Jose Rizal’s Timeline

Source: http://joserizal. info/Biography/timeline. htm CHRONOLOGY 1848, June 28 — Rizal’s parents married in Kalamba, La Laguna: Francisco Rizal-Mercado y Alejandra (born in Binan, April 18, 1818) and Teodora Morales Alonso-Realonda y Quintos (born in Sta. Cruz, Manila, Nov. 14, 1827). 1861, June 19 — Rizal born, their seventh child. 1861, June 22 — Christened as Jose Protasio Rizal-Mercado y Alonso-Realonda 1870, age 9 — In school at Binan under Master Justiniano Aquin Cruz. 1871, age 10 — In Kalamba public school under Master Lucas Padua. 872, June 10, age 11 — Examined in San Juan de Letran college, Manila, which, during the Spanish time, as part of Sto. Tomas University, controlled entrance to all higher institutions. 1872, June 26 — Entered the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, then a public school, as a day scholar. 1875, June 16, age 14 — Became a boarder in the Ateneo. 1876, March 23, age 15 — Received the Bachel or of Arts (B. A. ) degree, with highest honors, from Ateneo de Manila. 1877, June. — Entered Sto. Tomas University in the Philosophy course. 877, Nov. 29 — Awarded diploma of honorable mention and merit by the Royal Economic Society of Friends of the Country, Amigos del Pais, for the prize poem. 1878, June, age 16. — Matriculated in the medical course. Won Liceo Artistico-Literario prize, in poetical competition for â€Å"Indians and Mestizos†, with the poem â€Å"To the Philippine Youth†. Wounded in the back for not saluting a Guardia Civil lieutenant whom he had not seen. The authorities ignored his complaint. 1880, April 23, age 19. – Received Licco Artistico-Literario diploma of honorable mention for the allegory, â€Å"The Council of the Gods†, in competition open to â€Å"Spaniards, mestizos and Indians†. Unjustly deprived of the first prize. 1880, Dec. 8. — Operetta â€Å"On the Banks of the Pasig† produce d. 1881, age 20. — Submitted winning wax model design for commemorative medal for the Royal Economic Society of Friends of the Country centennial. 1882, May 3, age 21. — Secretly left Manila taking a French mail steamer at Singapore for Marseilles and entering Spain at Port Bou by railroad. His brother, Paciano Mercado, furnished the money. 1882, June. – Absence noted at Sto. Tomas University, which owned the Kalamba estate. Rizal’s father was compelled to prove that he had no knowledge of his son’s plan in order to hold the land on which he was the University’s tenant. 1882, June 15. — Arrived in Barcelona. 1882, October 3. — Began studies in Madrid. 1886, –Received degree of Licentiate in Medicine with honors from Central University of Madrid on June 19 at the age of 24. Clinical assistant to Dr. L. de Wecker, a Paris oculist. Visited Universities of Heidelberg, Leipzig, and Berlin. 1887, Feb. 21, age 26. — Fini shed the novel Noli Me Tangere in Berlin.Traveled in Austria, Switzerland and Italy. 1887, July 3. — Sailed from Marseilles. 1887, Aug. 5. — Arrived in Manila. Traveled in nearby provinces with a Spanish lieutenant, detailed by the Governor-General, as escort. 1888, Feb. — Sailed for Japan via Hong Kong. 1888, Feb. 28 to April 13, age 27. — A guest at the Spanish Legation, Tokyo, and traveling in Japan. 1888, April-May. — Traveling in the United States. 1888, May 24. — In London, studying in the British Museum to edit Morga’s 1609 Philippine History. 1889, March, age 28. — In Paris, publishing Morga’s History.Published â€Å"The Philippines A Century Hence† in La Solidaridad, a Filipino fortnightly review, first of Barcelona and later of Madrid. 1890, February to July, age 29. — In Belgium finished El Filibusterismo which is the sequel to Noli Me Tangere. Published â€Å"The Indolence of the Filipino† in La Solidaridad. 1890, August 4. — Returned to Madrid to confer with his countrymen on the Philippine situation, then constantly growing worse. 1891, January 27. — Left Madrid for France. 1891, November, age 30. — Arranging for a Filipino agricultural colony in British North Borneo. Practiced medicine in Hong Kong. 892, June 26, age 31. — Returned to Manila under Governor-General Despujol’s safe conduct pass. Organized a mutual aid economic society: La Liga Filipina on July 3. 1892, July 6. — Ordered deported to Dapitan, but the decree and charges were kept secret from him. Taught school and conducted a hospital during his exile, patients coming from China coast ports for treatment. Fees thus earned were used to beautify the town. Arranged a water system and had the plaza lighted. 1896, August 1, age 35. — Left Dapitan en route to Spain as a volunteer surgeon for the Cuban yellow fever hospitals.Carried letters of recommendation f rom Governor-General Blanco. 1896, August 7 to September 3. — On Spanish cruiser Castilla in Manila Bay. Sailed for Spain on Spanish mail steamer and just after leaving Port Said was confined to his cabin as a prisoner on cabled order from Manila. (Rizal’s enemies to secure the appointment of a governor-general subservient to them, the servile Polavieja had purchased Governor-General Blanco’s promotion. ) 1896, October 6. — Placed in Montjuich Castle dungeon on his arrival in Barcelona and the same day re-embarked for Manila.Friends and countrymen in London by cable made an unsuccessful effort for a Habeas Corpus writ at Singapore. On arrival in Manila was placed in Fort Santiago dungeon. 1890, December 3. — Charged with treason, sedition and forming illegal societies, the prosecution arguing that he was responsible for the deeds of those who read his writings. During his imprisonment Rizal began to formulate in his mind his greatest poem who other s later entitle, â€Å"My Last Farewell. † (later concealed in an alcohol cooking lamp) December 12 — Rizal appears in a courtroom where the judges made no effort to check those who cry out for his death. 896, December 15. — Wrote an address to insurgent Filipinos to lay down their arms because their insurrection was at that time hopeless. Address not made public but added to the charges against him. 1896, December 27. — Formally condemned to death by a Spanish court martial. Pi y Margall, who had been president of the Spanish Republic, pleaded with the Prime Minister for Rizal’s life, but the Queen Regent could not forgive his having referred in one of his writings to the murder by, and suicide of, her relative, Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria. 896, December 29 — Completes and puts into writing â€Å"My Last Farewell. † He conceals the poem in an alcohol heating apparatus and gives it to his family. He may have also concealed another copy of the same poem in one of his shoes but, if so, it is lost in decomposition in his burial. 1896, December 30, age 35 years, 6 months, 11 days. — Roman Catholic sources allege that Rizal marries Josephine Bracken in his Fort Santiago death cell to Josephine Bracken; she is Irish, the adopted daughter of a blind American who came to Dapitan from Hong Kong for treatment.Shot on the Luneta, Manila, at 7:03 a. m. , and buried in a secret grave in Paco Cemetery. (Entry of his death was made in the Paco Church Register among suicides. ) 1897, January. — Commemorated by Spanish Free-masons who dedicated a tablet to his memory, in their Grand Lodge hall in Madrid, as a martyr to Liberty. 1898, August. — Filipinos who placed over it in Paco cemetery, a cross inscribed simply â€Å"December 30, 1896†, sought his grave, immediately after the American capture of Manila. Since his death his countrymen had never spoken his name, but all references had been to â⠂¬Å"The Dead†. 898, December 20. — President Aguinaldo, of the Philippine Revolutionary Government, proclaimed December 30th as a day of national mourning. 1898, December 30. — Filipinos held Memorial services at which time American soldiers on duty carried their arms reversed. 1911, June 19. — Birth semi-centennial observed in all public schools by an act of the Philippine Legislature. 1912, December 30. — Rizal’s ashes transferred to the Rizal Mausoleum on the Luneta with impressive public ceremonies.

Diversity Organizations Worksheet Essay

What has been the status of women in the United States throughout history? Throughout history women have been seen as less than to men. It has been rough on the women coming from minority groups because not only are they looked down on because of the group they are associated with but they are also women. For example, in the black community during the civil rights movement when blacks could not vote, and when they finally were allowed to vote, the women still could not. There has also been situations within the workforce when women could do a â€Å"manly job† but according to society they were not capable. †¢What is the status of women in the U.S. today? The status of women in the U.S. today has improved a lot. According to The State of Women in America, â€Å"women made up only about one-third of the workforce in 1969, women today make up almost half of all workers in the United States. Women are also stepping up to lead the country; a record number of women ran for public office in 2012, and a record-high percentage of women are serving in Congress.† Women today feel more apart, rather than an outcast. It is also clear to see that America is going to start to see changes with leaders of the country. Women are also paid equally to men according to their qualifications for the nature of the job. †¢What are some examples of concepts or constructions of masculinity and femininity that you see in society and in media? With media today, masculine males are seen as military men, or law enforcement officers, also most athletic figures. Men are shown to not to have emotion or care about women’s feelings.men are also portrayed to not care that much about their physical appearance. A man sitting back watching his favorite sports team and drinking beer on his favorite couch, while his wife is in the kitchen cooking and cleaning , as well as taking care of the children. Feminine in the media today is coming off as a petite, big breasted, and a fit body.it is seen on the famous lingerie commercials as well in movies associated with tough guys and fast cars. These commercials and movies give society a view that women should be a certain size and carry themselves a specific way. †¢Historically, what has been the social status of GLBT people? Historically, the social status of GLBT people has been very rough. It was hard for these individuals come out of the closet and be who they really are in front of the public eye. GLBT people have been discriminated against almost as much as African Americans. For example men who had a more feminine side could not show that because they feared that they may be beaten, or set aside from the rest of the men. These individuals believe because they live the way they choose they are unable to find jobs because companies would be ashamed to have them working for their company unless the owner is gay themselves. There has been a lot of changes throughout history to ensure that all Americans are being treated equal. †¢What is the status of GLBT people in the U.S. today? GLBT people in the U.S. today are beginning to experience a lot more equality. What this means is they are now starting to be allowed to marry one another. They are receiving a lot more protection in places like prisons, or jails. The overall awareness for these individuals has increased. Media has allowed for them to tell their stories, and there are some television shows about their lifestyles as well. Media has probably the largest impact in today’s society, so the fact that media is now coming around to promote the awareness is definitely a plus for GLBT people. †¢What are some social and political issues relevant to women and GLBT people in the U.S.? The social and political issues that surround this is that the women are becoming more lavish in today’s politics, and they are very tough within our political system. Hilary Clinton is a strong female in politics and has made a name for herself. There are many other women that have strong traits and similarities in politics just as Mrs. Clinton does and these women are just as valuable as the men are. GLBT people have also made a very recognizable name for themselves by using as many avenues as possible to strengthen their movement for equality. The media has been a big influence for these individuals and it is constantly on the rise. Gay marriage has been a big update on news channels all across America and is spreading like a rapid fire. This has given them the ability to come out and be who they are and not worry too much about what others have to say about them. There is still along path ahead of both women and the GLBT community but they are well on their way.

Law for Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Law for Managers - Essay Example This paper stresses that the provisions of this Act were structured to serve for the security of the people’s health, safety and welfare at work, to protect the persons at work from any risks to their health in regard or connection to the activities that the person has at work, to control the use and presence of highly inflammable dangerous substances, and otherwise preventing the illegal use of such substances, and lastly to control the emission of hazardous gases into the atmosphere from the premises. This essay declares that as the law sets out its structure and enforces the provisions of this act, the general duties that are imposed under the act to the specific people regarded under this law have been given. The general duties of the employers towards their employees are that they should ensure health, safety and welfare of all the employees working under them. However, in some cases these duties extend such as the health and least risk provided while working under power plants and systems at work. The act also specifies various duties of the person who is in charge of the premises towards the people other than employees. These duties are towards those people who are not employees but they use the non domestic premises available to them as a place of their work where they may use the plant or substances. The section legalizes the duties of the persons who have the hold of the premises towards all the people who have the access to the premises to make sure they are safe and leas t at risk while using plant or any substance present on the premises. General duties towards the articles used at work may refer to any plant that is designed to be used by persons at work or any article designed as a component in any such plant. The duty of the person is to make sure that the designed article is constructed in a way that it is safe and least risky at all times when it is being used or cleaned or maintained by any person at work (Selwyn, 2006). The person in charge is also supposed to carry out examinations and testing to ensure the safety at regular intervals. He is also enforced to take responsibility of securing and providing the people with adequate information about the substance and all about it. According to the act, a person may rely on the testing which is carried out by others as long as it is reasonable to do so. A person may also rely on a written document by any other person to be sure about a safety item. Under the section 6 of the act, designers and m anufactures must carry out proper research to identify

High School Athletic Department Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

High School Athletic Department - Research Paper Example Furthermore, the HR portfolio speaks about performance appraisal, reward systems, motivation, and job design, leadership and decision style, and on how these can be applied into the Orange High School Athletics. This portfolio is in line with the purpose of describing the entirety of the sport organization and improvement of the human resources which are essential to the improvement of the organization. Introduction The mission of Orange County High School Athletics Department is to let students explore in an environment of positive, supportive, nurturing and safe where they have room to grow, excel and succeed in their endeavors in all aspects such as academics and sports. Students are expected to develop critical-thinking and civic-minded values, and contribute to the local community and to the global society. The members of the organization believe in the following: (1) the core business of the Orange Schools is to provide students a learning environment, and make their studies an d physical activities valuable, satisfying and challenging; (2) students will be able to reap something worth keeping if they are exposed, guided, and taught; (3) the environment that the students stay must be nurturing, safe, and conducive for learning (4) all students need adults’ supervision and care; (5) all individuals such as staff and employees shall adhere to commitment for excellence and teach students with values (6) cooperation and gathering among all members of the organization and the community help build stronger relationships with the students in their learning (â€Å"Orange County Schools,† n.d.). Meanwhile, following the hierarchical organizational structure, these are the ranks/positions within the organization: the principal, the athletic director, the interscholastic athletic director, and coaches. In order to carry out the goal well, the staffs and employees are in constant coordination. They connive to each other’s office to achieve desired results. For example, in Orange County School’s Interscholastic Athletic Program, the principal is responsible for the operation of the entire school in cooperation with the Athletic Director. The main function of the athletic director is to oversee all school athletic programs to ensure that all interscholastic athletic programs are conducted in accordance with the North Carolina State Board of Education, North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) requirements, policies established by the State Board of Education, the Orange County Board of Education, and the General Statutes of North Carolina (â€Å"Mission Statement,† n.d.). All program leaders must construe to the duties and responsibilities set forth by the organization’s Constitution and by-laws. Staffing 1.1 Staffing Needs Assessment First and foremost, before jumping into the more critical points in the organization like doing the job analysis, job description, job specification, hiring an d so on, the Human Resource personnel should consider the assessment of the current staffing situation of the organizatio

Critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Critical thinking - Essay Example Accuracy helps in establishing the truthfulness of information. Relevance helps recognize the other people’s perspectives. Logic enables one to identify the consequences of different decisions. Significance helps in decision making since it helps identify the most appropriate options (Paul, Elder, & Foundation of Critical Thinking, 2001). An OD practitioner who does not practice critical thinking is at the risk of making unsuitable decision based on assumption. Without critical thinking, an OD practitioner would be incapable of understanding the purpose of his job from other external purposes and might end up choosing other insignificant and unrealistic purposes. The OD practitioner may not be in a position to seek, identify, and evaluate the right point of view and might end up being biased (Paul, Elder, & Foundation of Critical Thinking, 2001). The sections of the guide that hold most potential for refinement my thought process include the problem of egocentric thinking and the elements of critical thinking. Understanding the problems associated with egocentric think was important in that it enabled me to identify the importance of other peoples of view. I would for example apply this concept in identifying when my thoughts may not be realistic. The elements of critical thinking have the potential of enabling me to understand data, and facts to be able to respond to questions, resolve problems,] and other issues. An example of future application would be able to figure out questions, my point of view, seek other people’s points of view, and evaluate them to come up with the appropriate solution (Paul, Elder, & Foundation of Critical Thinking,

Integrated Logistics for DEP GARD Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Integrated Logistics for DEP GARD - Case Study Example The present research has identified that Richard Binish who has been appointed by GARD wants to review these contracts and revive supply chain. Basically a lot has been changed in supply chain management and Binish wants to review all this supply chain with the change in situation (current market trends). Banished trimmed GARD's products line and primarily based it on faster moving products with higher moving velocity. Now more and more suppliers with specific criteria have come up and everyone's product is comparable. At present, GARD wants to review its supply chain with the improvement in its service window, and minimum threshold percentage. DEP's polymers having 6 major compounds which has been sourced from three firms as 60%, 25% and 15%. DEP has standardized its purchasing criteria and generally maintains a 7 days supply of each compound DEP is not using JIT because of bad experience, but it relies on electronic linkages for procurement. Most customers' orders are produced with in 6 to 8 days of order. In addition to it, DEP takes 3-6 days for shipment from its warehouse. Transportation and distribution which is done by DEP truck service to customers mostly within 200 miles through twice a week delivery routes. This needs maximum 6 days. So DEP supply chain is too much time consuming and hence needs to be streamlined. Basically in this case study, the kind of relationships between buyer and supplier is adding value to the supply chain, GARD and DEP's long relationship and understanding as well as DEP's knowledge about the requirement and quality with arm's length purchasing relationship is adding value to the chain, value in a supply chain is not simply the organizational value but it is the value created across different organizations that combine to create the supply chain. Inside an organization Porter identifies nine keys areas that need to be examined when examining how value may be created. He divided these 9 areas into what he referred to as: Primar y activities and support activities. The primary activities included: inbound logistics, processes, outbound logistics, marketing & sales, customer service. The support activities included: technological developments, human resource management, procurement and firm infrastructure. Basically in the case study, procurement stage of DEP is adding value to the chain because it provides certain option to purchase six basic compounds from 6 companies having different percentage of order completion as well as supply time. So we can analyze and reach out a suitable combination of companies and products to minimize the supply time and increased percentage of supply. DEP's supply bid has been divided into three parts and maximum quantity suppliers' supplies 60% whereas the remaining two are supplying 25% & 15% respectively. Firms' basic infrastructure with electronically connected procurement with marketing/sales department can easily assess demand of the market and proper information system can act fast. DEP is also adding value through outbound logistics with its own hired truck fleets. DEP also maintains inventory for 7 days so that they may have enough time for reordering and to get supply of raw material.

Corporate Social Responsibility and the Company Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility and the Company - Essay Example It is for this reason that the company has stated emphatically that â€Å"over the past year, our company has delivered on my challenge to "broaden and accelerate" our commitment to sustainability† (Duke, 2011). As a matter of fact, corporate social responsibility cuts across several sectors of society and of a company though it has mostly been mistaken to be the benefit that society alone gets from a company. To a large extent, â€Å"Corporate social responsibility is about how businesses align their values and behavior with the expectations and needs of stakeholders including suppliers, communities, regulators, special interest groups and society as a whole† (CSR Network, 2011). Wal-Mart has been guided by this realization to ensure that social satisfaction is created not only for customers and investors but also to all other leading stakeholders. Specific mention can be made of some of milestones reached in the corporate responsibility business for Wal-Mart. To show integration of the social responsibility commitment, Wal-Mart has matured from a stage where corporate social responsibility was seen as a philanthropic add-on to a level where its corporate social responsibility pivots around â€Å"responsible consumption" and creation of "shared value†. ... This report seeks to elaborate on the Wal-Mart's Sustainability 360 approach. Wal-Mart's Sustainability 360 approach (The Slow Greening of Wal-Mart) Carbon emission has been identified to have adverse effect on humans and other living organisms. It also has unfavorable effects on other non-living components of the environment and threatens an ill-resourced future. In a report by PwC in advance of the Stern Review report published in the UK on 30 October 2006, it was documented that the effect and result of carbon emission could be more than doubling by 2050 (PwC, 2006). In most cases, when calls for carbon emission reduction are made, accusing fingers are quickly pointed to manufacturers and industrialists. One may therefore think that Wal-Mart has taken up carbon emission campaign because the company is a retailer and not directly involved in carbon production. This argument is however not justified because as a retailer, Wal-Mart deals directly with manufacturers and producers and therefore has every moral authority to campaign for a greening environment. Wal-Mart therefore targeted carbon emission as one of the component aspects of the Wal-Mart Sustainability 360 project in a program dubbed Slow Greening. In the Slow Greening Project, the company’s target is its suppliers as Roner (2007) notes that â€Å"the company’s suppliers will now be asked to measure and report the energy used to make and distribute its products.† This means that the Slow Greening Project is dedicated to both carbon emission reduction and energy efficiency and therefore very suitable for the Sustainability 360 Project. In championing the campaign, the symbol has been associated with the Slow Greening. The symbolism here is that

Renewable Energy Generation in Scotland Assignment

Renewable Energy Generation in Scotland - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that the amount of renewable energy generated in Scotland is increasing day by day, with onshore-wind energy being the single largest contributor. The present trends in renewable energy generation indicate that it would technically be feasible to achieve the Scottish Executive’s target of 40% energy generation from a range of renewable resources by 2020. While renewable energy generation will undoubtedly help meet Scotland’s commitment to addressing climate change, it also places a lot of constraints on the existing grid and power distribution system due to the intermittent generation of electricity from wind-mills, which calls for adequate interconnectivity build-up of the Scottish grid with its neighboring grid systems besides necessitating the introduction and implementation of energy storage and demand side management technologies. In addition to onshore-wind, other renewable technologies such as offshore-wind, wave and ti dal energy also hold out promises of energy generation though to lesser degrees. This paper attempts to address some of the basic issues in renewable energy generation as applicable to the Scottish context. The influence of renewable energy generation on demand management, the effect of rise or fall in renewable energy generation on the Scottish grid, the accessory storage facilities and technologies required for renewable energy industry and their possible sites are also discussed. According to FREDSThe government of UK has set a target to cut CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050 to achieve which 30-40% of electricity would have to be generated from renewable energy resources. This requires that Scotland generate 40% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. The Friends of the Earth Scotland point out that demand scenarios can be either of demand growth or of demand reduction. In the Demand Growth scenario, demand is expected to grow again in 2011 as the present recession is about to be over and the projected demand will attain a steady growth of 12.2% corresponding to 45,900GWh annually by 2030. In the Demand Reduction scenario, the demand will start diminishing from 2012 resulting in an annual electricity consumption of only up to 35,180GWh by 2030.The projected values for demand growth and demand reduction in a Low Renewable scenario and High renewable scenario are shown at Table-1 while renewable energy generation as a percentage of total consumption is shown at Table-2.

Romantic music and development of Renaissance painting Essay

Romantic music and development of Renaissance painting - Essay Example Another similarity between Romantic music and paintings during Renaissance lies in the fact that they both put a great emphasis on the importance of the figure of the artist. It would not be a mistake to suggest that the cultural titans of Italy were as much respected as their counterparts in the musical world of Europe during Romanticism. Indeed, in that period every person who was able to create a fine piece of music was considered to be extremely talented and was approved by the public. Just like art in the times of Renaissance, music during Romanticism was considered to be the highest of arts; so the people who wanted to devote their live to it were considered to be exceptional. There is one more point that should be mentioned while considering the development of the two concepts that were discussed above. Thus, just like during Renaissance, Romanticism in music contributed to the emergence of the new perception of this kind of human activity. One might point out that visual art, just like music have existed in within human civilization for thousands of years, it was those two periods when people started to treat them in a different manner. This process, accompanied by the revival of interest, is what truly differed those periods from others. Some researchers argue that Renaissance made the aesthetic thought of humanity look backwards, but move forward with what they saw in the past. However, in order to get a better understanding of the relationship between the two notions in question.

Comparing the original Sherlock Holmes to the BBCs adaptation Essay

Comparing the original Sherlock Holmes to the BBCs adaptation - Essay Example Literary works produced in earlier years often tend to be adapted and reproduced to fit current lifestyles, especially if such works stirred great interest in their original formats. As such, books, novels, short stories among others can be reproduced in a different genre, for example in a film. The process of adapting and reproducing a literary work is often challenging and can lead to some degree of distortion of the original work. The distortion occurs when the producers, for example, try to fit a character to modern times and the probable scenarios that the character would play. Sherlock, the BBC’s adaptation of â€Å"The Complete Sherlock Holmes† continues to portray Dr. Watson and Sherlock as two males having a close non-sexual relationship just like the original piece. However, the BBC’s version is more daring towards creating doubt on the gender markers of Dr. Watson, by making it appear as if the latter is attracted to Sherlock. The frequent allusions by people that the two could be gay serve to create anxiety in the viewer concerning whether subsequent scenes will reveal that in deed Dr. Watson and Sherlock are romantically involved. However, this scenario does not happen and viewers are kept in anxiety over whether the series will end that way. Keeping the viewers in suspense over the sexual orientation of particularly Dr. Watson is good for interest retention, but the producers concentrate too much on making gay jokes that it almost becomes offensive for gay people and other GSM. A good percentage of the society has come to accep t the GSM and as such, it is not appropriate to keep on joking about such a sensitive matter.

Medical and Environmental Electronic Devices Corporation Essay Example for Free

Medical and Environmental Electronic Devices Corporation Essay Background Medical and Environmental Electronic devices corporation was founded in 1959. Initially the core business was related to applications in medical device technology. The company started new business of Environmental control applications and achieved its current name in 1964. By 1979, MEED achieved 31% market share in its market area. MEED’s competitors had only 20% and11% shares. MEED has headquarters 21 countries around the world including Westland and Michigan. Integrated Circuit Group was set up MEED to meet its need for the customized circuits as semi-conductor industry is shrinking due to the backward integration of major competitors, redirections and acquisitions. Hallmarks of MEED culture were ambiguity, freedom, flexibility, risk taking and a supportive attitude towards employees. There was no formal planning in MEED or even firs loosely coordinated companywide plan was undertaken in 1980. Sales were growing at 30% per year for t he last five years, topped $1 billion in 1979. Profits for 1979 were $107 million. Tom Duglass is the manager of MEED since 1977. ICG is experiencing a shortage of human resource and is only providing 5-8% of MEED’s annual demand. New plant set by ICG is also experiencing problem in startup. The HRD Department headed by Barbara Hamlin is unable to fulfill their duty of providing the human resource which is required for the sound working of ICG. Employee’s profile Tom Douglas Group manager Dom Raffaelli Manager, ICG Advanced design Les Hogan Manager, ICG material Kenny Lash Manager of operations, ICG plant Barbara Hamlin Director, Human Resource Development and planning Qualitative facts The Jackson Michigan, manufacturing plant, which began operation in July 1979, was still experiencing difficulties in start-up and it was now the beginning of 1980. Barbara Hamlin in HRDP position was in charge for the forecast of the IC Groups human resource needs, with special attention to professional and managerial personnel and to design and implement programs to meet those needs. MEED designed, manufactured, sold and serviced complex medical and environmental control systems. The labor market was exceedingly tight for exempt employees, especially the highly trained engineers critical too ICGs work. MEEDs culture was unstructured, informal; make it happen, rapid growth, positive approach towards people. There was no emphasis on formal planning Douglas sought to reorient ICG recruiting toward meeting needs with existing employees and recent college graduates. Given the MEED culture, it was also unreasonable to except that any one program manager would remain long enough to see one component through its entire life. Materials acquisition function was divided into two groups an operation group that focused on such functions as production purchasing and a strategic group that deal with the commodity managements, IC Group manufacturing and custom projects. In the past a buyer in the operations group could become a supervisor in operations, now a buyer had the additional option of staying with the acquisition but moving to a job in a strategic group The greater attention to manpower planning might have led MEED to locate ICG closer to the major sources of trained engineers, or perhaps even to recast its plan to enter the semiconductor industry. Employee mobility need at MEED also made planning difficult. According to  personnel policy, an exempt employee was considered movable after he or she had been in a job for one year. Bosses and subord inates found it difficult to conduct regular performance appraisals; they were supposed to be conducted at least once a year as part of an employees salary review. Quantitative facts Medical and Environmental Electronic Devices Corporation was founded in 1959 Sales, growing at more than 30% per year for the last five years, topped $1 billion in 1979; profiles for 1979 were $107 million. The goal was to ensure that by FY1985, 50% of professional hires would be new college graduates. At the beginning of 1980, Ambrose’s group had openings for two out of five supervisory positions, and 13 out of 37 subordinate engineering slots. In 1980, ICG had 623 employees (plus 8 staff personnel), and 106 open positions to be filed. Annual turnover, while not high by industry standards, was running close to 10% among exempt and 20% among non exempts. The average number of employees for 1979 totaled 24,900 and another were expected to be hired as MEED continued its rapid growth during fiscal 1980. Starting as an idea and a group of 5 people in 1972, ICG had 66 people in 1975, but began its real growth in 1977, reaching 448 employees at the beginning of fiscal year 1980. ICG was only manufacturing 5% to 8% of MEEDS semiconductor needs instead of the 20% planned. It took about 3 years of work at ICG for a college graduate be fully trained, but by working with these colleges to develop programs and by providing equipment and dollar donations, ICG hoped to shorten on-the-job training to 1-1/2 years. A week lost could mean approximately $100,000 lost in profit before taxes for MEED. Core Problem The main issue that MEED was facing was that there was an urgent need that there was no formal planning due to which there was a need for the company to make a proper amendments in HRM of the company and to make policies and procedures and implement them effectively as there was a shortage of Human Resource management at all levels at MEED. They were not having specialized engineers and managers in the required numbers is affecting the corporation. There was a significant problem in attracting engineers capable of the state of the art work that ICG technology demanded. The option of simply hiring  in good people now met resistance from those who pointed out that there were no free slots for these people until the growth actually took place. An estimation was made that IC group’s exempt attrition would rise to an average of 15% per year and non exempt to 35% unless the group improved its recruitment, career development, performance, appraisals and promotion practices. ICG would need 241 hires in order to bring the employee total up to the target for the end of FY 1980. If we look at the exhibits 4 and 5 it could be observed that Barbara is at a very lower level in the hierarchy, and is given vey less authority. If a separate HR department is created with giving all HR responsibilities to the HR department than possibly all most the problems could be solved. Other problems Recommendations Repositioning of Barbara Hamlin in organizational structure We think that she should report directly to Dave Bertram, the president of MEED’s to minimize the distortion between them and Barbara can stamp the authority and she will not have to take approvals from group heads. She is the one who have identified the problems in the system so she should be able to exercise authority so she can solve the problems. Having the backing of the president of MEED’s, people will know that she is a credible source of high authority and she should be followed. Once there is clarity in chain of command, then Barbara should concentrate in making of new human resource department which will include recruitment and selection, compensation and appraisal, training and development which is not addressed in the company till now. Hiring the right people Problem of ICG can be solved as there is low performance by the managers and engineers are working as managers and company don’t have to hire right workforce and as a result they are performing at the top level. Supply of efficient workforce is also limited; that is also one of the reasons engineers are working as managers. Moreover, it is told in the case study that other companies have made collaborations with universities and they  hire their technical staff and engineers automatically after they graduate. It is best for both student and company because student will get job immediately after he graduates and company can get fresh graduates that are fit for the organization. In exhibit 8, it is written â€Å"at institutes, we work with real projects†; that means student can get a taste of professional life and projects even when they are students. Good compensation to retain employees The employment industry of China is very competitive. In order to get best results in the company, company should be able to retain the right employees who are worth it. HR department should make organized and intelligent decision in retaining particular employees. As it is written in the case that giving $1000 a month and working for 20 years has become a standard of industry. Other than that, when an individual leaves the job, he or she gets a 30% pay rise on an average; that means when labor in the market start doing job hopping it will take employees pays up automatically. Standardize the operating procedure The first and foremost step that Barbara needs to take is that she should make procedure same for everyone. For e.g. in this case it was written that managers thought HRD is just for training the employees. So, Barbara should start working and should make everything formal including job analysis, job description, training development and compensation plans. Employees should have awareness of HR department of the company and employees should know clearly that what are they required to do. Once HR department comes in and take steps to make things formal; then company’s environment will also become professional as it is desired by HR department. Training and development Company is not very serious about the training of the employees as position of management development is vacant from some time. Training is only given to manufacturing department in the company but it should be also offered to the designing department of the company. Training of design department will lead to more innovative designs and less flaws in the system. Exit interviews When an employees is leaving the company; he just have to go but one thing that company can do extra is the exit interviews; as company can get a new point of view of the employee about the flaws of the company and how they can be improved. Cause of leaving company should be asked from the employees that also point out significant errors in the company’s operations. Analysis of exhibits If we compare FY80, 81 and the current year in association to number of employees (exempt and non exempt) to the departments (advanced design, manufacturing and material) it could be clearly seen that currently there is a decrease in the number of employees in comparison to the year 80 and 81.Currently there are 6 managers in advanced design, 11 in manufacturing and 6 in material, where as in the FY 1980 there were 30 managers and 1981 there were 47. Moreover, in the advanced design there are currently 97 employees with 116 in 1980 and 150 in 1981. In manufacturing currently 322, 1980 there were 564 and in 1981 there were 854. In the materials currently they have 204 employees in comparison to 1980 where there were 266 and in 1981 there were 425. Overall a decrease in number of employees could be observed. Exhibit 2 talks about the hiring requirements projections. The exhibit depicts the year period. It could be clearly seen that for all the three departments in association to the years there was an increasing trend. Exhibit 3 talks about the financials of 10 years from (1970 to 1979). It could be clearly seen that there was an increase in sales net income and stockholders’ equity of MEED since the 7 year period. Though the sales were not steady but and increasing trend is observed.

Impact of Swedens Integration to the EU

Impact of Swedens Integration to the EU The Geography of European Integration Alexandrou Efstratia-Celia Category A Sweden and its experience from the process of integration and enlargement The enlargement process has been a top priority for the European Union during the first years of the 21th century. Sweden’s accession was in 1995 along with Austria and Finland, when these countries became members of the European Union. However, even before this accession, Sweden –as well as the other two countries- followed a path of increasing commitment to the European integration process – from a free trade arrangement, via the European Economic Area (the EFTA states’ affiliation to the Internal Market), to full EU membership. Moreover, Sweden’s economy was highly internationalized, and at the same time quite similar to its EU neighbors when it came to income and structure. Keeping this in mind, joining the EU in 1995 was not an actual large step. At the turn of the year 1991- 1992, Swedish economy –along with others- had been facing a downturn for about two years. The Maastricht negotiation was in its final stage but the Internal Market Program was also a central theme on the political agenda, in the European Community as well as in the EFTA (European Free Trade Association) states. In 1992 the Internal Market was formally accomplished and the EEA (European Economic Area) agreement was signed. It was after the collapse of the Communist bloc that made neutrality a problem and full accession to the EC had become a primary political objective. In the end of 1992, the Swedish currency fell dramatically, with a variety of consequences on exports (Central Bank, Sweden, 1996). Following the above, a period of low inflation began. In January 1994, Sweden entered the Internal Market through the EEA agreement. The same year, a referendum brought EU issues to the public debate, and in January 1995 Sweden became members of the EU. While entering the European Union, notable expectations were held, both in positive and negative terms. Firstly, the situation for small and medium – sized enterprises (SMEs) and the people working for them could be of particular interest concerning the integration process. Secondly, from EU’s point of view, as well as from Swedish policy makers’, small firms were relied upon to create employment and a dynamic economy (Commission of the EC, 1995). At the same time, the Internal Market is a project of increasing scale, in markets and in production. However, when it comes to smaller firms they could be more vulnerable, as their capacity to detect and respond to environmental and societal change could be low or inadequate (d’ Amboise and Muldowney, 1988). So in order for integration not to be beneficial for large firms only, measures have been taken aiming to improve the situation for SMEs in the Internal Market. In spite of smaller firms’ resource sit uation being critical -having to do with distances, languages, cultural and administrative differences etc-, nevertheless, integration measures could also be beneficial for them as they can reduce crucial thresholds. In the field of manufacturing, the actual degree of integration, for example measured as the importance of international transactions, is relatively high. Although numerous types of obstacles to transactions between member states of the EU are reduced, while preconditions for economic activity are harmonized, there is a strong potential for further integration that we can’t overlook. Therefore, following a country’s entry into a common market, trade was expected to achieve certain increase as well as competition would be able to reach new areas of the economy. According to Bonnedahl’s questionnaire, when it came to consequences from integration, more firms concerned competition more often as a threat rather than as an opportunity. Furthermore, distribution issues, including goods handling and certification were characterized as facilitated regarding business within the EU, whereas business with third countries had become more difficult or costly. In addition to the above, competition from low cost producers in Eastern Europe is an important issue with many firms tending to move their production in lower cost countries outside Sweden. The beneficial part had to do with the business interaction with the EU as it was after the integration more positive (Bonnedahl, 2004). Additionally, in 1996 –already- the firms had higher sales to EU markets, which means that when integration measures succeed in reducing differences between countries there a decrease is expected in the need for a successive build-up of resources and experience. Another consequence is that some of the possibilities for protection on the domestic market will be weakened. Last but not least the endurance of certain differences could be an advantage in smaller firms, whereas in large multinational firms is no problem at all as they can make more out of a single market. In conclusion, although responses to the general question of whether consequences from integration suggest that the Internal Market’s impact has been positive and negative at the same time and while economic stability difficulties have arise we should not overlook the main advantage which is the increasing commitment to foreign markets, of which some could be attributed to the formal integration process as well as the attitude to EU trade which has also become more positive. References Abrams, R.K. et.al. (1990). The Impact of the European Community’s Internal Market on the EFTA. IMF, Washington, dec. Barnes, I. Barnes, P.M. (1995) The enlarged European Union. Longman, London. Blomstrà ¶m, M. Lipsey, R.E. (1994) Norden i EU Vad sà ¤ger ekonomerna om effekterna? SNS, Stockholm. Bonnedahl, K.J. (2004) The Integration of Sweden to the European Internal Market: A process examined through data from small and medium sized firms 1992, 1996 and 2004 Bonnedahl, K.J. (1999) En fà ¶retagsstrategisk analys av ekonomisk integration: Konsekvenser av Europas inre marknad fà ¶r svenska mindre tillverkande fà ¶retag. Dissertation: Umeà ¥ university. Central Bank (Riksbanken). Penning- och valutapolitik 1/1996. Stockholm, 1996. Commission of the EC. (1995(a)) COM(95) 502 final. Hantverkssektorn och smà ¥fà ¶retagen nyckeln till tillvà ¤xt och sysselsà ¤ttning i Europa. Brussels. Commission of the EC. (1995(b)) CSE(95) 2087. SMEs: a dynamic source of employment, growth and competitiveness in the European Union. Brussels. Commission of the EC. (1996) COM(96) 98 final. Att till fullo utnyttja de europeiska smà ¥ och medelstora fà ¶retagens mà ¶jligheter till sysselsà ¤ttning, tillvà ¤xt och konkurrenskraft. Brussels. There is determinism in the integration experience of EU economies: less advanced will be affected negatively by competition, more advanced will be favored. The phrase economic integration could be described as a way by which countries aim to increase their level of welfare. Regional economic integration may appear in different forms based on the degree of integration between countries. The four main types of regional arrangements are: free trade agreements, customs unions, common markets and single markets. Free trade agreement is a preferential trade arrangement in which taxes – fees among members do not exist. In a customs union, members additionally opt for a common external tax. Common market is about members permitting free, or at least, greatly increased, factor mobility within the market. The single market is the highest form of economic integration, stipulating that all producers and consumers are governed by exactly the same rules, implying that they must be treated equally in all parts of the market. An even deeper level of integration is reached if countries within a single market agree to coordinate their economic pol icies (Economic Union) or if countries within a single market agree to common policies in almost every sector (Political Union). When observing the process of European economic integration the first thing that pops up is that cohesion countries have moved considerably closer to Community average in terms of per capita GDP and then -following the economic crisis moved away- again. Typically, the EU measures cohesion as inter-regional differences in labour market conditions and average income per head. This approach is not without its problems. Firstly, such a focus can overlook the extent of intra-regional inequalities (Collier, 1994), for instance, has pointed out that per capita income requirements for a region can be close to EU average but can hide quite marked intra-regional differences. Secondly there is a fundamental problem in defining and measuring cohesion by reference to â€Å"regional indicators†: measures of interregional inequality depend on the regional boundaries which are selected (O’ Donnell, 1993). The economic performance of some regions improved significantly during the 1980’s. However, there is no evidence proving there is a trend towards the elimination of disparities. Indeed, disparities between member states such as Spain, Italy and the UK have increased significantly over recent years. Regional inequality remains entrenched in Europe and seems to be growing rather than diminishing. The problem is to put into perspective when it is recognized that regional GDP per capita disparities in the EU are twice as high as in the US and unemployment disparities three times higher than in the US (CEC 1991). These spatial disparities are supposed to be tackled by the EU’s various Structural Funds, which grew in size and importance during the 1980s. The accession of the UK and Ireland extended the scale and nature of the regional problem within the EU. In particular the UK brought with it a number of crisis – hit industrial regions. The UK’s problems in this regard were particularly acute, but similar problems of concentrated industrial decline emerged in most northern member states during the 70’s and the problem of converting regions in industrial decline became an important task of the ERDF. During the 1980s the accession of Greece and later Spain and Portugal brought new concern with cohesion, as did intensifying problems in the declining industrial regions. The Structural Funds were reformed in 1979 and 1984 as the Commission sought to increase the available resources and to improve the effectiveness of the funds. A more far-reaching reform of the Structur al Funds occurred in 1988. This reform differed from the previous ones in so far as it was one aspect of the renewed impetus to economic integration, represented by the signing of the Single European Act. Another problem when it comes to EU’s approach to cohesion is the faith it places in market forces to stimulate growth and see to its â€Å"trickle down† to the less developed regions. A wise expression of the EU approach to cohesion is the one given by Delors (1989) who rejected the idea that there are inevitable winners or losers in the process of integration. Peripherality, for instance, is no longer described as a serious problem on the terms that transport costs are becoming, gradually, less important regarding the location of industrial production. New developments in telecommunications and increased capital mobility are seen to represent an opening up of the firms’ choices relative to the aspect of location, with the implication that this may benefit the less favoured regions. Delors concludes that the most important factor determining the distribution of industrial activity is effective supply-side policies, and for this readon he rejects regional employm ent and capital subsidies. The former, he argues, may give the wrong signal to those responsible for labour comptetitiveness while the latter may encourage inefficient investment. In conclusion, the question is not whether the proposals above are good or bad –few would oppose them- but whether they are good enough in order to close the regional gap in Europe. It has to be asked, also, whether any positive gains resulting from EU regional policy in facilitating cohesion are complemented by EU policy actions designed to enhance European competitiveness. In my opinion, the evidence until now shows us that larger firms and advanced regions are being favored. Let’s hope that eventually the opposite will happen. References Delors, J., (1989). Report on economic and monetary union in the European Community. Committee for the study of economic and monetary union. European Cohesion Policy 2014-2020. European CommisionCategory B Department of Planning and Regional Development Alexandrou Efstratia-Celia

Case Study: Hunter Douglas Group

Case Study: Hunter Douglas Group This is a case study report to analyse how Hunter Douglas Group manages its human resource planning and how the activities involved in the human resource planning process contributes to the success, as well as to ensure future success, of this large multi-national organisation in line with its corporate vision, mission, core values, strategic planning and objectives. Human resource planning provides the means to accomplish the desired outcomes of the organisation and achieving objectives by ensuring that the organisation has the right number of quality people available to achieve objectives through strategy implementation. This is based on a close working relationship between the human resource practitioners and line managers in each company (business unit) of its decentralised organisational structure. The human resource practitioners serve as consultants to line managers concerning the people management implications of business objectives and strategies. Line managers, in turn, have the responsibility to respond to the business implication of human resource objectives and strategies. We also see that the environmental and contextual changes present a number of competitive challenges to this organization which requires its human resource management to be involved in helping to create and build new capabilities. The challenges include: Globalisation: the challenge is to move peoples ideas, products and information around the world to meet local needs. Technology: the challenge is to make technology a viable, productive part of the work setting Competition: in order to remain competitive and remain as a market leader, Hunter Douglas is aware of the importance of continuous training of its people. Economics: economic growth or lower interest rates cause the increase in spending and often increase in business opportunities. Changes in the labour market has an impact on the organisations ability to find and keep employees Workforce changes and ability to cope with change: these include resignations, terminations, leave of absences, death, change in employment status and retirement The success of a business is directly linked to the performance of those who work for that business and Hunter Douglas Group is fully aware of this as it believes in the power of learning and providing its employees growth opportunities to develop their skills. Hunter Douglas Group acknowledges that its employees commitment is the key ingredient to the Groups continued growth and success. Hunter Douglas Group prides on the diversity and strength of its corporate culture that empowers its employees to build and run the business like their own businesses. The Hunter Douglas Group acts like a federation of entrepreneurial companies who think globally but act locally. The character and creativity of its 21,000 employees in 169 countries worldwide have built the dynamic and entrepreneurial company that the Group is today. With numerous benefits encouraging wellness and a work-life balance, Hunter Douglas Group regards its employees as its most valuable resource which is the key to the Groups success. Background Corporate Mission and Core Values Corporate Mission: Hunter Douglas is the worlds market leader in manufacturing a wide range of innovative and quality architectural and window covering products. Hunter Douglas provides on-time delivery, reliable and friendly service at a competitive price. Its aim is to offer fulfillment to its staff and to secure a reasonable return to its shareholders. Core Values: Customer Oriented Putting customers first Providing reliable and friendly service. Achieving on-time delivery Innovation Seeking continuous improvement and new ideas to create value to our customers Striving for creative ways of doing our work better Teamwork Working together harmoniously to achieve common goals and objectives Integrity Honouring commitments to customers, staff and organisation Being sincere and truthful Communication Showing respect and understanding for each other Being frank, open and receptive Staff Well-Being Providing continuous training and development Recognising good performance Corporate Structure Board of Directors Hunter Douglas Group has a one-tier corporate structure. Under its Charter, the Board of Directors is responsible for the overall management and control of the Company. The Board is appointed by the shareholders at the annual General Meeting. The Board has four regular meetings per year and additional meetings as required. Board members may not be members of more than five boards of public companies. Independence The Board has six Members, of whom four are independent. It acts collectively by majority resolution. Functions The Board reviews the overall strategy, financial objectives, budgets, acquisi ­tions, divestments, capital expenditures, currency and aluminium hedging, port ­folio composition and returns, results and risks in the Companys business. Audit and Compensation Committees The Board has an Audit and a Compensation Committee, whose members are independent. The Audit Committee reviews the Companys accounts, internal controls and meets with the Companys external Auditors twice a year. The Compensation Committee reviews the Directors and Officers compensation and stock options. Chairman, President CEO Mr. Ralph Sonnenberg is Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer. Officers The Board annually appoints the Officers of the Company: the President, the Co-Presidents, four regionally responsible Vice Presidents, two Staff Vice Presidents and a Corporate Secretary. The Vice Presidents and Corporate Secretary report to the President. Financial Reporting In accordance with the applicable reporting principles, the consolidated financial statements give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Group. The annual report includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the Group, together with a description of the principal opportunities and risks associated with the expected develop ­ment of the Group. Major Business Processes A business process is a collection of structured, related tasks or activities which produce a specific product or service which serves a particular goal for customers. The main types of business processes observed in this case study report are Management Processes, Operational Processes and Supporting Processes. Management processes: processes which govern the operation of a system in an organisation. Typical management processes include Corporate Governance and Strategic Management. Corporate Governance The Hunter Douglas Group is incorporated in The Netherlands Antilles and has its statutory seat in Curaà §ao. Hunter Douglas is therefore not subject to The Netherlands Corporate Governance Code. However, Hunter Douglas adheres to good Corporate Governance. The Group has the following key internal controls: Conflicts of Interest Policy The Conflicts of Interest Policy is applicable to all key employees covering relations with customers, suppliers and other third parties. Insider Trading Policy The Insider Trading Policy, as prescribed by the Authority Financial Markets (AFM), restricts trading in the Companys shares by Directors, Officers, key employees and related persons. Internal Audit Function Hunter Douglas principal Operating Companies have an Internal Audit Program. Authority Limits Every Manager, including the Regional Vice Presidents, has clearly defined Authority Limits. Whistleblower Policy Hunter Douglas has a Whistleblower Policy in each and every Company within the Group. Compensation Compensation is reviewed by the Compensation Committee of the Board. The Company also follows the best practices: Stock options Stock options are granted for five years with vesting starting after two years. Stock It is not the Companys Policy to provide stock at no cost. Loans Loans to Directors, Officers or other employees bear market interest. There is no forgiveness of principal or interest. Investor Relations Hunter Douglas has an Investor Relations Website, regularly issues press releases and holds analysts and investor meetings. Strategic Management Strategic management is a process through which organizations analyse and learn from their internal and external environments, establish strategic direction, create strategies which are intended to move the organisation in that direction and implement those strategies, all in an effort to satisfy stakeholders, as illustrated in the diagram below: External Analysis (External Environment) Strategic Controls Direction Setting: Generate, Allocate Build Develop Vision Evaluate, and relationships Control Mission and Manage Systems Values Select, Resources Design Strategies Structures Measure and Evaluate performance Internal Analysis (Internal Environment) Strategy Formulation Strategy Implementation and Evaluation Hunter Douglas Group has been successful over the long term because the Group has effectively acquired, develop and manage resources and capabilities that provide competitive advantage. The Group has, over the years, achieved strong brand recognition such as the HunterDouglas ® in North America and Asia as well as for Architectural Products worldwide. Luxaflex ® for residential window coverings in the rest of the world. The Hunter Douglas Group, with its 21,000 employees in 169 countries worldwide, takes advantage of its organisational strengths and environmental opportunities. It continues to neutralise or overcome organisational weaknesses and environmental threats by managing its business processes well and applies best practices. Operational processes: processes which constitute the organisations core business and create the primary value stream. Typical operational processes include Purchasing, Manufacturing, Marketing, and Sales. As a highly decentralised organisation, each company in each region within the Hunter Douglas Group manages autonomous operations with minimum interference and maximum accountability, growing their businesses within the groups entrepreneurial environment following the corporate governance, vision, mission and values. Supporting processes: processes that support the organisations core processes. Examples in this category include Accounting, Recruitment, Technical support. Although highly decentralised, each company in each region within the Hunter Douglas Group has to follow an Internal Audit Program when it comes to financial and accounting matters. Recruitment and Human Resource matters are set in line with the business plan and strategies of each company in each region as well as in line with the directions and corporate governance, vision, mission and values of the Group. Business Strategy Porters Generic Strategies Target Scope Advantage Low Cost Product Uniqueness Broad Cost Leadership Differentiation (Industry Wide) Strategy Strategy Narrow Focus Strategy Focus Strategy (Market Segment) (Low Cost) (Differentiation) Hunter Douglas Groups strategy is to grow the market and the Groups market share by continuing to introduce innovative and proprietary new products and by expanding its presence in key geographic markets. It was observed that Hunter Douglas Group has been successful in using the Differentiation Strategy by having the following internal strengths: Access to leading research and development Highly skilled and creative product development team Strong sales teams with the ability to successfully communicate the perceived strengths and benefits of the product. Corporate reputation for quality and innovation Differentiation Strategy A differentiation strategy calls for the development of a product or service that offers unique attributes that are valued by customers and that customers perceive to be better than or different from the products of the competition. The value added by the uniqueness of the product may allow the firm to charge a premium price for it. The firm hopes that the higher price will more than cover the extra costs incurred in offering the unique product. Because of the products unique attributes, if suppliers increase their prices the firm may be able to pass along the costs to its customers who cannot find substitute products easily. The risks associated with a differentiation strategy include imitation by competitors and changes in customers tastes. Generic Strategies and Industry Forces Industry Generic Strategies Force Cost Leadership Differentiation Strategy Focus Strategy Strategy Entry Ability to cut price in Customer loyalty can Focusing develops core Barriers retaliation deters discourage potential competencies that can act potential entrants entrants as an entry barrier Buyer Ability to offer lower Large buyers have less Large buyers have less power Power price to powerful power to negotiate to negotiate because of few buyers because of few close alternatives alternatives Supplier Better insulated from Better able to pass on Suppliers have power Power powerful suppliers supplier price increases because of low volumes, to customers but a differentiation-focused firm is better able to pass on supplier price increases to customers Threats of Can use low price to Customers become Specialised products core Substitutes defend against attached to differentiating competency protect substitutes attributes, reducing against substitutes threats of substitutes Rivalry Better able to Brand loyalty to keep Rivals cannot meet compete on price customers from rivals differentiation-focused customer needs Relationship With External Entities In order to remain successful and continue to expand its market share, Hunter Douglas Group has learned to develop and manage relationships with wide range of organisations, groups and people that have a stake in their business. The emergence of a fiercely competitive global economy means that the companies within the Hunter Douglas Group have to expand their networks of relationships in their region and cooperate with each other to remain competitive. Education Hunter Douglas Singapore team up with the National University of Singapores Department of Architecture to organise the NUS-Hunter Douglas Award for the innovative use of technology in Architecture. Hunter Douglas Group has developed multi-level training and education programs for its fabricators, retail dealers, professional designers and installers. It holds consumer seminars to help prospective buyers under ­stand the importance of window coverings for home fashions and for light control and energy efficiency. It provides training seminars and hands-on workshops for retailers, designers and installers, which includes CD-Roms, videotapes and web-based instructions, through ­out the world. It has created the industrys first and only formal Retail Alliance Program, offering its very best dealers a choice of tiered partnership options that reward their brand loyalty with lucrative business-building benefits, including financial incentives and exclusive products and programs. Through Hunter Douglas Group exclusive partnership with Archiprix International, it builds relationships with the next generation of architects as they begin their careers after college. With Hunter Douglas Groups support, Archiprix organises a biennial international com ­petition for the best graduation projects in architecture. Finalists travel to a host city with hundreds of architects from around the world where an independent jury evaluates the student entries and recognizes the most outstanding work with the Hunter Douglas award. Hunter Douglas Singapore was conferred the Singapore Institute of Architects Friend of Architecture Award in recognition of the companys contribution to Architecture in Singapore and its continuous support for the Singapore Institute of Architects. Its Windows of Opportunity seminar on the use of window fashions in interior design reaches more than 2,500 design school students and designers in major United States markets each year. At the Fashions Institute of Technology in New York and other leading design schools, Hunter Douglas provides design students with industry overviews and a business perspective through teaching opportunities. At the renowned Pratt School of Architecture, Hunter Douglas has sponsored design studio projects that challenge students to envision new and novel ways to integrate its products and materials into architectural structures. Corporate Citizenship Hunter Douglas Group actively supports the com ­munities in which they live, work and do business. Decisions about which causes to support and the form that support takes are made locally by the management in each country. It provides window coverings to hospitals, research centres and healthcare facilities around the world. It supports educational opportu ­nities for the families of its staff and less privileged members of our communities. In the United States and Canada, Hunter Douglas sponsors Habitat for Humanity, donating custom window cover ­ings for the homes Hunter Douglas has built for low-income families since 1993. Hunter Douglas employees have also contributed thousands of hours in sweat equity assisting with the building of these homes at the local level. Hunter Douglas stimulates students awareness of its products and encourage their creativity through competi ­tions in which they are judged upon the innovative application of its products in their design projects. Hunter Greenà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ and Keen on Green are important new company-wide environmental initiatives being undertaken by the Hunter Douglas branded compa ­nies to reduce energy consump ­tion, water usage and its overall carbon-footprint. It also includes an ongoing consumer marketing effort creating increased aware ­ness of Hunter Douglas corporate commit ­ment to the cause as well as the superior energy-saving benefits of its products. The Process of Human Resource Planning in the Organisation Manpower Planning Manpower planning is a process of getting the right number of qualified people into the right job at the right time. It is a system of matching the supply of people internally, who are the existing employees, and externally, potential talents to be hired or searched for, with job openings which the Group expects to have over a given time frame. This planning requires the human resource departments in the Group to prepare an inventory of skills and talents already available as well as coordinating and controlling various activities in the Hunter Douglas Group. Manpower planning involves reviewing current manpower resources, forecasting future requirements and availability as well as taking steps to ensure that the supply of people and skills meets demand. It utilises the concept of planning to visualise how the Hunter Douglas Group can go through the allocation and control of its manpower resources in a better manner. It is also a tool for higher management to equip themselves with the necessary data on its human resources available immediately within the Group and from outside, when the need arises to meet markets demand. Manpower Planning Model Forecast Demand Forecast Supply Considerations: Internally Product/ Service demand Staffing tables Economics Balance Supply and Demand Markov analysis Technology Skills inventories Financial resources/ limitations Recruitment (Shortage) Management inventories Absenteeism/ turnover Full-time Replacement charts Organisational growth Part-time Succession planning Management philosophy Recalls/ transfers Overtime Externally Techniques: Outsourcing Demographic changes Trend analysis Reductions (Surplus) Education of workforce Managerial estimate Terminations Labour mobility Delphi technique Layoffs Government policies Leave without pay Unemployment rate Outplacement Demotions Retirement Factors Economic Competition Government action Organisational Divisional Skills and Historical Data Objectives Department abilities Nature of company Objectives required Skills Inventory Net human resource Types, numbers, requirements Human Resources Negative: Layoff, terminations, resignations, retirement Manpower planning, as observed in the Hunter Douglas Group, consists of the following steps: Identify the Groups objectives and strategies which are stipulated in the business plan and from the strategic planning processes of the companies within the Group. Determine the impact of the organisations objectives on specific organisational units. For this purpose the cascade approach can be used, whereby the organisations long term strategies are translated into the shorter term performance objectives and time schedules per division and department. Define the skills, expertise and total number of employees (demand for human resources) required to achieve the organisation and department objectives by using the different statistical methods and managerial estimates. Perform an analysis of the Groups current human resources. By doing a skills inventory will shed light on the number of current employees in terms of their different competencies, skills, training levels, qualifications, work experience, etc. Determine the additional (net) human resource requirements in light of the Groups current human resources. Develop action plans to meet the anticipated human resource needs which may include a comprehensive succession plan for each department, resultant recruitment strategies, the design and implementation of managerial development and other training programs, making available bursary schemes for current participants who may eventually fill scarce positions, designing compensation packages to attract and retain quality staff. The key activities of Human Resource Management carried out by both line managers and the Human Resource practitioners in the Hunter Douglas Group are: Organisation Organisation structuring: developing an organisation which caters for all the activities required, groups them together in a way which encourages integration and cooperation. Job design and role specification: deciding on the contents of the jobs which involve the employees duties and responsibilities and the relationships that exist between job holders and other employees within the Hunter Douglas Group. Organisational development: stimulating, planning and implementing programmes designed to improve the effectiveness with which the organisation functions and adapts to change. The employment relationship Improving the quality of the employment relationship Creating a climate of trust and self propulsion Developing a more positive psychological contract Achieving a highly committed organisation Resourcing Human resource planning: assessing future people requirements in terms of both numbers and all levels of skill and competence. Formulating and implementing plans to meet those requirements through recruitment, training, development, etc. Recruitment and selection: obtaining the number and type of people the organisation needs Performance management Getting better results from the companies, teams and individuals by measuring and managing performance within agreed frameworks of objectives and competence requirements; assessing and improving performance. Human resource development Organisational and individual learning Skill improvement through systematic approach to training Reward management Job evaluation: assessing the relative size of jobs as a basis of determining internal relativities Pay: developing and administering pay structures and systems Non-financial rewards: providing employees with non-financial rewards e.g. recognition, increased responsibility and opportunity to achieve and grow. Employee benefits: providing benefits in addition to pay which cater for personnel security and personal needs Employee relations Employee relations involving managing and maintaining formal and informal relationships with trade unions and their members Employee involvement and participation which means sharing information with employee and consulting them on matters of mutual interest Communication: creating and transmitting information of interest to employees. Health, safe

Needless Animal Research, Testing, and Experimentation is Wrong Essay

Needless Animal Experimentation is Wrong    If penicillin had been tested on guinea pigs, it might never have reached the public. It is lethal to guinea pigs, deactivates the blood system of rabbits and is deadly to cats ("Bio-Medical Research"). Scientists are pushing for more experiments regardless of the cost to the animal's life. "One expense is the involvement of killing animals in the pursuit of a pine-scented air freshener"(Vergoth,p21). Animals suffering in experimentation labs are in just and cruel to animals. It is wrong to harm an innocent animal of any wrong doing, when the animal doesn't know right from wrong. It is argued that people have an obligation to animals, so that we can protect their welfare. Charles Fried claims "physical harm as an impingement upon the body which either causes pain or impairs functioning" (Fox, p85). Many animals experience pain, and sometimes death, during lab experiments. No animal experiments can be justified. Animals have helped in some ways, such as the discovery of the polio vaccine. Vivisection can be defined as an invasive experiment performed on an animal for the purpose of scientific research, product testing or education ("The National. . ."). Vivisection is extremely wrong because it causes pain and suffering on animals. Animals are entitled to be free from acts of cruelty. Animals, however, are important in research because their body systems are almost identical to humans. The use of dogs developed open-heart surgical techniques, coronary bypass surgery, and heart transplantation. Animals have helped in some ways, such as the discovery of the polio vaccine. The pulsing pain of electrodes planted in a chimps' brain is repulsive. The death of a tortured ra... ...re us so they will be here after the people leave. Bibliography Bio-Medical Research. [online] Nov, 4, 1997. Available at: http://www.navs.org/biomed.htm Fox, Michael Allen. "Animal Experimentation is not justified." Animal Rights:Opposing Viewpoints. Leone,Bruno, Series Ed. San Diego, CA. Greenhouse Press.1996. Frey, R.G. "All Animals Are Not Equal."Animal Rights:Opposing Viewpoints. Leone,Bruno, Series Ed. San Diego, CA. Greenhouse Press.1996. The National Anti-Vivisection Society. [online] Nov, 4, 1997. Available at: http://www.navs.org Product Testing. [online] Nov, 4, 1997. Available at: http://www.navs.org/product.htm Singer, Peter. "All Animals Are Equal."Animal Rights:Opposing Viewpoints. Leone,Bruno, Series Ed. San Diego, CA. Greenhouse Press.1996. Vergoth, Karin. "Guinea Pigs." Psychology Today. November/December 1995. pp21.

Have You Ever Acted as a Change Agent? :: MBA College Admissions Essays

Have You Ever Acted as a Change Agent? Â   My company is a family owned organization run by conventional management techniques, which include visiting the plant everyday and solving problems as they occur. As the technical director, my responsibility, among others, is to maintain product quality. However, I noticed the company had no communication with its customers and could not identify the desired quality of yarns and fabrics in the local market. With management ignoring dealers' complaints, I and my colleagues in the technical department decided to establish a system to gather customer feedback. Our plan ultimately changed our attitude towards quality. Â   To communicate with our customers, we placed address information forms in every 50kg carton of finished goods and asked the customers to fill out and return them for company calendars and diaries. We collected 267 forms within the first three months and to my surprise found that those 267 processing mills serve 95% of our customers. A number of complaints required as little effort as shifting a lever in the winding machine from one position to another to give a desired winding pattern. We also followed up on the widespread suggestion to replace the paper board carton for packing with jute bags which could be used for other purposes; since jute bags were less expensive, we were happy to follow this advice. Most importantly, we established a mechanism whereby we could immediately and costlessly discover problems with our products. Â   Management initially regarded my idea as 'western' and ineffective in China where customers are perceived as being too concerned with money to answer the questionnaires. While lobbying constantly, I had to wait a month to get the printing and stationary bills cleared. Now, our success is obvious as the attitude towards quality has changed.

Finding Peace in Siddhartha Essay -- Hesse Siddhartha Essays

Finding Peace in Siddhartha "I have become distrustful of teachings and learning and that I have little faith in words that come to us from teachers." (Page 18) Siddartha experienced this when he was with the Samanas, still seeking for peace of the innersoul. He distrusted teachings because to attain peace, he must learn everything from himself. However, along his journey, he was indebted by a beautiful courtesan, a rich merchant, a dice player, a Bhuddist monk, and Vasudeva, for they had influenced him and he gained great knowledge from each of them. After leaving Gotama, the Illoustrious One, Siddhartha entered the life of a human being. He met a beautiful courtesan named Kamala and asked her to teach him the art of love. She said anyone who came to see her must be wealthy and therefore, she wouldn't teach Siddhartha for he was just a ragged Samanas. She introduced him to a rich merchant named Kamaswami and from this man that Siddhartha learned to trade and became rich. Obviously, Siddhartha came back to see Kamala and she accepted him. They learned the game of love together and she taught him many many love lessons that she knew. From her that he learned love could not be forced, people could buy love, ask for love, but could not steal love. He also learned that people must grow old and die and that there was no endless life. Together, Siddhartha and Kamala had a son, Siddhartha, who could not love anyone, loved his son with all of his heart. Kamaswami, a richest merchant in town, hired Siddhartha as his assistance and from this man... ...river and finally, they attained peace. When he reached peacefulness, Siddhartha became the ferryman. He delivered people across the holy river just like Vasudeva once did and yet, deep within himself, there was an eternal peace. On the other hand, Govinda was still struggling with desire for knowledge and had not yet attained what he was seeking, so he came to learn from Siddhartha. Surprised when he heard Siddhartha mentioned the five considered teachers Siddhartha had during his quest for peace, Govinda thought Siddhartha was joking. Saw the confusion in his friend's face, Siddhartha told Govinda to bend and kiss him on the forehead and as Govinda did this, he understood everything Siddhartha had said. Siddhartha, whose smile was similar to the Illustrious One's, finally attained peace for his Self.

Foster innovative behavior Essay

For a company to compete in today’s competitive business world is increasingly a function of how proficient they are at innovation. The goal of a company is to increase profitability, increase growth and innovation and introduce new values/norms/culture into the company. In order for a company to remain competitive, it must have maximum quality, minimum cost and maintain peak performance. The design of the organization is crucial to innovation. In ways a company structure links its personnel in various specialties, such as research and marketing, gages the speed a company can introduce new products into the market. In its reflection, you cannot overlook the fact that the company culture has an impact on the people to be innovative. Culture defined as entrepreneurial norms and values is mostly likely fostering innovation than a culture that embraces conservatism and/or bureaucracy. In my experience the creation of a structure that fosters innovative behavior, begins with top leadership equipped to provide vision, inspiration, and conviction to demonstrate integrity, provide meaning, develop objectives, generates trust, and communicates values. As a leader, you must do more than just hold the title; as a CEO, you must exercise leadership through setting the example for others to emulate. Leaders must also influence and motivate managers to incorporate vision, strategic planning, and elements of quality management into the full range of the organization’s activities. Leaders must be knowledgeable of the fact that creativity and innovation is the heart and soul of their organization. New ideas can lead to programs/products that are superior to those already in existence or planned in an organization. Toyota for example has lead the way by targeting the 20 – 30 something and has come with a new line of cars. Other car manufacture’s are lagging behind and are just now starting to target that consumer group. This translates into a new design, outfitting of the 3 models they have brought on the market. Toyota also brought Hybrid cars to the US. Other car manufacturers are catching on now. Leaders should be continuously searching for new ideas and programs that supersede what the organization is currently committed to and producing. Let’s dub it as progression. According to Jones  (2004) in his textbook † the most critical elements of managers responsibilities is to select the right structure. Thus, flatten the organizational structure hierarchy to accomplish the main objective which is to establish greater control and coordination†. The selection of an â€Å"organic culture coupled with a decentralized line of authority† promotes high input/innovation and output according to the author Jones (2004). But of no system is perfect, even with the best of intention. For example, the adaptation of of organic culture, in some situation may cause management to loose control of personnel supervision and work efficiency. Additionally, informal norms and values develop that emphasize personal competence, expertise, and the ability to act in innovative ways. Status is achieved by the ability to provide creative leadership, not by any formal position in the hierarchy. Most centralized authority systems do not allow you to exhibit your full potential; deviation from the standard due to control factors is being stifled. The detrimental factor of this system is that it is impossible to create team, creativity, positive norms, values, and beliefs. Because there is such a lack of interaction between us (employees) and them (authority figures),† us against them† thinking can begin to creep in; people become lethargic and creativity and motivation is stifled. According to Jones (2004): the advantage of a decentralization is that it promotes flexibility and responsiveness through delegating authority to the lowest possible level to assist managers to make decisive on the spot decision. Leaders remain accountable for such their action (good judgment is prudent in a manager decision), but this also give a manager the opportunity demonstrate their personal skills and competence and would be more motivated to perform well for the organization. Leaders must also be able to identify and integrate key issues affecting the company such as political, economics, social, technological, and administrative factors. The kiss of death for most organizations is remaining steadfast on previous accomplishments. Organizations must subscribe to a progressive stance, because technology and productivity decreases the distance between what is up to date now and obsolete tomorrow; outside the box thinkers are a vital part of an organization and they need  to have the ears of top managers; top managers also much be innovative thinkers, don’t rest on past accomplishments, and create programs, incentives, where out -of -the box thinking is rewarded. Suggestion boxes and rewards can serve as great incentives. This in turn will allow employees to tap into their creative side, may save dollars to the company, and increase worker’s satisfaction, for it increases a sense of vital contribution to an organization. Reference: Jones,Gareth , R. (2004). Organizational Theory, Design, and Change (4th ed). New Jersey

Environmental issues and policies in Madagascar Essay

With the conceptions race protrudegrowth constantly and with human call for and desires growing pretty fast, we feel alike(p) every year in that respect is slight(prenominal) and slight room for us to bang on and it accepts more and more hunting expedition for us to calmly and amicably portion room and resources with our neighbors. In fact, it is too earliest to speak close global all overpopulation, since on that point argon alleviate vast expanses of to that extent uninhabited land, to say no amour of the energy of humans, with the help of groundbreaking technological facilities, to at once acclimatize under extreme judicial admissions.However, in many another(prenominal) countries ( pcticularly in third-world countries) nigh emigrational tendencies that ar or soly dictated by frugalal and social factors, argon creating quite a plausible picture of our future world, telltale(a) the about likely and formidable phenomena we whitethorn face in future. So me bigger cities ar experiencing secure problems related to fastly change magnitude influx of outlandishmen who, for various reasons, are forced to leave regionside and look for a better life in cities. everywhere the past few decades, close to economies name been developing in much(prenominal) a way as to provide benign conditions for rapid urbanization. Industrial study positivistic numerous revolutionary technological breakthroughs that took dis drive in the twentieth century drop turn uped in the appearance of large factories. The growing demand for paid flipforce has attracted plain dwellers, bakshishing to massed withdrawal of human resources from farming(prenominal) scene of actions. In terms of personal affluence, the meanness of social and economic activity in the metropolis has made urban milieu more attr energetic and promising.Although presidencys of some countries mother realized the danger of such economic tilts, most folksy lands are st ill experiencing severe shortage of financial last resulting in persistent skepticism of many peck about life in the countryside. It is to say, that it takes a lot of innovative sentiment and semipolitical allow on the part of a organization to balance out the local anaesthetic economy, as well as the realization of the fact that harsh needful or administrative measures imposed on muckle to make them stay in rural areas al genius will not suffice.It will be not in front we manage to create economically well-informed and prosperous environment in the resolution that we shall be able to speak about things in the countryside taking a dig for the better. We direct considered the ostracize of withdrawal of human, financial, industrial and technological resources from the village from the standpoint of rural life. This foresightful-lasting tendency awaits to be devising it hot for cities too.In many cities, particularly in world capitals, unending inflow of immigrants s eeking wealthy and prospect, has contributed to rapid and uncontrollable population growth, resulting in tough and jolting competition in the sphere of perplexity and acute contradictions between management and hire staff, entailing collisions of interests, progressive social stratification and environmental deterioration. All this has led to a depend of doubtful touchments and hazards, which appear to be make urban center life far slight comfortable than it exercised to be a short while ago. Today, Mexico urban center is the worlds largest capital, counting about 22 million citizenry.Mexico is a large industrial city, and it appears to be sharing the fate of most industrial centers of the world, barely coping with the influx of countrymen. The acceptance by the Mexi stomach government of certain trading rules in epithelial duct with international agreements, a paramount condition of the countrys participation in the WTO, has clashinged rural economy, causing a dramat ic economic collapse in the agricultural sector, resulting from the imbalance between local prices and those imposed by WTO regulations. This has triggered a invigorated spate of internal migration from the countryside to the city.Unfortunately, problems that the city of Mexico has lay in by now are not limited to overpopulation. It is not the overpopulation itself that poses most drab difficulties, but also ineffectual measures taken by the city government. To say the least, with the inflow so intensive and so evident, the citys townplanning committee does not seem to be fully taking into sum up the migration problem, or they scarcely fail to pull through pace with the time. The city infrastructure fails to sustainment up with the population increase, so battalion arriving in Mexico take up residence in shabby makeshift homes on the citys outskirts or in slum districts.These districts lack pee and grease-gun communicate, sewage, electricity, services, etc. , and thithe r are no travel waste disposal sy floors whatsoever. This has resulted in absolutely unfavorable environmental and epidemiological conditions. Most of garbage and human wastes detain on or close to the show up of the earth, and large parts of it are automobileried by winds for miles away and into the city. Unsanctioned dumping may spoil piss and ca turn over massed poisonings or outbreaks of infection.This in turn directly affects the flavour of the food, increasing the risk of its contamination with pestiferous substances and bacteria. There is another menacing phenomenon resulting from lordless population growth and topped glum by the citys geographical position. Permanent release of carbodyoxide by factories, mate with the release of locomote waste gases is displace the city on the brink of suffocation. Statistically, automobile sparks make up about 60% of all releases, and, considering the increasing vehicle self-control, there seems to be no way to overcome automobile emissions.The realization that internal fire is the greatest contributor to the accumulation of emission gases in the atmosphere has prompted automobile designers to accommodate vehicles with catalytic converters, but today there are too few such cars to make the effect palpable. The city is move on a plateau fenced remove with high mountain ranges. The cold line of credit arriving from behind the mountains forms a cap over the whole valley preventing the warm and stuffed city aviation from getting away. This lack of essential convection contributes to the accumulation of damaging emissions in the area and may turn the whole place into a gigantic gas van.The go on economic growth, extensive factory development and ever-growing population in Mexico City are aggravating the pollution problem. The accumulation of dark metals in the diff use can corrupt peoples health and result in serious progressive hereditary diseases, increasing the concomitant of cancer, c hronic poisoning, high infant mortality, cardiovascular diseases, allergic reactions, innate orthopedic malformations, slimy cognition and many other corporal and mental abnormalities.Progressive intake of harmful substances directly affects the nations contagious makeup, and it is hardly possible now to on the nose foresee all consequences of these destructive influences. brisk use of depths of the earth, resulting from ever-bulging demand for minerals and oil has triggered rapid and unpredictable under body politic processes, resulting in fluent aquifers and causing much piddle to go deeper into the ground, making it less reachable.As long as the city is situated in a seismologically unstable region with an active volcano in its direct proximity, upgrade deterioration of the bed may result in disastrous earthquakes, which, in turn, are likely to wake up the volcano and plunge the whole area into an revelatory calamity. Apart from the destruction of the bedrock, destruct ion of aquifers is troubled with the disappearance of water in some places and appearance of excessive amounts of it in others. This may cause lack of water supply and actual drying out of some areas and lead to unexpected floods elsewhere.The formation of empty spaces in the bed has caused some areas to sink significantly over the past few decades, which increases the incident of flooding. At the same time, the emptying of the aquifers delinquent to extraneous consumption of water by the growing city has led to a dramatic lessening of natural water resources, threatening to leave the whole city without water in the foreseeable future. correspond to last estimates, every second the city of Mexico takes 7,250 gallons of water, which amounts to an Olympic-size swimming pool per minute.With the consumption of water so intensive, there is a expectant possibility that the amount of water rest in the aquifers will be insufficient. unnecessary to say, this is much more serious a t hreat that inability to afford a car or a TV. In some areas, shortage of water is already tangible, and it has resulted in social upheavals. Changes in bedrock structure and the progressive subsidence of the ground can also result in the destruction of sewer and drainage sy beginnings, increasing the risk of contaminating fresh water and thus threatening to imp subscriber line its woodland.As we can see, all the aforementioned threats go up from one major phenomenon overpopulation. Needless to say, more and more intensive use of water and resources is traceable to population growth and human hurt for relative prosperity and every one-on-ones desire to occupy his or her niche in the booming economy. However, this drawing outline of most significant problems and dilemmas shows that if we proceed to use natural resources in the latest fashion, the place we live in will soon become absolutely un habitable.In this respect, the city of Mexico can be presented as a small replica of our correct planet, which, with the same tendencies and phenomena persisting, will soon be confronted with similar problems. There is less and less room for industrial and vehicle emission gases and, like it is with the aquifers under Mexico city, the increasing usurpation upon minerals and oil resources is affecting the earths bedrock, creating pre-conditions for unpredictable and destructive earthquakes and massive destruction.With the web site so serious and menacing tendencies so evident, many governmental governance of Mexico City, as well as state authorities express their concern about the countrys future and come up with lots of ideas, which are likely to come out helpful and effective in overcoming these negative tendencies. Whichever idea is the best, just one thing is evident today, and this is the necessity to create arrogant incentives and favorable conditions for people to live and work in the countryside in order to stem the growth of city population.As adve rtize tonicity issue appears to be the most evident one, the city government has develop a number of solutions aimed at reduction of industrial and vehicle releases into the atmosphere. By incorporating advanced technological systems and utilisation of higher quality evoke, it is possible to significantly improve communicate quality. Recently, a state-of-the-art air quality monitoring system has been implemented, so government officials and specialists flip obtained control over air quality. Now every vehicle is inevitable to feature advanced converting devices that are open to cut down the release of venomous substances.In November 1989, the city Government introduced the so called No driving force Day (NDD), when car owners are supposed not to use their vehicles on certain days. The results of this innovation were a considerable reduction of traffic congestion and gasoline use. The use of refined types of fuel and the installation of waste gas elaboration and vapor rec overy equipment are innovative measures regulated by the Clear mien Act Amendments of 1990. Hypothetically, these measures can be submissive in reducing the amount of vehicle-related chemicals in the air and thus improve air quality.However, these ideas, though effective theoretically, crap prove less operable in reality. As a rule, advanced technological solutions are something than few people can afford, and most people find it less high-priced to bribe authorized inspection employees and use old vehicles than purchasing virgin automobiles or applying expensive technologies. Not infrequently, the cost of implementing new equipment exceeds the size of fines by far, so people prefer to pay fines rather than spend money on equipment.For this reason, the results of the latest innovations have turned out to be less tangible than expected. The NDD policy has also revealed a number of unexpected actions on peoples side. Instead of increased usage of public transportation, Mexico City dwellers found a way around it by purchasing more vehicles in order to have a reserve automobile to be used on No Driving Days. Actually, this nullified the immediate positive tendencies that showed during sign stages of the NDD policy. Other attempts to limit air pollution include increased vehicle ownership taxation and boosting the price of fuels.The advocates of these measures believed that this would discourage people from using cars and thus reduce the impact on the environment. All these measures have be less effective than expected, since most Mexico residents simply cannot afford new vehicles, to which the new regulations real spread, and prefer to use old vehicles without having to leverage new equipment. Now, having discussed a few measures that have been taken over the last some(prenominal) years in an attempt to elaborate the ecological problem, we can see that they are not always applicable or effective.As there is just one major problem that all these issue s stem from the overpopulation all efforts to change things for the better moldiness be concentrated on resolving power overpopulation problem. Although mandatory measures, such as inspections, bans, taxation and can have a atypical effect, there is no way to achieve significant improvement in air and water quality but by using wise economical and political instruments. Once again, in order to hike up city dwellers to move to rural areas, sanitary economic environment must be created in agricultural regions.This is only feasible through establishing price standards acceptable for country dwellers and creating an ample ground for agricultural business. In other words, in order to rest the growth of city population, we have to make the village no less livable than the city. Unfortunately, very little is being through with(p) to improve life in the country, since it would take a decision by the Mexican government to unilaterally withdraw from the WTO, which can entail a conflic t with the USA, the break in of the WTO.Today, the Mexican government still prefers to use doubtful methods of forcing the poor to leave the city by raiding their encampments, as it did in the late 1990s. 1. Phil Hearse. MEXICO CITY Environmental Crisis, state-controlled Solutions. Environment and Urbanization, Vil. 11, No 1, 53-78 (1999) 2. Ramiro Tovar Landa, 1995. Mobile ancestor Pollution in Mexico City and Market-Based Alternatives make by the Cato Institute. Editorial and business offices are located at 1000 mummy Avenue, N. W. , Washington, D. C. , 20001