Strategic Lenses Essay

There are 4 strategic lenses: Strategy as Design Strategy as Experience Strategy as Variety (Ideas) Strategy as Discourse Strategy as Design: Is the view that strategy development can be a logical process in which economic forces and constraints on the organization are weighed carefully through analytic and evaluative techniques to establish clear strategic direction and in turn carefully planned in its implementation is perhaps the most commonly held view about how strategy is developed and what managing strategy is about. It is usually associated with the notion that it is top management’s responsibility to do this and that top management led the development of strategy in organizations. Strategy as Experience: Here the view is that future strategies of organizations are based on the adaptation of past strategies influenced by the experience of managers and others in the organization; and are taken for granted assumptions and ways of doing things embedded in the cultural processes of organizations. In so far as different views and expectations exist, they will be resolved, not just through rational analytic processes, but through processes of bargaining and negotiation. Here, then, the view is that there is a tendency for the strategy of the organization to build on and be a continuation of what has gone before. Strategy as Variety (Ideas): This lens emphasizes more the potential variety and diversity which exists in organizations and which can potentially generate novelty. Here strategy is not so much seen as planned from the top but emergent from within and around the organization as people cope with an uncertain and changing environment in their day-to-day activities. New ideas will emerge; but they are likely to have to battle for survival against the forces for conformity to past strategies that the experience lens explains. Drawing on explanations from evolutionary and complexity theories, the ideas lens provides insights into how this might take place. Strategy as Discourse: This view consists in making choices between different possibilities and then inspiring confidence for the choice taken. This view is very high on legitimacy and low on rationality and innovation. Strategy as discourse sees strategy development in terms of language as a â€Å"resource† for managers by which strategy is communicated, explained and sustained and through which managers gain influence, power and establish their legitimacy as strategists.

Soical Issues

World Religions – Social Justice Issue Paper Legalization of Marijuana Introduction: Tracey Martin Every Religion demonstrates unique aim to adhere to specific way of living. â€Å"Typically, members of the Religious institutes either take vows of evangelical chastity, poverty and obedience (the â€Å"Evangelical Counsels†) to lead life in imitation of Christ Jesus or those following the Rule of SST. Benedict, the vow of obedience, stability (that is.To remain with this particular community till death and not seek to move to another), and â€Å"conversion of life†which implicitly includes the counsels of chastity and evangelical poverty' (Booker, 2003). â€Å"The golden rule exists in all Religions in some form. It is a statement, in summary, of the basic requirement for all human behavior. It appears sometimes in positive form: Jesus said, Do to others whatever you have them do to you† (Matthew 7:12). It also appears in negative form: Confucius said, â⠂¬Å"What you do not want done to you, do not do to others† (Analects 15. 3) Since this is the fundamental obligation in all religions, why are so many religions involved in so many of the most bitter conflicts in the world? â€Å"(Booker, 2003). With that question dated, we will explore and compare the view points offered by Catholicism and the United Methodist (Methodism) related to the social Justice issue around the legalization of Marijuana. Supporting Data: The controversy over the legalization of illegal drugs in the U. S. , has been an ongoing debate over the last decade or greater.From the early sass's to the sass's, Congress had enacted marijuana control laws, which saw a change in penalties for possession in the early sass's, imposing minimum sentence of 2 years for first-offense, and again increased in 1956 based on the Narcotic Control Act, which classified marijuana with iron. By 1965, the first-time drug offense carried a sentence of 5 to 20 years of imprisonmen t, and second offense carried 10-40 years. It was noted in 1956, the United States had 1. 6 million arrests, and by 1970 ‘s the annual numbers had tripled.The early sass's, President Nixon proposed the war on drugs, related to the drug epidemic, which also lead the urban American public to believe it was the cause of the increase in crime. 1971, a treaty with Columbia was signed with the United States, as the first step to the war on drugs. The goal was to raise awareness among lawmakers and to stop the production ND trafficking from the Caribbean to the United States. By the sass's, the war on drugs met challenges from the fight for power and the display of violence, observed from drug cartels.The violence and uprising led various murders from lawmakers, judges, and other public officials. Over the last few decades, noted changes with the legal status of marijuana has been seen. Eleven States have passed laws that discriminative the possession of marijuana for personal usage, and other states continue to evaluate their state policies. In the sass's, the worldwide epidemic of AID, parked the consideration for medical usage, which in 2005 policy was presented to lawmakers for consideration as the â€Å"Last Resort and Fundamental Rights†.The policy review demonstrated Cancer and Aids patients experienced signs and symptoms from treatments, and marijuana alleviated the side effects, when no other methods had been successful for treatment. The history of marijuana continues to be a political controversy in the United States, which is observed at both the state and federal levels. Lawmakers are not the only ones undecided in regard to public and medical views push for legalization. Many opinions have been documented for the acceptance and noncompliance for the legalization of marijuana.Points of view are divided in the medical communities with the psychiatric doctors pushing opposition due to substance abuse concerns in the general populations and ado lescents. Churches/ or Religious Institutes are offering opinions based on values and beliefs stemming from the religious order. The general public of the United States also seems to be divided based on familial values and beliefs or the continued awareness through media coverage and acknowledgment of divided view points. The basic view points identified for the two different religions beliefs are as follows: Catholicism – 1. Apostle Peter as its first leader. 2.Belief that Jesus Christ is Divine. 3. Transubstantiation; elements become really, truly, the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ at consecration, Real Presence of Christ, and the sacrament. (full communion). 4. Possession of the â€Å"threefold ordained ministry'. 5. Belief that the church is the vessel and deposit fullness of the teachings of Jesus Christ. 6. A belief in the necessity and efficacy of sacraments. 7. The usage of sacred images, candles and music, often incense and water at airship. 8. Veneration of Mary, the mother of Jesus as the blessed virgin Mary. 9. The distinction between God, Saints and Virgin Mary among the Saints. 0. Seven sacraments or â€Å"sacred mysteries† Methodism: 1. Tribune God, God is one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 2. Scripture; writings of Old and New Testament inspired by God. 3. Sin, human beings are intended to bear the image of God. Sin estranges people from god and corrupts human nature from ability to heal or save ourselves. 4. Salvation through Jesus Christ; through stoning death, resurrection, presence through history and promised return. . Sanctification; draws one to Christian perfection, â€Å"habitually filled with the love of God and neighbor† and as † having the mind of Christ and walking as he walked†. . Sacraments; two recognized. 7. Free Will; free to make choices because of God's divine grace and people are truly accountable before God for their choices. 8. Grace; God gives unmerited fa vor freely to all though it may be resisted. Though the identified beliefs and practices during worship are different. The two religions identify very similar views regarding social issues. Opposing examples include: Abortion, Addiction, Capital Punishment, Suicide ND Euthanasia, War, and the threat of human life and dignity.With the examination of the two religious views regarding the legalization of marijuana. Neither one of the religions endorses the use of Marijuana or â€Å"smoking pot†. Clergy emphasize God ‘s disapproval to mind-altering drugs, and promote abstinence from the use of illegal drugs, which is considered factors for crime, disease, death and family dysfunction. Marijuana is is described as a precursor or the gateway drug to the use of other drugs. With review of Amendment 64 in Colorado though, almost all the signers are Unitarians or liberal Mainline Protestants.Nearly one third are United Methodists pastors, but presumed they do not preside over an y of the larger congregations. Also several Jewish rabbis, but no Catholic or Orthodox clergy. â€Å"Apparently there's no specific denominational official stance for or against the actual legalization. The absence of a stance is a little surprising, as Methodists were the original Prohibitionists†. (Dooley, 2013) â€Å"The traditional clergy are on stronger ground when citing the already experienced abuse of medical marijuana laws. Stronger theological insights into what a civil state could and should ban versus regulate would be lawful.Those who believe in creating a more Just and godly society need to argue for maintaining a healthy common culture of mutual responsibility that guards against vice without exceeding the state's proper vocation†. (Dooley, 2013). Both national religious institutes have made reference to the religious documents that blind their belief and values. For the Catholics documents such as traditional Papal, Conciliator and Episcopal. The Method ists cite Doctrine of Standards, and the Book of Discipline. Pope Francis quoted † In every suffering brother and sister we embrace the suffering body of Christ. Dealers of death†¦. Allow the logic of power and money',When addressing chemical addiction. United Methodists quote the church founder John Wesley † None are recognized as Methodists who did not recognize the named Standards of Doctrine†. Conclusion: In the end the same question of; why are so many religions involved in so many of the most bitter conflicts in the world? â€Å"(Booker, 2003). I think the answer is still very divided, especially when examining a social issue. The legalization of marijuana, has been controversy since it was first introduced as an alternative approach for pacific medical treatments for signs and symptoms.As lawmakers are currently divided in overall decision, it is also demonstrated thru the different religious institute, from one end of the spectrum to the other. There is a divide of opinion and focus, relating to the process and the end result. Religions are focusing on the belief, values and the good of all people. Others of the more liberal religious orders relate more to the statistics of criminal behavior, financial costs to the general pubic, and the logic of usage by an individual person as a controlled substance (comparative to alcohol consumption).Currently, there is not an agreed upon solution to the social issue of marijuana be decentralized. Many States have taken it upon themselves to make decisions at the State level, and at this time others continue to evaluate. I think this is an issue that will continue to cause great debate over the coming years, the United States is very divided, from government in Washington, Religious Institutions, and the general public views for lour against the legalization of marijuana at this time. References: Allen, J. L. (2013), Pope decries † dealers of death† opposes drug legalization, Nat ional Catholic Press

Arbitrator can determine the proper law

Arbitrator can determine the proper law Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work produced by our Law Essay Writing Service . You can view samples of our professional work here . Arbitrator can determine the proper law The significance of the international arbitration is that one of the foreign legal system and a foreign country is involved, thus they have the ease to affect the deal with the procedural rules and the legal issues of the dispute, it also has a bearing on the cost, the obtaining of the evidence and enforcing an award in a country which may be different from that of the dispute.   [ 1 ]   The question that needs to be in mind while resolving a dispute is that what will be the principles for establishing, which applicable laws will be applied to the arbitration.   [ 2 ]    S (46) (3) of the Arbitration Act 1996   [ 3 ]   , â€Å"is concerned with the situation in which there is no express choice of law, and here the arbitrators are empowered to determine the conflict of laws rules which should apply, and then to apply those conflict of laws rules to decide which law should apply to the contract.†Ã‚   [ 4 ]   The question t hat arises is that the choice suggested by the arbitrator of the applicable rules is that correct and secondly is its application a correct. It is however stated that if the arbitrator has to decide under the English court jurisdiction then the English law would be applicable under the Rome Convention 1980   [ 5 ]   and is therefore stated that if it is not decided with certainty then the that law is decided to which the contract is most closely connected to.   [ 6 ]    In an submission to an agreement it is important to choose the relevant laws that will be applicable in an agreement because if they are expressly stated then in that way they are substantive issues to the disputes and its always better to draft them in a submission agreement, but if the express and the implied choice of law is not made by the parties then in that case the choice of law is determined by the law of seat of the arbitration and the contract as a whole as well.   [ 7 ]    The Seat of arbitrat ion is described in the S (3) of the Arbitration Act 1996   [ 8 ]   which describe that it is essential to have seat for arbitration which defines the geographical location of the arbitration as well as the procedural law, the seat may be different as well e.g. The LCIA ( London Court Of International Arbitration Rules).   [ 9 ]    A number of cases in different jurisdiction which has taken the law appropriate to govern the arbitration agreement. The case of C V D   [ 10 ]   this case emphasis on the even though, in the contract it was stated that, the contract is to be governed by the New York law, the Court of Appeal decided that English law will apply, because it was expressly stated by the parties that any in case of any dispute the issue will be finally resolved in London under the Arbitration Act 1996. To support the judgment the English court gave a list of cases to support the idea, where it was stated that the case will be decided according to the English law wh ere it was made specific that Arbitration Act 1996, other cases such as, Xl insurance Ltd v Owens corning   [ 11 ]   and Noble assurance company and shell petroleum inc v Gerling Konzern general Insurance Company Uk branch   [ 12 ]   . In the case of Black Clawson   [ 13 ]   it was stated that it would be a rare case in which the law of arbitration would not be a seat of arbitration.

Personal reflection paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personal reflection - Term Paper Example Studying deeply about leadership skills and characteristic allow a person to transform into a dynamic personality with a solid business goal. The learning course which I have studied has all the elaborate information on the qualities one need to imbibe to promote their leadership status. According to (Murthy,2005)â€Å"A leader is an agent of change, and progress is about change. Leadership is about raising the aspirations of followers and enthusing people with a desire to reach for the stars†. A leader is a person who possesses a unique quality indifferent from others. The information that I have collected during my study about leadership will enable me to grow as a strong leader in future. The understanding of leadership qualities and characteristic is essential for an individual to transform into a dynamic leader .A true leader is evolved after passing through much positive and negative experiences. Here, the learning of the course material has provided me with enormous information and suggestion about the way in which, I can upgrade my mental and physical capacities. I believe that understanding the issue related to the individual differences and uniqueness of my personality goes a long way in acknowledging my personal strength and weaknesses. I have been studying the different personality like Type A and B which has the ability to teach a person the category of personality type he fall into .As I categorized my personality; I acquired a basic foundation on which I can built my leadership personality. Moreover, the personality test like Myers Brigg test and HPI has the core potentiality to educate a person about his natural skills and versatility. Being a leader is not an easy task, for this one must have the enormous quality to manipulate one’s emotional behavior. This is where the Emotional intelligence which I studied will come into play. Emotional

Exchange Rate Regimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Exchange Rate Regimes - Essay Example The impact of the inherent volatility and unpredictability of exchange rates on macroeconomic conditions is central to the debate about fixed and flexible exchange rates. Real exchange rates are defined as nominal rates adjusted for price levels. Since prices for individual countries, when expressed in a common currency, are subject to the variability of exchange rates, bilateral real exchange rates based on individual-country price levels may be infected with measurement errors. The use of one reference country, such as the USA, gives rise to asymmetries. By definition, the exchange rate is a relative price of two assets and, like other asset prices, is determined in a forward-looking manner in which expectations concerning the future course of events play a key role. Consequently, exchange rates are very sensitive to the receipt of new information. The large and sustained changes in nominal and real exchange rates were among the most significant developments in the world economy in the 1980s. For example, in the first half of the decade, the US dollar appreciated by about 40 per cent against most other major currencies and then, in the second half of the decade, declined, reversing all the previous appreciation. These changes gave rise to international pressures associated with rapidly changing competitiveness of exports; intervention by central banks in foreign exchange markets; and intense debate regarding the extent to which these exchange rate changes interact with current account imbalances. Some economists feel that conventional measures of economic growth based on the output of goods and services (gross national product) do not satisfactorily reflect economic welfare, arguing that they ignore factors such as pollution and the negative externalities from congestion.

Children's Listening Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Children's Listening Skills - Essay Example This essay approves that the listening comprehension assessment tests measure the extent to which the child can comprehend information that is listened to. Listening comprehension tasks are usually age and grade appropriate and is directly comparable to reading comprehension assessment. Since there are several factors involving listening, it would be best if all these factors are considered first and come up with an authentic assessment that will address all the concerns to be fair for the child involved. This report makes a conclusion that listening is a very important aspect of child’s development. It may come naturally and automatic at birth as hearing but it must be trained to a higher level which is listening for a purpose. Listening seems to be the basis of other communication skills. A baby needs to listen to the sounds around him or her, and to learn how words are produced and how language may be used. As the child grows up, he or she needs to develop his/her listening skills to acquire more skills such as words meaning, understanding, reading, and comprehension. Through listening, a child can gather several information that he or she may use to his or her advantage. He or she may even come up with his or her idea after synthesizing. Listening is very important, if not the most important, skill a child may learn for him or her to succeed in school, and with her relationships with friends and family. It is appropriate and imperative that the child learn how to develop hi s or her listening skills as soon as possible, guided adults, by research and new technology.

Academic Skills Prepare Graduates for Work Essay

Academic Skills Prepare Graduates for Work - Essay Example Empirical work studies have also suggested that workers and employers now feel that generic skills like, communication, problem solving as well as team working abilities, have become extremely critical for the overall success of the workplace (Bailey, Hughes and Barr, 1998). As a result, academics are concentrating more on the skill and work based learning. The primary purposes which have been identified at large for work based learning are; acquiring skill and knowledge with respect to employment in specific industries and occupations, providing career planning and exploration and learning all industry aspects. Increasing social as well as personal competence related to general work and enhancing the motivation of students for academic achievement are other aspects which have found profound interest and critical pace in the teaching techniques in colleges. The current essay throws light on the abovementioned aspects. Research has been conducted on how academics prepare students for work and building their professional careers. Examples from various top colleges and universities will help in understanding the various skill sets and course curriculum which are being implemented in order to enhance the academic learning experience. Review In order to understand the academic skills required, it is important to understand and contemplate the meaning of academic skills and knowledge. Stasz and Brewer (1998) defined academic skills are â€Å"measurable properties of individuals,† which included academic tests. However, influential academic skills might be understood as those techniques and knowledge which will help the students in reinforcing their motivation, quality and overall performance in office. In other words, it is the knowledge which will help students in coping with real world. In broad sense, academic skills can be considered as a collection of learning strategies, study habits as well as tools and techniques for time management helping students le arn as well as absorb the lessons in college. Generally, students pursue academic learning as information, thus wanting for more. The literature review and surveys on this field of study has been least, confining only to specific subjects or training programs. However, this field has got enormous implications. In the past, most of the course curriculum consisted of limited learning prospects, comprising of bookish or theoretical knowledge. However, with the changing scenes and increasing requirement of practical knowledge, colleges and universities are implementing a mix of theoretical learning as well as practical applications, so that the students and graduates are better prepared for the real life work experience (Philadelphia School District, 1998). Several literatures have reviewed the skills required for successful conduction of work. However, none of these surveys and reviews has confirmed a single technique or methodology which can satisfy all the requirements. So, any liter ature survey on relationship between work and academic skills is unlikely to present definitive answers (Berryman and Bailey, 1992). Most of the literature reviews and research work on this field have revealed the underlying controversies shaping debate regarding academic skills as well as various issues and themes. First, is defining of academic skills which have been observed earlier. Various theoretical perspectives have dominated the study of academic skills yielding conflicting results as well as policy recommendations. One approach is positivist, according to which individuals have the ability to transfer skills. Another approach is situational perspective, according to whi

Korean Art History Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Korean Art History Research Paper - Essay Example Ikutaro (9) states that the Bottle Vase is believed to have been developed in the period between the 918- 1392 by the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. The ceramic is in the shape of a wheel-thrown stoneware that has incised and slip filled beautification and green contemplation. The work represents the autonomy of the Korean arts industry and the progressive developed from the ancient to present days. From this ceramic, it can be observed that the Korean culture is gifted with talented artists of all times. The ceramic was developed several centuries ago but remains attractive up to the present days. The silvery color of the ceramic together with the flowery carvings makes the ceramic quite unique. The flowers decorating the ceramic are a symbol of the Korean rich natural and user friendly environment. In essence the flowers represent the beauty of natural resources that are found in Korea. The mouth of the ceramic is coated with a shiny cup. The shiny top covering can be described to mean a bright future for the art industry. The neck of the ceramic is narrow and bulges outwards on reaching the central body. Moreover, the neck of the ceramic is upright or straight. The Bottle vase has a flat bottomed base that enhances stability and gives the piece of art a notable point of view. An analysis of the artistic style used to develop the ceramic reveals that the art is a blend of the ancient and modern technology. For instance, the flower decorations on the sides of the ceramic is an indication that at the time of developing the ceramic civilizations had started taking roots.

Political Science Chinese Nationalism as topdownbottomup phenomenon Essay

Political Science Chinese Nationalism as topdownbottomup phenomenon - Essay Example There are waves of nationalism that move from the grass-roots to political leadership, and waves that move in the opposite direction. One of the major challenges for the twenty-first century will be finding ways to channel the energies of the world's most populous nation into positive directions. There are many perspectives on the potential motivations, and possible outcomes, of Chinese nationalism. There are some that see this movement as a "reckless movement driven by China's traditional Sino-centrism and contemporary aspirations for great-power status" (Zhao, p. 131). Bernstein and Munro conclude, for example, that China is "[d]riven by nationalist sentiment, a yearning to redeem the humiliations of the past, and the simple urge for international power" (Bernstein and Munro, p. 19). This has led the Chinese to demonstrate with particular urgency against the United States, whom it wishes to replace as the dominant power in Asia. One example of this would be the massive demonstrations in front of the U.S. diplomatic missions in China after the mistaken bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade by NATO forces under the command of the U.S. Western diplomats were shocked to find that the Chinese assumed that the bombing had been intentional (Zhao, p. 132). After a U.S. Navy s urveillance plane collided with a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea in April 2001, similar demonstrations broke out, with the Chinese pilot, Wang Wei, honored as a "martyr of the revolution" (Pomfret, p. A1). James Lilley's 2004 article in Public Affairs and Maria Hsia Chang's book Return of the Dragon: China's Wounded Nationalism are two examples of anxious observations of the fervent nationalism that has arisen at the end of the twentieth century, which was seen by many Chinese as one of humiliation. However, it would be short-sighted to describe the new Chinese nationalism as nothing more than emotionalism running rampant in the streets and squares of China. After all, the Chinese government has shown considerable skill in managing the public outbursts of its citizens. The idea that Suisheng Zhao has termed "pragmatic nationalism" refers to the ways in which the Chinese government actually organizes the shows of patriotism. This nationalism, according to Zhao, is a force used to "hold the country together during its period of rapid and turbulent transformation into a post-Communist society" (Zhao, p. 132). However, the leaders of China want peace and development, and they realize that if Chinese nationalism is perceived as being out of control, the ideals of political stability and economic development would be threatened, as other countries would tend to distance themselves from what they saw as an unstable situation. Nationalism is a relatively new phenomenon in Chinese culture, particularly given the ancient times in which the Chinese Empire began. The Opium War with Great Britain (1840-1842), however, was a disaster. China was occupied and incorporated into Western empires, and it was only at this point in time that

The Evolution of the Human 'Y 'Chromsome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The Evolution of the Human 'Y 'Chromsome - Essay Example Females account for two X chromosomes while males have one X and one Y chromosome. Y chromosome is also one of the significant sex determining chromosomes in animals and since we are focusing on the human aspect, so the same is in human beings as well. In mammals, the gene SRY is located in the Y chromosome which has an effect on the development of the testis which in all fairness is an indicator of the maleness of a person. The Y chromosome spans 58 million base pairs which are indeed the building blocks of the DNA and there is a clear enough representation of around 0.38% from the DNA as present in the cell of a human being. The Y chromosome has within it 78 genes where there is a coding taking place of only 23 proteins which are very distinct and different in nature. Specifically talking about the Y chromosome now, we see that in the past, the scientists were of the belief that the human sex chromosome, the Y chromosome was just a minute and smaller version of the X chromosome, which indeed is the chromosome present in both the sexes, males and females. Moving further ahead on this notion, we discern that the research conducted by Dr. David Page who is a member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research showed that on the reversal of the Y chromosome there is a significant story as it brings out the essence related with the evolution of the sex chromosomes and not only that but also provides an area of respite for the genes present for the sake of male fertility. What these results have done is to educate one and all of the basis and importance related with the Y chromosomes. (Ribbert, 2003) More than that, it has portrayed the Y chromosome as being the basis for the different diagnostic techniques for literally thousands of men who are infertile and cannot have babies. The genetic differences are easily understood through the results thus achieved on the working done on the Y chromosome and these genetic differences are in line with the

The responsibility of the writer Essay Example for Free

The responsibility of the writer Essay A person once said, Literature opens a dark window on the soul, revealing more about what is bad in human nature then what is good. In other words, authors unlock an evil portal on the spirit and display more about what is regretful in the human race then what is good. This true is because the writer is free to opinionate and write about their intimate emotions that for the most part are unpleasant. John Steinbeck, author of Mice and Men, said, It is the responsibility of the writer to expose our many grievous fault and failures and to hold up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams, for the purpose of improvement. What he means is that it is the authors mission to reveal our severe mistakes so that eventually we will learn not to make that same errors. I agree with both quotes. In Author Millers tragedy, The Crucible, and J. Ronald Oakleys historical essay, The Great Fear, reveals on how fear can intersect and tear everyone apart. The theme in The Crucible is that hysteria can tear apart a small village. Hysteria replaces logic and allows people to believe that their neighbors are committing ridiculous and unbelievable crimes like communing with the devil and killing babies. In the play, the townsfolk accept and become active in the hysterical atmosphere not only out of genuine religious piety but also because it gives them a chance to express repressed sentiments and to act on long-held grudges. Throughout the madness, Abigails motivations were jealousy and a desire to have revenge on Elizabeth Proctor. Abigail takes advantage of the situation and uses it to accuse Elizabeth Proctor of witchcraft and have her sent to jail. There is little symbolism within The Crucible, but the play can be seen as symbolic of the paranoia about communism that spread through America in the 1950s. In Oakleys essay, The Great Fear, many Americans feared that Communist spies had infiltrated the country. As with the alleged witches of Salem, suspected Communists were encouraged to confess and to identify other Red sympathizers as means of escaping punishment. However, instead of the dozens of people hurt by the witch trials, thousands of people had their lives ruined during the Red scare. Senator Joseph McCarthy exploited the fears of those who believed that the  Communist threat was a serious issue and that the country had to take protective measures. McCarthy began a proceeding to track down Communism in the U.S. He figured the way to do this was to call into question the people he thought seemed to be potential Communists and take them to court. He called in movie stars and writers, basically any famous person in the liberal arts at the time and questioned them. McCarthy said in his speech, I have in my hand a list of 205 cases of individuals who appear to be either card-carrying members or certainly loyal to the Communist Party. McCarthy went on to argue that some of these people were passing secret information to the Soviet Union. This witch-hunt and anti-communist hysteria became known as McCarthyism. Joseph McCarthy was a sleazy intimidator. Even though he was bringing to the attention of America the eminent threat of Communism, he aimlessly attacked innocent people. He ruined the careers of hundreds of innocent men and women on the flimsiest evidence to advance his own. He was a cold-hearted man who was a disgrace to the United States. His anti-Communist dedication was not based upon ideology but for his need for a headline-gaining cause. Yet for all of the suffering he directly caused throughout his entire career, he ironically never once was able to directly convict a single suspected Communist of a crime. In conclusion, Literature opens a dark window on the soul, revealing more about what is bad in human nature then what is good. In Author Millers tragedy, The Crucible, and in J. Ronald Oakleys historical essay, The Great Fear, reveal on how hysteria can intersect and tear everyone apart. In The Crucible, Abigail gets her revenge by accusing people she dislikes of witchcraft. In The Great Fear, McCarthy aimlessly attacked innocent people and ruined their careers. All this shows that It is the responsibility of the writer to expose our many grievous fault and failures and to hold up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams, for the purpose of improvement.

The rate of enzyme reactions Essay Example for Free

The rate of enzyme reactions Essay Concentration- This affects the rate of this reaction because if there is more pepsin molecules within the mixture then there is more chance of collisions between pepsin and albumen molecules, which in turn increases the chance of the active site slotting on to the enzyme. Temperature- this affects the rate of reaction because different enzymes work best at different temperatures with the usual temperature being37. 2i c. If the temperature varies too much then the enzyme will not work to its full potential. As the temperature rises the enzymes begin to denature (deform so active site does not fit enzyme). The changes caused by denaturing are usually reversible but if they are too extreme then the changes are irreversible. pH- the pH affects the rate of reaction because the enzymes all work best at specific pHs depending on where they are used. Prediction- I predict that as the concentration increases so will the rate of reaction, I believe this because as the concentration increases the number of pepsin particles will increase making the chance of a collision and the active site slotting on to the enzyme. Scientific Theory- In this experiment our aim is to test the rate of reaction under certain conditions. Enzymes are biological catalysts, i. e. they speed up a reaction without being used up. Enzymes work best at specific temperature and pHs. They work best at 37. 2i c and depending on where the enzymes work different pHs. Pepsin the enzyme we are testing works best at pH 2. Each enzyme uses a lock and key system meaning they fit on the substance they are meant to break down and only that substance. Some examples of enzymes and its substrate are: Proteins- Protease Carbohydrates- Carbohydrase. Where the enzyme latches onto its substrate the area is called the active site. Safety- For safety in our experiment we will put goggles on when pouring acid so we do not get acid in our eyes. Fair Test- In our test the independent (changeable) variable we chose was the concentration of the acid. Our dependant (measured) variable is the time taken for the pepsin to break down the albumen. Therefore each time we must use the same amount of acid to keep the conditions the same. We must also keep the total volume of liquid the same, along with the amount of albumen each concentration is reacting on. Equipment- Test tube rack Hydrochloric acid Pepsin Albumen Water Boiling tube. Measuring Cylinder Stopwatch Water Bath Range Repeat- In our experiment we will use different concentrations to get a wide spread of results showing the difference in the rate of reaction with different concentrations. Here are the concentrations we will use and ho we made them- Concentration (%) Water (ml) Pepsin (ml) Albumen (ml) Hydrochloric Acid (ml)Â   In the experiment because there is a high chance of error we will repeat each concentration three times and take an average. Method- 1. Gather specified equipment, 2. Put 12 test tubes in test tube rack. 3. First put the required amount of acid in test tube, then put in the pepsin, then the water and when in a water bath bringing the temperature to 35i c then finally add the albumen. 4. Time how long it takes for the solution to clear completely. 5. Repeat each experiment three times. Results- Concentration Pepsin (%) Time for albumen to clear (secs) Rate of reaction (secs) Analysis- From my results and graph I can see a pattern, as the concentration increases so does the rate of reaction. My graph shows a curved line of best fit, which in the case of my results shows that as the concentration increases the rate of reaction does increase but the rate between each concentration gets lower as the concentrations rise. This pattern happens because although they may be a larger amount of pepsin molecules only one pepsin molecule can break each albumen molecule down. Eventually if the concentration is increased too much then it would have an adverse effect on the rate of reaction because they would be too many pepsin molecules colliding, reducing the amount latching onto albumen molecules so the rate would decrease. To work out the rate of reaction I did 1/t. In this equation t is the average time and then I multiplied it by 100 because the numbers were too small (0. 0s). My prediction was correct as the rate of reaction increases when the concentration is increased. Evaluation- In our experiment I believe I did quite well, because we have a nice curve on our graph and my prediction was justified. In our experiment the point which looks most like an anomaly is at 30%. I think this as it looks to be a bit low to go with our line of best fit. In our experiment I think that some of our results are wrong because we did not have the enzymes at the right temperature. To improve our experiment we could use light gates to see exactly when the albumen goes clear and we could keep all the enzymes and acids in a water bath so they are all at the same temperature. Our anomaly is about 0. 25secs from the line of best fit, which would make it around 6. 25secs. Extension In an extension I would test the effect of temperature on the rate of reaction. I predict that the enzyme will work best at around 40i c and as you move away from that temperature the reaction would slow. Range and Repeat- I will repeat each temperature three times and find the average just in case of a mistake. I will measure the temperature from 10i 50i in 10i intervals. Method- 1. Gather Chemicals etc. 2. Put each chemical in a water bath at specified temperature (10, 20, 30, 40, 50) 3. Get 15 test tubes. 4. When at specified temperature first put the required amount of acid in test tube, then put in the pepsin, then the water and finally the albumen. 5. Start timer. 6. When cleared stop timer. 7. Repeat three times. Karl Long Biology Coursework 1 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Patterns of Behaviour section. r

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) Summary and Analysis

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) Summary and Analysis The Motorcycle Diaries, directed by Walter Salles traces an 8000-mile journey of two close friends, Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, who would become the iconic Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara and his friend, Alberto Granado. As they travel from Argentina to Peru by motorcycle, truck, raft and foot looking for adventure, they gain a new perspective of the world that they never expected to garner. As Ernesto and Alberto cross of thousands of miles across Latin America, from one country to another, the borders between each country vanish and the continent itself surfaces as a whole, one entity united. Ernesto, toward the end of the movie, poignantly makes his birthday speech before a toast, â€Å"This journey has only confirmed this belief, that the division of America into unstable and illusory nations is a complete fiction. We are one single mestizo race from Mexico to the Magellan Straits.† The extensive landscape scenes show an immense geographical diversity, from dense forests to snowy mountains to arid deserts to thick jungle, from the wild to the rural to the urban. Yet in each place, the two Argentinians feel connected to the people, to the land, and its history. On the journey, Che and Granado see poverty and oppression constantly haunting all across Latin America and lend a helping hand to the oppressed. They realise that the injustices and suffering of poor and powerless Latin Americans are not confined by frontiers but that they almost characterise the continent as a whole. The young men who were initially looking forward to a trip full of adventure and romance find lines of indigenous people on the mountain roads, homeless in their own land. They meet a peasant couple who has been forced onto the road and lost many friends because of their communist beliefs. Che enrages at a copper mining companys maltreatment of the workers who must beg for work in the brutal mines. During their visit to the ruins of the once splendid Inca city of Machu Picchu, the two comrades dolefully compare it to the vast slums of Lima in Peru established by the conquerors. While Granado dreams of a peaceful return to the glories of the past, Che muses on the power of guns and on how a civilisation of such magnificence and beauty could have been destroyed by the creators of such a polluted, decayed city of Lima and blurts out, â€Å"A revolution without guns? It will never work.† As the journey continues, Ernestos connection to people in need grows more and more tangible throughout the film. In Peru where Che and Granado volunteer for three weeks at the San Pablo leper colony, refuses to wear rubber gloves during his visit choosing instead to shake bare hands with startled leper inmates. There, Guevara sees both physically and metaphorically the division of society the staff live on the north side of a river, separated from the lepers living on the south. At the end of the journey and after his stay at the leper colony, Ches egalitarian, anti-authority beliefs grow in him and, at his birthday toast, puts much emphasis on a united Latin American identity that transcends the narrow-minded provincialism and the limited boundaries of nation and race. That night, Che makes his symbolic final journey when despite his asthma, he swims across the river that splits the two societies of the leper colony, spends the night in a leper shack, instead of in the cabins of t he doctors. It symbolises his adamant and fierce desire to bring justice and equality to the oppressed, to the society and to Latin America. These encounters with social injustice transform the way Guevara sees the world and allegedly motivates his later political activities as a revolutionary. And there is an urgent question posing itself before Che: on which side of the river is he going to spend all his life? Which side of the tracks? Che is challenged by all that he has seen. By the end of the journey, Che has undergone a conversion. â€Å"I think of things in different ways, something has changed in me.† The testimonies of the many downtrodden South Americans that he has encountered have inspired Che to begin his search for this solution.

Protein Thermal Stability Essay examples -- Scientific Research, Soy P

Proteins are a series of connected amino acids, and in food products, proteins provide both nutritional and functional properties that contribute to the quality of a food system (Christen and Smith 2000). Protein in the diet is essential to the maintenance of life and health. Proteins are compounds with a function that do work in the body such as facilitate reactions; however, proteins are also functional in food systems. Proteins are used for a variety of reasons such as: to create an emulsion, join pieces of meat together, form a skin on the surface of a product, and form a stable foam matrix. Milk proteins such as whey and casein are isolated for many different functions in food systems such as: foaming, whipping, gelation, nutrition, flavor enhancement, and emulsification (Punidadas and Rizvi 1998). Casein in milk compromises approximately 78% of proteins found in milk, and determining the amount of casein in milk is essential to cheese manufacturing (Punidadas and Rizvi 1998). Whey proteins in milk are often isolated from cheese production and are used for a variety of reasons such as a nutritional protein supplement. Whey protein isolates are also used as a whipping agent (Punidadas and Rizvi 1998). Milk proteins can be extracted in numerous ways such as the Wijis method, chromatography, and cross flow filtration (Punidadas and Rizvi 1998; Christen and Smith 2000). Soy proteins are commonly used in commercial food products as a relatively inexpensive form of protein for many reasons. Soy can be added to meat products to increase the regulated amount of water that can be added to product. Soy proteins are also a good source of nutrition (L’hocine and others 2006). Soy proteins have functional properties si... ...5: 256-259. Punidadas P and Rizvi SSH. 1998. Separation of milk proteins into fractions rich in casein or whey proteins by cross flow filtration. Food Research International. 31(4): 265-272. Ryan M, McEvoy, E, Duignam S, Crowley C, Fenelon M, O’Callaghan, DM, and FitzGerald RJ. 2008. Thermal stability of soy protein isolate and hydrosolate ingredients. Food Chem. 108: 503-510. Stellwagen E and Wilgus H. 1978. Relationship of protein thermostability to accessible surface area. Nature. 275: 342-343. Thompson LD and Dinh T. 2009. Acid-Base Chemistry. FDSC 5305 food chemistry laboratory manual. Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech University, Department of Animal and Food Sciences. Vogt G and Argos P. 1997. Protein thermal stability: hydrogen bonds of internal packing? Distance-Based Approaches to Protein Structure Determination III Supplement 2: 40-46.

Television Violence and Its Effects on Children Essay -- Argumentative

Television Violence and Its Effects on Children Television violence affects all who view it, but its biggest effect is on children. Children’s minds are like a blank page. Television is writing violence on that page. Television violence is one of the causes of aggression and violent behavior in children. This problem is not new, but in recent years it has gotten worse. In the last few years, violence in television programs has increased greatly. A study in 2000-01 compared to a study done in 1998-99 showed that violence is, in fact, on the rise. Verbal violence, coarse language, alone increased by a staggering 78% (Lavers). How did violence become so prevalent on television? Sadly, violence is what the people wanted to see; it sells. Society has slowly put its guard down allowing violence to creep in. Now we are faced with this detrimental situation which we have created. Young children, starting at about age three, begin to really watch a television program designed for their age. They will begin to imitate what they have seen on the television. Children ages six through about ten often do not fully understand the difference between reality, and what they see on T.V. (Ledingham). With that in mind, consider the violent content in television programs. A recent content analysis, The National Television Violence Survey, had several interesting findings in regard to violence in television programs: 1. 61% of television programs contain some violence, and only 4 percent of television programs with violent content featured an â€Å"antiviolence† theme. 2. 44% of the violent interactions on television involve perpetrators who have some attractive qualities worthy of emulation. 3. 43% of violent scenes involve humor either... ...iolence†. Mar. 1995. Media Awareness Network. 30 Oct. 2002 Kirkey, Sharon. â€Å"Violent TV, Video Games Don’t Make Kid Kill.† 20 May 2002. CanWest Global Communications Corp. 30 Sept. 2002 Lavers, Daphne. â€Å"The Verdict on Media Violence†. 13 May. 2002. Regional Business News. 30 Sept. 2002. Ledingham, Jane. â€Å"The Effects of Media Violence on Children.† The National Clearing House on Family Violence. 13 Sept. 2002 Office of the Surgeon General. 13 Sept. 2002. U.S. Government. 28 Sept. 2002 Virtue Media. 2002. Virtue Media. 28 Sept. 2002

Condom Hunt :: essays research papers

Contraception Condom Hunt 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Location of store and Location of Condoms Wal-Mart store # 1081 3570 SW Archer Road Gainesville Fl, 32608 †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The store is located in Butler Plaza next to gator mania. From the UF campus if you take North South Drive and make a right onto Archer Road and then another left into Butler Plaza you will easily see the Wal-Mart logo. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When you enter the store, just keep straight past the customer service desk and make a sharp left. Go past all the registers and the DiGorno freezers with all the pizzas in it. Pass all of the beauty products until you come to an isle that has eye care items in it located right in front of the Pharmacy. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The condoms are located under the KY jelly and right above the pregnancy tests 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Comparisons of Condoms †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trojan Magnum XL   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Advantages i.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $5.18 ii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  12 premium latex condoms iii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They are made for men who feel that the regular and larger size condoms are too small iv.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  30% larger than standard condoms v.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tapered at the base vi.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Silky smooth lubricant fro comfort and sensitivity vii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Individually electronically tested to help ensure reliability   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Disadvantages i.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Other men may experience slippage with this extra large size condom. ii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Does not mention the protection against pregnancy and STDs †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Durex Tingling Pleasure  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Advantages i.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $4.94 ii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Has spearmint tingling lubricant iii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lubricated iv.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  World’s #1 Condom Brand v.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  100% Satisfaction guaranteed vi.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sensual spearmint scent vii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each condom is electrically tested for reliability viii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mentions reducing the risk of unwanted pregnancies and diseases ix.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Can provide 100% protection from STDs x.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  12 condoms. xi.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  75 years of Experience   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disadvantages i.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not fitted for large size men. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trojan Ultra Pleasure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Advantages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   i.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  $5.47 ii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Spermicidal Lubricant iii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  12 Condoms iv.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Only more protection from pregnancies not STDs with the spermicidal lubricant. v.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Has a special Reservoir end for extra safety vi.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ensures reliability with testing vii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Contains Nonoxynol-9 viii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Uniquely shaped for more pleasure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disadvantages i.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not made for larger men. ii.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No special taste or smell 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reaction to the assignment. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I was not embarrassed at all searching for condoms. I think that as a society, we try to make it shameful to buy condoms but in actuality, it should not be looked down upon because sex is a natural thing and it is best done when protection is used. The isle in Wal-Mart was very easy to find and it was secluded enough that you could pick which type of condom you prefer without many people passing by.

A Study in Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY Customer satisfaction is defined as the measurement of how a company’s products or services meet or surpass its customer’s expectations. It is also a measure of how the customer perceives the way the company’s representatives dealt with his or her needs. Customer satisfaction plays an important role in determining the likelihood of an organization’s success and profitability over the long term. It is an important way of business to develop customer loyalty that in turn builds repeat business through customer retention.Generally speaking, there are three different levels of customer satisfaction: Dissatisfied customers who are seeking for another supplier; satisfied customers who will buy from the company in the future and loyal customers who will remain so despite competitive offers. Unless a business organization develops a base of satisfied customers, it will be difficult if not impossible to remain v iable in the market place. Moreover, any business not focused on satisfying its customers will be at the mercy of competitors who will eventually satisfy that persons needs and desires.Taking prompt action to resolve a customer’s problems can make the 85% of them repeat customers. It costs on the average six times as much to find a new customer as it does to keep an existing one happy. This underscores the importance of customer satisfaction. â€Å"In researching satisfaction, firms generally ask customers whether their product or service has met or exceeded expectations. Thus, expectations are a key factor behind satisfaction. When customers have high expectations and the reality falls short, they will be disappointed and will likely rate their experience as less than satisfying.The study Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction Of Mahindra’s Passenger Vehicles At TVS & Sons, Maradu, Ernakulam helps to find out the satisfaction level of customers towards the company ’s product and services of the Mahindra through TVS & Sons, cochin. It tries to suggest the management of TVS & Sons, Cochin, the ways through which the customers can be satisfied and the way at which the Mahindra can satisfy their customers by making very small changes in their products. 1. 2 INDUSTRY PROFILEINDUSTRY PROFILE; AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY The  history of the  automobile  begins as early as 1769, with the creation of  steam engined  automobiles capable of human transport. In 1806, the first cars powered by an  internal combustion engine  running on  fuel gas  appeared, which led to the introduction in 1885 of the ubiquitous modern gasoline- or petrol-fueled internal combustion engine. Cars powered by  electric power  briefly appeared at the turn of the 20th century, but largely disappeared from use until the turn of the 21st century.The early history of the automobile can be divided into a number of eras, based on the prevalent means of propulsion . Later periods were defined by trends in exterior styling, and size and utility preferences. In the beginning automobile industry was dominated by steam powered engines. The vehicles were expensive and difficult to maintain. The incidences of frequent boiler explosions and other safety problems has made the prospective buyers from the passenger cars. Commercial history of the automobile started with the invention of gasoline powered internal combustion engines.The German inventor Karl Benz invented the first gasoline powered internal combustion vehicle in 1885 at Mannheim, Germany. Commercial production of the Benz started in 1885. Panhard ET Levassor of France was the first company exclusively builds and sells automobiles from 1889. The early 1900’s saw so many automobile companies came into existence in a number of European countries and United States. The first automobile produced in US was the curved dash’s old mobile. It had a three horse power machine and sold 5 ,000 by 1904.In 1960’s a big invention in the automobile industry has happened. The 1960’s saw rapid rapid developments in the automobile manufacturing technology. A milestone in the history of automobile was achieved by the invention of efficient fuel injection process and independent suspensions and turbo chargers. Pontiac Tran s AM was the best selling car from 1969 to 1980. Computer Aided Design (CAD) was introduced for design of vehicles from 1980’s. Ford Taurus was the first vehicle to be built using CAD.The automobile business is evolving rapidly on a worldwide basis. Car and parts manufacturers are emerging, component design and manufacture are now frequently outsourced instead of being created in-house, brands are changing and the giant automobile companies are expanding deeper into providing financial service to the car buyers. Meanwhile, all of the biggest, most successful automobile industry firms have become global in nature. Globalization is in evi dence throughout in the automobile industry.The evolution of the automotive industry has been influenced by various innovations in fuels, vehicle components, societal infrastructure, and manufacturing practices, as well as changes in markets, suppliers and business structures. Some historians cite examples as early as the year 1600 of sail-mounted carriages as the first vehicles to be propelled by something other than animals or humans. However, it is believed by most historians that the key starting point for the automobile was the development of the engine.The engine was developed as a result of discovering new energy carrying mediums, such as steam in the 1700s, and new fuels, such as gas and gasoline in the 1800s. Shortly after the invention of the 4-stroke internal combustion gasoline-fueled engine in 1876, the development of the first motor vehicles and establishment of first automotive firms in Europe and America occurred. During the 1890s and early 1900s, developments of oth er technologies, such as the steering wheel and floor-mounted accelerator, sped up the development of the automotive industry by making vehicles easier to use.Almost simultaneously, in America, the societal infrastructure that would provide fertile ground for the proliferation of automobiles was being set. Driver’s licenses were issued, service stations were opened, and car sales with time payments were instituted. Famous vehicle models such as Ford’s Model T were developed during these times and, by 1906, car designs began abandoning the carriage look and taking on a more â€Å"motorage† appearance. During the 1910s, the development of technologies and societal infrastructure continued in addition to new manufacturing practices and business strategies.Traffic lights started appearing in the U. S. and thousands of road signs were posted by B. F. Goodrich on over 100,000 miles of U. S. roads. Henry Ford’s famous assembly line was launched in 1913, which al lowed vehicles to be mass produced and thus achieved economies of scale. Ford also introduced the concept of using interchangeable and standard parts to further enable the mass production process. Automakers also started to merge with other companies (e. g. , GM acquired Chevrolet) and to expand to other markets (e. g. GM of Canada). In the 1920s, the development of infrastructure, adoption of new manufacturing practices, and the merging of companies continued (e. g. , Benz and Daimler, Chrysler and Dodge, Ford and Lincoln). In the U. S. , the Bureau of Public Roads and the enactment of the Kahn-Wadsworth Bill helped facilitate road-building projects and develop a national road system. In manufacturing, mass production methods became better established, which led to the availability of a wide range of satisfactory cars to the public.While Ford had focused on a single model, GM adopted a new production strategy for providing greater product variety, which helped the company increase their market share by 20% and reduce Ford’s by 24%. In the 1930s, several new vehicle brands were developed (e. g. , Ford Mercury, Lincoln Continental, Volkswagen) and trends in vehicle consumer preferences were established that differentiated the American and European market. In the U. S. market, consumers preferred luxurious and powerful cars, whereas in Europe consumers preferred smaller and low-priced cars.Also during this time, GM’s product variety strategy continued to give them a competitive advantage over Ford, allowing GM to continue increasing their market share while Ford kept losing theirs. In the 1940s, during World War II (WWII), automotive factories were used to make military vehicles and weapons, thus halting civilian vehicle production. After WWII, the economies of most European and some Asian-pacific countries, such as Japan, were decimated; this required the development of new production and business strategies such as those of Toyota, which began to develop what is now known as Just in Time (JIT) manufacturing.Most of the first models produced were similar to the pre-war designs since it took some time for the plants to revamp their operations to make new designs and models. In the 1950s and 1960s, more technological innovations, such as fiberglass bodies and higher compression ratio fuels, allowed vehicle developers to appease the growing consumer interest for vehicle comfort, look, and feel. Car designs were highly influenced by emerging safety and environmental regulations. Vehicle speed limits and front seat belts became standard, in addition to other features such as heating and ventilation equipment.The 1970s were marked by stricter environmental regulations and the oil embargo of the early 70s, which led to the development of low emission vehicle technologies, such as catalytic converters, and a 55-mph nationwide speed limit in the U. S. Foreign cars like the Japanese Honda Civic started appearing in the U. S. market. T he Civic was marketed as a fuel efficient and low-emissions vehicle, which given the recent high oil prices and strict environmental regulations made it well-received. Despite the entrance of new competitors into the U.S. market, U. S. automakers underestimated the threat of foreign automakers to their market shares. In the 1980s, the U. S. automotive industry began losing market share to the higher quality, affordable, and fuel efficient cars from Japanese automakers. In response to this market share loss, U. S. automakers began focusing on improving quality by adopting different Japanese manufacturing management philosophies, such as JIT. Although their adoption of JIT and other philosophies helped improve the quality ofU. S. vehicles, it did not fully bridge the gap between the quality of U. S. and Japanese cars. This gap remained because U. S. automakers tried applying JIT techniques without a full understanding of the whole Japanese manufacturing system, while Japanese automake rs had decades to develop, refine and master their JIT approach. Another significant paradigm of the 1980s was the global nature of vehicle manufacturing. Automakers started assembling vehicles around the world.This trend was accelerated in the 1990s with the construction of overseas facilities and mergers between multinational automakers. This global expansion gave automakers a greater capacity to infiltrate new markets quickly and at lower costs. The increased product offerings in many markets led to consumers having a greater variety of vehicles from which to choose. To this new vehicle buffet was coupled the explosion of the internet, which made vehicle-related information readily accessible to consumers.Internet-informed and empowered consumers now wanted a vehicle that was â€Å"personalizable,† inexpensive, reliable, and quickly obtainable. Consumers desired vehicles that were less harmful to the environment, which led to the introduction of hybrid vehicles by Japanese automakers in the late 1990s. In the current decade, the recent trend of increasing sophistication and empowerment of the consumer has led automakers to identify new and more specialized markets within saturated markets with diverse customer bases, such as that of the U. S.Another trend is to infiltrate new emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and Latin America, which has further motivated the establishment of production facilities overseas and the establishment of global alliances and commercial strategic partnerships with foreign automakers. Of these new markets, China appears to be the most promising. An Overview of the Indian Automobile Industry Starting its journey from the day when the first car rolled on the streets of Mumbai in 1898, the Indian automobile industry has demonstrated a phenomenal growth to this day.Today, the Indian automobile industry presents a galaxy of varieties and models meeting all possible expectations and globally established industry standards. So me of the leading names echoing in the Indian automobile industry include Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Mahindra and Mahindra, Hyundai Motors, Hero Honda and Hindustan Motors in addition to a number of others. During the early stages of its development, Indian automobile industry heavily depended on foreign technologies. However, over the years, the manufacturers in India have started using their own technology evolved in the native soil.The thriving market place in the country has attracted a number of automobile manufacturers including some of the reputed global leaders to set their foot in the soil looking forward to enhance their profile and prospects to new heights. Following a temporary setback on account of the global economic recession, the Indian automobile market has once again picked up a remarkable momentum witnessing a buoyant sale for the first time in its history in the month of September 2009. The automobile sector of India is the seventh largest in the world. In a yea r, the country manufactures about 2. million cars making up an identifiable chunk in the world’s annual production of about 73 million cars in a year. The country is the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and the fifth largest producer of commercial vehicles. Industry experts have visualized an unbelievably huge increase in these figures over the immediate future. The figures published by the Asia Economic Institute indicate that the Indian automobile sector is set to emerge as the global leader by 2012. In the year 2009, India rose to be the fourth largest exporter of automobiles following Japan, South Korea and Thailand.Experts state that in the year 2050, India will top the car volumes of all the nations of the world with about 611 million cars running on its roads. At present, about 75 percent of India’s automobile industry is made up by small cars, with the figure ranking the nation on top of any other country on the globe. Over the next two or three years, the c ountry is expecting the arrival of more than a dozen new brands making compact car models. Recently, the automotive giants of India including General Motors (GM), Volkswagen, Honda, and Hyundai, have declared significant expansion plans.On account of its huge market potential, a very low base of car ownership in the country estimated at about 25 per 1,000 people, and a rapidly surging economy, the nation is firmly set on its way to become an outsourcing platform for a number of global auto companies. Some of the upcoming cars in the India soil comprise Maruti A-Star (Suzuki), Maruti Splash (Suzuki), VW Up and VW Polo (Volkswagen), Bajaj small car (Bajai Auto), Jazz (Honda) and Cobalt, Aveo (GM) in addition to several others. History of the Automobile industry in IndiaThe economic liberalization that dawned in India in the year 1991 has succeeded in bringing about a sustained growth in the automotive production sector triggered by enhanced competitiveness and relaxed restrictions pre vailing in the Indian soil. A number of Indian automobile manufacturers including Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra and Mahindra, have dramatically expanded both their domestic and international operations. The country’s active economic growth has paved a solid road to the further expansion of its domestic automobile market.This segment has in fact invited a huge amount of India-specific investment by a number of multinational automobile manufacturers. As a significant milestone in its progress, the monthly sales of passenger cars in India exceeded 100,000 units in February 2009. The beginnings of automotive industry in India can be traced during 1940s. After the nation became independent in the year 1947, the Indian Government and the private sector launched their efforts to establish an automotive component manufacturing industry to meet the needs of the automobile industry.The growth of this segment was however not so encouraging in the initial stage and through the 1950s and 1960s on account of nationalization combined with the license raj that was hampering the private sector in the country. However, the period that followed 1970s, witnessed a sizeable growth contributed by tractors, scooters and commercial vehicles. Even till those days, cars were something of a sort of a major luxury. Eventually, the country saw the entry of Japanese manufacturers establishing Maruti Udyog. During the period that followed, several foreign based companies started joint ventures with Indian companies.During 1980s, several Japanese manufacturers started joint-ventures for manufacturing motorcycles and light commercial-vehicles. During this time, that the Indian government selected Suzuki for a joint-venture to produce small cars. Following the economic liberalization in 1991 and the weakening of the license raj, several Indian and multi-national car companies launched their operations on the soil. After this, automotive component and automobile manufacturing g rowth remarkably speed-up to meet the demands of domestic and export needs. Experts have an opinion that during the early stages the olicies and the treatment by the Indian government were not favorable to the development of the automobile industry. However, the liberalization policy and various tax reliefs announced by the Indian government over the recent past have pronounced a significantly encouraging impact on this industry segment. Estimates reveal that owing to several boosting factors, Indian automobile industry has been growing at a pace of about 18% per year. Therefore, global automobile giants like Volvo, General Motors and Ford have started looking at India as a prospective hot destination to establish and expand their operations.Like many other nations India’s highly developed transportation system has played a very important role in the development of the country’s economy over the past to this day. One can say that the automobile industry in the country has occupied a solid space in the platform of Indian economy. Empowered by its present growth, today the automobile industry in the country can produce a diverse range of vehicles under three broad categories namely cars, two-wheelers and heavy vehicles. Exports of Automobile Industry Today, India is among the world’s largest producers of small cars.The New York Times has rated India as a very strong engineering base with an incomparable expertise in the arena of manufacturing a number of low-cost, fuel-efficient cars has encouraged the expansion plans of the manufacturing facilities of a number of automobile leaders like Hyundai Motors, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen and Suzuki. On 22 February 2010, Hyundai motors exported its 10,00,000th car, the feat which was achieved by the firm in just over 10 years. Hyundai Motors is the largest passenger car exporter and the second largest car manufacturer in the country.In the similar lines, General Motors has announced its plans to expo rt not less than 50,000 cars made in India by the year 2011. In yet another proposal, Ford Motors is to setup a manufacturing facility costing about US$500 million in India with an annual capacity of 250,000 cars. The firm has stated that the facility will play a major part in its strategic plan to make India a hub for its global production business. In yet another significant move, Fiat motors has stated that it will source a big volume of auto components from India worth about US$1 billion.In the year 2009, India overtook China by emerging as the fourth largest exporter of cars in Asia . Various Segments of the Indian Automobile Industry Motor cycles manufacture makes up the major share in the two-wheeler segment of the Indian automobile industry. About 50% of the motorcycles are manufactured by Hero Honda. While Honda manufactures about 46% of the scooters, TVS produces 82% of the mopeds running on the Indian roads. About 40% of the three-wheelers manufactured in India are used f or transporting goods with Piaggio manufacturing 40% of the vehicles sold in the Indian market.On the other hand, Bajaj has emerged as the leader in manufacturing three-wheelers used for passenger transport. The firm produces about 68% percent of the three wheelers used for passenger transport in India. The Indian passenger vehicle segment is dominated by cars which make up about 80% of it. Maruti Suzuki manufactures about 52% of passenger cars while the firm enjoys a complete monopoly in the manufacture of multi-purpose vehicles. In the utility vehicles segment Mahindra makes up a 42% share. Tata Motors is the leader in the Indian commercial vehicles market while it holds more than 60% share.Tata Motors also enjoys the credit of being the world’s fifth largest manufacturer of medium and heavy commercial vehicles. Potential of Indian Automobile Industry There is a very stiff competition in the automobile industry segment in India. This has helped many to realize their dreams of driving the most luxurious cars. During the recent past, a number of overseas companies have started grabbing a big chunk of the market share in both domestic and export sales. Every new day dawns in India with some new launches by active players in the Indian automobile arena.By introducing some low cost cars, the industry had made it possible for common men to buy cars for their personal use. With some innovative strategies and by adopting some alternative remedial measures, the Indian automobile industry has successfully come unaffected out of the global financial crisis. While the automobile industry in India is the ninth largest in the world, the country emerged as the fourth largest automobiles exporter on the globe following Japan, South Korea and Thailand, in the year 2009.Over and above, a number of automobile manufacturers based in India have expanded their operations around the globe also giving way for a number of reputed MNCs to enthusiastically invest in the Indian automobile sector. Nissan Motors has revealed its prospective plans to export 250,000 vehicles produced in its India plant by the year 2011. General Motors has also come up with similar plans. During the current fiscal year, the Indian automobile industry rode high on the resurgence of consumer demand in the country as a result of the Government’s fiscal stimulus and attractively low interest rates.As a result the total turnover of the domestic automobile industry increased by about 27 per cent. A reply produced in the Lok Sabha recently has quoted data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers and has revealed that the total turnover of the Indian automobile Industry in April-February 2009-10 was 1,62,708. 77 crore. This is a remarkable achievement compared with the total revenue of Rs 1,28,384. 53 crore reported during the same period of last fiscal year. Specifically, the segment of commercial vehicles witnessed the biggest jump in revenues by 31 per cent by repo rting Rs 38,845. 9 crore. During the same period, the passenger vehicle segment in the country witnessed a growth of 27 per cent over the last fiscal year by reporting a total revenue of Rs 76,545. 96 crores. These figures imply a highly prospective road lying immediately ahead of the Indian automobile industry. Predictions made by Ernst and Young have estimated that the Indian passenger car market will have a growth rate of about 12 percent per annum over the next five years to reach the production of 3. 75 million units by the year 2014.The analysts have further stated that the industry’s turnover will touch $155 billion by 2016. This achievement will succeed in consolidating India’s position as the seventh largest automobiles manufacturer on the globe, eventually surging forth to become the third largest by the year 2030 behind China and the US. The Automotive Mission Plan launched by the Indian government has envisaged that the country will emerge as the seventh la rgest car maker on the globe thereby contributing more than 10 percent to the nation’s $1. 2-trillion economy.Further, industry experts believe that the nation will soon establish its stand as an automobile hub exporting about 2. 75 million units and selling about a million units to be operated on the domestic roads. 1. 3 COMPANY PROFILE TVS & SONS T V Sundram Iyengar & Sons Limited, established in 1911 is the parent company of the TVS Group and is a leading automobile distribution company in India. During the year 2010-11 the company attained a turnover of  6000 Crores and has direct employee strength of 6000. It operates through its three divisions namely – TVS, Sundaram Motors and Madras Auto Service.Being the trading and distribution arm of the group, the business activities of TVS & Sons include Dealerships for automobile vehicles, Distribution of spares for after –market, sales and service support for Garage Equipment, products for off-highway applicatio n like Construction & Material handling. The global business operation of the company includes establishing & managing Joint ventures/ Alliances for automobile distribution / dealership business, sourcing and supply chain related activities. Currently it has its presence in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.TVS & Sons distributes Commercial vehicles, Multi Utility & Sports Utility vehicles, three wheelers, passenger cars representing leading automobile vehicle manufacturers such as Ashok Leyland, Mahindra & Mahindra, Mahindra Navistar, Daimler Chrysler, General Motors, Honda, Renault, Volkswagen and off highway equipment manufactured by Escorts, JLG, Ingersoll Rand, Pal Finger & Leyland Deere. The company has more than 150 outlets and sells around 60000 vehicles and services more than 600000 vehicles per annum.Being the leading automobile distribution company in India, we have nine retail fuel outlets in Tamil Nadu representing Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. The company is also the la rgest distributor of automobile spare parts in the country, handling more than 80 suppliers,8090 customers and 35000 part numbers and markets TVS Quality Branded Products. TVS & Sons Ltd. , a dominant dealer in South India until 90s, has now become a PAN India organisation in automobile after-market vertical over the years.All the outlets are constantly been upgraded in order to provide the right ambience to the customers; the company is also known for its contribution to the customers by reducing the down time of the vehicles and improve the profitability of customers using tools like Kaizen & LEAN. Joint Ventures: TVS Lanka (Private) Ltd TVS Lanka is a Joint Venture between TVS & Sons and United Motors Lanka Ltd of Sri Lanka. Based in Colombo, TVS Lanka is the authorized Distributor & Dealer for TVS range of Two Wheelers & three wheelers.In a very short span, considerably increased sales of TVS Two Wheelers and is the third highest seller of two wheelers in Sri Lanka. TVS Auto Ban gladesh Ltd (TVS ABL) TVS Auto Bangladesh Ltd is a joint venture between TVS & Sons and Rian Motors of Bangladesh. Within three years of operation Company has become the third highest seller of two wheeler in the country among the Indian makes. TVSABL derives its synergies in the form of local knowledge from Rian Motors and expertise of TVS & Sons in managing distribution business for more than five decade. Mahindra & MahindraTVS & Sons are authorized dealers for Mahindra & Mahindra's range of Utility Vehicles, Micro Commercial Vehicles and Cars in Kerala. To facilitate convenient access for the customers, it has set up service and spares outlets across Kerala. Mahindra made its entry into the passenger car segment with the Logan in April 2007 under the Mahindra Renault joint venture. M;M will make its maiden entry into the heavy trucks segment with Mahindra Navistar, the joint venture with International Truck, USA. Mahindra†s automotive division makes a wide range of vehicles including MUVs, LCVs and three wheelers.It offers over 20 models including new generation multi-utility vehicles like the Scorpio and the Bolero. At the 2008 Delhi Auto Show, Mahindra executives said the company is pursuing an aggressive product expansion program that would see the launch of several new platforms and vehicles over the next three years, including an entry-level SUV designed to seat five passengers and powered by a small turbodiesel engine. [19] True to their word, Mahindra ; Mahindra launched the Mahindra Xylo in January 2009, and as of June 2009, the Xylo has sold over 15000 units.Mahindra ; Mahindra grew from being a maker of army vehicles to a major automobile and tractor manufacturer. Mahindra ; Mahindra (M;M) was first known for assembly under licence of the iconic Willys Jeep in India. The company later branched out into manufacturing light commercial vehicles. The company†s flagship UV, Scorpio, hit the Indian Markets and the success of this multi-utili ty vehicle saw the company winning the consumers hearts. M;M made its entry into the passenger car segment with the Logan in April 2007 under the Mahindra-Renault joint venture.Its plants in Mumbai and Nasik manufacture multi-utility vehicles and their engines are produced at the Igatpuri plant. Utility Vehicles, Light commercial vehicles and 3 wheelers are manufactured at the Zaheerabad plant in Andhra Pradesh and three-wheelers at the Haridwar plant. The company has an established dealer network which is estimated to be more than 500. The well established company is now eyeing the hatchback†s and will bring in some competition when it launches the Mini-Xylo in India. The company too has plans to go green with hybrid versions of their car models.MAHINDRA ; MAHINDRA LIMITED  (M;M) Mahindra  ;  Mahindra  Limited  (M;M)  is  an  Indian  multinational  automaker  headquartered in  Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It is one of the largest  automobile manufactu rers  by production in India and a subsidiary of  Mahindra Group  conglomerate. The company was founded in 1945 in  Ludhiana  as Mahindra ; Mohammed by brothers K. C. Mahindra and  J. C. Mahindra  and  Malik Ghulam Mohammed. After India gained independence and  Pakistan  was formed, Mohammed emigrated to Pakistan where he became the nation's first  finance minister.The company changed its name to Mahindra & Mahindra in 1948. It is ranked #21 in the list of top companies of India in  Fortune India 500  in 2011. History Mahindra & Mahindra was set up as a steel trading company in 1945. It soon expanded into manufacturing general-purpose utility vehicles, starting with assembly under license of the iconic  Willys  Jeep  in India. Soon established as the Jeep manufacturers of India, M&M later branched out into the manufacture of  light commercial vehicles  (LCVs) and agricultural  tractors.Today, M&M is the leader in the utility vehicle segment in I ndia with its flagship UV Scorpio and enjoys a growing global market presence in both the automotive and tractor businesses. Over the past few years, M&M has expanded into new industries and geographies. They entered into the  two-wheeler  segment by taking over Kinetic Motors in India. M&M also has controlling stake in  REVA Electric Car Company  and acquired South Korea's  SsangYong Motor Company  in 2011. The US based Reputation Institute recently ranked Mahindra among the top 10 Indian companies in its ‘Global 200: The World's Best Corporate Reputations' list.Automobiles Mahindra & Mahindra is a major automobile manufacturer of utility vehicles, passenger cars, pickups, commercial vehicles, and two wheelers. Its tractors are sold on six continents. It has acquired plants in China  and the United Kingdom,  and has three assembly plants in the USA. M&M has partnerships with international companies like  Renault SA,  France  and  International Truck an d Engine Corporation, USA. M&M has a global presence  and its products are exported to several countries. Its global subsidiaries include Mahindra Europe Srl. ased in Italy,  Mahindra USA Inc. , Mahindra South Africa and Mahindra (China) Tractor Co. Ltd. M&M made its entry into the passenger car segment with the Logan in April 2007 under the Mahindra Renault joint venture. M&M will make its maiden entry into the heavy trucks segment with  Mahindra Navistar, the joint venture with  International Truck, USA. M&M's automotive division makes a wide range of vehicles including MUVs, LCVs and three wheelers. It offers over 20 models including new generation multi-utility vehicles like the  Scorpio  and the  Bolero.It formerly had a joint venture with  Ford  called  Ford India Private Limited  to build passenger cars. At the 2008 Delhi Auto Show, Mahindra executives said the company is pursuing an aggressive product expansion program that would see the launch of sever al new platforms and vehicles over the next three years, including an entry-level SUV designed to seat five passengers and powered by a small turbodiesel engine. True to their word, Mahindra ; Mahindra launched the  Mahindra Xylo  in January 2009, and as of June 2009, the Xylo has sold over 15000 units.Also in early 2008, Mahindra commenced its first overseas CKD operations with the launch of the Mahindra Scorpio in Egypt,  in partnership with the Bavarian Auto Group. This was soon followed by assembly facilities in  Brazil. Vehicles assembled at the plant in Bramont, Manaus, include Scorpio Pik Ups in single and double cab pick-up body styles as well as  SUVs. Mahindra planned to sell the diesel SUVs and pickup trucks starting in late 2010 in North America through an independent distributor, Global Vehicles USA, based in  Alpharetta, Georgia.Mahindra announced it will import pickup trucks from India in  knockdown kit (CKD)  form to circumvent the  Chicken tax. CKD s are complete vehicles that will be assembled in the U. S. from kits of parts shipped in crates. On 18 October 2010, however, it was reported that Mahindra had indefinitely delayed the launch of vehicles into the North American market, citing legal issues between it and Global Vehicles after Mahindra retracted its contract with Global Vehicles earlier in 2010, due to a decision to sell the vehicles directly to consumers instead of through Global Vehicles.However, a November 2010 report quoted John Perez, the  CEO  of  Global Vehicles USA, as estimating that he expects Mahindra’s small diesel pickups to go on sale in the U. S. by spring 2011, although legal complications remain, and Perez, while hopeful, admits that arbitration could take more than a year. Later reports suggest that the delays may be due to an Manindra scrapping the original model of the truck and replacing it with an upgraded one before selling them to Americans. In June 2012, a  mass tort  lawsuit was filed against Mahindra by its American dealers, alleging the company of conspiracy and fraud.Mahindra ; Mahindra has a controlling stake in  Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles. In 2011, it also gained a controlling stake in South Korea's SsangYong Motor Company. Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), has launched its much awaited SUV, XUV 500, code named as W201 in September 2011. The last ‘500’ in the name is pronounced as ‘5 double-O’ (alphabet). The new SUV by Mahindra has been designed in-house and it is developed on the first global SUV platform that could be used for developing more SUVs. In India, the new Mahindra XUV 500 comes in a price range between Rs 14 lakh to Rs 15 lakh.Besides India, the company also targets Europe, Africa, Australia and Latin America for this model. M & M President Mr Pawan Goenka told that the company plans to launch six new models this fiscal. The company launched CNG version of its mini truck Maxximo on 29 June 2012. A new v ersion of Verito in diesel and petrol options was launched by the company on 26 July 2012 to compete with Maruti's Dzire and Toyota Kirloskar Motor's Etios. Mahindra Xylo, MPV will now be available with a warranty of 3 years / 1,00,000 kilometres and this warranty is   extended across all Xylo variants.This new warranty is likely to lure customers towards buying this happy leg vehicle from the stables of Indian manufacturer Mahindra. With its chic looks and user friendly features,  Mahindra Xylo  has already carved out a niche for itself in   the Indian MPV segment. Better known as ‘Happy legs car’   Mahindra Xylo is already famous for its spaciousness and comfort and   now with the new warranty it is likely to garner sales as it has gone upscale in terms of customer confidence and satisfaction. The Xylo has been a successful product for Mahindra and has helped the company to smartly position itself in the budget utility vehicle segment.The all new Xylo has been launched early this year has come out carrying 50 new changes and features. At present the Xylo lineup includes five variants which are powered by three distinct engine options including the 120 BHP m Hawk engine. Mahindra XUV 500 bookings are now open again for two weeks across 19 selected cities of India after February 2012. As per official announcement, 9 months production capacity for the XUV 500 is sold out due to overwhelming response from customers in the first 2 rounds of booking. Now, to meet the growing demand, the production capacity has been ramped up to 4000 vehicles per month.Mahindra has also unveiled the XUV 500 in Indore with a  price tag of Rs. 11. 83 lakh (ex-showroom)  . Mahindra XUV 500 SUV price will be on similar lines for Patna and Jaipur, also this Cheetah inspired utility vehicle will soon be available in other Indian cities. Designed and developed in-house, the XUV 500 was Mahindra India’s first crack at the monocoque design, front wheel dr ive and transverse engine Mahindra Bolero, the flagship Sports utility vehicle from homegrown manufacturer Mahindra has clocked in 1, 00,686 units in FY 2011-12 registering a 21% increase.Bolero was once again bestowed with the highest selling SUV title in India for the sixth consecutive year; also this was the highest annual sales garnered by the Bolero since it came into being. In March 2012, only the SUV managed 10,026 unit sales which is also the highest ever monthly sales till now. Mahindra Bolero sold 83,112 units of sales in 2010-11 FY. M&M’s Bolero has risen up to the seventh position in the top selling passenger vehicles in India in FY 2011-12 from the 9th position it had in the year 2010-11. Noticeably  Mahindra Bolero  is the only SUV to feature in the top selling passenger vehicles in India.Mahindra Scorpio SUV is going under scalpel and W105 is the code name given to Mahindra’s facelift project. The refreshed version of Mahindra Scorpio is likely to ar rive in the year 2014. The all new  Mahindra Scorpio  is likely to lose weight and the auto major has designed a special project called T026 to reduce down the weight of the car by 260 kilograms with the incorporation of fibre parts which is going to increase the efficiency level of the car and is going to make it more frugal. Mahindra is likely to add an all-new heart to new Scorpio; the  2. L engine from the Cheetah XUV 500 that churns out 140bhp-330Nm  torque is likely to go under the hood of Scorpio. To increase the legroom space in the middle row, Mahindra is eyeing to increase the wheelbase. Mahindra Verito Mahindra India has unearthed the  Ã¢â‚¬ËœNew Look Verito’ with a price tag of Rs. 5. 27 lacs    for Petrol, BS4 & Rs. 6. 26 lacs   for Diesel BS4 (both prices ex-showroom New Delhi). Refreshed 2012   Verito is available in both fuel options , the gasoline powered is made available in   2 guises , G2 and G4 and the diesel powered will have   D2, D4 and D6.Mahindra Verito has gone under the scalpel to become more stylish, contemporary and premium, with the improved ergonomics; in all the refreshed Verito sports 23 new changes and features. The core strength will be the powertrains running the new Verito sedan, Renault 1. 5 LDCi diesel engine and Renault 1. 4 L MPFi petrol engine which are best in class and extremely frugal. The revamped front fascia has new headlamps, refreshed bumper, redesigned bumper and front grille. The rear has also been refreshed with new clear   lens tail lamps , deck lid and cheome applique and sleek bumper.The cabin area has also gone classy with two tone instrument panel, elegant fabric upholstery and contemporary grey tone interior color theme. New Mahindra Thar four wheel drive variant is officially launched with air conditioner with heater. The factory fitted AC and heater, however, has resulted in an increase in price of  Thar 4X4 with CRDe engine which now cost at Rs 6. 75 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). M&M has launched this upgraded Thar SUV bang on time as the scorching sun is setting just above the head making the summers unbearable without an AC. 1. 4 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMMeasuring customer satisfaction is a relatively new concept to many companies that have been focused exclusively on income statements and balance sheets. Companies now recognize that the new global economy has changed things forever. Increased competition, crowded markets with little product differentiation and years of continual sales growth followed by two decades of flattened sales curves have indicated to today's sharp competitors that their focus must change. Customer satisfaction is the state of mind that customers have about a company when their expectations have been met or exceeded over the lifetime of the product or service.The achievement of customer satisfaction leads to company loyalty and product repurchase. Companies recognize that in a global market, they will need to gain a greate r understanding of customer satisfaction in order to adapt and mould their services for the customer. Understanding the wants and needs of your customers is a very important element of business and customer satisfaction reviews are the best way to achieve this. As a very reputed vehicle retailer, TVS ; Sons, Maradu, Cochin has their primary concern as their customer’s satisfaction.They treat their customer as the king and they need to know up to what extend their customers are satisfied with the Mahindra vehicles they are providing and related services that they are providing with the vehicles, the financing, after sales services and so on. This is the reason that the study on customer satisfaction of Mahindra passenger vehicles been carried out in TVS ; Sons, Maradu, Cochin. 1. 5 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Primary objective * To study the factors responsible for satisfaction of MAHINDRA passenger vehicles Customers of TVS ; Sons.Secondary objective * To study the role of after sales services provided by the organization towards the customer satisfaction * To recommend the management of TVS ; Sons, Kaloor, with certain measures to be taken in order to improve the level of customer satisfaction * To inform the MAHINDRA Automobiles, about customer needs and wants on their current vehicles and improvements suggested by the customers. 1. 6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY Customer satisfaction is an important factor that leads to sales effectiveness of the company.It is important which will help the organization in increasing its future sales, profits and market demand. â€Å"Customer satisfaction, a  business  term, is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass  customer expectation. † This research work consists of the study of the factors influenced towards MAHINDRA light passenger vehicles with reference with the leading automobile distributor, TVS ; Sons. This study is an attempt to examine and analyze the factors influenc ing the satisfaction level of the customers of TVS to Mahindra light passenger vehicles.This study will be beneficial to both the companies to improve themselves its efficiency after this study. The scope of the study was congested only to the district of Ernakulam and to the customers of TVS ; Sons. 1. 7 REASEARCH METHODOLOGY Descriptive research methods are used to better describe marketing problems, situations, or markets such as market potential for a product or the demographics and attitude of customers. Sample design Sampling is the process by which the selection of some parts of an aggregate or totality on the basis of which a judgment or inference about the aggregate or totality is made.Sampling unit: existing users of the Mahindra passenger vehicles who purchased from TVS ; sons, Maradu and Kaloor Sample size: 50 Sampling method: convenient sampling is used. A fraction of population being investigated which selected by convenience sampling method for the easier collection o f data. Source of data: the Primary data will be collected from existing users of the Mahindra passenger vehicles who purchased from TVS ; sons, Kaloor. The SECONDARY data will be collected from company records, journals and websites.Period of study: 20th august 2012 to 12th September 2012 Tools uses for the study * Personal interview * Questionnaires * Telephonic interview Research Instruments for data analysis and interpretation * Graphs and percentage methods for easy interpretation of data 1. 8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY * A bigger sample size would have revealed information in much more depth * A higher time frame more than 23 days would have helped gaining more insights to be research work * Analysis, finding and suggestion were based on the information selected from the respondents. Any accuracy issues nvolved in the researcher might have affected the latter works of the researcher. * There is a chance of people related errors. Busy people or relatively aggressive people may gi ve wrong feedbacks * The study was conducted in a festive season in Kerala namely onam. The number of people who should be available in the survey area has gone for vacations. It has made an impact on the results and feedback of the customers. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE REVIEW OF LITERATURE Marketing The following definition approved by the American Marketing Association Board of Directors; approved from 2007 October.Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. Marketing Research: Marketing research is the function that links the consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through information–information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a process.Marketing resear ch specifies the information required to address these issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and implements the data collection process, analyzes the results, and communicates the findings and their implications. Customer value: It is defined as the difference between what a customer gets from a product, and what he or she has to give in order to get it. It helps people and companies unlock their inner creative power and achieve amazing results. Relative performance identifies how the product or service gives customer value relative to what competitors offer.In order to generate more thought about customer value, and to reach out to a customer base, a business might promote a customer value proposition. The customer value proposition is basically a promise of benefits from a vendor to customers. Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction is defined as the measurement of how a company’s product or services meet or surpass its customer’s expecta tions. It is also a measure of how the customer perceives the way the company’s representatives dealt with his or her needs.The Wikipedia defines the term customer satisfaction as the number of customers, or percentage of total customers, whose reported experience with a firm, its products, or its services (ratings) exceeds specified satisfaction goals. According to PHILIP KOTLER, the definition of customer satisfaction is ‘the level of a person's felt state resulting from comparing a product's perceived performance (or outcome) in relation to the person's expectations. Customer satisfaction is important because many researchers have shown that customer satisfaction has a positive effect on an organization’s profitability.Due to this, the consequences of customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction must be considered. There is also a positive connection between customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention. Therefore, customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention are all very important for an organization to be successful The customer satisfaction plays a major role in determining the likelihood of an organization’s success and profitability over a long term. An important way for a business to develop customer loyalty that in turn builds repeat business through customer retention.Generally speaking, there are three different levels of customer satisfaction: dissatisfied customers who are seeking another supplier; satisfied customer who will buy from the company in the future and the loyal customer who will remain so despite of competitive offers. Unless a business organization develop a strong base of satisfied customers, it will be difficult if not impossible to remain viable in its marketplace. Moreover, any business not focused on satisfying their customers will be at the mercy of competitors who will eventually satisfy that person’s needs and desires.Taking a prompt action to resolve a customer’s problems can make the 85 % of them repeat customers. It costs on an average six times as much to find a new customer as it does to keep an existing one happy. This underscores the importance of customer satisfaction. The steps in measuring and managing customer satisfaction The following are a sound and simple approach for measuring and managing customer satisfaction: * Know who your customer’s are; * Understand your customer’s needs; * Measure your customer service performance; * Focus on their priorities Improve your processes Methodologies Frameworks for evaluating customer satisfaction with products Kano model of Customer Satisfaction The Kano et al. (1996) model of customer satisfaction classifies product attributes based on how they are perceived by customers and their effect on customer satisfaction. (Kano, serkau et al. 1996). According to this model, there are three types of product of attributes that fulfill customer satisfaction to a different degree: * Basic or expected attributes * Performance or spoken attributes * Surprise and delight attributesA competitive product meets basic expected attributes, maximizes performance attributes, and includes as many â€Å"excitement† attributes as financially feasible. In this model, the customer strives to move away from having unfulfilled requirements and being dissatisfied. The Kano model (Kano, Seraku et al. 1996) The performance or spoken attributes (the central line of the model) are those expressed by customers when asked what they want from the product. Depending on the level of their fulfillment by a product or service these requirements can satisfy or dissatisfy consumers.This basic or expected attributes (lower curve in the model) are basic attributes, which customers take for granted and they are so obvious that they are not worth mentioning. While the presence of these attributes is not taken into account, their absence is very dissatisfying. The surprise and delight attributes (upper curve in the mo del) lay beyond the customer’s expectations. If they are present they excite the customer, but their absence does not dissatisfy, as customers do not expect them. A successful combination of expected and exciting attributes provides a company with an opportunity to achieve competitive advantage.A successful company will correctly identify the requirements and attributes and use them to document raw data, user characteristics, and important service or product attributes. To make information about the identified requirements about the attributes understandable and useful for designers, a so called Quality Function Deployment (QFD) approach is often being used. The goal of QFD is to assure that the product development process meets and exceeds customer needs and wants and that customer requirement are propagated throughout the life cycle of the product.The approach uses a number of matrices, which helps in translating customer requirements into engineering to design parameters, specifying product features, manufacturing operations and specific instructions and controls. QFD allows for the minimizing of errors and maximizing of product quality for customers. This approach is probably the only existing quality system with such strong orientation to customer satisfaction. Innovation framework The process of adopting new products has also been studied within innovation adoption literature, and in particular the Rogers’ (1995) innovation framework.The framework suggests five steps, through which an adopter goes to the adoption of a new product or a service (Rogers 1995:36) First  knowledge  of  an  innovation  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  forming  an  attitude  toward  the  innovation decision to adopt or reject implementation of the new idea confirmation of this decision Rogers’ model closely resembles the customer satisfaction model by Engel et al. (1995). The first knowledge is acquired when an individual is p rovided with the information about the innovation. The attitude is formed evaluating the features of innovation and a resolution on  accepting or rejecting the product follows.Implementation corresponds to the consumption and confirmation refers to the need to reaffirm the decision about the innovation adoption. Rogers also maintained that people accept innovation differently, depending on their personality, their innovativeness, and interpersonal communication, and according to this could be classified into innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. Innovators seek newness and value the time period  that is passed  since the product launch. Laggards seek reassurance and confirmation about product or service qualities through interpersonal communication and word-of-mouth.A large number of studies have analyzed the differences between earlier and later adopters based on socio-economic, demographic, cultural, or psychological criteria (Tornatsky,Eve land et al. 1983), (Gatignon and Robertson 1985), (Frank, Sundqvist et al. 2001),(McMeekin and Tomlinson 1998), (Cestre and Darmon 1998). Time of adoption of innovation Economists, for example, suggest that for social innovation to take place, innovators should first accept innovation and then create institutional framework that would trigger the acceptance of new practices.For the laggards to join in another mechanism – the desire not to be left out of the group – can be used to speed up dissemination of more sustainable practices. Besides adopter categories, Rogers also identified a range of factors affecting the rate of  adoption: * Perceived attributes of the  innovation * Relative advantage * Compatibility * Trial ability * Complexity * Observability * Type of  innovation-decision * Communication channels * Nature of the social system * Extent of change agents’ promotion efforts.These factors are often used in many innovation studies as evaluation cri teria, based on which questionnaires for consumer surveys are developed. Frameworks for evaluating customer satisfaction with services Service Quality Model Service  Quality  Model According to Gronroos (1982), the quality of a service perceived by customers will differ depending on what strategy the company chooses to deliver and promote that service. The service quality model by Gronroos holds that the quality of a service, as it is perceived by the customer, can be divided into technical quality and functional quality dimensions.The former denotes what the customer receives as the output of a service production process and the latter how the technical quality is produced and transferred to the customer during buyer-seller interactions. Gronroos posits that the technical quality is the â€Å"basic condition for a positively perceived total quality, but the functional quality is the one that adds competitive edge† (Gummesson and Gronroos 1987). Furthermore, in the relati onship marketing, the growth of the importance of functional quality in comparison to technical quality become a strategic one (Gronroos 1993).The distinction is  also made in  the model between perceived and expected service quality and it is suggested that the quality is perceived subjectively. Gronroos (1988) further develops the model by positing that in the case of a company,  which extends product offer with services, it is more appropriate to talk about total perceived quality. According to him, a high perceived quality is obtained when the experienced quality meets customer expectations, i. e. the expected quality. However, if the expectations are unrealistic, the total perceived quality will be low, even if high quality was experienced (Gronroos 1988).The expected quality is heavily influenced by market communication (advertising, sales campaigns, PR and direct mail), word-of-mouth, company image, and customers’ needs. While a company directly controls market c ommunication, the word-of-mouth and company image are outside its immediate reach. Gronroos conclusion is that the total perceived quality is not only defined by the level of technical and functional dimensions, but also by the gap between the expected and the experienced quality. The  SERVQUAL  model Given the growth of services in the last decades, many researchers have recognized the need to develop measures of service quality.One of the most often used measures is the SERVQUAL based on extensive research in generic determinants of perceived service quality (Parasuraman, Berry et al. 1985; Parasuraman, Berry et al. 1988; Zeithaml, Parasuraman et al. 1990; Parasuraman, Berry et al. 1991; Parasuraman, Berry et al. 1993;Parasuraman, Berry et  al. 1994). The model measures the difference between customers’ expectations about general quality of  a certain group of service providers and their perceptions about the actual performance of a service provider from that group. It uses a set of service quality determinants (explained in Box 1) measured by a 22-item scale. The model defines customer satisfaction as perceived service quality, which is the gap between expected service and perception of service actually received. The determinants of service quality used in the model. * Access means approachability and ease of contact; * Communication means informing the customers in an understandable way and listening to them. It may imply that companies need to use different languages to talk to different customer groups (i. e. professional and private customers) in i. e. xplaining what the service comprises, how much various service elements and offers cost, and other features of the service; * Competence means possession of required skills (i. e. organizational and personal) and knowledge to perform the service; * Courtesy comprises politeness, respect, friendliness of the service provider personnel; * Credibility includes trustworthiness and honesty; * Rel iability means that the service is performed with high accuracy and thoroughness every time; * Responsiveness concerns the willingness of employees to provide the service and how fast the service is provided. Security comprises physical and financial safety and confidentiality; * Tangibles include all physical products that are involved in service delivery, and even other customers; * Understanding the customer  means taking steps to know customer better, learning their specific requirements, providing individual attention, recognizing regular customers. While being widely applied, the SERVQUAL model has also received criticism for not including prices in the assessment or for the inclusion of expectations as a variable in measuring service quality (Boulding, Kalra et al. 993). Perhaps the most often heard criticism pertains to the lack of  a clear link between satisfaction and perceived service quality identified by some research (Duffy and Ketchard 1998). An alternative model (SERVPERF) was later developed for these reasons, based on the findings that service quality does not depend on expectations and can be directly measured by simple performance based measures of service quality (Cronin and Taylor 1994) Toolbox for measuring the