Literary Analysis of Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay Example for Free

Literary Analysis of Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay In the English Renaissance, identity was an important concern, particularly the construction of identity. As Stephen Greenblatt argues, there is in the early modern period a change in the intellectual, social, psychological, and aesthetic structures that govern the generation of identities that is not only complex but resolutely dialectical (1). The identity of the sovereign was of particular importance: how monarchs shaped their own identities, and how these identities affected their subjects. Taking Greenblatts argument, this paper examines the construction and manipulation of identity in Shakespeares Hamlet: in particular, the ways in which Elizabeth Is self-representations inform the play. In addition, the paper will show how the characterization of Hamlet is shaped by the rule of Elizabeth I, who controlled her public image through elaborately constructed self-representations. Reflecting her use of these representations, Hamlet, who possesses stereotypically feminine attributes, fights to recreate himself as a masculine character to recover his familys and kingdoms honor. The late Elizabethan period was filled with anxiety and dismay over the aging of Queen Elizabeth I. Concern about her impending death was only made worse by her refusal to name a successor. When Shakespeare composed Hamlet in 1600, the playwright was subject to an aging, infirm queen, who at sixty-seven had left no heirs to the English throne. In Hamlet, Shakespeare thus addresses two political problems that England faced at the beginning of the seventeenth-century: royal succession and female sovereignty. As Tennenhouse argues, History plays could not be written after Hamlet, because the whole matter of transferring power from one monarch to another had to be rethought in view of the aging body of the queen (85). The preoccupation of the English public with who would become their new ruler, along with eager anticipation of male kingship, is expressed throughout Hamlet. Although the play is not written as a political allegory, undeniable similarities do exist between aspects of Queen Elizabeth Is public persona and the character of Hamlet. Before further explaining this comparison, however, it is necessary to describe how Elizabeth I shaped her public persona. Elizabeth Is Image As head of the Anglican Church, Elizabeth I was wary to align herself in marriage with a Catholic. Accordingly, Carole Levin argues that Elizabeth I promoted the image of herself as a pristine maiden well into the middle and advanced years of her life: Elizabeth presented herself to her people as a symbol of virginity, a Virgin Queen (64). Whether political or personal, her refusal to marry was in many ways advantageous, for she avoided the disaster of Mary Is match with Phillip II. Yet it also caused a great deal of concern among the populace. As Levin observes, by not marrying, Elizabeth also refused the most obvious function of being a queen, that of bearing a child. Nor would she name a successor as Parliament begged her to do, since Elizabeth was convinced this would increase, rather than ease, both the political tension and her personal danger (66). Elizabeth Is strategy to retain political power may have prevented the usurpation of her authority by a husband, but it did cause disfavor among the English citizens, especially as she grew older without announcing an heir. Anxiety over the succession led to contempt for Elizabeth I, with many people gossiping that she did not marry because she was an unnatural woman. Levin writes, there were rumors that Elizabeth had an impediment that would prohibit regular sexual relations (86). Levin provides an example for these rumors in an excerpt of a letter from her cousin Mary Stuart: indubitably you are not like other women, and it is folly to advance the notion of your marriage with the Duke of Alencon, seeing that such a conjugal union would never be consummated (86). Others claimed that Elizabeth I had illegitimate children who were kept secret (Levin 85). These accusations indicate that English citizens, as well as family relations, perceived Elizabeth Fs prolonged maidenhood as unnatural and even monstrous. Although Elizabeth I was willing to admit to Parliament that she had spent much of her strength, she was careful to cultivate the image of herself as a young woman to the public. One important example of this method is the famous Rainbow Portrait, which Elizabeth I commissioned in approximately 1600, the same period Hamlet was written. Even though Elizabeth I was sixty-seven years old when the painting was commissioned, she appears in the painting to be a young woman (Levin). Elizabeth I created an intricate and diverse image of herself. As an unmarried monarch, she became Englands Virgin Queen. Possessing two bodies, Elizabeth I established masculine authority as Prince and as mother to her subjects. As Elizabeth I grew older, she relied on iconography to deceive the English populace into viewing her as young and vital. These diverse representations of Elizabeth I are complexly reflected in Hamlet. The similarities between Elizabeth I and Gertrude are obvious: both women are perceived as indulgent, sensuous monarchs and are criticized for attempting to act like women younger than their true ages. To Gertrude, Hamlet even states, O shame, where is thy blush? (3. 4. 91). Despite these correspondences, a more interesting analogy exists between Elizabeth I and the character of Hamlet. The paper will compare Elizabeth I, who claimed to have the heart and stomach of a king (Levin 1) with Hamlet, a prince often castigated for acting in a stereotypically feminine manner. Reflections of Elizabeth Is Constructed Identities in Hamlet One attempt by Elizabeth I to maintain her image as the Virgin Queen was a use of heavy cosmetics in an effort to make herself look younger and therefore stronger. Mullaney quotes Jesuit priest Anthony Rivers as describing Elizabeth Is makeup at some celebrations in 1600, when Hamlet was written, to be in some places near half an inch thick (147). Unfortunately for Elizabeth I, this attempt to hide the weakness of her age seems only to have exacerbated her subjects contempt for the assumed weakness of her sex. M. P. Tilley observes that during the late Elizabethan period, there was a strong feeling against a woman using cosmetics (312). Women who used cosmetics, according to popular feeling, altered their bodies, the creations of God, and were therefore not only immodest but blasphemous. According to Mullaney, women who used cosmetics considered to be false women because they created a deceptive face to replace the one given to them by God; altering their natural female appearance made them not truly women. Not only were cosmetics blasphemous and dishonest, they were physically destructive. A woman who painted her face in the Renaissance thus arguably destroyed her person in every way possible: spiritually and bodily. Hamlet displays notable disgust toward painted women, yet critics have overlooked that many of the contemporary Renaissance objections to womens use of cosmetics apply to Hamlets actions. Similar to the way that painted women used cosmetics to disguise the faces that God had given them, Hamlet puts on his antic disposition to disguise the faculties of reason which God has given him (1. 5. 192), faculties which in the Renaissance were an essential aspect of the virtuous man. Whether or not Hamlet is truly mad, he constructs a persona to dissimulate his purpose of revenge. Painted women were disparaged for poisoning their body with dangerous chemicals; Hamlet engages in a dangerous quest to avenge his father, and because of his quest for revenge, he is fatally poisoned. By assuming an antic disposition, a false face, Hamlet is physically poisoned by the bated sword of Laertes. Laertes poison destroys Hamlets body natural and symbolically disrupts the body politic, since Hamlet will be unable to rule Denmark. In addition to putting on an antic disposition, a type of face painting, Hamlet possesses other womanly attributes that would arguably have caused some anxiety. Mullaney asserts that popular opinion in the Renaissance, especially in the final years of Elizabeth Is reign, was against the rule of a female monarch. The English people had always been hesitant to accept a female queen; as Elizabeth I grew older and more infirm, their tolerance for being ruled by a woman diminished. Mullaney further argues that this intolerance was a part of the English subjects realization that Elizabeth I was feeble and politically weakening: for the Renaissance misogyny may in fact be an integral part of the mourning process when the lost object or ideal being processed is a woman, especially but not exclusively when that woman is a queen of England, too (140). As the English publics grief for the decline of their queens strength increased, so too did their contempt for her bodily weakness and inability to govern effectively. Reflecting anxiety about Elizabeths I old age and infirmity, Hamlet displays a stereotypically feminine quality that makes him problematic as heir to the Danish throne. Early in the play, Claudius chides Hamlet for his unmanly grief concerning the passing of his father (1. 2. 98). Elaine Showalter claims that Hamlets emotional vulnerability can readily be conceptualized as feminine (223). Discussing Hamlets creation of a mad persona, Carol Thomas Neely also lists passivity and loss of control among Hamlets feminine attributes during his period of madness (326). Hamlets emotional vulnerability and passivity, when considered in the politically-charged atmosphere of the late Elizabethan period, can even be seen as his downfall. Mullaney, quoting Tennenhouse, argues that Hamlet is a play keenly aware of its late Elizabethan status, in which the impending transfer of power from one monarch to another had to be rethought in view of the aging body of the queen' (149). He goes on to view Hamlet as inhabiting a male-constructed world. Mullaney asserts that like other Shakespearean males, Hamlet achieves a partial if suicidal resolution of the contradictions of patriarchy by constructing a world that is not so much gendered as free from gender differentiation—a world that is all male (158). It is believable that Hamlets true problem is actually the opposite—his world is too female, or rather feminine. Despite the small number of females in the play, Hamlet presents a feminine character in a male body, a twisted reflection of Elizabeth I, who claimed to have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but the heart and stomach of a king (Levin 1). Hamlet possesses the body of a prince, but the heart and stomach of a woman: a fusion which was particularly problematic in the misogynistic environment that prevailed during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. As a feminine character in the body of a male, particularly one who, as Claudius observes, is most immediate to the throne (1. 2. 113), Hamlet cannot be allowed to survive and assume the throne. His death, as well as the passage of the Danish monarchy to the quintessential warrior figure, Fortinbras, reflects the transition of the throne from Elizabeth I to James I. James Is ascension to the English throne alleviated some anxiety of female sovereignty, although his reign showed his peevish, cowardly, and self-indulgent disposition. When Hamlet puts on an antic disposition, crafting himself as mad, he evinces natural traits that are usually associated with feminine weakness. Hamlet is beset with passivity and indecision, two qualities often ascribed to women in the Renaissance (Woodbridge 275-99). Passivity and indecision impede and nearly thwart his quest to obey his fathers demand for revenge. Davis D. McElroy claims that Hamlet, in addition to considering the ghosts exhortation to avenge him, contemplates taking no action at all. McElroy examines the opening five lines of the to be or not to be soliloquy: To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether is nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing, end them. (3. 1. 64-8) McElroy alleges that these lines, which are generally believed to be Hamlets argument regarding suicide, constitute a different deliberation on revenge: killing Claudius, as the alleged ghost of his father demands, or taking no action at all—a more cowardly decision, certainly, but definitely safer. McElroy compares the two options by examining the rhetoric of chiasmus—claiming that to be refers to taking arms against Claudius and not to be refers to suffering outrageous fortune. He argues that the speech pertains more reasonably to revenge than suicide because killing oneself is more like avoiding ones troubles than opposing them (544). It can be posited that Hamlets indecision concerning his vow to avenge his father parallels Elizabeth Fs refusal to name an heir. As Tennenhouse observes, Where Claudius would be second to Hamlet and Hamlets line in a patrilineal system, the queens husband and uncle of the kings son occupies the privileged male position in a matrilineal system.. . It is to be expected that Claudius could not legally possess the crown, the matrilinear succession having the weaker claim on British political thinking. (89) Hamlets duty is not merely to uphold his promise of vengeance. He also has an obligation to his country to see Claudius removed from the throne and Hamlet, the rightful ruler in patrilineal succession, put in his place. When Hamlet contemplates neglecting this obligation, he endangers the succession to the Danish throne in much the same way that Elizabeth Is secrecy concerning her own succession endangers England. Arguably, Hamlet fails in his responsibility to protect the Danish succession: after Hamlets death, Fortinbras, a Norwegian, assumes the throne. Although Fortinbras is a better candidate than the corrupt Claudius, he is a member of Norways royal line, not Denmarks. Elizabeth Is refusal to marry consigns England to a similar fate regarding kingship and royal lines. James I is a member of the British royal family, but he is a Stuart, not a Tudor. As the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I secures her own power by refusing to name a successor during her lifetime, but she allows her familial line to die with her. Elizabeth I also protected her political authority by crafting several personas. As seen in the Rainbow Portrait, she took liberally from mythological figures, such as Astraea, Flora, and Diana. Just as Elizabeth I appropriated the appearance and femininity of goddesses, Hamlet appropriates the masculine authority he observes in Fortinbras. Hamlet attempts to construct a persona that goes beyond an antic disposition, wanting to fashion himself as a strong son and leader of Denmark. After hearing of Fortinbrass plan to attack a desolate stretch of Poland, Hamlet resolves to emulate the militant Fortinbras by fashioning himself as a bloody avenger: How stand I, then, That have a father killed, a mother stained, Excitements of my reason and my blood, And let all sleep O, from this time forth My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth! (4. 4. 59-62, 68-9) Although Hamlet desires to construct himself as an aggressive and violent fighter, he is never able to attain Fortinbrass forcefulness. Hamlets passivity here shows weakness and debility, not qualities appropriate in a military leader or a monarch. Although Hamlet attempts to assume the masculinity of Fortinbras, shaping himself as a potent agent of revenge, Hamlets attempted emulation of Fortinbrass masculinity is merely another false front. Hamlet recognizes his own passivity, but however much he tries to counter and suppress it, his femininity is too firmly a part of his personality for him to overcome it completely. Even though Hamlet seeks to avenge his fathers murder, he is unable to kill Claudius in Act three, scene three. Hamlet decides not to kill Claudius at his attempted prayer, and he thus does not do what he has resolved to do. At this point in the play, the audience sees a fluid character, one who first fashions himself as mad, then earnestly attempts to mold himself like the soldier Fortinbras. However much Hamlet views himself as mutable, he cannot override his passive nature. Hamlet attempts to put on Fortinbrass masculine disposition after killing Polonius and assuring the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, yet even after returning from his voyage to England, Hamlet is caught in his feminine passivity. Despite his earlier resolve that his thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth (4. 4. 69), Hamlet makes no move against Claudius. He walks with Horatio in the graveyard, where he learns of Ophelias death (5. 1. 253), and he attacks Laertes at her gravesite (5. 1. 273), but he still clings to his false antic disposition. Gertrude calls his behavior mere madness and compares Hamlet to a female dove (5. 1. 302, 304). Hamlets shock and grief at learning about Ophelias death could excuse his distraction from attacking Claudius, but Hamlet delays his task too long. By waiting for Laertes challenge instead of choosing his own time to confront Claudius, Hamlet is forced to fight on the treacherous kings terms and dies at the tip of Laertes poisoned sword. Hamlets struggle mirrors the rule of Elizabeth I, who controlled her public image through elaborately constructed personas. Similar to Hamlet, Elizabeth I attempted to disguise or suppress her feminine weakness. She proclaimed that she possessed a masculine body politic despite her female body natural. Elizabeth I maintained supremacy throughout her reign—no easy task for a woman in the Renaissance—yet her refusal to marry and produce heirs ended the Tudor line of succession. Hamlets plight reflects the anxiety experienced by many English subjects as Elizabeth I grew older with no children to succeed her: as Elizabeth I aged, the question of the sovereigns role or representation to provide for the common welfare became increasingly critical. The Queen was still a mere woman, even though she had the heart and stomach of a king (Levin 1). Equally, Hamlet strives to create a public persona that corresponds with the masculine strength of Fortinbras, but he ultimately succumbs to feminine passivity, even though he is a prince. Conclusion Hamlet reflects the anxiety of many of Elizabeth Is subjects concerning the strength of their Queen and the succession of the monarchy. With no husband and no heir to the throne, the political security of the country was at stake. Furthermore, many citizens were concerned with Elizabeth Is aging body and her undignified attempts to appear younger. This concern developed in many cases into contempt for Elizabeth Is deceptive manipulations of her image. Hamlet has many feminine characteristics that, especially in the climate of Elizabeth Is decline, make him unsuitable as a ruler or potential king. Although he is not naturally suited to the masculine requirements of kingship, Hamlet strives to overcome his feminine nature in order to reinstate the honor and dignity of his family and kingdom. Although he accomplishes this end, his femininity delays him until he is betrayed by Claudius treachery. Hamlet removes Claudius from the throne, but at the cost of many lives, and the Danish monarchy passes to a Norwegian ruler. Like Elizabeth I, Hamlet tries to recreate his identity to gain needed respect and authority, but ultimately fails to protect his fathers line of succession. In Hamlet, readers can surmise some of the feelings Shakespeare may have experienced in the growing misogyny that permeated the final years of Elizabeth Is reign. Like Hamlet, Elizabeth I was not without flaws, and her subjects came to resent her for these weaknesses, anticipating the advent of a more powerful—and masculine—monarch. As Shakespeare demonstrates with Hamlets poignant death and with Fortinbrass triumph, a stronger, more manful monarch is not necessarily a more admirable or worthy one. Works Cited Greenblatt, Stephen. Renaissance Self-Fashioning: From More to Shakespeare. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1980. Levin, Carole. The Heart and Stomach of a King: Elizabeth I and the Politics of Sex and Power. Philadelphia: U of Pennsylvania P, 1994. McElroy, Davis D. To Be, or Not to Be—Is That the Question? College English 25. 7 (1964): 543-545. Mullaney, Steven. Mourning and Misogyny: Hamlet, The Revengers Tragedy, and the Final Progress of Elizabeth I, 1600-1607. Shakespeare Quarterly 45. 2 (1994): 139-62. Neely, Carol Thomas. Documents in Madness: Reading Madness and Gender in Shakespeares Tragedies and Early Modern Culture. Shakespeare Quarterly 42. 3 (1991): 315-38. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Eds. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square P, 1992. Showaiter, Elaine. Representing Ophelia: Women, Madness, and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism. Hamlet: Complete, Authoritative Text with Biographical and Historical Contexts, Critical History, and Essays from Five Contemporary Critical Perspectives. Ed. Susanne L. Wofford. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martins Press, 1994. Tennenhouse, Leonard. Power on Display: The Politics of Shakespeares Genres. New York: Methuen, 1986. Tilley, M. P, I Have Heard of Your Paintings Too. (Hamlet III, i, 148). The Review of English Studies 5. 19 (1929): 312-17

Patriot Act Essay -- essays research papers

The â€Å"Patriot Act† In the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Congress sprang into action. Within a month, U.S. lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the USA Patriot Act of 2001, giving law enforcement and intelligence agent’s broader authority to fight terrorists operating in the United States. Signed into law by the President on October 26, the Patriot Act is designed to fight terrorism on several fronts. First, it gives the U.S. government authority to hold foreigners suspected of terrorist activity for up to seven days before charging them with a crime. The legislation also gives investigators the legal right to tap any phone a suspected terrorist might use. The Act also gives complete access to financial records, medical records, and even library records. In addition to tracking cellular-telephone communication, agents can now subpoena Internet providers to surrender records of e-mails that they judge suspicious. This component of the law was significant, given that the men who hijacked the four planes on September 11 had communicated extensively about their plans via the Internet. The Patriot Act also sanctioned funds to triple the number of border-patrol agents and Immigration and Naturalization Service inspectors along the northern border. Some of the major areas of contention are as follows†¦ Conducting "sneak and peek" searches, which allow law enforc...

Comprehensive Plan to Improve Human Resources Essay

Whole Foods Market- a company that doesn’t think of itself as a company, but as a community of people working to make a difference in the world. At Whole Foods, the mission matters as much as the bottom line. But who is Whole Foods Market, and how does their Human Resource Management (HRM) play a role in the development of their culture or work environment? This comprehensive plan will describe Whole Foods Market’s history and the challenges and/or opportunities of the company. It will explore the effectiveness of the organizations current human resource practices with regard to the employees and describe strategies to improve the quality of those practices. Additionally, the impact of implementing the strategic improvements and how the organization would measure success upon implementation will be discussed. Whole Foods Market: The Organization Whole Foods Market is the world’s leader in natural and organic foods. With more than 270 stores in North America and the United Kingdom, the organization seeks out the best natural and organic foods obtainable; while preserving better-quality standards in the industry. According to Porter and Kramer (2009), the intention of the organization is to sell organic, natural, and healthy food products to its consumers who are passionate about food and the environment. Whole Foods Market focuses on unrefined foods, health and nutrition. They are definitely not like any other grocery store. Their ultimate goal is to become an international brand identical with not just natural and organic goods, but also with being the greatest food retailer in every community in which they are located. Therefore, Whole Foods Market must purposefully plan and assess the marketing of its goods according to the demand of the customers (Whole Foods Market, n. d). For the last thirteen years, team members at Whole Foods Market, named their company as one of Fortune magazine’s â€Å"100 Best Companies to work for. † In 2010, they were ranked number eighteen. Whole Foods is acknowledged for its team-based operations and employee-oriented work culture, which are considered to be the foundations of its development and success within the industry (Whole Foods Market, n. d. ). Whole Foods Market takes pride in setting themselves apart from their competitors within the industry. No matter how much the company excels in size or makes changes to the organization, the organization supports change by establishing and maintaining seven core values. According to Whole Foods Market (n. ), the core values are â€Å"selling the highest quality of natural and organic products available, satisfying and delighting customers, supporting team member happiness and excellence, creating wealth through profit and growth, caring about the community and environment, creating an ongoing win-win partnership with suppliers, and promoting the health of stakeholders through healthy eating education. † Included in these core values are open communication and transparency, education and training, and staff empowerment. No matter how large a company Whole Foods Market becomes, they preserve what makes them unique through these core values. Whole Foods Market: Challenges and Opportunities As with many organizations, the past economic down turn has caused many organizations to face a lot of challenges and to make difficult business decisions. Whole Foods Market created a permanent modification in how they operate many vital areas of the business. This year, 2010, the company’s business model includes continued focus on vital areas of the company by focusing in on purchasing with regards to the business while creating more worth for the consumer regarding pricing (Whole Foods Market, n. d). In the letter to the stakeholders (2009), Mackey, CEO desires to stay focused on dropping operating cost without harming the customer experience. Additionally, he states that as an organization they are committed to being better custodians of capital and producing free cash flow on a yearly basis. In the future, Mackey foresees new smaller stores that are less expensive, and an increase return on invested capital. A recent 2009 SWOT Analysis of the organization from Datamonitor (2009) listed some additional opportunities such as the recent strategic acquisitions that helped in strengthening their market position. These acquisitions also help the organization to expand its operations in the natural and organic foods markets as well as increase its client base and the number of product categories. One acquisition in particular is the merge with Wild Oats Market in 2007. Other opportunities recorded by Datamonitor (2009) include the growing demand for private label products. Recent economic conditions have warranted companies to offer less expensive private label products as an alternative to the customers’ needs. Whole Foods Market: Human Resource Management Strategies What makes Whole Foods stand out from others in the industry is not a single management process but a distinctive managing structure which includes Human Resource Management support. According to Rose and Kumar (2006) it is important that organizations utilize HRM practices that make best use of its employees, and that is just what Whole Foods Market has done. For example, at Whole Foods, the basic organizational unit isn’t the store but small teams that manage departments such as fresh produce, prepared foods, and seafood. Teams are consulted on all store-level decisions and they have been given a degree of independence that is very unique in the industry (Whole Foods Market, n. d). According to Hamel (2006), each team makes decisions concerning stock, and new hires. Bonuses are paid to the teams, not to individuals. Members have access to comprehensive fiscal information, including the details of every coworker’s wage. Whole Foods Market has been very successful with their ability to recruit and retain good employees. The recruiting process is exceptionally unique. According to Whole Foods Market (n. d), applicants are generally screened by store management or by a human resources person through a preliminary interview. Once the individual is screened for overall job skills and qualifications, the application is referred to the appropriate department managers for a final interview. The final interview process may be conducted by a team or panel depending on the position. Team member’s partaking in group interviews is one way the company puts its culture of empowerment into action. Hamel and Breen (2007), state that this recruiting process is used for all new employees; including those hoping to join teams at Whole Foods’ center of operations, such as the national IT or finance groups. Additional HRM practices include the organizations focus on compensation and incentive based rewards. According to Erickson and Gratton (2007), this is one of the main components of their rewards system within the organization. Each team’s compensation is directly linked to how well that team functions. Team performance is considered in terms of overall productivity; profit-sharing based on those numbers are added directly to each team member’s compensation. Teams are responsible for a different product category or aspect of store operations such as customer service, prepared foods, or grocery, among others. Whole Foods believes in a company-wide awareness of sharing the fate of the business by combining the wellbeing of team members as directly as possible with the interests of the shareholders. The organization uses a gain sharing program to reinforce concept. This program rewards things that members of the team can control such as work efficiency which gives members a direct stake in the victories of the company (Whole Foods Market, n. d). Whole Foods also encourages stock ownership options in plans such as the Team Member Stock Option Plan. Within this plan, all members are entitled to receive a grant of stock options each year. According to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (2007), the grant has two components: the Annual Leadership Grants identify and motivate team member performance; and the Service Hour Grants identify team member service within the Company. Another plan is the Team Member Stock Purchase Plan. Through payroll deductions, all non-seasonal team members with at least 400 service hours may choose to buy unlimited shares of stock at 95% of market worth on the purchase date. Whole Foods Human Resource practices are effective because the culture allows for an atmosphere of transparency, with open books and open people. These processes include the organizations team process which allows for autonomy and a high level of responsibility of line staff. Through such a practice, members use their decision-making authority to take part in driving the business forward. Additionally, the team process promotes healthy competition, trust between members. Whole Foods Market: Recommended Strategies for Improvement Although Whole Foods HRM practices seem successful, there is room for improvement. The following strategies are recommended in the area of team implementation and practices: * If the organization maintains the team concept it is important that management ensures that members do not to obstruct the team authority over the individual. Members should merely feel responsible to each other, but still free to be themselves. Members should also be recognized as individuals. Individuals have a need to be recognized for hard work and individual achievement. Providing a reward system for individual milestones and achievements might also allow for successful company performance. * The organization should provide opportunities for personal growth and promotion through training and education. * The organization should ensure that there are no cliques within the teams. Cliques could make it difficult to maintain cohesion and cooperation within the team. Management should also ensure or encourage subtle unsanctioned norms that steer the actions of team members, saying what’s suitable and what’s not suitable behavior especially within the recruitment process in which members choose their team members. * The organization should periodically evaluate the alignment of team compensation and incentives for the work that is likely to be performed. * HR should monitor changes in team compensation systems to ensure the organization’s compensation is clearly understood by staff and that any changes, including team incentive pay, is also communicated. HR should ensure that employees within the team are able to see and understand the goals of the team, and gain an understanding of his or her importance as a member. These improvement strategies can only make Whole Foods Market more successful than they are already. These improvements will drive the business success, by assisting in promoting productivity, by increasing job satisfaction and retention, and by increasing profits within the organization. Whole Foods Market: Plan Evaluation and Measurements Before implementation of new strategies, employees will be informed of the proposed implementation and changes. Managers will ensure that staffs understand what is being implemented and the impact to employees if any. The success of this plan will be evaluated by reviewing the success of the implemented strategies periodically to ensure continuous improvement. The evaluation of the strategies will include internal assessments and/or employee surveys/questionnaires. The internal assessments and/or employee surveys/questionnaires will be aimed to ascertain the employees’ satisfaction of those methods and strategies. Results of the evaluation and measurements will be compiled and reviewed by the organizations HR team. The team will seek to: (1) determine if implemented strategies are predictive of organizations mission and business plan, (2) understand how implemented strategies improved or did not improve current HR practices and finally, (3) determine if there is a relationship between the implemented strategies and overall retention and job satisfaction. If the results are satisfactory, strategies will continue to be implemented monitored and reviewed. Results that are unsatisfactory will be discussed with employees to determine why the implemented strategy was not a success and to determine necessary changes if applicable. Whole Foods Market: Conclusion In conclusion both management and HR play an important role in the strategy and betterment of Whole Foods Market. This organization has already established a culture that reduces fear and increases trust. The company prides itself in the transparency between management level staff and line staff. Implementation of these strategies will only assist to increase employee satisfaction and retention.

The Relationship Between Energy And Energy Security Risk

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