Analysis of Critical Psychology Theories

Analysis of Critical Psychology Theories Introduction One of the most important bodies of knowledge is psychology. It is through psychology that so many disorders have been dealt with. The disorders referred to here are disorders to do with the state of the mind as well as the environment affecting the well being of the mind of the individual. An example of a disorder that psychologists treat is referred to as sexual compulsive behavior. Many people would still be in problems were it not for psychology. Through psychology, other bodies of knowledge have benefited. As any body of knowledge, psychology has grown to have branches within it and one of them which are relevant in this research paper is critical psychology. This research paper is going to deal with the question; Is critical Psychology essential to clients rights in Mainstream Psychology? This research is going to argue that Critical Psychology is essential to clients rights in Mainstream Psychology. The research paper is going to look at psychology and give an overview of psychology Then move on to critical psychology where it will give a detailed explanation of what critical psychology is all about by looking at how it came to existence and what it is all about then finally relate it to mainstream psychology so as to show how relevant it is in psychology. Critical psychology is a branch of psychology that was developed with the aim of criticizing the mainstream psychology. It also has a goal or a purpose which is to try and put into practice the knowledge that psychology has accumulated into practice and at the same time learning something new without being rigidly constrained within the borders of psychology. Psychology knowledge is used in ways that are progressive under critical psychology. The main focus of critical psychology is the use of social change in its bid to criticize mainstream psychology but also as a tool to treat as well as prevent psychopathology. Many criticism bullets have been shot at mainstream psychology. The most common highlights the manner in which mainstream psychology does not put into consideration or ignores deliberately the way in which the differences in power between the classes as well as the groups of society can greatly have an impact on the well-being of the person in terms of the mind and the physical bodies of either individuals or groups of people. This is very relevant material. A body of knowledge that is not constantly criticized is a body of knowledge that tends not to grow over time. It is just like a life that is never criticized and never examined. Before criticizing, there is examination. When something is examined then that means there loopholes within the existence of something are looked into and the relevance of the thing in todays world. A human being will want to be current with the fast growing world and he or she is always constantly looking at ways in which he or she can improve him or he rself. A human being is always updating him or herself to be current with the world and the changing times. This may explain the reason people do not dress in the olden day fashion styles but embrace what the fashion brings. An employee will take a course in something so as t upgrade him or herself in the field of work a person is. The human beings who listen to criticisms and work on them well always improve themselves and become better people in society but those who done never grow much. It is clear that criticism is a very aspect of growth in todays world. Businesses pay a lot of money in order to be criticized! They do this by asking their customers how their company has served them. They probe consumers with a wide range of questions in a bid to get the worst out of people about the companys product or products. This can be done with the online focus groups that are being used as marketing tools at the end of the day because the product that will emerge will be based on the improvements that the customers said they will want to see. This is the same thing with mainstream psychology. Given the nature of mainstream psychology then it would make sense for there to be a body that looks into psychology as a body of knowledge to identify the things that can be done better and the factors that have to be considered when treating psychopathology. Mainstream psychology has not mentioned the impact that the various social groups and differences we have in society can have o n an individual. Say for example that in a neighborhood, there are those that are doing really well and those that are not doing so well in terms of the financial stability. Most of the times rather than not, the people who are doing very well will come together and form some kind of social group and within this social group, they will have their own way of thinking then in the other group where people are not doing so well, there will be a way of thinking. With time these two groups will always compare themselves. This may explain why some rich people with no happiness and no people to love in their lives envy the genuineness of the love of people in the poor settings and the genuineness of their love for each other. This has an impact on the mental well being as well as the physical well being of a person. One may start to limit him or herself and decide that some things are a certain group of people and some are for a different group of people. There are many people who are a liv ing proof of such influences and have either become very poor as a result or very rich as a result. It is therefore very clear and important on the role critical psychology plays in the application of mainstream psychology. It acts as an update of mainstream psychology as well as a tool to keep mainstream psychology on its toes. It also brings psychology to life as it ensures that it is practical in its approach during the treatment of psychopathology. This is a very important aspect of critical psychology. This is the main reason as to why this research paper is going to look at the relevance of critical psychology in the role of mainstream psychology. Mainstream psychology has to be very grateful to critical psychology as critical psychology gives mainstream psychology life. Overview of Psychology The study of psychology started when the world started to civilize. During this time, human beings got to try and explain the reasons behind almost everything they found into existence. Te civilizations of Egypt, Persia, China, India as well as Greece were the first to try and study the humans as well as try to explain why some humans behaved in a certain way and others behaved in another. The ancient Muslim physicians and psychologists introduced the experimental and clinical approach that psychology has today. They even went ahead to build hospitals to cater for people with psychological problems. More steps were made when the French physiologist who went by the name Pierre Cabanis added the biological aspect of psychology in the year 1802. He had done expensive biology studies and based on the knowledge he had acquired in biology, he explained the human mind from the same perspective. He asserted that the souls as well as sensibility characterize the nervous system. (Levin Troiden, 1988) Psychology had not become a field of study until the German physician whose name was Wilhelm Wundt built the first ever laboratory for the sole purpose of the study of psychology at an institution of higher learning referred to as the Leipzig University. Wundt became known as the father of psychology because of this brave move. It is no wonder that on the very same year that the laboratory was built which was the year 1879, the year was labeled the date psychology was born. An American who was a psychologist as well as a philosopher wrote a book in 1890 which laid the solid foundation son which psychology is built for many scholars of psychology. Hermann Ebbinghaus is also a very crucial contributor to the psychology bode of knowledge that did a lot of research and experimental studies on the memory compartment of the mind. A Russian who was a guru in psychology also contributed to the knowledge of psychology as we know it today. His name is Ivan Pavlov. He cam e up with a process human beings use to learn according to him and is referred to as the classical conditioning. In the mid 20th century, most of the work done by the psychology pioneers mentioned is referred to as experimental psychology as most of this work was concerned with the information that was collected from various sectors and subjects along with the processing of the same information. The information gathered during this time is a subset of cognitive science. This period is seen as a period that brought a revolution because the development made by the various pioneers of psychology answered as well as reacted to the different kinds of ways of thinking that were in existence and at that time, there were two major schools of thought; behaviorism and psychodynamics (Lopez, Schmidt Blanco, 2007). (Syed, 2002) Psychoanalysis is a psychotherapy that was developed by Sigmund Freud who was an Australian physician. His psychology was based on the methods of interpreting of the mind, the observations of patients with mental problems or problems that were related to mental problems and introspection. He concentrated on resolving of the unconscious conflict, psychopathology as well as the mental distress of the human being. The theories that were coined by Freud were popular because they addressed issues of sexuality, the unconscious mind and also repression. The society saw the discussion of the problems Freud tried to tackle as a taboo. He managed to engage society in such discussions and proved to them that such issues could be discussed openly. It helps to deal with issues when conversations about the issues are held then the way forward formulated. Psychoanalysis was criticized and seen not to be efficient enough as it wasnt empirical and had not proven to withstand experimental tests. John B. Watson founded behaviorism. This was inclined towards determinism as well as positivism. Behaviorism was based on the premise that the use of animals to experiment could give a more in-depth understanding of psychosocial behavior such as analysis that is psychonamic in nature. The behaviorists believed the scientific research methods would result in pursuing of the necessary weapons needed to control the problems life presents rather than searching for truths which are seen to be timeless. Behaviorists maintained that much of the components of the human mind are not open to the scrutiny of science and that scientific psychology should rely on the behavior observed. This led to behaviorist analyzing the behavior of humans and relating the behavior with the environment in which the human being exists or interacts with. The behaviorism model of psychology has been challenged and its fall in part paved the way for more models to come into existence (Syed, 2002). (Khaleefa, 1999)In reaction to psychoanalysis and behaviorism, humanism and existentialism emerged in the mid 20th century. Here the whole person was analyzed and not just some parts of the person. Humanism focused on practical human issues such as aloneness, meaning, self-identity, freedom as well as death. Emphasis was not on pathology but on determinism rejection, the positive growth concern as well as subjective meaning. Abraham Maslow an American psychologist played a major role in the development of humanism. There was the formulation of the hierarchy of human needs, client-centered therapy and Gesalt therapy. Existentialism focuses on the human nature as being neutral. It also focused on anxiety and positively assessed it. Existentialism argued that the human themes such as freewill, death and meaning are shaped by existing myths as well as narrative patterns. The human themes are allowed as authentic by the human freewill. (Levin Troiden, 1988) The cognitive revolution gave birth to cognitivism as a strain of thought. Naomi Chomsky is responsible for this. Cognitivism does not support the idea that research and analysis ignoring the innate child contribution to human behavior. Cognitivism had proven to have a practical approach as it assisted in the understanding of weapons operations during the World War II. By the end of the 20th century, cognitivism had taken the psychology world and other related subjects by storm. New concepts to replace the ones that were being used in behaviorism and psychoanalytic strains of thinking were formulated such a subliminal processing and implicit memory. Cognitive psychology did not throw all the work that was done by behaviorists and psychoanalysts but it took the better of the two worlds, made it make sense and incorporated it into cognitive psychology. Cognitive psychology comprised of various subfield that deal with psychology such as neuroscience, philosophy of the mind as well as computer science. One cannot strictly follow one school of thought and claim to completely understand the human mind. All schools of thought are very crucial in the understanding of the human mind. Modern psychology has come up with a school of thought that integrates all the other existent schools of thought; the biopsychosocial approach. This is so as to make it clear that any human mental process or behavior is governed by many interrelated biological, psychological as well as other social factors (Syed, 2002). Psychology is a very wide field and so much is yet to be learnt in the psychology field. There exists several subfield of psychology. In other words, we can easily come up with a long list of the psychology topics as well as the disciplines that psychology encompasses. Abnormal psychology as the name suggests involves the study of behavior that deviates from normal behavior. Biological psychology is the study that involves a combination of the biological processes in relation to the state of the mind. Biological psychology is related to cognitive neuroscience, neuropsychology as well as physiology. Clinical psychology is a subfield of psychology that deals with the application of psychology knowledge with the aim of solving problems to do with distress, personal development as well as the general well being of humans. Other subfields of psychology include; counseling psychology, cognitive psychology, critical psychology, comparative psychology, forensic psychology, educational psychology, development psychology, evolutionary psychology, legal psychology, global psychology, industrial psychology, health psychology, quantitative psychology, occupational health psychology, personality psychology, school psychology as well as social psychology (Miller, 1983) When professions in the psychology field research, they draw knowledge from other bodies of knowledge so as to understand the psychology phenomena. They can do this by abduction, deduction or induction. In any psychological research project, there is no reliance on only one type of inference but all of them help when used together. There are psychologists that do nothing but research on psychology. They play a very important role in adding to the existing knowledge that psychology has so far accumulated. These researchers make use of controlled experiments, animal studies, quantitative and qualitative research, qualitative and descriptive research methods, survey questionnaires, observations in natural settings, computational modeling, longitudinal studies, animal studies and lastly, neuropsychological methods (Steffens, 2006). Psychology has been criticized to be a fuzzy science. The main reason is because there is no pre-paradigm being that we can base psychology on. Some of the interests in psychology such as well being, thinking, personality, emotion and many more cannot be measured and inferential statistics applied to it. The empirical aspect is not complete as some things cannot be assigned a number value. The testing of hypothesis is normally not up to standard as most psychologists are not adequately train to be able to analyze data. The criticism sometimes comes from one psychologist to another especially when one is research oriented and the other is clinical oriented. One side may argue that the clinical practices are not backed by empirical evidence and the other side may argue that experiments are done in controlled environments which are not the same as the real world situations. There is also concern that the scientific theories of psychology are miles apart from the actual application of ps ychology. It is more like going to school to study something then not applying the same thing in the profession one studied for. Critical Psychology By the fact that the word critical psychology has the word psychology at the very end than this means that it is a branch of psychology. Just the same way you would have people that bear the last name in a family setting, this would tell you that the two children belong to the same father. The word critical is used as it in itself is critical as it tries to bring out the aspects that mainstream psychology has continually ignored or not considered. Its main aim is to criticize mainstream psychology and this was the premise on which this branch called critical psychology came into existence. It points out other factors that may also explain the reason as to why some people think the way they think as well as make us understand the reason as to why some people are not mentally well and why some people are not physically well. Even before getting into the details of critical psychology, it is already clear that the role of critical psychology in mainstream psychology is very important. T he fact that critical psychology provides some kind of checks and balances in the psychology body of knowledge is a very big reason for one to argue that for sure critical psychology plays a major role in mainstream psychology because it acts as a push to mainstream psychology for it to grow and for it to incorporate some of the things that have been hidden from it or may have not been in existence when the body of knowledge was established meaning critical psychology gives life to mainstream psychology. Freie Universitat Berlin is the institution in which critical psychology was started in the 1970s. It is largely based on the existing knowledge that psychology as a whole had accumulated by then but it also at the same time came up with its own theories and explanations as it sees the world at one particular moment. By the beginning of May 2007, there were very few words that had been translated into English. The main root of German Critical Psychology is the post-war babyboomers student revolt which happened during the late sixties. The main spark of the student revolt was the criticism of the political economy by Marx. Berlin was the best spot for the student revolt as it was a free city which was circumference by East Germany. East Germany was socialist. This led to the sociological foundations upon which critical psychology is built to be Marxist. They have not gotten a listening ear from the many figures found in Critical Psychology. Klaus Holzkamp is a very important author in this field as he wrote the book Grundlegung der Psychologie. If the title of the book was to be translated in English then it would read Foundations of Psychology. This book is very sophisticated in the Critical Psychology field. Klaus Holzkamp might just be the man to be stamped the founder of Critical Psychology as far as the theories are concerned. Klaus had already two books which talked majorly about the theory of science as well as the sensory perception. He felt that the book on the foundations of psychology gave psychologists a reason to research as the book explains the solid paradigm upon which psychological research can be done. The book views psychology as a scientific discipline that is pre-paradigmatic. Aleksey Leontyev provides a unique approach to historical psychology as well as activity theory. According to him, the actions of human beings are as a result of the evolution of culture as well as the biological evolution. Leontyev drew from Marxs work where culture and its concepts have been materialized. He emphasized that the cognition of an individual is a subset of social action and social action is mediated by tools which are man-made such as cultural artifacts, social action is also mediated by language as well as systems and symbols that are made by man. Leontyev viewed this as something that provides a clear distinction between human cognition and human culture. Holzcamp in his attempt to give a comprehensive as well as integrated set of categories that were researched by Aleksey Leontyev, he did come up with this sophisticated book. The book was based on the research that Aleksey Leontyev had done as explained. One other theory we see Holzcamp using in his book in the fiel d of Critical Psychology is one that was developed by Lucien Steve; theory of personality. The concept here is of social activity matrices. The matrices are seen as the structure of mediation between individual reproduction as well as social reproduction. With the various theories Klaus Holzkamp is seen to use, he does not forget the works that were done at the institution in which Critical Psychology was born; Free University of Berlin. The works that were done at Free University of Berlin was done by critical psychologists and their works was greatly influenced by Mark, Steve and Leontyev. The materials he used included books that were written on sensory perception, animal behavior or ethology, cognition and motivation. Ideas from Freuds psychoanalysis which is a form of play therapy used to treat disorders and he also incorporated ideas from Merleau-Pontys phenomenology as he explained his approach. Holzcamp did a lot of comparative as well as historical analysis of perception, the human reproductive action as well as cognition. The core finding that he identified the symbolic meaning whether constructed culturally or historically to be structures that are conceptual and specifically useful to be structures that the human being will create in relationships that are close so as to make culture material. They also create the structures in close relationship in a culture that is material within the context of social reproduction that have been formed specifically in history. With this in mind, Klaus Holzkamp had a problem with behaviorism which he referred to as stimulus-response psychology or in short, S-R psychology. He looked at the analysis of the linguistics and he also showed how behaviorism created the illusion that is had scientific objectivity but at the same time behaviorism was not relevant in its understanding of human actions that are culturally situated and intentiona l at the same time. Klaus Holzkamp came up with his own approach that he drew a lot of ideas from a man that goes by the name Kurt Lewin and this he does in Chapter nine of his book titled Foundations of Psychology. This approach was to objectivity as well as generalization. Before Klaus Holzkamp died in the year 1995, he wrote on learning. His work was out in 1993 and he looked at learning from the object side and not the learner. Holzkamp was out to reinterpret the theories that were developed by psychology that was conventional. This means that he looked at the theories from the view of a critical psychologist and the paradigms of critical psychology. The useful insights that were found in conventional psychology were integrated into critical psychology but at the same time picking out and criticizing their implications that were limiting. In S-R psychology, the intentional action and the subject were eliminated. In cognitive psychology, the intentional action as well as the subj ect was taken into account. In the first part of the book, Holzkamp looks into the theories that were there in conventional psychology. The theories he focuses on most are those of learning. He then reinterprets the theories from a critical psychologist point of view. Jean Lave and Edwin Hutchins who contributed to the concept of classroom learning were very useful in the explanation of Holzkamps approach. In the second part of the book, Holzkamp looks at the modern world and the concept of classroom learning as something that is cultural and historical yet has an influence in socialization as well as learning. In the second part of the book, he looks at Michel Foucaults work of Discipline and Punish. According to Holzcamp, the historical way we know classroom learning is limiting to the student in that the ability of a student to learn is constrained to some finite teaching strategies. In his approaches, he strived to look for a way of learning that would make full use of the poten tial of the learner. Holzkamp explains expansive learning in the last part of the book which aims at overcoming the limitations that classroom learning presents. His ultimate plan was to write a book on life leadership but his demise came before he could go past the early stages of developing the book but some of this work was published in form of journals in Forum Kritische Psychologie and Argument. The period 1960s through to 1970s, critical psychology was known as radical psychology but the main reason it went by this term is to discourage the focus on the individual as the main object of analysis. It was also to discourage psychologists not to use the individual only as the only source of psychopathology. The close inspection of the role inspection plays was considered in radical psychology. The role of the society was looked at in the light that it causes and treats problems. Radical psychology looked at the change in society as an alternative therapy skill to treat illnesses of the mind as well as deal with the prevention of psychopathology. Anti-psychiatry was a term that was so common within psychiatry and so the British preferred the use of the term Critical Psychiatry. Up to today, the term Critical Psychology is still used to refer to the branch of psychology that seeks alternative methods of therapy to the conventional methods or forms of therapy that exist in the dis cipline of psychology. It is also against the idea of focusing so much on the individual that the influence the society has in the individual is not considered. In the 1990s, there were more authors writing about Critical Psychology. The one that caused a biggest shake and was most famous for its writings was an edited book and its title was Critical Psychology. This was a book written by Dennis Fox and Isaac Prilleltensky. Many different introductory texts that were written in the United Kingdom and were focused on critical psychology have a particular interest in the discourse. This was argued by different people in critical psychology as being as dangerous as mainstream psychology as it heavily relies on something; language. Heavily relying on one thing in a dynamic world is dangerous when you are supposed to explain something that interacts with so many things and in different ways. In the year 1999, Ian Parker came up with a manifesto that was very influential. The manifesto was on the Annual Review of Critical Psychology as well as the online journal Radical Psychology. In the manifesto, Ian says that Critical Psychology should have th e following components; Close examination in a systematic way of the manner in which various kinds of psychological action as well as experience have more weight over that of others, the manner in which the accounts of psychology which are dominant operate in ideologies as well as the service of the power. The manner in which the different varieties of psychology are constructed in the cultural and historical sense in their study and the manner in which the different kinds of psychology may assert or may refuse the assumptions of ideology of the mainstream psychological models The body of knowledge of the different kinds of the examination and the regulation by the individual himself or herself in day to day life and the manner in which psychological culture works when outside of the boundaries of academic practice as well as professional practice. The detail look at the manner in which mainstream psychology structures the professional work as well as the academic work in psychology and the manner in which day by day activities may provide a foundation for the act of resisting the happenings of the different disciplinary practices that are happening today. There are quite a number of journals that are international and are solely dedicated to Critical Psychology. Some of them include the Annual Review of Critical Psychology as well as the International Journal of Critical Psychology which is no longer being published. The journals lean more to the academic world. The Annual Review of Critical Psychology is an open access journal that runs online. In Britain, the Critical Psychologists and the Critical Psychiatrists have some commonality which they express via the Asylum Collective. Main Criticisms of Conventional psychology Different groups such as psychiatrists and patients as well as the public in general and the industrial lobbyists, or the very rich groups of society and the less rich groups of society, or even psychologists and their clients all have difference in power within the different groups. The psychiatrist is on a different power level as compared to the patient. They have met to discuss the same thing but it is clear that they will not discuss it from the same point of view. With such kind of treatments, the patient will mostly try to resist what the psychiatrist is saying. The psychiatrist and the patient may not agree especially when the patient has some knowledge on the same. Psychologists also have the same problem when dealing with their clients. They normally never have the same ground on which they base their actions. A patient will always want to stay in the comfort zone and what he or she went to do at the clinic is for him or her to be told that he or she is on the right course. The psychiatrist wants to gain millage as he or she interacts with the client but most of the time rather than not this millage are never easy to gain. The people who are very rich in society will definitely be at a very different level of power from the people who are less well-off in terms of finances. There are ideologies that the rich has formed about themselves and there are ideologies that the poor has formed about themselves. There also exist the theories the rich have come up about the poor and those that have come up about the rich. They are so different and I few were to put the two groups in a room there would be so much emotion that would feel the room. This already says a lot about their theories, they are based in the way they feel and not on how things are. Some poor people may have been raised by a mother who highly trained them to be beggars. They grow up not working for what they want in life. In life, you can work for whatever possibility possible that was create d by the creator of heaven and earth. The powers have been given to the human being but instead he or she will sit back and watch as things get out of hand for him o r her then start to blame some past experience or blame some one . As much as it is true that the way we relate with people I our childhood, the things that are said to us during our childhood and the things that are done to us during our childhood are very important in determining how we grow up, there exists so much media from which to learn from and so many people around us to learn from. There is no limitation as to what a human being can do that we are aware of in terms of improving their well being and taking it from one level to another. A human being can always improve himself. A human being can always fight for what he or she wants and still is in a position to wake up, shake the dust off and continue with life stronger than ever. The industrial lobbyists will have an angle from which they argue their points but the general public will always blame them for anything they can possibly utter when it comes Analysis of Critical Psychology Theories Analysis of Critical Psychology Theories Introduction One of the most important bodies of knowledge is psychology. It is through psychology that so many disorders have been dealt with. The disorders referred to here are disorders to do with the state of the mind as well as the environment affecting the well being of the mind of the individual. An example of a disorder that psychologists treat is referred to as sexual compulsive behavior. Many people would still be in problems were it not for psychology. Through psychology, other bodies of knowledge have benefited. As any body of knowledge, psychology has grown to have branches within it and one of them which are relevant in this research paper is critical psychology. This research paper is going to deal with the question; Is critical Psychology essential to clients rights in Mainstream Psychology? This research is going to argue that Critical Psychology is essential to clients rights in Mainstream Psychology. The research paper is going to look at psychology and give an overview of psychology Then move on to critical psychology where it will give a detailed explanation of what critical psychology is all about by looking at how it came to existence and what it is all about then finally relate it to mainstream psychology so as to show how relevant it is in psychology. Critical psychology is a branch of psychology that was developed with the aim of criticizing the mainstream psychology. It also has a goal or a purpose which is to try and put into practice the knowledge that psychology has accumulated into practice and at the same time learning something new without being rigidly constrained within the borders of psychology. Psychology knowledge is used in ways that are progressive under critical psychology. The main focus of critical psychology is the use of social change in its bid to criticize mainstream psychology but also as a tool to treat as well as prevent psychopathology. Many criticism bullets have been shot at mainstream psychology. The most common highlights the manner in which mainstream psychology does not put into consideration or ignores deliberately the way in which the differences in power between the classes as well as the groups of society can greatly have an impact on the well-being of the person in terms of the mind and the physical bodies of either individuals or groups of people. This is very relevant material. A body of knowledge that is not constantly criticized is a body of knowledge that tends not to grow over time. It is just like a life that is never criticized and never examined. Before criticizing, there is examination. When something is examined then that means there loopholes within the existence of something are looked into and the relevance of the thing in todays world. A human being will want to be current with the fast growing world and he or she is always constantly looking at ways in which he or she can improve him or he rself. A human being is always updating him or herself to be current with the world and the changing times. This may explain the reason people do not dress in the olden day fashion styles but embrace what the fashion brings. An employee will take a course in something so as t upgrade him or herself in the field of work a person is. The human beings who listen to criticisms and work on them well always improve themselves and become better people in society but those who done never grow much. It is clear that criticism is a very aspect of growth in todays world. Businesses pay a lot of money in order to be criticized! They do this by asking their customers how their company has served them. They probe consumers with a wide range of questions in a bid to get the worst out of people about the companys product or products. This can be done with the online focus groups that are being used as marketing tools at the end of the day because the product that will emerge will be based on the improvements that the customers said they will want to see. This is the same thing with mainstream psychology. Given the nature of mainstream psychology then it would make sense for there to be a body that looks into psychology as a body of knowledge to identify the things that can be done better and the factors that have to be considered when treating psychopathology. Mainstream psychology has not mentioned the impact that the various social groups and differences we have in society can have o n an individual. Say for example that in a neighborhood, there are those that are doing really well and those that are not doing so well in terms of the financial stability. Most of the times rather than not, the people who are doing very well will come together and form some kind of social group and within this social group, they will have their own way of thinking then in the other group where people are not doing so well, there will be a way of thinking. With time these two groups will always compare themselves. This may explain why some rich people with no happiness and no people to love in their lives envy the genuineness of the love of people in the poor settings and the genuineness of their love for each other. This has an impact on the mental well being as well as the physical well being of a person. One may start to limit him or herself and decide that some things are a certain group of people and some are for a different group of people. There are many people who are a liv ing proof of such influences and have either become very poor as a result or very rich as a result. It is therefore very clear and important on the role critical psychology plays in the application of mainstream psychology. It acts as an update of mainstream psychology as well as a tool to keep mainstream psychology on its toes. It also brings psychology to life as it ensures that it is practical in its approach during the treatment of psychopathology. This is a very important aspect of critical psychology. This is the main reason as to why this research paper is going to look at the relevance of critical psychology in the role of mainstream psychology. Mainstream psychology has to be very grateful to critical psychology as critical psychology gives mainstream psychology life. Overview of Psychology The study of psychology started when the world started to civilize. During this time, human beings got to try and explain the reasons behind almost everything they found into existence. Te civilizations of Egypt, Persia, China, India as well as Greece were the first to try and study the humans as well as try to explain why some humans behaved in a certain way and others behaved in another. The ancient Muslim physicians and psychologists introduced the experimental and clinical approach that psychology has today. They even went ahead to build hospitals to cater for people with psychological problems. More steps were made when the French physiologist who went by the name Pierre Cabanis added the biological aspect of psychology in the year 1802. He had done expensive biology studies and based on the knowledge he had acquired in biology, he explained the human mind from the same perspective. He asserted that the souls as well as sensibility characterize the nervous system. (Levin Troiden, 1988) Psychology had not become a field of study until the German physician whose name was Wilhelm Wundt built the first ever laboratory for the sole purpose of the study of psychology at an institution of higher learning referred to as the Leipzig University. Wundt became known as the father of psychology because of this brave move. It is no wonder that on the very same year that the laboratory was built which was the year 1879, the year was labeled the date psychology was born. An American who was a psychologist as well as a philosopher wrote a book in 1890 which laid the solid foundation son which psychology is built for many scholars of psychology. Hermann Ebbinghaus is also a very crucial contributor to the psychology bode of knowledge that did a lot of research and experimental studies on the memory compartment of the mind. A Russian who was a guru in psychology also contributed to the knowledge of psychology as we know it today. His name is Ivan Pavlov. He cam e up with a process human beings use to learn according to him and is referred to as the classical conditioning. In the mid 20th century, most of the work done by the psychology pioneers mentioned is referred to as experimental psychology as most of this work was concerned with the information that was collected from various sectors and subjects along with the processing of the same information. The information gathered during this time is a subset of cognitive science. This period is seen as a period that brought a revolution because the development made by the various pioneers of psychology answered as well as reacted to the different kinds of ways of thinking that were in existence and at that time, there were two major schools of thought; behaviorism and psychodynamics (Lopez, Schmidt Blanco, 2007). (Syed, 2002) Psychoanalysis is a psychotherapy that was developed by Sigmund Freud who was an Australian physician. His psychology was based on the methods of interpreting of the mind, the observations of patients with mental problems or problems that were related to mental problems and introspection. He concentrated on resolving of the unconscious conflict, psychopathology as well as the mental distress of the human being. The theories that were coined by Freud were popular because they addressed issues of sexuality, the unconscious mind and also repression. The society saw the discussion of the problems Freud tried to tackle as a taboo. He managed to engage society in such discussions and proved to them that such issues could be discussed openly. It helps to deal with issues when conversations about the issues are held then the way forward formulated. Psychoanalysis was criticized and seen not to be efficient enough as it wasnt empirical and had not proven to withstand experimental tests. John B. Watson founded behaviorism. This was inclined towards determinism as well as positivism. Behaviorism was based on the premise that the use of animals to experiment could give a more in-depth understanding of psychosocial behavior such as analysis that is psychonamic in nature. The behaviorists believed the scientific research methods would result in pursuing of the necessary weapons needed to control the problems life presents rather than searching for truths which are seen to be timeless. Behaviorists maintained that much of the components of the human mind are not open to the scrutiny of science and that scientific psychology should rely on the behavior observed. This led to behaviorist analyzing the behavior of humans and relating the behavior with the environment in which the human being exists or interacts with. The behaviorism model of psychology has been challenged and its fall in part paved the way for more models to come into existence (Syed, 2002). (Khaleefa, 1999)In reaction to psychoanalysis and behaviorism, humanism and existentialism emerged in the mid 20th century. Here the whole person was analyzed and not just some parts of the person. Humanism focused on practical human issues such as aloneness, meaning, self-identity, freedom as well as death. Emphasis was not on pathology but on determinism rejection, the positive growth concern as well as subjective meaning. Abraham Maslow an American psychologist played a major role in the development of humanism. There was the formulation of the hierarchy of human needs, client-centered therapy and Gesalt therapy. Existentialism focuses on the human nature as being neutral. It also focused on anxiety and positively assessed it. Existentialism argued that the human themes such as freewill, death and meaning are shaped by existing myths as well as narrative patterns. The human themes are allowed as authentic by the human freewill. (Levin Troiden, 1988) The cognitive revolution gave birth to cognitivism as a strain of thought. Naomi Chomsky is responsible for this. Cognitivism does not support the idea that research and analysis ignoring the innate child contribution to human behavior. Cognitivism had proven to have a practical approach as it assisted in the understanding of weapons operations during the World War II. By the end of the 20th century, cognitivism had taken the psychology world and other related subjects by storm. New concepts to replace the ones that were being used in behaviorism and psychoanalytic strains of thinking were formulated such a subliminal processing and implicit memory. Cognitive psychology did not throw all the work that was done by behaviorists and psychoanalysts but it took the better of the two worlds, made it make sense and incorporated it into cognitive psychology. Cognitive psychology comprised of various subfield that deal with psychology such as neuroscience, philosophy of the mind as well as computer science. One cannot strictly follow one school of thought and claim to completely understand the human mind. All schools of thought are very crucial in the understanding of the human mind. Modern psychology has come up with a school of thought that integrates all the other existent schools of thought; the biopsychosocial approach. This is so as to make it clear that any human mental process or behavior is governed by many interrelated biological, psychological as well as other social factors (Syed, 2002). Psychology is a very wide field and so much is yet to be learnt in the psychology field. There exists several subfield of psychology. In other words, we can easily come up with a long list of the psychology topics as well as the disciplines that psychology encompasses. Abnormal psychology as the name suggests involves the study of behavior that deviates from normal behavior. Biological psychology is the study that involves a combination of the biological processes in relation to the state of the mind. Biological psychology is related to cognitive neuroscience, neuropsychology as well as physiology. Clinical psychology is a subfield of psychology that deals with the application of psychology knowledge with the aim of solving problems to do with distress, personal development as well as the general well being of humans. Other subfields of psychology include; counseling psychology, cognitive psychology, critical psychology, comparative psychology, forensic psychology, educational psychology, development psychology, evolutionary psychology, legal psychology, global psychology, industrial psychology, health psychology, quantitative psychology, occupational health psychology, personality psychology, school psychology as well as social psychology (Miller, 1983) When professions in the psychology field research, they draw knowledge from other bodies of knowledge so as to understand the psychology phenomena. They can do this by abduction, deduction or induction. In any psychological research project, there is no reliance on only one type of inference but all of them help when used together. There are psychologists that do nothing but research on psychology. They play a very important role in adding to the existing knowledge that psychology has so far accumulated. These researchers make use of controlled experiments, animal studies, quantitative and qualitative research, qualitative and descriptive research methods, survey questionnaires, observations in natural settings, computational modeling, longitudinal studies, animal studies and lastly, neuropsychological methods (Steffens, 2006). Psychology has been criticized to be a fuzzy science. The main reason is because there is no pre-paradigm being that we can base psychology on. Some of the interests in psychology such as well being, thinking, personality, emotion and many more cannot be measured and inferential statistics applied to it. The empirical aspect is not complete as some things cannot be assigned a number value. The testing of hypothesis is normally not up to standard as most psychologists are not adequately train to be able to analyze data. The criticism sometimes comes from one psychologist to another especially when one is research oriented and the other is clinical oriented. One side may argue that the clinical practices are not backed by empirical evidence and the other side may argue that experiments are done in controlled environments which are not the same as the real world situations. There is also concern that the scientific theories of psychology are miles apart from the actual application of ps ychology. It is more like going to school to study something then not applying the same thing in the profession one studied for. Critical Psychology By the fact that the word critical psychology has the word psychology at the very end than this means that it is a branch of psychology. Just the same way you would have people that bear the last name in a family setting, this would tell you that the two children belong to the same father. The word critical is used as it in itself is critical as it tries to bring out the aspects that mainstream psychology has continually ignored or not considered. Its main aim is to criticize mainstream psychology and this was the premise on which this branch called critical psychology came into existence. It points out other factors that may also explain the reason as to why some people think the way they think as well as make us understand the reason as to why some people are not mentally well and why some people are not physically well. Even before getting into the details of critical psychology, it is already clear that the role of critical psychology in mainstream psychology is very important. T he fact that critical psychology provides some kind of checks and balances in the psychology body of knowledge is a very big reason for one to argue that for sure critical psychology plays a major role in mainstream psychology because it acts as a push to mainstream psychology for it to grow and for it to incorporate some of the things that have been hidden from it or may have not been in existence when the body of knowledge was established meaning critical psychology gives life to mainstream psychology. Freie Universitat Berlin is the institution in which critical psychology was started in the 1970s. It is largely based on the existing knowledge that psychology as a whole had accumulated by then but it also at the same time came up with its own theories and explanations as it sees the world at one particular moment. By the beginning of May 2007, there were very few words that had been translated into English. The main root of German Critical Psychology is the post-war babyboomers student revolt which happened during the late sixties. The main spark of the student revolt was the criticism of the political economy by Marx. Berlin was the best spot for the student revolt as it was a free city which was circumference by East Germany. East Germany was socialist. This led to the sociological foundations upon which critical psychology is built to be Marxist. They have not gotten a listening ear from the many figures found in Critical Psychology. Klaus Holzkamp is a very important author in this field as he wrote the book Grundlegung der Psychologie. If the title of the book was to be translated in English then it would read Foundations of Psychology. This book is very sophisticated in the Critical Psychology field. Klaus Holzkamp might just be the man to be stamped the founder of Critical Psychology as far as the theories are concerned. Klaus had already two books which talked majorly about the theory of science as well as the sensory perception. He felt that the book on the foundations of psychology gave psychologists a reason to research as the book explains the solid paradigm upon which psychological research can be done. The book views psychology as a scientific discipline that is pre-paradigmatic. Aleksey Leontyev provides a unique approach to historical psychology as well as activity theory. According to him, the actions of human beings are as a result of the evolution of culture as well as the biological evolution. Leontyev drew from Marxs work where culture and its concepts have been materialized. He emphasized that the cognition of an individual is a subset of social action and social action is mediated by tools which are man-made such as cultural artifacts, social action is also mediated by language as well as systems and symbols that are made by man. Leontyev viewed this as something that provides a clear distinction between human cognition and human culture. Holzcamp in his attempt to give a comprehensive as well as integrated set of categories that were researched by Aleksey Leontyev, he did come up with this sophisticated book. The book was based on the research that Aleksey Leontyev had done as explained. One other theory we see Holzcamp using in his book in the fiel d of Critical Psychology is one that was developed by Lucien Steve; theory of personality. The concept here is of social activity matrices. The matrices are seen as the structure of mediation between individual reproduction as well as social reproduction. With the various theories Klaus Holzkamp is seen to use, he does not forget the works that were done at the institution in which Critical Psychology was born; Free University of Berlin. The works that were done at Free University of Berlin was done by critical psychologists and their works was greatly influenced by Mark, Steve and Leontyev. The materials he used included books that were written on sensory perception, animal behavior or ethology, cognition and motivation. Ideas from Freuds psychoanalysis which is a form of play therapy used to treat disorders and he also incorporated ideas from Merleau-Pontys phenomenology as he explained his approach. Holzcamp did a lot of comparative as well as historical analysis of perception, the human reproductive action as well as cognition. The core finding that he identified the symbolic meaning whether constructed culturally or historically to be structures that are conceptual and specifically useful to be structures that the human being will create in relationships that are close so as to make culture material. They also create the structures in close relationship in a culture that is material within the context of social reproduction that have been formed specifically in history. With this in mind, Klaus Holzkamp had a problem with behaviorism which he referred to as stimulus-response psychology or in short, S-R psychology. He looked at the analysis of the linguistics and he also showed how behaviorism created the illusion that is had scientific objectivity but at the same time behaviorism was not relevant in its understanding of human actions that are culturally situated and intentiona l at the same time. Klaus Holzkamp came up with his own approach that he drew a lot of ideas from a man that goes by the name Kurt Lewin and this he does in Chapter nine of his book titled Foundations of Psychology. This approach was to objectivity as well as generalization. Before Klaus Holzkamp died in the year 1995, he wrote on learning. His work was out in 1993 and he looked at learning from the object side and not the learner. Holzkamp was out to reinterpret the theories that were developed by psychology that was conventional. This means that he looked at the theories from the view of a critical psychologist and the paradigms of critical psychology. The useful insights that were found in conventional psychology were integrated into critical psychology but at the same time picking out and criticizing their implications that were limiting. In S-R psychology, the intentional action and the subject were eliminated. In cognitive psychology, the intentional action as well as the subj ect was taken into account. In the first part of the book, Holzkamp looks into the theories that were there in conventional psychology. The theories he focuses on most are those of learning. He then reinterprets the theories from a critical psychologist point of view. Jean Lave and Edwin Hutchins who contributed to the concept of classroom learning were very useful in the explanation of Holzkamps approach. In the second part of the book, Holzkamp looks at the modern world and the concept of classroom learning as something that is cultural and historical yet has an influence in socialization as well as learning. In the second part of the book, he looks at Michel Foucaults work of Discipline and Punish. According to Holzcamp, the historical way we know classroom learning is limiting to the student in that the ability of a student to learn is constrained to some finite teaching strategies. In his approaches, he strived to look for a way of learning that would make full use of the poten tial of the learner. Holzkamp explains expansive learning in the last part of the book which aims at overcoming the limitations that classroom learning presents. His ultimate plan was to write a book on life leadership but his demise came before he could go past the early stages of developing the book but some of this work was published in form of journals in Forum Kritische Psychologie and Argument. The period 1960s through to 1970s, critical psychology was known as radical psychology but the main reason it went by this term is to discourage the focus on the individual as the main object of analysis. It was also to discourage psychologists not to use the individual only as the only source of psychopathology. The close inspection of the role inspection plays was considered in radical psychology. The role of the society was looked at in the light that it causes and treats problems. Radical psychology looked at the change in society as an alternative therapy skill to treat illnesses of the mind as well as deal with the prevention of psychopathology. Anti-psychiatry was a term that was so common within psychiatry and so the British preferred the use of the term Critical Psychiatry. Up to today, the term Critical Psychology is still used to refer to the branch of psychology that seeks alternative methods of therapy to the conventional methods or forms of therapy that exist in the dis cipline of psychology. It is also against the idea of focusing so much on the individual that the influence the society has in the individual is not considered. In the 1990s, there were more authors writing about Critical Psychology. The one that caused a biggest shake and was most famous for its writings was an edited book and its title was Critical Psychology. This was a book written by Dennis Fox and Isaac Prilleltensky. Many different introductory texts that were written in the United Kingdom and were focused on critical psychology have a particular interest in the discourse. This was argued by different people in critical psychology as being as dangerous as mainstream psychology as it heavily relies on something; language. Heavily relying on one thing in a dynamic world is dangerous when you are supposed to explain something that interacts with so many things and in different ways. In the year 1999, Ian Parker came up with a manifesto that was very influential. The manifesto was on the Annual Review of Critical Psychology as well as the online journal Radical Psychology. In the manifesto, Ian says that Critical Psychology should have th e following components; Close examination in a systematic way of the manner in which various kinds of psychological action as well as experience have more weight over that of others, the manner in which the accounts of psychology which are dominant operate in ideologies as well as the service of the power. The manner in which the different varieties of psychology are constructed in the cultural and historical sense in their study and the manner in which the different kinds of psychology may assert or may refuse the assumptions of ideology of the mainstream psychological models The body of knowledge of the different kinds of the examination and the regulation by the individual himself or herself in day to day life and the manner in which psychological culture works when outside of the boundaries of academic practice as well as professional practice. The detail look at the manner in which mainstream psychology structures the professional work as well as the academic work in psychology and the manner in which day by day activities may provide a foundation for the act of resisting the happenings of the different disciplinary practices that are happening today. There are quite a number of journals that are international and are solely dedicated to Critical Psychology. Some of them include the Annual Review of Critical Psychology as well as the International Journal of Critical Psychology which is no longer being published. The journals lean more to the academic world. The Annual Review of Critical Psychology is an open access journal that runs online. In Britain, the Critical Psychologists and the Critical Psychiatrists have some commonality which they express via the Asylum Collective. Main Criticisms of Conventional psychology Different groups such as psychiatrists and patients as well as the public in general and the industrial lobbyists, or the very rich groups of society and the less rich groups of society, or even psychologists and their clients all have difference in power within the different groups. The psychiatrist is on a different power level as compared to the patient. They have met to discuss the same thing but it is clear that they will not discuss it from the same point of view. With such kind of treatments, the patient will mostly try to resist what the psychiatrist is saying. The psychiatrist and the patient may not agree especially when the patient has some knowledge on the same. Psychologists also have the same problem when dealing with their clients. They normally never have the same ground on which they base their actions. A patient will always want to stay in the comfort zone and what he or she went to do at the clinic is for him or her to be told that he or she is on the right course. The psychiatrist wants to gain millage as he or she interacts with the client but most of the time rather than not this millage are never easy to gain. The people who are very rich in society will definitely be at a very different level of power from the people who are less well-off in terms of finances. There are ideologies that the rich has formed about themselves and there are ideologies that the poor has formed about themselves. There also exist the theories the rich have come up about the poor and those that have come up about the rich. They are so different and I few were to put the two groups in a room there would be so much emotion that would feel the room. This already says a lot about their theories, they are based in the way they feel and not on how things are. Some poor people may have been raised by a mother who highly trained them to be beggars. They grow up not working for what they want in life. In life, you can work for whatever possibility possible that was create d by the creator of heaven and earth. The powers have been given to the human being but instead he or she will sit back and watch as things get out of hand for him o r her then start to blame some past experience or blame some one . As much as it is true that the way we relate with people I our childhood, the things that are said to us during our childhood and the things that are done to us during our childhood are very important in determining how we grow up, there exists so much media from which to learn from and so many people around us to learn from. There is no limitation as to what a human being can do that we are aware of in terms of improving their well being and taking it from one level to another. A human being can always improve himself. A human being can always fight for what he or she wants and still is in a position to wake up, shake the dust off and continue with life stronger than ever. The industrial lobbyists will have an angle from which they argue their points but the general public will always blame them for anything they can possibly utter when it comes

Ryanair airline

Ryanair airline 1.INTRODUCTION Ryanair is an Irish airline competing in European low cost short haul airline industry. They are one of the key players within this market with the jersey of cost leadership and a vision of flying at the cheapest rates to any of their destination. ‘if you find it cheaper elsewhere, we will give you a refund-Micheal OLeary, They are perhaps the most profitable. This report undertakes a detailed strategic analysis of Ryanair against the backdrop of an evolving global airline sector impacted considerably by the financial and economic markets crisis. It looks at Ryanairs current strategy and who and how of the management of that strategy. It identifies how the business functions impacts on the carriers customer relations and leaderships with regard to being a cost leader. It also attempts to give a brief evaluation of Ryanairs financial structure as well as an environmental analysis of the European airline short haul industry and how this affects Ryanair. 2. STRATEGIC POSITION. This is shown using tools like: PESTLE analysis for the macroenvorit, Porters five forces for the industry structure Resources and capabilities. Opportunities and threats of the SWOT analysis developed by Albert Humphrey for the analysis of Ryanairs external factors 2.1PESTLE Analysis Quite a number of these factors can be discussed but has been written in this paper in an order of priority. PESTLE Factors Comments Political EU directives prohibit direct subsidies by governments to their airlines as they work to establish a level-playing field among the regions airlines (Charalambous, 2009). This approach was driven by political developments, as various countries were willing to have a level-playing field across the European Union, not only in the airline sector but also in other various and relevant sectors in their countries. Economic The global airline sector is currently experiencing downfall in passenger travel and have seen falling revenues and also compounded by passengers making bookings at the last minutes for their travel and falling ticket values (Walters, 2009). For the consumer, the economic downturn has impacted the spending of individuals and families, and this has reflected in the lower airline travel being done by consumers (Blake, 2009). Socio-cultural Consumers attitudes towards travel has changed largely in recent times as the high cost of travel compared to other modes of transportation has made consumers more observant and aware not only of other transport alternatives but results in consumers demanding lower cost of travel from airlines. (Flanagan, 2008). This trend was aggravated by the financial and economic downturn which has made consumers manage their finances more closely given the uncertainties that the environment holds. Consumers will be expected to continue to pursue this trend as poorer economic outlook continues in the near future. But, a significant improvement in the confidence in the markets will lead consumers back to utilising airline travel again. Technological There have been technological developments in the airlines sector particularly those relating to improved fuel efficiencies of airlines (Harvey, 2008). In as much as they may be considerably costly at the time of investing or replacing, they are expected to generate substantial cost improvements that would be worth it These improvements, though beneficial would not be considered priorities in the current environment where considerable numbers of airlines are struggling to meet their passenger forecasts and revenue targets, and are posting large losses in their financial results. Legal The directives mentioned in the political factor will be implemented in this factor in specific countries across the European Union to ensure that it is strictly adhered to by each of the members Environmental These issues have been a key focus for the global airline sector in recent years as there has been increased demand for airlines to do their share in lowering the impact of the use of airplanes on the environment and the carbon footprint (Harvey, 2008). Ryanair has been one of the targeted airlines basically because of the large number of flights that it makes every day. This is due to their business model which calls for having their planes in the air for most of the time. This can be in contrast to the goals of environmental awareness for Ryanair to minimise the impact of the carbon footprint on the environment. In as much as environmental issues are important in the airline sector, this may take a back seat as other stakeholders will focus on more pressing issues including the viability of the airlines. This analysis showed that there are a number of developments impacting the airline industry globally and also some others affecting the European airline industry specifically. 2.2INDUSTRY STRUCTURE The Michael Porters Five Forces of competition will be used to analyse the European short haul airline industry. This analysis shows as well the changing influences in the sector with the key developments leading to actions for each factor that were deemed unthinkable only a few months ago. Five Forces Comments Entry Barriers The major barriers to entry include the large capital and relationships across the global airline sector to develop the network plan (Ionides, 2008). I could argue that the entry barriers actually just became even stronger with the poor performance of the sector due to the economic climate and the challenging periods that the players in the sector are facing. Buyer Power The key buyers are the individual consumers and also the travel agencies. Across these groups of buyers, the power would seem to have increased relative to previous situations. The key reason for this is the decreased demand from these groups of buyers (McCartney, 2009A; McCartney, 2009B). Based on this, the buyer power has increased, as much lower prices will be in demand versus previous years. Supplier Power Supplier power has decreased relative to the influence of the other factors. For example, airlines have been willing to reduce the work force considerably as a result of the falling passenger figures. Nevertheless, research has shown that the airlines which work closely with its workers (e.g. Lufthansa) perform better versus its competitors which have a relatively adversarial approach to the management of its work force (e.g. British Airways) and thus have an advantage (Creedy, 2009A). It is interesting to that in this time of hardship for various stakeholders in the global airline sector, it seems that different parties are working closely with each other for the sake of survival Threat of Substitutes There is an increased threat of substitutes. These come from (1) alternative modes of transportation, and (2) alternative activities resulting in lower airline travel. The alternative modes of transportation can only affect destinations where alternative modes of transportation exist and also where it does not become too stressful or inconvenient for the traveller e.g, between the UK and continental Europe. Across these region, alternatives modes of transportation exist, and travel time is not too excessive to make it unacceptable (Anselmo, 2008A). The alternative activities that result in lower demand for airline travel include people and families deciding to travel to destinations that do not require air travel. In the UK, a large number of families have opted to stay within the UK instead of travelling to continental Europe for holidays and weekends (Dick, 2009). Industry Rivalry The industry is expected to continue to see increased rivalry as the competitors try to capture the increasingly limited number of passengers. (Betts, 2008). Rivalry is driven by the decreased demand for travel which led some airlines to lower prices and now compete almost directly with the low-cost carriers such as Ryanair. The competitive position is seen to be high and will continue to do so as the players have put in their investments for the planes and infrastructure and would not manage these differently in order to drive returns. 2.3 Value networks and business partners As for the value chain of Ryanair, their relationships with suppliers provide it with the merit to deliver its low-cost strategy. Key suppliers include amongst others: its work force delivering the services to its customers: working intentionally within the guidelines of Ryanair to deliver its low-cost model to the consumers. the airports in which Ryanair operates in: the government airports work closely with Ryanair in ensuring an agreement that benefits both Ryanair and also the local community where Ryanair lands in. the supplier of its airplanes and other equipment : the supplier of its airplanes and equipment work with Ryanair to customise their fleet for Ryanair to provide their basic low-cost service model to travellers. 3.RESOURCES AND CAPABILITIES 3.1Strategic capabilities Their major capability is their ability to manage their low-cost business model and continue to operate within the parameters set by this model (Wallace, 2009).. Within the context of decreased demand for travel by consumers, its low-cost model has positioned the business extremely well. Ryanair has an advantage over other airlines which are only now adapting to a lower-cost model to match the requirements of the sector due to customers demand and what they are willing to pay for. As part of the low-cost business model, Ryanair relies on a strong, talented and efficient work force that delivers the services promised to customers within the cost model of Ryanair. This is an area that cannot allow for copying the low-cost model of Ryanair, particularly as personnel cost is significant in the airline sector together with fuel cost. 3.2 Key success factors The critical success factors for Ryanair have been their: ability to deliver their low-cost business model, capability to work with and coordinate closely with their suppliers through their talented work force ability to remain consistent to their stated business model and strategy. external recognitions In delivering this model, Ryanair maintained their approach even in the face of rising fuel costs (Ryanair, 2009). The recent year has shown how Ryanair manages their business with their consumers. They manage their cost base well amidst looking for alternative revenue sources to be able to generate additional revenues to offset increased costs from the impact of the oil prices. In working with their suppliers, Ryanair showed that the way to excel in the sector is to ensure that suppliers are also reaping the benefits of doing business with Ryanair (Wallace, 2009). There is a two-way relationship. Whether the current environment remains or the outlook becomes more favourable, Ryanair is positioned to capture the large part of the consumer demand for air travel to their destinations The success of Ryanair can also be seen from external recognitions. In December 2008, Ryanair was included in the list of Britains Most Admired Companies (BMAC), the first time it had been included in the list (Management Today, 2008).Over the past years, Ryanairs CEO, Michael OLeary, has been included in the list of the 30 Most Respected CEOs of Barrons, a global list of CEOs noted for â€Å"doing outstanding jobs of keeping their companies out of trouble and on course through conservative financial management, a strong focus on the customer and relentless innovation† (Barrons, 2009). 4. IMPLICATIONS OF STRATEGIC POSITIONING Dennis Foster (2006) stated in his lecture on Managing Strategic Change thatchange is a ‘people based process. This means that both staff and customers will have implications on Ryanairs strategic positioning and any changes they make to it.As supported in the leadership section of the report there is a good workingatmosphere and relationship between OLeary and his employees. Cavendish (2006) argues that ‘Ryanairs revenues last year apparently included almost two million flights that were booked by passengers who never showed up. While this is good for Ryanair from a financial point of view, it does not reflect good will on them from a customer relations aspect and could affect their position and strategy.Ryanairs recent trouble profit wise certainly would have had implications ontheir strategic positioning as they would have had to re-evaluate their strategy. The following table indicates the themes across the relevant strength and weaknesses derived from their core competencies factors in looking out for Ryan airs resources and capabilities SWOT Factors Comments Strengths Ryanairs business model is their major strength. In the current environment where travellers are searching for the lowest cost alternative to travel, Ryanair continues to provide customers with airline travel as an alternative that is worth considering (Moorcroft, 2009). Quite unusually, the current economic crisis has also helped Ryanair increase their market share in the sector as customers have moved to lower-cost airlines to manage their various costs of travel and this has helped fuel the continued growth of Ryanair despite the crisis, and has also helped position Ryanair to continue to see strategic growth initiatives in the sector (Brothers, 2008; Creedy, 2009B). Ryanair has developed strong relationships with various stakeholders. They are aware of the importance of working with their stakeholders to deliver the necessary services to consumers (McDonald, 2007). This is a key strength of Ryanair. Weaknesses Ryanair is largely a European airline even though it has the largest number of flights internationally among the worlds global airlines (Done, 2009). Thus, its revenues are undiversified in terms of regions, and thus any impact on the European airline market has a significant impact on the performance considerably and much more relative to other airlines which have geographically diverse revenue sources. The above strength and weaknesses showed that there are a considerable number of opportunities available for Ryanair. However; this would have to be carefully looked into given the significance of existing threats in the sector. 5. STRATEGIC CHOICE In an industry where news of poor performances has been seen largely on the front page of newspapers since the start of the financial and economic markets crisis, the performance of Ryanair has been a tremendous positive news to the industry as it has faced the challenges brought on by the crisis. Ryanair continues to benefit from the crisis as the consumers switch to lower cost travel alternatives (Milmo, 2008). However, the lower revenues generated and the falling number of passengers has still impacted the business as Ryanair announced losses for the first time since 1997, and expect that there may be further challenges in the near future (Bhargava, 2008). In a recent announcement of results, â€Å"Ryanair, Europes largest low fare airlines today, announced a Q3 loss of EUR102m, (compared to a profit of EUR35m in last years Q3), as average fares fell by 9% to EUR34, fuel costs rose by 71% to EUR328m, revenues rose by 6% to EUR604.5m, as traffic grew 13% to 14m, as more consumers switch to Ryanairs low fares from high fare competitors† (RNS, 2009). Ryanairs strong position in the industry has allowed it to pursue inorganic activities despite the financial and economic markets crisis and even in the face of a challenging environment for the airline industry. While most of the players in this sector will likely pursue the lowering of costs to managing its operations, Ryanair continues to surprise analysts and investors alike. Ryanair continues to pursue its interest in Aer Lingus. A key reason for the interest of Ryanair in Aer Lingus is that it owns a substantial part(29%) of the airline and is concerned about the poor performance of the airline and the impact it has on the value of Ryanairs shareholdings (Hancock, 2008). In as much as these opportunities exist for Ryanair. The global airline industry is currently facing a large number of threats that may be hindrances to achieving these opportunities. Some of which are the fluctuating US$ exchange rate and the fuel prices. These threats have prevented airlines from realising a stable stream of earnings in recent periods with a considerable amount of time being spent on management, with some pursuing to hedge, the changing value of the US$ and also the volatile oil and fuel prices (Anselmo, 2008B).Another threat is the continued recession seen in the major economies which is still playing an impact on the reduced travel of airline passengers with substitutes for air travel seeing increased volumes. 6. STRATEGIC DECISION AND RECOMMENDED STRATEGY Goingforward, Ryanair can continue to be positioned as a niche cost leader in the global airline sector by pursuing the opportunities that currently exist and also addressing the weaknesses that exist within the firm. By so doing, Ryanair will be able to capture the demand from consumers of low-cost travel and also position it to weather any further difficulties in the market that may be limited only to specific regions in which Ryanair operates in. For low-cost carriers in particular, a key threat is the potential move of full-service airlines into the business model of carriers such as Ryanair and easy Jet given the demand of passengers for lower-cost travel (Furlonger, 2009). This will only increase the competition in the sector overall and, in particular, in the low-cost segment of the market. Ryanairs Innovativeness has ensured its sustainability and will carry them forward into the future. To recommend any major changes would be to predict how the airline industry will change which ultimately cannot be foreseen. However, the following decisions can be considered the advent of new routes will bring more customers, from both departure points. a subtle shift in their strategy could be appropriate. For example offering drinks vouchers onboard for the customers next flight might entice more people back CRITICAL REFLECTION If there is anything i gained on this course. It is the fact that it not clear cut, but contains a number of complementary and opposing schools of thought. In the paper above, i will like to reflect particularly on the limitation of most of the theories i learnt. Although, they are seen as the bedrock of strategic planning. Not much emphasis is laid on the leadership, culture, power and politics in the process of strategy formulation in developing and evaluating organizational strategies. As seen in the strategic audit of Ryanair using at least 6models of strategic theories and i can count how many times the power and politics were mentioned in as much as Michael OLeary was mentioned. The emphasis in strategic planning models is more on the environment , profits and losses ,customers, competitors and growth. Even though SP involves all business functions in an organisation, i can say that it is done from the top. As a matter of fact, most decisions made are from the top. I wonder why there is then little emphasis on the power and politics within Ryanair. Should the present CEO be replaced, what will the future hold for this company. This will happen eventually as retirement will come some day. I wonder what the power play is like in this organisation. I know the destinations that the carrier flies to, I know the strengths and weaknesses, i also have a clear idea of its competitors, customers, and suppliers. But there was no model allowing me to spend time looking into politics in Ryanair, What if the strategic recommendations i made will be affected by politics within the organisation, maybe based on the personal interest of key members on the board of ryanair. The present CEO wasnt even looked into with such details but for his fame in the face of the media, maybe there was nothing that focuses on him. In the nearest future, businesses will be all about people and there will be great pressure on models like PESTLE, SWOT, and the likes. The 7s framework by Mckinsey could be an alternative or better still a key tool at that time because it focuses on the people and their processes. A critical insight into people in an organisation will give room for the study of the politics and power play within a well structured organisation.

Vietnam Retaliation In The U.S :: essays research papers

â€Å"Vietnam was the first war ever fought without any censorship. Without censorship, things can get terribly confused in the public mind.† - Gen William C Westmoreland, US Army (http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/13476.html)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is said that a war cannot be fought without the support of the people. Much so was this related to the Vietnam conflict. I say the â€Å"Vietnam Conflict† in that the United States never actually declared war on North Vietnam after its communist split-up in 1960. The conflict was based on the principles of containment stated in the Truman and Eisenhower Doctrines. These documents stated that military aid would be given to any nation willing to fight communism. This idea of â€Å"keeping communism in it’s place† without it spreading to new nations was called containment, a name given by President Harry Truman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In May of 1955, Vietnam, which was a French colony, was broken up by rebels led by Ho Chi Minh. Under the accords of the Geneva Convention, the French colony was broken into Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. North Vietnam was supported by the Communist China and Soviet Union while South Vietnam fought off communism with aid from the United States. These series of events added to the tensions felt in the Cold War, which lasted between the United States and the Soviet Union until 1989.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The year 1964 brought the United States into the conflict even more with President Johnson’s Operation â€Å"Rolling Thunder†, which bombed railroads, troop camps and other North Vietnamese targets. This also brought two battalions of 3,500 marines and opened the door to lead 540,000 men in Vietnam by 1967. This drastic call for troops to be deployed to Vietnam called on the Selective Service Act, which drafted men into the military who fit certain requirements. This combined with anti-war sentiments felt at home led to the opposition to the war I am to speak about.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Conflict in Vietnam did not go unnoticed at home as well. Some Americans were eager to fight Communism in Vietnam. But, unlike most wars of American time, the action in Vietnam had a very split approval amongst Americans. Many believed that the conflict was the responsibility of South Vietnam, and not that of the United States. By the conflict’s escalation, however, the approval of the practice of containment in Vietnam dropped drastically as more Americans lost their lives to Viet-Cong guerillas. But some were optimistic, said here: â€Å"Writer James Reston commented that the anti-war demonstrations were not helping to bring peace to Vietnam. He said they were postponing it. He believed the demonstrations would make Ho Chi

Three Stikes Law :: essays research papers

Is the â€Å"Three Strikes and You’re Out† law cruel and unusual punishment? The purpose of my research paper is to analize how the â€Å"Three Strikes Law† helps to support our Constitution or violates it. I will discuss where the law came from and why we have it. I will also write about the positive and negative aspects of the law as a whole. I hope to be able to analize the spirit of the law versus the letter of the law as it relates to this subject. â€Å"In 1994 California voters approved a ballot initiative known as "Three Strikes and You're Out." Basically what it means is that people who are convicted of three felonies may end up facing life in prison.† There are some limitations though on how this law is executed. Not any felony constitutes a strike. For the first and second strikes only serious and violent felonies can count as a strike. Also some juvinille crimes can count. For the third strike any felony can be the final blow. While for the first two strikes it takes crimes like rape, kiddnapping, and robbery; the third strike can be a crime as simple as carring brass knuckles. This law â€Å"was enacted in 1994 after Polly Klaas was kidnapped from a slumber party in her home and murderedby Richard Allen Davis, who had two prior kidnapping convictions. The jury recommended that Davis be sentenced to death, and the judge imposed that sentence.† â€Å"On March 7, 1994, Governor Wilson signed into law AB 971 (Ch 12/94, Jones) referred to as the Three Strikes and You're Out criminal sentencing measure. In November, the voters reaffirmed the measure by overwhelmingly approving Proposition 184, an initiative that is essentially identical to Chapter 12. The measure is the most significant change to the state criminal justice system in more than a generation.† Govenor Wilson passed this law as part of his goal to crack down on repeat offenders and dangerous felons. The case of Richard Allen Davis was the prime example of how the law could be effective.

Empirical Literature Article Review of Leadership Ethics Essay

The opportunity to evaluate original research serves as one of the many foundations to both scholarly writing and research (Grand Canyon University, 2013). Therefore, to enhance this process I will critique empirical research articles for the purpose of demonstrating the effectiveness in understanding leadership ethics. So, using the literature presented within in the works of â€Å"Predictors of Ethical Code Use and Ethical Tolerance in the Public Sector† by Neal Ashkanasy, Sarah Falkus, and Victor Callan along with â€Å"Advancing Ethics in Public Organizations: The Impact of an Ethics Program on Employees’ Perceptions and Behaviors in a Regional Council† by Itai Beeri, Rachel Dayan, Eran Vigoda-Gadot, and Simcha Werner, and finally, â€Å" An Empirical Study of Leader Ethical Values, Transformational and Transactional Leadership, and Follower Attitudes Toward Corporate Social Responsibility† by Kevin Groves and Michael LaRocca comparisons will be made on the relevance and need for research purposes. In comparison, the authors of each study utilize ethical behaviors for the purpose of comparing relationships, perceptions, and beliefs associated with measures of ethical practice. Furthermore, reasonable justification for conducting the research presented in each study is outlined as evidence from the posed research questions and is validated within the results of each piece of literature reviewed. Posed Research Questions Relating the Authors in the Comparison Similarly, the literature within each study focused on ethical practice and how it used to enhance behavior of individuals within organizations. However, assertions within the scope of the posed research questions present relevant generalizations for each study. For example, Ashkanasy, Falkus, and Callan (2000) focused on variables that formulated predictive roles of organizational, individual, group, and contextual levels for utilizing formal codes of conduct. These variables were developed to serve as predictors of ethical tolerance as a result of formal code use. Whereas, organizational commitment (OC), organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and quality of work life (QWL) are the basis in which Beeri, Dayan, Vigoda-Gadot, and Werner (2013) perceive positive relationships are built as ethical resources are generated. Hence, these three areas promote awareness of ethical leadership and decision making in addition to the ethics code. Further, Groves and LaRocca (2011) incorporate the notion of corporate social responsibility by modeling both transformational and transactional leadership styles. Here, the idea is leaders with deontological values of ethics will be perceived as modeling transformational leadership, while leaders with teleological values of ethics are perceived as modeling transactional leadership (Groves et al. , 2011). Although each study assessed various ethical practices, each displays similarities in presenting study results as a means of validating posed questions of research. Sample Populations The results recorded from evaluations used in the sample populations’ highlighted evidence relevant to that of measures needed to verify theory associated with ethical practice. Hence, each study presented the results through a form of statistical analysis in which various test groups within the field of research were used. Moreover, similar methods were incorporated to assess the results of the respondents within all three studies. Ashkanasy, Falkus, and Callan’s Approach This evaluation involved mailed questionnaires to public sector employees in one State of Australia. The principal method of conducting this study was based on hierarchical regression, and addressed several factors such as: demographic measures, personal ethical values and attitudes, context and group-level variables, and organizational practices (pg. 245, 2000). Given the basis of evidence Ashkanasy, Falkus, and Callan (2000) used this method of analysis to assert that ethical decisions are more likely to be influenced by employees, versus the effect of group and individual variables. Beeri, Dayan, Vigoda-Gadot, and Werner’s Approach In lieu of the goal to test the relationships between ethics and performance within governments locally, Beeri et al. , (2013) used questionnaires to evaluate the long term effects of an ethics program on employees’ perceptions, and the behavior in one council of an Israeli region. This as a result, stems from awareness of ethical codes, and inclusion of employees in the ethical decision making process. Groves and LaRocca’s Approach Groves and LaRocca (2011) utilized voluntary community-based leadership programs that targeted educational values on ethics. The leaders of these community based programs were emailed a link with instructions for participation with an online questionnaire. The assumption here was that training on both transformational and transactional leadership, in addition to ethical decision making and CSR would now be implemented. Results Analysis All in all, the results displayed by the analysis of each study correspond to the overall effort of the posed research. For example, supported results aligned with study hypotheses, but signified that certain mechanisms underlie the criterion for each of the tested variables on different levels according to Ashkanasy, Falkus, and Callan (2000). Whereas, Beeri et al. , (2013) report a greater awareness in ethical codes and decision making along with increased organizational commitment is achieved as a result of positive ethical leadership. And finally, Groves and LaRocca (2011) correlated their findings with the original prediction that transformational leadership alone was aligned with the beliefs of followers in view of the corporate social responsibility of stakeholders. Conclusion Study Limitations of Articles To fully appreciate the level of understanding needed to evaluate literature of empirical research, a description of the methodology, research questions and an analysis of results must be presented to determine the validity of the overall analysis. And as such, each study discussed within the contents of this paper has been successful in delivering on all areas to support research efforts. However, there were areas that pose limitations to future research efforts for all three studies. For example, the use of questionnaires may not represent a true assessment of the respondent’s beliefs (Ashkanasy et al. , 2000). Also, issues surrounding anonymity can urface when responding to questions concerning ethical climate (Beeri et al. , 2013). And further, influences set by both common source and common method can stimulate bias in lieu of follower values of CSR (Groves & LaRocca, 2011). For future development of the practice The results yield an overall influence within organizations that build on variables to increase ethical standards. However, there are yet underlying issues for democratic organizations that stress the importance of ethics, integrity, and fairness (Beeri et al. , 2013). And recommendations for further study are necessary to promote the continuous effort of influencing follower perceptions toward ethical commitments.

Internship Report on Gfc

Prepared By: Farhan Ahmad Roll No: 0802090-059 Faculty of Management & Administrative Sciences University of Gujrat INTERNSHIP REPORT A six weeks internship report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of the BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION in Accounts from Faculty of Management & Administrative Sciences University of Gujrat by FarhanAhmad Under Roll No: 08020920-059 The Internship report of Mr. Farhan Ahmad is approved: ————————————————————- Internship Supervisor Letter of Transmittal The Coordinator, Faculty of Management & Administrative Sciences University of Gujrat Subject: Submission of Internship Report Dear Sir, I acknowledge with my cordial thanks the co operation & encouragement you provided and it gives me great pleasure in submitting my report to you. With regard to the opportunities you provided, I tried entirely to figure out something about fan industry and its requisite prospects. During my 6 weeks training session I have gathered & learned a great experience for myself . finally I entirely enjoyed this assembling of term paper with your renowned institution, mortal support & encouragement. I should be glad and ready to co-operation with whatever you may ask for further clarification. Thank you. Yours Sincerely, ——————- Farhan Ahmad Roll No: 08020920-059 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I dedicate this internship report to all the employees of GFC (Pvt. ) Ltd. Whose kind guidance and help, during my stay in metro, made me to learn a lot about different tasks at professional level. At this moment I also want to give a tribute to my teachers by dedicating this report to Faculty of Management & Administrative Sciences, University of Gujrat. TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Page No. Letter of Transmittal 05 Acknowledgement 06 Executive Summary 07 1. Introduction of Organization08 Brief History08 Company’s Credential 14 Company’s Achievements16 Company’s Certificates 17 Type Of Company 19 Hierarchical Level Of Company_____20 Boards Of Directors_____21 Communication Model 22 2. Company’s Departments__23 2. 1. Purchase Department24 2. 2. Inspection Department26 2. 3. Production Department27 2. 4. Sales and Marketing Department30 2. 5. Research and Development31 2. 6. Internal Audit31 2. 7. Export & Import Department32 2. 8. Accounts Department34 2. 9. Human Resource Management37 2. 10. Field of Activity37 3. Other Learning43 4. Objectives of Studying the Organization 44 5. The Business Principles of GFC 44 6. Suggestions48 7. References51 8. Appendix52 9. Contacts of Internee and Organization 54 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY General Fans Company (Pvt. ) Ltd. Is one of the top most Fan manufacturers in Pakistan which is recognized for best quality and design in Fan Industry. It is a great honor for me that I have completed my six week internship as per degree requirements in HR department of GFC. There are several departments working in GFC which include: †¢Purchases †¢Raw material inspection †¢Production †¢Sales and Marketing †¢Research and Development †¢Accounts Department †¢Human Resources Management †¢Internal Audit †¢Export & Import I was first assigned to the HR department for first four weeks and then rotated to different departments in the last few weeks so that I may understand the workings and collaboration of different departments. It was a very good experience in GFC and I observed every department and its working keenly and gave my suggestions to the top management for the betterment of GFC. INTRODUCTION OF ORGANIZATION 1. 1. Brief History General Fan Company (Pvt. ) Ltd. was formed in 1954 as a small manufacturing unit for electric fans. The company grew rapidly from its modest start because of the quality of its products. The company was one of the major exporters of fans in 1960's to Iraq. However, the company was in trouble in late 1970's due to differences in its partners. The present management took over the company in 1978 and Mechanical Engineer Muhammad Ilyas took over as Chief Executive of the company. Under his dynamic leadership the company grew rapidly and G. F. C became major recognized brand for fans in the Pakistani market. Mr. Muhammad Ilyas, the Chief Executive who is a foreign trained Mechanical Engineer, brought in new technologies for fan manufacturing from developed countries and improved G. F. C products in a continuous process. Automatic Capstan Lathe Machines and Die Casting Machines were introduced in 1982. Automatic Winding Machines were brought from Taiwan in 1985. A Japanese made modern Enameled Wire Manufacturing Plant was installed in 1987 for the manufacturing of quality enameled copper wire for own consumption as well as for the sale in the local market. Plastic Injection Molding Machines were installed in 1993 to manufacture own plastic parts for plastic fans like Exhaust Fans, Bracket Fans, Circumatic Fans and Table Fans. A modern tool room was set up for the manufacture of Dies, Molds and Models etc. The tool room consists of Wire Cut Machines, EDM Machines, Surface Grinders, Cylindrical Grinder, Shaper Machines, CNC Milling Machines and Copy Milling Machines. Automatic Rotor Balancing Machines were introduced in 1995 to further improve the quality of fans. Modern Continuous Stamping Presses were installed in 1997 for manufacture of motors of all type of fans such as Ceiling, Pedestal, Bracket, Exhaust and Circumatic Fans etc. Slitter Machine for slitting the electrical steel sheet coils was installed in 1999. The company started manufacturing Washing Machines in 1996. Due to its quality and excellent finish the product has become an instant success. Gas & Electric Geysers are being manufactured since year 2000. The Chief Executive Mr. Muhammad Ilyas is a pioneer in the export of electric fans from Pakistan. To initiate the export from Pakistan he attended an International exhibition for electrical appliances in 1993 in Abu-Dhabi. The company also participated in many trade delegations as well as exhibitions arranged by Export Promotion Bureau and Federation of Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Bangladesh, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai, Bahrain. Qatar, Sudan, Egypt, U. S. A. etc. G. F. C was the first Pakistani company to export fans to the Middle-East. G. F. C Fans became an instant success due to their quality and durability in all the markets where these were introduced. General Fan Company has also set up a unit to manufacture capacitors used in electric fans, Washing machines and motors. Mr. Muhammad Ilyas (Chief Executive) and Mr. Muhammad Ijaz (Finance Director) are always on the look out for the latest technology for manufacturing of electric fans as well as for corporate management of the company. Now G. F. C has established a new Computer department which keep its Executives update about any inquires. This shows the interest of management not only in manufacturing technology. But they also know the importance of information technology. G. F. C has stepped in this Millennium fully equipped with manufacturing and information technology for Corporate Management and Marketing. G. F. C can rightly claim that they have all the best technologies in its workshops, which are available for Design, Production. Our products are now of International Standard, and we are truly an International Company. Our 800 Employees and Management are committed to Excellence in Quality. G. F. C. was the pioneers in export of fans from Pakistan. G. F. C. has got eight Export Trophy Awards for Fans and other Electrical Products like enameled Copper Wire. 1. 2. Main Competitors: General Fan Company has perfect competition in the market for different products, mainly in fan manufacturing field. The main competitors of G. F. C (General Fan Company) are; ? Pak fan ?Royal fan ?Younis Fan 1. 3. First mover advantage: General Fan Company is currently enjoying the first mover advantage of exports. G. F. C is the only company which starts to export to other countries. That's the reason company has been rewarded export trophy for 08 times. G. F. C being the most popular brand as for the electric fans in Bangladesh most of the fan manufacturers in Bangladesh are using â€Å"G. F. C† trade mark beside the manufacturers of China who are exporting their electric fans to Bangladesh with the same Trade Mark. To stop the manufacturing and selling of fake G. F. C Fans which are registered vide Trade Mark Registration No. 62674 dated 22. 11. 1999 the Chief Executive of the company, Engineer Mohammad Ilyas, visited Bangladesh. 1. 4. Our Core Values: ?Competent ?Committed ?Creative ?Cooperative ?Caring 1. 5. VISION STATEMENT We believe that we have A unique product which has been developed by G. F. C, And no other country manufactures a pedestal fan like ours. This product is most useful in the hot tropical humid climates. We want to mark this product throughout the world, And we foresee this product to dominate the entire International market. We want to set up an excellent after-sales-service, And spare parts supply service to each and every country. We also want to set up home service centers throughout the world. We believe that within 10 years; We can achieve an export target of US Dollars 40 Million. 1. 6 MISSION STATEMENT To produce such quality products, Which provide entire satisfaction to all our customers the world over. 1. 7 QUALITY POLICY STATEMENT Quality policy of G. F. C is to produce such quality products, which provide our customer the entire satisfaction the world over. to meet this obligation, we continually update employees’ skills by introduction of new technologies. 1. 8. COMPANY’S CREDENTIAL General Fan Company (Pvt. ) Ltd. is a pioneer in the export of electric fans from Pakistan. To initiate the export from Pakistan we participated in International exhibition for electrical appliances in 1993 in Abu-Dhabi. The company also participated in many trade delegations as well as exhibitions arranged by Export Promotion Bureau and Federation of Chamber of Commerce & Industry In Bangladesh, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Bahrain. Qatar, Sudan, Egypt, U. S. A. etc. G. F. C. was the first Pakistani company to export fans to the Middle-East. G. F. C. Fans became an instant success due to their quality and durability in all the markets where these were introduced. By the grace of God: ?G. F. C. has been getting the Export Trophy from FPCCI for the export of electric fans for many years. The growth rate of fan export from G. F. C. has been continuously more than 100% per annum for the last 5 years. 1/3rd of the total fans exported from Pakistan. ?G. F. C. has large International orders many times more than the previous years for the financial year 2001-2002 and we are looking forward to export fans to all parts of the world including United States and Europe. ?Water and Power development authority has issued the renewal of Registration in 1997. Registration Renewal is an honorable success that G. F. C. has achieved. ?ISO-9002 Certificate assures that Manufacturing Quality of Electric Fans are according to International Standards. Engineer in Chief Branch has given the certificate of Enlistment/Registration dated: 23-2-2000 on best technical performance. ?Contract agreement for supply of G. F. C. Fans for â€Å"Army Housing Directorate† at 30 April 2001 and is a big achievement for G. F. C. Fans. ?Pakistan Standard Institution has certified according to 1961 ordinance. The institution hereby grants to G. F. C. Fans. (Hereinafter called â€Å"the License†) this License is used as standard mark. 1. 9. COMPANY’S ACHIVEMENTS 1. 10. Company’s Certificates 1. 11. TYPE OF COMPANY General Fan Company (Pvt. ) Ltd. is a partnership company of two brothers. . 12. HIERARCHICAL LEVEL OF COMPANY 1. 13. BOARD OF DIRECTORS There are two families of jointly managing the General Fan Company. All boards of directors are family members. 1. 14. COMMUNICATION MODEL There is no well defined model of communication. I observed that following communication model. 2. COMPANY’S DEPARTMENTS To run an organization many departments work in it, so that an organization may achieve its aims and objectives efficiently. To ensure efficient working of G. F. C the departments that are working in it are as: There are 09 departments working in the Organization Purchases ?Raw material inspection ?Production ?Sales and Marketing ?Research and Development ?Accounts Department ?Human Resources Management ?Internal Audit ?Export & Import 2. 1. Purchase Department Purchase department in every manufacturing organization is of most importance. Because this department provides the other departments as production department with their basic needs. This department is also responsible for the quality of the products produced in that organization, as the quality of product depends upon the quality of raw material. In G. F. C raw material is also purchased from outside that's why they are in need of a production department to fulfill the purchase requirements. This department purchases raw material for the production department. It is the responsibility of this department to provide quality material within minimum cost. To achieve this purpose, the production department of G. F. C purchases raw material, in the supervision of two managers i. e. Mr. M. Kamran and Mr. Zia Hussain, from both sources i. e. ?By domestic purchases ?By importing raw material In Domestic Purchasing, G. F. C purchases raw material regarding the manufacturing of, fans, washing machines, room air coolers, etc. and mostly for this purpose markets of good standards are visited. G. F. C purchases raw material locally from Gujranwala, Lahore, Gujrat, etc. In imports, G. F. C mostly imports those materials that are either expensive or of low quality in Pakistan. Importing is done to keep the standard of production high as well as keeping per unit cost at some reasonable point. The material that in included in imports of G. F. C are ?Aluminum Sheets. ?Copper Rods. ?Plastic raw material. ?Mini Motors Chemicals Here is lists of those countries from which mostly imports are done by G. F. C are from: ? China ?Taiwan ?Korea ?United Kingdom ?Japan ?Hong Kong 2. 2. Inspection Department Those organizations that don't compromise on quality keep an inspection department whose work is to inspect the raw material for quality of raw material and its quantity. If any material is of less quality or of that quality that is not acceptable to the organization, this department doesn't give permission to enter such material within the boundaries of organization and material is returned as it is. In G. F. C there is an in charge for the inspection of raw material and it is his responsibility to make sure that the purchase made for organization is for that material which is of best quality. This department restricts the entry of such material that is either of: ? Less quality ?Defective ?From unauthorized dealer ?Not useful This department ensures that material purchased is of: ?Best Quality ?Contains no defect ?From authorized dealer 2. 3. Production Department Production department in any organization is of immense value. Performance, working, profitability, etc. epends upon this department. All the products of organization are manufactured here. It is the department where force of organization either in labor form or in financial form is applied over material to make products for the organization. So that organization may sell those products in the market to get profit. Like other organizations G. F. C is also paying great attention towards Production Department. According to C. E. O of G. F. C, Production and Selling Departments are of more importance to them. This department works under the supervision of Mr. Asim Ijaz who is the Director of production and he has 4 foremen under his authority so that authority is delegated to others in order to make sure that work is going as at should be. Staff in production department is highly skilled although most of them are not too much educated but they are skilled person in whom 20 members of management and 700-800 are labors and these are the true assets of the company In G. F. C production department is divided into further sub departments as: ? Motor Section ?Body Section ?Fitting Section ?Packing Section 2. 3. 1. Motor Section I. In this section of production department motors for various products of G. F. C are produced. In this section motors for ceiling fans, pedestal fans, room air coolers, etc. are manufactured. II. Ceiling fans use a variety of motors i. e. 36†³ 48†³ and 56†³ are used. And this section produces the motors for all. III. In Pedestal fans motors used are entirely different from the motors used in ceiling fans. This section also produces the motors for pedestal fans. IV. Meanwhile room air coolers also use motors in two ways. V. Motors for fans VI. Motors for water pumps. This section produces the motors for all. This section covers sub sections as: a. Winding Section In this section copper wire is made winded, for type of motor that is going to be used in the Production of other products. b. Coil Testing Section In this section coils made in winding section are tested whether they are in working condition or not. Only approved coils are sent to motor section. 2. 3. 2. Body Section: In this section of production department bodies of various products are manufactured. No matter whether the body is made of plastic or it is made of metal. In this section, bodies of fans, washing machines, coolers, heaters, and other products are manufactured. This section is comprised of the following: Blade section ?Plastic Molding Section ?CNG milling section ?Copper Wire Section i. Blade Section: In this section blades for different kinds of fans are produced. Fan blades, blades for air coolers, etc. are produced here keeping in mind that blades should be good looking and efficient in working. ii. Plastic Molding Section: In this section production department plastic is molded in various shapes to make bodies of fans in plastic those parts of ceiling fans that are of plastic. In short this section makes all the plastic parts of products. iii. Copper Wire Section: This section makes the copper wire for own use and also as a product of G. F. C to be sold in market and for using in its own production process e. g. in making motors. iv. Fitting Section: This section is responsible for the assembling of different parts that make up a product. In this section rotor and stator are combined to make up a complete motor. Similarly in blade section blades are assembled with their connecters. In this department other things like pedestal fans are assembled. This section makes the product in final shape to be packed and sell. v. Packing Section: In this section products are packed to be delivered to selling and marketing department to sell them in the market to have income. This department provides the facility of safe packing and making the products in attractive packing to catch more and more customers. 2. 4. Sales and Marketing Marketing and selling department is very important for every company either is multinational company or domestic company. This department is a link between organization and customers. It s the responsibility of this department to make the customers aware about the products produced in the organization. On the other hand this department is also responsible to sale the products that are manufactured in the market. There is only one Director of marketing i. . Mr. Nabeel Ahmad Ilyas, son of C. E. O Mr. Muhammad Ilyas, and one manager in sales department is Mr. Abdul Rehman. Marketing department is responsible to provide the goods in the market according to the need of the customers. Focus the marketing department is to providing products at proper place at proper time. Staff of this department is highly qualified and skilled. This department concentrates on qualified staff who analyze the market and suggest the manager how and where they should to present it. In the off-season, G. F. C also sells its products in large quantity by offering the special discount. They give special discount on buying their products. According to a survey made by G. F. C only 40% fans in the market are from recognized and registered firms remaining 60% are private and unregistered firms. Their product's sale in KARACHI is stronger and their market share is 18% out of 40%. 2. 5. Research and Development Research and development (R) department in any organization can lead the organization away from others because this department makes a research in the market regarding future trends, expected changes that are going to be in customer's taste and demand. It also suggests to the organization what was the response of previous version of product and what is to be innovated. In G. F. C R&D is not working in the form of a well arranged and not in a proper form of a department. Few employees Mr. Engineer Shehbaz as the manager of this so-called department do this work of R&D department. He is alone responsible for the research work. 2. 6. Internal Audit Internal Auditing is done to check the working of Accounts Department. Mostly it is done to prevent the errors in cash matters of the organization either intentional or unintentional. G. F. C has also its internal Account Department that works in the supervision of Mr. Malik Tafheem has taken the responsibility of internal Auditor. The work of this department is to show actual position of accounts that should be error free. As chances of fraud and misappropriation prevail in every organization so this is the responsibility of this department to fail all the tries that are made in this regard. Note: External Audit is done by the â€Å"M. A Chaudhary. † 2. 7. Export & Import Department This department is revenue generator for the organization and it ensures that organization is gaining in the market. This department is accountable for the delivery of products to the markets where the organization wants to compete and capture market by satisfying customers with their quality The strength of G. F. C fans depends on this department. Department has been comprised on highly skilled and experienced people, they perform their duties and boost the exports with in well-established structure. The manager of this department is MR. Shahid Ali. This department is responsible for contacting with foreign raw material suppliers, search for the new suppliers when needed, import all the raw material required by production department. When company started its exports, there was no planned procedure. But now after growing the company uses latest technology for the export of products. This department plays an essential role to capture well challenging global market and deal with all import and export contemporary challenges under high responsibilities and company strategy and policy department endeavor to augment the export channels. G. F. C fans company first time export their products in AMERICA. Export is a major part that distinguishes it to the other companies. Export countries of GFC fans are, ?SAUDI ARABIA ?YUMAN ?AFGHANISTAN INDONASISA ?DUBAI ?UNITED KINGDOM ?UNITED STATE OF AMERICA 2. 8. ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT Accounts Department in any Organization is important because of its working. This department shows the progress of organization and allocates the amount to purchase department for purchases. It also pays the rewards to other factors of production in the form of rent, wages, salaries, interest on loans, e lectricity bills, payments to suppliers, managing company accounts etc. In G. F. C accounts department works under the responsibility of Mr. Shahid-Ur-Rehman who is the General Manager of the organization. This department is liable to allocate amount approved by C. E. O to various department on their need. This department also decides about the suitable method of paying wages to labors. In G. F. C accounts department has set the method of wages to production labor as PIECE RATE SYSTEM. This department prepares annual reports of the organization in the month of September every year because September is the closing month of annual year in G. F. C. This department is also held responsible for the distribution of annual bonuses and relieves to the workers that C. E. O declares to them. 2. 8. 1. SOURCES OF RECEIPTS: Recovery from sales through show room ?Sales proceeds of left over raw material ?Export fans 2. 8. 2. PAYMENTS: ?Wages ?Staff Salaries ?Utilities expenses ?Govt. Dues 2. 8. 3. GOVT. PAYMENTS: ?Custom Dues ?Sales tax ?Electricity, Sui gases and telephones expenses 2. 8. 4. PAYMENTS TO SUPPLIERS: ?The suppliers are paid on credit/cash basis ?Venders are paid on cash basis ?Foreign suppliers are paid up to a limited level 2. 8. 5. Functions & Operations of Accounts department; Double entry accounting system is used in G. F. C. Following are the main duties performed by the Accounts department: ? Voucher preparation Coding & Posting of Vouchers ?Prepare a statement of daily receiving & payments ?Preparation of Financial statements ?Cash disbursement ?Monthly Trial balance preparation ?Ending adjustments ?Monthly Cash flow projection ?Bank Reconciliation Statements ?Sales Invoices ?Sales Tax Invoices ?Report to FBR Account department also performs following functions: ?Comparison of cash flow, Budgeted Vs actual ?Capital investment ?Fixed assets schedule report ?Comparison over heads report budgeted Vs actual ?Fixed overheads ?Variable overheads ?Preparation of production statement ?Preparation of Stock statement Month wise production and its sales value ?Wages and salaries statement ?Preparation of report on working Capital ?Receivables ?Raw material including stocks on way ?Finished goods stocks ?Advances and prepayments ?Cash/Bank balance on hand 2. 9. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 2. 9. 1. HUMAN RESOURCE AND SUCCESSION PLAN Human Resource Policy is to hire young, fresh, energetic and active associates to meet the existing and future workforce requirements and providing its associates maximum opportunities for internal mobility through personal training and development to enable them to take higher positions. Human Resource Division has to have succession plan for each key job/area to make sure the continuity of operations in the relevant division and to fill the temporary/permanent vacancy. 2. 9. 2. FIELD OF ACTIVITIES My field of Specialization is M. B. A (HR), so I work 6 weeks under the supervision of General Manager in General Fan Company, 5 weeks in Human Resource Department, and 3 weeks in observing other departments. General Manager is responsible of handling all company records, and HR related activities. The G. M of G. F. C is very hardworking and very honest person. I prepared the whole company report in my internship period, in which I discuses all the departments and their functions. Most of my internship time was spent in HR department, now I will discuses the all functions and operations of HR department, their critical analysis and recommendations. Human Resource Department is actively working in G. F. C fans private limited Gujrat. Basic responsibilities of this department are as follows: ? Hiring Employees ?Firing Employees ?Developing Training Plans for Employees ?Maintaining Appraisal Reports ?Maintaining the Records of Employees 2. 9. 2. 1. HIRING EMPLOYEES There is a proper process for hiring an employee in G. F. C fans private limited and this process has several steps which are as follows: ? Need Analysis ?Job Requisition ?Job Advertisement ?Sorting the Applications ?Initial Interview ?Testing ?Second Interview ?Final Assessment ?Orientation ?Training 2. 9. 2. 2 Reference base Hiring: In G. F. C Gujrat employees also hire through references of already active employees but test and interviews are conducted for them as well. 2. 9. 2. 3. FIRING EMPLOYEES: If an employee does not work according to defined rules then it is responsibility of HR Manager that employee should be fired. If any employee commits any unauthorized work during his job then he will be fired. If any employee is not working up to the mark and not achieving his targets then HR Manager can fire him. 2. 9. 2. 4. Recruitment and Selection Process In GFC the recruitment and selection is made mostly on employee referrals and sometimes if needed advertisement is made on the newspapers for the filling of vacancies. The recruitment and selection process of metro includes the following steps: CV with professional reference Evaluation of application and CV Call for Interview Temporary job letter after success of interview Clearance certificate from previous organization Medical certificate Completion of trial period Issuance of permanent or contract job letter 2. 9. 2. 5. JOB DESCRIPTION Job is described at the time of interview and a complete job description is made on the permanent job letter of the employee. A job description form has been developed for the job description of every employee. 2. 9. 2. 6. DEVELOPING TRAINING PLANS FOR EMPLOYEES: HR Manager is also responsible for developing training plans for employees (workers & staff) and Internees. I. Identification of Training Needs: The training needs of employees (staff & workers) are identified by the function that they perform and by the respective departmental head. For a new employee the training needs are identified in the job descriptions. For existing employees (in case of workers) the training needs are identified in the â€Å"Training Needs Assessment Form†. The relevant departmental head fills the Training Needs Assessment Form. For staff members the training needs are assessed on ACR that is filled by the relevant departmental head at the end of every financial year. Training needs are identified in G. F. C fans private limited. Gujrat to enable employees to execute routine task and to enhance their professional capabilities, enable all persons to reach their full potential, to introduce new techniques and skills in a timely manner and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the company’s activities. The qualification and experience required for persons performing tasks affecting quality are documented in the job descriptions. II. Training: Based on the TNA (Training Need Assessment) for the workers HR Manager develops an annual training plan. This training plan is then forwarded to the respective departmental head along with the training attendance sheets. The designated trainers conduct training on the dates mentioned in the plan. The TNA (Training Need Assessment) for the staff members is conducted by the respective Departmental Heads on their ACR (Annual Confidential Report). The General Manager is responsible for developing Annual Training Plan (for executives) based on the recommendation of the departmental heads, as desired by the departmental head or management time to time. For a new employee who has been hired at the staff level the HR Manager and relevant head of department develop an orientation plan. After the orientation phase is over the employee submits a written report. Based on this report, the departmental head gives his recommendation that the employee needs further training or not. If further training is required a further orientation plan is developed and subsequently the training is provided. III. Evaluation of training: Departmental heads monitor the training assigned by the trainers. After proper testing and getting the recommendations of the trainer about the trainees, the departmental heads does the evaluation of the training imparted. Assessment of effectiveness of training of employees (staff members) is done on their Annual Confidential Reports. Assessment of effectiveness of training imparted to (non-executives and workers) is done on the Training Plan. IV. Training records: Training record is maintained in the HR Department. The HR Manager is responsible for up-dating the training records of the employees. These training records are maintained in the respective files till the retirement or transfer of that particular employee. All executives and staff are made aware of the departmental quality objectives and role of their activities and their contribution in the achievement of objectives. 2. 9. 2. 7. MAINTAINING APPRAISAL REPORTS: Appraisal Report is assessment of employees which is done by head of department. At the end of the year head of departments make the Appraisal Reports for each employee (Staff only) working in their department. These appraisal reports then forward to HR Manager who further manage these reports according to the remarks which are given by the head of department about the employee. According to the remarks record of employees are upgraded. Appraisal decides the percentage of increment in pay of employees or for promotion. Report also decides whether employees need any further training or not. . 9. 2. 8. MAINTAINING THE RECORDS OF EMPLOYEES: Managing the record of employees is also responsibility of HR Department. When the employee is hired all of his data and documents are stored in a file and this file is stored. Employee’s data is also stored in computer by assigning him with a computer code. Now with the passage of time all new documents including training certificates and app raisal reports are updated into the files of employees. Any employee’s file has the same number which is computer code of employee. 2. 9. 2. 9. ATTENDANCE SYSTEM Attendance is made on daily basis at the main gate with entry and exit time transferred to the HR department. Overtime attendance is taken by the supervisors of the concerning department and conveyed to the HR department for the overtime wages etc. 2. 9. 2. 10. JOB ANALYSIS Job analysis of every employee is made by the HR department with the help of departmental managers and employee performance according to their job description. 2. 9. 2. 11. COMPENSATION AND REWARD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM On the basis of the job analysis annual increments and promotions are given to the employees twice a year. For outstanding employees special pay packages are offered and rewards and given in different ways to the employees for their motivation. 2. 9. 2. 12. LEADERSHIP STYLES In Metro I observed two types of leadership styles that are: Autocratic leadership and Democratic leadership. Autocratic style of leadership is observed in functional managers while democratic style of leadership is observed in middle and corporate level managers. 2. 9. 2. 12. HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES A proper system of health and safety is established at metro by providing the workers with safety devices, trainings, and by providing proper uniforms. Metro Hi-Tec provides medical and safety services to its employees in different ways. 3. OTHER WORKS CAUSED TO EXPERTISE ME DURING INTERNSHIP Apart from the before mentioned tasks . I worked on certain other assignments in GFC as well as got to learn certain other works such as. †¢I learnt the exact way of punching the documents. Because this to the first thing that one who gets to learn while in an office as instead of abruptly punching it one should first fold it and than keeping in line with the middle of page one should punch. †¢I learnt how the documents are filled and used to do a lot of filing. I went through typing certain application and letters. †¢I worked how data is feed in the computers. †¢I learnt how the phones are attended. †¢I used to go to banks for obtaining the statements for settlement of accounts. †¢I passed daily entries in the Journal and ledger accounts. †¢Documents relating to taxation purposes were also filled by me 4. OBJ ECTIVES OF STUDYING THE ORGANIZATION a)To promote efficiency and effectiveness by providing competent and high-caliber professionals in the area of Management Accountancy. b)Identify the duties of the financial manager within the firm. )Understand why wealth maximization, rather than profit maximization, is the firm's goal and how economic value added (EVA), d)To analysis what plays the role of Banks with the Firm. e)To estimate a firm's profitability relative to its sales, asset investment, & owners ‘equity investment. f)In fact, we have studied in GFC Private Limited Company because it is committed to these following Business Principles. 5. THE BUSINESS PRINCIPLES OF GFC A. Corporate Philosophy Maintaining a global viewpoint, GFC is dedicated to supplying products of the highest quality yet at a reasonable price for worldwide customer satisfaction. )Dynamic manufacturing and marketing of prestigious products to the entire satisfaction of customers. b)Create ideal working env ironment for continuous development of product and personnel. c)Provide adequate return to share holders and fulfill corporate civic obligations. B. Management Policy a)Proceed always with ambition and youthfulness. b)Respect sound theory, develop fresh ideas, and make the most effective use of time. c)Enjoy your work and encourage open communications. d)Strive constantly for a harmonious flow of work. e)Be ever mindful of the value of research and endeavor. )Respect for all – man has priority over others. g)Man is the key in controlling i. e. machines, methods and materials. h)Follow 3S spirit i. e. small, smart and speed. i)Believe in 3A â€Å"GFC on Approach† i. e. be on Actual Spot, look at the Actual Spot and confront the Actual Situation. j)Be a good corporate citizen; assume a responsible role in community. C. Priority Standards Of Conduct a)Safety: There can be no production without safety. b)Quality: To achieve the No. 1 customer satisfaction, Metro is dedicat ed to supply the prestigious products of its highest quality, through our smart team work. )Productivity: With safety and quality each of it will strive to excel the performance in all fields of its activities i. e. Production, Marketing & Planning, After Sales Service, Finance, Logistics & Imports and Human Resource & Administration etc. D. Quality policy To achieve the No. 1 customer satisfaction, GFC is dedicated to supplying the prestigious products of its highest quality through its smart team work defined by the regulatory parameters & continually improving its strategies and goals for better performance. E. Environment policy GFC (Pvt. Ltd Gujrat (Pakistan), being responsible member of the society considers the preservation of the global environment as a crucial concern. GFC’s environmental philosophy is firmly based on the following guidelines: a)Recognize the impacts of the significant aspects on the environment resulting from activities, products and services; b)For mulate objectives and targets to control the effects of activities on local environment as for as technically feasible; c)Operate in compliance with relevant environmental laws, regulations and other requirements that apply to its activities; d)Create environment friendly attitude among associates; )Commitment to continual improvement of the environmental performance and review of the environmental management system to ensure its suitability, adequacy and effectiveness. F. Safety, Health and Environment GFC (Pvt. ) Ltd Gujrat (Pakistan) conducts its business responsibly and in a way to make sure Health, Safety and protection from Environmental aspects of its associates and the society. GFC implements and maintains the programs that provide reasonable assurance that the business will do the following: a)To comply with all applicable government and internal health, safety and environmental requirements. )Design facilities and conduct operations in a way that avoids risk to human healt h, safety and the environment. c)To examine and communicate the known hazards of operations with relevant health, safety and environmental protection information to potentially affected persons. G. Operating principles a)Always keep the deadline. b)Never make excuses. c)Teamwork. 6. SUGGESTIONS During the training I have observed number of problems and here are some suggestions of my observations. G. F. C management has strong capability to increase the production rate by reducing the cost of production. It can be achieved by investing more in time span; research studies and reengineering related department structure. Concluding points: ?In accounts department there is no well define job description. There must be a list of duty for each employee. ?There is no management in working environment. They should adopt a management functions in their department. ?Human Resource and Accounts department should hire at least two employees more. ?In HR department, there must racks for files. ?Vision Statement is to long, it must be one or two sentences ? G. F. C still emphasizes on production concept ?There is very less monitoring so there is need to be tightening the control by using digital monitoring system in account department. ?Local market of gujrat area can be captured ?G. F. C system is based on Microsoft window 98, so it should be upgraded as in market window xp is available. ?MIS system should be very efficient that manual work can be eliminated. ?R&D department in G. F. C is not very much active so management should have to investigate and invest more to overcome this. Every department should initiate research work that provides technical support to find out hidden facts that are the primary source of irregularities. ?Efficient employees and fresh management team with latest and modern techniques and valuable exposure can figure out managerial problems. ?There is less commitment among the workers. To improve this situation worker’s problems should be addressed properly. ?Top management should be awarded by stocks ( shares) for getting more efficient work and involvement in the organization. ?There must be proper uplifts and reward system for the encouragement of employees. G. F. C has very few targeted markets they have to explore more to enhance their profitability and worth. ?Salary packages are not very much attractive for the employees which should be revised. ?G. F. C is doing well but it should add-up the doing good factor (Society’s benefits). For awareness workshops and seminars should be conducted regularly. ?Appraisal report should be prepared on merit rather than on personal biasness. ?Up to date promotional strategies should be adopted (print and electronic media). ?For selection of price and new consumers need, company should conduct market survey. G. F. C is presently targeting only a small number of markets and there are still a large segment of markets which can be explored. ?More the export the more the profit will be; because of this G. F. C can enjoy a lot more profit than existing. ?G. F. C can easily expand its businesses through external debt because of its already built credibility. ?By the reduction in cost of production G. F. C can enjoy the more profit margins. ?If the employees discipline and control mechanism should properly apply then it will results more involvement and output. By introducing more brands and designs by adequate use of R&D G. F. C can grow more ? G. F. C still adopting production concept. There must be forward thinking ? G. F. C must investment in outside the business. ?Less monitoring or check and balance. There must be check and balance. 7. REFERENCES ?Director marketing (Nabeel Ahmad) ?Director Finance and Purchase (Ijaz Ahmad) ?General Manager Finance (Shahid-ur-Rehman) ?www. gfcfans. com ?www. google. com ?Chief Accountant(Muhammad Imran) ?Accounts Officer (Nasir Khan) ?Assistant Accountant (Mian Abdul Haseeb) . APPENDICES ?Job Description Form Job title: ________________________________________ Summary descriptio n: _____________________________ _______________________________________________ Major tasks and responsibilities: _______________ _____ ___ _______ ______________ ______________________ ___________ ________________ ___________________ Minor functions: _ _______________ ___________ _____ _ ________________ ____ _______ ___________ ______ Supervised by & report to:____________ ______________ _ ________________ ____________ ____________ _____ Supervise:_ _______________ _______________________ Assist with other jobs:_ ________________ ____________ _ ________________ ___________ ________ ____ _____ Qualifications & training: ___ ____________________ ___ _ ________________ ___________ ___________ ______ _ ________________ ___________ ___________ ______ Skill requirements:___________ _________ ___________ _ ________________ ___________ __________ ______ _ ________________ ___________ ____________ ______ Experience: _________ ___________ _______ ___ ______ Personal characteristics required:__ _____ _____________ ________________ ___________ ________ __________ Physical requirements:__________ _______ ____________ Salary range: minimum:_____ ______ maximum:__ ______ Work hours: _____________ _______________ _________ Average hours: ___ _________ ____________ _________ _ Days off per week:_ ________________ ______ _________ Overtime: never: _______seldom: ________ often: _______ Other benefits:_ ________________ ______________ ____ ________________ _______________ _________________ Work environment:_ _______________ ________ ________ _ ________________ ______________ ___________ _____ Safety responsibilities:_ ________ ________ ____ ________ _ ________________ ______________ ______ ________ _ _ ________________ _______________ _____ ________ 9. CONTACTS OF INTERNEE & ORGANIZATION: Internee’s ContactsOrganization’s Contacts Afzaal Ahmad S/O Muhammad InayatGeneral Fan Company, Private Limited Mailing Address: Mailing Address: General Fan Company G. T. Road, Gujrat-Pakistan. Cell :+92-300-5448133Telephone: +92-53-3520301-03 E-mail ID: [email  protected] com afzaal. [email  protected] com [email  protected] com Fax: +92-53-3521427-3515303 Email: [email  protected] com

Purpose of various software utilities Essay

Virus protection – virus protection protects a computer system from malicious viruses and Trojans and worms which you can be infected by through the internet or email or downloading files or through a USB flash drive etc. virus protection usually consists of a firewall, virus scanner, virus remover and spyware. With virus protection you can perform a scan on your computer to check if you have been infected by any viruses or Trojans or worms. With some virus protections software’s you can scan your computer then it will ask you if you want the viruses removed, also if any programs have been infected the virus protection will ask you if you want the infected program deleted, most virus protection programs quarantine the infected programs in case they are not really viruses. The main purpose of anti-virus software is to protect your computer form getting viruses, it does this by scanning downloads and attachments for viruses, it does this in the background while the user is performing other tasks. If the user does come across a virus the program will warn the user and give the user the option of deleting it before it infects the computer. Some virus protection programs protect the user against spyware, this is a malicious program that enters a computer through internet, the threat usually comes through pop-up ads or bad internet websites, if a threat does come through the virus protection will warn the user and give the user an option to eliminate the threat before it harms the computer. Firewalls – the purpose of a firewall is to block intruders by looking for suspicious words such as domain names or IP addresses, certain protocols like file transfer protocol, ports and routing through a proxy service. There are two types of firewalls, hardware firewalls and software firewalls. Software firewalls provide another coating of security, software firewalls prohibit malware on your computer from being sent to others. Hardware firewalls treat any kind of traffic from travelling from a local network out to the internet as safe. An example of a threat entering your computer could be, you visit a website that contains a hidden malicious program that’s designed to secretly install itself on your machine and then send information out via the internet, this maybe to steal personal information, this is one method of infection. It is very dangerous to operate the internet without a firewall because then you will not be notified if a malicious program is trying to enter your computer and if you  do not have a firewall it will not be able to protect you from malicious programs that will damage your computer. A hardware firewall is a physical device that connects to a computer and is configurable through connection to it or either through using the internet browser or through a command line interface. Clean up tools e.g. removal of cookies, internet history and defragmentation – the cookies in your browser are meant to make pages load faster, but they eventually start to slow down the system, overall the cookie files will become very large and this will impact on the overall speed of the system, this is where you could implement the cleaning software, the cleaning software scans for and deletes old and unnecessary data then after doing the clean-up procedure pages will take longer to open but this is normal. Internet history is a record of an internet user’s visited websites, downloaded files, saved passwords, saved internet files and cookies. By removing all your internet history is makes your computer system faster because there is more space to store files, also by removing your internet history all saved passwords will get deleted and all files downloaded will also get deleted. You should remove your internet history every couple of weeks so your history doesn’t get cluttered up, this is what makes your internet slow. Removal of internet history can be done very easily using the internet options, you can go to the tools section of your web browser. Most internet browsers such as internet explorer and Mozilla Firefox allow you to select the categories to delete internet history, this way it is much easier if you only want to delete one category instead of deleting all the categories, for example if you want to erase form data you simply click on erase form data to delete all the history in that category. When removing internet history it also gives you the option to delete cookies, deleting cookies often is a good thing because you can get hackers that use trackers to monitor your browsing activity and they can steal personal or private information. Fragmentation can cause a computer to run slower and processing problems can emerge when opening files. A defragmentation program will take the corrupted and scattered data on the drive and physically rearrange it, decreasing loading times and placing fewer problems on the computers processor. Defragmentation reduces data access and allows storage to be used more efficiently, some operating systems automatically defragment storage periodically, but others require  that the user occasionally use a special utility for this purpose. Drive formatting – formatting a hard drive enables it to be able to read and write data by creating a partition on the drive, a hard disk drive can be formatted or reformatted depending on what is being done to the drive. When a new hard drive is formatted a bootable partition is created, the partition that is created is where that operating system is installed. Formatting a hard drive requires selecting a file system that will be used on the drive, the file system is what the operating system uses to organize and allocate information that is written to various sectors on the hard disk. Formatting a hard disk will overwrite the data on the drive. The formatting process only removes the operating systems ability to read the data on the drive, data needs to be rewritten to the drive and then reformatted again to ensure that the data is no longer accessible. Registry cleaner – the purpose of a registry cleaner is to remove redundant items from the registry. A registry cleaner is designed for the use of Microsoft windows operating system. Registry cleaners have an automated procedure where it looks for invalid entries, missing file references or broken links within the registry and resolving or removing them. There are many registry cleaner programs you can download of the internet, some for free and some you have to purchase, for e.g. â€Å"CCleaner† is a registry cleaner program which is free and it works on windows 8, 7, vista and XP. CCleaner can be used to uninstall programs. It also allows changes of start-up programs, so users can disable start-up programs and CCleaner lets the user delete system restore points. Benchmarking – Benchmarking is basically running a computer program. Benchmark utilities are important in PC optimisation and troubleshooting. Benchmarking assesses the relative performance of an object, by running standard tests and trials against it. Benchmarking assesses the performance characteristics of computer hardware. There are full system benchmarks as well as those that only test certain parts of a system such as the memory, CPU function, hard drives and network connections. Benchmarks help find out if there is a problem and where the location is. Bibliography – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benchmark_(computing) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_virus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewall_(computing) http://www.ladenterprizes.com/What_firewall.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_formatting http://danieleastcroftict.posterous.com/clean-up-tools-for-removal-of-cookies-and-int http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Registry_cleaner