British Air Essay Example for Free

British Air Essay Strategy: In this context, strategy is to be taken as the nature and also the direction a company can take in light of the choices which are at its dispose. Therefore, from this definition of strategy, strategic responses can be inferred to mean the responses that an organization takes in achieving its strategies and hence strategic responses. Nature: refers to the very essence of the company, for instance BA is an airline and hence in the airline industry. Direction: refers to where the organization in question (BA) is headed and hence strategic responses. Pestle Analysis: It refers to a methodology whereby the macro environment is analysed. It will be used to analyze the political, economic, sociological, technological, legal and environmental forces affecting the airline industry under which BA operates and to which this forces impacts on the strategic making of BA. Abstract The airline industry is in the service industry which experiences very volatile changes all over the world and hence companies have to keep up with the changes as well as plan for future changes and challenges in the service industry of airlines through strategic making. Strategy making is an important aspect in the organization in light of the organization succeeding in the environment it is operating in. Though the airline industry is changing like any other typical service industry, it does not mean that the airline industry can afford to lag behind or sleep in terms of making strategies suitable for the now markets tastes and the then (future) markets tastes. Therefore the paper critically reviews the corporate strategy of British Airways (BA), the company’s competitive strategies through critical appraisal of the company’s strategy, industry and company analysis. However, an overall industry analysis is undertaken before any analysis of the company’s strategy through analysis of a three dichotomies impact in the company and in the context of three paradoxes in the company and the perspectives which are applicable to the paradoxes. Industry Analysis Overview BA is a renowned airline in the UK and among the largest airlines in the world, facts which are derived from fleet size of the airline, the number of passengers carried and the number of international flights made by the airline. It was established in 1971 with the motives of gaining control of BOAC and BEA which was the then nationalized airlines alongside other two airlines, which were Cambrian Airways and the Northeast Airlines. The merger of the four companies that formed the presently BA airline was effected in 1974 and become a state owned company. However, the company was later privatized in 1987 and its expansion was gained through acquiring the British Caledonian together with Dan Air in 1992. BA is currently trading in the UK Market share as the largest airline in terms of the fleet size and boasts of being in 2nd position in terms of its market share (IATA 2012), trading under the name of International Airlines Group following a merger in 2011 with Iberia. In the global arena, the presence of BA is felt through the company being 5th largest airline in terms of the passengers who are flown using the BA airline (See; Figure 1, position of BA in the global arena). Current and Future Key Issues Affecting the Airline Industry In researching on the current and future key issues affecting the airline industry together with researching the trends and the competitive forces that are affecting the airline industry in the modern times, in light of BA strategy making and the influences that are to effect on BA, a pestle analysis, SWOT analysis and the Porter’s Five Force Analysis are the tools that are going to be utilised. However, for greater specificity, the focus of the pestle analysis is the European Airline Industry. Pestle Analysis Political Issues Having state owned airline, which are owned by governments and therefore enjoys government protection resulting to regulated competition. This classic example of government regulation of international air was seen in BA in the merger of British Caledonian together with Dan Air in 1992, to combat competition on long haul routes. Development of aviation policies which are politically generated, for instance, the Aviation policy in UK of increasing the capacity at Heathrow, which according to Civil Aviation Authority are only short term measures that would do Europe no good in terms of competing with other global competitors for instance USA, China and India. The idea is to have more capacity through building other airports (Reals n.d.). In UK, airlines’ belonging to another country are not allowed to operate within the route of another country (cabotage) and hence eliminates competition in the airline industry in the UK for there is no competition from the non – European countries. Increase in APD (Air Passenger Duty) by 8% for which all airlines have to comply and which can translate to less travels to the UK for ADP ultimately increases the cost of travels (BBC News 2012, 1st April). Airlines constrains in terms of adhering to government policies for instance the pledge by the UK government to reduce carbon emissions by 60% reflected in the UK Climate Change Bill. Economic Factors Severe crisis in world economics where financial systems have been destabilized and paralyzed and therefore needs to be restored to stability, otherwise translates to less travels by air. Stiff competition in the airline industry in the UK due to presence of competitors who even offer low fares flights. Competition was brought about by the deregulation of the Airline Industry in UK Socio – Cultural Factors UK’s ageing population which is approximated to rise over the years. Projections in UK’s populations estimates that there would be more elderly people than there are presently (see; Figure 2 and Figure 3 for the projections) Accessibility of airline travels by the lower social groups in the UK Technological Factors Development of cleaner engines in the aviation industry which means that airlines like BA have to adopt the new technologies and also in light of the pledges in support of government’s policies to reduce carbon emissions. New operating procedures which can be as a result of sudden changes in weather patterns The use of Bio – fuel by the airline industry is the various developments in the world of technology that the airline industry has to deal with. Environmental Factors Development of environmental policies for instance the UK Climate Change Bill Health scares which mostly are as a result of the changes in climate and weather patterns for instance earth quakes and bird flues. Emissions policy in the UK, for instance the move to have airlines charged for their share of green house gas contribution on flights that are to and fro Europe. Legal Factors Open sky agreement ending the protection of national carriers and introducing completion in the airline industry. EU regulatory changes; for instance the increased call for better care of the customer US regulatory changes; for instance the ban on liquids and gels past the screening checkpoints affects the customers of air transport mode who may be in possession of such goods (liquids and gels). BA’s SWOT Analysis Strengths A Strong Brand Global appeal Established Fleet Operations Latest fleets that provide the calm to its customers Innovativeness in the development of products and services by the company Strong analytical and marketing skilfulness Weaknesses The organization’s culture (the â€Å"us† culture) Decline in operations efficiency Unhealthy financial performance Lack of provision of competitive customer packages Poor marketing strategies that are to reinforce competitiveness of the company to the standard of its competitors Opportunities Global tourism, which continues to increase due to globalization Technological advancements in the airline industry UK’s ageing population Corporation tax reductions Threats Competition from low fares airlines (e.g. British Airways Low Cost Airline {BALOW}) Increase in ADP by 8% Oil price volatility Increase in regulatory conditions and laws which are varying Substitute means of transport like electric trains and buses The ever changing customer behaviour which is hard to predict Porter’s Five Force Analysis Porter’s Five Forces study is important in order to check whether BA’s proposed strategies are to become profitable to the organization (Porter 2008). Diagram illustrating a simplified 5 Forces Model By Micheal Porter; adopted from http://www.brs-inc.com/porter.asp, Analysis distinct to BA as provided below: Degree of Rivarly BA operates both the small and the long flights BA is different in policies and terms with their competitors in the airline industry Other companies like Virgin Atlantic criticisms of some of BA’s strategies for instance the merger of BA with AA and thus disregarding the company’s strategies to its customers. Threat of Entry Competitors are discouraged from entering the market by; Existing firms in the airline industry having a competitive advantage Changing new technlogy Transformed government policies Threats of Substitutes Internal substitutes include;busses, cars, electric trains External substitutes include; international airlines like EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic Buyer Power Availmability of the internet to consumers increases the consumer’s conciousness and exposes the consumers to BA competitors. Supplier Power Supplier’s makes use of trade unions to have a high bargaining power Market characterised by suppliers having a high power BA has only two supply manufacturers of its aircrafts and a sole fuel supplier The Paradox of Markets versus Resources The airline industry being a very volatile industry has to survive through tough financial times, for instance economic recessions. In light of all the changes that occur in the airline industry, an organization has to continuously adapt to the environment in which it is operating in. In light of BA’s environment, i.e. the service industry, it is paramount that the organization’s strategic thinkers acknowledge that imitation of what other companies are doing in the market may not always produce the same results and hence BA needs to constantly study the market to identify the asymmetries that keeps emerging in the service industry and hence develop the asymmetries to capabilities for the organization. This therefore proposes that the organization has to keep in touch with the market for instance through continuous research and development of the organization’s products and services and in light of the company’s strategy of becoming an airline of choice to customers of long and short haul premium. BA differentiation from its competitors is seen through continuous research and development of the industry which can be inferred through the analysis of the SWOT, PESTLE and the Porters Five Forces tool, continuous improvements of the company’s products and services to its customers for instance through maintaining the organization’s networks in the long, short and cargo segments. In addition, BA as a front-line in the airline industry has an advantage over its competitors due to its long presence in the industry which dates to the years where it was a state owned airline. This clearly shows that in adopting some strategies for instance the acquisition of Iberia, BA tries to make its presence felt in the global arena. In addition, the organization resources allows the organization to apply the inside out logic as compared to its competitors who may not have a good command of resources at their dispose and therefore making BA have a competitive advantage. The inside out logic follows that for a firm to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors, it must have the capability of converting the processes of production in a quick and cheap way and which BA has exhibited and continues to exhibit through its various acquisitions of other airlines and through mergers formed with other airlines. BA’s strategy that is consistent with achieving its strategy of being an airline of choice to customers of long and short haul premium is through acquisition of other airlines so that all customers are within in its reach enabled through the mergers and the acquisitions. While the theories of completive advantage suggest that for an organization to gain competitive advantage, the organization must establish a cost effective way of attaining its strategies. This means that the company’s operational costs are lowered and this leads to the company having a competitive advantage over its competitors. Therefore, BA’s strategy of mergers and acquisitions is geared or leans towards the company having a global presence in the world and hence appealing to its customers and reduction of operational costs. The reality of the environment that the organization operates in is realised through the SWOT, PESTLE and analysis of Porters five force (Fine 2009). In as much as an organization has to adapt to the environment for instance through continuous development of services and products to meet the ever changing needs of the consumer, the resources that are at the dispose of an organization in light to adapting to the current trends, tastes and preferences of the consumers in the industry can indicate otherwise. A company’s resources refers to the tangible and the intangible resources for instance land, money and materials which are tangible while the intangible resources include the rational resources for instance the relationships and reputation and the competencies which include the knowledge and capabilities. One of BA’s strategies is becoming an airline of choice to customers of long haul premium and which is counter acted by strategies for instance through continuous research and development in order to identify the tastes and the preferences of the customers, continuous improvements in products, services and networks and through maintaining its presence in the long, short and cargo segments. However, these strategic responses are evaluated against a background of whether the market needs of the consumers are the once to guide the strategy making process of the firm or the firm is the one to leverage the strategies that BA is to take owing to the fact that whether there are adequate resources to respond to the needs of the markets so identified through the research and development process in order for BA to attain its strategy of becoming the airline of choice to customers of the premium long haul (Clegg, Kornberger Pitsis 2008). BA’s markets versus Resources The strategic responses put forth by BA illustrates its commitment towards attaining it strategy of becoming an airline of choice to customers of premium long haul which is achieved through BA building a terminal which increased the operations of the airline. In addition, BA also appeals to customers through transforming the customer’s service in that the customer service exceeds punctuality and hence customers are more satisfied which represents the rational resources of the company. BA has also continued to grow in order to meet at the crossroads with the needs of the customers through launching of routes from London to St Kitts, launch of the open skies and also flights from continental Europe to countries in North America. In addition, BA also made L’Avion and started to fly from London to NY JKF. The expansion is made in the efforts of BA coordinating its efforts to have a more international perspective that is cable of meeting the demands of the customers. BA Plc (2010), recognises that there are 5574 BA resources oversees and approximately 35, 920 in the UK. However, greater specificity is to be achieved through coordinating the resources and market availability (Schneider, Gunnarson Niles-Jolly 1994). BA’s commitment to the needs of the customers is seen through the purchases of aircrafts which are modern which are also in the effort of appealing to customers. Other ways through which BA appeals to its customers is through being corporate responsible through its commitment in reducing carbon emissions (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington 2008). Therefore BA is driven by the outside – in logic other than the inside – out logic for the balance between the company’s resources and the markets availability will always indicate a different shift where the company strategies are more bound towards meeting the demands of the market and hence the outside – in logic prevails. The Paradox of globalization versus localization Globalization is a strategy that is being adopted by international corporations in order for them to gain a competitive advantage over competitors. Strategic tensions that a company for instance BA has to face in light of globalization revolves around the concept of globalization that is to be adopted in light of achieving strategic goals. For instance, one of BA’s strategy is to increase its global presence with the strategic tensions in attaining this objective being whether global is to be taken in the terms of a worldwide scope that is to refer to the geographic presence of BA in the world, worldwide similarity of the BA’s products for instance, using the word global to refer to the homogeneity of BA’s products around the world or whether globalization (Thompson, Strickland Stappenbech 1994) would be in the context of the integration of the operations of BA, that is linking the world as a system through its services (See Figure 5 for illustrations of the dim ensions of globalization). A different tension lies in whether BA is to respect the differences that exist between markets defined by national boundaries which can be done through designing products and services that meet the needs of customers in different countries. The paradox of globalization and localization is a challenge that BA has to address in light of its strategy of having a global presence with questions ranging on how the company can address the globalization synergies and at the same time remain relevant in addressing the local synergies. BA’s Globalization and Localization To begin with, one of the ways through which BA’s strategy of global presence is achieved is through the strategic response of having a global connectivity for all the customers and this is achieved through BA establishing tier in most of the major cities in the world or through expansion which is gained through BA partnering with other airlines for instance the low fares airlines or through mergers for instance the merger of BA with Iberia, code sharing with Kingfisher carrier in India (in 2010) and the recent acquisition of BMI from Lufthansa in 2012. In addition, BA is one of the largest airlines in the UK a position that the company has gained through having a large fleet size, flies to over 300 destinations in the world and has shareholdings in BA city Flyer, Comair, Flybe, Open Skies, AIG, ICCR and BMI. In addition, the global presence of BA is felt through BA being the 5th largest airline by scheduled passengers. Without much further ado, the paradox of globalization versus localization for BA is congruent with the dichotomy of whether BA develops a business model distinctively different from its competitors or whether industry logic is the one that largely determines the firm’s strategy. In analysis, the drivers of globalization are market drivers, government drivers and competitor’s drivers which have less to do with BA developing a business model that is distinct from its competitors. As a major airline in UK, BA enjoys economies of scale and understands that it must have the oligopoly characteristics where firms operating in an oligopoly market cannot act independently on their own (De Wit Meyer 2010) and hence disputing the fact that BA can develop a business model distinct from its competitors (Porter 1985). Owing to the drivers that make a firm to be globalised, BA’s strategies are interdependent with its competitors. For instance, deregulation brought new agreements for example the EU – US Open Skies agreement in 2008 which brought a shift to competition in Transatlantic Routes and as a result the US Carrier Deltas, US Airways and the Continental started operations at Heathrow in 2009. Therefore, it is less convincing to claim that BA develops a business model distinct to it for clear facts exists to establish the claim that it does not act independently of its competitors and one of the ways it does so is through the strategy of having a global presence in response of what its competitors are achieving (the operations of other airlines which are taking advantage of deregulation to coin agreements and operate in other countries) (Roth Ricks 1994). The paradox of Responsiveness and Synergy This paradox brings into focus a company’s dilemma of how to respond to the competition in the industry and whether the company can match the demands of the market and at the same time maintain the responsiveness of the business. In order to have synergies in an organization there is need for a company to unify the different activities carried out in the organization which in some instances may make a company lose its business responsiveness. For a company to attain synergies and at the same time attain responsiveness (Mintzberg, Quinn Ghoshal 2002), the organization must draw out clearly its corporate scope for instances of how many businesses the company should have, corporate distribution, for instance the weight that is to be placed on each business unit in the organization, integrated mechanisms for instance of how the synergies in the company’s business should be achieved and the management mechanisms that ensures that the synergies so developed are a reality to the company. The meeting point of a business responsiveness and the synergies so created, results to the paradox of responsiveness versus synergy. Business demands presents a business to forces that pull it apart while the synergies pull s the company into an integrated whole. BA’s Responsiveness versus Synergy One of BA’s strategies is to meet the ever changing needs of the consumer for instance meeting the needs of the ageing population which requires the company to provide more value to the products offered to this market segment, reinforce the company’s brand, development of new products and also through enhancing customer loyalty (Mintzberg Ahlstrand 1998). For the company to achieve the above strategy through the strategic responses discussed above, there is need to coordinate the various units of the organization into a functional whole whereby units so entrusted with the development of new products, researching on upcoming market trends are an integrated whole of the organization and hence the synergies. For instance, the finance department of the organization needs to avail funds to the research and development of the organization so that proper research on upcoming trends is conducted effectively. This principle is consistent with making the parts an integrated part of the whole for the whole to function as one unit, that is the organization (Raynor 2005). The paradox of responsiveness and synergy can be best achieved when the management and the leadership style demonstrates control or managed chaos. In a controlled leadership, a company attains responsiveness (Porter 1996) and at the same time attains synergies because the management of the organization is organized in such a way that the different businesses or the department in the organization are headed by leaders who have the same goals. In a leadership where there is chaos, the synergies and the business responsiveness losses focus for the management is not organised to attain the responsiveness and the synergies (Mintzberg Ahlstrand 1998). . Conclusion In light of the volatility of the airline industry, the strategies that BA has put in place are best achieved when the paradoxes of globalization versus localization, markets versus resources and responsiveness versus synergies are analysed in the context of the dichotomies applicable to paradoxes. In so doing, BA will not only maintain its current position as being the best airliner in the UK, but also attain competitive advantage over other airliners who are its competitors and also potential entrants (McGahan Porter 1997). Bibliographies Reals, K. n.d., UK will Suffer Unless Long – Term Aviation Policy is developed: CAA. Retrieved from; http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/uk-will-suffer-unless-long-term-aviation-policy-is-developed-caa-366738/, Retrieved on 28th May, 2012. De Wit, B. Meyer, R. 2010, Strategy Process, Content, Context. New York; Cengage Learning. 4th Ed. Clegg, S., Kornberger, M. Pitsis, T. 2008, Managing and Organizations: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. New York; Sage Publications. Fine, L. 2009, The Swot Analysis: Using your Strength to Overcome Weaknesses, Using Opportunities to Overcome Threats. New York; CreateSpace Publishers. Mintzberg, H. B. Ahlstrand, J. L., 1998, Strategy Safari, New York; Free Press. Schneider, B., Gunnarson, S.K., Niles-Jolly, K. 1994, Creating the climate and culture of success. Organizational Dynamics, 23(1), 17-29 Roth, K. Ricks, D. A. 1994, â€Å"Goal Configuration in a Global Industry Context.† Strategic Management Journal; 15, 103 – 120 Porter, M. E. 1996, â€Å"What is Strategy?† Harvard Business Review. pp. 61 – 78. Porter, M. E. 1985, Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. New York; Free Press.

Educational Philosophy :: essays research papers

Educational Philosophy Throughout the years the topic of an American public education has been a very controversial subject. Since the time of the early Massachusetts Bay Colony, many have been divided on the role, if any, the government should play in educating America’s children. There has also been debate on the type of education American children, and teachers should have. Although, there has been tremendous progress in creating an â€Å"ideal public education†, there is still an ever-evolving need for change in America’s public educational system. This paper strives to focus on this matter. First, it will look at the history of American education, beginning with colonial America to the present day. It will also examine America’s philosophy of education over the years. And lastly, it shall give insight on my personal views of an ideal educational system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The New World was grouped in three geographic categories, consisting of the southern, middle and New England colonies. Since the southern colonies depended on an agrarian economy dominated by a plantation system based on slavery, there were great distances between each house and plantation; making it was rather difficult to establish schools for all. For this reason learning occurred mostly in the home, by parents or tutors. For the slaves in the southern colonies, there was very little education because their lack of education was used as a to maintain their present state of ignorance. Most of the settlers in the southern colonies arrived as indentured servants, and were of English lower or middle-class background. However, once arriving to the New World these same English men became the new aristocrats of the southern colonies. S. Alexander Rippa notes, â€Å"family fortune and great wealth were accumulated by land acquisition and tobacco growing†¦these we re the quickest ways to prosperity† (Rippa, 6). In the southern colonies, religion was not a focal matter as it once was in England. The Anglican Church was a primary institution were governmental matters were handled instead of religious matters. Therefore, we see that religion was not as important to the southern settlers and it did not serve as an â€Å"instrument of civic discipline† as it was for the other colonies. In the other colonies, religious matters was the main reason for education, however, â€Å"education in the southern colonies was considered to be a private and individual concern instead of a civil or religious matter. The Anglican Church, to which the southern colonists officially adhered, was not indifferent toward education.

Overcoming Baby Dumping in Malaysia Essay

I. INTRODUCTION Nowadays, the cases of new born baby dumping and foetuses in Malaysia are rapidly increases. This make the Malaysian must take serious attention. To overcome this problem, the government should come out with several policies and programmes, the teenagers need to expose to the religious law and the teenagers should have strong determination to avoid from involving in this problem. II. Body A. One way to overcome this problem is the government should come out with several policies and programmes. 1 Implementing of sex education in the nation’s schools. a This idea has been proposed a few years ago but many people against this idea Actually, this idea already have in syllabus of school such as biology, Islamic Studies and physical education but it only in sub-topic.(Malaysian Digest,2009) b The teenagers can identify the good and bad when the sex education is introduce to the student. It can reduce the statistics of unprotected sexual intercourse, illegal pregnancy as they can get extra knowledge through sex education ( Nazni, 2012). i To encourage sex education in schools is to have an organized visit to a health care or contraceptive clinic as part of the curriculum ii Sex education prepares children and young people to become healthy and sexually responsible adults (Dr Milton Lum, 2010) c Teacher can teach the students about his or her body, benefit of responsible relationship, the effect of unplanned and unprotected sex.( Arabella, 2011) i. focus to the risk of sexual activity. 2 NGO setting up baby hatch at place which is high statistics of baby dumping cases. a According to the OrphanCare organization president, †I think if more hatches open, if they are more accesside and in different cities, we can save a few more life†, (NY Times,2008) b Mothers can bring their babies, usually newborn, at this place and leave them an in the safe place and easy to find this baby. (wikipedia.org) i. Like baby hatch in Petaling Jaya where the parents place the baby into a hatch, which has small door to open to incubator bed. The staff where will alert to the baby’s presence after the mother has left when the bell is ringing. 3 Classify baby dumping that leads to the death of babies as a crime that warrants the death sentence. a â€Å"The Cabinet has decided that the Home Ministry through the police, investigate these cases as murder when a baby dies,† said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil. (The Star,2010) i. The punishment for murder is death under section 302 of the Penal Code b â€Å"Police had always consider the dumping of babies either as murder or attempted murder†, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan.(The Star,2010) B. Another way is the teenagers need to be exposed to the religious law. 1 At the context of religious belief, the act of free sex is prohibited.(The voice of youngster on baby dumping issues in Malaysia,2012) a Our religion, Islam guide us about do and don’t in a relationship. i. Have limitation when male and female are socialize together. ii. Allah says in Surrah Al-Israa’ ,verse 32: â€Å"Do not approach adultery, fornication is indeed an abomination and an evil way. b Premarital sex is forbidden under Shariah Law (Liz Gooch,2010) i. Penalty including sex up to three years in prison, a fine of RM 5000 2 Islam concern of five areas that should be take care(property, honour, mind, life and religion a Free sex opposite to honour and abortion is murder because taken the life of foetus (International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance,2012) b Solutions to control the desire are marriage and fasting. (International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance,2012) 3 The government need to reorganise back the tha syllabus of â€Å"Pendidikan Islam† or â€Å"Pendidikan Moral † to make the student more know about negative effect of baby dumping and free sex.(International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, 2012) C. One other way is the teenagers should have strong determination to avoid from involving in baby dumping problem. 1. The teenagers especially girls need to know that their body is belong to them and no one has the right to touch it without permission(The Voice Of Youngster On Baby Dumping Issues In Malaysia,2012) a Say â€Å"no† to someone who asked you about sex. i give excuses when someone ask for sex. b The couples should respect women by not asking them for sex before marriage i women must be appreciated for those men who do not touch them before getting married c the girls must avoid to wear sexy clothes as it will lead to rise up the boys’ desire and passions to explore to his opposite gender. (The Voice Of Youngster On Baby Dumping Issues In Malaysia, 2012) 2. Teen usually do not think the effect of their action because they are easily influence by many factor such as pornographic materials in internet (Dr. Ismail Tamby,2012) a â€Å"Youth today can easily have access to pornography material online, even through their mobile phones†, Federal CID director Comm Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin.(The Star,2010) b Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin said since 2005, which numbered 472 as of August 2010,easy access and too exposed to porn and family problems have caused an increase in cases of baby dumping.(The Star,2010) III CONCLUSION The youth today need to know that baby dumping will make them a lot of trouble in their life .Therefor, they need to find alternative to avoid this problem despite the authorities already make a lot of way to reduce this problem among the society. IV REFERENCES Arebella.(2011). THE PREVENTIONS OF BABY ABANDONMNET, Retrieved from January 2, 2012 from http://baby-dumping.blogspot.com/ Liz Gooch (2010/8 December), Malaysia Struggles with Baby Abandonment Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/09/world/asia/09malay.html?pagewanted=2&ref=asia Nazni Noordin, Zaherawati Zakaria .et al (2012), International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, Vol. 3, No. 1,p 7, Retrieved from http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/74166668/voice-youngsters baby-dumping-issues-malaysia Nut Graph ( 2010 /26 August) A Stop to Baby Dumping, Retrieved from file:///F:/A%20stop%20to%20baby%20dumping.htme Nur Hazlizat bt Ibrahim (2010). Study on The Perception and Knowledge of Sexual Health Among Adolescents in UiTM Puncak Alam ,

`` Dumb Tv `` A Critique Of The Abc Reality Tv Show The...

The article â€Å"Dumb TV,† published in the University of Regina Carillon on February 8, 2014, is a critique of the ABC reality TV show The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, produced and directed by Mike Fleiss (The Bachelor - ABC, 2016). Written in an informal style, Destiny Kaus’s article provides data to support her thesis that states, â€Å"Overall, I really do think these shows are exceedingly dumb and they shouldn’t exist because the process doesn’t work.† In the article, she presents her bias by arguing that these drama-filled shows, where men and women compete for love and matrimony, are â€Å"dumb† and ultimately fail at providing everlasting love. The informality of the article creates a connection with the audience, but the excessive use of the word â€Å"dumb† distracts the reader from the actual brilliance of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette franchise. More important, this article is fundamentally flawed as it only refer ences the simple analysis of these shows as a meaningless search for love instead of the tactical attack of capitalism by the television industry. Are The Bachelor and The Bachelorette actually â€Å"dumb† or are they a brilliant attack on people’s emotions for the benefit of a television franchise? Knowing or anticipating one’s audience is key to effective writing. Kaus is clearly cognisant of who will be reading her article as she focuses the content to highlight television shows that are extremely popular with the female demographics of the university. In 2014,

Faith and Religion in Jane Eyre by Charlote Brontë Essay...

â€Å"I sincerely, deeply, fervently long to do what is right; and only that† (426). Throughout Jane Eyre, the characters struggle to live out and develop their faiths, according both to God’s will and their own. In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, faith and religion are displayed in different forms through the characters of Helen Burns, St. John, and Jane Eyre. Faith in Christ is the stronghold for Helen Burns. She considers living to the glory of God the purpose of her life. Her troubles and sorrows do not sway her faith, for she declares it her â€Å"duty to bear it† (56). For Helen, living a fruitful life means imitating the character of Christ. When Jane inquires why she allows her superiors to treat her unjustly, Helen first replies that Christ†¦show more content†¦Faith and religion rests in the core of Jane’s character and actions, but also causes tension with her independence. At Lowood, she struggles to reconcile her desire to rebel against oppression and injustice with the words of Helen saying to submit like Christ. She chooses to submit, experiencing an â€Å"extraordinary sensation†, feeling â€Å"as if she was a martyr† (67). Through her submissions, she learns to be virtuous. This virtue is challenged when she must choose either to be Rochester’s mistress, or to forsake the man she loves, jeopardizing her happiness. Abiding by God’s law, she leaves, believing that â€Å"God directed [her] to a correct choice† (366). Jane faces her fiercest tension when she faces St. John’s proposal to marry him and become a missionary’s wife. She desires to continue in God’s will, telling St. John that â€Å"I will give my heart to God†, but knows that marrying him goes against her every desire. She wishes to be free from St. John; she desires her independence. She nearly submits, were she â€Å"but convinced that it is God’s will† that she marry St. John (426). She prays for Heaven to â€Å"show [her] the path† (426). Jane truly seeks God’s will, and in return, â€Å"seemed to penetrate very near a Mighty Spirit† (427). Her devotion to God is rewarded as she prays in her â€Å"different way to St. John’s† (427). God releases Jane from a life married to St. John and allows her to return to Rochester and become his wife. Jane’s faith in God allows her to make virtuous

The Impact Of Christian Features On Beowulf - 3125 Words

ELMARRACHI 11 AMINE ELMARRACHI Professor: Dr. Robinson ENG-205 Research paper 11/21/2015 The Impact of Christian Features on Beowulf. Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Even though it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it might be?convincingly argued?that this period is also referred to as the Germanic Iron Age. Moreover, this era saw the rise of Norse mythology, which is very fatalistic in nature; it focuses on a world coming to an end in a great cataclysm. Along with this fatalism comes the willingness to die. That is why warriors would go to fight in battles and combats. Surprisingly enough, not only the heroes die but so do the Gods. Therefore, the central value of this culture is glory and heroism. Having considered the fundamental premises upon which the Poem Beowulf took ground, it is also reasonable to look at the epitome of this epic poem which starts with a tale about the ancestors of the Danish king, Hrothgar who wins great fame and wealth in different battles. Therefore, he built a Mead-Hall called Herot, to commemorate his victories. The Mead-Hall took its name from a popular drink, mead, being fermented liquor which was drunk at banquets and celebrations. Herot is also a placeShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Christian Features On Beowulf3125 Words   |  13 PagesELMARRACHI 11 AMINE ELMARRACHI Professor: Dr. Robinson ENG-205 Research paper 11/21/2015 The Impact of Christian Features on Beowulf. Given, the current high profile debate with regard to dating the epic poem Beowulf, it is quite surprising that some scholars go as far as placing it during the Vendel era around 550 - 793 CE. Even though it is considered as a kind of folk tale, many are those who believe it happened towards the early Vendel era. As a rebuttal to this point, it mightRead MoreBeowulf Is The Oldest Recorded Poem1328 Words   |  6 PagesThe epic poem, Beowulf, is the oldest recorded poem in English and at 3200 lines long, comprises roughly ten percent of the surviving poetry in Old English. Although written in this language, Beowulf focuses on the feats of the poem’s namesake Beowulf, a Geatish prince, and the invading Germanic tribes in Denmark. Understood early on in the poem, these tribes have a lengthy and powerful warrior culture; a culture heavily influenced by heroic virtues, blood vengeance, and paganism. Along with theseRead MoreThe Importance Of Heroism In Beowulf1073 Words à ‚  |  5 PagesBeowulf is a classic, epic story which theme focuses on good versus evil, â€Å"Beowulf is essentially a heathen poem† (Bodek) said F.A Blackburn because it consists of elements drawn from Anglo-Saxons culture before they were converted to Christians. It is tidily divided into three parts; The battle with Grendel, The battle with Grendel’s mother and the battle with the Dragon. The poem deals with Germanic forebears, the Danes, the Geats and the Swedes. This story features a super-strong warrior BeowulfRead MoreEssay on The Changing Concept of Hero988 Words   |  4 Pagesthe enemies that are being faced, and the values of each of them. Beowulf has no known author but it is thought to be written before the Anglo-Saxon exodus is completed but after the conquest began (p.30). Also going on during this time was the conversion of the Anglo-Saxon pagans to Christianity by Saint Augustine of Canterbury’s mission. This may account for the major focus on Christian themes throughout Beowulf, while Beowulf as a character is seen as a very pagan character (Lane). For instanceRead MoreTrace the Development of English Lit During Any One Period...as Part of Your Discussion Highlight How Significant Events in the Influence the Writing...Additionally Show How Characteristics of the Genre the Writer Uses3085 Words   |  13 Pagesand the importance of this literary period to the development of English literature. In attempting to do the aforementioned, the focus will be on the Anglo-Saxon people, their society, culture, and literary work with a view towards highlighting the impact on the development of the English language a nd English literature. 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In this essay I hope to state clearly some of the popularly mentioned themes running through the poem, and to carefully delineate many aspects of the author’s style.    â€Å"Many critics feel that the speech of Hrothgar between lines 1700 and 1784 encapsulates the moral of the poem†¦.’He does not know the worse – till inside him great arrogance grows andRead MoreThe Separate Journeys Of Beowulf And Sir Gawain1761 Words   |  8 PagesThe Separate Journeys of Beowulf and Sir Gawain The purpose of the hero in literature has evolved through time, and there is no denying the differences of two medieval heroic archetypes, Beowulf, and Sir Gawain. In both poems, the hero is faced with several different tests, each with proposed solutions and goals. Anglo-Saxon epic and romantic stories focus on the central hero who stands alone as the ideal example of perfected chivalry. Even though there are countless similarities that both manuscriptsRead More17th Century Literature Throughout Europe1973 Words   |  8 Pagesauthors/poets tried to copy Chaucer’s style. While they didn’t take over as â€Å"the new Chaucer,† several writers became known for a variety of different reasons. It is clear in all of the works that religion and history either had a positive or negative impact on the stories being told. 1. John Lydgate John Lydgate’s works are â€Å"extremely descriptive, and he had many influential patrons including high placed noblemen and even royalty of the period† (Schieferdecker, et al.). Like many great writers of the

Solving Problems and Making Decisions †Free Sample Solution

Questions: 1. How To Describe A Problem, Its Nature, Scope And Impact?2. How To Gather And Interpret Information To Solve A Problem?3. How To Evaluate Options To Make A Decision?4. How To Plan, Monitor And Review The Implementation And Communication Of Decisions? Answers: 1. Attrition Attrition can be referred to as the voluntary and involuntary shrinkage in the number of employees working in an organization (Nalila, 2012). It creates a vacuum space when trained employees leave an organization taking the key skills, knowledge and business relationships with them. The problem of attrition is faced by companies across various sectors and it becomes a managers day to day task to reduce employee turnover. Some of the major costs associated to increased turnover are an increase in the cost of training, learning time for a new employee, inefficiency, revenue and productivity loss (Shashikala Ravindra, 2013). It is important to control attrition because when an employee leaves an organization, it indicates a clue about chances for high employee turnover in future impacting job satisfaction, employee engagement and also organizations ability for attracting talented people in the firm (Arokiasamy, 2013). 2. Reasons and Solutions to Attrition Behind every problem there exists a reason for its cause. According to Garner (2008), the major five factors that lead to attrition are people and communication, various work assignments that are allotted to them, lack of career opportunities, the infrastructure of the company the compensation offered to them, and the nature of the company itself. According to Griffith et.al (2000), there is a direct relationship between the job satisfaction and organizational commitment. An employee should be selected in to the firm through true recruitment practices, how they are managed, lack of appreciation at work place and even absence of a true compensation system. Good workers often tend to leave their jobs because of occupational stress (Ongori, 2007) The situation of the economy and the opportunities for getting new jobs are also highly influential on employees decision making (Arokiasamy, 2013). There is a change in the lifestyle and environment of preferred by the employees. Monotony does not please them and try to break away from a monotonous job, where as management in most cases treats them as commodities, trying to make a person work for two. Increased opportunities and expectations decrease loyalty among the employees (Lalitha, 2012). Source: (Naila, 2012) When the special case of UAE is considered, employee burnout is one of the major problems detected by the employers. About 63% of the directors cite that workload is a major reason for employee burnout. They also have a problem with long working hours/overtime (57%), economic pressures (37%), and lack of ability to handle both professional and personal commitments (33%), lack of recognition (29%), higher and unachievable expectations (28%), operational inefficiencies (21%), bad relationship with colleagues and managers (12%), and lack of a departmental strategy and clear and defined business (8%) (Perotte, 2012). It is a fact that the directors do not have direct control over the attrition rate in a given company. But according to Perrotte (2012), there are certain warning signs that may indicate the chances of rise in the attrition rate including coming late frequently for work, becoming less productive, disagreeing with the managers and colleagues more frequently, becoming disconnected from work, increase in leaves, and outbursts in company that are both negative and emotional. It is extremely important to take make efficient strategies to reduce attrition in a given organization. Some of the effective retention strategies involve change in practices of hiring, proper branding of the employer, managing talents, proper employee engagement practices, and conducting an exit interview to understand the reasons behind the employee leaving the company (Lalitha, 2012). Fulfilling different levels in the Maslows hierarchy by satisfying various needs of the employees in different levels will help to contain attrition. The basic needs that can be fulfilled are physiological needs, safety needs, needs of love, affection and belongingness, need for esteem, and then self actualization (Maslow, 2013). According to Negi (2013), the organization should have a corporate social responsibility towards the employees and should implement the Hertzbergs two factor theory concentrating on both motivators and hygiene factors. Managers should be trained to use their emotional intelligence to control ones emotions and then channelize energies and potentials, in a positive direction so that there will be enhanced productivity in an organization (Negi, 2013). Attrition is now a major issue that is faced by organizations across various spheres. To conclude the reason for attrition, it can be said that attrition is a result of the non-fulfillment of the needs and expectations of the employees. This need varies from employee to employee and the managers in a firm should be proficient enough and given adequate resources to analyze, understand and make decisions depending on the nature of the group he/she is guiding. 3. Decision Making Techniques Tackling voluntary turnover is essential and for this Allen (2006) has come up with a voluntary turnover model to understand the process of voluntary attrition. When there are attractive options for the employees in comparison to where they work, employee satisfaction becomes a major issue especially those who are highly valued and are in demand. Source: (Allen, 2006) Considering the turnover path in an organization, it can be four types including dissatisfaction, better alternatives, plans and no plans (Allen, 2006). Companies should form different strategies to retain then. Following table represents strategies that can be undertaken for different turnover pathways. Source: (Allen, 2008) Decision making plays an important role in retaining the employees. Planning to control turnover rates in an organization should start from portraying the image of a good employer, recruitment of the right resourceful employees into the organization, training and developing them according to the culture of the organization, talent management process, proper succession planning, and in case the employee still leaves exit interview to use the information to further improve the procedures. This requires a retention management plan on the basis of which decision should be taken. Following figure demonstrates a retention management plan. Source: (Allen, 2008) 4. Communication to the employees Retention of the employees can be easily controlled by organizations through embedding them into organizations using socialization (Allen, 2006). This is because there are chances that some special organizational and individual factors will have an influence on organizational commitment and job satisfaction that usually initiates withdrawal (Allen et.al, 2010). Following are some of the communication strategies for embedding employees into an organization. Source: (Allen, 2008). Following is a model that is required for planning and communicating a retention plan. Source: (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, 2008) The importance of succession planning cannot be overstressed in any given organization. This is a continuous process and the following figure depicts the process of communication in succession planning. Succession planning ensures that the organization will be planned enough to deal with emergency layoffs and resignations. Following figure represents various stages in succession planning. Source: (opm, 2005) Communication is essential in an organization to make sure that there is a balance between the expectations of the employees and the employers. This process of communication is divided among various hierarchies across departments to ensure proper tests, interviews, tests, and surveys are attended to on time by the employees. Evaluation of the success of the retention program The success in the program that is adopted by the company can be analyzed through the reduction in the attrition rate. The formulae for attrition rate is ((no. of attrition*100)/ (Actual Employees+ New joined))/100 (Naila, 2012). A decrease in this rate represents reduction in the employee turnover rate of the company. Conclusion To conclude, it can be said that attrition is a problem that is faced by organization across different industries. Though employees are different from each other, their needs are categorized into categories by researchers. Being sensitive to the employees and offering them an array of opportunities helps management to retain them and keep their talent pool intact. References 1. Allen, D. G. (2006). Do organizational socialization tactics influence newcomer embeddedness and turn over. Journal of management, 32. 237-256. 2. Allen, D. G. (2008). Retaining Talent: A Guide to analyzing and managing employee turnover. SHRM foundation effective guidelines Series, 1-43. 3. Allen, D. G. (2010). Retaining talent: replacing misconceptions with evidence based strategies. Academy of management perspectives. Available from https://misweb.cbi.msstate.edu/~COBI/faculty/users/jvardaman/files/files/AllenAMP.pdf. 4. Arokiasamy, A. R. R. (2013). A qualitative study on causes and effects of employee turnover in the private sector in Malaysia. Middle East Journal of Scientific Research 16(11), p.1513-1541. 5. DeCenzo, D. A. Robbins, S. P. (2005). Fundamentals of human resource management. John Wiley and Sons. 6. Garner, G. (2008). Five attrition factors and what you can do about them. National society of professional engineers. Available from https://www.asmeconferences.org/gemc10/may08AttritionFactorsandRetentionStrategies.pdf. 7. Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. (2008). Developing an integrated talent management: A human resource management framework. Available from https://www.exec.gov.nl.ca/exec/hrs/publications/developing_an_integrated_talent_management_program.pdf. 8. Griffeth, R. W. et.al. (2000). Meta analysis of antecedents and correlates of employee turnover: update, moderator tests, and research implications for the next millennium. Journal of Management, 26(3), p.464-468. 9. Lalitha, C. (2012). Managing employee attrition-The HR role and challenge. International Journal of research in management, economics and commerce. 2(11), p.262-267. 10. Maslow, A. H. (2013). A Theory of Human Motivation. Rough Draft Printing. 11. Naila, I. (2012). Analyzing causes of attrition rate and giving the solution through Maslows hierarchy of need in BPO Industry. Commerce and Management, 1(4), p.1-14. Available from https://www.rgcresearchjournal.org/volume-I,issues-IV,October-December2012/commerceandmgt/ANALYZINGCAUSESOFATTRITIONRATEANDGIVINGTHESOLUTION.pdf. 12. Ongori, H. (2007). A Review of Literature on Employee turnover. African Journal of Business management, 1(3), p.49-54. 13. (2005). Succession planning process. Available from https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/human-capital-management/reference-materials/leadership-knowledge-management/successionplanning.pdf. 14. Perrotte, K. (2012). Four in 10 HR Cite employee burnout a common occurrence in UAE companies. Available from https://www.roberthalf.ae/EMEA/Dubai/News%20and%20Press/Documents/UAE-Employee-Burnout-Feb-2013.pdf. 15. Shashikala, S. Ravindra, S. (2013). A study on causes and control techniques for attrition rate in Indian Industry. Asia Pacific Journal of Research, 2(4), p.1-8.