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Between study group, debate, and chess tournaments there wasn’t much of a social scene around Winchester University in Omaha, Nebraska. The school year at this college was year round, but the students were given a 30 day summer vacation in July. The majority of the students went back home to visit their families during this time. But as juniors at the University Charles, Fredrick, and Stanley, all childhood buddies, decided it was time for a change and that they needed a little more spice in their life. Realizing that they were almost twenty-one and had never breached their comfort zone, they knew a road trip was in store.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As June came to an end the nearly grown men finished exams and planned to leave for their escapade the first day of July, also being the 1st day of break. They made a pact to keep the trip a secret until their return, for the main reason that their parents wouldn’t approve. If their families had any question as to why hey weren’t coming home to visit, they would simply say they were staying at the University to get ahead on the following year. This would be a reasonable lie, because no one would expect them to do any different.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The morning of their departure they loaded all the luggage and food that they could into Fredrick’s forest green Ford focus. Before they pulled out of the parking lot they had to lay some ground rules:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ~ No school attire   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ~ No proper English   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ~ No acting like themselves, only the new â€Å"cool† young adults that they were. Freddy, as they called him, established one last rule. They were to stop at four places and the rest of the time they were driving. This gave them a reasonable amount of time to live and get back to the University to start the New Year. And now†¦they were off†¦ As Freddy peeled out of the parking lot Charles, sitting in the passenger seat, turned on 93.3 KTNP modern rock.. The first 3 days of their trip were mainly getting out of the places they had seen time and time again. They didn’t experience much except for driving and eating as they reminisced on the past. Stopping frequently for Stanley’s immensely small bladder they reached about 50 miles the first few days. As they approached the evening on July 3rd they drove by a college, and decided to see if anyone would let them crash for the night.

Assess How Well Own Knowledge Skills And Understanding Meet Standards

SHC 22 Personal Development v1. 4 Title Level Credit value Learning outcomes The learner will 1 Understand what is required for competence in own work role Introduction to personal development in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings TWO 3 Assessment criteria The learner can: 1. 1 Describe the duties and responsibilities of own role 1. 2 Identify standards that influence the way the role is carried out 1. 3 Describe ways to ensure that personal attitudes or beliefs do not obstruct the quality of work 2 Be able to reflect on own work activities 2. Explain why reflecting on practice is an important way to develop knowledge, skills and practice 2. 2 Assess how well own knowledge, skills and understanding meet standards 2. 3 Demonstrate the ability to reflect on work activities 3. 1 Identify sources of support for own learning and development 3. 2 Describe the process for agreeing a personal development plan and who should be involved 3. 3 Contribute to drawing up own personal development plan 4. 1 Show how a learning activity has improved own knowledge, skills and understanding 4. 2 Show how reflecting on a situation has improved own knowledge, skills and understanding 4. Show how feedback from others has developed own knowledge, skills and understanding 4. 4 Show how to record progress in relation to personal development 3 Be able to agree a personal development plan 4 Be able to develop knowledge, skills and understanding Additional information about the unit NOS ref CCLD 204 GEN 12 HSC 23 Themes recur as knowledge requirements, performance criteria and core values throughout HSC and CCLD NOS Unit purpose and aims This unit is aimed at those who work in health or social care settings or with children or young eople in a wide range of settings. The unit introduces the concepts of personal development and reflective practice which are fundamental to such roles, and GEN 13 SHC 22 Personal Development v1. 4 ways to implement the se. Assessment requirements Additional information This unit must be assessed in accordance with the assessment strategy for health and social care.Standards may include: Codes of practice Regulations Minimum standards National occupational standards A personal development plan may have a different name but will record information such as agreed objectives for development, proposed activities to meet objectives, timescales for review, etc. Sources of support may include: Formal support Informal support Supervision Appraisal Within the organisation Beyond the organisation Who should be involved may include: The individual Carers Advocates Supervisor, line manager or employer Other professionals

The formation of the ExxonMobil Corporation - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2487 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? ExxonMobil Corporation was formed in year 1999 after the merger of two major oil companies, Exxon and Mobil. Both Exxon and Mobil were descendants of the John D. Rockefeller Corporation, Standard Oil which was established in 1870. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The formation of the ExxonMobil Corporation" essay for you Create order Its headquarters are located in Irving, Texas. ExxonMobil is one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world, they have been ranked either no.1 or no.2 for the past 5 years. However they are currently 4th in the ranking according to Forbes Global 2000 [1]. Today, Exxon Mobil also is the worlds largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products. They operate in most of the worlds countries and well known by their familiar brand names: Exxon, Esso and Mobil. This report will be covering the Exxon Mobil company background and study about the oil refinery industrial processes and operations in the company. Apart from that, research against the risk and its consequences of all the hazards of the oil spill disaster. In the other hand, to study the essential improvement changes in the management systems so that to prevent the disaster happening again. (1) Aims and Objectives of Exxon Mobil Corporation Exxon Mobil Corporation is committed to being the worlds premier petroleum and petrochemical company. They aims to continuously achieve superior financial and operating results while remain to the highest standards of business conduct [1]. Exxon Mobil Corporation is focusing on its corporate governance, because they believe good governance is essential for creating economic climate beneficial to large scale investments. There are 4 important components in their corporate governance which is Management systems, Standards of Business Conduct, Control Systems and National Content Development. [2] Management Systems A good management systems would facilitate the operation and work efficiently of one company. Exxon Mobil Corporation has complies with all applicable laws and regulations, and maintain high standards of the laws and regulations which do not exist. They are also committed to high ethical standards, legal compliance, and integrity which is reflected in their global po licies and practices. With the existing management systems, it is enable Exxon Mobil to comply the new regulations efficiently and providing them with a competitive advantage. Standards of Business No one at the company has the authority to make exceptions waivers with respect to compliance with the standards. The Standard of Business consists of guiding principles, sixteen foundation policies, as well as open-door communication procedures. The Exxon Mobil are committed their shareholders to be rewarded with superior return. They are also committed to provide high quality products and services at competitive prices to customer without changing customer preference. ExxonMobil will continue hire and retain the most qualified employee available and maximize their opportunities for success through training and development. In the other hand, ExxonMobil commit the communities that will maintain high ethical standards, obey all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and respect loca l and national cultures. Other than that, ExxonMobil are dedicated to running safe and environmentally responsible operations. Control Systems Operations integrity Management Systems (OIMS) was introduced in 1992, it is specially designed to identify hazards and manage risks inherent to the operations and associated with the full-life cycle of projects. With the OIMS, industry-leading lost-time incident rates have been significantly reduced. Risks to the environment have been reduced, with a remarkable decline in marine spills and continuing reductions in emission. The overall effectiveness of OIMS is evaluated every five years for improvement purpose. National Content Development Oil and gas operation able to contribute to the economic growth of a local area, region, or nation. ExxonMobils national content development strategy helps to enhancing the economic and social opportunities. The employment of nationals is a key component of the ExxonMobils national content strategy . ExxonMobil also focuses on training and educating to the national employees, contractors, and suppliers. They are focus on transferring skills and knowledge as well. Purchasing local goods and services will be another target on their strategy. Exxon Mobil is still able to sustain its business with the disciplined approach and long-standing commitment to its corporate during the global recession of 2009. (2) Oil and Refinery Industrial Processes and Operations Crude oil is a mixture of many hydrocarbons compounds and relatively small quantities of other materials such as oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, salt and water. It has to be refined before it can be used for fuel [3]. An oil refinery or petroleum refining processes are those chemical engineering processes mix with other petroleum refineries facilities to transform crude oil into useful products such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), gasoline or petrol, kerosene, jet fuel, diesel oil and fuel oils. [4] All refineries perform three basic steps: -Separation (fractional distillation) -Conversion (Cracking and rearranging the molecules) -Purification Diagram 2.0 Refining Process in Antwerp, Belgium Refinery [5] Below are one of the refining processes and operations from ExxonMobil Refinery plant [6]: Step 1: Separation Every refinery begins with the separation of crude oil into different fractions by distillation. The refinery receives its raw material through the pipe line. The crude oil is transferred into atmospheric distillation tower where it is heated and then separated into its different fractions. The products from the distillation tower range from gases at the top to very heavy, viscous liquids at the bottom. The heaviest residue is redistilled in the vacuum distillation unit and processed to make bitumen, heavy fuels. Step 2: Conversion is a very important processes to convert low valued heavy oil into high valued petrol. It is a process to change the size and/or structure of hydrocarbon molecules. These different fractions from distillation are then desulfurized and stripped of various unwanted substances. Conversion processes include decomposition (dividing) by thermal and catalytic cracking; Unification (combining) through alkylation and polymerization; and Alteration (rearranging) with isomerization and catalytic reforming [7]. Step 3: Purification The different products from conversion process are brought up to the required specification through a series of subsequent treatment processes. This process is done by Hydro treating. In Hydro treating, unfinished products are contacted with hydrogen under heat and high pressure in the presence of a catalyst, producing hydrogen sulphide and desulphurised product [8]. In the Exxon Mobils Rotterdam Refinery plant, coking unit flexicoker which was constructed in the mid eighties is using for converting the residual oil from vacuum or atmospheric distillation unit into petroleum coke as well as naphtha and diesel oil. Flexicoking is a process to convert heavy oil fractions into lighter fractions. The flexicoker is fed with the heavy oil residues or fraction from the vacuum distillation. The heavy residues are then converted at very high temperatures in the flexicoker into 70% light oil products and cokes. ExxonMobil would use these cokes to heat the different production processes. The remaining of very small quantity of coke is used in the cement industry. [6 ] (3) Risks in all areas that lead to the accident In year 1989, March 24 midnight, a serious oil spill was occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska. There are several risks was found that lead the Exxon Valdezs oil spill event from happening. According to the accident investigation reported by The National Transportation Safety Board, they are finalised and determined five possible causes of the grounding as below [9]: Firstly, it was found that the third mate failed to properly manoeuvre the vessel, probably due to fatigue and excessive workload. At the time of the grounding, third mate just could have had 5 or 6 hours sleep in the previous 24 hours working. Regardless, he had had a physically demanding and stressful day, and he was working beyond his normal watch period. The third mates navigation tasks for starting the turn involved navigating the tanker in a high risk situation. Secondly, the master was possibly impaired with the alcohol and he had failed to provide a proper navigation watch. A blood test showed alcoh ol in the masters blood several hours after the accident but he had denied that he was not impaired by alcohol [10]. During 1985, the master was instructed underwent treatment because his job performance is unsatisfactory owing to the perceived use of alcohol. He was supposed attending treatment program at the hospital but this recommended outpatient treatment program was not followed and monitored by management. Thirdly, Exxon Shipping Company failed to supervise and control the master. Besides that, ExxonMobil also failed to provide a rested and sufficient crew for the Exxon Valdez. Exxon corporate management demonstrated inadequate knowledge of and concern about the seriousness of having an alcohol-impaired master. Exxon should have removed the master from seagoing employment until there was proof that he had his alcohol problem under control. In the other hand, Exxon Valdez was operated with a reduced crew complement. The number of unlicensed crewmembers in the deck departmen t was not sufficient to provide uninterrupted watch. Additionally, the U.S. Coast Guard had failed to provide an effective vessel traffic system. Vessel Traffic Center (VTC) watchstander could tracked the Exxon Valdez was farther 7.7 miles from the traffic lane if they set a lower range scale on the master radar console. Used of the higher range scale, VTC watchstander might not noticed the smaller course and speed change of vessel. Thus, accuracy of the radar tracking was reduced. Other than that, supervision of the VTC was adversely affected after the man power was reduced. Lastly, Effective pilot and escort services were lacking. The master only received verbal information about ice report from the pilot, and he had no choice to leave the port as tug boards were alongside and the pilot was on board already. Based on the statement above, we can see that all the risks is come from human-error or humans attitude and these unfortunate event had caused the ever largest human- caused disaster to the environment. (4) Consequences of all the effects of the accident In year 1989, the happening event bring a lot of aftermath to their country comprise the harmed to communities, environments, marine mammals, birds, fishes, as well as economic effects. Marine mammals, fishes and birds died in the days immediately after the oil spill. According to BBC News, below are estimated deaths figure of marine mammals, fishes and birds: [11] Seabirds Sea otters Harbor seals Bald eagles Killer whales Salmon and herring 250000 2800 300 250 22 unknown After the spill, we can obviously see that reduction in population of various ocean animals, stunted development in pink salmon populations. Meanwhile, larger marine mammals and ducks suffered ill effects because their prey was contaminated. A decade later, the ecosystem still suffers as the contamination still existed in beaches, national parks and designated wilderness. Evidence for toxic of hydrocarbon exposure can be seen from the persist contamination of mussel bed s [12]. According to previous study, toxicity of the oil spill will remained for a decade or more due the oil was segregate by the wave action, light and bacteria was inhibited. [13] The disaster also brings lasting harm to local communities as subsistence harvests of fish and wildlife substantially declined by Alaska Native communities after the spill. Other than that, the commercial for salmon and herring fisheries were adversely affected. It was also affected the human health as 20 communities have had major social and psychological impact like depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder [13]. Economic always will have negative impacts after any disaster. For the Exxon Valdez oil spill case, it caused the economic effect in term of cleanup expenses, natural resource damages and the various economic losses incurred by the affected community or individuals [14]. We cant deny that the oil spill had brought a lot negative impacts especially to environment but sometimes we are underestimated the consequences hazards of this disaster. The environmental consequences may went far serious than we thought. [15] (5) Improvement in the management systems Improvements are always needed to against the disaster. Exxon Mobil has put a lot of effort to enhance the management system to prevent another Exxon Valdez from happening. According to the previous study on risk, third mate and the master was the person that makes the accident happen. At the end, Exxon has implemented Operation Integrity Management System (OIMS) to addresses all aspects of managing safety, health, security, environment and social risks as well. There are 11 important elements in OIMS [16] Diagram 5.0 Operation Integrity Management System (OIMS) 11 elements from Exxon [16] Risks of safety, health, environmental and security can be reduced through the risk assessment and management in OIMS systems. In the risk management system, hazards are able to identify easily, so that prevention can be take place immediately. For this reason, Exxon Mobil has organized drug and alcohol testing programs for safety sensitive positions. Other than that, they are restricte d safety-sensitive positions to employees with no history of substance abuse. Additionally, employees training issue. All companys must threat the training period of the newer employees as a very seriously event, this will improve the knowledge and management skill of the employees to become a successful workers no matter faces any difficulties and challenges. Much of the safety trainings must be provided to prevent any unwanted events. Its to let the workers familiar with the safety issues and take precautions always. At last, Exxon Mobil has implemented and strengthened training programs for vessel captains and pilots to provide more efficient responsibility. A specially trained and experience pilots required onboard the ship for the entire crossing through the Sound. Improvement in operation and maintenance is needed to ensure and monitor the status of compliance with regulations and responsible standards. In order to meet the requirement, ExxonMobil has improved the proced ures through this system. Then make sure the structured inspection and maintenance programs are implemented well according to parameters and regulations. ExxonMobil also set up a department to investigate and analysis the incident and to ensure processes are in place for addressing and sharing learning from company and industry incidents. With the effectiveness of this system, they able to track previous reported incidents and take corrective action and prevent it happen again. As example, applied new technology in order to improve vessel navigation system and ensure the integrity of oil containment systems. [17] Based on the study above, Improvement still can be implemented by Exxon Mobil, example using double bottom and double hull for all the tankers. Referring to case incident in the Lake Maracaibo Channel in Venezuela, can be said that double hull tanker able to prevent or reduce oil spill [18]. Conclusion Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster, the main reason led to this accident was the negligence of the management department and irresponsibility of the onboard officer. Owing to deficiency of safety and operations knowledge of employer and employees, contributing to the overwhelming accident that making huge damage to the environment and marine mammals. From this report, we learnt that the management of company plays a significant role at all fields including safety and health. Company management must always put their efforts to control all the risks and also benefits of employees. Some improvements have to be taken and monitor and review it periodically. All the oil and petroleum companies should take this tragedy as a remembrance and not forget it and 100% eradicating it from our domestic life on nowadays and also in future. (2755 words)

Palla, Tunic, and More Ancient Dresses for Women

Essay on The Spanish Armada - 2030 Words

The Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada, also called the Invincible Armada (infra), and more correctly La Armada Grande, was a fleet (I) intended to invade England and to put an end to the long series of English aggressions against the colonies and possessions of the Spanish Crown; (II) it was however all but destroyed by a weeks fighting and a disastrous cruise; (III) this led to the gradual decadence of the maritime power of Spain; (IV) Catholics on the whole supported the Armada, but with some notable exceptions. I. ENGLISH PROVOCATION At the commencement of Elizabeths reign (1558) Philip had been her best friend. His intercession helped to save her life after Wycliffes†¦show more content†¦In 1568, a Spanish ship having put into Plymouth with pay for the whole of the Spanish army in Flanders, the money was seized by the English government. Here ensued reprisals on both sides, trade was paralyzed, and war was on the point of breaking out, both on the occasion of the Northern rising (1569) and at the time of the Ridolfi conspiracy in 1571. The imprudent Spanish ambassador, Don Gerau Despes, was then expelled from England, Philip having previously dismissed from Spain the Spanish ambassador, Dr. Mann, an apostate priest, whose selection was naturally considered an insult. Whilst the Spanish fleet was fighting the cause of Christianity against the Turks at Lepanto (1572), Drake thrice sacked the almost defenseless colonies on the Spanish Main, from which he returned with enormous booty (1570, 1571, 1572-73 ). Slightly better relations between the two countries ensued toward the close of this decade, when Elizabeth feared that, with the decay of Spanish power in the Netherlands, France might conquer the country for herself. So in 1578 a Spanish ambassador was received in London, though at the same time Drake was allowed to sail on his great buccaneering voyage around the world. On his return public opinion began to condemn aloud the master-robber of the New World, but Elizabeth exerted herself warmly in his favor, gave him the honorShow MoreRelatedThe Armada Of The Spanish Armada1200 Words   |  5 Pages THE SPANISH ARMADA Armada Portrait Queen Elizabeth I The Armada Portrait Buy at Allposters.com The defeat of the Spanish Armada is one of the most famous events in English history. It was arguably Queen Elizabeth s finest hour. For years she had been hailed as the English Deborah, the saviour of the English people, and now it seemed that this is what she had really become. She was now Bellona, the goddess of war, and in triumph she had led her people to glory, defeating the greatest power inRead MoreEssay about Spanish Armada1365 Words   |  6 Pagesreligions of Europe were trying to spread its reach to new parts of the world and each had countries pushing each religion as much as they could. The Anglo-Spanish War between England and Spain during 1585-1604 is a great example of this, although it was never official declared a war. One thing that made this war quite note worthy was the Spanish Armada, a fleet of 130-armed ship versus the well-trained navy of England. It is possible the world most famous naval battle and showed the true strength of EnglandRead MoreEssay on The Failure of the Spanish Armada709 Words   |  3 PagesThe Failure of the Spanish Armada The Armada could have succeeded the plan was simple and could have been effective. The Spanish had the strongest army in Europe and the English defences were not exactly good. The plan was very simple, but could have been deadly if it had worked. The main reasons for it not working out were the communication problems. The messenger ships travelled the same speed, as the Armada so they were nearly useless and the communication betweenRead More The Spanish Armada Essay759 Words   |  4 Pages The Spanish Armada also called the Invincible Armada, and more correctly La Armada Grande. It was a fleet intended to invade England and to put an end to the English aggression against the Spanish Crown. However it was a fatal mistake and after a week’s fighting the Spanish Armada was shattered, this led to the gradual decline in maritime power of Spain. Spanish powers dominated and influence much of the â€Å"known world† during the 16th Century. Spanish leader King Phillip II had reasons to eliminateRead MoreElizabeth I and the Spanish Armada Essay1352 Words   |  6 PagesElizabeth I and the Spanish Armada The cold, stormy night was all too familiar to the English. A devious plan by Spains king, Philip II, was being formed to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I of England and rid the world of the English heretics.1 It was a story of deception, false judgments, and poor planning. What was one kings dream turned into his countrys nightmare. While the Spanish had bad leaders, the English had good ones. The Spanish had bigger, but slower ships, while the English hadRead MoreThe Spanish Armada: Float or Flop?864 Words   |  4 PagesThe Spanish navy, also referred to as the Spanish Armada, was great in size and, to some extent, had well trained soldiers. Like most great things, the Spanish Armada was due in for its ultimate demise at the hands of the everlasting, powerful, British navy. Generally, the Spanish Armada was everything a great navy was, with a few weak links that mainly contributed to the Armada being defeated by the English navy. So, what exactly was the fleet known as the Spanish Armada? To answerRead MoreThe Spanish Armada By William Shakespeare1319 Words   |  6 PagesThe Spanish Armada is about a boat that set sail in July 1588 by the Spanish, and it was ordered by the catholic King Philip ii of Spain to invade England and take down the protestant Queen Elizabeth i. Queen Elizabeth i, was catholic but then became protestant. The Church did not like her decision and they wanted her to become catholic again, so the Pope encouraged King Philip ii of Spain if he could try to make England catholic again. King Philip agreed to do what the Pope had asked of him. ForRead MoreWhy Did the Spanish Armada Fail?763 Words   |  4 PagesWhy did the Spanish armada fail? Introduction The Spanish armada started in 1588 and finished around a month later. The Spanish lost dramatically for several reasons. This essay will tell you why the Spanish failed so badly and why England won. Admirals Medina Sidonia the Spanish admiral was not as strong as the English admirals Drake and Howard for a lot of reasons. This will have caused the Spanish a major setback from winning the Spanish armada because they would not have been as strong asRead MoreThe Spanish Armada Of King Philip II1413 Words   |  6 Pagespushed over the edge when they started pirating ships from the Spanish Netherlands (currently the Netherlands, formerly ruled by Spain) for goods. He sent over a mighty fleet commanded by Admiral Marquis of Santa Cruz and the Duke of Medina Sidonia to regain control of the North Sea and exterminate Protestantism. Despite being vastly outnumbered, due to ingenuity, skill, and luck, the English forces were able to overcome the Spanish Armada of King Philip II. King Henry VIII was in need of an heir toRead MoreWhy Did the Spanish Armada Fail?2271 Words   |  10 PagesWhy did the Spanish Armada Fail? The Spanish Armada is the name given to the giant flotilla of Spanish warships send by Spain’s Catholic King Philip II in 1588 to destroy Protestantism England under Elizabeth- though hindsight would say otherwise, the aim of the Spanish Armada was not intended for an all-out confrontation with the opposing English fleet- but rather to escort the vulnerable barges in which the Duke of Parma (a well respected and experienced general who had been fighting against Dutch

The UK Supermarket Industry is Influential and Enormous

Questions: 1. Environmental analysis Analyse the external environment of the chosen industry using appropriate strategy tools (PESTEL - and assess key drivers for change for the industry). 2. Industry analysis Carry out 5 Forces analysis and discuss attractiveness of the industry.3. Opportunities (Os) and Threats (Ts) deriving from analyses above. Answers: Introduction: The UK supermarket industry is influential and enormous. There are around 91,509 groceries in the UK (Connor and Lande 2012). The size of the market has been increasing very fast. The financial contribution of the super market is very high. The supermarket chain of the UK has become more concentrated towards making more profits out of the market. In this context, the researcher has provided the PESTEL analysis for analyzing the external environment of the super market industry. The opportunities and threats of the business have been discussed in a detailed manner. 1. PESTEL analysis: Political: The political factors have been affecting the super market chain of the UK. There are several political issues in the super market industry. The first political issue that affects the super market chain is the possibilities of Scotland becoming independent. The UK retailers have already identified the issue (Healy and Palepu 2012). They have stated that this issue could make huge impact on the supply chain, pension law and the extra administration cost. It could lead to the increasing pricing of the products in the market. The UK supermarket has not made business in the Scotland previously. Therefore, an independence of Scotland would causes the high pricing of the product and possibly loss in profit for the super market chain. Consequently, it could cause the loss in the supermarket chain. It could be prevented through applying reformed Scottish tax system (Matsuno and Mentzer 2012). It would make the switch seamless for the supermarket industry as Scotland offers lowers land and labor costs. Therefore, it could be profitable for the super market chain operating in Scotland. Another political factor that affects the super market chain is the possibility of UK leaving the European Union membership. It could make a large impact on the retail and grocery industry of the UK because leaving the European Union means leaving the trade zone. Several countries bring their products to the UK to sell in the super market (Verbeke 2013). Therefore, those countries may have the difficulties in selling their goods i n the market due to tariff. Customers might have to spend more money when purchasing from other European countries. The UK government could avoid this situation as they could allow the import of goods. Economical: The current economic state of the UK influences the supermarket industry. However, the economic condition has been gradually improving; there has been noticeable good price inflation throughout 2013 (Bentley et al. 2013). The fuel price has been increased and it causes the adverse effect on the supermarket chain as the transport cost increases. Another factor is high value of the real estate. The most of the UK supermarkets own two third of their stores as free holds. Social: The buying habit is a tradition for the consumers in the market. The tradition can play a major role to choose a particular organization for buying a product. Some people shop for maintaining their status in the society. Status symbol is a growing factor in the supermarket chain. Another interesting factor is corporate social responsibility. It creates impact on the consumer behavior (Buzan et al. 2014). Corporate social responsibility could improve the financial image of the super market industry. Technological: The technological advancement has brought a new concept of marketing. Through the engagement of technology, most of the people want to make shopping from online platforms. It is a time saving process for the buyers. Social media has played a vital role for the UK supermarket industry (Grant 2015). The super market has been using the online platform to promote their products in the market. Environmental: The pressure of the supermarket industry has been increasing in a proper way. The super market owners acknowledge s their responsibility towards providing the best service to the consumers in the market. The super market industry of the UK has to take the social responsibility for enhancing the brand image in the market. The corporate social responsibility plays a major part in the industry. Legislative: The UK legislation system has ordered a number of legislation system orders a number of laws to monitor the grocery industry. The government has applied the tobacco and alcohol using policies for the consumers (Hollensen 2015). The super market industry has been following this legislation policy to maintain the regulation of the government. The super market industry also follows the food and hygiene regulations. 2. Porters five forces analysis: Threat of new entrance: Any new entrants required to invest huge in order to settle down in the market. it takes the considerable time to make presence in the market. The UK government has restricted the super market industry in some ways. Therefore, the new entrants think lot more before investing in the super market industry. Moreover, the new companies would not be able to compete with the existing business force of the market as they have huge customers chain in the society. The power of Suppliers: Major grocery chains in the UK can identify the power of the suppliers. The fear of losing the business in the super market industry could consolidate the leading position of the stores. The suppliers have some instability in the market if they do not agree with the pricing strategy of the super market industry (Rothaermel 2015). If the suppliers do not agree with the supermarkets pricing policy then the suppliers will not be able to make business with the retailers. Bargaining power of customers: The super market giants of the UK have built their brand value in the market. Hence, it facilitates them in attracting more customers of the market. Customer retention is the primary focus of the supermarket industry in the UK. Customer retention helps the organization to achieve consumer loyalty. In recent years, the food retailing in the UK has been changed and it encourages the consumers to purchase the non-food item from the market (Wetherly and Otter 2014). It has provided new strategic expansion into new markets of banking, pharmacies, etc. Threat of Substitute products: Substitute products cannot entirely replace the existing product of the market. However, they could introduce the new technology or reduce the cost of the products to engage more customers for the business. Pricing down policy of the company could cause limit down the profits in an organization. In the super market industry, it is known that the new trends could weaken the substitute of needs. The smaller chain of the convenience stores is immerging in the market to get better outcome from the business. Existing rivalry between competitors: The grocery environment in the UK has been improving largely. It has been seen that operating in a flat market; the industry could face the difficulties to engage customers for the business. The new organizations have to fight against their competitors through applying various strategies. Through the engagement of attractive pricing policy, the industry could be able to enhance the productivity easily (Sadgrove 2015). In UK, several super market giants have been making business. Therefore, it is the biggest threat for the small and new company to take rivalry against them. 3. Opportunities and threats of the Supermarket: Opportunities: The opportunities suggest the external change that provides new openings or possibilities for the betterment of the supermarket industry. The primary opportunities of the supermarket industry in the UK are such as online marketing. The supermarket industry has been expanded in the UK day by day. Therefore, the industry has initiated to extend its demographic area through online marketing, as it is very effective to promote the product in short time. Another opportunity is the new service that facilitates the supermarket to meet their consumers needs properly. This service could help the industry to diversify their customer base. Fragmented market provides huge opportunities for the growth of the supermarket industry in the UK (Wetherly and Otter 2014). It facilitates to enhance the market share. In the fragmented market, many small organizations lack the cost advantages of the large companies. Moreover, the financial advantage allows the industry to expand business into other products and markets especially in the fragmented industries. Acquisition synergy is the difficult qualitative factor for defending, so that the competing institution could get the easy time to overcome it. Threats: The threat is an external change that posses a difficulty in the supermarket industry in the UK. The supermarket industry of UK has been facing several challenges. The bad economic condition of the country can damage the growth of the supermarket. It happens by reducing the number of the potential customers in the market. Bad economic conditions of the UK have negatively impact on the supermarket industry. The intense competition of supermarket could lower the profits since the competitors can take away the consumer with superior products (Verbeke 2013). The unstable currencies have made supermarkets investment difficult as the cost and revenue change randomly in the UK. Therefore, it is a difficult qualitative factor to overcome. International competitors are the threat of the existing supermarket organization in the UK. Many organizations have implemented modern technology in order to enhance the business growth in the large market place. The technical advancement has shaped the su permarket industry in the UK (Connor and Lande 2012). Therefore, the existing organization must improve their technology to make healthy competition in the market. 3 Conclusion: It can be concluded that the supermarket industry of UK has been facing some challenges and they have been trying to change their process of business by applying new strategies. In this context, the researcher has properly executed the industry analysis through using models and theory such as porter five forces, SWOT analysis. References: Bentley, K.A., Omer, T.C. and Sharp, N.Y., 2013. Business strategy, financial reporting irregularities, and audit effort.Contemporary Accounting Research,30(2), pp.780-817. Buzan, T., Griffiths, C. and Harrison, J., 2014.Mind Maps for Business Revolutionise your business thinking and practice. Connor, J.M. and Lande, R.H., 2012. Cartels as rational business strategy: Grant, R.M., 2015.Contemporary Strategy Analysis 9e Text Only. John Wiley Sons. Healy, P. and Palepu, K., 2012. Business Analysis Valuation: Using Financial Statements. Cengage Learning. Hollensen, S., 2015.Marketing management: A relationship approach. Pearson Education. Matsuno, K. and Mentzer, J.T., 2012. The effects of strategy type on the market orientation-performance relationship.Journal of marketing,64(4), pp.1-16. Rothaermel, F.T., 2015.Strategic management. McGraw-Hill. Sadgrove, M.K., 2015.The complete guide to business risk management. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.. Verbeke, A., 2013.International business strategy. Cambridge University Press Wetherly, P. and Otter, D., 2014.The business environment: themes and issues in a globalizing world. Oxford University Press. Zikmund, W., Babin, B., Carr, J. and Griffin, M., 2012.Business research methods. Cengage Learning.

Principles of Fords Theory

Introduction A number of theories are often employed in organizational development to explain the efficiency companies. Ford’s theory is one such theory that has always been utilized in measuring the performance of the organization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Principles of Fords’ Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The theory is based on the principles of Taylor’s theory and the ideas of Henry Ford, who was one of the engineers that shaped the manufacturing system in the motor industry. The theory suggests that efficiency is achieved through tight control of employee movement, as well as instituting adequate policies that would separate planning functions from executive tasks. Edwards (1990, p. 35) was of the view that ideas of Taylor were criticized for neglecting the role of employees in organizational development. Taylor’s management theory treated employees in an inhumane way since it viewed them as properties of the organization. In this regard, Ford’s theory was embraced as an alternative to the views of Taylor on management. As the name suggests, Henry Ford developed the theory during the post-war era in European. The theory was widely supported by the working class since it suggested a wage rise and domestic production, as opposed to external production. The theory respected the contributions of workers in the organization. Several organizations adopted Ford’s theory as a production model after it was applied successfully in the Ford Motor Company (Sobrero Roberts 2001, p. 499). Ford’s theory insisted on the development of production methods and manufacturing techniques.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Ford was of the view that economic development would be sustained through integrating mass consumption into producti on accountabilities. This meant that the organization had to improve production processes in order to realize full benefits. In this regard, the welfare of workers had to be taken care of for the organization to sustain the market. In the motor industry, the idea of deskilling had to be adopted to ensure constant mass production and technological improvement. In the modern management systems, Ford’s ideas have continued to influence many organizations. Organizations utilize the ideas of Ford in order to tackle the contemporary demands of the highly competitive market. The modern market is very complex meaning that it needs improved operation management strategies. Consequently, businesses find themselves implementing lean management principles, the ideas related to flexible production systems, inventory systems, referred to as just-in-time inventory systems, and leaderless work groups in order to remain competitive. Hounshell (1984, p. 112) commented that the above factors ca n only be achieved through rapid manufacturing life cycles, globalization of customer merchandise and markets, and exhaustive merchandise and market segmentation and demarcation. This article aims at reviewing the ideas of Henry Ford, which have shaped the management systems in various parts of the world.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Principles of Fords’ Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The article looks at the positive and negative impacts of Ford’s theory. Before delving into the positive and negative effects of the theory, the paper will first discuss the major principles of Ford’s theory. Principles of Ford’s Theory Hardy and Clegg (1996, p. 32) underscored the fact that skills are always expected to develop as organizations grow bigger. The organization tends to adopt the idea of specialization and division of labor, as each employee would want to be given a particular role to play. In this regard, functional units and positions in the organization would become differentiated. The best management will always try its best to ensure that customers are updated on the progress of the firm. Through this, the top officials of the organization would be proving that they care about the demands of customers. Customers on the other hand are always keen on the products they consume in the market. They can easily switch to different suppliers or even companies in case their demands are not met adequately. Based on this, Ford noted that the organization had to shift its focus from production of goods to customer satisfaction. In other words, the organization has to redefine its aims to focus on sustaining the market other than producing goods. Therefore, the role of the management is to differentiate its products in order to convene the needs of various customers. The management has no option, but to rethink and reformulate policies that would help it retain c ustomers.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Cohen and Moore (2002, p. 13) suggested that a number of factors would have to be put into consideration for this to happen, including manufacturing and distribution processes, the utilization of technology in production, environmental conservation, and participative decision-making. Lowenstein (1997, p. 21) supported the ideas of Ford by arguing that for an organization to realize customer satisfaction, it has to adopt fine-tuned organizational restructuring. Many analysts are of the belief that Ford’ theory was an example of Taylor’s principles since the two applied similar styles of management. The main concern was production of goods and services, which had to be produced in mass. Fredrick Taylor insisted on the role of rationality and efficiency in the production of goods and services. His view was that the organization had to standardize its production systems in order to achieve high results. In this regard, the management had the role of ensuring that the produ ction system is organized since the workforce does not know the practical work of production. In one of the statements, Taylor noted that all possible brainwork ought to be detached from the shop and be focused on planning. The role of the boss is to draft executive policies. The role of the management is to select the best staff that would fulfill organizational goals and objectives. Those employed in the organization had to be competent, with adequate experience. In this view, the executive was the ‘denktank’ of the organization. Without an experienced management, the company would definitely suffer from sabotage. In this case, employees had no role to play in the running of the organization, apart from fulfilling the roles assigned to them by the top executive (Lowenstein 1997, p. 7). In other words, Taylor’s idea was focused on accomplishing the organizational objectives, as opposed to fulfilling the needs of the workforce. Consequently, the employee had to s eparate thinking from doing the work. The main function of the employee was to do the work, but not engaging in any form of thinking. This type of organizational practice discouraged innovation and creativity since employees were never given permission to come up with something new in their life. The idea behind this reasoning was that the employee would think more about his actions and would probably think of improving them. The employee had to work in the same way as machines in order to realize high results. However, the worker was not to assume that he or she is a robot. The relationship that existed between the worker and the employer was referred to as a social-technical relationship meaning that the two had different needs and aspirations. The major aim of the worker was to improve life while the organization was concerned with improving production. In other words, the organization looked for ways through which production would be improved while workers were concerned with th ings such as salary increment since it would improve their standards of living (Katsikeas, Schlegelmilch Skarmeas 2002, p. 762). To the contrary, workers at the time were never concerned with things such as over time and improved working conditions. This would definitely result to conflicts between the workforce and the management. Unlike Taylor’s theory, Ford’s idea was more concerned with the relationship between the worker and the employee. For instance, Ford came up with an idea of eight-hour policy, which meant that an employee had to work for only eight hours a day. Moreover, he came up with the idea that the employee had to be paid well in case the organization registers high returns. However, the social welfare of the employee would only increase with increased production. This was to facilitate a better profit of labor. For this to be attained, the management had to be hierarchical implying that the top management was superior to other junior management units . Just as Taylor’s principle, the power of the organization rested in the hands of the top management (Piore Charles 1985, p. 33). The top management was in charge of policy and decision-making processes. Employees were not given an opportunity to make decisions on major organizational tasks. Positive Effects of Ford’s Ideas The ideas of Ford contributed to economic development in various parts of the world. Before Ford’s theory, artisans, who had high understanding, mainly produced cars in the motor industry. The process of manufacturing vehicles took several weeks and even months. For instance, it took at least thirteen weeks to manufacture a single vehicle. For a single car to be produced, a team of highly trained personnel had to be consulted. This team would move from one organization to the other making cars and giving their contributions. This process was tiresome and mostly inefficient since the products manufactured were fewer. Later on, the production system was adjusted to ensure efficiency, but the plan was still unproductive. Employees would be stationed in one place and cars would be moved from one organization to the other. Employees had direct control over the production system since they determined the exact time that any good would be ready. Ford changed this production system since he established that production would be stronger in case the management takes over the process. He made two contributions, one of them being driving the mechanical assembly line while the other was assigning the production role to the management. The rate at which cars were produced depended on the management meaning that it had the major role of coming up with a plan that would ensure efficient production (Celly, Kamauff Spekman 1999, p. 299). For the management to control the production process, it had to employ three managerial practices. First, it had to ensure that the pace of production was up to the required standard. Secondly, scient ific management was to be applied in managing employees whereby they had to be treated as human beings, as opposed to machines. Finally, each employee had to be compensated based on the nature of the work. Some employees had incomparable skills that were extremely important in the organization. Such workers had to be taken care of to prevent their turn over, which would hurt the production process. Within a very short period, the ideas of Ford had taken over the running of many companies in North America and Europe. A number of companies dealing in household goods and electronics applied the ideas of Ford successfully. In the United States, an organization run by Ford employed over eighty-thousand people. The factory had adequate supply of raw materials, which enabled it to manufacture new brands of cars at a very high rate. Unfortunately, employees were intolerant to the working conditions, forcing them to quit. Ford was very wise since he understood that employees could be retaine d through salary increment (Lovelock Young 1979, p. 174). He ensured that the welfare of employees was taken care of, by allowing them to be consumers of the manufactured goods. Employees were given permission of accumulating their savings in the company in order to acquire a car. Through the ideas of Ford, the issue of market fragmentation emerged since the market was identified as a major issue in the production system. Before Ford’s principles, the market was less competitive since the goods produced were insufficient. The idea of mass production presented a new challenge to the management since it had to deal with competition and consumer satisfaction. The product had to be updated at intervals and timing was a critical issue. The management had to come up with ways through which it could engage the consumer in the production system. Through Ford’s ideas, modern organizations came to the realization that adaptability can be incorporated into the production process es. An organization can end up producing a number of products from the same set of raw materials and personnel. In terms of improving productivity, Ford proved that the management should be at the forefront in spearheading production. This implies that the production function should not be left to employees, but instead the top management should always take its control. In the modern managerial practices, the organization cannot apply the ideas of Ford in their purest form, but instead they are to be adjusted to suit the demands of the current market. In terms of coping with risks, the ideas of Ford could be applied validly to resolve various issues since employees are aware of the challenges. In an organization employing the ideas of Ford, each employee is expected to know the risks that the organization is likely to face. The introduction of change would probably bring about risks hence the management should develop some mechanisms that would help it in dealing with these problems effectively and quickly (Hashmi 2004, p. 82). Negative Effects Even though the ideas of Ford contributed to mass production, they brought about some problems that interfered with the normal functioning of organizations at the time. In fact, his ideas cannot be applied in the modern organization in their purest form. This means that they have to be interpreted to suit the demands of the modern organization. The major issue regarding Ford’s ideas is flexibility since he never considered the issue of change in his analysis. Flexibility is viewed from a number of perspectives. It can be viewed in terms of job flexibility, location flexibility, or even temporal flexibility. Ford’s management model does not facilitate flexibility since it is too rigid. Employees are instructed to perform a similar job for several years, which might result to boredom and subsequent turnover, which is a blow to the organization (Kotelnikov 2006, p. 41). Another problem related to Ford’ s idea is the issue of alienation. In fact, many scholars underscore the fact that Ford’s theory results to alienation of the workforce since employees of any organization are not involved in decision-making processes. Even though some analysts observe that alienation gives employees some kind of independence, the type of managerial skills suggested by Ford were out of balance since they excluded employees from the production process. Just as the views of Taylor suggested, employees were simply viewed as objects or tools of production in Ford’s model. In this regard, compliance should be differentiated from commitment (Martin 2005, p. 89). Ford misinterpreted commitment to mean compliance. Employees would be committed to the production process in case they are allowed to own it. Forcing them to do something would only make them comply with the organizational rules and regulations, but they would be comfortable doing what they like best. Studies show that human beings a re not usually willing to follow the ideas of others without conducting a critical review. In this case, people will always try as much as possible to express their ideas, even in difficult situations. This is an attempt to prevent domination, as well as advocate for freedom. Martin (2005, p. 95) was of the view that even prisoners of war will always try to express some independence, even though conditions might be unfavorable. Modern management theories suggest that the advantages of hiring or employing people in the organization must always outweigh the costs or the disadvantages of hiring. In this regard, the methods employed in controlling and directing the personnel should be efficient. Employees are considered the social capital of the organization hence they should be beneficial to the organization. They should have some freedom that would enable them to come up with new products. In other words, they should be creative and innovative. Instituting stricter laws would not allo w employees to develop new products. List of References Celly, KS, Kamauff, JW Spekman, RE 1999, †Technological Uncertainty, Buyer Preferences and Supplier Assurances: An Examination of Pacific Rim Purchasing Arrangements’, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 30, no. 2, pp 297-321. Cohen, S Moore, J 2002,†Today’s Buzzword: CRM†, Public Management, Vol. 82, no. 4, pp 10-31. Edwards, PK 1990, Understanding conflict in the labor process: the logic and autonomy of struggle, Houndmills: Macmillan. Hardy, C Clegg, S 1996, Handbook of organization studies, Sage, London. Hashmi, K 2004, Introduction and Implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM), Six Sigma LLC, London. Hounshell, D 1984, From the American System to Mass Production, 1880-1932, Johns Hopkins University, Press Baltimore. Katsikeas, CS, Schlegelmilch, BB Skarmeas, D 2002, â€Å"Drivers of Commitment and Its Impact on Performance in Cross-Cultural Buyer-Seller Relationships: The Importer’s Perspective†, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 33, no. 4, pp 757-801. Kotelnikov, V 2006, â€Å"Managing Your Value Chain: Receiving Raw Materials as Input, Adding Value, and Selling Finished Products to Customers†, Business Ventures, Vol. 5, no. 17, pp 38-67. Lovelock, CH Young, RF 1979, â€Å"Look to Consumers to Increase Productivity†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 57. No. 2, pp 168-178. Lowenstein, MW 1997, The Customer Loyalty Pyramid, Westport, Quorum Books. Martin, J 2005, Organizational behavior and management, Thomson, Learning. Piore, MJ Charles, S 1985, Das Ende der Massen production, Wagenbach, Berlin. Sobrero, M Roberts, EB 2001, â€Å"The trade-off between efficiency and learning in inter-organizational relationships for product development†, Management Science, Vol. 47, no. 4, pp 493-511. 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