Business At Work Essay -- Business and Management Studies

Business At Work 1. Introduction 1.1 Aim The aim of this report is to understand the Business Environment and within organisation of Ford Motor Company (FMC), which includes the culture and management of the company. This report will also analyse and evaluate communication channels and quality control that FMC possess. Finally, conclusions will be drawn through the assessment of the process that is carried out by the company to meet their objectives, with recommendation of alternative approaches, which may enable FMC with further success in the future takings. 1.2 Report Structure The investigation will follow a structured analysis approach, illustrated in Appendix I. 2. Review of Ford Motor Company 2.1 Company Overview Ford Motor Company is a public limited company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Ford Motor Company is one of the world’s largest multinational automotive companies that manufactures and distribute automobiles in 200 markets across six continents employing more than 327,000 people worldwide. The company consists of eight core and affiliated brands (Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo) and automotive related services (Ford Credit and Hertz). In 1903, Ford Motor Company was established in Detroit by Henry Ford, when it sold its first vehicle, the Model A. The introduction of the Model T in 1908, along side the development of the assembly line, the birth of producing vehicles to the masses to sell in a low, affordable price. Since then, the company has continually expanded, being publicly listed in 1956 and acquiring a number of automobile and services companies in the process, illustrated below in chronological order: 1922 Lincoln & Mercury 1979 Mazda (33.4% stake hold) 1987 Aston Martin and Hertz 1990 Jaguar 1999 Volvo 2000 Land Rover When the company first started, it was a private limited company ran by a partnership of 12 people, a coal dealer, Alexander Malcolmson; the coal dealer’s business manager, James Couzens; a banker who trusted the coal dealer; two brothers who owned the machine ship that made engines; a carpenter; two lawyers; a clerk; the owner of a haberdashery store; a man who made windmills and air rifles. They started with only $28,000 in cash, some tolls and some blue prints.[1] As a private limited company T... ... the needs of customers and the need for improved air quality. Ford’s Action - Ford has voluntarily certified all of our gasoline pickups, SUVs and the Windstar minivan as low-emission vehicles (LEVs), years ahead of regulation. - Our LEV trucks are cleaner than many cars on the road today. - Ford offers more alternative-fuel vehicles than any other major automobile manufacturer. They include models that operate on compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), ethanol, and electricity. We are also focusing on a variety of advanced technologies, including hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and fuel cell vehicles, to significantly reduce emissions while not compromising utility.[6] --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Source: Ford 100 Years Anniversary Year Book [2] Source: www.ford.com [3] Source: Company Internal Website – www.marketstrategies.ford.com [4] Source: Jim Padilla’s â€Å"Building on Basics† Triangle (refer to Appendix II) [5] Source: Bill Ford Internal e-mail to FMC Employees (refer to Appendix III) [6] www.ford.com/en/company/about/publicPolicy/airQualityVehicleEmissions.htm

Arecanut and Cocoa Production and Marketing Aspects Essay

Arecanut is an important commercial crop in India which plays a prominent role in the religious, social and cultural functions and economic life of people in India. The present production of arecanut in the world is about 0.854 million tons from an area of 0.702 million hectares. India ranks first in both area and production of arecanut Arecanut industry forms the economic backbone of nearly six million people in India and for many of them it is the sole means of livelihood. Both area and production of arecanut in India have increased tremendously during the last three decades. The area under arecanut in India has increased from 0.167 million hectares during 1971 to 0.4 million hectares by the year 2010-11 with an overall growth rate of 2.2%. During the same period the production has increased more than 3 times from 0.141 million tons to 0.478 million tones with a growth rate of 3.2%. As of now, cocoa is one of the important commercial plantation crops in India and it is mainly cultivated in four major southern States viz., Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. India produces 12954 tonnes of cocoa from an area of 46318 ha (DCCD, 2010). The cocoa industry in the country had expanded to a considerable extent in recent years. At present, more than 15 industrial entrepreneurs and firms existing in the field demand nearly 30,000 tonnes of cocoa beans, of which the present domestic availability is only about 40 percent. Considering the market growth in the chocolate segment in India, which is about 20 percent per annum, cocoa, has a great potential to develop in future years. Recent area expansion in Andhra Pradesh (16969 ha) can be taken as a positive response to the demand-supply fissure. We can further, strengthen the Transfer of Technology (ToT) activities to encourage the cocoa cultivation as an intercrop in arecanut and coconut to meet the challenges r egarding supply of cocoa in the future. Economic impact analysis of arecanut based cropping system An impact analysis of arecanut based cropping systems in South Karnataka has been carried out. It was observed that, farmers are predominantly following three cropping systems which were, 1) arecanut + banana 2) arecanut + cocoa and 3) arecanut + banana + pepper. To estimate the economic impact of different cropping systems, we have calculated the average cost per hectare, average yield and the net returns of each system. The quantification of economic impact of each system has been worked out by combining the difference in net returns of each system from the arecanut monocrop, and percentage of adoption of each cropping system. The total economic impact due to adoption of cropping systems in the region was found to be Rs 680 million. Economic impact analysis of improved arecanut varieties The analysis was based on a field survey of 120 arecanut farmers in South Karnataka. To estimate the economic impact of improved varieties we have calculated the weighed average cost per hectare, weighed yield and net returns of the released varieties. The weights are assigned according to the estimated percentage area of each variety in South Karnataka. The total area of arecanut in the district was multiplied with the percentage adoption of improved varieties in the region to arrive at the total area under improved varieties. The difference in net returns will give the additional benefit we would have obtained, had the area been under released varieties. It was observed that 13.6% of total area in southern Karnataka is under released arecanut varieties. The economic impact of released arecanut varieties in monitory terms was found to be rupees 141 million per year. The presence of improved varieties was more prominent in the young plantations. The holding wise observations revealed that the presence of released varieties was more in small holding groups. Cost of production of arecanut and cocoa According to the study conducted by the Institute, the cost of production of one kilogram of arecanut in a well-maintained garden was found to be Rs 104.20 Here we have considered the economic life span of the palm as 35 years and average annual production as 2700 kg/ha The average maintenance cost (from 8th year to 35th year) was calculated at Rs. 168765/ha. The cost of production of cocoa grown in arecanut garden was found to be Rs74.42/kg of dry beans and average annual maintenance cost recorded at Rs 55268/ha. Marketing The chali and the red are the two main varieties of arecanut consumed by the people mostly as a habit. Chali or the white supari is used mainly in the pan or beedas and the red variety is used both in the preparation of pan and value added products like pan masala, ghutka, sweet supari etc. From production to consumption level both private traders and the co-operatives play an important role in India. Here, the share of the cooperative is around 15 per cent and remaining is under the control of the private traders. Among the cooperatives The CAMPCO, a nodal agency has its own purchasing and sales centres throughout the country Disposal pattern: A study in Dakshina Karnataka showed that 80 percent of the farmers, who dispose the produce immediately after harvest, were small cultivators. Remaining 20 per cent who disposed the produce when the prices in the market are favorable, were large farmers. It was observed that indebtedness and lack of proper infrastructure facilities for storage compel the small farmer to dispose the produce at the earliest. The majority of the farmers (63%) sold chali supari to traders, who reportedly paid two rupees extra of the market rate per kg of chali sold. Stagnating market prices and increasing cost of production, especially the skilled labour charges in the recent times have generated livelihood concerns of arecanut farmers in India. Surging imports, which is around 12 percent of the domestic production, certainly has a significant role in price stickiness. Market studies reveal that around 75 percent of the arecanut trade is in the hands of private trades, which has provided ample scope for hoarding and resulted in market imperfections and low price realization. In the case of cocoa the current supply is only around fifty percent of the actual domestic demand and hence, there exist a huge scope for area expansion with the supply of elite seedlings/grafts. Effective dissemination of technologies through trainings, on-farm trials, demonstrations and seminars are being carried out by the Institute. Nevertheless, the price stagnation of the crop for a long period has caused disinterest among arecanut farmers. Therefore, in the case of arecanut a vicious cycle was formed in the pattern of ‘depressed prices + shortage of labour–crop negligence–diseases /pest attack–low yield/production’ and this in turn especially has adversely affected the small and marginal arecanut farmers who are solely dependent on the crop.

Free Essays on Honor And Loyalty In Hamlet

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet honor and loyalty play a large role in the way that this tragedy unfolds. After being told about his fathers murder, Hamlets loyalty to his loving father begins the plot. Fortinbras’ personal honor and loyalty to his father thickens the plot, while Laertes’ loyalty brings about the tragic ends of many of the lead character’s lives. Honor and loyalty are very human characteristics especially when dealing with one’s dead father therefore these themes arelaced throughout the plot of the play. Honor and loyalty are shown in Hamlet through the three main father/ son duos of the play. First of all, in the play Hamlet by Shakespeare Hamlet and King Hamlet’s relationship can be used as an example of honor and loyalty. Hamlet is presented as a devoted son to the memory of his father, King Hamlet. He is displeased with the marriage of his uncle, Claudius, to his mother so soon after the death of his father. It has been a mere two weeks since the death and his uncle has now become his father and king of Denmark. Hamlet’s difficulty to except his father’s death is because of his great love for his father. Hamlet is the only one still mourning when the play opens because his loyalty to his father is so strong that he would not just simply forsake it as many of the other characters did. While talking to Horatio, Hamlet reveals, "He was a man. Take him for all in all,/ I shall not look upon his like again" (1,2. 195-196). Hamlet holds his father in high regard, one in a million, and knows that he will not be replaced, as no man’s father shou ld. King Hamlet held a great deal of honor and loyalty to his people and the kingdom, therefore Hamlet feels great respect for his father and great honor towards him in death. Hamlet reveals more of his love for his father and disapproval of his mother’s hasty marriage to Claudius in his lines to Gertrude, "See what a grace was seated on his brow,/ Hyperionï ¿ ½... Free Essays on Honor And Loyalty In Hamlet Free Essays on Honor And Loyalty In Hamlet In Shakespeare’s Hamlet honor and loyalty play a large role in the way that this tragedy unfolds. After being told about his fathers murder, Hamlets loyalty to his loving father begins the plot. Fortinbras’ personal honor and loyalty to his father thickens the plot, while Laertes’ loyalty brings about the tragic ends of many of the lead character’s lives. Honor and loyalty are very human characteristics especially when dealing with one’s dead father therefore these themes arelaced throughout the plot of the play. Honor and loyalty are shown in Hamlet through the three main father/ son duos of the play. First of all, in the play Hamlet by Shakespeare Hamlet and King Hamlet’s relationship can be used as an example of honor and loyalty. Hamlet is presented as a devoted son to the memory of his father, King Hamlet. He is displeased with the marriage of his uncle, Claudius, to his mother so soon after the death of his father. It has been a mere two weeks since the death and his uncle has now become his father and king of Denmark. Hamlet’s difficulty to except his father’s death is because of his great love for his father. Hamlet is the only one still mourning when the play opens because his loyalty to his father is so strong that he would not just simply forsake it as many of the other characters did. While talking to Horatio, Hamlet reveals, "He was a man. Take him for all in all,/ I shall not look upon his like again" (1,2. 195-196). Hamlet holds his father in high regard, one in a million, and knows that he will not be replaced, as no man’s father shou ld. King Hamlet held a great deal of honor and loyalty to his people and the kingdom, therefore Hamlet feels great respect for his father and great honor towards him in death. Hamlet reveals more of his love for his father and disapproval of his mother’s hasty marriage to Claudius in his lines to Gertrude, "See what a grace was seated on his brow,/ Hyperionï ¿ ½...

Postmodern Culture essays

Postmodern Culture essays One cannot begin to discuss postmodern culture without first looking at what is known as the Modern movement. Modernism was a shift in thought with regards to the arts. This movement, which includes music, literature, the visual arts, and drama, rejected the old Victorian standards of art. How each form was made was at the basis of the Modern movement. This included how poetry was written, how paintings were created. Modernism tended to emphasize a random collage of ideas and materials, instead of narrow, clear-cut points of view. Perhaps one of the most recognizable figures of the Modern movement is Pablo Picasso. In late 1906, Picasso started to paint in a truly revolutionary manner. Picasso began to express his art in strongly geometrical terms. These painting are the beginnings of Cubism. In the initial stage, known as Analytical Cubism, objects were deconstructed into their components. In some cases, this was a means to depict different viewpoints simultaneously; in other works, it was used more as a method of visually laying out the FACTS of the object, rather than providing a limited mimetic representation. The aim of Analytical Cubism was to produce a conceptual image of an object, as opposed to a perceptual one. At its height, Analytical Cubism reached levels of expression that threatened to pass beyond the comprehension of the viewer. (Artchive.com 2001). Another pioneer of the Modern movement was William Faulkner. In his writings, Faulkner moved boldly away from rigidly constructed third-person narratives and wrote stories, which were narrated with multiple points of view. Faulkner, a Nobel Prize winner, is considered by many critics as one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century. Faulkner is best known for his meandering, typically southern mode of narration, with a modernist sense of rupture, scrambled chronology. ...

Observing Tomb Sweeping Day in China

Observing Tomb Sweeping Day in China Tomb Sweeping Day (æ ¸â€¦Ã¦ËœÅ½Ã¨Å â€š, QÄ «ngmà ­ng jià ©) is a one-day Chinese holiday that has been celebrated in China for centuries. The day is meant to commemorate and pay respect to a person’s ancestors. Thus, on Tomb Sweeping Day, families visit and clean the gravesite of their ancestors to show their respect. In addition to visiting cemeteries, people also go for walks in the countryside, plant willows, and fly kites. Those who cannot travel back to their ancestors’ gravesites may opt to pay their respects at martyrs parks to pay homage to revolutionary martyrs. When Is Tomb Sweeping Day? Tomb Sweeping Day is held 107 days after the start of winter and is celebrated on April 4 or April 5, depending on the lunar calendar. Tomb Sweeping Day is a national holiday in China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan with most people having the day off from work or school to allow time to travel to ancestral gravesites. Origins Tomb Sweeping Day is based on the Hanshi Festival, which is also known as the Cold Food Festival and Smoke-Banning Festival. While the Hanshi Festival is no longer celebrated today, it has gradually been absorbed into Tomb Sweeping Day festivities. The Hanshi Festival commemorated Jie Zitui, a loyal court official from the Spring and Autumn Period. Jie was a loyal minister to Chong Er. During a civil war, Prince Chong Er and Jie fled and were in exile for 19 years. According to legend, Jie was so loyal during the duo’s exile that he even made broth out of the flesh of his leg to feed the prince when they were short of food. When Chong Er later became king, he rewarded those who helped him when times were tough; however, he overlooked Jie. Many advised Jie to remind Chong Er that he, too, should be repaid for his loyalty. Instead, Jie packed his bags and relocated to the mountainside. When Chong Er discovered his oversight, he was ashamed. He went to look for Jie in the mountains. The conditions were harsh and he was unable to find Jie. Someone suggested that Chong Er set fire to the forest to force Jie out. After the king set fire to the forest, Jie didn’t appear. When the fire was extinguished, Jie was found dead with his mother on his back. He was under a willow tree and a letter written in blood was found in a hole in the tree. The letter read: Giving meat and heart to my lord, hoping my lord will always be upright. An invisible ghost under a willow Is better than a loyal minister beside my lord. If my lord has a place in his heart for me, please make self-reflection when remembering me. I have a clear conscious in the nether world, being pure and bright in my offices year after year. To commemorate Jie’s death, Chong Er created the Hanshi Festival and ordered that no fire could be set on this day. Meaning, only cold food could be eaten. One year later, Chong Er went back to the willow tree to hold a memorial ceremony and found the willow tree in bloom again. The willow was named ‘Pure Bright White’ and the Hanshi Festival became known as ‘Pure Brightness Festival.’ Pure Brightness is a fitting name for the festival because the weather is usually bright and clear in early April. How Is Tomb Sweeping Day Celebrated? Tomb Sweeping Day is celebrated with families reuniting and traveling to their ancestors’ gravesites to pay their respects. First, weeds are removed from the gravesite and the tombstone is cleaned and swept. Any necessary repairs to the gravesite are also made. New earth is added and willow branches are placed atop the gravesite. Next, joss sticks are placed by the grave. The sticks are then lit and an offering of food and paper money is placed at the tomb. Paper money is burned while family members show their respect by bowing to their ancestors. Fresh flowers are placed at the tomb and some families also plant willow trees. In ancient times, five-colored paper was placed underneath a stone on the grave to signify that someone had visited the grave and that it had not been abandoned. As cremation is gaining popularity, families continue the tradition by making offerings at ancestral altars or by placing wreaths and flowers at martyrs’ shrines. Due to hectic work schedules and the long distance some families must travel, some families opt to mark the festival earlier or later in April over a long weekend or assign a few family members to make the trip on behalf of the entire family. Once the family has paid their respects at the gravesite, some families will have a picnic at the gravesite. Then, they take advantage of the usually good weather to take a walk in the countryside, known as è ¸ Ã© â€™ (TqÄ «ng), hence another name for the festival - Taqing Festival. Some people wear a willow twig on their heads to keep ghosts away. Another custom includes picking shepherd’s purse flower. Women also pick herbs and make dumplings with them and they also wear the shepherd’s purse flower in their hair. Other traditional activities on Tomb Sweeping Day include playing tug-of-war and swinging on swings. It is also a good time for sowing and other agricultural activities, including planting willow trees.

Assignment8 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assignment8 - Assignment Example In particular, I care to know what you plan to do to address this issue. Sales are important to every business’ survival and growth, but you should draw the line between making a sale and making customers angry. I did not report these incidents to the managers at the time because these restaurants are so jam-packed that even managers are cleaning up tables and taking care of customer needs. I asked my friends and they also experienced these problems recently. I noticed that these cashiers are also new ones. I believe that you may be training them incorrectly by focusing too much on sales and not on ethics. What I want now is to know how you plan to address these complaints. I called your attention to see if your Hamburger University should look into these practices and how their training may be causing or contributing to it. I also want you to look into your corporate culture if ethics is no longer that strongly taught, modeled, and enforced. These are all duties under Human Resources, and as its top officer, I believe that you have the power to understand and resolve my concerns. As a long-time customer of McDonald’s, I want to help you deliver good food and services. You can start by investigating this issue if it is already widespread and determining proper and timely courses of

American Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

American Government - Essay Example The legislature already has enough time to pass whatever bills it needs to. If they were in session longer, all theyd do is pass more laws. And those extra laws theyd pass would be the kind of laws that no one wants or needs (if they wanted or needed them, theyd pass them during the regular session). That and those legislators would start thinking that legislating was their regular job - yuk. How strong militarily and economically was the United States in the 1790s? Could the United States have been very active in world affairs? What was the major goal of U.S. foreign policy then? Was it to protect U.S. citizens and their property? As the United States grew geographically, militarily, and economically, could the government remain isolationist? Why did the United States turn to an interventionist foreign policy? Why did the United States return to isolationist foreign policy after World War I? Could the United States be isolated from the world politically and still remain an economic power? Undoubtedly, the US could remain as an isolationist as it continued to expand outward. Even looking back at history, the country’s attempt to remain an isolationist during both World War II was not susceptible. The US verily had to enter both World Wars since it became a leader in the Western frontier. The United States returned to isolationist foreign policy since domestic problems plagued the country. Furthermore, Europe was in chaos itself and the US could not afford to indulge itself in such petty issues. No, the US has embraced the role of being a leader of the globe and is the world’s super power. Is it easy for the president and Congress to set a course for foreign policy? What kinds of measures can the United States use to combat terrorism? How can it defend its citizens against chemical and biological weapons? Schmidt, Steffen W., Mack C. Shelley, and Barbara A. Bardes.  Handbook of selected court cases to