Tata Indica Case Study Essay Example

Tata Indica Case Study Paper Tata Indica The Making Of The Small Car The case provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at Telco in regard to its small car, Indica. It outlines how Telco, built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company. The case discusses various components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing costs. Background Note The history of Telco, Indias leading automobile manufacturer dates back to the early 1920s. The location of the Telco plant originally belonged to Peninsular Locomotive Company (Peninsular), which was established in Tatanagar, Jamshedpur in 1923. In 1927, Peninsular was taken over by East India Railway to manufacture passenger carriage underframes for the Indian Railways. In 1945, Tata Sons purchased the plant from the Government of India for manufacturing steam locomotive boilers and other engineering products, under the name Tata Locomotive ; Engineering Company. Initially the company manufactured broad gauge open wagons for the Indian Railways. By 1947, it started producing boilers for imported locomotives. The company also entered into collaborations with Marshal Sons (UK) to manufacture steam road roller, and with Krauss Maffei (West Germany) to manufacture steam locomotives. In 1954, the company entered into a technical collaboration with Daimler-Benz to manufacture automotive vehicles | | The association with Daimler-Benz helped the company build up a strong in-house R;D center (Engineering Research Center ERC) at Pune, Maharashtra. We will write a custom essay sample on Tata Indica Case Study specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Tata Indica Case Study specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Tata Indica Case Study specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In 1960, company’s name was changed to Tata Engineering ; Locomotive Company Ltd. By 1961, it was manufacturing construction equipments. Over the years, the company acquired technology from several collaborations and co-operation agreements with international companies (Refer Table I). TABLE I TELCO COLLABORATIONS AND JOINT VENTURES Tata Cummins Ltd. | Joint Venture with: | Cummins Engine Co. Inc. USA. | Business: | Manufacture of Cummins ‘B’ Series engines for M/HCVs. | Tata Holset Ltd. | Joint Venture with: | Holset Engineering Co. Ltd. UK. | Business: | Manufacture of turbochargers. | Concorde Motors Ltd. | Joint Venture with: | Jardine International Motors (Mauritius) Ltd. | Business: | Retailing of Passenger Cars. | Source: www. telcoindia. com In 1961, Telco produced its first crane in collaboration with M/s Pawling ; Harnischfeger (P;H), U. S. A. In 1966, it acquired Investa Machine Tools Co and set up a machine tools division at Pune. In the same year, it started its Press Tool Division and vehicle manufacture facilities at Pimpri and Chinchwad (Pune). The first commercial vehicle was produced in 1977. In 1983, Telco started producing heavy commercial vehicles. In 1986, the company rolled out its first light commercial vehicle TATA 407 that had a completely indigenous design. In 1991, Telco produced indigenously designed passenger cars Tata Sierra and Tata Estate and in the same year it started its assembly and training plant at Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh). The product range of the company included passenger cars, heavy commercial vehicles, trucks and buses (Refer Table II). TABLE II TELCO PRODUCT PROFILE CATEGORY| PRODUCTS| Passenger| Tata Sierra, Tata Estate, Tata Sumo, Tata Safari, Indica, Indica V2. Light Commercial Vehicles| Tatamobile, Turbo Truck, LPT 407 Turbo Truck. | Heavy Commercial Vehicles| LPT 1109 Turbo Truck, SE 1613 TC Turbo Truck, SE 1613 Turbo Truck, LPT 1613 TC Turbo Truck. | Buses| SFC 407 Turbo Mini- bus, LP 407 Turbo Mini- bus, LP 709 E Turbo Bus, LPO 1510 CGS bus (CNG bus). | Source: www. telcoindia. com By the late 1990s, Telco had emerged as a leading name in commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles, construction eq uipment, metal cutting and grinding machines, industrial shutters, high quality steel, alloy castings and other related products. In 2000, commercial vehicles accounted for 94% of its gross revenues; vehicle spare parts accounted for 5%; and hire purchase income, 1% The Story of Indica In the early 1990s, Telcos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata), was flirting with the idea of developing a small car. By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place. In 1995, Telco announced that it planned to build a car which would be priced close to the Maruti 800, shaped like the Zen, and spacious as an Ambassador. Producing the new small car Indica represented a different kind of challenge for Telco. Should Tata succeed, he would change the face of Telco. As a truck-maker, Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and forgings. As an automaker, it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile. For its new venture, Telco outsourced 80% of the components (1,200 of its 1,500-plus parts), from 200-odd vendors. To develop the Indica, Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform. By learning to build and manage a supply chain, it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets. In other words, Telco planned to use its skills as an integratorbringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream operations, and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture. Globally, a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 127. 5 billion). Indica, was built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion. This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply chain. The Outsourcing Strategy For Telco, outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica. Unlike global automobile majors, Ford Motors or General Motors, which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on a smaller scale in India, Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch. Moreover, it did not have the expertise either to design a car or to build an engine for it. Against this background, Telco had to take its primary make-or-buy decisions for the key inputs-design, engine, and transmission. Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make whatever modifications were needed (Refer Table III for the components outsourced by Telco). TABLE III OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS Components | Supplier| 5 door hatchback | I. DE. A, Italy| Engine | Institut Francais du Petrol, France| Assembly Line | Nissan’s Plant, Australia| Presses | Mercedes Benz| Pistons and Piston rings | India Pistons| Electrical components and fuel injection systems | Lucas-TVS| Steering systems | Rane TRW Steering Systems| Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings | Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)| Seating Systems | Tata-Johnson Controls| Radiators | Tata-Toyo| Rear view mirrors | Tata-Ficosa| Front and rear bumper, dash-board, inside trims | Tata-Auto Plastics| Air conditioning kits | Subros Ltd| Wind screens and windows | Asahi Glass| Fuel lines | Imperial Auto| Differential assemblies | Sona Steering| Sheet metal items | JBM Tools| Source: Business Today, March 22, 1999 and December 7, 1999. Telco turned to the Italian company, I. DE. A, for the product-design. It bought the engine from the Institut Francais du Petrol of France, and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements. The transmission was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC), at Pune. Of the Rs 2. 5 billion it spent on designing the Indica, the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills. Telcos engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers, to receive training before the actual delivery of the machines. Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissans plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million. Telco transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune, which was newly set up for Indica. A new assembly line of the same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion. Again, of the 3 presses for the Indica, only 1 was new, acquired for Rs 900 million, while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to suit the Indica. Telcos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering, programming, installation, and commissioning to save around 45% of the technology costs. The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcos machine tool division. To manage the supply chain better, Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as compared to about 1,000 for trucks. Most of the parts were supplied by Telcos traditional suppliers- TVS, Rane Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers. Pressed parts, assemblies, and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors. Vendor Development Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices, the next step was to identify the vendors. Most of the parts that went into making Telco were sourced locally. Except for some sheet metal parts, cylindrical gaskets, and beltswhich accounted for 2% of the component value, the Indica was totally indigenous. 1 K. Mahesh, CEO, Sundaram Brake Linings, said, Localisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces. It is a time-consuming and painstaking process. Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers: the ability to supply components at the negotiated quality, cost, and quantities. In the first stage of selection, an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the supplier. This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier, based on a format provided by Telco. Then there was a quality systems survey, carried out by a Telco quality audit team. This was f ollowed by design validation. And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes. This was followed by the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), which certified the production quality. R. Chakraborty (Chakraborty), senior deputy general manager, materials ; supplier quality improvement group, said, â€Å"When a vendor reached this stage, our comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably, with regard to quality and his ability to supply material to us. We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely supplies. † Only a handful of vendors met Telco’s stringent requirements. Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the vendors systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts. It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme, covering supplier self-evaluation, thorough design-validation, and audit of supplier quality. Another key to Telcos successful vendor-base was a modern system of process management. Telcos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets, and the suppliers had to carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality. For example, India Pistons, which supplied the pistons and piston rings, walked away with the Indica order because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog; whereas the other vendors benchmarked themselves against pistons supplied to Telcos commercial vehicles. India Pistons invested Rs 1. 5 million in toolings, and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar (Tamil Nadu) facility. N. Venkatramani, CEO, India Pistons, commented, TELCO is very particular about logistics, that raw materials have a supply trace, be ready for assembly, need no inspection. It is a demanding customer. Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate, and for better supply chain coordination. Commented T. K. Balaji, CEO, Lucas-TVS, which supplied electrical components and fuel-injection systems for the Indica, By making vendors its partner early, TELCO ensured both quality and price-conformity. Late involvement would have yielded different results. M. S. Kumar, Director ; CEO, Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane), which supplied the steering systems for the Indica, added, TELCO has been extremely supportive, making available its entire RD resources to our engineers. It is one of the best experiences we have had in product-development. Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of Indian road conditions. Besides offering both manual and power systems, Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market. Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier, and its engine-displacement, higher. Indica was not only compact, which left less space, but also heavy, which strained the system. Telco wanted Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen, a much-lighter car. Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved, spending close to 2 man-years on it. It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering systemincluding tooling and diesand Rs 10 million for the manual steering system. Said P. R. Sarathy, President, Rane (Madras), TELCO gave us price-targets. We worked within them, using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development costs. For all effective purposes, we were an arm of TELCO during the process. In the case of small vendors, Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels. Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers. Tier I suppliers had to assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors. Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former. On its part, Telco helped them lower their costs by solving quality-related problems. For instanc e, SBL, which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake linings for the Indica, developed them in-house. V. R. Janardhanam, President, SBL, remarked, Despite its size, Telco has a lot of humility. It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targets. A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps: the raw material was converted into slabs; the slab was cut into the required length; the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer diameters; then, the piece was drilled, and, finally, champered. But SBL brought down the number of operations to 3: the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length, and the grinding was done to only the outer diameter. And the company saved 15% because of this single-piece flow technique. K. Pandarinath, Deputy General Manager (Research), SBL, commented, Telco is a transparent company. It allowed us to use all their facilities as long as it helps develop a better product. Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcos engineers on perfecting the brake-linings. Supply Chain To keep its transaction costs low, Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis. All high-value components were delivered daily, and in the case of nearby suppliers, twice a day. Vendors who were located far away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant. The rationale for the relocation: transportation costs alone accounted for 45% of the total logistics costs for a company, delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant. Meanwhile, on the shop floor, where the assembly line was located, Telco had done away with the traditional store function. There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco. The truck loaded with the material first entered the factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center. A person at this center checked whether the material was scheduled to arrive or not, by keying in the part number and the supplier code. If the material was not scheduled to arrive, the documents were not processed further and the truck was not allowed to enter the factory premises. Once it was cleared at the gate, the truck proceeded to the receiving center. Once the items were unloaded, unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality, they were moved into the transit area. From there they went into what was called the super market. The super market was close to the assembly line. In the super market, the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort. The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs were also low. Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low. For Telco, a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately, which would help the vendor plan his production-schedule in advance, thus lowering costs. Telco and Concorde2 employed market research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis, using the historical data technique. It used a complex web of correlation involving the countrys economic situation, competitors products, and their USPs. To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain, Telco electronically linked its demand forecasts to production, and backwards to its suppliers. All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs3 connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line to the Pune plant. This reduced the order-processing time by 80%. Analysts felt that by being online, Telco would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time. For speedy delivery, Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships. This would ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand. This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at optimum capacity. Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships, with just 3 levels: managing director, general managers, and managers. Each of Concorde’s general managers worked as profit-centre heads of their individual business regions, and reported directly to the managing director. Added, A. K. Seth, General Manager (Delhi), Concorde, The company wanted to create a lean and responsive network, with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possible. Leveraging the Supply Chain Indica marked the beginning of Telcos drive into Indias auto market as an integrator with a multi-product portfolio. Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be the core around which it would build its future car business. Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future. D. C. Anand, CEO, Anand Group, said, Telcos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come up withand how soon. Is Telco in a position to do so? Four years ago, I would have said no. Today, I am not going to underestimate their capacity. They have demonstrated it. Business Today5 wrote, Leveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built, Telco will launch a series of other carspriced both below and above the Indica, straddling the entire spectrumeach of which will be progressively easier to integrate. The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the business that Telco offered its vendors increased. The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars. The learning that it was extracting from the Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products. There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller, cheaper car, positioned as an entry-level for the first-time buyer. Analysts felt that Telcos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could assemble its passenger-car business. Questions For Discussion 1. Telco did not have the expertise either to design a car or to build an engine for it. In light of this fact, critically analyze the steps taken by the company to keep its product development costs low. 2. Discuss why the company decided to create a vendor-base from scratch for the smaller car and comment on how it developed its vendor base. . As an integrator of automobiles, Telco had to ensure that there was seamless flow across the supply chain. Explain how Telco managed its Supply chain. Notes 1) The only other new small car that came close was Hyundai Motor Indias Santro, which had a 78% local content. Daewoo Motors Matiz was just 35% local. 2) Telcos dealer for Indica. It had 9 dealerships and 25 ou tlets. 3) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and business users. A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the user’s computer and an outside antenna with transceiver. The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky. The satellite sends and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system. Each end user is interconnected with the hub station via the satellite. For one end user to communicate with another, each transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end user’s VSAT. VSAT handles data, voice and video signals. 4) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels.

In the Rhythm of Rock Supreme Sound Explosion

In the Rhythm of Rock Supreme Sound Explosion Logistics must be one of the most complex issues in the production process for any organization that is trying to expand into a greater marketplace.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on In the Rhythm of Rock: Supreme Sound Explosion specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Seeing how it involves a careful consideration of the existing resources, the careful evaluation of all possible transportation issues, the comparison of the costs for transportation and the self-cost of the product that is going to be transported, etc., one must admit that logistics must be addressed in the first place (Coyle, Langley, Novack Gibson, 2009). In many cases, logistics poses a complicated dilemma for the company leader to handle, as the case of Supreme Sound Explosion shows. Despite the fact that the company is taking great risks with the production of Blasters, it is more reasonable to take chances and coordinate the logistics issues concer ning the Woofers and Blasters supply so that the company could maintain its high status and attract such famous customers as The Rolling Stones and U2. The idea of providing the customers that are famous all over the world with the sound system that does not comply with the existing standards of quality does not seem right, which is why the given idea cannot be considered as an option. While with the help of diplomacy, a scandal with the rock stars can be avoided, the very fact that SSE has failed to provide the services of the required quality will definitely bring the SSE reputation down a few notches once the news reaches reporters. With that being said, the logistics strategies should be reconsidered. Since the case study does not give any information concerning the SSE’s budget, it can be assumed that the company can afford any of the options. The basic problem is, therefore, that, to construct Tweeters, Woofers are also required and, therefore, the time spent on their a ssembly will increase.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More With that being said, it is reasonable to resort to the transportation services that provide faster delivery. In other words, T2 and W1 options must be chosen so that the SSE Company could provide the customers with decent services. It should be mentioned, though, that the W2 option might sound more reasonable, seeing how it includes a much shorter transit time, e., one day instead of two. However, it should be kept in mind that the W1 option presupposes a weekly delivery, while the W2 option offers a delivery every other week (Langley et al., 2008, 447). Therefore, the SSE Company will be able not only to assemble the Tweeters faster, but also save on Woofers. Therefore, it is clear that the company should definitely choose to deliver the sound system of the best quality possible to its customers. Since t he dissatisfaction with the quality of the product is definitely going to have a much more negative impact on the company’s reputation than a delayed delivery of the product, it will be logical to pick the lesser evil. In addition, the given choice will help the company reconsider its approach towards the logistics and find the method to solve the transportation issues once and for all. After all, it is important to keep in mind that the company is going to expand and, therefore, will need to transport resources to even more remote corners of the United States. Therefore, it is clear that SSE cannot run away from the logistics issues forever and that the latter must be solved efficiently. Reference List Coyle, J. J., Langley, C. J., Novack, R. A., Gibson, B. J. (2009). Supply chain  management: A logistics perspective (9th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on In the Rhythm of Rock: Supreme Sound Explosion specifi cally for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Langley, C. J. et al. (2008). Supply chain management: A logistics perspective. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

Definition and Examples of Prolepsis in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Prolepsis in Rhetoric (1) In rhetoric, prolepsis is foreseeing and forestalling objections to an argument. Adjective: proleptic. Similar to procatalepsis. Also called anticipation. (2) Similarly, prolepsis is a  figurative device by which a future event is presumed to have already occurred. Etymology:  From the Greek, preconception, anticipation Examples and Observations In the ancient art of rhetoric, prolepsis stood for the anticipation of possible objections to a speech. This anticipation enabled the speaker to provide answers to objections before anyone had the chance to even raise them. In other words, the speaker takes the role/attitude of the listener while preparing or delivering his speech, and he tries to assess in advance what possible objections could be raised.(A. C. Zijderveld, On Clichà ©s: The Supersedure of Meaning by Function in Modernity. Routledge, 1979)In 1963, Nobel Prize-winning economist William Vickrey suggested that [automobile] insurance be included in the purchase of tires. Anticipating the objection that this might lead people to drive on bald tires, Vickrey said drivers should get credit for the remaining tread when they turn in a tire. Andrew Tobias proposed a variation on this scheme in which insurance would be included in the price of gasoline. That would have the added benefit of solving the problem of uninsured mot orists (roughly 28% of California drivers). As Tobias points out, you can drive a car without insurance, but you cant drive it without gasoline.(Ian Ayres and Barry Nalebuff, Would You Buy Car Insurance by the Mile? Forbes, 2005) [P]rolepsis is a form of looking ahead, of assuming something to be the case before it has been encountered, a foreshadowing in some sense. Novelists do this all the time when they hint at things to come, or when they omit information, almost as if they thought the reader already knew it. The result of such prolepsis [is] that the reader (or hearer) creates, rather than passively receives, the information necessary to complete the scene or circumstances that the writer (or speaker) merely hints at.(Leo van Lier, The Ecology and Semiotics of Language Learning: A Sociocultural Perspective. Kluwer, 2004)In the movie The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Luke Skywalker says, Im not afraid, to which Jedi master Yoda responds, You will be. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) contains proleptic scenes of future nuclear devastation envisioned by a woman whose son is the target of a robot sent back in time to kill him.(Ross Murfin and Supryia M. Ray, The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Term s, 2nd ed. Bedford/St. Martins, 2003) Procatalepsis is another relative of the hypophora. While the hypophora can ask any sort of question, the procatalepsis deals specifically with objections, and it usually does so without even asking the question, as in this example: Many other experts want to classify Sanskrit as an extinct language, but I do not. By directly addressing objections, procatalepsis lets the writer further his or her argument and satisfy readers at the same time. Strategically, procatalepsis shows your readers that you have anticipated their concern, and have already thought them through. It is, therefore, especially effective in argumentative essays.(Brendan McGuigan, Rhetorical Devices: A Handbook and Activities for Student Writers. Prestwick House, 2007) Pronunciation: pro-LEP-sis

Management Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management Questions - Essay Example First question answered is how to apply what the researcher has learned in managing individual performance situations. It inputs in a person’s personality a lot of traits, the researcher answers, for example the sense of responsibility. Second question covered in this essay was about the best performance management practices, such as feedback, communication and reward to the employees. It also mentiones the basic advantages in managing of performance. This essay also deeply explained the topic of the Career Success and it's key elements and issues. Many theories and techniques have been found and established through which your career will reach a level in short term where most people don’t expect. In particular there are a few rather more important that were discussed in the essay, such as to focus more on your key expertise, try to make himself best known wherever the person stands, a person should go for it and express his leadership skills and control of his own capa bilities, display of pro-activitism and innovative thoughts, build your connections and lay your roots deep within the organization. The ways on how to conduct a Performance Management Assessment were explored, various type of strategies and steps that are followed were discussed by the researcher. Another question was about the traditional approaches that are used nowadays to performance management. The researcher explained that in the such approach the employee is solely evaluated on the output that he produced.

Critique of a Speech or Presentation (or editorial Essay - 1

Critique of a Speech or Presentation (or editorial - Essay Example This paper shall talk of how Obama manipulates his audience, or attempts to do so, through trying to confuse their view and hide the violence that his government and previous governments have done upon the nations which have been the targets of affirmative action. Previous instances of governmental actions shall be discussed in the paper as well. Obama begins his address by attempting an appeal to the emotions of the audience and also those who would get to know of it later. An appeal is thus made to the pathos of the listeners and the public of the United States of America. This appeal of pathos can be seen right towards the beginning of his speech, where he says, I would like to begin today by telling you about an American named Chris Stevens.... Chris Stevens loved his work. He took pride in the country he served, and saw dignity in the people he met. Two weeks ago, he travelled to Benghazi to review plans to establish a new cultural center and modernize a hospital. Thats when Americas compound came under attack. Along with three of his colleagues, Chris was killed in the city he helped to save (Obama). An appeal to the pathos and emotions of the audience in the United Nations and the people of America is understandable when one thinks of Obama’s position within the world of American politics. At a point of time that is close to the presidential elections, Obama attempts to make himself look like a person whom the common man of America can identify with is important. This is significant, especially if one takes into account the image that Barack Obama tries to project of himself- a man with a happy family life who has overcome racial problems to rise to the highest office in America and yet hasn’t lost touch with the lower sections of American society. All of these are appeals to the rhetoric of pathos that has always been a part of oratory. Continuing in the same strain in an attempt to appeal to

Expository Essay on Exercise and Obesity Essay Example for Free

Expository Essay on Exercise and Obesity Essay Some say that a decreased amount of sleep time can be associated with the increase of body fat. Insomnia or sleep apnea or even RLS (restless sleep syndrome) are just three out of many different types serious sleep that can also in fact lead to all kinds of increased risk several other chronic health problems. Multiple studies have explained the sudden impulse of these sleep disorders and the links its shares on obesity, these are very important links in contemplating the relationship between sleep disorders obesity. Physical fitness and good eating habits are important prognostic tools in obesity and chronic disease; there are several studies that have examined the likeness between obesity, sleep disorders, and exercise. It also explains how different sleep disorders may impact the physical fitness regimen responses and how extremely overweight may impact lifestyles of the patients with regard to sleep disorders will also be reviewed. (Hargens, 2013) (Nature Science of sleep. 2013 Vol 5 p,27-35. 9p. The explanation to these issues include better understanding of the medical community, However, it does still remain brainless about these ailment processes of work out and sleep destitute patients. For the most part doctors recommend medications with side effects that include insomnia and weight gain instead of giving out information to their patients that help them to get better standard of living improvement. This often entails exceptional doctors with outstanding management such as medication with no negative side effects. [ (hargens, 2013) ] Many studies have established the link between sleep deficiency and both obesity and even the illness called diabetes. By getting a good work out may improve sleep destitute patients and their daily functions, additionally to gaining weight and metabolism function. Obesity has been a main part in the connection with SC and DC in women, and DC in men. (Grandner) April 24 2013 The resolution to these issues contain better understanding of the health community, However, it does still continues to be dense about these ailment process of obesity. exercise and sleep destitute patients.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: English Literature Essays

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written in the late fourteenth century. To this day, no one knows the name of the author of the poem. The poem was written in a dialect that is very hard to understand. Alliteration and rhyme are combined to create unique stanzas, called "Bob and Wheel." The term "Bob and Wheel" means that a poetic stanza has long alliterative lines; then, there is a two syllable line followed by a quatrain. The poem has several plots. One plot or theme is temptation. "The poem is a medieval comedy of manners told from a distinctly Christian viewpoint." In the lines from 366 to 443, the poem shows how Sir Gawain is chivalrous and brave. In this passage, there is action and symbolism that cause the characters' reactions. In the beginning of the passage, not much action is going on. The Green Knight then rides into King Arthur's house on his horse. He gives a challenge to everybody in the hall. The king says that whoever cuts the Green Knight's head will be a brave person. Then Sir Gawain says that he will take the Green Knight's challenge. But, he wants to know the Green Knight's name. Sir Gawain says,"Nor I know you not, knight your name nor your court. But tell me truly thereof, and teach me your name (Norton 210,line400-401). The Green Knight, however, does not give his name to Sir Gawain. Instead, the Green Knight says Sir Gawain has a year to find out where the Green Knight lives. Once Sir Gawain discovers where the Green Knight lives, he will know his name. The Green Knight says, "If I tell you true, when I have taken your knock, and If you handily have hit, you shall hear straightway of my house and my home and my own name" (Norton 210 lines 406-408). At this point Sir Gawain does not know wha t to do. Sir Gawain asks the Green Knight for directions to his house. But the Green Knight will not give any clues to Sir Gawain, and he says, "That is enough in New Year, you need say no more" which means that after the year is through, Sir Gawain will know everything (Norton 210 line 404).

Lamb to the Slaughter Essay

Mary Maloney proves to be an interesting character in this story. She fits well with the dramatic irony, tone, symbolism, and the overall theme of the story because of the brilliant characterization done on her character. Dahl, at the beginning of the story, sets up the premise that the reader should solely empathize with her character. Continuously, he keeps building the pretense that she is a sweet, innocent lamb (which is a major motif); only capable of following the followers (previously mentioned under symbols). As the story progresses, the reader realizes that she is basically being slaughtered by her butcher of a husband. There are three parts to this slaughter. One is the emotional slaughter that her husband undertakes, which starts to slowly alter her character. The second part is the aftermath of the more physical part of the slaughter where Mary Maloney actually kills her husband with a leg of lamb. The results of this also ‘slaughter’ her ‘lamb-like’ character even more, and that is the third and final part of this massacre. Instead of being a naà ¯ve, innocent slave to her husband, she is now a malicious, demented (evident in the latter part of the story where she giggles due to the fact that she got away with murder), and a free woman; a woman with no slight implication that she was ever under her husband’s power. Dahl makes sure to use tone to describe just how much her husband controlled her, and how uplifted she was when he was gone. Using dramatic irony, he highlighted the one end of Maloney’s mental spectrum. Overall, Dahl compacted many literary elements in such a short story, yet he composed it into such a way that everything is delicately related upon each other. Without the tone, one wouldn’t get such a powerful impact from the irony. Mary’s characterization would have seemed less severe, and the idea of slaughter would be interpreted differently. Dahl uses this story to describe the extreme result of a common theme. Our main concern was to question if this was a worthy piece of literature that could convey a theme or a moral decision that could impact anyone. With the evidence previously mentioned, this piece was worthy of the Dahl name, and that the elements in this story hanged together in a delicate balance. Without one element, his message would not have been conveyed as strongly as it was. Round Mary goes from slaving over her husband’s every move, to killing him! Expanding more on that, she goes from being a lamb, one who follows, to being the butcher, the one who rules. She finally takes control of her life, as if she has been resurrected from the depths of her despair, ironically, after her husband’s death. She goes from being weak to actually being in charge of her life and what she does. The point of a dynamic character is not to just change morally/physically, but to become more complex. Obviously, as this story continued, Mrs. Maloney is a prime example of a complex character. Her name (Mary Maloney), that she has a husband (Patrick Maloney- a police officer), how long she has been pregnant (six months), inferences on her home (rather comely, with a pleasant aura; classic feel of a late 20th century house), her status (housewife), and a description of her looks (translucent skin, large, dark, placid eyes), daily habits and personality (before and after h er ‘realization’). *All occur during the exposition (paragraphs 1-33) Symbolism: The club of lamb: The lamb in the story is the wife. She does everything for the husband. She gets his slippers, makes him dinner, and slaves over him. And to thank her for all her work, he gives her a divorce. Basically, the reader can obviously see she is the weakest one here. She has no say in it–he has his mind set. Her labors and efforts†¦her life is being torn apart by this guy. He wants it to be a hush-hush affair, for the sake of his job. And she’s just the wife to do it. His career will be intact, while hers (the loving housewife) will not be. She is a weak, pathetic lamb, and she is being slaughtered. Then, she just couldn’t take it anymore. She fought back, and that resulted in murdering her husband. When killing occurs in a story, it’s usually significant for some reason. It shows someone overcoming some obstacle. Here, the ‘lamb’ of a wife overcomes her ‘butcher’ of a husband (the fact that he is a pol ice officer screams control freak) by killing him. And with it, she kills her status as a lamb. The lamb [status] has been slaughtered, and a free woman is left. Due to the fact that her husband is leaving her for someone else, while she is pregnant, her innocent, worthless, and helpless self is exaggerated. Though, after the murdering of her husband, this ‘lamb’ status is slowly crumbling away to reveal a more strong, take initiative type person. The slaughter: This occurs when the police arrive and eat the lamb. That is the slaughter; it is the destruction of the leg of lamb. It, the leg of lamb, was the symbol of her meek status, for it was the only reminder of what she had done and what she was like back ‘then’. Once that lamb is gone, so is all evidence that she was ever under her husband’s power. Irony: There are two major examples of irony in this story. 1. Dramatic Irony: Where Mrs. Maloney feeds the police officers that were investigating her husband’s death, and were friends with the late officer, the club of lamb that she used to kill Patrick Maloney. One officer saying that the murder weapon could have been, â€Å"Probably right under our very noses?† (Paragraph 131). 2. Situational Irony: The title of the story is itself, a large pun! A lamb to the slaughter usually refers to someone who is unaware they are about to be harmed. This is from the idea that lambs are easily led to their slaughter since they trust the one leading them, and they are unaware of what is to become of them. In this story, the husband, Patrick Maloney, is killed like a lamb. He totally trusts his wife, Mary, and is completely unaware of his impending doom. However, the title is also ironic because it is actually a frozen leg of lamb that is used to slaughter the hapless victim. Tone: Ironic- the lamb that was supposed to be served as supper to nourish Patrick was, in the end, the weapon used to kill him. And the said club of lamb was given to the cops to eat at dinner. Tragic- That a couple, who is expecting their first child, end up hurting each other. Patrick wants to destroy his wife mentally, while his wife destroys him physically. Comical- At the end, the sergeants who were supposed to capture the murderer, unknowingly cooperated with our murderer to destroy the evidence by eating up the murder weapon. Tone played an essential part for the smooth transition from Mary’s innocence to a charming psychopath. To fit with the desperation of her upcoming divorce, Dahl dwells into the habitual life of Mrs. Maloney and every chronic detail of that period of time. He goes into describing every agonizing second of her life, and elongates those seconds into years when her perfect ritualistic life suffers a small change that snowballs into something catastrophic. The minute she kills her husband, the story seems to be more uplifting. As if the reader is no longer suffocated by simple, yet overbearing aspects of the couple’s life. Towards the end of the story, one could even take the tone as somewhat humorous. The childish giggle let out at the end not only emphasized what she had done and serve as a way to ease tension. Theme: The universal theme is that you should not underestimate the power that the weak may hold. In this story, there was a clear indication how much power Mary held within the relationship between her and her husband. My interpretation was that even though the weak may seem powerless, they can be stronger than those in control when they claim their power. â€Å"She might just as well have hit him with a steel club.†(Paragraph 42) She swung the leg of lamb so hard; it had the strength of a steel club. Women are typically, small and not as strong as men, so being able to strike a man in the head with the force of a â€Å"steel club† is astonishing. â€Å"She stepped back a pace, waiting, and the funny thing was that he remained standing there for at least four or five seconds, gently swaying. Then he crashed to the carpet.† (Paragraph 44) Crashed to the floor, that’s how much power she had, when driven by a strong anger. By power came intelligence, as soon as Mary realized she had killed her husband, she was able to devise a plan in order to ultimately get away with murder. Don’t underestimate the weak, because sooner or later, they’ll rise to become powerful. In this case, the consequence of such thinking resulted into murder. The control Patrick had on his wife became just an illusion after we saw the capability of Mary. View as multi-pages

German Automobile Industry Background Essay

The automobile industry in Germany was born on in the earlier 1886 when the first â€Å"vehicle powered by a gas engine† was assembled and registered. 125 years has passed, and with it the industry has acquired an incredible growth and global recognition. The industry now is one of the most powerful and reliable of the world that actually competes â€Å"vis a vis† with the one of the most dominant car industries of the world: Asian automobile industry. The German automobile industry is one of the stronger and successful industries in the world, it is the fourth global manufacturer in terms of volume (numbers of cars assembled) after China, United States and Japan. In fact, German automobile industry is responsible for of the manufacturing of 17% of the total global car production. Furthermore, it represents the main sector of Germany’s economy (main driver of growth) as well as the largest automotive market in the whole European continent. One of the key factors of success of this industry has been the large budgets invested in automotive development and research, which has allowed them to manufacture and offer vehicles with latest technology that in most of the cases fits better with consumer insights; in other words, an evolutionary process of application of innovation and cutting-edge technology has lead into one of the main industries in Germany. A good example of this fact is the development of environmental friendly vehicles, which makes â€Å"Germany the most innovative auto nation in the world†. German cars are known globally due to its attributes in terms of comfort, luxury, security, efficiency, reliability, design and image. In addition, the industry counts with one of the higher qualified labor forces, as well as modern infrastructures and research facilities. The industry actually employ 747,600 people just within Germany, and this rate is increasing sharply over the years. The result, Europe’s largest automobile market: about 5. 4 million passenger cars manufactured in 2012; 46 automobile assembly and engine production plants with a capacity over one third of the total automobile production in Europe. Giving the importance of German automobile industry is not a surprise to find some of the most influent companies of the world setting their headquarters and principal assembly plants in the country. The market is dominated by Audi, BMW, Ford Germany, Mercedes Benz, Opel, Porsche and Volkswagen. All these companies have a common characteristic: global demand. Therefore, even when domestic economy is huge –including Germany and the European Union- the industry growth is predominantly due to the exports of vehicles to other countries. Also, as well as the manufacturing of passenger cars, the industry in comprised in an important proportion by the manufacturing and trade of auto parts. The latest reports indicate that last January was a historic month for German automotive industry in which they experienced a sharp increase in demand due to past few years’ trends that have been defining market behavior. Audi and Mercedes Benz sold more cars around the world in January than any corresponding month in the past. The Volkswagen subsidiary Audi sold 117,500 cars, the higher quantity of monthly sales in its history. Also, it increased the worldwide distribution by 16% the same month. The trend was indicating in the past years a significant growth in trade especially with the Asian market, last January the trend was confirmed. Even though the sales increase in all regions, in China the increase was of 38. 5%. Giving this, is possible to identify the markets that represent the clusters of largest demands of German cars as: Asia (mainly China), US and Europe. Bibliography Bibliography IANS. (2013, 02 13). German Cars in Global Demand. Retrieved from Zeebiz. com: http://zeenews. india.com/business/automobiles/auto-news/german-cars-audi-mercedes-benz-in-global-demand_69691. html Invest, G. T. (n. d. ). Automotive Industry. Retrieved from Germany Trade and Invest : http://www. gtai. de/GTAI/Navigation/EN/Invest/Industries/Logistics-mobility/automotive. html Invest, G. T. (n. d. ). The Automotive Industry in Germany. Retrieved from Ixpos. de: http://www. ixpos. de/IXPOS/Content/EN/Your-business-in-germany/_SharedDocs/Downloads/automotive-industry-in-germany. pdf.

Free Essays on Misconceptions About Women In Islam

Throughout history, women universally have been thought to be fighting a constant battle for equal status and rights as men. Particularly in ancient societies, women were degraded to being almost subhuman, without many rights, and perceived as property belonging to their closest of kin males. Women as a whole, to a certain extent, have since struggled to overcome such conflicts of sex discrimination and are now much closer to achieving their goals for equality than before. However, a new struggle has emerged for those women who view their lifestyles as being liberating, while most others see them as being oppressed. In recent times, only one identity comes to mind when speaking of oppression and women, and that is the stereotypical Muslim Woman. Female Muslims have been an absolute symbol of suppression in the world, and distorted images and thoughts of them permeate throughout western societies. These societies believe that Muslim women must be saved from a religion that denigr ates, objectifies, and veils them. Without much research to their claims, such western societies condemn the religion of Islam for the treatment of women in most Middle Eastern and Asian countries. While western women are assumed to have, or at least be approaching, equality with men, Muslim women are simply seen as the victims of terror and oppression. It is unfortunate, because much of the motives and beliefs of Muslim women have been voiced by everyone else except for themselves. It is especially imperative to understand that many women of mainstream Islam view their religion as the right path for them and are content with their ways of living, no matter how western societies perceive them to be. It is important to separate the facts from fiction when it comes to the teachings of Islam, and to illustrate the true equality that streams from within Islam. Consulting the primary text of Islam, the Quran is the most reliable and valid source of infor... Free Essays on Misconceptions About Women In Islam Free Essays on Misconceptions About Women In Islam Throughout history, women universally have been thought to be fighting a constant battle for equal status and rights as men. Particularly in ancient societies, women were degraded to being almost subhuman, without many rights, and perceived as property belonging to their closest of kin males. Women as a whole, to a certain extent, have since struggled to overcome such conflicts of sex discrimination and are now much closer to achieving their goals for equality than before. However, a new struggle has emerged for those women who view their lifestyles as being liberating, while most others see them as being oppressed. In recent times, only one identity comes to mind when speaking of oppression and women, and that is the stereotypical Muslim Woman. Female Muslims have been an absolute symbol of suppression in the world, and distorted images and thoughts of them permeate throughout western societies. These societies believe that Muslim women must be saved from a religion that denigr ates, objectifies, and veils them. Without much research to their claims, such western societies condemn the religion of Islam for the treatment of women in most Middle Eastern and Asian countries. While western women are assumed to have, or at least be approaching, equality with men, Muslim women are simply seen as the victims of terror and oppression. It is unfortunate, because much of the motives and beliefs of Muslim women have been voiced by everyone else except for themselves. It is especially imperative to understand that many women of mainstream Islam view their religion as the right path for them and are content with their ways of living, no matter how western societies perceive them to be. It is important to separate the facts from fiction when it comes to the teachings of Islam, and to illustrate the true equality that streams from within Islam. Consulting the primary text of Islam, the Quran is the most reliable and valid source of infor...

Celebrity Endorsements

Celebrity Endorsements In the Beauty sector industry, L’Oreal ranks on the top amongst the other brands, and has also undertaken many celebrity endorsements (Wang W.S, 2006). To comprehend the influence of celebrity endorsement on â€Å"L’Oreal Paris† a methodical study is required. This chapter has been divided into two sections, the first begins with a brief description about celebrity endorsements, in addition the previous and the current scenario of celebrity endorsements, whereas the second section talks about the brand L’Oreal, its performance in the industry, the celebrity endorsements it has undergone, furthermore any risks it has faced while endorsing and lastly how has it been influenced by celebrity endorsements   A key challenge that marketing agencies face today to get noticed in the highly competitive market is that of designing an â€Å"advertising execution†. There are many ways through which agencies can secure consumers, amongst them one form is celeb rity endorsement (Robert van Der Veen analysis of celebrity endorsement as an effective destination marketing tool, 2004).The concept of â€Å"celebrity endorsement† has been increasing over the decades and now is a widespread advertising strategy. Celebrity endorsement since ages has been used as an effective source of marketing to promote products and services. (Nathan Klaus, and Ainsworth Anthony Bailey, Celebrity endorsement: an examination of gender and consumer attitudes, American Journal of Business, 2008 vol.23 no.2). At present, one will find almost every advertisement involving a celebrity, these celebrities act as spokespersons so as to advertise and promote products, services and ideas. (Cited in Kambitsis et. al 2002, Rajakaski JJ, Simonsson R.2006). Now Celebrity endorsement is a well established form of advertising strategy, especially in the U.S where approximately twenty percent of all the television commercials present a celebrity or a famous person and in a ddition, approx ten percent of dollars spent on television advertising are consumed in celebrity endorsement. (Cited in advertising age Sherman 1985, Agrawal & Kamakura, 1995). The celebrities when are endorsed for a product they are expected to accomplish a number of objectives such as increasing the brand image, brand name, product creditability, and also the likability of the advertisement.(Brunett et all 1993 cited in Marin 1996). Firms use celebrity endorsement not just for increasing revenues but also its importance lies in the fact that how celebrity endorsement add value to company, brand and product.(Clinton Amos, Gary Holmes, David Strutton, Exploring the relationship between celebrity endorser effect and advertising effectiveness, International Journal of advertising , 27(2), 209-234, world advertising research center) Using celebrities for advertising helps the brand by acquiring better and more attention from the consumers, they add glamour to the product/brand and make it more credible, desirable and trustworthy. (Spielman, 1981 cited in Renton , 2006).According to Friedman and Friedman (1979) â€Å"a celebrity is an individual who is known by the public for his achievements in area other than that of the product class he is endorsing†. Famous people achieve a high degree of attention from the public and media. As a result of their celebrity status they create a positive image of the product they endorse. Murdoch argues that Belch and Belch has written   â€Å"Marketers recognize that people are more likely to be influenced by   a message coming from someone with whom they feel a sense of similarity, and that advertisers recognise the value of using spokes person who are admired: TV and movie stars, athletes, musicians, and other popular figure † (Murdoch, Creativity in advertising).There are a variety of reasons why a firm might go for celebrity endorsement some reasons may be the experiences that the celebrity faced in his l ife may be similar to the message to be conveyed in the advertisement and if you are a fan of the celebrity you might trust them..(Kulkarni and Gaulkar,   2007). Hence, Choosing a celebrity should be done with at most care and importance since it is more than a marketing strategy as it is a decision that has an impact on the prospect of the brand. Choice of celebrity should be on the basis of factors like appeal, popularity, etc.(Naveen Blazey and Shashi Kanth Ganti, Goa institute of management Goa, Impact of celebrity endorsement on overall brand)

Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Economy - Essay Example Rising interest rates will devastate the government and would become much expensive for the local government to borrow cash, and home loans will be out of reach for citizens except for the very wealthy, by next year. Consequently, US may be wiped out financially, thus, bring the economic activities to a standstill (National Bureau of Economic Research 45-6). The Federal Reserve has strived to keep US interest rates debt at a low level, and they have succeeded. Until recently, investors and nations around the world continue to participate in this system regardless of the fact that the federal system is not honest. However, there are indications that too many foreign direct investors are lastly outsourcing their investments to other countries. For instance, China and Russia have been dumping US regime debt. Other direct investors are Renowned investors like Jim Rodgers say he will dump 30years of US government bonds. When investors put such comments forward, there is a high probability that by 2013, US will have few direct foreign investors. The decline of the dollar will lead to reduced consumption and will shift consumer expenditure from imported goods to domestic goods and services while supplementing demand in domestic products with increased exports. Unfortunately, the lower dollar value is expected to last longer than anticipated. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that the budget deficit will approximate to 5.2% of the GDP in the coming years. It is more likely that foreign lenders like China will not continue lending money to US. Due to the reduced demand and decline of the dollar, the trade deficit will decline. The loss of reverse status will be disastrous for the dollar value. Foreigners will rash to get out of the dollar, either through outright currency conversion or through bidding up the US goods value as they rash to unload the dollar holdings. Though it is hard to tell