (Chand and Katou 2007; Chand 2010), banking (Sharma 2008), and the information and communication technology industry (SamGnanakkan 2010). Theoretical basis Boselie, Dietz, and Boon (2005) identify three commonly used theories for defining the HRM and performance relationship, namely, contingency theory, resource based view (RBV) and Abilities, Motivation and Opportunities (AMO) framework. Contingency theory argues that HRM responds accurately and effectively to the organisation’s environment and complements other organisational systems (e.g. Arthur 1994; Huselid 1995; MacDuffie 1995; Delaney and Huselid 1996; Delery and Doty 1996; Wright et al. 2001). RBV advocates that HRM delivers ‘added value’ through the strategic development of the organisation’s rare, inimitable and non-substitutable internal resources, embodied in its staff (e.g. Boxall and Steeneveld 1999; Guthrie 2001; Batt 2002). RBV has become the dominant theoretical paradigm in most recent SHRM literature (Lengnick-Hall et al. 2009). AMO model argues that organisational interests are best served by an HR system that attends to employees’ interests, namely their skill requirements, motivations and the quality of their job (Appelbaum et al. 2000; Bailey, Berg, and Sandy 2001). It is interesting to note that these three approaches represent different traditions in HRM research. Contingency theory is based on organizational institutional theory. RBV can be traced back to concepts in Organizational economics, whereas the AMO framework has its theoretical underpinnings in industrial/ organizational psychology. Five studies (Bjorkman and Budhwar 2007; Som 2008; Cooke and Saini 2010; Guchait and Cho 2010; Ketkar and Sett 2010) have explicitly specified the theoretical basis for review. Bjorkman and Budhwar (2007) draw on the resource based view (RBV) of strategic human resource management literature. Som (2008) found empirical evidence based on a universalistic or a best practices perspective. Cooke and Saini (2010) integrate three existing theories- RBV, ‘new’ institutional theory and organisational politics perspective. Guchait and Cho (2010) support a configurational or bundles approach to HRM.   Ketkar and Sett (2010) extends the existing conceptualisation of HR flexibility used by Wright and Snell (1998). All the other articles reviewed did not contain a clear reference to the conceptual perspective adopted in the study. Data collection method(s) Hesketh and Fleetwood (2006) argue that most of the researchers show an empirical association between HRM practices and organizational performance. The authors argue that the existence or non-existence of empirical association does not necessarily imply causal connection between them. Also, Wright et al. (2005) identified that most empirical studies studying HRM and performance are post-predictive in nature. This means HRM practices were measured after the performance period. A more appropriate approach would involve assessing HRM practices at one point of time and assessing performance at some future point of time (Huselid 1995; Youndt et al. 1996; Paauwe 2009). The more recent studies (Guest, Conway, and Sheenan 2003; Wright et al. 2005) control for both past and subsequent performance. Seventeen studies used the cross-sectional quantitative survey method. Although some studies have suggested use of longitudinal surveys, none of them have applied the method in their own study. The cross-sectional nature of the reviewed studies does not allow for any conclusions regarding causal relationships. Two studies (Agarwala 2003; Bjorkman and Budhwar 2007) have used a mixed methodology using quantitative survey and interviews. The study by Cooke and Saini (2010) can be classified as a purely qualitative study. Only one study (Mulla and Premarajan 2008) was based on secondary data. The study drew on data from Chairpersons’ speech and directors’ reports of 100 companies listed by the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) database, Prowess. It can be concluded that survey method is the dominant method for researching the HRM and performance literature in India.   Although, a social survey offers a great deal of insight into the phenomenon of interest, it is unable to answer some basic questions. For instance, even if a presented theory allows the understanding of reality, the question remains why this reality should be as it is according to this theory (Mingers, 2004; Stavenga, 2006). Thus, future research could focus on adopting a qualitative or a mixed method f or collecting data. Directions for future research Several suggestions for future research have been made in the reviewed studies. The key issues that have been put forth are the black box problem (Agarwala 2003; Chand and Katou 2007; Bjorkman and Budhwar 2007; Som 2008; SamGnanakkan 2010); the need for longitudinal studies (Singh 2003; Paul and Anantharaman 2004; Som 2008; Chand 2010; Ketkar and Sett 2010); the need to study additional variables (Singh 2003; Paul and Anantharaman 2004; Bjorkman and Budhwar 2007); and the use of multiple respondents (Singh 2003; Cooke and Saini 2010; Ketkar and Sett 2010; SamGnanakkan 2010). Some studies suggest that future studies could be cross-national (Singh 2003; Chand 2010; Cooke and Saini 2010; Guchait and Cho 2010) and could use different industry settings (Paul and Anantharaman 2003; Sharma 2008; Cooke and Saini 2010). In this article, we will focus on a key issue that emerges from the existing studies- the black box problem. Boselie et al. (2005) has noted that despite the increasing volume of research on HRM and performance, there has been little focus on the ‘how’ aspect of the linkages.   Purcell and Hutchinson (2007, 3) note the critical link in the black box problem is ‘how HR practices influence employee attitudes and improve worker performance’. This involves a call for making the research more worker-centric (Guest 2011). The workers’ perceptions and behaviour has become increasingly vital in understanding the relationship between HRM and performance. A number of studies have discussed how the HR practices influence financial performance (Huselid 1995; Wright and Snell 1998; Ahmad and Schroeder 2003). An increasing number of human resource scholars suggest it is important to explore the ‘black box’ containing the links between HRM practices and distant organizational performance measures such as proï ¬ tability or stock value (Becker and Gerhart 1996; Tremblay et al. 2010; Krishnan and Singh 2011). Researchers argue that HRM practices have only an indirect effect on organisational performance (Appelbaum et al. 2000; Delery and Shaw 2001; Way and Johnson 2005). While there have been many studies that have acknowledged the existence of black box issue, Boselie et al. (2005) found 20 articles that have discussed the issue in detail. The black box issue has been investigated using two routes. The first route is through quantitative studies that have substantiated the need for identifying the role of intermediate variables in the HRM and performance linkages (Razouk 2011). Becker and Grehart (1996, 793) stated ‘unless and until researchers are able to elaborate models, including key intervening variabless of these intermediate variables are employees’ attitudes, behaviours and performance, measured on an organizational level (Sels et al. 2006). Fey et al. (2009) have worked on dataset of 241 firms consisting of subsidiaries of 241 MNEs operating in Russia, USA, and Finland. The findings demonstrate that motivation and ability are important mediating variables in the HRM– Multinational enterprise subsidiary performance relationship. Boon et al. (2011) show that some relationships between perceived HR practices and employee outcomes appear to be indirect, occurring via Person–Organisation and Person–Job ï ¬ t. Elorza, Aritzetab, and Ayestaran (2011) conducted multilevel analyses of a sample of 732 employees from 26 Spanish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study supported a model in which employees commitment mediates between the actual system and unit-level absenteeism, which in turn has an effect on productivity. The second route used to investigate black box issues rely on in-depth qualitative research. Authors (Truss 2001; Purcell et al. 2003, Purcell and Hutchinson 2007) suggest that qualitative research is more appropriate to explore the black box since there could be an existence of a gap between intentions of HR managers and practice experienced by employees. In Indian research context, three articles (Agarwala 2003; Paul and Anantharaman 2003; Ketkar and Sett 2010) have discussed the black box problem concerning HRM practices and performance linkages. Agarwala (2003) demonstrates that certain combinations of Innovative Human Resource Practices (IHRPs) lead to specific employee attitudes, such as organizational commitment. The study attempts to provide an explanation for the HR-firm performance link. Paul and Anantharaman (2003) developed a HRM-performance linkage model with four intervening variables- competence, teamwork, organisational commitment and customer orientation between HRM practices and operating performance. The operating performance in turn has an impact on financial performance. Ketkar and Sett (2010) confirm the concept of HR value chain. The study proposes that HR systems have a direct impact on firm-level HR outcomes such as employee performance (also referred to as proximal outcomes). Also, the effects of HR systems on more distal operational and financial outcomes are mediated by HR outcomes. To summarise, studies have started investigating the black box issue in emerging and developing economies. In India, however, the studies are still scarce. There has been no study which has used the route of qualitative research to explore the black box. Future research should aim to continue ‘the search for holy grail’ by exploring the issue further. Conclusion Researchers (e.g., Bowen, Galang, and Pillai 2002; Zhu et al. 2008) highlight that strategic HRM research mainly has been limited to advanced market economies. India’s growing economic importance as an emerging market economy makes it an interesting research context. The growth of SHRM in India thus has wide ranging implications for researchers as well as practitioners. However, we would like to acknowledge some limitations inherent in the study which should be considered in evaluating its findings. First, the review is specific to a single country, India. Future research could seek to extend the scope to other emerging economies. We also suggest a comparative review of India with other emerging economies or Western economies offers an interesting case. Second, the number of reviewed studies is less which reflects that the field of SHRM in India is still growing. Third, the review has been limited to articles discussing the HRM and performance linkages. Thus, we may have failed to cover articles on other relevant issues in SHRM like role of HR in cross-border mergers and acquisitions (Budhwar et al. 2009), strategic integration and devolvement of HRM (e.g. Budhwar and Sparrow 1997). Although not the focus of this paper, these topics could be of academic interest and exploring them further may have important implications. Despite these limitations, t he article provides significant insights in the burgeoning field of SHRM in a promising world economy, India. The study suggests that while there has been an increasing volume of research on SHRM in India, the literature needs to more actively engage in conceptual and methodological debates. The review also highlights the areas of SHRM research that merit future attention in India. Furthermore, the study contributes to the extant literature by reviewing the state of empirical research in India on SHRM. References Agarwala, Tanuja. 2003. 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How to Work Full-Time and Fit in Vacations

How to Work Full-Time and Fit in Vacations Joanna Niles, a lifestyle and travel blogger, wrote about traveling while working full time over at the HuffingtonPost this week. I thought her tips were great- practical and strategic- and my husband and I used many of the same approaches when we plan travel a few  times a year. Look at the calendarSince I teach workshops and college-level courses, my schedule is bound by the academic calendar. This means I can travel a lot in early and late summer, I have a lot of time in January, and I always have a few 3- and 4-day weekends during the fall and spring.Chances are if you work for a corporate or government employer, you have a variety of paid and national holidays to make the most of, too. Not every trip is a week-long extravaganza- we’ve done weekend jaunts to San Francisco, Philadelphia, Portland, Maine, and have a trip to New Orleans coming up at the end of the month. It’s surprising how refreshing and enjoyable a brief visit can be. You can also be more efficient with your vacation days by adding on one before or after a long weekend.TelecommuteNormally, you’d be working during the day and perhaps socializing at night. Maybe you can work out an arrangement where you can take that format on vacation with you, too. Another option is to work after the family goes to bed or before they’re up in the morning.This tip has the potential to backfire since you can also be pursued by work long after you’re ready to unplug, but if you’re disciplined about allowing and restricting access (yours, and your coworkers!), a vacation where you spend an hour or two emailing and coordinating in the morning and then go about your day can be great for making your getaway productive.This summer I had to take a pile of grading to the beach, and the first two days of our trip were divided between lounging on the sand and marking up papers on the balcony. Sure, I wanted to be spending more of my time on the boardwalk, but the alternative w as postponing our much-anticipated vacation just for a deadline, so it turned out to be a worthwhile compromise.Plan AheadWhen my husband and I first got together, he hated the way I liked to plan six months or a year out, but now he appreciates that if you don’t get a head start on planning trips, you can miss out on awesome seasonal opportunities or experiences that sell out as soon as they become available to the public.Don’t forget to set aside some vacation time around the holidays! My first year of working full-time, I didn’t anticipate that my company wouldn’t just automatically close on important â€Å"eves.† If my boss hadn’t been generous about commuting my sick time, I would have had a sad solitary holiday weekend alone in my apartment instead of back in my hometown.Be FlexibleThat said, sometimes you have to just get that price alert in your inbox, click through, reserve your flight and grab a weekend bag. If budget is the most i mportant factor in your ability to travel, get yourself on the mailing list of sites like The Flight Deal and Airfare Watch Dog and stay tuned as rates rise and fall during the various tourist seasons.Where you go is more important than when you go anyway, and remember how nice a quick weekend can be- fly out Friday after work, enjoy Saturday and part of Sunday, and maybe go in a little late on Monday.How to Travel with a Full-Time JobRead More at Huffington Post

China Manufacturing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

China Manufacturing - Essay Example heir goals and reach a compromise which allows both to achieve their needs but when negotiating with Chinese businessmen the playing field changes entirely. The Chinese businessman is suspicious of other Chinese businessmen especially that of western businessman. To reach the end of a compromise takes much effort and work for the westerners. The goal to perform a successful negotiation is to please the business owner and establish a friendship. The Chinese are living in a Collectivist society set by Communist rule. China has the lowest Individualism ranking when compared to other Asian countries (20 to 24). Chinese do not hold many close ties outside of their immediate family which places an importance to establish a trusting friendship with Chinese businessmen. Whenever a western businessman begins a negotiation, the Chinese businessman will relay the deal to his/her boss. This is also a reflection of the high score in Power Distance ranking. Lower members of a strata, a group, community or organization highly respects the authority. That is why when negotiating with the Chinese , it is assumed that the person would relay all the details to the boss. The boss will make a decision on the negotiation deal. He may require a meeting with the westerner. When in a meeting, it is crucial to know Chinese ethics. Certain areas of concern to the western businessman such as intellectual property is also a problem in China. Apparently, China is used to mass production and would mimic or copy any product at a lower price. Unlike westerners, they do not have much respect for intellectual property. Because of this, many western businessmen get upset when their product has been cloned or copied outright. It is therefore important for an American businessman to secure his own products legally unless he sees a copycat at a lower price. When it comes to manners, there are many things a businessman can do to humiliate a Chinese businessman. A western businessman must never