Unilever Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Unilever Company - Essay Example The current nonexecutive director of the dual companies is Michael Treschow while the chief executive of the company is Paul Polman. The company has a sizeable slice in London stock exchange and has a rank of the eighteenth position in the stock exchange as at the close of 2011 (Murphy 2009). Back ground information Unilever Company began its operations at the start of 1930. The pioneers include Samuel Bergh, Antonius Johannes Jurgen and William Lever. This was through the amalgamation of two businesses, where the British soap makers who were the Level brothers came together with the Dutch margarine producer who was Margarine Unie in 1927. The amalgamation of the two companies was strategic in terms of the commercial benefit it would provide. This is basing on the fact that, for the production of margarine and soaps, there would be a requirement of palm oil thus the importation of palm oil, which was a key raw material, would be fast and in large quantities. This would help reduce th e number of times the product would require transportation as well as reduce the custom taxes due to importation. The palm oil in use by the companies was from Belgian Congo, where they had procurement of seven fifty thousand hectares of the forest land from where there was the extraction of palm oil. This was by labourers whose working conditions were poor as well as the labourers getting low pay. At the beginning of 1930, the Unilever business empire went global opening branches in Latin America and Africa where the initial business had taken root. During the year, there was acquiring of restraints so as to increase the company’s operations, soon after acquiring the shares, there was the sale of shares by the management so as to make an expansion in the operations of the business. By then the company was making edible fats and soaps leading to much income by the business. The purchasing of the Chesebrough-pond’s company, there was strengthening of Unilever Company. T he expansion of the Company was due to purchasing of Calvin Klein Company that was in the making of Cosmetics as well as the Farbege and Elizabeth Arden companies. The expansion has led to making of a headquarters for all its operation worldwide which is in London. The name rises up fully in the 1990s, and getting a complete charter and becoming the Unilever Company (Wilson 2009). Issues in staffing and training and development The company has the right staffing solution. To get a preview on this, there is consideration of the various issues that the company has put into place including; compliance where the employees sign contracts that show there compliance in working towards a common goal for the well being of the business. Compliance is essential for the development of the organisation in that the employees know what the management requires thus works hard to comply with the standards of the company set by the management. Another issue is retention where the company retains the working conditions of the company, by ensuring that the employees work in an able environment thus they do not have to move to other fields. Retention of their initial name and logo has come ensures that the company

Prediction of OECD Regarding Budget Deficit in the USA Economy Research Paper

Prediction of OECD Regarding Budget Deficit in the USA Economy - Research Paper Example It is estimated that the standard principal deficit in the USA will be 2% of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015 and will increase to 7.7% of total GDP by 2035. The baseline debt of the USA was 65% of total GDP in 2010, which is estimated to become 213% by 2035 (Gagnon & Hinterschweiger, 2011). A budget deficit occurs when the government expands excess amount compared to what it gains through taxation. The opposite terminal of the budget deficit is budget surplus when the outgoings are less than the receiving amount (Investopedia ULC, 2011). Even a few years back, the US had a budget surplus but due to the impact of the crisis in present days, the US economy is running with a budget deficit of 10% on GDP. It is expected that the budget deficit will decrease to 7% of GDP and by 2017 the government will seek to reduce the budget deficit to 3% of GDP (Paletta & Boles, 2011). Deficit reduction plan is helpful for advanced economies to deal with the economic recession. Several nations have implemented the debt reduction strategy to maintain a justifiable fiscal budget and to reduce the debt. Deficit reduction strategy can result in a change of major economic and monetary players. It can help to achieve prospects of creditors which can ultimately reduce the financing budgets. It can be achieved by minimizing risk premium through ‘higher long-term interest’ (OECD, 2010). Deficit Reduction in Greek Government The Greek government had followed the deficit reduction plan in order to reduce their huge amount of deficits. In the year 2009, the deficit of Greece was 15.4% of GDP. The government of Greece had estimated a deficit of 9.4% in 2010. In order to reduce the deficit, Greece had adjusted its economic settings. The objective of deficit plan of Greece is to reduce government budget by decreasing expenses on public pays, annuities on the public as well as private segments, and raise the revenue by increasing the rate of Value Added Tax (VAT), an d taxes on gasoline, alcohol, and tobacco products. Greece’s deficit plan was to receive financial support from the EU nations and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Through this financial support, it is estimated that Greece can improve economic growth and reduce the debt crisis. But, the deficit plan can have certain negative impacts on the economy. Reducing the monetary expenses can lead to falling on the value of the currency and stock market. Increasing taxes can also harm the lifestyle of people and can impact on the demand of products which may increase the problem of crisis. However, those who support the deficit plan say that delay in consolidating debt can worsen the economic condition even further (McCully & Webb, 2010). Deficit Reduction by Irish Government The debt crisis of Ireland is not similar as Greece, as it did not occur due to excess expenditures; rather it had occurred due to the promising housing bubble in certain Irish banks.

A Study On Banking Ombudsman Scheme Commerce Essay

A Study On Banking Ombudsman Scheme Commerce Essay The Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 1995 was notified by RBI on June 14, 1995 in terms of the powers conferred on the Bank by Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 to provide for a system of redressal of grievances against banks. The Scheme sought to establish a system of expeditious and inexpensive resolution of customer complaints. The Scheme is in operation since 1995 and was revised during the year 2002. The Scheme is being executed by Banking Ombudsmen appointed by RBI at 15 centres covering the entire country. The word ‘Ombudsman in general means a ‘grievance man, a public official who is appointed to investigate complaints against the administration. He is to intervene for theordinarycitizen in his dealings with the complex machinery of the establishment. Objective The objective behind this scheme is to make available an expeditious and cost effective grievance redressal mechanism to bank customers. Vision and Goals of the Banking Ombudsman Offices Vision Statement To be a visible and credible system of dispute resolution mechanism for common persons utilizing the banking services. Goals To ensure redressal of grievances of users of banking services in an inexpensive, expeditious, fair and reasonable manner that will provide impetus to improved customer services in the banking sector on a continuous basis. To provide valuable feedback suggestions to Reserve Bank of India towards framing appropriate and timely guidelines to banks to improve the level of customer service and to strengthen their internal grievance redressal systems. To enhance the awareness of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme. To facilitate quick and fair (non-discriminatory) redressal of grievances through use of IT systems, comprehensive and easily accessible database and enhanced capabilities of staff through training. SCOPE OF THE SCHEME The Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2002 covers all the Regional Rural Banks in addition to all Commercial Banks and Scheduled Primary Co-operative Banks, which were already covered by earlier Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 1995. The grounds of complaints that can be entertained by the Banking Ombudsmen have been enumerated in Clause 12 of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme 2002. What are complaints Ombudsman may receive? The Banking Ombudsman can receive and consider any complaint relating to the following deficiency in banking services (including internet banking): * non-payment or inordinate delay in the payment or collection of cheques, drafts or bills * non-acceptance of small denomination notes * non-acceptance of coins tendered * non-payment or delay in payment of inward remittances * failure to issue or delay in issue of drafts * non-adherence to prescribed working hours * failure to provide or delay in providing a banking facility * complaints from Non-Resident Indians having accounts in India * refusal to open deposit accounts without any valid reason for refusal * levying of charges without adequate prior notice to the customer * non-disbursement or delay in disbursement of pension * refusal to accept or delay in accepting payment towards taxes * forced closure of deposit accounts without due notice * refusal to close or delay in closing the accounts * non-adherence to the fair practices code as adopted by the bank * any other matter relating to the violation of the directives When a person may file the complaint? One can file a complaint before the Banking Ombudsman if the reply is not received from the bank within a period of one month after the bank concerned has received one s representation, or the bank rejects the complaint, or if the complainant is not satisfied with the reply given by the bank. Rules for filing complaint Any person may himself or through his authorized representative make a complaint to the bank. If the bank rejects the complaint or the complainant does not receive any reply within a month or the complainant is not satisfied with the reply even by the bank, the complainant may approach the Banking Ombudsman for redress of the grievance subject to the following:  · The complaint should be made within one year after the cause of action has arisen.  · The complaint is not in respect of the same subject matter that was settled through the Office of the Banking Ombudsman in any previous proceedings.  · The complaint does not pertain to the same subject matter for which any proceedings before any court, tribunal or arbitrator or any other forum is pending or a decree or award or a final order has already been passed.  · The complaint is not frivolous or vexatious in natur When will one s complaint not be considered by the Ombudsman ? a. One has not approached his bank for redressal of his grievance first. b. One has not made the complaint within one year from the date one has received the reply of the bank or if no reply is received if it is more than one year and one month from the date of representation to the bank. c. The subject matter of the complaint is pending for disposal / has already been dealt with at any other forum like court of law, consumer court etc. d. Frivolous or vexatious. e. The institution complained against is not covered under the scheme. f. The subject matter of the complaint is not within the ambit of the Banking Ombudsman. g. If the complaint is for the same subject matter that was settled through the office of the Banking Ombudsman in any previous proceedings. How Where can one lodge his/her complaint? One can file a complaint with the Banking Ombudsman simply by writing on a plain paper. One can also file it online or by sending an email to the Banking Ombudsman. One may lodge his/ her complaint at the office of the Banking Ombudsman under whose jurisdiction, the bank branch complained against is situated. For complaints relating to credit cards and other types of services with centralized operations, complaints may be filed before the Banking Ombudsman within whose territorial jurisdiction the billing address of the customer is located. PERFORMANCE OF THE BANKING OMBUDSMEN The performance of the Banking Ombudsmen has been analysed on the aspects such as: the quantum of complaints handled by them, the timeliness in handling the issues, and appropriateness of the decisions of the Banking Ombudsmen. More than 5000 complaints are received by the Banking Ombudsmen every year. The number of complaints received by the BO offices has been steadily increasing since 1999-2000. The number of complaints received during 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03 stood at 5803, 5907 and 5399 respectively while there was a sharp rise during the year 2003-04 at 8246. Details are as given below: Number of complaints received by the Banking Ombudsmen Period No. of Offices of Banking Ombudsman No. of complaints received during the year Average No. of complaints per office 99-00 15 4994 333 00-01 15 5803 387 01-02 15 5907 394 02-03 15 5399 360 03-04 15 8246 550 Role of Arbitrator Any dispute between a bank and its constituents or between a bank and another bank may be referred to a Banking Ombudsman for arbitration, if both the parties agree for such a reference provided that the value of the claim in such dispute does not exceed Rs.10 lacs. Reporting The Banking Ombudsman shall report to the Reserve Bank, the non-compliance by any bank of an award and the Review Authority shall pass the necessary order. If a bank fails to implement the award within the prescribed time limit, the complainant may approach the Review Authority with a prayer to pass an appropriate direction to the bank for immediate compliance of the award. The Review Authority shall not receive any such additional or new material from any party which was not produced before the Banking Ombudsman. The Review Authority may call for the comments of the Banking Ombudsman in a review application filed before him, provided he is satisfied that such comments of the Banking Ombudsman are necessary in the exigencies of the case. The object behind the Banking Ombudsman Scheme is to make available an expeditious and cost effective grievance redressal mechanism to bank customers. Hence Banking ombudsman will endeavor to promote a settlement through conciliation or mediation and he will not be bound by any legal rule of evidence.With effect from January 1, 2006, RBI has further modified the scheme. Now complaints relating to credit cards can also be preferred by aggrieved customers. Earlier, retired bank officers or retired bureaucrats were being appointed as ombudsmen. With effect from Jan.2006, RBI officers are appointed as ombudsmen. Centres And Their Operational Areas Ahmedabad Gujarat, Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu Bangalore Karnataka Bhopal Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh Bhubanes-war Orissa Chandigarh Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Union Territory of Chandigarh Chennai Tamil Nadu, Union Territories of Pondicherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands Guwahati Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh Jaipur Rajasthan Kanpur Uttar Pradesh (excluding District of Ghaziabad) and Uttaranchal Kolkata West Bengal and Sikkim Mumbai Maharashtra and Goa New Delhi Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh Patna Bihar and Jharkhand Thiruvanan-thapuram Kerala and Union Territory of Lakshadweep Some Important Developments during the year 2008-09 Meeting of the Committee on Subordinate Legislation, Rajya Sabha on functioning of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme in the private sector banks and foreign banks: Deputy Governor represented the Bank during the deliberations of the Committee on Subordinate Legislation on functioning of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme in the private sector banks and foreign banks. The Committee was headed by Dr Najma Heptulla, MP and the banks called for discussion were HDFC, Citibank, Standard Chartered Bank, Deutsche Bank and HSBC Ltd. Advertisement under series Jago Grahak Jago: An advertisement campaign on the Banking Ombudsman Scheme has been released by the Bank in collaboration with Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food Public Distribution, Government of India as a joint campaign under the Jago Grahak Jago series. A massive advertising visual publicity campaign on the Banking Ombudsman scheme had been carried out in both print and electronic media. This publicity will help in elevating awareness about the BO Scheme among the common people. In addition, banks were instructed to display details of the BO Scheme in all bank branches for the benefit of their customers. Up gradation of Complain Tracking Software (CTS) The upgraded version of CTS package went live from July 1, 2009. The upgraded CTS package has provision to enter the complaints, acknowledge the complaints, edit the complaints to update it, upload/ down load supporting of citizens. The System is to record and receive the grievances online and redress them indicating action at different levels. The Government of India is monitoring the System. All the Public Sector banks, Offices of the Banking Ombudsman, RBI, SIDBI, IDBI Bank, NABARD etc., have been listed by Government of India as subordinate offices and given username and password to access the DARPG portal to enable them to dispose of the grievances against banks online. The Government of India intends to discontinue with the disposal of grievances in paper form in a phased manner. Reform Banking Ombudsman Latest Law Commission onCheque Bounce J. Venkatesan reports that the Law Commission of India has recommended setting up of fast track courts to dispose over 3.8 million cases pending cheque bounce cases and has suggested that an amendment to the Instruments Act to compel the drawer of a cheque to pay 50 per cent of the amount of the receipt of summons. The head of Commission, Justice A. R. Lakshmanan has noted that because of the huge pendency of the cases the credibility of the business within and outside the country suffered a serious setback. â€Å"Dishonour of a cheque by a bank causes incalculable loss, injury and inconvenience to the payee, and the credibility of issuance of cheque is also being eroded to a large extent†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Banking Ombudsmanon cheque Bounce The practical experience at Banking Ombudsman reveal that officials of Banking Ombudsman of RBI have soft corner for the largest public sector bank of India- State Bank of India. Despite the fact that they observed â€Å"the bank had erroneously returned the cheque† Banking Ombudsman noted that by refund of actual expenses in pursing complaint (Rs. 2000) and apology, â€Å"complaint has been reasonably addressed and no further compensation for any loss or damage on account of the deficiency in Banks service could be allowed†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This is in contrast to its decision, a year ago, against Corporation Bank which too had wrongly bounced cheque of the same senior citizen â€Å"..It is therefore advised that the complainant may be compensated with Rs, 1500/- towards harassment caused†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Why so soft on SBI? Further Banking Ombudsman did not issue any directions to SBI nor to Corporation Bank, on account of serious deficiency of service. Coming back, SBI did no t render any sincere apology to the senior citizen. What to talk of promising efficient customer service or responding to query under RTI, sent through post office. More on the working of Banking Ombudsman. The Banking Ombudsman passed an Award against the erring SBI, the passbook of complaint also mentioned-†As per orders passes by banking Ombudsman..†. However, the official letter from Banking Ombudsman maintained that that complaint was resolved amicably between the bank and the complainant. No award was passed, how to contest? When it was asked under RTI Act that- â€Å"were terms of settlement signed by both complainant and the bank before the Banking Ombudsman as a mark of settlement/agreement? Please list the number of complainants disposed by settlement where terms of settlement was signed by the bank and complainant in 2007-08? The response of RBI-†No such practice is envisaged under the provisions of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006†. Not surprising, on record, ,majority of complainants Banking Ombudsman are amicably resolved. What option does the common man have when the normal grievance redressal mechanism fails? To sit at home and accept the helplessness or to approach the Courts, aleady overflowing with cheque bounce cases? In the light of public interest Justice A. R. Lakshmanans observation, SARCAJC appeals to Reserve Bank of India to Amend the present Banking Ombudsman Scheme so that compensation can be awarded to common man (taking account the loss of the complainants time and harassment and mental anguish), whose cheque is wrongly bounced by any Bank. Further, apart from officials of Reserve Bank of India, two active representatives of general public should be included in Banking Ombudsman structure so that Banking Ombudsman Scheme effectively works in the public interest and eases the pressure of cheque bounce cases in the Indian courts. Review Of Literature Awareness Fridays: A Guide to the Indian Banking Ombudsman Scheme Vinaya HS on January 2, 2009 The Reserve Bank of India also governs the Banking Ombudsman Scheme which provides an â€Å"expeditious and inexpensive forum to bank customers for resolution of their complaints relating to banking services.† The objective of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme is to be a visible and reliable system of dispute resolution mechanism for bank customers. Though the Ombudsman was launched way back in 1995, how many among us are really aware of when and how to approach the Banking Ombudsman? Thankfully, as always, the Reserve Bank of India has recently released a guide on this very topic. RBI amends Banking Ombudsman Scheme Mumbai, May 24: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) brought about crucial amendments to the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006 which will now enable aggrieved customers to not only appeal against any Ombudsmans decision but also to appeal in case of complaints being rejected. The appeal could be made to the deputy governors office of the RBI. The Ombudsman, however, has the right to reject complaints if they are ; not on the grounds of complaint referred to in clause 8; beyond the pecuniary jurisdiction of Banking Ombudsman prescribed; frivolous, vexatious, malafide; without any sufficient cause; that it is not pursued by the complainant with reasonable diligence; in the opinion of the Banking Ombudsman there is no loss or damage or inconvenience caused to the complainant; or requiring consideration of elaborate documentary and oral evidence and the proceedings before the Banking Ombudsman. In case of a complainant being aggrieved by the award under clause 12 or by rejection of a complaint, he may exercise the option of an appeal within 30 days, the RBI said in its notification. Title:THE BANKING OMBUDSMAN SCHEME Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance Year:1994 Abstract: This paper examines the role of the Banking Ombudsman in dealing with complaints about banking services. It describes the procedures for investigating eligible complaints and considers the overlap with other Ombudsman schemes, in particular those of the Building Societies and Insurance Ombudsmen. Exemplary Cases dealt with by BO offices where customers were right Case 1 : The complainant was maintaining a current account and approached the bank to convert his current account to cash credit account. For the said purpose he had pledged NSC amounting to Rs.1,20,000/-. Subsequently the bank neither sanctioned him a cash credit limit nor returned the certificates. In the meantime the certificates were matured for payment and he requested the bank to return the certificates. The bank failed to return the certificates stating that the certificates had been misplaced. The complainant approached us with a request to redress his grievances. On taking up the matter with the bank, the bank assured to take up the matter with the post office for issue of duplicate NSCs. On receipt of the duplicate NSCs from the concerned post office, the complainant was compensated for the loss of the original certificates. The complainant submitted a letter of satisfaction to the BO. Case 2 : A complaint relating to non-credit of cheque amount into the account of the complainant was received. The complainant had reportedly taken up the matter with the bank several times but there was no response by the bank towards credit of the cheque amount. The complainant approached the BO for resolution of his grievances. On receipt of the complaint, BO questioned the bank as to what action had been taken on the complaint by them. The bank reported that the cheque in question was lost in transit resulting in non-credit of the cheque amount to the complainants account. At the instance of BO, the bank took up the matter with UTI Mutual Fund, Patna by submitting letter of undertaking and death certificate. The Mutual Fund issued a duplicate cheque and the amount was credited to the complainants account. The complainant submitted a letter of satisfaction. Case 3 : BO received a complaint where the complainant alleged that on her husbands death, she approached the concerned bank on November 27, 2008 for payment of family pension and all the formalities were completed as required by the bank. The Treasury Officer had converted the pension into family pension and advised the bank on October 18, 2008 to make payment to the widow. Though she had been approaching the bank there was no response from the bank. BO questioned the bank as to what action had been taken by them on the complaint. On persuasion, the bank redressed the grievances and paid the family pension to the complainant . Case 4 : A cheque drawn by the EPF Department on the ABC Banks Nasik branch for Rs.21.36 lakh was sent to XYZ Bank, New Delhi for credit to the account of the complainant. The amount was not credited to the complainants account advising that it had not received the cheque. The complainant, however, obtained the Proof of Delivery from Post Office in support of the claim that it was delivered to the XYZ bank.. It transpired that the XYZ bank had actually misplaced the cheque before sending it for collection to ABC Bank and it had already furnished an affidavit to the EPF Department reporting the misplacement of the cheque and requesting for a duplicate cheque. With the intervention of BO, the bank credited an amount of Rs.18,894/- as interest on the delayed payment since date of deposit of the cheque. RECOMMENDATIONS : 1. If a complaint is not settled by agreement within a period of one month from the date of receipt of the complaint or such further period as he may consider necessary, the Banking Ombudsman may make a recommendation by reference to what is, in his opinion, fair in all the circumstances. Copies of the recommendation shall be sent to the complainant and the bank concerned. 2. The recommendation by the Banking Ombudsman shall be open to acceptance by the complainant only if he accepts all terms of the recommendation in full and final settlement of his claim against the bank and he shall, if he accepts the recommendation, within two weeks from the date of receipt of the recommendation send his acceptance in writing stating clearly that he is prepared to accept a settlement in terms of the recommendation is full and final settlement of his complaint. 3. The Banking Ombudsman shall cause a copy of the letter of acceptance, received from the complainant to be forwarded to the bank. The bank shall, if the recommendation is acceptable to it, comply with the terms of the recommendation immediately on receipt of acceptance of the terms by the complainant and inform the Banking Ombudsman of the settlement in terms of his recommendation. If the recommendation is not acceptable to the bank, it shall inform the Banking Ombudsman within a period of two weeks. sReferences : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ombudsman http://www.rbi.org.in/SCRIPTs/bs_viewcontent.aspx?Id=164 http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/FAQView.aspx?Id=24 http://www.consumercourt.netfirms.com/consumercourtbankingombudsman.htm http://www.apnaloan.com/credit-card-india/Banking-ombudsman-area.html http://www.icrpc.org/icrpc.org.bankingombudsman.htm

gatwomen gatmyrtle Great Gatsby Essays: Similarities of Gatsby and Myrtle :: Great Gatsby Essays

Same Goal, Different Route in The Great Gatsby A more thorough investigation of The Great Gatsby is necessary to uncover a well-disguised theme by Fitzgerald in this work. Upon a simple read through one would probably not notice the great similarities of Jay Gatsby and Myrtle Wilson, but the two characters seemed to have the same agenda for their lives. While Gatsby took the route of acquiring money at all costs to join the upper class of society and to be acceptable in the eyes of a woman, Myrtle chose to make her way up in society at the cost of her marriage by attaching herself to money. The underlying question is who had the most success. As a young man, Jay Gatsby was poor with nothing but his love for Daisy. He had attempted to woe her, but a stronger attraction to money led her to marry another man. This did not stop Gatsby’s goal of winning this woman for himself though, and he decided to improve his life anyway he could until he could measure up to Daisy’s standards. He eventually gained connections in what would seem to be the wrong places, but these gave him the opportunity he needed to "get rich quick." Gatsby’s enormous desire for Daisy controlled his life to the point that he did not even question the immorality of the dealings that he involved himself in to acquire wealth. Eventually though, he was able to afford a "castle" in a location where he could pursue Daisy effectively. His life ambition had successfully moved him to the top of the "new money" class of society, but he lacked the education of how to promote his wealth properly. Despite the way that Gatsby flaunted his money, he did catch Daisy’s attention. A chaotic affair followed for a while until Daisy was overcome by pressures from Gatsby to leave her husband and by the realization that she belonged to "old money" and a more proper society. Myrtle eventually had similar goals as Gatsby, but her life did not begin the same way. She was of the lower class of society and married a simple man. The two pursued a poor life, but Myrtle’s husband George was a decent man. Nevertheless, Myrtle became unsatisfied, and when the opportunity arose to better the quality of her life, she took it. Daisy’s husband Tom, an unfaithful, rough man not very committed to his marriage, began an affair with Myrtle.

Nature vs. Nurture Essay

ABSTRACT The subject of nature versus nurture is addressed. Both nature and nurture have strong effects on how humans learn and are able to learn. Observations of three children discuss how nature has caused conditions that hinder development as well as how human intervention has enabled these children to grow despite their conditions. Nature and nurture have negative aspects that may or may not be improved to foster development. Nature and nurture interact in human development. Keywords: Nature, nurture, Piaget, cochlear implant, epilepsy, Erikson, Gilligan, Vygotksy, Kohlberg, Outliers. NATURE VERSUS NURTURE Nature? Nurture? Both? Theorists have struggled for more than a century with which variable has the greater effect on human learning. When we refer to ‘nature’ in learning we are discussing the biological elements of human learning and intelligence, such as, chromosomes and DNA, the biology of the brain, and diseases, syndromes or conditions that the individual may be born with or develop in their lifespan (Society for Neuroscience, 2012) The theoretical framework of â€Å"Genetic Epistemology† of Jean Piaget was based on his ‘naturalistic’ research of children. Piaget was most concerned with how knowledge developed in children. His theory advocated 4 stages of development: sensorimotor, preoperational stage, concrete operations, and formal operations, which he assigned to different age groups (Genetic Epistemology, n.d.) to explain when and how human cognitive development occurs. I have observed natural effects in several children in my life and have seen how nature has affected their learning. Mikaela and CJ are the children of our dear friends. It is theorized that Mikaela may either have lost her hearing shortly after birth or was born without hearing (Sorenson and Sievert, personal discussion and observation, 2004). CJ was born with hearing but has lost nearly all hearing in one ear and needs a hearing aid in the other ear (Sorenson and Sievert, personal discussion, 2006). When Mikaela was diagnosed around 2 years of age, she was fitted with cochlear implants (Sorenson, personal discussion, 2004). CJ was fitted with one cochlear implant around 5 years old (Sorenson, personal discussion 2008). Mikaela struggled to overcome the lack of aural stimulation and verbal acquisition. She will still sign now at age 13 when she wants to communicate quickly. Her speech is very monotonic even after speech therapy (Sievert, observation, May 2014). CJ learned to read very quickly and would amuse himself on early Saturday mornings with watching WWII history and reading the captions so as to not wake the family (Sorenson, personal communication, 2009). They adapted and created schemas to bridge the challenge. My grandson Micah was diagnosed with epilepsy in April 2013 at 13 months of age. The seizure activity and the use of medications affected his brain activity to nearly wipe out every developmental milestone (Sievert, observation and interaction, May 2013). MRI results showed areas of the brain had atrophied. His physical and occupational therapists have retrained his neural pathways and he is now a normal 27 month old (Sievert, observation and interaction, 2014). All of these children were able to overcome natural challenges with interventions. ADD/ADHD (WebMD.com, 2014) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (CDC.gov, 2014) are both natural in their origin and are being studied now to find interventions that enable these individuals to become empowered learners in classroom learning environments (Jensen, 2005). The term ‘nurture’ refers to the effects of interaction in the development of the individual and can range from human interaction with caregivers, peers, and society, to environment and technological devices (UCSB.edu, 2001). Vygotsky, Erikson, Kohlberg and Gilligan would be theorists who tend  to place more emphasis on how environment shapes the cognitive and moral development of the individual. Lev Vygotksy claimed that all learning was shaped by the interactions of the child with society and culture as well as how language developed (McLeod, 2007). Language acquisition was seen as very important in cognitive development, especially in developing private speech. Erikson saw cognitive development as a lifelong activity with 8 psychosocial stages, each having a crisis that called for resolution in the individual in relationship to the society (McLeod, 2008). Both Kohlberg and Gilligan based their moral reasoning models on how children learn in relationship to the society around them plus possible societal roles placed on boys or girls (Nucci, 2014). Nurture led to Mikaela, CJ, and Micah overcoming obstacles of nature with the assistance of other humans either creating new tools to overcome hearing loss (NIDCD, 2013) or have humans developing therapies that retrain the brain (Sheikh, 2012). Lack of nurture can include poor or inadequate food and shelter, lack of sensory stimulation, technology used as a ‘babysitter’, or a lack of interaction between parent and child (Harris, 1998). I have also observed too much nurture in my school. Parents may do this by constant monitoring of homework and grades, helping too much with work, overscheduling activities for students, intensive requests for special treatment, or by requesting more homework (Dawson, Clarke, Bredehoft, 2006). The story of Chris Langan in Outliers (2008) is a classic example of how a lack of nurture can set up a chain of failure for an incredibly intelligent man. It is clear that neither nature nor nurture is the decisive factor in human cognition or moral development. We know more than ever about how the brain functions and how the brain must be well treated to make the most of what is available (Jensen, 2005). Physical and mental conditions can determine just how much growth potential is in a human being. New therapies and technologies are constantly in development, trial, and implementation. Proper nurture in a societal and cultural environment has proven necessary for every individual. Nature and nurture need to be skillfully blended to ensure every child is empowered to attain their full potential (Jensen, 2005). REFERENCES: Society for Neuroscience. (2012). Brain facts: A primer on the brain and nervous system. Retrieved May 19, 2014, from BrainFacts.org: http://cup.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/courses/20144043208/resources/week1/w1%20brain_facts_2012.pdf Genetic epistemology (Jean Piaget). (n.d.). Retrieved on May 29, 2014 from http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/genetic-epistemology.html. WebMD.com. (2014). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Causes of ADHD. Retrieved on June 14, 2014 from http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/adhd-causes. Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. UCSB.edu. (2001). Nature and nurture. Retrieved on June 14, 2014 from http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/faculty/baldwin/classes/soc142/n&n.html McLeod, S. A. (2007). Lev vygotsky. Retrieved on June 2, 2014 from http://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html. McLeod, S. A. (2008). Erik erikson. Retrieved on May 29, 2014 from http://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html. Nucci, L. (2014). Moral development and education: An overview. Retrieved on June 5, 2014 from http://www.moraledk12.org/#!combined-theories/c3q9. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (2013). Cochlear implants. Retrieved on June 14, 2014 from https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/pages/coch.aspx Sheikh, S. (2012). Epilepsy: Definition, prevention and the role of occupational therapy. Retrieved on June 14, 2014 from http://www.slideshare.net/betrayer1990/occupational-therapy-for-epilepsy-an-overview Harris, J.R. (1998). The nurture assumption: Why children turn out the way they do. Retrieved on June 14, 2014 from http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/h/harris-nurture.html. Dawson, C. and Clarke, J. and Bredehoft, D. (2006). Overnurturing: Too much of a good thing (When helping stops being helpful). Retrieved from http://www.educarer.com/oi-nurturing.htm Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The story of success. New York, NY: Back Bay Books.

HRM Problem in Indian Airlines

Introduction The Indian Airline was set up under the Air Corporations Act, 1953 with an initial capital of Rs. 32 million and started operations on 1 August 1953. And it dominated the Indian aviation sector during the 80's and 90's. However the rules of monoploy were deregulated in 1994. Following which many carriers entered the market. However, only two strong competitors emerged during the 1990s which were the Jet Airways and Air Sahara.This competition from the new private carriers required the airline to adapt to the new order, a process which was difficult due to the fact that management did not have complete commercial freedom, and the government was unwilling to invest in the airline. Another big reason was the Human Resource Management problems including the inefficient manpower planning, unproductive deployment manpower (results of ad-hoc job analysis), and unwarranted increase in salaries and wages caused a number of strikes by the staffs and the ultimate result is losing c ustomers and the losses in revenue.Between 1999 and 2003, the carrier’s fleet did not increase by a single aircraft – during the same period the private carriers’ fleet almost doubled to 53. Inevitably, Indian Airlines’ market share declined, from 100% in 1994 to 40% by 2004 and just 20% by 2007.Background of IA Indian Airlines is one of the prime airlines in India. It is based in Mumbai and focuses primarily on domestic routes, alone with a few international services to neighboring Asian countries. The airline is state-owned and also administered by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Along with Air India, it is the flag carrier of India. The airline came into existence by the enactment of the Air corporations act in 1953.It has been renamed as ‘Indian' on December 7th 2005. It started with about 99 aircrafts and was the outcome of a merger of sorts among several former independent airlines. In 1964, Indian Airlines moved into the jet era with the intr oduction of Caravelle aircraft and also inducted a Boeing 737-200 in early 1970. In a fresh wave of deregulation, nine new independent airlines were launched in India in the early 1990s. Vayudoot, the state-owned feeder airline, itself collapsed in 1993. On 1st March 1997 Indian Airlines became a Public Limited Company.Presently, it has about 70 aircrafts including Airbus A300, Airbus A319,  Airbus A320and an ATR-4. Some of the foreign destinations that are included in its directory are Kuwait, Singapore, UAE, Qatar, Thailand and many more South East Asian countries. This airline was the first to introduce wide-bodied A300 aircraft in the domestic circuit. There are a total of 75 exclusive destinations covered by this airline, 59 within India and 16 abroad.HR IssuesWhen the government open up the sky by privatize the industry, one of the start-ups, East-West Airlines, offered such attractive wages that they prompted a pilots' strike at Indian Airlines in December 1992 during the w inter tourist season. Indian Airlines had 570 pilots at the time, making an average of Rs 30,000 ($962.00) a month. The airline lost Rs2.11 billion ($64.34 million) for the year. Chairman and managing director L. Vasudev had been hired in July 1992, filling a position vacant since the previous chairman had resigned due to the handling of yet another strike.Mr. Vasudev also resigned in May 1993 blaming the aviation ministry for undermining his authority. Russy Mody was named chairman of both Indian Airlines and Air-India in late 1994. He resigned two years later, also citing a lack of authority. During 1998 both Indian Airlines and Air-India were losing money and needed to restore their aging fleets by the end of the year, the Civil Aviation Ministry had dismissed a joint board of directors from the two airlines.All of the chaos happened because of: †¢The recruitment process †¢Job analysis in IA was not done by scientifically †¢Performance appraisal and reward systems were not scientifically doneFindings †¢Lack of proper manpower planning †¢Underutilization of exiting manpower †¢Without proper scientific analysis †¢Increased staff cost during 1994-98 †¢Unnecessary interference by the Ministry of Civil Aviation †¢Unscrupulous methods use †¢Strikes, go-slow agitation and wage negotiations †¢In 1993- 46 days strike by pilots †¢Unethical (false) medical claims †¢Pilots didn’t work overtime even though they got more money †¢Maximum number of employees per aircraft †¢Lack of government decision policy †¢Unethical practice of service on productivity liked incentives †¢30 full time directors and their retinue of private secretaries, drivers and orderlinessSWOT ANALYSISSTRENGTHS†¢Large fleet. †¢Experienced staff. †¢Adequate infrastructure and large network. †¢People are loyal towards the national carrier. †¢Government Backing.WEAKNESSES†¢High overhea ds and huge workforce resulting in lower output. †¢Attitude of the staff (The Unions) †¢Political/Bureaucratic unnecessary interference. †¢Indian Airlines has its socio-economic responsibility of catering to the inaccessibility areas at subsidized rate affecting operational expenses. †¢Job security too high.OPPORTUNITIES†¢Tourism industry is gaining momentum. †¢Induction of new aircrafts on lease. †¢Response to some of the promotional fares (schemes) is encouraging. †¢Shelving of the privatization plans of Indian Airlines by the Government of India. †¢Weakening of the dollar rate in comparison to the rupee.THREATS†¢Perception of the better product in comparison to that of the competitor †¢Recent world events hitting the tourism industry badly †¢Increase in the capacity of various airlines †¢Falling market share of Indian Airlines to that of Jet AirwaysRecommendation From 1997, to till now IA had only emphasized on dist ribution, with marketing as a non-issue. Since the company was faced with increasing competition, lack of resources and mounting losses, it had to formulate and implement scientifically proved HR strategies. The best way to prevent union strike is to work with the union and develop policies that avoid a clash between companies and its employees. Unions in projects is different, unions in large corporate is different. We can contain and curtail the strikes in corporate offices but containing it plants need some analysis.1.Check was there any change in the Head of HR department2.The earlier head was removed or retired or left on his own3.Union leaders are locals or outsiders4.Were there any simmering issues which were pending for a long time?5.The earlier agreement is due for re negation?1 and 2 are most important to find the reason and reactions. 3 are to know how the outsiders involved in the local union and so we can divide the union. 4 and 5 – it is always better to keep th e process of the negotiations on the go, and try throwing the ball in their court as far as possible instead of keeping the issue pending with company. And have discussions, deliberations and best method is to divide the employees into department wise – by telling them that it is for close contacts with the all employees.Implementations To implement the decisions taken during the mid 2001, IA followed steps stated below.1.As the first step free and frank discussions with a cross section of the employees were held. Top management undertook extensive tours of all stations to communicate the details and vision behind all major policy initiatives and to get their response to them.2.Focus on training of personnel was enhanced to increase effectiveness.3.A greater transparency was built into recruitment and transfer policies with a view to boosting their trust and confidence.4.In interactions with unions and Associations a firm but fair attitude was taken.5.Productivity Lined Agree ments, where the inflows exceed the outflows despite the fact that market wages were being given, were entered into.Conclusion Airports are the primary infrastructure facility that a country has to offer to the international travel. The case ‘Indian Airlines' HR problems', examines the causes of the HR problems faced by Indian Airlines. The case reveals how poor management and stubborn work force can drive a monopoly into losses. The case also throws light on other lapses such as poor canteen management and payment of excessive allowances.The case is so structured as to enable students to understand why and how Indian Airlines was constantly plagued by HR problems. The students should be able to see how the pilots and other workers used arm-twisting tactics to get IA to agree to all their demands. The case also provides insights into how IA's lackadaisical handling of its HR problems contributed to the overall mess that the airline found itself in.