Coolburst

Not change for the sake of change but for the very survival of the organization. A changing political environment, technological advancement, mission requirements, personal consideration and a host of other factors can necessitate or exact change. An organization that does not view change as something Inevitable, embracing and prepare for it, is destined to fall, marginality and eventually face extinction.Such was the case at Cloudburst Juice Company. The story of Cloudburst remains one of the most Interesting adventure In business. It begins with the CEO LULAS Rebooked attempting to combat stagnant revenues and profits. She knew something had to be done to rectify the problems. We have suggested many ways through which she can correct this problems to put Cloudburst on the map of Juice production once again.Looking forward to the future, we suggested that the CEO malting a positive attitude and have a change of mind set. Success for cloudburst will depend on her belief that Cloudbu rst can be successful once again she will have to maintain some element of renew vision and direction for the Company, a direction with a strategic business plan, only then can cloudburst emerge from its stagnation.That notwithstanding, we also discussed how she can create long term goals and use past successes to link future vision, by so doing, the top managers even at the parent Company in Chicago will be comfortable with her new ideas and commit to it It is also our suggestion that she must promote an atmosphere within the organization where ideas are valued, considered and if possible implemented, this will boost the morals of the employees instead of shooting down every idea that comes from them as observed in past Coo's attitude.She should also give the employees tools and training needed to unlocking creativity. Furthermore, it is imperative for her to bring in creative thinkers like Velvet and Jenkins by hiring new managers and employees, and training some of the old staff to be creative. She will also have to encourage intention by engaging all departments and introduce the reward system as a source of motivation.On her part, she will have to learn how to take risk which is part of business, one way to achieving this is to do what Jenkins had proposed earlier on, â€Å"Give cloudburst to everybody that steps out of the plane†. As Cloudburst look to the future with enthusiasm, it must be available everywhere and new flavors Introduced. Like we recommended earlier, aggressive advertisement will be required to put this organization where it should be, right at the top. It Is Important to emphasis that creativity thrives on playfulness, but business must be conducted professionally.To this end, management must provide time and space for play, which will provide a relaxed atmosphere for the employees. A necessary Ingredient for creatively and Innovation to grow In Cloudburst. cloudburst By mashes imperative. Not change for the sake of change but fo r the very survival of the exact change. An organization that does not view change as something inevitable, embracing and prepare for it, is destined to fail, marginality and eventually face mains one of the most interesting adventure in business.It begins with the CEO Louisa Rebooked attempting to combat stagnant revenues and profits. She knew maintain a positive attitude and have a change of mind set. Success for Cloudburst future with enthusiasm, it must be available everywhere and new flavors introduced. Organization where it should be, right at the top. It is important to emphasis that relaxed atmosphere for the employees. A necessary ingredient for creativity and innovation to grow in Cloudburst.

The View From The Airplane Window

As often as possible, I try to get a window seat when I’m traveling. Certainly anything beats the dreaded middle seat, and crawling over other people when you need to stretch your legs can be a pain, but that window seat has the best thing on board—a window. A recent article by Peter Ferry on World Hum, â€Å"Out the Airplane Window,† describes some of the most stunning moments he’s had as an observer through the window of a commercial aircraft. When I think back on some of the flights I’ve taken, it’s not the movies on that teeny little screen that are memorable.It’s the views of the world below me that stay in my mind, like the time we passed over the Great Blue Hole, off the coast of Belize. I’d always imagined it much larger, but that didn’t diminish the beauty of the perfect deep blue circle surrounded by gem-toned Caribbean water just below my window. Once, I got an aerial tour of Yosemite National Park on the way h ome to San Francisco. As a California native, I’d visited Yosemite countless times, but the priceless view from above was something I’d never seen—other than on TV.We may never be able to visit all the places we see out the airplane window, but just seeing them as we pass over is far better than seeing them on screen. And it adds to the travel experience in counting not just the destination, but also the journey as important. I’ll always remember gazing out from a small propeller plane as I left the Peruvian Amazon behind me on my way to Cuzco. The bark-colored water lay in lazy loops among the lush emerald forest like a monstrous serpent. Ahead, the Andes formed a snow-capped wall.I don’t think there will ever be a movie that will make me feel like I did at that moment. Traveling on an airplane never fails to amaze me. Well, that is if I manage to get a seat by the window. Why? I get to see all sorts of landscapes as the plane lifts off, cruises a bove the rest of the world for hours, and I always believe there’s always something beautiful out at the window, waiting to be discovered. It could be the enchanting sunset, the vast mountains and terrains, or the buzzing city scene with its intricate transport network woven into society. ï » ¿The View From The Airplane Window As often as possible, I try to get a window seat when I’m traveling. Certainly anything beats the dreaded middle seat, and crawling over other people when you need to stretch your legs can be a pain, but that window seat has the best thing on board—a window. A recent article by Peter Ferry on World Hum, â€Å"Out the Airplane Window,† describes some of the most stunning moments he’s had as an observer through the window of a commercial aircraft. When I think back on some of the flights I’ve taken, it’s not the movies on that teeny little screen that are memorable.It’s the views of the world below me that stay in my mind, like the time we passed over the Great Blue Hole, off the coast of Belize. I’d always imagined it much larger, but that didn’t diminish the beauty of the perfect deep blue circle surrounded by gem-toned Caribbean water just below my window. Once, I got an aerial tour of Yosemite National Park on the way h ome to San Francisco. As a California native, I’d visited Yosemite countless times, but the priceless view from above was something I’d never seen—other than on TV.We may never be able to visit all the places we see out the airplane window, but just seeing them as we pass over is far better than seeing them on screen. And it adds to the travel experience in counting not just the destination, but also the journey as important. I’ll always remember gazing out from a small propeller plane as I left the Peruvian Amazon behind me on my way to Cuzco. The bark-colored water lay in lazy loops among the lush emerald forest like a monstrous serpent. Ahead, the Andes formed a snow-capped wall.I don’t think there will ever be a movie that will make me feel like I did at that moment. Traveling on an airplane never fails to amaze me. Well, that is if I manage to get a seat by the window. Why? I get to see all sorts of landscapes as the plane lifts off, cruises a bove the rest of the world for hours, and I always believe there’s always something beautiful out at the window, waiting to be discovered. It could be the enchanting sunset, the vast mountains and terrains, or the buzzing city scene with its intricate transport network woven into society.

Final Project Report

GUIDE CERTIFICATE This is to certify that ASHISH RANA from M. B. A. 4rd semester bearing university roll number -611012045 has completed his Final project Report under my guidance. Project Guide (MR. NAVEEN SIR) Signatur ABSTRACT â€Å"A study on the customer perception of mobile phone service providers with special reference to BSNL† is a project aimed at studying the competitive position of BSNL, the strength and weakness of BSNL’s competitors, accessing the present level of service provided by BSNL and identifying the areas which require attention by BSNL for improving its services.The type of research undertaken for the study was descriptive research and the sampling design used is stratified proportionate random sampling. The sample size was 100. The target respondents were the customers of AIRTEL, AIRCEL, BSNL, and RELIANCE in a proportionate number. The data was collected using a standardized questionnaire, through the interview mode. From the analysis it was fou nd that AIRTEL and AIRCEL are the main competitors for BSNL.AIRTEL’s promotional campaign has played a significant role in attracting customers and its huge amount of value added services and add-on card features has also added to its success. AIRCEL’s call tariff and its early entry into the market and its SMS facilities has made customers choose its service. It is also found that the good network coverage, call tariff and roaming facilities are the strengths of BSNL whereas SMS charges, poor customer care, lack of value added services, lack of effective promotional campaigns and high network congestion are some of BSNL’s weakness.It is found from the analysis that the awareness of the schemes that BSNL introduce is not known to the public. The study has also revealed that there are small proportions of BSNL customers who are not satisfied with the services that BSNL offers. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I take this opportunity to express our acknowledgement a deep sense of gratitude for rendering valuable assistance and guidance to us by the following personalities for successful completion of our research project. I am highly indebted to Mr. Naveen Sir (Sr.Lecturer), department of management: Sri Sai University Palampur (H. P) for assigning us interesting task. I have fortunate enough to have him as a wonderful guide and for her personal encouragement, prompt assistance, constructive criticism, valuable interest, guidance and supervision in completing our project report successfully. . The experience was novel one and we would like to thank all the people who have lent their valuable time for the recording of the data and completion of the report. Without their consideration it would have been difficult to complete the study.Ashish Rana TABLE OF CONTENTS |Certificate i | |Acknowledgement iiii | |Table of contents iv | |Sr. No. |Name of Chapters |Page No. | | | | |1 |EXECUTIVE SUMMARY |05-06 | |2 |OBJECTIVES |07 | |3 |METHODOLOGY |08 | |4 |COMPANY PROFILE |09-18 | |5 |VISION AND MISION |19 | |6 |STRATICS |20-23 | |7 |SYNOPSIS |24-31 | |8 |COMPITITORS |32-37 | |9 |DATA ANAYSISES AND INTERPRETATION |38-48 | |10 |CONCLUSION & REFERENCE |49-53 | | | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Spending a period of three weeks with the project â€Å"A STUDY ON THE CUSTOMER PERCEPTION OF MOBILE PHONE SERVICE PROVIDERS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO BSNL† was really a very interesting time for me . The way I received the views of the people in different areas of PALAMPUR (H. P. division made me to realize that practical experience is much different from theoretical knowledge. I was in direct selling and, I realized that it is very difficult to understand the behavior of customers. I am saying this because even though I was associated with a brand, sometimes it was difficult to convince the custom BSNL has a Quality management system which is demonstrated through its ability to consistently provide product and services that meets customer and applicable reg ulatory requirements. It aims to enhance customer satisfaction through its effective services B. S. N. L was born free, a force unleashed into the market with a relentless and unwavering determination to succeed.A spirit charged with energy and creativity and a team driven â€Å"to seize the day† with an ambition to become the most globally admired telecom service. B. SNL after just few years has risen to the pinnacle of achievement. As India's leading telecommunications company serving over 33 million customers the brand has played the role as a major catalyst in India's reforms, contributing to its economic resurgence. Today it touch people’s lives with its Mobile services to connect India's leading 1000+ corporate , empower them through Broadband services and connect Indians living in USA with the call home service. The strong product line from BSNL in Corporate Connections, customer friendly service and national distribution strength.Have helped in making BSNL the most preferred brand of mobile service provider in corporate world The telecom sector is witnessing a tough competition, with every major players (Reliance, Hutch in corporate) having a range of products, with the entry of Vodafone, it will become more tough. Despite of various difficulties and limitations faced during my research report project I tried myself to gain as much experience of marketing because Marketing is a very crucial activity in every business organization. Every product produced within an industry has to be marketed other wise it will remain as unsold stock, which will be of no value. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The objectives of this study/project as follows: ? To identify the features that encourages customers to avail services from mobile service providers. To evaluate various features provided by mobile service providers to identify their USP. ? To assess the present level of service provided by BSNL and compare the same with its competitors. ? To identify new are as which require attention by BSNL for attaining customer delight. ? To evaluate the strength and weakness of competitors of BSNL and to furnish recommendations for meeting the competition. LIMITATIONS ? The sample size of 100 respondents may not be representative of the entire population. ? The respondents consisted of various classes of people with varying levels of education, hence during the interview process the language and words that was used to ask the question was modifies suitably.This might have made the respondents interpret the question in a different fashion, Hence there is a possibility of bias. ? The linking or loyalty of the respondents to a particular service provider might have made them to respond in a biased manner. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PRIMARY DATA: ? Data collected from sample of 250 people in Palampur involved in different professions by questionnaire method ? Data collected by visiting BSNL Retail. SECONDARY DATA: ? Data Collected from Internet. ? Informatio n received from various pamphlets, brochures and journals of BSNL. TYPE OF RESEARCH: Quantitative research Quantitative research is generally associated with the positivist/post positivist paradigm.It usually involves collecting and converting data into numerical form so that statistical calculations can be made and conclusions drawn. COMPANY PROFILE Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. formed in October, 2000, is World's 7th largest Telecommunications Company providing comprehensive range of telecom services in India: Wire line, CDMA mobile, GSM Mobile, Internet, Broadband, Carrier service, MPLS-VPN, VSAT, VoIP services, IN Services etc. Within a span of five years it has become one of the largest public sector units in India. BSNL has more than 2. 5 million WLL subscribers and 2. 5 million Internet Customers who access Internet through various modes viz. Dial-up, Leased Line, DIAS, Account Less Internet(CLI).BSNL has been adjudged as the NUMBER ONE ISP in the country. BSNL has set up a world class multi-gigabit, multi-protocol convergent IP infrastructure that provides convergent services like voice, data and video through the same Backbone and Broadband Access Network. The company has vast experience in Planning, Installation, network integration and Maintenance of Switching & Transmission Networks and also has a world class ISO 9000 certified Telecom Training Institute. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. [BSNL] will recruit Management Trainees (External) through competitive examinations to be held on All India basis, on different dates to fill up position of Deputy Manager in Telecom.Operations, Marketing, Finance, HRM & IT. HISTORY The foundation of Telecom Network in India was laid by the British sometime in 19th century. The history of BSNL is linked with the beginning of Telecom in India. In 19th century and for almost entire 20th century, the Telecom in India was operated as a Government of India wing. Earlier it was part of erstwhile Post & Telegraph Department (P&T). I n 1975 the Department of Telecom (DoT) was separated from P&T. DoT was responsible for running of Telecom services in entire country until 1985 when Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) was carved out of DoT to run the telecom services of Delhi and Mumbai.It is a well known fact that BSNL was carved out of Department of Telecom to provide level playing field to private telecoms. Subsequently in 1990s the telecom sector was opened up by the Government for Private Investment, therefore it became necessary to separate the Government's policy wing from Operations wing. The Government of India corporatized the operations wing of DoT on October 01, 2000 and named it as Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). BSNL operates as a public sector. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Corporate structure of BSNL Board consists of CMD & Five full time Directors Human Resource Development (HRD), Planning & New Services, Operations, Finance and Commercial & Marketing, who manages the entire gamut of BSNL operations .There are five other Directors in the full Board of BSNL CMD- Mr. Kuldeep Goyal [pic] Shri Kuldeep Goyal has joined as Director (Plg. ) on BSNL Board on 1st May, 2007. He is an Engineering graduate from IIT Roorkee. He joined the Indian Telecommunication Service in 1972. He is having vast experience in telecom field and had worked in all disciplines such as planning, installation, operation and maintenance of wire line and wireless services, data services, computerization of various activities in the telecom network and provision of value added services. He has served in various parts of the India viz. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Mumbai etc.He was also deputed to foreign project at Yemen through Telecommunication Consultants India Ltd. In his previous assignment as Chief General Manager, Maharashtra, from October, 2005 to April, 2007, he was overall in charge for monitoring of operations, planning and expansion of telecom network of the largest circle of BSNL and contributed to rapid growth of telecom network in Maharashtra and Goa states during this period. Prior to that, he was working as Executive Director, MTNL, Mumbai from December, 2004 to October, 2005. He was responsible for rapid growth of GSM Network of MTNL Mumbai more than doubling the connections during this short period, taking market share of MTNL Mumbai from 8. 93% in December, 2004 to 15. % in October, 2005, in just 10 months against stiff competition.. Broadband service was also started in January, 2005, building up a customer base of 40,000 by October, 2005 in just 9 month. He has delivered a number of talks on various topics relating to Telecom for GSM Association, Institute of Engineers, Institute of Electrical and Telecommunications Engineers, CII, DD and AIR. He published many articles in ‘Telecommunications' Journal on topics viz. ‘Telecommunication Industry at a glance', ‘Universal access -An international perspective' and ‘Trade in Telecommunications'.H e was also a Member of National Working Group of ITU- T Study Group 2 on operational aspect of service provision, networks and performance of telecom networks and participated in meeting of ITU-T Study Group 2 at Geneva. He was also a member of Telecommunication Committee of Indian Merchants Chambers, Mumbai. In his present assignment, Shri Goyal would be responsible for ensuring planning and execution of strategy for expansion of BSNL network to achieve the targets set by the Government for 2010. Director (Operations)- Shri J. R. Gupta [pic] Shri J. R. Gupta is an Electrical Engineer, graduated from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh in 1971 securing first rank in the Punjab University.He joined the Indian Telecom Service of the DOT through a country wide competitive examination in December 1972. During the last more than 33 years, he held various important & responsible positions in the DOT. He has worked for installation/commissioning of Telecom Transmission Projects, Plannin g, Network Operations and Maintenance, Human Resource Development, Regulatory Affairs, and Licensing and Standardization. Before joining the BSNL Board, as Senior Dy. Director General, he was heading the Telecom Engineering Center of DOT, which is a reputed institution that works on Telecom Standardization, Engineering, and evaluation of Telecom Projects, Services and Networks. Shri J. R.Gupta has joined the BSNL Board as Director (Operations) on 02-11-2005. His main thrust is on improving the Systems and Methods so as to achieve Optimal Performance of BSNL's extensive country-wide (except Delhi and Mumbai Metros) Infrastructure and Network. He is also responsible for short-term and long-term business interests of the Company, particularly; Customer Satisfaction by way of ensuring timely, satisfactory and quality services, coordination with field units, successful implementation of New Technologies and Services through proper monitoring, and providing world class integrated Telecom Services in the highly competitive environment. Director (Finance)- Shri S. D. Saxena [pic]Shri S. D.Saxena has taken over as Director (Finance) in BSNL on 03. 04. 2002. Shri Saxena holds an excellent academic record. He is M. Sc. (Physics) and MBA (Financial Management). Winner of many awards and medals, he was awarded Chancellor's Gold Medal for being the most outstanding student in the Agra University in the year 1967. Prior to joining the Government of India through the IAS, etc. examination of 1972 he was a lecturer in Physics at the University of Rajasthan at Jaipur and taught for six years. During this period he was associated with various organizations including Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and Atomic Energy. Among the notable assignments of Shri S. D.Saxena, special mention can be made of C-DOT where he was involved in setting up of C-DOT with Shri Sam Pitroda and Padmshri G. B. Meemamsi. He was also Director (F) in the E-10 B Project for induction of Elect ronic Switching System in Indian Telecom Network. He was IFA of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. for 7 years and was actively involved in the GDR Issue, rated as one of the best GDRs brought out by an Indian Corporate including private companies. He was a member of Rakesh Mohan Infrastructure Committee which made significant recommendations for the growth and development of Indian infrastructure sector. Shri Saxena has been an acting Member of the Study Group III under the aegis of International Telecommunication Union.He was the Chairman of the Special Rapporteur Group of Study Group III for telecommunication statistics which made significant contributions for the presentation of telecom statistics on a Global scale Director (Planning & New Services)- Mr. A. K. Sinha [pic]Mr. A. K. Sinha joined the Indian Telecommunication Service of Govt of India in the year 1969. He is B. Sc (Engineering) from MIT Muzaffarpur. Prior to joining Indian Telecom Service he worked as a Lecturer at Bihar College of Engineering, Patna. Mr.. Sinha has wide experience in installation and commissioning of various switching systems in the network of Calcutta Telephones and Delhi Telephones.While working as Divisional Engineer (Installation), he was instrumental in commissioning first C-400 type Japanese Telephone Exchange in the network of Calcutta Telephones and thereafter in MTNL, Delhi Telephones. Mr. Goyal has got installed C-400 and many Analogue as well as Digital Telephone Exchanges. Mr. Sinha has worked as General Manager (Dev) in MTNL Corporate Office as well as MTNL Delhi Telephones. He has taken extensive training both within the country and abroad in various Telecom Switching Systems and many other important fields of Telecommunications. He has also worked for three years on deputation to the Telecom Department of Government of Nigeria as Principal Engineer Training. Mr.Goyal has worked as Chief General Manager of Andaman and Nicobar Island Telecom Circle and Jharkhand Telec om Circle. Mr. Sinha joined as CMD BSNL on 16. 09. 2004. Prior to joining as CMD, he was working as Sr. DDG (Switching) in BSNL Corporate Office Director (HRD) – Shri Niranjan Singh. [pic] Shri Niranjan Singh joined the Indian Telecommunication Service of Government of India in the year 1971. He is B. Sc. (Electrical Engineering) from Aligarh Muslim University with specialization in communications. Prior to joining Department of Telecommunications, he worked with U. P. State Electricity Board for two years. While serving, he did MBA degree in Financial Management.During more than 35 years of service in Department of Telecommunications and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited in various capacities, he acquired wide experience for operations, maintenance and development of network, personnel, financial, commercial and marketing, project implementation, regulatory affairs, signing and implementation of various agreements with other parties. He was actively involved in legal affairs of MTNL in various fields, public relations and coordination with other utility agencies. Shri Singh was deputed to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as Senior Engineer-cum-Quality Surveyor for Telecom Operations and maintenance projects of Eastern Province and also as Project Director of Saudi Telecom external plant expansion turnkey project in the capital city of Riyadh during 1985-90.Shri Singh has visited countries like USA, UK, Germany, Sweden Bahrain, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong to get exposure of management of telecom systems at international level. Before joining as Director (HRD), Mr. Singh held the charge of Chief General Manager (South) and Principal Chief General Manager (Operations) in MTNL, Delhi. Shri Singh joined as Director (HRD) on 1st May 2005. He is responsible for formulating and implementing policies pertaining to Establishment, personnel, industrial relations, training, restructuring and other HR related affairs. Corporate Philosophy [pic] VISION ? To become the largest telecom Service Provider in Asia. MISION ? To provide world class State-of-art technology telecom services to its customers on demand at competitive prices. ? To provide world class elecom infrastructure in its area of operation and to contribute to the growth of the country's economy. STATISTICS The country's top telecom company, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has been having a rough run for some time. For each step forward, it has been pushed back two steps. Just when it thought it had cleared the air on its scaleddown 23 million line GSM tender, Bharti Airtel delivered it a fresh blow. In August this year, the private operator unceremoniously unseated BSNL from its leadership position as the largest integrated telecom operator in the country (in subscriber terms), pushing ahead with 78. 7 million subscribers against BSNL's 77. 2 million. That must hurt.For the one-time monopoly service provider, and the largest telecom company in terms of both subscriber numbers (mob ile, fixed and internet and broadband) and revenues, the upstaging by Airtel has somewhat bruised its image. Though it is still the largest operator in revenue terms, its slow growth is worrying – a point also noted by communications and IT minister A. Raja recently. This is not to say that BSNL is not a canny operator. But as a state-run entity, it finds its hands tied when it comes to taking decisions. Its operations are subjected to bureaucratic delays, interference and controversy. Every issue needs to pass through multiple levels before it is cleared. This is time-consuming and certainly not the best way to deal with competition. The government's latest intention of merging loss-making equipment maker ITI with BSNL is a case in point.Analysts say this is not a â€Å"smart move at all†. On the one hand, the government has expressly asked the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to work out a strategy to restore BSNL's market position, and on the other, it is sugg esting a merger with a loss-making entity, which will only impact BSNL's financial health further. As it is, the company's financials have been slipping over the years. Though on a strong wicket compared to other operators, in financial year 2007-08, BSNL's revenue (provisional) dropped to Rs 370 billion from Rs 397. 15 billion in the previous year. Its profit after tax (PAT) too slipped, from Rs 78. 06 billion to Rs 45 billion during the same period.Therefore, in the event of a merger, ITI's accumulated losses of Rs 25 billion would only put an additional burden on BSNL's financials. â€Å"This would be the last straw on the camel's back,† points out Sridhar Pai, CEO of consulting firm Tonse Telecom. â€Å"This should not be allowed at any cost. The world is now in a different mode and operators have a full-time job in building their brand and managing subscriber expectations. Why burden them with an ailing equipment vendor that has been surviving on subsidies and handouts from the centre? † BSNL couldn't agree more. It has reportedly informed Raja that a merger with ITI does not bring any synergies to the table. BSNL is a service provider and ITI is a manufacturing company. And no service provider is manufacturing its own equipment because it wants to source the best equipment at the best prices by exploring various options. Tying up with only one equipment manufacturer or manufacturing only one particular equipment may not be commercially producing the best out of BSNL,† says Kuldeep Goyal, CMD, BSNL. Goyal, who took over the helm in 2007, finds his hands very full. BSNL's previously dominant position in all areas of operation, except rural telephony, internet and broadband, is being threatened by unrelenting competition. It is certainly more vulnerable than it was even two years ago.In 2002, when BSNL launched mobile services, it took the market by storm, giving the older, private operators a run for their money. It matched their servic e offerings and competitive tariffs and soon became a contender for the top slot. By early 2006, it had 20 million customers and 25 per cent market share. Then the slide began. The company was faced with a huge capacity crunch with the last major network expansion having been undertaken in 2005. By late 2006, subscriber additions had hit an all-time low. Subsequent expansion plans were either stalled or delayed. Its mobile business, operating on a highly overburdened network, ran to the ground.Today, BSNL, with 38. 49 million mobile subscribers, trails way behind private telecom majors such as Bharti Airtel (75 million subscribers as of August 2008), Reliance Communications (RCOM) (54. 29 million) and Vodafone Essar (52. 76 million). In the wireline segment too, BSNL has been losing subscribers – though that is true of all landline operators. However, BSNL being the largest operator with over 80 per cent market share is probably the most impacted. What's worse is that this sl ide is expected to continue. Meanwhile, the company has been hit by the phasing out of access deficit charges, a revenue share it received from other operators.The regulator is also talking about a downward revision in termination charges, which will bring down BSNL' revenues further as most calls terminate on its network [pic] BRAND NAMES OF BSNL SERVICES ? Following are the approved brand names of †¢ CORPORATE SIGNATURE : †¢ POSTPAID CELLULAR SERVICE: [pic] †¢ PRE-PAID CELLULAR SERVICE: [pic] SYNOPSIS. This article deals with the miracle shared vision can do to the organization. Vision concept and philosophy at an individual as well as organization level has been discussed. It also covers importance and driving force of vision in Marketing strategies, Selling, Business Development, Market share etc.Various marketing trends have been mentioned. It is an effort to share vision with one and all. 1. Introduction. Our visions begin with our desires. – Audre Lorde We all have some visions of ourselves and our future, and that vision creates consequences. More than any other factor, vision affects the choices we make and the way we spend our time. Visions drive consequences. Principles drive results. Key is to base vision on principles. – Stephen R Covey. It is true for individuals as well as organizations. The strongest form of vision / motivation is to base vision on â€Å"What Legacy we want to leave. † And to achieve it we must take a principled centered path.History is full of examples that many organizations have vanished grown and vanished overnight as their path to achieve vision was not based on principled way Vision of the organization can only be translated into reality, if it is shared by one and all. The best way to implement is to involve them in formulation. But even if it is conceived by higher management then it has to be explained to each and every individual of the organization, otherwise it may remain as a sho wpiece. 2. Marketing Objective. The ultimate objective of any marketing activity is to satisfy the customers and today even a step ahead i. e. ‘delighting’ the customers, for which customers are offered something beyond their expectations from the service or the product. The objective being to acquire and retain the customers, who should continually feel that they are getting more value of the money, they are departing with.Marketing is the establishment, development, maintenance and optimization of long-term mutually valuable relationships between consumers and organization. Successful Marketing focuses on understanding the needs and desires of the customers and is achieved by placing these needs at the heart of business by integrating them with the organization strategy, people, technology and business processes. At its most basic, Marketing involves customers, organizations and relationships and the combination creates the need for the management. In simple words it implies a buyer, a seller, bonded by the mutual need, satisfying offer and a medium/process to exchange the offer. 3. Marketing Process.We often talk of marketing & Sales and often use it interchangeably without understanding the difference in it. Marketing is everything we do to get and leverage a client relationship. Marketing process is broad and includes all of the following: – †¢ Discovering what product, service or idea customers want. †¢ Producing a product with the appropriate features and Quality. †¢ Pricing the product correctly. †¢ Promoting the product; spreading the word about why customers should buy it. 4. Contrasting the Sales Concept with the Marketing Concept:- The concepts surrounding both selling and marketing also differ. There is a need for both selling and marketing approaches in different situations.One approach is not always right and the other always wrong – it depends upon the particular situation. In a marketing approach, more listening to and eventual accommodation of the target market occurs. Two-way communication (sometimes between a salesperson and a customer) is emphasized in marketing so learning can take place and product offerings can be improved. The 7Ps for service marketing (Product, price, place, promotion, physical evidence, people & process) are the means to attain, nurture, & retain the customers and not the end. 5. Mission & Vision. Here is a test to find whether Your mission on earth is finished: If you are alive, it isn’t. Richard Bach.Most of the big companies have a Vision & Mission statement so as to guide their all energy, efforts to realize it. BSNL also has a vision ‘To become the largest Telecom Service provider in South East Asia’. Firstly we need to understand the parameter for being the largest. Is it revenue, ARPU, profit, subscribers, Network (no of exchanges, BTS etc)? From monopoly to multi operator scenario, BSNL’s market share is bound to reduce. But how much down we will let it? There are lot of similarities between British Telecom & us. One must keep watch on market share in monthly growth and take timely action. To improve our share, we need to acquire more than 50% of new acquisitions while maintaining earlier. This is Q. ite challenging in this dynamic environment. Today landline base is reducing across globe, but why? Europe defines an operator with 25% or more market share as Significant market Power (SMP), while they intend to increase it largest operator and we must strive not only to maintain but enhance it. We need to act fast. Timely action is an essence What should be our marketing Vision, will it help us in inspiring to achieve higher. Can it be something such as â€Å"To retain the highest market share, build highest brand equity and maximizing the profits? † 6. Brand Equity. We may think what is Brand equity? In simple words it is how far people are willing to pay if we increase our prices i. e . remium for our services. We may feel happy to say there is lot of black marketing of our SIM cards. Is it a healthy sign? We reduce prices when competitors launch new schemes. Does it imply poor brand equity? Brand Equity can be built with good equity of Quality of services at the affordable price. Continuous innovation in product and delivery of services with the appropriate pricing is the key strategy for developing the trust in customer so that he keeps his loyalty with BSNL. We have to be first mover in our efforts for product and price differentiation. Presently the market is in growth phase and price could be a differentiating factor, but how long?Is any scope left for further cuts? Ultimately it is the Quality, customer care, and timely availability apart from price, which will matter. What is USP (Unique Selling Proposition) for BSNL? A Government company which delivers. A government company which gives service better than private could be a deadly combination, which no co mpetitor can copy. 7. Social Responsibility. B. S. N. L. the most trusted telecom brand in year 2003 & 2004. We have been given Golden Peacock award for Best Corporate Social responsibility. How can we leverage these distinctions? These achievements need to be highlighted through public relation exercise like press meet.This will help us in building our marketing image. In sales and distribution front though we have over one-lakh retailers, 1000 franchisees, 3300 CSCs, 36000 exchanges why are we not visible like others? Why can’t we utilize all possible space? Can’t we leverage our franchisee and STD-PCO strengths? Can we make these outlets as our core strength? Why our recharge coupons, India Telephone Cards are in shortage when there is no capacity constraint? Does it imply that our planning for printing, inventory management, logistics, and supply chain and of course franchisee management is inefficient? Do we have targets for these just like DELs & Cell One?Why can ’t we leverage this huge network for better customer care and improve collection efficiency? We must realize that with waiver of security deposits, no OYT schemes, no advance rentals, adjustment of landline security for Cell One, we don’t get fixed deposits to meet our funds requirements. Everything has to be met from Operating revenues. We need to improve collections, realize bills early, not on the last day of payment and reduce bad debts. We need to provide 24X7 culture in our organization, though we have been providing operation and maintenance on 24X7 basis in the past and we will continue to provide in future too, but what about provisioning customer care and marketing on 24X7 basis? 8.Business Development. Business development units have been given the task to develop and nurture long-term relations with corporate houses. Many MoUs have been signed. Bulk bills are being issued. One-point payments are being realized for multiple service locations. Key Account Man ager concept has been introduced. All this requires change of mindset in addition to the skills of marketing & sales. Do we have skilled manpower? Is our organization setup apt for better results? The staff expense to revenue ratio could be a good indicator. No doubt our revenues are up. Profit has increased. But consider the marketing budget we have in comparison to others.Even with this little budget many circles are unable to utilize it. We need to probe ourselves. Corporate office has permitted delegation of up to 70% of Circle budget to SSAs. Does it mean that our budget planning is wrong? How should we allocate marketing budget and which parameter to weigh? †¢ Per DEL/Mobile †¢ Acquisition cost †¢ Life time value †¢ Competitor spend †¢ Growth targets 9. Life Time Value You can’t give people pride, but you can provide the kind of understanding that makes people look to their inner strength and find their own sense of pride. – Charleszetta Waddles. It is high time we learn fast, groom ourselves, improve our mindset and act fast.Business perspective is equally important as excellence in Telecom operations, maintenance, and installations & planning. Our core competence should be telecom business acumen and not just traditional expertise developed over the 10. Summary Vision is set in the Boardroom but realized in the battlefield. Each and every customers has to continuously lead this battle to be victorious. The corporate office is always willing to provide all resources. Together we can realize our vision. CAPITAL OUTLET OF BSNL Cumulative Capital Outlay BSNL had Gross fixed assets of over Rs 1,11,692 crores (US $ 25. 12 Billion) as on 31-03-2006. [pic] CAPITAL INVESTMENT Annual Capital Investment in the network has increased from Rs. 85 crores (US$ 0. 18 billion) in 1986-87 to over Rs. 6838 crores ( US $ 1. 53 billion) in 2005-06. This investment has been financed mainly by the internal accruals. [pic] COMPETITORS [pi c] Type Public, Listed on BSE Founded 1985 HeadQ. uarters [pic] New Delhi, India Key people [pic] Sunil Mittal Industry Telecom Products Mobile and Fixed-Line Telecommunication operator Revenue [pic]USD 3. 66 billion Website http://www. Bharti. com Bharti Airtel, formerly known as Bharti Tele-Ventures Limited (BTVL) is among India's largest mobile phone and Fixed Network operators.With more than 40 million subscriptions as of May 2007, the company is one of the world's fastest growing telecom companies. It offers its mobile services under the Airtel brand and is headed by Sunil Mittal, India's sixth richest men with a total worth of US$6. 9 billion. The company is the only operator to provide mobile services in all the 23 circles in India. The company also provides telephone services and Internet access over DSL in 14 circles. The company complements its mobile, broadband & telephone services with national and international long distance services. The company also has a submarine ca ble landing station at Chennai, which connects the submarine cable connecting Chennai and Singapore.The company provides reliable end-to-end data and enterprise services to the corporate customers by leveraging its nationwide fiber optic backbone, last mile connectivity in fixed-line and mobile circles, VSATs, ISP and international bandwidth access through the gateways and landing station. [pic] Airtel is a brand of telecommunication services in India operated by Bharti Airtel. Airtel is the largest cellular service provider in India in terms of number of subscribers. Bharti Airtel owns the Airtel brand and provides the following services under the brand name Airtel: Mobile Services (using GSM Technology), Broadband & Telephone Services (Fixed line and Internet Connectivity), Long DistanceServices and Enterprise Services (Telecommunications Consulting for corporate). Leading international telecommunication companies such as Vodafone and SingTel hold partial stakes in Bharti Airtel. TATA TELESERVICES Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL) is part of the Tata Group of Companies, an Indian Conglomerate. The company forms part of the Tata Group's presence in the Telecommunication Industry in India, along with Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited (TTML) and VSNL. IDEA CELLULAR Idea cellular is a wireless telephony company operating in various states in India. It initially started in 1995 as a join venture between the Tatas, Aditya Birla Group and AT by merging Tate Cellular and Birla AT Communications.Commons: Image: Idea Cellular logogriph created by User: Karan deshmukh9005. Initially having a very limited footprint in the GSM arena, the acquisition of Escorted in 2004 gave Idea a truly pan-India presence covering Maharashtra (excluding Mumbai), GAO, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh (East and West), Haryana, Kerala, Rajasthan and Delhi (inclusive of NCR). MARKETING OF MOBILE PHONES The communication has become so important in the w orld of today that it provides a ground for success almost in all fields of human interactions, communications is the sum things that one person does when he wants to create understanding in the mind of other. It is a bridge of the meaning.It involves a systematic and continuous process of telling, listening and understanding. Recent developments in the field of communication have revolutionized the style of human being in the society. The telephones and mobile phones have become the necessities of daily life. The two instruments play an important role in the business profession and in jobs as well. Through India is a developing country but it has successfully converted its capacity to realities in the field of human interactions/ communication. Some specific group (businessman, professionals, customers) enjoy the facilities of mobile phones and instrument is becoming more popular with the passage of time.Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and some other private companies like Airtel and Reliance are working in the field of providing the facilities to the common people. The instruments manufactured by the national and foreign companies are in the market. The urban population is their target customers in the unaware of the benefits of the mobile phones in day to day life, therefore some specific methods of marketing are required to make the mobile phones an article of daily use in the rural areas. AVILABILITY OF MOBILE HANDSETS IN PALAMPUR Two basic things required for the use of mobile & landline phones by the people of a particular area are:- 1. Availability of mobile & landline phones sets 2.Availability of land line connections as well as WLL signals in the areas. As it has already been discussed that there are 78 Gram Panchayat and one municipality in Pratapgarh Sub-Division. In this area main two companies are providing land line connection and WLL signal to the people and these are:- 1) Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (B. S. N. L. ) The B. S. N. L. has providing sim cards of mobile telephony to 120,000 customers as on 31 March 2009 under prepaid and postpaid facility. 32400 customers has been provided prepaid connections facility and 87,600 customers has preferred for postpaid services. At the time Following schemes of recharging are implemented by B. S. N. L. †¢ Rs. 331 (Talk value Rs. 75) (Period 30 days +15 days) †¢ Rs. 551 (Talk value Rs. 361) (Period 45 days +15 days) †¢ Rs. 1102 (Talk value Rs. 822) (Period 120 days +15 days) †¢ Rs. 2204 (Talk value Rs. 2000) (Period 180 days + 15 days) †¢ Rs. 3306 (Talk value Rs. 3000) (Period 365 days +15 days) (2)Airtel:- The Airtel has provided connections to 30,000 customers. Out of these customers 28050 has been provided prepaid sim cards and 1950 customers has Been provided post paid sim cards . Under prepaid sim cards Schemes are implemented by the companies are as follows:- †¢ Rs. 110 (Talk value Rs. 49. 32) (Period 10 days) †¢ Rs. 330 (Talk value Rs. 175) ( Period 30 days) Rs. 660 (Talk value Rs. 473) (Period 45 days) †¢ Rs. 1100 (Talk value Rs. 873) (Period 69 days) †¢ Rs. 3000 (Talk value Rs. 2869) (Period 365 days) DATA ANALYSIS & ITERPRETATION Ques. – Do you posses any Mobile phone? Y N ITERPRETATION:- 54% SAYS YES 46% SAYS NO Ques. – Which operator service do you have? B. S. N. L. AIRTEL RELIAN OTHERS ITERPRETATION:- 39% B. S. N. L. 31% AIRTEL 22% RELIANCE 8% OTHERS Ques. – Are you satisfied with your service? Yes No Can't S ITERPRETATION:- 66% YES 26% NO 8% CAN’T SAY Ques. – How you came to know about your services? TV RADIO NEWSPAP FRIENDS OTHERS ITERPRETATION:- 23% TV 33% RADIO 14% NEWSPAPERS 19% FRIENDS 1% OTHERS Ques. – Are you using prepaid or postpaid connection? PREPAI POSTPA ITERPRETATION:- 73% PREPAID 27% POSTPAID Ques. –Which mode of recharge you will prefer? EASY RECHAR RECHARGE CA ITERPRETATION:- 68% EASY RECHARGE 22% RECHARGE CARD Ques. – Do you think that private co. can offer you better services as compared to BSNL? Y N ITERPRETATION:- 48% SAYS YES 52% SAYS NO Ques. – Are you aware about the different scheme provided by your operator? Y N ITERPRETATION:- 73% SAYS YES 27% SAYS NO FINDINGS The major findings of the study are summarized as follow:- While surveying I got that 54% people have mobile phones and 46% haven’t.Out of total person availing the facility of mobile phones users 39% B. S. N. L. , 31% AIRTEL, 22% RELIANCE, & 8% are OTHERS have opted connections. In 100 people 66% were satisfied, 26% weren’t & 8% says they can’t say because they haven’t any idea about there service provider companies competitors. On analysis it was found that 23% by TV, 33% Radio, 14% Newspaper, 19% Friends, & 11% customers got information about On analysis it was found that 73% customers have got postpaid connections and 27% customers have opted prepaid connections. 52% customers say that B. S. N. L. can offe r better services than private companies because B. S. N. L. has Govt control. In Pratapgarh (U. P. ) sub-division B. S. N. L. as provided connection to 5000 customers and Airtel has provided connection to 3950 customers. In the area the sim cards of B. S. N. L. and Airtel are recharged at 10 places and 6 places respectively. The services were provided by B. S. N. L. and Airtel in 2003 in this sub-division and after that a considerable increase in the number of customers has been witnessed in the both the companies. A considerable section of the customers (48%) uses the mobile phones because of the reason that by using it , they can have regular contact with their family members . However 30% of the customers said that it helps them in their business/ employment activities. emaining 22% are using for some other reasons. The users were asked to tell â€Å"how the mobile phones can be made popular in the area. The 44% said that signal should be made available in all villages, 48% sai d that B. S. N. L and Airtel should introduced some new schemes of prepaid sim card and 8% of the users were of the view that latest models of different companies should be introduced in the market . On the same question the non-users view point was as follow:- 20% said that some cheap models(product) should be introduced, 66% said that some new schemes on less rate be introduced by B. S. N. L. and Airtel and 14% said that existing schemes should be popularized in the area.The 16% of the sub dealer of the view point that cheapest models should be introduced in the rural market. 28% were of the view point that people should be made aware about the benefits of mobile phones. 32% of the sub-dealers said that some more schemes should be introduced by B. S. N. L. and Airtel and 8% were of the view that latest models should be introduce. SUGGESTION & RECOMMENDATIONS Some efforts should be made at local level to make the mobile phones popular in the area. As the financial range of the rura l population is limited therefore the cheap models should be displayed at market places. The availability of recharging facility is not regular in the area.Some steps should be taken in this direction. Dealer should try to improve their after sale service Some more and cheaper schemes should be started by B. S. N. L. B. S. N. L should try to expand its signal facility as it is not available in many villages of the area Displaying of mobile phones in maximum possible market places is the important factor in this direction CONCLUSION The present study has attempted to candidly review, examine and explore in depth various aspects of customer’s behavior for prepaid & postpaid connection of B. S. N. L. During the course of study, a large number of observations have come to light.The present chapter is aimed at presenting the major findings which emanate from the study and offering some useful suggestions, which have been incorporate in two sections vis, its section first contains major conclusion and finding and section second deals with some useful suggestion QUESTIONNAIRE Ques. 1 – Do you posses any Mobile phone? Ans. a. Yes b. No Ques. 2 – Which operator service do you have? Ans – †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Ques. 3 – Are you satisfied with your service? Ans. – a. Yes b. no Ques. 4 – How you came to know about your services? Ans. -a. TV b. Radio c.Newspaper d. Friends e. other Ques. 5 – Are you using prepaid or postpaid connection? Ans- †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Ques 6. –Which mode of recharge you will prefer? Ans- a. Easy recharge b. Recharge coupon Ques 7 – Which services of your operator you like the best? Ans- †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Ques. 8 – Do you think that private co. can offer you better services as compared to BSN L? Ans- a. Yes b. no Ques. 9 – Are you aware about the different scheme provided by your operator? Ans- a. Yes b. no Ques. 0 – What type of problem you are facing with your operator? Ans – †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Ques. 11 – Any suggestion you want to give your operator? Ans – †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. www. trai. gov. in 2. Supplement to â€Å"The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report for the Quarter Ending September 2005† (31st January 2006) 3. C. R. Kothari (2004), â€Å"Research Methodology Methods & Techniques†, Second Edition pp 62-64 4. Richard I. Levin and David S. Rubin (2004), â€Å"Statistics for Management†, Seventh Edition pp 568-581 5. Douglas A. Lind, William G. Marchal and Samuel A. Wathen, (McGraw Hill Irwin, 2005), â€Å"Statistical Techniques in Business & Econ omics†, Twelfth Edition pp 556, 564-565 6. Donald R.Cooper and Pamela S. Schinder, (Tata McGraw Hill, 2003),†Business Research Methods†, Eighth Edition pp 596-600 REFERENCES 1. David A. Aker, V Kumar and George S. Day (2002),† Marketing research†, John Wiley & sons , Seventh Edition 2. Kotler Philip(2002), â€Å"Principles of Marketing†, Sultan Chand & company limited, New Delhi Websites: 1. www. coai. com 2. www. dot. gov. in 3. http://www. indiainfoline. com/sect/Telecom_05012006. pdf 4. http://www. trai. gov. in/PressReleases_content. asp? id=118 5. www. tutor2u. net/business/strategy/competitoranalysis. html 6. www. bsnl. in 7. www. google. com 8. www. yahoo. com [pic] ———————– [pic] [pic]

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Losing Power of Successful Economic Justice Models - Essay Example The barriers to the effective implementation of the fair trade movements all the time act as the reason for the power loss of the entire system. Considering. The consequence of the situation is that the co-operatives ultimately have to buy coffee at higher prices from the farmers and they are bound to sell the same coffee at lower prices to the importers of the foreign countries (Jeff, 2011). Â  Another major challenge of the fair trade movement as identified from the Fair Trade coffee case is that of the lack of knowledge being preserved by the producers of coffee. The reason of the lesser known among producers is primarily the co-operatives’ organization and processes. The producers possess almost zero or minimal knowledge about the fair trade movements because they seldom receive any training from the representatives of the Fair Trade. In certain cases, the producers themselves are the catalysts who worsen the situation of lesser information. This happens through their reluctance towards attending assemblies of the co-operatives and other similar events. Â  As the market for coffee is cyclical, the prices of this commodity fluctuate greatly. With the growth in the rates of conventional coffee, the obligations towards the channels of Fair Trade deteriorate. The Fair Trade Coffee depicts that with this scenario in concern, the producers fail to operate effectively because of the difference between the prices cited by the co-operatives and that prevailing in the market decreases (Murray, Raynolds, & Taylor, 2003). Â  

Business - Smucker's Case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business - Smucker's Case - Assignment Example It expanded itself beyond jams and jellies so that it can shield itself from becoming an acquisition of any of the larger firm. The company has been successful at expanding its operations, enhancing its sales and revenues by greater margins and increasing the price of the stock (Gamble, J. E., â€Å"Smucker’s in 2011: Expanding the Business Lineup†). The products of J. M. Smucker Company helped it to achieve its long-term goals. The company’s brand demonstrates strategic fit in the sense that all its brands are performing quite well. Smucker’s expected its net sales to augment by 6 percent annually by increasing the sales growth to 2-3 percent resulting from future acquisitions, and increase in sales by 1 percent from the introduction of the new product. It is identified that in the year 2010, the company was capable of becoming the market leader in 11 of its food categories such as fruit spreads as well as dessert toppings, roasted and ground coffee, heal th and natural beverages, peanut butter, cooking oil and condensed and evaporated milk. It can be stated that it is feasible for the company to expand its operations beyond its core competencies in order to fight the competition that it confronts from its rivals. This will help the company to generate high sales and revenues, along with that it will also assist the company to increase substantial market share. Question Two One of the factors impacting the successful operations of Smucker’s is taxation. Changes in the tax rates and laws have a significant influence upon the company. Competition is the other macro environmental factor which hampers the sales and profitability of the company. Nestle and Kraft Foods are the main competitors of the Smucker’s in United States. Economic slowdown and recession in the USA has an impact upon the operations of the firm. It is observed that the first three months of the year 2011 seemed to be promising despite the persistent impac ts of economic downturn in the United States. The revenues of the company were same for the period i.e. first three months in the fiscal year 2010. However, there was rise in the operating income by 5 percent in the first quarter from $185 million of the year 2010 to $195 million in the very first quarter of the year 2011. When the USA faces with the issues related to currency and interest rates fluctuations, the companies like Smucker’s may have to face significant problems since these companies have its branches in many of the foreign nations. There has been change in the consumption pattern of the people of the USA during the period of recession and as a result the organization had to focus upon the budget cuts and concentrate more upon the home made meals rather than readymade meal as sold by Smucker’s. Sudden change in the consumption habit has a significant impact upon the company. Therefore, it is quite significant for the company to take certain initiatives so that it can minimize the negative impacts of such threats and help in the enhancement of the sales and revenues of the company. If such issues are not paid due attention, then the company’s profitability will be hampered to a great extent. Question Three There are many subsectors of processed food industry and each subsector has different growth expectations, competitive intensity, profit margins and business risks. The industry can be identified as attractive in the

Genetically modified organism Essay Example for Free

Genetically modified organism Essay Genetically engineered food is an epidemic all around the world. There are factors that make these types of foods undesirable for many reasons. Public opinions on how genetically engineered foods will effect the consumer market and farmers cannot afford the new seeds that are genetically altered. There are many cons of genetically engineered food that have long term and short term risks. Some risks have been found by scientists while other risks are still unknown and will remain so unless a researcher tests for them. These foods have become very common in America as well as other countries. Almost every grocery store in the United States carries a wide array of food that has been genetically modified. Most of the genetically engineered foods in markets are not labeled to tell consumers they were altered in any way. Environmental risks are also a concern for genetically engineered food. Different animals, including farm animals or insects can be harmed from genetically engineered food. Genetically engineered food has negative effects on the human population. Genetically engineered food was first introduced into society in the early 1990’s. Many people today do not know what kind of extensive research and development goes into making these types of foods. Sharon Palmer, a reporter, writes that genetic engineering is either â€Å"Doomsday tech† or â€Å"biotechnology for the future† (Palmer 1). The process of altering an organism completely changes the original organism and transforms it into something new. This new way of altering an organism’s genetic makeup bypasses common breeding methods used by scientists (Genetically Modified Foods 1). The process of creating genetically altered food usually involves â€Å"identifying the genes governing a desirable characteristic in one organism, and inserting them into another in the expectation that the trait will be transferred† (Genetically Modified Foods 1). Sometimes the process of creating these organisms does not work so scientists have to do the process over again until they get a transformed organism. In 1973 scientists were able to achieve using another organism as a vector which essentially was the beginning of the development of genetically engineered foods. Although genetically engineered foods were not fully introduced until the early 1990s, they were in the process of becoming what society knows today. Newer techniques have been introduced that make it easier for gene insertion. This new method is the use of DNA bullets where â€Å"microscopic metal beads can be coated with DNA fragments, and then â€Å"fired† from a miniature gun into the host cell, where DNA may integrate into the genome† (Genetically Modified Foods 1). A few of the genetically engineered foods are soybeans, corn, canola, cotton, squash and papaya (Palmer 1). There are many other foods that people see on the shelves in grocery stores that may be genetically altered but these are some main ones. Statistics show that â€Å"an estimated 70 to 75 percent of all processed foods in U. S.grocery stores probably contain ingredients from GE plants† (Palmer 6). Many foods have been genetically altered to make them â€Å"better† or resistant to herbicides. Despite the fact that scientists consider these foods to be revolutionary there are hidden consequences to the development of such organisms. The public opinion on genetically engineered food is that it is not a good improvement. Many citizens believe that the introduction of altered foods is going to have negative side effects on everything. People feel that genetically engineered foods should not be put on the market until they have had adequate testing (Current Issues 3). Many of the alterations done to food have not had extensive research conducted to find harmful effects that they might have on humans and animals. Any research that had been done usually had negative effects but scientists found a way to â€Å"throw out† the research so that it would not go against genetically engineered food. Andrew Simms states that the â€Å"evidence of harm is not evidence of the absence of harm† (Simms 1). In Simm’s article he describes how consumers do not need genetically modified food. Scientists brought genetically engineered foods into the market and advertised them as a way to help the world. Different techniques can be used to approach the issue of world hunger. Introducing these foods to third world countries can only harm them not help them. There is a high cost of development for making genetically engineered foods. Also there is a monopoly involved with these foods. There are only a few corporations in the United States that are developing genetically altered seeds. This in turn drives up the price of the seed making it more expensive and poor farmers cannot afford to buy them (Current Issues 3). Farmers have lost billions of dollars because foreign buyers do not want to buy genetically engineered foods (Kupfer 1). Many states have passed legislation against having genetically modified foods. States do not think that genetically engineered foods can help anything except make things worse (Kupfer 2). Foods are altered to have different traits that would normally take a few generations to make but with genetically engineering their DNA scientists are able to do a lot more. Scientist use genetic engineering to make crops or animals drought tolerant and be able to tolerate pests. Consumers do not want crops that are mutations. They want natural crops and animals. Other public opinions on worldwide hunger are that GM crops will not change it. â€Å"People go hungry because they’re either poor, powerless, both, or have no land to grow food on† (Simms 2). Public opinion on genetically engineered food is that they do not want it. Many factors have led people to choose not to accept genetically engineered foods into their lives. Genetically engineered food effects everything in a negative way. There are cons to the development and introduction of genetically engineered foods into civilization. There are many risks involved with these types of foods that are unknown to the public. Scientists try to cover up the experiments they had on genetically altered foods because they had negative outcomes. In one study scientists fed corn to rats and then checked the rats’ livers and kidneys, particularly males, and the study revealed adverse effects. In another study conducted on GM foods many of the mice that ate the food developed health problems or even died during the experiment (Current Issues 4). The introduction of genetically engineered foods has been linked to the rising levels of food allergies in the United States. Genetically modified foods can effect organic foods if they are processed in the same place. Allergic reactions are greater since genetically engineered foods have been introduced (Smith 1). There are many environmental concerns as well. Although long term impact is unknown many researchers can conclude some of the negative side effects. A few difficulties have already developed. Plants can cross-pollinate with other plants around them which may seem like a great thing but it is not. Some plants are engineered to be pest resistant which seems good but in all actuality those plants can cross-pollinate with the weeds around them which in turn makes the weeds stronger and become more resistant to herbicides. The cross-pollination of plants creates a problem for farmers who then have to spend additional money to buy more herbicide to kill new weeds (Current Issues 3). Another common modification is adding a gene called Bacillus thuringiensis which is a bacterium that helps that plant develop poison that kills pests such as bollworms and stem borers. This seemed like a good modification by scientists but in fact the plant emits these toxins into the environment and it is deadly to all insects, not just the pests. Reports have been shown that these toxins from the crops also killed a large amount of butterflies (Current Issues 1). U. S. Government does not require reviews on genetically engineered foods. Genetically altered foods are not FDA regulated either. Foods are being modified without having adequate testing and then put on grocery shelves. People are eating food that they do not know whether or not it is safe. There are many other potential concerns with genetic engineering like an organisms genetic makeup, anti-nutrients, viral DNA, antibiotic resistant genes, absorbing genes, and allergic responses. Many genetically altered foods have been used as feed for animals as well. These animals have shown effects on body growth, changes in blood, kidney, pancreas, liver, erosion and necrosis of the gastrointestinal tract, and alterations in reproduction, development and mortality (Palmer 6). There are many unknown risks of genetically engineered foods. Unknown long term health risks have not been identified and cannot be identified until researchers conduct more research. Genetically modified foods are not something people should rely on in the future as their base food. There are risks today and also many other unknown risks. Genetically engineered food is a hazard to the human population. This creation was introduced to try and stop world hunger, make food cheaper to buy and many other reasons. These issues have not changed because of the introduction of genetically engineered food. The effects these types of foods have on humans and even animals can be harmful. Research shows that there are long term risks involved with genetically engineered foods. Potential cancers, diseases, environmental changes, and possibly a rising cost in food are all negative factors of genetically engineered food. Genetically engineered foods should be eliminated from people and animal’s diets. Works Cited â€Å"Genetically Modified Food. † Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. â€Å"Genetically Modified Foods. † The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather guide. Abington: Helicon, 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 05 November 2011. Kupfer, David. Genetically Modified Food Damages Trade with Other Nations. Genetically Modified Food. Diane Andrews Henningfeld, Ed. At Issue Series. Greenhaven Press, 2009. David Kupfer, The Genetic Resistance: Mendocino Is the First GMO-free County in the Nation, and I am Sure It Will Not Be the Last, Earth Island Journal, vol. 19, summer 2004, pp. 42-44. Copyright  © 2004 Earth Island Institute. Reproduced by permission. Palmer, Sharon, and Chris McCullum-Gomez. â€Å"Genetically Engineered Foods Update.. (Cover Story). † Environmental Nutrition 33. 7 (2010): I-6. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. Web. 5 Nov. 2011. Simms, Andrew. Genetically Modified Food Will Not Ease World Hunger. Social Justice. David Haugen, Susan Musser, and Vickey Kalambakal, Eds. Opposing Viewpoints ® Series. Greenhaven Press, 2010 Andrew Simms, World Hunger Needs a Simple Solution Rather Than Hi-Tech GM Food, Guardian, (UK), August 4, 2003. Copyright  © 2003 Guardian Newspapers Limited. Reproduced by permission of the author Smith, Jeffrey M. Genetically Modified Foods May Cause Allergic Responses. Food Safety. Judeen Bartos, Ed. At Issue Series. Greenhaven Press, 2011. Jeffrey M. Smith, Genetically Engineered Foods May Cause Rising Food Allergies, Institute for Responsible Technology, May 2007. Copyright  © 2007 by Virago. Reproduced by permission by Time Warner Books UK.

Sexual Health for Learning Disabilities

Sexual Health for Learning Disabilities Sexual Health For People With Learning Disabilities This leaflet is about people with learning disabilities and their sexual health. While there is considerable legislation concerned with disability from the 1970 Social Services Act to the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act and beyond, it is not always clear that the needs of this user group are being addressed in appropriate ways. This is because there is a lack of research into how this user group live their lives and how they feel about life and sexuality. Legislation and Anti-Oppressive Practice Under the terms of the NHS and Community Care Act of 1990 social services have a duty to make an assessment of need to any person in their area who may have need of their services. With regard to people with physical or learning disabilities the department also has a duty to find out about such people in their area and to offer an assessment of need even if that has not been requested. The social worker must take account of the 1998 Human Rights Act when dealing with anyone. It is illegal for social workers to discriminate against people or hinder their access to services on any basis. A social workers should act in the best interests of their clients, the service users, and engage in anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice. Anti-oppressive practice can involve the social worker attempting to take care over the way in which he/she uses language. In order to fully engage in such practice a social worker would need to take care that in dealing with service users who may have difficulty in communicating their needs the social worker does not end up imposing their own agenda on the service user. When it comes to people with learning disabilities here is a need for different models and levels of participation depending on the service user’s circumstances. Participation empowers some service users while others may not be able to be truly involved at any recognisable level without the intervention of a third person – an advocate. The agency for mental health MIND suggests that many people with learning or mental health difficulties should have an advocate who is impartial and who can inform them what is available in terms of services and support and who will promote their best interests as service users. Those who are able to engage with the process often go on to promote the rights of other service users. The service user movement has been a driving force in the struggle for people with mental health problems or learning difficulties’ entitlement to live as ordinary a way of life as they can (Carr, 2004). People with learning difficulties may have multiple and complex needs, nevertheless under the 1998 Human Rights Act, they are entitled to be treated with dignity and local authorities have a duty to abide by the requirements of this Act (Moore, 2002). Nevertheless there are areas where the Act is sometimes ignored and this is most apparent when it comes to the sexual health of people with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities and Sexual Health There has been very little research into the lives of people with learning disabilities. The first of its kind was a government survey of 2,898 people which was carried out between June 2003 and October 2004. The report dealt with people with learning disabilities (to what extent they were learning disabled is not always defined) between the ages of 16 and 91. The report found the following: 45% of the people interviewed were under the age of 30 6% were from minority ethnic communities. 92% of all people with learning difficulties who took part in the study were single and 7% of these had children but only half that number looked after their children themselves. 7% either lived alone or with a partner. There is an even greater dearth of information when it comes to the sexual health of people with learning difficulties. In fact media reports suggest that many people with learning difficulties are actively discouraged from engaging in what most people regard as a healthy sex life. There have even been instances where family members have tried to have girls with learning disabilities sterilised so that they could not bear children. A (2006) report from the University of Ulster Out of the Shadows, found that the sexual health of people with learning disabilities was all too often ignored. This is because family members and professionals do not want to acknowledge that this user group has such needs. The report found that: People with learning disabilities want to have relationships and express fears of being lonely. But the feel over-protected by professionals and family carers. Consequently there are few opportunities to develop relationships and meet new people. Some family carers want their child to have the same rights as everyone else. But they feel embarrassed to talk about sex with their children and are concerned for their safety. Feeling unsupported and isolated stops them from raising these issues in the home. Professionals and front line staff are aware that the issues around sex and sexuality are not being addressed. However they are inhibited by being under resourced, under trained, and at times restricted by a lack of clear guidelines and policies to support them (http://news.ulster.ac.uk/releases/2006/2892.html). Clearly insufficient attention is being paid to what this group of service users actually want. People are embarrassed by the fact that people with learning difficulties may have the same hopes, fears, and aspirations as everyone else. Clearly there is a need for more research and for education so that a greater understanding of people with learning disabilities and their needs is actually met. Further information on people with learning disabilities and their needs can be found at the following websites: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/fass/ihr/index.htm website concerned with the inclusion of adults and young people with learning disabilities in all areas of life. http://www.inspiredservices.org.uk/ website about community living, when it may be necessary and how it is meant to empower people. http://www.ndt.org.uk/ website that campaigns for inclusion of people with learning disabilities at all levels of ordinary life http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Surveys/Othersurveys/Generalsurveys/DH_4081207.Government survey Elder Abuse The agency called Age Concern is concerned that the rights of older people often get overlooked. This is particularly the case where the person is either unable or unwilling to speak for themselves. Thus Age Concern maintains that older people need advocates (a disinterested third party) to put their case when the rights of an older person are being ignored or overlooked. Since the publication of the National Service Framework for Older People in 2000 there has been a directive for more advocacy when it comes to addressing the needs of older people and this move that has been welcomed by Age Concern. Advocacy is about protecting the rights of people as human beings and making sure that their wishes are taken into account when decisions are being made that affect what may happen to them. Advocacy therefore, is meant to empower those people who may have the least power in society. There are those who maintain that there should be specialist advocacy with regard to the problems of age. Service user participation involves rights and responsibilities on behalf of both the service user and a service provider. When it comes to older people who may be confused about what is happening, or who refuse to become involved in the process then a definition of rights and responsibilities is problematic because without equal cooperation it is difficult to find a way of ensuring that these are fulfilled. At the very least it has to be acknowledged that everyone has the right to be protected from abuse and to be treated with respect. The aim of good advocacy is to ensure that older people are aware that the local authority has a duty of care with regard to their needs. Advocates also try to ensure that older people have an understanding of what to ask for and what to expect when it comes to support and services. When this is possible it enables older people to exercise their rights as citizens, however, some elderly people may have no idea what is going on and may be confused by the whole process. In cases like this an advocate would look at the older person’s circumstances and needs, as well as listening to the carer’s input, and would then put forward a case for their care and ask for an assessment. This is not, however, a guarantee that the person will receive residential care, however much a family might want it. A social worker would listen to what the family and perhaps the advocate had to say and would then ask what provisions were currently in place, whether these were provided by social services or by the family. Once they had assessed the situation the information would be given to a care manager who would decide what could be offered (Moore, 2002). In some cases this would be residential care. As people grow older they can develop fears that they did not have before. Many older people, for example, are afraid to leave their homes for fear of being attacked, and numbers of them are also afraid of being attacked in their own home. However, figures from the British Crime Survey 2001, tend to suggest that the likelihood of being a victim of crime decreases with age. Despite this, many elderly people live in fear of being burgled or attacked in their homes by a stranger. Yet the figures support the idea that this fear is largely unfounded the burglary figures for 2001 yield the following information: In 1000 households of people aged between 16 and 24 17.6% had been burgled In 1000 households with residents of 75 and over only 2% were burgled Despite these figures many elderly people are haunted by the fear that they are not safe on the streets and may not be safe in their own home. At the same time some media reports tend to suggest that older people are safer in their own homes than they might be if they went into residential care. Older people may not always be willing to go into residential care but an assessment may be asked for by other family members or by carers who are feeling the strain of looking after a demanding elderly relative. Some older people, however, may have become so frightened in their own homes that they want to go into residential care. Care and Abuse Despite the fact that some elderly people feel that they will be safer in residential accommodation there are factors which suggest this feeling may be misplaced. The marketisation of care, and the growth of private care homes means that there is some evidence which supports the view that the elderly may be more at risk of abuse of their rights and criminal assault in residential settings than in their own home (Ward et al, 1986). The 1990 NHS and Community Care Act, and the introduction of market forces into the care sector has meant that many former council run residences are now privately owned and run for a profit. This is the case even if the person does go into a council run home, they or their family members will be expected to make some contribution to the cost (Kerr et al, 2005).Even if people are in council run homes then they or their families are expected to make at least some contribution to the cost of their care. The shift to a mixed economy of care means that some car ers have little or no personal care about the job they are doing and this can lead to older people being at risk of neglect and abuse. There have been plenty of media reports of neglect and abuse in residential care where older people’s human rights go unacknowledged and mismanagement and a lack of proper supervision can lead to neglect and abuse (Smart, 1997). At a time when they should be receiving more care and attention some older people are being abused by the very people who are meant to be looking after them. It would seem that marketisation has led to a lack of proper control over what goes on in some residential homes and there needs to be some mechanism whereby such places are inspected on a regular basis. Useful resources http://www.elderabuse.org.uk/Media%20and%20Resources/Useful%20downloads/AEA/AP%20Monitoring.pdf http://www.elderabuse.org.uk/ http://www.aoa.gov/eldfam/Elder_Rights/Elder_Abuse/Elder_Abuse.asp Vulnerable Adults There are general guidelines related to social work practice and this is especially the case when it comes to the protection of the weak and vulnerable. All local authorities have a duty to be aware of the number of people in their area who might be considered vulnerable adults. The legislative framework that governs the actions of a social worker working with vulnerable adults is based on the following: 1948 National Assistance Act Part 3 Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons’ Act 1970 National Health and Community Care Act 1990 Depending on the age of the vulnerable adult they are dealing with then the social worker will also have to bear in mind: Section 45 of the Health Service and Public Health Act 1968 Section 117 of the Mental Health Act of 1983 General understanding of the 1998 Human Rights Act The National Services Framework for Older People Social workers should also be conversant with the terms of the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act before they make any assessment of a vulnerable adult. A lot of the problems that vulnerable adults experience, particularly if they have mental health problems, are due to the fact that many professionals (particularly medical professionals) still work with the medical model of disability. This model holds that a person’s problems and vulnerabilities are rooted in their pathology i.e. they are part of that person’s make up. The problem with this model is that there is a tendency to hold the person responsible for whatever their problems may be (Oliver, 1996). A more favorable model for the service user is the social model. This model looks at factors that are external to the service user such as environmental factors and any other social factors that may give rise to ill health or vulnerability. Who Are Vulnerable Adults? Vulnerable adults might be those people who need care because for one reason or another they cannot look after themselves. This might include the following: Older people People with mental health difficulties People with physical disabilities People with learning disabilities Substance Misusers Homeless People In an abusive relationship According to media and Government reports, older people are often subject to abuse by the people who are meant to be caring for them. The same thing happens to people with the sort of physical disabilities that prevent them caring for themselves, people with mental health difficulties and people with learning disabilities. In some cases women are more vulnerable and more at risk than men as in some cases they face the risk of sexual assault by carers, particularly if they are not family members. Government concerns over the abuse of vulnerable adults led to the setting up of the POVA the Protection of Vulnerable Adults Scheme in England and Wales. The scheme is implemented with regard to care homes for vulnerable adults, checking the backgrounds of people who work with vulnerable adults, either in a care home or in the person’s own home. The problem is that until a crime is committed there is no actual legislation that deals with the protection of vulnerable adults. Some local authorities have produced guidelines for multi-agency working in case of the abuse of vulnerable adults. Harm and Abuse of Vulnerable Adults Vulnerable adults can be abused or harmed in a number of ways, some of which are criminal. Non-criminal abuse might include not paying sufficient attention to their needs, denying them their human rights by not treating them as a person of equal human worth. Abuse can also occur by default when a carer neglects to take proper care of someone who is vulnerable by leaving them in an unclean state or leaving a confused person to wander without supervision. The more criminal aspects of the abuse of vulnerable adults can include stealing from them, misappropriating money from their accounts and physical or sexual assault. Sometimes it is as a result of harm that a vulnerable adult comes to the attention of social services and it is then the social worker’s job to assess the needs of that person. When a social worker makes an assessment of need, even if the person in need is recognized as a vulnerable adult, they can only provide services if certain criteria are satisfied. Those people who have a score lower than 4,5 or 6 may only be entitled to information and advice (Moore, 2002). This means that a lot of vulnerable adults are left out in the cold and it is sometimes the case that they become involved with mental health services by being sectioned under the 1983 Mental Health Act. Here an ASW or Approved Social Worker can recommend to a mental health team that a person be sectioned or forcibly detained for a period of 28 days if they are regarded as being at risk or posing a risk to others. Vulnerable adults are another group who may at sometime need the services of an advocate to put forward their concerns. It is also the case that unless and until there is some legislation in place for the protection of vulnerable adults this abuse and neglect will continue. Useful resources Disability Discrimination Act 1995 http://www.drc-gb.org/thelaw/thedda.asp http://www.after16.org.uk/pages/law5.html http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4085855 Moore, S. 2002 3rd Edition Social Welfare Alive Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes Mental Health Local authorities now have a duty to act in ways that are conversant with the 1998 Human Rights Act and this means that social workers have a duty to help people with mental health difficulties to deal with any problems they encounter. Some research tends to suggest that over the last fifteen years those who use mental health services have been treated in a prejudicial way. This is largely a result of the fact Government discourse is phrased in such a way that this group is seen mostly in terms of the risks they may pose to the rest of society. Some social workers have a lot of power when it comes to people who are assessed as having mental health problems. In Britain we have what are known as Approved Social Workers, these social workers are often involved in sectioning a person – that is to say a person can be detained for twenty eight days without their consent for assessment of their mental capabilities. This can be problematic because if a service user is being aggressive it is not always easy to tell whether this is just in response to whatever is going on at that moment or whether the person actually does have a mental health problem or a psychosis. Hannigan and Cutliffe (2002) argue that the medical model of health is the most prevalent in the mental health sector. Under the terms of the 1983 Mental Health Act this often results in medical treatments that may involve, for example, the use of drugs or electro-convulsive therapy without the person’s consent. What is most worrying about this is that it can be used as a threat against vulnerable adults who may not need this kind of treatment but who may be irritating the professionals with whom they come into contact. This is especially the case if the adult concerned has a tendency to be a bit aggressive. Professionals may often assume that this person is displaying psychosis when they are simply displaying an exaggerated form of annoyance at what is going on. Current legal definitions of what constitutes a mental disorder (and the guidelines with which many professionals work) are not necessarily the same as psychiatric definitions of what constitutes mental illness. With recent changes to the Mental Health Act this situation becomes even more worrying because it widens the net to include other definitions of mental illness, definitions which could just as well be a result of social misfortune as something inherently wrong with a person. Some research tends to suggest that the mental health system is racist and that black and white youths who may behave in a similar manner are treated differently and black youths are more likely to be assessed as having a mental health problem. The disproportionate use of compulsory sections of the Mental Health Act 1983 for black people, and the links between mental health and the criminal justice system, suggest that the basic rights of many black service users are under threat. A holistic model would emphasise basic human rights and require great caution in the use of statutory powers in mental health services. Black service users rights would be safeguarded through anti-discriminatory procedures, accessible appeals and complaints systems, and accurate monitoring. Safeguards include quality assurance systems based on service users views. These should incorporate indicators of service outcomes based on improvements to black service users quality of life (Ferns, P. 2000 no pagination) Increased use of sectioning under the Mental Health Act could be regarded as a form of blackmail in mental health – just another way of saying you behave the way I say you will behave or this is what will happen to you. The police also have greater powers under the 1983 Act. Section 136 gives them the right to detain people in a safe place for 72 hours if they are considered to be a risk to themselves or others, even if they haven’t been aggressive or done anything else that would warrant being detained. This is a frightening state of affairs because it means that anyone who upsets authority in some way could be at risk of losing their liberty without charge and without trial. The mental health charity Mind say that actual psychosis is far less prevalent in Britain than some figures would have us believe and that the 1983 Act is in danger of being used as a means of social control rather than the protection of the public and of vulnerable adults. Clearly there are many issues around Mental Health that are extremely worrying. If you are homeless you are automatically seen as having mental health problems and some literature also refers to women who have experienced domestic violence in these terms. Mental health issues and social blackmail it would seem are very closely related. Useful resources http://www.communitycare.co.uk/articles/article.asp?liarticleid=7951 Full ref. in bibliography http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre http://www.lho.org.uk/HIL/Disease_Groups/MentalHealth_Inequalities.htm London Health http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Factsheets/Statistics/Statistics+3.htm http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Factsheets/Statistics/Statistics+3.htm http://www.nacro.org.uk/about/Youth justice are we getting it right.pdf