Economic Concern in Pride and Prejudice Essay

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice had a long and varied life before it finally saw publication on January 28, 1813. Austen began the book, originally titled First Impressions, in 1796. Economic concerns are all over the place in this novel. One of the things that Austen does so well is to poke fun of the whole social class mentality of England during that time. In the novel, the social and economic classes are drawn very clearly. For example, the Bennets are middle class and they are made to know it by their economic and social superiors – the Bingleys and Darcys. There is a sense of entitlement among the wealth and a sense of subservience among the others. One of the clearest examples of this dynamic based on social class is Mr. Collins who acts like a â€Å"slave† to his cultural superiors, like Lady Catherine de Brourgh. Finally, what makes the story so great is that this tension is teased out until love wins. The marriage between Elizabeth and Darcy is the resolution, but for this to happen Darcy has to overcome his pride and Elizabeth her prejudice. Both are rooted in class consciousness. In Pride and Prejudice, there are many characters who do not have financial concerns, such as Mr. Darcy, Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Mr. Bingley. Therefore I will restrict myself to talking about the Bennet family, and in particular, Mrs. Bennet, in this response. Key to focus on is the way that, at least in part, it is economic reasons that are behind Mrs. Bennet’s frantic attempts to marry off as many of her daughters as possible. Note what we are told in the first paragraph of Chapter Seven about the brute realities of the existence of the Bennet girls: Mr.  Bennet’s property consisted almost entirely in an estate of two thousand a year, which , unfortunately for his daughters, was entailed in default of heirs male, on a distant relation; and their mother’s fortune, though ample for her situation in life, could but ill supply the deficiency of his. Her father had been an attorney in Meryton, and had left her four thousand pounds. The exact details that we are given clearly indicate how important money is. The way in which the property of Longbourne is entailed away from the female line adds new understanding to Mrs. Bennet’s determination that Lizzie should mary Mr. Collins, no matter what her personal feelings are, as it would effectively provide for Mrs. Bennet and the rest of the sisters after the event of Mr. Bennet. Later comments made by Mrs. Bennet about the Mr. Collins and Charlotte â€Å"turning them out onto the street† when Mr. Bennet dies, although are clearly exaggerated, nonetheless accurately reflect the uncertain future of this family unless they can marry off some of their daughters well to provide for the rest. Economic forces are therefore shown to bear massively on the fortunes of this family.

Internship Report on Hr Practices in Popular Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Essay

The term industrial tour refers to the process of preparing report on an industry by visiting it physically, observing its production process and gathering relevant data from the management personnel, analyzing and evaluating data, and findings and drawing comment on the performance of the industry. As the part of 4th year, we have visited Industrial Hand Protection Ltd (IHPL). It was established in Bangladesh as a foreign Direct Investment(FDI).It is located in the area of Chittagong Export Processing Zone(CEPZ).It is established as Private Ltd company. It produces hand gloves for export only. It has no market in Bangladesh at present. It collects raw materials like yarn from different countries and convert raw material into finished goods. After that it exports those in different countries according to head office. Now a days Bangladesh is emerging as a leading economic region in South East Asia and there is an increasing competition between national and International Corporation. Since Industrial Hand Protection is a global company, it has to compete with the international corporation. Since the business environment is now highly competitive, customers are the king .As a result all companies are developing their products to satisfy their customer. IHPL is also developing its product and maintaining its quality according to their customer needs. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The basic or main purpose of report is to learn practical knowledge about business world for balancing the gap of our industrial policy in the modern job market. The objectives of this industrial tour are as below: i) The prime objective of the study is to know the production process of the company, types of raw materials and sources of the raw materials. ii) To know the management system of the industry. iii) To assess the potentiality strength and weakness of the company. iv) To identify an overview of Industrial Hand Protection Ltd. IMPORTANCE OF THE TOUR Now a day’s practical knowledge is mostly emphasized on business perspective. For this reason, industrial tour does a great work to achieve practical knowledge. After visiting Industrial Hand Protection Ltd we have gathered a huge practical knowledge like controlling system, training facilities, management system, and promotional system, production system and so on. We further know about the compensation policy, pricing policy, purchase & sales procedure, sources of raw materials and transportation system as well. METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY Today’s study is conducted primarily in participatory research analysis method and secondary on practical and theoretical analysis. The research supervisor proposed research topic and thus questionnaire was made. This questionnaire was placed before the official of IHPL & subject to the approval of the research supervisor to provide their answers. Practical visit took place subsequently. Primary and secondary data was collected from every possible source. The primary sources are as follows: ⠝â€" Face-to-face conversation with the respective offices and stuffs of the branch. ⠝â€" Piratical work experience in the different desk of the department of the branch covered. ⠝â€" Observation of the production and management sector of the company. ⠝â€" Face-to-face conversation with production related employees ⠝â€" Related field study as provided by the officer The secondary sources of data and the information are: ⠝‘ Annual report ⠝‘ Web site address ⠝‘ Book basis articles Brochure provided by the company, catalogue, prospectus Limitation of the Study We tried our level best to collect information as much as necessary to prepare a perfect report on Industrial Hand Protection Ltd. Since the people of Bangladesh have a negative approach regarding research, it is very difficult to conduct a research in our country. As a result we face a lot of problems in collecting information. They are very much indifferent to provide relevant information. So we prepared this report on the available information we are able to collect from different sources. The limitations of the study are given below: †¢ Industrial Tour is organized for only one day. As a result it is very difficult to collect as much as information required preparing report. †¢ Some information is very much confidential. So they do not provide that information. †¢ Most of the officials are so busy to provide us enough time for discussion. †¢ It is established in Bangladesh in 2010.So we are unable to collect much information. †¢ Employees have the negativ e concept regarding the research. So they would not like to provide much information. †¢ They have no well organized website, annual financial report, magazine, and any periodical report. So to collect secondary data we have got very limited area. Brief History About Industrial Tour Industrial tour is very crucial for the BBA program. So during the BBA program every student needs to visit in any organization to gain practical knowledge which will help to make a connection between the theoretical and practical knowledge. Since we are the students of 4th year of the BBA program, we visited an industry named Industrial Hand Protection Ltd. At first our teachers made a group of four members. Our teacher along with the students fixed a date to visit the company. It was 30th June, 2012. On the due date we gathered in front of the shopping complex at 7.30 am. Teacher and all members came there in time. After taking breakfast we started our journey for IHPL under the direct supervision of our teacher named Anupam Kumar Das, lecture, Department of Management Studies, University of Chittagong. Surprisingly we got a guest teacher named Mr.Shanewas Mahmod Sohel, Assistant Professor, Department of Management Studies, University of Chittagong. We reached at IHPL at 8.30 am. Mr.shihab Uddin, HRofficer, received us cordially and took us to the conference room. They provide us some snacks and tea as a breakfast. All personnel of the organization came and introduced with us at 9.00am.Mr.K.M.Arif Mohin Uddin gives a brief speech about what we will do during our tour and provided us the schedule of the activities of the tour. After completing the introduction, Mr.Akber Haqqani(DGM),Head of production provided a speech about the history of MIDAS, its mission, vision, and the present scen ario of it. He also described about the potentiality of it. He showed the overall picture of organization. We were listening the speech attentively. Because his presentation was very nice, easy to understand, clear and interesting. He also gave us an opportunity to ask any questions about IHPL. After the presentation we took a tea break according to the schedule at10.30 am. Then Mr.shihab Uddin, HRofficer, gave a presentation about the functions of Admin& Personnel Department. He described what HR Department does for motivating employees and achieves higher productivity. He also described how they evaluate their strength and weakness, opportunity and threats. After that he gave us opportunities to ask something and we asked different questions and noted answers. After that Mr.K.M.Arif Moin Uddin told very briefly about how to develop our career plan. Then Mr.Shihab Uddin and Mr.K.M.Arif Mohin Uddin (Manager Admin& Personnel) took us to visit the factory. We visited the whole factory and directly observed how they are producing different hand gloves and prepared them for final sell and the packaging process. They produce the gloves through two processes. One is automated process and another is semi-automated process. We saw that at first production engineer prepared a mixture of chemical .Then raw gloves was sunk into it. There were two boilers which are used for heating the gloves. Production engineer told us about the whole production process in detail. They also told us they will increase the number of boilers if the  government provides available gas and electricity. We saw that the production process is not so simple. It is very complex. Gigantic set up of compliance and its movement is glared and flickered to us. All production engineers clarifies how the gloves are made and about their features. After that we went to the warehouse. We saw that they had a very large warehouse. By visiting factory we had got a overall view of the production process, maintaining quality, and stored process. After that we took lunch with Mr.K.M.Arif Mohin Uddin and Mr.shihab Uddin, HRofficer, at pm. After taking lunch, we went back to our conference room. After tea break Mr.Adnan Peerzada from Pakistan, Deputy Manager, Fin.&com. gave a brief presentation on the responsibility of a good manger at2.00 pm. He is very sincere, co-operative and cordial. He shared with us about his personal life. He told us how he developed his career in practical. He also said shortly about supply chain management. He tried to provide a clear concept of supply chain management with a practical example. After that Mr.K.M.Arif Mohin Uddin invited us to discuss the total production process of the total plant in the conference room. He described the whole production process in brief and we noted it. After that different heads of the department as Manager Admin &Personnel, Deputy Manager of Fin. & Com. Production Engineers, AM-QA&QC, and HRO came to conference room and invited us to ask different questions about IHPL. We along with our teachers asked a number of questions regarding any confusion. They answered all questions nicely and very clearly. At last we can say that all the personnel of the organization were very much co-operative, friendly, and helpful. Our industrial tour formally was finished at 4.00 pm. GENERAL IDEA ABOUT INDUSTRIAL HAND PROTECTION LTD. (IHPL) MIDAS was started in 1975 in Pakistan. The owner of the organization was from Gujarat. The operated area of it is in India, Pakistan, Srilanka, Bangladesh, Canada and Middle east country. The name of the sub-project of MIDAS is Industrial Hand Protection Ltd. It was located in Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ).It is only related with production of different types of hand gloves. It does all production according to the policy of head office which is situated in Canada. Head office determines all types of  production, marketing, financial policy. Industrial Hand Protection Ltd implements the policy that is taken by head office. IHPL collects raw materials from Malaysia and others countries. Then it converts these into finished products and export other countries directed by head office. It produces different types of industrial gloves for the purpose of export. IHPL is fully export oriented industry. It runs its production in two ways. One is automated production and another i s semi-automated production. It exports mainly in USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa, India, Holland, Spain etc. At present it does not sell any products in our country. It also maintains large warehouses for ensuring same day services .Their market share in the world is 35 millions. Sales Volume in 2012 is 300 millions and their targeted profit in 2020 is 1200 millions. Their sourcing office is China in 2010. They mostly export in India and USA. Their manufacturing Locations are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Canada Company Profile Industrial Hand Protection Ltd. Company Profile 1. Name the company: Industrial Hand Protection Ltd.(IHPL) 2. Present Address: Plot No.6, Sector 1A, Road No.5, C.E.P.Z, Chittagong-4223, Bangladesh. 3. Head Office address: Chittagong Export Processing Zone(CEPZ) 4. Location of the factory: Chittagong Export Processing Zone(CEPZ) 5. Year of establishment: 2010 6. Initiative organization to establish this industry: Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) 7. Type of operation: Production Oriented. 8. Year of starting its production: November, 2010. 9. Total number of employees: 600 10. Nature of ownership: Wholly Owned 11. Type of company: Both Labor and Capital Intensive. 12. Legal status of the company: Private Ltd. Company 13. Purpose of production:100%Export oriented 14. Production Area: Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) 15. Head office : Canada. 16. Two types : Garments and Gloves. 17. Gloves production in Bangladesh: Automated process Semi-Automated process 18. Market: United States of America, Europe, Asia, Africa, 19. Exporting Countries: USA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA, SPAIN, RUSSIA, HOLAND, INDIA 20. Market share in the world: 35 millions 21. Sales 2012: 300 millions. 22. Sales 2020: 1200 millions. 23. Most Exported Countries: India and USA. 24. Annual Export Volume: $90,00000 25. Manufacturing Location: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Canada. 26. Product concern: Largest. Winning Strategies †¢ Effective Human Resource department resulted in a strong professional management and marketing team. †¢ Independent governing advisory boards in different countries. †¢ Strong purchase and finance departments in all MIDAS location with excellent relationship with banks. †¢ Establishment of different training centre for customer’s stuff, employees and new employees. †¢ Time and money spend to create brand value †¢ Establishment of large warehouse and same day service. †¢ Huge investment in research and development including 30% of time for improving existing product and 70% on new innovative product and process. †¢ Straight short line production with improved quality product. †¢ Team spirit, open communication and co-ordination among team members. †¢ Marketing by Web on cloud computing. Key Personnel of IHPL . Key Human Resource personnel of IHPL Mission And Vision of (IHPL) Vision 2020: To be one of the leading 5 safety companies in the world Mission: 1. Great team work. 2. Quality And innovative production. 3. Brand recognition in emerging world market. Gaining Drivers of Industrial Hand protection ltd(IHPL) †¢ Innovation: IHPL expends a lot amount for the purpose of innovative workers. About 70%of R&D is used for innovation of the product. †¢ Experienced Employees: Most of the employees of the IHPL are so much experienced. Because continuous training program is followed by the organization. †¢ Co-operation: Co-operation is the main driver of the higher productivity. Co-operation among the departments and that of the employees is important for achieving the goal effectively and efficiently. Since IHPL follows the participative management it can able to ensure co-operation. †¢ Quality Maintained: They maintain the standard quality of the product. They produce the customized product. They have a good monitoring team to continuously monitor the quality of the product. †¢ Human Resources Leadership: A good leaders exist in the organization. They create vision and directed the all employees toward the achievement of the organizational goal. †¢ Update Technology: They import the updated technology and used in the production process. As a result they have been able to automatize the production process the productivity of the employees has increased rapidly. †¢ Team Work: Team work is the best for increasing productivity of the employees. They have made a number of groups consisting of 24 members in each group and assign their target that must be achieved within a specific period of time period of time. Overal View of Organizational Strategy [pic] Main Themes of The Company †¢ Service. †¢ Quality. †¢ Cost Competitiveness. †¢ Innovation †¢ Organizational Structure. Core Safety Values SWOT Analysis of the IHPL Competencies of the Industrial Hand Protection ltd. †¢ Customer Focus †¢ Delegation. †¢ Motivating Others †¢ Customization. †¢ Perseverance. Management The key points of management practices of IHPL are discussed below: Management Style: IHPL follows the Line & Staff Management style. There are four level of management in this organization. There is no managing committee in this organization. Planning Process: Planning is the set of activities such as selecting missions and objectives and the actions to achieve them, it also includes decision making. IHPL also has a strong planning process in which the authority has to formulate these plans. Most of the times top-level management makes decision. IHPL takes plans for intermediate term. Goals and Objectives: Objectives or goals are as Milestone where organization and individual activities are directed and it wants to reach. Objectives are state end results. Clear and verifiable objectives facilitate measurement of the surplus as well as the effectiveness and efficiency of managerial actions. IHPL considers, to be one of the leading 5 safety Co’s of the world as a vision of setting organizational goals and objectives. Specialization and Departmentalization: This organization follows work specialization for every employee. Work specialization refers to every employees should specialized in the particular field. MIDAS does not follow generalization. And it generally follows the departmentalization. MIDAS has eight departments. Span of Control: Span of Control means the number of subordinates a manager can effectively and efficiently direct. Wider span are more efficient in term of cost. However at some point wider pan reduce effectiveness. That is, when the span becomes too large, employee performance suffers because supervisors no longer have the times to provide the necessary leadership and support. Narrow span have three major drawbacks. * They are expensive because they add level of management * They make vertical communication in the organization more complex * Narrow span of control encourage overly tight supervision and discourage employees autonomy. IHPL follows narrow span of control and manage effectively. Decision Making: Decision-making is defined as selection of a course of action from among alternatives; it is at the core of planning. Decision-making may be either centralized or decentralized. The decision making process of that organization is centralized by the authority while taking strategic decision. IHPL also follows participative management in decision making. [pic] Production Department Simply, Production is the process of converting raw materials into finished goods that have utility values. Production refers to the processes and methods employed to transform tangible input(materials,semifinished goods,or subassemblies)and intangible inputs(ideas, information, knowledge) into goods or services. Production management refers to the job of coordinating and controlling the activities required making a product, typically involving effective control of scheduling, cost, performance, quality, and waste requirements. IHPL production system is customer based. So IHPL production system is intermittent. IHPL production planning and production scheduling is order based. Basic raw materials and sources of raw materials: |Raw materials |Sources of raw materials | |Chemical |International and local suppliers | |Yarn |International and local suppliers | Problems in procuring raw-materials: †¢ Rising cost †¢ More time to collect raw material †¢ Frequent change in price Overcome in procuring raw materials: †¢ Building loyal relationship with suppliers †¢ Better transportation Types of Products There are different kinds of hand gloves are producing IHPL. Products are as follows – * Journey gloves * Industrial gloves * Chemical resistance gloves * Hit resistance gloves * Fashion garments gloves * Medical gloves * Cut resistance gloves * Sports gloves etc Uses of Gloves [pic] Production process of hand gloves Total 645 people (574 workers and 74 employees) are worked in IHPL for producing of hand gloves. Raw materials are important for gloves production. How IHPL produces hand gloves that means how chemical and yarn converts into hand gloves? There are two production process of producing hand gloves such as — †¢ Automated hand gloves production procedure and †¢ Semi-automated hand gloves production procedure. We can show it by following flowchart —— Automated hand gloves production procedure (oil based): Semi-automated/Manual hand gloves production procedures (water based): Oil based hand gloves are used for normal or rough use. On the other hand, water based hand gloves are used for different purposes such as glass factory, garments industry, steel industry, knitting industry, medical operation, sports, wok shops, chemical industry etc. HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT Human resource department is responsible for how people are treated in organizations. It is responsible for bringing people into the organization, helping them perform their work, compensating them for their labors and solving problems that arise. Management of human resources is that function of all enterprises which provides for effective utilization of people to achieve both the objectives of the enterprise and the satisfaction and development of the employees. Human resource management differs from traditional personal management. Opening of Human Resource Department signifies growing awareness of the importance of human factor in organizational performance. IHPL’s one of the winning strategies is effective HR dept. resulted in a strong professional management and marketing teams. The role of the HR department on the overall performance of the organization is emphasized by: †¢ Recruitment †¢ Maintenance †¢ Retention of employees FUNCTIONS OF HR DEPARTMENT †¢ Recruitment of workers / staffs through interview ( daily recruitment of workers) †¢ Workers and staff orientation and personal grooming training. †¢ Daily security setup checking †¢ Ensure cleaning in IHPL †¢ Logistics support †¢ Routine co-ordination among suppliers †¢ Attendance analysis and reporting †¢ Leave report maintaining †¢ Co-ordinate BEPZA and government offices †¢ Ensure staff’s salary bank account making †¢ Training information update and arrange recommended training †¢ Ensure health and safety at work †¢ Employee counseling †¢ Expatriate’s work permit †¢ Wastage management †¢ Updates of registration and record †¢ Employee records †¢ PETTY cash management †¢ Employee grievances †¢ Performance appraisal †¢ Job description and job specification †¢ Developing and implementing different policy Performance Management Performance management is the process employers use to make sure that employees are working towards organizational goals. Employee performance of IHPL is appraised on yearly basis and 3 month’s performance review is conducted for this purpose. [pic] High Performance Drivers It tries to maintain high performances through following 3c factors. IHPL do believe that, high performance is the outcome of the multiplication of clarity, capability and commitment. Those are: †¢ Competency. †¢ Capability. †¢ Commitment. It can be expressed as follows:Competency*Capability*Commitment = High Performance Absenteeism And Turnover Absenteeism: An absence refers to time an employee is not on the job during scheduled working hours , except for a granted leave of absence, holiday or vacation time. Turnover: Labor turnover is the rate at which an employer gains and loses employees. Simply we can say â€Å"how long employees tend to stay† or â€Å"the rate of traffic through the revolving door†. Overview of the absenteeism and turnover rate of IHPL Comparison of Satisfactory And Dissatisfactory factors of IHPL THE MAIN AREAS OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT The personnel manager is responsible for all the decisions regarding HRD but before taking any decision he consults with the HR officer. There is an organized HR policy in this type of production oriented company. IHPL’s HR policy is international although it’s an MNC. It’s human resource policy is: †¢ Recruit competent workforce †¢ Training and development of workforce †¢ Retain good workforce by logical benefits and compensation This department is of highest significance as IHPL do believe that â€Å" Our Strength is Our People† Co’s policy regarding HR planning, job analysis, recruitment, selection, training and performance management and reward system are discussed in the following segment of the paper: HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING HR planning is the process of deciding what positions the firm will have to fill and how to fill them. The main task of HRD is a good HR planning. HR planning, in turn, involves job analysis and forecasting the demand and supply of labor. JOB ANALYSIS An organization consists of positions that have to be staffed. Job analysis is the procedure for determining the duties and skill requirements of a job and the kind of person who should be hired for it. It’s one of the most important task that performed by the HR staff. Through job analysis, the vacant position is found out and the job description and the job specification is prepared. In case of job analysis, IHPL follows 3types of methods: †¢ Observation method †¢ Structured questionnaire method †¢ Individual interview method Job description Job description is a written statement of what the worker actually does, how he or she does it and what the job’s working conditions are. Job specification The job specification takes the job description and answers the question, â€Å"what human traits and experiences are required to do the job well?† It shows what kind of person to recruit and for what qualities that person should be tested. IHPL conducts job analysis to come up with job evaluation. And for each and every position in it there are job description and job specification. In the selection of employees it follows job specification. RECRUITMENT In case of recruiting employees the company uses †¢ School placement †¢ Employee references †¢ Advertisements To search for required candidates. For advertisements for employee recruitment, IHPL uses: †¢ Daily newspapers †¢ Internet / on-line For skilled jobs for IHPL, the most popular recruiting sources are: †¢ Reference checking †¢ Labor market campaign †¢ Existing employee reference The most popular sources of managerial jobs are: †¢ Newspaper advertisement †¢ Walk in interview SELECTION After recruitment, the company goes for selection procedure. The preparation of a short list of candidates is based on the following criteria: †¢ Competency †¢ Chittagong zone living people †¢ Positively aggressive hard working person For employee selection, the company follows 3 types of selecton tests: †¢ Written tests †¢ Oral tests †¢ Medical tests In the selection process, the sequential steps involved can be shown in the following diagram: [pic] In case of daily worker selection, the procedure is: After selection, the employees are assigned to different types of jobs on the basis of job description. While selecting employees, the problem that the company faces is the lack of competent people TRAINING AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Training is the process of teaching new employees the basic skills they need to perform their jobs. In IHPL there is an organized training and development program to develop employee skills and productivity. In determining the training needs of the employees, IHPL considers productivity. 3types of training methods are applied here: †¢ classroom lecture †¢ on the job training †¢ external training after the completion of the training program, employees are assigned to predetermined positions. Performance management is the process employers use to make sure that employees are working towards organizational goals. Employee performance of IHPL is appraised on yearly basis and 3 month’s performance review is conducted for this purpose. IHPL do believe that, high performance is the outcome of the multiplication of clarity, capability and commitment. That is: High Performance = competency* capability * commitment REWARD SYSTEM Before constructing it’s reward system, IHPL evaluates the jobs using Point Method. It sets it’s basic pay based on: †¢ experience †¢ performance †¢ position †¢ academic qualification traditional method of administrative pay is used in here. BEPZA has a great influence on it’s payment system. In order to retain highly experienced people, IHPL uses: †¢ motivation †¢ promotion †¢ providing extra facilities †¢ training benefits provided to the employees are: †¢ house rent †¢ DA / TA Employees get bonus on yearly basis. Facilities are reactive here. Quality Control †¢ QC is a procedure or set of procedures intended to ensure that a manufactured product or performed service adheres to a defined set of quality criteria or meets the requirements of the client or customer. †¢ In Order to implement an effective QC program, an enterprise must first decide which specific standards the products or service must meet. Then the extent of QC actions must be determined. (Ex: the percentage of units to be tested from each lot). Quality Control Procedure in IHPL ââ€" ª In IHPL Quality control procedure is done through internal & buyer consent. ââ€" ª 100% audit (Third party audits from buyer side). ââ€" ª Raw material inspection. ââ€" ª Dangerous article protection (steel fragmented, niddle parts, safety measures). ââ€" ª Accepted Quality level. ââ€" ª Quality accessories and chemical used. ââ€" ª Automated weaving machine. ââ€" ª ISO 9001 : 2008 is followed in case of product Quality control. ââ€" ª Customer expectation and ISO standard are followed for quality measurement. ââ€" ª They have a skilled inspection team for quality control. ââ€" ª This team consists of 24 members. ââ€" ª IHPL has two different maintenance policy for equipment including i. Preventive maintenance policy ii. Repair maintenance policy. Inspection services & testing in IHPL IHPL maintains some inspection services and testing procedures for ensuring product quality including:- Preshipment Inspection: An inspection to guarantee the conformity of production to their specification. Production monitoring: Constant oversight in factory with daily reports on quality and production status. During production check: Control and recommendation for production process and capacity. Initial production check: Inspection of machinery and materials to be used for their product prior to production. Container loading check: Guarantee the finished goods meet their specification (Product type & quality) and are loaded. Labor Management IHPL produces safety hand gloves under Midas Safety has been Protecting the Working Hands of the World. IHPL is a manufacturing unit of Midas Safety, and a thoroughly labor intensive unit also. About 574 labors are working in it with two distinct shifts – Day shift and Night shift. For manage a large number of labor there have a strong labor management unit. This unit recruits, selects, trains, reward and terminate labor. There have no labor union and no CBA also. Labor cannot participate in decision making. IHPL provide food facilities to its worker. It has own canteen for its worker and provide two snacks with tea and lunch for day shift and three snacks with tea and dinner for night shift. Though IHPL situated in CPEZ, thus it need to follow instruction provided by BEPZA. BEPZA labor administration: The BEPZA fixed minimum wages in October 1993 for categories of trainees, unskilled, semiskilled, and skilled workers at US$22 to US$63 per month. These rates have never been revised. The minimum has become the effective maximum. The classification of workers is also done entirely by the employer. Similarly, working hours, paid holiday and other leave, payment of wages, and maternity benefits are all decided unilaterally by management. The BEPZA document, Labor and Industrial Relations, rules that â€Å"BEPZA issues directives from time to time determining minimum wages.† It is understood that the minimum wage, US$22, issued in 1993 still remains valid, although in national laws, periodical revisions are provided for. This salary is less than US$1.00 per day, the criterion used internationally to identify the poor. These issues require collective bargaining and action including strikes if employers do not respond to workers’ demands. Official documents do not indicate h ow an offending employer is punished. There is no regular inspection by BEPZA Labor Administration, nor is there any requirement by employers to report on compliance. Because of this, exemption from the Industrial Relations Ordinance appears highly detrimental to workers’ interests. In February 1986 the government exempted the BEPZA from the Employment of Labor (standing order) Act. A notification in January 1989 also exempted EPZ enterprises from the Factories Act 1965. These two acts related to basic conditions of employment (daily, monthly, casual, etc.), dismissal procedure, and provision of safety, health, and sanitary conditions, including facilities for women workers and their children. Compensation for dismissal is mentioned in the BEPZA booklet on labor and industrial relations. But the reasons for discharge are not covered including arbitral dismissal. According to the BEPZA booklet, reasons for dismissal include physical and mental incapacity and continued ill health, with compensation of one month’s pay for every year of service or any part thereof in excess of six months. But the booklet does not clarify whether such dismissals are scrutinized by BEPZA prior to an employer’s order. Similarly dismissal on grounds of misconduct is permitted â€Å"after due enquiry proceedings,† (presumably by the employer). These provisions are li able to violation of workers’ rights by the employers. Remuneration: †¢ The parliament passed the EPZ Workers Association and Industrial Relations Act 2004(Amended up to October 2010). †¢ Competitive wages in respect of semi skilled, skilled and high skilled. †¢ The average monthly wages has been practiced as follow: ââ€" ª Unskilled US$ 39.00-48.00 ââ€" ª Semi-skilled US$ 55.00 ââ€" ª Skilled US$ 61.00-109.00 †¢ Other benefits include Conveyance Allowance, House Rent, Medical Allowance, Maternity Benefit, Festival Bonus, Provident Fund and Overtime. Considering the production cost investor is being deemed to be satisfied with the overall productivity of the labors. Human Rights in EPZ: (a) Pressure to enhance welfare It appears that the BEPZA and investors in EPZs are under social and international pressure not only to enhance the welfare of the workers, but also to consult the workers in the process. According to the BEPZA Bulletin October – December 1999, a Conference of Investors on issues pertaining to labor relations in EPZs of Bangladesh was held in Dhaka in December 1999. The Minister of Labor, the Minister of Industries and the American Ambassador to Bangladesh attended the conference. According to the Bulletin, the â€Å"investors in the EPZs of Bangladesh have proposed forming a Tripartite Welfare Committee to look after and protect the interest of workers†. And â€Å"the US Ambassador in his speech encouraged the investors to form a committee to help devise an acceptable method of ensuring the welfare of the workers in the EPZs of Bangladesh†. (b) Pressure from foreign/international agencies As early as 1991, AFL – CIO, the largest trade union federation in USA, petitioned to revoke Bangladesh’s general system of preferences (GSP – tariff concessions) because of various alleged infringement of labor rights, including the denial of freedom of association in the Chittagong EPZ. After a review of the petition, the US government decided to continue Bangladesh’s GSP privileges, following Bangladesh government’s assurance to allow freedom of association in the EPZs by 1997 (Daily Star, 28 October 1999). In June 1999, AFL-CIO filed another petition to revoke the GSP privileges of Bangladesh, based solely on the country’s failure to act in accordance with the assurance. Since then the US ambassador has repeatedly threatened withdrawal of GSP privileges on the same grounds. On the other hand in a meeting with BEPZA chairman, the Japanese ambassador categorically stated, â€Å"Japan does not want trade unions in the EPZs at this moment’ (Daily Star, 20 February 2000) and he expressed satisfaction at the congenial atmosphere in the two EPZs of the country.† A Korean entrepreneur observed that international labor standards maintained in developed countries should not be applied in Bangladesh because the issues of industrial relations here were different. According to another report in the Daily Star of 19 October 1999, the Bangladesh government had signed an agreement with the US Trade Department in 1994 to withdraw the exemption from Employment of Labor (standing orders) Act 1965, and from the Industrial Relations Act 1969, by 1995 and 1997 respectively. Exemption from the Factories Act was withdrawn in 2000. On the other hand, the Chittagong EPZ investors told the US ambassador that permitting trade unions would also be a breach of contract by the Bangladesh government, which had promised a peaceful atmosphere in the Industrial Zones (Daily Star, 28 October 1999). Meanwhile acquisition of a huge area of land for a Korean EPZ has displaced 425 families and the process has been challenged in court by a religious group, as it sought to acquire a church. Complaints of corruption and harassment in payment of compensation to displaced landowners for land acquired for Comilla EPZ has also appeared in the press. (c) Pressure for consultation with workers In the conference, it was proposed that ‘the Welfare Committee will comprise of worker representatives, BEPZA, and BEPZA enterprises.’ This indicates a current lack of arrangements for consultation in any forum with representatives of workers. In the three bodies comprising the BEPZA, no representative of workers is included. The Ministry of Labor is not even represented in these bodies. (d) Divided opinion among ministers In the 1999 conference, the Minister of Labor made a vague statement that ‘the government will take some measures to protect the interest of workers  and the investors equally; while the Industries Minister was more categorical in saying, â€Å"The prime objective of the government is to increase employment opportunities through increased investment. Any issue relating to EPZs of Bangladesh should be considered cautiously.† (e) Opposition to ‘traditional trade unions’ Other speakers in the conference cautioned that foreign investment will be discouraged if ‘traditional trade unions’ are introduced. In Bangladesh, labor laws provide for election of a ‘Collective Bargaining Agent’ (CBA) from among the registered unions in an industrial undertaking and traditionally the CBAs have exceeded their legal rights and created labor unrest, allegedly for the interest of the CBAs. Major reasons for such a situation are an ineffective labor administration and political interference in implementation of labor laws. (f) BEPZA documents Several BEPZA documents mention that BEPZA pursues a production-oriented labor law. The authority administers labor matters in the EPZs of Bangladesh. Labor unions are neither allowed to form or operate within EPZs. This is a strong indication that the right to: organize and bargain collectively is denied to workers in EPZS. The BEPZA documents do not mention how the labor matters are administered in the absence of trade unions, particularly in matters that require collective bargaining, such as safety and health, minimum wage, dispute settlement, etc. From occasional reports in newspapers, it appears that labor unrest takes place once in a while due to causes like arbitrary dismissal of workers. (g) Exemption from certain labor laws On 25 February 1986, the government exempted Chittagong EPZ from the provisions of the Industrial Relations Ordinance 1969 which recognized ILO Conventions on Freedom of Association (No. 87) and on the Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively (No. 98). The ILO considers these conventions as basic human rights. It is possibly true that widespread misuse of liberal provisions for forming unions of workers gave rise to a multiplicity of unions and inter-union rivalry. Similarly, some collective bargaining agents are also criticized for misusing their representative strength. However, these situations arise due to political reasons and due to poor enforcement of laws by management and the state. Absence of laws permitting trade unions is no guarantee that such situations will not appear in the EPZs as well if the political situation deteriorates and if law enforcement slackens. The relevant issue is whether BEPZA’s labor administration has promoted any alternative relief for the workers. Export & Import IHPL is an export oriented company. They export their products to various countries. These are as follows- †¢ U.S.A †¢ Canada †¢ Australia †¢ South Africa †¢ Spain †¢ Russia †¢ Holland †¢ India †¢ U.A.E They mostly export to INDIA & USA. Their annual export volume is approx. 90 lac us dollar. They determine their international market demand and supply by its powerful sales team which is provided by its parent organization –MIDAS, situated in Canada. IHPL transport goods by air & water. They procure raw materials from different countries. It need not have to pay any taxes for importing raw materials. IHPL is situated in EPZ area where companies are given special facilities and incentives in favor of their export goods; also IHPL gets special incentive facilities from Bangladesh Govt for increasing their export. They use C&F agent for exporting their goods and collecting their raw materials. At the time of exporting product, they faces several problem. This are- †¢ Timely transportation(unavailability of movers) †¢ Dependency on middle organization: It may be caused by C&F agent. †¢ Lengthy process in port: Because of political problem mainly trade union. †¢ Corruption in every stage of processing †¢ Supply of wrong information by importer or exporter Above mentioned problems can be solved by – †¢ Providing adequate transportation facility †¢ Reducing interference of middle men †¢ Handling of shipping problem in time †¢ Providing reliable information at the time of export and import †¢ Eliminating corruption by enforcing rules and regulation IHPL is a big growing factory in Bangladesh and Bangladesh Govt. should support this kind of factory to develop the country by following steps- †¢ To increase mobility of port: There are many kinds of problems in time of shipping goods and services. In our country labor does it. That is politicize trade union in port. this type of situation govt. can take initiative to increase mobility of port. †¢ Production of export cargo: In our country ,we have no emergency career service. IHPL may expect to govt. this type of facility. †¢ Sound quality control and grading of export consignment: In Bangladesh BSTI can do it. They may expect to govt. that BSTI will be more effective than previous. †¢ Effective cost control: In our country cost increase due to delay delivery, delay production, delay documentation. To reduce this govt. can introduce one stop service centre in port and also need to make it more effective. †¢ Developing sound network and linkage with overseas market: To do it govt. can need to do EPB and Commerce Ministry more effective. Corporate social responsibility of IHPL: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is defined as the way companies integrate social, environmental, and economic concerns into their values and operations in a transparent and accountable manner. It is integral to long-term business growth and success, and it also plays an important role in promoting business values locally and internationally and also contributing to the sustainable development of communities. The Government of Bangladesh works with the public and private sector, business community, civil society , with foreign governments and communities as well as other stakeholders to foster and promote CSR. WIKIPEDIA define CSR as CSR is a form of corporate self integrated into a business model. CSR policy functions as a built-in, self-regulating mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law, ethical standards, and international norms. The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the company’s actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholder and all other members of the public sphere who may also be considered as stakeholders. Corporate Social Responsibility: THE BANGLADESH CONTEXT CSR practices in Bangladesh in its modern global terms, are relatively new, but not so for the concept itself. Because, being a part of the global market, it is difficult to ignore CSR standard specifically in the export sector like (MIDAS, young one, specific jeans) com. In general, it is true that in Bangladesh, the status of labor rights practices, environmental  management and transparency in corporate governance are not satisfactory level, largely due to poor enforcement of existing laws and inadequate pressure from civil society and interest groups like Consumer Forums (CAB) consumer association of Bangladesh. Globally, as CSR practices are gradually being integrated into international business practices and hence is becoming one of the determining factors for market accesses, it is becoming equally instrumental for local acceptability. A focus on CSR in Bangladesh would be useful, not only for improving corporate governance, labor rights, work place safety, fair treatment of workers, community development and environment management, but also for industrialization and ensuring global market access. Lack of enforcement of Industrial Laws and Regulations, weak unions, absence of consumer rights and high level of corruption within the regulatory bodies make CSR violation rampant in Bangladesh. CSR is neglected in two most significant foreign exchange sources is the RMG sector and the overseas manpower export. Unbelievably low compensation, working hours, health/hygiene/sanitation conditions, fire safety and various types of abuse are so common and to the extent of inhumanity that will shock any conscientious individual to the core. Recently, the RMG sector employees have embarked on a industry wide movement to establish their rights. Like savor, narayangong (kunchpur) in march-April in 2012. CSR Of Industrial Hand Protection Ltd. ( IHPL) IHPL is committed to ethical behavior and to sustainable economic development, while improving the quality of life of its workforce and their families, as well as the local community and society at large. IHPL is one of the organizations of MIDAS. It established in November 2010 in EPZ in Chittagong. Its a 100% export oriented safety material producer export gloves, heal mate, chemical resistant cover in India & others countries as per the requirement of MIDAS. Since its inception its carry our different types of CSR to govt., employees, BEPZA, EPZ & to the society. CSR to Govt.: * Provide tax, duty, others fees timely * Follow govt. prescribe rules & regulation * Promote diplomatic relation with exporting countries * Contribute t the up-liftment of GDP * Favorable balance of payment CSR to society: * create employment for 600 people( 50% male,50% female) * environment safety operation * raising living standard * Qurbani,a very new establishment, donation to orphanage. CSR to environment: * pollution free manufacturing * sound waste management policy * minimum emission of co2 * ISO 9001:2008 certified operation CSR to employees: * timely wage paid * provide free lunch & dinner * provide on job training * provide safety material for worker in time of working * improve skill among worker * provide pure drinking water * transportation facilities for employees CSR to BEPZA: * follow BEPZA role & regulation * follow labor act 2006 * operation is consistent with Bangladeshi culture, norms, value. Proper CSR practice in Bangladesh can also contribute a lot to community development. The corporate house can develop the community by creating employment, providing primary education, contribution to infrastructure development like road and high-ways and addressing environmental concerns. This is more relevant for a country like Bangladesh where the government interventions in these fields augmented by corporate alliance can go a long way in developing the economy, society and environment. Problems of IHPL IHPL faces generally two types of problems. They may be internal or external problems. Internal Problems: ââ€" ª Inadequate training and development program. ââ€" ª Poor investment in research and development. ââ€" ª Lack of infrastructural development of the organization. ââ€" ª Have no own power supply system. ââ€" ª High turnover rate of the organization. ââ€" ª Have no local supply of raw material. External Problems: ââ€" ª Political instability in Bangladesh. ââ€" ª Increasing inflation ââ€" ª Corruption in the port. ââ€" ª Lengthy process for exporting of the goods. ââ€" ª Economic factors: Exchange rate fluctuation, trade policy, trade relation with other country, tax rate, tariff and others non-tariff barriers ââ€" ª Non-availability and non-frequency of transportation. ââ€" ª Other Cultural differences like working attitudes, language, education and dexterity etc. ââ€" ª Lack of proper supply of gas, water, electricity and so on. ââ€" ª Labor union causes a lot of problems in case of export oriented organization. Recommendation Some recommended suggestions are given below: †¢ Continuous quality improvement concept should be applied for the improvement of the quality of the product. †¢ Investment in research and development has to extend to initiate a new idea. †¢ IHPL should provide adequate incentive, salary, bonuses and non-financial facilities to reduce the high turnover rate. †¢ IHPL should try to produce raw material in production country. †¢ IHPL should introduce the updated technology in the production to increase productivity. †¢ IHPL should think the possibilities of sells its products in Bangladesh. †¢ IHPL should introduce the housing facilities for the employees. †¢ IHPL should try to apply JIT concept in the inventory system. †¢ IHPL should try its best to minimize the lead time of the shipment of hand gloves. †¢ IHPL should be more social responsible and environment friendly company. CONCLUSION By Observing the above discussion we can concludes that the company has been maintaining excellent performance since its beginning. This is the proud of the company that it never incurred a loss since 2010 to 2012. The overall performance of accounting, management, and cost systems of Industrial Hand Protection Ltd. is to some extend conventional issue. The products of the company have wide market demand all over the world. The company earns a lot of foreign exchange which plays an important role in our national economy. Industrial Hand Protection Ltd will be the role model for export oriented industry sector within few years. Because of its quality product, uniqueness of their product, export volume and so on. One of the main problem is that IHPL uses automated machineries which hamper targeted production in case of electricity disruption. It imports all raw materials but it some times faced problems due to time limitation. If IHPL can overcome its drawbacks it will increase a large extent the volume of profit. Since this company is established in CEPZ area they have to maintain all the rules and regulations provided by the BEPZA. So the authority can not enjoy freedom of taking decision. Their turnover rate is quite high, it needs to be checked. If it does not take initiative to improve this situation it will face difficulties because they have several competitors outside the country. The production capacity of IHPL is limited because of their limited area. So this need to be considered by concerned authority . By analyzing sales trend and financial statement, profit and production diagram of IHPL, we can say that the overall performance of IHPL is satisfactory. It never incurs losses since its beginning. We also know that it is a newly established company. We hope Industrial Hand Protection Ltd. will carry out its production process smoothly by removing its some silly drawbacks. Reference: ———————– Electronic Works Mr.A.K.M.Arif Mohin Uddin Manager Admin & Personnel. Mr.Akbar Haqqani Deputy General Manager (DGM) Country Head in Bangladesh Mr Adnan Peerzada Deputy Manager. Department of Finance and Commercial. Senging point Load point Liner Bobbling Ship Industry Sports Road Construction Steel Industry. Fashion Industry Heat Resistance Chemical Industry. Journey Mr.Shihab Uddin Khan HR officer. ance Chemical Industry. Journey Mr.Shihab Uddin Khan HR officer. Quality service Quality Customer Price Quality Valuable customer Manufacture ââ€" Man ââ€" Machine ââ€" Material ââ€" Money Direct sale Formal Relation Interdepende-ncy Mertocracy T Trust Care For Others Ethics Team work Strength Weakness †¢ Unskilled labor †¢ Inexperience †¢ Poor industry environment †¢ Lack of local demand †¢ Lack of infrastructural development. †¢ Fresh Environment †¢ Higher Productivity of worker. †¢ Availability of labor †¢ Effective collaboration among employees. †¢ Effective and efficient labor supply †¢ Participative management system †¢ Unbalance market distribution †¢ Lack of energy †¢ Floating worker †¢ Devaluation †¢ High turnover rate †¢ Political instability †¢ Long lead time to export †¢ Emerging market †¢ Research and Development †¢ Established plan †¢ Building loyalty †¢ Growing demand †¢ Vast labor force with labor cost Threats Opportunity Spinning Pre-Jelling Air flow Showering Stamping Packaging Finished Goods Oven Liner Drying check Load point Methanol Deeping Pre-Jelling Evaporation Horizontal Jelling Oven Packaging Stamping Finished Goods What is expected? The way it is expected to develop. What has been achieved? The way it has been achieved. High Performance Absenteeism in percent Turnover in percent Month in 2012. January 19.46% 9.56% February 15.25 7.73 8.00 March 15.45 19.23 8.43 April 12.00 8.00 May Satisfaction Factors Dissatisfaction Factors †¢ Shortage of holidays †¢ Low medical allowance †¢ Long working hours †¢ Improper assistance from production. †¢ Lack of incentives †¢ Organizational environment †¢ Transportation problem in case of long distance †¢ Discipline †¢ Cooperation between staff and office employees †¢ Timely salary payment †¢ Freedom to work †¢ Basis of future platform †¢ Learning and participating †¢ Food and transportation facility Initial Screening Employment Tests Completing Application Form Comprehensive Interview Background Investigation Conditional Job Offer Medical or Physical Test Permanent job Offer Screening Collecting People Talk Personally Selection by Engineers Choose Effective Worker

The Three Major Religions

The Major Religions Judaism, Christianity and Islamic Humanities 101 August 28, 2010 Strayer University The major religions in the world are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are monotheistic religions, namely they believe that there is only one God. All three religions believe that this God is the origin and source of all that exists. God cares about the entire creation and desires the well-being of all. God is just and has provided basic rules for our guidance so that we may be good and righteous, according to God's intention. All the major religions of the world have cities that hold special significance to their religion. It may be the home of a religious leader, the birthplace of their god, or the location of an important Temple or shrine. Many of these holy cities are important to more than one religion, which is a little more proof that we're all more alike than we are different. All three religions acknowledge that Moses was a prophet of God. The prophets of Israel and Judah are one of the most amazing groups of individuals in all history. The Islamic faith eagerly awaits the return of the Prophet Jesus born by a miracle of God without a father. The Prophet Mohammed's words give an account of the signs that will precede the coming of Jesus. Through Christianity, the prophets confirmed that God is sovereign over history and is working out His purposes in accordance with an overall plan, sometimes indiscernible, but always in the hands of the Lord. In Judaism, the people saw God's initiative at work in every step of their corporate existence. Yahweh (God) had called Abraham to father a chosen people of destiny. In Exodus, God used the Prophet Moses to affirm His power, goodness, and concern for history The religion's book of revelation, mediated by the prophet, is the Koran. It was not a completely new faith but is the third great monotheistic religion. In Muslim eyes, Mohammed completes a succession of prophets, including Abraham, Moses and Jesus, each of whom refined and restated the message of God. Mecca is a city in Saudi Arabia that is of major religious importance to Muslims. Mecca is the birthplace of the Prophet Mohammed who converted Arabia to Islam. All practicing Muslims accept belief in the ‘Six Articles of Faith’ and are obliged to follow the ‘Five Pillars. ’   They are 1) Muslim profession of faith or shahada, 2) Ritual Prayer or salah, 3) Ritual Prayer or salah, 4) Fasting or sawm, 5) Pilgrimage or hajj. The division between Shia (followers of Ali) and Sunni (followers of the custom of the caliphate) persists to this day. Although both share most of the customs of the religion, Shiites place more emphasis on the guiding role of the imam. About 90% of the world's Muslims are Sunni and about 10% Shia. Muslims prayer five a day. The most important day for them to worship Allah is Friday in the mosque. â€Å"Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar, is considered as one of the holiest months of the year. It was in 610 A. D. when the prophet Mohammad was said to have received revelations from God that later became Islam’s holy book, the Quran† (Ramadan – The Holy Month ,2010). Christians believe Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem. Bethlehem is a very important city to Christians because it is the place where Jesus was born. â€Å"The Christian life involves a number of different aspects. Among the key ones are fellowship with God Our relationships with others, and Obedience to God's commands and Discipline†( Hedrick, C. 1995). The Christian concept of God as creator holds a middle ground. Christianity conceives of God as One. But it is not an isolated One. Rather, God is a person, who is capable of affecting and being affected by others. This is implicit in the concept of God as Father, which is one of the most characteristic teachings of Jesus. The concept of God as personal ultimately led to the Trinity, which is surely one of the most distinctive. In Christianity their holy book is the bible ( Jewish bible and New Testament). Also their main day for worship is on Sunday in a church, chapel, and cathedral. Judaism is a monotheistic religion which believes that the world was created by a single, all-knowing divinity, and that all things within that world were designed to have meaning and purpose as part of a divine order. There are three branch of Judaism which form a type of lifestyle and beliefs of Jewish individuals. â€Å"Orthodox- Traditionalists who observe most of the traditional dietary and ceremonial laws of Judaism. Conservative- Do not holds to the importance of a Jewish political state, but put more emphasis on the historic and religious aspects of Judaism, doctrinally somewhere between Orthodox and Reform. Reform- The liberal wing of Judaism, culture and race oriented with little consensus on doctrinal or religious belief† (McDowell, J. 1992). Judaism has no dogma, no formal set of beliefs that one must hold to be a Jew. In Judaism, actions are far more important than beliefs, although there is certainly a place for belief within Judaism. In traditional Judaism, God is often perceived as a loving Father who is infinitely majestic with divine power? The central prayer of any Jewish religious service is to â€Å"love God†. Palestine was where Judaism found. The main day for worship is on Saturday in synagogue. Moses was the greatest of the prophets for Judaism and there holy book was Torah ( bible). Comparing the view of God between Islam, Judaism and Christiantaiy would reveal som e similarities but Judaism and Christianity will come closer in doctrine. This is because of the Old Testament. Both Judaism and Christianity reject the Origin of the Islamic faith. These are broad statements in comparing the three but still are general facts. From infancy, Muslims are taught about the oneness of God, hence monotheism. Muslim theology also advocates unity of the human race as one family under God and reject the Biblical teaching of a â€Å"chosen† people. To the Muslim, Allah is the name of God that encompasses all the Holy divine attributes. As in the Jewish faith, Jesus is regarded as a prophet but is rejected as the Holy Son of God. Judaism, at least from a traditional religious sense, draws its belief in a monotheistic existence of God from the Old Testament writings. In traditional Judaism, God is often perceived as a loving Father who is infinitely majestic with divine power. The three religions believe that human beings are the highest creatures here on earth. The three Abrahamic religions believe that God and human beings can and should communicate with each other. By revelation God communicates to people, among which the most important are revelation through prophets. These revelations are recorded in the Holy Scriptures of each religion. While the Holy Scriptures of the three religions are not the very same, nevertheless the younger two religions acknowledge God's truth as found in the previous religions, and encourage respect to the Holy Books. All three religions foster modesty, moderation, and honest work. We are to submit ourselves to the will of God. All three religions closely link religion and morality. Religion is to be manifested by showing concern for the well-being and dignity of others, in a life of service to others, and in personal and social ethical behavior. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity share many salient features. All three of these major world religions posit the existence of a single God, or a monotheistic deity. In Christianity, however, it is held that the single God is possessed of three natures, that of God the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. Despite differences, at their core all three religions share the theme of right living and social interaction based upon it, as demonstrated in the following precepts from each religion: Christianity Thou shall not steal; Thou shall not commit adultery; Honor they mother and father. Islam Religion is based on reward and punishment; be good and you will be rewarded, be bad and you will be punished on the terrible day of reckoning. Judaism Refrain from incest, bloodshed, robbery, injustice and lawlessness, inhuman conduct, and idolatry. All three religions closely link religion and morality. Religion is to be manifested by showing concern for the well-being and dignity of others, in a life of service to others, and in personal and social ethical behavior.

Gift Exchanging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gift Exchanging - Essay Example What actually this gift is It's a transfer or exchange of something voluntarily usually give to express one's love, solidarity, to express gratitude etc on any special occasion i.e. wedding, birthday, Christmas, anniversary, birth, father's day, mother's day etc The basic purpose behind this exchange of little things is to make your loved ones feel special and to make them feel that you care for them. But according to some people they are important in insecure relations. According to Caplow, Theodore. 1982. Christmas gifts and kin networks. Sociological Review, "What the ethnographic literature on gift giving does suggest is that ritual gift giving in any society is a method in dealing with relationships that are important bur insecure"1 Well now the culture has become advanced and as a result the gift exchange is no more a one way process but has taken the form of cycle which involves obligations to give, to receive, and to return. Endorse may exist to induce people to give, disapproval or loss of prestige resulting from a failure to do so. We can call it a moral norm but it varies from country to country for instance in Taiwan gifts like gold pen, imported liquor, gifts related to base ball, perfume, magazine subscription and anything high-tech is appreciated . In western world exchanging gifts in holiday seasons is a custom and if you become fed up of exchanging gifts people will suppose that you are a selfish person. Christmas gifts are other important features of American society. According to Caplow, Theodore, 1982 " Relationships with kin being more valued then other affiliations, it is not surprising that so much efforts goes into reinforcing them by ritual gift giving"2.. (Christmas gifts and kin networks. Sociological Review) In Japan you have to give a gift to a person in order to show respect, friendship or appreciation and in case you are meeting a person for the very first time it is necessary to exchange gifts. Moreover it is considered a rude behavior to give a gift to an individual in a group and ignore others. Another interesting fact about Japanese gift exchanging culture is that they avoid giving gifts in sets of four as the word "four" in Japanese is "shi," which is also associated with the word for death and pens are considered to be the very appropriate gift for your colleague. In Korea gifts between business associates are considered as the symbol of appreciation and the presenting expensive gift is a custom but don't present an expensive gift if the receiver is not financially strong enough to return the gift of same worth. 4 numbers is considered unlucky in Korea as well. Koreans Give and receive the gifts with both hands. Korean opens the gift in the presence of the one who presented them the gift. Chinese people often avoid exchanging expensive gifts. They avoid giving gifts in odd number as they relate it to loneliness and separation. Umbrellas and Clocks are also not considered as good gifts in Chinese civilization. Taiwan had even more interesting custom that is they avoid giving gifts with a label "made in Taiwan". They also avoid giving clocks, sweat cakes, umbrellas, scissors, mirrors, fans and hand towels as well. Business gifts are also very popular in Taiwan's culture. Moreover it is customary to reciprocate a gift with one of similar value. Numbers also play an important role in selecting gifts for example: in china 8 and

The Divergence of U.S. and UK Takeover Regulation Essay

The Divergence of U.S. and UK Takeover Regulation - Essay Example In the article, there is a big difference in takeover regulation of companies in UK and US. The law of Delaware in the United States provides a peaceful condition in which the ruling board is given the mandate in the decision making of the type of tender to be issued. On the other side, United Kingdom uses a defensive tactic by targeting the ruling board. This tactic prohibits the management from interacting with other management in a peaceful manner. However, during the takeover regulation in the US, the court usually decides over tender and offers the rules concerning it. On the contrary, UK lawyers disappears when the hostile bidders launches their bids. By the use of this tactic, the UK were able to private their regime through the institutional inventors of which their counterparts could not. Though both the American and English system of corporate governance has different features, they share ownership. The hostile tactic of takeover gives priority to function as a disciplinary instrument undertaken by the management. Nevertheless, both possess different rules and regulations governing the takeover battle. Finally, the difference in approach between US and UK is relevant as it provides education leading to enhancement of the economy of the entire

International Business Communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Business Communications - Essay Example Food chain outlets such as Mc Donald and KFC have successfully made their impression on every sphere of the globe and are still going strong with the expansion spree. But there are organizations which even being popular within a country have not really moved out of their closet to explore the new horizons. One such organization is White Castle Hamburger restaurant which is very popular in US and the company over past 90 years has grown tremendously, but, still the company has not tried to expand its business be it even in US market as the company is said to be family run and the all the outlets are supposed to family owned with no franchisee outlet (White Castle, 2012). But, if it has to expand globally to increase its market share and explore other areas where it can compete with other competitors like MC Donald it has strategize a new plan for the expansion and to expand beyond territories the most preferable option is the franchisee way. Through the franchisee way the company can spread its legacy of nine decades to other parts of the world and emerge a global leader in the hamburger chain outlets. Say, White Castle decides to expand its outlets to London, Mexico & China it has to manage certain communication barriers because of different cultural background in these 3 countries. Part I: White Castle’s quest to expand in the 3 countries i.e. ... White Castle has to pick these three aspects and work accordingly in context to China, Mexico & London. To be a part of these countries White Castle must work on its service to customers as well as curb the cultural difference within the organization between different cultural employees. A good social behavior is can create wonders for the company. China is a place with different cultural background and so is Mexico and it is very important to respect the culture of these countries and train the employees in accordance keeping their cultural values intact. Also the employees should be trained ethically to follow the values intact with the organization over the years. Company ethics like its core values, its approach towards the service imparted to customers should be of prime focus despite changing cultures and also White Castle can take part in various CSR activities to further emerge as a global player. The attitudes of people should be considered as for London the attitude can be individualistic but in case of China & Mexico the attitude can be collective with more people coming together in deciding over a particular issue. Thus, this also has to deal with in a planned & structured manner (Chaney, 2008, p. 215-220). Part II: White Castle’s expansion of its hamburger outlet cannot be a successful venture unless some of its top managers take the responsibility to lead from the front and take charge of the business in the countries where White Castle has decided to expand its outlets. Managers surely will make things easier for the company but in return they are bound to face some difficulties in diversified culture of different countries. The biggest cultural shock for these managers can be the way people

Vanley Burk and the authentic Birmingham experience Essay

Vanley Burk and the authentic Birmingham experience - Essay Example Burke has been the part of the community which was struggling for better living conditions, better education and better life. On the basis of Norman Fairclough’s frame work the work of Burke has been analysed and explained. Vanely Burke on the other hand developed his skills and sensitivity towards authentic photography to present human life and emotions. He emphasised more on the human aspects of images than the material aspects. His presentations indicates that the authentic presentations of photography does not require an individual to belong to the particular community rather it requires the sensitivity in the presentations towards the subject matter. The paper is based on the qualitative analysis of Vanley Burk and the authentic Birmingham experience on the basis of Norman Fairclough’s work. The interview of Vanley Burke has been utilised as a source of analysis. The African and Caribbean community have come to Britain due to various reasons. Some have been brought as slaves while others have been invited to fill the gap of demand and supply of labour class. This community had come for better perspective of life. These communities have their own cultural identity and social structures where they had norms, values and social relations. The identity they had in their native country and the identity they have been receiving in Britain was different. The British media had presented the negative images of this community. This led to build up negative perceptions among the mass about these people. The identity of any section of society can build up or tarnished on the way they are presented by media. The language, images, conte xt and the timings of the appearance of particular news or information is crucial in the image building process. Apart from that lack of knowledge about the culture and the living of one community can be the other factor of believing in what is

Ethical Issues in Resource Allocation Term Paper

Ethical Issues in Resource Allocation - Term Paper Example 45). During the resource allocation in medical assistance, we should be able to satisfy two main ethical criteria. I should be able to be cost effective to the limited resources that are used in the health care facility where I will make sure that I am able to utilize the available resources to maximize the health benefits of the patients that I serve. By using the cost effectiveness analysis of the available alternative health intervention measures, I should be able to consider the respective costs and benefits to determine the efficiency of these intervention measures. The ethical issue here is deciding whether, after I take such considerations in to account, I will be able to give the same quantity of the health benefits in the future. I will manage to use the CEA to be able to analyze the benefits of using such interventions and be able to help the patients in the future. An outstanding example is where I have to decide on using a program that might save one hundred people now or decide on another that will help save two hundred people at a later date. The second program will save a lot of people, but on applying a three percent discount rate to the lives that will be saved in the future; they will be an equivalent to 78 of the lives that can be saved at the moment. Hence, I will choose to use the first program that will save the one hundred people at the moment (George 56). The ethical requirements are like expectations which I am supposed to achieve on a regular basis in this profession. I have to use the ethical principles to depict the greatest moral standards and behavior in the health care profession. Whenever I face any form of ethical dilemma, I always find a method to enable me to consult and get guidance from the people who work with me. They have guided me into being able to develop my professional skills in the health care sector. I have managed to create healthy relationships with my patients that are therapeutic in nature. The medic assistant needs to follow the ethical conduct regulations in order to become a successful professional in the health care sector. He /she has to work with other health care service providers in order to be able to treat and provide quality health care services to patients. Medical assistants are required to have good, quality and moral values that will oversee the values succeeding in the health care sector. Some of the moral values that I have had to use included the following: first of all, I have had to take my primary responsibility to being the health, welfare, safety, and the dignity of all the patients whom I help. Secondly, I have had to promote and appreciate the diversity value. Thirdly, I have had to treat every person that seeks the health care attention equally without having to be bias to anyone. This has helped foster my dignity, and it has created a level of trust in my patients. Fourthly, I have had to create and uphold my levels of confidence in the course of health care pro vision and all that pertains to the practice. Fifthly, I have had to assess my personal ability and any kind of limitations; by doing this, I see where I make mistakes and am able to correct these mistakes and change for the better. Sixthly, I have been able to add the level of my knowhow and practicing skills so that I will be able to create and achieve all forms of health care practices.

The world lay spread before me (Vol.I, chapter xix). How does Dickens Essay

The world lay spread before me (Vol.I, chapter xix). How does Dickens use narrative to explore the idea of great expectations in his novel - Essay Example These words carry great expectations, doubts, apprehensions, excitement, and anxiety. Charles Dickens drew on some of his own childhood perceptions with Pip as the narrator. Pip’s education and development takes place through adversity as he discovers the true nature of his great expectations. The adversities come in the form of intriguing incidents, which changed Pip’s life from that of an orphan to a rich man. He abandons his humble origins to begin a new life as a gentle man in London. Each incident, starting from a terrifying encounter with an escaped convict in a graveyard, summons to meet Miss Havisham whose clock of life has stopped, to the meeting with Estella, the beautiful but spiteful ward of Miss Havisham, and the sudden generosity of an unknown benefactor – all of these touch Pip’s life and give rise to great expectations within him. Pip had grown up an orphan in harsh conditions and difficult situations. He does a good turn for an escaped convict (as much out of fear as out of charity). This act of kindness is the beginning of his transition. He then finds himself going up the socio-economic ladder all the while enjoying great expectations with the help of an unknown benefactor. Pip receives great expectations as a reward for his act of charity. His life takes a turn when he is given a huge sum of money, which takes him to London to lead a life of a wealthy man. Dickens uses the narrative to point out that great expectations blind us to reason and gives rise to arrogance. Drawing from his personal experiences, Dickens provides deep insight into the lives and expectations of a society rich in wealth and power. They are far removed from moral values. The simple and hardworking people in the same society during the same era uphold these moral values. Dickens enlightens us with the fact that good and evil will exist in

Explain this article in your own words (paraphrasing)- easy to follow, Speech or Presentation

Explain this article in your own words (paraphrasing)- easy to follow, step by step - Speech or Presentation Example Basically, carbon sequestration can be defined as the process through which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere through agriculture as well as forestry activities (Eco preservation society, 2008). Naturally, carbon dioxide is reduced from the atmosphere through photosynthesis which is aided through agricultural and forestry activities. However, the decay of biomass such as leaves or burning activities through agricultural activities can lead carbon dioxide to return to the atmosphere. Therefore, agricultural soils can act as either a source of carbon dioxide prevalence in the atmosphere or a source which reduces its prevalence in the atmosphere. According to the given article, less tillage practices can lead to a rapid increase of the carbon stock in the soil. This is so because of the fact of decomposition of biomass taking place which cannot be recycled back into the atmosphere to be absorbed by the vegetation as well as other agricultural produce. It has been observed th at no tillage causes an increase in the level of soil carbon and the farmers are often affected by the costs and benefits they can reap from practicing non tillage which is beneficial over a long period of time. In order to adopt a no till soil management program, policies should be developed to target a long duration practice of no till exercise as this will be beneficial in the long run. However, there are still complications that this can be a long term process but once the carbon dioxide has been emitted into the atmosphere, then the damage has already been done. It may not be that easy to remove the carbon dioxide already released into the atmosphere. Thus, a permanent offset system to the buyer must allow the seller to have a low cost sequestration opportunity or to have special permits that would allow them to cover for their own emissions at a later period. Monitoring of the situation is imperative in each case where transaction costs are closely monitored in order to ensure that there is a balance between the aggregation of services offered as well as the profit making initiative. There are different agricultural management practices that can either positively or negatively impact on the farmers’ endeavour to sequestrate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. These can be achieved through improved yields especially from poor quality soil as well as decreased nutrients loss. For instance, the two levels of carbon dioxide pools can illustrate this example. With no tillage, the carbon dioxide in the surface labile pull can be transferred to the deeper stable pool. This leads us to the conclusion that the soil that is frequently tilled contains less carbon dioxide given that it is released from the surface pool. Given that farming is a business on its own, it can be noted that management practices that are bent on protecting soil organic carbon (SOC) may not be beneficial to the farmers in the long run. Such practices do not quickly bring tangible ben efits to the farmers hence there is need for government intervention in crafting of policies that are meant to promote carbon sequestration in the long run. There will be need for the farmers to be paid over the long periods they leave their land fallow in order to promote carbon

Problem Solving Process Essay Example for Free

Problem Solving Process Essay 1. Define the problem This is often where people struggle. They react to what they think the problem is. Instead, seek to understand more about why you think theres a problem. Define the problem: (with input from yourself and others). Ask yourself and others, the following questions: 1.What can you see that causes you to think theres a problem? 2.Where is it happening? 3.How is it happening? 4.When is it happening? 5.With whom is it happening? (HINT: Dont jump to Who is causing the problem? When were stressed, blaming is often one of our first reactions. To be an effective manager, you need to address issues more than people.) 6.Why is it happening? 7.Write down a five-sentence description of the problem in terms of The following should be happening, but isnt or The following is happening and should be: As much as possible, be specific in your description, including what is happening, where, how, with whom and why. (It may be helpful at this point to use a variety of research methods. Defining complex problems: If the problem still seems overwhelming, break it down by repeating steps 1-7 until you have descriptions of several related problems. Verifying your understanding of the problems: It helps a great deal to verify your problem analysis for conferring with a peer or someone else. Prioritize the problems: If you discover that you are looking at several related problems, then prioritize which ones you should address first. Note the difference between important and urgent problems. Often, what we consider to be important problems to consider are really just urgent problems. Important problems deserve more attention. For example, if youre continually answering urgent phone calls, then youve probably got a more important problem and thats to design a system that screens and prioritizes your phone calls. Understand your role in the problem: Your role in the problem can greatly influence how you perceive the role of others. For example, if youre very stressed out, itll probably look like others are, too, or, you may resort too quickly to blaming and reprimanding others. Or, you are feel very guilty about your role in the problem, you may ignore the accountabilities of others. 2. Look at potential causes for the problem †¢Its amazing how much you dont know about what you dont know. Therefore, in this phase, its critical to get input from other people who notice the problem and who are effected by it. †¢Its often useful to collect input from other individuals one at a time (at least at first). Otherwise, people tend to be inhibited about offering their impressions of the real causes of problems. †¢Write down what your opinions and what youve heard from others. †¢Regarding what you think might be performance problems associated with an employee, its often useful to seek advice from a peer or your supervisor in order to verify your impression of the problem. †¢Write down a description of the cause of the problem and in terms of what is happening, where, when, how, with whom and why. 3. Identify alternatives for approaches to resolve the problem At this point, its useful to keep others involved (unless youre facing a personal and/or employee performance problem). Brainstorm for solutions to the problem. Very simply put, brainstorming is collecting as many ideas as possible, then screening them to find the best idea. Its critical when collecting the ideas to not pass any judgment on the ideas just write them down as you hear them. (A wonderful set of skills used to identify the underlying cause of issues is Systems Thinking.) 4. Select an approach to resolve the problem †¢When selecting the best approach, consider: †¢Which approach is the most likely to solve the problem for the long term? †¢Which approach is the most realistic to accomplish for now? Do you have the resources? Are they affordable? Do you have enough time to implement the approach? †¢What is the extent of risk associated with each alternative? (The nature of this step, in particular, in the problem solving process is why problem solving and decision making are highly integrated.) 5. Plan the implementation of the best alternative (this is your action plan) 1.Carefully consider What will the situation look like when the problem is solved? 2.What steps should be taken to implement the best alternative to solving the problem? What systems or processes should be changed in your organization, for example, a new policy or procedure? Dont resort to solutions where someone is just going to try harder. 3.How will you know if the steps are being followed or not? (these are your indicators of the success of your plan) 4.What resources will you need in terms of people, money and facilities? 5.How much time will you need to implement the solution? Write a schedule that includes the start and stop times, and when you expect to see certain indicators of success. 6.Who will primarily be responsible for ensuring implementation of the plan? 7.Write down the answers to the above questions and consider this as your action plan. 8.Communicate the plan to those who will involved in implementing it and, at least, to your immediate supervisor. (An important aspect of this step in the problem-solving process is continually observation and feedback.) 6. Monitor implementation of the plan Monitor the indicators of success: 1.Are you seeing what you would expect from the indicators? 2.Will the plan be done according to schedule? 3.If the plan is not being followed as expected, then consider: Was the plan realistic? Are there sufficient resources to accomplish the plan on schedule? Should more priority be placed on various aspects of the plan? Should the plan be changed? 7. Verify if the problem has been resolved or not One of the best ways to verify if a problem has been solved or not is to resume normal operations in the organization. Still, you should consider: 1.What changes should be made to avoid this type of problem in the future? Consider changes to policies and procedures, training, etc. 2.Lastly, consider What did you learn from this problem solving? Consider new knowledge, understanding and/or skills. 3.Consider writing a brief memo that highlights the success of the problem solving effort, and what you learned as a result. Share it with your supervisor, peers and subordinates.

Business Essays Online Shopping Mall

Business Essays Online Shopping Mall Online Shopping Mall This report presents the feasibility study for developing the online shopping mall for UK retail outlets and customers. The idea was generated by looking at the staggering growth of the internet user and online shopping specially in UK with a record 12.8 billion pound online sale last year. This report analysis the need for online shopping mall as it provides a big opportunity to those who have less technical skills in developing the retail online sites for themselves and these hosting sites will help them do the online business with les administration for a fee only. The report is divided into nine sections starting from the explanation of what are online shopping mall and its importance in today’s competitive business world along with the emphasis on how technology helps business to grow. Types of technology available for developing online shopping mall are also discussed. For backend development MySQL 5.0 database is used. On front end JSP will be used to develop the script as it’s easy to learn as well as more versatile. The basic cost involved is for renting the space on ISP servers, the purchase of domain name, the registration with the search engines (directories) and the most important advertisement to generate traffic for the online shopping mall. In the end a detailed project plan on the basis of time and activities is explained in context of the feasibility of online shopping mall from data study till construction of the site and maintenance. Aims and Objectives Aims The aim of this study is to present a formal report and a power point presentation on the feasibility of developing the online shopping mall for UK customers and retailers. Objectives The objective of this feasibility report is to: Provide about the background, importance and growth of the online shopping mall in UK. Preparing a feasibility report by providing the information regarding site development, technology available and cost involved Prepare the project plan and Prepare a four minute power point presentation to explain the feasibility of online shopping mall. 1. Introduction 1.1 Concept of Online Shopping Mall The idea of online shopping mall originates from e-commerce. E commerce is in practice in most of the developed countries of the world such as USA, UK, and Europe etc where shopping concept is changing from physical purchase to virtual buying. This type of business is very popular among the retail outlets that are looking for a boost in their sale by offering customers new channels or mediums to make a purchase. This way not only the customer has more options but companies also enjoy an increase in their sale due to increased online outlet. Even after the immense success of e commerce there was a big group of business who either knew how to do e-commerce or they were unable to manage the administration of such technical field which required a lot of web knowledge. This generates a need of a place where these retail outlets can start their online business but without any hassle. Online shopping mall is basically the by product of e-commerce. The idea is to provide the easiest platform to these retail outlets that can do online business without any trouble or risk. It’s a site where any retail outlet can get registered and have a space and the rest of the administration will be done by the host of that online mall. Not only that but also the host will be the one who will take c are of all payment procedures. Online shopping mall provides a lot of benefits to the retail outlets on the site such as administrative, management of the site as well as invoicing of the business. Customer is benefited too. He has not only the variety but also ease to find what ever he is looking for at one place. The choices available to customer is many as products available on online shopping mall can range from within the product category (all Nike products) or an entirely different product type ( homecare, clothing, electronics etc.) from as many retailers possible . 1.2 Scope of Online Shopping Mall In UK Europe has a staggering 42 million user of internet and talking of Britain, 11 000 users are adding to the list annually. This gives an immense boost in the revenues generated by online activities on monthly basis. Among all the internet activity online shopping is not only generating the maximum revenues but also is growing at the fastest speed. It can be proved by the fact that almost 30% of all the sites are used for trading rather than attracting the advertisers for the means of business. By looking at this statistics and knowing that this will grow to another 30% within next few Years’ businesses are attracted towards internet to boost their sale with a relevant low cost, one of the best feature of online shopping. Moreover online shopping mall further reduces the cost and hassle for those retailers who have less technical skills to take the optimum advantage of the online business. According to the report of Ian Grant, as compare to Italy, Germany, France etc UK is the top most country in online shopping having a sale of approximately 12.8 billion pounds along with a record growth of 75% in online sale since 2005 till date 2. Building The Online Shopping Mall In general there are 4 basic steps which you have to follow to have an online shopping mall Get a company who will host your site Get yourself domain name for your online shopping mall. For a search engine you need to get directories. So Register with them Attract internet user through advertisement ( traffic generation) To maintain the sites you have to arrange the important tools required for order processing, invoicing and transaction 2.1 Background Research For Building An Online Shopping Site Before starting to build an online shopping mall we need to have clear idea of few things that will be needed once the site is complete. Domain name Website Hosting Secure Server Certificate Merchant Account Payment Transaction gateway. 2.1.1 Domain Name The domain name is that name by which will be recognized on the internet, to show our online appearance we need a domain name for our website, this name can be a of up to 67 characters in length and should be easy and meaningful to remember so that customer can remember it easily. The domain name is registered with a suffix, this suffix is a ‘.’ Extension and represents the nature of the website. Few common extensions are .com– used for commercial business website .net.– used for commercial network .org – used for organization. There are other extensions available as well these include, .biz, .edu, .tv etc. Choosing a domain name is a difficult task as here are around 128 Million domain names registered and that is the reason that’s why choosing a name that will represent out MALL will be a difficult task as most of the name are already taken. Therefore lots of brainstorming is required to select a name with following quality. It should be short Easy to memorize Should not be confusable. Not easy to misspell Should represent the MALL Considering these factor we can choose a domain name that will represent our website. 2.1.2 Website Hosting A web hosting company provides space and bandwidth on rent, once our site is developed we can put the content of the website on the allocated space on the hosting server, this transfer can be made from development site to hosting server using File Transfer Protocol (FTP) software’s. Once website is uploaded and domain is directed to rented space. The site is up and running and whenever user enters the domain it is directed to this space. A web server is a powerful computer machine which is designed in such a way that it can bare the load of internet traffic accessing the website present on it. This server can be on any plat form either Linux or Windows but should be able to handle the load. The web hosting companies usually setup these servers in data centres; these data centres are responsible for making the backup and providing security of data. The key responsibility of data centre is to make sure that website is always present on the internet. A typical process of how the web server makes a bridge between the website visitor and the administrator of the website is shown in the diagram below (courtesy of eaysiteguid.com) The visitor enter the domain name of the mall in the web browser, the domain name is resolved on the domain name server (DNS) and the user browser connects to the web server which in return send the contents of the website to the visitors browser. Similarly the developer can connect to the web server to upload new contents and for management of website. 2.1.3 SSL Protection Secure Socket layer (SSL) is the technology that provides an encrypted link between your host site and the web server. An SSL is required as we want to provide safe environment to the customer as our website will be involved in credit card transaction, and there might be a chance of theft of information and customer personal information can be jeopardized. For our Shopping Mall we require SSL certificate to make our customer feel comfortable while they are giving there information to us, they need to be sure that there information will be kept private and only will be used for the transaction they are making, we are obligated to protect our customers. In the real mall there are guards to protect customers and shops from theft same as we need SSL as our mall guard. Another reason of implementing SSL is that there can be legal consequences as if some one’s information is compromised, then as we are not involved in theft but we can be the source that gives the way to let other people information accusable and that customer can get us in to trouble. So SSL can be our first line of defence. Therefore a SSL certificate is required for our eCommerce site as we may loose customers if we can’t protect there information. How SSL Protects In SSL the transfer of data from the user webpage to the web server is in encrypted form, the code is scramble in such a way that no one can use it outside, the encryption can be 128 bits or 256 bits depending on the complexity of encryption, mostly for online shopping site 128 bit encryption is used, the 256bit is usually used by banks. This certificate is issued by the SSL issuing vendor that provide certificate with a encryption key, this encryption key is put on the server that do the SSL encryption, the website host will install this certificate on the web server, once installed when a customer access the site, a padlock is shown on the bottom of the browser that tell that this site is secure, opening the padlock shows the certificate, which tell who’s this certificate belongs to. The cost of SSL is declined rapidly from 400 pounds to now it is between 20 to 60 Pounds per year, SSL can be purchase by different vendors like VERISIGN. There is a facility to get a shared SSL which is provided by the host. This SSL certificate is further cheaper but the drawback is that when a user or customer check the certificate the name of the host appears on the certificate instead of the merchant that can cause confusion on user mind as the information will not match with the site owner. So it’s best to have our own SSL certificate, after getting the certificate we can install the certificate on the root directory of our web server. 2.1.4 Merchant Account A merchant account is an account which is provided by banks or finical institution. This type of bank account allows any e-commerce business to accept credit cards online, it is used by customers to deposit the money electronically that is through credit cards, the process where the money is transferred through credit card is called Card Not Present (CNP) merchant account and is needed when the customer don’t send the money in physical form during the transaction. Merchant account can be opened by any bank which gives this facility to the merchant to accept transaction electronically. To open a merchant account negotiation is done with the bank or institution over the different charges, these charges involved Up Front Application Fees: This is the fees that the provider charges for handling the transitions, as the number of merchant account provides are increasing and competition is building up, most of the providers waive this fee off. Statement fee: This is the fix amount fee that the merchant have to pay for his account, this is normally around 10 to 15 pounds per month, and this fee is also called on going fixed fee. Discount rate: This is the sales commission charge by the merchant account provider on each transaction; it is normally between 2 to 4 percent of the sales. Fixed Transaction Fee: This is the fixed transaction fee for each sale, unlike the discount rate this fee is a fixed amount and not the percentage, this fee is usually 0.05 to 0.01 pounds per sale. Termination Fee: This fee is charged if the account is closed before the contract period is ended. Chargeback Fees: This fee is charges if a customer wants a refund and want to withdraw there money then the merchant account provider will charge a fee usually between 5 to 10 pounds on each withdrawal. A merchant account acts as a go between your gateway (Credit card processor) and your business account, the money comes to this account and passes to your business account and if there are chargeback or user cancel the transaction money is takes from you business count and from merchant account gets out. 2.1.5 Payment Method The payment method on an online shopping site the process is almost same as the physical shopping site, like in shops peoples comes select items or products and pay cash on the counter, in online shopping site customer visit the website select item and put in the basket ( THE CART) and finally checkout using credit card. Once customer is checkout his credit card is needed to be verified, this is checking whether credit card is valid and that there is money in the account and also that there is no fraud case. The checking of the credit card can be done by using a payment processing method; there are two types of payment processing methods Payment Processor Payment Gateways Payment Gateway This method involves checking credit card information in real time as the transaction is taking place, The gateway service is provided by different companies like LinkPoint, Authorize Net etc. The gateway processor verifies the credit card information in real time and completes the whole process (acceptation or rejection) of payment within second and traction results are displayed to customers. The process works like this. After customer has decided the item he wants to purchase he clicks the BUY button on the webpage. Once the customer is finish with shopping, he clicks on the checkout button which takes the customer to a secure form where his personal information is entered including the credit card information. The credit card information is send to the payment gateway. The gateway processor sends the transaction data to merchant’s bank, which then passes the information to Credit card interchange. The credit card interchange then sends the data to credit card issuer for verification. The issuer then verifies the data and sends the result to credit card exchange whether the information is valid or not. The credit card exchange then sends the acceptance or denial information to merchant’s bank processor. The transaction results send by the merchants bank processor are passed to payment gateway. The payment gate way then send the denial or acceptance information to the merchant who then display the confirmation or rejection of purchase on the webpage. If transaction is successful the merchant account is debited and customers is credited (this process is done in real time). The whole process is depicted in the figure below Advantages This method provides professional solution as all the transaction is done in real time. Transaction result can be displayed on the webpage that is acceptance or denial The process is invisible to the customer. The funds are directly deposited in the merchant’s bank account. And merchant don’t have to worry about fund deposition as the whole process is automatic. This is because the fraud is detected before the product is shipped. Some service provider provide fraud protection as well, this protects the merchant and the actual card holder to become the victim of fraud. Transaction fee and service charges are less then of payment processor. Disadvantages This mode of payment processing required a merchant account Cost of setup is high then payment processor. Payment Processor This method is also called delayed response as the transaction is not completed in real time. When the user is ready to checkout he is redirected to payment processor service provider, such as PayPal, Verisign PayFlow link etc and these providers then handles the transaction for the merchants. The customer is informed about the completion of transaction once he is finish checkout but in actual the process is of verification is started at this time. The credit card is processed and transaction approval or decline results are informed to the merchant who is then responsible to inform the customer about the transaction approval or rejection thought email. The process works like this: After customer has decided the item he wants to purchase he clicks the BUY button on the webpage. Once the customer is finish with shopping, he click on the checkout button which takes the customer to a secure form on a third party website where his personal information is taken, once user finish checkout he is shown transaction is complete The user part is now done, the user thinks that transaction is complete but in actual the information is send to payment processor that then communicates with the banks to authorize the credit card. This process can take minutes or up to a days If transaction is denied the merchant are notified through an email, if transaction is successful the cash is deposited to merchants account. Other wise merchant has to inform the customer that the transaction is denied. Advantages No merchant account is required as third party processor will handle the transaction and will deposit the money to your account Cost less to setup then process gateways. Transaction fee and process charges are less then process gateways. Disadvantages Delay in transaction process to complete Credit card is checked for authorization after the user is informed that transaction is complete. Customers are redirected to third party website such as PAYPAL etc for checkout process and to finish transaction, this losses the uniqueness of branding as customers sees that he is being redirected and this causes the flow to break. Customers are informed later whether the transaction is accepted or denied, and if denied then customer can get irritated. 3. Initial Requirement 3.1 The Users The concept of this project is to design a website mall which can serve two types of customers one will be the shop owners who would like to open a shop in our virtual mall and second will the customers who will purchase item from those shops. An Administrator will be the one who will administer the mall, the shop owners and the customers. Therefore our design should coupe up there type of users, this include the ADMINISTRATOR who will be looking before the whole site, The SHOP owner who will be managing a shop in the Mall, and the CUSTOMER who will be purchasing the products. 3.1.1 Administrator Administrator will be user who will have full access to the MALL, he can be said as a super user, all the request to open a shop will be send to the administrator and then admin will decide weather to accept the request or reject it Admin will also responsible for managing the categories or subcategories of shops, he can add remove or update them as required without affecting the shop owners. Admin will also look after feedback sent and can reply to them or remove them. The Use case diagram below show what actions admin can perform in the system. 3.1.2 Shop Owner If a user want to open the shop in the mall, he will fill in the form and send it to administrator, If his request is approved by the administrator and is granted space in the mall he will become the shop owner, The responsibilities of shop owner is to manage the shop, he can add remove categories, design a catalogue and can remove, add or update item in the catalogue. He can also generate several reports regarding the sales and inventory that will keep him up to date f the business. A shop owner can remove the shop anytime he wants. The Use case diagram below shows what action shop owner can perform on the system. 3.1.3 Mall Customer Mall customers will be the users who will purchase products from the mall; they can browse the mall search shops, products within different shops and can compare prices. After they have decided what they want to buy, they can add the items to the shopping cart and can checkout at any stage during there stay on the virtual mall, when checking out customer can login and all this information will be updated in the checkout form. A customer can login any time to view his order status or he can change his personal details like shipping address and other information. The Use case diagram below shows what action mall customer can perform on the system. 3.2 Mall Interface An initial study was done on what interface will be created for the Mall, these interface includes. 3.2.1 Admin Interface ADMINISTRATOR ADMIN:This interface will only be available to administrator and let user administer the site from accepting shop request to generating reports and modifying site contents. 3.2.2 Shop Owner Interface CATALOGUE CREATOR: A catalogue creator interface will be available to shop owners where shop owners can add, remove or update items by category. These items will be added to the catalogue accessible by the customers. SHOP OWNER ADMIN: This page will be available only to shop owner from there he can perform the administration of this shop, this include link to catalogue creator, report generator and information updater. 3.2.3 Customer Interface CATALOGUE: For every shop a catalogue will be created from where customer can find item information and price. PRODUCT SEARCH: A search page will be build where customer can search for products this page will fetch the results from the data base and display them on the search page. SHOP SEARCH: This feature will allow customers to search for shops by categories SHOPPING BASKET: A shopping basket will be created which will be linked with the BUY button and when a customer hits the buy button the selected item will be added to the basked, the customer can view this basket to update or remove items. CHECKOUT FORM: A form will be created that will take customer information and send it to processor gateway for verification and save the transaction data in the database. 3.2.4 Miscellaneous LOGIN INTERFACE: A login interface will be provided where administrator, shop owner and customers (optional) can login; the user will be directed to the page his user type belongs to. REGISTRATION PAGE: This page will let user to register with the site either as a customer or shop owner. 4. Technology Available for Development Now day’s different technologies are available for developing software and website. Few of them are open source and do no add cost in development. For building our website we require to choose technology for Backend and Front end development. 4.1 Backend Backend is where the Website data will be stored, this data can be of the customer, shop owner or can be site contents. For an ecommerce application databases are the foundation, all the information comes from the database and all the information will go to the data base. There are several databases technologies available like MSACCESS, MSSQL and MYSQL. MSACCESS is Microsoft database that can run on windows based servers. It is used for small scale ecommerce website, it is easy to develop database using MSACCES for developing low traffic site. It is a file based database and the problem with file based database is that if a data base crash all the data is lost. MS SQL SERVER is also Microsoft based database server which has wide support, it has powerful enhanced feature like stored procedure. It is very fast and stable. A free Express developer edition is available to create local database for development and testing. MYSQL SERVER is an open source database, it also has extremely huge support community, the version 5 has enhanced feature that can be used to create enterprise level databases. It is super fast and stable as compare to other databases. MYSQL is also multi platform so that it can be deployed on any web server running on either windows or Linux. It is important that data base should be build correctly as application will run on top of it and after launch of website if a serious flaw is found then it’s hard to fix the problem as data base structure has to be changes that can shake the foundation of the application. So it’s necessary that through time should be spend in designing of database. Few factors were conceders while choosing the database. These factors involve: Stability: The database should be stable and should not crash as this can make the site down which can cause potential loos to business. Scalability: data base should be scalable to handle large amount of data and can be extended if necessary once build. Speed: Speed is once of the important factor, the database should be able to retrieve information on fast rate so that customers or users don’t have to wait for the data to be fetched; the data based should be able to optimize queries. Referential integrity: This concept involves that data base should be developed in such way that inconsistent data should not be saved in tables. 4.2 Frontend Front end is what the user will see on the webpage, this user can be a customer or the Mall administrator or shop owner. The front ends code brings the information back from the backend and display to the user or take the information from the user and send it to back end for processing or storage. We require a scripting language that can be used to develop font end. There are different scripting languages available for writing server side scripts like ASP, JSP and PHP etc. ASP: Active Server pages ASP is Microsoft developed scripting language used to create dynamic WebPages, it is used by many web hosting companies and lots of material and books are available, the disadvantage of using ASP is that the code can be writing by using only VBScripts as Microsoft bounds that, and writing code in VBScripts has its own limitation. JSP: Java Server pages is another technology of creating dynamic WebPages, it is based on JAVA programming language to design server side code. The JSP code is incorporated in HTML files by using special tags to write dynamic contents. The JSP source code is executed from the server on JSP Servelet Engine; this Engine then generates the HTML and sends the output to client browser. The advantage of using JSP over ASP is that ASP is based on Microsoft .NET architecture and can only run on Microsoft platforms where as JSP is Cross platform and can be run on any platform like Linux and windows. Another advantage of Using JSP is that beside its Object oriented, it can be used with different technologies like, Extended java beans (EJB), SERVALETS and AJAX to make site more interactive. PHP: PHP is one of the widely used server side scripting language, by using PHP dynamic websites can be created which provide interaction of user with the website. PHP is cross platform language that is PHP scripted running from Linux web server can be executed on windows machine and vice versa. The language is open source and is available without any cost, beside open source it has huge development community with can be contacted for help if required. The language is fast, stable and secure. 5. Selected Technology 5.1 Backend Backed will be developed using MySQL 5.0. The reason for using MySQL is that it is open source and will not add cost in development, beside that it have extremely wide support and a huge developer community from where great help can be obtain. Other reason is that it is expected that the site will have heavy traffic and fast stable and secure database server is required and MSSQL is the only open source database that can be relied upon. The 5.0 version of MySQL also includes the stored procedure call, a stored procedure call can save the query data that is frequently used so that that data does not need to be fetch from table again and again, and it’s a sort of caching. Beside that MySQl has built in security feature and as MySQl database is not a file that’s why it can’t be copied from the server, MySQL is also multi platform and can be deployed on any server. 5.2 Front End JSP will be used to develop the front end scripts as we have previous background of JAVA and JSP is based on java and is easier to learn and to develop and it is more versatile and different technologies will be used like SERVALETS and AJAX to make the shopping experience more interactive and as AJAX function can be executed on user browser therefore carefully writing the function can decrease the bandwidth usage hence making the website much fast. 6. Cost Involved Building and making the ecommerce site functional require cost, this involves the cost of software’s that will be need to d