Ordinary Men - 2572 Words

The arguments that Christopher Browning emphasizes in Ordinary Men are based on his beliefs about the Holocaust. His argument touches base on the idea that regular citizens of Germany could commit such horrible acts without being coerced into doing so. He examines the side of the Reserve Police Battalion 101 and tries to figure out just why these gentlemen participated in the mass shootings and deportations of the Holocaust. In fact should these gentlemen even be called gentlemen enlight of the acts they committed upon other men? The men that Browning writes on were simply ordinary men from various places in Germany. They were mainly middle to lower class men which made of most of the population therefore proving that this was not†¦show more content†¦To think of themselves like this made the men feel just a little better about doing these things. When the commanders noticed the men were being affected by the shootings some changes were made. First, the 101st Battalion was assigned to clearing the ghettos and loading people on trains destined for the Treblinka death camp. The SS-trained soldiers were then given the hard work which helped remove the police mentally from the deaths, and made their work much more efficient. Their jobs were clearing the people off of the trains and checking the towns. By mid-November 1942, following the massacres at Jozefow, Lomzay, Serokomla, Konskowola, and elsewhere, and the liquidation of the ghettos in Miedzyrzec, Lukà ³w, Parczew, Radzyn, and Kock, the men of Reserve Battalion 101 had participated in the outright execution of at least 6,500 Polish Jews and the deportation of at least 42,000 more to the gas chambers of Treblinka. (121) After that the police battalion would move through the town checking the houses. They would sweep through the houses many times to make sure no one was hid ing in corners. Everything the police did was done many times. They would even stand in line for hours checking the camps to make sure everyone was there. This started the massive hunts for the Jews and the men of the police battalion were forced toShow MoreRelatedOrdinary Men1347 Words   |  6 PagesIf one were to take anything from Christopher Browning’s Ordinary Men it is that even the most ordinary, normal men have the capacity to kill. The 101st Reserve Police Battalion executed at least 6,500 Jews at the Polish cities and villages of Jozefow, Lomazy, Serokomla, Lukow, Konskowola, Parczew, Radzyn, Kock, and Miedzyrzec and participated in the deportation of at least 42,000 Jews to the gas chambers in Treblinka (Browning, chapter 14, page 121). There were most likely even more killings thatRead MoreOrdinary Men Essay935 Words   |  4 Pages Browning’s â€Å"Ordinary Men† chronicles the rise and fall of the Reserve Police Battalion 101. The battalion was one of several units that took part in the Final Solution to the Jewish Question while in Poland. The men of Reserve Police Battalion 101, and other units were comprised of ordinary men, from ordinary backgrounds living under the Third Reich. Browning’s premise for the book is very unique, instead of focusing on number of victims, it examines the mindset of how ordinary men, became cold-heartedRead MoreEssay on Ordinary Men1126 Words   |  5 PagesThere are no extraordinary men... just extraordinary circumstances that ordinary men are faced to deal with (William Halsey). The same can be said about volatile men. This is the quote Christopher R. Browning thought of when he named this book. The men of the 101st battalion were rarely faced with decisions. Even if it had been proposed by Trapp the morning of Jozefow that any of the older men who did not feel up to the task that lay before them could step out (Browning, chapter 7, pg. 57), heRead MoreThe Ordinary Men of the Holo caust1075 Words   |  5 Pagesatrocities of the Holocaust came from all over Europe and a wide variety of backgrounds. Art Spiegelman’s Maus: a Survivor’s Tale, Christopher Browning’s Ordinary Men: Reserve Battalion 101 and the Final Solution, and Jan Gross’s Neighbors: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedbwabne, Poland, all provides a different perspective on how ordinary people felt about their experiences in the Holocaust both perpetrators and victims. Art Spiegelman’s Maus: a Survivor’s Tale is particularly uniqueRead More Ordinary Men by Browning Essay1630 Words   |  7 PagesOrdinary Men by Browning The men of Reserve Police Battalion 101 were just ordinary men, from a variety of backgrounds, education, and age. It would appear that they were not selected by any force other than random chance. Their backgrounds and upbringing, however, did little to prepare these men for the horrors they were to witness and participate in. The group was made up of both citizens and career policemen. Major Wilhelm Trapp, a career policeman and World War I veteran headed the battalionRead MoreOrdinary Men By Christopher Browning965 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel Ordinary Men by Christopher Browning there contains a thesis in which the novel is centered around. This thesis is the theory that these ordinary people could commit these atrocities in the Holocaust because of the pressure from their peers and country that were participating in these appalling acts of violence and massacres of innocent people. The basis of this novel relies on the need to show that these men were not necessarily physically forced to commit these heinous acts, but thatRead MoreOrdinary Men by Christopher Browning806 Words   |  3 Pagesevil, they are dehumanized. This is dangerous, as it doesn’t allow us to obtain wisdom, perspective, and empathy for those involved. Ordinary Men allows an opportunity to see these events from the eyes of the perpetrators and their journey that led to what seems to people today as ruthless, unscrupulous murder. When in fact these people were literally ordinary men who were introduced to unordinary circumstances which caused them to abandon their humanity. If we discredit these people as inhuman weRead MoreBrownings Ordinary Men Essay1066 Words   |  5 PagesThere are no extraordinary men... just extraordinary circumstances that ordinary men are faced to deal with (William Halsey). The same can be said about volatile men. This is the quote Christopher R. Browning th ought of when he named this book. The men of the 101st battalion were rarely faced with decisions. Even if it had been proposed by Trapp the morning of Jozefow that any of the older men who did not feel up to the task that lay before them could step out (Browning, chapter 7, pg. 57), heRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Ordinary Men Essay1815 Words   |  8 PagesAnalysis of â€Å"Ordinary Men† What do you see when you think about the Holocaust? What are things you associate with it? Personally I think about the absolute evil of the Nazis and the horrible things that the Jews had to endure. I think about how gut wrenchingly terrible of a life style every one of those people had to live through and what it would be like to have been in their place. What I don’t think about and had never even considered before reading the book Ordinary Men is what it was like toRead MoreChristopher Browning s Ordinary Men1241 Words   |  5 Pages(1978), and Nazi Policy, Jewish Workers, German Killers (2000). Browning is best known for his publication of his book, Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland. Ordinary Men admired all around the world by many individuals and gives a detailed story about the reserve police battalion during the 1940s. In Christopher Browning’s book, Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland, he explains to us all about his study of German Order

The reconciliation of the Indigenous, has played a...

The reconciliation of the Indigenous, has played a significant part in the history of Australia and the lives of many Indigenous Australian’s including Eddie Mabo. Eddie Mabo has been actively involved in Indigenous rights and reconciliation between 1981 and his death in 1992. Reconciliation has been an important part of Australia’s history as it has impacted many generations of Indigenous Australian’s throughout history. Eddie Mabo has played a significant role in the process of reconciliation between Indigenous Australians and the Australian government through his fight for land rights on Murray Island to be restored to their traditional Indigenous owners. Eddie Koiki Mabo has been significantly involved in the reconciliation of†¦show more content†¦Although many support Mabo in his pursuit of reconciliation, there are still people who have questioned Mabo’s credibility. There have been numerous sources supporting Mabo and casting positive views on his journey to reconciliation, as well as sources contradicting Mabo and questioning his credibility due to his past and other uncertain instances. A number of these uncertain instances include recalling exact conversations shared with his grandfather at the age of six and claiming to own sections of land in a variety of different areas (Australian National University, 2003). While many support Mabo for fighting for Indigenous Rights, others feel more could have been done for Indigenous Rights by the Government. Indigenous activist Noel Pearson states, The truth is that the Mabo decision ... was the minimum that could have been given with any decency. Far from giving Aborigin es greater rights than other people, it has left them with less. As well as Hal Wootten who also believes, The Mabo decision improved the situation a little. Those few Aborigines who have managed to hold on to their land despite 200 years of expropriation may now have their title protected against anyone except the crown, which can wipe it out with a stroke of the pen, without compensation. The only thing stopping State governments wiping out native title is that it would be racial discrimination which was outlawed by the Commonwealth Parliament inShow MoreRelatedIndigenous Aboriginal And Aboriginal People1216 Words   |  5 PagesIndigenous Australians are probably descendants of the first modern humans to migrate out of Africa to Asia, roughly 70,000 years ago, arriving in Australia around 50,000 years ago. There is great diversity among different Indigenous communities and societies in Australia, each with its own unique mixture of cultures, customs and languages. In present-day Australia these groups are further divided into local communities. At the time of initial European settlement, over 250 languages were spoken;Read MoreIndigenous Australia And The Policies Imposed Upon Them1833 Words   |  8 PagesIn what ways have Indigenous Australian peoples resisted the non-Indigenous occupation of Australia and the policies imposed upon them? The ways in which Indigenous Australian peoples resisted the non-Indigenous of Australia were seen evident through the policies and practices imposed upon them. Such policies and practices were potentially seen as a common justification for Aboriginal peoples as it was viewed as â€Å"for their own good†. These policies include protection and segregation, assimilationRead MoreAboriginal People s Perception Of Aboriginal Peoples1527 Words   |  7 Pages‘Aboriginalism’ is a term that could hold many different meanings to a variety of people, simply because there is a uneducated understanding, disregard and ignorance in the way that Contemporary Australians know and recognize Indigenous Australia. Having previously understood Aboriginalism to be an identity aboriginals themselves identify to, and being further educated upon the term, ‘aboriginalism’ is now clarified to be a theory of Edward Said’s, in which it describes non-aboriginal peopleâ⠂¬â„¢s perceptionRead More Australian Government Policy Essay3747 Words   |  15 PagesAustralian Government Policy The first English settlement in Australia was established in 1788. Before this the Aborigines lived in the land in harmony. However, after the English arrived, the two different cultures were in close contact and had to determine how to coexist. White Europeans did not respect the Aborigines’ right to the land and it’s resources. With brutal force, they took control of the land and claimed it as their own. Australians then developed their own policies on how to dealRead MoreImproving Academic Outcomes For Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islanders Essay1955 Words   |  8 Pagesso, teachers meet expectations for Australian professional teaching standards and the community. â€Æ' A. Inclusive practice for Indigenous students Fostering pride Teachers should foster self-worth, confidence and self-efficacy among Aboriginal students. This is important because it can help overcome intergenerational trauma (Menzies, 2013). Schools have played a significant role in creating this trauma in the past through successive bad policy and pedagogy (Harrison Sellwood, 2016). For exampleRead MoreAUSTRALIAN ASSIMILATION AND THE IMPACT ON ABORIGINAL HEALTH: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS3055 Words   |  13 PagesASSIMILATION AND THE IMPACT ON ABORIGINAL HEALTH: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS Australia and its Indigenous Society: Australia is one of the world’s most culturally diverse societies and it is commonly assumed that the country offers free and fair opportunities to all its inhabitants. However, on close observation it is clearly evident that the country’s indigenous population is at a social and economic disadvantage when compared to their non-indigenous counterparts and as a consequence the present aboriginal healthRead MoreSwot Analysis25582 Words   |  103 Pageschanging consumer lifestyles and social trends, such as an increase in apartment living. Sunbeam continued to respond to changes in lifestyles by expanding its product range. An increasing number of women were looking for alternative ways of The history of Sunbeam dates back to 1883 in Chicago, Illinois, when T J Clark and J K Stewart formed a partnership to manufacture clipping and grooming machinery for horses, later expanding into sheep-shearing equipment. Shaft Company In 1910, The ChicagoRead More A Theological Perspective of the Clash of Civilizations Essay7154 Words   |  29 PagesIntroduction On more than one occasion, President George W. Bush has described the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as fostering â€Å"a monumental battle of good versus evil.† In this battle, there has been no doubt in his mind (or in ours) regarding who is on the side of good and who is on the side of evil. Though some have winced at the President’s use of such absolute moral terms to portray the tragic events of that fateful day, others have applauded his courageous use of such unfashionableRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesBrier, and Roy Rosenzweig Also in this series: Paula Hamilton and Linda Shopes, eds., Oral History and Public Memories Tiffany Ruby Patterson, Zora Neale Hurston and a History of Southern Life Lisa M. Fine, The Story of Reo Joe: Work, Kin, and Community in Autotown, U.S.A. Van Gosse and Richard Moser, eds., The World the Sixties Made: Politics and Culture in Recent America Joanne Meyerowitz, ed., History and September 11th John McMillian and Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David MRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pagestrade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Copyright  © 2003 by Ennis Barrington Edmonds The moral rights of the authors have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the

Toyota Production System and Trade Unions- Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About the Toyota Production System and Trade Unions? Answer: Introduction Australian car manufacturing industry is rolling up its operation in 2017, with all the car manufacturers ceasing operation by the end of this year (Galloway Zervos 2017). Here, there are various reasons for cessation of the Australian automobile industry, rising wages, rising value of the Australian dollar, relatively smaller size of the Australian market and minimization of import tariffs under the bilateral free trade agreements to name a few (Valadkhani 2016). After manufacturing cars in Australia for over 50 years, Toyota Australia, a wholly owned subordinate of Toyota Motor Corporation, has decided to shut its operations down. This is in line with the prevailing industry trend in Australia and the increasing cost of Australian production. As a result, the company will downsize from the current 3900 employees to around 1300 (Toyota Australia 2017). Toyota Australia has established a DRIVE program (Dedicated, Ready, Individual, Vocation, Energised) to assist its workers affected by the closure of the plant to obtain the necessary skills and training for future employment opportunities (Whats Next 2017). Moreover, some employees are being given the opportunity to relocate to the sister Toyota Motor Corporations manufacturing plants in other countries. These employees will be assisted with their relocation to foreign countries. This particular report has been prepared for the plant manager at Toyota Australias Altona plant who has been reassigned to the Toyota Motors plant in USA. The background issues associated with this move has been discussed in detail in the report, which will assist the plant manager in a smooth transition from an Australian work environment to an American one. Background The termination of Australian car manufacturing is in sight with all the three major automotive producers, Ford, General Motors Holden (GM Holden) and Toyota having declared that they will terminate their industrial operations in Australia by end of 2017. Declining profit performance and exponential increase in imports made it increasingly hard for these global car companies to justify their Australian operations (Clibborn, Lansbury Wright 2016). Governments decision to abandon the protectionist policies combined with the appreciating rate of Australian dollar increased the cost of vehicle production in Australia and in turn eroded the effectiveness of local industrialists in domestic as well as export market. Riding on its strong demand in the domestic market and exports to the Middle East, Toyota Motors Corporation was observed as the credible corporation to continue with its Australian production, but a prolonged dispute with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) and declining export led to the eventual announcement of plant closure. In February 2014, the CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation, Akio Toyoda visited Australia to announce the end of production in 2017, after five decades. Appreciating dollar, the increasing production cost, free trade agreements and fragmented automotive market were the causes that lead to the companys closure (Hopkins 2017). The company has come up with DRIVE, a framework for a transition program. It was described as a complete program that supports end-to-end career management and not just outplacement (Riley, P 2017, pers.comm., 3 March). The main focus of the program is making the outgoing employees future proof by assisting them in acquiring new skill sets, or adapt existing ones. Employment Relations Employment relations involves individual labor contract and collective industrial relations with extensive sub-concepts (Bamber et al. 2016). The International Labour Organization (2017) describes it as the legal link between the employer and its employees and as the crucial point of allusion for deciding the environment and degree of employers' legal rights as well as duties towards their employees. The labour laws and therefore the employment relationships in Australia and the United States of America are quite different. As a plant manager who has been working at the Australian plant, these differences need to be understood thoroughly before commencing work at the American plant. Employment relations in the United States of America have a distinct three-tier structure, namely economy, sectoral and establishment bargaining. Until the early 21st century, when the Australian federal labour laws were rewritten, selection of Australian workforces in concern to their employment terms and conditions be set by a government organization bestowing obligatory notice negotiation was mainly extraneous (McCallum 2011). However with the globalizing economy, the laws had to be changed to be more in tune with the current times, and with the passing of the Fair Work Act (2009) the workers got the choice to implement their true intentions to involve in cooperative negotiating with their managers, similar to what is prevalent in the United States of America under the U.S. National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Collective Bargaining Having said that, there are still differences between how the two governing labour laws work, and the role labour union plays. Unlike Australia, where, Australian workers have negotiating power as workforces, whether or not they are characterized by trade union, in America only the union can represent the workers (McCallum 2011), which otherwise is known as collective bargaining. The United Sates Department of Labor (2017) defines collective bargaining as a manufacturing associations tool in which the union constantly has a shared curiosity from the time when discussions are for the value of numerous workers. The US system demands that before bargaining commences, a union has to win the exclusive mandate to represent the employees in a given bargaining unit (Business Council of Australia 2010). This makes employment relations at the American plant of Toyota Motors bit trickier compared to the employment relations at the Altona Plant in Australia, as bargaining with a group represented by a union is quite different from bargaining with individual workers. Trade Unions. Sidney and Beatrice Webb (1897) define trade union as an association of wage earners for the determination of maintaining the betterment of the working environment. Years after years the role of trade unions has changed significantly (Wright 2011). Overall, trade unions have five principal functions, namely, service, representation, regulatory, governance and public administration function (Ewing 2004). However in the context of the American automotive industry, trade unions are sometimes blamed for the economic failure of Detroit, the automotive capital of America. The United States automotive industry however, has got a new life in recent years through innovative management practices, a commitment to quality, and constructive employment relationship (Cuthcer-Gurshenfeld, Brooks Mulloy 2015). This resurgence would not have been possible without the support of automotive trade unions, which are now more about enabling productive work rather than threatening to withhold labour. In the face of increasing global competition and with the NAFTA in place, the American automotive unions today are more cooperative and flexible in their demands. Toyota Production System and Trade Unions Toyota Production System, the vehicle production system used by Toyota Motors, follows the attitude of the complete elimination of all waste imbuing all aspects of production in pursuit of the most efficient methods (Toyota Global 2017). Sometimes, also referred to as the lean manufacturing system. Lean manufacturing system can be described as a synthesis of standardized mass production and flexible craft production, in which the benefits of both are combined (Womack, Jones Roos 1990) Toyota Motor Corporations American operations are union free, with the company shutting down its last union factory in the U.S. back in 2009 (Bunkley 2009). Respect and trust between labor and management is a basic code of Toyotas employee relations, as stated in the Guiding Principles at Toyota (2017). Toyota motors benefits from employee engagement. It motivates the employees to put in the extra effort when need be, invokes passion for their work and makes them more loyal towards their employer. Toyota Motors American operations see higher employee engagements on an average compared to their counterparts (Bhatia 2008, p. 241) and this ensures union free operations. Human Resource Management As is the case by maximum administration observations, human resource management (HRM) practices are essentially grounded on ethnic principles and replicate the elementary conventions of standards of the host countrywide culture (Myloni, Harzing Mirza 2004). Though similar in essence, the HRM practices in the United States differ in certain areas from the HRM practices in Australia. The HRM practices used in America are basically the gold standard and are also referred to as strategic human resource management (SHRM). SHRM was developed in the US keeping in mind the free market economy, in which there was very little legislative control over the labour market (Kramar and Parry 2014). An important and central aspect of SHRM model practiced in America is its intent to improve the companys performance by subsidizing to the attainment of administrative plan, client and stakeholder results (Becker et al. 1997). Plant managers and line managers are expected to work in tandem with the HR personnel, as employees work under their direct supervision and it has been demonstrated that they are essential for executing the HRM policies (Purcell and Hutchinson 2006). Having said that, Toyota motors American plants just like their Australian counterpart, are run according to Toyotas systematically organized method known as the Toyota Way in Human Resources Department. The objective of the Toyota Way is understanding of administration that respects people and that allows all personnel to revise their cognitive capabilities, be innovative, and exploit their skills for extreme result by providing them with prospects to accomplish social involvement and self-actualization through their work (Toyota 2017). The plant manager having worked at Toyotas Australian plant should be familiar with the Toyotas HRM model and should continue to employ it at the American plant. The Toyota Way model is a all-inclusive administration background. Unremitting development and admiration for individuals are its two foremost objectives (Gao Low 2015). According to Toyota, the base for modest power is to make sure that each and every worker comprehends and receives the Toyota Way, and that it is essential to disburse much exertion concerning this end (Saruta 2006). To implement this Toyota already recognized a broad internal arrangement of training and preparation, which covers every aspect of labor supervision relations and HRM across its global operations and the plant manager should already be aware of it. Employment associations, and precisely the connection amongst the employee, the union, and the manager, differ intensely from nation to another and have an massive influence on HRM rehearses (Dessler, Chhinzer Cole 2013). The following are some of the international differences: Cultural Factors Cultural differences in various countries demand corresponding differences in HRM practices. For instance, the Far Eastern cultural norms and the importance there of the patriarchal system affects the way an East Asian worker views his relationship with the employer as well as influences how that person works. Similarly, the work ethics in America might be different from what the manager is used to at the Australian unit. American workplace on an average have less downtime compared to Australia and the number of leaves is also lesser. Furthermore, American work place is more invidualist, compared to the Australian workplace where people tend to look out for each other more. Given that both Australia and America are western democracies gender differences in the work force and work place should be negligible. Economic Factors Depending on the kind of economy a company is functioning in, the HRM practices can vary drastically. For example, in the case of a free market economy, like that of Australia and the USA, the HRM is driven by profitability, cost reduction productivity and efficiency. On the other hand in the case of socialist economies HR practices are dictated by issues such as job security, loss of jobs and its effects on the society. However, as mentioned earlier, with both the Australian and the American economy being free, no such differences should be there in this present case. US Politics and American Automotive Industry The 2008 global financial crisis forced a reassessment of the manufacturing structure of the American car manufacturing industry. The American industry was found structurally weak and inherently lacking in contrast to German and Japanese accompaniments, and recession wreaked havoc on the American car industry (Nieuwenhuis Wells 2015). The so-called Detroit Three carmakers, Chrysler, Ford and GM were severely hit, with drastic drop in sales and production which in turn led to a steep decline in employment. Domestic transactions for Ford General Motors and Chrysler dropped from 8.41million in April 2007 to 6.47 million in April 2008 with almost halved in 2009 to 4.63 million. Their joint market share dropped from 52.36 % in 2007 to 48.17% and 44.33% in the following years (Klier and Rubenstein 2013). Post the crisis impact, the monetary circumstance of two major car manufacturers Chrysler and GM became abysmal, to the point that by November 2008, the companies might not protect the recognition they were in need for to cover their everyday operational costs (Cooney et al. 2009). With approximately 7.25 Million jobs, the automotive industry in the US is one of the biggest private sector employers. US federal government had no other choice, by to step in and bail out the ailing companies and today with the push from the government the industry has bounced back posting its highest ever sales (Auto Alliance 2017). The US government has always been supportive of the US automotive industry, and this has continued with the new Trump administration, with increased focus on US manufacturing. Trump was elected on the policy plank of bringing the US manufacturing jobs back, and his administration has been working towards it, to achieve this goal. There are significant managements rules and supervisory improvement, tax restructuring, and trade policies in the offing and these will help return significant manufacturing jobs back to America, as well as create new ones (Hirschfeld 2017). Under the new administration, The US industrial sector is expected to see moderate growth over the next few years, as President Donald Trump shifts away from the previous administrations trade policies towards policies oriented at boosting local manufacturing (Frost Sullivan, 2017). These new policies and frameworks are being formed keeping in mind the decline in US manufacturing employment and establishments as well as loss of manufacturing export market to developing parsimonies like China and India. The Trump administration is on board with the car manufacturers for a lower Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard, which is expected to increase substantially for the automakers selling vehicles in the US by 2025. CAFE is the combined fleet wide fuel economy companies need to accomplish on regular for every cars and HGV fleets, minor and huge, to please officials (U.S. Department of Transportation 2017). With a Republican majority in both the White House and Congress, car man ufactures are expected to push back against any such increase in standards which will in turn decrease the pressure on the car manufacturers and boost their production, thereby bringing more jobs in the car manufacturing industry. Toyota Motor Corporation like the other major manufacturers was also affected by the economic downturn, and in 2008 the company saw its first loss ever in over 70 years of operation (Woodruff 2008). However, Toyota Motors was better placed than its counterparts and was back in the greens in the very next year. As part of its restructuring policy, post the global financial crisis, Toyota Motor Corporation integrating and consolidating all its distant operations in U.S with solitary property in Plano, Texas, with a directed date in the late 2017 (Rechtin 2014). This decision was made in 2014, after the company realized that maintaining three separate hubs in three different corners of the country became cumbersome and counterproductive. Under its relocation plans, Toyota has offered all permanent employees and their partners an all-expenses-paid site appointment to Plano, as well as a good amount for relocation if they confirmed on relocation (Rechtin 2014). All the international trans fers will be assigned to the new consolidated Toyota facility in Plano, Texas Tax Considerations Deportees are issue to intercontinental assessment laws, and frequently end up paying double taxes, for both the countries. Therefore, equalizing tax policies has to be formulated to safeguard no tax-incentive or hindrance linked with specific intercontinental task (Dowling, Festing Engle 2008). Generally, work performed overseas can be divided into ?ve main categories, namely, business visits overseas, short term assignments overseas, long term assignments, commuter assignments and permanent transfer (KPMG 2015). Since in this case, the plant in Australia is being shut permanently, this particular case will be treated as a permanent transfer and the plant manager will not be considered an Australian resident for tax purposes and will therefore only have to pay the taxes in America. In either case Australia has a tax treaty with the USA in place. Relocation and Orientation Relocation and orientation encompasses pre withdrawal preparation and counseling as well as providing immigration and travel details. An H1B (work visa) will be organized for the employee and his/her family by the company. All the necessary paperwork and documents will be organized by the HR team in America in coordination with the employee. The associated costs will be borne by the company. The HR team will assist with the relocation and provide help with housing, schooling, medical and other relocation services. Any extra compensation or relocation allowance will be finalized before the departure (Durai 2010). Conclusion The objective of this report was to inform the plant manager about the underlying differences in the personnel management or human resource administration approaches and differences in employment relations in the Australian and American context. The labour laws and employment relations in both the countries were discussed under the light of the respective governing acts, the Fair Work Act (2009) Australia, and the U.S. National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The similarities and dissimilarities between the two systems have been highlighted and explained for the smooth transitioning and transfer of the employee from the Toyota Australia plant to the Toyota Motors Corporations American plant. References Auto Alliance 2017, Americas Automotive Industry, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, viewed 9 May 2017, https://autoalliance.org/economy/ Bamber, GJ, Lansbury, RD, Wailes, N Wright, CF 2016, International and comparative employment relations, 6 edn, Sage Publishing Becker, EB, Huselid, MA, Pickus, PS Spratt MF 1997, HR as a source of shareholder value: research and recommendations, Human Resource Management, vol.36, no.1, pp. 39-47, viewed 9 May 2017, https://markhuselid.com/pdfs/articles/1997_HRMJ_Becker_et_al.pdf Bhatia, SK 2008, Emerging developments, challenges and strategies in HRD, Deep Publications, New Delhi, viewed 9 May 2017, https://books.google.com/books?id=ITgsKiUVeEAClpg=PP1dq=SK%20Bhatiapg=PP1#v=onepageq=SK%20Bhatiaf=false Bunkley, N 2009, Toyota to close union plant in California, The New York Times, 27 August, viewed 9 May 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/28/business/28nummi.html Business Council of Australia, 2010, Embedding workplace collaboration: good faith bargaining, Melbourne, viewed 8 May 2017, https://www.bca.com.au/publications/embedding-workplace-collaboration-good-faith-bargaining-1 Clibborn, S, Lansbury, RD Wright, CF 2016, Who Killed the Australian Automotive Industry: The Employers, Government or Trade Unions?, Economic Papers: The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 35, no.1, pp. 2-15, viewed 8 May 2017, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1759-3441.12127/abstract Cooney, S, Bickley, JM, Chaikind, H, Petit, CA, Purcell, P, Rapaport, C, Shorter, G 2009, U.S. Motor Vehicle Industry: Federal Financial Assistance and Restructuring (Report No. R40003) ,Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, viewed 9 May 2017, https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mise/R40003.pdf Cutcher-Gershenfeld, J, Brooks, D Mulloy, M 2015, The decline and resurgence of the US auto industry, Economy Policy Institute, viewed 9 May 2017, https://www.epi.org/publication/the-decline-and-resurgence-of-the-u-s-auto-industry/ Dessler, G, Chhinzer, N Cole, ND 2013, Managing human resources in an international business, Management of Human Resources: The Essentials, Pearson, Toronto, view 9 May 2017, https://wps.prenhall.com/wps/media/objects/728/745520/chapter13.pdf Dowling, PJ, Festing, M Engle, AD 2008, International Human Resource Management, Thomson, London, viewed 9 May 2017, https://books.google.com/books?id=LVG2BUQs_ygClpg=PA5dq=international%20hrm%20immigration%20and%20relocationpg=PR4#v=onepageq=international%20hrm%20immigration%20and%20relocationf=false Durai, P 2010, Human Resource Management, Pearson, Delhi, viewed 9 May 2017, https://books.google.com/books?id=B0U7BAAAQBAJlpg=PA640dq=international%20relocation%20and%20orientation%20human%20resourcepg=PR2#v=onepageq=international%20relocation%20and%20orientation%20human%20resourcef=false Ewing, KD 2005, The function of trade unions, Industrial Law Journal, vol.34, no.1, pp. 1-22, viewed 8 May 2017, https://doi.org/10.1093/ilj/34.1.1 Frost and Sullivan 2017, US Manufacturing to Expand as President Trump Alters Trade and Business Policies to Support Local Manufacturing, viewed 9 May 2017, https://ww2.frost.com/news/press-releases/us-manufacturing-expand-president-trump-alters-trade-and-business-policies-support-local-manufacturing/ Galloway, A Zervos, C 2017, Toyota to shut down Altona plant with thousands of job losses, The Herald Sun, 31 January, viewed 8 May 207, https://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/toyota-to-shut-down-altona-plant-with-thousands-of-job-losses/news-story/763b7e389d8977e7caa804e773726b6e Gao, S Low, SP 2015, Toyota Way style human resource management in large Chinese construction firms: A qualitative study, International Journal of Construction Management, vol.15, no.1, pp. 17-32, viewed 9 May 2017, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15623599.2015.1012139 Hirchfeld, DJ 2017, Trump Turns to Manufacturing Executives to Help Develop Jobs Plans, The New York Times, 23 February, viewed 9 May 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/23/us/politics/trump-manufacturing.html Hopkins, C 2017, Managing change in the Australian car industry, Australian HR Institute, viewed 8 May 2017, https://www.hrmonline.com.au/section/featured/hr-dealing-death-car-industry/ Klier, T Rubenstein, JM 2013, Restructuring of the U.S. Auto Industry in the 20082009 Recession Economic Development Quarterly,vol.27, no.2, pp. 144-159, viewed 9 May 2017, https://journals.sagepub.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/doi/abs/10.1177/0891242413481243 KPMG Global Mobility Services 2015, Sending Employees Overseas, KPMG, viewed 9 May 2017, https://assets.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/pdf/2016/04/ie-sending-employees-overseas.pdf Kramar, R Parry, E 2014, Strategic human resource management in the Asia Pacific region: similarities and differences?, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol. 52, no.4, pp. 400-419, viewed 9 May 2017, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1744-7941.12042 McCallum, R 2011, American and Australian Labor Law and Differing Approaches to Employee Choice, ABA Journal of Employment and Labor Law, vol. 26, no.2, pp. 181-199, viewed 8 May 2017, https://www.jstor.org/stable/41320572 Myloni, B, Harzing, AK Mirza, H 2004, Host country specific factors and the transfer of human resource management practices in multinational companies, International Journal of Manpower, vol.25, no.6, pp. 518-534, viewed 9 May 2017, https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01437720410560424 Nieuwenhuis, P Well, P 2015, The Global Automotive Industry, 1st edn, Wiley, New York Purcell, J Hutchinson, S 2007, Front-line managers as agents in the HRM-performance causal chain: theory, analysis and evidence, Human Resource Management Journal, vol.17, no.1, pp. 3-20, viewed 9 May 2017, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1748-8583.2007.00022.x Rechtin, M 2014, Toyota to consolidate most U.S. operations in Texas, Automotive News, 28 April, viewed 9 May 2017, https://www.autonews.com/article/20140428/OEM01/140429877/toyota-to-consolidate-most-u.s.-operations-in-texas Saruta, M 2006, Toyota Production Systems: The Toyota Way and LabourManagement Relations, Asian Business and Management, vol. 5, no.4, pp. 487-506, viewed 9 May 2017, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/palgrave.abm.9200198 The International Labour Organization, 2017, Employment relationship, viewed 8 May 2017, https://ilo.org/ifpdial/areas-of-work/labour-law/WCMS_CON_TXT_IFPDIAL_EMPREL_EN/lang--en/index.htm Toyota Australia 2017, Toyota Australia announces closure date, Toyota Australia Head Office, viewed 8 May 2017, https://www.toyota.com.au/news/toyota-australia-announces-closure-date Toyota Global 2017, Toyota production system, Toyota Global Head Office, viewed 9 May 2017, https://www.toyota-global.com/company/vision_philosophy/toyota_production_system/ Toyota Global 2017, Guiding Principles at Toyota, Toyota Global Head Office, viewed 9 May 2017, https://www.toyota-global.com/company/vision_philosophy/guiding_principles.html United States Department of Labor 2017, Collective bargaining, viewed 8 May 2017, https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/labor-relations/collbargaining US Department of Transportation 2017, Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards, Washington, viewed 9 May 2017, https://www.transportation.gov/mission/sustainability/corporate-average-fuel-economy-cafe-standards Valadkhani, A 2016, Collapse of Australian car manufacturing will harm RD in other sectors:study, The Conversation, 21 October, viewed 8 May 2017, https://theconversation.com/collapse-of-australian-car-manufacturing-will-harm-randd-in-other-sectors-study-66984 Webb, S Webb, B 1897, Industrial Democracy, 1st edn, Longmans Green and Co, London, Ney York, Bombay Whats Next? 2017, Changing Lanes: Toyota, The Australian Government Department of Employment, viewed 8 May 2017, https://whatsnext.employment.gov.au/toyota Womack, JP, Jones, DT Roos, D 1990, The Machine That Changed the World, 1st edn, Free Press Woodruff, J 2008, Toyotas losses reflect troubles across the global economy, PBS Newshour, 4 December, viewed 9 May 2017, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia-july-dec08-globaleconomy_12-24/ Wright, CF 2011, What role for trade unions in future workplace relations?, ACAS, viewed 8 May 2017, https://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/g/m/What_role_for_trade_unions_in_future_workplace_relations.pdf

Is The Us Responsible Essays - Military Dictatorship Of Chile

Is The Us Responsible? Was The United States Responsible? It has long been said that the United States was responsible for bringing down Salvador Allendes government in Chile but this paper will argue that the Allende government was brought down by its own doing. It is true that Salvador Allende was elected in 1970 by means of a democratic election, although only with 36.6% of the vote. Nevertheless, it is equally true that his government lost its democratic character by having repeatedly violated the Constitution. In effect, President Allende became a tyrant when he broke his solemn oath to respect the Constitution and the Chilean laws. This was not just obvious to the great majority of Chileans in their daily lives, but was also established by almost two thirds of the House of Deputies (the Lower House of the Chilean Congress) in its momentous Agreement of 23 August 1973 (there was also a statement to the same effect from the Supreme Court). In this Agreement, is presented a list of the legal and constitutional violations of President Allende's government and it decided to make representations of this grave breach of the legal and constitutional order of the Republic to, among other authorities, the Armed Forces. At the same time it decides to make representations to those that, by virtue of their function, of their oath to remain faithful to the Constitution and the law, ... it is up to them to put immediate end to all the situations referred to above, which infringe the Constitution and the law. Since no feasible mechanism existed in the Chilean Constitution to remove a President who had lost his democratic nature, the House of Deputies, with the support of all the representatives of the Christian Democratic Party, made representations to the Armed Forces whom it was up to to put immediate end to this grave situation. This was, in fact, an inequivocal call to remove President Allende. The Armed Forces, led by the person who was then the Commander in Chief of the Army, General Augusto Pinochet, complied with the Agreement of the House of Deputies eighteen days later, on September 11, 1973. Therefore the origin of that government is that of any revolutionary one, in which only the use of force was left in order to remove a tyrant. When a President elected by a third of the population is removed, and especially if his government has caused the creation of armed militias, it is inevitable that a civil war should ensue. In some countries conflicts of this nature have produced hundreds of thousands of victims. For example, the Spanish Civil War caused one million deaths. Even the U.S. Civil War, also the product of a Constitution which was not clear concerning the right for a state to seceed from the Union , resulted in 650,000 deaths. While it is important to grieve for each one of the victims, Chileans and foreigners, who fell in Chile, and condemning each one of the abuses which both sides committed in the civil war which lasted for years, it is also important to point out that the Chilean revolution produced a minimal number of deaths when compared to any historic standard. Even the Report of the Commission which President Aylwin's government, antagonistic to President Pinochet's, set up (the so-called Rettig Report), concluded that in the 17 year period around 2,000 people died. In addition to the successful economic transformation carried out by his government, the momentous achievement which meant avoiding a war with Argentina, and the voluntary transition to a democratic government, the historical truth demands recognition that President Pinochet led a legitimate rebellion against tyranny and that during his government the price was a minimal cost in human lives, the majority the result of the quasi civil war. History

Danton essays

Danton essays Although the French Revolution was a huge turning point in European politics and set the foundation for changes ahead, there are many misfortunes that came from it. The National Guard, the Paris Commune, the September Massacre, are all words that the French would prefer us not to hear. These events were a subtle denouement to a climax that was filled with both blood and pain. The Reign of Terror, or the Great Terror, was a massive culmination to the horror of the French Revolution, the gutters flowing with blood as the people of Paris watched with an entertained eye. The power at the time of the Great Terror was in the hands of a newly formed Public Safety Commission headed by Robespierre. Another influential member of the nine man committee was a lawyer, Danton, who was a popular leader of the Revolution. Between these two men the responsibility of many deaths during the Great Terror lies. In 1794 the atmosphere of Paris was one of fear, paranoia, starvation and suffering. Great changes were taking place and the country was still trying out their new form of government. Peasants had the authority to search wagons for those believed to be against the revolution. People addressed each other as citizen _______, with the idea of one another being fellow citizens of the republic. The death of thousands was not restricted to the lower classes, all men despite social stature were in danger of going to the guillotine, even clergy. Street names were changed, a new calendar was introduced, and the abolishment of the church, though this did not last. The war of a political nature raged silently in France, as the different factions of the Convention dared not fight openly. Upon returning to Paris from foreign duties, Danton immediately took the side of Robespierre, condemning the Enrages and the Hebertists, who were behind much of the over killing. However, Robespierre would not ...

How to Use and Where to Find a Helpful and Simple IEEE Format Example

How to Use and Where to Find a Helpful and Simple IEEE Format Example Students who choose computer science classes should be familiar with the IEEE reference style and format their assigned paper accordingly. You need to master it, no matter if you study programming, information technologies, web communication, computer science, management, or similar disciplines. Find a good IEEE format example to make things easier. It will provide you with useful information and a list of helpful suggestions and guidelines to write your next text correctly. What is the IEEE format? This question is often asked by confused students who need some guides. The IEEE is a professional organization that supports different IT and engineering fields, and it has established its own writing manual to let both professionals and students in relevant areas organize their references and writing works. Read this important journal to get a clearer idea of basic rules. Check out a brilliant IEEE format example to understand that this style consists of two crucial elements: References; In-text direct and indirect citations. What are in-text citations? They are brief quotes taken from both secondary and primary sources, and you need to number them in square brackets. Each number identifies a complete citation listed in your bibliography or works cited list, but many students call such citations references. A list of references is in their numerical order. The IEEE manual is lengthy and complex, and that’s why you should read this brief guide because it will help you save time in the end. ORDER PAPER IN IEEE FORMAT How to cite in the IEEE format? Each reference must have its corresponding IEEE citation in the main body of your research paper or academic essay. What is the difference between indirect and direct in-text citations? The main difference is that direct citations duplicate original quotes, while the indirect ones are the same ideas paraphrased by you. Each time you want to add a citation, insert a specific number within square brackets to help readers find complete references on your reference page. Make sure that it’s a separate section of your assignment. A complete IEEE format reference contains the information necessary to help other people find more details about your discussed subject with ease, including: Publication places and dates; Full titles; Authors’ initials and surnames; Some smaller details, such as page numbers or volumes. Corresponding numbers should show up before every reference. How to create IEEE citations? In-text citations shouldn’t necessarily contain such details as quotes pages, authors’ names, or publication dates, and you can mention sources using special numbers in a bracket line. It must match a complete citation in your bibliography. Insert in-text citations to back up major arguments in the main body (before any punctuation and with a space before opening brackets). Number all sources in the order you mention them. After referencing and assigning numbers to them, feel free to use the same corresponding numbers each time you need to quote these sources in your paper. If you cite many sources simultaneously, apply the best approach and provide every number separately (in brackets and use dashes or commas between numbers). Most experts apply the same formatting approach. How to write your reference page? Based on IEEE formatting requirements, a page that contains your full bibliography is called a reference list or page, and you need to put in at the end of your writing project. The basic goal that it serves is to provide full citations for each source that you use to describe in-text citations. Add all references in their numerical sequence. Don’t forget to include their bracketed numbers at the beginning. Follow these simple rules: Word "References" is the title of this page (you can either align it left at the top or put it in the center); Use a hanging indent for each reference with numbers in brackets to identify the right numerical order; The titles of your cited sources, including magazines, newspapers, articles, or others, should be in quotation marks; The titles of all works should be in italics; List surnames and initials as authors’ names. PLACE YOUR ORDER HERE Where to find excellent examples? The IEEE updates its writing manual on a regular basis. You should visit its official website to know all the changes made to such vital format elements as: Footnotes; Abbreviations; Punctuation; Section headings; Biographies; Tags Equations and numbers; Capitalization. How to style and cite references? There are some basic rules that remain the same, regardless of new editions, and they concern: Direct quotes; Findings, data, tables, and graphics. Place a text from your sources in quotation marks. Add quotations to original sources, summarize or rewrite them, and come up with citations when making a summary of or restating data from them, including claims, ideas, verdicts, and research. Cite your original sources when adapting, referring to, and taking any information from them to format your academic paper successfully and earn high grades. Why is citing essential for your academic performance? Some students don’t gain the point of citing. It’s an important element of academic writing for different reasons: Plagiarism is a big problem, and incorrect citing equals to it; Formatting plays a huge role in final grades; Full references help readers to conduct their research and learn more about specific problems; It’s unethical to steal the words of other authors. You shouldn’t count on your good marks if you fail to cite your sources of information based on IEEE formatting rules. What if you need expert help? Turn to our team of qualified and experienced writers because they will help you format all papers and do other things for you.

Hypertension Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hypertension - Case Study Example It is usually called the silent killer because it does not present any symptoms until it reaches a serious and life-threatening stage (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, 2003). The Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment if High Blood Pressure has identified the classification of hypertension in adults older than 18 years are prehypertension, if systolic pressure is 120-139 mmHg and diastolic pressure is 80-89 mmHg; stage 1 hypertension is systolic pressure ranges 140-159 mmHg and diastolic pressure ranges 90-99 mmHg; and stage 2 hypertension if systolic pressure is 160 mmHg or more and diastolic pressure is 100 mmHg or higher (Bickley & Szilagyi, 2009). Essential or idiopathic hypertension is the term given to high blood pressures with no identifiable causes (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, 2003). Hypertension has been also categorized in two classes. Primary hypertension happens when the sympathetic nervous system as well as the renin-angiotensin-a ldosterone system is hyperactive thereby causing vasoconstriction and endothelial dysfunction, its mechanism however is still not known. Secondary hypertension on the other hand is caused by high intake with estrogen therapy, polycystic kidney disease, renal artery vasoconstriction, primary hyperaldosteronism, Cushing’s disease, hyperthyroidism, and pheochromocytoma (Woods, 2006). Individuals having a family history of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases are at greater risk of developing heart-related illnesses. Also included in the high risk group are those who are smoking cigarettes, living a sedentary lifestyle, or having a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or more. Furthermore, patients with past medical history of dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, or presence of albumin in the urine are more predisposed to developing hypertension and heart diseases. Regarding to age, males older than 55 years and females older than 65 years and postmenopausal are at greater risk of acquiri ng hypertensive and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, individuals who are regularly taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or women who are taking estrogen-containing contraceptives are also more predisposed to acquiring heart diseases (Woods, 2006). The survey on monitoring prevalence rate of cardiovascular diseases by the World Health Organization was conducted to 22 countries. Conclusions based on the data gathered are as follows: Hypertension prevalence is high in all countries with a scope of 20% to nearly 50%. Generally, industrialized countries have a greater prevalence than United States, excluding Canada, (Wolf-Maier, 2003). In one country, higher prevalence rate is observed in the urban areas than in rural areas (Gupta, 2004; Ibrahim, 1996, Ragoobirsingh, et. al., 2002). On the whole, the worldwide burden of hypertensive disease in 2000 was approximated to be 972 million individuals or 26.4% of the adult population; 333 million are in developed countries and 639 million are in developing countries. By the year 2025, approximately 1.56 billion persons will be afflicted with hypertension, a projection of 60% from year 2000 (Kearney, 2005).Several studies were also conducted according to age and race and it was found out that the frequency of hypertension is high in the United States, increases with age, and is greater in African Americans than in whites (Hajjar, 2006). The incidence and susceptibility to complications brought about by

Ethical Expectations In Workplace Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethical Expectations In Workplace - Case Study Example The epistemological view involves a lot of application in the principle rule governing efficient handling of the entire aspect of ethics. The impasse and overall ethical doctrine can illustrate a practical approach through which a contingent resolution provides a prescription (Oliver, 2003). Philosophy and Ethics The research practice concerned with social sciences provides a suitable base for the analysis of social sciences. The underlying principle that ensures efficient evidence draws a conclusive view of the entire research program. The evaluation of the doctrine of social science provides light to educational research and the contemporary approaches towards this science. The objective of the ethical attribute ensures a reflection on the main issues of research methodology and the relationship between traditional methodologies. The techniques applied in ethical guidelines should reflect sound standards that will oversee an integral part with much integrity and acceptance. Many de bates provide an attempt to give a viable definition to the global village. The kind of moral philosophy determines the good, right or wrong behavior mechanism of an individual. Social science ethics means value-free science. Philosophy is a great study that focuses on the analysis of an argument. The society in which individual lives must portray relevant beliefs expected of that community. A perfect example is the issue of witchcraft. Some communities exercise the vice of witchcraft to their belief as a way of life. The analysis of philosophy can refer to the loss of practices and styles maintained by the family. This happens when there is an element of skepticism that ensures the assistance and development of important aspects of the nature of humankind. Some guidelines apply and direct towards the means for an end of the majority.

Cybercrime Continue to Rise Essay Example for Free

Cybercrime Continue to Rise Essay Cybercrime is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide with more than a million people becoming victims every single day, according to the Norton Cybercrime Report 2011. The victims of cybercrime also paid dearly with a total loss of US$388bil (RM1. 21bil) to cybercriminals in 2010. Effendy Ibrahim, director of consumer business at Symantec Asia Pacific, said that cybercrimes don’t only cost victims financially but emotionally too. On average, it takes 10 days for a victim to recover from a cybercrime and it can be emotional too considering the amount of data they lose,† he said at the launch of Norton 2012, Symantec’s latest cybersecurity solution. However, victims could have saved themselves money and regret as the type of cybercrimes they fell victim to were preventable. The report found that the most common type of cybercrimes are malware, scams and threats targeted at mobile devices. However many people tend to underestimate the dangers of online crime thinking that it will happen to everyone else but themselves. The survey found that seven out of 10 adults thought they would more likely be a victim of physical crime rather than an online crime. â€Å"This is a lingering attitude users have when they are offline and it gets replicated when they are online,† Effendy said. The report also found that men, particularly those in the generation Y demographic, are most likely to become victims of cybercrimes. â€Å"Men spend more time online and do more ‘dangerous’ activities,† Effendy said. The report stated that more men watch adult content, gamble and participate in online dating sites compared to women. All these are social engineering techniques and it’s quite easy to fall victims to such tactics,† Effendy said. Local threat landscape Although Malaysia wasn’t in the list of countries studied in the report, national cyberspace police Cybersecurity Malaysia said the findings are representative of the Malaysian threat landscape. â€Å"It is the same environment, so whatever that is happening in the world will definitely affect us the same way,† said Cybersecurity Malaysia chief executive officer, Lt Col (Rtd) Prof Datuk Husin Jazri. He said the Malaysian cyberthreat landscape is no less alarming with over 10,000 cases reported every month up till August this year. Last year, Cybersecurity Malaysia received over 8,000 reports about cybercrime via its cyber999 hotline. Its Cyber Early Warning System has also detected over 5,000,000 security threats up until August. Given the increasing amount of cyberthreats, Husin said there is a need for more proactive measures to prevent more Internet users from becoming cybercrime victims and it will take more than reviewing or improving current cybersecurity laws. â€Å"Amending laws take time and it is slower than the prevailing problem. We need to intensify education and awareness efforts to educate users on Internet risks,† he said. Husin said Cybersecurity Malaysia is open to the idea of working with security solution providers like Symantec to come up with cybersecurity awareness programmes. Cybersecurity Malaysia already has a list of home-made security tools such as DontPhishMe, DNSwatch and MyPHPiPs that protects users from cybercriminals which can be downloaded for free. It is also working on establishing a Cyber Clinic which will offer an extensive list of cybersecurity services to computer users. The clinic is expected to be ready before the end of the year.

Civil Unions Should Have the Same Status as Marriage Essay -- Gay Marr

Gay people hear the government talk about civil unions and domestic partnerships everyday being equal to marriage, and that is just completely observed. The gay community is being feed lies. As far as I'm concerned marriage doesn't exist in the gay community. Unfortunately marriage is only recognized between a man and a women. In fact there are states that try recognize same sex relationships, but we do not enjoy the same rights as a hereto married couple at the state level. We are not aloud to make decisions for our partners in life threatening events. We don't even have the right to be by a partner's side in the hospital because we're not classified as married. Gay couples can't even leave things to their partner because we are quote UN quote not married. If all people are created equal then marriage should be for the people. We call America a free place but we don't all have the same rights as other American people. If civil union is equal to marriage why don't straight people have a civil union? Because it's not real its fabricated! We want our marriages to be treated the same way as any other marriage: No more, no less. We want to take care of our families & ensure that they are taken care of/get whatever benefits we are entitled to should we become sick or die. I don't understand why some marriages are honored and others are not. People should be able to wed when someone truly loves someone regardless of their sexual orientation. As far as I know gay marriage is not recognized because of religion. We are all American people and we are being shorted out of love and happiness. Gay people pay tax dollars just like straight people. So why are we being treated differently. It seems like our rights ... ... have come a long way over the last few years. Civil unions are still considered new so not everyone recognizes them as marriage. I was also very surprised to find out that when a gay couple says they are in a civil union they are seen as being single. Another thing that was brought to my attention was the act of a civil union in one state don't count in another where as marriage does. Religion and government is the main reason civil unions are not passed in other states. Some states don't even recognized that a civil union would exist between two people because they don't count. If you are in a gay relationship the best place to live is Vermont because everything is equal. I was right about civil unions they are the same as marriage and they are seen as almost as a subtute to marriage. Civil unions need to be the same as marriages in order to make everyone happy.

Case: Birch Paper Company Essay

As shown in the calculations above, Northern should accept the bid from Thompson division as it has the lowest cost if all transfer prices within the company were calculated at costs. Incurring the lowest costs would also enable Birch Paper Company to earn the highest profits possible. 2. As alternatives for sourcing exists, Mr. Kenton should be permitted to choose the alternative that is in Northern division’s own interests. The  transfer price policy gives him the right to deal with either insiders or outsiders at his discretion. If he is unable to get a satisfactory price from the inside source which is Thompson division, he is free to buy from outside. Mr. Kenton, manager of the Northern division should not accept the bid from Thompson division. The three bids from Thompson division, West Paper Company and Eire Paper Company are $480, $430 and $432 respectively. Accepting the bid from Thompson division would be accepting the highest bid amongst all three offers (highest costs). This would result in the lowest profits. As the Northern division is evaluated as an investment center, it is judged independently on the basis of its profit and return on investment. Mr. Kenton should not accept the bid from Thompson division. 3. The method of using transfer price to decide whether to in source is optimum if the selling profit center can sell all of its products to either insiders or outsiders and if buying center can obtain all of its requirements from either outside or insiders. The market price then represents the opportunity costs to the seller of selling the product inside. In this case, Thompson division had been running below capacity and Southern division also had excess inventory. The transfer price of $480 offered by Thompson division does not represent the opportunity costs of selling inside as there is no demand market for the product outside. Also, the transfer price of $480 is higher than the market price which is around $430. Deciding based on transfer price will not induce goal congruence as the situation is not ideal. Without any intervention from the vice president of Birch Paper Company, the Northern division would most probably accept the lowest bid from West Paper Company. This might result in the highest profits for Northern division but it is not in the best interests of Birch Paper Company. Accepting the bid from Thompson division would boost demand for the two other divisions. The losses cut would most probably be more than the costs saved by Northern division which is $50 ($480-$430). The vice president should give specific orders to Northern division to accept the bid from Thompson division. However, as the transaction in this case represents less than 5% of the volume of any of the divisions involved, it might not be possible for the vice president to intervene other transactions when similar problems arise. 4. Ideally, when there is an availability of market price, the division should use it. However, Thompson used a cost-based transfer price instead. Cost-based transfer price should only be used when the market price is not available. The problem with Birch’s transfer pricing system is that they allow each division to set their own price freely which is inline with the company’s policy to decentralize responsibility and authority. When each division can set their own price, conflicts and disagreements can occur on a frequent basis and each division could make decisions that only benefit their own division rather than the company as a whole. Firstly, we look at the transfer price that Thompson quoted. It is about $50 more than the market price. This shows that their price is not competitive enough. Thompson is operating below capacity and yet it quoted a price which is higher than the market price. The reason given was that anything less than $480, they will not be able to earn a profit and also, given that they did not get any profit from developing the product for Northern, Brunner feels that they are entitled to a good markup. This is inconsistent with the expectation that the division must meet the market price if they wanted the business. Market price should be used as it reflects how well is the division doing as compared to competitors. The amount of upstream fixed costs and profits that are included in the final price that was sold to the outside customer could be substantial if Thompson’s bid was accepted. And Northern might not be willing to reduce its own profit to optimize company profit. Hence, Thompson, if unwilling to follow the market price blindly, could use the two-step pricing to calculate their transfer price. That is, transferring the goods to Northern on standard variable cost on a per unit basis and fixed cost and profit on a lump sum basis. In this way, Thompson will not be transferring majority of their fixed cost to Northern because they are operating on excess capacity. But of course, this method must be discussed with Northern. It was mentioned that Southern quoted the market price to Thompson even though they are operating on excess capacity. This will not pose a problem as the market price reflects the demand and supply situation of the market and is adjusted automatically by the demand and supply. Also, account must be taken into of the fact that Thompson will not be able to get a better price from other outside sources as most will follow the market price too. The underlying problem of the transfer price system could be that each division is judged based on profits and return on investment. This causes the division to over-emphasize on profits and encourages goal incongruence. Each division aims at achieving short-term profits so as to look better in the company’s eyes. In their bid to achieve a high profit figure, they fail to optimize the company’s profit as a whole. This will affect the company long-term profits. Hence, the company should not just assess each division based solely on financial figures like profit and return on investment. The company should assess them based on other non-financial things like quality so as to divert the division’s emphasis on profits. In addition, the company should allow the divisions concerned to negotiate between themselves as they are the ones closest to the situation, rather than just asking the divisions to meet the market price.

Mechanical engineering

Are you interested in Jobs that require athletic or mechanical ability, working with objects, machines, tools, plants or animals, or being outdoors? You enjoy working with your hands, tools, machines, and things that are practical, mechanically and physically inclined. Careers you would enjoy Architecture Chef / / Hospitality Management Engineering Information Technology Mechanical / Automobile Engineering Music Pharmacy Pilot / Aviation Veterinarian Are you interested in jobs with people who like to observe, learn, investigate, analyses, evaluate or solve problems?You enjoy working with theory and information. You are analytical, intellectual and scientific. Computer Science Economy Mathematics & Statistics Medicine / Dentistry Psychology Sciences Journalism Are you interested in Jobs involving artistic, innovative or intuitive abilities, and like to work in unstructured creative situations? You are non-conforming, original, independent and creative though sometimes chaotic. Acting Advertising Writing / Authoring Architecture / Interior Design / Graphic Design Dancing Designing / Photography Reporting Do you like to work with people to inform, help, train, enlighten, develop or cure or are you skilled with words? You enjoy working in cooperative environments and are supportive, helpful, healing and nurturing. Therapy Counseling Education Hospitality Psychiatry Sociology Public Relations Client Servicing Are you interested in Jobs where you work with people to influence, perform, persuade or lead for organizational goals or economic gain?You enjoy working in competitive environments and are good at leading, persuading, dominating and rumoring. Administration Business Communication Hospitality & Tourism Banking / Investment Law / Politics Marketing / Advertising Management / Construction Management Are you interested in Jobs that involve data, clerical tasks or numerical ability; carrying things out in detail or following instructions? You like working with data and have clerical or numerical ability. You are precise, detailed, orderly and organized. Actuary Banking Clerical Retailer Secretarial Quantity Surveying

Privacy and the Internet essays

Privacy and the Internet essays Robert Wright wrote an essay featured in Time Magazine on October 19, 1998. The essay was called Sin in the Global Village and it focuses on personal privacy in cyberspace. The Internet is a rapidly growing web of information that more and more people are using. The benefits are for instance immediate access to information from all around the world, electronic mail that arrive at a blink of an eye, being able to publish ideas on personal web pages, and even downloading a contemporary pictures over Waikiki beach just to see if theres any waves etc. Robert Wright is introducing the idea that the Internet has become an instrument of privacy killing. In the same way that the public is getting access to countless bytes of information, the accomplished computer user gets access to the private preferences and thoughts of the public. Wright suggests that people should be careful when publishing a Web page containing personal thoughts because anyone with Web-authoring software can easily trace the URL (electronic address) back to its origin. In short, peoples visions about a totally anonymous Internet are false because of the electronic trail that is left for others to find. Linda Tripp, who taped her conversations with the former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, exposed President Clintons recent oral sex scandal by means of surveillance. Wright is suggesting that this could happen to you too. Computer surveillance isnt all that uncommon these days so one should look out for what you write and where you go on the Internet because someday it might be used against you. Disintegration of privacy complicates life. Wright lists some of the precautions people have to think about in ordering a hotel room for an extra marital date: dont write e-mail to each other about it, dont use your credit card in paying for the room, and dont look into the security ...

Mass Number Definition and Examples

Mass Number Definition and Examples Mass number is an  integer (whole number) equal to the sum of the number of protons and neutrons of an atomic nucleus. In other words, it is the sum of the number of nucleons in an atom. Mass number is often denoted using a capital letter A. Contrast this with the atomic number, which is simply the number of protons. Electrons are excluded from the mass number because their mass is so much smaller than that of protons and neutrons that they dont really affect the value. Examples 3717Cl has a mass number of 37. Its nucleus contains 17 protons and 20 neutrons. The mass number of carbon-13 is 13. When a number is given following an element name, this is its isotope, which basically states the mass number. To find the number of neutrons in an atom of the isotope, simply subtract the number of protons (atomic number). So, carbon-13 has 7 neutrons, because carbon has atomic number 6. Mass Defect Mass number only gives an estimate of isotope mass in atomic mass units (amu).The isotopic mass of carbon-12 is correct because the atomic mass unit is defined as 1/12 of the mass of this isotope. For other isotopes, mass is within about 0.1 amu of the mass number. The reason there is a difference is because of mass defect, which occurs because neutrons are slightly heavier than protons and because the nuclear binding energy is not constant between nuclei.

Requesting Information for a new position Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Requesting Information for a new position - Essay Example 1. Kindly let me know the approximate date by which the SMB Review Board will meet and review the request made by MCI West’s G-6’. The request was for my salary and wages to be at par with the GS-12-2210 Portfolio Manager. 2. I am assuming that the request from MCI West’s G-6’ will be approved and I would indeed be promoted as the GS-12-2210 Portfolio Manager. My query is about the number of days and by when the human resources department or other department would update my SF-50 records in line with the new role and functions brought about by the promotion. I am sorry to bother a busy man with so many questions, but these small queries will help me in my career besides giving me some amount of financial strength and mental relief. Hence, your responses, even if they are brief will act as a relief to me. Alternatively, considering that you are a busy person, you could direct me to the HR or other departments and mark your instructions on my letter, asking them to answer my queries and I will gladly follow up with

Panopticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Panopticism - Essay Example Panopticon made discipline more economical and efficient compared to other forms of discipline and further represented power and control due to minimal human operations associated with it. No prisoner would realize that they were being watched from the tower (Foucault 195-200). The panopticon could be operated by anybody and would be used in very many places apart from prison cells. Key words; power, discipline, panopticon, disciplinary It is undeniable that the world would be a better claim when power and discipline is applied in effective gaining of control; this is because panopticon is used to represent discipline and power and further transformation of disciplinary techniques. Concept of panopticism is very evident in the current society where there is devolvement of power and administration services. For instance, a strict spatial partitioning and dividing the town into distinct quarters and every quarter governed by an intendant was the order of the day. Every street was put u nder control of a syndic who would keep it under strict surveillance in such a way that if he left the city he would be convicted to death. Everyone was ordered to stay within and the syndic would lock all the doors from outside before handing over keys to the intendant because no one was allowed to leave on death pain. Just like the panopticim, there are several divisions of administration put in place to reach the citizens at the grassroots level. A federal government for example, has some of its powers transferred to the states and even further in smaller divisions. There is one central power with several branches that everyone looks up to. Idea of plague has been used as a base of creating discipline just like other criminal acts such as terrorism in the current society. Disciplinary mechanism was introduced by the fear of the plague and this act as the origin of all the modern punishment. Visibility from the Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon tower is used as a trap. It was pos sible to see every individual including a schoolboy or prisoner being incarcerated but the victims could not communicate with each other. Terrorism is considered as one of the major crimes in the current society and the government has therefore created some divisions such as Afghanistan as some of the hot spots. Sentences related to terrorism are very severe thus causing fear amongst the public. Communication sector is being manipulated just to ensure minimal terror by scrutinizing any form of communication or money transfers. Just like in panopticism, the crowd was put away from this and the tower brought a sense of visibility that represented a functioning authority. Power is believed to be visible though unverifiable as a prisoner would always see the tower but remains ignorant about where is watched or observed. Panopticism concept can be compared with the current Intelligence and correctional facilities used in testing behaviors and capturing criminals. Panopticon is grounded o n the royal zoo at Versailles as it allows to do the work of naturalist and also acts as a laboratory of power. It is laboratory of power because it provides a base in which prisoners and staffs are tested. It is also apparent that the plague afflicted town and the tower depicts change of disciplinary program. FBI has the responsibility of putting suspects on the radar and testing their behaviors or monitoring their behaviors before capturing them. this is a common activity carried out particularly while pursuing terrorists. Panopticism symbolizes the wider police force employed at various stations across the country to maintain law and order in the modern world.The tower

Recruitment and Selection Policies Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Recruitment and Selection Policies - Case Study Example referral based, and for fresh positions via campus recruitments. The selection process is more rigorous and depending on the nature and intricacy of the job, competence of the staff involved in the selection, the costs and benefits associated with the position to be recruited for and most importantly, the time factor. The methods for selection includes just sorting through resumes, conducting tests to judge individual's or potential employee's aptitude, intelligence, trainability and personality, group discussion, interviews and also the assessment centers. Each will be elaborated in detail going forward. Some issues also emerge in the selection process, these will be discussed soon. As discussed earlier, recruitment process begins from identification of the need that the organization needs to fill in a certain vacancy up to the point where the organization receives the application forms or has to decide between whom to hire for the position. The firm has option to recruit either internally from within the firm or external sources. Hiring candidates from within the organization has its own advantages. Firstly, hiring from inside saves the organization considerable amount of money and time because individuals within the organization already has an idea regarding what the company is like, an in depth knowledge of its products and services and how a business functions overall. Thus, lesser investments might be required to develop the fit that is required; thus, saving potential time and the money that is required for training a completely new (external) recruit. More important, these internal promotions incentivize people to worker harder and move up the organizati onal ladder, they become more committed and work harder within the organization. Secondly, since a firm very well knows the individual's strengths and weaknesses as the person has served in the organization for quite some time, all the areas are pre-assessed; when in fact, hiring an outsider has risks attached to it and success might only be on the resume and not the person's practice itself. But, obviously, the advantages do not come alone; some of the disadvantages to the internal recruitment practices for the firm starts with replacing the position of the person which has been left vacant due to the promotion. Besides, hiring an outsider might bring in more diversification to the organization's skills, which might otherwise be limited because of phenomenon such as groupthink. As opposed to the internal recruitment, externally recruiting helps firms to hire people who are diversified in talent and in experience; but has its own disadvantage such as the firm may end up hiring someone who is ineffective and unsuitable for the organization. Selection Whereas, recruitment was a one way step, selection is a two way process of communication and establishment of a positive psychological contract; the sole aim being contacting and employing the best people for the job. The selection process results in either of the two outcomes, it either results in hiring of effective employees or rejection or exit of the non competent employees. The selection process is always faced by limitations such as validation, review and organizational constraints. For selection

Knauf Corporation Case Study

Knauf Corporation Case Study The following assignment is a case study, in which we are going to analyze the Knauf Corporation worldwide, but mostly the operation of the business in the European countries. The objective of this assignment is, by analyzing the operation of the company inside Europe to be able then to recognize, whether we see a common strategy or if there are any differences on it. In the first part, there is a research about the organizational function and the activities of Knauf worldwide and mainly in the European environment, starting from the past until the year 2009, where you can see the latest actions of the company. In the second part I will concentrate my analysis regarding how the general strategy of the company is differentiated depending on the local requirements, laws, cultures, market potentials, etc. In the end of the assignment we will make an analysis of the Greek market in order a close idea about the business operation. 1. Companys history and profile Knauf Group is a multinational producer of building materials and construction systems based in Germany, in Iphofen, where the head quarters and the master plan are located. In Iphofen exists also the historical museum of the company. Knauf is a family name. The Company began its operations in 1932, when the brothers Dr. Alfons N. Knauf and Karl Knauf established the firm Gebr. Knauf. It was a difficult beginning and at this time, no one could have thought the future big development of the company. Knauf finally became a multinational producer of building materials and construction systems, operating with more than 150 production facilities worldwide. Today the company ranks among one of the worlds leading manufacturers of building materials. Knauf has a workforce of 22,000 employees in 40 countries and in 2009 the company achieved sales of 5, 5 billion Euros. The product portfolio varies from the traditional plasterboard to the production of conveying machinery for construction site logistics, including the segments of gypsum plasters for interior and exterior use, insulation materials made of glass fibers or expanded polystyrene. The wide-ranging assortment also includes some other very special products as gypsum fiber boards for walls and floors, as well as a variety of special ceiling systems. The final aim, which comes out from this wide range of products, is that Knauf Group always focuses its efforts in being the leader producer in the construction sector by fulfilling any requirement of the architects, planners, building developers, etc. A strong characteristic of Knauf is the continuous courage for visions, innovation and investments as well as simple decision-making processes and a wealth of ideas on the part of its personnel. Despite the fact that the company is so large the CEOs of the company Nicolaus and Baldwin Knauf insist that the company is a family business, since it is still managed worldwide by the second and third generation of the family Knauf. The company doesnt belong in any stock market and every investment is created by their own profits without loans from the bank or any other external fund. 2. Companys structure and operation Gypsum plasters (core selling material of the company) The Group started to go international as early as the beginning of the Seventies of the last century and the trend has continued until today. Today the Group produces and sells its products in all European countries. In the developed countries such as E.E. countries, Turkey, Russia etc., the company has production facilities. According to the market demand in some occasions there are two or even three plants, whereas in small countries as Cyprus for example, there is only a local branch and the market is supplied with materials from Knauf Greece. Furthermore, there are factories located in North and South America, in the CIS states, in Northern Africa, in China and in Indonesia. Insulation materials Whereas in earlier times the sectors of dry construction and here we mention plasterboard as the primary product and gypsum plasters were the traditional areas of activity of the Group, meanwhile the insulation materials segment has developed into a further mainstay of the Group. The foundation stone for this was laid in 1978 when a glass fibre manufacturing company in Shelbyville, USA, was taken over. Today the company bears the name Knauf Insulation USA and operates a total of four production sites in the United States. The production of insulating materials on the basis of glass wool and mineral wool becomes more and more important. For about 30 years, the company has gained experience in the production of glass wool in North America. Within the last 5 years, Knauf has acquired 10 glass wool and mineral wool factories throughout Europe and additionally built new plants in Eastern Europe and Russia. Emerging and acquisitions activities Focusing before some years in the developing strategy into further segments of construction, where Knauf didnt have experience, the Company needed the knowledge and the facilities of existed companies well known for their quality in their field. Some of them were bought from the group in order to serve all the local Knauf companies with the special products that theyre producing. Some of the companies that have been bought and managed now from the group are AMF, Danogips, Marmorit, Sacret, Richter Systems, Knauf Perlite, Knauf PFT, Knauf Alutop. EUROPAK3 Most of these companies are selling their products only via local Knauf businesses. The interesting point is that the group doesnt hesitate to change its policy according to the target groups, different distribution channels and market needs. Being more specific, for example AMF Company is operating as a different business in the local markets, who sells products to the local Knauf businesses, but also to several wholesalers for example. PFT Company, which is occupied in machinery equipment (totally different market segment), is also developing separately from the local Knauf businesses in the European markets in order to serve other distribution channels and target groups. Knauf insulation, which is a totally different company is as well acting separately in the markets and sell its products directly to wholesalers without local Knaufs help. In many occasions in the European countries they are also selling only via local Knauf businesses. An interesting history is about a merging that the group has made with its one of the biggest competitors. The company USG is the market leader in United States producing and selling the same range of materials. United States of America is too much mature market in constructing with dry wall systems. Knauf group realized a big gap before some years in their product variety. They didnt have a board suitable for exterior constructions. Then the idea came from USG that had been producing a cement board, which is the ideal product, if someone wants to construct exterior walls facades for example. Then Knauf group in order to gain the technical knowledge and experience in cement board market, has been cooperated with USG. They have created together a joint ventured company under the name Knauf USG Systems, which is an independent company located in Germany and its aim is to produce and sell cement boards in Europe, Middle East, and Africa but only via the local Knauf businesses. 3. Organizational structure Knauf local businesses are managed by CEOs that usually are locals. The Local CEOs are supervised by the regional CEOs who are usually coming from the Knauf family. The local CEOs are fully responsible for the local organizational structure. Usually there is the plant manager, a logistics manager, sales and marketing managers, IT managers, technical department and sales department. Depending on how big the market is, sometimes as in Greece for example the technical department is merged with the sales department, which is finally consisted from sales engineers. 4. Vision and Mission The Knauf vision stems from the model on which the company is based: From a family company to a family of companies  [i]  . Knaufs mission is to remain a family which will always include its employees, customers and consumers. The company mainly emphasizes its philosophy on the following: Sustainability, Ecology and economy. The company produces economic construction systems based on raw materials that come straight from the earth and are completely friendly to people and the environment. Plan innovations to meet tomorrows requirements. To be the market leader in the building materials industry Focusing in long term growth and continuous increase of companys value To be as good as the sum of its total employees. The company depends on its employees skills, efficiency and creativity. In that sense production plants are designed to be pleasant to work in, efficient and to ensure a conscientious approach to resources and the environment. Quality management is a key factor for the group 5. Knauf Business and Marketing Strategy model 5,1 DISTRIBUTION Knaufs general strategy is to sell their products only via wholesalers. These dealers can then sell products further to second hand dealers, contraction companies and technicians (Knauf system installers). This model can be changed if a local market is used to work with another way, as for example in Northern Africa countries. In Europe this strategy is generally followed. 5, 2 TARGET GROUPS If we follow the whole chain of construction industry, we all know that Architects are planning the projects which means, that theyre specifying materials (they create the demand). This means that they are the main decision makers in the construction chain. Contractors are taking over to complete the project, and the technicians as sub contractors they are installing Knauf systems. As you can easily realize, Knauf target groups are all the above mentioned groups. Companys concept, is to follow the projects from the early start of the planning until the final procurement. And that means, that they support all the phases of the construction by being present and service with technical support all the groups referred. In addition they focus a lot to the individuals (private investors). Individuals are Knaufs long term objectives, since they strongly believe that they are at the end of the day the basic mean of continuously adding value in the company and make their products even better known to the market. This sector is going to empower the already famous Knauf brand in the market, and of course the materials demand. 5, 3 COMMUNICATION PR ADVERTISEMENT In this paragraph, Im going to show you a small part of the general ideas regarding the companys marketing approach. Knauf in Europe proceeds in specific advertising actions to introduce its products variety in its all target groups. This marketing approach operates since the start of the company and it is already very successful. A very important thing in business is to follow up your customers. Thus, Knauf via its CRM system saves its contacts and post them direct mails. In addition they are also sending e-direct mails, as is the Knauf monthly newsletter or any other subject they would like to promote. Moreover, theyre participating in exhibitions which are usually taking place in the construction concept with target groups from architecture, planning, decoration, etc. Another way of advertizing is by creating inputs in magazines for architects, contractors and technicians. Except of magazines, they also make inputs in newspapers and daily free presses, so they could be able to approach also the individuals. TV spots, radio spots are as well important ways of advertising their systems. Knauf invests a part of each turnover to offer free advertising gifts to its customers. These gifts might be templates, banners, signs, flags, samples, vehicles and memorial gifts, all having as design the Knauf logos and the Knauf partner s logos as well. Local technical documentation and web sites are other ways to find information for the companys products. These documents are very well developed and they obviously offer an assured technical support to the customers. The corporation invests a lot in education regarding its systems installation. Every local business has its own training center where seminars are taking place in certain dates every year. Those who have participated in the seminars are taking in the end a Knauf graduate clarification that writes Mr à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ has successfully participated in the Knauf seminars the datesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ And this small thing makes them feel that they belong in a special group. Consequently they spread this idea to other people. 5.4 POSITIONING Knauf continues to increase a premium brand and separate its position against competition. Thats why the corporation always invests in developing new products and improving the old ones. 6. Gypsum Industry Market Analysis Europe The gypsum industry belongs into the broader industry of building materials. For the scope of our assignment we will only analyze the gypsum industry and especially the European Gypsum Industry as Knauf is mainly active into the European market. The European Gypsum Industry is characterized as a growing industry in comparison with the US or Australian Gypsum Industries which are already in the maturity face of their life cycles. With a turnover of over 10 billion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬, the European gypsum and anhydrite industry operates 160 quarries and some 200 factories and generates employment directly to 28.000 people and indirectly for 85.000 people. It is one of the few fully integrated industries within the construction products field. Thirty years ago, the Gypsum Industry was made up of many small manufacturing enterprises mainly producing building plaster and stucco for local markets. The emergence and growth of the plasterboard and the plasterboard solutions market in the 1980s requiring high capital investments, equipment, RD and securing access to natural resources led to a consolidation process within the European Gypsum industry. Currently in the industry nowadays three main operators cover 80% of the gypsum product market  [ii]  . These are Knauf Group of Companies, BPB (British Pasterboards) and Lafarge. BPB, a UK based manufacturer, acquired by Saint Gobain in 2005 and organized within the Saint-Gobains Construction Products Sector  [iii]  and Lafarge, the well known building material manufacturer, established in 1833 in France initially as a limestone mining company  [iv]  . 6.1 PEST Analysis In analyzing the macro-environment via a PEST analysis, we can configure the environment which gypsum industry producers compete and identify the factors that might in turn affect a number of vital variables that are likely to influence the organizations supply and demand levels and its costs. The European building material industry is not that vulnerable to Political issues but into the Greek Construction Industry political issues arise more frequently as the support from the European Union funds have major role into Construction Industry growth rates. From 2001 till 2009 where more and more privately funded big real-estate projects were implemented the industry was growing very fast but the economic pressure that affects, for the last year, all companies and investors involved is slowing down the rates of the industry. In such critical times, most governments are identifying its policies with social and environmental care policies. Into the construction environment there is the need, more than any other time, of energy efficient buildings and construction techniques that exploit those advantages, and governments in assessing the socioeconomic impact of energy spending reduction are already subsidizing such constructions through government or EU fund raising. Technology i tself was always the main concern of producers in order to find ways of reducing their production cost as well as to invest in new RD fields, such as antiseismic technology, for exploiting the unique advantages of gypsum. 6.2 SWOT analysis European Gypsum Industry is a growing one and most European countries only now capitalize the advantages that gypsum offers as a building material. Gypsum is virtually indispensable for the interiors of homes and offices and all types of building where people congregate, such as schools, shops, airports, etc. Its superior performance in providing everyday comfort, in fire resistance and in insulation, heralds an ever greater role for it in buildings of the future. In fact, the safety and protection of people and property against fire, and effective thermal and acoustic insulation of buildings depends, more often than not, on the unique properties of gypsum. And many of the attractive features of the modern interior would be impossible without the versatility of gypsum as a building material. The gypsum wallboard industry is highly competitive. Because wallboard is expensive to transport, does not travel well in large quantities and lacks of product differentiation, producers compete on a regional basis, primarily based on price, product range, product quality, and customer service. The sector is highly competitive especially in Europe and North America with production mostly concentrated among few international players. The drywall solutions are seen in growing countries as a substitute for traditional construction solution like for example cement and brick and block constructions. The unique advantages that systems offered to the engineers made them a huge threat of substitute for the traditional techniques. But, soon the industry will be into the maturity face and new innovative and evolution building materials like magnesium or perlite have already started to threaten gypsums raising empire. The industry has to invest into new materials, new technologies and diversify towards innovative building material and construction system solutions. The capital investment that is required in order to enter into the gypsum industry is high. Equipment is expensive, know how is difficult to acquire, access to natural resources is prohibited and investment in RD is mandatory. That is why in very few years the European Gypsum Industry from the state of many locally situated small producers it transformed into an extremely concentrated market where three companies cover approximately 80% of the market. In global level the same concentrated situation is observed where 81% of the market is covered by 7 players (Georgia Pacific, Knauf, Lafarge, National Gypsum, Saint-Gobain, USG and Yoshino) The Gypsum Industry covers the whole life-cycle of the product. Indeed, the companies which extract the mineral gypsum also process it and manufacture the value-added products and systems. The full integration that characterizes the industry is a fact that removes any danger of suppliers bargaining power but at the same time it leads to higher production costs for the producer. The ownership of the gypsum reserves is a power game between the main competitors of the industry as it is at the same time a main clue of product differentiation and product quality resulting from the mineral gypsum purity. Gypsum reserves are now rare around Europe and that turned the producers to invent new technologies by producing synthetic gypsum mainly from fly ash which is a byproduct of energy production plants. The industry is mainly selling through an extensive dealers network in each country. Those dealers are commercial companies selling a series of building materials either to contractors or consumers. In Western Europe more mature markets dealership is also concentrated into few very big companies (Praktiker, Leroy Marlene, OBI etc) which due to its size and concentration they have already obtained a big bargaining power over the producers. Into the Greek market the dealers network is still based on small, unorganized depots with no special power over the industry but big retailers are already into the market and soon the situation will change. 7. Key Success Factors of the Gypsum Industry The following factors have played a major role in a gypsum companys prosperity: Cost advantages and economy of scale: The recent trend of acquisitions and mergers exploit potential cost advantages to be found in RD facilities serving global operations. They create larger and more diversified market focused organizations. All the top performing companies in the industry have faced, at least once, a major merger in the past. In 2005, BPB, one of the top 3 companies of the industry in Europe, was acquired by Saint Gobain which invested 5.9 billion à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬, for setting itself a step ahead from its major competitors in the building materials industry. Access to natural resources: As previously noticed, the Gypsum Industry covers the whole life-cycle of the product and producers strive for securing reserves all over the world. In that industry, due to the cost structure, privileged access to the raw material is vital for the companys growth. For that reason, companies started investing either in finding new ways of composing synthetic gypsum from several sources (e.g. energy plant waste) or by implementing systems for recycling their the products at the end of their life cycle (demolition waste). Differentiation through technical specifications and customer service quality: The main target for all producers is to offer a complete solution with their systems of products in order for engineers to be able to substitute traditional ways of building. They managed to specify with standard norms the use of the plasterboard walls, ceilings, floor or any other use as well as their technical characteristics like fireproof, sound insulation, thermal insulation etc. With the combination of professional sales and technical support as companies are using only engineers for sales reps with extensive and professional training, in order to serve customers and specify the systems in a market that is constantly gaining market share from the traditional construction methods. 8. Greek market analysis As we previously noticed, into the Greek market there is also one competitor to Knauf, Rigips Hellas (BPB) with one production site situated in West Greece. Both companies have their own reserves of the raw material close to their factories which are both situated into the same geographical area resulting to equivalent quality levels of raw material. A main difference is the production capacities as well as the plants sizes. Knauf operates a plant that was build from scratch in 1991 in Amfilochia, while on the other hand Rigips acquired some years after Knaufs establishment in Greece an old gypsum factory from a local producer. That explains the estimated difference in local production capacities for the two producers. Having the appropriate capacity levels, Knauf can control its production cost and overheads better than the competitors and therefore result to higher margin levels. Knauf from 1991 invested a lot of money for differentiating through technical specifications and customer service quality. In order to achieve that high level engineers were recruited and were extensively trained into Germanys headquarters. The experience and professionalism of the mother company was soon transferred into the Greek subsidiary and the company culture was quickly transformed according to the following: The future lies in the hands of talented and highly motivated employees. An important aspect is the family culture which prevails in the company: Learn from one another, hold together, pass on knowledge, assume the role of mentor, take fast and direct paths and press for special achievements  [v]  . In very few years, almost 10 professional engineers were covering all the Greek territory offering technical support to contractors, extensive training to installers and professional customer service to retailers. Rigips which was established a few years later used same techniques for expanding into the Greek territory but always by following Knaufs steps. That was something that reduces its cost for training the market into new building materials but cost them the reputation of the leader in the market. Knauf was and still is characterized as the leader industry in the gypsum market in Greece. Their competitive advantage in the market is the ability of its people to open the market, train the customers and lead to a new age in construction industry. All the above are mainly achieved by the following: A huge database of active engineers is informed once every month by direct mail regarding new and innovative solutions. Over 7.000 installers are trained for efficient installing drywall systems into Knaufs Training Centre in Amfilochia. Retailers are supported by professional sales engineer all over Greece. Finally, Knauf has invest a lot in marketing by extensive advertising into press, technical magazines, radio and TV, by providing signs to all its retailing network and by participating into all main fairs in Greece. Rigips havent tried to differentiate significantly from Knauf into the market. They have not invest as much as Knauf into penetrating and training the market and their main position in the market is to let the leader open the way and then to follow. The main differentiation point for the two companies was the price. Knauf is the leader and for that the customer has to pay a premium. 9. Strategic recommendations Conclusion As we saw in this assignment Knauf Corporation is developing in Europe with a certain way which is driven by the values, the culture, the ethics and the historical success model, that the family developed for their business. However, we also saw that several differences exist, depending on the needs and the culture of the local markets. Such differences for example could be the style of the management, the variety of products, the developing of the other corporate businesses and so on. Knauf family believes a lot in the different local adaptation of their business model and this is visibly proven from their willing and trust to choose local people as general managers to run the business in the countries. They invest a lot of money and efforts in order to find the correct person who is going to implement Knauf successful business style according to the local needs. Knauf group has proven its ability to penetrate, train and lead new markets. As a group it has a promising future as it is in line with the major key successful factors for the industry. Its competitive advantage is very strong and it is implemented into most countries in the world as it is into the Greek market. The industry is highly competitive and it is getting more and more concentrated. In order for Knauf to continue growing into such a competitive environment it needs to diversify its building material portfolio into more developing and profitable markets. Such a market is the insulation material industry in which the group recently invested by acquiring a lot of local producers in Europe and becoming the worlds fastest-growing insulation manufacturer with full ownership of its activities since 2002. Finally, Knauf should invest into countries that are structurally unexploited like for example in Asian or growing African countries initially by securing raw material reserves into strategic places.