Dannon Case Study Essay

Danone, Dannon’s parent company, was one of the largest health-focused food companies in the world. Danone traced its heritage back to 1919 in Barcelona, Spain, when Isaac Carasso wanted to create yogurt with inherent health benefits. Through the years and different lines of succession, Danone continued to grow, but never lost its core vision of providing better health to people through their products. When this case was written, Danone’s global business focus was on fresh dairy (Activia yogurt), bottled water (Evian), medical nutrition, and baby nutrition. Danone viewed the United States as an emerging market for yogurt, thus Dannon’s marketing efforts needed to focus on growing U. S. yogurt consumption and expanding the category, while also growing its brand. (Marquis, p. 1) Dannon entered the US market in 1941 and by 2010 was poised to become the leader in America’s domestic yogurt sector. This was a major accomplishment for the simple fact that America’s yogurt market was practically non-existent at the time! A new product, called â€Å"Fruit at the Bottom† changed that and became an instant success. In 2007, even though Dannon had success, U. S. yogurt consumption was only 11. 8 lbs versus 62. 4 lbs in Switzerland and 42 lbs in France (Marquis, Exhibit 2) The implication of the latter statistics to Dannon was the U. S. was a high potential market for the next 5 to 10 years. (Marquis, p. 5) Dannon had maintained a strong commitment to CSR and was integrated into the company’s overall mission of â€Å"bringing health through food to as many people as possible. † Their CSR mission, however, was very internally focused and few customers knew about its activities. (Marquis, p. 1) Dannon’s CSR activities fell under the Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Department and focused around three key themes: nutrition and health, nature, and people. The case identified notable accomplishments in each of these areas, to include the U. S. Dannon Institute (nonprofit foundation dedicated to promoting excellence in the field of nutrition) with its many noteworthy educational programs. The question behind this case, as proposed by its senior director of public relations, was how Dannon’s long-standing, deeply ingrained corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts could play a role in achieving Danone’s and Dannon’s overall marketing strategy. Discussion with Key Dannon Leaders brought out the following pro’s and con’s concerning the proposed idea of communicating Dannon’s CSR efforts to its consumers: Pro Con Possible increase in marketing of Dannon’s social mission Hard to measure ROI and benefits would be mostly intangible Possible increase in marketing individual products Limited, short-term sales impact Consumption of products might increase Impact of consumption might not be immediate Potential tax incentive or government assistance to promote health programs Competitors could take advantage of hallo effect Opportunity to communicate what Dannon stands for at the product level Change in overall budget priorities and expenditures for new program Opportunity to use Danone global brand Critics could say CSR efforts were only for publicity Brand campaign would have halo effects down to Dannon’s individual products Customers could perceive effort as disingenuous. Dannon employees would feel better about the company they worked for People don’t buy products just because they like the company’s CSR stance Would help build social interests May not support business interests Message might be too complex (Pro and Con information taken from case study, pages 9 -14) To Communicate or Not to Communicate? Dannon seems to be very focused on its Return on Investment (ROI) for marketing and communication dollars spent. While the question of whether or not to communicate its CSR seems very simple, research shows this important undertaking is very complex and there is no easy cookie-cutter answer for Dannon executives. What consumers feel does not always translate to what they buy. According to a 2010 survey, more than 75 percent of consumers surveyed say that social responsibility remains important to them despite the recession. In addition, 38 percent of these respondents indicated that they would spend the same or more on products or services from socially responsible companies compared to 2009. Yet, according to the very same survey, these sentiments do not have a significant impact on favorability and purchase intent — only 13 percent of folks actually proactively seek out CSR friendly brands and purchase them. (Lester, 2010) The latter finding seems to agree with other academic research. According to another survey, CSR impacts a very small group of people, namely the affluent. This report went on to state in its conclusion, â€Å"consumers with strong social preferences (and high income) buy CSR products and consumers with weak social preferences (or low income) buy non-CSR products. (Etile & Tyessier, 2011) General â€Å"assumptions† about CSR and consumer purchases may not be telling the whole story, though. Further research indicates consumers attach more CSR importance to certain industries. For example, the food and healthcare industries had an 88 percent importance rating for CSR initiatives – two of the top three in the entire survey (the other was energy). â€Å"Drilling down† even further shows the sector where CSR is both important to the consumer and CSR communications has performed extremely well is in the food industry. (Lester, 2010) One of the most telling findings in the 2010 CSR branding survey was the importance of tying social responsibility to a product. Its conclusion was consumers are more likely to select the product with an added social benefit hen given a choice between similar products. (Lester, 2010) Research shows a consumer’s loyalty to specific products also has an impact on a company’s overall brand. In an online article of The Economist, the author writes about the importance of brand in the context of specific product purchase. Once customers trust a certain product, they tend to look for the brand associated with it when selecting dissimilar products or services. (Case for Brands, 2001) This all being said, the flip side of the power and influence of a brand is its growing vulnerability – a single failed advertising campaign or hint of scandal can send customers fleeing. According to another article, â€Å"brands—and the multinationals that are increasingly identified with them—are not more powerful, but more vulnerable. Consumers will tolerate a lousy product for far longer than they will tolerate a lousy lifestyle. † (Who’s wearing the trousers, 2001) Pulling all of these points together lead me to the following conclusion: If Dannon intends to tie CSR into its product marketing, it should do so at the individual product level, and If Dannon intends to include CSR as part of its marketing and communications strategy, it needs to be sustained and intentional to have an affect (i. e. measurable ROI). My recommendation is Dannon follows my two suggestions above! Dannon has a distinct advantage in being a well-known name in both the health and wellness sectors as well as the food sector. Customers surveyed tend to research a provider’s reputation more stringently in these areas, as such, a combined external CSR and CR campaign would be, in my opinion, advisable. Dannon’s current CSR strategy, which is mostly internal, is good for its culture and employee retention. However, it does not maximize profitability and overall goodwill. Therefore, an external strategy must be added for full ROI maximization. Impact of a Corporate Parent Dannon is a wholly owned subsidiary of Danone and has a significant fiduciary responsibility to them. According to our case, Dannon is obligated to meet annual targets for profitability, operating free cash flow, manufacturing safety, and environmental sustainability. Dannon’s decision to change its marketing strategy, either as a branding exercise or for a specific product, would absolutely impact several of these obligations. (Marquis, p. 1) Obligation Potential Positive Impact Potential Negative Impact profitability a successively executed plan will increase customer sales and loyalty, both having a long term impact to the parent company’s bottom line. If customers feel the CSR communications are disingenuous, they will discontinue buying Dannon products, thus losing market share and reducing overall profits. operating free cash flow Increased profitability should increase overall free cash flow. Sustained marketing costs a lot of money and will reduce the company’s cash flow; assuming a long-term commitment, this will become a drag on profits if not successful. manufacturing safety No impact If cash flow is reduced, new equipment of safety training may not be purchased, thus allowing for accidents to happen. environmental sustainability No impact When cash flow is reduced, local operators might look for ways to cut expenses. One way to do that is to cut corners, especially in the ways waste is disposed of. customer loyalty A good campaign will increase the number of Americans buying Dannon products as well as the amount being consumed. Market share will increase and provide opportunities for new Dannon products to be distributed. All the reverse of the positive outcomes. Looking at our case, I think the impact to Danone is very minimal. It seems that Danone’s culture is to trust the country-based units and train its leadership to think globally. From my perspective, if Dannon executes a successful CSR campaign for a single product, the likelihood of success is extremely high. The Communication Strategy As indicated in the â€Å"To Communicate or Not to Communicate? † section of this paper, Dannon should take advantage of being in the market sectors where CSR impact is very high (health/wellness and food) and select a single product to use as a CSR marketing and communications platform. Because of its market penetration and dominance, I would use its top proactive health product, Activia, as the product. Danone and Dannon’s sustainable development model focuses around Nutrition and Health, People, and Nature. These three areas and how they relate to Activia would be my focus, with the specific bottom line result being how Activia contributes to a customer’s â€Å"personal health and nutrition naturally. † Once this is done, I would test my new outreach models in focus groups, specifically those that are already purchasing Activia (existing clients) and those that aren’t (potential clients). All successful marketing plan needs to keep both groups in mind; if no new clients are drawn to this approach, then go back to the drawing board. This strategy falls in line with Dannon’s desire to focus on growing the yogurt industry and proving its relevance to Americans. (Marquis, p. 5) When both groups trended positively toward the new marketing strategy, I would roll out a multi-faceted plan that includes print, web, television, internet, and social media. I would also tie this new communication in with the community grant programs that Dannon is already known for. This plan would need to be executed for 90 or 120 days and then measured for tangible ROI, specifically on the Activia product and secondarily on increases in other brand sales. Conclusion In conclusion, I believe that Danone was created with a definite CSR culture as part of their overall operating strategy. As such, all facets of their global organization reflect these core values, to include Dannon. I think this bodes well for an expanded, external CSR communications strategy because: Dannon risks very little in detractors saying they are simply communicating their CSR accomplishments as a profit motive – their legacy as a company, both locally and globally, state otherwise. Dannon is fortunate enough to be in the right sectors where CSR and CR are highly regarded. As such, they can leverage this fact to impact their product marketing even more. Dannon’s consumers, especially the health conscious, tend to have more disposable income and be more drawn to sustainable products and brands. Dannon has a single product, Activia, that is very high in market penetration and fits into both health/wellness and food categories. Again, this can be leveraged. Dannon can test the impact of communicating their CSR philosophy with a single product before exposing their entire brand. If Dannon’s product-based approach works well, then they have set a positive template to add new products, both within the United States and beyond. If it does not, then Dannon can quietly drop their marketing campaign without tainting all their products or the overall Danone brand. In the final analysis, I think Dannon is an ideal company to further communicate their CSR values. As a global company, they can impact and influence other organizations within the food industry. References Etile, F. & Tyessier, S. (2011). Corporate Social Responsibility and the Economics of Consumer Social Responsibility. Paris School of Economics. August 2011. Retrieved May 18, 2013 from http://ageconsearch. umn. edu/bitstream/120399/2/Etile_Fabrice_359. pdf Lester, B. (2010). Corporate social responsibility branding survey. Penn Schoen Berland. Retrieved May 18, 2013 from http://www. psbresearch. com/files/CSR%20Branding%20Survey%202010%20EXTERNAL%20FINAL. pdf Marquis, C. , Shah, P. , Tolleson, A. , & Thomason, B. (2011). The dannon company: marketing and corporate social responsibility (A). The Harvard Business School. Revised September 28, 2011. File number 9-410-121 The Economist. (2001, September 6). The case for brands. Economist. com. Retrieved May 18, 2013 from http://www. economist. com/node/771049 The Economist. (2001, September 6). Who’s wearing the trousers? Economist. com. Retrieved May 18, 2013 from http://www. economist. com/node/770992

Link Manufacturing Process and Product Life Cycles

133 Link manufacturing process and product life cycles Focusing on the process gives a new dimension to strategy Robert H. Hayes and Steven C. Wheelwright Although the product life cycle concept may have value for managers, its emphasis on marketing can make it inadequate for strategic planners. These authors point out that using a process life cycle can help a company choose among its various manufacturing and marketing options. Using the concept of a â€Å"product-process matrix,† they show how a company's position reflects its weaknesses and strengths, and they discuss the implications for corporate strategy. Mr. Hayes is professor of business administration at the Harvard Business School. He is currently serving as faculty chairman of and teaching at Harvard's Senior Managers Program in Vevcy, Switzerland. One of his previous articles in HBR is â€Å"How Should You Organize Manufacturing? † (coauthor, Roger W. Schmenner, JanuaryFchruary 1978). Mr. Wheelwright is associate professor of business administration at the Harvard Business School. He is currently teaching in the MBA program and is faculty chairman of Harvard's executive program on Manufacturing in Corporate Strategy. One of his previous HBR articles is â€Å"Corporate Forecasting: Promise and Reality,† [coauthor, Darral G. Clarke, NovemberDecember 1976). The regularity of the growth cyeles of living organisms has always fascinated thoughtful observers and has invited a variety of attempts to apply the same principles—of a predictable sequence of rapid growth followed by maturation, decline, and death-to companies and selected industries. One such concept, known as the â€Å"product life cycle/' has been studied in a wide range of organizational settings. However, there are sufficient opposing theories to raise the doubts of people like N. K. Dhalla and S. Yuspeh, who argued in these same pages a few years ago that businessmen should forget the product life cycle concept. Irrespective of whether the product life cycle pattern is a general rule or holds only for specific cases, it does provide a useful and provocative framework for thinking about the growth and development of a new p roduct, a company, or an entire industry. One of the major shortcomings of this approach, however, is that it concentrates on the marketing implieations of the life cycle pattern. In so doing, it implies that other aspects of the business and industry environment move in concert with the market life cycle. While such a view may help one to think back on the kinds of ehanges that occur in different industries, an individual company will often find it too simplistic for use in its strategic planning. In fact, the concept may even be misleading in strategic planning. In this article we suggest that separating the product life cycle concept from a related but distinct phenomenon that we will call the â€Å"process life I TJie Product Life Cycle and Internationa! Trade. Louis T. Wells, |r. , ed. ICambridge, Mass. ; HarvaiiJ University Press, 1D71I, im example. proviJcs evidence from a number of industries that argues for broad application of this concept, 2. N. K. Dhalla and S. Yuspirh, â€Å"Forget the Priidutt Life Cycle Cnni;epU† HBR I3nuary-February 197(1, p. 101. 134 Harvard Business Review January-February 1979 cycle† facilitates the understanding of the strategic options available to a company, particularly with regard to its manufacturing function. The product-process matrix The process life cycle has heen attracting increasing attention from husiness managers and researchers over the past several years. ^ Just as a product and market pass through a series of major stages, so does the production process used in the manufacture of that product. The process evolution typically hegins with a â€Å"fluid† process—one that is highly flexible, hut not very cost efficient—and proceeds toward increasing standardization, mechanization, and automation. This evolution culminates in a â€Å"systemic process† that is very efficient hut much more capital intensive, nterrelated, and hence less flexible than the original fluid process. Using a product-process matrix, Exhibit I suggests one way in which the interaction of both the product and the process life cycle stages can he represented. The rows of this matrix represent the major stages through whieh a production process tends to pass in going from the fluid form in the top row to the sys temic form in the bottom row. The columns represent the product life cycle phases, going from the great variety associated with startup on the left-hand side to standardized commodity products on the right-hand side. Diagonal position A company [or a husiness unit within a diversified company) can be characterized as occupying a particular region in the matrix, determined by the stage of the product life cycle and its choice of production process for that product. Some simple examples may clarify this. Typical of a company positioned in the upper left-hand comer is a commercial printer. In such a company, each job is unique and a jumbled flow or job shop process is usually selected as being most effective in meeting those product requirements. In such a job shop, jobs arrive in different forms and require different tasks, and thus the equipment tends to be relatively general purpose. Also, that equipment is seldom used at ioo% capacity, the workers typically have a wide range of production skills, and each joh takes much longer to go through the plant than the lahor hours required by that job. Further down the diagonal in this matrix, the manufacturer of heavy equipment usually chooses a production structure characterized as a â€Å"disconnected line flow† process. Although the company may make a numher of products (a customer may even be able to order a somewhat customized unit), economies of scale in manufacturing usually lead such companies to offer several hasic models with a variety of options. This enables manufacturing to move from a job shop to a flow pattern in which batches of a given model proceed irregularly through a series of work stations, or possihly even a lowvolume assembly line. Even further down the diagonal, for a product like automobiles or major home appliances, a company will generally choose to ake only a few models and use a relatively mechanized and connected production process, such as a moving assembly line. Such a process matches the product life cycle requirements that the automobile companies must satisfy with the economies availahle from a standardized and automated process. Finally, down in the far right-hand comer of the matrix, one would find refinery operations, such as oil or sugar processing, where the pro duct is a commodity and the process is continuous. Although such operations are highly specialized, inflexible, and capital intensive, their disadvantages are more than offset by the low variable costs arising from a high volume passing through a standardized process. In Exhibit 7, two corners in the matrix are void of industries or individual companies. The upper right-hand comer eharacterizes a commodity product produced by a job-shop process that is simply not economical. Thus there are no companies or industries located in that sector. Similarly, the lower left-hand corner represents a one-of-a-kind product that is made by continuous or very specific processes. Such processes are simply too inflexible for such unique product requirements. Off the diagonal The examples cited thus far have been the more familiar â€Å"diagonal cases,† in which a certain kind of product structure is matehed with its â€Å"natural† process structure. But a company may seek a position 3. For example, William ), Abernathy and Philip L. Townscnd, â€Å"TechnoloRy, Pioductivity, and Process Changes,† in Tachnalo^icdl Forfcoitinj: iind Social Cbange, Volume VII, No. 4, 1975, p. ^79) Abcmathy and lames Ulierback, â€Å"DyQ. mic Model of Process and Product Innovation,† Omega, Volume HI, No. 6, 1975, p. 6i9i Abernathy and Uuerback, â€Å"Innovation and the Evolution of Technology in the Firm,† Harvard Business School Working P. iper |HBS 7S->fiR, Revised |unc 197^!. Process life cycles 135 Exhibit I Matching major stages of product and process life cycles Product structure Product life cycle stage I Low volume-low standardization, on e of a kind Multiple products low volume Few major products higher volume IV High volume-high standardization. commodity products Process structure Process life cycle stage Jumbled flow (job shop) Commercial printer Disconnected line Mow (batch) Heavy equipment Connected line flow (assembly line) Automobile assembly IV Continuous flow off the diagonal instead of right on it, to its competitive advantage. Rolls-Royce Ltd. still makes a limited product line of motor cars using a process that is more like a job shop than an assembly line. A company that allows itself to drift from the diagonal without understanding the likely implications of such a shift is asking for trouhle. This is apparently the case with several companies in the factory housing industry that allowed their manufacturing operations to become too capital intensive and too de- 136 Harvard Business Review January-February 1979 pendent on stable, high-volume production in the early 1970s. As one might expect, when a company moves too far away from the diagonal, it hecomes increasingly dissimilar from its competitors. This may or may not, depending on its success in achieving focus and exploiting the advantages of its niche, make it more vulnerable to attack. Coordinating marketing and manufacturing may become more difficult as the two areas confront increasingly different opportunities and pressures. Not infrequently, companies find that either inadvertently or by conscious choice they are at positions on the matrix very dissimilar from those of their competitors and must consider drastic remedial action. Most small companies that enter a mature industry start off this way, of course, which provides one explanation of both the strengths and the weaknesses of their situation. One example of a company's matching its movements on these two dimensions with changes in its industry is that of Zenith Radio Corporation in the mid-1960s. Zenith had generally followed a strategy of maintaining a high degree of flexibility in its manufacturing facilities for color television receivers. We would characterize this process structure at that time as being stage 2. When planning additional capacity for color TV manufacturing in 1966 [during the height of the rapid growth in the market), however. Zenith chose to expand production capacity in a way that represented a clear move down the process dimension, toward the matrix diagonal, by consolidating color TV assembly in two large plants. One of these was in a relatively low-cost labor area in the United States. While Zenith continued to have facilities that were more flexible than those of other companies in the industry, this decision reflected corporate management's assessment of the need to stay within range of the industry on tbe process dimension so that its excellent marketing strategy would not be constrained by inefficient manufacturing. It is interesting that seven years later Zenith made a similar decision to keep all of its production of color television chasses in the United States, rather than lose the flexibility and incur the costs of moving production to the Far East. This decision, in conjunction with others made in the past five years, is now being called into question. Using our terminology. Zenith again finds itself too far above the diagonal, in comparison with its large, primarily Japanese, competitors, most of whom have mechanized their production processes, positioned them in low-wage countries, and embarked on other costreduction programs. Incorporating this additional dimension into strategic planning encourages more creative thinking about organizational competence and competitive advantage. It also can lead to more informed predictions about the changes that are likely to occur in a particular industry and to consideration of the strategies that might be followed in responding to such charges. Finally, it provides a natural way to involve manufacturing managers in the planning process so that they can relate their opportunities and decisions more effectively with marketing strategy and corporate goals. The experience of the late 1960s and early 1970s suggests that major competitive advantages can accrue to companies that are able to integrate their manufacturing and marketing organization with a common strategy. ^ Using the concept We will explore three issues that follow from the product-process life cycle: [1) the concept of distinctive competence, [2) the management implications of selecting a particular product-process combination, considering the competition, and |3) the organizing of different operating units so that they can specialize on separate portions of the total manufacturing task while still maintaining overall coordination. Distinctive competence Most companies like to think of themselves as being particularly good relative to their competitors in certain areas, and they try to avoid competition in others. Their objective is to guard this distinctive competence against outside attacks or internal aimlessncss and to exploit it where possible. From time to time, unfortunately, management becomes preoccupied with marketing concerns and loses sight of the value of manufacturing abilities. When this happens, it thinks about strategy in terms only of the product and market dimension within a product life cycle context. In effect, management concentrates resources and planning efforts on a relatively narrow column of the matrix shown in Exhibit 1 on page r35. 4. See â€Å"Manufacturing—Missing Link in Corporate Stiatcgy,† by Wickham Skinner, HBR May-June 1969, p. i]6. Process life cycles 137 Exhibit II Expanded product-process matrix Product structure Product lite cycle stage III Low volume —low standardization, one of a kind Process structure Process life cycle stage Multiple products low volume Few major products higher volume IV High volume-fiigh standardization. commodity products Key management tasks Flexibilityquality †¢ Fast reaction †¢ Loading plant, estimating capacity †¢Estimating costs and delivery times †¢ Breaking bottlenecks †¢ Order tracing and expediting †¢ Systematizing diverse elements †¢ Developing standards and methods, improvement †¢ Balancing process stages †¢ Managing large, specialized, and complex operations †¢ Meeling material requirements †¢ Running equipment at peak efficiency †¢ Timing expansion and technological change †¢ Raising required capital Jumbled flow (lobshop) Disconnected line flow (batch) Connected line flow (assembly line) IV Continuous flow Hone Dependabilitycost Flexibility-quality Dependability-cosi dominant competitive mode †¢ Custom design †¢ General purpose †¢ High margins †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Custom design Ouality control Service High margins †¢ Standardized design †¢ Volume manufacturing †¢ Finished goods inventory †¢ Distribution †¢ Backup suppliers †¢ Vertical integration †¢ Long runs †¢ Specialized equipment and processes †¢ Economies of scale †¢ Standardized material The advantage of the two-dimensional point of view is that it permits a company to be more precise about what its distinctive competence really is and to concentrate its attentions on a restricted set of process decisions and alternatives, as well as a re- stricted set of marketing alternatives. Real focus is maintained only when the emphasis is on a single â€Å"patch† in the matrix—a process focus as well as a product or market focus. As suggested by Wickham Skinner, narrowing the focus of the business unit's 138 Harvard Business Review January-February 1979 ctivities and the supporting manufacturing plant's activities may greatly increase the chance of success for the organization/' Thinking about both process and product dimensions can affect the way a company defines its â€Å"product. † For example, we recently explored the case of a specialized manufacturer of printed circuit boards. Management's initial assessment of its position on the m. atrix was that it was producing a lowvolume, one-of-a-kind product using a highly connected assembly line process. (This would place it in the lower left comer of the matrix. On further reflection, however, management decided that while the company specialized in small production batches, the â€Å"product† it really was offering was a design capability for special purpose circuit boards. In a sense, then, it was mass producing designs rather than boards. Hence, the company was not far off the diagonal after all. This knowledge of the company's distinctive competence was helpful to management as it considered different projects and decisions, only some of which were supportive of the company's actual position on the matrix. Effects of position As a company undertakes different combinations of product and process, management problems change. It is the interaction between these two that determines which tasks will be critical for a given company or industry. Along the process structure dimension, for example, the key competitive advantage of a jumbled flow operation is its flexibility to both product and volume changes. As one moves toward more standardized processes, the competitive emphasis generally shifts from flexibility and quality (measured in terms of product specialization) to reliability, predictability, and cost. A similar sequence of competitive emphases occurs as a company moves along the product structure dimension. These movements in priorities are illustrated in Exhibit 11 For a given product structure, a company whose competitive emphasis is on quality or new product development would choose a much more flexible production operation than would a competitor who has the same product structure but who follows a cost-minimizing strategy. Alternatively, a company that chooses a given process structure reinforces the characteristics of that structure by adopting the corresponding product structure. The former approach 5. â€Å"The Focused Factory,† HBR May-June 1974, p. 113. 6. Robert H. Hayes and Roger W. Schmenner, â€Å"How Should You Organize Manufacturing? † HBR January-February iy78, p. 105. positions the company above the diagonal, while the latter positions it somewhere along it. A company's location on the matrix should take into account its traditional orientation. Many companies tend to be relatively aggressive along the dimension—product or process-where they feel most competent and take the other dimension as â€Å"given† by the industry and environment. For example, a marketing-oriented company seeking to be responsive to the needs of a given market is more likely to emphasize flexibility and quality than tbe manufacturing-oriented company that seeks to mold the market to its cost or process leadership. An example of these two competitive approaches in the electric motor industry is provided by the contrast between Reliance Electric and Emerson Electric. Reliance, on the one hand, has apparently chosen production processes that place it above the diagonal for a given product and market, and the company emphasizes product customizing and performance. Emerson, on the other hand, tends to position itself below the diagonal and emphasizes cost reduction. As a result of this difference in emphasis, the majority of Reliance's products are in the upper left quadrant, while Emerson's products tend to be in the lower right quadrant. Even where the two companies' product lines overlap. Reliance is likely to use a more fluid process for that product, while Emerson is more likely to use a standardized process. Eaeh company has sought to develop a set of competitive skills in manufacturing and marketing that will make it more effective within its selected quadrants. Concentrating on the upper left versus the lower right quadrant has many additional implications for a company. The management that chooses to compete primarily in the upper left has to decide when to drop or abandon a product or market, while for the management choosing to compete in the lower right a major decision is when to eater the market. In the latter case, the company can watch the market develop and does not have as much need for flexibility as do companies that position themselves in the upper left, since product and market changes typically occur less frequently during the later phases of the product life cycle. Such thinking about both product and process expertise is particularly useful in selecting the match of these two dimensions for a new product. Those familiar with the digital watch industry may recall that in the early 1970s Texas Instruments introduced a jewelry line digital watch. This product represented a matrix combination in the upper left-hand quadrant, as shown in Exhibit U. Unfortunately, this line Process life cycles 139 of watches was disappointing to Texas Instruments, in terms of both volume and profitability. Early in 1976, therefore, TI introduced a digital watch selling for $19. 95. With only one electronic module and a connected line flow production process, this watch represented a combination of product and process further down the diagonal and much more in keeping with TI's traditional strengths and emphases. Organizing operations If management considers the process structure dimension of organizational competence and strategy, it can usually focus its operating units much more effectively on their individual tasks. For example, many companies face the problem of how to organize production of spare parts for their primary products. While increasing volume of the primary products may have caused the company to move down the diagonal, the follow-on demand for spare parts may require a combination of product and process structures more toward the upper left-hand corner of the matrix. There are many more items to be manufactured, each in smaller volume, and the appropriate process tends to be more flexible than may be the case for the primary product. To accomodate the specific requirements of spare parts production, a cohipany might develop a separate facility for them or simply separate their production within the same facility. Probably the least appropriate approach is to leave such production undifferentiated from the production of the basic product, since this would require the plant to span too broad a range of both product and process, making it less efficient and less effective for both categories of product. The choice of product and process structures will determine the kind of manufacturing problems that will be important for management. Some of the key tasks related to a particular process structure are indicated on the right side of Exhibit U. Recognizing the impact that the company's position on the matrix has on these important tasks will often suggest changes in various aspects of the policies and procedures the company uses in managing its manufacturing function, particularly in its manufacturing control system. Also, measures used to monitor and evaluate the company's manufacturing performance must reflect the matrix position selected if such measures are to be both useful and consistent with the corporate goals and strategy. Such a task-oriented analysis might help a company avoid the loss of control over manufacturing that often results when a standard set of control mechanisms is applied to all products and processes. It also suggests the need for different types of management skills [and managers], depending on the company's major manufacturing tasks and dominant competitive modes. While a fairly narrow focus may be required for success in any single product market, companies that are large enough can [and do) effectively produce multiple products in multiple markets. These are often in different stages of the product life cycle. However, for such an operation to be successful, a company must separate and organize its manufacturing facilities to best meet the needs of each product and then develop sales volumes that are large enough to make those manufacturing units competitive. An example of separating a company's total manufacturing capability into specialized units is provided by the Lynchburg Foundry, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mead Corporation. This foundry has five plants in Virginia. As Exhibit U shows, these plants represent different positions on the matrix. One plant is a job shop, making mostly one-of-akind products. Two plants use a decoupled batch process and make several major products. A fourth plant is a paced assembly line operation that makes only a few products, mainly for the automative market. The fifth plant is a highly automated pipe plant, making what is largely a commodity item. While the basic technology is somewhat different in each plant, there are many similarities. However, the production layout, the manufacturing processes, and the control systems are very different. This company chose to design its plants so that each would meet the needs of a specific segment of the market in the most competitive manner. Its success would suggest that this has been an effective way to match manufacturing capabilities with market demand. Companies that specialize their operating units according to the needs of specific, narrowly defined patches on the matrix will often encounter problems in integrating those units into a coordinated whole. A recent article suggested that a company can be most successful by organizing its manufacturing function around either a product-market focus or a process focus. * That is, individual units will either manage themselves relatively autonomously, responding directly to the needs of the markets they serve, or they will be divided according to process stages (for example, fabrication, subassembly, and final assembly), all coordinated by a central staff. Companies in the major materials industriessteel companies and oil companies, for exampleprovide classic examples of process-organized manu- 140 Harvard Business Review January-February 1979 facturing organizations. Most companies that broaden the span of their process through vertical integration tend to adopt such an organzation, at least initially. Then again, companies that adopt a product- or market-oriented organization in manufacturing tend to have a strong market orientation and are unwilling to accept the organizational rigidity and lengthened response time that usually accompany centralized coordination. Most companies in the packaging industry provide examples of such product- and market-focused manufacturing organizations. Regional plants that serve geographical market areas are set up to reduce transportation costs and provide better response to market requirements. A number of companies that historically have organized themselves around products or markets have found that, as their products matured and as they have moved to become more vertically integrated, a conflict has arisen between their original productorganized manufacturing facilities and the needs of their process-oriented internal supply units. As the competitive emphasis has shifted toward cost, companies moving along the diagonal have tended to evolve from a product-oriented manufacturing organization to a process-oriented one. However, at some point, such companies often discover that their operations have hecome so complex with increased volume and increased stages of inhouse production that they defy centralized coordination and management must revert to a more product-oriented organization within a divisionalized structure. ct line with a manufacturing system—a set of people, plants, equipment, technology, policies, and control procedures—that will permit a relatively high degree of flexibility and a relatively low capital intensity? Or should it prefer a system that will permit lower cost production with a loss of some flexibility to change [in products, production volumes, and equipment) and usually a higher degree of capital intensity? This choice will position the company above or below its competito rs along the vertical dimension of our matrix. There are, of course, several dynamic aspects of corporate competitiveness where the concepts of matching the product life cycle with the process life cycle can be applied. In this article, however, we have dealt only with the more static aspects of selecting a position on the matrix. We will discuss in a forthcoming article how a company's position on the product-process matrix might change over time and the traps that it can fall into if the implications of such moves are not carefully evaluated. Strategy implications We can now pull together a number of threads and summarize their implications for corporate strategy. Companies must make a series of interrelated marketing and manufacturing decisions. These choices must be continually reviewed and sometimes changed as the company's products and competitors evolve and mature. A company may choose a product or marketing strategy that gives it a broader or narrower product line than its principal competitors. Such a choice positions it to the left or right of its competitors, along the horizontal dimension of our matrix. Having made this decision, the company has a further choice to make: Should it produce this prod-

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Basket of currencies for the middle east region Research Proposal

Basket of currencies for the middle east region - Research Proposal Example What one wanted to exchange was not what the other party required or rather wanted. This brought the issue of conflict of interest and disagreement as to whether the transaction could take place. The challenges of bulkiness of the products as some of the products or goods exchanged were so bulky as to facilitate the transaction. The challenge of breaking the goods or dividing the goods into proportions. Some people wanted a half of the portion. Those looking for meat some desired just a piece of meat, but under the regime it was difficult to divide a whole cow that was being sold into a piece of meat. (Rabinovich 43) Under the prevailing challenges a common form of tool inform of currency had to be established. This was meant to facilitate the transaction process. The common form of currency had to be uniformly agreed upon. The respective parties had to unanimously agree on a common means of currency. These was supposed to be stable in its value as the value of the currency chosen was not supposed to depreciate, it was supposed to be generally acceptable as for it to be a common currency it was supposed to be accepted unanimously, It was supposed to be durable and not depreciate easily or loose value easily it was supposed to be easily divisible and subdivided into various denominations and finally it was supposed to be very portable. Portability of the currency necessitated that it was easily carried around. Various countries on these criteria and analysis have established some form of currency. They all have a certain currency that meets the mentioned characteristics and is unique to them. This is a reality that has resulted to the diverse bundle of currencies that exists all over the world. The bundle of currency is as a result of the various different currencies from the many countries of the world. (Poghosyan, 09) Countries have evolved the aspect of exports and imports.

African Americans and the Executive Power Coursework

African Americans and the Executive Power - Coursework Example However, three times in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, presidents made executive orders which helped overturn the accepted institution of racism against black Americans. This paper will look at Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Executive Order 8802 of 1941, and Harry S. Truman's Executive Order 9981 of 1946, to show that these three situations were ones in which the executive power was used to create the less racist society of modern America. In 1863, the United States was in a horrific racial situation: it was the year of the New York Draft Riots, in which countless black people were murdered and lynched on the streets of the city; on a larger scale, the country was torn in a civil war over the fate of black slaves. It was into this context that President Lincoln introduced the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, an executive order which was more symbolic than effective: the Proclamation stated that slaves in the Confederate Sta tes of America were to be set free, an area over which Lincoln had no practical power at the time. Furthermore, it specifically did not suggest emancipation in the northern states which, ironically, were fighting in order to obtain the freedom of black slaves. Lincoln's aim was to starve the southern forces of free labor by popularizing this message to encourage black slaves to escape and be granted their freedom in the north – it was a purely tactical maneuver, and really not much more than a stepping stone on the way to true abolition, which was achieved with the Thirteenth Amendment at the end of 1865. Sadly, it was not until this point that the fifty thousand or so remaining slaves in the northern states were emancipated. Nonetheless, the Emancipation Proclamation remains an important milestone for black civil rights, and one of the few which was granted exclusively by the President through an executive order. In fact, the three Executive Orders discussed in this paper we re not really as powerful as they are often thought of – they were merely baby steps along a path to increased civil liberties and diminished discrimination.

Marketing Starbucks Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 98

Marketing Starbucks - Case Study Example Finally, the organization has the option to increase additional 20 hours per week to ensure improve the efficiency of service.To select from the available options, it is crucial for the management to consider the advantages and weakness of each option available to the organization. To begin with, the idea of increase the labour resource is crucial as it will ensure that labour is shared and hence there is efficient service delivery. However, this is likely to increase the cost of production, which would trivialise the organization profitability. Increasing the number of automatic service machines would be crucial in reducing the cost of labour and provide a consistent service to the customers. On the other side, this would jeopardise the customer interaction and may be expensive in the long run if the customer tastes change (Youngme & Quelch, 2003). Lastly, increasing the working hours per week would be crucial to handle the extra labour demanded by efficient service delivery, but th is would require employee cooperation to be effective. From the analysis of the available options, it would be advisable for the management to proceed with the idea of additional 20 hours per week. This method is cost-effective and would ensure that the customer-employee interaction is upheld. This is crucial to understand change in customer tastes (Youngme & Quelch, 2003). The challenge with this approach is that the management would require winning the employee cooperation. To win employee loyalty, the organization should consider paying the extra hours to motivate the employees to work during the extra time. Unlike the other methods that require additional costs, this approach will be cheap and efficient for the  company.  

Market Research and Business Plan of Apple Essay

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Term Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Term Paper - Essay Example This aspect of Edna’s awakening is important for the status of Chopin as a writer, for she portrays her heroine above but not of culture which Edna desperately tried to grasp. Whatever feminist beliefs Kate Chopin held, she makes it clear that Edna is largely unaware of- and certainly unconcerned with- the reasons for her actions and that her awakening is a realization of her sensual nature, not of her equality or freedom as an individual. Some critics tend to associate Chopin’s novel to the feminist tract; however, Chopin’s motives tend to be of a Naturalist rather than Feminist, for much of Chopin’s portrait of Edna depends upon the Lousiana Creole setting she chose and the naturalistic literary convention of her day. Chopin concentrated to a greater degree on the life of sensation and careless enjoyment that the Creoles lived. Creole society occupied the southern half of Lousiana. The descendants of French and Spanish colonists of the eighteenth century , the Creoles were bound by Catholicism, strong family ties, and a common language. The cultural patterns of the Creole society have been romanticized by local colorists like Chopin in their works. Through her characterization of Edna, she wanted to scrutinize the Creole society and its reputation for an easygoing attitude. For this purpose, Chopin has not placed her heroine in a rigidly moralistic environment. She eloquently translates Edna’s feelings, her emotions and experiences when she enters the ‘sensuous’ Creole environment. Chopin reproduced this little world through her naturalistic techniques with no intention to shock or make a point, rather for her these were the conditions of civility. This attitude of the novelist clarify Edna’s position as an outsider, whose behavior is not shocking or inexplicable, for her position allows Chopin to deal with the clash of two cultures. Edna’s awakening is a product of the clash of cultures that she ex periences. It is important to note that Edna initially finds it difficult to participate in the easy intimacy of the Creoles. She describes herself as â€Å"self-contained†, and remains largely so until the end of the novel, in the sense that she incorporates no doctrine or set of principles outside herself. However, she does become a fully sexual being. Therefore, her awakening is more or less a sexual one rather than an approach towards an independent self. Her approach is rather physical in terms of her leaving her husband’s house and entering her own independent house named as â€Å"pigeon house†. Here, it is important to note that Chopin carefully translates Edna’s new-found independence in the imagery of â€Å"pigeon house†. As the name suggests the house gives an impression of a trapped existence, which can never free itself from the bounds of sensual nature of the Creole society. That is to say, though Edna tries to form a new identity she is still entrapped in the male dominated society guided by her own unconscious longing for Robert Leburn. Edna’s actions are partly the result of her will, in allowing herself expose to Robert’s charms, and mainly the result of her position in the Creole society. Her sexual awakening begins with the flirtations of Robert, but it is apparent

International & Comparative Employment Relations Essay - 3

International & Comparative Employment Relations - Essay Example 57). These approaches have various effects on the labour standards. This paper analyses the approaches to regulating labour standards in a particular context of Multinational corporations (MNCs). Multinational corporations are business organizations that operate in at least one country apart from their home country. The paper will also consider the effectiveness of current approaches and their sustainability over the long-term. In response to the race to the bottom in labour standards the International Labour Organization decided to focus on what they thought had articulated as core labour standards. This led to a Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work which defined the fundamental rights of workers to be: freedom to associate and the right to collectively bargain to be recognized; illegalization of any type of compulsory or forced labour; abolition of underage labour; and illegalization of discrimination when it comes to occupation and employment (Weil & Mallo 2007, p. 799). International Labour Organization’s member states are supposed to make sure that these fundamental rights are promoted within their territories. This can be said to have been the beginning step toward making sure that the race to the bottom in labour standards is properly dealt with. However, there have been some concerns with regard to the ability of the International Labour’s ability to influence the regulation of labour standards. Despite the fact that the ILO is charged with the responsibility of setting international labour standards it has been observed that these role is in most cases educational, promotional, and normative (Williams & Williams 2014, p. 123). This is because they can only encourage member states to adopt the international labour standards that they propose. They can also be of assistance when it comes to the implementation of these labourstandards. Therefore, it should be noted that

Pilot Fatigue and its role in Aviation Safety Essay Example for Free

Pilot Fatigue and its role in Aviation Safety Essay ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to observe the growing concern of pilot fatigue and the role it plays in aviation safety. A brief assessment of the effects and possible solution to this problem will be carried out. A mention of some of the incidents from the past will also find its place in this paper. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aviation industry is on a growing spree and in the times to come there are going to be more and more airlines filling the sky. As we move steps further towards globalization we are going to need this service more frequently which further increases the pressure on our airlines. To tackle with this situation, especially when the availability of trained pilots is less than required, the pilots are forced to fly more frequently and for longer hours. This causes physical as well as mental stress to buildup as a result of which the efficiency of pilots decreases. This non-pathologic state resulting in physical and mental stress is known as ‘Fatigue’. Human body is always in need of rest, especially in the form of sleep, after regular intervals of time. Any lack in the required rest causes fatigue to be developed in one’s body. Due to fatigue there can be a feeling of sleeplessness, tiredness or exhaustion in a person. This feeling if effective during flight hours can be really dangerous not only for the pilot but also for the lives of the passengers traveling with him and can cause accidents. The only solution to this problem that has been known so far and will ever be known in the times to come is sufficient amount of sleep. This unfortunately is what the pilots are not getting these days and are not expected to get at least in the near future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The findings from the past have shown that fatigue was responsible for a large number of aviation accidents. According to a study carried out by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of flight accidents related to flight crew in US from 1978 to 1990, one of the findings related the accidents to fatigue by stating that   â€Å"Half the captains for whom data were available had been awake for more than 12 hours prior to their accidents. Half the first officers had been awake for more than 11 hours. Crews comprising captains and first officers whose time since awake was above the median for their crew position made more errors overall, and significantly more procedural and tactical decision errors. (Strauss, n.d.). Sleep and Sleep Loss   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is essential for a human body to get the required amount of sleep. Sleep is considered to be an essential ingredient of our life without which it is not possible to survive. Whenever a person does not get enough sleep a signal is sent by brain to the body which results in Sleepiness. Eyelids start to get heavier and there is fatigue in the whole body. A person starts to loose concentration and may even go to sleep while he is on a job. If there is a deficiency in sleeping hours of a person and suppose every day a person looses 1 hour of sleep known as â€Å"Sleep Loss†, then it goes on accumulating over days and results in what is known as â€Å"Sleep Debt†. This debt if not cleared can cause serious problems ultimately resulting in fatigue. It has been found in researches that before flying a plane it is necessary to have sufficient amount of sleep (about 8 hours) for the pilots. If they are allowed to fly continuously without getting the required amount of rest (or sleeping hours) in between their flying schedules, then fatigue is most likely to develop in them resulting in, loss of concentration, memory   and   alertness, slow reaction time, reduced decision power, and bad mood. All these factors are basic ingredients of making mistakes and thus causing accidents. Crew rest   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fatigue starts to build up from the time one gets out of sleep. Development of fatigue also depends on the amount of time a person was awake before the actual flight operation. Some times there are delays in flight timings due to several reasons ranging from weather conditions to mechanical problems. This means that a pilot has been â€Å"on duty† for a long time before boarding in the plane. Although he may be flying the plane for the normal length of time but delay in flight timing has resulted in him being involved in the activities for much longer, which also results in the pilot being fatigued. Similarly there may be a case of airport congestion as a result of which a pilot cannot land and has to hover in the air for a long time or due to bad whether the plane needs to be redirected to some other destination causing him to fly for longer duration than normal. These instances also cause fatigue to be developed. Overall the fact is that ample amount of rest is essentially required by the human body to keep it fit and fatigue free.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"A brief review of US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight time and rest rules for scheduled domestic commercial carriers (US Code Title 14, part 121.471) are as follows† (Strauss, n.d.).: Crewmember total flying time maximum of: 1000 hours in any calendar year. 100 hours in any calendar month. 30 hours in any 7 consecutive days. 8 hours between required rest periods. Rest for scheduled flight during the 24 hours preceding the completion of any flight segment: 9 consecutive of hours rest for less than 8 hours scheduled flight time. 10 hours rest for 8 hours or more, but less than 9 hours scheduled flight time. 11 hours rest for 9 hours or more scheduled flight time. Diet and nutrition   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People all over the world use coffee as a stimulant to remain awake for longer periods of time. Same is the case with pilots. To remain alert they normally consume coffee. The problem with coffee is that although it keeps a person alert, it cannot prevent body from getting tired and thus fatigued. The body still is in working condition for all these hours and hence the effect of coffee is temporary alertness and not a solution to fatigue. Also coffee is diuretic which means that it discharges more fluids than what it takes in and hence results in dehydration which is a cause of fatigue. It is always good to keep your body fit by exercising but there should be a sufficient amount of rest and consumption of water followed by it as exercises cause a lot of dehydration. However dehydration can also be caused by the fact that inside the cockpit humidity is very. There is always a balanced diet recommended for not only pilots but everyone. A pilot should always ensure a healthy diet which provides sufficient energy as well as nutrients for his body. Hypoglycemia, which is caused by low blood sugar levels, is a major cause of feeling sleepiness. A healthy diet ensures sufficient levels of blood sugar and thus energy, preventing hypoglycemia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã¢â‚¬ËœFinally, alcohol is known to disrupt sleep dramatically and therefore contributes to the poor quantity and quality of sleep obtained on trip nights. Alternative approaches to the use of alcohol to unwind after duty and promote sleep should be identified and offered (e.g., relaxation skills)’ (Rosekind, 1994). Other causes of fatigue   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the most important factors of causing fatigue, other than sleep debt, is the flight deck environment. Inside the deck there are a lot of factors contributing to fatigue such as lesser availability of space, variation in air flow, low atmospheric pressure, low humidity and presence of a lot of noise and vibration. Also in modern aircrafts a number of additional features and systems have been incorporated which means that the pilots have to handle multiple systems resulting in more stress. History of incidents There have been incidents in the past where fatigue has proved to not only be dangerous but also fatal. A legend in aviation refers to an incident when a pilot went to sleep with his autopilot on and found on waking up that the plane was 2 hours from the nearest destination with only one hour of fuel left. This may just be a story but in many cases researches have proved fatigue to be a cause of dangerous and fatal accidents. Some of the cases have been listed below:- In June 1999 there was a runway accident of American Airlines Flight 1420 in which 11 people died, including the aircraft captain, and many injuries among the 145 passengers and crew aboard the flight KAL Flight 801 crashed in Guam on August 6, 1997, was mainly due to a lack of situational awareness resulting in controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). The captain prior to flying to Guam had flown from Seoul to Australia, back to Seoul, to Hong Kong, and then back to Seoul again before his fateful trip to Guam, including only a few hours of rest in between. Cessna 177B Cardinal was flown by Joe Reid, pilot-in-command in which he, seven-year-old Jessica Dubroff and her father were killed. He suffered fatigue from the first days flight. On August 18, 1993, a Connie Kalitta DC-8 crashed on a 1/4-mile base leg to final. The flight crew had been on duty for 18 hours and flown nine, thereby experiencing sleep loss and a disruption of their circadian rhythms. ‘On January 2, 1989, the captain of a 707 tried to maneuver his plane to land in Salt Lake City after breaking out of the clouds at 200 feet. He dragged his left, outboard engine on the runway, leaving a 60-foot-long groove. Within the preceding 30 hours, he had been on duty for 19 hours, and flown 13 hours. He had been off duty for almost 12 hours, but was only able to get one hour of sleep in that time’ (Printup, 2000). In August 1985, the crew of a Learjet killed themselves and their passenger in a failed approach to Gulkana, Alaska. One of the contributing factors was that the company would shift the crews duty/rest requirements from FAR Part 135 to those of FAR Part 121, thereby disrupting their sleep patterns and inducing fatigue (Printup, 2000). Countermeasures Based on several reports a number of countermeasures have been devised to improve alertness to counter fatigue. Preventive measures like 3-4 hours of sleep can restore alertness for 12-15 hours and 10-30 minutes of sleep can do it for about 3-4 hours. Similarly it is advised to rest for 15-20 minutes after awakening and before flying. Some of other means to restore alertness are:- Consumption of high protein diet and less intake of fat and high carbohydrate food. Consumption of large quantities of fluids. Use of caffeine to work against fatigue symptoms if awake for 18 hours or less. Due rotation of flight tasks and frequent conversation with other crewmembers Maintenance of temperature inside the deck to lower levels. Frequent movement of body parts and a possible walk in the cabin. Gradually shift times for sleep, meals, and exercise to adjust to a new time zone (Strauss, n.d.). Conclusion For the safety of pilots as well as passengers the issue of pilot fatigue is of major concern. Growing number of aircrafts in the sky also means longer durations of flight for the pilots, which is a major cause of this problem. History bears the testimony to the fact that fatigue has resulted in numerous aviation accidents resulting in the loss of thousand of lives. To save more lives from getting lost there is a need to solve this problem. Allowing flexible schedules for the pilots is the only viable solution in sight at the moment. Our lives are getting busier and it would be wonderful if they become safer as well. References Dawson, Drew and Reid, Kathyryn. (August 1997). Fatigue, Alcohol and Performance Impairment.   Retrieved December 1, 2007, from http://www.eurocockpit.be/media/Dawson-Reid-1997.pdf Dr Samuel Strauss. (n.d.). Pilot Fatigue. Retrieved December 1, 2007, from http://aeromedical.org/Articles/Pilot_Fatigue.html Goode, Jeffrey H. (27 March 2003). Are pilots at risk of accidents due to fatigue?. Retrieved December 1, 2007, from http://www.eurocockpit.be/media/Goode-2003.pdf Heath, Brad and Levin, Alan. (Nov. 8, 2007). Fatigue plays role in aviation mistakes. Retrieved December 1, 2007, from http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/1108sleepypilots1108.html Mann, Michael B. (August 3, 1999). Statement of Michael B. Mann Deputy Associate Administrator Office of Aero-Space Technology National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Hearing on Pilot Fatigue Before the Aviation Subcommittee of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure United States House of Representatives. Retrieved December 1, 2007, from   http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/legaff/mann8-3.html Printup, Mark Brandon. (September, 2000). Guest Editorial: The Effects Of Fatigue On Performance And Safety. Retrieved December 1, 2007, from http://www.airlinesafety.com/editorials/PilotFatigue.htm Rosekind, Mark R. (November 1994). Fatigue in Aviation. Retrieved December 1, 2007, from http://cf.alpa.org/internet/projects/ftdt/alpmag/FATIGUE.html Samel, Alexender,   Wegmann, Hans Martin and Vejvoda, Martin. (1997). AIR CREW FATIGUE IN LONG-HAUL OPERATIONS. Retrieved December 1, 2007, from http://www.eurocockpit.be/media/Samel-Wegmann-Veivoda-1997.pdf

The Social Determinants Of Health Health And Social Care Essay

The Social Determinants Of Health Health And Social Care Essay We will look at the effects this communicable disease has on the wellbeing and health of individuals infected and their family members. You will see regional, national and global issues, we will be able to identify the causes of HIV and look at what steps have been put into place to help reduce and prevent levels of HIV cases. There are encouraging signs that show changes in the epidemiological direction of this maturing pandemic. Background I met my client through a friend whose father had died from Aids. For the purpose of confidentiality I will follow the Nursing and Midwifery Council code of conduct (NMC, 2008) I will not use my clients real name and will refer to them as Mavis. I will discuss how HIV had an effect on Mavis and how this disease changed her life. When I first met Mavis she was aged 43 but her story started when she was aged 29. Mavis was a young South African women, she was happily married with one daughter. Mavis and her husband were both successful in business, this job took her husband away from home quite a lot; he would travel to various locations across Europe and Asia. Tragically in December 2002 Maviss husband was killed in a car crash, at this stage Mavis was not aware how her life would change drastically. It was arranged for Mavis to marry her deceased husbands brother, she explained to me that her family suggested this was best for her and her daughter financially, Mavis was shocked and appalled, she did not want this marriage to go ahead. Mavis fled her native Botswana and arrived at an Airport within the United Kingdom in January 2003, immediately Mavis was stopped by immigration control, Emotions were running high for Mavis throughout the day, how she could return after fleeing, what could she say; what would happen to her. At around 4pm that day Mavis collapsed and was taken to hospital were a series of tests were taken, she was later diagnosed with suffering from Tuberculosis. After two weeks of being on medication more tests were taken, at this point her life would change forever. Mavis was later tested and diagnosed with HIV which stands for: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Weller, 2009) which affects the human being; the virus attacks and terminates the immune system. Viruses such as HIV are unable to grow or reproduce on their own. The virus targets the immune system and weakens the defence system, they need to infect cells that belong to a living organism which allows them to copy themselves and pass out into tissue fluid and blood and infect other host cells, the disease then spreads though the body. HIV has affinity cells that contain a protein called CD4 in their membranes. These cells are known as T- lymphocytes. Once these cells are infected their number is reduced which causes T-cells to be suppressed affecting immunity (Ross. Wilson, 1990). HIV can be passed on immediately after becoming infected, symptoms vary depending on the stage of the infection, many people are most infectious in the first few months of contracting the virus, and at this stage many infected individuals are unaware that they have HIV. In the first few weeks after the initial infection individuals do not experience any symptoms but some may experience flu-like symptoms and possibly develop a rash, The only way for an individual to find out if they are infected with the virus is for them to be tested (Bupa, 2010). Mavis cried out, how this could be, I was a good faithful wife, the only explanation for her contracting HIV was from her husband, but she could not ask him for answers as he was now deceased. Doctors explained to Mavis what drugs were available and that this would be for life, they suggested a combination she should try, Maviss immune system became resistant to the first combination; doctors then put her on a second combination which she also became resistant to. With the third combination Mavis suffered serious side effects and was eventually put on a fourth combination. Social determinants of health and well being Stigma associated with HIV/AIDS is a worldwide issue and can have a huge impact on the social determinants of the individuals health through prejudice, abuse, maltreatment and negative attitudes directed at people living with HIV and AIDS they may receive poor treatment in healthcare and education settings, be shunned by family, peers and the local community (Avert, 2013), individuals are afraid to see a doctor or seek treatment leading it to be a silent killer, the fear of stigma allows the epidemic the ability to devastate societies around the world (un.org,2008). Individuals with HIV can experience stigma and discrimination In healthcare settings such as receiving access to facilities, HIV testing, and a lack of confidentiality and most detrimental being refused medication. This can often be fuelled by ignorance of HIV transmission routes (Nelson, 2012). Everyone is entitled to a fair and respectful treatment of healthcare, treating someone less favourably because they have HIV it is illegal this is identified in 2010 Equality Act (legislation.gov.uk, 2010). In South Africa HIV is known as AIDS, this is down to lack of education with this virus, this region carries the greatest burden of the epidemic. The World Health Organization claims that advanced stages of HIV is AIDS, once an individuals immune system has broken down it progresses to AIDS; AIDS is the later stages of HIV. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; progressing from HIV to AIDS can take between 10 and 15 years to develop (WHO, 2011). In 2010 1.8 million people died globally from AIDS the figures were 1.5 million adults and 250,000 children (Avert, 2011) however; this is all dependant on the social determinants of health Lifestyle, gender, sexuality, income, age and employment can affect an individuals health, someone who is undernourished will progress from HIV to AIDS quicker than someone with a healthier lifestyle. Currently the highest levels of individuals affected are black African migrants, Section 21 (1) (a) of the 1948 National Assistance Act required Local Authorities to provide support and accommodation to those who are in need of care and attention (legislation.gov,2013), but in 2009 the House Of Lords changed this ruling, if individuals do not need care and attention they are not entitled to extra support to qualify for the entitlement you need to meet certain criteria: such as requiring supervision when going outdoors, help with domestic chores and administering medication (nat.org, 2009) Effectively this will cause issues for the individuals diagnosed with HIV leading to poverty, unemployment and further health complications. Trends in illness and disease and epidemiology HIV is amongst the worlds leading infectious killer which has claimed around 25 million lives over the last three decades. USAID states that since the pandemic began more than 60 million people have been infected with HIV (USAID, 2011). In countries such as, Africa, HIV rates are significantly high. In the Republic of South Africa around 11 per cent of the population are HIV positive (Delvin, 2010), the magnitude of this pandemic is shocking. Although the global prevalence of people infected with HIV is stabilising the actual percentage of people living with the virus is increasing yearly. At the end of 2010 33.3 million people were estimated to be living with HIV worldwide this represents a 27% increase over the last decade when rates were 26.2 million individuals. (Avert, 2011). Globally the number of new infections has been decreasing over the last few years, this is due to developments in treatment and testing of the virus especially in developing countries as testing and treatment is becoming more of a reality, nevertheless there are still parts of the world were new diagnoses are increasing (WHO, 2011), progressively more people are living with HIV. These numbers have risen in every region of the world over the last 10 years displaying a decrease in mortality rates. In 2010, 91,500 people were living with HIV in the UK, thirty years after the start of the epidemic, according to the Health Protection Agency at least 21,000 people were unaware that they had the infection. It is predicted that over 100,000 people will be living with the infection by 2012 (HPA, 2011). Globally 34 million individuals were living with HIV, 3.4 million were children and 13.3 million were men the highest rate at 16.8 million was women. Diagnosis of heterosexual individuals in 2010 was reported at 37% (190) cases and these individuals stated they had acquired HIV through sexual intercourse. Out of the 190 people, 44 stated that they had become infected in the UK (23%) and 66 (34%) said they contracted the virus in Africa. (THT, 2011). Homosexual diagnosis in the UK in 2010 was 244 cases which were acquired through men having sex with men, 176 stated that they had become infected in the UK. In the North West in 2010 People aged 30-34 were the most common age group to be d iagnosed with virus. (THT, 2011) In the UK homosexual men who have sexual intercourse with other men are the highest risk group for contracting the virus the second group most affected is those that have migrated from regions such as sub Saharan Africa, 1.3 million People died in Africa from HIV in 2009. This is a decrease of 17% since 2004; this is due to better access to treatments. In Eastern Europe and central Asia HIV prevalence currently has the largest regional increase. Overall the epidemic in these regions continues to rise. The highest rate of cases is amongst adults, globally, the rate of adults living with HIV is 0.8% (WHO, 2011). In 2010 there were 6,660 individuals diagnosed with HIV in the UK. According to the Terrance Higgins Trust at least 680 people died in the UK from HIV in 2010; however these figures are well below the peak year of 1995 when figures reached to 1,723. Dr Valarie Delpech a consultant epidemiologist stated that HIV can be treated and that early diagnosis can lead to longer life expectancy (WHO, 2011). Figures of people contracting HIV in the UK now exceed those of people who contracted it abroad. In the UK at least 43% of people diagnosed with HIV live in south, this figure was previously higher, the biggest increase in the last 10 years occurred in the East of England, the West Midlands and the North East. The HIV virus is growing in North West England, the region population is approximately 6.9 million people according to Online Statistics (ONS, 2011). In the US and Europe there are currently more than 20 antiretroviral drugs which are approved for the treatment of HIV infection, there are also many new HIV drugs undergoing trials. (Avert, 2011). Access to antiretroviral treatment in some parts of the world is still limited due to a lack of funding, antiretroviral drugs keep the levels of HIV low in the body, this allows the immune system to recover and work more effectively. Antiretroviral drugs allow HIV positive people to live a healthy life and increases life expectancy. The drugs provided need to be taken daily, individuals who are infected will need to take the drugs for the rest of their lives. Avert (2011) suggests that individuals should Adhere to HIV treatment as it is highly important for their health and wellbeing; if individuals do not follow the guidance given they increase the chances of the drug becoming resistant (Avert, 2011). Structure and functioning of health and social care systems and teams NHS Primary Care trusts (PCTs) currently have a responsibility for HIV healthcare, according to the Department of Health; PCTs will be abolished in April 2013 (DH, 2012). Once the PCTs are abolished these will be replaced by locally clinically led commissioning groups (CCGs) and will be overseen by a new national NHS commissioning board. The local government will commission HIV prevention and sexual health promotion,STI testing and treatment, sexual health services including HIV testing, community contraception and family planning and the NHS commission will run HIV prevention campaigns and take care of HIV treatment and care (Kelaart, 2012). The latest report from WHO, UNICEF AND UNAIDS in November 2011, suggests that sustaining investment in HIV/AIDS over a longer period will have global benefits and progress will be made with prevention and treatment of the virus the report indicates that there was a 15% reduction of new infections over the past decade and a 22% decline in aids related deaths in the last five years due to better access of services. Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of the World Health Organizations HIV Department believes it is now very possible to get ahead of the epidemic, he states the level of momentum we are at has taken the world ten years to achieve (WHO, 2011). Globally there is improved access to HIV testing and counselling. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) helps to improve the health and wellbeing of infected individuals; however there is still work which needs to be done. Many countries are already showing a substantial level of efficiency in managing HIV programmes; such as South Africa who reduced their drugs costs by at least 50%, this was achieved by an initiative that was implemented by WHO and UNAIDS in 2010 which launched; Cheaper, simpler and easier HIV treatment and diagnostic tools. They intend to Develop new guidance on the use of Antiretroviral drugs for prevention and treatment, Use a range of different approaches to reduce the risk of infection. An improvement of womens rights and ensure adequate access to contraception will all be vital in tackling the female HIV epidemic. (WHO, 2011). The contribution of the health care professional to the provision of health and social care A report produced by the Health Protection Agency (HPA, 2011) called for a universal testing on HIV after it identified that one in five people who visited an STI clinic did not accept a HIV test, the HPA want to ensure that no one leaves the STI clinic without being tested. The HPA ask that in areas where the virus has a high prevalence patients registering new with GPs and entering Hospitals should be tested using the universal testing this would help with late diagnosis and ensure that patients receive the treatment and care they require (HPA, 2011). Public Health Minister Anne Milton announced that over the next three years there will be an  £8 million investment to help build on previous work by the Terrence Higgins Trust and Family Planning Association (FPA) (DH, 2012), this investment is aimed to drive down HIV infections and help improve peoples sexual health. HIV prevention is vital, This investment will be split between Terrance Higgins trust who will receive  £6.7 million to continue their campaign and work on HIV prevention which saves lives and money, social determinants of health can be addressed, national campaigns for gay men and African communities can have a vital impact and access to HIV testing can be expanded and the FPA will receive  £1.13 million which will be used to reach the public and health workers through there specialist comprehensive sexual health information service. Conclusion Most sexually transmitted infections can be avoided by practicing safer sex (e.g. using a condom); also by having fewer sexual partners will help lower the risk of infection. HIV can have a huge impact on patients who live with this virus, there are many factors that affect the patients quality of life; not only their physical health, it also affects mental health and social wellbeing. The label HIV can influence the way others act towards the infected individual. HIV is included in the Equality Act 2010, this Act protects people living with HIV against discrimination in employment, education and housing as well as access to services and goods (aidsmap.com, 2012). Contracting a sexually transmitted infection has a large psychological, physical and social impact on infected individuals and their families; this can be down to discrimination and stigma especially towards adolescents, drug users, homosexuals and asylum seekers. This can cause problems when it comes to prevention and treatment. In low and middle income countries at least half of the infected people are still unable to access ART; this is down to lack of information and education and the fact that many of these individuals are unaware that they even have the HIV virus.

Diversity And Equality In The Workplace Social Work Essay

Diversity And Equality In The Workplace Social Work Essay The workplace is forever changing. With the number of working women rising steadily for decades and the average age of the workforce increasing (BBC News 2008), it is more diverse than ever. Managing diversity and equality in the workplace is an important managerial competency. Treating people equally is essential to being an effective and successful organisation. In respect of the many different dimensions in which people differ, whether by age, gender, race, religion, disability, or sexual orientation, organisations have a responsibility to proactively promote equality throughout their establishment. Within these organisations employees still face many challenges and experience aspects of inequality and discrimination. These issues in their respective organisations are a hindrance that prevent progression and success and can cause the career development of employees to suffer. Discrimination can come in many forms, however, the key factor that will be focused on regarding discrimin ation is the glass ceiling and the negative effects it has on women and their career development. In this essay, the term glass ceiling will be defined, reasons explaining how and why women are likely to encounter the glass ceiling will be discussed and concepts such as the Queen Bee Syndrome, gender pay gap and gender ideology will be explored. The essay will then examine the measures Human Resources practitioners can take to address the problems of inequality encountered by women. For women in the workplace, the struggle to climb the corporate ladder and reach the top seems out of reach because of the glass ceiling. The theory known as the glass ceiling is defined as artificial barriers based on attitudinal or organisational bias that prevent qualified individuals from advancing to positions of power offering higher salaries and more responsibility and authority (International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, 2008). It has been known that women experience significant levels of frustration at every stage due to the barriers of progression even though the promotional roles are within sight and ability. Flanders (1994) suggests that the reason the barrier of the glass ceiling exists and is exerted upon women is because of societys attitude, prejudice towards women and the preconceived idea that the workplace and managerial position are all male based. There are various ways in which women can experience the glass ceiling with also a vast amount of evidence to support this. The gender pay gap is the most commonly used example to demonstrate the inequality between men and women. The pay gap is defined as the shortfall between how much men earn and how much women earn (Padavic Reskin, 2002, p121). Comparing hourly pay of men and women, based on the mean earnings, the 2009 figures stated that womens hourly pay was 16.4% less than men for full time employees and 13.2% for part time employees, in comparison to the 2008 figures of 17.4% and 15.2% respectively (Office for National Statistics, 2010), but the figures still stand as a high percentage. Although the Equal Pay Act (1970) was introduced which makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate between men and women in their pay and conditions when they are doing the same or similar work, work rated as equivalent, or work of equal value (Government Equalities Office, 2010), women in the workforce still continue to earn considerably less than their male counterparts. The pay gap is most certainly of concern in the finance sector, despite women and men making up equal proportions of the employees, women earn significantly less than their male colleagues, when investigated by the commission of equality and human rights (2010), the results were startling, the inquiry found that on average women earn 55% less than men in their annual salaries, this figure compared to the average pay gap was significantly higher. The vast difference in the pay gap shows that the inequality between men and women is still present and is an area in the workplace where there is cause for concern. For those that have shattered the glass ceiling and have reached senior management positions, they have not been affected by what is known as blocked promotion. Women on all levels face blockages and find it hard to move up the corporate ladder. Davidson and Cooper (1992) state that currently promotions are based on the ability to be mobile and relocate to different sites if necessary. It is also stated that The state of existing marital relationships and the tendency of most organisations to promote by job transfer therefore make it extremely difficult for women to advance their careers very far (Davidson and Cooper, 1992). Sex inequality and a sex-gender hierarchy have been formed on the basis of societys treatment towards the sexes in which men are favoured over women (Padavic Reskin, 2002). It is this concept in which society has formed preconceptions that the mans occupation is superior to the womans. Therefore it would seem that a decision as grand as relocation would not take place on the basis of the promotion of a woman. Women are also associated with the characteristic of being submissive; this in turn would also be a contributing factor to women being less likely to relocate with their family for work in comparison to men. With the glass ceiling, gender pay gap and societys stereotypes, women in the workplace already face many challenges of inequality and discrimination. Now theres a major, and somewhat unexpected, addition to the list known as the female boss, who exhibits the Queen Bee Syndrome. The Queen Bee Syndrome occurs when women in managerial positions discriminate against other women, most often to do with their own insecurities and feeling threatened, this syndrome may sometimes be as important as sexism in holding back womens careers (Dobson Iredale, 2006). It is natural for women to feel threatened by other women which would result in defences being raised. Poe Courter (1994) demonstrate how women managers are not always sympathetic in regards to other women, in a study of 2,405 pregnancy-discrimination lawsuits in Ohio between 1985 and 1990, researchers found that 36% of the supervisors who refused to hire pregnant women or let them return to work were women (Poe Courter. 1994, p5). Fo r women to overcome the glass ceiling the Queen Bee Syndrome needs to be eradicated. Davidson Cooper (1992) explains how in their findings, the Queen Bee Syndrome is a type of behaviour that is not exhibited in all women, and there are those that have asserted to make efforts to help other women. Eradication of this syndrome will only take place when the women that are in a position to exert this behaviour have assurance that their role is not under threat. This in turn will eliminate all areas of insecurities and subsequently the behaviour that follows. Sex stereotypes are the most common reason why woman face discrimination and encounter the glass ceiling. These stereotypes are socially shared beliefs that link sexes with attributes and skills and are a part of gender ideology (Padavic and Reskin, 2002). The commission for equality and human rights (2010) states that employers still have stereotypical views of what is defined as womens work and mens work. This evidently can be developed and transcended into the recruitment and selection process of a specific job role and discrimination can take place. These constant stereotypes generate a close identification between men and management (McTavish Miller, 2006). It is argued that management is a sex typed occupation and there is a high ratio of men already in management roles due to the attributes needed for management closely linked with the characteristics of men (Kakabadse, Bank Vinnicombe, 2005). Stereotypical ideas in relation to the workforce and management suggest why there is occupational segregation in the workplace and why men are in the senior managerial positions and why women encounter the glass ceiling. The theory of gender ideology uses a set of shared assumptions about the way sexes are to behaviour and certain norms and characteristics associated with those sexes to explain why women face inequality and the glass ceiling in the workplace (Padavic and Reskin, 2002). This ideology limits womens employment options as they may be deemed unsuitable for certain roles. Padavic and Reskin (2002) then lead on to discuss how this ideology leads to physical segregation which keeps women close to the home and away from the workforce. This largely relates to societys presumptions of men being socially accepted as breadwinners in the family. Throughout history a patriarchal social system, in which men have authority over women has prevailed (Powell Graves, 2003). It was in the nineteenth century based on this social system that the concept of the family wage theory was introduced. The theory was an objective adopted by male trade unionists at the turn of the nineteenth century in their fight for improved wages based on the argument that a wage should be sufficient to maintain a family (A dictionary for Sociology, 2008). Nowadays it is often cited as a factor in explanations of womens disadvantaged position in the workplace (A dictionary for Sociology, 2008). The patriarchal system and the theory of family wage have instilled expectations that men are the breadwinners and providers for their family and women are inferior to men. This has developed over time and has contributed to why women face the glass ceiling in the workplace. The role of Human Resource practitioners is a difficult one; they face the role of addressing inequality by implementing ways to resolve the issue. It is clear that strategies and solutions need to be put in place to address the issue. A clear issue that surrounds women is family and the ability to care for the family. The appointment and retention of family friendly working practices is significant in resolving this issue. Organisations are beginning to provide onsite day care centres and nurseries for employees children (Davison Cooper, 1992). This needs to expand to further organisations and establishments. Flexible working patterns need to be put in place to accommodate employees family patterns. Flexitime is an example of this in which parents and careers can meet the needs associated with their childs education (Davison Cooper, 1992). The Commission for Equality and human rights (2010) welcomes the Governments proposals for the regulations on Additional Paternity Leave (APL).   The Commission believes that implementation of APL would provide more choice for parents in childcare responsibilities and a more equitable sharing of leave entitlements. The recruitment and selection process should be designed to find the most suitable candidate for the role, regardless of gender (Commission for equality and human rights, 2010). Human Resources practitioners need to enforce this regulation. Women receive less training then men, subsequently employers may discriminate on that basis (Flanders, 1994). Therefore human resource practitioners should allow men and women in the same role to receive the same amount of training. The government are also taking steps in order to address inequality. The equality bill which received royal assent and formally became the Equality Act was passed in April 2010. The Equality Act states that if a company has 250 or more employees they may have to publish the differences between the pay of men and women (Government Equalities Office, 2010). This encourages companies to oblige by the Equal Pay Act (1970), and avoid the gender discrimination becoming public knowledge. The Government Equalities Office (2010) also state that jobs are allowed to be aimed at certain groups e.g. women in order to build a more diverse workforce. This means jobs that women are underrepresented in can aim to employ more women under this act and thus create a more equal workforce. The government also introduced in 2004, the 10 year childcare strategy, in which one of the key themes was a greater choice in how parents can balance their family life and work commitments, a suggestion that was propos ed was enhanced parental leave in both maternal and paternal leave (Department for children, schools and families, 2009). This strategy would help women considerably in balancing work and family life and would allow them to still pursue a career without fear of family concerns. The implementation of these government schemes in the workplace by Human Resource practitioners could significantly reduce inequality for women. There are many factors to suggest reasons for why women face the glass ceiling, discrimination and inequality, some of which would include stereotyping, prejudice and preconceived ideas. There have been developments in reducing inequality in the workforce and career progression for women but nevertheless further action still needs to be taken. For those that have not shattered the glass ceiling, they continue to face challenges and obstacles in the workplace. Only with the change of societys preconceptions and subsequent actions, will the workplace fully change for women and their career progression. If inequality is to be eliminated and the glass ceiling overcome, societys stereotypes need to be a historical concept. As of now there is still a need to raise awareness of the inequality still present in the workplace and address the problems associated with inequality and to encourage organisations to manage diversity and equality effectively and successfully.