The Art of Etruscan Civilization Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Art of Etruscan Civilization - Case Study Example It looks like the idea of afterlife is present in the majority of Etruscan art form. From this viewpoint it is clear that the majority of their art form is primarily based upon the art of tombs. It was their belief that a kind of magical survival was needed for the final resting place or in the shadowy world of Hades. This funerary cult was scrutinized with every major and minor detail and it seems as if Etruscan art had nothing else to look forward to or no other world end in view. (Bonfante, 1986) The Etruscan art also relied heavily on portraits. The portraits commemorate a dead man’s facets so as to make him credible enough to fight against the power of darkness. There is a valid reason for this creation and its continuing popularity, especially the Tuscan portrait which in turn inspired the Roman portrait. On a burial pot from Chiusi it is clearly seen that in the earlier period a trustworthy copy of a deceased face, in the form of a mask most likely made from bronze, was affixed to the vessel. Later the head was carved and placed on the pot’s lid. This ultimately led to the creation of the statue. Similarly, the wall paintings, that covered the clammy walls of the Tuscan Hypogea (subterranean burial chambers), were seen as imperative to their religious and cultural symbols. The show funeral feasts also portray the livelihood and contentment of his earthly life, and according to their belief it would shape their life in the afterworld. This repeals the apparent incongruity of sepulchral art infused with a passionate and enthusiastic feeling of life. To the spiritualist soul of Etruria, the life of this world is merely a test and is foreshadowed by the more significant and permanent afterlife that is waiting for them. Their culture was more about decorating tombs rather than towns, which were built using a single type of stone and hollowed out of the same material – places of abode were proposed to revolt against the blitz of time. In t he necropolises at Tarquinia and Cerveteri, virtual cities of the dead were formed and the locale and very rhythm and Etruscan life were clearly exhibited in those virtual cities. For Etruscans money, people and art became a feature of everyday life. Etruscan villa in Murlo, which was reconstructed recently, revealed big, painted terracotta panels decorating the foyer and also included a number of fresco wall-paintings. Etruscan painting and frescos often tried to influence a sense of Joie de vivre in the form of human figures looking strong and hearty and full of life, often in the form of dancing couples. Looking at Etruscan art from this perspective it seems clear that it was much more developed in capturing human emotion than the stylized Greek art. (Bonfante, 1986) During the 7th century BC the Etruscan art gained a new level of prosperity and popularity based upon their export of metal ore. Since Greek art got a great deal of inspiration and influence from the high cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean. Greek goods made its way to Etruria together in Orientalizing style with exotic objects and reached the Phoenician cities, Egypt, Cyprus and Asia Minor. During the entire existence of Etruscan empire, it was largely inspired from Hellenic styles which had profound impact on its independent artistic development.

Auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Auditing - Essay Example The evaluation of the audit risks involved in the audit of the company is analyzed and thus explained their extent and effect. Along with the inherent risks of audit there are various other risks that are involved in the audit of a company. Auditors check for material misstatement in the financial statements and report accordingly. However there are risks involved in audit which are inherent risks as the management of the company is involved in the operations and recording of the transactions and thus provide assertions upon the financial statements of the company and thus the auditors are to check the assertions as well. The audit risks involved in the audit of Mobile Streams Plc. is elaborated below: The company is operating as a group and the financial statements prepared and presented are of the parent and of the group. The risk of disclosure of the related party disclosures along with the measurements of the holding percentages shall be a risky element in the financial statements. Mobile Streams Plc. undergoes complex, diverse and decentralized business operations as it is operating as a group and these characteristics increases the risk of material misstatements (C. WILLIAM & PHIL, 2013). Along with the management and disclosures of the complex accounting treatments there is a risk that accounting for the consolidation in the group shall not be properly accounted for as the local accounting treatments are different as to the level of adoption of financial reporting standards. The consolidation of the financial statements increases the risk as the financial information is obtained from different segments and then consolidated and the acquisition of information from wide sourc e increases the risk of misstatement. Consolidating the accounts of parent and subsidiary is a complex accounting treatment and thus increases the audit risks as per the

Hegel's philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hegel's philosophy - Essay Example Hegel’s philosophy explains about the appearances, images and illusions throughout the history of human consciousness. He have had tried to search for the eternal consciousness of the mankind .According to Hegel Geist is a post dead presence of soul. Hegel’s philosophy explains right from the human response to consciousness to attaining great knowledge of the un-consciousness pertaining in the world The Geist were said to make noise. They were described as the alien bodies which make their presence felt by their virtual movements and moving the physical things with out any sense of touch. The Geist is believed to be the Holy Spirit. Geist is said to lead the holy personalities to empower the eternal world and lead them to the father the mankind. Geist is not considered to be God but the follower and preacher of the ultimate. The Geist is the virtual essence of the ultimate which unifies the thought of community. The worldly knowledge when enhanced enables a sprit to dis tinguish between the good and the bad existing. This conscience leads to control the thought and moves the spirit towards the right path of implementation. God sets the stage with the rules but the individual has to grasp the essence and has to cross the stages to be at the stage where he himself can judge the will.According to Hegel the self was nothing until the mind was able to relate the self to its concept of 'Self'. Hegel believed that the individual, by interacting with other individuals, other objects in the external environment, as well as other ideas in the world of the spirit, could empower himself. According to Hegel self empowerment could only be achieved through interaction with other individuals, other objects, and other ideas. Institutions like the family; civil society, education etc. were absolutely essential means to attain freedom of the individual. Hegel believes that the material things which are visible are inexistent. The object which evolved has to face the cycle of extinction. As the time evolves an object created is an object going to be in past in future. The existence is not immortal. Every stage a human being crosses has a lesson to learn. Organisism: According to Hegel an object has to been seen as whole entity but not as individual sections. He emphasizes that every part has an equal contribution to overall growth of the object. If one section is diluted then it reflects on the other sections of the same objects. So, the working of each section is vital in building a strong system in an object. Human thoughts initially will be like an embryo which as time evolves develops into a strong physical structure by accumulating energy resources, mind also develops the expanse of visualizing the situation in-depth as it gains the knowledge to interpret the thought. According to the empowerment should occur inherently to sharpen the panoramic view of a thought developed in the mind. Historicism: The human thought and actions in various fields were bought from the historical implication rather than a spontaneous revolutionary idea. Thus Hegel signifies that the historical work done on an particular theme is a significant base for any new developments. The importance of the historical essence asserts on creating a clear idea of history to conceptualize any idea According to Hegel this system of looking back to the previous work enables us to pin-point at the fallouts of the previous and act upon the same to create a more meaning system. According to Hegel one must look at the individual in the society to know the value of the society. To understasnd the society of a region one must look at the history of the society.The persent senario existing in any society is due to the contemporary forces acting on it.Hegel considered human societies as the main sources of observation rather than the other external factors like the religion,race, culture etc.He discribes that modern philopher now a days don't isolate his presence but tries to be in the society to bring the

Evaluate the role of violence in the US counter-culture Essay

Evaluate the role of violence in the US counter-culture - Essay Example Jobs were plentiful and the advances in technology that were rapidly filling all the dreams of a consumerist society filled homes with products that were making life easier and creating a world in which survival was no longer the primary concern. As the ‘utopian’ nature of the new technologically advanced world began to move forward, however, many people needed to find new challenges outside of the needs of survival in order to motivate achievement. Some of those challenges included revolutionizing the culture and in the 1960’s, movements that worked towards emancipating the culture from oppressions that were suppressing the rights of women and those of minority races began to rise. In addition, the Vietnam conflict was providing a resource from which to galvanize many people towards looking at the government with a more critical eye. The war provided fuel for those who believed that the motivations of the government in the use of its people no longer represented the best interests of the nation. The time period of the 1960’s was framed by a society that was trying to find a way in which to best situate the culture in order to provide for the most enlightened version of the American ideals. Emancipating women, African Americans, Hispanics, the military, and even attitudes about sex seemed to be the way toward creating a society that no longer impressed upon some of its people oppression that prevented them from reaching their goals within the context of the ‘American dream’. What had seemed so perfect in the 1950’s was revealed for a facade that was hiding a plethora of social problems that could now be revealed as the freedoms that technology and the rise of the media presented an open door through which causes could stake their claims and make social revolutions out of injustices that were occurring. The media arts, such as literature and film, began to reflect the desires of those who were firmly situated in the counterculture revolutions of the period, expressing anger through violence. The expressions of violence created a sensationalized point of view, however, often galvanizing people in a direction that did not promote improvement of society but that incited anarchy. The connection between social revolution and violence in film and literature is defined by the shifts that can be observed in the cultural attitudes of the 1960’s and the 1970’s. Specific changes, especially and readily available in the example of film, provide a frame for understanding how society changed from a glossy representation of idealized values to a peeled back, raw version of social construction in which the flaws of the culture were finally exposed. In exposing those flaws, however, the artful representations became increasingly violent having an effect on the way in which some people would view the causes, some who were against those causes and others who were part of the movement. 2. Charles St arkweather In 1958 Charles Starkweather and his girlfriend Caril Anne Fugate, both teenagers with the girl being only fourteen, went on a murderous spree that shook the image of security that people of the United States had about their relationships with law, safety, and with the control that they felt that they had over their society. The late 1950’s represented a time in penal history where reforms were being considered as the nature of the criminal mind was discussed in terms of society’s responsibility in forming individuals who were inclined

Compare how the theme of loss Essay Example for Free

Compare how the theme of loss Essay As he was inexperienced and had childlike thoughts and imagination, he was unaware of what situation he put himself in, which once again outlines the innocence of his youth. However, it does mention several times that â€Å"He asked to join. He didn’t have to beg† which refers back to the idea that he is only to blame, as whatever position he is now standing in, was completely his decision. He had also been taken away by the persuasive black propaganda. This makes his loss feel more pointless and very regretful. So this defies his argument about blaming Meg. Whilst comparing these characters together they, as well, blame their faults onto somebody else. We, as a reader, understand this, because when he mentions the reasons why he joined up for war, he mentions how it was â€Å"to please his Meg†, and this sounds sarcastic to us that he threw his life away at such a young age for a girl who doesn’t even care enough to visit him anymore, instead leaving him lonely in a â€Å"wheeled chair, waiting for dark†. He is more or less blaming her for making his life futile. Also, again in proximity with the poem ‘Out, Out-’ where he blames it on the â€Å"snarling† saw that appeared to attack at him. Frost personifies the saw repeatedly throughout the poem, how the saw â€Å"leaped out at the boy’s hand† and how it had â€Å"snarled and rattled in the yard†. Giving the image of an animal, waiting to pounce. These two characters are forced to be independent about their lives because they are both rejected by others. In the poem ‘Out, Out-’ he complains about how once he died nobody had taken much interest when he died â€Å"since they were not the one dead†, they â€Å"turned to their affairs†, and this compares nicely within ‘Disabled’ where he talks about how â€Å"women’s eyes passed from him to the strong men that were whole†, as well as having rejection hit at him, it also makes him feel dehumanised, that he is now labelled â€Å"Disabled† and now he has stripped of his masculinity. This again alludes to the idea of loss as he is being abandoned by everyone. He had a massive crowd of people chanting him off to war, whereas â€Å"only some cheered him home†. This gives a lonely, isolated and unloved atmosphere. Furthermore, these two poets have created a contrast between idyllic working environments with the beautiful setting coming into contrast with horrific events. Robert Frost has created a perfect example of this in the poem â€Å"Out, Out-† when mentioning the â€Å"Five mountain ranges one behind the other Under the sunset far into Vermont† and also describes the â€Å"sweet, scented stuff†. The sibilance on the â€Å"sweet† and â€Å"scented† exaggerates the pleasant atmosphere. By mentioning these notes about how everything was delightful, and how all of his five senses are all sensational and pleasurable, it creates a sense of danger in a way that everything at the moment is perfect and it is making the reader predict that it is just leading up to something more hazardous and dangerous. Another example of the use of this effect would be in the poem ‘Disabled’ where Wilfred Owen describes how the disabled soldier listens outside from his hospital bed how the â€Å"Voices of boys rang saddening like a hymn† and also their â€Å"Voices of play and pleasure†. The use of this anaphora gives the effect of an echo and how the children’s happiness haunts him. Also the plosive used on â€Å"play and pleasure† gives it a harsh tone to possibly show that he is jealous of the freedom of the children as he barely had any youth himself so he envies those who have. What sounds to the reader (which is mirrored earlier on) is a beautiful setting by which Owen has as well as Frost added a negative perspective to it. However, in this poem it is to show the emotions of the angry and bitter disabled soldier, unlike in ‘Out, Out-’ where it is to show the building tension of a beautiful setting coming into contrast with a scene of horrific events. These characters are very remorseful about why they had made their stupid mistakes in the first place. This once again makes the loss wasted and valueless.

Hyundai Motors: An Evaluation

Hyundai Motors: An Evaluation Around the world, there were about 806 million cars and light trucks on the road in 2007. The numbers were increasing rapidly, especially in China. In 2008, with rapidly rising oil prices, however, industries such as the automotive industry are experiencing a combination of pricing pressure from raw material costs and changes in consumer buying habits. The industry is also facing increasing external competition from the public transport sector, as consumers re-evaluate their private vehicle usage. We have discussed how Hyundai Motor would expand business in global automotive environment which has been changed and exceeded demands. Company overview Hyundai Motor Company, a division of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, is the worlds largest automaker by profit, the worlds fourth largest automaker by units sold and the worlds fastest growing automaker. Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, Hyundai operates the worlds largest integrated automobile manufacturing facility in Ulsan, which is capable of producing 1.6 million units annually. Chung Ju-Yung founded the Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company in 1947. Hyundai Motor Company was later established in 1967. The companys first model, the Cortina, was released in cooperation with Ford Motor Company in 1968. In 1975, the Pony, the first Korean car, was released, with styling by Giorgio Giugiaro of ItalDesign and powertrain technology provided by Japans Mitsubishi Motors. Exports began in the following year to Ecuador and soon thereafter to the Benelux countries. In 1991, the company succeeded in developing its first proprietary gasoline engine, the four-cylinder Alpha, and transmission, thus paving the way for technological independence. In 1983, Hyundai exported the Pony to Canada, but not to the United States because the Pony didnt pass emissions standards there. Canadian sales greatly exceeded expectations, and it was at one point the top-selling car on the Canadian market. The Pony afforded a much higher degree of quality and refinement in the lowest pric e auto segment than the Eastern-bloc imports of the period then available. In 1986, Hyundai began to sell cars in the United States, and the Excel was nominated as Best Product #10 by Fortune magazine, largely because of its affordability. The company began to produce models with its own technology in 1988, beginning with the midsize Sonata. In 1996, Hyundai Motors India Limited was established with a production plant in Irrungattukotai near Chennai, India. In 1998, Hyundai began to overhaul its image in an attempt to establish itself as a world-class brand. Chung Ju Yung transferred leadership of Hyundai Motor to his son, Chung Mong Koo, in 1999. Hyundais parent company, Hyundai Motor Group, invested heavily in the quality, design, manufacturing, and long-term research of its vehicles. It added a 10-year or 100,000-mile (160,000 km) warranty to cars sold in the United States and launched an aggressive marketing campaign. In 2004, Hyundai was ranked second in initial quality in a su rvey/study by J.D. Power and Associates. Hyundai is now one of the top 100 most valuable brands worldwide. Since 2002, Hyundai has also been one of the worldwide official sponsors of the FIFA World Cup. In 2006, the South Korean government initiated an investigation of Chung Mong Koos practices as head of Hyundai, suspecting him of corruption. On April 28, 2006, Chung was arrested, and charged for embezzlement of 100 billion South Korean won (US$106 million). As a result, Hyundai Vice Chairman and CEO, Kim Dong-jin, replaced him as head of the company. After a shake-up in the Korean auto industry caused by overambitious expansion and the Asian financial crisis, Hyundai acquired rival Kia Motors In 1998. In 2000, the company established a strategic alliance with DaimlerChrysler and severed its partnership with the Hyundai Group. In 2001, the Daimler-Hyundai Truck Corporation was formed. In 2004, however, DaimlerChrysler divested its interest in the company by selling its 10.5% stake for $900 million. Hyundai Motor has been expanding globally, starting with its plant in Turkey in 1997, India in 1998, China in 2002, and in 2005, it built a plant in the U.S., the worlds biggest auto market. In 2007, a decade after it began building plants overseas, Hyundai Motor began construction for plants in the Czech Republic and Russia, creating a strategic network of production facilities spanning over six countries. With its 12 CKD plants, Hyundai Motor is boosting sales every year and cementing its position as a global automaker. The company pl ans to raise the ratio of overseas production to 50 percent by 2010, to produce 3 million units outside Korea. Hyundai Motor is present in 196 countries and has 6,000 dealerships all over the world. It is maintaining a strong position in developed regions such as the U.S. and Europe. Furthermore, it has been successfully winning orders for taxis and government vehicles in emerging markets such as Central Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, boosting sales and the companys brand image. After reaching the 2 million unit sales mark in 2006, Hyundai Motor sold 2.6 million units worldwide in 2009. Through its strategy of local production and sales, the company is contributing to the local economies.(Exhibit1) [Exhibit1] Annual Unit Sales 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 Sales in unit 1,611,991 1,668,745 1,700,297 1,611,062 1,700,843 Domestic 701,469 570,116 624,227 580,288 569,721 Export excluding CDK 910,522 1,098,629 1,076,070 1,030,774 1,131,122 Hyundai Motor Companys brand power continues to rise as it was ranked 72nd in the 2007 Best Global Brands by Interbrand and Business Week survey. brand value estimated at $4.5 billion. Public perception of the Hyundai brand has been transformed as a result of dramatic improvements in the quality of Hyundai vehicles. The Company produces and markets passenger cars under the brand names of Equus, Genesis, Genesis Coupe, Azera, Sonata, Elantra, Accent, Getz, i30, i30cw, i20 and i10; recreational vehicles under the brand names of Veracruz, Santa Fe, Tucson, Matrix and H-1, and commercial vehicles, which include medium and heavy duty trucks, and buses. Analysis of Global Automobile Market Environment Current Automotive industry Market In 2007, a total of 79.9 million new automobiles were sold worldwide: 22.9 million in Europe, 21.4 million in Asia-Pacific, 19.4 million in USA and Canada, 4.4 million in Latin America, 2.4 million in the Middle East and 1.4 million in Africa. The markets in North America and Japan were stagnant, while those in South America and other parts of Asia grew strongly. Of the major markets, China, Russia, Brazil and India saw the most rapid growth, and China became both the largest automobile producer and market in the world after experiencing massive growth in 2009. In the first 4 months of 2010, the total sales of automobile were 6.17 millions in China (3.52 millions in US), and the total sales were expected to be around 17 millions (13.65 millions in 2009) for the year of 2010, nearly twice as much as USA. [Exhibit 2] International Car Sales by Global Auto Report The automotive industry crisis of 2008-2010 was a part of a global financial downturn. The crisis affected European and Asian automobile manufacturers, but it was primarily felt in the American automobile manufacturing industry. The automotive industry was weakened by a substantial increase in the prices of automotive fuels linked to the 2003-2008 energy crisis which discouraged purchases of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks which have low fuel economy. The popularity and relatively high profit margins of these vehicles had encouraged the American Big Three automakers, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler to make them their primary focus. With fewer fuel-efficient models to offer to consumers, sales began to slide. By 2008, the situation had turned critical as the credit crunch placed pressure on the prices of raw materials. Car companies from Asia, Europe, North America, and elsewhere have implemented creative marketing strategies to entice reluctant consumers as most experienced double-digit percentage declines in sales. Major manufacturers, including the Big Three and Toyota offered substantial discounts across their lineups. The Big Three faced criticism for their lineups, which were seen to be irresponsible in light of rising fuel prices. North American consumers turned to higher-quality and more fuel-efficient product of Japanese and European automakers. However, many of the vehicles perceived to be foreign were actually transplants, foreign cars manufactured or assembled in the United States, at lower cost than true imports. [Exhibit 3] Major global automotive company analysis Competitors Globalization Strategy Toyota Toyota Motor Corporation, commonly known simply as Toyota, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Japan. At its peak, Toyota employed approximately 320,000 people worldwide. It is the worlds largest automobile maker by sales. The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937 as a spinoff from his fathers company Toyota Industries to create automobiles. Three years earlier, in 1934, while still a department of Toyota Industries, it created its first product, the Type A engine, and, in 1936, its first passenger car, the Toyota AA. Toyota also owns and operates Lexus and Scion brands and has a majority shareholding stake in Daihatsu and Hino Motors, and minority shareholdings in Fuji Heavy Industries, Isuzu Motors, Yamaha Motors, and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation. The company includes 522 subsidiaries. Toyota is headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi and in Tokyo. In addition to manufacturing automobiles, Toyota provides financial services through its Toyota Financial Services division and also builds robots. Toyota Motor Corporation (including Toyota Financial Services) and Toyota Industries form the bulk of the Toyota Group, one of the largest conglomerates in the world. Toyotas marketing efforts have focused on emphasizing the positive experiences of ownership and vehicle quality. The ownership experience has been targeted in slogans such as Oh, what a feeling! (1978-1985, in the U.S.), Who could ask for anything more (1986-1989), I love what you do for me, Toyota! (1990-1997), Everyday (1997-2000), Get the feeling! (2001-2004), and Moving Forward (2004-present). Toyota introduced a new worldwide logo in 1989 in conjunction with and to differentiate it from the newly released luxury Lexus brand. There are three ovals in the new logo that combine to for the letter T, which stands for Toyota. The overlapping of the two perpendicular ovals inside the larger oval represent the mutually beneficial relationship and trust that is placed between the customer and the company while the larger oval that surrounds both of these inner ovals represent the global expansion of Toyotas technology and unlimited potential for the future.[30] Toyota has factories in most parts of the world, manufacturing or assembling vehicles for local markets. Toyota has manufacturing or assembly plants in Japan, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Canada, Indonesia, Poland, South Africa, Turkey, Colombia, the United Kingdom, the United States, UAE, France, Brazil, Portugal, and more recently, Argentina, Czech Republic, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, Egypt, China, Vietnam, Venezuela, the Philippines, and Russia. Recently, Toyota announced it was recalling up to 1.8 million cars across Europe, including about 220,000 in the UK, following problems with defective accelerator pedals. Many Toyota models were involved, covering the 2007-2010 model years. Toyota subsequently recalled the Prius model for reprogramming of its ABS system. The U.S. Sales Chief, James Lentz, was questioned by the United States Congress committees on Oversight and Investigations on February 23, 2010, as a result of recent recalls. On 26 March Toyota said it would halt production in France and Britain for 12 days because of poor sales following the recalls. On 6 April 2010, The US government sought a record penalty of US$16.375 million from Toyota for its delayed response in notifying the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding the defective accelerator pedals, and on 19 April Toyota said that it would pay the fine. The company said the recalls could cost the company up to US$2 billion (GBÂ £1.25 billion ) in lost output and sales. General Motors General Motors Company, also known as GM, is a United States-based automaker with headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. GM manufactures cars and a truck in 34 countries, recently employed 244,500 people around the world, and sells and services vehicles in some 140 countries. By sales, GM ranked as the largest US automaker and the worlds second largest for 2008, having the third highest 2008 global revenues among automakers on the Fortune Global 500. On June 1, 2009, General Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, which were completed on July 10 of the same year, and it was thereafter reorganized once a new entity acquired the most valuable assets. GM is now temporarily majority owned by the United States Treasury and, to a smaller extent, the Canada Development Investment Corporation a Canadian Crown corporation and the Ontario government, with the US government investing a total of US$57.6 billion under the Troubled Asset Relief Program. On April 21, 2010, GM CEO Ed Whitacre Jr. announced that the company had paid back the entire amount of the US and Canadian government loans, with interest, a total of $8.1 billion. The company expects to repurchase a sizable portion of the remaining equity stake with funds earned via a public stock offering. While no GM shares are currently available to the public, the companys plans as of 2009 were to initiate an initial public stock offering (IPO) in 2010. GM plans to focus its business on its four core North American brands: Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. In Europe, following a period of negotiation to sell a majority stake in its Opel and Vauxhall brands, the company decided to retain full ownership of these operations. However, on February 23, 2010, GM sold Saab Automobile to Spyker Cars NV and is winding down its Hummer, Pontiac, and Saturn brands, the latter two remaining under the old GM, now known as Motors Liquidation Company In 2009, General Motors employs approximately 244,500 people around the world. The Renaissance Center located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, is the global headquarters of General Motors. In 2008, GM sold 8.35 million cars and trucks globally. GM is the majority shareholder in GM Daewoo Auto Technology Co. of South Korea and has collaborations with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation of China, AvtoVAZ of Russia, and most recently, UzAvtoSanoat of Uzbekistan. GM has had collaborations with various automakers including Fiat and Ford Motor Company.GM retains various stakes in different automakers. General Motors best success internationally has unquestionably been its performance in China, GM sales rose 66.9% in 2009, selling 1,830,000 vehicles and accounting for 13.4% of the market. Volkswagen Group Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturing group; and according to figures published by economic research firm Global Insight in November 2009, is the largest automobile maker in the world by vehicle production.[7] Its parent company Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, develops vehicles and components for all marques of the whole Group, and also manufactures complete vehicles for the Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles marques. Volkswagen Group is divided into two primary divisions: the Automotive Division, and the Financial Services Division. The Group consists of 342 Group companies, which are involved in either vehicle production or other related automotive services. Although it operates worldwide, Volkswagen Groups core market is primarily Europe. Of its automobile brands, Volkswagen Passenger Cars is its mainstream marque, and the Groups major subsidiaries also include well-known car marques like SEAT, Ã…Â  koda, and the prestige marques of Audi, Lam borghini, Bentley, and Bugatti. The Group also has operations in commercial vehicles, owning Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, along with a controlling stake in Swedish truck and diesel engine maker Scania AB, and a 29.9% stake in MAN SE. Volkswagens second-largest market is China, where its subsidiary, Volkswagen Group China, is the largest joint venture automaker, selling more than one million vehicles in 2008. The Volkswagen Golf is the third bestselling automobile in the world, selling over 26 million units through 2008. In 2009, Volkswagen Group sold 6.31 million vehicles, claiming over 11% of the world passenger car market. Volkswagen AG is heavily involved in sports sponsorship, with investments having included the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2014 Winter Games, as well as the David Beckham Academy. The company also wholly owns the Bundesliga football side VfL Wolfsburg. The company is also the shirt sponsor of Major League Soccer club, D.C. United. In August 2009, Porsche SE and Volkswagen Group reached an agreement that Volkswagen AG and Porsche AG would merge in 2011. Ford Motor Company The Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars in Sweden, and a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK. Fords former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors of India in March 2008. Ford has agreed to sell Volvo to Geely Automobile in a deal expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2010. Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines. Henry Fords methods came to be known around the world as Fordism by 1914. Ford is currently the second largest automaker in the U.S. and the fourth-largest in the world based on number of vehicles sold annually, directly behind Volkswagen. In 2007, Ford fell from second to third in US annual vehicle sales for the first time in 56 years, behind only General Motors and Toyota. However, Ford occasionally outsells Toyota in shorter periods (most recently, during the summer months of 2009). By the end of 2009, Ford was the third largest automaker in Europe (behind Volkswagen and PSA). Ford is the seventh-ranked overall American-based company in the 2008 Fortune 500 list, based on global revenues in 2008 of $146.3 billion. In 2008, Ford produced 5.532 million automobiles and employed about 213,000 employees at around 90 plants and facilities worldwide. Starting in 2007, Ford received more initial quality survey awards from J. D. Power and Associates than any other automaker. Five of Fords vehicles ranked at the top of their categories and fourteen vehicles ranke d in the top three. During the mid to late 1990s, Ford sold large numbers of vehicles, in a booming American economy with soaring stock market and low fuel prices. With the dawn of the new century, legacy healthcare costs, higher fuel prices, and a faltering economy led to falling market shares, declining sales, and sliding profit margins. Most of the corporate profits came from financing consumer automobile loans through Ford Motor Credit Company. In the face of demand for higher fuel efficiency and falling sales of minivans, Ford moved to introduce a range of new vehicles, including Crossover SUVs built on unibody car platforms, rather than more body-on-frame chassis. In developing the hybrid electric power train technologies for the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV, Ford licensed similar Toyota hybrid technologies to avoid patent infringements. Ford announced that it will team up with electricity supply company Southern California Edison to examine the future of plug-in hybrids in terms of how home and vehicle energy systems will work with the electrical grid. Under the multi-million-dollar, multi-year project, Ford will convert a demonstration fleet of Ford Escape Hybrids into plug-in hybrids, and SCE will evaluate how the vehicles might interact with the home and the utilitys electrical grid. Some of the vehicles will be evaluated in typical customer settings, according to Ford. In 2006, the company raised its borrowing capacity to about $25 billion, placing substantially all corporate assets as collateral to secure the line of credit. Chairman Bill Ford has stated that bankruptcy is not an option. In order to control its skyrocketing labor costs (the most expensive in the world), the company and the United Auto Workers, representing approximately 46,000 hourly workers in North America, agreed to a historic contract settlement in November 2007 giving the company a substantial break in terms of its ongoing retiree health care costs and other economic issues. The agreement includes the establishment of a company-funded, independently-run Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (more commonly known as a VEBA) trust to shift the burden of retiree health care from the companys books, thereby improving its balance sheet. This arrangement took effect on January 1, 2010. As a sign of its currently strong cash position, Ford contributed its entire current liabilit y (estimated at approximately USD$5.5 Billion as of December 31, 2009) to the VEBA in cash, and also pre-paid USD$500 Million of its future liabilities to the fund. The agreement also gives hourly workers the job security they were seeking by having the company commits to substantial investments in most of its factories. During November 2008, Ford, together with Chrysler and General Motors, sought financial aid at Congressional hearings in Washington D.C. in the face of worsening conditions caused by the automotive industry crisis. The three companies presented action plans for the sustainability of the industry. The Detroit based automakers were unsuccessful at obtaining assistance through Congressional legislation. GM and Chrysler later received assistance through the Executive Branch from the T.A.R.P. funding provisions. On December 19, the cost of credit default swaps to insure the debt of Ford was 68 percent the sum insured for five years in addition to annual payments of 5 percent. That means it costs $6.8 million paid upfront to insure $10 million in debt, in addition to payments of $500,000 per year. In January 2009, Ford announced a $14.6 billion loss in the preceding year, making 2008 its worst year in history. Still, the company claimed to have sufficient liquidity to fund its business pla ns and thus, did not ask for government aid. Through April 2009, Fords strategy of debt for equity exchanges, erased $9.9 B in liabilities (28% of its total), in order to leverage its cash position. These actions yielded Ford a $2.7 billion profit in fiscal year 2009, the companys first full-year profit in four years. Honda Honda Motor Company, Ltd., Honda Technology Research Institute Company, Limiteds a Japanese multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. Honda is the worlds largest manufacturer of motorcycles as well as the worlds largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than 14 million internal combustion engines each year. Honda surpassed Nissan in 2001 to become the second-largest Japanese automobile manufacturer. As of August 2008[update], Honda surpassed Chrysler as the fourth largest automobile manufacturer in the United States. Honda is the sixth largest automobile manufacturer in the world. Honda was the first Japanese automobile manufacturer to release a dedicated luxury brand, Acura in 1986. Aside from their core automobile and motorcycle businesses, Honda also manufactures garden equipment, marine engines, personal watercraft and power generators, amongst others. Since 1986, Honda has been involved with artificial intelligence/robotics research and released their ASIMO robot in 2000. They have also ventured into aerospace with the establishment of GE Honda Aero Engines in 2004 and the Honda HA-420 HondaJet, scheduled to be released in 2011. Honda spends about 5% of its revenues into RD. Nissan Motor Nissan Motor Company, Ltd., shortened to Nissan, is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was formerly a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn (CEO). It formerly marketed vehicles under the Datsun brand name and is one of the largest car manufacturers. As of August 2009, the companys global headquarters are located in Nishi-ku, Yokohama. In 1999, Nissan entered a two way alliance with Renault S.A. of France, which owns 44.4% of Nissan while Nissan holds 15% of Renault shares, as of 2008. Nissan is among the top three Asian (also known as the Japanese Big 3 Automakers) rivals of the Big Three in the U.S. Currently it is the third largest Japanese car manufacturer. It also manufactures the Infiniti luxury brand. The Nissan VQ engines, of V6 configuration, have featured among Wards 10 Best Engines for 14 straight years, since the awards inception. III. Analysis of Hyundai Motors Hyundai Motors Globalization Strategy Process of Growth Since the companys foundation in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company became the first automaker producing manufacture facilities itself. The first model Pony, manufactured and started to export, was very favorable not only into Korean market but also into global market, which elevating Hyundai Motor into one of the global automobile companies. In 1976, Hyundai had started the first export business with Africa, North America and middle Asia and expanded into European market. In overseas market, especially in North America, Hyundai achieved the big success and had an opportunity to become into the global automaker in worldwide. Possessing 10 manufacturing plants, 11 research centers, and more than 6,000 sales networks throughout the world, Hyundai Motor also helps to keep sales growth across the world and maintain to the top leading global company. Furthermore, Now, Hyundai as Global corporate citizen makes every effort to fulfill its economic responsibility, most principal in corporate activities throughout the world. (http://www.hyundai.com) The Hyundai Motors Global Business Strategy In the process of globalization, the major global strategy for Hyundai Motor can be focusing on exporting in the global market which was very successful. From the inception of the foundation, the Hyundai management team always recognized the importance of exporting to overseas which the key factor to growth global business and manufactured most exports from single Ulsan plants. In other words, Hyundai has been involved in independent management strategy. In addition, striving to face with country specific regulation and rapid market changes, Hyundai has been implemented transnational strategy like the joint-venture strategy in China, Turkey and Malaysia in order to expand global market share. Hyundai Motor Company further strengthened its presence as a global automaker by promoting sustainable development worldwide, accelerating global management initiatives and creating the second construction of manufacturing plants in China and India, thereby increasing its production capacity all the more. At the same time, it also achieved qualitative growth by successfully generating sales of its strategic model targeting the European market. In 2007, a decade after it began building plants overseas, Hyundai Motor began construction for plants in the Czech Republic and USA, creating a strategic network of production facilities spanning over six countries. (http://www.hyundai.com) [Exhibit 4] Hyundai Motor Companys International Entry Mode (sourced by http://www.hyundai.com) Country Partner Hyundais Share Start Yr To produce Entry Mode India HMI 100 98. 9 Ownership USA HMMA 100 05. 5 Ownership Czech HMMC 100 06. 7 Ownership China BHMC 50 02. 1 Joint Venture WuHan Qi Che 21 96. 7 Joint Venture Turkey HAOS 85 97. 7 Joint Venture Malaysia INOCOM 15 99. 9 Joint Venture The organizational structure of international business for Hyundai Motor Company is International Division Structure which is like many Korean companies fit well with Korean culture and lean toward centralization. That is, it has risk of demotivating local manager in host countries. By that, the Hyundai Motor Company has struggled to recruit local manager who can manage, coordinate and control worldwide regional operations underutilized allowing diversity as strategic task. US subsidiaries show [Exhibit 5] Example of International Division Structure The Hyundai Motors Global Business Efforts International Site Selection The Site Selection implies that the company does spell out all possible locations to decide which site/market to be targeted and determined by content and goal with its limited human resource, technology, and capital. (Sourced by Professor Lee, JR, Shin, MS / International Business) Market Size and infrastructure: consider for purchasing power and production Market attractiveness: competitors and market structure Important to consider potential international market expansion which cover all countries/regions in the world for the further The major variable factor for site selection is market attractiveness, competitors, and the strategic goal for a company. The good example for International Site Selection in Hyundai Motor Company can be expanding the global business to Canada region. With the success of exporting Excel, Hyundai Motor Company had made decision to expand the international business into Canada as below factors as detour entrance strategy to USA. Of course, Hyundai Motor Company cannot overlook the competitors such as Toyota, Honda. etc. Market accessibility: to avoid Trade barrier by NAFTA, Market proximity , Cost Reduction and Price competiveness by Local Manufacture Government Aid: tax, financing support by construction of manufacture plant Regional Advantage : close to locate associated company Political Risk Avoid: to avoid lack of exports by Korean labor strike in 1988 Likewise, the variable factors to expand the Hyundais global business to other countries can be considered as reduction of transportation cost risk, avoid currency exchange risk, cost reduction by hiring local resources, government aid and etc, International Entry Mode Prior to change into the globalization, the process of growt

Technology In Recruitment Selection Business Essay

Technology In Recruitment Selection Business Essay Introduction In a world that is constantly changing and evolving, technology surrounds us all. This essay identifies and evaluates the use of technology in the HR department in general and in the recruitment selection process in particular. Technology, E-Human Resources and E-HR systems will de be defined first. Then, the recruitment and selection process will be described along with the different recruitment tools. The different methods of online recruitment will be evaluated along with e-selection methods. The pros and cons of the uses of technology in the recruitment selection processes will be discussed in depth. Finally, a conclusion will be made. Human Resources Technology Technology according to ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANICA (2010) is  the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life or, as it is sometimes phrased, to the change and manipulation of the human environment. The past decade has seen the introduction, application, and merging of technology in the workforce or as some may label it the information revolution. The information revolution has changed the whole work environment. Most of the tasks are computerized and companies rely heavily on their computer systems. The Human resource department was not immune to such a revolution, the adaptation of technology in HR lead to the birth of E-Human Resources. E- Human Resources ENTREPRENEUR (2010) defines Human Resources as The department or support systems responsible for personnel sourcing and hiring, applicant tracking, skills development and tracking, benefits administration and compliance with associated government regulations. The Human Resources department is the hub of the company. It acts like an advocate for both the company and the employees and is responsible for the employees well-being, benefits, payroll, hiring, team building, coaching, recruitment and selectionetc. E-Human Resources on the other hand refers to the application of technology like the internet in the transactions of the human resources department. (Lengnick-Hall and Moritz, 2003). E-HR aims at running the operations of the HR department smoothly and efficiently, by keeping all necessary information readily available to all managers and employees when needed. E- Human Resources Systems The mixture of the vast growing information technology and the need for continual improvement of work efficiency was among the major drivers for the development of the E-Human Resources systems. (Stanton and Coovert, 2004; Fletcher, 2005). In other words E-HR systems are a merger between HR activities and information technology. Human Resources systems are created by vendors like Oracle and Ascentis, they usually include four modules: Payroll module, Time and Labor Management module, Benefits Administration module, and finally the HR management module. The Payroll module manages and controls all employees salaries and payrolls, while the Time and Labor management modules control attendance, absences issues. Benefit Administration model deals with employees benefits and entitlements. While the HR management module helps in the selection and recruitment process, more on this module will be explained later. Moreover, E-HR systems also include enterprise resource planning system (ERP), HR service centres, interactive voice response, manager and employee portals and web applications. (Panayotopoulou,Vakola and Galanaki 2007). Enterprise resource planning system is used to manage financial, materials and human resources both internally and externally. Overall, HR systems cater for the different needs of the HR department and helps automate many aspects of human resourcing. Recruitment and Selection Every business, enterprise and organization goes through the recruitment and selection process. It is the most important aspect of the human resource management department, as it provides the organization with the essential resources needed for its operations the human capital (Barber, 1998). Recruitment is defined as the activities an organization undertakes in order to identify and attract potential employees (Breaugh and Starke, 2000). Selection is what comes after recruitment of choosing the best candidate for the job out of all the applicants. The recruitment and selection process Getting the recruitment and selection process wrong is not an option for recruiters, the wrong person for the job will not only affect the companys productivity but it will also result in business losses (book reference). That is why most companies follow a somewhat standardized recruitment and selection process, shown in the figure below. Recruitment Organizations mold their recruitment processes or strategies according to the job they want to occupy. In order to attract the right candidates, HR professionals advertise in a certain way, seek professionals or graduates, contact agencies or use the Internet. Recruitment tools In a study by Bernthal and Development Dimensions International, data was collected from members of the Electronic Recruiting Exchange. Among the survey questions was a question about the recruitment strategy and its effectiveness. The findings of the study show that the internet is the most popular and most effective recruitment method while employee referrals came second. This shows that although the internet is new and more effective, it did not replace the traditional recruitment methods. Figure showing Berthals results: Taken from Recruitment Selection paper by Barthal and Development Dimensions International Online Recruitment The internet was not acknowledged as a recruitment tool until the mid 1990s. With the benefits it brought to recruiters, the media described it as the driver behind a recruiting revolution (Boydell, 2002). Many companies now have a new position in the HR department; Online recruiter. Online recruitment is growing rapidly; both recruiters and job seekers around the world use it. It can be defined as the use of the internet to match job seekers with appropriate jobs. In other terms, using the internet to attract potential employees. Studies were carried out to understand and quantify how much recruitment exactly is done online. These studies include: a study by total jobs 2004 that shows that two thirds of the organizations in the UK use job boards. While HR focus (2001) indicated that more than 75% of HR professionals use job boards in addition to the traditional recruitment methods. In the USA, Cober and Brown (2006) found out that 50% of the recruitments were carried online and this figure is expected to increase. Moreover, a study by Capelli (2001) stated that 90% of the Fortune 500 use online recruiting. A poll carried out by The Recruiters Network (website) showed that 45% of the companies filled 20% or more of their positions through online recruitment (Charles 2000). The most effective and popular online recruitment methods are: Talent Management Systems The HR management module mentioned previously pursues talent management. Talent management is the process of attracting and hiring skilled employees, or retaining current employees while helping them work on their own talents. Talent Management systems perform the following tasks: analyze the use of personnel within the company, post job vacancies online, review applicants credentials, track demographic data of candidates, store information, automatically communicate and provide information to applicants and many more, depending on the company. Thus talent management systems are used in the recruitment process. Advertising on the companys site The first, cheapest step a company can take to recruit people is to advertise about the job offer on its on website. In a study by Bartam (2000) figures showed 88% of companies recruiting 50 or more graduates per year advertise on their own website. Advertising on the companys website slashes advertisement costs in newspapers, magazines, and recruitment agenciesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. the internet is global medium, thus making it very much easier to spread the word, while being much more cost effective. The company can also use Google ads as a way to advertise for job vacancies within the organization. Job Boards Job boards are recruitment websites that match recruiters with the most appropriate applicants (also called job hunters) through advertisements and job postings. There are plenty of job boards on the world wide web; the most popular include Monster, CareerBuilder and HotJobs.com. Since these websites are similar and offer the same service, monster.com will be used as an example in order to evaluate and understand job boards. Monster.com Monster.com is a global online recruitment website. Its network consists of 22 local content and language sites. The traffic on the website is estimated to be over 25 million job seeking users and over 100,000 member companies. Its rà ©sumà © database contains more than 17 million rà ©sumà ©s. Two separate studies by Gutmacher (2000) and Leonard (2000) both confirmed that the emergence of monster.com and rà ©sumà © as frequent search words indicates the influence of job boards (monster.com) on web job searching or in other words online recruitment. According to monster.coms employment index, the month of September 2010 showed a 131 employment index the highest so far. More interestingly, Wales showed the highest employment in the UK region. From the figures and information above, it is safe to conclude that job boards are doing well and play a vital role in online recruitment. However, a significant number of job seekers continue to search in general search engines (reference) while other studies highlighted the role of social media websites play in job recruitment. Social media websites The past decade has seen the rise of social media websites. It is now not enough to post your resume on a job board. Social recruitment is now beginning to over shadow the use of job boards and other traditional recruitment methods at some companies (Levinson 2010). Moreover, recruiters are spammed with hundreds of applications of unqualified personnel when posting on big job boards which forces them to look for qualified applicants elsewhere. Findings from a survey conducted by Jobvite (a recruitment software maker) showed that 73.3% of the companies use social networks for recruitment, while 9.3% are planning to begin next year. Another finding shows that LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are among the most popular social media networks used by companies for recruitment. LinkedIn LinkedIn is a professional network, which includes contacts and relationships developed over the years.. LinkedIn provides its users with the means of establishing an authoritative resource on their experience and capabilities, thus making users more attractive to recruiters. Currently LinkedIn consists of more than 80 million members from over 200 countries. LinkedIn from recruiters perspective is a place that provides access to different kinds of reliable qualified talents. The main reason that companies are using LinkedIn is to find passive job candidates. Another reason why companies are using LinkedIn, is because referrals from their employees are highly valued because they typically have a higher success rate (hence the popular employee referral bonuses). LinkedIn helps companies leverage the networks of their employees. Kay Luo, Director of corporate communication at LinkedIn. Hundred of companies use LinkedIn and LinkedIn corporate solutions to post jobs and source candidates for recruitment. The question is: How does LinkedIn work? For example, person x creates a profile, uploads a picture and writes down his skills, capabilities and experiences. A company searching for an employee or a recruitment agency working for that company searches the databases available at LinkedIn, finds person x who has the skills required for the job. The company then looks at his information and if person x is the right person for the job, they contact him. LinkedIn is growing rapidly to the extent to which it is almost unprofessional not to have a LinkedIn profile. Considering that executives and employees from the all the fortune 500 companies have LinkedIn profiles. Facebook Facebook is ranked 2nd among social media sites used for recruitment purposes. It is a social networking site that connects people with their friends, co-workers, family members, and others. Chris Russel, founder of jobsinpods.com thinks that: Facebook is a talent goldmine. Its filled with millions of passive candidates that employers covet. Looking at Facebooks demographics, it has more than 200 million active users. Success recruitment stories, like the Ernest Young Facebook group means: if Facebook is utilized correctly, recruiters can access and select from a wide spread of talented candidates. They key to Facebook recruitment is to create relationships with potential employees in order to make yourself their employer of choice (Facebook Recruitment Tips, 2008) The figure below illustrates how facebook can be used: Selection The selection process is not easy. An executive interviewed by Forrester explained the selection process: We have to sift through lots of resumes, like kissing frogs before you find the prince (Lawrence 1999) Hundreds of applicants apply for the job, companies then have to filter out the suitable ones and filter them even more to find the right person for the job. Technology has made the selection process easier, nowadays there are numerous methods used by companies in order to test applicants. Some of these methods are: Applications Database Applications Database also known as resume database are computer softwares used to keep track of applications. Applications are sent to the database where they are stored, a query containing any keyword the company desires is run to find applicants with the required specifications. This helps in narrowing down the applicants to the most suitable ones. These programs also enable companies to send template emails and set up interviews without the need to manually do it, thus proving to be cost and time efficient. Online testing and assessment Psychometric tests are used to measure the applicants capabilities. It gives the employer an insight into whether the applicant can work well with a group and his ability to handle stress and meet intellectual demands of the job. These tests are usually divided into: Aptitude tests There are several types of aptitude tests as shown in the figure below. The type of test the applicant has to sit through depends on the job he/she is applying for. Taken from psychometric-success.com Aptitude tests measure the abilities of applicants in the area the job requires the most. Personality tests Personality tests include questions about behavior, feelings and thoughts. They are used to analyze the applicants characteristics in order to find out if the applicant has the right characteristics to help him fit into the organization, whether its motivation, discipline, enthusiasmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. Psychometrics tests are usually presented in multiple-choice formats. The applicant answers directly into the computer or an electronic device. The results are calculated straight away and compared with the results of a control group. Internet Interviews Interviews are an essential part of the selection process. It gives both the employer and the employee a chance to get to know each other and have a face to face conversation. Based on the interview the employer can decide whether the applicant is suitable or not. There are different types of interviews: screening, selection, group, stress, panel, and most recently internet or online interviews. Online interviews are conducted over the internet using video conferencing, it is like a normal interview, except the interviewee is not in the same place as the interviewer geographically. Online interviews give the employer the chance of conducting the interview without baring the cost of the applicants transportation and the time spent traveling; this is very effective in interviewing people from overseas. Reference checks When selecting a potential employee, companies check the employees background for criminal, medical, credit records and job references (subjected to the presence of the search and access permission). Reference checks are commonly done over the telephone and by email. There are also websites offering to conduct employment reference checks for employment like credit-check-services.co.uk. It claims to verify the employees identity; address; criminal record history; employment history; qualifications and more. Automated reference checks make accessing background information quick and easy. The problem with reference checks is permission and privacy issue; applicants must allow the company to do these checks. Assessment centers With the help of computers and the internet, it is possible to create multi user exercises like business simulations. The users of this exercise dont need to be in the same place to take part. The exercise can be customized in order to include the tasks the employer wants to evaluate the applicants in. The exercise is closely monitored and from it the employer can tell which user is doing a better job and who is having a tough time coping. It is to be noted, that one selection method doesnt replace the other. Different methods have to be applied in order to filter the hundred of applicants to the suitable one. Advantage Disadvantages of E- Recruitment Selection There are two sides to everything. The introduction of technology to recruitment selection might be the best thing that happened to HR, but it also has its setbacks. On one hand, the introduction of technology: Enabled companies to identify a virtually unlimited number of job seekers. Reached people at a global level while traditional methods can only grasp the local job market. (Chaskelson, 2000), (Ganalaki, 2002) Reduced Advertising costs, posting a job vacancy on a companys website or a job board costs less than posting it on newspapers. Reduced the time taken in recruitment; it reduced the time taken to post the job vacancy and resumes can be received on the same day. Technology also speeded up the recruitment process by automating some HR tasks. Provided a wider talent market for companies to choose from. iLogos research 1998 shows that the Internet provides better quality applicants as they tend to be better-educated and more computer literate than non-users. Provides 24/7 access to resumes and applicants can send their resumes at any time. Facilitated the use of databases, internet testing, assessment centers which help in the selection process. On the other hand, the advantages of technology are also its dangers. Due to the ease of looking for job posts and applying online, millions of rà ©sumà ©s are sent which makes the screening process hard and time consuming. The presence of internet testing makes it easy for anyone to create a test and post. Loss of human interaction. A study by Arkin and Crabb (1999) shows that executive job applicants still prefer personal contact to internet contact. It cant replace the traditional recruitment and selection methods. Seminerio (2001) stated many companies might still continue to use traditional recruitment services for hiring executive staff employees. The use of internet could discriminate against non internet users or those who are not good with computers. There are also some legal issues with e-recruitment and selection. For example, manipulation could occur in the use of internet tests the person applying may be different from the person taking the test. Overall, the advantages of e-recruitment outweigh its disadvantages. Conclusion To sum it all up, this essay has discussed and evaluated the use of technology in recruitment selection. Online recruitment has been identified as the most efficient recruitment method, it branches into: Talent Management Systems, Advertising on the companys website, job boards and social media network. There are some privacy and discrimination issues with online recruitment, but it does more good than harm. The use of technology in selection helped automate and make easy the different selection methods. It also introduced new ways of doing the methods like: online interviews, keeping an application database, online assessment centers and internet tests. I will end this essay by stating E-recruitment selection is here to stay and evolve the world into a much more advanced place of recruiting, which can potentially curb down global unemployment rates.