It would not be possible to create a global corporate governance code Essay

It would not be possible to create a global corporate governance code - Essay Example Over the several years ago, the major issue in corporate governance is a convergence' that has attracting many scholars and commentators in business field. The main reasons behind this approach are; the trend of globalization across the world and financial scandals that happened in many countries globally1. Most comparatives in this area have claimed that one or the other model is economically superior and that, over time, we should see convergence towards this model of best practice'. Although the shareholder model was heavily criticized in the early 1990s for the tendencies to under-invest and focus on short-term result2, at present the majority view is that the shareholder model will prevail due to the increasing dominance of institutional investors on international capital markets3. The convergence discussion focuses upon whether the increasing internationalization of capital markets and commerce will and should result in the harmonization of corporate governance standards across national boundaries. ... eavily criticized in the early 1990s for the tendencies to under-invest and focus on short-term result2, at present the majority view is that the shareholder model will prevail due to the increasing dominance of institutional investors on international capital markets3.The convergence discussion focuses upon whether the increasing internationalization of capital markets and commerce will and should result in the harmonization of corporate governance standards across national boundaries. Within this discussion, some scholars and policymakers tout conversion as imminent, inevitable, and invaluable4. Others expect harmonization of national corporate governance standards to be slowed by path-dependent factors such as local cultural values and the broader political and legal economics of the nation- state5.In addition to these differences of view pertaining to expected rates of convergence in term of its source. Some anticipate that convergence will be a formal matter, stemming from chang e that would align countries' positive law with one another6. Still others rely upon a more functional view of convergence, nothing that positive law is often trumped by effects of soft' law such exchange listing standards, voluntary corporate codes of conduct, and other business and regulatory norms7.What has been characterised as convergence is a discussion of Anglo-American domination. Convergence, after all, means to move or be directed toward each other or toward the same place, purpose, or result'8. The only significant movement in Anglo-American corporate governance standards, however, is an exported commodity being sold to both developed and developing nations9. Moreover, these domination tendencies are not confined solely to academic. For

Knowledge management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Knowledge management - Essay Example It can be said that the individual or individuals gain the knowing from prior information. Thus, it can be said that the individual or the individuals did not just come across the information, but they sought the information with intent or just for the sake of knowing. Nevertheless, knowledge is not the ultimate product in knowledge management practices and standards in an organisation. Knowledge is just but the beginning for more exploits. Hence it can be said that, in knowledge management, an organisation is trying to utilise knowledge to improve what it is doing (Nonaka & Krogh, 2006). With the understanding of knowledge, knowledge management can be evaluated. One of the most fundamental resource that an organization can have is a knowledgeable workforce. Hence, the success of an organization can be said to be dependent on how well the organisation is able to use the knowledge resource it has, its ability to develop novel knowledge, and how well it is able to share the knowledge within it throughout the whole organisation (Nonaka & Krogh, 2006). Most importantly, knowledge management involves putting into practice the combined knowledge of all the persons under it in order to attain certain aims. Knowledge management does not necessarily purpose to manage this combined knowledge, it also purposes to selectively manage the knowledge that is vital to an organisation. Knowledge management also involves that the workforce in the organisation has all the knowledge it requires, at the right time and at the right place. It is important to ask, why is knowledge management required? Knowledge management is needed for a number of reasons. In the modern world, there has been an increased speed of variation in the present organisations and the communities in the globe collectively. Hence, knowledge management is needed as it identifies that almost all organizations are made up of work that involves knowledge. Not that the manual

Cultural Competence with Gay and Lesbian Essay Example for Free

Cultural Competence with Gay and Lesbian Essay Being gay or lesbian has several implications notable of which are the manifestations of discrimination. Such effect is aggravated by a condition wherein the homosexuals are part of a diversified culture. This paper aims to make a presentation on â€Å"Cultural Competence with Gays and Lesbians† as discussed in the textbook written by Doman Lum. In doing so, it is the ultimate objective of this paper to make the public realize the important functions of social work professionals particularly their cultural capabilities in handling issues such as discrimination concerning homosexuals. Cultural Competence with Gay and Lesbian Introduction There is a joke about four people who are about to be fired because their company is facing profit loss. The manager failed to fire the initial three employees composed of black man, Mexican and woman. This is because the three threaten to sue the company for discriminating people based from their race, ethnic or culture and gender. The manager then was bent in firing the fourth employee noting there will be no problem at all because he is a male white American. Hence, to avoid dismissal, the fourth employee simply says â€Å"Well, I guess I could be gay† (â€Å"Gay joke – positive discrimination,† 2007). The said joke and its implication manifest that the concept of homosexuality has long been of undeniable significance to humans’ existence and the reality of being in different cultures where they belong. Hence, it is of equal relevance that being homosexual and the idea of cultural competence with gay and lesbian are effectively presented. This is because of the notable relationship which exists between homosexuality and racial or cultural color. Most importantly, it is also empirical to talk about that being gays and lesbians in a diversified culture results into the very damaging practice of discrimination. It is, therefore, of ultimate concern and objective that the value of having understandable presentation about being homosexual in varied culture is realized. This is possibly achieved if people with expertise will discuss the subject matter. This is due to the need for clear presentation of all the details which paves the way for being culturally capable with homosexual persons and eventually resolving the issue of discrimination. Of Gays and Lesbians In today’s modern society, the commonality of being and lesbian has sets ground. In fact, social recognition and work practice have advanced due to the fact that significant number of gays and lesbians from various cultures already came forward. Gone are the days that homosexuality is perceived as a social ill which requires change. Thus, concerned field professionals realize nowadays the existing personal and cultural identities of homosexuals by exerting earnest efforts at upholding their distinct nature of being gays and lesbians. This condition was what Walters, Longres, Han and Icard (2006) stated when they discussed the concept of â€Å"cultural competence with gay and lesbian persons of color† (Walters, Longres, Han Icard, 2006). In presenting further the issue, Walters and company explained that while homosexuality is now openly talked about, it is significantly worthy to consider and focus on the conditions affecting gays and lesbians of color or what they called GALOCs. This is because through a clear and mind-opening discussion about the negative or harmful situations that homosexuals of diversified cultures are experiencing, the society is aimed at realizing the important contributions and roles of social work professionals. In doing so, addressing, if not resolving concerns and the various forms of discrimination against GALOCs are easily achieved (Walters, Longres, Han Icard, 2006). Cultural Competence with Gays and Lesbians It is necessary for social workers or professionals to exemplify cultural competence in dealing with homosexuals of various ethnic roots. This is in order to identify the nature and eventually come up with possible solutions to the experiences of discrimination against gays and lesbians. Prejudice due to being homosexual is itself not in accordance with human nature thus aggravating the situation by subjecting gays and lesbians to unfairness due to their respective or varying cultures causes more alarm (Walters, Longres, Han Icard, 2006). Walters and company emphasized the principle of cultural ability and proficiency of social workers or professionals in handling issues concerning gays and lesbians. They stated that the effective development of a well and cultural characteristics among GALOCs calls for the social professionals’ competence to talk and resolve issues such as discrimination against gays and lesbians of different race. This is where the clear link between racial personality and sexual distinctiveness of gays and lesbians definitely matters. This is because once recognized, social professionals are able to respond and resolve the condition of bias inflicted among homosexuals of various colors (Walters, Longres, Han Icard, 2006). This is particularly realized based from the manifestations of discrimination made to several homosexuals from racial groups composed of â€Å"First Nations Peoples, African Americans, Asian Americans and Latino/s Americans† (Walters, Longres, Han Icard, 2006). In doing so, Walters and company learned that there is indeed a need for cultural competence among social professionals in order to underline the harmful effects of social injustices which the gays and lesbians inevitably suffer (Walters, Longres, Han Icard, 2006). Supporting the above-mentioned principles, it can be said that cultural capability, particularly as regard the social professionals’ service and practice towards GALOCs, requires the critical assessment of numerous social and private characteristics. It also needs the recognition of inconsistent duties as well as several factors that relate with discrimination of gays and lesbians coming from different cultures. Social fairness orientation, as far as social work service and practice towards homosexuals is concern, makes us wary that oppression and discrimination should cease to exist. If it is otherwise tolerated to happen in the areas of culture and gender or sexual preference, then nobody, not even the gays and lesbians are really free (Walters, Longres, Han Icard, 2006). Conclusion Cultural competence with gays and lesbians is attributed to the abilities of social professionals. This means that culturally-capable social work service and its professionals need liberating pedagogy which respects the value of the fight for cultural and gender impartiality for homosexuals. And this ultimately includes the fight against discrimination. References In my mind’s eye. (2007, December 19). Gay joke – positive discrimination. Message posted to http://pure-eyecontact. blogspot. com/2007/12/gay-joke-positive-discrimination. html Walters, K. L. , Longres, J. F. , Han, C. Icard, L. D. (2006). Cultural Competence with Gay and Lesbian Persons of Color. In Doman Lum (Ed. ), Culturally Competent Practice: A Framework for Understanding Diverse Groups and Justice Issues (389-423). Kentucky: Thomson Brooks/Cole.

Forrest Gump Review Essay Example for Free

Forrest Gump Review Essay The third movie we watched was, â€Å"Forrest Gump†. Tom Hanks plays the main character, a simple man called Forrest Gump. The story is told through his innocent eyes, and we see just how crazy the world really is. His best friend, Jenny, is played by Robin Wright and Forrest’s mother is played by Sally Field. There are a few themes to be found in this movie, the main ones being, love, death and war. You can find love in the movie between Forrest and Jenny being best friends, and how Forrest took care and looked after Jenny in her time of need. Also there is a strong love between Forrest and his mother, and how she took care of him when he was younger and how later he took care of her when she was sick. Finally you can find love between Forrest and his new friend, Bubba that he meets along his journey, and how close they are and the plans they make. Death can be found in a few places in the movie, being it his mother, his wife, or his best friend; we see how Forrest overcomes these deaths and how innocent he is when it comes to death itself. The third theme, war, is found when Forrest finds himself working for the army in Vietnam. We see here that he sees the world as a crazy place and even though he is seen as simple, he sees that fighting isn’t the only way to solve things. This movie shows that no matter how simple people see you to be, you still know the difference between right and wrong. Forrest sees the world in a more innocent and sweet way, and as the movie goes on people start to see the world the way he does and start to understand him a little bit more.

Pragmatic Justification Essay -- Philosophy, Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Russell, one of the most influential philosophers of the modern age, argued extensively in his book, â€Å"The Problems of Philosophy†, that the belief in inductive reasoning is only rational on the grounds of its intrinsic evidence; it cannot be justified by an appeal to experience alone (Russell 1998). Inductive reasoning refers to a form of reasoning that constructs or assesses propositions that are generalizations of observations (Russell 1998). Inductive reasoning is thus, in simple terms, probabilistic. The premises of an inductive logical argument provide some degree of support for the conclusion, but that support is in no way definitive or conclusive (Browne, 2004). Yet even if one agrees with Russell and concludes that there are no rational justifications for the principle of induction in and of itself, one can still maintain that there is a pragmatic justification for maintaining a belief in the principle. Simply put, there are still perfectly sound rea sons for behaving as if the principle of induction holds true, regardless of whether or not the principle itself is rationally justifiable (Browne, 2004). This type of justification can be used across many of the belief systems that we as human beings hold, even stretching to the playing field of religion. In this paper I will outline not only why it is pragmatically justifiable to believe in the principle of induction, but also why it is equally as justifiable to believe in an infinite God, regardless of whether or not deductive reasoning provides us with definitive support for such conclusions. Let’s begin by examining the issue of universal order and the Problem of Induction. The problem with inductive reasoning is that it is based on the assumption that ... .... Yet for our own happiness and peace of mind, we must believe that past occurrences, such as the sun rising yesterday and the thousands of days before that, provide us with perfectly good evidence for believing that tomorrow the sun will rise again. By the same token, we can rationally support a belief in God, even if we cannot provide conclusive evidence for His existence (or non-existence). These types of pragmatic justifications are, I believe, essential to the happiness and well-being of human beings. Regardless of whether or not the arguments for the merit and existence of both God and the principle of induction hold any water whatsoever, the optimistic approaches to the problems are in no way harmful. They allow us to live our lives in relative happiness, regardless of the fact that we ultimately can be certain of so little in the universe we live in.

The Importance of Technology Education in Schools Essay -- Teaching Ed

The Importance of Technology Education in Schools The education world has been greatly influenced by rapidly changing technology and the increasing availability of information. Schools have advanced by leaps and bounds when it comes to incorporating technology into the learning environment, however, many more advances need to be made. In all areas of the country, educators are trying to help students keep up with technology, but there are more changes that are essential for preparing the next generation for the future. By increasing computer usage by students, installing classroom Internet access and providing instructional classes dedicated to software and hardware education, schools have tried to provide an up-to-date education for students. This is all very important, but is it enough? I feel that perhaps this just isn’t going to cut it for the twenty-first century. Michael Eisenberg and Doug Johnson pose the question in the ERIC Digest, â€Å"Can the student who operates a computer well enough to play a game, send e-mail, or surf the Web be considered computer literate?† [1] I believe the answer is yes and no, it depends on whom you are comparing them to. If you are comparing these kids with many adults, then yes they are; however, if you are comparing them to the next younger generation of children that are learning to do these things before they even learn to read, then the answer is a large resounding NO. Schools need to incorporate technology education into all areas of curriculum. Students need to be able to understand not only the how-to of computers, but they need to understand when to use it, where to use it, and why it should be used. Many students only have a basic working knowledge of computer... ... 5. 5. Network systems and data communications analysts 6. 6. Desktop publishers 7. 7. Database administrators 8. 8. Personal and home care aides 9. 9. Computer systems analysts 10. 10. Medical assistants3 Locally, the high schools have begun to understand this growing need and have issued laptops to all students in the freshman classes. This is just a first step. The teachers must now make good use of these new tools and help the students understand the how, when, where, and why of their gifts. It will be awhile before education can afford to catch up to societies needs, but if we recognize the need now, changes can be made to ensure that our next generation will be prepared for the future. A future were bugs are very different from insects, surfing requires no water and viruses have nothing to do with infection.

Coming-of-Age Stories with Morals: T. Coraghessan Boyles Greasy Lake a

T. Coraghessan Boyle's "Greasy Lake" and John Updike's "A & P" have many similarities as well as differences. Both are coming-of-age stories that teach some sort of lesson to the protagonist at the end. â€Å"A&P† is about a nineteen-year-old boy who stands up against his manager to impress a couple of girls who are dressed â€Å"immodestly†. â€Å"Greasy Lake† is about many nineteen years olds playing a prank on a couple of bad characters who turn out to show the teens what they can really do in return. Luckily, the narrator and Sammy both realize their deficiency after the situations with the other characters. In â€Å"A&P† the narrator’s turning point in his life is when he finds the bikers body in the lake next to him. In â€Å"Greasy Lake† the realization occurs after Sammy quits his job and tries to be the â€Å"hero† to those girls. In both stories, the protagonists’ have no idea what the real world is like, or how it works. The narrator in â€Å"Greasy Lake† does not know what bad means until his own â€Å"badness† is put to the test in the real world. From his experience, Sammy learns that he will...

Management of a World Class Company Toyota

Content I. Introduction of Toyota Motor Company II. Management of Toyota Motor Company 1. Coprporate Governance of Toyota Motor Company 2. The Toyota Way 3. Toyota managerial problems III. Conclusion Management of World Class Company – Toyota Motor Company I. Introduction of Toyota Motor Company Toyota Motor Company or TMC is a Japanese automobile manufacturer and it is stationed in the city of Toyota in the Aichi prefecture. The relationship between the city and the company gave the name of the city which was previously known as Koromo.Toyota is the largest automobile manufacturer in Japan[1] and it is also the largest worldwide as of the first half of 2012[2] by volume of sold cars ahead of General Motors and Volkswagen AG. The company was created in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda as a spinoff to Toyota Industries to create automobiles. As of 2012, Toyota own several different brands as Lexus – luxury cars, Scion – brand only for North America, aimed towards the Gener ation Y and 51% in Daihatsu – the oldest car manufacturer in Japan. Akio Toyoda is the current CEO of Toyota, he is grandson of the creator Kiichiro Toyoda[3].Toyota have produced more than 200 million cars all over the world with their biggest market in North America – 32%, followed by their home country Japan – 25%, Europe – 14% and Asia – 11%[4]. Toyota is publicly traded company of three of the major Stock Exchanges: New York Stock Exchange(NYSE), London Stock Exchange(LSE) and Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). In the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010, Toyota recalled 9 million cars on various technical faults[5]. 5. 3 million of them was over a faulty â€Å"all-weather† floor mat, additional 2. 3 mil. For a faulty accelerator pedal and 1. 7 for both problems.On 14th of November 2012, Toyota announced that it will recall additional 2. 7 mil. cars over problems with the steering wheel and water pump system. This comes four weeks( 10th Octob er) after another 7 mil. cars recalled over faulty electric windows mechanisms[6]. The 2010 recalls hit the company hard with huge financial loses, because of the recalls and stop of production for some time of the affected vehicles. Severe damage to the brand in the eyes of the public. An estimate of 1. 93 billion dollars were lost, because of missed sales, output and another recall related costs[7].A 15% drop in shares was experienced by the company. Toyota is one of the leading manufacturers in pushing the hybrid electric vehicles. Their hybrid technologies make them the first company to mass produce such an automobile with the Toyota Prius in 1997. As of October 2012 the Prius around 3 mil. units[8] . 19 other Toyota branded vehicles are also available with the hybrid technology. So are models from the Lexus sub-brand. II. Management of Toyota Motor Company 1. Coprporate Governance of Toyota Motor Company Toyota Motor Company(TMC) is a public listed company, which means everybod y can buy shares in it.This mean that the is a specific corporate structure and management operations. Toyota is with top-down centralized way of management. The company is headed by Fujio Cho, he is the chairman which in the Japanese system, that puts him in charge of the country's and world's largest automaker. He is only the second person to head Toyota and to not be from the Toyoda family after they stepped out in 1995. He joined Toyota in 1960 and previous titles include: Managing Director, Senior Managing Director, Vice President, President and Vice Chairman of the Board. He stepped in as a chairman in September 2006[9]. 960–1966, apprentice and training employee; 1966–1974, Production Control Division; 1974–1984, manager in Production Control Division; 1984–1986, manager in Logistics Administration and project manager in Production Control Division; 1986–1987, manager in Administration; 1987–1988, manager of Toyota North America Proje ct and executive vice president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing USA; 1988–1994, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing USA; 1994–1996, managing director; 1996–1998, senior managing director; 1998–1999, executive vice president; 1999–, CEO and president[10].The Vice Chairman of the Board is Takeshi Uchiyamada since April 2012 and also serve as Vice President of the Company. Mr. Uchiyamada served as Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Corp. since June 2005, as the Chief Production Control & Logistics Officer of Toyota Motor Corp. since 2004, as Senior Managing Director of Toyota Motor Corp. from 2003 to June 2005. He served as the Chief Vehicle Engineering Officer of Toyota since 2003 and joined Toyota in 1969[11]. Akio Toyoda is the President and Chief executive officer of the company.He is also President of Toyota Finance Australia Ltd. , Toyota Motor North America, Inc. and Toyota Motor Credit Corporation since June 2009. Mr. Toyoda serves as Senior Adviser of Toyota Media Service Corporation. He has been the President of Hitachi Ltd and Honda Motor Co. since March 2009. He served as an Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Corp. from January 21, 2005 to June 2009, Senior Managing Director and Chief of Asia & China Operations Officer since 2003 and also served as its Division General Manager of Taiwan & China Offices. He joined Toyota in 1984[12].The company also have 7 Executive Vice Presidents,63 Directors, 7 Corporate Auditors, 18 Senior Managing Officers and 35 Managing Officers[13]. The company’s top management priority is to steadily increase corporate value over the long term. In order to achieve that, Toyota builds favorable relationships with all of its stakeholders, including shareholders, customers, business partners, local communities and employees. In house committees and councils are used for monitoring and discussing management of the company from the viewpoint of the stakeholders.In 2003 was int roduced the current system of management in which Chief Officers, who are directors, serve as the highest authorities of their specific operational functions across the entire company, while non-board Managing Officers implement the actual operations[14]. Toyota's philosophy of emphasizing developments on the site, the Chief Officers serve as the link between management and on-site operations, instead of focusing exclusively on management. The company have different divisions all over the world, United States of America, The United Kingdom.In the UK the division is headed by a General Manager – John Burton. He is responsible for two branches of the company, the office and shop floor. In the office part there is Assistant General Manager, Senior Manager, Section Manager, Specialist Engeneer – Senior, Specialist Engeneer, Lead Administrator and Administrator. For the Shopfloor we have the same structure till Section Manager with the adition of Group Leader- Senior, Grouo Leader, Team Leader and Team Member. As a publicly traded company Toyota have issued 3,447,997,492 shares and have 668,186 shareholders. 2. The Toyota WayThe most important created in the managerial sphere by Toyota is the Toyota Way. The Toyota Way is a set of principles and behaviors that underline the Toyota Motor Corporation's managerial approach and production system. Toyota first explained and summed up those philosophy, values and manufacturing ideals in 2001, calling it â€Å"The Toyota Way 2001. † It consists of principles in two key areas: continuous improvement, and respect for people[15]. The principles for a continuous improvement include establishing a long-term vision, working on challenges, continual innovation, and going to the source of the issues or problems.The rules relating to respect for people include ways of building it and teamwork. Toyota's management philosophy has evolved from the company's origins and has been used in the terms â€Å"Lean Manuf acturing† and Just In Time Production, which it was very important in developing[16] Toyota's managerial values and business methods which are known collectively as the Toyota Way. Toyota uses five principles for their operations: †¢ Challenge †¢ Kaizen (improvement) †¢ Genchi Genbutsu (go and see) †¢ Respect †¢ Teamwork[17] Another part of the Toyota Way is the Toyota Production System.The Toyota Production System (TPS) is an integrated socio-technical system, developed by Toyota, that Cover its management philosophy and practices. The TPS organizes manufacturing and logistics for the company, how it interacts with suppliers and customers. The system is a major predecessor of the â€Å"lean manufacturing. † Taiichi Ohno, Shigeo Shingo and Eiji Toyoda developed the system between 1948 and 1975. [18] Originally called â€Å"just-in-time production,† it develops on the approach created by the founder of Toyota, Sakichi Toyoda, his son Kiich iro Toyoda, and the engineer Taiichi Ohno.The principles of TPS are embodied in The Toyota Way. The main objectives of the TPS are to design out overburden (muri) and inconsistency (mura), and to eliminate waste (muda). The most significant effects on process value delivery are achieved by designing a process capable of delivering the required results smoothly; by designing out â€Å"mura† (inconsistency). It is also crucial to ensure that the process is as flexible as necessary without stress or â€Å"muri† (overburden) since this generates â€Å"muda† (waste).Finally the tactical improvements of waste reduction or the elimination of muda are very valuable. There are seven kinds of muda that are addressed in the TPS[19]: 1. Waste of over production (largest waste) 2. Waste of time on hand (waiting) 3. Waste of transportation 4. Waste of processing itself 5. Waste of stock at hand 6. Waste of movement 7. Waste of making defective products The system, is one of t he biggest aspect of the company, it is responsible for having made Toyota the company it is today.For long time Toyota has been recognized as a leader in the automotive manufacturing. [20] It is a myth that â€Å"Toyota received their inspiration for the system, not from the American automotive industry (at that time the world's largest by far), but from visiting a supermarket. † The idea of Just-in-time production was originated by Kiichiro Toyoda, founder of Toyota. [21] The question was how to implement TPS. When reading descriptions of American supermarkets, Ohno saw how the supermarket operated with the model he was trying to accomplish in the factory.A customer in a supermarket takes the desired amount of products off the shelf and buys them. The store restocks the given products with enough new ones to fill up the empty shelf spaces. Similarly, a work-center that needed parts would go to a ‘store shelf' (the inventory storage point) for the particular part and à ¢â‚¬Ëœbuy' (withdraw) the quantity it needed, and the ‘shelf' would be ‘restocked' by the work-center that manufactured the part, making only enough to replace the inventory that had been withdrawn. 22] While low inventory levels are a key outcome of the Toyota Production System, an important element of the philosophy behind its system is to work intelligently and eliminate waste so that only minimal inventory is needed. Many American businesses, having observed Toyota's factories, set out to attack high inventory levels directly without understanding what made these reductions possible. The act of imitating without understanding the underlying concept or motivation may have led to the failure of those projects. In 2004 a professor from University of Michigan, Dr.Jeffrey Liker published a book â€Å"The Toyota Way† in which he called Toyota way â€Å"a system designed to provide the tools for people to continually improve their work†. [23] â€Å"Since Toyo ta’s founding we have adhered to the core principle of contributing to society through the practice of manufacturing high-quality products and services. Our business practices and activities based on this core principle created values, beliefs and business methods that over the years have become a source of competitive advantage. These are the managerial values and business methods that are known collectively as the Toyota Way. —Fujio Cho, President Toyota (from the Toyota Way document, 2001)[24] According to Liker in the Toyota Way the people are what bring the system to life, working, communicating, resolving issues, and growing together. The Toyota Way encourages, supports, and in fact demands employee involvement. It is a system designed to provide the tools for people to continually improve their work. Toyota Way means more dependence on people, not less. It is a culture, even more than a set of efficiency and improvement techniques.You depend upon the workers to reduce inventory, identify hidden problems, and fix them. The workers have a sense of urgency, purpose, and teamwork because if they don’t fix it there will be an inventory outage. On a daily basis, engineers, skilled workers, quality specialist, vendors, team leaders, and—most importantly—operators are all involved in continuous problem solving and improvement, which over time trains everyone to become better problem solvers. In it Liker summarized it in 14 principles. The principles are organized in four broad categories: 1)Long-Term Philosophy, 2) The Right Process Will Produce the Right Results (this utilizes many of the TPS tools), 3) Add Value to the Organization by Developing Your People, and 4) Continuously Solving Root Problems Drives Organizational Learning. [25] 1)Long-Term Philosophy 1. Base your management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals. It is needed to replace the short term decision making wi th philosophical thinking of purpose. Understanding that the organization is bigger than money and that long term value for the customers and be responsible. )The Right Process Will Produce The Right Results 2. Create a continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface. Time management is very important, it must not be wasted. Creating good flow of the work with materials and people. 3. Use â€Å"pull† systems to avoid overproduction. Providing customers with everything they want when they wanted it. There is no need for costly overstocking. There need to be flexibility with the day-by-day shifts in customer demand not convoluted forecasts. [26] 4. Level out the workload (heijunka). (Work like the tortoise, not the hare. )People and machines must not be overused. There must be leveled out workload. 5. Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time. Quality for the customer drives the value proposition. Building equipment capable of det ecting problems and stopping itself. Developing a visual system to alert team or project leaders that a machine or process needs assistance. Jidoka (machines with human intelligence) is the foundation for â€Å"building in† quality. Problems must be solved quickly. 6. Standardized tasks and processes are the foundation for continuous mprovement and employee empowerment. Capturing the accumulated learning about a process up to a point in time by standardizing today’s best practices. Allowing creative and individual expression to improve upon the standard; then using it into the new standard so that when a person moves on, to easily hand off the learning to the next person. 7. Use visual control so no problems are hidden. Use simple visual indicators to help people determine immediately whether there are problems. [27] 8. Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and processes.Technology must be used for supporting the people not replacing t hem and it can lead to slow implementation. Tests can determine if it is viable to use new technologies. 3) Add Value to the Organization by Developing Your People 9. Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work, live the philosophy, and teach it to others. Creating leaders inside the company and not sourcing them outside of the company. Such leaders must be role-models. 10. Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company’s philosophy. Creating a strong, stable culture in which company values and beliefs are widely shared and used over a period of many years.Corporate culture and teamwork must be adhered by the employees for exceptional results. [28] 11. Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers by challenging them and helping them improve. 4) Continuously Solving Root Problems Drives Organizational Learning 12. Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situation (genchi genbutsu). Personal observation and data gathering for the proble ms that are encountered. Verification of information first hand. 13. Make decisions slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all options; implement decisions rapidly (nemawashi).Straightforwardness must not be accepted, alternative solutions must be taken into account. Also using other people for gathering information and helping with the decision is needed. 14. Become a learning organization through relentless reflection (hansei) and continuous improvement (kaizen). Using improvement tools to determine the cause of inefficiencies and apply effective countermeasures. Once waste is exposed, having employees use a continuous improvement process (kaizen) to eliminate it. Using hansei (reflection) at key milestones and after you finish a project to openly identify all the shortcomings of the project.Develop countermeasures to avoid the same mistakes again. [29] By using TPS Toyota reduced time consumption and money, while it improved quality. This helped the company become the bigges t company by 2007 and be very profitable. But in recent years it looks that the TPS is not working so well or it is abandoned altogether. The recent technical problems of Toyota showed to some that maybe the TPS is not so good, but if it wasn’t good or it can’t be used anymore, Toyota would have not be able to go back to the top in such short time. The problems maybe are not part of the TPS, but rather other factors.Too big growth of the company in the 21st century. The central lead management don’t allow flexibility in tackling problems. Another issue it that problems become much more obvious with the increase of quantity and this will result in much more negative situation which can’t be handled or will be exploited by competitors. The complexity of cars is attributing factor to have more problems and this can’t be solved by the managers. Of course TPS can be blamed in some way. It support standardization in task and processes and when there is p roblem with one thing, that problem translate everywhere where standardization is used.And finally a problem experienced by almost all big companies all over the world – slow response to problems, because of the amount of bureaucracy that comes with complex management in big organizations. 3. Toyota managerial problems The management of Toyota today are not very successful, after the big vehicle recalls there was a serious lack of admittance by Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda that something is wrong at that was most prominently seen in his press conference about that matter where he stated: â€Å"Believe me, Toyota’s car is safety.But we will try to make our product better. † Another big problem for the management is the dysfunctional organization structure and a secretive culture. After a problem experienced in Europe and this problem could have affected North America there was absolute no communication between the different branches of the company. [30] Instead of admi tting that there is a problem Toyota denied that there are any problems with their cars. III. Conclusion As of mid 2012 Toyota is once again the leader in the automotive world.Although the problems that plagued the company for 2 years reduced their output, profits decreased substantially and the company image was severely damaged which led to the company losing a big sum of money and trust with their consumers, they managed to get out of the problem with relative ease. The company also realized some important things from all this: 1. They could not want to be a global leader and keep all the power in the hands of the headquarters in Japan. Even though they claimed that they are delegating management to other parts of the company around the world the crisis showed something different.When a lot of the production is happening outside Japan they couldn’t afford to still maintain all the power in Japan. 2. They must create friends in order to advance even if they have millions of customers. The crisis left them with no real allies and protection. 3. Toyota learned that it must maintain its reputation every minute. Claiming that they are the best don’t help. Consumers want to see and experience that in the real world not just through ads and statistics. ———————– [1] Wikipedia, Toyota [2] Tim Higgins – Jul 26, 2012, Bloomberg, http://www. bloomberg. om/news/2012-07-25/toyota-extends-global-sales-lead-over-general-motors-vw. html [3] Wikipedia, Akio Toyoda [4] Wikipedia, Toyota [5] Christian Science Monitor, http://www. csmonitor. com/USA/2010/0129/Toyota-recall-update-dealers-face-full-lots-anxious-customers [6] BBC, http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-20321594 [7] BBC, http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/business/8493414. stm [8] Mike Milikin 8 Nov. 2012, Green Car Congress, http://www. greencarcongress. com/2012/11/tmchybrids-20121108. html [9] Wikipedia, Fujio Cho [10] Reference for business , http://www. referenceforbusiness. om/biography/A-E/Cho-Fujio-1937. html [11] Bloomberg Business Week, http://investing. businessweek. com/research/stocks/people/person. asp? personId=646436&ticker=TM [12] Bloomberg Business Week, http://investing. businessweek. com/research/stocks/people/person. asp? personId=1828739&ticker=TM [13] Toyota Global [14] Toyota Global [15] â€Å"Environmental & Social Report 2003†. Toyota Motor. p. 80. [16] Strategos-International. Toyota Production System and Lean Manufacturing. [17] Toyota internal document, â€Å"The Toyota Way 2001,† April 2001 [18] Strategos-International.Toyota Production System and Lean Manufacturing. [19] Ohno, Taiichi (March 1998), Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production, Productivity Press [20] Brian Bremner, B. and C. Dawson (November 17, 2003). â€Å"Can Anything Stop Toyota? : An inside look at how it's reinventing the auto industry† [21] Ohno, Taiichi (March 1988), Just-In-Time For To day and Tommorrow, Productivity Press, [22] Magee, David (November 2007), How Toyota Became #1 – Leadership Lessons from the World's Greatest Car Company, Portfolio Hardcover, [23] Liker, Jeffrey (2004). The 14 Principles of the Toyota Way: An Executive Summary of the Culture Behind TPS†. University of Michigan. p. 36 [24] Liker, Jeffrey(2004). The 14 Principles of the Toyota Way: An Executive Summary of the Culture Behind TPS†. University of Michigan. p. 35 [25] Liker, Jeffrey (2004). â€Å"The 14 Principles of the Toyota Way: An Executive Summary of the Culture Behind TPS†. University of Michigan. p. 36 [26] Liker, Jeffrey (2004). â€Å"The 14 Principles of the Toyota Way: An Executive Summary of the Culture Behind TPS†. University of Michigan. p. 7 [27] Liker, Jeffrey (2004). â€Å"The 14 Principles of the Toyota Way: An Executive Summary of the Culture Behind TPS†. University of Michigan. p. 38 [28] Liker, Jeffrey (2004). â€Å"The 14 Pri nciples of the Toyota Way: An Executive Summary of the Culture Behind TPS†. University of Michigan. p. 39 [29] Liker, Jeffrey (2004). â€Å"The 14 Principles of the Toyota Way: An Executive Summary of the Culture Behind TPS†. University of Michigan. p. 40 [30] Wall Street Journal, http://online. wsj. com/article/SB10001424052748704820904575055733096312238. html

Race Colors Judgement Essay

The criminal justice system in the United States is one of the many places that I believe stereotypes are formed. For example, African-Americans make up only 13% of the U. S. population but represent 46% of the inmate population who have received sentences of more than one year (Hart, 2006, p. 1). Another example of a racial disparity can be seen the percentage of African-Americans who are drug users (14%) and those sentenced for drug offenses (53%) (Sentencing Project, 2009 p. 3). More African-American men are in prison or jail, on probation or parole then were enslaved in 1850, before the Civil War began,† (Alexander, 2010). However, this is not just a problem within the African-American community. More than 60% of the people in prison are now racial and ethnic minorities and three-fourths of all persons in prison for drug offenses are people of color (www. sentencingproject. org). The Bureau of Justice Statistics shows, that the likelihood for an African-American or Hispanic to be imprisoned is, 18. % for African-Americans and 10% for Hispanics, while the likelihood for Whites is 3. 4% (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2005). Brennan and Spohn (2009) showed in their study, â€Å"The Joint Effects of Offender Race/Ethnicity and Sex on Sentence Length Decisions in Federal Courts†, that African-American males received a significantly longer sentence (93 months) than White males (86. 2 months) (Brennan & Spohn, 2009). These are just some of the numbers, which cannot be ignored. An important question to ask; why are these racial disparities happening? In the study â€Å"White juror bias: An investigation of racial prejudice against Black defendants in the American courtroom†, Sommers & Ellsworth (2001) have a quote, which, I think, sums up the reasoning for studying race and its effect on juries, it came from one of my favorite movies: â€Å"In our courts, when it is a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins. They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life†¦The one place where man ought to get a square deal is a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into the jury box† (From To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee, 1960, p. 20). The thinking by many social psychologists is â€Å"Racism still exists in our society today but is no longer endorsed by explicit racist beliefs or overt acts of prejudice† (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2003). Instead it’s a â€Å"Subtle, implicit, or aversive form of racism† (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2003). Whites in our society are taught to embrace egalitarianism (equality) and make a conscious effort to behave non-prejudice, or have non-bias beliefs. However, that does not mean that they still don’t harbor prejudicial attitudes. In a trial setting aversive racism and race salience, or racially charged vs. racially neutral, go hand and hand. Studies have concluded, a trial that is racially charged reminds jurors of their egalitarianism, but in a trial not racially charged a jurors’ motivation to avoid being prejudice is not triggered; instead they demonstrate their racial bias (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2001). It is the run of the mill trials where juror biases are displayed. White jurors need to be â€Å"reminded† that they should not have a bias. By â€Å"reminding† them, by a racially motivated incident, jury voir dire, jury instructions before deliberation, and others, White jurors are less likely to demonstrate racial bias towards an African-American defendant. Jury composition or heterogeneity vs. homogeneity groups, is theorized to be a huge factor in overall group decision-making skills. This is especially important in the jury decision-making process and verdicts because minorities are underrepresented on a jury. Sommers’s study â€Å"Racial Diversity and Group Decision Making† (2006) concluded, a jury, which has heterogeneity, rather than homogeneity considers a wider range of perspectives and information (Sommers, 2006). It was the diversity of the group influence on the White juror more than the performance of the African-American juror in the group (Sommers, 2006). This is not to say that the African-American juror did not perform well. Since many juries are not racially diverse, Whites on a jury may forget their egalitarian values, may not consider a wider range of perspectives and information, and will spend less time on their decisions. In-group bias is when people show a strong preference for fellow in-group members and tend to malign out-group members (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2000). Thomas Pettigrew, current Research Professor of Social Psychology at the University of California, in his 1979 study demonstrated that negative behaviors of in-group members were attributed to situational forces but negative behaviors of out-group members were attributed to inherent dispositions, which is the opposite from positive behavior attribution (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2000). This is a particularly important theory because juries for criminal trials are taking in facts pertaining to the negative behavior of a defendant who is either from their in-group or out-group. Systematic information processing is conceptualized as â€Å"Comprehensive analytic orientation to inform processing in which perceivers access and scrutinize a great deal of information for its relevance to their judgment task† (Tamborini et al. , 2007) Heuristic processing is conceptualized as â€Å"A more limited mode of information processing that requires less cognitive effort and fewer cognitive resources than systematic processing† (Tamborini et al. , 2007) Simple stated, heuristic information processing are shortcuts using previous knowledge and stereotypes, which influences peoples’ judgments. During a trial, jurors take in enormous amounts of information and when deliberating they tend to fill in the missing information with past experiences or stereotypes about certain crimes and criminals. This is not their intention, however it is how people cognitively process information-we put information into or take it out of certain categories. There are three main research methods used to study race and its effects on juries (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2003). Archival analysis of actual cases is ideal but there are a lot of confounding variables, which are hard to measure and control statistically (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2003). Another method used is post-trial juror interviews. This method is useful because you are asking direct questions of the jurors, who were part of the real trials. However, it is time consuming, has a small sample size, and relies on self-reporting by jurors (which in unreliable) (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2003). The third method is mock juror experiments, which relies on the experimental method of social psychology and allows the experimenters to control the confounding variables (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2003). There are some downfalls to using mock juror experiments as well, such as using college students as participants, written trial summaries, instead of witnessing a real trial, and the decision made by mock jurors have no real consequences (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2003). According to Sommers and Ellsworth (2003) it is best to use multiple methods. For example compare archival data to mock jury data. As I stated earlier, aversive racism and race salience (racially charged vs. racially neutral) in trials go hand and hand. Sommers and Ellsworth (both social psychologists) first studied race salience in their study, â€Å"Race in he Courtroom: Perceptions of Guilt and Dispositional Attributions† (2000). Since the theory of aversive racism (modern or subtle) states, Whites are more motivated to â€Å"appear† non-prejudice when racial issues are salient or prominent. They found that when a trial involves race salience the race of the defendant did not influence the White jurors (Sommers & Ellsworth, 2000). However, when a trail did not have race salience, the African-American defendants were found to be more guilty, aggressive, and violent by the White juror then the White defendant. This could have a profound effect, since Whites are not caught up in the day to day of racial issues, they may not take notice to the most subliminal racial issues in a trial. It may cause them to revert back to the more overt form of racism without even consciously knowing they are being racist or displaying their biases. A more recent study, â€Å"Diversity and Fairness in the Jury System†, conducted for the Ministry of Justice Research Series, by Thomas and Blamer (2007) concluded when a trial is racially charged (race salience), conviction rates for African-American defendants were lower. However, the conviction rate between White jurors and African-American jurors for African-American defendants were no different (Thomas & Balmer, 2007) (44% and 43%). In trials that were racially neutral, White jurors had low conviction rates for African-American defendants, while African-American jurors had high conviction rates for White defendants and low conviction rates for African-American defendants (Thomas & Balmer, 2007). This was a very interesting finding because in the Sommers and Ellsworth studies (2000, 2001) African-American jurors showed leniency both in race salience and non-race salience trials. Thomas and Balmer (2007) point out that in the Sommers and Ellsworth study that jurors did not decide cases as part of a jury with any deliberations (Thomas & Balmer, 2007). The results in the Thomas and Blamer study showed that individual jurors had difference conviction rates, but as a jury there was no difference between race salience and non-race salience trails (Thomas & Blamer, 2007). None of the juries (there were 8 in all) in the Thomas and Blamer (2007) study convinced the White defendant, The juries in England and Wales where this study took place have the same makeup as juries in the United States, majority White (Thomas & Balmer, 2007). That makes a nice segway into my next theory of jury composition because it appears that they dynamic of a racially mixed jury helped ensure individual biases were not allowed to dictate verdicts (Thomas & Balmer, 2007). Justice Thurgood Marshall said, â€Å"Diverse juries enjoy wider ranging discussions because White and Black jurors bring different experiences and perspectives to the jury room† (Sommers, 2006). Not only do African-American jurors bring different experiences but also, as we saw in the Thomas and Balmer (2007) study a racially mixed jury might help to ensure individual biases are not allowed to dictate verdicts. Again, referring to a study by Sommers (the leading researcher in this field) in which he specifically studies â€Å"The multiple effects of racial composition on jury deliberations† (Sommers, 2006). Having African-Americans (or minorities in general) on a jury can bring two different types of diversity-deep-level diversity and surface-level diversity (Sommers, 2007). Both can affect information exchange in different ways. Deep-level diversity brings the expertise, attitudes, and values of the individual members to the deliberation room (Sommers, 2007). Surface-level diversity brings members’ demographics and social category membership into the deliberation room (Sommers, 2007). Sommers’ (2006) found diverse groups spent more time deliberating, made fewer factual errors, and if there was an error it was more likely to be corrected, more open-mindness, and less resistance to discussions of controversial race topics (Sommers, 2006). The homogenous jury was the opposite (Sommers, 2006). Those results showed the affect deep-level diversity could bring to a jury. However, another aspect, which will bring me back to the theory of aversive racism and race salience, is the affect having diversity has on a White juror. By having a racially diverse jury, the White jurors have the issue of race and egalitarian values in the forefront of their minds. The White jurors are avoiding seeming bias. Sommers et al. , (2008) conducted a study to see if there are â€Å"Cognitive effects of racial diversity in a group. † The study found that Whites in a diverse group process information more thoroughly. They had no interaction with a diverse group member, it was simply being aware of a diverse group composition, which impacted the cognition of White members. It even improved reading comprehension of race-relevant passages, especially when Whites expected to have race-relevant conversation. This is important in a legal context as well. If a White juror’s cognitive ability, and information processing is improved they will use systematic processing which is â€Å"A comprehensive, analytic orientation to information processing in which perceivers access and scrutinize a great deal of information for its relevance to their judgment task†, instead of heuristics processing or shortcuts in their decision making (Tamborini et al. 2007). The Supreme Court attempted to make juries more racially diverse â€Å"Batson prohibition against race-based peremptories was based on two assumptions: (1) a prospective juror’s race can bias a jury selection judgments; (2) requiring attorneys to justify suspicious peremptories enables judges to determine whether a challenge is, indeed, race-neutral† (Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U. S. 79 (1986). To summarize the findings, White jurors tend to show their bias towards African-American defendants when the trial is not racially charged because they are not motivated to conceal their bias (aversive racism and egalitarian views). In homogenous juries Whites are more like to be bias, spend less time on their decisions, make more errors, consider fewer perspectives, are not motivated to conceal their bias. Also, when there is information overload jurors use heuristics (shortcuts) to process information, rather than a systematic review of the information. Tis effect, of using shortcuts, produces bias judgment for both African-American jurors and White jurors. All the aforementioned could be cause for the bias decision making of jurors and juries. However, there are positives that can be found throughout these studies. For instance, racially diverse juries, and race salience trials can help alleviate the biases by jurors and juries. It also proves that not all White juries are affected by the race of a defendant (in certain situations). Race and its effect on jury decisions is a topic that will be studied for years to come because of the complex nature of a jury and modern racism. Although studies have shown bias decision-making by White jurors there is still not enough statistics to make a causal connection. Research has also shown ways in which a jury’s bias can be minimized. The jury is one of the backbones of the court system, because of this, it is imperative that we continue to study juror bias and how to minimize their bias through different trial techniques and policies and procedures.

Fear of My First Speech in Class

Fear of My First Speech in Class When I thought of my first speech class, I was a bit frantic. After reading about professional public speakers stories on fear of public speaking and how they essentially overcame it, I told myself you can do it. The day of presenting my speech finally arrived and I volunteered to be the one to go first in class. I was more apprehensive about my accent than anything else. Would the audience understand me clearly? Would they be bored with what I have to say about my chosen topic? Would I captive them and would I make a good impression?Well, I gave the speech without a hitch. It was helpful to have my outline I created for the perusal of the class. My speech flowed particularly well thanks to the step-by-step key points of the outline. Meanwhile, I dared to glance from time to time at the audience to see if I could pick up cues. Sometime I found myself elevating my pitch, smiling just to capture my audience, and to gain confidence that my topic was an i mportant and resourceful topic. To conclude, after I was done with my speech the class in a jovial expression clapped and smiled.My heart was palpitating so hard I thought I would faint. I had more fear as I was closing my speech. This fear was primarily due to what the critique of my audience would be. The response from the â€Å"the love notes† includes positive sayings and great feedback from each classmate, including the professor. As for my second speech in class, I could say I did not do as well as the first one. You would think that I would get it now and do better. Yet, I didn’t think I delivered as well as I did with the first one.Although the audience was listening to me, it seemed to be redundant and very similar to the first speech, but with fewer interesting details. After listen to some of the students’ speech I realized many of the pointers that I left out on my own speech. By listen and examine others mistakes it can be beneficial for one own mis take. I have learned a great deal from Communication 111. I would apply all the concepts to my future endeavors. References Lucas, Stephen E. (2009). The art of public speaking (10th ed. ). New York: McGraw Hill. http:www. social anxiety. com

Conduct Disorder And Causative Factors Case Study Social Work Essay Essay Example

Conduct Disorder And Causative Factors Case Study Social Work Essay Essay Example Conduct Disorder And Causative Factors Case Study Social Work Essay Essay Conduct Disorder And Causative Factors Case Study Social Work Essay Essay This essay will look at the instance survey of Eric which is adapted from Cunningham, P and Page, T. F. ( 2001 ) in relation to carry on upset, causative factors and appropriate intercessions to turn to Eric s behavior upset. The DSM-IV provinces that Conduct upset is repeated and relentless form of behavior which the basic rights of others or cardinal age-appropriate societal norms and/or regulations are being violated ( American Psychiatric Association, 2000 ) . The displayed behavior autumn into four chief groups ; aggressive behavior that causes or threatens physical injury to others or animate beings, non-aggressive behavior that causes belongings loss or harm, craftiness or larceny and serious misdemeanors of regulations ( American Psychiatric Association, 2000 ) . Three or more characteristic behaviors must be present during the past 12 months, with at least one of the characteristic behaviors being present in the last six months ( American Psychiatric Association, 2000 ) . Th e behavior is normally present in a assortment of scenes such as place, school, or the community ; the perturbation in behaviour causes important harm in societal, academic or occupational operation ( American Psychiatric Association, 2000 ) . Eric is a 13 twelvemonth old, white male who is presently populating in a residential installation ; he is of normal intelligence and has no underlying wellness jobs other than fleshiness, he spent the first four old ages of his life populating with younger sister in the attention of their male parent after his female parent abandoned the household when he was aged 2 ( Cunningham, 2001 ) . Eric s place life consisted of changeless disregard and maltreatment against himself and his sister every bit good as his female parent before she left, after traveling into province detention Eric and his sister were sent to three impermanent arrangements before come ining a long term Foster place ( Cunningham, 2001 ) . Eric has shown behaviors which would back up the appraisal of behavior upset ; the behavior which he has exhibited or that have been reported are ; His Foster female parent stated that in the early yearss of remaining with her he would openly talk about his maltreatment and loss, although the statements were frequently confusing and inconsistent following this, old ages after his initial arrangement in her attention Eric said that he witnessed his male parent killing his female parent and that his male parent was sent to prison where he died ( Cunningham, 2001 ) . The Foster female parent reported that after several months Eric s behavior changed and he became progressively agitated, with frequent explosions of aggression, she said his behavior was inconsistent and noted that he appeared peculiarly angry towards her ; and as the old ages went by Eric began damaging and stealing her properties ( Cunningham, 2001 ) . This exhibited behavior shows marks of aggression to people, and devastation of belongings. Eric s behavior became so riotous and violent ; which included fire-setting, physically aggression and self-destructive ideation that his Foster female parent feared for his and her ain safety so he was so removed from her attention ( Cunningham, 2001 ) . Eric was placed in several impermanent Foster places and group places which due his aggressive and non-compliant behavior with his equals and health professionals he has spent the last seven months in a extremely restricted residential installation which he will stay in until his behavior allows for him to travel into a less restricted arrangement ( Cunningham, 2001 ) . These behaviors identified by people in Eric s life have described lineations behaviors of three out of the four groups for naming behavior upset harmonizing to the DSM-IV ; Eric has displayed aggression towards people, devastation of belongings and craftiness and larceny based on what has been observed in the instance survey this would back up an appraisal of behavior upset. There are several events which occurred in Eric s early old ages which have influenced him and would hold contributed to his behavior. For the four old ages old to Eric being put into province detention ; Eric was abandoned by his female parent, suffered from changeless disregard and maltreatment from his male parent every bit good as witnessing sexual maltreatment from his male parent towards his sister ( Cunningham, 2001 ) . He was so passed around through three impermanent arrangements before being topographic point in a long term Foster place ( Cunningham, 2001 ) . Eric was so removed from his long term Foster place after 5 old ages which resulted in him being moved around a batch of the following four old ages through different impermanent Foster place and group places. Henggeler et Al. ( 2009 ) states that there are cardinal cause and correlativities to which antisocial behavior in striplings develop, which occur on five degrees ; The immature individual The household Their equals Their school, and The vicinity. Eric s behavior harmonizing to these degrees had developed on a household degree ; as a immature kid Eric had hapless supervising, inconsistent or slack subject and hapless relationships between himself, his parents and his sister. Besides one time in province detention Eric would of besides had inconsistent subject as a consequence of being around so much, and would non hold developed relationships with health professionals ( Henggeler, 2009 ) . Harmonizing to Dunnachie ( 2007 ) two interventions which would be considered to be effectual in turn toing Eric s behaviors are Multi-Systemic Therapy and Functional Family Therapy. Multi-Systemic Therapy is believed to be the most effectual intercession for immature people with behavior upset ; this attack recognises the multi-determined nature of serious antisocial behavior ( Dannachie, 2007 ) . The intervention consists of multiple intercessions ; the different interventions include utilizing techniques such as: Systemic and structural household therapy ( such as connection, reframing, passage, paradox, the assignment of specific undertakings ) Parent preparation, matrimonial therapy supportive therapy related to interpersonal jobs Social accomplishments constituents Social position preparation Behavioral methods ( such as, eventuality catching ) and Cognitive therapy techniques ( such as, self-instructional preparation ) Equally good as a instance by instance direction with the healer who takes a function as an advocator between the outside bureaus ( Dannachie, 2007 ) . Multi-Systemic Therapy is consistent with Bronnfenbrenner s ( 1979 ) theory of societal ecology, one of the primary premise of Multi-Systemic Therapy is that the striplings antisocial behavior is motivated by the interaction of the hazard factors which are linked with the multiple systems in which the young person is embedded, hence in order for Multi-Systemic Therapy to be effectual, the intercessions have the capacity to turn to a comprehensive aggregation of hazard factors on an single footing along with edifice protective factors ( Henggeler, 2009 ) . Functional Family Therapy aims to accomplish a alteration in forms of interaction and communicating in order to motivate adaptative household operation ; this is based on societal larning constructs with a focal point on specific stimulations and responses which have to ability to bring forth alteration ( Dannachie, 2007 ) . To get down with the blaming ascriptions established in the households are identified ; the behavioural, cognitive and emotional outlooks, inappropriate ascription and systemic procedures that are in demand of alteration are outlined and addressed utilizing chiefly cognitive methods ( Dannachie, 2007 ) . By utilizing Multi-Systemic Therapy or Functional Family Therapy the causative factors in Eric s household would be addressed ; in Multi-Systemic Therapy through looking at and reflecting on his upbringing and looking at the different therapies in which would let him to research and happen ways of covering with the feelings he has towards his household and work on ways to travel past the behavior he s exhibiting. Functional Family Therapy would assist turn to the causative factors within Eric s household by utilizing societal acquisition constructs the thought that both the effects of behavior and an person s beliefs about those effects determines personality and working with Eric towards accomplishing self-efficacy ( Carlson, 1997 ) . Eric needs person in his life who is consistent and honest with him in order for him to construct positive relationships with person in his life, Trotter states that for effectual work with an nonvoluntary client at that place needs to be ; clear honest and frequent treatments about the functions of the worker and the client this would be influential for Eric as it would assist him open up the lines of communicating with the worker and assist him to experience comfy within the state of affairs ( Trotter, 2006 ) . Trotter ( 2006 ) besides suggests worker focal point on modeling and encouraging pro-social looks and actions by the client. This has the potency for Eric to see and see how life could be for him ; as he has non had a changeless beginning of pro-social modeling in his life. And to join forces problem-solving, concentrating on the client s definitions of jobs and ends, this would be effectual with Eric as it would be a utile tool in leting him to reflect on his behavior and e xpression at ways in which he wants to alter instead than Eric merely being instructed on altering behavior ( Trotter, 2006 ) . Trotter ( 2006 ) so talks about attacks that sometimes work ; the worker client relationship would be as facet of strength-based instance direction which would be utile to utilize while working with Eric. The worker-client relationship consists of seven elements including ; Concern for clients Committedness to and credence of duties towards clients Credence of the client as a individual non as their actions Expectation or belief that people can alter Empathy or apprehension of the clients feelings and point of position Genuineness and congruity, and Appropriate usage of authorization and power ( Trotter, 2006 ) This component of strength-based instance direction would be really utile working with Eric as he does non look to hold anyone in his life who he has a bond with ; and this would let him to experience accepted despite his mistakes and could assist promote him to get down to look at altering his behavior. Eric s behavior over clip has rebelliously developed into more antisocial and riotous behaviors. Eric appears to be missing holding a supportive role-model in his life he has spent a batch of his clip being moved around surrogate and group places where the longest clip he has spent in one topographic point is five old ages. Clearly being in a extremely restricted residential installation is non turn outing to be a successful intercession for Eric and he would possible turn his behavior around with some strength-based instance direction in concurrence with some Multi-Systemic Therapy or Functional Family Therapy.

Operations Management at Parisons Group Essay Example

Operations Management at Parisons Group Essay Example Operations Management at Parisons Group Paper Operations Management at Parisons Group Paper During the term project for Operations Management (OM-I), we had a great opportunity to learn and apply the various concepts and principles that we have learnt in the course. For a successful and enriching learning experience, we’d like to acknowledge, with utmost sincerity, the efforts of all those who have made the successful completion of our project possible. We are thankful to Prof. Sanjay Jarkharia (Instructor for OM-I course), for his constant guidance and support throughout the period of project. Also, our honest regards for all the staff at Agrotech Pvt Ltd. who made this project experience all the more enriching and enjoying, our fellow classmates who were always at help regarding anything concerned with the project and the wonderful people of Kerala who were always helping and considerate during our field trips. LIST OF DIAGRAMS Title of Diagram| Organizational Structure of Agrotech Private Limited (Refining unit)| Block Diagram of Plant| Process Flow Diagram|TABLE OF CONTENTS S. NO| Contents| Page No| 1. | Introduction| | | 1. 1 Oil Manufacturing in India| | | 1. 2 Domestic production and consumption| | 1. 3 Classification of consumers geographically| | | | | 2. | The Agrotech Private Limited| | | 2. 1 Mission| | | 2. 2 Vision| | | 2. 3 Human Resource Management| | | 2. 4 Organizational Structure| | | 2. 5 Suppliers of raw material| | | 2. 6 Customers and market in India| | | | | 3. | Manufacturing of Vanaspati Ghee| | | 3. 1 Block Diagram| | | 3. 2 Process Flow Diagram| | | 3. 3 Description of Process| | | 3. 4 Add-on processes | | | | | 4. | Analysis and Discussion| | | | | 5. | Job Design| | 1. Introduction 1.Oil manufacturing in India India is one of the world’s largest edible oil economies with 15,000 oil mills, 689 solvent extraction units, 251 Vanaspati plants and over 1,000 refineries employing more than one million people. The total market size is at Rs. 600,000 mn. And import export trade is worth Rs. 130, 000 mn. India havin g less production as compared to its high domestic demand in edible oils has to import 57% of its consumption requirements. India is also a leading producer of oilseeds, contributing 8-10% of world oilseed production nd around 6% of the world’s production of edible oils. India is the fifth largest producer of oilseeds in the world, behind US, China, Brazil, and Argentina. Groundnut, Soybean and Mustard/rapeseed, these three oilseeds, together account for 80 % of aggregate cultivated oilseeds output.Mustard seed alone contributes Rs. 120, 000 mn turnover out of Rs. 600, 000 mn of oilseed sector domestic turnover. Cottonseed, Copra and other oil-bearing material also contribute to the domestic vegetable oil pool. Currently, India accounts for 7. 0% of world oilseeds output; 7. % of world oil meal production; 6. 0% of world oil meal export; 6. 0% of world veg. oil production; 14% of world veg. oil import; and 10 % of the world edible oil consumption. With steady growth in popula tion and personal income, Indian per capita consumption of edible oil has been growing steadily. However, oilseeds output and in turn, vegetable oil production have been lagging behind consumption growth, making it necessary to import to meet supply shortfall.Major Oilseeds| 2-Jan| 3-Feb| 4-Mar| 5-Apr| 6-May| 06-07*| Groundnut| 7| 4. | 8. 1| 6. 8| 8| 4. 4| Rape/Mustard| 5. 1| 3. 9| 6. 3| 7. 6| 8. 1| 7. 6| Soybean| 6| 4. 7| 7. 8| 6. 9| 8. 3| 8. 7| Other Six| 2. 6| 2. 1| 3| 3. 1| 3. 6| 2. 9| Sub-Total| 20. 7| 14. 8| 25. 2| 24. 4| 28| 23. 6| Oilseeds production (Quantity in mn tonnes) Edible oil or fat products can be classified into four categories, vegetable refined oil, hydrogenated oil (vanaspati), bakery fats/margarine, and de-oiled cakes. The industry mainly includes Ghanis, small scale expellers, solvent extractors, oil refiners and vanaspati manufacturers. 0% of oil produced is sold in the open market and remaining 30% is refined and sold as branded oil. After the extraction of oil, residual seeds are processed further by solvent extractors, to make solvent-extracted oil, most of which is used to make ‘vanaspati. The Indian edible oil industry is highly fragmented with a large number of small scale producers which includes ghanis that are mainly found in rural areas. Small scale expellers, much like the ghanis, use metal screws to press or expel oil from seeds.However, they are larger than the ghanis, oil expelling capacity being in the range of 5-10 tonnes per day, compared to around 50-60 kilos a day for ghanis. Solvent extractors belong to the organized segment and are also 2nd largest after SSI segment, in the domestic edible oil industry. They use modern technology to process low oil ;amp; high meal seeds like Soya bean, cottonseed into edible oil and de-oiled cake. Oil refining is also a part of the organized sector and has shown rapid growth in recent years. Refiners generally refine both expeller oils and solvent extracted oils.Vanaspati is made by hydrogenation of refined oil to vegetable shortening or spread and is similar to the milk product ghee and absorbs around 10% of the total edible oil supply in India. As a result of increased consumer preference for non-traditional oils such as soya bean and sunflower oil, the organized sector has emerged as one of the fastest growing sectors. Branded products make small portion of the total edible oils market yet they have been one of the main drivers of rapid growth. 1. 2 Domestic production and consumption of Edible oil in India Imports:Due to the strong demand from domestic consumers, Indian production has been unable to keep pace with consumption, and as a result, Indias edible oil import has reached record level in 2012. From November 2011 to September 2012, within these 11 months the import of edible oils has reached 8. 96 million metric tonnes, which is the highest ever. Imports are expected to go even further since there is likely to be a negligible growth in domest ic oil supply. For the marketing year ending in October, 2012, imports were expected be around 9 million metric tonnes.RBD Palmolein, Sunflower Oil and Soybean Oil were the major drivers of growth in imports. In 2011-12, India imported up to 57 per cent of edible oil demand, up from 49 per cent in 2008-09, higher than the average of 55 per cent during the last decade according to the data compile by Solvent Extractor Association of India. Regarding Parisons Agrotech Pvt. Ltd. , the company majorly imports crude palm oil from Malaysia, Indonesia. The data (2004) for the same is as follows: Import of Palm oil by the firm An example of import receipt Exports:Export of edible oils was permitted only in branded consumer packs of up to 5 Kgs, within a ceiling of 10,000 tonnes, for the period November 1, 2011 to October 31, 2012. However in August, 2012, government has put ban on export of edible oils even in branded consumer pack of up to five kilos due to the concern that productivity of some oilseeds may come down because of 20 per cent deficit rains so far. Export division of the Parisons group was set up with headquarters in Calicut; it is responsible for trade of edible oils after packaging.Cochin office was also established to speed operations of the group. The exports division caters to needs and demand of all overseas buyers. Due to its continuously growing production, Parisons group is one of the most competitive exporters in India. 1. 3 Classification of consumers on the basis of geography In India, chief consumers of edible oil are household and industrial buyers including food processors, restaurants and hotels. It is sold mostly as loose oil or vanaspati (partially hydrogenated vegetable oil). Only a small percentage of edible oils are sold in branded form at the retail level.In India, consumer oil preferences change with the region; it mainly depends upon local cultivations. Region| Oil Preference| North| Mustard/ rapeseed| East| Mustard/ rapeseed| Wes t| Groundnut| South| Groundnut, coconut| Consumer market of different types of edible oil in India In India, a wide variety of the oil-seed crops are grown in different agro-climatic zones. Groundnut, mustard/rapeseed, sesame, sunflower, linseed, Niger seed/castor are the major traditionally cultivated oilseeds. Soya bean oil consumption has also increased in recent years. Coconut oil is the most important in this category.Rice bran oil and cottonseed oil have become important among non-conventional oils. Demand for the edible oils Edible oil consumption in the country is continuously rising, was roughly 11. 2 kg/head/year which is lower world average consumption level of 17. 8 in 2008. Consumer classes (annual income in Rs)| 1996| 2001| 2007| The rich (Rs 215,000 or more)| 1. 2| 2. 0| 6. 2| The consuming class (Rs 45,000 Rs 215,000)| 32. 5| 54. 6| 90. 9| The climbers (Rs 22,000 Rs 45,000)| 54. 1 | 71. 6| 74. 1| The aspirants (Rs 16,000 Rs 22,000)| 44. 0 | 28. 1| 15. 3| The desti tute (less than Rs 16,000)| 33. | 23. 4| 12. 8| Total| 164. 8 | 179. 7| 199. 3| Structure of the Indian edible oil market India’s overall consumption is most likely to increase with growing population and economic development but it highly relies on the imports. The Agrotech Limited: It is one of the 16 units of Parisons group of companies, located in Calicut. The Parisons group is into manufacturing of wheat flour and edible oil. Corporate office of company is located in West Hills, Chungam, Kozhikode. The manufacturing unit of Vanaspati ghee is nearly 2 kms away from corporate office.Parisons Group, a legacy of trust was envisioned by late Mr  A. V. Kunhipari  in the 1950s. From its humble beginnings in a small hamlet to a leading corporate entity in south India, the group recorded a phenomenal growth over the years. Location of Agrotech Pvt. Limited 2. The Agrotech Private Limited 2. 1 Mission: The company having a strong foothold in the oil industry segment strives to maintain it and has its defined mission objectives * Parisons group complies to total quality management system in raw material sourcing as well as in product manufacturing. Parisons  group has attained a cutting edge in raw material sourcing   * Parisons group supply chain system is firmly matured through years of experience. * Parisons group also lays importance to green field marketing. * Parisons today manufactures and markets total 12 product lines and commands  market leadership in wheat products and edible oil segment. * Being one of the pioneers in agribusiness, Parisons group is competent to handle the market needs both in India  and  Middle East  countries professionally and successfully. 2. 2 Vision:The group has in store its vision which it constantly strives for * To be market leader in Agro-Business both in India and Middle East countries, through holistic marketing * To develop market opportunities by scaling through innovation * To employ innovative and world class production technology in all its ventures * Exploit its capabilities and resources efficiently to venture out into diverse new areas * To encourage R;amp;D in food processing for product and process development * To enchant policy support, promotional initiative and physical infrastructure to promote value added exports * To chart out new job opportunities especially in rural areas 2. 3 Human resource management Mr. Habeebu is the Human Resource manager at Agrotech Private Limited. HR manager has been appointed nearly a year ago, since people did not feel the need for HR manager before that time.The organization exhibits a clan control, workers are made responsible for their work. Mutual trust exists among employees of the firm, as well as between managers and the workers. The system looks more of a self managed system. Appraisals are given on the basis of seniority rather than performance. On one hand the system keeps clan control managed, but the flip side is that it l eads to lower performance. Organization is moving towards scientific management, hence they want to hold someone responsible for managing issues related to human resources. 2. 4 Organization Structure The organization structure of the organizations is drawn in the figure given below RU General ManagerProduction Manager HR manager Workman1 Workman2 Workman3 Oil chemist Lab Assistant Prod. Supervisor3 Production supervisor2 Production supervisor1 Record Keeper2 Record keeper1 Production Manager Every oil refinery unit is managed by one production manager in that unit. The production manager acts as liaison between production, marketing, purchases and HR manager. He is responsible for scheduling all production related activities including materials procurement for the unit, transportation of finished product out of the unit, managing shifts of various specialists, estimating performances, measuring workmen requirements, product quality tests and packing etc.Every production unit manage r acts as a HR Manager for its unit and is in touch with HR manager for all workers related activities. Parisons Group holds a fleet of trucks for materials movement but it requires hiring transportation services from outside then such requirements are estimated and managed by the production manager. The activities being managed in production unit are Neutralization, Bleaching, Hydrogenation, Hydrogen Gas Generation, Post Treatment, Deodorization, and Blending ;amp; Packing. This department ensures all the machinery works, technology for product quality and necessary maintenance of working tools is done appropriately. SpecialistThe specialist in the department makes sure the process is continuous for 24*7. The specialists who are typically 3-4 in a particular production unit work in rotating shifts. Under the guidance of specialists there are 3-4 workmen working. Workmen They are responsible for material flow into machines, steaming and power generation within the plant machinery, a nd storing the finished product. The main challenge for any production unit manager is to maintain steady flow of materials into the unit while minimizing incoming and outgoing inventory both. 2. 5 Suppliers The suppliers of sunflower seed oil are from Ukraine and the suppliers of palm oil are from Indonesia, Malaysia etc.The imported materials are received either at Cochin Port or at Mangalore Port and then the materials are transported to required production units across Kerala. In order to take advantage of economies purchases mostly are bulk. 2. 6 Customers ;amp; Market in India: Edible Oils: Parisons group entered the retail market through Parisons liberty gold  palmolein brand. It is a premium brand in the market. Palmolein is the common people’s cooking medium, and is mainly used for cooking purposes at homes, bakeries and hotels. Parisons also manufacture palm oil in the brand name,  Kerala palm oil  which is also used for cooking purposes. Vanaspathi and specia lty fats: Parisons is the only manufacturer of vanaspathi in Kerala.It has set up a state of the art hydrogen plant with Belgian technology for the first time in India. Vanaspathi is mainly used in homes, hotels and other catering industries for cooking purpose. Parisons Agrotech manufactures two brands of vanaspathi. Parisons liberty is already one of the leading brands in north Kerala. It has now opened a new depot at Ernakulum to enter the southern markets more effectively, where it has limited presence. The group has got sales points at Kakkanchery, Kuttippuram ;amp; Angamali , recently Trivandrum will also become a sales point. Parisons chakra, dream ;amp; premier no. 1 bakery shortenings are used for preparation of ordinary bakery items like breads, cakes, cookies, biscuits etc.Golden puff is especially used in making quality puffs. Margarine, for pastries ;amp; cakes will soon be introduced in the market. Parisons group is the first and only manufacturer of specialty fats or bakery shortening in Kerala. They are used in the catering, confectionery ;amp; bakery industry. Within a short period of introduction with quality and Parisons groups goodwill support, it has captured a major share of north Kerala market. Now it hopes to capture a good part of south Kerala market as well and become a market leader in this segment. There are 4 brands of specialty fats manufactured by Parisons. 3. Manufacturing of Vanaspati Ghee 3. 1 Block Diagram Removal of fatty acids BleacherRemoval of impurities Neutralizer Storage Tank Boiler Furnance Distillation Hydrogenation Condensation Tank Removing odor Autoclave For cooling Deoderizer Ghee well (Storage of finished product) Figure 3. 1:Block Diagram showing various states of Vanaspati Ghee Furnace Firewood 3. 2 Process Flow Diagram Neutralization By-products Fatty Acids Phosphoric acid + caustic soda Raw palm oil Bleaching earth Bleaching Heating at high temperature From Boiler Distillation Nickel Catalyst Hydrogenation P ost treatment Deodorization Add Vitamin A,D Packaging Blending Process Diagram of Vanaspati Manufacturing 3. 3 Description of process: 3. 3. 1 Neutralization:The edible oils permitted for manufacturing Vanaspati contain certain percentage of free fatty acids (FFA), gums and other impurities with FFA, varying between 0. 5% to 5%. To remove the FFA and other impurities, the oil is first treated with Phosphoric Acid to remove Phosphatides and then with caustic soda solution to neutralise the free fatty acids into a soap stock. The soap stock so formed is removed by allowing it to settle in a batch process. To remove all the soapy matters hot water wash is further given to the oil under constant agitation in the vessel. The washed Water being heavier settles down and is removed from the bottom in batch process and by centrifuge in continuous process. An image showing various tanks in a refining unit 3. 3. 2 BleachingOil so obtained after neutralising and washing is taken in a bleaching vessel where the oil is first dried by heating under vacuum at temperature of 100 degree centigrade and then bleached by adding earth and activated carbon to remove its colour. At the end of bleaching process the oil is filtered in filter press to remove the spent bleaching earth and carbon. The cleaned oil so received after bleaching is taken into autoclave for hydrogenation. An image showing Bleaching tank 3. 3. 3 Distillation Oil is heated with the help of steam at a high temperature (200-250 C). Vapors so formed are condensed in a condensation tank (shown in figure). 3. 3. 4 Hydrogenation The oil is first heated with the help of steam in coils and then spent nickel catalyst is fed into the process.Since, most of the oils used for Vanaspati manufacture are unsaturated, they consume hydrogen gas which is passed through the oil at that temperature in the presence of nickel catalyst and thus the melting point of the oil rises. Fresh quantity of nickel catalyst is added into the proc ess, the quantity depends upon the type of oil. When desired melting point of oil is obtained, the supply of hydrogen gas to the process is stopped. Then the hydrogenated nickel catalyst mixed oil is first cooled from 200oC and then it is filtered through a filter press. Some time for easy filtration filter aid is also added. An Image showing Autoclave 3. 3. 5 Post Treatment There are two processes carried out in post-treatment : Nickel Removal As nickel is an important caustic agent which is used during Hydrogenation process, it becomes necessary to remove this agent.Even a miniscule portion left will be hazardous so there is the need to clean it out. The process mainly removes nickel catalyst. For this the solution is left with either much diluted caustic soda solution or with hot water as found suitable at that time. The extremely hot water will help out in nickel vaporize and this is collected in another suitable container. The neutralizing, washing and bleaching process will be repeated in the same manner as were carried out for soft oil. FFA Removal After hydrogenation, there appears a slight increase in the FFA (free fatty acid) content of the oil, which is removed again by the neutralization and bleaching process.However, the caustic employed is less and more diluted and the bleaching earth usage is lower. After this, the oil is filtered again for removing the bleaching earth. 3. 3. 6 Deodorisation Another oil refining step in the manufacturing process is Deodorization carried by the process unit Deodorizer. It is the high temperature process in which any kind of undesirable trace contents which give undesirable flavours and odours are removed from oil. The process essentially involves the removal of these volatile components by steam at about 240-260 °C under a vacuum of 2-5 mbars. Thus the removal and recovery of residual free fatty acids and other volatile impurities via vacuum steam distillation is the main part.The heat treatment also produces a bleaching effect. The process is defined in steps as follows Deodorization process conducted in a closed vertical steel tube provided the heated oil from the previous step into the Deodorization vessel. Oil is then heated at a temperature of 210 °C at atmospheric pressure and then at low pressure (below 1 kPa). The steam is flown into the system for 1-2 hours to transport a compound that can evaporate. The pressure must be consistent and high. Any drop during the deodorization process will reduce the amount of steam that will be used. The adverse impact of is that it prevents hydrolysis of oil by water vapor.In general situations, The Deodorization tank (D-240) works at a temperature of 210  ° C and pressure of 0. 03 atm to meet the desirable standards of ghee manufacturing process. Following diagram shows a closer look at the Deodorization process. Depending upon the sophistication of the technology being used, some of the steps may be removed or some steps may be redundant. B ut an ideal deodorization looks as below diagram. 3. 3. 7 Blending ;amp; Packing Blending Keeping in view the nutritional quality required to bring in the vanaspati ghee according to ISO standards, in the fully processed oil that is obtained after deodorization, the specified quantity of vitamin A ;amp; D are added into a churn having cooling and agitating arrangement. PackingAfter the blending with required nutrients is complete, the oil so produced is complete with all qualities of a typical Vanaspati ghee and according to Parisons product availability requirements, the Vanaspati so processed is filled into containers to make package of 15 liters, 5 liters, 1 liters,1/2 liters. Two forms are possible either into tins, big plastic jars or in poly packs. The containers are then taken to a cold room in which the temperature is maintained for having good environment settings for the product. After putting the product in cold rooms for about 24 hours, it is removed to the storage godow n where the Parisons brand labels are pasted with batch number, date of manufacturing, best before etc. as per standard rules. After this the product is ready for dispatch. Vanaspati is produced either with a granulated texture resembling ghee or as a smooth grain less product. 3. 4 Add-on processes: 3. 4. 1 By-productsFatty acids removed during the process of neutralization are sold to the local soap manufacturers. 3. 4. 2 Use of near to expiry date product Parisons Manufacturing process takes back the products which have crossed the expiry date or are near to expiry. This keeps the buyers of products ensured that any left out stock at their end won’t cause losses. Once these products are brought back into factory they are again fed to the manufacturing process as an intermediate material. The vanaspati ghee in these packets or tins is collected into a big well. This well becomes a source of material to hydrogenation process. And thus finally after all the process it becomes part of the finished product. 4. Analysis and DiscussionBased on the data collected from employees of the organization, Throughput rates of equipment at different manufacturing stages are calculated as follows Throughput Rate=Average Production /hour Manufacturing Stage| Throughput Rate| Neutralizer| 1. 5 tons/hour| Bleacher| 1. 5 tons/hour| Condensation tank| 2. 5 tons/hour| Autoclave| 1. 25 tons/hour| Deodorizer| 2. 0833 tons/hour| Packaging| 1 ton/hour| Table No 4. 1: Throughput rates of various manufacturing stages of Vanaspati production The Flow Time (MLT) for the processes are also calculated and the data is put below. Manufacturing Stage| Flow Time/ton in minutes| Neutralizer| 40| Bleacher| 40| Condensation tank| 24| Autoclave| 48| Deodorizer| 28. 81| Packaging| 60| |   | Total Flow Time in hours| 4. 013 hours|Table No 4. 2: Flow Time calculation of various manufacturing blocks and the complete process Thus the Cycle time is observed to be 48 Minutes which is the time tak en by Autoclave to finish the process. Thus Autoclave is the bottleneck in the manufacturing process. Also, we observed that after Deodorizer, vanaspati is collected in a temporary storage tank of capacity 3 tons. The Packaging unit collects vanaspati for packing from this tank. Also currently the Packaging unit completely relies on manual labor for Packing and storing the end product (Vanaspati). The process is relatively simple and we estimated a 70% learning curve for the process.The data supporting our learning curve analysis is given below. | Time for Packing for a New Employee (In minutes)| Iteration No| Collecting Vanaspati(i. e. using collecting tools)| Cutting and Collecting Packaging accessories| Packing + Folding + Cleaning| Total| Learning rate| 1| 10| 10| 20| 40| | 2| 9| 10| 19| 38| 95| 3| 6| 8| 14| 28| | 4| 4| 7| 12| 23| 60. 52631579| 5| 4| 6| 12| 22| | 6| 4| 5| 10| 19| | 7| 3| 5| 9| 17| | 8| 2| 3| 7| 12| | 9| 2| 3| 7| 12| 52. 17391304| 10| 2| 3| 7| 12| | | | | | appro ximately 70% learning curve| 69. 23340961| Table No4. 3: Learning curve estimation of Packaging unit We calculated the total efficiency i. e. the material Utilization rate to be 98% with 2% of input material being wasted at various stages of manufacturing processes. The typical wastages are given below. Manufacturing Stage| Wastage Percentage as a percentage of total input| Storage tank| 0. 3| Neutralizer| 0. 1| Bleacher| 1. 02| Condensation tank| 0. 01| Autoclave| 0. 2| Deodorizer| 0. 2| Packaging| 0. 16| Total wastage| 1. 99| Table No 4. 4: Learning curve estimation of Packaging unit 5. Job Design Employee Job Performance ;amp; Motivation There are no strict ways of monitoring performance, there is no firing of employees, workers are given salary hike yearly, and promotions are based on seniority in the organization.Hence there is no external force to push them to work. It is their willingness. Moreover, workers share responsibility of work among themselves. There is no explicit t ime for lunch, dinner, or breaks. They take on breaks according to their capacity and willingness. Thus it is more of a self-controlled system. Why we are considering workers as important is because it is a manufacturing unit and the ultimate outcome depends on workers’ efficiency to large extent. Giving them responsibility is working very well in the organization. As the HR manager, Mr. Habeebu Rahman says-â€Å"You treat workers like animals and they will behave as animals, you treat them as humans, and they will behave as humans†.As reported by him, there have been no incidences of workers cheating the organization. They are given responsibility right from collecting the raw materials consignment to delivering the finished goods to the shops. They count/weigh the items, record it in proper registers, and deliver them at their correct destinies. There have been no incidences of theft of material, or money; although the Parisons group is in manufacturing for past 20 y ears. Workers consider completion of tasks as their responsibility. They compete among themselves for who does the task in a better way. New workers are taught by the older ones about the techniques to be adopted.Thus if we look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs framework, it turns out that Parisons group is satisfying workers’ social needs. Modifying Jobs to Provide Broader Range of Needs Satisfaction Cross Training Workers are trained to perform multiple jobs- a direct result of which is that there is low dependency on individual workers. Even if a worker falls ill or couldn’t come to work, others can substitute him. Job Enlargement To make the job more interesting, there is a horizontal job expansion i. e. employees are given a variety of tasks to perform. Job Enrichment There is no job enrichment in Parisons group. Workers are not given any kind of managerial powers and authority. Team Production Workers are generally organized into teams.For instance there are teams for packaging, maintenance etc. Sociotechnical Systems Task Variety Employees are given a variety of tasks to perform which makes their work somewhat interesting and allows the employee to rest from a high level of attention or effort while working on another task. Skill Variety Employees are also trained on multiple skills which enhances their satisfaction. Feedback Each worker is supervised by a supervisor who quickly points out any error which the employee has committed. This greatly accelerates learning process for new employees. Task identity Employees have responsibility for a set of tasks that is clearly defined, visible and meaningful.In this way, work is seen as important by the employees undertaking it and others understand and respect its significance. Task autonomy There is little or no autonomy i. e. employees can’t exercise much control over their work. Not much decision making power is available to them. Plant Layout Design Product (Line) Layout * Specia l purpose expensive equipment are used * Changeover is expensive and lengthy * Material flow approaches continuous * Material handling equipment is fixed * Operators need not be skilled 6. Operations Strategy Strategy for Competitive Advantage Cost Leadership The Parisons group follows mostly a low-cost leadership strategy.They produce majority of the products in bulk so that the costs are reduced. The selling price of their products is much lower than the competitors. They offer a variety of products at low cost to the consumers. Order Qualifiers ;amp; Winners Qualifiers Parrisons group leveraged the reputation of its ‘Liberty’ brand to gain entry into edible oil market. When they decided to launch their edible oil, ‘Liberty wheat flour’ was already a market leader in Kerala, well known for its high quality. Hence they used the same brand name ‘Liberty’ for this oil. Winners Low selling price is the order winning characteristic which won order s for them in the marketplace.But it doesn’t mean that they compromised on quality. They achieved low cost by using efficient production techniques and by producing items in bulk. Variety of Products Process Design Product focused Continuous Volume Moderate Moderate High High Low Low Parrison group produces high volumes of same product i. e. edible oil. Hence, they use Product focussed continuous process design. Positioning Strategy in Manufacturing Type of Product| Type of production process| Finished Goods Inventory Policy| Standard| Product focussed| Produce-to-stock| Product life Cycle Growth rate Current Phase 1992 Time Parisons group established their first manufacturing unit in 1992.Now the group has a total processing capacity of 380MT for edible oil refining per day and they are growing continuously. In fact, an Edible Oil refinery with a capacity of 1 lakh metric tonnes/annum is to be commissioned by end of 2012 at Cochin. Capacity Strategy Parrisons group believes in adding capacity before it is needed. They maintain excess capacity to satisfy surges in demand. For instance, they built a number storage tanks in mangalore for their own usage but now they are using the excess capacity for leasing purposes. 7. Recommendations 1) After neutralization process, the soap stock so formed is removed by allowing it to settle down (batch process). This takes lot of time, while the plant remains operational and hence results in wastage.To fasten the process, centrifugal process can be adapted which will remove the impurities in one go, and with greater efficiency. 2) Autoclave is the bottleneck, so a parallel autoclave can be put in the process. This will increase the capacity of plant from 30 tons to 36 tons. If demand is not there, the plant can be shut down for some time, and hence can result in saving of energy. 3) Manual labourer is there to put firewood into furnace, one by one. This requires 5 workers per day, as the task is quite laborious. Inste ad of this, movement can be done with the help of conveyor belts. This will reduce the man power cost. Also, an automatic indicator can be installed, which can help to shut down the supply of wood whenever there are ample.