Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

5th November 2007A visit to Columbia University and the chaotic aftermathAfter being allowed to address the Columbia University, Iranian president Mohamed Ahmadnijan showed a rare character and a high level of social hardness. He blasted the American society and saying there was no gays in Iran. The eccentric leader of the republic of Iran is seen as a controversial and as an inspiration in the extremist movement. His position and virtues that aim at drawing out need to wipe Israel out of the map and to destabilise the West through all aspects of concerted violence and extremist principles, obviously resonate as great and are indicative of what the extremism followers should look up at in a leader. He has funded terrorist organizations and helped the insurgency in Iraqi with a purpose of frustrating the West and the effort of the international community to stabilise Iraqi.Insults to the UN and the USThe Iranian leader dismissed the United Nations and ridiculed its authenticity and le gitimacy. What he implied was the inability of policy within the structures of the UN and projected the US as the sole decision maker at the body. This view is myopic and absurd. He launched a scathing attack on the US at Columbia University.Controversial character and intentionsHis visit to Columbia University on 17th September 2007 has further transformed the leader to a major threat to the West’s relationship with the Middle East and other Muslim countries. Mohamed received a hostile reception at the University. His visit within a literally approach was designated to be a symbolic truce with the West’s culture and system but due to a rigid perspective on him and the commonplace attitude and general perception, Ahmednijad’s aims and objectives were not understood.He realised within his faculties, the hatred and fear the American nation regarded him with. Subsequently he saw how ready the West was to ‘at any chance to get rid of him. Diplomacy came to a d ead end with the senate at Columbia coming under criticism for allowing him to address the University gathering. Ahemdnijan was branded a ‘holocaust denier and a perpetrator of terrorism. The Columbia University president termed him as an intellectual mind set and an un-educated leader. This is the hatred Ahmednijad saw and felt in the United States Columbia University. His behaviour and character as seen in context before this was not focussed on neither intonation nor abhorrent ethos towards America but symbolic and reaching out moves which in the same context were not seen nor recognized by the American society.What sparks this controversial and hate towards the Iranian leader is the fanatical and anti West fanaticism in him, also his strategic positioning of Iran as a pillar of Islamic extremism, consistent attacks on American foreign policy and blasting of diplomatic efforts to end the nuclear standoff which has invoked sanctions on Iran.  In reciprocation to this animo sity Ahmednijan sought to commence his fall back position through diplomacy. He replied in a principled perspective.He confronted within the same schematic approach the Americans had done. He questioned the integrity of the Columbia University president Mr Bollinger and subsequently claimed the rights of Iran to own nuclear weapons just as the West owned. According to Anthony F and Robin W., (2007)   Ã¢â‚¬ËœAhmadinejad, who in the past has argued that Israel should be â€Å"wiped off the map,† repeated his assertions that the Holocaust should be researched â€Å"from different perspectives† and said Palestinians should not be â€Å"paying the price for an event they had nothing to do with.† The Iranian leader also blasted U.S. sanctions against his country, insisted on Iran's right to nuclear development and declared his willingness to â€Å"dialogue† with U.S. leaders’. His behaviour by then was characterized with apt criticism of the West hypoc risy and desire to see that they managed the greater global policies. He repeated that the holocaust needed to e researched. The aftermath was an onslaught on his sanity and audacity as a leader.  Diplomacy and amnestyAhmednijad might have opted to appease Americans through diplomacy. There are many issues within the history of the West problem with Iran. Both view each other as a threat to the others interest only that the West is autonomous, militarily stronger and more strategic economically and politically. Iran is only a minnow with more strategic position within religious lines and political-religious positions.This aspect has spared it the possible military strike by Americans. Although the United States has been more cautious with Iran, the debut of France in the anti Iran sentiment and the promise of military action as an eventuality add panache to the West desire to stop Iran’s strategic position growth. Ahmednijad wants to prove he is the key to the Middle East p roblem since he represents the radical ness and the extremist policies the Islamic community.The Iranian leader acted in speed to show his stand and diplomatic aspects as a leader. He advised his government to release a Californian businessman Ali Shekri who had been jailed in Iran. He morally was seeking retribution and sought to justify desire to establish peace and cohesiveness. But due to the abrasiveness and blindness of the American lawmakers and leaders, the Iranian leader saw no relenting. Subsequently his general issued a statement that insinuated that Iran was more militarily steady and ready. There was also the launch of two air force aircrafts which symbolised the industrialised and military power of Iran. This was an act of provoking the international community especially the United States.His character complexity and moral perspectivesHowever his character is seen as more re-proactive and meant to seek the elasticity of the Americans hate and military options against I ran. The Iranian leader was ready to visit the ground –zero. This would have been a symbolic and a significant gesture. He was to lay a wreath and probably make a speech. However the tensions after the Columbia University incident would render the entire visit for him dangerous.There were emotions and protests were all over. University students and civilians were on the streets chanting anti him. This was enough reason to refuse him the chance to go to the Ground-zero. But contextually, what was the motive of his intentions? Why would such an anti American leader wish to make a symbolic visit to a place where people from his religion and community killed thousands of innocent lives? This makes the Iranian leader controversial. In the event of a visit, no wonder Ahmednijads comments and sentiments would be more controversial than his remarks about the Jewish holocaust. He mght have justified jihad and the death of these people. He might have projected the Palestinian deaths wi thin this situation as what the Americans paid with the September 11.Further within this issue, Ahmednijan could not be a target of American extremists, obviously they don’t exist, and hence, he was not amused that, it was only a matter of distaste and the hate American legislators felt for him. It might be obvious he knew he could never get a chance to visit ground zero but confirming it through seeking the permission to is outward and provocative. This as seen within an academic perspective is a character that is seeking to find leeway’s and fissures in the American society and government so as to achieve personal goals. These goals are two-way-traffic. The Iranian leader might be seeking to make peace and embrace American foreign policy and become part of the international community, or is acting with impunity as an agent of the large extremist world to learn and find weakness in the American system.Worry and pessimism in Iranian leaderThough exuding confidence, the Iranian leader projected fear and desperacy to avert a war crisis. His intentions in the United States depict this character. The leaders is troubled and more in a quagmire than in good stead. Most probably he is worried by the French Foreign minister Bernard Kouchner remarks that France should prepare for war if Iran makes nuclear weapons, a sentiment shared by the United States. Ahmednijan might have weighed his options And saw he could not counter such brute force militarily. He knows the strength of Maericans through the Iraqi conflict but knows nothing of the French.Through visiting such a prestigious government funded Columbia University. David J (2007) argues that the Iranian president has been in a cage, he wants out but what he does every time he leaps up is to hang on in even when his foot is outside. He escalates in his justification of his country having nuclear power; Ahmednijan asserts in his Columbia interviews that â€Å"Making nuclear, chemical and biological bomb s and weapons of mass destruction is yet another result of the misuse of science and research by the big powers. [†¦] What can a perpetual nuclear umbrella threat achieve for the sake of humanity? If nuclear war wages between nuclear powers, what human catastrophe will take place?So we're quite clear on what we need. If [the US has] created the fifth generation of atomic bombs and are testing them already, what position are you in to question the peaceful purposes of other people who want nuclear power? We do not believe in nuclear weapons, period. It goes against the whole grain of humanity. [†¦] I think the politicians who are after atomic bombs, or testing them, making them, politically they are backward, retarded.†This seems a strategy to appease the American public on the Iranian nuclear intentions so as to pre-empt the French threat and be left with the US animosity and military intervention plans. Ahmednijad shows fear and strategic shift of his policy on nucl ear weapons. This way the public debate transforms from the context of his violating the proliferation faculties and embracing religious backed extremes.Going to Columbia is an insignia of his acknowledgement of American education and federal system.He is trying to be identified with the community and seeks to tone down his strong desire to be vocal against these institutions and instead be seen as a moderator of policies. He wants to prove his actions and statements are basically intended to mend and project positive perspectives in the interest of the Iran and the Middle East.His character raises the storms at home where his popularity is waning drastically. He is seen as an Islamic leader rather than a president of a republic. He is not dwelling on domestic issues but constantly criticizing the West and the Israeli’s. His actions do not represent the majority of his supporters and political cronies as more pressure mounts on Iran making military strikes inevitable. Though his approach to popularity is myopic, he is a symbol of Islamic rise against Western imperialism. Noor, M., (2006)SourcesNoor Mohamed 2006 : Ahmednijads falling popularity in the domestic front. Daily Nation Kenya

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Can netflix recover from its strategic mistakes?

Introduction and company overview Netflix is the world’s leading provider of online streaming media and movie rentals with more than 50 million of online subscribers.[1] It is the most prominent provider of online streaming media in the world with operations in the US, Canada and in 42 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. In fact, Netflix is the single largest source of internet traffic in the US, consuming 29.7% of the peak downstream traffic.[2] Since its inception, this giant provider of online streaming media has gained increasing popularity. The company was first founded by Reed Hastings in 1997.[3] Netflix began its operations with the selling of DVDs and offering of rental services by mail. The demand for DVD by rental services quickly outweighed the demand for buying DVDs which led to the company focusing their business model on dvd rentals.[4] Over the years, the company’s growth quickly gained momentum to the point that it passed its 500,000 subscriber mark.[5] The company continued to experience a rapid growth and by 2003, the subscriber base had already tripled to 1.5 million.[6] In 2007, Netflix launched the online-streaming services and positioned itself for the imminent transition to digital media by partnering with companies such as Microsoft, LG Electronics, Samsung and Roku and negotiating agreements with the biggest entertainment companies such as CBS, Starz Entertainment, and Disney for streaming of media content.[7] Throughout 2010 and the first half of 2011, the company experienced an unprecedented growth. The number of online subscriptions in the US alone doubled from 12.3 million to 24.6 million.[8] The quarterly revenue rapidly increased from $445 million to $770 million and the stock price increased reach an all-time high of $304.79.[9] However, a series of strategy changes implemented in mid July 2011 tarnished the company’s image and led to a steep decline in profitability and stock price. In mid-July 2011, Netflix implemented a new pricing plan which raised the monthly subscription by 60%. Customers reacted negatively to these price changes with more than 600,000 Netflix subscribers cancelling their subscription.[10] Towards the end of 2011, the company implemented another strategic change by creating Qwister and splitting the DVDs-by-mail business from internet streaming business. This sparked a second furore leading to a further decline in its stock prices. Netflix’s decl ine in the industry can be attributed to such kind of strategic mistakes. With these in mind, can Netflix can recover from its strategic mistakes? External analysis Netflix’s performance in the industry is affected by a number of external factors. An external audit of the industry reveals some of these political, economic, social and technological factors.PESTLE ANALYSISPolitical and Legal factorsAmong the various factors affecting the performance of Netflix in the industry are the political and legal factors, particularly legal battles, trademark, copyright and patent issues. Netflix faces ongoing legal battles with several companies including Comcast and Time Warner Cable.[11] This began with complaints from Comcast customers that the connection speed for Netflix streams had dropped significantly. Netflix’s own data showed a massive decline in connection speed as shown in the figure below. Fig. 1 Netflix’s own data showing a massive decline in Comcast’s connection speed.[12] More recently, Netflix filed a petition with the US Federal Communications Commission challenging the proposed merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable.[13] Netflix argues that the merger should not be allowed under the FCC’s public interest standard as it would stifle the competitive internet market and could potentially cause public harm by making the already expensive high definition (HD) even more expensive for video companies and consumers.[14] However, the petition to deny the proposed merger may not succeed as the commission has already determined that Comcast has the right to discriminate against online video distributors. The commission also determined that the public harm claim that Netflix raised was merely speculative and highly unlikely. The approval of the proposed merger points to the difficulty that Netflix may face in future. Comcast has already shown its willingness to discriminate against online video distributors by manipulating internet traffic at inte rconnection points with the aim of harming Netflix.[15] Social factorsFrom the social perspective, Netflix relies on the popularity of its media content among consumers. Even though Netflix has raced to become ubiquitous having pioneered online streaming, its main weakness has been the inability to feature the latest releases. It should be remembered that consumers want the most recent content. This is a particular area where Netflix has always been lagging behind. According to a recent consumer report, 81% of the respondents were found to stream media from Netflix, making it the most popular.[16] However, these respondents expressed their dissatisfaction with the service citing Netflix’s movie line up as the biggest issue of concern. Respondents were displeased with the limited selection of movies especially the latest releases.[17]EconomicIn terms of economic factors, Netflix operates in an industry characterized by large entry costs, low prices and a very competitive envir onment. To maintain an edge in the market, firms have to price competitively against rivals.The industry is still at its infancy and many companies appear to be experimenting their business models. For example, YouTube recently reached an agreement with Lions Gate Entertainment which secured it rights to mainstream movies from the entertainment company.[18] Apple recently unveiled its plans to develop an upgraded Apple TV that allow consumers to stream video from TV Sets. Hulu recently begun a new subscription plan that allows customers to watch some TV shows that are not available for free at the cost of $10 per month.[19] With streaming becoming more competitive, Netflix will have to improvise in order to continue to thrive in the industry.TechnologicalTechnology is rapidly changing and for Netflix to continue to thrive, it must contend with the constantly evolving and competing technology. Even though Netflix gained its initial competitive advantage from its business model which capitalized on the weakness of the tradition brick and mortar businesses, it continues to face the challenge of adjusting to new technological pressures.[20] Already some of Netflix’s competitors are offering additional innovative services to its customers. For example, Amazon Prime provides users with services such as free two-day shipping and free kindle book in addition to instant video streaming. HBO has made its online content available for purchase without the need of cable subscription. Vudu is releasing many titles the same day they out on DVD compared to Netflix which releases them 28 days later.[21]Five forces frameworkRivalry among firmsThere is no doubt that competition is becoming more intense in the industry. Netflix faces many rival competitors in the industry from Blockbuster to Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Comcast, Google TV, Apple TV and many others (Indiviglio, 2010). The intense rivalry is due to the large consumer market in the movie rental industry. Th e rivalry is also increased by the different methods that consumers can obtain a movie from in-store rental to mail delivery to online streaming and video on demand. The switching costs remain relatively low which perhaps contribute to the fierce rivalry in the industry. A large number of the rival competitors have large levels of capital and greater economies of scale which makes competition in the industry very fierce.Threat of new entrantsWhile Netflix faces intense rivalry from competitor firms, the threat of potential new entrants is relatively low due to the large entry costs in the market. Most of the existing firms have already established a well-known brand such as Hulu plus, Red box and Amazon instant video.[22] This makes it increasingly difficult for new players to thrive in the market. A potential new entrant would have to incur a lot costs in marketing and advertising to establish its brand and become competitive. Threat of substitution Similarly, the threat of substation is relatively low as many consumers prefer online streaming to physical DVD rentals. While there is no much of a threat to Netflix online streaming model, there is an existing threat from illegal pirating. Some websites provide customers with free access to most media content. However, most of these websites are illegal. Further, these websites are somewhat complicated and are not nearly intuitive as Netflix’s service.[23] While it remains government’s responsibility to enforce anti-pirating laws, it may be in Netflix’s best interest to lobby for tighter enforcements of these laws.[24]Bargaining power of consumersIn terms of the bargaining power, consumers seem to have a higher ground. Consumers have a higher bargaining power since there are many options in the industry with little or no switching costs. Netflix currently charges its customers an affordable monthly fee of $7.99 but since customers are not locked into contracts, they can easily switch from one online streaming company to another with minimal or low switching costs.[25] High consumer bargaining power implies that the company must be very careful in implementing its strategies. This can be seen with the price changes that Netflix imposed on its subscribers in 2011. A new pricing plan announced by the company in mid-July 2011 which increased the subscription price by 60% sent the company’s stock price in a tailspin.[26]Bargaining power of suppliersContent remains a key input in Netflix’s business strategy. Since there are very few media content providers that offer high quality content, the bargaining power of suppliers remain relatively high. Suppliers can impose a price increase or offer low quality content and this could have an adverse impact on the company’s profitability.[27] Recognizing the relatively high supplier’s bargaining power, Netflix recently begun developing its own content, some of which have rece ived acclaim in the industry such as the â€Å"House of cards† and â€Å"Hemlock Grove†.[28] However, despite these efforts, Netflix’s survival is largely dependent upon the variety of its content. Netflix still has to rely on its content providers to meet the needs of its large consumer base. II Internal analysis An analysis of the internal environment of Netflix is also important as it identifies the competencies that currently exist for the company to compete effectively. The VRIO framework and value chain model is going to be very useful in the analysis of the internal environment.Distinctive competencies: the VRIO frameworkQuestion of value: are the company’s resources and capabilities enabling it to capitalize on opportunities and neutralize external threats?In terms of distribution, Netflix has a sustainable advantage. It has several distribution channels from the physical distribution of titles through physical stores to distribution by mail.[29] However, this is a temporary advantage as blockbuster is posing a huge threat to the physical distribution of titles. Perhaps the biggest sustainable advantage lies with their online streaming capabilities. Being the first company with the capability to offer online video streaming service, it undoubtedly ranks at the top of video comp anies with the most widely streamed content. However, Apple is posing a huge threat having established presence in online streaming through iTunes.[30]Question of rarityAre there only a few numbers of firms with these capabilities?In some certain capabilities, Netflix have a sustainable advantage over competitor firms whereas in other capabilities, the company has only a temporary advantage. For example, in DVD rental and Blue Ray rental; Netflix only has a temporary advantage since many firms have the capabilities to produce these items.[31] However, with regard to online streaming, title variety, and convenience to consumers; Netflix has a sustainable advantage. This is because many other firms in the industry do not have the internal capabilities to innovate in these particular areas. Question of inimitability?The industry is characterized by large entry costs. Many firms lack the necessary resources and internal capabilities to offer similar content. It is quite expensive and ex tremely difficult to form agreements with content providers. Netflix has a temporary and sustainable advantage in this particular area having engineered the online streaming business model and formed agreements with several content providers including warner Bros and CBS among many others. Netflix’s possess key resources and capabilities that provide it with advantages that are not easy to imitate.[32]Question of organization?An important part of the internal analysis is examining how the policies and procedures are organized and whether this organization supports the company’s use of its valuable resources. Netflix has a functional centralized organizational structure in which the CEO has direct control over its six departments.[33] Netflix’s embraces a culture of freedom and innovation. Employees have the freedom to remain innovative and productive. This shows how the company’s organization policies are organized to support its valuable resources. Part III: Issues and challenges However, even with these resources and competencies, Netflix faces some challenges/impediments in its drive to remain competitive. One major challenge is its reliance on content providers. The company still has to depend on other content providers such as CBS and Time warner in order to continue to maintain the breadth and variety of their products. Such form of dependence can have dire consequences on the company especially where there are disagreements. For example, in mid July 2011, Netflix was forced to implement a new pricing plan that raised the monthly subscription by 60% after Starz, one of its content providers, demanded $300 million for renewal of its license with Netflix.[34] Initially, Netflix had been paying this premium movie channel $30 million annually. This was a huge step back and led to a steep decline in its stock price. Recently, Netflix was forced to remove some of its content after losing its contract with Viacom International, a leading provider of children sh ows.[35] While the huge subscriber base may give Netflix some sought of leverage in negotiating terms, much of its survival is still at the mercy of its content providers. Another challenge facing Netflix lies with the stiff competition in the movie industry. Even though the threat for potential new entrants is relatively low, there is an intense rivalry in the industry among key players such as Blockbuster, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Comcast, Google TV, and Apple TV.[36] With the battlefront shifting online, Netflix is going to be in direct competition with some of the well-financed and innovative companies such as Apple, Google and Amazon.[37] Netflix will have to be savvier than ever by negotiating better agreements for online streaming in order to take on these giant companies.[38] Part IV: Generation of strategic growth option Netflix’s overall situation is fairly attractive and somewhat sustainable. However, there are a number of Strategic Options that the company could pursue in its efforts to continue to grow and develop. The Ansoff matrix tool below will be used to describe these options. Ansoff matrix tool[39]Ansoff MatrixMarket developmentInternational expansion is one of the strategic growth option. Netflix has already entered into regional license agreements to stream media content from 42 countries in Central America, South America and the Caribbean.[40] However, this international expansion need to be implemented very cautiously. While this has allowed Netflix to expand its subscriber base, the company is spending so much that it doesn’t actually profit from this international expansion. For example, in the last quarter of 2012, international losses hit $105 million despite the gain of 6 million new subscribers.[41]Product developmentThe company could also benefit from developing its own original content and focusing on the online streaming business. Developing its own original content will reduce their dependence on content providers. There is also an imperative need to phase out the â€Å"DVD mailing option† from Netflix’s business model. The movie industry is quickly shifting online, yet Netflix continues to develop millions of DVDs which have high operating costs. Despite its huge revenue, Netflix’s margins are eaten up by its huge production costs.[42] With the movie industry shifting online, Netflix may lose out on major profits if they take too long to phase out the DVD mailing option.Market penetrationIn terms of market penetration, Netflix need to increase its domestic market. Growth in online streaming has resulted due to the increasing broadband penetration, growth in connected devices, faster download speed and the broader trends of media consumption.[43] A large part of the purchasing and usage of Netflix’s content come from existing customers in the US. However, there is still a larger market in the US that Netflix can benefit from. Netflix can leverage its first mover advantage to expand more rapidly in the US.DiversificationNetflix is currently in competition with rivals in the market in t wo main product lines: dvd rentals and online streaming. With virtual rivals such as Amazon, Hulu and cable TV companies among many others, competition in online streaming is going to be intense. In the product line of DVD rental, competitors such as Blockbuster and Red-box pose a huge threat.[44] To maintain an edge in the market, Netflix need to diversify its product line to include video and computer games. Part V Evaluation of strategic growth options With these strategic options identified, it is important to evaluate each option in terms of suitability, accessibility and feasibility. SAF framework will be very useful in this evaluation.SAFe frameworkSuitability criteriaSuitability criteria will evaluate whether these strategic options support Netflix’s mission and values, whether they are suitable for industry life cycle stage and whether they strengthen Netflix’s competitive position. Netflix’s mission statement is to grow the streaming subscription business both domestically and globally and to improve customer experience while staying within the parameter of their consolidated income and operating profit.[45] Strategy optionsSupports Netflix’s mission and valuesSuitable for industry life cycle stageStrengthens Netflix’s competitive position Expanding subscriber base internationally – market developmentyesYes – it is important to expand internationally currently in the industry.Yes. In the long term, this will consolidate their position in the industry Expanding rapidly in domestic market – market penetrationYesYes – market penetration is also important.Yes, in the long run. Focusing squarely on online streaming business and producing some its content – product developmentYesYes – the shifting market environment makes this strategy very effective.Yes – the industry is moving online and this strategy will significantly improve Netflix’s competitive position Diversifying product line to include video and computer games.yesYes – suitable for industry life cycle stageYes – this strategy will distinguish Netfl ix from competitorsAccessibility criteriaThe accessibility criteria is assessed based on customer reactions, risks of losses and returns on investments. Strategy optionsReaction of customersRisk of lossesReturns on investments Expanding subscriber base internationally – market developmentNo effect on customer reactionHigh – margins from international segment so far remain very low compared to domestic levels. Already the company has incurred huge losses from this expansion.Low – Broadband infrastructure is very poor in many international countries and pricing strategy may be seen as high in developing economies. Expanding rapidly in domestic market – market penetrationNo discernible effectLow – margins from domestic segments are very highHigh – the current low pricing policy is very attractive for new customers and entertainment consumption remains high Focusing squarely on online streaming business and producing some its content – product developmentPositive impact – provides customers with the convenience they need.Low – the industry is shifting online and customer su bscription for online streaming is increasing.Very high – market shifting online and broadband infrastructure allows for streaming of high quality hence improving customer experience. Producing its content will reduce its dependence on content providers. Diversifying product line to include video and computer games.Positive – it will enhance customer experienceRelatively low due to lack of differentiation between competitorsHigh – the added feature will increase customer experience among consumers who like video games. Feasibility criteriaFeasibility criteria involves examining whether Netflix has the internal capabilities and resources to support implementation of these strategic options Strategy optionsDo existing technological assets support this strategy?Does Netflix have enough financial resources to support implementation of this strategy?Is there enough information available for implementation of this strategy? Expanding subscriber base internationally – market developmentTechnically, Netflix’s content delivery network is able to support this strategy.Netflix still has enough financial resources to expand internationally, however, huge losses have been incurred in implementation of this strategyYes, there is enough information to implement this strategy, however, the losses incurred so far raises the question of whether it is a feasible option? Expanding rapidly in domestic market – market penetrationYes, Netflix’s content delivery network is able to support this strategyYes, the company still has enough funds for market penetration.Yes, Netflix has enough information to ensure success of this strategy. Focusing squarely on online streaming business and producing some its content – product developmentYes, Netflix has exceptional tools with intelligent analysis that enable it to detect faults in systems, improve on customer experience and handle increasing data traffic.There are enough financial resources to implement this strategy.Yes, Netflix has enough information. For example, when it created its original TV series â€Å"House of Cards†, Netflix knew that it would be a hit based on examining consumers viewing habits. Diversifying product line to include video and computer games.No, Netflix may not have the technical capabilities to produce computer games.However, there are enough financial resources to implement this strategy.Also, there might not be enough information to implement this strategy. Netflix may not have enough history data to base on since most consumers subscribed to watch movies and not play computer games. PART VI Description of Selected Strategy Netflix need to focus squarely on the streaming business and phase out the DVD mailing option from its product portfolio. It should be noted that movie industry is quickly moving online and the DVD business is bound to declines. This can be seen with the decline in Netflix’s domestic subscribers. Declining number of DVD subscribers while domestic streaming subscribers increase.[46] This is also very much consistent with Netflix’s generic business strategy of differentiation, cost leadership and providing customers with convenience. While the DVD business has in the past been very profitable compared to the online streaming business; there is a slow but inevitable decline in the DVD business as the industry moves towards online streaming.[47] The huge costs associated with production of physical discs, packaging costs and the high costs of running the DVD distribution centers will adversely affect the DVD business. Netflix contributing profit, DVD vs domestic streaming.[48] Focusing exclusively on online streaming will without doubt enhance these generic strategies by differentiating Netflix from brick and mortar stores such as Blockbuster and Redbox, and providing customers with the convenience that they need. Netflix has the internal capabilities and resources to carry out this strategy successful. For the company to successfully carry out this strategy, it has to be vigilant in supporting millions of connected devices used by consumers in online streaming.[49] From the operational perspective, Netflix has large, complex and highly distributed systems environments. The company has exceptional tools with intelligent analysis that enable it to detect faults in systems and improve on customer experience and handle increasing data traffic.[50] Also, Netflix need to pay more attention on creating its own original content. This will decrease its dependence on content providers. Netflix is guaranteed success in content creation since they have enough information about the content that customers are desperately in need of. This can be seen with its original TV series the â€Å"House of cards† and â€Å"Hemlock Grove†, both of which have received acclaim in the industry.[51] Netflix is able to determine if a particular TV series or movie is going to be a hit based on consumers viewing habits. This provides them with a huge advantage in content creation. However, this does not mean that Netflix should abandon its providers as its survival is largely dependent upon the variety of its content. Netflix still has to rely on its content providers to meet the needs of its large consumer base. Conclusion In conclusion, while Netflix is the most prominent provider of online streaming with operations in the US, Canada and in 42 countries in Latin America and Caribbean, it faces a number of political, economic, social and technological factors in the industry. From legal battles emerging form trademark, copyright and patent issues to social and economic factors such as the inability to feature the latest releases and stiff competition in the industry. The main issues and challenges that Netflix faces are the high bargaining power of suppliers and stiff competition from well-financed and innovative companies such as Apple, Google and Amazon. However, the company could pursue various strategic growth options to further consolidate its position in the industry such international expansion, domestic market penetration, product development and diversification. Based on the SAF framework, Netflix is better positioned to focus exclusively on online streaming business and developing its own ori ginal content. This will provide the company with the sustainable advantage that it needs in terms of reducing the suppliers bargaining power, consolidating its competitive position in the industry and increasing customer experience. Netflix’s overall situation is fairly attractive and somewhat sustainable. It remains the single largest source of internet traffic in the US, consuming 29.7% of peak downstream traffic. However, given the inevitable decline of the DVD business, the company should consider focusing their business model on online streaming and creation of original content. With the growing capabilities of broadband communication, which allow for faster downloads and streaming of content, the industry is quickly moving online. This does not mean abandoning its content providers. It should be remembered that Netflix’s survival is dependent on the variety of its content. Netflix should be savvier than ever by negotiating better agreements for online streaming, increasing the selection of titles and making it possible to stream more content including the latest releases. Reference Adhikari, V.K., Guo, Y., Hao, F., Varvello, M., Hilt, V., Steiner, M. and Zhang, Z., Unreeling Netflix: understanding and improving multi-CDN movie delivery. University of Minnesota. 2012. Carrol, H., Menenberg, A. and Kwok, I., Strategic report for Netflix, Inc. OASIS Consulting, 2009. Culp, C., Friedman, M., Lincoln, G., Reeve, Q and Matt, A., Netflix: past, present and future innovation. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Strategy, Available from http://faculty.tuck.dartmouth.edu/images/uploads/faculty/ron-adner/11EIS_Main_Project_-_Netflix_Paper.pdf, 2012. [Viewed on 12th December 2014] Datastax, Netflix gives users exactly what they want – every time. California, Datastax. 2014. Davis, R., Netflix, Amazon sued over web media patent. Law 360. New York Times. Available from http://www.law360.com/articles/81037/netflix-amazon-sued-over-web-media-patent, 2008. 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Cengage Learning, 2008. Vol. 2 Indiviglio, D., 3 big challenges facing Netflix. The Atlantic. Available from http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/09/3-big-challenges-facing-netflix/63637/ 2010, [Viewed on 19th December 2014] Kopytoff, V.G., Shifting online, Netflix faces new competition. The New York Times. Available from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/technology/27netflix.html?_r=0 2010, [Viewed on 12th December 2014] Krengel, A., Dudek, A., Momboisse, R., Paik, T. and Martin, T., Netflix: a company analysis. Santa Clara University. Available from http://mgmtclarity.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/capstone_final_report.pdf 2010, [Viewed on 12th December 2014] Lew, J., Bowers, T.P. and Weiss, J., Netflix, Inc. Client report. Available from http://economics-files.pomona.edu/jlikens/SeniorSeminars/Likens2014/reports/netflix.pdf, 2014, [Viewed on 16th December 2014] Lieberman. D, Netflix Says it WillLet ViacomDeal Expire, Available from http://www.deadline.com/2013/04/netflix-viacom-networks-dealexpire/ 2013, [Viewed on 20th December 2014] Mavinkurve, R., Becker, J. and Christensen, B., Improving Netflix’s operational visibility with real-time insight tools. The Netflix Tech Blog. http://techblog.netflix.com/2014/01/improving-netflixs-operational.html 2014, [Viewed on 23rd December 2014] Mick, J., Netflix accuses Comcast of ripping off customers, files to block merger. Daily Tech. Available from http://www.dailytech.com/Netflix+Accuses+Comcast+of+Ripping+Off+Customers+Files+to+Block+Merger/article36453.htm 2014, [Viewed on 12th December 2014] Mourdoukoutas, P., Can Netflix correct its strategic mistakesForbes. Available from http://www.forbes.com/sites/panosmourdoukoutas/2011/10/10/can-netflix-correct-its-strategic-mistakes/ 2011, [Viewed on 12th December 2014] Netflix, Netflix company profile. Available from http://netflixcompanyprofile.weebly.com/ 2014, [Viewed on 26th December 2014] Reisinger, D., Netflix streaming: mighty popular but sadly lacking. CNET. Available from http://www.cnet.com/news/netflix-streaming-mighty-popular-but-sadly-lacking/ 2012, [Viewed on 13th December 2014] Roettgers, J., The slow but inevitable decline of the Netflix’s DVD business. Available from https://gigaom.com/2013/10/21/when-will-netflix-kill-its-dvd-subscriptions/ 2013, [Viewed on 22nd December 2014] Sanders, M., Why is Netflix suing blockbusterLegal Zoom. Available from https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/why-is-netflix-suing-blockbuster 2009, [Viewed on 13th December 2014] Shih, W., Kaufman, S. and Spinola, D., Netflix. Harvard Business School Case 607-138, Study Series 9, 2007, pp.1-15. Thompson, A., Peteraf, M., Gamble, J.E, Strickland, A.J., Janes, A. and Sutton, C., Can Netflix recover from its strategic mistakesIn: crafting and executing strategy: the quest for competitive advantage University of Alabama. McGraw-Hill education, 2013. Waterman, D., Sherman, R. and Wook Ji, S., The economics of online television: industry development, aggregation, and â€Å"TV† everywhere. Bloomington, USA, Indiana University, 2013.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Middle East Colonialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Middle East Colonialism - Essay Example The other transformations entailed the erosion of the economic and political independence and spirit of nationalism had finally begun suffocating the atmosphere. The Europeans had opted to protect the non-Muslims from the heinous acts of the Muslims in the empire. The empire was gradually losing its territories as calls for nationalism were ringing around Turkey and other Arab countries. As the empire was ageing the division between the powerful and less powerful continued to widen. Meanwhile, the colonial empires were rooting themselves by dividing colonies among the European powers. Apparently the colonial powers took advantage of the falling Ottoman Rule that had had enormous influence of the regions it had Balkanized. Cole (1999) illuminated that the driving factors for the distribution of territories among these powers were economic reasons, political reasons, strategic reasons, and partly nationalism. The economic reasons encompassed the deep need for the powers to find new mar ket for their produce as well as other resources that were deemed to exist in these acquired territories.   The strategic reasons entailed the need to occupy areas that were strategically located not only for economical benefit but to gain control of numerous states.   Besides the above illuminated reasons, the western powers were also driven by their deep need to adventure. The trend of annexation of territories by several powers influenced other western nations as well. Makdisi (2006) vindicated that earlier, between 1798 and 1801.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Financial strategy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial strategy - Coursework Example Since, the two world wars and lot of scientific inventions, risk has been defined in many ways. When we go to the bus stand for the bus, various degree of risk is involved having different severity of accidents. Sometime risks may be voluntary or some risks may be trivial while other may be fatal. It may be argued that since the birth of civilization only risks have been responsible for any major advancement. In ancient times, risk taking cavemen lived with abundance of food and risk averse starved to death. In terms of financial theories and practice the risk management is equating risks with hedging. Organizations prosper not by avoiding risks but by managing risks to their own advantage. Ancient trade across the continents flourished because of risk taking and management. The key reason for Europe’s prosperity is risk management. In 1921, Frank Knight summarized the difference between risk and uncertainty with an example. â€Å"Two individuals drawing from an urn of red an d black balls; the first individual is ignorant of the numbers of each color whereas the second individual is aware that there are three red balls for each black ball. The second individual estimates (correctly) the probability of drawing a red ball to be 75% but the first operates under the misperception† (Knight 1921). ... Risks provide opportunities for a good outcome out of a bad situation. If the reward outmatches the hazard of disaster, people are ready to take risks. If a firm is conscious of the risks it is undertaking, it is going to formulate strategies based on the decision. The Institute of International Finance (December 2009) has defined risk culture as â€Å"as the norms and traditions of behavior of individuals and of groups within an organization that determine the way in which they identify, understand, discuss, and act on the risks the organization confronts and the risks it takes† (2009). It is essential that the risks are challenged by the core group of decision makers with an objective to develop a spirit of nurturing buoyancy and inculcating an environment for continuous improvement, in line with the strategic aims of the organization. Business risk is related to political and social environment of a country. During the war on terror and US attack on Iraq, the air travel bec ame very risky and the insurance cost and cost of flying were many times higher than the previous prevailing rates. Similarly, in today’s world condition in Afghanistan is a threat for any kind of manufacturing business. Thus, no company would like to establish a factory in Afghanistan. Therefore, we observe that a lot of trading is going on these days in this region of the world. The uncertainty of terrorism has created a status of risk in almost the entire world for the last couple of decades, more appropriately since US invasion of Iraq. As a result of risk investment has moved out from this region. Despite the fact the countries in these regions are offering business incentives to the investors but in view of the high risk for capital and life,

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Case Study- Soft Drinks Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

- Soft Drinks - Case Study Example The model is statistically significant and thus useful in determining future demand. Note that, significant F = 1.6455* 10-11 (approximately equal to zero). The implication is that the model is relevant with the estimators statistically different from zero (i.e. ÃŽ ²1 ≠  ÃŽ ²2≠  ÃŽ ²3≠ 0) 5. Now omit the price and temperature from the regression equation. Should a marketing plan for soft drinks be designed that relocates most canned drink machines into low-income neighborhoods? Why or why not? (20%) The negative sign in the income coefficient implies that a change in income influences quantity of soft drink cans consumed in the reverse direction. Therefore, the region with the lowest per-capita income will have the highest consumption. However, given that the R2 is 0.11 ( very low), the independent variable only explains 11% of the changes in the dependent variable leaving a very high percentage ( 89%) to be explained by other factors, hence not a good

Friday, July 26, 2019

Managerial Support Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Managerial Support Systems - Assignment Example e process of classifying people into groups that have some set of characteristics, resulting in the ability to be studied and targeted† (Xtremeimpark, 2009). Multinational corporations utilize consumer segmentation to determine the demand of its products by dividing consumer markets by geographical location. One of the reasons for geographical segmentation is because people from different cultures have different purchasing behaviors. McDonalds is the largest fast food chain in the world. Its hamburgers are a product that sells well in most parts of the world. Despite this fact the company has found it hard to penetrate the India marketplace because the majority of its population visualizes the cow as a sacred animal. Another variable that is often used for consumer segmentation is income. Marketplaces with populations that have higher income are attractive due to the fact that higher income means the customers have greater purchasing

How can Economic Value Added (EVA) statements be used to improve Essay - 2

How can Economic Value Added (EVA) statements be used to improve financial statement reporting, results, and success What are some problems found with EVA - Essay Example Making financial decisions only based on accounting data is a traditional way that can be misleading for the financial managers to make bad decisions. EVA measures are useful for the business to make decisions that can help the business to grow and help in making future ones. EVA creates the ‘value’ in the business decisions and financial management. The EVA calculations and statements are drawn by evaluating the value that has been added to the company. It shows how much the business has grown in terms of the worth it has. There are many factors that the EVA statements take into consideration to make sure that all the relevant data is considered when measuring the value of the business. It calculates how much the growth of the business is and how much has been invested for that growth. It takes out the net benefit that the business has gained and in regard of that cost that has been put in for that benefit (Grant, 2003). The EVA statements allow the business to take decisions about those projects that have to be accepted by the business. EVA statements would accept those projects that give the business a chance to experience growth and that add to the value the business. However, the financial managers will not accept those projects that seem to bring less benefit to the business and its value, no matter how much financial gain that project may bring. Although it may seem that the EVA statements neglect the financial figures, the concept is simple which suggests that decisions should be taken on account of the business’s financial health, and not taking those decisions that may financially hurt the business. EVA statements are greatly used to improve the business’s financial statement reporting, results and the future success. It allows the business to take decisions that are beneficial for the business financial position. Moreover, it allows the financial managers to evaluate the financial results in relation to

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Findings and analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Findings and analysis - Essay Example Three articles written by each of these writers were compiled. Shadid’s works include A Boy Who Was Like a Flower (2004), Syria’s Sons of No One (2011), and, House of Stone (2012). Gaskell’s work include Bombs put Kirkuk in line as next hotbed (2007), As Holidays Come and Go, War Barely Takes a Break (2009), and Army Reports Grim Milestone in Troop Suicides (2012). On the surface, there are glaring differences in terms of the content of the reportage. One of the most important of these is that Shadid’s subjects focused on individuals whereas Gaskell’s reports were more on the bigger picture. Shadid took the inductive approach to writing, using specific personalities and situations in order to report about the bigger picture of war. The implication of this is significant. First, there is the fact that the reporter was able to infiltrate the battlefront by chronicling the experiences of the victims who are caught in the crossfire of the battles. Gaske ll on the other hand focused on the movements of the war from the army’s or the strategists’ perspectives, hovering from above, exploring general terms such as army reports, army experiences and so forth. This difference implies several important things. First, there is the possibility that male correspondents report closer to the battle lines whereas female correspondents seem to be content watching from afar. This point is supported by the series of news feeds by renowned female war correspondent, Raghida Dergham, writing her pieces in a blog for The Huffington Post back in 2007 as she covered Iraq. The subjects of her articles were general themes such as the impact of the presidential election Lebanon, diplomatic tussles between major players in the Iraq War such as those involving Russia and the United States, Iran and Syria and so forth. There were interviews to individual participants but these were mostly prominent personalities, who stay away from the battlefie ld - Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki, etc. It is clear that male reporters are at an advantage or are more capable in covering the war as it happens. They are more likely to be found at the thick of things, say when gunfight erupts or the first to arrive and cover the casualties and damage of war. This is not to say that female reporters are less reliable. They are more likely to get information from decision makers and, hence, more effective in reporting diplomatic subjects, policy decisions and strategic issues. This aspect is supported by the analysis of the responses to this study’s interview questions by male and female war correspondents in the next case comparison. Male war correspondents are also more likely to report about fighting in detail as well as an emphasis on male subjects as what happened in the three articles by Shadid. On the other hand, female reporters to tend to focus on themes about women, children and family. The re could be a preferential bias to each of the subjects mentioned according to the gender differences of the reporters. While this study is not equipped to quantify this point, they are aggravated by two important variables. The first is the issue previously mentioned: women are constrained to report from the battlefield and, similarly, women are less likely to be foun

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Quantitative Analysis for Finance Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Quantitative Analysis for Finance - Coursework Example Basing on the calculated percentages, the return of each portfolio was calculated. Therefore, based on the results, the plan consists of the losses and the highest drawdown which could help investors prepare for what they could face in future. In relation to this, even if the financial plan is considered to be the simplest, it needs assumptions about the way the investment could perform. It is known that such assumptions might not be accurate, but they are required to be reasonable as well as thoughtful. The projections won’t be that useful in case you assume a balanced portfolio with a return of 7 percent every day. It was found that the returns of the total portfolio of investors during the year are negative and this indicates that the portfolio is not good enough to invest. Such resulted from the drop in value of the initial investment of the common bond which was from 30 000 pounds to 23 000 pounds. There was rise in value of the stock investment from 20 000 pounds to 25 0 00 pounds and this implies that the stock portfolio is good for investment. In regard to the determination of the capital market line equation (CML), we considered the fact that there was a correlation coefficient between the stock returns of 30 percent and the risk free rate of 5 percent .The risk profile could be altered easily when the asset risk is adjusted with the use of the risk –free rate. Based on the capital market line, the market portfolio has a combination of all risky-free asset and risky assets, with the use of the asset‘s market value to calculate the weights. The capital market line was derived by capital market model (CAPM) where the expected return at different risk levels was solved. For exercise 2, the capital market line was determined and in this case, it indicated that the diversified portfolio returns on the capital

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Leader that Influence Me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leader that Influence Me - Essay Example In short, without the presence of these role models, the lives of many people would totally be different. Â   My social studies teacher, Mrs. Catalina Mors, had a massive impact on my life. In my opinion, she is one of the friendliest people I have met in my entire life. I met her in my first year in high school, a time when my life was almost split into microscopic pieces. Having come from a broken family, I felt that being in high school was a way that my mother had invented to do away with me. I felt that no one cared if I existed or not and thought that I had no role to play in the world rang in my mind every second of my existence. Mrs. Catalina, I have learnt to call her Mrs. Memento, for her reminding me of good things in life, has been of great assistance to me. From her comforting words that gave me hope in life, I managed to come out of my depression and learn to accept sever situations in life. I relate my high self esteem from her counseling sessions that I went unconsciously every afternoon. At times, I would find my self in her company for over two hours with no complaints that her working day was over. Apart from being polite and well refined, Mrs. Catalina acted as a role model to many. Her code of conduct had no traces of ‘stains’ that some her age mate colleagues had. Being 23 years old and a teacher of boys, it is thought that younger teachers- beautiful like her- face numerous challenges in their careers. Some are even forced to jeopardize their careers, for failure to handle challenging situations in their job. Mrs. Catalina gained first-rate praise from all students, majority of whom, wanted to have a mature and reasonable life like hers. In my case, Mrs. Catalina has assisted me in making tangible decisions in life and focus on the future regardless of the situation at hand. I am able to deal with parents’ divorce with the

Monday, July 22, 2019

“The God That Sucked” by Thomas Frank Essay Example for Free

â€Å"The God That Sucked† by Thomas Frank Essay Thomas Frank wrote the article â€Å"The God That Sucked†. It would be no exaggeration to say that this article shocks, astonishes and makes people look on their lives differently. The god that sucked. Who is this god? Why did he suck? The god is the market. The rule of the life is to obey to the market, because it is something great, incomprehensible. The explanation why the market must rule is ‘globalization’. The market is spread throughout the world not leaving anything behind its borders. Every person is involved in the market and society cannot exist without it. It is like a whirlpool which sucks you in and will not let you go until it does not need you anymore. The market is a god of the whole humanity. In spite of everything, all his demands must be appeased. All the people must entrust their welfare to its hands. Why? Because it ‘decides’ who will become richer and who will become poorer. That’s the law of life. The market is called ‘god’ because ‘big bosses’ are praying to him to favour them. If people have any troubles in their lives, for example, lose their jobs because it is cheaper for the company to do their job somewhere else, or they don’t have health insurance, person realizes that god sucks. The market is the reason of rising prices and non-rising wages. But at the same time the market can not be held responsible for anything. â€Å"Smart† guys say that if something goes wrong, that only we are to blame. Due to the theological teaching, everybody has the choice and every step in the economics depends on it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One the one hand all this is merely a guess on my part but on the other hand not much explanation will be elicit the fact that all humanity is swallowed up by the market and none can escape from it. It is deplorable to confess that according to the laws of the market poor people become poorer and rich people become richer. This flow of ideas can easily lead to the conclusion that people become the slaves of the market and they cannot leave it. But those, who are the active part of the society can overcome it and achieve success not only in their career but also in their private lives. It is very difficult but possible to make the market the god that helps but not rules.

Water Its Need And Importance Essay Example for Free

Water Its Need And Importance Essay Water is the most abundant substance in the human body ranging from 40 to 80 percent of the body weight. Body water is distributed in two major compartments: the intracellular and the extracellular fluid compartments . Water being a solvent dissolves all substances and acts as a carrier to transport nutrient and other crucial chemicals which are needed for effective functioning of organs. For instance water helps in digestion, by dissolving the nutrient substances and making them pass through gastrointestinal tracks ultimately into the blood stream. It assists in transportation of food through the intestines as well as removing waste products from the body. On a cellular level it acts a medium for transmission of electrical signals between cells. It enables biochemical processes, acts as a lubricant and also regulates the body temperature according to the environmental conditions. FLUID BALANCE: Under normal condition fluid intake equals fluid output and the body maintains constant volume. When the intake exceeds the output, a positive balance or hydration exceeds on the other hand when output exceeds intake a negative balance or dehydration is caused. The major water loss processes are perspiration and urination. The water balance is regulated by osmoreceptors located in the hypothalamus. These receptors sense the molality of the blood and decide whether more or less water is required to correct the osmolality. Thirst is stimulated and we drink water if the blood is too concentrated. Anti-diurectic hormone or ADH is released from the pituitary glands which causes conservation of body fluid by acting on the kidneys leading to decreased urine output. If blood is too dilute then thirst is suppressed and DH is inhibited causing volumes of urine to be excreted. When a person eliminates water through lungs and skin without being aware of it then its called insensible loss. Loss of water in extracellular compartment causes the fluid to become concentrated leading to hypertonicity and a gain in water leads to hypotonicity. In addition to regulating total volume, the osmolarity (the concentration of solute particles per unit volume) of bodily fluids is also tightly regulated. Extreme variation in osmolarity causes cells to shrink or swell, damaging or destroying cellular structure and disrupting normal cellular function. The human body maintains a proper fluid balance through the action of mineral compounds namely from sodium and potassium which are called electrolytes. Electrolytes are chemicals formed by ionic bonding that dissociate into electrically charged ions when they dissolve in the body fluids. Examples are acids, bases and salts. Their primary function is to control osmolarity, maintenance of acid-base balance, metabolism of essential minerals and participation in cellular activities. The sodium pump is a mechanism which ensures that a cell does not retain too much sodium (which attracts water via osmosis across the semi-permeable membrane of the cell wall) and thus stops too much water from entering the cell. As mentioned before ADH plays the key role in lowering osmolarity (reducing sodium concentration) by increasing water reabsorption in the kidneys, enabling to dilute bodily fluids. To prevent osmolarity from decreasing below normal, the kidneys also have a regulated mechanism for reabsorbing sodium in the distal nephron which is controlled by aldosterone, a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: Several environmental factors control the loss of body fluids. Higher ambient temperatures result in a greater potential for sweat production. Higher humidity is also responsible for higher sweat production, but effectiveness of sweating to cool the body is reduced due to decreased rate of evaporation of perspiration from the skin. The same problem also exists with clothing that traps sweat against the skin which results in a reduced cooling efficiency that forces a greater sweat rate. CONCLUSION: A regular fluid intake from our daily diet is crucial to maintain good health. This is because the human body does not store water in the way as it stores calories so we need a constant supply every day. About 15 percent of our water needs comes from food metabolism, as our body converts part of our food into hydrogen and then mixes this with oxygen from our lungs to form water. The remaining 85 percent comes directly from water in our diet, either from water-rich foods or from water we drink. For women, the US Food and Nutrition Board recommend a total daily water intake of about 2. 7 liters (about 8 glasses) from all beverages and foods. For men they advise a total daily water intake of about 3. 7 liters (about 12 glasses). REFERENCES: ? http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/211236/fluid-balance ? http://www. annecollins. com/water-intake-fluid-balance. htm ? http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Body_water ? Schaums Outline of Human Anatomy and physiology

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Women oppressed religion of christianity

Women oppressed religion of christianity Women are oppressed by the religion of Christianity This essay will attempt to explain some of the most important points related to oppression of women in Christianity. Clearly we can say that women in the old testament for generations waited to see the distinctive child, whose birth well planned before creation began, would bring a change to their life. They sacrificed their own necessity hopping that the promised Saviour would bring them away from suffering. So when the Christ arrived, was everything that women hoped for? Was the world Christmas baby worth to wait for? What would His come mean for women? And how would the promised saviour treat women? Limitations themselves are always shifting, and so the arguments over teachings and opinion are used as a channel into the progression of a cultural construction which characterize both aspect religious and cultural. Definitely the dogma of submission has alleviated over time ,but for many Christians the long-established tradition , still have some issue; at one side we find those who regards male guidance in marriage as largely symbolic and who consent women to partake in church assembly and leadership .At the other side we find those who clearly underline the diversity between man and women in almost every aspect of life . Jesus himself never label women. A womans importance is never determined by her , motherly, domestic or femininity functions, but by her connection with God. On one occasion ; a woman shouted out, Blessed is the woman who gave you birth and look after you. Jesus replied, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and follow it. Definitely Jesus in every day talking, dealing, treating and caring of women is not only a perfect example of loving and respectful attitudes toward women. He left behind a delicate statement of who women are and how they should be treated. In the Gospel we find more then twenty episode in witch Jesus interact with women ,and also many of His teachings regards women daily doings ,such as backing bread ,housekeeping, shopping, pregnancy, breast feeding, so He would not disregard women at all. (Rebecca Jones pp116,118.) Jesus consistently uses women as examples of virtue. He also permits a woman to stay and listen to His teaching sit by his feet (Luke 10:39)-place usually taken by disciples. We have to say that Jewish priest or teachers of the law did not permit women disciples; certainly, Jesus followers often did send women out on the preaching missions ( Mark 6:7—13)probably confirmed scandalous from the cultural society of those years ; nonetheless, the ministry of Jesus and his Gospel confirm that women were involved throughout His life .Mary, Elizabeth, and Anna had a major rule in His childhood, amongst the thirty miracles recorded in the Gospel , over ten had focal point on women .They journeyed with Him even out into the wildernesses (cf. Origen,Adv. Cel.3.10), and would participate at most of Jesus teachings and ministry events .Women were present at the fit of the Cross and again the first to the tomb (Mt 28.1) also the first that the angels spoke with at the tomb (Mt 28.5) And of course is coming on earth became possible through the acceptance of a virgin ,Mary was not forced to accept God will ,and yet God became a man thanks to a woman .Then we find the first public miracle of Jesus was through intercession of a woman (His mother) ,which for many Christians ,is the female doorway through whom they familiarise with the divine. A woman that can be looked at , as chief, since she was a compassionate woman, she was a devoted follower, she did put everything she had at risk , and of course a kind-hearted mother, she lost her own son, and for many people a model of a very strong human being, a woman to be admired and to identify with . So clearly Jesus did teach women liberally, and from time to time in Rabbinical manner ( Luke 10.38-42). His approach were very unique and different from the Jewish traditions. In the Talmud, is stated , there is no knowledge in a woman , it is better that the script of the Law should be on fire, than that they have to be passed to a women .Jesus clearly separate himself from those religious tradition when he talks and teach to women and integrated them ,among his followers. Then how can we say, that His teachings and ministry brought women to the verge of oppression? We can prove that sun after Jesus death ,all His teaching started having some changing, immediately, with Saint Paul only few years after, we find the first discrimination about women , Two passages in Pauls letters appear to disagree with an approval of women in ministry. First, Paul instruct women to be quiet and keep their questions concerning the faith ,for their husbands at home (1 Corinthians 14:34—36),and then in 1 Timothy 2:11—15, Paul forbade women to instruct or use influence over men ,of course Paul really thought ,that the . husband should be as head of his wife and that she should been submitted to him, So the apostle Paul would not consent a woman to teach or to employ authority over a man. And again we find Pauls argument about Eves deception witch is even more likely to fit this category. So the deception of Eva excludes all women from teaching, and have words of authority in the new born church He claims, that women are more easily mislead than men which are probably considered by Paul far more superior then women ,that is way most likely God created first Adam ,story well reported in the genesis . On the other hand, pattern from church account cannot resolve the matter; we should establish our position from Scripture. since the current discussion is to be found especially about Pauls teaching, so we should examine his letters and come to a true conclusion . Paul received both the Judaic traditions and Jesus understanding as Gods Word, we have to analyse womens ministry and position on those basis. The ancient close by Eastern world, of which Israel was a fraction, was a mans territory . Since God gave the blessing to Israel in a particular culture, nevertheless, the fact suggest that the society itself was holy. The way of life included divorce, polygamy, slavery , and many of other way we now identify as unholy. The obedience of the wife to the husband would go without problem as the centre of a social cultural environment in which was founded the family order. Without doubt The first Christians were blamed of starting a new ideology revolutionizing what for century was the rule and tradition, so probably Paul required to give a message and show that Christians were not anarchists. Regarding Paul himself, we should answer the above suppositions saying ; Are those the teaching of a man with problems? or Paul was simply a misogynist ?perhaps he was amongst those who would not permit woman to teach or to employ authority over a man because he could not stand the idea of it ?.But if we look at Pauls background we can understand that he was a Pharisee ,so a man educated an grown according to Jewish rules and traditions, were relations between men and women were subjected to the lows .for example If a man would only lay a hand on a woman in the wrong time of the month he could get ritually impure himself, or ,along with every day prayers performed by Jewish men were some phrase such as ; Blessed Thou hart , o God because you did not created me a woman. So Paul grew up in a certain way of concerning women, and some of the comments he makes about women are definitely according to the law which he grow up with and those supposition could be easily be ascribed to his own background. Definitely with Paul women were complete constituent of the ministry, fully involved in the life of the new church ,and in need of his advice, support , amendment, and spiritual help as the men. For example in the baptismal formula used by Paul in Galatians 3:27-8: For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. We could look at different aspect ,for instance ,Paul mostly depended on women to help him in his teaching, and he shows that trough words of gratitude to them in his letters, by name he refers to Phoebe, a deaconess, who â€Å"has been a helper of many and of myself as well† (Romans 16:2 ), Euodia and Syntyche in Philippians who, he says, â€Å"laboured side by side with me in the gospel.† If he really despised marriage, would he have spoken so warmly and repeatedly of the couple Prisca and Aquila, whom he referred to as â€Å"my fellow workers in Christ Jesus who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I, but also all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks.† (Romans 16:3-4) So is clearly showed that ,not only women are not the inferior gender when it comes to creation, but also in Christs church. Galatians 3:28 says.So in both, creation and church they are equally important .And no were we will find in the holy scripture, a phrase stating that women were inferior then man Genesis â€Å"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them† Starting from the very begin ,we will find out that creation without women would have been terribly different , in the genesis ; The LORD God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. So immediately we find that the woman was necessary to improve the situation . She was in Gods plan ,deliberately created to be a co-worker with the Adam. The method of creation of Eve occupied a full involvement of the natureshe was formed from the same substance ( essentially and numerically) as the man, So the Woman was part of the original plan , was created at same image of God, was sovereign above the creation, with the man , was blessed by God, was given joint- accountability by God ,and was commanded rule and fill the earth with the man .If we take a look at historical passages to Christianity amazingly we will find a well-built picture of the women:They were essential to make the creation good (Gen 1.26-28) They shared joint liability with man to co-rule/fill the earth. (Gen 1.26-2) And more then fifty other episode in which women were prime part of Gods plan . regardless of the men status in ancient Israelite cultural society God occasionally called women as influential leader . When Josiah required to hear the word of God , he did send Hilkiah the cleric and others to someone who was certainly one of the main important prophet of his day: Huldah ( Kings 22:12—20). Deborah was a prophetess and a judge (Judges 4). She assumed a position of great influence in Israel . She was also amongst the few judges of whom the Bible reports no disappointment (Judges 4,5). The issue of a womans function in Christianity is a serious alarm for todays church. It is vital , in view of the fact that our necessity for the spiritual gifts of all the members that God has call to serve His Church. The alarm, nevertheless, is extending further than the Church itself progressively more ,year by year , and consequently material theorist attack Christianity as not in favour of women and as a result inappropriate to the modern world. So where democracy is established, and religion has separated from politics , some changing are needed ,and for sure some changing are taking place Bibliography Rebecca Jones, 2007- Does Christianity squash women ? published by Broadman and Holman,2005 -pp 116,118 Biblical resource .

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Erin :: essays research papers

She brought a small town to its feet and a huge company to its knees. In a world where heroes are often in short supply, the story of Erin Brockovich is an inspirational reminder of the power of the human spirit. Her passion, tenacity and steadfast desire to fight for the rights of the underdog defied the odds ... her victory made even more sweet by the fact that while helping others, she in turn helped herself. Erin Brockovich is a stirring, funny and unconventional drama based on true events, starring two-time Academy Award nominee Julia Roberts as the twice-divorced mother of three young children who sees an injustice, takes on the bad guy and wins. With no money, no job and no prospects on the horizon, Erin Brockovich (Roberts) is a woman in a tight spot. Following a car accident in which Erin is not at fault, she finds herself even worse off when her attorney fails to land her any kind of settlement. With nowhere else to turn, Erin pleads with her attorney Ed Masry (Albert Finney) to hire her at his law firm. It is there, while working, that Erin stumbles upon some medical records placed in real estate files. Confused, she begins to question the connection. She convinces Ed to allow her to investigate, where she discovers a cover-up involving contaminated water in a local community which is causing devastating illnesses among its residents. Although the local citizens are initially leery of becoming involved, Erin's persistence and the personal interest she takes in their lives makes them listen. A kindred spirit, Erin is one of them, and her ability to connect with them on their level makes them comfortable, ultimately earning their trust. Helping her out is her next door neighbor George (Aaron Eckhart), a Harley Davidson biker whose friendship and support allows her the time to pursue the case.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Business Ethics Essay -- essays research papers

Part I. Case Development   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Working in Human resources can make it very difficult to meet friends at work. Many Human resources professionals avoid being too friendly with employees outside of the department and there are employees who keep their distance from being too friendly with Human resources personnel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I did break this rule several years ago when we hired a new employee. This employee and I hit it off immediately and we became very good friends and remain this way today. This friend was an excellent employee. Everyone loved working with her and her assistance was in great demand.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Several years after meeting this new employee the two of us decided to become roommates. We were both in the market to move and both of us were students working full-time, so we rented an apartment together. Soon after becoming roommates my friend broke-up with her boyfriend of several years and it wasn’t long before that I noticed frequent phone calls to the apartment from a partner at our firm. The partner was her direct supervisor so I found it somewhat strange that he would call her at home so often and at such hours. At the time I chose not to say anything as I did not think it was any of my business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As time went on the calls started to get more frequent and on several occasions my friend called the partner, in my presence, very late at night and left him what I believed to be a very personal message and not work-related. Even more interesting was the fact that the partner was married.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After some consideration I decided to bring up the subject of the calls with my friend. I was merely inquiring as to what was going on between her and this partner. My friend brushed it off and implied that nothing was going on between them. I accepted this at the time and decided to drop the subject for the moment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sometime later I learned that my friend was traveling to London on business with this partner. My suspicions were raised at this point since I knew that employees in my friend’s position did not typically travel on business. I started to get a little concerned at this point. I knew the potential risks involved when a manager is intimately involved with a subordinate. In addition, I knew that the f... ...ships between employees but discourage relationships between managers and direct subordinates. These relationships can be consensual and lead to very positive outcomes but the risk will always be there. Discouragement does not prevent them from happening. Having a simple policy outlining some guidelines and incorporating the topic into management and sensitivity training is a good approach. References Greenwald, J. (2000). Office Romances May Court Trouble. Business Insurance. Vol. 34, Issue 7, p20. Peikes, L. and Burns, M. (2004). No-Fraternization Policies Under the Judicial Microscope. SHRM Legal Report. Retrieved February 4, 2004, www.shrm.org. Poe, A. (2000). Office Romance: HR’s Role. SHRM White Paper. Retreived February 4, 2004, www.shrm.org. Powers, D.M. (1999). Consensual Workplace Relationships: The Stereotypes, policies and Challenges. Compensation and Benefits Management. Vol. 15, Issue 3, p35. Quinn, R.E. and Lees, P (1984). Attraction and Harassment: Dynamics of Sexual Politics in the Workplace. Organizational Dynamics. Vol. 13, Issue 2. Spragins, E., Overfelt, M. and Sloane, J. (2004). Dangerous Liaisons. FSB: Small Fortune Business; Vol. 14, Issue 1, p62.

Proton Radiography Essay example -- Nuclear Science

The purpose of this project is to compare radiation imaging simulations of protons to X-rays. In this project proton radiography is proposed as an alternative diagnostic method for the nuclear stockpile. The basis of this project is the use of proton radiography for implosion tests. In any nuclear weapon, implosion geometry is crucial. Implosion tests are needed to ensure that the weapons will perform as expected after years of storage. These tests also help validate computer simulations of nuclear weapon performance. The underground nuclear test ban treaty of 19631 makes confirmation of computer simulations vital to stockpile stewardship. In an implosion test a full-scale weapon mock-up is designed and created using a surrogate metal that has similar mechanical properties to those of the fissile material but cannot produce nuclear reactions. During an implosion, shock waves' high pressures and hot temperatures will cause the solid materials present to flow like liquids. Liquid behav ior can be described by hydrodynamic equations; implosion tests are often called hydro-tests2 in industry. During the Manhattan Project, scientists took snapshots of imploding mock-ups with intense flashes of high-energy x-rays. In 1995 Los Alamos physicist Chris Morris2 developed a way to use protons instead of x-rays for hydro-test radiography. Proton Radiography has many benefits some of which will be discussed in this report. Background Radiography is the production of an image on a radiosensitive surface, such as a photographic film, by radiation other than visible light i.e. radiograph.3 During radiography beams are used to view a material with non-uniform composition. A beam of X-rays is produced by an X-ray generator and is projected towar... ... use of dose cards to compare the dose for each particle to image at various energies. Running the simulation several times with various materials such as Plutonium at compressed densities would also prove more applicable to use for hydro-testing. Works Cited 1. Court, Edward C. Snow and John D. "Radiography Image Detector Capability in MCNP4B." Trans. Am. Nucl Soc. ((1998)): 79, 99. 2. Fishbone, Brian. "shaper X-ray vision for hydrotests." Los Alamos research quarterly . http://www.lanl.gov/quarterly/q_w03/pro_rad.shtml. 3. http://www.state.gov/www/global/arms/treaties/ltbt1.html. "Partial Test Ban Treaty." 1963. 4. Koehler, A.M. "Proton Radiography." Science (1968): 160(3825): p. 303-304. 5. Wolbarst, Anthony B. Looking within: how X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound, and other medical images are created . London England: University California Press, 1990.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Recruitment and Selection in Dlw

A SUMMER TRAINNING PROJECT REPORT ON RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION AT DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE WORKS SUBMITTED IN Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement of the Award of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) OF BANASTHALI UNIVERSITY (Session: 2011-2013) SUBMITTED BY AMRITA MATHUR MBA IIND SEMESTER ID NO. – WBMBA11964 ROLL NO. – 7459 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Any accomplishment requires the effort of many people and this work is no different. It has been my proud privilege to be attached to Diesel Locomotive Work, a highly professional’s bank with modern outlook.With due respect I express my indebt ness to the management of Diesel Locomotive Work for accommodating me as a summer trainee. I would like to express my gratitude with sense of reverence to Mr. Dinesh Singh (head, PERSONNEL and HR department). It would have been difficult to go through this project without their help. He not only helped me in collecting data but also supported me with their valuable knowledge and experi ence in the successful completion of this project. I would also thankful to almighty god for his grace and mercy to successfully complete this project. Amrita Mathur PREFACEIn our two year degree program of M. B. A. of there’s provision for doing summer training, after IInd semester. The essential purpose of this project is to given an exposure and detailed outlook to the student of practical concept, which they already studied research. For this purpose, I was assigned the project for the â€Å"RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION† in Diesel Locomotive Work. It is a matter of great privilege to get training from Diesel Locomotive Work, one of the largest organisations of its kind. The project lasted for a period of six weeks: it was informative, interesting and inspiring.I hope this report will provide an experiment outlook to the dynamic functioning in the HR department in Diesel Locomotive Work. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The project titled â€Å"RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION† Under taken in Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW). A production unit of Indian Railways,  DLW  was set up in collaboration with Alco, USA, in 1961 and commenced manufacturing in 1963. It has so far supplied over 5,000 locomotives, mainly to Indian Railways but also including 342 locomotives for non-railway  customers  such as power plants, port trusts and industrial users.The project report is about recruitment and selection process that’s an important part of any organization. Which is considered as a necessary asset of a company? It gives a organizational structure of the company. It’s a methodology in which the particular organization works and how a new candidate could be recruited in such a way that he/she would be fitted for the right kind of career. For every organisation it is important to have a right person on a right job. Recruitment and Selection plays a vital role in this situation.Shortage of skills and the use of new technology are putting considerable pres sure on how employers go about Recruiting and Selecting staff. It is recommended to carry out a strategic analysis of Recruitment and Selection procedure. There are two types of factors that affect the Recruitment of candidates for the company- * Internal factors. * External factors With reference to this context, this project is been prepared to put a light on Recruitment and Selection process. This project includes Meaning and Definition of Recruitment and Selection, Need and Purpose of Recruitment, Evaluation of Recruitment Process.Sources of Recruitment through which an organisation gets suitable application. Job Analysis, which gives an idea about the requirement of the job. Next is Selection process, which includes steps of Selection, Types of Test, Types of Interview, Common Interview Problems and their Solutions. The objective of selection decision is to choose the individual who can most successfully perform the job from the pool of qualified candidates. Selection process o r activities typically follow a standard patter, beginning with an initial screening interview and concluding with final employment decision.Recruitment and Selection are simultaneous process and are incomplete without each other. They are important components of the organisation and are different from each other. Since all the aspect needs practical example and explanation this project includes Recruitment and selection Process of Indian Railways. CONTENTS SR. NO. | TOPIC| PAGE NO. | 1. | Introduction| 1| 2. | Objective| 2| 3. | Scope Of The Study| 3| 4. | Research Methodology| 4-6| 5. | Company Profile| 7-12| 6. | Review Of Literature| 13-38| 7. | Data Analysis And Data Interpretation| 39-49| 8. Findings| 50| 9. | Conclusion| 51| 10. | Limitation Of Study| 52| 11. | Suggestions| 53| 12. | Bibliography| 54| 13. | Annexure| 55-57| INTRODUCTION Human Resource is a basic need of any work to be done. Recruitment and selection are two of the most important functions of personnel managem ent. Recruitment precedes selection and helps in selecting a right candidate. Every organisation needs to look after recruitment and selection in the initial period and thereafter as and when additional manpower is required due to expansion and development of business activities.The project report is all about recruitment and selection process that’s an important part of any organization. Recruitment highlights each applicant’s skills, talents and experience. Their selection involves developing a list of qualified candidates, defining a selection strategy, identifying qualified candidates, thoroughly evaluating qualified candidates and selecting the most qualified candidate. ‘Right person for the right job’ is the basic principle in recruitment and selection. Every organisation should give attention to the selection of its manpower, especially its managers.Every business organisation/unit needs manpower for carrying different business activities smoothly a nd efficiently and for this recruitment and selection of suitable candidates is essential. Human resource management in an organisation will not be possible if unsuitable persons are selected and employment in a business unit. OJBECTIVE The objective of my study is to understand and critically analyzed the recruitment and selection procedure at Diesel Locomotive Works. 1. To study the recruitment and selection procedure followed in DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE WORKS (DLW). 2. To study the various sources of recruitment followed in DLW. . To learn what is the process of recruitment and selection that should be followed. 4. To critically analyze the functioning of recruitment and selection procedures. 5. To identify the probable area of improvement to make recruitment and selection procedure and more effective. 6. To know the managerial satisfaction level about recruitment and selection procedure. SCOPE OF THE STUDY The benefit of the study for the researcher is that it helped to gain knowledge and experience and also provided the opportunity to study and understand the prevalent recruitment and selection procedures.The key points of my research study are: 1) To study the facts about the diesel locomotive works as a group. 2) To understand and analyze various HR factors including recruitment and selection procedure at Diesel Locomotive Works. 3) To suggest any measures/ recommendations for the improvement of the recruitment procedures. REASERCH METHODOLOGY In everyday life human being has to face many problems viz. Social, economical, financial problems. These problems in life call for acceptable and effective solutions and for this purpose, research is required and a methodology applied for the solutions can be found out.Research was carried out at DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE WORKS to find out the â€Å"Recruitment and selection process†. The Research Research is a â€Å"careful investigation or inquiry especially through search for new facts in any branch of knowledge. â⠂¬  The project is a systematic presentation consisting of enunciated problem, formulated hypothesis, collected facts or data, analyzes facts and proposed conclusions in form of recommendations. Kind of Research The research done by Exploratory Research: This kind of research has the primary objective of development of insights into the problem.It studies the main area where the problem lies and also tries to evaluate some appropriate courses of action. Sample Design: A complete interaction and enumeration of all employees of Diesel Locomotive Work was not possible so a sample was chosen that consisted of 25-30 employees. DATA COLLECTION The data for the survey will be conducted from both primaries as well as secondary sources. Primary Data: Primary data was collected through training classes and survey method by distributing questionnaires to manager of personnel department and employees of recruitment and selection section of personnel department.The questionnaires were carefully designed by taking into account the parameters of my study. Secondary Data: Data was collected from books, magazines, web sites, going through the records of the organisation, etc. It is the data which has been collected by individual or someone else for the purpose of other than those of our particular research study. Or in other words we can say that secondary data is the data used previously for the analysis and the results are undertaken for the next process. RESEARCH DESIGN Research Design:A research design is the specification of methods and procedure for acquiring the information needed to structure or to solve problems. It is the overall operation pattern or framework of the project that stipulates what information is to be collected from which source, and be what procedures. â€Å"A research design is the arrangement of condition for collection and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in procedure†. Design decision happens†¦ 1. What is study about? 2. What is study being made? 3. Where will the study be carried out? 4. What type of data is required? . Where can the required data to be found? 6. What will be the sample design? 7. Technique of data collection? COMPANY PROFILE INDIAN RAILWAY India's first train runs between Mumbai  and  Thane. The Indian railways are Asia’s largest railways system and the world’s second largest railways system. Indian railways are owned and managed by the central government. Indian Railways  (IR) is an iconic Indian organisation, owned and operated by the  Government of India through the  Ministry of Railways which is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the entire rail network in India and it enjoys total monopoly. Railway† means a railway or any portion of a railway for the public carriage of passengers, animals or goods. Railways were first introduced to India in 1853. By 1947, the year of  India's inde pendence, there were forty-two rail systems. In 1951 the systems were nationalized as one unit, the Indian Railways, becoming one of the largest networks in the world. It has the world's fourth largest railway network after those of the United States,  Russia  and  China. Rail transport is the conveyance of passengers and goods by means of wheeled vehicles running along railways or railroads.Rail transport is part of the logistics chain, which facilitates international trade and economic growth. INDIAN RAILWAY STRUCTURE Indian Railways is divided into several zones, which are further sub-divided into  divisions. The number of zones in Indian Railways increased from six to eight in 1951, nine in 1952 to sixteen in 2003 then to seventeen in 2010. Each zonal railway is made up of a certain number of divisions, each having a divisional headquarters. There are a total of sixty-eight divisions. Each of the seventeen zones is headed by a General Manager (GM) who reports directly to the Railway Board.The zones are further divided into divisions under the control of Divisional Railway Managers (DRM). Sr. No. | Name| Abbr. | Date Established| Headquarters| Divisions| 1. | Central| CR| 1951-11-05| Mumbai| Mumbai,  Bhusawal,  Pune,  Solapur,  Nagpur| 2. | East| ECR| 2002-10-01| Hajipur| Danapur,  Dhanbad,  Mughalsarai,Samastipur,  Sonpur| 3. | East Coast| ECoR| 2003-04-01| Bhubaneswar| Khurda Road,  Sambalpur,  Visakhapatnam| 4. | Eastern| ER| 1952-04| Kolkata| Howrah,  Sealdah,  Asansol,  Malda| 5. | North Central| NCR| 2003-04-01| Allahabad| Allahabad,  Agra,  Jhansi| 6. North Eastern| NER| 1952| Gorakhpur| Izzatnagar,  Lucknow,  Varanasi| 7. | North Western| NWR| 2002-10-01| Jaipur| Jaipur,  Ajmer,  Bikaner,  Jodhpur| 8. | Northeast Frontier| NFR| 1958-01-15| Guwahati| Alipurduar,  Katihar,  Rangia,  Lumding,Tinsukia| 9. | Northern| NR| 1952-04-14| Delhi| Delhi,  Ambala,  Firozpur,  Lucknow,Moradabad| 10. | Sout h Central| SCR| 1966-10-02| Secunderabad| Secunderabad,  Hyderabad,  Guntakal,Guntur,  Nanded,  Vijayawada| 11. | South East Central| SECR| 2003-04-01| Bilaspur| Bilaspur,  Raipur,  Nagpur| 12. | South Eastern| SER| 1955| Kolkata| Adra,  Chakradharpur,  Kharagpur,  Ranchi| 13. South Western| SWR| 2003-04-01| Hubli| Hubli,  Bangalore,  Mysore| 14. | Southern| SR| 1951-04-14| Chennai| Chennai,  Trichy,  Madurai,  Palakkad,  Salem,Trivandrum  | 15. | West Central| WCR| 2003-04-01| Jabalpur| Jabalpur,  Bhopal,  Kota| 16. | Western| WR| 1951-11-05| Mumbai| Mumbai Central,  Ratlam, Rajkot,  Ahmedabad ,  Bhavnagar,  Vadodara| Production Units Six production units are headed by a General Manager, who also reports directly to the Railway Board. The six Production Units are:- Sl. No| Name| Abbr. | Year Established| Location| Main products| 1. Golden Rock Locomotive Workshops| GOC| 1928| Trichy| Diesel-electric Locomotives| 2. | Chittaranjan Locomoti ve Works| CLW| 1947| Chittaranjan  ,Asansol| Electric Locomotives| 3. | Diesel Locomotive Works| DLW| 1961| Varanasi| Diesel Locomotives| 4. | Diesel-Loco Modernisation Works| DMW| 1981| Patiala| Diesel-electric Locomotives| 5. | Integral Coach Factory| ICF| 1952| Chennai| Passenger coaches| 6. | Rail Coach Factory| RCF| 1986| Kapurthala| Passenger coaches| 7. | Rail Wheel Factory| RWF| 1984| Bangalore| Railway wheels and axles| 8. | Rail Wheel Factory| RWF| 2011| Chhapra| Railway wheels and axles|Diesel Locomotive Works  (DLW) The  Diesel Locomotive Works  (DLW) in  Varanasi,  India, is a production unit owned by  Railways, that manufactures diesel-electric  locomotives  and its spare parts. It is the largest diesel-electric locomotive manufacturer in India. Healthy growth of railways is essential for India’s social, regional, economic, industrial and agricultural development. The main vision of Diesel Locomotive Works â€Å"To be a world class manufacture r of Diesel – electric locomotives. †Ã‚   Organizational Structure Of DLW General Manager (GM) CMO CME COS FA ; CAO CMEPCMDDepty CPO/HQ Depty CPO/General SPO APO/HQ APO/Staff | Nature of workThe role changes depending on where an officer is placed in the organization – in the division (operational level), the zone (tactical level), or the railway board (strategic level). The following are the different roles played in railways:  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ The commercial division: This division handles all commercial responsibilities like ticket checking, catering, administration and management of stations, reservation, announcements on the platforms, etc. †¢ The operations division: This division deals with controlling movement of trains.Keeping a check on incoming and outgoing trains, detachment or attachment of wagons, etc. , are the responsibilities of this division. †¢ India Railway Accounts Service: This branch of the Railway Services is engaged in handling the acc ounting and finance operations of the Indian Railways. At this post, the officer carries the overall responsibility for accounts for the whole zone. †¢ Indian Railway Personnel Service: As the name indicates, officers in this division handle all matters related to the personnel section like selection, promotions, training, welfare activities, transfers, increments, disciplinary actions and the like. Railway Protection Service/ Railway Protection Force: This branch of the Indian Railway Services is entrusted with the task of maintenance of law and order on trains and on premises owned and used by the Indian Railways. †¢ Railway Engineering Services: This is the technical side of the Railway Services and is engaged in activities like construction and planning of railway tracks, bridges and buildings. There are branches in this division like the Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers and the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers.Benefits To The EmployeesGroup A, B C and D title will be issued to those railway servants. There are both gazetted and non gazetted officers in these groups. Different railway passes are allowed to the employees according to the group and positions given to them. Some of them are Special passes, residential passes, widow passes, post retirement complimentary pass, school pass, pass on privilege account, duty pass etc. Staff Welfare| DLW undertakes a Varity of welfare activities for its over 6000 personnel.Important among these are:Education Facilities: DLW administration runs 4 schools providing Primary and Secondary Education to more than 2600 students. DLW Women’s Welfare Organization also runs a primary school Bal Niketan. DLW township also possesses 1 Post Graduate Girl’s College, 2 Central Schools, and 1 Senior Secondary School. Medical Facilities:105 bedded well-equipped Railway Hospital, a Health Unit and a First-Aid post in workshop provide comprehensive health care to around 20,000 Railwa y family members. A Homeopathic and an Ayurvedic dispensary are also available.Railway Quarters:A total of 3641 staff quarters are provided to the DLW employees. The Railway colony is well maintained and green, providing excellent pollution free environment. Compassionate Appointments:Families of deceased employees are helped by the way of compassionate appointment to the wards. Institute/Community Centre etc. :For various social needs of the staff 1 Community Hall, 2 Institutes, 2 Barat Ghars, 1 Kalyan Kendra, 1 Rangshala and 1 Officers Club are functioning on the premises. Cinema Club:For recreation of staff a Cinema Hall of around 700 capacities is functioning since 1967 in DLW.Sports ; Game:All kinds of facilities for various games like Cricket, Hockey, Basketball, Badminton, Volley-ball, Football, Table Tennis, Gymnasium, Athletics, Swimming, Golf, and Rifle Shooting have been provided for the staff. | REVIEW OF LITERATURE Human Resource plays a crucial role in the development process of the modern. Human resource management is the management of employee’s skill, knowledge abilities, talent, aptitude, creativity, ability etc. different terms are used for denoting Human Resource Management. RECRUITMENT AND SELECTIONRecruitment and selection are two of the most important functions of personnel management. Recruitment precedes selection and helps in selecting a right candidate. RECRUITMENT Recruitment is â€Å"hiring† of employees from outside. Recruitment has been regarded as the most important function of the HR department. ‘Right person for the right job’ is the basic principle in recruitment and selection. Every business organisation/unit needs manpower for carrying different business activities smoothly and efficiently and for this recruitment and selection of suitable candidates is essential.Need For Recruitment: The need for recruitment may be due to the following reasons / situation: 1. Vacancies due to promotions, transfer , retirement, termination, permanent disability, death and labour turnover. 2. Creation of new vacancies due to the growth, expansion and diversification of business activities of an enterprise. In addition, new vacancies are possible due to job specification. Purpose And Importance Of Recruitment: 1. Determine the present and future requirements of the organization with its personnel-planning and job analysis activities. . Increase organizational and individual effectiveness in the short term and long term. 3. Evaluate the effectiveness of various recruiting techniques and sources for all types of job applicants. Recruitment represents the first contact that a company makes with potential employees. It is through recruitment that many individuals will come to know a company, and eventually decided whether they wish to work for it. Sources Of Recruitment The sources of recruitment in Diesel Locomotive Work can be broadly categorized into internal and external sources- I.Internal Rec ruitment – Internal recruitment seeks applicants for positions from within the company. The various internal sources include 1) Promotion. 2) Transfers. 3) Compassionate Ground. 4) Sports Quota. 5) Cultural Quota. 6) Physical Handicapped Quota. II. External Recruitment – External recruitment seeks applicants for positions from sources outside the company. The various external sources include 1) Government Placement Agencies: a) UPSC(Union Public Service Commission) b) RRB/RRC(Railway Recruitment Board/Railway Recruitment Control) SELECTIONSelection is basically picking an applicant from (a pool of applicants) who has the appropriate qualification and competency to do the job. It is a negative process and involves the elimination of candidates who do not have the required skills and qualification for the job proposed. The objective of selection decision is to choose the individual who can most successfully perform the job from the pool of qualified candidates. It is the system of function and device adopted in a given company to ascertain whether the candidate’s specifications are matched with the job specifications and recruitment or not.The difference between recruitment and selection: * Recruitment is identifying n encouraging prospective employees to apply for a job and Selection is selecting the right candidate from the pool of applicants. * Recruitment is the positive function in which interested candidates are encouraged to submit application and Selection is a negative function in which unsuitable candidates are eliminated and the best one is selected. Selection Test: Different types of tests may be administered, depending on the job and the company.Generally, tests are used to determine the applicant’s ability, aptitude, intelligence, general knowledge, and medical test. .Selection Decision: The final decision has to be made the pool of individuals who pass the tests, interviews and reference checks. The view of the line man ager will be generally considered in the final selection because it is he/she who is responsible for the performance of the new employee. The HR manager plays a crucial role in the final selection. Physical Examination: After the selection decision and before the job offer is made, the candidate is required to undergo a physical fitness test.A job offer is, often, contingent upon the candidate being declared fit after the physical examination. The results of the medical fitness test are recorded in a statement and are preserved in the personnel records. There are several objectives behind a physical test: 1. Physical test is to detect if the individual carries any infectious disease. 2. The test assists in determining whether an applicant is physically fit to perform the work. 3. The physical examination information can be used to determine if there are certain physical capabilities, which differentiate successful and less successful employees. . Medical check-up protects applicants with health defects from undertaking work that could be detrimental to them or might otherwise endanger the employer’s property. 5. An examination will protect the employer from workers compensation claims that are not valid because the injuries or illness were present when the employee was hired. Job Offer: After the physical examination the selection process is job offer to those applicants who have crossed all the previous hurdles. Job offer is made through a letter of appointed.Such a letter generally contains a date by which the appointee must report on duty. The appointee must be given reasonable time for reporting. Again, a new job may require movement to another city, which means considerable preparation, and movement of property. The company may also want the individual to delay the date of reporting on duty. If the new employee’s first job upon joining the company is to go on company until perhaps a week before such training begins. Naturally, this practice cannot be abused, especially if the individual is unemployed and does not have sufficient finances.Their applicants may be preserved for future use, if any. It needs no emphasis that the applications of selected candidates must also be preserved for the future references. Contract Of Employment: After the job offer has bee made and candidates accept the offer, certain documents need to be executed by the employer and the candidate. One such document is the attestation form. This form contains vital details about the candidate, which are authenticated and attested by him/her. Attestation form will be a valid record for the future reference. There is also a need for reparing a contract of employment. The basic information that should be included in a written contract of employment will vary according to the level of the job, but the following checklist sets out the typical headings: 1. Job title. 2. Duties, including a parse such as â€Å"The employee will perform such duties and wil l be responsible to such a person, as the company may from time to time direct†. 3. Date when continuous employment starts and the basis for calculating service. 4. Rate of pay, allowance, overtime and shift rates, method of payments. 5.Hours of work including lunch break and overtime and shift arrangements. 6. Holiday arrangements: a) Paid holidays per year. b) Calculation of holiday pay. c) Qualifying period. d) Accrual of holidays and holiday pay. e) Details of holiday year. f) Dates when holidays can be taken. g) Maximum holiday that can be take at any one time. h) Carry over of holiday entitlement. i) Public holidays. 7. Length of notice due to and from employee. 8. Grievances procedure (or reference to it). 9. Disciplinary procedure (or any reference to it). 10. Work rules (or any reference to them).Employer’s right to vary terms of the contract subject to proper notification being given. Alternatively called employment agreements or simply bonds, contracts of emp loyment serve many useful purposes. The drawback with the contracts is that it is almost to enforce them. A determined employee is bound to leave the organisation, contract or no contract. Recruitment And Selection In Diesel Locomotive Work (DLW) Indian railway is considered as the biggest job provider in world. The Indian railway network is divided into 17 different zones geographically.Here I am giving you detailed information about division of railway jobs, and which job profile will be given in which departments through which exam. Staff are classified into gazetted (Group ‘A' and ‘B') and non-gazetted (Group ‘C' and ‘D') employees. The recruitment of Group ‘A' gazetted employees is carried out by the  Union Public Service Commission through exams conducted by it. The recruitment to Group ‘C' and ‘D' employees on the Indian Railways is done through 19 Railway Recruitment Boards which are controlled by the Railway Recruitment Control Bo ard (RRC).Vacancies in Indian Railways are filled either by recruitment by Recruitment agencies like UPSC or RRB or by promotion from serving candidates. The railway recruitment board divides all the jobs into four major categories as given below: 1. Group A: Group A recruitments are filled by UPSC by All India Competitive examinations. 2. Group B: Group B posts are normally filled by promotion from serving Group C candidates. 3. Group C: Group C recruitment are made by Railway Recruitment Board (RRB). 4. Group D: Group D posts are filled at the divisional level.The employees who are selected under group A and group B are Gazette officers. General Conditions for Recruitment The recruitment rules may provide for- 1. Qualifications, age and the scales of pay applicable for the various posts in the service and important conditions of service, like leave, pension, non-contributory Provident Fund benefits, etc  . 2. No male candidate who has more than one wife living or no female candi date who has married a person having already a wife living shall be eligible for appointment to a railway service, unless the competent authority exempts the candidate from the operation of this rule. . Proportion of vacancies to be filled by direct recruitment and promotion of railway servants from subordinate services. 4. In the case of probationers, consequences of failure to pass prescribed departmental examinations, if any, e. g. loss of appointment, stoppage of increments etc. 5. Passing obligatory language examination whenever prescribed in the recruitment regulations for each service in Group ‘A’. Recruitment of Group A services Recruitment of Group ‘A' Officers are made through: 1. Open competitive examination held by UPSC. . Promotion of Officers from Group ‘B'. 3. Appointment of Special Class Apprentices by UPSC. 1) Through UPSC recruits the candidate can be selected in railways by clearing one of the following three exams. a) Civil Services Exami nation: This exam is recruiting candidates for the post of traffic department, accounts departments and protection force department. * Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS). * Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS). * Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS). * Railway Protection Force ) Enginnering Services Examination for: This exam select candidate for the post of mechanical engineers, store engineers, signal engineers and electrical engineers. * Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE). * Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME). * Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE). * Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers (IRSEE). * Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS). a) Medical Services Examination for: Through this exam the candidates are selected for medical department of Indian railways. Indian Railway Medical Service (IRMS). 2) Promotion of Officers from Group ‘B’ * Promotion from Group B to Group A (Junior Scale). 1. Appointments to t he posts in the junior scale shall be made by selection on merit from amongst Group B officers of the departments concerned with not less than 3 years of non-fortuitous service in the grade. 2. If the quota reserved for Group B Officers for promotion to junior scale is not fully utilised, the remaining vacancies may be filled by Government in accordance with the recruitment rules and in consultation with the UPSC. . The Departmental Promotion Committee for this purpose shall consist of a representative of the Union Public Service Commission as Chairman and two representatives of the Ministry of Railways as Members. * Promotion from junior scale to senior scale. Appointment to the posts in the senior scale shall be made by promotion in the order of seniority, subject to rejection of the unfit, of officers with ordinarily not less than 4 years service in the junior scale. * Promotion from senior scale to higher grade posts. 1.Promotions to the Administrative Grade are dependent on the occurrence of vacancies in the sanctioned establishment and are made wholly by selection; mere seniority does not confer any claim for such promotion. 2. Appointments to the posts in the Junior Administrative Grade shall be made by selection on merit from amongst the officers ordinarily with not less than 5 years service in the senior scale. 3. The departmental Promotion Committee for purposes   of promotion from Senior Scale and above to higher grade posts shall consist of Chairman, Railway Board, Financial Commissioner Railways and three other Members of the Railway Board. ) Special Class Railway Apprentice (SCRA) Exam * Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts every year entrance exam for selecting Special Class Railway Apprentice (SCRA) to Indian Railways. * This program was started in 1927. Training * The selected candidates undergo a four-year rigorous training programme in Mechanical Engineering, Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Ja malpur. * IRIMEE has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi for the training.Degree Awarded * SCRAs get a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering after successful completion of four years of training. This degree is recognised by the All India Council for Technical Education. Career * On successful completion of the course they are posted as Assistant Mechanical Engineer (AME) in Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers. * As they are posted directly as Group A officer they rapidly goes higher up in the ladder to become senior administrators of Indian Railways. Stipend and other Benefits Not only that SCRA Apprentices are trained at Railways expense, they are paid stipend at the following rates along with DA applicable: Year| Existing rate of stipend per month| Stipend per month| First| Rs. 4000| Rs. 9100| Second| Rs. 4000| Rs. 9100| Third| Rs. 4200| Rs. 9400| Fourth [First six months]| Rs. 4200| Rs. 9400| [Last six months]| Rs. 4400| Rs. 9700| * Special Class Apprentice moving from one headquarter to another in connection with their training will be eligible for daily allowance for the period covered by the journey. Leave: Special Class Railway Apprentices may be granted leave on full stipend for a period not exceeding one month in any year of apprenticeship. * Medical facilities: Special Class Apprentices shall be entitled to free medical attendance and treatment at railway hospitals and dispensaries on the same scale as applicable to railway servants. * Travelling facilities: 2 sets of Pass and 6 sets of Privilege Ticket Orders (PTO) are admissible per year valid from anywhere to anywhere on Indian Railways. SCRA Exam * SCRA exam is conducted by UPSC and is one of the toughest exams in the country as each year there are only around 10 vacancies. For Admission to the examination a candidate must have passed in the first or second division, the Intermediate or an equivalent examination of a university or board approved by the Government of India with Mathematics and at least one of the subjects Physics and Chemistry as subjects of the examination. Scheme of Exam Paper| Subject| Time| Maximum   Marks| Part IPaper-I| General Ability Test (English, General Knowledge and Psychological Test)| 2 hours| 200| Paper-II| Physical Sciences (Physics and Chemistry)| 2 hours| 200| Paper-III| Mathematics| 2 hours| 200| Total| 6 hours| 600| Part II| Personality Test carrying a maximum of 200 marks in respect of only those candidates who are declared qualified on the results of written examination. | Selection to Group B Services Selected from serving Group ‘C’ employees by General Manager. Selection Board consists of 4 HODs including CPO and HOD of the department concerned. 70% vacancies are filled through a process of selection primarily based on seniority and 30% through a selection test known as Limited Department Competitive Examination (LDCE).Salient features of LDCE and Selection are given below: | Selection| LDCE| Eligible Grade| GP 4200| GP 4200| Service requirements| Min 3 years in the 4200| Min 5 years in the 4200| Who can appear the selection| Only those who are called as per seniority and vacancy available| All employees in concerned department who fulfill the above condition| Method of selection| Primarily seniority. Written test and viva-voce has to be passed. | Purely on the basis of written test and viva-voce(standard of written exam higher than that for Selection)| SC/ST Reservation| Applicable| Applicable|Seniority| Employees empanelled through selection will rank above those through LDCE| 70% Selection * Number of vacancies existing and anticipated for the next 2 years are taken into consideration. Delayed Selection If a selection procedure is delayed by more than one year then it will be conducted as per the procedure for Delayed selection as follows: * Number of vacancies for each of the selection should be assessed separate ly. * Field of consideration of eligible employees should be assessed separately starting from earliest selection. * Separate panel for each selection.Test * The test includes both written and viva in which marks for professional ability, record of marks, personality etc. are allotted. The panel is prepared with those getting 80% and above as ‘outstanding' and 60% to 79% as ‘others'. * In selection/LDCE the total marks secured by all the candidates who had appeared for viva-voce after qualifying in the written examination and the marks secured in written test in the case of remaining candidates may be notified after finalization of Group B Panel. Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) To fill up 30% of vacancies in Group ‘B’ vacancies in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Signal & Telecommunications, Transportation and Commercial Department, Stores and Accounts. * Reservation of SC/ST as per extant orders. * The p anel will be valid for the same length of time as the panel of selection. * Employees empanelled through 70% selection will rank above those through LDCE. Scheme of Examination * A written exam of a substantially higher standard than associated with normal selection and a  viva-voce. * Minimum pass marks are 60%. Names will be in order of merit on the basis of total marks. In selection/LDCE the total marks secured by all the candidates who had appeared for viva-voce after qualifying in the written examination and the marks secured in written test in the case of remaining candidates may be notified after finalisation of Group B Panel. Promotion to Railway Services, Group B Promotions to Group B posts shall be made by the General Managers except in the Security Department provided that such promotions are made in the strict order of placement on the panel recommended by the Selection Board; if any supersession of that order is involved, the matter should be referred to the Railway M inistry.The posts of Assistant Accounts Officers shall ordinarily be filled by selection from Group C railway servants who have passed the departmental examination qualifying for promotion as Section Officer (Accounts), Inspector of Stores Accounts/Inspector of Station Accounts or are exempted from passing that examination. Selection of APOs For selection to the post of Assistant Personnel Officers, the Recruitment Board has restricted the field of eligibility to the following staff only: Eligibility * Staff of Hindi Branch are not eligible. * Minimum 3 years in the Grade Pay Rs. 200 in Pay Band PB2 (9300-34800) (including services in the corresponding pre-revised grades). Pre-Selection Training The railways board has decided that pre-selection training should be given to the staff appearing for selection/ L. DC. E. for promotion from Group ‘C’ to Group ‘B’ posts to enable them to improve their performance. It has also been decided that as in case of S. C/S . T. candidates, pre-selection coaching classes should be arranged for the candidates belonging to general category and this coaching should be treated as mandatory. Medical Fitness: Employees selected for promotion to Group ‘B’ service should be fit in all espects, including physical fitness, for the duties assigned to the particular category of posts to which the promotion is made. The Group ‘C’ employees qualifying in the selection for promotion to Group ‘B’ posts but not passing the prescribed medical standard should not be promoted to Group ‘B’. Recruitment to Group C Services The General Manager of Indian Railways Have full powers to make with regard in Railway servants Group ‘C’ and Group ’D’ under their control, provided they are not inconsistent with any rule made by the President or the Ministry of Railways.The power, do not authorize the General Manager to recruit persons without agency of the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRB) unless the Railway Board have issued special authorization. The recruitment to fill Group ‘C’ posts on Indian Railways shall be made through: 1. Direct recruitment through RRB established at various places on Indian Railways. 2. By promotion of Group ‘D’ service. 3. Direct recruitment of departments of crippled de-categorized or incapacitated employees retired on medical ground. 4. Direct recruitment of children of the employees who died while in service, on compassionate ground. . Direct recruitment through of handicapped persons. 6. Direct recruitment against the quota of sportsmen, cultural, scouts and guides. 7. Recruitment against specified categories such as teachers for Railway Schools and skilled or Artisen staff. Recruitment to Group C Services(By RBBs) * Made through Railway Recruitment Boards (RRB). * Panel formed by RRB after selection is forwarded to the Zonal Railway concerned. * The panel is valid for a year w hich can be extended by CPO. * Candidates have to pass the prescribed medical examination. * All appointments are made on probation for two year.For trainees/apprentices appointed to a working post after conclusion of their prescribed training. Probation period commences on date of such appointment. * It is obligatory for all trainees to pass a simple test in Hindi. The committee for conducting interviews for recruitment to Group ‘C’ post on the Railways/Production Units/RRBs will have minimum 3 members and must include officers representing SC/ST, minority and OBC Communities. The composition of the committee shall be- 1. Chairman RRB or Member Secretary RRB as chairman of the interview Committee. 2.Serving Railway officer of JA grade, including an officer of Department for which the recruitment is being made in case of difficulty in finding OBC officer in JA Grade a Sr. Scale OBC officer may be nominated in the committee. The officer so nominated will never the less b e an equal member of the committee. No member should be direct subordinate to any officer member of the committee. The Candidate selected is placed on selection list in order of merit. The Recruitment Board sends the names of selected candidates along with their original application to the Railway concerned.Based on call letters send by Railways, the candidates on reporting for duty shall have to pass the medical examinations prescribed for each category. Recruitment to Group C Services (Selection) * Staff having 3 years of service can appear for selection test. * Successful candidates shall be placed in the order of merit except those who have obtained more than 80%  Ã‚  of marks. Jurisdiction of Railway recruitment boards (RRB) on various Zones/Divisions/Workshops are as follow:    Contact Details of Railway Recruitment Boards (RRB) 1) RRB Ahmedabad Website:  www. rrbahmedabad. gov. in/ Railway Recruitment Board, Ahmedabad. st Floor, Meter Guage Building, Railway Station, Ka lupur,, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Pin: 380 002, Contact:  [email  protected] in 2) RRB Ajmer Website:  www. rrbajmer. org Railway Recruitment Board, Nehru Marg, Near Ambedkar Circle,Ajmer – 305001 Contact:  [email  protected] org 3) RRB Allahabad Website:  www. rrbald. nic. in Railway Recruitment Board Opposite to G. M. /NCR Building Near Subedarganj Railway Hospital Subedarganj Allahabad – 211 033. Contact:  [email  protected] co. in 4) RRB Bangalore Website:  www. rrbbnc. gov. in Railway Recruitment Board Bangalore 18, Millers Road, Bangalore – 560046. Contact:  [email  protected] om 5) RRB Bilaspur Website:  www. rrbbilaspur. gov. in Railway Recruitment Board, GM/SECR’s Office Complex Bilaspur (C. G) Pin: 495 004 Contact:  [email  protected] com 6) RRB Bhopal Website:  www. rrbbpl. nic. in Railway Recruitment Board, Bhopal East Railway Colony, Bhopal – 462010 E-mail-  [email  protected] in 7) RRB Bhubaneswar Website:  www. rrbbbs. gov. in D-79/80, Rail Vihar , B. D. A. Rental Colony, Chandrasekharpur , Bhubaneswar, Pin -751023,Orissa Contact:  [email  protected]bbs. gov. in 8) RRB Chandigarh Website:  www. rrbcdg. org SCO 34, IInd Floor, Madhya Marg, Sector – 7-C Chandigarh Contact:  [email  protected] o. in 9) RRB Chennai Website:  www. rrbchennai. net 5, Dr. P. V. Cherian Crescent Road, Egmore, Chennai – 600 008 Contact:  [email  protected] railnet. gov. in 10) RRB Gorakhpur Website:  www. rrbgkp. gov. in Railway Station Road, Gorakhpur – 273012 Contact:  [email  protected] co. in 11) RRB Guwahati Website:  rrbguwahati. gov. in Station Road, Guwahati Contact:  [email  protected] in Online application facility is available in RRB Guwahati 12) RRB Jammu Website:  www. rrbjammu. nic. in Railway Colony (West), Jammu-180012 Contact:  [email  protected] co. in 13) RRB Kolkata Website:  www. rrbkolkata. org Metro Railway A. V.Complex,Chitpur, Opp. To R. G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, R. G. Kar Road, Kolkata-700 037 Contact:  [email  protected] net 14) RRB Malda Website:  www. rrbmalda. gov. in Kalibari Railway Colony, P. O Jhaljhalia,Malda – 732102, (West Bengal) Contact:  [email  protected] in 15) RRB Mumbai Website:  www. rrbmumbai. gov. in Railway Divisional office compound,Mumbai Central, (E), Mumbai – 400 202, Maharashtra Contact:  [email  protected] co. in 16) RRB Muzaffarpur Website :  rrbmuzaffarpur. bih. nic. in Lichi  Bagan,  Maripur,Muzaffarpur-842001 [email  protected] in 17) RRB Patna Website:  www. rrbpatna. gov. inRailway Recruitment Board, Mahendrughat, Patna – 800 004. , Bihar Contact:  [email  protected] in Online application facility is available. 18) RRB Ranchi Website:  www. rrbranchi. org Railway Offices Complex,Chutia, Ranchi-834027, Jharkhand Contact:  [email  protected] org 19) RRB Secunderabad Website:  www. rrbsec. org Railway Recru itment Board Secunderabad South Lallaguda, Andhra Pradesh– 500017 Contact:  [email  protected] com 20) RRB  Siliguri Website :  rrbsiliguri. org Subhashpally,Siliguri,District-Darjeeling,PIN-734001,(West Bengal) E-mail:  [email  protected] org Online application facility is available. 1) RRB Thiruvananthapuram Website:  www. rrbthiruvananthapuram. net Thampanoor, Thiruvananthapuram – 695 001 Contact: [email  protected] Recruitment to Group ‘D’ Service: Recruitment to all Group D posts will henceforth will be done by zonal railways directly Board guidelines for recruitment to group d posts. Guidelines for recruitment of group D staff by railway administration 1. Recruitment unit Requirement of all divisions/workshops/production units and other organisation falling within the territorial jurisdiction of the zonal railway will be clubbed together for the recruitment. . Periodicity of recruitment * Recruitment shall be done at intervals of one or two years. * Vacancies shall be counted as those existing in 1st January or 1st July of the year of recruitment plus those anticipated over the next one or two year. 3. Eligibility criteria * The educational qualification for recruitment to all posts in group D in the railways shall be class 8th passed. * The age limits for recruitment shall be as per extant instruction, with relaxation for specified categories as admissible under specific orders issued by Ministry of Railway’s from time to time.How to apply Candidate shall apply on plain paper, as per format indicated in the employment notice, directly to the deputy chief personnel officer. Fees may be charged @ Rs. 40 per candidate. However, no fee is to be charged from the candidates belonging to SC/ST categories. In his/her application, the candidate should mention the recruitment unit and posts applied for. Candidates should be asked to give option (maximum three) in order of preference for the division/workshops/prod uction units/other organisation etc.. , within the territorial jurisdiction of the zone.If a combined examination is being held for more than one category of group d post, then the candidate should specify his preference for the posts also. No change of options shall be permitted at any stage subsequently. Written Exam Recruitment boards are conducting Written Exam first. 1. There will be total 150 multiple choice questions in the written exam. 2. The questions will be asked of 10th class level from these topics: * General Knowledge. * General Maths. * General Reasoning. * General Science. 3. After passing in Written Exam candidates have to face Physical Efficiency test, mainly Race of 1500 meter.Selection procedure The selection shall consist of a written test followed by physical efficiency test and medical examination. Medical Examination of Candidates for appointment to Non-Gazetted Railway services * Medical examination includes- (i) General physical examination, and (ii) Visio n tests * Non-Gazetted Railway services are divided into different broad groups and classes like Group A(A-1,A-2,A-3), Group B(B-1, B-2), Group C(C-1, C-2). * Spectacles:   No glasses are to be permitted  for categories A-1 and A-2 and for Railway Protection Force staff where their medical category is B-1. Candidates in classes A-1, A-2, A-3 and B-1 on being medically examined shall be tested for color perception with the prescribed apparatus and recommended methods of examination. * For both Candidates and employees contact lenses shall not be permitted in category A and B. * Candidates  of classes A-1, A-2, A-3 and B-1 will be examined with regard to their vision in diminished light. * Candidates  class A-1 will be examined to ascertain that the fields of  vision are not seriously restricted. * Candidates in Classes A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1 and B-2 will be tested for the presence of  binocular vision, i. . , peripheral fusion, depth perception and stereoscopic vision. * Cand idates from A1 to B-1 categories may be examined in glaring light by providing  a 200 Watts Bulb 90 cm. Response to  glare and recovery time should be noted by examining the candidates. Fundus / Full Ophthalmology Examination: Compulsory in the following circumstances, 1. For all candidates in A-1. 2. For categories C-1 and C-2 when the power of lenses exceeds 4 D, the candidate should be  examined by an Ophthalmologist to exclude progressive eye disease.General Physical Examination: Candidate must be in good mental and bodily health and free from any defect likely to interfere with the effective performance of the duties of his appointment. Following are examined: * Measurement of height, weight and chest girth will be recorded. * The condition of heart and lungs. * The condition of teeth and gums (well filled teeth will be considered as sound). * Whether there is any evidence of abdominal disease. * Whether there is any hernia or tendency to hernia. * Whether there is free m ovement of the joints. Whether hearing in each ear is good and whether there is any disease of the ear. * Whether there is any speech defect. * Whether there is any communicable disease. * Hearing:   In the examination of hearing of the candidate/serving employee, the speaking voice test  will be employed. The use of hearing aid should not be permitted for candidates in categories ‘A' and ‘B'. * Speech:   Stammering is not to be considered a serious defect disqualifying a candidate in clerical  duties, especially such of them as do not have to come in direct contact with the public. Head injuries:- Candidates in categories A-1, A-2 and A-3, when they come up for medical examination or re-examination, should give a declaration if they had a head injury earlier and if so, a history of the case, even though fully cured at the time of declaration. In the case of persons with past history of loss of memory, a full neurological examination and a fitness certificate fro m a neurologist would be required. A candidate who has one of the following will be rejected irrespective of the category of employment: Appeal Normally, candidate has no right of appeal , but if proof is produced as regards to the possibility of error of judgment in the decision of the examining medical authority, a re-examination will be ordered. Such evidence should be submitted within one month of the date of communication. * A medical certificate produced by candidate as evidence about possibility of error of judgment should contain a note by the medical practitioner concerned that he is aware of the fact that the candidate has already been declared unfit by Railway medical authority. Medical classification of different categories of Railway staff A1| * Loco Pilot/ Asst.Loco Pilot * Motorman| A2| * Guards/Asstt. Guard/Pilot guard * ASM, Station Master, Station Supt. * Traffic Apprentices| A3| * Loco Inspector * JE/SE C&W * JE/SE Loco * JE/SE Works * JE/SE Signal & Telecommunica tion * Traffic Inspector * Trolleymen * Gatekeeper * YM/AYM, Trains Clerk * Bridge Inspectors, JE/SE Bridges| B1| * Gang men / Trackman * Permanent way khalasis * ESM/Tech Signal * Train Examination staff * RPF staff| B2| * Ticket checking staff| C1| * Section Controller * Booking Clerk * Station Clerk * Commercial Inspector * Telephone operator| C2| * Others|Standards Description for different Medical classification * A-1  Physically fit in all respects. Visual Standards —Distance Vision: 6/6,6/6 without glasses. Near Vision: Sn: 0. 6,0. 6 without glasses (must clear fogging test) and must pass test for Colour Vision, Binocular Vision, Field of Vision & Night Vision. * A-2  Physically fit in all respects. Visual Standards—Distance vision: 6/9,6/9 without glasses. Near Vision: Sn: 0. 6, 0. 6 without glasses and must pass test for Colour Vision, Binocular Vision, Field of Vision & Night Vision. * A-3  Physically fit in all respects.Visual Standards—Distance Vision: 6/9,6/9 with or without glasses (power of lenses not to exceed 2D). Near Vision: Sn: 0. 6, 0. 6 with or without glasses and must pass test for Colour Vision, Binocular Vision, Field of Vision & Night Vision. * B-1  Physically fit in all respects. Visual Standards — Distance Vision: 6/9,6/12 with or without glasses (power of lenses not to exceed 4D). Near Vision: Sn: 0. 6, 0. 6 with or without glasses when reading or close work is required and must pass test for Colour Vision, Binocular Vision, Field of Vision & Night Vision. * B-2  Physically fit in all respects.Visual Standards — Distance Vision: 6/9,6/12 with or without glasses (power not to exceed 4D). Near Vision: Sn: 0. 6, 0. 6 with or without glasses when reading or close work is required and must pass test for Field of Vision. * C-1  Physically fit in all respects. Visual Standards — Distance Vision: 6/12, 6/18 with or without glasses. Near Vision: Sn: 0. 6, 0. 6 with or without glasses whe n reading or close work is required. * C-2  Physically fit in all respects. Visual Standards — Distance Vision: 6/12, Nil with or without glasses. Near Vision, Sn: 0. 6 combined with or without glasses when reading or close work is required.Verification of Character and antecedents of Railway employees on appointment through RRB: * Before making an  appointment to the Railways it is the responsibility of the appointing authority to satisfy itself about the identity and suitability of the candidate according to the prescribed criteria. * Detailed verification of character and antecedents would be applicable in case of: 1) Group ‘A’ Posts. 2) Group ‘B’ posts. 3) Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ posts of all those offices in which detailed verification is considered particularly necessary in the interest of security by the Administrative Ministry of office. ) Cases in which simple verification cannot be done because of the candidateâ€⠄¢s inability to produce a certificate of character. * Attestation form in respect of the categories where detailed investigation is necessary attestation form has to be referred to District Magistrate * Simple verification would be applicable to appointments to all other posts viz: a) Posts of LDCE and posts of equivalent grade and all Group ‘D’ posts in the Government of India Secretariat and its attached offices. b) Group ‘C’ & ‘D’ posts under the Government of India in subordinate offices. Exception can be made to the general procedure and detailed verification may be done for some posts/services/departments. * All appointing authorities should clearly indicate at the top of the attestation forms the type of verification required to be done, i. e. , Detailed Verification, Record Check or Simple Verification. DATA ANALYSIS AND DATA INTERPRETATION Data Interpretation Questionnaire was prepared for the purpose of getting feedback from the empl oyees and APOs regarding â€Å"Recruitment and Selection Procedure† of their company. 5 employees and selected from different department and were distributed the questionnaire from the purpose of the study. Analysis of Data The analysis of the data is done as per the survey finding. The data is represented by graphically in percentage. The percentage of the people opinion were analyzed and expressed in the form of pie-charts. QUESTION: What are the sources for recruitment and selection? S. NO. | OPINION| NO. OF RESPONDENT| PERCENTAGE (%)| 1. | Internal| 5| 20| 2. | External| 8| 32| 3. | Both| 12| 48|About 48% of the employees said that they prefer both internal as well as external source for recruitment and selection. 20% of the employees said that they prefer internal source for recruitment and selection. 32% of the employees said that they prefer external source for recruitment and selection. QUESTION: Which method do you mostly prefer for recruitment and selection preferre d way of recruitment? S. NO. | OPINION| NO. OF RESPONDENT| PERCENTAGE (%)| 1. | Direct| 5| 20| 2. | Indirect| 2| 8| 3. | Third Party| 18| 72| About 20% of the employees said that they prefer direct recruitment and selection. % the employees said that they prefer indirect recruitment and selection. 72% the employees said that they prefer third party recruitment and selection. QUESTION: When do you prefer to go for manpower planning? S. NO. | OPINION| NO. OF RESPONDENT| PERCENTAGE (%)| 1. | Yearly| 15| 60| 2. | Quarterly| 2| 8| 3. | No Fixed Time| 8| 32| Around 60% of the employees said that they prefer yearly manpower planning. 32 % of the employees said that they do not follow any pattern they don’t have any fixed time manpower planning. 8% of the employees said that they prefer quarterly manpower planning.QUESTION: Do you think the present recruitment policy is helpful in achieving the goals of the organisation? S. NO. | OPINION| NO. OF RESPONDENT| PERCENTAGE (%)| 1. | Yes| 10| 40| 2. | No| 7| 28| 3. | To some extend| 8| 32| Around 40% of the employees said that the company’s recruitment policy is helpful in achieving the goals. 28 % employees said that the company’s recruitment policy is not helpful in achieving the goals. 32% employees said that the company’s recruitment policy is helpful to some extend in achieving the goals. QUESTION: Is there any provision for evaluation and control of recruitment and selection process?S. NO. | OPINION| NO. OF RESPONDENT| PERCENTAGE (%)| 1. | Yes| 15| 60| 2. | No| 10| 40| About 80% people said that the company has the provision for evaluation and control of recruitment and selection. 20% people said that the company does not have the provision for evaluation and control of recruitment and selection. QUESTION: Does the procedure adopted for recruitment and selection of employees enables to give right person at right job? S. NO. | OPINION| NO. OF RESPONDENT| PERCENTAGE (%)| 1. | Yes| 7| 28| 2. | No| 12| 48| 3. | To some extend| 6| 24|About 28% of the employees said that the procedure adopted for recruitment and selection of employees enable to place the right person for the right job. 48% of the employees said that the procedure adopted for recruitment and selection of employees does not enable to place the right person for the right job. 24% of the employees said that the procedure adopted for recruitment and selection of employees enable to some extend to place the right person for the right job. QUESTION: How do you rate the HR practices of the company? S. NO. | OPINION| NO. OF RESPONDENT| PERCENTAGE (%)| . | Very Good | 3| 12| 2. | Good| 14| 56| 3. | Average| 6| 24| 4. | Bad| 2| 8| 24% of the employees said that they feel that HR department is good. 12% of the employees said that they feel that HR department is very good. 56% of the employees said that they feel that HR department is Average. 8% of the employees said that they feel that HR department is bad. Intake of Manpower of Group’C’ in DLW SN| Department| Total| 1| Admn & Schl| 01| 2| Accounts| 01| 3| Civil| 02| 4| Electrical| 09| 5| Mechanical| 03| 6| Medical| | 7| Personnel| | 8| Stores| 02| 9| RPF| | | TOTAL| 18|Sanctioned Strenth Of Non-Gazzetted Staff Of Group’C’ For The Month Of May, 2012 Department| As On First Day Of The May Month| As On Last Day Of The May Month| | Permanent| W/C Posts| Total| Permanent| W/C Posts| Total| ADMN & SCHL| 311| 24| 335| 311| 24| 335| ACCTS| 317| 24| 341| 317| 24| 341| CIVIL ENGG. | 507| 3| 510| 507| 3| 510| MECH| 3609| 48| 3657| 3609| 48| 3657| ELEC| 745| 27| 772| 745| 27| 772| MEDI| 156| 2| 158| 156| 2| 158| PERS| 172| 4| 176| 172| 4| 176| STOR| 685| 8| 693| 685| 8| 693| SECU| 242| 0| 242| 242| 0| 242| TOTAL| 6744| 140| 6884| 6744| 140| 6884|Operated Strength Of Non-Gazetted Staff Of Group’C’ For The Month Of May, 2012 Department| As on 1st day of the month| As on Last Day of the Month| | Regular Staff| Substit utes| Total| Regular staff| Substitutes| Total| ADMN& SCHL| 217| 73| 290| 212| 74| 286| ACCTS| 253| 7| 260| 253| 7| 260| CIV| 293| 0| 293| 288| 0| 288| MECH| 3047| 128| 3175| 3043| 128| 3171| PERS| 151| 0| 151| 150| 0| 150| ELEC| 667| 2| 669| 666| 2| 668| MEDI| 130| 0| 130| 129| 0| 129| STOR| 555| 1| 556| 555| 2| 557| SECU| 198| 0| 198| 203| 0| 203| TOTAL| 5511| 211| 5722| 5499| 213| 5712| Operated Strenth Of Gazzeted For The Month Of May, 2012Department| As on First Day of the Month On-Roll| As on Last Day of the Month| | Group ‘A’| Group ‘B’| Total| Group'A'| Group'B'| Total| ADMN & SCHL| 3| 10| 13| 3| 10| 13| ACCTS| 7| 22| 29| 8| 21| 29| CIV| 2| 2| 4| 2| 2| 4| MECH| 29| 27| 56| 27| 27| 54| PERS| 2| 4| 6| 2| 4| 6| ELEC| 8| 8| 16| 8| 8| 16| MEDI| 10| 0| 10| 10| 0| 10| STOR| 16| 18| 34| 16| 18| 34| SECU| 2| 0| 2| 2| 0| 2| TOTAL| 79| 91| 170| 78| 90| 168| Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) Details of group wise strength As On| Gro