Grow Potassium Alum or Synthetic Ruby Crystals

Potassium alum or potash alum crystals are among the most beautiful and largest crystals you can grow overnight. All you need is hot water and potassium alum, also known as potash alum. Potassium alum may be sold as a deodorant crystal or in solution for use as an astringent. I got the powder for growing this crystal from a Smithsonian crystal-growing kit (labeled as potassium alum). Prepare the Ruby Crystal Solution All you need to do to prepare the crystal solution is to mix as much potassium alum as will dissolve into 1 cup of very hot water. You can add food coloring to tint the crystals. The natural color of the crystals would be clear or white. Growing the Crystals I poured the solution into a clean bowl, trying to avoid getting any undissolved material into the new container. Allow the crystals to grow overnight. If your solution is very darkly colored, you wont be able to see whether or not you have crystal growth. You can use a spoon or fork to scrape crystals from the bottom. To get a large single crystal like this one, remove all of the crystals and return a few that have the desired form to the solution so they can continue growing. Remove them and allow them to dry when you are satisfied with their appearance. Synthetic Rubies One common form taken by this crystal is a regular octahedron with flattened corners. The colored crystal resembles a ruby. In fact, the first synthetic ruby was produced by Gaudin in 1837 by fusing potassium alum with a little chromium (for color) at a high temperature. A synthetic or natural ruby has a Mohs hardness of 9, while a potassium alum crystal only has a hardness of 2 and is readily soluble in water. Therefore, while your overnight-crystals may resemble a ruby, they are too soft and fragile for any purpose besides display. Even though they arent real rubies, these crystals are well worth your time since they are so so easy and quick to grow and have such a beautiful form.

Essay on Confucianism and Its Implications in Modern China

Confucianism and Its Implications in Modern China Confucianism is a time enduring philosophy that has stood up to invading clans, war, resentment, enforcement and infringement of new philosophies, and eventually, revival. For almost 80 years, up until the late 1970’s, Confucianism and its ideas and values have been all but wiped away from China. Though effort was made to remove Confucianism for good from China by the Communist leader Mao Zedong in 1949, the ideas and values were so deeply embedded into peoples mind and the culture that even suppression could not keep it out of the culture and practices. The main factor that has brought Confucianism back into the limelight in China and other East Asian countries is the recent†¦show more content†¦When looking at the ideas of Confucianism, one must look at the values that he expresses that are essential to human beings in order to become gentleman. Some of these values are present in every society and in every country. Ideas like jen and the Golden Rule are ind ispensable to life in almost every society on the globe. In order to look at Confucianism and evaluate whether it has relevance in the modern era, one must look at the social, political/governmental, and economic aspects that it brings. When doing this, however, one has to be open and willing to account that the ideas of Confucius are present even when they do not seem as though they may be implemented or those persons do not feel that they possess them in a Confucian sense. In addition, you must approach this with the intent to merge ideas together. It is no surprise that philosophies adapt and develop overtime; therefore, one must admit that all societies correlate in some way to each other and to refute that this is true is to refute that both societies are erroneous. Society is the biggest aspect of life in which Confucianism has tremendous impact on. 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Why a Woman Cant Be More Like a Man?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1. Vive la Diffà ©rence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     III. The Contribution of Confucianism to the Idea of Sexism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Read MoreChinas Emergence As A Superpower Essay1586 Words   |  7 PagesThe 19th century belonged to the British. The 20th century belonged to the United States. But the 21st century belongs to China, -- Jim Rogers, Hedge fund manager Chinas population is one of the greatest natural resources on the planet. Its citizens are becoming more educated, diligent, aspiring and comprise nearly a quarter of the worlds population. The combination of Chinas massive size and rapid modernization is creating the framework for an emerging superpower. Chinas growingRead MorePre-Modern Confucianism in China Essay1991 Words   |  8 PagesChinese family in pre-modern China included thoughts centered on Confucian thought and methods. 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Challenges of Recruitment and Selection-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the challenges of recruitment and selection. Answer: Introduction The report gives emphasis on the key challenges that are related to the recruiting of the employees in the organization. The company selected is Wesfarmers and it gives focus on the key challenges of recruitment and selection. It also discusses the strategies that should be adopted so that the challenges can be overcome. Wesfarmers Limited is one of the largest Australian companies established in 1914. Headquarter of the company is situated in Perth, Western Australia. The company operates its activities in chemicals, coal mining and also in industrial products. It is one of the largest companies if revenue and employees are taken into consideration. There are approximately 205,000 employees who are working in the organization. In 1984, the company was listed in security exchange and also enhanced its business as a retail corporation in Australia. The main aim of the company is to enhance its operations worldwide and also to attain long-term goals and objectives. In 2001, the company is known as a free traded public listed company with proper open ownership. The company is taking into consideration other business also after becoming a public company. Recruitment and selection Wesfarmers is facing many challenges that are related to recruiting the employees that need the effective strategies that should be considered so that the goals and objectives can be accomplished. Recruitment is concerned with the process that analyzes and identifies the needs and requirements of the organization and also employs the employees in an organization. Also, the selection is the process that only considers right and suitable candidates for conducting the activities of the organization. Recruitment and selection is the essential element of the human resource management. The Wesfarmers takes into consideration proper recruitment and selection process so that the suitable candidates can be selected in the organization (Marchington et al., 2016). The human resource department has a significant role in the company. Wesfarmers will not be able to conduct the activities without proper human resource management. The company has to face various problems at the time of recruiting th e right candidates. The challenges are: Changes related to measurement: It is considered as one of the main issues that gives direct impact on the productivity and also on the efficiency of the company. The company also focuses on considering the potential people, so that the activities can be conducted effectively. There are many employees who take a lot of time to minimize the challenges and obstacles. In this way, the direct impact is seen on the minimizing the productivity and morale of the organization (Shaffer et al., 2012). Laws and regulations: There are many employment laws and regulations that are ignored by the organization. It can create a serious problem for the company. The recruitment is also affected by giving focus on the rules and regulations (Cummings and Worley, 2014). Leadership development: After many types of research it is evaluated that leadership development and programs play an important role so that the organizational challenges of the company can be attained. In the recent scenario, the company has to face many challenges at the time of implementing the leadership development and also many other programs. The company is not able to implement the leadership development programs in an effective manner (Cook, 2016). Workforce training and development: Wesfarmers gives focus on investing a huge amount in the training and development programs so that the employees of the organization can conduct the activities in a proper manner. There are many problems analyzed at the time of appointing efficient employees in the organization. Also, the company can consider many activities to accomplish goals and objectives effectively. So, it is analyzed that the employees are not able to understand the culture and environment of the organization (Bratton and Gold, 2012). Adapting innovation strategy: Training and development are considered as a changing process. The organization takes into consideration innovation and also new technology so that appropriate training can be provided to the employees who are new in the organization. So, there are various challenges that are faced by the organization (Ford, 2014). Compensation: There are various companies who consider the best structure for the employee's compensation. It is evaluated that the company is not able to consider the proper compensation and remuneration policies for the candidates. So at the time of giving employment to the employees the company faces many issues and challenges. Recruiting the talented candidates: Talent is considered as an important factor that should be possessed by every employee who is conducting the day to day activities in the organization. A talented candidate enhances the profitability and productivity of the organization. If the candidate is talented then they join the company when the attractive package is given to them. It is difficult to analyze the candidates or to find a candidate who possesses required skills and knowledge. To retain talented employees: It is evaluated that due to the high competition level it is difficult for an organization to retain the suitable candidate for the job. Employee turnover is also one of the expensive methods for the business and also the direct impact is given on the growth of the organization (Sparrow and Cooper, 2012). Workplace diversity: One of the major issues in the company is related to the workplace diversity. The cross-cultural differences take place in the company and also the organization cannot diversify the business to the cultural differences. Wesfarmers is giving focus on appointing the fresher's so that the activities can be conducted in an effective manner. The organization cannot increase experience and knowledge from the fresh candidates. The company does not give focus on the negotiated package of the employees (Kolb, 2014). Organizational image: Image of the organization is also one of the major challenges for recruiting the employees in the organization. Wesfarmers is considered as one of the largest companies in Australia. The effect is also due to the image of the company in the market. The recruitment and selection are affected by considering the image of the organization. Labor supply and demand: The labor supply and demand is one of the essential factors which give direct impact on the activities of the organization. Sometimes it is evaluated that demand for a large number of candidates increases for conducting the day to day activities. It takes into consideration that the labor force is less as a comparison is made with others (Phillips, 2016). Strategies to address these challenges There are various strategies that help to reduce the challenges of recruitment like: The organization should give emphasis to the leaders and also on the team players so that proper collaboration can be made. The organization should offer proper strategies so that motivation level can be enhanced. The organization should also give focus on training and development, so that the employees can effectively conduct day to day operations of the organization. If the company offers proper training and development then the direct impact will be given to the behavior of the employees who are conducting the day to day operations (Jiang et al., 2012). The organization should also take into consideration proper rules and regulations so that the issues related to recruitment can be reduced. Communication is also one of the major issues in the Wes farmers. The top management and also the managers of the organization should give emphasis on enhancing the communication with the candidates. In this way, the employees can feel comfortable and can also contribute in the enhancement of the profitability and success (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). Compensation is also one of the essential factors on which the company should give focus. Wesfarmers should create proper reward system so that the performance of the employees who are working in the organization can be enhanced. The company should give focus on providing the incentive programs like medical benefits and also benefits that gives a positive impact on the behavior of the employees. Staffing is also one of the important strategies that help to reduce the challenges of recruitment at the workstation. It is one of the best methods through which capable candidates can be selected to conduct the day to day operations of the business. Wes farmers should also consider the proper advertisements and brand strategies so that the competitive advantage prevailing in the market can be attained. The company should give focus on giving proper advertisements so that the key challenges can be reduced. If strategies are conducted then it can help the company to reduce the challenges (Stone and Deadrick, 2015). By taking into consideration all these strategies the company can enhance the recruitment process as it can minimize the key challenges of the recruitment at the workstation. The company can easily enhance the human resource department so that the activities can be conducted effectively in the organization. It will also assist the potential and capable candidates to conduct the operations. If the candidates are capable enough then the positive impact can be analyzed on the working pattern of the company. Conclusion Wesfarmers is considered as one of the largest companies in the mining sector. The report explains the recruitment strategies of the organization. The report focuses on the challenges of recruiting the labor force at the workstation. Thus, the company focuses on taking into consideration effective strategies so that the challenges can be overcome easily. It also assists to enhance the efficiency and profitability of the employees as well as of an organization. Wesfarmers should give emphasis on the skills and abilities of the workers conducting the activities in the organization. In this manner, the organization can build proper human resource department in the company. The company also promotes and encourages the motivation level of the employees working in the organization. References Armstrong, M., Taylor, S. (2014).Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Bratton, J., Gold, J. (2012).Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave Macmillan. Cook, M. (2016).Personnel Selection: Adding Value Through People-a Changing Picture. John Wiley Sons. Cummings, T. G., Worley, C. G. (2014).Organization development and change. Cengage learning. Ford, J. K. (2014).Improving training effectiveness in work organizations. Psychology Press. Jiang, K., Lepak, D. P., Hu, J., Baer, J. C. (2012). How does human resource management influence organizational outcomes? A meta-analytic investigation of mediating mechanisms.Academy of management Journal,55(6), 1264-1294. Kolb, D. A. (2014).Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. FT press. Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A., Donnelly, R., Kynighou, A. (2016).Human resource management at work. Kogan Page Publishers. Phillips, J. J., Phillips, P. P. (2016).Handbook of training evaluation and measurement methods. Routledge. Shaffer, M. A., Kraimer, M. L., Chen, Y. P., Bolino, M. C. (2012). Choices, challenges, and career consequences of global work experiences: A review and future agenda.Journal of Management,38(4), 1282-1327. Sparrow, P., Cooper, C. L. (2012).The employment relationship: Key challenges for HR. Routledge. Stone, D. L., Deadrick, D. L. (2015). Challenges and opportunities affecting the future of human resource management.Human Resource Management Review,25(2), 139-145.

Selection Training of Pran Essay Example

Selection Training of Pran Essay Executive Summary Selection is a key component in the acquisition of human resources. Without a reliable and effective selection mechanism, a business can never flourish, especially in the present world of market economy, which is fiercely competitive. Big multinational corporate houses try to recruit the best people in order to continue their dominance in the market. In such circumstances, local firms should also be concerned and put their best to select best available persons Training is another component of human resource management, which needs special attention. Selecting the potential candidates will not serve the purpose until they are grouped up appropriately to meet the requirements of the job . At present many sophisticated techniques are Selection Training available for providing training to employees. But unfortunately, in Bangladesh, traditional techniques, whose affectivity is relatively lower, are mostly used . There are ample scopes in most of the local organization to enhance the performance level of employees by adequate and effective training programs. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT It is my pleasure to acknowledge the effort of the report of â€Å"Selection and Training process in PRAN Group† and lecturer’s, students and other personnel for supporting such a nice program, from which I have earned a wonderful experience. I would like to thank my honorable advisor and course coordinator Ms. Farzana Elahi Asian University of Bangladesh , for providing proper guidance and help to complete the research project. I would also like to acknowledge the following personnel and classmates for helping me to make report in several ways. Iqbal Hossain (Manager, HRD PRAN Group) †¢Mamunur Rashid (GM, PRAN Group) 1. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: †¢ To study the selection process and selection devices used in PRAN group. †¢ To study the training programs and methods used in PRAN Group. †¢ To evaluate the selection process and training programs of PRAN Group. †¢ To coordinate the theories of selection and training in a real life †¢ Situation. †¢ To coordinate the scope of improvement in the selection and training of PRAN Group. 2 Methodologies Reviewing the theory of selection and Recruitment †¢ Selection of the organization to be studied. †¢ Determining the variables required. †¢ Developing a questionnaire on the basis of required information. †¢ Interviewing the personnel orally and with the questionnaire. †¢ Studying the supplied materials by the organization. †¢ Analyzing the collected materials and information. †¢ Correlating the analyzed information with theory. †¢ Assessing the overall selection and training procedures in PRAN Group. 3 Limitations of the study It was often difficult to correlate theory with practice as the selection and training processes of PRAN Group, which is not very well defined and systematic. †¢ Due to secrecy of business strategy, the authority of PRAN GROUP did not disclose much in-depth information regarding organization. †¢ Corporat e executives usually remain very busy. It is difficult to get adequate time from them. More importantly, sometimes they expressed once, which was embarrassing for the authors. 1 History of PRAN PRAN is the brand name of Agricultural Marketing Co. We will write a custom essay sample on Selection Training of Pran specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Selection Training of Pran specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Selection Training of Pran specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Ltd. (AMCL). It was launched in 1983 as an agricultural business. The company was established to serve diverse purposes like serving small farmers with inputs, marketing farm products, organizing contract growers to grow specific crops and exporting of agricultural products. PRAN stands for 11 â€Å"Program for Rural Advancement Nationally†. The Mission of the company is to generate employment opportunity and to earn dignity and self-respect for their compatriots. The objective of the company is to achieve social values with sustainable pecuniary advantage. The company is very much vertically integrated that starts from the mango cultivation up to the finished products in different forms. The company makes available farm inputs at the farmers doorstep. They go for cultivation and processing of hybrid tomato, baby corn and mango through contract farmers on commercial scale. PRAN has latest technology that can produce pineapple round the year. PRAN also introduced tissue culturing, cultivation, processing, canning and dehydration of the mushrooms on commercial basis. In the factory it has food processing plant and pulping plant, which supply the ingredients for the main plant. Unlike other companies who are importing raw materials from other countries, PRAN is basically trying to help the farmer community of Bangladesh. Country can be proud to have PRAN because it is made from our mango and sugar. AMCL set up its bottling and canning factory on 8 acres of land in May 1991. Over the years the factory has expanded substantially in all spheres of food processing such bottling, canning, pulping, pickling, concentrating, dehydrating as well as installation of Bangladeshs first tetra pack facility for juices and modem extrusion plant for snack food. Machinery for all these lines are being installed, expanded, modified and fabricated continuously. PRAN became very successful competing with strong multinational companies like Coke, Pepsi, and big companies from different parts of the world from very beginning. It has a strong distribution channel, which helped the company to become successful in the beverage industry. One other important factor that is needed to sustain in this business is to have a very strong market. Though Bangladesh is a highly populated country with 120 million people, there are very few people who can afford to have a quality product like PRAN. If market grows and over all macro economic condition improves then companies like PRAN can sell high volumes. For the development of beverage industry three things are needed. One is company like PRAN should come with quality products, good distribution network and important thing is increasing the income level of people to afford quality products. 2 Subsidiary Enterprises PRAN Group is one of the fastest growing corporate houses in the country. It has got quit good number of subsidiary enterprises, which includes: †¢ Property Development Ltd. (PDL): This is the oldest enterprise of PRAN Group. The Group was established on the profit made by PDL. This enterprise is one of the pioneers in apartment business in Dhaka. †¢ Property Lifts: It is a new enterprise of PRAN Group. It imports elevators and other accessories to meet the growing demand of modern lifts and escalators. †¢ Rangpur Foundry Ltd. (RFL): This is an established engineering enterprise, which focuses to meet the demand of rural community of Bangladesh. A tube well made by RFL is most prominent in the country. †¢Agricultural Marketing Co Ltd. (AMCL): AMCL was started as a fruit processing enterprise. Gradually, other sectors of food industry (e. g. Chips, mineral water, Tomato Ketchup etc. ) were also incorporated in the manifold of AMCL. At present, AMCL has become the flagship enterprise of PRAN Group. Most of the resources of PRAN Group are now devoted for the growth and operation of AMCL. In the long run, the group intends to become a global leader in the field of agricultural industry. 3 Products of PRAN The average sales growth of PRAN is more than 70%, which is an extraordinary growth. PRAN is in bottles, tetra packs, and in plastic bottles. RAN currently producing and marketing the following products: ? Mango, Orange and Pineapple juice, ? Pineapple slices, ? Orange, Apple and Litchi drink, ? Mushrooms, gherkin, mango, pineapple, lemon and orange squashes, ? Mango, mixed fruit and Pineapple jams, ? Orange and Apple jelly, ? Tomato ketchup, ? Mango, Olive, Chili, Garlic, Jujube and Satkora pickles ? White and Malted vinegar ? Rose Kewra flavored water, ? Mineral water ? Dehydrated Banana, Jackfruit, Mango and Pineapple. ? Full cream liquid Milk etc. 4) Present Activities of PRAN PRAN exports processed and semi-processed fruits, vegetables and mushroom products to U. S. A. , UK, France, Italy, Australia Germany, India, Nepal, and Bhutan etc. It is focusing heavily on export of their products to many parts of the world. PRAN has a state of the art modern food processing plant, which many other countries do not have today. PRAN has lots of loyal customers. Right now PRAN is producing 7000 to B cases a day. PRAN is setting u p a new machine, which will be able to produce 15000 cases a day and the total production will be 23000 cases a day. The quality control measures of PRAN are much stricter than any other company. PRAN is selling their products to Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Hotel Sonargaon and Sheraton and many other companies. This year PRAN has started production of snakes. They will also introduce confectionery products. They are planning to process aseptic bagging and storage juices for the local market. It is trying to tie up joint ventures with India to make PRAN plant in India and Nepal. PRANs target is to go out of Bangladesh and compete in the global level, which will bring foreign currency to our country. It has also several futures backward forward expansion plans like expansion of bottling, packing and tetra-pack line. It is also planning to set up 3000 MT capacity cold storage, potato cultivation, processing, freezing, pineapple plantation, export of mango, pineapple and tomato juice and paste, production of dairy milk products, set up poultry project, production of potato chips and French fries. (A) Steps in Selection Process 1. Getting Requisition of the Vacant Posts Prior to the selection process a requisition of the vacant posts is obtained from the CEO as per approved by the individual department heads. Then starts actual searching of suitable candidates. Internal search is done first, and if necessary then external search is done. 2. Raising Advertisement In case of internal search an advertisement of specified pattern (attached in the appendix) is circulated over the various department notice board. If no suitable candidates are found in internal search, an option of head hunting comes first. A sample notice of head hunting is also included in appendix. Then the company goes to advertise in the renowned national daily newspaper. Specifically, for mid level and top level management, the company directly goes to newspaper advertisement. The higher the position in the organization the more specialized the skills, or the shorter the supply of that kind in the labor market, the more widely dispersed the advertisement 3. Receiving Application Form Always more than adequate numbers of candidates submit application. These applications usually include the candidates name, letter address and phone numbers. PRAN Group doesnt provide these application forms. Applicants submit their curriculum vitae or comprehensive Personal profile with me application form. So the company gets a synopsis of what the applicants have been doing during their adult life, their skill and accomplishments. It is to note that PRAN Group doesnt bother about initial screening of selection process. 4. Short Listing the Candidates In PRAN Group during short listing, at first, a preliminary review of potentially acceptable candidates is made- Then the selectors are confronted with a number of potential candidates. Based on the curriculum vitae, job description, and job specification some of these respondents are eliminated- Factors that lead to a negative decision include inadequate or inappropriate experience or similarly inadequate or inappropriate education. For an example, how they make the short list of candidates we can mention that recently they seek a production manager having 5 7 years related experience. For this post several application forms were received. Among these one was such that the applicant is currently doing job in a project getting Tk. 50000 salary per month. He did his graduation from a British University having related job experience of 5 years. As the selection committee knows about the range of salary package, and considering other practical aspects they initially rejected that application form. 5. Preparing and Sending Interview Cards On receipt of application forms the short listed candidates are considered to receive interview cards. Specially, for mid4evel and top4evel management posts, interview cards are issued. These interview cards are usually sent in normal national postal service. Applicants are given no TA (transport allowance) or DA (day allowance). The company bears no responsibility of Accidentally missing interview cards. 6. Employment Tests Usually employment tests are designed for lower-mind and mid level management posts. These tests usually include intelligence, aptitude, ability, and interest tests. However, many of the general intelligence tests have a disparate impact on minorities. But, the company doesnt pay attention to alter the existing test procedure through validity testing. 7. Final Comprehensive Interview After employment tests being held, every individual candidate is taken to face a comprehensive interview. Since, in the PRAN Group, there is no initial screening interview; in this comprehensive interview the management describes the job in enough detail to the candidates so that whether they were really serious about the job. The management also bargains about salary range with the applicants. They check whether the applicant is willing to work at any place in the country where their office is available. In the PRAN Group, the final comprehensive interview the selection department officials, the Officials of the department that has vacant post(s) and an official of legal administration interview applicants. The interviewers try to probe into that hidden area of the applicants that cant be addressed by the application form of tests viz. ssessing ones motivation, ability to work under pressure, and ability to fit in with the organization. 7. 1 Modalities of Interview Process Usually the interview board comprises of 3/4 persons. Before the interview starts, interviewers are supplied with all the information of the candidates. This includes the curriculum vitae and the result of the written test. There are no predetermined criteria of evaluation or questions. Interviewers ask questions according to their indi vidual judgment. Interviewers together usually give a combined grade. That is, after the departure of a candidate from the room; interviewers discuss among themselves regarding the strong and weak points of the candidate and compare the candidate with other candidates. Finally, with the consent of other members of the board, the chairman of the interview board gives a final grade. That grade is considered as the opinion of the whole board. 7. 2 Features of Interview: The following features characterize the interview process, typically carried out in PRAN group. †¢ Qualifications evaluated. Through the interview process, it is tried to ascertain whether the applicant is serious to get the appointment. The management of PRAN Group does not want to face a situation where they select the best available person in terms of education, written test score and other qualifications; but who does not feel motivated to do the concern job. †¢ Interviewers. Interview board in PRAN Group typically consists of the representatives from HRM Department, representatives of the concerned department for which employee is being selected and sometimes representatives of the CEO. †¢ No training for the Interviewers. Interviewers are not given any special training for taking interview. It is assumed that since the persons taking the interview are related with the job (a senior official of the concerned department, for which appointment is being made is always present), so the selection would be flawless. †¢ No structured questionnaire: Interviewers ask different questions to different applicants using their discretion and experience. †¢ No standard score sheet. After departure of an applicant, chairman of the interview board discusses with other members of the board and they reach a consensus regarding a grade to be provided to the applicant. The chairman thus gives the final grade. 8. Making List of Suitable Candidates After having a comprehensive interview, the selection committee (headed by the responsible department head) makes a list of suitable candidates who may be selected finally. Specially, written test scores are given more weightage. If an applicant perform poorly in the final comprehensive interview, he still has opportunity to be selected depending upon his written test score. However, sometimes the selection committee selects candidate if the candidate perform very well during the interview. 9. Final Employment decision This crucial decision always takes the Chief Executive Officer of the PRAN Group. The CEO takes a list of suitable candidates from the selection committee (headed by the responsible department head) from which he selects the final candidates. The CEO may ignore the suggested candidate without showing any reason. Suppose, the selection committee has selected a candidate looking at her agile and intelligent performance during interview ignoring his poor performance in written test, the CEO can discard that candidate outright. However, the manager in the department that had the position should make the actual final decision open. The applicant will eventually work for this manager not for the chief executive officer and therefore a good fit between the boss and the employee is necessary- Moreover, if the decision of selecting that applicant will appear wrong the concerned department manager will be solely responsible. (2)Elements of Selecting Applicants The following elements are considered in selection process (1) Education of the candidate (2) Age of the candidate (3) Personality (4) Political involvement (5) Profession 6) Social involvement (7) Discipline (8) Work Experience (9) Reasons for changing Job (10) Pattern of the job change (11) Salary requirement (12) Reasons of applying (1) Introductions Every organization needs to have well-trained and experienced. People to perform the activities We have to be done. If current or potential job occupants can meet this requirement, training is not important. When this is not the case, it is necessary to raise the skill levels and increase the versatility and adaptability of employees- As jobs have become more complex, the importance of employee training has increased. The PRAN-Group is a conglomerate company and Wishes to be one of the top companies in the country as well as in the world; it needs highly skilled and trained employees. Realizing the importance of training, PRAN has set up a different department for training, named Training Department. (2) The Organogram of Training Department Though the training department is not a big one as other departments, it does a huge task every year. The head of this department is Chief Trainer and a Junior Executive assists him. This department is under direct supervision of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Thus this department gets very importance within the group. The organogram of this department is shown bellow. (3 ) Training Need Assessment CEO Chief Trainer (PRAN-Group) Junior Executive Fig: Organogram of Training Department This is the vital part of training. Before designing training program it needs to assess the training It is surprising that there was no formal or planned training need assessment system in PRAN Group though they consider training as the vital part of the organization. Without prior assessment they used to do some pre selected training every years and years. Of course the training that they used to give is nevertheless less important yet it demands appropriate training needs assessment. This year they have realized the needs of assessment and accordingly have launched a training need assessment system. They have designed an assessment form to be filled up by various departments. From that form they will the areas of training needs and will design the training program accordingly- However they used to assess training needs by the following ways. (a) What are the organizations goals? (b) What tasks must be completed to achieve these goals? (c) What are the behaviors necessary to complete the tasks? (d) What are the deficiencies the employees have? (4) Formal Employee-Training Methods There are two types of training methods followed by PRAN. These are on- the-job training and off-the-job training. . 1 On-the-job Training The most widely used methods of training take place on the job. This can be attributed to the simplicity of such methods and the impression that they are less costly to operate. On-the -job training places the employees in an actual work situation and makes them appear to be immediately productive. It is learning by doing. For jobs that either are difficult to simulat e or can be learned quickly by watching and doing, on4heAob training makes sense. One of the drawbacks to on4heAob training can be low productivity while the employees develop their skills. Another drawback can be the errors made by the trainees while they learn. However, when the damage the trainees can do is minimal, where training facilities and personnel are limited or costly, and where it is desirable for the workers to loam the job under normal working conditions, the benefits of on-the-job training frequently offset its drawbacks. Apprenticeship Programs: Employees seeking to enter skilled trades to become, for example, special machine operators are often required to undergo apprenticeship training before they are accepted to journeyman status. Typically, this apprenticeship period is two to five years. In PRAN this period is for only six months. This period is often called Probationary period. During the apprenticeship period, the trainee is paid less than a fully qualified worker is. Job Instruction Training (JIT) This is one of the most systematic approaches to train employees. This program is usually carried out in the factories for those employees, who are in the operative positions. JIT consists of four basic steps: †¢ Preparing the trainees by telling them about the job and overcoming their uncertainties. The basic instructions are: o Breaking down the job o Preparing an instruction plan o Putting the learners at ease †¢ Presenting the instruction, giving essential information in a clear manner. The instructions are: o Telling o Showing o Demonstration o Explaining †¢ Having the trainees try out the job to demonstrate their understanding. The basic instructions are: ? Have the learner talk through the job. ? Have the learner instruct the supervisor on how the job is done. ? Let the learner do the job. Provide feedback both positive and negative. ? Let the learner practice. †¢ Placing the workers into the job, on their own, with a designated resource person to call upon should they need assistance. The basic instructions are: ? Checking progress frequently at first. ? Telling the learner whom to go to for help. ? Gradually taper off progress checks. 4. 2 Off-the-job Training Most of the training covered by this company is off-the-job training. Most of these training prog rams are conducted are in the premises of the training department and in the factory of the company. Sometimes the company arranges training outside the company. There are variety techniques that are followed to provide such training. The mostly used technique is classroom lectures. The other techniques are films, demonstrations, case studies and other simulation exercises. Classroom lectures This is well-adapted method to convey specific information-rules, procedures, or methods. Most of the off-the-job training programs are conducted by this method. Sometimes the use of overhead projector (OHP), films and demonstration make the session interesting. The lectures that are given are well structured and formatted. Mainly the chief trainer and junior executive trainer take these lectures. For some training programs the head of different departments also give lectures. These lectures mainly cover the detailed view of the respective departments. The department heads give information about the type of jobs, their internal organizational structure, and areas of responsibilities etc. After each day lecture an exam is taken to get the feedback from the employees. And at the end of the training session a comprehensive exam is taken and the evaluated score is send to the CEO for his consideration. Films PRAN is a large group and it is not an easy task for each employee to get the overall picture of the organizational structure and its activities. There is every possibility that many employees will be in the dark about their organization. Though it is not so much necessary for the employees to know about the whole organization to perform their duties, the vastness of the company may give the employees additional motivation and a sense of security of their jobs. Further more the understanding of the organization will help the employees to understand the organizational goals and their future plans. It will help the employees to be prepared mentally for the forthcoming challenges. With this view the training department arranges films show for the new entries. Demonstration Sometimes during the training session the trainees are asked to demonstrate the behavior on which they are being trained. As for example for sales training, trainees are asked to mockup the behavior that they will exhibit during sales for convincing the clients. This type of training removes the inertia of the employees and helps the employees to be friendly and free with other employees. This is considered as an important part of the training program. Case study Case study programs are usually done for those, who are in the managerial position. But these types of programs are very occasionally done. In fact the training department is not matured and equipped (qualified personnel) enough to arrange such programs. More over the training department concentrates mainly on employee training who will work in the field and in the factory. Training outside the company Sometimes the company arranges training programs outside of the company. These training programs are mainly for engineers. The engineers are sending to Institution of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB). Some top and mid level personnel are sending to Chambers. Because the personnel of the training department are not capable to provide such technical training. These training programs need fund and the, company is always ready to such funds. In one occasion the company sends an engineer to Japan for advanced special training. (5)Types of Training provided The training department arranges various types of training programs for different purposes and for different levels. There are some basic courses for all and some refresher courses. The detailed classification of the training programs is shown bellow. New employee training program This is the basic orientation program for the new management trainee for the head office. This is a three days program. Here the trainees are given a detailed @ about the total organization and usually conducted by different department heads. Mid management level training program This training is only for mid management level. The purpose of this training is to develop managerial skill and increase their job performance efficiency. Factory management training This is behavior- modification training and given to the factory supervisors. The purpose of this training is to modify the behavior of the supervisors to supervise the employees and to exhibit such behavior that are necessary to with co-workers to attain the desired production level. Sales training This training is for the employees of the sales department. The purpose of this training is to help the sales person to perform their work activities. This includes method of filling the sales form, the sales technique, the company sales policy, distribution channel etc. There is two of this type of training programs. They are: ? Basic sales course for new entries Senior sales management training ? Junior sales management training. Factory training There are two types: †¢ Factory union training †¢ Distribution loaders Factory union training: PRAN has labor union in its entire factory. To handle the unions the training department gives training to employees and supervisors. Any disruption in the production would hamper its market share. So the department g ives employees some behavioral modification training to have an effective and efficient employee union. Distribution loaders: PRAN has a very effective distribution network and skilled work force. To ensure smooth distribution the department frequently gives necessary training to its employees Store management training This training program is for store employees of factory and head office. Office assistant training This training is given to the employees, who work as office assistant. Distribution sales management training This is vital training as sales managers play a vital role for the growth of the company. This program mainly includes the techniques of sales decisions that are taken frequently on the spot by the managers. It also includes the making of future sales forecast for planning purposes. Material management training PRAN procure raw materials from inside the country as well as from outside of the country. It handles raw material which are highly perishable in nature such mango, tomato, orange pineapples etc. To handle such raw materials it requires special training. The training department provides such training to the employees who deal with material management. Supervisors training PRAN has a huge supervising force. It has sales supervisors, distribution and loading supervisors, factory supervisors etc. Depending on the type of works supervisors are given different training . Basic English course In the near future the training department is planning to introduce this course for management level employees. As PRAN is going into joint venture with some international companies, it is considering to preparing the employees to fit in the international business atmosphere. Further more, now English is required in all respects of office works. PRAN follows English in most its official works. But as our present education system doesnt ensure good command on English for the graduates, it is preparing to introduce English Course in training program. (6) Future Plan of Employee Training The training department is planning to need basis training instead of course basis. At present the department is offering different preset training programs for different employees. Sometimes it overlooks the real needs of the appropriate training. So the department has planned for offering need-basis training and for this it is preparing a systematic procedure for assessment of training needs. The idea behind this training is that though existing training programs are doing a lot for the development of the skills and behavior of the employees, it needs a change due to change in corporate culture and competitiveness among the organizations. The vision of this group is to be top organization in all respects. To cope its employees with all these change in the global business atmosphere it requires immediate review of all the present training programs. In this circumstance the company is planning to take a modem approach for its training programs. With this view PRAN is going for following need basis training. (1) Findings about Selection Discreet selection Process PRAN Group follows a discrete selection process that comprises of mainly application form, written tests, and comprehensive interview. Initial screening, physical examination, and background investigation are not in the selection process of PRAN Group. No Structured Interview Interview taken during the selection process is not structured. Interviewers ask questions according to their discretion. All the applicants are not asked the same questions. Final Employment Decision Final Employment Decision in PRAN Group is taken by the CEO. Reliability of Selection Tests There is no proof of reliability of the selection devices used in PRAN Group. Validity of Selection Tests In most cases there is no evaluation of the validity of selection devices in PRAN Group. However, in few cases, such as mid level management positions, content validity exists. Applicants of mid-level management positions are often given tests, which resembles actual job. Emphasis on Written Test The top management emphasizes most on written test. Person with poor performance in interview can expect to be employed if he / she had done well in the written test. But the reverse is not true. Variable cut score Cut scores in the selection tests are frequently changed considering the environmental change. If number of applicants is quite big relative to job openings, then a high cut-score is set. On the contrary, if number of qualified applicants is relatively low, then a moderate or law cut-score is fixed. No quota There is no quota system in PRAN Group for selecting an employee. The sole criterion of getting selected is ones qualifications. (2) Findings about Training Absence of Paper Training need Assessment No comprehensive system is there to determine the training need of the employees of PRAN Group. Training programs provided are determined by the traditional view about the training needs (e. g. employees need basic training course to know about the organization). With the changing circumstances, it is not possible for the management to know about the changing pattern of training needs of the employees well in advance. Diversified Training Program Training department of PRAN Group provides variety of training programs to cater the need of the employees. Employees are trained about desired behavior, about the Objective and operation Of the Organization; even they are trained on trade unions. Such diversified array of training programs is a plus point for PRAN Group as various types of training needs can be fulfilled using internal resources. Lack of Management Development programs Though there are ample scope and arrangements of training for employees, but the training opportunity for the managers is relatively low. Special and customized need of managers cannot be fulfilled by the training programs provided by the training department of PRAN Group. Poor Evaluation Of the effectiveness of Training Programs At present, sales volume and Annual Confidential Report are considered as an index to determine the effectiveness of a training program. 13ut there could e many reasons besides training, such as Provision of incentives, need for growth etc. which could have affected the sales volume or ACR of an individual. No mechanism is there to filter the effectiveness of training program alone. Moreover, in many cases the evaluation of the effectiveness is based fully on the subjective perception of individuals. Less Simulation Exercises Training methods employed in PRAN Group are mostly lecture-oriented. There is a dearth of simu lation exercises. Though limited opportunity of simulation exercises. Like mock sales by the sales representative or case study by the line managers are there in PRAN Group, but overall quantity of such training mechanism is low. (1) Recommendations About Selection Increase of Reliability and Validity of the Selection Devices No measure of reliability of the selection devices used in PRAN Group has yet been done. Validity of the devices is also very low. To enhance the possibility of choosing the right candidate, reliability and validity of the selection devices should be taken into consideration. For this purpose, advice of a management expert might be taken. Introduction of Structured Interview Interviews should be structured in order to have n increased reliability. A fixed set of questions should be presented to every applicant. Thus a more consistent and unbiased result might be reached. Avoidance of Prior information before the Interview Placing the curriculum vitae and scores of written test in front of the interview board beforehand causes a possibility of bias. This practice should be stopped in order to have unbiased result. Training of Interviewers Interviewers should know about how to take interview in order to select the suitable employee. Brief training might be provided to the interviewers for this purpose. Introduction of Realistic Job Preview In order to remove undue and inflated ideas of applicants regarding the job or the organization, realistic job preview should be emphasized. At present, there is no way that an aspirant employee can know about the problems and hardship associated with the job. If an employee knows beforehand about the negative points of the job and then join, then the possibility of turnover would decrease significantly. So, realistic job preview should be provided to the applicants. This may be done by providing brochures, or script made up of realistic statements that accurately portray the job. Introduction of Physical Examination Appearance always does not reflect the true health of an individual. So, a basic physical examination should be applicable to all new recruits just to ensure that they have the minimum qualifications needed to bear the stress of the workload. (2) Recommendations about Training Training Need Assessment To develop and implement an effective training program, it is important to know the areas where training is mostly needed. There should be specific mechanism whereby the management can know which type of training is needed by the employees and take action accordingly. The management can adopt any of the following methods to determine training needs: Observation and analysis of job performance, Management and staff conferences, Analysis of job requirements, Consideration of current and projected changes etc. Comprehensive Evaluation of Training Effectiveness No systematic and flawless evaluation method is followed in PRAN Group to evaluate the effectiveness of different training programs. Minimizing subjective perception, the management should try to evaluate the training programs quantitatively. While measuring the effectiveness of a training program, effort should be there to ensure that other factors besides training do not contaminate the final result. Experimental-control group method would be better to evaluate the training programs. Use of Simulation Exercises Simulation techniques are very effective for training, especially for management development. At present, the use of simulation techniques is not sufficient. More simulation techniques like, case study, decision games, and role plays should be used in order to make the training programs more effective. More Personnel for the Training Department At present, only two persons look after the training department. They have the responsibility to determine the training needs of employees, as well as to develop and implement the training programs. Though, experts of other departments often come to training department as instructor and this reduces the workload of the two personnel of training department to a certain extent; but still the departments need more personnel to carry out its operation smoothly. Inclusion of New Training Programs: Training programs provided by the training department of PRAN Group are not adequate enough to meet the changing requirements of the employees. To keep track with the fast moving corporate world and market economy, PRAN Group should introduce new training programs. APPPENDIX Bibliography Gary Dessier –7th Edition John . M. lvancevich—7th Edition Milcovich5th Edition M. Omar Ali –2nd Edition Ricky W. Griffin –7th Edition

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buy custom Case Law essay Case law is part of sources of law in many countries, and many judges make judgments basing on the decisions of previous judges. The case of Lumpkin, et al. v. Mellow Mushroom, et al. involves the parents of a deceased boy and Mellow Mushroom, which sales liquor. The case was filed in Court of Appeals of Georgia. The issue that was to be determined by the court was whether Mellow Mushroom was entitled to a summary judgment, and the court agreed that Mellow Mushrooms was entitled to the summary judgment. The Court arrived at its decision after observing the facts of the case, and making a careful consideration of the laws that governed the case. The Limpkins were supposed to prove that Mellow Mushrooms had a duty to the public, and the negligent acts of the defendant had led to the death of the young man. Furthermore, the plaintiffs were supposed to prove that they suffered some damage due to the acts of the defendant. However, the plaintiffs failed to prove that the acts of the defendant led to the death of their child. This is because there was contributory negligence on the part of their son. This is because the son accepted to be driven in a jeep that did not have a passengers door, and he untied his safety belt and hanged outside as the car was moving. Furthermore, the facts of the case showed that Lumpkin and Callaway had purchased other beers prior to the incident. Therefore, it was difficult to prove that the beer that they drank at Mellow Mushrooms was the one that contributed to the accident. Furthermore, the witnesses of the case failed to assert that the two were drunk when they left Mellow Mushrooms. In conclusion, the court offered the defendant a summary judgment, and the reasoning of the court was that the defendants negligence was not the proximate cause that led to the death. This is according to the provisions of legislation, and the provision of common law does not support the demands of the plaintiffs. Therefore, the plaintiffs had a duty to prove that the negligence acts of Mellow Mushrooms was had a causal relation to the death, and that the defendant had a duty to observe. Buy custom Case Law essay

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Social Revolutionaries essays Social Revolutionaries believed the force to overthrow the czars would come from the peasants. Their goal was that government that would distribute the land fairly among the peasants. They wanted to replace the czar with a democratically elected government. The Social Democrats convinced future revolutions would be led my an urban working class. They wanted to overthrow czar government, PLUS spark a worldwide Marxist revolution. The Bolsheviks and Mensheviks followed Lenin that Russias working class was too small and poorly educated to stage a revolution so they needed a tiny group of Marxists to guide them. In the revolution of 1905, workers, about 200,000, and their families, went to the czars to ask for better working conditions, personal freedom, and an elected national legislature. But Nicholas was not at the place; instead, his general and police chiefs were. They ordered the soldiers to fire on the crowd. Instantly, 500 to 1,000 people were killed. That day could not be erased. The peoples demands could no longer be ignored and the czar promised for more freedom, and approved of the Duma, which consisted of leaders who wanted Russia to become a constitutional monarchy. After three months, he got rid of it and sent the members home. Stalin was one of the men besides Trotsky who tried to succeed Latin. He was a party secretary and was responsible for hundreds of appointments. When Lenin realized that Stalin was the bad guy, it was already too late, for Stalin had enormous power in his hands. Stalin outlined a 5-year plan for the development of the USSR economy. It was made to limit the production goods, and was made to enhance the state-owned mines, heavy industry, railroads, and energy sources. He also made an agricultural revolution which was way more brutal than his 5-year plan. He abolished 25 million small farms and would be replaced with collective farms&ap...

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Tower Cranes Essay Example for Free

Tower Cranes Essay Force Force can be defined as that which causes a mass to accelerate. Force has common units of pounds force (lbs) or Newtons ? Acceleration (F=MÂ ·A). In other words 1 Newton is the force required to accelerate 1 kilogram by 1 m/sec2, or 1 pound force is the force required to accelerate 1 slug by 1 foot/ sec2. You will notice that the imperial unit for force is pounds force and not just pounds. There is a common inaccuracy in our language that is only really important when talking about physics. The word weight truly refers to a force – this is why your weight on the moon is not the same as your weight on earth. To fully understand this we need to dissect the mathematical meaning behind the force term. Two components go into calculating a force; the first is mass, the second is acceleration. What is mass? Mass is the amount of stuff present in a given sample, lets say a person. A person’s mass will be the same whether on earth or the moon – in both places that person is made up of the same amount of stuff. Mass has two common units; kilograms (kg) and slugs. So a person might have a mass of 70 kg or 4. 78 slugs. For the example of weight, or the downward static force exerted by an object, the acceleration of interest is the acceleration due to gravity. The acceleration due to gravity can be defined as the pull one object exerts on another. For this pull to be felt, one of the objects has to be extremely massive. For most people the most massive object they will encounter is the earth. The acceleration due to gravity on the earth is 9. meters/sec2 or 32. 2 feet/sec2. So a person on earth might weigh (70kg x 9. 8m/sec2) = 686 Newtons or (4. 78 slugs x 32. 2 feet/sec2) = 154 lbs. On the moon the same person will weigh (70kg x 1. 62 m/sec2) = 113 Newtons or (4. 78 slugs x 5. 32 ft/ sec2) = 25 lbs. So when a person says they weigh 154 lbs they are being true to physics, but when they say they weigh 154 kg, they’re actually referring to their mass. As a further twist, it’s also interesting to note that the acceleration due to gravity changes with altitude. So your weight at sea level will be slightly different that your weight at the top of a mountain (Newton’s law of gravitation Fg = G ? gravitational constant). ? kg ? m ? . The equation used to mathematically define force is Force = Mass x 2 ? ? sec ? m1 ? m2 , where G is the r2 Stress Stress is defined as force per unit area and has the common units of Pounds force per Square Inch (psi) or Pascals (Pa) (a Pascal is a Newton per square meter or kg/m sec2). In construction there are five basic types of stress which concern engineers. These are bending, tensile, compressive, shear, and torsional stress (see picture below). For the purpose of building Popsicle stick bridges we are really only interested in bending, compression, and tensile stresses. When we take a close look at bending we’ll see that it is just a combination of tensile and compressive stresses. Of these three types of stress tensile is perhaps the easiest to measure. As a result engineers will take samples of material and, using special machines, subject them to higher and higher tensile loads until they break. By dividing the force at which the sample breaks by the cross sectional area of the sample the materials Ultimate Tensile Stress (UTS) can be determined. The ultimate tensile stress is given the symbol ? (Greek letter sigma), and essentially represents the strength of a material. For comparisons sake a sample of plain carbon steel might have a UTS of 50,000 psi, while pine (which is what Popsicle sticks are made of) might have a UTS of 1,000 psi. It is important to recognize that UTS is not the only important consideration when selecting a material, but material selection is a bit outside the scope of this summary. Let’s take a closer look at tension and compression. Tension is the stress an element experiences when exposed to a pulling force. To get a feeling for tension think about a piece of string. String can only experience tension; it is not able to resist pushing or bending. Compression is the opposite of tension; it’s the stress an element experiences when exposed to a pushing force. Sand is an example of a substance which can only experience compression. A column of sand can support a large load, but is unable to resist any pulling force. As most materials have different tensile and compressive loading potentials, it is important to know what sort of forces will be exerted on every member in a building or bridge. Bending combines both tensile and compressive forces in a single element. To demonstrate this, take a look at the picture below. It’s pretty obvious from this picture that bending puts one face into tension while the other is in compression. It also logically follows from this conclusion that at some point between the two faces there must be a point where there is no tension or compression. This point is called the neutral axis. The mass of material above and below the neutral axis will always be equal. So in a symmetrical member the neutral axis will be along the midline, but will not necessarily be along the midline in an irregularly shaped member. This simple concept of leverage can be used to explain several more complex concepts in structural engineering. The first is why it’s easier to break a Popsicle stick when it’s bent on its flat side as opposed to its edge. To explain this we have to explain the concept of leverage. This one is pretty simple and can easily be demonstrated by the classroom door. Leverage (also called moment or torque) occurs when a force is applied to an object which can rotate about a pivot point. In the case of the classroom door the pivot is the hinge and the force applied comes from the person wanting to open the door. In the case of bending a Popsicle stick the pivot is the neutral axis and the force we’re concerned with is the tension or compression on the outside faces. Moment is calculated by multiplying the force applied by the distance from the point of force application to the pivot. If you increase the applied force, or the distance from the pivot point, the moment increases. That’s why door handles are put as far from the hinge as possible – we make the distance from the point of force application to the pivot point as large as possible, that way a small applied force will create a large moment. So the Popsicle stick is harder to break when bent on edge because we’ve increased the distance from the neutral axis to the point of maximum force. Explain the difference between tensile, bending, and compressive forces with examples of the equations used to calculate each. Explain truss elements and why they are a superior way of building a bridge. Sample FEM output for simple bridge design o Calculate the amount of popsicle sticks required to make a simple beam with the same strength as a truss element. Hints on building a strong bridge o Truss o Strength comes from the Popsicle sticks, not the glue – but well glued joints are a must. Additional information: http://andrew. triumf. ca/andrew/popsicle-bridge/ http://www. eir. ca/resources/presentations/Bridges%20-%20By%20Doug%20Knight. doc

African Elephant :: essays papers

African Elephant The common name is the African Elephant, the scientific name is Loxodonta Africana, the phylum is Vertebrata, the class is Mammalia, the order is Proboscidea, and the family is Elephantidae. The Closest Relatives to the African Elephant are: the Asian Elephant, mammoths, primitive proboscidean (mastodons), sea cows, and hyraxes. Scientists believe that the African Elephant evolved from one of its closest relatives, the Sea Cow. The geographical location and range of the African elephant covers all of central and southern Africa. In Ethiopia there are isolated populations that exist around Lake Chad in Mali and Mauritania. Also in Kenya, Rhodesia, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Zaire, and in National parks located in South Africa, as well as several other countries. African Elephants, originally, were found in all of the Sub-Saharan African habitats except desert steppes. Elephants still occupy diverse habitats such as: temperate grassland, tropical savanna and grass lands, temperate fores t and rainforest, tropical rainforest, tropical scrub forest, and tropical deciduous forest despite their drastic decline in numbers. However, their migratory patterns and habitat use have changed, due to the fact that they are restricted to protected areas. The elephant can exist in many types of environments but it prefers places that have many trees and bushes, which the elephant needs both for food and shade. They also like warm areas that have plenty of rainfall. This ensures plenty of food, shade, and water. The elephant prefers a habitat of mixed woodland and grassland which gives them an opportunity to eat a variety of vegetation. African Elephants are considered herbivores, they are both browsers and grazers; they will eat rough sticks, stems and leaves of plants as well as grasses, sedges, and fruit. Their favorites are mangoes, berries and coconuts. An elephant eats up to 500 pounds of vegetation every day and drinks up to 50 gallons of water daily. Elephants must consume these giant quantities of food, due to their poor digestive system. The small intestine is 82 feet long, the large intestine 21 feet long, and the rectum adds a further 13 feet. The problem with the digestive tract lies in their gut; elephants have too few symbiotic bacteria. These are the organisms which help break down the cellulose of plant cell walls by producing enzymes called cellulases. The most remarkable feature of the elephant’s digestive system is its 5 feet long appendix, bigger than the stomach.

Textile-and-Clothing-Report India

The Textile Industry and Related Sector in India Source: New Cloth Market The Textile Industry and Related Sector in India Source: New Cloth Market This market research study on Textiles and related sectors in India has been commissioned by Italian Trade Commission (Trade Promotion Section of the Consulate General of Italy), Mumbai, for which Ace Global Private Limited, a consultancy company based in New Delhi, has been appointed. The main objectives of the market research are to carry out a detailed market analysis o~ the industry, in order to identify potential opportunities for Italian entrepreneurs interested in the Indian market. The scope of the market research covers the following key segments of the industry: Textiles Apparel & Clothing; Undergarments; Home Textiles, and Accessories. The findings of the research are presented in the following sections. Market Characteristics The Textile Industry in India is one of the largest and most important industrial segments of the Indian economy accounting for over one fifth of the country's industrial production. It provides employment to around 15 million people who have helped produce one of the largest varieties of yarn, fabrics, textiles, clothing and garments, home furnishings and other textile products in the world. Textiles industry, including related subsectors, is worth about Euros 38 billion of which domestic segment constitutes 65% while 35% comes from exports. The textiles segment accounts for 59% of the industry, with apparel and other made ups constituting the balance. This industry also accounts for nearly 21 % of total employment in the country. Besides the textiles, apparels & clothing, the industry covers a wide range of home furnishings (bed linen, curtains and upholstery, floor coverings, kitchen linen, bath linen, etc. and Accessories (including apparel accessories, like stoles, scarves, etc. , hard accessories like bags, wallets, fashion jewellery, time wear and eyewear etc. ). Market Size The total market size for the sub-sectors covered in this study is estimated at Euro 21. 7 billion in the year 200809 with textile clothing and garments having a major share of 93%. Home textiles and furnishings, and textile usage in accessories was insignificant with a collective share of less than 0. 5% of the total market. Textiles Apparel and Clothing India's domestic market for apparel & clothing is currently worth Euro 20,219 million in 2008-09. It has registered a steady compounded annual growth rate (CAGA) of 13. 6% in the past 5 years. Volume wise, apparel market has grown from 4. 8 billion units in 2004†² to 5. 9 billion units in 2008-09 at a CAGA of 5. 3%. Apparel and Clothing is the second largest retail category in India. India's domestic market for apparels is currently worth over Euro 20 billion in 2008-09. It has registered a steady compounded annual growth ~ate (CAGA) of 13. 6% in the past 5 years. Volume wise, apparel market has grown from 4. 8 billion units in 200405 to 5. 9 billion units in 2008-09 at a CAGA of 5. 3%. Undergarments The 70's witnessed the entry of undergarments in India when Peter Pan from Dawn Mills entered the market with lingerie styles of the West. The undergarment market further proliferated and flourished in India significantly when international majors forayed in to Indian market in a big way since the onset of the 90's. India's domestic market for undergarments is currently worth about Euro 1. 5 billion in 2008-09. It has grown at a CAGA of about 15% in the past three years. Volume wise, apparel · market has grown from 914 million units in 2006-07 to 1. 05 billion units in 2008-09 at a CAGA of 7%. The total urban market for the home textiles in India in 2005-06 was estimated to be Euro 1. 45 billion. With a modest growth rate of about 14%, the market in 2008-09 is about Euros 2. 16 billion and is expected to cross Euros 3. 12 billion by 2011-12. The 2004-05 Volume (million units) Menswear Women's wpar Unisex apparel Kids' wear Uniforms Total 1,328 1,368 – 466 1,222 ~ 423 4,807 India's Apparel & Clothing Market 2006 ·07 Value, Volume (Euro (million Million) units) 4,450 3,856 1,014 1,836 991 12,147 1,443 1,523 519 1,323 , 498 5,306 Value (Euro Million) 5,605 5,106 1,461 2,333 1,461 15,966 2008-09 (estimates) Volume (million units) 1,600 1,676 579 1,468 581 5,905 Value (Euro Million) 6,938 6,414 1,816 2,975 2,077 20,219 market for home textiles is dominated by bed and bath linen, which have more han two third of the market share in value terms. Bed linen alone has a market of about Euros 1. 19 billion according to the estimates. Apart from the home textile products given in the table below, the other articles included in the total market size are textile made-ups like wall hangings and other decorative home furnishing articles. Accessories Usage of textiles and fabrics in the Accessories sector is valued at approx. Eu ros 0. 28 -0. 30 billion in 200809, bf which bags alone account for 61 % and apparel accessories and other fashion accessories account for 39%. The most common fabrics used in accessories are cotton, denim, silk, wool and raxene. Given the wide variety of products, with production largely concentrated in the unorganized sector, no official estimates for consumption of fabrics in accessories sector are available. Therefore for the purpose of this study, the market size has been estimate based on discussions with key players and industry bodies during the primary research, as presented below. Demand Drivers As stated in the preceding section, the market for textiles and related products has been consistently growing annually by 12% – 15% for various sub-sectors. The key factors driving this demand are: Demand Side factors With over 1. 1 billion people, India is the second most populous country in the world. In terms of the demographic â€Å"window of opportunity†, India is home to 17% of the world's population. It is also one of the youngest countries in the world, with over 65% of the population below 35% years of age. The young generation of professionals, both men and women, form important consumer groups with high purchasing power. This buying group is more demanding in their choice of products, looking for quality that satisfy comfort, fitting, styling needs etc. This has resulted in a qualitative shift of consumers from low / economy range to premium and super premium range of products. Growing prosperity of middle class: Indian corporate salaries have grown at 14% per annum, which is considered to be fastest globally. A large number of households are getting added every year to the consuming class with growing income levels, resulting in increasing affluence of the upper middle and igh income strata. According to various studies, there were more than 300 million middle class people in India in 2007 with substantial disposable incomes. This number is expected to touch 600 million by 2010. There will a sustained and increasing demand for various consumer products by this segment of population. The increase in urbanization and nuclear family structure, a growing number of educated and employed women, media prol iferation and growing consumerism, have all contributed to the growth of consumerism and organized retailing. The increasing working female-population has not only increased the income of households, but also changed the outlook of women towards their choice of clothing, home furnishings and its interiors. There is a trend of going with the seasonal tastes. Market Structure and Segmentation The market segmentation for various sub-sectors is on following basis: Textile Apparels-and Clothing: †¢ †¢ †¢ Segmentation by User category: Men's wear, Women's wear, Unisex apparel, Kids' wear Segmentation by Use: Formal, Casual, Traditional, Active sportswear, Uniforms Segmentation by Price: Super premium, Premium, Medium, Economy and Low end Undergarments: †¢ †¢ Segmentation by types of Suppliers: Informal/Unorganized sector, Organized sector – Segmentatfon by Price: Super premium, Premium, Medium, Economy and Low end Home Textile Furnishings †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Segmentation by types of Suppliers: Informal/Unorganized sector (70% share), Organized sector (30% share); Branded and Unbranded Segmentation by Use: Bed linens, Curtains & Upholstery, Bath linen. Kitchen linen etc. Segmentation By Price: Super premium, Premium, Medium, Economy and Low end Accessories: Segmentation by Use: Apparel accessories (scarves, stoles, shawls etc. ), Hard accessories (bags, belts etc. ), Packaging for jewellery, time, wear, eye wear etc. Segmentation by Price: Super premium, Premium, Medium, Economy and Low end Changing face of consumer: In spite of the economic meltdown in recent times, there has been a continuous and sustained shift in consumer demand pattern from basic necessities to spending on lifestyle products and ervices continues, largely due to : †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Higher Income Younger age profile Increasing literacy levels Higher adaptability to technology Increasing urbanization Changing role of women and children in the decision making process Increased demand for better shopping experience Impulsive purchase behavior among youngsters Changing fashion trends and increased consciousness Catch up wi th International fashion styles Sustained growth of retail culture in the country According to Central Statistical Organization, and Technopak, the retail market in India was about Euro 210 billion, and will cross Euro 440 billion in 2015, with organized retail growing at nearly 20% per year. The emergence of mall culture and rapid development of malls would act as a catalyst in this retail growth story. Due to the increase in the income levels of people and the push from the supply side of realty boom in this decade has created a housing boom in India. About 2. 5 million new homes are to be constructed to meet the demand of middle class and upper strata of income groups. Housing and Hospitality sectors are the major sectors, with huge demand for soft furnishings. As per estimates, the total shortfall of quality hotel rooms in India in all luxury, premium, economy and budget hotels is about 150,000. More than 40,000 hotel rooms are expected to come in top 10 metro cities by 2012. Supply Side Factors 1) Leading textile manufacturers are integrating their businesses vertically and have strong competencies in spinning, weaving and finishing. 2) There has been a significant improvement in the infrastructure related to textile machinery, transport and power which are further augmenting production. Government of India has allocated substantial funds · for infrastructure development through schemes like TUFS, and SITP, worker skill development trainings etc. 3) Lateral consolidation of players through organic and inorganic growth domestically and internationally. Indian companies have acquired the global brands abroad in order to consolidate their global positioning and have established wholly owned foreign subsidiaries abroad 4) End of quota regime acting as a stimulus to further export growth. Assessment of Demand and Market Potential in India The overall assessment of demand and market potential in various sub sectors, projected on the basis of past growth trends and industry expectations, is summarized in the table below. The total market is expected to increase from Euros 21. 7 billion in 200809 to Euro 29. billion by 2011-12, with overall compounded annual growth of 7. 89%. There are no authentic statistics available- on the production and the total market size of the home textile products and accessories, as no official data is compiled due to the unorganized and highly dispersed nature of sectors. The above estimates for home textile furnishings have been computed taking the overall average annual growth rates of domestic urban market (considered relevant for the foreign brands) as 15% for bath linen, 10% for kitchen linen, 12% for curtains, 15% for upholstery and 10% for other products. It should be noted that, above estimations is only for urban India, which is. Price Segmentation The price segmentation of the market is broadly in three categories: The low end market: Lower and economy (marginally improved product segment in relation to the lower category), solely volume driven, products are mostly unbranded and dominated by large number of regional and local manufacturers, and sold through small neighbourhood stores, The low and economy segment is growing in terms of volume and value and the industry is becoming more organized. The mid-range market: This segment features medium range of products. Though primarily volume driven, this category caters to diverse sections of Indian consumers across all regions, Its quality is by and large acceptable to all sections. The mid-market segment is characterized by the presence of regional and national players. The market is continuously expanding and becoming more and more competitive in respect of quality and price. The high end market: Exclusivity in product features such as high quality . raw materials, embellishments, design developments and above all branding of products for years make the products very special. ‘ Elitist categories of consumers pay for the products on demand. Mainly comprises of large Indian players and the foreign companies/international brands operating in the premium and super-premium product categories. Super-premium products are considered luxury products and marketed by top national and international giants. Illustrative prices for products in various price segments are provided in different Tables. Regional Characteristics of the Market The consumer behavior of a particular region which is economically not so developed is different as compared to developed ones. The consumers in the less developed region are understandably, more priceconscious. Always on the lookout for quality products, their guiding principle is ‘value for money'. A lower per capita income, in eastern region for example, compared to western and northern India leads to a lower per capita purchasing power. Additionally, Delhi being centrally located and Mumbai, being the financial capital have certain advantages. The consumers who live in these cities are more exposed to latest product collections and are more familiar with design, quality and latest trendy fashion, as well as the luxury of greater choice. The relatively undeveloped regions offer several in-built advantages as well. Fashion contenders setting out to do businesses in these regions find to their advantage that the region has not been exploited commercially and is prone to competition. The market, therefore, offers much but it needs to be cultivated in an organized manner. Local ready availability of products also influences a consumer. The decision to stick to a particular available product/brand seems to govern the purchase decision than the rarely available choicest product. Logistics, convenience and easy availability are important considerations for a local consumer. Regional considerations, such as climatic conditions etc. , playa major role in so far as the purchase decision of apparels is concerned. For instance, a consumer in Northern region would spend more on woolen products than his counterpart in the west or south where the winter is much milder. In India, different states are known for their specific style of clothing, home furnishings etc. For example J is the leading state for embroidered bed covers whereas Rajasthan (Jaipur) is famous for block printed, tie & dye bed covers, with mirror work, appliques, and bright colors. The market also depends upon the production and raw materials and government policies and programmes in specific states. Although there is an increasing influence to western and contemporary designs, Indian industry is still greatly influenced by the traditional regional motifs, with the materials of satin mix, tapestry for drapes and even cotton mixes with synthetics for the traditional look. Fabrics with bold prints and pastels are making a comeback. Polka dots and stripes, inspired by the retro, have made a comeback into the collections the world over. The sales of textile roducts increase significantly during the festival seasons in India, by up to 40 – 50 percent. Regional and national festivals, (e. g. ‘Diwali' is one of the most important festivals in India during October/ November) are the time to buy new clothes, renovate home furnishings. Consumer Behavior and Preferences The Indian consumers are noted as among the most discerning' consumers in the world with a high degree of value orientation. Even, luxury brands have to design a unique pricing strategy in order to get a foothold in the Indian market. Indian consumers also have a high degree of family orientation. Brands with identities that support family values tend to be popular and are accepted easily in the Indian market. Indian consumers are also associated with values of nurturing, care and affection. These values are far more dominant than values of ambition and achievement. Products, which communicate feelings and emotions gel with the Indian consumers. Different Segments of Indian Consumers Socialites: These are the upper class who shops in specialty stores and own exclusive accessories, and have a luxurious lifestyle. The Rich: India has over 1 million rich households (income greater than Euro 8,000 per annum). These people are upwardly mobile. Some of them in this category are Double Income No Kids (DINK) households. They spend more on leisure and entertainment-activities than on future looking investments. The Conservatives: These are the middle class population of India, who are very price conscious and demand more value for money. In addition to the above, the following segments are becoming increasingly important in purchase of consumer products: Working Women: Working women with disposable incomes are the key factors for the growth of women's accessories. An Indian woman is no longer just a homemaker. She is willing to buy designer products and is ready to pay high premiums for the same. Youth: With the increasing exposure to International fashion styles, the Indian youth is gaining more awareness and becoming style conscious. This segment believes in impulsive purchasing. There are certain common considerations for consumers regardless of locations. The consumers by and large are becoming increasingly more and more conscious of value of money. Price sensitivity is a common concern. Purchase decisions of consumers anywhere are more guided a combination of demographic and psychometric factors, such as, disposable income, age-distribution, pattern of income distribution, quality of upbringing, aptitude, tastes and preferences and so on. These days, the purchasing behaviors in India are greatly affected by the western tastes. The role of media, magazines, televisions have been increasing in making people aware about the new trends. There is a craze to own the best brands and designs among the people. The premium luxury brands are available only in the tier1 and tier2 cities hence making them a good market. Purchase Pattern of Textile Products Major findings of textile products based on All India consumer survey conducted by Textile Committee, Government of India, 2006-07 are presented as under: †¢ †¢ In India man-made fabric among various textile materials' sells the most. Sales of cotton come next in the order, while wool and silk constitute negligible percentage of total sales. Central, northern and western regions are the major consumers of man-made fabrics. Maximum consumption of cotton is reported from the eastern region. Consumption of cotton, in other regions is reportedly much less. This is an interesting revelation since India is ranked third as a cotton producing country in the world. †¢ †¢ †¢ Brand preferences Brand building is a stupendous task which involves high investment on production infrastructure, technology upgradation and enormous merchandizing. This has inspired lesser known medium sized players who are trying to establish their products in the market through Creation of brands. There is a strong indication that Indian market will have large a number of brands in near future in view of market expansion and increasing competition. Preference for particular apparel brands depends on individual tastes and preferences. However majority of Indian consumers look for certain common parameters like design, quality and above all merchandizing. Innovation in product design and fabric selection, are essential elements that add to value perception for a product. Sales discounts also tend to influence the purchase decisions of consumers provided the minimum parameters/ features are not compromised with. The Undergarments segment is characterized by well known national brands operating in the medium priced segment. Premium and super-premium product categories comprise branded products distinguished for exclusive product features operating at the high end of the market. Efficient logistics and supply chain management and media exposure have largely contributed to the popularity of these brands. Branding is a relatively new phenomenon in the Indian home textile furnishings market. In Accessories, the consumer demand . for premium product is on the rise. Style conscious customers with money look for variety. Consumer inclination for mix-n-match to build their wardrobe is acting as a catalyst in the growth of accessories market. Factors Influencing Brand Preference †¢ Brand preference pattern of consumers depends upon a host of factors such as : Combination of price, quality & fitting as major parameters of purchase decision for sensitive but smart consumers Track record of Indian manufacturer/reputation of foreign joint venture partner. †¢ Reputation of international companies The consumers place major emphasis on product quality. Price is another important consideration attracting customers to a particular shop/brand/ product. Pre and post sales services, parking facilities and ambience of the store or mall are the other major factors that attract local customers. Sales discounts also tend to influence the purchase decisions of consumers provided the minimum parameters/ features are not compromised with. In the selection of products, the consumers do not give automatic ‘precedence to local brands over national or foreign brands. Value for money has become the over-riding consideration. Fabric, texture and color followed by proper fits and sizing weigh more importance to the local consumers rather than just easy availability of local brands on account of proximity. Degree of Elasticity of Demand of Local Consumers Considering that price elasticity depends to a large extent on the degree of competition among the manufacturers, the Lower and Economy segments of the market are usually price inelastic. These segments being highly competitive do not allow the manufacturers much leverage on price. Higher up along the value chain, the affordability or paying capacity of the consumer is higher. The mid-price segment becomes increasingly quality oriented and more diversified. Despite competitive pressure, the price in this segment keeps on rising and the demand becomes price elastic. In case of premium and super-premium product segments, where entire focus is on quality, style and brand value, the consumer is insensitive to change in price. As per the findings of retailer survey, even an increase of less than 5% in the price has an effect on low end / economy category products, while mid-end category is usually able to absorb a 5-10% price increase without a major adverse impact on the sales of a brand. Originally published in New Cloth Market: February 2010