Human Resources (HR) in the Age of Technology: An Examination of the Relationship Between HR and Technology

Technology helps the Human Resources (HR) department drive for strategic relevance. These two departments are successfully collaborating on major projects in such business-critical areas as e-recruiting, self-service, training, compensation and talent management. Technology is critical in helping increase efficiency, increase attraction and retention, reduce administration and cut costs. In recent years, HR information systems (HRIS) have become more important than ever, this time as an essential part of a company's information security and knowledge fields. Ill-suited benefits and disorganized resources are history; now is the time for customized, dynamic plans and connected systems. Employees will appreciate the HRIS, business will benefit from the HRIS and the HR department will no longer have to be the ugly duckling of the company.

North Korea's Nuclear Weapon Program : A Critical Analysis

North Korea's regime has one goal, to guarantee its survival. To accomplish that goal it desired the U.S. to maintain a strong presence on the Korean Peninsula to act as an international deterrent against possible foreign occupation of its nation. The DPRK encouraged the U.S. by signing the 1994 Agreed Framework, a formal commitment between the two countries that froze North Korea's nuclear programs in exchange for U.S. energy aid. In 2002 the Bush Administration did not honour its commitment and blamed North Korea for the Agreed Framework's collapse. North Korea retaliated by choosing to become a nuclear nation, an action guaranteed to insure a constant U.S. presence on the Korean Peninsula.

Kids Alive! Support for Children of Parents with Cancer: An Exemplar Program for Children of Parents with Cancer

Cancer in a parent or caregiver is an event that affects the whole family. The roles and responsibilities of the diagnosed parent, as well as those of each family member, are affected at the time of diagnosis and throughout the progression of the illness. According to the American Cancer Society, there will be an estimated 1,665,540 new cancer cases diagnosed and 585,720 cancer deaths in 2014. This staggering statistic means there are a number of cancer diagnoses that will directly affect thousands of parents and their children. Past research suggests this upheaval in the system is particularly stressful on children and can lead to a number of responses including anxiety, depression, distress, and other negative reactions. Despite the large number of parents and caregivers diagnosed with cancer in the United States each year, there are relatively few support groups aimed at supporting children affected by parental cancer. Support groups provide opportunities to serve this population in a number of advantageous ways by providing safety, support, and a sense of community. Additionally, support groups allow this population of young people to express their fears and worries, connect to others going through similar circumstances, and explore their parent's diagnosis in a context that is helpful and developmentally appropriate. Past research has found that children who do not receive support during this life-changing event can be negatively affected throughout the life span. On the other hand, this event can be a time to build a child's resilience and provide the structure through which they may thrive in adversity. Support groups offer the opportunity to address this difficult event and lead to positive results. Kids Alive! is one such group that has been proactive in support for children of parents diagnosed with cancer since 1995. Kids Alive!, a support group that runs out of Porter Hospital in Denver Colorado, uses Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey to structure monthly groups. The Hero's Journey, described in Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), focuses on a set pattern that all heroes must go through during their journey towards an ultimate victory and self-discovery. Kids Alive! incorporates this journey into a curriculum aimed at helping children explore their thoughts and feelings around their parent's cancer and leads to a realization that they are not alone on this journey. Over the course of eight months, children in Kids Alive! receive support and solidarity that leads to life-changing experiences and an understanding of what a diagnosis of cancer in a parent can mean. Kids Alive! consists of professionals and volunteers who take time to recognize and support this underserved population. The program has led to positive outcomes for nearly two decades and consistently increases the numbers of children and families served. The purpose of this paper is to describe the Kids Alive! program as an exemplar program that addresses these problems by utilizing protective factors research has found in this population. Further, this paper will discuss areas of future research while providing the model of an effective program aimed at serving an important population. Additionally, the model of Kids Alive! will be described through this paper in a way that allows for other oncology settings to consider this relatively simple program that provides consistently positive results.

Do Methods Matter In Global Leadership Development? A Mixed-Methods Study Of A U.s.-Based International Mba Program

As world communication, technology, and trade become increasingly integrated through globalization, multinational corporations seek employees with global leadership experience and skills. However, the demand for these skills currently outweighs the supply. Given the rarity of globally ready leaders, global competency development should be emphasized in higher education programs. The reality, however, is that university graduate programs are often outdated and focus mostly on cognitive learning. Global leadership competence requires moving beyond the cognitive domain of learning to create socially responsible and culturally connected global leaders. This requires attention to development methods; however, limited research in global leadership development methods has been conducted. A new conceptual model, the global leadership development ecosystem, was introduced in this study to guide the design and evaluation of global leadership development programs. It was based on three theories of learning and was divided into four development methodologies. This study quantitatively tested the model and used it as a framework for an in-depth examination of the design of one International MBA program. The program was first benchmarked, by means of a qualitative best practices analysis, against the top-ranking IMBA programs in the world. Qualitative data from students, faculty, administrators, and staff was then examined, using descriptive and focused data coding. Quantitative data analysis, using PASW Statistics software, and a hierarchical regression, showed the individual effect of each of the four development methods, as well as their combined effect, on student scores on a global leadership assessment. The analysis revealed that each methodology played a distinct and important role in developing different competencies of global leadership. It also confirmed the critical link between self-efficacy and global leadership development.

The Creation of a Legal Ordinance and Program Manual for the Purpose of Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination

Illegal dumping and improper disposal of pollutants in urban areas can contribute significant pollutant loads to the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) and natural environments. Illicit discharges to the MS4 can pose a significant risk to human and environmental health. The Clean Water Act requires that municipalities implement a legal mechanism and plan to detect and eliminate illicit discharges to the MS4. The methodology for program creation included the analysis of other municipal illicit discharge programs, review of state and federal guidance publications, and the review of illicit discharge case-studies. This paper describes a systematic approach applied to the creation and implementation of a legal ordinance and program manual designed for the purpose of illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE).

Sustainability in the Upper Colorado River Basin: A Struggle Between Water Resource Use and Remnants of the Natural Ecosystem

This study evaluated whether development of the Colorado River system has exceeded sustainability by comparing the trends in water use in the Colorado River. Two sustainable areas were identified in the upper basin and one in the lower-- the mainstream Colorado River, Green and Yampa rivers, and the Little Colorado River. These areas are also high priority recovery areas for four endangered fishes and protected by critical habitat provisions of the ESA. Unfortunately, the endangered fishes are declining because of habitat destruction and non-native species. If increasing water demand causes the fishes to go extinct the few sustainable areas will be lost. It will take careful management of the endangered fishes and water users to ensure these areas are maintained.