Performance Evaluation Using Accounting Information

What is performance evaluation? o Performance evaluations are formal review processes designed to encourage the informal day-to-day practice of performance management, while providing a framework in support of merit pay adjustments, promotion and employment decisions. Evaluating staff performance and helping employees develop their skills are important duties associated with performance management. Performance management begins with supervisors and employees collaboratively setting goals and standards, clearly communicating performance expectations and evaluating the results during the performance evaluation process. o A performance appraisal is a systematic and periodic process that assesses an individual employee’s job performance and productivity in relation to certain pre-established criteria and organizational objectives. o o Performance evaluation tools are quantitatively and qualitatively based. They utilize a scoring system that assesses numerical data relative to prod uctivity, as well as characteristic data that measures the quality of the employee's work.The indicators on performance evaluations include items such as business ethics, innovation, motivation, job knowledge, skills and expertise, communication, teamwork, work quality, professionalism, task management and project completion. Benefits of performance evaluation: †¢ Facilitation of communication: communication in organizations is considered an essential function of worker motivation. It has been proposed that feedback from performance evaluation aid in minimizing employees’ perceptions of uncertainty.Fundamentally, feedback and management-employee communication can serve as a guide in job performance. †¢ Enhancement of employee focus through promoting trust: behaviors, thoughts, and/or issues may distract employees from their work, and trust issues may be among these distracting factors. Such factors that consume psychological energy can lower job performance and caus e workers to lose sight of organizational goals. Properly constructed and utilized performance evaluation has the ability to lower distracting factors and encourage trust within the organization. Goal setting and desired performance reinforcement: organizations find it efficient to match individual worker’s goals and performance with organizational goals. Performance evaluation provides room for discussion in the collaboration of these individual and organizational goals. Collaboration can also be advantageous by resulting in employee acceptance and satisfaction of appraisal results. †¢ Performance improvement: well constructed performance evaluation can be valuable tools for communication with employees as pertaining to how their job performance stands with organizational expectations. At the organizational level, numerous studies have reported positive relationships between human resource management (HRM) practices and performance improvement at both the individual and organizational levels. †¢ Determination of training needs: â€Å"Employee training and development are crucial components in helping an organization achieve strategic initiatives†. It has been argued that for performance to truly be effective, post-appraisal opportunities for training and development in problem areas, as determined by the appraisal, must be offered. Performance can especially be instrumental for identifying training needs of new employees.Finally, performance can help in the establishment and supervision of employees’ career goals. The Role of Accounting Information in Performance evaluation Accounting information consists of all data that a company records from operating activities and reports to the public at the end of a month or quarter. Accounting information is important for investors, analysts and regulators, management, employees, creditor and debtor. This information is also critical for a firm's management because it provides insight in to the company's financial robustness and profitability in the short and long terms.Accounting data frequently is used in performance evaluations, because it is seen as an objective method to evaluate performance. While there are many advantages to using accounting information for this purpose, small-business owners should be careful to understand that there are drawbacks as well. Knowing the pros and cons of using accounting metrics can help business owners choose the right data to use for evaluating employee performance. Budget to Actual Many businesses expect employees to achieve budget targets as part of their overall performance.While the specifics requirements of each employee differ with the position and nature of the company, it is common for employees to be expected to sell a certain number of items, control costs versus a budgeted amount or reduce waste compared with a benchmark. A potential downfall of using budget information for performance evaluation is that employees may be so concerned with making budget targets that they may do so at the cost of other parts of the business. Sales Growth Sales employees and business management frequently are evaluated on the basis of sales growth.Sales growth usually is calculated as the percentage that sales have increased over the prior year. While this metric is commonly used to gauge performance, it does not come without drawbacks. If the general economy changes from year to year, then sales may naturally be increasing or decreasing. For example, if the economy is in decline, then employees may be modeling the correct behaviors, but sales may still be slow. In contrast, if the economy is growing, employees may be receiving the benefits of increasing sales while developing habits that will keep this sales growth from being sustainable in the future.Net Profit In many small businesses, net profit is used as a performance benchmark for the company's manager. Condensing the operations of a business into its sim plest form, net profit measures the amount of profit left after deducting expenses. While profit is important to businesses, focus on profit can have adverse effects on the company in the long term. For example, cutting advertising expenses will grow net profit in the short-term, but in the long-term, potential customers may not know about the company's products. Expense ReductionFor employees in charge of spending, it is common to evaluate performance based upon cost reduction. This can be a useful metric, as each dollar of expense saved translates into a dollar of profit. However, caution must be exercised, because this performance metric does not account for differences in quality. For example, if a purchasing manager is evaluating on reducing the expense of purchased metal for production, he could be rewarded for buying cheaper substandard material. As such, small-business owners should be cautious when using this metric in isolation. Profitability Analysis: Management analyzes profitability by reviewing the statement of profit and loss, also known as statement of income. This statement indicates a company's revenue and expense items. Profit Margin Profit margin measures a company's business performance over a quarter or month and equals net income divided by total revenue. Return on Equity o Return on equity provides an assessment of profitability on owners' capital and equals net income divided by shareholders' equity. Working Capital Working capital is a gauge of a firm's cash availability in the next 12 months and equals current assets minus current liabilitiesBudgeting o A budget helps a business know where money comes in and where it goes out. With accurate accounting, a business owner can make decisions to cut back in certain budget areas to improve the profit potential of the business. Without accounting data, the company would be forced to guess how much money should be allotted to each department or line item. A budget that is updated quarterly g ives a clear picture of where the business stands financially so that smart money management decisions can be made. Investor Relations A public company has a responsibility to report the company's financial standing to stockholders. The accounting department of the business creates a public report for investors with the intent of disclosing all financial data. Good accounting practices helps investors trust the management team as they know exactly the points of financial strength and weakness of their investment. A company that does not maintain accounting information would be in danger of lawsuits, claims of fraud and lose access to relationships that provide capital necessary to running the business.Employee Retention Providing employees with accounting information helps them to make responsible decisions regarding their futures. A business that does not disclose or maintain accurate accounting information would gradually lose credibility with its employees. Employees with retirem ent accounts managed by their employers rely on the financial stability of companies to ensure their employers follow through Planning o Before most businesses even start operations, some level of planning is done to determine the level of success that can be achieved from operations.Businesses will examine current economic trends like consumer demand, market size, and number of competitors. This analysis helps companies determine which industry best suits their goods and services and then focuses on planning for the necessary plants and equipment needed to create successful business operations. Management Decisions o Once a business starts producing goods and services, executive managers must review each level of the company to ensure that each department is functioning at its peak.Some departments may need to be overhauled to re-create a competitive environment that produces high-quality goods and services. Additionally, management will use accounting information to decide if thei r company could improve operations by purchasing a competitor or enter a new market with their existing production facilities. Profitability o The biggest need for accounting information is to determine overall profitability. Sales, costs of manufacturing, inventory, and expenses are all recorded and presented to company management so the company's profit levels can be determined.Financial statements like the balance sheet or statement of cash flows may also be prepared so executive management can assess the value of the company and the cash-generating functions of business operations. Investing o Once companies have a solid understanding of their profitability, they begin to make decisions on investing their cash and retained income from business operations. Executive management will decide what amount of cash should be reinvested into the business and what amount should be invested in interest-bearing securities.Companies will use these securities investments to generate cash outs ide business operations, giving them higher cash flows. Accountants must track these investments to ensure that the company does not take on too much investment risk. Performance Analysis o After the financial transactions of a company are properly recorded and presented in financial statements, accountants will review the information to determine the strength of business operations. Accountants use financial ratios to break down the financial statements and compare them to the industry or competitors.This analysis will help management find weak areas in the company and help allow them to find solutions for strengthening these operations. Accounting Performance Measurement Tools Budgets o Budgeting initiatives help department heads discuss steps to limit the decision-making authority of specific personnel. These include employees running inefficient operations or segment chiefs unable to whittle away at runaway budget deficits. Top leadership may not strip ineffective segment leader s of their operating prerogatives, but budgeting certainly limits how much they can spend.A budget is a list of planned expenses and revenues, a plan that organizations use to spend and save. 2. Pro Forma Statements o Pro forma or projection-based, accounting reports rely on hypothetical data to illustrate how a firm's operations may fare under specific scenarios. These include â€Å"best,† â€Å"average† and â€Å"worst†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ with these concepts indicating the state of the economy or conditions in the company's competitive landscape, among other factors. For example, worst-case-scenario pro forma statements show whether a business could generate enough revenues to sustain itself if economic conditions deteriorate. . Accounting Reports o Management accountants and corporate leaders use accounting reports to measure operating performance. By doing so, they help prevent the dismal financial situation that arises when a firm consistently posts negative numbers. Department heads rely on accounting statements to determine operating weaknesses and prescribe the right medicine to fix ineffective mechanisms. The most important accounting statements are balance sheets, income statements, cash-flow reports and equity statements. Balance heets are also called statements of financial position or statements of financial condition. 4. Financial Ratios o Corporate executives and business-unit chiefs analyze financial ratios to determine processes to tear up and those to keep or expand. Inefficient processes may drive away profit opportunities and jobs, especially if a company must shed its workforce to maintain solvency. Management accounting metrics include net profit margin and return on equity. ROE equals net profit divided by shareholders' equity. Net profit margin equals net income divided by total sales. 5. Technological Tools Organizations rely on various tools to tackle the often thorny issues of management accounting, performance monitoring a nd regulatory compliance. In the modern era, computer systems play a key role in the way firms record and analyze accounting data. Tools used to evaluate management accounting performance include financial analysis software, project management applications and enterprise resource planning programs. Other tools include industrial control software, calendar and scheduling programs, mainframe computers and computer-aided manufacturing applications. 6. Gap AnalysisA gap analysis is a useful method of measuring performance when there are already fixed performance standards. For example, you may have a goal of producing a certain number of units per month. This could be a performance standard. A gap analysis starts with the established performance measure. After looking at the established performance measure, a manager assesses the current performance level. Finally, the manager will calculate the difference between the performance standard and the actual standard. This provides the gap, which is an indication of how close a company has come to its performance standards.The smaller the gap, the better the company's performance. An advantage of this performance measure is that it provides an indication of what needs to be overcome in order to achieve the desired level of performance. LIMITATIONS OF ACCOUNTING INFORMATION IN PERFORMANCE EVALUATION (i)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accounting information is in terms of money. Accounting provides information on events and transactions that are of financial nature or can be expressed in terms of monetary unit. It does not give information in quantity or size terms of in qualitative matters like usefulness or efficient.Non-monetary events or transactions are completely ignored however important these may be. (ii)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accounting information is expressed in monetary terms and it is assumed that a monetary unit is stable overtime. This is not true at all with the result that the impact of price level changes is not taken into consider ation. The assets remain undervalued in many cases especially land and building. The direct outcome of this practice is that balance sheet figures of assets are not helpful in measuring the true financial positions of the enterprise. iii)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accountancy is as yet a inexact science and depends sometimes on a number of estimates, personal judgment etc. Estimates are inherently inaccurate and personal judgments introduce bias in the accounting information. It is not possible to predict with any degree of accuracy the actual useful life of an asset which is done for calculating the depreciation charge. The same is true about provision for doubtful debts. (iv)  Accounting information cannot be used as only test of managerial performance. The focus of the financial information is on profit or income which is only ne small aspect of the annual story of business. Profits for a period of one year can readily be manipulated by suppressing such costs as advertisements, research and development, depreciation and so on. (v)  Ã‚  Accounting information is not neutral or unbiased. Accountants measure income as conventionally defined: revenues less expenses. But accountants consider only selected revenues and expenses. They fail to give recognition to the benefits received by their efforts to clean up the environment, improve community welfare and introduce safety measures for the workers. vi)  Accounting like other disciplines has to follow certain principles which in some cases are contradictory. Current assets are valued on the basis of cost or market price whichever is less following the principle of conservatism. Accordingly the current assets may be valued on cost basis in some year and at market price in another year. In this manner, the rule of consistency is openly violated. (VII) The historical perspective of financial accounting: In order to obtain a recent estimate of an entity’s financial performance, the corporate managers carefully scrutin ize financial accounting information.In retrospect, this information is based on past performance. The information does provide clarity on the monetary issues but does not provide a definite insight into the strategic future; as the future holds various changes in terms of technology, economic situations as well as political scenarios etc. Such factors in relation to accounting are unpredictable. Therefore, a careful balance between historical accounting as well as the future forecasted outlook is required. (VIII).Inability to reflect the true value of strategic management: Various factors such as goodwill and natural circumstances influence the operations of an enterprise; however, these elements are difficult to measure thus, leading to their unavoidable exclusion from financial reports. For example companies depend upon their shareholders, who in turn depend on the performance of the Chief Executive Officers. Although the CEOs may have been hired by the company based upon prior p erformance, their future performances are not reliably measurable as they may continually vary.In the initial stages, it may be impossible to measure whether the CEO’s presence will deter or appeal to the shareholders, which in turn will influence the profitability of the enterprise. (VIX). Measuring Volatility of external factors: Financial accounting information does not take into consideration volatile and ever increasing changes in the natural and commercial environment. Although scarcely measurable in monetary terms, their unstable nature may have adverse effects if included within the financial reports and have a volatile and cosmetic impact upon the earnings of the firm.For example, tariffs on trade, duties and other environmental issues can have significant short-term volatile effects on the organization Conclusively, In order to obtain a recent estimate of an entity’s financial performance, the corporate managers carefully scrutinize financial accounting infor mation. In retrospect, this information is based on past performance. The information does provide clarity on the monetary issues but does not provide a definite insight into the strategic future; as the future holds various changes in terms of technology, economic situations as well as political scenarios etc.Such factors in relation to accounting are unpredictable. Therefore, a careful balance between historical accounting as well as the future forecasted outlook is required. References: El-Shishimi, H. and Drury C. (2001) : Divisional Performance Measuring in UK companies, paper presented to the annual Congress of the European Accounting Association, Athens Esptein, M and Ray, M. J (1997):Eniromental Management to improve corporate profitability, Journal of cost management , November-December, pp 26-34 Kaplan R. S and Norton D.P (2001) â€Å" Transforming the balance scorecard from performance measurement to strategic management : part 2’, Accounting Horizons March, pp87 Kaplan, S. E. , and J. T. Mackey. 1992. An Examination of the association between organizational design factors and the use of accounting information for managerial performance evaluation. Journal of Management Accounting Research (4): 116-130. BABCOCK UNIVERSITY, ILISAN, OGUN STATE Performance Evaluation uses accounting information, limitation reconsidered Emerging issues Assignment BY ADEYEMI EBENEZER ADESUJI MATRIC NO NS/4270

Policing Essay

Policing CRJ 201, Section 511 Frank Serpico Francesco Vincent Serpico was born on April 14, 1936 in Brooklyn, NY. At the age of 18 Serpico enlisted in the United States army and spent two years in Korea. In 1959 Frank Serpico graduated form the police academy and was sworn into the New York City Police Department. From the =Beginning of Serpico’s career in the NYPD he was forced with having to defend his integrity to the police department. While a rookie taking part in field officer training, there was a rape in progress call sent out over the radio. Serpico, wanting to do nothing but help wanted to take the call though it was out of his sector and against his veteran officers advice. Frank later forced to give up his collar despite the fact he apprehended the remaining rape suspects on his own. Being a rookie officer left him susceptible to officers with seniority easily getting over on him. In 1960 Frank became a patrolman in the 81st precinct. He then worked for the Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) before he was assigned to being a plain-clothes officer. This is when Frank Serpico’s problems began and he was exposed to department wide police corruption. Police subculture is defined as; shared values and norms and the established patterns of behavior that tend to characterize policing. During Frank’s time police corruption was definitely apart of police subculture. However it was not apart of Frank Serpico’s police subculture. While stationed at the 93rd precinct Serpico was given $300 as a part of the station pay off. Not knowing what to do with the money, and it being his first experience with corruption Frank took the money to his Sargent who in turn pocketed the money for himself. Becoming a snitch is something frowned upon then and now among civilians and law enforcement when it comes to one of your own. It is especially difficult to be a snitch in the police department because there is then no one behind you when in need. Blowing the whistle on fellow officers took a lot of guts and courage, especially when knowing that no one is there to stand behind you, and everyone is against you. On April 25, 1970, a New York Times article was published by David Burnham that would shake up the entire New York City Police Department. With the aid of Frank Serpico and Sargent David Durke, Burnham told the world of the millions of dollars paid to policeman in the New York Police Department by drug dealers, gamblers, and crooked businessmen. Frank also pointed out that despite the obvious corruption both Mayor Lindsay’s’ administration, and the police department ignored and failed to look into corruption cases repeatedly brought to their attention. This very article and the now public knowledge and outrage forced Mayor Lindsay to form the KNAPP Commission; a five-member panel whose purpose was to investigate corruption among the police department. Once the New York Times article was published, Frank Serpico was officially deemed a snitch. Subjecting himself to the possibility of extreme danger and violence, either at the hands of his own or by criminals when a lack of police back up and support is available. This possibility of danger became reality on February 3, 1971. While working in the vice division out of Brooklyn North, Serpico and 3 others detectives were working a drug sting. Frank was sent into the building and after witnessing the drug buy informed the two other plains clothes officers of were the suspect apartment was located. Serpico, the only officer that knew how to speak Spanish, was prompted to fake as if he wanted to purchase heroin to gain access into the suspects’ apartment. Once the dealer cracked the door Frank tried to force his way in, only able to wedge some of his body into the suspects’ door. Subsequently Serpico was shot at point blank range in his face with a . 22 caliber handgun. Once collapsed on the floor the remaining two officers stepped over him and proceeded with the drug bust instead of helping, they didn’t even care enough to send out a cop shot call over the radio. It was a neighbor living on the floor of the shooting that called the ambulance and stayed with Serpico until a squad car arrived to escort him to the hospital. Frank Serpico soon after the shooting began to question the circumstances of the shooting, feeling he was set up to be executed. While in recovery at the hospital Serpico was constantly harassed and faced with wishes of death. Frank recovered, losing hearing in his left ear, and in December of 1971 testified in front of the KNAPP Commission. Ultimately Serpico received what he always wanted, a brass shield and a promotion to detective. Of course there was no customary ceremony when Frank was awarded detective status, he was called and told to pick his badge up from the office. This was one of the many things that displayed the distain the department and city officials had for Frank Serpico. In 1972 after receiving a gold metal of honor, Serpico retired from the New York City Police Department and moved to Switzerland, where he stayed for almost a decade. In 1980 Serpico back to New York City and now lives a quiet life upstate. Frank Serpico was the first and probably most famous New York police officer to report and go as far as to testify on the department wide corruption. He never gave up, never gave in, and always stayed true and loyal to the oath he took when graduating from the police academy in 1959. Hearing the story of Frank Serpico makes me grateful because I know there are truly honest and loyal individuals that hold jobs in the public service field. People like him played major roles in molding what the police department is today. However I do not think I would have followed in Frank Serpico’s footsteps to expose the ugly truth of what was going on in the police department at the time. Being apart of the police subculture, all you have is each other. Once you put on the uniform and strap on that gun and badge no one can protect you from danger but yourself and your fellow officers. Once those other officers distrust you there is no one to have your back when faced with a criminal with intent to harm you. I would remember that when my shift is over I have to go back to my family, I have to live a life outside of my career as a New York City Police Officer. If I could have found a way to not take the payoffs, still do my job to the best of my ability, and not snitch on my fellow officers, that would definitely be the route in which I would take. Frank Serpico could have easily been killed and I don’t think the police department or anything else is more important then my life and the lives of my family. I do respect everything that Frank Serpico did. His integrity and courageousness was unprecedented. Without him the police department that my friends, loved ones, and I interact with daily could very well be much different and much worst. All Frank Serpico wanted to do was be a good, moral person and an honest police officer. He nicely summed up some of his feelings while in front of the KNAPP Commission by saying, â€Å"Through my appearance here today†¦ I hope that police officers in the future will not experience the same frustration and anxiety that I was subjected to for the past five years at the hands of my superiors because of my attempt to report corruption†¦ We create an atmosphere in which the honest officer fears the dishonest officer, and not the other way around†¦ The problem is that the atmosphere does not yet exist in which honest police officers can act without fear of ridicule or reprisal from fellow officers. †

Queen vs. Dudley and Stephens

Regina v. Dudley and Stephens There have been many criminal cases in the history, which brought controversy, whether murder could be justified under different circumstances. One of the famous cases tells a story of four shipwrecked men, which were lost in the high seas. The story was named â€Å"The Lifeboat Case†, regarding the tragic and life-changing decision that was made in extreme circumstance. Four seamen, Thomas Dudley, Edward Stephens, Brooks and seventeen year old Richard Parker were in high seas and due to the storm that hit them very bad, they had to put themselves into an open boat.They did not have any supply of water and food, except 1 lb. tin of turnips. On the fourth day of this journey, they caught a small turtle and it lasted them for few days. After the turtle was completely consumed, they spent eight more days in hunger. On twentieth day of being in the state of prostration, Dudley and Stephens spoke to Brooks as to what should be done if there will be no help. Dudley suggested that one of them should sacrifice his life to save the rest and offered to draw lots in order to pick one.Since Brooks refused to consent and as three seamen, except the boy spoke about their families, Dudley proposed to kill the Parker, since he had no family and the fact that he would die soon anyway, because he was the weakest and he was drinking sea water. Although, Brooks dissented from the crime, with the agreement of Stephens and Dudley, the act was done on July 25th. With the prayer to forgive them, Dudley came up to helpless Richard Parker and telling him that his time has come, put the knife on his throat and killed him.After eating Richard’s body and drinking his blood for four days, the seamen were picked up by a passing ship. The rescuers carried them to the port of Falmouth and they were committed for trial at Exeter. They spent all the time from that day till the court in prison. Since it was very rare case, involving the law of the sea a nd extreme necessity, it was hard to pronounce judgment. Nobody knows if they would survive till the rescuers, hadn’t they not eaten the boy. They could have died from starvation. And Parker in his weak condition would most likely die also.Jurors at the trial were ignorant and they would agree with whatever the court’s decision will be. However, due to the complication of the case, the court was rescheduled to December 4th to be argued before a Court consisting of 5 judges. Regardless of an attorney A. Collins’ objections, saying that it was not a homicide, but a self-preserving act upon the great necessity, prisoner Dudley and Stephens were sentenced to death because, the facts that were presented to the jury, including Parker’s left body parts were horrifying and there is no such necessity that allows one to take another person’s life.However, the death sentence was commuted by Crown to six moth imprisonment. Unfavorable and at the same time trag ic story of â€Å"Dudley and Stephens† begs some questions and requires details, which will be clarified below with the help of some research and articles. While reading the case story, a lot of details seem to be missing and Andreas Teuber, The Professor of Philosophy of Law at Brandeis University proposed a very thorough research with a lot of necessary information, called â€Å"The Mignonette, 1884 Queen v. Dudley†.According to Teuber, the name of the ship was â€Å"The Mignonette† and the owner was a wealthy Australian barrister, who decided to hire a crew to sail his yacht, instead of sending it as a deck cargo since the condition of the ship was not the sturdiest. †He hired Thomas Dudley as a captain, and Dudley recruited Edwin Stephens as mate, Edmund Brooks as able seamen, and seventeen year old boy, Richard Parker, as ordinary seamen† (people. brandeis. edu). Teuber states in his work. The initial reason for the men being on the high seas wa s the fact that they were hired as a crew to sail the ship to Sydney, Australia.Even though, they expected a nice weather in May, soon enough it turned foul and a heavy wave hit the ship, crushing it. As the ship started to sink, men barely managed to get into a lifeboat and by the time they were trying to save their lives, all of supplies of water and food were gone. Professor Teuber clarifies it, saying: â€Å"Unfortunately, the emergency supply of water that they had hastily thrown overboard next to the dinghy was swept away by the waves† (people. brandeis. edu). Since Teuber acknowledged that Dudley was the captain of the ship, it might also be the reason of why all decisions were made by Dudley.He might have felt himself responsible for men’s life and tried to save as much as he could, by sacrificing one. One of the details Teuber mentioned was that the rest of seamen were rescued by a German boat, called â€Å"Montezuma†, which was heading home from South America. As soon as they delivered men to Falmouth and started questioning them, it was clear that they have committed a crime. However, Brook’s name wasn’t mentioned as one of the prisoners throughout the story. And Teuber reveals the reason, saying:†The upright Dudley immediately insisted that he was the ringleader and that Brooks was completely innocent† (people. randeis. edu). So that’s why Brooks played as a prosecution’s witness. The most remarkable situation in this case, was the peace between Dudley and the Richard’s brother Daniel Parker. He even came to court and shook Dudley’s hand. By the way, the initials C. J stand for Chief Justice Lord Coleridge who refused to recognize the prisoners’ case as necessity act. Information that seems to be the most curious for everyone is how those three seamen did live their lives after committing such an act of cannibalism.According to Professor Teuber, Brooks went back to th e sea, Stephens supported himself doing odd jobs and Dudley immigrated to Sydney, Australia. He was taking big amounts of opium in order to relieve himself from painful memories and died from bubonic plague in 1900. One of the sources, that provide a reliable details regarding the â€Å"Dudley and Stephens† case is a Canadian online Law Press magazine and a legal information website www. duhaime. org. One of the founding partners of â€Å"Duhaime Law† Lloyd Duhaime wrote an article called â€Å"Cannibalism on the High Seas: the Common Law’s Perfect Storm†.Duhaime, a lawyer with 26 years of experience, reports the exact location where the homicide act happened as he states: â€Å"Suddenly, the four men were crowded in a small dinghy, lost in the middle of the South Atlantic, at latitude 27 degrees 10 south and longitude 9 degrees 50 West: 1600 miles for Cape of Good Hope, 2000 from South America† (www. duhaime. org). One of the things Duhaime declar es is Dudley’s harrowing confession words which sound like this: â€Å"I then put my knife into the side of the neck.The blood spurted out, and we caught it in the bailer and we drank the blood while it was warm; we then stripped the body, cut it open, and took out his liver and heart, and we ate the liver while it was still warm† (www. duhaime. org). But besides his confession, existing human flesh under his fingernails was enough evidence. In addition, Duhaime states some information on seamen’s further life after the trial ended. According to him, â€Å"Brooks died in 1919; Edwin Stephens buried the Parker affair with alcohol and died in 1914†.According to A. W. Brian Simpson’s â€Å"A Victorian Yachting Tragedy† book, the main role in commuting six month imprisonment was played by young Queen Victoria and Sir William Harcourt, a home secretary at the time. Apparently, strict death sentence was the only solution for murder crimes in 1884. According to the book, Sir William and Queen Victoria had some misunderstandings and a different opinion over previous few cases, but since The Queen was preoccupied with the fate of her idol General Gordon, Mr. Harcourt was responsible for the case.Lewis Harcourt, a son and the private secretary of Sir William, strongly argued about short sentence only and while he was away shooting, Sir William announced the decision which was approved by Queen. As a result, the author of â€Å"A Victorian Yachting Tragedy†, Mr. Simpson grants: â€Å"On December 12 it was decided that the sentence be commuted to six moth imprisonment, not at hard labor, to be dated from December 4, the date of judgment against them not sentence. † (A. W Brian Simpson 247). However, Phillipa Dudley was not happy with the decision and expected her husband home sooner and there were talks later on releasing Thomas earlier.Moreover, Simpson provides an information on missing initials of A. G and Q. C, w here A. G stands for Attorney General Sir Henry James and Q. C stands for Queen’s Counsel. According to book â€Å"Plutarch’s Lives: The translation called Dryden’s Volume 4†, the meaning of phrase â€Å"Necesse est ut eam, non ut vivam†, is â€Å"There was a necessity to sail, but no necessity to live† (Plutarch, John Dryden, Arthur Hugh Clough 561). Meanwhile, â€Å"So spake the Fiend, and with necessity, The Tyrant’s plea, excused his devilish deeds† was taken from John Milton’s poem in â€Å"Paradise Lost† book.It this specific case it does not mean that the act was devilish; however, it would appear that necessity was the excuse. Overall, research clarified a lot of things in this controversial case. There were many horrifying detailed accounts, such as Parker’s eaten body parts or as amusing and heart-breaking information as peace between Dudley and Parker’s brother. Moreover, the fact that in those years murder crimes were punished by death sentence and the court made an exception due to the nature of situation makes it one of the famous criminal law cases.Work Cited: 1. Andreas, Teuber. â€Å"Philosophy of Law Had-Out Page†. Brandeis University. 5 Feb. 2004: Web. 18 March, 2013. 2. Lloyd, Duhaime. â€Å"Cannibalism on the High Seas: the Common Law’s Perfect Storm. www. duhaime. org. 20 Aug. 2011: Web. 18 March, 2013. 3. A. W. Brian, Simpson. â€Å"Cannibalism and Common Law: A Victorian Yachting Tragedy†. â€Å"The Hambledon Press†. 1994. 18 March, 2013 4. Plutarch, John Dryden, Arthur Hugh. â€Å"Plutarch’s Lives: The translation called Dryden’s Volume 4†. â€Å"Little, Brown and Company†. Boston. 1884. 18 March, 2013

Compare the education between Saudi Arabia and United state Essay - 1

Compare the education between Saudi Arabia and United state - Essay Example The research will aim at bringing into focus thoseelements that the educational system in Saudi Arabia can learn from the United States of America. Saudi Arabia and the United States have been allies for a very long time. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is growing and aims to be among the top developed nations of the world. USA, on the other hand, is the most developed country. There are also some similarities and differences between the educational systems in the two countries. But when it comes to the infrastructure, syllabus, course curriculum and its teaching methods, and the quality of education USA will be found to be better than in Saudi Arabia. Thus for this research paper, the problem statement can be stated as â€Å"the educational system in Saudi Arabia is not competent enough like the educational system in USA† The paper will be discussing the importance of education in general in the initial phase to realize its significance in society. This section will discuss the importance of the educational institutions in disbursing proper education. After that two segments will briefly discuss the crux and mechanics of the education system prevailing in the two nations which help us in creating a sense of differentiation and similarity between the two systems. The differences will be then thoroughly discussed and areas will be unfurled where the essence of educational system of USA can be implemented in Saudi. Research also identified that USA is facing some crisis and that will be discussed in the subsequent section. After that a brief literature survey will be executed to gain stronger foothold over the subject matter and validating the problem statement and reaching the aim and objectives of the paper. Education has been considered as an important part in the human society since the development of the civilized world. Human societies across many ages put their interests in the quality of education. The importance of education must not be

The implications of downsizing (rightsizing) to the employees, Research Paper

The implications of downsizing (rightsizing) to the employees, communities, and families of the employees - Research Paper Example Downsizing can have many implications on employees, their families as well as the communities in which rightsizing organizations operate. The impacts on employees may include loss of morale, financial loss and emotional and psychological stress among other effects. Similarly, their families are bound to suffer a reduction in standards of living and may also be subjected to psychological torture in the period that their bread winners remain jobless. Downsizing can also negatively impact on societies in which they operate. Through massive layoffs, the living standards in the societies decline and robbery may take lead in communities which are deficient of job opportunities. Irrespective of the motives, corporate downsizing may yield considerable consequences on the superficial corporate social responsibility of any organization. This paper explores the implications of downsizing on employees, their families and communities. How Downsizing (Rightsizing) Affect Employees Downsizing is a practice that has become synonymous with contemporary organizations. The experience of working in an environment with high likelihood of redundancy and seeing co-employees leave an organization has become part and parcel of workers. Downsizing in organizations makes employees to feel anxious. It affects the morale and also threatens the welfare of employees in numerous ways. In most occasions, employees may perceive the organization as unfair and behaving in unwarranted manner. Besides affecting the morale of employees, downsizing also thwarts trust, employee commitment, loyalty and performance. According to Redman and Wilkinson (2001), downsizing causes â€Å"downsizing syndrome† on survivors. It also imposes psychological impacts on leaving employees. i. Downsizing Implications On The Morale Of Employees Employee morale is a crucial determinant of organizational performance. In the event of downsizing, both surviving employees and downsizing victims tend to exhibit low work morale. Downsizing creates adverse emotions among remaining workers who feel withdrawn from executing their organizational duties. Moreover, surviving employees usually feel irritated, grief, betrayal and are psychologically estranged from their organization. Despite the fact that employees usually struggle to perform better in order to retain their jobs after downsizing, their attempt is usually compelled and not out of free will. Surviving employees are always ready to try new approaches to task execution. With few employees increasing, work burden increases and so does the stress level for employees. Consequently, a downsizing organization may fail to realize it anticipated better performance because of deteriorating morale of employees. In some cases, downsizing might even lead to protest and rampant absenteeism among employees, who feel uncertain as to what might become of them in the near future. The loss of longtime workmates and close friends adversely affect both leaving a nd surviving employees. The idea of separation flattens the morale of remaining employees, which in turn lowers the performance level. It is quite obvious that employees are bound to loss morale in the event of downsizing. Therefore, organizations should be ethical enough to mitigate the impact of downsizing on employees by ensuring adequate

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire - Research Paper Example 146 garment workers lost their lives and 71 people injured due to this disaster in which 23 were men employees and the rest 123 were the female employees. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was located in Asch Building. This factory occupied the entire eighth, ninth and tenth floor of the Asch building. The fire took place due to burn of the garbage and wastages. Poor administration and management caused the death of several priceless lives. The employees in the ninth floor did not get any kind of notification or fire alarm right after the breakout of fire. However, the legacy of this disaster still continues as the citizens of United States of America still share their sadness in the memory of the victims. This particular disaster forced the government regulatory bodies to develop several legislations and policies for the organizations in order to ensure workplace health and safety of the employees. This essay will determine the impact of The Triangle Shirtwaist factory Fire on the emp loyers, employees, community, and industry and labor movement. Effect on Labor Movement It is true that this accident is considered as the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of the United States of America. Several immigrants from Italy including both men and women were the major victims of this disaster. This accident had a strong legacy. One week after the disaster, the workers in the state planned to host a meeting regarding the inadequate workplace environment and lack of safety aspect in the factories and workplace. The citizens of United States of America and immigrants from different countries participated in the meeting to reform a labor movement in order to raise the voice against inadequate workplace health and safety aspect. People of all religious and cultural background started to host a merge or procession in the memory of victims to raise the voice against the business owners who do not think about the good health and safety of the workers. Few days, after t he meeting, near about 3, 50, 000 people participated in the funeral march for the victims who lost their lives due to the particular industrial disaster (English 1). It is true that employees or the labors are the major business growth drivers of an organization. It is the responsibility of the business owners tom ensure healthy and safe workplace environment. However, immigrants from other countries started to leave their jobs due to immense fear from the particular incident. In addition to this, the social environment in United States of America was not favorable for the immigrants and the citizens of lower income group. The economic environment of United States of America was not that much prosperous and developed. People of lower or lower-middle class income group had to face difficulty to lead a healthy and standard life style. These issues were developing for several years in the United States of America. But, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire ignited the flame among the p eople. They tried to oppose the inadequate industrial standards and organizational policies through protest merge. However, it was highly important and essential for these immigrants and deprived citizens to get united and oppose the developed policies. A strong labor movement took place across the States in protest of the brutal disaster which forced the government regulatory bodies, industrial regulatory bodies

Demonic Possession and demons Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Demonic Possession and demons - Research Paper Example Definition and Characteristics of Demons and Demonic Possessions The term â€Å"demonic possession† belongs only to one of the two supposed major types of possession states, the other one being those â€Å"occurring within the context of religious experiences† (Ferracuti et al. 525-526). In fact, a possession trance is defined as â€Å"the presence of a single or episodic altered state of consciousness, in which a person’s customary identity is replaced by a new identity attributed to the influence of a spirit or deity† (525). This means that possession is just as simple as a spirit taking over the physical body and directing it. Nevertheless, there may be two major types of possession depending on nature – the pathologic type, which are known as demonic possessions and the ones often depicted in movies as the devil inhabiting bodies of people; and the religious type, which are particularly found in â€Å"ritual ceremonies† (526) and are norm ally characterized as having â€Å"a valid individual and social function† (526). Demonic possessions, due to the fact that they are necessarily pathologic, and physically and mentally damaging, are therefore a more urgent subject for discussion compared to the religious type. These possessions usually last from five minutes to two hours. (527) The possessing agent, or the evil spirit, that is believed to inhabit the physical body of the possessed victim would usually have a number of characteristics. First, they are usually identified as male and are therefore relatively more sexual, aggressive, intense and agitated (527), thus causing these manifestations of behavior in the victim. The agent is also of a different moral character from the possessed (527). In most cases, the possessing agent is believed to cause the victim to vomit, cough and spit and at the same time roar, growl and bark (527). This is perhaps one of the most remarkable characteristics of one possessed by a n evil spirit. The victim also displays â€Å"facial expressions of anger and hate† (527) and would angrily or sarcastically curse God (527). Moreover, the agent is also lucid and clear about its identity and intention as it often states its identity, curses God and expresses â€Å"disgust for the body it had possessed† (527). Lastly, there is usually a rolling of the eyes and a deepening of the voice in the victim (527). Nevertheless, most demonic possessions would usually begin with â€Å"unexplainable nausea and vomiting† and â€Å"constant difficulty in praying† (527). Nevertheless, demonic possession does not happen to everyone but to a chosen select few. What qualities then characterize these people who end up being possessed? One of these qualities is a previous diagnosis and treatment of a psychological disorder or schizophrenia (529). These people are also very much engrossed in paranormal experiences, have complex personalities, and have an impa ired sense of reality (525). Nevertheless, most of these people are believed to have two distinct characteristics from those not possessed: they have â€Å"recurrent depression episodes† and they â€Å"used to belong to ritualistic satanic groups† (528). As these people are possessed, it then follows that the best and most immediate solution is to seek a solution. The solution is usually exorcism or casting out of the demon, as described in the Catholic document Ritual

Business ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Business ethics - Essay Example These issues not only affect an individual but also affect the organization and the society at large. Various issues related business ethics have been witnessed throughout the semester but job discrimination stands out as the most serious issues according to the journal entry considerations. Job discrimination leads to many problems that go beyond affecting an organization is various ways to causing a serious psychological effect to the discriminated employee. Job or employee discrimination involves unequal treatment of two individual having the same qualifications for a particular job or task. It could involve preferring one employee for an available post to others because of distinct characteristics. These distinctive traits may be skin colour, origin, religion, gender, race, nationality, or any other distinctive traits among individuals. The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission witnessed a number of cases concerning employee discrimination at the workplace. This b usiness issue led a number of employers to face charges against such ethical issues in their businesses and organizations. Workplace discrimination is seen as morally wrong and is moreover expensive for businesses and employers. Some of the consequences that businesses face due to employee discrimination are low working morale, high turnover, and legal action among other effects. This happens irrespective of the form of discrimination exercised in the workplace of any organization (Becker 1971). Discrimination in occupation and employment may take various forms. The discrimination can also take place in various work settings but the impacts of such discrimination actions are seemingly similar. Discrimination entails different treatment of individuals due to certain characteristic, which mainly include colour, sex, and race. This discrimination results business issues such as impairment of opportunity and treatment equality (Anonymous Employee 2013). Discrimination therefore reinforc es employment inequalities in the workplace. Employment discrimination is an ethical issue, which brings restrictions on the freedom of people in developing their various capabilities, choosing, as well as pursuing their professional aspirations (Floten 2004). There is hardly any regard for employee abilities when deciding who to choose for a particular job specification, or when promoting individuals based on various requirements by an organization. In such a case, it would be difficult for a business to initiate a good working environment where skills and competencies can be developed adequately (Schulz 2005). The same ethical issue would create an environment whereby rewards to work are completely denied but instead, workers go through many cases of humiliations, job frustrations, as well as a feeling of powerlessness towards achievement of certain goals. This aspect comes from the fact that some employees feel that they are discriminated or some of the workers are favoured more than others are (Murphy & Enderle 1995). The problem of job discrimination still persists in many countries despite the various programs that have been initiated to curb the ethical issue and the effects of the problem. The problem becomes even worse as people of different origins, skin colour, and race interact in the work environment of all world economies. Discrimination in employment is mainly seen in cases whereby people of common attributes

What was the role of the noblemen in Owain Glyndwr's revolt Essay

What was the role of the noblemen in Owain Glyndwr's revolt - Essay Example In1277, Edward I invaded Wales and after a fierce battle defeated them. He immediately set out to safeguard his dominance by constructing a ring of strong impregnable castles all around his dominion. This area became the power seat of the English and was designed in such a way so as to subjugate and intimidate the Welsh people. After a century had passed England was ruled by Richard the II. The domination exercised by the English with their restrictive land and tax policies became too much of a burden for the people of Wales and they chafed under the English yoke. According to the myths and legends of the Welsh, it was proclaimed that a national leader and redeemer would emerge from among them and so they faithfully prayed for his coming. This man would be the chosen one to stand up and fight against the English domination and restore the long awaited independence of the Welsh once again. Fortunately for them, there emerged a leader in Owain Glyndwr from amongst the shambles and struggles of the country. At the beginning of the 15th century, the Welsh put their faith in the charismatic leadership of Glyndwr even though England was endowed with a strong and massive army. The Welsh were successful in defeating England and drove them out of their land. The Welsh enjoyed their independence which lasted for a very short while. Since the 19th century, there was a resurgence of nationalism in Wales and hence the exploits of Owain Glyndwr was praise worthy. Glyndwr on the other hand did not seem the right candidate to don the cloak of a freedom fighter. Glyndwr, enjoyed all the trappings of a wealthy and privileged life as one of the great and powerful lords in Wales. This was due to his parentage that dates back to the year 1354 when he was born into and upper – class family having descended on his father’s side from the princes of Powys and on his mother’s side he inherited the lands of Rhys ap

National Identtiy Essay Example for Free

National Identtiy Essay National identity refers to the set of attributes and beliefs shared by those who belong to the same nation, the legitimate form of a political organization. Our independence and the way the achieve liberty is through self-rule. According to Anthony Smith a nation is a self-identifying group or community based on such factors as a common culture, history, language, ethnicity and religion. (Power Point Lecture) Nations can adopt a degree of common culture and belief, a set of common understandings such as language and ambitions to promote a cohesive unit. National identity is multi-dimensional and there are 5 fundamental features: historic territory or homeland, common myths and historical memories, a common mass public culture, common legal rights and duties for all members, and common economy with territorial mobility for members. The first feature is historic territory or homeland. Without territory that we call our own we can’t have national identity. One example is the singing of the National Anthem. This is clearly a well-respected song of praise about the land that brings us freedom which we view as our beautiful country. Territory is land that is claimed and called their own, yet there are nations in the past that have had their state and now became nations without states like Catalonia and Scotland. The United States is an example of a nation that doesn’t have a dominant group and a multi-cultural society as a civic nation. An example from the lecture was how we cannot particularly identify an â€Å"American† here in America, but if we were to fly to Japan, an American can be identified very quickly because of their dominant groups. Second, are the common myths and historical memories which are told. This pertains to national identity of people and about their origins. Historic memories refer to illustrations and historical events that become a part of the national story. An example in the lecture is the topic of 9/11. We put aside time to remember 9/11, often events associated with war and how identity is created. Also in national identity we pay taxes to people with never meet, because we have common bonds of obligations to each other, we care about strangers that are part of our nation. We start seeing each other as human in which we outline ourselves in contra distinction to others. The third fundamental feature is the common mass public culture. This is the requirement that we have institutions that reach out and forge a sense of belonging to national identity. Schools and educational institutions are associated in this feature. An example is The Pledge of Allegiance, origins of nations are illustrations of why we learn is since kindergarten and how we must put our right hand over our heart and face the flag as we recite The Pledge of Allegiance. Also, our calendar reminds us we are American and what it means to be American. For Americans the 4th of July is an example and for Mexicans the celebration of Cinco de Mayo is another example of national recognition to those living in Mexico. On Thanksgiving we give thanks because this is the day in which we merit the discovery of our country. In addition, the singing of the National Anthem that starts off the Super bowl also emphasizes the point that we participate in a common mass public culture. All of these examples symbolize that we are a multi-cultural society. The fourth feature explains how common legal right and duties for all members speak to the coherence between nationalism and equality. Each one of us belongs to a different sub group, meaning our citizenship. The fifth and final feature is the common economy with territorial mobility, meaning getting rid of barriers for commerce for common trade. Keeping the same concurrent of currency and standards of measurements in the United States means you know your part of the same nation. The ability to travel freely from one place to another is what we acknowledge as a national identity. For instance, if I were to travel to Ensenada, B. C I would most likely trade in my currency for pesos. A different currency system means a different nation. This also explains a part of what it means to have a national identity. In conclusion, national identity is formed from our interpretation of our nation. Citizens learn to identify with their nation in several ways from singing anthems, honoring calendar holidays such as Memorial Day and 4th of July which in all illustrate to us how to love our beautiful country even to the point of willing to kill for a nation.

Reflective Account Of A Student Placement Within The Community Setting Nursing Essay

Reflective Account Of A Student Placement Within The Community Setting Nursing Essay This assignment will provide a reflective account of a student placement within the community setting. The   reflective   model   Kolbs learning   cycle   (1984) is   often   referred   to   in   describing   experimental   learning   and   can   be   used   in   any   learning   situation.   Reflective practice is important to the development of Mentors as   professionals as   it   enables   us   to   learn   from   our   experiences   of  teaching   and   facilitating   student   learning. Dix and Hughes (2004) recognise that students and learners can benefit from reflective practise. Jasper (2003) also identifies that reflective practise is an essential tool for student nurses to make that very important link between theory and practise. It will also highlight the role of the mentor and look at how the learning outcomes of both the mentor and the student were achieved. According   to   the   Nursing   and   Midwifery   Council   (NMC   2008) the   term  Ã‚   mentor   is   used   to   highlight   the   role   of   a   registered  nurse   who   facilitates learning   and   supervises and   assesses   students   in   the   practice   place.  Ã‚   They   also   identify   the   eight   mandatory   standards   that   must   be  Ã‚   achieved   to   become   a   mentor,   and   within   the   assignment   I   shall   be  Ã‚   referring   to   the Standards   to   Support   Learning   and   Assessment   in  Ã‚   Practice; NMC   standards   for   mentors,   practice   teachers and   teachers,   and  Ã‚   identifying   the   standards   that   mentors require. I   am   a   staff   nurse   working as part of a busy district nursing team   within   the   community setting. I have 5   years   experience as a nurse,   as   I   me ntee   I   will   be   under   the   supervision   of   my   mentor   who   is also   a   staff   nurse   with   over 20 years experience. Who has over   7   years   experience   as a   mentor.    The   student   that   has   been   allocated   to   my   area   of   work   is a   26   year   old   women   who   is at   the   beginning   of   her   2nd   year,   she   has   previously   worked   with   the health   visitor   and   In   a   nursing   home   setting.   Before   starting   her   training   she   worked   as a   carer   in   a   nursing   home   setting   which   has   given   her   confidence   and   personal   experience   outside   her   nurse   training. I   will   be outlining   the   students   journey   whilst   on   their   placement   and   How   I,   with   the   suppo rt   of   my   mentor   provided a   constructive   and   nurturing   learning   environment   for   the   student   to   develop   and   meet   her   learning   outcomes.   To ensure the student has a positive learning experience it is important that the learning environment is supportive for the student and those who work in it . Clarke et al. (2003) makes reference that learning in the clinical environment is very highly valued and this places several demands on clinical areas and staff. The clinic in which I am based has a wealth of mentors and nurses with vast experience. It provides a positive and supportive learning experience to students who are placed with the district nurses. Although the clinic can be unpredictable clinically and tend to have heavy workloads. We have a resource room for students and the staff are always interested in and aware of the students experience whilst on placement.    Our   initial meeting   took   place   on   the   students   first   day   of   the   placement   I   issued her   the   clinics   student   nurse  Ã‚  orientation / resource   pack.   This   provided   her   with   all   the   basic   information  Ã‚   about   the   clinic   and   the   different   members   staff   within   the   team. Also   within   the   pack   was a   copy   of   the   NMC   guide   for   students   of   nursing   (2005) for   her   to   keep   referring   back   to, this   was   to  Ã‚   provide   a   good    introduction   into   the   learning   environment   that   she would   be   in   during   her   placement.   Cahill   (1996)   acknowledges   that   the   single   most   crucial   factor   in   creating   a   positive   learning   environment   is   the   relationship   between  Ã‚   staff   and   the   student   nurses.  Ã‚   She   also   discusses a   common   problem   which   arises   for   students   is   that   they   are   regularly   unable   to   work   with   their   mentor,   so   during   our   initial   meeting   we   discussed   and   planned   her   time table taking   into   account   any   study days she may have.  Ã‚   Kenworthy   and   Nicklin   (2000) comment   that   the   more   comfortable   and  Ã‚   welcome   a   student   feels   within   the   working   environment, the   more    likely   it   is   that  Ã‚   effective   learning   will   take   place   and   the   student   will   become  Ã‚   motivated   to   learn   which   is a   key   factor   in   successful   learning.   During   this   meeting   we   also   outlined   her   learning   needs and   establish   a   learning contract . A   learning   contract   is a   short   agreement   in   writing   between   the   mentor   and   their   student   used   to   ensure   learning   objectives and   module   outcomes are   identified   and   met   throughout   the   placement   (Lowry 1997). Downie and Basford (2003) believe that to identify the learning outcomes at the beginning for the placement is of great benefit to the students. In the learning contract the student outlined she would like to develop skills in the technique of administrating injections. She also expressed an interest in learning the role of a district nurse. It   was   important   for   me   to   know  Ã‚   where   in   her   training   the  Ã‚   student   nurse   was   so   I   could   plan   with   her   effectively   when   supporting   her   in   the   clinical   setting. A   frequently   used   taxonomy  Ã‚   in   nursing   is   the   framework   by   Benner   (2001)   in   which   are  Ã‚   five   levels;   novice, beginner,   competent,   proficient,   and   expert. According   to   Benners   stages   of   clinical   competence   which   shows   the   journey   of   a   novice   to   an   expert   my   student   appeared   to   be   an   advance   beginner   as she shows   understanding   of   the   NMC   code   of   professional   conduct   and has   some previous   work   experience   which   some   st udents   in   the   same   year   on   the   course   may   not   have. Honey and Mumford (1992) explore four different styles of learning which is a variation on kolbs model. It is thought whenever possible, it is essential to allow the students individual style of learning determine your choice of teaching. In seeking to explain kolbs model there are four different styles of learning they describe activists, pragmatists, theorists and reflectors. They also mention that although many people can be a mixture of the 4 styles they primarily had a preference for only one. When establishing the learning style of my student I became aware that she was an activist and also reflector. Preferring to observe and gain understanding of the theory and evidence based practise. Then showing a very hands on and experienced approach it became very apparent she preferred to be practical and experimental once she became comfortable with her surroundings. As outlined in her learnin g contract she was keen to meet her clinical outcome for administrating injections. The NMC standards for mentors (2008) states that students must spend forty percent of their placement with their mentor. This presented a problem as I had a numbers of annual study days which were mandatory and I had to attend. I discussed this with the student and explained other members of staff would oversee her learning outcomes whilst I was attending courses. This would be arranged well in advance so she knew who she would be placed with. She felt this arrangement was suitable as she would be given a chance to work with members of staff with differing experience and skill mix. This would also highlight the diversity in district nursing. I also felt this would enhance her experience within the team making her feel more comfortable with all the members of the team. Beskine (2009) suggests that starting off with a positive approach promotes the students experience as well as the quality of the plac ement. It was found by Pearcey and Elliot (2004) that students who have had negative experiences with their mentor and placements tend to leave the course before qualifying. Spoke placements with members of the multidisciplinary team were also discuss at this point and I gave her a list of recommend contact numbers and details.

British Foreign Relationships :: History

British Foreign Relationships Beginnings The first time that the British came into contact from outside people since the disappearance of the land bridge connecting the British Isles to mainland Europe occured in the year 43 A.D. This was the year that Ceasar send a Roman expeditionary force under the command of Aulus Platius to the British Isles. Although the indigenous Celtic tribesmen put up heavy initial resistance, superior armed and trained Roman Legionnairies were able to subdue them and successfully occupy Great Britian all the way up to the border of modern day Scotland. Over the course of the next 367 years, Great Britian experiences an era of relative peace under Roman rule. Celtic and Roman culture coalesced into a unique society, and Christianity was introduced to Britain. The year 410 A.D. brought about great change though, when Rome withdrew all of its occupation forces from Britain in order to fight the Goths in western Germany. This abandonment left the British people very vulnerable, and almost immediately afterwards various Scandanavian and Germanic tribes began raiding the seemingly defenseless British Isles. Three of these groups, the Anglos, the Saxons, and the Jutes, began establishing permanent settlements along England's southern coast (the word England actually descends from the country's ancient name Angliland, or Anglo Land.) After years of widespread ethnic conflict, the Anglo-Saxons had driven the indigenous Britons back to modern day Scotland and Wales, and came to dominate most of the main island. Towards the end of the first century another group begins to plunder the British Isles, they called themselves the Vikings but were known as the Danes to the Anglo-Saxons. Violent conflict erupted as the Vikings pillaged, looted, and terrorized coastal Britain. At one point, the Vikings under the leadership of King Harrod came close to actually taking over the entire island but were defeated at the battle of Dover. The British people, now united under a single government, continued to repel Viking invasion attempts until 1066, when William of Normandy defeated an exhausted and ill equiped British army at the battle of Hastings. William went to London and made himself the new king of Britain. Massive change resulted from Norman rule, establishing a new ruling class. During this period, King William, and King Henry II expanded their empire into France and Britian became a powerful nation in Europe. After the death of king Henry though, social unrest arose, which eventually manifested itself into civil war, causing British holdings in mainland Europe to erode away in a period of time known as "The war of the Roses".

Malcolm X Essay -- essays research papers

The 1950’s and 1960’s were decades full of powerful speakers. These speakers could motivate people in such a strong way. They were a huge part of the Civil Rights Movement being successful. One of these powerful speakers was Malcolm X. He led a very interesting, yet tragic life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. He was one of eight children. His mother, Louise Norton Little, was a homemaker while his father, Earl Little, was a Baptist minister. His father was a devoted follower of Marcus Garvey, who was the Black Nationalist leader. Malcolm had already moved twice by the time he was four because of threats aimed towards his father from white supremacy groups. Earl tried to get his family away from groups like the Black Legion but despite his efforts, the Legion burned down their house in Lansing, Michigan in 1929. In 1931, Malcolm’s father’s body was found mutilated on the town’s trolley tracks. Even though both incidents were ruled by police, the family knew the Black Legion was behind them both. Louise had a very hard time with the death of her husband. A few years after he died, Louise broke down and was committed to a mental institution. Because of this, all eight children were split up into various foster homes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Malcolm was always a very smart student. In junior high, he was at the top in his class. Malcolm went through some hardships in school though. One of his favorite te...

Shooting an Elephant Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I was not comfortable with many aspects of this story. The prejudice throughout the book was unimaginable, I find I am uncomfortable with any kind of bigotry. Reading of the Burmese people and their disrespect toward someone who was there to â€Å"protect and serve†, was difficult. I suppose I am naà ¯ve, I try to hold on to the belief that people of God are inherently good. I know there are bad apples in all walks of life, bad people are everywhere so holding on to this optimism is harder each day. This story wasn’t like that, this was a blatant attitude of prejudice for sport, ignorance, and peer pressure. I found it very hard to embrace. Story or not, it was and is deeply disturbing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The idea ...

Data Analysis for Research Essay

Scenario 1: Customer Perceptions of the Toyota Brand WKB Toyota in Chichester want to investigate customer attitudes towards the Toyota brand, to see if the press coverage regarding mechanical failures during 2009-2010 have had any long-term impacts on customer loyalty and potential sales to new customers. In the first instance, WKB can offer access to their own marketing database. Scenario 2: Market Segmentation for Visit Chichester Visit Chichester is in the process of realigning its marketing strategy to key customer groups in order to more effectively promote the visitor economy in the Chichester District. As part of the process they wish to conduct research to investigate current attitudes towards the Visit Chichester website. They wish to seek views from across a range of profiles including families with children, couples, and the retired market. The results will be used to determine the structure and content of the new Visit Chichester website. Scenario 3: NatWest Banking Charter Following its widespread publicity campaign, which included TV adverts and street billboards, and as part of its commitment to customer service, NatWest wish to undertake research to establish the impact of its Customer Charter. More specifically, they want to ascertain whether it has lead to a discernible improvement in customers’ perception of the bank’s service quality. They also wish to undertake an internal audit to assess whether staff have noticed an impact of the Charter. Scenario 4: The Green Economy The West Sussex Sustainable Business Partnership has commissioned the University of Chichester undertake research assessing the level of sustainable business practice by businesses across a range of sectors in West Sussex. Specifically the WSSBP would like to establish the extent to which businesses are adopting green measures in key areas such as operations management, purchasing, and energy management. They also want to establish business awareness of available support for going green, and general business attitudes to the green agenda. The results will help WSSBP help businesses prepare for the green economy being championed by the coalition Government. Scenario 5: HMV Music In the light of poor trading figures, and the imminent closure of 60 of its UK branches, HMV want to undertake research to ascertain the factors that are causing poor sales and determine which product lines should be continued and which ones should be discarded. They are also interested in how they can improve their online sales performance as part of a realignment of their retail strategy. Scenario 6: Tourism Industry Response to Recession and Recovery The Sussex Tourism Partnership have commissioned the University to undertake research into the impact of recession on the tourism industry in Sussex, and the strategic response adopted by tourism businesses, including accommodation providers and attractions. They wish to establish the degree to which different sectors have felt the impact of recession, either positively or negatively, and identify the key measures these businesses have taken to remain competitive in the current downturn. Scenario 7: Evaluation of Goodwood Motor Racing Events The Goodwood Road Racing Company (GRRC) has commissioned the University of Chichester to undertake research investigating visitor perceptions of the overall quality of the visitor experience at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Revival. They also want to assess visitors’ views about potential new events, products and services that could be developed at Goodwood that would increase revenue without significantly increase the negative impacts currently generated by the Festival of Speed and Revival events. Scenario 8: Green policies at Sainsbury PLC The aim of the research is to establish whether there are any economic benefits from adopting green business policies at Sainsbury supermarkets. The supermarket’s Operations Manager wants to identify ways in which the economic impacts of Sainsbury’s adoption of green business polices can be measured. In particular, she is interested in the identification of costs and benefits associated with implementing green business policies at Sainsbury, and to identify the economic incentives and disincentives which Sainsbury has from its stakeholders such as customers, suppliers and government to adopt green business policies.

Indian Automobile Industry Essay

A. Introduction The Automotive Industry in India is one of the larger markets in the world and had previously been one of the fastest growing globally, but is now seeing flat or negative growth rates. India’s passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturing industry is the sixth largest in the world, with an annual production of more than 3.9 million units in 2011. According to recent reports, India overtook Brazil and became the sixth largest passenger vehicle producer in the world, grew 16 to 18 per cent to sell around three million units in the course of 2011-12. In 2009, India emerged as Asia’s fourth largest exporter of passenger cars, behind Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.In 2010, India beat Thailand to become Asia’s third largest exporter of passenger cars. As of 2010, India is home to 40 million passenger vehicles. More than 3.7 million automotive vehicles were produced in India in 2010 (an increase of 33.9%), making the country the second (after China) fastest growi ng automobile market in the world in that year. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, annual vehicle sales are projected to increase to 4 million by 2015, no longer 5 million as previously projected. The majority of India’s car manufacturing industry is based around three clusters in the south, west and north. The southern cluster consisting of Chennai is the biggest with 35% of the revenue share. Chennai, with the India operations of Ford, Hyundai, Renault, Mitsubishi, Nissan, BMW, Hindustan Motors, Daimler, Caparo and PSA Peugeot Citroà «n is about to begin their operations by 2014. Chennai accounts for 60% of the country’s automotive exports. The western hub near Mumbai and Pune contributes to 33% of the market. The Chakan corridor near Pune, Maharashtra is the western cluster with companies like General Motors, Volkswagen, Skoda, Mahindra and Mahindra, Tata Motors, Mercedes Benz, Land Rover, Jaguar Cars, Fiat and Force Motors having assembly plants in the area. Nashik has a major base of Mahindra & Mahindra with a SUV assembly unit and an Engine assembly unit. Aurangabad with Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen also forms part of the western cluster. The northern cluster around the National Capital Region contributes 32% of the Indian market. Gurgaon and Manesar in Haryana form the northern cluster where the country’s largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki is based. Another emerging cluster is in the state of Gujarat with manufacturing facility of General Motors in Halol and further planned for Tata Nano at their plant in Sanand. Ford, Maruti Suzuki and Peugeot-Citroen plants are also set to come up in Gujarat. Kolkata with Hindustan Motors, Noida with Honda and Bangalore with Toyota are some of the other automotive manufacturing regions around the country. B. Major Players The Major Market Players C. Product Segmentation While there are multiple ways of segmenting this industry like based on price and engine size but the most prevalent and the official method is based on dimension. i.e. the length of the vehicle under consideration. A1 Segment – Mini – Up to 3400mm (M800, Nano) A2 Segment – Compact – 3401 to 4000mm (Alto, wagon r, Zen,i10,A-star,Swift,i20,palio,indica etc) A3 Segment – Midsize – 4001 to 4500mm (Manza, City, Sx4, Dzire, Logan, Accent, Fiesta, Verna etc) A4 Segment – Executive – 4501 to 4700mm (Corolla, civic, C class, Cruze, Optra, Octavia etc) A5 Segment – Premium – 4701 to 5000mm (Camry, E class, Accord, Sonata, Laura, Superb etc) A6 Segment – Luxury – Above 5000mm (Mercedes S class, 5 series etc) B1 Segment – Van – Omni, Versa, Magic etc B2 Segment – MUV/MPV – Innova, Tavera, Sumo etc SUV Segment – CRV, Vitaraetc While it is easy for SIAM to segment the vehicles as per dimensions but for consumers, it becomes a tad difficult. This is primarily because of the widely varying / spread out prices of the vehicles. A 2 segment, as per the above criterion, will range between 3 lakhs to 7 lakhs. And A 3 will be between 4.5 to 9 lakhs. Such wide variation in prices has distorted the image of segments in the minds of consumers. Hence, for simplicity purposes, a different segmentation has cropped up. The details are as follows:- A Segment – Approximately below 3.5 lakhs – Alto, Eon, Nano, Spark, 800 B 1 Segment – Hatchback largely below 6 lakhs – Wagon R, Indica, Beat, Santro, A Star, Micra, Estilo B 2 Segment – Hatchback majorly below 7.5 lakhs – Swift, I 10, I 20, Ritz, Figo, Polo, Liva, Vista, Jazz, Punto, Brio, Fabia, Pulse, Aveo UVA C 1 Segment – Sedan below 8 lakhs – Dzire, Indigo, Etios, Sunny, Fiesta Classic, Verito, Accent, Ambassador, Aveo C 2 Segment – Sedan below 9.5 lakhs – Linea, Manza, Verna, Rapid, Vento, City, SX 4, Verna New, Optra D 1 Segment – Premium Sedan below 15 lakhs – Corolla, Civic, Cruze, Laura, Jetta, Fluence D 2 Segment – Luxury Sedan below 25 lakhs– Superb, Passat, Accord, Camry, Sonata, Teana, Kizashi B1 Segment – Van – Omni, Versa, Magic etc B2 Segment – MUV/MPV – Innova, Tavera, Sumo etc SUV Segment – CRV, Vitaraetc If we analyze the 1st Quarter of 2012-13, then total vehicle sales has been around 6.32 lakh units. The hatchback segments has totaled to 56% of the entire passenger car sales in India. This comes to 355857 units. This clearly shows the popularity of smaller cars in the Indian market. Alto continues to be the top selling brand with 17422 in July. It is followed by Swift (11421) and Wagon R (9582) – all Maruti brands. This is an indication of how well the Maruti team has understood the Indian market. i 10, I 20, Nano, Beat, Figo, Santro& Polo are some of the high selling models in these segments and these models continue to clock more than 3000 units monthly. Nano has been a disappointment so far with huge expectations but it is showing some kind of resilience off late. As a segment, the Utility segment is showing the maximum growth. In fact, this segment has outclassed the other popular segments of A, B 1 & B 2. With 128110 units under its hood in the 1st quarter, the segment is definitely making some good progress. Maruti’sErtiga, Mahindra’s XUV 500 & Bolero has been instrumental in pushing the volumes of this segment. Innova and Omni too are raking in good numbers. What has been disappointing is the performance from the Tata Motors stable Venture, Safari and Sumo have been showing steady decline in the numbers per se but definitely possess huge potential to challenge the other models. Among the sedans, Maruti Dzire continues to lead the pack. With 11413 numbers in July, it is way ahead of its next model Verna (5300). The iconic models of City, Linea, SX4 have been showing consistent under growth and seriously calls for some introspection by their respective manufacturers. Vento & Rapid also showed some slack but given the aggression of VW and Nissan, it wont be long before they start to pull in good numbers. Tata’s Indigo and Manza were on a slightly negative terrain all these months but somehow the trend has been reversed in July. 6816 for these 2 models augurs well for the company. D. Indian Automobile Industry : Barriers to Entry (and Exit) Barriers to entry (or, BTE) are anything that hinders the movement of firms into an industry. That is, BTE reduce or eliminate the entry of new businesses into an industry. Sometimes BTE can be almost insurmountable: no new firms can enter an industry. Other times BTE can slow down the entry of new firms: new firms appear but only slow. Very low BTE, however, means that new firms can enter the industry relatively rapidly. What can act as a BTE ? 1. Amount of capital The amount of capital required to enter the auto industry is in billions of dollars. So, very few outsiders can ever hope to enter the industry. This major financial requirement services as a significant barrier to entry for many industries. The auto manufacturing industry is considered to be highly capital and labor intensive. The major costs for producing and selling automobiles include: * Labor While machines and robots are playing a greater role in manufacturing vehicles, there are still substantial labor costs in designing and engineering automobiles * Advertising Each year automakers spend billions on print and broadcast advertising, furthermore, they spent large amounts of money on market research to anticipate consumer trends and preferences 2. Limited capacity of parts suppliers Existing parts suppliers have downsized their operations to the point that they do not have excess capacity. 3. Competition There are already significant numbers of well established competitors. 4.Government regulations The stringent regulations regarding safety, design, emission standards and fuel efficiency may sometimes act as a deterrent. 5. Patent protection laws This may prevent the use of certain innovations at low cost. 6. Marketing Marketing a new brand can be difficult and very expensive. 7. Economies of scale Economies of scale give large producers a significant cost advantage over small rivals. Where a firm has grown very large and significant economies of scale exist, they can have cost competitiveness. New entrants generally start small and therefore, have much higher unit production costs than the giant firms. These new, small entrants find it nearly impossible to survive against the large rival because they just can’t be price competitive given their much larger unit production costs. 8. Entry-deterring behavior A firm can protect itself from competition by deliberately acting in a way that convinces potential competitors not to enter the industry. Some firms spend huge amounts of money on advertising to keep new rivals from starting up business. Or, firms can act exceedingly aggressive if faced with new competition by perhaps starting a major price war every time a new competitor enters their market. Lawsuits against new rivals have been used to drive them out of business or to, at the very least, raise the cost of entering the business to very high levels. 9. Knowledge and Technology Ideas and Knowledge that provides competitive advantage over others when patented prevent others from using it and thus creates barrier to entry. For eg. TATA motors have great knowledge/ experience in the automobile industry and have renowned technological advantage because of the recent acquisition and mergers. 10. Product Differentiation and Cost Advantage The new product has to be different and attractive to be accepted by the customers. Attractiveness can be measured in the terms of the features, price etc. For an entrant to attain this, it requires lot of effort as compared to an established player. TATA Nano is an example where till now, no new entrant has entered as a competitor. Barriers to Exit: Obstacles or impediments that prevent a company from exiting a market. A company may decide to exit a market because it is unable to capture market share or turn a profit or for some other reason altogether. High barriers to exit might force it to continue competing in the market. The factors that may form a barrier to exit include: 1. High investment in non-transferable fixed assetsThis is particularly common for manufacturing companies that invest heavily in capital equipment which is specific to one task. 2. High redundancy costsIf a company has a large number of employees, employees with high salaries, or contracts with employees which stipulate high redundancy payments (layoff costs), then the firm may face significant cost if it wishes to leave the market. 3. Other closure costs. Contract contingencies with suppliers or buyers and any penalty costs incurred from cutting short tenancy agreements. 4. Potential upturn Firms may be influenced by the potential of an upturn in their market that may reverse their current financial situation. 5. Government policies In India, the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 puts restrictions on employers in the matter of reducing excess staff by retrenchment, by closure of establishments and the retrenchment process involved lot of legalities and complex procedures. Also, any plans of retrenchment and reduction of staff and workforce are subjected to strong opposition by trade unions. E. Role of Non-Pricing Competition Non-price competition refers to firms competing with one another not in terms of reducing the price to attract consumers instead, in form of brand name, advertising, packaging, free home- delivery, free service, sponsorship deals and so on. These are the different forms of non-price competition. The main aim of non-price competition is product development. As products are differentiated in monopolistic competition, to prove and show how ones product is superior than others- colour, appearance, packaging, skill level etc. It is been done to create an inelastic demand for the product. Following parameters can be used for competition instead of reducing cost: Quality: If consumers must choose between two products of the same price but they can see that one is of a higher quality, they generally pick the product of higher quality. In this way, if a firm can figure out how to produce an item at a cost comparable to what its competitor charges but make it of higher quality, that firm may be able to steal the market from its competitor. Now in case of automobiles, within a given price range people generally don’t comprise with the quality aesthetics. For example : Recalls of vehicles sold. Recently, Honda Cars India Ltd recalled 42,672 units of second generation Honda City cars manufactured in 2007 and 2008 to replace their power window switch. HCIL carried out preventive part replacement of power window switch. The company is proactively replacing Power Window Switch which may malfunction in case water or any other liquid enters the driver side window. Honda Cars India is carrying out the part replacement as part of a global exercise by Honda Motor Company to ensure stringent quality standards for its products. However, a problem with this approach is that it may take some time for consumers to realize any difference in quality. Perception and Branding: In some cases, little possibility of quality differentiation exists between two products. However, the long-term sustainability of such an approach may be difficult because, as such brand advantages arise through consumer trends, consumer trends may also lead to their demise. We can take example of Hyundai’s Eon and Maruti’s Alto 800. Maruti being a well-known brand it was difficult for Hyundai Eon to compete with it. Hyundai India offers its Eon fleet within a price bracket of Rs. 2.8 to Rs. 3.8 lakhs in the country. Maruti Suzuki has pitched its Alto 800 models with a slightly humble pricing falling in the range starting from Rs. 2.4 lakhs that goes on till Rs. 3.6 lakhs in the Indian auto market. Sales Comparision between Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon Source: http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/car-nama/2012/07/13/alto-vs-eon-eight-months-on/ Product Design: In some cases, firms may compete by changing the design of their products to make them more appealing without significantly changing production costs or quality levels. Such a strategy can prove effective at stealing business from competitors, but it can also backfire, because it can cause the company to alienate its existing consumers, who may be knowingly choosing the existing design over other products with different designs specifically because it appeals to their tastes. Product Differentiation: Not all consumers are the same. By offering a range of similar products geared toward different market sectors, firms can expand their market base. However, such product differentiation can result in significantly higher overhead costs for production. For example every model has variants in following aspects: Fuel used (petrol, diesel, LPG, CNG) Cost varients (low end to high end with addition of features like sunroof, airbags etc.) Model| Price (INR)| Mileage| Volkswagon Vento PetorlTrendline| 7,29,000| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Comfortline| 7,75,805| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Style Limited Edition| 8,10,805| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Trendline| 8,44,000| 20.54| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Highline| 8,74,805| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Comfortline| 8,90,805| 20.54| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Style Limited Edition| 9,25,805| 20.54| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Highline AT| 9,74,805| 14.4| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Highline| 9,89,805| 20.54| Sales Structure: When two firms are competing with similar products, one may be able to enjoy more market share and a deeper level of penetration due to a more effective and aggressive sales structure. By engaging in direct sales, firms can appeal to prospective buyers who otherwise would not feel compelled to buy due to advertising or other kinds of marketing. Multilevel marketing is one way in which firms rapidly build their consumer base. However, by turning buyers into sellers as well, such schemes may require significantly higher prices. A typical supply chain in Indian Automobile Industry Source: ImaginMor, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation The description and the role of each of the contributors to the supply chain are discussed below. Third Tier Suppliers: These companies provide basic products like rubber, glass, steel, plastic and aluminium to the second tier suppliers. Second Tier Suppliers: These companies design vehicle systems or bodies for First Tier Suppliers and OEMs. They work on designs provided by the first tier suppliers or OEMs. They also provide engineering resources for detailed designs. Some of their services may include welding, fabrication, shearing, bending etc. First Tier Suppliers: These companies provide major systems directly to assemblers. These companies have global coverage, in order to follow their customers to various locations around the world. They design and innovate in order to provide â€Å"black-box† solutions for the requirements of their customers. Black-box solutions are solutions created by suppliers using their own technology to meet the performance and interface requirements set by assemblers. First tier suppliers are responsible not only for the assembly of parts into complete units like dashboard, breaks-axel-suspension, seats, or cockpit but also for the management of second-tier suppliers. Automakers/Vehicle Manufacturers/Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs): After researching consumers’ wants and needs, automakers begin designing models which are tailored to consumers’ demands. The design process normally takes five years. These companies have manufacturing units where engines are manufactured and parts supplied by first tier suppliers and second tier suppliers are assembled. Automakers are the key to the supply chain of the automotive industry. Examples of these companies are Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, and Honda. Innovation, design capability and branding are the main focus of these companies. Dealers: Once the vehicles are ready they are shipped to the regional branch and from there, to the authorised dealers of the companies. The dealers then sell the vehicles to the end customers. Parts and Accessory: These companies provide products like tires, windshields, and air bags etc. to automakers and dealers or directly to customers. Service Providers: Some of the services to the customers include servicing of vehicles, repairing parts, or financing of vehicles. Many dealers provide these services but, customers can also choose to go to independent service providers. The increased usage of IT at different tiers of the supply chain is on the increase in all the companies in India. An important finding that emerged from the findings was that the integration of supply chain is being done at all the cities in the country i rrespective of the market share. F. Key Developments in Indian Auto Sector Major Developments & Investments * Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd is expecting to sell over 60 per cent more units this year on the back of the launch of its upgraded small car – Nissan Micra * Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) exported its first lot of 64 Fuso trucks manufactured at its Oragadam plant in Chennai. * Mahindra USA, a subsidiary of Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), will set up an assembly and distribution centre, expanding one of the four tractor facilities in North America, by January 2014 * The Japan-based automobile manufacturer Isuzu Motors’ local subsidiary Isuzu Motors India has entered into an agreement with Hindustan Motors (HM) for contract manufacturing of Isuzu SUVs and pickup trucks * A year after introducing the popular ‘MINI’ range of cars in India, luxury car maker BMW has started local production of ‘MINI Countryman’ at its facility in Chennai * New Holland Fiat India plans to invest Rs 1,100 crore (US$ 184.56 million) to set up a new green-field pl ant in Maharashtra and also to increase its tractor manufacturing capacity by 50 per cent in the next three years * Hero MotoCorp has bought a 49.2 per cent stake in its US-based technology partner Erik Buell Racing (EBR) for US$ 25 million. This is Hero MotoCorp’s first-ever equity purchase in an overseas company. Also, Hero MotoCorp has entered into the African continent with launch of its brand and products in Kenya, where it has also set up an assembly unit. The company has also partnered with Ryce East Africa to sell its two-wheelers in the country * Daimler is developing its Indian commercial vehicle operations as an export hub. Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) will export locally assembled trucks from the conglomerate’s Mitsubishi Fuso range in 15 markets in Asia and Africa. Government Initiatives The Government of India plans to introduce fuel-efficiency ratings for automobiles to encourage sale of cars that consume less petrol or diesel, as per Mr. Veerappa Moily, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. The Union Budget 2013-14 announced by Mr. P Chidambaram, the Union Finance Minister, Government of India, in the Parliament on February 28, 2013, had a few add-ons for the industry. The analysis by Deloitte on the Union Budget highlighted the following: * The period of concession available for specified part of electric and hybrid vehicles till April 2013 has been extended upto March 31, 2015 * The basic customs duty (BCD) on imported luxury goods such as high-end motor vehicles, motor cycles, yachts and similar vessels was increased. The duty was raised from 75 percent to 100 percent on Cars / motor vehicles (irrespective of engine capacity) with CIF value more than US$ 40,000; from 60 percent to 75 percent on motorcycles with engine capacity of 800cc or more and on yachts and similar vessels from 10 percent to 25 percent * In addition, an increase in excise duty from 27 to 30 per cent has been allowed for SUVs with engine capacity exceeding 1,500 cc, while excise duty was decreased from 80 to 72 per cent, in case of SUVs registered solely for taxi purposes * An exemption from BCD on lithium ion automotive battery for manufacture of lithium ion battery packs for supply to manufacturers of hybrid and electric vehicles * The excise duty on chassis of diesel motor vehicles for transport of goods reduced from 14 per cent to 13 per cent Moreover, the Government of India allows 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the automotive industry through automatic route. The Government also plans to accelerate the supply of electric vehicles over the next eight years. It is expected that there will be a demand for 5-7 million electricity-operated vehicles by 2020. The contribution of automotive sector in the gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to double, reaching a turnover worth US$ 145 billion in 2016, with special focus on export of small cars, MUVs, two & three wheelers and auto components, as per the Automotive Mission Plan (AMP) 2006-2016. Road Ahead Global and Indian manufacturers are focusing their efforts to develop innovative products, technologies and supply chains in the industry. Car makers are launching a slew of car models, mostly compact SUVs, in the coming months. The automobile body SIAM expects the launches to be able to brighten the market. Lastly, the vision of AMP 2006-2016 sees India, â€Å"to emerge as the destination of choice in the world for design and manufacture of automobiles and auto components with output reaching a level of US$ 145 billion; accounting for more than 10 per cent of the GDP and providing additional employment to 25 million people by 2016.† G. Major Challenges and Suggested Measures Challenges: 1. Strong decline in economic growth- * It affects the consumer buying behavior- Buyers driven by fear of job loss, moved aggressively to increase their rate of saving. At the same time, high cost and growing longevity of motor vehicles prompted buyers to postpone purchases that they might have otherwise made. * Freezing of credit markets meant cancelledorders, unpaid supplier invoices, and ‘temporarily’ shuttered plants. * High excise duty- 12 % for sub 4 meters cars and 24 % for over 4 meters cars. * High interest rates as well as difficulty to obtain loans for purchase. 2. Duplicate spare parts- Indian market has always suffered from duplicate products and cheap counterfeits. This puts pressure on OEMs to reduce the prices and compete with these cheaper counterfeits. According to the study conducted by market research agency nielson co with acma, 41 % of total spare parts belong to OEMs and OESes, 23 % belong to imported segment and 36 % are duplicate. 3. Lack of infrastructure- Lack of proper road infrastructure, resulting into heavy Traffic has become major concern in most of the cities in India. Parking problem, parking cost adds to it. Bad roads, Bad drivers on road further add to the problem. 4. Availability of skilled man-power- As per data published by NSDC(National Skill Development Corporation), automobile sector in India is going to face a shortfall of 35 million skilled manpower by 2022. Limited availability of skilled manpower is bound to pose a great challenge to the positive growth of the Indian automotive manufacturing industry. 5. High Ownership cost- Small car sales are likely to fall by a couple of percentage points in 2013-14 due to continued uncertainty over income growth, high fuel costs arising from a deprecating rupee and still relatively high inflation.Diesel cars will lose their sheen, particularly in the small car segment, due to the gradual deregulation of diesel prices and the expected fall in petrol prices. 6. IR related issues- The $73 billion automobile sector has witnessed abhorrent industrial unrest in the recent 5 years with disputes in Maruti Suzuki, Hero Honda, Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India, Rico,Hyundai, Ashok Leyland, MRF, Apollo Tyres, Sona Koyo and Toyota Kirloskar Motors Ltd. Thissector, to generate double revenue needs a flexible workforce of 25 million with an amicableatmosphere to hire and fire workers to cope with the cyclical swings in demand for cars, trucksand bikes but the archaic labour laws governing employment of contract labour has fan thesetensions. This speculates the lack of efficient implementation machinery. Industrial unrestsaccompanying murders of the executives have also been committed in 2-3 instances recently,demonstrating the urging to address the issue by the social partners. 7. Global competition— Competition will only increase in the years to come, as more international players enter India and the pace of innovation accelerates. This would elevate both R&D and selling and distribution costs, thereby impacting margins. Despite these headwinds, India would continue to remain an attractive market, as volumes across segments are projected to grow at a five-year compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 10 per cent. Suggested Measures India has a very low car penetration about 10 per 1000. This number is expected to become 382 by 2025, this means that there is plenty of room to each automobile giant to grow in Indian market without affecting the volume of other competitors. Few of the following suggested measures may have a bounce back effect on the Indian Automobile Industry; 1. Friendly government policies: Tax benefits for R&D development and Skill related investments, subsidies for hybrid vehicles are the measures if taken can boost the Indian automobile sector. Similarly extension of 200 % weighted deduction of R & D expense under income tax law andweighted deduction of 150 % for expenditure in skill development by industries seem to be positive steps towards the cause. 2. Healthy Industrial Relations through better contract worker policies: As in most of the developed countries thecontract workers are covered under the social security provisions and are paid at par with the permanent workers. Such transparent policies may definitely promote positive industrial relations and foster industrial growth. 3. Technology up gradation measures-Automobile industry is slowing down, but at the same time we are seeing long waiting periods for new launches, which means people are no longer going for same old trusty brands and models and want more value for their money. Which gives me hopes that if Auto makers focus on launching more new models and more global launches they will surely find customers. 4. Promoting Hybrid vehicles or better fuel efficiency—To counter the problems of high fuel prices, it’s the need of the hour to develop higher fuel efficient products and also the products running on alternative fuel to decrease the ownership cost. For this concession on import duty on specified parts of hybrid vehicles are necessary. Stringent laws and strict exercise to eliminate spurious auto-spare part business. 5. Ensuring easy loan availability–The industry should also approach the banks and NBFCs for better and easier loan availability to the car buyers. 100% finance and lower EMI with longer loan tenure will definitely help.