Smu Mb0044 Sem 2 2013 Solved

Q1. State the important considerations for locating an automobile plant. A1. Automobile plant automated flaw lines, automatedassembly lines, flexible manufacturing systems, global transition rapid prototyping. Building manufacturing flexibility things are necessity. About the automated flow lines we can say it is a machine which is linked by a transfer system which moves the parts by using handling machines which are also automated, we have an automated flow line. Human intervention ma is needed to verify that the operations ate taking place according to standards.When these cab be achieved with the help of automation and the processes are conducted with self regulation, we will have automated flow lines established. In fixed automation or hard automation, where one component is manufactured using services operations and machines it is possible to achieve this condition. We assume that product life cycles are sufficiently stable to interest heavily on the automate flow lines to achie ve reduces cast per unit. Product layouts ate designed so that the assembly tasks are performed in the sequence they are designed at each station continuously.The finished item came out at the end of the line. In automated assembly lines the moving pallets move the materials from station to station and moving arms pick up parts, place them at specified place and system them by perusing, riveting, & crewing or even welding. Sensors will keep track of there activities and move the assembles to the next stage. The machines are arranged in a sequence to perform operations according to the technical requirements. The tools are loaded, movements are effected, speeds controlled automatically without the need for worker’s involvement.The flexibility leads to better utilization of the equipments. It reduces thenumbers of systems and rids in reduction of investment as well as a space needed to install them. One of the major cancers of modern manufacturing systems is to be able to respo nd to market Demands which have uncertainties. Prototyping is a process by which a new product is developed in small number so as to determine the suitability of the materials, study the various methods of manufactured, type of machinery required and develop techniques to over come problems that my be encountered when full scale manufacture is undertaken.Prototypes do meet the specification of the component that enters a product and performance can be measured on these. It helps in con be reforming the design and any shortcomings can be rectified at low cost. Flexibility has three dimensions in the manufacturing field. They are variety, volume and time. There demands will have to be satisfied. In that sense they become constraints which restrict the maximization of productivity. Every business will have to meet the market demands of its various products in variety volumes of different time.Flexibility is also needed to be able to develop new products or make improvements in the prod ucts fast enough to cater to shifting marker needs. Manufacturing systems have flexibility built into them to enable organization meet global demand. You have understood how the latest trends in manufacturing when implemented help firms to stay a head in business Q2. Explain essentials of Project Management Philosophy A1. Project Management Philosophy A project never goes smooth. It brings unexpected problems during the execution of any phase that marks a difference between the planned activities and actual executions.The deviations enforce re-planning of further activities so that the extra budget and time spent on previous activities can be compensated by revised project plan. A loser is a loser only when he realizes it and gives up. As long as one thinks he has the capability of changing lose situation to a winning situation, he is never a loser. Project management philosophy emphasizes on sharing the problems with all stakeholders and team members so that different brains come o ut with different responses and any of the response(s) can become the best solution(s).Challenge sharing definitely brings out a solution from somebody else having a different set of experience and exposure who has already been into such a situation and has come out of it already. Sharing problems and challenges saves one from re-inventing the wheel. Documentation sharing and a knowledge sharing platform make a strong basis for keeping all on the same wheel. Managers mostly focus on driving out results from the teams rather than enabling and empowering them to become self driven. Energy flows automatically and uncontrolled. Results start coming out without reaching the deadlines and prior to demand.It depends on managers that by empowerment they start preparing or building leaders within the teams. A combination of leaders, if synergized properly, propels a resultant progress of the project. Managers become critical key in engaging people in the project. A high level of engagement i s lodged in the team members via project manager. As long as the project manager is able to drive teams, it makes them engaged to the project. On the other hand if project manager inculcates and inspires team members to self-engage themselves, the team members do not depend to be driven by project manager.Q3. Several different strategies have been employed to assist in aggregate planning. Explain these in brief A3. Planning is a primary management responsibility. Aggregate planning is concerned with organizing the quantity and timing of production over a medium period of time up to eight to ten months with undetermined demand. Specifically aggregate planning means combining all of an organization`s resources into one aggregate production schedule for a predetermined intermediate time period. The objective of aggregate planning is to maximize esources while minimizing cost over the planning period. The aggregate production plan is midway between short-range planning and long-range pl anning. Aggregate planning includes the following factors: 1. Work force size and composition 2. Demand forecasts and orders 3. Raw material planning 4. Plant capacity management 5. Utilizing outside subcontractors 6. Inventory management Aggregate planning is the link between short-term scheduling and long-term capacity planning. What are aggregate planning strategies? There are three types of aggregate planning strategies: Pure Strategy.In this strategy, only one production or supply factor is changed. Mixed Strategy. This strategy simultaneously alters two or more production or supply factors or some combination. Level Scheduling. This strategy has been adopted by the Japanese and it embodies maintaining constant monthly production schedules. What aggregate planning strategies influence demand? Aggregate planning can influence demand in the following ways: 1. Pricing strategies. Pricing can be used to increase or reduce demand. All things being equal, increasing prices reduces de mand while lowering prices will increase demand. . Advertising and promotion strategies. Advertising and promotion are pure demand management strategies in that they can increase demand by making a product or service better known as well as positioning it for a particular market segment. 3. Delayed deliveries or reserving orders. Managing future delivery schedules is a strategy for managing orders when demand exceeds capacity. The net effect of delayed deliveries, or back ordering, and reservations is to shift demand to a later period of time, often to a more slack period, which provides a smoothing effect for overall demand.However, the negative is that a percentage of orders will be lost as consumers are unwilling or unable to wait the additional amount of time. 4. Diversifying the product mix. Product mix diversification is a method used to offset demand seasonality. For example, a lawn mower manufacturing company may diversify into snow removal equipment to offset the seasonalit y of the lawn mower industry. What aggregate planning strategies influence supply? Aggregate planning is also used to manage supply considerations by using the following strategies: 1.Subcontracting (outsourcing). Subcontracting is a method of increasing capacity without incurring large capital investment charges. It can turn the competitive advantage of other corporations to the contracting organization`s advantage. However, subcontracting can be costly, and also reveals part of the business to potential competitors. 2. Overtime and idle time. A direct short-term strategy for managing production capacity is to either increase or decrease the number of the work force. This strategy has the advantage of utilizing the currently existing work force.However, overtime is expensive and can produce job burnout if relied upon too extensively. On the other hand, enforcing idle time on the work force can result in resistance as well as a drop in morale. 3. Hiring and laying off employees. Hir ing and laying off employees is a medium- to long-term strategy for increasing or decreasing capacity. Hiring employees usually involves the cost of training while laying off employees can incur severance charges. Laying off employees can also cause labor difficulties with unions and reduce morale 4. Stockpiling inventory.Accumulating inventory is a strategy for smoothing variances which may occur between demand and supply. 5. Part-time employees. Certain industries have seasonal requirements for lower skilled employees. Aggregate planning can be used to manage these seasonal requirements. What is the charting method of aggregate planning? Charting is a highly utilized trial-and-error aggregate planning method. It is relatively simple to use and is easily understood. Essentially, the charting approach uses a few variables in forecasting demand, applying current production capacity.While the charting method does not assure an accurate prediction, it is simple to implement requiring o nly minimal calculations. But trial and error method does not provide an optimal solution. The charting method requires five steps to implement: 1. Calculate each period`s demand. 2. Calculate each period`s production capacity for regular time, overtime, and subcontracting. 3. Determine all labor costs including costs for hiring and layoffs as well as the cost of holding inventory. 4. Evaluate organizational employee and stock policies. . Create optional policies and evaluate their costs. EXAMPLE 1. 30 A Florida men`s suit manufacturer has created expected demand forecasts for the period June-January, as shown in Table 1. 2. The daily demand is calculated by dividing the total expected demand by the number of monthly working days: AVERAGE DEMAND = TOTAL EXPECTED DEMAND / NUMBER OF PRODUCTION DAYS FIGURE 1. 6 MONTHLY AND AVERAGE MEN`S SUIT DEMAND The graph in Figure 1. 6 illustrates that there is a substantial variance between the monthly and average men`s suit demand.What are the co sts of aggregate planning? Aggregate planning is a systems methodology having major organizational impacts. Every strategy has associated costs and benefits. Increasing hiring means increasing training costs and incurring associated employment benefit costs. Increasing inventory increases carrying costs consisting of capital and storage costs, deterioration, and obsolescence. Using part-time employees involves the costs and risks of using improperly trained and inexperienced personnel as well as creating possible union conflicts.Using subcontractors has the cost of exposing an organization to potential competitors. EXAMPLE 1. 31 Using the data in example 1. 30, it is possible to develop cost estimates for the men`s suit manufacturer. Basically, the manufacturer has three choices: 1. The manufacturer can meet expected monthly production fluctuations by varying the work force size, hiring and laying off employees as needed. In this scenario, an assumption is made that the men`s suit m anufacturer has a constant staff of 55 employees. 2.Another alternative is to maintain a constant work force of 51 employees and subcontract for additional expected demand. 3. A third alternative is to maintain a work force of 69 employees and store suits during the slack demand months. Organizational Costs THREE PLAN SUMMARY COSTS In this example, the best production plan is plan 3 which maintains a work force of 69 employees and stores men`s suit inventory during low demand months. Q 5: Explain the basic competitive priorities considered while formulating operationsstrategy by a firm? Answer:Operations strategy reflects the long-term goals of an organisation in its corporate strategy,a clear understanding of the operating advantages and a good cross functional coordinationbetween functional areas of marketing, production, finance, and human resources departments arerequired. Operating advantages depend on its processes and competitive priorities considered whileestablishing the ca pabilities. The basic competitive priorities are: Cost, Quality, Time, Flexibility Cost: Cost is one of the primary considerations while marketing a product or a service.Being a lowcost producer, the product accepted by the customer offers sustainability and can outperformcompetitors. Lower price and better quality of a product will ensure higher demand and higherprofitability. To estimate the actual cost of production, the operations manager must addresslabour, materials, scrap generations, overhead and other initial costof design and development, etc. Quality: Quality is defined by the customer. The operations manager looks into two importantaspects namely high performance design and consistent quality.High performance design includessuperior features, greater durability, convenience to services, etc where as consistent designmeasures the frequency with which the product meets its design specifications and performs best. Time: Faster delivery time, on-time delivery, and speedy dev elopment cycle are the time factors thatoperations strategy looks into. Faster delivery time is the time lapsed between the customer orderand the delivery. On-time delivery is the frequency with which the product is delivered on time.Thedevelopment speed is the elapsed time from the idea generation up to the final design andproduction of products. Flexibility: Flexibility is the ability to provide a wide variety of products, and it measures how fast themanufacturer can convert its process line used for one product to produce another product afterWhile customisation is the ability of the firm to satisfy the specific needs of each its customer, thevolume flexibility is the ability to accelerate or decelerate the rate of production to handle thefluctuations in demand. For example, the production of fertilisers of different specifications andapplications.

Currency Movement

Executive summary The  Indian rupee  (? ) is the official  currency  of the  Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the  Reserve Bank of India. The modern rupee is subdivided into 100 paisa  (singular  paisa), although this division is now theoretical; as of 30 June 2011, coin denominations of less than 50 paise ceased to be  legal tender. Banknotes are available in nominal values of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 rupees.Rupee coins are available in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 100 and 1000; of these, the  [pic]  100 and  [pic]  1000 coins are for commemorative purposes only; the only other rupee coin has a nominal value of 50 paisa, since lower denominations have been officially withdrawn. The  Indian rupee symbol  [pic]  (officially adopted in 2010) is derived from the  Devanagari  consonant â€Å"? † (Ra) with an added horizontal bar. The symbol can also be derived from the Latin consonant â€Å"R† by r emoving the vertical line, and adding two horizontal bars (like the symbols for the  Japanese yen  and the  euro).The first series of coins with the rupee symbol was launched on 8 July 2011. The Mahatma Gandhi series of banknotes are issued by the Reserve Bank of India as legal tender. The series is so named because the obverse of each note features a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi. Since its introduction in 1996, this series has replaced all issued banknotes. The RBI introduced the series in 1996 with [pic]10 and [pic]500 banknotes. At present, the RBI issues banknotes in denominations from [pic]5 to [pic]1,000. The printing of [pic]5 notes (which had stopped earlier) resumed in 2009.As of January 2012, the new Indian rupee sign has been incorporated into banknotes in denominations of [pic]10, [pic]100, [pic]500 and [pic]1,000. INTRODUCTION The Indian Economy is the eleventh largest economy in the world with a nominal GDP of US$1,235,975 million (IMF list). The Indian market has been booming in leaps & bounds. By 2008, India had established itself as the world's  second-fastest growing major economy after China, with a growth rate of 9. 4%. However, the year 2009 saw a significant slowdown in India's GDP growth rate to 6. 8%.The Rupee hit a record low during early 2009 on account of the global recession. However, due to a strong domestic market, India managed to bounce back sooner than the western countries. Since September 2009 there has been a constant appreciation in Rupee versus most Tier 1 currencies. The exchange rate as on 30thOctober, 2010 is  [pic]44. 345 to the USD. A rising rupee prompted Government of India to buy 200 tonnes of Gold for $6. 7 billion from IMF in 2009 as a total role reversal from 1991. Indian forex reserves stands at  $294. 01 billion (Oct, 2010). What is Currency?A generally accepted form of money, including coins and paper notes, which is issued by a government and circulated within an economy. Used as a medium of exchan ge for goods and services, currency is the basis for trade. Any form of money that is in public circulation. Currency includes both hard money (coins) and soft money (paper money). Typically currency refers to money that is legally designated as such by the governing body, but in some cultures currency can refer to any object that has aperceived value and can be exchanged for other objects. What is currency fluctuation?Currency fluctuations are simply the ongoing changes between the relative values of the currency issued by one country when compared to a different currency. The process of currency fluctuation is something that occurs every day and impacts the relative rate of exchange between various currencies on a continual basis. HISTORY BRITISH INDIAN ONE RUPEE NOTE: In 1861, the government of India introduced its first paper money: 10-rupee notes in 1864, 5-rupee notes in 1872, 10,000-rupee notes in 1899, 100-rupee notes in 1900, 50-rupee notes in 1905, 500-rupee notes in 1907 and 1000-rupee notes in 1909. In 1917, 1- and 21? -rupee notes were introduced. The Reserve Bank of India began banknote production in 1938, issuing 2-, 5-, 10-, 50-, 100-, 1,000- and 10,000-rupee notes while the government continued issuing 1-rupee notes. INDEPENDENT ISSUES SINCE 1949 After independence, new designs were introduced to replace the portrait of the king. The government continued issuing the 1-rupee note, while the Reserve Bank issued other denominations (including the 5,000- and 10,000-rupee notes introduced in 1949). During the 1970s, 20- and 50-rupee notes were introduced; denominations higher than 100 rupees were demonetized in 1978.In 1987 the 500-rupee note was introduced, followed by the 1,000-rupee note in 2000. One- and two-rupee notes were discontinued in 1995. OBJECTIVE OF STUDY To get idea about fluctuations of Indian currency in last 10 years To gain knowledge about the factors affecting currency fluctuations To analyze effect of currency fluctuations on e conomy Impact of currency fluctuation on consumption, investment, exports and imports Factors Affecting Currency Fluctuation [pic] ECONOMIC POSITION: 1. Internal Factors 2. External Factors Internal Factors includes: Industrial Deficit of the country. †¢ Fiscal Deficit of the country. †¢ GDP and GNP of the country. †¢ Foreign Exchange Reserves. †¢ Inflation Rate of the Country. †¢ Agricultural growth and production. †¢ Different types of policies like EXIM Policy, Credit Policy of the country as well reforms undertaken in the yearly Budget. †¢ Infrastructure of the Country External Factors includes: †¢ Export trade and Import trade with the foreign country. †¢ Loan sanction by World Bank and IMF †¢ Relationship with the foreign country. †¢ Internationally OIL Price and Gold Price.FOREIGN DEBT: Foreign debt, also known as external debt, is a term used to classify the amount of money a country owes to other countries or external b anking organizations such as the World Bank. There are many reasons a country may choose to go into foreign debt, including infrastructure development or economic stimulation. As of 2009, the estimated foreign debt for all world countries combined hovered at about $56. 9 trillion US Dollars (USD). One term that comes up often when considering foreign debt is sustainability.For external debt to be sustainable, a country must have a high enough gross domestic product (GDP) in order to pay down and eventually pay off the debt while continuing its own economic function. Therefore, a country with a high GDP or large employed population may be able to sustain much more debt than a small or poor country. POLITICAL FACTOR: In India election held every five years mean thereby one party has rule for the five years. But from the 1996 India was facing political instability and this type of political instability has created hefty problem in the different market especially in Forex market, which is highly volatile.In fact in the year 1999 due to political uncertainty in the BJP Government the rupee has depreciated by 30 paise in the month of April. So we can say that political can become important factor to determine foreign exchange in India. INFLATION RATE: It is widely held that exchange rates move in the direction required to compensate for relative inflation rates. For instance, if a currency is already overvalued, i. e. stronger than what is warranted by relative inflation rates, depreciation sufficient enough to correct that position can be expected and vice versa.It is necessary to note that an exchange rate is a relative price and hence the market weighs all the relative factors in relative terms (in relation to the counterpart countries). The underlying reasoning behind this conviction is that a relatively high rate of inflation reduces a country’s competitiveness and weakens its ability to sell in international markets. This situation, in turn, will weaken the domestic currency by reducing the demand or expected demand for it and increasing the demand or expected demand for the oreign currency (increase in the supply of domestic currency and decrease in the supply of foreign currency). INTEREST RATE: An important factor for movement in exchange rates in recent years is interest rates, i. e. interest differential between major currencies. In this respect the growing integration of financial markets of major countries, the revolution in telecommunication facilities, the growth of specialised asset managing agencies, the deregulation of financial markets by major countries, he emergence of foreign trading as profit centres per se and the tremendous scope for bandwagon and squaring effects on the rates, etc. have accelerated the potential for exchange rate volatility. BALANCE OF PAYMENTS: As mentioned earlier, a net inflow of foreign currency tends to strengthen the home currency vis-a-vis other currencies. This is because the supply of the foreign currency will be in excess of demand. A good way of ascertaining this would be to check the balance of payments. If the balance of payments is positive and foreign exchange reserves are increasing, the home currency will become strong.LAST 10 YEARS GRAPH |Year |Rupees | |2000 |45 | |2001 |47. 23 | |2002 |48. 62 | |2003 |46. | |2004 |45. 28 | |2005 |44. 01 | |2006 |45. 17 | |2007 |41. 2 | |2008 |43. 1 | |2009 |48. 32 | |2010 |45. 61 | |2011 |46. 61 | Last 10 Years Fluctuation With U. S. $ Rs/$ exchange rate for last 10 years [pic] Major Fluctuations The major reason which draws attention towards this rupee appreciation has been a flood of foreign-exchange inflows, especially US dollars.The surge of capital inflows into India has taken variety of forms ranging from foreign direct investment (FDI) to remittances sent back home by Indian expatriates. The main impact of these flows is as follows: 1. FDI: India’s starring economic growth has created a larg e domestic market that offers promising opportunities for foreign companies. Moreover many companies rising competitiveness in many sectors has made it an attractive export base. 2. ECB (EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL BORROWINGS): Indian companies have borrowed enormous amounts of money overseas to finance investments and acquisitions at home and abroad.This borrowed money has returned to India, boosting capital inflows. In 2007-08 (april-september) external assistance (net) was placed at US $ 729 million as against US $ 386 million for the corresponding period in 2006-07 indicating a growth of 88. 9%. 3. FOREIGN PORTFOLIO INFLOWS (FII’S): India’s booming stock market embodies the confidence of the investors in the country’s corporate sector. Foreign portfolio inflows have played a key role in fuming this boom. Looking at the period of 2003-04 and 2006-07, the net annual inflow of funds by foreign institutional investors averaged US $ 8. bn. Trends during first five months of 2007 indicate that this flood is continuing with net FII inflows amounting to US $4. 6 bn. Another major source of portfolio capital inflows has been overseas equity issues of Indian companies via global depository receipts (GDR’s) & American depository receipts (ADR’s). Moreover FII’s registered in India has doubled to 1050 between March 2001 –march 2007 and now around 3,336 FII subaccounts also exist. . FII equity flow has increased from $9. 8 billion in 2004, $ 11 billion in 2005 to over 16 billion in 2007. these inflows have risen to 43% in 2007.However in mid-October RBI banned foreign investment via off shore derivatives called participatory notes (PN). These derivatives were used by foreign investors not registered in India (say hedge funds) to indirectly invest through registered investors. Between Mar 2004 – Aug 2007 the number of FII sub accounts that issued PNs rose from 14 to 34. Many believed that motive behind such RBI measure was to improve transparency of capital inflows and that restricting inflows via PN would have little or no impact on overall inflows coming into the country. 4.INVESTMENT AND REMITTANCES: Another major source of capital inflows has been non-resident Indians (NRI’s) investing large amounts in special bank accounts. While NRI’s emotional connection to the country of origin is part of explanation to this, the attractive interest rate offered on such deposits also provide a powerful incentive. In 2006-07 NRI deposits amounted to US$ 3. 8 bn. another large source of foreign exchange inflows has been remittances from huge number of Indians working overseas temporarily. Such remittances amounted to a colossal of US $ 19. bn in April-December 2006, a 15% year on year increase. CHANGING SCENARIO OF 2008 The current year 2008 has started with sudden tide of depreciation of rupee. The rupee has lost its glory of invincibility that surrounded it over past one year. Between January an d second week of February rupee depreciated against greenback by atleast 3%. The demand and supply theory The current year 2008 has started with sudden tide of depreciation of rupee. The rupee has lost its glory of invincibility that surrounded it over past one year. Between January and second week of February rupee depreciated gainst greenback by atleast 3%. The recent spell of depreciation of rupee is the outcome of surging demand for greenback from oil importers. Oil prices have globally hit anew record of $135 per barrel on 22may 2008. Since oil is prices in dollar in global market and most of our crude oil requirements being met from imports from overseas, rising prices of crude oil meant that domestic oil companies will need more dollars to fund their purchases. This triggers rupee sales and dollar purchases thus leading to weakening of rupee. ADVANTAGES OF RUPEE APPRECIATION DAMPENING OF INFLATION: Normally, currencies appreciate when the economies are doing well and the rise in their value is a cause for celebration especially for consumers. A higher value of rupee will result in cheaper imports which, in turn has a dampening  effect on inflation. Thus, rupee appreciation helps control inflation. †¢   FOREIGN DEBT SERVICING: Appreciation of the rupee helps in easing the pressure, related to foreign debt servicing (interest payments on debt raised in foreign currency), on India and Indian companies.With Indian companies taking advantage of the United States soft interest rate regime and raising foreign currency loans, known as external commercial borrowings (ECBs), this is a welcome phenomenon from the point of view of their interest commitments on the loans raised. This will help them avoid taking a bigger hit on their bottom-line, which is beneficial for its shareholders. Indian companies which have Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCBs) like Reliance Communications, Bharat Forge, Sun Pharma and Ranbaxy  benefit from the appreciation of rupee.   OUTBOUND TOURISTS/STUDENT BONANZA: The appreciating rupee is a big positive for tourists traveling or wanting to travel abroad. Considering that the rupee has appreciated by over 10% against the US dollar since mid-2002, traveling to the US is now cheaper by a similar quantum in rupee terms. The same applies to students who are still in the process of finalizing their study plans abroad. For example, a student's enrollment for a $1,000 course abroad would now cost only  [pic]44,000 instead of the earlier  [pic]49,000! †¢   GOVERNMENT RESERVES:Considering that the government has been selling its stake aggressively in major public sector units in the recent past, and with a substantial chunk of this being subscribed by FIIs, the latter will have to invest more dollars to pick up a stake in the company being divested, thus aiding the governments build up of reserves. DISADVANTAGES OF RUPEE APPRECIATION †¢Ã‚   EXPORTERS' disadvantage:  The exporters are at a disadvantage owing to the currency appreciation as this renders their produce expensive in the international markets as compared to other competing nations whose currencies haven't appreciated on a similar scale.Small exporters are hit badly by rupee appreciation as they have limited access to hedging products. This tends to take away a part of the advantage from Indian companies, which they enjoy due to their cost competitiveness. However, it must be noted that despite the sharp currency appreciation in recent times, Indian exports have continued to grow. †¢ DOLLAR DENOMINATED EARNINGS HURT: the strengthening rupee has an adverse impact on various companies/sectors, which derive a substantial portion of their revenues from the us markets (or in dollar denominations).Software and BPO are typical examples of the sectors adversely impacted by the appreciation of rupee. RUPEE APPRECIATION FROM THE EXPORTER’S POINT OF VEIW Most developing countries have economies based lar gely on exports that are competitive in global markets because of low prices. When those countries' currency gains value, they are no longer able to offer exports to the global market at the same low prices that they planned to. This may cause importers to look elsewhere to country's with lower valued currency and thus prices or to order less than they would have otherwise.Thus, the share of exports in economy will be affected, if the currency appreciates. The main effect on the exporters is that an appreciated currency  makes the exporter’s products more expensive in overseas markets and it thus erodes their international competitiveness. In the Indian scenario today, the  IT industry is growing by 31% YOY and major operations (around 80-85%) are outsourced from the US-based companies. Hotels like ITC, Taj etc. have about 50% of their revenues in terms of dollars. Thus, these industries will stand to lose when rupee appreciates.Similiarly, silk industry had to bear the b runt as it was  71% sensitive to the  hardening of the currency. Cotton and jute were less sensitive to the rising rupee at  23% and 18% respectively. The  IT sector companies were  upto  90% sensitive to  rupee appreciation. RUPEE APPRECIATION FROM THE IMPORTER’S POINT OF VEIW The reverse phenomenon happens when you look at rupee appreciation from the importer’s point of view. Oil companies are highly benefitted, more than  80% crude oil is imported from the gulf and  other counties. Acc to an Indian Oil Corporation manager, for every Rs1 appreciation, crude oil price dips by  2%.Another major beneficiary of rupee appreciation are the  Indian companies who have gone for recent acquisitions using foreign debt-leverage. Indian companies who have International borrowings in their account are also benefitted. An appreciating rupee is beneficial for the country’s external debts as well. Consumer electronic goods, imported apparels etc become av ailable at cheaper prices as a result of a higher valued rupee. Industries which import raw materials get these at a  cheaper price. LITERATURE REVIEW 1. In the year, December 2010 Dr.Gaurav Agrawal, Aniruddh Kumar Srivastav & Ankita Srivastava had done A Study of Exchange Rates Movement and Stock Market Volatility. This research empirically examines the dynamics between the volatility of stock returns and movement of Rupee-Dollar exchange rates, in terms of the extent of interdependency and causality. 2. In the year, March 2011 RBI had done study on an empirical analysis of relation between currency future and exchange rates volatility in India. In this paper they have find a relationship between the exchange rate volatility and the trading activity in the currency futures.Trading in currency futures in USD-INR rates was permitted at the time when the financial crisis had hit the advanced economies. MONETARY POLICY UNDER FLEXIBLE EXCHANGE RATES If exchange rates are fixed, then t he capital flow affects the stock of foreign exchange assets and the money supply. If the exchange rate is allowed to vary, then the exchange rate will change in response to the capital flow. Similarly, the policy change affects the level of economic activity. A change in income results in a changed demand for imports and net exports . he change in demand for imports affects the demand for foreign exchange and also has an impact on foreign exchange market. The third party of analysis accordingly identifies the impact of the change in the interest rate in the money market on the foreign exchange market-foreign exchange reserves or the exchange rate. As the exchange rate depreciates, the competitiveness of domestic economy improves and exports increases. The increase in money supply in a floating exchange rate regime with imperfect capital mobility thus resulting: A depreciation of the exchange rate. †¢ An increase in income †¢ A decline in interest rate †¢ An improveme nt in the current account balance BIBLIOGRAPHY †¢http://www. investopedia. com/terms/c/currency. asp#ixzz28ttvjLVD †¢http://www. mbaknol. com/managerial-economics/factors-affecting-the-exchange-rate-of-indian-rupee/ †¢http://www. marketoracle. co. uk/Article28468. html †¢www. ccsenet. org/ijbm †¢http://www. sapphireconsultinggroup. in/Rupee_appreciation. html#Executive http://www. investorwords. com/2186/GNP. html#ixzz2CsUdLeaQ APPENDICES BPOBPO is distinct from information technology (IT) outsourcing, which focuses on hiring a third-party company or service provider to do IT-related activities, such as application management and application development, data center operations, or testing and quality assurance. BOP A record of all transactions made between one particular country and all other countries during a specified period of time. BOP compares the dollar difference of the amount of exports and imports, including all financial exports and imports. A neg ative balance of payments means that more money is flowing out of the country than coming in, and vice versa.EXCHANGE RATE the exchange rate is the quantity of one currency required to buy or sell one unit of the other currency. FISCAL DEFICIT The difference between total revenue and total expenditure of the government is termed as fiscal deficit. It is an indication of the total borrowings needed by the government. While calculating the total revenue, borrowings are not included. FDI FDI refers more specifically to the investment of foreign assets into domestic goods and services. FOREIGN DEBT An outstanding loan that one country owes to another country or institutions within that country.Foreign debt also includes due payments to international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The debt may be comprised of fees for goods and services or outstanding credit due to a negative balance of trade. GNI The Gross national income (GNI) consists of: the personal con sumption expenditures, the gross private investment, the government consumption expenditures, the net income from assets abroad (net income receipts), and the gross exports of goods and services, after deducting two components: the gross imports of goods and services, and the indirect business taxes.GDP Gross Domestic Product, is a primary indicator used to assess the strength of a country’s economy representing the total value of all the goods and services produced over a particular time frame. GDP = C + G + I + NX Where, â€Å"C† is equal to all private consumption, or consumer spending, in a nation's economy â€Å"G† is the sum of government spending â€Å"I† is the sum of all the country's businesses spending on capital†NX† is the nation's total net exports, calculated as total exports minus total imports. (NX = Exports – Imports) GNPGross National Product. GNP is the total value of all final goods and services produced within a nat ion in a particular year, plus income earned by its citizens (including income of those located abroad), minus income of non-residents located in that country. IMF The IMF plays three major roles in the global monetary system. The Fund surveys and monitors economic and financial developments, lends funds to countries with balance-of-payment difficulties, and provides technical assistance and training for countries requesting it.

Muir and Wordsworth Essay

Thesis Statement, Opening Paragraph, evidence & conclusion REVISED While both poets Muir and Wordsworth wrote about the happy feelings that they have towards nature the beautiful outdoors or what some people may say Mother Nature, some of which the feelings are the same and some that are different as they speak of the different plants. In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.† – John Muir Nature does not only show the beauty of the Earth, but it shows the beauty within us. So then, is it not easy to say that both of these authors have great beauty within them? After reading both â€Å"Calypso Borealis,† -John Muir and â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud† -William Wordsworth, I can boldly state that with their loving choice of diction, tone, and use of syntax they clearly show that they truly admire nature and their surroundings. People say â€Å"Nature is the best medicine.† I know exactly what they mean. Sometimes, I’m fe eling down because something didn’t go right, or has popped up in my life. After a enjoying a beautiful morning, outside with the nature I’m back in my right state of mind. If you felt the emotion in this scene, the works of two authors, John Muir and William Wordsworth, would certainly catch your eye. â€Å"Calypso Borealis† by Muir and the poem â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud† by Wordsworth are two beautiful pieces of literature written very differently, but with key similarities, one of them being nature. The powerful emotions within the unique tone and personalities of the two authors not only expressed their relationships with nature, it allowed the reader to connect with the feelings of the author both visually and mentally. When you first read these two pieces of literature, you’ll find yourself captivated wonderfully in a descriptive world. In â€Å"Calypso Borealis† Muir has a particularly vivid section in which the main character off on an excursion into a swamp surrounding the great lakes. Starting on his journey, Muir is greeted by a diversity of flora. He marvels in the plants and happily soaks up natures treasures. Muir creatively informs the reader just how much the main character truly loves nature. The same marvel and beauty is shared in the poem â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.† After a long climb over a high hill he finds his reward a valley shining with a huge field of daffodils. â€Å"Besides the lakes, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in  the breeze.† As Wordsworth explains the scene. As each scene pops out of the poem, a new addition to the painting in your mind appears each time. The painting may vary from person to person, but I believe the sam e sense of awe is present with every mind. The portions cited are just the beginning of these two works; enough to splash your mind with colors and emotions, but later parts are what truly makes them worth reading. â€Å"Calypso Borealis† turns from revelation to a desperate situation. Weary and empty, the main character prepares to spend the night in the wet swamp, in a tree nest. Just as the sun was about to set, the future very unpredictable, when â€Å"Everything seemed most dangerous and discouraging†, the story continues, â€Å"I found beautiful Calypso on the mossy bank of stream.† Overwhelmed by the purity and beauty of the Calypso, he collapses by the flower and cries. This rather quick change of pace I what kept me reading, and the fact the Calypso was so beautiful it made the main character break down in tears. Imagine finding the glorious treasure you’ve been seeking the entire time. The change of tone from depressing to overwhelmingly happy is similar to the poem â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.† In the last stanza, when Wordsworth is sitting on his couch, lonely and depressed, he remembers the beautiful scene overlooking the field of daffodils and is instantly uplifted with joy. Wordsworth describes it as, â€Å"In vacant or in pensive mood they flash upon that inward eye which is the bliss of solitude.† The marvelous change of tones in these two works makes them a rollercoaster of emotions. If you are very emotional person, these two pieces of literature will certainly touch you. The poem â€Å"Calypso Borealis† by John Muir and the poem â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud† by William Wordsworth two great works centered on nature that contain vivid imagery and emotional changes of tone the pictures in your mind are the illustrations, your emotions are the story, and nature is the cover. These two works inspired by events in the 19th century are different in many areas, but not the emotional and colorful images they provoke.

An Urban Renewal Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

An Urban Renewal Project - Research Paper Example These steps are taken in order to use privately-owned property for development projects such as urban renewal project (Grogon and Proscio, 2001). The process of urban renewal is seen in both positive and negative ways by various people. To most of people, it acts as a symbol of economic development and positive reforms and for some it acts as a means of establishing control. It is a good way of recreating communities that exist and make them seem better but at the cost of demolishing certain neighborhoods. However, with the passage of time a change has occurred in the way people think about urban renewal projects which is seen now as more oriented toward investment and renovation and less toward destruction (Jones, 2004). The paper will highlight the local project at Los Angeles that had been named as Bunker Hill project and will discuss the circumstances that led to this decision of accomplishing an urban renewal project in Los Angeles. The role of power elite, pluralism, mobility, economic competition and government regime has also been discussed in the paper throughout. Bunker Hill is the Los Angeles’ oldest plan of redevelopment that spreads over the area of 133 acres. The project adopted in 1959 by the city council of Los Angeles got transformed into a project of area redevelopment in 1968. The project area considered to be bounded by Hill Street (east), First Street (north), Fifth Street (south) and Harbour Freeway (west) (Dawson, 2008). The area had been relocated to include twenty-five developmental sites of large mass. The developmental plan also included the construction of a new street system in order to control the steepness of hill and to connect the steep area with nearby flatlands. The four sites out of the twenty-five major developmental sites were under the ownership of CRA/LA whereas two were owned by County. The project of Bunker Hill had been the result of continuous struggle against the lawsuits by City Council that won its case in f avor of urban renewal project in 1964. The funds raised for the completion of project were initially $33 million and few complaints were submitted against the plan. However, in 1968 the project was renamed as Bunker Hill Redevelopment project which previously was known as urban renewal project (Fante, 2002). It is worth-mentioning that the area had been remained unattended for the period from 1800’s to 1920’ due to the lack of water system and other services that had not reached that place at the time. The Bunker Hill due to the steep topography had been the difficult project to accomplish and it was the necessary to reconstruct it in order to provide room for neighborhoods that were becoming overcrowded (Fante, 2002). The Great Depression had also contributed in the negligence of this hilly area in terms of renovating the site. Therefore, in 1940’s it was almost impossible to think of reconstructing the area and investing a lot of money in doing so at the time when the country was facing economic crisis and crime acts at the peak. In the past the site had been the place of Victorian mansions which now became urban decay. Extensive surveys and researches were conducted to measure the physical, economic and social impacts. The results of the surveys identified the

Learning and Personal Growth Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Learning and Growth - Personal Statement Example I was lucky enough to find an entrepreneur and a friend of my mother, who was not only well known but also deputy chair of the Entrepreneur Association, to accompany me to municipal office for arranging to complete many formalities. I also mobilized a very dedicated employee of my mother's company to help me on deciding the price of shares to be sold and also work as a liaison between my family and the management of the company. I believe that was one of my biggest accomplishment because of my relative inexperience in different things like management, finance and other things, I was still able to mobilize people to accomplish one of the challenging tasks of my life. I believe this also provided me an opportunity to show and hone my nature leadership skills as I achieved things beyond my capacity. It was during 2007 when I was project manager for the renovation of Translation Planning and Management System, a tool used for managing IBM globalization and localization processes. During Investigation, it came up that the system is not delivering value to the end users due to different problems such as low customer satisfaction, speed etc. This analysis provided me an insight into the fact that we must shift our focus from being technology driven to customer driven and should develop technologies which support end users. It was also revealed during our analysis that we must develop an application which can deliver the functionality of a web based application while remaining a desktop application. This approach not only clicked but also proved one of the most important innovations which helped to create an I.T. environment in IBM in Egypt, for the first time which revolved around the customer needs and demands. Essay # 2 Background I am a Master Degree holder from Yale and served as an angel investor for an international education product distribution company. Based on my analysis of the company and its products, I persuaded my parents to invest into the company based on my assessment using Valuation Adjustment Mechanism which demanded that the value of the shares hold by my parents would increase from one level to another upon failure of the firm to achieve certain profit levels. However, things did not worked the way as it were perceived and analyzed by me as the firm failed to achieved our desired results Mistake I believe my over-anxious approach of getting quick results as an investor was the major mistake committed by me in this situation. My Self- Reflection on this Mistake While reflecting on my mistake, I came up with different and multiple perspectives on the mistake I committed. I first realized that to be successful investor means patience as investment needs a long term horizon to achieve results. Inability to take into account prudent and sound business principles would yield into failure even if backed up by most advanced measurement techniques. I also felt that I failed to take into account the market cycle China was experiencing at that time besides understanding that for an angel investor, it is necessary that he or she must provide valuable experience, skills, and networking opportunities to

Compare and contrast two artworks of the 19th century Essay

Compare and contrast two artworks of the 19th century - Essay Example On the other hand, Paul Cezanne used Madame Cezanne’s portrait to express classical calm and ultimate simplicity. In the portrait, Cezanne does not capture the social status of his wife and therefore there is nothing to express her status as a model, lines and other artistic features are used to express emotional distance (Athanassouglou-Kallmyer, and Provence 234). This essay will give a brief biography of both artists and expound on similarities and differences of Comtesse de La Tour-Maubourg and Madame Cezannes portraits as mediums of expression. Theodore Chasseriau was born in Samana Dominican republic and his family moved to Paris when he was the age of three. His artworks have been influenced by Ingres and therefore his paintings, drawings and styles exhibited in his finished works are relatively close to the works of Ingres. Chasseriau started working at the Master’s Studio at the age of eleven where he met Ingres and continued working until Ingres left to lead t he Academic de France in Rome in 1834. Through his brother’s connections, he was able to draw portraits of elites in both the church and the state and his works were easily accepted in the society. He started producing his artworks in 1836 and moved to Rome in 1841 to join his mentor Ingres. Chasseriau’s greatest artworks were the Othello etchings in 1844 and a trip to Algeria exposed him to Orientals subjects that he was learning and was interested in exploring in the field of art. After his death, the staircase for Cour-des-Comptes that symbolized war and peace were destroyed by fire in 1846. Paul Cezanne was born in 1839 in Aix-en-Provence in France in a well-off family that assured his financial stability and supported him in his artistic works, an advantage that was missed by most artists of the time. Cezannes father wanted him to study law and he was forced to study Law at the University of Aix. However, he inherited a vivacious and romantic touch from his mother , and in 1857 he went for drawing classes under Joseph Gilbert at the Free Municipal School of Drawing at Aix. Because of a strong desire to pursue his passion, Cezanne went against his father’s wishes and under the encouragement of Zola, delved into artistic works, and moved to Paris where he developed his artistic skills, through the mentorship of Camille Pissarro. In his early works, Cezannes paintings were majorly large heavy figures in the landscape that were painted through imagination. However, as he developed, he advanced to working and painting from direct observation and this culminated into a light airy painting style. He struggled to create a connection between his observations and classical compositions. The Comtesse de La Tour-Maubourg portrait is symmetrical, with its proper positioning and proportional utilization of space allowing the artist to fix the background and other natural features in a proper proportion and distance in reference to the subject. On th e other hand, the portrait of Madame Cezanne in a red dress her posture sitting on the yellow chair and the details of wall bring out a very symmetrical relation of the different features that have been captured. The Primary colors, which are blue, red and yellow, are used to bring

Lockheed Martin Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lockheed Martin Corporation - Essay Example Ethics in sustainability, good citizenship, and asset responsibility are fundamental ethical standards that the corporation’ marketing team can use in convincing customers (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2012). Ethical standards set by Lockheed Martin are among key aspects that help the company in luring large markets that it controls across the globe. Most of their ethical standards are elements that form good marketing gears for the marketing team. To acquirer long-term and continual market survival, the business must maintain high ethical standards. Tough rules on ethics are a good indication of competence and high standards of service provision.Lockheed Martin products face stiff competition from some of the major players in the aerospace industry such as Boeing. The only advantage that Lockheed Martin enjoys is customer confidence, even though Boeing also has its loyal customers (Lamb, Hair & McDaniel, 2012). The competing companies, in many cases, violate their set ethics to com pete favorably. Although violation of ethics may be beneficial in the short run, it affects the continuous customer loyalty.

History Questions (1st World War, Socialism, French Revolution) Essay

History Questions (1st World War, Socialism, French Revolution) - Essay Example The topic on discussion was a possible war with Russia, and Britain, considering their military development, and reconstruction. The council was of the opinion that, Serbia would attack Austria, and they will get the support of the Russians. Austria being an ally of Germany, Germany would be forced to defend Austria, on this note, war was inevitable (Hobson, 310. The council resolved that the war should start immediately. On this note, the assignation of the arch duke of Austria was just a catalyst, since this war was decided on December 8th of 1912. Germany was also responsible for its own defeat in the war.German entered into the war with inadequate military facilities that could match that of Britain, France and Russia. During the war council of 1912, Admiral Tirpitz, the head of the German Navy asked for the postponement of the war, because the navy was not adequately prepared to fight in the war, especially if Britain was enjoined (Hobson, 31). This is because of the Triple ente nte treaty which comprised of Britain, France and Russia. The Navy wanted to build widen the Kiev Canal, and construct a u boat system, that had the capability of matching the facilities of the British Navy. On this note, Germany entered into war ill prepared, in terms of the machineries and equipment’s of the war. The main ideas of Karl Marx are capitalism, and he defines as a system in which the rich accumulate resources at the expense of the population. According to Karl Marx, the Society is divided between the bourgeois, the proletariat and the masses. He states that the Bourgeois are the owners of capital, and the society is run by them. According to Karl Marx, the Bourgeois employ the proletariat to carter for their needs (Hobson, 41). The proletariats are the managers of the various investments of the Bourgeois, and they are paid a salary to carter for their education, health and family wellbeing. The masses are people who do not have skills that they can use for survi val in the society. They are poor and hopeless, on this note Karl Marx observes that it is important to establish communalism in a state, because it will carter for the interests of all members of the State. It will limit the excesses of the bourgeois in exploiting the proletariats and the masses. These thoughts by Karl Marx were developed on the basis of the conflict that arose in the society due to economic and financial problems. Karl Marx observed the relationship between the owners of companies, and their workers. He analyzed their relationships, and noted that there was a conflict between these workers and their employers, and he therefore developed a critique of capitalism. Charles Darwin on the other hand believed that living organism strive to exist, and any feature within their possession that affects their survival and reproductive capability must subject itself to a continuous selective process. This idea emanated from his

Lorem Ipsum Paper Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lorem Ipsum Paper - Coursework Example Nulla ac arcu non augue congue pulvinar. Sed ut libero lacus, vel varius nisl. Phasellus sit amet tempus nunc. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Mauris eu magna ipsum, quis vehicula ante. Nam blandit blandit arcu ut faucibus. Donec erat velit, vehicula vel fringilla at, pretium nec dui. Aenean velit mauris, fermentum vitae sagittis eu, elementum eu nisl. Pellentesque nisi velit, cursus non sollicitudin ut, euismod eu odio. Fusce ultrices lorem vel nibh volutpat ac pulvinar sem pretium. Aliquam scelerisque aliquet ipsum, vitae luctus turpis rutrum vel. Proin eu lectus velit, vitae aliquam elit. Etiam in massa quam. â€Å"The name ’Bluetooth’ reflects the Scandinavian origins of the technology1. It is named after a 10th century Danish viking, King Harald Blatand (translating as 'Bluetooth' in English). He united and controlled Denmark and Norway, hence the association of uniting devices through Bluetooth. Legend has i t that he liked eating blueberries - so much that his teeth became stained with the colour of the fruit, giving rise to his name!† (Stucken, 2010) Sed euismod, ipsum pretium congue fermentum, nibh est blandit lacus, a venenatis magna mi eget nibh. Mauris accumsan, dui vitae aliquet dapibus, enim dui vestibulum velit, vel rhoncus metus urna sed neque. Quisque rhoncus lorem at felis blandit vestibulum interdum erat pellentesque. Donec eget felis nisi, et feugiat turpis. Sed vitae velit sed augue lobortis consequat. Mauris at euismod dolor. Etiam condimentum ullamcorper faucibus. Vivamus viverra, metus sit amet porta pharetra, augue diam molestie erat, in euismod turpis lacus non enim. Mauris eget sapien orci. Praesent sit amet nibh dui. Phasellus non dignissim lectus. Fusce faucibus erat et mi varius rhoncus. Equation 1: Population mean 1 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi scelerisque, turpis sit amet rutrum porttitor, dui elit pulvinar augue, quis ve hicula eros massa non augue. Duis ac tellus at nulla consectetur viverra. Fusce vehicula mauris eget dolor molestie tincidunt. Duis sollicitudin sem vel dui malesuada facilisis. Suspendisse convallis auctor risus, eget mattis ipsum eleifend sit amet. Maecenas dictum dui at metus suscipit scelerisque. Donec sed est eu neque dictum gravida sed vitae tellus. Maecenas vitae nisl eget justo ultrices ornare. Vivamus lectus elit, ultrices in cursus in, malesuada ac tellus. Ut vel fermentum sem. Maecenas ullamcorper odio vitae justo consectetur tristique. The technology, named after a 1000 year old king of Denmark, is one of its kinds (Mitchell, 2012). Curabitur blandit, nunc eu ornare pulvinar, eros urna auctor nisl, nec ornare dui ipsum id tellus. Morbi lobortis congue diam at imperdiet. Phasellus tempus tincidunt justo id feugiat. Proin sit amet nisi lacus, vel facilisis turpis. In molestie sagittis ullamcorper. Donec at dui erat. Donec luctus interdum malesuada. Ut tincidunt sollicitudi n massa quis suscipit. Suspendisse quis augue eget mi aliquet ornare at vitae est. Mauris lobortis turpis pharetra metus commodo sed viverra neque facilisis. Curabitur lobortis dolor dui, sed semper nisl. Pellentesque condimentum quam et erat imperdiet ultricies blandit est rutrum. Ut pulvinar augue in velit pellentesque ornare at quis ligula. Curabitur vitae molestie lacus. Nunc interdum orci nec nulla tincidunt consectetur. Vivamus scelerisque accumsan quam, et suscipit mauris rutrum id. Proin malesuada, lacus nec

To what extent may several common mental disorders, as identified by Essay

To what extent may several common mental disorders, as identified by the 2007 ABS National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing - Essay Example This is because, it is clear that the thoughtless attitude that leaders of organisations adopt towards mental health has continuously compounded the effects of mental disorders, with stigma, dismissal from work, aloofness and ignorance being some of the commonest manifestations of this same attitude. Contrariwise, the need to tamper the quest for performance target with human dignity, corporate social responsibility and fairness compels a relook into organisational culture, as it relates to employees who may suffer from mental disorders, as shall be seen forthwith. Introduction According to the report that the 2007 ABS National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing released, there is a great extent to which several common mental disorders impact a person's performance at work. It follows logically that any mental disorder affects the brain and its function, with the brain being the central nervous system [CNS]. This means that it is important for the rest of the body to function well , if the CNS or a compartment of the CNS is not properly functioning. The same is also underscored by the fact that work, however manual it may seem, is seriously a mental affair. As a product of the Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], the 2007 ABS National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing report summarised and pointed out that the three chief mental disorder groups are: affective disorders [such as depression]; anxiety disorder [such as social phobia] and substance ab/use disorders [such as the harmful use of alcohol, marijuana and other forms of stimulants]. This report also divulged on the level of mental impairment, the accompanying physical conditions, the health services that are to be used to treat mental health complications, accompanying demographic and socio-economic characteristics and relating demographic conditions. These categories of mental illnesses and the prevailing conditions of mental health illnesses provide an insight into the manner in which common men tal disorders impact a person's performance at work. Substance abuse, affective and anxiety mental disorders are known to have the potency to undermine interpersonal relationships, yet interpersonal relationships are vital for the realisation of an organisation's performance target. Particularly, complications emanating from the use of marijuana as a form of substance abuse may manifest through withdrawal symptoms, violent or aggressive behaviour, or behavioural excesses. These manifestations frustrate interpersonal communication and thereby undermining intra-organisational relations. Anxiety mental disorders such as extreme shyness and affective disorders such as depression equally frustrate interpersonal communication at work, by hampering the flow of ideas, the channeling of operational command and personal confidence which is important. The place of interpersonal relations and intra-organisational communication is important in the attainment of both long-term and short-term perf ormance target since supervision, the induction of new employees and aspects of talent management such as training and workshop programmes are heavily reliant upon interpersonal relations within an organisation. Conversely, in the event that some of mental disorders persisting at the workplace, the organisation

TWO page summary and critique Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

TWO page summary and critique - Article Example pproach, consisting of beginnings in which the contract is negotiated between the counselor and client, middles in which the counselor explores the story of the client, and endings in which the discussion is concluded. Finally, the counselor works out ways based on the information he/she has received to help the client. In the beginnings stage, it is important that the counselor lends a sense of empowerment to the client so that the client feels confidant and his/her tendency to narrate life episodes is optimized. In the middles stage, the counselor’s focus should be to develop a rapport with the client so that the client reveals about his/her life more. In the ending stage, the counselor should clarify any doubts with respect to understanding or recording of information with the client. Savickas’s approach creates multiple approaches for assisting people with career transitions. I find Savickas’s systematic approach to counseling quite appealing because it provides a concise yet holistic understanding of the process of counseling. It makes it easier to memorize the process and the activities it entails by categorizing it into three stages (National Guidance Research Forum, 2012). The focus of the article is the key points a counselor must pay attention toward in each stage so that the counseling session is the most productive and the client is able to benefit from the counselor’s approach. It is correct that peoples career choices are determined, to a large extent by their life experiences and social connections. Media is a very powerful projector of the norms and values, trends and traditions of a culture. In my professional career counseling, I will Savickas’s systematic approach by trying to develop a comfort level and rapport with my client. I will give the client a gift in our first meeting suited to the client’s age and gender so that the client feels good about me. I shall also provide the client with a list of questions and ask him/her if

Team role Essay Example for Free

Team role Essay Good teamwork is essential to creating a successful practice. This is because good teamwork creates synergy – where the combined effect of the team is greater than the sum of individual efforts. According Meredith Belbin, who is a British researcher and management theorist best known for his work on management teams, there were nine team roles and he categorized them into three groups: Action Oriented, People Oriented, and Thought Oriented. Each team role is associated with typical behavioral and interpersonal strengths and it brings its own perspective on what action shoud be taken. Belbin also defined characteristic weaknesses that tend to accompany each team role. Action Oriented Roles include shaper (SH), implementer (IMP) and completer-finisher (CF). For instance, a shaper is people who challenge the team to improve, while a implementer is people who get things done and a completer-finisher is people who see that projects are completed thoroughly. On the other hand, People Oriented Roles admit coordinator (CO), team worker (TW) and resource investigator (RI). For exemple, a coordinator is the one who take on the traditional team-leader role and have also been referred to as the chairmen, while a TW is the people who provide support and make sure that people within the team are working together effectively and a RI is innovative and curious. And Thought Oriented Roles let in plant (PL), monitor-evaluator (ME) and specialist (SP). The plant is the creative innovator who comes up with new ideas and approaches, while a monitor-evaluators is best at analyzing and evaluating ideas that other people (often Plants) come up with and a specialist is people who have specialized knowledge that is needed to get the job done. Diversity of roles is an essential element of successful teamwork because everyone has a clear understanding of aims and objectives and there is a good balance of skills, abilities and aspirations, team members have a clear understanding of each individual’s role in achieving overall team objectives.

Management Of Organisations: Virgin Group

Management Of Organisations: Virgin Group Virgin is a leading branded venture capital (Virgin, 2011) organisation and is one of the worlds most recognised and respected brands, which was founded by the business tycoon Richard Branson. Virgin Group is classed as a Private Limited Company by Companies House. Virgin Group date of incorporation is listed as 1985 (Companies House, 2010), however, business and trading activities originally started in 1970 (Virgin, 2011). Virgin Group has gone on to grow very successful businesses in core sectors ranging from music to transportation, travel, financial services, media, drinks, books, gaming and fitness etc (Virgin, 2011).Virgin has created more than 300 branded companies worldwide, employing approximately 50,000 people, in 30 countries. Global branded revenues in 2009 exceeded  £11.5 billion (Virgin, 2011). The Virgin Group is structure is quite interestingly complex, although numbers of people recognise the Virgin Group to be a single business entity but this may not be the case. In actuality, each of the Virgin brand companies operates as a separate business entity (Grant, 2005). Although, Richard Branson holds full ownership and control of the Virgin Brand, the commercial set-up of the companies using the Virgin name is varied and complex (Grant, 2005). Even though each of the 300 companies operates as a single entity, Branson completely owns the majority of them either individually or through family trusts and is holding majority stakes in the others. However, occasionally, Richard Branson simply licenses the Virgin brand to a company that has purchased a division from him such as Virgin Mobile USA Australia, Virgin Radio and Virgin Music. (Grant, 2005). However, what connects the companies is use of the Virgin trademark, Bransons roles as chairman and shareholder and his managemen t role as the face of virgin in publicity, public and government relations. He also has responsibility for appointing senior executives (Grant, 2005). Appendix 1 illustrates the structure of the Virgin Group of companies, including some major operating companies and the holding companies that own them. Firstly, the report will explore and analyse theories relating to organisational culture for example, definitions, level and types of organisational culture, and will look at the way these theories relate to the Virgin organisation. Finally, leadership styles will be addressed with key theories supporting the importance of leadership and different types of leadership skills. In relation to the Virgin case study the particular value of the transformational type of leadership and the importance of team development will be highlighted. Case Study Analysis 2.1 Organisational Culture Organisational culture plays an important role within any organisation. Although the majority of us will have our own understanding of organisational culture, it is a universal concept that is difficult to define or explain precisely (Mullins, 2007, p. 721). It has been explained, for instance, as the dominant values espoused by an organisation (Deal Kennedy, 2000), whereas, Bower (1966) simply described it as the way things are done around here. However, despite there not being a unanimous accepted definition, there is a common theme within Deal Kennedy (2000) and Bower (1966). Their definitions uncover a central theme, that is, organisational culture refers to a system of shared meaning. A more detailed definition is: The collection of traditions, values, policies, beliefs and attitudes that constitute a pervasive context for everything we do and think in an organisation. (Mclean and Marshall, 1993 cited in Mullins, 2007) This clarifies that organisational culture is a mixture of customs and practices and the beliefs and attitudes that these are based on that make up the way of working and the approach of an organisation. According to Mullins (2007), the culture of an organisation is also often likened to the personality of an individual; this could be said of Virgin. Virgin describes it culture and brand as making a difference. Virgin stands for value for money, quality, innovation, fun and a sense of competitive challenge (Virgin, 2011). These traits are often used to describe Richard Branson, founder and chairman or the Virgin Group. The company aims to deliver a quality service by empowering its employees and facilitating and monitoring customer feedback to continually improve the customers experience through innovation (Virgin, 2011). It is evident that Virgins values and approach to business appeal to the customers and create an adventurous spirit in the organisation that has contributed to its success which has enabled it to branch out into other sectors such as those described above. Levels of Cultures To help understand culture more, Schein (2010) has categorized the places where culture is found into three fundamental categories (Figure 1), each category is recognized by its visibility and accessibility by individuals. The deeper one gets, the more difficult it is to discover the culture. Figure 1 Scheins Three Levels of Culture Source: (Buchanan Huczynski, 2007, p. 622) Scheins first level is known as Artifacts, it is the most visible level out of the three. It refers to the observable things that a culture produces. It includes both physical objects and behaviour patterns that can be observed freely through what you see, hear and feel in an organisation, for instance, the architecture and physical surroundings; its products; its technologies; its style (shown through clothing); its published values and mission statement; its language and humour; its myths and stories. In the case of Virgin their uniform is consistently red, their language style is informal hip and the company has its own myth that Richard Branson always walks around with a notebook to record and pick up on every creative idea from employees and how he surprises employees with trips to his islands. The next level is less visible and is referred to as the espoused values level. It is the beliefs and values, sometime unspoken shared within an organisation and its members, that have meaning and worth to the founders and senior management of an organisation (Buchanan Huczynski, 2007). The espoused values may have their roots and be based on values that were learnt through childhood whether its religious, societal or moral upbringing (Buchanan Huczynski, 2007). These values can give the organisation its distinct character and provide a sense of direction for employees. The Virgin Group has a distinct organisational culture which is characterised by its founders individual values, personality and personal style the company reflects his ambition a drive for success coupled with his informal anti-corporate approach, very much a product of his upbringing and the popular culture of his time (Grant, 2005). Finally, located at Scheins third level, known as the deeper level of cultural analysis are Basic Assumptions. This deeper level is more commonly known as the hidden beliefs and assumptions or shared tacit assumptions. Basic Assumptions are essential, often unaware, determinants of an organisations attitudes, thought processes, and actions. These assumptions are central to its culture. Values that gain long-term acceptance often become so embedded and taken-for-granted that individuals are usually unaware of their influence. They usually provide a tacit sense of security and an unquestioned thrust for perceptions and behaviour. Scheins three levels of culture has proved to be useful as an approach to analysing Virgin Group organisational culture. Schein (2010) emphasises the fact that if organisational culture is understood fully it can be manipulated and managed within the organisation to meet the organisations purposes. For example, Virgin has been able to use organisational culture to foster loyalty, commitment and hard work within its employees by offering freedom, empowerment and by giving them a sense of being part of something cool and different whist providing social activities. Scheins three level of culture has also help clarified why Virgin Group should give importance to organisational culture; it is a mixture of execution and culture that makes the difference between one organisation to another. Organisational culture is essential; it is the glue that binds everyone together. Virgin Group holds onto the values, symbols, and rituals that have guided them for several years, and anything new that add to the culture should always supports what already exists. In summary, organisational culture maybe identified through companies using Scheins level of culture. Though, Schein (2010) does states that there are no consistently quick ways to identify the cultural assumptions of people in organizations. He does recommends observing, talking to people, collecting archival data, listening to stories, and etc, until a pattern finally emerges. However, organisational culture can be developed through effective leadership, empowered employees, strong development programs, good communications and a real focus on customers. All attributes that Richard Branson uses to run his organisation. One thing that is clear is that the culture which Branson created through his own unique leadership style was one that is strongly influenced by his personal style and personality, making it a difficult model to adopt or mimic if he was to leave. 2.2 Leadership Styles and Team Development Due to the success and efficiency of Virgin Group, the media frequently cover the leadership and management strategies of Virgin Group. Sir Richard Branson is renowned for his vibrant yet competitive leadership style. According to Mullins (2007) and Daft (2002), leadership is essentially a relationship through which one person influences the behaviour or actions of other people, those people intentionally wish for major changes, and the changes mirror purposes shared by followers and leaders. In the case of the Virgin Group, this means that the style of Sir Richard Bransons leadership cannot be separated from the activities of Virgin Group and the effective teambuilding within the organisation. This supported by Grant (2005) and Jackson (1998) who states that a major contributor to the Virgin Groups success is the inventive leadership style of Richard Branson. This leads us to closely examine Richard Branson leadership styles. In examining Richard Bransons style, his ability as to influence and skill to build a common idea among his employees are renowned. Mintzberg (2009) maintains that you earn leadership from those you lead. He proposes that leadership is about earning the respect of employees, something which Branson appears to do a lot in his career. One of the ways he does this is through his sense of equality and fairness in how he treats people and by promoting flat, non hierarchical structure to run his businesses (Grant, 2005). The early 1980s saw a great paradigm shift in the way of leadership, from transactional to transformational. (Gaughan, 2001). Earlier models to leadership, such as the situational or contingency models of Fiedler (1967), Vroom and Yetton (1973), and Hersey and Blanchard (1969), focused on identifying the styles and behaviours, which predicted effective outcomes depending on a variety of situational factors . In an organisation and environment where constant change is the norm, these authors did not help to offer any advice. During this time, the transformational and charismatic models began to emerge (Bryman, 1992), which comprised ideas such as charismatic and visionary in their concept of what leadership meant. Richard Branson style of leadership is best summarised as a transformational approach (Lussier Achua, 2009). Branson has also been labelled as a transformational leader by management lexicon, for his individualist strategies and his stress on the Virgin Group as an organisation driven on informality and information, one thats bottom heavy rather than strangled by top-level management. According to (Bass, 1985) Transformational leadership is a style of leadership that occurs when leaders broaden and elevate the interests of their people, when they generate awareness and acceptance of the purposes and mission of their group, and when they stir their people to look beyond self- interest for the good of the group. Transformational leaders are frequently compared with others who can adjust quickly to change (Bass, 1985). Branson evidently shows his flexibility and success in adjusting to changing organisational cultures as his been able to bring in new businesses and move into new sector whilst bringing his people with him (Grant, 2005). Studies by Lowe et al. (1996) and Patterson et al, (1995) have confirmed the positive relationship between transformational leadership and performance. This has helped to support why Richard Branson has been able to make Virgin such a success. Bass (1985) states that transformational leadership is more likely reflect social values and to surface in troubled times and change. This lies true with Virgin, an organisation that is centred on constant growth and change, as a result making the transformational style more suitable. For example, of how Richard Branson demonstrated this transformational approach was when he gave Virgin Atlantic employees his personal con tact details and encouraged them to forward any ideas and suggestions for improvements by contacting him directly (Jackson, 1998). Transformational leadership theory implies that this approach of leadership is likely to bring about empowerment and growth among followers (Bass, 1985). However, Howell (1988) states this type of style may cause followers to depend on the leader. This indicates on a psychologically level, followers self esteem and motivation may depend on recognition and positive feedback from the leader. In the case of Virgin group, this may not necessarily an issue despite Richard Branson personality being marked everywhere all through business he still manages to empower his employees with a degree of independence. A study of charismatic and transformational leadership theories suggests that such leaders possibly will achieve influencing followers who personally identify with this style as well as with the colleagues they work with (Yukl, 2002). According to (Conger Kanungo, 1998) personal identification with the leader is down to the leaders charismatic approach and is based on referent power. Similarly, Shamir, House and Arthur, (1993) argues one key way leaders can influence followers is by becoming a role model. Social recognition is another aspect of Richard Branson leadership style worth highlighting. Once individuals associate with a group, they establish their self esteem and self belief to some extent on their belonging to that group, with group failures and successes being faced as personal to the individual (Mael Ashforth, 1992). Followers are inspired by the leader to identify with the group aims and ethics Shamir, House and Arthur, (1993)by connecting the followers self belief to the mission statement of the organisation and goals of the group. The ways in which Richard Branson gets his employees to recognise with the organisation, as well as himself, is through managing the mood of his organisation (Jackson, 1998) . He has been known to be empathic and self aware which has allows him to instinctively takes in how customers and employees feel and estimate the organisations emotional state. According to Salovey et al (2004), emotional intelligence is the ability to precisely tell apart others emotions plus your own. Salovey et al (2004)also states one of the main ways of becoming a triumphant leader is through emotional intelligence, something that Richard Branson has manage to achieve through the way he studies himself and others. Finally, possibly one of the most powerful traits in Richard Bransons leadership style is his persistent determination to accomplish his goals, despite a few obstacles in his way. Zaleznik (2004) states that leaders and managers think about goals differently to one another, leaders tend to be active whilst managers are more reactive. The direction an organisation takes is determined by the influence the leaders uses when changing frame of minds, suggesting expectations and in creating specific objectives and desires. The net outcome of this influence, it changes how people consider what is feasible or desirable in terms of goals. As a result, leaders are able to instil some enthusiasm for particular goals on their followers. Regardless of some negative circumstances mainly external, Richard Bransons persistent shaping of the vision for his company and his ability to infuse these desires to those he hired is the reason for Virgins continues success and growth (Grant, 2005). To summaries, Richard Bransons charismatic way of leadership is one that comes from a largely transformational approach to how he influences those in his organisation. He shows clear skills in his ability to read the emotions of others and to assess the mood of his own culture, while having tremendous skills in how he can adapt his style and approach to the particular situation or context he is in. His drive and determination to succeed has been a key element of his success, something that stems from a combination of genetics and family circumstances. His success in becoming and remaining an effective leader of Virgin is largely due to his willingness and ability to empower individuals within the organisation. Branson has shown sensitivity to the needs of others, such as the need for recognition, growth and achievement. Through his attention to and encouragement of ideas and initiatives, Branson has gotten the support of his subordinates. His authority at Virgin is extended by his fl amboyant and charismatic personality and attention grabbing behaviour, both of which increased his visibility and appeal to staff and the public. Although unique to Branson himself, this style of leadership is one that works very well within the Virgin empire. Conclusion This case study has brought to a light many different strategies that an event manager can utilize in a future role within the event industry as well as to maintain a healthy organisational culture. First suggestion would be to adopt a transformational leadership style. Transformational leadership would allow your employees to work together for one common goal which is essential, especially within the event industry when organising an event. By working together your employees can come together to achieve great things and improve their overall efficiency. My second recommendation would be to utilize delegation. Delegation is a great way to develop the skills of your employees. When management can determine where a person will be most efficient it will help those involved in the project. By putting people in the jobs that they a best suited for it will lead to a more enjoyable and effective working environment. (change to culture) In a nutshell, there is a lot to be learnt from the culture and leadership of Virgin Group. Chairman Richard Branson has created a unique culture that has contributed to the long term success of the company. Although there is a clear distinction between culture and leadership, the company has been able to integrate a blend of each in many aspects of Virgin Group. The transformational leadership has proved to be a valuable tool for executives, managers, and workers alike. Employees within the company have a willingness to work together to expand and improve the company in order to reach their own personal success in life. Personal Leadership skills assessment Looking back at the night before Spy Games Development Day, my initial feelings were excitement, but apprehensive too because I did not know what was expected from me, nor did I know how helpful it was going to be. Thankfully, all that changed after the meeting in the morning. Leadership has played an important role in the completion of our Spy Games tasks especially the first one; it was not the predictable and usual type of leadership. There was no member of the group who emerged as a sole leader, but we as a group shared and took control of the leadership that was needed to complete our tasks. Each member had the chance to voice their opinions, and from there individually we would nominate ourselves for each task we felt most confident in or had knowledge or experience in. Our groups strongest attribute was that we were very organised; this led to better performance and development. Our group was very optimistic, as there was never a situation where a group member was negative even when we failed to complete a task on time, which was why performance was very high and effective. Even though we were not familiar with each other from the beginning, we still managed to work together without much conflict. The one argument we had was on the topic of whether a group member could be a leader for more than one task. We did resolve the conflict which made our group more comfortable with each other. Overall the Spy Games Development Day was a success; I learnt how to share the leadership role with the members within my group. I learnt that performance and development is a big factor in team roles, and learned that conflict is not always a bad thing. Shared leadership does not depend on one person, but on how people act together to make sense of the situations that face them (Doyle and Smith, 2001). In order to achieve an effective leadership and an effectual result at the end of the Spy Games, a shared leadership needed to be present. In some ways shared leadership was present mostly through the outdoor tasks. The primary factor

About The Social Work Career

About The Social Work Career The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work. COMMENTARY Social work in its various forms addresses the multiple, complex transactions between people and their environments. Its mission is to enable all people to develop their full potential, enrich their lives, and prevent dysfunction. Professional social work is focused on problem solving and change. As such, social workers are change agents in society and in the lives of the individuals, families and communities they serve. Social work is an interrelated system of values, theory and practice. Values Social work grew out of humanitarian and democratic ideals, and its values are based on respect for the equality, worth, and dignity of all people. Since its beginnings over a century ago, social work practice has focused on meeting human needs and developing human potential. Human rights and social justice serve as the motivation and justification for social work action. In solidarity with those who are dis-advantaged, the profession strives to alleviate poverty and to liberate vulnerable and oppressed people in order to promote social inclusion. Social work values are embodied in the professions national and international codes of ethics. Theory Social work bases its methodology on a systematic body of evidence-based knowledge derived from research and practice evaluation, including local and indigenous knowledge specific to its context. It recognises the complexity of interactions between human beings and their environment, and the capacity of people both to be affected by and to alter the multiple influences upon them including bio-psychosocial factors. The social work profession draws on theories of human development and behaviour and social systems to analyse complex situations and to facilitate individual, organisational, social and cultural changes. Practice Social work addresses the barriers, inequities and injustices that exist in society. It responds to crises and emergencies as well as to everyday personal and social problems. Social work utilises a variety of skills, techniques, and activities consistent with its holistic focus on persons and their environments. Social work interventions range from primarily person-focused psychosocial processes to involvement in social policy, planning and development. These include counselling, clinical social work, group work, social pedagogical work, and family treatment and therapy as well as efforts to help people obtain services and resources in the community. Interventions also include agency administration, community organisation and engaging in social and political action to impact social policy and economic development. The holistic focus of social work is universal, but the priorities of social work practice will vary from country to country and from time to time depending on cultural, h istorical, and socio-economic conditions. This international definition of the social work profession replaces the IFSW definition adopted in 1982. It is understood that social work in the 21st century is dynamic and evolving, and therefore no definition should be regarded as exhaustive. Adopted by the IFSW General Meeting in Montrà ©al, Canada, July 2000 http://www.ifsw.org/f38000138.html ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// The Nature of Social Work: A Critical Overview as well as social work values, ethics, and skills of social work practice. In addition, the role of a social worker in society will also be examined, and an understanding of social work will be critically evaluated. Knowledge, skills and values are three different things and should be treated as so. You can learn all the knowledge you need from a book, but this does not mean that you will have the skills to put that knowledge into practice. Once you acquire the skill and knowledge, if you have no value of them and they mean nothing to you, are then in danger of misusing that skill and knowledge. Values of social work have to be put into two categories: social work values, and social workers values. Clark (2004) puts this into classification of â€Å"Institutional and Individual†.The British Association of Social Work (BASW) code of ethics states that social work is committed to five basic values: Human dignity and worth, social justice, service to humanity, integrity and competence. â€Å"Social work practice should both promote respect for human dignity and pursue social justice through integrity and competence† (BASW 2002). These values are requirements that social workers are expected to adhere to. They promote the rights to privacy, confidentiality, and protection, the right of choice, to help against discrimination and meet the diversity of service users. Social work has been descried as being â€Å"value based† (Clark 2004). conflicts of values cannot be ruled out. Putting the values of social work into practice can sometimes cause a conflict of values. As well as looking after people who are vulnerable, social workers also deal with people who are seen as a threat to society. When dealing with a service user with mental health problems the social worker will be working with the interest of the service user in mind, making sure that their human dignity and worth are respected, that social justice is seen to be up held, and to do their job with integrity and competence. All these values, and at the same time, apply to people living within the community. If the service user was deemed to be a danger to the public then the social worker must see that social justice is done to protect the community, the service user may disagree with this and feel that their value of social justice has been compromised, and as their freedom has been taken away, and they have lost their human dignity and worth. Clark (2004 p44) concludes that â€Å"It is tempting t o say that there is no such thing as social work values.† And that â€Å"The values of social work remain a powerful rallying cry†. Whereas Beckett (2007 p189) states â€Å"Almost all of the important decisions that are made by social workers have a value component.† Having knowledge of a subject does not mean that someone as the skills or values that may accompany that knowledge. You can read all the books and have the knowledge on how to fly a plane, and know all the components, but to make it fly you need the skill to make all the parts work together. In most occupations what separates the professional from non- professionals is a specialised knowledge beyond the commonplace knowledge of ordinary members of the public. In social work this is not always the case, since much of the knowledge of social workers is common place, an example would be that it is common knowledge that bringing up children can be demanding, but social workers interact with parents whose understanding of this knowledge is so poor, that they are in danger of harming their children. This is not to say that all knowledge of social work is common knowledge, sometimes professional specialised knowledge is called upon. If a service user has mental health issues, then they may need to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act. This would need the knowledge of a professional Approved Social Worker. This may include the intervention of a social worker to place a child into foster care, requiring specialised knowledge. Social work expertise is regulated by government and law, and therefore requires an understanding and a good knowledge of the relevant areas of law and of government policies and acts. A collection of different skills is required for social workers to do their job with competence. These include being able to develop trusting relationships with service users and carers, without becoming emotionally involved; communication skills, including listening, speaking and writing; to be resilient and able to handle pressure from service users who feel vulnerable and may not understand what is going on; being aware of peoples different needs and respect diversity; have patience and maturity, and be able to negotiate for their clients. There is also the need to develop office based skills, as well as skills needed for personal interaction. These will include, being able to work well in a team with colleagues and professionals from other agencies; the ability to manage a complex workload, sometimes working over caseweight; being computer literate with good keyboard, database and word processing skills; and have good management, time keeping and organisational skills. Most of th ese skills cannot be learnt from a text book and will take time and life experience to develop, mistakes can happen and inevitability will, but by being able to reflect, process and learn from our mistakes, then these skills can improve and get stronger. They are sometimes called upon to enforce sensitive aspects of the law, for example in obtaining court orders to remove children from their current families, or in detaining people under the Mental Health Act. All duties performed and carried out by social workers, are done so in the best interests of those involved. Social work also promotes social justice, giving fair access to public services and benefits, equal treatment and protection under the law and to help meet basic human needs. Social work helps people to meet their personal needs and to reach their potential and to contribute to the creation of a fairer society. ‘The difficult position of social work is not only due to the perhaps depressing character of the problems it deals with. Crucially, social work sits directly on top of the fault lines of controversy of social values (Clark 2000 p2). The communities that we live in and the world around us is in perpetual change, which makes social work even more challenging. The ethics, values, cultures, diversities, and minorities that contribute in making up societies differ greatly from one to the other, whether in the suburbs, rural areas, or the close proximity of life in the city, changes in all the above can be noticeable within different communities. Looking at generalised views of what society should be would differ vastly if we took a cross-cultural view of what society values are to that community in question. The values that our society holds are changing; many men now stay at home whilst the woman goes out to work. The Civil Partnership Act 2004(General Register office 2005) came into effect on 5 December 2005 allowing same sex marriages, and many people now live alone, without stigma, some by choice and some from necessity, this change within society covers such a large range of values that universal agreement is a near impossibility. This means that social work is not an exact science and never will be. There will always be an opinion th at differs, personal values and ethics that dont fit the norm, which is why when people access social services, they will not always be fully satisfied with the outcome, as there are always variables. Beckett (2006) suggests that the role of a social worker can be put into three groups: Advocacy, Direct Change Agent and Executive. The advocacy role can be either direct or indirect. Direct change agent being counsellor or therapist, mediator, educator and catalyst, with executive role as almoner, care manager, responsibility holder, co-ordinator and service developer (Beckett 2006 p8). The aims of social workers are to identify social pressures and needs in the community, to employ existing resources or to establish those that might be lacking. Communities may, for example, be in need of housing, improvement and development of the environment, day care for preschool children, after school clubs, facilities for disabled people, anti social problems and rehabilitation centres, amongst other needs. As with all professions, social workers are involved in research and administration. This is to help identify the problems and needs of the service user and to explore the most effective way of preventing and resolving whatever problems there may be, and to address that need. In addition to interviewing service users at the social workers place of work or their homes, and contacting other significant persons in their social environments, social workers are also responsible for a large amount of office work. This includes the preparation of reports involving the service user for internal or external agencies, which could include court reports. The nature of social work within this essay has been critically discussed in depth. The role of social work and of social workers in society is a demanding one, the pressure and stress of dealing with so many aspects of society and differentiating cultures means that the challenges social workers face, on a day to day basis, will be hard but also very rewarding. With the correct training and education, social work skills, values and knowledge can help to improve peoples lives. The role of the social worker is one that will always be ever changing, how these changes happen is a matter for debate. Some changes in social work are welcomed and some are not. Hilary Searing (2000-08) states that â€Å"social workers are now little more than care managers who simply mediate between the client and organisation†. Others would argue that this is not the case, and that social workers do more than just mediate. Whatever the future holds for social work and social workers, one thing is cer tain, with the huge diversity in social work and the ever changing roles social workers play in society, there will always be a place for social workers ensuring that social justice is delivered ethically and without prejudice.