Sustaining Organisational Effectiveness Research Paper

Sustaining Organisational Effectiveness - Research Paper Example This article dwells into the details of how leaders can be inspirers at the same time also analyses how lackluster leadership qualities can result in poor performance of the entire organization. The article also substantiates the fact, with the help of a survey conducted by the McKinsey consultancy services highlights the wide gap between the aspirations of executives to innovate and their ability to do so. It also says that tinkering with organizational structures and processes as a way of stimulating creativity and innovation will lead the organization nowhere. The article also lays emphasis on innovation and the need for it to be incorporated as a part of business strategy itself. The article attempts to drive home the point that fostering a culture of creativity and innovation is only possible only when the higher-ups empower their people. Even failure should also be encouraged so as to encourage employees and others to crop up with innovative and creative ideas. Not all organizations give the staffs such a degree of participation, with authoritarianism raising the head (Burnes, 2004). Several multinational companies encourage their employees of all levels to generate bu siness ideas which can result in competitive advantage for them. For example, a Japanese company like Matsushita encourage its entire staff to generate innovative business ideas. They even encourage people who do menial jobs in their organization to convey their ideas to the top management in case if they have any. Another excellent example is Philips; this company encourages not only their employees but also their suppliers and also their customers to come up with new innovative ideas to compete better. Johnson and Scholes (2002) state that an organization might develop in the future based on groupings of key environmental influences. Such ideas are duly appreciated and awarded also promptly by the company.

Discussion Board Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Discussion Board - Assignment Example According to Caligiuri, Lepak, and Bonache (2010), today many firms arrange flexible working schedules and work-at-home facilities for their employees so as to meet employee satisfaction and hence to mitigate staff shortage or staff turnover issues (p.na). Organizations follow this policy also to attract highly skilled labors and to reduce their operating expenses. Under such circumstances, it is inevitable for the management to frame more comprehensive workforce management approaches so as to generate better outcomes. If concerns fail to develop a collaborative approach for managing their diverse workforce and work schedules, it would not be possible for them to gather fragmented pieces of information and to assess approaching threats effectively. The situation worsens during the time of economic crisis or unforeseen changes in the global business environment because such contingencies may raise potential challenges to organizations, HR departments, managers, and employees. A well structured human resource philosophy is vital to enable organizations to address financial, operational, and workplace issues in an efficient manner while emphasizing a people-first management style. First, it is necessary to respect the individuality of each employee in order to keep him/her motivated towards the achievement of shared organizational goals. Second, firms should consider their human resources as an integral component for creating a worksite environment that promotes excellence in training and learning, R&D, and public relations. Third, the top management must emphasize the fact that the staff members need to maintain proper knowledge, resources, and authority to perform their tasks effectively on an individual basis as well as in a team setting. Fourth; organizations should value and promote diversity in the workforce, particularly when it comes to the design and implementation of personnel programs,

Development through life stages Essay Example for Free

Development through life stages Essay Discuss the nature-nurture debate in relation to the development of the individual (M1) Evaluate how nature and nurture may affect the physical, intellectual, emotional and social development of two stages of the development of the individual (D1). Nature can be loosely defined as genetic inheritance or the genetic makeup (the information encoded in your genes) which a person inherits from both parents at the time of conception and carries throughout life. Several things in an individual genetically inherits include; ranging from gender, eye colour, risks for certain diseases and exceptional talents to height. The concept of nature thus refers to biologically inherited tendencies and abilities that people have and which may get revealed later on as they grow up. Nurture can be defined as the different environmental factors to which a person is subjected from birth to death. There are many environmental factors. They include both physical environments and social environments. Some theorists believe that people behave as they do according to genetic predispositions or even because of ‘animal instincts.’ This is known as the ‘nature’ theory of human behaviour. Other theorists believe that people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so. This is known as the ‘nurture’ theory of human behaviour. (www.yourenglishlessons.wordpress.com) Nature refers to the inherited (genetic) characteristics and tendencies that influence development. Some inherited characteristics appear in virtually everyone. All children have a set of universal human genes that, when coupled with a reasonable environment, permit them to develop as reasonably capable members of the human species. Inherited characteristics and tendencies are not always evident at birth. Many physical features emerge gradually through the process of maturation, the genetically guided changes that occur over the course of development. Environmental support, and responsive care from others, is necessary for maturation to take place. Children’s experiences in the environment affect all aspects of their being, for example the health of their bodies or the curiosity of their minds. Nurture affects children’s development in many ways. With good environmental support, children thrive. Unfortunately, the conditions of nurture are not always nurturing. For example, children who grow up in an abusive family must look outside the family for stable, affectionate care. It is known that your genetics determine what you will look like and even your height. However your height  and looks can be changed if a person doesn’t eat properly or are in an accident. People can become anorexic, obese, anaemic etc. And all of these can affect how a person looks and their height. If a child is malnourished then this can cause their growth to deteriorate and they may develop problems like rickets. By looking at adoption studies it is shown that identical twins share similar intelligence whether they are brought up together or not. With this data we can make an argument that genetics has a greater influence in the intelligence of identical twins as well as the environment. Your IQ which is determined by your genes can also be af fected by the environment around an individual. If a person has not got as good school opportunities as another person with the same determined IQ, if they perhaps cannot go to a good as school as them or if their teachers are not as good as the other then they’re IQ will not be as developed as the other person which means that nurture also plays a part in a person’s IQ. (www.boundless.com) However in recent years there has been a growing realization that the question of â€Å"how much† behaviour is due to heredity and â€Å"how much† to environment may itself be the wrong question. Take intelligence as an example. Like almost all types of human behaviour it is a complex, many-sided phenomenon which reveals itself (or not!) in a great variety of ways. The â€Å"how much† question assumes that the variables can all be expressed numerically and that the issue can be resolved in a quantitative manner. The reality is that nature and culture interact in a host of qualitatively different ways. (McLeod 2007) Nature vs. nurture could refer to really intelligent people. One reason given for their being so gifted at learning and acquiring information might be that its in their genes. They have really intelligent parents; a high IQ i.e. their genetic makeup has enabled them to be intelligent. And likewise, you might argue the opposite for very unintelligent pe ople. (Nature) Whereas some people might argue that its how that person is raised. The child’s parents gave him all kinds of means to learn with, or encouraged his education from an early age, etc. The ‘less intelligent’ child’s parents, on the other hand, kicked him outside all day, kept him from school, called him stupid, etc. (Nurture) In my opinion, both nature and nurture have an effect on the development of an individual. Having read both sides, I personally believe that indeed nature does have a significant impact on the holistic development of the  individual. In my opinion, our personalities are related to our genetics. I have a very similar temperament to my father, which supports my view. My sister on the other hand, has a temperament which is very similar to my mum’s. Also, I believe that our intelligence is genetically driven. Some people are naturally more intelligent than others and this cannot be disputed. Of course, nurture with regards to intelligence and personality is also important. If a child experiences a lack of support with their education, they may not perform to the best of their ability. With that being said however, the level of support that the child receives does not actually alter their natural ability. Also, an individual may suffer a negative experience in their upbringing. This may result in their development being ‘altered’ or ‘different.’ Peer pressure also exists and therefore we must consider all of these extra factors regarding the development of individuals. Researchers have uncovered convincing links between parenting styles and the effects these styles have on children. During the early 1960’s, psychologist Diana Baumrind conducted a study on more than 100 preschool-age children (Baumrid, D. (1967) child-care practices anteceding three patterns of preschool behaviour. Genetic psychology monographs, 75, 43-88). Using naturalistic observation, parental interviews and other research methods, she identified four important dimensions of parenting; disciplinary strategies, warmth and nurturance, communication styles and expectations of maturity and control. Based on these dimensions, Baumrind suggested that the majority of parents display one of three different parenting styles. Further research by Maccoby also suggested the addition of a fourth parenting style (Maccoby, E.E. (1992). The role of parents in the socialization of children: An historical overview. Developmental psychology, 28, 1006-1017) The four parenting styles are: Authoritarian parenting: in this style of parenting, children are expected to follow the strict rules established by the parents. Failure to follow such rules usually results in punishment. Authoritarian parents fail to explain the reasoning behind these rules. If asked to explain, the parent might simply reply, ‘because I said so.’ These parents have high demands, but are not responsive to their children. Authoritarian parenting styles generally  lead to children who are obedient and proficient, but they rank lower happiness, social competence and self-esteem. Authoritative parenting: like authoritarian parents, those with an authoritative parenting style establish rules and guidelines that their children are expected to follow. However, this parenting style is much more democratic. Authoritative parents are responsive to their children and willing to listen to questions. When children fail to meet the expectations, the parents are more nurturing and forgiving rather than punishing. Authoritative parenting styles tend to result in children who are happy, capable and successful (Maccoby, 1992.) Permissive parenting: permissive parents, sometimes referred to as indulgent parents, have very few demands to make of their children. These parents rarely discipline their children because they have relatively low expectations of maturity and self-control. According to Baumrind, permissive parents ‘’are more responsive than they are demanding. They are non-traditional and lenient, do not require mature behaviour, allow considerable self-regulation, and avoid confrontation’’ (1991). Permissive parents are generally nurturing and communicative with their children, often taking on the status of a friend more than that of a parent. Permissive parenting often results in children who rank low in happiness and self-regulation. These children are more likely to experience problems with authority and tend to perform poorly in school. Uninvolved parenting: An uninvolved parenting style is characterized by few demands, low responsiveness and little communication. While these parents fulfil the child’s basic needs, they are generally detached from their child’s life. In extreme cases, these parents may even reject or neglect the needs of their children. Uninvolved parenting styles rank lowest across all life domains. These children tend to lack self-control, have low self-esteem and are less competent than their peers. It is extremely important for a parent to demonstrate good parenting skills. How parents interact with their child affects their development in a significant way. How a child is brought up could affect the child’s social skills, they could turn out to be too shy, suffer anxiety, get nervous around people or even become mute depending on their situations at home. If a child is bought up in a home with violence, they could grow up thinking that it is the normal thing to do. Similarly, if a child is brought up in a very stable and loving household, this could  enable them to be happier and enjoy life more and this could also help bring out their personality and feelings. I believe that this suggests that a person’s personality does take an effect on how they deal with their environmental surroundings and the person that they will grow to become. Nurture can significantly impact an adult’s emotional and social development. If someone was treated badly as a child, this may reflect on their personality and behaviour as an adult. The individual may be withdrawn and depressed. This could be caused by the negative experiences they had in their childhood. Also, if an adult is obese it may be as a result of nurture. If a child is brought up being allowed to eat nothing but junk food, they will consider this type of eating as ‘normal’. As a result of this, nurture has a significant impact on the physical development of a child and indeed an adult, with regards to obesity. We could argue however, that obesity is genetic and that is where nature is to blame. In a study that included more than 5,000 identical and non-identical twin pairs, researchers found heredity to be a much bigger predictor of childhood obesity than lifestyle. They concluded that three-quarters of a childs risk for becoming overweight is due to genetic influences, while just under a quarter of risk can be attributed to environmen t. Either way, both nature and nurture can have an impact on the physical development of an individual. (www.webmd.co.uk) I believe that if a child has grown up in a ‘rough area’ then it will be more likely that they might get into trouble with the police, in school etc. This may be because they have seen older children or maybe even adults do something they shouldn’t and this influences them to do the same. Drink and drugs may influence antisocial behaviour. If antisocial behaviour is seen as normal you may end up repeating the cycle. However, it is the parent’s responsibility to make sure that their child is safe. Therefore, I believe that environmental factors can change how a child behaves depending for example on where they live and what kind of people they are exposed to. I personally do not believe there is a correct answer to this debate. There is no way to prove how much influence each has in forming who we are, so we have to rely on logic and researc h that has been conducted regarding the issue. But each side has different interpretations of what evidence is available. I do believe however, that both nature and nurture play a significant part in our personal development but I believe  that they are equally as important, there is no ‘better’ theory. I believe that you are born with certain genetic traits and predispositions which influence how you react to your environment. Your environment shapes the person you are because it presents you with choices, challenges, and opportunities. Your genetic traits provide you with strengths and weaknesses. It is how you utilize those strengths to overcome the challenges, and take advantage of the opportunities, and of course the choices that you make that ultimately make you who you are. How does nature/nurture affect the development of Miya at 5 years old? Nature has a significant impact on the physical, intellectual, emotional and social development of Miya. During this stage of childhood, Miya will be going through a p eriod of growth. Miya’s physical development will be determined by her genes and this cannot be controlled. Growth is pre-determined by nature and therefore, it cannot be changed or stopped. Nurture also has a significant impact on Miya’s holistic development during this stage of her life. Parenting has a huge impact on her intellectual, emotional and social development. If Miya is fed a lot of junk food by her parents, then nurture would be responsible for her becoming overweight. Unless Miya is genetically programmed to become overweight, this would be at the fault of her parents for allowing her to eat too many unhealthy foods, and not providing her with a balanced diet. Also, nurture will impact significantly on Miya’s intellectual development. If she is encouraged to complete her homework e.g. by doing reading or simple maths with her parents, Miya will benefit intellectually. Also, if Miya’s parents did not take the time to do these activities with Miya her intellectual development may negatively be affected by nurture. In terms of emotional and social developmen t, nurture is significantly important at this stage of Miya’s life. If Miya is shown love, she will feel emotionally secure and accepted by her parents. Miya will be able to trust her parents and will expect affection and love from others if she is used to getting that at home. On the other hand however, if Miya experiences abuse from her parents, this can have devastating consequences on her emotional and social development both at this stage in her life and in the future. If Miya experiences abuse, she may have problems trusting people and this could continue on to her adulthood. How does nature/nurture affect the development of Miya at 14 years old? Nature/ Nurture have a  significant impact on Miya’s physical, intellectual, emotional and social development during this stage of the lifespan. In terms of her physical development, Miya will be going through puberty during this stage of her life. Puberty is controlled by nature. Puberty is genetically programmed, Miya cannot change that puberty will happen as it is determined by nature; the individual cannot change that it will eventually occur. Nature also affects Miya’s intellectual development. Miya will have a specific IQ which will determine her natural intelligence. Of course, through nurture, Miya can make the most of her IQ e.g. by encouragement to study, parents providing resources etc. but, her IQ cannot actually be changed as it is determined by nature. Miya’s IQ will be developed by nature, but it will be supported through the nurture she receives in her life. For example, by her parents and teachers supporting her to achieve her best possible outcomes in school. Nurture will have a major impact on the emotional and social development of Miya. During this time, peer pressure and the influence of her friends will be huge. As a result of peer pressure, Miya may engage in activities that she otherwise may not have considered (drinking, drugs etc.) With regards to her development, this may have a negative impact as Miya will most likely not be truly happy with the decisions she makes. The internet and social media will also have a significant impact on the development of Miya both socially and emotionally. Facebook will be a very important part of Miya’s life as she will want to keep in contact with friends by using this social networking site. If Miya uses Facebook correctly, it could be a positive experience. However, sometimes Facebook can result in bullying which could negatively impact on her social and emotional development at this point in her life. Nurture can also have an impact on the type of friends Miya may have. If Miya’s parents are strict, they may choose who she is allowed to/ not allowed to be friends with. This will affect Miya’s emotional and social development. If Miya is not allowed to socialise with certain people, she may become upset with the decisions her parents have made for her. Miya may rebel against her parents if she feels she hasn’t got enough freedom. If her parents are too strict, she may withdraw from talking to them as she might feel they will ‘judge’ her. As a result of this, Miya may not discuss concerns/worries she has and this could have a very negative impact on her emotional development. On the other hand  however, if Miya’s parents set reasonable boundaries the relationship may be better. Miya may feel more comfortable talking to her parents if they are not too strict. Also, Miya may be happier socially too. If she is allowed to socialise with who she wants, she will not feel the need to rebel against the restrictions that her parents create. References: McLeod, S. A. (2007). Nature Nurture in Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/naturevsnurture.html (accessed 17/11/14) https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-textbook/intelligence-11/measuring-intelligence-62/genetic-and-environmental-impacts-on-intelligence-243-12778/) (accessed 19/11/14) http://yourenglishlessons.wordpress.com/2009/10/25/nature-vs-nurture-are-we-really-born-that-way/ (accessed 19/11/14) http://www.webmd.co.uk/children/news/20080211/nature-trumps-nurture-in-child-obesity (accessed 24/11/14)

Study On British Airways And Iberia Airlines Merger Management Essay

Study On British Airways And Iberia Airlines Merger Management Essay This case study seeks to explore why MA is taking place between British airways and Iberian airlines, taking into consideration globalisation, rationalisation and modularisation. Introduction British airways are U.K incorporated airline firm and is known for its world-class services in the airline industry. It was formed in the 1970s as the result of a merger between BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) and BEA (British European Airways).From the past three decades British airways has been the flag career airline of the United Kingdom. The main headquarter is located near to  London Heathrow Airport. British airways is the largest airline in the UK based on the size of its fleet, international flights and international destinations. On the other hand Iberian airlines are Spain based airline firm and are the countrys largest air transport group and the fourth-largest in Europe. Iberia is listed in the Ibex 35 of Spanish stock market. It is the only European Airline to report a profit continuously till past 13 years and one of the three airlines to be listed in Dow Jones Stock index. In addition, the company carries its social responsibility in a better and a distinguished manner. From the year 1927 the airline is operating its business successfully and conducts mainly three operations: Transport of passengers  and  cargo Aircraft maintenance Handling  services in airports Both the airlines firms have had their share of success but are now facing a number of industrial problems due to recession and globalisation. Problems of the companies There used to be a time when British airways (BA) was said as the worlds favourite airline, as its banners conceitedly confirmed. However, taking the present economic scenario BA is undergoing a number of problems in the industry. British airways are still struggling with the legacy of state ownership even after it has been privatised for last twenty years. Even recession has hard-hit the airline industry and to overcome the losses that British airlines had faced during recession; it had decided to cut down on its cost by reducing cabin crew and by discouraging an increase in the salary. However this acted as a catalyst in the industrial disputes and the effect of which is still very much felt in the daily business of BA; there have been a number of deadlocks and strikes within the airlines which have left passengers to decide on for other airlines.(ECONOMIST, 2009). Due to economic crisis business coming from North American routes was hard-hit due to a fall in the business-class travel. However, this could be recovered with the recovery of American economy as well as reviving the long-haul travel which makes a major part of BA profits. One of BAs major problems is Pension Deficit. BA has also been facing tough competition from low-cost airlines that have been providing customers with cheaper fares on short-haul travel. So, the only cure to overcome such losses is seen in creating or teaming up with a low cost partner. (ECONOMIST, 2009) Iberian airlines have been suffering from lower air cost travel demand as well. It has reported a trouncing of 16.4 million euro in the third quarter compared to revenue of 30.4 million euro earned in the earlier quarter. The standard fares of this airline have declined by 14% and even the load factor i.e. how filled the air-crafts are, declined to as much as 1.1% points to 82.1%. To cope up with the credit crunch it has decided to freeze the wages for 2010 and 2011 thus enhancing annual savings up to 37 million euro by 2011. It also plans to create new airline to cater to the needs of the traffic of Madrid Hub. (MENAFN, 2009) British airways decided to join hands with Iberian airlines as a result of credit crunch. By coming together they would come in the league of big European airlines. The merger with the Spain based airlines was looked upon as an appealing blend a year ago. However, taking the present state of affairs it seems to be worth a joint rescue process. This is so because both of their airlines economies are still under the influence of financial crisis; struggling with costs higher than the income. Iberia is still not moved by Mr. Willie Walshs, chief executive of BA, disagreements with the union. It still holds optimistic view towards BAs major problem of Pension Deficit. However if we consider the articles or the memorandum of the merger which was signed in November 09 between the two companies, Iberia has the right to call of the contract if BA is unable to meet up to the requirements of the trustees concerning the two pension funds. As recalculated on December 14th 09 by the trustees, the shortage of the two funds was declared to be at  £3.7 billion, based on March 31st 09 valuation. Presently BA is putting in cash worth  £131m a year. The Pension Regulator is helping to conclude whether the valuation performed by the trustees is satisfactory or not and what further actions are required to overcome the credit crunch. In this context, Iberian airlines say that it can decide to call of the deal if BA lands up paying more cash. (ECONOMIST, 2009) Airlines mergers and acquisitions are based upon strategies which involves several conditions. Airlines MA is beneficial for both travellers and airline employees. The issues which are considered while aviation MA are time, approvals, efficiency, competition, passenger benefits, and conflicts. Mergers and acquisition in airline industry is an emerging development across the world. But such MA are extremely planned and several important factors are considered. Such important factors are: The area covered by the airline The services and image of the airline Partnership of the airline with a rival group of airlines. Merger: A strategic plan The BA and Iberia pact will create a carrier of $25 billion, for instance. This deal makes a lot of sense and will cement the leading positions of the big three European network players. The merger seems to take place when the airline sector is badly hit by the decrease in number of passengers and cargo traffic. Apart of that the merger became the need of the hour, British airways reported a 20% decline in revenues to 4.1 billion pounds resulting in an operating loss of 111 million pounds in the six month period ending at September 2009. According to analyst Tony Shepard at the British brokerage firm Charles Stanley, the company is likely to report a 400 million pound loss for its full fiscal year ending in April 2010. British airways important North American routes and business have been hard hit by the collapse in business-class travel. This could bounce back quickly with economic recovery in America and, provided that cost increases from environmental measures are not too onerous; the long-haul travel on which BAs profitability depends should revive in time. But, like all former national carriers in Europe, it is facing devastating competition on its short-haul flights from low-cost airlines. .On the other hand the merger is definitely in need by Iberia also as the airlines faces hardships because airline sector in Spain is facing exceptionally difficult conditions amid the economic crisis and competition from high-speed rail. Iberian airlines financial position is quite weak as the company had plunged into the red in the second quarter of 2009, recording a huge net loss of 72.8 million Euros. Afterwards the company declared its third quarter results where it reported a loss of 16.4 million Euro s (24.4 million dollars. Due to such extreme losses and no signs of recovery in the market, the merger was seen as a best strategic move by Iberia. The planned merger with Iberia, the Spanish airline, looked as if it would be a winning combination a year ago when it was first mooted. Today it seems more like a mutual rescue operation. Both airlines national economies are still in the doldrums; both firms are struggling with costs greater than their revenues. It is also reasonably sanguine about BAs other big problem: its enormous pension deficit. But according to the merger memorandum signed, Iberia can call off the wedding if BA cannot reach a satisfactory agreement with the trustees of its two pension funds. As on 9th November 2009 there was an official announcement that both of them (British airways and Iberian airlines) reached an initial agreement for a merger which is planned to be completed by late 2010.As per the market this merger, which will need the European Commissions s eal of approval, will lead to the creation of the worlds third biggest airline. The deal would see the new company being split with Iberia being allocated a 45% stake and BA the remaining 55%. The new business would have 419 aircraft and over 200 destinations. In their last financial years, their joint revenues are approximately à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬15 billion. The airlines believe there is a compelling strategic rationale for the transaction, which is expected to generate annual synergies of approximately à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬400 million, and benefit both companies shareholders, customers and employees. The new group will combine the two companies leading positions in the UK and Spain and enhance their strong presence in the international long haul markets, while retaining the individual brands and current operations of each airline. In July 2008 there was news of pair being in talks for an all-share merger. But, because of issues such as the balance of control and the size of BAs pension-fund deficit the discussions were put at a stop. Market situation As per the current market scenario passenger traffic appears to have stabilized, and airlines have been able to convince their workforces that the industry is in crisis, pushing through some labour concessions and reducing capacity. BA is making genuine progress in lowering costs, says analyst Nick Cunningham of Evolution Securities. As per the British airways ongoing activities it seems the situation of the company has started improving after announcement of the merger, the company has recapitalized; following a convertible bond offering over the summer last year and now has a cash balance of 1.5 billion pounds. In addition the company has seen an increase in long haul flights which is one of the major areas where airline companies make most of the profit. But still after all the positive changes British airways still face a number of issues related to their workforce. Competitors in the market have a very mixed reaction towards the merger of both the airline. Virgin Atlantic which as per the market view faces the biggest competition from this merger its official said in a statement that the merger will increase BAs dominance at Heathrow with 44% of takeoff and landing slots this winter, and added its impossible for any other airline to replicate their scale. Other airline companies have the view that the deal could actually help them win business. Michael OLeary, CEO of discount Irish carrier Ryanair, told CNBC that the deal was like two drunks holding each other up on the way home. All you get when you put two high-fare, loss-making airlines together is even higher fares and even bigger losses. Mr. Leary operates a regional carrier and doesnt compete on long-haul flights against carriers like BA. Though these statement can be said as speculation in one sense as the true effect of this merger is still to be seen. But as per in a public announcemen t by BA chief executive Willie Walsh The merger will create a strong European airline well able to compete in the 21st century. The deal would create Europes second biggest airline by stock market capitalisation, and third biggest by income, with around 60 million passengers per year, As per market experts. The Times quoted various news on different dates regarding job cuts which were likely at existing head offices in London and Madrid, in maintenance facilities and the merged sales forces. In review of news Mr. Walsh will be chief executive, and Iberia airlines chairman Mr. Antonio Vazquez will be chairman of the new company to be based in London and listed on the London Stock Exchange. MR.Vazquez hailed the agreement, saying they were laying the foundations of what will be one of the most important airlines in the world, a real global airline.It is said that if the merger results fruitful and the economy begins its recovery in 2010 or maybe 2011 then it will be a major boost to both of them. One thing can be predicted that If the deal gets successfully executed the customers are going to have a wide variety of destinations as BA customers would gain access to up to 59 new destinations, of which 13 will be in Latin America, while Iberias customers would gain up to 98 new destinations across the BA network. In addition to it the effects of merger will result in combined stock market capitalisation of some 4.9 billion Euros (4.3 billion pounds, 7.2 billion dollars). Ways to deal with problems British Airways, the UK flag-carrier pension deficit was revealed and it was found that the deficit was more than double amounting to 3.7 billion pounds at the end of March, which was higher than analysts expected but it is not a bug enough to be a reason for ending up of the merger with Spanish airline Iberia. As told to Reuters by a source in Iberia airlines Were not surprised by this figure. It falls within the expected range, As it is already implied before, BAs pension deficit is the crucial area in the negotiation of merger and Iberia has the right to pull of the merger if the payment of this deficit turns to be too big. Moreover, there are chances that the deficit figure could arise till the time the valuation process is completed in next year in June because as per Britains Pensions Regulator the assumption which is used to calculate the deficit are too optimistic. In view of this BA said in a statement The regulators provisional view is that the technical provisions may be m aterially below a level it feels appropriate, As per the problem the British airways management is trying to figure out different ways to solve the problem. As per in one of the announcements BA said that the company and the pension trustees will work together to develop a recovery plan, a process through which the company will consult its employees and their trade unions and will try to take out a decision from it by the end of June 30, 2010. The strategy which is employed now is to change the nature of any pensions deal BA can strike with its staff and calculating the proportion of gap which can be covered by the company. As said by Deutsche Bank The Company may be forced to renegotiate pension benefits with employees if it is to avoid using more shareholders cash, Merger: Theory Practice The reality that only 20 per cent of the acquisitions actually succeed and the rest erodes shareholder wealth (Grubb and Lamb, 2000) can highly contravene with examples of successful takeovers like Swiss by Lufthansa in 2005.Talking about mergers, they create shareholder value with most of it accruing to the resultant company. One of the important reasons behind merging a company is that it helps in increasing shareholders value much above the sum total of the two companies.(Watson and Head,2007) The optimistic impact of mergers extends to and involves economies of scale or synergies, helps to gain power in the markets by creating monopolies, manages agency costs and manages risk for undiversified managers ( Gregor Anrade, Mark Mitchell, Erik Stafford, 2001). Mergers create synergies, reduce operational costs and enhance market share. On the other hand it results in the genesis of agency problems as the managers can cause mergers for their own benefit. It also results in decentralisation of power that reduces responsibility and accountability. Merger which can be defined as when two (or possibly more) business combine. In other words one can say that merger is defined as a situation when two companies/firms decide by mutual agreement to combine the businesses. The term takeover holds a different meaning in comparison to merger. It means when a larger business takes over control of a smaller business and the smaller business gets immersed by the larger business. But in todays era it is not cleared that whether the business has been merged or it has been taken over. According to the relationship between the businesses being merged, mergers and takeovers can be divided into three parts and they are : Horizontal merger occurs when two businesses in the similar industry, and at the Same point in the production process decides to combine. Vertical merger occurs when two businesses in the similar industry, but at different points in the same production process decide to combine. Conglomerate merger occurs when two businesses in unrelated industries decide to combine. As it can be implied from the academic studies supporting the article the merger between British airways and Iberia airlines is Horizontal type of merger as both the companies are from the airlines sector leading to same production process and they have got high presence at international level. According to research, the last few years werent an acceptable period for the air line industry as a result of rapidly increasing fuel costs and due to economic downturn. Airline mergers and acquisitions have clustered and most of the airline bosses exclaimed consolidation is inescapable. The prominent examples of merger and acquisition in the industry are Air France KLM in 2003, Swiss- Lufthansa in 2005, US Airways-America West in 2005 and Delta- Northwest in 2008. The Europeans lead the way in establishing mega-carriers. By revenue Air France-KLM is the world leader with $34 billion, followed by the Lufthansa Group at $30 billion. (The Mating Game.  Airline Business, 02687615, Jan2009, Vol. 25, Issue 1). At the same time, US Airways and America West merger drained their expenses by over $250 million a year and created a company better able to weather $100-a-barrel oil. US  Airways, the nations fifth-largest carrierearned $427 million on revenue of $11.7 billion. (A Cautionary Tale for Airline Mergers, Palmeri, Christopher, Business Week; 3/17/2008) Therefore it can be determined that mergers and acquisitions had sustained airline industry during the economic downturn achieving significant synergies and economies of scale. Although the mergers and acquisitions prevented air lines from liquidation, adverse impacts can also be emphasized. Even US Airways exists bankruptcy; the expanded company still face the internal struggle of affiliating two separate airlines. The main obstacles are employee dissatisfaction and customer complaints (A Cautionary Tale for Airline Mergers, Palmeri, Christopher, Business Week; 3/17/2008 ) However the worlds airlines are forming themselves into huge alliances. Does this matter? Yes: the risk is that the airline industry is moving from one extreme and its time to worry about the competition. Conclusion According to our studies and research it can be seen the airline industry has been hit by the economic downturn. They struggled with the cost hikes higher than their incomes. Both the airlines have been faced by the problems of industrialization and globalization, the competition of other airlines such as low cost airlines and rail services like Euro Star. Most of the airlines restructured and merged and gave them a competition as well. Pension black hole is one of the main current problems occurring in the British airways and some of the analysts say that they need more time to recover from the deficit than their estimated time of 2016.(in practice)Longer time is required for the closure of the deficit according to some analysts. But in the situations of cash in hock the company can consider making non-cash contributions such as non-monetary incentives instead of cash. If the company utilizes its assets for pension funds it might cripple the company with the same forces reducing its net worth. The impeccable size of the deficit is not known by the BA and at the same time they have released before announcing the recovery plan the size of the deficit effectively. However, airline and trustees are now working together to develop a recovery plan to negotiate with employees and trade unions. Unless and until BA manages come up with a solution to determine the pension deficit the merger will remain unsettled.

Good Use :: Teaching Writing Education Essays

Good Use (Memo sent to co-workers from the president of a Fortune 200 company) Yo, hommies...Your work here has been the bomb lately. Let's meet at that happening bar and guzzle down some. If you can't come, give da man a jungle! Da Prez. (A letter sent to a kindergardener from his parents) Dear Son, On this being your first day on your road of formal education, we wish you well. Please acquire vast knowledge, have great enjoyment, and we will await your return to inform us about your duration at school. Look over these two examples of writing. Neither of them seem acceptable here. Might it be because 'Good Use' was not put to good use? These two examples of writing may be exceptable for some people but they are definitely are not acceptable in these situations. For example, because a president of a Fortune 200 company holds such a prestigious position in the work force, he should not be portraying a gang style image to his employees. On the other hand, a child should not be expected to understand the stuffy-languaged letter from his parents. There are several classes of writing that are used everyday between different people. A person who is able to judge when to use a particular style of writing in a given circumstance and is able to use it proficiently is a person who knows how to use the English language well. As I said, there are many classes of correct English depending upon what situation you are in. A young child would not have an extensive vocabulary so their accepted written English would be of a very simple and possibly misspelled style. An African-American teenager may write in Ebonics and try to stylize the writing to portray a gang image if he/she is trying to act tough amongst their friends. High school and college students would write in the "cool" language that is accepted amongst their peers, abbreviate words, and have incomplete sentence structure because between friends, they would know what each is talking about. Also, a business professional would write in polite terms and use knowledgeable words pertaining to their particular field of work. One single person may have several classes of correct English that they use throughout their day. One example may be of a graduate student. This graduate student goes to school, has friends, and may have a job in their field of study. Therefore, this person would use his written business English style at his workplace, the "cool" English style of writing among friends, and a scholarly English style for his graduate school work.

Ethics in Information Technology :: Technology Ethics

Ethics in Information Technology Technology Department Technology is in many ways very beneficial to our society, but in what ways can and/or will this fast growing business be unethical. This article explains the power and information that an IT personnel has in the business world. Most people think of the IT person as someone who comes to fix their computer when they can't figure out their e-mail. But what does an IT person have access to. Every business is different and has different responsibilities required for the IT personnel. This article explains how most companies use the IT department for monitoring their employees on the computer. The article raises many questions on the ethical behaviors of IT personnel, but it doesn't give many answers. That's because the question of "Is it ethical?" must be answered by each individual IT professional. In other professional careers such as Medicine or Law that have been around for a long time have a set of laws or code of ethics that goes along with the job. This field has yet to establish such rules. The article states that most ethical issues such as: reading the employee e-mails and changing words, using key loggers to obtain everything a specific person has typed, or screen capture programs to monitor everything they have looked at, have not even been confronted by law, nor is there a standard that any IT professional has to follow. It's scary to think how much power and information that an IT professional have access to, and the fact that there are no laws that prohibit some of the procedures they is also a frightening thought. Even at Southwestern Assemblies of God University the IT people have access to our social security number, web pages we visit, and even our internet passwords like e-mail or student login. If the IT professional are hired and have no prior discretion of ethical issues how can we trust what they will do with the information they have about us. I trust that the employers at Southwestern have chosen the right people for the job, but what the everyday office of America. The article states that some of the IT professionals even help employees to get others fired. An example of this would be: At this particular business the IT department receives all the e-mails to be screened before they leave to the recipient.

Rfid Monitoring System With SMS Essay

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Technology refers to the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. Over the years, technology brought forth different products that would make man’s life more convenient and enjoyable. The products include, but are not limited to computers, televisions, radio, satellites, light bulb, automobiles, robots, and mobile phones. Others include virtual simulations of real life phenomena like life simulation games, virtual assistants and artificial intelligence. Technology greatly affected mankind as it helped them achieve things which may seem impossible to attain and gain truth and knowledge from things which may seem complicated to decode or understand. Through the years to come, technology will continue to lead man to the path of scientific advancement. A virtual pet is a type of an artificial human companion. Virtual pets differ from real pets as they have no concrete physical form other than the hardware they run on. On the other hand, like a real animal, if a virtual pet is neglected, it can get sick and die. Interaction with virtual pets may or may not be goal oriented, depending on the player. If the interaction is goal oriented, then the player must keep it alive as long as possible and often help it to grow into higher forms. In order to keep the pet alive a player often has to ‘feed’, ‘groom’, and ’play’ with his or her virtual pet. If it is not goal oriented, then the player may experiment with the game by trying out different pets to know which one he or she likes to take care of. A virtual pet can be a simulation of real or imaginary animals in computers, tablets, smartphones, or sometimes, in electronic toys. Virtual pet games are a subclass of life simulation games. Life simulation games are about â€Å"maintaining and growing a manageable population of organisms†, where players are given the power to control the lives of autonomous creatures or people. One thing that distinguishes virtual pets from other simulation games is, it is designed to be ‘cute’ and it has the ability to act out on a range of emotions based on a player’s interaction. Aside from providing entertainment to players, the main purpose of virtual pet games is to teach players the responsibilities of taking care of a pet. A virtual pet game could be used as a training for a person who wants to adopt an animal as a pet. It can help people determine if they are committed to taking care of a real animal. Plus, virtual pet games can be used in lieu of taking care of a real live pet for people who have allergic reactions to certain animals. The Virtual Pet Caretaking Game proposed by the researchers would be a big help for those people who think of having real pets. It will be developed in the android platform which can only be accessible to android phone users. With this game, they can be taught of the responsibilities of having to take care of a pet. Players will often get to enjoy various interactions with their pets such as feeding them, grooming them, playing with them, and giving them gifts such as accessories. The virtual pets, although ‘cartoony’ in design, will often simulate various reactions from real pets such as barking, yapping, purring, enjoying a good old ‘belly rub’, scratching, etc. It will also include a state indicator to determine if a pet is hungry, upset, bored, sick, lonely, and having the urge to defecate or urinate. This game also exhibits realistic tendencies that could happen if a player forgets to feed, groom, or give medicine to his or her pet. These tendencies inc lude death, sickness, and bad odor caused by unsanitary hygiene. Project Context One of the problems encountered in the Philippines can be seen in its streets. There are various stray dogs, cats and other animals that were once part of a ‘family’ (considering some people often think of pets as part of a family) which are now neglected and are roaming the city in search for food and shelter. These pets, due to hunger, unsanitary hygiene, and being exposed to harsh environmental conditions without shelter, often get sick. They could carry diseases that could harm not only them, but also the human beings. Neglected pets such as these are often pitiful to see. If only the people who were once the owners of these animals knew how to take care of a pet, then problems like these wouldn’t arise. Some people often think that having a pet is an easy job. They think that they can manage to take care of their pets even if they have work or classes to attend to. They might tell themselves that they are responsible enough to raise pets and would sometimes rush into adopting one without having enough knowledge on how to take care of it. In most cases, people are not prepared to have pets. There will come a time when they will pay little attention to the pets they once adored and showered affections with. This could lead to the detrimental of their pets’ health or sometimes, even death. Thus, the proponents have decided to develop the Virtual Pet Caretaking Game to train the people before having a real pet. This game will help them know the pet’s needs and wants. Players will learn to be patient and loving with their pets or else the pets get sick or die. This game could also aid the players in choosing the right animal for them to adopt as a pet, in the future. In addition, this game could also be used to determine a player’s commitment to taking care of a real pet. If the pet lived a happy and fruitful life during its virtual lifetime, then this is a good indication that the player or owner of the virtual pet is ready to have a real live pet. Purpose and Description This project is addressed to all people who want to raise a pet for the first time, but do not have any idea of what problems they will face if they do. Many people suffer in the process of raising a pet, because they cannot adjust or even simply understand the behavior of their pets. Health of their pet is not properly balanced and proper hygiene is not consistent due to a busy schedule. But the worse scenario is taken and carried by their beloved pets. Because of health problems, these pets are prone to different kinds of viruses and sickness, less exercise will add up and less attention will boost stress that will affect their behavior, action and interaction to people, and other animals. Virtual Pet Caretaking Game is an application that will let users or players see a forecast of what to do to raise a pet. The player’s main goal in this game is to maintain his or her virtual pet’s health, hygiene, and happiness  bars as great as possible. Through this, players will get to train themselves to become good pet caretakers someday. The game possesses a great Graphical User Interface that will suit to all ages. This means that parents won’t have to worry about guiding their children in playing this game. This game is not only for children, because its goal will suit to all pet lovers out there, and because of its easy to use navigation and controls, the proponents are pretty sure that everybody won’t have a hard time in navigating this game. Mistakes are acceptable if the pet owners learned from it, but if their pets continue to suffer from the same mistakes, it is a different story. The choice is in the players’ hands. Through a virtual pet game, players will get to learn many things about taking care of a pet. General Objective The primary objective of this project is to develop an application that will temporarily replace the role of real pets in people’s lives. The purpose of replacing a real pet is to expose the people who want to have pets, to all situations that they may face if they raise their own pets. Situations like; how to feed, when to feed or what to feed; is very important and would be very crucial in raising real pets. This will teach people the responsibilities one has to do in order for the pet to survive. Watching and understanding their different emotions are important too and letting them grow healthy in the players’ hands is a must! This game is designed for children and adults who want to know their responsibilities in raising a pet. This is also for the pet’s safety; because ignorance of pet lovers can harm them and can boost stress that will greatly affect their emotion, action, and interaction with people. This game will simulate behaviors and characteristics of a real pet, to let a user or a player feel that he or she is raising a real pet. If the user is doing something wrong, the virtual pet will react accordingly. Specific Objectives Below are the specific objectives of the study 1. To develop a game which simulates virtual pets to temporarily replace real animals as pets. 2. To develop virtual pets which can simulate the behaviors of real animals. 3. To teach people the proper ways of taking care of a pet. 4. To assess if a person is suitable in raising or adopting a real animal as a pet. 5. To provide a user friendly interface that suits for all ages. 6. To provide user convenience by implementing simple navigation or controls. Scope and Limitation of the Study The study of Virtual Pet Caretaking Game covers the processes of simulating virtual pets to mimic real life pets to let the user or player feel that he or she is taking care of a real pet. It will include various things that the user can do to interact with his or her virtual pet such as feeding it, grooming it, playing with it, giving it accessories, and giving it medicine if the pet is sick. The game also covers tendencies that could happen if a virtual pet is not treated right, such as sickness or death. If the pet is raised with affections, then the pet will grow bigger and healthier, up to the last days of its virtual life. Like a real pet, a virtual pet will not live forever, so taking good care of a virtual pet is a must, if the player wants his or her virtual pet to live a happy virtual life. However, there are features which the proponents would limit for the game, such as, the game will only be developed in a two-dimensional graphic display and the game will not include social interactions with other players over the internet. Furthermore, by the end of the virtual pet’s lifetime, players can get to assess themselves if they are ready to adopt or raise a real animal as a pet. If the virtual pet lived a happy virtual life, then the player may now adopt or raise a real pet. Otherwise, it can be an indicator that the player needs to have more training in taking care of a virtual pet so that in the future, the player will be ready to adopt or raise real pets.