Introduction on polymers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Introduction on polymers - Essay Example Thermosetting polymers the chains become cross-linked so that the solid materials are produced that can not be softened and that ca not flow. Polymers are usually made in one of two polymerization process. In condensation-polymerization the linking of molecules creates a by product, which is usually water nitrogen or hydrogen gas. Thermoplastic polymers consist of a series of long-chain polymerized molecules in which all the chains are separate and can slide over one another. Thermoplastic polymers The long chains of thermoplastic polymer are connected by weak forces alongside the chemical bonds extremely strong. When they are heated the walls weaken and the polymer becomes soft and flexible at a high temperature and becomes a viscous melt. The cycle can be reversed by cooling of the materials. Thermoplastic elements usually can be of semi-crystalline structure or amorphous structure. Civil engineering materials such as polyester, nylon 66 and polycarbonate are the best examples of a morphous thermoplastic polymers. The developments polymers technology has led to high performing types of polymers such as polythersulphone which is amorphous in nature and polyetheretherketone which are semi crystal-line. The above two are more efficient than the normal thermoplastic, although they are not employed in civil engineering due to high costs. Thermosetting polymers They can be used in two separate ways firstly as a composite that is when combined with fibrous materials and secondly when as an adhesive and maybe as epoxies. They are formed in two stage chemical reaction when a polymer such as polyster, vinylester or epoxy is reacted with a curing agent. The reaction can be performed in a normal room temperature or the application of either controlled heat or pressure. Thermosetting polymers are strong in nature and can be affected by heat. The two procedures used to polymerize the thermosetting polymers used in civil engineering are the cold system that are cured at ambi ent temperatures and the hot cure system whereby polymerization is performed at elevated temperatures. Polymer science The research on polymer science continues to come up producing new products in the market. The polymer science and engineering are marching together although they are more interested on new materials being produced. Poly was scientifically born to understand how rubber and plastic works and they can not be separated. Polymers are now forming the basis of clothing and automobiles among others. New elastomeric, plastics, adhesives, coatings and fibers among others are being invented by the use of new technology in science. The scientific theory accepts the relationship between polymer structure, physical property and their behavior. Polymers are playing a very important role in processing of other industrial products. Anisotropy in thermoplastic polymers plays a significant role in thermal conductivity. Highly drawn semi-crystalline polymer samples can have a much hig her thermal conductivity as a result of orientation of the polymer chains in the direction of draw. For amorphous polymers, the increase in thermal conductivity in the direction of the draw is usually not higher than two. Many polymers experiment a viscous reaction as an elastic response towards stress and strain. Combinations of some elastic and various viscous elements are being used to determine the melting behavior of polymers. The above characteristics make them be classified under the

The Last Storyteller Essay Example for Free

The Last Storyteller Essay Before the Europeans colonized America different tribes of Native Americas appointed storytellers to keep the tribes history alive. In â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona†, by Sherman Alexie an odd boy named Thomas Builds-the-Fire holds the title of storyteller. This short story is about a journey Thomas takes with his old friend Victor to claim Victor’s father’s ashes from Phoenix, Arizona and bring them back to their reservation in Spokane. The story ultimately portrays the strain between Victors and Thomas’s friendship. Alexie uses Thomas and his friendship with Victor to show that not everyone conforms to what we call the social norms. Thomas Builds-the-Fire is different from the other boys from his reservation. In the opening scene Victor is standing in line at the trading post. He has a hundred dollar check in hand to cover travel expenses to find his father when he notices Thomas at a magazine rack. When Thomas approaches Victor and they start a conversation about his father. All the Indians at the trading post are surprised Victor is actually talking with him. In â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† perspective is shown by â€Å"All the other Indians stared, surprised that Victor was even talking to Thomas. Nobody talked to Thomas anymore because he told the same damn stories over and over again† (Alexie 171). This is when we first find out that Thomas is not accepted by his by his own people and is considered an outsider. Thomas is not taken seriously and is not listened too because he enjoys recounting story’s of his tribes past. Thomas makes a proposition to Victor agreeing to help with expenses for his journey to reclaim his father’s ashes if he is allowed to come. Victor reluctantly agrees to Thomas’s terms. The boys sat next to each other on the flight along with a tiny white woman who had the window seat. Thomas begins a conversation with the woman despite Victor’s embarrassment. In â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† character is shown by â€Å"â€Å"Excuse me, miss,† Thomas asked. â€Å"Are you a gymnast or something†Ã¢â‚¬  (Alexie 173)? Thomas is out spoken and is not afraid of being embarrassed unlike Victor who is sitting quietly hoping Thomas will stop. Victor eventually chimes in at the end but it is Thomas’s outspokenness that started the conversation. In this scene not only does the author show that Thomas is different but that the gymnast is unusual as well. In â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† charact er is shown by â€Å"She was busy twisting her body into pretzels. She was flexible† (Alexie 173). Most people on an airplane would find it a bit uncomfortable to be sitting next to someone contorting their body! Once Thomas and Victor had reclaimed Victor’s dad’s ashes they drove to the bank and retrieved the three hundred-dollars from his fathers account. While on the road back to there hometown Spokane Victor recounts the story of when Thomas flew. In â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† perspective is shown when â€Å"Once, he jumped off the roof of the tribal school and flapped his arms like a crazy eagle. And he flew. For a second he hovered, suspended above all the other Indian boys, who were too smart or to scared to jump too† (Alexie 175). Thomas fell and broke his arm in two places, but Thomas did what no other boy would do, even though they all wished too. This is not something many people would do but the author uses this to show that Thomas is not swayed by other people’s opinions. While the boys drive through Nevada the landscape is described. In â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona† setting is shown when â€Å"Thomas and Victor had been amazed at the lack of animal life, at the absence of water, of movement† (Alexie 176). The setting of Nevada is desolate and baron of life. There are rarely any animals that are seen during the day. Since Nevada is one big desert most of the animals are nocturnal they come out after the sun has set and the oppressive heat has resided. The symbol of the Nevada desert is used to describe the feeling of being alone. The setting is used to show the feeling of being alone and how both boys are experiencing it. Alexia succeeds in portraying a message about not conforming to social norms in her short story â€Å"This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona†. Through out the story Thomas shows that he is different and that he isn’t going to change for anybody. Thomas despite being faced with many hardships, judgments, torments and even being beat up never faltered in his beliefs. Being different and not conforming the social norms is not an easy thing for people to do and this is what Alexia was trying to portray.

Contemporary Russian Thought :: Russian Culture Essays

Trends of Contemporary Russian Thought (1) ABSTRACT: This paper focuses on the most recent period in the development of Russian thought (1960s-1990s). Proceeding from the cyclical patterns of Russian intellectual history, I propose to name it 'the third philosophical awakening.' I define the main tendency of this period as 'the struggle of thought against ideocracy.' I then suggest a classification of main trends in Russian thought of this period: (1) Dialectical materialism in its evolution from late Stalinism to neo-communist mysticism; (2) Neorationalism and Structuralism; (3) Neo-Slavophilism, or the Philosophy of National Spirit; (4) Personalism and Liberalism; (5) Religious Philosophy and Mysticism, both Christian Orthodox and Non-Traditional; (6) Culturology or the Philosophy of Culture; (7) Conceptualism or the Philosophy of Postmodernity. "The Karamazovs are not scoundrels but philosophers, because all real Russian people are philosophers..." Dmitry Karamazov, in Fyodor Dostoevsky. The Brothers Karamazov It is a property of the Russian people to indulge in philosophy. ...The fate of the philosopher in Russia is painful and tragic. Nikolai Berdyaev. The Russian Idea The fact that one can annihilate a philosophy . ... or that one can prove that a philosophy annihilates itself is of little consequence. If it's really philosophy, then, like the phoenix, it will always rise again from its own ashes. Friedrich Schlegel. Athenaeum Fragments, trans. Peter Firchow, 103. The last period of the Soviet ideocracy, approximately from the early 1970s through the late 1980s, can be characterized as a period of "philosophical awakening," to use the felicitous expression of the theologian Georgy Florovsky (1893 - 1979). "Such awakening is usually preceded by a more or less complicated historical fate, the abundant and long historical experience and ordeal, which now becomes the object of interpretation and discussion. Philosophical life begins as a new mode or a new stage of national existence... One can feel in the generation of that epoch some irresistible attraction to philosophy, a philosophical passion and thirst, a kind of magical gravitation toward philosophical themes and issues." (2) Florovsky refers here to the first "philosophical awakening" of Russia in the span of years from 1830s to 1840s: roughly, the generation of Chaadaev, early Westernizers and Slavophiles, such as Belinsky, Herzen, Bakunin, Khomiakov, the brothers Aksakov, and the brothers Kireevsky. (3) Russia's second philosophical awakening occurred in the first two decades of the 20th century, following in the wake of the unsuccessful revolution of 1905 and disenchantment of the most refined part of intelligentsia with the low intellectual level of populism, Marxism and other socialist theories.

Alcohol Misuse Among Minors In The UK :: essays research papers

The law in this country states that it is illegal for anyone under 18 years to consume alcohol or to work in licensed premises; to buy alcohol or to have it bought for them anywhere. Those over 16 may drink a small amount with a meal in a specially allocated area, but beyond that they face arrest and prosecution.In spite of this the law is frequently broken. Following the example of adults, for whom alcohol is the most used drug, several surveys show that children try alcohol. 68% of boys and 54% of girls (in the UK) appear to have tried it by the age of thirteen. The majority may not drink to excess but many have already experimented with the effects of intoxication. The young do not seem to know the dangers and public houses frequently hold discos which attract them in. Stewards find it difficult to assess who is below the age limit. The increase in consumption expected when the price of alcohol falls is bound to include youngsters. the serious implications of this must be faced, not least because drug abuse is closely linked to alcohol abuse.Clearly the law has a role to play. The police must be encouraged to enforce age limits, and, if necessary, licensing hours should be restricted. Unfortunately, this may inconvenience legitimate drinkers and deprive landlords of potential legal business. Having extra police and stewards may be useless since 16 year olds are not easy to pick out anymore. One solution offered by the Portman Group is the identification card system whereby only 18 year old will carry age identification cards. This should help, but even one of the director involved admits it is only a contribution.The alternative lies in education. Adults can help by example and by de-glamorising alcohol. Children can be taught about the risks to health and to performance, about the chances of being involved in violence or serious accidents and the dependency which lands many in hospital wards.

Baruch Spinoza

Baruch Spinoza was born in Amsterdam and was given a Jewish traditional upbringing. He was educated at the congregation’s academy where he received all the necessary education in regard to the perceptions of the Jewish community at that time. Most of the teachings in the academy by then constituted of religious education, prophetic writings and commentaries in rabbinical.His excellence in this area however did not give him a reason to seek higher studies but rather left school to work in his family business. History has it that it was his curious and critical nature that later brought forth a conflict between him and the Jewish community.With the death of his father during the England and the France war, his mother having died earlier, he embarked on philosophy and optics and it is believed that eventually the cause of his death was a result of glass dust inhaled while tending to his optic trade (Richard, 1999, 52). The Jewish community in which he was brought up together with the businesses that he conducted gave him the opportunity of interacting with many and more diverse thoughts than those he had been accustomed to while in school and also in the family life.Important here is the contact he made with the free thinking Protestants who gave him an interest in a wide variety of theological thinking and current developments in science and philosophy. It was as history has it through colleges that were organized by these free thinkers that he was exposed to what can be referred to as Cartesian thought besides the desire to learn and understand his own traditions. His desire to learn his traditions led him to start writing for philosophical figures such as Gersonides and later to expand his intellect in which case he sought the tutelage of Franciscus Enden who was an Ex-Jesuit.His tutor turned out to be most helpful to Spinoza as he had interest in many fields such as medicine which kept him seeking for all the latest developments in sciences. According t o history, Franciscus was also well known to have an irreligious cast of mind and a passion in advocating for political ideas that reflected democracy for all. In essence, the knowledge that Spinoza attained from Enden gave him a diverse view of the society and largely contributed to his works in philosophy.In addition, the intellectual orientation that he acquired from his tutor led to an increase in his unorthodox views and reluctance in observing the laws of the community a thing that eventually threatened to strain his relationship with the Jewish community. In the year 1656, tensions with the elders of the community had grown to an extent that they sought to excommunicate him accusing him of abominable heresies and extending to him a series of curses (Richard, 1999, 47). The excommunication given to him also prohibited him from communicating with others in the community.It also prohibited the community members from participating in business with him, coming into close proximity with him under all circumstances or studying anything written by him. This rendered him to be an outcast in the community despite the fact that he was by birth a Jew. All this events did not hinder his association with his tutor as opposed to his business. In contrast, he continued with his studies and even took various trips to the university to study the Cartesian philosophy.He was later to settle in Leiden in the same period and also embarked on his literary career. His first work is recorded in Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect. In this work he attempted to offer a method that would allow the mind to form philosophical ideas that are distinct and clear and which would allow for perfection. The work also contained an extended treatment of definition, an analysis of the causes and nature of doubt and a reflection on the various forms of knowledge.This work was however left unfinished and was later followed by the Short Treatise on God, Man and His Well Being and it was this work that reflected his interest in ethics. Though much of his work was based on the ideas of Descartes, Spinoza never acknowledged all the conclusions of him largely because he did not wish to be seen as a Cartesian. In his later work and with the help of the geometric method used by Descartes in philosophy, he sought to fully integrate geometric methods in presenting his own thoughts. This method forms the basis of most of his works thereafter the year 1665.By then, his work which was later to be known as Ethics was being circulated amongst and by his friends back at home despite the fact that is was only inform of a draft. In this context, the religious and political environment of that time did not allow him to complete the Ethics but rather he sought to embark on other works which would prepare the audience for the Ethics. Later in his work known as the Theological- Political Treatise, he sought to argue the freedom of thought enhanced the security and the stability of the society rather than undermining it in the long run.It was in this work that Spinoza sought to demonstrate that the threat to the freedom of thought came largely from the clergy accusing the later of using the superstitions and fears of the people in an effort to maintain power. He thus argued that the sovereign should exercise the authority of ruling the people as opposed to the clergy and that it was the sovereign that was supposed to extend liberty to the people, giving them the right to adhere to the minimal creed that was neutral in regard to the various sects and their meanings in the lives of the people.This was largely aimed at enabling the philosophers of the time to exercise their freedoms free from any constraints from sectarianism. This work ignited a lot of criticism from the opponents of philosophical ideas and the authorities who accused Spinoza of having nefarious intentions while writing it. Some of his friends were also uncomfortable with his latest work and togeth er with the other opponents accused Spinoza of atheism a thing that he greatly resented himself. In the end, he was forced to move out to Hague where he spent all the rest of his life.His exile life did not hinder him from undertaking further writings but rather he pressed on though none of his work thereon was to be published until after his death. Even after his death, his work now published in Holland experienced a lot of criticism and at some point was abolished in the country. Perhaps it would be right to say that it was Ethics that saw the popularity and the expertise of Spinoza grow in the field of philosophy. The Ethics was encompassed in five books with the first concentrating on God and the meaning of substance.The second of these books deals largely on the knowledge and the mind whereas the third, fourth and the fifth books deals mostly with ethical discussions including the enslavement of the humans by their emotions, the human freedom and passion. In this regard, his wo rk on the treatise dealt mostly on the human freedom realization through the analysis of passion and knowledge and the conflict between the two. To him and evident in many of his works, any knowledge theory, psychology of the nature of the humans and any metaphysics could be compared to an ethic that sought to explain the purpose of human life (Jonathan, 1999, 89).In Ethics, Spinoza makes the use of a basic presumption which can be seen as rational and which states that to the intellect, the nature of the world is transparent in the sense that the dependence amongst the states and events in nature can be seen as reflections of the dependence amongst the various ideas held by the human. His argument was that each and everything existing in nature or the universe in other words represents only one reality or what can be referred to as substance and that the rules governing the reality surrounding the human life and which he is a part of as a whole are encompassed in only one set.He vi ewed nature and God as representing only one reality or substance and that it is this substance that forms the basis of the universe (Francks, 2003, 99) Spinoza further argued that all entities in this substance are only modifications and that it is nature itself that determine the existence of all other things and their causality to other things. In this regard, he asserts that for one to understand the complex chain of causes and effects one must first strive to understand the various parts that constitute it as a whole.In arguing for a single substance he says the substance is not dependent on anything else for its existence and that it is impossible for two substances to share the same attributes or nature. He argued that since substance can be conceived as being self dependent, then God can simply be seen as the only necessary being who despite this, is not distinct from the world. In this context, he sees God as the only existing substance with all other substances owing their existence to Him.On the other hand, God is immanent to the world and any existing individual things are as a result of modifications done by Him (Thomas, 1999, 58). In the same work, he extends his monism to the mind and matter arguing that each of them represented a characteristic of appreciating an eternal reality that was the same. He asserts that the universal substance consists of mind and body with no difference between the two. This argument was later to form a significant solution to the problem of mind and body commonly referred to as neutral monism.He argued that the disclosure of the very essential nature of things could be attributed to intellect as opposed to senses. To him, an adequate and complete idea in regard to God reveals two attributes about Him. In this context, God can be conceived through thinking or through extension. As opposed to other philosophical and theological works that gives God the aspect of infinity, the methods explained by Spinoza explains that each of the above named ways of conceiving God helps in disclosing the attributes of his presence (Cohn-Sherbok, 1997, 68).According to him, humans should endeavor to increase their knowledge about God or the one reality and this can be done by discovering ways in which He or it in case of the reality constitutes a reality that is complete and self sufficiently unified and in which all the happenings that take place are necessary. He further argues that thinking forms a consciousness of the body and that the same mode should be conceived both under the attributes of thought and extension. In this regard, the body and the mind are seen as casually unrelated but rather as parallel expressions of only one reality.He argues further that in the system thought as dominated by God, error and evil requires explanations and in this context, he identify each with privation. In essence, he defines error as the lack of sufficient ideas and evils as the absence that express no essence. Spinoza in his work also sought to show that human senses provides modifications of the body as opposed to knowledge and that it is only through seeing them as true that we can be able to understand them (Samuelson, 1998, 48).Further, Spinoza seeks to explain human freedom or free will through the concept of time in which he contends that freedom encompasses the capacity of the humans to conceive the world in terms of eternity and free from the bondage of desires and emotions. He argues the free will result from the realization by the humans of their appetites on one hand and their failure to understand and conceptualize the reasons behind their needs and actions.Emotions and desires to Spinoza are just results of the ignorance of those causes that determine the human race (Cohn-Sherbok, 1997, 57). Further more, he argues that adequate cognition results into agency and activity. For one therefore to acquire adequacy, he first have to understand his emotions. In this context, he attempted to provide a geometry for emotions to demonstrate that humans are mostly driven by the unknown only to improve and gain control over them once they understand their motivations.In conclusion, he argues that religion, science and philosophy consists an intellectual love for God thus are identical (Schwartz, 2002, 105). In his writings on politics, Spinoza borrows much from the experience he gained from the political system of the time which he used as a basis for his theory on government. He argued that it was the business of the state to avoid putting limits on the exercise of reasons by humans but rather it should attempt to provide the necessary conditions in which reason and its exercise can flourish.Thus to him, constitutional democracy is a necessary and sufficient condition for the provision of a forum of freedom of opinion and reason within the law framework. In essence, he shares the assumptions of Hobbes in regard to the social contract in his political writings. This assumpt ion can be states that a contract is only binding if it is for the advantage of one and that right is derived from power. The basis of his political power is mostly organized around the notion of freedom more so the freedom of enquiry (Julian, 2006, 121).Spinoza’s works has been greatly translated all over the world in the modern times and he is considered to be one of the most influential figures in philosophy. In addition, his works have influenced other fields besides philosophy such as the field of science and literature. The outstanding influence of his works however remains in philosophy with modern philosophers adopting them in teaching and in formulating their own works. Despite the earlier ban of his work in Holland shortly after his death and publication of most of it, his work has greatly being adapted in many areas today.In his works, he sought to explain and bring into the light many concepts which he believed would help in understanding the substance concept and the concept of human freedom on the other hand. Though borrowing much from the works of the earlier philosophers notably Descartes and Hobbes, he always retained his position in making or reaching conclusions. At times he rejected their conclusions and offered his own warning the reader that those conclusions were not necessarily right.Benedict de Spinoza died in a rented room in Hague where he had gone to spend the rest of his life after conflicts with the authorities in Holland and it is believed that he died of a respiratory problem caused by the glass dust inhaled during his optic grinding (Francks, 2003, 98). Work Cited Cohn-Sherbok Dan. Fifty Key Jewish Thinkers. London, Routledge, 1997, pp. 57, 68 Francks Richard. Modern Philosophy: The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. London, Routledge, 2003, pp. 98, 99 Jonathan Israel. Dutch Jewry: Its History and Secular Culture (1500-2000). London, Brill, 2002, pp. 89Julian Wolfreys. Modern Criticism and Theory: A Critical Guide. Ne w York, Edinburgh University Press, 2006, pp. 121 Richard H. The Columbia History of Western Philosophy. Columbia, Columbia University Press, 1999, pp. 47, 52 Samuelson Norbert. An Introduction to Modern Jewish Philosophy. New York, State University of New York Press, 1998, pp. 48 Schwartz Dov. Faith at the Crossroads: A Theological Profile of Religious Zionism. London, Brill, 2002, pp. 105 Thomas Edmund. Writers and Philosophers: A Sourcebook of Philosophical Influences on Literature. London, Greenwood Press, 1999, p

Induction Report Essays

Induction Report Essays Induction Report Essay Induction Report Essay INDUCTION REPORT CORPORATE HR INTRODUCING GODREJ Established in 1897, the Godrej group has grown in India from the days of the charkha to nights at the call centers. Our founder, Ardeshir Godrej, lawyer-turned-locksmith, was a persistent inventor and a strong visionary who could see the spark in the future. His inventions, manufactured by his brother Pirojsha Godrej, were the foundation of today’s Godrej empire. One of India’s most trusted brand, Godrej enjoys the patronage and trust of over 470 million Indians every single day. Our customers mean the world to us. We are happy only when we see a delighted customer smile. With 7 major companies with interests in real estate, FMCG, industrial engineering, appliances, furniture, security and agri care – to name a few – our turnover crosses 2. 6 billion dollars. You think of Godrej as such an integral part of India – like the bhangara or the kurta – that you may be surprised to know that 20% of our business is done overseas. Our presence in more than 60 countries ensures that our customers are at home with Godrej no matter where they go. With brands you can believe in, service excellence you can count on and the promise of brighter living for every customer, Godrej knows what makes India tick today. Today, we are at a point in Godrej’s history when our amazing past is meeting up with its spectacular future head on. Godrej is learning and relishing being young again. INDUCTION REPORT The Induction Training is a Familarisation Program designed and scheduled for Graduate and Management Trainees. The schedule included 27 sessions deployed in accordance to various fuctions pertaining in the PA Department of Godrej Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. The program commenced from 23rd August 2010 and successfully completed its last session on 16th August 2010. The Highlights of the program were : DPH Interaction. ISP Recruitment (ESP)- ERP and Campus. Recruitment Operations. Training and Competancy developement. Performance Management System. Human Resource Information System. Analytics and Concept of PMO. Compensation and benefits. Employee Engagement. Industrial Relations. Administration. Contract labour Credit Society. Prajapati Kendra. T and Recruitment Initiatives, Affirmative action Dispensary and Safety. Archives Address by Head HR. DPH INTERACTION Mr. Praveen Garkal – Division Personnel Head of P Department. Ms. Neesha Balan Division Personnel Head of P Department. The session was headed by the Division Personnel Head Mr. Praveen and Ms. Neesha , where in the Introduction of the various fuctions of P was highligthed. Personal Admin Department : Personal Admin Department helps in managing our organizations human resources. It has the functional areas of recruitment, selection, retention, developement, assesment and adjustment of personnel. The structure of our Personal Admin Department is as follows: Mr. Anil Verma Heads the PA Department. Following are the departments that fall under the PA Jurisdiction. 1) Human Resource: * Recruitment * Training Developement * Internal Selection Process * Operations * Compensation * Human Resource Information System Performance Management System * Employee Engagement * Policies 2) Industrial Relations: * Courtcases * Contract Labour * Recruitment of Workmen * Workmen Trainee * Credit Society * Security * Safety * Canteen 3) Administration * Statutary Compliances * School * Library * Housing * Consumer Society * CMRD * Pertrol Pump 4. DPH Office 5. Corporate Communication 6. E S pace 7. Archives. Internal Selection Process (ISP) ISP is a systematic procedure that involves selection of talents from within the organisation to perform the required job or task. There are 3 processes involved in ISP : Permanent Employees Temporary Employees Workers. Permanent Employees : The Division Personnel Head sends the requirement of manpower to the corporate team. The ISP team then does the posting of the vacancy on Intranet. ISP is open for 4 days for the employees to apply. After the 4th day the position is kept in backend. The 5th day is called the cool of day The candidates are then shortlisted on the basis of Essential Qualifications and Essential Experience. Incase of high number of applicants then shortlisting is done on basis of preferred qualifications and experience. On having queries and doubts, the team goes back and approches the division for clarifications. ISP team then checks and arranges for the panel. There are 2 types of panel : Divisional Panel- 3 member panel Interviewer from division. HR panel from other division. Functional expert from other division 2. 4 Member Panel- Interviewer HR personnel from from Division. From other division. 2 fuctional expertise from other division A 4 Member Panel is considered based on the following clauses: If there is only one applicant If the applicant has applied in the same division If the opportunity is for promotion /lateral movement. * NOTE : Aviod taking panel members from the division the employee has applied. The panel are T bandlers having not less than 2 years experience in T band. Scenarios in ISP : Position closes with selection. ISP closes with no selection. ISP closes with none shortlisted. ISP with no applicants. ISP closes with no selection process. (lateral transfer) Eligibility Criteria to apply in ISP: In transfer from A to O Band – The applicant has to have 2 yrs of experience in A band. If any external experience of 2 yrs outside Godrej Boyce then the applicant is required to have atleast 1yr of experience in A band. In transfer from O to P Band The applicant is required to have atleast 2yrs of experience in O Band. If any external experience of 2 yrs outside Godrej Boyce then the applicant is required to have atleast 1yr of experience in A band. In transfer from P to T Band- The applicant is required to have atleast 5 yrs of experience in P Band. In transfer from T to E E to S Band- The applicant is required to have atleast 7 yrs of experience in current band. The employee should be confirmed. The external experience is taken into consideration only fr 1st promotion. Temporary Employees : If in the permanent employee process the candidate is not selected then the opening goes for temporary employees. The position in ISP is open for 7days for Temps. The eligibility for temps is the same as in ESP i. e 60 % and above, no gap inbetween education and clearance of WE and GI Test. K Band Employees : The application for K Bandlers to Management band are manual. They undergo test such as 123 test,psychometric test . etc. The position is open for 10 days. The interview is taken in the division and no such panel is required. The candidate is debarred under the following conditions : If the employee after selection takes in charge and then quits. If he gets selected in ISP and then denies is debarred from ISP for 2 yrs. During the interview the candidate denies the application. For T above applicants after giving Competancy Assessment Test and then denies is debarred for 2 yrs. After ISP : The candidate who is selected is given 1 month to handover his work and join the new position. Every candidate selected goes to 6 months probation. Interim progress review is done werein the L, L+1 , functional head, DPH and Division head fills in. Final review is the confirmation review where the division confirms that the candidate is doing well and then becomes permanent. If the employee does not do well he can be sent back to his earlier position or asked to leave as not confirmed. To conclude, Internal Selection Process is designed to provide greater growing opportunities for the existing employees to accelerate motivation, change, skills , knowledge and their attitude. The career growth of Godrej employees are catered and looked upon with utmost importance. E. S. P (External Selection Process) External Recruitment brings new people into the organization, which can be a huge benefit. It allows the organization to define the right requirements and thus allows the company to select a potential candidate availabale in the market, which suits the organization the best. E. S. P as the name suggests begins once the ISP (Internal Selection Process) is done. E. S. P comprises of two cattergories: 1. Lateral Recuritment. 2. Campus Recruitment. 1) Lateral Recruitment: Lateral recruitment takes place when we are unable to find the right talent from within our company. They are screened based on the Job Specification, years of experience and educational background. In GNB major emphasis is laid on education as it is a parameter that helps to draw an edge from the other. The process for lateral recruitment is as under: * Source Candidates * Selection Process – G. S. T (Godrej Selection Test Interview) * Medicals * Pre – Joining Formalities. Sourcing Candidates: Candidates are sourced through various channels like: * Job Portals * Consultants – (Consultant is paid 8. 33% of the Base Salary of the candidate for Jr. Level 12. 5% to Mid Level 16. 6% is paid for Sr. Level) * E. R. P Selection Process: Selection Process at GNB comprises of mainly 2 steps: a) G. S. T (Godrej Selection Test) It has 3 rounds i. e. I) G. I. General Intelligence Test It is basic aptitude test comprising of 40 objective questions which lasts for a duration of 15 minutes II. MC – Mechanical Comprihension Test It is based on the basic fundamentals of Mechanical engineering comprising of 60 objective questions which lasts for a duration of 40 minutes. II. Writtern English Test. The applicant requires to coose any 1 topic of 14 options provided to write an essay of 250 words. ) Once the candidate clears all the written test he is taken through the interview process with the respective panel. Medicals: Once the candidate is selected he requires to undergo the Medical process. Pre – Joining Formalities. The candidate needs to provide all the necessary documents like Pan Card, Appointment Letter, relieving letter, educational certificates, etc. for verificationas mentioned in the annexure. Campus: It is in the month of that the S. B. Us provide the recruitment team with the Manpower requirement for that particular year. Mainly the planning is done based on the attrition in O and P Band. The panel for campus recuritment consists of employee’s over and above the E (Executive Band) if they arent availabale then employee’s from T (Tactical Band) may be considered. Trainees are cattegorised as: * DETs (Diploma Engineering Trainees) join the A and O Band. * GETs (Graduate Engineering Trainees) join the O2 Band. * MTs (Management Trainees) join the P Band. * Gts * MTs Every trainee has to sign a bond of atleast1year after a years traineeship. Recruitment Operations: Every communication that takes place between the company and employee’s is escalated through the Recruitment Operations Team. The recruitment operations team takes care of all the following activities: * Joining Formalities * Preparing Offer Letter * Preparing Appointment Letter * Employee Reference Check * Preparing Confirmation Letters * Sending Disciplinary Letters * Preparing Reappointment Letters * Proving Ex Employee Feedback * Praparing Trainee Termination Letter * Preparing Severance Letter * Preparing Severance Letter * Preparing Resignation Relieving Letter. * Preparing Bond * Providing certificates for Summer / Project / Industrial Trainees To summarise the Recruitment Operations team is best compared to the Gate Keeper. It takes charge of all the entry and exist formalities of the employee. Performance Management System Performance and leadership culture is the bedrock of building organisations competitiveness and thereby enabling talent to contribute effectively with performance and potential. Performance Management process is instrumental for high performance work culture where the performance is recognized and rewarded. PM Process aligns organizational goals and objectives with individual ones. Performance Management System is a system which helps to access and measure the performance of the employee. It is beneficial to both the employee and the company as it provides valuable feedbck for improvement. Benefit for Godrej Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd : PMS is done to cascade the goals of the organisation at every level: Strategic Business Plan Annual Business Plan Goals of Business Head Goals of Division Head ( Executive Band) Department Heads Individual employees. PMS helps to provide feedback to the company wrt the performance of the employees. According to thr feedback valuable inputs are givento the employee for improvement. Benefit for the employee : The employee is rated fairly as PMS sets standards for evaluation. The employee understands and evaluates as to where he stands. PMS gives accountability , ownership and empowerment to the employees. The areas where performance are evaluated are : Professional performance Personal development The PM Process involves 5 steps: Mission Professional Performance Personal Development Learning and competancy development Annual Plan Submission. PM Process : Annual Planning is done every financial year i. e from April to March. The goals of the organisation are determined and cascaded to line with the individual goals of the employees. At the end of the year, the rating is given and planning of next year is also dont. Note: * Nov- Dec ( SBP discussion takes place) * Jan- Feb (ABP discussion is done) The review of the performance is done quaterly. Therefore after 3 months the feedback is given. Q1Q2Q3Q4 3mthly- 6mthly- 9mthlyAnnual In the system through joint login of L and L+1 , the review is agreed and freezed. The ratings ofthe performance are given in the following scale : SE (surpass expectation) 110 % of goal ME (met expectation) 90-110 % of goal CB (could be better) 60-90% of goal BE (below expectation) 60 % of goal The reason for 4 point raring scale is because of central tendancy to evaluate objectively. The goal has to be SMART Effects of CB and BE : Performace pay is not entitled to employees rated BE. If the employee is rated as BE, then he/she cannot apply in ISP for a year. 2 ME are required for the employee to grow within the the band (GWTB). To conclude, Performance Mangement is thus extremely quintessential and instrumental in building the organisation growth. Performance management in Godrej Boyce has been potent and a very important tool for the company to reach at todays stature. Learning and Competancy Development Training = Imparting specific skills Development= Providing learning oppurtunities for employees growth. Training process involves, Need assessment which involves understanding present employees and future challenges. Training and instructional objectives. Planning the training. Training and Development process involves the following steps : Identification of Training Needs in PDM Transfer of training needs from PMS to TNS (Training Need System) Learning and Development Oppurtunities Conducting Training Programme Effectiveness of Training Programme Step 1 : Training Needs Indentification : Training needs are identified by the L and approved by L+1. The batch is created by Corporate HR. The following are the steps involved; Select the training programme by using any of these option: a)Using search option by typing keywords OR b)Select the functional area Training Course using drop down box OR c)Select other option enter the nameof training programme required. Enter the proposed date of completion of training programme (dd/mm/yy) format. Approval of the training needs identified by L is done by L+1 through joint login. Needs can be approved or disapproved ; the reason has to be mentioned. Step 2 : The approved training needs are then transfered from Performance Management System to the Training Needs System by Corporate HR and the Division Personnel Head. Step 3 : Learning and Development Oppurtunities : Executive Education Programs Knowledge Enhancement Policy Open House/ External Programs E-Learning. Step 4 : Conducting Training Program: Training Calender is prepared in accordance to the 4 zones – Mumbai (West zone), Kolkata(East Zone), Chennai(South zone) and Delhi(West zone) Marking attendance and filling of feedback form. Step 5: Effectiveness of Training program. : The effectiveness of the training program is to be done after 3-4 months. Monthly reminders are given to L,L+1 about training programmes for filling need forms, feedback forms. etc. Competancy Development Godrej has identified 11 leaderhip skills (competancies). Analytical Ability Innovation Team Building Assertiveness Result Orientation Process Orientation Thinking Big Business Environement Perspective Oral Communication Written Communication In Thomas International , these competancie are assessed for above T Bandlers. Then the Learning and Development team meets Thomas International to obtain the feedback as it serves as a facilitating tool for effectiive decision making. The candidate then undergoes an interview with the the Godrej Boyce panel. The feedback is given to the candidate for him to work on certain areas and therefore competancy development becomes a part of learning development. The report is valid for a year. If the candidate has not cleared the CA test and he feels that his leadership competancies have increased then he has to fill Individual Development Plan approved by Division and P head. Thomas International : CA CenterDevelopment CenterTo access competancy for potential employees applying for senior positions. An employee is sent to development center only if he/she is critical and important to the company. There are no test and interview conducted here. Therefore to conclude, Training and Development has helped Godrej Boyce Mfg. Co in bringing out leadership skills, improves motivation, better atttitude and other aspects of successful managers and workers thereby improving the productivity and fulfilling the goals of the organisation. Analytics Analytics involves generating HR Reports for top management in accordance to the subject matter. The reports prepared in Analytics are : Head count MIS Attrition Productivity ERF The employees of Godrej Boyce are identified into categories and status which aredeployed as follows : CategoryStatusMTPR, PTUSCT,GT,TM,SchoolWKPR,PT,CT,GT,TM Categories: MT- Management WK-Workers US- Unionised staff ( School employees,Trainees,Summer Interns,Temps) Status : PR- Probationers PT- Permanent CT GT- Company trainee Government Trainee TM- Temporary Grades are allotted to indentify the stipends provided to various categories. The MIS code identified by BC RC CC BC ( Business Code) Business RC ( Responsibilty Code) Location CC ( Cost Center Code ) Function The location of the employees are identified in the following types: Physical Location eg : Pune,Vikhroli Location eg: Plant 11, 12 System Indication for Head Office or Branch. The important dates associated with the employee are : Date of Birth Date of Entry Date of Joining Date of Severence Severence can be following reasons: Resignation (RES) Retired (RET) Expired (EXP) Absonding(ABS) Termination(STE) ILL Prematured retirement(PMRT) VRS (Only for workers) Attrition Report : The attrition calculation only 3 cases are taken into consideration: Abscond. Resigned. Inter company transfer. Method to calculate attrition : No. of people left / Strength of last month in a period * 100 MIS report contains : Recruitment ( Within Band and Function) Promotions (Within Band and Function) Severances (Band wise) Severences chart ( Function wise, division wise,age group wise) The categories are : Band, Lenght of service, Experience wise, Age group, Location wise, Function wise To conclude, Analytics helps to generate required HR reports to accelerate decision making process and provide a concise information which are specific and numerical to enable future lucrative decisions for the business. Compensation Compensation is the total reward received by an employee in exchange for services performed for an organization. It can include both direct pay (salary and wages) and indirect pay (benefits programs). Factors affecting design of Compensation : Market Cost Structures Payment in terms of Fixed,Variable and Benefits The nature of job that demands the % of Fixed and Variable pay. Eg. Sales would demand high variable pay as its target oriented. Salary comprises of 2 components: Fixed Variable Salary = Fixed + Variable Individual Business Performance Performance SIS (Sales/Service EVA Incentive Scheme) PP (Performance Pay) SIS – Sales/Service Incentive Scheme is Business Specific especially assigned to the Sales and Service profiles. PP- Performance Pay are assigned to other profiles other than sales or Service. It amounts to 0 to 30% of Base Pay. Allottment of PP : SE – 20-30% of Base Pay ME 10-15% of Base Pay CB 3-5% of Base Pay ( The division decides the % of Base pay that has to be paid as PP to the entire division) Base Pay = Annual CTC – HRA3 – Compensatory allowance Annual CTC = Basic + HRA+ Education +Medical+Conveyance + Telephone + Hospitalization + LTA + PF + Gratuity + Super Annuation HRA = House Rent Allowance HRA 1- Band Specific HRA 2- Individual Specific HRA 3- Location Band Specific Tax Deduction under HRA : 10% of Basic Salary if in Metro 7. 5% of Basic Salary if in Non Metro. Tax is deducted from the minimum of the 3 amounts : Basic HRA Rent employee pays Exemptions from Tax : Tax is exempted from Conveyance upto Rs 800 per month. Telephone reimbursement is exempted from tax on submission of Bill. Under Leave Travel Allowance (LTA), the employee can travel twice in 1 year within India. The current slab is between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 14,000. The amount is tax exempted. Super Annuation amount uptill Rs 1 lakh is tax exempted. It is paid to T band and above and amounts to 5-15% of Basic Pay. Provident Fund is 12% of Basic Pay and the returs are non taxable. EVA : Economic Value Added. EVA happens after PP (Performance Pay) is over. EVA is the improvement in the performance of the business. Even if loss there is improvement in loss then too EVA is paid. Calculation of EVA ; EVA = 4% of current year performance – improvement in performance in years. Distribution of EVA. Team Awarded with 50 % 25 % of EVA are given to corporate department. Discretionary EVA ( Paid to 25% of employees who are doing exceptionally good) Discretionary EVA is paid or exercised by manufacturing division i. e all divisions except E and Construction as they are allied business and would come under Corporate. MRP ( Management Remuneration Package ) : In MRP , decision with respect to salary from entry level, stipends, compensation philosophies, benchmarking . etc. Are taken. Then certain level are decided , budget is considered and the % is given to the employees. Criteria for deciding MRP of employees : Current CTC Consistent Performance Criticality of Position Talent Specialized Knowledge and skills Attitude Values After the Employee undergoes his PDM, he is entitled to PP and then EVA. Incase the division decides to increase the employees remuneration then that package is decided at MRP levels. To conclude, Godrej and Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd has an ideal compensation system which accelerates the employees efficiency , productivity,motivation and monetary statisfaction thereby leading to the growth of the company positively. POLICIES Policy is a statement of Intent. The Type of policies exercised with Godrej Boyce are as follows : Growth opportunities : GWTB (Growth within the Band) , lateral movements (Job Rotations), Band Movements. GWTB is based on the performance . The employee is required to have been rated ME and SE in a tenure. 2. ISP( if vacancy arises) Hospitalization Policy Leave Policy: Leave Policy is formulated to entitle a certain number Casual , Sick and Priviledges leaves to the employees. Mobile Policy: Mobile Policy has been formulated to enable our employees communicate efficiently and effectively within and outside the organisation. 2- wheeler Policy : 2 wheeler allowance consists of conveyance priviledges provided to employees under circumstances when required. HRA3 policy : HRA 3 is a component in the compensation structure . The HRA 3 component is band and location specific allowance. Tour Travel Policy : Tour and Travel Policy consists of clauses related to travel and transit in and outside the country. Domestic and Foreign Business) Flexi time Concessions policy : To provide employees wherever possible the opportunity to have flexibility in work timings so that they can maximize their work place potential by balancing their potential by balancing their potential by balancing their personal and professional lives more effectively without comprimsing o n the business needs and aspirations. Safety Incentive Policy : This policy is to build and reinforce safety amongst all employees so that they can fullfill their safety role and responsibilities as enunciated in our safety policy. To conclude, Policies formulated by Godrej and Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd are well discussed and created to cater the needs of the company and the employees. These policies have been able to help the company operate with greater consistency, both in its internal and external workings. HRIS HRIS ( Human Resource Information System ) is a part of MIS which is a systematic procedure for obtaining ,recording and retrieving data about HR. After realising the increasing quantam of work and to increase the efficiency, Godrej Boyce. Mfg. Co. Ltd adopted HRIS in 2003. HRIS is essential as it is instrumental in increasing the efficiency in the following areas of HR functions : HRP (Human Resource Planning) which includes turnover rate,absentism, workflow. etc. Recruitment and Staffing. HR Developement ( Training and Succession Planning) Compensation and benefits information. Health and Safety * Employee and Union relations. HOUSING Godrej started providing housing facilities to employees in 1950s while they were shifting from Lal Bagh to Vikhroli establishment. Housing is a special benefit provided to the employees so that they can stay in nearby vicinity to the work place. Housing is not a service condition. This facility is given on agreement basis. It is a charter with clauses. 3 major areas where housing is provided Transit Quaters Family accomodation Shared accomodation Transit Quarters : Transit quarters are for employees visiting Mumbai for work. The request is sent through speedflow to the housing department by Commercial,Regional or Branch Manager. The charges are notional. Shared Accomodation : Shared Accomodation are for employees who have recently joined the company. They are GETs, Mts . etc. Also further to employees after training. It is band specific. P Band – 2 BHK for 6 persons. It then narrows to 3 persons after 1 yr. O Band- 1 BHK on twin sharing basis at station side. Family Accomodation : Family Accomodation is family and Band specific. Workmen / hrly based employees : Creek Station Side Colony O Band : Station Side P Band above : Hill Side Circumstances causing the employees to vacate the houses : Resignation : 7 days breathing or notice period is given to the employees. Retirement : 30 days breathing or notice period is given to the employees. Death of employee : 90 days breathing or notice period is given to the employees. If the employee still stays after the notice period in the house then he/she is required to pay certain default charges. Even after 90 days the employee doesnt vacate , then according to Companies Act the employee hasto pay 10 times the charges and legal formalities. Waiting list : The waiting list are maintained according to the Band. Waiting list is kept according to the number of years of service and relevant external experience then the listis generated. The allottment is made on descending order. The power is given to the Executive Director of PA in case of special cases. Housing facility is purely a welfare activity extended by the Company for the convenience of its employees , solely during the period the employees concerned are in the service of the company and on such terma and conditions as may be decided by the Company from time to time. GODREJ BOYCE EMPLOYEES COOPERATIVE CREDIT SOCIETY The Godrej Employees’ Cooperative Credit Society was incorporated in the year 1960. It was the idea of Late Shri N. P Godrej to enable its employee members to get loans at competitive rates of interest as well as help members to save money. All employees at Godrej Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd , Godrej Employees’ Cooperative Credit and Consumer Societies, Godrej Infotech Ltd located at Mumbai only are eligible to become members of the Society. The minimum subscription is Rs. 300/- per month which is deducted from the wages/salary. The first Rs5000/- are credited to the share account and the next amounts credited to the cumulative deposit account. A member is supposed to contribute upto Rs. 53,000/- after which he has the option to either continue or stop the subscription. The share value of each Share is Rs. 00/- Dividend is paid on the share capital and interest is paid on the deposits. The last dividend declared was @ 10% on the share capital and [emailprotected] 8. 00% on the deposits as on 31. 03. 2009. The dividend and the Interest so declared after the AGM are paid through the Wages/Salary to the members. The society gives 3 types of loans viz Short Loans Long loans Bank loans. The working of Society : Objectives : To enable members to save through Credit Society. To enable members to get through to get financial help at competitive rate of interest. Our Bankers: Central Bank of India Mumbai Dist Central Co-op Bank Ltd Saraswat Co-op Bank The society grants medical assistance to its members in case of hospitalizations only for members (and not his family) which is @ 100% of the expenses incurred over and above the limit of mediclaim insurance coverage, once in a life time, on submission of medical Bills from the hospital. If a member is unable to attend his services with the Company due to an accident or ill health or expires during the course of service, then the members deposits are adjusted against the members outstanding Loan and any amount receivable after such adjustments are waived off from the Welfare Fund of the Society. In case a member expires during the course of service, the Society pays the family of the deceased member Rs. 5000/- for the funeral as immediate help. The Society also felicitates its members on retirement from the Company provided he/she has been a member of the Society for a continuous period of 15 years at the time of retirement. The society has a gesture of goodwill also felicitates children of the members who have passes the SSC, HSC and graduation Examination depending upon the percentage of marks fixed by the Managing committee of the Society. INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS Industrial Relations is a work relationship between management and employees based on mutual trust and respect for each other wherein both strive for common goal as well as that of society and environment. IR includes process such as collective bargaining , grievanc handling,wage settlement and conflict between employers, employee and trade union. The 1st Trade Union was established in 1975. Our History : Godrej Boyce. Mfg. Co. Ltd is a 113 year old company rich in culture. Redeployment and no retrenchement is our strategy. Our Union : G Shramik Sangh popularly knownas GBSS (Recognized Union under MRTU PULP Act 1971) It was formed in 1978. Itis an internal union for last 25 years, having majority of 98 % of workmen as its members. It has no affiliation to any political body. Service Conditions; Service Conditions are governed by Statues / Case laws, Letter of appointment,Certified Standing orders of the Company, lonf term wage settlement, Companys Internal cir culars/Notices / Policies. Service Conditions are: Observe general rules of conduct anywhere in India. Undertake tours when required. Work n shifts No dual employment. Give normal production prevailing in Department. Not to reveal companies information to outsiders. To work overtime or on holidays whenever required. Register attendance by swiping 4 times a day. No proxy swiping. Avail leave prior sanction. Liable to be searched by Security Personnel. Give productive 480/350 mins. Wear and carry identity card. To be able to do multi machine operation simultaneously. To write daily work done in job card/worksheet/logbook. To undergo training. Observe safety regulations. Maintain neat and clean housekeeping at work place. ( Breach of any of these service conditions amounts to act of misconduct) The objectives of Factories Act, 1948 : To secure the workers employed in factories Health Safety Welfare Proper working hours Leave and other benefits. Employment Injury : It is a personal injury to an employee caused by accident or an occupational disease arising out of andin course ofhis employment. IR Disciplinary Action : In IR disciplinary action there are no perfect answer or straight jacket solutions to problems and conflicts. Record building and keeping of every individual disciplinary action taken is very vital to know past record of action. Industrial Employment ( Standing Orders ) Acr,1946: An act to provide for rules defining service conditions. The text of certified standing order should be prominently displaced by employers to workmen in English and in common language. Godrej Boyce. Mfg. Co. Ltd has certified standing order forall hourlyand daily rated workmen. This standing order was ceritfied on August 1, 1955. All disciplinary action letters like warnings, charge sheets ,suspensions, dismissal . etc. Signed by Manage under certified standing order. Punitive and Non- Puntive actions against workmen : PunitiveNon- Punitive1. Warning1. No work no pay2. Suspensions2. Counselling3. Dismissal3. Suspension pending inquiry. The broad branding grades of workers are as follows : Existing New B Semi Skilled Category C D Skilled Category 1 E F Skilled Category 2 Security Inspectors Skilled Category 1 Senior Guards Senior Security Inspectors - Skilled Category 2 Incentives : Incentive of Rs. 200 /- mnth to skilled and Rs. 00/- mnth to unskilled are given to workers under following categories : Performance Incentives Punctual Attendance Incentive. Regular Attendance Incentive. Safe working conditions. ( Statutory Bonus from Minimum 8. 33% to 20 % of Gross wages are provided to the employees. ) Industrial Relations are extremely important because we are in constant touch with the workmen on shop floor. Its a vicarious liability . To avoid litigation and wastage of time, money and energy in court. Industrail Relations is important to create healthy work environment and thereby generating a good Corporate Image. PRAGATI KENDRA Pragati Kendra, the welfare centre of Godrej Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. ; was established on 15th August 1955. It is the singular salute to an institution that believes in being humane first. Pragati Kendra grew out of a corporate emotion that believes in the welfare of its employees and the families. It is a team of 3 main members. The sole objective of Pragati Kendra is upgradation of life of the employees. Godrej Company is the first company who had adopted family planning policy. Pragati Kendra conducts 2 activties every month related to awareness eg. Health issues, family budgeting, cancer . etc. The following are the stratas in which Godrej is trying to build a whole new culture : Personal Welfare : Pragati Kendra conducts Literacy classes for employees and their families to educate themselves. Pragati Kendra helps people to tackle problems whether besetting children , adults or the entire family. Active Counselling takes place whereby all kinds of problems are ironed out by a specialised team through various therapies. The Kendra also has a Child Guidance Clinic for children and adolescents to guide them through their issues with the help of counselling and play therapy. Family Planning : The spot light on Family Planning is given full priority and methods needed for family planning , guidance and encouragement are the order of the day at the Godrej Welfare Centre. Womens development: Pragati Kendra conducts activities in womens development. Women are encouraged to become financially independent through vocational courses , play an active part in various programmes on soci al issues, on the environment etc. and in short are led towards being self sufficient. The International Womens Day on 8th March is an important event in the work done by Godrej in womens development. Childrens development : Childrens activities like trekking, puppet making, drama , gardening and scouting are explained with total encouragement given to work up their extra-curricular enthusiasm . Martial Art classes, Dance classes etc. are conducted with a view to give children training in health related and social skills. Darpan : The Pragati Kendra newsletter Darpan forms the part of the development by reaching out to them through various articles and is published each month both in English and Hindi. With a variety of columns covering articles on parenting , marital problems, the important days observed on various social issues such as No Tobacco Day , World Population Day Greener Godrej : Pragati Kendra aims to enlighten people on the wonders of the Environment path whereby knowledge of greening this oxygen starved plants are given through various programmes such as The World Environment Day , The Vanmohatsav etc. Health Care : The Upchargriha and Pragati Kendra work hand in hand towards curative as well as preventive aspects of health. To conclude , The basis of all Godrej activities lies embodied in its undying spirit which speaks Godrej Cares in more ways than one. CORPORATE SAFETY At Godrej, we believe that sustained competitive advantage can be attained only by providing greater customer value in the form of differentiated products and services delivered through flawess ,continually refined business processes. To enable people to perform accordingly it is essential for us to create and provide safe , supportive and productive work environement to all our employees and business associates. Safety means; Providing and Maintaining safe working environment. Prevention of accident and property damage. Prevention of occupational diseases. Safety accelerates productivity. Need fo safety are for the following reasons : Humanitarian Economic ( Cost to company) Legal (Statutory requirement) Occupier role Responsibilities of responsibilities line function. Godrej Boyce. Mfg. Co. Ltd has formulated a safety policy called as Occupational Health and Safety Policy which includes the Organisation Structure of compliance of OHS Policy, duties and responsibilities of Division , Corporate Department and Employees. OHS Policy was released on 8th November 2007. Accident : An Accident is an unexpected and undesirable event, especially one resulting in damage or harm. The 4 types of accidents are : Reportable ( Injured person disabled to work for more than 48 hrs) Non-Reportable(Injured person resumes work within 48 hrs) Property damage( No human is hurt but property is damaged) Near Miss( When no one is injured though the accident had the potential ) Unsafe personal factors : Lack of Knowledge Improper attitude Improper application of knowledge Mentalor Physical defeciances. Godrej Boyce. Mfg. Co. Ltd looks forward in everyones wholehearted ommitment and involvement in the successful implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety system. ARCHIVES Developing Godrej Archieves was a brain-child of late Sohrab Godrej. The main purpose to develop it was to understand and unfolding the contribution made by Godrej to the industrial history of India, as well as its role in the countrys future. It is engaged in collecting, arranging, catalogui ng and preserving archival material reflecting on the history of Godrej. Additionally, resources are being created in the form of oral history interviews for better understanding of the business and its evolution. The idea of setting up Godrej Archives was first mooted in 1995 when preparations for celebrating the centenary of Godrej began. Godrej Archives is aimed to be a heritage centre offering invaluable archival material for reference and research. The objectives of Archives is: * To collect, arrange, document, preserve, interpret and communicate the history of Godrej. * To highlight employee contribution to organisational growth. * Make these information available to firstly our employees, researchers, students, business world and others interested in history of Godrej To promote awareness about business history and archives The Godrej Archives collection currently includes documents, agreements, letters, technical drawings, press clippings, old catalogues, advertisements, testimonials from clients and customers, audio-visual recordings awards, medals and memorabilia reflecting the rich heritage of Godrej. CORPORATE TRAINING Corporate Training has mainly 2 objectives: 1. Recruitment and Management of Trade Apprentances 2. Special Assignment (Workmen Training) Recruitment and Management of Trade Apprentances: Recruitment and Management of Trade Apprentances comprises of students recruited from ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes). They are recruited in the workmen cader. ITI colleges in total offers around 80 varied skilled courses to its students. In GNB we take about apprentices pocessing 20 plus trades or skills of ITI of which the top 5 are: Fitters Welders Machinist Electrician Turners These Apprentances who are freshly picked from ITI campuses fall under the Apprentance Act that was formed in 1961. However, this act was ammended in 1973. In Godrej the recruitment for Apprentances begins from February till June first week. It is Godrej that recruits the highest number of apprentances in Maharashtra with the requirement being as high as 625 this year, with PED having the highest number of requirement (175). These candidates who are picked in from campuses work as trainees with us for a year and then after they successfully clear the NCVT (National Council Vocational Test. The Process of recruting these candidates is as: * A company has to apply for registration with DVET (Director Vocational Education and Training) department stating its requirements. * DVET then gives a quota stating how many ITIs the company can recruit. However, if the requirement exceeds the number we can avail, then we neen to jargon and show extra machines or process to them in order to acquire permission for the same. The ITI exam takes place in the 1st week of July and the selected candidates join their respective companies by October. ITI is managed by State Government. In Maharashtra there are a total of 300 ITI Colleges from which 50% students are selected from Mumbai and the rest from other cities within Maharashtra. In Godrej for an ITI to seek admission needs to have acquired a minimum of 50% and above in S. S. C and they need to clear the written test that is conducted by Godrej. The written test comprises of 30 Questions carring 30 marks where the candidate gets eligible to enter the company on securing a minimum of 15 marks. A stipened of Rs. 3,500 is paid to them. Post apprenticeship the student has to give the NCVT exam on which he avails the Trade Certificate making him capable to be absorbed by companies as skilled labour. One who is unable to clear this exam is termed as semi skilled worker. Skilled worker is paid Rs. 400 extra as compared to semiskilled worker. After acquiring the Trade certificate the candidate is taken as a company trainee in GNB for 1 year. Post company traineeship he is considered as temporary staff for a term of 3years post which depending on his performance he becomes permanant. Special Assignment : Workmen skill development and enhancement programs. ( Configuration of Indian Industries) CII. G is a member of CII. CII coducts workmen skill competition every year from regional o national and worl skill competition. ITI upgradation program: COE (Centre of Excellence) COE is a 11/2yr program called as Broad Based Training for1 year and 6 months Advanced Training. Another CII initiative is Affirmative Action Plan for bettermentof ST/SC by Industries. CORPORATE ADMINISTRATION Corporate Adminstration department includes the following functions : Due Settlement Employee pension Scheme Employee State Insurance Corporation. Central Mail Receiving Despatch DUE SETTLEMENT : Any dues that are left to be settled with the employee at the time after retirement, service termination ,absconding, voluntary retirement scheme and resignations are paid off. The file maintained for due settlement contain the following forms : PF Nomination Declaration Form. Loan Recovery Bank Updation form. Salary disbursement. CDRS ( any death case) EMPLOYEE PENSION SCHEME : The types of pension: Member pension (Super Annuation ) after retirement at age of 58. Disablement pension: Any member who is not able to work due to disablement. Family Pension : If parents expire then children get the pension. EMPLOYEE STATE INSURANCE CORPORATION,1948 Those employees who salary is less than Rs. 15,000/- per month are members of ESIC. Based on the contribution of the employee and the company certain benefits are provided to the employees. : Sickness benefits – 60% of wages are given to employee. Accidental benefits -75% of wages Vocational benefits Employees with more than Rs. 15,000/- per month are not covered under ESIC but according to the Workmen Compensation Act, the employer has to pay the benefits to the employee. CENTRAL MAIL RECEIVING DESPATCH : CMRD Department takes care of Incoming and Outgoing Postal mail/ courier mail and Internal Mail. The postal mails can be ordinary, registered or even speed post. To conclude the Corporate Admin department takes care of the entire administration functions of Godrej Boyce. Mfg. Co. Ltd.

attachment essays

attachment essays Attachment is where an infant starts to become familiar with those who have cared for he/she. When I take my son to my grandmothers so she can watch him while I run errands he has a sense that hes going to be left and starts to wine. My son is seventeen months old and started to act attached to his mother and I about seven or eight months old pretty much what the book said. When we pick him up from school or someones house he runs to our arms and gives us hugs and kisses. This is a feeling like no other. My son definitely has stranger anxiety, when we go out to eat, the waitress cant even talk to him with out him pulling away or saying NO! My definition of attachment is my son to his mother and I, he clings on to us like you wouldnt believe. Im guessing this is a good thing. 2. List and explain the factors that create a secure attachment. Body Contact- is where the infant begins to feel attached to you simply because of the nurturing, the feeding, rocking, warmth, and the security that you bring to this child. At nighttime my son just doesnt lay down and go to sleep, he want to be held and given a bottle. (mostly by his mother) Familiarity- is another key to attachment. Once this familiarity is formed it is very hard to reverse, for instance if a child were to taken away from his birth parents and adopted by someone else, it would be hard for this child to adjust to his new parents. My son likes watching Elmo and can watch the same video all day long. This is a sense of attachment. Temperament- is where a child may cry when mommy or daddy leaves the room or better yet when we used to drop our son off at school he would scream and cry, but as soon as we left the room and peaked in he was playing and enjoying hi self. It was like he was putting on a front. Some babies are predisposed to be emotionally reactive, others to react calmly. ...

Folk Wisdom in Pregnancy Module 1 Writing Assignme Essays (1139 words)

Folk Wisdom in Pregnancy Module 1 Writing Assignme Essays (1139 words) Folk Wisdom in Pregnancy Module 1 Writing Assignment PSY 241-N02 Shianne Buie When it comes to pregnancy there is no shortage of the curiosity and uncertainty that surround the birth and delivery of a child. For centuries people have held superstitions and beliefs about pregnancy that many still trust in today. People may believe in wives' tales due to personal experience, supporting facts or plain fear, but either way folk wisdom does seem to hold some insight into the mysteries surrounding pregnancy. I personally come from a family who are no strangers to wives' tales, my own mother actually decided to put one to the test when pregnant with me. When I asked her why she would do that she stated, " I was just really tired of being pregnant and wanted to hurry things along " (Northcutt, 2017). You see I was her firstborn and since she didn ' t necessarily consider patience a virtue in the first place, she was dying to get me out as soon as possible. Tho ugh I ' m guessing that carrying around a baby in her belly with swollen ankles probably had something to do with it as well. The youngest of eight, she ' d grown up listening to my grandmother talk about her own pregnancies and the truth of all the wives' tales she ' d heard throughout the years. One of these tales was that if a woman drinks a spoonful of castor oil near the end of her pregnancy, it will induce the labor. Naturally my mom came to the conclusion that this particular idea was brilliant and she would try it out, despite not knowing a thing about what might really happen. That being said the method was indeed effective, just half a day later I entered the world and needless to say my mother couldn ' t have been more relived. Even with that being said I ' m still pretty skeptical when it comes to placing too much trust into things like that, I just can ' t believe something that is not completely proven like my mother is able to. At least not something that can affect a human life, although I must say some wives' tales might be little easier to put faith in if they had some scientific proof to back them up. While there are individuals who can merely believe in something without confirming that it exists, there are also those who rely on facts and physical evidence to convince them. I myself belong to the latter group and so to really believe that something is true, I have to see the facts to support it. There ' s one wives' tale in particular that does have just that. It suggests that if woman experiences particularly bad heartburn during pregnancy, then her baby will be born will a full head of hair. This occurrence is often found to be correct as according to Robinson (2015), " In a 2006 study involving 64 participants, researchers at Johns Hopkins Hospital found that women who reported moderate levels of heartburn throughout pregnancy gave birth to babies with hair on 82 per cent of occasions , while most expectant mothers who did not show signs of digestive discomfort had children that were bald at birth . Now being a person who naturally places more trust in science that century old superstition, I have no problem admitting that this folk wisdom is indeed highly plausible. However, there are also some folk wisdoms that I ' d rather not put any trust in at all and I know I ' m alone in this. While most are centered on harmless ideals, there are some wives ' tales which carry more fear than fact for any expecting mother. Perhaps one of the more terrifying of these is that if pregnant woman lifts her hands above her head, the umbilical cord will be wrapped around the baby. This particular tale probably scares more expecting mothers into believing it due to the known consequences of an umbilical cord actually causing harm to a child. As it is a fact that when the cord becomes wrapped around a child ' s neck, it cuts

Relection Paper of Book Called Tuesday with Morrie Essay

Relection Paper of Book Called Tuesday with Morrie - Essay Example It thus took me a long time to finally read this book and what a book it was! Powerful is the right word to describe it. Anyone who has ever thought about life and wisdom would thank the author for going through the pains of actually writing this book. I read it at a time when my life was undergoing some serious changes and I wanted to make sense of my life. This book worked for me because there were some lines and passages that spoke to me directly. The one passage where Morrie talks about tension of opposites was of special significance to me. I had noticed that in my life, even though I was grateful for most things, there had been times when I had taken a person or thing for granted. I failed to understand why we do that. But Morrie's observation put me at ease as I realized that we all seem to make the same mistakes, that while we must not take things for granted, we might sometimes do that and it was okay to forgive ourselves. Explaining the tension of opposites, Morrie says: "Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn't. You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for grante d." (p. 40) Another important observation was about death and it changed my perspective on death. I had always believed that when people are aging and they are near death, they must want to be young again and many old people around me confirmed my belief. But I realized that this happens only when a person has lived a meaningless life. Anyone who has lived a meaningful life, doesn't want to revisit his past, he wants to keep moving forward as Morrie said: ''Aging is not just decay. It's growth. If you've found meaning in your life, you won't want to go back.'' (p. 118) Very few of us actually think deeply about life and those who do are always on the lookout for more wisdom. Morrie was one of those and through his experiences, many readers would benefit as well. There is a very beautiful observation made by him about children. You may or may not agree with it, but if you think deeply you will realize that indeed it's very true. "If you want the experience of having complete responsibility for another human being, and to learn how to love and bond in the deepest way, then you should have children" (p. 93) Everyday we hear about celebrities being careless about their children and many children being sent to foster care because their parents couldn't provide adequate love and care. That should be a wake up call for all of us. Why do we have children when we can't look after them We should understand that bringing a child into this world means taking complete responsibility for his growth and for the love that he requires. Morrie's lessons would not only benefit Mitch Albom but everyone who wants to experience life in its fullness and who is looking for meaning. We are usually so caught up in the everyday routine of our lives that we seldom take a break to understand what's really happening. Do we really want this Where are we headed Is there meaning in our lives Meaning doesn't have to be very big or all encompassing. It can be anything that gives you complete fulfillment. If in taking care of your children and bringing them up properly, you think you life has meaning and purpose, then that's all you really need. You don't have to go out there and wage

Image of Christ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Image of Christ - Essay Example This only makes it easier for artists to depict Christ in equal proportions regarding the duality; â€Å"In representing Christ’s dual nature, Murillo also expresses human ambivalence.†1 But not all artists and painters see Christ in the same light. For instance Pieter Bruegel points to â€Å"humanity and vulnerability of Christ Child.†2, more so his painting also depicts inhumanity of the people surrounding the infant Christ. The artwork of Giovanni Bellini (1459-1516) interests me particularly. His depiction of Christ ‘resting peacefully’ is superb. Although Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross after being severely tortured, his body hardly bears any mark of torture. He is shown lying across the lap of his mother, peacefully sleeping. However he is not really sleeping as in biblical traditions, sleep was considered â€Å"a natural metaphor for death†3. This piece interests me because by showing so little in his paintings, he tells a whole lot more. In his other painting the infant Christ is lying in the lap of Virgin Mary and the look on her face suggests that she knows the fate of her child. In the background, the white crane fights with the snake; a possible interpretation that Christ will fight the devil where devil is represented by the snake, plus in some traditions a crane is regarded as a â€Å"harbinger of spring and hence of new

Survivor-Like Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Survivor-Like Program - Essay Example The families will have to support their own subsistence during free time. During activities, subsequent rewards and punishments per activity will be programmed. As the game progresses, challenges will be more physically demanding, mentally difficult, and psychologically stressful. This means, the basic necessities they will have to fend for themselves, to get rewards, they will have to strategize with their members, and they will have to harbor strength from the team for the psychological challenges – all as a family. The twist in the program lies farther during the game where families will be eliminated until only three will remain. As these families struggle to compete for the top spot, members will also be eliminated thus weakening the team set-up. Temptations of luxury will be introduced while rewards will be greater and challenges will vary from easy but tricky to hard but fun. The program is classified as suitable for general viewing. It is geared to be entertaining as well as educational. The content will go through major screening and evaluation for values it will instigate and amusement it will provide. The existing trend of television viewers highly rates reality shows as the most entertaining and educational. The various realism provides the public a kind of connection for the different situations that are universal among humans – pain, shame, competition, happiness, etc. Because these are the facets of social beings that appeal greatly towards the general public viewer, my reality show, called Survivor Family, can be quantified to hit big among various audiences and become successful. The Survivor Family series will be hosted by top personalities who have established themselves as a well-balanced persona. By appealing to the audience with the grand and remote setting, it will highly attract their attention as they are interested and almost always on the lookout for what is new, what is strange, what is â€Å"exotic†, what is on the other part of the world, what is left to be explored, etc.

Reflective paper The concept of the Dreaming Essay

Reflective paper The concept of the Dreaming - Essay Example It is the commonality tying all Australian indigenous groups and guiding them through all aspects of life. People see it as an embodiment of creation giving meaning to everything. It is said to establish rules that govern relationships between people, land and every existing thing for the aboriginal people. Edward refers to the dreaming as the time that the aboriginal people came to existence (Bingham, 2004). The dreaming is by far the most prominent views and ideals of the indigenous people despite the vast variety amongst the aboriginal people across Australia. Indigenous Australia was and is a multi-cultural society. Although quite a number of groups across the whole of Australia had their own languages distinct from each other also different life styles and dreaming stories, all of them had teachings concerning the natural and spiritual worlds, proper behaviors among themselves and also the laws that would govern the society(Caruana, 2003). There are three waves of migration into Australia. Edward termed the Ocean Negritos first wave’, with Murrayians being the second, and Carpentarians being the third. All the migrated people groups of the people that migrated had a diversified language. The number Aboriginal tongues were estimated to be 6000 in the entire Australia at that time. The diversity came up with different values and faith in the entire Dreaming era. The importance of Dreaming every bit of life forces the humans, the land, flora, fauna, the ancestral beings, and natural phenomena is inextricably and eternally connected to every other part (Buist, 2011). There are three key aspects of the dreaming. This includes the spiritual beings, kinships and dreaming stories. As seen earlier despite the differences in the languages or the land, they were born in the aboriginal people had common beliefs on the spiritual beings. They did have kinship systems but were not governed by chiefs or sub-chief as opposed to the case that came

What do moral panics concerning youth tell us about Victorian Society Essay

What do moral panics concerning youth tell us about Victorian Society - Essay Example There are also significant criticisms against the shams and fake morality of the period which is suggested by the phrase the Victorian morality. The realities concerning prostitutes and other moral evils of the period also help one realize the true nature of the Victorian society. However, the period is more important for the development of a new youth culture and British youth movements which gave priority to new codes of conduct and rules of living. Therefore, the values of the Victorian society are closely associated with the youth culture, popular music and the moral panics concerning the youth. The youth culture of the Victorian society was also connected with the class system and youth movements of the period. In an investigation of the sociological history of the Victorian Britain, one comes to comprehend the factors which contributed to youth culture and moral panics concerning youth in the period. Moral panic concerning youth has become a major topic in the modern times, tho ugh it was started in the Victorian period. â€Å"It is widely acknowledged that this is the age of the moral panic†¦ In one sense moral panics are nothing new. For a century and more there have been panics over crime, and the activities of ‘youth’ in particular have often been presented as potentially immoral and a threat to the established way of life.† (Thompson, 1) Therefore, moral panics concerning youth in the Victorian period have been a central topic of discussion in the sociological perspective of history and this paper undertakes a reflective analysis of the youth culture, music, and moral panics concerning youth in the Victorian Britain from the point of view of history. In the modern studies on moral panics, no other age group is more closely linked with it than the youth and the Victorian Society’s concern for the moral panics among the youth is often

Reflective paper The concept of the Dreaming Essay

Reflective paper The concept of the Dreaming - Essay Example It is the commonality tying all Australian indigenous groups and guiding them through all aspects of life. People see it as an embodiment of creation giving meaning to everything. It is said to establish rules that govern relationships between people, land and every existing thing for the aboriginal people. Edward refers to the dreaming as the time that the aboriginal people came to existence (Bingham, 2004). The dreaming is by far the most prominent views and ideals of the indigenous people despite the vast variety amongst the aboriginal people across Australia. Indigenous Australia was and is a multi-cultural society. Although quite a number of groups across the whole of Australia had their own languages distinct from each other also different life styles and dreaming stories, all of them had teachings concerning the natural and spiritual worlds, proper behaviors among themselves and also the laws that would govern the society(Caruana, 2003). There are three waves of migration into Australia. Edward termed the Ocean Negritos first wave’, with Murrayians being the second, and Carpentarians being the third. All the migrated people groups of the people that migrated had a diversified language. The number Aboriginal tongues were estimated to be 6000 in the entire Australia at that time. The diversity came up with different values and faith in the entire Dreaming era. The importance of Dreaming every bit of life forces the humans, the land, flora, fauna, the ancestral beings, and natural phenomena is inextricably and eternally connected to every other part (Buist, 2011). There are three key aspects of the dreaming. This includes the spiritual beings, kinships and dreaming stories. As seen earlier despite the differences in the languages or the land, they were born in the aboriginal people had common beliefs on the spiritual beings. They did have kinship systems but were not governed by chiefs or sub-chief as opposed to the case that came

Description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Description - Essay Example We decided to go to the stadium almost an hour before as we wanted to enjoy the tranquility of the stadium, which drowns and is alien to the field once the game begins. Plus we wanted to see the waiting rooms, rest rooms and cafeteria because they all had created such hype. The rumors were true; everything was up to the mark and immaculate. We were afraid that we won't be able to get a decent spot for parking but we were elated to see the organized setup for parking at the Centurylink Plaza. After parking the car at the nearby Plaza, we stepped on to the magnificent threshold of the stadium and the scene before us was spellbinding. For a second or two, our minds and hearts swayed from the sheer beauty of it. The musky and dewy scent of the grass, the very audible chirping of the birds, and the crystal clear visibility of everything mystified us. It was as if everything else had shrunk behind, amplifying this glorious moment. A painter would have killed to capture those beautiful colo rs. Our hands itched to grab the sense of familiarity and to keep it with us forever. Besides the creativity of this stadium, the practicality is also to be applauded. The chairs, or benches, had enough space in between that people could easily pass through. Another pleasant surprise was that the restrooms were spotless and there were around fifteen washrooms which meant you did not have to wait much. Then the crowd began to pour in. Everyone was as excited and as awed as we were. The eagerness, the enthrallment and nervousness were visible on every ones face. The typically scrumptious aroma of hot dogs, popcorns, tacos and beers, which are a complete necessity when it comes to a thrilling game, completed the picture. Everyone was prepared for the battle and the exhilaration was practically radiating from them. And then the superstars of the sounders team came barreling from one side of the stadium. The adrenaline rush of seeing these heroes was expected. The huddle was what I had o nly seen in movies. Optimism and promise to win the game could be felt by the millions of high spirited spectators. All of a sudden, the whole ground thundered with cheers and the game began. Whenever the sounders excelled, the audience went bonkers, and their excitement spilled out of the stands where they were confined. But when the opposing team bagged any points, the other half of the stadium cheered. And yes, the smoke of cigarettes was also quite pungent when the other team scored higher. When the match was coming to an end, the tension was palpable. The coaches, the players and the spectators were chewing their nails, saying their prayers and had their fingers crossed. Osvaldo Alonso and Alex Caskey played really well. My brother and cousins are his huge fans and they couldn’t stop singing his praises. The final penalty round was really difficult to take. It was as if everything was in slow motion like a movie. The cheers, the sighs went absolutely still. There was jus t the sound of a final swift kick and that’s it. A full stop. After an eternity, the shrill sound of the whistle, a signal from the referee caused every sounders fan's heart sore. They were basking in the glory of victory. The most befuddling stadium was filled with people hugging each other and patting backs. If there were tears in everyone’s eyes, then that was no surprise. It is mandatory to have intense feelings after such an intense game. This place is full of vigor and energy, and

Reproductive Isolating Mechanisms Essay Example for Free

Reproductive Isolating Mechanisms Essay In the 1940s, Ernst Mayr coined the term Biological Species Concept that was subsequently widely embraced by the scientific community. The definition stated that Species are groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations that are reproductively isolated from other such groups. Certain mechanisms are in place to prevent species from interbreeding with others and these are referred to as reproductive isolating mechanisms, which are biological incompatibilities. There are many mechanisms acting on natural populations and these are broadly grouped into two categories namely prezygotic and postzygotic mechanisms. Prezygotic isolating mechanisms are those mechanisms that isolate species before fertilisation i.e. before a zygote is formed. They include geographical, ecological, temporal, ethological, mechanical, morphological and gametic isolation. These mechanisms lesson the possibility of gametes from different species coming into contact and hence forming a zygote. One prezygotic isolating mechanism is ecological isolation, also referred to as habitat isolation. Ecological isolation prevents different species that live in the same territory but different habitats from interbreeding. These species are referred to as sympatric species since they occur in the same territories. Individuals mate in their preferred habitat, and therefore do not meet individuals of other species with different ecological preferences. An example of ecological isolation occurs within the Rana genus. R. grylio, the pig frog and R. areolata, the gopher frog both occur around New Orleans, Louisiana. The exceptionally aquatic pig frog lives in deep ponds, lakes and marshes amongst surfacing vegetation and breeds in deep water so has no contact with the gopher frog which lives in burrows during the day, and in the swamp margins at night and breeds in shallow water. This way the possibility of interbreeding between the two species is eliminated. Temporal isolation, also known as seasonal isolation is a prezygotic mechanism that prevents interbreeding between species. Temporal isolation is the isolation of species by changing the time at which they release gametes.  A particularly strong example of temporal isolation occurs in three tropical orchid species of the genus Dendrobium. The species only flower for a single day, opening at dawn and withering by nightfall. The flowering of each species is in response to the same environmental stimuli, such as a sudden storm on a hot day, but the lag time between the occurrence of the stimulus and the flowering is eight, nine, and ten or eleven in the different species. Since they flower for a single day, inter-species fertilization is made impossible because when one species has flowered the others are either not yet mature or already withered. Other examples of temporal isolation in natural populations are not as pronounced such as in cases were species are isolated due to breeding during different seasons like Sciurus carolinensis, the gray squirrel which mates in July and August; and Sc. niger, the fox squirrel which breeds in May and June. Another prezygotic isolating mechanism is ethological isolation or behavioural isolation. This mechanism prevents species, mostly animals from interbreeding based on their different behavioural patterns. It affects animals that occur within the same territory and habitat but with different mating behaviours. In most animals, mates are chosen in a species-specific approach often after species-specific mating rituals of some form. Matings follow these rituals which can be ended if at least one of the mating parties decides that the process leading to the mating is not as expected. Ethological isolation can be strong reproductive isolating mechanism in animals also between closely related species. An effective example of ethological isolation occurs in certain frog species of the Hyla species. H. versicolor, the gray tree frog and the closely related H. femoralis, pine wood tree frog often breed in the same ponds. Both species are physically very similar but their male mating calls, which last about three seconds and sound the same to humans can be differentiated by the female tree frogs and thus insures species-specific mating. This is also the case when considering why dogs and wolves dont mate as frequently as expected because of their different behavioural patterns. Mechanical isolation is a mechanism that prevents copulation between different animal species because of incompatible shape and size of the  genitalia. This occurs in species are sympatric and live in a common habitat and have overlapping breeding seasons without any ethological isolating mechanisms. In plants, variation in flower structure can inhibit cross species pollination. In California, two sage species, namely Salvia mellifera and S. apiana exhibit this form of prezygotic isolation. Two- lipped S. mellifera has stamens and style in their upper lip, whereas S. apiana has long stamens and style and a specialized floral configuration. Small and medium sized bees that carry pollen on their backs pollinate the two-lipped flowers, and large carpenter and bumble bees that carry pollen on their wings and other body parts pollinate S. apiana. This mechanism thus ensures that pollen cannot be transferred between the species, as only the corresponding pollinators are able to transfer pollen to the style of each flower. Another prezygotic isolation mechanism is morphological isolation, which in some cases overlaps with mechanical isolation mechanisms. This isolating mechanism prevents mating due to differences in size and shape between species. Morphological isolation prevents the spread of genes between the oak toad, Bufo quercicus and the Gulf Coast toad, Bufo vallicpes due to the size variation between the two species. The female oak toad has a maximum length of approximately 3 centimetres whereas the smallest Gulf Coast males are about twice as long. This way the size differences between the spaces make copulation extremely unlikely as male oak toads are too small to grasp the female Gulf Coast toad and male Gulf Coast toads are large enough to, and generally do, eat the female oak toads. The last prezygotic isolating mechanism is gametic isolation also known as gametic mortality. Gametic isolation is the mechanism in which fertilization cannot occur between species generally due to chemical incompatibilities between their gametes. In animals that practice internal fertilization, sperm may not be able to survive in the females sperm receptacles. Some plant species, pollen grains of one species usually cannot germinate on the stigma of another species thus preventing fertilization between species. Since many aquatic animals disperse their ova and sperm into the water, gametesof different species do not have affinities for each other. This was  demonstrated between the sea urchins Stronglocentrotus purpuratus and S. franciscanus when after induction of simultaneous realease of eggs and sperm, all resultant fertilizations were between eggs and sperms of the same species. Postzygotic isolation mechanisms are those reproductive isolating mechanisms, which are effective after the union of gametes of different species i.e. after fertilisation. Postzygotic isolating mechanisms include hybrid inviability, hybrid sterility and hybrid breakdown. Postzygotic isolating mechanisms reduce the viability or fertility of hybrids or their progeny. These mechanisms come into play when hybridzygotes are formed either naturally or unnaturally. Hybrid inviability is the postzygotic isolating mechanism that occurs between fertilisation and birth. This mechanism prevents the full development of zygotes and thus leads to their subsequent death. An example in animals is the death of artificially created sheep-goat hybrid embryos in early developmental stages before birth. Hybrid inviability also occurs in plants, most commonly resulting in hybrid seeds either failing to germinate or dying shortly after germination. Hybrid sterility or hybrid infertility is a postzygotic reproductive isolating mechanism which affects hybrids that survive to adulthood. This mechanism creates sterile hybrids i.e. hybrids that cannot produce offspring. The most well known example is the case of the mule. When a horse and a donkey mate they are capable of producing offspring called mules. But mules are sterile, leaving them out of the gene pool thus maintaining species integrity. Hybrid breakdown is the last postzygotic isolating mechanism in place to maintain species differentiation. It occurs in cases of crossbreeding were hybrids of inter species matings are viable and fertile. Hybrid breakdown occurs commonly and results in the hybrids offspring or the F2 generation being unviable or significantly weaker and unable to contribute genes to a next generation. Certain cotton plants show this form of reproductive  isolation such as Gossypium barbadense, G. hirsutum and G. tomentosum which produce hybrids that seem viable and fertile, but their offspring die either as seeds, early during development or develop into weaker plants unable to compete and reproduce. Reproductive isolation combines traits that reduce gene flow, such as mate choice or fertilization barriers, with traits that select against genes that have flowed, such as hybrid incompatibility. Reproductive isolating mechanisms are ultimately mechanisms evolved in species to prevent interbreeding with other species and thus allow for scientists to differentiate between species using the biological species concept. Bibliography Futuyma, DJ. 1998. Evolutionary biology, 3rd ed., Sinauer Assoc. Inc., USA Griffiths, A.J.F., Miller, J.H. Suzuki, D.T., Lewontin, R.C. and Gelbart, W.M. 1999. Introduction to Genetic Analysis. W.H Freeman Co. New York. Hale, W. and Margham, J. 1988. Collins Dictionary of Biology. Collins, UK. Mayr, E. 1942 Systematics and the Origin of Species. Columbia University Press, New York, USA. Mayr, E. (1970) Populations, Species, and Evolution. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Starr, C. and Taggart, R. (2001). Biology, The Unity and Diversity of Life, 9th ed. Brookes/ Cole, USA. www.abacus.gene.ucl.ac.uk/jim/Sp/isolmech.html www.library.thinkquest.org/ 19926/java/library/article/17a.ht