Lipase Producing Rhodococcus Strains Analysis

Lipase Producing Rhodococcus Strains Analysis CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Overview of research Malaysia has attained an outstanding position as world’s second largest palm oil producer. This remarkable quality indirectly eases high consumption of palm oil in the country. As per statistic, industrial domestic consumption has achieved 2,000 million tonnes of palm oil while, general domestic consumption reaches 3,160 million tonnes for the year 2013 (Index Mundi, 2013). Considering variable food industry scales available in the country, this ideal identity has even manifested Malaysia’s status as â€Å"Asia’s Food Paradise†. Number advantages such wide availability and consistent utilization of cooking oil throughout the nation, has indirectly resulted to startling questions on the management of used cooking oil. Coined and defined already that, lipids holds the largest portion of organic components in municipal and industrial wastewater particularly from food industries (Prasad Manjanuth, 2011). Improper management of fatty wastes on the other hand, has led to serious anthropogenic damages such as clogging pipes, congest treatment filters, odour problems, oil film formation and depleting oxygen hence, damaging aquatic livings (Fadile et al., 2011; Cipinyte et al., 2009). Therefore, removal as well as early remediation on lipid contaminant has become a great necessary due to its associated negative impacts. In regards to the necessity of improvement in biological treatment, enzymatic technology specifically lipase is gaining increasing attention. Concept of â€Å"White Biotechnology† introduces two implications on fatty acid contaminants namely concept of biodegradation and biotransformation (Dors et al., 2013; Whiteley Lee, 2006). Biological treatment on lipid contaminated sites employ microbial lipase to detoxify, solubilize fatty acids and further commence conversion into microbial biomass. Despite the nature of treatment technology, it is crucial to ensure incorporation of right microbes on right place with suitable environment conditions for degradation to occur (Ugukchokwu et al., 2008). Fascinatingly, aerobic biodegradation by active lipolytic strains was proven to be feasible with many other added advantages compared to other strategies (Cipinyte et al., 2009). On top of it, lipases also exhibit excellent feasibility in early remediation through biotransformation approach. Abundant waste fatty feedstock prior to disposal can be modified in structure by lipolytic reactions. These modifications could be applied to serve demands for numerous industrial products like pet food, cosmetics, detergents, soap, floatation reagent and handcrafts (Used cooking oil, 2011; Shimizu, 1988; Alonso et al., 2000; Emoterabear, 2013). To date, current growing industrialization projected great necessary for alternative energy fuel-source due to depleting petroleum based fuels. As an enzymatic early remediation, researchers also have introduced lipase catalysed biodiesel product in oleochemical industry (Felizardo et al., 2006). Parallel to the â€Å"Green Environment† strategy, used cooking oil are proven to be possible alternate feedstock for biodiesel production as well (Chetri Watts et al., 2008). Considering wide range of versatility of lipase as biocatalyst, this enzyme is catered for both biodegradation and biotransformation productively. However, researchers are still in search of new lipase-lipid interaction to diversify the efficiency and upgrade quality of the existing outcome. Therefore in present investigation, production of lipase enzyme from locally isolated actinomycete known as Rhodococcus sp. was investigated. Denoting minimal documentation on lipase production by this actinomycete, yet the extreme ability of the strain to degrade oil extensively draws great intuition on lipase production. 1.2 Statement of problem As an amalgamation of many races, Malaysia has established a robust position for various food cuisines especially variable deep fried dishes. Therefore, large amount of cooking oil is required in the food preparation which simultaneously yields similar portion of utilized cooking oil. Consequently, excessive increments of waste cooking oil (WCO) are being disposed to waste streams continuously which lead to many detrimental effects to the environment. Therefore, it’s absolutely necessary to apply bioremediation concept to comprehensively treat the contaminated waste sites while providing early remediation to manage the increasing abundance of fatty waste materials. In order to emphasize high occurrence of waste cooking oil production especially in Malaysia, a survey was conducted in Teluk Bahang, Pulau Pinang, a local area popularly known for food business. The outcome reveals that the community generates 40% of more than 15kg of waste cooking oil monthly as described in Figur e 1.1. Figure 1.1: Production of WCO in Teluk Bahang, Pulau Pinang, a popular food industry area in Malaysia (Hanishah et al., 2013). 1.3 Justification of problem As aforementioned, cooking oil has become a basic ingredient for food preparation in the entire world. Deep frying is recognized as traditional practice of food preparation, where the oil are left exposed repeatedly to excessive heat of 160  ºC- 190  ºC in presence of moisture and air (Kamisah et al., 2012). Additionally, people tend to be fonder of fried food due to the attractive colour, fast preparation, delicious taste and catchy presentation in dining (Cvengros Cvengrosova, 2004). As a result, waste cooking oil are extensively being generated due to food and semi product preparation by frying such as fast food networks, restaurants, dining rooms, catering establishments throughout the world (Cvengros Cvengrosova, 2004; Kulkarni Dalai, 2006). According to a report by Capital Region District, 2012, almost 1million kilograms of fat contaminants are being disposed through our home drainage every year. Review in Asia countries like Malaysia, China, Indonesia, India and Thailand on the other hand, estimates to produce waste cooking oil for 40 000 tonnes per year (Hanisah et al., 2013). Meanwhile to be detail, excessive heating of cooking oil causes chemical modification by forming toxic compounds like peroxides, aldehyde and polymer via few reactions including hydrolysis, oxidation and thermolytic (Kulkarni Dalai, 2006; Hanisha et al. 2013). In agreement to this, study by Kamisah et al. (2012) found out that repeated heating of cooking oil augmented lipid peroxidation formation in the oil which causes severe health problems to human. Malaysian’s night markets for an instance, offer variety deep fried snacks such as keropok lekor, meat balls, sausages and potato chips. Different type of fried food indeed causes different fatty acid composition and anti- oxidant properties to the frying oil (Awney, 2011, Purushothama et al., 2003; Adam et al., 2007). In case of keropok lekor, a popular snack in Malaysia, the oil is prone to autoxidation due to the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), therefore, the oil has been chemically modified (Kamsiah et al., 2 012). Nevertheless, if this â€Å"dead oil† been disposed to water streams or land, it indirectly causes both water pollution and land pollution. After being disposed to aquatic environment, this contaminant undergoes four natural actions namely weathering, evaporation, emulsification or biodegradation. In exceptional to biodegradation, the rest of natural actions leads to the formation of oil slick or oil film on surface of water. Meanwhile droplets of oil will be vertically distributed in water, increasing BOD and COD value besides, transforming into toxic compound due to degraded oil by-product (Hanisah et al., 2013; Understanding oil spills and oil spill response, 1999; Marjadi Dharaiya, 2010). Riskily, these cause an interaction between the oil and sediments to occur hence, affecting living of aquatic lives. Indirectly, these carcinogenic compounds can be absorbed into by marine creatures and affect human food chain (Kulkarni Dalai, 2006; Hanisah et al., 2013; Understanding o il spills and oil spill response, 1999). Figure 1.2 precisely describes natural actions encountered due to disposal of waste cooking oil into water and land. 1.4 Scope of research In regards to detrimental impacts imposed by waste cooking oil, it’s absolutely prudent to commence treatment on lipid contaminated sites and further discover feasible ways to manage the fatty waste materials. Therefore, presence research recommends remediation through biodegradation and biotransformation for an effectual management of the waste cooking oil. Lipases, being a ubiquitous biocatalyst significantly extend frontiers of applications through hydrolysis as well as esterification reactions. Favourably, waste cooking oil that has been disposed to the water streams can be potentially treated with biocatalytic action of lipase producing microorganisms. Waste cooking oil prior to disposal also can be potentially transformed into many value-added products through structure modification by the same catalyst as well. Concerning numerous microbial lipases and wide range of reactions catered by lipase enzyme, it’s essential to obtain this biocatalyst from a novel and reliable source. This will highlight new lipid-lipase interaction with better characteristics for improvement and further add intrinsic value for industrial interests adequately (Jesus et al., 1999; Glogauer et al., 2011). Considering the alarming production of waste cooking oil by local food industries and household disposal, a feasible remediation requires a promising local yet new source for lipase enzyme. Appropriately, local Rhodococcus strains, an actinomycete isolated throughout Peninsular Malaysia was not been evaluated for lipase production. Being an excellent hydrocarbon degrader, these serial of strains is expected to project excellent level of lipase secretion and further be applied into both biodegradation and biotransformation. Upon, identification of lipase production from this actinomycete, the best lipase producing strains was optimized for maximum enzyme activity. Since, this bacteria is poorly studied, the crude enzyme was subjected for electrophoresis to estimate the size protein band of the extracted enzyme. Later on, practicability of the optimized strains was applied as both whole cell biocatalyst (naturally immobilised cell) and immobilised intracellular crude. A preliminary analysis of the enzyme to biodegrade WCO and also biotransform WCO into biodiesel was evaluated also for future studies. Precisely, lipolytic actions illustrated in Figure 1.3 are the reactions evaluated in biodegradation and biotransformation of WCO by Rhodococcal lipase in this study. Figure 1.3: (a) Hydrolytic reactions displayed by lipase enzyme to solubilize fatty acids and further convert into biomass during biodegradation of WCO (Jaeger Reetz, 1998). (b) Trans-esterification reaction by lipase enzyme involving transfer of alcohol moiety to form acid alkyl ester during biotransformation in biodiesel production (Murugesan et al., 2009). 1.5 Objectives of this research The primary goal of this study is to identify and evaluate lipase producing Rhodococcus strains, as ideal source for bioremediation purposes. Following are the stages of objectives obeyed in this investigation: To screen and identify for the most potential lipase producing Rhodococcus isolates To study the optimum conditions required for maximum lipase production by identified lipolytic Rhodococcus sp. To evaluate ability of Rhodococcus lipase to degrade waste cooking oil. To investigate the ability of Rhodococcus lipase to catalyze conversion of waste cooking oil into biodiesel. Figure 1.4: Flow chart representing designed work flow of this research.

Can Culture Be Caught or Taught Essay

A culture of an organization includes the norms, feelings, beliefs, attitudes, collective experiences, history, assumptions and values of an organization. Culture is something a new executive senses even before his first day on the job. That is, new employees are told ‘how things are around here’ by their colleagues and their team-leaders. â€Å"Caught and not taught† means you learn values or behaviors from the people that practice them, instead of by being told. You â€Å"catch† such values by seeing them lived. For example, if you were told (or â€Å"taught†) by someone, â€Å"You ought to live a certain way† (but you saw them not being a very good example of their teaching), chances are you won’t â€Å"catch† or consistently practice that value. On the other hand, if you see someone consistently living out what they believe, you might â€Å"catch† it. If their modeling of those values is powerful enough, their values c an be caught. The amount of catching and the amount of teaching is a balancing act that depends on any organizations existing culture (how entrenched it is, how far removed from the culture you need etc.), the degree of change that is required to make it happen and then the stage that you are going through. E.g. you will do more teaching in the early stages of rolling out a culture, but less when it is clear that influential people (top managers, team leaders etc.) have caught the gist of it and are out there passing it around. There is a well-known saying â€Å"You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink† Building a company culture is the aspect of strategic business planning that most employers feel is most important to their business. Companies that truly live their corporate cultures are higher performing and better places to work than companies that lack them. The 10 reasons why it’s important for a company to pay close attention to its solid corporate cult ure: 1.Generates positive public relations. Free PR creates visibility for a company. 2.Attracts ideal candidates. If the company’s corporate culture permeates everything from the way meetings are conducted to the format for the bios on the company’s Web site, candidates will know if they are a good fit. 3.Repels undesirable candidates. Without a clear corporate culture, undesirable candidates might join the company only to find months later that they do not fit in. 4.Rejects poor hires. Firing an employee is painful both financially and emotionally. Employees who are out of sync are often unproductive underperformers; they also disturb the established culture. 5.Fosters company loyalty. Employees who are a fit with the corporate culture will quickly integrate with the team and find their stride. This combination of ease and teamwork fosters employee loyalty. Loyal employees perform better, are more productive, are willing to exert extra efforts and are likely to influence others in a positive way, will spread po sitive energy throughout the office and attract top talent through word-of-mouth advertising. 6.Encourages dialogue between employees and management. A clear corporate culture opens the lines of communication for employees and employers to discuss what employees really want and what management expects of them, utilizing the right combination of coaching, knowledge and skills that focus on high performance. It communicates to employees what they need to do if they want to fit in, survive and become successful within the organization. 7.Facilitates creation of relevant benefits packages. When employers know what their employees really want, they can offer benefits that are customized to suit their employees’ needs. The benefits a company offers should be tied directly to what the employees want, making them a great recruiting and retention tool. 8.De-emphasizes the importance of cash compensation. A thriving corporate culture that fosters loyalty and provides intangible benefits to employees, such as work that is fulfilling and leaders they respect and trust, can actually reduce employee demands for higher compensation. 9.Encourages utilization of technology for productivity improvement. Leverage personalized, interoffice technologies that are customized to suit the company’s specific needs to save time, improve communication and enhance productivity. 10.Increases the efficacy of outsourcing. A solid corporate culture allows focus on the firm’s core capabilities. Hence, from the above discussion we can clearly state that solid, clear corporate culture has to be caught — not taught.

Introduction to Tourism Destination Planning & Development Essay

Tourism provides a major economic development opportunity for many countries and a means of improving the livelihoods of its residents. Both the public and private sectors involved in tourism depend on planning to achieve sustainable tourism development that respects the local community, creates appropriate employment, maintains the natural environment, and delivers a quality visitor experience. Tourism destinations that pursue development without proper planning would face several negative impacts upon the community and host region, such as the erosion of the region’s cultural identity as well as the destruction of landscapes. Malaysia is situated in Southeast Asia and consists of 13 states and 3 federal territories, separated by the South China Sea. 11 of Malaysia’s states are located in Peninsular Malaysia and 2 in east Malaysia, situated on the island of Borneo. The capital city of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government and I skandar is known as the administrative center. Tourism is Malaysia’s second largest foreign exchange earner, with a total number of 1,817,061 tourist arrivals in January 2012 alone and 9,438,592 in the following five months[], nearly a hundred thousand more than in the first five months of 2011. Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Dato’ Seri Dr. Ng Yen Yen has stated that total receipts from tourism in this period was RM 21.8 billion[] and according to the National Key Economic Area annual report in 2011, the tourism industry is projected to provide and incremental contribution of RM 66.7 billion to the country’s National Gross Income. All these show the very rapid growth of Malaysia’s tourism sector. Moreover, the tourism industry in Malaysia has also been noted to have provided a number of 1.2 million jobs in the country, helping boost the economic and socio-economic development of Malaysia; whether directly or indirectly, tourism has helped generate employment in industries such as agriculture, handicraft, hotel, transport and arts and culture[], while simultaneously conserving aspects of history, culture, heritage and environment of the country. Malaysia’s attractiveness as a tourist destination can be largely contributed by the fact that, in line with its international tagline ‘Malaysia, Truly Asia’, it is a colourful hotpot of cultural diversity. Malaysia’s community consists of not only Malays, Chinese and Indians, but also a number of ethnic people such as the Kadazandusun and Iban in Sabah and Sarawak, as well as the Selatar clan in Johor. With its multi-cultural heritage and ‘exotic’ traditions, food and festivals, many tourists are drawn to visit the country every year. In addition, Malaysia also has the advantage of having a warm, tropical climate all year long, something which many Western travellers look forward to enjoying, as well as having the advantage of being free of major natural disasters such as volcanoes or earthquakes. Malaysia is also proud to have UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites to its name, primarily the Gunung Mulu Geo-Park in Sarawak[], and the historical sites of Malacca[], with Mulu attracting 15000 tourists annually[] while Malacca welcomed more than four million between January and April this year[]. Recently, it has been revealed that the tourism industry was allocated an RM358 million under Budget 2013 in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2013/2014, in order to reach a target of 26.8 million arrivals for the coming year[]. The Government will also review domestic policies and regulations regarding foreign equity restrictions and limits on employment of foreign talent, as well as rules governing recognition of international qualifications, requirements for commercial presence, composition of board of directors, and residency for expatriates[] in order to assist in liberalising the services sector to reach its full potential in Malaysia. Successful implementation of tourism destination development involves a lot of planning, in terms of the assessment of available resources at the destination, marketing strategies to be undertaken, economic and financial analysis as well as an analysis of the market, the environment and also the social impacts of the development. In this assignment, I will attempt to measure the planning process and effects of it in regards to the state of Pahang in Malaysia. Introduction- Pahang Pahang is the third largest state in Malaysia and is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and by the South China Sea. Its state capital is Kuantan, and the royal town is Pekan. Approximately 1.5 million people reside in Pahang to date and the ethnic composition is roughly 1,000,000 Malay and Bumiputera, 233,000 Chinese, 68,500 Indians, 13,700 others, while the rest are non-citizens. Geographically diverse, Pahang ranges from mountainous country in its west to one of the longest coastline in the east of Peninsula Malaysia[]. There has been evidence found that indicates the earliest habitation of Pahang leads back all the way to the Mesolithic Era. Once famous for the deposits of tin and gold found along the upper reaches of the Tembeling River, Pahang had attracted the interest of outside powers long before the founding of Malacca in 1400. Under the control of the maritime empire of Srivijaya, Pahang had expanded to cover the entire southern portion of the Malay Peninsula in the 8th and 9th Centuries. With the collapse of Srivijaya power around 1000, Pahang was claimed first by the Siamese and then, in the late fifteenth century, by Malacca. After Malacca fell to the Portuguese in 1511, Pahang became a key part of the territorial struggles between Acheh, Johor, the Portuguese, and the Dutch. Repeated raids, invasions, and occupations devastated the state, until the decline of both Achenese and Portuguese power in the early 17th century allowed Johor to re-establish its influence on the much fought-over state. In the late eighteenth century, Pahang gradually gained autonomy, and in the middle of the nineteenth century it had become an independent state[]. The name ‘Pahang’ has been said to originate from the language of a Siamese ethnic tribe, meaning ‘ore’. The tribe once live there and opened up several mining areas, especially in Sungai Lembing. According to an old Malay story, at the place near the Pahang River, on the opposite side of Kampung Kembahang, a large ‘mahang’ tree fell across the river, thus the name ‘Pahang’ originated. The old name of Pahang is Inderapura[]. Two thirds of this huge state is covered in forest, thus Pahang’s population is dependent mainly on agriculture and natural resources. There is extensive palm oil, cocoa and rubber cultivation. Due to its long coastline, fishing and tourism related activities are prominent in Pahang and there are some small-scale manufacturing and cottage industries which residents are also dependant on[]. The tourism mission of Pahang is: Promoting Pahang as a Major Tourism Destination based on cultural heritage and natural resources for the socio-economic development of the state.[] Resources of Pahang The Arabic honorific of Pahang is Darul Makmur (â€Å"Abode of Tranquility†), an apt description of the state, with its lush tropical forests, cool mountain air, beaches, lakes and waterfalls nestling in the arms of mountain crevices. Pahang is truly a wild land with a picturesque and ethereal natural beauty beyond comparison. However, Pahang has more than that and its resources can be roughly categorized into different classes; natural resources, cultural resources, and manmade resources. Natural Resources of Pahang True to its fame, Pahang is home to many beautiful and breathtaking natural sites and wonders. It is home to unexplored rainforests, carefully preserved wildlife habitats, undisturbed ecological sites and raging, wild rivers and waterfalls. 1. Taman Negara The natural heart of Pahang is unquestionably Taman Negara, Malaysia’s oldest national park, lovingly referred to as â€Å"The Green Heart†. Gazetted as a National Park in 1938, Taman Negara is Malaysia’s largest and oldest natural park, with over 4000 km2 of wild, virgin rainforest. Although it also spans across the states of Terengganu and Kelantan, its largest protrusion is into Pahang. It is carefully conserved and protected due to its status as one of the last remaining frontiers of pristine rainforest, not only in Malaysia, but in the world. Taman Negara has a wide variety of flora and fauna, like the long-tailed macaques and rare Sumatran rhinos, as well as over 250 species of flora. One of the most frequented tourist attractions at Taman Negara is the Canopy Walkway, a suspension bridge of strong ropes, cables, net and wood that hangs 40 metres above the ground from which tourists are able to appreciate the park’s natural beauty without disturbing its resident wildlife. There are also several limestone hills in Taman Negara that have stayed undisturbed since several hundred millions of years ago. Some of the popular caves are Gua Telinga, Gua Kepayang, Gua Daun Menaru and Gua Luas. Visitors also have the chance to take a 40 minute boat trip up the Tahan River to the Lata Berkoh Waterfall, where they can get the invigorating experience of swimming in the cool waters of the deep pool beneath the fall. Adventure-seeking tourists are also able to shoot up the 7 rapids of the Tembeling River, which takes about 5 minutes as it is a 9km ride. With the help of a hired guide, visitors can also go jungle trekking to experience Taman Negara up close along well-marked trails like the Tahang, Terenggan and Neram Trail.   As Taman Negara is so meticulously guarded, tourists need to obtain certain permits or licenses in order to gain access to the park. These licenses differ depending on the tourist’s particular intention and can be applied for at any Department of Wildlife counters located at the Kuala Tembeling Jetty or Kuala Tahan. The permits and respective fares are listed in the following table.

21950183087900 Essays - Xiaomi, Smartphones, Economy Of China

21950183087900 Essays - Xiaomi, Smartphones, Economy Of China 21950183087900 Xiaomi's globalization strategies Location: Astana Course Code: MGMT621 Course Name: Strategic Management Professor: Stephan J. Wirtz , MA, MBA, DDA Student(s) Name(s) : Nurzhan Sikhimov INTRODUCTION The work aims to study and analyze the factors that led to the success of Xiaomi company, its current position among its competitors in the domestic and the world market. Xiaomi was founded in April 6, 2010 by serial entrepreneur Lei Jun, who is one of China's top 20 richest person with net worth US$ 9.1 billion according to Forbes. It crafted smartphone hardware, software, and internet services as well as accessories with the help of smart and talented people that it hired from Google, Kingsoft, Microsoft, Motorola, Yahoo and other successful technology companies around the globe. Xiaomi has sold more than 60 million smartphones worldwide in 2014, with more than 18 million handsets in China alone, resulting in US$ 12 billion revenue. Their presence is mainly in the Asian region such as China, Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines. Xiaomi's focus is to produce reliable, user friendly, mobile applications and affordable phones to customers. Xiaomi is currently the third largest smartphone producer in the world with over 5,000 employees worldwide. As of December 2014, Xiaomi has achieved the status of the most valuable technology start-up in the world after it successfully secured US$1.1 billion investment with a company valuation of US$ 45 billion [1] To understand reasons for the company's success, the business model canvas and SWOT analyses of the company are made. The studied scientific works and articles made it possible to consider the world smartphone industry, the place of Huawei in it, its abilities to survive in the tough struggle in the international market , present some solutions to sustainability of Huawei's competitive advantage. The business model canvas of the company KEY PARTNERS Google Youku Todou KEY ACTIVITIES Software development VALUE PROPOSITION Hig h tech affordable smartphones Customer oriented Link between hardware and software CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS Use of customer feedback for developing new products and technology Customer engagement CUSTOMER SIGMENTS Middle class customers KEY RESOURSES W ebsite and online stores I T and communications infrastructure M anufacturing facilities. Content development CHANNEL S E-commerce Few physical stores Advertisement through customers COST STRUCTURE Production RD REVENUE STREAMS Smartphone sales Other devices sales SWOT Analyses for Xiaomi S trengths One of the Largest Smartphone maker - Xiaomi is one of the largest smartphone makers in the world. It is said to be the 5th largest smartphone manufacturer as of 2017. Originating from China, the Smartphones are manufactured in huge quantities and have wide acceptance across the world. Highest selling Smartphone - The REDMI Note 4 became the highest selling smartphone in India and China and practically in 50% of the Asian market. This shows that Xiaomi is strongly rising in the smartphone market and has already beaten several giants. Huge China and Asia market available - Another benefit to Xiaomi is that the whole Asian market is their playground. As China lies within Asia and as Chinese mobile brands are highly penetrated in the Asian markets , Xiaomi still has a lot of ground to explore. Good Qualityproducts - Even at such low prices, no one can doubt the quality of Xiaomi phones. The smartphones are regularly rated high on all E-commerce portals - a further proof that Xiaomi does not compromise on quality even if lowers the price regularly. E-commerce advantage - The Flash sale model is a very popular model which has worked wonders for Xiaomi. In this model, the product is made available only in limited quantities and sold at a very low price . This model made the consumers crazy and each Xiaomi looked like a price which was hard earned. Weaknesses Offline Distribution - Xiaomi mainly sold through the flash sale but at times, it was difficult for customers to get their hands on a REDMI or MI model phone. This is because their offline distribution is not upto mark and Xiaomi phones sell mainly via E-commerce. Advertising and Marketing spends- The advertising and marketing spends of the brand is very low. The brand launches ATL campaigns only when coming up with a new product . However, the advertising is erratic at best

Affirmative Action And Its Effects Essays - Social Inequality

Affirmative Action And Its Effects Essays - Social Inequality Affirmative Action And Its Effects The roots of affirmative action can be traced back to the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act where legislation redefined public and private behavior. The act states that to discriminate in private is legal, but anything regarding business or public discrimination is illegal (Affirmative 13). There are two instances when opposing affirmative action might seem the wrong thing to do. Even these two cases don't justify the use of affirmative action. First is the nobility of the cause to help others. Second, affirmative action was a great starter for equality in the work place. The most promanite variable in deciding affirmative action as right or wrong, is whether or not society is going to treat people as groups or individuals. Affirmative action is a question of morals. The simplicity to form two morals that are both correct but conflicting is the reason for the division of our nation on affirmative action. Affirmative action is very noble when looking at who benefits from the outcom e. Take a closer look at affirmative action. The people that are involved and the damage it takes on our society surfaces many doubts. Taking a closer look also stirs up a question of nobility that needs to be answered before making a decision on affirmative action. Does affirmative action simply change who is discriminated against and makes it legal for the new discriminators? Coming from my point of view, the view of a white male, this is a serious question. One example of this came to my attention from Dave Shiflett who once worked at Rocky Mountain News wrote Rocky Mountain Hire. In this article he tells about a new hiring strategy used at the Denver news paper Rocky Mountain News. A memo was sent out stating, The job reviews of supervisors and others involved in hiring should address race and sex. Each review should have a hiring goal of at least half of our hires being women and at least half non-white (Shiflett 45). Lets put this strategy to work. We have ten positions to fil l, these positions can be filled following the above guidelines by hiring five black women. It can also be met by hiring five white women and five non-white men. Obviously to meet this goal successfully would mean to not hire a white male (Shiflett 45). I strongly disagree with my white fore fathers and society today who both address race and sex when hiring. Using a persons skin color in hiring is discrimination no matter how society looks at it. At St. Bonaventure University the potential for reverse discrimination became a reality. In May 1994, 22 faculty members were fired, all were male. The president of the university was very blunt about his motive, to protect the small number of women on the university staff (Magner 18). This was purely a discussion based on gender not qualification. No matter how efficient these men were some were fired for not being part of a certain minority. Gary A. Abraham, who was fired as a tenured associate professor stated, It seems ludicrous that t he university can rectify its failure to engage in affirmative action on the backs of its male faculty. Twelve of the men took their complaints to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The commission sided with the men and are even planning to bring the university up on charges themselves (Magner 18). Giving an employer the power to discriminate only towards minorities is unfair and unethical. Now the question is who will the government protect? Society can not consider its self fair when we are still forming decisions based upon gender or race. It is not noble to protect the jobs of women at Bonaventure University simply there are not enough women on the roster. We should protect the jobs of the experienced. We can not form a new society from affirmative action and believe the rights of all United States citizens will be upheld. The whole idea behind affirmative action is to right the wrongs of the past. Well, what about the individuals that were not even born when this a trocity of discrimination was going on. Society should not punish the youth for the

Why its Important to Wear a Helmet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why its Important to Wear a Helmet - Essay Example This trend is ought to continue should we not learn from our mistakes, it should be a top priority of any two wheeler rider or skateboarder to wear a helmet while riding in order to protect severe damage to the head leading to death in majority of the cases. "About 540,000 bicyclists visit emergency rooms with injuries every year. Of those, about 67,000 have head injuries, and 27,000 have injuries serious enough to be hospitalized." (Helmet Related Statistics). Looking at these statistics it becomes extremely important to practice caution and people who ignore heedless warnings pay the price leaving their family members behind to mourn and regret. All the above points show that wearing a helmet is integral and people who don't do it are very vulnerable. Parents play a vital role in inculcating the habit of wearing a helmet in children and this habit must always be inculcated in children right from the time when they learn to ride a tricycle. This is the only way out to stop the menace of countless deaths that take place because of sheer ignorance of people. Several countries have made it a hard and fast rule not to allow riders without helmets and many more countries are in the process to implement this rule. The sooner this rule is introduced the better it is for all the people. Works Cited Helmet Related Statistics (2009). In Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute http:/

Role of HR in developing talent at work in the banking sector (UK and Literature review

Role of HR in developing talent at work in the banking sector (UK and US) - Literature review Example Human resource managers include various tools in recognizing and developing talent in the organization. According to Berger & Berger (2010), the talent assessing tools may include 360- degree feedback; however, the appropriateness and effectiveness of tools used is what matters the most. In addition, coaching plays an important role in the development of an employee’s talent; it can be conducted by a manager or a fellow colleague. Moreover, Morgan & Jardin (2010, p.23) argue that, â€Å"it is vitally important to run talent management like a business in order to drive maximum return on investment in people.† The role of HR has been significant to the organization and an individual as well. In talent development and management, the human resources department ensures that appropriate measures are put in place to ensure that there is presence of the right personnel needed for an organization to succeed (Catalyst, N.d., p. 21). This paper’s aim is to focus on the hum an resources role in developing talent in the banking sector, mainly in the United States and the United Kingdom. 2) Human Resource Role The human resource role concerning talent development begins with the creation of that talent, hence nurturing and developing it. In this talent driven economy, talent- powered organizations are essential; indeed, such talents must be developed and further sustained (Cheese, Thomas, & Craig, 2007, p.46). Talent is normally referred to as a special gift, in this case involving experience, knowledge, & skills of an individual, (Shavininna, 2007, p.159). Therefore, each organization aims at acquiring, retaining, and sustaining such talent, with an aim of achieving organizational goals. According to Collins (2011, p.35), a global war for talent is evident, with global graduates seeking opportunities to develop their skills and experience in oversees countries. In addition, the United Nations data revealed that over 214 million people live away from the ir home countries. In countries like the United Kingdom and the United States, the arrival of highly skilled migrants contributes to higher education through fees. The talent war is aimed at accessing the best talent, with companies offering favorable working environment with an aim of attracting best talent. The banking sector of any country is a vital field; almost all banks in the United States and in the United Kingdom have incorporated human resources in their operations, especially as this department deals with a number of duties concerning the employees, such as training and development. One such bank is the Deutsche bank, which is based in various countries among them the United States, and attests to the human resource importance in its organization, whereby, the human resources contribute to developing and retaining the best talent (Deutsche Bank, 2011). In addition, Standard Chattered Bank in the United Kingdom has incorporated talent development programmes, whereby, attr acting the best talent and further developing it is their main aim, as they believe in building their employees (Standard Chartered Bank, 2009). Success is determined when a company’