War Is Unpredictable

To an extent war is unpredictable, however the meaningless punishment and demoralising conduct is something that soldiers experience constantly throughout war. In Owen’s poem â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth† he diminishes the patriotism and heroism that is commonly associated with war and replaces it with depictions of the harsh punishment and perfidious death of youth in war. Correspondingly in his poem â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† he extends the theme of unpatriotic behaviour and hollow death and suggests that war is also a devilish and sinful practice, where nothing but death and hatred arise. Contrastingly, in Stanley Kubrick’s war film â€Å"Full Metal Jacket† he does not look at death in war, but conversely the internal punishment that superior officers give to soldiers, harshly exploring the training and punishment soldiers receive before war. Ultimately, these three texts explore the lack of honour and worthless punishment that soldiers experience constantly in war, depicting war as a place of hatred and sin. In Owen’s poem â€Å"Anthem† he removes the common Romantic concepts of glory and triumph that were associated with war from the early 20th century and realistically explores the truly unpatriotic nature of the battlefield. His ideals contrasted the Romantic ideals of glory as well as the government and the media who exhibited war as valiant and fitting for the youth of the early 20th century. Instantly, Owen’s title of the poem contradicts the reader’s belief in the common war values where he pairs the terms â€Å"Anthem† and â€Å"Doomed Youth† juxtaposing with a gloomy and depressing description of the youth in war. Owen then compares the youth who â€Å"died as cattle† to an abattoir by using metaphor, emphasising the sheer amount of death that occurs on the battlefield, also suggesting that the youth are indiscriminately dying with no justification. Likewise, Owen uses juxtaposition to describe the sounds of war, in which he subverts the calming sound of â€Å"choirs† and depicts them as â€Å"demented†, illuminating the sound of screaming comrades in war and enhancing his anti-heroic view. Thus, Owen through his poem â€Å"Anthem† dishonours the common concepts of glory and triumph, and replaces them with â€Å"mockeries† of the dying youth in war, ultimately suggesting war unheroic and the soldiers deaths unglorified. On the contrary, Stanley Kubrick’s war film â€Å"FMJ† explores the internal and meaningless punishment that soldiers experience whilst training to become a soldier, aggressively depicting the raining as harsh and suicidal. Directed in 1979, Steven Kubrick’s position on war was neither affirmative nor negative and simply stated he was concerned with â€Å"the way things are†, thus forcefully depicting the disciplinary discrepancies of the Americans in Vietna m. The opening montage of the camera focused on the soldier’s heads being shaved depicts the blank expressionless faces of the soldiers and shows the identity loss of the soldiers in war, illustrating their inconsequential individuality. Kubrick uses harsh and explicit dialogue to stress how even though war is â€Å"fair† everyone participating is â€Å"equally worthless†, again punishing the soldiers for their racial background and individuality. Likewise, in the final scene of the introductory sequence before the war, Kubrick displays the suicidal aspect of the meaningless punishment, where Private Pile† explains that even though there is war going on in Vietnam, he is in a â€Å"world of shit† after the punishment from the senior officers. This harsh portrayal of pre-war training explains Kubrick’s view that internally war can be as detrimental as it is on the battlefield. Correspondingly, Owen aims to eradicate all romantic feelings in â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† and instead represent war as a sinful and devilish practice. The ironic titling of the poem initially subverts any sense of patriotism and glory associated with war, and condemns the romanticised portrayals of war that the government and the media have created. By deliberately subverting the heroic Latin phrase through the bleak ideas in his poem, Owen depicts the title as an â€Å"old lie† where he suggests that glorification and bravery in war is undermined by the fallacies of the government and the media. In addition, his use of metaphor in the first stanza exemplifies the mechanised and fatigued state of the soldiers in war, where the soldiers â€Å"marched asleep† from the endless punishment and futility of war. Owen indicates here exactly how â€Å"lame† the soldiers were with the pain and suffering of war, illuminating the punishment and empty nationalism he attempts to portray. Furthermore, the graphic imagery of the sinfulness and devilish nature of war used in the third stanza highlights the devilish and sinful representation, by comparing a comrade to a â€Å"devil sick of sin†. Owen here evaluates war as a whole, as a place where even the devil can no longer handle the horrid pain and meaningless suffering. This powerful imagery removes the Romantic ideals of patriotism substituting them with a morbid depiction of â€Å"choking† with sin. Thus, Owen eradicates the glory and valour that had been associated with war literature in the 20th Century and indicts war as a fallacy to children who are â€Å"desperate† for honour. Ultimately, Owen aims to challenge all feelings of glory and heroism that are commonly associated with war and shift these concepts to a historic fallacy where sinful and devilish behaviour arises. Alternately, Kubrick strives to explore both the harsh and unforgiving nature of the battlefield and the meaningless punishment experienced internally in the U. S Marine Corps, where even the pre-war training results in the suicide of a soldier. Each text explains the horror and meaningless punishment as a constant and predictable outcome, as wells as the horrifying and sinful behaviour that soldiers experience, however Owen’s poem â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† more effectively depicts the unpredictability of war by emphasising how disgusting war is, promoting it as foreign to any kind of valour and partisanship.

Comparative Education Essay

France has a highly organized educational system, which is divided into primary, secondary and tertiary (college) education. Primary and secondary education is usually imparted at public schools although a strong network of private schools also exists. All educational programs in France are regulated by the Ministry of National Education. Schooling in France is mandatory as of age 6, the first year of primary school while secondary education consists of college for the first four years after primary school and the lycee for the next three years. The baccalaureat is the end-of-lycee diploma that students must attain and is comparable to British A-Levels and American SATs. Students have a choice of sitting for the baccalaureat general which is divided into 3 streams of study, the baccalaureat technologique or baccalaureat professionnel. Higher education is funded by the state and fees are very low. Students from low-income families can also apply for scholarships. Academic councils called academies are responsible for supervising all aspects of University education in a given region. ANALYSING TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION THROUGH THE CURRICULAR EVOLUTION AND THE INVESTIGATION THEMES France Twenty years ago, many of them started with this new concept: introducing technology education (TE) in our curriculum. From this point, we developed many project implementing this new subject area and we built progressively meaningful to this area. The aim of this paper is to present this evolution from the French viewpoint with some interest to compare with foreign experiences. We present this evolution through two perspectives: the curricular evolution and the place ofinvestigation. Briefly, we can observe through the French national curriculum a phase of Epistemological delimitation, followed by a phase of activities definitions, arriving, recently, to a phase of activities defined as applied sciences without poor link to the initial epistemological definition. Over these factual dimensions, we can analyze this evolution as the weakness of the knowledge meaningful expressed in the national curriculum, weakness that reinforce the weakness of the TE in front of other subjects as math, literature, foreign language†¦ Many works tried to analyse this particular approach but their audience never really get out the little sphere of TE investigators. A birthday is more the occasion to open perspective and project some ideas and the experience taught us that the position of TE is more a question of social positioning through the knowledge than a question of purposed activities’ interest. 1. CURRICULUM EVOLUTION IN FRANCE The aim of this paper is to present you some aspects about Technology Education in the French school. French schooling has two levels. Primary school starts at the age of three and lasts until the age of eleven, in three cycles: the initial learning cycle (children three to five years old), the basic learning cycle (five to eight years), and the fundamental learning cycle (eight to eleven). Secondary school is divided into two main cycles: middle school (ages eleven to fifteen) and high school (fifteen to eighteen for general education or fifteen to nineteen for vocational training). Technology education was implemented at each of these two levels in the early eighties. 1. 1 THE FIRST CURRICULUM 1. 1. 1 Some elements about the general background The main idea of French schooling is the progressive elaboration of the different school subjects. Understanding the world of children goes hand in hand with organizing that world in different knowledge areas, from the general view to the particular description given by the different subjects. Technology education, like that of science, history, or geography, appears as a school subject specific to the middle school level (Ginestie, 2001a). The second idea of French schooling is the concept of project pedagogy. The introduction of this pedagogy in the Eighties was a departure from a traditional idea that the academic and dogmatic transmission of knowledge is the sole approach to teaching. Under the pressure of a massive rise in number pupils in middle and high schools, project pedagogy was presented as a possible solution to meeting the needs of the diversity of pupils, addressing their individual needs, and developing pupil autonomy (Ginestie, 2002). It was in this context, in 1985, that technology education was introduced in France as a part of science and technology education in elementary schools, as a new subject for all pupils in middle schools and as an optional subject in high schools. We can note four stages of organization of technology education between 1985 and today. 1. 1. 2 1985-1991: the implementation of the first curriculum Technology education was conceived of as a new subject and took the place of MTE (manual and technical education) in terms of hours, classrooms, and teachers. The curriculum emphasized the industrial environment, leaving little room for home economics and craftsmanship (COPRET, 1984). It had two different elements that made these references plain. On the one hand, the general part of the course described the overall goals, context, and aims of technology education in France. The aims were in terms of pupils’ attitudes towards technology (as related in many papers, e. g. de Vries, 1994; Jones, 1997; Compton & Jones, 1998; Gardner & Hill, 1999; Dugger, 2000) and in terms of the social and professional world of industrial production (this idea can also be found in many papers all over the world, e. g. Kantola et al. , 1999). It offered a broad perspective to prepare pupils for professional training. At that time, the middle school became the intermediate cycle where pupils had to make their own personal plan for school, and technology education was responsible for indicating possible career choices. On the other hand, general goals were broken down into concepts and skills. This second element of the curriculum described the organization of concepts based on four domains of reference: mechanical construction, electrical construction, and economics management and computer science. Clearly, the chosen references oriented technology education in Jacques Ginestie Analyzing Technology Education the world of industry towards electro-mechanical production, to the exclusion of other possibilities (Ginestie, 2001b). The main problem in introducing the TE curriculum has been to link the general aims to the specific fields (Sanders, 1999; Ginestie, 2004). These difficulties appeared with in-service teacher training programs. Earlier, the French Ministry of Education strongly affirmed the principle that TE was not a compendium of a little mechanics, a little electronics, and a business management with different aspects of computer science as a binder. To link these subjects together, teachers have had to connect general aims and specific concepts into an overall pedagogical project (Ginestie, 2005). Many in-service teacher training programs develop this orientation rather than aiming simply for the acquisition of specific knowledge. The implementation of technology education has not been reduced to the simple substitution of cooking or handicraft lessons by lessons in mechanics, but the true construction of a â€Å"new world† (Ginestie, 2003). Many original curriculum experiments were conducted at the same time to develop new teaching approaches (differential pedagogy, autonomous work, cooperative work, personal projects, etc. ) and to integrate the new references to industry, the market economy, and new labor organizations by taking into account the needs, design, production, marketing, use, and rationale of industrial methods. The major plan was to combine the pedagogical project with a theoretical industrial project method (IPM). We can note comparable initiatives in the UK at the same time (e. g. Hennessy & Murphy 1999). 1. 2 THE CURRICULUM EVOLUTIONS 1. 2. 1 1992-1999: Introduction of the Industrial Project Method (IPM) At the beginning of the Nineties, IPM appeared to be a good solution for implementing TE in the middle schools. Certainly, IPM has taken an overwhelming place in TE leaving no other alternatives for organizing technology education courses. This position was made official with different additions and modifications to the initial curriculum. The main decision to use IPM was published in 1992 by the French Ministry of Education. This method allows for the simultaneous definition of content and method for organizing the teaching learning process in TE. Everything was done so that each TE teacher plans and organizes a new project each year for each group of pupils. 1. 2. 2 1999-2004: The second curriculum Three problems arose that reduced the role of the project in TE. First, projects were mainly single production projects without any real progression from one year to the next. Secondly, the teachers’ profile evolved considerably during this period, with a large increase in new graduates from the advanced technological universities. Thirdly, the union of industrial science and technique, with teachers exerting pressure to open the curriculum to new technologies and new patterns of labor organization. The implementation of the new curriculum took four years, from 1996 until 1999. These changes tried to organize the relationship between the respective roles of the project and the concepts. For the first three years of middle school, pupils have to make different modules of the whole project, but they do not have to make all of it. The teacher’s task is to focus the attention of the pupils on specific points. During the last year, the pupils have to do a complete project (Ginestie, 2001c). The IPM is always a very strong frame of reference for TE in middle school (Ginestie, 2002). 1. 2. 3 2005: And so long, another change. There is actually a new phase of curriculum change. The Ministry of Education wants to promote the pupils individual choices about their future and by consequences the study they have to do. We can observe a real reduction of the TE as general and Jacques Ginestie Analyzing Technology Education Page 3 cultural subject. The general aspects are more and more developed as applications of sciences; the general method is not the process of design and technology but more and more the process of observation and experimentation (as we can find it in sciences education). The main knowledge properly identified as technological knowledge is banished and the first draft of this new curriculum promote the links with the scientific knowledge. The IPM is still a reference but it is more an object to study more than a method to use with pupils. 2. CONDITIONS OF STUDY IN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION As we can see briefly, the TE curriculum is unstable as we can note through these major changes since the first writing. These changes are not linked with the technological evolution but mainly due to the lack of understanding about the place of TE in the general systems and to the misunderstanding about the aims of this subject and the knowledge taught. This lack of knowledge’s definition is patent when we observe the structure of the curriculum. This question of knowledge is not so easy to solve. Entry through analysing the conditions of study about TE’s knowledge supposes, in terms of questions for research, a strong agreement with two points: o There is some thing to study in technology education; o There would be multiple study conditions, perhaps different. These two points don’t make evidence. A majority of opinion is that TE is simply a kind of mix between handicraft activities and elements to highlight vocational training choices (Ginestie, 2000; Chatoney, 2003; Brandt-Pomares, 2003). In this posture, all the knowledge comes from sciences and TE is only a question of activities or applications. Evidently, this kind of entry weakens the position of TE as school subject and the recent French evolutions must be understood like this. It is the radical opposite we choose to work in our laboratory. First orientation we choose is to understand the significance of the anthropological approach. 2. 1 THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACH The anthropological approach allows registering knowledge in a theory of the activity and in a social field identified. The articulation between task and activity is incomplete if we do not speak about the manner to make. The manner to make relieves of the technique employed by the person to realise the task, that it is appointed by the situation or by him. The articulation between the task and the technique defines a know-how that expresses the manner to realise a determined task type (Ginestie, 1995). To get off this private organization either to account for the activity, or to clarify the manner to make, supposes the utilisation of language mediation. To tell the manner to make necessitate proceeding to an extraction of the individual praxis to elaborate a praxeological organisation, significant of the manner to realise the type of tasks and the context in which these tasks are registered. In fact, it concerns to give the senses in the typical articulation between tasks and techniques by elaborating a field of meaning in connection with a technology, perhaps with a theory. It is this elaboration of meanings on the practice that defines, in the anthropological perspective, knowledge. This approach allows rendering account organisations of knowledge as relationships between praxis, taken in the senses of the activity oriented to finality, and a field of significations that allows referring practice to a technology and/or to a theory (Ginestie, 2001c). The epistemological entry is interested in the nature of knowledge (well obviously in the evoked anthropological perspective above) and to the demarcation of a field of reference (Ginestie, 1997). Some articulations allow thinking these fields, objects to know that are fastened there and the manner of which they are or been able being, taken into account in the framework of a technology education: i. The world of technical objects, their mode of existence and social organizations by and in order that these objects exist so as to register the technological education in the human and social activity field; ii. The articulations between functioning, function, structure, form in the senses of a lighting of interdependences and the different manners to describe an object; iii. The articulation design, production, utilisation notably for marks given on process put at stake in each of terms, but equally, of a more global manner, either in a specific approach on an object, or from an evolutionist viewpoint, in a perspective of an history of technical activities; iv. The articulation object, activity, language in an ergonomic inscription (from the thing to the object, the object to the tool, the tool to the instrument) as revealers of the bonds between gestures and techniques, techniques and technologies. The report to techniques is thought in this framework as a demarcation; the report to languages notices the elaboration of symbols (in a relationship meaning, meant) but equally tools to think the world of technical objects and to act in this world. Well obviously, this qualification of fields is a bit coarse, it needs to be specified, notably if we want to be able to read existent curricular organisations, perhaps to propose evolution of these organizations. The curricular approach is one way to understand the knowledge’s organizations for teaching purposes. The problem is not the transposition of praxis but the transposition of praxeological organizations. It is not difficult to ask to pupils making something, but it is difficult allowing them to construct the meaningful on what they make. Certainly, the important instability of our curriculum is based on this difficulty to elaborate this meaningful. Furthermore, the curricular entry is envisaged here as one of the stages of the didactic transposition process: that the placement in text of teaching objects in an prescriptive aimed that has to organize the teaching activity, to the breadth of the production of these teaching objects in the framework of the class to elaborate some objects of study for pupils, objects of study that are going to determine activities of pupils. This placement in text defines the matter to teach and induces the manner to teach it. 2. 2 SCHOOL INSTITUTIONALIZATION We can thus notice the specification and identification work that operates in this process of scholastic institutionalisation. School institution is characterized as the placement of interactions, surely tensions, between three poles: the pupil, the professor and the knowledge. As soon as we wish to describe these interactions, we are confronted with a problem of methodology, methodology that derives of course the framework in which place our study. Thus, analysing the conditions of the study is going to concern us in what the school institution puts to the study and the manner that’s this study functions. This crossing of analysis rests on the articulation between task and activity: o The task is significant to the knowledge put at stake in the elaborated situation by the teacher in the framework that is fixed (curricular organizations, conditions of exercises, particular constraints, etc. ); o The activity is significant to the work undertaken by the pupil to progress in the task that is appointed it by the teacher and representative of the knowledge’s learning process. Jacques Ginestie Analyzing Technology Education Page 5 It concerns to define a framework of analysis that allows looking the functioning of a teaching situation (Ginestie, 1992). The initial framework, elaborated by these analyses method, does not prejudge of: o Knowledge put at stake, their presence or not and their school form; o Organizations elaborated by the teacher so as to organize conditions of the study of these knowledge; o Activities developed by the pupil that are induced by the organization put in game for this study. These two cross analyses, task and activity, characterize the interactions between three complementary existing logics but that can also appear as rival: the logic of subject, the logic of teaching and the logic of learning. The first one follows from knowledge organisation and requires an epistemological study; the second one takes in account the professional activity of the teacher considering his organisation, his style, his manner to do, the professional gestures he develops; the last one can be highlight by the learning theories, specifically the viewpoint of socio-constructivism theories. Many works have shown the incidence of these logics on the school situations and how they are inscribed in different references and different temporality. In fact, stressing these three logics in a school institution can be looked of different manners. But, for ourselves, we are really interested by what it happens in a class; specifically, we try to analyze the effects produced by this placement in tension (Ginestie, 1996). On the one hand, this approach allows the identification of the organisational and structural elements that act and interact in the process of teaching-learning. In this perspective, the task appears as the preferential expression of the teaching’s logic. It express simultaneously what is at stake, the context in which it is situated, what it is waited and what it is necessary that the pupil makes to achieve the task. In this senses, the task is a concentrated expression of a totality of values, models, elements of theories, knowledge that base the subject’s references and that identify the teacher in a teaching population. The analysis of the task is therefore significant how curriculum is implemented, in the particular intimacy of a specific class. It is equally significant activities that it induced at pupils. It is also characteristic of the epistemological, curricular, didactical or pedagogical presupposition (Ginestie, Brandt-Pomares, 1998). On the other hand, the passage to the real supposes to put in stake an analysis of the activity of the pupil. His perusal of the task, the manner he has to organize its activity and to orient its actions, what it takes in consideration and what it does not see even, allow characterising his learning process. In this perspective, we can notice difficulties that he meets, the manner whose he processes them, adopted strategies and the planning of his different actions (Ginestie, Andreucci, 1999). Reading activity through the description of the task allows proceeding pupil’s activity with some precise characteristic elements of the task. We can value difficulties met by the pupil and identify which are relevant to the context (the formulation of the task, the organization of conditions of the study, the use of models, materials, etc.) and which notices obstacles to the learning (Amigues, Ginestie, 1991). 3. SCHOOL ORGANISATION AND PUPIL’S WORK Organizations implemented at school, in the classroom and by the teacher have a direct influence on the work of the pupil and on the result of this work. Concerning the technology education (but it is not specific for these subject), it is important to specify and to define what is waited from the pupil, recourses he disposes to get there, the manner whose he gets there. Therefore, we have to understand the evaluation the Jacques Ginestie Analyzing Technology Education Page 6 nature of the goal, the manner to get there but also the breach of the goal; everything that allows to bring in front understanding about the process of knowledge’s transmission-appropriation. From this point, we are not in a curricular approach that has for object to define contents of teaching and to determine goals to reach; we discuss goals fixed by the institution, their institutional pertinence, their coherence in a scholastic organization datum. Of course, the temptation is great to believe that we could have act on prescription as to reduce these gaps. The evolution of curriculum shows that this kind of actions is limited because it enters in social negotiations that the research can illuminate to defect to inspire them, even to affect them. 3. 1 TASK ANALYSE Our entry by the situations is an analytic viewpoint to render real situations of classify or in a prospective perspective to think possible evolution. For that, the crossed analysis task-activity presents a good framework. The task’s analyze gives some understanding about the placement in text (or the placement in word) of the object of study. This placement in text constitutes one of the last stages of the didactical transposition, stage in the course of which the teacher anticipates and executes the production of the object of study that it makes return in its class. Many indicators allow characterising some ingredients of the organisation that it counts to put in place: o The nature of knowledge that he exhibits,  o The display of the result expected at the end of the sequence, o The spatial and temporal organization type that he puts in act, o The strategies that he gives to orchestrate the activity of pupils, o The different levels of evaluation on which he counts to lean (evaluation his activity, the progress of his sequence, the activity of pupils, the breach of results), o The devices of mediation and remediation that he envisages, o etc. Others indicators allow to notice explicit or implicit models that he uses for the organization of this production: o model of the logic of pupil learning organized around acquisition of competence noticed to the breadth of significant observable behaviours versus a constructivist approach based on the elaboration of knowledge; o Model of the activity of pupils according to a logic of smooth away difficulties versus a logic of confrontation to obstacles; o Model of the teaching organisation according to a logic of guidance of the action of the pupil versus a logic of problem-solving; o Model of the organization of knowledge references that one can caricature in a binary alternative: in technology education, there is nothing to know versus there is only knowledge. The construction of these models supposes the elaboration of a strong theoretical reference by which we can predict the appearance of the objects of study and how they become into school organisations. Of course, we front three different viability risks: one is an instant risk about what’s happen with the course that is going to unfold here, at this hour, in this  classroom, with this teacher and these pupils; second is a progression risk about what happen in the duration of the class, the articulation of the different sessions and their succession; third is durability risk about the permanency of a teaching at such level, in such class, in such context, according to evolution, development, interaction with the other subjects as a kind of general educational ecology. Jacques Ginestie Analyzing Technology Education Page 7 . 3. 2 ACTIVITY ANALYSE The analyse of the activity, as for it, tries to understand the logic of pupils in their evolution to achieve the task that is confided them and the manner of which they adapt conditions organised by the teacher. Retained indicators refer directly to theories of the apprenticeship, notably through: o The strategy they adopt, o The manner to organize their actions, o The manner to notice and to anticipate difficulties and to overcome them or to avoid them,  o The manner to notice or not constraints imposed by the situation and to take into account them or no, o etc. Analysing the activity of pupils is a powerful tool that allows to notice, to qualify and to valorise gaps between what the teacher waits them, what they obtain really and the manner that they use to reach this result. It concerns, on the one hand, to give indicators of efficiency of a device concerning learning and, on the other hand, indicators on the manner to conceive plan. To adopt a criterion of efficiency of plan put in place by teachers is not easy. That supposes to place the question of the acquisition of knowledge by pupils to the heart of the educational act, what is not without consequences in TE. This challenge is important if we want to reinforce the position and the role of the TE as a general education subject. Through our French experience, but also through some related experiences in different countries, we have change of period. The first time of innovation and implementation is definitively done. Many countries know a decrease period with disaffection for TE: decrease of budget, reduction of school time devoted to the subject. At the same time, more and more teams develop investigation in TE. May be, we have to diffuse the results of these investigations and to develop the support that we can provide to the teacher but also to the curriculum designers, this is our challenge to bring our contribution to TE. ICT and Education in Indonesia Harina Yuhetty I. Introduction  In the beginning globalization is fully believed to be able to lead to greater economic development in the sense of greater market scale, which in turn will increase the gross national product. So people believed that poor countries or third world countries will develop faster, thus the economic gap between the rich developed countries and the third world countries will diminished. However, facts show the contrary. It is true that the gross national product of countries will increase, but the gap between the income of the rich and poor countries is also getting wider. The main reason for this gap is the extra-ordinary growth of information as a result of the development of communications and information technologies in northern developed countries which have full control of these technologies. This information boom enables multinational companies to compete with changes in market demands, new products and new technologies, which in turn can boost the economy of a country, increase its efficiency and win global dominance. On the other hand, in third world countries which are also known as southern hemisphere countries, they have difficulties to seek, to receive, to process and to produce information. The lack of appropriate information at the right time will result in low productivity, low quality research works, and waste of time to pursue information and even to do research which actually had been done by others or in other countries. Indonesia as a third world country has a great concern over this deficiency and believe that the digital divide should be reduced so that there will be an economic recovery. The Indonesian government is determined to utilize the information technology effectively to support efforts to increase the national competitiveness. This aspiration is reflected in the Indonesian Presidential Decree Number 50 year 2000 about the establishment of the Coordination Team of Telemathics of Indonesia. This team consists of all the ministers in the cabinet including the Minister of Education. Its tasks are among others to define the government policy in the area of telemathics; to decide the phases and priorities of development in the area of telemathics and its uses in Indonesia; to monitor and control the implementation of telemathics in Indonesia; and to report the development of telemathics in Indonesia to the President. The government realizes that the success of the development and utilization of telemathics depends mostly on the infrastructure which can provide easy access, and also ensure availability of information and subjects. To meet these three provisions, a competent human resources is a necessity. That is why the preparation of qualified human resources is given priority, because it requires hard work and takes time. Meanwhile, we also know that scarcity of and low quality human resources in the area of Information and Communications Technologies can delay mastery of communication and information technology. As such, the government through the Minister of Efficiency of State Apparatus as Head of the Coordination Team of Telemathics of Indonesia in his letter number 133/M. PAN/5/2001 had drawn up a Five-Year Action Plan for the Development and Implementation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Indonesia. This plan among others includes a plan for the implementation of the use of telemathics in the area of education starting from 2001 until 2005, which includes: * Develop collaboration between ICT industry and ICT educational institutions through training and R & D collaboration, and found a network for skill and capacity development * Develop and implement Curricula of ICT. * Use ICTs as an essential part of the curricula and learning tools in schools/universities and training centers * Establish distance education programs including participation in Global Development Learning and other networks * Facilitate the use of internet for more efficient teaching and learning From this action plan we can see that the emphasis of human resources quality improvement is especially geared on the provision and expansion of education of human resources in ICT area. Besides that, utilization of ICT for education and learning purposes, as an effort to fill digital divide, which in turn is hoped to be able to improve the national competitiveness to revive the economy is another emphase. II. ICT in Indonesia As mentioned above, the success of utilization of ICT is among others depends on the infrastructure which includes the telecommunication network, the availability of internet facilities and the use of internet. In general the development of ICT in Indonesia nowadays is less encouraging compared to the developed countries, or even compared to neighboring countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and others. To give a general picture of the ICT condition in Indonesia let us consider the data quoted from the Center for Research and Application of Information and Electronic Technologies of the Office for the Research and Application of Technologies, 2001 as follows. A. Public Telephone Lines for 203,456,005 populace 1. The number of Telephone kiosks 228,862 2. The number of Telephone booths 345,307 3. Telephone patrons 6,304,798 B. Internet 1. Internet Service Providers 40 2. General Access Speed rate of ISPs 15 KBPS 3. Patrons of ISPs 511,000 with 1,980,000 users ( < 1% of Indonesian population).

A study on motivational factors influencing work place behaviour of employees

This project is entitled A STUDY ON MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING WORK PLACE BEHAVIOUR OF EMPLOYEES with reference to â€Å"TAQA NEYVELI POWER COMPANY Pvt. , Ltd. ,†, located at Neyveli. In this company there are 145 employees including the staff members. For this study, I have chosen a sample size 30 employees through a systematic sampling. This study helps to know the factors that are influencing the motivational level of employees in the organization. This project had been undertaken by me to find out the needs and wants of the employees to motivate them. Under this Study a questionnaire that contained the questions relating to the employees expectations are given to them and their responses are recorded. The gathered data had been analyzed relating to employee motivations. CHAPTER-1 1. INTRODUCTION The project work titled as A STUDY ON MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING WORK PLACE BEHAVIOUR OF EMPLOYEES with special reference to TAQA NEYVELI POWER COMPANY Pvt. , Ltd. ,, is mainly conducted to identify the factors which will motivate the employees in that organization. Management’s basic job is the effective utilization of human resources for achievements of organizational objectives. The personnel management is concerned with organizing human resources in such a way to get maximum output to the enterprise and to develop the talent of people at work to the fullest satisfaction. Motivation implies that one person, in organization context a manager, includes another, say an employee, to engage in action by ensuring that a channel to satisfy those needs and aspirations becomes available to the person. In addition to this, the strong needs in a direction that is satisfying to the latent needs in employees and harness them in a manner that would be functional for the organization. Employee motivation is one of the major issues faced by every organization. It is the major task of every manager to motivate his subordinates or to create the ‘will to work’ among the subordinates. It should also be remembered that a worker may be immensely capable of doing some work; nothing can be achieved if he is not willing to work. A manager has to make appropriate use of motivation to enthuse the employees to follow them. Hence these studies focus on the employee motivation among the employees of Premier Buildings Materials Ltd. , The data needed for the study has been collected from the employees through questionnaires and through direct interviews. Analysis and interpretation has been done by using the statistical tools and data’s are presented through tables and charts. 1. 1INDUSTRY PROFILE: Energy has been universally recognized as one of the most important inputs for economic growth and human development. There is a strong two-way relationship between economic development and energy consumption. On one hand, growth of an economy, with its global competitiveness, hinges on the availability of cost-effective and environmentally benign energy sources, and on the other hand, the level of economic development has been observed to be reliant on the energy demand. Coal India now ranks third amongst the coal producing countries in the world. Being the most abundant fossil fuel in India till date, it continues to be one of the most important sources for meeting the domestic energy needs. It accounts for 55% of the country’s total energy supplies. Through sustained increase in investment, production of coal increased from about 70 MT (million tonnes) (MoC 2005) in early 1970s to 382 MT in 2004/05. Most of the coal production in India comes from open pit mines contributing to over 81% of the total production while underground mining accounts for rest of the national output mainly from Neyveli (MoC 2005) 1. 2COMPANY PROFILE: TAQA Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, PJSC (TAQA) Type state-owned Traded as ADX: TAQA Industry Energy Founded 2005 Headquarters Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Owner(s) Government of Abu Dhabi Employees 2,800 (Aug 2011) Subsidiaries TAQA North, TAQA Bratani Website www. taqa. ae The Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, PJSC (TAQA) (ADX: TAQA) is a government controlled energy holding company of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. TAQA is one of Abu Dhabi’s flagship companies and as such has an important role to play in helping to deliver the economic strategy of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. [citation needed] History TAQA was founded in June 2005 pursuant to the provisions of Emiri Decree in 2005 as a public joint stock company. In May 2006 TAQA appointed Mr. Peter E. Barker-Homek, an American businessman, as its first CEO. TAQA expanded quickly under the guidance of Mr. Barker-Homek, making several key acquisitions in Africa and North America In Canada, TAQA acquired Northrock Resources Ltd. (US$ 2 billion) Pioneer Natural Resources Canada Inc (US$ 540 million) and PrimeWest Energy Trust (US$ 5 billion). In 2008 TAQA acquired several North Sea assets from Shell U. K. Limited and Esso Exploration and Production (UK) Limited. The purchase included all equity, associated infrastructure and production licenses relating to the Tern, Eider, Cormorant North, South Cormorant, Kestrel and Pelican fields and related sub-sea satellite fields. [citation needed] In late 2009 Mr Barker-Homek relinquished his position as CEO and was replaced by Carl Sheldon. Operations TAQAs main focus of investments is the companies engaged in power generation, water desalination, and production and storage of oil and gas. In addition, it has invested in mining, metal, and services sectors. TAQA has investments in over 60 companies. Its principal wholly owned subsidiaries include Emirates Power Company, Gulf Power Company, Arabian United Power Company, Al Shuweihat Power Company, Taweelah United Power Company, Union Power Holding Company, TAQA Bratani Limited, TAQA Energy B. V. , TAQA North Ltd. and Takoradi International Company, operator of the Takoradi Power Station II. TAQA owns majority stakes in assets that provide about 85% of Abu Dhabis power generation and 90% of its water desalination capacity. In addition to the Persian Gulf region, TAQA has assets in Europe, Asia and Africa. It has interests in the Tern Alpha, Eider Alpha, Cormorant North, Cormorant Alpha, Kestrel and Pelican fields and related sub-sea satellite fields in the North Sea. On 3 August 2009, TAQA took over operatorship of the North Sea Brent Oil Pipelines System. In addition, in 2006 TAQA acquired BP Nederland Energie B. V. Through this acquisition, TAQA get onshore and off-shore production assets, including the Piek Gas Installatie facility in Alkmaar, the project of the largest offshore LNG Regas facilities utilizing the depleted field P15/P18 just off the port of Rotterdam, and partnership in the Bergermeer gas storage project. In August 2009, it bought a 15% interest in North Sea assets from the L11b Group took over the operatorship of the L11b-A production platform. Through the acquisition of CMS Generation, TAQA has assets in the UAE, Ghana, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and India. On January 3, 2013, TAQA signed an agreement with Turkey to invest about $12 billion to develop the coal fields in the Southern Turkey. This deal is considered as the second biggest Arab investment in Turkey in the energy sector. Shareholders TAQA is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. The company is 75. 1% indirectly owned by the government of Abu Dhabi. The government of Abu Dhabi through ADWEA owns 51%, ADWEA transferred 24. 1% of its shareholding to the Fund for the Support of Farm Owners in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The balance (24. 9%) is traded publicly on the Abu Dhabi Securities Market. Finance Standard Poors has assigned A+/A-1 corporate credit ratings to TAQA. Moodys has assigned a rating of Aa3 to TAQAs long term foreign and local currency obligations. Combining world-class expertise and a dynamic and exciting portfolio of assets, TAQA has been transformed from a start-up into a truly global operator within the space of seven years. TAQA AT A GLANCE Full name Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC Nature of business Oil and gas exploration and production, power generation and water desalination and Energy Solutions 2012 revenue AED 27. 8 Bn USD 7. 6 Bn 2012 profit AED 649 Mn USD 176. 7 Mn Total assets as at 31 Dec 2012 AED 122. 6 Bn USD 33. 4 Bn Number of employees 2,800 Operating in North America, Europe and Greater MENA (Middle East, North Africa and India) Founded June 2005 Listed August 2005 Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Principal shareholders Abu Dhabi Government and Government agencies 72. 5% Public shareholders 27. 5% Power generation capacity 16,395 MW Water desalination capacity 887 MIGD Oil Gas production 135,400 boe/d * US$1. 00 (United States dollar) = AED3. 6725 (UAE dirhams) 1. 3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To study , analyze and to understand the motivational factors of employees of TAQA NEYVELI POWER COMPANY Pvt. , Ltd. , that affects their work place behavior. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: To identify the various motivational schemes that already exists in the organization. To measure the level of motivation experienced by the employees in the organization 1. 4 NEED FOR THE STUDY: To study and know the employee motivation scenario in TAQA NEYVELI POWER COMPANY Pvt. , Ltd. ,, To know that the employees satisfaction level with the motivation factors undertaken by the company. To identify steps taken by the organization to motivates its employees. To identify the factors that influence the work place behavior of employees. 1. 5 SCOPE FOR THE STUDY: This study helps the researcher to realize the importance of effective employee motivation. This study explores the views expressed by the Respondents about the motivation and providing solutions in an attempt to develop a better system. The importance of studying employee motivation is to understand the internal satisfaction of every employee. The findings of this study help the company to fulfill the expectations of the employees. It helps to provide insights to support future research regarding strategic guidance for organizations that are both providing and using reward/recognition programs. 1. 6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY: The limitations of the study are the following As the data was collected through questionnaire, the responds from the respondents may not be accurate. The sample taken for the study was only 30 and the results drawn may not be accurate. Another difficulty was very limited time-span of the project. Lack of experience of Researcher. CHAPTER-2: 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2. 1 THEORETICAL REVIEW Rensis Likerthas called motivation as the core of management. Motivation is the core of management. Motivation is an effective instrument in the hands of the management in inspiring the work force . It is the major task of every manager to motivate his subordinate or to create the will to work among the subordinates . It should also be remembered that the worker may be immensely capable of doing some work, nothing can be achieved if he is not willing to work . creation of a will to work is motivation in simple but true sense of term. Motivation is an important function which very manager performs for actuating the people to work for accomplishment of objectives of the organization . Issuance of well conceived instructions and orders does not mean that they will be followed . A manager has to make appropriate use of motivation to enthuse the employees to follow them. Effective motivation succeeds not only in having an order accepted but also in gaining a determination to see that it is executed efficiently and effectively. In order to motivate workers to work for the organizational goals, the managers must determine the motives or needs of the workers and provide an environment in which appropriate incentives are available for their satisfaction . If the management is successful in doing so; it will also be successful in increasing the willingness of the workers to work. This will increase efficiency and effectiveness of the organization . There will be better utilization of resources and workers abilities and capacities. 2. 1. 1 The concept of motivation The word motivation has been derived from motive which means any idea, need or emotion that prompts a man in to action. Whatever may be the behavior of man, there is some stimulus behind it . Stimulus is dependent upon the motive of the person concerned. Motive can be known by studying his needs and desires. There is no universal theory that can explain the factors influencing motives which control mans behavior at any particular point of time. In general, the different motives operate at different times among different people and influence their behaviors. The process of motivation studies the motives of individuals which cause different type of behavior. 2. 1. 2 Definition of Motivation â€Å"Motivation in the real world is the art of getting the extra effort from everyone including yourself†. Management Research, October 2007, ICFAI University press. 2. 1. 3 Saul W. Gellerman According to â€Å"Saul W. Gellerman†, â€Å"Motivation is the process of attempting to influence others to do their work through the possibility of gain or reward†. HRM Review, July 2008, by Saul W. Gellerman . 2. 1. 4 Motivation According to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, a motive is â€Å"something a need or desire that causes a person to act†. â€Å"Motivate, in turn, means â€Å"to provide with a motive,† and motivation is defined as â€Å"the act or process of motivating†. Consequently, motivation is the performance or procedure of presenting an intention that origin a person to capture some accomplishment (Shanks. N. H. ). According to Butkus Green, motivation is derived from the word â€Å"motivate†, means to move, push or influence to proceed for fulfilling a want Business Management and Strategy ISSN 2157-6068 2012, Vol. 3, No. 1 2. 1. 4 Significance of Motivation Motivation involves getting the members of the group to pull weight effectively, to give their loyalty to the group, to carry out properly the purpose of the organization. The following results may be expected if the employees are properly motivated. 1. The workforce will be better satisfied if the management provides them with opportunities to fulfill their physiological and psychological needs. The workers will cooperate voluntarily with the management and will contribute their maximum towards the goals of the enterprise. 2. Workers will tend to be as efficient as possible by improving upon their skills and knowledge so that they are able to contribute to the progress of the organization. This will also result in increased productivity. 3. The rates of labor’s turnover and absenteeism among the workers will be low. 4. There will be good human relations in the organization as friction among the workers themselves and between the workers and the management will decrease. 5. The number of complaints and grievances will come down. Accident will also be low. 6. There will be increase in the quantity and quality of products. Wastage and scrap will be less. Better quality of products will also increase the public image of the business. 2. 1. 5 Motivation Process. 1. Identification of need 2. Tension 3. Course of action 4. Result –Positive/Negative 5. Feed back 2. 1. 6 Theories of Motivation. Understanding what motivated employees and how they were motivated was the focus of many researchers following the publication of the Hawthorne study results (Terpstra, 1979). Six major approaches that have led to our understanding of motivation are Mcclelland’s Achievement Need Theory, Behavior Modification theory; Abraham H Mallows need hierarchy or Deficient theory of motivation. J. S. Adam’s Equity Theory, Vrooms Expectation Theory, Two factor Theory. McClelland’s Achievement Need Theory. According to McClelland’s there are three types of needs; Need for Achievement ; This need is the strongest and lasting motivating factor. Particularly in case of persons who satisfy the other needs. They are constantly pre occupied with a desire for improvement and lack for situation in which successful outcomes are directly correlated with their efforts. They set more difficult but achievable goals for themselves because success with easily achievable goals hardly provides a sense of achievement. Need for Power It is the desire to control the behavior of the other people and to manipulate the surroundings. Power motivations positive applications results in domestic leadership style, while it negative application tends autocratic style. Need for affiliation It is the related to social needs and creates friendship. This results in formation of informal groups or social circle. Behavioral Modification Theory; According to this theory people behavior is the outcome of favorable and unfavorable past circumstances. This theory is based on learning theory. Skinner conducted his researches among rats and school children. He found that stimulus for desirable behavior could be strengthened by rewarding it at the earliest. In the industrial situation, this relevance of this theory may be found in the installation of financial and non financial incentives. More immediate is the reward and stimulation or it motivates it. Withdrawal of reward incase of low standard work may also produce the desired result. However, researches show that it is generally more effective to reward desired behavior than to punish undesired behavior. Abraham H Maslow Need Hierarchy or Deficient theory of Motivation. The intellectual basis for most of motivation thinking has been provided by behavioral scientists, A. H Maslow and Frederick Herzberg, who’s published works are the â€Å"Bible of Motivation†. Although Maslow himself did not apply his theory to industrial situation, it has wide impact for beyond academic circles. Douglous Mac Gregor has used Maslow’s theory to interpret specific problems in personnel administration and industrial relations. The crux of Maslow’s theory is that human needs are arranged in hierarchy composed of five categories. The lowest level needs are physiological and the highest levels are the self actualization needs. Maslow starts with the formation that man is a wanting animal with a hierarchy of needs of which some are lower ins scale and some are in a higher scale or system of values. As the lower needs are satisfied, higher needs emerge. Higher needs cannot be satisfied unless lower needs are fulfilled. A satisfied need is not a motivator. This resembles the standard economic theory of diminishing returns. The hierarchy of needs at work in the individual is today a routine tool of personnel trade and when these needs are active, they act as powerful conditioners of behavior- as Motivators. Hierarchy of needs; the main needs of men are five. They are physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, ego needs and self actualization needs, as shown in order of their importance The above five basic needs are regarded as striving needs which make a person do things. The first model indicates the ranking of different needs. The second is more helpful in indicating how the satisfaction of the higher needs is based on the satisfaction of lower needs. It also shows how the number of person who has experienced the fulfillment of the higher needs gradually tapers off. Physiological or Body Needs: The individual move up the ladder responding first to the physiological needs for nourishment, clothing and shelter. These physical needs must be equated with pay rate, pay practices and to an extent with physical condition of the job. Safety: The next in order of needs is safety needs, the need to be free from danger, either from other people or from environment. The individual want to assured, once his bodily needs are satisfied, that they are secure and will continue to be satisfied for foreseeable feature. The safety needs may take the form of job security, security against disease, misfortune, old age etc as also against industrial injury. Such needs are generally met by safety laws, measure of social security, protective labor laws and collective agreements. Social needs: Going up the scale of needs the individual feels the desire to work in a cohesive group and develop a sense of belonging and identification with a group. He feels the need to love and be loved and the need to belong and be identified with a group. In a large organization it is not easy to build up social relations. However close relationship can be built up with at least some fellow workers. Every employee wants to feel that he is wanted or accepted and that he is not an alien facing a hostile group. Ego or Esteem Needs: These needs are reflected in our desire for status and recognition, respect and prestige in the work group or work place such as is conferred by the recognition of one’s merit by promotion, by participation in management and by fulfillment of workers urge for self expression. Some of the needs relate to ones esteem e. g. ; need for achievement, self confidence, knowledge, competence etc. On the job, this means praise for a job but more important it means a feeling by employee that at all times he has the respect of his supervisor as a person and as a contributor to the organizational goals. Self realization or Actualization needs: This upper level need is one which when satisfied provide insights to support future research regarding strategic guidance for organization that are both providing and using reward/recognition programs makes the employee gives up the dependence on others or on the environment. He becomes growth oriented, self oriented, directed, detached and creative. This need reflects a state defined in terms of the extent to which an individual attains his personnel goal. This is the need which totally lies within oneself and there is no demand from any external situation or person. J. S Adams Equity Theory Employee compares her/his job inputs outcome ratio with that of reference. If the employee perceives inequity, she/he will act to correct the inequity: lower productivity, reduced quality, increased absenteeism, voluntary resignation. Vrooms Expectation Theory Vroom’s theory is based on the belief that employee effort will lead to performance and performance will lead to rewards (Vroom, 1964). Reward may be either positive or negative. The more positive the reward the more likely the employee will be highly motivated. Conversely, the more negative the reward the less likely the employee will be motivated. Two Factor Theory Douglas McGregor introduced the theory with the help of two views; X assumptions are conservative in style Assumptions are modern in style. X Theory Individuals inherently dislike work. People must be coerced or controlled to do work to achieve the objectives. People prefer to be directed Y Theory People view work as being as natural as play and rest People will exercise self direction and control towards achieving objectives they are Committed to. People learn to accept and seek responsibility Types of Motivation. Intrinsic motivation occurs when people are internally motivated to do something because it either brings them pleasure, they think it is important, or they feel that what they are learning is morally significant. Extrinsic motivation comes into play when a student is compelled to do something or act a certain way because of factors external to him or her (like money or good grades) Incentives An incentive is something which stimulates a person towards some goal. It activates human needs and creates the desire to work. Thus, an incentive is a means of motivation. In organizations, increase in incentive leads to better performance and vice versa. Need for Incentives Man is a wanting animal. He continues to want something or other. He is never fully satisfied. If one need is satisfied, the other need arises. In order to motivate the employees, the management should try to satisfy their needs. For this purpose, both financial and non financial incentives may be used by the management to motivate the workers. Financial incentives or motivators are those which are associated with money. They include wages and salaries, fringe benefits, bonus, retirement benefits etc. Non financial motivators are those which are not associated with monetary rewards. They include intangible incentives like ego-satisfaction, self-actualization and responsibility. INCENTIVES Financial Incentives Non-financial incentives Wages and Salaries. * Competition Bonus * Group recognition Medical reimbursement *Job security Insurance *Praise Retirement benefits *Workers participation *Suggestion systems Motivation is the key to performance improvement There is an old saying you can take a horse to the water but you cannot force it to drink; it will drink only if its thirsty so with people. They will do what they want to do or otherwise motivated to do. Whether it is to excel on the workshop floor or in the ivory tower they must be motivated or driven to it, either by themselves or through external stimulus. Are they born with the self-motivation or drive? Yes and no. If no, they can be motivated, for motivation is a skill which can and must be learnt. This is essential for any business to survive and succeed. Performance is considered to be a function of ability and motivation, thus: Job performance = f (ability) (motivation) Ability in turn depends on education, experience and training and its improvement is a slow and long process. On the other hand motivation can be improved quickly. There are many options and an uninitiated manager may not even know where to start. As a guideline, there are broadly seven strategies for motivation. There are broadly seven strategies for motivation. Positive reinforcement / high expectations Effective discipline and punishment Treating people fairly Satisfying employee’s needs Setting work related goals Restructuring jobs Base rewards on job performance Essentially, there is a gap between an individual’s actual state and some desired state and the manager tries to reduce this gap. Motivation is, in effect, a means to reduce and manipulate this gap. 2. 2 RESEARCH REVIEW The research problem here in this study is associated with the motivation of employees of TAQA NEYVELI POWER COMPANY Pvt. , Ltd. ,. There are a variety of factors that can influence a person’s level of motivation; some of these factors include 1. The level of pay and benefits, 2. The perceived fairness of promotion system within a company, 3. Quality of the working conditions, 4. Leadership and social relationships, 5. Employee recognition 6. Job security 7. Career development opportunities etc. Motivated employees are a great asset to any organization. It is because the motivation and Job satisfaction is clearly linked. Hence this study is focusing on the employee motivation in the organization. 2. 3 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS A hypothesis is a preliminary or tentative explanation or postulate by the researcher of what the researcher considers the outcome of an investigation will be. It is an informed/educated guess. It indicates the expectations of the researcher regarding certain variables. It is the most specific way in which an answer to a problem can be stated. Research hypotheses are the specific testable predictions made about the independent and dependent variables in the study. Hypotheses are couched in terms of the particular independent and dependent variables that are going to be used in the study. The research hypothesis of this study is as follows. HYPOTHESIS: There is significant relationship between income and motivation level of the employees CHAPTER -3 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. Research is a systematic method of finding solutions to problems. It is essentially an Investigation, a recording and an analysis of evidence for the purpose of gaining knowledge. According to Clifford woody, â€Å"research comprises of defining and redefining problem, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions, collecting, organizing and evaluating data, reaching conclusions, testing conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulated hypothesis. † 3. 1 RESEARCH DESIGN: A Research design is plan that specifies the objectives of the study, method to be adopted in the collection of the data, tools in analysis of data and helpful to frame hypothesis. â€Å"A research design is the arrangement of condition for collection and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to research purpose with economy in procedure†. Research design is needed because it facilitates the smooth sailing of the various project operations, thereby making the project as efficient as possible yielding maximal information with minimal data collected. 3. 2 Sampling Design. A sample design is a finite plan for obtaining a sample from a given population. Simple systematic sampling is used for this study. 3. 3 Universe. The universe chosen for the research study is the employees of TAQA NEYVELI POWER COMPANY Pvt. , Ltd. , 3. 4 Sample Size. Number of the sampling units selected from the population is called the size of the sample. Sample of 30 respondents were obtained from the population. 3. 5 Sampling Procedure. The procedure adopted in the present study is probability sampling, which is also known as chance sampling. Under this sampling design, every item of the frame has an equal chance of inclusion in the sample. 3. 6 Methods of Data Collection. The data’s were collected through Primary and secondary sources. 3. 6. 1 Primary Sources. Primary data are in the form of â€Å"raw material† to which statistical methods are applied for the purpose of analysis and interpretations. The primary sources are discussion with employees, data’s collected through questionnaire. 3. 6. 2 Secondary Sources. Secondary data’s are in the form of finished products as they have already been treated statistically in some form or other. The secondary data mainly consists of data and information collected from records, company websites and also discussion with the management of the organization. Secondary data was also collected from journals, magazines and books. 3. 6. 3 Nature of Research. Descriptive research, also known as statistical research, describes data and characteristics about the population or phenomenon being studied. Descriptive research answers the questions who, what, where, when and how. Although the data description is factual, accurate and systematic, the research cannot describe what caused a situation. Thus, descriptive research cannot be used to create a causal relationship, where one variable affects another. In other words, descriptive research can be said to have a low requirement for internal validity. 3. 6. 4 Questionnaire. A well defined questionnaire that is used effectively can gather information on both overall performance of the test system as well as information on specific components of the system. A defeated questionnaire was carefully prepared and specially numbered. The questions were arranged in proper order, in accordance with the relevance. 3. 6. 5 Nature of Questions Asked. The questionnaire consists of closed ended, dichotomous questions and open ended question. 3. 6. 6 Pre-testing A pre-testing of questionnaire was conducted with 10 questionnaires, which were distributed and all of them were collected back as completed questionnaire. On the basis of doubts raised by the respondents the questionnaire was redialed to its present form. 3. 6. 7 Sample A finite subset of population, selected from it with the objective of investigating its properties called a sample. A sample is a representative part of the population. A sample of 30 respondents in total has been randomly selected. The response to various elements under each questions were totaled for the purpose of various statistical testing. 3. 6. 8 Variables of the Study. The direct variable of the study is the employee motivation, Indirect variables are the motivational schemes, motivational level and job satisfaction and effectiveness of employees. 3. 6. 9 Presentation of Data. The data are presented through charts and tables. 3. 6. 10 Tools and Techniques for Analysis. Statistical method: Percentage method Bar chart Statistical tool used: To arrange and interpret the collected data the following statistical tool used is ANOVA. CHAPTER-4 4. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION: 4. 1 PE

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Discuss the Theories Developed by Sutherland, Merton, and others to Compare and Contrast Them - Essay Example He got pleasure in his frequent brushes with the law and developed the reputation of being an uncontrolled money maker. He eventually mastered the activities of murder and vehicle hijacking and even succeeded in plundering the Kennedy Airport in 1960. It appeared that Gotti was walking away free from prosecutions with the same speed as the charges that were being levied against him. The prosecution could not succeed in getting him convicted on repeated occasions, which gave him the status of being untouchable by the law enforcement agencies. Obviously, he got a lot of media attention that made him further famous and he began riding high in the world of crime. Gotti was quite different from other gangsters of the period such as Vito Genovese and Gambino who remained away from publicity. John Gotti got immense pleasure in coming into limelight and media glare. It is said that his love for publicity and the media were responsible for his eventual conviction following Gravano’s st atement against him in court (Raab, 2006). Gotti attracted a great deal of police and media attention and was quick to adopt violent ways to keep up with his commanding position in the crime world. After his gambling debts began to increase he could never recover from financial hardship and pressurized his men to get more money in spite of the ban that was imposed on drugs (Capeci and Mustain, 1996). Gotti got lot of publicity because of the alliances he made with Nicky Scarfo of Philadelphia and the operations that he initiated against the Genovese family of New Jersey. Gotti received considerable publicity when the FBI foiled a plot by the Genovese family to kill him. John Gotti was amongst the few gangsters whose biography was a bestseller and who appeared on the cover of Time issue dated 29 September, 1986. A number of biographical movies were made on him, such as Gotti, Mugshots: John Gotti: Mafia Assassin, Biography:John Gotti: A Mafia Story, Mobsters:John Gotti and Crime Stor ies: John Gotti. He was portrayed in TV programs titled Gotti (1996), The Big Heist (2001), Getting Gotti (1994), Boss of Bosses (2001) and Witness to the Mob (1998). There are several aspects of criminological theories that deal with issues such as criminal justice, political science, sociology and psychology. It is correct to say that integrating all these aspects provides a viable means of analyzing crimes and criminal behaviors. Burgess and Akers attempted to explain crime and criminal behavior by identifying learning processes and including elements such as reinforcement, stimuli, conditioning and behavior in their theories. The main elements of Akers Social Learning theory refer to the processes through which people rationalize, evaluate and infer things in terms of right and wrong. For instance, a young man of 20 years may recognize that the law should be obeyed, he may not adhere to the law that people below 21 should not have alcoholic drinks. Sutherland developed the theor y of differential association that dealt with crime and delinquency. His social learning theory holds that criminal behaviors result because of interactions with people with inappropriate behaviors. Merton’s adaptation of the Anomie theory relates to American society in terms of the outcomes emanating from individuals’

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Developmebts in cyber techniques have tended to contribute to greater international tension and foreign policy conflict. Discuss - Essay Example curity programs have been developed by various states all over the world in order to protect sensitive data and other types of information from assaults that are made through the internet. Cyber security measures tend to involve various steps, the most important of these steps being a state’s understanding of the different forms of cyber attacks that it is likely to encounter. Once it has knowledge of this, then it is its responsibility to ensure that it has put in place the best security systems that it can get its hands on. There exist a diverse number of threats most of which exist at various levels and hazards to the information of companies and governments in their computers and other networks. It is because of this that the more superior the likelihood of there being a threat to cyber security, the more advanced the system designed to protect assets will be. The development of more advanced cyber techniques has over the years led to the development of higher internationa l tensions, especially between rival states which view cyber attacks against each other as a means of gaining an advantage over one another on the international stage.1 This has created a situation where the number of cyber attacks by government sponsored hackers from different countries have steadily increased; raising speculations that there is the possibility future wars will likely be fought on the internet. The development of better cyber techniques has led to a situation where a number of countries attempt to hack into other countries’ computer systems for the sole purpose of stealing trade secrets. This has recently been a cause of significant tension between the United States and China with the former accusing the latter of being responsible for stealing the trade secrets of various American companies in order to using these secrets to gain economic leverage. The tension between these two countries was further increased as a result of the United States declaring and showing the

Ethical interview Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical interview - Coursework Example From this illustration, it is evident that this method is not only used the moment a partner dies (Garcia, 2001). From the matter and hand, Karen Capato who used has husbands through the Vitro fertilization gave a result of twins. It is a fact that some children have been denied a right of accessing the heritage on how they were born. The governing bodies have to propose a bill that advocates genetically manipulated children to find and understand how they came into existence and to gain their inheritance. The attitude and the perception by the state not to recognize these children as humans even though they are issued with the birth certificates is an overwhelming factor that needs to be eliminated. Despite technology being used, what matters is that the result that will be generated is a human being. Putting these children in the state of doubt makes them lose confident of themselves being in mind their conception was as natural as compared to the other kids (Salumets, 2003). Globally, the matter grown to a higher level because the number of children produced with the assistance of technology has continued to grow. Its growth has gotten a bigger number of complex ethical issues especially those that are associated with the matter at hand. When it comes to the social security benefits entitlement for these children conceived through means, I suggest that there should be some limits in the decision that are proposed by the supreme courts. For the limit to be implemented there must be considerations and according to my opinion, I suggest this by the use of utilitarian ethical theory and the principle of fairness (SANKAI, 2000). When children are conceived using genetic manipulation, there are legal difficulties that that compounds the individual to gain the inheritance. Through applying the principle of justice, we focus on the equitability of the distributional risks because of the limited resources available. The

Alternative Approaches to Slowing Global Warming Essay

Alternative Approaches to Slowing Global Warming - Essay Example This paper offers a thorough review of the article â€Å"To Tax or Not to Tax: Alternative Approaches to Slowing Global Warming†, written by William D. Nordhaus. The article written by the author is a comprehensive study and analysis of the various issues relating to global warming from an economic point of view. The articlewas written to find out, how a control by the government on the public goods would help to combat the problem of global warming. The different control mechanisms which are either price controls or quantity controls have undergone a thorough analysis in the article. Along with that the various prospects and the setbacks that the government face relating to these controls have also been discussed by the author. The scientific analysis of the problems of global warming has been provided. This is a constructive approach which would help the reader understand why there is a necessity for the control of pollution. An outline of the source of the problems has been discussed. The issue of climatic changes has been explained with the help of suitable examples. The reader can understand that the emission of various industrial gases are the reasons why the atmosphere around the earth is getting polluted and how it is linked to the changes in the climate. Although the scientists had made the world aware about the negative consequences of global warming a long time back, countries have been instrumental in taking formal actions only at a later stage. In this context the author has put forward the example of United States. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the body that started its functioning with the Kyoto Protocol in 2005. The framework was adopted by the participating industrialized countries where the emissions take place the most. The European Emissions Trading Scheme was an attempt made by the countries of the European Union to tackle the problems of Carbon dioxide emissions in the countries with the implementation of the economic principles (European Environment Agency 11). However, according to the author the Kyoto Protocol had major problems because there was very little scope for inclusion of the other countries. The United States also did not participate in the treaty which acted as a major setback for the success of the mission. The treaty also suffered a failure because the growth in the industrialization took place in the countries that did not come under the purview of the treaty. This is a valid argument put forward by the author because any schemes that are being adopted by the countries have to be remodeled with time. Unless all the countries come forward and participate, a global issue cannot be countered only by a few nations. Therefore Nordhaus posited that the nations did not do enough in the initial stage to combat the pollution levels of their respective countries. Therefore the article does a detailed analysis of the Kyoto Protocol and also tries to look for an alternative solution in case of non viability of the former. The author has presented the first section of the article with global public goods, an example of which is the phenomenon of global warming. The author has describes these goods as those which affect the entire world and are not specific to any country. The global public goods are becoming more prominent with time because of the extensive of use of technology. This representation of global warming is somewhat not appropriate because it is a result of production or consumption of a good and therefore should be considered as a negative externality rather

Urban Planning PUP200 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Urban Planning PUP200 - Term Paper Example This essay will seek to argue that, on the contrary, life and history do imitate art, which means that popular culture, in attempting renditions of the past, can portend a significant influence on how history is told and unfolds (Starrs & Farmer 407). This proposition will be explored in the context of LAs historical attempts and efforts to secure water resources for its urban development and planning. In addition, the proposition will also be explored in the context of political movements set up by Owens Valleys citizens to restrain LAs appropriation of its water resources, how these events are reinterpreted selectively in the film Chinatown, and the films influence on the controversy. The conflict on water resources between Owens Valley and Los Angeles has served as an inspiration for many novelists and film makers since the 1900s with drama and history coming together in a set of events and accounts that have greatly influenced the events as understood in popular culture, particularly in relation to interpretations on the citys conspiratorial deeds (Starrs & Farmer 408). Chinatown, released in 1974 and directed by Roman Polanski, is perhaps the most celebrated film in this genre and, although the screenplay takes liberty with facts and history, it still provides a forceful portrayal of power brokers in LA consistent with the manner of transformed legends. The entire films timeline is shifted to 1937, while the main protagonists are unscrupulous LA city planners and developers seeking to acquire farm land in an adjacent area of the city. DWP officials are seen colluding with real estate speculators through a secret plan to dump LA city water so as to gain support from the public during drought to issue bonds on aqueduct and dam construction. On the other hand, the urban planning leads to farmers losing their water for irrigation, while their land is taken for a pittance by syndicate buyers and they are forced into ruin (Starrs & Farmer 408). The film leaves

Mergers And Acquisitions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Mergers And Acquisitions - Essay Example Usually, mergers and acquisitions are primarily driven by the objectives of growth and survival. A large company will seek to acquire a smaller company for the purposes of benefitting from certain synergies in various aspects of the business operation. This may include an expanded market segmentation or technological development. Companies with nearly the same market profile may merge to enhance the level of efficiencies of operation and minimize on operational costs. On the other hand, smaller companies may be willing to be acquired by bigger firms due to a hostile market environment or unpalatable market forces (Sherman, 2012, p. 67). In essence, mergers and acquisitions are aspects of business strategy. In business, there exists the possibility of a mismatch between strategy and reality. Errors of judgment by directors may lead to ill-conceived mergers and acquisitions particularly resulting from the effect of misguided information or the flux nature of the global market forces. I t might be important to analyze the rising cases of failure from this perspective. Why Directors Prefer Mergers and Acquisitions Despite the recorded failures, corporate directors have continued to pursue mergers and acquisitions with remarkable determination. Usually, the pursuit of these goals is strategic in the sense that they aim at achieving a certain goal in the business operation. The synergistic benefits of engaging in mergers may tend to surpass the possible risks involved (Moeller & Brady, 2011). Directors often decide on mergers basing on certain strategic goals. Decisions are taken after cost-benefit analyses are conducted with regard to the possible risks involved in the purchase. A merger or an acquisition may present the most appropriate alternative to the growth and expansion alternatives available for the company (Sun, 2012). For instance, a company may want to expand its technological infrastructure within a specified period of time. Some of the factors to be cons idered include times, cost, and reliability of the development. The firm may choose to enlist the services of experts to carry out this particular development. Alternatively, the firm may choose to enter into a merger or engage in an acquisition with a firm that is already established in terms of technology with a sound technological infrastructure (Buckley & Ghauri, 2002, p. 22). This move would have saved the firm a substantial amount of money, which would be directed to alternative areas of development. Another reason why boards of directors still engage in mergers and acquisitions is to be seen in terms of expansion strategies. Market discourses of globalization and liberalization have brought about stiff competition in most areas of business operations. Mergers and acquisitions provide the most effective way for a company to consolidate its hold on a certain market segment with the short-term and long-term objective of locking out external competition (Lucks, 2007). When two la rge corporations enter into a merger, they are most likely to expand their market reach and intimidate other firms that may seek to operate in their business niche.  

Experience At Work Speech Essay Example for Free

Experience At Work Speech Essay At McDonalds lines of communication are pretty open especially for the ones still in high school or college. They give whatever hours you request and how many days you want to work. If you need off one of the days just be sure to ask off two weeks in advanced and they will make sure you get the day off. The overall experience at McDonalds after being there for over a year now is outstanding. I know most people think hey its McDonalds, but the benefits they aren’t bad at all. For one they are lenient with their hours and give however many hours you want. Secondly, they allow you to have $6 of free food each time you work, but that is only good of course if you like McDonald’s food. Third, on thanksgiving and Christmas they give bonuses depending on the amount of time you have worked there. For example around Christmas last year Ms. Geneva, the manager, gave me a $100 bill. The pay starts at minimum wage but steadily increases, I am at $7.80 per hour at the moment. Once you get to know the managers and workers everyone becomes intriguing to talk too as they all have unique stories. The customers are the only thing bad about working at McDonalds. Some can be nice and understanding, but then there are always those customers that are rude and impatient. Consequently, they do not understand that sometimes it is difficult to get their order right when they change it 5 different times. And it takes time for the food to be made if we run out for the moment. Other than that the only thing McDonalds has control over that gets me trouble is not being allowed to have any sort of beard. I like having a chin strap so I keep it trimmed, but every now and then they still get onto me†¦ and I don’t even work with food. The thing about McDonalds is you are never bored because there is a constant flow of customers at every hour of the day. At other jobs if you are not busy they send people home, but at McDonalds you are always busy especially in the mornings. That is another perk of McDonalds, if you are not scheduled to work that day and you are available to work you can always go ask if they need anybody and more days than not, they will say yes and you can go get extra hours in. McDonalds will more than likely be my job until I leave for college where I will hope to find a new job based on my engineering skills. I would have probably left McDonalds by now if it were not for the great experience and overall  benefits I get at McDonalds.

The Launch Of The Renault Logan Marketing Essay

The Launch Of The Renault Logan Marketing Essay Introduction The launch of the Renault Logan and the subsequent events is a happening which deserves recognition from strategists all around the world. The Logan was launched to appeal to the developing nations. Renault then launched a variation of the car for the Western European. This was immensely successful in both the regions and has been a key driver in the success of the company. The Logan, a low cost car manufactured by the French auto giant Renault SA, was intended to be its world car and was developed at the Romanian subsidiary, Dacia. Meant to be sold in the emerging markets of the world, it managed to achieve success even in developed nations like France, Spain Germany. This lead Renault SA to introduce a Logan variant especially for these markets. We discuss the factors that made Renault to get into the low cost car segment. It also examines the approach of Renault to give to the developing world a car with a pre-designated sale price, various cost reduction methods. It goes on to discuss the launch of the Logan in Western Europe where the company launched a variant based on the early success of the company. We broadly look at the following issues while discussing the launch strategy: To examine the strategic reasons behind a major auto companys decision to manufacture a low cost car for developing markets. To understand the reasons behind the success of the Logan, not only in developing nations but also in the developed nations markets. To examine the strategy employed by the company while entering new markets History of Renault 1898-1918 The Renault Corporation was founded in 1899 as Socià ©tà © Renault Frà ¨res by Louis Renault and his two brothers Marcel and Frerand in Boulogne. The founder was extremely fond of cars, the most important invention in the field of transportation in that century. He invented the first direct hold gearbox while he was working on a new design for his car. He succeeded to sell the gearbox to one of his fathers friends who was really impressed by the product. After patenting the product, he set up the company with his brothers and 2 friends. He was in charge of production and development and his brothers managed the administration stuff. Renault factories started mass production in 1905 and started following Taylorisms, a method of Scientific Management to increase economic efficiency in labour intensive industries, in 1913. The first cars were bought only by the very rich people because of the price which was around ten years worth of a normal workers salary. The company thus promptly decided to diversify by getting into the production of taxis and trucks. At the same time, the brothers understood the importance of advertising and began to field Renault cars in automobile races. The First World War presented a way for the company to become the first private manufacturer in France and it became well-known due to the participation in the war effort with production of various products ranging from munitions, military planes to tanks like the FT17. 1919-1945 After the war, the company diversified into the agricultural and industrial sectors. But the competition in the automobile sector became harder because of cheaper cars being available on the market. At this time, Renault met some financial problems in a period that was hard for the social and economic environment in France. During the 1920s, the company tried to overcome these difficulties. In 1920, the first Renault concessionaire appeared. A modernization process was launched in 1929 with the installation of the first assembly line in the Billancourt factory (in the West of Paris). Moreover, the demand for cars became very large especially for small automobiles designed for private individuals. Renault did limit its frontiers to the French market but enter foreign ones like the United Kingdom and its colonies. It was also a period which saw a lot of technical improvements in Renault cars. During the Second World War and the German occupation of France, Renault produced trucks for the Germans but stopped the civil small automobiles because of the War. Louis Renault was arrested for collaboration at the end of the war and the provisional French government decided to nationalize the company in January 1945 which became the Rà ©gie Nationale des Usines Renault (the National State Control of Renault Factories). 1945-1975 With the reconstruction time after the world conflict, the company modernized its installations, built and bought new production sites. The French economy at the time was really prosperous and amongst the fastest growing at the time. Renault tried its hand at internationalization and succeeded to a degree but failed to enter the lucrative US market. Cars during this period really became indispensable for private use and thus big successes arrived with popular cars for everybody: the 4CV, and then the Dauphine, the Renault 4, the Renault 5, etc. The first premium model was born with the Renault 16 and other Renault sports cars continued to meet a lot of success in cars races in which Renault invested a lot of money. 1975-1992 The growth stage for the company went on until the beginning of the 1980s. Many new models were launched and the premium products in particular- the Renault 25 and the Espace appeared and became big ticket selling items for the company. At the same time, the Renault brand grew strongly not in a small part due to the excellent performances in the Formula 1 world- the automobile racing championships. Nevertheless, Renault encountered big losses in the 70s and the economic crises during the 1970s accentuated the problems. A drastic policy for reducing all the costs and refocusing on the core competencies was started and started paying dividends as seen in 1987 when Renault made profits again. 1992-2005 The 1990s presented new opportunities for Renault. First, an alliance with Volvo was planned but it fell through. However, the real change came with the privatization of the company in the year 1996. 3 years later, in 1999, the company signed a merger deal with Japanese car maker Nissan a deal which through cross holding saw Renault getting 44.5% ownership of Nissan and Nissan getting 15% of Renault. Formula 1 during the period saw Renault become title challengers through Fernando Alonso. This again contributed to the brand equity for Renault. The Innovations and went on with models like the Megane and the Laguna which contributed the maximum to the sales of Renault during this time. In the 2000s, the Renault-Nissan alliance has become stronger and the companies have found synergies which can only help in the alliance. The group internationalization is a big objective now and this can be seen the buyouts of Samsung Motors and Dacia. They brought over 99% of the Romanian company and this subsidiary of Renault was the one that actually brought the Logan to the market. Renaults context The New Global Strategy Renaults necessity to capture the emerging markets stems from the fact that markets in the developed nations are not growing fast enough to cater to the growth requirement of an international car company. For this very reason, the global strategy of Renault was renewed, and it was decided that the optimal one would be to strengthen their position in their natural market, meaning the European one and to enter new market with a high potential of development, meaning emerging markets. In the year 2004, Renault-Nissan was the fourth largest manufacturer in the car industry. The objective defined in the new strategy formulated in 2004 was to become the third largest company by 2010 and to achieve an increase of 30% on the number of car sold (meaning an increase of 900 000 cars). This objective meant to sell 6.5 millions of cars in 2010 instead of 5.6 in 2004, hence capture 10% of the global market. The purpose of this plan was to take Renault into the car industrys global group. They also wanted to restore the operating margin which has been deteriorating since early 2005. An international strategy needed a global vision of the market, hence defining what was common to consumers all over the world. This was Renaults strategic context that led to the launching of the Logan. The Need to enter Emerging Nations Developing a car for developing markets has become a quest within the automobile in recent years. It all began with Fiat nearly doing it with the Palio; Launching a car in this segment- modern yet affordable- in lower-income regions is an essential tool available in the hands of automotive companies for expanding the car industry on the whole. In the absence of these models, the streets of the emerging markets are full of obsolete western designs which are still in local production, or used imported cars from developed markets that have been dumped there. The dumped cars are old and invariably never adhere to environmental standards, thus making the low-cost modern cars an even better value proposition for not only environment lovers but also for people who are sensitized to the issue. These cars match up to all the environment standards set around the world thus appealing to the people living in the developing or emerging nations. Old designs can still be seen in many countries and the factories setup over 30 years back are still making the car they were initially setup to build, albeit with some minor adjustments. An example of this is the Maruti 800 in India which has been in production from 1982. Another example of the same is the 40 year-old car, the Zhiguli, a car by Russian giant AvtoVAZ. The examples given above are not really about car makers from developed nations dumping old generation products in emerging markets. This can be seen from the example of the Nissan which still makes the Tsuru, a budget-priced version of the 1980s Sentra, in Mexico. Another of Brazils top sellers, the Fiat Uno, has also been in production since at the local factory back in 1976. All these models share the same basic economic model the production line is bought and paid for; the RD costs of the models were amortised long ago. Theyre made in simple plants with low-cost labour and using local suppliers, to tolerances that would not be acceptable in the developed world. Theyre easy to maintain and spares are readily available. In a nutshell, theyre cheap. And mostly rather nasty. The trick is to replace them with something thats equally cheap but cheap and cheerful instead of cheap and nasty. Cheerful in that its safe and clean. But thats fiendishly difficult to achieve. Fiats Project 178 of 1996 was the first concerted attempt to create such a car. Fiat has substantial interests in a number of emerging markets, principally Latin America and Central Europe, but also in North Africa, South Africa, Turkey and India. Project 178 spawned a number of vehicles off a new platform Palio hatch, Siena sedan, Palio Weekend wagon and Strada pick-up. And Fiat talked the project up, predicting sales globally of close to a million units a year. In reality, it hasnt come close. So far about 3.5m units have been built including more than 2m in Brazil. But over the 10-year lifespan of the project, thats only 350,000 a year. Part of the problem was a failure to set up a meaningful alliance in China Fiat has a low-key operation with Nanjing Automobile, established in 1999, and only sells about 30,000 cars a year there. But more importantly, the Project 178 cars werent cheap enough to take over from the entry-level clunkers they were intended to replace. In Brazil, the Uno Mille soldiers on as Fiats cheapest model, with Palio positioned as something of an upmarket alternative. Brazil is an oddity among emerging markets too in that its consumers like hatchbacks. In most emerging markets, the traditional booted sedan is the carriage of choice, largely because small cars tend to carry more people on an average journey than in the west, so a separate, larger luggage compartment is preferable. The sedan version of the Palio, the Siena, is too large to be an entry model in Central Europe or India, and in these markets it is sold as a mid-range model. In India, as in Brazil, the Uno props up the range. Fiat seems to accept this its Siena/Palio replacement, codenamed D200, is due to be unveiled next month. And itll be larger than the Siena, closer in size to a Toyota Corolla, according to reports. Renault has come much closer to the holy grail with the Logan. Like Fiat, Renault has a reasonably large emerging markets footprint, which became much more appealing once it had acquired its former Communist-era partner, Romanias Dacia, which had survived the post-Ceausescu turmoil by cranking out ancient Renault 12s in a crumbling plant. Logan was created along a brief to build a car that would sell for less than EUR5,000. It involved raiding the parts bin mainly Clio, though the suspension is from the Modus and producing a simple four-door sedan to be built in Romania and other emerging markets. While the EUR5,000 target turned out to be theoretically possible, such a vehicle has never existed as the specification would have been too basic even for Romanian tastes. Logan prices start around EUR7,000, and the project has undoubtedly been a success, with more than 250,000 sold in the first 18 months of production. As well as Romania, Logan is also manufactured in Russia, where 25,000 vehicles were produced from April 2005 to May 2006, as well as Morocco and Colombia. Production will soon start at a major plant in Iran, where 250,000 units a year are targeted, followed by India in partnership with Mahindra Mahindra and Brazil in 2007. A wagon version was premiered at the Paris Show in September, and panel van and pick-up derivatives will also be built. Logan has outperformed Palio because its a bit smaller, a bit cheaper and the production is better spread. There are potentially genuine economies of scale thanks to annual volumes at full production of around 800,000 units a year. It would be an even greater success if Renault could get it into China but talks about building it in partnership with Dongfeng-Nissan stalled last year and have remained unresolved. The idea of the Logan The initial idea of the Logan came from the former CEO Louis Schwetzer, who imagined, during a trip to Moscow in 1997, an economic saloon car (Berline) for the Russian market. The Logan was one car from car manufacturers which was not a sub product of a car already in existence in the developing world. Thus the car could be designed from scratch and thus could add to its probability of success in these markets. This gave developers more flexibility right from the design phase to the actual manufacturing phase. This flexibility and ability to create the product just for the emerging nations gave Renault a big competitive advantage over competitors. They could thus follow a low cost strategy right from the very start. The  low cost strategy There are two parts in Renaults low cost strategy to ensure that the product launch is successful; firstly it lays emphasis on a specific organizational and production strategy to match the low prices thus incorporating extreme efficiency in the organization and secondly on achieving the right product positioning which is supposed to fulfil consumers needs in both developed as well as emerging countries. 1. Low cost Strategy To answer the needs of a mass market, the price of the car needs to be such that the car is accessible to everyone. The production costs will then have to be lower than for a normal car under the criterion set by Renault. But at no stage should our product not fulfil the consumers expectations, in particular concerning the safety of the car. Certain factors in cars are hygiene factors and they are a necessity no matter what the cost. This also has to be taken into account while making the final decision. As the Logan was not a product derived from some other product, the whole production process was to be adapted to the main idea underlying the concept of the car; it had to be extremely lean and efficient. We had to control the costs and thus make production less expensive and yet meet high level of expectations regarding the reliability, strength and performance of the product. Reducing the costs was a strategic phase of the project, and with this low cost approach, Renault could put on the market a car that was sold with a sub 5000 Euro price tag in emerging countries. The company also standardized its processes in all the plants across the world in order to ensure lowest possible costs. The company has taken the best practices from various companies around the world. They have incorporated concepts like Six Sigma, Total Quality Management, Just in Time, etc based on the success at other firms around the world. The company is known for its logistics and follows the following principles for the same. This has been especially in practice ever since the launch of the Logan as the volumes for the company have really picked up as a result. 15,000 trucks and 26 trains are used to ship parts and cars are transported daily in around 400 wagons, 10 ships and 1,200 trucks. The transport budget totals around à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 470 million for supply and another à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 725 million for vehicle distribution. 7 large function families    Logistics at Renault is divided into 7 main families covering all logistics activity, from design to project to series life apart from spare parts and accessories. They include Production Supply and Management Logistics Quality Shipment and Transport Industrial Planning and Programming Supply Chain Architecture Physical Flow Engineering Process Engineering The low cost method Renault could apply a low cost model for the production of a new car, as it had all the core competencies for it. He used the method  design to cost for the Logan, already used with the Twingo in 1992. With this method all the processes are defined regarding the feasibility of a technique and the savings it would lead to. It is a centralized method, one manager was appointed to check all the process, instead of having each business unit participating to the project. This manager had a broad decision power, and it saved time and resources. The material was chosen as per the availability of the material all over the world, as the productions sites were supposed to cater to the nearest possible consumers markets. The contractors were also chosen depending on the location of the production site. The number of components was reduced from 4000 on an average for a car to about 1400 for the Logan. Another important cost reduction was the reduction of the promotional budget (mainly in developed countries). 150 Euros is spent for one Logan, whereas the average cost of promotion is 400 Euros for one car. All these competencies are not easily imitable by Renaults competitors. 2. The Original Positioning Traditionally, consumers need for a car were analyse as opposite between developed and emerging countries. For the emerging markets, the development of a middle class is the appearance of a new market for the car industry as more and more people can afford one. Until the Logan, the consumers from this new middle class could only afford a second hand car. With the Logan, Renault is offering a new car at the same price than a second hand one, with the possibility to personalize your car with a broad choice of options. The second advantage of the Logan is the guarantee of safety as it is constructed by a well-known car constructor. Another argument for the emerging markets is the fact that it is a foreign brand. Indeed, for emerging markets consumers, it can be better for your social status to have a foreign brand car. In developing countries, the launching of the Logan was a success even if it was not meant to be launched at first in developing countries. For example in Germany, the consumers were attracted to the idea of having a popular car. In those markets, the price argument was extremely important but all the attraction of the Logan came from the fact that it could be personalized has any other car. With the Logan, Renault was able to sell a low cost car to consumers by make them forget it was a low cost car. Even if the price is the common factor in both markets, the motivations surrounding the price are different. The possibility to buy a new car is mainly linked to the social status for emerging countries consumers whereas what attracts developed countries consumers is the rationality of buying a safe new car at a low cost. Marketing strategy The originality of Renaults positioning is to have made one product and to adapt the marketing strategy to the specificity of each market. The price is the first difference between markets. A Logan is sold in France 1500 Euros more than in Romania. This difference can be explained on a strategic point of view; because Renault didnt want that the Logan became the only car sold in France by Renault. If the price had been too low, the Logan would have competed with others Renaults products. (In French it is called the cannibalism effectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ not sure if the translation exists; it is a concept in marketing) Apart from that specificity of the French market, the price is changing depending on the countries mainly because it is possible for a client to invest in options and then pay more. Sales Owing to its marketing strategy adapted to each local market, Renault intends to satisfy a maximum of different expectations and obtain an optimisation of its sales. The low cost positioning of the Logan is original because it links a low price product to a diverse offer in order to meet different consumers expectations. Emerging countries markets and their specificities In that context, an offer adapted to the revenue of the emergents countries consumers was suppose to be Renaults way to enter those markets with high growth potential. The specificities of emerging countries car market are that it is today underdeveloped, meaning that its potential growth is very high. The importance of having a product adapted to these markets for Renault was also the only way to be able to compete with the future competition coming from India and China. Launching the Logan The first production centre for the Logan was based in Romania. The car was initially sold in 16 countries Romania, Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Rep, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia,  Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Baltes countries, Moldavia, Poland). Launched the 9th of June 2005 in France, it was also sold in Germany and Spain. The decision to launch the Logan in Western Europe was a forced decision as a parallel market appeared. It was the only way for Renault to avoid competition with its others cars in Western Europe. Renault in Western Europe Renault originally did not have plans to launch Logan in Western Europe. However, the company started importing a more expensive version of the car in 2006 which was priced at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 7000. The car was a success in Western Europe contrary to the beliefs of the company. This showed the predilection of the buyers for a low cost no frills car. The car is sold under the name of Dacia Logan in the western European region. The car manufactured mainly for the developing nations in Eastern Europe was not intended to be launched in the developed markets of Western Europe. Dacia was assigned the task of developing a car which is low cost and suits the need of developing market and the success in Western Europe did come as a surprise for Renault. By 2007, over 15% of the total sales of Logan was coming from France and Germany. For people in Western Europe the looks are not that good. The Logan MCV shares the same dowdy lines as its siblings. You also dont get many features. To keep costs down, Dacia minimized the frill factor to such a low that they were almost non-existent. Nevertheless, the Logan MCV handled city streets with ease. The steering is direct. The suspension is firm but still comfortable. To deal with the often-unpaved roads of its target markets, the Logans suspension is slightly higher than other comparably sized vehicles. Like many European cars, the Logan comes with small and efficient engine options. Despite the small engine the car performed well under traffic. The major reason for the success should be attributed to the price. Compared to the others cars in the segment the price that Logan was charging were unbelievably cheap. Others cars in the segment were priced at around à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 13000. The appetite for low cost cars in Western Europe is a tantalizing development and it could serve as a major point to sell more cars in the markets which are believed by most to be saturated. The low cost cars have a potential to be bought by families who want more than one car. This could also fulfill the requirement of students and the working class early into their career. The scope is wide and prospects wider. Failure of Logan in India Renault launched its low cost car Logan in India in April, 2007. The car had been hugely successful worldwide. The low cost car was conceived primarily for developing markets, but due to its huge success in Eastern Europe, Renault chose to launch it in Western Europe as well, where it turned out to be successful. Renault entered India via a joint venture with Indian automaker Mahindra Mahindra, which provide market insights and distribution reach, while the engines were to be sourced from France. During the launch, the company had projected sales of 30,000 units a year, or 2500 units per month. The actual sales in October 2009 were around 500 cars per month. The joint venture was supposed to deliver synergy and allow Renault the platform to grow its brand in India. Each partner was expected to deliver a resource which the JV could exploit. While Mahindra provided marketing and distribution, Renault brought to the table technology. However, the JV failed to deliver for the following reasons: The price point for Logan was a major problem. The petrol range starts at Rs 4.43 lakh going up to Rs 5.32 lakh and the diesel variant is priced at Rs 6.68 lakh. The competitors of Logan in the low cost segment, like Maruti Swift Dzire and Tata Indigo CS, had much more aggressive price tags, and cars like like Ford Ikon and Hyundai Accent that were available in a price bracket close to the Renault model put pressure on demand for Logan. The reason for Logan having to price higher than its other low cost competitors was the fact that 50% of Logans parts and the engine itself were sourced from France, which is higher than any other manufacturer. As a result costs went up The issue here that prevented synergy was the lack of trust between Renault and Mahindra. Renault refused to part with its technology in an attempt to retain power in the JV and it to keep open its option of having an independent future in India. Another problem that the JV faced was the rising Euro. Due to the fluctuations in currencies, the costs of the company kept going up, and it could not move to a more aggressive price point. Moreover, being just over 4 meters long, Logan was in an excise bracket higher than other low cost cars. To top it all, Renault felt that the current volumes were not large enough to justify localized supply. This showed lack of commitment towards the JV. After the JV with MM, Renault initiated talks with Bajaj for its small car and also started contacting other auto manufacturers. This strategy of having multiple partners in the same category, especially when these partners maybe competitors, is not a smart one. Due to this apparent lack of commitment from Renault, the Logan was relegated to the backstage in Mahindra outlets with no dealer push coming forth for the car. The company MM and its dealers preferred to push the Scorpio more, for obvious reasons. Therefore, the Logan entered the market with limited dealer push in spite of having one of the strongest distribution networks in India. There was very little by way of branding done for the Logan. After the initial launch campaign, there was precious little brand building. The JV tried to drive growth by discount ads, provided primarily by local dealers. As a result Logan never became a strong brand in India. This lack of customer pull, coupled with the lack of retailer push mentioned above ensured that the brand Logan never really took off in India. Moreover, news about the rocky relationship between the partners kept consumers away from the car due to uncertainty about service in the future. Lessons from the failure We can derive many lessons from the unexpected failure of the Logan in the Indian market. It teaches us how to derive value from a resource like a JV. Both partners must be committed to the joint venture for it to succeed. Renault was in talks with other manufacturers, as a result Mahindra did not take the JV seriously. This led to low retailer push, bad press and low investment in marketing activities. In its attempt to grow too quickly Renault actually jeopardized its existing brand. The partners have to share a degree of trust. The JV sourced about 50% of the parts and the engine from France. This would not have been the case if Renault could have trusted MM with its technology. Even though that would have given greater power to MM, it would have ensured a successful take-off for the Logan. Renault could have built its power in the JV by gradually developing its own distribution network over a period of a few years. However, in its rush to grow quickly it jeopardized a very good product. Renault could also have signaled its commitment and trust by building manufacturing facilities in India, but refrained from doing so.