IRAC Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IRAC Method - Essay Example Moreover, the method distinguishes the relevant laws that are used by the court with facts and justifies effective resolution (California State University, n.d.). Therefore, the paper intends to briefly discuss about the case of Reid v. Covert through analyzing an effective IRAC method. The discussion of the report will be highly focused on demonstrating the overall scenario including the problem, relevant commandments concerning the case as well as final outcomes of the court. Background of the Case (Reid v. Covert) The case of Reid v Covert (354 U.S. 1) can be considered as one of the major milestone cases addressed by the Supreme Court of the United States. The case had been conducted during the year of 1955 against Mrs. Clarice Covert for killing her sergeant husband in the military base. During the case of Mrs. Covert concerning her suspected offense, a jurisdiction agreement had been observed to be present between the United States and the United Kingdom which further authorize d the military court of the US to take adequate jurisdiction right over the crime conducted in the UK military base by servicemen of the US or by their dependents (Cornell University Law School, n.d.). IRAC Method Assessment Issue The case of Reid v. Covert can be observed as a major decisive case adjudicated by the US Supreme Court which incorporated principle constitutional issues. The case was documented in No. 701, October Term, 1955 in which Mrs. Covert had been convicted for killing her husband who was a sergeant in the US Air Force. The incident had taken place at an airbase located in the United Kingdom. According to the case, it has been observed that Mrs. Covert was not a part of the armed services and she was live in the military base with her husband during the incident period. Moreover, the trial related to the issue was conducted based on the charges selected by the personnel of the Air Force. The major issue that emerged from the case was regarding a clash between the Constitution of a country and an enacted treaty. Raise of constitutional issue was the major concern within the case. The issue raised a question regarding the role played by the military under the governmental system. The issue also raised the Bill of Rights related concern. In this case, for the first time, after the implementation of the Constitution, wives of any soldier had been deprived of trial prior to a court-martial (Cornell University Law School, n.d.). Rule With regard to the case of Reid v. Covert, it has been recognized that the rule of law applied was Article 118 under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). With reference to this article, court-martial took place which comprised officers of the Air Force. Through the court martial under the Article 2 (11) of UCMJ rule was affirmed over Mrs. Covert. Any treaty or provision agreed upon by the US comes under consideration of the article and are regarded as rule enacted beneath international law. Moreover, all indi viduals employed by or serving with or accompanying the military forces devoid of the continental periphery of the US are also considered. The other rules of law relate to the verdict provided regarding case by Air Force Board of Review, 16 CMR 465, which was reversed by the verdict presented by the Court of Military Appeals. Furthermore, with regard to the case Fifth as well as Sixth Amendments of the Constitution were of significance (Cornell University Law School, n.d.). Analysis It can be analyzed with the regard to the case that the counsel in authority for Mrs. Covert argued that she was in an insane state of physical condition while she murdered her husband. However, the military tribunal deemed

The Impact of Advertising on Customer Satisfaction Essay Example for Free

The Impact of Advertising on Customer Satisfaction Essay Introduction: Mobile technology introduced in 1957 after introduction of first fully automatic mobile phone. Prince Philip was the first consumer to use mobile phone in his car in 1957.He uses that phone to talk with Queen while he was away on the road. Those days mobile technology has considered high end luxury even Dukes not allowed to use mobile, but now trends has changed completely , mobile phone considered as necessity of life. It is now using to communicate and keep in touch. (UK Telephone History 2010) In Sri lanka Luxembourg based Millicom International cellular was first company to introduce and launch its services in Early 1990s called Celltel,  later in 2007 its rebranded as Tigo .Current Etisalat is exist after acquisition of Tigo by Etisalat UAE in 2010.Those days mobiles was used by higher market segment , only Business executives and well paid employees afford to talk using mobiles. Later in 1993 introduction of digital based mobile system by Dialog (Axiata Telecom) Malaysian based mobile phone company ,which provides more secured and clear services than previous analog mobile phones with Sms ( Short Message service) under GSM technology using 2G and 2.5G. In 2004 Mobitel (Subsidiary of Sri lanka telecom)was launched and later introduced first ever 3G services not only in Sri lanka in whole south Asia which ranks Sri lanka first country to launch 3G services, Study Back Ground: Mobile Phone technology in Sri Lanka has grown tremendously during last few years. currently in 2013 all five operators providing 3G coverage almost in every main district with claiming of 70 percent area covered with 3G.Mobile technology in Sri Lanka provides wireless voice and data service at very affordable price. It eases day to day business and personal contact around the Island, with 5 operators and thousands of communication towers, now communication can be done easily from any remote village of Sri lankasuch as Batticolla or Metropolitan city such as Colombo and Galle. Now everyday millions of people making billions of calls and using tons of data service by using telecom operators multimillion dollar infrastructure and giving out revenue to operators in return.( International telecommunication union ITU, 2013) Due to high competition from five operators and heavy tax imposed on imported mobile phones, GSM subscribers market in Sri lanka is highly saturated. Mobile market in Sri Lanka was running with less growth rate during last few years, In 2012 mobile penetration rate reached 91% with Dailog Axiata sharing the large slice of 7 million customers around 40 percent of total mobile subscribers followed by Etisalat Sri Lanka and Mobitel with 20 percent of market share each operator with more than 4 million subscribers and than Comes Hutch Sri Lanka and Airtel with less than 15 percent of market share with less customer satisfaction and poor coverage.( International telecommunication union ITU, 2013) Each mobile operator  looking for more subscribers and increase market share claims best coverage with huge advertisement on mass media. Customer satisfaction is the main target for these operators and by personalized paid advertising and PR they are on the way to create more customer satisfact ion. Table 1- Number of Sri Lankan Mobile Subscribers in Millions Figure 1, Fixed lines and mobile market Growth in Sri lanka Study Area: Hutch Telecom: Hutch Sri Lanka is a mobile operator in Sri Lanka under subsidiary of Hutchison Hong Kong Based Mobile operator. Hutchison telecom not only mobile service provider in Sri lanka they are also providing voice and data 3G services and operating currently around 10 countries worldwide including far east countries Indonesia and Australia , in Europe they are in Italy, Sewden, Denmark, Austria, Ireland and United Kingdom.It was launched in 2004 with the mission of Island wide coverage in a near future. Now Hutch cover more than 70 % Island wide coverage approximately, It claims first operator in Sri Lanka who offers most district covers all around Sri Lanka under 3G coverage. Hutch Sri Lanka provide voice and data service to 1 Million Subscribers around the Island (Hutch.lk). After its launch hutch Sri lanka spends up to 71 million Hong Kong dollars in network expansion and advertising including improving infrastructure and increase number of communication towers for best coverage, apart f rom that huge amount also spend on media promotion and advertising including TV commercials and billboards on streets.(Hutch lose its Customer 2008) Figure 1: Hutch Advertising Claim about 3G coverage Figure2 : Hutch Voice And 3G Coverage Hutch Sri Lanka advertisement: Hutch Sri Lanka like other players invest millions of Sri Lankan rupees in advertising , in which they play jingles to attract its customers and increase their satisfaction in brand. Among other ads Kiyanaa Kiyanna ( say  it) was the first TV commercial of Hutch Sri Lanka , which get much attention due to story of interest in 30 second paid commercial. Famous Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara also earlier attached with Hutch Sri Lanka as a brand ambassador to Hutch for three consecutive years from â€Å"2005 to 2008† in which he quotes about Hutch â€Å"Between July 2005 and August 2008 I had a contract with Hutch only. I enjoyed my three years working with Hutch and the relationship was mutually beneficial†. (Island Cricket 2005) Public Relation activities: Hutch Sri Lanka also besides paid advertising also involves in PR Public Relation activities to satisfy its consumers and create positive image among its consumers in which employee blood donation get much media attention. In this campaign hutch employees donate their blood to Sri Lanka National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) and mention about advantages of blood donation in society in which Hutch Sri Lanka encourage others to donate their blood often to saves life.( Hutch saves life 2010) Least Customer Satisfaction: Hutch telecom Sri Lanka still didn’t achieve its target of 1 million subscribers, currently it comprises last number in customer satisfaction ranking with little subscribers.In 2010 after launch of Etisalat Lanka and Airtel bharti limited .Hutch current ranking comes at number 5 in last among its competitors operators. Hutch Sri Lanka has better infrastructure and quality of service but lack of marketing personals and wrong choice of advertisement media its reputation is going down day by day. Sri Lankan consumers not willing to use its services due to less number of subscribers which force them to pay levy in order to call their family and friends through Hutch Sri Lana to other operators or non hutch numbers. SWOT ANALYSIS OF HUTCH SRI LANKA: Strength: It’s communication tower coverage almost throughout all Sri Lanka. Fast Internet speed through 3G technology with maximum coverage area covered with 3G compared with competitors, such as Jaffna first covered by 3G by Hutch Sri Lanka. Weakness: Less brand exposure among its consumers Low or weak signal coverage in remote areas. Opportunities: Hutch couple sim, which allow call between two numbers at very cheap rate, unique service by hutch Sri Lanka Lowest IDD call rates which attract new customers Threat: Declining in number of subscribers due to poor coverage Mobile market is saturated due to five competitors in Market. Research Objectives and Research Questions: The topic under consideration is â€Å"The impact of Advertising on customer Satisfaction with special reference to Hutch Sri Lanka†. Research Objectives: The objective of this research is to critically analyze least customer satisfaction issue facing by hutch Sri Lanka which pushes back Hutch Sri Lanka at last position in subscribers ranking. Hutch telecom has a potential to get more subscribers through correct advertising with correct selection of advertising media. The following are the main objectives of the research: 1-To study the concept of advertising 2-To Study the concept of Customer Satisfaction 3-To analyze the Relationship between Advertising and customer Satisfaction Research Question: 1-What is advertising? 2-What is the customer satisfaction? 3-What is the relation between Advertising and Customer Satisfaction? Literature Review: Advertising: Advertising is the non personal communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by  identified sponsors through the various media† (Bovee/Arens, 1992, p7).(Deborah F. Spake M Joseph 2009)advertising is one most fast growing industry in USA and direct to consumer effective advertising has change the way of advertising industry in USA, where consumers demand is monitor before placing of advertisement, this type of advertising is mostly done by pharmaceutical companies. (P Nelson 1974) Advertising delivers the information of product attribute plus message to the target audience on selected media. Advertiser’s priority is to create sales through his message. Often more sales can be achieved by heavy bombardment of seller’s message through traditional and mass media. Any trustworthy and honest information deliver to consumer generate more sales and brand equity.(Julie A. Edell M Chapman 1987) Consumers feeling about any paid advertising create a lot of affect on sales. If advertiser convey the message which create positive feeling in consumer mindset than convincing potential consumer becomes easy else negative feeling creates negative effect. (Charles H Patti 1997) When same seed is cultivated in two different fields with different production of crops or fertility rate even under same climate , one field with more average fertility rate will always give more crops compare with other field. Same case apply in advertising if quality efforts are applied on two different product in which one is high advertisement opportunities and while other is low than revenue generated and sales will differs from each other. He further elaborated that advertising spend should be high only on those products in which product life cycle stage not reach its maturity state. Advertise product and service should be have some uniqueness among its competitors and there f should be large size of potential consumer in that geographical area where product to be advertised.(Robert J L Gary A 1961) In changing environment advertising purpose is to create sales , advertisers put their product or service on advertise to create sales in steps, in which in first is just share information about the product information and create awareness of the product after the launch than second step which comes after some period of time is an extreme buy now ad , design to create immediate sales. (Nikolaos K P1989) The current involvement in advertising consumer products is the Attributes of Advertising message has put great impact on consumer in  decision making process. If advertising message firmly designed and expose to mind of consumer than it went to long term memory of target consumer, such as â€Å"Jingle song of brand during advertising† which create positive affect to change target customer into prospect customers.Advertising is the main source of marketers to introduce their product and services in any geographical market. Electronic media has much considerable progress to help marketers to advertise their products at reasonable cost. Advertisement message reach millions of potential customers which help organization to grow its business and create more revenue. Customer Satisfaction: Any person who spend his income to get good or services through any organization is called as customer or a customer is a person who does the buying of the products and the consumer is the person who ultimately consumes the product (Solomon, 2009, p.34.) Any costumer can be pleased, unhappy or reject the product offered by advertiser, sales person or particular branded organization if its attributes does not match with its requirement and demands. Customer satisfaction definition is defined by (Tse Wilson , 1998, p 204 ) consumer after purchase decision to judge the quality of product totally depend on consumer choice (Fornell, 1992, p.11) After cash transaction and receiving of product , customer satisfaction can be called as post choice evaluation judgment of the consumer after consume the product at very first time(Oliver,1980) According to Schiffman Karun (2004) Any individual consumer feel and look about any particular products or service which he/she judge his expectation after buying the product. Customer satisfaction is also described as the result of human feeling, Marketers in order to measure level of customer satisfaction they have to measure feeling of their customers after buying their product.(Levy,p.6;NBRI,2009). Levy (2009, p.6) mention three type of criteria to measure customer satisfaction 1- Through survey among current consumer of particular product or service in which feedback can be collected to measure customer level of customer satisfaction. 2- Through focus group discussion in which expert moderator can decide the level of costumer satisfaction after discussion with consumers. 3- Reading blogs and direct contact with customers. Satisfied customer is customer who repeats purchase of the product and also refers helps organization to get more customers by words of mouth. Customer satisfaction increases the business of organization, where dissatisfied customer puts negative effect on company image and brand. Relationship between advertising and Customer Satisfaction: Marketers spends millions of dollar every year in advertising budget to create favorable image of their brand, satisfy them and drive them to purchase. satisfaction makes advertising more affected as satisfied customers pay more attention in advertising of product whom they satisfies after previous purchase(E W Anderson 1994) Advertising creates a certain type of feeling in consumer mind which leads to consumer satisfaction of that particular brand in consumer mind.(Ew Anderson 1993) .Customer satisfaction are more essential aspect in any trade as at the end , customer is always the king because they create revenue for the organization. Customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction have direct impact on profit of any organization.(Naresh K Malhotra 2007) 2nd edition Marketing research p 92-107.Advertisers should understand the consumer behavior before start work on any advertising campaign, as advertising only be effective and satisfy its consumer if its design to get attention of target market by touch the internal emotion of consumer.(Gustav puth.P Mostert 1999)) Journal of product and brand management, consumers perception of mentioned product and brand attribute in magazine advertising.) References: Anderson, E.W, Sulivan m.W (1993) â€Å" The Antecedents and consequences of Customer Satisfaction for firms†, Marketing science 2, 2 ( spring), pp 125-143 Anderson, E.W,Fornell, C, Lehmann, DR (1994) â€Å" Customer Satisfaction Market share and profitability: Findings from Sweden, Journal of Marketing, 58, 53-66 Bovee, C.l and Arens, W.F, (1992), Contemporary advertising, 4th ed,, Richard P,Irwin Inc,, Homewood,IL. Deborah F Spake, Mathew Joseph, R Zachary Finney. (2009). Journal of Medical Marketing â€Å"Consumer opinion and effectiveness of direct-to-consumer advertising† 21-28 Dr Charles H Patti 1997, University of Sheffield â€Å"Evaluating the role of advertising† 32-35 Fornell,. (1992). â€Å"A National Customer Satisfaction barometer: The Swedish Expereience.†Journal of Marketing, 56, 6-21 Julie A and Marian Chapman Burke (1987), â€Å"The power of feelings in understanding advertising effects,† Journal of Consumer Research, 14 (December), 412-433 Lavidge, Robert J. and Gary A. Steiner. 1961. A model for predictive measurements of advertising effectiveness. Journal of Marketing. 25(October), 59-62. Micheal.R Solomon (2009).Consumer behaviour, buying having and being, 8th edition, Pearson education, inc Naresh K Malhotra 2007 â€Å" A critical view of marketing research of diffusion of new products† 2nd edition Marketing research 92-107. Nikolaos K. Papavassiliou, (1989) The Involvement Model in Advertising Consumer Products Abroad, European Journal of Marketing, 23 ,1 Oliver,Richard L.1980 â€Å"A Cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences of Satisfaction Decisions.† Journal of Makreting research 17 (September):p 460-469 Phillip Nelson 1974, Journal of economy University of Chicago â€Å"Advertising as Information† 1 , 2-5 Puth, G, Mostert, P, Ewing, M (1999) Consumer perceptions of mentioned product attributes in magazine advertising. Journal of Product Brand Management, 8 , 61-72 Schiffman,L.G and LazarKanuk, L.(2004) Consumer Behaviour. 8th edition. New Jersy Pearson Education Inc, Upper Saddle RiverTitus Tse, David K, Petter, C. Wilton. (1998). Models of Consumer satisfaction: An Extension Journal of Marketing Research, 25 .204-212 UK telephone history (2010) British telephone history [online] available fromhttp://www.britishtelephones.com/histuk.htm [10th January 2013] Hutch staff blood Donation (2010) Hutch staff join save a life [online] available From http://www.ceylontoday.lk/22-19553-news-detail-hutch-staff-joins-save-a-life.htm [4th January 2013] International telecommunication union ITU, (2013) Facts and figure Sri Lanka mobile telecom [online] available From http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/newslog/default.aspx [6th January 2013] NBRI (2009) Customer Survey White paper: [online] available From http://www.nbrii.com/customer-surveys/Measure_Satisfaction.html [November 27th, 2012) Hutch Lose its Customer (2008) Lanka Business Online report [online] available From http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=728615133 [5th December2012] Piet Levy, (2009,),Advertising and Customer Satisfaction [Online] available From http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=5hid=12sid=3e223a11-3ffe-4951-b092-735c449be46%40sessionmgr11 [November 5th, 2012) Island Cricket 2005, Sangakkara Quits Hutch [online] available From http://www.islandcricket.lk/blogs/hilal/sangakkara-hutch-or-airtel [November 22th 2012) Figure 1, Fixed lines and mobile market Growth in Sri lanka [online] available from http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1160489410 [5th January 2013] Figure 2, Hutch Voice and Data coverage across Island , [Onlimne] Available from http://srilanka-promotions.com) http://srilanka-promotions.com/telecoms/hutch-sri-lanka-3g-coverage-map-23-may-2012-85/attachment/hutch-23-may-2012/ [2nd January 2013] Figure 3:, Hutch Advertising Claim about 3G Coverage [online] Available from http://www.hutch.lk/aboutus.htm[ 2nd January 2013] Tables * Table 1- * Number of Sri Lankan Mobile Subscribers in Millions

Mindfulness Based Meditation Essay -- Cultivating Mindfulness

This paper is about my experience with mindfulness based meditation and scientific inquiry of these experiences. Mindfulness based meditation is describes as technique used to cultivate nonreactive, non-judgmental and stable awareness of the present moment (Garland and Gaylord, 2009). The end goal is to sustain this meta-cognitive state for a long period of time. I practiced non-denominational form of mindfulness based meditation for the first time in my psychology class, which was devoted towards intellectual and experiential examination of meditation. The practice was conducted in a group it was instructed by our own professor and it begun at the end of class. There was one sessions per week and each session was structured meaning it was timed and the focus was on the out breath. I experienced numerous emotions, sensations and mental states while I practiced meditation. During my practice the focus was on the out breath and by doing so the idea was to have non-judgmental and non reactive awareness of emotions, thoughts and sensations that arise in my mind while I practiced meditation. Firstly, for me meditation served as a tool for self awakening, by ‘’awakening’’ I mean meditation made me realize the existence and dominance of mind wandering and ignorance. In a scientific study it was shown that mind wandering was the majority of the conscious experience (Hasenkamp et al., 2012). Before I practiced meditation I was unaware of the effects of mind wandering not only on performance towards certain task but also towards sustaining attention to the present moment. For example on my very first session of meditation I realized how I completely zoned out for the first few minutes until we took a break and that made me further realiz... ..., MA: Shambhala Publications. Ricard, M., & Chödzin, S. (2010). Why meditate?. Carlsbad, Calif.: Hay House, Inc.. Corey, G., & Corey, M. S. (2010). I never knew I had a choice: explorations in personal growth (9th ed., instructor's ed.). Australia: Brooks/Cole. P164 Craighead, W. E., Miklowitz, D. J., & Craig, L. W. (2013). Psychopathology(Second Edition ed.). New Jersey: Wiley. P200 Ricard, M., & Thuan, T.X. (2001). The quantum and the lotus: A journey to the frontiers where science and Buddhism meet. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press. [Chapter 1] Arch, J.J., & Craske, M.G. (2006). Mechanisms of mindfulness: Emotion regulation following a focused breathing induction. Behavior Research and Therapy, 44, 1849-1858. Filaber, D. (2013). Transform Your Life with Meditation:The Lives and Legacies of the Greatest Meditation Masters. Bloomington: AuthorHouse. P33

Al-Qaeda Training Manual

The US Department of Justice (US DOJ) has publicly disclosed the ‘Al-Qaeda Training Manual’ which was recovered from the house of arrested alleged terrorist Khalid Khaliq on July 2005 in Manchester, England.The training manual containing comprehensive chapters of lessons written in Islamic language has been translated in English; following US DOJ’s handling of a trial on the spate of terrorist attacks of the UK and the US vital installations (US DOJ, 2008).Accordingly, to cite, the training manual outlines four substantial topics, such as (1) Lesson 1: Principles of Military Organization, (2) Lesson 2: Necessary Qualifications and characteristics for the Organization’s Member, (3) Lesson 3: Counterfeit Currency and Forged Documents, and (4) Lesson 4: Organization Military Bases (US DOJ, 2008).In this paper, the position of a counterterrorism specialist will be discussed, relating the hypothetical questions on what implications for counterterrorism are conta ined in the training manual and what counterterrorism strategy can be developed in light of the manual.Implications for counterterrorismAs a point of view on the classification of the training manual as a â€Å"captured document†, counterterrorism specialist may critically consider two fundamental implications for counterterrorism, such as (1) revalidation of the captured document, and (2) operational review on counterterrorism strategies. This critical reconsideration underscores the â€Å"way of the systems† in assessing the counterterrorism campaigns in both military and civilian organizations.Revalidation of the captured document would exert extensive effort for key military units and the intelligence community to analyze the veracity of information contained in the training manual.The first scenario to implement the revalidation could be in the field personnel, like the CIA’s HumInt (human intelligence) clandestine operatives that verifies and classifies th e â€Å"substantive category† of such information. The second scenario could be the â€Å"analytical method†, examining the depth and breadth of the captured document in the aspect of strategic purpose and intent; referring to the psychological warfare (psywar) of the literature.The operational review on counterterrorism strategies could be in line with redefining and reformulating short and long term plans or tactics purposely â€Å"to counter† the operation plan or â€Å"OPLAN† that can be found in the training manual. Overall, the implication would take into effect the enactment of policy framework that deals with counterterrorism.Counterterrorism StrategyAs cited from the training manual, Al-Qaeda massively recruits individuals working in borders, seaports and airports, of which will carryout the mission to blast or destroy vital places, like public amusement centers, embassies, economic zones, communication and media establishments, and government an d military facilities to name a few (US DOJ, 2008).Given the above situation, the first employment of a counterterrorism strategy is to secure the possible, potential and vulnerable places for terrorist attacks. One aspect of security measures is through â€Å"personnel profiling† or the conduct of evaluating the profiles of working personnel and monitoring their activities. In which case, a security guideline must be decisively implemented in working areas.However, the counterterrorism strategy can be efficiently and effectively implemented without legal constraints by implementing the necessary, existing and applicable laws, regulations and state policies that are meant to safeguard the working places and promote lawful prevention against terrorism. Thus, mobilization of strategic counterterrorism campaigns can be implemented at the extent of public tolerance and compliance.On the other hand, it is a common knowledge that the US Naval facility in Guantanamo, Cuba has been u sed as a prison of arrested terrorists, in which the controversy of alleged inhuman treatment of prisoners has recently ordered by President Barrack Obama to â€Å"dispose of utilizing the facility as a torture den†.By mentioning this information, it owe to relate the situation that counterterrorism specialist or expert may rely on applying psychological and physical torture as a method to â€Å"extract information† or obtain it as a first-hand validation from detained terrorists, partly of the strategy in reaffirming the information which is also called by the intelligence community as â€Å"rendition†.

Mother and Parent

Daniel Pelayo Professor Nathifa Tomb English 1B 6 March 2013 The Ideal Parent: Brightening a Childs Future Parenting is a big part of every ones lives; it makes up who you are as a person and in many cases projects who you will be in the future. Some adults have trouble manipulating their children and teaching them what is right from wrong, while others have a much easier time doing so. In my opinion there is no such thing as â€Å"the perfect parent†, both the mother and the father have their flaws, but what matters is that the parent is always there for personal support.To me a good parent is someone who is always there to support there children in both good and bad terms, and a responsible adult that can supply for their kids necessities, not necessarily all the luxuries that they want. Another key point to being a good parent is to be a good leader, all kids look up to their parents and most of the time follow their parents footsteps and part of being a good leader is bein g a hard worker. A parent that is supportive, responsible, and a leader and hard worker all make up to be a great parent in my opinion.In the stories Scar by Amy Tan, My Fathers Hands by Daisy Hernandez, and the poems Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden, No Longer a Teenager by Gerald Locklin all tie up to the universal theme of good parenting. Even though some characters in the story struggle to be the perfect parent they desire to be, some are successful in doing so while others just cannot do their duty. Having support from a parent is a corner stone in a kids life growing up, without the support of their closest relative life can be a struggle growing up. In the poem No Longer a Teenager, Gerald Locklin narrates, literature and opera are full of characters who die for love: i stay alive for her. † (35-37) The father implies that unconditionally of the situation he will always be there to support and give love to his daughter. In this poem love and support is a big theme, showing the strong bond between the father and the daughter still after her teenage years gives a great amount of respect to the father. Supporting children from a very young age can definitely shape up the future of a young kid. On the other hand in the story Scar by Amy Tan, â€Å"I felt unlucky that she was my mother and unlucky that she had left us.These were the thoughts I had while hiding in the corner of my room where my father could not watch me† (292). An-mei the main character had no support from her mother growing up as she abandoned her own family and kids. The author Tan states this in a way that the child almost feels lonely, dull, and unhappy, which can be the outcome of no parental support. The different mindsets of the parents are well established, one parent has been there to support their kid since birth while the other one was there for a couple of years and then abandoned her child.This plays a big role in these kids mind because not having the support t hey need can be the difference between love and shame in a parent-child relationship. Next, responsibility is one thing most parents try to educate their kids about as they are growing up. Having a responsible parent can be the difference between having a good, comfortable childhood, and having a rough, complicated life growing up. In the poem â€Å"Those Winter Sundays† by Robert Hayden â€Å"Speaking indifferently to him. who had driven out the cold and polished my good shoes as well† (10-13) shows a great level of responsibility from the dad.Getting up early to do all the necessary for the child to have a nice easy morning makes his kid life much easier and happier. Taking responsibilities for their kids and their own personal lives can benefit both the parent and child in the long run. On the contrary in the story â€Å"My fathers Hands† by Daisy Hernandez, the child in the story has more of a complicated and rough childhood. â€Å"I’d get home and c hange from my catholic uniform to my McD’s one. If I worked enough hours, I made as much as my mother did at the factory†(412) states Hernandez. This quote illustrates the more complicated version of a very young teenage girl.The father is un-employed and the mother is making the same amount as her teenage daughter. This shows a lack of responsibility coming from both parents because at this age the parents should be concerned about the daughter going to school and both parents should have a job accounted for. The irresponsibility’s of the parents can affect a child from a young age, not only does it complicates the life of the kid, but the parents do a poor job of teaching a child the values of being responsible. One parent shows responsibilities for their kids while the other parent shows no remorse for her daughter.Finally, being a leader and a hard worker not only in your children’s lives but also in society is what makes a huge difference between a gr eat parent and a mediocre parent. Showing a child the values of leadership and hard work can make a kids future that much better. A parent that holds these two characteristics and is able to put them to use in society will not only be a great example for their kids, but a superb example of a great parent. In the poem â€Å"Those Winter Sundays†, Hayden illustrates the hard work and leadership this father puts in for the family to have a nice comfortable living. Sundays too my father got up early and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold, then with cracked hands that ached from labor in the weekday weather made banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him. † (1-5) This stanza shows the fathers hard work, he worries about the family and the kid and wants noting but the best for them. Hayden states that the father works and serves the family seven days a week, making him a superb father figure and even though the family members do not appreciate everything he does for th e family he is doing a good deed.Unlike the mother in â€Å"Scar† by Tan she was never much of a leader to her daughter or son. â€Å"Who is this ghost?†¦.. If you take your daughter, she will become like you. No face. Never able to lift up her head†(294). This line emphasizes the fact that the mother was never there as a parental figure, in a way she is a disgrace to her daughter because she never taught her the meanings of life and was never there to support her daughter and be a leader for her daughter.Tan states under the surface that it is better for her to leave her daughter behind because she did not race her and they both have different moral beliefs. She cannot be a leader to her daughter and from a child’s point of view not having a leader to follow and grow up with can make a child dread of unhappiness. One parent does the right thing to serve their family and be a leader and a hard working parent to teach their kids about life, while the other p arent was never really there to even talk to the child.In conclusion, having a parental figure guide a child through life by showing them key characteristics and the essence of life will benefit the child much more. The characteristics that a great parent should have is to support the children at all times, be a responsible adult, and be a leader and demonstrate hard workmanship so the kid can follow ones foot steps and continue thriving through life. No parent is perfect but most parents have what it takes to be a successful parental icon in their child’s life. What characteristics do you think a good parent carries?Works Cited Badillo, Jose, and Mrs. Fay Lee. â€Å"Scar. † : By Amy Tan. 1302 Composition and Rhetoric II, 24 Sept. 2009. Web. 06 Mar. 2013. Gerald Locklin. â€Å"The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor. † No Longer A Teenager by Gerald Locklin. The Writers Almanac, 18 July 2002. Web. 06 Mar. 2013. Hayden, Robert. â€Å"Those Winter Sundays. â⠂¬  – Poets. org. Academy Of American Poets, 23 May 1966. Web. 06 Mar. 2013. Hernandez, Daisy. â€Å"My Father's Hands A « Daisy Hernandez. † Daisy Hernandez. Daisy Hernandez, 13 July 2005. Web. 06 Mar. 2013.

Free Essays on The Bean Trees

Thriving With Support In order to succeed and have a happy, fulfilled life one needs something or someone to help support and encourage them to grow. In Barbara Kingsolver’s novel, The Bean Trees, she creates an implicit argument that a human being cannot thrive in isolation. Each character is strong in their own way but they still need someone by their side they can depend on and someone to depend on them. To thrive and prosper in life, one must have that added support to help find the true meaning of life and keep hope that there is something or someone to love and live for. Taylor Greer is on an adventure to find a new identity for herself. In her hometown, which is in Kentucky, she does everything she can to not get pregnant and be stuck in a farmer town like all the other high schools girls ended up being. â€Å"Believe me in those days the girls were dropping by the wayside like seeds off a poppy seed bun† (Kingsolver pg.3). Ironically though, on Taylor’s journey, she is given a small Indian child she eventually names Turtle. The two of them struggle together to find a new life in Arizona. Turtle was abandoned and looking for security; Taylor came to her rescue and was willing to raise this child as her own. Turtle who was abused, was a quiet and scared girl that clung to Taylor with all her strength. â€Å"The most amazing thing was the way that child held on. †¦it attached itself to me by its little hands like roots sucking on dry dirt† (Kingsolver 22). This gave Taylor even more reason to continue her journey to find a better life. These two people needed each other in a time that was vulnerable for the both of them. As the novel goes on Taylor and Turtle help each other grow into strong individuals. â€Å"I picked up Turtle and gave her a hug. That’s right, that’s a bean. And you’re just about the smartest kid alive† (Kingsolver 97). The ironic thing about Turtle’s first word being â€Å"b... Free Essays on The Bean Trees Free Essays on The Bean Trees Thriving With Support In order to succeed and have a happy, fulfilled life one needs something or someone to help support and encourage them to grow. In Barbara Kingsolver’s novel, The Bean Trees, she creates an implicit argument that a human being cannot thrive in isolation. Each character is strong in their own way but they still need someone by their side they can depend on and someone to depend on them. To thrive and prosper in life, one must have that added support to help find the true meaning of life and keep hope that there is something or someone to love and live for. Taylor Greer is on an adventure to find a new identity for herself. In her hometown, which is in Kentucky, she does everything she can to not get pregnant and be stuck in a farmer town like all the other high schools girls ended up being. â€Å"Believe me in those days the girls were dropping by the wayside like seeds off a poppy seed bun† (Kingsolver pg.3). Ironically though, on Taylor’s journey, she is given a small Indian child she eventually names Turtle. The two of them struggle together to find a new life in Arizona. Turtle was abandoned and looking for security; Taylor came to her rescue and was willing to raise this child as her own. Turtle who was abused, was a quiet and scared girl that clung to Taylor with all her strength. â€Å"The most amazing thing was the way that child held on. †¦it attached itself to me by its little hands like roots sucking on dry dirt† (Kingsolver 22). This gave Taylor even more reason to continue her journey to find a better life. These two people needed each other in a time that was vulnerable for the both of them. As the novel goes on Taylor and Turtle help each other grow into strong individuals. â€Å"I picked up Turtle and gave her a hug. That’s right, that’s a bean. And you’re just about the smartest kid alive† (Kingsolver 97). The ironic thing about Turtle’s first word being â€Å"b...

Emirates Airways Strategic Management

Emirates Airways Strategic Management Step One Getting Ready Organizational Profile Emirates Airways is currently the leading airline in the Middle East. This firm was started in 1985 by the Emirati government. There was a rising concern that some of the international planes that were plying the route were avoiding the route and this was causing a lot of inconveniences to the people of this country.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Emirates Airways Strategic Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The government of United Arab Emirates realized that the country needed to develop an airline that would take care of the interests of the country’s nationals. The government had embarked on development of the infrastructure of the country. The roads were well developed and the airports were also properly expanded (Freeman 92). Dubai was rising very fast as a business center. The government had heavily invested in building social amenities, besides the infrastructure, and therefore this city was attracting a good number of tourists on a yearly basis. As a result of this, the government wanted an airline that would be reliable to its tourists, and other people that would be travelling to this country. They wanted an airline that could be controlled by the state, and could meet the rising demands locally. This was the genesis of this airline company. The Emirates Airline has its headquarters in Dubai in Dubai International Airport. This firm operates in to four largest destinations across the world. The firm operates in more than 100 destinations in 74 countries. The company has managed to overcome the stiff competition that is in the current market. According to Desvaux (70), the airline industry is very competitive. This scholar notes that this competition has been rising in the past decade with the entry of new airlines into the industry. It becomes a big challenge for a firm to operate in such a competitive market if it lack s proper competitive strategies. This scholar notes that the aviation industry has been consistently on the rise in the past one decade. The emerging technologies have brought in a lot of changes in this industry, and firms are forced to adjust their operations in order to meet the market demands. The emerging trends in the aviation industry cannot be ignored. It would force a firm to embrace these changes in order to realize the benefits that this industry has to offer. This is what the management of Emirate Airline has been keen on. This firm has received enough financial support from the government to enable it manage the emerging trends in the aviation sector. Effective strategic planning has seen this firm become the largest airline in this region. According to Freeman (26), project management has changed from what it used to be in the past. Project management was considered as part of production about 50 years ago. By then, competition was low, and the main concern was to incr ease production of the firm. The market was readily available in the global world. However, this has systematically changed over the years.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Firms have come to realize that customers have various options to choose from when they want to make a purchase. Given such independence of the customers, firms have come to realize that they have to come up with strategies that would enable them attract customers. This has resulted in a scenario where every firm is struggling to come up with appealing strategies through which they can capture the attention of the customers. Issues that the planning process should address Planning process should address specific issues within an organization that would result in achieving the goals of a firm. The vision of a firm always stipulate what the firm plans to achieve. Strategic planning would help achi eve this vision within the desired timeline. One of the main issues that planning process should address is the emerging technologies. In the field of aviation, there are various emerging technologies that affect the industry very heavily. The emerging technologies are bringing new trends that have redefined marketing in this industry. For instance, most of the bookings in this industry are currently done online. Customers can easily do their bookings from their homes. Emirates Airline must ensure that it adopts this technology if it plans to increase its customer base. Planning should be done with the aim of ensuring that the process of implementing this technology within this firm is successful, and that it reflects the current trends in the market. Another issue that requires serious planning within this firm involves customers’ comfort when on board. Many of the major airlines like the British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have come up with strategies to ensure their custom ers are satisfied. This involves installation of television screens and music system on each seat. A customer can watch television on a seven inch screen fixed on the backseat of the seats. Other services like snacks and newspapers are also offered to increase customer satisfaction. This firm should develop a clear plan on how it would come up with a strategy that would help the firm come up with such services that would offer its customers superior satisfaction in the market. Information that must be collected to help make sound decisions Information is very important when making decision. In order to come up with a sound decision on what steps that should be taken to ensure that the strategic plan is successful, it would require the management to ensure that relevant information is gathered from all the relevant stakeholders. The days when decision would be made based on the information the top management had are long gone.Advertising We will write a custom report sample o n Emirates Airways Strategic Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the current society, it is important to ensure that all the stakeholders’ opinion, from the customers to employees, the government and the general public, are taken into consideration when making sound decision. From the customers, it is important to have information about their changing tastes and preferences in the market. Collecting this information will help make a sound decision when it comes to developing customer management strategies. Employees’ opinions should also be put into consideration when making decision because they are the ones involved in the day-to-day activities of the firm. Management should therefore collect this information when making decision. Information from the government, industry players and the general public is also important to take into consideration when making sound decision within the firm. Step Two Articulating Vi sion Mission The vision, mission and objectives of a firm are the basic elements of strategic management. Sadler (31) says that the main difference between a vision and a mission is that while the vision focuses on what the firm plans to achieve in future, mission statement is concerned with what the firm is doing now in order to achieve its objectives. The vision of a firm is always very important in charting the path to be taken by the firm. Emirates’ vision statement clearly demonstrates the far this firm sees in the competitive electronic market. The vision statement of Emirates is based on leadership and ambition. The vision is envisaged on coming up with ambitious projects and new ideas that would enable the firm offer its customer’s new products with maximum satisfaction always. As such, he should be above structures and systems, and not subordinate to them (Kline 28). This vision has seen this firm become very competitive. This has been its driving force in in novations and creativity. Based on this, the firm has ensured that it remains relevant in the market by introducing new products with advanced features. The mission statement of Emirates Airlines may not pass as a standard mission statement. This is because it is a list of products that this firm produces, its commitment to a green pollution free world, and what it does in ensuring that they remain competitive. However, by the close of this statement, there is another statement that explains its commitment to business travelers, various professionals, and general consumers in providing them with desirable products that are able to meet their desires. Step Three Assessing the Situation In strategic management project, there are always three important conditions that should be assessed in order to come up with a clear plan. The first is always the past incidents or activities that had an impact on the firm’s current position. The second is the firm’s current position th at would define its future.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lastly would be what the firm’s plans for its future based on the past and present situation of the firm. Assessing the situation is always important in determining the strategic position of a firm. The following SWOT analysis is important in helping assess the current situation of the firm. SWOT analysis is one of the important tools that are very popular in analyzing a company. It helps in analyzing firms based on the existing internal and external factors. SWOT analysis would be very valuable in analyzing Emirates Airline. In order to bring more understanding of the firm in this competitive market, a SWOT analysis would be appropriate. It would also help in understanding the strengths and weaknesses that the firm has. Strength of this firm that would translate to increased profitability is a positive image in the market due to its environmental friendly projects. The world is increasingly becoming sensitive of the impact of various business units on the environment. The co ncern is emanating from the fact that it has been confirmed beyond any reasonable doubt that various multinational companies are polluting the environment at a very dangerous rate Sadler (65). Various environmental conservation projects are expected to give this company a different image in the market. This company will be seen as a firm that is smarter in its environmental strategy. The market will be convinced that this company is not just interested in making profits, but also turning the society into a better place. The firm will easily attract additional customers who are determined to make a positive difference in their society. This is because they will view this firm as one that helps in conserving the environment. They will consider the purchase of the firm’s product as part of environmental conservation. As a result of this, the firm will develop a strong base of loyal customers. This firm may also take this advantage to reach out to the international markets. The p roject would give this company a moral right to claim that it is a champion of a clean environment in the entire world. The firm has a team of dedicated and qualified staff who are able to front all the interest of the firm both in the local and regional markets. Despite the above strengths, this firm has some weakness. The first weakness that this firm has is the financial challenge. The initiative of managing the environment is very challenging financially. It would cost this firm, large sum of money if it would sustain such projects over the years it expects to operate in this market Grundy (92). The members of this firm expect to work in collaboration with other firms in order to clean the environment. The team may not have the capacity to rid the environment of all the electronic wastes, unless it is supported by other agencies within the local society. The local government must be convinced to participate in such projects actively. Other environmental agencies would also be in vited to take part in the elimination of such wastes as plastic materials. The fact such the projects would involve partnership with other firms; success of the entire process may be jeopardized. Success would be pegged on how determined the other partners are in fulfilling their duties. The firm has a number of opportunities in the external environment. In the local market, this firm has managed to build a large base of loyal customers, especially in the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The Emirati government has strongly appreciated the move of this firm to help improve the environment of this country, a fact that has earned it a large base of customers. The Emirati government has maintained a very stable political environment. This means that the business environment is free from any political unrest that may disrupt normal business operations within the market. This has created a business environment that is very peaceful to various firms in the country. The firm also enjoys an ec onomic growth in this region that has increased the purchasing power of the consumers. This increased purchasing power has helped the firm to increase its operations to regions beyond its borders. The emerging technologies have also helped Emirates Airline in its operational strategies. The firm has adapted the emerging technologies in its operations, a fact that has helped it increase it efficiency. This firm faces a number of threats in its operations. Threats may not be predictable in this industry, though the firm may try to reduce the possibility of occurrence. The first threat that this firm faces is price wars in the market. The strategy of the firm to charge lesser prices for its products, especially to those consumers who have shown resolve to combat environmental degradation may not pass unnoticed by the local firms. There is a possibility that the competitors may consider this move as a strategy that this firm uses to charge cheap for their products. The impact of this is that the competitor may respond by equally lowering their prices in the market. Such price wars are always dangerous to the prosperity of a business. The initiative may fail to make any serious sense. However, this threat has been minimized by introducing other responsibilities for the project, and the invitation of the whole society to participate. Emirates Airline also faces the threat from the emerging technologies. The emerging technologies are beneficial to the firm. However, they can pose serious challenge to the firm if the firm fails to select the appropriate technology to apply. Applying a wrong technology may cause serious negative consequences to the firm. Late application of the emerging technologies may also render such a firm less competitive in the market. This firm has been forced to spend a lot of financial resources to sustain the force of emerging technologies. Step Four Developing Strategies, Goals, and Objectives Miller (56) says that it is important for a fir m to develop functional strategies that can help it achieve its vision within a competitive environment. Emirates Airline has adopted diversification and partnership strategies. It is important that a firm develops different lines of products that can cushion it in case one of the lines is experiencing a dry spell. Emirates Airlines stated out as a passenger carrier firm. However, as time went by, this firm realized the importance of diversification of its products. Taking research and development as one of the important aspects of the firm, Emirates Airlines has managed to develop new products to the market, extending its line of production. The firm currently has a series of products targeting various markets. Some of these products include different classes of the planes, the cargo plane and other currier services. This has enabled this firm to operate as a multi-business firm. This way, it is able to reap maximally from one line in case the other experiences a low season. In its early year, it entered into a joint partnership with Qantas to ensure diversification of its products. This resulted in huge profits, though this partnership is yet to get deep rooting. The following are some of the objectives of this firm. To be the leading airline in the entire region of Middle East and beyond. To increase its market share within this market. To diversify its products in order to bring in new market segments. Step Five Completing the Written Plan Strategic management of projects will only be considered as complete if there is a clear success after implementation. It is important to have a clearly written plan on how this can be achieved within a stipulated timeline. Having a written plan on how to undertake a given strategy within a firm is important. The management of Emirates Airline should have a clearly defined plan written in a way that is unambiguous. This written plan should stipulate all the activities that are to be carried out within the firm. Having a clearly written plan would not only be vital to the top management of the firm, but also lower cadre employees. The entire group of employees would base their actions on this written plan. It is through this that the plan can be executed based on the vision, mission and objectives of the firm. Desvaux, Martin. â€Å"A Synopsis Of Clive Ponting‘s: A Green History Of The World.† Optimum Population Trust Journal. Vol. 5-10. (October 2005 – April 2010): 45. Web. Freeman, Edward. Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print. Grundy, Tony. Strategic Project Management: Creating Organizational Breakthroughs. London: Thomson Learning, 2002. Print. Kline, John. Ethics for International Business: Decision-Making in a Global Political Economy. New York: Routledge, 2010. Print. Miller, Roger. The Strategic Management of Large Engineering Projects: Shaping Institutions, Risks, and Governance. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2 000. Print. Sadler, Philip. Strategic Management. London: Kogan Page Publishers, 2003. Print.Top of Form

Action Paper Research

Action Paper Research Action Paper Research Action Paper Research: Active Team-work! If you have got an assignment to write an action research paper, you should pay special attention to this task. The matter is that the action paper research is rather different from other kinds of the academic research. So, to cope with your task you should understand what exactly you should do. This article will help you make head or tail of what the action paper research should include and in what way it should be made. Action paper research What is this? The purpose of the action paper research becomes clear from the very definition of this kind of research. It is to find the appropriate solution of the problem in question by taking certain actions. That means that you should not just study some informational materials on the issue and make your conclusions but make different observations, conduct interviews or work out some questionnaires in order to get necessary data. This is one of the peculiar features of the action paper research that distinguishes it from other kinds of the academic research. Besides, another characteristic of the action paper research should be mentioned. It is the team work. You do not make your research by yourself but work in team. All your actions should be concerted in order to make the thorough research. What stages should the action paper research writing follow?Brainstorming. Think over the problem you would like to investigate. Planning. Plan your research. What actions will you take? Collecting of data. Collect the information necessary for your research. Analyzing of information. Study the problem relying on the obtained results. Making conclusions. Make your conclusions. Writing an action research paper from scratch After your action paper research is completed it should be presented properly. In what way should an action research paper be written? As a rule, it has the same constituent parts as any other research paper:Title page; Table of contents; Abstract; Introduction; Main body (that presents the methods of research, the details of the issue, the results of the study and the discussion); Conclusion; Reference list. As usual, an action research paper should be written in accordance with the APA format requirements. So, this is the main information about in what way the action paper research should be made and how it should be presented. If you face any difficulties, do not hesitate to contact us! We are always ready to help you!

Reconciling and harmonising cultural conflict Assignment

Reconciling and harmonising cultural conflict - Assignment Example When diverse individuals hailing from different cultures must work together in the organisation,conflict is virtually an inevitable outcome.Especially in the built environment,team functioning and inter-dependency is absolutely critical in meeting deadlines, identifying problem-solving solutions to a variety of business problemsThe problem with establishing a team environment in which organisational members are representative of dissimilar cultures is that there may be disagreements about how to approach such conceptions as risk adoption, what is considered to be effective and appropriate communication style and language and even individual perceptions of political relativism regarding how power should be appropriately distributed amongst team members. In the role of manager or leader, it is necessary to reconcile such differences and establish a more cohesive and harmonised team ideology to achieve strategic, financial, efficiency or productivity goals. Not all conflict, of course, occurs between team members, but can also occur as a result of leadership and subordinate interactions. There are those in the organisation that will value a more aggressive and decisive leader whilst others want a more sensitive and compassionate leader to direct their activities. If the leader is not aware of their absolute importance in creating an environment where individuals are motivated and committed to following the leader, it is likely no conflict management strategy is going to be successful over the long-term. Reconciling and harmonising conflicts created by disparate cultural characteristics cannot occur within a proverbial vacuum, but requires direct strategy development and interaction by the leader to be successful. This essay identifies the potential catalysts for culturally-related conflict within the organisational model, inclusive of national customs related to ethnicity, attitudes associated with societal differences inherent within individuals hailing from diff erent international regions, and communications styles that vary from individual to individual. The essay further examines the role of leadership in isolating these problems and developing effective strategies for productive conflict resolution. To achieve successful conflict resolution and re-establish cohesive team-working, evidence suggests the manager/leader must first identify the drivers of cultural characteristics, consider the psycho-social needs of different cultures, facilitate greater cross-cultural knowledge with diverse team members and also consider the role of internal organisational culture and individual management beliefs and values as a potential vehicle by which such cultural conflicts occur. Why cultural problems develop In the built environment, there are employees and managers that maintain specialised knowledge that is not understood by all members of the organisation. Considering a construction or engineering project as two relevant examples, there are those that maintain what is referred to as tacit knowledge, defined as the knowledge held by only an individual that is exceptionally difficult to transfer to others as it typically involves specialised understandings created through experience or through education (Lam 2000). Special projects in the organisation require that those with tacit knowledge be able to effectively transfer this knowledge to others in order to establish a collaborative and effective team environment. Complicating this process of attempting to make tacit knowledge explicit is that many tacit knowledge holders maintain unique cultural characteristics that oftentimes stand in the way of effective knowledge conveyance. People hailing from different culture decode communications differently, related to their inherent characteristics and personalities driven by their regional cultures which significantly

Letter to the Editor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Letter to the Editor - Essay Example The market price of crude oil would not be so high if the demand for it was not as high. The average home in the United States spends 6,000 kilo watts of electricity. Most of this electricity is currently been generated by petroleum. There are several constraints that are making it difficult for society to switch to renewable energy sources. One of the biggest obstacles is that there is an electricity grid infrastructure based on petroleum that is worth billions of dollars. Neither the federal, state, nor local governments are providing adequate incentives to foster the growth in alternative energy sources. The government has to be the number one supporter of the green movement for energy to become economically viable for home users. A lot of people are not willing to invest in a wind mill or solar panels because it is cheaper to acquire electricity from the utility companies. There are several solutions that can help remedy the situation, but it all stars through education. The gove rnment and private sector have to improve the public relations and advertisement to create awareness to the general public about the subject. The use of radio, television, and internet announcements must be used to ensure the greatest number of people receive the message. Internet advertising is a hot trend that has gained popularity in the marketing world. In 2012 the online advertising industry generated $89.4 billion worldwide (Plunkettresearchonline). Educating the general public about the subject will go a long toward gaining the support of the people. Two alternative renewable energies that households can utilize to get off the grid are solar and wind power energy. The government has to create incentive programs that provide a subsidy in the purchase of the technology. The subsidy has to be large enough to offset the lower cost of getting energy from the grid. The government has also provided a help hand to setting up setting up a larger fund to be use for research and develop ment in research to develop new renewable energy options. The private world also has to be involved in the movement towards been stopping the dependency in fossil fuels. Corporations have more financial resources than households which makes it easier form them to spend the necessary money to invest in solar and wind energy on a large scale. The private industry should also be eligible for government subsidies in order to lower the costs of acquiring the equipment. One of the benefits of installing solar panel systems is that the excess of production of the system can be sold to the electrical companies at market value. Renewable energy systems are a green product that people who are environmentally conscious will support. Society cannot continue to disregard the abusive usage of energy both in businesses and households. It has come a time for both the government and the private sector to make a commitment to stop the accelerated usage of fossil fuels as the raw material necessary to create energy. Petroleum is starting to because scarce. At the current rate of usage petroleum will be depleted within 40 years. The product useful life of petroleum can be increased by several decades if the government and private corporations work toward together towards finding a solution to the problem. Currently the two best technologies for creating electricity are solar and wind energy. Nuclear energy is also an opinion, but the capital needed to increate the infrastructure is a barrier of entry. An important industry that

Theoretical Position Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theoretical Position - Research Paper Example Hence, it has been considered important to discuss their perspectives individually so that the reader gets a better idea of the differences in their theoretical perspectives. Sigmund Freud Sigmund Fred was the Austrian psychiatrist, psychologist and neurologist and is regarded as the founder of psychoanalysis. Freud’s psychoanalysis theory beholds that there are some childhood experiences that an individual holds back into his unconscious mind without showing any disapproval to these experiences when he was a child. These experiences are coupled with his sexual individuality regarding one or both of his parents. Thus, his psychological functioning is predicted based on these experiences. The physician has to bring out these experiences or memories from the patient’s unconscious for the treatment. This was a new approach for psychoanalysis referred to as Freud’s couch (Matthis & Szecsody, 2009) in which the patient is made able to recollect his past experiences. F reud’s theory is thought to be more inclined towards the libido concept or the sexual identity of an individual. His theory of the unconscious mind states that the psychological functioning of an individual contains several layers in itself which are not just controlled by the conscious mind. The behavior is just as well controlled by what has been stored in the unconscious mind since early childhood. The goal of psychoanalysis, according to Freud, is to make the unconscious act like conscious. However, this theory has been criticized by other psychoanalysts. Carl Jung Carl Jung also studied analytical psychology and the role of unconscious on human behavior and coupled it with spirituality. He discussed the interpretation of dreams, art, mythology and religion in the context of psychoanalysis. He was of the view that human psychological functioning cannot be explained through simple logics. Although Freud and Carl worked upon the same context, that is, the unconscious mind b eyond the logical rules; however, some basic concepts of the Freudian theory regarding the legitimacy of psychoanalysis led to disagreements between the two. Jung divides his psyche theory into three portions: ego. Personal unconscious, and collective unconscious (Boeree, 2006).His personality theory describes the introversion and extroversion attitudes of humans and the four functions that control human psychology: feeling, thinking, sensation and intuition. A person behavior is controlled by two functions at a time when the other two can remain suppressed. Alfred Adler Alfred Adler is known as the neo-Freudian psychoanalyst and he also studied the unconscious part of the brain. Adler is known for his contribution more toward the development and research on psychotherapy, teacher training and counselling. Apart from looking into the basic concepts of personal psyche, he made efforts to make the fact be realized that mental illness can b e prevented by implementing social equality. He studied the effects that social relationships can have on the human behavior or psychological functioning. Thus, he makes a shift from the intra-psychic phenomenon and emphasizes more on the inter-psychic phenomenon. His approach is referred to as individual psychology which focuses on the individuality of a person rather than Freudian concept of behavior universality. He believed that the

MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES - Essay Example Expatriation of employees is very expensive due to higher salary requirements and added cost for air-fares, accommodation, allowances, and school fees. However, it is more costly if an expatriation project failed to meet the organizational goal. Since it is very costly on the part of the mother company to financially support the transfer of employees to a foreign country, a lot of HR managers are continuously searching for new ways on how they can cut down the high cost of expatriation by reducing the risk of expatriation failure. Q.2 Which three module topics do you intend to address within your answer to Assignment 2, and why have you chosen these? NB AT LEAST ONE TOPIC MUST BE FROM WEEK 6 OR LATER IN THE SCHEDULE. Aiming to determine how to lower down the cost of expatriation, topics that will be covered for assignment two includes: (1) selection considerations (i.e. financial costs, psychological costs, and ex-pat community); (2) importance of cross-cultural awareness; and (3) im portance of intercultural communication. Examining the list of selection considerations is one way to lower down the initial cost of expatriates. By learning more about the family background, educational attainment, and employee’s acceptance of work flexibility, HR management could narrow down the chances of expatriation failure. Cross-cultural awareness and the ability of expats to communicate with foreigners contribute to the success of expatriation. Therefore, these issues need to be explored in order to increase the chances of a successful expatriation. Q.3 Which academic journal articles will you examine, and why have you chosen these? To address the proposed research topic, journals that discuss the cost of expatriation including the importance of cross-cultural awareness and communication in foreign countries will be examined. Journals Reason for Journal Selection Anderson (2001) This article discussed the importance of the ability of the expatriates to adjust to the l ife and culture of a foreign country in order to increase the success rate of expatriate assignments. It also examined the difference between sending out male and female employees for expatriation assignments. Caligiuri (2000) To increase the success rate of expatriation selection process, the author examined the impact of employee’s personality on cross-cultural adjustment. Kraimer, Wayne and Jaworski (2001) Tackled the importance of top management support in increasing the success rate of expatriation projects. Toh and Denisi (2005) Identified factors that will increase expatriation’s success rate. Grainger and Nankervis (2001) Discussed new HR approaches for expatriation (i.e. flexible payments based on employees’ skills and competencies; recruitment and selection process; etc.) Harvey (1996) Talked about expatriation dilemma related to the implicit costs when an expat manager returns to domestic market, direct cost of training, relocation, and other compensa tion. It also discussed the importance of training, effective selection criteria and compensation programs, and the significance of employees’ spouses and children to the success rate of expatriation projects. Linehan and Walsh (2000) Discussed the importance of a sound family relationship with the work performance of employees. Sinangil and Ones (2003) Discussed the

Financial Statement Analysis and Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial Statement Analysis and Report - Essay Example Although the sales of Grand Company increased from BD7450 in year 5 to BD10660, there was a subsequent increase in the purchases and cost of sales leading to a fall in the gross profit margin. The operating profit margin also fell from 10% in year 5 to 5% in year 6. Grand Company earned a better gross profit of BD3500 in year 6 as compared to the gross profit of BD2915 in year 5. However, this was not sufficient in improving the operating margin of Grand Company as expenses increased drastically from year 5 to year 6. This drastic increase was due to the addition of interest expense on the bank loan taken by Grand Company to inject more funds into the business. Return on capital employed is a measure of assessing how much return a company is generating on the capital that is employed in the business. Grand Company took a bank loan in year 6 and hence had more capital as compared to year 5. However, the additional capital was not used efficiently and this is why the return on capital fell drastically from 12% in year 5 to 6% in year 6. Overall, the profitability of Grand Company deteriorated from the year 5 to the year 6. Grand Company should take measures to increase their revenue and reduce their costs in order to stay profitable and sustain their existence in the business. The liquidity of Grand Company remained stable from the year 5 to year 6. There was not much fluctuation in the current and acid test ratio. The efficiency of Grand Company improved in year 6. The cash conversion cycle improved indicating that Grand Company’s ability to earn cash improved in year 6. Grand Company took a bank loan to inject liquidity into the business which lead to the interest coverage ratio in the year 6. The EPS of Grand Company fell drastically from year 5 to year 6 due to the fall in the net income in year 6. Users of Financial Statements: Objective of Financial Statements is to produce information that is as useful as possible for many different types of users o f financial statements. Users of financial statements include: Investors: a potential investor uses the financial statements to find out if the investment is suitable or not in the prospective company. Analysts: An analyst uses the financial statements and recommends. Shareholders: Shareholders Regulatory authorities: Tax authorities may use financial statements of company to find out if the taxes are calculated in an appropriate manner. Financial institutions: banks and other lending companies assess the financial statements of a company before giving out loans to assess whether the company will be able to honor its obligations Trade Creditors: Trade creditors and vendors who supply goods on credit also use financial statements to assess the ability of a company to repay its short term debts. Owners and managers: they use the financial decision to make important strategic decisions that help the company to grow and

MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES - Essay Example Expatriation of employees is very expensive due to higher salary requirements and added cost for air-fares, accommodation, allowances, and school fees. However, it is more costly if an expatriation project failed to meet the organizational goal. Since it is very costly on the part of the mother company to financially support the transfer of employees to a foreign country, a lot of HR managers are continuously searching for new ways on how they can cut down the high cost of expatriation by reducing the risk of expatriation failure. Q.2 Which three module topics do you intend to address within your answer to Assignment 2, and why have you chosen these? NB AT LEAST ONE TOPIC MUST BE FROM WEEK 6 OR LATER IN THE SCHEDULE. Aiming to determine how to lower down the cost of expatriation, topics that will be covered for assignment two includes: (1) selection considerations (i.e. financial costs, psychological costs, and ex-pat community); (2) importance of cross-cultural awareness; and (3) im portance of intercultural communication. Examining the list of selection considerations is one way to lower down the initial cost of expatriates. By learning more about the family background, educational attainment, and employee’s acceptance of work flexibility, HR management could narrow down the chances of expatriation failure. Cross-cultural awareness and the ability of expats to communicate with foreigners contribute to the success of expatriation. Therefore, these issues need to be explored in order to increase the chances of a successful expatriation. Q.3 Which academic journal articles will you examine, and why have you chosen these? To address the proposed research topic, journals that discuss the cost of expatriation including the importance of cross-cultural awareness and communication in foreign countries will be examined. Journals Reason for Journal Selection Anderson (2001) This article discussed the importance of the ability of the expatriates to adjust to the l ife and culture of a foreign country in order to increase the success rate of expatriate assignments. It also examined the difference between sending out male and female employees for expatriation assignments. Caligiuri (2000) To increase the success rate of expatriation selection process, the author examined the impact of employee’s personality on cross-cultural adjustment. Kraimer, Wayne and Jaworski (2001) Tackled the importance of top management support in increasing the success rate of expatriation projects. Toh and Denisi (2005) Identified factors that will increase expatriation’s success rate. Grainger and Nankervis (2001) Discussed new HR approaches for expatriation (i.e. flexible payments based on employees’ skills and competencies; recruitment and selection process; etc.) Harvey (1996) Talked about expatriation dilemma related to the implicit costs when an expat manager returns to domestic market, direct cost of training, relocation, and other compensa tion. It also discussed the importance of training, effective selection criteria and compensation programs, and the significance of employees’ spouses and children to the success rate of expatriation projects. Linehan and Walsh (2000) Discussed the importance of a sound family relationship with the work performance of employees. Sinangil and Ones (2003) Discussed the

Cloud Computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cloud Computing - Essay Example Although this technology has many advantages to a global society, it has a number of risks that make it disadvantageous in its application. The development of the cloud computing technology spans a long historical period that has seen it the common phrase today in the in information technology today. In the 1950s the mainframe computer technology had many drawbacks that necessitated the need of sharing resources within computer networks in public institutions. During this time, the mainframe computers were slow and expensive and it was virtually impossible to provide each person with a mainframe computer. Consequently, the need for sharing information arose in public institutions where the number of computers were much less than the number of clients. To achieve this, the static terminals, which were used for communicating but had no processors, were invented to ensure that the CPU clock speed and the resources within the mainframe memory could be shared among various clients. Betwee n the year 1960 and 1990, cloud computing became more common as scientists suggested that it was possible to connect the whole world through the use a few data centers and numb terminals located from all over the world (Furht, and Armando 10). At this stage, this technology was foreseen as an invention that would globalize the world and connect all human beings within a cohesive network. The period between 1990 and 2000 has been a period of rapid transition of cloud computing technology. Telecommunication service providers adopted the virtual private network (VPN) in which their clients could access networks remotely. Also, this was the time when the cloud computing symbol was used by service providers to mark a separation between the core network and the client side of the network. After the proliferation of the internet technology, the internet formed common network where information could be shared and distributed within virtual computer systems. In 2000, companies such as the Am azon modernized their data centers and provided high capacity networks where information could be accessed by many clients in their online presence. Today, this technology has been adopted within the business systems to synchronize global business operations and form high capacity networks that can provide data to all clients in the world (Furht, and Armando 15). Cloud distributors have become popular as they adopt hardware Virtualization and utility computing that have become the drivers of the cloud computing technology. The cloud computing architecture is divided into two ends that separate the storage and the access sides. Strickland (2) regards the two sides of the cloud computing architecture as the front end and the back end. The front end side is constituted by the client’s computer network and the associated applications that facilitate access of the networks. Mozilla Firefox and the internet explorer are just some of the applications that are commonly used by client s to access the internet on the front end. On the other hand, the back end side constitutes the computers, servers and the autonomous data storage systems that allow the formation of a cloud that can be accessed from the front end. The internet forms a link between the front end and the back end as it forms the channel of communication between the clients and storage servers.

Hamlet’s Values Prevail Essay Example for Free

Hamlet’s Values Prevail Essay Mark Twain once stated, â€Å"It is curious curious that physical courage should be so common in the world, and moral courage so rare.† The zealous struggles between internal and external gratification and somatic and ethical honour have incontrovertibly led to man’s continual battle for integrity – pride versus ethics. Religious teachings impart that one show respect to all and utilize the power of oration to convey ideologies; yet religious crusades have instigated the bloodiest and most deadly battles in human history. Man’s universal and timeless question asks whether it is ethical to defend one’s honour through brutality or if the use of language and moral lessons are sufficient to deliver the message. Analogously, William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet bequeaths enlightenment to its audience of the universal beauties and faults of mankind on the comprehensive debate of integrity. The tragic hero, Prince Hamlet of Denmark, vies to comprehend his uncomfortably altered environment, while he relentlessly endeavors to seek morality, logic, and reason in a world where corruption and greed autonomously dictate action. His mother’s precipitous remarriage, the tormenting death of his father, and the forsakenness Hamlet feels from those he held close lead him to render epiphanic cognizance. Shakespeare’s use of soliloquys bestows unto the audience a voyeuristic view into Hamlet’s personal meditations, highlighting Hamlet’s introspective state. Though his vulnerability and pathos at times render him ineffectual and indecisive, it is purely reflective of his humanity and that is what entices him to the audience. Hamlet is in an internal battle with the imperfections of the world around him. In the hypocritical nation of Denmark, Hamlet is thrust into witnessing indecencies, both externally and in his own home; thus Hamlet’s lack of action is conjured not by feebleness of character. It is the moral contradictions and duplicity in the world before him that hinder his actions; he operates therefore with ethics, prudence, and wisdom. Heroic valor sets Hamlet apart from the supplementary nobility in Denmark. After the enigmatic death of the erstwhile King Hamlet Senior, goes unquestioned, Hamlet’s morals compel him to seek answers. Before Hamlet can pursue the truth he must however come to terms with his mother Gertrude’s remarriage to his father’s brother, Claudius. Disappointment in his mother and grief for his father, lead Hamlet to his first soliloquy, wherein he describes the consequences of suicide and his mother’s immorality. Even in his melancholia Hamlet understand the magnitudes of â€Å"self-slaughter,† as â€Å"the Everl asting [has] fixed / his canon ‘gainst† it (1.2.135-136). His ability to look past the superficial transient benefits of iniquitous actions helps Hamlet to stay firm in his beliefs throughout his journey. Though dismayed as to how â€Å"rotten in the state of Denmark† it is, Hamlet expresses his emotions by reacting to his surroundings in a gallant manner (1.4.90). Upon meeting the ghost of the late King, Hamlet is incensed by the horrific crime his â€Å"uncle-father† has committed (2.2.399). However, Hamlet does not immediately take the words of the ghost as factual; in his second soliloquy he concludes â€Å"the spirit that [he has] seen / may be a devil† and that he cannot trust him without evidence (2.2.627-628). Hamlet decides â€Å"the play’s the thing / wherein [he will] catch the conscience of the king† (2.2.633-634). Hamlet realizes the depravity of slaughtering a man based on the conjecture that he is a murderer. He refuses to place such marginal worth on an individual life as to take it without knowing the truth. In the most famous soliloquy of all the Shakespearean plays, Hamlet debates the value of life and the consequences of death; Hamlet asks â€Å"to be or not to be† (3.1.64). Realizing that death is a misleading and temporary fix, as one knows not of what lies hereafter – possibilities of eternal suffering from â€Å"the pangs of despised love† and life’s unanswered questions – Hamlet concludes â€Å"conscience does make cowards of us all† and with over analysis action is lost (3.1.74-96). Though the ghost’s words attest to be true as the players reenact the murder of the late King Hamlet in The Mousetrap, Hamlet waits to execute his plan. Morality often stifles one’s acceptance and trust in others. As his family has forsaken him, his childhood friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern comply with the will of the king to remove him, and those living within the walls of Elsinore Castle perceive him to be insane, Hamlet has but one true confidant – Horatio. Hamlet’s most enlightening epiphanic moment comes as he prepares for the match against Laertes; he finally untangles the webs of deceit which have been clouding his moral judgment. He responds to Horatio’s worry for the battle’s conclusion by telling him, â€Å"not a whit, we defy augury † he further explains, man does not control fate; if it is meant to happen, it will (5.2.231-238). Hamlet has hitherto looked at life like a slow moving game of chess, evaluating each move he makes by weighing the consequences of the subsequent moves; he now understands he must leave his fate in the hands of providence. Hamlet’s dawdling journey comes to a rapid close in the final act of the play. During the match against Laertes Hamlet is made witness first hand to his â€Å"uncle-father’s† crimes; Claudius accidentally murders both Gertrude, with the wine he had poisoned for Hamlet, and Laertes, by the poisoned sword intended for Hamlet. Hamlet no longer stands idly by whilst the injustices of Claudius tear his country down. Though he too is poisoned by Laertes’ blade, Hamlet fights for the justice of Denmark and slays Claudius once and for all. The tragic resolution leaves a bloodstained Denmark distraught and uncertain, yet the heroic legacy of Hamlet’s valor and morality live on. Horatio recounts Hamlet’s tragic tale as Fortinbras of Norway captures Denmark. Hamlet is buried â€Å"like a soldier to a stage, / for he was likely, had he been put on, / to have proved the most royal† (5.2.442-444). Though Hamlet never wishes to be king, his pure humanity and strong morals prove to manifest his capabilities, even after death. It is integral for any actor playing the role of Hamlet to be well versed in the characteristics of his Hamlet predecessors, and to embrace their qualities while learning from their frailties. Whether on stage or on film, Hamlet is one of the most challenging roles for any actor to play. Two contemporary silver screen adaptations of Hamlet by Kenneth Branagh and Franco Zeffirelli portray the young Prince as a grieving individual vying to keep his virtue as corruption ensues. Branagh presents Hamlet’s famous â€Å"To be or not to be† soliloquy as the cinematic essence of the unraveling of Hamlet’s layers. Hamlet questions the meaning of right and wrong, while searching for his own purpose within the mirrors. Unfortunately for Hamlet, the mirrors neither hold truths nor divulge answers, thus he is left feeling a forsaken sense of betrayal. Branagh’s acting and directing are impressive in this scene, his emotions depict Hamlet’s internal conflict; he attempts to keep hold of his morals in a world void of any such ethics. Zeffirelli’s interpretation of Hamlet’s renowned â€Å"To be or not to be† soliloquy captures a darke r side the tragic hero. Though Mel Gibson’s superb acting highlights Hamlet’s emotional conflict of where he morally stands, the distrait directorial choice to locate the scene in the family crypt conveys too nefarious a mood and is confusing to the audience. Zeffirelli’s redemption comes in a glorious form his interpretation of Hamlet and Horatio’s conversation in the play’s final act. Zeffirelli shows an excellent understanding of the play’s overall purpose. He depicts Hamlet’s epiphany as a monologue rather than the end of a discourse between friends. By omitting Horatio from the latter portion of this scene, the audience is able to see Hamlet’s shift in perspective develop on its own. Hamlet overlooks the ocean and its horizon as he decides let his fate rest in the ebb and flow of life. Contradictorily, Branagh, using Shakespeare’s original context, does not enhance the viewer’s perception of Hamlet’s conflict. Rather Branagh chooses to show the intimate relationship between Hamlet and Horatio. Kenneth Branagh’s brand of symbolism in â€Å"Hamlet† delves into the true meaning beneath the pages of Shakespeare’s written word. He surpasses the usual film adaptations of a drama, which fail to provoke the imagination. He probes the audience with strong symbolism forcing thought, questioning, and imagination beyond the physical. Franco Zeffirelli, dissimilarity attempts to engage the viewer by shortening the scenes and speeches apropos to the common Hollywood adaptation. While the pace may be more exciting, it loses in cinematic depth. A great production of Hamlet incorporates the strife between the external forces pulling man from his values and learned morals. Hamlet should be portrayed by his struggle to protect his humanity while those he cares for try to strip the essence of morality from him. As Hamlet traverses grief, the actor should have the emotional depth to connect with the viewer, and versatility to surpass the realm of pure poignancy to enter profundity. Hamlet’s instructions to the players should be heeded by any director â€Å"let your own / discretion be your tutor. Suit the action to the / word, the word to the action, with the special / observance, that you overstep not the modesty of / nature† (3.2.17-21). Plays should convey a universal struggle of man and act as a window to the natural world, where the audience members are permitted to view the intimacies of a society contrasting their own – to this rule, Hamlet is no exception. Works Cited Hamlet. Dir. Franco Zeffirelli. Perf. Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, and Alan Bates. DVD. Hamlet. Dir. Kenneth Branaugh. Perf. Kenneth Branaugh, Julie Christie, and Derek Jacobi. DVD. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat. Simon Schuster, 2003. Print.

Effects of Harmonization of Railway Infrastructure

Effects of Harmonization of Railway Infrastructure Abstract Historically, rail transport systems in Europe have been running as per national standards through the monopolistic and vertically integrated state owned operators. Most of the railway network in Europe is designed for different technical and operational standards of the member states, which makes it impossible or expensive for rail transport across borders. With a vision of achieving a single European railway network, in 1991, the European commission adopted a policy of revitalizing the railway sector to harmonize the technical and operational standards across the member states. This policy promotes a single set of Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSIs)todefine common railway system architectureanda common approach to railway safety management. The long-term objective of such a policy is to open up the rail passenger and freight market for competition and promote the rail transport as sustainable means of transportation. The future of the rail supply industry in Europe is linked to the creation of sustainable transport system, which can only be achieved by increasing the competition in the industry to provide cost effective solutions. Harmonization of the railway networks in Europe will be one of the important driving forces in shaping the rail supply industry in Europe. This paper analyses the current structure of the German rail supply industry and how the industry may evolve given the current drive for interoperability through harmonization of standards and technologies. The policies of interoperability were conceived during the early 90s, but the impact of such policies are yet to be seen due to the lack of co-ordination between the manufactures, the regulatory mechanism, insufficient funding and the political will. Though the rail supply industry of Europe is in favour of achieving the common technical standards, the resulting market dynamics due to the common European market remains unanswered. 1. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effects of harmonization of railway infrastructure in Europe on the rail supply industry in Europe with focus on Germany. Various directives and regulations of European commission have set off a series of dramatic changes in the European railway sector. The liberalization process has seen unbundling of the vertically integrated state owned operators. The directive of interoperability is enforcing the member states to transition from the existing signalling systems to common rail traffic management systems across Europe. Besides the control systems, there is significant thrust by the European commission to harmonize the technical and operational standards of the other components of the railway infrastructure like the tracks, electrification, power supply substations etc. These would render common product characteristics across the infrastructure segments with some exceptions in the stations and tunnel construction as the nature of these requ irements varies depending on the local needs and resource restrictions and also these components doesnt contribute to the desired interoperability. Thus the harmonization process would increase the size of the accessible market for companies in rail supply industry. Hence harmonization is bound to have a significant effect on how the industry is structured and the competition within the industry. The German railway infrastructure is the key component of the entire railway transport industry, where in the state owned operator and Logistics Company, Deutsche Bahn AG owns the entire infrastructure. Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) has a monopoly on the upstream of the value chain of German railway industry and at the same time DB exists as a monopsony at the downstream of the value chain. Thus, DB is a single buyer of the infrastructure services and products with very high bargaining power over their suppliers. The processes of harmonization and liberalization in the European railway sector have been shaping the complete value chain of industry. The increasing competition among the railway operator has brought in many benefits to the consumers and also to all other stakeholders involved in the industry. The German rail supply industry is highly fragmented with small to large companies involved in different segments of infrastructure services. The Fragmented nature of the industry has given rise to aggressive competition in the industry with many large players trying to claim their stakes in the market. The presence of only a single buyer, Deutsche Bahn, has defined the competition as price oriented, with many infrastructure companies trying to innovate on the technology and process to provide the infrastructure as per the national standards and at lower costs. This paper will discuss the benefits of the standardization in the industry and would also discuss how the rail supply industry in Germany may restructure to the changing market dynamics once the single European market is in place for the railway sector. Chapter 2 of this paper presents entire value chain of the German railway transport industry. This will be followed by the description of the key stake holders of the industry and the interaction mechanism between them. Further the analysis will focus on the railway infrastructure part of the value chain. The analysis in this section will try to evaluate the forces that drive the industry and the bargaining power of the decision makers. Chapter 3 of the document discusses process of harmonization through the EU directives of interoperability and safety. The analysis here will try to explain the various regulation, time frames and governing bodies involved in the process. The discussion will also highlight the progress of harmonization and the issues and obstacles to achieving the desired targets of interoperability. Chapter 4 will discuss the benefits of harmonization to the industry and chart out the current strategic environment of the German rail supply industry. This section will include a note on the key causal factors and actors influencing harmonization and will develop and discuss few scenarios as to how the industry may evolve post harmonization of the railway infrastructure in Europe in general and Germany in particular. The analysis in this section will draw inferences from the views of some opinion leaders and academics who are involved with the industry. Finally the conclusions of the study will be presented in the chapter 5 which will summarize the findings and hypothesis of chapters 3 and 4 respectively. The conclusion will highlight the limitations of this research paper and will also suggest further research options concerning the rail supply industry. 2. The Value chain of German Railway Industry 2.1. Over view of value chain The German railway industry is composed of various players along the value chain. A brief overview of the Railway industry value chain is as shown the figure1. The first link in the value chain of German railway industry is the infrastructure construction, which includes the building and maintaining various infrastructure components that support the railway network. The infrastructure components can be track, electrification, power supply substation, electro mechanical works, signalling and command control, railway stations, maintenance and upgrade of tracks and public announcement, displays, ticketing devices etc. Many private companies as well as the subsidiaries of DB are active in this part of the value chain. The second component of the value chain is the infrastructure management, which is driven by many stake holders, but is controlled mainly by DB Netze, which owns the complete mainline and high speed railway network in Germany. The infrastructure for the urban transport is usually owned by the urban transport operators. The governing bodies like Federal Railway Authority of Germany and the Public Transport Authorities of the various states are the key decision makers for infrastructure management. The most important component of the value chain is the network operation and logistics. This segment of the industry caters to the rail transport market, by providing services to the end customers. The main players in this segment are the Deutsche Bahn, which is a monopoly with around 85% of market share in Germany. The liberalization process has led to the advent of few private operators, who lease the infrastructure from the DB Netze. The urban transport operators are active players in the metro/ tram segment of the railway transport market. The last link of the value chain includes the end customers, which is constituted of both the passenger and freight transport market. Customers are the central focus for the various reforms in the industry as the growth is dependent on the ability of the industry to provide the transport services at affordable prices in comparison with other alternatives like road and air transport. The details of different segments of the rail transport market and the related statistics are provided in Appendix 1. As seen from the figure 1, the intensity of the competition increases as we move up the value chain from the network operators to the infrastructure suppliers. The process of liberalization has induced competition amongst the operators, but the very high sunk costs involved, have erected a strong barrier for new entrants. Further up the value chain, there are many players involved in infrastructure management and infrastructure construction due to the attractive market size. Though the liberalization process has contributed to the opening up of this market, historically many small and big players are involved in this part of the value chain leading to an increased competition. 2.2. Key players of German railway infrastructure management To understand the rail infrastructure industry in Germany, It is essential to understand the various stakeholders in the industry and their contribution and importance in driving the market dynamics. Figure 2 is a schematic of the industry structure with a focus on infrastructure management. 2.2.1. European Commission European Commission is a governing body which is one of the important demand drivers for the infrastructure market. The federal and local governments of the member states in the European Union are obligated to adhere to the regulations and policies devised by European Commission. European commission reviews and responds to the transportation needs of the member states of EU, which has the construction of modern, safe and integrated railway network in Europe as priority to fuel the growth of intra and international trade among the EU members. Hence, the reformatory regulations and their periodic reviews lie within the gamut of European commissions functions. European Commission has set up the European Railway Agency (ERA) to oversee the creation of integrated European railway network by enforcing and implementing safety and interoperability through standardizations and harmonization. ERA works as a coordinating body between the railway sector companies, national authorities, European Commission and other concerned parties. ERAs main task is to develop common technical standards and approaches for the European railway systems and infrastructure. ERA is also the system authority for the implementation of the European Rail Traffic Management Systems (ERTMS) project. Source: Adapted from the article separation of operators from infrastructure 2.2.2. Governments The German government oversees the overall transport sector through the Federal ministry for Transport, Building and Urban affairs. The Federal Railway Authority (Eisenbahn Bundesamt: EBA) is the supervisory authority for 30 railroad traffic operators and for 5 infrastructure companies mainly for the Deutsche Bahn AG. The functions of EBA include issuing licenses for infrastructure companies, providing investments and funding for infrastructure projects, making railroad access discrimination free, facilitates innovation within the accepted safety standards, ensures value creation for customers and also checks for unfair competitive practices. The supervisory authority of the urban transport lies with the 31 Public Transport Authorities (PTA) in the different federal states of Germany. The duties of the PTA are similar to those of EBA, but within the context of urban transport. PTAs work in conjunction with EBA for the infrastructure planning and funding activities at the local level. The political decision makers own the responsibility to define the legislative framework to fully integrate the European railways, in terms of enhanced market access, interoperability and safety rules. A sound legislative framework that works in tandem with the EU commission is expected to accelerate the harmonization process. 2.2.3. Network Operators/ Owners In Germany most of the mainline and regional rail networks infrastructure are owned and operated by the DB Netze AG , DB Regio Netz Infrastruktur GmbH, DB Station Service AG, DB Railionand the DB reise und touristik , who are all directly owned by the Federal Government. The DB Netze AG is responsible for track installations, coordination of network usage time tables and pricing. The DB Station Service AG operates, maintains and develops the passenger stations and also ensures the provision of services to travellers and railway undertakings. The DB Regio Netz Infrastruktur GmbH is responsible for local and regional traffic operation and infrastructure management. DB Railion is responsible for operation of freight traffic and DB Reise und touristik is responsible for long distance traffic operation. Besides these many new private traffic operators like Veolia Transportation, TX logistics, AKN Eisenbahn AG, Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn GmbH, S-Bahn Hamburg GmbH, etc have entered the German railway market. Railway operators are responsible for improving the quality of services in terms of information accessibility, customer comfort, reservation and ticketing, network accessibility, availability of services, punctuality and reliability. The infrastructure managers or the network owners are responsible for optimising the capacity utilization of the available network infrastructure; ensure fair and non discriminatory access to network for all railway undertakings and also to ensure operational efficiency and safety. 2.2.4. Infrastructure providers Infrastructure providers are the companies that supply the railway transport industry with various infrastructure services like the rolling stock, track, electrification, maintenance etc. The infrastructure providers can also be termed as rail supply industry focused on the infrastructure development as per the standards and regulations set by the other stakeholders listed above. The rail supply industry is responsible for organising themselves to provide the ready to use equipment and infrastructure needed by the railway undertakings and infrastructure managers. The research and development of new products to promote the process of harmonization depends on the capabilities of rail supply industry. 2.2.5. Associations and Organizations Many organizations and agencies of the railway industry in Europe work closely with the EU and the national governments of the member states to support and promote the rail transport by setting technical standards and promoting fair competitive practices in the industry. Some of the important associations and agencies that are relevant to the rail supply industry are UNIFE, ERRAC, UITP, UIC, CER, EFRTC etc. Details of these associations are provided in the Appendix 2. 2.3. Overview of German rail supply market Worldwide, total rail supply market volume exceeds â‚ ¬ 120 bn. Of which, the size of the rail supply market in Germany is estimated to be around â‚ ¬ 6.3 bn. Based on the railway network type and usage characteristics, the rail supply markets can be further classified as High speed and very high-speed lines, conventional and regional rail lines and the urban rail transport networks. While Deutsche Bahn is the single customer in the high speed and very high speed lines and the conventional and regional lines segments, the different public transport authorities are the customers in the urban rail infrastructure market. High speed and very high-speed lines: These are usually the rail networks that spans across the borders to enable faster connectivity across Europe. The high speed lines between the important cities within the country also fall into this category, as they have the future potential to be integrated with cross border traffic. In Germany, this segment is currently small in size and is expected to grow especially due to the increasing need of cross border traffic. Conventional and regional lines: These are usually referred to as main lines and consist of the rail networks that connect the different regions with in a country. So, the entire regional rail transport networks that support the intra train transport with in a country and the freight transport networks can be grouped into this category. Currently this segment is built and operated as per the national standards set by the Federal railway authority and the volume of this network is very huge and is highly heterogeneous and is also operationally underutilised. Urban rail networks: This market segment consists of metros and the commuter/sub urban rail networks which support the public transport with in a city. The product requirements within this segment can vary depending on the local geographical characteristics and funds availability. This segment is mostly independent of and incompatible with the other segments and so provides many avenues of differentiation for the companies that are active in this segment. As of now there are no regulations enforcing harmonization of these networks. 2.4. Structure of rail supply industry in Germany The rail supply industry in Germany is classified into four segments namely; Rolling stock, Infrastructure, Signalling and control system and services. Figure 3 represents a schematic of the different segments of the German rail supply industry. Rolling stock: The products in this segment are characterized by all the vehicles that run on the railways like locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons. Due to the high capital investments, this segment usually consists of large companies like Bombardier, Siemens and Alstom. Infrastructure: This segment is characterized by the infrastructure components like tracks, electrification and stations. Many companies with diversified products serve in one or more of the components of this segment. Signalling and control systems: The infrastructure components like the track side signal installations, on board control equipment, control stations etc are grouped as signalling and control systems. Services: This segment includes the service and maintenance for all the other segments. This segment also comprises the project management and turnkey solutions. In Germany most of the maintenance and project management is carried out by the subsidiaries of Deutsche Bahn. 2.5. Segmentation of the German rail supply market Putting the rail supply market and the rail supply industry segmentation together will provide a complete segmentation matrix, which will help in the better understanding and analysis of the market. The segmentation matrix is provided in figure 4. Figure 4: German rail supply Market Segmentation matrix In the above matrix, the shaded regions indicate an overlap of product and service similarities in the different infrastructure components and the market segments of the railway industry. 3. Harmonization For a successful, larger and integrated Europe, the availability of efficient transport systems is essential for supporting sustainable economic growth and social development. Passenger and freight transportation by rail is a potentially effective instrument to combat congestion, pollution, global warming and traffic accidents. These negative externalities undermine the capability and efficiency of European economy and the health of future generations. The growing European Union and the globalization of the world economy have necessitated an international transport market, to support the outpacing economic growth. Today, the rail sector faces an ever increasing demand of accommodating higher transport volumes, a result of transport growth, and of policies favouring competition in the sector. Rail transport in Europe is a future-oriented industry, striving to offer attractive, affordable, safe, clean, competitive and reliable transport mode. Harmonization is the process of standardization of infrastructure components like types of track gauges, different types of power supply, speed control systems, train safety systems and technologies as well as the job profiles of drivers. The objective of harmonization is to achieve interoperability between the heterogeneous railway networks of the member states with in EU. Harmonizing products and technologies through innovation is a necessity for the rail supply industry to deploy its potential, and for its stakeholders to deliver cost-effective services for intermediate and final clients. 3.1. Need for harmonization Prior to the formation of European Union, the railway systems in Europe were run at the national level and were managed and operated by vertically integrated state owned companies. These railway systems were designed under different national operational rules, policies and standards. This resulted in the lack of interoperability in the railway transport sector which hampered the goal of growth in European economy through increased trade activities amongst the member states. The EU thus envisaged a goal of unified railway transport network across the EU member states to promote the trade and thus foster the economy. This goal transformed into a number of directives and regulations to achieve a Trans European network. 3.2. Components of harmonization To transition from the heterogeneous railway networks to a homogenised railway transport infrastructure across Europe, different components of harmonisations were evaluated by the European commission. European commission defined the homologation process in terms of interoperability, safety and signalling systems. 3.2.1. Interoperability Interoperability of the rail systems renders a safe and uninterrupted movement of trains, while accomplishing the required and specified levels of performance. Interoperability rests on all the technical, operational and regulatory conditions that must be met in order to satisfy the essential requirements. Interoperability has been mandated by several EU directives. The first one is the Directive 96/48/EC, which was passed in 1996 and is only concerned with the interoperability of the Trans- European high speed rail system. The second one is the Directive 2001/16/EC, which applies interoperability to lines within the trans-European transport network and other infrastructure facilities. Both these directives were later modified by the directive 2004/50/EC along with the corrigendum for the former directives. Most recently the directive 2008/57/EC was passed to include the community railway systems within the scope of interoperability. A consolidated history of regulatory framework evolution concerning interoperability in European railways is provided as Appendix 3. To overcome the technical fragmentation of rail networks, the interoperability directives provided that the Community legislation is gradually establishing mandatory so called Technical Specifications for Interoperability, commonly referred to as TSIs. The European Railway Agency owns the responsibility to draw up and revise the TSIs, on the basis of inputs provided by the member states and other stakeholders of the railway sector. Several subsystem constituents of interoperability of railway transport for both conventional and high speed lines are as below: Infrastructure( track works, tunnels, bridges and stations) and energy (electrification system) Operation and telematic application for passengers: related equipment and procedures to enable a coherent operation of different subsystems and also the requirements of professional qualification for the skilled labour involved in operations. Rolling stock: vehicle dynamics, superstructure, on board command and control system equipment, current-collection devices, traction units, energy conversion units, braking, coupling and running gear and suspension, doors, man/machine interfaces, passive or active safety devices. Maintenance: procedures and processes, technical documentation, related equipments, logistics centres for maintenance work. 3.2.2. Safety Safety is one of the important components of the railway systems which is highly regulated at both national and EU level. Safety is one of the prime concerns of the customers of rail transport and hence there is a special focus on the safety standards which have to be designed in line with the interoperability directives. Hence common safety standards, practices and targets have to complement interoperability to successfully achieve the desired homologation of the trans-European railway network. The European commission issued many directives to mandate the safety methods to support the harmonization process. These directives include Directive 2004/49/EC, Directive 2007/59/EC, the directive on certification of train drivers and other relevant EU legislation. ERA acts as a supporting organization to the European commission to develop the further implementation plans for the EU directives by networking with the national bodies of the member states. ERA has structured four different business sectors concerning railway safety and provides central support to the stakeholders involved in the complete process from formulation of regulation to implementation and periodic reviews. The four different segments are: Safety Assessment: developing common safety methods for risk evaluation and assessment and common safety targets according to articles 6 and 7 of the Directive 2004/49/EC. This unit assists each member state to define their safety targets and develop a methodology for calculating and assessing the achievement of those targets. This unit also collaborates to define safety requirements for TSIs and to support technical opinions to be given to European commission. Safety Certification: define, develop and evaluate implementation of common safety methods for certification of railway undertakings as well as certification for train drivers and authorization of infrastructure managers. The objective of this unit includes proposing a migration strategy towards a single Community Safety certificate. Safety Reporting: Monitors and analyzes the development of safety on Europes railways and disseminates information, reports biennially on the safety performance of railways within the European Union. Functions also include developing and maintaining public databases of safety related documents such as safety certificates, licenses, national safety rules, investigation reports and indicators. Responsibility of coordinating with the national investigation bodies concerning safety and facilitating information exchange between them lies with this unit Safety Regulation: Functions include, validating the notification of national safety rules, register and notify the national safety rules accepted by the commission, analyze the way in which the national safety rules are published, maintain the communication protocol between the member states and the responsible organizations for railway regulation. 3.2.3. ERTMS The command control and signalling systems is an important instrument that should also be harmonised to support the much required interoperability of the trans-European railway network. ERTMS is considered to be a first major step in fostering the creation of single European railway market. ERTMS would also address the increasing costs of operation due to the incompatible and obsolete signalling systems across Europe. Currently around 20 signalling systems are in place across Europe, most of which are adopted by the network operators of the member countries as stipulated by national standards. These different signal systems impose a restriction on the rail transport across the borders of the member states of EU, as the costs of incorporating compatibility with the international networks increases. A common standards and systems for intra as well as international rail traffic management in the EU member countries would enhance the attractiveness of rail transport making it affordable and environment friendly. The idea of common traffic management systems for European railways was conceived during the late 1980s, but the process of drawing up technical specification was started during 1998, following the interoperability directive of 1996. The ERTMS specification was approved by EU in 2000, followed by which, between 2005 and 2008, the implementations plans were charted out for the six freight corridors across Europe and the memorandum of understanding was signed between the EU, member states and the other railway stakeholders. The implementation plan was devised considering the national implementation plans of the member states, which was then consolidated taking into consideration the priority for the freight corridors connecting different member states. The proposed completion of implementation of ERTMS across Europe is by the end of 2020. UNIFE and a consortium of railway signal equipment manufacturers are working closely with the European commission and the infrastructure managers of member companies for the development and implementation of cost effective technical solutions concerning ERTMS implementation. 3.3. Process of Harmonization For successful harmonization of European railways, close cooperation of the institutional bodies, political representations and also commitment of the railway operators and rail supply industry are required. The harmonization and standardization process to achieve European railway interoperability can be grouped into two stages: 3.3.1. Directives to Standards The directives of the European Commission are transformed into the TSIs by ERA, which are then validated against the standards requirement at the national and the EU level by relevant standardization organization like CEN, CENELEC and ETSI. At the end of this stage a detailed documentation of the standards, while adopting the TSIs are produced. Figure 5 provides and illustration of this process. Source: Dealing with standardization in liberalized network industries by Dr Marc Laperrouza 3.3.2. Standards to Products Once the directives are turned into standards, the next challenge is to transform the standards into the products. The standards are again reviewed by the ERA and then passed over to the European Union for the legal process. Once the compliance with legal process is established, the standar Effects of Harmonization of Railway Infrastructure Effects of Harmonization of Railway Infrastructure Abstract Historically, rail transport systems in Europe have been running as per national standards through the monopolistic and vertically integrated state owned operators. Most of the railway network in Europe is designed for different technical and operational standards of the member states, which makes it impossible or expensive for rail transport across borders. With a vision of achieving a single European railway network, in 1991, the European commission adopted a policy of revitalizing the railway sector to harmonize the technical and operational standards across the member states. This policy promotes a single set of Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSIs)todefine common railway system architectureanda common approach to railway safety management. The long-term objective of such a policy is to open up the rail passenger and freight market for competition and promote the rail transport as sustainable means of transportation. The future of the rail supply industry in Europe is linked to the creation of sustainable transport system, which can only be achieved by increasing the competition in the industry to provide cost effective solutions. Harmonization of the railway networks in Europe will be one of the important driving forces in shaping the rail supply industry in Europe. This paper analyses the current structure of the German rail supply industry and how the industry may evolve given the current drive for interoperability through harmonization of standards and technologies. The policies of interoperability were conceived during the early 90s, but the impact of such policies are yet to be seen due to the lack of co-ordination between the manufactures, the regulatory mechanism, insufficient funding and the political will. Though the rail supply industry of Europe is in favour of achieving the common technical standards, the resulting market dynamics due to the common European market remains unanswered. 1. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effects of harmonization of railway infrastructure in Europe on the rail supply industry in Europe with focus on Germany. Various directives and regulations of European commission have set off a series of dramatic changes in the European railway sector. The liberalization process has seen unbundling of the vertically integrated state owned operators. The directive of interoperability is enforcing the member states to transition from the existing signalling systems to common rail traffic management systems across Europe. Besides the control systems, there is significant thrust by the European commission to harmonize the technical and operational standards of the other components of the railway infrastructure like the tracks, electrification, power supply substations etc. These would render common product characteristics across the infrastructure segments with some exceptions in the stations and tunnel construction as the nature of these requ irements varies depending on the local needs and resource restrictions and also these components doesnt contribute to the desired interoperability. Thus the harmonization process would increase the size of the accessible market for companies in rail supply industry. Hence harmonization is bound to have a significant effect on how the industry is structured and the competition within the industry. The German railway infrastructure is the key component of the entire railway transport industry, where in the state owned operator and Logistics Company, Deutsche Bahn AG owns the entire infrastructure. Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) has a monopoly on the upstream of the value chain of German railway industry and at the same time DB exists as a monopsony at the downstream of the value chain. Thus, DB is a single buyer of the infrastructure services and products with very high bargaining power over their suppliers. The processes of harmonization and liberalization in the European railway sector have been shaping the complete value chain of industry. The increasing competition among the railway operator has brought in many benefits to the consumers and also to all other stakeholders involved in the industry. The German rail supply industry is highly fragmented with small to large companies involved in different segments of infrastructure services. The Fragmented nature of the industry has given rise to aggressive competition in the industry with many large players trying to claim their stakes in the market. The presence of only a single buyer, Deutsche Bahn, has defined the competition as price oriented, with many infrastructure companies trying to innovate on the technology and process to provide the infrastructure as per the national standards and at lower costs. This paper will discuss the benefits of the standardization in the industry and would also discuss how the rail supply industry in Germany may restructure to the changing market dynamics once the single European market is in place for the railway sector. Chapter 2 of this paper presents entire value chain of the German railway transport industry. This will be followed by the description of the key stake holders of the industry and the interaction mechanism between them. Further the analysis will focus on the railway infrastructure part of the value chain. The analysis in this section will try to evaluate the forces that drive the industry and the bargaining power of the decision makers. Chapter 3 of the document discusses process of harmonization through the EU directives of interoperability and safety. The analysis here will try to explain the various regulation, time frames and governing bodies involved in the process. The discussion will also highlight the progress of harmonization and the issues and obstacles to achieving the desired targets of interoperability. Chapter 4 will discuss the benefits of harmonization to the industry and chart out the current strategic environment of the German rail supply industry. This section will include a note on the key causal factors and actors influencing harmonization and will develop and discuss few scenarios as to how the industry may evolve post harmonization of the railway infrastructure in Europe in general and Germany in particular. The analysis in this section will draw inferences from the views of some opinion leaders and academics who are involved with the industry. Finally the conclusions of the study will be presented in the chapter 5 which will summarize the findings and hypothesis of chapters 3 and 4 respectively. The conclusion will highlight the limitations of this research paper and will also suggest further research options concerning the rail supply industry. 2. The Value chain of German Railway Industry 2.1. Over view of value chain The German railway industry is composed of various players along the value chain. A brief overview of the Railway industry value chain is as shown the figure1. The first link in the value chain of German railway industry is the infrastructure construction, which includes the building and maintaining various infrastructure components that support the railway network. The infrastructure components can be track, electrification, power supply substation, electro mechanical works, signalling and command control, railway stations, maintenance and upgrade of tracks and public announcement, displays, ticketing devices etc. Many private companies as well as the subsidiaries of DB are active in this part of the value chain. The second component of the value chain is the infrastructure management, which is driven by many stake holders, but is controlled mainly by DB Netze, which owns the complete mainline and high speed railway network in Germany. The infrastructure for the urban transport is usually owned by the urban transport operators. The governing bodies like Federal Railway Authority of Germany and the Public Transport Authorities of the various states are the key decision makers for infrastructure management. The most important component of the value chain is the network operation and logistics. This segment of the industry caters to the rail transport market, by providing services to the end customers. The main players in this segment are the Deutsche Bahn, which is a monopoly with around 85% of market share in Germany. The liberalization process has led to the advent of few private operators, who lease the infrastructure from the DB Netze. The urban transport operators are active players in the metro/ tram segment of the railway transport market. The last link of the value chain includes the end customers, which is constituted of both the passenger and freight transport market. Customers are the central focus for the various reforms in the industry as the growth is dependent on the ability of the industry to provide the transport services at affordable prices in comparison with other alternatives like road and air transport. The details of different segments of the rail transport market and the related statistics are provided in Appendix 1. As seen from the figure 1, the intensity of the competition increases as we move up the value chain from the network operators to the infrastructure suppliers. The process of liberalization has induced competition amongst the operators, but the very high sunk costs involved, have erected a strong barrier for new entrants. Further up the value chain, there are many players involved in infrastructure management and infrastructure construction due to the attractive market size. Though the liberalization process has contributed to the opening up of this market, historically many small and big players are involved in this part of the value chain leading to an increased competition. 2.2. Key players of German railway infrastructure management To understand the rail infrastructure industry in Germany, It is essential to understand the various stakeholders in the industry and their contribution and importance in driving the market dynamics. Figure 2 is a schematic of the industry structure with a focus on infrastructure management. 2.2.1. European Commission European Commission is a governing body which is one of the important demand drivers for the infrastructure market. The federal and local governments of the member states in the European Union are obligated to adhere to the regulations and policies devised by European Commission. European commission reviews and responds to the transportation needs of the member states of EU, which has the construction of modern, safe and integrated railway network in Europe as priority to fuel the growth of intra and international trade among the EU members. Hence, the reformatory regulations and their periodic reviews lie within the gamut of European commissions functions. European Commission has set up the European Railway Agency (ERA) to oversee the creation of integrated European railway network by enforcing and implementing safety and interoperability through standardizations and harmonization. ERA works as a coordinating body between the railway sector companies, national authorities, European Commission and other concerned parties. ERAs main task is to develop common technical standards and approaches for the European railway systems and infrastructure. ERA is also the system authority for the implementation of the European Rail Traffic Management Systems (ERTMS) project. Source: Adapted from the article separation of operators from infrastructure 2.2.2. Governments The German government oversees the overall transport sector through the Federal ministry for Transport, Building and Urban affairs. The Federal Railway Authority (Eisenbahn Bundesamt: EBA) is the supervisory authority for 30 railroad traffic operators and for 5 infrastructure companies mainly for the Deutsche Bahn AG. The functions of EBA include issuing licenses for infrastructure companies, providing investments and funding for infrastructure projects, making railroad access discrimination free, facilitates innovation within the accepted safety standards, ensures value creation for customers and also checks for unfair competitive practices. The supervisory authority of the urban transport lies with the 31 Public Transport Authorities (PTA) in the different federal states of Germany. The duties of the PTA are similar to those of EBA, but within the context of urban transport. PTAs work in conjunction with EBA for the infrastructure planning and funding activities at the local level. The political decision makers own the responsibility to define the legislative framework to fully integrate the European railways, in terms of enhanced market access, interoperability and safety rules. A sound legislative framework that works in tandem with the EU commission is expected to accelerate the harmonization process. 2.2.3. Network Operators/ Owners In Germany most of the mainline and regional rail networks infrastructure are owned and operated by the DB Netze AG , DB Regio Netz Infrastruktur GmbH, DB Station Service AG, DB Railionand the DB reise und touristik , who are all directly owned by the Federal Government. The DB Netze AG is responsible for track installations, coordination of network usage time tables and pricing. The DB Station Service AG operates, maintains and develops the passenger stations and also ensures the provision of services to travellers and railway undertakings. The DB Regio Netz Infrastruktur GmbH is responsible for local and regional traffic operation and infrastructure management. DB Railion is responsible for operation of freight traffic and DB Reise und touristik is responsible for long distance traffic operation. Besides these many new private traffic operators like Veolia Transportation, TX logistics, AKN Eisenbahn AG, Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn GmbH, S-Bahn Hamburg GmbH, etc have entered the German railway market. Railway operators are responsible for improving the quality of services in terms of information accessibility, customer comfort, reservation and ticketing, network accessibility, availability of services, punctuality and reliability. The infrastructure managers or the network owners are responsible for optimising the capacity utilization of the available network infrastructure; ensure fair and non discriminatory access to network for all railway undertakings and also to ensure operational efficiency and safety. 2.2.4. Infrastructure providers Infrastructure providers are the companies that supply the railway transport industry with various infrastructure services like the rolling stock, track, electrification, maintenance etc. The infrastructure providers can also be termed as rail supply industry focused on the infrastructure development as per the standards and regulations set by the other stakeholders listed above. The rail supply industry is responsible for organising themselves to provide the ready to use equipment and infrastructure needed by the railway undertakings and infrastructure managers. The research and development of new products to promote the process of harmonization depends on the capabilities of rail supply industry. 2.2.5. Associations and Organizations Many organizations and agencies of the railway industry in Europe work closely with the EU and the national governments of the member states to support and promote the rail transport by setting technical standards and promoting fair competitive practices in the industry. Some of the important associations and agencies that are relevant to the rail supply industry are UNIFE, ERRAC, UITP, UIC, CER, EFRTC etc. Details of these associations are provided in the Appendix 2. 2.3. Overview of German rail supply market Worldwide, total rail supply market volume exceeds â‚ ¬ 120 bn. Of which, the size of the rail supply market in Germany is estimated to be around â‚ ¬ 6.3 bn. Based on the railway network type and usage characteristics, the rail supply markets can be further classified as High speed and very high-speed lines, conventional and regional rail lines and the urban rail transport networks. While Deutsche Bahn is the single customer in the high speed and very high speed lines and the conventional and regional lines segments, the different public transport authorities are the customers in the urban rail infrastructure market. High speed and very high-speed lines: These are usually the rail networks that spans across the borders to enable faster connectivity across Europe. The high speed lines between the important cities within the country also fall into this category, as they have the future potential to be integrated with cross border traffic. In Germany, this segment is currently small in size and is expected to grow especially due to the increasing need of cross border traffic. Conventional and regional lines: These are usually referred to as main lines and consist of the rail networks that connect the different regions with in a country. So, the entire regional rail transport networks that support the intra train transport with in a country and the freight transport networks can be grouped into this category. Currently this segment is built and operated as per the national standards set by the Federal railway authority and the volume of this network is very huge and is highly heterogeneous and is also operationally underutilised. Urban rail networks: This market segment consists of metros and the commuter/sub urban rail networks which support the public transport with in a city. The product requirements within this segment can vary depending on the local geographical characteristics and funds availability. This segment is mostly independent of and incompatible with the other segments and so provides many avenues of differentiation for the companies that are active in this segment. As of now there are no regulations enforcing harmonization of these networks. 2.4. Structure of rail supply industry in Germany The rail supply industry in Germany is classified into four segments namely; Rolling stock, Infrastructure, Signalling and control system and services. Figure 3 represents a schematic of the different segments of the German rail supply industry. Rolling stock: The products in this segment are characterized by all the vehicles that run on the railways like locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons. Due to the high capital investments, this segment usually consists of large companies like Bombardier, Siemens and Alstom. Infrastructure: This segment is characterized by the infrastructure components like tracks, electrification and stations. Many companies with diversified products serve in one or more of the components of this segment. Signalling and control systems: The infrastructure components like the track side signal installations, on board control equipment, control stations etc are grouped as signalling and control systems. Services: This segment includes the service and maintenance for all the other segments. This segment also comprises the project management and turnkey solutions. In Germany most of the maintenance and project management is carried out by the subsidiaries of Deutsche Bahn. 2.5. Segmentation of the German rail supply market Putting the rail supply market and the rail supply industry segmentation together will provide a complete segmentation matrix, which will help in the better understanding and analysis of the market. The segmentation matrix is provided in figure 4. Figure 4: German rail supply Market Segmentation matrix In the above matrix, the shaded regions indicate an overlap of product and service similarities in the different infrastructure components and the market segments of the railway industry. 3. Harmonization For a successful, larger and integrated Europe, the availability of efficient transport systems is essential for supporting sustainable economic growth and social development. Passenger and freight transportation by rail is a potentially effective instrument to combat congestion, pollution, global warming and traffic accidents. These negative externalities undermine the capability and efficiency of European economy and the health of future generations. The growing European Union and the globalization of the world economy have necessitated an international transport market, to support the outpacing economic growth. Today, the rail sector faces an ever increasing demand of accommodating higher transport volumes, a result of transport growth, and of policies favouring competition in the sector. Rail transport in Europe is a future-oriented industry, striving to offer attractive, affordable, safe, clean, competitive and reliable transport mode. Harmonization is the process of standardization of infrastructure components like types of track gauges, different types of power supply, speed control systems, train safety systems and technologies as well as the job profiles of drivers. The objective of harmonization is to achieve interoperability between the heterogeneous railway networks of the member states with in EU. Harmonizing products and technologies through innovation is a necessity for the rail supply industry to deploy its potential, and for its stakeholders to deliver cost-effective services for intermediate and final clients. 3.1. Need for harmonization Prior to the formation of European Union, the railway systems in Europe were run at the national level and were managed and operated by vertically integrated state owned companies. These railway systems were designed under different national operational rules, policies and standards. This resulted in the lack of interoperability in the railway transport sector which hampered the goal of growth in European economy through increased trade activities amongst the member states. The EU thus envisaged a goal of unified railway transport network across the EU member states to promote the trade and thus foster the economy. This goal transformed into a number of directives and regulations to achieve a Trans European network. 3.2. Components of harmonization To transition from the heterogeneous railway networks to a homogenised railway transport infrastructure across Europe, different components of harmonisations were evaluated by the European commission. European commission defined the homologation process in terms of interoperability, safety and signalling systems. 3.2.1. Interoperability Interoperability of the rail systems renders a safe and uninterrupted movement of trains, while accomplishing the required and specified levels of performance. Interoperability rests on all the technical, operational and regulatory conditions that must be met in order to satisfy the essential requirements. Interoperability has been mandated by several EU directives. The first one is the Directive 96/48/EC, which was passed in 1996 and is only concerned with the interoperability of the Trans- European high speed rail system. The second one is the Directive 2001/16/EC, which applies interoperability to lines within the trans-European transport network and other infrastructure facilities. Both these directives were later modified by the directive 2004/50/EC along with the corrigendum for the former directives. Most recently the directive 2008/57/EC was passed to include the community railway systems within the scope of interoperability. A consolidated history of regulatory framework evolution concerning interoperability in European railways is provided as Appendix 3. To overcome the technical fragmentation of rail networks, the interoperability directives provided that the Community legislation is gradually establishing mandatory so called Technical Specifications for Interoperability, commonly referred to as TSIs. The European Railway Agency owns the responsibility to draw up and revise the TSIs, on the basis of inputs provided by the member states and other stakeholders of the railway sector. Several subsystem constituents of interoperability of railway transport for both conventional and high speed lines are as below: Infrastructure( track works, tunnels, bridges and stations) and energy (electrification system) Operation and telematic application for passengers: related equipment and procedures to enable a coherent operation of different subsystems and also the requirements of professional qualification for the skilled labour involved in operations. Rolling stock: vehicle dynamics, superstructure, on board command and control system equipment, current-collection devices, traction units, energy conversion units, braking, coupling and running gear and suspension, doors, man/machine interfaces, passive or active safety devices. Maintenance: procedures and processes, technical documentation, related equipments, logistics centres for maintenance work. 3.2.2. Safety Safety is one of the important components of the railway systems which is highly regulated at both national and EU level. Safety is one of the prime concerns of the customers of rail transport and hence there is a special focus on the safety standards which have to be designed in line with the interoperability directives. Hence common safety standards, practices and targets have to complement interoperability to successfully achieve the desired homologation of the trans-European railway network. The European commission issued many directives to mandate the safety methods to support the harmonization process. These directives include Directive 2004/49/EC, Directive 2007/59/EC, the directive on certification of train drivers and other relevant EU legislation. ERA acts as a supporting organization to the European commission to develop the further implementation plans for the EU directives by networking with the national bodies of the member states. ERA has structured four different business sectors concerning railway safety and provides central support to the stakeholders involved in the complete process from formulation of regulation to implementation and periodic reviews. The four different segments are: Safety Assessment: developing common safety methods for risk evaluation and assessment and common safety targets according to articles 6 and 7 of the Directive 2004/49/EC. This unit assists each member state to define their safety targets and develop a methodology for calculating and assessing the achievement of those targets. This unit also collaborates to define safety requirements for TSIs and to support technical opinions to be given to European commission. Safety Certification: define, develop and evaluate implementation of common safety methods for certification of railway undertakings as well as certification for train drivers and authorization of infrastructure managers. The objective of this unit includes proposing a migration strategy towards a single Community Safety certificate. Safety Reporting: Monitors and analyzes the development of safety on Europes railways and disseminates information, reports biennially on the safety performance of railways within the European Union. Functions also include developing and maintaining public databases of safety related documents such as safety certificates, licenses, national safety rules, investigation reports and indicators. Responsibility of coordinating with the national investigation bodies concerning safety and facilitating information exchange between them lies with this unit Safety Regulation: Functions include, validating the notification of national safety rules, register and notify the national safety rules accepted by the commission, analyze the way in which the national safety rules are published, maintain the communication protocol between the member states and the responsible organizations for railway regulation. 3.2.3. ERTMS The command control and signalling systems is an important instrument that should also be harmonised to support the much required interoperability of the trans-European railway network. ERTMS is considered to be a first major step in fostering the creation of single European railway market. ERTMS would also address the increasing costs of operation due to the incompatible and obsolete signalling systems across Europe. Currently around 20 signalling systems are in place across Europe, most of which are adopted by the network operators of the member countries as stipulated by national standards. These different signal systems impose a restriction on the rail transport across the borders of the member states of EU, as the costs of incorporating compatibility with the international networks increases. A common standards and systems for intra as well as international rail traffic management in the EU member countries would enhance the attractiveness of rail transport making it affordable and environment friendly. The idea of common traffic management systems for European railways was conceived during the late 1980s, but the process of drawing up technical specification was started during 1998, following the interoperability directive of 1996. The ERTMS specification was approved by EU in 2000, followed by which, between 2005 and 2008, the implementations plans were charted out for the six freight corridors across Europe and the memorandum of understanding was signed between the EU, member states and the other railway stakeholders. The implementation plan was devised considering the national implementation plans of the member states, which was then consolidated taking into consideration the priority for the freight corridors connecting different member states. The proposed completion of implementation of ERTMS across Europe is by the end of 2020. UNIFE and a consortium of railway signal equipment manufacturers are working closely with the European commission and the infrastructure managers of member companies for the development and implementation of cost effective technical solutions concerning ERTMS implementation. 3.3. Process of Harmonization For successful harmonization of European railways, close cooperation of the institutional bodies, political representations and also commitment of the railway operators and rail supply industry are required. The harmonization and standardization process to achieve European railway interoperability can be grouped into two stages: 3.3.1. Directives to Standards The directives of the European Commission are transformed into the TSIs by ERA, which are then validated against the standards requirement at the national and the EU level by relevant standardization organization like CEN, CENELEC and ETSI. At the end of this stage a detailed documentation of the standards, while adopting the TSIs are produced. Figure 5 provides and illustration of this process. Source: Dealing with standardization in liberalized network industries by Dr Marc Laperrouza 3.3.2. Standards to Products Once the directives are turned into standards, the next challenge is to transform the standards into the products. The standards are again reviewed by the ERA and then passed over to the European Union for the legal process. Once the compliance with legal process is established, the standar