Defining Moments in Canada Essay Example for Free

Defining Moments in Canada Essay Defining Moments in Canadian History During the 20th century, there were many events and situations that helped define the country of Canada. There were positive moments, but also a good amount of negative ones. Of course, the successful events kept Canadians in a positive light, but the negative situations helped Canada learn from its mistakes and went to prove how strong and brave its citizens were/are. The three most defining moments would have to be the Dieppe Raid, the Invasion of Normandy, and the Battle of Vimy Ridge. These three events not only assisted the country to become what it has today, but has also defined what the nation has become. The first defining moment of the 20th century was the Battle of Vimy Ridge. This particular battle was a military engagement located in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France during World War I. The main fighters were Canadian Corps against the German army. The battle took place from April 9 to 12, 1917. This was the beginning stage for the Battle of Arras, led by the British. The Canadian Corps was ordered to seize Vimy Ridge in April 1917. Situated in northern France, the heavily-fortified seven-kilometre ridge held a commanding view over the Allied lines. The Canadians would be assaulting over an open graveyard since previous French attacks had failed with over 100,000 casualties. (Cook) Main objectives were to take control over German-held high ground along an extensive escarpment. Doing so would allow the southern flank to advance without having to be heavily worried about enemy fire. With support from a nearby barrage, Canadians were able to capture most of the ridge within the first day of attack. The town of Thelus fell the second day, as did the crest of the ridge. The final objective was to capture another ridge located outside the town of Givenchy-en-Gohelle, which fell to the Canadian Corps on April 12. After that incident, the German forces had no choice but to retreat. This quick battle was successful due to a mix of tactical and technical innovation, powerful artillery support, extensive training, and thought-out planning. This event is a defining moment for Canada because it was the first time that all four sectors of the Canadian Expeditionary Force participated in a battle as a whole, therefore becoming a Canadian Nationalistic symbol of sacrifice and great achievement. The Canadian success at Vimy demonstrated that no position was invulnerable to a meticulously planned and conducted assault. This success had a profound effect on Allied planning. Though the victory at Vimy came swiftly, it did not come without cost. There were 3,598 dead out of 10,602 Canadian casualties. After Vimy, the Canadian Corps went from one success to another, to be crowned by their achievements in the 1918 advance to victory. This record won for Canada a separate signature on the Versailles Peace Treaty ending the War.(Battle of Vimy Ridge) The second definitive moment of the 20th century was the Dieppe Raid. This event was a World War II attack on the German occupied port of Dieppe on August 19,1942. The raid took place on the northern coast of France, and began around 5 am. Allied commanders were forced to call a retreat, a mere 6 hours later. Objectives included seizing and holding a major port to prove that it was possible and also to gather information. Allies also pl anned on destroying coastal defences, port structures, and all strategic buildings. The allied countries knew that they would eventually have to attack, so they figured they needed the practice. Another goal was to take some of Hitlers attention off of trying to invade Russia. The plan was to use 5000 Canadians and have a 1-day attack and retreat on the Nazi-held coastal town of Dieppe. The plan was also to be secretive and attack at dark. None of these objectives were met. The Soviet Union was pressuring the Allies to open a second front in Western Europe. The Allies, however, needed to build up their military resources before undertaking a full campaign. They felt that a large raid on the coast of France could force the Germans to divert more of their military resources away from the Soviet Union and also help in the planning for the full-scale assault to come. (Canada Remembers) The first mistake was that they reached Dieppe in broad daylight, making this surprise attack not very surprising. Also, the Dieppe forces became on high alert at Dieppe because French agents warned them that the British were showing a great deal of interest in the area. When the Allied forces arrived at the port city, its flanking cliffs were well defended. Thesoldiers were met with very heavy machine gun fire from little stations dug into overlooking cliffs. The Allied fire support was not nearly adequate enough and the attackers were basically trapped on the beach by series of obstacles and never-ending German fire. After less than 6 hours, the Allies were forced to surrender and many of the soldiers were stranded on the port, to be killed or to be taken prisoner by the Germans. The Allied forces were beaten severely, they definitely lost this battle, and they lost it hard. Numerous tactical and technical errors were made, resulting in huge amounts of Canadian deaths. The raid was a disaster: More than 900 Canadian soldiers were killed, and thousands more were wounded and taken prisoner. Despite the bloodshed, the raid provided valuable lessons for subsequent Allied amphibious assaults on Africa, Italy and Normandy. (Herd) This was, after all, one of the first attempts by the Allies on a German-held port. This was an important, defining moment for Canadians because the lessons learned there became the guidelines of what not to do in regards to future endeavours, and influenced preparations for the highly successful Normandy landings. The last definitive moment of the 20th century was the Invasion of Normandy (D-Day) on June 6, 1944. The Allies attacked the German-held beaches of Normandy, France towards the end of World War II. The landings were done in two phases; the first was an airborne assault landing consisting of 24 000 British, US, and Canadian soldiers shortly after midnight. The second was an amphibious landing around 6:30 am of Allied infantry. This attack was executed by all elements: land, sea, and air. The invasion required transportation of soldiers, and materials from England by aircraft and ships. These particular landings took place on an 20 km stretch of the Normandy coast on 5 seperate beach areas: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. The British armies took control over Sword and Gold, US took charge over Utah and Omaha, and Canadian forces stormed Juno. On June 6th, 1944, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and the 2nd Armoured Brigade were tasked with establishing a bridgehead on the beach codenamed Juno. This was an eight-kilometre long stretch of beach bordering Saint-Aubin, Bernieres, Courseulles-sur-Mer and Graye-sur-Mer. Assault troops were then to move towards the Carpiquet airfield, 18 kilometres inland. The 3rd Infantry Division, under Major-General R. F. L. Keller, was under command of the Second British Army. It was flanked on the left by the 3rd British Infantry Division that was to land on Sword beach (Lion-sur-Mer, Langrune-sur-Mer). To the right, the 50th British Division had as its target Gold Beach (La Riviere, Le Hamel, and Arromanches).(D-Day) Unlike the previous, unsuccessful raid at Dieppe, surprise was achieved at Normandy, thanks to bad weather and a very successful deception plan deployed in the months prior to the attack. The deceptive plan was used to distract Germanys attention from the possibility of landings in Normandy. Another key success was to convince Adolf Hitler that landings would occur at the Pas-de-Calais. At the same time of the attack, there wer e also decoy operations taking place. Fourteen thousand young Canadians stormed Juno Beach on D-Day. Their courage, determination and self-sacrifice were the immediate reasons for the success in those critical hours. The fighting they endured was fierce and frightening. The price they paid was high the battles for the beachhead cost 340 Canadian lives and another 574 wounded. (Juno Beach) By the end of D-Day, 30 000 Canadians had been successfully landed and all had penetrated further into France than any other Allied force! This was a defining moment for the country of Canada because, after all the previous, unsuccessful missions, they deserved a glorious victory. That is definitely what they got! All their hard work; preparing weapons, planting decoys, and all their extensive planning made this invasion so successful, and all the tedious work paid off. This event is definitive for me because my great-grandfather was involved in this attack, and thankfully returned home from it. There were definitely more than three defining moments for Canada during the 20th century, but the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the Dieppe Raid, and the Invasion of Normandy were three of the most significant. These events helped Canada grow as a nation, and made Canadians even more proud of their heritage and their country.

Developing An Effective Management And Leadership Commerce Essay

Developing An Effective Management And Leadership Commerce Essay Leadership and management efforts are crucial to the development of business strategies of companies. Basically, a lot of companies turned to bankruptcy not only because of the environmental factors but because they neglected leadership and management efforts (Hormozi, Hostetler, Middleton, 2003). With this, OSIM was chosen due to the steady growth of the company from humble beginnings as a kitchen appliance trading company to its global footprint-having a wide point of sales network (OSIM Ltd., 2011). This made the company an exciting and interesting case study. Furthermore, in view of the current economic climate where businesses are failing and where competitors are aggressive, it is important to understand from the business trend whether OSIM is capable to meet to the future challenges. As the industry expects more competition and the entry of more players, it would be interesting to see how well prepared the company is both financially and strategically to reinforce its global presence and continue to be the market leader in this industry. Corporate Profile, Mission, Vision and Goals of OSIM  [1]   OSIM International Ltd was believed a global leader in healthy lifestyle products. The company was originally founded by Ron Sim in Singapore in 1980 (OSIM Ltd., 2011). During that time OSIM was under the name of R Sim Trading, an electrical and household appliance company (OSIM Ltd., 2011). Using their small start-up capital, the company engages with the promotion of household products such as knife sharpeners, knife and mobile clothes drying rods. Apparently, in 1989, the company listed with the name Health Check and Care, and later on shifted their main focus to healthy lifestyle products. The time following this created great development for the company, and it manages to produce outlets in Indonesia, Malaysia and in Hong Kong (AsiaPulse News, 2002). The companys vision was to become the global leader in healthy life style products whereas their mission was to challenge the spirit of their clients. The goal of the company was to bring the healthy lifestyle to their consumers (Business Times-Malaysia, 2003 and New Straits Times, 2003). Financial Standing  [2]   In Figure 1, the OSIM International Ltds 2009 revenues grew by 1% from 62% in 2008 to 63% in 2009. This is also created significant increase in terms of selling, general and administrative costs resulting to the decline of the net income from a gain of 21% in 2008 to a gain of 5% in 2009. From the record of OSIMs balance sheet (see Appendix), the company actually suffers from profit decline due to the effect of global recession (Offers Style: New OSIM Store Now Open, 2004). Figure 1. OSIMs Profit and Turnover Source: Osim International Ltd., 2009 As seen in Figure 1, the 2007 and 2009 performance is expressive compared in 2008. From these results, we can deviate that OSIM was not performing well in 2008 as compared to their expressive 2007 and 2009. Despite of some downturns in 2008 due to the global business crisis, the year 2010 shows interesting trend. From the gathered information, it is expected that in 2010 both the revenue and net income of OSIM will be constantly moving upward (See Appendix for complete details). OSIMs PESTLE Analysis Political Conditions political influences include government stability, taxation policy, foreign trade regulations and social welfare policies (Davies, Lam, 2001). The political situation of Hong Kong is very stable now or even in the knowing future, all of these are provided by its stable and high visibility law (CIA Worldfact 2011). This will assure OSIM and other foreign businesses that the political condition of Hong Kong will help them to have a stable operation in area. Actually, the corruption-free government with score 8.4 in transparency index, excellent political condition and highly developed and competent infrastructure of Hong Kong have caught the attention of investments from more than 7,000 multinational corporations from the United States, Japan, and Europe (Transparency International, 2010). Economics- Hong Kong is an attractive market for medical home care technology makers and the newest trends. The opening of OSIM and the growth of medical home care technologies is supporting the demand for health services in Hong Kong. OSIM does not worry that the legislation could severely set back their most effective marketing (New Straits Times, 2003). Actually, Hong Kong is a highly developed and successful free-market economy. As of 2010 Economic Indicators, the CPI or the consumer price index of Hong Kong is 128 with Annual Inflation Rate of 0.45 (CIA Worldfact, 2011). Hong Kong has also 4.3% (2010 est.) unemployment rate with the GDP of $224.1 billion (2010 est.) (CIA Worldfact, 2011). Actually, Hong Kong enjoys an outstandingly open and corruption-free background, stable prices, and a per capita GDP higher than that of most developed countries. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in consumer electronics, information technology products, pharmaceuticals, and on a growing financial services sector (CIA Worldfact, 2011). Real GDP growth averaged 2.3% in 2008, but contracted -2.7% in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis but in 2010 an expressive 6.8% was computed (CIA Worldfact, 2011). As seen, there are lot of foreign businesses found in almost all sectors of the economy of Hong Kong. Basically, more than two-thirds of manufacturing contribution and direct export sales are provided by foreign business, although there are services sectors that remain ruled by government-linked businesses (CIA Worldfact, 2011). Social cultural In terms of social aspect, OSIM is quite in advantage in Hong Kong considering that the standards of living of people in destinations served by OSIM is good and most of them have the capacity to pay for their home healthcare technology needs. However, OSIM still needs to consider the tastes and lifestyles of people especially, their willingness to buy technology-based home care products (New Straits Times, 2004) since Hong Kong consumers could prefer traditional medicine or Chinese physician rather than high tech equipment. But because of the advent of new technologies in any setting, this is a good timing for OSIM to grab the opportunity (Barton, Newell, Wilson, 2002). The nature of its workforce is also part of external environment of OSIM whereas the Hong Kong citizen are able to cope with the changes implemented in OSIM. Technological Today, e-business has become an integral part of operations in any business industry, with ultimate objectives of not only achieving cost saving but also generating additional revenue (Hormozi, Hostetler, Middleton, 2003). Beyond to enhance their current product line, their further investment should be focus on improving and incorporating appropriate new technology. In Hong Kong, OSIM implemented and ambitious to become Asias leading Home Health-care products manufacturer and distributor. Legal As with any other business industry of the world, there are rules and regulations that restrict or support the facilitation of the business in the Home Health-care products market in the areas where OSIM operates (New Straits Times, 2004). Environmental There are currently no major environmental issues faced by the OSIM in Hong Kong considering that Home Health-care products are not only good for people but also to our environment (New Straits Times, 2004). OSIMs SWOT Analysis With respect to the given information in the company website, the following presentation will show the SWOT analysis of OSIM. Actually, SWOT analysis can provide a framework for identifying and analyzing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threat (Feist, Heely, Lu, Nersesian, 1999). Adapted from: http://marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-swot.html TOWS Matrix From the SWOT presented the TOWS matrix for OSIMs operation in Hong Kong is made. External Opportunities (O) External Threats (T) 1. Improve and increase the market of the business 2. Growth of the companys subsidiaries. 3. Increased customer loyalty. 4. International consumer reach through the use of e-commerce or internet marketing 1. Emergence of highly competitive company. 2. Economic downturn. 3. Escalating prices of main materials and products. Internal Strengths (S) SO Focus on various promotion strategies to improve market. Offering excellent products to achieve customer loyalty and excellent customer association ST Strong reputation and resources of OSIM to draw industrial knowledge which can perk up customers confidence in considering product. Consideration of joint venture and sustainable merger and acquisition to improve and expand market portfolio in other parts of the globe. Enhancing home healthcare products and services to meet the need of the target market. 1. Good Customer relationship 2. Diversified products and services offered to different customers in the international contexts Internal Weaknesses (W) WO Managing financial resource effectively to minimise weaknesses Improving customer reach by joining various business ventures. WT Applying strategic management structure to gain shareholders and stakeholders trusts Investing in information technology infrastructure Enhancing brand loyalty though customer satisfaction. 1. Inability to manage financing sources 2. Limited access to international markets. Adopted from: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_89.htm Porters Five Forces of OSIM A Five-Force model (Ali, 1993) was conducted in the context of the global home health care industry . Despite being a market leader, OSIM is not yet resting on its laurels of success, but instead, continuously innovating and developing their company in order to maintain what it has managed to achieve up to this time. The following identifies the five forces of OSIM: Industry Competitors- In the global business industry, regulatory and technological changes are the major factors, making ingrained reasonable strategies outdated and controls the creation and progress of new products, strategies, processes, and public policies in the industry (Leuz, Pfaff, Hopwood, 2004). Basically, there are numerous home health care players in the industry, included in the list is OSIM, who strive for market leadership in all their business aspects. As such, the level of industry competition is very stiff and very aggressive. Potential Entrants- Natural barriers to entry in the global home health care industry include the need for capital investment, human resources, and technology and the importance of economies of scale. It also includes the role of contracting costs avoided by a close relationship between the vendor and its client, which in turn is related to the avoidance of opportunistic behaviour by either party. Buyers Home health-care products have a long historya history rich in product diversity, international scope, and, above all, continuous change and adaptation. These competitive changes have forced adaptations, and in general have improved the level and efficiency offer to clients, thereby increasing transactional volume. Coupled with these, the customers have become informed concerning home-health care products that OSIM-like companies offer. Suppliers- The suppliers to this industry are mainly the providers of technology and materials in home health-care firms use in the conduct of their businesses. Substitutes -There is a high level of substitutes for the healthy and lifestyle products industry, evidenced by the numerous numbers of major players in the global market. The cost to transfer to another beauty firm is also relatively low, so the substitution rate is pretty high. Grand Strategy Matrix Adapted from: http://www.slideshare.net/suresh.singh/grand-strategy-presentation-805769 In terms of grand differentiation strategy of the company, OSIM belong to the market in which the growth was slow. However, the company was the leading business in this industry that defines their strong competitive position. Differentiation Strategy In order to place OSIM as a leader in Home Healthcare Products, there should be a so-called differentiation strategy that clearly identifies why OSIM is different from other brands. The differentiation strategy of OSIM was based on their: Wide experience in home health care market as they have been in the business for almost 42 years now, their directors can consider their experience in operating venture as strength (OSIM Ltd., 2011). Reasonable price offerings of products and services- since they able to keep their overheads low, this allows them to have better control of their prices. This is considered strength because naturally, people would look for a reasonably-priced place to stay in that equally do not sacrifice service and product quality (OSIM Ltd., 2011). Already has developed a good reputation for value for money since they have been operating for great number of years, they already have built a name for themselves, attracting a number of loyal customers along the way (OSIM Ltd., 2010). Good industry skills the directors of different divisions of OSIM are natural for the business that they ventured into, both being outgoing and friendly, the most important public relation skills that clients look for (OSIM Ltd., 2011). The Boston Consulting Group Approach (BCG Matrix) There are 9 important business units for the OSIM, which are grouped according to the city or country that their operation is located: Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Canada, UAE and USA. Figure 1 BCG Matrix Adapted from: http://www.netmba.com/strategy/matrix/bcg/ Cash Cow a business element that has a great market share in a fully grown and slow growing industry. Thus, it requires a small investment and produces cash that can be used in other business (QuickMBA 2007). Malaysia is the only business unit that was included in the said category. This is because OSIM is considered as one of the most prominent and famous home health-care products distributor. Above all, one of the most important aspects to be considered is the number of competitors in the country. Star a business element that has a huge market share in a swift rising business. This business unit generates cash, however, due to the rapid growth of the market, they require investment in order maintain the lead of a specific company (QuickMBA 2007). Hong Kong and Singapore are the two business units which included in the said category. OSIM is considered as one of the first home health care products manufacturer and distributor in the world, particularly in Hong Kong and Singapore. Because of that, OSIM had been able to gain competitive advantage, in terms of image towards the Chinese, Singaporeans and foreign visitors. However, because of the growing economy of the said cities, it had resulted to the growing number of players in the industry, thus pushed OSIM Hong Kong and Singapore to focus on different strategic plan and implementation that will maintain their competitive advantage. Question Mark or Problem Child a business component that has a little market share in a lofty increasing market. A problem child requires resources in order to grow market share, however, the fact if they will be successful and become stars is not sure (QuickMBA 2007). Canada, China and Indonesia are the three business units that were included in the said category. In China, OSIM has a small share in the market because of the extensive competition, primarily from the local players in the area. The said situation is the same in Canada. On the other hand, the OSIM was included in the said category because; the hotel was one of the newly developed hotels of the group. Dog a business component that has a little market share in a grown-up industry. UAE, Taiwan and USA are three of business units that belong to the said category. The reason behind the said analysis is because of the fact that UAE, Taiwan and USA are considered as three of the most prominent cities in the world. Thus, there are different huge companies that have already started their operations in there. Although it is important to consider that a dog may not required substantial cast, it is connected to the capital that could be better be deployed elsewhere, however in the case of the OSIM UAE, Taiwan and USA, it is considered as strategic purpose of the group in order to introduce their brand in the West and some parts of Asia. OSIMs Leadership: Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) OSIM OMRON SANYO Critical Success Factors Weight Rating Weighted Score Rating Weighted Score Rating Weighted Score Market share 0.30 3 0.90 2 0.60 2 0.60 Price Competitiveness 0.25 4 1.00 3 0.75 3 0.75 Financial position 0.20 3 0.60 3 0.60 2 0.40 Product quality 0.10 2 0.20 2 0.20 3 0.30 Consumer loyalty 0.15 3 0.45 2 0.30 3 0.45 Total 1.00 3.15 2.45 2.50 Adapted from: http://www.soopertutorials.com/business/strategic-management/1031-competitive-profile-matrix-harleyhonda-and-yamaha.html With regards to competitive profile matrix, OSIM became a leader and surpasses their top competitors OMRON and Sanyo. Actually, OSIM leads the victory in terms of market share and price competitiveness. The said key factors are OSIMs edge against their competitors considering that their primary markets are located in Singapore, Hong Kong and currently no company poses a significant threat to them as a major competitor (Osim International Ltd. 2009). The company believed that they have the have a competitive edge over their competitors in their primary markets as their extensive distribution network of outlets is dedicated to home health-care products. As part of the business development of the company, they currently exercise the full power over their point-of-sales system and utter to the distribution chain how to sell and not only what to sell (Osim International Ltd. 2009). Furthermore, OSIM also control their supply chain, from the design of the products up to the distribution an d marketing of the products. In general, the company considers Sanyo and Omron as their competitors. Overall Recommendation for Future Development For the success and future development of OSIM, it is recommended that internal condition must be considered. Basically, the most important to consider was the human factor as it is the heart thats drive the company. Having the right culture and people to create conducive environment, and be lead by strong visionary leaders and champion management that capable to manage its people and process. The external condition on the other hand, as shown in the PESTLE analysis must be also considered. With strong and stable external environment will contribute for the need to change strategic option. Furthermore, the full support from our Group and re-alignment with our other Hub is important without it its impossible to achieve the vision and mission. In terms of financial aspect all strategic option should involve financial investment that in term will bring cost benefit and growth. Especially in its market development by acquisition potential BPO that is more desirable and can bring in capit al and value to OSIM. Apparently, in order to cope with the change the organization structure also need to realign and change. Especially in its organic growth, where having the right type of people and culture is the key to success. It structure management is important to execute the strategic option. Moreover, external market trend is more into technology with faster and reliable system. With high speed connectivity the market had been more competing and broaden it market widely. As seen each strategic option has very own risk but with stern control and better risk management can mitigate any potential risk and minimize the impact. For continues success of the company, OSIM must also consider change management that will be the potential barrier since OSIM is still in it comfort zone. By doing an organisational development and learning it can identify the risk and overcome the barrier of change. OSIM is passionate with customer importance and makes every effort to be an all-weather umbrella to its clients, by considering diverse strategies for varying situations. It had to branch out in order to equate revenue and expenditure, reduce risk and stay profitable, with an equal importance in its ability to anticipate change. The business of OSIM has begun a strategy of major expansion and growth with one clear objective, which is to establish themselves as one of the worlds top distributor of Home Health care products, and these strategies are based around a philosophy of organic growth and a transition towards becoming a client-oriented business. With this detail, the business must go on to find innovative software programs and relate effectively to other companies that produce these software programs to become updated with the latest improvement in the World Wide Web. The business must economically and efficiently generate a good connection with their clientele and shareholders, to incessantly operate. OSIM must constantly conceptualise and execute good projects to be able to set trends in the industry. Apart from developing business strategies, the business have to focus on building employee and customer associations, in harmony to strategic management concepts, for it is necessary to establish and focus on the needs of the clientele, as clientele are the motive for being alive in the business. In the end, businesses engaged so much in technology has its share of good and bad impacts, socially, economically and even environmentally. In addition, it has to be noted that retailing of home health care products is not one industry but many. Hence, the achievement of sustainable special intention business or its continual development for the collective benefits of the world, may therefore depend on a change in strategy and planning of the industry in order to identify common ground more easily, and to exploit further returns without sacrificing the one that lays the golden egg, in manner of speaking. All said, future research may have to focus on participatory planning involving business, governments, host communities and campaigners with a greater view to common ground. OSIMs Leadership and Management: An Evaluation In this project, I learned I lot of things when it comes to leadership, management and handling a business. I learned that to sustain the development of a certain business, they should not only frequently review the value of portfolio but also the overall business practices and movement in the global market. To become a global leader, businesses should positioned on fast-growing chances, whether geologically or through market segment by selecting and investment in businesses with long-term tail-wind profiles. In reflecting OSIMs case, there are numerous business management and leadership strategies that can be use in order to maintain business progress and development. All these efforts are conducted to ensure that the welfare of the business organization is preserved along with aims and goals toward sustainable organizational success and development. The fact remains that there are always unexpected as well as unintended risk environments that cannot be controlled by the members of the management executives and staff of business organizations. As such it is important to consider the faculty, benefits as well as advantages of implementing and utilizing strategic management, tools and techniques. At the level and global hazards present in the current business market environments, it is wise to ensure that the image and overall well-being of the business organization is constantly protected. These are possible through strategic use and application of company policies from which the company will benefit. I also learned in this project that the business process and practice in terms of business management strategies clearly indicated the importance of management in averting and entirely preventing detrimental business chaos that economies may bring to business organizations. In the case of OSIM, it is evident that strategic management are highly influential in the formulation of business strategies. It was taken into account that any business and financial endeavour that will be implemented by business organizations should be assessed and evaluated using the existing company policies that are greatly influenced by the precautionary management. Conclusion The strategies of OSIM focus more on the management and access of information rather the creation of irrelevant services and products. For this reason, OSIM has developed a unique set of guiding principles simplicity, cost-efficiency and effectiveness. Total commitment to these principles makes the products of OSIM very user-friendly to its customers. OSIM was able to attain and extensive market leadership through various acquisition deals over the years even there is a stiff competition in the market. The strategies of OSIM are focused mostly on powerful growth of its home health care products and services and getting better the companys financial feat. These innovations have also helped protected major acquisitions and partnerships. Significantly, these innovations have guided to the discharge of the potentials of the companys workforce, thus creating an excellence performance-based background. On the other hand, OSIMs strategies in the home health care and technology industry enhanced at the beginning of the new millennium and commenced on trailing and inventing products differentiation. With this, the differentiated home health care products of OSIM were able to please the customers and sustain their needs in accordance to the context of sustainable competitive advantage. This also justified that the bargaining power of their customer is high while the treat of their substitute and new entrant is low because of their extensive efforts in maintaining the quality of their products. Moreover, this allowed OSIM to review and decrease the prices of their products and as an alternative focused on the values that produced not only a moderately higher price but also a improved margin since these things could help to avoid business downfall.

Analysis of Vietnams Economy

Analysis of Vietnams Economy Table of contents (Jump to) 1. Introduction 2. Why Vietnam – An overview 3. Theoretical literatures 3.1. Macroeconomic principles 3.2. Microeconomic principles 4. The level of unemployment and employment 4.1. Before the national reform – The beginning of the 1990s’ 4.2. After the national reform 5. Skills needed and skills gaps 5.1. Disadvantages 5.1.1. Low IT skill availability 5.1.2. Low English proficiency level 5.2. Advantages 5.2.1. High tech sector 5.2.2. Textiles and garments sector 6. Conclusion Bibliography 1. Introduction The trend of global outsourcing has accelerated the economic activities in developing nations. Developed nations countries have gained the economy of scales and performed major functions in the long-term basis. The advantages of outsourcing are to reduce business operation expenses and thus corporations can sustain competitiveness. The paper will discuss the Vietnamese economy, particularly skills needed and skills gaps, and the level of unemployment and employment. Some theoretical literatures will help explain the reasons and results of Vietnamese economic growth; the paper tries to access the underlying forces which have challenged Vietnam authority to change from the central control to the market economy. 2. Why Vietnam – An overview Vietnam officially becomes the 150th member in WTO (World Trade Organization) on 11th January 2007. In order to join WTO, Vietnam government has to change its political, infrastructure and economic principals to fulfill the requirements of this international organization. ‘A sustained boom, with annual economic growth consistently around 7%-8% since 2000, has transformed Vietnam. It is over 20 years since Vietnams ruling communists abandoned collectivism and embarked on their doi moi market-based reforms, not unlike those China adopted a few years earlier.’[1] Additionally, Vietnam economy has gradually changed in order to adapt and join the world economy. From the control economy as of the principal of the communist ideals, Vietnam has undergone the reform and has let its economy to react in accordance with the law of supply and demand. Accordingly, ‘Real GDP growth is forecast to be robust in 2007, at an average of 7% a year, and will be driven mainly by industrial expansion. Business sentiment and consumer confidence will remain resilient, boosting investment and consumption.’ [2] In fact, ‘Many Southeast Asian economies, namely, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam are emerging as an outsourcing destination for some Fortune-500 companies.’ [3] The data from the Vietnamese economy has strongly reflected how outsourcing impacts on the level of unemployment and employment and skills needed and skills gaps, since the economy has moved so fast to the integration into the world economy. Vietnam has positioned itself as a primary host by luring more investment than other emerging economies and developing nations in the region in the late 1990s. It is overtaking the Philippines and Indonesia. ‘By 2002, Viet Nam was the third largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in ASEAN [Association of South East Asian Nations], behind Singapore and Malaysia, strengthening its position as a significant investment base. Viet Nam has therefore achieved a key position both in terms of prime investment host within the region, and as a recipient of intraregional inflows.’[4] 3. Theoretical literatures 3.1. Macroeconomic principles A concept of scarcity, relatively in relation to an entire country and its people, becomes a condition which individual producer and consumer have to face in every decision. The opportunity cost of each decision can be considered as subjective value that individual must scarify when making any decision for the next best alternatives. In Vietnam, the command economy has literally turned into material incentives to allocate resources. The Vietnamese government has used its fiscal power, to influence the allocation of labor resources in the market economy to deal with unemployment rates and national outcomes. The Vietnamese economy, in term of the unemployment level, has reflected and responded to the law of supply, demand and material incentives. The questions are of what, how and for whom have been reflected as the economic movement away from the central control to the market economy. The global outsourcing wave has created many opportunities as well as challenges for Southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam. Government functions can quite fit into categories, in tem of macro economic view, in term of regulation. In the microeconomic theory of a firm, an economy’s scare, benefit externalities can arise in the case of information, innovation, and productivity. 3.2. Microeconomic principles A concept, namely economies of scale, has been applied in the long-run average cost. In order to keep a firm’s long-run average cost reduces as output increases, multinational firms are experiencing economies of scale. ‘The main reason for long-run scale economies is the underlying pattern of returns to scale in the firm’s long-run production function.’[5] Scale economies might result from many determinants. Specialization in the use of labor is a possible reason for economies of scale. Regardless of how the market price has reacted in the short-run results in economic profit, the normal profit and a loss for competing firms, economic theory has stated that ‘ in the long run, the market price will settle at the point where these firms earn above a normal.’[6] In fact, in long run, firms have time to vary their fixed factors and costs of production. As a result, a number of multinational corporations have decided to relocate to all parts of Southeast Asia, where wages are lower to reduce the production cost. Manufacturing companies can benefit from the move to lower-wage countries A thriving software development sector has emerged in India, and the wave has come to Southeast Asia. ‘The learning curve is the line showing the relationship between labor cost and additional units of output. Its downward slop indicates that this additional cost per unit decline as the level of output increases because workers improve with practice.’[7] Nevertheless, the low level of IT knowledge and skill accessibility and availability hinders the foreign investors’ considerations at first. Additionally, the infrastructure related to IT network has remains a primary hurdle for the growth of Vietnam as an offshore center for IT service centers. Microeconomics has many multinational focuses on individual industry sector. Reducing operation expenses, taking advantage the economies of scales and sustaining opportunity costs will help a company in an industry, especially IT and textile and garments sector, stay competitive. 4. The level of unemployment and employment 4.1. Before the national reform – The beginning of the 1990s’ Majority of young Vietnamese had encountered hard time to find jobs. The government had to abandon its utopian socialism of providing jobs for everyone in the early 1980s. [8] Its mismanagement and the American embargo had put a stop to international aids and business activities from the West. In the beginning of the 1990s, the communist party, under pressure of the collapse of the communist world and impacts of Chinese phenomenon, ‘it had granted more freedom to the private sector, which as too small to absorb the 1.2 million young people who enter the job market each year. Many had even look for their first jobs at least three to five years. Some even looked for more than a decade without success.’ [9] ‘With unemployment at about 20% in a population of 65 million, Vietnam is particularly eager to attract high-technology enterprises that use skilled labor and labor-intensive businesses utilizing Vietnamese materials and natural resources.’[10] Coupling with no job, boredom resulted in the lack of recreational facilities and drove many individuals to engage in crime to get more money in order satisfy their wants. The embargo was stopped in the end of the 1990’s and the economic reform consequently has brought the inflow of consumer goods, impacted on the consumerism and materialism from the West. The growing expectations of more consumer products during the time Vietnam was thought as of one of the poorest nations in the world. In short, fiscal policy had caused severe impacts on Vietnam economy, since the government interfered and watched closely any business activities and interactions of the economy. 4.2. After the national reform The rapid advancement of information and communication technology has connected many companies worldwide and outsourced some of these functions to low-cost location oversea. Based on geographical differences and diversified locations, Vietnam is in line with its competitive advantage. This phenomenon has happened in Vietnam, and the Vietnamese economy has been beneficiary from this reform. Many multinational corporations have adopted global outsourcing in developed economies. This trend has led to enormous redistributions of jobs and restructured many economic activities in the world. Vietnam has been beneficiary from this, emerging as a major outsourcing destination due to low-cost operation. ‘Thus, in the services sector, thousands of jobs have been migrating from the United States, Japan, and some OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries to India, China, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and other developing countries in Asia’,[11] including Vietnam. Although unemployment rates vary by geographical location, all the global integration and global outsourcing trend has result in lower unemployment rate. Vietnam has tried to sustain competitive in the race for becoming the destination of global outsourcing. 5. Skills needed and skills gaps 5.1. Disadvantages 5.1.1. Low IT skill availability Nowadays, IT in operation and management is important, especially information structure for multinational companies worldwide. The IT advantages can help eliminate human error, time saving, reduce procedural document, improve efficiency and increase profitability overall. The tangible advantages of e-commerce and IT infrastructure have been broadly identified at internal operation as well as external users. However, isolated itself from the developed world for many decades, Vietnam has low IT skills in which most of the work might happen through subcontracting rather FDI. Compared with countries in the regions, such as Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the speed of automation, development of new technology and know-how in operations and management requires relevant skills and knowledge for staff to do their work. ‘The country is hampered by the scarcity of professionals competent enough to handle complex IT applications and processes.’[12] It has positioned itself to attract offshore business movements favorable to its economies. Vietnam has a high stake in the recent global outsourcing wave. 5.1.2. Low English proficiency level ‘However, inadequate infrastructure and lack of English proficiency have affected its prospects of becoming an attractive destination for IT outsourcing.’ [13] Dominated by India, Vietnamese employees need to enhance their English ability in order to avoid communication misunderstanding at work. Compared with countries in the region, such as Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, Vietnam has lower levels of English proficiency. The challenges for Vietnam to keep its competitive advantage are immense. Vietnam needs to invest in human resource and knowledge-based infrastructure to attract more FDI in order to sustain the financial inflows. 5.2. Advantages 5.2.1. High tech sector Currently these transitional corporations have integrated their worldwide operations and concentrated their business operations in well-selected locations in order to take advantages of the economy of scales. ‘IT companies, namely, Anheuser Busch, Bayer, Cisco, IBM, Nortel Networks, and Sony are outsourcing software development projects to Vietnam either directly or through third-party developers with an onshore presence in the United States and Europe.’ [14] ‘Moreover, IT companies in Vietnam retain key staff and keep project teams together for months at a time, thereby maintaining low rates of attrition.’ [15] As a result, this situation helps ensure familiarity and stability between customers and contractors, which consequently deliver a confident message for the foreign investors. During short-run, a company can vary many of certain resource, especially labor cost; however, in long run any firm, able to vary quantities of all resources, can maximize its profit, although it has to sacrifice its short run to speculate long-run profit growth. In fact, outsourcing can create more job opportunities for Vietnam, even if offshore activities have been taken placed by the affiliates or subsidiaries. This wave then will generate essential growing FDI flows from service field to the manufacturing field. ‘In IT outsourcing, Vietnam has a cost advantage over other Southeast Asian countries, in terms of salary of IT professionals.’ [16] Although Vietnam starts welcome FDI later than its neighbor countries, early investment in ASEAN become attractive due to low labor cost related to the production and operation expenses. The corporate global links have come with the market penetration have reflected this new wave. 5.2.2. Textiles and garments sector The textiles and garments sector in fact become dominated by international subcontracting arrangements. The operation chain is segmented in accordance with available materials, proper procedures and the end users’ demand. ‘Certainly, as increasing numbers of low-income countries enter the world economy, economic development posited on cheap, low-skilled labor is no longer a viable option for Viet Nam.’ [17] The profit-maximization hypothesis, which a multinational company can pursue in term of market share, turnover growth, return on investment, technology, and shareholder value, can strategize different managerial decisions. ‘Sample firms stressed the relatively high education levels and quality of Vietnamese workers and recognized how far they and the country had come in a short time (a little over a decade). Viet Nam remarked that the quality and productivity awareness of Vietnamese workers is higher than any other developing Asian country, including Peoples Republic of China.’ [18] Since textiles and garments sector is a labor-intensive manufacturing sector, a new comer, such as Vietnam, has intriguing the investors due to orientation of international trading agreements, and avoiding dumping tariffs imposed from imported nations. 6. Conclusion Competitiveness and efficiency become crucial determinants of any company, industry and national economy. The above analysis has discussed in accordance with movement of Vietnam economy, under the impact of macro and micro views. Vietnam has tried to achieve comparative and competitive advantages in international market. The development strategies are good indicators for comprehensive and long-term planning of the authority. Vietnam has opened its economy to the world, joining ASEAN, APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation), and recently WTO. Such practices have been harmonized with the tendency of the economic integration and recent globalization. Lower unemployment rate and higher professional skills will surely happen in Vietnam. Bibliography ‘Asia: Plenty to smile about; Vietnam’ 2007, The Economist, London, no. 382, no. 8522,31 March, p.76, viewed 1 May 2007, http://ykien.net/blog> ‘Vietnam: Country forecast summary’ 2007, EIU ViewsWire, New York, 27 February, viewed 1 May 2007, http://www.economist.com/countries/Vietnam/profile.cfm?folder=Profile-Economic Data> Fox, T 1989, ‘Come Ye Back To Mandalay’, Financial World.New York, vol. 158, no. 10, 16 May,p.38. Hiebert, M 1991, ‘The Drop-Out Factor: An Education Crisis Follows Economic Reforms; No Jobs for the Boys: Young Face Long-Term Unemployment Despite Reforms’, Far Eastern Economic Review, Hong Kong, 19 September. Keat, GP Young KYP 2000, Managerial Economics – Economic Tool for Today’s Decision Makers, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, United States, pp. 320-390. Keat, GP Young KYP 2000, Managerial Economics – Economic Tool for Today’s Decision Makers, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, United States, p. 322, viewed 1 May, http://www.safarix.com/0131860151/ch07lev1sec6> McDougall, P 2005, ‘Vietnam may be cheapest, but India is still a bargain’, InformationWeek,Manhasset, no. 1042, 6 June, p.20, viewed 1 May 2007, http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?act=Printclient=printerf=17t=95266> Mirza, H Giroud, A 2004, ‘Regional Integration and Benefits from Foreign Direct Investment in ASEAN Economies: The Case of Viet Nam’, Asian Development Review, Manila, vol. 21, no. 1, p.66 Sen, R Islam, MS 2005-2006, ‘Southeast Asia in the global wave of outsourcing: trends, opportunities, and challenges’, Regional Outlook, Southeast Asia, Singapore, p.75. Page 1 [1] ‘Asia: Plenty to smile about; Vietnam’ 2007, The Economist, London, no. 382, no. 8522,31 March, p.76, viewed 1 May 2007, http://ykien.net/blog> [2] ‘Vietnam: Country forecast summary’ 2007, EIU ViewsWire, New York, 27 February, viewed 1 May 2007, http://www.economist.com/countries/Vietnam/profile.cfm?folder=Profile-Economic Data> [3] Sen, R Islam, MS 2005-2006, ‘Southeast Asia in the global wave of outsourcing: trends, opportunities, and challenges’, Regional Outlook, Southeast Asia, Singapore, p.75. [4] Mirza, H Giroud, A 2004, ‘Regional Integration and Benefits from Foreign Direct Investment in ASEAN Economies: The Case of Viet Nam’, Asian Development Review, Manila, vol. 21, no. 1, p.66 [5] Keat, GP Young KYP 2000, Managerial Economics – Economic Tool for Today’s Decision Makers, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, United States, p. 331. [6] Keat Young, 2000, p. 371 [7] Keat Young 2000, p. 322 [8] Hiebert, M 1991, ‘The Drop-Out Factor: An Education Crisis Follows Economic Reforms; No Jobs for the Boys: Young Face Long-Term Unemployment Despite Reforms’, Far Eastern Economic Review, Hong Kong, 19 September. [9] Hiebert, 1991. [10] Fox, T 1989, ‘Come Ye Back To Mandalay’, Financial World.New York, vol. 158, no. 10, 16 May,p.38. [11] Sen Islam, 2005-2006. [12] McDougall, P 2005, ‘Vietnam may be cheapest, but India is still a bargain’, InformationWeek,Manhasset, no. 1042, 6 June, p.20, viewed 1 May 2007, http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?act=Printclient=printerf=17t=95266> [13] Sen Islam 2005-2006. [14] Sen Islam 2005-2006. [15] Sen Islam 2005-2006. [16] Sen Islam 2005-2006. [17] Mirza Giroud, 2004 [18] Mirza Giroud, 2004

East Goes West :: essays research papers

One of the first works of fiction written by an Asian immigrant to the United States, Kang's novel describes his early adulthood with a poignant humor that touches not only on his most positive experiences in a new country--such as being befriended by other Korean Americans--but also on some of his worst: the time when college classmates convinced him to run a race in long underwear. Kang, however, never forces us to feel sorry for him; simply by relating his experiences to us in a uniquely crafted language that reflects both his extensive literary training and his own quirky sense of style, Kang manages to win our sympathy for an obviously gifted young man who faces discrimination and hardship during his first years away from home His struggle was long and hard, but he made the reader see the full picture. The joys, the downfalls, and even the times where he thought he could just give up. By making us relate to him, the reader could understand what they so previously where obliviou s to. I responded very favorably to his view of Korean culture but found his criticism of American culture distasteful.I did not fully receive the effect of Kang's humor until reaching the final sentence of the story. Before the final scene, Kang's wit serves the purpose of elevating the Asian Han in the eyes of his audience, but ultimately, it has a more serious, lingering effect. Ironically, it reveals the life of this character to be tragic, hopeless, and not at all amusing. The final line, delivered by Han's mistress, dismisses him from his post, for she requested "a house servant, not a comedian" (2001). Kang thus suggests here that regardless of the amount of effort Han puts into his work and no matter how honest his intentions, he will never be taken seriously nor given a chance to assimilate and improve upon his mistakes. Although he was expected "to work from morning to night" and "had never had to work so hard in his life with no time to himself," his intentions were never regarded as anything but lazy and laughter provoking. Upon learning that he is to be fired, he offers one final, wholehearted attempt to please an unsatisfiable woman: "But hoping still to make good, I dragged the vacuum cleaner in to do the living room, my usual morning task. The girl as usual giggled when she saw me. East Goes West :: essays research papers One of the first works of fiction written by an Asian immigrant to the United States, Kang's novel describes his early adulthood with a poignant humor that touches not only on his most positive experiences in a new country--such as being befriended by other Korean Americans--but also on some of his worst: the time when college classmates convinced him to run a race in long underwear. Kang, however, never forces us to feel sorry for him; simply by relating his experiences to us in a uniquely crafted language that reflects both his extensive literary training and his own quirky sense of style, Kang manages to win our sympathy for an obviously gifted young man who faces discrimination and hardship during his first years away from home His struggle was long and hard, but he made the reader see the full picture. The joys, the downfalls, and even the times where he thought he could just give up. By making us relate to him, the reader could understand what they so previously where obliviou s to. I responded very favorably to his view of Korean culture but found his criticism of American culture distasteful.I did not fully receive the effect of Kang's humor until reaching the final sentence of the story. Before the final scene, Kang's wit serves the purpose of elevating the Asian Han in the eyes of his audience, but ultimately, it has a more serious, lingering effect. Ironically, it reveals the life of this character to be tragic, hopeless, and not at all amusing. The final line, delivered by Han's mistress, dismisses him from his post, for she requested "a house servant, not a comedian" (2001). Kang thus suggests here that regardless of the amount of effort Han puts into his work and no matter how honest his intentions, he will never be taken seriously nor given a chance to assimilate and improve upon his mistakes. Although he was expected "to work from morning to night" and "had never had to work so hard in his life with no time to himself," his intentions were never regarded as anything but lazy and laughter provoking. Upon learning that he is to be fired, he offers one final, wholehearted attempt to please an unsatisfiable woman: "But hoping still to make good, I dragged the vacuum cleaner in to do the living room, my usual morning task. The girl as usual giggled when she saw me.

Leadership versus Management Essay -- Expository Essays

Is every good manager a good leader? Is every leader a good manager? Leadership and management are often used in similar perspectives, yet they do not share the same meaning. Leaders are exactly what the name says - they lead team members to success. Managers, like leaders, have the meaning referenced in the name. Managers manage over employees, striving for success. The two titles can be used simultaneously with one person, but this is a rare occurrence. According to MSN Encarta Dictionary, the term manage has several meanings. One of the explanations state that to manage is to â€Å"administer or run something - to be in charge†¦and be responsible for its smooth running and for any personnel† (Encarta, 2008). MSN Encarta Dictionary also shows the meaning for a leader. The first definition states that a leader is â€Å"somebody whom people follow - someone who guides and directs others† (Encarta, 2008). These two definitions are similar, but differ slightly. A leader nurtures and guides the employees. A leader helps them on the way to success. A manager is one who is in charge and is ultimately responsible for the outcome. A manager’s first responsibility is the outcome of a task. This outcome is detailed by rules and regulations. The manager must ensure that employees are adhering to company policies in order to be successful with the task. This task may be one that the manager is personally handling or one that has been delegated to subordinates. The manager is held responsible for the completion of the tasks regardless of the quantity. Sometimes, the manager completes the tasks personally, while other times require the manager to assign tasks to certain employees. Either way, the final results need to be successful. ... ....com/dictionary_/leader.html Encarta. (2008). Manage. Retrieved August 17, 2008 from http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861628098/manage.html Kotelnikov, V. (Dec-Jan 2008). Manager's skill sets.(MANAGEMENT)(managerial leadership and coaching). Today's Manager, p.27 (1). Retrieved August 18, 2008, from Academic OneFile via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS Teik, T. C. (Dec-Jan 2008). Ideal bosses are scarce: in moments of frustration at work, we wish we had a better boss. We admire our friends who are fortunate to have cordial and understanding bosses. What are the characteristics of an ideal boss? Ideal bosses are normally found in ideal companies--firms that you are proud to work for. (MANAGEMENT). Today's Manager, p.11 (3). Retrieved August 18, 2008, from Academic OneFile via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS Leadership versus Management Essay -- Expository Essays Is every good manager a good leader? Is every leader a good manager? Leadership and management are often used in similar perspectives, yet they do not share the same meaning. Leaders are exactly what the name says - they lead team members to success. Managers, like leaders, have the meaning referenced in the name. Managers manage over employees, striving for success. The two titles can be used simultaneously with one person, but this is a rare occurrence. According to MSN Encarta Dictionary, the term manage has several meanings. One of the explanations state that to manage is to â€Å"administer or run something - to be in charge†¦and be responsible for its smooth running and for any personnel† (Encarta, 2008). MSN Encarta Dictionary also shows the meaning for a leader. The first definition states that a leader is â€Å"somebody whom people follow - someone who guides and directs others† (Encarta, 2008). These two definitions are similar, but differ slightly. A leader nurtures and guides the employees. A leader helps them on the way to success. A manager is one who is in charge and is ultimately responsible for the outcome. A manager’s first responsibility is the outcome of a task. This outcome is detailed by rules and regulations. The manager must ensure that employees are adhering to company policies in order to be successful with the task. This task may be one that the manager is personally handling or one that has been delegated to subordinates. The manager is held responsible for the completion of the tasks regardless of the quantity. Sometimes, the manager completes the tasks personally, while other times require the manager to assign tasks to certain employees. Either way, the final results need to be successful. ... ....com/dictionary_/leader.html Encarta. (2008). Manage. Retrieved August 17, 2008 from http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861628098/manage.html Kotelnikov, V. (Dec-Jan 2008). Manager's skill sets.(MANAGEMENT)(managerial leadership and coaching). Today's Manager, p.27 (1). Retrieved August 18, 2008, from Academic OneFile via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS Teik, T. C. (Dec-Jan 2008). Ideal bosses are scarce: in moments of frustration at work, we wish we had a better boss. We admire our friends who are fortunate to have cordial and understanding bosses. What are the characteristics of an ideal boss? Ideal bosses are normally found in ideal companies--firms that you are proud to work for. (MANAGEMENT). Today's Manager, p.11 (3). Retrieved August 18, 2008, from Academic OneFile via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS

Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Essay

People of the world have always faced both types of disasters, natural as well as man-made. Man-made disasters were not prevalent in ancient times. Man-made disasters are the results of industrial and material progress. Natural and man-made disasters equally play havoc on human in modern times. Sometimes, a man-made disaster has bigger impact than natural disaster. The cause of natural disaster is natural with man-made disaster is caused by man himself. Man-made disasters include leakage of oil in the sea, nuclear explosion, leakage of poisonous gases and chemical, fire, floods created by dams etc. Man-made disasters are avoidable. They may be averted if man works efficiently and carefully. On the other hand we have no control over a natural disaster. They include earthquake, tsunami, flood, typhoon, hurricane, tempest, avalanches, land slide etc. Man cannot avert them. However, it should be noted that some natural disaster are indirectly the result of man’s activities. For example draught may be the cause of cutting of forests. Thus, the number of man-made disasters is greater than natural disaster. Natural disasters like tsunami and earth quake plays havoc on life and property. Sometimes, millions of lives are lost in these disasters. Certainly, there are some measures to minimize the impact of natural disaster. But they cannot be averted altogether. A natural activity is not termed as a natural disaster until it has impact on human. For example, a volcano eruption at an uninhibited place is not a natural disaster. It is a natural event surely. Natural disasters are aggravated in the condition of unpreparedness on the part of man. A natural disaster has a bigger impact when man is not prepared for it. For example, earthquake cannot be predicted beforehand. It may engulf a large number of people at night while they are sleeping in their homes. A hurricane or a tornado gives opportunity for preparation to face it. Man-made disasters are caused by human activities. They may be in smaller magnitude such as a forest fire which has less impact and may be colossal such as the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Man-made disasters are brought unknowingly as well as knowingly. Accidents happen due to negligence on the part of man. The Bhopal Gas tragedy is a result of an accident which played a havoc on the local residence. In the modern world, terrorism is considered as a cause of man-made disaster. The 9/11 attack of terrorism on WTO is a kind of man-made disaster which took the lives of thousands of people. This was a crime of man against man. Terrorism has taken the lives of millions of people all over the world. So, crime may also be considered as a man-made disaster. Wars are another kind of natural disaster. Millions of people have been killed in the wars during the last one hundred years. These wars were not accidents. They were fought intentionally to kill people. They are the shame on people who caused them.

Industrial Technology

Industrial Technology, Timber Products and Furniture Study Notes Perry Tappenden Materials Terminology associated with the timber industry comes in many forms; it is used to address other workers, to give a quick response to a question or to make statements shorter and to not go into extensive detail. Examples of certain timber terminology includes; a Crook: Distortion of a piece of lumber, Header: a structural member located between the stud joint or rafter. These are a few instances of terminology as there are many more than this. Timber recovery and conversion is when timber is collected either from deposits or from land and sawn into newer sheets of wood, or burned and used for something else such as firewood, this practice is commonly sought after. When wood is converted it can also be broken down into chips and remade into sheets of ply for use thereafter. * Live Sawing: This gives the most timber from the log; it’s the most simple and cheapest way to cut the log into boards. Timber cut in this method may shrink or warp unevenly. This timber is suitable for construction work, fences and crates * Quarter sawing: The log is quartered lengthwise, resulting in wedges with a right angle ending at approximately the centre of each log. The resulting boards are called quarter sawn. * Back sawing: Takes high quality timber from faulty logs. It allows for the faulty parts to be cut around with little waste. Back sawing is used for floor and ceiling joints as there is more strength in the direction of the growth rings. Flitches and Burls are deformities on the outside of timber, it’s found on the outgrowth on a tree trunk. Flitches are slices of veneer form a tree trunk and are kept in the order of which they were sawn. * Stability is the limit to which timber can re shaped and formed. If timber is stable then it would have been seasoned and therefore maintains its shape without curling. * Seasoning is the process in which moisture is dried out from the cell walls and cell cavities of the wood. Air seasoning is a natural drying method which takes ither a few days or a few weeks in which timber is stacked in well ventilated stacks out in the open. Kiln seasoning is an artificial drying method in which timber is placed in large drying rooms in which controlled temperature and humidity circuate around the boards. * Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC) affects the stability of the timber. As moisture content increases. Timber swells. If moisture content decreases, timber shrinks. Timber should ‘move’ in very minor amounts, so therefore it should be properly seasoned. Timber selection considerations refers to what to consider when selecting timbers, hardwoods and soft woods may be chosen as they both have different moisture contents and therefore different considerations must be put into place. * Plantation timbers come from artificially planted forest or plantation. Timber gained from plantation comes from fast growing trees used for lumber. * Exotic Timbers are timbers that are rare and hard to come by, the timber is a reddish brown and is prized by woodworkers, it is used in wood turnings, handles and other items, an example of an Exotic wood is Allocasuarina Torulosa or known as Forest Oak. Recycling/Reusing Timber is the process of salvaging timber products from old buildings, bridges and wharfs, the timber is then taken to a mill where all metal objects are removed and the the timber is re-sawn and sold to consumers usually as flooring, beams or decking. * ‘Green’ Timbers are wood products that have recently cut and have therefo re not had an opportunity to season by evaporation of the internal moisture. The term applies to wood such as firewood lumber. * Economical Usage/ Waste Minimisation revolves around how to control timber wastage. Scrap timber can be reused in other projects where necessary and therefore saves time and money from buying more timber for other uses. Waste minimisation is how to control timber wastage in order to save money. Waste can be controlled with a waste management plan in which 10% is added to timber to be cut to allow for an affordable amount of waste. * Environmental Issues/Pollution that concern timber production is dust, air emissions and odours and hazard materials including chemicals. Pollution can arise from these things so therefore care should be taken. Another environmental issue is deforestation. Sustainability is about how long a timber will last. Depending on what the desired project is, will reflect that will be selected. A wood such as pine is sustainable but will not last over years like hardwood will. Sustainable timber will have a higher price, but will last longer than most other timbers that are not as sustainable. * OHS Issues regarding timber selection are affected b y the type of timber that is chosen. For example if a hardwood is chosen it must be taken into consideration that it is heavy durable and therefore feet protection must be worn. Also the machinery must be used with caution as it will work harder against the timber. The right timber must also be selected for the job as certain projects require a specific timber that is suitable, if the wrong timber is used it may have an issue such as not being able to support the weight of itself. Manufactured Board are products that are engineered to precise and specific design purposes. Manufactured board is used in a variety of applications such as home constructions to industrial products. The resulting boards are very stable and offer greater structural strength than natural wood building materials. †¢ The Construction and Manufacture of manufactured board involves the same hard and soft woods used in normal construction. Scraps and other wood waste can be used to make manufactured wood also. It’s manufactured for practical uses and also for flat pack furniture because of it’s low cost. †¢ Veneers are thin sheets of timber, thinner than 3mm that are glued onto core panels to produce flat panels. Veneer is constructed with a either a rotary lathe, a slicing machine or a half-round lathe. Using different types of slicing, a different type of grain will appear. †¢ Plywood is manufactured by laminating an odd number of thin sheets of timber, or veneers. The sheets are placed with the grain running along the length of the sheet. The sheet is bonded under heat and pressure with durable, moisture resistant adhesives. When bonding the sheets, the sheets are arranged in a grain direction with the grain at right angles in the alternate layers. †¢ Particleboard is made from the thinnings and trimmings from pine plantations as well as plantation trees. The wood stock is milled in to coarse flakes which are dried and sprayed with a resin adhesive. The flakes are formed into mats with coarse flakes sandwiched between the fine flakes. A number of these mats are placed in a hot press where they are compressed. The high temperature of the press and the resin forms a strong board that is grainless, that prevents termites and borers. †¢ Fibre Boards are constructed the same way as particleboards, the difference between the two is that the particles are pulped to separate the wood fibres which interlock with each other to create the sheet’s strength. Fibreboards are available in plain sanded sheets or veneered in a range of cabinet timbers. †¢ Block manufactured boards have a limited application in the furniture industry, The main use is an alternative to thin sheets of particle board or medium density fibreboard for cupboard backs and drawer bottoms. †¢ Lamiboard are produced by bonding thin wood veneers together in a large billet. The resulting product features enhanced mechanical properties and dimensional stability.. Lamiboard is used in many products including rafters, headers, beams, joists, rim boards, studs and columns. OH&S Issues regarding manufactured boards is that some of boards may burn faster than solid timber, they require more energy for their manufacture than solid timber, the adhesives used may be toxic, cutting and working can expose workers to toxic compounds, Some of the manufactured products are more prone to heat warping when used for exterior purposes, exterior use is also not recommended becaus e the boards soak up moisture. †¢ Glues used for manufactured wood include: Urea-formaldehyde resins (most common, most cheap, and not waterproof. Phenol-formaldehyde resins (Yellow/brown, and commonly used for exterior exposure products. ) Melamine-formaldehyde resin (white, heat and water resistant, and often used in exposed surfaces in more costly designs. ) Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate or polyurethane resins (expensive, generally waterproof, and do not contain formaldehyde). Fitting and Allied Materials-Hardware and Fittings †¢ Screws are on of the most commonly used woodwork fittings, they have a single use of joing two or more pieces of wood together depending on the length of the screw. Screws come in different head types for varying areas of work, The thread on each of the screws differs for the grip on the board as well as width of the board. †¢ Nails are also a commonly used fastener in the timber industry and trades. Nails are used to join together two or more pieces of timber and have many variations. Nails also have many variations for different uses and can be inserted at different angles to strengthen joints. †¢ Nuts & Bolts are used in conjunction with one another to joint together a stack of parts. The joint piese are helf together with a combination of the threads friction, a stretch of the bolt, and compression of the parts. Nuts & Bolts vary in sizes and shapes to fit to the job necessary, nuts bolts as big as 60mm exist on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. †¢ Knockdown Fittings are items of furniture that have the ability to be taken assembled and disassembled any number of times. The furniture has also been made with many different modifications that the owner can perform themselves. These include changing the position of the shelves or even adding shelves in general. Transport and storage of this furniture is also made very easy. †¢ Hinges are devices that are secured to a side of a cabinet and attached to a door or other object to allow the door to open and close. Hinges are available in many forms and open to a 180 degree angle. The knuckle of the hinge shows when the door is closed but there are many types of hinges such as concealed hinges that prevent this. †¢ Handles are an attachment to a door that allows an operator to open and close the door. Hinges are constantly changing and are manufactured by several manufactures. Handles are made out of plastic, metal and even wood. They are a D shape and are screwed onto the door frame. †¢ Knobs are similar to handles in which they allow an operator to open and close a door, they might be favoured or disregarded over a handle. Knobs also come in variations of wood, metal and plastic. Like handles they can be used on doors or drawers. †¢ Staples are used by upholsters for fastening fabric to the wooden frames of covered furniture. Staples can be applies with a staple gun or a pneumatic tacker. Staples can also be used in the assembly of light frames and furniture components as an alternative to nailing and are applied with an air tacker. Drawer Runners are devices that are secured to the interior of a drawer and allow for a smooth operation of the drawer and will last a long life. Some draw runners do not allow the drawer to extend to it’s full depth, however, fully extending drawers have an extra telescopic extension which allows the drawer to extend for it’s full depth. †¢ Table Cl ips are used to attach solid timber tops to tables and other items of furniture, to achieve this result, a groove is cut in the inside faces of the table and the table clip, an S shaped piece, is slotted into the groove and the opposite side is screwed into the top of the table. Latches are a component that allow for two surfaces to connect that also allows for regular separation. Latches are usually used on large doors or windows. They can be made from plastic or from metal and can be secured with a padlock. Latches can also be places on the inside or the outside of a door depending on the levels of security needed. †¢ Catches are a component that is attached to a door and consists of two separate parts, a striker and retainer. Catches can join together via a ball with springs, a magnetic strip on the striker and retainer, or a roller that separates and rolls onto the other. They keep doors firmly closed, yet are still easy to open. †¢ Shelf Hangers are small shelf supports that are available for various applications. Three commonly used shelf hangers are plug in which simply plug into a drilled hole and are made from plastic. Sleeve mounted which is slim mount that fits into a metal sleeve that is first inserted into the hole. Strip mounted supports fit into holes or slots in plastic or aluminium strips which are knocked into grooves that are cut into the wood side piece. Additional Materials Applied to Timber Based Products Glass as a material can be used in conjunction with timber products. A glass door can be added to a cabinet or a glass centre piece can be applied to a door frame on a small or large cabinet. Glass overall gives a more modern look and prevents dust from getting on the shelves. †¢ Metal is used in conjunction with timber in many ways, handles and knobs can be made from a metal and add a nice overall look to the project. Fas teners are also made from metal. Corner covers can also be applied to timber projects such a chest of drawers or any other box. These add a vintage or modern look. †¢ Polymers can also collaborate with woodwork, these can be used similarly to metal materials such as handles and fasteners. Also, like glass, a plastic sheet can be used to insert into a door frame. †¢ Upholstery Materials that can be used in conjunction with timber products is fabric sheets, which can be stapled on to cover a certain section. If upholstery is used, It must be fitted properly. Adhesives †¢ PVA or polyvinyl acetate is a white, ready to use, glue. It is not waterproof but will resist bacteria. It has good gap filling qualities, is on stainable, and non flammable. PVA is the most commonly used adhesive in woodworking burt won’t bond a non-porous material surface such as metal to wood. †¢ Epoxy Resin is a two part glue consisting of resin and a hardener or catalyst. They allow assembly time at up to an hour at approximately 20 degrees. It is very fast-setting and contact with the skin should be heavily avoi ded. It will attach non-porous to porous materials at anytime. †¢ Hot Glue is an adhesive that will glue two surfaces together. The glue is squeezed from a glue gun that heats and melts a stick of glue. The glue itself will bond together porous materials only as solid objects such as metal or glass will not grip the glue when it hardens. †¢ Urea-Formaldehyde are thermo setting adhesives which are hardened by the addition of a catalyst. The adhesive is widely used in the industry. It takes 2-24 hours to set at room temperature. The glue cannot be softened by heat one it sets. Ventilation or respiratory equipment should be used with this adhesive and contact with the skin should be avoided. †¢ Resorcinol glue is an adhesive that has high strength in both dry and wet conditions. It is also resistant to high temperatures. It’s main use is to glue timber that requires immediate repair straight away. The glue withstands tropical and sub-zero temperatures as well as salt and fresh water. †¢ Contact Glue is a synthetic rubber based adhesive, It is mostly used to bond plastic laminate to manufactured boards. Adhesive is applied with a spreader which becomes dry in about 10-20 minutes. The two sheets are brought together resulting in an immediate bond. No cramping is necessary, rather rubbing and smoothing with a block of wood. The adhesive is flammable, highly toxic and gives of pungent fumes. Processes, Tools and Machinery Planning †¢ Sketches are used to help develop ideas, communicate design ideas to others such as the client, factory manager or workshop supervisor. They also help to work out sizes and proportions. Many sketching techniques ar ecarried out in order to communicate through the sketch. †¢ Workshop Drawings are usually of the multi-view type, prepared accurately to scale. Drawing standards are intended to provide consistency in presentation. If a furniture designer prepares a drawing then it should be able to read by all people that follow the same presentation requirements. Material Lists require linear measurements and basic calculations. Timber is sold in metres so therefore all measurements must be counted for and there should be waste allowance which equals to an extra 10% on the final measurement. A materials list should include size of the section, species of timber, type of finish, number of pieces and the lengths required. †¢ Calcula tions that are included in woodwork require addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. This is necessary when setting out details and working out quantities and costs. Calculations are applies to the area, surface area, and waste allowances using formulas and equations. †¢ Costing is a major factor in measurements of timber. For costing it must be made certain that all materials needed for the project are listed and also to keep the unit of measurement consistent, this will prevent confusion from the timber seller and fellow furnishers. Preparation of Timber †¢ Dressing timber involves making the timber flat, straight and square, so that it’s ready for a project. Dressing can be done with a professional machine or it can be done manually using hand held power tools. Dressing timber by yourself ensures that even though timber may have warps or twists they can be compensated for and attended to straight away. †¢ Thicknessing involves using a thicknesser machine to narrow down timber to a desired thickness. The process is by setting the machine to a desired thickness and inserting the wood into the opening where it will be cut down to a thickness that is required. The result will not happen immediately as it will take a while to narrow down the timber. †¢ Face sides of timber need to be well sanded and at the correct measurement. Due to the face side facing outwards on the project, it is important that it is well sanded, and planed to a correct standard so the project does not look out of shape. †¢ Edges on timber must be square on all sides of timber. This must be checked with a square and must be fixed if the timber is not properly edged. When creating joints, all edges have to be square as a defective edge can throw the whole prohect out of proportion. Manufacturing Individual Components as a Part of a Project †¢ Legs Widening Joints †¢ Dowelled Butt Joints is a simple method of widening to form a solid timber top. Dowels are positioned at 150-200mm intervals along the length of the boards. The direction of the growth rings shouldbe alternated for when wide boards are joined. Care should be taken because when one of the boards has movement it will react onto the next board. †¢ Tongue and Groove joints are widely used for re-entrant angles. The effect of wood shrinkage is concealed. Each piece has a slot cut all along one edge, and a thin, deep ridge on the opposite edge. The joinging method has been rendered obsolete with the introduction of plywood. The method however is still used in higher-quality flooring. Rebate housing joints is similar to a butt joint , except it has a second contact surface. The second contact surface allows for another set of nails to be hammered into the joint to make for a stronger joint overall. †¢ Groove and Feather is similar to the tongue and groove joint, however, in the opening a wood feather strip is inserted. This allows for an alternative to the to ngue and groove joint. †¢ Biscuit joints are a quick and easy way to reinforce butt and mitre joints. The oval shaped biscuits fit into place from a hole made by a biscuit joiner. Biscuit joints can basically be used wherever dowel or mortice and tenon joints can be used. This includes framing, widening, and leg and rail construction. Framing Joints †¢ Mitre joints involve cutting the flat side of timber at a 90 degree angle. The joint is usually used for the corners of picture frames and decorative furniture mouldings. The angles are cut with a mitre saw. The joints can be joined with dowel, biscuits or can be joined via mitre halving joints. †¢ Halving Joints have half the thickness or width of the material removed from each part, so that when the opposing sides are joined they will be flush with one another. Corning halving is used for frames. The halving joints themselves can be reinforced with nails and/or glue. †¢ Dowelled are commonly used in frame construction as well as leg and rail construction. Dowels are glued into one piece and the joint is assembled with glue applied to the contact surfaces and the other dowel holes. †¢ Box Pin is also known as a Finger Joint and involves cutting a set of complementary cuts in two pieces of wood, which are then glued. It is stronger than a butt or lap joint and will often form the general overall look of the piece. Mortise and Tenon joints are probably the most common joints used in framing timber joinery and traditional furniture. They have several variations which allow furniture designers to combine creative design with sound construction. The joints themselves can be strengthened with wedges, nails and glue. †¢ Bridle Joints have a third of the thickness of the material removed from the centre of the one part of the joint an d from the outsides of the other part. Carcase Joints †¢ Rebate joint is a recess or groove cut into the edge of a piece of timber. Rebate joints. Rebate joints are stronger than the usual butt joints because they have two contact surfaces which allows for two nails to be inserted if necessary. †¢ Scribed joinery is the technique of shaping the end of a moulding or frame to fit the contours of an abutting member. It is commonly used in skirting and other moulding in a room. Coping is only used for internal corners. All other external corners will be mitred. †¢ Dovetail joints are tapered so that the joint can come out in one direction only. Dovetails cut on one part of the joint fit into sockets cut on the other part. The shapes left between the sockets are called pins. Hand cut dovetails are always larger than the pins, machine cut dovetails and pins are the same size, except for the smaller outer pins. †¢ Housing joints provide more strength than butt joints and are commonly used where load bearings is an important design factor. Housing joints are used in framing, they come in variations such as through housing, stopped housing, and rebate housing. Construction Techniques †¢ Sawing is the most commonly used technique to cut wood into the shapes and sizes as desired. Sawing can be performed with several cutting devices. The handheld saw, a drop saw, a band saw and a table saw to only mention a few. Sawing can be dangerous if safe and correct procedures are not carried during operation. †¢ Drilling is also one of the most commonly used techniques in furnishing. It involves a drill bit, powered by a drill to create a hole in the timber to allow a screw, a dowel, or a bolt to enter the hole for many purposes. The drill bits vary in size and length and this will affect the depth and size of the hole. †¢ Edge Treatments for timber include smoothing out the edges with a plane or using sandpaper with a sanding block. Effects can also be applied to an edge using a router and a router bit that looks good on the project. Other treatments include using a router to make a housing joint. †¢ Nailing and Screwing techniques include collaborations with joints such as mortise and tenon joints to strengthen these. Nails are applied with a hammer or a nail gun and screws are inserted with a power tool or handheld screwdriver. †¢ Sanding is a technique that involves a grainy paper, that slowly scratches away at the wood grains and creates a smooth finish. Sandpaper is sanded on using a cork sanding block. Varying grains on the paper, make the difference between how much of the grain you want to remove and how smooth the timber will come out. †¢ Scraping is an old technique that allows for an extremely fine finish on timber. Scrapers work best on highly figured woods. A difference between sandpaper and a scraper is that sandpaper can suppress the 3 dimensional look of the wood, but scrapers can restore this. Other Construction Techniques †¢ Turning involves a rectangular prism shaped piece of timber that is spun on a lathe and chisels are applied to the surface which cuts away, eventually creating a cylindrical shaped piece. Turning is an effective way of creating posts, or details to an overall project. †¢ Carving is a practice that is applied to the surface of timber where a shape, pattern or any other design is chiseled and carved into the timber using various tools. The practice, when done by hand is very difficult as accuracy and precision is at stake and could ruin the entire surface. Professional machines are available which use precise accuracy to cut out the shapes. †¢ Inlaying involves a shape, usually made from veneer being inserted into a depression that is the same shape as the veneer or contrasting coloured timber. Inlaying can be done by hand but like carving, is a very hard practice. It should be done with an accurate machine. †¢ Marquetry is similar to inlaying except it is made up of more pieces and is much harder process. The results that come from marquetry is decorative patterns, designs and pictures. Thin veneer is also used for this method as it is also easy to sand and shape. †¢ Veneering is an old art of having thin sheets of veneer board covering the outside of timber sides and creating a nice look that appears like it’s a full piece of timber. Veneer boards are stuck to plywood boards to create a nice finish from the outside. †¢ Parquetry is a similar method to Marquetry except it form simple geometric shapes, forming tiled patterns that would cover the floor. Aside from veneer, other timbers can be used such as oak, walnut, cherry, can be enployed. Even expensive timber such as mahogany can be used. †¢ Laminating is a technique that uses a multi synthetic that is fused in a lamination process. Laminating simulates timber with a photographic applique under a clear plastic layer. Laminated flooring is most commonly used as this is cheap, more durable than carpet and looks like the floor is made from proper timer. †¢ Bending is a technique that is applied to that is applied to sheets of timber when a bend is necessary, this could be for a ramp or any other similar device. T bend sheets, the boards are steamed and the pores in the timber become soft and allow for it to bent into a curved shape. †¢ Routing is a process for creating a recess into pieces of timber to allow for a housing joint or any other timber to be inserted to create a strong joint. Routing can also be applied to the edges of timber for corner work that involves joints. Construction Techniques Using Manufactured Boards †¢ Economical Sheet Layout is the process of choosing manufactured boards that have minimal surface defects. Its best to choose the most economical sheets when they are all laid out. Using proper veneer and pine combinations also help with the outcomes of plywood economics. †¢ Cutting Sheet Material can be carried out in a number of ways. Manufactured sheets can be cut out using a table saw or a circular saw. A saw guide helps with a circular saw. Cutting sheet material is an easy process but still must be carried out responsibly and properly. †¢ Handling Sheet Material should be like handling most other timber in the industry. It should be held close to the body where it is safe and won’t be dropped. If assistance is required for lifting heavy or rigid sheet materials then help should be requested immediately. †¢ Assembly of Components should be carried out with proper joints and with proper components for assembly. Components used for manufactured boards include screws and nails and glue, these are usually joined with butt joints. Assembly of Components †¢ Test, Fit and Check Joints is a process that must be carried out before proper gluing of a project. The joints should all be joined without glue to be tested if they fit. All joints should then be checked with a square at the corners. If it is not accurate, then some chiseling or filling should be carried out. †¢ Dry Cramp is a technique that should be carried out before gluing. The frame or project should be fitted into the cramp so that when the glue is applied it can quickly be placed into the cramp without a messy job. Use of Cramps is a sometimes difficult procedure but can be made easy when all steps are followed. The cramp should be dry tested as described above and then glued and tightened. When tightening cramps, they should be tightened evenly. Parallel clamp should be placed in the middle to counteract the outer clamps making the board bend upwards. †¢ Testing for Square and Flatness should be carried out using a square on the corne rs. If the joints are not square, then the cramps should be loosened and the frame or project be readjusted. To check the flatness should be done with the side of a ruler or with a flat piece of timber. Its best to check the flatness to avoid the frame or timber going in wind. Finishing †¢ Preparation for staining involves the process of setting up the timber with a work table and brush and brushing on the stain to the timber in all the desired areas where necessary. †¢ Staining gives the wood a more professional look and makes the wood look more expensive. †¢ Filling fills in the pores of the timber of open grained or textured timber to provide a smoother surface to build up the finishing material. Oils consist of oil-soluble dyes dissolved in oils such as turpentine. Finishes can range in appearance from a deep, shiny glass-like look to a dull surface which reflects very little light. †¢ Shellac is used for traditional French polishing, It’s a natural resin that is applied with a polishing pad and gradually builds up the body of coating. †¢ Nitro-Cellulose Lacquer is a spray on finish that needs to be thinned down and dries in a few minutes. †¢ Environmental Issues that concern polishing are the fumes that the finishes give off, while not entirely harmful to the human body, these do inhabit the air and could affect the surrounding environment. Ii would also require a lot of energy to make the finishes also. †¢ Industrial Processes that are associated with finishing is the proper use of PPE, this would include gloves, and possibly a face mask, depending on the users intake of the fumes from the finish. It would also be necessary to work in a well ventilated room to ensure that the fumes to not fill up and enclosed room. Other processes include leaving the timber a good amount of time to dry before another coat is added and to follow all instructions on the finishes container such as application and preparation.