Crushed Dreams in The Glass Menagerie Essay -- Glass Menagerie essays

Squashed Dreams in The Glass Menagerie   â â Tennessee Williams is known for his utilization of images, strain, and incongruity. Williams utilizes these parts to communicate the focal topic of The Glass Menagerie - trust followed by despair. Every one of the characters has dreams that are pulverized by the brutal real factors of the world.   â â â â â â â â â â As the storyteller conspicuously concedes, 'since I have an artist's soft spot for images', images are vital to The Glass Menagerie (Williams 30). Images are only solid replacements used to communicate a specific subject, thought, or character. One significant image is the emergency exit which has a different capacity for every one of the characters. This emergency exit gives a ways to get out to Tom from his confined loft and pestering mother. Along these lines, the emergency exit for him speaks to a way to the outside world. For the man of his word guest, the emergency exit gives the methods through which Jim can enter the Wingfield condo, subsequently entering their lives. For Amanda, the emergency exit permits Jim to come into the loft and forestall Laura from turning into an old maid. The noteworthiness of the emergency exit for Laura is that it is her entryway to within world in which she can cover up. Ironicly when Laura leaves the security of her condo, she falls. This represents Laura's powerlessness to work appropriately in the outside world.   â â â â â â â â â â Another repetitive image is the glass zoological garden which speaks to Laura's excessively touchy nature and delicacy. Laura is simply broken as a glass unicorn - and similarly as novel. When Jim inadvertently chances upon the unicorn and breaks it, the unicorn is not, at this point novel. In like manner, when Jim kisses Laura and afterward breaks her expectations by disclosing to her he's eng... ...ructure of the whole play -  an unexpected example of sentimental desires, fleeting satisfaction, and extreme misfortune's (Thompson 13).  Works Cited and Consulted Blossom, Harold. Presentation. Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 1-8. Lord, Thomas L. Incongruity and Distance in The Glass Menagerie. In Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 85-94. Duty, Eric P. 'Through Soundproof Glass': The Prison of Self Consciousness in The Glass Menagerie. Modern Drama, 36. December 1993. 529-537. Thompson, Judith J. Tennessee Williams' Plays: Memory, Myth, and Symbol. New York: Peter Lang, 1989. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. In Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, fourth ed. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995. 1519-1568.  Squashed Dreams in The Glass Menagerie Essay - Glass Menagerie articles Squashed Dreams in The Glass Menagerie   â â Tennessee Williams is known for his utilization of images, strain, and incongruity. Williams utilizes these parts to communicate the focal subject of The Glass Menagerie - trust followed by despair. Every one of the characters has dreams that are crushed by the unforgiving real factors of the world.   â â â â â â â â â â As the storyteller explicitly concedes, 'since I have a writer's soft spot for images', images are integral to The Glass Menagerie (Williams 30). Images are only solid replacements used to communicate a specific subject, thought, or character. One significant image is the emergency exit which has a different capacity for every one of the characters. This emergency exit gives a ways to get out to Tom from his confined condo and pestering mother. In this manner, the emergency exit for him speaks to a way to the outside world. For the man of honor guest, the emergency exit gives the methods through which Jim can enter the Wingfield loft, along these lines entering their lives. For Amanda, the emergency exit permits Jim to come into the loft and forestall Laura from turning into an old maid. The centrality of the emergency exit for Laura is that it is her entryway to within world in which she can stow away. Ironicly when Laura leaves the security of her condo, she falls. This represents Laura's failure to work appropriately in the outside world.   â â â â â â â â â â Another common image is the glass zoological display which speaks to Laura's overly sensitive nature and delicacy. Laura is simply broken as a glass unicorn - and similarly as special. When Jim incidentally finds the unicorn and breaks it, the unicorn is not, at this point one of a kind. Similarly, when Jim kisses Laura and afterward breaks her expectations by revealing to her he's eng... ...ructure of the whole play -  an unexpected example of sentimental desires, transient satisfaction, and extreme misfortune's (Thompson 13).  Works Cited and Consulted Blossom, Harold. Presentation. Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 1-8. Lord, Thomas L. Incongruity and Distance in The Glass Menagerie. In Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 85-94. Duty, Eric P. 'Through Soundproof Glass': The Prison of Self Consciousness in The Glass Menagerie. Modern Drama, 36. December 1993. 529-537. Thompson, Judith J. Tennessee Williams' Plays: Memory, Myth, and Symbol. New York: Peter Lang, 1989. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. In Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, fourth ed. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995. 1519-1568. Â

Dance With The Devil Essay

Hit the dance floor with The Devil Essay Hit the dance floor with The Devil Essay Hit the dance floor with the demon A little youngster named William†¦. A little fellow named William was attempting his best to make a million. His poor old mother was working 12hour movements to keep them two alive. In the interim William was heading off to college and was concentrating hard. William and his poor mama lived in a ghetto focal of New York. William felt frustrated about his mom, buckling down, and was giving his best to help her a shot monetarily. Lamentably he couldn’t find a new line of work. He has made some new companions in school which has enormously affected his life. Inside two months of contemplating he has started to build up an appalling disposition, nauseating conduct and sickening language. William consistently pondered where his mates got their new garments from. Where do they get their cash from †he knew his friends’ guardians were not rich enough to get them this. At some point, his companion Tom requested that he take a little envelope and take it to the area on the envolope. Before he said yes he asked his companion what is in the envelope. His companion clarified there were a few medications in there which should have been conveyed. On the off chance that he helped him out his companion would assist him with bringing in some cash. After only a month William was taking in substantial income. He figured out how to treat himself and help his poor mother monetarily; his mom pondered where he was getting all the cash from †he generally overlooked that question. Following a couple of long periods of William doing so well he needed increasingly, to an ever increasing extent. Subsequently William gets acquainted with a couple of pack individuals by Tom. Group individuals didn't know about William, they needed him to demonstrate how coldblooded he was †they needed him to demonstrate that he was as hard as a bicep. They disclosed to him he would need to murder somebody †where it counts inside William was apprehensive yet answered with certainty â€Å"give me that firearm and show me the target†. A couple days’ later two pack individuals take William for a drive and they wind up smoking medications and savoring liquor a vehicle. Around 12 PM they see a woman strolling into a square of pads, s o they gradually follow her. William felt extremely cool, he got extremely apprehensive. They put a sack over her head and took her onto the rooftop and attacked her †one of the pack individuals pulled out a firearm and gave it over to William. They revealed to him she was an observer and she needed to pass on. They put the pack over her head. William was staggered. The lady before him was his mum. William felt incredibly stunned, irritated and liable. He bounced off the rooftop. Never hit the dance floor with the fallen angel in light of the fact that the hit the dance floor with the demon may keep going forever. This film is so imperative to me since it majorly affected my life. From this film I have discovered that cash isn’t everything. Cash can’t purchase joy, and cash can devastate individuals. Medications? They are loaded with issues, they are brimming with inconvenience, and they are brimming with

Strategies for Significantly Reducing Employee Churn

Strategies for Significantly Reducing Employee Churn Employees in the modern world don’t tend to stick around with a single company throughout their careers. Whilst there are many reasons for employees departing ways with an organization, high employee churn rate can be detrimental for a business. © Shutterstock | EpicStockMediaIn this guide, we’ll explore why organizations should actively work to reduce the employee churn rate and explore the reasons behind it. We’ll also tell you  how to analyze and assess the churn rate, and present five effective strategies for reducing employee churn.WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO REDUCE EMPLOYEE CHURN RATE?Employee churn rate, which refers to the number of employees leaving the organization and being replaced by a new employee, is a serious issue for many of today’s companies.In fact, the first reason organizations should care about the rate is simply down to it happening often in most companies and industries.Life Work Solutions’, a company providing retention and consulting services, research found in 2008, that half of recruits across sectors leave the organization within two years. One in four recruits pack their backs within six months. Furthermore, the study found around 70% of organizations struggling to replace these spots swift ly.The second essential factor in caring about the employee churn rate relates directly to the above. High employee churn rate and the difficulties in finding replacement also mean high costs for the organization.Right Management, a career and talent consulting firm, found in its research that it costs nearly three times an employee’s salary to replace them. In another similar study, the Center for American Progress found it costs 1/5 of the annual salary of the employee. In fact, in the Life Work Solutions study, 70% of the organizations didn’t only complain about the struggle of finding a replacement, but also the negative financial impact it has on them.What are the costs associated to employee churn?Finding the new recruit â€" Including hiring a recruitment company, spending money on setting applications, etc.Severance â€" In certain instances, the organization might be required to pay severance to the employee.Losses in productivity â€" While the organization is looking for a replacement, it might suffer from decreased productivity.Lost opportunities â€" The employee might have been highly talented and this can be a financial lost opportunity, for instance.Training the new recruit â€" Whether the organization transfers someone to the new role within the company or hires someone new, the training process will add extra costs.Finally, higher levels of employee churn can pose an operational challenge for the organization. Continuous changes in the workforce can affect the company culture, which can suffer consequently. It’s difficult to build a good team if the turnover is high. Furthermore, the overall morale of the remaining employees might drop if people around them are leaving. If they need to also take on additional responsibilities, then productivity and morale can be further impacted.In service industries, high churn rate can also impact client relationships. Building a strong relationship is harder if the manager of the relationship is constant ly changing.Read this worldwide trend report on employee retention.[slideshare id=13519368doc=worldwidetrendsinemployeeretention-120702131700-phpapp01type=dw=640h=330]WHAT ARE THE CAUSES FOR HIGH EMPLOYEE CHURN?There are numerous reasons for higher employee churn. Certain causes are easier to manage, but there are also those, which can be difficult to control.The hard to manage reasons for high employee churn rate include:Harsh economic conditions in the area or the industry.Local labor market conditions.Both of these can be difficult to predict and therefore, organizations can find it hard to manage or prevent them.But certain operational factors also influence the employee churn rate and can be managed by a company.Non-rewarding job positions â€" Employees might feel pressure to leave for a more rewarding role.No route for career development â€" Employees don’t feel the organization offers the ability to ‘climb up the ladder’.Poor working conditions â€" Health and safety con cerns are not taken seriously by the organization and this can damage employee relations.Ill-natured role â€" The employee might also feel discouraged if the job is monotonous, dangerous or outright stressful.Poor employee and organization fit â€" Sometimes the employee and the organization just don’t have the same goals and work ethic.Poor communication or inadequate job training  â€" Inadequate communication within the organization can lead to loss of morale and if the employee is not properly trained for the role, they can also seek opportunities elsewhere.Poor leadership â€" It’s also important to examine the leadership and management style and culture within the organization, if turnover is high.Finally, it must be mentioned competition can also lead to increases in employee churn rate. If competitors offer better compensation packages or better career opportunities, employees might seek for positions in these organizations instead. It is important to stay on top of the com petition in order to keep the best employees within your organization.FIRST STEP TO DECREASE EMPLOYEE CHURN RATE: ANALYSE YOUR CURRENT SITUATIONBefore we examine the individual strategies your organization can implement to reduce employee churn, you first need to understand the current situation within your company. Understanding the current employee churn rate, as well as its effects, will make it easier to tackle them.There are three questions you must answer in order to understand your need for action.1. How high is your employee churn rate?You must first assess and measure the company’s churn rate and situation. The churn rate can be calculated by dividing the annual termination number by the average number of employees in the organization.For a more detailed take on the calculation, check the below video tutorial: The higher the churn rate, the bigger your problem. The severity of the rate depends a bit on your industry, as well as the other points discussed below, but you de finitely don’t want it to be above industry or the national average. For example, in the UK, the average churn rate is around 15% a year, but some industries might have higher churn averages.Once you know the churn rate, you should start examining the reasons behind it. Is it something specific within the organization making employees leave?2. What are the costs of your employee churn rate?Once you know the churn rate, you should calculate the cost of employee turnover. You need to look at your organization specifically and include any costs necessary for the calculation.For example, you need to count the cost of different strategies you might use to reduce the rate. If you increase employee benefits, then these need to be considered as part of the cost of employee churn rate.3. How can you decrease/prevent employee churn rate?Finally, you need to start considering the different ways to decrease and prevent employee churn rate. The above points will help you get started, as you un derstand the depth of the issue and the costs associated with it.Developing the right employee retention strategies involves an understanding of the company culture and often requires small or big changes within the organisation. Below we’ll provide you with five different strategies, which can all help reduce employee churn rate.FIVE STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING EMPLOYEE CHURNLet’s now examine some of the most effective strategies used for keeping employees happy and wanting to remain in your organization.Strategy 1: Hire the right fitOne of the easiest ways to stop employees leaving is to ensure they are the right fit for the company in the first place. Therefore, you can significantly reduce your churn rate by focusing more on the recruitment process.It’s important to clearly define the role and position you are recruiting for. You shouldn’t just focus on the required skill set, but the kind of candidate that would excel in this role. Aim to talk about the benefits to the cand idate as well, since you want the right candidates to apply. You need to explain the company culture and the vision to ensure it matches the candidate’s career goals.The recruitment process shouldn’t focus too much on skill testing. A proper recruitment process should instead include the following components:Behavior-based testingCompetency testingBackground checkOrganizational fit analysisFuture development analysisMotivational and goal oriented approachFurthermore, it’s beneficial to use trial periods on most roles, as they help you further assess the compatibility. This is not only beneficial to your organization, but also helps the candidate see whether they enjoy the role or not. Trial period will be less costly, even if the candidate decides to leave, than hiring someone and having him or her quit within a year.Finally, employee referrals should be a key tool in your recruitment process. Jobvite’s research shows HR executives consider referrals as the top source of qua lity hires. In addition, referral hires are proven more loyal, with 46% of referrals staying for over three years or more. For new hires from job boards, the rate is only 14%.Strategy 2: Improve career development and trainingYour organization also needs to continually motivate and challenge its employees. Improved career development and training can help employees feel more valued in their role. It can also give them a more positive outlook about future prospects. For example, training can tell the employee you are investing in them for the long haul.These training sessions and development plans are good at creating an environment of ‘looking towards the future’. The skills the employees gain feel important and they have a specific purpose and need in the future within your organization.The following slides will some basic insights on developing employees.[slideshare id=32823092doc=trainingdevelopment-140327143238-phpapp02w=640h=330]But training also has the important role of e nsuring the job doesn’t become too difficult for the employee. It provides support for the employee, as they feel they don’t have to solve new problems or challenges alone.Positive feedback should be part of your career development objectives as well. It is crucial to continuously communicate with the employee about their role and to do so in a constructive and supportive manner. You definitely shouldn’t only provide feedback when the employee does something wrong. In fact, it’s important to reward good behavior and support successes, even the smallest achievements.One auspicious strategy to consider is the implementation of a mentoring program. The mentoring program is a great way to provide support and create a goal-oriented feedback structure.Strategy 3: Focus on happy and flexible work cultureAn organization with an unhappy work culture is unlikely going to retain its employees. Even if the role is rewarding, the communication between co-workers and the general atmospher e at the company do play a major role in keeping employees motivated and excited to come to work.It’s crucial to guarantee the work culture is respectful and supportive. Everyone should feel welcomed in the workplace and equal in terms of the respect they enjoy.The focus of creating a positive work culture should be in:Establishing effective communication strategies. Information should flow easily between different departments and within a team. Employees at all levels should also have a clear channel to raise concerns without the fear of punishment.Providing enough support, especially during challenging times. Every organization will face difficulties and employees can face challenges in their personal lives. There should always be enough support available during challenges to guarantee the employee doesn’t feel alone.Creating a friendly and respectful work environment for all. Today’s companies include people from all walks of life â€" Workforce is often a mixture of men, wo men, young, old, and different ethnicities and religions also meet up at the workplace. It is essential to ensure there is no discrimination or bullying within the organization.Valuing employee effort adequately. This doesn’t simply refer to financial rewards, but also to a culture of positive feedback and praise.Your organization should also embrace flexibility. A flexible work environment is much less likely to leave employees feeling burnt out. Employees are also much more likely to stay in flexible work environment rather than work in an inflexible company.When you are transforming your organizations work environment, pay attention to the following points:Offer the option of flexible working hours whenever possible.Provide employees with the ability to occasionally work from home (if possible).Create a flexible holiday plan, which allows employees a bigger voice in deciding when they take a leave.Discuss work/life balance issues within the workplace and provide additional supp ort for employee’s who are struggling:This could be the option to share certain tasks with others.Receive medical help and consultation.Become a family friendly employer by offering different perks like:Corporate kindergarten, if your organization is big enough.Family flexible holidays around the time school holidays are.Proper parental leave options for both mothers and fathers.A study by the Boston College Center for Work Family found that 80% employees felt flexible workplace has positively affected retention rates. In another study, almost 40% of American adults surveyed said they have considered or left a job due to inflexibility.Strategy 4: Provide appropriate compensation and benefitsNaturally, there should also be enough focus on the financial compensation. Whilst a flexible and supportive work culture can be a great start for keeping employees happy, you also need to ensure the role is financially satisfying. Employees might find leaving a great work culture behind harde r, but if competitors are offering a lot more money, the better earnings potential might seal the deal.When considering the financial compensation, keep these two points in mind:Always aim to pay above the minimum wage. Employees will find it hard to stay motivated if they struggle financially, even though they put a lot of effort into the work they do.Consider competition as a benchmark. If your competition pays better, your best employees are more likely to leave.In addition, you should consider providing other long-term incentives for talented employees. These could be in the form of bonuses and different profit-sharing plans. Remember to regularly assess and adjust the compensation package to ensure you stay ahead of competition.Furthermore, financial compensation should also come in the form of different benefits and non-cash perks.For instance, you should offer appropriate health and welfare plans for the employees, including an adequate retirement plan. Other perks could be h elp with childcare or even house care. You could also offer different loyalty programs for travel or fitness schemes.Strategy 5: Embrace the wider communityFinally, your organization can reduce employee churn rate by being an active member of the wider community. Employees respect companies, which are focused on the common good and embracing a positive attitude towards helping local community groups.Your company should allow employees to partake in voluntary events, as this can improve the wider employee culture. For example, different voluntary events could include the families and local neighborhoods, which can help create a larger sense of belonging to a family.Embracing the wider community shows the employee that the company is doing something good. This can in return make them feel more appreciated. Corporate social responsibility can ensure employees don’t feel they are just a member of a faceless corporation, but an active member of a company, which is trying to achieve som ething positive.IN CONCLUSIONEmployee churn rate is something companies in today’s competitive business environment need to take seriously. Not only can high levels of employee churn result in knowledge and talent drainage, it can also have a dire financial effect on the company.It is therefore essential to properly understand the organizations churn rate and evaluate the reasons behind it. Organizations should focus on proactive strategies, which help create a more flexible and positive work culture and provide adequate support and financial compensation to their employees.By applying these strategies, companies can actively tackle the problems of employee churn.

Competitive Advantage in the Industry - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2355 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? Introduction The Blacks Leisure Group is operating in one of the most competitive industries today. The leisure industry encompasses a range of services and products such as horse racing, fitness classes, casinos, cinemas, music concerts, water sports, land sports, videogames, bird watching and others. However, these products may be classified under the following major categories; tourism, sports, recreation and hospitality. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Competitive Advantage in the Industry" essay for you Create order Owing to the diversity in this industry, it is very necessary for Blacks Leisure Group to familiarize itself with all the latest industry trends, competitor information and consumer preferences in order to be a market leader. The report shall examine all the issues surrounding competitive advantage in the industry. Importance of developing and sustaining competitive advantage for Blacks Leisure Group Development and sustenance of competitive advantage is crucial to any business in the Leisure industry, consequently, the same applies to the company under analysis. Blacks Leisure group ought to sustain competitive advantage because of the following: First of all, the world has become increasingly interconnected. Globalisation has presented new challenges to leisure companies within the UK and beyond. Some come from the rapidly industrialised East (Asian continent) while others hail from the well established developed nations such as the US. These companies are looking to expand their service base and are therefore tapping into the companys market. Blacks Leisure Group should ensure that they sustain competitive advantage because if they fail to do so then online companies might drive them out of business. The advent of technology and the proliferation of the internet have further aggravated the situation. It is necessary for Blacks to ensure that they can expand their level of distribution in a cost efficient manner just like the online companies do. As if all the latter competitors are not enough to drive new changes in the industry, the company has to improve its product offering in order to battle it out with some of the larger Leisure groups. These Leisure companies have very large brand names and may have undue advantage over Blacks owing to their image and company strength. In the wake of the competition emanating from every single direction, Blacks should develop and sustain an advantage or competitive advantage over its players in the industry. This is because the market has evolved, gone are the days when companies would simply focus on their clients alone. Marketers and managers should not underestimate the effects that competition has because if they fail to do, then their profits will decline. The situation may aggravate and cause fluctuating sales of the respective products. Thereafter, it is likely that the company will be pushed out of business. Consequently, Black Leisure group should be vigilant about establishing a sound market positions and managing their brand selectively. Environmental marketing dynamics and the need for strategic change in order to sustain competitive advantage The world has slowly changed its gaol posts with regard to the definition of who real competitors are. Consequently, there are so many dynamics that come into play when trying to select which companies are Black Leisures competitors. The company may assume that its competitors are other Leisure groups in the country. However, there are potential entrants that may not have been considered. Taking the example of what has happened in the reading industry, group leaders such as Barnes and Nobel used up a substantial amount of their resources establishing large chains. However, the company underestimated the effect of technology because during the late nineties, another industry player came up with a way of accessing numerous books without spending too much on inventory. This company was called Amzon.com. The same situation applies to the Leisure industry. Many leisure consumers want to access services in the most convenient way possible. Online transactions have caused many consumers t o leave tangible companies such as Blacks. They are now taking most of their business to the internet. Blacks should give online transactions precedence because this has become a vital part of the marketing environment today. In order to understand ones market dynamics, it is necessary to look at competition through a wide range of angles. Competition may be defined in relation to the following; Industry concept or Marketing concept Industry concept Marketers ought to analyse their respective industries o determine whether they fall under the following Purely monopolistic industries are those that have only one company offering the service or product, Oligopolistic industries are those ones that have largely sized companies that offer the same commodities. On the other hand, monopolistic competition refers to those industries where there are a variety of products or services and competition is sustained through offering the products in a superior manner. Pure competition exists in industries where the competitors offer the same product or service. Consequently, competition is based on advertisement and marketing. Taking the example of Blacks Leisure Group, its industry falls under the monopolistic competition. In this case, there is market segmentation. Consequently, the company offers only a specific range of services to the consumer in a superior manner. The dynamics that affect such an industry (monopolistic competiti on) are quite diverse. The first issue that one should consider is entry vs. exit barriers within the industry. The Leisure industry has very minimal entry barriers owing to the fact that it has low capital requirements and patents are not that important too. On top of that, exit barriers are rather high because it likely that the assets will be obsolete by the time one is leaving the exit industries. These dynamics need to be incorporated by Blacks in order to stay ahead. The next environmental issue that should be considered by Blacks is the level of vertical integration. In the Leisure industry, there are numerous cases of vertical integration. Some companies opt to integrate their leisure equipment such as sports gear, they rent those facilities to their clients and also coordinate their accommodation among others. This trend has become very common but Blacks should avoid this approach because certain parts of the value chain are inflexible. Consequently, it is better for the company to outsource some of its pressing activities. This allows the company to focus on the services that it does best while saving a substantial portion of its budget on the specialty service. Lastly, different industries have different levels of globalisation. The leisure industry is one of the most heavily hit. This has caused a large number of these companies to compete on a global platform. Their services, marketing approaches and other company ideas have been tailored to embrace the issue of globalisation. Blacks Leisure group is not an exception, the company depends on numerous foreigners for business. Consequently, its marketing approach is tailored towards the international market. The company needs to break into other market segments owing to the fact that numerous leisure companies do the same. It would be necessary to check on some other consumers that may be interested in their services. Market concept Marketers consider competition in a different light. However, they define competitors as any company or entity that meet the same consumer need. Consequently, even if the services under consideration may not seem related, they may qualify as competitors. These competitors can be divided d into various categories depending on how closely relate their commodities are. Taking the example of Blacks Leisure Group, the company cannot ascertain that its only competitors are the ones that offer similar leisure service. While these companies may actually fall in eth same category as Blacks, one cannot under look the diversity of the Leisure industry. Some of the closely related companies include hotels, camping guides and tour operators. However, other leisure products still meet the same consumer need and these include, television show companies, movie companies, video games, music or radio companies, fitness centres, night clubs, casinos, tennis operators and many others. Consequently, it is very advisable for company to shift from defining competitors in a conventional way as the marketing environment has changed. Those companies that seem to come from a totally different industry may end up being the most influential in that respective industry . It is therefore necessary to ensure that one frequently monitors these different competitors because they could take first place. After identifying all the competitors that fall in the same category, then it is necessary to asses the strategies, objectives and strengths needed to sustain competitive advantage within ones domain. When analysing competition, it is necessary to determine which companies are following the same strategic path as Black Leisure group. The company could look at any of the following items; whether the competitor under consideration has a wide or narrow line compared to Blacks. A larger line always possesses greater competition than a narrower line. On top of that, the company could analys e the manufacturing costs of its competitor, if they have the same costs, then the company ought to watch out for it. This should then be followed by an analysis of service offering. If the company offers a high quality then it is definitely a force worth reckoning. This should be followed by a consideration of the kind of price on offer. Those companies that have the same features as the company under consideration in terms of the latter four factors will fall under the same strategic group. After doing an analysis of the strategies used by its competitors then the company should look out for the objectives of their competitors. Some companies are driven by the need for growing their market share, others place more precedence on increasing their profitability, alternatively, other companies need to be service leaders while others need to develop their technologies. Blacks then needs to look at their competitors strengths, this refers to how large their share of the market is, th ey should also look at the level of support which the company has garnered in terms of support for their products. By examining all the latter issues, Blacks can identify some loopholes among its competitors and establish itself in the market. How Porters five forces and Value Chain analysis can assist in understanding the marketing environment and competitive advantage Porters five forces The porters five forces are as follows Threat of rivalry Blacks needs to worry about this generic force because the leisure industry is highly competitive. Entry barriers are not very high. Additionally, investors have high stakes if they leave. As if this is not enough, capital costs are also strenuous. The overall effect is frequent advertisement battles, product introductions and frequent price battles. In order to stay ahead of it competitors, Blacks needs to become very aggressive. There is very fierce rivalry in this industry and only the most vigilant company garner enough support. Threats of new entrants In the leisure industry, it is relatively easy to enter into the industry. The reasons for this is that capital cost requirements are not as high as they are in other industries like aviation. Additionally, patent requirements in the leisure industry are not that high too. This means that Blacks has to be ready for intense competition. The company ought to look for a unique selling point in order to sustain competitive advantage. Threats of buyers Owing to the fact that the Leisure industry is highly differentiated, then the company has potential to do well because they can offer their services in a superior manner to their clients. However, it is relatively easy to switch from one leisure company to another, this gives the buyers a higher advantage, Blacks Leisure Group should tackle this moderate buyer strength by offering superior quality products that the consumers cannot reject. Threats of suppliers The company operates in an industry segment that has many substitutes for the products consequently, suppliers do into have a lot of bargaining power. One of the actions that the company can make to cope with the threats of suppliers is by teaming up with other leisure groups to be more influential in their respective market. Threats of substitutes There are numerous substitutes in the leisure industry. Therefore, Blacks should invest in research to forecast some of this future threats. Value chain analysis Inbound logistics; this involves, transportation, material handling material storage, communication, testing and information systems that are related to the supplier. Outbound logistics refer to all the latter that are related to the consumer. Black Leisure Group needs to consider how it can outsource its information systems which can be improve performance here. Marketing and sales technologies; refer to all media, audio and communications involved in selling the product. The company should consider incorporating technological system in service operations. Operations technologies; refer to the process and materials involved in the service offering of the company. Blacks Leisure Group should consider merging some of their business units to sustaining competitive advantage Conclusion The Black Leisure Group operates in a highly competitive market. Consequently, the companys environmental dynamics cannot be ignored. Some of the things that the company can do to sustain competitive advantage include offering superior services, outsourcing their inbound and outbound logistic, integrating business units, teaming up with leisure groups to strengthen their buyer power from suppliers, intensifying technological advancements and encompassing the global market more aggressively. All these steps will go a long way in enhancing their position in the market. Reference: Thompson, A. Strickland III, A. (1992): Strategy formulation and complementation: Tasks of the General Manager; Blackwell Publishers Benter, J. and Booms, B. (1981): business development strategies and organizational structures for service firms, in Donnelly, J. and George, W. Marketing, American Marketing Association, Chicago. Barney, J. B. (1991): Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage, Journal of Management, 1 (January) Aaker, David A. (1984): Strategic Marketing Management. New York: John Wiley. Barney, J. B. (1997): Gaining and Sustaining Competitive Advantage. Reading, MA: Addison- Wesley. Grant, R.M. (2005): Contemporary Strategy Analysis; Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Oxford (U.K.) Dyer, R. F. and Ernest H. F (1991): An Analytical Approach to Marketing Decisions. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Porter, M.E. (1985): Competitive Advantage: The Free Press, New York, 1985. Baird, L. (1994): Meeting global challenges: The executive perspective; University of Boston Professor Raphael Amit (2007): Strategic Management , a journal for Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Selection System Of Human Resource Management - 1208 Words

Selection system A selection system in human resource management is combination of tools and procedures used in choosing a person who is qualified for a certain role, who can successfully bring valuable contributions to an organization (Foot, Hook, Jenkins, 2016). An effective selection system is fundamentally based on job analysis so that the selection tools utilized in the recruitment process add value to the organization. This selection system provides a framework for recruiting an accountant, and it provides job analysis for the position as well as the selection tools and procedures for the position. †¢ Job title: Accountant This position generally involves providing the day to day support to the accounting function of the company. †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Those who do not meet this requirement will be eliminated at this stage. Other items to check during screening are education background and work experience as stated in the job analysis. As result, the tool i s reliable in ensuring misfits will not be able to proceed to the next level. The applications for the position will be received online through recruitment portals and therefore the applications will be screened electronically by the human resource personnel. This tool will be administered by two human resource staff and it will take approximately five hours to execute. Telephone interviews Telephone interview is the second tool in the selection system. It involves contacting the applicants who passed the in the screening tool. The questions that are asked in the telephone interview are based on the job analysis weighed against the applicant’s responses in the application materials. It is a cost effective and reliabvle tool in selecting the best candidates who will proceed to next level in the recruitment process. One basic question that can asked on the telephone interview is, â€Å"Do you still have interest in the job that you applied for?† those who provide a †Å"no† answer will automatically be eliminated from the selection system. Other leading questions will enable the recruiter to measure other key KSAO’s such as experience, communication skills and educational qualifications. This tool will be administered by oneShow MoreRelatedA Selection System In Human Resource Management Is Combination1206 Words   |  5 PagesA selection system in human resource management is combination of tools and procedures used in choosing a person who is qualified for a certain role, who can successfully bring valuable contributions to an organization (Foot, Hook, Jenkins, 2016). An effective selection system is fundamentally based on job analysis so that the selection tools utilized in the recruitment process add value to the organization. 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These activities include corporate human resources strategy, employee recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, compensation management, staff flow management, employee relationship management, employee safety and health management, etc. Namely: enterprise modern management method, is used to obtain (candidate)Read MoreDevelopment of a Multinational Personnel Selection System: Comintec800 Words   |  4 PagesMultinational Personnel Selection System Situation Analysis: ComInTec, a worldwide leading industrial company, has just introduced the new regional management level which 25 middle management positions were expected to be filled in the Asian-Pacific-region. Therefore, the project team with Dr. Thomas Koch as a leader will be responsible for implementing the new personnel selection process. Moreover, Koenig, Dr. Thomas Koch’s boss needs him to come up with the selection system that works everywhereRead MoreHuman Resource Planning And Performance Management Systems998 Words   |  4 Pagesillnesses. The hospital assists with onsite management, monitoring and housing facilities for children, adolescence, young adults and seniors. This paper will discuss in slight detail about the history of Lakeside Hospital, and their approach to recruiting, selection, training and managing their employees. Then assess the effectiveness of the company’s recruiting efforts and then recommend two ways to improve the recruitment process. Next, examine the selection process at Lakeside Hospital and suggestRead MoreHuman Resource Management Processes and Practices1098 Words   |  5 PagesThe Inï ¬â€šuence of Culture on Human Resource Management Processes and Practices. Dianna Stone and Eugene Stone-Romero, eds. New York: Psychology Press, 2008. 340 pp. $38.25, paper. Although national and international workforces have become increasingly culturally diverse, human resource systems and processes often lag in adapting to multiculturalism in ways that will reduce the cultural bias of existing human resource systems and enhance organizational effectiveness. Nearly 15 years ago Sharon LobelRead MoreEffective Human Resource P lanning.1310 Words   |  6 PagesThe key to effective human resource management is human resource planning 1.0 Introduction Human Resources (HR) Management is a multifaceted function. This entity has an important place within companies in helping key personnel decide on the best staff for their needs, among other things. Sometimes, the employees chosen are full-time employees already working for the company or they could be contractors. Regardless, the goal of HR Management is to choose the most qualified person for the job.

Readers of Huck Finn Free Essays

The ending of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is indeed puzzling. On the surface, the story looks a perfect happy end – more or less, everybody seems satisfied with the new order of things: Jim is now a free man, Tom is fully recovered, and Huck gets rid of his father and receives a chance to move West to start an independent life free of â€Å"civilizing† efforts of well-meaning adult women. This looks like a perfect American ‘happy end’ which so often ends Hollywood movies even if the previous course of events had seemed unlikely to bring about such a happy combination of circumstances. We will write a custom essay sample on Readers of Huck Finn or any similar topic only for you Order Now Perhaps the sympathetic treatment of the runaway slave on the part of Huck seemed idealized to many of Clemens’ contemporaries and later critics. At the same time, the ending contains one very important message that makes it less ideal than it may seem on the surface. This is the whole behaviour of Tom Sawyer who had known all the way that Jim was in fact a free man, yet had chosen to withhold this information from his friends simply to have a spectacular liberation. In doing so, he had subjected Huck and Tom to many trials and dangers that are surely exciting to read about, but overall so difficult that few of us would like to repeat it on their own. This callous and insensitive action on the part of Tom, although he tries to justify it with a lame excuse that he had meant to repay Jim with money for his troubles, vividly demonstrates that his treatment of Afro-Americans is less idealistic. In showing Tom’s lack of sensitivity for the feelings of another human being simply because this human being happens to be a black slave brings home to the readers of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the real situation of the relationship between slave-owners and slaves. To a great degree, such attitude puts Huck’s heroic deeds in context and reveals that many people would probably choose to imitate Tom’s behaviour rather than Huck’s especially if this promised them an opportunity to have fun. True, the readers realize that Tom is not a typical white male as there is probably no such thing as a purely stereotypical person who simply follows all the norms of his class without showing any individuality. Tom does have a very bright and outstanding individuality, and he is notable for his love of a good prank. Thus, he is going to take liberties with the lives and need of other people, including those of his own class, as he had shown during his school jokes. However, would he be willing to make a white person from a respectable background undergo such hardship as Jim did? The question remains unanswered, and the readers can very well suspect that Tom can be doing many things to have fun with things that are life and death to other people, less empowered than himself. Therefore, the ending of the book does reveal the inhuman attitudes of white slave-owners toward their black slaves. The author does show that the life of a black person is no bed of roses even after the basic question of personal freedom is solved. This freed person finds oneself in the setting in which the white majority are taught to see their black fellow citizens as worthless individuals in contrast to themselves – as people whose human value is at least slightly less than that of their own. As to Huck’s kind treatment of the runaway slave, this does not seem so improbably even one considers the wide scale of the abolitionist movement in the nation. Huck is shown to experience pangs of conscience when he conceals a runaway slave, feeling affinity with his own class and race. Yet, like many people in theory born to be slave-owners, he oversteps the prejudice the society imposes upon him and manages to become a moral person by helping a human being. Summing it up, the ending of Huck Finn does not seem to contain any improbable elements that would confirm that Twain cheated. The closure of the book does show that white people often tended to see slaves as inferior, and that many were able to rise above prejudices to help slaves. Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 13 Jan. 06 http://www.bibliomania.com/0/0/54/99/frameset.html.       How to cite Readers of Huck Finn, Essay examples

Nero The Great Fire free essay sample

Role of corrupt Roman emperor in start, spread aftermath of fire which burned city in 64 AD. Of all the Roman emperors, very few are better known today than Nero. Perhaps none is more familiar as a popular image and personality. Even Augustus is a colorless figure to most people, hardly more than a name, lost in the shadow of Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. In contrast, Nero endures in the popular culture as the symbol of Roman decadence: hedonism in food, drink, and above all sex; lurid spectacles; persecution of Christians. Everything that Hollywood loves about Rome is exemplified in the popular image of Nero, and though the Roman Empire did not actually fall till four hundred years after Neros death, it is the Neronian image that most people have in mind when they imagine the Fall of Rome. A variety of factors have led to Neros special prominence as the human symbol of Roman decadence. We will write a custom essay sample on Nero The Great Fire or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Petronius Arbiter, whose

Kubrick Lives Essays - English-language Films, British Films

Kubrick Lives Kubrick Lives The theory of authorship as applied to film directors is a subject that is argued extensively throughout the film world. The auteur theory was first introduced in the French film journal Cahiers du Cinema. Andrew Sarris who suggested that there are a group of filmmakers who fit into this category brought the theory to America. It states that in order for a director to be considered an auteur, there must be a consistency of style and theme across a number of films. Very few contemporary filmmakers fit into this category. One filmmaker, however, expanded his filmography over four and a half decades, and created a consistent theme and style. That director was Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick was known as a very stylistic filmmaker, so a lot can be said about his film style. His use of music, however, remains the most prominent aspect of Kubrick's film style, especially as his career progressed. He was a master at using music to evoke feelings and create tension and confusion. The two most prominent examples of the power of music occur in A Clockwork Orange, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. The first of these two films, 2001, was created like a symphony. It had an overture at the beginning, a musical intermission, and an epilogue at the end. The classical work of Richard Strauss, ?Also Spach Zarathustra?, supplies the most recognizable and moving main title theme of the film. The use of this music as well as other classical works including the frolicky ?Blue Danube? by Johann Strauss gives the film a flowing quality that it wouldn't normally have. Most of the music is light in nature, which contradicts the mystery that is unfolding in space. The beautiful imagery is mat ched well with the images and the editing to provide an incredible viewing experience. In A Clockwork Orange, Kubrick does virtually the same thing with music, only in a darker way. In the film, Alex is given a treatment that will make him ill when confronted with violence or sex. Unfortunately for him, the films he is forced to watch are scored with Beethoven's ?Ninth Symphony?, which is Alex's favorite music. A sense of irony and empathy is created in that by Alex trying to take the easy way out, he is forced to give up the three things he loves most: sex, violence, and Beethoven. His love of music backfires on him once again with his crooning of the song ?Singin' in the Rain.? In one of his violent attacks he sings that song throughout the scene. Ironically, this same victim brings him in later in a time of need. He gives himself away by singing in the bathtub. Both of these films use popular music in unconventional ways, and this can be traced to other Kubrick films as well. Lol ita and Dr. Strangelove are the most noteworthy. Along with a distinctive style, Kubrick films tend to have some very definitive themes going on within them. One of the most prominent themes is his treatment of the protagonist. In conventional filmmaking, the protagonist tends to be the ?good guy?. In Kubrick's films, however, the main characters (always male) tend to be not very likeable. This theme can be seen in virtually every Kubrick film. In The Killing, the ensemble cast of characters is planning a heist, each with their own agenda. In Lolita, Humbert Humbert is an English ?gentleman?, oh and also a pedophile. A Clockwork Orange's Alex is a young, violent, uncaring product of society. The thing that Kubrick does, however, is play with the audience's morals and emotions. He attempts, sometimes successfully, to get you to empathize and sympathize with these miscreants of society. We feel sorry at some point for poor Humbert as his Lolita, the love of his life, is taken away from him. And Alex, poor Alex, he is a victim of the system and is ruined by the unorthodox treatment. We eventually come to our senses, but for a brief moment or longer, we become victims of Kubrick's manipulative filmmaking power. Another theme that creates a thread throughout his body of work is the duality of self. Often, Kubrick's protagonists are faced with incredible conflicts within themselves. They encounter

Northern Home For Boys Essays - Porter-Leath, Medical Health Care

Northern Home For Boys Essays - Porter-Leath, Medical Health Care Northern Home for Boys Northern Home for Boys was first known as Northern Home for Friendless Children, which was founded in 1853 by Elizabeth Rutter. The home was dedicated to serving children in distress. Today the home serves neglected and abused boys who are referred through Children and Youth Agencies of Philadelphia and Delaware Counties. Northern Homes is one of the oldest facilities for children. The home offers on ground school, educational and recreational programs, social workers, child care worker, medical/health care and psychological/psychiatric services. I had the pleasure of meeting with Ms. Gale Hite, who escorted me through the various buildings, which house boys between the ages of 10 and 18. The average stay is 2 years. The mission of this facility is to reunite the boys with their families and to provide them with the essentials needed for becoming productive members of society. To accomplish these goals the boys are first welcomed into the facility by the Welcoming Committee. This committee consists of one boy from each unit. When a new boy is admitted he is assigned a buddy for two weeks to assist him in becoming familiar with the other residents. A Social Worker is assigned to each boy and his family. The responsibility of the Social Worker is to coordinate treatment services for the child and family. Individual counseling is provided weekly and group counseling four times a week. Establishing goals and reviewing levels of achieving goals are discussed on group level. Family counseling is provided on a family by family basis. Within the first 30 days of acceptance into the home an Individual Service Plan is developed. Goals, specific activities, services, the persons responsible for delivering these services and a time limited is stated in the ISP. A schedule of the child?s visits with parents is also included in this document. The parents or guardian and a representative for the placing agency is afforded the opportunity to participate in the development of the ISP. The ISP is reviewed every six months to determine progress in achieving the goals. All participates are invited to the review. This facility also offers the level system, which consist of providing a consistent positive framework for setting limits in an age and behavior appropriate manner. The levels program allows room for development within safe guidelines. Positive contribution to the Northern Home?s community, school attendance and performance, and the child?s individual and group goals are weighted equally in the level program. Each group meets nightly to evaluate the progress around individual and group goals. These meetings help the boys understand each other and to stimulate the group into feeling successful. There are five levels in the program, probation, 1, 2,3 and independent. Probationary period is for one week providing intense focus on a child experiencing a critical time in placement. Boys on the first four levels will use a daily point chart. Each night this chart will be added up. The total points for the previous week will determine the child?s current level, allowance and other privileges. A child must earn the number of points required to maintain that level for three consecutive weeks in order to move to the next level. Movement down a level occurs immediately when appropriate points are not maintained for the week. Movement down is one level at a time. Life skills are introduced in the independent level. The boys attend classes that teach them how to budget their money, shop, and to help them to become independent adults. A Sexuality Course is included for the purpose of family planning. Another positive reinforcement is the point system. Each day the boys start their day with 5 points. The boys lose point by misbehaving in school, which is judged by the teacher. All points retained each day will be added up at the end of the week and the boys have the opportunity to use their points in purchasing sportswear and school supplies from the school store. Home visits are an essential ingredient of the overall Residential Treatment Program. A child is not permitted to visit home until it is established to be a safe environment. Approval is given by the DHS. Once it is established that the home is safe the child can

The Humanistic Theory of Carl Rogers Research Paper

The Humanistic Theory of Carl Rogers - Research Paper Example Both Maslow and Rogers believed that feelings and emotions should be a part of education, identifying two different types of learning namely cognitive and experience. Cognitive involves memorization, acquisition of vocabulary, formulas, and the like while experience is the application as a result of learning. With his extensive experience as a psychotherapist, Rogers applied the concept of humanistic approach in the education process and developed the method of teaching central to the learner. Along with this line, he formulated a hypothesis that a person can facilitate another person’s learning but cannot directly teach another individual. This point to the importance of what the student does but not that of a teacher. Another hypothesis of the theory is the relevancy of the learning to the students wherein the student only learns things which enhances the self. Rogers also identified that the learning environment should be free of threats but rather friendly teaching environ ment for learning to take place (Zimring, 1999). Today, the humanistic theory is used in the different educational settings to include adult learning and training and is found to be successful. However, in situations where its application becomes a failure, the attitude of the administrators and teachers interfere with its effectiveness. Description of Humanistic Theory Carl Rogers learning theory considers several elements in learning. One is the relevance of the education to the learner. In the excerpt from the study conducted by Blanton (1998), she found out that students are motivated to learn if they know the learning activity benefits them. Students who understand the purpose of any educational activity learns better and could retain the information. Comparatively, students who do not find teaching related to their purpose are not motivated to go on with their studies. Relevance is very important in adult learning because their intention of pursuing their education is towards self-actualization either in their work or for personal enhancement of their knowledge and skill. The capability to learn however has to be supported with the provision of the right environment if the person is to bring out his full potentials. The humanistic theory also identified the involvement of feelings, ideas, and intention to come into play. This element points that the individual has to be taught including all factors influencing learning and not only a part of it. With this, the traditional teacher-centered style of teaching is shifted to the learner for him to be involved in his learning process to acquire the first-hand experience. To humanistic view, this is more significant than the mastery of academic contents since the learner will not only benefit at the present but uses the acquired and retained knowledge and skill in the future. This theory also focuses on learning which is self-initiated to achieve personal fulfillment. The student has to develop the ability to t ake charge of his learning without relying so much on others to him what he needs to know every time. Students have to take upon themselves the responsibility to look for information and learn it.

Why might a healthy psychological contract amonst its employees be Assignment

Why might a healthy psychological contract amonst its employees be important to an organisation's effectiveness - Assignment Example This concept has been widely discussed by the scholars lately and showed to have certain impact on the overall performance of an organization. However, in order to determine why a healthy psychological contract among the employees is important to an organization’s effectiveness, it is necessary to build a clear definition of what a psychological contract is first of all. Defining psychological contract Since the concept is relatively new, the scientists are still arguing on what exactly psychological contract is. The classical definitions state that psychological contract is either â€Å"the perceptions of both parties to the employment relationship, organization and individual, of the reciprocal promises and obligations implied in that relationship† (Guest and Conway, 2002, p.1) or â€Å"an individual’s belief in mutual obligations between that person and another party such as an employer† (Rousseau and Tijoriwala, 1998, p.679). A quite similar definition have Hall and Moss (1998), who claim that psychological contract consists of the mutual expectations in the employer-employee relationship. So, in general it seems that the concept of psychological contract is more related to employees, because organizations, as employers, cannot have any beliefs or expectations. People are the ones who have them. Therefore, in short it can be said that a psychological contract might be described as an unwritten agreement between upper management and employees, that outlines how both parties see and understand their cooperation. Importance of healthy psychological contract to organization’s effectiveness It is rather well-know that a happy and satisfied employee is a good worker. Consequently, good employees that show loyalty and devotion to their companies must have all their needs met and, thus, be happy. This is, according to Cyril van de Ven (2004), one of the major goals of psychological contract. It reduces employees’ insecurity regarding their jobs. Since it is physically impossible to state all the aspect of employee-employer relationships in a written contract, the psychological contract helps by means of filling the gaps of the official one. The psychological contact, consequently, helps employees to evaluate and measure their obligations to the company and those of the organization to employees. So, if an employee believes that both parties fulfill their obligations, he or she is likely to show positive behaviors that contribute to the quality of his or her job performance. Another important function of psychological contract is giving employees the feeling that they have some power over events within the organization (Anderson and Schalk, 1998). This means that with the help of psychological contract employees percept the interrelation of roles and events as something they have agreed upon and have control over. As a result, even their self-esteem gets higher. So, if the psychological contract does n ot get broken, the employee will feel secure in the job. In addition, he or she will be performing well, thus fulfilling own obligations on the contract, in response to the company’s fulfilling its obligations on the psychological contract. Consequently, when employees perform their jobs well the organization in general becomes more effective. A Healthy psychological contract ensures that employees are satisfied with their jobs, loyal to the organization, have adequate work-family balance, and feel fair treatment form the side of the employer. As a result the company gets reduced employee turnover and absenteeism, as well as improved individual and organizational performance. Employers’ influence on the state of the psychological contract Employers, in their turn, should take all the possible measures

The Role of a Quantity Surveyor

The Role of a Quantity Surveyor Quantity Surveyors are also widely known as construction economist or cost manager. They are known as one of the professional advisers to the construction industry. As an advisory, Quantity Surveyors estimate and monitor all construction cost thought the whole development process which is shown as below:- In each phase there consists of many stages. Quantity Surveyors are also involve with tax depreciation schedules, replacement cost estimation for insurance purposes and if necessary intervention and negotiation. Quantity Surveyors are mostly employed as consultants to the clients on major building and construction projects. In the development process Quantity Surveyors tend to work closely together with architects, projects owner, accountants, insurance underwriters, lawyers and judges and also with all levels of government authorities. These are the stages in each phase:- However, the Quantity Surveyors mainly involved themselves from the feasibility stage of a project to the completion of the construction period. Inception Phase During the inception phase, clients instructions are given to Quantity Surveyors. Also, Quantity Surveyors will advise the client on the need to obtain statutory approvals and of the duties of the client under the CDM regulations. After they received information about the shop lots from the client, then they will visit the shop lots and carry out an initial appraisal. Appraisal The appraisal stage is the first stage in the development process which involves both identifying the clients requirements and the possible constraints on development. Studies will be undertaken to enable a client to decide on whether to proceed and if so which procurement route should be selected, on the basis of the outcomes required. In the other words, Quantity Surveyors will carry out studies to determine the feasibility of the Clients requirement. Strategic Briefing The strategic briefing stage, which is done by or on behalf of the client, identifies the key requirements and constraints involved. It identifies the procedures, organizational structure and the type and range of consultants to be used. It is important during this early part of the process to consider a range of issues that are going to determine whether the project has any chance of coming to fruition. Feasibility and Viability At feasibility stage, Quantity Surveyors use their knowledge of construction methods and costs to advise the owner on the most economical way of achieving his or her requirements. They may use techniques such as Cost Planning, Estimating, Cost Analysis, Cost-in-use Studies and Value Management to establish and control a project budget. Accurately determining the construction cost at project inception is the key to setting an achievable budget and assessing project feasibility. This is available for any proposed development including subdivision, construction, refurbishment or maintenance concept. Construction Phase During construction phase, Quantity Surveyors are called on to fairly value Progress Payments at regular intervals. They will also value changes to design or quantities which may arise by reference to appropriate Bill of Quantities rates. The contractors Quantity Surveyor/contract administrator will have prepared claims for progress payments and additional work. Mobilisation Mobilisation is the award of the building contract to the successful firm and the formal appointment of the contractor. During mobilisation, Quantity Surveyors provide production information as requested for the building contract and for construction of the shop lots. Construction to Practical Completion Construction to Practical Completion is the stage when the contractor commences the work on the shop lots. Throughout this stage, formal written instruction order are given to the contractor for changes in the design and valuation of the partially completed works are prepared and agreed for the purpose of interim payment certificates. Quantity Surveyors will make visits to the works in connection with the Architects design and provide further information reasonable required for construction. Upon completion, the formal signing over the project to the responsibilities of the client is made. Assessment, preparation and negotiation of the final account statement with the contractor, completes the projects construction financial status. When construction is completed, Quantity Surveyors can produce depreciation schedules of the various project components and advise on realistic insurance replacement costs. In the case of construction disputes the Quantity Surveyors are often called on as an expert witness, and some quantity surveyors act as arbitrators. Both the contractors and owners quantity surveyors will be involved in this. Finally, on completion the contractors hand over the building to the developer. Usually a defects liability period is written into the contract, and the contractor remains liable for repairs for a specified period. Finally, all outstanding payments will be settled and the building will be, hopefully, put into its intended use. Occupation Phase After Practical Completion After Practical Completion is one of the stages during occupation phase. One of the main tasks of Quantity Surveyors is to ensure that the project can be completed to the specified quality, the calculated costs and within the appreciate time scale. Besides that, they have to identify defects, make final inspections and also settle Final Account. Demolition Phase Demolition phase is the final stage in a projects life cycle. It may also a possible new beginning of the life cycle on the same site. In addition to new projects, Quantity Surveyor s also uses their skills in refurbishment of old buildings, alterations to existing buildings and insurance replacement estimates. In public authorities Quantity Surveyors maintain cost statistics on a state or nation-wide basis, and there are opportunities for academic careers in the building disciplines. Design Phase When this shop lots project approaches design phase, Quantity Surveyors involve themselves a lot in this phase. Outline proposals, detailed proposals, final proposals, production information, tender documentation and tender action are the stages in design phase. Outline Proposals As this stage progresses towards finalized plan, comparison and preparation of several alternative schemes are done in order to determine the general approach to the layout, design, and construction. Quantity Surveyors have to closely collaborate with all the members of the design team and the clients. An approximation of construction cost on shop lots is provided by Quantity Surveyors. Therefore, the Quantity Surveyors must maintain close contact with contractor as well as other professionals such as Architects and Engineers in order to determine the cost suggestion of the alternative proposals as they are prepared. Detailed Proposals At this stage, the shop lots design is getting more settled with more details which are contributed by all members of design teams. This detailed proposal is derived from the outline proposal. The specification, method of construction, and the preparation of a cost plan are critically examined. The cost plan prepared by the Quantity Surveyors shows the proposed distribution of costs over the elements or components of the shop lots. All the relevant design information such as ground floor plan, roof floor plan and ground beam details of the shop lots is collected. A detailed report regarding the design and the cost plan can be submitted to the clients before the detailed proposal is developed. The cost estimation, including both initial and future cost, of the shop lots is provided by the Quantity Surveyors. Final Proposals The detailed design of shop lots is finalized at this stage in order to move to the end of a set of final tender documentation. A variety of ideas from the members of design teams contribute greatly to final outcome. A fully estimation of cost on shop lots is prepared by Quantity Surveyors to provide clients with a possible tender price and cost checks for specific items in order to confirm that the cost required for the items is not over budget. Providing accurate cost estimation is crucial in this stage because there might have any changes in the design which will result in abortive work. Production Information Production information is prepared for tender purposes. The preparation of final drawings, schedules, and supporting specifications on the shop lots will be now preceded by the architects, engineers, and quantity surveyors. Preliminary tendering procedures is determined by Quantity Surveyors during this stage in order to prepare a list of potential main contractors, enquiries to sub-contractors and suppliers, invitation to tender, and information to tender documents. Tender Documentation At this stage, Quantity Surveyors play an important role to ensure that the project is carried out smoothly. The tender documents such as condition of contracts, specification, drawings and Bills of Quantities (BQ) are going to be finalized. These tender documents are provided by Quantity Surveyors to contractors, clients, and sub contractors for tender purpose. Quantity Surveyors prepare and collect the tender documents in adequate details to enable tenders to be attained. The role of Quantity Surveyors in this shop lots project is to ensure all the drawings, schedules, and specification particulars are correct. The BQ are designed principally as tendering documents, yet a valuable aid is also provided to the pricing of variations and computation of valuations for interim certificates. Besides, BQ which is prepared by Quantity Surveyors provides a good basic for cost planning and help in identification of work to ensure the cash flow in a correct way. The Quantity Surveyors also hav e to prepare the Prime Cost Sums and Provisional Sums of the shop lots. If there has an argument between clients and contractors regarding their interest on the shop lots, the Quantity Surveyors appear to solve this kind of conflicts. Tender Action The main purpose of the tender action is to choose the appropriate contractor to carry out construction work diligently. Various methods, which the client and his adviser may use to obtain offers, are covered in tendering procedures. The tendering procedures are divided into two parts which are open and selected tendering. In open tendering procedure, any firm that may be interested in this shop lots construction project is being invited through the press advertisement to submit a tender. On the other hand, the selected qualified contractor is contacted based on the financial background and other features in the selected tendering procedure. The Quantity Surveyors will ask the opinion of the selected contractor. Quantity Surveyors will also recommend the most suitable contractor to the client. The contractors who have more experiences in shop lots construction project are the first choice to be selected. This stage typically is approached about one month before the tender documents a re circulated. Conclusion The existence of Quantity Surveyors are getting more and more important in the construction field such as building construction , heavy construction or civil construction and industrial construction. Basically, Quantity Surveyor is the person who is responsible for figuring out just what a building is going to be cost and in some cases for making sure that the construction costs and production are managed as efficiently as possible such as the shop lots that in mentioned in Question 1. Shop lots are one of the examples of the commercial development. In order to build shop lots, millions of dollars which is depend on the client need is needed. Quantity Surveyors should be aware that the materials price of some important materials such as cement, iron, ready mix and others will always changes. Besides acts as the financial overseer of a particular project, Quantity Surveyors translate the plans into detailed costs. Quantity Surveyors also help to minimize the time scales, the costs of a project and enhance value for money, while still achieving the required standards and quality. Through negotiation, successful Quantity Surveyors can save large amounts of money for the companies th ey work for. In the current economic climate, where the construction industry is booming and construction companies are under increasing pressure to meet the needs of developers, and given the shortage of personnel, it is no surprise that Quantity Surveyors have expanded their role in this way. However, this practice must be monitored closely to prevent the integrity of the profession ever being called into question. Besides, Quantity Surveyors also must be flexible to any kind of work conditions such as site and office. For example, Quantity Surveyors are not only required to help the client in calculating the costs for a projects such as shop lots, they still need to go to site to ensure that the job had be done by the contractor according to the agreement that had be done before passing the project to the contractor. This can avoid contractual disputes to happen. In construction and development projects where the watch word is VALUE FOR MONEY , the Quantity Surveyors must be involved from the inception phase to . Last but not least, it is a truth that Quantity Surveyors professional skills are highly respected and often achieved top managerial status.

Finding Self Essay -- essays papers

Finding Self I realize that the whole universe is at my fingertips, as is my willingness to manifest what is needed in my reality. Every experience of life is God teaching me. As I look in this pure state of awareness, I feel this pure energy within my whole body. From the rhythm of my breathing, I feel a quiet state of attunement — one with God. My soul incarnated into a specific form on earth for a unique purpose. My journey is now and exists at this moment, whether I want to realize it or not. Knowing my life’s purpose and acting on it will give me direction and is a necessary step in achieving true happiness. To have this deeper experience requires the ability to have conscious awareness of Soul, or Higher Self. I find my life runs much more smoothly when I let the Universe run itself without any interference from me. As a matter of fact, the less my brain does its "stuff'', the more fulfilling my life becomes...hence more enriched. This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow the night and day, â€Å"Thou canst not then be false to any man.† â€Å"But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you.†(Matthew 5:44) Humans are not all alike, one will hate you and the other will love you. The difference in moods is the reason why humans are who they are. The knowledge that everyone is different in some way, will lead to one giant leap on my journey. Loving thy neighbor no matter what, as stated in the Ten Commandments, will enrich my spiritual progression. Not being familiar with my actual role in this Universe at this stage of my existence is at times very frustrating and often very far-fetched. Nothing happens by chance. We are a part of a universe that is forever giving us... ...nnection. Balance, harmony, and compassion are the natural state of my innermost self. Since spirituality is an experience, the degree to which I reflect the qualities of balance, harmony and compassion in my everyday moment-to-moment experience will support my connection to God. These problems are made visible in the two opposite notions of the loss of the self, or alternatively, the absorption with the self, both of which impoverish our sense of self. I will argue against the notion of the self as one that is constantly changing to meet the demands of the competing voices surrounding it. Rather, I will not argue that I must find a vantage point from which to view the world and create a sense of self that persists through time. I cannot be, â€Å"populated with the character of others.† Being a â€Å"self† must mean more than being an image, wearing a mask, or playing a role.

Environmental Impact of Textile Production – Handloom Production Is the Answer

D. Narasimha Reddy 1/11 Environmental Impact of Mechanised and Automated Textile Production Introduction The contribution of mechanised and automated manufacturing to various environmental impacts is enormous. Environmental impacts from manufacturing industries can be seen such areas as toxic chemicals, waste, energy, and carbon emissions. Manufacturing in developed countries is also a heavy user of water, and there have been many cases of air, water and soil contamination which have led to such actions as cleanups, class actions suits and a variety of other corporate liabilities. Environmental impact can be seen in all phases of textile production and use, from growing or making fibres to discarding a product after its useful life has ended. The physical environment is affected by these processes, including resource depletion, pollution and energy use; the biological environment, by considering what happens as a result of manufacture, and the social environment as it impinges on our psychological, physical and physiological comfort, as well as our financial well-being. In recent years, textile industry in developed countries has been facing severe problems, the most serious of which are those connected with pollution. In fact, governments have been bringing up environmental laws which strictly prohibit wastewater discharge in rivers and lakes. This situation indeed burdens the textile industries and also leads to increase in production costs. Textile Industry and Process Description The textile industry includes multiple processes and activities. The four major textile operations are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Yarn Formation: preparing and spinning raw materials (natural and synthetic); texturizing man-made filament fibers. Fabric Formation: warping and slashing yarn; performing weaving and knitting operations. Wet Processing: preparing the fabric for dyeing and finishing; dyeing, printing, and finishing operations. Product Fabrication: cutting and sewing the fabric, performing final finishing operations. In the yarn formation process, fibers are bound using spinning operations, grouping, and twisting. Staple fibers, natural and man-made, are prepared for spinning through a combination of various processing steps such as blending, drawing, carding, opening, combing, and roving. Following drying operations, yarn may then be woven into fabric. From the spun or filament yarn, fabric is formed by knitting or weaving operations. Yarn e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 2/11 can be processed directly through knitting operations but typically requires preparation for weaving operations. Preparation for weaving includes warping and slashing (sizing). Wet processing enhances appearance, durability, and serviceability of the fabric. Chemical Pollution Textile production involves a number of wet processes that may use solvents. Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) mainly arise from textiles finishing, drying processes, and solvent use. VOC concentrations vary from 10 milligrams of carbon per cubic meter (mg/m3) for the thermosol process to 350 mg carbon/m3 for drying and condensation process. Waste water from processes is a major source of pollutants. It is typically alkaline and has high BOD5 (700 to 2,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L)) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) (approximately 2 to 5 times the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) level), solids, oil and possibly toxic organics, including phenols (from dyeing and finishing) and halogenated organics (from processes such as bleaching). Dye effluents are frequently highly colored and may contain heavy metals such as copper and chromium. Pesticides used on natural fibers are transferred to effluents during washing and scouring operations. Pesticides are also used for moth proofing, brominated flame retardants for synthetic fabrics, and isocyanates for lamination. Effluents might include pesticides (such as DDT and PCP), and metals (such as mercury, arsenic, and copper). Air emissions include dust, oil mists, acid vapors, odors, and boiler exhausts. Cleaning and production changes result in sludges from tanks and spent process chemicals, which may contain toxic organics and metals. Table 1: Chemicals and Chemical Categories Commonly Encountered in Textile Manufacturing Process Chemicals and Chemical Categories Dyeing/Printing Ethylene glycol, ertain glycol ethers, methanol, copper compounds, chromium compounds Desizing Certain glycol ethers Sizing Methanol Scouring Biphenyl, xylene, certain glycol ethers Chemical Finishing Certain glycol ethers, methyl ethyl ketone, formaldehyde Coating Operations Dichloromethane, methanol, methyl ethyl ketone, toluene Article/Formulation Chromium compounds, copper compounds, methanol, Components antimony compounds Manufacturing/Processing Ethylene glycol, methanol, phenol, toluene, xylene, Aids biphenyl Reactants Diisocyanates, formaldehyde, methanol, phenol Source: Emergency Planning and Community Right- To-Know Act Section 313 Reporting Guidance for the Textile Processing Industry, US Environmental Protection Agency, May, 2000 Chemicals are used for the removal of impurities from the fiber and for machine maintenance. Man-made filament fibers may be manufactured using chemicals. e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 3/11 Processing of these fibers, known as texturizing, can result in the removal and subsequent release and other waste management activities of chemicals from the fiber. Oils, lubricants, machine maintenance chemicals, and waste yarn and material are also released. Chemical sizing agents are added to the yarn by solution or pad/dry techniques and other chemical additives may be added to increase yarn softness and pliability. Chemicals are also used during fabric formation as fabric processing agents and equipment cleaning and maintenance chemicals. Fabric processing agents include sizing agents and performance enhancing chemicals such as certain glycol ethers, ethylene glycol, and methanol. These chemicals typically volatilize or are washed off during fabric formation. However, some may remain with the fabric throughout the fabric formation process and into the wet processing and finishing operations. Both fugitive and point source air emissions containing chemicals typically occur during the slashing (sizing) operation or during fabric drying operations. This includes chemicals used as sizing agents or performance enhancing chemicals. Dust air emissions may also be generated during fabric formation. Effluents are generated from fabric cleaning and slashing operations; used oil, lubricants, and other machine maintenance chemicals; and equipment cleaning operations. Solid waste is also released from fabric formation. The primary source of solid waste is excess fabric material and scraps that may contain chemicals not volatilized or removed during fabric formation or chemicals brought on-site with the raw material (e. g. , antimony oxide used as a fire resistant). Dust containing chemicals is also generated during knitting or weaving operations, which when collected by air pollution control devices or by floor sweepings is a significant solid waste. During slashing operations, residue left in sizing agent or other chemical agent containers may be a source of chemicals. Fugitive emissions are most likely to result from slashing and drying operations when chemicals, such as methanol, evaporate. In wet processing, chemical agents, such as dyes, pigments, strength agents, and flame resistors are applied through a water-intensive process. Synthetic materials may be desized and scoured prior to dyeing or printing. After preparation for wet processing, dyeing or printing can occur, followed by rinsing, drying, or heat setting. Printing operations typically do not use water. The final wet processing step is mechanical and chemical finishing; these operations are used to improve appearance, texture, and performance of the fabric. Dye application includes various dye types and methods. Dyes can be fixed to the textile chemically and/or physically. Dyes may be bonded to the fabric or precipitated by removal of a dye solubilizing agent. Color can be affixed through the use of pigments, solvents, and resin binders. For the textile industry, wet processing operations are significant sources of chemical release. Typical chemicals include ammonia, certain glycol ethers, and methyl ethyl ketone. Alkaline or solvent solutions are used during scouring. Solvents, although used in the past, are being replaced with aqueous chemicals. Bleaching agents and other chemical e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 4/11 additives are used during bleaching operations, however, these are usually not chemicals. Acids are used for neutralizing remaining caustic soda during mercerizing operations. During dyeing or printing operations, chemicals such as solubilizing agents, dye carriers, salts, and fixing agents may be employed to speed the process or enhance the process effects. Chemicals used during finishing operations include optical brighteners, softeners, and flame resistant chemicals. Effluents are generated from spent process baths, solutions, and rinses. Process effluents include spent sizing solutions, scouring and dyeing baths, cleaning rinses, dyeing rinses, textile cleaning water, and mercerizing operations. Chemicals in textile effluents include dyes, pigments, and salts. Salts present in process effluents may be either raw materials (e. g. , metal compound salts) or byproducts from neutralization or other chemical reactions (e. g. , nitrate compounds). Metal compounds such as copper compounds and chromium compounds are also commonly present. Other sources include equipment cleaning wastewater, container cleaning wastewater, and used lubricants and other machine operating aids. Cleaning solvents may become part of the wastewater after scouring operations and equipment cleaning. The US EPA has estimated that there are approximately 135 major source facilities, in US, in the printing, coating, and dyeing of fabrics and other textiles source category. The principal hazardous air pollutants emitted by these sources include toluene, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), methanol, xylenes, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, n- hexane, glycol ethers (ethylene glycol), and formaldehyde. Exposure to these substances has been demonstrated to cause adverse health effects such as irritation of the eye, lung, and mucous membranes, effects on the central nervous system, and damage to the liver. The EPA has classified two of the hazardous air pollutants, methylene chloride and trichloroethylene, as probable or possible human carcinogens. Dyeing The art of textile dyeing dates back thousands of years, when dyes extracted from plants or sea snails were used to color cloth. Today, most dyes are synthetically manufactured, yet only 40-90% actually resides on the cloth. The residual dye is treated and discharged into our rivers and streams. World wide, it is estimated that this accounts for over 400,000 tons of dye per year. Colorfastness is a textile industry standard that determines how stable the color is in a garment. Good colorfastness means the garment won’t fade after one washing. Resin pretreatment is done for garments that require excellent colorfastness. Cationic fixatives could be used for outerwear garments where colorfastness to washing is moderate but colorfastness to dry cleaning is high. Poor shade repeats are a major cause of economic loss and pollution in dyeing operations. An average dye worker makes 300 weighings per day. Sources of error are many, e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 5/11 including sorption of moisture from the atmosphere which way amout to up to a maximum of 20% error in dye weight. Other factors such as water quality, fiber variations, and the like also contribute to reworks and off quality. There needs to be a balance between improved productivity in dyeing, and the need to minimize water, energy, and effluent discharge in the textile industry. There is a need to regulate usage of dyes in improving shades on textiles while optimizing water, dye and energy utilization. Under most circumstances, a mixture of dyes is utilised to achieve the desired shade. This means that a small number of dyes can be used to achieve an infinite number of colours, but also means that achieving the exact shade desired requires some skill and can often entail redyeing with a shading addition to correct the shade. In extreme cases, the cloth can be stripped of colour and completely redyed, but this is an environmental and commercial last resort. One of the root causes of problems in achieving the required shade is that if dyes in a mixture have different dyeing profiles the shade and depth of dyeing may change with time and the timing of the dyeing process is therefore crucial. Thus, the difficulty associated with reliable attainment of shade and depth provides a hidden cost in production through reduced capacity and proportionately increases the environmental impact of reactive dyeing through the extra water, chemicals, energy and time needed to make a shading addition. Dyes and auxiliary chemicals used in textile mills are developed to be resistant to environmental influences. As a result, they are hard to remove from wastewater generated during the dyeing processes. In India, the detrimental nature of the synthetic dye industry has been recognised. The Central Pollution Control Board of India has included it in its â€Å"hyper-red† category reserved for the seventeen most polluting industries in the country. The true costs of synthetic dye production and application have never, to our knowledge, been assessed. According to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, an estimated 80. 70 million litres of effluent water is discharged daily into the Noyy al River from dyeing and bleaching units in Tirupur. 2 Water Consumption Water is used extensively throughout textile processing operations. Textile operations vary greatly in water consumption. Water use can vary widely between similar operations as well. Almost all dyes, specialty chemicals, and finishing chemicals are applied to textile substrates from water baths. In addition, most fabric preparation steps, including desizing, scouring, bleaching, and mercerizing, use aqueous systems. The amount of http://www. undp. org. in/Programme/Environment/natdye/dyejust. tm Zero Discharge – Treatment Options for Textile Dye Effluent: A Case Study at Manickapurampudur Common Effluent Treatment Plant, Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, S. Eswaramoorthi, K. Dhanapal1 and J. Karpagam EPIC in India, No. 33, Anugraha Gardens, Central Studio Road, Trichy Main Road, Singanallur, Coimbatore-641005, India, 2004. 2 1 e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 6/11 water used varies widely in the industry, depending on specific processes operated at the mill, equipment used, and prevailing management philosophy concerning water use. The various stages of textile production (from spinning, weaving and knitting, to dyeing and finishing) require enormous energy and water use. For example, 26. 5 gallons of water are needed to process 2. 2 pounds of textiles. Reducing water consumption in textile processing is important, due in part because excess water use dilutes pollutants and adds to the effluent load. Table 2: Water Use in Textile Processing Processing Water Use Water Use Subcategory Minimum, Median, gal/lb gal/lb of production of production Wool 13. 3 34. 1 Woven 0. 6 13. 6 Knit 2. 4 10. 0 Carpet 1. 0 5. 6 Stock/Yarn 0. 4 12. 0 Nonwoven 0. 3 4. 8 Felted Fabrics 4. 0 25. 5 Water Use Maximum, gal/ lb of production 78. 9 60. 9 45. 2 19. 5 66. 9 9. 9 111. 8 Different types of processing machinery use different amounts of water, particularly in relation to the bath ratio in dyeing processes (the ratio of the mass of water in an exhaust dyebath to the mass of fabric). Washing fabric consumes greater quantities of water than dyeing. Water consumption of a batch processing machine depends on its bath ratio and also on mechanical factors such as agitation, mixing, bath and fabric turnover rate (called contact), turbulence and other mechanical considerations, as well as physical flow characteristics involved in washing operations. These factors all affect washing efficiency. In general, heating, wash, and dyebaths constitute the major portion of energy consumed in dyeing. Washing and rinsing operations are two of the most common operations in textile manufacturing that involve significant water consumption. Many processes involve washing and rinsing stages. To grow the fiber for one cotton diaper requires 105. 3 gallons of water, one T-shirt needs 256. 6 gallons of water, one bath towel needs 401. 4 gallons of water, a man's dress shirt requires 414. 5 gallons of water, and 987 gallons of water are required for one pair of jeans. An average integrated textile mill produces 15 tons of finished cloth per day. It uses a total of approximately 3,840 cubic meters of water per day, including 1,680 cubic meters for finishing and processing, another 960 cubic meters for steam generation, and an 3 Source: Sustainable Planet: Solutions for the 21st Century, â€Å"Cleaning the Closet: Toward a New Fashion Ethic,† Juliet Schor, November 2002; http://www2. bc. edu 4 California Cotton Ginners and Growers Associations, Cotton Facts, http://www. ccgga. org e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 7/11 equivalent volume for serving the workers colony and other domestic uses of water. The water used for finishing and processing results in contaminated liquid effluent of approximately 1,500 cubic meters per day. 5 In Tirupur, annually the textile industries alone utilize around 28. 8 billion litres of ground water. 6 An estimated 70 percent of textile effluents and 20 percent of dyestuffs are still dumped into water supplies by global factories. Energy Consumption Textile manufacturers use energy as a raw material input to the manufacturing process or for some other purpose usually referred to as non-fuel use. Electricity consumption is increasing in textile mills. Textile manufacturers have to deal with rising energy supply costs. Dow Chemical Co. nd DuPont both recently announced they're raising prices on nearly everything they sell, from chemicals used in bathroom cleaners to freezer bags and kitchen counter tops, because of high raw materials costs. Testifying before Congress in October, 2005, Dow CEO Andrew Liveris said high prices for natural gas that Dow and other companies use for both fuel and raw materials have rendered â€Å"the entire U. S. chemical industry uncompetitive†. â€Å"We simply cannot compete with the rest of the world at these prices,† Liveris said, adding that Dow is shifting some work overseas. â€Å"It undermines all U. S. manufacturing, because we supply all of U. S. manufacturing. † Raw materials and energy account for 50 percent of Dow's costs today, Liveris said. Energy costs were also a factor in layoffs at a Hanes Dye and Finishing plant in WinstonSalem and a Klaussner Furniture plant in Robbins, in Moore County in US. â€Å"China was the big reason, but energy costs make it difficult to compete in the global market,† said Mike Vaughan, vice president of operations and general manager for Hanes. Vaughan said the company uses a significant amount of natural gas to operate the machinery at its facilities. In the past three years, he said, the costs have tripled. 7 In Indian textile industry, energy accounts for an estimated 12%-15% of total cost of production. It was estimated that the energy saving potential is as high as 23%. 8 The Textiles Committee has taken up a programme to help processing units in Tirupur reduce their energy costs. Committee sources told The Hindu9 that three small-scale dyeing units, that were members of the Mannarai Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), had been selected for this purpose. The project has three phases. This project Pakistan: Environmental Impact of Cotton Production and Trade, Tariq Banuri, Copyright  © 1999 International Institute for Sustainable Development, Canada 6 Ibid 2 7 http://www. newsobserver. com/102/story/374287. html, 16th March, 2006 8 http://www. renewingindia. org 9 The Hindu, 22nd January, 2004 e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com 5 D. Narasimha Reddy 8/11 was taken up in association with the School of Energy of the PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, under the cluster development programme of the committee. Sources explained that power, steam and water consumed by these units for processing one kg of fabric were estimated. During the first phase, energy auditing had been carried out in the three units. The energy consumption and the actual requirement were estimated in each of the participating units. Under the second phase, the areas that required â€Å"corrective action† were identified. Measures that had to be taken by the units and the cost implications were also recommended to them. Growth in artificial fibre over natural fibre Fibres are transformed into yarn through spinning for natural and blended yarns or drawing and texturising for synthetic filament yarn production. Yarn is weaved into cloth. The process of fabric formation or weaving comprises preparatory activities followed by actual weaving on the loom. The preparatory process includes winding, warping, sizing, drawing-in and denting. The sheets of yarn thus prepared are then converted into fabric on the looms. This weaved cloth or fabric is stitched into garments or sold in other forms of finished textiles. These stages of manufacture have various levels of automation possible as an improvement from the basic process. Textile fibres are predominantly of two types – natural and manmade (see figure ‘Basic Threads’). Based on the source, natural fibres, in turn, can be those derived from animals, vegetables or minerals. On the other hand, manmade fibres are produced in the fibre form by application of mainly chemical processes on the naturally occurring substances (like hydrocarbons). The textile industry uses vegetable fibers such as cotton, animal fibers — such as wool and silk, and a wide range of synthetic materials such as nylon, polyester, and acrylics. The production of natural fibers is approximately equal in amount to the production of synthetic fibers. Polyester accounts for about 50% of synthetics. Manmade fibres fall in two categories – synthetics and cellulosics. Synthetic fibres are primarily made from petrochemicals whereas cellulosics are mainly regenerated wood pulp with chemical and physical treating. These fibres can be either long, highly strong yarn called filament yarn (which is oriented and fully drawn and is straight) or in staple form (much smaller in length and crimpy like natural fibres). Filament yarns are woven or knitted as they are. They are also woven into fabrics of textured yarn by combining with other types of filament yarns, twisting yarns and texturing in accordance with the aim of the product. The filament yarns are processed into circular, triangular, oval, hollow and other cross-sections that have even better properties. The staple fibres can be easily blended with other types of fibres. They are woven into fabrics by blending with cotton, wool and linen fibres to suit the aim of the product. e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 9/11 The principal manmade fibres include polyester, nylon, acrylic and viscose. Chemically, polyester (or many esters) is primarily a family of polymers wherein the monomers belong to the category â€Å"esters†. The most commonly used polyester is the polymer of diglycol terephthalate and is called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Nylon is a group of polymers, which can be classified as polyamides. Today several types of nylon are produced with properties tuned to meet customer specifications. The most commonly used ones are nylon-6 (which is manufactured from caprolactam) and nylon66 (made from adipic acid and hexamethylene diamine). The special characteristics of manmade fibres combined with availability and cost factors have seen an enormous increase in their use in the global textile industry. Fibres consumption (and consumption of related goods) has been growing at an astonishing rate. Consumption per capita of fibres has been growing steadily passing from 3. 7 kilos in 1950 to 9 kilos in 2002. The growth of manmade fibres in the textile industry has been phenomenal. Production of artificial fibres outnumbers natural fibres since the beginning of the 1990s. In 2002, natural fibres production was at 22. 5 million tons against 33. 6 for man made fibres. Table 3: World fibre production/Consumption per capita10 Year Natural Manmade TOTAL Population Consumption * ‘000 billion** kg / capita tons 2002 22. 463 33. 657 56. 120 6,23 9,0 2000 21. 504 31. 147 52. 651 6,08 8,7 1990 21. 460 19. 380 40. 840 5,28 7,7 1980 15. 227 14. 301 29. 528 4,46 6,6 1970 13. 484 8. 394 21. 878 3,71 5,9 1960 11. 607 3. 367 14. 974 3,04 4,9 1950 7. 723 1. 681 9. 404 2,56 3,7 * Ramie, flax, hemp, jute, sisal and coir (fibre prepared from the husk of the coconut) not included. * World population Comparing the domestic consumption patterns of fibres in India and China, two of the largest textile players on the global market, the imbalance is evident. In India, the textile industry covers a wide range of economic activities and has a significant role in the economy of the c ountry. In 2003, it was growing at the annual rate of 5%. In the meanwhile, the per capita consumption of textile fibre in India is one of the lowest (2. 5 kg) in the world. In China, the consumption of textiles is booming. Synthetic fibre yarns are in the top fifty import commodities. In 2003 China imported 710,000 tons of cotton yarn and almost all Source: 2003/feb/25bud20. htm 10 www. indo-rama. net/FiberYear2002. pdf; www. rediff. com/money/ e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 10/11 luxury yarns and fibres are imported. During the same year, China's quantity per capita of processed chemical fibre reached 10 kg, much higher than the world's average. China's textile sector is predicted to achieve a 6. 0% growth to take its total fibre consumption to 14. 0 million tonnes by 2005 and its per capita fibre consumption from the 2001 level of 6. 0 kg to 8. 0 kg. In India, as yet there is no effort to quantify the overall environment impact of wet processing of ma n-made fibers, especially with respect to chemical components, processing formulations and the effluent produced from the process. It is known that pretreatment of cellulosic textiles is characterized by high consumption of chemicals, water, and energy along with great discharge of waster water. This is mainly due to carrying out pretreatment operations on separate steps with repeated washing operations after each step. Conclusion Clothes and other textiles can affect the environment to varying degrees throughout their life cycles. Before textiles reach the consumer, they have gone through many different chemical processes. They may be treated with chemicals to dye them, make them more hardwearing or wrinkle-resistant, or less flammable. Some of these chemicals are carcinogenic or may cause harm to children even before birth. Others may trigger allergic reactions in some people. Some flame retardants that are used in certain textiles contain organic bromine compounds that are persistent (break down very slowly in the environment). The use of some dangerous chemicals in textiles is restricted such as azo dyes and formaldehyde. All textiles processes have an impact on the environment. The industry uses large amounts of natural resources such as water, while many operations use chemicals and solvents. All companies use energy, produce solid waste, discharge effluent and emit dust, fumes, etc to the atmosphere. Many textiles companies are located in rural areas where environmental protection assumes significance. While companies in developed countries are faced with increasingly stringent legislative controls and rising water and other raw material costs, their competitors in developing countries are getting away by externalising the environmental costs. Efficient and effective use of raw materials and improved process operations are vital for Western companies to remain competitive. Pressure is also being exerted by suppliers and customers on such companies to reduce their environmental impact. Environmental aspects in the textile industry are typically addressed at the corporate level, and the environmental costs are viewed as corporate overhead, but in general not discussed at the national level. A more efficient compliance with proper environmental guidelines is required for significant cost reduction on environment. e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 11/11 Environmental issues can no longer be ignored by the textiles industry and the government. Indian textile industry should realize that to remain competitive operating costs have to be reduced and environmental compliance has to be increased. Government should also integrate environmental goals into the national textile policy, and cannot have independent growth strategies, as environmental costs are proving to be a drag on growth and development. The textile industry in Tirupur was expected to grow to achieve the targetted textile product export of US$ 50 Billion by the year 2010. But, such growth is now greatly hampered due to immense environmental damage caused to the Noyyal river, ground water system, and agricultural production, by the textile wet processing industries in Tirupur. 11 All these factors mean that environmental issues should be an essential part of textile growth policies. For Indian textile sector, the main drivers for environmentally benign growth can be: †¢ Growth of handloom sector †¢ Competition †¢ Pressure exerted down the supply chain by the consumer †¢ Reducing production costs †¢ Meeting current and anticipated legislative requirements †¢ Concern for the global and local environment In India, a comprehensive approach has not been undertaken before on environmental impacts of textile manufacturing and has never previously been associated with textile production and use. A comprehensive analysis of the environmental impact of textile manufacturing activity should be done, which includes an analysis of the degradation by air pollution, wind, water and other agents. A complete survey of how developments in the textile industry and consumers of its products have affected the environment in the past needs to be taken up. This should also cover the most recent solutions adopted by the industry to alleviate the problems. This is important given the high textile production targets post 2005, and the ways in which the industry is responding to the environmental challenge. It will help the national textile policy and the growth of textile industry as well. 11 Ibid 2 e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com