Assessing the effectiveness of MBO is a complex task. Let’s briefly review a growing body of literature on the relationship between goals and performance. If factors such as a person’s ability and acceptance of goals are held constant, more difficult goals lead to higher performance. Although individuals with difficult goals achieve them far less often than those who have easy goals, they, nevertheless perform at a consistently higher level.
Moreover studies consistently support the finding that specific difficult to achieve goals produce a higher level of output than do no goals or generalized goals such as do your best. Feedback also favorably affects performance. Feedback lets a person know whether his or her level of effort is sufficient or needs to be increased. It can induce a person to raise his or her goal level after attaining a previous goal and indicate ways to improve performance.
The results cited here are all consistent with MBO’s emphasis on specific goals and feedback. MBO implies, rather explicitly states that goals must be perceived as feasible. Research on goal setting indicates that MBO is most effective if the goals are difficult enough to require some stretching.
But what about participating? MBO strongly advocates that goals be set participatively. Does the research demonstrate that participatively set goals led to higher performance than those assigned by a manager? Somewhat surprisingly, the research comparing participatively set goals with assigned goals has not shown any strong or constant relationship to performance. When goal difficulty has been held constant, assigned goals frequently do as well as participatively determined goals, contrary to MBO ideology. Therefore, it is not possible to argue for the superiority of participation as do MBO proponents. One major benefits from participation, however is that appears to induce individuals to set more difficult goals. Thus, participation may have a positive effect on performance by increasing one’s goal aspiration level.
Studies of actual MBO programs confirm that MBO effectively increase employee performance and organizational productivity. One of the more critical components of this effectiveness is top management commitment to the MBO process. When top managers had a high commitment to MBO and were personally involved in its implementation, productivity gains were higher than if this commitment was lacking.
How do you set employee objectives?
Employee should have a clear understanding of what they’re attempting to accomplish. Furthermore, as a manager you have the responsibility for seeing that this task is achieved by helping your employees set work goals. Although these two statements appear to be common sense, it’s often a little more complex. Setting objectives is a skill that every manager needs to perfect. You can facilitate this process by following these guidelines:
Identifying an employee’s key job tasks:
Goal setting begins by defining what you want your employees to accomplish. The best source for this information is each employee’s job description.
Establish specific and challenging goals for each key task: Identify the level of performance expected of each employee specify the target for the employee to hit. Specify the deadlines for each gal. Putting deadlines on each goal reduces ambiguity. Deadlines however should not be set arbitrarily. Rather they need to be realistic given the tasks to be completed.
Allow the employee to actively participate: when employees participate in goal setting they are more likely to accept the goals. However, it must be sincere participation; that is employees must perceive that you are truly seeking heir input not just going through the motions.
Prioritize goals: when you give someone more than one goal, it is important to rank the goal in order of importance. Prioritizing encourages the employee to take action and expend effort on each goal in proportion to its importance. Rate goals for difficulty and importance. Goal setting should not encourage people to choose easy goals. When goals are rated, individuals can be given credit for trying difficult goals even if they don’t fully achieve them.
Build in feedback mechanisms to assess goal progress; Feedback lets employees know whether their level of effort is sufficient to attain the goal. Feedback should be both self generated and supervisor generated. In either case, feedback should be frequent and recurrent.
Link rewards to goal attainment: It’s natural for employees to ask what’s in it for me? Linking rewards to the achievement of goals will help answer that question.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Dynamics of Global Population Trends
Current population, rural/urban population shifts, rates of growth age levels, and population control help determine today’s demand for various categories of goods. Although not the only determinant, the existence of sheer numbers of people is significant in appraising potential consumer markets. Changes in the composition ad distribution of population among the world’s countries will profoundly affect future demand.
Recent estimates place world population at more than 6 billion people, and this is expected to grow to 9 billion by 2050. Further, 98 percent of the projected growth for 2050 will occur in less developed regions. Exhibits show that 84 % of the population will be concentrated in less developed regions by 2025 and, if growth rates continue, 86 % by 2050. The International labor Organization estimates that 1.2 billion jobs must be created worldwide by 2025 to accommodate these new entrants. Further most of the new jobs will need to be created in urban areas where most of the population will reside.
Controlling Population Growth:
Faced with the ominous consequences of the population explosion it would seem logical for countries to take appropriate steps to reduce growth to manageable rates, but procreation is one of the most culturally sensitive uncontrollable factor. Economics self esteem religion, politics ad education all play a critical role in attitudes about family size.
The prerequisites to population control are adequate incomes, higher literacy levels, education for women, universal access the health care, family planning, improved nutrition, and perhaps most important, a change in basic cultural beliefs regarding he importance of large families. Unfortunately, minimum progress in providing improved living conditions and changing beliefs has occurred. India serves as a good example of what is happening in much of the world. India’s population was once stable but with improved health conditions lading to greater longevity and lower infant mortality its population will exceed that of China by 2050 and the two will account for about 50 percent of the world’s inhabitants. The government’s attempts to institute change are hampered by a variety of factors, including political ineptitude and slow change in cultural norms. Nevertheless the government continues to pass laws with the intended purpose of limiting the number of births. The most recent attempt is a law that bars those with more than two children from election to the national Parliament and state assemblies. This would mean that many now in office could not seek reelection based on family size.
Perhaps the most important deterrent to population control is cultural attitudes about the importance of large families. In many cultures, the prestige of man, whether alive or dead, depends on the number of his progeny, and a family’s only wealth is its children. Such feelings are strong, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi found out how strong when she attempted mass sterilization of males which reportedly was the main cause of her defeat in a subsequent election. Additionally many religious discourage or ban family planning and thus serve as a deterrent to control. Nigeria has a strong Muslim tradition in the North and a strong Roman Catholic tradition in the east, and both faiths favor large families. Most traditional religious in Africa encourage large families in fact the principal deity for many is the goddess of land and fertility.
Family planning and all that it entails is by far the most universal means governments use to control birthrates but some economists believe that decline in the fertility arte is a function of economic prosperity and will come only with economists development. Ample anecdotal evidence suggests that fertility rates decline as economies proper. For example, before Spain’s economy began its rapid growth in the 1980s families had six or more children; now Spain has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe, an average 1.24 children per woman. Similar patterns have followed in other European countries as economies have prospered.
Recent estimates place world population at more than 6 billion people, and this is expected to grow to 9 billion by 2050. Further, 98 percent of the projected growth for 2050 will occur in less developed regions. Exhibits show that 84 % of the population will be concentrated in less developed regions by 2025 and, if growth rates continue, 86 % by 2050. The International labor Organization estimates that 1.2 billion jobs must be created worldwide by 2025 to accommodate these new entrants. Further most of the new jobs will need to be created in urban areas where most of the population will reside.
Controlling Population Growth:
Faced with the ominous consequences of the population explosion it would seem logical for countries to take appropriate steps to reduce growth to manageable rates, but procreation is one of the most culturally sensitive uncontrollable factor. Economics self esteem religion, politics ad education all play a critical role in attitudes about family size.
The prerequisites to population control are adequate incomes, higher literacy levels, education for women, universal access the health care, family planning, improved nutrition, and perhaps most important, a change in basic cultural beliefs regarding he importance of large families. Unfortunately, minimum progress in providing improved living conditions and changing beliefs has occurred. India serves as a good example of what is happening in much of the world. India’s population was once stable but with improved health conditions lading to greater longevity and lower infant mortality its population will exceed that of China by 2050 and the two will account for about 50 percent of the world’s inhabitants. The government’s attempts to institute change are hampered by a variety of factors, including political ineptitude and slow change in cultural norms. Nevertheless the government continues to pass laws with the intended purpose of limiting the number of births. The most recent attempt is a law that bars those with more than two children from election to the national Parliament and state assemblies. This would mean that many now in office could not seek reelection based on family size.
Perhaps the most important deterrent to population control is cultural attitudes about the importance of large families. In many cultures, the prestige of man, whether alive or dead, depends on the number of his progeny, and a family’s only wealth is its children. Such feelings are strong, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi found out how strong when she attempted mass sterilization of males which reportedly was the main cause of her defeat in a subsequent election. Additionally many religious discourage or ban family planning and thus serve as a deterrent to control. Nigeria has a strong Muslim tradition in the North and a strong Roman Catholic tradition in the east, and both faiths favor large families. Most traditional religious in Africa encourage large families in fact the principal deity for many is the goddess of land and fertility.
Family planning and all that it entails is by far the most universal means governments use to control birthrates but some economists believe that decline in the fertility arte is a function of economic prosperity and will come only with economists development. Ample anecdotal evidence suggests that fertility rates decline as economies proper. For example, before Spain’s economy began its rapid growth in the 1980s families had six or more children; now Spain has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe, an average 1.24 children per woman. Similar patterns have followed in other European countries as economies have prospered.
Improve your overall skills
To prosper in the current job market, postgraduates must be able to work hard and manage expectations, while harnessing their skills sets.
Each year thousands of graduates leave India to pursue masters’ courses overseas. They carry with them the hope that after they complete their education they will have the opportunity to work abroad and build their skills, their bank balances and their resumes. This year however, many have been disappointed.
Forced to return home in the downturn they have found themselves absorbed in a domestic job market that was, at least until recently, experiencing its own hiring freeze. What’s more, joining the returnees, were master’s graduates from previous years, who had managed to secure employment broad, but filed to either have their contracts renewed, or asked to take a sabbatical until the economic situation improved.
This seems to a rather challenging situation, yet one of the most important things you have to do if you are to find a job, is to remain positive while working hard at every angle. SN from Bangalore, who is currently pursuing a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in the US says, it is hard, but on the other hand, if you give a hundred per cent to your job search, you can definitely land up with a job. In this situation you need to put that extra zing into grabbing every opportunity you get. You’ve got to be persistent and more flexible in terms of relocating and traveling. You need to open up more areas in your research like networking volunteering or even attending conferences, just in order to be able to meet people that could in turn lead to a potential employer. And you need to keep abreast with the current affairs of your interest.
As far as Indian job market is concerned, the number of postings for masters’ graduates is really picking up. For improving your chances of getting a job when you return is to have good contacts with people working in different fields, improve your socializing skills, and increase your networking. All this exposure and knowledge will really give you the confidence n courage to face and solve all sorts of problems, which is the main requirement of companies in any field.
Anyone studying abroad to build their networks, agrees the executive search agency Stanton Chase International in Bangalore. Join specialized groups, become more active with your institution an alumni. Ensure that summer jobs or internships have relevance to the overall career focus have. Stay connected to trends and economic indictors in your own country as well. There was a time when an international degree had great value in the job market. Now, it may be good, but not as dramatic as before.
What if you yourself returning to India to look for a job? In such a difficult market, it is essential that you stand by your conviction that the experience you have had overseas is valuable. Sometimes returning graduates do get discouraged when they haven’t got a job and have been back in India for two or three months, but you shouldn’t give up. You have to know that you have something special, something that so many students in India my not have.
Multinationals for example want to employ people with international experience because the understanding of different cultural working practices is an invaluable skill. Studying and working abroad, even if only part time gives you an edge over your compatriots. When you have international experience you understand how important it is to evidence decisions or show leadership and initiatives in your job. It is obvious that a non-Indian post-graduates degree brings several benefits to employers. There is the exposure to world class laboratories and other facilities, for example. Experience also helps you think innovatively decision making.
Keeping faith in the quality of your experience and what it can bring to Indian employers is important, but it is also important to articulate that experience in a way that helps people understand what you can do for them. For example, people who are unfamiliar with the shorter UK master’s program might wonder how much you could have learned in a year. It is important to emphasize how intensive a period of learning it was. You also need to articulate your understanding of how another country’s working practices can benefit the employer. Unless they are actively looking or someone with a non-Indian degree, they will not necessarily work this out for themselves.
Some Indian students are under the impression that Indian companies are going to be very receptive to anyone with an international degree adds even with well regarded degree such as one from the UK, you are going to need certain attitude. You need to bring yourself out. You need to bring yourself out. You need to show how valuable you will be to employers by drawing attention to your skills and experiences both on your CV and in the interview Indian CVs can often be too plain.
Each year thousands of graduates leave India to pursue masters’ courses overseas. They carry with them the hope that after they complete their education they will have the opportunity to work abroad and build their skills, their bank balances and their resumes. This year however, many have been disappointed.
Forced to return home in the downturn they have found themselves absorbed in a domestic job market that was, at least until recently, experiencing its own hiring freeze. What’s more, joining the returnees, were master’s graduates from previous years, who had managed to secure employment broad, but filed to either have their contracts renewed, or asked to take a sabbatical until the economic situation improved.
This seems to a rather challenging situation, yet one of the most important things you have to do if you are to find a job, is to remain positive while working hard at every angle. SN from Bangalore, who is currently pursuing a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in the US says, it is hard, but on the other hand, if you give a hundred per cent to your job search, you can definitely land up with a job. In this situation you need to put that extra zing into grabbing every opportunity you get. You’ve got to be persistent and more flexible in terms of relocating and traveling. You need to open up more areas in your research like networking volunteering or even attending conferences, just in order to be able to meet people that could in turn lead to a potential employer. And you need to keep abreast with the current affairs of your interest.
As far as Indian job market is concerned, the number of postings for masters’ graduates is really picking up. For improving your chances of getting a job when you return is to have good contacts with people working in different fields, improve your socializing skills, and increase your networking. All this exposure and knowledge will really give you the confidence n courage to face and solve all sorts of problems, which is the main requirement of companies in any field.
Anyone studying abroad to build their networks, agrees the executive search agency Stanton Chase International in Bangalore. Join specialized groups, become more active with your institution an alumni. Ensure that summer jobs or internships have relevance to the overall career focus have. Stay connected to trends and economic indictors in your own country as well. There was a time when an international degree had great value in the job market. Now, it may be good, but not as dramatic as before.
What if you yourself returning to India to look for a job? In such a difficult market, it is essential that you stand by your conviction that the experience you have had overseas is valuable. Sometimes returning graduates do get discouraged when they haven’t got a job and have been back in India for two or three months, but you shouldn’t give up. You have to know that you have something special, something that so many students in India my not have.
Multinationals for example want to employ people with international experience because the understanding of different cultural working practices is an invaluable skill. Studying and working abroad, even if only part time gives you an edge over your compatriots. When you have international experience you understand how important it is to evidence decisions or show leadership and initiatives in your job. It is obvious that a non-Indian post-graduates degree brings several benefits to employers. There is the exposure to world class laboratories and other facilities, for example. Experience also helps you think innovatively decision making.
Keeping faith in the quality of your experience and what it can bring to Indian employers is important, but it is also important to articulate that experience in a way that helps people understand what you can do for them. For example, people who are unfamiliar with the shorter UK master’s program might wonder how much you could have learned in a year. It is important to emphasize how intensive a period of learning it was. You also need to articulate your understanding of how another country’s working practices can benefit the employer. Unless they are actively looking or someone with a non-Indian degree, they will not necessarily work this out for themselves.
Some Indian students are under the impression that Indian companies are going to be very receptive to anyone with an international degree adds even with well regarded degree such as one from the UK, you are going to need certain attitude. You need to bring yourself out. You need to bring yourself out. You need to show how valuable you will be to employers by drawing attention to your skills and experiences both on your CV and in the interview Indian CVs can often be too plain.
Rural and Urban Migration
Migration from rural to urban areas is largely a result of a desire for greater access to sources of education, health care and improved job opportunities. In the early 1800s less than 3.5 percent of the world’s people were living in cities of 20,000 or more and less than 2 percent in cities of 100,000 or more today more than 40 percent of the world’s people are urbanites, and the trend is acceleration. Once in the city, perhaps three out of four migrants achieve some economic gains. The family income of a manual worker in urban Brazil, for example is almost five times that of a farm laborer in a rural area.
By 2030, estimates indicate that more than 61 percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas and at least 27 cities will have populations of 10 million or more, 23 of which will be in the less developed regions. Tokyo has already overtaken Mexico City as the largest city on Earth, with a population of 26 million, a jump of almost 8 million since 1990.
Although migrants experience some relative improvement in their living standards, intense urban growth without investment in services eventually leads to serious problems. Slums populated with unskilled workers living hand to mouth put excessive pressure on sanitation system, water supplies and other social services. At some points, the disadvantages of unregulated urban growth begin to outweigh the advantages for all concerned.
Consider the conditions that exist in Mexico City today. Besides smog, garbage and pollution brought about by the increased population, Mexico City faces a severe water shortage. Local water suppli0es are nearly exhausted and in some cases unhealthy. Water consumption from all sources is about 16,000 gallons per second, but the underground aquifers are producing only 2,640 gallons per second. Water comes for hundreds of miles away and has to be pumped up to an elevation of 7,444 feet to reach Mexico City. This is a grim picture of one of the most beautiful and sophisticated cities in Latin America. Such problems are not unique to Mexico; throughout the developing world, poor sanitation and inadequate water supplies are consequences of runaway population growth. An estimated 1.1 billion people are currently without access to clean drinking water and 2.8 billion have access to sanitation services. Estimates are that 40 percent of the world’s population 2.5 billion people will be without clean water if more is not invested in water resources. Prospects for improvements are not encouraging because most of the world’s urban growth will take place in the already economically strained developing countries.
Population Decline and Aging:
While the developing world faces a rapidly growing population, the industrialized world’s population is in decline and rapidly aging. Birthrates in Western Europe and Japan have been decreasing since the early or mid 1960s more women are closing are choosing careers instead of children, and many working couples are electing o remain childless. As a result of these and other contemporary factors, population growth in many countries has dropped below the rate necessary to maintain present levels. Just to keep the population from falling a nation needs a fertility rate of about 2.1 children per woman. Not one major country has sufficient internal population growth to maintain itself, and this trend is expected to continue for the next 50 years. Europe’s population could decline by as much as 88 million (from 375 million to 287 million) people if present tr6ends continue to 2015.
At the same time that population growth is declining in the industrialized world, there are more aging people, today than ever before. Global life expectancy has grown more in the last 50 years than over the previous 5,000 years. Until the industrial Revolution, no more than 2 or 3 percent of the total population was over the age of 65. Today in the developed world, the over age 65 group will amount to 14 percent and by 2030 this group will reach 25 percent in some 30 different countries.
By 2030, estimates indicate that more than 61 percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas and at least 27 cities will have populations of 10 million or more, 23 of which will be in the less developed regions. Tokyo has already overtaken Mexico City as the largest city on Earth, with a population of 26 million, a jump of almost 8 million since 1990.
Although migrants experience some relative improvement in their living standards, intense urban growth without investment in services eventually leads to serious problems. Slums populated with unskilled workers living hand to mouth put excessive pressure on sanitation system, water supplies and other social services. At some points, the disadvantages of unregulated urban growth begin to outweigh the advantages for all concerned.
Consider the conditions that exist in Mexico City today. Besides smog, garbage and pollution brought about by the increased population, Mexico City faces a severe water shortage. Local water suppli0es are nearly exhausted and in some cases unhealthy. Water consumption from all sources is about 16,000 gallons per second, but the underground aquifers are producing only 2,640 gallons per second. Water comes for hundreds of miles away and has to be pumped up to an elevation of 7,444 feet to reach Mexico City. This is a grim picture of one of the most beautiful and sophisticated cities in Latin America. Such problems are not unique to Mexico; throughout the developing world, poor sanitation and inadequate water supplies are consequences of runaway population growth. An estimated 1.1 billion people are currently without access to clean drinking water and 2.8 billion have access to sanitation services. Estimates are that 40 percent of the world’s population 2.5 billion people will be without clean water if more is not invested in water resources. Prospects for improvements are not encouraging because most of the world’s urban growth will take place in the already economically strained developing countries.
Population Decline and Aging:
While the developing world faces a rapidly growing population, the industrialized world’s population is in decline and rapidly aging. Birthrates in Western Europe and Japan have been decreasing since the early or mid 1960s more women are closing are choosing careers instead of children, and many working couples are electing o remain childless. As a result of these and other contemporary factors, population growth in many countries has dropped below the rate necessary to maintain present levels. Just to keep the population from falling a nation needs a fertility rate of about 2.1 children per woman. Not one major country has sufficient internal population growth to maintain itself, and this trend is expected to continue for the next 50 years. Europe’s population could decline by as much as 88 million (from 375 million to 287 million) people if present tr6ends continue to 2015.
At the same time that population growth is declining in the industrialized world, there are more aging people, today than ever before. Global life expectancy has grown more in the last 50 years than over the previous 5,000 years. Until the industrial Revolution, no more than 2 or 3 percent of the total population was over the age of 65. Today in the developed world, the over age 65 group will amount to 14 percent and by 2030 this group will reach 25 percent in some 30 different countries.
The manner in which people consume
The manner in which people consume, the priority of needs and the wants they attempts to satisfy, and the manner in which they satisfy them are functions of their culture that temper, mold, and dictate their style of living. Culture is the human made part of human environment – the sum total of knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, laws, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by humans as members of society.
Markets constantly change; they are not static but evolve, expand and contract in response to marketing effort, economic conditions, and other cultural influences. Markets and market behavior are part of a country’s culture. One cannot truly understand how markets evolve or how they react to a marketer’s effort without appreciating that markets are a result of culture. Markets are the result of the three way interaction of a marketer’s efforts, economic conditions and all other elements of the culture demands of the market, but they also are acting as agents of change whenever the product or idea being marketed is innovative. Whatever the degree of acceptance in whatever level of culture, the use of something new is the beginning of cultural change, and marketer becomes a change agent.
A discussion of the broad concept of culture as the foundation for international marketing is presented in this chapter. Business culture in Global Marketing discusses culture and how it influences business practice and the behaviors and thinking of managers.
This article’s purpose is to heighten the reader’s sensitivity to the dynamics of culture. It is neither a treatise on cultural information about a particular country nor a thorough marketing science or epidemiological study of the various topics. Rather, it is designed to emphasize the importance if cultural differences to marketers and the need for study of each country’s culture(s) and all its origin and elements and to point out some relevant aspects on which to focus.
Culture’s Pervasive Impact:
Culture affects every of our lives, very day, from birth to death, and everything in between. It affects how we spend money and how we consume in general. It even affects how we sleep. For example, we are told that Spaniards sleep less than other European and Japanese children often sleep with their parents. You can clearly see culture operating in the birthrates tables. When you look across the data from the three countries, the gradual decline beginning 1960s is evident. As countries move, from agricultural to industrial to service economy birth rate declines. Immediate causes may be government policies and birth control technologies, but a global change in values is also occurring. Almost everywhere smaller families are becoming favored. This cultural change now leads experts to predict that the planet’s population will, actually begin to decline after 2050 unless major breakthroughs in longevity intervene as some predict.
Please notice the little peaks in 1976 and 1988 in the Singapore data. The same pattern can be seen in birthrate data from Taiwan. Those extra births are not a matter of random fluctuation. In Chinese cultures being born in the Year of the Dragon (12 animals – dogs, rats, rabbits, pigs etc – correspond to specific years in the calendar) is considered good luck. Such birthrate spikes have implications for sellers of diapers, toys, schools, colleges, and so forth in successive years in Singapore. However, superstitious have an even stronger influence on the birthrates in Japan. A one year 20 percent drop in Japanese fertility rates in 1966 was caused by a belief that women born in the Year of the Fire Horse, which occurs every 60 years will lead unhappy lives and perhaps murder their husbands. This sudden and substantial decline in fertility, which has occurred historically every 60 years since Japan started keeping birth records, reflects abstinence, abortions, and birth certificate fudging. This superstition has resulted in the stigmatization of women born, in 1966 and has had a large impact on market potential for a wide variety of consumer goods and services in Japan. It will be interesting to see how technological innovations and culture will interact in Japan in 2026 the next Year of the Fire Horse.
Markets constantly change; they are not static but evolve, expand and contract in response to marketing effort, economic conditions, and other cultural influences. Markets and market behavior are part of a country’s culture. One cannot truly understand how markets evolve or how they react to a marketer’s effort without appreciating that markets are a result of culture. Markets are the result of the three way interaction of a marketer’s efforts, economic conditions and all other elements of the culture demands of the market, but they also are acting as agents of change whenever the product or idea being marketed is innovative. Whatever the degree of acceptance in whatever level of culture, the use of something new is the beginning of cultural change, and marketer becomes a change agent.
A discussion of the broad concept of culture as the foundation for international marketing is presented in this chapter. Business culture in Global Marketing discusses culture and how it influences business practice and the behaviors and thinking of managers.
This article’s purpose is to heighten the reader’s sensitivity to the dynamics of culture. It is neither a treatise on cultural information about a particular country nor a thorough marketing science or epidemiological study of the various topics. Rather, it is designed to emphasize the importance if cultural differences to marketers and the need for study of each country’s culture(s) and all its origin and elements and to point out some relevant aspects on which to focus.
Culture’s Pervasive Impact:
Culture affects every of our lives, very day, from birth to death, and everything in between. It affects how we spend money and how we consume in general. It even affects how we sleep. For example, we are told that Spaniards sleep less than other European and Japanese children often sleep with their parents. You can clearly see culture operating in the birthrates tables. When you look across the data from the three countries, the gradual decline beginning 1960s is evident. As countries move, from agricultural to industrial to service economy birth rate declines. Immediate causes may be government policies and birth control technologies, but a global change in values is also occurring. Almost everywhere smaller families are becoming favored. This cultural change now leads experts to predict that the planet’s population will, actually begin to decline after 2050 unless major breakthroughs in longevity intervene as some predict.
Please notice the little peaks in 1976 and 1988 in the Singapore data. The same pattern can be seen in birthrate data from Taiwan. Those extra births are not a matter of random fluctuation. In Chinese cultures being born in the Year of the Dragon (12 animals – dogs, rats, rabbits, pigs etc – correspond to specific years in the calendar) is considered good luck. Such birthrate spikes have implications for sellers of diapers, toys, schools, colleges, and so forth in successive years in Singapore. However, superstitious have an even stronger influence on the birthrates in Japan. A one year 20 percent drop in Japanese fertility rates in 1966 was caused by a belief that women born in the Year of the Fire Horse, which occurs every 60 years will lead unhappy lives and perhaps murder their husbands. This sudden and substantial decline in fertility, which has occurred historically every 60 years since Japan started keeping birth records, reflects abstinence, abortions, and birth certificate fudging. This superstition has resulted in the stigmatization of women born, in 1966 and has had a large impact on market potential for a wide variety of consumer goods and services in Japan. It will be interesting to see how technological innovations and culture will interact in Japan in 2026 the next Year of the Fire Horse.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The manner in which people consume
The manner in which people consume, the priority of needs and the wants they attempts to satisfy, and the manner in which they satisfy them are functions of their culture that temper, mold, and dictate their style of living. Culture is the human made part of human environment – the sum total of knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, laws, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by humans as members of society.
Markets constantly change; they are not static but evolve, expand and contract in response to marketing effort, economic conditions, and other cultural influences. Markets and market behavior are part of a country’s culture. One cannot truly understand how markets evolve or how they react to a marketer’s effort without appreciating that markets are a result of culture. Markets are the result of the three way interaction of a marketer’s efforts, economic conditions and all other elements of the culture demands of the market, but they also are acting as agents of change whenever the product or idea being marketed is innovative. Whatever the degree of acceptance in whatever level of culture, the use of something new is the beginning of cultural change, and marketer becomes a change agent.
A discussion of the broad concept of culture as the foundation for international marketing is presented in this chapter. Business culture in Global Marketing discusses culture and how it influences business practice and the behaviors and thinking of managers.
This article’s purpose is to heighten the reader’s sensitivity to the dynamics of culture. It is neither a treatise on cultural information about a particular country nor a thorough marketing science or epidemiological study of the various topics. Rather, it is designed to emphasize the importance if cultural differences to marketers and the need for study of each country’s culture(s) and all its origin and elements and to point out some relevant aspects on which to focus.
Culture’s Pervasive Impact:
Culture affects every of our lives, very day, from birth to death, and everything in between. It affects how we spend money and how we consume in general. It even affects how we sleep. For example, we are told that Spaniards sleep less than other European and Japanese children often sleep with their parents. You can clearly see culture operating in the birthrates tables. When you look across the data from the three countries, the gradual decline beginning 1960s is evident. As countries move, from agricultural to industrial to service economy birth rate declines. Immediate causes may be government policies and birth control technologies, but a global change in values is also occurring. Almost everywhere smaller families are becoming favored. This cultural change now leads experts to predict that the planet’s population will, actually begin to decline after 2050 unless major breakthroughs in longevity intervene as some predict.
Please notice the little peaks in 1976 and 1988 in the Singapore data. The same pattern can be seen in birthrate data from Taiwan. Those extra births are not a matter of random fluctuation. In Chinese cultures being born in the Year of the Dragon (12 animals – dogs, rats, rabbits, pigs etc – correspond to specific years in the calendar) is considered good luck. Such birthrate spikes have implications for sellers of diapers, toys, schools, colleges, and so forth in successive years in Singapore. However, superstitious have an even stronger influence on the birthrates in Japan. A one year 20 percent drop in Japanese fertility rates in 1966 was caused by a belief that women born in the Year of the Fire Horse, which occurs every 60 years will lead unhappy lives and perhaps murder their husbands. This sudden and substantial decline in fertility, which has occurred historically every 60 years since Japan started keeping birth records, reflects abstinence, abortions, and birth certificate fudging. This superstition has resulted in the stigmatization of women born, in 1966 and has had a large impact on market potential for a wide variety of consumer goods and services in Japan. It will be interesting to see how technological innovations and culture will interact in Japan in 2026 the next Year of the Fire Horse.
Markets constantly change; they are not static but evolve, expand and contract in response to marketing effort, economic conditions, and other cultural influences. Markets and market behavior are part of a country’s culture. One cannot truly understand how markets evolve or how they react to a marketer’s effort without appreciating that markets are a result of culture. Markets are the result of the three way interaction of a marketer’s efforts, economic conditions and all other elements of the culture demands of the market, but they also are acting as agents of change whenever the product or idea being marketed is innovative. Whatever the degree of acceptance in whatever level of culture, the use of something new is the beginning of cultural change, and marketer becomes a change agent.
A discussion of the broad concept of culture as the foundation for international marketing is presented in this chapter. Business culture in Global Marketing discusses culture and how it influences business practice and the behaviors and thinking of managers.
This article’s purpose is to heighten the reader’s sensitivity to the dynamics of culture. It is neither a treatise on cultural information about a particular country nor a thorough marketing science or epidemiological study of the various topics. Rather, it is designed to emphasize the importance if cultural differences to marketers and the need for study of each country’s culture(s) and all its origin and elements and to point out some relevant aspects on which to focus.
Culture’s Pervasive Impact:
Culture affects every of our lives, very day, from birth to death, and everything in between. It affects how we spend money and how we consume in general. It even affects how we sleep. For example, we are told that Spaniards sleep less than other European and Japanese children often sleep with their parents. You can clearly see culture operating in the birthrates tables. When you look across the data from the three countries, the gradual decline beginning 1960s is evident. As countries move, from agricultural to industrial to service economy birth rate declines. Immediate causes may be government policies and birth control technologies, but a global change in values is also occurring. Almost everywhere smaller families are becoming favored. This cultural change now leads experts to predict that the planet’s population will, actually begin to decline after 2050 unless major breakthroughs in longevity intervene as some predict.
Please notice the little peaks in 1976 and 1988 in the Singapore data. The same pattern can be seen in birthrate data from Taiwan. Those extra births are not a matter of random fluctuation. In Chinese cultures being born in the Year of the Dragon (12 animals – dogs, rats, rabbits, pigs etc – correspond to specific years in the calendar) is considered good luck. Such birthrate spikes have implications for sellers of diapers, toys, schools, colleges, and so forth in successive years in Singapore. However, superstitious have an even stronger influence on the birthrates in Japan. A one year 20 percent drop in Japanese fertility rates in 1966 was caused by a belief that women born in the Year of the Fire Horse, which occurs every 60 years will lead unhappy lives and perhaps murder their husbands. This sudden and substantial decline in fertility, which has occurred historically every 60 years since Japan started keeping birth records, reflects abstinence, abortions, and birth certificate fudging. This superstition has resulted in the stigmatization of women born, in 1966 and has had a large impact on market potential for a wide variety of consumer goods and services in Japan. It will be interesting to see how technological innovations and culture will interact in Japan in 2026 the next Year of the Fire Horse.
LOV (Lists of values :) Segments
Self respect is the all American value in that it was elected by the largest number of Americans and it has the least distinctive endorsers. People from all age and income groups selected this value as most important. About 21.1 % of Americans selected it in 1976, 23% in 1986.
Security is a deficit value, endorsed by people who lack economic and psychological security. People who endorse it tend to report anxiety, trouble sleeping, dizziness, and shortness of breath. In terms of media preferences they like 20 / 20 and Love Boat by 20.6% of Americans in 1976, 16.5% in 1986.
Warm relationships with others is an excess value, endorsed by people especially women, who have a lot of friends and who are friendly. Midwesterners rate this value highly. Endorsers include divorced men, Lutherans, frequent churchgoers, housewives and clerical workers. People here experience nightmares but have good social support networks and families. The percentage has risen from 16.2% to 19.9%.
Likewise people who endorse sense of accomplishment have accomplished a lot. These people tend to be successful middle aged man. They often have good jobs and high incomes. They tend to be well educated managers and professionals. They may be Jewish or Methodist, but they often do not go to synagogue or church. These people like conspicuous consumption but dislike any television watching that interferes with accomplishment, especially Love boat and Three’s Company. About 11.4% endorsed this value earlier, but more recently endorsement grew to 15.9%. The percentage is higher in the northeast.
People mostly young urban professionals — who endorse self-fulfillment are relatively well fulfilled economically, educationally, and emotionally. They are healthy and self confident. They resent excessive demands from their families that distract from self fulfillment. They like movies more than television. Overall 9.6% of Americans subscribed to this value earlier, but the rate fell more recently to 6.5%. The percentage is higher in the Pacific states.
Being well respected is selected by the Rodney Danger fields of the world. They are often over 50 and have little occupational prestige, yet they love their jobs. This value is endorsed by farmers, craftsmen, operators, divorced women, and retired people. They have low income and lack formal education. It is interesting to contrast self respect which one can achieve alone, with being well respected which requires the cooperation of others. People who values self respect are much better adjusted, according to our measures. Psychologically people who value being well respected tend to be external depressed unhappy, pessimistic and unhealthy. For fun they like to bowl The 1976 and 1986 percentages are, respectively, 8.8% and 5.9%.
Sense of belonging also requires the help of others. Like warm relationships with others, it is a social value selected by women. However, it is less reciprocal and seems to result in greater dependency. It is a home and family oriented value particularly popular in the mountain states. Endorsers tend to be housewives and clerical workers. Although they tend to have only a high school education they tend to be middle income. They are happy in family roles, although physically they experience dizziness, anxiety, nervousness and headaches. They go to church weekly, usually as Presbyterians, Lutherans, or Catholics. They like to read TV Guide and Reader’s Digest. The endorsement rate was 7.9% and has fallen to 5.1%.
You might think that fun and enjoyment in life would isolate the hedonists in America but the cliché that best describes these people is Stop and smell the roses . Young people who appreciate life especially like this value. They are often unemployed or work in sales or labor, but they are optimistic and well adjusted. They dislike family roles, religion and children however. They do like sports and entertainments and they read Playboy, rolling stone and Cosmopolitan. About 4.5% of Americans endorsed this value in 1976, and the percentage has risen to 7.2%. The rise has been especially dramatic among young males.
Security is a deficit value, endorsed by people who lack economic and psychological security. People who endorse it tend to report anxiety, trouble sleeping, dizziness, and shortness of breath. In terms of media preferences they like 20 / 20 and Love Boat by 20.6% of Americans in 1976, 16.5% in 1986.
Warm relationships with others is an excess value, endorsed by people especially women, who have a lot of friends and who are friendly. Midwesterners rate this value highly. Endorsers include divorced men, Lutherans, frequent churchgoers, housewives and clerical workers. People here experience nightmares but have good social support networks and families. The percentage has risen from 16.2% to 19.9%.
Likewise people who endorse sense of accomplishment have accomplished a lot. These people tend to be successful middle aged man. They often have good jobs and high incomes. They tend to be well educated managers and professionals. They may be Jewish or Methodist, but they often do not go to synagogue or church. These people like conspicuous consumption but dislike any television watching that interferes with accomplishment, especially Love boat and Three’s Company. About 11.4% endorsed this value earlier, but more recently endorsement grew to 15.9%. The percentage is higher in the northeast.
People mostly young urban professionals — who endorse self-fulfillment are relatively well fulfilled economically, educationally, and emotionally. They are healthy and self confident. They resent excessive demands from their families that distract from self fulfillment. They like movies more than television. Overall 9.6% of Americans subscribed to this value earlier, but the rate fell more recently to 6.5%. The percentage is higher in the Pacific states.
Being well respected is selected by the Rodney Danger fields of the world. They are often over 50 and have little occupational prestige, yet they love their jobs. This value is endorsed by farmers, craftsmen, operators, divorced women, and retired people. They have low income and lack formal education. It is interesting to contrast self respect which one can achieve alone, with being well respected which requires the cooperation of others. People who values self respect are much better adjusted, according to our measures. Psychologically people who value being well respected tend to be external depressed unhappy, pessimistic and unhealthy. For fun they like to bowl The 1976 and 1986 percentages are, respectively, 8.8% and 5.9%.
Sense of belonging also requires the help of others. Like warm relationships with others, it is a social value selected by women. However, it is less reciprocal and seems to result in greater dependency. It is a home and family oriented value particularly popular in the mountain states. Endorsers tend to be housewives and clerical workers. Although they tend to have only a high school education they tend to be middle income. They are happy in family roles, although physically they experience dizziness, anxiety, nervousness and headaches. They go to church weekly, usually as Presbyterians, Lutherans, or Catholics. They like to read TV Guide and Reader’s Digest. The endorsement rate was 7.9% and has fallen to 5.1%.
You might think that fun and enjoyment in life would isolate the hedonists in America but the cliché that best describes these people is Stop and smell the roses . Young people who appreciate life especially like this value. They are often unemployed or work in sales or labor, but they are optimistic and well adjusted. They dislike family roles, religion and children however. They do like sports and entertainments and they read Playboy, rolling stone and Cosmopolitan. About 4.5% of Americans endorsed this value in 1976, and the percentage has risen to 7.2%. The rise has been especially dramatic among young males.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Action...Fight...Wake up...
I see all this potential, and I see it squandered. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables – slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our great war is a spiritual war. Our great depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars, but we won't. We're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.
You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. We are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.
You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. We are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.
- You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else.
- The first soap was made from the ashes of heroes, like the first monkey shot into space. Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing.
- Stop trying to control everything and just let go.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Time - Tic Tic Tic......
Time - it is the one thing that we are all running out of. It cannot be replaced. When it is spent, it is spent.
What, then, are you doing to ensure that you are maximizing the use of time?"
Understand that time will pass regardless of whether you spend it wisely or simply waste it.
You can make time your friend or it can be your worst enemy. Most people leave important tasks till the last possible moment then they are forced by self-imposed circumstance to rush everything. This is a lack of planning and responsibility , often borne from that other scourge called procrastination - the inability to begin.
Leaving things until the "eleventh hour" is where that horrible word "URGENT" comes from. Whenever you hear that word you can almost certainly be sure that somebody in the chain is trying to deflect the blame onto somebody else for their own slackness. You don't do that do you?
How many times have you heard people complain that they "haven't had time!"? What they really mean, and what they should be saying, is "I left it too late and ran out of time." Ever hear anybody say that? Uh-uh - that sounds too self-deprecating doesn't it? So they blame time itself.
Time does not care how you spend it. You can use it to create marvelous things in your life or you can waste it. All of us have only 168 hours per week. About a third of that is spent re-charging, that is, sleeping. That leaves 112 hours to use - more than enough to achieve anything you want.
I have a saying about sleep. "You can sleep all you want when you are dead." In the meantime, if you have something really important to do then get up an hour earlier in the morning. Conversely, if you are a "night person" you can stay awake for several hours in the evening to get things done.
The wise use of time is the mark of a successful person.
Plan your actions. Use time wisely - you are never going to get it back. The clock is always ticking. Tick. Tick. Tick...
What, then, are you doing to ensure that you are maximizing the use of time?"
Understand that time will pass regardless of whether you spend it wisely or simply waste it.
You can make time your friend or it can be your worst enemy. Most people leave important tasks till the last possible moment then they are forced by self-imposed circumstance to rush everything. This is a lack of planning and responsibility , often borne from that other scourge called procrastination - the inability to begin.
Leaving things until the "eleventh hour" is where that horrible word "URGENT" comes from. Whenever you hear that word you can almost certainly be sure that somebody in the chain is trying to deflect the blame onto somebody else for their own slackness. You don't do that do you?
How many times have you heard people complain that they "haven't had time!"? What they really mean, and what they should be saying, is "I left it too late and ran out of time." Ever hear anybody say that? Uh-uh - that sounds too self-deprecating doesn't it? So they blame time itself.
Time does not care how you spend it. You can use it to create marvelous things in your life or you can waste it. All of us have only 168 hours per week. About a third of that is spent re-charging, that is, sleeping. That leaves 112 hours to use - more than enough to achieve anything you want.
I have a saying about sleep. "You can sleep all you want when you are dead." In the meantime, if you have something really important to do then get up an hour earlier in the morning. Conversely, if you are a "night person" you can stay awake for several hours in the evening to get things done.
The wise use of time is the mark of a successful person.
Plan your actions. Use time wisely - you are never going to get it back. The clock is always ticking. Tick. Tick. Tick...
Monday, November 9, 2009
Weekends have become the most productive days
A budding professional looks forward to the weekend as a welcome break from the stress and grind of their work life, choosing to spend time with family, catching up on personal errands, heading off to the malls and markets or just sleeping in. Limited time availability makes it difficult to manage this during the week.
However, some executives and entrepreneurs are using the same disadvantage of being pressed for time to out do their peers, boost their skill sets and enhance their careers. They make their week ends the most productive and future focused days of the week. ITM’s Executive Education Center offers programs tailor made for the week day busy professional.
Part time MBA programs have been around for decades and have proven very popular amongst working executives. Many management institutes in Mumbai, Delhi offer part time programs affiliated with the Mumbai University and DU. These programs are usually of three years duration, with a course schedule that sees students attending classes on weekday evenings after their work hours.
With ever increasing responsibility at work, the 9 to 5 workday is long one, making it nearly impossible for many executives to attend MBA classes every evening. What’s more, with the speed at which careers are moving, many feel that three years is too much time to invest in a much needed Masters qualifications.
Distance Education programs are a popular choice for executives who feel the need to add to their qualifications. However, many graduates have realized that employers give little value to these degrees, especially when there are candidates with full time MBA degrees waiting in line.
Empathizing with the lifestyle of today’s working professionals ITM realized that a faster but equally enriching and intensive Executive Masters program was the much sought after solution. Consequently, ITM Executive education Center started offering its students the choice of a weekend class schedule for its Executive Masters programs in 2003. Students could choose to attend classes on Saturdays and Sundays rather than during the week. This format proved so convenient that within a year all new batches were following the weekend format.
Today, ITM Executive Education center is one of the most popular choices for part time executive education in Mumbai. The numbers speak volumes for the success of the program, with over 2,000 students currently enrolled in weekend programs at its 11 centers spread across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
ITM wants to give working professionals a competitive advantage over their peers who do not have a Masters qualification, and want to do it in the fastest, most convenient and academically enriching way possible.
All efforts are concentrated towards enhancing the productivity of the schedule for working professionals. The entire infrastructure of ITM EEC is designed around the Weekend Education Programs and this is evidence to the thought put into meeting a very essential need – the need to save time.
Convenient travel from home or work is the perk:
Earlier they had just one campus in Mumbai and students lived far from it would have to travel for hours to attend their courses. But they realized that their sole purpose is time saving and that it was obligatory for them to be located closer to clients’ offices or homes. So they started looking at center locations that would be convenient. ITM Executive Center now has active centers in Sion, Matunga, Vile Parle, Dombivili, Chembur, Vashi and Kharghar, and they are still expanding. ITM has upcoming centers in Oshiwara, Thane and other locations in suburban Mumbai.
The Centers offers two programs – a 24 month Masters program in Business administration, which is for young professionals and a 16 month program, which is for experienced professionals. This distinction allows the faculties to design and deliver the right level of education to their students. Young executives who have below 3 years of work experience need a good grounding in business fundamentals and concepts. Older executive bring a wealth of experience into the classroom and require more advanced exploratory learning. Our facilities are capable of adapting the course content and subject coverage based on the age and experience of the batch.
Students believe that the programs offered are very rewarding and worth the time they spend on it.
ITM are amazed at how many new candidates come to them through the reference of their colleagues or friends who are studying with them. 60% of students come through the recommendation of a colleague. ITM EEC has been so successful with its weekend Maters Program that we have launched it in Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata, with similar responsiveness.
ITM EEC’s centers and classrooms are well equipped for modern teaching methods using LCD projectors and other A/V equipment. All students get top of the line Acer laptops along with their book kits. All this technology really comes to the forefront when students have group assignments and projects.
Career progression is our main objective but our students experience many more benefits. The professional and social networking possibility is a big bonus. Many students find their next jobs, business deals and even start new ventures while they’re enrolled with us. The big benefit is getting promotions and new jobs. Most of our students are able to move up of management positions in their organizations within a year of completing the program.
Weekends have become the most productive days of the week for so many working professionals who realize that they need to get qualified, get an edge and get hired.
However, some executives and entrepreneurs are using the same disadvantage of being pressed for time to out do their peers, boost their skill sets and enhance their careers. They make their week ends the most productive and future focused days of the week. ITM’s Executive Education Center offers programs tailor made for the week day busy professional.
Part time MBA programs have been around for decades and have proven very popular amongst working executives. Many management institutes in Mumbai, Delhi offer part time programs affiliated with the Mumbai University and DU. These programs are usually of three years duration, with a course schedule that sees students attending classes on weekday evenings after their work hours.
With ever increasing responsibility at work, the 9 to 5 workday is long one, making it nearly impossible for many executives to attend MBA classes every evening. What’s more, with the speed at which careers are moving, many feel that three years is too much time to invest in a much needed Masters qualifications.
Distance Education programs are a popular choice for executives who feel the need to add to their qualifications. However, many graduates have realized that employers give little value to these degrees, especially when there are candidates with full time MBA degrees waiting in line.
Empathizing with the lifestyle of today’s working professionals ITM realized that a faster but equally enriching and intensive Executive Masters program was the much sought after solution. Consequently, ITM Executive education Center started offering its students the choice of a weekend class schedule for its Executive Masters programs in 2003. Students could choose to attend classes on Saturdays and Sundays rather than during the week. This format proved so convenient that within a year all new batches were following the weekend format.
Today, ITM Executive Education center is one of the most popular choices for part time executive education in Mumbai. The numbers speak volumes for the success of the program, with over 2,000 students currently enrolled in weekend programs at its 11 centers spread across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
ITM wants to give working professionals a competitive advantage over their peers who do not have a Masters qualification, and want to do it in the fastest, most convenient and academically enriching way possible.
All efforts are concentrated towards enhancing the productivity of the schedule for working professionals. The entire infrastructure of ITM EEC is designed around the Weekend Education Programs and this is evidence to the thought put into meeting a very essential need – the need to save time.
Convenient travel from home or work is the perk:
Earlier they had just one campus in Mumbai and students lived far from it would have to travel for hours to attend their courses. But they realized that their sole purpose is time saving and that it was obligatory for them to be located closer to clients’ offices or homes. So they started looking at center locations that would be convenient. ITM Executive Center now has active centers in Sion, Matunga, Vile Parle, Dombivili, Chembur, Vashi and Kharghar, and they are still expanding. ITM has upcoming centers in Oshiwara, Thane and other locations in suburban Mumbai.
The Centers offers two programs – a 24 month Masters program in Business administration, which is for young professionals and a 16 month program, which is for experienced professionals. This distinction allows the faculties to design and deliver the right level of education to their students. Young executives who have below 3 years of work experience need a good grounding in business fundamentals and concepts. Older executive bring a wealth of experience into the classroom and require more advanced exploratory learning. Our facilities are capable of adapting the course content and subject coverage based on the age and experience of the batch.
Students believe that the programs offered are very rewarding and worth the time they spend on it.
ITM are amazed at how many new candidates come to them through the reference of their colleagues or friends who are studying with them. 60% of students come through the recommendation of a colleague. ITM EEC has been so successful with its weekend Maters Program that we have launched it in Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata, with similar responsiveness.
ITM EEC’s centers and classrooms are well equipped for modern teaching methods using LCD projectors and other A/V equipment. All students get top of the line Acer laptops along with their book kits. All this technology really comes to the forefront when students have group assignments and projects.
Career progression is our main objective but our students experience many more benefits. The professional and social networking possibility is a big bonus. Many students find their next jobs, business deals and even start new ventures while they’re enrolled with us. The big benefit is getting promotions and new jobs. Most of our students are able to move up of management positions in their organizations within a year of completing the program.
Weekends have become the most productive days of the week for so many working professionals who realize that they need to get qualified, get an edge and get hired.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Social Events shape management
These are long pending posts,
We conclude this historical review by showing you how social events shape and theorists write about and what practicing managers focus on. Although some management historians may quarrel with the following cause effect analysis, few would disagree that societal conditions are the primary driving forces behind the emergence of the different management.
What stimulated the classical approach?
The common thread in the ideas offered by individuals such as Taylor, the Gilbreths, Fayol, and Weber has increased efficiency. The world of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was highly inefficient. Most organizational activities were unplanned and unorganized. Job responsibilities were vague and ambiguous. Managers, when they existed, had no clear notion of what they were supposed to do. There was a crying need for ideas that could bring order out of this chaos and improve productivity. And the standardized practices offered by the classicists were a means to increase productivity. Take the specific case of scientific management. At the turn of the twentieth century, the standard of living was low; wages were modest, and few workers owned their own homes. Production was highly labor intensive. It wasn’t unusual, for instance, for hundreds of people to be doing the same repetitive, back breaking job, hour after hour, day after day. So Taylor could justify spending six months or more studying one job and perfecting a standardized one best way to do it because the labor intensive procedures of the time had so many people performing the same task. And the efficiencies on the production floor could be passed on in lower prices for steel, thus expanding markets, creating more jobs, and making products such as stoves and refrigerators more accessible to working families. Similarly, Frank Gilbreth’s breakthroughs in improving the efficiency of bricklayers and standardizing those techniques meant lower costs for putting up buildings and, thus, more buildings being constructed. The cost of putting up factories and homes dropped significantly, so more factories could be built, and more people could own their own homes. The end result: The application of scientific management principles contributed to raising the standard of living of entire countries.
What stimulated the Human Resources Approach?
The human resources approach rally began to roll in the 1930s when two related forces were instrumental in fostering, this interest. First was a backlash to the overly mechanistic view of employees held by the classical view. Second was the Great Depression.
The classical view treated organizations and people as machines. Managers were the engineers who ensured that the inputs were available and that the machines were properly maintained. Any failure by the employee to generate the desired output was viewed as an engineering problem. It was time to redesign the job or grease the machine by offering the employee an incentive wage plan. Unfortunately, this kind of thinking created an alienated workforce. Human beings were not machines and did not necessarily respond positively to the cold and regimented work environment of the classicists’ perfectly designed organization. The human resources approach offered managers solutions for decreasing this alienation and for improving worker productivity.
The Great Depression swept the globe in the 1930s and dramatically increased the role of government in individual and business affairs. For instance, in the United States, Franklin D Roosevelt’s New Deal sought to restore confidence to a stricken nation. Between 1935 and 1938 alone, the Social Security Act was created to provide old age assistance: the National Labor Relations Act was passed to legitimize the rights of labor unions; the Fair Labor Standards Act introduced the guaranteed hourly wage; and the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act established the first national unemployment protection. This New Deal climate increased the importance of the worker. Humanizing the workplace had become congruent with society’s concerns.
We conclude this historical review by showing you how social events shape and theorists write about and what practicing managers focus on. Although some management historians may quarrel with the following cause effect analysis, few would disagree that societal conditions are the primary driving forces behind the emergence of the different management.
What stimulated the classical approach?
The common thread in the ideas offered by individuals such as Taylor, the Gilbreths, Fayol, and Weber has increased efficiency. The world of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was highly inefficient. Most organizational activities were unplanned and unorganized. Job responsibilities were vague and ambiguous. Managers, when they existed, had no clear notion of what they were supposed to do. There was a crying need for ideas that could bring order out of this chaos and improve productivity. And the standardized practices offered by the classicists were a means to increase productivity. Take the specific case of scientific management. At the turn of the twentieth century, the standard of living was low; wages were modest, and few workers owned their own homes. Production was highly labor intensive. It wasn’t unusual, for instance, for hundreds of people to be doing the same repetitive, back breaking job, hour after hour, day after day. So Taylor could justify spending six months or more studying one job and perfecting a standardized one best way to do it because the labor intensive procedures of the time had so many people performing the same task. And the efficiencies on the production floor could be passed on in lower prices for steel, thus expanding markets, creating more jobs, and making products such as stoves and refrigerators more accessible to working families. Similarly, Frank Gilbreth’s breakthroughs in improving the efficiency of bricklayers and standardizing those techniques meant lower costs for putting up buildings and, thus, more buildings being constructed. The cost of putting up factories and homes dropped significantly, so more factories could be built, and more people could own their own homes. The end result: The application of scientific management principles contributed to raising the standard of living of entire countries.
What stimulated the Human Resources Approach?
The human resources approach rally began to roll in the 1930s when two related forces were instrumental in fostering, this interest. First was a backlash to the overly mechanistic view of employees held by the classical view. Second was the Great Depression.
The classical view treated organizations and people as machines. Managers were the engineers who ensured that the inputs were available and that the machines were properly maintained. Any failure by the employee to generate the desired output was viewed as an engineering problem. It was time to redesign the job or grease the machine by offering the employee an incentive wage plan. Unfortunately, this kind of thinking created an alienated workforce. Human beings were not machines and did not necessarily respond positively to the cold and regimented work environment of the classicists’ perfectly designed organization. The human resources approach offered managers solutions for decreasing this alienation and for improving worker productivity.
The Great Depression swept the globe in the 1930s and dramatically increased the role of government in individual and business affairs. For instance, in the United States, Franklin D Roosevelt’s New Deal sought to restore confidence to a stricken nation. Between 1935 and 1938 alone, the Social Security Act was created to provide old age assistance: the National Labor Relations Act was passed to legitimize the rights of labor unions; the Fair Labor Standards Act introduced the guaranteed hourly wage; and the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act established the first national unemployment protection. This New Deal climate increased the importance of the worker. Humanizing the workplace had become congruent with society’s concerns.
Human relations movement
Another within the human resources approach is important to management history for its unflinching commitment to making management practices more humane. Members of the human relations movement uniformly believed in the importance of employee satisfaction – a satisfied worker was believed to be a productive worker. For the most part, the people associated with this movement – Dale Carnegie, Abraham Maslow, and Douglas McGregor were individuals whose views were shaped more by their personal philosophies than by substantive research evidence.
Dale Carnegie is often overlooked by management scholars, but his ideas and teachings have had an enormous effect on management practice. His book How to Win Friends and Influence People was read by millions in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. In addition, during this same period, thousands of managers and aspiring managers attended his management speeches and seminars. What was the theme of Carnegie’s book and lectures? Essentially, he said that the way to succeed was to
(1) make others feel, important through a sincere appreciation of their efforts;
(2) make a good first impression;
(3) win people over to your way of thinking by letting others do the talking, being sympathetic and never telling a man he is wrong and
(4) change people by praising good traits and giving the offender the opportunity to save face.
Abraham Maslow, a humanistic psychologist, proposed a hierarchy of five needs: physiological,
safety,
social esteem and self actualization. In terms of motivation,
Maslow argued that each step in the hierarchy must be satisfied before the next level can be activated and that once a need was substantially satisfied,
it no longer motivated behavior.
Douglas McGregor is best known for his formulation of two sets of assumptions -
Theory X and Theory Y – about human nature.
Theory X presents an essentially negative view of people. It assumes that they have little ambition, dislike work, want to avoid responsibility and need to be closely supervised to work effectively.
On the other hand, Theory Y offers a positive view assuming that people can exercise self direction accept responsibility and consider work to be as natural as rest or play. McGregor believed that Theory Y assumptions best captured the true nature of workers and should guide management practice.
A story about McGregor effectively captures the essence of the human perspective. McGregor had taught for a dozen years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before he became president of Antioch College. After six years at Antioch, he seemed to recognize that his philosophy had failed to cope with the realities of organizational life.
He believed for example, that a leader could operate successfully as a kind of advisor to his organization though without being a boss. Unconsciously he hoped to duck the unpleasant necessity of making difficult decisions, of taking the responsibility for in course of action, among many uncertain alternatives, of making mistakes and taking the consequences. Good human relations would eliminate all discord and disagreement. He couldn’t have been more wrong. It took a couple of years for him to realize that a leader cannot avoid the exercise of authority any more than he can avoid responsibility for, what happens to his organizations.
The irony in McGregor’s case was that he went back to MIT and began preaching his humanistic doctrine again. And he continued to do so until his death. Like Maslow’s McGregor’s beliefs about human nature have had a strong following among management academics and practitioners.
What common thread linked the advocates of the human relations movement?
The thing that United human relations supporters, including Carnegie, Maslow, and McGregor, was an unshakable optimism about people’s capabilities. They believed strongly in their cause and were inflexible in their beliefs, even when faced with contradictory evidence. No amount of contrary experience or research evidence would alter their views. Despite this lack of objectivity, advocates of the human relations movement had a definite influence on management theory and practice.
Dale Carnegie is often overlooked by management scholars, but his ideas and teachings have had an enormous effect on management practice. His book How to Win Friends and Influence People was read by millions in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. In addition, during this same period, thousands of managers and aspiring managers attended his management speeches and seminars. What was the theme of Carnegie’s book and lectures? Essentially, he said that the way to succeed was to
(1) make others feel, important through a sincere appreciation of their efforts;
(2) make a good first impression;
(3) win people over to your way of thinking by letting others do the talking, being sympathetic and never telling a man he is wrong and
(4) change people by praising good traits and giving the offender the opportunity to save face.
Abraham Maslow, a humanistic psychologist, proposed a hierarchy of five needs: physiological,
safety,
social esteem and self actualization. In terms of motivation,
Maslow argued that each step in the hierarchy must be satisfied before the next level can be activated and that once a need was substantially satisfied,
it no longer motivated behavior.
Douglas McGregor is best known for his formulation of two sets of assumptions -
Theory X and Theory Y – about human nature.
Theory X presents an essentially negative view of people. It assumes that they have little ambition, dislike work, want to avoid responsibility and need to be closely supervised to work effectively.
On the other hand, Theory Y offers a positive view assuming that people can exercise self direction accept responsibility and consider work to be as natural as rest or play. McGregor believed that Theory Y assumptions best captured the true nature of workers and should guide management practice.
A story about McGregor effectively captures the essence of the human perspective. McGregor had taught for a dozen years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before he became president of Antioch College. After six years at Antioch, he seemed to recognize that his philosophy had failed to cope with the realities of organizational life.
He believed for example, that a leader could operate successfully as a kind of advisor to his organization though without being a boss. Unconsciously he hoped to duck the unpleasant necessity of making difficult decisions, of taking the responsibility for in course of action, among many uncertain alternatives, of making mistakes and taking the consequences. Good human relations would eliminate all discord and disagreement. He couldn’t have been more wrong. It took a couple of years for him to realize that a leader cannot avoid the exercise of authority any more than he can avoid responsibility for, what happens to his organizations.
The irony in McGregor’s case was that he went back to MIT and began preaching his humanistic doctrine again. And he continued to do so until his death. Like Maslow’s McGregor’s beliefs about human nature have had a strong following among management academics and practitioners.
What common thread linked the advocates of the human relations movement?
The thing that United human relations supporters, including Carnegie, Maslow, and McGregor, was an unshakable optimism about people’s capabilities. They believed strongly in their cause and were inflexible in their beliefs, even when faced with contradictory evidence. No amount of contrary experience or research evidence would alter their views. Despite this lack of objectivity, advocates of the human relations movement had a definite influence on management theory and practice.
Avoid getting distracted
To cut yourself off, get a pair of headphones that block out noise. Your colleagues will get the message that you do not wish to be disturbed(Somehow I need more oxygen then others, need more space for myself but people around u are always good lechers; they will suck your blood till death).
Diwali is the time for festivities. There always is a lot to do from planning parties to making time for shopping during lunch hours. Losing focus of work is inevitable. Here are some tips to avoid getting distracted by the Diwali festivities:
Everyone at the office either wants or is expected to contribute in some way or the other towards the festive preparations. At the same time, your boss won’t want your productivity to get affected. It’s best to schedule a time for those brainstorming sessions that involve decisions like theme of decorating the office, lunch menu for Diwali party etc. If everyone agrees to come in early for such meetings, it is easy to get this off your agenda and concentrate on work for the rest of the day.
If you are responsible for scoring any of the requirements for Diwali, don’t waste time going through Yellow Pages and looking for vendors. Use the Internet to find vendors, draft a common e-mail and shoot it off to them asking for quotations to be either emailed or faxed back. This way you can go through the quotations when you are free instead of answering or making phone calls in the midst of an assignment.
The first rule of time management and avoiding distractions – any work that can be handled by someone else should be delegated. Break up the task assigned to you for the Diwali run up into smaller steps. If any of these chores be handled by your secretary or colleagues request them to do so. This makes it easier to keep your work and Diwali schedule on track.
The one time when you aren’t likely to get frowns from the boss for focusing on Diwali preparations is when you use some time of your lunch hour. This could also be perfect for having impromptu, meetings on the subject. In fact, it could just brighten up your lunch hour and then have you in good spirits to focus on work.
There will always be a buzz about Diwali preparations around the office. It may be difficult not to get drawn into a conversation with colleagues in the next cubicle. The best way is to completely cut your self off – get a pair of headphones that block out noise. Your colleagues will get the message that you do not wish to be disturbed and if they don’t, hang a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your chair.
Above all, one needs to have the right mental attitude – festivals are fun, but being a responsible adult means that you know how to draw the line between fun and work.
The above is one conservative thought. Office Diwali celebrations are brief with a Puja and may not require any executive time. There are people like Attendants and contract cleaning staff under the supervision of Administrative department or Union leaders in case of Factories. First of all in an office environment there will not be any noise because holidays for the festival are declared. So such gadgets like headphones may not be required. Even if somebody wears them with a good intention the boss can think that you are listening to Music during working hours.
Effective Time management is required on all working days. Enjoy festival holidays with family and forget the work at that time. Once back to office deliver your tasks. Keep aside the conservative advises and thoughts.
This is an experience i just had and believe me you really need to prioritize your work accordingly. Don' speak for the results let the results speak for you.....
Diwali is the time for festivities. There always is a lot to do from planning parties to making time for shopping during lunch hours. Losing focus of work is inevitable. Here are some tips to avoid getting distracted by the Diwali festivities:
Everyone at the office either wants or is expected to contribute in some way or the other towards the festive preparations. At the same time, your boss won’t want your productivity to get affected. It’s best to schedule a time for those brainstorming sessions that involve decisions like theme of decorating the office, lunch menu for Diwali party etc. If everyone agrees to come in early for such meetings, it is easy to get this off your agenda and concentrate on work for the rest of the day.
If you are responsible for scoring any of the requirements for Diwali, don’t waste time going through Yellow Pages and looking for vendors. Use the Internet to find vendors, draft a common e-mail and shoot it off to them asking for quotations to be either emailed or faxed back. This way you can go through the quotations when you are free instead of answering or making phone calls in the midst of an assignment.
The first rule of time management and avoiding distractions – any work that can be handled by someone else should be delegated. Break up the task assigned to you for the Diwali run up into smaller steps. If any of these chores be handled by your secretary or colleagues request them to do so. This makes it easier to keep your work and Diwali schedule on track.
The one time when you aren’t likely to get frowns from the boss for focusing on Diwali preparations is when you use some time of your lunch hour. This could also be perfect for having impromptu, meetings on the subject. In fact, it could just brighten up your lunch hour and then have you in good spirits to focus on work.
There will always be a buzz about Diwali preparations around the office. It may be difficult not to get drawn into a conversation with colleagues in the next cubicle. The best way is to completely cut your self off – get a pair of headphones that block out noise. Your colleagues will get the message that you do not wish to be disturbed and if they don’t, hang a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your chair.
Above all, one needs to have the right mental attitude – festivals are fun, but being a responsible adult means that you know how to draw the line between fun and work.
The above is one conservative thought. Office Diwali celebrations are brief with a Puja and may not require any executive time. There are people like Attendants and contract cleaning staff under the supervision of Administrative department or Union leaders in case of Factories. First of all in an office environment there will not be any noise because holidays for the festival are declared. So such gadgets like headphones may not be required. Even if somebody wears them with a good intention the boss can think that you are listening to Music during working hours.
Effective Time management is required on all working days. Enjoy festival holidays with family and forget the work at that time. Once back to office deliver your tasks. Keep aside the conservative advises and thoughts.
This is an experience i just had and believe me you really need to prioritize your work accordingly. Don' speak for the results let the results speak for you.....
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Katana Martial Art !
Day start with half and hour chant, then went straight away to park for some fresh air, took some photos senior people laughing, youngster at baddy, old ladies sitting cris crossed attempting yoga, young cubs playing football, Half a dozen joggers on their toes hopping around and me with camera in hand pondering like a dry leave in the whole arena.
Time 6:30 AM
Date 10th October, 2009
A perfect Day !
Q: What was so special about this day?
A: I was the MC (Master of Ceremony) for the Zadenkai.
A big Wow!! Quite fortunate to be a mc to fill energy into many lives, taking care of all the minutest of things to the delivering of speech.
District Name : Hope
Song: Aashayien (again hope)
Discussion: Not bregudging ones life
Cultural fest: A surprise package from Cubs Division - Performance on Soka bodhi tree song
A wonderful milestone created after the discussion, will share that in separate blog.
Went to CP attempted a new way of enjoying life with Katana Martial art and believe me it is one speedy thing that will give you goose bumps allover your body.
A baby among the professionals watching them with wide eye and tried for two hours,
Broke
Shattered
into bits and pieces
Not in one shape
Now on bed sharing my experience with all of you.
Here is the video of the Katana Art which I tried in CP @ Delhi.
Cheers!
Time 6:30 AM
Date 10th October, 2009
A perfect Day !
Q: What was so special about this day?
A: I was the MC (Master of Ceremony) for the Zadenkai.
A big Wow!! Quite fortunate to be a mc to fill energy into many lives, taking care of all the minutest of things to the delivering of speech.
District Name : Hope
Song: Aashayien (again hope)
Discussion: Not bregudging ones life
Cultural fest: A surprise package from Cubs Division - Performance on Soka bodhi tree song
A wonderful milestone created after the discussion, will share that in separate blog.
Went to CP attempted a new way of enjoying life with Katana Martial art and believe me it is one speedy thing that will give you goose bumps allover your body.
A baby among the professionals watching them with wide eye and tried for two hours,
Broke
Shattered
into bits and pieces
Not in one shape
Now on bed sharing my experience with all of you.
Here is the video of the Katana Art which I tried in CP @ Delhi.
Cheers!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Think and take ACTION
How long we should wait for red to turn into green, why are we not standing up all together to fight with this situation.
Topic : Transport
Subject: How can we improve this!!!
Tag Line:WE MUST FIGHT FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT. NEVER SHY AWAY FROM IT
Solution: Use bus as a solution to traffic
BMTC has just 5000 buses, and carries 37 lakh people every day.
Bangalore's 32 lakh cars and two-wheelers carry 32 lakh people.
By G V Dasarathi
14 Sep 2009,
(Read again !!!!)
During commute time in Bangalore when people are traveling to their offices, how many people do you see:
1. In a car?
2. On a motor bike?
3. In a bus?
Answer : 1 in a car, 1 on a bike, 75 in a bus.
Here’s a small transportation engineering exercise.
If you count the number of vehicles on the flyover in the picture below, you’ll find that they add up to 150. Assuming the people in these vehicles are all going to or from work, each of the vehicles is carrying 1 person.
That means there are 150 people between the two red lines.
Lets now divide these 150 vehicles into two groups of 75 vehicles each.
If each of these groups of people decide to travel by bus instead of in their cars and two-wheelers, this is what happens (remember, we already decided that the average bus carries 75 people during rush hour).
The congestion magically disappears !
This is no magic. It is proven every day on Bangalore's roads by BMTC.
BMTC has just 5000 buses, and carries 37 Lakh people every day.
Bangalore's 32 lakh cars and two-wheelers carry 32 lakh people.
This means that 0.15 per cent of the vehicle population is carrying 50 per cent of the human population.
To carry a person 1 km, a bus:
1. Uses 1/30th the space of a car, and 1/20th the space of a two-wheeler.
2. Emits 1/6th the pollution of a car, and 1/10th that of a two-wheeler
3. Uses 1/15th the quantity of fuel of a car, and 1/3rd that of a two-wheeler
With extensive use of buses this is what can be achieved in Bangalore:
1. Number of vehicles reduced to 1/10th
2. Air pollution 1/6th of what it is now.
3. Traffic density 1/10th of what it is now.
4. Commute time reduced by 1/2
5. Commuting cost reduced to 1/5th.
6. Accidents reduced dramatically.
7. The money that the government spends on road infrastructure will be available for improving water, power, education, medicare and housing.
We don't have to travel uncomfortably, 75 people in a bus. We can have multiple classes of buses, like BMTC already has.
So where is the problem ? Why can't we do this?
Let's hear it from someone who solved the problem in Bogotá, Colombia, which has the same population as Bangalore, in an area twice the size, and had a similar traffic problem.
When Enrique Peñalosa became mayor of Bogotá in 1998, he asked a question that is changing the way people all over the world think about cities: “In Bogotá, where 85 percent of the people do not use cars for their daily transport, is it fair that cars occupy most of the space on the streets?
The city built 70 miles of bicycle routes and closed several streets to cars and converting them into pedestrian malls. Car use was restricted during rush hour, each car banned from the downtown area two days a week, based on the license plate number. The results were dramatic: the average commute time dropped by 21 minutes, and pollution was reduced significantly.
The city had been debating a multi-billion dollar train subway system for decades, but Peñalosa decided to build a rapid transit bus system (BRT) that was far cheaper.
In the words of Peñalosa, who says he succeeded because he focused on improving the lot of people, not their cars. “All over the developing world, resources are used to help the affluent avoid traffic jams rather than mobilizing the entire population,”
People ask him why this is not done everywhere, if it is so simple and inexpensive. “I tell them the only issue is a political one. They don’t want to take space from cars and give it to buses, bicyclists, and pedestrians,”
After Peñalosa showed the way, scores of cities the world over have switched to bus systems.
Think and act wisely !!!
Topic : Transport
Subject: How can we improve this!!!
Tag Line:WE MUST FIGHT FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT. NEVER SHY AWAY FROM IT
Solution: Use bus as a solution to traffic
BMTC has just 5000 buses, and carries 37 lakh people every day.
Bangalore's 32 lakh cars and two-wheelers carry 32 lakh people.
By G V Dasarathi
14 Sep 2009,
(Read again !!!!)
During commute time in Bangalore when people are traveling to their offices, how many people do you see:
1. In a car?
2. On a motor bike?
3. In a bus?
Answer : 1 in a car, 1 on a bike, 75 in a bus.
Here’s a small transportation engineering exercise.
If you count the number of vehicles on the flyover in the picture below, you’ll find that they add up to 150. Assuming the people in these vehicles are all going to or from work, each of the vehicles is carrying 1 person.
That means there are 150 people between the two red lines.
Lets now divide these 150 vehicles into two groups of 75 vehicles each.
If each of these groups of people decide to travel by bus instead of in their cars and two-wheelers, this is what happens (remember, we already decided that the average bus carries 75 people during rush hour).
The congestion magically disappears !
This is no magic. It is proven every day on Bangalore's roads by BMTC.
BMTC has just 5000 buses, and carries 37 Lakh people every day.
Bangalore's 32 lakh cars and two-wheelers carry 32 lakh people.
This means that 0.15 per cent of the vehicle population is carrying 50 per cent of the human population.
To carry a person 1 km, a bus:
1. Uses 1/30th the space of a car, and 1/20th the space of a two-wheeler.
2. Emits 1/6th the pollution of a car, and 1/10th that of a two-wheeler
3. Uses 1/15th the quantity of fuel of a car, and 1/3rd that of a two-wheeler
With extensive use of buses this is what can be achieved in Bangalore:
1. Number of vehicles reduced to 1/10th
2. Air pollution 1/6th of what it is now.
3. Traffic density 1/10th of what it is now.
4. Commute time reduced by 1/2
5. Commuting cost reduced to 1/5th.
6. Accidents reduced dramatically.
7. The money that the government spends on road infrastructure will be available for improving water, power, education, medicare and housing.
We don't have to travel uncomfortably, 75 people in a bus. We can have multiple classes of buses, like BMTC already has.
So where is the problem ? Why can't we do this?
Let's hear it from someone who solved the problem in Bogotá, Colombia, which has the same population as Bangalore, in an area twice the size, and had a similar traffic problem.
When Enrique Peñalosa became mayor of Bogotá in 1998, he asked a question that is changing the way people all over the world think about cities: “In Bogotá, where 85 percent of the people do not use cars for their daily transport, is it fair that cars occupy most of the space on the streets?
The city built 70 miles of bicycle routes and closed several streets to cars and converting them into pedestrian malls. Car use was restricted during rush hour, each car banned from the downtown area two days a week, based on the license plate number. The results were dramatic: the average commute time dropped by 21 minutes, and pollution was reduced significantly.
The city had been debating a multi-billion dollar train subway system for decades, but Peñalosa decided to build a rapid transit bus system (BRT) that was far cheaper.
In the words of Peñalosa, who says he succeeded because he focused on improving the lot of people, not their cars. “All over the developing world, resources are used to help the affluent avoid traffic jams rather than mobilizing the entire population,”
People ask him why this is not done everywhere, if it is so simple and inexpensive. “I tell them the only issue is a political one. They don’t want to take space from cars and give it to buses, bicyclists, and pedestrians,”
After Peñalosa showed the way, scores of cities the world over have switched to bus systems.
Think and act wisely !!!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Mentors and Mentees
A teacher /or and a student / mentor begin their journey as strangers. But the lessons learnt out of this relationship go beyond just the level of the textbook or business manual, for both involved. After all, learning is a two way process. As we celebrate Teacher’s Day on September 5th, let’s meet a few India Inc, mentors / mentees as they share their learnings derived out of their experience of donning both hats at some point of time in their careers.
Mr.X’s favorite mentors were E A K Faizullabhoy and R K Krishnamurthi; they were his first employers as well. As a mentee, X learnt from that organizations and teams are built on faith and trust. A true balance of trust, human understanding and symbiotic working between different hierarchies in a team is the fundamental premise for successful teams. In one instance, where X had taken a decision to advise a client without their authorization, which turned out to, be a wrong one, they professionally handled the wrong advise, corrected the damage done and ensured that they trained X on similar factual situations. More importantly, they took time out to equip X for similar situations in the future, while discussing the reasons and facts which were wrongly applied by X. X always believed the greatest virtue of a mentor is not only to be superior in knowledge, but also display patience to enable learning and wisdom.
X is now presently mentoring one person in his organization with a view to create a successful career on one hand and to sow the seeds of mentoring on the other. The greatest of the challenges in mentoring is the resistance to change and willingness to unlearn certain preconceived positions of understanding and decision making. Also X is not sure how and when the mentor takes over from being a mere superior in terms of administrative hierarchy.
Now take the case of Y, his mentor was Naren M P executive director of Vaspar Concepts Pvt Ltd. Naren always kept saying that people feel like they have too much to do and not enough time and lack of time is blamed for everything from not getting enough exercise, unachieved goals, bad relationships and so on. Through him, Y learnt ways to compartmentalize time and work and even honed the art of multi tasking.
As a mentor, Y is mentoring three people. In the process of mentoring, Y developed an ability to absorb their experiences which they have acquired through their course of life. Y learnt that every person’s problem is a case study by itself, through them you can enrich your learning.
Now take the case of Z and his mentor was his boss, Kiran Bali. When Z was with GE during 2001-04 it was the time Z transformed his career from technology to leadership. Z’s mentor demonstrated good mentoring skills in shaping me up as a good leader and to see the clear difference in technical leadership. Mentor taught me ways to handle people, give feedback, maintain work life balance in a very demanding job that we are in. To narrate an incident, Z was aggressive by nature and demanded the deadlines from teammates when Z started his career as a project lead. One of the incidents triggered conflict between Z’s colleague and Z, and as Z was the lead, Z stressed the need and asked him to stretch instead of motivating him to do so. Z’s teammate completed the job on time as required but he escalated the issue to Z’s boss. That’s where he stepped in and helped Z learn ways to handle high pressure situations, while still respecting people.
Z is mentoring five people in his current job. Understanding their view is sometimes difficult for which Z needs to step into their shoes to understand the problem before guiding them to the right pointers. Also, mentors gain from a mentee’s experience. Hence, look out for opportunities for improvement on both sides, both mentee and mentor.
M’s best mentor has been his current boss SJ – COO. A few learning sessions M derived from her are: (1) once performance levels of people are established, don’t delay telling people where they stand. In case performance isn’t meeting expectations, they may need you to ensure they know that (2) establish a relationship with people beyond what they do at work and remember the small things about them and (3) the devil is in the detail.
At the moment, M directly would be mentoring four people. M thinks the strongest lesson he has learnt is that you have to let people go and make their own mistakes. Don’t give solutions as much as ask questions that help them to take the decision for themselves.
Mr.X’s favorite mentors were E A K Faizullabhoy and R K Krishnamurthi; they were his first employers as well. As a mentee, X learnt from that organizations and teams are built on faith and trust. A true balance of trust, human understanding and symbiotic working between different hierarchies in a team is the fundamental premise for successful teams. In one instance, where X had taken a decision to advise a client without their authorization, which turned out to, be a wrong one, they professionally handled the wrong advise, corrected the damage done and ensured that they trained X on similar factual situations. More importantly, they took time out to equip X for similar situations in the future, while discussing the reasons and facts which were wrongly applied by X. X always believed the greatest virtue of a mentor is not only to be superior in knowledge, but also display patience to enable learning and wisdom.
X is now presently mentoring one person in his organization with a view to create a successful career on one hand and to sow the seeds of mentoring on the other. The greatest of the challenges in mentoring is the resistance to change and willingness to unlearn certain preconceived positions of understanding and decision making. Also X is not sure how and when the mentor takes over from being a mere superior in terms of administrative hierarchy.
Now take the case of Y, his mentor was Naren M P executive director of Vaspar Concepts Pvt Ltd. Naren always kept saying that people feel like they have too much to do and not enough time and lack of time is blamed for everything from not getting enough exercise, unachieved goals, bad relationships and so on. Through him, Y learnt ways to compartmentalize time and work and even honed the art of multi tasking.
As a mentor, Y is mentoring three people. In the process of mentoring, Y developed an ability to absorb their experiences which they have acquired through their course of life. Y learnt that every person’s problem is a case study by itself, through them you can enrich your learning.
Now take the case of Z and his mentor was his boss, Kiran Bali. When Z was with GE during 2001-04 it was the time Z transformed his career from technology to leadership. Z’s mentor demonstrated good mentoring skills in shaping me up as a good leader and to see the clear difference in technical leadership. Mentor taught me ways to handle people, give feedback, maintain work life balance in a very demanding job that we are in. To narrate an incident, Z was aggressive by nature and demanded the deadlines from teammates when Z started his career as a project lead. One of the incidents triggered conflict between Z’s colleague and Z, and as Z was the lead, Z stressed the need and asked him to stretch instead of motivating him to do so. Z’s teammate completed the job on time as required but he escalated the issue to Z’s boss. That’s where he stepped in and helped Z learn ways to handle high pressure situations, while still respecting people.
Z is mentoring five people in his current job. Understanding their view is sometimes difficult for which Z needs to step into their shoes to understand the problem before guiding them to the right pointers. Also, mentors gain from a mentee’s experience. Hence, look out for opportunities for improvement on both sides, both mentee and mentor.
M’s best mentor has been his current boss SJ – COO. A few learning sessions M derived from her are: (1) once performance levels of people are established, don’t delay telling people where they stand. In case performance isn’t meeting expectations, they may need you to ensure they know that (2) establish a relationship with people beyond what they do at work and remember the small things about them and (3) the devil is in the detail.
At the moment, M directly would be mentoring four people. M thinks the strongest lesson he has learnt is that you have to let people go and make their own mistakes. Don’t give solutions as much as ask questions that help them to take the decision for themselves.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Extra education is always beneficial
Since management is an amorphous field where you can have an immediate impact on the operations of any business and all organizations use Management methodologies it can always stand you in good stead. Techniques that are focused on these courses are problem solving and maximizing knowledge pools. The importance of doing this from an institute shows up in the varied interactions that a correspondence course cannot provide. The latter typically has a much lower resume and market value.
Any kind of extra education is always beneficial and your future prospects also increase. I have done my Bachelor’s degree in advertising and my job profile is also marketing, so doing my MBA in marketing gives an extra edge to my career and helps me in my internal growth with salary hikes and good positions in the office. I think doing relevant courses in your own profession will be very useful. The MBA degree on my CV will give an extra edge over others. I am able to manage my job and course perfectly as my classes are on Saturday and Sunday.
The Executive MBA programs help because of the typical nature of the people doing it—all professional, who are from different streams, with the common objective of learning and sharing experience to the fullest. This creates an intensely challenging and informative learning environment. Usually, faculty of such programmes is drawn from senior management with thorough industry experience. These programmes have smaller and more personalized classes as it is considered a more interactive curriculum. An accelerated timetable does not mean that any facet of the programme will be glossed over – it is merely that as all are with work experience, it is that much simpler to get concepts across. There is a huge emphasis on case studies and overall learning.
This kind of skill enhancement program should be viewed as a long term investment which will pay rich dividends when the next opportunity presents itself. A very big difference is in the way immediate peers and seniors perceive any professional who is willing to forgo weekends or evenings and put in the kind of hard work that is a requirement of such programs. It will always be a tangible plus. Also in the matter of learning, it will open the trainee’s mind to concepts and strategies that will help in later life – both professional and personal! The cost of the programs varies but it cannot be quantified. Opportunities for professionals once they broaden the skills do definitely increase, especially for a world economy suffering from recession; an investment in further study will be an asset for the future.
1) Training in management equips a professional with overall skills that are evident to seniors.
2) Sharpening existing skills and introducing new concepts is what an executive MBA program will do for people in the field
3) Techniques that are focused on these courses are actual case studies and maximizing pools.
Weekends can be the most productive days of the week for executives who want to forge ahead in their careers with the help of Executive MBA programs.
Executive Masters progarmmes at ITM Executive Education Center
1) 16 month Executive Masters porgramme in Business Administration
2) 24 month Masters program in Business Administration (with specialization).
Modern Life savers
It’s the dream of almost every parent to see their child as a doctor; and today, students can see why. As India’s population urges, there’s a huge leap in the number of people afflicted with chronic and acute diseases and / or in need of emergency care. Health issues that come with longer life spans also multiply. No wonder then that qualified health professionals are in great demand.
The recently formed Global Alliances for Chronic Diseases, in its inaugural summit in New Delhi, declared that heart diseases, chronic respiratory conditions, cancer, and diabetes are the four biggest killers leading to loss of life (388 million people) and loss of foregone national income (India, China and the UK are set to lose $ 558 billion and $ 33 billion respectively) all over the next ten years.
Heart of the matter:
Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery>>
Heart ailments claim the maximum number of lives in India and across the world. In fact, according to a report by an international group, by 2010, 60 per cent of heart diseases patients will be from India. It doesn’t end here. Studies have proved that a genetic mutation affecting four per cent of Indians and one per cent of people worldwide is responsible for the creation of a protein that almost certainly guarantees heart ailments. Add to that the growing number of young professionals who love fast food and have little time for physical activity and you’ll begin to see why health experts believe we’re sitting on a time bomb.
Cardiologists and cardiac surgeons work to prevent, diagnose and treat heart diseases. Cardiologists are physicians who use non-operative measures to treat diseases. Cardiology can be categorized into two broad subsets: Invasive cardiology. Non-invasive cardiology is suitable for those who prefer fixed working hours, because this field primarily deals with non-emergency, elective procedures like echo cardiograms, treadmill testing, 24 hour ambulatory hotter monitoring for blood pressure recording and EECP.
However, if you’re considering a career in invasive cardiology be prepared for extremely demanding work hours. Cardiologists work 12 to 14 hours per day, and it is not uncommon to have to attend to patient in the middle of the night. Cardiology comprises methods like angioplasty/angiography which imply minimally invasive vascular intervention. Other cardio specialties include electrophysiology (electrical properties of biological cells in the heart), pediatric cardiology and adult pediatric cardiology (adults who were treated for heart problems as children).
Not to be confused with cardiologists cardiac surgeons are trained in a surgical specialty and perform surgical procedures on the heart or its blood vessels in the case of heart transplants, or to treat congenital, valvular or ischemic heart diseases. The life of a cardiac surgeon is even more demanding than that of a cardiologists clocking between 16 to 18 hours. Unless an individual is completely committed, he shouldn’t get into cardiac surgery. It takes a minimum of eight to 10 years to become a surgeon. However, while the monetary gains may be better in other fields like ophthalmology and orthopaedics, this is one branch where satisfaction is immense. You are treating a dying patient, and five days later, he is leaving the hospital, on the road to recovery.
After completion of the 5.5 year MBBS (inclusive of one year compulsory internship) a student must decide whether to pursue an MD in Internal medicine (to pursue cardiology later) or MS in General Surgery (to pursue cardiac surgery later) Both these courses are of three years duration, and are followed by a DM in Cardiology or an MCh in cardiac Surgery, of three years respectively.Sunday, August 23, 2009
Serving the Rural Poor
Its been long awaited post archived in my drive, finally got time to shape this and to put the last full stop.
2009 hasn’t been the best year; especially since it was only a year ago that we were still basking in the glory of “India Shining” a catch phrase coined at the outset of the new millennium and blatantly abused ever since, to convince believers and cynics alike.
The cynics interjected: Is India shining? Rampant farmer suicides littered the tiny food producing villages across the country as the Sensex crossed 20,000 points, but expectations of the future were hardly dampened. Still, in the global economic meltdown, the fact that agriculture and its allied industries account for about 60 per cent of jobs in India, might just have kept us afloat.
Even if the two refer to the same expanse of land, the realities of India are entirely different and their fates, inextricably intertwined. But could you care less about the trials of a distant and unknown community when you are struggling to become a consummate professional and justify the monetary and emotional investments your parents have made towards your education? As you wade through the diminishing Jobs Classifieds, or struggle to hold on to one you already have, you can hardly be expected to bear the weight of the nation. There are those who have managed to find the balance ensuring they do their bit to propel the nation forward. These professionals are nation builders. Still, more are needed.
The healthcare industry in India is said to be worth US $35million and is expected to grow further, due to the low healthcare costs and professional excellence found here. In fact, medical tourism flourished on account of the stellar reputation of Indian doctors, and as international patients realized they could afford complex surgeries at $ 6000 in India, as opposed to $30,000 in their home country.
However, for many in far flung rural areas, health care is as inaccessible as ever. While the number of primary health centers, sub-centers and community health centers continues to grow, as always, few medical professionals are willing to man these centers. Factors for this trend include the exodus of qualified medical staff both nurses and doctors to countries like the US and UK (more than 30 per cent of doctors in the US are Indian) and the unwillingness of doctors to work in rural areas due to poor amenities.
A former Dean of Sion Hospital, explains why rural locations are not popular with medical students, saying, firstly when you make something compulsory you start off on the wrong foot. You don’t give them the right to choose. Secondly, if students are sent to a preplanned primary health center, they are not welcomed in that area by the people within the center itself. These people are from, the government service, and have their own processes in place. Even the amenities provided there are poor. Also, because students have to take the CET to make it to a post graduation program a tough process they prefer to use the internship period to study.
Experience in a rural areas is of immerse importance. There is an example of a group of AIIMS students, who, after working in tribal areas were inspired to start their own NGOs. When people are exposed to that life, a small percentage may be inspired to continue in that line. Most doctors will do it if they think it will make a difference to people’s lives.
Here are others as well, who has devised a way to be of service to the poorer sections, while pursuing their individual goals. A dentistry student at a college in rural, Maharasthra reveals, there are many students who run two clinics after their internship, one in a rural area, and one over the weekends in a larger town or city.Saturday, August 22, 2009
Mind can defy laws of universe
Remember that your mind can defy the laws of the universe in one crucial way. It can go backward. Time can’t, nor can events – but your mind can. Let’s say you go into your office, and the first thing you notice is that an important report you needed was not written. The incomplete report tends to put in a less than resourceful state. You feel mad. You feel frustrated. You’re ready to go out and scream at your secretary. But screaming won’t produce the result you want. It will only make a bad situation worse. The key is to change your state, to back up and put yourself in a state that will allow you to get things done. That’s what you can do by rearranging your internal representations.
You are a sovereign, being in control, running your own brain. Now you are seeing the way to do it. In just some few exercises one can see that one has the ability to totally control your own state. Think what your life would be like if you remembered all your good experiences as looking bright, close, and colorful as sounding joyous, rhythmic, and melodic; as feelings soft, warm, and nurturing. And what if you stored your bad experiences as fuzzy little framed images with almost inaudible voices and insubstantial forms you could not feel because they were far away from you? Successful people do this unconsciously. They know how to turn up the volume of the things that help them and turn off the sound of the things that don’t.
It is suggested you ignore problems. Some things need to be addressed. We all know people who can go through a day in which ninety-nine things worked out right and come home totally depressed. Why? Well, one thing went wrong. They may have turned the one thing that went wrong into a big, bright, blustery image and turned the others into small, murky, quiet insubstantial ones.
Lot of people spend their whole lives like this. There are people who keep telling, “I’m depressed”. They almost say it with pride, because it’s become so much a part of their world view. Well, many therapists would begin with the long, arduous task of unearthing the causes of that depression. They’d let the patient talk for hours about his depression. They’d rummage through the patient’s mental garbage bin to uncover seminal experiences of gloom and past emotional abuse. Of such techniques are very long and very expensive therapeutic relationship s made.
No one is always depressed. Depression is not a permanent condition like losing a leg. It is a state that people can pop into and out of. In fact, most people who are experiencing depression have had many happy experiences in their lives – may be even as many or more than the average person. They just don’t represent these experiences to themselves in a bright, large, associated way. They may also represent happy times as far away instead of close. Take a moment now and remember an event that happened last week and push it far away. Does it seem as recent an experience to you anymore? What if you bring it closer? Doesn’t it now seem more recent? Some people take their happy experiences of the moment and push them far away so they seem like long ago, and store their problems up close. Haven’t you ever heard a person say I just need to get some distance from my problems? You don’t have to fly to some distant land to do this. Just push them far away from you in your mind and notice the difference. People who feel depressed often have their brains filled to capacity with big, loud, close, heavy, insistent images of the bad times and only thin, gray wafers for the good times. The way to changer isn’t to wallow in the bad memories; it’s to change the sub-modalities, the very structure of the memories themselves. Next, link what used to make you feel bad to new representations that make you feel like taking the challenges of life with vigor, humor, patience, and strength.
I will continue this post with quoting examples and making it simple with the concepts of Buddhism, Watch out this place for ENLIGHTENMENT.
You are a sovereign, being in control, running your own brain. Now you are seeing the way to do it. In just some few exercises one can see that one has the ability to totally control your own state. Think what your life would be like if you remembered all your good experiences as looking bright, close, and colorful as sounding joyous, rhythmic, and melodic; as feelings soft, warm, and nurturing. And what if you stored your bad experiences as fuzzy little framed images with almost inaudible voices and insubstantial forms you could not feel because they were far away from you? Successful people do this unconsciously. They know how to turn up the volume of the things that help them and turn off the sound of the things that don’t.
It is suggested you ignore problems. Some things need to be addressed. We all know people who can go through a day in which ninety-nine things worked out right and come home totally depressed. Why? Well, one thing went wrong. They may have turned the one thing that went wrong into a big, bright, blustery image and turned the others into small, murky, quiet insubstantial ones.
Lot of people spend their whole lives like this. There are people who keep telling, “I’m depressed”. They almost say it with pride, because it’s become so much a part of their world view. Well, many therapists would begin with the long, arduous task of unearthing the causes of that depression. They’d let the patient talk for hours about his depression. They’d rummage through the patient’s mental garbage bin to uncover seminal experiences of gloom and past emotional abuse. Of such techniques are very long and very expensive therapeutic relationship s made.
No one is always depressed. Depression is not a permanent condition like losing a leg. It is a state that people can pop into and out of. In fact, most people who are experiencing depression have had many happy experiences in their lives – may be even as many or more than the average person. They just don’t represent these experiences to themselves in a bright, large, associated way. They may also represent happy times as far away instead of close. Take a moment now and remember an event that happened last week and push it far away. Does it seem as recent an experience to you anymore? What if you bring it closer? Doesn’t it now seem more recent? Some people take their happy experiences of the moment and push them far away so they seem like long ago, and store their problems up close. Haven’t you ever heard a person say I just need to get some distance from my problems? You don’t have to fly to some distant land to do this. Just push them far away from you in your mind and notice the difference. People who feel depressed often have their brains filled to capacity with big, loud, close, heavy, insistent images of the bad times and only thin, gray wafers for the good times. The way to changer isn’t to wallow in the bad memories; it’s to change the sub-modalities, the very structure of the memories themselves. Next, link what used to make you feel bad to new representations that make you feel like taking the challenges of life with vigor, humor, patience, and strength.
I will continue this post with quoting examples and making it simple with the concepts of Buddhism, Watch out this place for ENLIGHTENMENT.
Marvelous Medicos
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that more than 220 million people worldwide are afflicted with diabetes with 50.8 million of these from India alone – the largest diabetic population in the world. With one diabetes related death occurring every 10 seconds this silent epidemic has now become a matter of serious concern for health professionals.
Diabetology is a branch of internal medicine that can be pursued after a student completes his MBBS. The two year residency program is affiliated to medical colleges, and students can pursue it after appearing for an open entrance exam. The course covers all areas that aspiring diabetologists must be familiar with, as diabetes can lead to other complications namely retinopathy, nepthropathy, diabetic foot, cardio and neuro.
Diabetologists also have a role to play in the counseling OPD, wherein they help patients to come to terms with chronic illness, and make the required lifestyle adjustments. Diabetologists will provide dietary advice personal/skin care advice and even counsel patient to self monitor their condition and adjust dosage accordingly.
Countering cancer:
Oncology>>
Cancer accounts for 13 per cent of all deaths worldwide and there are 1.5 to two million cases of cancer in India at any given time. Oncologists deal with tumors or cancer, and must deal with the whole spectrum of services for cancer patients, i.e diagnosis treatment – surgical oncology, radiation oncology, chemotherapy, and finally palliative care (terminal cases and post treatment recovery). Oncology consists of treatment of patients in four different ways: surgical oncology involves a simple or complex procedure for removal of tumor, radiation oncology involves using radiation from the outside (Teletherapy) or from close to the tumor (brachytherapy), medical oncology or chemotherapy employs chemicals that are injected or ingested as well as biological therapy to intercept the pathway of tumor development.
Other areas include onco-pathology (diagnosis using various markers) anaesthesia, biochemistry radio diagnosis, and preventive oncology. For surgical oncology a student should have completed his MS in General Surgery or in a specific surgical field, and then go on to pursue the MCh in surgical Oncology, focusing on cancer treatment in the area of his MS. For radiation oncology students will have to pursue MD in Radiotherapy while medical oncologists must have an MD in Medicine, and then a DM in medical Oncology.
Seeing Straight:
Ophthalmology>>
The average urban Indian’s life has changed. We spend hours chained to our work desks focusing on a computer screen, or have excessive exposure to dust and pollution while traveling. But these aren’t the primary reasons for the tremendous growth opportunities for ophthalmologists. The biggest growth in the ophthalmology field is possibly in cosmetic areas – laser correction surgery has become extremely commercialized and is a very lucrative business. We are also witnessing an increasing number of diabetic patients consulting ophthalmpologists concerned about retinopathy. And obviously cataracts are the bread and butter for most ophthalmologists every individual needs a cataract operation at least once in life.
To pursue ophthalmology, students must complete an MS in Ophthalmology after their MBBS and develop their expertise in a sub-specialty by working with a surgeon after their MS. Sub-specialties under ophthalmology can include glaucoma, cornea (laser surgery), oculoplasty (eyelids and cosmetic botox) as well as vitreo retinal surgery among others.
Bone of Contention:
Orthopaedics>>
With increasing instances of osteoporosis and arthritis, besides other common accident related bone and joint treatments, orthopaedics is a specialty that will continue to grow. As the number of vehicles on city roads multiplies, the number of accidents has also grown.
Though orthopaedics is a surgical branch, orthopaedic surgeons can use both surgical and non-surgical methods to treat musculoskeletal trauma, degenerative bone diseases, tumors, sports injuries. Orthopaedics can concern themselves with with a certain part of the body specializing in spine surgery, hand surgery, joint replacement surgery, oncology orthopaedics, pediatric orthopedics and even sports injuries.
Students need to pursue an MS in Orthopaedics after their MBBS to pursue a career in the field.
Institute Indicator:
1) All India Institute of Medical Science , New Delhi
2) Jawaharlal Nehru Institute Medical education and research, Puducherry
3) Christian Medical College , Vellore
4) Manipal University, Manipal
Diabetology is a branch of internal medicine that can be pursued after a student completes his MBBS. The two year residency program is affiliated to medical colleges, and students can pursue it after appearing for an open entrance exam. The course covers all areas that aspiring diabetologists must be familiar with, as diabetes can lead to other complications namely retinopathy, nepthropathy, diabetic foot, cardio and neuro.
Diabetologists also have a role to play in the counseling OPD, wherein they help patients to come to terms with chronic illness, and make the required lifestyle adjustments. Diabetologists will provide dietary advice personal/skin care advice and even counsel patient to self monitor their condition and adjust dosage accordingly.
Countering cancer:
Oncology>>
Cancer accounts for 13 per cent of all deaths worldwide and there are 1.5 to two million cases of cancer in India at any given time. Oncologists deal with tumors or cancer, and must deal with the whole spectrum of services for cancer patients, i.e diagnosis treatment – surgical oncology, radiation oncology, chemotherapy, and finally palliative care (terminal cases and post treatment recovery). Oncology consists of treatment of patients in four different ways: surgical oncology involves a simple or complex procedure for removal of tumor, radiation oncology involves using radiation from the outside (Teletherapy) or from close to the tumor (brachytherapy), medical oncology or chemotherapy employs chemicals that are injected or ingested as well as biological therapy to intercept the pathway of tumor development.
Other areas include onco-pathology (diagnosis using various markers) anaesthesia, biochemistry radio diagnosis, and preventive oncology. For surgical oncology a student should have completed his MS in General Surgery or in a specific surgical field, and then go on to pursue the MCh in surgical Oncology, focusing on cancer treatment in the area of his MS. For radiation oncology students will have to pursue MD in Radiotherapy while medical oncologists must have an MD in Medicine, and then a DM in medical Oncology.
Seeing Straight:
Ophthalmology>>
The average urban Indian’s life has changed. We spend hours chained to our work desks focusing on a computer screen, or have excessive exposure to dust and pollution while traveling. But these aren’t the primary reasons for the tremendous growth opportunities for ophthalmologists. The biggest growth in the ophthalmology field is possibly in cosmetic areas – laser correction surgery has become extremely commercialized and is a very lucrative business. We are also witnessing an increasing number of diabetic patients consulting ophthalmpologists concerned about retinopathy. And obviously cataracts are the bread and butter for most ophthalmologists every individual needs a cataract operation at least once in life.
To pursue ophthalmology, students must complete an MS in Ophthalmology after their MBBS and develop their expertise in a sub-specialty by working with a surgeon after their MS. Sub-specialties under ophthalmology can include glaucoma, cornea (laser surgery), oculoplasty (eyelids and cosmetic botox) as well as vitreo retinal surgery among others.
Bone of Contention:
Orthopaedics>>
With increasing instances of osteoporosis and arthritis, besides other common accident related bone and joint treatments, orthopaedics is a specialty that will continue to grow. As the number of vehicles on city roads multiplies, the number of accidents has also grown.
Though orthopaedics is a surgical branch, orthopaedic surgeons can use both surgical and non-surgical methods to treat musculoskeletal trauma, degenerative bone diseases, tumors, sports injuries. Orthopaedics can concern themselves with with a certain part of the body specializing in spine surgery, hand surgery, joint replacement surgery, oncology orthopaedics, pediatric orthopedics and even sports injuries.
Students need to pursue an MS in Orthopaedics after their MBBS to pursue a career in the field.
Institute Indicator:
1) All India Institute of Medical Science , New Delhi
2) Jawaharlal Nehru Institute Medical education and research, Puducherry
3) Christian Medical College , Vellore
4) Manipal University, Manipal
Swine flu
Swine flu has killed over 60 Indians so far, and may soon claim hundreds, even thousands. That is a tragedy. Even so, swine flu remains a very minor cause of death, far behind other diseases that kill millions. The panic generated by the media is unwarranted, and is worsening health outcomes.
In 2001-03, the Registrar General conducted a survey to gauge the main causes of deaths in India. Heart disease came first (19%), followed by respiratory diseases like asthma (9%), diarrhea (8%), respiratory infections like pneumonia (6.2%), tuberculosis (6%), and cancer (5.7%).
Applying these percentages to India’s annual deaths of around 9 million, we find that 1.37 million people die annually of respiratory diseases and infections, 720,000 of diarrhea, and 540,000 of TB. These are staggering numbers. They imply that on an average day, 3,753 people die of respiratory diseases and infections, 1,973 of diarrhea, and 1,479 of tuberculosis.
Seen in this light, 20-odd swine flu deaths are almost laughably trivial. I do not laugh, because every death is a tragedy. But I am infinitely sadder for the millions whose plight has been swept out of public view, and is actually being worsened by upper-class panic.
Make no mistake, swine flu panic is substantially an upper class worry. Why do the media overflow with news of swine flu while ignoring other diseases that kill thousands every day? Because those everyday diseases are the problems of the poorer half of India, and the media target the upper half. Some upper class folk do get asthma or TB, but they are quickly treated and rarely die of these diseases. The millions who die come from the bottom half, lacking access to doctors and medicines. They die so regularly in millions that their deaths are no longer considered news.
Then along comes swine flu. It is a new disease, and that itself commands media attention. The richer half is terrified that not even its money and access to doctors provides safety. As a disease carried by air travelers, swine flu is a quintessential elite concern. Elite panic soon spreads to lower rungs of society, as the media project a new apocalypse. This is true across the world. Globally, swine flu has infected 177,000 people and killed 1,126. The numbers are trivial compared with deaths from malaria, respiratory disease or diarrhea. Yet the global media focus on swine flu.
Panic over a new disease of limited impact is hardly new. The 2002-03 epidemic of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) hogged global headlines for almost a year. Yet WHO data between November 2002 and July 2003 listed only 8,096 infections and 774 SARS deaths globally.
India had a plague panic starting in Surat in 1994. Half a million people fled Surat, and more fled Mumbai and other cities in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Schools and businesses closed down across India. Business losses in Surat alone were $ 260 million. Foreign countries stopped buying Indian agricultural exports, causing losses of $ 420 million. Foreign investors pulled out of stock markets, 45,000 foreign tourists cancelled their trips to India, and some international airlines stopped flying to India.
The media duly reported these economic costs. Yet arguably the greatest costs were borne, unseen, by the poor. Tetracycline, a cheap antibiotic popular with the poor, disappeared from chemists shops because of panic buying by plague suspects. Hospitals everywhere were inundated with lakhs of citizens wanting to be checked for plague. Only a handful of these were found infected. Indeed, only 53 deaths were ultimately attributed to plague, and some experts cast doubt on whether even these were plague cases. But doctors and hospitals across India were overwhelmed by plague suspects, and so had no space, time or medicine for those dying of other everyday diseases. This suffering, mainly of the bottom half of society, attracted no media attention whatsoever.
In dealing with swine flu, we must remember lessons from the plague panic of 1994. The media must put swine flu deaths in perspective by also reporting how many people are dying of other diseases. Politicians and the media must repeatedly highlight lessons to be learned from the plague panic: how it hugely inflated fears and death estimates, how it crowded out medical attention to sufferers of other killer diseases, and how it imposed huge financial and psychological costs unnecessarily. The Prime Minister has appealed to the media not to spread panic. Yet panic is inevitable when the Health Minister says in a Times of India interview that one-third of all Indians could ultimately be infected. We need cool heads and discreet tongues.
In 2001-03, the Registrar General conducted a survey to gauge the main causes of deaths in India. Heart disease came first (19%), followed by respiratory diseases like asthma (9%), diarrhea (8%), respiratory infections like pneumonia (6.2%), tuberculosis (6%), and cancer (5.7%).
Applying these percentages to India’s annual deaths of around 9 million, we find that 1.37 million people die annually of respiratory diseases and infections, 720,000 of diarrhea, and 540,000 of TB. These are staggering numbers. They imply that on an average day, 3,753 people die of respiratory diseases and infections, 1,973 of diarrhea, and 1,479 of tuberculosis.
Seen in this light, 20-odd swine flu deaths are almost laughably trivial. I do not laugh, because every death is a tragedy. But I am infinitely sadder for the millions whose plight has been swept out of public view, and is actually being worsened by upper-class panic.
Make no mistake, swine flu panic is substantially an upper class worry. Why do the media overflow with news of swine flu while ignoring other diseases that kill thousands every day? Because those everyday diseases are the problems of the poorer half of India, and the media target the upper half. Some upper class folk do get asthma or TB, but they are quickly treated and rarely die of these diseases. The millions who die come from the bottom half, lacking access to doctors and medicines. They die so regularly in millions that their deaths are no longer considered news.
Then along comes swine flu. It is a new disease, and that itself commands media attention. The richer half is terrified that not even its money and access to doctors provides safety. As a disease carried by air travelers, swine flu is a quintessential elite concern. Elite panic soon spreads to lower rungs of society, as the media project a new apocalypse. This is true across the world. Globally, swine flu has infected 177,000 people and killed 1,126. The numbers are trivial compared with deaths from malaria, respiratory disease or diarrhea. Yet the global media focus on swine flu.
Panic over a new disease of limited impact is hardly new. The 2002-03 epidemic of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) hogged global headlines for almost a year. Yet WHO data between November 2002 and July 2003 listed only 8,096 infections and 774 SARS deaths globally.
India had a plague panic starting in Surat in 1994. Half a million people fled Surat, and more fled Mumbai and other cities in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Schools and businesses closed down across India. Business losses in Surat alone were $ 260 million. Foreign countries stopped buying Indian agricultural exports, causing losses of $ 420 million. Foreign investors pulled out of stock markets, 45,000 foreign tourists cancelled their trips to India, and some international airlines stopped flying to India.
The media duly reported these economic costs. Yet arguably the greatest costs were borne, unseen, by the poor. Tetracycline, a cheap antibiotic popular with the poor, disappeared from chemists shops because of panic buying by plague suspects. Hospitals everywhere were inundated with lakhs of citizens wanting to be checked for plague. Only a handful of these were found infected. Indeed, only 53 deaths were ultimately attributed to plague, and some experts cast doubt on whether even these were plague cases. But doctors and hospitals across India were overwhelmed by plague suspects, and so had no space, time or medicine for those dying of other everyday diseases. This suffering, mainly of the bottom half of society, attracted no media attention whatsoever.
In dealing with swine flu, we must remember lessons from the plague panic of 1994. The media must put swine flu deaths in perspective by also reporting how many people are dying of other diseases. Politicians and the media must repeatedly highlight lessons to be learned from the plague panic: how it hugely inflated fears and death estimates, how it crowded out medical attention to sufferers of other killer diseases, and how it imposed huge financial and psychological costs unnecessarily. The Prime Minister has appealed to the media not to spread panic. Yet panic is inevitable when the Health Minister says in a Times of India interview that one-third of all Indians could ultimately be infected. We need cool heads and discreet tongues.
Free hugs - Life is beautiful
I don't mind where you come from
As long as you come to me
I don't like illusions I can't see
Them clearly
I don't care no I wouldn't dare
To fix the twist in you
You've shown me eventually
What you'll do
I don't mind...
I don't care...
As long are you're here
Go ahead tell me you'll leave again
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's all the same
Hours slide and days go by
Till you decide to come
And in between it always seems too long
All of a sudden
And I have the skill, yeah I have the will
To breathe you in while I can
However long you stay
Is all that I am
I don't mind...
I don't care...
As long are you're here
Go ahead tell me you'll leave again
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's always the same
Wrong or right
Black or white
If I close my eyes
I's all the same
In my life
The compromise
I close my eyes
It's all the same
Go ahead say it you're leaving
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's all the same
If Everyone cared
Today we sang a song by -Nickel Back
"If Everyone Cared"
From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you'd be mine
But here we are, we're here tonight
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
[Chorus:]
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
And I'm singing
Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We'll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
(I'm alive)
[Chorus x2]
And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
When nobody died...
[Chorus]
We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day when nobody died
"If Everyone Cared"
From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you'd be mine
But here we are, we're here tonight
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
[Chorus:]
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
And I'm singing
Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We'll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
(I'm alive)
[Chorus x2]
And as we lie beneath the stars
We realize how small we are
If they could love like you and me
Imagine what the world could be
If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died
When nobody died...
[Chorus]
We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day when nobody died
Pub Rock Fest
Rock Street Journal is proud to present this year’s edition of the Kingfisher Pub Rock fest. With a successful series of shows last year, we here at RSJ aim to bring you a larger and louder festival this year with over 75 gigs’s spread over 19 cities in India in association with Romanov Red as a co-sponsor.The festival kicks off on the 1st of August with Galeej Gurus, October and Lazy River at Mocha Bar in Nehru Place. The festival promises to be a platform for up and coming musicians as well as new talent to play on the same stage and perform to the masses of the country. The festival also aims at spreading live music in Pubs and venues around the country with a mix of genres and styles that form the core of the India music scene.
Schedule for North Zone -Dilli
DATE | CITY | VENUE | BANDS | TICKET PRICE |
01/08/09 | Delhi | Mocha Bar | Galeej Guru's, Lazy River, October | Rs. 150/- |
02/08/09 | Delhi | The Mezz | Undying Inc. Scribe, Artillerie, Rabbit is Rich | Rs. 150/- |
05/08/09 | Gurgaon | Turquoise Cottage | Indigo Children, The Circus, SHM | FREE |
06/08/09 | Delhi | Mocha Bar | Teddy Boy Kill, Higher Conscience | Rs. 150/- |
08/08/09 | Delhi | Haze | Lou Mojaw(Acoustic Set), HFT | Rs. 150/- |
09/08/09 | Gurgaon | Club 18 | The Great Society, Five8, English Wine Shop | FREE |
14/08/09 | Noida | Chicane | Gates of Assault, Undying Inc. Bhayanak Maut | Rs. 150/- |
16/08/09 | Delhi | Cafe Morrison | Half Step Down, Lucid Recess, Jester | Rs. 150/- |
23/08/09 | Delhi | Cafe Morrison | Spark, The Supersonics, Under Siege | Rs. 150/- |
28/08/09 | Lucknow | Zero Degree | Raghu Dixit Project, Warm/ H. Ex | TBA |
28/08/09 | Jaipur | The Rock | Half Step Down | TBA |
29/08/09 | Jaipur | The Rock | Faridkot | TBA |
29/08/09 | Lucknow | Aura | Feedback, Swarathma | TBA |
30/08/09 | Lucknow | Aura | Faridkot, The Original Brats | TBA |
30/08/09 | Delhi | Opus | The Supersonics, Cyanide | Rs. 150/- |
02/09/09 | Jaipur | The Rock | Half Step Down | TBA |
03/09/09 | Gurgaon | Xtreme Sports Bar | Sajid Akbar, Zinc, Constellation Project | FREE |
06/09/09 | Delhi | Mezz | Demonic Ressurection, Guillotine, Acrid Semblance | Rs. 150/- |
09/09/09 | Noida | Chicane | Prestorika, Tearcube, IIIrd Sovereign | Rs. 150/- |
11/09/09 | Delhi | Quash Qai | Parikrama, Seven Degrees, Bridge to Elsewhere, Hypnosis | Rs. 150/- |
13/09/09 | Noida | Superstars | Frequency, IAFWAY, Paradigm Shift | FREE |
07/10/09 | Chandigarh | Score | Them Clones, Annus the Menace, Harmonic Friction | TBA |
08/10/09 | Chandigarh | Score | Half Step Down, 21st Rebel Street, OST | TBA |
09/10/09 | Shimla | Ritz Complex | The Circus, Anus the Menace | TBA |
11/10/09 | Chandigarh | Score | 21st Rebel Street, The Circus, Area 231 | TBA |
May your head swings, banged, rock n roll over the place.
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