Community Service

Community service isn’t about padding one’s resume, it isn’t about doing things so that one might be proud and arrogant about it. But it is the dawning realization of to the greater understanding our humanity, our fragility and a greater appreciation of the great lives that so many of us lead and deem to be â€Å"normal† when it pretty much is extraordinary in its own respect relative to many other individuals around the world. I spent my hours, dedicated to Community service, as an intern at the North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital. Although taking part in this internship was initiated in order to further my knowledge and experience in the medical field, I was taught how to make relations with unknown people that were for the most part, ill. This has been one of the greatest experiences because I got the chance to interact with many different types of people including doctors, nurses, hospital staff members, and patients. This was a double gift for me because my interests in medicine have been greatly expanded and I was given the honor of being able to help those that were in need, whether it was reading a short book to them, or even closing the curtain in their room upon their request. â€Å"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. †- Mahatma Gandhi. This quote summarizes my experience at the hospital, where I was able to find myself in respect to humanity. When I first got notice that I would be working in a hospital, I was ambivalent: thrilled that I would finally get a chance to experience first-hand what people of the health profession feel, and reluctant because of the atmosphere that would surround me for three hours of a day. Though my intuitions were right to some extent, I didn’t even get a chance to notice the shortcomings of my internship at the hospital. I was always busy with some job or another; from patient interaction to clerical work, my hands were always busy. The first day I went to serve my time at the hospital was quite possibly one of the most enlightened days of my life. I learned more in the three hours than I would in a week if I were to go straight home. Throughout the winter term internship at NSLIJ Hospital I was able to observe a vast array of medical specialties. I learned what it means to be a part of the medical field, and the responsibilities that go along with that. I spent the majority of my time at the hospital shadowing doctors as they went about their daily practices: seeing patients, performing procedures, analyzing test results, collaborating with other doctors, etc. This internship was incredibly valuable as it opened my eyes to time, dedication, and care it takes to become a good doctor. Every few weeks, the interns would switch positions, so that everyone could be a part of most, if not all, departments. There was the ICU, for burn victims; the Children’s Ward, for newborns and infants; the Clerical section, where filing took place; etc. If we were lucky enough, we got the chance to see an actual birth taking place, of course the permission of both the doctor and patient was need along with a strong stomach. In my opinion, the hospital internship is one of the most effective ways in not only putting a person who wants to pursue a career in the health professions on the right path, but also in interacting with people of all sorts. The best thing about this experience was that I was able to put a smile on people’s faces. I received more than just knowledge and experience from taking part in this internship- I received blessings. What more can a person ask for? It was an elderly woman that said â€Å"God Bless You† to me after I had helped her to sit up on her bed. I encourage anyone and everyone to participate in a program similar to this one, because it was beneficial to me in many ways. I was enlightened in the field of medicine and gained experience, I got a chance to build on my people skills, and best of all, I was the source of even the little amount of happiness that I was capable of providing to the people around me! Community Service Community service isn’t about padding one’s resume, it isn’t about doing things so that one might be proud and arrogant about it. But it is the dawning realization of to the greater understanding our humanity, our fragility and a greater appreciation of the great lives that so many of us lead and deem to be â€Å"normal† when it pretty much is extraordinary in its own respect relative to many other individuals around the world. I spent my hours, dedicated to Community service, as an intern at the North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital. Although taking part in this internship was initiated in order to further my knowledge and experience in the medical field, I was taught how to make relations with unknown people that were for the most part, ill. This has been one of the greatest experiences because I got the chance to interact with many different types of people including doctors, nurses, hospital staff members, and patients. This was a double gift for me because my interests in medicine have been greatly expanded and I was given the honor of being able to help those that were in need, whether it was reading a short book to them, or even closing the curtain in their room upon their request. â€Å"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. †- Mahatma Gandhi. This quote summarizes my experience at the hospital, where I was able to find myself in respect to humanity. When I first got notice that I would be working in a hospital, I was ambivalent: thrilled that I would finally get a chance to experience first-hand what people of the health profession feel, and reluctant because of the atmosphere that would surround me for three hours of a day. Though my intuitions were right to some extent, I didn’t even get a chance to notice the shortcomings of my internship at the hospital. I was always busy with some job or another; from patient interaction to clerical work, my hands were always busy. The first day I went to serve my time at the hospital was quite possibly one of the most enlightened days of my life. I learned more in the three hours than I would in a week if I were to go straight home. Throughout the winter term internship at NSLIJ Hospital I was able to observe a vast array of medical specialties. I learned what it means to be a part of the medical field, and the responsibilities that go along with that. I spent the majority of my time at the hospital shadowing doctors as they went about their daily practices: seeing patients, performing procedures, analyzing test results, collaborating with other doctors, etc. This internship was incredibly valuable as it opened my eyes to time, dedication, and care it takes to become a good doctor. Every few weeks, the interns would switch positions, so that everyone could be a part of most, if not all, departments. There was the ICU, for burn victims; the Children’s Ward, for newborns and infants; the Clerical section, where filing took place; etc. If we were lucky enough, we got the chance to see an actual birth taking place, of course the permission of both the doctor and patient was need along with a strong stomach. In my opinion, the hospital internship is one of the most effective ways in not only putting a person who wants to pursue a career in the health professions on the right path, but also in interacting with people of all sorts. The best thing about this experience was that I was able to put a smile on people’s faces. I received more than just knowledge and experience from taking part in this internship- I received blessings. What more can a person ask for? It was an elderly woman that said â€Å"God Bless You† to me after I had helped her to sit up on her bed. I encourage anyone and everyone to participate in a program similar to this one, because it was beneficial to me in many ways. I was enlightened in the field of medicine and gained experience, I got a chance to build on my people skills, and best of all, I was the source of even the little amount of happiness that I was capable of providing to the people around me! Community Service Community service isn’t about padding one’s resume, it isn’t about doing things so that one might be proud and arrogant about it. But it is the dawning realization of to the greater understanding our humanity, our fragility and a greater appreciation of the great lives that so many of us lead and deem to be â€Å"normal† when it pretty much is extraordinary in its own respect relative to many other individuals around the world. I spent my hours, dedicated to Community service, as an intern at the North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital. Although taking part in this internship was initiated in order to further my knowledge and experience in the medical field, I was taught how to make relations with unknown people that were for the most part, ill. This has been one of the greatest experiences because I got the chance to interact with many different types of people including doctors, nurses, hospital staff members, and patients. This was a double gift for me because my interests in medicine have been greatly expanded and I was given the honor of being able to help those that were in need, whether it was reading a short book to them, or even closing the curtain in their room upon their request. â€Å"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. †- Mahatma Gandhi. This quote summarizes my experience at the hospital, where I was able to find myself in respect to humanity. When I first got notice that I would be working in a hospital, I was ambivalent: thrilled that I would finally get a chance to experience first-hand what people of the health profession feel, and reluctant because of the atmosphere that would surround me for three hours of a day. Though my intuitions were right to some extent, I didn’t even get a chance to notice the shortcomings of my internship at the hospital. I was always busy with some job or another; from patient interaction to clerical work, my hands were always busy. The first day I went to serve my time at the hospital was quite possibly one of the most enlightened days of my life. I learned more in the three hours than I would in a week if I were to go straight home. Throughout the winter term internship at NSLIJ Hospital I was able to observe a vast array of medical specialties. I learned what it means to be a part of the medical field, and the responsibilities that go along with that. I spent the majority of my time at the hospital shadowing doctors as they went about their daily practices: seeing patients, performing procedures, analyzing test results, collaborating with other doctors, etc. This internship was incredibly valuable as it opened my eyes to time, dedication, and care it takes to become a good doctor. Every few weeks, the interns would switch positions, so that everyone could be a part of most, if not all, departments. There was the ICU, for burn victims; the Children’s Ward, for newborns and infants; the Clerical section, where filing took place; etc. If we were lucky enough, we got the chance to see an actual birth taking place, of course the permission of both the doctor and patient was need along with a strong stomach. In my opinion, the hospital internship is one of the most effective ways in not only putting a person who wants to pursue a career in the health professions on the right path, but also in interacting with people of all sorts. The best thing about this experience was that I was able to put a smile on people’s faces. I received more than just knowledge and experience from taking part in this internship- I received blessings. What more can a person ask for? It was an elderly woman that said â€Å"God Bless You† to me after I had helped her to sit up on her bed. I encourage anyone and everyone to participate in a program similar to this one, because it was beneficial to me in many ways. I was enlightened in the field of medicine and gained experience, I got a chance to build on my people skills, and best of all, I was the source of even the little amount of happiness that I was capable of providing to the people around me!

Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act Current Event

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act or CISPA is legislation that is currently being resurrected in the House of Representatives after failing to make it to a vote in the senate last year as reported as previously threatened with veto by President Obama.(WILHELM, 2013). According to the bill’s author, as reported by Wilhelm (2013) the bill aims to allow more sharing of â€Å"cyber threat intelligence† between the U.S. government and private sectors. There is quite a threat to individual freedom of speech and privacy if this bill is enacted. The proposed legislation would give tremendous powers to private industry if passed and severely limit the ways in which users enjoy privacy on the internet. Individual’s simply pirating movies or software could be classified as â€Å"cyber-threats† and become the target of combined governmental and civilian action. Personally, I perceive the proposed legislation as a threat to freedom of speech and privacy. Because of technology, terrorism and widespread global unrest, Americans’ have given the government powers beyond what our founders ever envisioned as evidenced by the most recent renewal of The Patriot Act As cyber threats evolve it is vital to have legislation to enable appropriate response, however this legislation must be carefully crafted as to not allow any party to be above the law. Reference: http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2013/02/23/recently-hacked-heres-microsofts-statement-on-pending-cybersecurity-legislation/ WILHELM, M. (2013, Febuary 23). Recently hacked, here’s Microsoft’s statement on pending cybersecurity legislation. Retrieved from THE NEXT WEB: http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2013/02/23/recently-hacked-heres-microsofts-statement-on-pending-cybersecurity-legislation/

Business to business marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Business to business marketing - Essay Example Blocker et al., (2012) asserts that the sales force is the driving force that plays an integral part of ‘translating customers’ voice back into the firm’. Needless to say that without an apt sales force, the business is deemed to fail. Thus on that premise, this paper strives to shed light on the importance of the sales force to promote service delivery by SPSL, identify available options regarding organization of this sales force, give a critical evaluation of the extent to which relationship available and business networks likely to enable SPSL to establish a new office and discusses in details the differences between business to business and business to consumer marketing elucidating merits and demerits. This is believed to enable the company to maintain the B2B relations by providing satisfactory services to both businesses and consumers. This is of great importance since Blocker and associates reiterated that the sales force are in a suitable position to not just recognize and manage individual customer profitability and cost, but they too play an integral part in influencing repeat purchase, increase share-spending as well as shape numerous strategic outcomes that could help firms appropriate greater value. The Sales Force and Value creation As aforementioned salespeople play an integral role in the growth and development of any business since they are the one often in touch with the customer. Researches on business have often times dominated on the how to increase sales by increasing customer satisfaction, trust and loyalty, yet, the sales force which plays a pivotal role in any business have received limited research, (Blocker et al.,p.5,FitzHugh & Piercy 2009). Blocker and their team remarked that even theories regarding customer value such as axiology, mean-end theory, the service profit chain and the social exchange have all neglected the salespeople. They therefore highlight that the sales force is the heart of the business has t hey define customer requirements, deploy products as well as supporting the deployment of effective business strategies they employ. Kaufmann and Roesch (2012) also remarked that for the emerging marketing firms (EMFs) to gain a competitive market advantage, they need to explore how they can pursue building and deployment of marketing capabilities, which Blocker and associates offered that the sales force is tin a prime position to do that. Peter and Havey as lead directors of SPSL need not only to improve the general marketing expertise of the sales force but also to identify and improve specific marketing expertise of the salespeople that will enable the firm to tailor its resources appropriately to the demands, habits and characteristics of their target group in that country,(Kaufmann &Roesch,p.11). In the quest to expound the importance of the sales force strategic place in the business to business marketing, Blocker and his group (p.8-10) discussed the following theories regard ing salespeople and business that may be of importance for the SPSL firm to employ in its sales force. Retention Engagement Theory (RET) They postulated that RET engages on retaining customers by offering valuable services and products, thus value was proposed as the ‘motivational force experience’ where desired or undesired forces such as positive or

Existence of God Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Existence of God - Assignment Example This proposition, while it makes some sense, can be questioned in terms of its physical evidence. 2. One cannot put soil in a container and expect it to someday become a house in the future. If no one or nothing does something to it to form another thing, it will remain to be soil. This is what St. Aquinas tries to prove in his argument; that things cannot be without things and movers. For a thing to come into existence; there should be crude materials from which it should be made from. In addition, there should be a maker who has to work on the materials. From this perspective, St. Aquinas proves that God exists claiming that if nothing existed before, then nothing should exist now but since we and the things around us exist, there must be someone who made all things. Again the problem with logical explanations is the absence or lack of physical explanation. 3. The problem of evil as J. L. Mackie explains is rather a necessity than a problem. He goes on to cite Job in the bible as an example. Although he was a good man, Job suffered many evils which cannot be said to be the consequences of his actions. Instead, as Eliphaz points out, â€Å"man is born to trouble†. Mackie claims that evil was necessary for God to test Job’s faithfulness and goodness and therefore, decide on his eternal destination, heaven or hell. However, this could be difficult to explain the just nature or God as the bible claims because as it is understood, justice is having the sinner punished and the good man rewarded. 4. If a man evolves into a bat, he still would not know how it is like to be a bat. This is what Thomas Nagel believes who claims that none of us can ever know how it is to be like a bat. He says this because he believes that knowing is experiencing. Knowing is a process gained from experience and so the transformed bat mentioned earlier cannot really know how it is to be a bat. His experience from being a bat does not suffice to make him know because he lacks the

Voter Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Voter Psychology - Essay Example why voters cast their ballots for this candidate and that party. Downs implies that what is ideal is to vote on the basis of issues and ideologies but the reality is that many voters follow certain rules and others certain logical steps which they use as guidelines to vote. Downs intimates that most voters vote for selfish reasons, that at the heart of the voting process is their own interests, which is the maximization of their utility incomes (42). If their incomes are below the desired level, they are apt to support a change of the status quo and thus a vote against the incumbent. But if their incomes have skyrocketed because of the incumbent's policies that favor them, they will necessarily dread a change of policies or a fracture in the continuity of present policies and thus bat for retention of the incumbent in office. fat chance of winning. Thus in order to ensure that his voting is not an exercise in futility, he becomes engaged in forecasting, predicting and estimating the outcome of the election contest. If such processes prove that his preferred bet is not "part of the relevant range of choice" (48), then he has no option but switch vote for another party that has a better chance of winning. Related to the idea that a voter opts for that which carries or protects the voter's best interests is the idea of partisanship. Downs, however, refuses to mention this word. Instead, he designates partisans as loyalists (85), who have set their minds to vote for a particular candidate election after election. These voters are knowledgeable about the issues and are often zealous and participative in political discussions. Downs also introduces the idea of trend factor which voters may use as guideline in their decision of whom to vote for in an election (41). Voters tend to reelect the incumbent who at the outset of his government incurred mistakes but then has improved steadily his governance and at the present has governed expertly to voters' satisfaction. Conversely, voters tend to boot out of office that incumbent who started office splendidly, but has since spiraled out to degeneracy. Another Downs syndrome is the performance ratings concept (41). Sometimes voters are thrown out of equilibrium when candidates carry identical platforms and policies. To resolve the impasse, the basis of the decision is drastically changed to whether or not the incumbent has performed better in office than their predecessors. If not, then the verdict is to replace the incumbent.

Leadership Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Leadership - Term Paper Example Leadership Leadership can be defined as a process whereby one or more persons influence a group of followers to accomplish a specific goal the way he/she wants it to be done. A leader directs his/her efforts towards the followers who are to try and achieve the common goals together. Leadership might include one or a group of leaders who affect the steps that the followers will follow (Northouse, 2013). Leadership involves taking ethical responsibilities to ensure that there is a good communication linkage and to satisfy the needs of the followers for easy achievement of their goals. A leader should induce others, must be the center of the group and have power to effect change in the followers. Leadership is also viewed in terms of the power that the leaders have towards their followers and it is this power that the leaders utilize to effect change in their followers (Giuliani & Kurson, 2002). In this context, power can be said to be the capability or the potential to influence others in regard to their belief, attitude, culture and even course of action (Northouse, 2013). ... There are different bases from which leaders derive their power which are referent, expert, legitimate, reward and coercive, all which increase the leaders potential to influence the attitudes, values, beliefs and behavior of others. Referent power is power that is got from the followers liking and identification of the leader while expert power is power that is derived from the knowledge and the competence that a leader has in a certain sector. Legitimate power is the power that is derived from having status or formal job authority in an organization while reward power is that which is derived from the capacity of rewarding others who in turn recognize the person as a leader. On the other hand, Coercive power is the power that is derived from the ability to penalize or punish others in an organizational set up. (Northouse, 2013). In an organization, there are two main bases of power which are position and personal power. Position power is derived from position or rank while personal power is the power that an individual gains from recognition and liking by others. Management On the other hand, Management is the act of organizing and coordinating all the activities to achieve the desired goal and it involves planning, organizing and controlling the organization (Northouse, 2013). A manager has the power and responsibility to make a decision and also the responsibility of organizing the staffs to nurture skills develop their skills as well as to maximize efficiency in performing their duties. Management focuses on defining the purpose, seeks order and stability on the objectives in an organizational set up. Management can also be said to be a unidirectional process geared towards coordination of managers and subordinates to join efforts towards achievement of

Review Movie Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Movie Review Example The authors have made it clear in the chapter that families are not formed just because of economic reasons. Blau, Ferber, and Winkler states, â€Å"Human need for companionship, sexual attraction, affection, and the desire to have children also play a substantial part in family formation† (34). Economic factors although play a major role but the desire to live with the opposite gender is a more logical reason to form a family. Along with the focus on family formation, the authors have also discussed the reason behind family breakups. Some of the main reasons provided in this chapter included desire of a person to have sexual relationships with more than one partner, incompatibilities, and human need of independence. The authors have evaluated the neoclassical model of family in detail in order to highlight the advantages associated with this model. Along with the benefits of neoclassical model of family, the authors have also discussed the traditional model in which men are supposed to perform outdoor activities and women are supposed to remain at homes for taking care of the children. The decline of traditional model of family is also discussed in this chapter. The authors have described the disadvantages of specialization and revealed that couples can enjoy a number of economic benefits while living in the form of families. Specialization is just one issue; couples can gain many other economic benefits while living in families. The traditional division of labor is the biggest disadvantage of the traditional families. After discussing traditional model in some detail, the authors have shifted their focus towards neoclassical approaches of transactional costs along with Marxist feminist and radical feminist views and different bargaining models. The authors have also discussed how men and women usually allocate their time to work and family and how the allocation of time is changing with

Sunflower Incorporated management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sunflower Incorporated management - Essay Example Brands such as Frito-Lay, Nabisco, Pringles, Borden’s and Planters are determined to increase their market share through renewed marketing strategies of their products (Cummings and Worley 239). These imminent dangers to the company propelled the president of Sunflower, Mr. Joe Steelman, to pirate Agnes Albanese from a competitor. The new position of Director of Pricing and Purchasing was created specifically for her. Her direct superior was Mr. Mobley, the Vice President for Finance. The president and Mr. Mobley both gave her freedom in her position and to create rules and procedures as she sees fit. Her position as a new top executive of the company necessitated coordination with each region and this was made known to all concerned personnel for compliance. Less than a month from taking on the job, Albanese implemented a number of new policies that every region must comply with toward a standardized system for all regions. These changes are, first, financial executives must notify her of more than 3% changes in local pricing, second, contracts amounting to more than $5,000 must first be cleared by her office. Though the latter rule is in fact inoperable since majority of the items are bought in bulk and distributed from the head office and only 40% are from within each region. These guidelines, she decided, were to be sent to the regional executives through email and shall be implemented immediately and thereafter be included in the company’s policies within four months (ibid 240). Haphazard Changes The major mistake that Albanese committed is in coming up with new procedures without proper diagnosis of the needs of the company and... Sunflower Incorporated is primarily a distribution company which purchases salty snack and liquor and supplies it to various retail stores in the United States and Canada. The company has had an established system focusing on geographical location as its main consideration. The main unit of Sunflower has given its branches ample leeway in terms of autonomy since each location consists of a varied demand correlative to the predisposition of the consumers of their given area. Understandably, each region consumes a greater amount of one product over another. Where whisky and bourbon is a major demand in the northeast part of the United States, vodka, gin and rum is popular in the West while Mexican taste is replicated in the snacks distributed to the southwest. The company in its outlets in the two countries is divided into 22 regions where each has an independent finance department, purchasing department, sales team and a central warehouse. The signs were clear early on but Agnes Albanese opted to disregard them and instead obstinately carried on a plan which lacks procedural and substantive purpose. She acted as though time was not on her side and executed changes that are ill-fitting to the organization as it stands. She took the liberty given to her by the highest ranking executives of the company and despite the cautionary advice of her superior, Albanese proceeded with her plan instantaneously. There was no proper evaluation of all surrounding conditions nor was there a concrete plan of action that everyone is on the same page. Evidently, it is easier to say yes on email than to argue with the computer.

Future Plan Essay Example for Free

Future Plan Essay Hi, my name is Alberto Bazan. I am eighteen years of age. This year, two-thousand-thirteen Im going tom graduate from Alief Hastings High School. Im going to enroll in a community college in fall for my basic course, and later transfer into a university. My majoring plan is to become a Petroleum engineer. Now that I have some type of experience in the oil field, where I started working after I turned eighteen. The important question is : why am I deciding to go to college? First of all, like some people in this world; love making. So I decided to first choose a career I would like, and would make good amount of money. Second reason is because without knowledge, Im not going to have open opportunities for high-payed jobs. Last but not least; I comprehend that college is very important at this point of our lifetime, because it would help my future in where I can live life without worries of not having the knowledge and skills to get a job. Now in days it is not easy obtaining any job where you can live without worries. From my point of view, I personally think Im not a person to be in school. So therefor, my experience in college can be very harsh at times. I might have ups and downs though out my future career. I know for sure Im going to struggle throughout college, but Im not going to give up in achieving my goals, and to finish my major. Thats why Im going to college!

Assertions and Audit evidence Essay Example for Free

Assertions and Audit evidence Essay 1. The allowance for doubtful accounts is fairly presented in amount. * Valuation or allocation assertion 2. All accounts payable owed as of the balance sheet date are included in the financial statements. * Existence or occurrence assertion 3. All purchase returns recorded in the general ledger are valid. * Existence or occurrence assertion 4. The allowance for doubtful accounts is fairly presented in amount. * Valuation or allocation assertion 5. All accounts payable owed as of the balance sheet date are included in the financial statements. * Completeness assertion 6. All purchase returns recorded in the general ledger are valid. * Existence or occurrence assertion 7. A retail client values its inventory using the retail method of accounting. * Valuation or allocation assertion 8. A construction client uses the percentage of completion method for recognizing revenues. * Existence or occurrence assertion 9. A client has a defined benefit pension plan and does not have competent employees to write footnote disclosures. * Presentation and disclosure assertion – classifications and understandability 10. Slow-moving items included in inventory have been properly identified and priced. * Valuation or allocation assertion 11. A client financed the acquisition of assets using preferred stock that pays a 3 percent dividend and must be redeemed from the shareholders next year. * Rights and obligations assertion 1. Bank statement sent directly to the auditor by the bank. (1) – Most reliable 2. Creditor monthly statement obtained from clients files. (2) – Reliable, but subject to possible forgery 3. Vouchers in clients unpaid voucher file. (4) Least reliable 4. Duplicate sales invoices in filled order file. (4) Least reliable 5. Time tickets filed in payroll department. (4) Least reliable 6. Credit memo in customers file. (4) Least reliable 7. Material requisitions filed in storeroom. (4) Least reliable 8. Bank statement in clients files. (2) Generally reliable 9. Management working papers in making accounting estimates. (4) Least reliable 10. Paid checks returned with bank statement in (1) above. (3) Somewhat reliable 11. Letter in customer file from collection agency on collectability of balance. (2) Generally reliable 12. Memo in customer file from treasurer authorizing the write-off of the account. (4) Least reliable

The effectiveness of employee performance appraisal

The effectiveness of employee performance appraisal Performance Appraisal and Reward system is viewed as the systemic model that correlates supervisory feedback with the employee behaviour, attitude and motivation (Gomez-Mejia, 2007: p. 21-24). Historically, the Performance Appraisal and Reward system has been viewed as the feedback and critics framework to help the employees in enhancing their productivity and performance by virtue of constructive feedbacks, reviewing and rewarding past performance, setting the future goals, employee motivation, training and growth planning and problem solving/grievance handling (Hall et al. 1989: p. 54-67). However, the Performance Appraisal and Reward system in the modern world has been viewed as the tool for evaluation of productivity and efficiency of employees to determine their standing against the salary increments, bonus, promotions and layoff policies (Andres et al., 2010: p. 1599-1607). This has resulted in very narrow viewpoints about the system by employees (Reinke, 2003: p. 23-27) whereb y some take it negatively as well (Daley, 2007: p. 290-293). But Cook and Crossman (2004: p. 526-541) explained that the satisfaction with the Performance Appraisal and Reward system is better in employees that play the role of both appraiser and appraisee. They further explained that best results are obtained when 360 degree feedback system (appraising the managers) system is practiced by the organisation. This is the problem that the author proposes to address in this research. In the modern era when employees exhibit pessimism about the Performance Appraisal and Reward system (Daley, 2007: p. 290-293) because they consider it as the mere tool for deciding increments, bonuses, promotions and continuity in the company (Andres et al., 2010: p. 1599-1607), what makes it so vibrant in companies like KFC resulting in high employee motivation and reduced attrition (Huck, 2010: p. 1-3)? The proposed topic is: The effectiveness of Employee Performance Appraisal System (EPAC): A case study on KFC. 1.2 Background of the Organisation Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is the highest revenue earning chain restaurant of Yum! Restaurants which is ranked at number 239 on the Fortune 500 list that exceeded global revenues of 11 Billion US Dollars in year 2008. KFC is regarded as the fastest growing brand in chain restaurant segment in the world that operates like a Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) producing good Chicken dishes under the name finger lickin good. (Huck, 2010: p. 1-3) The company was founded as Kentucky Fried Chicken by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, though the idea of KFCs fried chicken actually goes back to 1930 (Shuker, 2008: p. 8-11). In UK alone, KFC employs more than 22000 people in more than 780 stores across the nation (Huck, 2010: p. 1-3). KFC was regarded as the second best employer on the Britains Top Employers 2010 list. It achieved 3.5/5 stars in Pay and Benefits, 4.5/5 stars in Training and Development and 5/5 stars each in Career Development, Working Conditions and Company Culture in the five attributes rated by CRF Institute in the Britains Top Employers 2010 survey. (Huck, 2010: p. 1-3) KFC has an excellent employee performance measurement system, promoted by parent company Yum! Restaurants. The Champ Card peer rewarding system has been elementary in achieving high motivation and reducing employee turnover. (Corporate Executive Board, 2006: p. 4) 1.3 Purpose of Research Employee Performance Appraisal System (EPAS) is the mechanism of longitudinal (over a period of time) performance management of employees (Smither, 2001: p. 1-7). If designed appropriately, it can result in effective bonding between supervisors and subordinates by virtue of open discussions, appraising strengths and weaknesses of subordinates and the work systems in which they operate, identification of trainings requirements, awareness of future goals, confidence boosting, rewards and recognitions, motivation, etc (Smither, 2001: p. 1-7). The end result can be boost in organisational productivity (Gomez-Mejia, 2007: p. 21-24) and even enhancement of the revenues and profits (Boice and Kleiner, 1997: p. 197-201). But the Performance Appraisal system needs to be designed very effectively and efficiently to ensure that the desired outcomes supporting boost in productivity and hence the revenues and profits can be tangibly achieved (Boice and Kleiner, 1997: p. 197-201). Gabris and Ihrke (2000: 41-44) argued that ineffective measurement systems are going to be questioned by the employees and hence may be unacceptable to them. If ineffective measurement systems are followed, the EPAS will not be perceived to be useful and hence the relationship of participants in review meetings will determine the results and not the actual performance of the employees (Bradley and Ashkanasy, 2001: p. 83-85). In this research, the author wants to learn about how exemplary performance appraisal systems, like the one practiced by KFC, are designed and how are they accurately linked with employee motivation, productivity, and the overall organisational performance. The rewards and recognition system studied by Corporate Executive Board (2006: p. 4) emphasised on the peer relationships, spot reward system for quick wins and celebrating individual and group successes in vibrant ways (like clapping for colleagues, announcing quick wins, giving away Champ Cards, etc.). These attributes are highly advocated by Gabris and Ihrke (2000: 41-44). 1.4 Research Questions Following are the proposed Research Questions for the study: What are the areas of employee performance evaluated by KFC in their EPAS? What are the criteria and performance measures applied in KFCs EPAS? How effective is KFCs EPAS in measuring employees performance? How KFCs EPAS affects motivation and future growth of the employees? What are the scope of improvements in KFCs EPAS? 1.5 Research Objectives Following are the proposed Research Objectives of this study: To study the features of KFCs EPAS and learn the underlying causal factors that contributed to its phenomenal success across the world. To map the learning points from KFCs EPAS with empirical evidences in academic literatures and understand how the academic world have been advocating about such causal factors. Identify new learning points that has not yet been identified by the academic world and discuss about them. Present the value additions from KFC case study to already existing theoretical background in the academic literatures. Present a critical analysis of how KFC can further improve their EPAS by identifying the traits advocated by academic literatures but not prevalent in KFC EPAS. 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction Gomez-Mejia (2007: p. 21-24) explained that supervisors feedback through performance appraisal systems can result in two types of responses of the employees Cognitive response and Behavioural response. He analysed that dysfunctional feedbacks (ambiguous, one way, inconsistent, judgemental, misdirected, coinciding with salary increments, etc.) can cause uncooperative cognitive response and reduced employee performance and functional feedbacks (job related, two way, explicit, consistent, clear, not linked with salary increments, etc.) can result in goal oriented cognitive response and improved employee performance Gomez-Mejia (2007: p. 22). Hence, the most effective systems of appraising performance are: functional, relevant, uniform and consistent. Pragmatism is important because it helps to ensure that the system will be easily understood by employees and effectively put into action by managers (Gomez-Mejia (2007: p. 22-24). Drawing upon arguments by Briscoe Schuler (2004: p. 5-57) performance can be viewed as a combination of several factors, such as motivation, ability, working conditions and expectations. It has been established that there are certain factors that affect employees performance more than others. These factors, according to Dowling et al (1999: p. 4-29), include the compensation package, the nature of task, support from higher management, the working environment and the overall corporate culture. In this chapter, the author has presented an organised literature review to analyse how the case study of KFC can be supported by the theoretical foundation already established by empirical theories. In essence, the research instrument can only be designed with the help of such theoretical foundation as explained by Saunders et al. (2007: p. 44-50). 2.2 Elements of Employee Performance Evaluation Traditionally, performance appraisal of employees has been viewed as the psychological test bed for employees that comprises of critics ratings, decision making on rewards and recognitions, deciding amount of salary increments, deciding future expectations, deciding continuity in the company, deciding promotions, measuring the alignment with departmental and organisational goals, etc (Elmuti et al., 1992: p. 42-48). The modern performance appraisal system is linked with quality improvement philosophies of the organisation that was originally conceptualised by Deming (Elmuti et al., 1992: p. 44-45). However, Levy and Williams (2004: p. 881-889) argued that the modern performance appraisal theories have travelled a long way to transition from mere enforcement tool of organisational objectives and quality targets to the system that influences the overall corporate culture and social system. This shall be very much evident in the case study of KFC where the EPAS is viewed to be contribut ing positively to the congenial and highly vibrant work environment in the organisation (Huck, 2010: p. 1-3). 2.3 Link between EPAS, Performance Measures and Staff Motivation EPAS can directly contribute to staff motivation if it is perceived to be fair, transparent, clear, consistent, continuous, bilateral and development oriented (Kavanagh et al., 2007: p. 132-137; Boice and Kleiner, 1997: p. 197-201). As reiterated by Boice and Kleiner (1997: p. 197-201) and Gomez-Mejia (2007: p. 21-24), discrete, one-sided, ambiguous, misdirected, and judgemental appraisals are perceived to be unfair and result in negative cognitive response, demotivation and reduced performance of employees. Boice and Kleiner (1997: p. 198-199) argued that surprises during annual performance reviews may result in retaliation by employees given that they deserve the right to avail continuous feedback. OConnor et al. (2010: p. 729-735) described that performance measures need to be realistic, practical and transparent to the employees such that positive cognitive and behavioural responses can be achieved. The objective of performance appraisal system should be to motivate the employees to achieve highest performance levels against the measures and not get threatened by the measures perceiving that they may be used against them if supervisor is not happy OConnor et al. (2010: p. 729-735). 2.4 KFCs EPAS in measuring performance and motivating their staff KFC has highly congenial and highly vibrant work environment. KFCs EPAS is designed on peer recognition model in which employees can recognise each other by giving away champion cards against quick wins. This is also carried out vertically in which juniors can reward seniors and vice versa. Such on the job recognitions are mapped with the corporate goals and values. This system in KFC meets the SSMART objectives: supports organisational goals and values, simple and sincere, meaningful, adaptable, relevant and timely. (Huck, 2010: p. 1-3; Corporate Executive Board, 2006: p. 2-4) 2.5 Effects of KFCs EPAS on KFC performance and competitive advantages The reports by Huck (2010: p. 1-3), KFC Holdings (Malaysia) Annual Report (2009: p. 8-9) and Corporate Executive Board (2006: p. 2-4) revealed that the key competitive advantage of KFC is the high employee retention and productivity against close rivals like McDonalds. KFC has been rewarding their high performing employees consistently and have been able to retain talents by virtue of their on-the-spot recognition scheme. 2.6 Conclusions The EPAS system should ensure congruence between organisational goals and employee performance and hence cannot be achieved in discrete form (like annual reviews). It has to be continuous and on-the-job. The model by KFC is closely linked with the theories presented by Gabris and Ihrke (2000: 41-44), Kavanagh et al. (2007: p. 132-137) and Boice and Kleiner (1997: p. 197-201) that advocated transparency, consistency, bidirectional, fostering trust relationships, strengthening the colleagues on-the-job, setting of good examples, celebration of quick wins, heart to heart recognition by individuals, and celebration of group success as the key objectives of EPAS that can finally result in high employee motivation and corporate productivity. 2.7 Conceptual Framework The author proposes to conduct interpretive study in which the outcomes of the primary research shall be categorised, classified, and tagged appropriately such that wise interpretations can be drawn and compared with the theoretical foundation of past empirical studies. The author shall compare responses to all questions with the literature review, one-to-one, such that close correlation with the past theories can be framed. Gaps in KFCs EPAS against past theories and vice versa will be identified such that the conclusions and recommendations can be drawn. This approach is called qualitative interpretive study as described by Saunders et al. (2007: p. 44-107). Also Wolcott et al. (2002: p. 85-90) termed this approach as critical thinking research. This is further explained in the next chapter. 3.0 Research Design 3.1 Introduction AERA (2003: p. 2-11) emphasised that Research Design is the collection of various attributes of conducting the research that helps in making the study more focussed, purposive, unbiased, valid, reliable and ethical. Further to this, Bryman and Bell (2003: p. 3-45) described that Research Design begins with the philosophical approach that the author wants to take and leads to appropriate choices of methodology, approach, methods, instruments, sampling methods, data collection and analysis methods, pilot design and ethical considerations. The discussions follow. 3.2 Research Philosophy and Methodology Bryman and Bell (2003: p. 3-45) described that two philosophies are most prevalent in social and business research studies positivism and interpretivism. Positivists try to prove theories through research whereas interpreters try to learn theories through research. Hence, positivists always begin with hypotheses formulation and try to accept and reject them based on outcomes of study whereas interpreters begin with research questions and try to address them through learning from research. Hence, positivists always prefer scientific and objective research whereas interpreters prefer observational research, action research, descriptive research and critical thinking research. (Bryman and Bell, 2003: p. 3-45) Saunders et al. (2007: 44-107) described that positivists normally prefer quantitative research because it only takes numbers as inputs and comprises of scientific methods (like mathematical modelling, experimentation, statistical analysis, etc.) (Bryman, 2004: p. 59-77) whereas interpreters prefer qualitative research because it can take any form of inputs (text, numbers, pictures, etc.) and comprises of interpretive, analytical thinking and observational methods (Bryman and Bell, 2003: p. 3-24). The author perceives that positivists can frame hypotheses because they are seasoned experts in their respective subject matters and are very confident about what they want to prove. The author is an amateur in performance appraisal and hence wants to conduct this research to learn the best practices of EPAS from KFC and map them with literatures. Keeping this approach in mind, the author has selected interpretive philosophy with qualitative research. 3.3 Research Approach 3.3.1 Inductive Approach Qualitative researchers welcome any form of valid inputs (like text, numbers, pictures, voice recording, observations, experiences, etc.) and hence carry out inductive approach of learning (Bryman and Bell, 2003: p. 21-45). Given that the author has selected qualitative research, he wants to adopt inductive learning approach. 3.3.2 Deductive Approach Quantitative researchers only entertain numerical inputs that are applied in experimental setups or mathematical and statistical models to derive the outputs. The model of learning is in the form of P à   Q, where P is independent variable and Q is dependent variable and à   denotes the processor between P and Q. This is called deductive approach of learning. (Bryman and Bell, 2003: p. 21-45) The author has not adopted this approach because the methodology chosen is Qualitative. 3.4 Research Methods 3.4.1 Techniques and instruments Qualitative research is conducted using grounded theory, ethnography, phenomenology and action research techniques. Grounded theory employs learning from past theories, ethnography employs human observation and analysis, phenomenology employs learning from human experience and action research employs learning by participation and involvement. Grounded theory doesnt employ any specific instrument, ethnography employs observation charts, phenomenology employs structured and semi structured questionnaire and action research employs cause-effect charts. (Thompson and Walker, 1998: p. 63-69) The author wants to study EPAS by capturing human experiences (employees at KFC) and hence has proposed the choice of phenomenology with structured questionnaire. As described by Thompson and Walker (1998: p. 63-69), structured questionnaire helps in reducing bias and improving validity because the respondents are closely tied to the context of the questions. These reasons supported the authors choice of structured questionnaire. 3.4.2 Data Sampling, collection and analysis The author has chosen purposive sampling against quota sampling, convenience sampling and snowball sampling. Purposive sampling deals with mapping each possible candidate with pre-determined qualification criteria. Quota sampling deals with purposive sampling for multiple populations with different pre-determined criteria sets, convenience sampling deals with choosing respondents by virtue of ease of access and snowball sampling deals with testing purposive sampling against multiple pre-determined criteria sets and expanding the one that is most relevant. The data collection shall be cross sectional (not tagged with historical significance) and the data analysis shall be interpretive with critical thinking approach. This is further explained in the Reflections chapter. (Cooper and Schindler, 2003: p. 34-109). 3.4.3 Pilot Study As reiterated by Saunders et al. (2007: p. 52-63), pilot study can be very useful to enhance the quality of the instrument and test the interpretations of respondents and validity of the questions asked. It also helps in measuring time taken in conducting interviews. The author proposes to conduct pilot study among few friends and request for constructive feedback to enhance the questionnaire. 3.5 Conclusions The author has proposed to conduct the study employing interpretive philosophy, qualitative methodology, inductive learning approach, phenomenology technique, purposive sampling, cross sectional data collection and interpretive data analysis with critical thinking approach. 3.5.1 Validity and Reliability The validity and reliability shall be assured by carefully designing the structured questionnaire instrument and conducting pilot study to test and enhance it. The structured questionnaire instrument shall be based on the review of most relevant literatures and will be aligned with the research questions and objectives. 3.5.2 Generalisability Although the findings shall be applicable to KFC (due to case study approach), the author shall closely map the findings with the outcomes of the literature review to achieve generalisations. 4.0 Access and Resource Implications 4.1 Access to Subjects The author has access to employees in KFC given his association with the organisation. The study shall be conducted on selected employees of KFC outlets in London after obtaining permission from the Restaurant Managers. 4.2 Ethical Considerations The research shall be conducted in transparent manner keeping the rationale of study very clear to all respondents and the Restaurant Managers. The willingness to participate will be obtained from all respondents prior to starting the study. No deception shall be carried out in any form or shape. In addition, the author shall ensure that the emotional aspects, beliefs and ethnic/religious origin will be highly respected in the process of conducting the study. Moreover, the author shall honour the intellectual properties of literature sources by using Harvard referencing. 4.3 Resources The author proposes to conduct the study alone although volunteers are always welcome. The author plans to conduct face to face interviews and hence will have to bear travel expenses to all outlets and distribute the questionnaire in printed format. The theoretical foundation established from literature review shall be the primary resource that will help in accurate mapping with primary research and critical thinking. 5.0 Proposed Action Plan The author proposes the following action plan for the study. The weeks are proposed to be counted from the day the author gets a go-head from his supervisor to proceed with the study. The overall project shall be completed in eight weeks including weekends whereby the author has planned to dedicate about four hours per day to the study except the Week 6 in which the author may have to work for eight to ten hours a day to secure access to all respondents and conduct the interviews. The author has planned to conduct this entire research alone although volunteers to extend helping hand will always be welcomed. Activity Weeks WK1 WK2 WK3 WK4 WK5 WK6 WK7 WK8 The chapter 1 comprising of research context, aim and objectives, research questions and research structure design will be completed. The author shall conduct extensive research on various journal articles, past research reports, peer reviewed internet sites, books etc. and prepare the list of relevant literatures that shall be included in the References section. The author shall complete Literature Review Chapter (2) and Research Design and Methodology chapter (3). The author shall conduct purposive sampling to select respondents, design the questionnaire and conduct the interviews. (parts of chapter 4) The author shall interpret the responses, map with literature review, discuss the mappings critically and them present the conclusions and generalisations. (Parts of Chapter 4 and the entire Chapter 5). 6.0 Reflections on Learning As explained by Evans (2007: p. 1-4), the research is closely implicated with the ethics, values and cultural identity of the researcher. The philosophical considerations of the research is closely linked with what the researcher wants to achieve out of the study. Evans (2007: p. 104) and Cornish et al. (2007: p. 1-16) further described that the researcher may like to conduct research to study a problem area in depth that he/she wants to address in future, to closely study and understand the subject matter where he/she wants to build his career, discover the solutions to problems that has been bothering him/her for a long time, prove the existence of some theories or correlations between some variables that he/she has discovered during his/her experience in this world, to promote the light of education and learning, etc. The learning methods in research has often clashed in the past like the epistemological oppositions between Interpretivism and Positivism that has been prevailing f or ages (Lorenz, 1998: p. 309-316). The interpreters have been largely depending upon human analytics skills and positivists have been largely depending upon scientific evidence of existing phenomena in natural sciences (Lorenz, 1998: p. 309-316). But Bowden (2005: p. 4-52) and Irez (2007: p. 17-27) presented very unique reflection that can diminish all conflicts and standoffs among different believers. He explained that every researcher wants to know the truth and hence it doesnt matter how he/she knows the truth as long as he is able to get to it. The truth always more important than beliefs of individuals (Irez (2007: p. 18-19). If this is the case then why shouldnt we forget all the conflicts and employ the best of all philosophies and methodologies? He analysed that this thought approach may be correlated with the philosophy of Realism which is neither linked with positivism nor with interpretivism. Every research is in fact the relationship between subjects and aspects of the world. This is what comprises of the truth. One may like to know the truth by engaging with the subjects (interpretivism) or with the aspects of the world (positivism) or with both (realism). This can be understood from the following figure presented by Bowden (2005): Figure 1: The concept of Realism presented by Bowden (2005) The outcome may be descriptive, analytical or critical thinking. In descriptive outcome, the researcher may like to describe the outcomes to build a new theory, in analytical outcome the researcher may like to analyse the outcomes with respect to past theories and in critical thinking outcome the researcher may like to critically think on existing perceptions or existing ways of thinking and compare with the research outcomes to evolve the similarities and differences. (Bowden, 2005: p. 4-52; Wolcott et al., 2002: p. 85-103) As described by Wolcott et al. (2002: p. 85-103), critical thinking is a human skill that is developed by cognitive thinking and analysis (learning from the tangible evidences with a wider out of box thinking approach). It neither involves open ended interpretations nor a blind belief on experimentation or simulation results. The researcher applies cognitive thinking to all the outputs by comparing with multiple valid evidences (inputs) without showing any bias towards a particular type of input. The author has adopted critical thinking approach in this study. In this approach the author shall first develop theoretical foundation about the EPAS framework by browsing through various research reports, journal articles, books, peer reviewed Internet sources, etc. and short-listing the most relevant resources with respect to the research questions and research objectives. The structured questionnaire shall be an outcome of the theoretical foundation formed with the help of the literature review and shall be closely aligned with all the research questions. The responses of structured questionnaire will be closely mapped with the literature review by interpreting and analyzing the outcomes of each question independently and comparing with the theoretical foundation. The differences and similarities between the literature review outcomes and the structured questionnaire outcomes will be evolved by following critical thinking approach and finally the conclusions, recommendations and generalisations will be presented. The author believes in knowing the truth and hence is highly influenced with the realism philosophy. However, interpretivism has been selected in the research design because the author is not a subject matter expert of EPAS and hence wants to learn it by following the inductive learning approach. In future, the author wants to develop his career as human resources manager and hence wants to learn the best practices of EPAS thoroughly given that the author perceives it to be the most difficult challenge in human resources management given that the recipients are the agents that are highly impacted by the EPAS framework. In general, the author wants to develop his skills pertaining to focussed research, discovering the sources of information, finding the truth, critical analytics and deriving specific and general conclusions. These skills are very important in human resources management field because all policies and procedures (like the EPAS framework) are results of reflections from the employee surveys and measurement of their performance at work (Bradley and Ashkanasy, 2001: p. 83-96). The framework itself is meaningless if the criteria of measurements, evaluations and decision making is not understood and accepted by both the parties the appraisers and the appraisees. If the author achieves the role of Human Resources Manager, he perceives that two way communications based on research efforts and fact finding efforts will be key to success and accurate data and information will be the key driver to successful HR planning and implementation, especially in designing the EPAS framework. These skil ls can be generated with the help of this study. Finally, the author wants to reiterate that he will take the learning to his professional world and apply them as actionable outcomes, not only to practice his profession efficiently and effectively but also conduct more academic research studies in future. This study is expected to be very useful for students as well as professionals.

Clean Coal Technology :: Energy Environment Environmental

Clean Coal Technology The Sun is one of the most valuable resources to us as human beings and we would not exist without it. It has provided the earth with energy since the beginning of the universe. One way that the power of the sun is utilized by us is through the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are essentially energy stored by the sun from milllions of years ago. One of our most valuable fossil fuels is coal. We have been using it for decades, but are just now learning all of the negative drawbacks that come with burning coal. That is why many people are turning to Clean coal technology to continue to utilize coal for a power source. Clean Coal Technologies (CCTs) are defined by the WCI as 'technologies designed to enhance both the efficiency and the environmental acceptability of coal extraction, preparation and use' . These technologies reduce emissions, reduce waste, and increase the amount of energy gained from each ton of coal. There are a wide variety of technologies that are available to improve our coal performance. This can be done by: Enhancing of existing options, Deploying of Advanced Technologies, Exploiting Synergies with Renewables, and Development and Commercialization of Next Generation Technologies (â€Å"Coal†). Some environmental problems that they will be trying to address are: Particulate matter, trace elements and SOX and NOX, and mercury. There are numerous companies that think that there is a strong future for coal power both in the Us and around the world. The CCPC's mandate (Canada.) is to research, develop and demonstrate commercially viable clean coal technology. They plan to build a full-scale, coal-fired demonstration plant in the next decade. The demonstration plant, expected to be in operation by 2012, will be designed to remove greenhouse gas and all other emissions of concern from a 'greenfield' facility(Canada). The Combustion Engineering Association seeks to promote the science of combustion engineering and to promote best practice. Through Education, Representation, Promotion, and specialty advice they plan to help coal companies. Meeting rising demand for clean, reliable and affordable electricity will require the use of coal for the foreseeable future, which in turn will require the development and demonstration of new, environmentally-sound technologies for coal-based electricity generation. Clean Coal Technology :: Energy Environment Environmental Clean Coal Technology The Sun is one of the most valuable resources to us as human beings and we would not exist without it. It has provided the earth with energy since the beginning of the universe. One way that the power of the sun is utilized by us is through the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are essentially energy stored by the sun from milllions of years ago. One of our most valuable fossil fuels is coal. We have been using it for decades, but are just now learning all of the negative drawbacks that come with burning coal. That is why many people are turning to Clean coal technology to continue to utilize coal for a power source. Clean Coal Technologies (CCTs) are defined by the WCI as 'technologies designed to enhance both the efficiency and the environmental acceptability of coal extraction, preparation and use' . These technologies reduce emissions, reduce waste, and increase the amount of energy gained from each ton of coal. There are a wide variety of technologies that are available to improve our coal performance. This can be done by: Enhancing of existing options, Deploying of Advanced Technologies, Exploiting Synergies with Renewables, and Development and Commercialization of Next Generation Technologies (â€Å"Coal†). Some environmental problems that they will be trying to address are: Particulate matter, trace elements and SOX and NOX, and mercury. There are numerous companies that think that there is a strong future for coal power both in the Us and around the world. The CCPC's mandate (Canada.) is to research, develop and demonstrate commercially viable clean coal technology. They plan to build a full-scale, coal-fired demonstration plant in the next decade. The demonstration plant, expected to be in operation by 2012, will be designed to remove greenhouse gas and all other emissions of concern from a 'greenfield' facility(Canada). The Combustion Engineering Association seeks to promote the science of combustion engineering and to promote best practice. Through Education, Representation, Promotion, and specialty advice they plan to help coal companies. Meeting rising demand for clean, reliable and affordable electricity will require the use of coal for the foreseeable future, which in turn will require the development and demonstration of new, environmentally-sound technologies for coal-based electricity generation.

Demmings Fourteen Points Essay examples -- essays research papers

Demming's Fourteen Points   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Demming’s formulation of his Fourteen Points is seen by many as the management equivalent of the â€Å"10 Commandments†. Like many quality driven approaches, the fourteen points take a holistic view of an organization, how it works, and its relationships with its stakeholders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Point 1: Create constancy of purpose towards improvement of product and service, wth the aim to become competitive, to stay in business and to provide jobs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Constancy revolves around the customer. Success depends on how well a company evalutes its processes, products and markets in order to understand future requirements. This requires a commitment to invest and adapt to to changes in the market place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Point 2: Adapt new philophies. Management must awake to new challenges, learn their reponsiblities and take on leadership for change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Quality means giving the customer what they expect. Business cannot afford mistakes. Mistakes of any type are costly, and reliable products reduce costs. Demming 3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Point 3: Cease reliance on mass inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for mass inspection by building quality into the product in the first place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dependency on inspection at key points in a process to ensure quality is too late, expensive and...

The American West

I believe this cartoon was published in the early 1840's to persuade people to not become Mormons. The Mormons were unpopular during the 1840's as they had different beliefs to the rest of the settlers. They believed they had found the second part to the bible in America, no one really considered the Mormons a serious religion until Joseph Smith set up a church. People were often jealous of the Mormons as the Mormons believed in working hard to obtain success and money. Mormons also followed polygamy like the Native Americans, people disrespected them because of this and as the picture shows the man hiding from his many wives, who are fighting and the children, which are crying on the floor. I believe this cartoon was published in the early 1840's to persuade people to not become Mormons. The cartoon shows an un-ideal life as everyone is making chaos, this would deter people from becoming Mormons as it shows people what is supposed to go on inside the Mormon life. Because people hated the Mormons for whatever reason, the man is put across as a coward as he is hiding away from what is happening. This cartoon was probably used to create a general impression of the Mormons. I think the Mormons were able to complete their journey across the Great Plains and into the Rockies from what I am shown in the source as the Mormon's seem to be well supplied and travelling in large groups. You can tell that the Mormon's were well supplied and organised because they built log houses to keep warm and safe during the winter, we can also assume that the journey was taking them a long time as the log houses are permanent building which would not have been easy to build or move. I don't think the Mormon population suffered that badly during the crossing despite losing 700 people to illness or starvation as due to polygamy there was a lot of children who would grow up to continue the Mormon faith. I think so many people died because of starvation because in the photo there is no evidence of food or any sources of food. The source shows us a scene in which the Mormons seem to be doing quite well as the have shelter, protection and transport as well as this because the Mormons were friendly with the Native Americans they didn't have the fear of raids. Source C tells us that some Mormons didn't find Salt Lake as impressive as they first assumed. They said that the land was beautiful, but there were no resources for building and they were relying on the land to be fertile, otherwise they would have no food. Some of the Mormons would think of ideas that could work, they would then work hard to achieve them as this is what they believed in. Some of the Mormons will have seen prospect in the land and others will have tried to make the most out of what they could see, ‘There is little prospect for log houses, but we can make Spanish bricks', from the journal of William Clayton from the Mormon Pioneer Band which reached Salt Lake first. I believe that the Mormons were disappointed in the appearance of Salt Lake. However they also believed that there was prospect in the land and surrounding area, so they made the most of what they had and since the rest of the settlers hated them they could start a purely Mormon society.

Exterminate the brutes Essay

â€Å"The Heart of Darkness† by Conrad is one of the great novels of English literature. This novel exposes the greed, malice and selfishness of the European men. They exploit the wealth of Africa in the name of civilizing the natives. They take away their ivory and in return gave them hunger, destitution, poverty, degradation and death. The English men of this novel lack morals and conscience. Conrad observed the hypocrisy of his countrymen and exposed it in a marvelous way in this short piece of art. In this novel he brings before us the nature of â€Å"western superiority† in primitive lands. Reading this story repeatedly, we know that the dark English coast before him recalls for Marlow the darkness of modern Africa, which is the natural darkness of the jungle but more than that the darkness of moral vacancy, leading to the atrocities he has beheld in Africa. This moral darkness of Africa, we learn later, is not the darkness of the ignorance of the natives, but of the Whitman who blinded themselves and corrupted the natives by their claim to be light-bearers. Walter Allen believes that, â€Å"The Heart of Darkness of the title is at once the heart of Africa, the heart of evil- everything that is nihilistic corrupt and malign – and perhaps the heart of man† According to Conrad himself, the story of â€Å"heart of darkness† is about the â€Å"criminality of inefficiency and pure selfishness when tackling the civilizing working Africa†. In the story Marlow makes much of the inefficiency and selfishness he sees everywhere along his journey in Africa. But it is the criminality of the civilizing work itself that receives the heaviest emphasis in the novel as a whole. J. W. Beach believes that Kurtz is the representative and dramatization of all that Conrad felt of futility and horror in what the Europeans in the Congo called â€Å"progress†, which meant the exploitation of the natives by the white men. Kurtz was to Marlow, penetrating this country, a name, constantly recurring in people’s talk, for cleverness and enterprise. But there were slight intimations, growing stronger as Marlow drew near to the heart of darkness, of traits and practices so abhorrent to all our notions of decency, honor and humanity that the enterprising trader gradually takes on the proportion of a ghastly and almost supernatural monster symbol for Marlow of the general spirit of this European undertaking On his journey up the Congo, Marlow comes across the forsaken railway truck, looking as dead as the carcass of some animal; the brick maker idling for a year with no bricks and no hope of materials for making them; the â€Å"wanton smashup† of drainage pipes abandoned in a ravine; burst, piled up cases of rivets at the outer station and no way of getting them to the damaged steam boat at the Central Station; the vast artificial hole somebody had been digging on the slope- all these and many more are the examples of the criminality of the inefficiency. Wilson Follet believed that in this novel, â€Å"the European is shown drained, diseased, a prey to madness and unutterable horror and death†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This proves that the white men over there, except the company’s accountant, are inefficient and selfish. They themselves do nothing, whereas on the other hand they exploit the natives to the maximum, they extract the maximum workout of them and pay them three nine –inch long brass-wire pieces a week, which are insufficient to buy them anything. As such most of the natives are starving and dying. This novel is a very faithful accord of the cruelties and atrocities perpetrated on the natives of Africa by their European masters. Talking of the roman conquest of England, Conrad says, it was â€Å"just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a grand scale, and men going at it blind-as is very proper for those who tackle darkness†. What Romans had done in England, the English did in South Africa. Marlow admits that English conquests, like all others, â€Å"means the taking away it from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves,† though Kurtz went to the African jungle with an idea to civilize the natives; he saw his mission in Africa as that of torchbearer for white civilization. But very soon he starts extracting from the natives human sacrifices to himself as god. Finally, his hatred for the natives plunged to the depth out of which came his prescription of the only method for dealing with primitive people: â€Å"Exterminate the brutes! † The European Whitman in Africa is parasites; they are hollow; they have no personal moral vision of their inhumanity and folly. They are also collapsible, because their society’s institutions are incapable to hold them up. Ivory has become the idol of the foolish run of European pilgrims; and Kurtz is no exception. † all Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz. † Joseph Conrad is a modern artist. He uses impressionistic technique of novel writing in his novel, â€Å" The Heart of Darkness†. The appeal of a novel, Joseph Conrad wrote, â€Å"must be and impression conveyed through senses â€Å". This impression could not be conveyed through the most complete inventory of details; it is an intuitive whole and must be rendered so, instantaneously. † the meaning of an episode is not inside like a kernel but outside enveloping it,† his spokesman Marlow declared. He avoids generalized narrative. He tell us the story in vivid impressions something like Virginia wolf. E. M. Forster in his seminal novel â€Å" A Passage To India’ too discuss some what â€Å"the Heart of Darkness† like situation. This novel discusses in detail the severe clash between the two fundamentally different cultures, those of East and West. The administration and their families residing there represent the westerners. Although these western people wish to maintain good relations with the easterners whom they govern, they have no desire to understand India or Indians. The Westerners rule the natives with an iron hand without caring for justice and fair play.

Crime and Ethical Standards

Crime and Ethical Standards Since you have demonstrated your knowledge about criminal Justice so well, the chief of police has another assignment for you. Chief Draper wants you to review a specific case and assess the arresting officer's conduct. To prepare your report, you consider certain factors, such as the societal factors that may have influenced the suspect's behavior, the role of the government in terms of protecting both society and an individual's rights, and the ethical standards that govern law enforcement. Here's What HappenedCentral police officer Lance Marion responded to a call for service from a high- end retailer, who reported that an unkempt woman wearing disheveled, dirty, and torn clothing left the store without paying for Items she selected while shopping In the Misses Clothing Department. The store manager reported that the woman failed to respond to any verbal prompts made to her by store associates. As Officer Marion drove toward the store, he noticed a woma n matching her description walking along the side of the road, carrying what appeared to be clothing.Once the officer reached the location of the woman, he recognized her?Mary Jones? s being an individual he had arrested several times before for public drunkenness, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, felony larceny, and prostitution. Officer Marion anticipated that this could be a very challenging situation because Jones did not like law enforcement, tended to be aggressive, and had, In the past, run as soon as she saw a police cruiser. Marion called for backup and asked Jones to stop as he stepped out of his vehicle.She started to run, but he caught up with her very quickly. Jones struggled with Officer Marion on the ground, although he managed to humanely subdue her and place her in handcuffs. Officer Marion called the incident into Communications and placed the suspect in his cruiser. He then gathered the clothing items dropped by the suspect along the side of the road. He noticed the items had price tags displaying the name of the retailer who reported the initial incident to law enforcement. During transport, Jones yelled and became very agitated.When she arrived at the police department, Jones was very upset. She tried to hurt herself by banging her head on the desk as the officer tried to Interview her about the alleged larceny report, It was clear to Officer Marion that Jones was under the influence of drugs, so he discontinued the interview process. Marion requested Here's What You Need To Do †¦ After carefully reviewing the case details, prepare a 2- to 3-page report assessing whether the procedures (both legal and ethical) were followed appropriately.Use the Argosy University Online Library resources to find articles that support your assessment. You may also use your textbook. Your report should address the following: Select one of the crimes Jones has been previously charged with (e. G. , public drunkenness, resisting arre st, possession of a controlled substance, felony larceny, or prostitution). What type of crime is it (misdemeanors or felony)? O How is this crime defined in the state in which you live? O How might societal factors have influenced this suspect's crimes? Analyze how the purpose of government and the social contract might protect the rights (e. G. , safety and security) of the suspect in this case. Compare the various roles Officer Marion must play in this case. Consider that Marion must enforce the law and protect the suspect from harm at the same time. Analyze how a law enforcement officer's actions might be influenced if he or she is arresting an â€Å"unsympathetic suspect or victim,† specifically suspect or victim who the officer has arrested before or who engages in a high-risk lifestyle, such as substance abuse, drug dealing, or prostitution.Justify whether Officer Marion acted accordingly. How might the criminal Justice professional maintain ethical standards when work ing with diverse populations? Once charged, what rights does the defendant, Jones, have? Be sure to organize your paper into clear and concise paragraphs. You should read the grading rubric before starting your paper to ensure you cover all the material appropriately. Include an PAP-formatted reference page that links to your in-text citations.

How the Bursting of the U.S. Housing Bubble Triggered

The banking and financial market meltdown of 2007-2009 resulted in the downfall of large financial institutions, bailouts for banks by national governments, and global declines in stock markets. A suffering housing market also contributed to the economic recession. While there were many factors that triggered the global market meltdown, this paper will focus on the factors that created the U. S. housing bubble and how the bursting of the U. S. housing bubble sparked the recession. Home ownership is part of the â€Å"American Dream,† but because homes can be expensive, most people need to borrow money to buy them.In the early 2000s, mortgage rates were low, which allowed people to borrow more money with lower monthly payments. According to Katalina M. Bianco, author of â€Å"The Subprime Lending Crisis: Causes and Effects of the Mortgage Meltdown† the U. S. ownership rate increased from 64% in 1994 to 69. 2% in 2004; this demand helped fuel the rise of housing prices (Bi anco, 2008). Because home prices were increasing, many homeowners decided to refinance and take second mortgages to cash out of their homes’ equity.According to Merrill Goozner of The Fiscal Times, a simple explanation for what caused the Great Recession is people had too much debt; during the housing bubble, too many homeowners used their inflated home equity like â€Å"piggybanks† to support their spending (Goozner, 2012). Banks also contributed to the creation of the U. S housing bubble by offering easy access to money. Many borrowers got into high risk mortgages and numerous people with bad credit could qualify as subprime borrowers.According to Bianco, subprime borrowing was a key factor in the increase in home ownership rates during the housing bubble (Bianco, 2008). Some experts suggest mortgage standards relaxed during this period because each link in the â€Å"mortgage chain† believed it was passing on the risk to someone else (Bianco, 2008). Most banks do not keep mortgages on their books; instead, they sell these loans to investors. Before the crisis, many people, businesses, and governments chose to invest in mortgage linked investments because of the low interest rates.After the dot-com bubble crash in 2000, the Federal Reserve Board cut short-term interest rates from about 6. 5% to 1% (Bianco, 2008). Since banks and mortgage brokers could sell loans before they went bad, loan quality deteriorated. Mortgage denial rates reported under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act dropped from 29% in 1998 to 14% in 2002 and 2003 (Bianco, 2008). When home prices stopped increasing and interest rates rose, monthly payments increased due to adjustable rate mortgages. This marked the end of the housing bubble.Many borrowers could no longer afford their mortgages, and defaulted on their loans. The U. S. foreclosure epidemic eroded the financial strength of banking institutions. Losses on other types of loans started to increase as the crisis ext ended beyond the housing market. Banks and investors began losing money, and to decrease their exposure risk, reduced lending to each other. As a result of the slowing lending, hundreds of banks and high-profile institutions failed. Just as a number of factors caused the mortgage crisis, a number of different factors caused the global recession.The bursting of the U. S. housing bubble was not the only cause of the banking and financial meltdown of 2007-2009, but it was the immediate trigger of the economic crisis. Word Count 550 ? Works Cited Bianco, K. M. (2008, April 8). business. cch. com. Retrieved from http://business. cch. com/bankingfinance/focus/news/Subprime_WP_rev. pdf Goozner, M. (2012, March 16). Real recovery: America’s debt is on the decline. The Fiscal Times. Retrieved from http://www. thefiscaltimes. com/Articles/2012/03/16/Real-Recovery-Americas-Debt-is-on-the-Decline. aspx

Case study garuda indonesia

Mr. Mohammad Soeparno, President Director of Garuda Indonesia Airways III. Major Policy Statement Garuda Indonesia Airways, the largest airline in the Southern Hemisphere, is a provider of air transportation and a guarantor of quality service that supports the success of the development of transportation and tourism, aiming to be one of the world’s top airlines in the year 2000. IV. Current Operational Plans Management 1. The management made an assessment of the company’s strengths and weaknesses relative to the environmental opportunities and threats. In order to respond to the increasing uncertainty in the environment in which Garuda operates, the management found it necessary to adopt a â€Å"strategic thinking† in making plans to reach the following goals: 1. To be one of the world’s top 10; 2. to give excellent service; to be more professional in commercial air transportation; and 4. To increase finance condition by reaching 5% profit before tax. 2. Panca Program – five point programs in order to reach their objectives. Panca Program contained the following elements: 1. To increase fleet utilization; 2. To improve employees’ welfare; 3. To improve service; 4. To implement the national civil aviation policy as decreed by the Minister of Communication; and 5. To boost tourism. 3. In 1985, Garuda introduced service to the U. S. under an interchange agreement with Continental Airlines of the U. S but Garuda’s interchange agreement with Continental also came to an end in 1986. This gave rise to the involvement of two or more airlines in the same flight serving a particular route. The airlines involved share of the revenues, the costs, or the profit generated by the joint service. 4. Garuda’s â€Å"strife doctrine† which means consistent in reaching â€Å"national objectives. † 5. Garuda Indonesia was classified as a PT (PERSERO) issued by the government of Indonesia, Garuda assumed a dual role as â€Å"agent of development† and as a â€Å"profit-seeking† enterprise. Marketing 1. To promote Garuda’s â€Å"Executive Class,† Garuda ran full-page color advertisements in overseas business newspapers and magazine featuring photography of different but equally satisfied-looking business passengers (all Caucasians), complete with their identification and testimonials. 2. Garuda’s advertising looked much more aggressive than ever before. Garuda also ran a series of advertisements capitalizing the new livery. The introduction of the new convenience in purchasing Garuda tickets using American Express cards in November 1986 was also widely advertised. When a passenger subsequently wished to pay with an American Express card, however, the girl at Garuda sales counter at Soekarno-Hatta airport in Jakarta succeeded to discourage the use of the credit card. Another series of advertisement appeared to promote international cargo service, apparently to show the company’s support to the government’s campaign to boost Indonesia’s non-oil exports. 3. The logo of Garuda Indonesia Airways was changed. The new logo used â€Å"Garuda Indonesia† instead of â€Å"Garuda Indonesia Airways† and the whole livery from red-and-white dominated colors to different shades of blue. Garuda, the bird carrying the God Vishnu in the Hindu mythology, was made to look more like the exotic bird of paradise in the new logo. The passengers were pleasantly surprised by the cleaner appearance of the aircraft’s exterior interior which came about from the re-painting and from changing the upholstery. 4. Garuda’s souvenirs for first class and business class were better designed and there was already and expanded wine list on Garuda’s international flights. 5. To help promote tourism, Garuda introduced â€Å"Visit Indonesia Air Pass† under 3 different packages. The 5-city package cost 300 US Dollars, the 10-city package cost 400 US Dollars, and 35-city package cost 500 US Dollars. Eligibility was restricted to foreign nationals and the purchase must be made outside of Asia with the exception of Japan. Holiday packages inclusive of accommodation, transfers, tours, or meals were also available. 6. Garuda has sales channels distributed to big and potential cities. Finance 1. Mr. Wiweko Supono’s (former President Director of Garuda before Mr. Lumenta) management reported a net loss of 46 million US Dollars for the year ended December 1983, and when replaced by Mr. Lumenta, it’s management inherited foreign debts amounting close to 1.3 billion US Dollars at 12% interest per annum and in the words of then Commercial Director of that time, Mr. Soeparno, â€Å"a weak system in every aspect. † 2. The construction cost of the training center for Garuda’s Human Resource Development reported by the company was 31 billion rupiah. Twelve months later, Garuda signed a purchase contract for a DC-19 simulator costing 11. 5 million US Dollars finance d through an EXIM Bank soft loan. Operations 1. Garuda’s business class was given a new emphasis to attract more passengers paying the full fare. It has been promoted as â€Å"Executive Class† and it has become the premiere class on flights aboard the Airbus A-300 and the DC-9. Garuda has even relocated the business-class section on its Boeing-747 flights from the small upper deck to the more spacious main deck in front normally reserved for first-class passengers. The first-class section has since occupied the upper deck. 2. There was a resumption of serving snacks and soft drinks on Garuda’s short domestic flights to give the passengers a bit of refreshment and because of this, instead of 30 more passengers, Garuda managed to attract about 200, luring them from its domestic competitors. 3. To further improve Garuda’s service to its passengers flying from overseas on the big Boeing 747 bound for Bali, Garuda introduced in-flight immigration inspection on its Tokyo-Jakarta-Bali flights. The priority was given to Bali-bound flights because the terminal building at the airport in Denpasar, Bali was too small to give shelter to the hundreds of arriving passengers queuing for immigration clearance. 4. For Garuda’s improvement of their fleet deployment, Garuda added new routes and increased frequently on the existing ones. In 1985, Garuda introduced service to the U. S.under an interchange agreement with Continental Airlines of the U. S. A Garuda DC-10 was used for the operation and Garuda’s crew flew the plane between Jakarta and Guam via Bali and Biak in Irian Jaya. Then, in Guam Continental’s crew took over the plane for the continuation of the journey to Los Angeles via Honolulu. Aircraft deployment was further increased by leasing another o f Garuda’s DC-19 to Continental. Garuda’s interchange agreement with Continental came to an end in 1986 and instead, Garuda began serving Guam from Jakarta via Bali and Manado once a week flying a DC-10. Joint operations with other airlines were subsequently introduced to include Singapore-Bali with Singapore Airlines (twice weekly), Kuala Lumpur-Bali with Malaysian Airlines (twice weekly), Hong Kong-Bali with Cathay Pacific (twice weekly), and Manila-Jakarta with Philippines Airlines (twice weekly). 5. Garuda added a new service from Jakarta to Frankfurt, giving the airline 8 flights a week from Jakarta. Two years later the number increased to 10. In addition, Garuda introduced once a week service from Bali to Amsterdam as a joint operation with K. L. M.and from Bali to Frankfurt, giving the airline a total of 12 Boeing-747 flights a week from Indonesia to Europe by the end of 1987. Although the past management under Mr. Lumenta hardly added new destinations in the Middle East, Asia and Australia, they did add capacity to the existing routes by either increasing frequency or using a larger aircraft, or a combination thereof. Garuda did not add capacity significantly in its domestic operation linking 35 cities. Mr. Soeparno explained that such policy decision was intentional in view of the limited growth opportunities in the domestic market since the crash of oil boom. Human Resources 1. The salaries of Garuda’s flight personnel were increased by 60% to 70%, the purpose of this decision was to give moral support to the troops. The staffs were changed, with high spirit. Morale was improved and with it so as service. 2. Garuda has brought on their flights Indonesian immigration officers and Japanese stewardess in addition to their regular cabin crew on their introduction of in-flight immigration inspection on its Tokyo-Jakarta-Bali flights. 3. Human resource development received new emphasis. A state-of-the-art training center on 64 hectares of land near the international airport of Jakarta was opened in November 1986. Among the facilities available were a B-747 simulator, and 2 mock-up cabins. Garuda had on its payroll 600 pilots, 1,500 cabin attendants, and 700 maintenance mechanics. V. Statement of the Problem How will Mr Mohammad Soeparno implement a better system improvement and enhance Garuda Indonesia Airways’ ability to deal with the challenges it may face and during his term and beyond? VI. Statement of Objectives Short term 1. To give excellent air transportation service and increase fleet utilization. 2. To continue its international flights as long as it does not interfere with the efforts to increase domestic schedules. 3. To increase finance condition by reaching 5% profit before tax. Long term 1. To make Garuda Indonesian Airways be one of the world’s top 10 airlines. 2. To be able to recover all the net losses and debts inherited from the past administrations. 3. To be more competitive internationally. VII. SWOT Analysis Strengths 1. Garuda Indonesia monopolizes the use of jets. 2. Garuda has many kinds of aircrafts to be used according demand, landing trip condition, distance and flight operation. 3. Garuda has an Indonesian graphic situation which needs air transportation. 4. It has product line: First Executive or Business, Economy Classes; so that customers are given alternatives to choose their class flights. 5. It has product diversifications: caterings, hotels. These products support the main product, that is, the airline service. 6. It has sales channels distributed to big and potential cities. 7. Indonesia’s â€Å"National Resources† which support business/non-business activities in Indonesia. 8. Strife doctrine which means consistent in reaching â€Å"National Objectives. † Weaknesses 1. Systems in all aspects: sales preparation, flight, supervisory. 2. The quality of pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight services which are still low. 3. The biggest international segment is low yield. 4. Spare parts and other aircraft equipment are still imported; this needs longer time. 5. The company’s organization is still unsteady. This situation makes organizational behaviour incompetent in supporting the company. Opportunities 1. Political will of the government in tourism. 2. The still-abundant-available seat capacity. 3. Government Regulation on Tariff. 4. The strengthening currency of the countries from where tourists come to Indonesia. 5. The better condition of the world’s economy. 6. The progress in business climate in Indonesia. Threats 1. Protectionism from certain countries, especially in traffic rights. 2. The development of other means of transportation, especially for near-distance transportation. 3. The uncertain economic situation. 4. Technology development in aircraft manufacture. As the result of this development, the old aircrafts are no longer economical enough to be marketed. 5. The bureaucracy which still caused problems in managing company professionalism. VIII. Alternative Courses of Action 1. Mr Mohammad Soeparno could continue the successful policies of Mr. Lumenta, the former President Director of Garuda Indonesia Airways. 2. Mr Mohammad Soeparno could make his own set of policies based on his abilities and what he thinks is the better way, with the help of his own management team. 3. Mr. Mohammad Soeparno could IX. Analysis of Alternatives 1. Mr Mohammad Soeparno could enhance Garuda Indonesia Airways’ ability to deal with the challenges it may face during his term and beyond by continuing the successful policies of Mr. Lumenta, the former President Director of Garuda Indonesia. Airways. Advantage: Under Mr. Lumenta’s management, Mr. Soeparno was thereof very pleased to see the company making a profit for the first time in more than a decade, to the tune of a modest rupiah 300 million. This result confirmed Mr. Soeparno’s confidence in the effectiveness of the policies adopted by Mr. Lumenta upon the latter’s appointment as President Director of Garuda in 1984. Mr. Soeparno as the President Director of Garuda could continue all of these and at the same time set all of his new policies that could go into the current policies. It would be safe if Mr. Lumenta use all the current policies that made Garuda successful. It doesn’t mean that if the leader has changed, the policies will also follow especially if the policies of the last leadership were good enough or the best way the company had to be successful. He may just continue some, change some and add some. Disadvantage: The disadvantage of this alternative is that all the board of directors, shareholders. Stockholders, employees and everyone under his management may think that Mr. Soeparno cannot manage the airlines in his own way because he would just be doing what Mr. Lumenta have done in his administration. They may lose confidence in him and might pressure Mr. Lumenta to do new set of policies, which may be not good enough for the company. 2. Mr Mohammad Soeparno could make his own set of policies based on his abilities and what he thinks is the better way, with the help of his own management team. Advantage: Mr. Soeparno who is a part of Garuda for a long time already knows the company well. He can see what to do and what not to do so he will be able to set new and better policies for the company. In fact, he was the Commercial Vice President before he was inaugurated as the new President Director. He will not be trusted to be the new President Director if he doesn’t have the ability to make it a better one. Disadvantage: It could be very risky to set new policies again after all of those net losses in the past and it may extinguish the success Garuda is currently experiencing. Setting new policies may involve different kinds of spending Garuda’s money depending on what policy Mr. Soeparno is going to implement. And spending may lead again to net losses especially if this change of policy will not be effective. It is always safe to spend less that spend more if you are still not sure of the outcome a certain action may give. 3. Advantage: Disadvantage: X. Decision Statement Mr Mohammad Soeparno could enhance Garuda Indonesia Airways’ ability to deal with the challenges it may face during his term and beyond by continuing the successful policies of Mr. Lumenta, the former President Director of Garuda Indonesia. This alternative was chosen because Mr. Soeparno being a memberof Mr. Lumenta’s management team for a long time, had the opportunity to involve himself with the management in its efforts to develop and implement new strategies to turn around the airline, which posted a net loss of 7 million US Dollars into profitability. He was thereof very pleased to see the company making a profit for the first time in more than a decade, to the tune of a modest rupiah 300 million. This result confirmed Mr. Soeparno’s confidence in the effectiveness of the policies adopted by Mr. Lumenta upon the latter’s appointment as President Director of Garuda in 1984. Mr. Soeparno as the President Director of Garuda could continue all of these and at the same time set all of his new strategies that could go into the current policies. It could be very risky to set new policies again after all of those successes but of course; Mr. Soeparno can always adjust and change all of these when the situation tells it to do so. Alternatives 2 and 3 were not chosen because XI. Implementation Program Short range 1. Review the policies under Mr. Lumenta’s term and determine which of these would still be fitting and useful under the administration of the new President Director Mr. Soeparno. The policies under Mr. Lumenta’s management may serve as a guide in the present administration to continuously ensure the success of Garuda. 2. Mr. Lumenta should form a reliable and trustworthy management team that will help him execute and monitor the implementation of all the policies in the most effective way. 3. Status quo – Mr. Soeparno could simply do nothing with the existing policies and just let the existing policies be as it is since it has helped a lot in the success of Garuda. Long range 1. If there are policies that should be replaced because it is not fitting and useful in the present time, this is the time that Mr. Soeparno could set his new policies that would be suitable for the current situation. 2. 3. XII. Proposed Operational Plans Management 1. The Panca Program of the past administration was satisfied and it would be better of Mr. Soeparno could make another program that could guide him and Garuda to aim for the best after its recovery. It could be called as, â€Å"A Better Panca Program† or he could change its name. This program may include goals more advanced than the previous Panca Program, example: â€Å"to give a high quality service† or may continue some of its goals like to increase fleet utilization and to help boost tourism. 2. It can also be helpful if they will have more partnerships with different bodies of companies for them to have a lot of associates that may help them in their fleet utilization, publicity, better technology and etc. , it can be like what they have done with having an agreement with Continental Airlines of the U. S. Marketing 1. Garuda was said to have a lack in visibility and it would be better if they will add their publicity through promoting Garuda by having more advertisements, not just in print but it can be in television and radio. They would just have to allot a budget for this and they can do it now especially that they are already recovering. 2. Garuda could add some more promos because most of the tourists and travellers of today are already looking after this. There can be holiday promos, like for Christmas, summer, Valentines and many others. Finance 1. Garuda can have loans with a certain bank, or it is better if they will have a partnership with this bank to help them fund their different activities regarding their system improvement and fleet utilization. But Garuda should always be careful about this because they already have losses and debts in the past year. They can hire better people that would handle their finance department and Mr. Soeparno as well should be very vigilant and watchful in this case so Garuda can be safe and be out of all the losses and debts it may procure if any unfavourable situation happens. Operations 1. Garuda should also concentrate on having a technology enhancement. It is important that they resolve their computerized reservation system because this system is very helpful for passengers because they would not have to go to Garuda personally and they can just do it into their homes and offices. It will be a big help especially now that travellers are always looking after comfort and having transactions at a very low cost. 2. Garuda should also have their aircrafts be at their best condition, always. So they should really allocate money for its maintenance and if possible have their own maintenance for their wide-bodied aircrafts to lessen the cost it procures when it has to be done overseas. Their aircrafts are really important so they should give number 1 priority to this. Human Resources 1. One of Garuda’s goals to improve their employee’s welfare, and as now it is just safe to still continue giving the salary that they are currently having because the past administration just increased it 60% to 70%. Garuda should just concentrate in their human resource development by having continuous trainings for all their employees especially the pilots. XIII. Other Problems and Recommendations Other Problems Recommendations 1. The need for a more thorough maintenance due to the lack of cleanliness habits on the part of the most Indonesian passengers and crews. 1. Garuda should hire a better maintenance service provider that will make sure that Garuda will have better cleanliness habits. 2. Garuda’s competitors were modernizing their fleets at faster rates. 2. Garuda should be able to 3. Failure of Garuda’s computerized reservation system due to frequent electrical power stoppages and poor ground telecommunication lines within Indonesia. 3. Garuda should try to seek help from an expert on this technology and as well from the government regarding the poor ground telecommunication lines. Garuda should also 5. Garuda’s inability to put its hard-fought traffic rights to full utilization. 5. Garuda should stop fighting for its right to have a 6. Overseas maintenance of wide-bodied aircraft poses a high cost at 40 to 50%. 6. XIV. Management Lessons Learned 1. There should be a strong management team that handles the company because this is a 2.