Thursday, October 31, 2019

Why we should buy American made vehicles over foreign vehicles Essay

Why we should buy American made vehicles over foreign vehicles - Essay Example 274). Many people refer globalization as Americanization rather than anything else. In their opinion, the concept of globalization was introduced by America and other capitalist countries to loot the wealth of other countries. However, recent statistics show that America failed to exploit the opportunities presented by globalization whereas China and India like countries were successful in exploiting it. Recent recession affected America more than any other country in the world. In short, globalization brought more harm than good to the Americans. Automotive industry is one business area in which globalization brought revolutionary changes. Even though America is one of the major car manufacturing countries in the world, majority of the Americans purchase foreign cars such as Mercedes Benz, BMW, Toyota, Honda, Nissan etc. The demand for American cars in American market is less compared to that for foreign cars. Huge American automobile manufacturing companies, such as General Motors, are struggling to survive in the car market at present. It should be noted that plenty of American car manufacturers have already reduced their number of employees and car production because of weaker demand. In short, globalization and subsequent developments in the business circles are causing huge problems to Americans now. American economy is struggling at present. Under the above circumstances, it is the duty of every American to give a helping hand to the revitalization of American economy. Purchasing of American made products is one way of helping American economic growth. This paper analyses the reasons why we should buy American made vehicles over foreign vehicles. According to Mark Karlin (2012), â€Å"The auto industry has a long history of providing sound jobs and contributing to economic prosperity in the U.S. Now it’s time for consumers to give back by choosing domestic cars

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Marketing a New Service Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 13750 words

Marketing a New Service - Case Study Example The service thus conceived has the potential to generate revenue from two channels- the insurer and the medical centers. This is explained in greater detail in the section titled "The Proposed Service". Targeting the ideal customers delineated as those who would need minimum financial outlay for the sale to close. These could be customers who are already buying from the company and would therefore be receptive to new ideas This paper begins with a review of literature which explores the key marketing concepts and principles that can be applied to the marketing of a new product or service. The review focuses on marketing of services, how the marketing of service differs from that of product and how the environment impacts marketing strategy and marketing efforts. The section reviews the 4 Ps of marketing, SWOT analysis, McKinsey's 7S model, stakeholder analysis, PESTLE analysis and BSC model. The next section of this paper explains in detail the service being proposed, and analyses its profitability and feasibility. It discusses in detail about the marketing environment and gives background on the company that will launch this service. The section explores how marketing concepts discussed in the review of literature apply to this innovative service. 2. Review of Literature Traditionally, marketing is explained as anything that creates business or keeps a customer. Blanchard (2003) states that customers are the reason for a company to stay in business and thus customer input and customer preferences must shape almost all aspects of work. It is also said that Marketing consists of the strategies and tactics used to identify, create and maintain satisfying relationships with customers that result in value for both the customer and the marketer. This definition can be explained further. Strategies refer to the direction that marketing effort will assume over a period of time, while tactics are specified steps or decisions made in order to follow the strategies established. Strategic and tactical planning

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Rituximab Discovery Process

Rituximab Discovery Process Description of the Target Disease Rituximab (Rituxan) is a distinct monoclonal antibody for curing of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma(NHL) or chronic lymphocytic leukemia. This drug is also used in conjunction with methotrexate to cure symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. This form of cancer begins from the lymphatic system and extends all over the body. In this disease, tumor grows from lymphocytes-a variety of white blood cell. The lymphatic system is a fraction of the immune system and aids battle infections and other ailments in addition to sieving out bacteria. Clear liquid called lymph runs via the lymphatic vessels and have white blood cells called lymphocytes that fight infections (Kim 266). Although there are several diverse kinds of lymphoma that exist, this specific type is mostly widespread. The major indicator of the health is the presence of a bump in a lymph node. In the UK, over 11,000 infections of lymphoma are detected each year. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is related with ageing as the chances of gett ing the illness increases with age and its typical age of detection is estimated at 65. While the root of the health condition is unidentified, the risk features of developing it consist of having a health condition that deteriorates the immune system, previous contact with high amounts of radiation and being formerly in contact with Epstein-Barr virus. The standard way to verify the presence of this form of lymphoma is by conducting a biopsy (investigation of infected lymph bump. Survival chances of a patient with illness differ significantly depending on the actual type, status and phase of the lymphoma. Rituximab (Rituxan) vaccine is used in the curing of lymphoma and was discerned at IDEC Pharmaceuticals’ laboratories in 1991 and marketed by Genentech, a subordinate of Roche Group. The antibody was hereditarily engineered and used to generate high-yield expression structures. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) endorsed Rituximab in 1997 for curing this type of lymphoma. The vaccine received EU endorsement in June 1998 and sold under the brand name MabThera. On January 2011, the FDA endorsed Rituxan for treatment of superior follicular lymphoma (Carson et al. 820). Pharmaceutical Discovery Process of Rituxan As a curative IgG1 kappa antibody, Rituxan has mouse variable areas separated from anti-CD20 antibody. The antibody targets the lymphoma by binding itself with high resemblance to the cells having the CD20 antigen present on the exterior of normal B cells, excluding other regular cells. It mediates complement-reliant tissue lysis in the existence of human balance and antibody-reliant cellular cytotoxicity. The vaccine helps the immune system of the body to eradicate the stained CD20 B cells, reproduce new strong tissues from the lymphoid and takes them back to normal phases within a period of twelve months. In addition, the drug has been proven to stimulate apoptosis and modifies chemo-resistant lymphoma cells into in vitro (Ghetie et al. 1395). Clinical Phases of Rituximab Clinical trials are potential biomedical studies on human beings that are created to gather information about precise question on biomedical interventions. They are vital to the development of new drugs and vaccines used to prevent and cure diseases. Clinical researches are carried out to ascertain whether an innovative medication is secure and effective. Such studies are conducted after satisfactory information has been collected and approved by health authorities in the country of research. Ideally, clinical trials on new medicines comprises of four stages. Each phase of the procedure is regarded as a distinct clinical trial and the medicine development goes through all the stages over several years. After successfully proceeding through all the four phases, the drug is eventually endorsed by the regulatory authority for utilization in the whole population. The first phase of clinical development of Rituximab began in 1993. This phase involves the examination of biochemical effects of medicines on the body (pharmacodynamics) and the assessment of the body affects a drug (pharmacokinetics). In single-arm (pharmacodynamics) research, 166 patients who had B cell lymphoma were given four doses of 375 m/m2 of Rituxan as an intravenous infusion on weekly basis. Patients who had tumor of more than10cm in the marginal blood were not included in the study. It was observed that the infusion of Rituxan caused reduction of circulating B cells. Among the 166 patients infected with lymphoma, circulating B cells were lessened in the initial three weeks with continued reduction for 6 months following the treatment, in 83% of the patients. B cell revival began at about six months and the mean B cell levels went back to usual levels by 12 months after conclusion of treatment. It was also observed that there were continued and statistically considerable d epletion in serum levels from five to eleven months, after Rituximab administration Idusogie (Esohe et al. 1480). In pharmacokinetics study, 203 lymphoma patients were given four doses of 375mg/m2 Rituxan intravenous infusion on weekly basis. Rituxan was identified in the patients’ serum within 3 to 6 months following conclusion of treatment. The pharmacokinetic outline of Rituximab when given in form of six infusions of 375mg/m2in conjunction with six doses of chemotherapy was comparable to that observed with Rituximab only. In accordance to 298 non-Hodgkin’s patients who were given Rituximab dose once weekly, scrutiny of information indicated that the median terminal eradication lifespan was twenty two days (series of 6 to 52 days). The patients who had more CD19 cell tally or bigger measurable tumor before treatment indicated higher clearance. Age and sex had no impact on the Rituximab’s pharmacokinetics (Byrd et al. 790). Patients were exposed to varying from a single mixture up to a period of two years. Rituxan was researched in single and regulated trials. Majority of the patients obtained 375mg/m2 of Rituxan infusion, provided as a solitary agent on weekly basis up to eight doses, in conjunction with eight doses of chemotherapy or 16 doses of chemotherapy. Many of the lymphoma patients reported various infusion reactions comprising of fever, nausea, angioedema, headache, rash, vomiting, pruritus, myaldia, bronchospasm and dizziness after the initial Rituxan infusion. The infusion responses generally happened in 30 to 120 minutes after the initial infusion and steadied with slowing of the Rituxan infusion coupled with helpful care. The occurrence of the infusion effects was highest at the in initial infusion (77%) and reduced gradually with each preceding infusion. Patients who previously had untreated health condition and did not show a rank 3 or 4 reaction associated with infusion in cycle 1 and obtained of 90 minutes Rituxan infusion at cycle 2, the occurrence of Grade3 to 4 infusion associated responses was 1.1% on or a day following the infusion. In cycles 2 to 8, the occurrence of Grade 3 to 4 infusion responses after the 90 minutes was 2.8% on or a day following the infusion (McLaughlin et al. 1765). Severe infections (Grade 3 or 4), consisting of sepsis, happened in not more than 5% of the lymphoma patients in the single-arm researches. The general occurrence of illnesses was 31% (viral 10%, unknown 6%, bacterial 19% and fungal 1%). In the haphazard regulated researches where Rituxan had been given after chemotherapy for the healing of the medical condition, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the speed of infection was greater amongst the patients who had been given Rituxan. In scattered lymphoma patients with large B-cell, viral infections happened more repeatedly for those who had obtained Rituxan. For lymphoma patients who had been given Rituximab monotheraphy, 48% of them displayed cytopenias of score 3 and 4. These comprised lymphopenia (40%), thrombocytopenia (2%). leucopenia (4%) and neutropenia (6%) .The mean period was 14 days for lymphopenia (range, 1 to 588 days) and 13 days for neutropenia (range, 2 to 116 days). Further, a single incidence of red cell aplastic (transient anemia) and two incidences of hemolytic anemia after Rituxan treatment happened at some stages in the single-arm researches. In the researches of monotheraphy, induced B-cell reduction happened in 71% to 81% of the lymphoma patients. Reduced serum levels of IgM and IgG happened in 14% of the patients (Idusogie et al. 1487). In phase III of the clinical trials were based on primary Rituxan and maintenance. This clinical trial was carried out in an open and randomized way comprising of two treatment stages and 1217 non-Hodgkin’s patients were enrolled. The research assessed the safety of Rituxan when mixed with chemotherapy in curing patients possessed with the medical condition. The principal outcome gauge was to unearth the Progression Free Survival (PFS) duration from randomization to development, death or relapse. The secondary result measure consisted assessment of response paces, chemotherapy treatments mixed both with and devoid of Rituxan and event motivated endurance endpoints. For the initial treatment, eight doses of Rituxan mixed with diverse chemotherapy were utilized. Patients who reacted to the first treatment were dispersed to obtain Rituxan on one occasion in a period of two months, for duration of two years, as the only agent. The resulted obtained indicated that the prescription of Rituxan in conjunction with chemotherapy for the particular period multiplied twice the PFS in the lymphoma patients. The research also confirmed that the protection and effectiveness of 375mg/m2 Rituxan was constant in the subsequently utilized pivotal researches when utilized solely or in conjunction with chemotherapy unlike those who ceased receiving Rituxan. Patients who were given Rituxan showed Grade 2 infection. Grade 3 to 4 severe responses of small white blood cell tally and infections were reported to be advance in Rituxan group. Post Marketing Experience As these reactions are detailed willingly from a populace of tentative size, it is impossible to dependably approximate their frequency or develop an informal association to drug exposure. Choices to consider in these reactions when labeling are normally based on the following aspect: seriousness of response, incidence of reporting, or potency of causal attachment to Rituxan. There are no sufficient and well-regulated researches on the use of Rituximab in expectant. post marketing information pointed out that B lymphocytopenia cell typically enduring not more than six months can happen in infants subjected to Rituximab in the uterus. Rituximab was discovered in the serum of newborns after birth. NHL is a severe illness that necessitates treatment. Rituximab ought to be utilized only during pregnancy if the probable gain to the mother validates potential threat to the fetus. Reproduction researches in cynomolgus monkeys at motherly exposures comparable to human curative exposures indi cated no sign of teratogenic effects. Although B cell tissue was lessened in the progeny of treated monkeys, b cell tally returned to usual points after six months of delivery (Leget et al. 547). In the case of nursing mothers, it is unidentified whether Rituxan is produced into human milk. Published information proposes that antibodies present in breast milk stops from going into the infant circulations in significant amounts. FDA has not necessitated pediatric researches in Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (PJIA) people of ages below 16 years due to worry of potential extended immune suppression in the growing immature immune system. Therefore, the safety of Rituxan in people with pediatric condition has not been ascertained. Immunogenicity Just like with all curative proteins, there is a possibility of immunogenicity. The indentified occurrence of positivity of antibody in an assay is greatly reliant on various factors comprising assay sensitivity, sample handling, assay methodology, concomitant treatments, sample gathering timing and underlying ailment. Due to the above reasons, assessment of the occurrence of antibodies to Rituximab and to other results may be deceiving. While utilizing an ELISA assay, Human Anti-Chimerical Antibody (HACA) was observed in (1.1%) 4 of 436 people with the lymphoma acquiring sole-agent Rituxan. 75% of the patients had purposive clinical reaction (Leget et al. 549). After the successful completion of the clinical trials on November 26, 1997, the Food and Drug Administration endorsed Rituximab, for showing the presence of follicular lymphoma. It formed the foremost monoclonal antibody endorsed for curing of cancer and the foremost sole agent endorsed precisely for healing of the specific lymphoma. Rituximab in conjunction with chemotherapy (CHOP) is better to CHOP only in the curing of huge lymphoma cells and various forms of B-cell lymphomas. The appropriate intravenous dose of 375mg/m2 is four weekly infusions. Healing is endured and outpatient treatment is feasible. Severe incidences are mainly grade 1 and 2, happening mostly with the initial infusion. In phase II sole-agent, the overall reaction pace was 50% with 10 months mean time to progression in patients. The bigger multicenter clinical test of 166 patients, the general reaction tempo was 48% (6% complete and 42% incomplete reactions). The median duration of reaction was 11 months and 13 months for responders. Activity has also been observed in patients with huge disease. Rituximab, endorsed for curing cancer, is safe and valuable in treating people with the health condition (Jazirehi Benjamin 2120). Mechanism of Action Rituximab attaches itself particularly to the antigen CD20, (B-lymphocyte-restricted segregation antigen, Bp35), a transmembrane protein that has a molecular mass of about 35 kD centered on B-lymphocytes. In the particular lymphoma, the antigen is shown on 90% of the B cells. However, the antigen does not exist on hematopoietic cells, normal plasma tissues or pro-B cells. CD20 controls an initial stride in the activation procedure for tissue cycle initiation and segregation, and probably operates as a calcium ion path.CD20 is not eradicated from the cell exterior and is not internalized when the antibody starts binding. B cells function also in the pathogenesis of the disease, rheumatoid arthritis and are related to chronic synovitis. In this situation, B cells might be operating at multiple locations in the autoimmune process, going through generation of rheumatoid factor (RF), antigen presentation and other autoantibodies production. The Fab realm of Rituximab attaches to the antig en CD20 present on the disease and its domain enlists immune effectors roles to intervene B-cell into vitro. Probable means of cell lysis comprise of Antibody-Dependent Cell Mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and Complement-Dependent Cytotoxitiy (CDC) (Janas et al. 442). The antibody has been demonstrated to stimulate apoptosis in the B-cell lymphoma. During tissue cross-reactivity, it was noted that Rituximab attached on the lymphoid tissues in the thymus, and on greater part of B-lymphocytes in marginal lymph and blood lumps. Little binding was seen in the non-lymphoid cells examined. Rituxan Prescription Administration of Rituxan to patients can cause severe side effects, which can eventually lead to death. Infusion reactions are the major usual side effects that occur. Severe infusion responses normally happen within 24 hours of initial infusion. It is important for patients to receive medicines to aid in reducing the possibility of having adverse infusion reactions from doctors. Patients with adverse infusion reaction history and other severe infections must notify their physicians before obtaining Rituxan. In case of occurrence of symptoms such as rash, sudden cough, itchiness, weakness and palpitations, patients should contact their doctors to obtain medication immediately. Other adverse side effects encompass Hepatitis B Virus reactivation, severe skin reaction and Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML). Rituxan is administered by intravenous infusion through a needle. Blood tests are normally performed to ensure that no conditions that can safe hinder use of Rituxan ( Grillo-Là ³pez Antonio 770). The success and effectiveness of Rituximab has resulted in the development of advance anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies. The advance value of Rituximab has given it superior edge over other drugs available in the market for the healing of the lymphoma. Amid its enhanced binding effect to cancerous B cells, Rituximab continues to dominate the market. Works cited Byrd, John C., et al. Rituximab therapy in hematologic malignancy patients with circulating blood tumor cells: association with increased infusion-related side effects and rapid blood tumor clearance. Journal of Clinical Oncology 17.3 (1999): 791-791. Carson, Kenneth R., et al. Monoclonal antibody-associated progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy in patients treated with rituximab, natalizumab, and efalizumab: a Review from the Research on Adverse Drug Events and Reports (RADAR) Project. The lancet oncology 10.8 (2009): 816-824. Ghetie, M. A., Bright, H., Vitetta, E. S. (2001). Homodimers but not monomers of Rituxan (chimeric anti-CD20) induce apoptosis in human B-lymphoma cells and synergize with a chemotherapeutic agent and an immunotoxin. Blood, 97(5), 1392-1398. Grillo-Là ³pez, Antonio J. Rituximab (Rituxan ®/MabThera ®): the first decade (1993-2003). Expert review of anticancer therapy 3.6 (2003): 767-779. Janas, E., et al. Rituxan (antià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ CD20 antibody)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ induced translocation of CD20 into lipid rafts is crucial for calcium influx and apoptosis. Clinical Experimental Immunology 139.3 (2005): 439-446. Jazirehi, Ali R., and Benjamin Bonavida. Cellular and molecular signal transduction pathways modulated by rituximab (rituxan, anti-CD20 mAb) in non-Hodgkins lymphoma: implications in chemosensitization and therapeutic intervention. Oncogene 24.13 (2005): 2121-2143. Kim, Julian A. Targeted therapies for the treatment of cancer. The American journal of surgery 186.3 (2003): 264-268. Leget, Gail A., and Myron S. Czuczman. Use of rituximab, the new FDA-approved antibody. Current opinion in oncology 10.6 (1998): 548-551. McLaughlin, Peter, et al. Clinical status and optimal use of rituximab for B-cell lymphomas. Oncology (Williston Park, NY) 12.12 (1998): 1763-9. Idusogie, Esohe E., et al. Mapping of the C1q binding site on rituxan, a chimeric antibody with a human IgG1 Fc. The Journal of Immunology 164.8 (2000): 4178-4184. Rapoport, A. P., et al. Autotransplantation for advanced lymphoma and Hodgkins disease followed by post-transplant rituxan/GM-CSF or radiotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy. Bone marrow transplantation 29.4 (2002): 303-312.

Friday, October 25, 2019

The First World War (WWI) :: World War 1 I One

World War I was definitely a greater contributor to the course if European civilization than the French revolution. WWI dissolved empires and shaped a generation of men, Where as the French Revolution primarily affected France and didn’t even abolish the monarchy. WWI brought things like the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, this dissolved Germany as a power, but also brought forth mass retaliation in the form of Nazi movement. Because of this Czechoslovakia emerges as independent. WWI also started the League of Nations, which was brought out internationalized thinking. And in reference to the dissolved empires I’m speaking of primarily the Ottoman, German, and Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Where in Germany we saw the fall of Wilhelm II.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the war there was footage of the battle of Somme released by the British government, which altered the way, we viewed war at that time. This brought forth the end to the â€Å"gentlemen’s war† and brought forth trench warfare and gassing. This also coined the term shell-shocked as 7 million men were permanently wounded and had things such as deafness, blindness, stutters, and hallucinations. Junger wrote, â€Å"a battle such as the world had never seen.† He called it a scientific war, and pointed out the machine-made destruction. He wrote, â€Å"Chivalry took a final farewell†. John Reed in the 10 days of war wrote about the Russian revolution where they revolted against â€Å"strong and rich nation dividing.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Where as the French Revolution affected mostly themselves and it really didn’t even do what it started out to do, end the Monarchy and the Old regime. Sieyes wanted a citizenship based on usefulness not birth. Plus at the end of the revolution we see the restoration of the monarchy and the old regime.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Overcoming the Improvement Paradox Essay

Quality improvement programs are designed based on research, a company’s needs and the promise of improving the functioning of a business, both from a management standpoint and in the eyes of the employee. Research proves that they are not only productive, but necessary. In fact it is suggested that without a quality improvement program, businesses may fail. The reality is that most programs end in failure. The European Management Journal has termed this the â€Å"Improvement Paradox.† They have identified an inability of management to implement an improvement program as a dynamic process is the main reason for that failure. The term dynamic is used to identify a process that is ever changing, ongoing, and responsive to the needs of the company and to the needs of the employee. The process must identify issues and concerns and then be implement changes based on those issues and concerns. This is where the process falls short. Failure to monitor the feedback of employees and make necessary changes can lead to â€Å"unanticipated and even harmful side effects.† (2) The internal dynamics of an organization will impact the success or failure of an improvement program. Management needs to recognize three issues prior to implementation of a quality improvement program; what will the trade off be between current performance levels and future performance levels, managers need to ensure that their level of commitment is passed on to employees, and finally, as the program improves, managers will need to shift their focus and adapt for further gains. As stated previously, any improvement effort may have unanticipated events. The first effect noted may be a decrease in production or the time that employees have to focus on output. To overcome this problem, it is recommended that employees not focus on a numerical production quota, but rather devote a certain percentage of each day to working on quality improvement. Without allowing for the change in production, processes will be overlooked and may create a crisis. Managers need to allocate a portion of employee time to improvement efforts, separate of what they need for production. The second challenge is in initiating and sustaining employee commitment to the improvement process. There are two sources of commitment for improvement programs; managerial push and employee pull. Managerial push is the effort to promote improvement efforts of mandate employees to participate. Employee pull refers to an employee’s understanding of the need for improvement and commitment to the process. Employee pull will have the greatest impact on the success of the improvement process. The tendency is for managers to be very enthusiastic initially, but sustaining the enthusiasm becomes difficult. If employees are located in an area that is separate from management or one that is difficult to supervise, the challenge becomes even greater. Self-reinforcing feedback will have the greatest impact on sustaining the improvement process. Employees need to perceive that improvement efforts will be beneficial. In determining the success or benefit of a program, employees measure their expectations with the progress that is made. If expectations are set too high, the improvement process is likely to fail. The improvement goals need to be defined in measurable terms as well as defining a completion date. It is common to underestimate the amount of time needed to complete the improvement goals. If the goals and the timeline are not realistic, it is likely to result in a lack of funds and time available to meet the goals.   Any improvement process requires that the employees be trained for the process and that communication exist between management and employees to allow for a thorough exchange of communication. In addition, an infrastructure needs to be created that will support the process. Seldom will one improvement process cover the entire organization, resulting in a multitude of changes taking place concurrently. Because these processes are taking place in one organization, they must share resources, as in time and money. The benefit is that often the process that helps improve one department can be carried over to another department and implemented, provided there are adequate personnel and resources. Once an improvement process is successful, increased productivity can lead to layoffs. This can create fear in employees and not provide motivation for them to be successful. One way of guaranteeing their success is to provide them with job security if they participate in the program. Successful improvement may also create more demand than an organization is able to meet. This can cause more problems within the organization. Organizations often go into an improvement process without being fully prepared, which ultimately ends in disaster and perhaps with even more challenges than were present previously. Management fails to recognize the organizational and economic challenges that will take place and ultimately stand in their way without adequate planning. Further, organizations fail to plan for the unanticipated effects of improvement training. The overall process is straightforward, but may take more planning than most companies plan for. To improve quality overall is not simply developing a plan and putting into action. It requires assessing where you are and identifying where you would like to be. In the midst of that process, organizations and managers will need to evaluate and reevaluate to determine if they are meeting their goals, and if not, what changes need to be made. Research has proven that total quality management has the ability to improve work settings and improve employee satisfaction, and therefore ultimately improve customer satisfaction and the bottom line. Organizations want quality improvement, however the â€Å"improvement paradox† creates a situation that may not be affordable. If improvement is desired, to what extent are companies willing to accept the unanticipated results? What â€Å"extra† resources are available to deal with changes as they arise? This plan, created to deal with the crises that occur during a â€Å"quality improvement process,† provide an excellent plan for organizations to deal with the changes as they occur. Further, they provide warning for those issues that were not anticipated. Pushing people harder generates immediate, visible returns, but subtle, long-range problems. Changing the organizational processes to help people work smarter, however, can actually cause productivity to fall in the short term. So managers take the safe route and focus on people, usually pressuring for more results and less cost. Unfortunately, most organizations cannot get past that initial boost in productivity in the work harder scenario and the initial sag in the work harder approach. But if you want permanent improvement for your sales organization, it will take an investment in process. There are ways to minimize the sag in productivity, but they may require a corresponding increase in resources assigned at the start. But it can be worth it†¦the vicious cycle of the work harder approach becomes a virtuous cycle where productivity continues at a high level, and profitability climbs dramatically. References Keating, E., Oliva, R., Nelson, P., Rockart, S., Sterman, J. 1999. Overcoming the Improvement Paradox. European Management Journal. As found http://www.isixsigma.com/offsite.asp?A=Fr&Url=http://web.mit.edu/jsterman/www/EMJPaper.pdf

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Case on Industrial Dispute Essay

Road Transport Corporation (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Corporation’), has been constituted under the Road Transport Corporation Act, 1950. The respondent which is a Trade Union of the appellant-Corporation, filed an Application before the Labour Court, Dehradun under Section 11-C of the U. P. Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 read with Section 13A of the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, praying for a declaration that the 15 persons who were appointed on contract basis as ‘drivers’ and ‘conductors’ as shown in the annexed chart, be declared as regular and substantive workmen of the Corporation. It was also prayed in the said Application that the concerned workmen be given all the benefits and facilities of regular employees. The aforesaid Application was allowed by the Labour Court, Dehradun by its order dated 19. 9. 2001. The Labour Court directed that the concerned workmen be given the minimum wages admissible to the regular employees in the pay scales of ‘drivers’ and ‘conductors’. The Labour Court also held that the said workmen are employees of the Corporation. It is not disputed that the concerned workmen were appointed on contract basis. Before the Labour Court, the Corporation had contended that Rule 2 of U. P. S. R. T. C Employees (Other than Officers) Service Regulations, 1981 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Regulations’) clearly mentions that these regulations shall not apply to employees working on contract basis. The persons working on contract basis filed Writ Petition No. 41349/1999 Kanchi Lal and others vs. U. P. S. R. T. C before the Allahabad High Court for grant of same benefits as the regular employees of the Corporation, but the said writ petition had been dismissed. However, the bjection of the Corporation was rejected by the Labour Court. It filed a writ petition thereafter before the High Court which was dismissed by the impugned judgment. It was contended in the writ petition by the appellant that the concerned workmen had not been selected in terms of the process of selection required for appointment of regular employees and hence they cannot be directed to be given minimum pay scales of regular employees. It was also contended that the Labour Court acted beyond its jurisdiction by passing the impugned order dated. In our opinion, the Labour Court could not have granted the relief it granted by the order dated 19. 9. 2001, as that could only have been granted on a regular reference under Section 4-K of the U. P. Industrial Disputes Act or under Section 10 of the Industrial Disputes Act. A perusal of the order of the Labour Court dated 19. 9. 2001 shows that it has not referred to any standing order of the appellant. On the other hand, paragraph 3 of the said order refers to Rule 2 of the 1981 Regulations which clearly provides that the Regulations do not apply to employees engaged on contract basis. In our opinion, the Labour Court cannot amend the Regulations while hearing an application under Section 11-C of the Industrial Disputes Act. As already stated above, the scope of Section 11-C is limited to decide a question arising out of an application or interpretation of a standing order and the Labour Court cannot go beyond the scope of Section 11-C of the U. P. Industrial Disputes Act. For the reasons given above, the appeals are allowed. The impugned judgment of the High Court as well as the order of the Labour Court dated 19. 9. 2001 are set aside. However, it is open to the concerned workmen to raise their grievances before the concerned authority under Section 4-K of the U. P. Industrial Disputes Act or under Section 10 of Industrial Disputes Act, as the case may be, and if the State Government refers such a dispute to the Labour Court or Tribunal, we hope that the same will be decided expeditiously. No costs