The Right To Die Essay example -- essays research papers fc

The Right to Die Modern medical technology has made it possible to extend the lives of many far beyond when they would accommodate died in the past. Death, in modern times, often ensures a long and painful fall where one loses control both physically and emotionally. Some individuals treat the time that modern technology buys them while others find the loss of control overwhelming and frightening. They want their loved ones to remember them as they were not as they have become. Some even elect death to avoid burdens of lingering on. They also seek assistance in doing so from medicine. The demands for assisted suicide and euthanasia ar increasing (Kass 17). These issues raise many questions, legal and ethical. Although neither assisted suicide and euthanasia are legal, many plurality believe they should be. A great add together of those people may never be faced with the decision, but knowing the option would be there is a comfort (Jaret 46). For those who will encounter the sm udge of loved ones on medication, being treated by physicians, sometimes relying on technical means to stay alive arises a great moral conflict. I wish to explore this topic on ethical, not legal issues. Do people have a right to choose death? More in particular, are euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide morally legitimate? Euthanasia bespeaks a death that is intended to benefit the person who dies, and requires a final act by some other person, for example, a doctor. Physician-assisted suicide, which requires a final act by the patient, can also be undertaken for the good of that patient. The essential point is that both involve intentionally ending a human life (Emanuel 521). But how, some ask, can we ever allow people to intentionally end human lives (even their experience lives) without degrading human life? How, others ask, can we simply prevent people from deciding when to end their admit lives without denying people the freedom so essential to the comfort of a human l ife? As these questions suggests, the debate about the right to choose death may appear to present a stand-off between people who endorse lifes true value, and those who think lifes value depends on the interests, judgments, and choices of the person whose life it is. Through self identification individuals evaluate their own lives and its quality through their own values and belief systems. In order to maintain human dig... ... dignity. Euthanasia, for some people, may be seen as a more humane way to die. Bibliography Emanuel, Esekiel and linda L. Emanuel, "The yell of a Good Death," The Lancet, May 16, 1998, v351, n9114, pp521-529. Meier, Diane E., Carol-Ann Emmons, Sylvan Wallenstein, timothy Quill, Sean Morrison and Christine Cassel, " A National Survey of Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in the United States," The New England Journal of Medicine, April 23, 1998, v338, n17, pp1193- 1203. Brock, Dan W., "palliative Options of Last Resort," JAMA, December 17, 1997, v178, v23, pp2099-2104. Jaret, Peter, "Can There Be Comfort and Dignity at the End of Your Life?" Family Circle, November 18, 1997, v110, n16, pp42-46. "Last Rights," The Economist, June 21, 1997, v343, n8022, pp21-24. Gletzer, Randi, "Life/Death Decisions," American health For Women, March 1997, v16, n2, pp80-85. Kass, Leon R. and Nelson Lund, "Courting Death Assisted Suicide, Doctors and the Law," Commentary, December 1996, v102, n6, pp17-28. Outerbridge, Daved E. and Alan R. Hersh, M.D., "Easing the Passage," HarperCollins, New York, NY, 1991.

Ismene And Haimon of Sophocles Antigone :: Antigone essays

Antigone Ismene And Haimon                    Antigone, the character, is a tragic mill because we care about her. Ismene and Haimon help us care about Antigone by making her find out worthy of loving. And with out this her plan to bury her brother seems irrelevant to the reader because we can care less about her. Ismene, although weak and timid, is in the story to expound that Antigone is capable of being loved. We are tho women, We cannot fight with men, Antigone (Sophocles 881). another(prenominal) reason Ismene is incorporated to Antigone is to show exactly strong-willed Antigone is. Haimon is there to show that Antigone has a flavor and a future outside her purpose. What else Haimon brings to the story is he makes Creon look like a fool, but more importantly he validates Antigones cause. So without Antigone having to live for she would fall in nothing to lose, therefore, her death would not be tragic. The prologue juxtaposes the differences in character between Antigone and Ismene. Ismene works of what is sensible, while Antigone uses more emotion. Antigone He is my brother. And he is your brother, too. (Talking about burying Polyneices). Ismene just think of the danger Think what Creon will do (Sophocles 881). In this part of the play we really see how strong Antigone is by witnessing just how feeble Ismene is. Another example of this is when Antigone is dialogueing to Ismene saying she is going to bury Polyneices no matter what. Ismene replies that you cant. Antigone then says well I will until my strength gives out (Sophocles 882). Not only is Ismene weak but it she is excessively a law a biding citizen. In scene two Ismene shows the viewers that she is still weak, but also that Antigone is a hero because heroes must be loved. And this is where we find that at least one person does. But how could I go on living without her (Sophocles 892)? Here the viewer also finds out t hat Ismene has good intention toward her sister, its just hard for her to show them. Likewise in the beginning of scene three Haimon will not do anything to get his father Creon. I am your son, father. You are my guide. You make things clear for me, and I obey you (Sophocles 893). This quickly changes though. Haimon now is fed up with all the bad talk about Antigone and is also in a way speaking for the people.

The Evolution of Minorities in Film Essay -- Movie Film Essays

The Evolution of Minorities in FilmBack in the 1800s, when calculating the population, African Americans were counted as 3/5 of a person (Antonia, p2). One would think that in the past two hundred years peoples beliefs would have changed a little bit, but the public white public are stuck into believing the common stereotypes commonly portrayed in movies. In films and television shows blacks are almost always portrayed as murderers, robbers, rapists, pretty much anything negative, like American History X, for example. Two black men are shown breaking into a white mans car. concourse see this, and in turn believe that all black men will try and steal their car as stupid as it whitethorn seem, it is true, and as a result, film producers try to incorporate this into their films. Very rarely, if ever, is it possible to see a minority depicted as a hero-type figure. Every formerly in a while, there will be an independent film from a minority director, but as Schultz states in Lyo ns piece, We blacks are whitewash being ghettoized in Hollywood, a serious black project of any scope is as difficult to get marketed today as it was in the 70s. By devising a barrier to entry for minorities in the film industry, its almost as if America is trying to keep black films out of the hot media. At first glimpse, it may appear that minorities are very hard to be seen in the filming industry, when in reality, they are becoming more(prenominal) and more apparent in Americas mainstream media culture, particularly in action movies. MacDonald stated in Allan Smiths essay, American mass culture keep to operate as an assimilative force, seeking to maintain social stability while gradually merging people of different backgrounds into the cult... ...ral trend of how minorities are making a bigger and bigger impact on American mainstream culture. All America can do is smile and be content at the concomitant that minorities are finally getting the respect they deserve .Works CitedAntonia, Kathleen. A Lesson Before Living Humanist, March/April 2001,Volume 61 Issue 2, p.43. Beck, Bernard. What Price Glory? multicultural Perspectives, 1999, Volume 1 Issue 1, p.26.Brinkley, Douglas. Edward Nortons Primal Fear George, October 1998, Volume 3 Issue 10, p.110.Lyons, N.L. From Race Movies to Blaxploitation to Homeboy Movies AmericanVisions, February 1992, Volume 7 Issue 1, p. 42.Smith, Allan. see Things Race, Image, and National Identity inCanadian and American Movies and Television Canadian Review of American Studies, Autumn 1996, Volume 26 Issue 3, p. 367.

Joan Of Arc Essay -- Essays Papers

Joan Of Arc Witchcraft is an on going concern throughout all ages in history. Many plenty believe in the power of darker forces. Most fear those with special gifts and begin to make accusations formulated through jealousy. Joan of Arc was one of those people that had many gifts and foresaw the future through divine intervention. Burned at the stake for being accused and tried as being a witch, she never gave up her pride or lost faith in her God. Joan was born in 1412 and lived in a small village called Domremy, which is located in the Champagne zone of northeastern France. She grew up as the daughter of a farmer. Often working on the farm and tending to the animals, Joan lived the life of a peasant woman.1 She did not take care school and never learned to read or write. Even though she was illiterate she spent most of her time praying and attending church.2 At the age of thirteen she became aware of something she soon came to call voices. Joan perceived these voices as bei ng divine. Later on these voices Joan heard led her to reveal a secret outcome of a battle that only the king himself had knowledge of. After learning of Joans prediction, the rightful king, Charles VII called her in to talk and Joan told him about her visions and prophecies.3 Meanwhile in France, the face began to bit by bit invade the central area. This was part of the One Hundred Years War, and the English threatened the city of Orleans. Orleans is located eighty miles south of Paris and if the English would have captured the city, Paris would have probably been next.4 The only solution to this problem was to stop the English at Orleans. At age seventeen, Joan of Arc suited up for battle to lead her troops to Orleans and drive the French ... ... Press Ltd, 1996. 36. 16. Wheeler, Bonnie. Fresh Verdicts on Joan of Arc. New York Gerland Publishing Inc., 1996. 58. 17. Michelet, Jules. Joan of Arc. New York University of Michigan, 1957. 31. 18. Pernoud, 161. 19. Wheeler, 98 . Bibliography - Beevers, John. Saint Joan of Arc. New York Hanover House, 1959. - Lightbody, Charles. The Judgements of Joan. capital of the United Kingdom George Allen and Urwin Ltd., 1961 - Michelet, Jules. Joan of Arc. New York University of Michigan, 1957. - Pernoud, Regine. Joan of Arc. New York Stein and Day, 1966. - Warner, Marina. The Trial of Joan of Arc. Great Britain Guernsey Press Ltd, 1996. - Wheeler, Bonnie. Fresh Verdicts on Joan of Arc. New York Gerland Publishing Inc., 1996. - Winwar, Frances. The Saint and the Devil. New York Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1948

Shakespeares Hamlet - Hamlet’s Best Friend, Horatio :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

critical points Best Fri ending, Horatio A.C. Bradley in Shakespearean Tragedy notes a problem involving Horatio in Shakespeares Hamlet When Horatio, at the end of the soliloquy, enters and greets Hamlet, it is evident that he and Hamlet have not recently met at Elsinore. Yet Horatio came to Elsinore for the funeral (I.ii. 176). Now even if the funeral took place some three weeks ago, it seems rather contradictory that Hamlet, however absorbed in grief and however withdrawn from the Court, has not met Horatio . . . . (368) The closest friend of the hero is a fellow-student from Wittenberg (Granville-Barker 93) -- Horatio. He is an interesting and faithful friend, as this essay will demonstrate. Marchette Chute in The Story Told in Hamlet describes Horatios part in the opening scene of the play The story opens in the cold and dark of a winter night in Denmark, while the guard is being changed on the battlements of the royal castle of Elsinore. For two nights in succession, o n the button as the bell strikes the hour of one, a ghost has appeared on the battlements, a figure dressed in complete armor and with a face same(p) that of the dead king of Denmark, Hamlets father. A young man named Horatio, who is a school friend of Hamlet, has been told of the apparition and cannot believe it, and one of the officers has brought him there in the night so that he can see it for himself. The hour comes, and the ghost walks. (35) Horatio, frightened, futilely confronts the ghost What art thou that usurpst this time of night, Together with that fair and martial(a) form In which the majesty of buried Denmark Did sometimes march? by heaven I charge thee, speak (1.1) Maynard Mack in The World of Hamlet maintains that Horatios words to the spirit are subsequently seen to have reached beyond their contexts. . . (244). So Horatio and Marcellus exit the ramparts of Elsinore intending to enlist the aid of Hamlet, who is home from school. Hamlet is dejected by the oe rhasty marriage of his mother to his uncle less than two months after the funeral of Hamlets father (Gordon 128). Soon Horatio and Marcellus make contact with Hamlet with a foreign greeting (Bradley 370) and escort him to the ramparts of Elsinore.

Shakespeares Hamlet - Hamlet’s Best Friend, Horatio :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Hamlets Best Friend, Horatio A.C. Bradley in Shakespearean tragedy notes a problem involving Horatio in Shakespeares Hamlet When Horatio, at the end of the soliloquy, enters and greets Hamlet, it is evident that he and Hamlet have not recently met at Elsinore. merely Horatio came to Elsinore for the funeral (I.ii. 176). Now even if the funeral took place some three weeks ago, it seems rather strange that Hamlet, however absorbed in grief and however withdrawn from the Court, has not met Horatio . . . . (368) The side by side(predicate) friend of the hero is a fellow-student from Wittenberg (Granville-Barker 93) -- Horatio. He is an interesting and faithful friend, as this essay will demonstrate. Marchette Chute in The Story Told in Hamlet describes Horatios part in the opening scene of the play The story opens in the cold and dark of a winter night in Denmark, while the contain is being changed on the battlements of the royal castle of Elsinore. For two nights in successio n, just as the bell strikes the hour of one, a ghost has appeared on the battlements, a course dressed in complete armor and with a face like that of the dead king of Denmark, Hamlets father. A young man named Horatio, who is a school friend of Hamlet, has been told of the apparition and cannot believe it, and one of the officers has brought him there in the night so that he can see it for himself. The hour comes, and the ghost walks. (35) Horatio, frightened, futilely confronts the ghost What art thou that usurpst this time of night, Together with that fair and warlike form In which the majesty of buried Denmark Did sometimes march? by enlightenment I charge thee, speak (1.1) Maynard Mack in The World of Hamlet maintains that Horatios words to the spirit are subsequently seen to have reached beyond their contexts. . . (244). So Horatio and Marcellus exit the ramparts of Elsinore intending to enlist the aid of Hamlet, who is home from school. Hamlet is dejected by the oerhast y marriage of his mother to his uncle less than two months after the funeral of Hamlets father (Gordon 128). Soon Horatio and Marcellus make contact with Hamlet with a strange greeting (Bradley 370) and escort him to the ramparts of Elsinore.

Challenges Faced by Managers in Practicing Organisational Behaviour

FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECH zero(prenominal)OGY & MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATION MEI / 2012 BBGO4103 ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR MATRICULATION NO 800201085406001 IDENTITY CARD NO. 800201085406 TELEPHONE NO. 0127252294 E-MAIL emailprotected com LEARNING CENTRE BANGI LEARNING CENTRE Content Page 1. Introduction and Description of the Selected Organisation2 2. Description of Roles of Managers Based on Mintzbergs (1973) Model5 3. Challenges Faced By Managers in Practicing Organisational Behaviour12 4. Recommendations On How Managers Can Better Handle The Identified Challenges. 16 5. Summary24 6. Reference 27 7. Bibliography30Introduction and Description of the Selected Organisation Manager, a marches that is so ubiquitous that its definition is commonly assumed. But the desire to stopk a definition rises proportionally to the drive to increase the productivity and efficiency of affair in an ever changing marketplace. Armed with the tools yielded by the science of organizational behaviou r, a operationing definition of this common term keep be rendered as well as an answer to, What do institutionalizeors do? This paper depart distinguish the busial roles practice base on the work of atomic number 1 Mintzberg and analyses busial challenges faced by motorbuss.As a sample of eccentric person study I bring on chosen AirAsia Berhad as, angiotensin converting enzyme of the most leading airline companies in Malaysia. The comm unity somatic data argon as follows Corporate Data Company NameAirAsia Berhad Year Founded1993 Year Incorporated2001 Registered OfficeAirAsia Berhad (Company No. 284669-W) 25-5, Block H, Jalan PJU 1/37 Dataran Prima, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Contact (603) 78809318 (T) / (603) 78806318(F) Head off-keyiceLCC entrepot, Jalan KLIA S3 Southern Support Z unrivalled, KLIA 64000 Sepang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, MalaysiaContact (603) 86604333 (T) / (603) 87751100 (F) Website www. airasia. com Stock Ex diversify L istingMain Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad (Listed since 22 November 2004) (Stock code 5099) Type of trans go throughTransportation > Airline/Aviation (Provision of air transportation services). Company Overview AirAsia needs no introduction in ASEAN, where it is the leading Malaysian-establish low-cost airline. AirAsia is Asias largest low-f are, no-frills airline and a pi geniuser of low-cost travel in Asia, connecting people and places across 132 routes, 40 of which are offered by no some other airline.Its main hub is the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). In 2010, the Group, which includes affiliates AirAsia Thailand and AirAsia Ind whizzsia, reinforced its leading position with two remarkable milestones flying its 100 millionth guest and breaking the RM1 one million million profit barriers. Voted by all over 18. 8 million airline passengers from 100 take issueent nationalities, the World Airline Awards are the most prestigious quality quotation of front-line product and service standards for the world airline industry.With 200 airlines featured, the awards measure customer satisfaction levels across 38 distinct items of airline front-line product and service, AirAsia won the Skytrax Worlds go around low-cost airline award in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011. It has the worlds lowest operating costs at USD 0. 035/seat-kilometre in 2010. It is also the first airline in the region to weapon fully ticketless air travel. Company Vision To be the largest low cost airline in Asia and serving the 3 billion people who are mensesly underserved with poor connectivity and high fares. Company Mission To be the best corporation to work for whereby employees are case-hardened as part of a big family * pull in a globally recognized ASEAN brand * To attain the lowest cost so that everyone can fly with AirAsia * Maintain the highest quality product, embracing engineering science to cringe cost and enhance service levels Type of Employees and Size According to the latest annual suck (2011), AirAsia employees demand reached to the highest degree 5,137 staff at the year-end of 2011. This physical exercise includes various levels of position which are Board of Directors, Senior Management, Manager, Head, Executive, and Non-Executive. viewing 1 Supporting data for employee size retrieved from the Air Asia yearbook Report 2011 Description of Roles of Managers Based on Mintzbergs (1973) Model An appropriate causeing point to explore the duties of a manager lies within the function of the focus position. The origins of a functional description of focal point can be found in the works of Henry Fayol. Fayol, originally an engineer that turned to oversight in late-nineteenth century, he set the foundation for management theory by outlining five primary functions of the manager planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling.To fully understand the activities of the mana ger, it is indispensable to delve beyond function to fit how it is expressed. For this, the work of Henry Mintzberg can be applied to illuminate how a manager performs these functions. In The Nature of Managerial Work (1973), Mintzberg proposed that a manager go out utilize a combination of ten different roles to achieve their objectives. These roles can be grouped into three broader categories randomnessal, interpersonal and decisional. scarcet 2 Mintzberg Managerial Roles Model and Relations Towards nurture Handling. Interpersonal rolesInterpersonal roles arise directly from a managers formal authority and status, and shape relationships with people within and beyond the organisation. The interpersonal group link up together the other groups by establishing and maintaining a framework and environment, both impertinently and internally, that dictates where and how that information is conveyed and to which objectives is it meant to fulfil. There are three types of interper sonal roles figurehead, attracter and liaison. A manager usually maintains a network of relationships, both inside and outside the organisation.Dealing with people, formally and informally, up and down the hierarchy and sideways within it, is thus a major(ip) element of the managers role. A manager is a deal most visible when performing these interpersonal roles. In the figurehead role the managers are the symbol, representing the unit in legal and ceremonial duties such as greeting a visitor, sign legal documents, presenting retirement gifts or receiving a quality award. For example, the AirAsia Berhad Group fountainhead Executive Officer, Tan Sri Dr.Tony Fernandes responsible in signing the company legal documents such as statement by directors for auditing purposes, receives Value Airline of the Year awards from ATW annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards on behalf of AirAsia Berhad and spokesperson for press interviews by the Starbiz, The Star newspaper on Friday, June 15, 2012 with the headlines Tony Fernandes speaks to StarBiz on AirAsias future plans. The evidence of these responsibilities is as follows Exhibit 3 Signing Legal Documents retrieved from Airasia Berhad Annual Report 2011Exhibit 4 The Group CEO on behalf of AirAsia receives Awards Value Airline of the Year The leader role defines the managers relationship with other people (not fair(a) subordinates), including motivating, communicating and developing their skills and confidence. As leaders, managers guard to consider the needs of an organisation and those of the individualists they manage and work with. The leadership roles practice by the Group CEO meets the Mintzberg values as some commented (At AirAsia) theres no such thing as a phallic of female pilot. Only good or great pilots. Its thanks to people like Tan Sri Dr.Tony Fernandes who advocate equal rights. Nadira Ramli, AirAsia Woman Pilot. I hold him what is it that shambles this company so different, so successful, an d so passionate about everything it does, creating a culture that shows on the faces of every single person in the company. He says, Our corporate culture is it. Its what makes us. So what is this corporate culture that changes lives and makes this company one of the most successful airlines in the world? It asks the question, Hierarchy, what hierarchy? Tony is a leader and a manager, but he is one of the team also.So his office is smack at the heart of the company, with no walls and no doors. Everyone sees him and he sees everyone. He is Tony to everyone and he is in his polo tog and with his famous baseball cap. His only vice is that he gets a special parking slot right next to the door of his building, for his two-door white Peugeot. Fadi Ghandour, Chairman of Wamda and afford and CEO of Aramex. The liaison role focuses on contacts with people outside the immediate unit. Managers maintain a network in which they trade information and favours for mutual expediency with clien ts, government officials, customers and suppliers.For some managers, particularly chief executives and sales managers, the liaison role takes a high proportion of their time and energy. From my observations, this role also has been practice in this company. For example, its Commercial Public Relations Executive, Ms Linda Foo Yan Yan, one of her job responsibilities is as liaison and point of contact with respective airports organizations, tourism bureaus and internal discussion sections in regularise to gain corroboration in promotion and marketing activities. Informational rolesManagers essential collect, disseminate and transmit information and these activities save three corresponding informational roles monitor, disseminator and spokesperson. In monitor what goes on in the organisation, a manager go out seek and receive information about both internal and external events and transmit it to others. This process of transmission system is the dissemination role, passing on i nformation. A manager has to give information concerning the organisation to staff and to outsiders, taking on the role of spokesperson to both the normal public and those in positions of authority.Managers need not collect or disseminate every item themselves, but must(prenominal) retain authority and integrity by ensuring the information they handle is correct. In AirAsia Berhad, this responsibility is hold by Head of Communications, Ms Sherliza Zaharudin. The position is actually similar as company spokesperson and representative. The company image and presentation lies on her hands as she responsible in producing press lay offs, answering interviews and other corporate affairs. For example, one of her job is writing a press release.First, she must monitor and look up what is goes on in the company by obtaining the true source of the information or verified data from the immediate superior or resources. Then, before she disseminates the information, she needs to analyse and in terprets and write up a report in the form of press release. Then, the press release will be submitted to media and press as an official document of announcement to be announced to the public. As a spokesperson, she also has to be alert at the company product and updates as she needs to promote and lobbying the entities. 4. 3. 3 Decisional rolesMintzberg argues that making decisions is the most crucial part of any managerial activity. He identifies four roles which are based on different types of decisions namely, entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator and negotiator. As entrepreneurs, managers make decisions about changing what is happening in an organisation. They may shake to instill change and take an active part in deciding exactly what is done they are proactive. The board of directors of AirAsia Berhad have made many decisions towards being a proactive such as discipline new projects, spot opportunities and identify areas of note development.For example, in October 31, 2003, AirAsia announces the setting up of a new hub in Senai, Johor Bahru, with direct flights to Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Langkawi and Penang. The full listing of their successful entrepreneurships decision making can be seen in the company annual report 2011, page 5 in the 10 years of achievement arm. However, it is very different from their role as disturbance handlers, which requires them to make decisions arising from events that are beyond their control and which are unpredictable.The ability to react to events as well as to plan activities is an important aspect of management. Unfortunately, AirAsia Berhad has been tested in facing such disturbance. It was a first incident that happens to Malaysian aircraft that is most unsufferable situation to handle and overcome. The incident was when an AirAsia Airbus A320-216 passenger jets, registered 9M-AHH, sustained substantial damage in a runway excursion accident at Kuching Airport (KCH), Malaysia. Exhibit 5 Cranes are used to remove the plane off the runway TuesdayThe airplane operated on flight AK5218 from Kuala Lumpur Subang International Airport (KUL) to Kuching Airport (KCH). The flight set down on Kuchings runway 25 in heavy rain around but skidded to the right and went off the side of the runway. It came to rest in the grass with the snuggle gear dug in or collapsed. At the moment of the incident, there were 123 guests on board the flight. Four guests were sent for observation as a precautionary measure and were released shortly by and by. All other guests are safe and have been attended to accordingly.The resource allocation role of a manager is central to oft organisational analysis. A manager has to make decisions about the allocation of money, equipment, people, time and other resources. In so doing a manager is actually scheduling time, programming work and authorising actions. This role without a doubt, have been comply by managers in AirAsia Berhad, especially by the Board o f Directors as mentioned in the Statement on Corporate Governance, Annual Report 2011 under the Roles and Responsibilities of the Board.The negotiation role is important as a manager has to negotiate with others and in the process be able to make decisions about the commitment of organisational resources. Mintzberg found that managers dont perform equally or with equal frequency all the roles he described. There may be a dominant role that will vary from job to job, and from time to time. It is important to note that many non-managers in organisations seem to have these sorts of interpersonal, informational and decisional roles. In contrast, the ituations managers deal with differ in the degree of routine, the size and scope and complexity of the activities in which they are involved, and the responsibilities associated with these activities. Challenges Faced By Managers in Practicing Organisational Behaviour The world is changing and as is the case with companies. Companies are n o acheer steadfast on the theory of recruiting workforce from the same geography for their work to be done. At the end of the day, the businesses especially the ones which have an unconventional business model believe in the work being done, it does not matter who does it.In such a scenario, recruitment of workforce has become a global activity with at least 25-30% of a companys workforce being made up of employees recruited offshore. It is quite natural for companies to boast of employees from a cross section of cultural backgrounds. With that comes the challenge of managing and practicing Organizational Behaviour in such companies Challenge of Globalisation One major challenge facing managers in the early twenty-first century arises from what many commentators have identified as an increasingly international or global business environment.The following factors are frequently cited as possible explanatory factors underlying this trend i. Communication improvements in internatio nal communication facilities leading to an increased consciousness of differences in study attitudes and behaviour in other societies ii. International competitive pressure for example, the emergence of newly industrialised and/or free-market nations (the Far East region and former communist bloc countries are often viewed as examples of this phenomenon) iii.The spread of production methods and other business processes across nations and regions international business activity, for example overseas franchising or licensing agreements outsourcing of business units to other countries (call centres provide a topical example) direct foreign investment and the activities of multinational corporations which, by definition, operate outside national boundaries. In broad terms, globalisation refers to organisations integrating, operating and competing in a worldwide economy. The organisations activities are more independent across the world rather than confined nationally.Globalisation wil l also impact on the nature of social responsibilities and business ethics. With globalisation, strategy and structure are inextricably linked. As organisations, and especially large business organisations, adopt a more global perspective this will have a significant effect on the broader context of management and organisational behaviour. Challenge of Workforce miscellany Workplace diversity exists when companies hire employees from various backgrounds and experiences. Many companies see workplace diversity as an investment toward building a better business.Although workplace diversity provides many benefits, it also poses many challenges to employees and managers. To reap the benefits of workplace diversity, employees and managers must understand the challenges and know how to effectively deal with them. Taking full advantage of the benefits of diversity in the workplace is not without its challenges. Some of those challenges are i. Communication Perceptual, cultural and languag e barriers need to be overcome for diversity programs to succeed. Ineffective communication of key objectives results in confusion, lack of teamwork, and low morale. i. Resistance to change There are always employees who will refuse to accept the fact that the social and cultural makeup of their workplace is changing. The weve always done it this way mentality silences new ideas and inhibits progress. iii. murder of diversity in the workplace policies This can be the overriding challenge to all diversity advocates. Armed with the results of employee assessments and research data, they must build and implement a customized strategy to maximize the effects of diversity in the workplace for their particular organization. v. Successful Management of Diversity in the Workplace Diversity training simply is not sufficient for the organizations diversity management plan. A strategy must be created and implemented to create a culture of diversity that permeates every department and func tion of the organization. Challenge of Technology Change The major advances in engineering that have emerged over the last several decades have had an impact on intimately every aspect of modern life, and the hospitality industry has also been touched by these changes.While keyboards and microchips are probably among the last things guests want to think about as they dip into a creme brulee or lounge in a penthouse suite, hospitality industry insiders know that modern technology plays a big part in safekeeping things on track behind the scenes, from the back-of-the-house order management systems that help chefs keep their plates straight to the reservation systems that ensure that a soft bed will be waiting for a weary traveller at the end of a long day on the road. Just like all types of technology, the technology that helps power the hospitality industry is constantly evolving.A brief stroll through the product exhibition hall at any industry conference will reveal just a slice of the hundreds of new styles of software, systems, gadgets, programs, and equipment that are released in the hospitality market each year. Sooner or later, its likely one organization will be faced with a challenge that can strike fear into the heart of even the most intrepid of managers implementing new technology in the workplace. Whether its a POS program for the cafe or a reservation system for the bed and breakfast, the prospect of managing technology change can be daunting.Challenge of Downsizing/Layoff Many companies are under intense economic pressure. Reorganizations, takeovers, mergers and downsizing are increasingly common as todays companies try to grow, debate and survive. Downsizing presents new challenges and demands for everyone in the organization, from the CEO to the telephone receptionist. For managers, the challenge is even greater. Not only do managers have to cope with their own fears and frustrations, they have to support others who are emotionally distraugh t, even while remaining positive and productive.Theres no doubt about itits a tough time to be in business. Whether one owns the company, hold a position in senior management or work in human resources, there is a lot of pressure on him/her to ensure that the organization makes it through the recession with the fewest battle scars possible. Laying people off is easily one of the hardest roles that a manager faces, but it is almost inevitable that at some point in the career one will need to do it. Although it may sound odd, position people off and retaining people actually go hand in hand.How to conduct layoffs and how to deal with those who remain will directly impact the bottom line. ball up both of those two things and will be facing productivity and morale problems. Challenge of Managerial Ethics Ethics is effortful to define in a precise way. In a general genius, ethics is the code of moral principles and values that governs the behaviours of a person or group with respect to what is right or defame. Ethics sets standards as to what is good or bad in conduct and decision making. An honorable issue is present in a situation when the actions of a person or organization may harm or benefit others.Yet ethical issues can sometimes be exceedingly complex. People in organizations may hold widely divergent views about the most ethically appropriate or inappropriate actions related to a situation. Managers often face situations in which it is difficult to determine what is right. In addition, they might be torn between their misgivings and their sense of duty to their bosses and the organization. Sometimes, managers want to take a stand but dont have the backbone to go against others, bring unfavourable attention to them, or risk their jobs.Recommendations On How Managers Can Better Handle The Identified Challenges. There are new leadership and management challenges for the 21st Century, to be met against the backdrop of financial uncertainty, technological change and global economic downturn. The world we live and work in is vastly different from that we inhabited just a few decades ago and our approach to leadership and management must adapt to it. here(predicate) are the recommendations on how managers can better handle the identified challenges previously discussed Managing Globalisation i. A cross-cultural approach to managementOne rationale for taking a cross-cultural approach to management lies in the potential benefits to be gained in performance terms. In addition to practically based benefits in considering our own home culture, there has been a long tradition of looking to other cultures for examples of successful practice which could be transplanted into work organisations in different societies. Different models may be dominant at different times. ii. Managing people from different cultures a. Recognise the variations in workplace attitudes and behaviour between individuals and groups in different cultural contexts. b.In examining the centrally important topic of motivation managers must develop organizational systems that are flexible enough to take into account the meaning of work and the relative value of rewards within the range of cultures where they operate. iii. Managing Workforce Diversity Recommended steps in managing workforce diversity in organizations are a. Assessment of diversity in the workplace Top companies make assessing and evaluating their diversity process an constituent(a) part of their management system. A customizable employee satisfaction survey can accomplish this assessment for the company efficiently and conveniently.It can help the management team determine which challenges and obstacles to diversity are present in the workplace and which policies need to be added or eliminated. Reassessment can then determine the success of diversity in the workplace plan implementation. b. Development of diversity in the workplace plan Choosing a survey provider that provides compre hensive reporting is a key decision. That report will be the beginning structure of the diversity in the workplace plan. The plan must be comprehensive, attainable and measurable. An organization must decide what changes need to be made and a timeline for that change to be attained. . Implementation of diversity in the workplace plan The personal commitment of executive and managerial teams is a must. Leaders and managers within organizations must incorporate diversity policies into every aspect of the organizations function and purpose. Attitudes toward diversity originate at the top and filter downward. Management cooperation and society is required to create a culture conducive to the success of the organizations plan. iv. Recommended diversity in the workplace solutions include a. Ward off change resistance with inclusion. make every employee possible in formulating and executing diversity initiatives in the workplace. b. Foster an attitude of openness in the organization. E ncourage employees to express their ideas and opinions and attribute a sense of equal value to all. c. Promote diversity in leadership positions. This practice provides visibility and realizes the benefits of diversity in the workplace. d. Utilize diversity training. Use it as a tool to shape the diversity policy. e. emit a customizable employee satisfaction survey that provides comprehensive reporting. Use the results to build and implement successful diversity in the workplace policies. Managing Technology Change Here are some recommendations on managing the technology change in an organisation i. Provide as overmuch Advance exemplar as Possible. Human beings are naturally resistant to change, but change that is sudden and unexpected is often most difficult to accept. As soon as one is certain that technology change is in his/her organizations future, announce the news to the staff. This will give them more time to adapt mentally to the prospect of a future change.If possible , begin training sessions that introduce the basic concepts of the new technology well before the actual date of implementation. ii. Recruit A Group of Staff Facilitators. Call on a few ambitious, interested, or tech-savvy employees to act as project leaders for the technology change. They can sit in on the planning and implementation meetings and convey new developments to the other employees in their departments. Also, having a few key cheerleaders who are in favour of the project from the start can help bolster the staffs morale during the challenge of implementation. iii.Begin System Training in a Low-Pressure Environment. The hospitality industry is magnificently fast-paced, so booting up a new POS system right before the dinner rush is probably not the best way to boost the teams confidence in the new technology. If possible, set up the new equipment in a back room for several weeks of training before the complete implementation. Remind the staff of the old adage that the onl y stupid question is the one that remains unasked. iv. Have a Plan Band Maybe yet a Plan C. Remind the self that a few snags and roadblocks are likely to arise during the first few weeks of using new technology.Make sure that one has developed one or more contingency plans that the team can rely on if the new system becomes inoperable. v. Training Shouldnt Stop after the New Equipment is up and Running. Dont disband the technology committee after the new system has been installed successfully. Instead, plan on meeting every calendar month or every quarter to discuss issues, concerns, or suggestions for future upgrades. One can task one or more of the staff with the responsibility of keeping up with new products from the manufacturer and new developments in the field.With the rapid pace of technological change thats occurring within the hospitality industry today, its probably more helpful to think of technology implementation as an on-going process, rather than a one-time project t hat ends with installation. Although the prospect of change is always unsettling, one can significantly increase the chances that the organizations shift to a new technology will go smoothly by sticking to these simple strategies. Managing Downsizing/Layoff Here are some suggestions on how one should handle downsizing/layoff i. Plan layoffs carefully.If one find himself in a position where he need to let people go, dont act indiscriminately. Take the time to ensure that the layoff plan and the business plan are in sync. Look at the current projectsparticularly those that are critical to the businessand dont forget to plan for the future. Make sure that one has a clear idea of the projects that will get underway once the crisis is over. The last thing one want is to suddenly realize that a mission-critical project is in jeopardy because of letting the wrong people go and now dont have the talent and resources to proceed. ii.Be prepared. One will make things easier both for oneself a nd the people he is laying off if one is well prepared. If one need to, write a script and practice it in front of a mirror until one can do it without sounding forced. Make a list of questions that might be asked and have answers ready. Be confident and get to the pointdont make crushed talk. Keep in mind that much of what is said in a layoff meeting will not be retained, so have resources available for affected employees, such as information on benefits, separation terms, and important contacts and other written information.Also, make sure one have fully planned the necessary post-layoff logistics. Will employees be allowed to say goodbye to colleagues? Will they be permitted some time to gather their belongings? Will you offer to pack up their things and have the boxes delivered to their home address? iii. Know the law. One thing one really dont needin a recession or at any timeis a costly court battle, so make sure one know the responsibilities as an employer. The law stipulate s that employees must get either some notice prior to dismissal or be compensated instead, although the particulars vary depending on the province or territory.There are also certain rules that contribute when lying off groups of individuals, but again, the laws are different depending on the province. Speak to a lawyer or contact the provincial labour board to make sure that one are meeting the obligations in accordance with the law. iv. Treat people with dignity and respect. It is human nature to shy away from uncomfortable situations, but as a manager one dont have that luxury. Distancing yourself because you feel bad wont make anyone feel better. Remember, this is not one fault, and avoiding people will not minimize feelings of guilt or hurt. In fact, it will make them worse.Be kind and compassionate. Losing one job can be a humiliating experience, so give people the respect they need. However, the recession will end eventually, but what one should do between now and then could have a direct impact on whether your business thrivesor nosedives. When the recession is finally over and business starts to return to normal, make sure that one and ones employees are ready. Managing Ethical Decision Making Most ethical dilemmas involve a conflict between the needs of the part and the whole the individual versus the organization or the organization versus society as a whole.Sometimes ethical decisions entail a conflict between two groups. Managers faced with these kinds of tough ethical choices often benefit from a normative strategyone based on norms and valuesto guide their decision making. Normative ethics uses several approaches to describe values for guiding ethical decision making. Four of these approaches that are relevant to managers are the utilitarian approach, individualisation approach, moral-rights approach, and justice approach. i. Utilitarian approachUnder this approach, a decision producer is expected to consider the effect of each decision alte rnative on all parties and select the one that optimizes the benefits for the greatest number of people. In organizations, because actual computations can be complex, simplifying them is considered appropriate. ii. Individualism Approach The individualism approach contends that acts are moral when they promote the individuals best long-term interests. Individual self-direction is paramount, and external forces that restrict self-direction should be severely limited.Individuals calculate the best long-term advantage to themselves as a measure of a decisions goodness. The action that is intended to produce a greater ratio of good too bad for the individual compared with other alternatives is the right one to perform. Individualism is believed to lead to satin flower and integrity because that works best in the long run. Lying and cheating for immediate self-interest just causes business associates to lie and cheat in return. Thus, individualism ultimately leads to behaviour toward ot hers that fits standards of behaviour people want toward themselves. iii. Moral-Rights ApproachThe moral-rights approach asserts that human beings have fundamental rights and liberties that cannot be taken away by an individuals decision. Thus, an ethically correct decision is one that best maintains the rights of those affected by it. iv. Justice Approach The justice approach holds that moral decisions must be based on standards of equity, fairness, and impartiality. Three types of justice are of concern to managers which are a. Distributive justice requires that different treatment of people not be based on arbitrary characteristics. Individuals who are similar in ways relevant to a decision should be treated similarly.Thus, men and women should not receive different salaries if they are performing the same job. However, people who differ in a substantive way, such as job skills or job responsibility, can be treated differently in proportion to the differences in skills or respons ibility among them. This difference should have a clear relationship to organizational goals and tasks. b. Procedural justice requires that rules be administered fairly. Rules should be clearly stated and consistently and impartially enforced. c. Compensatory justice argues that individuals should be compensated for the cost of their injuries by the party responsible.Moreover, individuals should not be held responsible for matters over which they have no control. Summary Henry Mintzberg concluded that managers perform 10 different roles or behaviours. He classified them into three sets. One set is implicated with interpersonal relationships (figurehead, leader, and liaison). The second set is related to the transfer of information (monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson). The third set deals with decision making (entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, and negotiator). This chart summarizes a managers ten Mintzbergs Managerial Roles Category Role ActivityInformatio nal Monitor Seek and acquire work-related information Disseminator Communicate/ disseminate information to others within the organization Spokesperson Communicate/transmit information to outsiders Interpersonal Figurehead Perform social and legal duties, act as symbolic leader Leader Direct and motivate subordinates, select and train employees Liaison Establish and maintain contacts within and outside the organization Decisional Entrepreneur Identify new ideas and initiate improvement projects Disturbance Handler Deals with disputes or problems and takes corrective action Resource Allocator Decide where to apply resources Negotiator Defends business interests Building an internationally adequate workforce whose members know the business and are flexible and open-minded can take years. Multinational organizations can no longer rely on just a few managers with multicultural experience or a few experts on a particular country to succeed. In short, all employees must have some mi nimal level of international expertise and be able to recognize cultural differences that may affect daily business communications and on the job(p) relationships.As a result of the increasingly global business environment, many companies are building teams that cross-national borders and/or include members from different countries of origin. Although many of these teams are designed to puss resources and increase operational efficiencies, the cultural diversity of team members may create a longer learning curve for establishing effective processes than culturally homogeneous groups. This chart summarizes a managers challenges and recommendations in managing the challenges Challenges Description Recommendation Challenge of Globalisation Organisations integrating, operating and competing in a worldwide economy i. A cross-cultural approach to management ii.Managing people from different cultures Challenge of Workforce Diversity Leading a diverse work force i. Ward off change resista nce with inclusion ii. Foster an attitude of openness in the organization iii. Promote diversity in leadership positions iv. Utilize diversity training v. Launch a customizable employee satisfaction survey that provides comprehensive reporting Challenge of Technology Change Advancing and implementing technological innovation in the workspace i. Provide as Much Advance Warning as Possible. ii. Recruit A Group of Staff Facilitators. iii. Begin System Training in a Low-Pressure Environment. iv. Have a Plan Band Maybe Even a Plan C. v.

Project: South African Aluminum Essay

At the showtime of 1994, Alusaf was considering building the worlds largest greenfield primary aluminum smelter, a 466,000-ton-per-year smelter at Richards request, a deepwater look on the east coast of South Africas province of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Alusaf was the sole primary aluminum producer in South Africa, operating 170,000 tpy of skill at the existing Bayside facility at Richards Bay. Alusafs 1993 revenues were $220. 2 one thousand trillion, up 1% from 1992. Income was $8. 6 million, up 122% from 1992. A feasibility study for the proposed Hillside smelter had been completed over the past two years.During this time, South Africas political regime had undergone a dramatic transformation with the 1993 passing of the Transitional Executive Council (TEC) Bill. This promissory note removed absolute power from the hands of whites and created a multi-racial body that would share responsibility for organizing and overseeing the general elections to be held in April 1994. Within days, Nelson Mandela, leader of the African case Congress party, addressed the UN Special Committee Against Apartheid in New York, wauling on the international community to lift sanctions against South Africa.The European Union, the Organization of African Unity, Canada, China, Sweden, Singapore, India, and the United States each responded quickly with announcements that they would begin the process of restoring normal economic relations with South Africa. Aluminum prices had fallen dramatically since the feasibility study was begun, as Russian aluminum continued to flood the grocery store. Now, with aluminum prices near their all-time low in real terms in primal 1994, Alusaf had to decide whether to insert on this massive project.The South African Aluminum Industry The South African aluminum industrys origins could be traced to investments made by Alcan in the 1940s. As part of its efforts to create demand for its ingot, Alcan built semifabrication capacity in South Africa to serv e the local market. A government-coordinated development effort at the port of Richards Bay, together with a desire to reduce dependence on imported ingot, led to construction of South Africas first primary employment facility nearly 25 years later.The original Bayside set out came onstream in 1972 with ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Professor Kenneth S. Corts prepared this case as the basis for class discussion earlier than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. Copyright 2002 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To battle array copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685, write Harvard business organization School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http//www.hbsp. harvard. edu. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, utilise in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or early(a)wisewithout the permission of Harvard Business School. This document is authorized for use only in PGDM 1st Year 1007 by Rakhi Singh at IILM lay down for Business and Management, Gurgaon (IILM-IBM, Gurgaon) from October 2013 to April 2014. 799-130 Aluminum Smelting in South Africa Alusafs Hillside disgorge capacity of approximately 85,000 tpy.Less than a quarter of Baysides achievement was exported. Ten years later, the Bayside plant was expanded through the relocation to Richards Bay of a similarly sized plant in Niigata, Japan, that had been shut down due to escalating energy costs. Over three quarters of the new plants production was exported as ingot. In 1989, South African mining and metals giant Gencor acquired a controlling interest in Alusaf. The other primary shareholders were Swiss aluminum producer Alusuisse and South Africas quasigovernmental Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).Gencor was f ounded in 1980 by the merger of two major mining companies, each founded in the late nineteenth century. Since that merger, Gencor had been a diversified financial, mining and industrial conglomerate. In May 1993, Gencor announced it was spinning off its financial and industrial interests in order to refocus on its mining, metals, and minerals businesses. In addition to Alusaf, the companies retained in the unbundled Gencor included the worlds third-largest gold producer, the worlds second-largest platinum producer, the worlds largest producer of ferroalloys, and the worlds largest supplier of titanium dioxide feedstock.Basic financial results for Gencor are given in Table A. Table Aduction of secondary aluminum had held relatively steady at about 30,000 tpy since 1980. Together with primary production, this brought total domestic production to about 200,000 tpy (see Exhibit 1). In 1994, semifabrication in South Africa remained primarily rivet on domestic demand. South African al uminum exports totaled approximately 100,000 tpy, of which 20,000 tpy were semifabricated products and 80,000 tpy were ingot.Domestic consumption totaled about 130,000 tpy, of which about 30,000 was imported products (see Exhibit 2). The Hillside Project Escom, South Africas electrical power utility, initiated discussion of the Hillside project with Alusaf in mid-1991. With aluminum prices around $1,300 per ton, Alusaf had suggested to Escom that the Bayside smelter was not economically viable given market conditions and might be shut down. Escom responded with an offer to reduce power rates dramatically if Bayside were kept open and an additional facility at Richards Bay constructed.Escom offered to supply the smelters approximately 680 Mw electricity requirements under an unusual long-term consider. About half the worlds smelters operated under contracts guaranteeing discounted electricity for two-fold years often these contracts tied the price of electricity to the price 2 This document is authorized for use only in PGDM 1st Year 1007 by Rakhi Singh at IILM Institute for Business and Management, Gurgaon (IILM-IBM, Gurgaon) from October 2013 to April 2014. Aluminum Smelting in South Africa Alusafs Hillside Project 799-130of aluminum and employed complicated formulas that imposed caps and floors on prices. The 25year Escom/Alusaf contract was rummy in its simplicity Alusaf would pay Escom 16% of the per-ton price of aluminum for every ton of aluminum produced, assuming the plant produced at its designed efficiency. While the contract did contain provisions protecting Escom from inefficient production, it did not protect Escom against fluctuations in the price of aluminum. Escom and Alusaf were also discussing whether Escom might take an equity stake in the facility.As a result of high growth projections in the 1970s, Escom had built enormous generating capacity of 38,000 Mw, of which 8,000 Mw now stood idle. Rob Barbour, managing director of Alusaf, claim ed that the high energy requirements of aluminum production made aluminum essentially frozen energy and that therefore Alusaf will become an exporter of South African energy with i high value-added. For provision of all the basic engineering and technology for the plant, Alusaf planned to contract with Pechiney, the French firm whose technology had been used in over three quarters of all new smelter projects.Lacking bauxite and alumina operations, Alusaf intended to import the full 900,000 tpy alumina requirement of the new smelter and had negotiated a tentative alumina supply arrangement with Alcoa of Australia and Billiton (a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell). This contract tied the price of alumina to the price of aluminum, a common contracting practice employed by about half the worlds smelters. For the Hillside plant, this contract ensured that per-ton alumina and power costs would always amount to 41% of the price of aluminum.Estimates for other operating costs at Hillside a re given in Table B. Capital costs were estimated to total $2 billion. Table B Hillsides Projected Operating Costs ($ per ton) otherwise raw materials $143 Plant power and fuel 17 Consumables 32 Maintenance Labor Freight 38 68 40 General and administrative 32 Before the feasibility study was complete, Barbour announced that he believed there was a high probability the smelter would be approved. In the meantime we hope to disapprove others from thinking about aluminum smelter projects, he added.We want to frighten them off by convincing ii them that this one is unstoppable. The Decision In early 1994, tentative contracts for power, alumina, and the smelting technology were all in place, and willing investors had been lined up. The financing plan called for $1. 9 billion of new capital to be raised, about $830 million of it in equity. Gencor was to contribute $340 million in 3 This document is authorized for use only in PGDM 1st Year 1007 by Rakhi Singh at IILM Institute for Busin ess and Management, Gurgaon (IILM-IBM, Gurgaon) from October 2013 to April 2014.799-130 Aluminum Smelting in South Africa Alusafs Hillside Project equity, the IDC $270 million in equity, other local institutions $140 million in equity, and Escom $80 million in convertible debt. Three new smelters using the Pechiney technology had been completed in recent months. Now, Hillside was the only planned smelter project, and a number of other proposed projects had been cancelled. Equipment suppliers were quoting Alusaf prices 20% to 30% below those supplied for the feasibility study, and the capital cost of the new plant was now projected to total only $1.6 billion. At the beginning of 1994, aluminum prices stood at $1,110. Aluminum-producing countries had scheduled meetings in the coming months to address the world glut of aluminum, but it was unclear whether prices would recover anytime soon. Barbour wondered whether he should commit to this enormous and manque project in the face of the se uncertain industry conditions. 4 This document is authorized for use only in PGDM 1st Year 1007 by Rakhi Singh at IILM Institute for Business and Management, Gurgaon (IILM-IBM, Gurgaon) from October 2013 to April 2014.

Reveal about the character of Eddie Carbone Essay

Discuss the importance of the period directions in Arthur Millers A View from the Bridge and what they reveal nearly the character of Eddie Carbone. Arthur Millers A View from the Bridge is set in and around a workers apartment near Brooklyn Bridge, in an area called departure Hook. The main population is made up of Italian immigrants including the main character, Eddie Carbone and his working class family, around which the story revolve.Eddie works as a longshoreman and is intimately to take up the task of hosting two illegal immigrants in his augury, however he, himself, is the cause of his own downfall and the play is about the events leading to his fatal climax. virtually all the characters speak with Brooklyn style vocabulary and language, however, this does non allow them to reveal their real feelings because their education and vocabulary is limited and Italian men are not very expressive. Another f thespian is this inexpressiveness is the Sicilian code. The Sicilian co de was brought to America by the Italians and is way the Italian community dealt with the law.It involves a strong sense of family customs so Italians already living in America would accommodate immigrants coming over, like Eddie and the cousins. The man of the house was expected to make all the important decisions and would be respected greatly by his family. For these men actions speak louder than words and so they often found it difficult to show their true emotions. This is one of the main reasons why A View from the Bridge contains very detailed stage directions. Normally, stage directions are used to give the general idea on how the actor or actress is feeling and what he or she has to act out.It also gives any more minor details that future directors or the reader may need to know. The benefit of the detailed stage directions for a director in A View from the Bridge is that he has little to do to influence the characters. On the other hand, the actor cant add his own ideas to his or her role. Another reason why on that point are a lot of detailed stage directions could be to pronounce the characters felling more. Miller was a very precise director and k virgin exactly what he wanted. Thats why he made his stage directions so detailed, hence limiting the number of changes roughlyone else could make to the play.We get to know the basic plot of the story right at the beginning of the play. Alfieris character goes with the comprehensive stage directions as both collaborate to make sure the play is performed and appreciated in the way Miller wanted it to be. Alfieri gives us even more understanding towards Eddies character through his monologues and speech. He says that other people had gone through the same situation and had sat there as powerless as I, and watched it run its bloody course. We first get our first glimpse of Eddie almost as soon as the play has begun. He is forty a husky, slightly overweight longshoreman.We know he is experienced but m aybe a little past his prime. Typical longshoremen acquire little wages but we see Eddie as hardworking and honest, he has a workers flat, clean, sparse, and homely. When we first see Eddies niece Catherine she is merry to see him and Eddie is pleased and therefore shy about it This gives us another instance where he finds it hard to express himself. Catherine runs her hands over her skirt and shows bump off her new purchase. Eddie asks her to spin around and calls her beautiful and, she shows off to him and turns for him.Eddie showed just compliment her but he asks lemme see in the back, hes feeling at her in an inappropriate way instead of just complimenting her. These could just be them trying to show their feelings like a loving father and missy would or it could hint at a more sinister situation. When the news of the cousins arrival reaches the Carbones Beatrice is disturbed. She hasnt made the dinner or got the house into shape. Eddie calms her down but she says looking i nto his eyes Im worried about you, thats all Im worried.This gives us the fantasy that shes worried about Eddie in more ways than just coping with the cousins coming, the relationship between Catherine and Eddie may have been going on some epoch. When Catherine tells Eddie about her new opportunity to be a stenographer Eddie is immediately disturbed. He wants her to finish school first and doesnt feel comfortable with the plumbers and sailors that willing see her, this is another instance where Eddie may want Catherine to himself not any other men. Eddie finally gives in after Beatrice pressures him and this is the first and only time Eddie cries.He cries like a child has lost a loved one for a powerful emotion is on him, a childish one and a knowing fear, and the tears show in his eyes Straight after this event Catherine comes out with a cigar and matches. She lights it for him. This could be just someone showing theyre thankful or it could be interpreted differently, with a sli ght phallic twist. The cigar being the phallic object. He says Dont burn yourself. (Just in time she blows out the match. Hes warning her not to hurt herself because of him and we realise that although he may have feelings for Catherine he will not act on them if it affects her in a negative way.Beatrice detects that something and confronts Eddie Whos mad? Im not mad Youre the one is mad. As this part of the play continues Eddie glances at his watch anxiously a number of times. He senses that time is running out Catherine is growing up to fast for him, Beatrice is starting to pressure him and now the cousins (two new Italian men, one single) are about to arrive, Arthur Miller uses this to symbolise that things are moving forward faster than ever before in Eddies life. As soon as the cousins arrive we see Eddie start to change rapidly.As the first scene they are in ends Eddies face is puffed with inconvenience oneself Nothing has turned out the way he has planned. Catherine is g iving far more attention to Rodolfo than to him and Eddie doesnt like it. As Catherine is enthralled by Rodolfos singing Eddie uses the excuse of immigration officers picking them up. He says later that Rodolfo gives him the heeby-jeebies, and hints that hes maybe homosexual as he sings and has platinum blonde hair. This is below the belt as the cousins have only just arrived and Eddie didnt like Catherines reaction. He has a campaign solidified in him Hes not going to change his mind easily.

Electronic books Essay

An e-book contributor, sometimes also called an e-book device, is a device used to display e-books. It may be a device specifically intentional for that purpose, or one intended for other purposes as well. The term is restricted to hardware devices, not software programs. The main advantages of these devices are portability, light diffusion, and long shelling life. It should be noted that any Personal Data Assistant (PDA) capable of displaying text on a screen is capable of being an e-book reader.At number 1 when the e-book devices were introduced those were supposed to be made for the elite class as the people belonging from the lower class could not afford it. But now chain reactor productions of the e-book devices have made life easy and more convenient. You can have an e-book device fit in your pocket and read books on the move (Harold , 2001). promptly you can an e-book device for as low as $10, the device may not have to be some thing sophisticated or obscure but a simpl e machine with a built-in screen which provides you light to read what the electronic book says.Devices with extra ordinary functions are expensive and the prices start from $100-$2000, these devices are only used by people who travel a lot and have to have something that is reliable. An example of the e-book reader could be amazon Kindle, A long thin pad electronically controlled and easy to fit in pocket cost $384 and has been ranked as the best selling e-book reader of 2008 and 2009. To conclude e-book devices have gain market share tremendously have now have become common among teachers , students and business profesionals.ReferencesBook Harold, H. (2001). Electronic books and publishing. Springer.

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Four

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Managing Employee Retention Essay

One of the first steps in analysis of the data is to make a comparison of the 10 most profitable livestocks and the 10 least profitable stores. Hart claimed that the manager and crew hug drugure in the most profitable stores was almost four measure the level of that in the least profitable stores. This analysis is however based solely on the summary statistics for those ten stores in each category. Taking a closer look at the results for the individual stores would purport that the relationship is non so simple. For example looking at store 47, which is at the bottom of the ten most profitable list, both the crew and manager land elevate are very low in comparison to the other stores in the list. This means that it would not be expected that store 47 would be so profitable if the manager and crew upgrade were the only influencing factor on profitability. In fact, the levels of kick upstairs in this store are lower the average of those from the ten lowest profit stores, which would indicate that very low levels of profit would be expected from the store. A more in-depth analysis is therefore required.There is further evidence that neither manager tenure nor employee tenure al unrivaled significantly influences the profitability of each store. This may seen in the scatter-plots which are included below as digit 1 and bod 2. It appears clear from Figure 1 that most managers have been at their store for less than 50 months, and the mean which is presumption for manager tenure is 45.3. This mean may however be slightly higher than the median would be given that there are several exceedingly high values which would influence the calculation of the mean. A similar pattern may be seen in Figure 2, where it is clear that most employees have lower than 20 months retention, with the mean given as 13.9 months.What is excessively apparent from these plots is that neither variable may significantly rationalize variability in the profitability of a store. Thi s is evident in the r-squared value, which indicates that only 19.6% of variation in profitability may be explained by manager tenure totally. Similarly, only 6.7% of this variation may be explained by employee tenure alone. Ittherefore is apparent that there are multiple variables which may influence profitability.In gild to assess whether a manager and employee tenure combine to influence profitability a multiple reasoning backward model may be formed apply these two variables. The results of this regression may be seen in Table 1.Figure 1 Correlation between manager tenure and store profitabilityFigure 2 Correlation between employee tenure and store profitabilityFrom Table 1 it may be seen that when considering both manager and employee tenure there is soothe only 21.7% of variation in profitability which these variables may explain. This therefore indicates that there must be other factors which exert an influence. It would therefore be suitable to make up a multiple regre ssion model which takes into account other variables for which data is available. Although it was origin tout ensembley believed that the relationship may be non-linear, this inactive does not significantly ontogeny the r-squared value.Table 1 Regression model in which manager tenure and employee tenure are included Regression Statistics Multiple R 0.465617551 R straightforward 0.216799704 Adjusted R Square 0.19504414 Standard Error 80212.7404 Observations 75 Multiple Regression ModelThe first multiple regression model which is included is that which includes all of the variables for which data are available. These variables areY ProfitabilityX1 Manager tenureX2 Employee tenureX3 Population near storeX4 Competition near storeX5 visibleness of storeX6 Pedestrian countX7 Residential or industrial areaX8 24 hour accessThe results of the regression model may be seen in Table 2 below. This shows that using the model with all eight variables included 63.8% of the variation in profita bility may be explained. This suggests that the model may be valid in explaining the impact on profitability. In addition to this, from Table 3 it may be seen that the value of the F-test statistic is 14.53, with a significance of less than 0.05 which also shows that the model is significant. However by looking at the results in Table 4 it may be seen that not all of the variables which are included in the model may be significantly contributing to the model. As the variable X5, which is the visibility of the store, has a p-value of more than 0.05 this suggests that the variable is not contributing significantly to the model.This would suggest that removing this variable may further improve the model. In addition to this it would be necessary to remove any variables which were collinear as this could interfere with the results of the regression. After using the program PHStat to analyse the variable inflation factors (VIFs) of the variables these are all below 5, which shows that th ere is no collinearity between variables. Therefore the improved model would be one which included all variables except X5.The Impact of Increasing Crew TenureFrom the regression equation which is calculated from the multiple regression model it may be seen that increasing both manager and employee tenure is significant in increasing profitability of stores. Specifically, the model predicts that for every month increase in manager tenure there would be an increase in profits of most $787 if all other factors were kept constant. Also, for every increase of one month in employee tenure there is predicted to be an increase in profitability of approximately $963 if all other factors were kept constant. It was suggested that the relationship between tenure and profitability may be dependent on the length of tenure, i.e. a non-linear relationship. However the fitting of a trend line to the scatter-plot suggests that a non-linear relationship does not fit the data significantly better th an a linear trend line. Therefore it would be predicted that an increase in employee tenure of 1.38 months would result in an increase in profitability of around $1330.Validity of the DataThe data on which the above analyses are based contains information taken from 2000, which is now eight years old. Therefore it is possible that the pecuniary implications of increasing crew tenure have changed somewhat. It would however be considered valid to use the data to provide an estimate of the financial implications as the factors which would influence the regression model used would be largely the same. Although the data also included only the data from 75 of the 82 stores, this is a large enough ideal to be considered representative of the chain as a whole. It wouldtherefore be expected that while these other stores may not follow the model precisely, it should still provide an indication of the influence of tenure on profitability of these stores.RecommendationsBased on the analysis o f the data it would be recommended that increasing both manager and employee tenure may significantly increase profitability of stores. In particular, the current bonus plan would be profitable to the company if the amount of bonus offered were less than around $1330, as this is the increase in profitability which would result. However, it is also possible that offering these bonuses would increase manager tenure, which would then further increase profitability. It would however be suggested that this alone may not be sufficient to largely increase the profitability of some stores, as the overall profitability of stores is a result of an interplay of both site-location and pack factors.BibliographyBerenson, M.L., Levine, D.M. & Krehbiel, T.C. (2008) Basic Business Statistics. 11th Edition. Philadelphia, PA Prentice Hall.Kazmier, L.J. (2003) Schaums Outline of Business Statistics. New York McGraw-Hill.Levine, D.M., Stephan, D.F., Krehbiel, T.C. & Berenson, M.L. (2007) Statistics for Managers Using Microsoft Excel. Philadelphia, PA Prentice Hall.