Infrared thermal imaging is a rapid and non-invasive procedure for mapping skin-temperature distribution of the human body. Advanced software and high-resolution infrared detectors has allowed for a renaissance in the use of infrared thermal imaging or thermography in medical research and practice. After a review of theory, technology and methodology of medical infrared imaging, the remainder of the book consists of a collection of clinical case studies demonstrating the wide variety of applications of thermography in modern medicine. The combined expertise from a number of centres is used to create this database of images and cases that will be invaluable for medical researchers and practitioners in making diagnoses and measuring treatment efficacy. This book is recommended reading for practising and training radiographers, medical physicists and clinicians.

Essay from the year 2013 in the subject Business economics - Economic and Social History, grade: 84, University of Hertfordshire, course: Organisational Behaviour. Theory and Practice, language: English, abstract: In today's competitive environment improving efficiency and elevating organisationalperformance is critically important to remain competitive in the global marketplace. Inthe late nineteenth century Frederick W. Taylor developed one of the earliestconceptions of management in order to maximise firm productivity. He argued thatperformance can only be improved by the application of scientific practices andestablished his principles of scientific management (Taylor, 1998). However, due tothe Human Relations movement in the 1930s which emphasised the impact of the socialcontext of the workplace on firm productivity, Taylor s theory of scientificmanagement became obsolete (Legge, 2005; Thompson & McHugh, 2009). Conversely, many researchers believe that Taylorism is revived and argue thatTayloristic ideologies are still dominant in workplaces today (Bain et al., 2002; Bell &Martin, 2012; Braverman, 1998). More importantly, the continuing relevance ofTayloristic methods in organising work is no longer restricted to the traditionalmanufacturing industry, but can also be found to a greater degree in the rapidly growingservice industry (Braverman, 1998; Crowley et al., 2010). In this context, most notablythe nature of work processes in telephone call centres (Taylor et al., 2002; Zapf et al.,2003) and the fast food industry (Ritzer, 1996 & 1998) has aroused a great deal ofattention. For instance, a BBC News article raises the question Are call centres thefactories of the 21st Century? (Hudson, 2011) and thus underpins the controversialdebate about the working conditions in call centres. Accordingly, it is worthwhile toscrutinise this argument in more detail. With that said, the objective of this essay is tocritically appraise the statement Tayloristic work practices are a thing of the past inthe context of the growth of the services organisations. First, in order to set the scene forthe examination of this proposition, the concept of Taylorism will be outlined. Afterthat, by means of primarily call centre organisations, and fast food restaurants,occurrence of Tayloristic work practices in the service sector will be investigated. Finally, based on these expositions, the main findings will be summarised andevaluated. [...]

Essay from the year 2014 in the subject Leadership and Human Resources - Miscellaneous, grade: 73 (outstanding), University of Hertfordshire, course: Leadership and Management Development, language: English, abstract: Anglo-French Wines Direct (AFW), a large multinational company based in UK, establisheda High Flyers Programme four years ago in order to develop middle and senior managers ofthe future to enable the achievement of its global growth objectives. The aim was to sendthem to one of the international subsidiaries for two years and bring them back for a moresenior position in the UK. However, the new Global HR Director of AFW has discoveredseveral problems associated with this leadership programme. More precisely, she identifiedthe following three types of assignment failure:1. 25 per cent of the expatriates returned home early due to dissatisfaction. 2. Over 35 per cent of the expatriates who remained in post were considered to beunderperforming compared to local management s expectations of them. 3. Around 30 per cent of those who completed their postings, left within a year of theirreturn to England. These outcomes, however, are not attributable to a particular cause but are rather influencedby a variety of factors which will be analysed more closely in this report. Generally speaking,it can be assumed that the reasons for the present difficulties are mainly due to an ineffectivemanagement of the Ideal International Assignment Cycle (see Figure 1) which includes thekey components recruitment and selection, hiring, preparation, expatriation and repatriationand will be elaborated on below: [...]

Essay from the year 2014 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1,3 (76), University of Hertfordshire, course: Managing across cultures, language: English, abstract: Increasing globalisation offers a wide range of opportunities for businesses operating in an international market, and managers are required more than ever before to work with individuals from different countries (Sparrow et al., 2004). However, in order to manage effectively across national borders and to prevent misunderstandings or conflicts, it is imperative for international managers to understand the complex differences between countries and their implications for business. Against this background, it is particularly worthwhile to scrutinise existing research concerned with the current challenges faced by multinational corporations (MNCs) more closely. Accordingly, the aim of the present essay is to critically evaluate the research paper "e;Managing talent across national borders: the challenges faced by an international retail group"e; by Mehdi Boussebaa and Glenn Morgan (2008) and to provide implications for theory and practice in cross-cultural management. First of all, to set the stage for the article analysis, a brief overview of the paper will be provided. Subsequently, theoretical frameworks used in the article will be presented and evaluated. This is followed by a critical evaluation of the appropriateness of the chosen study design and methodology for the research questions posed by the authors. Further, the findings and conclusions of the undertaken study will be outlined and discussed, and afterwards, based on the critical analysis of the paper in the previous sections, the implications for individuals involved in cross-cultural management will be presented. Finally, the essay will conclude that the reviewed research paper, despite some flaws, is an interesting piece of work that makes a contribution to the existing research on international management.

Seminar paper from the year 2014 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1.7 (73), University of Hertfordshire, course: Leadership and Management Development, language: English, abstract: Anglo-French Wines Direct (AFW), a multinational company based in the UK, established a High Flyers Programme four years ago to develop future leaders to enable to achieve itsglobal growth objectives. The aim was to send them to one of the international subsidiariesfor two years and bring them back for a more senior position. However, the new HR Directorof AFW has discovered the following problems within this programme:1. 25 percent of the expatriates returned home early due to dissatisfaction. 2. Over 35 percent of the expatriates were considered to be underperforming on theassignment. 3. Around 30 percent expatriates left within a year of their return to England. In order to achieve its business objectives, it is essential that AFW turns round this failingprogramme into a leading-edge leadership programme. Particularly since AFW is a largecompany and plans to expand its business further, it is according to Burgoyne (1988, cited inGold et al., 2010) vital that the programme has a high level of maturity, i.e. complexity andstructure, enabling to meet the organisational needs and objectives. Thus, AFW needs to takea strategic and integrative approach and manage each stage of the International AssignmentCycle (See Appendix 1), i.e. recruitment and selection, hiring, preparation, expatriation andrepatriation, effectively. Accordingly, this report aims to present a mix of solutions regardingeach stage and provide recommendations for evaluating the new programme to ensure itseffectiveness.

Essay from the year 2014 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: 1,0, University of Hertfordshire, course: Remuneration Strategy and Theory, language: English, abstract: The present report aims to outline the reward strategy and policy for Unilever's new businessdivision, i.e. a store in central London for Unilever s largest Personal Care brand Dove. Thereward strategy and policy are designed to motivate the Dove House employees to provide anexcellent service to our customers and hence to ensure a successful establishment of thisunique store concept. If this aim will be achieved, further stores in the UK and other countrieswill be considered. Accordingly, an effective reward management system, which is aligned both with the overallbusiness strategy and other HR practices, is vital to ensure the engagement, commitment andhigh levels of performance of all our employees and will be proposed in this report.

Seminar paper from the year 2014 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1.3 (78), University of Hertfordshire, course: Strategic HRM, language: English, abstract: This report, written from the place of a senior HR employee, considers the formulation and implementation of the HR Strategy at CountryLove, an organic muesli manufacturing company in the UK. In the first part, an analysis of the operating market will be carried out. In the second chapter CountryLove's business strategy will be reviewed and as a last point, CountryLove's approach to HR Strategy will be outlined. The HR Strategy sets out CountryLove's plans how the key HR areas resourcing, development, reward and employee retention will contribute to the success of the business and support the achievement of its business strategy.

Infrared thermal imaging is a rapid and non-invasive procedure for mapping skin-temperature distribution of the human body. Advanced software and high-resolution infrared detectors has allowed for a renaissance in the use of infrared thermal imaging or thermography in medical research and practice. After a review of theory, technology and methodology of medical infrared imaging, the remainder of the book consists of a collection of clinical case studies demonstrating the wide variety of applications of thermography in modern medicine. The combined expertise from a number of centres is used to create this database of images and cases that will be invaluable for medical researchers and practitioners in making diagnoses and measuring treatment efficacy. This book is recommended reading for practising and training radiographers, medical physicists and clinicians.

Essay from the year 2013 in the subject Business economics - Economic and Social History, grade: 84, University of Hertfordshire, course: Organisational Behaviour. Theory and Practice, language: English, abstract: In today's competitive environment improving efficiency and elevating organisationalperformance is critically important to remain competitive in the global marketplace. Inthe late nineteenth century Frederick W. Taylor developed one of the earliestconceptions of management in order to maximise firm productivity. He argued thatperformance can only be improved by the application of scientific practices andestablished his principles of scientific management (Taylor, 1998). However, due tothe Human Relations movement in the 1930s which emphasised the impact of the socialcontext of the workplace on firm productivity, Taylor s theory of scientificmanagement became obsolete (Legge, 2005; Thompson & McHugh, 2009). Conversely, many researchers believe that Taylorism is revived and argue thatTayloristic ideologies are still dominant in workplaces today (Bain et al., 2002; Bell &Martin, 2012; Braverman, 1998). More importantly, the continuing relevance ofTayloristic methods in organising work is no longer restricted to the traditionalmanufacturing industry, but can also be found to a greater degree in the rapidly growingservice industry (Braverman, 1998; Crowley et al., 2010). In this context, most notablythe nature of work processes in telephone call centres (Taylor et al., 2002; Zapf et al.,2003) and the fast food industry (Ritzer, 1996 & 1998) has aroused a great deal ofattention. For instance, a BBC News article raises the question Are call centres thefactories of the 21st Century? (Hudson, 2011) and thus underpins the controversialdebate about the working conditions in call centres. Accordingly, it is worthwhile toscrutinise this argument in more detail. With that said, the objective of this essay is tocritically appraise the statement Tayloristic work practices are a thing of the past inthe context of the growth of the services organisations. First, in order to set the scene forthe examination of this proposition, the concept of Taylorism will be outlined. Afterthat, by means of primarily call centre organisations, and fast food restaurants,occurrence of Tayloristic work practices in the service sector will be investigated. Finally, based on these expositions, the main findings will be summarised andevaluated. [...]

Essay from the year 2014 in the subject Leadership and Human Resources - Miscellaneous, grade: 73 (outstanding), University of Hertfordshire, course: Leadership and Management Development, language: English, abstract: Anglo-French Wines Direct (AFW), a large multinational company based in UK, establisheda High Flyers Programme four years ago in order to develop middle and senior managers ofthe future to enable the achievement of its global growth objectives. The aim was to sendthem to one of the international subsidiaries for two years and bring them back for a moresenior position in the UK. However, the new Global HR Director of AFW has discoveredseveral problems associated with this leadership programme. More precisely, she identifiedthe following three types of assignment failure:1. 25 per cent of the expatriates returned home early due to dissatisfaction. 2. Over 35 per cent of the expatriates who remained in post were considered to beunderperforming compared to local management s expectations of them. 3. Around 30 per cent of those who completed their postings, left within a year of theirreturn to England. These outcomes, however, are not attributable to a particular cause but are rather influencedby a variety of factors which will be analysed more closely in this report. Generally speaking,it can be assumed that the reasons for the present difficulties are mainly due to an ineffectivemanagement of the Ideal International Assignment Cycle (see Figure 1) which includes thekey components recruitment and selection, hiring, preparation, expatriation and repatriationand will be elaborated on below: [...]

Essay from the year 2014 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1,3 (76), University of Hertfordshire, course: Managing across cultures, language: English, abstract: Increasing globalisation offers a wide range of opportunities for businesses operating in an international market, and managers are required more than ever before to work with individuals from different countries (Sparrow et al., 2004). However, in order to manage effectively across national borders and to prevent misunderstandings or conflicts, it is imperative for international managers to understand the complex differences between countries and their implications for business. Against this background, it is particularly worthwhile to scrutinise existing research concerned with the current challenges faced by multinational corporations (MNCs) more closely. Accordingly, the aim of the present essay is to critically evaluate the research paper "e;Managing talent across national borders: the challenges faced by an international retail group"e; by Mehdi Boussebaa and Glenn Morgan (2008) and to provide implications for theory and practice in cross-cultural management. First of all, to set the stage for the article analysis, a brief overview of the paper will be provided. Subsequently, theoretical frameworks used in the article will be presented and evaluated. This is followed by a critical evaluation of the appropriateness of the chosen study design and methodology for the research questions posed by the authors. Further, the findings and conclusions of the undertaken study will be outlined and discussed, and afterwards, based on the critical analysis of the paper in the previous sections, the implications for individuals involved in cross-cultural management will be presented. Finally, the essay will conclude that the reviewed research paper, despite some flaws, is an interesting piece of work that makes a contribution to the existing research on international management.

Seminar paper from the year 2014 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1.7 (73), University of Hertfordshire, course: Leadership and Management Development, language: English, abstract: Anglo-French Wines Direct (AFW), a multinational company based in the UK, established a High Flyers Programme four years ago to develop future leaders to enable to achieve itsglobal growth objectives. The aim was to send them to one of the international subsidiariesfor two years and bring them back for a more senior position. However, the new HR Directorof AFW has discovered the following problems within this programme:1. 25 percent of the expatriates returned home early due to dissatisfaction. 2. Over 35 percent of the expatriates were considered to be underperforming on theassignment. 3. Around 30 percent expatriates left within a year of their return to England. In order to achieve its business objectives, it is essential that AFW turns round this failingprogramme into a leading-edge leadership programme. Particularly since AFW is a largecompany and plans to expand its business further, it is according to Burgoyne (1988, cited inGold et al., 2010) vital that the programme has a high level of maturity, i.e. complexity andstructure, enabling to meet the organisational needs and objectives. Thus, AFW needs to takea strategic and integrative approach and manage each stage of the International AssignmentCycle (See Appendix 1), i.e. recruitment and selection, hiring, preparation, expatriation andrepatriation, effectively. Accordingly, this report aims to present a mix of solutions regardingeach stage and provide recommendations for evaluating the new programme to ensure itseffectiveness.

Essay from the year 2014 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: 1,0, University of Hertfordshire, course: Remuneration Strategy and Theory, language: English, abstract: The present report aims to outline the reward strategy and policy for Unilever's new businessdivision, i.e. a store in central London for Unilever s largest Personal Care brand Dove. Thereward strategy and policy are designed to motivate the Dove House employees to provide anexcellent service to our customers and hence to ensure a successful establishment of thisunique store concept. If this aim will be achieved, further stores in the UK and other countrieswill be considered. Accordingly, an effective reward management system, which is aligned both with the overallbusiness strategy and other HR practices, is vital to ensure the engagement, commitment andhigh levels of performance of all our employees and will be proposed in this report.

Seminar paper from the year 2014 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1.3 (78), University of Hertfordshire, course: Strategic HRM, language: English, abstract: This report, written from the place of a senior HR employee, considers the formulation and implementation of the HR Strategy at CountryLove, an organic muesli manufacturing company in the UK. In the first part, an analysis of the operating market will be carried out. In the second chapter CountryLove's business strategy will be reviewed and as a last point, CountryLove's approach to HR Strategy will be outlined. The HR Strategy sets out CountryLove's plans how the key HR areas resourcing, development, reward and employee retention will contribute to the success of the business and support the achievement of its business strategy.