Media and Anti Corruption

In some countries, such as Bulgaria, Macedonia, Bosnia Herzegovina, and Albania to a much lesser extent, the independent media has brought to the fore numerous corruption cases, exposing high officials. It has also been a major force behind mobilizing public opinion against corruption, as in the case of Bulgaria. At the same time it has exerted indirect pressure on the respective governments to take steps to limit corruption practices. The Bulgarian independent media, which has been marked by intensified anti-corruption reporting, stands out with its permanent engagement in the public debate about corruption and the efforts to curb it. It is characterized by improved quality coverage of corruption issues, expansion of the public dialogue in the media through inclusion of opinions of other civil society sectors and individuals and increased follow-up of reported cases, all of which speaks for a trend towards greater professionalism in its anti-corruption efforts. However, the limited role of the independent media in some countries should also be noted. In some, such as Bosnia Herzegovina, this has been due to the fact the media is mostly state controlled. In others, such as Albania, corrupted individuals have instigated distrust in the media, which lacks the professionalism necessary for investigative journalism and has fabricated and then denied its facts in corruption cases. A serious impediment to the greater role of the independent media is the fact that it is rarely truly independent. There is a problem of media ownership, symbiosis between business and media, the relations between the authorities and the owners of the media. On the Balkans the media is often financed by international organizations and thus has to rely on foreign help because of the small market size, in the case of Bosnia Herzegovina, or by certain business lobbies in the case of Albania. There are also cases of media close to current or former governments, in Bosnia Herzegovina, for instance, which can impede investigative journalism and its favorable impact on the efforts to combat corruption. Since it is also often regarded as a political tool by the owner, either the state or a private entity, the pressure exerted on journalists can often lead to biased coverage and impede impartial corruption investigation, which is illustrated by the Romanian press. A further hurdle to a greater role of the media is the fact it often lacks access to essential government information. For instance, in Romania, because of few laws giving access to public information or lack of their enforcement, the independent media has to rely on unofficial channels in corruption cases. Because of this unofficial information, which may be incorrect, the official authorities are even more unwilling to cooperate with the media on corruption scandals. The analysis of the media possibilities to investigate and report corruption represented the objectives of the Freedom House Assessment Report on media responses to corruption in some countries in the region summarizes the main difficulties: – Lack of independence – Lack of access to basic government information – Punitive libel law and prosecutorial abuse – Weak advocacy groups – Disincentives to investigative journalism – Lack of experience and training opportunities – Public cynicism regarding corruption

Pest Analysis of Automobile Industry Essay

I would like to confer my heartiest thanks to my coordinator of Business Environment and class teacher Miss Impreet Kaur for giving me the opportunity to expel and work in the field of Environmental Analysis, especially its practical applications. While preparing my project I got to have an in depth knowledge of practical applications of the theoretical concepts and definitely the things which I have learned will undoubtedly help me in future, to analyze many processes going on in our economy. I would also like to thank all those people who directly or indirectly helped us in accomplishing this project. Literature Review Competitiveness of manufacturing sector is a very broad multi-dimensional concept that embraces numerous aspects such as price, quality, productivity, efficiency and macro-economic environment. The OECD definition of competitiveness, which is most widely quoted, also considers employment and sustainability, while being exposed to international competition, as features pertaining to competitiveness. There are numerous studies on auto industry in India, published by industry associations, consultancy organizations, research bodies and peer-reviewed journals. In this section, various studies on the Indian auto industry are reviewed, under different heads pertaining to competitiveness, namely, global comparisons, policy environment and evolution of the Indian auto industry, productivity, aspects related to supply-chain and industrial structure and technology and other aspects. PESTLE Analysis PESTLE Analysis is a simple, useful and widely-used tool that helps you understand the â€Å"big picture† of your Political, Economic, Socio-Cultural and Technological, Legal and Environmental aspects. As such, it is used by business leaders worldwide to build their vision of the future. PESTLE analysis is concerned with the environmental influences on a business. Identifying PESTLE influences is a useful way of summarizing the external environment in which a business operates. However, it must be followed up by consideration of how a business should respond to these influences. It is important for these reasons: * First, by making effective use of PESTLE Analysis, you ensure that what you are doing is aligned positively with the powerful forces of change that are affecting our world. By taking advantage of change, you are much more likely to be successful than if your activities oppose it; * Second, good use of PESTLE Analysis helps you avoid taking action that is doomed to failure from the outset, for reasons beyond your control; and * Third, PESTLE is useful when you start operating in a new country or region. Use of PESTLE helps you break free of unconscious assumptions, and helps you quickly adapt to the realities of the new environment. The table below lists some possible factors that could indicate important environmental influences for a business under the PESTLE headings: Political / Legal| Economic| Social| Technological| – Environmental regulation and protection| – Economic growth | – Income distribution | – Government spending on research| – Taxation | – Monetary policy | – Demographics | – Government and industry focus on technological effort| – International trade regulation| – Government spending | – Labor / social mobility| – New discoveries and development| – Consumer protection| – Policy towards unemployment | – Lifestyle changes | – Speed of technology transfer | – Employment law| – Taxation | – Attitudes to work and leisure| – Rates of technological obsolescence | – Government organization / attitude | – Exchange rates | – Education| – Energy use and costs | – Competition regulation| – Inflation | – Fashions and fads| – Changes in material sciences | | – Stage of the business cycle | – Health & welfare | – Impact of changes in Information technology| | – Economic â€Å"mood† – consumer confidence| – Living conditions | – Internet! | PESTLE Analysis of Automobile Sector Political. * In 2002, the Indian government formulated an auto policy that aimed at promoting integrated, phased, enduring and self-sustained growth of the Indian automotive industry * Allows automatic approval for foreign equity investment up to 100% in the automotive sector and does not lay down any minimum investment criteria. * Formulation of an appropriate auto fuel policy to ensure availability of adequate amount of appropriate fuel to meet emission norms * Confirms the government’s intention on harmonizing the regulatory standards with the rest of the world * Indian government auto policy aimed at promoting an integrated, phased and conductive growth of the Indian automobile industry. * Allowing automatic approval for foreign equity investment up to 100% with no minimum investment criteria. * Establish an international hub for manufacturing small, affordable passenger cars as well as tractor and two wheelers. * Ensure a balanced transition to open trade at minimal risk to the Indian economy and local industry. * Assist development of vehicle propelled by alternate energy source. * Lying emphasis on R&D activities carried out by companies in India by giving a weighted tax deduction of up to 150% for in house research and R&D activities. * Plan to have a terminal life policy for CVs along with incentives for replacement for such vehicles. * Promoting multi-model transportation and the implementation of mass rapid transport system. Economic * The level of inflation Employment level per capita is right. * Economic pressures on the industry are causing automobile companies to reorganize the traditional sales process. * Weighted tax deduction of up to 150% for in-house research and R & D activities. * Govt. has granted concessions, such as reduced interest rates for export financing. * The Indian economy has grown at 8. 5% per annum. * The manufacturing sector has grown at 8-10 % per annum in the last few years. * More than 90% of the CV purchase is on credit. * Finance availability to CV buyers has grown in scope during the last few years. * The increased enforcement of overloading restrictions has also contributed to an increase in the no. of CVs plying on Indian roads. * Several Indian firms have partnered with global players. While some have formed joint ventures with equity participation, other also has entered into technology tie-ups. * Establishment of India as a manufacturing hub, for mini, compact cars, OEMs and for auto components. Social * Since changed lifestyle of people, leads to increased purchase of automobiles, so automobile sector have a large customer base to serve. * The average family size is 4, which makes it favorable to buy a four wheeler. * Growth in urbanization, 4th largest economy by ppp index. * Upward migration of household income levels. * 85% of cars are financed in India. * Car priced below USD 12000 accounts for nearly 80% of the market. * Vehicles priced between USD 7000-12000 form the largest segment in the passenger car market. * Indian customers are highly discerning, educated and well informed. They are price sensitive and put a lot of emphasis on value for money. * Preference for small and compact cars. They are socially acceptable even amongst the well off. * Preference for fuel efficient cars with low running costs. Technological * More and more emphasis is being laid on R & D activities carried out by companies in India. * Weighted tax deduction of up to 150% for in-house research and R & D activities. * The Government of India is promoting National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRIP) to support the growth of the auto industry in India * Technological solutions helps in integrating the supply chain, hence reduce losses and increase profitability. * Customized solutions (designer cars, etc) can be provided with the proliferation of technology * Internet makes it easy to collect and analyse customer feedback * With the entry of global companies into the Indian market, advanced technologies, both in product and production process have developed. * With the development or evolution of alternate fuels, hybrid cars have made entry into the market. * Few global companies have setup R &D centers in India. * Major global players like audi, BMW, Hyundai etc have setup their manufacturing units in India. Environmental * Physical infrastructure such as roads and bridges affect the use of automobiles. If there is good availability of roads or the roads are smooth then it will affect the use of automobiles. * Physical conditions like environmental situation affect the use of automobiles. If the environment is pleasant then it will lead to more use of vehicles. * Technological solutions helps in integrating the supply chain, hence reduce losses and increase profitability. * With the entry of global companies into the Indian market, advanced technologies, both in product and production process have developed. * With the development or evolution of alternate fuels, hybrid cars have made entry into the market. * Few global companies have setup R &D centers in India. * Major global players like audi, BMW, Hyundai etc have setup their manufacturing units in India. Legal * Legal provision relating to environmental population by automobiles. * Legal provisions relating to safety measures. * Confirms the government’s intention on harmonizing the regulatory standards with the rest of the world * Indian government auto policy aimed at promoting an integrated, phased and conductive growth of the Indian automobile industry. * Establish an international hub for manufacturing small, affordable passenger cars as well as tractor and two wheelers. * Ensure a balanced transition to open trade at minimal risk to the Indian economy and local industry. Introduction The Indian automotive component industry is dominated by around 500 players which account for more than 85% of the production. The turnover of this industry has been growing at a mammoth 28. 05% per annum from 2002-03 onwards as illustrated in Fig. 1 which clarifies its emergence as one of India’s fastest growing manufacturing sectors. During 1990s, the auto components market in India used to be dominated by supplies to the aftermarket with only 35% exports sourced by global Tier 1 OEMs (Original equipment Manufacturers). The industry made a sustained shift to the global Tier 1 market and today, the component manufacturers supply 75% of their exports to global Tier 1 OEMs and the remaining to the aftermarket. This is largely due to the growing capability of the Indian component suppliers in understanding technical drawings, conversance with global automotive standards, economically attractive costs (manufacturing costs are 25%-30% lower than its western counterparts), flexibility in small batch production and growing information technology application for design, development and simulation. Besides the burgeoning demand of auto components from global majors, the domestic automobile industry has been showing a sparkling growth caused by increasing customer base and affordable loans. Based on this, the turnover of the Indian auto component industry is expected to touch US$ 18. 7 billion by 2009 and estimated to reach US$ 40 billion by 2014. Overview of Indian Automobile Industry The liberalized policies of the Indian Government paved towards steady evolution of India as a stable and market driven economy with the real Gross Domestic Product growth in excess of 8%, foreign exchange reserves crossing the $150 billion mark, growing value of Indian Rupee compared to US dollar and reducing inflation rate. 100% Foreign Direct Investment, absence of local content regulation, manufacturing and imports free from licensing & approvals in the automobile sector coupled with customs tariff or auto components reducing to 12. 5% resulted in increased number of multinationals establishing their bases in India and with export markets looking up, the Indian automobile industry is poised for a phenomenal growth. The automobile production in the sub-continent has been growing steadily @ 18. 53% per annum from 2002-03 onwards with total vehicle production standing at a mammoth 1,00,31,296 nos. in 2005-06 as is shown in Fig. 2. Among the automobiles, 2 wheelers account for 75. 77%, cars about 11. 09%, 3 wheelers to the tune of 4. 33%, tractors about 2. 95%, buses & trucks constitute 2. 19%, Multi Utility Vehicles (MUVs) to the tune of 1. 96% and Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) about 1. 71% of the total number of automobiles produced in the country. Presently, India is the second largest market after China for two & three wheelers. In tractors production, India is one of the two largest manufacturers in the world along with China. The subcontinent stands as the 4th largest producer of trucks in the world. Coming to the passenger car segment, the country is positioned 11th in car production in the world. The Indian passenger car market is far from being saturated leaving ample opportunity for volume growth since the per capita car penetration per 1000 is only 7 compared to 500 in Germany. The production of cars in the country has been growing at a mammoth 27. 58% per annum from 2002- 03 onwards as is shown in Fig. 3. In general, cars are broadly classified as Mini, Compact, Mid-Size, Executive & Premium varieties. There has been a steady rise in compact car production from 333,000 in 2002-03 to 715,000 in 2005- 06, mid-size cars from 122,000 to 204,000 nos. , executive cars from 2000 to 23,000 nos. and premium variety cars from 4000 in 2002-03 to 5000 nos. in 2005-06. The mini car segment production reduced from 150,000 in 2002-03 to 98,000 nos. in 2005-06. These statistics vividly reveal the increasing capacity of the Indian customer, thus driving the passenger car demand rapidly up the price ladder. Analysts speculate car production in the sub-continent to touch 1575,000 in 2009 and 2654,000 by 2014. Cars and MUVs exports rose from 72,000 in 2002-03 to reach 176,000 nos. in 2005-06 with growth @ 48. 155 per annum from 2002-03 onwards. Out of the two wheelers produced in India, motorcycles account for 81. 59%, scooters about 13. 42% and mopeds to the tune of 4. 99% of the total production. The production statistics is shown in Fig. 4 which shows the growth of 2 wheelers @ 16. 58% per annum from 2002-03 onwards. Out of this, motorcycles have exhibited production growth @ 19. 99% per annum, scooters @ 6. 74% per annum & mopeds @ 2. 65% per annum from 2002-03 onwards. Two wheeler production units in India constitute of Japanese OEMS (Original Equipment Manufacturers) which include Hero Honda Motors, Honda Motorcycle & scooter India (P) Ltd. , Yamaha Motor India (P) Ltd. & Suzuki Motorcycle India (P) Ltd. and Indian OEMs consisting of Bajaj Auto L t d . , TVS Motor Company Ltd. , LML Ltd. , Kinetic Engineering Ltd. , Majestic Auto Ltd. , Kinetic Motor Company Ltd. and Royal Enfield of Eicher Ltd. Out of the aforementioned, Hero Honda accounts for 39. 55%, Bajaj Auto about 26. 87%, TVS Motors 17. 98%, Honda Motors 7. 94%, Yamaha Motors 3. 27%, LML 1. 41% and the remaining 2. 98% of the total 2 wheelers production in the country. The exports of two wheelers made a significant growth from a level of 180,000 in 2002-03 to reach 513,000 nos. in 2005-06. The latest estimates put up production of 2 wheelers to 13. 6 million by 2009. Current status of the industry The industry over a period of time has installed a robust capacity as given below: Table 1. Installed capacity in different segments of the automobile industry Against this installed capacity, the production over last few years has been as: Table 2. Vehicle production, 1996-2002 In order to illustrate the volume in economic terms, the Indian automobile industry achieved a turnover of nearly US$ 8 billion (excluding component industry) during the year 1998-1999. The imports of the industry during that year were of the order of US$ 0. 8 billion. The auto component industry in the country has also made rapid strides and its turnover has almost doubled in last five-year period as the year-wise production given below indicates. 1997-1998 US$ 2. 51 billion 1998-1999 US$ 2. 71 billion 1999-2000 US$ 3. 41 billion 2000-2001 US$ 3. 58 billion (estimated) Automotive industry of India is now finding increasing recognition worldwide. A beginning has been made in exports of vehicles. However, the exports have largely remained static since 1996-1997. India is making serious efforts to tap the potential in this area. The following table indicates the situation. Table 3. Indian car exports, 1996-2001 Indian automobiles are being exported mainly to the following countries. Table 3. 4. Main export destinations. The auto component industry in India now equipped with significant advancement in its technological capabilities, due to its alignment with major vehicle manufacturers in the country and abroad, has a high export potential. During the late 1990s, the export of auto-components has grown by a CAGR of about 20 per cent. Currently, the share of exports out of the total production of auto-components is 10 per cent. During the last 5 years, the exports of auto components have been as follows: 1998-1999 US$ 292 million 1999-2000 US$ 347 million 2000-2001 US$ 400 million (estimated) Future Projections Automobile industry With the domestic auto industry now moving in step with the WTO covenants, the stage is set for it to make rapid strides domestically and internationally to attain its rightful place in the world trade. A global recession for last two years notwithstanding, the industry has shown appreciable resilience and adjusted to the challenges of the environment. Based on the general growth projections indicated by the Planning Commission of India for the next five-year period, automobile industry is expected to register growth pattern as given below. This growth estimate implies certain assumptions relating to segment-wise growth rates based on a study conducted by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). Table 3. 5 Projections of India’s automobile industry, 2001-2012 Emerging trends in Indian Automobile Globalization is pushing auto majors to consolidate, to upgrade technology, enlarge product range, access new markets and cut costs. They have resorted to common platforms, modular assemblies and systems integration of component suppliers and e-commerce. The component industry is undergoing vertical integration resulting into emergence of ‘systems and assembly suppliers’ rather than individual component suppliers. Thus, while most component suppliers are integrating into tier 2 and tier 3 suppliers, larger manufacturers and multinational corporations (MNCs) are being transformed into tier 1 companies. Environmental and safety concerns are leading to higher safety and emission norms in the country. India has already charted out a road-map for reaching EURO-II norms across the country by the year 2005. Seven metropolitan cities of India would simultaneously move to EURO-III norms in 2005. Most vehicle manufacturers are already producing EURO-II compliant vehicles in the country to meet special requirements of capital city of New Delhi where the Supreme Court verdict has already necessitated this. To meet the concomitant testing and certification activities relating to higher safety and emission norms, testing infrastructure in the country is being overhauled. A substantive state funding is being planned in upgrading the testing infrastructure with participation of industry. Environmental pollution and the need to conserve existing supply of fossil fuels have led to search for alternative fuels. In addition to supporting greenfield research in this area, an ambitious phased programme to upgrade carbon fuel quality commensurate with higher emission norms is also being undertaken. Foreign direct investment norms have already been considerably relaxed. Unhindered import of automobiles, including new and second hand vehicles, has also been permitted. Most non-tariff barriers have also been relaxed or removed. The Government has moderated and lowered taxes and duties on automobiles, including customs duty. Value Added Tax (VAT) is also proposed to be introduced across the country from 1 April 2001. The Government has also allowed private sector participation in the insurance sector. Norms guiding external commercial borrowings (ECBs) have been liberalized and lending rates within the country have also been reduced further strengthening the environment of investment. An ambitious programme to upgrade the quadrilateral of highways in the country, the Government is laying an eight-lane expressway linking all metropolitan and several important capital towns across the country paving the way for movement of heavier haulage vehicles. Porter’s Five Forces Porter’s Five Forces of Competition framework views the profitability of an industry as determined by five sources of competitive pressure. These five forces of competition include three sources of â€Å"horizontal† competition: competition from substitutes, competition from entrants, and competition from established rivals; and two sources of â€Å"vertical† competition: the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers. The strength of each of these competitive forces is determined by a number of key structural variables, as shown in Figure 3. 3. FIGURE 3. 2 Porter’s Five Forces of Competition framework Competition from Substitutes The price customers are willing to pay for a product depends, in part, on the availability of substitute products. The absence of close substitutes for a product, as in the case of automobiles, means that consumers are comparatively insensitive to price (i. e. , demand is inelastic with respect to price). The existence of close substitutes means that customers will switch to substitutes in response to price increases for the product (i. e. , demand is elastic with respect to price). The extent to which substitutes limit prices and profits depends on the propensity of buyers to substitute between alternatives. This, in turn, is dependent on their price performance characteristics. The more complex the needs being fulfilled by the product and the more difficult it is to discern performance differences, the lower the extent of substitution by customers on the basis of price differences. FIGURE 3. 3 The structural determinants of the Five Forces of Competition Rivalry between Established Competitors For most industries, the major determinant of the overall state of competition and the general level of profitability is competition among the firms within the industry. In some industries, firms compete aggressively – sometimes to the extent that prices are pushed below the level of costs and industry-wide losses are incurred. In others, price competition is muted and rivalry focuses on advertising, innovation, and other non price dimensions. Six factors play an important role in determining the nature and intensity of competition between established firms: concentration, the diversity of competitors, product differentiation, excess capacity, exit barriers, and cost conditions. Threat of Entry If an industry earns a return on capital in excess of its cost of capital, that industry acts as a magnet to firms outside the industry. Unless the entry of new firms is barred, the rate of profit will fall toward its competitive level. The threat of entry rather than actual entry may be sufficient to ensure that established firms constrain their prices to the competitive level. * Economies of Scale – Since Indian automobile market is of order $ 350 billion, the economies of scale are very high. Thus, threat of new entrants is low. * Product Differences – Since there is hardly any difference in the offerings of the various providers, so product differentiation is low. So threat of new entrants is high. * Brand Identity – Since there is no big Retailer like Amazon. com or Wal-Mart in India. So threat of new entrants is high. * Government Policy – Since the Government Policy has been quite restrictive till now with respect to the Retail market & FDI, so threat of new entrants is low. * Capital Requirements – The capital requirements for entering in the automobile sector are substantially high( high fixed cost and cost of infrastructure), so only big names can think of venturing into this area So, in that respect threat of new entrants is low. * Access to distribution – Since in India there is no well established distribution network. So threat of new entrants is low. Bargaining Power of Buyers The firms in an industry operate in two types of markets: in the markets for inputs and the markets for outputs. In input markets firms purchase raw materials, components, and financial and labor services. In the markets for outputs firms sell their goods and services to customers (who may be distributors, consumers, or other manufacturers). In both markets the transactions create value for both buyers and sellers. How this value is shared between them in terms of profitability depends on their relative economic power. The strength of buying power that firms face from their customers depends on two sets of factors: buyers’ price sensitivity and relative bargaining power. * Product Differences – Since there is hardly any difference in the offerings of the various providers, so product differentiation is low. So bargaining power of buyers is high. * Buyer Information – Today’s customers are well educated about the various product offerings in the sector. So bargaining power of buyers is high. * Buyer Switching Costs – Since customers don’t have to pay a fat premium to be registered for provision of services , so bargaining power of buyers is high. * Brand Identity – High Brand Identity and trustworthiness reduce the bargaining power of buyers but, otherwise the bargaining power of buyers is high. * Buyer Profits – Since dealers offers discounts and various bundling services like 0% insurance, old car sale, etc, on different items. Hence bargaining power of buyers is high. Bargaining Power of Suppliers. Analysis of the determinants of relative power between the producers in an industry and their suppliers is precisely analogous to analysis of the relationship between producers and their buyers. The only difference is that it is now the firms in the industry that are the buyers and the producers of inputs that are the suppliers. The key issues are the ease with which the firms in the industry can switch between different input suppliers and the relative bargaining power of each party. * Product Differences – Since there is hardly any difference in the offerings of the various suppliers, so product differentiation is low. So bargaining power of Suppliers is low. * Supplier Information – Today’s automobile manufacturers are well educated about different Suppliers. So bargaining power of Suppliers is low. * Supplier Switching Costs – Since different Suppliers hold resources as per buyer’s requirements and a large inventory has to be maintained. So bargaining power of Suppliers is low as they would have to incur a huge cost on switching. But if they get automobile manufacturers for similar products who can pay higher Supplier switching cost is low. In such case, bargaining power of Suppliers is high. * Brand Identity – High Brand Identity and Trustworthiness of a Supplier increases the bargaining power of Suppliers. But, otherwise the bargaining power of suppliers is low. Measures for more Conducive Growth. The automobile industry across the world has great potential to trigger sustained employment, mobility, inter- sectoral industrial growth and thus conduce conditions for general economic and social well-being. However, there is need to promote and sustain international cooperation between Governments and industry. There is need for coordinated research and development, standardization of designs and broader technologies, effective cost cutting to enhance affordability and loosening of trade barriers across the globe. There are separate measures, which require addressing at the national and international levels. Some suggested steps at both levels are listed below. Suggestions at the national level. Further lessening the incidence of taxes and loosening of non-tariff barriers has to be attempted with a faster pace faster. A regime of single tax across the country is an ideal situation and possibilities of this should be explored. A vehicle retirement programme which will assist not only in fleet modernization and reduction of emission but will also provide quantum fillip to the demand should be put in place. There is a need to brief the international communities on technological and quality related capabilities of Indian automobile industry. Substantive efforts are required for educating opinion leaders and build a strong ‘Made in India’ brand in overseas markets. Existing incentives for promoting exports are considered inadequate. An institutional mechanism such as the Automobile Export Promotion Council, which can address industry-specific issues and facilitate exports is urgently required. Labor laws’ reforms to facilitate better productivity and reduction in manpower costs as has already been committed by the Government should be expedited. Greater tax incentive on expenditure incurred on research and development in automotive sector. Tariff rationalization and taming of avoidable competition between rail and road transport sectors should be carried out. In this unhealthy competition, both the industries are unable to realize their full potential. Easier availability of market credit for funding automobile acquisition is required. Despite lower interest rates, availability of easy credit in rural and semi-urban areas requires more focused attention. This can substantially spur the demand. Suggestions at the international level Serious and sustained dialogue on regional cooperation in automobile sector should begin at the earliest. Dialogue should be regular and focused in which Governments and industry should both engage. The recent statistics of custom duties show that the average tariff rates of different countries have declined. However, it has been noticed that the problem of high tariffs is still prevalent in certain sectors. These high tariffs are generally noticed in developed countries. Reduction of peak tariffs is necessary to facilitate free flow of automobiles. Non-tariff barriers should be phased out with mutual dialogue and consensus. Mutual recognition should be accorded to the testing and certification agencies in various countries. Countries should join hands in developing alternative fuels to replace the existing fossil fuels. Similar cooperation is required in other critical areas of technological development. Fragmented and limited research in each country may lead to delay and more expensive results. Affordability of quality automobiles should be focus of industry across the world to facilitate volumes and widespread ownership. Reasons of Growth. Economic liberalization, increase in per capita income, various tax relief policies, easy accessibility of finance, launch of new models and exciting discount offers made by dealers all together have resulted in to a stupendous growth of India automobile industry. Market Share Automobile industry of India can be broadly classified under passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, three wheelers and two wheelers, with two wheelers having a maximum market share of more than 75%. Automobile companies of India, Korea, Europe and Japan have a significant hold on the Indian market share. Tata Motors produces maximum numbers of mid and large size commercial vehicles, holding more that 60% of the market share. Motorcycles tops the charts of two wheelers with Hero Honda being the key player. Bajaj by far is the number one manufacturer of three wheelers in India. Passenger vehicle section is majorly ruled by the car manufacturers capturing over 82% of the total market share. Maruti since long has been the biggest car manufacturer and holds more that 50% of the entire market. Global recession has impacted, the Indian automobile industry also and can be seen clearly in the sales figures of the last financial year. Even then this industry has high hopes in 2009-2010, as banks have reduced loan interest rates and the major chuck of automobile customers belong to the middle income group who are becoming economically stronger with every passing day. Conclusions Easier and faster mobility of people and goods across the regions, countri.

Analysis Power of Computers Essay -- Computer Technology

Keywords- Family Similarity Recognition, Facial Feature Extraction, Face Detection, PCA, Image Database. I. INTRODUCTION Over the last thirty years or so, face recognition is an active research area in computer vision and one of the most successful applications of image analysis and understanding. Different algorithms have been proposed by researchers for solving this problem and many of them are considered as the state of the art. Nowadays, the face recognition problem is not only important in the research area, but it is vital in the commercial applications. A general statement of the face recognition problem can be formulated as follows: Given still or video images of a scene, identify or verify one or more persons in the scene using a stored database of faces. Due to this definition well-known algorithms such as PCA [24], ICA [1], LDA [28], EBGM [27], B... ... middle of paper ... ...e considered for it. For example, humans use terms such as "entire face of person A is similar to person B" or "eyes and eyebrows of person A are similar to person B" or "profile view of person A is similar to person B" to express the similarity criteria between people. With respect to these observations, three features are utilized in the proposed method include: "The Whole Face", "The Facial Features’ Perimeter" and "The Ratio between Facial Features". These features are selected from the frontal and side view images. The facial features’ perimeter includes forehead, eyebrows and eyes, nose, mouth, chin and cheek. The ratios between facial features’ point can be calculated from the distances that are evident in Figure 1. Utilizing ratio instead of distances between the facial features' point eliminates the dependency to the image scale. These ratios are as follow:

About the University Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

About the University - Case Study Example The organization will also be focused on offering a chance to pursue various programs without interferences, thereby eliminating hindrances brought about by various internal and external factors. Besides, this organization will be located in an area with tranquility in order to provide students with favorable environment for studying. Developing Global Goals for the Organization Social cognitive theory focuses on self-efficacy or self-direction, which is considered crucial being a predictor of people’s behaviors. Bandura (1997) establishes a shift regarding people’s reaction towards the past, present and future. Moreover, he argues that human behaviors are guided by their goals and results, which are projected into their future (Bandura, 1997). Crucial reflection of people’s self-efficacy is facilitated by their ability to control themselves and establish a self-reflection. There are situation that in this organization people may fail to live up to the standards that they have set for themselves. Nonetheless, there are researchers, which have been conducted by Bandura (1977) in the field of social cognitive theory, whereby he recognizes the actions that results to people’s ability to process information and make choices in accordance to the things they know in regard to consequences of their actions or actions of others. Team Development and Leadership Perspective As the team leader there is need to set dates for checking on the progress with the other members of team in order to facilitate its development. Moreover, this helped us to maintain the cohesiveness of the group and ensure that everyone behaving in accordance to the expectations of the group. There are three of the most  substantial  traits that a good leader should have in order to facilitate team development; in fact, these traits  are elaborated on the basis of leadership theories. According to Fiedler and Garcia (1987), one of the traits  is explained  in the Contingency Theories which expects the  successful  leaders be able to identify the clues in the environment and that they adapt with their leader behavior in order to meet the differentiated needs of their followers. The Vroom  leadership  theory expects them to participate in decision making. It also provides a set of rules for determination of participative decision making. The third trait is Transformational  leadership  that combines the behavioral theories with the trait theories, while being a Transactional leader I will guide  my group in the  direction  that will establish  objective  by clarify task requirements. Human Development Perspective While managing the human resource in this university, there will be need to focus on satisfying employees psychological and social needs. In this case, the psychological needs will involve motivating them to exercise persona control of their actions and self-efficacy. On the other hand, satisfaction of their soc ial needs will be achieved by empowering them by modeling programs of personal control in terms of the way they can cope with stress or criticism; in fact, this will involve offering them skills to enables them cope with circumstances that they are likely to face during their daily operations. In addition, empowerment will involve provision of relevant sources of knowledge, skills, and convictions, which can allow employees to control their lives. Diversity/Multicultural Perspective There is an interpretation of diversity, which includes the ways in

How has Identification Technology evolved in society through Research Paper

How has Identification Technology evolved in society through Biometrics - Research Paper Example Biometrics has had great impacts on science today and a long history over time. It has been greatly embraced by different individuals ranging from company holders to the government. All this is done for security purposes. Banks for instance use biometrics in iris recognition for the security of different account holders (Leeuw 2007). They are able to tell through use of iris recognition how withdrawals were made from ATMs by different customers. Government can use biometrics by carrying out facial scan n different criminals. This will be identified due to the uniqueness that each individual posses. In understanding the history of biometrics different researches have been carried out all over the world. Biometrics dates back in different ages. This scientific analysis was first identified in China when different merchants applied this technology in distinguishing the differences in different children using fingerprints. It is through this practice that biometrics technology has been developed (Lockie 2006). Another evidence of biometrics dates back in the 1980s, when an anthropologist sought to differentiate traits in different criminals. He noticed that there are different traits that do not change regardless of environmental factors, there noting that use of biometrics is important in ensuring that convicts do not escape from jail. Among this unchanging characteristics are the finger prints, the retina and finally the skull. This view by anthropologist was adopted by different professionals all over the world these are the doctors and the police. The biometric study was faced with different challenges due to the fact that there was low technological advancement. Due to this, here instances of errors in the data collected, but today we experience an improvement in this study due to the high technological knowhow all over the world. This is to mean that the chances of

The purpose of this assignment is to broaden awareness of the cardiac

The purpose of this is to broaden awareness of the cardiac client, and to evaluate the relevance of the article to nursing practice - Assignment Example The benefits of nursing support have been documented by various studies, and it has been found that such nurse led educational and support programs lead to improved understanding of the disease and a greater awareness of lifestyle changes that can lead to faster recovery, and reduce the risks of recurrence. In recent times health professionals have been focusing on ways of rehabilitating patients with cardiac ailments, in order to help them return to a normal life at the earliest. Studies have shown that this is possible when patients understand their condition; its causes and the lifestyle changes that will enable them regain their health and prevent such events in future. Kadda states that â€Å"The significant role of integrating education in a rehabilitation programme has been widely acknowledged by all health professionals†. (Kadda, 2012, pg 635) The article gives new insights into the mental stresses under which cardiac clients labor and health professionals could use these insights into the management of cardiac patients. Many health professionals are unaware of the psychological stress under which a patient labors, because they consider it a normal reaction to the stress of acute myocardial infarction. The fear in the patient’s mind and that of close family members is not taken into account; hence the problem persists despite medication. The dispelling of this fear and the reassurance that the patient can look forward to going back to a normal life; if certain precautions are taken and certain lifestyle changes are brought about, can go a long way in a faster recovery and prevention of recurrence. The article emphasizes the importance of educating patients and their families. Although this is essential, it has not received due recognition among the medical fraternity. This is due to a lack of trained personnel to impart this education, or lack of time on the part of health professionals or even patients; and

Italy Too Big to Fail and Too Big to Bail Essay

Italy Too Big to Fail and Too Big to Bail - Essay Example The huge economic deficit resulted in the restructuring of their debts. .The deficit could have reduced by austerity measures in former years, without considerably affecting the GDP. Lack of such foresight in fiscal matters has brought about the present crisis in countries like Greece, Ireland and Portugal. -Italy is a developed industrial country that arose rose from a sound agricultural background prevalent in the earlier years. Over the years,it had emerged into a developed industrial economy that was enviable even to superpowers like Germany and Greece. The debt crisis prevalent in in countries like Greece, Italy and Portugal the proved to be contagious to Italy also. During the second week of September 2011, Italy the third largest economy in the Euro zone plunged in to a debt crisis of slow growth in GDP and high debt. Italy has more than $1 trillion government debt which is in a high proportion compared to the total national output of $1.2 trillion. In this article, the author explores the present trend of higher rate of yielding of bonds that put the economy in such a serious condition necessitating to raise new bonds or to approach other financial institutions for a bail . The investors found it too risky to maintain their deposit in such a state of fiscal affairs. There was clear evidence of illiquidity in the financial market causing threat to investors. Italy’s economy is in a risky position now. In a regular circumstance, during the period of financial crisis in Eurozone countries, it is European Central Bank that takes the emergency measures to help the countries to overcome the crisis. crisis. However, with Italy, it is a very though task for both European central bank and for International monetary fund to bail out Italy. Very vigilant and highly expertise fiscal management is the need of the time. Prime concern is to be given to maintain faith in the investorsA budget management plan that does not affect the growth rate of the economy and restructure the debt is necessary. Italy is a huge economy and hence, any calamity can worsen the condition of its surrounding economies in the European Union. In Europe, economies of most of the other nations are also not in an enviable condition. Such a situation will also affect world economy. In this context, it will be helpful to examine the successful measures taken by governments such as Canada, Sweden, and Brazil etc where such negative signs of financial recession appeared in the earlier years. Italy can definitely overcome this situation, but once the control is destroyed a coming back will not be possible because the entire Eurozone as a whole would have been put into such a serious situation that is too difficult to manage. The author of the article tries to view the situation from the US perspective and the critical question that he raises is whether the US financial authorities have seriously taken into account the European experience in the debt crisis. However, recent developments in US economy have revealed that the US Treasury Department and White House has been paying rapt attention over economies all over the globe. The United States stands ready to help Europe with its debt crisis. Recently, in a meeting at white house, President Obama expressed his readiness to help the European Union in the present financial crisis. However, he has not put f orward any definite measures in

Varieties of Judgment in the Critique of Pure Reason Assignment

Varieties of Judgment in the Critique of Pure Reason - Assignment Example As a result, while synthetic judgments are informative, they must be justified by referring to external or outside principles. On this theme, Kant begins by supposing that both Hume and Leibniz had not properly between the two distinct forms of judgment and that, in fact, they had made only one distinction, which was the difference between uninformative truths on the basis of pure reason and factual matters on the basis of sensory experience (Kant 37). Kant argues that the two distinctions were not wholly coextensive; also stating that all four combinations that are logically possible should be taken into consideration. The first combination, analytic a posteriori judgments, is not logical because one does not need to use experience in order to support an assertion that is purely explicative. Secondly, synthetic a posteriori judgments would be considered as generally uncontroversial facts that humans come to know of because of their sensory experience (Kant & Hatfield 45). Thirdly, analytic a priori judgments are those that are necessarily true because they include all straightforward definitions and merely logical truths. Finally, synthetic a priori judgments can be considered as the most crucial case from Kant’s arguments, specifically because they can only provide necessarily true new information.

Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Humanities - Essay Example This comparison in the simile echoes a similar instance in Book 2, which described Aeneas first reaction to the Greek invasion of Troy. In both of these portrayals, Aeneas was unaware of his surroundings. Furthermore, in Dido’s comparison with the wounded deer, there is the suggestion that she is not entirely innocent and that she was more responsible for her plight than Aeneas. The queen’s passion and her own desires have led her to her suffering. These made her respond to her feelings not entirely as a rational and sentient person but a wounded animal. With the deer-simile, the reader sees Dido’s transformation from an earlier huntress representation, with her comparison to Diana, to being the hunted – organized for Aeneas enjoyment and amusement. The hunter became Aeneas whose divine appearance and standing inspired a hint of Bacchic frenzy. The deer-simile functioned in several other ways as well. The simile, for instance, highlighted Didos nature as a lover and by representing temptation and a kind of love that would lull a man to choose the easier and more comfortable path, established how she was reduced to a mere test of Aeneads character, a test that he must face before he could reach Italy. Dido’s role would be relegated to an experience, which was designed to strengthen Aeneas worth as a man. With Dido as the â€Å"wounded deer† as illuminated in the previous explanation, Aeneas was presented with a major crisis that he must overcome in order to carry on with his destiny. Dido and Aeneas with the deer-simile also came to be compared with the tragedy of doomed lover - those caught in the clutches of warring dieties. The hunter and the deer became victims of forces that are beyond their control. Venus and Juno are the main puppeteers in this tragedy, without them the story could have trudged on differently. With the deities’ power and selfish interests: Venus, with her intent in preserving Aeneas line; and, Juno with her hatred for

Are Both Alien and Sedition Act and Hartford Convention No Longer Rele Coursework

Are Both Alien and Sedition Act and Hartford Convention No Longer Relevant - Coursework Example The Alien and Sedition Acts were signed into law by President John Adams in 1798. The Alien Act was approved on July 6, 1798. The Alien Act which was an Act Respecting Alien Enemies had three sections while the Sedition Act also is known as An Act in Addition to the Act, Entitled "An Act for the Punishment of Certain Crimes against the United States had four sections.It was very apparent during those times that Federalists composed more than half of the Members of the Congress. With this advantage, they enacted laws that aim to place limitations and restrictions on the rights of immigrants in the United States. The Alien Act was viewed to be a way of threatening the Irish immigrants.In general, this act increased the residency requirement for American citizenship. It was initially five years and was increased to fourteen years. Aside from this, the President was given the authorization to imprison or deport aliens who were proven to be "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States". The Act also defined the role of the courts and marshals to apprehend convene and remove aliens who were considered to be threats to the safety and peace of the United States.The Sedition Act aimed to silence and to limit the freedom of speech and freedom of the press. With the majority of the Congress in the hands of the Federalists, this was also viewed as their tactic to confine and contain the power and strength of the Republicans. This Act stated that any persons who gather together with the goal of challenging, questioning or opposing the implementation of the law of the United States were to subject to imprisonment of not less than six months and not exceeding five years with an additional fine of five thousand dollars.  

The Elements of Persuasion Essay Example for Free

The Elements of Persuasion Essay Persuasion cannot be complete without the three main forms of rhetoric (the ethos, logos, and pathos), the basic purpose of the writer or speaker, the approach to the audience, as well as the style of delivery. The word ‘rhetoric’ pertains to â€Å"the art of speaking or writing effectively† (Carl D. Perkins Foundation 2005), and this is fixed in Barack Obama’s 2004 Democratic National Convention Address that was delivered at the Fleet Center of Boston, Massachusetts. With a context centered on Americans hearing the true political mission of the 2004 Democratic Party, the speech’s basic purpose was set mainly on three things: (1) delivering the basic mission and principle of the Democratic Party; (2) persuading voters toward the line of the Democratic Party; and (3) expanding the positive side of Obama and his party for political purposes. He magnificently used the elements of persuasion and influenced millions of American voters by operating the schemes of successful persuasion. Main Body With the speech entitled as ‘The Audacity of Hope’, Obama talks about big dreams and diversity in America through his family background, then about the greatness of America, the beliefs and values of John Kerry, what should be done, the unity of the country, and, lastly, the audacity of hope. In the overall, Obama’s speech can be divided into the following: (1) the greatness of his family line; (2) the greatness of the Americans; (3) the greatness of John Kerry; and (4) unity and hope. He starts with his self, then connects to his family, then to the other Americans, then points to John Kerry for hope and unity. It was organized that way because it points to the literal meaning of ‘unity’ and ‘connection’ that are among his basic themes. It is centered on the argument that, despite war, despair, shattered dreams, and social and economic hardships, there is still the existence of hope, care, and unity, which are what â€Å"makes this country work. It is what allows us to pursue our individual dreams and yet still come together as one American family† (Obama 4). His argument is actually very significant because 21st century has unfolded with national catastrophe, such as wars, economic problems, deficiency of the government’s capacity in truly supporting the needs of the American people†¦ to name only a few. Pertaining to incidents that connect to present occurrences relate to audiences and energize them that, amidst the negativity, there are still much more left that can be the source of American hope and dignity. This talk centered on hope is what Obama could have perceived to be the basic thing Americans would want to hear about. They want to hear why they should trust the Democratic Party, why they should honor the Democratic Party, why they should vote for the Democratic Party. The National Convention Address reflects an audience that need to hear what they most aspire for in their lives. For this reason, Obama used ‘ethos’ that would emotionally touch the hearts of the audience. He established it by, first, trying to convince people that he is no different from the lowly ones and the colored ones (i. e. , his character, sentiments); and, second, by trying to convince people that what he dreams of is no different from what other Americans dream of (i. . , hope, unity, success). This makes the audience feel emotionally attached to the speaker, since what he conveys are things that are personally felt and experienced by the common people in America. As an effect, they are able to relate well to the message that Obama has had for them. As for his logical appeals, Obama made some key points, such as the following: Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our Nation—not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise†¦ that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. (Obama 2) This logic appeals to diversity and equality of all men (most precisely the Americans). It points to the right to achieve a sustainable life, as well as happiness and liberty. Another logic is centered on the following lines: â€Å"It is that fundamental belief: I am my brother’s keeper. I am my sister’s keeper that makes this country work. It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams and yet still come together as one American family† (Obama 4). This logic conversely appeals to the significance of unity, brotherhood, and how they relate to success and achievement. The two statements appeal to the audience basically because it reminds them that the nation is merely one, and that the greatness of America sprouts from the fact that each one asserts to his brother’s dignity, protection, and custody. Conclusion Rhetorical persuasion refers to delivering a message effectively in order to persuade the audience into acting out a certain decree, deed, or pursuit that would primarily benefit the speaker or writer and, for most of the time, the audience, too, or the reader. Obama’s speech turned out to be really effective to his primary audience basically because the elements of persuasion are arranged in a manner that is apt to its context, its purpose, and its audience. The topics are clear and simple yet captivating, as it captures the heart and soul of those who hear it. Thus, it is evident that writing a persuasive rhetoric does not end up with what the speaker or writer would want to say; it also have something to do with what the audience or readers would want to hear given a specific state of environment. To connect to people, there has to be certain key points or ideas that mentally connect the speaker to the audience through the use of logic, emotion, style, and approach. Thus, the basic purposes are fantastically met.

Consumer Behaviour Double Jeopardy Essay Example for Free

Consumer Behaviour Double Jeopardy Essay The theory of Double Jeopardy is described as a behavioural phenomenon which relates to the size structure of a market (Bandyopadhyay, Gupta Dube 2005). This indicates that in any given time a smaller brand typically has fewer buyers compared to those of a larger brand as larger brands often have a higher percentage of penetration and market share (Ehrenberg, Goodhardt Barwise 1990). A brand with more market share indicates that consumers purchase these brands more frequently compared to other brands. There are a number of reasons why this occurs. For example firms offering products that a consumer perceives as better quality and value, will grow larger (Jacobson 1988). Also, a firm that creates power advantages by introducing inferior products which competitors cannot offer to customer’s also results in a higher market share. Careful analyses of all team members’ individual purchases over the tracking period, it can be noted that a large number of different brands were consumed. By viewing the Duplication of Purchases Table for fast food, out of all the 11 types of brands, McDonalds and Max Brennars were the most frequently purchased brands resulting in a higher percentage of penetration and market share compared to other brands. This is because McDonalds and Max Brennars have multiple locations within Australia which provides better access to customers, both brands participate in extensive television and both brands provide regular promotions in order to make customers more alert and aware. These facts all enforce the theory of the double jeopardy; larger brands have more buyers and have a higher market share. To review the occurrence of the Double Jeopardy effect, Ehrenberg et al. (1990) states that there exists two market level explanations. The first market level consists of the differences in consumer exposure to the market mix efforts (price, promotion, advertising, point of purchase display, discount) of a brand. If a brand has less consumer exposure, it is more likely to suffer (Ehrenberg et al. 990) because they have fewer buyers and lower repeat purchase. Looking at the DOP tables for fast food, TGI Friday’s and Koko Black displayed as the least frequently purchased brands. A reason why these two fast food outlets were the least purchased brands is because of their location as many customers may not have close access to it. Another reason is because there is not much advertising and promotion when compared to fast food outlets such as McDonalds and Max B rennars. The second market level relies on stochastic models of buying behaviour (Ehrenberg et al. 1990) which helps predict the Double Jeopardy trends for competitive brands. This is solely based on the heterogeneity in popularity such as the market share as earlier research shows that the average customer of smaller brands buys less, have lower favourable attitude and manifest lower loyalty than the average customer of larger brands (Ehrenberg et al. 1990).

Philosophy And Methods For Data Collection Management Essay

Philosophy And Methods For Data Collection Management Essay This chapter looks at the research methodology and any limitations or potential problems in context to the researchers investigation of the leadership styles and their effects in influencing military divers safety perceptions, participation and acceptance of safety change within the MOD. The relevant sub-sections will specifically detail the selected strategy subscribed to in pursuit of answers to the research questions and the way in which data was gathered, analysed and utilised, and will further: Discuss the research strategy plan and considerations; Explain the reasons for the data collection methods adopted; Present the framework for data analysis and the techniques chosen to achieve the research goals. Both Bryman and Bell (2010) and Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2009) provide clear direction and full explanation of the layers connected with research strategy and design in terms relating to research: philosophies, approaches, strategies, methods, time horizons, technique and procedures. Figure 3-1 gives graphic representation of the Research Onion as presented by Saunders et al. (2009, p. 108). For a researcher Saunders et al. (2009, p. 108) advocates that the philosophy adopted is an important assumption about the way the world is viewed, and will underpin the research strategy and methods chosen. Saunders et al. (2009, p. 107) quantifies that The over-arching term research philosophy relates to the development of knowledge and the nature of that knowledge. The researcher view for this study is subjectivist, adopting an interpretivism philosophy combined with an inductive approach. Subjectivism is the interpretation of the meaning that individuals attach to group life occurrences; in context the researcher understands the social interaction between diving supervisors and subordinates relating to maintenance and acceptance of diving safety (Saunders et. al. 2009, p. 111). Interpretivism is the appreciation of the differences between individuals as social players; key to this will be the researcher adopting an empathetic position to enter the group world of the research subjects to fully experience and appreciate their viewpoint as far as he is able (Saunders et. al. 2009, p. 116). Inductive research approach (formulation of theory); adopting this approach allowed the researcher to gain a better understanding of people, and their attachment, in real world situations, whilst providing a greater degree of flexibility to allow changes to research emphasis as the project progressed (Saunders et. al. 2009, p. 126). The objectives for this study are set within the context of a military high risk operational diving organisation and are looking to: Identify the leadership style that best influences military divers safety perceptions, participation and acceptance of safety change. Explore the military divers concepts of safety leadership and their understanding of the defence diving safety climate. Examine the attitudes and perceptions of military divers to the organisational and technological safety changes, and the leadership of these changes. A key aspect of value to this research is the opportunity, as identified during the literature review, to bridge a gap in existing research to associate an effective leadership style, with improved safety: education, participation and acceptance of change within a dynamic and diverse high risk defence military diving environment. The people of the armed forces are the key component from leadership to subordinate, and the integration between the two will determine the success and achievement of the maritime fighting operational capability. The chosen research philosophy is proposed as effectively allowing the researcher to understand the social interaction between leadership and those they command, to gain an appreciation of the differences between individuals and the roles they perform, and to understand the values that individuals attach to safety events in the setting of a frontline operational FDG. This research is a conscious effort to assist the military command to analyse and d evelop safety leadership skills, and equally important, educate and encourage others, whilst gaining an understanding of subordinates perception and perspective of the military diving safety climate. Figure 3-1. The Research Onion (Saunders et al., 2009, p. 108) 3.2 Research Strategy In the process of framing a clear overall research plan due consideration has been given to the research project in terms of the objectives and research questions relative to the purpose of this study. The research strategy choice is led by the research questions and objectives, the amount of existing knowledge, time constraints and the resources available, supported by the researchers philosophical foundation (Saunders et. al. 2009, p. 141). This research involves serving military personnel within three operational units in the organisational structure of the FDG. The research purpose is a practical investigation with the study emphasis looking at a situation in order to explain the association between effective leadership styles and subordinate participation, perception and acceptance of safety change within a safety focused organisation. Within the context of this study, and linking the relevancy of the research methodology to the research project objectives and questions, the researcher justifies the selection of an explanatory case study strategy as the key research paradigm. A case study concentrating on the FDG as the organisation, and the three embedded FDUs within as the sub-units, will provide an empirical investigation of present military diving safety leadership within its real life operational context using multiple sources of evidence. The researcher has identified the following reasons for selecting the chosen strategy as the most appropriate: The emphasis is on studying a situation or problem in order to explain the relationships between variables (changeable military operational diving environment), Saunders et al. (2009, p. 140) explains studies that establish casual relationships between variables are termed explanatory research. Explanatory case studies centre on trying to find out explain why something happens. Biggam (2011, p. 118) cites Cohen and Manion (1995) who describe that the case study researcher typically observes the characteristics of an individual unit (single case study) or number of units (multiple case study); the purpose of such observation is to probe deeply and to analyse intensely the different phenomena that constitute the life cycle of the unit or units. Saunders et al. (2009, p. 145) supports a case study strategy by citing Robson (2002) who defines case study as a strategy for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real life context using multiple sources of evidence. Saunders et al. (2009, p. 146) advocates that the adoption of a case study strategy will give a rich understanding of the context of the research, and the processes being enacted and the ability to generate answers to research questions that seek a range of different kinds of evidence. Ethical Review A University of Portsmouth Ethics Approval Form Students has been completed at Appendix 1. Ethical implications have been considered in terms of this research strategy and the key ethical issues affecting participants regarding: safety, harm, embarrassment, stress, privacy consent, confidentiality have all been carefully covered and have been fully documented within that document. The Information Sheet and Consent Form at Appendix 3 were utilised, which clearly provides information regarding participant involvement and anonymity. 3.3 Data Collection Two data collection techniques that are commonly used within research are quantitative and qualitative. Bryman and Bell (2010, p. 26-27) outlines that quantitative research is a strategy that emphasizes quantification in the collection and analysis of data (numeric); whereas qualitative research is a strategy that accentuates words (non-numeric). Saunders et al. (2009, p. 151) gives further explanation in that the research data collection technique chosen will be guided by the research questions, which if clearly formulated will effectively determine the method used to answer them. A military diving organisation, operating within a high risk complex environment, has many sources of data that can be drawn from to facilitate a better understanding of the people, and their attachment, in this real world situation. Focusing on the keywords to identify, explore and examine it was decided to use a mixed methods approach which allows for different data collection techniques to establish an outcome from more than one angle (thereby offering a measure of triangulation). The emphasis for data gathering concentrated on the use of questionnaires, and researcher participant observation to collect primary data from a sample source of fifty-three personnel serving within the FDG units, giving a confidence level of 95% with a 1% margin of error. The rank range of the fifty-three personnel was CDR to AB; RN rank hierarchy structure is presented at Figure 3-2. Secondary data was sourced from organisational documentation. Figure 3-2. RN Rank Hierarchy Structure. The literature search strategy was conducted via the University of Portsmouth Library intranet, using the databases Science Direct, Web of Knowledge, Emerald, Business Source Premier and Ebrary e-book reference library. The key search words used and combinations are detailed in Table 3-1. Google Scholar Advance was also utilised using the same key words. The military Defence Intranet was used to source and review military reports, documents and publications. The researchers of the articles all come from reliable academic and professional backgrounds; as research authors they have been attributed with academic articles in credible publications on the topic and related issues of leadership and management competency. Table 3-1. Key Research Search Words Key Search Words Leadership Safety Military Perception Style(s) Climate Effective Indicators Commitment Transactional Transformational Training Occupational Workplace Acceptance Models Health and Safety Executive Commercial Organisations Passive Participation Change Criteria 3.4 Framework for Data Analysis Bryman and Bell (2010, p. 571) suggest that one of the central complications with qualitative research is that it very quickly generates a bulky, cumbersome database due to dependence on text in the form of field notes, interview transcripts, or documents. The task of framing research data for analysis is a process of describing, analysing and interpreting the collected empirical data (Biggam, 2011, p. 113). Saunders et al. (2009, p. 490) put forward the use of qualitative analysis processes such as summarising (condensation), categorisation (grouping), and structuring (ordering) of meanings from collected data, and that all of these can be used in isolation or in combination to support interpretation of data. Saunders et al. (2009, p. 491) outlines that the procedures for analysing qualitative data can be highly structured, whereas others adopt a much lower level of structure. In contrast quantitative data analysis in the forms of graphs, charts and statistics allow for presentation , description and examination of data to establish trends (Saunders et al. 2009, p. 414). In support of an inductive research approach primary quantitative data was analysed using tabular and pie chart representation, and qualitative data by summarising and narrative thematic analysis. The data gathering process included the use of questionnaires to gather quantitative data and field notes were taken as part of the participant observations to gather qualitative data. Figure 3-3 presents the adopted quantitative and qualitative analysis process for this research project. As research developed related information and ideas were recorded by the use of interim summaries and self-memo as analytical aids. Figure 3-3. Data Analysis Process Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis Process Compare Findings (Literature Review) Collect Data Analysis Process Group Themes and Issues Perform Analysis (Interpret what is happening 3.5 Limitations and Potential Problems The selection of a particular research strategy is determined as Saunders et al. (2009, p. 108) suggests by the researchers view of the nature of reality or being (ontology), the view regarding what constitutes acceptable knowledge (epistemology), and the view of the role of values in research (axiology). In terms of this research project the adopted philosophy is that of interpretivism; comprehension of the differences between individuals as group players (Saunders et al. (2009, p. 119). To support this rationale and provide clarification, this research is focused on an investigation amongst individuals within an organisation and the importance of gaining a better understanding of the differences between the leadership and follower human factors and the roles that these differences play. The emphasis for the use of an inductive (formulation of theory) approach and the link with adopting an interpretivism philosophy is based on the following key aspects: The research is value bound and the author is part of what is being researched and cannot be separated and so will be subjective (Saunders et al. (2009, p. 119) The authors view regarding acceptable knowledge is subjective focusing on the details of the situation and the reality behind these details (Saunders et al. (2009, p. 119) Research emphasis is on mixed method (quantitative and qualitative) data collection from a small sample with a purpose of in-depth investigation to gain an impression of what is going on at the coalface, so as to understand better the nature of the situation. The Case Study is a research strategy that has been employed by researchers to tackle and offer an understanding of real-life issues across a broad range of study areas. Saunders et al. (2009, p. 146) suggest as a strategy the case study is considered apt in generating answers to Why?, What? and How? questions which as a strategy will be of particular importance for this safety research where the aim is to gain a deep understanding of the situation and the procedures being performed (Saunders et al. 2009, p. 146). Contemplation of the rationale for this investigative project and the use of multiple method data collection and analysis techniques best fit the influences and aim of an investigative research project into real-life safety leadership and management in context to a high reliability military organisation. Bryman and Bell (2010, p. 42) suggest that a research method is simply a technique for collecting data, and an essential criterion for business research is that the study is reliable (dependable), can be replicated (confirmability), and is valid (credible), therefore it is vital to ensure that data collection and analysis is relevant to ensure the study is focused and concise. The time-frame associated with this research project will only permit a snapshot to be taken at a particular time and as suggested by Saunders et al. (2009, p. 155) a cross-sectional time horizon best suits academic research projects of this type. Consideration of the short time frame and small sample group; ke y to this research projects success is therefore centred in the selection of multiple research methods with focus on empirical data collection from questionnaires and participative observation techniques to collect primary data, supported by secondary data collection from organisational documentation. Use of a mixed methods approach can yield better prospects to answer the research questions and evaluate the extent to which findings may be trusted and inferences made (Saunders et. al. 2009, p. 160). Saunders et. al. (2009, p. 156) discuss the credibility of research findings with reference to reliability (that data collection and analysis produce consistent results) and validity (that results are actually about what they seem to be about). The selected research approach is considered to provide reliability; the researcher was mindful of the threats such as participant and observer error and bias, which could present threats to reliability. In an effort to combat participant prejudices and inaccuracy anonymity was maintained throughout, and questionnaires were completed at a selected time that as far as possible prevented external influence. To mitigate against observer partialities and mistakes accurate field notes where maintained during observations, and embedded periods where spent with each FDG unit to gain a real sense of the situation, recording actual events as they occurred rather than relying on memory. The researcher has delivered consistent and valid research which ha s investigated safety leadership and the concepts and perception of military divers as set out within this chapter in the context of real military missions and rehearsals; where their has been risk of equipment failure, individual error and environment issues at all times.

Camping †My Only Refuge :: Personal Narrative Writing

Camping – My Only Refuge Every night when I lie down to sleep, I can hear the continuous, buzzing echo of the day's residue. The cacophony of sound that gets trapped in my head all day long begins its slow release: the ringing of phones like calculated screams, the falling of fingers on key boards like pelting leaden raindrops, people barking orders at me as if they were the only masters I am obliged to serve. The faces of these monsters I see in my mindwarped and twisted, still yelling, demanding, screeching. They circle around and taunt me. It is guilt that makes it so my eyes are wide and bloodshot while my mind throbs and my body aches for sleep. I should stay awake longer. . .there is more I can accomplish, more work to be done. I can push myself just a little bit moreand I should. A go-getter wants more from herself than others expect, and the monsters are an ample challenge; they're insatiable. There is a fun house in my mind and all I want to do is sleep. Every day my alarm sounds, my eyes crack open. I throw the covers off and feel the surge of frigid air, tired and grumpy and cursing the day for its fast arrival. It seems as if I never slept...all my days are like those before them, separated only by the nightmares that mirror them. My body craves a shower but the clock on the wall says "No." I gather together the assignments that kept me up well past the change of day and hope they are as good as they seemed at 3:45 a.m. My stomach rumbles with indigestion from the 2 a.m. pepperoni and olive pizza. I grab a stale but clammy slice from the card board box on the floor and head out the door. This is the start that propels me into my day. By 7:30 am I am roaming the streets, video camera in hand, searching for the latest news. It is my job to pry into miserable people's lives to disclose the boring facts about their boring lives. And they get frustrated and angry with me? Deadline is 11:30, but my six-hour class marathon begins at 10:00; at best I'm allotted two and a half hours to film, script, and edit a news package for the class that will make or break me as a broadcast journalism major.

Gunslingers :: essays research papers

Gunslingers The wall beside Gerard exploded as a high velocity bullet struck the already heavily battered bricks and sent them shattering outwards in a spray of red shards. Gerard stood still, one hand casually flicking the ignition wheel on his lighter. As he lit the end of his cigarette, another volley of bullets stuck the wall behind which he was hiding. Bullet holes riddled it like holes in a Swiss cheese, and the cover was becoming steadily more useless. He took a puff and tucked the black lighter back into the pocket of his trench coat. He put two fingers to the cigarette and removed it from his lips to breath out the slow stream of smoke whilst his opponent continued to waste his bullets and his time shooting aimlessly at Gerard. A row of bullets riddled the wall five feet to his right and he called out, â€Å"Hey, nearly got me that time.† In a mocking voice. His enemy muttered a curse and Gerard heard the sound of footsteps approaching. The cowardly bastard had called for backup. Oh well, the more the merrier. A fresh stream of shots, this time from a multi-barreled rotary cannon spat out along Gerard’s cover. He watched with casual indifference as the red brick wall slowly disintegrated around him, slowly reducing his cover to just the tiny section of masonry that he hid behind. There was an ominous silence broken only by the sudden thump as an entire section of wall collapsed to the ground. Gerard heard the sound of one of his adversaries reloading their weapon. He dropped the cigarette on the ground and stamped it out with his boot. He reached within his trench coat and withdrew a shining silver revolver. He slowly and almost carelessly loaded one shot after another into the weapon, occasionally jerking his head to one side as a stray bullet clipped the edge of the wall. As he placed the last shot in the ancient weapon he spun the wheel and gripped the handle. He then paused for a moment until his opponent’s clip ran dry again and he heard the sound of the rotary cannon be ing loaded again. Gerard took one step to the left and with barely a glance calculated exactly how far his opponents were from him. In the same fluid motion as he completely removed himself from cover, he leveled the revolver at the two enforcers across the deserted plaza from him and squeezed the trigger.

Examining Historical Document of the Pinkerton National Detective Agenc

Butch Cassidy and his gang of outlaws have had a profound effect on America during the late 1800s. Because of this infamous â€Å"Wild Bunch,† the famous Pinkerton National Detective Agency produced many wanted ads for these criminals. One of these timeless works was made by the Pinkerton Agency and ended up in the hands of my college's library. This piece of historical literature dates back to about hundred years ago which has descriptions of each of Butch Cassidy and others who rode with him on his adventurous, risk taking journeys around the country. This antique piece of paper is very significant for it’s time period and is in still decent shape. Other than some tears around the corners, you can still read the entire page without a problem. This document has aged well, but still has changed its color to a brownish-beige. It also looks as if it was in either a book or a newspaper made to notify Americans of the crazed outlaws on the loose. A printing press was used to make this notification for the Pinkerton Agency, which was an astounding invention of its time to speed up the process of getting newspapers out to the public. To track down the famed â€Å"Wild Bunch,† the Pinkertons set this document with detailed descriptions of each outlaw with their picture and name underneath it. This particular antique was produced on Opera House Block in Denver Colorado. With the Pinkerton’s report, this helped catch some of the most vicious outlaws of their time. There were many men in the gang that terrorized the wes tern frontier, but the most notorious six were named and described on the document. George Parker, Harry Longbaugh, Camilla Hanks, Harvey Logan, Ben Page 2 Kilpatrick, and William Carver were all mentioned with their... ...y stole $97.00. Another important name mentioned was Ben Kilpatrick who was a native Texan, but eventually Page 5 left home and ventured into Wyoming and Utah. This is where he met Elzy Lay, who was a good friend of Butch Cassidy. Lastly, was William Carver who was also a native Texan who went by the name â€Å"B.L.† Carver. He began his life working on a ranch as a cowboy, but soon turned to the malicious ways of Butch Cassidy. He met Butch Cassidy while at a hideout called the Robbers Roost in Utah and rode with them until his death in 1901. In conclusion, this reckless group of men were constantly a focal point of their capture by the famous Pinkerton National Detective Agency during the late 18th century. With this piece of profound literature, we know a little more about our past and what it was like for these men during the time of the old wild west.

Employee Resourcing and Development Essay

Employee resourcing and development is essential to all organisations and highly contributes towards the organisations success. Employee resourcing is ‘the part of human resource management which focuses on the recruitment and release of individuals from organisation’ and ‘the management of their performance and potential while employed by the organisation’ (Pilbeam & Corbridge, 2010). Employee development is ‘the process & facilitation of learning and knowledge that support business goals, develop individual potential and respect and build on diversity’ (Harrison, R., 2009). Employee resourcing and development can significantly add value to an organisation and help to cement the HR business partnership, and this essay will critically analyse the extent to which resourcing and development activities do so. Absence Management Employee absence levels can have substantial negative impacts on organisations; and therefore it is becoming increasingly common to see organisations introducing new, or revising existing, absence management programmes. A study from CIPD found that the ‘annual median cost of absence per employee was  £595’ (CIPD, 2013); costing the UK economy  £17 billion per year (ACAS, 2010). If an employee is absent from work it is highly likely that the organisation will be faced with both direct and indirect costs. Direct costs being those associated with the hiring of, and paying for, temporary staff while the particular employee(s) are absent (ACAS, 2010); Statutory Sick Pay if the employee is absent for 4 or more days in a row; occupational sick pay, if it is part of the particular organisations terms and conditions (GOV.UK, 2013). Secondly, indirect costs are those related to low morale amongst remaining colleagues, who may be expected to take on extra responsibilities as a result of the absence; decreased customer satisfaction, if temporary members of staff are not adequately knowledgeable in particular areas of customer interest; reduced reputation with both customers and potential employees, potentially affecting future business; decreased performance and productivity, as a result of demotivation of remaining colleagues and lack of staff in relation to workload. All of which can significantly impact upon organisational efficiency and effectiveness  (Pilbeam & Corbridge, 2009). Efficient absence management can reduce the detrimental effects that employee absence can have on an organisation, and can also be seen to contribute towards added value. The study carried out by CIPD found that ‘return-to-work interviews and trigger mechanisms†¦ are ranked among the most effective approaches for managing short-term absence’ (CIPD, 2013). A return-to-work interview is a crucial part of an absence management programme – welcoming empl oyees back to work following their absence and checking that the employee is well enough to return to work (ACAS, 2010). If an employee returns to work before being fully recovered there is the chance that the employee will take longer to return to full health, reducing productivity and potentially resulting in them being absent again in the near future, and possibly for a longer period. There is also the risk that they could pass on their illness to other colleagues resulting in further absences (Robson, 2006) and further impacts on productivity. Read more: Essay on Developing and Assessing Employees The return-to-work interview also allows organisations to identify the cause of the employee’s absence and to assess whether their absence was work-related (ACAS, 2010). This then enables the organisation to take steps to prevent the same employee, or other employees, being absent for similar reasons in the future; this may include training updates in health and safety for example. The cost of such changes will be potentially outweighed by the benefits, by reducing employee absence levels in the long-term. A return-to-work interview may also outline the underlying reasons for absence, such as the employee having to take care of an elderly relative (ACAS, 2010). In these circumstances an organisation may decide to develop different working arrangements with that particular employee, for example flexible working. Flexible working allows the organisation to fit around the employee’s schedule, potentially reducing the number of days that the employee needs to take off work unexpectedly as a result of their circumstances; thus reducing the negative impact that unexpected absences can have on productivity and associated costs. It also enables organisations to plan ahead – if they know that a particular employee is going to be off work then they can recruit temporary/part-time staff to fill in on these days; reducing the impact that the extra workload could have on colleagues stress levels and allows the organisation to maintain levels of productivity. The effectiveness of flexible working and the extent to which  it adds value, however, relies heavily on whether or not it is valued by the employees themselves (Hodge, 2009); therefore this should be investigated prior to it being implemented. As previously mentioned trigger mechanisms, such as the Bradford Factor is also found to have an ‘overwhelmingly positive impact on absence’ (CIPD, 2013, p. 31). The Bradford Factor is a ‘mechanism for weighting frequency of sickness absence’ (Pilbeam & Corbridge, 2009 p. 340). Such management techniques of monitoring absence increase productivity and reduce levels of absenteeism; which in the long-term will reduce organisational costs, resulting in increased profit. A study looking into the impact of positive intervention in absence management found that trigger mechanisms reduced absenteeism, especially if sick pay was withdrawn or there was the threat of disciplinary action (Baker-McClearn, et al., 2010). However , this was also found to ‘contribute to low morale, lack of commitment to work, stress and anxiety’ (Baker-McClearn, et al., 2010), all of which could potentially lead to reduced productivity resulting in increased costs. There was also a close link found between the use of trigger mechanisms and increasing levels of presenteeism (Baker-McClearn, D. et al., 2010). Presenteeism can be used to describe people ‘who, despite†¦ ill health†¦ are still turning up at their job’ (Unison. 1999, as cited in Baker-McClearn, et al., p. 311). For example, employees would come into work feeling unwell as, one, they couldn’t afford to remain absent if not receiving sick pay and two, they were frightened of the consequences disciplinary action would bring. This has severe impacts upon productivity, with findings showing that ‘productivity drops from 75% on ‘normal days’ to 55% on ‘sick days’’ (Newcombe, T., 2013). Ther efore, although the Bradford Factor is effective in reducing absenteeism, it is questionable whether the benefits of this outweigh the negative impacts on the employee and the impacts that presenteeism can have on the organisation. As previously mentioned, HR aims to improve employee productivity through absence management. This consequently improves employee performance, which contributes towards organisational objectives, such as improving performance – potentially leading to increased profit margins. Therefore the alignment of the HR practitioner’s objectives with the business manager’s objectives helps to reinforce the business partnership; with both partners working together to  achieve organisational objectives. Employee Well-Being Employee well-being has been defined by CIPD as ‘creating an environment to promote a state of contentment which allow employees to flourish and achieve their full potential for the benefit of themselves and their organisation’ (Pilbeam & Corbridge, 2009, p. 416). It is becoming increasingly common to see organisations adopting measures designed to promote employee health and well-being; as organisational researchers have found that dysfunctional employee well-being can have widespread costs for the organisation (Wright & Chuang, 2012). For instance, employee well-being strategies aim to create a healthier workforce which consequently leads to reduced absence levels. Therefore, as a result, this then leads to a reduction in the significant financials costs related to employee absence (Bevan, S., 2010). Employee well-being also aims to target long-term absence related to depression and anxiety; both of which prove to be ‘more complex and costly to manage, and have m ore significant consequences for employers’ (Bevan, S., 2010, p. 11). Therefore, it is likely that the costs of implementing such well-being policies will be outweighed by the significant savings and increased added value that will be seen as a result. These measures have not only been found to positively influence an employee’s health and well-being, but also to add value to an organisation through improved employee productivity and commitment (Bevan, S., 2010). As previously mentioned, well-being can have a positive impact on absence levels which as a result improves employee productivity. Macdonald (2005) also suggested that well-being strategies contributed towards employee morale, increased levels of productivity and employee retention (Pilbeam, & Corbridge, 2009). Research has also gone onto to find that there is a significant link between employee well-being and job performance, workplace accidents, customer engagement, quality defects and profitability. Job per formance has been found to be highly correlated with employee well-being in a number of organisational studies (Thomas, et al, 2012). Absence management is one way in which performance can be improved within all organisations, particularly within the domiciliary care sector. With government cut backs and managements time being constrained, absence management schemes can often be overlooked, resulting in high levels of absenteeism. As previously mentioned, the Bradford factor has been found to  have an ‘overwhelmingly positive impact on absence’ (CIPD, 2013, p. 31) and is one way that domiciliary care businesses could monitor absence effectively and efficiently, without taking up too much of management’s time and without incurring substantial costs. Return-to-work interviews will also enable management to identify the key reasons behind the absence, allowing management to take steps to potentially prevent absence of the same reason occurring again. Both techniques will in theory reduce absenteeism as employees will be aware that their absence is being monitored, and so they will be less likely to be absent from work as frequently; therefore overall increasing organisational performance. Recruitment and Selection Recruitment is ‘the process of generating a pool of capable people to apply for employment to an organisation’ and selection is ‘the process by which managers and others use specific instruments to choose from a pool of applicants a person or persons more likely to succeed in the job(s)’ (Braton and Gold, 2007, as cited by French & Rumbles, 2010). The recruitment and selection process is ‘fundamental to the functioning of an organisation’ (Pilbeam & Corbridge, 2006, p. 155), and it is also said that ‘the success of an organisation depends on having the right number of staff, with the right skills and abilities’ (ACAS, 2010, p. 3). Therefore, the right recruitment and selection procedures are crucial to an organisation finding the best candidate for the job. Recruitment The recruitment process is extremely important when it comes to adding value to an organisation in the long-term. Poor recruitment processes – which result in the wrong candidate being selected for the job – can be very expensive for an organisation in terms of employee turnover, organisational costs and employee morale (ACAS, 2010). Good recruitment can ‘significantly contribute to effective organisational performance, to good employee relations, and to a positive public image’ (Pilbeam & Corbridge, 2010, p. 156). The first step in the recruitment process is to create an effective job description and job specification. It is vital that the skills and competencies outlined within the person specification are accurate in  relation to the needs of the job. If this is not the case then there is the chance that an individual will be employed with false expectations, potentially resulting in them not performing as well as was originally intended (ACAS, 2010). In worse cases, the employee may lose faith in the organisation and leave to work for potential competitors, taking with them the training they have received. Not only is this is a waste of an organisations time, money and resources – all of which can be potentially avoided if an organisation has an effective recruitment procedure in place – but it can also have an impact on existing employees morale. For example, it can be demotivating for existing employees to see new employees coming and going within a short space of time. The process of recruiting and training new employees can also be lengthy, in which time colleagues will potentially be expected to take on extra responsibilities; possibly impacting upon employee productivity and overall organisational performance. Over recent years online recruitment has become increasingly popular. Online recruitment shortens the recruitment cycle (Pilbeam & Corbridge, 2010), which can be of great benefit to some organisations w ho find that their lengthy recruitment process can result in them losing potential candidates (CIPD, 2013). A survey carried out by Chapman and Webster (2003) also found that most organisations (within the USA) that used technology based recruitment and selection techniques, did so because they found that they added value in terms of improved efficiency, reduced costs and increased the number of potential candidates. This improved efficiency and reduced costs will potentially allow organisations to increase their profit margins, and by widening the applicant pool the organisation has a greater chance of finding the ‘right’ candidate for the job. However, although this method of recruitment generates a high volume of candidates, it does not necessarily mean that these candidates possess the relevant skills or attitudes required for the job. It is also particularly important that the recruitment and selection process is fair. The employer must recognise that it has a lega l obligation to make sure that they do not unlawfully discriminate against potential candidates during the recruitment and selection process (ACAS, 2010). In ensuring this, an organisation reduces its risk of facing legal costs that may be incurred if it were to be seen to demonstrate unlawful recruitment and selection procedures; improving the organisations reputation  and therefore adding value. For example, if an organisation is seen to operate ethically and value equality then it is likely that the organisation will see an increase in their customer base and also in the number of candidates wanting to work for the organisation – increasing the likelihood of the organisation finding the right person for the job. Selection ‘Inappropriate selection decisions reduce organisational effectiveness, invalidate reward and development strategies, are frequently unfair on the individual recruit and can be and can be distressing for managers who have to deal with unsuitable employees’ (Pilbeam & Corbridge, 2010, p. 155). Therefore, it is important that the selection process is carried out effectively, ensuring the ‘best’ candidate is chosen for the job. The selection process not only produces a shortlist of applicants for the interviewing stage, but it also provides the organisation with feedback in regards to their job advertising and the application form. This will help improve the organisations future recruitment and selection procedures, making the process of finding the ‘right’ candidate more effective; therefore saving organisational time and reducing any potential costs associated with ineffective selection procedures. It is essential that the selection process gains the commitment of managers and supervisors, by involving them in the process of selecting a candidate (ACAS, 2010). The managers and supervisors will have first-hand knowledge and experience and therefore will know what it is they need in future employees, making the process of selecting the ‘best’ person for the job more effective. This again will add value to the organisation, as if the right person is selected for the organisation then it is highly likely that they will perform well, potentially improving organisational performance overall. The involvement of the managers and supervisors will also help settle the new employee into the organisation, making them feel comfortable within their new role; potentially reducing employee turnover levels and the costs associated with this. The involvement between HR and business managers throughout recruitment and selection also helps to reinforce the business partnership. This involvement ensures that recruitment and selecti on is carried out in line with the organisations strategy – ensuring that the candidate selected  contributes to organisational objectives. Recruitment and selection can be an issue within a lot of organisations, in particular those within the domiciliary care sector. Domiciliary care tends to involve very demanding work, and due to ineffective selection techniques the wrong candidates are selected for the jobs; therefore resulting in high levels of employee turnover. Psychometric testing is one selection technique that would allow domiciliary care businesses to assess the personalities of potential candidates; improving decision-making and allowing managers to ‘develop more informed and accurate perceptions about the ability and potential of individuals’ (CIPD, 2009, as cited in Pilbeam & Corbridge, 2010, p. 202). This will help ensure the ‘right’ candidate is chosen; reducing employee turnover and any associated costs, and improving employee mora le and productivity – therefore enhancing overall organisational performance within this sector. Talent Management Talent management is ‘the systematic attraction, identification, development, engagement, retention and deployment of those individuals who are of particular value to an organisation.’ These individuals ‘make a difference to organisational performance either through their immediate contribution or, in the longer-term, by demonstrating the highest levels of potential’ (CIPD, 2013). Talent management has become an increasingly common practice within a lot of organisations, due to a weakening economic climate which has put pressure on organisations to cut costs and increase efficiency and productivity (CIPD, 2013). In the current climate ‘having a rigorous, cyclical, ongoing process around Talent Management [can] be a key differentiator between success and failure’ (Couch, 2012). Talent has been seen to add value to organisations, particularly as talent management has become ‘integral in engaging employees in the organisation’, if prac ticed effectively (Morton, 2005, p. 11, as cited in Hughes & Rog, 2008, p. 746). Engaged employees are committed to the organisation and therefore will be less likely to leave; this as a result minimises employee turnover and any associated costs. Towers Perrin (2003) supports this idea, as he found that 66 percent of highly engaged employees plan to stay with their current employers, compared to only 12 percent of disengaged employees. It is also  more likely to see higher levels of performance from engaged employees; potentially improving customer service and productivity, as well as increasing sales and profits (Hughes, J. C. & Rog, E., 2008). Effective talent management also ensures organisations can successfully attract and retain talent, reducing the risk of talent leaving the organisation or being employed by a competitor – thus allowing organisations to gain a competitive advantage. Organisations that focus on retaining talented individuals are also able to add value through reduced recruitment and training costs as a result of not having to recruit talent externally, or develop talent internally. Retention of talent also reduces the negative impact employee turnover can have on organisational productivity and employee morale; which in turn can potentially have a consequential effect on profit margins (Chitakasem, N., 2011). There is evidence, however, to suggest that talent management doesn’t always add value to organisations. Lewis and Heckman (2006) argued that ‘improvements in bottom line results [prove] to be temporary, despite an ongoing commitment to talent in the organisation’ (as ci ted in Hughes & Rog, 2008, p. 745). Therefore, it is important organisations evaluate the effectiveness of their talent management scheme as this can contribute highly to its success, enabling them to maximise their return on investment (CIPD, 2009). Also, a focus on external recruitment and retention of â€Å"high talent† employees could: increase competition amongst internal candidates, consequently discouraging teamwork; lead to existing employees feeling undervalued, resulting in increased turnover; redirect training and development from those employees who may be struggling to those who are capable, reduce performance of those who don’t receive training; and ignore fixing cultural or other systematic issues which hinder employee performance (Hughes & Rog, 2008). Whelan & Carcary (2001) also say that those employees who are not seen to be ‘key talent’ can become demotivated as a result of them feeling unappreciated within the organisation; leading to f alls in productivity and potentially negatively affecting profit margins. Therefore, in some cases, talent management may not always add value; the extent to which talent management adds value can depend on how well the organisation manages those employees who are not seen to be ‘key talent’. Organisations implementing talent  management programmes may also experience resistance from some employees; as talent management makes their performance more visible to employers and creates a direct link between future career opportunities within the organisation and rewards (Little, B. 2010). Resistance from employees will likely have a knock on effect on productivity, resulting in profit margins being affected; again affecting the extent to which talent management can add value to an organisation. Overall, talent management, if managed effectively, can significantly add value to an organisation. Maximising employee performance and productivity, improving employee retention, a nd increasing the flexibility of employees etc. all contribute towards an organisations success. However, the business partnership plays a significant role in the extent to which talent management can add value within an organisation. A survey carried out by the Corporate Executive Board’s Corporate Leadership Council (CLC) discovered that ‘HR must effectively partner with business line management to drive talent outcomes’ (Martin, 2010). It is important that line manager’s work with HR practitioners so as to ensure that talent management is directed in the right areas of the organisation and that it is aligned with strategic goals. The HR practitioner must also be knowledgeable of the organisations objectives so as to implement talent management programmes that will contribute towards achieving these goals. As a result, this will potentially help to reinforce the business partnership, encouraging HR to work in partnership with the business leaders to improve its performance and future success. Talent management can be beneficial for many organisations in terms of developing and retaining talented employees so as to improve organisational performance. The domiciliary care, as previously mentioned, has problems with employee retention and therefore talent management could be one way of addressing this issue. Appraisals could be used to assess employees’ performance, and allow managers to identify talent within the organisation, and the training needs (Pilbeam & Corbridge, 2010). Managers can then support and mentor talented employees through further training programmes (CIPD, 2013), such as National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ’s). This support will contribute towards employees feeling valued within the organisation, and this along with the increased knowledge and motivation will help to improve employee performance; which as a result will  potentially improve employee retention and the overall performance of the organisation. In conclusion, absence management, recruitment and selection, and talent management, if effectively managed and implemented, can improve organisational performance. Absence management was found to reduce the negative costs associated with absenteeism, and improve employee morale and productivity. Effective recruitment and selection was found to improve the chances of finding the ‘right’ person for the job; therefore increasing employee performance and reducing employee turnover. Finally, talent management was found to increase employee engagement and motivation through mentoring, and improve employee performance and retention through development. Therefore all three resourcing and development activities contribute towards improving organisational performance, consequently adding value to the organisation. Finally, the aim of human resources to achieve organisational goals through these resourcing and development activities helps to contribute towards cementing the busine ss partnership. References GOV.UK. (2013). Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). Accessed 17th November 2013 https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay Newcombe, T. (23 May 2013). Stress and presenteeism â€Å"sapping UK productivity†, says research. HR Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/hro/news/1077290/stress-presenteeism-sapping-uk-productivity-research Baker-McClearn, D. et al. (2010). Absence management and presenteeism: the pressures on employees to attend work and the impact of attendance on performance. Human Resource Management Journal. 20 (3), 311–328. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-8583.2009.00118.x Robson, F. (2006). How to†¦ manage absence effectively. CIPD. Retrieved from http://www.cipd.co.uk/pm/peoplemanagement/b/weblog/archive/2006/08/88/howtomanageabsence-2006-08.aspx Hemsley, S. (2011). Absence: How does it affect the workplace and what can employers do about it? HR Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/hr/features/1019816/absence-how-affect-workplace-employers Howart h, J. (2005). Absence management. Strategic Direction, 21