Potential Strategic Problems Facing Human Resource Managers (HRM) Assignment - 1

Potential Strategic Problems Facing Human Resource Managers (HRM) Operating in Multi-National Companies (MNC) - Assignment Example The researcher states that multi-national companies are often located in other international countries apart from the parent country in which it was originally founded.   These multinational companies specialize in the production of a variety of goods or services that are distributed to their other branches in other countries. In addition, there are also those companies that deal with the provision of services that are also spread out in a number of countries all over the world. These include companies engaged in the finance and property investment sector. Banks are often located in various locations all over the world such as Barclays which has its parent country in the United Kingdom but has got branches all over the world. These multinational companies have got high annual sales likely to surpass the economic output of some medium-sized countries. This is realized in the example of General Motors and Shell which have got annual sales higher than the economic output of countries like South Africa and Nigeria. There are about 63,000 multinational companies currently in operation in various locations in the world. These companies contribute to about two-thirds of the global trading activities injecting 80 percent of the investment currently circulating in the money market. Multinational companies enjoy a variety of benefits while operating in other host countries. These include physical proximity to markets whereby they are exposed to larger markets owing to their local and international presence. They also receive host country incentives that are aimed at increasing investment in these countries hence internationalizing production of their products and services. There are numerous challenges that HRM faces when managing members of staff in an organization. Human beings, owing to their cultural, social, political and economic diversity have presented challenges not only to HRM but also among themselves as they seek to interact. The situation is thus made more complex by the relatively higher staffing requirements of MNC. However, such multinational companies pose significant challenges to the human resource managers (HRM) resulting to the complex structures involved in the development of multinational companies (MNC).

How to use a Wood Material in Computer Hard Disc Drives Case Study

How to use a Wood Material in Computer Hard Disc Drives - Case Study Example A hard disk drive is made up of aluminum and a mixture of other non-biodegradable materials. These two components are expensive; hence, it is essential to come up with new, cheap and easily available materials to be used as alternatives in the manufacture of hard disks. This will result in a decline in the cost of producing and installing the hard disks. Wood is a cheap and readily available product that can be used in the manufacture of hard disks. The use of wood materials will allow for the production of affordable hard disk drives, as well as increase the efficiency of hard drives. This report will demonstrate how wood can be used as an alternative material in the manufacture of effective and efficient hard disks. To start with, the report will discuss the main components of a hard drive, the function and choice of material of each part. II. Breakdown of the Main Parts of the Hard Disk and the Function of Each Part The computer hard drive is made up of several components with dif ferent functions, as discussed below. These internal components are very sensitive to dirt and dust and, therefore, hard drives should never be opened (Born, 1997). The following figure shows the major components of a hard disk. Figure 1: Components of a hard drive 1. Cover It is also known as the drive casing and it is rectangular box that holds and covers all the internal components of the hard drive (Born, 1997). ... The speed of rotation increases with the increase in file size and speed of transfer (Braun, 2009). 3. Platters They are located at the centre of the disk and are used to store the computer data. The number of platters in a disk may vary depending on the capacity of the disk. They are made from a non-magnetic material, mostly aluminum alloy, ceramic or glass (Hdd-tool, 2010). Aluminum alloy was initially used but today the desire for higher density has resulted in the use of glass platters. Glass platters are also preferred since they are more stable thermally and offer greater rigidity (Born, 1997). All platters are coated with a layer of a magnetic material and an outer layer of Carbon for protection purposes. The platters are rotated by the spindle at a certain speed resulting in creation of air pressure that is responsible for lifting the read and write heads of the platters. In the event of more than one platter on a single drive, the distance between the platters is usually ver y precise. Data on the drive may be lost forever if the platters gets misaligned (Born, 1997). 4. Read and Write Heads They are also known as heads and they read and write magnetic information to and from the platter. The heads read data more efficiently the more close they are to the platter. However, a close-mounted head may have contact with the platter and this may damage the disk and the information stored in it (IBM, 2000). 5. Actuator Arms They move the read and write heads to the suitable area of the platter. The head of the hard disk is mounted on the actuator arm and it moves it in order to read and write data correctly (Lamberton, 2007). It also helps in keeping the head at an optimal distance from the platter so as to protect the disk as well as preserve its speed and