Political and economic developments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political and economic developments - Essay Example The American political scene has for a long time been dominated by two major political parties despite the constitution allowing the existence of as many parties as the citizens would deem fit. These two parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. These two parties differ in policies and fundamental political ideologies. However, having only two political parties is a show of political maturity. This has contributed to the country’s economic prosperity. With the attainment of independence of most countries, the notion of self rule brought with it the possibilities of the countries liberating their citizenry from poverty and even bad governance. This new system of self governance took a myriad of forms with most of the colonies taking after their colonial masters (Michael & John, 2000). This made early European civilization receive much acknowledgement. Most of these types of governance were based on democracy which is a system that allows the populace the author ity to elect their leaders. According to varying preferences, some countries opted for the presidential system in which the president would be directly elected by the populace. The United States is a classical example of this kind of governance. Others opted for a parliamentarian system in which the elected legislatures elect the president. ... Factors that lead to the creations of these nations differ; these are such basic factors as the size of the country, the population size, the religious beliefs of the populace, and multiple others. These are responsible for the formulation of the laws that the legislators deem relevant. What is of relevance in one region is never relevant tin another. The relativity in legal relevance thus explains the difference in regional legislations. The economic growth of a country is determined by a number of factors. Most of these factors are politically instigated. A country that is politically stable like the United States attracts investors. With investors coming to such demography’s, the implication would imminent economic progress (Hill, 2010). The American currency The dollar is the most traded currency globally. This is a clear show of how strong the country’s economy is. The strong economy is sustained by fundamental economic concepts which suit its economy as well as po pulace. There are deliberate moves made by the American government to sustain its economy and safeguards its interests in the world market. These are highlighted in the proceeding part. The American economy has over the years projected manageable rates of inflation due to sound financial policies. This implies a strong economic prospect for the country. Furthermore, this also ensures that the currency retains a strong presence in the financial markets globally. The second factor that has led to the strong currency is the high interest rates that characterize the country’s banking and lending sector. When interest rates are high, the market becomes attractive to investors who would in turn take part in the investments in the securities such as bonds (Stefan, Christopher & Jochen, 2008). This

Foreign Market Entry Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Foreign Market Entry Strategy - Essay Example In today’s highly competitive and complex environment, the firms pursuing a strategy of international market expansion face with a necessity to make a key strategic decision of the choice of market entry mode. Liang et al. (2009) provide a brief overview of the key types of foreign market entry strategies including the following: export, licensing and franchising, acquisitions, greenfield investments, or joint ventures. These market entry strategies very in terms of key variables, including the share of capital ownership, organizational control level, resource requirements, risk exposure and expected future returns (Liang et al. (2009) explain that foreign market entry strategy depends heavily on the company’s strategic orientation and strategic capabilities. In order to get empirical data, the researchers have carried out a study evaluating a sample of 332 foreign market entries of 62 U.S. companies over a period of 6 years (Liang et al., 2009). The results of the stud y have shown that the firms that competed primarily in terms of innovation (prospectors) preferred to select equity-based foreign market entry mode and compared to the firms that focused on brand positioning as their competitive advantage (defenders). Prospectors also made a choice in favor of full-ownership entry modes such as full acquisition and greenfield investment. This empirical study indicates that the firms which make innovation and know-how their strategic capability are ready to face a risk of information leak.

Government Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Government Systems - Essay Example The parliamentary system as developed and used in Great Britain is more graphically called the Cabinet government. This conveniently describes the fact that the cabinet is usually known as the Government. More completely described, however, the government in this system is composed of the Cabinet, as the executive organ; and the parliament as the legislature. These two bodies do not form separate departments. They are fused together and are dependent upon each other in the performance of the principal governmental functions. The reality of the system is that politics play a dominant role in its actual working. The party leader does not only automatically become the Prime Minister but much legislation happens within the party caucus presided over by the Prime Minister. It is here where debates among the members of the ruling party are common. But once a consensus is developed the result will become the united stand of the majority party in the parliament. So, if there is any debate in Parliament during the discussion of legislative proposals it is only between the ruling Members of Parliament and the Members of the opposition. (Mckay, 291) This Shadow Cabinet or Shadow Minister is the counter part of the government. In debates and during question hour, the Shadow Prime Minister and Ministers are the ones engaged and egged on the Prime Minister and his Ministers. For the Parliamentary System to succeed there must be a strong opposition party. A strong opposition attracts men and women of equal competence, brilliance and expertise. In the event that it wins a majority in the Parliamentary election it is immediately ready to form a government of qualified persons thereby avoiding a lengthy interregnum in the formation and implementation of national policies. For this reason, every opposition party has made it a practice to name their respective ministers even before it smells victory in the polls. These prospective Ministers constitute what is popularly called the Shadow Government which is actually a Government established by the opposition in the Parliament. The question hour is a unique feature of the Parliamentary system. It is an effective tool in scrutinizing proposed measures and past and current acts of the Prime Minister and his Ministers. For all its merits, it is only a useful tool of democracy if there is a well-organized opposition with a Shadow Cabinet, for the questions and the answers are usually between the Prime Minister and his Shadow Cabinet. Among the members of the majority party, their differences are usually and by practice threshed out in a part caucus prior to the session of Parliament. New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy. Although it has no written constitution, the Constitution Act 1986 is the principal formal statement of New Zealand's constitutional structure. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state and is titled Queen of New Zealand under the Royal Titles Act (1953). She is represented by the Governor-General, currently Anand

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 262

Assignment Example Social forces highlight the consumer behavior pattern and demand in the market place. Like if the restaurant is opened in a rural area where the social forces restrict people to go to a restaurant then it would not be beneficial for the business. These forces denote the effectiveness and efficiency of a business. As the external environment introduces new technology or innovation it becomes important for a business to incorporate advanced technology in order to stay at par with other players. Apple Inc. can be regarded as most prominent example in this field as it upgrades its technical factors as and when required. Political instability seems to disrupt the entire business environment. The norms and regulations that are set forth by the political authority govern functioning of a business (Daft and Marcic 91). On the other hand tax benefits that are authorized by leaders denote the profit margin for the business. Indianapolis is a region where majority of manufacturing factories had closed down due to such unstable political scenario and increasing rate of homicide. A new business venture that is set forth is basically based on the factor of solving a hidden problem of consumers. In case of a restaurant the major problem can be unavailability of a specific kind of cuisine for which there is high demand in the market place. For instance people had a hidden demand for such a device which would operate as a phone but even perform necessary operations of a laptop and this problem was eradicated with the launch of tablet. Market gaps are generally associated with hidden demand which has not yet explored by any players in a particular industry. Filling in this gap would mean that a business venture is been able to successfully position itself in the market and can achieve competitive

From Failure to success Essay Example for Free

From Failure to success Essay Robert Kennedys statement that Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly has been painfully evident in my life. Until recently, I had never dared to fail greatly at anything, and as a result, I never achieved greatly at anything either. Luckily, I have learned the importance of attempting something when theres a looming possibility of failure. At Boys State this summer, I spent a week living with 300 other young men while learning about how North Carolinas government works. To give us a firm grasp of the governmental process, each floor elected town officials, each dorm elected county officials, and the three dorms together elected the state officials. The Boys State program also had its own moot court program from which Supreme Court Justices were elected. At Boys State, I ran for positions in the town and county government, and for Supreme Court Justice. Of the seven positions I competed for, I only won two elections. I count this as a failure because the only positions I won were positions that had no candidates to oppose me. The loss that affected me the most was Supreme Court Justice. This was the position I had wanted to win even before I arrived at Boys State, and I gave up all of my afternoon activity time so that I could participate in the moot court program and remain an eligible candidate for Supreme Court Justice. Unfortunately, the elections for justices were the last of all the voting, and by midnight, everybody wanted to get back to their dorms so the time for our speeches was cut from one minute to ten seconds. Needless to say, I was so unprepared for the sudden change of events, that I barely had time to say my name and one reason I was running before I ran out of time. I lost the election, but the loss taught me that I needed to become more visible so that I would not have to depend on a speech for people to realize that I was a person they should vote for. However, if I had the chance to go back and change anything I had done there, I probably wouldnt change a thing. The reasons for this are not as difficult to understand as they probably should be. Firstly, if I went back and changed anything I had done then, I would not have learned that lesson, and would now be lacking a very important experience in my life. Secondly, good things also came from my loss of the election for Supreme Court Justice. In my failure, I brought the  attention of the gubernatorial candidate onto me. The next morning, he asked me if I would like to be his Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety which is one of the highest positions at Boys State. After a moment of shock, I immediately accepted the position. Thus, as a result of my own great failure, I achieved grea tly.

How to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking

How to Overcome the Fear of Public Speaking Introduction Majority of people get performance anxiety when they need to make a speech in front of the audiences. According to Lake (2015), seventy-five percent of the population suffers from the fear of public speaking. Over time, people will try to avoid participating in any speeches as they feel nervous while speaking. In fact, there are few ways to overcome the fear of public speaking which are organizing the presentation, breathing exercises, and practicing more. (NG CHAI YET) 1st point: Organizing the presentation The first way to overcome the fear of public speaking is by organizing the presentation (Golberg, 2016). There are several steps to organize the presentation. First of all, the speaker should understand the topic of the presentation and organize the information (Hall-Flavin, 2014). It is important to make sure that the information is correct, clear, and related to the topic in order to make fewer mistakes and not digress from the topic. The speaker should do research and get correct information from books, articles, journals and suitable website which are related to the topic. Secondly, the speaker can try to remember the arrangement of the speech (Martinuzzi, 2013). By remembering the arrangement, the organized information can help the speaker be more confident and remain in control during the presentation. For example, the speaker can use the presentation slides to help them remember the arrangement and reduce their fear of public speaking. Besides that, one of the reasons for the fear of public speaking is the speaker fear of receiving the questions (Martinuzzi, 2013). Before speaking in public, the speaker should prepare a list of potential questions from the audience (Martinuzzi, 2013). This can increase the speakers confidence reducing the fear of public speaking. In addition, another reason for the fear of public speaking is the anxiety that could cause the speaker to forget or disorganize the main points. Therefore, the speakers can make a cue card with the main points and ideas (Goldberg, 2016). However, the main point must be in point form and not in essay form. The cue card helps the speaker to avoid forgetting the main points and reduces their fear of giving a presentation on stage. In short, these steps in planning a presentation can help the speaker to be prepared for public speaking with a more confident and relaxed attitude. (MIMOSA TAN SIN YIE) 2nd point: Breathing exercises The fear of public speaking can be overcome and eliminated by learning breathing exercises. Breathing is a useful tool for relaxing and refreshing the mind as it is something that people are able to control and regulate. There are several methods for breathing exercises. Speaker can take the time to inhale and exhale before starting the speech(Weil, 2016). Taking a deep breath before start the speech can lower the speakers stress level and reduce anxiety. For example, stage fright can be a significant hurdle to the speaker that wanted to share the information with the audiences. Therefore, breathing can increase self-confidence and enhance the speakers voice to be louder. Moreover, try to breathe normally and comfortably when speaking too fast (Peters, 2010). Generally, people who are nervous will speed up their speaking instead of enunciating the sentences properly because they are trying to end the speech sooner. Focusing on breathing can not only calm the speaker but also a powerf ul relaxation technique for the speaker to continue the speech with better performance. Furthermore, pause and breathe between the points during the speechis another way to overcome the fear of speaking (Nuumburg, n.d). For instance, take a breath after an idea is given out and introducing another with few second later can rebuild the speakers confidence and undoubtedly, it can manage and release fear. In fact, it will also sustain the physical capacity for the speaker to talk for a long time. The benefits of breathing exercises are both physical and psychological. Thus, learning to breathe naturally the benefits will be enormous for reduce the fear when they having a speech. (RENEE TAN CHAI NI) 3rd point: Practice more The most common way the speaker can overcome the fear of public speaking is more practice. For practice public speaking, they have to understand their speaking material so that can prepare well to deliver the speak (Martinuzzi, 2013). Practice can help them to understand their speech but not memorize it. When practicing public speaking in the home, they can practice in front of the mirror (Sahay, 2016). This is the most effective way because it is able to help them to pay attention to their posture, gestures, movement and facial expressions. Gentle expressions will gain the audiences attention and they will concentrate to their speech. Moreover, they can record their speech by using a video camera and watching it in order to make corrections easily (Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, 2014). Furthermore, they can try practicing public speaking in front of an audience. Looking for an audience to evaluate to their performance. They can also join a club that can give them opportunities to speak in front of the audience, such as Toastmaster. Toastmaster is a communication and leadership development organization worldwide (Toastemasters International, n.d.) It is a great place for people to practice public speaking because the people who study with the program will give them valuable advice (Gray, n.d.). More practice with public speaking will help them gain more experience. Thus, they will feel more comfortable when speaking in front the audience and no fear. (ROSELIND KANG KAI QI) Conclusion In conclusion, public speaking is a form of communication to share ones thoughts to influence others. It is a need to everyone regardless for education or career purpose. Preparation is very important as good preparation can overcome ones fear and increase their confident level towards a success performance. People will be benefited by having several keys in their pocket to overcome the fear of public speaking. (NG CHAI YET) References Lake, R. (2015, April 28). Fear of Public Speaking Statistics and How to Overcome Glossophobia. Retrieved from creditdonkey: https://www.creditdonkey.com/fear-of-public-speaking-statistics.html Martinuzzi, B. (2013). 11 Easy ways to Finally Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking. Retrieved from https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/easiest-ways-to-manage-your-public-speaking-fear-2/ Hall-Falvin, D. K. (2014, February 25). Fear of public speaking: How can I overcome it? Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/phobias/expert-answers/fear-of-public-speaking/faq-20058416?p=1 Goldberg, D. F. (2016, November 10) Teacher: How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Retrieved from http://www.teachingvillage.org/2016/11/10/teachers-overcome-your-fear-of-public-speaking-by-david-f-goldberg/ Nuumburg, C. (n.d). Breathing Exercises to Make Life Easier. Retrieved February 18, 2017, from Seleni Web site: https://www.seleni.org/advice-support/article/breathing-exercises-to-make-life-easier?gclid=Cj0KEQiA25rFBRC8rfyX1vjeg7YBEiQAFIb3b8vjJkUUWOwBZn5VtqntjdlWKw9G-Rr6C3xNykfu7tEaAnNb8P8HAQ Peters, K. (2010, January 12). Breathing: The Seductive Key to Unlocking Your Vocal Variety. Retrieved February 18, 2017, from Six Minutes Web site: http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/vocal-variety-speech-breathing/ Weil, A. (2016, May). Three Breathing Exercises. Retrieved February 18, 2017, from Dr. Weil Web site: https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/stress-anxiety/breathing-three-exercises/ Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M. (2014, February 25). Mayoclinic. Retrieved from Fear of public speaking: How can I overcome it?: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/specific-phobias/expert-answers/fear-of-public-speaking/faq-20058416 Gray, C. M. (n.d.). How I (Finally) Got Over My Fear of Public Speaking. Retrieved from themuse: https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-i-finally-got-over-my-fear-of-public-speaking Martinuzzi, B. (2013). Open forum. Retrieved from 11 Easy Ways to Finally Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/easiest-ways-to-manage-your-public-speaking-fear-2/ Sahay, U. (2016, December). Enzuke. Retrieved from How To Overcome The Fear Of Public Speaking: http://www.enzuke.com/how-to-overcome-fear-public-speaking/amp/ Toastemasters International. (n.d.). Retrieved from Who We Are: https://www.toastmasters.org/About/Who-We-Are

Roles And Responsibilities Of Trade Union Management Essay

Roles And Responsibilities Of Trade Union Management Essay Trade Union is defined in the Employment Relations Act 2008 (Appendix 1) as an association of persons, whether registered or not, having as one of its objects the regulation of employment relations between workers and employers The Trade Union or Labour Union movement is a continuous and voluntary association whose membership comprises of salary earners, employees and union leaders. Those members have bonded together motivated by a simple motto Unity makes strength. Workers will therefore utilise trade unions as their representative voice when dealing with employers or on the board of directions. Independently, the workers do not bear the power to defy the top management. Therefore they grouped and seek to institute their terms and conditions of employments. When they realised that negotiating as an individual, the manager would be more powerful, due to the fact that an individual would not matter as much a group in regard of running an organisation. According to Cunnison, Trade Union is a monopolistic combination of wage earners who stand to the employers in a relation of dependence for the sale of their labour and even for the production, and that the general purpose of the association in view of that dependence is to strengthen their power to bargain with the employers The main role of trade union is to ensure the welfare of its members such as safeguarding the interests of its members, protecting the reliability of its trade, achieving higher wages by securing economic benefits. It also optimises the working conditions at the workplace and guarantees a job security while protecting members against unfair dismissal at workplace. Through its leadership, trade union engages in collective bargaining, whereby labour contracts are negotiated with the employers. Also it acts as a recruiting manager, the Union leaders interfere with the recruitment and selection of the company, its intention is to maximise the number of employees an employer can hire. 2.2 Hierarchy of Trade Unions There is a hierarchy in Unions, we had identified; the confederation, the federations and the trade unions. Regarding the confederation, there are one main which is Mauritius Labour Congress and it is affiliated to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU).In the category of federation there are; National Trade Union Confederation (NTUC) which is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Mauritius Trade Union Congress (MTUC). Finally, the trade unions which are affiliated to the NTUC; The Federation of Civil Service Unions, Federation of Progressive Unions, Federation des Travailleurs Unis, Confederation Mauriciennes des Travailleurs, General Workers Federation and Federation of Free Workers. 2.3 Structure of Trade Union The trade unions structure is divided into several parts, namely: The Annual Delegates Congress It is the authority which governs the federation. The Executive Council It comprises of one representative of each affiliates which is usually the secretary or the president and the Bureau members and two observers per affiliates. Once every two months they conduct meeting regarding applications for affiliates from trade unions and affiliation of the Federation to any local, regional or international organisation promoting the interest of the workers and to discuss disagreements between different affiliates. Meeting can be scheduled on the demand of the President or the Bureau or of the members of the Executive Council too. The Bureau It comprises of the President, the General Secretary and the eight elected members. Among them, one is the 1st Vice president and another is the 2nd vice president, a 3rd as Assistant Treasurer and a fourth one who is the organising secretary. President He represents the Federation and he is the spokesman of the federation. General secretary The General Secretary arranges meetings and draw up the minutes of the meeting. Along with the General Secretary, Deputy General Secretary and the Assistant General make up the Secretariat of Federation. Treasurer He is in charge of the accounts of the federation. Organising Secretary He is in charge of organising events like training sessions, seminars, workshop among others. Public Relation Officer He deals with the media for conferences, coverage, reports and other information that will be published by the media. 2.4 Nature and Scope of Trade Union The existence of an influential and recognised trade union is a pre-requisite to the industrial development pace of the country. With modernization in different sectors and the formation of new one such as the technological one as well as the tourism sector, human resources were required. However, mistreatment of the Mauritian labour force appears. This is where the trade union emerged; they ensured that the human rights of their members are respect as per the laws and the constitution. Trade Unions are currently considered as a sub-system which attends a precise sub-groups interest. When defending a particular sector they consider themselves as an integral part of the organisation in respect to the feasibility, growth and development of the community of which they formed part of. The influence of Trade Unions is of key importance for their members in the following ways: First, they are more effective and efficient when the need of negotiation is required between employers and employees by attempting to create a win-win situation. They facilitate the flow of communication between workers and the management, by providing the guidance and support to both of them. The Union leaders will seek a health and safety in the working environment. In addition, they also act as an educational institution; they provide different types of courses to their members. They also accelerate the pace of economic development for instance; they act as a recruiting and selecting agent for the unemployed workers, managing conflicts in the organisation, inculcating corporate social responsibilities to the members among others. 2.5 Objectives of trade unions. The main body of a trade union usually consists of individual workers, sometimes professionals and past workers. Their primary aim is to ensure that the employment conditions of employees are respected and that fair working conditions are offered. However, trade unions also engage in issues like: Negotiation Representation Information and advice Member services Negotiation One of the main targets of trade unions is to negotiate with employers about the matters affecting their members and other employees at work. If a union is formally recognised by an employer, it can negotiate with the employer over terms and conditions. These negotiations are commonly known as collective bargaining. Any trade union works to protect and advance the interests of its members. One of the ways it achieves this is by collectively bargaining with employers about the pay and conditions under which its members work. The negotiation process normally deals with matters such as working rules and regulations, complaint procedures, hiring principle, dismissing or promoting employees, workplace safety and policies etc. Some trade unions even have the power to negotiate rates of pay, bonuses for target achievement, employment conditions and job descriptions on behalf of the employees. For collective bargaining to be effective, unions and employers need to agree on how the arrangement is to operate. The objective of that collective bargaining or negotiation process is to settle with a mutual agreement also known as collective agreement between the management and the trade union. Representing Body Employees and other workers have the right to be accompanied at a disciplinary or grievance hearing. They can either choose a co-worker or a union representative. Often, the union representative, will be a workplace representative who is also a co-worker and will support the employee on the board meeting. Information and Advice If someone forms part of a union he/she can also ask them for advice. Unions are experts at solving problems at work. Trade unions provide staff with information, advice and guidance about any work related problems. Member Service Trade unions provide its members with a variety of services such as training, insurance, financial assistance and legal advices, sickness benefits, education facilities in some cases, guarantee of satisfactory work conditions in areas such as health and safety as well as equal opportunities. Voice in decision affecting Workers Trade unions act as a spokesperson for the staff. When matters concerning an individual employee or a group of workers arise, the trade unions job is to voice out the problem in order to negotiate for a solution. In case no agreement is settled or respected, the trade union members may enforce strikes or resistance to lockouts. They can also intervene in order to resist schemes of the management which reduce employment, e.g. restructuring and automation 2.6 Types of Trade Union Craft or Occupation Union. This type of union was the earliest type developed, it comprised of employees of a particular craft or skill regardless of place of work. The advantage of craft unionism is the sense of solidarity, as there is a feeling of common interest between the members. In addition, as this union bears skilled workers, they have a good economic position for collective bargaining. On the other side, more and more new mechanical devices were being developed, the need for large numbers of skilled workers decreased. One- Shop Union or House Union The one-shop union organizes all workers in the same establishment or factory. This type of union has the advantage of being relatively easy to organize because all workers share a common goal in securing a good collective agreement for their particular factory. However, as it is small, it has little bargaining power and it is easily dominated by management. Common Employer Union. 2.7 Characteristic of Trade Union Trade unions have shown remarkable progress since their inception in Mauritius and as the union is an essential and dynamic aspect of the society it bears special characteristics such as: Trade Union come together for common goals and interest The members have some materials of collective interest such as improving working conditions, better wages, benefits, job security among others. The trade unions have the right to contest a managerial decision, if they considered that their members are at risk with the outcome. Trade Union is an association of workers and salary earners: Unions are essentially a cooperative labour marketing association whose aim is to safeguard human rights on one or more labour market. In addition, they also bear a hand in the progress of the society, cultural interest and political views of its members. Trade unions have been implemented so as each sector of the working class bear a specific union. Mauritius therefore bears different Union association such as: Agricultural Research Extension Unit (AREU) Mauritius Labour Congress (MLC) Mauritius Trade Union Congress (MTUC) National Trade Union Confederation (NTUC) Trade Unions are basically voluntary organizations: Members of any trade union are voluntary in nature. They are completely free to become a member of a Trade Union or not; none is constrained to subscribe to a Trade Union. If any individual is forced to join a Union, the very essence of trade of trade unionism is defeated. Unions are egalitarian bodies: The Unions are self-governed; this is the reason why they can effectively act in our society. The union leaders are voted by the members and perform as per the Trade Union Act. The Trade Union is a continuous association Union is not a daily affair. In order to work effectively for their adherents they ask a long term membership Constant evolution in the characteristic of Trade Union With this dynamic era, the union continually update their techniques and amend their work. With new complications in the workplace, the unions need to find infinite approaches so as to serve the union members. Rapport with the Management: The unions have the responsibility to improve the employers and employees relationship. They go through the process of negotiation and collective bargaining with the direction of the members organisation concerning their problems. In so doing, the employer and employee relationship is enriched and enhance the quality and welfare of the employees. 2.8 Functions of Trade Unions Broadly speaking, trade unions perform two types of functions: Militant Function Amongst the various activities performed by trade unions is the betterment of the position of their members in relation to their employment. The aim of such activities is to ensure that all the clauses of the hiring and psychological contract are respected. When the union fails to accomplish these aims through collective bargaining and negotiation, in extreme conditions they adopt drastic measures in the form of go-slow, strike, boycott, work sabotage etc. to make the management react and reconsider their requests. Hence, these functions of the trade unions are known as militant or fighting functions. Fraternal Function Another actions performed by trade unions are to provide help to its members in needy times, and improving their efficiency. Trade unions try to nurture a spirit of cooperation, mutual aid and promote friendly relationships and sharing of knowledge and culture among their colleagues. In some cases, they also arrange for legal assistance. Besides, these, they undertake many welfare measures for their members, e.g., school for the education of children, library, reading-rooms, in-door and out-door games, and other recreational facilities. These activities, which may be called fraternal functions, obviously depend on the availability of funds, which the unions raise by subscription from members and donations from outsiders, and also on their competent and enlightened leadership. Another broad classification of the functions of unions may be as follows: Intra-mural activities: These deals with whatever happens on the site of work and has direct impact on employees e.g. wages, strikesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Extra-mural activities: These activities help the employees to maintain and improve their efficiency or productivity e.g., methods intended to foster a spirit of cooperation, promote friendly relationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Political activities: Modern trade unions also take up political activities to achieve their objectives. Such activities may be related to the formation of a political party or those reflecting an attempt to seek influence on public policy relating to matters connected with the interests of working class Other Functions Trade unions have a number of functions, one more important than the other depending on the situations; however the five main general principles developed have been: The service function The representative function The regulatory function The government function The public administration function The service function This involves the delivery of services and assistance to the union members. The representative function This implies that the trade union will act like a delegate for the members at the workplace. The regulatory function This enables trade unions to actively participate in rule-making over the workplace. This can be done either: directly multi-employer collective bargaining e.g. through the Joint Industrial Council Or indirectly through regulatory legislation The government and public administration function Trade unions engage with the government to assure that they can accomplish their respective function within the law. Trade unions also play an important role in: improving bottom-up communication in order to increase commitment of employees in meeting the organizations objectives negotiating improvements to pay and working conditions to retain the people encouraging companies to invest in training and development for better performance and personal as well as professional development of employees acting as a positive change agent thus gaining employees support for the smooth running of the organization Protecting the interests of employees by taking active participation in the management. safeguarding organizational stability, growth, and leadership