Volunteer work

For example, many high school and college students in the United States often spend many hours as volunteers in hospitals, orphanages or homes for the aged. They read books to the people in these places. Sometimes the students Just visit them, play games with them or listen to their problems. Other young volunteers work in the homes of sick or old people. They clean up their houses, do their shopping or mow their lawns.For boys ho no longer have fathers, there Is a voluntary organization called Big Brothers. College students take these boys to baseball games and help them to get to know things that boys usually learn from their fathers. Some high school students take part In helping disadvantaged or handicapped children. They give care and comfort to them and help them to overcome their difficulties. Young college and university students participate In helping the people who have suffered badly In wars or natural disasters.During summer vacations, they volunteer to work In remote or mountainous areas to provide education for children. Each city has a number of clubs where boys and girls can go to play games. Some of these clubs organize short trips to the mountains, beaches or other places of interest. Most of these clubs use a lot of high school and college students as volunteers because they are young enough to understand the problems of younger boys and girls. Volunteers believe that some of the happiest people in the world are those who help to bring happiness to others.

“Discussion on any three specialized branches of accounting

1. 1 Introduction: Accounting is a very interesting field. Accountancy is the science of recording classifying and summarizing transactions so that relation with outsiders is exactly determined and result of operation during a particular period can be calculated and the financial position as the end of the period may be shown. There are many specialized branches of accounting. In our assignment we discuss only three specialized branches of accounting. They are cost accounting, managerial accounting and human resource accounting.In the case of cost accounting cost calculations are done keeping historical and estimated costs cost accounting and the process calculating costs vary accounting to nature of business manufacturing activity or operating activities. Managerial accounting applies to all types of businesses–service, merchandising and manufacturing. Managerial accounting deals with the needs of the management rather than strict compliance with generally accepted accounting principles. It involves budgeting and forecasting, financial analysis, cost analysis, evaluation of business decisions, and similar areas.Human resource accounting is an extension of the Accounting principles of matching the costs and revenues and of organizing data to communicate relevant information. The Quantification of the value of Human resources helps the management to cope up with the changes in its quantum and quality so that equilibrium can be achieved in between the required resources and the prove. Human Resource Accounting provides useful information to the management. 1. 2 Objectives: (1) To know about the three specialized braches of accounting. (2) To know about their importance. (3) To know about their limitations.(4) To know about their effect in decision making. 1. 3 Limitations: (1) Lack of accounting knowledge. (2) Lack of information (3) Shortage of time 2. 1. 1Cost Accounting: Cost accounting is the accounting of the cost. It is made of two words- Cost and Ac counting. The term cost denotes the total of all expenditures involved in the process of production. Thus, it covers the costs involved in the production and the cost involved while receiving it. Accounting, on the other hand, collects and maintains financial records of each income and expenditure and make avail of such information to the concerned officials.Thus, cost accounting is a practice and process of cost which determines the profitability of a business concern by controlling the cost with the application of accounting principle, process and rules. Cost accounting includes the presentation of the information derived there from for purposes of managerial decision making. Thus, cost accounting is an arts as well as science. It is science because it is a body of systematic knowledge having certain principles. It is an art as it requires the ability and skill with which a cost accountant is able to apply the principles of cost accounting in various managerial problems.According to W. W. Bigg – â€Å"Cost accounting is the provision of such analysis and classification of expenditure as will enable the total cost of any particular unit of production to be ascertained with reasonable degree of accuracy and at the same time to disclose exactly how such total cost is constituted. † According to R. N. Carter, â€Å"Cost accounting is a system of recording in accounts the materials used and labor employed in the manufacture of a certain commodity or on a particular job. † Thus, cost accounting is considered as an art as well as science.It is also a prime part of accounting system which records systematically the cost involved in raw materials and labor used in the process of production and the same time determines the total cost and unit cost of product, the process of recording classifying and analyzing of cost is the cost accounting. 2. 1. 2 Importance of Cost Accounting: Management of business concerns expects from Cost Accounting detailed cost information in respect of its operations to equip their executives with relevant information required for planning, scheduling, controlling and decision making.To be more specific, management expects from cost accounting information and reports to help them in the discharge of the following functions: (a) Control of material cost: Cost of material usually constitutes a substantial portion of the total cost of a product. Therefore, it is necessary to control it as far as possible. Such a control may be exercised by- (i) Ensuring un-interrupted supply of material and spares for production. (ii) By avoiding excessive locking up of funds/capital in stocks of materials and stores. (iii) Also by the use of techniques like value analysis, standardization etc. to control material cost.(b) Control of labour cost: It can be controlled if workers complete their work within the standard time limit. Reduction of labour turnover and idle time to help us, to control labour cost. (c) Control of overheads:Overheads consists of indirect expenses which are incurred in the factory, office and sales department; they are part of production and sales cost. Such expenses may be controlled by keeping a strict check over them. (d) Measuring efficiency: For measuring efficiency, Cost Accounting department should provide information about standards and actual performance of the concerned activity.(e) Budgeting: Now-a-days detailed estimates in terms of quantities and amounts at* drawn up before the start of each activity. This is done to ensure that a practicable course of action can be chalked out and the actual performance corresponds with the estimated or budgeted performance. The preparation of the budget is the function of Costing Department. (f) Price determination: Cost accounts should provide information, which enables the management to fix remunerative selling prices for various items of products and services in different circumstances.(g) Curtailment of loss during the of f-season: Cost Accounting can also provide information, which may enable reduction of overhead, by utilizing idle capacity during the off-season or by lengthening the season. (h) Expansion: Cost Accounts may provide estimates of production of various levels on the basis of which the management may be able to formulate its approach to expansion. (i) Arriving at decisions: Most of the decisions in a business undertaking involve correct statements of the likely effect on profits. Cost Accounts are of vital help in this respect.In fact, without proper cost accounting, decision would be like taking a jump in the dark, such as when production of a product is stopped. 2. 1. 3 Limitations of Cost accounting: Cost Accounting is not an exact science like other branches of accounting but is an art which has developed through theories and accounting practices based on common sense and reasoning. These practices are changing with time. There is no stereotyped system of cost accounting applicable to all industries. It lacks uniform procedure. Concepts, methods and techniques of cost accounting understood and applied differently by different industries.It is used only by big enterprises. The limitations of cost accounting are as follows: 1. The system is more complex: Cost accounting needs to identify the different types of expenses and allocation of expenses is considered as a complicated system of accounting. It needs different forms and formulas to collect the data and preparing the reports. Also it requires number of steps in ascertaining such details. So it involves a more complex system. More complex and complicated system of cost accounting is one of the limitations facing by the cost accounting. 2. It is expensive:In installing and maintaining cost accounting system requires more man power and resources. More analysis, allocation and absorption of overheads requires considerable amount of additional work. If the expenses incurred in ascertaining the cost is more than what is derived from it, then the process of cost accounting is meaningless. In short, the expenses of cost accounting should not be more than the profit derived from cost accounting. Many companies do not adopt cost accounting owing the fact that it is more expensive and not economical. 3. Inapplicability of costing method and technique:Technique and methods of cost accounting differ from organization to organization. One standard method is not adequate for all the requirement of different organizations. It depends on the nature of business and the type of service/product manufactured by the firm. If wrong technique or method is used, it will affect the result. So inapplicability of same costing method and technique is the one of the main limitation of cost accounting. 4. Not suitable for small scale units: One of the limitations faced by the cost accounting in installing it in all types of business is that it is not applicable to small scale units.Through the traditional accounti ng, small scale units can control the cost effectively. 5. Lack of Accuracy: Use of notional cost such as standard cost, estimated cost etc. would not bring out the actual cost of the product. So the cost accounting lacks the accuracy of its results. 6. Lacks social Accounting: Social accounting is outside the scope of cost accounts. Cost accounting fails to take into account the social obligation of the business. 7. Need preparation of frequent reconciliation to verify accuracy: Results shown by cost accounts differ from those of financial accounts.Preparation of reconciliation statements to verify the accuracy is frequently required. This leads to unnecessary increase in workload. 8. Duplication of Work: Many industrial units function effectively and control the cost effectively with the financial accounting. Preparing cost accounting is unnecessary for them and it involves duplication of accounting work. 9. Use of Secondary Data: Cost accounting depends on financial statements fo r a lot of information. Any errors or short coming in the information will affect the results. 10. Lack of cooperation of employees: Cost accounting depends heavily on the cooperation of employees concerned.Lack of cooperation of employees will affect the overall performance of cost accounting. Non-cooperation or opposition from employees will affect the results. 11. Does not control Cost by itself: Cost accounting will not control the cost. It only brings out the possibility of areas which needs control. If the organization does not have an efficient management, the reports and results brought out by the cost accountant is useless. So cost accounting will not control the cost by itself. It needs an effective and efficient management to use it. 12. It is based on estimation and previous data:Most of the data used by a cost accountant is based on estimation of indirect costs, assumptions and previous data. Not using the actual data and costs is the limitation of cost accounting. 13. It only brings out the cost of goods or services: To find out the operational results, we need to depend on financial accounting. Cost accounting will not bring forth the financial status of the company. 14. It serves the information need of the management: We cannot depend on cost accounting for the financial information required by the shareholders, creditors, employees and the society at large.It only serves the requirement of information needed by the management. 15. Not useful for determining the tax liabilities: We cannot treat cost accounting as a basis for determining the tax liabilities of the business. Financial accounting is required for the determination of tax liabilities. 2. 1. 4 Cost Accountings effect on decision making: Managers make decisions that govern how a company reaches its goals. Many of these goals have financial aspects, such as revenue and profit targets. The level of costs included in such decisions has a major impact on the finances of the company.Relia ble reporting of actual costs, accurate estimation of projected costs and the appropriate integration of such costs in managerial decisions is a key component of business operations that meet their targets and further the goals of the company. Relevant Costs: Typical managerial decision making selects one of two or more alternatives. Costs that remain the same no matter which alternative the manager chooses are not relevant to the decision. In a cost-based decision on out-sourcing, a manager has to consider the cost of the subcontract and the savings in-house.For example, if the company still has to pay the full rent despite having fewer employees, the rent is not a relevant cost. If the company can move to a smaller location and pay less rent, the rent becomes relevant. Fixed Costs: The type of cost impacts a manager's decision making. Fixed costs are totals that remain the same independently of the volume of production. Higher production levels result in a reduced cost-per-unit as far as fixed costs are concerned. Typical fixed costs are facility related, such as heating and insurance.They are important for managerial decisions regarding optimal production levels because they influence the product cost and, through the cost, the pricing and profit levels. Variable Costs: A type of cost with a different impact on managerial decisions is the variable cost. Variable costs stay the same on a cost-per-unit basis, but their totals increase with the volume of production. Typical variable costs are materials used in production and direct labour to make the products. Variable costs are important for overall company budget decisions and planning for financing.Managers add variable costs as per-unit-costs times’ production volume to fixed costs to determine total production costs. Step Costs: Step costs are a combination of fixed and variable costs that a manager has to consider to avoid major discrepancies in cost calculations. They act as fixed costs up to a c ertain limit and then change to a new value. Typical step costs are those associated with machine capacity or batch processing. If production volume exceeds certain limits, costs rise substantially to a new, higher level as the company needs an additional machine or has to produce an additional batch.The importance of including step costing in managerial decision making is to either avoid exceeding step limits or to include the relevant higher costs. 2. 2. 1 Management or Managerial Accounting: Management accounting or managerial accounting is concerned with the provisions and use of accounting information to managers within organizations, to provide them with the basis to make informed business decisions that will allow them to be better equipped in their management and control functions. Managerial accounting information provides data-driven input to these decisions, which can improve decision-making over the long term.Small business managers can leverage this powerful tool to hel p make their business more successful by understanding how management accounting benefits common business decision contexts. According to the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA): â€Å"Management accounting is a profession that involves partnering in management decision making, devising planning and performance management systems, and providing expertise in financial reporting and control to assist management in the formulation and implementation of an organization's strategy†.The Institute of Certified Management Accountants (ICMA) states â€Å"A management accountant applies his or her professional knowledge and skill in the preparation and presentation of financial and other decision oriented information in such a way as to assist management in the formulation of policies and in the planning and control of the operation of the undertaking†. Management accountants therefore are seen as the â€Å"value-creators† amongst the accountants.They are much more interested in forward looking and taking decisions that will affect the future of the organization, than in the historical recording and compliance (score keeping) aspects of the profession. Management accounting knowledge and experience can therefore be obtained from varied fields and functions within an organization, such as information management, treasury, efficiency auditing, marketing, valuation, pricing, logistics, etc. 2. 2.2 Importance of Management or Managerial Accounting: The main aim of managerial accounting is toimprove the efficiency and quality of operationsby providing program owners and all others with suitable and applicable cost based performance information to permit for nonstop improvement in distributing the output to outcome the stockholders. Managerial accounting has been developed and used with all from the beginning times to help all the directors to understand the costs of running a project.Modern managerial accounting is created during the industrial rev olution during the difficulties of running a large scale business which show the way to the development of scheme for recording and checking costs to help business proprietors and managers to finalize and make conclusions. So, to conclude, for any business unit starting from the smallest business activity to the largest multinational business to be succeeded requires the use of managerial accounting concept and practices. This accounting provides data to owners for preparation and scheming of rating products and services for customers too.The main focus of managerial accounting is to help the managers for making better decisions. Because of all these reasons, businesses and organizations hire on managerial accountants and thereby, they are becoming integral persons of decision making teams instead of just data providers. 2. 2. 3 Limitations of Management or Managerial Accounting: Though management accounting is helpful tool to the management as it provides information for planning, controlling and decision making, still its effectiveness is limited by a number of reasons. Some of the limitations of management accounting are as follows: 1.Based On Accounting Information: Management accounting is based on data and information provided by financial accounting and cost accounting. As such the correctness and effectiveness of managerial decisions will depend upon the quality of data provided by cost and financial accounts. So, effectiveness of management account is limited to the reliability of sources of information.2. Lack of Knowledge: The use of management accounting requires the knowledge of number of related subjects. Deficiency in knowledge in related subjects like accounting principles, statistics, economics, principle of management etc.  will limit the use of management accounting. 3. Intensive Decisions: Decision taking based on management accounting that provide scientific analysis of various situations will be time consuming one. As such management ma y avoid systematic procedures for taking decision and arrive at decision using intuitive. And intuitive limit the usefulness of management accounting. 4. Management Accounting Is Only A Tool: The tools and techniques of management accounting provide only information and not decisions. Decisions are to be taken by the management and implementations of decisions are also done by management.5. Evolutionary Stage: Management accounting is still in a development stage and has not yet reached a final stage. The techniques and tools used by this system give varying and differing results. It is still named as internal accounting and/ or operational accounting. 6. Personal Prejudices and Bias: The interpretation of financial information may differ from person to person depending upon the capability of the interpreter. Analysis and interpretation of data and information may be influenced by personal basis. As such, the objectivity of decision may be affected by personal prejudices and bias.7. Psychological Resistance: Changes in traditional accounting practices and organizational set up are required to install the management accounting system. It calls for a rearrangement of the personnel and their activities and framing of new rules and regulations which generally may not be liked by the people involved. 8. Persistent efforts: The conclusions draws by the management accountant are not executed automatically. He has to convince people at all levels. In other words, he must be an efficient salesman in selling his ideas. 9.Wide scope: Management accounting has a very wide scope incorporating many disciplines. It considers both monetary as well as non-monetary factors. This all brings inexactness and subjectivity in the conclusions obtained through it. 10. Top-heavy structure: The installation of management accounting system requires heavy costs on account of an elaborate organization and numerous rules and regulations. It can, therefore, be adopted only by big concerns. 1 1. Opposition to change: Management accounting demands a break away from traditional accounting practices.It calls for a rearrangement of the personnel and their activities, which is generally not like by the people involved. 2. 2. 4 Managerial Accountings effect on decision making: Small business owners are faced with countless decisions every business day. Managerial accounting information provides data-driven input to these decisions, which can improve decision-making over the long term. Small business managers can leverage this powerful tool to help make their business more successful by understanding how management accounting benefits common business decision contexts. Relevant Cost Analysis:Managerial accounting information is used by company management to determine what should be sold and how to sell it. For example, a small business owner may be unsure where he should focus his marketing efforts. To evaluate this decision, an accounting manager could examine the costs that d iffer between advertising alternatives for each product, ignoring common costs. This process is known as relevant cost analysis and is a technique that is taught in basic managerial accounting courses. The same process can be used to determine whether to add product lines or discontinue operations. Activity-based Costing Techniques:Once the company has determined what products to sell, the business needs to determine to whom they should sell the products. By using activity-based costing techniques, small business management can determine the activities required to produce and service a product line. Embedded in this information is the cost of customers. Deciding which customers are more or less profitable allows the business owner to focus advertising toward the consumers who are the most profitable. Make or Buy Analysis: A primary use of managerial accounting information is to provide information used in manufacturing.For example, a small business owner may be considering whether t o make or buy a component needed to manufacture the company's primary product. By completing a make or buy analysis, she can determine which choice is more profitable. While this technique is certainly useful, small business owners should only use these analyses as a factor in the decision. There could be other non-financial metrics that are important to consider that would not be part of the analysis. Utilizing the Data: Managerial accounting information provides a data-driven look at how to grow a small business.Budgeting, financial statement projections and balanced scorecards are just a few examples of how managerial accounting information is used to provide information to help management guide the future of a company. By focusing on this data, managers can make decisions that aim for continuous improvement and are justifiable based on intelligent analysis of the company data, as opposed to gut feelings. Information: Accounting management is usually referred to as managerial acc ounting or cost accounting. The main role of accounting managers is to analyze the financial information of a company and to make future decisions for the company.All the decisions accounting managers make are for internal company use only. The information they provide is not given to outside sources at all; it is strictly for upper-level management and owners of the company. The information they provide is used only to increase a company's profitability. Revenues: One of the main roles of accounting managers is to study the revenues of a company. Studying the revenues consists of examining all sources of revenues and looking for ways to increase them. Accounting managers try to make decisions the company can implement that will increase overall revenues.This includes ways of increasing sales and other ways of increasing revenues such as renting out extra space. Expenses: Expenses in a business need to be controlled and monitored. One way company increases profitability is by elimin ating or decreasing unnecessary expenses. Management accountants examine all expenses and look for ways to decrease them. Often this involves cost accounting, which is a process of calculating production costs of goods, and finding the most efficient way of making them and the most efficient quantity they should make at a time.Decisions: With the revenues and expenses analyzed, accounting managers determine what parts of the company are working well and what needs to be changed. This is where the managers make decisions and they give this information to those above them who will implement the ideas they have. Budgets and Forecasting: Another role of accounting managers is determining a budget and forecasting future plans and goals. With the information they've analyzed, part of their job is to create a realistic budget for the company to follow.They also forecast future ideas for increased growth within the company. 2. 3. 1 Human resource Accounting: Generally we can say that, Human Resource Accounting (HRA) is the process of assigning, budgeting, and reporting the cost of human resources incurred in an organization, including wages and salaries and training expenses. In other words, Human Resource Accounting is the process of identifying and reporting the Investments made in the Human Resources of an Organization that are presently not accounted for in the conventional accounting practices.In simple terms, it is an extension of the Accounting Principles of matching the costs and revenues and of organizing data to communicate relevant information. The Quantification of the value of Human Resources helps the management to cope up with the changes in its quantum and quality so that equilibrium can be achieved in between the required resources and the provided information. The American Accounting Association’s Committee on Human Resource Accounting (1973) has defined Human Resource Accounting as â€Å"the process of identifying and measuring data about hu man resources and communicating this information to interested parties†.HRA, thus, not only involves measurement of all the costs/ investments associated with the recruitment, placement, training and development of employees, but also the quantification of the economic value of the people in an organization. Flamholtz (1971) too has offered a similar definition for HRA. They define HRA as â€Å"the measurement and reporting of the cost and value of people in organizational resources†. At last, we can say that, Human Resource Accounting is the process of assigning, budgeting, and reporting the cost of human resources incurred in an organization, including wages and salaries and training expenses.It’s the activity of knowing the cost invested for employees towards their recruitment, training them, payment of salaries & other benefits paid and in return knowing their contribution to organization towards its profitability. 2. 3. 2 Importance of Human Resource Account ing: Human Resource Accounting provides useful information to the management, financial analysts and employees as stated below:- Human Resource Accounting helps the management in Employment and utilization of Human Resources.It helps in deciding transfers, promotion, training and retrenchment of human resources. It provides a basis for the planning of physical assets via human resources. It helps in evaluating the expenditure incurred for imparting further education and training of employees in terms of the benefits derived by the firm. It helps to identify the causes of high labor turnover at various levels and taking preventive measures to contain it. It helps in locating the real cause for low return on investment, like improper or under-utilization of physical assets or human resources or both.It helps in understanding and assessing the inner strength of an organization and helps the management to steer the company well through the most averse and unfavorable circumstances. It p rovides valuable information for persons interested in making long term investments in the firm. It helps the employees in improving their performance and bargaining power. It makes each employee understand his contribution towards the betterment of the firm via the expenditure incurred by the firm on him. 2. 3. 3 Limitations of Human Resource Accounting:Human Resource Accounting is the accounting methods, systems, and techniques, which coupled with special knowledge and ability, assist personnel management in the valuation of personnel in their knowledge, ability and motivation in the same organization as well as from organization to organization. It means that some employees become a liability instead of becoming a human resource. HRA facilitates decision making about the personnel i. e. either to keep or to dispense with their services or to provide mega-training. There are many limitations which make the management reluctant to introduce HRA.Some of the Attributes are:- 1. There is no proper clear cut and specific procedure or guidelines for finding costs and value of human resources of an organization. The systems which are being adopted have certain drawbacks. 2. The period of existence of Human Resource is uncertain and hence valuing them under uncertainty in future seems to be unrealistic. 3. The much needed empirical evidence is yet to be found to support the hypothesis that HRA as a tool of management facilitates better and effective management of human Resources. 4.As human resources are incapable of being owned, retained, and utilized, unlike the physical assets, there is a problem for the management to treat them as assets in the strict sense. 5. There is a constant fear of opposition from the trade unions as placing a value on employees would make them claim rewards and compensations based on such valuations. 6. In spite of all its significance and necessity, the Tax Laws don’t recognize human beings as assets. 7. There is no universally a ccepted method of the valuation of Human Resources. 2. 3. 4 Human Resource Accountings effect on decision making:The effect of human resource investments as well as other decisions and management styles are now represented as a human resource condition precedent to the ultimate productivity or effectiveness of the organization. HRA is not useful to the management alone in achieving its economic goals. It could also be the source of important information for investment decision purposes. The inclusion of appropriate human resource data in published financial statements would, in all likelihood, make such statements for more meaningful in predicting future performance which is, of course, the principal concern of investors (Jawaharlal Lal, 2009).When managers go through the process of HRA measurement treating human resources as capital assets, they are more likely to make decisions that treat the company's employees as long-term investments of the company. Flamholtz (1976) describes t he HRA paradigm in terms of the â€Å"psycho-technical systems† (PTS) approach to organizational measurement. According to the PTS approach, the two functions of measurement are: first, process functions in the process of measurement and second, numerical information from the numbers themselves.Whereas one role of HRA is to provide numerical measures, an even more important role is the measurement process itself. The HRA measurement process as a dual function attempts to increase recognition that human capital is paramount to the organization's short and long-term productivity and growth. When managers go through the process of measuring human resources, they are more likely to focus on the human side of the organization and are more likely to consider human resources as valuable organizational resources who should be managed as such.These are also the effects which are necessary in decision making- Employment and utilization of Human Resources. Information for persons intere sted in making long term investments in the firm. Locating the real cause for low return on investment. Planning of physical assets via human resources. Deciding transfers, promotion, training and retrenchment of human resources. 3. 1 Findings: 1. From our assignment we find the specialized branches of accounting. 2. This assignment helps us to know about the importance and limitations of cost management and human resource accounting. 3.From this assignment we also find how cost, management and human resource accounting effect in decision making. 3. 2 Recommendation: 1. If we want to apply cost accounting in all business related sectors this system should be simple. 2. we think cooperation of employees is necessary for the overall performance of cost accounting. 3. cost accounting should not be expensive. 4. Management accounting knowledge should be broader. 5. We think proper clear cut and specific procedure or guidelines should be created for finding costs and value of human resou rces of an organization. 6.Universally accepted method should be created for the valuation of Human Resources. 3. 3 Conclusion: Cost accounting is not an exact science like other branches of accounting but is an art which has developed through theories and accounting practices based on common sense and reasoning. Management accounting is helpful tool to the management as it provides information for planning, controlling and decision making, and the main aim of managerial accounting is to improve the efficiency and the process which provides useful information to the management, financial analysts and employees.

Analysis of two Musical Selections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Analysis of two Musical Selections - Essay Example For the most part, this version speaks of deep loss that the singer will never recover from and the difficulty occasioned by the prospect of â€Å"moving on†. This is depicted by the tempo which increasingly moves from Adagio, then gradually to andante, moderato and finally culminating in a faster tempo near the end and finally climaxing with an adagio. The tone expressed here tells the story of a miserable and disillusioned life while also bringing out the passion and emotions that exist.  Dolly Parton’s version of the song, however, paints the picture of a more resigned singer, who readily accepts fate while still acknowledging that the love still exists, is more realistic to the prospect of moving on after the loss. As depicted by the tempo which is slow and easy at the beginning: otherwise referred to as andante, while gradually condensing into a moderate tone at the middle of the song and ending with a tone that is neither too fast or slow. The tone expressed her e is sincere, while still acknowledging the presence of a strong love by the singer for the lover. It remains detached, but also acknowledges elements of appreciation and not regret as is the case with the other version of Whitney Houston.  The rhythm is depicted by some elements of consistency at the start of both songs while tapering off at the start of the Chorus where each voice takes on a different distinctive pace. The rhythm in Whitney Houston’s version is approximately two times slower than the Parton version and the extra emotions that are expressed in the song are made known with the care and slow pace exhibited in every vocal sang.  Dolly Parton’s version, however, consists of a tone that gradually and consistently makes known to the listener an understanding of the end of the relationship and the resolve to move on.  

Women and Children of Rape in Bosnia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Women and Children of Rape in Bosnia - Essay Example If rape was not made a top priority crime, then the prosecutors would end up without any witnesses. After a protracted period of time, the victims of rape now want to lead their lives without any interference, and are not interested in the proceedings of the tribunal. They are no longer willing to testify and are of the opinion that it is highly unlikely for them to obtain justice (Bosnia Rapes Continue to Go Unpunished). A European Community’s agency stated that more than twenty thousand Bosnian Muslim women were raped or sexually assaulted by the military forces of Serbia. In this regard, a UN Commission of Experts had observed that the Bosnian Serbs had implemented a policy of systematic rape against the Bosnian Muslim women. They also committed rapes in the detention camps (Bosnia Rapes Continue to Go Unpunished). A number of people have claimed that the rapes carried out by Bosnian Serbs were part of their ethnic cleansing policy. Under this policy Muslims were to be killed and thrown out of their homes and ultimately from the nation. However, the tribunal decided not to prosecute rape as acts of genocide, and most human rights advocates disagreed with this decision of the tribunal. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda had also concluded on these lines. The tribunal must provide counseling, legal advice and relocation arrangements, such as new identities for witnesses of rape crime before, during and after the trial (Bosnia Rapes Continue to Go Unpunished). A European Community mission estimated that nearly twenty thousand Bosnian Muslim women had been raped by the troops during the war. The Health Ministry of Croatia concluded that nearly fifty percent of women, who had been accommodated in the base camps in Bosnia, had been subjected to rape. These military forces even raped children aged six years and women aged eighty years. Hundreds of women and children were assumed to have been killed after being subjected to gang rapes. There had

I Hate To See That Evening Sun Go Down Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

I Hate To See That Evening Sun Go Down - Essay Example Choat family live in Meecham’s house having been given the lease agreement by his son. Upon arrival at the house, Meecham is amazed that somebody is living in his apartment. In a bid to own back his house, he takes up events to prove this point. When Meecham learns that Mr. Choat dislikes dog barks, he get a dog from an old friend and allows it to distract Choat. The drama that unfolds regarding the dog leads to it death. When Choat rests thinking that he has solved the problem, the true nature and the inspiration Meecham has to get rid of Choat from his compound (Gay). It becomes evident when he brings on a dog sculpture in place of the dead dog. Meecham’s son knows his father is affected psychologically after the death of his mother. The reason he recommends Meecham to stay in a nursing home is to keep the society at peace. Meecham is a kind of a man who rests at nothing until he achieves set goal. The work is a masterpiece well recorded and executed. The play has a simple plot bringing out the encounters vividly. Simple as it is the title is spelled out in every other line that precedes the story (Gay). Meecham wants his house back but in reality, nothing brings him joy anymore on earth. Everything else seems to oppose his will to live. It is evident in the work when he plays a song â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I hate to see the sun goes down..† He hates death yet he is willing to go that path to prove he wants his home back. Understanding the law and the presence of the police, Meecham desires to use that route to get the attention of his son to allow him get back the house. The efforts are fruitless. On the other hand, Meecham’s son persuades him to go back to the nursing him with the promise of getting the home back. It does not dampen his spirit (Gay). It drives him into a state of insanity because the incidences that seemed a fight for a better life back were proved by death.

International business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 9

International business - Essay Example In a word OPEC maintains the price and distribution control of petroleum as they are largest crude oil producers globally. In order to reduce the oil dependency on the OPEC countries US went for the introduction of substitute of fossil fuel. Ethanol is the effective solution and substitute. The ethanol industry from the starting days has created the objective in order to achieve the target audience base. In order to become the strongest economy the US government has motivated the industry from the starting point. The reduced dependency on OPEC will cut down several oil cost of US economy. Moreover, the adoption and the usage of ethanol will solve many problems. The problems of fuel consumption, emission of green house gas and air pollutant will be overcome (Elmendorf, 2009). The objective of the study is to analyze the ethanol industry according to the case study. The analysis will be followed by the industry SWOT analysis in US, and then the study will reveal the critical thinking, decision making and strategic analysis about the case in order to achieve the desired objective. Moreover the industry related issues are being found for the purpose of the study. The major objective is to bring the strategic solutions of those problems and structure some recommendations. Finally the study ends with the evaluation of analysis and conclusions. Ethanol is produced by sugar fermentation. It is an alcohol found in grains and different biomass. Now-a-days ethanol industry is one of the leading and profitable industries worldwide. In order to achieve the objective of the study ethanol industry SWOT analysis has been implemented. The SWOT analysis is consisting of internal strengths and weaknesses of an industry or a product or a service and external threat and opportunities and threats of those. Reliable, cost efficient and flexible supply and distribution network is the important strength of ethanol industry in US.

Law in the media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Law in the media - Essay Example File-sharing networks are diffuse and decentralized, therefore it is difficult to pinpoint who is supplying works to the public. Moreover, new technologies, such as BitTorrent, complicate matters because only bits of files are downloaded from a swarm of people, and this swarm of people may not be considered to be the individuals making the work publicly available. BitTorrent also relies upon temporary files that are created, bit by bit, before the permanent file is assembled, and the CDPA 1988 does not cover these temporary files. Another issue is that there are copyright protections that may be used, and the CDPA 1988 does not make it illegal to circumvent these protections. For these reasons, it seems that the CDPA 1988 is not keeping up with the ever-changing digital world, and should not be used by artists who are harmed by file-sharing and BitTorrent, as it is difficult to apply the Act to these copyright infringements. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 A copyright is, in a nutshell, an exclusive right that someone can own to â€Å"copy the work; issue copies of the work in public; perform, show or play the work in public; to broadcast the work or include it in a cable programme service; or to make an adaption of the work or do any of the above in relation to an adaptation.† (Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 II(16)(1)(a-e)). ... Copyrights expired after 50 years. (Copyright, Designs and Patents act 1988 I(12)(1)). Basically, if you create a piece of music, you own that piece of music for fifty years. You, and you alone, have the right to copy your piece of music, issue copies to the public or perform the music, broadcast it or adapt it. It is yours. If you wrote the lyrics, then you own the lyrics. If you wrote the music, then the music is yours. If you performed the music, then you own the recording of the live performance. Sound recordings are owned by the maker of the recording. (MIPI). The Problem with The CDPA in the age of the Internet The CDPA, having been crafted in 1988, could not have foreseen the developments that implicate copyrights in the Internet Age. For instance, one of the major copyright infringements is something that was not explicitly covered by the CDPA – illegal file-sharing, which is tantamount to Internet piracy. Internet piracy is the cause of falling CD sales across the boa rd, as sales have steadily fallen year to year since piracy began. (Music Industry Blames Huge Illegal Download Market for Ever-falling Sales). The largest academic survey, commission by the University of Hertfordshire found that teenagers and students have, on average, more than 800 illegally copied songs on their digital music players. (Sabbagh, 2008). The problem is not just with peer to peer networks, but also in the common practice of lending CD to a mate and allowing them to copy the CD. This has the same chilling effect as does the illegal downloading of songs off the Internet, and hurts artists and the industry just the same. (Music Copyright – Featuring Jamelia). One of the problems with illegal downloads is

Race and Nation in the Twentieth Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Race and Nation in the Twentieth Century - Essay Example Civic nationalism can be said to bet that particular type of nationalism that define a country as a room where individuals associate with same levels of political rights that are evenly distributed to each other (Gerstle, 2001). In this association, the members are assured to allegiance to the same political methodologies and guidelines. This particular type of nationalism has the underlining principle that the nation is not guided by individuals with same ethnic ancestry, rather a political entity without the core of ethnicity. Civic nationalism is therefore the form of nationalism whereby the government draws legitimacy of political grounds from its citizen’s active participation, hence representing the will of its population. Racial Nationalism refers to global approach and view, which makes a combination of the love and passion of an individual’s race together with the love and passion an individual nation. By combining the two elements of love and passion for both one’s race and nation, this particular view advocates for a self-determination perspective for all the world races. In the American context, this view became very practical when it comes to matters pertaining to the uniqueness characteristics of each race and their preservation as well. In America, this view emerged advantageous by eliminating the opportunities for one group to exploit the other (Gerstle, 2001). Soft Multiculturalism refers to a condition that had already existed before in the United States and Europe, among other nations, due to the real availability of a number of cultural and religious associations. They also include other individuals who have migrated into these countries. In the United States of America, Soft Multiculturalism got related to the development some futures that were close distant. Those individuals initiating these developments must prepare

Land Law Essay Example for Free

Land Law Essay Some of the essential requirements of easements are the presence of a dominant and a servient tenement. In general, dominant tenements are estates that are either fee simple or leasehold; moreover, easements cannot exist in gross or in the absence of a dominant tenement. Further, it is essential for an easement to bestow on the dominant tenement either a benefit or some form of accommodation. This makes it mandatory for the accrual of a tangible benefit to the dominant tenement. Consequently, the easement should make it possible for the dominant owner to utilize the dominant tenement to a greater extent and the benefit conferred must pertain to land. In addition, the dominant and servient tenements should be sufficiently proximate to each other. Moreover, the owner or occupant of the dominant and servient tenements should be different persons. Furthermore, such easement should be eligible to be made the subject matter of a grant by deed. Such a requirement further entails that the granted right is unambiguous, capable of adequately precise definition. In addition, such subject matter should be in concord with the nature of the easement, which in other words, connotes that the easement does not permit exclusive and unrestricted use of the land . Furthermore, the grantee must be competent, and not some indefinite entity. Such a grantee should possess an interest in the dominant tenement at the time of the grant. Moreover, a grantor who is competent to grant such a right should exist and while making the grant, the servient owner should possess an interest in the concerned tenement that is equal to or greater than the interest that devolves from the tenement. There are a few interests that exist in respect of the land bestowed on a land owner, which are conceded by the courts. In one important case, Hill v. Tupper , Pollack C B stated that â€Å"A new species of incorporeal hereditament cannot be created at the will and pleasure of the owner of property; but he must be content to accept the estate and the right to dispose of it subject to the law as settled by decisions or controlled by Act of Parliament† . Moreover, an easement should accommodate the dominant tenement. The right of easement provides a personal advantage; that is related to the land owned by that party. This right enhances the advantage of its enjoyment . There are four components that govern easement in order to accommodate dominant tenement. First, the right to easement requires an improvement in the position of the dominant tenement into an enhanced and convenient property instead of converting it into a personal advantage of the dominant owner. Second, the dominant and servient tenements need to be located proximally so that the easement provides a potential benefit to the dominant tenement. For instance, a track used for carts, which caters to the needs of the farmer and accommodates the farming activities of the farmer, could be located far away from the farm. Third, the users should be disconnected and fourth, there should not be any personal advantage. This had been established in the aforementioned case of Hill v Tupper, in which the owner of a canal leased the banks of the canal and the right to operate boats on the canal to the defendants. In this case the court held that the claimant had a personal interest and thus was precluded from defending against third party actions . Not every right that is granted in respect of land constitutes an easement. For instance, if one person gives another the right to cross his land, which is located at an appreciable distance from the other person’s land, then such a right is not an easement. This was clearly established in the Hill v. Tupper case, wherein the Basingstoke Canal owners extended exclusive rights to the plaintiff to hire boats that would be used for recreational purposes. This business of the plaintiff was jeopardized by the defendant who commenced to compete with him . Instead of filing a breach of contract against the owners of the Basingstoke Canal, the plaintiff, filed a case against the defendant pleading that the defendant was liable in nuisance to him. The Court of the Exchequer, which was hearing this case, expressed its lack of competency to generate, rights that were unrelated to the enjoyment of land and appropriate them to the land with the objective of forming a property in the grantee. However, the plaintiff did possess property that adjoined it . The reason for such a decision can be construed to be that the court was disinclined to permit a commercial benefit to be construed as an easement. This tendency of the courts is clearly established in the case of Moody v. Steggles. In this case an advertisement of a public house was displayed in the defendant’s adjoining land. The court held that the right under dispute pertained to the plaintiff’s business and therefore was unconnected to the right of easement. Thus the easement and the manner in which the land had been occupied were intimately connected . The court decided in the case of London and Blenheim Estates V Ladbrokeretail Parks that a tenement that was dominant had to be adequately identified as such and that it must be sufficiently described so as to render the easement binding on the servient tenement. The appellate court held that it was inadequate to merely grant the right to nominate unspecified land as constituting a dominant tenement in respect of an easement, in order to generate an interest in the land that would serve to bind successors in title to the servient tenement . It is essential for different persons to possess dominant and servient tenements, because an easement constitutes a right over somebody else’s property. Pollock CB, made the distinction between proprietary and personal rights, crystal clear when he opined that ‘A grantor may bind himself by covenant to allow any right he pleases over his property, but he cannot annex to it a new incident, so as to enable the grantee to sue in his own name for an infringement of such a limited right as that now claimed. The sum and substance of this statement is that a number of rights can be created that are governed by contract. Further, it is permissible for a leasehold tenant or a fee simple owner to grant easements. However, a tenant can do so only during the pendency of the lease. If these requirements are not fulfilled, then there is no easement, despite the possible existence of a restrictive covenant, license or lease. With the case of Hill v. Tupper it became evident that an easement must accommodate the dominant tenement. For an easement to be valid, it has to necessarily bestow some benefit on the land, rather than on the owner. In the Hill case the servient tenement was a waterway and lease granted to the claimant was in respect of some land that adjoined this canal. In addition, the claimant was exclusively permitted to make available pleasure luxury boats on this canal. The court however, held that the conduct of business on the servient tenement was insufficient to bestow an easement on the claimant and that it constituted nothing more than a license. Moreover, the court held that the claimant was making a blatant claim to ensure a commercial monopoly. Furthermore, the court decided that no easement could specify the exclusive use of a servient tenement in order to exclude other reasonable users . In Dyce v. Hay there was a claim that all the Queens subjects had the right to go at all times upon the†¦appellants property†¦for the purpose of recreation. It was held that There can be no prescriptive right in the nature of a servitude or easement so large as to preclude the ordinary uses of property by the owner of the lands affected . As per Lord St. Leonards, the class of servitudes and easements should change and widen in their applicability in accordance with the changes in society and the human condition . This opinion has to be interpreted, while bearing in the mind the maxim that English law does accord, with the exception of statute, recognition to an easement in its entirety. In other words easement should be restrictive. The judgment in the Dyce case makes it very clear that the judiciary was not disposed to expanding the category of easement in order to include rights that had not been recognized by the extant statute. In general some rights are not recognized by the courts as easements. These are a right to a view; a general right to loiter on some other person’s property and a right to shelter oneself from the elements with the help of neighbouring buildings. However, it was clearly demonstrated in the Dyce case that such a list of rights is not conclusive and could be expanded if so required. Although, the list of rights that could be construed to be easements cannot be enumerated, nevertheless, such rights should be similar to those rights that have been accorded the status of easements by law. However, the courts have been reluctant to permit new rights to be accorded the status of easements.

Legislation affecting schools Essay Example for Free

Legislation affecting schools Essay Linked to the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights. Under this Act individuals in the UK have particular rights and freedoms however these have to balance against the rights and freedoms of others. Some articles which have a direct link to education/schools are: Article 2: The first protocol – the right to education (however this does not mean the right to a particular school). Article 8: The right to respect for private and family life. Article 10: The right to freedom of expression. Restraints of pupils are permitted under the Act however each school has their own policy and procedure for this. All children have a right to an education. Pupils have a freedom of expression. Data Protection Act 1998 Means that schools need to keep and use information only for the purpose it was intended. It also needs to be kept securely on site, either locked away in a filing cabinet or on a password protected computer. If required to update and pupil information this should be done on site and not be taken off site to complete. All information about pupils should be considered confidential and must not be shared with others without parental consent. When discussing pupils with other members of staff you should make sure that only necessary information is shared The school is protected over personal information it holds The school should issue a letter informing parents of how pupil data is protected. Schools must follow the act over how they handle data (password computers, locked cabinets). Staff need to be aware of this and reminded. Freedom of Information Act 2000 Introduced in 2005 to promote transparency and accountability in the public sector. It is retrospective and information can be sought from any time in  the past. Any person can request information for a school however this must be done in writing. Schools have a duty to provide assistance and advice to anyone who requests information but on the other hand they must evaluate the situation if they need to protect the information for confidentiality. The DCFS has produced guidance for schools and governing bodies to give advice about requesting information. Parents/students have the right to request information held by schools and local authorities. Information for information must be done in writing. Equality of Opportunity Sex Discrimination The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 makes it unlawful for education establishments to directly or indirectly discriminate pupils based on their sex, gender or sexual orientation. Admissions policies are available to be seen at hand. Local authorities are also under general duty to ensure that educational facilities and services are provided without sex discrimination. Many bodies can be held responsible for discrimination under the SDA. Race Discrimination The law states that all schools or colleges must not discriminate against people on the grounds of race in any of its policies or practices including admissions policies. All local educational authorities also have a legal duty not to discriminate. Local educational authorities have a duty to have a race equality policy and should take steps to discourage racial attacks. All schools should follow the local authority policies. Disability Discrimination Act To protect disable people from discrimination in the workplace and in the provisions. All schools have a duty to make adjustments that may be needed to ensure that the child is made welcome and is supported at all times. Schools must adhere to the Equality Act 2010. Schools cannot discriminate against pupils because of their sex, sexual orientation or gender. Children are taught about equality and diversity. No sexist book or exams. Toys that are accessible must be accessible to all. Ensure they have a Racial Discrimination Act. Have a duty to protect pupils against abuse or violence. Must no discriminate against anyone because of their race Relates to class rooms as well- all work displayed not discriminating. Schools must adhere to inclusive education. They cannot exclude on the grounds of disability or special needs. The head teacher must seek advice if needed from local authorities. Schools must have accessible resources. Staff training days to update knowledge. Special Educational Needs Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Act Special educational need also known as SENDA. It is unlawful for educational providers to treat disabled children â€Å"less favorably† than they would other children. institutions are required to make â€Å"adjustments† for example providing aids like ramps. LEAs and schools plan together to make the access easier for disabled children. All registered early years providers must have a written SEN policy and a SENCO. They should also make arrangements for staff to participate in any relevant training. All pupils must not be excluded from any aspects of school due to the disability. Legislation will affect how the schools are run as they will need to comply fully with legal requirements. Schools may need to ask advice and guidance if and when needed this will usually be through the governing bodies. Special Educational Needs Code of Practice SEN code of practice, parents and SEN children have an increased right to a mainstream education. This may have an impact on the number of children who have SEN being included in mainstream schools and on the number of individual support assistants who will support them. Training and implications have been put in to place in order to support individuals and schools must now manage pupils with a more diverse range of need. Schools need to ensure they make reasonable provisions to ensure people with SEN are provided with the same opportunities as those who are not disabled. Could be through 1:1 support or building adaptions e.g. disabled toilets, ramps and sensory rooms. The school must make the best decisions to provide best values for the child with special needs. For example: a child may receive a considerable amount of IPS (Individual pupil funding) and the school must decide the best way to use this support for the child’s needs. Sources: www.yourrights.org.uk www.adviseguide.org.uk www.kingston.gov.uk

The Use Of Sound Design In Films

The Use Of Sound Design In Films Rationale/Research to Date: The origins of the term sound designer came from Walter Murchs work on the film Apocalypse Now, where he had the full responsibility of creating the films entire soundtrack. (Holman, 2002) Traditionally the term sound designer encompasses the traditional processes of both editing and mixing. (Holman, 2002, p.192). Nowadays sound designers roles can range from creating individual sound effects to the responsibility of creating the overall soundtrack for a film. (Whittington, 2007) Three of the key players who have all developed and created the job of a sound designer are: Walter Murch, (American Graffiti, The Conversation, Apocalypse Now) Gary Rydstrom, (The Terminator, Ghost Busters II, Jurassic Park) and Ben Burtt (Star Wars, E.T., Wall-E). They have created a standard for sound designers to follow and made iconic sounds recognised by many, for example: the classic light saber hum from Star Wars, Ben Burrt made by blending the sound of his TV set and an old 35mm projector. (filmsound.org, n.b.) Paul Ottosson has been acknowledged for his sound design and supervising sound editing achievements with Oscar and BAFTA nominations. (Koppl, 2010) His oeuvre covers films such as: Spider-Man 2 and 3, S.W.A.T., 2012 and The Hurt Locker. Winning two Oscars in 2010 for Best Achievement in Sound and Best Achievement in Sound Editing (imbd.com, n.b.) for the latter. His roles on the The Hurt Locker were Sound Designer, Sound Re-recording Mixer and Supervising Sound Editor. Ottossons mission, set by director Kathryn Bigelow, was to re-create the gritty acoustics of the Iraq war as authentically as possible. (Caranicas, 2010) From the first meeting the director talked about how important sound was going to be because her original intention was to have no music at all in the movie. (Ottoson, 2010) Ottosson was given a massive challenge and full responsibilities, once the picture was cut it was his job to create an emotional arc and to build tension throughout the film using sound design where traditionally music would be used. As David Sonnenschein explains The most common nonliteral sound to accentuate character personality or emotion is music, while more and more use is being made of sound effects and ambience to support this area. (Sonnenschein, 2001, p.178) His treatment of the overall soundtrack of the film blurs the boundaries between music and sound design (Koppl, 2010.) when created effectively it is difficult to judge whether it is music or sound design and Paul Ottosson uses some unusual techniques to achieve the desired effect. This investigation will discuss and analyse the unusual and advanced sound design techniques that Paul Ottosson deploys. It will critically evaluate how these techniques; heighten emotion, tension and realism by transporting the audience into the centre of the chaos in the Iraq war. Through exploring Paul Ottossons sound design in The Hurt Locker should affirm the importance of the role sound design can play. Knowledge gained by undertaking this study should benefit future sound design projects. Objectives: To analysis of the use of point of audition sound; to immerse the audience into each of the main characters feelings. To compare and contrast the individual sound design treatment for the three guys in the EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team) unit, how it differs between them, enabling character identification and the effects they have on the audience. To investigate the use of Off-Screen sound to create a sonic-point-of-view to give the audience the perspective of being at war in Baghdad. To explore how Paul Ottosson creates a sound arc using foley, sound effects, backgrounds and human breathing to build tension in scenes where traditionally music would be used. To compare of the sound design from the first bomb-deactivation scene and the second bomb-deactivation scene where SS James has taken control of the EOD unit. To provide a detailed comparison of the sound design used in the opening scenes of The Hurt Locker and Saving Private Ryan. Critical Writing Example: It is interesting to note that two films, The Hurt Locker and Saving Private Ryan are both films that strive for realism and use point-of-audition sound in a subjective sense to put the audience in the characters shoes. During the first bomb de-activation scene in The Hurt Locker, Staff Sergeant Thompson puts on the anti-bomb suit and starts walking towards an IED. The audience can hear the sound of him breathing. This establishes a primary connection with the character as it is his breathing the audience can hear and it also creates a secondary emotional link with the audience. The audience are able to connect with this sound and empathise as heavy breathing is a feeling or situation most humans have felt at some point in their lives possibly after a tense or shocking experience. The emotion is heightened as the sound designer makes a conscious decision to alter the breathing pattern as the character gets closer to the danger. This effect could be compared to a rise in pitch and amplitude of a stringed instrument heightening tension in a scene musically. In contrast, during the Omaha beach scene in Saving Private Ryan Gary Rydstrom manipulated the sound of the ocean to try and simulate the traumatic shell-shocked state character Tom Hanks feels. Rydstrom explains how taking the sound out of the battle became an interesting device to get inside someones head (Rydstrom, 2007) In both examples point-of-audition sounds are used to immerse the audience into the characters inner feelings. The difference is the way sound in Saving Private Ryan takes the audience into the characters head; in order to share and experience his feeling and this effect momentarily removes the audience from the on-going situation around him. Whereas, in The Hurt Locker whilst the audience are similarly immersed inside the characters head, they are also fully aware of the environment and action going on around the character, due to the background sound continuing so that it can still be heard. If the sound design techniques were swapped in the films, it is likely that neither of them would achieve the sound designers desired effect. For example, it is essential for the background sounds to remain in The Hurt Locker as these are used to create the tension required for the scene. Both of these examples illustrate the execution of point of audition sound tailored to both the individual film and for specific scenes within them. The study will further explore such techniques and will similarly illustrate the finds by use of specific examples.

Free Macbeth Essays: Blameless Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

Blameless Macbeth  Ã‚      Macbeth, a tragic play by William Shakespeare, involves the downfall of a military hero, Macbeth. Our hero, however, is not to blame for his own fate – the downfall of Macbeth is the result of the actions by those around him. Three evil withes foretell that Macbeth will become Thane of DCawdor and even King of Scotland. Macbeth dismissed their prophecies, but after he is promoted to Thane of Cawdor for military action, Macbeth wonders if he shall not be King, too. Macbeth is a good and loyal kinsman who would never harm his King. Were it not for outside forces, he would have lived happily as Thane of Cawdor, an illustrious title in itself. Macbeth does not even want to kill King Duncan. He says Ã’chance may crown me without my stir.Ó Fearing the withes message means that he will kill the king in the future, he says Ã’Present fears are less than horrible imaginings.Ó Macbeth writes to his wife, telling her about the withes and how one prophecy has already come true. As soon as she hears about it, she calls on evil spirits to fill her full of cruelty so that she will the King if necessary. Macbeth, one the other hand, does not like a possible future by the withes prophecy: that he will kill his King. This shows the difference between Lord and Lady Macbeth. It is only after much nagging and cajoling from his wife that he decides to go through with it, and then halfheartedly. His wife uses insults, demeans him, and makes him feel less than a man, so Macbeth finally gives in. While Lady Macbeth is the one who sets the ball rolling, to use an analogy, it was the witches that put the ball at the top of the hill,. The three withes are a physical manifestation of evil. They conspire to kill as many mortals as possible, under their ‘superior,’ Hecate. Using their evil ability to see into the future, they can tell that by using Macbeth as a tool for destruction, the maximum destructiveness will be reached. To get Macbeth to do their evil biddings, the first influence this seed of evil into his mind. By giving Macbeth that prophecy, they ensure that their plans will work.The prophecy is a self fulfilling one: for the future to be as it turns out to be, someone must know of it. Free Macbeth Essays: Blameless Macbeth :: Macbeth essays Blameless Macbeth  Ã‚      Macbeth, a tragic play by William Shakespeare, involves the downfall of a military hero, Macbeth. Our hero, however, is not to blame for his own fate – the downfall of Macbeth is the result of the actions by those around him. Three evil withes foretell that Macbeth will become Thane of DCawdor and even King of Scotland. Macbeth dismissed their prophecies, but after he is promoted to Thane of Cawdor for military action, Macbeth wonders if he shall not be King, too. Macbeth is a good and loyal kinsman who would never harm his King. Were it not for outside forces, he would have lived happily as Thane of Cawdor, an illustrious title in itself. Macbeth does not even want to kill King Duncan. He says Ã’chance may crown me without my stir.Ó Fearing the withes message means that he will kill the king in the future, he says Ã’Present fears are less than horrible imaginings.Ó Macbeth writes to his wife, telling her about the withes and how one prophecy has already come true. As soon as she hears about it, she calls on evil spirits to fill her full of cruelty so that she will the King if necessary. Macbeth, one the other hand, does not like a possible future by the withes prophecy: that he will kill his King. This shows the difference between Lord and Lady Macbeth. It is only after much nagging and cajoling from his wife that he decides to go through with it, and then halfheartedly. His wife uses insults, demeans him, and makes him feel less than a man, so Macbeth finally gives in. While Lady Macbeth is the one who sets the ball rolling, to use an analogy, it was the witches that put the ball at the top of the hill,. The three withes are a physical manifestation of evil. They conspire to kill as many mortals as possible, under their ‘superior,’ Hecate. Using their evil ability to see into the future, they can tell that by using Macbeth as a tool for destruction, the maximum destructiveness will be reached. To get Macbeth to do their evil biddings, the first influence this seed of evil into his mind. By giving Macbeth that prophecy, they ensure that their plans will work.The prophecy is a self fulfilling one: for the future to be as it turns out to be, someone must know of it.

The Role of Women in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay -- Frankenstein

The Role of Women in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Whether an author is conscious of the fact or not, a fictional work cannot avoid reflecting the political, social, economic, and religious background of the author. Therefore, regardless of Frankenstein's categorization being that of science fiction, Mary Shelley reveals her own fears and thoughts, and, as a result, reveals a great deal about the time and place in which she wrote. She mentions specific geographical locations throughout Europe, she raises ethical questions concerning the synthesis of life, and she writes in the context of popular contemporary philosophy and the importance of environment vs. experiences. Most importantly to this essay, however, is the manner in which Shelley reflects the characteristics of the Romantic period in which it was written and its attitudes toward women. In an article that discusses female authors during this time period, we find that Romanticism was a male-dominated movement. The same article states that this dominance prevented female authors from being given the same consideration as males (Behrendt 147). Moreover, women who crossed this "culturally-imposed boundary" were routinely charged with "unnaturalness" or "monstrosity" (Ibid.). This is clearly portrayed through the author herself, particularly in the introduction of the novel where her introduction is full of apologies for her work. Despite the self-proclaimed pressure to become a writer in the expectation of continuation of her parents' writing, the story is wrought with marks of difficulties of having been taken less than seriously. One place where it is particularly evident is in the preface of the book, although parts were writte... ...ely, in the representation of Shelley herself in the monster. Works Cited and Consulted: Behrendt, Stephen C. "New Romanticisms for Old: Displacing Our Expectations and Our Models." Midwest Quarterly. Winter 2000: 145-159. Kelly, G. "Unbecoming a Heroine." Nineteenth Century Literature. September 1990: 220-242. Lowe-Evans, Mary. Frankenstein: Mary Shelly's Wedding Guest. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993. Oates, Joyce Carol. "Frankenstein: Creation as Catastrophe." Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Seymour, Miranda. Mary Shelley. Savannah, Georgia: Grove/Atlantic Publishers, August 2001. Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein. Edited by Johann Smith. Boston: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Tropp, Martin. Mary Shelly's Monster. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1976.

Managed Care SLP

As the second assignment towards completing the Session Long Project, please answer the following in your own words: 1. What is accreditation? 2. Why is it important? 3. What organizations accredit managed care organizations in the U.S.? 4. What is involved in the accreditation process? (In other words, what do they look at? Do they make site visits? 5. What is the accreditation status of your health care provider organization (hospital, clinic, treatment facility, etc†¦)? If you are not covered under a managed care plan, identify any managed care plan and explain its accreditation status. Limit your responses to 1-2 pages. Be sure to properly cite all references. The following Web sites will help you complete this assignment: Glossary of managed care terms What is accreditation? National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) What is NCQA & Why is accreditation important? Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (managed care accreditation information). http://www.jointcommission.org/AboutUs/joint_commission_facts.htm http://www.jointcommission.org/HTBAC/benefits_accreditation.htm JCAHO Quality Check to look up accreditation status of facilities www.qualitycheck.org/consumer/searchQCR.aspx URAC http://www.urac.org/consumer_how.asp Frequently Asked Questions about Accreditation http://web.ncqa.org/tabid/65/Default.aspx http://www.jointcommission.org/AccreditationPrograms/Networks/mco_facts.htm http://www.urac.org/healthcare/accreditation/ Other resources to help with the assignment: http://www.ncqa.org/communications/news/clas.htm What is accreditation? Accreditation is a procedure in which a neutral organization reviews the standards of care provided by the company.   This process would make sure that the business performed by the company is done as per the standards laid down. Why is it important? The public is ensured that the standards of quality is maintained whilst providing medical care There is some amount of healthy competition in the market There is a reductions in risks Patient safety levels are improved Negligence is reduced Good practices are encouraged The process of reviewing the operational activities of the company is performed Staff recruitment and development may be encouraged The company may be brought into Medicare certification without undergoing a different review process Insurers and third parties would automatically recognize the company is accreditation is present Some states require that a company achieve accreditation so that it could meet the regulatory body’s requirements Structure and functions in the organization is maintained What organizations accredit managed care organizations in the U.S.? Accreditation of managed care organizations in the US is brought about by certain accreditation organizations such as the URAC, Joint Commission and the NCQA.   However, an accreditation organization would be accrediting different types of healthcare organizations.   The organization may be accrediting all the services of the company or a particular service.   Once the company meets certain standards imposed by the accreditations organization, it would receive certification. What is involved in the accreditation process? (In other words, what do they look at? Do they make site visits? Before an organization applies for accreditation, it would have to conduct a thorough self-check by ensuring it meets with the standards provided by the accreditation organization. At least some changes would be required.   The entire process of accreditation should be taking about 4 to 6 months.   An application for accreditation is submitted by the healthcare organization.   The reviewers at the accreditation organization conduct a thorough review of the details in the application. This may be an examination of the certificates or an onsite review.   Changes may be required to meet the standards.   Depending on the ability of the company to meet these standards, accreditation is provided. What is the accreditation status of your health care provider organization (hospital, clinic, treatment facility, etc.)? If you are not covered under a managed care plan, identify any managed care plan and explain its accreditation status. The company that I work in is accredited by some of the top accreditation organizations in the US.   I do subscribe to a managed care plan, which has been accredited by the Joint Commission.   The Joint Commission looks into several standards provided by the HMO including performance, health promotion, disease prevention, utilization, management of information, education process, HR management, etc.   The Joint Commission interviews the administrative procedures concerned with the plan and the various HR.   The documents are constantly reviewed and the ability to meet with the standards is determined. References: NCQA. â€Å"About NCQA.† 2007. NCQA. 21 Jul. 2007 http://web.ncqa.org/tabid/65/Default.aspx The Joint Commission. â€Å"Benefits of Joint Commission Accreditation.† 2007. Joint Commission. 21 Jul. 2007 http://www.jointcommission.org/HTBAC/benefits_accreditation.htm The Joint Commission. â€Å"Facts about The Joint Commission.† 2007. Joint Commission. 21 Jul. 2007 http://www.jointcommission.org/AboutUs/joint_commission_facts.htm The Joint Commission. â€Å"Facts about Managed Care Organization Accreditation.† 2007. Joint Commission. 21 Jul. 2007 URAC. â€Å"General Questions About URAC Accreditation.† 2007. URAC. 21 Jul. 2007 http://www.urac.org/healthcare/accreditation/

Examine the use of the dramatic monologue Essay

â€Å"Examine the use of the dramatic monologue in the poetry of Carol Ann Duffy† Unlike the soliloquy, the dramatic monologue speaks directly to the reader and voices a single character or persona’s thoughts, this offers a better understanding of the ideas and message the poet is trying to express. The dramatic monologue is used to form a bond or relationship between the speaker and the reader, taking the poem to a personal level, and in turn more effective in conveying a certain message. This essay will explore the way the dramatic monologue is used in both Demeter and Mrs. Midas by Carol Ann Duffy, taken from her collection of poems The World’s Wife. The phrase, ‘Behind every great man there is said to be a great woman’ comes to mind when reading The World’s Wife. The title of this collection reveals much about it’s content and Duffy’s intentions. The World’s Wife places emphasis on the wife, giving the woman the centre stage and allowing her the chance to speak through the medium of the dramatic monologue. From Mrs. Midas to Mrs. Beast, Duffy explores the thoughts and feelings of the women behind famous men, be it through history or through myth or fairytale, Duffy makes it very clear that every woman has a tale to tell. Mrs. Midas tells the untold story of the well-known Greek myth King Midas, who is miraculously, granted the wish of turning everything he touches into gold. As with all the poems in The World’s Wife, the title is a clear giveaway of what the poem is about to entail, and this is no different. Mrs. Midas, the wife of King Midas is the persona of this particular monologue and here she voices her thoughts on her husband’s newfound ability. â€Å"The kitchen filled with the smell of itself. † This personification continues through the first stanza of Mrs. Midas. â€Å"It’s steamy breath† and â€Å"†¦ wiped the other’s glass like a brow†, personifies the kitchen Mrs. Midas is in to help you relate to the familiar homely setting that surrounds her. The effect of this is that you feel how she feels at that time, safe, happy and without a care in the world. The lines â€Å"begun to unwind† and the imagery of her relaxing to a â€Å"glass of wine† enforce this feeling. The use of dramatic monologue helps to dramatise the final line of the stanza, â€Å"He was standing under the pear tree snapping a twig†, the descriptive lines before this contrasts with the abrupt change of topic, this prepares you for the turning point in her story, where the twist to her tale begins. Within the next few stanza’s Mrs. Midas’s tone dramatically changes from feeling relaxed and happy to shocked and horrified at what her husband has done. â€Å"He came into the house. The doorknobs gleamed. He drew the blinds. † The short sentences evoke a feeling of everything happening too fast, supporting the shocked and horrified mood, which continues to the next stanzas. The first point of the poem in which you hear of her husband’s reaction is where he laughs in reply to her question, â€Å"What in the name of God is going on? † Duffy has intended his initial reaction to be laughter instead of explaining himself to portray the stereotypical man that doesn’t show consideration or take the situation or his wife seriously when she clearly needs it. The poem is set out in a structure of eleven stanzas consisting of six lines where only two exceptions of this rule is made. â€Å"He toyed with his spoon, then mine, then with the knives, the forks. † The word â€Å"forks† takes a line by itself to help you imagine the way in which Mrs. Midas is speaking to you, she is clearly still in a state of shock and this new line marks a short pause in her speech where she is struggling to stay calm. â€Å"You see, we were passionate then†, where â€Å"then† is on a line by itself it is as though Mrs. Midas has taken a short moment to imagine those happy times when they were passionate, appreciating them as those days are now long gone. â€Å"I locked the cat in the cellar†, â€Å"The toilet I didn’t mind. † Like in much of her work, Duffy implements short spouts of humour throughout the poem, the effect of this is that the colloquial language engages the reader and helps to support the idea that Mrs. Midas is actually voicing her tale to the reader personally. Mrs. Midas speaks bitterly about the fatal consequences her husband has bought to their marriage, â€Å"Separate beds. In fact, I put a chair against my door, near petrified†, she also reminisces of the days when they were happy and uses words such as â€Å"unwrapping† which connotes the excitement she once felt. Contrasting the good times they had together with the breakdowns of their marriage they are experiencing now highlights the selfishness and lack of thought her husband had for their relationship. The poem ends with Mrs. Midas being forced to separate from her husband. He is left secluded on his own â€Å"in the wilds† away from people he can potentially harm. The irony of this is that he had hoped the power of ‘the golden touch’ would win him prosperity, popularity and love and respect by all, and yet it has forced him to live alone for the rest of his life, unable to ever be intimate with his wife again, and unable to enjoy the things he had hoped money would buy him. â€Å"†¦ but the lack of thought for me. Pure selfishness. â€Å"

Mahindra & Mahindra †Sm Essay

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY Starting its journey from the day when the first car rolled on the streets of Mumbai in 1898, the Indian automobile industry has demonstrated a phenomenal growth to this day. Today, the Indian automobile industry presents a galaxy of varieties and models meeting all possible expectations and globally established industry standards. Some of the leading names echoing in the Indian automobile industry include Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Mahindra and Mahindra, Hyundai Motors, Hero Honda and Hindustan Motors in addition to a number of others. During the early stages of its development, Indian automobile industry heavily depended on foreign technologies. However, over the years, the manufacturers in India have started using their own technology evolved in the native soil. The thriving market place in the country has attracted a number of automobile manufacturers including some of the reputed global leaders to set their foot in the soil looking forward to enhance their profile and prospects to new heights. Following a temporary setback on account of the global economic recession, the Indian automobile market has once again picked up a remarkable momentum witnessing a buoyant  sale for the -first time in its history in the month of September 2009. At present, about 75 percent of India’s automobile industry is made up by small cars, with the figure ranking the nation on top of any other country on the globe. Over the next two or three years, the country is expecting the arrival of more than a dozen new brands making compact car models. Like many other nations India’s highly developed transportation system has played a very important role in the development of the country’s economy over the past to this day. One can say that the automobile industry in the country has occupied a solid space in the platform of Indian economy. Empowered by its present growth, today the automobile industry in the country can produce a diverse range of vehicles under three broad categories namely cars, two-wheelers and heavy vehicles. 1.1. Exports of Automobile Industry Today, India is among the world’s largest producers of small cars. The New York Times has rated India as a very strong engineering base with an incomparable expertise in the arena of manufacturing a number of low-cost, fuel-efficient cars has encouraged the expansion plans of the manufacturing facilities of a number of automobile leaders like Mahindra, Hyundai Motors, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen and Suzuki. While the automobile industry in India is the ninth largest in the world, the country emerged as the fourth largest automobiles exporter on the globe following Japan, South Korea and Thailand, in the year 2009. The automobile sector of India is the seventh largest in the world. In a year, the country manufactures about 2.6 million cars making up an identifiable chunk in the world’s annual production of about 73 million cars in a year. The country is the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and the fifth largest producer of commercial vehicles. Industry experts have visualized an unbelievably huge increase in these figures over the immediate future. The figures published by the Asia Economic Institute indicate that the Indian automobile sector is set to emerge as the global leader by 2012. In the year 2009, India rose to be the fourth largest exporter of automobiles following Japan, South Korea and Thailand. Experts state that in the year 2050, India will top the car volumes of all the nations of the world with about 611 million cars running on its roads. 1.2. Various Segments of the Indian Automobile Industry Motor cycles manufacture makes up the major share in the two-wheeler segment of the  Indian automobile industry. About 50% of the motorcycles are manufactured by Hero Honda. While Honda manufactures about 46% of the scooters, TVS produces 82% of the mopeds running on the Indian roads. About 40% of the three-wheelers manufactured in India are used for transporting goods with Piaggio manufacturing 40% of the vehicles sold in the Indian market. On the other hand, Bajaj has emerged as the leader in manufacturing three-wheelers used for passenger transport. The firm produces about 68% percent of the three wheelers used for passenger transport in India. The Indian passenger vehicle segment is dominated by cars which make up about 80% of it. Maruti Suzuki manufactures about 52% of passenger cars while the firm enjoys a complete monopoly in the manufacture of multi-purpose vehicles. In the utility vehicles segment Mahindra makes up a 42% share. Tata Motors is the leader in the Indian commercial vehicles market while it holds more than 60% share. Tata Motors also enjoys the credit of being the world’s fifth largest manufacturer of medium and heavy commercial vehicles. 1.3. Potential of Indian Automobile Industry There is a very stiff competition in the automobile industry segment in India. This has helped many to realize their dreams of driving the most luxurious cars. During the recent past, a number of overseas companies have started grabbing a big chunk of the market share in both domestic and export sales. Every new day dawns in India with some new launches by active players in the Indian automobile arena. By introducing some low cost cars, the industry had made it possible for common men to buy cars for their personal use. With some innovative strategies and by adopting some alternative remedial measures, the Indian automobile industry has successfully come unaffected out of the global financial crisis. During the current fiscal year, the Indian automobile industry rode high on the resurgence of consumer demand in the country as a result of the Government’s fiscal stimulus and attractively low interest rates. As a result the total turnover of the domestic automobile industry increased by about 27 per cent. Predictions made by Ernst and Young have estimated that the Indian passenger car market will have a growth rate of about 12 percent per annum over the next five years to reach the production of 3.75 million units by the year 2014. The analysts have further stated that the industry’s turnover will touch $155  billion by 2016. This achievement will succeed in consolidating India’s position as the seventh largest automobiles manufacturer on the globe, eventually surging forth to become the third largest by the year 2030 behind China and the US. The Automotive Mission Plan launched by the Indian government has envisaged that the country will emerge as the seventh largest car maker on the globe thereby contributing more than 10 percent to the nation’s $1.2-trillion economy. Further, industry experts believe that the nation will soon establish its stand as an automobile hub exporting about 2.75 million units and selling about a million units to be operated on the domestic roads 1. MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA – OVERVIEW Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is not just India’s largest utility vehicle manufacturer anymore. It is the third-largest player in the passenger vehicle segment and in a neck-and-neck race with Tata Motors. It has set its sight on challenging the domination of Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai Motors. Pawan Goenka, as president for automotive and farm equipment sectors, is the main architect of this feat Mahindra and an independent India began their rise together. In 1945, two enterprising brothers named J.C. Mahindra and K.C. Mahindra joined forces with Ghulam Mohammed and started Mahindra & Mohammed as a steel company in Mumbai. Two years later, India won its independence, Ghulam Mohammed left the company to become Pakistan’s first finance minister, and the Mahindra brothers ignited the company’s enduring growth with their decision to manufacture Willys jeeps in Mumbai. The Mahindra brothers believed that new modes of transportation could be a key to India’s prosperity, so one of their first goals was to build rugged, simple vehicles capable of tackling the Indian terrain. Early pioneers of globalization, the brothers collaborated with a wide range of international companies and before long, Mahindra’s reach extended to steel, tractors, telecom, and more. Now, after 65 years, Mahindra has grown from a humble local outfit to a US $15.4 billion corporation employing more than 144,000 people around the world. It’s been quite an adventure so far, and they’re proud of our global leadership in utility vehicles, tractors, and information technology, as  well as our significant presence in financial services, leisure and hospitality, engineering, trade, and logistics. As they accelerate into the 21st century, they’ll continue to pursue innovative ideas that enable people to rise. They’ve come a long way, but the journey has just begun. Over the past few years, M&M has expanded into new industries and geographies. They entered into the two-wheeler segment by taking over Kinetic Motors in India. M&M also has controlling stake in REVA Electric Car Company and acquired South Korea’s SsangYong Motor Company in 2011. Mahindra & Mahindra is a major automobile manufacturer of utility vehicles, passenger cars, pickups, commercial vehicles, and two wheelers. Its tractors are sold on six continents. It has acquired plants in China and the United Kingdom, and has three assembly plants in the USA. M&M has partnerships with international companies like Renault SA, France and International Truck and Engine Corporation, USA. M&M has a global presence and its products are exported to several countries. Its global subsidiaries include Mahindra Europe Srl. based in Italy, Mahindra USA Inc., Mahindra South Africa and Mahindra (China) Tractor Co. Ltd. M&M made its entry into the passenger car segment with the Logan in April 2007 under the Mahindra Renault joint venture. M&M will make its maiden entry into the heavy trucks segment with Mahindra Navistar, the joint venture with International Truck, USA. M&M’s automotive division makes a wide range of vehicles including MUVs, LCVs and three wheelers. It offers over 20 models including new generation multi-utility vehicles like the Scorpio and the Bolero. It formerly had a joint venture with Ford called Ford India Private Limited to build passenger cars. Mahindra & Mahindra has a controlling stake in Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles. In 2011, it also gained a controlling stake in South Korea’s SsangYong Motor Company. Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), has launched its much awaited SUV, XUV 500, code named as W201 in September  2011. The last ‘500’ in the name is pronounced as ‘5 double-O’ (alphabet). The new SUV by Mahindra has been designed in-house and it is developed on the first global SUV platform that could be used for developing more SUVs. 2. MISSION AND OBJECTIVES Vision: * To create a fully collaborative environment in which suppliers can deliver exactly what the company needs, when it needs it, and at a competitive cost. * â€Å"We don’t have a group-wide mission statement. Our core purpose is what makes all of us want to get up and come to work in the morning† -Anand Mahindra Mission: * To create India’s largest automobile and automobile-related products distribution network by providing dealers and customers with the largest choice of unique world-class products and services. Since 1945, the Mahindra group has built the company around the core idea that people will succeed if they are just given the opportunity. Employees across the Group constantly challenge conventional thinking to create solutions that make a significant difference in the lives of their customers. That’s why everything they build—be it a tractor, financial service, solar-powered lamp, or software—is designed to empower you to reach your potential. Internally, they follow three basic tenets—accepting no limits, thinking alternatively, and driving positive change in everything they do. These brand pillars guide all their actions and business decisions from deciding whether or not to enter a new field or planning a portfolio of services. * We accept no limits, and ask the same of everyone else. In return, they work relentlessly to provide the tools, information, and inspiration to push past limitations and comfort zones. This challenger spirit galvanized us to meet the oil crisis in the 1970s by re-engineering our fuel efficient tractor engines for utility vehicles. It led us to take on the challenge of designing the Scorpio utility vehicle at a cost that many industry experts  thought was impossibly low. They’ve created completely new business models to enter areas others had written off or ignored, like our leading hospitality business and our rural financial services. And they just registered our highest ever profits despite the worst global recession since the Great Depression. This determination influences every aspect of our culture and our employees. As a result, each Mahindra business constantly pushes the envelope and raises the bar as they strive to deliver better value to our customers. * Alternative thinking means solving problems in ways no one has thought of before, by using fewer resources and entering markets thought to be unreachable. Take the Scorpio for example—they developed our best-in-class utility vehicle from the ground up using a process that put drivers’ needs first. Our Energy Solutions help businesses keep going when everyone else’s lights go out. They build two wheelers that provide affordable mobility solutions to more people. And our extensive arrays of innovative IT services are increasing productivity at some of the world’s leading companies. Thinking alternatively isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth it. * Driving Positive Change: Mahindra is a business with a conscience. Every product they make and each market they explore must make sound economic sense, but it just so happens that smart business decisions are often good for people and communities as well. They strive to spread positive impact through our products and services by greening our manufacturing process and by being a good employer. They want to be counted among the global companies that make incredible products and services, but they also wish to be recognized for creating a better world. From building green homes with the most eco-friendly materials to providing loans to rural entrepreneurs, from designing goods carriers that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) to offering educational programs and supporting Indian theatre, they strive to make a positive impact on all the lives they touch They created a tractor designed for small farming that is enabling farmers to mechanize for the first time. Our motivation to give our best every day comes from our core purpose: we will challenge conventional thinking and innovatively use all our resources to drive positive change in the lives of our stakeholders and communities across the world, to enable them to Rise. Our products and services support our customers’ ambitions to improve their living standards; our responsible business practices positively engage the communities they join through employment, education, and outreach; and our commitment to sustainable business is bringing green technology and awareness into the mainstream through our products, services, and light-footprint manufacturing processes. This commitment to sustainability—social, economic, and environmental—rests upon a set of core values. They are an amalgamation of what they have been, what they are, and what they want to be. These values are the compass that guides our actions, both personal and corporate. They are: * Good corporate citizenship: They will continue to seek long term success in alignment with the needs of the communities they serve. They will do this without compromising on ethical business standards. * Professionalism: They have always sought the best people for the job and given them the freedom and the opportunity to grow. They will continue to do so. They will support innovation and well reasoned risk taking, but will demand performance. * Customer first: They exist and prosper only because of the customer. They will respond to the changing needs and expectations of our customers speedily, courteously and effectively. * Quality focus: Quality is the key to delivering value for money to our customers. They will make quality a driving value in our work, in our products and in our interactions with others. They will do it ‘First Time Right.’ * Dignity of the individual: They will value individual dignity, uphold the right to express disagreement and respect the time and efforts of others. Through our actions, they will nurture fairness, trust, and transparency. 3. SWOT Analysis 4.1 Strengths * Mahindra has been one of the strongest brands in the Indian automobile mark. * Mahindra group give employment to over 110,000 employees. * Excellent branding and advertising, and low after sales service cost. * Sturdy SUV’s good for Indian roads and off-road terrain. * Over the years the company has emerged as one of the top players in the world in terms of number of tractors sold. This gives a clear indication that the company’s market shares one of its biggest strengths. * The company’s ability to introduce new products in the market and to generate sales from those new products is a major strength. * The reason being that this is very essential for any company, for its survival in the long run. The company has established its brand name in other countries of the world as well. * This is evident from the 40% market share that it holds in the 30-40 HP tractors market in the US. 4.2 Weakness * Mahindra’s partnership with Renault did not live up to international quality standards through their brand Logan. * The company is highly dependent on the rural sector, and the rural sector in turn is highly dependent on the monsoons. As a result, if there happen to be bad monsoons (less of rains) for two consecutive years it could have an adverse impact on the demand of tractors for the company. 4.3 Opportunity * Developing hybrid cars and fuel efficient cars for the future. * Tapping emerging markets across the world and building a global brand. * Fast growing automobile market. * Growing in the market through electric car Reva (controlling stake) and entry into two-wheeler segments. * The government has been trying to strengthen the exports of agricultural products. As a result, the quality of agricultural products necessarily has to be very high. For this, they need better rural and agricultural infrastructure. This might result in an  increase in demand for tractors. * In India, the penetration of tractors is 10 tractors per 1000 hectares of cropped area, which is much below the world average of 19 tractors for the same. Thus there is scope for the demand to increase. 4.4 Threats * Government policies for the automobile sector across the world. * Ever increasing fuel prices. * Intense competition from global automobile brands. * Substitute modes of public transport like buses, metro trains etc. * The company has a history of having invested in unrelated diversifications such as telecom, holiday and resort inns, financial services, etc. which it has hived off as subsidiaries from time to time when these turned unmanageable. * This is a cause for concern as such diversifications could divert the company’s attention from its core business. It is a dangerous tendency as it leads to destruction of shareholders value. * The entry of foreign players in the tractors segment could pose a threat to the company as these foreign players are technically more competitive than Mahindra & Mahindra. 4. ACQUISITIONS 5.1 Ssangyong Motor Company India’s Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. completes acquisition of a majority stake in SsangYong Motor Company On March 15, 2011, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), India’s leading manufacturer of utility vehicles, today announced that it has completed all formalities related to the acquisition of a majority stake in SsangYong Motor Company (SYMC) and that the company is no longer in Court Receivership. Mahindra had emerged as the preferred bidder for SsangYong in August 2010. This marks the beginning of a new journey for SYMC and will also pave the way for both Mahindra and SYMC to emerge as a strong force allied together in the global passenger vehicle industry, through their strategic partnership. Present on the occasion were Mr. Bharat Doshi, Executive Director & Group CFO, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. and Dr. Pawan Goenka who is President of Mahindra’s Automotive and Farm Equipment Sectors. Key officials from the Mahindra Group and SYMC were also present. For Mahindra, the biggest benefit from this partnership  will be the opportunity to harness synergies between the two companies, while protecting their respective brand identities and ensuring quality. Towards this end, a Synergy Council comprising of senior management from both companies will be established to ensure focus and delivery of synergies between the two companies. The Council will focus on various aspects such as global procurement, new car development and business strategy to penetrate international markets. Strategic plans such as the India project which involves launching the Rexton and Korando-C in India have already been kicked off. Also under discussion are opportunities for joint product and technology development and synergy in global operations and purchase. Mahindra has a strong IT system that is being reviewed for suitability for SsangYong. The company is also considering the possibility of Mahindra Finance setting up operations in Korea to enhance the sales of SsangYong vehicles. Mahindra has also proposed the following five point agenda for SsangYong: * Strengthening the product pipeline. * Harnessing synergies between the two companies. * Investing in the SYMC brand. * Building human resources. * Focusing on financial stability. SsangYong has also proposed the following investments: * In 2011, the business plan calls for a 70% investment increase in product development, as compared to last year, at over KRW 200 billion. * Over 40 billion KRW for brand building in Korea – a 60% increase over 2010 – and an increase in overseas brand investment by over four times, in 2011. Dr. Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive and Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., mentioned that Mahindra was extremely conscious of SYMC’s Korean heritage and would only want to enhance it. SsangYong will be an independently run Korean company – with largely Korean Management – and will remain a ‘Made in Korea’ Brand. He also announced that the new CEO of SYMC will be Mr. Yoo-il Lee, while Mr. Dilip Sundaram from Mahindra will be the new CFO. He also announced the names of the new Board of Directors of SsangYong Motor Company. â€Å"This is a landmark day for all of us at Mahindra  as it marks the beginning of what I am sure will be an enduring partnership with SsangYong Motor Company. I would like to thank all the employees of SsangYong as well as the company’s creditors for the help and cooperation extended to us during this long process. As one of the country’s premier automotive companies, SsangYong brings with it a rich legacy of R&D and innovation. This legacy, coupled with the synergies between the two companies in the areas of R&D, product development and platform sharing, will make the combined entity of Mahindra and SsangYong a force to reckon with in the global utility vehicle space. They are committed to nurturing the SsangYong brand in both the Korean and global markets and returning it to its days of glory,† said Dr. Pawan Goenka. â€Å"Mahindra brings with it a great deal of passion, domain expertise and knowledge of the global UV market, as India’s leading utility vehicle (UV) manufacturer. All of us at SsangYong look forward to working closely with the Mahindra team to help develop a new product portfolio and gain momentum in overseas markets,† said Mr. Yoo-il Lee, CEO, SsangYong Motor Company. 5.2 REVA Electric Car Co Ltd. Mahindra enters high growth electric car segment acquires majority stake in REVA REVA was established in Bangalore in 1994 as a joint venture between the Maini Group of Bangalore, India and AEV LLC of California, US. Its REVA electric vehicle was first commercially available in Bangalore in 2001 and in London in 2004, under the G-Wiz brand. REVA is a technology innovator with the largest deployed fleet of electric cars in the global market today, available in 24 countries across Europe, Asia and Central and South America with more than 3,500 of its vehicles on the road and the accumulated data from more than 100 million km of user experience. Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. Today strengthened its position in the Electric Vehicles domain with the acquisition of a majority stake in REVA Electric Car Co Ltd., Bangalore. REVA Electric Car Co Ltd. will be renamed Mahindra REVA Electric Vehicle Co Ltd. Under the new agreement which was signed today by both the companies, M&M will own 55.2% equity in Mahindra REVA by a combination of equity purchase from the promoters and a fresh equity infusion of over Rs 45 crores (approx US $10 million) into the company. The buyout makes the Mahindra group a strong global player in the electric vehicle space. Post  the buyout, the Board of Mahindra REVA has been re-constituted under the chairmanship of Dr Pawan Goenka, President Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra. The new board includes five nominees from Mahindra & Mahindra, two from the Maini family, and one from AEV LLC, California (co-founders of REVA). An independent director will be added to the board subsequently. Mr. Chetan Maini will continue to play a leading role in Mahindra REVA as Chief of Technology & Strategy and will continue to be on the board. Under its core Sustainable Mobility initiative, Mahindra has been working for the last 10 years on developing green technologies and has demonstrated diesel hybrid technology on the Scorpio and hydrogen Alfa three wheelers. Mahindra has a pilot fleet operating with 100% bio-diesel and was the first to launch micro-hybrid technology in India with around 50,000 such micro-hybrids on the road today. In EVs, over and above the electric three-wheeler Bijlee developed in 1999, it is also currently working on an electric version of its mini-truck, Maxximo. Mahindra REVA’s EV technology will be adapted for these and other M&M vehicles. Access to strong EV technology will strengthen Mahindra’s other current sustainability initiatives. REVA is currently marketing its products in 24 countries across the world with an overall vehicle population of over 3500, arguably the largest EV fleet globally. REVA recently premiered its next generation electric car models, the NXR and NXG which received an enthusiastic response. Mahindra REVA will now have access to Mahindra’s vehicle development technology and distribution network, significantly enhancing its ability to launch a state-of-the-art electric vehicle for global markets. Speaking on the acquisition, Mr Anand Mahindra, VC&MD, Mahindra & Mahindra said, â€Å"With issues such as climate change and carbon footprint taki ng centre stage globally, eco-friendly transportation becomes the need of the hour. Mahindra already has an established sustainable mobility solutions programme and our association with REVA will only help us further expand our green footprint both in India and overseas†. Dr Pawan Goenka, President (Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors), Mahindra & Mahindra and the newly elected Chairman of Mahindra REVA said, â€Å"This is a key strategic acquisition for Mahindra in its march towards sustainable mobility. Mahindra and REVA bring together complementary strengths. With  Mahindra’s vehicle engineering expertise, global distribution network, sourcing clout and financing support, REVA’s vehicles have the potential to significantly gain in market penetration. Mahindra will also benefit from REVA’s EV technology for its own products.† Mr Chetan Maini, Chief of Technology & Strategy, of the newly formed Mahindra REVA mentioned, â€Å"The EV market is poised to grow significantly and they concluded that in order to seize the opportunity they needed the resources and experience of a major automotive manufacturer. In Mahindra they have found a company that not only shares our vision of principled and sustainable growth but one that also has a reputation for good corporate governance. As a result of Mahindra’s investment, Mahindra REVA will be able to scale, innovate and accelerate and so to deliver better products to more customers in more places†. 5. GROWTH STRATEGY Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M) is the flagship brand of the $12.5 billion Mahindra Group, which operates with a portfolio comprising a wide spectrum of vehicles from two wheelers to heavy trucks, SUVs to school buses. M&M over the years has strengthened its position as one of the country’s premier utility vehicle (UV) and farm Equipment manufacturer with market share of over 50% in UV and 40% in tractors, respectively. It has recently entered 3-wheelers and CV segment. M&M is targeting sale of about 550,000 tractors in FY12E. 6.1 Investor’s Rationale During Q2FY12 net sales of M&M surged by 37.6% to `73,068 million from the `53,113 million in the year-ago quarter, driven by 35.9% and 35.5% growth in its automotive and farm equipment segment, respectively. Though operating margins for the current fiscal are likely to stay under pressure under tight liquidity and rising input cost scenario, they expect the revenues of M&M to reach `300-320 billion in the coming two year. At a time, when consecutive rate hikes, high inflationary data, strikes and  costlier fuel prices have crippled the Indian auto sales manufacturers, M&M has emerged as the only automotive player to have beaten the slowdown comprehensively with a growth of 21% in 2011. Considering M&M’s aggressive growth strategies to expand its global footprint with a range of new variants in the four-wheeler segment, they expect M&M to mark 11-14% rise in its FY12E sales realization. M&M complement the tag of no. 1 tractor manufacturer in the world in terms of volumes, occupying more than 40% of the domestic tractor market. With tractor demand fairly stable despite ongoing economical slowdown, the company is targeting sale of about 550,000 tractors next year. Beside, with the industry providing sufficient headroom for growth, they expect sales from the farm equipment segment of M&M to grow 17-18% by the end of FY12. M&M acquisition of SYMC Motors (SYMC) gives the UV product line of the company an extension into the premium SUV segment with an established foothold in the markets of South America, Russia etc. The management expects 50% volume growth at 113,000-114,000 units for SYMC in CY11 and aims to sell 160,000 units by 2013 and 300,000 units by 2015-16 from the unit. 6.2 High volume in tractor segment drives Q2FY12 revenue During Q2FY12, M&M net sales surged by 37.6% to `73,068 million from the `53,113 million in the year-ago quarter, driven by 35.9% and 35.5% growth in its automotive and farm equipment segment revenue, respectively. Besides, the operating expenditure of the company increased by 43% to `64,866 million mainly due to the increase in raw material cost and employee expenses by 33% and 20% respectively. The strong volume growth across the vehicle and tractors segment despite of a difficult market situation and a tight control on expenses has helped lift the EBITDA by 6.3% to `8,202 million from `7,719 million in the corresponding quarter last year. Further, owing to the sharp rise in the interest and depreciation charges, the net profit margin (NPM) dropped by 375bps to 9.7%. M&M’s standalone net profit at `7,374 million declined 2.8% from `7,585 million in the corresponding period preceding year, due to a foreign exchange loss. The company has suffered a foreign exchange net loss of `320 million, as the rupee fell 8.8% against the dollar  in the July-September quarter. Going further, they expect the revenues of M&M to reach 321 billion in the coming two year, making a contribution of 950-980 basis points to its present EBITDA margins. 6.3 Robust November sales volume, higher realizations to drive performance in FY12E M&M’s November total sales volume in the automotive segment reported a robust growth of 53% (y-o-y) at 40,722 units, with a significant contribution of 38,159 units from the domestic terrain. A high volume growth of 46% in the passenger Utility Vehicles (UVs) segment led the domestic four-wheeler sales while sales volume in the three wheeler segment grew 32% during the month. M&M’s UV and three wheeler export during the month also grew 71% at 2,563 units against 1,500 units a year ago. Meanwhile, M&M’s Farm Equipment Sector division reported a 3% fall in tractor sales to 17,527 units in November with domestic sales falling 5% to 16,175 units backed by issues related to the credit flow to the domestic farm sector. The company’s tractor export increased 33% to 1,352 units during the month against 1018 units sold to overseas market in the same period prior year. At a time, when consecutive rate hikes, high inflationary data, strikes and costlier fuel prices have badly hampered the Indian auto sales numbers; M&M has emerged as the only automotive company to have beaten the slowdown comprehensively with a growth of 21% in 2011. Backed by significant demand for M&M’s premium sports utility vehicle, XUV500, the company is aggressively working to double its production to clear its order backlog of 9,500 units by January 2012. Considering, M&M’s ability to outperform the industry numbers despite strong economic headwinds and its proposed variants in both two-wheeler and four wheeler segment, they expect M&M to mark 11-14% rise in its FY12E sales realization. 6.4 Increased focus in the tractor segment to drive M&M growth in FY13 M&M complement the tag of no. 1 tractor manufacturer in the world in terms of volumes supported by 1,300 dealers with over 2,200 service points, 7 tractor plants and 1 foundry. The tractor segment has been fairly stable during the ongoing economical slowdown and has registered a growth of 20% in the current fiscal. M&M with more than 40% share in the tractor industry of the country has gone a long way in keeping pace with the industry growth. The company is targeting sale of about 550,000 tractors next year. Market share movements have been slower with a 0.5% to 1% change in a year. However, it was successful in penetrating newer villages that accounted 10,000 units in such markets. Growing focus in the tractor division will also provide further assistance to M&M as slowdown in rural consumption has not been experienced yet. Besides, the strong replacement demand will be a key support in the near term as it accounts for 40% of sales. India’s tractor industry is well poised to register 10-12% growth in FY13 and with labor shortage driving the farm mechanization; the industry is likely to register a 20% growth in the coming three years. With the industry providing sufficient headroom for growth, they expect sales from the farm equipment segment of M&M to grow 17-18% by the end of FY12. 6.5 Macro factors- to drive the expected demand for farm equipment The quantum of tractors bought using cash payments has increased to 20-25% of sales in India, compared with 10% earlier, which reflects buoyancy in rural incomes. About 40% of the current tractor demand is from the replacement market. Though there is some concern about rural economy and consumption is slowing down, M&M has not seen any slowdown in rural consumption. Shortage in farm labour has also acted as a key catalyst for tractor demand. Tractors are no longer a luxury for the rich farmers, but a tool for better cost management. 6.6 New launches, foray into new segments to augment future growth In FY11, M&M registered domestic volumes growth of 24% led by new product launches and strong performance from existing product ranges. It launched  Gio, Xylo, Thar, Maximmo, Yuvraj, Genio and Arjun MAT, during the year which is likely to power the company’s growth in future. Besides, M&M has also lined-up new launches, which would help bring additional volumes. It is ready to enter the market with a new SUV, 4-seater electric car, re-launch of Stallio motorcycle, two new versions of Verito, one SUV with SsangYong in India, aerospace components and mine protected vehicle (MPV-I). M&M’s recently launched XUV500 SUV received remarkable response from the domestic consumers. Priced at `10.8 lakhs, the company has rightly positioned XUV500 in the market for people who desires something above `7 lakhs and below `15-20 lakhs. As a result, M&M’s the XUV500 has gone a long way to set a booking record of 8,000 units in just 10 days of being launched in 5 cities of the country. 6.7 SYMC to add value in premium UVs Acquisition of SYMC Motors (SYMC) gives the UV product line of the company an extension into the premium SUV segment. SYMC has a distribution network of over 130 dealers in Korea and 1,200 dealers in more than 90 countries. The acquisition gives M&M access to SYMC’s popular product portfolio with an established foothold in the markets of South America, Russia, Eastern and Western Europe, and Africa which bodes well for M&M‘s plans to launch a global SUV this year. The management has guided 50% volume growth at 113,000-114,000 units for SYMC in CY11, with the recent launch of Korando-C. Thus, the acquisition of Korean company SYMC augurs well for M&M in the long term, placing it on a new growth trajectory. As debt woes continue to plague one of its largest markets Europe SYMC is eyeing to enter emerging markets including India, China and Russia playing a bigger role in a bid to boost volumes in 2012 with a year-on-year volume growth of 40%. The company aims to sell 160,000 units by 2013 and 300,000 units by 2015-16. M&M-SYMC have finalised a combined future product portfolio strategy, which will see 3 new platforms and 4 new products coming in from both partners. The new sourcing strategy for M&M-SYMC is being put into  place, which will see both companies sourcing an enormous $20 billion of components over the next 5 years. This huge sourcing is expected to bring in economies of scale and reduce the cost for the duo. 6.8 Strategic growth plan for Mahindra Navistar to drive M&M future growth Mahindra Navistar Automotives Limited (MNAL), which is a 51:49 joint venture between M&M and Navistar Inc., is planning to launch at least two new models—a 49-tonne tractor trailer and a 25-tonne tipper for the mining sector in H2FY12E. Intending to establish a pan India presence, the company further intends to increase its current 48 dealership across various cities to around 100 by adding 50 new dealers by the end of FY13E. With a targeted growth of 9% in the second half of FY12E, the company is planning to see cash break-even in the next 12 months. Further, the company is planning to invest around `2.50 billion to add few more variants in the heavy-duty goods commercial vehicles segment, which in turn will help the company ramp up volumes and use its factory capacity fully in the next three years. 6.9 M&M eyes to enter larger South Asian market The largest utility vehicle maker of the country is planning to set up an assembly plant in Southeast Asia in the next few years as a part of its strategy to expand its global presence through its entry to markets in Thailand and Indonesia. Currently, M&M exports vehicles to Malaysia and is aiming to expand to other markets in ASEAN region. Over the next four to five years, M&M sees at least 15-20% of its total export volumes coming from this region. In FY11, M&M exported 17,000 units of utility vehicles and pick-ups and around 11,000 tractors. The company is aiming to double overseas revenues to more than $1 billion by 2013 and is aiming two-fold increase in volumes to 100,000 units. 6.10 M&M to launch its first compact Car in 2012 M&M is eyeing to launch its first compact car after it acquired Reva  Electric Car Company in 2001. The SUV-maker is aggressively working to launch its first compact car in the country Reva NXR by 2012. With a mileage of about 9.6 km for every `3 spent, the Reva NXR, ensures nine times the mileage generated by the country’s most fuel-efficient petrol-powered car. At a time, when petrol prices are breaking new highs M&M expects its Reva NXR to seek significant attention from the consumers who spend `7,000-8,000 every month on petrol. Beside, M&M is also establishing one of world’s biggest manufacturing bases for electric cars of 30,000 units per annum near Bangalore, which is likely to commence production in FY13. With increased demand for electric cars, M&M apart from its marketing strategy to sell its Reva NXR through an expanded network of 100 outlets in India, the company is also mulling over rolling its new electric car model in countries like Norway, which houses the highest consumer market for electric cars in the world. After M&M lead development in the electric car market of India, many other car makers are also developing concept vehicles to cater to the emerging demand for Electric vehicles in India in the years to come. Polaris India, a major multi terrain vehicle manufacturing company is planning to introduce electric cars to Indian market. Considering the rising fuel prices, the impact on power and utilities companies of the electric vehicle market is likely to attain consumer attention in medium to long term. 6. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS The part of Indian automotive industry in Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd comprises of a number of Indian-origin and multinational players with varying degree of presence in different segments. Today, nine of the top ten global automotive manufacturers have a presence in India which clearly points to its importance as a strategic market. Similarly, the domestic tractor market also has a mix of Indian-origin and international manufacturers and is segmented by horsepower. While the automotive segment is doing well and has already clocked an average volume growth of 28% in April and May 2012, it may face problems in the form of policy decisions. The proposal to impose a higher excise duty on diesel cars/SUVs, which is yet to be implemented, is like a Damocles sword hanging over the company. The differential in diesel pricing, which means charging less for transport trucks and more for diesel cars/SUVs, is another proposal that can make life difficult for Mahindra & Mahindra. Though the company cannot do anything about the monsoon, the management is taking several steps to revive growth in the farm segment and maintain a high growth rate in the automotive segment. With this in mind, Mahindra & Mahindra is set to launch six new products, which will cover both the segments, during 2012-13. Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, the only manufacturer of electric cars in India, plans to introduce at least five such vehicles in the next three years to take advantage of a government plan to spend Rs. 14,000 crore to boost the popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles in the country. Therefore Mahindra is considered at the top in the automobile sector as of date. The growth strategy adopted by the company will have a colourful future for the company.