Friday, October 18, 2019
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Essay Example Daisy is Nick's cousin, Tom's wife, and the woman that Gatsby loves. She had promised to wait for Jay Gatsby until the end of the war, but after meeting Tom Buchanan and comparing his extreme wealth to Gatsby's poverty, she broke her promise. Daisy uses her frailty as an excuse for her extreme immaturity. A brutal, hulking man, Tom Buchanan is a former Yale football player who, like Daisy, comes from an immensely wealthy Midwestern family. His racism and sexism are symptomatic of his deep insecurity about his elevated social position. Tom is a vicious bully, physically menacing both his wife and his mistress. He is a thoroughgoing hypocrite as well: though he condemns his wife for her infidelity, he has no qualms about carrying on an affair himself. Daisy's longtime friend, Jordan Baker is a professional golfer who cheated in order to win her first tournament. Jordan is extremely cynical, with a masculine, icy demeanor that Nick initially finds compelling. The two become briefly involved, but Jordan rejects him on the grounds that he is as corrupt and decadent as she is. An earthy, vital, and voluptuous woman, Myrtle is desperate to improve her life. She shares a loveless marriage with George Wilson, a man who runs a shabby garage.
Thursday, October 17, 2019
CASE ASSIGNMENT MODULE 4 Union Organizing Essay
CASE ASSIGNMENT MODULE 4 Union Organizing - Essay Example Current Issue: The case does not provide a clear idea of the current issues within the company. However one of the many possible issues in the company is the fact that the employees have already been faced with a major change in the company without any prior notice or even a chance to discuss the change. The company has had a change in the teams, change job titles, work assignments and the pay structure, and the only thing that was very strongly communicated to the employees was, â€Å"this is how it will be†. This has obviously caused a major uproar among the employees and has also led to a distasteful change for the employees. This can be one of the possible reasons for the employees to take a serious decision and work towards unionization. Plan: The first step that needs to be taken here is to identify the source of the issue. To do so, the first step will be to conduct a meeting with all the managers and team leaders across the organisation. Here the main task that will be given to all the managers will be to bring out the possible reasons that the employees have chosen and are attempting this change (Grossman). This will further be followed by a report stating the worse case scenarios of the implementation of the unions both for the company as well as the employees. Here several different elements like the policy details as well as the company have a number of policies against the unionization. The next step will be to bring in a training professional to assist the managers and every top level management in terms of responding to the employees and the unions (Gerson). Here a detailed understanding of unionisation and the impact it has on the company will be discussed. These supervisors should also be trained properly in responding to questions from employees about unions.  Another crucial aspect of the overall scene is the need for good communication with the employees and also an attempt of the organisation to take up the responsibility to un derstand the needs of the employees (Gerson). Here to do so, the managers can include individual meeting with the employees or team meetings where everyone can voice their concerns. Also, a complaint redressal team needs to be included in the company to help get all the issues and complaints that the employees are facing and to address them well at the earliest. The company also needs to focus on the supervisor training and as explained by Gerson (1998), â€Å"employers who fail to provide supervision with periodic labor law training are asking for trouble. Once a union campaign is under way, it may be too late to provide the necessary training. Often, legal mistakes made at the beginning of a union drive can seriously undermine an employer's ability to counter the union's organizing efforts†(Gerson). It is crucial to look at all possible areas where the possible issue arises from, hence one of the many which can be a cause is the issue of low pay for the employees. Hence he re the focus will be to check and in any case try and make the work place a more flexible and also better, pay structure, benefits, and working conditions for the employees (Grossman). Also, it is important to note that competition information is also an essential aspect of the business and needs to be considered as well (Segal). Also, to help ensure that the company is working in line and effectively,
Ethical Dilemma at the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Ethical Dilemma at the Workplace - Essay Example Value of Life – Human life has inviolable sacredness; b. Goodness or Rightness – Doing good, in addition to refraining from doing evil, is required so that the consequences are good for the individual and for society; c. Justice or Fairness – This principle relates to equality of treatment among the members of society; d. Truth-telling or Honesty – Although ethical action should be based on the truth, confidentiality (contact-keeping), related to honesty and individual freedom; e. Individual Freedom – Ethical decisions should consider the principle of self-determination; and f. Trustworthiness - Trust defined, is assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, and truth of a business. 3. Application of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics: Following are the Ethical Standards as per the Organization’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable on the present situation: I) Conflicts of Interest: As your private interest may interfe re in any way with the interests of the Company; II) Fair Dealing: This might affect our honesty and ethical behavior and we might not be able to act in good faith, with due care; and III) Honesty, Integrity and Objectivity: As this situation leads to conflict between honest and objective approach to recruitment and favor of any sort. 4. The Nature and Dimensions of the Dilemma: Following avenues were examined in order to ensure that the problem in all its various dimensions has been considered. This situation falls in the category of Ethical Dilemma as it violates the following ethical principals: c) Justice or Fairness – As it would be equal treatment of all the candidates; d) Truth-telling or Honesty – As by hiring the candidate of your choice my honesty would be impaired; and e) Individual Freedom – Further my objectivity and self determinacy would also be affected in this situation. Further this situation also has the potential to affect my moral behavior a nd this also constitutes ethical dilemma. Consultations with the ethics committee comprising of the HR personnel and supervisors, presented the following basic options: a) it would be violation of the general ethical principles as well as the Organization’s ‘Code of Business Conduct and Ethics’ to some extent as are discussed above, however, as all the candidates are of equal footings as yet and are equally compatible and capable as their results of the tests and the experience proves, we can also consider hiring Mr. McDonough. But for that effective interviews need to be conducted as these may result in certain other observations about the candidates too. I have also considered the ethical Theory that is suitable in the situation that we are facing now. The applicable theory is ‘Consequentialism’, which presents that the right action is one which produces the best consequences. 5. Potential courses of action: The following actions or rather decision s are open to me to consider: i) Carry on the interview proceedings of all the candidates, keeping in mind your request and considering Mr. McDonough above others. ii) Appoint Mr. McDonough without any further proceedings. iii) Conduct interview with no consideration or favors regarding appointment and appoint the most suitable candidate.Â
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
CASE ASSIGNMENT MODULE 4 Union Organizing Essay
CASE ASSIGNMENT MODULE 4 Union Organizing - Essay Example Current Issue: The case does not provide a clear idea of the current issues within the company. However one of the many possible issues in the company is the fact that the employees have already been faced with a major change in the company without any prior notice or even a chance to discuss the change. The company has had a change in the teams, change job titles, work assignments and the pay structure, and the only thing that was very strongly communicated to the employees was, â€Å"this is how it will be†. This has obviously caused a major uproar among the employees and has also led to a distasteful change for the employees. This can be one of the possible reasons for the employees to take a serious decision and work towards unionization. Plan: The first step that needs to be taken here is to identify the source of the issue. To do so, the first step will be to conduct a meeting with all the managers and team leaders across the organisation. Here the main task that will be given to all the managers will be to bring out the possible reasons that the employees have chosen and are attempting this change (Grossman). This will further be followed by a report stating the worse case scenarios of the implementation of the unions both for the company as well as the employees. Here several different elements like the policy details as well as the company have a number of policies against the unionization. The next step will be to bring in a training professional to assist the managers and every top level management in terms of responding to the employees and the unions (Gerson). Here a detailed understanding of unionisation and the impact it has on the company will be discussed. These supervisors should also be trained properly in responding to questions from employees about unions.  Another crucial aspect of the overall scene is the need for good communication with the employees and also an attempt of the organisation to take up the responsibility to un derstand the needs of the employees (Gerson). Here to do so, the managers can include individual meeting with the employees or team meetings where everyone can voice their concerns. Also, a complaint redressal team needs to be included in the company to help get all the issues and complaints that the employees are facing and to address them well at the earliest. The company also needs to focus on the supervisor training and as explained by Gerson (1998), â€Å"employers who fail to provide supervision with periodic labor law training are asking for trouble. Once a union campaign is under way, it may be too late to provide the necessary training. Often, legal mistakes made at the beginning of a union drive can seriously undermine an employer's ability to counter the union's organizing efforts†(Gerson). It is crucial to look at all possible areas where the possible issue arises from, hence one of the many which can be a cause is the issue of low pay for the employees. Hence he re the focus will be to check and in any case try and make the work place a more flexible and also better, pay structure, benefits, and working conditions for the employees (Grossman). Also, it is important to note that competition information is also an essential aspect of the business and needs to be considered as well (Segal). Also, to help ensure that the company is working in line and effectively,
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Applied management accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Applied management accounting - Essay Example Furthermore, since its NPV of $20,149.83 is greater than the NPV of Machine 2 therefore we will give it a higher priority because of higher NPV. This equipment has a payback period of 3 years and 11 months therefore it lags behinds in terms of recovering the initial capital expenditure than Machine 2 or Machine 3. However, the payback period is not the ultimate criterion in accepting and rejecting projects therefore we will first look at this project’s NPV. This project has the highest NPV of $169,311.58 therefore we will invest in this Machine as it has the power to add greatest value to the company. However, this is the most risky project as the larger cash flows will be generated during the long-term which are most of the time difficult to exactly predict due to uncertainty. The Net Present Value Method takes into account the time value of the money plus it also determines how much of the wealth will be added to the company’s net worth. Or we can say that it gives us an idea of the profitability of the project The payback period calculates how much time it would take the project to recover the capital expenditure invested in the project. It is useful when the time horizon is short as it becomes vital to know how quickly the investment will be recovered. The payback period does not incorporate the time value of money. Another inherent flaw in this method is that it does not take into account the future cash flows which will be available after the initial expenditure has been
Monday, October 14, 2019
The United Nations And Human Rights Essay Example for Free
The United Nations And Human Rights Essay The developments that immediately preceded the Second World War in field of state-relations irreversibly changed the landscape of the international communities. The biggest development, if not the most significant, was the establishment of the United Nations. This move to theoretically unite a war-ravaged world was ambitious and prone to many pitfalls.            Among the immediate developments that were ushered in by the creation of this supranational institution was the Human Rights Machinery. This significant progress came â€Å"[a]fter centuries of inadequate, piecemeal efforts to protect citizens from abuse by their own governments, in 1946 the international community founded a global human rights institution.  The United Nations Commission on Human Rights became the first international body empowered to promote all the human rights of all the world’s peoples. The founders assumed that improved respect for human rights would help individuals and would also serve the United Nations’ primary peacekeeping gal by eliminating repressive practices which provoked war.†[1] The importance and legitimacy of the respect for Human Rights and the international promotion of it among the different nations of the world was further â€Å"highlighted in Chapter IX of the Charter dealing with international economic and social cooperation in terms of a pledge or commitment of all Member states.†[2]            Like with many other issues in the political arena, there is a wide schism between the word and the act. â€Å"The contributions of the UN must neither be understated nor overstated. The UN has been an intellectual pioneer in the issues of economic and social development, much more than is often recognized. At the same time, there have often been omissions and distortions in its work.†[3] While the ideals proclaimed by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, through the different Conventions and texts are many, there is a vocal number of people that believe that the United Nations, together with the mentioned Commission is all rhetoric. In this, there is a â€Å"[s]trong tendency†¦to put blame for this unsatisfactory state of affairs on the United Nations and it is true that the Organization is in many respects inapt and ineffective in converting the theory of its own words into actual practice. However, those circles who for good reasons criticize the United Nations would be well advised to do some more soul-searching as to their own direct or indirect share of complicity in bringing about and maintaining structures of injustice.†[4]            The human rights machinery refers to the different organs and procedures dealing directly with human rights in the United Nations system which includes: Intergovernmental organs established on the basis of the Charter of the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and the Commission on Human Rights. The commission on the Status of Women and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice also address human rights issues within their respective mandates; Bodies established by human rights treaties; Reporting, communications, and investigating procedures established by policy-making organs and treaty based bodies; the parts of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for human rights activities, especially the United Nation High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Division for the Advancement of Women and the centre for International Crime Prevention have also human rights responsibilities. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Decision for the Advancement of Women adopt joint work plans.[5]       â€Å"The Charter of the United Nations, with respect to Human Rights bridged the gap between human rightly established a close link between human rights and other world-wide concerns, viz. the maintenance of peace and the promotion of economic and social development. (†¦) The United Nations played a dynamic role in strongly supporting the quest for independence of colonial countries and peoples was instrumental in terminating colonial domination and combating racial discrimination. In no other area did the United National proclaim and defend human rights principles with so much vigour as in the fields of decolonization and racial discrimination.†[6]            There is said to be three stages of differently focused activities that capture the essence of the Commission’s work in the domain of Human Rights: (1) Standard-Setting (2) Promotion (3) Protection. These three stages are essential in analyzing the work, whether in a positive or negative light, of the Commission.            The Standard-setting stage started the inception of the body of the United Nations itself and lasted a decade after (1945-1955). The most significant output of this stage, and perhaps one of the most significant in human history, was the articulation of the International Bill of Rights; and for this one must give credit to the Commission who was entrusted with this enormous task. During the first decade, the Commission â€Å"spent most of its time on the elaboration of the draft international covenants and concluded its drafting work with respect to those instruments in the mid-fifties.†[7]            â€Å"Despite adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, concern with and promotion of human rights as such often played little part in the UN’s early work on economic and social development. The fulfilment of many economic and social rights was certainly implicit in UN concerns and actions for economic and social advance, but references to rights in this work were few and far between.  Moreover, political and civil and cultural rights mostly got forgotten or ignored in economic writing on development and were treated more as a matter of political and ideological debate in the U.N. Indeed, in development discussions, the belief became popular that authoritarian regimes had some advantage and even some justification because of their ability to take the tough decisions requiredfor example, to raise the rate of savings in poor countries. It was argued that more democratic leaders would find it difficult to take these hard decisions.†[8]            Although the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was and is considered a huge achievement for the international community, the acceptance was not as ready, much like all the new ideas that come into the field, like gender mainstreaming. When a popular support for the ideas embodied in the Declaration did not appear on the horizons, the United Nations began a widespread promotional campaign, the second stage (19955-1965). â€Å"It was assumed that studies, advice and measures in the field of education and information would in the long run provide a more fruitful basis for enhancing the cause of human rights that the treaty-making process which was undertaken with the elaboration of the International Covenants.†[9]           However, this particular stage did not receive resounding success either. The interest that was sparked was not proportionate to the resources of time, energy and money expended to undertake the promotional activities. â€Å"[T]hey failed to grasp the interest and the imagination of the United Nations membership and of the public at large. Moreover, they were too far removed from the main political currents in the World Organization. The human rights program was functioning in isolation and it seemed to lack the political relevance and for that matter the impetus which is needed for dynamic evolution.†[10]            Apparently, the fact that â€Å"[i]t is one thing to draw up international standards, it is quite another thing to have those standards implemented†[11] began to painfully dawn on the Commission. It must be said, however, that this unforeseen lack of support was entirely due to the incompetence of the United Nations in general and the Commission, in particular. External factors of the current times have to be taken into consideration as well. Despite the end of the war, there was still prevalent â€Å"[d]istrust and tensions between nations and peoples, extreme disparities in economic and social conditions between and within nations, religious and ideological antagonism, persistent patterns of racial discrimination and class domination and numerous other factors, including selfishness of individual human beings, affect the realization of human rights with the various societies. It should also be taken into account that any approach from the viewpoint of violations of human rights is, in the context of inter-State cooperation, a most precarious and delicate undertaking inasmuch as it focuses mostly on weaknesses and failures.†[12]            It is undeniable, looking at the United Nations history, that the machinery met great difficulties in the human rights ideals across the world and to effectively integrate it into existing government practices. Due to the few successes of the first two stages, the stage of protection started off with a bumpy ride and is subject to much criticism, which will discussed in the later paragraphs.            Despite the shaky two decades, it is undeniable that â€Å"the Commission has contributed to the inadequate but nevertheless incremental growth of supranational authority capable of scrutinizing practices that had previously been exclusively within governments’ sovereign jurisdiction.†[13] The third stage, protection, came right after the standards were set and the same were promoted to the individuals and national governments. The protection stage is actually the collection of events, still undergoing now, that enforces the standards by â€Å"responding to specific complaints against over seventy governments. The process has increased the Commission’s visibility ad dramatically transformed its operation while exacerbating fundamental differences over whether political or economic, individual or collective rights deserve priority.†[14]            To guide the protection of the world’s population, the Commission refers to now only their shining accomplishment that was the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but other treaties such as the International Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination (1966), the Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. â€Å"There can be little doubt that the three greatest intellectual contributions of the United Nations have been human rights on a global scale†¦Ã¢â‚¬ [15]            Despite the pioneering efforts of the Commission, those that have resulted in both failure and success, a large number of people are highly critical of the United Nations, in general and the Commission, in particular, citing inefficiency, redundancy and an overly-bureaucratic structure as primary reasons. â€Å"American critics have made the sharpest attacks, venting their greatest anger prior to 1980 and since then against the UN in general and the Assembly in particular. The Commissions harshest critic claims that unfair procedures have been manipulated to subvert democratic governments and fundamental rights. The Commission’s defenders lament it limited impact on government practice and propose a variety of structural reforms.†[16]            One of the biggest concerns aired by the Eastern bloc is the supposed prevalence of Western values embodied in the different Declaration and Treaties. â€Å"Judging by the time spent in drafting and the norms adopted, the Commission appears to have given higher priority to Western sponsored political and civil than to Third World initiated economic and social standards.†[17] Economic concerns were definitely more pressing in the third-world countries where starvation trumped political freedom any day. Although in its defense, the Declaration did have economic rights included in the text. However, many complain that while that is true,†[t]he Universal Declaration and the two covenants give nearly consideration to economic rights, but create more effective enforcement procedures for civil liberties. The conventions on race discrimination and apartheid affirm the rights of groups as well as individuals but give no special priority to economic concerns. (†¦) The consensus decision-making procedure delayed and weakened the 1986 declaration on development. If any standard setting priority exists, the Commission has given the greatest attention to individual civil and political rights. Despite the strident rhetoric about balancing economic and political rights, the gross violations identified have involved considerably more political than economic injustice. (†¦) Complaints about forced labour, particularly involving children, have not prompted a response unless the violation involved mass killing or another top priority.†[18]            Assuming but not conceding that this prioritization were true, it must be said that such would be essential in the smooth running of an organization in order not to spread oneself too thin. This is particularly true for the United Nations because a â€Å"society must establish value priorities about which rights to protect by law and which violations to punish most severely. The international community is even more ideologically divided than its constituent members, therefore attempts to enforce universal human rights exacerbate fundamental political differences.†[19]            Among the popular criticisms of the United Nations Human Rights machinery, the most troubling would perhaps have to be the accusations of the employing double standards; standards that heavily favor Western aggression. These complaints found legitimacy in the now-infamous UN inaction during the Rwandan genocide. Furthermore, the deafening silence on the part of the UN during the American military operations against Afghanistan and Iraq hit the UN credibility hard and many more joined the others in crying foul. â€Å"Some critics have concluded that politically motivated double standards, selective enforcement and disparate treatment totally discredit the Commission’s enforcement program. When the Commission acts selectively, its exceptionally rare actions appear arbitrary and capricious. While Commission supporters also complain that too many serious violation escape scrutiny, they favor imperfect enforcement to none at all.†[20]            In conclusion, the Commission was â€Å"ill-equipped to cope with the underlying military and economic causes of the worst human rights violations. At best its measures temper and moderate the most extreme offenses. Once the killing has begun, human rights remedies, like United Nations relief for refugees, merely alleviates symptoms.†[21]            With that said, a new chapter of Human Rights’ protection through the United Nations system was ushered with the extinction of the Commission of the Human Rights in 2006. Its successor is dubbed the Human Rights Council. This brings to the playing field a shift in the field of Human Rights and is significant in several aspects. First, it addresses the issue of a much-needed ‘face-lift’ for the image of the United Nations main machine of human rights. The former Commission had its share of bad publicity and the creation of the Human Rights Council, even if will heavily base its action on those of its predecessors, makes the evolution in thinking and practice much more understandable by the general public.            Moreover, the Council ushers in a new era in which the Commission would have been hard-pressed to fit in. This misfit can perhaps be attributed to the fact that the former Commission was created during a different international field, at a time when war was still a fresh memory. In so many ways, the global community has progressed far beyond the nature of Post-World War II. Therefore, this new change will hopefully reflect mandates that would be more faithful and effective in these current times.            A cursory look at the working groups under the Human Rights Council shows that not all was changed, however, and rightly so. The Council is still carrying out the standard-setting stage, which the Commission excelled at. Under a standard-setting goal, the Council is currently looking into the expansion of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in order to more accurately portray the Human Rights’ needs of these rapidly changing times. In addition to this potential expansion, there is also a working group under the auspices of the Human Rights Council that is currently drafting a legally binding instrument for the protection of all persons from enforced disappearances. This latter on is merely a continuation of the Commission’s work.            The other working groups of the Human Rights Council do show that they are treading into new territory, which the Commission was criticized for not doing enough. Under the working groups for special procedures, there are experts on People of African Descent, Arbitrary Detention and Mercenaries.            There is incredible potential for the Council to do great work in the field of human rights and it is not weighed down by decades of bad publicity. Although it is too early in the game to call the outcome, this significant change in the United Nations framework will only be effective if the new Council learns from its predecessor’s mistakes in enforcement. Although the textual and intellectual contribution of the Commission cannot be disputed, these contemporary times need more than non-binding conventions that do not seem to scare those militant with complete disregard for the sanctity and dignity of human life.            Being a watchdog of human rights in the world cannot be constrained to formulating conventions and treaties. This was where the Commission excelled at and the Council should build on them but concentrate on actual groundwork where they are needed, on the ground and not from some lofty and comfortable climate controlled environment in New York. In many ways, this shows that the United Nations System has evolved with the times and the old complaints with the old machinery will slowly be forgotten. This is a perfect time for any enormous changes within the United Nations system in that there is an actual change of face, literally, with the new Secretary-General; therefore any new victories will be counted as part of the new Council, even if it were heavily rooted in the Commission’s work. [1] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.xiii [2] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.119 [3] Jolly, R. et.al. (2004) UN Contributions to Development Thinking and Practice. Indiana: United Nations Intellectual History Project Series. p.276 [4] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.120 [5] Symonides, J., (2003) Human Rights: International Protection, Monitoring, Enforcement. UNESCO Publishing. p.5 [6] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.120 [7] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.121 [8] Jolly, R. et.al. (2004) UN Contributions to Development Thinking and Practice. Indiana: United Nations Intellectual History Project Series. p.8 [9] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.122 [10] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.122 [11] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.125 [12] Cassese, A. ed. (1979) UN Law: Fundamental Rights. van Boven, T., United Nations and Human Rights: A critical Appraisal. p.125 [13] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.xiii [14] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.xiii [15] Jolly, R. et.al. (2004) UN Contributions to Development Thinking and Practice. Indiana: United Nations Intellectual History Project Series. p.276 [16] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.187 [17] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.193 [18] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.193 [19] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.194 [20] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.203 [21] Tolley, H., (1987). The UN Commission on Human Rights. London: Westview Press. p.220
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Case Study Analysis Ryanair The Low Fares Airline Management Essay
Case Study Analysis Ryanair The Low Fares Airline Management Essay The key objective of this report is to critically evaluate the strategy of Ryanair against the backdrop of the European air line industry and the bludgeoning Budget sector, in response to the challenges facing the Industry as a whole and Ryan air in particular also has evaluated the Ryan airs bid for fellow Irish carrier, Aer Lingus. This evaluation is done by using a strategic analysis of environment and the industry as well as the company, present strategic choices recommended new strategic initiatives and areas for improving strategy implementation using Macro-environment analysis, Industry analysis and Internal analysis. The analysis has been done by using significant theories such as PESTEL analysis, Porters five forces, Strategic group model, key success factors and value chain etc. knowledge on Ryanair. Through the Ryanair environmental analysis unproductive strategic decisions have been identified and finally suggest the recommendations to develop Ryanairs competitive gain in the future. (2.0) Introduction This document is based on the case provided; Ryanair the low-fairs Airline which was written by Eleanor OHiggins, University College Dublin, Republic of Ireland in 2007. Ryanair is Europes first and largest law fares airline which started 1985 by Ryan family. (Ryanair website) Its an Irish airline with head office in Dublin and its biggest operational base at London Stansted Airport in the UK (Ryanair Europes greenest airline n.d).Ryanairs has grown steadily to now in the most environmentally friendly way by investing in the latest aircraft and engine technologies which have reduced fuel burn and CO2 emissions and the implementation of certain operational and commercial decisions. According to the case the report has critically evaluated the strategy of Ryanair against the backdrop of the European air line industry and the bludgeoning Budget sector, in response to the challenges facing the Industry as a whole and Ryan air in particular also has evaluated the Ryan airs bid for fellow Irish carrier, Aer Lingus. For this evaluation as a member of the management consulting firm I have provided a strategic analysis of environment and the industry as well as the company, present strategic choices recommended new strategic initiatives and areas for improving strategy implementation using Macro-environment analysis, Industry analysis and Internal analysis from this document to the senior management team of Ryanair. The analysis of this report was done with the support of the provided case information, Ryanair website, industry related information from academic books, journals, websites, and other publicly available secondary data sources. (3.0) Overview of Ryanair Ryanair is a global airline which provides scheduled passenger airline services between Ireland and the United Kingdom. Starting in 1985 Ryanair followed the example of Southwest Airlines. It was set up with a share capital of just  £1 and a new staff base of 25. Since 1985 to now it has grown massively into one of the Europes largest low fare carrier. In 1990 the company suffered a  £20 million loss and was forced to completely restructure and a new management team was brought in headed by Michael OLeary who made major changes to the airline. Ryanair restructured itself and became a low-fares, no -frills carrier. After the next few years Ryan air significantly slashed its fares further and managed to open up many new routes. Today, Ryan Air has destinations in 26 countries with 950 routes. Also the headquartered in Dublin, employs about 4,200 people, operates with a fleet size of 120 Boeing 737-800, carries approximately 35 Mio passengers a year and had a turnover of 1,692.5 Mio in 2006 with a net profitability of about 10% (Mayor, 2007). Furthermore revenue has risen from à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬231 million in 1998 to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2,714 million in 2008 and net profits have increased from à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬48 million to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬480 million, over the same period despite the worldwide recession and the high oil prices. (3.1) Vision Ryanairs CEO, Michael OLeary, has a vision of a world where the fare could drop to nothing as local communities would subsidize the airline to bring a steady traffic of business people and tourists to their region. (Ryanair Report, 1997) Mission Statement Ryanair will become Europeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²s most profitable lowest cost airline by rolling out our proven `low-fare-no-frillsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ² service in all markets in which we operate, to the benefit of our passengers, people, and shareholders. (Mayor, 2007) Ryanair aims to offer low fares that generate increased passenger traffic with a continuous focus on cost-containment and operating efficiencies. Moreover Ryanair has main objective and other objectives to stay as the favorable and low cost airline in Europe. (Please Refer Appendix 01). Also refer Appendix 02 for financial analysis. (3.3) Critical Issues Though Ryanair has gone quite well all the way to now I have identified below critical problems through out the case. Major critical issues are; Negative public image due to aggressive CEO and unfriendly staff. Immature handling of sensitive issues such as criticizing politicians, disabled passengers Misleading advertisements and messy website. Unreasonable ancillary charges for example wheelchair charges, check in baggage charges, refund handling charges etc. Leadership issues (4.0) Environmental Analysis Environment has a great impact on functioning of any business. Environmental analysis is the process of monitoring the organizational environment to identify both present and future threats and opportunities that may influence the firms ability to reach its goals. (Certo Peter 1991). Its important to a business to adapt to the environment to be successful hence it needs to be analysis both internal and external environment. (4.1) External Environment Analysis Purpose of an external environment analysis is to identify or develop a finite list of opportunities that could benefit a firm and threats that could be avoided. Firms should be able to respond either offensively or defensively to the factors by formulating strategies that take advantage of external opportunities or that minimize the impact of potential threats. The external analysis can be divided into macro environment and industry analyses. (4.1.1) Macro Environment Analysis There are several influences of macro-environment on Ryanair within their operating countries. Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors had created a considerable impact in macro environment on the performance in a company. This is known as PESTEL Analysis. Please Refer Appendix 03 (4.1.2) Industry Analysis Industry can be defined as a group of organization or business unit producing close substitutes (Fletcher 2003). The aim of this analysis is to assess the industry environment and answer the following questions. Whatre the forces within the industry which are determining the profitability of the industry? Howre the forces changing and expected to change overtime? How will those changes affect future profitability? For the analysis of Ryanair industry environment have used porters five forces model and Strategic group. Please refer the Appendix 04 05 (4.2) Internal Environment Analysis An internal analysis should be conducted in-order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of an organization. It also assist the firm to find-out its resources and capabilities in-order to utilize those resources to the best potential. The main objective of internal analysis for this case is to measure the Ryanairs resources in terms of other major competitors such as Easy jet and South West air lines. For the internal analysis have used value chain model and key successes factors. Please Refer Appendix 06. (4.2.1) Key successful Factors Key successful factors are some of the important factors which are necessary in business. It brings a comparative advantage to the business. It is highlighted that low-cost companies concentrate on offering the lowest prices as the first critical success factor. Although Ryanair had encountered different problems especially in line with its cost structures, the company had been able to survive and grow in the marketplace. They have implemented different marketing strategy to make the company survive in the competition and to gain a competitive position in the airline market. Ryanair has recognised recently as the most punctual airline between Dublin and London and also recognised as the second largest airline in United Kingdom and Europes largest low-fares airline because of the strategy of it. Technology related Expertise in given industry technology Scientific technology expertise in airline industry Making Internet the primary base of distribution and marketing Distribution related Accurate filling of customers orders A strong network of communication via internet Low distribution cost Marketing related Fast, accurate technical assistance Courteous customer service Clever advertising Manufacturing related Access to adequate supplies of skilled labor A strong brand identity among the buyers Low cost marketing and distribution methods Skills related Superior work power talent Ability to develop new products and product improvements. Expertise in technology Organizational capability Superior information system Experiential top management SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis given below is to help Ryanair to achieve their mission and objectives by capitalizing on opportunities using their strengths and reducing their weaknesses and threats. Strengths Ryanair is the 1st to launch low cost flights in Europe and has continuously maintained the low fare policy. They have a strong brand image and strong bargaining power in airport deals. Aggressive and Innovative leadership (CEO- Mr. Michael OLeary). Larger market share New fleets results in maximum aircraft utilization. Weaknesses Earn publicity through negative press reporting which affect brand image. Very poor customer relations which is damaging to the success. Low level of understanding for employees Misleading advertisements about ticket fares and destinations. In-flight mobile phones and gambling can deter some customers Opportunities Withdrawal of traditional companies from most of the less traffic intense point to point routes using regional airports. Industry growth in European air travel industry Being an fine choice of most of the market due to recession Threats Upper middle class economy travelers may seek greater value proposition than just low fares. Increasing Prices of Oil Markets and fluctuating currency issues Terrorism Impending legislations for environment protection. Recommendation. The whole analysis has summarized both pluses and minuses in the company. Through examining the Treats and weaknesses the following recommendation could be illustrates. Following strategies can be used to decrease the weaknesses and avoid threats of the company and improve its competitive upgrading. Total Quality Management The low cost strategy has hided the quality of the service. To attract and retain the customers Ryanair has to follow an effective total quality management process. Efficient total quality management values could make a great difference in the service quality. It will not only enhance the quality but also it will increase the productivity. Thus effective quality management will make the brand identity stronger and make a more brand loyalty with in customer base. Competitors Competitors like easyJet, Air Berlin, Basic Air are catering to the value market division and have established slots at some main airports and providing basic cost effective services. Later acquiring the Aer Lingus would increase Ryanairs showings in stock market and faster growth in to the value oriented market segments. Therefore Ryanair need to be more concern about the low price strategy. Customer Relationship Management In the service sector what is important is the satisfaction of the customers. Due to poor facilities and ancillary services Ryanair has lost their customer relationship. Therefore, a strong CRM strategy should be implemented to minimize the weaknesses of the company. Apart from the CRM strategies Ryanair could move on to CSR projects to draw the corporate position to the organization. (7.0) Conclusion Ryanair is the most favorable low fare airline in the Europe and with this they have been successful all the way so far. But now I can conclude from the above analysis that Ryanair have to develop a successful strategy not for only winning the low fare strategy but gaining a stable position in the value segment and in new non-European markets. References Barrett, S., (2000), Journal of air transportation of Transport Management Vol.6, pp. 13-27 (Butterworth-Heinemann; Oxford) David, F. R. (2005). Strategic Management (10th Ed.). NJ:Prentice hall Fletcher, J. (2003). Strategic Management à  ¨ study guide and plan. Edith Cowan University. Lynch, R. (2003), Corporate Strategy, 3rd ed., Prentice Hall Financial Times Mayer, S. (2007). Ryanair and its low cost flights in Europe. University of the Sunshine Coast Queensland (Business Faculty). Retrieved April 23, 2010, from http://www.grin.com/e-book/87815/ryanair-and-its-low-cost-flights-in-europe Paul, V. (2007). French Accent Ryanair Slow on Emotion, Retrieved from April 27, 2010, from http://www.brandchannel.com/brand_speak.asp?bs_id=72 Ryanair case study analysis (2009), Retrieved from April 27, 2010, from http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2009/04/case-study-analysis-ryanair.html Ryanair and its low cost flights in Europe (2007), Retrieved from April 28, 2010, from http://www.grin.com/e-book/87815/ryanair-and-its-low-cost-flights-in-europe Ryanair Europes greenest airline. (2006). Retrieved from April 28, 2010, from http://www.ryanair.com/en/about/ryanair-and-the-environment (9.0) APPENDIX Appendix 01 Ryanair main objective is to: Offer the lowest fares at all time on all routes: Ryanair main objective is to establish itself as Europes leading low-fares scheduled passenger airline through continued improvements and expanding offerings of its low-fares service. Ryanair other objectives are to; Continue to find ways of reducing costs Though Ryanair has the lowest cost base of any of its competitors Ryanair can continue to lower its cost base as it grows even if at a slower pace. Ryanair 100% online Ryanair expect continuing to use the internet as its primary point of sale and over the next 5 years the aim is to have 100% of bookings via the internet so as to reduce the costly call centers. Increase the Frequency of Existing Routes On the moment Ryanair have an average of 3.88 flights per day per route. This figure, compared to Easyjet and traditional carriers, is very low. It means that Ryanair is losing out on business passengers who need more flexible timetables. If Ryanair can enhance the frequency on some of their routes they possibly will effectively steal some of the passengers from the traditional carriers thus increasing market share. Open New Routes in Europe There are many possible routes still un-served by low-cost carriers. Ryanair can also open routes where the competition is a more expensive for traditional carrier while attracting customers with the cheaper, no-frills option. Develop Its Smaller Continental Operating Bases Ryanair must look to other operating bases to expand their network. Although there is not the same demand outside there is still sufficient demand to make a considerable profit. Source: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FfQQcO538yAJ:solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdf+http://solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdfHYPERLINK http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FfQQcO538yAJ:solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdf+http://solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdfcd=1hl=enct=clnkgl=lkHYPERLINK http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FfQQcO538yAJ:solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdf+http://solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdfcd=1hl=enct=clnkgl=lkcd=1HYPERLINK http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FfQQcO538yAJ:solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdf+http://solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdfcd=1hl=enct=clnkgl=lkHYPERLINK http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FfQQcO538yAJ:solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdf+http://solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdfcd=1hl=enct=clnkgl=lkhl =enHYPERLINK http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FfQQcO538yAJ:solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdf+http://solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdfcd=1hl=enct=clnkgl=lkHYPERLINK http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FfQQcO538yAJ:solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdf+http://solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdfcd=1hl=enct=clnkgl=lkct=clnkHYPERLINK http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FfQQcO538yAJ:solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdf+http://solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdfcd=1hl=enct=clnkgl=lkHYPERLINK http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FfQQcO538yAJ:solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdf+http://solvay.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/BuspPresRyanair04.pdfcd=1hl=enct=clnkgl=lkgl=lk) Appendix 02 Financial Analysis Appendix 03 PESTEL ANALYSIS Political In political factor focused on Government stability, Taxation policy, foreign trade regulations and Social welfare policies but in the Ryanair case according to the provided information affected to; Increase of route charge by the government In 2006, airport and handling charges increased by 21%, slower than the growth in passenger numbers, reflecting a net reduction in costs from deals at new airports and bases despite increased costs at certain existing airports such as Stansted. Increase in trade union pressure Some of the countries in Europe have formed a trade-union among each others and due to this it gives the pressure for Ryanair to do business in these countries. Furthermore the Europe Union (EU) has expanded in the past few years and it is a big factor that affects the direction and strategy planning for Ryanair. Government passed The law for carbon emission to aviation industry to compensate further taxes Ryanair replaced its fleet of old aircraft with new more environmental friendly aircraft. The newer aircraft produced 50% less emissions, 45%less fuel burn and 45% lower noise emissions per seat. UK government put on compulsory security measures and restrictions due to terrorism attacks on airlines in August 2006, UK authorities imposed severe security measures at all airports in the face of an alleged imminent terrorist plot to attack up to 10 aircraft on transatlantic routes. Economical According to the Fletcher, 2003; The health of a nations economy affects the performance of individual firms and industries. The economic environment refers to the nature and direction of the economy in which a firm competes or may compete (Fletcher, 2003, M.3, P. 4) Economical Analysis consists of GDP, Price fluctuations, unemployment trends, depreciation of U.S dollars, interest rates and economies of scale etc. In Ryanair case they have affected by; High price ceiling of petroleum products and fuels From 2005 fuel prices are increased and Ryanairs fuel costs represented 35% of operating costs in 2006 compared with 27% the year before. Energy and fuel costs are cause of uncertainty Also jet fuel cost fluctuations are unpredictable and not controllable. Social The socio-cultural environment represents the set of values, ideals and other characteristics that distinguish members of one group from those of another according to the Fletcher, 2003, M. 3, P. 3). Organizations need to be aware of these factors because they can straightly affect the way the organizations manage the operations, more importantly human resources and marketing. Change in the mode of travelling due to the terrorist attacks Because of the terrorists attacks there was a treat that passengers would choose other forms of transport such as trains rather than facing to the inconvenience and expense of checking in luggage and extra time spent in airport security queues. Increase in travelling life style and flying patterns. Technology Many new advances in technologies can affect the way businesses are competing. Technological developments represent a real opportunity for the skillful people who can understand and apply them appropriately. It also helpful to reduce its costs effectively and furthermore can maintain good relationship with customers. Technological analysis consists of new communication technologies, product innovations, new product development and application of knowledge etc. Related to the Ryanair occurred; Technological expansion Ryanair has introduced new technological environmental friendly airlines in order to make profits High fuel efficiency, less noise pollution and lessening of carbon pollution using Boeing 737 planes Ryanair tries to reduce pollution. Web sales/services Ryanair tries completely to do online check-in in the future. Environment This consists of changes in environment that can impact on industries such as tourism and farming etc. nowadays more and more people are concerned about global warming and green house gas effects. According to the case Ryanair affect environment by; Contributing Global warming though Ryanair contribute to the global warming up to some certain they have introduced new aircrafts that reduce fuel burn in 45%. Noise level controls Also they have lower the noise emission in 45% in their new aircrafts. Legal Legal analysis consists of competition law, health and safety, employment law and product safety. As in the case Ryanair affected by; Allegations of misleading advertisement Ryanair accused it of misleading passengers on its website by exaggerating the prices of its competitors in making comparisons. Safety measures; pilots and passengers In July 2006 the Irish high court found out that Ryanair had bullied pilots and forced them to agree to a new contract, pilots had to pay à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 15000 for retraining on a new aircraft if they left the airline. In 2006 pilots of Ryanair lodged a pay claim stating that there is significant difference in take home pay between Ryanair and Aer Lingus pilots it also claimed that training pilots were working for nothing. Also the case says Ryanair has charged more money for the insurance than its actual amount. Appendix 04 Porters Five Forces Model. This five forces model is developed by Michael Porter and it described five forces which are Bargaining power of Suppliers, Bargaining power of customers, New entrants, Threat of Substitutes and Competitive Rivalry. These forces have analyzed below according to the Ryanair. Source: http://notesdesk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/porters-five-forces-model.jpg Bargaining Power of Suppliers Aircraft Suppliers Boeing is Ryanairs main supplier. There are only 2 possible suppliers of planes. They are Boeing and Airbus. Fuel Suppliers Price of aviation fuel is straightly related to the cost of oil (Ryanair controls these through hedging Regional and Bigger Airports Regional Airports have little bargaining power as they are heavily dependent on one Airline. Bigger airports, where Ryanairs competitors operate, have greater bargaining power. Ryanairs policy is to try and avoid these airports. Bargaining Power of Customers Low price Customers are price sensitive and they know about the low cost of supplying the service from Ryanair. Distribution power of travel agents was decreasing as prospects used to book tickets from internet or through direct booking. So it was a threat to travel agents, so they employed to offer complete travel solutions to customers. Direct bookings on the Ryanair website has meant that there have been savings in the region of 42.6% in marketing and distribution costs. New Entrants Some barriers to entry there are some regulations when entering to the European countries. High capital investment at the beginning of the new airlines need big financials otherwise there is a threat of losing money. Restricted slot availability makes it more difficult to find suitable airports European countries have many landing slots that were reserved or used by national carriers. Also for new entrants have a need for low cost bases. Threat of Substitutes Other modes of transport the treat of substitutes to the airline industry comes in three main forms. These are road, rail and boat service. Of these, rail would seem to suggest the maximum threat because, certainly around Europe, it offers a brilliant continental service around the main cities that Ryanair fly to. No switching costs for the customer there is no switching cost when changing the traveling mode and there is no close relationship between customers. Competitive Rivalry Most cost advantages can be copied immediately However if any company does choose to race on the same basis as Ryanair there will be heavy pressure on prices, margins and hence on profitability Low frills and low price Ryanair has a benefit over other airlines because their policy of bundling low frills and low prices together means that they are competing for the more price responsive customer. Appendix 05 Strategic Group Model Strategic group is a group of firms in an industry following the same or a similar strategy along the same strategic dimensions. (Fletcher 2003) It consists of competitors competes with similar strategic dimensions such as product, quality, target market, geographical area. Firms are competing directly with the aligned strategic groups as they hold same strategic scope. (Porter 1980) The below graph represent the strategic group analysis for the airline industry. The grouping has been done accordance to the dimensions of quality and price. 1st strategic group This is the basic strategic dimensions of this strategic group and Ryanair provides low cost fares with no frills. Ryanairs major competitor in this strategic group is Easy jet as they contain a similar resource promise in the industry. 2nd strategic group These companies targets the middle class hence they offer fares for a moderate cost and the service contain reasonable quality. The major players in this strategic group are Ethihad, Thai, Qatar and Kuwait air ways. 3rd strategic group: Emirates, British airways and Singapore airways generally targets the high end people. They provide a luxuries service with a high pricing system. According to the Strategic group Model Identifying Strategic group layers would enhance the understanding about the direct competitors, Different bases of competitive rivalry within the strategic group and also the threats and opportunities could be examined very clearly as it narrow downs the major players in the same category.
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