Advantages might employees see in working for a truly global company Essay

Advantages might employees see in working for a truly global company - Essay Example In other words, the global companies operating outside of their home country in as much as possible would want their track records in a highly impeccable standard to ensure effective operations. Foreign companies operating overseas are found to have significant concern on human resource management prior to maximizing effective operations (Farley et al., 2004). According to Farley et al. (2004), maximizing efficiency and striving for superior quality are top priorities in the core values of MNC subsidiaries in China, which are synonymous with ability and performance as key considerations in promotion and salary. This potential point is primarily related with cultural issue. Global companies especially originating from other countries will tend to adapt and put a high value of consideration of cultural issues. Thus, this might be clearly emphasized in the HR (Human Resource) context. The very reason is the point that the human resource is highly associated with cultural background. In fact, every organization has specific cultural context which at some point would remarkably give potential impact on how the general human resource is dealt with. For example, the parent firm is normally known to formulate its corporate culture which can be observed in its core values, amidst the existing culture and tradition in the host country as this is significantly viewed to maximize effective operations and achievement of competitive advantage (Farley et al., 2004). Working therefore in companies like this will prove to be challenging but promising at some point due to the fact that in an organization diverse culture orientations can be remarkable (McSweeney, 2002). The probable difference between MNC subsidiaries and Multi-National Enterprise from a home country is therefore the presence of foreign culture in the former that could be simultaneously integrated with the firms’ organizational culture prior to

Suspense of the audience Essay Example for Free

Suspense of the audience Essay This biblical connection serves as a warning to the audience that Elizabeth is going to die! You can hear the rain dripping against the building and roof that gives this particular part an eerie effect, because it sounds like the drums used before an execution. We move onto the next scene. After you see the silhouette of the monster that tricks you to believe that you are looking at him from Elizabeths point of view almost immediately you see nothing but the hand cover Elizabeths mouth you see it being done with a birds eye view so you can tell exactly what has happened to her. We then go outside to the three men once again. Victor sees the balcony door open and shouts Elizabeth! in a frantic voice! Building up the sense of urgency. The music is reaching a crescendo in sympathy with the action on the screen. The final scene is also the most action-packed! There is a close-up of the Creature lying on top of a very scared and terrified Elizabeth, each staring at the other in silence this is a very quiet moment for the audience; it gives you your breath back from the outside! There is eerie music in the background to match with this eerie moment. The audience has time to contemplate what will happen next? Will the monster let her go or will she die? The close up reveals the monster looking admirably at Elizabeth and for a moment we believe she will escape. It still has the amber glow inside, but because this is a different situation the amber doesnt give out the romantic feel anymore, it gives out a chilling feel instead! The silence is broken when Elizabeth asks not be hurt. This is still a close up and you can hear Elizabeth breathing in fear and see the expression on her confused and bewildered face. The creature takes up a lot of the camera space in this shot; he wears black that is a sign that the evil is domineering over the good. Dont bother screaming, demands the creature in case they find him. He says it again to make himself clear. At this moment you feel sorry for Elizabeth, because you know she is going to die and you are part of her experience because the camera angle is a close-up and you feel her emotions. The Creature says, Your even lovelier than I had expected there is then a flash of lightening in the foreground it catches the eye of the creature, he is blinded and bewildered by it for a split second, he recovers and hears Victor shout Elizabeth from outside the room. He suddenly digs his hand into Elizabeths chest, the three men then burst in and all of a sudden the Creature catches the audience off-guard by ripping the heart out of Elizabeth in a matter of milliseconds and turning to Victor utters, I keep my promises. The three men start to shoot at the creature, but the creature throws the dead Elizabeth off the bed her hair catches fire which brings in more excitement for the viewers. The creature makes a dash for the balcony window and jumps out onto the ground. This is all mid-shot, and distances you from the action so that you can see the whole picture. The scene ends with the romantic feel it started off with, but this is a tragic romance as we are left to watch Victor cradling the dead Elizabeth in his arms after putting the fire out of the hair. My evaluation The director has used a wide range of skills to contribute to the success of this scene. He shifts the viewers through a range of emotions and expectations through his use of contrast, lighting and sound. The sense of suspense is heightened by the use of small short, contrasting scenes cut quickly between them. In my opinion, the director should try to and use the audiences four senses so that the audience feels even more part of the film, thus becoming more scared when something harrowing happens! I think a brilliant idea to back this up would to be adding smell and touch for example you can smell the flowers and candles burning in the love scene and you can feel the warmth and smooth fabric on the bed. I think that the director was very effective in the scene and made good use of what he could. He used lighting, sounds and images which all made the audience hooked into the scene. I in particular was glued to it, and was always thinking, What will happen next? It does seem like a mad rush but that is good in horror films, the quick feeling of adrenalin pumping through the body is the main objective of the director! Conclusion The scene that I studied was a very good example of a horror movie! There were all the ingredients that are needed to fulfil a good horror movie, such as the normal love scene turning into a horror scene. Contrast plays an important part in horror movies. For example, there was the contrast between the beauty of Elizabeth and the ugliness of the Creature and the beauty of the love scene which shows the creation of life through love and the contrast of the death about to befall her. The director uses very good techniques to keep the audience glued to the film. He let the audience know there was horror awaiting outside, but inside Elizabeth was completely unaware of what was about to befall her and the audience just want to let her know that she should get out of there, but we feel frustrated because we cant do anything about the information we have. The audiences emotions are therefore heightened and confused. I especially like the use of colours in the love scene and the contrast with the turmoil of the dark storm outside. I think that emphasises the mood of the whole scene the evil that lurks outside. I also like the flips between the inside and the outside, where you feel warm and secure inside and vulnerable and scared outside! The director is playing with the emotions of the audience. Overall, it is an effective scene I think it could even be an inspiration to other horror film directors because of the techniques that were used and the way they were used! By Matthew Kutner 10G Matthew Kutner 10G 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Hindustan petroleum corporation limited

Hindustan petroleum corporation limited Chapter-1 1.1Introduction to Hindustan Petroleum HPCL (Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited), a Navratna PSU of the Government of India, is a Fortune 500 company of India listed at number 311 in the global 500 rankings, with an annual turnover of over Rs. 1,16,428 Crores and sales/income from operations of Rs 1,31,802 Crores (US$ 25,618 Millions) during financial year 2008-09, about 20% Marketing share in India and a strong market infrastructure. Corresponding figures for financial year 2007-08 are: Turnover- Rs 1,03,837 crores, and sales/income from Operations- Rs. 1,12,098 Crores (US$ 25,142 Million). HPCL operates 2 major refineries producing a wide variety of petroleum fuels specialties, one in Mumbai (West Coast) of 5.5 Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MMTPA) capacity and the other in Vishakapatnam, (East Coast) with a capacity of 7.5 MMTPA. HPCL holds an equity stake of 16.95% in Mangalore Refinery Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), a state-of-the-art refinery at Mangalore with a capacity of 9 MMTPA. Another Refinery of 9 MMTPA is under construction in Bathinda, Punjab by HMEL, a Joint Venture with Mittal Energy Investments Pte.Ltd. HPCL also owns and operates the largest Lube Refinery in India producing Lube Base Oils of international standards. With a capacity of 335 TMT. This Lube Refinery accounts for over 40% of the Indias total Lube Base Oil production. Presently HPCL produces over 300+ grades of Lubes, Specialities and Greases. The marketing network of HPCL consists of 13 Zonal offices in major cities and 90 Regional offices facilitated by a Supply Distribution infrastructure comprising Terminals, Aviation Service Facilities, LPG Bottling Plants, Lube filling plants, Inland Relay Depots, Retail Outlets (Petrol Pumps) and LPG Lube Distributorships. HPCL has, over the years, moved from strength to strength on all fronts. The refining capacity steadily increased from 5.5 million metric tonnes in 1984/85 to 13.00 million metric tonnes (MMT) now. On the financial front, the turnover grew from Rs. 2687 crores in 1984-85 to Rs 1,31,802 Crores in Financial year 2008-09. 1.2History of Hindustan Petroleum Ltd. 1952 The Company was incorporated in the name of Standard Vacuum Refining Company of India Limited on July 5, 1952 under the Indian Companies Act, VII of 1913. 1962 On 31st March the name was changed to ESSO Standard Refining Company of India Limited. 1976 With the nationalization of Caltex Undertakings in India the same were also taken over by the Government of India and subsequently merged with HPCL. 1979 The undertakings of Kosangas Company Ltd. were merged with HPCL. As part of the disinvestment in PSUs, shares of HPCL were sold by the Government to Financial Institutions, Mutual Funds and Banks. Presently the Government holding in HPCL is 60.31%. The balance is being held by Financial Institutions, Mutual Funds, Banks, Foreign Institutional Investors, Employees and Individual Shareholders. It has co-promoted several joint ventures like Mangalore Refinery Petrochemicals (MRPL), Hindustan Colas, Petronet India, Punjab Refinery Project, Visakh Power Project, Prize Petroleum Co South Asia LPG Co. 1983 The capacity of lube plant was increased by an additional 74,000 tonnes per annum of high viscosity index lube base stocks. 1985 The crude unit and related off-sites were commissioned in January and fluid catalytic cracking unit was commissioned in August. During the year corporation embarked upon a project to expand the crude distillation capacity at Mumbai by 2 million tonnes per annum at an estimated cost of Rs.45 crores. This project was commissioned in April. 1988 Mangalore Refineries Petrochemicals Ltd., is the first joint sector refinery being set up in the country after the Government has allowed entry of the private sector in the petroleum refining industry. 1989 During the year corporation installed the latest C-generations concept 3*10 MW gas turbines to meet the power requirement at Bombay Refinery with facilities to generate steam simultaneously. 1991 During September 3*10 MW gas turbine generators and heat recovery steam generators were commissioned at a cost of Rs.79.22 crores at Mumbai. 1993 During March an MOU was entered into between Govt. of India and Govt. of Sultanate of Oman, HPCL and Oman Oil Co., Ltd., for setting up 6 million TPA refinery on the West Coast of India through a joint venture company called Hindustan Oman Petroleum Co. Ltd. 1995 During February, the company issued 173,50,000 equity shares of Rs.10 each with detachable warrants of Rs.380 each as follows. a. On firm allotment basis: i) 34,70,000 equity shares with warrants to Indian Financial institutions ii) 3,35,000 shares with warrants to Indian Mutual Funds. b. Preferencial allotment basis: i) 17,35,000 shares with warrants to share to employees ii) 17,75,000 shares with warrants to shareholders of the company, iii) 34,70,000 shares with warrants to NRIs, balance 66,05,000 shares were issued to the public. 1996 During the year March a joint venture with Colas S.A of France, the company commenced its first State-of-the-art Bitumen emulsion Plant of 20,000 TPA capacity at Vashi, named Hindustan Coalas Ltd. 1999 American Express and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for card acceptance at various gas stations. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) have entered into an agreement for setting up a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) pipeline and infrastructure from Visakhapatnam to Secunderabad via Rajamundry and Vijayawada. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has allowed the joint venture of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) and Total of France, to set up LNG terminals and venture into downstream activities such as marketing of petro-products, etc. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) is celebrating its silver jubilee year with Shakti Utsavs in major Indian cities. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. has introduced its smart card in Bangalore for the first time in the country. 2004 HPCL Marketing Initiatives in Sri Lanka Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) has formed a 50:50 joint venture with Total Gas and Power India (TGPI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Total France, to develop the biggest underground Cavern LPG Storage project at Visakhapatnam Gets award for industrial safety by National Safety Council, Kerala Chapter in chemical industries sector Inks pact with Shell India Private Ltd for product and infrastructure sharing between the two companies Signs agreement with US Pizza, a pizza outlet, which would be opening over 500 delivery units at HPCLs outlets around the country. The understanding is aimed at making the partnership the largest food chain in the country Mr S. Roy Choudhary has been appointed as Director-Marketing in Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), effective May 10 Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd on June 26 signed a memorandum of understanding with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd Birla Power Solutions, a Yash Birla Group company, has tied up with Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) to produce electricity generators, which run on LPG HPCL launches unique smart card Hindustan Petroleum Corporation signs MoU Confidentiality agreement with Chevron Texaco 2005 HPCL signs MoU with RCF (Rashtriya Chemicals Fertilisers Ltd ) HPCL ropes in Sania Mirza to endorse retail brands Pizza Corner forges alliance with HPCL Amex, HPCL unveils co-branded credit card HPCL opens new LPG bunk in Visakhapatnam HPCL partners with MSFCL for bio-diesel venture HPCL signed an agreement with BP plc (formerly known as British Petroleum) to form 50:50 strategic joint venture partnership HPCL signs MoU with Gail on November 16, 2005 2006 HPCL, MyTVS unveils MyTVS Club HP Smart1 cards HPCL signs MoU with SINOPEC HPCL join hands with Malbro Appliances to market LPG stoves Kamat Group joins hand with HPCL for food joints Nirlep Appliances Ltd, manufacturer of cookware, has entered into a marketing pack with HPCL for marketing non-stick cookware, regular inner and outer lid pressure cookers and gas stoves. 2007 Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) has informed that Shri. Arun Balakrishnan earlier Director (HR) has taken charge as Chairman Managing Director of the Company effective April 01, 2007 (AM). Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and ONGC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), covering Product Sale Purchase, Infrastructure Services and Co-operation in Energy related fields. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) has informed that Shri. P V Rajaraman, retired IAS Officer and former Chairman of Tamilnadu Industrial Investment Corporation has been co-opted as part-time Non-officio Director on the Board of the Company. Mr V. Vizia Saradhi assumed charge as the Director, Human Resources, of the HPCL on Aug 3. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) has informed that Shri. V Viziasaradhi has been appointed as Director Human Resources on the Board of the Company effective August 03, 2007 (PM). 2008 Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) has informed that Shri. L N Gupta, Joint Secretary Refineries, Ministry of Petroleum Natural Gas (MOPNG) has been co-opted as part-time ex-officio Director on the Board of HPCL at the Board Meeting held on June 25, 2008 (PM). 2009 Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) has appointed following firms as statutory / Branch Auditors for the Financial year 2009-10. V. Sankar Aiyar Co. : Joint Statutory Auditors Om Agarwal Co. : Joint Statutory Auditors Gandhy Co. : Branch Auditors for Visakh Refinery. 1.3Products Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. a diverse range of products, from petrochemicals and solvents to aircraft fuel and speciality lubricants and markets them through its wide network of Petrol Stations, Kerosene Dealers, LPG Distributors, Lube Shoppes, besides supplying fuel directly to hundreds of industries, and several international and domestic airlines. Unaudited Financial Result for 2nd Quarter 2009-2010 28th Oct. 2009: Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited has registered a turnover of Rs. 25,868 crores for the period July September, 2009 as against Rs. 32,691 crores in the corresponding previous period largely due to the decline in the international prices of crude oil and products. The sales of petroleum products (including exports) have increased to 6.26 million tonnes registering a growth of above 4% over the second quarter of the previous year. The growth in domestic sales during April September, 2009 was 6.4%, the highest growth among oil marketing PSUs. The refineries at Mumbai and Visakh processed 8.12 million tonnes of crude during April September, 2009 as against 7.55 million tonnes during April September, 2008. The combined GRM recorded for April September, 2009 was US $ 3.79 /bbl. On the financial front, the loss for the period July-September, 2009 was Rs.137 crores as against a loss of Rs 3,219 crores for July-September, 2008. However for the period April September, 2009, HPCL reported a profit after tax of Rs 512 crores as against a loss of Rs 4,107 crores during April September, 2008. The interest cost for July-September, 2009 was lower at Rs 249 crores, as compared to Rs 527 crores during the same period of previous year. The decrease in interest cost was due to lower levels of borrowings as also lower rates of interest. The net under recovery on sale of sensitive petroleum products during the second quarter also came down to Rs 1,453 crores from Rs 1,818 crores during corresponding previous period. During the quarter, the foreign exchange gain was Rs 92 crores as against loss of Rs 245 crores in the corresponding quarter of last year. The facilities for Euro III petrol production at Mumbai Refinery and at Visakh Refinery have been commissioned during this quarter. The new JV Refinery at Bathinda, viz. HPCL Mittal Energy Ltd. (HMEL) is progressing as per schedule. About 50% physical completion has already been achieved. The Project is progressing ahead of schedule and mechanical completion is expected by March, 2011. Chapter-2 Review of literature 2.1Review of Literature Hydro Oil Energy increases annual production growth rate to 8%(2002) NORDIC BUSINESS REPORT-12 June 2002-Hydro Oil Energy increases annual production growth rate to 8% (C)1994-2002 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD http://www.m2.com The Norwegian company Norsk Hydro ASA said today that it had revised upward the production profile and average annual production growth rate of its Hydro Oil Energy business. Staying Power(2004) The North Sea oil industry is a quintessentially Scottish business, with its operational hub in Aberdeen. Aberdeen has built a reputation for excellence in supporting the UK oil and gas industry. With oil and gas production amounting to about 3.7m barrels of oil equivalent a day (boe/d), Scotland remains a significant hydrocarbons producer in world terms. And a considerable amount of hydrocarbons remains to be produced up to 30bn boe, the UK Offshore Operators Association claims. But while the North Sea offers growth opportunities for niche operators, Aberdeen must reach out to other regions and new business areas. To remain an active source of oilfield services, a focus on research and development and innovative thinking will be needed, as well as timely government help. Oil wealth offers new opportunity(2004) With international banks set to enter Saudi Arabias previously guarded markets, as the long-awaited capital market law comes into effect, the threat of increased competition is looming on the horizon for the countrys banks. At the same time, one of Saudi banks main sources of income the issuance of government paper is slowly drying up. Despite this, Saudi institutions can look forward to a bright future of growing lending opportunities and robust profitability. As consumers embark on an oil-driven spending spree, the local market is as buoyant as it has been for many years. Consumer lending shows no signs of abating and margins remain fat enough to compensate for a tailing off in the issuance of government debt. With Saudi Arabia pumping out more than nine million barrels of crude at oil prices above $35 per barrel, the government is overflowing with liquidity. QATAR: Gas-based development delivers growth(2004) Qatari and international oil companies plan to spend more than 55 billion dollars in the next decade on hydrocarbons projects, according to an oil official in Doha this week. SIGNIFICANCE: Qatar has developed a strategy to reduce dependence on oil and maximize its other hydrocarbons resources, and has undertaken significant economic and political reforms. The vigor with which it has pursued these could provide a model for other Gulf states. Reforms fuel growth boom(2005) North Africa is a good place to do business. North African companies dominate the top companies rankings, be they the oil and gas companies of Algeria and Egypt; tourism companies in Tunisia and Morocco or construction, telecoms and IT businesses throughout the sub-region. Egypts foreign reserves broke the $17 billion level to record $17.32 billion last February, compared to $16.6 billion in January. The formal economy is still dominated by the oil and gas sector, with Sonatrach accounting over 40% of GDP and 95% of exports. The telecoms sector has also posted strong growth. In the year September 2004, Orascom Algeria, through its subsidiary Djezzy, saw its revenues increase five-fold since 2002, from $107 million to $523 million. Algeria, through Sonatrach, is now the second largest supplier of gas to Europe after US: mixed blessings(2006) Its a great time to be in the US petroleum storage business. With imports of crude oil and gasoline reaching record levels and domestic refineries churning out products at an almost unprecedented pace, utilization rates have continued to climb at the tank farms that serve the energy industry. In many parts of the country, terminals are operating at or near capacity. In response to these favorable market conditions, the industry has experienced some expansion, with master limited partnerships (MLPs), such as Valero, leading the way. Magellan Midstream Partners (MMP) recently added 0.6 million barrels of capacity to its refined-products terminals in Corpus Christi, TX, and Marrero, LA. Because of the long lead time required, the decision to add tankage is not one firms take lightly. Some terminal companies are opting instead to expand capacity through acquisition, continuing the trend towards industry consolidation. Growth rate in India may dip due to oil prices, inflation (2006 ) New Delhi, Sep 3 Indias scorching economic growth rate, the second fastest in the world after China for the last three years, is expected to slow down this fiscal due to high international oil prices and fear of high inflation. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is sticking to its June projection of India clocking around eight percent growth in 2006-07, less than the economic growth of 8.4 percent last fiscal. The estimate of lower growth, the leading industry lobby states in its latest State of the Economy (SOE) report, is based on expectations of higher inflationary pressures strives, some problems, and oil industry earnings growth is slowing down(2007) The giant oil company, formed by the merger of HPCL. and Amoco Corp. in 1998, has set the bar high with production growth targets that exceed those of its competitors. Oil Gas(2009 ) The oil and gas industry has been instrumental in fuelling the rapid growth of the Indian economy. The petroleum and natural gas sector which includes transportation, refining and marketing of petroleum products and gas constitutes over 15 per cent of the GDP.Petroleum exports have also emerged as the single largest foreign exchange earner, accounting for 17.24 per cent of the total exports in 2007-08. Growth continued in 2008-09 with the export of petroleum products touching US$ 23.63 billion during April-December 2008.In November 2008, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs awarded 44 oil and gas exploration blocks under the seventh round of auction of the New Exploration Licensing Policy (Nelp-VII). The overall number of blocks brought under exploration now exceeds 200.The allocation is likely to bring in investments worth US$ 1.5 billion. The eighth round of auction is going to be later this year. Govt may hike petrol price by Rs2 a litre, diesel by Re1 (2009) The government has been mulling decontrolling petrol and diesel prices for couple of months now but may be fast losing the window as the move would now result in steep rise in fuel prices Oil India plans IPO to raise as much as $570 mln( 2009) NEW DELHI, Aug 25 (Reuters) Explorer Oil India Ltd plans to raise as much as 27.8 billion rupees ($570 million) through an IPO next month, a senior official said, making it the second state-run firm to offer new shares to the public this year.Oil India, which deferred an IPO last year amid the global financial crisis, has set a price band of 950 rupees to 1,050 rupees a share, Director for Finance T. K. Ananth Kumar said by phone on Tuesday.We have set an exploration and production programmed for the next two years where we will use the IPO proceeds, he said.Oil India, which is tasked with scouting for oil and gas along with larger state-run rival Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC.BO), has planned to invest 45 billion rupees in exploration and production over the next two years, he said. Some alternate fuels show growth rate(2009) A lot has been written lately about natural-gas powered vehicles. A story appeared Feb. 16 in the Oil Gas Journal by Sam Fletcher that pointed out that natural gas has been around as a transportation fuel since World War II.Natural gas vehicles have increased dramatically in recent years from 1.7 million vehicles worldwide in 2001 to more than 7 million today. NGVs have increased rapidly in Europe and South America primarily because of environmental concerns and rising prices for crude oil, gasoline and diesel. The International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles predicts a growth rate of 18 percent, which represents about 65 million NGVs by 2020. Chapter-3 3.1Objectives of Study The objective of the research is to study the growth rate of Hindustan Petroleum. It includes following:- Growth of Hindustan Petroleum as compare to the other petroleum companies. To study the brand image of the Hindustan Petroleum. To analyze the satisfaction level of the customers for the services of Hindustan Petroleum. The objective of the model is also to predict the behavior of a customer, regarding consumption of Hindustan Petroleum . Over all study of marketing process . Chapter-4 Research Methodology 4.1Sampling Plan:- Universe: The area of study is Jalandhar and nearby areas. Sampling Procedure: In this study, the respondents were chosen through convenience sampling was undertaken where all the accessible persons were contacted by tracing them from the records. Contact Method: The respondents were contacted personally and information was derived and questionnaires were filled. Sample Size: 100 Sampling Technique: A non-probability sampling technique i.e. convenience sampling is used. 4.2Research Design:- Research design is simply the framework or plan for a study used as a guide in collecting and analyzing the data. It is the blue print that is following in completing a study. The research design must be accordingly. Formulating objective of the study. Designing the method of data collection. Collection of data Suggestions and recommendations. Conclusion and interpretations. Research includes questionnaires, observations and facts used to find enquiries of different kind. Questionnaires for customers and retailers are framed out to get to know the main problems of both customers and retailers. 4.3 Source of Data Collection:- PRIMERY DATA- It is the data which is collected initially for the first time. It helps in the validation of secondary data from secondary sources. The main sources of primary data are questionnaires, observations, personal interactions, interviews. SECONDARY DATA- Secondary data is the details that are available in the form of facts and figures. The sources of secondary data are; Magazines, journals, websites, books. In this research both primary and secondary data is used to get the accurate information. 4.4Research instruments or tools used:- Research instruments or tools used for collection of information are questionnaires, study of market, information collected from website. Through questionnaires customers and tell about the services provided by Hindustan Petroleum. They also give details about their problems. They give their suggestions for the improvement in the services. Their answers and information collected through websites, magazines and newspaper tell about the market position of Hindustan Petroleum. These tools help in analyzing and interpreting the result of the research. Analytical Design:- Mathematical tools like mean score; percentage, chi square test and Z- test etc were used. Limitations:- I do think that there were some limitations in collecting the data from both primary and secondary sources. The main boundaries were: Some customer may not have given the actual information because of lack of time. The results found are bound to change with every introduction of new schemes by any of the brands. Some people manning the outlet did not share the required information with the research investigators. Data collection error may be there to wrong response from respondent as some time they are not right person who takes actual decision. As per knowledge data was collected and analyzed, error may be there Chapter-5 Interpretation The above data is showing the growth of Hindustan Petroleum. The table is showing the growth in sales of Hindustan Petroleum in terms of cost of goods sold, EBITDA, IBECC, and Sales per employee. Now first of all we will study the sales of Hindustan Petroleum, the above data is showing the figures from the year 2003 to 2009. In 2003 the sales was -2.1% which is showing the lose of Hindustan Petroleum. It is showing the declining situation of the company, but if we will see the figures of 2004 then we will come to know that there is a quick rise in the sales of Hindustan Petroleum from -2.1% to 6.0%, which is very good for the growth of the company. Like this only if we will see the data of 2005 then there is a shocking growth in the sales of Hindustan Petroleum from 6.0% to 13.9%. But if we will look on the sales of 2006 the growth then there is a slow down in the sales of Hindustan Petroleum. If we will see the sales from 2007 to 2009 then we will come to know then the sales of Hind ustan Petroleum is continues rise in sales. Same is the condition of cost of goods sold and EBITDA there is a continues rise in sales. If we will talk about the sales per employee then we will come to know that there is increase in sales per employee because the numbers of employees are also increasing. So we can say that if the number of employees will increase then the sale per employee will also be increase. So the overall table is showing the growth of sales of Hindustan Petroleum. Analysis of the Respondent of Customers The questionnaire (given in the end of the report) was used to gather information on the following areas: Where does Tata Hindustan Petroleum stand in the market against the other petroleum players? Problems of the customers regarding the service provided by Hindustan Petroleum. Suggestions and recommendations taken from customers. Sample Size: 100 Sampling Area: Jalandhar Analysis has been done with the help of software named SPSS i.e. Software of Processing of Social Sciences. Main methods used for the analysis are Factor Analysis, Z-test, and Mean Ranking as per the necessity of the question. It helps in determining the results on the basis of the answers given by customers who are using the service of Hindustan Petroleum primarily and secondarily. This software is very beneficial for getting the results. It is not time consuming and easy to operate. We just have to fill the answers in the SPSS sheet we get the required outcome in fractions of seconds. Chapter-6 Summary, Conclusions Recommendations 6.1Summary This term paper is about the growth rate of Hindustan Petroleum. The survey has been done in Jalandhar and nearby places. This research also helps in gaining lots of practical knowledge which is different from mere theoretical knowledge. The term paper contains the introduction of the Hindustan Petroleum. We are here in technological age. In the market which are providing different products and services to their customers so that they can sustain in this era of tough competition. Now, India is coming up with new concepts to become a developed country in the world and also trying its best to provide all the available resources to its people. In this project both primary and secondary data is collected to analyze the market properly. After collecting the data from primary and secondary sources, analysis has been done with the help of SPSS. Through this survey we come to know that growth rate of Hindustan Petroleum is increasing day by day . 6.2Conclusions The survey has been done to take certain parameters which are essential for good petroleum service parameters. This survey has done in Jalandhar and nearby areas. The main conclusions that I have figure out are following: Hp has a good brand image in the market. Due to which customers buy their product. Advertisement play very effective role in promoting products. HP is able to provide the information of new schemes and products to the costumer on time. HP is successful to solve the problems of costumer on time. 6.3Recommendations After doing the analysis of study we come across the number of conclusions. Hindustan Petroleum is facing number of problems in the market due to other companies. But as India has a huge market for business so there is a scope for those who really want to do something for themselves as well as for people. The main recommendations for Hindustan Petroleum are given below which can help it to improve and pick up its position. HP should work on its marketing strategies so that it can gain the attention of more and more people. More and more advertisement should be given . Seriously deals with the problems of customers. This may forces the customers to be loyal toward this brand. It should provide information about new schemes to its customer on time . References Reference to a book: Kothari, C.R. Research Methodology, 4th edition. New Delhi: Kalyani publishers,2007 Kotler, Philip, (2006), Marketing Management: Planning, Analysis, Implementation and Control, New Delhi, Pearson Education, Inc. Naresh K. Malhotra., (2005), Marketing Research, New Delhi: Pearson Education, Inc. Reference for an article: http://www.livemint.com/Articles/keywords.aspx?kw=Hindustan%20Petroleum http://www.ibef.org/industry/oilandgas.aspx http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0did=824057411SrchMode=1sid=3Fmt=4VInst=PRODVType=PQDRQT=309VName=PQDTS=1256141933clientId=129893 http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=7did=982527671SrchMode=1sid=2Fmt=3VInst=PRODVType=PQDRQT=309VName=PQDTS=1256141881clientId=129893 http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=10did=783954681SrchMode=1sid=2Fmt=2VInst=PRODVType=PQDRQT=309VName=PQDTS=1256142461clientId=129893 http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=11did=676362041SrchMode=1sid=2Fmt=2VInst=PRODVType=PQDRQT=309VName=PQDTS=1256142461clientId=129893 http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?i

The Contributions of Frederick Douglas, William Apess, Sarah Margaret F

The Contributions of Frederick Douglas, William Apess, Sarah Margaret Fuller, and Sojourner Truth      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As has been noted before, when we look at the authors of The Declaration of Independence, we are quite aware that the 'document' was written in the interest of the people who were there. The wealthy, white, landowners make up the Constitution to fit their needs and exclude everyone else. The people most notably left without rights are African American's, Native American's and Women. These minority groups formed a bond with each other because they were outside the dominant group. These groups of people helped gain their strength and voice through speeches and conventions with each one using the very words of the Constitution as their platform. During this time powerful voices spoke out like: Frederick Douglas, William Apess, Margaret Fuller, and Sojourner Truth, who didn't have the advantage of a formal education, but still found a way to become educated or taught themselves.    A brilliant speaker, "Abolionist, women's rights advocate,journalist and newspaper editor, social reformers and race leader, Frederick Douglas was unquestionably one of the most prominent black leaders of the nineteenth century and one of the most eloquent orators in American public life"(1751). Frederick Douglas was basically self-taught and his voice became so polished that he was in fear of losing the audience of his own race to the cause of freeing slaves because he sounded "too white". Douglas was asked to speak at a Fourth of July celebration and in his speech; What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? ; He expresses that it is: "Your National Independence, and of your political freedom"(1819). He reaches out to his audience by showin... ...ither has been answered fully"(2022). This is the backbone of most of the representative material. It is based on spiritual and Christian thought and that people are created and given their rights by God. Since most of these authors weren't taught in the classical sense the Bible was a useful and sometimes life altering tool. Hopefully, we will learn more about these representational authors so that as a collective group of Americans we can fully understand their impact on the growth and development of our country.    Works Cited The Heath Anthology of American Literature Copyright 1998 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Issues in Feminism Copyright 1998,1995,1990 by Mayfield Publishing Company Owl-eyes Biography and Etexts http://owleyes.org/douglas.htm Bright Moments http://brightmoments.com/blackhistory/nsotrue:html

Digital Fortress Chapter 33

Tokugen Numataka stared out his window and paced like a caged animal. He had not yet heard from his contact, North Dakota. Damn Americans! No sense of punctuality! He would have called North Dakota himself, but he didn't have a phone number for him. Numataka hated doing business this way-with someone else in control. The thought had crossed Numataka's mind from the beginning that the calls from North Dakota could be a hoax-a Japanese competitor playing him for the fool. Now the old doubts were coming back. Numataka decided he needed more information. He burst from his office and took a left down Numatech's main hallway. His employees bowed reverently as he stormed past. Numataka knew better than to believe they actually loved him-bowing was a courtesy Japanese employees offered even the most ruthless of bosses. Numataka went directly to the company's main switchboard. All calls were handled by a single operator on a Corenco 2000, twelve-line switchboard terminal. The woman was busy but stood and bowed as Numataka entered. â€Å"Sit down,† he snapped. She obeyed. â€Å"I received a call at four forty-five on my personal line today. Can you tell me where it came from?† Numataka kicked himself for not having done this earlier. The operator swallowed nervously. â€Å"We don't have caller identification on this machine, sir. But I can contact the phone company. I'm sure they can help.† Numataka had no doubt the phone company could help. In this digital age, privacy had become a thing of the past; there was a record of everything. Phone companies could tell you exactly who had called you and how long you'd spoken. â€Å"Do it,† he commanded. â€Å"Let me know what you find out.†

Beavers essays

Beavers essays I don't think that beavers will overwhelm this area in the next fifty years, simply because of the fact that they destroy their own habitat as they live in it (Wessels 1997). I think that the population of beavers in this area may rise to fairly high levels, but I think that it will crash once the beavers have degraded too much of their surrounding habitats to survive the winter. I feel that the natural carrying capacity of any area is relatively small for beavers, because once they move away from an area, it will take years for that area to become an acceptable habitat again. I believe that we may be experiencing an upswing in beaver populations, but this will be followed by a population crash, which will be followed by a smaller upswing, then a smaller crash, etc. While it may take time before the beaver population is stabilized, I do think it will happen before we are overrun with them. I think the only reason that the beavers are doing so well now is because there were no beavers around for many years before them to degrade potential habitats. This means that every possible habitat location available to a beaver is as good (in the beaver's mind) as it is going to get. As the populations of beavers have been rising, they have been rapidly using up all of the areas they could, as quickly as possible. Because populations were so low and the habitats available were of such high quality, there was almost no intraspecific competition. Now, though, the beaver population has come near to or overshot the carrying capacity of the land. This is shown by the fact that beavers are building their lodges/dams later in the year as well as in sub-optimal habitats (Wessels 1997). One thing which I think will also help the reduction in beaver populations would be a removal of the ban on leg-holding traps (Bernados et al. 2004) in this area. If the populations of beavers are rising and we are worried ...

Essays on different types of questions

Essays on different types of questions Essay Questions Types of Questions There are four main types of questions that require different approaches. Description You need to provide information on the issue, but not to comment on it. However, students who study at university are unlikely to be asked just to describe the topic. One has to support the facts with evidence or concrete examples. This kind of essays is characterized by the use of such words as describe, define, explain, state, list, present, summarize, outline, delineate, trace. Discussion In this kind of an essay a student should provide the main points on the issue and explore them. This kind of essay writing requires students to support any comment by approachable evidence. Such words as comment, explore, review, consider, analyze, debate, illustrate, interpret, account for and etc. are common for this paper. Evaluation If you are assigned to write an evaluative essay, you need to choose data to develop your thoughts or arguments thoroughly. Please note that you have to cover both sides of the argument. As a rule, students should come to a conclusion and back their opinion by discussing the evidence or reasoning. Many students are convinced that this one is the most difficult among all types of essays. This type of essays is characterized by such words as justify, evaluate, interpret, criticize, critically evaluate, and comment on. Comparison In this essay type, students are often asked to represent differences or/and similarities between various opinions, facts or evidence. Such papers may require description, discussion or evaluation, depending on what you were assigned to do. In comparative essays, you can find such words as contrast, debate, compare, distinguish, and differentiate. Note: in some cases, an essay may require you to complete several tasks – for instance, you may be asked to list the basic organizational theories of marketing and comment on their relevance.Write a Good Essay on Different Types of Questions To write a good paper, ensure you have a full understanding of the question. To help you think about how you are going to complete the task, identify the topic you have to write about. When you are analyzing various essay types and the question that you are assigned, you can start planning your essay. During this process, you should think about: the main subject and fields you have to focus upon; the information you might need; any terms that might require a definition; complex theories that might require extra attention. This will help you in writing an outline draft. Now, you have to do some research work and find relevant material. When the research is completed and the draft is ready, you can begin your writing. Different types of essays have the same structure and consist of three parts: an introduction, main body and a conclusion. Start with an overall overview statement that can contain a definition of the basic terms, a citation from the major source or some important facts. Also, you might list the key points of the paper that are to be discussed in it. In the main body, you have to develop the main arguments and discuss various opinions. Your words should be supported by evidence so ensure the correct references to your sources. You have to write some paragraphs where your thoughts flow logically and where you give the irrefragable answer to the question. In the conclusion, you should highlight key points of your paper. It has to be a rundown of everything you have said above; you need to show a full understanding of the question. When your essay is completed, make a thorough proofread and check it for grammar and spelling mistakes.

How to Send SAT Subject Test Scores 7-Step Guide

How to Send SAT Subject Test Scores 7-Step Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While you are studying diligently for all of your SAT Subject tests, you probably aren’t thinking too hard about how and when you are going to send out all those scores to your dream schools. I get it- taking the test is the hard part, and you want to focus your energy on that. To help you out, I’ll lay out everything you need to consider in terms of score-sending logistics and strategy: how to send SAT Subject test scores (with or without Score Choice), sending the four free reports you get with registration, special ordering circumstances, and how to cancel scores. It’s all in here! How to SendSAT Subject Test Scores, Step by Step I've createda step-by-step guide to sending SAT Subject test scores. I'll walk you through the complete process here, assuming you've already taken the tests. Then below I'llexplain how the process differs if you're trying to send your four free reports. Step 1:Log in to Your College Board Account Once you're logged into your account, scroll down to where your scores are displayed. To send scores, click the â€Å"Send Available Scores Now† button. Step 2: Confirm That You Want to Send Scores You will be greeted by this pop-up: Confirm that you want to send the additional reports, and you will be taken to the school choice page. Step 3: Select YourRecipients You can search by school name, city, or code. To add a school, click on it in the â€Å"All Available Recipients† search results list, then click â€Å"Add.† Then click â€Å"Continue† to finalize your selection. Step 4: Confirm Your Schools This will take you to the â€Å"Build Your Score Recipients† screen. From here, you can request additional free reports with a fee waiver, add more schools to your list of recipients, or use Score Choice to select the scores you want to send (or not send) in your score reports. To add more schools,click â€Å"Add Score Recipients† from the "Build your Score Recipients" screen. Step 5: Use a Fee Waiver If you have a fee waiver, click â€Å"I have a Fee Waiver† (in parentheses next to the number of free reports remaining, which might be 0). When you enter your waiver code, this will give you four additional free reports that you can sendat any time. Step 6: Score Choice To use Score Choice, click the â€Å"Choose Scores† button in the row with the desired recipient from the"Build your Score Recipients" screen. This will take you to the Score Choice page. You will have to agree to a disclaimer that Score Choice is allowed at the given school. Then, you will be able to uncheck any scores you do not want to include with your free score report. You have to include complete SAT I scores- you can’t pick and choose between sections. But you can select subject tests individually. As you can see, I’m an ancient crone who took SAT subject tests in 2008, and who did not study particularly hard for the French exam (sorry, Monsieur K!!) When your desired options are selected, hit â€Å"continue.† This will take you back to the â€Å"Build Your Score Recipients† page, where you can change score selections for other schools if you wish. Step 7: Review Your Order When everything on the â€Å"Build Your Score Recipients† page looks good, hit â€Å"continue† to proceed with the score-sending process.This will take you to the â€Å"Review Order,† page. Beyond thefour free reports that you get when you register for the exam, score reports costs $.25 per recipient. So four schools = four reports = $.25 x 4 = $45. Check the box to agree to the terms and conditions, and place your order! Then you will be able to return to the Main â€Å"My SAT† page. That's how you do it! Next, we'll touch on what's different when you send the four free reports you get with your registration. Free SAT Subject Test Score Reports The College Board kindly allows you to send four free score reports to schools with every test date, including SAT subject tests. There’s a catch, though- you have to send the scores sight unseen. This means you won’t see your scores for those subject tests before schools do. The College Board says that they do this to expedite the score-sending process. If you still have any of your four free score reports available to you, you will see this handy message on the main screen when you log in: To proceed from here, click â€Å"Send Scores When Available.† If you have past SAT test dates (Regular SAT or Subject Tests) you will see this handy pop-up: That’s right! You can send past scores with your free score reports. Even better, you can use Score Choice! So you can pick and choose which old scores to send to schools with your new ones. This is great if you already took the SAT and met your target score. It’s important to note that when you use your four free reports, you have to send all the scores from that date. This means that if you take multiple subject tests on the same day- and you probably will- you have to send all of those scores to your four free colleges. So you can’t send Literature to UCLA and Math 2 to University of Michigan; you have to send both to both. It is generally worthwhile to use your free reports if you can, because sending additional reports costs money. It might stress you out a little that you have to commit to sending your scores from that test date before you see them, but you can change or cancel what schools receive for your free reports up to nine days after you take the test. So if you feel confident that your scores will meet your targets, this is a reasonably safe bet.If you come out of the test feeling like it may not have gone well, you can always cancelsending those scores to your reach school. It’s worth noting that for any school that does not allow Score Choice, you might as well send them your free report, because you will have to send all scores when you apply anyway. These schools understand that everyone has less than stellar test dates, so don’t ruminate on it too much if you think you didn’t do your best on one of your subject tests from a given date. What about timing? If you’re taking subject tests as a junior, it’s not too early to send your scores if you would like to. Colleges will take it as a sign of interest to receive scores from you, and you can certainly re-take the subject tests if you need to. If you don’t re-take the tests, you might save a little money on the expensive application process if some of your schools already have your scores. Reach for the stars! Special Circumstances: Archived Scores and Rush Reporting There are couple circumstances in which you might have to pay some extra money to the College Board, our benevolent standardized testing dictators, to send SAT Subject test scores. You will have to pay extra if your scores have been â€Å"archived.† Scores are archived if you have graduated high school and your scores are a year or more older. In this case the College Board will charge you a fee of $31 to retrieve them, and then $.25 for each additional recipient. So if you want to send old scores to two schools, that’s $31 + $.25 = $42.25. If your scores are five years old or older, they will also send a note to the recipient saying that the scores may not be the best representation of your abilities. So sadly if I wanted to send my 2008 subject test scores I would have to pay an extra fee and have a special note sent with my scores. You will also have to pay extra if you want to rush-report your scores to recipients. You might do this if you are about to miss a deadline and you need to get scores out ASAP. Rush-reporting is supposed to get the scores to recipients within two business days of your request, which may or may not be faster than just sending them normally. The primary issue here is that some colleges only download newly received scores once every few days or once a week, so rushing the score may not actually lead to the college seeing your score any sooner.However, if you are down to the wire and at the height of desperation, you might want to rush them. Note that you can only do this for scores that have already been released, so, your unscored tests won’t get to recipients any faster if you rush. It costs $31 to rush one report, and then $.25 for each additional report (so if you rush three reports to three different schools, it will cost $31 + $.25 + $.25 to send all three reports). Finally, there are times when rush reporting is not available. (Right now, in fact!) So don’t order rush reports if the College Board says they aren’t available on their website, because they will just take your money and not deliver the scores in two days. Truly outstanding and helpful customer service, that. Next we'll talk about how to cancel your scores if you feel truly alarmed by your test performance. Canceling SAT Subject Test Scores Let’s say you panic in the middle of the exam and don’t finish the test on time, or another mishap occurs- it happens to most of us at some point or another. You know you didn’t do well on the test and you don’t even want to see your own scores, let alone let schools see them! You have two options: #1: Cancel Your Scores You can cancel your scores anytime up to :59 PM ET the Wednesday after you took your test(s). Note that unless you are canceling due to sudden illness or an equipment failure, this will cancel all of the tests you took that day- every subject! Importantly, it cannot be undone. When your scores are cancelled, they are gone forever! No school (or you) will ever see them, no matter if you had selected schools for your free score reports or not. #2: Cancel Your Score Reports You have up to nine days after you take the test(s) to cancel any free score reports you have on-order. You may want to do this if you think only one test went poorly. This way, you can still use the other subjects in Score Choice score reports later. Unfortunately, a tiny octopus does not wave farewell to your scores when they canceled. How To Cancel Your Scores If you decide to cancel at the test center, ask a test proctor for a â€Å"Request to Cancel† form. Fill it out and return to the proctor before you leave the testing center. If you decide to cancel after leaving the test center, download and fill out the form to request SAT score cancellation. You need to sign it, so you will need to get it to the College Board via fax or overnight mail. You can get more details on this process on the College Board page on score cancellation. You can cancel your scores for individual tests due to equipment failure (your CD player stops working, or your calculator dies) or for a sudden illness during the exam. In this case, only the score for that test is canceled; you can still get your scores for the other tests you took that day. To do this, you will need to report the equipment failure or illness during the exam. Then you will need to fill out a Request to Cancel form at the testing center, check the â€Å"Single Test: equipment failure† option (yes, even if you’re sick) and give it to a testing supervisor. They will sign it to validate that your equipment (or your body) failed you and your score for just that test will be canceled. But hopefully none of that will happen, everything will go smoothly, and you will send out all your score reports with confidence! Summary: SAT Subject Test Scores You will get four free score reports for every SAT subject test date you sign up for. You won’t see the scores before they get sent to school. Otherwise, additional score reports cost $.25 per report. You can use Score Choice on SAT subject tests, just like with the regular SAT.You can also rush-report or cancel scores if you need to, but both of those options should be carefully considered! What Now? You might also be wondering what a good SAT score is, anyways. Let us fill you in with this guide to what makes a good SAT Subject Test score. Aiming for top schools? Check out our article on SAT Subject Test Scores for the Ivy League. Or maybe you just want to know what the average score for each SAT Subject Test is. If you're taking the regular SAT anytime soon, you should definitely check out our complete guide to the new SAT. This will bring you up to speed on all the ins and outs of the new format, which was rolled out in March! Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below:

Ethical-legal issues as an Advanced Practice Nurse Assignment

Ethical-legal issues as an Advanced Practice Nurse - Assignment Example Therefore, their liability and accountability levels are unmatchable with those of other nurse practitioners. Further, they act within their competence limits as well as their boundaries limits. Ethics, also referred to as moral laws are mainly concerned with fundamental principles distinguishing between right and wrong, defining what people ought to do. Ethics purposely inform our judgements, offering guidance to individual on making decisions on how to best act in any situation. Westrick & Dempski (2009) observe that accepted ethical theories, practices and frameworks offer guidance on how people ought to act in an ethical manner, and all binds advanced nurse practitioners. It is an expectation of the advanced practitioners to make their individual judgements about what they perceive as best for their individuals. While making any form of decisions, ethical theories and principles bind their actions. While ethics is broad and offer a brief summary of exactly how they purposively should undertake their actions, advanced nursing practitioners feel that their roles are ethically demanding from their very own nature. Law on the other hand is a system of rules governing a particular society with the main intention of upholding social order, justice system as well as preventing any form of either harm to individuals or public and private property. Law systems often base their principles on ethical or religious principles. It is the duty of the police as well as the criminal systems such as the courts of law to enforce law in a jurisdiction. Different laws govern the healthcare, which seek to protect the public from any harm from healthcare givers. Therefore, advanced nursing practitioners have to be more knowledgeable on the relevant legislations guiding their actions (Kelly & Tazbir,

Case Scenario, Final Discussion Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Scenario, Final Discussion - Case Study Example aught something different or they learnt about something new from their different nursing textbooks, they would be in a position to share what they have learnt with their colleagues. Moreover, the RN would be in a position to teach the other RNs about what they know and that would help improve the quality of care in the health care setting. Secondly, the significance of gaps in the hospital’s policy and procedures is that the overall quality of care disbursed with regard to the hospital’s policy and procedures would also be improved. For example, if a RN from a different health care setting that followed different and better hospital policies and procedures was scheduled to work in a different health care setting that did not practice or implement all the mandated hospital policies and procedures; then the practice that did not follow all the mandated policies would be given the chance to improve on their quality of care through the existing gap or difference. Thirdly, the significance of gaps between published literatures is that it not only helps different RNs to gain more versatile experience and knowledge in practice but it also assists them to gain skills of socialization and communication with other people in the care environment. For example, if one RN was to study different literature notes from another RN, then each would have different experiences and knowledge. As such, when placed in the same working environment, each would share the different ideas and experiences it is that they learnt from the different literature sets. Moreover, they would also gain the chance to practice and also improve on their socialization as well as communication skills through that experience. Lastly, the significance of gaps in actual practice is that the different RNs would get the chance to practice the different nursing and medical techniques it is that they studied and practiced in nursing school. As such, their nursing skills would be improved and hence the

Buzzard LTD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Buzzard LTD - Essay Example Accordingly, the SWOT will not be a comprehensive treatment of strategic position, but will speak to a few of the known specifics. We can use the financial information provided to offer some accurate shareholder analysis. It has been noted that the purpose of preparing "financial reports on a regular basis..." is to "influence the decisions of users of the information produced" (Atrill and McLaney, 1997: 2); and through the use of standard ratio analysis, we will be able to evaluate the provided statements to come to a reasonable understanding of the company's financial strength. That analysis will permit us to report the current financial condition to shareholders and evaluate Buzzard LTD's operational efficiencies in light of its quality and customer satisfaction achievements. Any company that wishes to remain successfully in business must engage in strategic thinking. This concept is particularly true in the modern marketplace, where information technologies and other manufacturing efficiencies have increased the need for competitive intelligence. Fleisher and Bensoussan make a compelling case for this when they state: Strategic thinking is necessary today because our organizations compete in an increasingly global, postindustrial, knowledge- and information-based competitive environment as opposed to the slower paced, domestic, industrial competitive environment of only a few decades ago. The hierarchical, linear models that dominated management thinking, and in some cases still do, have given way to newer, more flexible, perpetually self-reorganizing, network-based arrangements. No senior executive can reasonably be expected to know the entire competitive terrain well enough to correctly strategize in the same was as the great industrial and military leaders of the past. This pressing need for strategic thinking is why organizations need to improve and enhance their competitive intelligence. (2002: 5) The primary component used for informing the competitive intelligence process is predicated upon analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) facing the organization. The limited information provided does not permit a comprehensive analysis of these elements, but we will be able to focus on key parts of each segment and derive some competitive intelligence regarding the market position of the company. SWOT TABLE FOR BUZZARD LTD. Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Reputation for Innovation R & D Efforts New Facilities High Cost Structure Firefly Reputation New Market Expansion New Technology New Plant Competitor Emergence Regulatory Changes Buzzard LTD has some important strengths. Their reputation for innovation is the most important of these as they have achieved high levels of pleased customers and are regarded as "one of the world's leaders in design, manufacture and supply of innovative automotive

The Concept of Cultural Diversity is Society Assignment

The Concept of Cultural Diversity is Society - Assignment Example As Jane Elliott's "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" experiment teaches, there are many criteria of distinction like racism and prejudice. Racism and Classism which are inextricably tied together are the two most common criteria of conceptualization of social class. David Wellman defines racism as a "system of advantage based on race." (Wellman1977). Color is the other main criterion that determines the social class and this may well be defined as the diction made between people on the basis of the color of their skin. The power of the money that one owns also determines the social class of the person and thus we have the rich and the poor. In modern society we see the rich becoming the richer and the poor the poorer. All these elements go into the making up of the social classes. A. Two of the basic distinctions that we find in the social class system are that of race and ethnicity. These are the two major kinds of class discriminations that we face in modern society, especially in the US. Racial group and ethnic group, often considered as the same, have many similarities as well as differences. Before we make the detailed distinction between the two, let it be remembered that any kind of distinction made on the basis of race and ethnicity is the most harmful situation in the world today. The "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" experiment of Jane Elliott teaches us how important it is to rise above the barriers of such distinctions made on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, and so on. Nobody is more privileged than others on the basis of the color of the skin, the ethnic group or the particular race or class one belongs to. Let us also remember the great voice of Martin Luther King who pleaded for the racial equality of all the people. "History is cluttered with the wre ckage of nations and individuals who pursued [the] self-defeating path of hate." (Sklar 1997). There are striking similarities between racism and ethnicity. A racial group is one that is distinguished from that of other groups on the basis of some well defined and salient features of its own. This type of classification is a general categorization on the basis of color and other types of distinction. On the other hand, when we speak about an ethnic group, we are particularly identifying the distinction based on the individual cultural aspect of that community or group. The members of an ethnic group identify themselves on the basis of their descent, ancestry, and lineage. They have a distinction on the basis of the culture, religion, language and other characteristics. Thus, in the racial discrimination of the Blacks from the Whites, we see the racial group formula working out. In the case of particular ethnic group existing on its own to sideline the other cultural, national, and racial groups we find the distinction based on the individual ethnicity. The impact of these diff erences whether it is racial or ethnic begins even at a very young age. The racial caste system is a way of life that subjugates one race of the community to another. Jim Crow was such a racial caste system and under this system, the Afro-Americans were treated as the second class citizens.  

International Marketing of Tata Nano Electric Car into Japan PowerPoint Presentation

International Marketing of Tata Nano Electric Car into Japan - PowerPoint Presentation Example This report also raises some questions that need to be answered prior to launching Tata Nano in Pakistan. These include whether it would be beneficial to retain the current positioning strategy of Tata of the worlds most economical car in a country like Pakistan where the psychology of the target market is very brand oriented. Likewise, will Tata Nano be able to match prices currently being provided by the current manufacturers' after adding up the custom duty and other expenses Will Tata be able to launch a CNG variant of the nano to suit the needs of the Pakistani market in a better way This report aims to give a detailed insight and provides recommendations as to how to achieve success. Moreover, the plan consists of first launching the product in a test marketing campaign and after success only, a full fledged marketing plan is proposed. Tata Nano is a star product of the Tata group.It was one of the most talked about cars at the Detroit1 show and instigated a debate on how well it would be received in the international markets. With the target of manufacturing more than 1 million cars every year, it can be expected that Tata would be eyeing foreign markets. There is no business market as lucrative as Pakistan for the neighboring Indian Companies, for the reasons of cost saving due to proximity, relatively similar environmental and economic conditions and same language making operations easier. Product Launch -Tata Nano The target market of Tata Nano is the middle class of Pakistan with the income range: PKR 25000 lower middle class PKR 50000 middle-middle class and PKR 75000 and above (upper Middle Class) Niche Marketing or Mass Marketing We propose to launch Tata Nano in Pakistan. Initially we would proceed with a test launch and if the product picks up in the local market we may opt for either starting manufacturing in Pakistan or having offices and having agents and dealers take care of the sales of this region. So even though we will be targeting the masses but initially it would be a small scale launch due to tough competitive situation. Present Market Situation Since the year 2001, Pakistan's military regime under president Musharraf vowed to bring about economic reforms. This new growth strategy was stimulated by the easier credit policies of Banking Sector and for a decade car financing was made very easy. This led to a very high road & traffic density, and manufacturers like Pak Suzuki claim to manufacture a 100,000 vehicles in the year 2007 COMPETITOR ANALYSIS Pak Suzuki is the single most preferred brand of locally manufactured cars and suits the lower middle and middle -middle class income groups. Their most popular brands are Suzuki Mehran & Suzuki Alto VXR Chevrolet, Cherry QQ, Adam Revo (locally manufactured), Nisan March, Toyota Duet also have occupied their own niches in this market. PRESENT MARKET SCENARIO According to Pakistan & Gulf economist, Even in these tough market conditions, July 2008, the total sales of cars was 7,418 units Last year, in the same period a record 12,438 units were sold. Sale & Production Statistics according to Pakistan Automobile Manufacturers Association http://www.pama.org.pk/productionjuly2004.htm Market Share Calculated on Cumulative Sales for

Frank Capra, Meet John Doe Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Frank Capra, Meet John Doe - Movie Review Example Keeping in mind public reaction, power players got involved in realization of John Doe project, picking out a man ready to play the role for money and disappear at the right moment. However, the â€Å"actor† eventually realizes the scale of social manipulations and sets himself against his puppeteers. The movie vibrantly reflects the topic of social manipulation and power play, vesting it in the settings of contemporary New York and then the entire America. Here, I would like to mention Harry Cooper’s brilliant acting – to my thinking, Capra chose a perfect man to embody the image of John Doe, the symbol of protests against rotten social order. The topic that was most vividly illustrated in the Meet John Doe movie is definitely the role of mass media in public conscience and its ambiguous nature. No invention can be exclusively positive or negative by its nature – it only has potential. Mass media is an example of such invention depicted in the movie. On one hand, newspapers and radio plat and grow the idea in minds of thousands of people – good idea celebrating unity and mutual respect among â€Å"average† citizens. On the other hand, it is mass media that distort this idea, convert it to the use of political campaigns and make the adherents abandon John Doe’s ideas. Here, on the example of Ann Mitchel and others, a narrower topic of journalist ethics is raised. At the same time, the ideas professed by John Doe are rather close to biblical ones, reminding average people of general human morality – Mitchell encourages them via Willoughby’s voice on the radio to help and unite with their neighbors, implying that such average people are the nation, not the politicians. The movie is an absolute masterpiece despite the fact that it wasn’t fully appreciated after release in 1941. Classical work of the world’s cinema,

The Concept of Cultural Diversity is Society Assignment

The Concept of Cultural Diversity is Society - Assignment Example As Jane Elliott's "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" experiment teaches, there are many criteria of distinction like racism and prejudice. Racism and Classism which are inextricably tied together are the two most common criteria of conceptualization of social class. David Wellman defines racism as a "system of advantage based on race." (Wellman1977). Color is the other main criterion that determines the social class and this may well be defined as the diction made between people on the basis of the color of their skin. The power of the money that one owns also determines the social class of the person and thus we have the rich and the poor. In modern society we see the rich becoming the richer and the poor the poorer. All these elements go into the making up of the social classes. A. Two of the basic distinctions that we find in the social class system are that of race and ethnicity. These are the two major kinds of class discriminations that we face in modern society, especially in the US. Racial group and ethnic group, often considered as the same, have many similarities as well as differences. Before we make the detailed distinction between the two, let it be remembered that any kind of distinction made on the basis of race and ethnicity is the most harmful situation in the world today. The "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" experiment of Jane Elliott teaches us how important it is to rise above the barriers of such distinctions made on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, and so on. Nobody is more privileged than others on the basis of the color of the skin, the ethnic group or the particular race or class one belongs to. Let us also remember the great voice of Martin Luther King who pleaded for the racial equality of all the people. "History is cluttered with the wre ckage of nations and individuals who pursued [the] self-defeating path of hate." (Sklar 1997). There are striking similarities between racism and ethnicity. A racial group is one that is distinguished from that of other groups on the basis of some well defined and salient features of its own. This type of classification is a general categorization on the basis of color and other types of distinction. On the other hand, when we speak about an ethnic group, we are particularly identifying the distinction based on the individual cultural aspect of that community or group. The members of an ethnic group identify themselves on the basis of their descent, ancestry, and lineage. They have a distinction on the basis of the culture, religion, language and other characteristics. Thus, in the racial discrimination of the Blacks from the Whites, we see the racial group formula working out. In the case of particular ethnic group existing on its own to sideline the other cultural, national, and racial groups we find the distinction based on the individual ethnicity. The impact of these diff erences whether it is racial or ethnic begins even at a very young age. The racial caste system is a way of life that subjugates one race of the community to another. Jim Crow was such a racial caste system and under this system, the Afro-Americans were treated as the second class citizens.  

Frank Capra, Meet John Doe Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Frank Capra, Meet John Doe - Movie Review Example Keeping in mind public reaction, power players got involved in realization of John Doe project, picking out a man ready to play the role for money and disappear at the right moment. However, the â€Å"actor† eventually realizes the scale of social manipulations and sets himself against his puppeteers. The movie vibrantly reflects the topic of social manipulation and power play, vesting it in the settings of contemporary New York and then the entire America. Here, I would like to mention Harry Cooper’s brilliant acting – to my thinking, Capra chose a perfect man to embody the image of John Doe, the symbol of protests against rotten social order. The topic that was most vividly illustrated in the Meet John Doe movie is definitely the role of mass media in public conscience and its ambiguous nature. No invention can be exclusively positive or negative by its nature – it only has potential. Mass media is an example of such invention depicted in the movie. On one hand, newspapers and radio plat and grow the idea in minds of thousands of people – good idea celebrating unity and mutual respect among â€Å"average† citizens. On the other hand, it is mass media that distort this idea, convert it to the use of political campaigns and make the adherents abandon John Doe’s ideas. Here, on the example of Ann Mitchel and others, a narrower topic of journalist ethics is raised. At the same time, the ideas professed by John Doe are rather close to biblical ones, reminding average people of general human morality – Mitchell encourages them via Willoughby’s voice on the radio to help and unite with their neighbors, implying that such average people are the nation, not the politicians. The movie is an absolute masterpiece despite the fact that it wasn’t fully appreciated after release in 1941. Classical work of the world’s cinema,

Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War Essay Example for Free

Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War Essay Some have said that the United States and Iran have been involved in a â€Å"Cold War† for three decades starting with the fall of the taking of American hostages in 1979. One could trace the problems between Iran and the United States to the installation of the Shah in the 1950s. Regardless of the origins, the fact remains that Iran and the United States consider themselves enemies. As such, it is not out of the question that a war between the United States and Iran could break out. This creates a very complex scenario because of the global economic implications of a war between Iran and the United States. Iran is, of course, a major supplier of oil to the many allies of the United States. Japan, for example, is one of the United States’ strongest allies and it receives an enormous amount of oil from Iran. Similarly, many European allies receive imports of Iranian oil. A war between Iran and the United States would have tremendous global implications. Among these many implications would be serious potential negative implications for the world’s economy. Several of these different â€Å"nightmare scenarios† will be explored in this essay. First, it is important to state there are different ways to wage war. Some methods such as supporting the overthrow of the Iranian government via supporting resistance forces might not have the impact of the global economy to the same degree as a series of surgical airstrikes or a ground invasion. In this essay, the subject of ‘war’ will be discussed in its most conventional sense. Specifically, it will be defined as a large scale, drawn out military conflict between the two nations. One of the most strategic areas the United States must consider when it comes to Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War 2 the issue of a war with Iran is the fact that Iran is completely reliant on the importation of gasoline. Without shipping access, the ability for Iran to maintain its importation of gasoline would be impossible. Of course, it would be to the United States’ interest to enact a naval blockade on Iran to prevent the importation of gasoline. This would almost immediately lead to Iran further rationing its gasoline supply in order to effectively operate its military. While it would not be accurate to state that a naval blockade would immediately end the war (Iran’s navy could attack the US’ navy and potentially reverse the blockade) However, the scenario of no imports or exports would also cripple Iran’s ability to deliver oil to other nations in the world. This would then have potentially enormous economic impacts on the global markets. The notion that there would be serious economic implications resulting from a war between the United States and Iran has been weighed by many serious thinkers. â€Å"earlier in July when Iran tested missiles capable of reaching Israel and other corners of the Middle East, the price of oil jumped to a new high of over $147 per barrel. In fact, some analysts see the impact of U. S. —Iran relations on the oil market as so important as to suggest the best way to give quick relief to energy consumers around the world is a declaration by the U. S. that military force is not an acceptable option in its dispute with Iran. † (Esfahani) This is why there is so much concern globally regarding a potential United States/Iranian conflict. At the core of mostly all basic economics is the theory of supply and demand. If Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War 3 the supply of something is limited and high demand remains in place, the price of the item increases. This then creates the issue of opportunity costs. When you buy something with your money, you have eliminated the potential to use that same money for something else. In other words, if the price of gasoline skyrockets and people have to pay more for it, then they will be depleted their cash reserves or increasing their borrowing. Oil is also employed for the production of electricity which would also increase in price in the face of an oil embargo. Once again, the drain on personal finances as a result of such increased energy and fuel costs would cut into every sector of the global economy. Discretionary income would drop and leisure purchases and even the purchases of necessities would diminish rapidly. What would be the effect of this on the economies of various nations? The impact would be felt on a variety of front. The stock market, for example, would experience a great deal of negative impact as a result of such diminished spending. When people are not purchasing, the stocks of many companies may decline. After all, their profit margins could decline. Granted, there are many steps a company can take to make sure its stock price remains stable. For example, reducing the workforce or cutting spending in other areas would aid in boosting stock prices. However, if something is not done to present the lowering of stock prices, economies will take an immediate tumble. Those with investments in the market would see their net worth diminish. If one Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War 4 sees a 25% decline in the value of their portfolio, they will see a 25% decline in their net worth. Again, this is how simple economics works and such an impact will assuredly be the result of a large scale (or even minor military skirmish) between Iran and the United States. There really would be no way to avoid such a chain of events from occurring if a war broke out between the Unites States and Iran. This is because there will be an enormous impact on the price and flow of oil if such a war was to break out. Such an occurrence could not be circumvented in any way. As one can infer, this ties heavily into the concept of aggregate demand which would be the definitive demand for goods and services in a particular economy at certain specific price levels. As one could logical infer, demand for high priced items in this situation of reduced consumer cash liquidity would certainly hamper purchases of high priced items or items that are not considered of vital importance to one’s sustenance. This can lead to s significant reduction in output – the total value of all services and goods produced in the economy – within a very short period of time. We will see the impact of this in the Mundell-Fleming Model (An aggregate demand model) which would detail the relationship between the inflation of prices combined with the actual output of goods and services. In the simplest of terms, high inflation combined with a slow decline in goods and services could prove cataclysmic for an economy. But, even with high inflation, it would be safe to say that the potential for the Mundell-Fleming model to maintain a high supply of goods and services is possible in the United States. The reason for this is that the various sectors of the United States Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War 5 economy are so vast that there will be those able to purchase goods and services even at inflated prices. Some professions would not be as significantly impacted by high fuel or energy costs. As such, there may be a certain level of maintained stability within model even though a large section of the population may still be suffering. Issues surrounding a war with Iran are complex and far reaching. This includes the actual manner in which the war would be waged. Considering the size of the US and Iranian military, no option would be off the table in terms of how the war would be waged. Case in point, the utilization of tactical nuclear weapons by the United States may be necessitated. This is not to say that tactical nuclear missiles would be a first response or that they would be directed towards civilian targets. However, there are possibilities that could necessitate the use of such weapons by the United States. For example, Iran has tens of thousands of cruise missiles. The threat of launching thousands of these missiles into Israeli cities, European cities, or neighboring American military bases would potentially require the detonation of the missile silos with tactical nuclear arms. A wide scale Iranian invasion of neighboring countries such as Iraq could require a tactical response. Use of chemical weapons by Iran would constitute a WMD attack and lead to a nuclear response. Really, there are many different variables at work here. Again, this is not to say that a war between the United States and Iran would automatically lead to nuclear strikes. However, the potential for such strikes exist in any large scale military conflict. This would have a devastating impact on the world economy Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War 6 for a number of reasons. The possibility of a nuclear strike destroying oil fields would be a potential scenario. The presence of radiation reducing the amount of work that can be performed on oil wells is another. Such scenarios are grim when discussed in an antiseptic manner. In the decades since the detonation of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, the horror of a nuclear strike’s effects have not been dulled on the senses of people. However, the specter of the potential use of such weapons is always present. As such, the impact – both human and economic – must be weighed. Because of the potential for a tactical nuclear strike leading to arms races in the region (Other nations will want their own nukes as a deterrent to future strikes), the need for a significant conventional force is required. This means the war will have to be funded to handle a long campaign and potentially significantly longer post-war rebuilding phase. This will cost significantly in terms of government expenditures which, in turn, means the deficit will skyrocket. With very high, out of control deficits, a number of seriously negative economic situations could develop. First, a debtor nation may not be able to provide for the common good of society. As such, it must take steps to reduce the impact of the deficit. One method involves printing more money and the other process involves increasing taxes. Both methods have the potential for significant economic harm. When a nation prints more money in order to meet obligations tied to a deficit, it the value of the currency will decrease. A weakened dollar comes with many problems. Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War 7 Namely, investment is seriously hampered since the dollars that you amass are worth less. Additionally, there will be a disinclination on the part of foreign investors to put their money into the US market. There would be limited value for their doing so since the dollar is declining meaning their investment capital in dollars would potentially decline as well. Debt holders of US bonds would also become more nervous since they would be losing money on their investment. As pointed out in BUSINESSWEEK, â€Å"As the currency deteriorates, it becomes more expensive to import goods and services from other countries, fueling inflation. In an effort to pull investors back, central banks often raise interest rates when their national currencies lose value. But as anyone who remembers the 70s knows, the combination of rising interest rates and on-the-run inflation can be a devastating economic cocktail. † (Rosenbush) In some cases, foreign investment is critical for the spurning of employment and economic growth. With foreign companies opting to avoid putting their money into the United States, the unemployment could increase which further raises deficit potential. This is due to the fact that more unemployed people means less tax dollars paid to the government. Additionally, unemployment creates greater dependency on welfare which also contributes to higher deficits. All of this further sets the stage for inflation which makes goods and services less affordable to the public. This further damages the economy and adds to the deficits. Tax Economic Implications of a US-Iranian War 8 increases are commonly pointed to as a solution, but their value is limited. When money is taken out of the private sector and placed in the treasury, it makes job creation harder. This, in turn, makes economic recover more difficult as well. If an economic recovery if difficult to expedite, then it becomes much harder to get out of it. That is because the sheer volume of economic pain induced by the many months or years of poor economic factors and growth create complexities and problems that multiply. Again, this makes reversing a poor economy more difficult. As such, some may wonder why the United States’ policy towards Iran may be so hard lined. The reason is that not treating Iran as a threat could prove equally harmful to economic and security interests. Iran’s agitation towards the United States prime allies is not helpful for US strategic security. Also, Iran’s potential domination of the other oil countries in the Middle East does not appeal to US economic interests. As such, there will be perpetual tension between the two countries. Hopefully, such tensions will not lead to war but preparedness for such actions is required. Considering the economic impact of such action, war should be the perennial last resort or option to be executed. So, far it has been averted and will hopefully remain averted for the foreseeable future. Most do not tie the economic ramifications to military action. However, the two are intertwined. Wars need to be funded and there are additional economic costs associated with military action. This is why sensible nations do not rush to war and as well they should not. But, this does not mean a nation should not prepare for the potential worst case scenario.While the US is not is a rush to engage Iran militarily, it understands the potential for such a conflict needs to be adequately prepared for. Works Cited Esfahani, e. (2008, September). The Economic consequences of us-iran relations. Retrieved from http://www. ideals. illinois. edu/bitstream/handle/2142/9093/ policy_brief. esfahani. final. pdf? sequence=2 Rosenbush, S. (2004, November 12). The Pros and cons of a weak dollar. Businessweek, Retrieved from http://www. businessweek. com/bwdaily/ dnflash/nov2004/nf20041112

Employee Relations in Trade Unions and HRM

Employee Relations in Trade Unions and HRM Employee relations are critical to the success of the organisation. Good communication channels need to be in place for information flow between employers and employees. This holds true for both small and large organisations. In large organisations, there are legal rules in place to engage employee representatives. Employee representation could be in the form of trade unions, works councils, joint working groups and ad-hoc groups. In small companies, the emphasis is on direct communication between employer and employees. Small firms do not require elaborate representational systems and the legal framework excludes them from laws to consult with worker representatives in some cases. However, regardless of the size of the organisation, it is advisable for employers to have effective systems for providing information and consultations with employees on a periodic basis (ACAS, 2005). This is particularly critical for small companies that are growing at a fast rate and need to have system s in place for employee engagement as is the case with the company under consideration. Employee representation and trade unions One form of employee representation is trade unions. Trade unions are associations of employees. Trade union is an organization of workers that aims to protect and advance the interests of its members (BIS, 2009). Their objective is to sustain and enhance the terms and conditions of work for their members. This is done through collective bargaining with employers. Recognition of the trade union by the company is very important for collective bargaining. Collective bargaining takes place when the trade union negotiates with the employer on behalf of the employees on matters regarding pay and other terms and conditions of employment. Trade unions are of four types: company union, general/industrial union, craft union and white collar union (Cole, 2003). Company union represent the employees in a single company. General or Industrial union represents employees from several companies belonging to the same industry. Craft union represents skilled workers in a specific field. White collar union represent white collar employees e.g., teachers and professors. Trade unions are set up to protect and promote the interests of employees. The existence of a trade union reduces the possibilities of industrial conflict (Dillon, 2009). Trade unions play a vital role in effective communication between management and employees. They provide the support system to ensure that the differences of opinion do not turn into major conflicts. Trade unions play an active role in negotiations between management and workers in times of disagreement. Trade unions not only represent employees to discuss their pay and benefits, but also provide a voice for the employees to be heard on various other aspects of personnel policies. These include selecting employees for lay offs, retrenchment, promotion and transfer. The personnel selection criterion within an organization may not be fair and transparent. The existence of trade unions ensures that workers have a say in the proceedings and their interests are safeguarded (ILO, 1992). From the management perspective, it is beneficial to deal with trade union members who represent all the employees rather than deal with employees individually. This saves time and is cost efficient as conflicts can be resolved in a timely manner. This ensures there is no stoppage of work, thus preventing adverse effects on employee productivity and efficiency. Management will get to know from the trade union about the views of employees on various important aspects of the company polices. They can use this information to make important decisions that affect employees (Gennard Judge, 2005). Becoming a member of a trade union gives employees the confidence that their needs and interests are being protected. This is a source of motivation for workers reducing absenteeism, lower productivity and labour turnover. This ensures that there is optimum utilization of human resources in the organisation. Role of trade unions The role played by trade unions in uniting, protecting and improving the employees has a positive impact on the business. They help management in the recruitment of employees. Trade unions have also started to conduct various training and development activities for the employees. They help in unifying employees coming from diverse social and economic backgrounds by helping them get used to the work conditions in the company. As a result, workers are more aware of the rules and policies in the company. This gives the employees the requisite tools to succeed in their job. With efficient employees, companies can achieve their goals and grow at a faster rate. This will positively impact the economic development of the economy. At times of disagreement and conflict between employers and employees, trade unions play a vital role. They represent all the employees in total. This is called collective bargaining. This makes it easy for management to deal with the trade union members. This helps in building trust and co-operation. The trade union helps in resolving the conflict in a rational manner that is beneficial to both the company and its employees. In such a scenario, the acceptability of the managements decisions by the employees is greater. They have a sense of ownership for the decision-making and therefore will be more committed to achieve the companys objectives. The quality of the decisions may also improve as opinions of employees with the required skills are well represented. The focus is on mutual agreement between management, employees and their representatives for improving employee relations. Trade unions help in fostering co-operation and building industrial relations. HRM practices and trade unions The disadvantages of trade unions to management are they could lead to increase in wages at an indiscriminate rate. This means higher costs for the company. Also, trade unions consider only the requirements of its members. It gives no importance to the views and needs of employees who are not members. When trade unions impose strikes and lock-outs in the company, it causes decrease in productivity and profitability levels. Over the years, the focus in human resource management (HRM) has changed from collectivism to individualism. This means more importance given to engaging employees individually for consultation, communication and resolving conflict. In the individualism management style, the focus is on the views, opinions and needs of each employee. It seeks to bring out the best in every employee in performing their job. In collectivism management style, the company recognizes the importance of having employees views and opinions represented in management decision-making on personnel matters. The HRM approach that strikes a balance between these two management styles will give importance in building and caring for human resources in the organisation. Human resource management is a style of management for managing employee relations in a way that enables employees to perform at their best in the new era of technological changes and globalisation. There are two versions in defining HRM. The hard version adopts a rational method of dealing with employees and aims at aligning organisation strategy and human resource strategy (Bratton Gold, 2001). It views employees as a cost component that needs to be controlled. The soft version views employees as resources. Its emphasis is on grooming, training and developing employees. It works on increasing employee commitment. It looks upon a skilled and committed workforce as an important competitive advantage. Human resource management is a key function in a company, which focuses on selecting, recruiting, training and developing employees, and provide a sense of direction to them. Its main aim is to manage the human resources in an organisation effectively and contribute in achieving its goals. Functions of HRM include planning, selection, recruitment, compensation and benefits, training, performance appraisal and feedback, communication and motivation of human resources in the company. When a company is established and starts operating in a small scale, usually the owner/manager performs the HR functions. As the company grows steadily, a human resource personnel needs to be appointed, who primarily takes care of payroll processing, benefits and HR record-keeping. For the other major HR functions like recruitment and training, managers may need to participate and take the ownership. When a company crosses the 80-100 employees level, a person specializing in HRM needs to come onboard (Math is Jackson, 2007). The role of HRM in a company can be split into three: administrative, operational and strategic. The administrative role is to do with clerical responsibilities like paper work and record keeping. If the role of HR in a company is restricted to only the administrative function, then it serves no purpose both for the employers and employees. In the operational role, HR implements the strategies laid out by the management. It ensures that the plans, policies and strategies of the organisation as laid out by the management are carried out by the employees. In this role, HR acts as a liaison between the employer and employees. In the strategic role, HR plays a key role in formulating policies relating to human resources along with the management. HR contributes to organisational effectiveness and success by ensuring employees is well equipped to perform at their best and contribute significantly to the company (Mathis Jackson, 2007). For the human resource function to be effective in an organisation, the operational and strategic role must be given importance in decision-making. This ensures there is adequate communication between employers and employees. It recognises human resource as a vital component that needs to be groomed and developed for the success of the company. By ensuring employees opinions are voiced and heard on matters affecting them, HRM ensures that employees feel motivated, have a sense of purpose and ownership and contribute to the organisation. Managing employee relations within the organization Organizations today are increasingly exposed to the challenges of managing employee relations and adopt practices that promote a positive work culture. Global competitive pressures have added to the stress levels at workplace and employee satisfaction becomes a critical issue in such conditions. Large organizations with more than 100 employees often find it difficult to address employee issues and concerns. Employee representation through collectivism in the form of trade unions, joint consultation committees or individualistic approach that emphasizes on strategies like personal development plans, performance appraisals and career progression are some of the alternatives available to the organization. Changes in managerial approach are a requirement for organizations to adapt to changing operating and business environment conditions. In traditional organizations, directing involves giving assignments, explaining routines, clarifying policies, and providing feedback on performance (N ickels, 2008). This style of management has been replaced by a more encouraging approach that involves increased participation of the workforce in the decision making process. Employee empowerment strategies and a participative leadership approach are increasingly finding their acceptance within organizations since it promotes organizational efficiency in terms of productivity and performance. Flexible organizational structures that are distinguished by reduced layers of hierarchy are much favoured for their role in improving existing work culture and employee commitment levels. Employee participation and consultative practices within an organization faces distinct challenges from lack of supporting infrastructure that encourage the process of open communication. Potterfield (1999) states that empowerment strategies can be effective only when the organization provides the following four essential ingredients to its staff and that includes information about the organizations performance, rewards based on organizations performance, knowledge that enables the workforce to contribute to organizations performance, and power to make decisions that influence organizational performance. Bargaining with trade unions reflect the need to recognize their existence and this relationship can be fostered in many ways for mutual benefit. Organizations can effectively integrate their strategies to gain advantage from the existence of trade unions through the implementation of employee participation and promoting a healthy work culture that focuses on increased productivity. Organizations are run by various disciplinary standards and frameworks that guide employee behaviour at workplace, frame regulations for disciplinary actions against misbehaviour, and frame the basic rules that should be followed by people within the organization to ensure the smooth functioning and create a healthy work environment. The management is to a large extent responsible for drawing the guidelines and laying the protocols to ensure a proper code of conduct among the employees. People need to know what is expected of them in terms of standards of performance and behaviour (ACAS, 2009). It is not an effective practice to define employee code of conduct and performance levels while imposing restrictions on employee conduct as and when required by employers. The organization must have a pre-defined set of expected behaviour protocols handed out to the employees that conveys a uniform standard of conduct to all employees across all levels and departments within an organization. This is extremely helpful in directing the employees on what actions or steps should be taken next in response to a specific case or situation at the workplace. Such rules and protocols will leave no place for ambiguity or misunderstandings once the company expectations are defined and explained to the workforce. Many companies define a set of procedures for employee grievances and feedback. Such practices are useful in providing assurance to the employees that their problems will be dealt with confidentially and in uniformity with the company procedures. This ensures fair resolution of problems and guides the managers in dealing with conflicts within teams and individuals. The success of any business enterprise in todays operating environment is to a large extent dependent on the human capital resources available. In view of the present economic perspective employee relations play a critical role in deciding the business strategies and profitability position of the company. There are numerous instances when organizational conflicts can create problems with the effectiveness of operations. However, it must be understood that conflicts are an inevitable part of the business environment and organizations adopt different strategies to resolve conflicts arising at workplace. According to the conventional way of doing business conflicts were viewed as a negative and threatening action working against the organizational interests. There has been a radical change in perspectives with changing business dynamics where organizations feel that conflicts can be used to leverage organizational goals and objectives through the use of effective leadership and manageri al strategies. The individual conflict arising in workplace is more evident in the form of personal goals and objectives that clash with the goals of other individuals (Weijun, 2006). A competitive work environment promotes individuals to prove their abilities and go that extra mile to achieve higher goals. Managers and leaders instigate a competitive environment to achieve organizational goals and targets and motivate the employees to perform better. The consequences are realized in the form of increased productivity, market share and profitability. The stakeholders gain from this kind of conflicts arising at workplace. Any changes to the current and existing work procedures are met with stiff resistance from the people involved. Managing conflicts and implementing changes in an organization is a complex task that requires an able leadership that has the capacity to visualize and identify possible barriers or resistance to the planned changes. Ensuring high levels of performance within the organization requires active participation of both management and individuals in the workforce in implementing tasks and objectives (Roberts, 2004). Managers can unlock an individuals ability and willingness to perform at high levels in many ways for instance, by translating long-term goals into step by step plans, clearly stating expectations and holding people accountable (Holbeche, 2005). Training the employees is an effective conflict management strategy. It provides the employees with increased information and knowledge on the impact of organizational policies or programs and thinks in a pre-defined manner t o accept such changes. There are numerous other employee management strategies that can be implemented by the organization to ensure increased performance levels and adherence to quality standards. This includes performance appraisals, team meetings, one-to-one discussion forums, personal development plans and feedback sessions that encourage a healthy exchange of views and suggestions. The organization should outline and explain the step-by-step procedure that needs to be followed by the employees and the managers in fulfilling the objectives of performance appraisals and personal development plans. The managers should be provided with adequate guidelines on the way the system should work, how often the plans need to be reviewed and trained in the ways of conducting effective appraisal sessions. Documentation of each phase of these plans is necessary to provide the managers and employees with improved clarity on the goals decided, action plans drawn, review period and feedback of the session. Improved communication can help in motivating employees, increasing productivity and result in improved customer service. But it needs to be understood that the communication process is not simply conveying the message. It is a two-way process that needs interaction between the two parties. The management and the employees need to interact on how the managerial strategies are going to take shape and what are best possible ways to minimize risks and hurdles in the process. Giving the employees a chance to participate in management decisions not only makes them feel valuable but also ensures their support and enthusiasm in the whole process. Another vital ingredient for successful communication process is consistency. The management policies need to be consistent in their approach to instil trust and confidence in the employees. Conclusion The increase in market competitiveness has resulted in the adoption of strategic plans that focus on employee welfare and development schemes. Collective relationships are now based on relatively more cooperation in which both parties are motivated to add value to the organization (Gennard Judge, 2005, p11). The evolving employment relationships emphasize the success of the enterprise through developing employee trust and commitment, enhancing job satisfaction, employee participation in decision making process, and increasing organizational productivity, profitability and efficiency (Gennard Judge, 2005).