Plight of Indian Farmers Essay

India is an agrarian country and around 60% of its people directly or indirectly depend upon agriculture. Agriculture in India is often attributed as gambling with monsoons because of its almost exclusive dependency on precipitation from monsoons. The failure of these monsoons can lead to a series of droughts, lack of better prices, and exploitation of the farmers by middlemen, all of which have led to a series of suicides committed by farmers across India. Things have always been bleak for the Indian farmer. Here the term ‘farmer’ is used to describe the agriculturists with very small land holdings or no land ownership at all. The policies of the government and the often-lackadaisical attitude of the bureaucracy are responsible for the sorry plight of the farmer. Even the so-called ‘Green Revolution’ was successful only in patches. Not many small farmers could reap the benefits of the technology that required large tracts of land and lot of money. The policy makers ignored the need for creating infrastructural facilities like irrigation and storage and not to mention the transport facilities. Some of the main causes of the farmers’ mass suicide is due to absence of adequate social support infrastructure at the level of the village and district, uncertainty of agricultural enterprise in India, indebtedness of farmers, rising costs of cultivation, plummeting prices of farm commodities, lack of credit for small farmers, relative absence of irrigation facilities, repeated crop failures. India is transforming rapidly into a primarily urban, industrial society with industry as its main source of income; which is why the government and society remains unconcerned about the condition of the countryside. Moreover, a downturn in the urban economy pushes a large number of distressed non-farmers to try their hand at cultivation; in the absence of any responsible counseling either from the government or society there were many farme rs who did not know how to survive in the changing economy. Such stresses pushed many into a corner where suicide became the only option for them. The problems that plagued the farmers 15 years ago are still glaringly present today: There is little credit available. What is available is very expensive. There is no advice on how best to conduct agriculture operations. Income through farming is not enough to meet even the minimum needs of a farming family. Support systems like free health facilities from the government are virtually non-existent. Non availability of timely credit has been a major drawback for the agricultural sector of India. In a country which relies mostly on agriculture, constant endeavors are needed to see that rural and agricultural credit facilities are enhanced with time. As a part of these efforts, agricultural credit cards got introduced in the agricultural lending system. Similarly cash credit facility was also being offered by many banks. However, a major shortfall in these schemes remained the fact that they were concentrated mainly to the niche segment. The farmers lying in the higher end of the pyramid received access to these schemes while the marginal and small ones still remained unprivileged. The farmers’ problems should be assessed against the background of rural economy and the marketing of agricultural products. In almost all other economic transactions, those who produce the goods have the right to decide the market price of the product. But farm prices are not fixed on the basis of cost production of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, water and other in-puts, besides electricity and manual labour. Farm products are thrown into the market with the result that their price-structure collapses with market fluctuations. When markets are flooded with farm products, prices come down and a scarcity means the rise of prices. The scarcity is artificially created by middlemen and merchants. That is why traders of farm products get rich, while farmers remain poor. Traders get bank credit facilities, while farm credit is restricted to crop valuation which is not only uncertain, but considered at a low level by bankers who ascertain the farmers’ credit limit. Agriculture is not a sector for bank loans, and hence land assets are not considered for loan limits. The farmers are so neglected and exploited that, in times of crisis, they either have to get themselves trapped by private moneylenders or commit suicide. More than 17,500 farmers a year killed themselves between 2002 and 2006, according to experts who have analyzed government statistics. In 2006, the state of Maharashtra, with 4,453 farmers’ suicides accounted for over a quarter of the all-India total of 17,060. According to government data, over 5,000 farmers committed suicide between 2005-2009 in Maharashtra, while 1,313 cases were reported by Andhra Pradesh between 2005 and 2007. In Karnataka the number stood at 1,003, for the period 2005 – 2009. In the last four years, cases there were about 905 cases in Kerala, 387 in Gujarat, 75 in Punjab and 26 in Tamil Nadu. In April 2009, the state of Chhattisgarh reported that 1,500 farmers committed suicide due to debt and crop failure. Farmers often have to take loans from money lenders because of a lack of alternatives, and if the crops fail, they are left with no choice but to commit suicide. The problem is that the Indian government has no plan to subsidize or compensate for farmer’s losses if he fails to compete in the global market or to survive global market fluctuations. Unless their plight is duly assessed, adequate credit facilities are given, and compensation packages finalized, it would be difficult for farmers to survive in any market, particularly under the present rural conditions. The rural people consisting of 70% (including farmers, artisans, fishermen, 93% Tribal’s, 86% Schedule d castes, nomads etc.) do not have the basic facilities as secured by the organized sectors. These people living in Villages of Bharat are illiterate, do not have basic facilities of health & education neither regular income nor growth. The reason for the lack of facilities is due to lopsided policies adopted in the past after Liberalization process. The leaders as well as Intellectuals have become immune to the problems confronted by rural people. There is a general feeling among farmers of being ‘left behind’ in large parts of rural India. The widening disparity in per capita income between farm and other than farm sector, the very slow rate of growth in agriculture, the declining profitability, extremely weak social security arrangements, weakening family and community based mechanism of social protection, lack of employment opportunities etc., and the rising aspirations are building up social unrest which, if not arrested, could lead to threats to internal peace and security. The worsening cost-risk-return structure of farming, the low and stagnating income of farmers and the huge and widening income divide between farmers and non-farmers are the main deterrents. The Indian farmers have always been at the receiving end since Independence. Their hard toil fetched them nothing except fake assurances from the rulers of this nation. It’s sad and unfortunate that people who are indispensable for the growth of nation have been left to their fate. This is quite evident from the suicide cases in Andhra and other parts of the country including West Bengal. In states like UP, middlemen and Mandi officials ensure that the farmers turn into object of grief. The need of the hour is implementation of schemes introduced by the government. This can take place effectively if the village panchayats are provided more power to execute them in smooth manner. Today bureaucratic set-ups eat into their advantages. Again farmers need to be equipped with latest technological accessories that enhance the prospects of better output and thus make their contribution more prominent in the global economy. Better results could be attained if information centers having state-of-the -art facilities are set-up inside each village that shed light on issues related with farmers. They form the backbone of the nation and so it becomes imperative for us to be conscious of their needs. Recommendations to reduce the plight of Indian Farmers * Agricultural subsidies should not be stopped but it should be done in an efficient manner so that the needed farmers or poor farmers who are not financially stable can get these facilities and their situation can be improved. Government should have all the details of farmers and on the basis of that list distribution should be done. They should provide subsidies category wise. Improvement in the agricultural sector is one step towards the development of our country. * Comprehensive insurance safety net * Revamping of extension services in lines with e-choupals; and dissemination of information such as agricultural prices and methods of low-cost organic farming. * Fundamental policy changes to factor in the fluctuating production cost in the minimum Support Price mechanism. * To integrate surface and groundwater irrigation schemes and integrate the line departments in order that the schemes are implemented efficiently. * Policy changes to focus on farmers rather than seed and fertilizer corporations and set up of a commission with statutory powers that takes decisions on issues such as genetic modification technology and its impact on Indian agriculture, agriculture pricing policy and cropping pattern.

To What Extent Does Restructuring Transform Corporate Market and Financial Performance?

To what extent does restructuring transform corporate market and financial performance? Discuss using an extended example. Restructuring is simply the reorganisation of a company’s structure to combat external or internal forces that hinder the maximisation of shareholder value. The term restructuring is quite broad an is an umbrella term for any action taken by a firm to maximise shareholders wealth (Wright et al) or a company’s reaction when it’s under pressure (Usui and Colignon, 1996). These actions â€Å"bracket mergers and acquisitions with much else† (Froud et al. , 2002, P. 2).This essay should explain in great detail how restructuring can transform corporate market and financial performance. It will focus on financial, portfolio and organisational restructuring and more specifically the following restructuring actions: mergers and acquisition and outsourcing and off-shoring. In addition Marks and Spencer and British Airways would be used interchan geably as extended examples to further illustrate stated points. Restructuring actions usually occur to revive failing businesses. By delayering or merging with another business firms are likely to become more competitive and more profitable.It is also not uncommon for restructuring to be used as a preventative measure to stay ahead of the game and react to competition. If done correctly and when necessary, it should result in economies of scale, decreased operational costs and easier communication. Financial restructuring refers to changes in a company’s financial structure. It involves managing debts, stocks and shareholder payments. Portfolio restructuring on the other hand deals with products, acquisitions and diversification. Finally organisational restructuring is mainly concerned with the human resources in the company.Mergers and Acquisitions are the most common forms of restructuring. â€Å"In value terms, the merger of whole companies through (often hostile) takeov er continues to be the most important form of restructuring†. (Froud et al P 3). Companies prefer to restructure in this manner as it brings numerous instant benefits and can aid in transforming market and financial performance immediately. Firstly, merging with or acquiring a company gives an instant increase in market share. It is the easiest way to enter into a new market and have a larger customer base overnight.British Airways' recent merger with Iberia has been beneficial to shareholders, employees and customers. According to the airline their corporate market would be transformed as they would be flying to more destinations, own more aircrafts and have more passengers. Thus making it more competitive and strengthening the company's image and brand. In addition, their financial performance would be transformed as they stand to benefit from a significant decrease in costs and benefit from economies of scale the merger is bound to provide.These costs savings can be then pa ssed on to the customer and might enable British Airways to be competitive on price; a luxury it might have not been able to afford prior to the merger. The merger might also help British Airways break into the South American market; a market in which it had no prior expertise or significant market share in. In addition to an increased market share, Kotler’s 8 C framework details how a firm’s market power could be increased through mergers and acquisitions (Kotler et al 2005).Firms gain greater control of every aspect of their products, greater efficiency, greater control of customer experiences and increased buying power if they have links with their competitors, challengers, collaborators, commodities, components, customers or consumers. Despite aiding in transforming corporate market and financial performance to some extent, mergers and acquisitions aren't exempt from critique. This form of restructuring despite being the most common is also the most critiqued. Firs tly, there is the issue of Monopoly and fair competition. The Acquisition of a competitor could instantly make a firm the market leader.Consumers suffer as a result. There might be little product differentiation, increased prices and barriers to new entrants could be put to prevent other smaller companies from entering the market thus giving a single organisation too much power. The government sometimes has to step in to minimise the formation of monopolies. British Airways were hopeful for a merger with American Airlines which would have made them a dominant airline in major airports across the world. The deal was eventually stopped because of its anti competitive nature. In addition to monopolies, a popular critique on mergers and acquisitions is they just don't work. †¦ the Boston consultancy group estimate that 64% of recent US acquisitions actually destroy value for the acquirers shareholders† (Kotler et al 2004) â€Å"rather than increased profitability, mergers an d acquisitions have come to be associated with lowered morale, job dissatisfaction, unproductive behaviour†¦ † (Meeks 1977, Sinetar 1981, Attendorf 1986, Cartwright & Cooper 1993). Three major reasons for the failure of mergers and acquisitions are a clash of organisational culture, human relations dilemmas and abandoning core competencies. Different organisations have unique styles of going about their day to day operations.When a company merges with or acquires another the dominant culture usually prevails however employees from the organisation with the less dominant culture might still carry on doing things the way they've always done it thus causing this clash. Errors associated with clashing cultures could range from minute to disastrous and if this carries on for a prolonged period of time, the opposite of the perceived benefits of mergers and acquisitions is most likely to occur. Employees also tend to feel worried about their job security when any form of restruc turing takes place.Their insecurities are manifested through their actions that usually prove costly for the newly merged or acquired organisation and can eventually drive it to failure. High labour turnover, absenteeism and decreased productivity are some of the actions that could be manifested as a result of job insecurity. A disparity in core competencies is a final reason why mergers and acquisitions are becoming more prone to failure. Hamel and Prahalad (1994) argue that an organisation can never gain long term financial rewards if its core competencies are ignored.Thus merging with or acquiring a company with contrasting core competences isn't likely to be successful. The merger between Daimler Benz (makers of Mercedes Benz) and Chrysler is a perfect example of a failed merger. Due to a clash of organisational culture and contrasting core competencies, the merger eventually ended in failure. There were good intentions behind the merger but finding the balance between Daimler B enz's high end auto mobiles and Chrysler's middle of the road range proved more difficult than anticipated thus Chrysler was eventually sold off.Druckers (1985) critique of mergers and acquisition argued that managers often seek to restructure in this manner to spread risk but it doesn’t guarantee success and usually results in failure. His five rules for successful acquisition give useful steps that managers might want to take into consideration prior to restructuring their organisation in this fashion. Outsourcing is another restructuring initiative used by firms when they find it necessary. Outsourcing aids in transforming the corporate market and financial performance of a firm to a great extent.It enables firms to focus completely on their core competencies as other organisations are hired to carry out activities that aren't directly related to the company's operations. It saves costs, improves efficiency and aids in the implementation of rapid change. In addition, findi ng workers with the necessary qualifications and skill in a specific country required might be difficult, thus offshore outsourcing becomes a necessity (King, 2009). One of the most outsourced operations in the United Kingdom and the USA is Information Technology. †There are more IT positions in the USA than there are graduates† (Morrill, 2009).Mark's and Spencer's indulge in offshore outsourcing to aid with its IT operations. As a result they have been able to focus on areas of more importance to them which is the quality of their products and their customer service. Additionally, offshore outsourcing aids in creating jobs in developing third world countries where unemployment rates are high. Some of the accounting and research operations on Wall Street are outsourced offshore. The companies are usually based in India where the best candidates are selected for the job and would be paid a good wage according to the standard of living in India.However if the very same ope rations were to be performed in New York, the staff may not be as skilled as those in India and would demand triple the salary in accordance to the higher standard of living in New York. All in all, Outsourcing is intended to ensure that the most skilled and most efficient people do the job at a mutually beneficial financial cost. On the other hand, there are so many ethical and political concerns associated with outsourcing. Many believe that it’s damaging to the economy as creating employment offshore decreases employment in the company's home country. â€Å"†¦ utsourcing is a poor alternative to a firm's internal management of Information Technology and services because it is tantamount to selling your ‘birthright'†¦ † (Clark et al, 1995). Also, ethical issues such as exploiting local workers in offshore countries in a desperate bid to keep overheads to a bare minimum and maximise profits have been connected to outsourcing. Numerous companies have be en scrutinised and criticised for this. The likes of Nike and Primark have endured the embarrassment and scandal of engaging in child labour in an attempt to keep overheads unrealistically low.Pisano (2009) argues that outsourcing operations especially manufacturing can provide a leak in information which might enable competitors overseas to hone their skills and possible surpass the skills of the company outsourcing. Other criticisms of outsourcing include quality control, loss of managerial control and hidden costs or the service being outsourced proving to be more costly in the long run. British Airways outsources almost all its operations. Back office operations, finance and accounting and its in-flight retail business are all outsourced.This has resulted in poor employee relations, a breakdown in communication and poor customer service amongst a host of other things. Whilst Marks and Spencer's restructuring included outsourcing IT operations which resulted in some employees bei ng made redundant and other transferred to their outsourced off shore location. To conclude, restructuring transforms corporate market and financial performance to a significant extent. Every firm needs to change especially when it is at risk of failure or it’s not as profitable as it once was.Mark's and Spencer’s restructuring ensured the company was re-branded in the customer's mind and an emphasis was placed on quality. As a result sales soared and market share was gained. On the other hand their restructuring initiatives also led to the company making the strategic decision to close all shops in France; thus bringing about bad press, criticism from trade unions and the French government, law suits and parties calling for consumers to boycott Mark's and Spencer's stores. Restructuring is however necessary if a business is to remain competitive.If competitors are changing and a firm decides to remain stagnant, it is only a matter of time before it becomes irrelevant. The decision to restructure must be dependent on the overall business strategy. â€Å"Strategic management as a discipline is concerned with how firms formulate and implement strategies in order to accomplish desired performance goals. † (Schendel and Hofer 1979). A more aggressive proactive strategy might be better suited for companies pursuing mergers and acquisitions whilst an organisation with a cost saving and value adding strategy might prefer to outsource.Restructuring does transform corporate market and financial performance but should only ever be used in synch with the overall corporate strategy to reap maximum benefits. Bibliography * MN220 Strategic Management: Lecture 18- Restructuring. Sukhdev Johal. 2012 * Restructuring for Shareholder value and its implications for labour. Cambridge journal of economics. Julie Froud, Colin Haslam, Sukhdev Johal and Karel Williams * Bbc. co. uk/business – Why firms bother to restructure. 12 Feb 2003: http://news. bbc. c o. uk/1/hi/business/711722. stm * Caterpillar: Two stories and an argument.J. Froud, K. Williams, C. Haslam, S. Johal, J. Williams. Accounting organisations and societies vol 23, 1998 * Globalisation, shareholder value, restructuring: The (Non)Transformation of Siemens Alexander Borsch * The Psychological impact of mergers and acquisition on the individual: A study of building society managers. Sue Cartwright, Larry L. Cooper. 1993 * Principles of Marketing. Phillip Kotler, Veronica Wong, John Saunders, Gary Armstrong. Fourth European Edition * The Outsourcing of information services: Transforming the nature of business in the information industry.Thomas D. Clark Jr, Rober W. Zmud, Gordon E. McCray. 1995 * An evaluation of the impact of corporate strategy and the role of information technology on IS functional outsourcing. V Grover, M Cheon, J TC Teng * Theoretical perspectives on the outsourcing of information systems. Myun J. Cheon, Vraun Grover and James T C Teng. 1995 * The U. S is outsourcing away its competitive edge. Gary P Pisano. HBR Blog network. 2009 * Offshore outsourcing: Practical and ethical arguments for and against from a small business perspective. Danny King. 2009 *

Quota System in Bangladesh

Introduction: Quota System/Policy is a hiring policy, where a specified number or percentages of specific group members are to be hired. In Bangladesh every government jobs are enriched with the quota system. Different types of quota are available in both cadre and non-cadre class I & II jobs. The persons are selected for government jobs either from merit basis or district basis. Quota system was introduced in the government service by an executive order in 1972, where 45% are reserved on merit, rest 55% is distributed as 30% for children of freedom fighters, 10% for women, 10% for districts and 5% for indigenous people.Recruitment into different Cadres of the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) is in accordance with the provisions of this rule. No direct appointment can be given in BCS Cadre Service without the recommendation of the Public Service Commission, and examinations are held (both written & viva-voce). The purpose of this quota system is to equally develop the country but whene ver we compromise the selection at the highest level of government service through quota implies the negative impact on the improvement of governance.From the perspective of Human Resource Management, Quota System never be a good selection tools because it discriminates the humans. Whenever we are going for any quota system which will must hide to select right people at right place at right time. [pic] To run any sector whether it is public or private people play a prime role which start from manpower planning. In figure-1 it is assumed that the recruitment & selection process is quota-free and hence entirely depends on merit.Therefore we would get a fair competition and as such we would obtain best fit for the organization. In long run, as they are fairly and merit-based selected, they would be more inspired, motivated, pro-active, result-oriented and careerist. At the end there would more possibility of nurture of talent, otherwise retain of talent would be impossible. Besides, th e quota-free selection ensures Equal Employment Opportunity. In the contrast, in Fig. it has been assumed that, the selection process is quota based, ie, we have to fill-up quota rather than selection right fit leading to non-compliance of Equal Employment Opportunity. These employees would be, no doubt, less motivated, inspired and re-active. Therefore there would be possibility by the management to exploit them rather nurture, because retain of such employees are not a big deal as they are not careerist, result-oriented. ———————– Figure 1: HR Tier In Terms of Talent Management Figure 2: Impact of Quota In HR Read also: Padma Bridge

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Corporate Social Responsibility - Essay Example In looking at the opposing views of the market in society, questions still remain: is CSR compatible with the demands of shareholders? Is CSR a genuine movement, or a company PR exercise? Can a company be profitable while also being socially aware? Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a phrase used regularly by companies when they attempt to assure people of their ethical intentions. The EU’s report on ‘Implementing the partnership for growth and jobs’ defines CSR as: Consumer concerns about the ethical treatment of the poor and exploitation of the Third World have made the promotion of social and ethical statements in business procedures essential. However, many in the consumer movement now feel that CSR is a sham, and a corporate PR exercise designed to whitewash the continuing exploitation of the vulnerable and poor. The question this essay attempts to argue concerns how compatible CSR is with the traditional role of companies, which is to make money for their shareholders. The issue of Corporate Social responsibility seems to be between those who feel that companies are part of society, and others who are more inclined to concur with Milton Friedman’s belief that the only social responsibility that a business has is to its shareholders: â€Å"The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits† (Friedman, 1970). By looking firstly at how government has supported the CSR movement, then at the positive elements of CSR, with reference to increasing profits and ‘Social profit’, and finally at the opposition to CSR from both businesses and consumer movements, this essay hopes to establish whether Corporate Social Responsibility interferes with the ability of companies to make a profit, or whether it is a recognition of a larger social movement to improve the va lues and ethics of society.

Site assembly and development Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Site assembly and development - Dissertation Example II. The Definition of An Easement Basically, someone who has an easement is someone who can tread on someone else’s property. That person is called the servient. â€Å"The holder of an easement has the right to use a tract of land, called the servient tenement†¦Ã¢â‚¬  but has very little rights otherwise.1 Easements come in an inexhaustible amount of forms, and, for example, adjacent properties might come into play, such as was the case in Bailey v Stevens (1862). Sometimes there are implied easements, as in the case of Wheeldon v Burrows. Whatever the case, it is quite possible that the definition of who owns an easement should actually be defined better. For example, instead of having four requirements for the definition of an easement to be met—basically stating who owns an easement—an easement should be clearly defined in a one-sentence statement or paragraph. This would thus put to rest all the haggling behind what an easement consists of and that of which it does not consist. Easements present a problem, not only in English law, but all over the world. People disagree all the time as to what constitutes an easement, and who has a right to share what. As such, the definition of what an easement is, and why it begs to be defined, are partially societal problems. If English society were more communal rather than individual in nature, most likely there would not be such a problem with the idea of having to share space. But, since like the West, the UK has been â€Å"enlightened† in terms of having to have at least 10 metres of space per person even in office space, it so follows that it would probably be only natural for someone from England demanding justice if a neighbour came to fish in his or her pond, swim in a backyard pool, or use the lavatory at one’s whim. As such, it can be very difficult to actually define an easement, especially if the person using the easement does not want to formally admit that he or sh e is using the other person’s property illegally. Also, the dominant may not want to admit that there is an easement between both the dominant and the servient, as the dominant may feel that, legitimating that relationship might therefore give the servient some type of rights or ownership to his or her property—which it does, but that is almost entirely beside the point. The person who holds the easement doesn’t exactly own the property. It’s more like, they are borrowing it or using it for a certain time and then won’t be there anymore. Usage of an easement is, for the majority, not continuous. Thus, these facts should be taken into account when one is considering either making an easement formal or doing something in order to make the process of acquiring an easement possible. In all circumstances, paperwork should always be filled out so there is no misunderstanding between the dominant and the servient. This is essential for the relationship. I II. What Can Be Done with an Easement Although an easement itself is defined by four strict necessities by law, what can be done with an easement should definitely be clarified. It has been said that â€Å"†¦an easement is extinguished if the dominant and servient tenements come into the same ownership†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 2 That may be true, but unless it was expressly written into the law in such a like manner, one might never know that that had been the case. Even so, there are such things as

Respiratory failure Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Respiratory failure - Case Study Example A fall arterial oxygen tension (Pa, O2) of 6.0 kPa (45 mmHg) or both, is indicative of respiratory failure (Roussos and Koutsoukou, 2003). Respiratory failure may be acute or chronic. In case of Wilson, the respiratory failure is acute and this is indicated by the drastic change in the acid-base status (pH= 7.3). The cause of respiratory failure in him is the right lower lobe collapse-consolidation secondary to pneumonia. Lower respiratory tract infection is known as pneumonia. The pathology lies in the parenchyma of the lungs which consist of alveolar sacs. There are several causes of pneumonia, the most common of which is bacterial (Stephen, 2009). Bacterial pneumonia can be community acquired or hospital-acquired. In case of Wilson, the pneumonia is hospital acquired. Â  Decreased oxygen saturation: Acute respiratory failure occurs when the body is unable to maintain gas exchange at a rate on par with the demands of the body like in pneumonia. The damage to lung parenchyma in pneumonia results in the release of inflammatory mediators and fluids because of which intrapulmonary shunting, ventilation-perfusion mismatching, hypoventilation and diffusion defects occur (Stephen, 2009). All these eventually lead to hypoxemia which is evident in the blood gas analysis of Wilson (Ranjit, 2001). In ventilation-perfusion mismatch, areas which have lower ventilation as against perfusion contribute to hypoxemia.

Managing Work and People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managing Work and People - Essay Example In authority, a practice is set up by the employer who then gives it to the employees. At Pixar’s, employees are privileged to have individual recognition particularly when they have improved their skills in the work that they have done, and so they are considered an important asset of the company. Grouping helps create pride among employees in the work place especially when they are grouped in terms of comparable ability, where practices flow better and in a friendly manner. Of importance to note is that evaluation and timing are crucial in every company as they assist in the giving employees’ able time to evaluate themselves as individuals and as groups. Apparently, emotions, attitude and behavior play an important role in the workplace behavior making it easier to manage work and people. INTRODUCTION Pixar Company was established as a Graphics Group in 1979 by Dr. Ed Cat Mull. This came as a division from Lucas firm limited, which has a well- known firm- Star Wars. I t was first based in California, Unites States and is well known for Computer –Generated Imagery (CGI) animation feature films. MOTIVATIONAL THEORY PERSPECTIVE In line with Pixar Animation Studio, it is common knowledge that if people engage in activities that are interesting, engrossing, involving and or everything else, then it’s evident that their motivation is high. ... These two motivations play crucial roles in Pixar Animation Studio in terms of work and people (employees). Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation Of importance to note is that one of the factors that contribute to effective management at Pixar Animation Studio are Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation. Intrinsically motivated employees are people who strive to achieve goals that reflect on personal improvement and skill learning especially in understanding specific areas which they are entitled to regardless of what colleagues are doing. Conversely, extrinsically motivated employees specifically strive to beat their colleagues in virtually everything. Needless to say, these two motivation aspects lay within the control of the employees. Motivation Climate Another factor that ensures effectiveness in Pixar Animation is motivation climate. This results from strategies that are adopted by the organization with two main climate of motivation being identified; the task climate and the ego clima te. A task climate is when employees view success in terms of effort and improvement. Moreover, employees have a variety of activities to choose from, over and above, new strategies. On the other hand, performance climate incorporates interpersonal comparison where success is normative. Besides, employees are not interested in learning from their mistakes as would be expected from various organizations (Yarberry 2006, p 19). In relation to motivation climate, Pixar nurtures trusting and respectful relationship and sets free everyone with their creativity. This has been facilitated by the presence of talented individuals who have continually practised loyalty to each other and the team as a whole. Hence, their passion and accomplishment had branded

Nike and Labour Laws - The Seattle University Should Eliminate Its Con Essay

Nike and Labour Laws - The Seattle University Should Eliminate Its Contract to Supply SU-Logoed Apparel - Essay Example As the development of most of the products sold in the school took place in the bdevelop0ing countries, it is apparent that the company considered this move in order to cut expenses involved in the manufacturing process. Currently, most companies set up manufacturing plants in the developing countries in order to take advantage of cheap labour. Amid the increasing population growth, most people in the developing countries are jobless. Even those that have jobs are inadequate to sustain their lives. As such, foreign multinationals, in an effort to increase their levels of profits take the advantage of this situation in these countries. Further, most of these countries have weak labour laws. Because their governments are desperate to attract investors into the countries in order to help in job creation, they develop labour laws that encourage external investors to set up plants in the countries. The result of this is an increase in the level of poverty for these workers. With weak laws and governance structures, the multinationals show no concern in providing good incentives to the people. Rather, workers struggle in poor working conditions, with poor working contracts and low salaries. In other instances, they work for long hours and rarely receive any leaves. Nike, taking advantage of this situation also established its operations in these countries in an effort to increase its profitability. According to Dunn (2010), n its current position, Nike does not observe fair labour practices, especially for the plants in the developing countries. Subsequently, it became a reason for scrutiny for its labour practices. The company in most cases does not train its employees for the kind of work they handle. According to Butler (2010), Nike’s inhuman conditions are a source of suffering and increased diseases for most of its workers. Treating the working conditions of its workers shows the company’s negligence in protecting humanity, argues Butler (2010). However, its abuse of child labour is the main reason why the company has faced numerous accusations on its lack of labour ethics.     

DQ52 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DQ52 - Essay Example The business needs to understand its overhead and should be looking at this from a fixed cost perspective. If the wage rates are fluctuating in this or different departments, the element of fixed costs is removed and makes this practice unpredictable for maximizing the reporting of financial health. Measuring overhead has to do with the health of the operating environment which relies on understanding costs that are generally not variable. These costs can include administration, groundskeeping, machining and assembly (Horngren et al, 2008). When looking at administration overhead, it is going to be practical to want to know if their wages are fixed. If wage rates continue to fluctuate, deciding where to allocate the total overhead costs is going to be highly difficult if the goal is to maximize financial reporting data to show better corporate health at the accounting level. For example, the monthly or weekly groundskeeping maintenance required could be looked at as a fixed cost, especially if contracted at x dollars per month/week. This overhead cost would be a necessity as part of operations and could be predicted for financial reporting based on the contract cost negotiated throughout the business operating year. Direct-labor cost would be an appropriate cost allocation opti on here if the wages, such as for administration, remained constant. This method would also give the senior business leaders more accurate overhead costs, if they were needed, for strategic review or for assessing the health of certain divisions. Direct labor costs should be seen as costs which are directly incurred by the organization and should have an element of predictability surrounding them. It would be a guess that most real-life organizations do not have varying wages for certain things such as administration, unless they had structured some sort of bonus system where wages were subject to bi-annual

Business Financial Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Business Financial Analysis - Assignment Example Insurance industry has become one of the most fundamental sectors in the performance of any economy. Businesses, private organizations, and individuals all insure their products and property to shield them from recording significant losses and potential threats to going concern problem.The choice of state farm insurance has been propelled by the better ranking and the immense interests that investors have on the insurance segment of the economy. Any economic sector that fails to develop robust insurance firms and businesses are bound to record losses that arise due to the uncertain nature of operations.This paper therefore analyze the financial performance of state farm insurance, its performance in the industry, products, and leadership styles that have been pursued by the company to achieve the core objectives. State farm insurance was founded with the core object of providing insurance to the automotives of farmers before it later ventured into other services provision and increas ed its products range. The company recorded significant growth in the lifetime and is one of the top ranked companies according to the Fortune 500 Company ranking. Companies that operate in highly competitive industry must ensure continuous monitoring of their financial performance and satisfaction of the interests of their stakeholders for them to be going concern. It is for this purpose that potential investors and trhose who wish to engage in trade in the stock market will value the analysis. The use of financial ratios and other financial techniques will be involved in the analysis of the business. INTRODUCTION Insurance industry has become one of the most fundamental sectors in the performance of any economy. Businesses, private organizations, and individuals all insure their products and property to shield them from recording significant losses and potential threats to going concern problem. The choice of state farm insurance has been propelled by the better ranking and the im mense interests that investors have on the insurance segment of the economy. Any economic sector that fails to develop robust insurance firms and businesses are bound to record losses that arise due to the uncertain nature of operations. State farm insurance growth in business and operation also makes it suitable for analysis and consideration. COMPANY BACKGROUND State farm insurance was formed in 1922 by its policyholders to insure automobiles. At the early stages, the company was entirely engaged in the insurance of auto of farmers before extending their operations to cover the insurance of banking services, financial services, and life insurance (Mundy 16). George Mecherle who was a retired farmer and was interested in improving the welfare of the members founded it. The company has recorded tremendous growth of both employees and the number of company agents. State farm insurance has expanded its operations in other countries like Canada and has operations in most of the states in America (Mundy 18). State farm insurance was heavily hit by the recession in the financial sector since many policy holders were unable to pay for their insurance. The company has since recorded growth in their base and has policyholders of about 80 million people. MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE Management is the act of planning the future now. An organization that is aimed at surviving in the dynamic and competitive market must have a strong management and visionary leadership. Rust ensured that state farm mutual insurance had a well-educated staff. He believed that through training and knowledge, the employees input, and efficiency will be increased. State farm therefore incurred large amounts of money in taking their employees for further training and education. Better leadership ensured that the future could be forecasted and that risks inherent in the business were absorbed by the business. Management of state farm also motivated their staffs by giving out better packages to their emp loyees and investing heavily on talents (Millenson 45). Rust, the chairperson of the board has thus succeeded in the winning of the confidence and trust of their employees. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS State farm insurance recorded a decline in their revenue and earnings in the financial year 2011. This was attributed to the increased number claims. Moreover, the large portfolio of