Demand in Life

Life is not just about being happy and being able to enjoy what we love to do. We all have a lot of things that we need to get done, but many of us have absolutely nothing to do with what is truly important in our lives with so many demands on our time. For this reason, it is easy to feel like we are losing control in our life. Time itself will not going to slow down and demands on our time will not go away too. If we want the situation to be change, it is going to be up to us to change it. Time management is the best tool that we can use that can will help us to accomplish our demands in life. There is only one life to be able to spend my lives in my own way. So, I am setting my priorities to achieve my demands in life. Whatever I do in my life is essential to make my life easier. It is important that I can manage to face the challenges that come in my way that will take a huge amount of my time such as hobbies, job and family. Generally, many of us let go some of our interest and hobbies to meet our demands in life. My hobbies help me release my stress. I know that stress can destroy me and it can also drain my mental and physical energy. In my case, I am rather being with my son’s baseball practice and games instead of going to the gym and work out. I don’t want to miss any important event in his life. I want to be there to support and cheer him up. Likewise, I also gave up my hobby as a dance choreographer to be able to spend quality time with my family especially weekend. Furthermore, my job takes lots of my time because I need to make my handmade creations and sell it online. Each and every one of us has different aspect in life. I make decision based on the situation that demands my priorities. Therefore, I know that demand in life will takes lots of time to reach my goals. For instance, working at home as an entrepreneur risks my time, but I need to work to support my school and family expenses. Even though the risk is high but I still successfully establish my own business that gives me the opportunity to have full control over it. Finally, how do I fit roles such as a mother, a wife and a friend into my hectic schedule? Since, time is precious for me and there’s one life to live, keeping a balance between my career and family can be challenge. As a mother, a wife, a student and a businesswoman takes up a huge amount of time from doing my school obligation. Family demands more attention and devotion because they are my priority. I believe that being a mother is the most expensive job in the world. In these instances, support from my family has to be there and understanding. Additionally, when my son is involved, I need to adjust my lives so I can have time to spend quality time with him. As a mother and a wife, it is my responsibility to make sure that they have delicious and healthy meal on the table, clean clothes to wear and most of all a happy, clean and relaxing home to stay. Therefore, the biggest challenge that I am facing is how to balance the demands of my hobbies, job and family. I have to make sacrifice in order to achieve my aspirations. In addition, doing the thing I love will have the opportunity to explore new challenges. It also helps me grow as individuals and learn new things about myself. I believe that my life is a gift and I want to treasure every moment of it to live my life to the fullest.

Cross Cultural Training Essay

Globalization of business has led to cross border flows of physical, financial and human resources. It has resulted in both a large number of people working abroad, as well as an increasingly multi cultural domestic work environment. To face the ever growing competition, organizations are expanding their businesses, outsourcing and even establishing offices overseas. Organizations are not only searching the world for opportunities to sell or source but also to find intellectual capital- the world’s best talent and ideas. This brings new employees of different origin, language and national culture thus adding complexities to the culture of domestic organizations. Effective use of cross cultural teams can provide a source of experience and innovative thinking to enhance the competitive position of organizations. However, cultural differences often lead to misunderstandings, frustrations, cultural shock etc. These have to be tackled effectively if the benefits of a diverse and talented workforce are to be realized. Another dynamic factor that brings about a cultural change within organizations is cross border acquisitions. Many domestic companies are entering foreign markets and signing merger deals. Other companies such as the ones in the IT sector have businesses which depend heavily upon foreign markets. This has necessitated the development of competent â€Å"global managers† who would be able to work in new environments efficiently and will act as a bridge between the parent company and its subsidiaries. Working effectively in cross-cultural context is becoming of vital competence for aspiring managers. Organizational research has shown that cross- cultural training mitigates or proactively guards against the frustrations, misunderstandings and culture shock often resulting from cross-cultural interactions that lead to poor adjustment and job performance. (Harris and Kumra 2000). This paper attempts to define the possible sources of cross-cultural differences and illustrate a failed cross cultural merger through a case study. It then goes on to highlight the cross cultural challenges and issues to be considered in designing cross cultural training. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: 1. To understand the influential factors that lead to cross-cultural differences. 2. To identify the key cross cultural challenges. 3. To identify issues to be considered while designing cross cultural training. METHODOLOGY: A literature survey was conducted to study the issue and its various implications. Information was gathered from various articles about cross cultural training. An opinion survey was conducted regarding key issues in cross-cultural training. A total of 10 professionals from large multinational organizations both in India and abroad responded to the survey between 1st and 30th November 2009. The responses were collected through interviews and telephonic conversations. This was a preliminary study, and the small size of the sample means that definitive conclusions cannot be drawn, but rather an indicative trend can be observed. Sample 1. 10 respondents from 10 different companies responded to the survey. 2. Positions held within the organizations: Senior Management level 3. Organizations: Financial Services, Consumer Business, Construction, Manufacturing, Import and Export, Telecoms, Media and Technology 4. Size of Organizations: more than 1000 employees Culture is a powerful force which plays an important role in how businesses are run and managerial decisions are made. Professionals in today’s multicultural global business community frequently encounter cultural differences which can at times interfere with the organizational working. The nature of international collaborations is such that professionals need to be aware of differing perspectives and cultures. Working across significant differences in culture is a complex process involving intellectual and emotional challenges. It takes learning and exposure to accurately interpret the vagaries of cross-cultural issues. Sensitivity to other global views- managing in a different culture and new business environment presents challenges for the individuals, their team and the organization. To understand these challenges, one must first understand the definition of culture. Culture can be defined as, â€Å"A perceptual structure of human activities that include, behaviors, values, arts, beliefs, languages, custom, dress, rituals, manners, religion, laws, morality, & code of honors. † It basically refers to a group of people with whom we share common experiences that shape the way we understand the world. It includes groups that we are born into, such as gender, race, or national origin. It can also include groups that we join and become part of. For example, we can acquire a new culture by moving to a new region and even by a change in our economic status. In an organization, culture defines, decision-making practices, communication styles, working styles and influences how we act and respond in the working world. Cultures differ distinctively in the ways they seek to resolve universal problems. These differences can create obstacles to smooth collaborations. When people from different cultural groups take on the challenge of managing international businesses by working together with the global community, cultural values sometimes conflict. One can misunderstand another, and react in ways that can hinder what are otherwise promising partnerships. There are several frameworks which have been developed in making comparisons across cultures. One of the most widely used frameworks in managerial settings, is that of Geert Hofstede. Dr. Geert Hofstede conducted perhaps the most comprehensive study of how values in the workplace are influenced by culture. From 1967 to 1973, while working at IBM as a psychologist, he collected and analyzed data from over 100,000 individuals from forty countries. From those results, and later additions, Hofstede developed a model that identifies four primary dimensions to differentiate cultures. He later added a fifth dimension, Long-term Orientation. Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions: 1. Power Distance Index (PDI) focuses on the degree of equality, or inequality, between people in the country’s society. A High Power Distance ranking indicates that inequalities of power and wealth have been allowed to grow within the society. These societies are more likely to follow a caste system that does not allow significant upward mobility of its citizens. A Low Power Distance ranking indicates the society de-emphasizes the differences between citizen’s power and wealth. In these societies equality and opportunity for everyone is stressed. 2. Individualism (IDV) focuses on the degree the society reinforces individual or collective, achievement and interpersonal relationships. A High Individualism ranking indicates that individuality and individual rights are paramount within the society. Individuals in these societies may tend to form a larger number of looser relationships. A Low Individualism ranking typifies societies of a more collectivist nature with close ties between individuals. These cultures reinforce extended families and collectives where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. 3. Masculinity (MAS) focuses on the degree the society reinforces, or does not reinforce, the traditional masculine work role model of male achievement, control, and power. A High Masculinity ranking indicates the country experiences a high degree of gender differentiation. In these cultures, males dominate a significant portion of the society and power structure, with females being controlled by male domination. A Low Masculinity ranking indicates the country has a low level of differentiation and discrimination between genders. In these cultures, females are treated equally to males in all aspects of the society. 4. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) focuses on the level of tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity within the society – i. e. unstructured situations. A High Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates the country has a low tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. This creates a rule-oriented society that institutes laws, rules, regulations, and controls in order to reduce the amount of uncertainty. A Low Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates the country has less concern about ambiguity and uncertainty and has more tolerance for a variety of opinions. This is reflected in a society that is less rule-oriented, more readily accepts change, and takes more and greater risks. Geert Hofstede added the following fifth (5th) dimension after conducting an additional international study using a survey instrument developed with Chinese employees and managers. That survey resulted in addition of the Confucian dynamism. Subsequently, Hofstede described that dimension as a culture’s long-term Orientation. 5. Long-Term Orientation (LTO) focuses on the degree to which the society embraces, or does not embrace, long-term devotion to traditional, forward thinking values. High Long-Term Orientation ranking indicates the country prescribes to the values of long-term commitments and respect for tradition. This is thought to support a strong work ethic where long-term rewards are expected as a result of today’s hard work. However, business may take longer to develop in this society, particularly for an â€Å"outsider†. A Low Long-Term Orientation ranking indicates the country does not reinforce the concept of long-term, traditional orientation. In this culture, change can occur more rapidly as long-term traditions and commitments do not become impediments to change. India’s ranking on the five cultural dimensions of Hofstede: [pic] India has Power Distance (PDI) as the highest Hofstede Dimension for the culture, with a ranking of 77 compared to a world average of 56. 5. This Power Distance score for India indicates a high level of inequality of power and wealth within the society. This condition is not necessarily subverted upon the population, but rather accepted by the population as a cultural norm. India’s Long Term Orientation (LTO) Dimension rank is 61, with the world average at 48. A higher LTO score can be indicative of a culture that is perseverant and parsimonious . India has Masculinity as the third highest ranking Hofstede Dimension at 56, with the world average just slightly lower at 51. The higher the country ranks in this Dimension, the greater the gap between values of men and women. It may also generate a more competitive and assertive female population, although still less than the male population. India’s lowest ranking Dimension is Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) at 40, compared to the world average of 65. On the lower end of this ranking, the culture may be more open to unstructured ideas and situations. The population may have fewer rules and regulations with which to attempt control of every unknown and unexpected event or situation, as is the case in high Uncertainty Avoidance countries. Defining Cross Cultural Training: Cross-cultural training in general can be defined as â€Å"Any intervention aimed at increasing an individual’s capability to cope with and work in foreign environment† (Tung, 1981, in Zakaria, 2000). Hence cross-cultural training involves all the methods like lectures, simulation etc. used to make the person familiar with a different culture. It involves interacting with and/ or comparing two or more cultures, & understanding their values, beliefs, & norms. The term cross-cultural training hence is broad enough to include differences in areas like language abilities, business etiquettes, beliefs and values, social system, negotiating styles etc. f any culture. Cross-cultural training has also been defined as â€Å"Formal methods to prepare people for more effective interpersonal relations and job success when they interact extensively with individuals from cultures other than their own† (Brislin and Yoshida, 1994). The advantages from cross-cultural training hav e been listed as following (Zakaria, 2000: 2): 1. A means for constant switching from an automatic, home culture international management mode to a culturally adaptable and acceptable one 2. An aid to improve coping with unexpected events and cultural shock in a new culture 3. A means to reduce uncertainty of interactions with foreign nationals 4. A means for enhancing expatriates coping abilities Design of cross-cultural training: Organizations are required to choose between culture specific or culture general training, which areas of the culture to focus upon and what are the personal requirements of the person who might have to deal with a situation like this or who is shifting to a different culture for work. The study by Hun and Jenkins (1998) mentions following issues for the cross-cultural training: 1. Different aspects of time like punctuality- The time factor here involve two dimensions that are punctuality and relationship dimension. While in some cultures like USA starting and ending on time are very important in others like South American countries that may be considered exceptional. Some cultures prefer to take time for relationship building, which may not be acceptable at all in others. Hence cross-cultural barriers related to time need to be taken care of. 2. Linguistic barriers- English is being used for most transactions but then usage of English tends to change with the country contexts. For example the pronunciation in India is significantly different from the American way. Secondly certain terms may have different meaning in different languages; hence context also plays an important role. In case of countries with different languages the expatriates must be trained in opening dialogues and discussions with the help of translators. 3. Different business practices- Like conduct in meeting and unstructured and open discussion. Hofstede’s (2001) dimensions like power distance can play an important role in situations like conduct during the meetings. In cultures with lower power distance the employees may tend to call their bosses with their first names while this may be impossible in cultures with higher power distances. Hence developing a first hand knowledge about the practices is very important. 4. Cultural stress (ambiguity and difference of perceptions)- The training should also involve methods to counter stress and to interpret situations. The expatriates will have to understand the situations on their own and then form perceptions. The training should avoid any kind of stereotyping where trainees may be lead to believe certain things about any culture. The culture may broadly explain value system of a community or country but every individual is different. Hence any individual with a pre-formed notion about the culture will be shocked to see people different from his beliefs leading to lot of confusion and stress. 5. Body language and greetings- The way emotions are expressed in the various cultures may differ, for example the face expressions and hand gestures may convey different meanings in different cultures. Cross-cultural training should have components related to both general orientation and specific skill development (Harrison, 1994). The component of general orientation here consists of self assessment (dealing with change, stress management and identifying attributes) and cultural awareness (general dimensions, national values and work place incidents). The specific development on the other hand consists of knowledge acquisition (area studies, language studies and host attitudes) and skills training (case studies, area simulation and behavior modeling). Hence the training should focus on providing trainee the knowledge about national cultures and attitudes in the host country in the first phase while in second phase the trainee should be made to go through a rigorous process of handling the situations in a simulated environment. This will help the trainee to acquire hands-on experience. The paper by Nicola (1993) suggests following issues for cross-cultural training: †¢Feed back †¢Getting beyond culturally determined stereotypes †¢How to raise and deal with cultural stereotype How to counsel employees †¢Coaching and team building †¢Resolving conflicts (those including various ethnic groups at work place) †¢Counseling so as to go beyond all kinds of stereotypes and perceptions. After the internet revolution things have vastly changed for various organizations. For example many firms use internet as a medium to coordinate between different employees working in different locations as a team like one of the team members would be in India, other one might be in Europe and third one in South America. The group dynamics in these situations becomes very important; hence the employees must also be trained at handling people from diverse cultures at the same time ensuring equal treatment and opportunities for all. One of the most important factors that is often forgotten while designing the training programs is the requirement of the employees. The design of training program should be made keeping in mind the length of stay in the host country, type of function he/she will have to perform, degree of socialization required by the employee and the personal characteristics of the employees (like interpersonal skills). Hence cross-cultural training program should be customized for each employee to a certain extent. It’s not only the employee who needs to be trained; the family of employee should also be trained on certain issues like cultural differences. Many firms have started giving due importance to the training of spouse because the socialization of expatriate and job success to a large extent will depend upon socialization of his family Key Cross Cultural Challenges: Cultural dissimilarities affect the ability to be effective in a foreign market. Some of the root causes for the problems arising in International businesses result from differences in communication styles, decision-making styles and working styles. †¢ Communication Style – The way people communicate varies widely between and even within cultures. Recognizing the impact of culture on communication style is essential to the success of cross-cultural business communication. †¢ Decision making- Decision- making processes differ from culture to culture. Some cultures emphasize individual autonomy and responsibility while others focus more on group participation. †¢ Working styles- The working styles may differ on the basis of elements such as leadership, conflict management, level of co-operation, competition among colleagues, teamwork, autonomy, etc. Case Study: Daimler Chrysler- A Cultural Mismatch? Synopsis: An example of a cross-cultural failure has been that of DaimlerChrysler. Both sides in the partnership set out to show that intercultural hurdles would and could be overcome in their global merger. Articles in the Wall Street Journal and Business Week suggested however that Daimler Chrysler underestimated the influence of culture, and due to culture clash, almost two years later was still struggling to become a unified global organization. In the period leading up to the Daimler-Chrysler merger, both firms were performing quite well (Chrysler was the most profitable American automaker), and there was widespread expectation that the merger would be successful (Cook 1998). People in both organizations expected that their merger of equals† would allow each unit to benefit from the other’s strengths and capabilities. Stockholders in both companies overwhelmingly approved the merger and the stock prices and analyst predictions reflected this optimism.

Auditing assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Auditing assignment - Essay Example Given the Current Asset of $178 million and Current Liabilities of $277 million the current ratio of the company is less than one highlighting the weakness in the liquidity position (Forest Enterprises Australia Limited, 2009, p.51-52). Industry players like Great Southern and Timbercorp have already collapsed. The fall of entities in the industry is a factor for the issuance of going concern opinion (Kachor, 2010). The investors of the company have sought legal advice in the matter relating to the repayment of loan by FEA. The company did not make significant financial disclosures to its investors for the fiscal year 2009 and 2010. These being crucial information should have been disclosed to the potential investors; failure to do so is a non-compliance of statutory requirement (Kachor, 2010). In order to lower the debt component the management has planned for an asset sale; and is also in the process of discussion with the financiers regarding financing arrangements and restructuring plans. The company also undertook a successful capital raising program last year (FEA Group of Companies,

Energy politics and Security in Kazakhstan Essay

Energy politics and Security in Kazakhstan - Essay Example Energy Sector in Kazakhstan The infrastructure of energy production in Kazakhstan is underdeveloped as a result of being part of former Soviet Union which strived to â€Å"optimize energy supply within member states rather than to achieve self sufficiency in the energy supply of each member state†. Post independence Kazakhstan had to depend heavily on energy exports for economic development. However, this dependence on energy sector caused wide disparities of income between the rich and the poor. As part of solution, Kazakhstan is bringing the oil and gas sector under the ownership of the government (Doi, 2-3). Oil Industry Restrictions from Russia Kazakhstan faces a major problem regarding the full development of its oil export industry. The oil from this country can be exported only on routes through other countries. Currently, the only route that is economic and viable goes through Russia. Russia has however imposed partial restrictions through its Transneft pipeline system . One-third of Kazakhstan’s current oil export capacity cannot move through Russia. The oil industry of Russia has also demanded a share in the profit by 30 percent from all oil exporting countries in the former Soviet Republics. The development program for Tengiz field has been postponed because of such demands and restrictions imposed by Russia. There have been considerations of using pipelines of other countries like Iran and Russia, but they are politically unviable and will take a long time. Also, Turkey will not allow movement of larger number of oil tankers that are necessary for utilization of full export capacity of Kazakhstan. In addition, oil industry requires high amount of capital investment so positive results cannot be achieved in the short run (Office of Technology Assessment, 139). China as export route China lies in the eastern border of Kazakhstan and is a major market for its oil reserves. China has introduced a ‘non-commercial element’ in the field of oil export competition for Kazakhstan. In 2004, China constructed its first oil pipeline to encourage exports from other countries. In August, 2005, China signed a deal for acquiring PetroKazakhstan for the valuation of $4 billion. It is an oil company that is based in Canada and has all its activities within Kazakhstan. Since then China holds the second position of being the largest oil producer in Kazakhstan after the latter’s national oil company. With China as an oil export route, Kazakhstan has faced positive evolution in its oil industry as supply to the world market has increased (Committee on Foreign Relation, 44). Natural gas There has been a steady increase in the production of natural gas which has transformed Kazakhstan from net gas exporter to a net gas importer. Development in the natural gas sector has been lagging behind oil because of insufficient ‘domestic gas pipeline infrastructure’ that links the gas production countries in the West to industrial region in the East. Also, there have been insufficient export pipelines. This has been a major issue as Kazakhstan does not have access to seaports. However, in 2014 when Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline will be completed, gas can be transported to the industrial region of Kazakhstan. This will also enable Kazakhstan to export gas to other countries. China and Russia are the important export partners of

Within the Context of the Boundaryless Career Critically Analyse the Coursework

Within the Context of the Boundaryless Career Critically Analyse the Challenges Faced by Graduates in a Volatile Global Economy - Coursework Example 1 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Boundary less Careers 3 Challenges Faced by Graduates 4 Conclusions 6 References 7 Introduction The recent economic downturn had a deep impact on the job market as companies went overdrive to cut jobs in the backdrop of a severe financial crisis. The period of economic recession saw many individuals being handed pink slips (Tuppen, 1988, p.54). It also meant that fresh graduates even from reputed institutions could not find a job of their choice. This has led to emergence of certain very critical aspects with regards to career growth and development of individuals (Roberts, 2009). The present study would analyze the career aspects of a graduate in the recessionary environment in the backdrop of a boundary less career for an individual. Boundary less Careers The definition of boundary less career itself is a matter of research with varied version of the definition of the term across academic circles. Among the most accepted of the definition is t he one given by Arthur and Rousseau (1996) that defines boundary less careers as the complete opposite of organizational career that span across various organizations against traditional assumptions of employment. The definition given above was challenged by Eby (2001) who defined boundary less careers as a connecting sequence of expertise across jobs and companies (Barling & Cooper, 2008, p.279). Greenhaus, Callanan & Godshalk (2009) Conducted a research into the aspect of boundary less careers and concluded that the aspect was majorly due to the inter organizational mobility and a change in attitude among the employees to look for greener pastures in their careers. This trend is particularly been observed in the capitalist economies of USA, UK and other developed nations as there are large number of business organizations that are ever in need of good professionals for their company. There are many perspectives on this approach firstly, certain researchers propose that boundary fe wer careers involve increased mobility towards better opportunities and rewards. Another contradictory school of thought states that aspects like mentality, identity and psychological aspects that defines the aspect of boundary less careers. Networking and connections also play a major role in the mobility of individuals across organizations (Greenhaus, Callanan & Godshalk, 2009, p.23-24). The aspect of boundary less careers has also been debated with regards to the aspect of commitment and loyalty. On one hand some individuals feel that the aspect of boundary less careers has reduced the loyalty and commitment aspects. The protagonists of this theory feel that boundary less carers have increased and improved individual performance in the quest for greater improvements in the careers due to which individuals resort to job hopping across organizations and business verticals in an attempt to better influence the careers (Purcell & Wright, 2007, p.133-134). Guest & Conway (2004) stated that there was a contrasting view in boundary fewer careers as it led to development of loyalty towards an individual’s own career and personal interests. Academic and research professionals have often critiqued this aspect and stated that this was detrimental to the organizational interests as individuals in boundary less careers often put themselves and their personal ambitions before the organizational interests (Guest & Conway, 2004, p.51). Challenges Faced by Graduates The recent market recession has led to a serious job cuts within economies. According to the data released by OECD USA alone reported a major job cut that is evident from the fact that there were 145362000 employed civilians in 2008 as compared to 139877000 individuals in the following year. The statistics reveal a clear

Car Racing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Car Racing - Assignment Example This is because in the world of car racing time is of great importance since every time lost normally reduces the chance of success (Doeden, 2009). Most companies in motor sports normally have highly qualified personnel. Some of the people hired include product designers who are normally entrusted with the role of coming up with outstanding car designs and features such as engines that will make the company stand out from the rest in addition to increasing the chances of winning in a race besides being easy to alter if need entails (Murray, 2013). Such companies also have a devoted human resource team whose main objective is normally to ensure that everything runs smoothly, for instance ensuring that the team responsible for conducting replacements are qualified and ever ready to swing into action when need arises. The companies have also come up with new technologies in order to increase speed and at the same time cutting down the expenditure cost. For instance, a fuel flow restrictor whose main role is minimizing fuel spent on car racing (Sam, 2014). Just like in car racing, the main objective of many companies and organizations is normally to succeed in business, which usually results to increase in terms of revenue. In my opinion, for other companies to succeed in the field of business, they ought to embrace the motor sport ideas. For instance, the companies should have an excellent human resource department whose main role should be ensuring the well-being of employees. In most companies, whenever a car develops a mechanical problem, it normally takes a lot of time before the problem is fixed hence loss of revenue. In this case, companies ought to have an ever-ready mechanical team whose role is identifying mechanical problems and fixing them immediately in a move to prevent the business from becoming

Social Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Marketing - Essay Example In this "Social Marketing" essay, the author chose and researched two most relevant in order to study their social marketing campaign. Social marketing refers to an approach that is used to cultivate those activities of which the primary aim is to maintain or change the behavior of people for the benefit of society or individual. In Thailand, every can tell that using cell phones has become a big problem. Almost every teenager owns a cell phone and hardly puts it down.. The issue exists there, everyone is aware that it is a big problem, yet no one takes an initiative about it. Being a foreign company, Telenor took a wise move. Telenor employs a prudent approach through an advertising agency located in Thailand, known as Y&R Thailand. It was responsible for handling ads for DTAC because only natives can understand the psyche of their audiences and the way they respond. In order to do so, DTAC composed an ad in order to address the issue of extra ordinary mobile usage and ignoring love d ones while using mobile phones. The slogan of the social marketing campaign of DTAC was named as ‘Disconnect to Connect’. The purpose of this ad was to encourage people to put down their cellular devices for face time with their family and friends. This spot showed users of mobile with invisible parent/child/companions/friends as they play guitar/drove or stand at bus stop with them. As soon as the person puts the device away, their child, loved one, or friend appear, adding warmth in their very moment as well as in their lives. Nowadays, addiction of mobile phones and Internet are leading to neglecting loved ones, family, and friends beside us. The message that the ad coveys is that while using mobile phones, not to forget loved ones that are present around. The ad of Thailand’s DTAC tells us to cherish the persons that are besides us. When using mobile phones, we forget the most important people that are in our surroundings but DTAC, despite of being a largest telecommunication company, teach us to STOP doing it, and make these beloved people feel how important they are. In true meaning, this advertisement complies with corporate social responsibility. Actors featured in this advertisement are what the target audience of DTAC is. They are more like upper middle class and middle class people. In addition, the actors are not extra ordinary good looking and are like those people that one sees in real on streets. These two elements of this advert make it easier for target market to relate them to this s pot. The usage of aria helps in creating suspense and building climax of the advert. The ad did not include a well-known popular song that may steal the attention of the core message. Instead, the music serves as a tool for aiding additional communication. This campaign is a great example for tech companies in order to teach how to ‘De-tech’. Instead of being exhausted by the over usage of technology, people now should spend more mindful and meaningful time offline. Nike’s ‘Find your Greatness’ Campaign The slogan of Nike’s social marketing campaign read as ‘Find Your Greatness’. This ad was composed and launched during London Olympics 2011. In this ad, Nike is taking advantage of Olympic coverage and alert television audience. The fitness brand was not an official sponsor of Olympics but their well-placed and well-timed ads stood at the top of the viral chart whereas Adidas, the

Business Insourcing, Self-Sourcing and Outsourcing Research Paper

Business Insourcing, Self-Sourcing and Outsourcing - Research Paper Example On the other hand, self sourcing has its disadvantages which include: Lack of organizational focus, lack of design alternative analysis and lack of documentation. In commerce, outsourcing is the constricting out of a trade procedure to an intermediary. The word "outsourcing" becomes admired in the US close to the revolution of the 21st century. Outsourcing occasionally entails transferring human resources as well as assets from one company to another, but not at all times. Outsourcing is as well used to explain the performance of handing over management of civic services to for-profit companies. Outsourcing consists of both strange and family contracting; in addition to sometimes take account of offshoring or relocating a business, profession to another nation. Financial investments from lower global labor rates are a big inspiration for outsourcing. In sourcing is enhanced for significant Domain comprehension centric actions; trade innovation driven scheme, to generate competitive i ndividuality for business expansion (Click et al., 2005 p.26). Outsourcing is better if position information requirement for detailed duration, repeatable deal based, releasing in-house resources for extra value supplemented area, and suppleness of Ramp-up plus Ramp-down. The outsourcing drawback may also contain miscommunication: the corporations give unreliable service to "yes, we will hold up increased communication plus increased contact points", but the majority of the time they do not adjust scheme timelines plus they indulgence their offshore equivalent as if they were down the lane. Subsequently, they cannot comprehend why the scheme is behind. The world turns out to be more compound, change is accelerate, the current transfer to in sourcing those roles once again is a dial that parties are appreciating they need better flexibility and suppleness that is a bit more complex to attain when purpose are outsourced. Trade and IT also have extra sourcing options than ever, out sou rcing, in sourcing, near shore, on shore, with all these, how to expertise a superior IT sourcing tactic? Corporations outsource to keep away from assured kinds of costs. They outsource the non foundation actions. Among the motives companies opt for to outsource comprise the escaping of regulations, elevated taxes, high power costs, and costs linked with describe benefits in labor-union contract and duties for regime mandated reimbursement. Alleged or definite gross border in the diminutive operate incentivizes a corporation to outsource (Stephen, 2006, p. 14). With compact short-run expenses, administrative management sees the chance for short-run proceeds while the profits enlargement of the customer base is overwrought (Chris, 2006, p. 23). This prompts corporations to outsource for lesser effort costs. Outsourcing can put forward greater budget suppleness and control. Outsourcing allows organizations disburse for simply the services they require, when they require them. It as we ll reduces the want to hire and guide particular staff, conveys in fresh engineering proficiency, and decreases capital and working expenses. In addition, the label outsourcing has been established to be employed for too numerous different kinds of substitutes in puzzling ways. For instance, worldwide software expansion, which frequently

Comparison Analysis of Personal Consumption Habits Essay

Comparison Analysis of Personal Consumption Habits - Essay Example Boone & Kurtz (2006) outline the first step in the consumer decision-making process as being the identification of a specific problem. In the case of my food purchase, a relatively empty refrigerator represented such a problem. In addition, a personal craving for pickles was the initial motivation to visit the food market, where a series of searches and evaluation of alternative brands ultimately led to a final purchase decision. There appears to be a general consensus amongst most marketing research professionals that buying decisions are largely based on elements of the marketing mix (such as price and promotion), as well as previous experience with any particular brand. Pickles, under the model of consumer behaviour, usually represent low-involvement, meaning that lower price and affordability, as well as the fact that the majority of pickle brands are quite similar, would dictate a rapid purchase decision. However, in my personal situation, I am quite particular about the texture and flavour enhancements which are added to pickles, hence I generally weigh my potential brand alternatives carefully before selecting my desired product. The final pickle purchase involved a heavy evaluation of alternative brands, comparing ingredients, my own experience and distaste for certain brands, and the promotional elements of the market which included sale versus non-sale items; representing a series of personal evaluative criteria. The process of searching, as stage two of the decision-making process.

Negotiation Journal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Negotiation Journal - Research Paper Example There are different pointers of what strategy to adopt in an impending negotiation activity. Before choosing a given strategy to use in a negotiation, it is important to consider three main factors. The first factor is extent of valuation of a product, issues or services that cause negotiation to happen. If a given party values an issue, product or service under consideration extremely than relationship, then a win-lose strategy is appropriate. In a win-lose negotiation strategy, relationship is not important and one party of the negotiation will wish to win and does not care of the other party. Win-lose strategy also applies when a party is discussing a fixed position or idea. It is applicable when a price of a product or an idea is fixed. Second factor to consider is the relationship between negotiators. If both parties perceive that they need each other after the negotiation, then win-win negotiation strategy is the most appropriate. In a win-win negotiation strategy, both parties to a negotiation must cooperate, participate or compromise part of their interest to accommodate each other. Both parties to a negotiation agree and discus mutually profitable actions to take. Consequently, both parties benefits after the negotiation. ... Some cultures may prefer win-win strategy while others may prefer win-lose strategy. Win-win negotiation strategy is always possible. It is also one of the most preferred business negotiation strategies available. The purpose of two parties entering into a negotiation is always to benefit from one another. Therefore, it is possible to pursue win-win strategy especially when both parties can cooperate and compromise without incurring any loss. For example, a supplier may agree to reduce a price by a certain percentage and retain some substantial profits. Both parties win because a buyer saves some money and supplier builds a favourable business relationship. At times, win-lose negotiation becomes the only negotiation strategy viable. This is often applicable where a situation or price product is fixed and cannot be changed further because it will result in a loss. Therefore, there will be no room for adjustments and the other party can either agree to the terms of the situation as the y are or forfeit the matter or the product altogether. Win-lose negotiation is always confrontational and each party tries to take advantage of the other party. The forty-eight laws of power can be helpful when crafting a distributive negotiation strategy and tactics. This applies when the other party to a negotiation is confrontational, short sighted, stereotype, aggressive and uncooperative. Forty-eight laws of power can be useful in disarming the other party’s uncompromising stance. However, if the other party is genuinely willing to cooperate, compromise and is interested in long-term relationship, it may not be an appropriate strategy. Therefore, negotiation strategies should be used according to the

Comparing the depiction of Men throughout Charles Dickens Essay Example for Free

Comparing the depiction of Men throughout Charles Dickens Essay Great Expectations is a pre twentieth century book with Cider with Rosie is a twentieth century book. Great Expectations is about a boy Pip which the book revolves around his life from a young child in the marshy land of Kent to a grown man where he meets Estella the love of his life, which he has not seen for years. This book has a storyline which has leaves you in suspense at the end of chapters. An example of this is at the end of chapter 0ne on page 5, I looked round for the horrible young man, and I could see no signs of him. But, now I was frightened again, and I ran home without stopping. This leaves suspense and you want to read on. Where as Cider with Rosie follows all the happenings of a young boy, Laurie Lee. Really it is a autobiography of Laurie Lee till he is about 14, 15 years of age. Cider with Rosie is a very descriptive book, which will describe things in great detail and in big long lists of running commentary. An example of this great description is on page 11 chapter one I crawled about among the ornaments on the unfamiliar floor-the glass fishes, china dogs, shepherdesses, bronze horsemen, stopped clocks, barometers, and photographs of bearded men. In Great Expectations the main Men I am going to look at are Mr Joe, Mr Wemmick, Herbit Pocket and Magwitch the convict. Magwitch is an escaped convict from the local prison near where pip lives. The first man described in this book is on page 2 of chapter 1, it is Magwitch the convict. Pip meats him in the church yard looking at his mothers tomb stone this is the first encounter of Magwitch for Pip it would be terrifying for the young boy. Magwitch is described in this scene as A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, broken shoes and with an old rag tied round his head. This shows the first description of a male in Great Expectations. It gives the reader a very clear image of what this convict would have looked like and been like to meet in person. The next description is one of Joe Gargery on page 6 chapter 2 of Great Expectations. Joe is married to Pips sister so he is Pips Brother-in-law but Pips looks up to him as his father as he does not have one. They are very good friends and spend a lot of time together. This is the description of him, Joe was a fair man, with curls of flaxen hair on each side of his smooth face, and with eyes of such a very undecided blue that they seemed to have some how got mixed with their whites. This is from Pips point of view and shows you what Pip thought and sees of his brother-in-law. Joe is Pips father figure, a kind of replacement for Pips Dad, which Pip looks up too. The next male I am going to describe is Mr Wemmick. He is Mr Jaggers clerk and lives and works in the London area. He is a poor man but is happy as he have his small castle to get away from the world and his old Dad who is dependent of him. In Great Expectations Mr Wemmick is frequently is involved in helping Pip in London. A description of Mr Wemmick is on page 165 chapter 21. Casting my eyes on Mr Wemmick as we went along, to see what he was like in the light of day, I found him to be a dry man, rather short in stature, with a square wooden face, whose expression seemed to have imperfectly chipped out with a dull-edged chisel. There were some marks in it that might have been dimples, if the material had been softer and instrument finer, but which, as it was, were only dints. This shows what Pip thinks of Mr Wemmick when he first sees him in Mr Jaggers office in London. It is a very depictive description of Mr Wemmick and you can vividly imagine what Mr Wemmick would look like to meet in person. Mr Wemmick is closely involved in what Pip does in London and helps him financially and none-financially. The last male I am going to look at in Great Expectations is Herbert Pocket. Pip first encounter with Herbert Pocket in Great Expectations is when they meet at Mrs Havishams after Pip has been round Mrs Havishams playing. When Pip leaves her house he runs into Herbert Pocket in which they have a play fight. This is in chapter 11 page 87, after playing at Mrs Havishams. When Pip sees Herbert Pocket he is described as a pale young gentleman. Which is what he is described as for a while longer. After the fight Herbert is described as not very healthy-having pimples on his face and breaking out of his mouth, these dreadful preparation appalled me. The next time pip meats Herbert is in London when they a older and about to share a flat together in London. Herbert is now described as still a pale young gentleman. He had not a handsome face, but it was better than handsome: but extremely amiable and cheerful. His figure was a little ungainly. This description of Herbert is more descriptive and is described in a grown-up way instead of the way he was described earlier in the book. This is on page 172 chapter 22. In Cider with Rosie there are not many men in the book as it is a female dominated book and there are very few males in the book as his father deserted him and the rest of his family at an early age of so he dose not have many males in his life. The only males he really sees in his life at an early age is at school, his brothers and men around the village he lives in. described main men that I am going to look at that are involved someway with Laurie Lees life are mostly in the chapter The Uncles.

Gender Roles in United States Essay Example for Free

Gender Roles in United States Essay Gender role can be defined as number of professed personality trait and manners observed by males or females in a given society.   Different culture imposes a different set of expectations on men and women (faqs, n.d). Every culture has a different number of norms that they use to differentiate a perfect male or female with an imperfect one. Who sets these gender roles? What if one is unable to be the perfect male / female? Is it right to restrict people to grow out of the perceived roles into something that is entirely opposite? Why is it assumed that a female will stay home to cook and clean while a man will be the sole bread earner of the house? An extensive debate has been going on for years regarding this topic. Looking around us a commercial selling razor blade will show a man who is rugged and well built and in a shampoo commercial will have a female who couldn’t be any prettier yet she still does the normal things in life. A magazine will always cover a top model and not a housewife. Why does media always shows beautiful, perfect physique females and tall, handsome men, be it an advertisement of food product or a house or any cars? Though over the years, people are being acceptable towards deviation in gender roles. Men and women are working together to understand and adjust to the shift occurring in gender roles Women work hand in hand with men to support living, media shows program covering normal people from the streets and both genders of a family are involved in taking major decisions. This change will defiantly result in better environment at workplaces, better atmosphere at homes, better standards of living for the young generation and an air of equality will amongst the upcoming generation. References Faqs. â€Å"Gender Roles† (Internet), www.faqs.org (Accessed on January 11, 2009)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.faqs.org/health/topics/8/Gender-roles.html

Community Relations of MAS holdings

Community Relations of MAS holdings In any company, the greatest challenge is managing the business. To support this end, a companys relationship with the community plays a pivotal role. In terms of corporate social responsibility MAS Holdings has done a considerable amount of work towards uplifting Sri Lankans in a social context. It has also worked to retain customer attraction through achieving their targets and maintaining customer compliance standards by ensuring the employees work in a safe working environment. This report illustrates MAS Holdings relationship with the community and provides recommendations for improving community group relationships for business well-being. Company Background MAS Holdings is a company, which has focused on the apparel manufacturing business for the last 20 years. It has great success to date with a consolidated turnover of approximately more than 400 million USD and has a massive growth in operations. The majority of the success has been achieved within the US market, which accounts for almost 60% of sales. Europe and UK provides the majority of the balance. In terms of customer focus, the company gains 50-55% of turnover from Victoria Secret, 14% from Gap another 10% from Marks Spencer. In terms of global presence, the company is present in more than 5 locations globally, including China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico, India, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, Maldives and US. The company is made of multiple investments mostly in the form of joint ventures in Intimate Apparel Manufacturing, Elastic Manufacturing, Knit Fabrics, Lace, Bra Accessories and recently Design Development. Key stakeholders and their level of influence and impact on the company 2a). Benefits of stakeholders analysis for MAS Holdings Undertaking a taking stakeholder analysis benefits the company as follows, Opportunity to identify the interest of the all stakeholders on the company Recognizing the groups that affect or affected by the company The power level of each stakeholder and ways to reduce negative impact on the company Identifying the stakeholders who have decrease association with MAS and getting them involved in company events at particular stages Identify potential issues that might disrupt the company It also helps to visualize the risk factors and plan strategic responses 2b). Key community groups and their impact on the company Stakeholder mapping provides insight in to which parties have the most impact on the company (See appendix 2). Described below is the influence and impact of each stakeholder. CEO and The Board of Directors (High Interest + High Power) This includes companys major players and potential stakeholders. In it consists of the chairperson, Mahesh Amalean and the board of directors which includes the other two Amalean brothers and 7 directors. (Refer appendix 2 figure) From the beginning MAS was a benchmark for being a superior employer. All the main key players of the company are responsible for sustainability in community development. By looking at the significant steps that have been taken by them to develop the community and their employees it is clear that they have made a big difference. As per Ajay Amalean it was the right thing to do. We had absolutely no idea that 20 years down the road, the things we were doing would be called CSR. Venture Capital and Customers of (High Interest + High Power) According to the power interest mix (Refer appendix 2 Figure 2) there is a clear indication that this is a category with high interest and power. Without these key individuals or groups, such as joint ventures, with Speedo and strategic partners such as Nike, Makes Spencer, Victorias Secret and Gap MAS Holdings part of the business operations would not have its current success. When MS selected MAS for their green manufacturing plant project (As mentioned in appendix 2 page ii) it demonstrated their recognition as a global customer that MAS is an organization that is conscious of environmental and social sustainability. This recognition will results in better relationship with worlds leading brands that are under pressure to maintain sustainability and it will help to maximize the profit of the company by attracting new customers and through customer retention. Employees (High Interest + Low Power) The higher management at MAS Holdings has set its employee objectives which are called as KPIs (Key performance indicators). However the drivers of these main KPIs are the employees themselves. It is noticeable in the Mendelows matrix (Refer appendix 2 Figure 2) this category holds high interest and low power on decision making. This group includes the executives and the machine operators of the company. In MAS, 92% of the employees are women. Focusing the women in the company MAS has launched an empowering program which is called Women Go Beyond (Refer appendix 2 page v). The men, who are working at MAS, enjoy the same benefits as women. These activities result in company growth through employee attraction and retention. Thus recruiting process is easier and the annual labor turnover is much less. As mentioned in appendix 2 these activities also results in higher productivity of operations, which is a one of the main achievements of a manufacturing plant. Community ( Low Interest + Low Power ) As mentioned in the mendelows matrix this category has a low interest and a power, but the company point of view its important to have a close relationship with the communities MAS operators. Hence they need more man power for their operations and its a great advantage when having a close relationship with the community specially in recruiting people and also in retaining them which will be discussed future in the report. How MAS use relationship marketing and approach the community through its concept 3a). Relationship marketing Relationship marketing refers to all marketing activities directed towards establishing, developing and maintaining successful relational exchanges Morgan hunt 1994 It is important to understand the benefits of maintaining good relationships with the community groups. Not only in FMCG companies but also within business to business companies, manufacturing plants benefit by having close relationships with the community groups that are relevant to them through the practice of sustainability within these communities. Though it doesnt have a direct impact on the company with regards to profits, sustainability, helps to increase the company standards, reputation and profits in a way that is mutually beneficial to the community and the company. By developing such enduring relationships the company can gain trust within the community, build employee commitment and loyalty towards the company. These things give long lasting benefits to the company. MAS Holdings is a company that gets these positive results out of such community relationships. 3b). What MAS Holdings does to attract their community groups and reach their hearts When building a relationship it should be done from a combination of Trust, commitment and cooperation. Trust According to Morgan hunt trust is defined as confidence in an exchange partners reliability and integrity Trust can be seen as a long term investment for the business. It works as glue in building business relationships with all stakeholders. Building trust among the customers and suppliers of will allow the MAS business to gain the upper hand to improve business with the US and European countries. In the same way MAS holdings most important resource is labor. As mentioned before 92% of the employees are women. Sri Lankan women are very particular in selecting the working place. Considering the culture, tradition of Sri Lanka, its important for women to have a safe working environment in manufacturing plants which will enhance their trust and the trust of the community. For an instance when started first EPZ in Katunayake and the country is declared as a free trade area most of investors started garment factories in those areas. 90% of the works become women, most or 18 25 of age and they came from rural area of the country, lived in boarding houses near the factory. In this period most of the employees suffered from sexual harassment and assault. They also had long working hours even without prior notice. Breaking through these grey clouds MAS become one of the best employers in Sri Lanka by creating a safe working environment. In addition the Amalean brothers made sure that their work force worked in an air conditioned environment, had free meals, and were given transportation to and from the factory. Commitment This is one the most important element which strengthens relationship marketing. As per Morgan and hunt, commitment is an enduring desire to maintain a valued relationship (Morgan and Hunt 1994, 23) Commitment could be considered in different ways, 1.Commitment towards the organization by the employees, commitment towards the brand or the product also the commitment towards the community etc. In order to foster this commitment MAS Holdings, created incentives based on service period giving gold coins to employees that had completed 5 years of service, providing increments each year so that an employee knew that if they stayed one more year their salary would increase and giving bonuses based on performance which encouraged the employees to be committed to continuous improvement. Co-operation with community groups In order for a business to operate in a geographic location it is important that the people living there are ready to accept the presence of this business. As MAS Holdings has many plants in many locations it has found it useful to co-operate with various community groups in order to establish their presence. For example through the Shadeline factory in the remote area of Mahiyanganaya, various projects were undertaken. These included assistance in building houses funding for primary education and assistance in social welfare. Some of the community assistance was provided through the Buddhist temple in the area which provided access to large portions of the community. Further to that association with the local police and welfare societies provided inroads to the lives of the people. The Level of influence and impact applied by pressure groups on MAS Holdings 4a. Pressure groups Pressure groups are organizations that seek to influence government the public and private business or advance a cause. Often they advance a political or ideological goal. These groups can be placed in to two main categories. Sectional Pressure groups Causal Pressure groups 4b. Sectional Pressure groups Sectional pressure groups represent a section of society. The pressure cause by these groups is often directly beneficial to the members. Religious groups (High impact) -Often in the rural areas of Sri Lanka where several of the MAS Factories are situated the Buddhist temple in that area is the central meeting place and many decisions are made there. MAS as an organization is encouraged to follow the local customs and cultural habits. The Employers Federation (High impact) -is a legal organization that MAS is part of. Adhering to the guidelines set by this organization is beneficial for MAS Holdings goal of ethical hiring and employment 4c. Causal Pressure groups Causal Pressure groups are associated with a set of ideas rather than people. The agendas they pursue may not be directly beneficial to their members. As a member of certain key groups MAS must adhere to standards they set. Some of these are listed below: The Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) (Low impact) is the leading umbrella organization concerning the apparel industry in Sri Lanka. Making Sri Lanka the number one ethical destination for garment manufacturing (the Garments without Guilt initiative) is one of its chief objectives. MAS Holdings is a special invitee to this Forum and is expected to conform to the directives set by this forum. Several sub organizations are part of the JAAF. FAAMA Fabric Apparel Accessory Manufacturers Association FTZMA Free Trade Zone Manufacturers Association NAEA Apparel Exporters Association SLAEA Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association SLCGE Sri Lanka Chamber of Garment Exporters SLGBOA Sri Lanka Garment Buying Offices Association Various SBUs of MAS Holdings are involved in many of these sub organizations as well. Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) (High impact) -MAS Holdings is a member of and must adhere to their standards as well. The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (Low impact) As a member MAS must adhere to certain standards. While these organizations are quite influential in Sri Lanka, MAS has lead the way in Ethical and Responsible employment therefore it is MAS that often sets the standards for these organizations. New communities that MAS can expand their services fro the betterment of the society In the tradition of MAS to lead in the area of CSR in Sri Lanka and sometimes the world, this could be taken for further by analyzing new community groups will always give the opportunity to connect to the community. Its proven that MAS is one of the fast growing companies in the world. Its very important to have a good relationship with the local government, society that they operators since it need more man power and carry out their operations in the respective communities. MAS has been doing all community projects targeting the employees and society such as women go beyond and other CSR activities (Refer appendix 2, page v vi). It needs to look in to future prospect in terms of building a close relationship and the target audiences of the new community groups are, Skilled future generation for Srilanka Target Group -School leavers of MAS employees Providing educational opportunities to the community in areas of English language education and IT Lets learn the importance of environmental sustainability Target Group -Schools (Students) Achieving sustainability Practicing and teaching Environmental sustainability 4 a) Why MAS should choose these two community groups Since MAS is targeting on the community itself it gives greater results to the company and the country when considering future leaders, minds in the country. By providing education which is required in the current business world it helps the young generation to foundation their career paths. By creating a strong and stable generation, it will eventually strengthen the communities of Srilanka, starting from the area that, MAS manufacturing plants operators. This will also benefit the country. When looking company point of view this program will not directly impact, but this will increase imagine and the good will of MAS among the communities which will help the company in recruitments and also in retaining employees. As per the 2nd community group, by helping the schools and spreading the massage about the importance of environmental sustainability by teaching them from their small ages it will give a give impact in their personal lifes as well as the country, environment. Also as mentioned before by establishing the name of MAS in their hearts by doing a worthwhile project to their lifes and the community MAS always be company that is socially responsible. Hence most of the MAS customers are particular on the CRS projects that MAS does, these kinds of projects gives positive marks and will strength the relationship with the customers as one of the responsible suppliers in the world which will attract more customers around the world. 4b Skilled Future generation for Srilanka Providing educational opportunities to the community in areas of English language education and IT MAS competes in the global market and deals mainly with the US and Europe. In order to communicate with its customers the most relevant language is English. No business that is global can survive without information. MAS recognized this need early in the game and is dependent on Information Technology for all information needs both internal and external. While there have been government initiatives to foster the teaching of English and IT these have often failed due to a lack of funding or will power. Having a community that is fluent in English and adept in IT provides MAS with a greater pool of individuals to select from for employment. Before looking at the all the school leavers MAS could target on the family members of employees at MAS. The selection criteria of this could a relative of a employee at MAS, who is 18 -27 age and has completed G.C.E advance level 2 passes and unemployed. While providing primary education to these communities can be carried out by supporting the government initiatives, family members of employees can be chosen out of the community to provide scholarships for further education. In this way MAS can give back to those who support the business while building trust, commitment and sustainability in the community. 4c Lets learn the importance of Environmental sustainability Achieving sustainability Practicing and teaching Environmental sustainability MAS was the first company to recognize the need for Environmental sustainability as a key global concept and put this knowledge into action by creating the first green plant in Sri Lanka. In order to take this message to the community in general MAS will have to create awareness and provide education. Currently there is no provision in the Sri Lankan school curriculum to teach environmental sustainability. Target group could be taken as 15-18 year old students hence it is the best age group that can be thought the importance of environmental sustainability and make it their way of life. To communicate this massage to the selected audience would be schools which are located in the areas that MAS manufacturing plants. As this area of education is most relevant to the future generation it is important that this area of study be included in the Schools curriculum. It is possible that MAS can team up with experts in the field from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to get government approval and support to introduce this vital area of education. By conducting this program in schools, MAS is creating educated youth to the community and also who will be a example to the society and a person who carries a massage on how important sustainable development. These will also benefits MAS indirectly by establish a reputation among the community which the plant operates. Coordinated Communications mix for new community groups projects In order to have success in these two ventures it will be necessary to have a coordinated communication plan. The communications mix must target all the relevant stakeholders. As these are non-profit initiatives the communications mix must be adapted to suit the situation Internal stakeholders Management, Employees External stakeholders- Community, Government, Partners, Customers 5a. Internal stakeholders Management In order for both these initiatives to be successful the management must be aware of them and back them. As most of the decisions for funding will come from this group of individuals it is recommended that direct contact is made (personal selling) and the use of presentations would be advisable. An e-newsletter sent directly to their e-mail account and linked to a website with Links on Facebook and Twitter will provide them with any additional information they need and provide regular updates on the status of these projects. Management can also form a committee or working group to oversee and monitor the process of teaching and the progress of these initiatives. This group will report back to the management. Employees The employees too can receive the same newsletter and management can communicate the needs and progress to the employees at meetings. Making it possible for the employees to get involved in the teaching programs and funding is also recommended so that there is a greater employee ownership for these initiatives. 5b. External stakeholders Community By far the most effort and resources must go to making the community aware of these initiatives and the benefit thereof. While the employees in the community will take part of the message by word of mouth assuring that the correct communication is conveyed will require further effort on the part of MAS Holdings. At the inception of these initiatives the best option would be to start with a public relations campaign which includes press conferences, announcements at town meetings and branding. Having a Brand ambassador (such as one of the members of the Sri Lankan cricket team that work for MAS and are highly regarded by both urban and rural communities)would give a face to these initiatives. The most important part of these communities are the individuals that will receive the benefits of these programs. The teachers and students will receive their curriculum via an approved government syllabus. But programs and workshops can be organized (personal selling) to assure that quality information is available to theses two groups. Having exams to measure English and IT competency and contests to select the best idea for environmental friendliness with prizes awarded t best student or best idea will assure the students interest in these subjects (promotions). Government The shareholders of MAS have demonstrated their goodwill and capability they will not find it difficult to obtain government approval for these initiatives. Recently the government too took the stand that the way forward is through English education and IT. Furthermore if it is demonstrated to them that environmental sustainability is the way forward they too will join the process of becoming green direct selling is the most efficient method of communication here. Partners A great strength of MAS in carrying out a project is working together with partners who have the expertise. Involving The British Council for English education, Microsofts teaching services for fundamental IT education would provide a first step in these areas. For environmental sustainability United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Consumer Citizenship Networks (CCN) and the Looking for Likely Alternatives (LOLA) toolkit provide information and know-how. Having joint ventures with the above organizations would be beneficial to MAS and will lean credibility to the efforts. Customers Many customers are interested in the CSR projects undertaken by MAS. In MAS communiquà ©s it is possible to include the websites and social networking sites so that the customers can access more information about these projects. Allowing the customers to get involved through sponsorship will afford them an opportunity to pass on to their customers or the end customer the knowledge that they are not only receiving guilt free environmentally friendly products but also [part of the purchase is going towards community building and the education of the less fortunate. The garments could carry labels such as produced in eco-friendly factories, or your purchase provides for the education of a child in Sri Lanka. Measuring the success of the communications mix for both new community relationships In order to measure the success of the communications mix the standard evaluation criteria must be adapted to reflect the non-profit nature of this venture. Quantitative Measures Managements and employees contribution both financially and through time allocation can be easily quantified. That can then be used as an indicator of the success of the marketing communications. In the long run the number of individuals that are retained by MAS that have attended these programs can be counted and both the success of the internal communication strategy and the success of the programs can be evaluated. Community awareness can be measured by the number of individuals attending the programs. Also the exams that are held for the individuals and the response to the contests will give an indication of the success of the community communication strategy. Using benchmarking tools that the partners have developed over the years it may be possible to measure the success of the communications that have been carried out. For Government, Partners and Customers the main indication of the success of the communication strategy will be their financial participation. Targets must be set for the anticipated contribution and measuring the success of achieving these targets will give a clear indication of the said success. Hits on the website can also be used to quantify interest and communication success. Qualitative Measures Feedback can be obtained from Management and Employees as to their perception of the programs through an e-mail survey. Feedback can also be obtained from the students to ascertain their perceptions and attitudes towards the program. Furthermore community inquiries regarding the program can be accumulated and categorized to measure and determine the success of the communications mix. Conversations with the partners and customers can indicate their observations and thoughts on the endeavor. All this information can be used to measure the success of the marketing mix. Recommendation Continue doing community projects more which will support to sustain the relationship with the community and will also visualize the organization as a good responsible citizen Internally set key performance indicators to measure the amount of CSR projects completed and the quality of the program and the no.of impacts in order to understand value of the programs and can forecast the type programs should given to the community Conduct programs for male members in the company while carrying out women go beyond for the female team members to all employees motivated Manage communication campaigns to the new community groups in a strategic way to attract them to the projects conducted and built trustworthiness among the company Prepare booklets, including CSR projects that has made a difference in the community and also use modern technology to spread the good will of MAS holdings and attract customers Always keep the employees informed on the CRS projects that are done by the company and make feel them that they work for a socially responsible organization Implement a system to collect feedback from all the participants of the CSR projects. Also for new ideas for new projects from employees as well as external groups Conclusion Its very important to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship all the stakeholders since each of them are directly or indirectly involve with the company. MAS has become one of the best multinational companies in terms of business also in community relationships they have maintained. By establishing a good reputation among the communities they operators, local government, customers also the pressure groups it has been easy to execute their business activities anywhere in the country and the world. References Appendix 1 Company Background It was in 1987 when the three brothers, Mahesh, Sherad and Ajay Amaleans took their first step to begin as a small entrepreneurial and to make it one of the largest south Asian intimate apparel manufacture and a competitive sportswear provider in the region. Now a company, with an annual turnover of USD 700 million. MAS Holdings which operates globally includes design studios, and 28 world class manufacturing plants. Thus giving career opportunities for over 45000 people to, excel through their talents and capabilities. MAS Holdings consists of four main divisions namely Intimates, Active, Fabrics, and Investment which are overseen by Corporate Solutions which centralizes the operation in all four strategic business units. Furthermore MAS Holdings has taken a step forward by launching its own lingerie brand Amante in fall 2007 and have made it their strategy to be the premium lingerie brand in Asian region. Vision and the Mission of Vision No.1 preferred partner of the world is leading brands of Intimates Sportswear with a turnover of USD 1Bn by 2010 Mission We provide the worlds leading brands of Intimates Sportswear with reliable innovative design to deliver solutions. Strategic partners and customer portfolio MAS has become one of the strategic vendor for some of the best brands in the world such as Victorias Secret, Nike and Marks Spencer also it services other global brands as Adidas, Reebok, Columbia, Lulu lemon, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Lane Bryant, Soma Intimates, GAP and Speedo and much more. Victorias Secret Stores and Nike selected MAS as Vendor Partner of the Year 2006. One of the key factors of MAS success is the ability to forge partnerships with the leaders if the industry such as The Limited Inc,  Triumph International, Speedo International, Stretchline UK, Noyon Dentelles, Prym Intimates Group, Dogi International, Textprint SA and Brandot International. Product range portfolio MAS products can be categorized as below. Competitors of and the market position As a large manufacturing company MAS has international and local competitors. Internationally competitors would be Ace which is a large intimate manufactures in Hong Kong, Clover, Luen Thai which operates in several countries and Tefrone the main competitor in the seamless market and Brandix apparel which is the local rival. Victoria secret positions MAS as their main preferred vendor and the company is regarded as one of the the top 10 intimate manufactures in the world. Analyzing all the information motioned above its clear that MAS holding is a successfully driven family owned company. The brothers decided to stick to their joint venture criteria of choosing partners who brought in technology expertise, marketing knowledge or access to certain markets. Background for Best Ethical practices MAS holdings as a history of ethical business practices that predate the concept of CSR. In addition, it ensures a healthy and safe work place, which regarded as a good business practice. However, the ethical approach to manufacturing is setting the organization apart from the competitive apparel sector. To support the vision of itself developed their own CSR strategy called MAS Go beyond, this program empower the organizations 92% of the female workforce also develop a sustainability-mined n youth, future employees and leaders of the organization. Source Company website, Researches on the web, Company Magazines

Time to Wake Up :: essays research papers

Time to Wake Up As society becomes more Mcdonaldized or methodical in order people lose meaning to live and people’s quality of life is diminished. There is no wonder why suicide levels are the third leading cause of death for youths (ages 15-24) because when you take away creativity you taking away meaning. Although this order has brought efficiency it has caused humanity to lose focus of what separates us from all other animals. Humans are not met to be robotic, there is a reason why we have feelings, emotions, and passions and don’t act on everything by instinct. Since these special traits have been suppressed humanity now runs around like chickens with their heads cut off and does whatever society tells them to do. It is my belief that this trend to Mcdonaldize everything will eventually lead to mankinds destruction and the only way to prevent this is for us all to wake up. People need to realize that we are not in a race to win or to see who finishes the strongest, so there is no point to join societies rat race because all it is an illusion. People need to stop for one second and ask themselves what are they doing and why. When people can finally answer those questions then humanity will finally wake up. The question I have for everyone is, where are you going and what is the hurry? Can’t you see that we are all in this together! My suggestion to anyone who reads this would be not to join the band wagon but instead be unique or different. Sit outside the box and look in it and then you will see what I am talking about, people are like lost sheep that have gone astray and don’t know who they are, so instead of searching who they real are they submit to society and do whatever is in. So they key is to search within yourself to find out who you really are and to live this out you all the days of your life. Time to Wake Up :: essays research papers Time to Wake Up As society becomes more Mcdonaldized or methodical in order people lose meaning to live and people’s quality of life is diminished. There is no wonder why suicide levels are the third leading cause of death for youths (ages 15-24) because when you take away creativity you taking away meaning. Although this order has brought efficiency it has caused humanity to lose focus of what separates us from all other animals. Humans are not met to be robotic, there is a reason why we have feelings, emotions, and passions and don’t act on everything by instinct. Since these special traits have been suppressed humanity now runs around like chickens with their heads cut off and does whatever society tells them to do. It is my belief that this trend to Mcdonaldize everything will eventually lead to mankinds destruction and the only way to prevent this is for us all to wake up. People need to realize that we are not in a race to win or to see who finishes the strongest, so there is no point to join societies rat race because all it is an illusion. People need to stop for one second and ask themselves what are they doing and why. When people can finally answer those questions then humanity will finally wake up. The question I have for everyone is, where are you going and what is the hurry? Can’t you see that we are all in this together! My suggestion to anyone who reads this would be not to join the band wagon but instead be unique or different. Sit outside the box and look in it and then you will see what I am talking about, people are like lost sheep that have gone astray and don’t know who they are, so instead of searching who they real are they submit to society and do whatever is in. So they key is to search within yourself to find out who you really are and to live this out you all the days of your life.

Religion in American Politics Essay -- Role of Religious Lobbies

The United States of America has the most diverse religious population in the world. In places like Iraq, Syria, Israel, Afghanistan, Yemen, and other countries too numerous to mention, countless lives are lost over religious differences. In America, a Protestant can live happily next door to a Jew, who might live across the street from a Muslim, or a Catholic, or a Sikh, or even a Humanist! This is in no small way attributed to the fact that the US Constitution’s First Amendment includes what is known as the establishment clause, which states that â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,† effectively separating affairs of religious institutions from secular, governmental institutions. That is, however, no guarantee that American politics will turn a blind eye to religious beliefs. In fact, in the past few decades, political agendas have been turning more and more religious in nature(Paraschivesc u 2012:22). In 1960 John F. Kennedy was elected the first Roman Catholic President of the United States, putting an end to the 171-year tradition of presidents, beginning with George Washington, that were from Protestant backgrounds. While many conservative Protestants scoffed at Kennedy as trying to break down the wall of separation between church and state and bring Catholic teachings into American government, Kennedy eloquently replied by saying, â€Å"I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute—where no Catholic prelate would tell [a Catholic] president how to act and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote.† Kennedy went on to elaborate that no faith-based educational institution should be granted money by t... ...olitical system for as long as Americans are religious. References Chapp, C. B. (2012). Religious rhetoric and American politics: The endurance of civil religion in electoral campaigns. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Fowler, Robert Booth, and Allen D. Hertzke. 1995. Religion and Politics in America: Faith, Culture and Strategic Choices. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. Hertzke, Allen D. 1989. â€Å"The Role of Religious Lobbies.† Religion in American Politics. Ed. Charles W. Dunn. Washingtonc D.C.: Congressional Quarterly. Kosmin, Barry A., and Seymour P. Lachman. 1993. One Nation Under God: Religion in Contemporary American Society. New York: Harmony Books. Paraschivescu, M. (2012). ‘We the People’ and God, religion and the political discourse in the United States of America. Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies, 11(33), 21-38.

The Ever Changing Concept of Health Essay -- Health & Wellness

With the dominance of medicine over the past two hundred years many historical health concepts have gone through various changes. The definition of health is dependent on one’s perspective, be it lay, professional or from influences of specific cultures or social ideals and health policies of a particular time or place (Fleming & Parker 2012, p.30, Naidoo & Wills 2000). An exploration through history will reflect on the health philosophies of the ancient Greeks and Romans, the Middle Age’s concept of quarantine and isolation and the religious theories of disease including a brief insight into the renaissance. Subsequently, a discussion of health concepts of the past two centuries including 19th century sanitary reform, the dominance in the 20th century of the medical model of health care. This paper will look at the shift away from the medical model and the 21st century concept of health promotion and multidisciplinary care, using allied health professionals. I will argue that attention to the achievements and failures of the historical concepts of health, equips allied health professionals with an opportunity to objectively decide which of these practices have relevance or are useful in developing new approaches for positive health outcomes. In ancient times religion and science were tied in together when it came to health and everyday living. The ruins throughout Greece and Italy stand as testament to their ingenuity with creating and building infrastructure, but also of the people’s belief in the power and influence of the ancient Gods to heal illness (Krieger 2012, p.47, Hays 1998, p.9). According to Tountas (2009) the ancient Greeks were the first to break with mystical notions of health re-orienting ‘medicine toward a ... ...model of illness categories’ in GL, Albrecht, R, Fitzpatrick, SC, Scrimshaw (ed). 2003, The handbook of social studies of health and medicine, pp. 9-23, Sage publications, London, available at http://books.google.com.au Veith, I 1980, ‘Changing concepts of health care: An historian's View’ Western Journal Medicine, vol.133, no.6, pp.532-538 Vlahov, D, Gibble, E, Freudenberg, N & Galea, S 2004, ‘Cities and Health: history, Approaches, Academic medicine, vol.79, no.12 World Health Organization (WHO) 1986, The Ottawa charter for health promotion, Ottawa: Canadian Public Health Association. http://www.who.int/hpr/NPH/docs/ottawa_charter_hp.pdf Yuil, C 2002, ‘Concepts of health and medicine’ in Barry, A and Yuil, C 2008, Understanding the sociology of health: an introduction 2nd ed, pp.22-33, Sage publications Ltd, London, available at http://books.google.com.au

Education Policy In Bangladesh Essay

Introduction â€Å"Insurance is a way of protecting against these financial losses†. â€Å"General insurance or non-life insurance policies, including automobile and homeowners Policies provide payments depending on the loss from a particular financial event†. Anyone who owns an asset can buy insurance to protect it against losses due to fire or theft And so on. Each one of us can insure our and our dependents’ health and well being through hospitalization and personal accident policies. In this report we tried to show that how general insurance business operates in Bangladesh & how important it is for economy & what types of problem it faces in our country. Objective of the Study Primary objective The main objective of the study is to know how the insurance business works in our country. Secondary objective: The case study has the following objectives: To know about the insurance company (Based on three insurance companies.) To know about general insurance & its classification. Company Overview Green Delta Insurance Company Limited (GDIC) is one of the leading private non life insurance companies in Bangladesh. GDIC was incorporated in December 14, 1985 as a public limited company, under the Companies Act 1913.  Actual operations started on 1st January 1986, with a paid up capital of BDT 30.00 million. Now, Green Delta Insurance Company Ltd. is amassed about BDT 637.875 million with a credit rating of AA1 and ST1. GDIC holds the proud distinction of being the first ever company to raise its paid up capital to such a level. This is also the 1st Insurance Company in Bangladesh to have equity partnership with IFC. With a presence in the strategically important parts of the country, which includes 38 branches, Green Delta Insurance Company Ltd. has established its prominent presence with equity participation in Delta Brace Housing Ltd., Progressive Life Insurance Co Ltd, United Hospital Ltd. Fin Excel Ltd. and BD Venture Ltd. Green Delta Capital Ltd. and Green Delta Securitie s Ltd. are two of the direct subsidiaries. GDIC provides stock brokerage services through Green Delta Securities Ltd. (GDSL) and investment supports through Green Delta Capital Ltd. (GDCL). As a part of the recognition for the contribution in the development of the insurance industry and for maintaining the standard of service, the company has been considered as one of the top 500 companies according to the renowned Rating Agency, Dun Bradstreet Rate Agency of Bangladesh. The company has also been awarded with many national and international awards like –‘’ICAB National Awards’’ for Best Published Accounts, ICMAB Best Corporate Award in Insurance category, ‘‘Certificate of Merit’’ for the Best Presented Accounts Award in the category ‘Insurance Sector’ by the South Asian Federation of Accounts (SAFA), ‘‘International Quality Crown Award’’ by BID International in London, The BIZZ Award by World Business confederation of Business, USA for leadership, Excellence in a management, Quality and Marketing, ‘‘The Diamond Eye Award For Quality & Excellence’’ by BID OTHERWAYS, The Platinum Technology Award for Quality & Best trade name by Association Other Ways in Berlin, International Star Award for Leadership in quality in the Gold, Platinum and Diamond categories and many more. With the slogan â€Å"Marches with time† – during the last 28 years – GDIC has been helping people in their time of need; pulling out all the steps when needed, and has been proud to be a partner in progress. Our Vision Our vision is to mature into a sustainable, coherent organization, raise competitiveness to the highest level in the insurance industry, maintain  high profitability & balanced quantitative growth and exceed customer’s expectations by offering legendary services, embrace a new corporate identity and creative corporate culture. Our Mission Our mission is to create shareholders value through customer’s satisfaction and employee’s commitment to excellence. Our Strength Constant pursuit of suitable strategies has made the company the leading insurer of Bangladesh for over two decades. Our Belief We believe that client must stand at the center of our all activities. We have the ability to optimally fulfill the client’s needs based on risk management with minimum cost and personalized services Finding: Products & Services Corporate Risk Management Industrial All Risk Insurance including Machinery Insurance and Business Interruption Property All Risk Insurance including Business Interruption Electronic Equipments and Computer Insurance Professional Indemnity Insurance Comprehensive Machinery Insurance Comprehensive General Liability (CGL) Product & Public Liability Insurance Directors and Officers Liability (D&O) Fire and Allied Perils Insurance Marine Cargo and Hull Insurance Financial Cash-in-safe, Cash-in-transit & Cash-on-counter Insurance Portfolio Cover Credit Card Indemnity Insurance Bankers Blanket Insurance Bank Lockers Insurance A.T.M. Booth Insurance Banc assurance Retail & SME Fire and Allied Peril Insurance Marine Cargo and Hull Insurance Personal Accident Health Insurance Overseas Mediclaim Insurance Micro Insurance Micro Health Insurance Nibedita-Comprehensive Insurance Policy for Women Household Insurance Motor Insurance Peoples Personal Accident Policy Comprehensive Travel Insurance Conventional Aviation Insurance Automobile Insurance Workmen Compensation Insurance Miscellaneous Insurance Engineering Insurance (Erection all Risk, Contractors all Risk, Deterioration of Stock & Boiler & Pressure Vessel Insurance, business intemiption Crop Insurance Nlbedlta-Comprehensive Insurance Policy for Women Weather Index Based Insurance Investment & Portfolio Management Underwriting Pre-IPO placement Syndication Trusteeship Green Delta Insurance is known for its innovation and services. Today ´s competitive insurance market is driving the market to think and Winovate now products and services and GDIC have been doing with its authentic. Beside the Traditional insurance portfolio GDIC introduced following personal line of products in last year and some them are in pipeline: Health Insurance Household Insurance Nibedita-Comprehensive Insurance Policy for Women Cellular Phone Contingency Insurance Weather Index Based Insurance Personal Accident Insurance Policy for Migrant workers It is matter of great pride that GDIC has introduced an insurance product first time ever in Bangladesh which is designed only for the females named as Nibedita-Comprehensive Insurance Policy for Women. GDIC has also designed first ever Weather Index Based Insurance for the farmers of Bangladesh which will be launched shortly. In Briefly Fire Insurance Basic cover: Fire Lightning Explosion(domestic) Damage during or immediately following Fire caused by – smoke, scorching, Falling walls, water used for extinguishing Fire, blowing up building for preventing Spread of fire. This coverage can be extended to include other perils by the additional premium; Riot, Strike Terrorism Storm, Flood Subsidence Landslide Aircraft damage Bursting or overflowing of tanks. Health Insurance The health policy provides for reimbursement of hospitalization/domiciliary hospitalization expenses for illness/disease suffered or accidental injury sustained during the policy period. Under this scheme the expenses for treatment in a hospital for an illness or injury are insured. It does not cover for any expenses in respect of domiciliary or outdoor treatment. Covers: Hospitalization due to accident or illness. Ancillary services like ICU/CCU room, post-operative room, blood transfusion, special investigations, etc. Labor room services. Intensive care facility. Oxygen therapy. Skilled nursing services. Blood transfusions. Ambulance services. Dressing while in confinement and test other than the routine investigations. Marine Insurance The oldest branch of insurance. Comprises: a. Cargo Insurance. b. Hull Insurance. Lloyd ´s is the famous world ´s Marine insurance market. Marine Insurance Act 1906. HULL INSURANCE Concerns the insurance of ships. Hull, machinery etc. CARGO INSURANCE Plays an important role in domestic trade as well as international trade. Provides insurance cover in respect of loss of or damage to goods during transit by –rail, -road -sea -air Burglary Insurance Scope of Cover Lost by burglary Housebreaking following upon an actual forcible and violent entry into or exit from the premises by the person or persons. Then the company will pay to the extent of such loss to the extent of the intrinsic value of the descriptive value of the insured. Exclusions: Theft by persons lawfully on the premises. Any legal liability, Loss or damage during the progress of or following upon fire or explosion. Earthquake, war, Riot, Civil war, Invasion etc. Uncover able property: Deeds, bonds, stamp collections, bank or currency. Theft by persons lawfully on the premises. Any legal liability, Loss or damage during the progress of or following upon fire or explosion. Earthquake, war, Riot, Civil war, Invasion etc Company overview Delta Life Insurance Co. Ltd. established mainly through the initiative of a group of Bangladeshi professionals then working abroad along with a few enthusiastic local entrepreneurs, started its operation in December, 1986 after the Government of Bangladesh allowed the private sector to operate in the insurance sector in 1984 to carry on the business of insurance in the Private Sector. A brief explanation as to the growth of life insurance business in Bangladesh is in order here. Bangladesh declared independence from the Pakistani rules on March 26, 1971 following which she had to witness a bloody liberation struggle with the occupation forces lasting for 9 months before they were defeated. Insurance business which was exclusively carried on in private sector before independence was nationalized after liberation in 1972 primarily to address the emerging situation of eroding public confidence in the industry that was left staggeringly short of resources in the face of huge losses caus ed by the war of liberation. After a series of experimentation, a state-owned body, namely Jiban Bima Corporation (JBC), established in May, 1973 for transacting the life insurance business, took over the assets and liabilities under life portfolios of all erstwhile private insurance companies and started business in its own name. Since inception, Delta Life set before itself a high  standard of all round performance coextensive with professional soundness and proficiency. It soon made a mark in the life insurance arena by not only being the leader among the private sector indigenous companies, but by undertaking and successfully implementing innovative and welfare oriented life insurance schemes. It introduced an array of conventional life and group insurance products – many of which were the first in Bangladesh. For the first time, health insurance products were also introduced by Delta Life. But more importantly, in fulfillment of the avowed commitment towards social development, Delta Life for the first time not only in Bangladesh but probably in the World, devised and introduced micro-life insurance-cum-savings products specially suited to the needs and pockets of poor people of the country who constitute more than 80% of the people of Bangladesh. Two projects of the company namely Grameen Bima for the rural people and Gono Bima for the poor and marginal savers of the urban areas were initiated to devote them slave exclusively to marketing and management of these innovative products. We are happy to report that we have achieved a good measure of success although there is a long way to go. These schemes that we have introduced have created great stir and enthusiasm among the general mass who, before these projects started functioning, could not even dream of owning a policy that provides the much needed life insurance coverage along with facility of regular savings on a long-term basis. At a later stage i.e. in the year 2002, the projects were merged into a division of Delta Life, namely, Gono Grameen Bima Division. The GNGRB Division has been growing at a first rate of more than 25% p.a. for the last couple of the years and is poised to maintain this growth rate at least in the next five years or so. Delta Life can take pride in moulding the saving habits of the lower and middle class people and transforming them into prospective policyholders. The potential is now so strongly perceived that all life insurance companies – old and new alike – operating in the country have started their own micro insurance products. Finding Ordinary Life Insurance Delta Life offers a wide variety of ordinary life product/plans ranging from the most common endowment type to more modern and sophisticated plans like endowment with open term, pension plan with built in provision for  increasing pension, increasing protection with provision for premium refund etc. The plans have been designed keeping in view the diverse and multifaceted needs of the insuring public belonging to different strata of the society. Some of the popular plans are briefly described below. Group Life Insurance Group Insurance is an instrument for providing life insurance coverage (protection) to a number of individuals under a single contract (policy) who are associated together for a common interest other than insurance. It is the most cost effective means to provide immediate financial support to an insured member and/or his family in case of devastating events like-death, disability, disease as well as retirement. Group Insurance has already established its importance as a component of â€Å"Employee Benefit Package† in Bangladesh. Exclusive features of Group Insurance are: Insurance coverage to a number of individuals under a single contract. Simple insurable conditions Easy administrative procedure Prompt claim settlement Affordable premium Tax exemption on premium Delta Life offers a host of Group-Life Insurance schemes from which an organization/ employer may choose for benefits of its members/employees, as may best serve their interest according to organizational setup. To be treated as a group, the following criteria need to be fulfilled. A â€Å"Group† Should comprise of at least 15 members It should be a legitimately organized body Group clients of Delta Life Insurance Company Limited include: Semi-Government organization, autonomous bodies Private, Non-Government Organizations (NGO’s) Educational & Financial Institutions Public Limited Companies Associations, Business organizations etc. Group Life Insurance Schemes offered by Delta Life are of two types: Traditional Schemes: For insurance coverage of members/employees of a Group Exclusive Schemes: For insurance coverage of clients of Financial Institutions Traditional Scheme: These are the commonly offered â€Å"Group-Life Insurance† schemes and are also known as Basic Schemes: These are: Short Term Contract Group Term Life Insurance Scheme (GT) Group Term Life with Premium Refund Scheme (GTR) Long Term Contract Group Endowment Life Insurance Scheme (GEN) Group Pension Scheme (GP) There are several variants of Basic Schemes. Examples of two variants of GTR are GTR-100/10: Group Term Life with 100% Premium Refund after 10 years GTR-50/10 : Group Term Life with 50% Premium Refund after 10 year Health Insurance Health Insurance is now considered indispensable in developed countries. In the present financial-social perspective of Bangladesh as well, Health Insurance has now become an essential, dependable, acceptable and the most cost effective means to make the modern treatment facilities affordable to all socio-economic classes of people, especially the fixed income group. As a pioneer of Health Insurance in Bangladesh, Delta Life Insurance Company offers several Health Insurance Schemes, which are as follows: Hospitalization (In-patient) treatment coverage plans Hospitalization Insurance Plan (Group)- offered to Members of a group and their dependants (if desired) Hospitalization Insurance Plan (Individual) – offered to an Individual as well as his or her dependant family members also known as â€Å"Delta Care Hospitalization Plan†. Out-patient treatment coverage plans Out-patient Insurance Plan – Offered as an adjunct to Group Hospitalization Out-patient Management Plan – Offered as an adjunct to Group Hospitalization Overseas treatment coverage plan for travelers Overseas Medicliam Policy (OMP) – A pre-requisite for visa application offered only to Individuals traveling abroad. Hospitalization Insurance Plans Covers in-patient (Hospitalization) treatment expenses of an insured member Expenses Covered under Hospitalization Insurance Plans Hospital Accommodation Consultation Fee Medicine & Accessories Medical Investigations Surgical Operation Ancillary Services like Blood Transfusion, Ambulance Service, Dressing etc. General Features of the Scheme No need for preliminary Medical Examination during enrolment. Treatment coverage round the clock inclusive of Accidents and Emergencies. Coverage offered to Bangladeshi National as well as resident foreigner. Treatment at any renowned hospital or clinic by consultant of own choice. Preferential service at Designated Hospital. Direct payment of treatment expenses by the company at Designated Hospital. Reimbursement of expenses for treatment at non-designated hospital. Membership ID card for each insured to facilitate preferential services. Option for Maternity Benefit and Overseas Treatment coverage. Provision for inclusion of Spouse & Children under the plan. Provision for inclusion of new member under the plan. Coverage up to 65 years under Group HI & 60 years under Individual HI plan. Two types of plans with several benefit grades to choose from. Option to choose more than one grade according to status of the members of a group. Option to alter benefit grade during renewal. Gono Grameen Bima Delta Life first launched Micro-insurance product in 1988 through its Grameen Bima Project (GRB) to cater to the necessity of economic protection against premature death and of disability as well as providing a way for regular savings for the poor and low income group of people living in villages. Later it started another project in 1994, namely, Gono Bima (GNB) for the urban poor and the low income class. These projects are now merged under the  name of Gono-Grameen Bima Project (GN-GRB). The initial problems apart, the project started to yield impressive results right from the beginning by creating great interest among the target population who could not even perceive an institutional arrangement through which the ever present problems of insecurity of life could be addressed. To suit the needs and pockets of the target people, and for efficient management of these portfolios, some of the age-old traditional concepts of carrying on life insurance business had to be diluted and in some cases replaced by simple and straightforward practices. Yet, the results are so encouraging that Delta Life is now regarded far and wide as the undisputed leader espousing the cause of welfare of teeming millions and its experiences are now used to advantage not only by indigenous companies but also other micro-savings organizations abroad. Target Group and the Product In GN-GRB the formalities are minimum. Insurance Cover is given under Group Insurance concept. A person interested in a policy submits a simple two-page proposal form; it is signed or thumb imprinted by him or her. There is no need for medical check-up. The person needs to be between 18 and 45 years of age, have a monthly income of Tk. 5,000.00 (US $100.00) or less, be of good health and supply a Declaration of Good Health (DGH) at the time of submitting the Proposal form. Death through pregnancy complications within the first year of the policy and death through suicide in the first year of the policy are not covered under an â€Å"exclusion clause†. Simple endowment with profit policies are offered for 10 and 15 years term both with premium payment mode being weekly or monthly. Premium rate is the same irrespective of age at entry. Besides this plan, new plans like three-payment plan with 12 and 15 years term and double protection endowment plan have recently been introduced . Policy Documents Upon acceptance of the proposal, a pass book is issued to the policyholder detailing all terms and conditions of the policy. The pass book serves as the purpose of recording of all payments made by him towards the policy. There is one group policy document for the policyholders of each Thana or Block. For individual policyholders the passbook serves as policy document. Micro Investment (Loan) GN-GRB gives small project loans to its policyholders on a group liability basis. No collateral is required. There is 20% service charge on the loans, which is calculated at a flat rate and added to the principal amount. The loan, together with the service charge, is repayable in 12 equal monthly installments. The repayments are collected from door to door by the organizers. Recently a decision has been taken to establish small collection booths in the villages. A person must be a policyholder and pay premiums for at least one year before being eligible for a loan. The maximum loan given is Tk. 5,000.00 (US $100.00) per policyholder. The loans are for income generating activities (IGA) only. Policyholders form a committee of 5 to 7 members. 3 policyholders selected by the committee are given the first loan. After recovery of 3 installments from each of the first three borrowers, the next 3 are given their loans and so on. As a general rule, 60% of the premium income of an area and 40 % of the repaid loan of an area are available for loan in that area. Also 100% of premium collection of a committee is available for loan to that committee. Company overview Crystal Insurance Company Limited is one of the leading general insurance (Non Life) company in private sector in Bangladesh. The company transacts a wide range of General Insurance business in Bangladesh and expertise in the field with sound and stable financial position. Our Mission To provide prompt, efficient and professionalized services for maximum risk coverage of the insured. To provide insurance coverage at the most competitive premium rate ensuring maximum security. To promote Human Resource development and professionalism in insurance business. To settle insurance claim promptly. CICL believes in the quality of the deals struck rather than the quantity of it. With our knowledge and expertise it is our commitment to the insuring community to deliver them the highest standard of security and professionalism. Finding Fire Insurance Fire Insurance Policy (including R & SD, Flood, Cyclone & Earthquake coverage) Industrial All Risks (IAR) Engineering Insurance Machinery Insurance {Machinery Breakdown Policy (MBD)} Deterioration of Stock (DOS) Boiler and Pressure Vessel (BPV) Electronic Equipment Insurance (EEI) Erection All Risk Policy (EAR) Contractor’s All Risk Policy (CAR) Motor Insurance Motor Insurance for Commercial Vehicle Motor Insurance for Private Vehicle Motor Insurance for Motor Cycle/Scooter Marine Cargo Insurance Marine Cargo Insurance transit by Steamer or Power Vessel Marine Cargo Insurance transit by Rail/Lorry/Truck Marine Cargo Insurance transit by Inland Rail or Road Conveyance Marine Cargo Insurance transit by Inland Cargoes (water borne) Marine Cargo Insurance transit by Air Cargo Miscellaneous Burglary & House Breaking Insurance Cash-in-Safe Cash-in-Transit Cash-in-Premises Cash-in-counter People personal Accident Workmen’s Compensation Policy Business Interruption Overseas Med claim and Holiday Insurance Public Liability Policy Product Liability Policy Consequential Loss Householders Comprehensive Policy