Pacific Island Hopping in World War II

In mid-1943, the Allied command in the Pacific began Operation Cartwheel, which was designed to isolate the Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain. The key elements of Cartwheel involved Allied forces under General Douglas MacArthur pushing across northeastern New Guinea, while naval forces secured the Solomon Islands to the east. Rather than engage sizable Japanese garrisons, these operations were designed to cut them off and let them wither on the vine. This approach of bypassing Japanese strong points, such as Truk, was applied on a large scale as the Allies devised their strategy for moving across the central Pacific. Known as island hopping, U.S. forces moved from island to island, using each as a base for capturing the next. As the island-hopping campaign began, MacArthur continued his push in New Guinea while other Allied troops were engaged in clearing the Japanese from the Aleutians. Battle of Tarawa The initial move of the island-hopping campaign came in the Gilbert Islands when U.S. forces struck Tarawa Atoll. The capture of the island was necessary as it would allow the Allies to move on to the Marshall Islands and then the Marianas. Understanding its importance, Admiral Keiji Shibazaki, Tarawas commander, and his 4,800-men garrison heavily fortified the island. On November 20, 1943, Allied warships opened fire on Tarawa, and carrier aircraft began striking targets across the atoll. Around 9:00 a.m., the 2nd Marine Division began coming ashore. Their landings were hampered by a reef 500 yards offshore that prevented many landing craft from reaching the beach. After overcoming these difficulties, the Marines were able to push inland, though the advance was slow. Around noon, the Marines were finally able to penetrate the first line of Japanese defenses with the assistance of several tanks that had come ashore. Over the next three days, US forces succeeded in taking the island after brutal fighting and fanatical resistance from the Japanese. In the battle, U.S. forces lost 1,001 killed and 2,296 wounded. Of the Japanese garrison, only seventeen Japanese soldiers remained alive at the end of the fighting along with 129 Korean laborers. Kwajalein Eniwetok Using the lessons learned at Tarawa, U.S. forces advanced into the Marshall Islands. The first target in the chain was Kwajalein. Beginning on January 31, 1944, the islands of the atoll were pummeled by naval and aerial bombardments. Additionally, efforts were made to secure adjacent small islands for use as artillery firebases to support the main Allied effort. These were followed by landings carried out by the 4th Marine Division and the 7th Infantry Division. These attacks easily overran the Japanese defenses, and the atoll was secured by February 3. As at Tarawa, the Japanese garrison fought to nearly the last man, with only 105 of nearly 8,000 defenders surviving. As US amphibious forces sailed northwest to attack Eniwetok, the American aircraft carriers were moving to strike the Japanese anchorage at Truk Atoll. A principal Japanese base, US planes struck the airfields and ships at Truk on February 17 and 18, sinking three light cruisers, six destroyers, over twenty-five merchantmen, and destroying 270 aircraft. As Truk was burning, Allied troops began landing at Eniwetok. Focusing on three of the atolls islands, the effort saw the Japanese mount a tenacious resistance and utilize a variety of concealed positions. Despite this, the islands of the atoll were captured on February 23 after a brief but sharp battle. With the Gilberts and Marshalls secure, U.S. commanders began planning for the invasion of the Marianas. Saipan the Battle of the Philippine Sea Comprised primarily of the islands of Saipan, Guam, and Tinian, the Marianas were coveted  by the Allies as airfields that would place the home islands of Japan within range of bombers such as the B-29 Superfortress. At 7:00 a.m. on June 15, 1944, U.S. forces led by Marine Lieutenant General Holland Smiths V Amphibious Corps began landing on Saipan after a heavy naval bombardment. The naval component of the invasion force was overseen by Vice Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner. To cover Turner and Smiths forces, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Fleet, dispatched Admiral Raymond Spruances 5th US Fleet along with the carriers of Vice Admiral Marc Mitschers Task Force 58. Fighting their way ashore, Smiths men met determined resistance from 31,000 defenders commanded by Lieutenant General Yoshitsugu Saito. Understanding the importance of the islands, Admiral Soemu Toyoda, commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet, dispatched Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa to the area with five carriers to engage the U.S. fleet. The result of Ozawas arrival was the Battle of the Philippine Sea, which pitted his fleet against seven American carriers led by Spruance and Mitscher. Fought June 19 and 20, American aircraft sank the carrier Hiyo, while the submarines USS Albacore and USS Cavalla sank the carriers Taiho and Shokaku. In the air, American aircraft downed over 600 Japanese aircraft while only losing 123 of their own. The aerial battle proved so one-sided that US pilots referred to it as The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. With only two carriers and 35 aircraft remaining, Ozawa retreated west, leaving the Americans in firm control of the skies and waters around the Marianas. On Saipan, the Japanese fought tenaciously and slowly retreated into the islands mountains and caves. U.S. troops gradually forced the Japanese out by employing a mix of flamethrowers and explosives. As the Americans advanced, the islands civilians, who had been convinced that the Allies were barbarians, began a mass suicide, jumping from the islands cliffs. Lacking supplies, Saito organized a final banzai attack for July 7. Beginning at dawn, it lasted over fifteen hours and overran two American battalions before it was contained and defeated. Two days later, Saipan was declared secure. The battle was the costliest to date for American forces with 14,111 casualties. Almost the entire Japanese garrison of 31,000 was killed, including Saito, who took his own life.   Guam Tinian With Saipan taken, U.S. forces moved down the chain, coming ashore on Guam on July 21. Landing with 36,000 men, the 3rd Marine Division and 77th Infantry Division drove the 18,500 Japanese defenders north until the island was secured on August 8. As on Saipan, the Japanese largely fought to the death, and only 485 prisoners were taken. As the fighting was occurring on Guam, American troops landed on Tinian. Coming ashore on July 24, the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions took the island after six days of combat. Though the island was declared secure, several hundred Japanese held out in the Tinians jungles for months. With the Marianas taken, construction began on massive airbases from which raids against Japan would be launched. Competing Strategies   Peleliu With the Marianas secured, competing strategies for moving forward arose from the two principal U.S. leaders in the Pacific.  Admiral Chester Nimitz  advocated bypassing the Philippines in favor of capturing Formosa and Okinawa. These would then be used as bases for attacking the Japanese home islands. This plan was countered by General Douglas MacArthur, who wished to fulfill his promise to return to the Philippines as well as land on Okinawa. After a lengthy debate involving President Roosevelt, MacArthurs plan was chosen. The first step in liberating the Philippines was the capture of Peleliu in the Palau Islands. Planning for invading the island had already begun as its capture was required in both Nimitz and MacArthurs plans. On September 15, the 1st Marine Division stormed ashore. They were later reinforced by the 81st Infantry Division, which had captured the nearby island of Anguar. While planners had originally thought that the operation would take several days, it ultimately took over two months to secure the island as its 11,000 defenders retreated into the jungle and mountains. Utilizing a system of interconnected bunkers, strong points, and caves,  Colonel Kunio Nakagawas garrison exacted a heavy toll on the attackers, and the Allied effort soon became a bloody grinding affair. On November 27, 1944, after weeks of brutal fighting that killed 2,336 Americans and 10,695 Japanese, Peleliu was declared secure. Battle of Leyte Gulf After extensive planning, Allied forces arrived off the island of Leyte in the eastern Philippines on October 20, 1944. That day, Lieutenant General Walter Kruegers U.S. Sixth Army began moving ashore. To counter the landings, the Japanese threw their remaining naval strength against the Allied fleet. To accomplish their goal, Toyoda dispatched Ozawa with four carriers (Northern Force) to lure  Admiral William Bull Halseys U.S. Third Fleet away from the landings on Leyte. This would allow three separate forces (Center Force and two units comprising Southern Force) to approach from the west to attack and destroy the U.S. landings at Leyte. The Japanese would be opposed by Halseys Third Fleet and  Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaids Seventh Fleet. The battle that ensued, known as the Battle of Leyte Gulf, was the largest naval battle in history and consisted of four primary engagements. In the first engagement on October 23-24, the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, Vice Admiral Takeo Kuritas Center Force was attacked by American submarines and aircraft losing a battleship,  Ã‚  Musashi, and two cruisers along with several others damaged. Kurita retreated out of range of U.S.  aircraft but returned to his original course that evening. In the battle, the escort carrier  USS  Princeton  (CVL-23) was sunk by land-based bombers. On the night of the 24th, part of the Southern Force led by Vice Admiral Shoji Nishimura entered the Surigao Straight where they were attacked by 28 Allied destroyers and 39 PT boats. These light forces attacked relentlessly and inflicted torpedo hits on two Japanese battleships and sank four destroyers. As the Japanese pushed north through the straight, they encountered the six battleships (many of the  Pearl Harbor  veterans) and eight cruisers of the 7th Fleet Support Force led by  Rear Admiral Jesse Oldendorf. Crossing the Japanese T, Oldendorfs ships opened fired at 3:16 AM and immediately began scoring hits on the enemy. Utilizing radar fire control systems, Oldendorfs line inflicted heavy damage on the Japanese and sank two battleships and a heavy cruiser. The accurate American gunfire then forced the remainder of Nishimuras squadron to withdraw. At 4:40 PM on the 24th, Halseys scouts located Ozawas Northern Force. Believing that Kurita was retreating, Halsey signaled Admiral Kinkaid that he was moving north to pursue the Japanese carriers. By doing so, Halsey was leaving the landings unprotected. Kinkaid was not aware of this as he believed Halsey had left one carrier group to cover the San Bernardino Straight. On the 25th, U.S. aircraft began pummeling Ozawas force in the Battle of Cape Engaà ±o. While Ozawa did launch a strike of around 75 aircraft against Halsey, this force was largely destroyed and inflicted no damage. By the end of the day, all four of Ozawas carriers had been sunk. As the battle was concluding, Halsey was informed that the situation off Leyte was critical.  Soemus  plan had worked. By Ozawa drawing away Halseys carriers, the path through the San Bernardino Strait was left open for Kuritas Center Force to pass through to attack the landings. Breaking off his attacks, Halsey began steaming south at full speed. Off Samar (just north of Leyte), Kuritas force encountered the 7th Fleets escort carriers and destroyers. Launching their planes, the escort carriers began to flee, while the destroyers valiantly attacked Kuritas much superior force. As the melee was turning in favor of the Japanese, Kurita broke off after realizing that he was not attacking Halseys carriers and that the longer he lingered, the more likely he was to be attacked by American aircraft. Kuritas retreat effectively ended the battle. The Battle of Leyte Gulf marked the last time the Imperial Japanese Navy would conduct large-scale operations during the war. Return to the Philippines With the Japanese defeated at sea, MacArthurs forces pushed east across Leyte, supported by the Fifth Air Force. Fighting through rough terrain and wet weather, they then moved north onto the neighboring island of Samar. On December 15, Allied troops landed on Mindoro and met little resistance. After consolidating their position on Mindoro, the island was used as a staging area for the invasion of Luzon. This took place on January 9, 1945, when Allied forces landed at Lingayen Gulf on the islands northwest coast. Within a few days, over 175,000 men came ashore, and soon MacArthur was advancing on Manila. Moving quickly, Clark Field, Bataan, and Corregidor were retaken, and pincers closed around Manila. After heavy fighting, the capital was liberated on March 3. On April 17, the Eighth Army landed on Mindanao, the second largest island in the Philippines. Fighting would continue on Luzon and Mindanao until the end of the war. Battle of Iwo Jima Located on the route from the Marianas to Japan, Iwo Jima provided the Japanese with airfields and an early warning station for detecting American bombing raids. Considered one of the home islands, Lt. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi prepared his defenses in-depth, constructing a vast array of interlocking fortified positions connected by a large network of underground tunnels. For the Allies, Iwo Jima was desirable as an intermediate airbase, as well as a staging area for the invasion of Japan. At 2:00 a.m. on February 19, 1945, U.S. ships opened fire on the island, and aerial attacks began. Due to the nature of the Japanese defenses, these attacks proved largely ineffective. The next morning, at 8:59 a.m., the first landings began as the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions came ashore. Early resistance was light as Kuribayashi wished to hold his fire until the beaches were full of men and equipment. Over the next several days, American forces advanced slowly, often under heavy  machine-gun  and artillery fire, and captured Mount Suribachi. Able to shift troops through the tunnel network, the Japanese frequently appeared in areas that the Americans believed to be secure. Fighting on Iwo Jima proved extremely brutal as American troops gradually pushed the Japanese back. Following a final Japanese assault on March 25 and 26, the island was secured. In the battle, 6,821 Americans and 20,703 (out of 21,000) Japanese died.   Okinawa The final island to be taken before the proposed invasion of Japan was Okinawa. U.S. troops began landing on April 1, 1945, and initially met light resistance as Tenth Army swept across the south-central parts of the island, capturing two airfields. This early success led Lt. General Simon B. Buckner, Jr. to order the 6th Marine Division to clear the northern part of the island. This was accomplished after heavy fighting around Yae-Take. While land forces were fighting ashore, the US fleet, supported by the British Pacific Fleet, defeated the last Japanese threat at sea. Named  Operation Ten-Go, the Japanese plan called for the super battleship  Yamato  and the light cruiser  Yahagi  to steam south on a suicide mission. The ships were to attack the U.S. fleet and then beach themselves near Okinawa and continue the fight as shore batteries. On April 7, the ships were sighted by American scouts, and  Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher  launched over 400 aircraft to intercept them. As the Japanese ships lacked air cover, the American aircraft attacked at will, sinking both. While the Japanese naval threat was removed, an aerial one remained: kamikazes. These suicide planes relentlessly attacked the Allied fleet around Okinawa, sinking numerous ships and inflicting heavy casualties. Ashore, the Allied advance was slowed by rough terrain, and stiff resistance from the Japanese fortified at the southern end of the island. Fighting raged through April and May as two Japanese counteroffensives were defeated, and it was not until June 21 that resistance ended. The largest land battle of the Pacific war, Okinawa cost the Americans 12,513 killed, while the Japanese saw 66,000 soldiers die. Ending the War With Okinawa secured and American bombers regularly bombing and firebombing Japanese cities, planning moved forward for the invasion of Japan. Codenamed Operation Downfall, the plan called for the invasion of southern Kyushu (Operation Olympic) followed by seizing the Kanto Plain near Tokyo (Operation Coronet). Due to the geography of Japan, the Japanese high command had ascertained Allied intentions and planned their defenses accordingly. As planning moved forward, casualty estimates of 1.7 to 4 million for the invasion were presented to Secretary of War Henry Stimson. With this in mind, President Harry S. Truman authorized the use of the  new atom bomb  to bring a swift end to the war. Flying from Tinian, the B-29  Enola Gay  dropped the  first atom bomb  on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, destroying the city. A second B-29,  Bockscar, dropped a second on Nagasaki three days later. On August 8, following the Hiroshima bombing, the Soviet Union renounced its nonaggression pact with Japan and attacked into Manchuria. Facing these new threats, Japan unconditionally surrendered on August 15. On September 2, aboard the battleship  USS  Missouri  in Tokyo Bay, the Japanese delegation formally signed the instrument of surrender ending World War II.

Business Plan- Secuirty Business Essay - 1698 Words

1. Executive Summary 1.0 Business Concept Northern Sierra Security is the place to go in the greater Sacramento/ Capital area where the well known, rich and petrified can go to get a friendly yet terrifying faces to help secure them. This company is an upscale security company for the neurotic who might be in need of some securing. Our goal is to create an atmosphere that is a safe and sound environment for you, your family, your residence and or place of work. We will provide state of the art private residential, building or personal security, with up to date security devices as well as being able to grant you with uniformed and plain clothes officers. Call On Us To Be Safe. 1.1 Current Situation We offer mid to high level†¦show more content†¦It consist of guarding many upscale neighborhoods, resort style hotels, high end buildings/ companies, private parties, people who feel they need some protection, as well as known celebrities homes and families. 3.1 Nature of the Industry Most of the private security companies of Sacramento offer comparable protection needs. Several companies have more than one type of service that they provide, offering different types of security on each level that is needed. Many guards work or have worked for jails, prisons, police and armed forces. 3.2 Primary Competitors and their Services Due to the fact that our business is located in the industrial area of Roseville, our main competitors will primary consists of those to be found within the region. Private Security of Northern California Verified Alarm Response Team serves the counties of El Dorado, San Joaquin and Yolo with the promise to match any licensed competitors for the same services. They offer Alarm response, patrol, security officers that are armed or unarmed and off duty police officers. AmeriGaurd Security Inc. has been serving California for over 22 years. They will provide security for commercial and industrial sites as well as residential and they main area of focus for business is in the bay area to the central valley of Sacramento. They promise to secure what isShow MoreRelatedName Your Price: Compensation Negotiation at Whole Health946 Words   |  4 PagesNegotiation at Whole Health This case study is about a student Monroe davies who is in his second year at Harvard Business school and Jim Hummer who is the CEO of a company named Whole Health Management. Jim has met Monroe before and knows that Monore is interested in entering the whole health management. 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Engl 135 Advanced Composition Free Essays

Running Head: RAPE VICTIMS IN KOSOVO DURING WAR Rape Victims in Kosovo during War Manjola Cuka ENGL 135 Advanced Composition Catherine Davis April 20, 2009 DeVry University, We all are aware of the suffering that war brings in people’s lives. War means losing everything you hold dear. War means losing your childhood home, war means losing your husband, wife, child, brother, and sister. We will write a custom essay sample on Engl 135 Advanced Composition or any similar topic only for you Order Now During the war in Kosovo there were a number of brutal actions performed towards the Kosovo population physically and emotionally. The Serbs knew exactly what these people valued the most in their lives. That is honor. Among other inhuman and degrading acts executed towards the Kosovo people during the war, the Serbs used rape as a tool to destroy not only the women as individuals but also their families to the core. According to McKinsey (1993), there were an estimated twenty thousand females raped during the war in Kosovo. That is a large number considering that population of Kosovo is a little over two million people. The Kosovo population had been trying to gain their independence for almost a decade. They were only asking for their rights: the freedom of speech, the right to send the children to schools where they can learn their own language, the freedom of media, and the freedom of living in their own country without fear. This is their country and they were only asking for what was theirs. According to the U. S State Department report (1999), the Serbs started an â€Å"ethnic cleansing† campaign that was meant to remove all the non Serb population out of the country. The most gruesome acts towards these people started to get worse after NATO troops bombed the Serb military points on March 24, 1999. Serbs decided to punish the people by forcing them out of their homes, burning their houses, torturing them, raping them, and killing them. Rape was the main weapon used against the Kosovo women to terrorize and weaken the entire population. Shenon (1999), reports on these gruesome activities that were taking place in Kosovo: â€Å"The department’s report said that refugee accounts suggested that Serbian forces had executed more than 4,000 Kosovars, and that surveillance photographs taken either by satellites or airplanes had identified seven possible sites of mass graves. The report said that rapes of Albanian women were being reported in increasing numbers, with systematic mass rapes apparently carried out in the cities of Djakovica and Pec. † To understand the consequences that rape has in the lives of the Kosovo people, we have to understand how they are raised and the beliefs that are engraved in them throughout the years. The people of Kosovo value family and country more than their own lives. The young girls are raised to believe that their role in the world is to get married, have children, and take care of the chores around the house. There is a distinguished difference the way these people lived their lives. Men were the bread winners and women were there to raise the children and take care of the house. If there was male company in the house, the females would only serve them and go to their rooms until the company left. One of Dr. Alakija (2000) reports explains how a team of males was greeted only by Kosovo males, and when a team of females went to investigate they were greeted by females. It is not appropriate for strange males to discuss with the Kosovo females even to get their testimony. Another important part of these people’s lives is marriage. Dating outside marriage is prohibited in their culture and the girl should not lose their virginity until she gets married. The girls that had pre marital relationships are called unfit for any man to marry. So after knowing these facts we can only imagine, what rape means to these people. The women lose their purity after being touched by another man even though it is not their fault. No man would come close to them for the rest of their lives. They would live the rest of their days hating themselves and wishing they were dead. The Kosovo women were raped and tortured systematically in front of their loved ones ruining them physically and emotionally for the rest of their lives. There are statements of pregnant women who were raped and beaten by either gunpoint or by being tortured. The physical pain these women endured can never be compared with the emotional and mental damage they went through. There is not a bigger humiliation than being raped in front of your father, your mother, your brother, your uncle, and your children. How can someone be the same after going through something like that? These women were raped in front of their children, no matter what age. It is heartbreaking and infuriating at the same time how these individuals would put children and mothers in these inhuman situations. One of the many rape victims explained how helpless she was when being held down by multiple individuals while another was raping her. This is how she describes her torment: â€Å"I could not resist, I could not fight against them,† the witness, a woman identified as N. S. , testified. †I could not resist because the others were holding me while my children were watching† (Sullivan, 2000). Another horrific fact during the war was that the Serbs raped these women with the intention to make them pregnant. There are two reasons the Serbs impregnated the Kosovo women: one was to dishonor them and their families for life and second one to increase the Serb population with their children. According to BBC News (2000), only the month of January of 2000, there were one hundred rape babies born. That is a large number for this small community. How were these women able to live every day knowing that inside them was the child of the enemy. The enemy that killed their man, the enemy that kicked them out of their own homes, the enemy that raped them in front of their loved ones. As Both (2001), noted â€Å"The term ‘genocidal rape’ is both emotionally and politically loaded, but is does seem to accurately reflect the realities felt by some if not all raped women in the conflict. As we saw above, some raped Muslim women reported that their attackers claimed that they were intending to impregnate them to create Serbian babies, and that some women were held captive for a period of weeks to ensure that they did not abort the child they had conceived in rape† (p. 4). Honor is the most valuable virtue in the Kosovo society. Serbs knew they would humiliate and degrade not only the Kosovo women but their families and their loved ones. After being raped these women would never speak of the ordeal they went through and would hide it from everyone if they could. These women would rather be dead then share their torment with someone else especially if it was someone they did not know. They would rather keep the pain to themselves if that was an option. It was not enough they suffered rom the torture that was used against them, but they had to live in fear of losing everything they held dear even though this was not their fault. The raped Kosovo women would not share these ordeals with their own families for the fear of bringing shame to their entire family. The husband would leave the wife if they found out she was raped. Here is one example of a husband that suspects his young wife was raped: â€Å"Mr. Thaqi says his wife, who did not want her name published, denies the rape because †she doesn’t dare tell that kind of story. ‘ If she admitted it to him, he said, †I would ask for a divorce — even if I had 20 children. † As his wife listened, silent and shamefaced, in a corner of their empty home, looted of all furniture and possessions by the Serbs, Mr . Thaqi added: †I don’t hate her, but the story is before my eyes. I feel very cold toward her. † Kissing her, he said, †is like kissing a dead body† (Bumiller, 1999). It is not hard enough that they were raped and humiliated but they have to live with the shame for the rest of their lives. Most of these women lock themselves in their parents’ homes until they die either by choice or they are forced. It is heartbreaking how the community and their families expect them to commit suicide for something that was not their fault. Serbs knew that by raping the women they would destroy their families. What other method could be better then destroy a country to its core? These women live the rest of their lives excluded from the outside world wishing they were dead. The husbands live the rest of their lives wishing their wives were dead. Their parents live their lives wishing their daughter was dead. In the Kosovo culture rape carries a very strong social taboo and shame keeps victims silent. The women and men of Kosovo are not as afraid of death as they are of rape. â€Å"Rape is a deeply sensitive subject in ethnic Albanian Kosovo, a Muslim and largely traditional society, where a sexual assault can permanently stigmatize a woman, shaming her family and ruining her marriage or prospects of marriage. Gathering first-hand accounts of rape has proved very difficult for war crimes investigators, and the scale of sexual assaults here may never be fully known† (Finn, 1999). They cannot tolerate the thought of their women being touched by another man. This degrading act not only humiliates the women but it demoralizes the men that are fighting in the mountains. That was one of the biggest war strategies the Serbs used to defeat the Kosovo people. And this was one more reason the women keep the rape secret. They want their husbands, their fathers, and their brothers to fight for their country instead of carrying the family shame in their shoulders. The world came together to help the rape victims with everything they needed. The biggest issue the humanitarian organizations  were facing  was the non cooperation from the victims and their families. Under no circumstances they would admit they were raped unless there were witnesses to testify to that. Even then it would be very difficult to treat these patients. Knowing the consequences of admitting they were raped, what mother would risk losing her children to get medical treatment? How can they put their own well being before their children? They considered themselves dead anyway. They would rather live in pain for the rest of their lives with their children around them, then medically treated and have lost their families. They would shut down and most of the time they would deny they were raped. There are a large number of cases that are not officially reported as we have seen in different reports: â€Å"Rape: There are numerous accounts indicating that the organized and individual rape of Kosovar Albanian women by Serbian forces was widespread. For example, Serbian forces systematically raped women in Djakovica and Pec, and in some cases rounded up women and took them to hotels where they were raped by troops under encouragement of their commanders. Rape is most likely an underreported atrocity because of the stigma attached to the victims in traditional Kosovar Albanian society† (U. S State Department Report, 1999) It is unthinkable in some cultures to comprehend how these families treat the rape victims, particularly these women that were forced into these acts and had no other choice. Instead of embracing them and try to help them get through these tough times, they throw them in the streets and also blame them for the shame they bring to the family. There is no mercy for the raped victims. What can be worse than having your own parents, the ones that gave you life, the ones that raised and nurtured you, wish you were dead? These rape victims find their way out by shutting down or by going in the mountains and join the man in the fight for their freedom. They have no life next to their own family. They choose to leave and fight to get away from the staring eyes of their neighbors and everyone else that gets in contact with them. The biggest reason is to take their humiliation with them and spare their family the shame and embarrassment. Here are the words of a father of a rape victim: â€Å"I have given her to the KLA so she can do to the Serbs what they have done to us,† Haxhi Lokaj said of his daughter, who has been sent to fight with the rebels of the Kosovo Liberation Army. â€Å"She will probably be killed, but that would be for the best,† the 40-year-old father said with more resignation than sorrow. â€Å"She would have no future anyway after what they did to her† he continued (Williams, 1999). There are different approaches the enemy uses to destroy a population to the core in the time of war. Serbs used the most degrading act to ruin the Kosovo families for life. That was rape. Death does not come close to the pain and the outcome that rape brings in these peoples’ lives. If the women and men died protecting their country, fighting for their rights, or protecting themselves from being abused, they would be praised. In contrary if the women were raped but survived, for no fault of their own, they were the humiliation of their family and the whole community. Compassion for the rape victims does not exist. It will take a long time and a few generations for these people to start living a full life. It will not be easy for these memories to be erased from their minds. References Alakija, P (2000). The ravages of war. Retrieved April 21, 2009 from http://www. cmaj. ca/cgi/content/full/163/9/1148 BBC News. (2000). Women scarred by Kosovo atrocities. Retrieved April 17, 2009 from http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/europe/716701. stmBooth, K (2001). The Kosovo tragedy: the human rights dimensions. (1st Ed. ) Oxford: Routledge, member of the Taylor amp; Francis Group. Retrieved April 15, 2009 from http://books. google. com/books? id=777jPodhCYYCamp;dq=The+Kosovo+tragedy:+the+human+rights+dimensions. amp;printsec=frontcoveramp;source=bnamp;hl=enamp;ei=8HLuSaSYMYuqtgeEgMHMDwamp;sa=Xamp;oi=book_resultamp;ct=resultamp;resnum=4Bumiller, E. (1999). Crisis in the Balkans: Crimes; Deny Rape or Be Hated: Kosovo Victims’ Choice. Retrieved April 15, 2009 from http://www. nytimes. com/1999/06/22/world/crisis-in-the-balkans-crimes-deny-rape-or-be-hated-kosovo-victims-choice. html? n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjec How to cite Engl 135 Advanced Composition, Papers

Problems and Issues in Human Resource Management (HR) - Detailed Analy

Question: Analyse the HR problem or issues. Answer: Introduction: The issues faced by the human resource managers are changing drastically in the context of the employee relation and industrial service management parameters. It is again expected to be modified within the next few decades. Hence, it is the right time for the managers and HR professionals to play the special role in dealing with the HRM challenges by developing specific competencies to develop these roles within their core attributes. In this context, Smith (2010) stated that HR managers need to accommodate workers in the virtual work locations and introduce the ways to manage the employee orientation and the corporate culture as well. Considering the fact, the current study has focused on identifying a few issues generated in the workforce due to the impact of the key HRM issues, considering the case study of a manufacturing firm Woolworths Supermarkets. These issues have been analysed and linked regarding the theoretical models and the facts. Based upon that analysis different nego tiation techniques have been discussed by the researchers to resolve the existing HRM issues in the organisation. A change program has been implemented to address these issues, to address and potentially manage the set of change program activities. 1.0 Brief of the organisation: The current study has been conducted on Australian retail firm Woolworths Supermarkets, which is operating its business since past 92 years. Although the strategic HRM of the company is found reliable, it lacks from the effective ER forces and experiences a significant IR issue throughout the operation. Its primary operation includes manufacturing and retailing across the Australia and New Zealand. The firm has more than 200,000 strength, and it has earned a profit of A$2.5 billion in the last financial year. 2.0 The current HRM issues: Lesser compensation and workplace strike: In the factory outlet of its manufacturing unit, the HR managers of the current organisation face issues regarding the strike and the unrest of the employees due to either lesser wages or the unpaid bonus scheme. In this context, Baert Omey (2015) stated that the violence between the paid and unpaid workers are increasing significantly, managing which is becoming a critical challenge to the modern day HR managers. The fair working system call has become a standard HR issue in the industrial relationship with the current firm. This scenario has become common in the majority of the retail manufacturing organisations. For instance, the fair work demand of its Australian branches has created a call for the strikes in the manufacturing unit of a reputed institution dated 30th May 2015 (workplaceinfo.com.au, 2016). Apart from this example, similar incidents are happening across worldwide institutions, and the HR personnel are failing to meet those demands due to the dilemma between the own principle and the action list posted by the management of the Woolworths Supermarkets. In the words of Smith (2010), the manufacturing organisations are mainly driven by the market pressure and competitiveness, due to which the management prioritises more on the continuous innovation and the total quality management. On the other hand, Booth Hamer (2007) mentioned that to attain a significant profit margin, the firm cuts a few additional bonuses of the employees. This, in turn, creates payout issues within the workforce that result in a strike. This issue is faced by the HR personnel of the present organisation, d ue to the change in the power relations and the supremacy of the management. Balancing both the management and the employees has become a crucial task for the HR managers. Employment discrimination and workplace bullying: Bullying has been occurred due to the unreasonable behaviour that mainly occurs from the management towards a group of workers which has created a significant risk to the health and safety of the workers. The administration of the production unit very often changes the roster off schedule, the leave balances and the overtime schedule of the workers to increase the profit margin under a particular circumstance. It deliberately creates inconvenience to the employees (Ahsan, 2013). In the manufacturing unit, the employers discriminate women employees from the male staffs and allocate more than 38 hours work schedule in a week. As a consequence, the women employees become unable to continue the job and becomes forced to leave the job (Chelliah D'Netto, 2006). This workplace bullying has created strikes within the organisation and the manufacturing unit incurred a significant loss in the productivity as well. Currently, a call has been raised in, 30th May 2016, for the working hours in Australia that is to be capped by 38 hours in a week. This report has been published in the Sydney Morning Herald (www.smh.com.au, 2016). Croucher, R. Morrison (2012) supported the fact and stated that the challenges of the highly paid workers and the unpaid workers are mainly raising the situation due to the workplace bullying initiated by the employers. Employee unrest and greater degree of absenteeism: The staffs of the current organisation from the Minchinbury site have generated multiple industrial actions regarding the fair wages and the goof working conditions for more than 197,000 team members. Although the National Union has employed adequate worker right, the interest of earning higher profitability has generated the driving force of offering a stagnant pay scale to its employees. According to the current situation, the employees are seeking clarity on the right of the permanent workers regarding the workload and the work life balances. The unrest amount is increasing which is introducing greater absenteeism in the manufacturing unit. The health issues have generated a higher degree of security problems, and the lack of transparency regarding the organisational commitment launched a major strike in its production unit. Jianxin Daming (2009) also mentioned that lower rate of pay for the casual workers and the security of tenure of the employment in the non-full-time employee s. The lower rates of pay and conditions for the casual workers have pushed the union to introduce a strike in its production process. The extreme workload has increased the absenteeism towards the Woolworths Supermarkets, and even greater employee strength has left the organisation as well (www.dailytelegraph.com, 2016). 3.0 Critical Analysis of the above mentioned HRM issues in terms of Industrial Relationship Theory: The first issue of the legitimate work demand of the Australian company, Woolworths Supermarkets has made a call for the strike in the manufacturing unit. It has been observed that apart from the enterprise, this particular situation is rapidly happening across the worldwide organisation. In this present critical situation, the Unitary Theory of Industrial Relationship produced a unified authority or loyalty structure to the management for managing the adverse situation. As per the opinion of Banik et al. (2015), the unitary perspective placed all the organisational participants as a team implicitly focusing on the shared goals, shared values and common destiny. Hence, the unitary theory intends to maintain the industrial peace by making all conflicts unnecessary. The second issue is employment discrimination which is majorly hampering the organisational working culture in the company, Woolworths Supermarkets. The Conflict Theory of Industrial Relationship reflects that the employees have different values and aspiration which potentially conflict with the decisions of management. According to the opinion Engel Reich (2015), the conflict theorists helps to resolve the conflicted situation through agreement and collective bargaining. Hence, the company, Woolworths Supermarkets has to be the follower of the Conflict Theory, which enables the group of employees to influence the decision of the management. A third issue faced by the Woolworths Supermarkets are the employee unrest and greater degree of absenteeism. It has been observed that the current issue of work-life balance of the employees, health problem, security issue and lack of transparency regarding the organisations commitment is directly linked with the System Theory of Industrial Theory. In this similar circumference, Rai et al. (2015) mentioned that every organisation has to develop its system approach to influence the structural and functional sociology of the industrial relation. Therefore, as the perspective of System Theory, Woolworths Supermarkets requires introducing a range of rule-making governing and systematic explanation of production. So that it could be possible to balance the social system by establishing a unique industrial relationship system. 4.0 Problem recognition and consideration: Considering the current situation of the Woolworths Supermarkets, it has been identified that the firm needs to employ right negotiation technique to manage the actions of the workforce. The long-term production issue might hamper the brand profitability up to a great extent (Ahsan, 2013). Thus, the pay scale increment and implementing a potential work hour planning could reduce the employee grievance regarding the management, and the overall productivity can also be improved. In addition to that considering the demand for the current workforce, it can be stated that job redesign could be a better option for the full-time and the casual workers as it could increase the motivation level of the employees towards the daily work. Lai Babcock (2012) stated that the employee unrest level can also be reduced, which could increase the work life balance and the increased employee retention in its global operation as well. All in all, distributive and collective bargaining process could be im plemented to improve the negotiation effectiveness of the overall industrial relationship process. 5.0 Designing a change program: The change program can be initiated considering a range of plans of the organisation. Considering the fact, Paauwe (2009) stated that the mapping of the reasons for the improvement is necessary before implementing a change process in the strategic HRM process. Thus, an evaluation strategy also needs to be engaged to enable the change process that could be applied into the Woolworths Supermarkets. The flow chart of the program level planning could be as follows: Step 1: Defining the future mission and vision of the firm Step 2: Establishing the pros and cons of the plan Step 3: Developing the knowledge base regarding the impact of the change process Step 4: Mapping the causes of the change process Step 6: Creating and evaluation strategy Step 7: Communicating the plan to the workforce Step 8: Ask the workforce to make active participation in the change process Step 9: Creating an enabling environment and utilising the enabling tactics Step 10: Pretest the process by engaging the labour union. Step 11: Finally, implement the action plan after gathering the affirmation of the union. 6.0 Analysing the action plan: Since the firm Woolworths Supermarkets is suffering from employee relationship issues, engaging the worker union could be a beneficial strategy for the current firm. The adequate mapping and the evaluation of the change strategy could help the management, analysing the potential of the framework. Smith (2010) also indicated that the changes in the HRM policies, including the compensation and other job related activities need to be properly communicated to the employees prior to the implementation. Thus, the communication of the action plan could be an effective agenda to the current firm. The pre testing of the action plan could also help the management, identifying the upcoming threats or engagement from the employee side. Thus, the feasibility of the overall change plan can be assessed. Thereby, managing a sustainable industrial relationship with the current workforce could be a fruitful agenda of the current organisation. Conclusion: The primary assertion of the study indicates the current HRM issues of the organisation, Woolworths Supermarkets. While conducting the research, the research associate has identified the three significant HRM issues of Woolworths Supermarkets, which includes lesser compensation and workplace strike, employment discrimination and workplace bullying and employee unrest and the greater degree of absenteeism. To critically analyse those issues the theory of Industrial Relationship like Unitary Theory, Conflict Theory and System Theory have been evaluated in the current research work. Furthermore, a change program with several steps has been designed to implement the organisational workflow structure. Finally, a potential action plan would help the particular company to achieve the desired goal by keeping a focus on the adopted strategies. References: Ahsan, R. (2013). Offshoring and Wages. Australian Economic Review, 46(1), 110-118 Baert, S. Omey, E. (2015). Hiring Discrimination Against Pro-union Applicants: The Role of Union Density and Firm Size. De Economist, 163(3), 263-280 Banik, M., Bhattacharya, S. S., Mukherjee, A., Roy, A., Ambainis, A., Rai, A. (2015). Limited preparation contextuality in quantum theory and its relation to the Cirelson bound. Physical Review A, 92(3), 225232 Booth, S. Hamer, K. (2007). Labour turnover in the retail industry. Intl J Of Retail Distrib Mgt, 35(4), 289-307 Chelliah, J. D'Netto, B. (2006). Unfair dismissals in Australia: does arbitration help employees?. Employee Relations, 28(5), 483-495 Croucher, R. Morrison, C. (2012). Management, Worker Responses, and an Enterprise Trade Union in Transition. Industrial Relations: A Journal Of Economy And Society, 51, 583-604 Engel, A., Reich, Y. (2015). Advancing architecture options theory: Six industrial case studies. Systems Engineering, Industrial Action Types Examples and Guidelines | Workplace Info. (2014). Workplaceinfo.com.au. Jianxin, Z. Daming, Z. (2009). An Investigation into the Group Characteristics of Casual Construction Workers. Chinese Sociology Anthropology, Lai, L. Babcock, L. (2012). Asian Americans and workplace discrimination: The interplay between sex of evaluators and the perception of social skills.