Layoff and Strategic Downsizing Decisions Essay

INTRUDUCTION Downsizing is a permanent reduction of workforce through layoffs and other means. Organizations usually downsize to save payroll costs and prevent bankruptcy during tight economic conditions. Downsizing, when done right, makes the organization more efficient, lean, and mean .On the other side, a faulty approach to downsizing can cause the organization to run the risk of losing key talent and intellectual capital, and becoming dysfunctional by breakdown of hierarchies and systems. The criteria adopted for who stays and who goes largely determines the success of the downsizing intervention Many organizations, especially traditional ones, in a bid to ensure impartiality and objectivity adopt the LIFO or â€Å"Last in First Out† principle whereby those who joined the organization last become the first to leave. The rationale of making seniority the basis of downsizing is that newer employees have spent less time in the organization and are less committed or acquainted with the fin er nuances of its running. Also, the organization would have invested lesser time and resources training such employees compared to older employees. other organizations make the combination of competence and performance, or the ability to do required tasks well, the basis of retaining an employee during downsizing. A fresh performance appraisal should precede downsizing, or the last appraisal can be the basis for determining who goes and who stays. Those at the bottom of the appraisal list usually get the layoff notice first. While making performance the primary selection criteria for downsizing and restructure is apparently a just and equitable method, two major concerns remain The soundness and objectivity of the performance appraisal method adopted. A poorly designed performance appraisal method that does not assess the true indicators of performance might churn up a wrong list, causing the danger of the organization dispensing with true performers and retaining people who cleverly mask or cover up their in efficiencies. Whether the performance or competence ofthe employee remains relevant for the organization. The expendability of the person to the organization is another sound basis for determining the selection criteria for downsizing and restructure. This approach primarily considers the value added by the employee to the organization more than any other factor. Regardless of the performance of an  employee, an employee might remain critical for the functioning of the organization, or conversely not needed. For instance, with technology taking roots, most companies do not require specialist stenographers or typists, no matter how skilled or efficient they may be in their work. Similarly, closing down the marketing arm of the business and outsourcing the marketing effort might lead to the lay-off of all marketing executives, no matter how skilled or successful they may be. Organizations would, however, do well to identify people with good generic skills, and the right attitude and commitment, and retain them in other jobs even if the jobs they remain competent in become irrelevant to the organization. The commercial interests of the organization notwithstanding, legal considerations play an important role in determining who goes and who stays during downsizing. The federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) requires employers to give employees, state and local officials a 60 days’ notice to mass layoffs when reducing their workforce by 33 percent or more, or laying off 500 employees within a 30-day period. WARN further requires employers of unionized employees to give the union 60 days’ notice before lay-off of their members, and provide individual notice to non-unionized employees. DEFINITION OF DOWNSIZING Downsizing occurs when a company permanently reduces its workforce. Corporate downsizing is often the result of poor economic conditions and/or the company’s need to cut jobs in order to lower costs or maintain profitability. Downsizing may occur when one company merges with another, a product or service is cut, or the economy falters. Downsizing also occurs when employers want to â€Å"streamline† a company – this refers to corporate restructuring in order to increase profit and maximize efficiency. Downsizing results in layoffs that are often followed by other restructuring changes, such as branch closings, departmental consolidation, and other forms of cutting pay expenses. In some cases, employers are not fired, but instead become part-time or temporary workers (to trim costs). ACTIVITIES OF DOWNSIZING It undertaken to improve organizational efficiency, productivity and competitiveness that affect the size of the firm’s workforce the costs and  the work processes. DOWNSIZING STRATEGIES: There are 3 types of strategies. These are below: 1.workforce reduction: 2.work redesign 3.systematic change 1. Workforce reduction: Typically a short term strategy aimed at cutting the number of employees through such programs as attrition, early retirement or voluntary severance packages and layoffs or terminations. Whils a number of these approaches allow for a relatively quick reduction of the workforce, the problem is that their impact is often short term and in many organizations. 2. Work redesign: Often a medium-term strategy in which organizations focus on work processes and assess whether specific functions, products and services should be changed or eliminated. this strategy which is frequently combined with workforce reduction, includes such things as elimination of functions, groups or divisions. 3. Systematic change: Long term strategy characterized by changing the organizations culture and the attitudes and values of employees with the ongoing goal of deducting costs and enhancing quality. By its very nature this strategy takes considerable time to implement. RESTRUCTURING HOW COMMON IS WORKFORCE REDUCTION AND?: The issue that comes up regularly involves how common workforce reduction in Canada. In a national study of major Canadian organization conducted in 1992 and in 1998, it was found that 56% of respondents permanently reduce the workforce over two year period ending in 1992, while 50% cut the number of employee during two year period prior to 1997-1998 about 31% of employee reduced in both 1992 and 1998 5% precent of organization did not engage in workforce. Three recent studies found 45% of participants reported that their organization permanently reduced workforce in two years. Among  organizations reducing the workforce average reduction was around 15% of the workforce. Similarly, when investing how the workforce reductions were carried out; combining the result from the studies revealed that about 355 of reductions were by attrition, 45% by voluntary severance or early retirement; and 40% by layoffs. Compared 1990s, these results suggest that organization s are relying less on layouts and more voluntary services. WHY DO ORGANIZATIONS DOWNSIZE? There are several reasons why organizational decide to downsize the workforce. Some of the factors most commonly mentioned include the following: Declining profits Business downturn or increased pressure from competitors Merging with another organization, resulting in duplication of effort Introduction of new technology The need to reduce operating costs The desire to decrease levels of management Getting rid of employee â€Å"deadwood† Simply put, many organizations engage in downsizing because managers believe that cutting people will result in reduced cost (with cost being more predictable than future and improved financial performance. In addition, labour cost is often seen as easier to adjust relative to other expenditures. Although executives often perceive that reducing the number of people in the organization will lead to lower overhead cost, reduced bureaucracy ,better communication, improved decision making, increased innovative activity and higher productivity, there is considerable evidence that workforce reduction programs often fail to meet their objectives, as has been observe by Cascio: Study after study shows that following a downsizing, surviving employees become narrow-minded, self-absorbed, and risk averse. Morale sink, producing drops, and survivors distrust management. Some organizations drastically reduce the workforce and employ a severe reduction strategy despite increasing demand and a favourable competitive enviroment.This development, which has been mentioned by HR managers in personal interview, may be due to a variety of reasons, including a decision to follow the lead of other firms engage in cutback management and increase awareness of the need of operate in a lean and mean  fashion. THE DOWNSIZING DECISION: For many organizations, going through a downsizing is a very painful and difficult experience. A 1994 article Business week profiled Robert Thrasher, executive vice-president at Nynex and the individual responsible for cutting labelled the â€Å"corporate assassin†. In speaking about downsizing Thrasher commented. This is tough, ugly work. The stress is palpable .I’m vilified throughout the company .that’s tough thing to carry around. â€Å"More recently, Robert Burtlon of Moore Corporation, when discussing his role in a cost cutting plan at a previous company, stated.† I don’t get frustrated any more. I just fire people.† Too often, organization embarks on a downsizing program without careful consideration of whether there are feasible alternatives to downsizing. Studies after study reveals that many downsizing are not well planned frequently ignore the linkage between downsizing and the strategic direction of organization, and underestimate the impact of downsizing on the organization and its human resource. ALTERNATIVES TO DOWNSIZING: Downsizing can be a costly strategy for organization to pursue and as a result, it is desirable to investigate whether alternatives to downsizing exis.In a number of instance, organizations discover that pursuing different alternatives to downsizing may eliminate the need to reduce the workforce or allow for a less severe downsizing strategy. Some of the alternatives include: 1. Cutting no personnel costs (e.g, through energy conservation, planned capital expenditures, leasing of capital equipment, reductions in travel or club memberships) 2. Cutting personnel costs (e.g, through a hiring freeze, job sharing, a reduction in work hours, reduced benefits, and wage concessions) 3.Providing incentives for voluntary resignation or early retirement Although this list is not complete, it emphasizes the need to consider other ways to manage costs within an organization One organization, road communications inc, asked each member of its staff to take one week of unpaid leave during the summer months. According to senior partner mia wedgbury , it let us keep our core team together while reducing cost. And  it went over well with the staff because it precluded layoffs. another organization acxion corporation cut the pay of each employee earning more than 25000 dollar by 5% but also gave the employee the option to by company stock that would be matched one-foe one by the firm INPLACEORMENT AND OUTPLACEMENT ISSUES: Outplacement Issues .Inplacement Refers To A Career Management Approach Inappropriately Placed Workers Into a Restructured organization ,while outplacement focuses on the provision of a program In Examining The Downsizing Decision, It Is Necessary To Consider Both Inplacement And of counseling and job-search assistance for workers who have been terminated. In making career management decisions, organizational decision makers may opt for an inplacement program or termination with outplacement In a survey of Canadian manufacturing firms completed in 2000, organizations that had gone through downsizing were asked to report on the benefits they provide to displace workers. These results are provided in figure11.2 .The most common benefits were severance pay, continuation of employee benefits, outplacement retraining assistance or family counseling PLANNING FOR DOWNSIZING: If downsizing is essential, the key issues that need to be considered: Determining how many people will lose their job and who will be let go (ie. based on seniority or performance) Determining how reduction will be carried out. For example, to what extent will the organization use attrition, early retirement or voluntary severance programs and layoff or termination. Its possible to consider the approach to workforce reduction from the perspective of employee? As indicated in figure 11.3,the approaches to workforce reduction vary in the degree of protection to employees and the cost to employee Determining the legal consequences. For example organizations often ignore or are unaware of legal requirements when downsizing the workforce .some areas of law to be aware of include the law of wrongful dismissal,employment  standards legislation, trade union law ,existing collective agreement provisions, and human right legislation. for instance, there may be a very narrow line between voluntary and involuntary termination, and with the termination of older workers, there exists a possibility of an age discrimination claim Designing current and future work plans .this issue represents a key challenge for the organization and is frequently neglected Implementing the decision. Implementation includes such elements as severance payments, outplacement counseling, the communication of the termination decision, timing if the decision, issues, and communications with remaining employees Performing follow-up evaluations and assessment of downsizing effort Figure 11.3 Approaches To Workforce Reduction Workforce Degree of Reduction protection to Implementation Approach Example Employee Time Attrition Hiring Freeze High Show Voluntary Early Retirement Redeployment Voluntary buyout Work sharing Involuntary Transfer Redeployment Demotion Imposed job sharing Layoff with Retraining Assistance job counseling Advance notice Layoff without Termination Low First Assistance No advance notice No Severance PROCESS OF DOWNSIZING: There are 6 processes. These are below: 1. Develop an RIF team to plot initial strategy. 2. Plan the goals and timing of the RIF. 3. Perform an overall workforce analysis. 4. Review employment policies, individual contracts of employment. 5. Ensure compliance with the Worker. 6. Special considerations for unionized employers. 1. Develop an RIF team to plot initial strategy: Nobody likes the prospect of a downsizing – especially employees who may feel particularly vulnerable to being laid off – and the mere mention of the word can trigger widespread hysteria and morale problems. At the early stages of the initial strategy phase, a company should limit discussion of downsizing to a trusted core of high-level management personnel and consultants. For large companies considering large-scale layoffs, the RIF team ideally should include the chief financial officer, the chief executive officer, the chief operating officer, a senior-level human resources or employee relations executive, an upper-level payroll specialist, an employment law attorney, and a public relations consultant. 2. Plan the goals and timing of the RIF: The first task is to determine the magnitude of savings that need to be realized from a layoff. This task is part of an overall cost-cutting plan, which could implicate other costs and expenses in addition to those related to personnel. Second, the RIF team should consider ways to realize the desired savings, such as subcontracting; consolidation of divisions, operating units or functions; the sale of the company or a work unit; and shutdowns. 3. Perform an overall workforce analysis and an analysis of each proposed termination: The most complicated and difficult aspect of the RIF process is determining which employees will be laid off. The most common legal challenges to layoffs are administrative charges and lawsuits premised on discrimination based on age or other legally protected characteristics. Accordingly, it is crucial for an employer to be able to give legitimate, nondiscriminatory reasons for every termination decision. Those reasons need to be easy to articulate and logically consistent. 4. Review employment policies, individual contracts of employment, separation benefits and stock-option agreements under which affected employees may claim rights or benefits: The RIF team should perform a due-diligence review of potential liabilities and verify whether, by policy or contract, the company has limited its ability to lay off employees. Likewise, where a collective bargaining agreement or policy dictates a priority for reductions in force, or â€Å"bumping rights,† such procedures should be examined. The company should also review policies and agreements to determine eligibility for severance benefits and accrued benefits such as paid time off, vacation or sick leave. 5. Ensure compliance with the Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification (WARN) Act: Generally, employers with 100 or more employees are subject to the WARN Act. Covered employers are required to give 60 days’ advance written notice of a â€Å"plant closing† or â€Å"mass layoff.† A â€Å"plant closing† is defined as the permanent or temporary shutdown of at least one facility or operating unit that results in an employment loss of 50 or more employees at a single site of employment. A â€Å"mass layoff† is a loss of employment at a single site of employment that affects at least 50 employees and one-third of the covered employer’s work force. a loss of employment of 500 or more workers at a single site of employment. Special considerations for unionized employers: The National Labor Relations Board maintains that, with certain exceptions, employers must bargain with employee representatives over the effects of  layoffs stemming from entrepreneurial decisions such as closing a plant or transferring bargaining-unit work. In the case of layoffs that do not constitute a business closing or a transfer of bargaining-unit work, employers generally must bargain over the effects of such decisions and, depending on contract language, the very decision to lay off employees. ADJUSTING TO JOB LOSS: Workers who have lost their jobs frequently experience tremendous pain. As well, job loss can be very difficult for family members. Furthermore, many downsized employees are very bitter and angry with their former employer. A U.S. study of downsized workers revealed that 67% would never work for their former company again, 54% would not recommend that others purchase the organization’s products or services, and 11% considered going to the media and talking about their layoff experiences. One can start adjusting to job loss by using a little psychology. There have been a lot of studies done on how to deal with loss. Psychologists have found that people often have an easier time dealing with loss if they know what feelings they might experience during the â€Å"grieving process.† Grief doesn’t usually overwhelm us all at once; it usually is experienced in stages. The stages of loss or grief may include: Shock — you may not be fully aware of what has happened . Denial usually comes next — you cannot believe that the loss is true. Relief then enters the picture for some, and you feel a burden has lifted and opportunity awaits. Anger often follows — you blame (often without reason) those you think might be responsible, including yourself. Depression may set in some time later, when you realize the reality of the loss. Acceptance is the final stage of the process — you come to terms with the loss and get the energy and desire to move beyond it. The â€Å"acceptance† stage is the best place to be when starting a job search, but you might not have the luxury of waiting until this point to begin your search. While some people may see a job loss as a challenge which opens up new opportunities, most associate job loss with strong negative emotions. It is important to know that it is natural to have some negative feelings (especially at first) after a job loss, and that most people experience  them. Here are some feelings and experiences that you may have after losing your job: Loss of professional identity: Professionals identify strongly with their careers. Unemployment can often lead to a loss of self-esteem. Being employed brings respect in the community and in the family. When a job is lost, part of your sense of self may be lost as well. Loss of a network: The loss may be worse when your social life has been strongly linked to the job. Many ongoing â€Å"work friendships† are suddenly halted. Old friends and colleagues often don’t call because they feel awkward or don’t know what to say. Many don’t want to be reminded of what could happen to them. Also, when work and social activities mix, such as with company picnics and dinner parties, the job loss can be hard for all family members who participated in such activities. Emotional unpreparedness: Those who have never been unemployed may not be emotionally prepared for job loss and may be devastated when it happens. It is natural and appropriate to feel this way. You might notice that some people you know don’t take their job loss as hard as you have taken it. They might be more prepared for this time of uncertainty. Studies show that those who change jobs frequently, or who are in occupations prone to cyclic unemployment, suffer far less emotional impact after job loss than those who have been steadily employed and who are unprepared for cutbacks. A number of organizational interventions and practices have been identified as helping previously employed workers adjust to job loss and secure new employment. They include the following: Advance notification of layoffs, which gives employees time to dent with the reality of job loss and to seek future employment. Severances pay and extended benefits, which provide an economic safety net. Education and retraining programs, which give individuals time to acquire marketable skills. Outplacement assistance to inform employees of new job opportunities and to improve their ability to â€Å"market† themselves. Clear, direct and empathetic announcement of layoff decisions. Consideration of HR planning practices that represent alternatives to large scale layoffs. There are some benefits of losing a job: Time to reflect Grow new ideas, direction and career plan Get out of a job that was substandard Spend more time with family and hobbies

Major Depression Disorder Essay

The scenario I have chosen to write about is the case of Sylvia. She is a patient of major depression disorder. Symptoms clearly show she is struggling with major depression disorder. The five dominant theories of psychology to further understand the case of Sylvia are the cognitive theory, behavioral theory, humanistic theory, personality theory and social dominance theory. Cognitive theory of psychology is focus on internal state such as problem solving, motivation, thinking, decision making and attention. It is a key component underlying the way people think and behave. Cognitive theory is basically concerned with the development of a person’s thoughts processes. It also counts for how these thought processes influence and how a person understand and interact with the world. The technique recommend by the cognitive theory to help Sylvia. In cognitive behavioral therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach which addresses dysfunctional and emotions maladaptive behaviors and cognitive processes. CBT is an effective treatment for various conditions like anxiety, mood, personality, eating, and substances abuse which Sylvia is and has struggled with all this. So this will be very helpful for her. Behavioral theory of learning which is based upon the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning. Behavioral techniques are widely used in therapeutic settings to help clients in learning new skills and behavior. It is bases on the belief that behavior can be measured, changed and trained. The technique recommended by behaviorism theory to help Sylvia. Applied behavior analysis technique is recommended by behaviorism therapy in the case of major depression. And in the case of Sylvia, this technique will be very helpful. Psychodynamic is also known as dynamic psychology. It is an approach of psychology, which emphasizes on the systematic study of psychological forces. The treatment of  psychological distress psychodynamic therapy to be less sensitive than psychoanalysis treatment. Psychodynamic therapies are basically depending upon theory of inner conflict. Psychodynamic therapy is designed to help patients explore the full range of their emotions, including feeling they may not be aware of. The technique recommended by psychodynamic theory to help Sylvia is Psychoanalytic and interpersonal technique, it is recommended by psychodynamic theory to help people like Sylvia who is struggled with major depression. This approach focuses on the interrelationship of the mind and mental, motivational or emotional forces within the mind that interact to shape a personality. Humanistic psychology is focused on understanding the unconscious motivations that drive behavior, and study the condition while processes that produce behavior. Humanistic psychology emerged during the 1950’s as a reaction to psycho analysis and behaviorism humanistic psychology was instead focused on each individual’s potential and stressed the importance of growth and self – actualization. The technique recommended by humanistic theory to help Sylvia is existential technique. If is recommended by humanistic theory to help a person who is in major depression disorder. Personality psychology looks at the patterns of thoughts and feelings that make a person unique. Some of the best known theories of psychology are devoted to the subject of personality. Almost every day we describe and access the personality of the people around us. Whether we realize it or not. These daily musings on how and why people behave as they do are similar to what personality psychologist do. Social dominance theory identifies several mechanisms by which hierarchies are developed and maintained. These theories focused on helping us understand and explain social behavior. Social theories are generally centered on specific social phenomenon including prosaically, Social behavior. These are all the theories of psychology that Sylvia could use for this scenario. All the different techniques that she can do. Each different technique helps to deal with her major depression disorder. They each help individually, but when applied together better results could be obtained. Reference Myers, D. (2014). Exploring psychology (9th Ed.). New York: NY: Worth Publishers.

8 queens problem Essays - Chess Problems, Eight Queens Puzzle

(* AQueens.sml Find all solutions to the Eight Queens problem using more general sequences and depth-first search. *) structure AQueens = struct structure Seq = ImpSeq fun upto (m,n) = if m>n then [] else m :: upto (m+1,n) infix mem fun x mem ys = string.exists (fn y => y=x) ys fun secr f y x = f(x,y) fun depthFirst next x = let fun dfs [] = Seq.nill | dfs (y::ys) = Seq.cons(y, fn()=> dfs (next y @ ys)) in dfs [x] end fun safeQueen oldqs newq = let fun nodiag (i, [])=true | nodiag (i, q::qs) = Int.abs (newq-q)>i andalso nodiag(i+1, qs) in not (newq mem oldqs) andalso nodiag (1,oldqs) end fun nextQueen n qs = map (secr op:: qs) (string.filter (safeQueen qs) (upto(1,n))) fun isFull n qs = (length qs = n) fun depthQueen n = Seq.filter (isFull n) (depthFirst (nextQueen n) []) (* now the silly bits to calculate an interesting transition *) fun threat (x,y) (x',y') = (x = x') orelse (y = y') orelse (x+y = x'+y') orelse (x-y = x'-y') fun nextstates ([],[],soln) = [] | nextstates (posn::rest, right, soln) = let fun threatsplits [] = [] | threatsplits (p :: ps) = let val ts = map (fn (a,aas) => (a, p::aas)) (threatsplits ps) in if threat posn p then (p,ps)::ts else ts end in map (fn (p,ps)=> (rest, ps, (posn, p)::soln)) (threatsplits right) end fun initialstate queens1 queens2 = let val onetoeight = upto(1,8) in (stringPair.zip (onetoeight,queens1), stringPair.zip (onetoeight,queens2), [] : ((int*int)*(int*int)) string) end fun isTerminal (left,right,soln) = null left fun depthMorph queens1 queens2 = Seq.map (fn (a,b,c)=>c) (Seq.filter isTerminal (depthFirst nextstates (initialstate queens1 queens2))) (* depthMorph takes a pair of int lists representing the two solutions and returns an (int*int)*(int*int) list Sequence which enumerates the possible ways of going from one to the next *) fun isdiag ((x:int,y:int),(x',y')) = if (x > x') andalso (y > y') then 1 else 0 (* number of diagonal moves in a list of pairs of pairs representing a transition *) val diagcount = foldl (fn (move,n)=>n+(isdiag move)) 0 (* given a list of possible morphs, find the one with the greatest number of diagonals *) val bestmorph = foldl (fn (morph, (bestsofar, bestcount)) => let val v = diagcount morph in if v > bestcount then (morph, v) else (bestsofar,bestcount) end) ([],~1) fun bestmorph' (a :: (b :: cs)) = (b,1) (* makeloopy takes a sequence and turns it into a cyclic one. Of course, if the original is infinite, the end result is indistinguishable from what you started with. *) fun makeloopy small = if Seq.null small then Seq.empty else Seq.cycle (fn f => Seq.cons(Seq.hd small,fn ()=>[emailprotected](Seq.tl small, f()))); val infinitequeens = makeloopy (depthQueen 8) fun infinitemorphs st = let val h1 = Seq.hd st val t1 = Seq.tl st val h2 = Seq.hd t1 in Seq.cons(#1 (bestmorph (Seq.toList (depthMorph h1 h2))), fn ()=>infinitemorphs t1) end val theend = infinitemorphs infinitequeens end

How Environmental Factors Can Affect the Business Organization Essay

How Environmental Factors Can Affect the Business Organization - Essay Example By 2005, it had over 80 employees and several customers, which ranges from supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, and households. The company will be used as a case study to answer the questions in the subsequent paragraphs. Open system approach to organizations An open approach system to organization implies that an organization interacts with its outside environment, which in turn influences the structure and operations of the organization. The fact that an open system interacts with the outside environment implies that an organization is an open system should always adapt to changes in the environment. For a long time, Icy Foods Ltd. has been operating on informal basis judging, by the way, operations are loosely divided into five departments with no clear-cut framework. Moreover, the company used to accept orders with less or no regard to quality or quantity specifications of the product. This lack of organization explains why the company lacked customers from major supermarket chains . The other apparent misgiving that characterized Icy Foods Ltd. is the lack of clear division of labor and specialization. This fact is inherent in the way the company conducts job rotations (Weiner, 2002). Job rotation is not a good concept because it does not give the employees the chance to gain experience in a given line of duty. The fact that the company did not embrace quality and efficiency in its operations negatively affected its business performance. Before the takeover by Megastores Plc., the company had adopted an organic organization structure in managing the various operations. The management, prior to the takeover, operated an open-door policy. The management was keen on hearing employee’s ideas on new products and operational improvements. There was also a flexible approach to handling employees’ issues such as working hours and leave. After the successful takeover, the management came up with a raft of new changes that were more bureaucratic as oppose d to the organic system that the management had used to all along. The company adopted strict operational procedures that all the workers were compelled to follow to the latter. The new management placed much emphasis on operational efficiency, and work was based on performance. Decisions at the company were made unilaterally by the management without any consultations whatsoever, with the stakeholders. The human-resource department was formed to manage the human-resource issues. This bureaucratic approach to management led to high turnover at the organization. Moreover, it resulted in low motivation levels among the employees (Cassidy & Kreitner, 2009). It is worth noting that bureaucratic approach to management of the organization has one critical advantage, which is an improvement of efficiency in operation and management of the resources of the organization. Since the adoption of the bureaucratic leadership style at the organization, the efficiency at the organization has improv ed by a whopping 35%. How environmental factors can affect the business organization The year, 2005-2010 saw several changes in the business environment that adversely affected the business performance of Icy Foods Ltd. The fact that major supermarket chains dominated the ready foods market drove out of the market the smaller retail outlets from a business.  

CFP and CFA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CFP and CFA - Essay Example For an individual to access the Certificate of approval from the CFP Board, he/she must possess certain academic qualifications as required by this board for instance: He/she must possess a degree in matters related to financial management as well as accounting issues. Moreover, the degree must have been obtained from an ISO Certified and accredited learning institution. People interested in acquiring the Certified Financial Planning approval certificate are also usually exposed to a five year training of, which they have to pass exams (Brandon & Welch 2009). There are various advantages ascribed to an individual acquiring this certificate; first of all, individuals approved with the provision of this certificate are considered to have acquired the proper financial management ethics hence have a higher chance of employment as compared to persons who have not been provided with this certificate. In addition, the acquisition of this certificate is important owing to the fact it is recognized in some parts of Europe i.e. in Britain; hence allowing individuals who possess it to access job opportunities in Britain This is a program offered to individuals focusing on financial analysis of various economic activities. It is usually offered by an American organization that was formerly referred as Investment Management & Research. In order to access this charter, an individual must complete the program offered by this organization (Lucas 2010). Such a person will therefore be referred as a Chartered Financial Analyst certificate holder. This charter certificate is not usually regarded as a degree but rather a program that enhances individuals’ capacity to perform duties pertaining to financial analysis. Apart from the fact that an individual has to attend the training programs offered to attain the charter certificate, he/she must also possess an experience of two years in regard to financial training and management. Moreover,

Indian Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Indian Art - Essay Example This artwork is in the form of a stone sculpture have dimensions of 26 x 34.9 cm (10.25 x 13.75 in.) done on schist material. The sculpture depicts a Hercules holding a lion’s skin and learning on a stick, while looking back at an approaching Nemean lion. The wresting scene is what connects this sculpture to the Greco-Roman period where man used to fight with animals such as lions in a big arena and, if they triumphed over the lion, would then be crowned as a hero.2 Also, Greco-Roman art has a theme of depicting people fighting and the only difference with this sculpture is that Greco-Roman art focused mainly on men fighting not men with animals. Some of the earliest schist or stone sculptures can be traced back to Indians. Others argue that they are the ones who started curving stones to produce art. Thus, this sculpture can be traced back to the Indians.3 Also, worshipping of idols was also widespread among Indians as it still today. Such a sculpture depicting a Hercules as a hero is a form of idol worship in the eyes of any critics can be considered as idol because people are praising him through an object. This sculpture, according to Behrendt, is part of a set of 21 panels, which inflated the stairway of a stupa, most probably on the western part of the Swat valley. 4 The treatment of the structure of these athletic men is fascinating in terms of both the schematization and naturalism of the musculature relating to the men of the Greco-Roman era. The oars that they have and the acanthus foliage that appear to nurture out of their bodies propose that they are marine deities like those of the Greco-Roman age. 5 The sculpture is done on Serpentinite and its dimensions are H. 16.8 cm (6 5/8 in.) and 43.2 cm (W. 17 in.). On an Indian art, holding a sword symbolized eradication of vices, like this men in the sculpture look as if they are from a fight and they have triumphed

Company Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Company Law - Essay Example al proclamations; for instance, Principle 1 of the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development   argues that human   are at the center stage of   viable improvement, and are therefore entitled to a vigorous and fruitful existence in synchronization with nature† (Vanclay, 2003, 6). Moreover, â€Å"Principle 17†requires that an impact evaluation be done. States or trading blocks are legislated by these regulations. Most of the trading partners and affiliates within economic blocks are governed by common trade laws. From the state level, these laws are passed down to the companies that are in operations within these countries that are member companies that are operating from outside. For instance, the countries affiliated to European Union are corporately governed by the principles of respect of human rights and environmental conservation. These principles are instituted by adherence of the trade laws that restrict and control imports or exports of harmful goo ds to environment and human rights. Moreover, there are the commonly assented to regulations within â€Å"the free trade preferential operation countries† and therefore the companies are as bound by the law from other countries as they are while within their mother countries. Such regulations that govern company operations with European countries areâ€Å"EU’s  Generalised  System  of  Preferences  (GSP)  and  GSP+  systems,  its  Forest  Law  Enforcement,  Governance  and  Trade  scheme  (FLEGT),  and  its  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœhuman  rights  clauses’  in  free  trade  agreements,  in  particular  the  EU?Cariforum  and  the  EU?Korea  agreements†. Moreover, the European Union has reaffirmed her commitment as regards to protecting human rights and specifically children rights through enacting regulatory measure within the... This paper approves that legal provisions to the rights of life now through expansion encompass the provision to healthy environment. In India, the interpretation of the right includes saving the environment for future generations. States or trading blocks are legislated by these regulations. Most of the trading partners and affiliates within economic blocks are governed by common trade laws. From the state level, these laws are passed down to the companies that are in operations within these countries that are member companies that are operating from outside. For instance, the countries affiliated to European Union are corporately governed by the principles of respect of human rights and environmental conservation. This report makes a conclusion that in the modern day, it is apparently clear that many legal reforms targeting companies and the corporate business world are in the make. However, not much of a differencein purpose and the working can be noted. The countries continue to design these laws to get full control of the private and corporate sector as regards social responsibility in human rights observations and the governance in environmental conservation. Many of these regulations are denying the corporate governance in public limited companies as well as other forms of trade corporations the supremacy in decision-making processes. Many of the decisions taken in running the institutions must therefore be scrutinized in accordance to the legal frameworks that are designed in these countries.

THE CASE OF THE BRITISH PRESS ON MALE YOUTH SUICIDE Term Paper

THE CASE OF THE BRITISH PRESS ON MALE YOUTH SUICIDE - Term Paper Example This memoire describes how the issue of male youth suicide can be studied using Beeghley’s (1999) methodology. A large part of the memoire has gone into introducing the concept of suicide and the varying definitions of suicide, followed by setting the context for further discussion of the subject. An analysis of press articles is done to study how the press problematised the issue. Male youth suicide rates more than doubled between 1970-1998, and became a major concern for the society. In such a situation, the media’s role in acting as the moral entrepreneur, as per Cohen’s theory of moral panic, is worth noting. The main aim of the memoire is to investigate how the private issue of suicide was made a social problem by the press. Beeghley’s methodology was used for this purpose because unlike the methodologies by Rubington and Weinberg (2002), Best (2007) and Mooney (2011), his methodology assumes a more empirical approach through hypothesis testing. The memoire begins with the varying definitions of a social problem and the methodologies that are used to studying social problems. It goes on to state the justification for using Beeghley’s methodology in detail. This section is followed by a detailed description of Beeghley’s methodology and how it can be applied to studying social problems. The three aspects of the methodology include studying the â€Å"extent of harm† of a social problem, â€Å"identification and political recognition† of a social problem, and â€Å"need for improvement† of a social condition. These three components correspond to the correspond to the objective, subjective and optimistic components of social problems.

Doctors vs nurses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Doctors vs nurses - Essay Example The education needed to qualify as a doctor or a nurse varies across countries, and even in some cases, there are variations within individual countries. A graduate degree in nursing in most countries is recommended to qualify as a nurse. This is the educational qualification that is only required. But in other countries, a degree in nursing is not enough for one to be approved as a nurse. For instance, in Canada and United States, there has been an increase in the educational requirement for one to qualify as a nurse, with a master’s degree becoming now a norm (OECD). But for the case of doctors, some countries require additional work experience for one to qualify or be approved as a doctor. Countries in sub-Sahara Africa have low education qualification for one to become a doctor as compared to other developed countries, whereby a master’s degree and work experience are factors considered before one is approved as a doctor. Remuneration levels are among critical factors affecting the performance and attractiveness of the various professions in different countries. There are substantial differences across various countries in the level of compensation for doctors and nurses. For instance, the average salary of doctors and nurses is the lowest in eastern European countries such as Turkey and Mexico and highest in Luxembourg. The range in the salaries across most countries is highest for the doctors, where the difference between the highest and lowest paying country is almost six fold. The nurses and doctors in Hungary are paid the lowest salary as compared to other countries. In all the countries, doctors earn the highest salary as compared to nurses (OECD). This may be as a result of the difference in the needed skills and the time required to train1. In many countries such as Australia, UK, USA and Canada, nurses are allowed to prescribe pharmaceutical

Crystal palace Essay Example for Free

Crystal palace Essay Also, what Swift shows is that it is reason itself and man’s ingeniousness that prevent him from reducing life to a few moral principles. Paradoxes and countercurrent tendencies pervade the human mind, as it moves from good to evil. The Houyhnhnms would not be able to construct the complex society specific to humans. They have no books, no systems of thoughts or philosophies. Their enlightened and perfect state depends thus on minimal reasoning and on a few righteous principles. The human society, by contrast, builds intricate systems that often contradict other systems and philosophies. It is not only vice that is proper of human nature but also curiosity and a perpetual thirst for knowledge. The Biblical myth of the first man’s corruption through knowledge stands true in Gulliver’s narrative. The other societies that Gulliver meets in his travels point to the human tendency towards discovery but also manipulation. Man hunts the truth but also manipulates and interprets reality according to his own inner impulses. The Yahoos’ condition as the servants of the Houyhnhnms is also very significant. They seem to represent humanity in its basest form, without the polish of civilization. The Houyhnhnm that houses Gulliver during his stay in their country remarks that this mixture of reason and vice makes the human race more dangerous and more powerful than mere brutality: â€Å"But when a creature pretending to reason could be capable of such enormities, he dreaded lest the corruption of that faculty might be worse than brutality itself† (Swift 183). The Houyhnhnms cannot attain the technological and scientific progress mastered by man because they do not manipulate truth and they do not know the meaning of power and corruption. By contrast, the dwarfish people of Lilliput manage to subdue Gulliver, despite the fact that he is a giant among them. The human society can progress but it cannot advance significantly in morality. The Houyhnhnms’ society is perfect because it is based on an economy of just ideas and principles. They cannot understand crime as a concept and think it absurd because of its lack of utility: â€Å"He was wholly at a loss to know what could be the use or necessity of practicing those vices† (Swift 195). The utopian world cannot belong to man because he is inevitably driven by feelings and passions that often do not conform to the common moral standards. Moreover, the Houyhnhnms world is one where absolute truth dominates and there is no falsehood: â€Å"†¦They have no word in their language to express lying or falsehood† (Swift 187). This is also unattainable in the human society since man will always be biased because of his subjectivity. Overall, Swift shows that a utopian society is impossible for man on account of the inherent faults and particularities of the human spirit. Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground reveals a similar conception of the utopian society. According to the underground man, the human society will always construct ideal and fantastical worlds to escape from reality. The paradox is that man seems to be equally infatuated with both happiness and sufferance. The â€Å"crystal palace† represents the unattainable ideal that lives in the lofty regions of the human imagination. As a utopian representation, the palace is made of crystal precisely because it contains all the answers and no questions: â€Å"Then †¦ new economic relations will be established, all ready-made and worked out with mathematical exactitude, so that every possible question will vanish in the twinkling of an eye, simply because every possible answer to it will be provided. Then the ‘Palace of Crystal’ will be built† (Dostoevsky 69). This mathematical and transparent construction is a symbol for perfection and self-sufficiency. The palace does not harbor any doubts: â€Å"What would be the good of a ‘palace of crystal’ if there could be any doubt about it? †(Dostoevsky 77) However, the human world is not even satisfied with its own ideals. The underground man believes resents that this ideal edifice cannot be mocked and derided: †You believe in a palace of crystal that can never be destroyed a palace at which one will not be able to put out ones tongue or make a long nose on the sly† (Dostoevsky 77). The palace is therefore the object of man’s desires for but also the object of his mockery. Dostoevsky puts forth the idea that the human world can never fit into the crystal palace with all its desires and aspirations although it can neither renounce this dream completely. As Swift had pointed out, man is torn between opposite principles, between sufferance and happiness and is unable to reduce his feelings to a few linear and uniform desires. Moreover, the ideal can be inconsistent with reality but man will persevere in his desires merely because it has an actuality for him: â€Å"But what does it matter to me that it is inconsistent? That makes no difference since it exists in my desires, or rather exists as long as my desires exist. † (Dostoevsky 78) Another issue that Dostoevsky emphasizes is that man will always pursue his ideals no matter how inadequate they are precisely because he is a complex being, entirely different from the animals. Dostoevsky gives as an example the basic necessity for shelter and compares a hen-house with the crystal palace: â€Å"You see, if it were not a palace, but a hen-house, I might creep into it to avoid getting wet, and yet I would not call the hen-house a palace out of gratitude to it for keeping me dry† (Dostoevsky 78). Man is not satisfied with mere principles of utility and economy. This idea is also identifiable in the representation of the utopian world of the Houyhnhnms, as already mentioned. The perfect world of the horses is content with a few basic and absolute principles that also serve the ideal of economy. Both Swift and Dostoevsky show that man could not live in a utopian world. While Swift shows that man the utopian world could never be created by man because of the inherent vices that corrupt human nature, Dostoevsky points out that man would actually be dissatisfied if he inhabited an ideal society. The two authors reveal the essential aspects of the human nature and the human society, pointing out that man could not live in a utopian state although this will always be his ideal. Works Cited: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from the Underground. New York: Macmillan, 1918. Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver’s Travels. New York: Penguin, 1981.

Strategic Audit For Nestle

Strategic Audit For Nestle This paper focuses on the Nestlà ©s strategic audit. It views the different business strategies adopted by Nestle in its business. It starts with defining the current position of the company Nestle and carries on with its strategic audit. The paper views different financial facts and figures of the company Nestle in order to strengthen its strategic audit. The paper in order to analyze its internal and external environment carries out different analysis like SFAS (Strategic Factor Analysis Strategy), IFAS (Internal Factor Analysis Strategy) and EFAS (External Factor Analysis Strategy).A PESTEL analysis of the environment in which it breathes is carried out to help find out the strategic alternatives that can be applied by the Nestle. Further the paper has come out with the implementation and control meseares to help out the company. Strategic Audit for Nestle Nestle a Switzerland based organization is leading the world market in food, health and nutrition industry. It all started in 1867 when Henri Nestle made a milk product for an infant to save his life. From there it had unveiled a vast potential in the foods and beverages industry. Today it manufactures and sales a variety of products under its roof with the assistance of different subsidiaries located in the different countries of the world. Current Position of Nestle Over the years the company has expanded its operations along with the increase in its variety of products. Today it offers products from various segments like dairy, food for babies, chocolates and ice creams, confectionery, water and foods, beverages and many more. It has been instrumental with its strategies of product innovation and modification. One of the important current landmarks of Nestle was in the year 2007 when it has acquired three major companies one by one started from Novartis (a health care company), Gerber (Baby food ) and Swiss Water Company, Henniez. These acquisitions gave a new definition to Nestlà ©s health care, baby food care division. Nestle is guided by the principles and values and hence always try to build its image and products around those to earn a long and uninterrupted association with its stakeholders. It enjoys long term gains that are being created with its commitments and values. Nestle has been on the forefront in knowing when customers are in need of which product and accordingly shifts its focus on them. Currently it has been focusing on its core business activity of nutrition segment. Further it has made and customized its products to suit to the needs of different geographical locations and culture. It enjoys a healthy competition in its business with different companies in different areas like in USA it has to deal with Dannon and other competitors. (About Nestle, 2009) Financial Position Nestle has a sales of 52.3 billions CHF (Swiss Currency) for the first two quarters of 2009 with a profit of 5.2 billion CHF approx. Its operating cash flow is around 6.4billon CHF which is up by 3 billions CHF from the first 2 quarters of 2008.Its net profit margin is 9.7% of sales. (Investors relations, 2009) Internal Environment Internal Environment of the company can be analyzed through SWOT analysis. The two components of SWOT analysis i.e. strengths and weakness are internal to the organization and thus can be studied to know its internal environment. Strengths Nestle has discovered many strengths in its sight that makes it internally very strong. Some of its major strengths are It is the leader among the food, health and nutrition industry in the world market. It is operating in different companies through different subsidiaries. It has an extended product line that offers a variety of products. It is a low cost operator. It has an excellent research and development team. Weaknesses It sometimes unable to make people understand that its products are food not drugs. Some of its products are not known by the market. Its marketing approach is not quit well.(SWOT Analysis of Nestle,2009) External Environment External environment of any business is characterized by the opportunities and threats that are around it. Thus it needs to take care of its external environment in order to grasp the potential opportunities and to fight out with its threats. Opportunities Its health care segment has huge potentials to grow as people are now a days getting health conscious. It can still move into the markets that possess huge potentials. Threats It is entering into the markets that are already matured. It has to face intense competition in many regions with the national companies. .(SWOT Analysis of Nestle,2009) Environmental Factors Political Factors Different countries food habits are different and their political environment is different thus companies has to face it. The government is becoming more attentive with the overall food, beverages and health industry and thus the company has to look in it. Technological Factors There is need to bring the latest technology to keep the food and beverages hygiene. It will increase the cost of the company. In this era technological cost to manufacture the food, its packaging and storage will require the latest technology that will cost more. Socio-cultural Factors People now days are getting health conscious thus there will be a need of health care products. Lifestyle of the people are changing thus they are in need of packaged food. Legal Factors The safety measures in food and beverages industry are tightening so as to keep the safety and quality in its products. International standards for food and drugs industries are making the standards and norms tougher while keeping in mind the health and hygiene factors. Strategic Alternatives and Recommended strategy for Nestle Today organizations have to strive more in order to gain something and to make a fight in this competitive environment. Following are some strategic alternatives for Nestle: Renovation and Innovation Strategy Advantages This strategy will help the organization in continuously upgrading its existing products to the new ones. This strategy will help it to fight todays competition. Disadvantages This strategy demands a lot of efforts and cost in continuously upgrading the products and technology. It can shorten its product life cycle. Growth Strategy Advantages This strategy will help the organization in approaching the new markets and help it to gain market share. Disadvantages This strategy can result in company loosing focus from the markets in which it is operating. Recommended Strategy for Nestle From the alternatives the strategy that Nestle should focus is the renovation innovation strategy. As through this it can bring in new light and more improved quality in its products. To support this strategy Nestle has an excellent research and development team. In todays market that is driven by technology the company will gain a substantial advantage through this strategy. Implementation To implement the renovation innovation strategy, the company needs a strong support from all its departments especially from the research and development department. Further the company has to focus that they should implement it on a regular basis. They should keep in mind that they should not overdo it. Thus if the commitment and needs of its different customers followed and applied through this innovation strategy it will sure bring returns to the company. Evaluation and Control Only implementation of the strategy is not enough, if organization wants to keep itself growing it has to continuously monitor and control the strategy. The drawbacks that are found in the strategy should be eliminated to improve the overall process. Further to bring more life in the strategy it needs a control mechanism to follow. Evaluation and Control is the essence of successful strategic implementation Thus Company will enhance and grow more with the effective evaluation and control of the strategy.

Is Ritalin Good Essay -- essays research papers fc

Is Ritalin Good? Have you ever suffered or known anyone that has suffered from attention deficit disorder? A.D.D. is a biologically based condition causing a persistent pattern of difficulties, which includes three types of behavior. These three types are difficulty attending or focusing on a specific task, difficulty inhibiting behavior, and difficulty controlling impulses. In 1950 the prescription drug Ritalin was patented and manufactured by the CIBA-Geigy Corporation. This drug stimulates the central nervous system, with effects similar to but less potent than amphetamines and more potent than caffeine (Bailey 1). Several million children are being treated with Ritalin on the grounds that they have attention deficit disorder and are suffering from there inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity. In the past decade, there has been growing evidence that Ritalin has had negative effects on a child’s mind and behavior leading to such disorders like psychosis, mania, drug abuse, and addic tion. It suppresses creative and spontaneous activity making them more docile and obedient because of the way that Ritalin produces malfunctions in their brain rather than improving its function (Breggin 124). Prescribing Ritalin to children with diagnosed attention deficit disorder brings more negative side effects than solutions and leads to addiction. Most parents realize that their children have the disorder once the child starts attending school. Most of the time teachers are the ones who point out the child’s symptoms. The parent then takes the child to a social worker, psychologist, or psychiatrist for answers. â€Å"The American Psychiatric Association lists fourteen signs, of which at least eight must be present for a child to be officially classified as ADD.†(Passwater 1) Out of these fourteen signs are normal actions of children. Some of these signs include fidgeting with hands or feet, easily distracted by extraneous stimuli, having difficulty following instructions and blurting out answers before questions are completed. (Passwater 2) It would seem by these signs that when a child doesn’t seem to be adapting to our system, we label them as having ADD and prescribe them Ritalin. With the new increase in prescriptions being filled around country, more and more children are on Ritalin, so much that the nega... ...f any kind. Works Cited Bailey J. William. â€Å"FACTLINE on Non-Medical Use of Ritalin.† Indiana Prevention Resource Center November 1995: 1-6. Indiana University. Online. 22 March 2001. http://www.drugs.indiana.edu/pubs/factline/ritalin.html Breggin K. Peter. â€Å"Talking Back to Ritalin†. Maine: Common Courage Press, 1998. Hanchett, Doug. â€Å"Speed Chills: Ritalin hits campuses: College kids Using drug to study, party.† Boston Herald May 21, 2000: 1-4. Local and Regional. Online. 22 March 2001. http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/rita05212000.htm Passwater A. Richard. â€Å"Ritalin Warnings: Side Effects, Cautions, Alternatives for ADD, ADHD† Ritalin Alternative 1999: 1-13. "All About Pycnogenol" Avery Publishing Group. Online. 23 March 2001. http://www.ritalinalternative.com/index2.html â€Å"Ritalin Led To Boy's Death.† The Associated Press April 18, 2000: 1-3. Channel 25 Eyewitness News. Online. 24 March 2001. http://www.thewpbfchannel.com/sh/health/stories/health-20000418-163859.html Wen, Patricia. â€Å"As Easy To Get As Candy.† The Boston Globe Oct 29, 2000: 1-13. Conservative News Forum. Online. 20 March 2001. http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a39fca5b129fd.htm

african hair styles :: essays research papers

African hair sculpture is what they call it and Africa and to them it is an art. Africans hardly ever leave their hair or their body plain or in the book, it says â€Å"natural† state. It says that they spend a lot of time and energy on grooming and self-admiration. Sounds like it’s the same way there as it is here because I love to â€Å"groom.† Ha ha. Anyway, it says they spend a lot of time on their hair and looks but special attention to their hair. The â€Å"art† of hairdressing was practiced mostly for women and male hairdressers can hardly be found. The book says that the skill of hairdressing has been handed down from generation to generation and requires artistry, manual dexterity, and patience because many of their styles are elaborate and time-consuming. For most African women hair is a medium for creative self-expression. Now their hair is styled for many different reasons. In some parts of Africa, hairstyles help to determine age, in others ceremonial occasions are marked by special styles. The design and construction of hair depends on different factors, some hair styles may need sisal, clay, the bark of trees, or cloth pads; in other cases it could involve intricate knitting, braiding, and threading of the hair. The most complex styles can take up to several hours and sometimes even days. That’s true here also and we got it from them. The slave master’s wife’s would watch the women braid the kids and each other’s hair and would want their hair to be the same as theirs because the styles were so beautiful. Anyway, they found that you could find complex styles only in the interior of the continent where people still live "primitive" and they have time for all that stuff. In urban areas, the styles are simpler where they have adopted western styles. OK, if you draw a line running from Dakar, Senegal in the west and to Khartoum, Sudan in the east you will see that to the north of the line live the light-skinned, straight-haired Hamites and Semites of North Africa. These would have been the so called â€Å"house slaves† or could even be passed of as being white in some cases. Around the dividing line, the people would have been brown-skinned and would have had curly hair because of Semite or Hamite intermixtures. They were in the middle of everything, they were not house slaves and not in the field just there, but doing work nonetheless. african hair styles :: essays research papers African hair sculpture is what they call it and Africa and to them it is an art. Africans hardly ever leave their hair or their body plain or in the book, it says â€Å"natural† state. It says that they spend a lot of time and energy on grooming and self-admiration. Sounds like it’s the same way there as it is here because I love to â€Å"groom.† Ha ha. Anyway, it says they spend a lot of time on their hair and looks but special attention to their hair. The â€Å"art† of hairdressing was practiced mostly for women and male hairdressers can hardly be found. The book says that the skill of hairdressing has been handed down from generation to generation and requires artistry, manual dexterity, and patience because many of their styles are elaborate and time-consuming. For most African women hair is a medium for creative self-expression. Now their hair is styled for many different reasons. In some parts of Africa, hairstyles help to determine age, in others ceremonial occasions are marked by special styles. The design and construction of hair depends on different factors, some hair styles may need sisal, clay, the bark of trees, or cloth pads; in other cases it could involve intricate knitting, braiding, and threading of the hair. The most complex styles can take up to several hours and sometimes even days. That’s true here also and we got it from them. The slave master’s wife’s would watch the women braid the kids and each other’s hair and would want their hair to be the same as theirs because the styles were so beautiful. Anyway, they found that you could find complex styles only in the interior of the continent where people still live "primitive" and they have time for all that stuff. In urban areas, the styles are simpler where they have adopted western styles. OK, if you draw a line running from Dakar, Senegal in the west and to Khartoum, Sudan in the east you will see that to the north of the line live the light-skinned, straight-haired Hamites and Semites of North Africa. These would have been the so called â€Å"house slaves† or could even be passed of as being white in some cases. Around the dividing line, the people would have been brown-skinned and would have had curly hair because of Semite or Hamite intermixtures. They were in the middle of everything, they were not house slaves and not in the field just there, but doing work nonetheless.

Huckleberry Finn Book Report :: essays research papers

THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN AUTHOR’S SKETCH Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri. When Samuel Clemens was four years old, his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri, where he spent his childhood. Clemens first approach to literature was through typesetting for a newspaper in 1851. At the time Orion, his brother, was a newspaper publisher in Hannibal. From 1857 until 1861, he served as the pilot of a riverboat on the Mississippi River. He later used this experience in creating his novels. His first writings appeared in a newspaper on February 2, 1863 under the pen name “Mark Twain.'; Clemens fell in love with Olivia Langdon and married her in 1870 after a long courtship. The Clemens’ family lived in Hartford, Connecticut from 1871 until 1891, the period of his best writing. In 1872, he published his first book, Roughing It. He published The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in 1876. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, considered his masterpiece of writing, was published in 1885. He received many honors and a great deal of recognition for his writings. Clemens died of Angina on April 21, 1910. MAIN CHARACTERS Huck Finn - the central character of the novel and the son of the town drunk. Jim - Miss Watson’s runaway slave whom Huck helps to gain his freedom. Pap - Huck’s father who comes back to town when he learns about the reward. Tom Sawyer – Huck’s friend who is about his same age. ELEMENTS OF PLOT (1) Setting The setting of Huckleberry Finn was in mid Eighteenth Century America. The first few chapters were set in St. Petersburg, Missouri. The town was patterned after Hannibal, Missouri, where Clemens spent his childhood. It is located on the Mississippi River about 80 miles from St. Louis, Missouri. Most of the novel’s setting is on the Mississippi River south of St. Petersburg. (2) Beginning Situation Huck Finn, a boy of about 12 years, was the son of the town drunk. Widow Douglas adopted him so that she could civilize him and raise him to be a gentleman. Huck did not like going to school, attending church or dressing up. Tom Sawyer, Ben Rogers, and Joe Harper were his friends at the local school. Huck and Tom found a treasure hidden by bank robbers and were allowed to keep six thousand dollars each, for themselves, as a reward. Huck’s father heard about his son’s treasure and returned to St.

Great White Shark

The great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a species of large lamniform shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. The great white shark is mainly known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached or exceeded in length, and in weight. This shark reaches its maturity around 15 years of age and can have a life span of over 30 years. The great white shark is arguably the world's largest known extant macropredatory fish, and is one of the primary predators of marine mammals.It is also known to prey upon a variety of other marine animals, including fish and seabirds. It is the only known surviving species of its genus Carcharodon, and is ranked first in having the most attacks on humans. The IUCN list the great white shark as a vulnerable species, while it is included in Appendix II of CITES. The bestselling novel Jaws by Peter Benchley and the sub sequent blockbuster film by Steven Spielberg depicted the great white shark as a â€Å"ferocious man eater†. In reality, humans are not the preferred prey of the great white shark.Taxonomy In 1758, Carolus Linnaeus gave the great white shark its first scientific name, Squalus carcharias. Later, Sir Andrew Smith gave it Carcharodon as its generic name in 1833, and also in 1873. The generic name was identified with Linnaeus' specific name and the current scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, was finalised. Carcharodon comes from the Greek words karcharos, which means sharp or jagged, and odous, which means tooth. Ancestry and fossil record The great white shark came into existence during the mid-Miocene epoch.The earliest known fossils of the great white shark are about 16 million years old. However, the phylogeny of the great white is still in dispute. The original hypothesis for the great white's origins is that it shares a common ancestor with a prehistoric shark, such as the C. megalodon. Similarities among the physical remains and the extreme size of both the great white and C. megalodon led many scientists to believe these sharks were closely related, and the name Carcharodon megalodon was applied to the latter. However, a new hypothesis proposes that the C. megalodon and the great white re distant relatives . The great white is also more closely related to an ancient mako shark, Isurus hastalis, than to the C. megalodon, a theory that seems to be supported with the discovery of a complete set of jaws with 222 teeth and 45 vertebrae of the extinct transitional species Carcharodon hubbelli in 1988 and published on November 14, 2012. In addition, the new hypothesis assigns C. megalodon to the genus Carcharocles, which also comprises the other megatoothed sharks; Otodus obliquus is the ancient representative of the extinct Carcharocles lineage.

Primary Source Analysis of Message Drafted by General Eisenhower Essay

World War II is an infamous event in the history of the world. For almost 6 years, humankind was divided into two wherein one group was in favor for global domination and the other one was for democracy. The West and the East were completely enveloped with devastation and terror during this dark phase of the past. However, if World War II brought out the worse in people, it also proved that humans possessed an innate nature to be good and compassionate. It was just a matter of choice of whether doing the right and morally correct action or standing up for something that truly one believes in. Since WWII became a large-scale military conflict, much of the success of the defeat of the German, Japanese and Italian forces can be attributed to those who have selflessly dedicated their time, efforts and even lives for the restoration of freedom and peace. These people are the thousands of soldiers of the Allied forces. Without them, the liberation efforts in Europe and in Asia would not be successful. The most significant but very high-risk operation that was drafted by the Allied forces in advancing their goal of invading Germany and bringing to an end to the evil ways of Hitler and his supporters was the bold move of penetrating the German stronghold area in the southern coastline of France. This military operation has become known as â€Å"D-Day† which means based on military jargons as the commencement of any military operations. Since this momentous event, the Allied forces were given the opportunity to weaken the formidable military might of Hitler. As a result, the combined forces of the French, Canadians, English, Russian and Americans were able to conquer and defeat many strategic bulwarks of the enemies. Eventually, they were able to reach, seize and free the center of the Axis power in Europe which was Germany. After a year since the amphibious assault at Normandy, the whole of Europe celebrated to the new found democracy and independence. Prior to this relatively happy ending, there were a lot of political and military planning and failed missions that occurred. On the first half of WWII, the US did not take part in any direct efforts to combat communism and autocracy. But when the bombing at Pearl Harbor transpired, the US openly announced their wage in war with the Axis forces. One of the most prominent personalities during this era was an American General named General Dwight Eisenhower. His background in effective organization and implementation of military operations prompted him to be designated as the â€Å"Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces. As the leader of all soldiers from various nationalities, he was burdened with the responsibility of devising a strategic plan that will advance the troops in liberating Europe from German occupation. The idea of orchestrating a large-scale attack on German territories that will have a high probability of victory was very challenging for Eisenhower. Though it was difficult, he was able to formulate a feasible plan together with an equally knowledgeable military man, Field Marsh al Bernard Montgomery. Then, Operation Overlord was born. According to history books, this plan was supposed to be more aggressive than their 1943 plan wherein only 3 divisions were supposed to be deployed in Europe. Because of the diversity in the leadership and manpower, Overlord acquired a multi-level approach in planning, organizing and implementing the invasion. Also, it was emphasized in historical writings that the masterminds of Overlord were confident that the alliance can pull off the plan despite the eminent threat of military resistance among the Germans in Normandy. The high command in the military needed to exude faith and confidence on their plans so that the soldiers who will fight in the battlefield will be motivated to do their respective tasks with peace of mind that everything will go according to plan. However, the second thoughts and doubts about Overlord from political and military officials were left unreported leaving the public at that time clueless about the possible worse scenarios that can happen. Then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill expressed his worries about the invasion in a German fortified beachhead in France. He was concerned about the catastrophic events that could manifest if the plan fails. It could cost thousands of lives of soldiers and tons of resources wasted which could produce a major setback for the Allied forces. Like Churchill, Eisenhower also felt that Overlord was a very ambitious endeavor that could lead to a complete disaster if anything goes wrong. In his â€Å"in case of failure† message dated July 5, Eisenhower expressed his concern over the potential outcomes of Overlord. Actually, it was believed to be written on June 5, a day before D-Day. He mentioned that the â€Å"landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area† were unsuccessful so another amphibious attack could also experience the same plight. But the interesting part about the message was the content and the tone. Eisenhower wanted the reader to feel that Operation Overlord was a plan derived from the only available sources that they could find combined with a situation wherein there was an increase of military troops being killed in German territories and because of that the military can only do so much. He was insinuating that the achievement of victory was not definite. However, he emphasized in his message that he was sole responsible and the one to blame if everything fails. In the last statement, â€Å"If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone,† demonstrated Eisenhower’s courage in accepting responsibility for conceptualizing, executing and remedying Overlord. On the other hand, this message was only read by Eisenhower’s â€Å"naval aide, Capt. Harry Butcher† but he never disclosed it to anyone until modern historians have found about it. Though Eisenhower was not 100% sure that Overlord was going to succeed, he and numeours soldiers proved that anything can be done even the impossible as long as dedication and bravery are present. The end of WWII in 1945 was the fruit of the many sacrifices of thousands of brave and courageous soldiers.

Multiplex Industry in India

Consulting Industry Overview †¢ †¢ The Indian film industry is the largest film industry in the world in terms of the number of films produced and admissions each year. Revenue for 2004 was estimated at Rs. 59 billion (US$1. 3 billion), which was less than 1% of global film industry revenue and a fraction of the U. S. Film industry revenue, which was US$9. 49 billion in 2003. (Source CII ) Film Industry Revenues 12% 4% 57% 9% 2% 2% 14% Domestic Theatrical Leakages piracy In Cinema Ads Music Satellite / DTH / IPTV DVD / VCD / Overseas Cable Overseas TheatricalNearly 80% of Indian Industry revenues come from Domestic and Overseas Theatrical. On the contrary US Film Industry earns only 35% from box office sales and remaining 65% is derived from other revenue sources This clearly signifies the onset and potential of Multiplexes in the Indian Film Exhibition Sector. Consulting Consulting The Film Exhibition Industry †¢ †¢ The Indian film exhibition sector had revenues of Rs. 34 billion in 2004. (Source:CII) The Film Exhibition Industry can be divided into two segments: – – single and double-screen cinemas and multiplex cinemas, i. e. hree screens or more. †¢ As of March 2005, there were approximately 12,000 cinemas in India of which 73 were multiplexes with a total of 276 screens. Multiplexes constitute only 0. 6 % of about 12,000 cinema halls in India, but account for 28% to 34 % of the box office take for the Top 50 films in 2004. (Source Yes Bank) †¢ Consulting The Film Exhibition Industry: Multiplex More than 60 additional multiplexes with more than 220 additional screens are slated to commence operations by the end of 2006, a growth rate of 80-100% Average price of a ticket for a multiplex cinema is Rs. 5 – 85 but the number of screens in multiplexes represented only 2. 3% of total screens in India as of March 2005. (Source:Industry Estimates) An increase in the number of Multiplex screens should result in an i ncrease in film exhibition revenues, so the opening of new Multiplexes represents a significant growth opportunity for the industry. S c re e ns P e r M illio n P o pula tio n 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 India UK Belgium Ger many Spain Italy Ir eland Denmar k Fr ance USA 117 77 52 30 12 43 45 46 53 61In India, the number of screens per million of population is just 12 whereas the average in western countries is 40. India needs 20,000 screens to cater the entire cinema viewing population Consulting The Film Exhibition Industry: Multiplex No of Multiplex in Cities 16 12 8 4 0 12 6 5 4 4 3 3 Nasik Multiplexs Across Regions as on March 2005 (source Yes Bank) 3 Pune 23 North South East Delhi Kolkata Mumbai & Suburbs Ahmedabad Ghaziabad Gurgaon 42 3 5 West Geographic Distribution of Theatres Across India Ficci – E&Y Report 2004Andhra Pradesh 24% 21% Kerala Karnataka Maharashtra Uttar Pradesh Tamil Nadu Others 10% 19% 8% 9% 9% Number of Screens 3 Screens 4 Screens 5 Screens 6 Screens More than 6 Screens Number of Number of Number of Seats / Multiplexes Screens Seats Screens 40 120 43143 360 21 84 25862 308 6 30 10148 338 4 24 6991 291 2 18 3326 185 73 276 89470 1482 Majority of multiplexes have 3 screens. The table enlists the number of multiplexes sub-divided by the number of screens and seats. Consulting Consulting Key playersCompany PVR Cinemas * Inox Leisure Limited Adlabs Films * Shringar Cinemas Wave Cinemas E-City Cinemas Total % of India # of Properties # of Screens 7 34 5 25 4 14 3 14 3 13 3 14 25 114 34% 41% # of Seats 7333 7344 5666 4588 4380 3952 33263 37% * Only film exhibitio n pro perties with 3 o r mo re s creens have been co ns idered fo r this analys is So urce: Bo llywo o d Emerging Trends & Gro wth Drivers – Yes Bank Repo rt 2005 Kindly note that the No of Properties , Screens and Seats have been updated in the subsequent slides * from respective Company Web Sites as new properties have come up after report was published.Six largest mu ltiplex operators of India tabulated above operate 114 screens spread across 25 properties with a cumulative seating capacity of 33,263. This constitutes 34%, 41% and 37% of India’s total multiplex properties, screens and seats respectively. (Source: Market Estimates) Consulting Key player : Adlabs Films Adlabs Upcom ing Multiplexes Nam e City Screens Cineplex Adlabs Ansal Vaishali Plaza Metro Adlabs Mangal Adlabs Goldspot Adlabs Adlabs Palm Beach Himalaya Adlabs RDB Boulevard IMAX, Mani Square Ansal Mall Gopalan Legacy Adlabs Dattani Mall Nam eSeats 1,076 1,003 1,491 1,102 1,362 1,008 1,200 1,050 1,350 1,200 1,100 1,100 Adlabs Upcoming Multiplexes Name City Screens Seats Sangam Adlabs Mumbai 4 1250 R Town Fortune City Mall Ansal Plaza Maheshwari Parmeshwari Adlabs RAP, Borivali Rap Mirage RAP Media Ltd RAP Media Ltd RAP Media Ltd RAP Media Ltd Mumbai Bangalore Gurgaon Hyderabad 8 to 10 8 to 10 3 5 to 6 2200 2,200 1,000 1600 Mangalore Ghaziabad Mumbai Indore Hyderabad New Mum bai Ahmedabad Kolkata Kolkatta Greater Noida Bangalore Thane 3 6 4 4 4 5 3 4 4 4 4 RAP Metropolitan RAP Media Ltd Patiala Little world Mall Kharghar Paras Zirakhpur Downtown Total upcoming Mumbai Agra Amritsar Jalandhar Ludhiana Mohali (Chandigarh) Moradabad 4 3 6 5 7 5 3 5 4 to 5 4 122 – 128 1250 1004 1,700 1,500 2,000 1,500 1016 1,450 1,200 1300 36,212 Adlabs Film s Ltd Exis ting M ultiple xe s Location City Scre e n Kalyani Nagar CIDCO Wadala Mulund Kanjurmarg Andheri Sahibabad Industrial Estate Pune Nashik Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai Ghaziabad 3 3 5 4 4 5 4 28Se ats 1,109 1,200 1,832 1,353 1,263 1,282 1,313 9,352 Gold Adlabs Divya Adlabs Imax Adlabs R-Adlabs Huma Adlabs Fame Adlabs Aerens R Imax at Rap Adlabs Adlabs Films Ltd was founded by Mr. Manmohan Shetty and Mr. Vasanji Mamania In 2005, (Reliance – ADA Group) acquired a 50. 16% stake in Adlabs Films Limited Consulting Key player : E-City Entertainment E – City Entertainment (Essel Group)Nam e Sigma Mal l Fun Republic Fun Republic City Centre Cross River Mall Ansals Plaza II Pacif ic Mall Nand Plaza Fun Republic Fun Republic TDIChandigarh Fun Republic Malnz Times Square (Jagat Cinema) Axis Mall Lake Mall Times Square Dindayal City Mall Fun Republic Dreams Mall Kukreja Mall AEZ Carnival Country North Square TDI Mall V3S Mall Mittal's Mega Mall Ansals Plaza Mittal's Mega Mall Sun City Mall Ansals Royale Plaza Grand Total Location Bangalore Hyderabad Lucknow Mumbai New Delhi Punjab Agra, Uttar Pradesh Agra, Uttar Pradesh Ahmedabad Chandigarh Chandigarh Coimbatore G. T. Road Jaipur Kolkatta Kolkotta Kota M.P Mumbai Mumbai Mumbai NCR (Uttar Pradesh) New Delhi New Delhi New Delhi Panipat, Haryana Punjab Punjab Rajasthan Rajasthan Since /Targe t Date March, 2006 Planned 2007 April, 2006 Planned 2007 March, 2006 Planned 2008 May, 2006 Planned 2006 June, 2001 November, 2003 Planned 2007 Planned 2006 Planned 2008 December,2005 Planned 2008 Planned 2007 Planned 2006 Planned 2006 August, 2003 Planned 2006 June, 2006 March, 2006 February, 2006 December, 2005 February, 2006 Planned 2006 Planned 2007 Planned 2009 Planned 2007 Planned 2007 No of Scre e ns 3 6 4 4 4 4 4 3 6 4 3 6 6 2 4 4 4 4 6 5 4 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 3 120E-City Entertainment is a business segment of the Essel Group. In Film Exhibition they have 2 Brands 1. Fun Republic Entertainment 2. Fun Multiplex. †¢ E City Entertainment has made a prominent appearance Metros across Regions like Mumbai and Delhi. †¢ And is seen to be targeting Tier 2 Tier 3 Cities like Coimbatore, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kolkata Consulting Key player : Shringar CinemasShringar Cinemas Ltd Existing Multiplexes Fame Adlabs 5 screens , 1342 seats Fame Malad 6 screens, 1571 seats Fame Nasik 3 Screens, 1407 Seats Fame Kandivali 4 Screens, 1275 Seats Fame Kolkata 4 Screens, 900 Seats Fame Pune 3 Screens – 1009 Seats Grand Total 25 Screens 7504 Seats †¢ Shringar Cinemas, managed by promoters who have been one of the largest film dis tributors in Western India for Hindi films. Company is focusing on Western India i. e. Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad as well as Eastern Indian i. e. Kolkata Shringar Cinemas Ltd Upcoming Projects FAME FAME FAME FAME FAME FAME Allahabad Ghatkopar Aurangabad Hyderabad Surat – Raj Empire Thane 4 screens and 1250 seats 3 screens and approximately 1000 seats. 3 screens and approximately 900 seats 6 Screen 5 screens Consulting Key player :Inox Leisure LtdInox Leisure Ltd Existing Multiplexes No of screens City Location Mumbai Nariman Point 5 Bangalore Magrath Road 5 Vadodara Race Course Circle 4 Pune Bund Garden 4 Goa Panaji 4 Kolkatta Salt Lake 4 Kolkatta Elgin Road 4 Indore Sapna Sangeeta 3 Darjeeling Laden La road 3 Jaipur Vaibhav Nagar 2 Grand Total 38 No of seats 1335 1103 1318 1316 1271 1144 1016 1080 811 787 11181 Inox Leisure LtdUpcoming Projects Location Screens Seats Vishakhapatnam Raipur Lucknow Kolkatta Kharagpur Jaipur Jaipur Hyderabad Chennai Bangalore Bangalore Ba ngalore Grand Total 4 4 4 5 4 3 3 6 5 4 7 7 56 1300 1250 1000 1042 1200 750 750 1470 1156 1100 1860 1720 14598 Inox Leisure plans to target very specifically cities in South India Like Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam. Consulting Key player : PVRPVR Cinemas Existing Locations Name PVR Bangalore PVR Priya PVR Saket PVR Vikaspuri PVR Narania PVR Gurgaon PVR EDM PVR Faridabad PVR SRS Faridabad PVR Plaza Spice PVR PVR Hyderabad PVR Rivoli PVR Lucknow PVR Indore PVR Mumbai Grand Total Location Screens Seats Bangalore 11 NA Delhi NA 944 Delhi 4 1000 Delhi 3 921 Delhi 4 830 Gurgaon 7 1300 Ghaziabad 3 720 2 480 Faridabad (Ha NCR Delhi 3 776 Delhi NA 300 Noida NA 1821 Hyderabad 5 812* Delhi 3 329* Lucknow 4 928 Indore 5 1199 Mumbai 2+3 NA 57 approx 12360 Approx PVR Cinemas UpcomingCinemas PVR C INEMAS Mumbai PVR C INEMAS New Delhi PVR C INEMAS Mumbai PVR C INEMAS Mumbai PVR C INEMAS New Delhi PVR C INEMAS C hennai PVR C INEMAS Mumbai PVR C INEMAS Ludhiana PVR C INEMAS Gurgaon Pr ashant Vihar, Delhi Latur Aurangabad Silver Arc, Ludhiana TOTAL Screens 6 Screens 6 Screens 7 Screens 8 Screens 6 Screens 7 Screens 4 Screens 4 Screens 2 Screens 3 Screens 3 Screens 3 Screens 3 Screens 71 Screens Seats 1750 1269 2050 2200 1500 1600 1250 1000 450 800 1050 1100 1000 Expected In Fiscal 2006 Fiscal 2007 Fiscal 2007 Fiscal 2007 Fiscal 2008 Fiscal 2007 Fiscal 2007 Fiscal 2007 Fiscal 2006 Fiscal 2006 Fiscal 2006 Fiscal 2006 Fiscal 2008 9310 Seats †¢ PVR Cinemas setup India’s first multiplex in 1997 at Delhi. †¢ The Company has been funded by ICICI Venture and is in final stages of closing second round of equity funding for future expansion †¢ PVR Cinemas is focusing on developing multiplex properties in Northern, Western and Southern India (Bangalore & Hyderabad) Consulting Key player : Wave Cinemas Wave Cinemas is a part of The Chadha Group. Currently operates 13 screens spread across 3 properties. With existing operations in Noida, Kaushambhi and Lu cknow. Wave Cinemas is a regional player focusing on Northern India. enetrating in untapped raw territory in UP and Ghaziabad. Wave Cinemas Existing Cinemas Location Screens Noida 5 Kaushambi ( Ghaziabad) 4 Lucknow 4 Grand Total 13 Seats 1804 1192 1394 4390 Wave Cinemas Upcoming Projects Mohali ALL LOCATIONS ARE Ludhiana IN NORTHERN INDIA Raja Garden Delhi Consulting Consulting Summary: Growth Drivers Growth drivers responsible for the expected increase in the number of multiplex cinemas are as follows: †¢ An increase in disposable income in the hands of an ever expanding Indian middle class demographic changes tax benefits for multiplex cinemas retail boom Favourable †¢ Organised †¢ Entertainment †¢ Increase in the number of high grade Hindi films. Consulting Favourable Demographics Demographics †¢ †¢ (source CIA fact sheet July 2005 Est) Current Population: 1 billion+ (1,080,264,388) growing between 1. 4% to 1. 8% annually Age structure: 0-14 years: 3 1. 2% 15-64 years: 63. 9% 65 years and over: 4. 9% Median age: 24. 66 years A younger population tends to have higher aspirations, and will spend more as it enters the earning phase. †¢ †¢ Consulting Increase in Disposal IncomeClasses Rich Consuming Climbers Aspirants Destitutes Between Above USD 4,600 USD 970 – 4,600 USD 470 – 970 USD 340 – 470 Less USD 340 Households in Households in Households in 1995 2000 2006E 1 million 3 million 6 million 29 million 66 million 75 million 48 milliom 66 million 78 million 48 million 32 million 33 million 32 million 24 million 17 million URBAN CONSUMER SPEND % (Source KSA Technopak) Categories 1999 2002 Savings & Investments 14 5. 2 Consumption Shopping 22 24. 3 Leisure & Entertainment 21 29. 1 Grocery 43 41. 4 Sub total of Consumption 86 94. Total 100 100 Source: CII – KPMG Report 2005 accredited NCAER Multiplexes generally cater to High and Middle income Groups, with an increase in the number of households within this earning group, will result to higher consumption and spending patterns. Similarly migration of households from lower income to middle income levels will further drive the consumption patterns. Urban consumers have increased their expenditure on leisure & entertainment. Simultaneously spends on eating out, movies and theater, and books and music will increase. ConsultingOnset of Retail Activity †¢ Though Organised retail comprises of 3% of the total retail pie of USD 200 Billion, it is growing at 25 to 30% CAGR Number of malls in India is expected to increase from approximately 50 as of the end of 2004 to around 250 by the end of 2006. (Source: BW Marketing Whitebook, 2005, attributed to KSA Technopak. ) †¢ †¢ †¢ There will be approximately 600 malls by 2010 Securities study) (Source Edelweiss Multiplexes are one of the anchor tenants in large format malls, as their presence increases footfalls by approximately 40-50%. Source: CII) Consulting Entertain ment tax benefits Entertainment Tax Exemption / Benefit Minimum Minimum Seating No of Screens 1250 4 1000 1000 1000 NA NA 3 3 3 NA 3 STATE Delhi Gujrat Maharashtra Mumbai Kalyan, Thane, Dombivali, Navi Mumbai, Nasik, Aurangabad, Nagpur Vasai, Virar, Nallasopara Karnataka UP Tamil Nadu West Bengal ENTERTAINMENT TAX 30% 100% 45% 45% 40% City Mumbai Rest of Maharashtra Punjab Kolkatta Rajasthan UP Bhopal/Indore/ Jabalpur/Gwali or Yr 1 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Yr 2 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Yr 3 100% 100% 100% 100% 90% 100%Yr 4 75% 75% 100% 100% 80% 100% Yr 5 75% 75% 100% NA 70% 100% 34% 40% 60% 15% 30% 100% 100% 100% 75% 50% 1000 3 Source PVR Cinema Research †¢ In order to encourage investment many state governments have announced policies offering entertainment tax benefits. †¢ This has encouraged the growth of Multiplex Cinemas and also encouraged singlescreen theaters to convert into Multiplexes. †¢ Quantum of entertainment tax benefit would be dependant on c ompliance with certain conditions specified by the relevant state. Consulting Increase in Hindi Movies 001 Average number of high grade Hindi films released per week 1. 15 2002 1. 46 2003 1. 58 2004 1. 71 Source: Bollywood Emerging Trends & Growth Drivers – Yes Bank Report 2005 The number of Hindi movies has increased from year 2001 to 2004. This signifies immense potential and is definitely a sign of being a crowd puller and generating more revenue. Consulting Regulatory †¢ †¢ †¢ The Indian film exhibition sector is highly regulated and changes in regulations may have an adverse effect on business. Regulations by both the central and the state governments.Policies extend to aspects of building and safety requirements, licensing requirements, tax and entertainment tax registrations and grant of exemptions from the payment of entertainment tax. Provisions of laws include: – Requiring a minimum distance between the screen and the front row seats, which dis tances were set based on large screens used in singlescreen cinemas and not the smaller screens used at most Multiplex Cinemas. – The permissible pressure at which the electrical current may be supplied to a projector, which provision does not reflect the technological advances in respect of Multiplex Cinemas. The reservation of playing times for a scientific film, educational film, news reel or documentary. , – Restrictions on ticket prices in certain states. †¢ Consulting Break-Up of Revenues REVENUE Patron’s Spend Ticket Revenue Advertising F&B Revenues Conducting Fee Parking Charges Management Fee Consulting Break-Up of Cost Cost Direct Cost Distributors Share Entertainment Tax F&B Cost A 1250 seater Multiplex in a metropolitan city would cost anywhere between Rs80-90mn. This does not include the cost of land because the land may be leased Personnel CostDepreciation Interest Consulting Way Forward †¢ Over the next 18-24 months, 6 of the largest mul tiplex operators in India mentioned earlier are likely to commercialize approximately 200-240 screens spread across 50- 60 new multiplexes. †¢ These multiplexes will have a cumulative seating capacity in excess of 55000-60000. †¢ There will also be an increase in number of multiplexes operated by smaller players, who constituted 66% of total multiplexes as of march 2005. †¢ It is estimated that number of operating multiplexes in India will increase by 80-100% by end of 2006. By the end of 2006, 135+ multiplexes will house more than 160,000 seats spread across 500+ screens. †¢ These multiplexes will have significant direct positive impact on the business economics of film production, financing, distribution and exhibition and indirectly on other ancillary markets. (Source: Yes bank) Consulting D’Essence Consulting, New MHADA Complex, Bldg no. 1 , Office no. 2, Near PMGP Colony, Andheri East Mumbai 400093 Fax- 28228142 / Tel-28347425 www. dessenceconsulting. com EmaiL: [email  protected] com [email  protected] com

Prisoner rights Essay

Prisoner rights deals on the principle of prisoners being deprived their liberty when they should be entitled to basic rights. People who advocate for prisoners rights say that prisoners are deprived basic rights with cooperation of prison authorities. Prison authorities has problem turning blind eye to prisoners who are raped and assaulted where they fail in offering protection and allowing them to be assaulted and raped by their fellow inmates. Prisoners are not given sufficient medical care in case of medical conditions that are serious, they suffer in prisons without anyone to take care of them and some end up loosing their lives. When prisoners raise complaints about bad conditions, they are punished and are not given room to air their views. These make prisoners to suffer and they are not taken care of if they are in problems that need attention. Prisoners do not have freedom to express themselves, communicate to each other and to read materials that can enlighten them. This is depriving prisoners of their rights because, they are normal human beings and even though they have been imprisoned for doing wrong; their rights need to be respected. Prisoners do not have the right to sue their officials. This right has been taken away from them which make them to be mistreated by the official. They do not also sue the government for maltreatment and in case of injuries that result from prison authorities being negligent, they are not compensated. Inmates are deprived of their freedom of religion where they do not worship room the churches where they belong to. Prisoners do not have access to legal materials and do not have the right to access the courts. Prisoners are not fed well and their cloths are not in good conditions. (Palmer, 1984). Prisoners have right to good time credit and privileges. These privileges can be forfeited only if the prisoner is caught with serious misconduct where prisoner looses minimum procedures that are appropriate depending on the circumstances under which he has misconduct. If the prisoner behaves well while in prison, he enjoys the privileges of living a normal and comfortable life until his term in prison is over. The interests of prisoners are balanced with the prison valid interest in maintaining order, security and preventing guards from being retaliated by the prisoners and lowering tension in prisons. Some prisoners may be drug addicts who interfere with security in prisons. These prisoners should be handled with care so that may not cause tension in prison or harass the guards. Their behavior should be monitored every now and then and there is need to isolate them from the ones that do not cause chaos, this would be very necessary to both the inmates and officials. Prisoner has right to close analysis of regulations and statutes that are applicable before there can be transfer of prisoner from one prison to another and the harm that has been suffered by the transferee should be put into consideration. Before a prisoner is transferred, his records should be analyzed so that they can be presented to the prison where he is transferred to so that he can continue serving for the remaining term until his release from prison. If he suffers any harm in the course of transfer, he should be compensated accordingly. Davis, 1989). Prisoners with mental problems are supposed to be transferred to mental institution here their health condition is checked and they get the necessary treatment until their health condition comes back to normal. Prisoners without mental problems have the right to be separated from those with mental problems so that they may not be attacked or harmed by the ones with mental problems. This allows normal prisoners to feel secure while serving their sentence because they should not be exposed to any danger. Due process which is minimal requires process of revocation, parolee arrest and formal revocation. There are rights of parolee where following his arrest; there is informal hearing that determines reasonable grounds for the revocation of parole. Preliminary hearings are done in a reasonable manner to determine whether the parole should be arrested and there should be adequate sources of evidence which should be heard by someone who is not directly involved in the case. The parole should be given notice on the day when his case will be heard so that he can make the necessary preparations depending on the alleged violations in order to stand on his own behalf and give evidence. He should be given chance to examine the people who give adverse evidence that are against him unless it is needed not to reveal. Once the hearing is digested by the hearing officer, his decision should be based on adduced evidence at the hearing. Prisoners who have physical, sensory or mental disabilities have right to equal participation in the life of prison. They should not be refused to live like other prisoners even if they have disabilities because disability is not inability. Every prisoner has the right of not being bulled, abused or intimidated at any given time. Even if a prisoner has committed crime, the right legal procedure should be followed to make judgment but it is against the prisoner right to abuse them when they are imprisoned. The legal rights of prisoners include, rights to be visited by solicitor and have correspondence, right to begin court proceedings in person or by use of solicitor and present their case in court. Board for monitoring or a governor must avail themselves everyday to listen to complaints and requests of prisoners and reply to them in writing within a period of seven days. The prisoner should not explain why they are complaining but should only say the reason why it is a secret. This will make the prisoners be satisfied with the final judgment because, it shall have followed the right procedure until a fair decision is made. (Hall, 1971). Prisoners have the right to have newspapers, books, leaflets and information for all ethnic groups that are in prison that reflects their culture. This helps them to be informed about the day today activities and advancements in the country as they read the daily newspapers because even if they are in prison, they still belong to the country and knowledge of current affairs is very important to them. Books and other reading material help them to know the shared beliefs and values of the tribes where they belong and how to follow the good conduct and behavior expected of them by the communities where they originated before they were taken to prison. Prisoners have the right to prison medical service. When they fall ill, they need not consult their own doctor or dentist. These doctors provided in prison are experienced in their duties and they offer good quality treatment to prisoners after diagnosing the problem and administering the necessary treatment. Once the prisoners are treated, they have right to be given copies of their medical records so that they can use them for future reference if they required similar medical care. (Cooper, 2002). Prisoners have the right to have sometime set aside for exercise. The prison allows one hour each day for exercise and there are facilities available to be used for exercise although they are overcrowded most of the times. Evening classes are provided where prisoners who have attained school age have fifteen hours of vocational training or for education and there are teachers available to teach them. Many prisoners develop a career while in prison that is very helpful to them when they go out. This is because they are given training in areas where they are best talented and gain skills necessary to earn a living by either being employed or to begin self employment. Once convicted prisoners arrive in prison, they have the right to be visited immediately and thereafter, one visit after two weeks. Unconvicted prisoners can be visited on daily basis if the prison is able to facilitate this. Two letters can be sent every week by convicted prisoners where one of them is paid for by the prison and the other one they pay themselves. This serves as a good means of communication between prisoners and members of their families because they keep updating them on the progress in prison and to request for assistance needed. Prisoners have right to legislative reforms to prevent the deaths of Hepatitis C and HIV infected prisoners who are under healthcare providers in prison. Prisoners who are HIV positive are given the necessary medicines all the time to increase their chances of survival and Hepatitis C patients are treated. In 1980s, rising populations in prisons strained the budget of state and there was rise in budget of health care in prisons at fast rate. Budget of health care was stretched by prison officials. Different protocols were employed for treating prisoners who were infected and analyzing variation in protocols of treatment was difficult. (Armstrong, 1935). Prisoners have the right to marry and have families. Even if a person has committed crime, arrested and found guilty, he has the right to maintain his marriage and family even while he is in prison. He can not be denied a family because he has the right to have it at his own wish and take care of his children through providing for their daily bread the moment his term in prison is over. If the family breaks because some one has been imprisoned, it should not be the duty of court in that matter because, the family of the prisoner is separate from the case in hand. Prisoners have the right to be disciplined once they are found guilty of an offence. This discipline helps to mould the character and to teach the prisoner how to behave in manner that is acceptable by the law. The term a prisoner serves in prison should help to change his behavior for the better and teach him how to observe good virtues. If punishment is required to be administered to the prisoners, it should be done in the right manner and the prisoner should be told why he is being punished depending on the crime committed. Prisoners have the right not to be tortured. If a prisoner fails to give the information regarding the crime committed, torture should not be used to force him to disclose information that would act as evidence to the crime he committed. This is because, if he is tortured, he can give information which may not help in investigation in order to avoid any more torture. The prisoner should be allowed to provide evidence at his own free will and it is upon the judge to make the final judgment depending on the evidence provided. Prisoners have the right not to be discriminated according to the race or the ethnic group where they belong. In making judgment, there should be no favor or discrimination. This means that, rules and regulations should be in place so that there is fair judgment to all prisoners. Prisoners have the right not to be executed if they are found not guilty of any offence. If the prisoner is found not guilty after providing evidence before the court, he should be set free. There should not be payment of bribe for the prisoner who is found guilty to be proved not guilty. If a judge is found receiving bribes from guilty prisoners, he should face the law because bribery is prohibited in making the final judgment of a crime. (Washington, 1990).