William Shakespeare s Macbeth - The Three Weird Sisters

From tragedies onstage to deaths and riots circumventing performances, the imprecation of Macbeth is one of the most enduring superstitions of the stage. Macbeth has an outlandish and hazardous past. This imprecation, so goes the tale, has its roots in the play s occult storyline of witchcraft, murder, and ghosts (Dunning, B). It all commenced when Lady Macbeth’s actor died suddenly in 1606 forcing Shakespeare to find a replacement actor at the last minute (History.com). In Macbeth the three weird sisters known as the witches reflect fate throughout the play. Fate is often verbalized to be fine-tuned and fortune is by one’s own chance. The witches express to Macbeth he is going to be king but, what they do not tell him is how he will achieve the denomination of the king. His destiny is to become king but how exactly he goes about becoming the king is all up to him. Fate may dictate what is going to happen but destiny comes by chance. The way Macbeth chooses to become king is by his own free will. Nature disasters have transpired while performances of the play Macbeth is going on inside the theatre. This may have caused some questions to arise. The play commences with an inclement setting giving the audience a sense that the play will not be a mundane play. The witches always appear during thunder and lightning of inclemency and then they just vanish like they were never there to commence with. (SELÄ °MOÄžLU, Zeynep Rana). on the day the engenderment opened, England was hitShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth s Fate823 Words   |  4 PagesTragedy of Macbeth, Shakespeare utilizes the battle between free will and destiny to make the reader question what the cause of Macbeth’s triumphs and ultimate demise was. Fate may come about in life, but it is ultimately up to a person’s own free will to make their own decisions. Macbeth’s fate in the play is determined by his own free will. Macbeth’s fate is determined by his own free will, as shown by his actions following the Weird Sister’s three prophecies. In the text, Shakespeare shows theRead MoreEmma Roberts. Profesor Veach . English Composition I. January1031 Words   |  5 Pages1606 tragedy named, Macbeth, by William Shakespeare. The main character, a Scottish general named Macbeth, receives prophecies from a trio of witches that one day he will become the mighty King of Scotland. These witches, also know as the â€Å"weird sisters,† have a consequential effect on Macbeth. Shakespeare illustrated them to be hags, fascinating and frightening nymph-like creatures that appeals to ones interests in the demonic supernatural. The three weird sisters persuade Macbeth to terrible actsRead MoreSupernatural Soliciting Within Shakespeare s Macbeth1728 Words   |  7 Pages2017 Supernatural Soliciting within Shakespeare s Macbeth Shakespeare’s Macbeth is broadly known as a cursed play by a myriad of individuals globally. Given its appalling history of death and disorder, as well as the supernatural elements present within the play, many have come to the latter conclusion. To add, Macbeth is also a tragedy, adding more malediction to the already allegedly accursed play. To create such a tragic, ill-fated play, Shakespeare uses a vast variety of supernaturalRead MoreAnalysis Of The Tragedy Of Macbeth1207 Words   |  5 Pages The ‘Tragedy of Macbeth’ (also known as ‘Macbeth’) is a play written by William Shakespeare and it was first performed in 1606. This play presents plenty of themes through the action and dialogue throughout the play. Although the play is universally and most commonly referred to as the dark tragedy presented by Shakespeare. The most common themes that were introduced to the audience tend to be femininity versus masculinity, pride and honor, the role of supernatural, temptation and evil and a lotRead MoreImportance Of Shakespeare s Macbeth 1519 Words   |  7 PagesImportance of the Witches in Macbeth by William Shakespeare Throughout all of history, witches are known for practicing magic and creating prophecies to predict any future. In any scene involving witches, it is important to know their role in the play, whether they change the outcome of the play or simply influenced it, and the supernatural features the play comes along with in its time. In No Fear Shakespeare Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the play starts out with the three witches. The witchesRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Macbeth 1136 Words   |  5 PagesGielarowiec 1 Paula Gielarowiec English 4A Mrs. Mastrokyriakos Macbeth Essay 1 March, 2013 Women in Macbeth For many years now women have always been slaves towards men. Always doing everything for them. Cooking, cleaning, and taking orders. But that is slowly changing. Everything slowly changes even people. People become more deranged over time. Shakespeare is one of the writers thats shows that in his plays. One of his plays is based on murder and irresponsible choices. The characters in the playRead MoreWho Should You Trust?1543 Words   |  7 PagesTrust Issue in Macbeth â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair. Hover through the fog and filthy air.† (Page 323). This line is one of the most important ones from Macbeth. Macbeth is one the most popular plays by William Shakespeare. Moss and Wilson state, â€Å"Some details of William Shakespeare s life are still shrouded in uncertainty. What is known is that he rose to prominence as a playwright in London toward the end of the sixteenth century and that he died on April 23, 1616. He wrote Macbeth sometime betweenRead MoreMacbeth, By William Shakespeare1203 Words   |  5 PagesMacbeth is a play based on King James I, it was written by William Shakespeare, however this play isn’t a king and queen fairy tale, but it’s a play about greed and guilt, chaos and murder and three evil witches who use prophecies to influence Macbeth to do bad things, using flattery would instigate his inner ambition to become king, which in the end doesn’t lead to a very happy ending. Shakespeare’s, Macbeth, was written in the early Jacobean period. During those times, women had no power, theyRead MoreAdrienne Taylor. Mr. Ortiz. English 12. 27 February 2017.1508 Words   |  7 Pagesbased on Macbeth, a tragedy written by Shakespeare. Throne of Blood transposes the plot of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Instead of it being Medieval Scotland, it is Feudal Japan. Macbeth is based around a warrior who becomes filled with ambition and does anything he can to get what he wants. He talks to the â€Å"Weird Sisters,† which are the three witches who give him a prophecy and from that day forward, Macbeth is filled with ambition to become king. In Throne of Blood, Washizu portrays Macbeth. He is alsoRead MoreShakespeare s Macbeth - Macbeth2496 Words   |  10 Pages Macbeth Fact or Fiction Christopher Goncalves Sr. Marlene Mucha, S. J. J. British Literature February 10, 2016 Macbeth Fact or Fiction Thesis: In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare did not ?accurately portray Macbeth according to the historical background in the age of Jacobean times. I. Shakespeare A. Background II. Text of Macbeth III. Historical Inaccuracies A. Macbeth B. Lady Macbeth

William Shakespeare s Macbeth As A Butcher - 828 Words

At the end of the play, Malcolm describes Macbeth as a â€Å"butcher†. Do you think that Macbeth is merely portrayed as a â€Å"butcher†? Malcolm’s description of Macbeth as a â€Å"butcher† is appropriate at face value due to Shakespeare’s portrayal of excessive violence, it seems as though Macbeth possesses this â€Å"vaulting ambition† which allows him to endure the tendencies of a â€Å"butcher†. The connotations of a â€Å"butcher† implies a de-sensitised individual capable of slaughtering animals or in this case humans in a routine and conventional manner. However, when delving deeper into the character of Macbeth we realise there is more to his character as there is evidence of emotions, for example, guilt and repentance as well as the fact the only person he physically kills is King Duncan. Macbeth’s actions are also barbaric, prior to the three witches and the betrayal of King Duncan, Macbeth’s killing of Macdonwald is described as he unseam’d him from the nave to the chops. this imagery depicts a kind of butchery and resonates with the gothic implications of the word ‘butcher’. The idea that Macbeth is inherently morally corrupted from the outset is supported by the fact that after the witches recite the prophecy, Macbeth’s initial thought is one of regicide, betrayal of his closest friend; â€Å"My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man that function†. Many would argue that it was the taunting behaviour of Lady Macbeth that directly caused Macbeth toShow MoreRelatedMacbeth As A Butcher Essay1681 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"For the play Macbeth to work as a tragedy, Shakespeare had to maintain our sympathy with a character whose actions become increasingly ‘’those of a butcher†. Discuss.† The play Macbeth, composed by William Shakespeare in 1606, can be considered as a tragedy when feelings of sympathy for a character who becomes increasingly ambitious and when a character is affected by another’s increase in ambition is evoked upon the audience. Through the distress that the audience feels for Macbeth as he suffersRead MoreThe Start of Evil: Lady Macbeth by William Shakespeare1009 Words   |  5 PagesThe Start of Evil Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare in the 1600 century. It is one of Shakespeare’s most well known tragedies, and continues to be studied to this day. It is a dark and gloomy play, as the main character, Macbeth, gets a taste for evil and kills the king of Scotland, King Duncan, in order to become king himself. After this moment there is a rapid increase of evil in him, as he starts to kill more and more people who upset him or are a threat to the throne. One ofRead MoreEssay The Fault of the Character Macbeth in Shakespeares Macbeth1220 Words   |  5 PagesCharacter Macbeth in Shakespeares Macbeth Macbeth by William Shakespeare is the story of a brave, honourable soldier who ruins his life due to his own greed for power, respect and wealth. The story starts with Macbeth as the kings favorite soldier, a very respectful, honorable man. Macbeth then is told by the witches his life will change for the better - All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!. In a desperate effort to obtain this promised position of King, Macbeth takes hisRead MoreShakespeare s Macbeth : Importance Of Secondary Characters1374 Words   |  6 PagesMacbeth: Importance of Secondary Characters Dramatic literature during the Elizabethan era included the illustrious works of the remarkable William Shakespeare. As Shakespeare composes his theatric spectacles, he brings the characters to life. Shakespeare’s engrossing composition of Macbeth, exhaustively, displays the essentiality of including secondary characters in the play. Macbeth can articulately stage the crucial events in the play due to the minor characters, and their ability to exhibitRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1821 Words   |  8 Pagesremarkable writer is William Shakespeare. Shakespeare has written so much poetry and plays, but he is most famous for his tragedies. His tragedies such as Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, Macbeth, and Hamlet have been successful in making us weep the characters tragic death regardless of them being good or bad. Shakespearean tragedies usually share some common themes and features. In order to see some of the common features, we will compare the two famous trag edies of Macbeth and Hamlet. Both playsRead MoreHow Shakespeare Impacted The British History?1851 Words   |  8 PagesWasemiller 19 February, 2015 How Shakespeare Impacted the British History? Shakespeare’s influence on the British culture in the 21st century remains unwavering. â€Å"Although William Shakespeare is viewed as the quintessential English writer, Shakespeare’s poems and plays have altered the course of European and World literature. The shadow that William Shakespeare has cast over the world has influenced artists, poets, philosophers and thinkers.’ (William Shakespeare- Biography, n.d.). Because of himRead MoreEssay on Biography of William Shakespeare2736 Words   |  11 PagesBiography of William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564. He was baptized on April 24, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. He was the third of eight children born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, three of whom died in childhood. John was a well-known merchant and Mary was the daughter of a Roman Catholic member of the gentry, or high social position. The house where Shakespeare spent his childhood stood adjacent to he wool shop in which his father plied a successfulRead MorePlay Macbeth11985 Words   |  48 PagesAt the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a respected general, a devoted husband, and a loyal subject of the king. The first of the witches prophecies bring out his ambitious nature, but he struggles with killing the king. By attacking his manhood, Lady Macbeth convinces him to committ the first of his evil deeds. Macbeths evil deed causes him to suffer from fear and guilt, which leads to even more evil crimes. Then Macbeth becomes paranoid, suffering from hallucinations an d sleeplessness. He becomesRead MorePlay Macbeth11979 Words   |  48 PagesAt the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a respected general, a devoted husband, and a loyal subject of the king. The first of the witches prophecies bring out his ambitious nature, but he struggles with killing the king. By attacking his manhood, Lady Macbeth convinces him to committ the first of his evil deeds. Macbeths evil deed causes him to suffer from fear and guilt, which leads to even more evil crimes. Then Macbeth becomes paranoid, suffering from hallucinations and sleeplessness. He becomes

Executive Summary Essay Example For Students

Executive Summary Essay Shoes4U.com is being organized as a global Internet shoe store thatis focused on reducing the overall price structure, in addition to enablingcustomers to make knowledgeable decisions about footwearpurchased.Shoes4U.com will also attain a competitive edge by offeringservices such as website development and e-commerce, which have becomeessential for any business presence. Shoes4U.com intends to establish andoperate an Internet shoe store with services costing significantly lessthan the prices of its competitors, while supplying superior quality. Eight equal partners will manage Shoes4U.com, and will each supervisedifferent areas of the business. The partners will create an environmentand structure that will encourage productivity and respect for customersand fellow employees. All wages and salaries are based on the position andfull time/part-time status. Shoes4U.com is targeting individuals between 18 and 40 years of age. The organization is planning on targeting these individuals through variousmarketing tools, with the main tool being direct e-mail promotions thatoffer substantial savings on products purchased. The major themes behindour different sales pitches to our potential and existing customers will bethe significant cost savings, convenience, streamlined fulfillment process,broad range of services and products, and comprehensive customer servicethat Shoes4U.com provides. Shoes4U.com has four major competitors online. Shoes4u.com realizesthat it must also compete with physical discount retail stores. In order toremain competitive Shoes4U.com has analyzed their advantages and takensteps to use those advantages to maximize their opportunities in the shoeindustry. Shoes4U.com offers many services and products. Some of the servicesthat Shoes4U.com offers includes order tracking and review 24 hrs a day, 72hr delivery, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee program. Some of theproducts that the business offers are slippers, boots, sandals, casualwear, corporate casual wear, and dress shoes. Shoes4U.com plans to continually expand its business through manyways. Some of theses ways include creating new services, building brandrecognition, acquiring strategic alliances with major shoe companies anddistributors, etc. Shoes4U.com will also expand by leveraging andextending technology and initiating several sales programs. While expandingthe business will simultaneously be combating the following challenges:intensive customer interaction, flexible pricing, intelligent orderrouting, and re-orders. Company Mission Statement and DescriptionShoes4U.com will develop a unique website that provides customers variousways to buy designer shoes and boots of all types and sizes. The companyplans to register a corporation under the name of Shoes4U.com and operateunder the same name. Mission StatementWe at Shoes4U.com provide designer shoes. Through our on-line retailoperation we guarantee the best prices, the highest quality, the widestselection and the quickest delivery utilizing the power of the Internet tobecome the market leader in providing convenience and selection tocustomers. DescriptionOur goal is to become the #1 on-line shoe retailer. By providing aconvenient way for customers to purchase the designer shoes that they love,need, and want, we offer low prices with high variety. What makesShoes4U.com unique is the ability to capture the needs of customers. Customers will be able to log on to the site, type the brand, size, andcolor of the shoe they prefer and a 3D image will appear. Factors forgrowth are downsizing in large retail companies, a growing trend towards on-line purchasing, and society is moving towards a more technically orientedtrend where every home has a computer with Internet access. ManagementThe companys management philosophy will be based on responsibility andmutual respect. Shoes4U.com will maintain an environment and structure thatwill encourage productivity and respect for customers and fellow employees. Additionally, the environment will encourage employees to have fun byallowing creative independence and providing challenges that are realisticand rewarding. Shoes4U.com is a private partnership with eight partners of equalliability. Each partner has different duties and responsibilities. Company Director Racquel Richards Overseas the general operation andinterrelation of each division. Company Administrators Gabrielle Mitchell, Danielle Smiley Overseasoperations within the corporate headquarters, including answeringtelephones, tracking orders, and general customer service. Creative Consultant Deidre Melton Overseas advertising and promotions. Director of Supply Chain Thomas Duncan II Overseas supply relationshipsand procures financial resources. Director of Marketing Errol Allen II Overseas customer relations andmarketing strategies. Director of Information Technology Marvin Cole Maintains website andresearches new technologies applicable to Shoes4U.com. Director of Research and Development Natasha Martin Researches trendsand future markets and areas of growth. Customer Service Representatives Answers incoming customer calls andresponds to customer concerns. Distribution Specialists Package orders for customer deliveryRecruitment of EmployeesIn the event that employees will need to be hired services will bepurchased from a local employment agency. Salaries and BenefitsAll customer service representatives will be paid minimum wage and willonly receive medical benefits if they work an average of 40 hours a week. All partners will be paid an equal wage determined by how much profit isretained from operations after all costs have been rendered and liabilitieshave been covered. All workers will be covered by Workers Compensation. All full time employees are eligible for one weeks paid vacation after oneyear of employment. The company projects that between July 1, 2002 and December 31, 2002 itwill generate revenues of $250,000. Projected revenues for 2003 and 2004are $2.91 million and $5.82 million, respectively. Shoes4U.com is seeking$5 million in venture capital to be used for: 1. Establishing an organization and office presence in Florida. 2. Completing development of the Internet shoe store. 3. Marketing the website and its services and products. The Market and CustomerTarget MarketShoes4U.com is focusing on individuals 18 years of age and older. Duringthe ages of 18 to 40, these individuals are the trendsetters for societyand the #1 users of the Internet (Appendix 1). Also, the average householdincome for this group is between $50,000 and $74,000 a year (Appendix 2). CustomersShoes4U.com plans to aggressively pursue and acquire customers throughpromotions and convert them into repeat paying customers. Direct emailpromotions are the most important vehicle that the company will use toacquire customers. These promotions may include charging the customer onlyfor the product but no shipping and handling, in order to introduce thatcustomer to our products and services. Shoes4U.com plans to expand itsbusiness and customer base by offering promotions on a continuous basis. Shoes4U.com will continually strive to provide consumers with more cost-effective avenues, offering substantial savings rather than just a fewcents. Customer Buying CriteriaThe traditional process of purchasing footwear can be long and tiring. Therefore Shoes4U.com believes that consumers will choose products andservices based on the following criteria: . Significant cost savings. The shoe store will operate online and willbe highly automated, enabling Shoes4U.com to eliminate the costs ofboth building/managing a physical shoe store andmanufacturing/distributing catalogs. We will be able to pass thesesavings on to our customers, offering goods for up to 50% lessthan traditional shoe shops. Furthermore, it is believed that ourprices will be competitive and could possibly undercut mail-ordercatalog prices, but have a superior offering of customized products. Traditionally, the primary cost of retailing has been salaries andwages as well as inventory. By only keeping an emergency stash ofinventory on our own and outsourcing shipping to FedEx, we cut downthe inventory cost as well as eliminate the overhead associated witheither catalog or physical selling. . Convenience. Shoes4U.com will develop its online shoe store andspecialized services to be user friendly, using a self-serviceapproach to ordering products. Products will be shipped to thelocation the customer selects, enabling the entire process to bemanaged from the comfort of the customers office or home. . Streamlined fulfillment process. After an order is placed, Shoes4U.comwill electronically send a ready-to- graphic file. Where appropriate,a job ticket file, which is a data file containing all of theattributes of an order, will be sent, first to the company database,then to one of the companys distribution partners and FedEx. . Broad range of services products. Shoes4U.com will provide a one-stopshop for a wide range of products and services, with a shoe selectionthat the company believes is superior to most traditional shoe storesand shoe catalogs. Customers will be able to view and compare productsand either immediately place their order or save their work-in-progress to order at a later date. . Comprehensive customer service. Shoes4U.com will offer a broad rangeof customer services during all phases of the ordering and fulfillmentprocess. After each order is placed, an email message will beautomatically generated to the customer that itemizes the order, thetotal cost, and reiterates the estimated delivery time. The companywill electronically receive order confirmation, and deliveryinformation from its partner distributors and make this informationaccessible to customers through a password-protected mechanism,enabling the customer to easily check an orders status online or evencancel the order if it has not yet been shipped. An additional emailwill also be sent once the customers order is shipped. Market DescriptionThe explosive growth of the Internet as a tool for global communicationshas enabled millions of people to interact electronically. The IDCestimates that there were 142 million Web users worldwide at the end of1998, and expect this number will grow to approximately 502 million by theend of 2003. Rapid acceptance of the Internet as a communications platform,by both businesses and consumers, has created the foundation forsignificant growth in business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer(B2C) e-commerce. IDC estimates that worldwide commerce over the Internetwill increase from approximately $50 billion in 1998 to $1.3 trillion in2003. Small businesses are taking advantage of the opportunities the Internetoffers. The IDC estimates that the number of small businesses engaged in e-commerce will increase 47.1% annually, from 400,000 at the end of 1998 toalmost 2.8 million at the end of 2003, signaling the broad adoption of theInternet by these small enterprises. The Meno EssayChallengesThe challenges for an online shoe store which are not typically faced byother electronic commerce vendors include: 1. Intensive customer interaction. Our websites are not presenting staticcontent pages; customers are engaged in price and selection shoppingwhich require constant system monitoring and optimization as visitortraffic grows. 2. Flexible pricing. An intelligent agent will be used in order to checkthe prices of similar priced merchandise on a variety of sites inorder to ensure our continued leadership as the price leaders in theindustry. 3. Intelligent order routing. Each of the shoe wholesalers the companywill work with has different capabilities and a unique set ofrequirements that are taken into account when determining how tofulfill an order. By considering account product type, pricing,geography, and shipping options, Shoes4U.com will strive to route eachorder individually to the vendor with the best combination of quality,delivery time, and price. 4. Re-orders. Shoes4U.com will retain each customers orderspecifications, including personal and shipping information for alimited time. We will not sell this to any related third parties. Shoes4U.com believes that, with our technology expertise, we will beable to address these challenges while also handling large numbers ofcustomer orders. We feel this represents a competitive advantage. Software ModulesThe software that supports the online shoe store is a collection ofintegrated software modules that will enable Shoes4U.com to quickly create,maintain, modify, or replace individual components. Shoes4U.com will createits proprietary software modules using development and technical standardsand practices, and without significant dependencies on specific operatingsystems, databases, or Web server technologies. As a result, the companywill be able to move portions of its software between different databases,operating systems, and Web server products to upgrade capacity or takeadvantage of price or performance improvements, as they become available. The following is a description of the key software modules that willbe found on the Shoes4U.com website: 1. 3-D Workshop. This will allow customers to view the shoes from avariety of angles and to take a virtual tour of the shoe componentswith a related explanation of each part of the shoe and why that shoeis of superior quality. 2. Product and Pricing Engines. Our various engines will contain a widerange of product s, features, and pricing information. To support thebroad array of product variations and customization options offered,we will these databases to be highly flexible. This will allow us tomodify our records as the market dictates. 3. Secure Shopping Cart. We will provide a customized order basket tostore and securely process orders. The Secure Shopping Cart will beintegrated with the systems of members, thus reducing the need forhuman intervention in order to produce and complete an order. Thecompany believes that by organizing the system in this manner, theorder and completion process will be vastly more efficient and areless error prone than current processes. 4. System Reporting and Diagnostics. This program is ed to track customeraction on participating websites. Shoes4U.com will utilize thisprogram in order to remain aware of industry and retail trends. System Standards and IntegrationStandardsShoes4U.com will offer the following standards: . High-speed operation. . Optimized screens incorporating data from several modules on a singledisplay. . Great depth to handle the most sophisticated requirements. . Tightly integrated standards to minimize errors, data entry, and time,and maximize the speed and information content on displays and outs. . Consistent look and feel, uniform prompts and similar data flow forevery module. . User-friendly. Rich in useful features such as help displays, pickboxes, numerous user-changeable flags and user-modified options. Depth and IntegrationShoes4U.com will have depth, which means that the software will allow thecustomer to go beyond the basics. Depth will apply to each moduleindividually: estimating, cost collection, and accounting. Software withoutdepth is limited and can be frustrating to a consumer. The company will have the ability to confirm customer information whenprocessing an estimate. We will also be able to route order to wholesalerand automatically allocate inventory, verify credit limits, allow forcoverage, and put all outside buys on a must buy list for purchasing andupdating work-in-process. When an order is taken and the customer isbilled, all information will be fully automatic. We will have depth inaccounting. This implies the following: . A job scan will be pre-billed or partially billed. . The sales tax will be computed for all states taxes, including anycounty or local tax. . More than one accounting period can be open at the same time. . Allowing several bank accounts and classes of Accounts Receivable toautomatically compute and track sales commissions and multiple plantswith individual and consolidated financial statements. Financial Projections and PlansFunding Requirements and UsesThe company will be raising $5 million for the purposes of: . Establishing an organization and office presence within the USA andoverseas. . Completing the development of the Internet shoe store. . Marketing the website and its services and products. . Providing a world-class customer service website. The table in Appendix 5 provides a breakdown of how the funds will be used. Significant AssumptionsNature and Limitation of Projections. This financial projection is based on sales volume at the levels describedin the revenue section and presents, to the best of managements knowledgeand belief, the companys expected assets, liabilities, capital, revenues,and expenses. The projections reflect managements judgment of the expectedconditions and its expected course of action given the hypotheticalassumptions. Nature of Operations. The company operates as a Florida LLP. Revenues. Shoes4U.com will generate revenues from the sale of a variety ofproducts to customers. The companys products and services will beavailable to customers through the Shoes4U.com website. The company will not recognize revenues until the product is shipped,collection of the receivable will be probable, and partner distributorshave fulfilled all contractual obligations to the customer. Shoes4U.comwill take title to all products that the company instructs its partnerdistributors to produce. Shoes4U.com believes that purchases by businesseswill account for a majority of its revenues and will record sales net ofdiscounts. The company will record the cost of promotional products that itwill give away at no charge as a sales and marketing expense (Appendix 6). Appendix items 7 through 12 give a more in depth depiction of Shoes4U.comfinancial position. RisksShoes4U.com currently has no operating history, which makes it difficult toforecast future operating results. The company will encounter risks anddifficulties that start-ups frequently encounter in rapidly evolving andcompetitive markets. These risks include expanding the number of certifiedpartner distributors and improving technological and logistical connectionsto these vendors. If these risks are not addressed successfully, thebusiness will be seriously harmed. Due to the nature of Internet business, the performance and fluctuations inquarterly sales and operating expenses will depend on the currentmarketplace and competition. The performance of Shoes4U.com will depend onmarket and industry risk factors that the company recognizes it will besubject to. The companys view of its risks is as follows: . Employee turnover. One of the biggest risks that all dot-com companiesface today is the loss of key personnel. Shoes4U.com will minimizethis risk by ensuring that our employees have a world-class workingenvironment, which includes being paid competitive wages, excellentbenefits, and stock options. . Competitors. To mitigate this risk, we will closely monitor ourcompetitors pricing structures, business strategies, and overallcustomer satisfaction to make sure we are one step ahead at all times. . Economic Factors. To minimize this risk, we will diversify ourposition in the products and services that we offer, as well asplanning to ensure there is always enough liquid assets and resourcesin case the economy begins to show negative trends. . Customer retention. The company will aggressively advertise itsproducts and services and establish strategic alliances with industryleaders in order to generate a solid customer base and retaincustomers. . Downtime. Technical difficulties, system failures, or Internetdowntime. . Timing. The timing of large customer orders, or the failure to enterinto strategic alliances. . Costs. The amount and timing of operating costs and capitalexpenditures relating to expansion of the business, operations, andinfrastructure. . Pricing. Changes in our pricing policies or competitors pricingpolicies. The success of Shoes4U.com will depend on a significant number of buyingcustomers knowing about, and regularly using, our services. The market forInternet-enabled shoe stores is at an early stage of development. Manycustomers will be addressing issues such as quality, reliability, billing,delivery, and customer service for the first time in a self-service,Internet-based, creation and ordering environment (w/ regard to shoes). Educating potential customers is a complex, time consuming and expensiveprocess. In many cases, organizations must change established businesspractices and conduct business in new ways to use the services. ConclusionWe predict that Shoes4U will evolve into a very profitable company. It will prove to be a lucrative venture for any investor. Low cost combinedwith high quality products and efficiency is the equation for ourcompanies success. We believe that although our company will profit littlein the first year, revenue will be doubled by the second year andexperience a continuous growth. We have strategically placed our company inan e-commerce market in order to prevent barriers to entry and high startup costs. We also evade the risks of long-term debt and bankruptcy bychoosing not to borrow money. We believe in Shoes4U and you should too!Sources 1. Carey, James F. Complete Guide to Sales Force Compensation. Homewood,Illinois: Business One Irwin. 2. Eglash, Joanne. How to Write a .com Business Plan. New York: McGrawHill Publishing, 2001. 3. Plunkett, Jack W. Plumbetts E-Commerce ; Internet Business Almanac. Houston, Texas: Plunkett Research, Ltd., 2000 4. Tracking Internet Infrastructure: A Handbook on Business, Tech ;Structural Issues Reshaping the Landscape of the Commercial Internet. The Cook Report on Internet, April 1996. 5. Trepper, Charles. E-commerce Strategies: Mapping Your OrganizationsSuccess in Todays Competitive Marketplace. Redmond, Washington:Microsoft Press, 2000. Online Sources 1. www.plunkettresearch.com 2. www.neimanmarcus.com 3. www.designershoes.com 4. www.nordstrom.com 5. www.zappos.com 6. www.tonyshoes.com

Onboarding Process for U.S. Federal Public Employees

Introduction Onboarding is the process of integrating and acculturating new employees into an organization by providing them with the tools, re ­sources, and knowledge needed to become successful and productive. It refers to the mechanism adopted by organizations and companies to help new employees acquire the needed knowledge, skill, and behavior to become effective members of an organization (Bauer, Erdogan., 2011).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Onboarding Process for U.S. Federal Public Employees specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Onboarding practices focus on welcoming of new recruits, an affirmation that the recruit made the right decision by choosing the job and that he fits well into the company and finally enhancing a good relationship between the employee and the company managers. It creates a feeling that reaffirms the decision of new recruits that the new place of work is a great place. Th is ensures that the worker feels welcomed, contented, prepared, and appreciated thereby improving his engagement in company activities. Through onboarding, the employee feels as part of the company and understands better the roles and expectation of the organization. He makes a difference in the company by performing meaningful and demanding tasks that make the company to succeed. Onboarding process is important for employees in an organization to display behavioral characteristics, which are necessary if the organization is to achieve its goals. This includes changing the beliefs of the employees in a manner that they conform to those of the company. Through this, the workers develop a better understanding of their job in relation to what is expected from them to fit in the company. This results to job satisfaction and increased performance since new recruits gain stability. The methods used in introducing new workers in an organization or department include formal meetings, comput er-based orientations, talks, brochures or videos. Research has shown that when these socialization techniques are applied, they lead to positive outcomes for new employees. This includes higher job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job performance and reduced stress levels (Ashford Black, 1996). Onboarding process outcomes are crucial to companies and organizations that are seeking to maintain their competitiveness during times of increased change of jobs by the employees. For example in America, close to 25% of workers are organizational newcomers involved in the onboarding process (Rollag, Parise, Cross, 2005).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Getting a new employee off to a good start can make a big difference in their feeling welcomed and in their effectiveness on the job. Proper onboarding helps employees get up to speed much more quickly and reduces t he costs associated with learning the job. Discussion Why Onboarding There is a need to retain new employees and enable them to adapt quickly and become productive within an organization. This is important in the private sector as well as in federal and public organization. New workers are needed to adjust in the new environment and make them more resourceful in the organization in the shortest time possible. Through onboarding, workers in an organization understand and accept the principles, norms, and beliefs of the organization. According to a report by Booz Allen and colleagues, there is need for onboarding in any organization. The report says: After playing his first game, does a rookie or newly acquired free agent instantly become a veteran who no longer needs extra coaching and additional evaluation to ensure he is assimilating well to his new team and fully utilizing his talents? Of course not. Sports franchises understand that a player’s first year with a team is dis  ­proportionately important to his long-term professional development and his relationship with his new employer. From the moment a new player is acquired to the last game of his first year, that player is still considered a rookie and receives extra attention and guidance (Hamilton, 2008). The report continues and gives the various uses of onboarding and it states, â€Å"When done in ­telligently, it improves employee engagement and perfor ­mance. It increases employee retention. And it accelerates the time it takes for a new hire to become productive† (Hamilton, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Onboarding Process for U.S. Federal Public Employees specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Onboarding Principles Onboarding is ongoing and is not an event. The process of onboarding should begin before the employee arrives and the process should continue throughout the first year. The process of onboarding should be a team effort and should involve all the members in the organization.The process should be well planned and structured. The plan should be flexible in a way it meet individual’s needs. In terms of integration, the process must include introducing the new employee the formal and informal culture as well as the values and practices of the organization. The process can be applied to include other people besides new employees such as government employees who are coming back from a long leave or people who are transferring from other departments. This paper will look at Onboarding process for U.S. federal public employees and finally compare the process to that applied in the private sector (Hamilton, 2008). Tips for a Successful Onboarding Program For onboarding to be successful, the company should make fun with the new recruits in the first few days of employment. The organization managers should give a wholehearted welcome since this makes the employees to have a feeling that they have made the right decision in choosing to work in the organization. Checking in with the new recruits should be done as many times as possible in the first week of employment. The company should work hard in maintaining an encouraging and sociable environment in the workplace. The qualities and talents of the new employees that appear to have impressed the managers involved in the employment decision should also be reiterated. It is the responsibility of the organization managers to find out what motivates their new recruits. They should know the names of the new recruits and should never pronounce them wrongly. They should assign the new recruits some responsibilities even when in orientation. Organization managers should keep the families of their new recruits in mind since a new job entails changes for the entire family, especially if they have moved from their original home. The managers should try hard to help the family members feel comfortable in t he society.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Precursors of Onboarding success Onboarding operation is influenced by various factors that pertain to both the new employee and the company or organization. Renowned researchers have broken down these factors into three main categories: characteristics of the new employee, behaviors of the new employee, and organizational efforts (Bauer, Bodner, Erdogan, Truxillo, Tucker, 2007). Employees joining a company are different in their personality and previous work experience. The behavior of the new employee refers to the actions the new employees take in socializing with the rest of the employees. Organizational efforts assist the process of familiarizing the new employee to the establishment through processes such as orientation and mentoring programmes. Research has shown that employees joining federal or public organization must possess certain personality traits and experiences so that they can adjust in the organization more quickly (Saks Ashforth, 1996). These personal traits in clude openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. They should also have a certain level of curiosity and experience levels that are going to help them in fitting in the organization. Proactive personality in this case refers to the tendencies of the new employee in taking charge of various situations and controlling their environment. This prompts most employees to engage in behaviors, which lead to information seeking and acceleration of socialization process. This helps the employees to adapt to the organization more efficiently and become more productive members of the work force (Bauer, Bodner, Erdogan, Truxillo, Tucker, 2007). Studies have demonstrated that, the proactive employees have increased levels of job satisfaction and work performance (Erdogan Bauer, 2009). Curiosity also plays a substantial role in new employees adapting in the corporation. Curiosity is defined as the yearning to gain knowledge that motivates the individual to explore the organization culture and norms (Litman, 2005). New employees who are curious to learn about the organization tend to view challenges in a positive way and are eager to seek out information that will help them appreciate their new organization and job description. This leads to a faster and smooth onboard experience for them (Ashford Cummings, 1983). The work experience that a new recruit or employee has affects the onboarding process. The more experienced ones are able to adjust in the new environment more easily than those who lack experience. This is because experienced employees can borrow from their experiences to assist them in adjusting to their new environment and, therefore, they will be less affected by certain socialization efforts. This is because they have a better understanding of what they want and require to do their job (Beyer Hannah, 2002). They are also are more familiar with the things that are acceptable in the context of the job (Kirschenbaum, 1992). Moreo ver, veteran workers who use their past experience to seek out information on organizations they are joining tend to be a better fit, as this gives them an advantage in coping in the new job (Carr, Pearson, West Boyar, 2006). Onboarding process of the new employee can be enhanced if the new employee is ready to build relationships and seeks information and feedback from the other colleagues. The new employees can also hasten the speed at which they adjust in the organization by demonstrating behaviors that assist them in clarifying expectations, learning organizational values and norms, and gaining social acceptance (Bauer, Erdogan., 2011). Information seeking takes place when new recruits or employees, in their effort to learn about the organization and the job ask their superiors and co-workers questions. According to Miller and Jablin (1991), new employees seek certain types of information, which include information about referrals, information regarding the job, information on appraisal, information on ability to function in relation to the job requirement, and finally information regarding relationships between employees. The new employees, who look for information about the company, do not suffer the problem of uncertainty and can settle easily in their new position (Miller Jablin, 1991). New employees can gather information by monitoring their surroundings and viewing relevant materials published materials about the company. Research has shown that when new employees seek information then they are more likely going to experience high levels of social integration, satisfaction of the job, job performance, and commitment to the organization (Menguc, Han Auh, 2007). New employees may ask their co-workers for feedback on their progress and how they are performing assigned work or whether their behaviors are acceptable in the social political framework of the organization. New employees get the opportunity to learn the behaviors that are expected of them by the organization when they seek for feedback. In doing so, they can also learn the behaviors that are frowned upon and this can be important in helping them adapt and cope with colleagues (Wanberg Kammeyer-Mueller, 2000). The socialization efforts by the organization also determine the success rate of onboarding. Possible socialization efforts that can influence onboarding include, the recruitment strategies, mentorship opportunities, and the formal orientation programmes that an organization will undertake in welcoming the new employees (Hamilton, 2008). Advantages of Onboarding Effective onboarding improves the performance of the work force. Research conducted in 2005 shows that onboarding practices enhance the performance of workers by 11.3%. Major Onboarding practices such as communicating performance anticipations of the employees in a clear manner, providing responses, involving work assistants and friends and the provision of training are important in enhancing employee performance. On boarding makes it possible for managers in an organization to assess the weaknesses and strengths of new employees hence are able to identify whether the new employees’ are suited to the job. In the federal government, all the employees are kept under probation in their first year of employment and low performing workers are removed from the organization during this period. It is, therefore, clear that an efficient onboarding program in the government confirms that the employee is ready to work in the organization and helps the management to assess the employee in terms of quality. Through onboarding, the engagement of employees in company activities is improved. The chances of the employee quitting from the organization or even becoming disinterested in his job and the company are minimized. Research on the federal government shows that, organizations that have put more time and company resources in onboarding activities benefit from high levels of worker eng agement (Hamilton, 2008). Research shows that 90% of company workers choose whether they will stay in a company or start searching for a new job while on onboarding. About 10-18 % of employees in the federal government voluntarily quit from their companies in the first few months. This turnover is high when compared to the normal 3-3.5% employee retention rate in the government over the same period, stressing the fact that the first year is a consequential period in the federal government. A company has higher chances of retaining its workers if it on boards them well. Research shows that efficient onboarding programs can enhance employee retention by 25% and this lowers high turnover costs that may cost an organization about 30-50% of the yearly salary of entry-level workers, 150% for workers in the mid level and up to 400% for high-level workers. When new employees stop working for an organization, it may take the company more than twelve months to hire and train the substitutes a nd these leads to losses in productivity, which may demoralize other workers who may even decide to leave the organization as well (Hamilton, 2008). Onboarding practices in the federal government hastens the company’s time-to-productivity. New workers who go through an effective, organized onboarding process reach high productivity levels fast. Research on onboarding practices in Texas shows that workforce subjected to an effective onboarding program reach full productivity two months earlier than their counterparts who were not subjected to similar onboarding practices (Hamilton, 2008). Onboarding process for U.S federal and Public Employees New federal employees are compared to rookies on sports team according to a report prepared by Booz Allen in collaboration with The Partnership for Public Service. The report addresses the need for onboarding in organizations and states that after recruiting a new employee there is need to â€Å"make the first day a compelling and valua ble experience† (Hamilton, 2008). The government has been accused of failing to implement an onboarding process that is effective and helpful to the new employees. The report examined how the U.S federal government carries out onboarding new employees and according to the report, few government agencies advance onboarding strategically. In most of the agencies, orientation for new workers is seen as a short-term activity that is needed to get the new employee started. Instead of it being carried out over a period, onboarding for many new employees takes only a day and they are left to â€Å"fend† for themselves. The research shows that there is no constant approach to onboarding in the U.S government. Few companies in the federal government view the recruiting of new workers in their companies as an inclusive and coordinated effort. The use of terms such as â€Å"onboard ­ing† or â€Å"orienting† to describe the manner in which companies welcome new work ers is a good indicator of how they approach onboarding. Research, however, shows that few companies in the federal government use this approach while bringing in new employees (Hamilton, 2008). Based on the research, Onboarding-related activities in the federal government do not focus on the mission, vision, and customs of the company. The most common onboarding practices used by companies in the federal government include the processing of paperwork for new workers, explaining worker benefits, and major managerial and safety policies. Few companies in the government view onboarding as an inclusive, strategic practice or include actions that directly relate to the mission, vision, and customs of the companies. Companies that incorporate their mission, vision, and custom do so during employee orientation and use senior leaders to pass the information to the new recruits (Hamilton, 2008). Booz in his research further shows that onboarding process in the federal government does not in tegrate the actions of shareholders or hold them responsible for success or failure. Most Onboarding programmes are carried out within the offices that own them. For instance, the IT sector provides electronic machines, human resource department administers orientation, security department provides entrance badges and managers allocate work to new recruits. All this perform their tasks without understanding other onboarding practices that are related to their tasks, comprehending the relationship between the processes or even accounting for achievements and breakdowns. New workers in these companies are frustrated by the incapacity to start work or training during their first days. Delays in receiving necessary tools, rights of entry into accounts and internet training reduce production efficiencies during the employees first days at work (Hamilton, 2008). According to the research, Onboarding is inconsistently implemented across worker groups and localities. In the federal governme nt, workers who are not given positions as members of the onboarding panel do not take part in comprehensive onboarding activities apart from orientation and have only few programs accessible to them. These discrepancies are further exaggerated by differences in the onboarding program across companies with location or subject components. In the federal government, companies are concerned with the use of technology to support onboarding though few have advanced when it comes to develop ­ing these capacities. There is extensive recognition of the role that technology can play in onboarding new recruits and considerable interest in realizing how technology can be practically used in onboarding. Few companies in the nation use technology in onboarding and the mostly used forms of technology include electronic forms, information web sites, and case management systems. Many new recruits prefer the use of electronic forms since this saves time and eradicates the tiresome process of filli ng out forms as a team especially during the first days of work. Information web sites act as a major source of information in onboarding and this makes the onboarding process more efficient. It increases the ability of the companies in satisfying the needs of both new recruits and shareholders who are partakers of the onboarding program. Case management systems support onboarding by alerting several shareholder departments about incoming workers just after the reporting date has been set. Most organizations gather immediate response on orien ­tation but do not gauge the lasting impact of onboarding practices. The companies carry out orientation session assessments and to a minor degree, new recruit surveys. They use the response to make modifications in their orientation practices. Few companies, however, gauge this long-term effect of onboarding and though some have desire in comprehending the associated efforts, they are challenged by how to gauge the lasting impacts of the who le process (Hamilton, 2008). The research finally showed that in the federal government, companies with more complicated onboarding activi ­ties often incorporated them as part of larger employee retention strategies. For instance, the Federal Deposit Insur ­ance Corporation (FDIC) has initiated comprehensive programs for new employees whose retention is vital to the company’s mission. The program measures the progress of new recruits in relation to its mission (Hamilton, 2008). Onboarding in the U.S Public and federal Sector Executive onboarding focuses on the use of onboarding policies to facilitate new company executives becoming fruitful and successful within the company or organization. In the U.S public sector, executive onboarding entails the acquisition, accommodation, integration, and acceleration of new executives. It is one of the most significant contributions that any employment manager, supervisor, or human resource manager can make to achieve long-term orga nizational success. If done appropriately, it can result to improved productivity and executive maintenance in the company. Executive onboarding however may be highly valuable for externally employed executives who are moving from simple to complex responsibilities since it may be hard for them to discover individual and organizational risks involved in their duties without formal onboarding support. It is also important to executives who have just been promoted into new responsibilities or transferred from one organizational unit to another (Bauer Erdogan, 2011). Onboarding process in U.S. Private Sector The process of on boarding in the private sector has been criticized by various researchers and organizations. According to TMPGovernment: Even in corporate America, where recruitment and hiring processes have matured, the practice of onboarding remains a â€Å"work in progress.† A perennial problem is that traditional orientation programs have focused on new employees alon e rather than the teams of which they are a part. Recent onboarding process only think about the person being hired and does not carter for the existing personnel. Hence, an onboarding communications program should consider how to prepare â€Å"rookies† and â€Å"veterans† to accommodate each other (TMPGovernment, 2010). However, the onboarding process in the private sector has been growing over the years and is more successful than in federal and public sector. Various factors can be attributed to its success. A great amount of time and resources are invested in the training and assimilation of new employee into the company or organizations. The private sector invests in socialization tactics that are designed on their need, values, and structural policies. Successful organizations in onboarding process use a systematic approach in bringing new employees onboard. The less successful ones do not invest in this process and new employees are left to figure out the existi ng norms and expectations of the company without help or guidance. Companies and organizations in the private sector use several models in their onboarding process. This includes the 1979 model proposed by Van Maanen and Schein. The model proposes six ways that a company can apply in their socialization and onboarding process. The first one involves taking a group of recruits faced with the same problem through similar sets of experiences together. This includes basic training, pledging for fraternities or sororities, training and so forth. The process can also focus on an individual employee rather than the collective group. In this approach the employee undergoes an apprenticeship program or an â€Å"on-the-job† training. This helps the employee to gain experiences that are different from other new employees (Van Maanen Schein, 1979). The second approach deals with the formal or informal socialization. In the formal socialization approach, new employees are more or less se gregated from other employees and they are trained about the requirements of the job. This is mostly seen when the companies take their employees through internship or apprenticeship. On the other hand, the informal socialization process companies do not separate the new workers from the existing ones and there is no difference in the role that both take. The informal approach helps the new employees to learn their roles through trial and error. This is mostly seen where new employees are taken through apprentice programs without a clearly defined role (Van Maanen Schein, 1979). The third approach considers a sequential or random socialization and onboarding process. The sequential socialization approach looks at how the organization can improve and create steps that new employees need to pass through. Random socialization looks at the sequence that will lead to achieving a certain goal in helping the new employee settler in their new job and does not follow any specific steps. In other terms, though there are many steps that lead to specific organizational roles, there is no specified order through which they have to be taken (Van Maanen Schein, 1979). Another dimension that is proposed by the theory is the fixed or variable socialization. Fixed socialization proposes that the new employees should be equipped with the exact knowledge of time that the onboarding process will be completed. Variable socialization does not follow any set timetable and therefore there is no date given or a specific date set for the completion of the process. This model can be seen mostly in mobile careers that are within organizations as a result of uncontrolled factors such as turnover rates (Van Maanen Schein, 1979). Serial and Distinctive socialization process is also proposed by the model where a serial socialization process focuses on the experienced members of the organization helping the new employees in the same capacity within the company or organization. A good exampl e is a managerial trainee who may tag along an experienced manager for a specific period and learn about the work. Disjunctive socialization, on the other hand, focuses on the time when new employees do not find a role model to guide them through the process of learning about the job. In this case, they do not have guidance and they are left to learn on their own (Van Maanen Schein, 1979). Another tactic employed by organizations in the private sector based on the model is investiture and divestiture. When the organization uses investiture approach, the new employee is expected to behave naturally and the importance of the employee is based on their ability to deliver work and use values and attitudes that the company believes the new employee posses. In divestiture, the organization tries to eliminate certain characteristics of the employee that they view does not reflect the company. In this case, employees are required to cut off previous ties, change their habit, and create a s elf-image that reflects the company based on the recommendations or assumptions made (Van Maanen Schein, 1979). Another model that the private sector has used and proven to be successful is the 1986 of Jones. The model is built on the work done by Van Maanen Schein. According to jones the six approaches advanced by Van Maanen Schein in 1979 can be reduced into two approaches. These approaches are institutionalized and individualized onboarding or socialization. The institutionalized can be found not only in the private sector, but also in federal organizations such as military. In this approach, recruits or new employees undergo an extensive training program through participative cohort. On the other hand, when individualized approach is adopted, the employee starts working on his position and by doing so begins to learn the norms and values as well as expectations of the company. In this approach, the new employee has to seek information and forge relationships with other worker s (Klein, Fan Preacher, 2006). The private sector has also tried to incorporate formal orientations in their onboarding process. In spite of the approaches used in socialization, there is need for formal orientation in processes of helping new employees settle in their new environments and appreciate the culture in the company. It helps to introduce the new employee to their jobs roles and the organizational structure of the company. The orientation programs will include lectures, videos, and brochures. Advancement in technology has seen adoption of computer based orientations in organizations, where the company offer training to various new employees in different branch locations. Another strategy used in facilitating onboarding process in the private sector is recruitment events. This approach is useful in identifying potential employees who are a good fit for the organization. The recruiting events help future employees to get information about a company that relates to the norm s and virtues held by the organization. By undertaking this approach companies are able to weed out potential employees that are misfits to the organization. Research shows that new employees who get a lot of information that is accurate about the organization tend to perform better in their new roles (Klein, Fan Preacher, 2006). Mentorship is also an important approach that is applied by the private sector in their onboarding process. According to research by Ostroff and Kozlowski (1993) when new employees are mentored, they learn more about the organization than those that lack mentors. Mentors have been proven instrumental in helping new employees to better manage their expectation and adjust within the new environment. They do this by advising the new employees and offering a social support (Ostroff, Kozlowski, 1993). In the research carried out by Chatman in 1991, it was found that if new employees spend time with their assigned mentors, they are likely to internalize key val ues and norms held by their organization. He states that this can be done during company social functions where the new employees attend with their mentors. Chatman also found that there is need to consider demographic matching between new employees and mentors if the process is to be effective (Chatman, 1991). Enscher and Murphy in 1997 carried a similar research to that of Chatman, but focused on race, gender, and its effect on the amount of contact and the quality of the mentorship. According to their research satisfaction, liking and contact was high in mentorship programs that where the new employee and the mentor were seen to share common traits (Enscher Murphy, 1997). Onboarding process for U.S Private Sector vs. the Public Sector Organizations in the private sector monitor how well their new recruits adapt to the new responsibilities, cohorts, managers and the company at large. Research on the private sector shows that role clarity, social recognition, self-efficacy, and fa miliarity with the organizational culture are good pointers of recruits who have fully adjusted to the new organization. Employees in the private sector understand their duties and responsibilities more than in the public sector. New recruits in the private sector are aided when it comes to reducing uncertainty so that it is simpler for them to get their duties done correctly and effectively. The public sector, however, produces employees with sub-par productivity since they are unsure of their responsibilities. A strong onboarding program as in the private sector generates productive employees since they know what the company expects from them. Employees in the private sector have the capacity of successfully completing duties allocated to them and accomplishing their responsibilities. This is known as self-efficacy. Research has shown that job satisfaction, company dedication and proceeds are all related with feeling of self- efficacy. Social recognition by employees is evident in the private sector. This gives new recruits the encouragement needed for the company to be successful. While role clarity and self-efficacy are vital to a new recruit’s capacity in fulfilling the needed job requirements, social recognition is important when it comes to the employee’s perception of the work place. Research has shown that social recognition increases dedication to a company though it decreases turnover. If a worker feels less appreciated by his colleagues, a personal investment in the company develops and quitting becomes rare. Familiarity with organizational culture depicts how well a new recruit understands the values, objectives, responsibilities, beliefs and the environment of the company. For instance, some companies may have stringent, yet unspoken, policies of how relations with superiors should be or whether overtime is a belief and anticipation. Familiarities with the cultures of the company is vital for recruits seeking to adjust to a new comp any since it allows for social recognition and helps in completing duties in a manner that meets the standards of the company. Generally, familiarity with organizational culture has been associated with increased satisfaction and dedication, as well as reduced turnover. Onboarding practices does not only involve seeking high productivity it is involved in seeking to have job satisfaction and the employee to be committed to the company. Recommendations for onboarding process Organizations and companies in both the private and public sectors should develop strategies for their onboarding processes. The strategy should be structured in a way that it takes into consideration the individual’s personality and support proactive behavior. The organizations should also encourage new workers to seek information that will help them to settle in their new jobs This generates valuable outcomes in job contentment, organizational dedication, and job performance. It also leads to reduced tur nover rates and low intent to leave of employees in quitting from the company. In terms of structure, the public sector in the federal government should adopt formal institutionalized socialization since it is the most efficient onboarding technique. New recruits who adopt this kind of program experience constructive job attitudes and reduced levels of turnover compared to those who adopt individualized techniques. In-person Onboarding techniques are more efficient than virtual ones. Though in the start, it may seem cheaper for a company to adopt standard computer-founded orientation; workers learn more about their responsibilities and organizational culture through direct contact orientation. Conclusion Despite the benefits associated with onboarding programs in the federal government, onboarding is not a silver bullet for worker productivity and commitment. For a well-organized onboarding program to have great impacts, then management must incorporate it into human resource progra ms and with strategic objectives. Effective onboarding does not compensate for other issues that lead to sagging engagement and other practices such as unfair recruitment processes and weak organization managers. The good news is that well structured and successful onboarding practices can be relatively cheap yet generate many temporal and permanent benefits in the organization. The costs involved when companies ignore onboarding practices on new employees are relatively high. Companies in the federal government need to onboard new recruits in a strategic manner to deal with the expected increase in employment in the future. References Ashford, S. J., Black, J. S. (1996). 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Building on the past: Enacting established personal identities in a new work setting. Organizational Science, 13, 636–652. Carr, J. C., Pearson, A. W., West, M. J., Boyar, S. L. (2006). Prior occupational experience, anticipatory socialization, and employee retention. Journal of Management, 32, 343–359. Chatman, J. A. (1991). Matching people an d organizations: Selection and socialization in public accounting firms. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36, 459–484. Enscher, E. A., Murphy, S. E., (1997). Effects of race, gender, perceived similarity, and contact on mentor relationships. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 50, 460–481. Erdogan, B., Bauer, T. N. (2009). Perceived overqualification and its outcomes: The moderating role of empowerment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94, 557–565. Hamilton, B. G. (2008). Getting On Board A Model for Integrating and Engaging New Employees. Web. Klein, H. J., Fan, J., Preacher, K. J. (2006). The effects of early socialization experiences on content mastery and outcomes: A mediational approach. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68, 96–115. Litman, J.A. (2005). Curiosity and the pleasures of learning: Wanting and liking new information. Cognition Emotion, 19, 793–814. Menguc, B., Han, S. L., Auh, S. (2007). A test of a model of new salespeople’s s ocialization and adjustment in a collectivist culture. Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 27, 149–167. Miller, V. D., Jablin, F. M., (1991). Information seeking during organizational entry: Influences, tactics, and a model of the process. Academy of Management Review, 16, 92–120. Ostroff, C., Kozlowski, S. W. J. (1993). The role of mentoring in the information gathering processes of newcomers during early organizational socialization. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 42, 170–183. Rollag, K., Parise, S., Cross, R. (2005). Getting new hires up to speed quickly. MIT Sloan Management Review, 46, 35–41. Saks, A. M., Ashforth, B. E. (1996). Proactive socialization and behavioral self-management. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 48, 301–323. TMPGovernment. (2010). Welcome to Onboarding: Turning Your Rookies into Pros. Web. Van Maanen, J., Schein, E. H. (1979). Toward a theory of organizational socialization. Research in Organizational Be havior, 1, 209–264. Wanberg, C. R., Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D. (2000). Predictors and outcomes of proactivity in the socialization process. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85, 373–385. This research paper on Onboarding Process for U.S. Federal Public Employees was written and submitted by user Jagger Walter to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Describe The Contribution To Buddhism Of One Person Religion Essays

Describe The Contribution To Buddhism Of One Person Religion Essays Describe The Contribution To Buddhism Of One Person Religion Essay Describe The Contribution To Buddhism Of One Person Religion Essay Asoka has contributed many important parts to the development of Buddhism. Asoka became the first Buddhist emperor, and he conversed to Buddhism in 261 BCE and was so known as Dharmasoka. Asoka contributed to the development of Buddhism in three of import ways. First he applied basic rules of Buddhism to his regulation through authorities and foreign policies. Second and the most important part, Asoka supported missionaries, he sent them throughout the land in order to distribute the instructions of Buddhism. Third, Asoka was able to keep Buddhism as a major spiritual tradition in the land. Asoka was able to lend interfaith duologue ; he maintained positive duologue with people of other faiths because he believed all faiths are good. Asoka believed the first principle ( Ashismsa ) and generousness were really of import in witnessing the religion. Asoka taught people about Buddhism in different ways to assist them best understand all the Buddhist instructions. For illustration Asoka taught the educated through composing on edicts and pillars, whereas he taught the uneducated through ministry, narratives and pictures. Asoka strengthens Buddhism through Viharas, he built these shrines in order for the Sangha to idolize in and pattern their religion. Asoka established societal public assistance support because Asoka believed it was of import to back up all his people. An illustration of a societal public assistance that Asoka did was he grew medicative herb gardens and shadow countries for all the people. Asoka besides turned his party to vegetarianism. Most significantly Asoka believed that everyone should be treated with friendliness. Asoka has been a large portion in the development of Buddhism and has contributed many of import and important parts that are still being used and continued to be followed today. Assess the impact on Buddhism of the important individual or school of idea identified in the old inquiry. Asoka s part has a important impact on Buddhism. His part to Buddhism phases as an illustration for all Buddhist disciples. Charity, attention, and instruction were his virtuousnesss which affected the whole Buddhist community. Through his missionaries, and instruction he allowed Buddhism to turn and beef up. Asoka did non alter instructions but instead maintained what was already at that place. It is because of his part that Buddhism is where it is today. Asoka s part of the missionaries allowed Buddhism to spread out farther into states such as Syria, Egypt, Tibet and China. Missionary work in Sri Lanka led by his boy and girl subsequently developed into Theravada Buddhism. The temples he built allowed the integrity between the Sangha and lay people. By this act of tolerance, he lived by illustration making harmoniousness and peace among other people. Disciples looked up to him beef uping their ain religion, and ethical determinations. The interfaith duologue and spiritual tolerance allowed aliens to accommodate Buddhist beliefs at their ain will. Through tope, temples, and 13 stone edicts, disciples had better entree to instructions, therefore beef uping the Sangha while keeping the right instructions. The edifice of Viharas besides gave disciples chances to chew over publically. Peoples were impacted by Asoka as they saw him as a true informant to the religion. This is because Asoka showed how to right populate the Buddhist life harmonizing to the moralss of Buddhism. He promoted Buddhist instruction as equal entree to knowledge, concentrating on the importance of societal public assistance. Through this he established an environment that was healthy for disciples. Through his act of charity, love and attention, disciples look up to Asoka as a function theoretical account in Buddhism. It is because of his part that Buddhism stands the manner it is today. Peoples have witnessed his influence and his application of beliefs onto mundane life. Muslimism In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, to You lone do we turn for aid. Steer us along the consecutive way. To what extent does this citation expresses a important person/school of idea s typical Islamic reply to the digesting inquiries of human being? Islam is the entry to Allah. Harmonizing to the Tawhid, disciples believe that there is merely one God- Allah. In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful to you lone do we turn for aid. Steer us along the consecutive way shows that there is merely one true God and disciples are to subject to him. Sayyid Qutb s reading of these instructions, developed into a extremist position on secularism and modernism in the western universe. His doctrine in Hakimiya, Jahiliyyah and Jihad are replies to the digesting inquiries of human being. Sayyid Qutb was born in Egypt 1906 ; and attended a school in his local small town. Between 1939-1948 Sayyid Qutb worked as a university instructor, he wrote many articles knocking the corruptness in the western universe. In 1948, Sayyid Qutb, published the book Social in Islam edifice a extremist thought of Tawhid, shortly after a visit to the US. In 1949 he wrote another book called In the sunglassess of the Quran , which was a commentary on the Quran. In 1952 Sayyid Qutb joined Islamic brotherhood and was so arrested in 1952 for confederacy to subvert the opinion Egyptian authorities through the usage of lesser Jihad which he encouraged. Upon his release he published his book Milestones which caused statement because of its extremist positions on Jihad. He was so imprisoned and hanged for sedition in 1965. Sayyid Qutb was a important individual who helped reply the cardinal inquiries of human being. Sayyid Qutb answered those inquiries through his new reading of the chief instructions. His new reading was that he wanted everyone in province of Hakimiyya, and this lone exists under the Sharia jurisprudence. Sayyid Qutb s chief instructions to his disciples include Jihad, Jahiliya ( ignorance ) , Hakimiyya, which is entry to the will of Allah which is really of import ( off from western influences ) , centrality of Allah through Tawhid ( unity ) and Aquida ( belief in God ) and in conclusion Sharia jurisprudence. Sayyid Qutb had a extremist pattern of Islam which he influenced his disciples to follow. He expressed to the disciples that it was of import to hold modest life manners of life, and populating free from negative influence of the West, viz. sexual freedom and philistinism. By the disciple following Muhammad s manner of life, they are helped by Allah and guided to the right way. The quotation mark states Guide us along the consecutive way. Muslim disciples will oppugn what that right way is. Sayyid Qutb answered this inquiry. His doctrine was Hakimiyya, Jahiliya, Jihad, and in order to be in the province of Hakimiyya disciples need to get the better of Jahiliya by Jihad. Sayyid Qutb doctrine replies those inquiries as they express the importance of entry to Allah and he showed adherents how to populate the right way. In Milestones he criticised the West because of its sexual freedom. He ..as a household is the footing of the society, and the footing of the household is the division of labor between hubby and married woman, and the upbringing is the most of import map of the household, so such a society is so civilised [ 1 ]. In this quotation mark Sayyid Qutb is underscoring that Islam and the Islamic manner of life encourages this sort of household. By going this household disciples are populating the right manner of life harmonizing to Allah. Sayyid Qutb s doctrine is all about Hakimiyya, and the manner to accomplish it, his doctrine besides consists of Jahiliya and Jihad. He wanted all of the disciples in society to be Hakimiyya, which means for disciples to accept the Sharia and unrecorded under it. In mention to the stimulation above by being in the province of Hakimiyya you re subjecting to Allah and following the one true God. Jahiliya is the submit to philistinism and sexual freedom. In Jihad, there is greater Jihad which is single battle to subject to the will of Allah and lesser Jihad which is holy war, and the usage of military agencies. Sayyid Qutb largely focused on the greater Jihad. His doctrine is all about being in the province of Hakimiyya and get the better ofing Jahiliya. Sayyid Qutb lived his doctrine and he showed the right manner to populate to the entry to the will of Allah, in mention to the stimulation this is of import in order of walking the right way. Sayyid Qutb has impacted many people, both followings of his doctrine and adversaries of his doctrine. The impacts his left on his followings include he brought a new and more relevant apprehension of Islam and how it should be lived and he died as a sufferer for Islam. He is a theoretical account of populating his Muslim rules, in malice of the personal effect even decease. Adversaries of his doctrine believe that he is a hapless illustration of what Islam should be, besides there were protests against him and many Muslims did nt desire him known as a important individual. His extremist positions are seen as illustrations to other people as there are many extremist groups that exist today and follow his doctrine. In mention to the stimulation, Sayyid Qutb is seen as a individual who was able to reply the inquiries about human being to all disciples. Peoples who follow his doctrine see him as a good illustration on the manner to populate to the entry to the will of Allah, and praying to the lone true God. By this disciples are following the right consecutive way . Sayyid Qutb has radically interpreted the Quran and he has affected many disciples. His doctrine, Hakimiyya, Jahiliya and Jihad, has answered all the inquiries that each disciple asks themselves about the being of life. Moslem disciples are called to subject to the will of Allah and follow the right way. Sayyid Qutb is a important individual who was able to distinctively reply that right way in order to right subject to the will of Allah. It is through Hakimiyyah that we can get the better of Jahiliyyah by Jihad, and that is the true way.

12 Misunderstood and Misquoted Shakespearean Expressions

12 Misunderstood and Misquoted Shakespearean Expressions 12 Misunderstood and Misquoted Shakespearean Expressions 12 Misunderstood and Misquoted Shakespearean Expressions By Mark Nichol The plays of William Shakespeare provide a wealth of pithy sayings many of which he likely popularized rather than produced himself, though we may still be grateful to him for sharing them. Unfortunately, sometimes the original sense is adulterated by careless usage, so that the eloquent force of the expression is weakened. Here are a dozen of Shakespeare’s phrases with comments about their original wording and meaning: 1. â€Å"At one fell swoop† This phrase from Macduff’s grief-stricken lamentation about the murder of his family in Macbeth uses the archaic word fell, meaning â€Å"fierce,† to extend the metaphor of the perpetrator (who he calls a â€Å"hell-kite†) as a bird of prey. Modern usage is generally more casual and even comical. 2. â€Å"Brave new world† This phrase from a speech by Miranda, daughter of the wizard Prospero in The Tempest, naively uses brave in the sense of â€Å"handsome† when she first lays eyes on other men. The subtext in Shakespeare is that those she refers to are superficially attractive but substantially deficient in character. The sense is the same in the phrase as it appears in the title of Aldous Huxley’s dystopian classic. Unfortunately, the dark sarcasm is being dulled by use of the phrase to blithely herald a bright future. 3. â€Å"Foregone conclusion† From Othello, this phrase means literally something that has already occurred (it has â€Å"gone before†); now, the phrase often refers to a conjectural event. 4. â€Å"Gild the lily† This misquotation from King John, which actually reads, â€Å"To gild refined gold, to paint the lily . . . is wasteful and ridiculous excess,† confuses the metaphor, because lilies are white, not gold. 5. â€Å"Lead on, Macduff† This misquotation from Macbeth, in which the title character baits his nemesis to attack him by saying, â€Å"Lay on, Macduff,† is now a variation of â€Å"After you† quite a diversion from the original intent. 6. â€Å"The milk of human kindness† This metaphor, employed in the service of a heartwarming connotation, would rouse the wrath of Lady Macbeth, whose reference to the virtue in the play named for her husband was contemptuous. 7. â€Å"More honored in the breach than the observance† This phrase from Hamlet has been twisted by time to mean an admirable custom that is neglected more often practiced. Shakespeare’s sense was of a deplorable custom that should be halted. The expression immediately follows another well-known but oft-misunderstood phrase: Hamlet refers to himself as one â€Å"to the manner born,† meaning â€Å"brought up to follow the custom,† but some people believe the phrase, when expressed out of context, to be â€Å"to the manor born,† referring to one raised in the opulent surroundings of a manor house. 8. â€Å"Neither rhyme nor reason† The modern focus is on the second element of this phrase from The Comedy of Errors, but the intent is to express a lack both of sense and of eloquence. 9. â€Å"Sea change† This expression from The Tempest refers to a deadly shift in weather, but now the sense of peril has been replaced by a connotation of significant transformation. 10. â€Å"Third degree† Shakespeare’s humorous reference in Twelfth Night to someone â€Å"in the third degree of drink† harks to the principle of degrees in natural philosophy, which assigns the third degree to the penultimate level of intensity. The modern sense is of merciless interrogation, though it’s usually employed in a lighthearted tone. 11. â€Å"What the dickens† Some of those unfamiliar with the origin of this expression The Merry Wives of Windsor assume it has a Victorian provenance and refers to Charles Dickens. But dickens is an Elizabethan euphemism for the devil, and Shakespeare employs it as an oath. 12. â€Å"The worlds mine oyster† The usual assumption is that one can easily lay the world wide open and extract its contents. But the boast in The Merry Wives of Windsor goes on to say, â€Å"Which I with sword will open,† expressing the partaker’s more active and more violent role. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Passed vs PastThe Four Sounds of the Spelling OU45 Idioms with "Roll"

Overthrow History Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Overthrow History Paper - Essay Example Ultimately, the US loses interest in the target countries, allowing corruption or terrorism to flourish. Another pattern we can look at is the history of U.S.A mediation in governments around the world.   Kinzer’s starts with what he notes as the first American intervention in a foreign country, an intervention whose known aim was to collapse that government: the case of Hawaii, 1893. Hawaii was then an autonomous state ruled by a sovereign, Queen Liliuokalani. Kinzer facts the various political and economic motives behind this early example of American military power, or merely the threat of it, being ultimately used to destabilize and ultimate overthrow a foreign power that was not deemed to be complying with U.S. interests. Kinzer is careful to outline the economic imperatives that are so often at the root of political upheavals; in the case of Hawaii, it is white concern in the enormous profits to be made from sugar. The relation among economic and political forces as th ey played out in the case of Hawaii at the end of the 19th century set the pattern, Kinzer argues, for the several interventions that would go after over the next 100 years. Fast-forward to the assault of Iraq in 2003: as Kinzer notes, â€Å"Giant American Corporations stood to make huge profits from this conflict and its aftermath.† Among the main beneficiaries were Halliburton, Bechtel, and the Carlyle Group, all with ties to the Bush management and all major contributors to Bush’s presidential campaigns.   He tells the narration of the bold politicians, spies, military commanders, and commerce executives who took it upon themselves to depose royals, presidents, and prime ministers. He also shows that the U.S.A administration has often pursued these operations with no understanding the countries involved; as a result, many of them have had disastrous long-term effects. In a convincing and offensive history that takes readers to fourteen countries, including Cuba, I ran, South Vietnam, Chile, and Iraq, Kinzer surveys current American history from a new and often startling perspective. Justification for regime changes in places The control that economic power exercises over American foreign policy had grown extremely since the days when determined planters in Hawaii realized that by bringing their islands into the United States, they would be able to send their sugar to markets on the mainland without paying import duties. As the twentieth century progressed, titans of trade and their advocates went a step beyond influencing policy makers; they became the policy makers. The stature who most perfectly embodied this merging of political and economic interests was John Foster Dulles, who spent decades operational for some of the world’s most powerful corporations and then became secretary of state. Dulles ordered the 1953 coup in Iran, which was intended in part to make the Middle East safe for American oil companies. A year later he ordered another coup, in Guatemala, where a nationalist government had challenged the power of United Fruit, a company his old law firm represented. Having marshalled so much public and political support, American corporations found it relatively easy to call upon the military or the Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA) to defend their privileges in countries where they ran into trouble. They might not have been able to do so if they and the presidents who cooperated with them

Feedback and its importance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Feedback and its importance - Essay Example in organizations) or in universities. Since the key objective of providing feedbacks is to inform the individuals concerned regarding their performance, and give them objective opinions, it helps them to understand their strengths and weaknesses and utilize their capabilities to the optimum, and hence pave way for self-growth. Furthermore, feedback helps in identifying the problem areas or areas of concern and develops ways to overcome the shortcomings. For instance, in terms of organizational learning, the managers periodically evaluate the job performance of their workers and employees, and provide them feedback on the basis of a thorough assessment. Such an assessment can then be used by the workers to identify gaps in their performance and use the same to increase their productivity (Anderson 1990; Kluger & Denisi 1996). Similarly, feedback in universities, which are given in the form of grades or critique of their work, helps the students in identifying the areas in which they e xcel and those where they need to put in more effort. Various schools and universities also enable teacher feedback, whereby the students assess the performance of their teachers. It is only through feedback, that any substantial and positive change can be hoped to be achieved.

Indian Automobile Industry Essay Example for Free

Indian Automobile Industry Essay A. Introduction The Automotive Industry in India is one of the larger markets in the world and had previously been one of the fastest growing globally, but is now seeing flat or negative growth rates. Indias passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturing industry is the sixth largest in the world, with an annual production of more than 3.9 million units in 2011. According to recent reports, India overtook Brazil and became the sixth largest passenger vehicle producer in the world, grew 16 to 18 per cent to sell around three million units in the course of 2011-12. In 2009, India emerged as Asias fourth largest exporter of passenger cars, behind Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.In 2010, India beat Thailand to become Asias third largest exporter of passenger cars. As of 2010, India is home to 40 million passenger vehicles. More than 3.7 million automotive vehicles were produced in India in 2010 (an increase of 33.9%), making the country the second (after China) fastest growing automobile market in the world in that year. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, annual vehicle sales are projected to increase to 4 million by 2015, no longer 5 million as previously projected. The majority of Indias car manufacturing industry is based around three clusters in the south, west and north. The southern cluster consisting of Chennai is the biggest with 35% of the revenue share. Chennai, with the India operations of Ford, Hyundai, Renault, Mitsubishi, Nissan, BMW, Hindustan Motors, Daimler, Caparo and PSA Peugeot Citroà «n is about to begin their operations by 2014. Chennai accounts for 60% of the countrys automotive exports. The western hub near Mumbai and Pune contributes to 33% of the market. The Chakan corridor near Pune, Maharashtra is the western cluster with companies like General Motors, Volkswagen, Skoda, Mahindra and Mahindra, Tata Motors, Mercedes Benz, Land Rover, Jaguar Cars, Fiat and Force Motors having assembly plants in the area. Nashik has a major base of Mahindra Mahindra with a SUV assembly unit and an Engine assembly unit. Aurangabad with Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen also forms part of the western cluster. The northern cluster around the National Capital Region contributes 32% of the Indian market. Gurgaon and Manesar in Haryana form the northern cluster where the countrys largest car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki is based. Another emerging cluster is in the state of Gujarat with manufacturing facility of General Motors in Halol and further planned for Tata Nano at their plant in Sanand. Ford, Maruti Suzuki and Peugeot-Citroen plants are also set to come up in Gujarat. Kolkata with Hindustan Motors, Noida with Honda and Bangalore with Toyota are some of the other automotive manufacturing regions around the country. B. Major Players The Major Market Players C. Product Segmentation While there are multiple ways of segmenting this industry like based on price and engine size but the most prevalent and the official method is based on dimension. i.e. the length of the vehicle under consideration. A1 Segment Mini – Up to 3400mm (M800, Nano) A2 Segment Compact – 3401 to 4000mm (Alto, wagon r, Zen,i10,A-star,Swift,i20,palio,indica etc) A3 Segment – Midsize – 4001 to 4500mm (Manza, City, Sx4, Dzire, Logan, Accent, Fiesta, Verna etc) A4 Segment Executive – 4501 to 4700mm (Corolla, civic, C class, Cruze, Optra, Octavia etc) A5 Segment Premium – 4701 to 5000mm (Camry, E class, Accord, Sonata, Laura, Superb etc) A6 Segment – Luxury – Above 5000mm (Mercedes S class, 5 series etc) B1 Segment Van – Omni, Versa, Magic etc B2 Segment MUV/MPV – Innova, Tavera, Sumo etc SUV Segment CRV, Vitaraetc While it is easy for SIAM to segment the vehicles as per dimensions but for consumers, it becomes a tad difficult. This is primarily because of the widely varying / spread out prices of the vehicles. A 2 segment, as per the above criterion, will range between 3 lakhs to 7 lakhs. And A 3 will be between 4.5 to 9 lakhs. Such wide variation in prices has distorted the image of segments in the minds of consumers. Hence, for simplicity purposes, a different segmentation has cropped up. The details are as follows:- A Segment – Approximately below 3.5 lakhs Alto, Eon, Nano, Spark, 800 B 1 Segment – Hatchback largely below 6 lakhs – Wagon R, Indica, Beat, Santro, A Star, Micra, Estilo B 2 Segment – Hatchback majorly below 7.5 lakhs – Swift, I 10, I 20, Ritz, Figo, Polo, Liva, Vista, Jazz, Punto, Brio, Fabia, Pulse, Aveo UVA C 1 Segment – Sedan below 8 lakhs – Dzire, Indigo, Etios, Sunny, Fiesta Classic, Verito, Accent, Ambassador, Aveo C 2 Segment – Sedan below 9.5 lakhs – Linea, Manza, Verna, Rapid, Vento, City, SX 4, Verna New, Optra D 1 Segment Premium Sedan below 15 lakhs – Corolla, Civic, Cruze, Laura, Jetta, Fluence D 2 Segment – Luxury Sedan below 25 lakhs– Superb, Passat, Accord, Camry, Sonata, Teana, Kizashi B1 Segment Van – Omni, Versa, Magic etc B2 Segment MUV/MPV – Innova, Tavera, Sumo etc SUV Segment CRV, Vitaraetc If we analyze the 1st Quarter of 2012-13, then total vehicle sales has been around 6.32 lakh units. The hatchback segments has totaled to 56% of the entire passenger car sales in India. This comes to 355857 units. This clearly shows the popularity of smaller cars in the Indian market. Alto continues to be the top selling brand with 17422 in July. It is followed by Swift (11421) and Wagon R (9582) – all Maruti brands. This is an indication of how well the Maruti team has understood the Indian market. i 10, I 20, Nano, Beat, Figo, Santro Polo are some of the high selling models in these segments and these models continue to clock more than 3000 units monthly. Nano has been a disappointment so far with huge expectations but it is showing some kind of resilience off late. As a segment, the Utility segment is showing the maximum growth. In fact, this segment has outclassed the other popular segments of A, B 1 B 2. With 128110 units under its hood in the 1st quarter, the segment is definitely making some good progress. Maruti’sErtiga, Mahindra’s XUV 500 Bolero has been instrumental in pushing the volumes of this segment. Innova and Omni too are raking in good numbers. What has been disappointing is the performance from the Tata Motors stable Venture, Safari and Sumo have been showing steady decline in the numbers per se but definitely possess huge potential to challenge the other models. Among the sedans, Maruti Dzire continues to lead the pack. With 11413 numbers in July, it is way ahead of its next model Verna (5300). The iconic models of City, Linea, SX4 have been showing consistent under growth and seriously calls for some introspection by their respective manufacturers. Vento Rapid also showed some slack but given the aggression of VW and Nissan, it wont be long before they start to pull in good numbers. Tata’s Indigo and Manza were on a slightly negative terrain all these months but somehow the trend has been reversed in July. 6816 for these 2 models augurs well for the company. D. Indian Automobile Industry : Barriers to Entry (and Exit) Barriers to entry (or, BTE) are anything that hinders the movement of firms into an industry. That is, BTE reduce or eliminate the entry of new businesses into an industry. Sometimes BTE can be almost insurmountable: no new firms can enter an industry. Other times BTE can slow down the entry of new firms: new firms appear but only slow. Very low BTE, however, means that new firms can enter the industry relatively rapidly. What can act as a BTE ? 1. Amount of capital The amount of capital required to enter the auto industry is in billions of dollars. So, very few outsiders can ever hope to enter the industry. This major financial requirement services as a significant barrier to entry for many industries. The auto manufacturing industry is considered to be highly capital and labor intensive. The major costs for producing and selling automobiles include: * Labor While machines and robots are playing a greater role in manufacturing vehicles, there are still substantial labor costs in designing and engineering automobiles * Advertising Each year automakers spend billions on print and broadcast advertising, furthermore, they spent large amounts of money on market research to anticipate consumer trends and preferences 2. Limited capacity of parts suppliers Existing parts suppliers have downsized their operations to the point that they do not have excess capacity. 3. Competition There are already significant numbers of well established competitors. 4.Government regulations The stringent regulations regarding safety, design, emission standards and fuel efficiency may sometimes act as a deterrent. 5. Patent protection laws This may prevent the use of certain innovations at low cost. 6. Marketing Marketing a new brand can be difficult and very expensive. 7. Economies of scale Economies of scale give large producers a significant cost advantage over small rivals. Where a firm has grown very large and significant economies of scale exist, they can have cost competitiveness. New entrants generally start small and therefore, have much higher unit production costs than the giant firms. These new, small entrants find it nearly impossible to survive against the large rival because they just can’t be price competitive given their much larger unit production costs. 8. Entry-deterring behavior A firm can protect itself from competition by deliberately acting in a way that convinces potential competitors not to enter the industry. Some firms spend huge amounts of money on advertising to keep new rivals from starting up business. Or, firms can act exceedingly aggressive if faced with new competition by perhaps starting a major price war every time a new competitor enters their market. Lawsuits against new rivals have been used to drive them out of business or to, at the very least, raise the cost of entering the business to very high levels. 9. Knowledge and Technology Ideas and Knowledge that provides competitive advantage over others when patented prevent others from using it and thus creates barrier to entry. For eg. TATA motors have great knowledge/ experience in the automobile industry and have renowned technological advantage because of the recent acquisition and mergers. 10. Product Differentiation and Cost Advantage The new product has to be different and attractive to be accepted by the customers. Attractiveness can be measured in the terms of the features, price etc. For an entrant to attain this, it requires lot of effort as compared to an established player. TATA Nano is an example where till now, no new entrant has entered as a competitor. Barriers to Exit: Obstacles or impediments that prevent a company from exiting a market. A company may decide to exit a market because it is unable to capture market share or turn a profit or for some other reason altogether. High barriers to exit might force it to continue competing in the market. The factors that may form a barrier to exit include: 1. High investment in non-transferable fixed assetsThis is particularly common for manufacturing companies that invest heavily in capital equipment which is specific to one task. 2. High redundancy costsIf a company has a large number of employees, employees with high salaries, or contracts with employees which stipulate high redundancy payments (layoff costs), then the firm may face significant cost if it wishes to leave the market. 3. Other closure costs. Contract contingencies with suppliers or buyers and any penalty costs incurred from cutting short tenancy agreements. 4. Potential upturn Firms may be influenced by the potential of an upturn in their market that may reverse their current financial situation. 5. Government policies In India, the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 puts restrictions on employers in the matter of reducing excess staff by retrenchment, by closure of establishments and the retrenchment process involved lot of legalities and complex procedures. Also, any plans of retrenchment and reduction of staff and workforce are subjected to strong opposition by trade unions. E. Role of Non-Pricing Competition Non-price competition refers to firms competing with one another not in terms of reducing the price to attract consumers instead, in form of brand name, advertising, packaging, free home- delivery, free service, sponsorship deals and so on. These are the different forms of non-price competition. The main aim of non-price competition is product development. As products are differentiated in monopolistic competition, to prove and show how ones product is superior than others- colour, appearance, packaging, skill level etc. It is been done to create an inelastic demand for the product. Following parameters can be used for competition instead of reducing cost: Quality: If consumers must choose between two products of the same price but they can see that one is of a higher quality, they generally pick the product of higher quality. In this way, if a firm can figure out how to produce an item at a cost comparable to what its competitor charges but make it of higher quality, that firm may be able to steal the market from its competitor. Now in case of automobiles, within a given price range people generally don’t comprise with the quality aesthetics. For example : Recalls of vehicles sold. Recently, Honda Cars India Ltd recalled 42,672 units of second generation Honda City cars manufactured in 2007 and 2008 to replace their power window switch. HCIL carried out preventive part replacement of power window switch. The company is proactively replacing Power Window Switch which may malfunction in case water or any other liquid enters the driver side window. Honda Cars India is carrying out the part replacement as part of a global exercise by Honda Motor Company to ensure stringent quality standards for its products. However, a problem with this approach is that it may take some time for consumers to realize any difference in quality. Perception and Branding: In some cases, little possibility of quality differentiation exists between two products. However, the long-term sustainability of such an approach may be difficult because, as such brand advantages arise through consumer trends, consumer trends may also lead to their demise. We can take example of Hyundai’s Eon and Maruti’s Alto 800. Maruti being a well-known brand it was difficult for Hyundai Eon to compete with it. Hyundai India offers its Eon fleet within a price bracket of Rs. 2.8 to Rs. 3.8 lakhs in the country. Maruti Suzuki has pitched its Alto 800 models with a slightly humble pricing falling in the range starting from Rs. 2.4 lakhs that goes on till Rs. 3.6 lakhs in the Indian auto market. Sales Comparision between Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon Source: http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/car-nama/2012/07/13/alto-vs-eon-eight-months-on/ Product Design: In some cases, firms may compete by changing the design of their products to make them more appealing without significantly changing production costs or quality levels. Such a strategy can prove effective at stealing business from competitors, but it can also backfire, because it can cause the company to alienate its existing consumers, who may be knowingly choosing the existing design over other products with different designs specifically because it appeals to their tastes. Product Differentiation: Not all consumers are the same. By offering a range of similar products geared toward different market sectors, firms can expand their market base. However, such product differentiation can result in significantly higher overhead costs for production. For example every model has variants in following aspects: Fuel used (petrol, diesel, LPG, CNG) Cost varients (low end to high end with addition of features like sunroof, airbags etc.) Model| Price (INR)| Mileage| Volkswagon Vento PetorlTrendline| 7,29,000| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Comfortline| 7,75,805| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Style Limited Edition| 8,10,805| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Trendline| 8,44,000| 20.54| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Highline| 8,74,805| 15.04| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Comfortline| 8,90,805| 20.54| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Style Limited Edition| 9,25,805| 20.54| Volkswagon Vento Petrol Highline AT| 9,74,805| 14.4| Volkswagon Vento Diesel Highline| 9,89,805| 20.54| Sales Structure: When two firms are competing with similar products, one may be able to enjoy more market share and a deeper level of penetration due to a more effective and aggressive sales structure. By engaging in direct sales, firms can appeal to prospective buyers who otherwise would not feel compelled to buy due to advertising or other kinds of marketing. Multilevel marketing is one way in which firms rapidly build their consumer base. However, by turning buyers into sellers as well, such schemes may require significantly higher prices. A typical supply chain in Indian Automobile Industry Source: ImaginMor, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation The description and the role of each of the contributors to the supply chain are discussed below. Third Tier Suppliers: These companies provide basic products like rubber, glass, steel, plastic and aluminium to the second tier suppliers. Second Tier Suppliers: These companies design vehicle systems or bodies for First Tier Suppliers and OEMs. They work on designs provided by the first tier suppliers or OEMs. They also provide engineering resources for detailed designs. Some of their services may include welding, fabrication, shearing, bending etc. First Tier Suppliers: These companies provide major systems directly to assemblers. These companies have global coverage, in order to follow their customers to various locations around the world. They design and innovate in order to provide â€Å"black-box† solutions for the requirements of their customers. Black-box solutions are solutions created by suppliers using their own technology to meet the performance and interface requirements set by assemblers. First tier suppliers are responsible not only for the assembly of parts into complete units like dashboard, breaks-axel-suspension, seats, or cockpit but also for the management of second-tier suppliers. Automakers/Vehicle Manufacturers/Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs): After researching consumers’ wants and needs, automakers begin designing models which are tailored to consumers’ demands. The design process normally takes five years. These companies have manufacturing units where engines are manufactured and parts supplied by first tier suppliers and second tier suppliers are assembled. Automakers are the key to the supply chain of the automotive industry. Examples of these companies are Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, and Honda. Innovation, design capability and branding are the main focus of these companies. Dealers: Once the vehicles are ready they are shipped to the regional branch and from there, to the authorised dealers of the companies. The dealers then sell the vehicles to the end customers. Parts and Accessory: These companies provide products like tires, windshields, and air bags etc. to automakers and dealers or directly to customers. Service Providers: Some of the services to the customers include servicing of vehicles, repairing parts, or financing of vehicles. Many dealers provide these services but, customers can also choose to go to independent service providers. The increased usage of IT at different tiers of the supply chain is on the increase in all the companies in India. An important finding that emerged from the findings was that the integration of supply chain is being done at all the cities in the country i rrespective of the market share. F. Key Developments in Indian Auto Sector Major Developments Investments * Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd is expecting to sell over 60 per cent more units this year on the back of the launch of its upgraded small car Nissan Micra * Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) exported its first lot of 64 Fuso trucks manufactured at its Oragadam plant in Chennai. * Mahindra USA, a subsidiary of Mahindra and Mahindra (MM), will set up an assembly and distribution centre, expanding one of the four tractor facilities in North America, by January 2014 * The Japan-based automobile manufacturer Isuzu Motors local subsidiary Isuzu Motors India has entered into an agreement with Hindustan Motors (HM) for contract manufacturing of Isuzu SUVs and pickup trucks * A year after introducing the popular MINI range of cars in India, luxury car maker BMW has started local production of MINI Countryman at its facility in Chennai * New Holland Fiat India plans to invest Rs 1,100 crore (US$ 184.56 million) to set up a new green-field plant in Maharashtra and also to increase its tra ctor manufacturing capacity by 50 per cent in the next three years * Hero MotoCorp has bought a 49.2 per cent stake in its US-based technology partner Erik Buell Racing (EBR) for US$ 25 million. This is Hero MotoCorps first-ever equity purchase in an overseas company. Also, Hero MotoCorp has entered into the African continent with launch of its brand and products in Kenya, where it has also set up an assembly unit. The company has also partnered with Ryce East Africa to sell its two-wheelers in the country * Daimler is developing its Indian commercial vehicle operations as an export hub. Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) will export locally assembled trucks from the conglomerates Mitsubishi Fuso range in 15 markets in Asia and Africa. Government Initiatives The Government of India plans to introduce fuel-efficiency ratings for automobiles to encourage sale of cars that consume less petrol or diesel, as per Mr. Veerappa Moily, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. The Union Budget 2013-14 announced by Mr. P Chidambaram, the Union Finance Minister, Government of India, in the Parliament on February 28, 2013, had a few add-ons for the industry. The analysis by Deloitte on the Union Budget highlighted the following: * The period of concession available for specified part of electric and hybrid vehicles till April 2013 has been extended upto March 31, 2015 * The basic customs duty (BCD) on imported luxury goods such as high-end motor vehicles, motor cycles, yachts and similar vessels was increased. The duty was raised from 75 percent to 100 percent on Cars / motor vehicles (irrespective of engine capacity) with CIF value more than US$ 40,000; from 60 percent to 75 percent on motorcycles with engine capacity of 800cc or more and on yachts and similar vessels from 10 percent to 25 percent * In addition, an increase in excise duty from 27 to 30 per cent has been allowed for SUVs with engine capacity exceeding 1,500 cc, while excise duty was decreased from 80 to 72 per cent, in case of SUVs registered solely for taxi purposes * An exemption from BCD on lithium ion automotive battery for manufacture of lithium ion battery packs for supply to manufacturers of hybrid and electric vehicles * The excise duty on chassis of diesel motor vehicles for transport of goods reduced from 14 per cent to 13 per cent Moreover, the Government of India allows 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the automotive industry through automatic route. The Government also plans to accelerate the supply of electric vehicles over the next eight years. It is expected that there will be a demand for 5-7 million electricity-operated vehicles by 2020. The contribution of automotive sector in the gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to double, reaching a turnover worth US$ 145 billion in 2016, with special focus on export of small cars, MUVs, two three wheelers and auto components, as per the Automotive Mission Plan (AMP) 2006-2016. Road Ahead Global and Indian manufacturers are focusing their efforts to develop innovative products, technologies and supply chains in the industry. Car makers are launching a slew of car models, mostly compact SUVs, in the coming months. The automobile body SIAM expects the launches to be able to brighten the market. Lastly, the vision of AMP 2006-2016 sees India, â€Å"to emerge as the destination of choice in the world for design and manufacture of automobiles and auto components with output reaching a level of US$ 145 billion; accounting for more than 10 per cent of the GDP and providing additional employment to 25 million people by 2016.† G. Major Challenges and Suggested Measures Challenges: 1. Strong decline in economic growth- * It affects the consumer buying behavior- Buyers driven by fear of job loss, moved aggressively to increase their rate of saving. At the same time, high cost and growing longevity of motor vehicles prompted buyers to postpone purchases that they might have otherwise made. * Freezing of credit markets meant cancelledorders, unpaid supplier invoices, and ‘temporarily’ shuttered plants. * High excise duty- 12 % for sub 4 meters cars and 24 % for over 4 meters cars. * High interest rates as well as difficulty to obtain loans for purchase. 2. Duplicate spare parts- Indian market has always suffered from duplicate products and cheap counterfeits. This puts pressure on OEMs to reduce the prices and compete with these cheaper counterfeits. According to the study conducted by market research agency nielson co with acma, 41 % of total spare parts belong to OEMs and OESes, 23 % belong to imported segment and 36 % are duplicate. 3. Lack of infrastructure- Lack of proper road infrastructure, resulting into heavy Traffic has become major concern in most of the cities in India. Parking problem, parking cost adds to it. Bad roads, Bad drivers on road further add to the problem. 4. Availability of skilled man-power- As per data published by NSDC(National Skill Development Corporation), automobile sector in India is going to face a shortfall of 35 million skilled manpower by 2022. Limited availability of skilled manpower is bound to pose a great challenge to the positive growth of the Indian automotive manufacturing industry. 5. High Ownership cost- Small car sales are likely to fall by a couple of percentage points in 2013-14 due to continued uncertainty over income growth, high fuel costs arising from a deprecating rupee and still relatively high inflation.Diesel cars will lose their sheen, particularly in the small car segment, due to the gradual deregulation of diesel prices and the expected fall in petrol prices. 6. IR related issues- The $73 billion automobile sector has witnessed abhorrent industrial unrest in the recent 5 years with disputes in Maruti Suzuki, Hero Honda, Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India, Rico,Hyundai, Ashok Leyland, MRF, Apollo Tyres, Sona Koyo and Toyota Kirloskar Motors Ltd. Thissector, to generate double revenue needs a flexible workforce of 25 million with an amicableatmosphere to hire and fire workers to cope with the cyclical swings in demand for cars, trucksand bikes but the archaic labour laws governing employment of contract labour has fan thesetensions. This speculates the lack of efficient implementation machinery. Industrial unrestsaccompanying murders of the executives have also been committed in 2-3 instances recently,demonstrating the urging to address the issue by the social partners. 7. Global competition— Competition will only increase in the years to come, as more international players enter India and the pace of innovation accelerates. This would elevate both RD and selling and distribution costs, thereby impacting margins. Despite these headwinds, India would continue to remain an attractive market, as volumes across segments are projected to grow at a five-year compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 10 per cent. Suggested Measures India has a very low car penetration about 10 per 1000. This number is expected to become 382 by 2025, this means that there is plenty of room to each automobile giant to grow in Indian market without affecting the volume of other competitors. Few of the following suggested measures may have a bounce back effect on the Indian Automobile Industry; 1. Friendly government policies: Tax benefits for RD development and Skill related investments, subsidies for hybrid vehicles are the measures if taken can boost the Indian automobile sector. Similarly extension of 200 % weighted deduction of R D expense under income tax law andweighted deduction of 150 % for expenditure in skill development by industries seem to be positive steps towards the cause. 2. Healthy Industrial Relations through better contract worker policies: As in most of the developed countries thecontract workers are covered under the social security provisions and are paid at par with the permanent workers. Such transparent policies may definitely promote positive industrial relations and foster industrial growth. 3. Technology up gradation measures-Automobile industry is slowing down, but at the same time we are seeing long waiting periods for new launches, which means people are no longer going for same old trusty brands and models and want more value for their money. Which gives me hopes that if Auto makers focus on launching more new models and more global launches they will surely find customers. 4. Promoting Hybrid vehicles or better fuel efficiency—To counter the problems of high fuel prices, it’s the need of the hour to develop higher fuel efficient products and also the products running on alternative fuel to decrease the ownership cost. For this concession on import duty on specified parts of hybrid vehicles are necessary. Stringent laws and strict exercise to eliminate spurious auto-spare part business. 5. Ensuring easy loan availabilityThe industry should also approach the banks and NBFCs for better and easier loan availability to the car buyers. 100% finance and lower EMI with longer loan tenure will definitely help.