Water is Life Essay Example for Free

Water is Life Essay The slogan: â€Å"Water is Life,† is so true considering that nature’s life cycle revolves around it. The factuality of the statement can be easily seen in the light of what water is to the environment and how it is being taken for granted for its familiarity. The space that it occupies in and around the earth is so invasive it is almost all-encompassing in its existence. â€Å"It covers around 75% of the Earth’s surface† and is contained deep in the earth’s groundwater reserves called aquifers (Godrej, 2003). Despite that much of life depends on water, its purity essential to all our sustenance is being threatened because humans overuse it. Gone are the days when people simply drink directly from a brook. To secure safe drinking water, it has to undergo certain processes; either distilled or purified. This becomes a huge source of financial profit to big businesses such as the proliferation of bottled waters. But, â€Å". . . once we start using water in excess and beyond the rate which it can be replenished again, we endanger the hydrological cycle† (Godrej, 2003). In First World countries, water is used to beautify gardens, maintain greener lawns, and fill up swimming pools. In California, officials predicted that by 2020, water shortage is a surety due to the way it is being used today in that state (2003). Although many factors affect and cause this water crisis, mainly it is the misuse that causes the water crises. The problems range from water’s scarcity and depletion, lack of sanitation and pollution, inequalities in distribution . . . to extravagant use . . . , etc. (Godrej, 2003). Things that contribute to the world’s water crisis are untouched in this essay. Nonetheless, the reality of this crisis that has crept in the usual order of things in the environment cannot be taken for granted. We need to wise up and save this essential element of life. Reference 1. Crystal, David. 1990. Water H2O. The Cambridge Encyclopaedia. Cambridge University Press, p. 1285. 2. Godrej, Dinar. 2003. Crisis and challenge. Precious fluid. New Internationalist magazine, volume 354, pp. 9-12. 3. New Internationalist called Water: The facts. March 2003. volume 354,p. 18 4. Vidal, John. August 2002. Blue gold: Earths liquid asset. The Guardian, p. 6.

Prostitution A Psychological Perspective Sociology Essay

Prostitution A Psychological Perspective Sociology Essay As psychologists, we hope to see a change in the health professions relative silence regarding prostitutions harm to women, as well as a change in the perspective on prostitution held by the criminal justice system. -Melissa Farley Avnessa Kelly There is a lot of debate about whether prostitution should be legalized and regulated or whether the continuing laws(in India and elsewhere) which criminalize the act of brothel keeping, living off the earnings of a prostitute, soliciting or seducing for the purposes of prostitution should remain a punishable offence. The arguments for either side ultimately boil down to the question of why one stance over the other? The decision is largely influenced by a persons perception of what benefits society as well as the exploitative nature of this profession .If prostitution were to be legalized these individuals would become part of a system that sanctions their work and also condones the act of selling ones body as well as paying for sexual services. Such a system would be accountable for the repercussions this occupation has upon its members. For every occupation that is sanctioned by law and society there exists a representative in the form of an organization or a union that supports t he best interest of its employees and ensures their well being. However the question that arises in the case of prostitution is whether the occupation is such that it poses a serious immediate threat to a womans psychological and physical health on a regular continuous basis? if so, then the act of sanctioning such an occupation and creating a system that supports it leads to a paradox not only in a moral sense but also in keeping with the actual negative effects of the occupation versus the benefits of legalizing prostitution. The present paper is an attempt to gain greater clarity about the potential risks of this occupation. To assess whether commercial sex workers will ultimately suffer traumatic experiences to such an extent that their psychological and emotional health will prevent them from leading functional productive social and healthy lives. Some might argue that traumatic experiences or harmful effects are faced by individuals in various other professions such as the military, war journalism, psychiatry, medical science or people working in factories where they are exposed to harmful substances on a daily basis. Thus these occupations are also a great cause for concern. However prostitution has been described as an act which is intrinsically traumatizing to the person being prostituted.(Farley et al, 1988) Researchers have found that 92% of people interviewd stated that they wanted to leave prostitution .Also it has been reported that Sexual and other physical violence is the normative experience for women in prostitution (Baldwin, 1992; Farley and Barkan, 1998; Hunter, 1994; Silbert and Pines, 1982) In light of such evidence one can hardly suggest that prostitution is an occupation that an individual would willingly participate in if she truly had another option or was entirely aware of the health risk involved.Infact Silbert and her colleagues(1982) have described a psychological paralysis of prostituted women, characterized by immobility, acceptance of victimization, hopelessness, and an inability to take the opportunity to change, which results from the inescapable violence they encountered throughout their lives (Silbert Pines, 1982). According to Farley (2006) Prostitution is sexual violence that results in massive economic profit for some of its perpetrators. The sex industry, like other global enterprises, has domestic and international sectors, marketing sectors, a range of physical locations out of which it operates in each community, is controlled by many different owners and managers, and is constantly expanding as technology, law, and public opinion permit. She further stresses that prostitution as a profession is rife with every imaginable type of physical and sexual violence. If prostitution is to be legalized, would it then become a recognized profession such as teaching, management, law etc? Would it be part of a career guidance course, would the individuals engaged in this occupation be treated with the same respect, dignity and rights that are allotted to others? Although it remains a personal choice to judge another human being, collective morality exists in every society and forms the basis for norms and beliefs in that society. Legalization of prostitution would condone an act that is considered inhumane by many yet legalization might afford better right to prostitutes and improve their standard of living. This debate eventually turns into a circular argument that requires a subjective approach rather than an objective methodology applied to all other aspects of human science. It becomes a matter of safety and humanity rather than a debate of legality and morality. Hence from the authors perspective a Psychological study aimed at evaluating the men tal health of prostitutes and determining to what extent this correlates to their occupation will indeed contribute to the argument and perhaps indicate how one can decide the matter of whether prostitution should be legalized and thus condoned by government and subsequently (but unlikely) be accepted morally; or whether we must at some point accept that the oldest profession in the world has seriously contributed to the psychopathology of women engaged in this profession. There are several different perspectives on prostitution that have been discussed and documented. The perspective that prostitution is violence against women has been described and critiqued by Jeffreys (2000).She argues that that child and adult prostitution are inextricably interlinked, both in personnel (the women and children work together), in terms of the abusers (who make no distinctions), in the harm they cause and in that both constitute harmful traditional practices which must be ended. Another perspective suggests that in recent decades prostitution has been industrialized and globalized. Industrialization means the ways in which traditional forms of organization of prostitution are being changed by economic and social forces to become large scale and concentrated, normalized and part of the mainstream corporate sphere. Prostitution has been transformed from an illegal, small scale, largely local and socially despised form of abuse of women into a hugely profitable and either legal or tolerated international industry. In states that have legalized their prostitution industries large-scale, industrialized brothels employ hundreds of women overseen and regulated by government agencies (M. Sullivan, 2007). In some parts of Asia the industrialization of prostitution has taken place in the form of the creation of massive prostitution areas within cities. In Daulatdia, formed 20 years ago, in a port city in Bangladesh, 1,600 women are sexually used by 3,000 men daily (Hammond, 2008). This paper is presented in three parts. The first part highlights the Framework that governs the sex trade industry in India, the second part focuses on the Psychological implications of prostitution and the third part discusses the implications of legalizing and regulating sex trade. Prostitution in India India is a country that prides itself for upholding age old traditions and cultural practices rooted in religious beliefs which encourage a way of life that is morally correct and ethically sound. It is a country which has great respect for the elderly, believes in the integrity of honesty and fidelity and places much emphasis on purity. Right from the religious scriptures to the common mans notion about what is the ideal way of living one can witness a belief in simplicity, generosity and secularity. This comes from the fact that India is a country of a hundred cultures all inter-mingling to create a nation that is unified in language, sport and entertainment and often diversified in religion, custom and caste. However one thing that remains collective and common to all the culturally opposed regions is the practice of sex trade. Prostitution in India has a long history. Devadasi System: In ancient India prostitutes have been referred to as Devadasis. Originally, Devadasis were celibate dancing girls used in temple ceremonies and they entertained members of the ruling class. But sometime around the 6th Century, the practice of dedicating girls to Hindu gods became prevalent in a practice that developed into ritualized prostitution. Devadasi literally means Gods (Dev) female servant (Dasi), where according to the ancient Indian practice, young pre-pubertal girls are married off, given away in matrimony to God or Local religious deity of the temple. The marriage usually occurs before the girl reaches puberty and requires the girl to become a prostitute for upper-caste community members. Such girls are known as jogini. They are forbidden to enter into a real marriage. In Karnataka, the most common form of traditional sex work is associated with the Devadasi system.   Today, the districts bordering Maharashtra and Karnataka, known as the Devadasi belt, have trafficking structures operating at various levels. The women here are in prostitution either because their husbands deserted them, or they are trafficked through coercion and deception Many are devadasi dedicated into prostitution for the goddess Yellamma. In one Karnataka brothel, all 15 girls are devadasi. (Meena Menon, The Unknown Faces). Researchers have found that differences between Devadasi and non-Devadasi Female sex workers (FSWs) with regard to the pattern and environment of sex work were substantial. Devadasi FSWs were much more likely to entertain clients at home, reported a higher average number of sex partners in the past week, and charged less on average to each client. Devadasi FSWs were less likely to migrate to work at another location within the state of Karnataka but were somewhat more likely to have migrated to another state for work. Devadasi FSWs were more likely to accept every client and reported client initiated violence much less often than did non-Devadasi FSWs. Devadasi FSWs also were significantly less likely to report having ever been harassed by the police (Laanchard, F, J et al 2005). Sex trade Industry in India: There are approximately 10 million prostitutes in India. (Human Rights Watch, Robert I. Freidman, Indias Shame: Sexual Slavery and Political Corruption Are Leading to An AIDS Catastrophe,  The Nation, 8 April 1996).The largest red light district in India, perhaps in the world, is the Falkland Road Kamatipura area of Bombay. There are more than 100,000 women in prostitution in Bombay, Asias largest sex industry center (Freidman, R.I 1996). At least 2,000 women were in prostitution along the Baina beachfront in Goa. (Moronh,F 1997).There are 300,000-500,000 children in prostitution in India. ( Bedi,R 1997) India, along with Thailand and the Philippines, has 1.3 million children in its sex-trade centers. (Soma Wadhwa, For sale childhood, Outlook, 1998) India and Paksitan are the main destinations for children under 16 who are trafficked in south Asia. (Masako Iijima, S. Asia urged to unite against child prostitution,  Reuters, 19 June 1998) In India, Karnataka, Andha Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu are considered high supply zones for women in prostitution. Bijapur, Belgaum and Kolhapur are common districts from which women migrate to the big cities, as part of an organised trafficking network. (Central Welfare Board, Meena Menon, The Unknown Faces) A few hundred thousand men have sexual relations with prostitutes every day in India.  Ã‚  Insights derived by health practitioners and social workers from the experience of working in red-light areas suggest that the following categories of men are frequent visitors to prostitutes: low-level workers in the manufacturing and transport industries; other workers living away from their families for a length of time; traders and customers in transitory markets; visitors to fairs, festivals and pilgrim centres; defence personnel living away from families; students; pimps and others who have some control over prostitutes; traders and service providers in red-light areas. According to one author of The Unkown Faces There are three routes into prostitution for most women in India. 1) Deception 2) Devadasi dedication and 3) Bad marriages or families. A study conducted by researcher s in Karnataka, a Southern state of India found that Participants gave diverse reasons for entering sex work . Overall 26% stated that induction into the Devadasi tradition was at least 1 reason that they entered sex work, and 66% of these Female sex workers (FSWs) listed it as the only reason that they entered sex work. Other stated reasons for entering sex work included financial need- 36%, marital or family discord or dissolution -30%, and being coerced or lured- 20%. Chattopadhyay M, Bandyopadhyay S, Duttagupta C, (1994) conducted interviews with 33 female prostitutes in Domjur, Howrah District, West Bengal, to understand the processes by which women become prostitutes. Twenty-one of them were married. More than 50%, who had been married before the age of 18, became prostitutes before 25 and were older than 30. 66% did not engage in illicit sex before becoming prostitutes. About 20% had been prostitutes for more than 15 years. Most prostitutes earned about Rs. 1000 per month. 66% had a maximum number of five clients/day. Three prostitutes had as many as seven to eight clients/day. Life events and their reactions that led them to become prostitutes belonged to two categories: (1) women who were either widowed (17 women) or abused by husband and in-laws (4 women), leaving them with no social or economic support and (2) women who chose prostitution as an easy means to support themselves (9 women) or because they had sexual urges or were curious (3 w omen). Empirical studies along in red-light areas of a few large cities corroborate the common knowledge that prostitutes, in general, lead a poor standard of life in dilapidated and unhygienic environments (Gilada n.d.; Ghosh and Das 1994). A major portion of what their clients pay is shared by pimps, landlords, madams, financiers and policemen. They do not get nutritionally adequate food and they are exploited by local traders who sell them essential goods. Because of strong prejudice against them they cannot take advantage of the government health facilities and have to depend mostly on local quacks who charge them exorbitantly for treatment and medicines. A large proportion of them suffer intermittently from various kinds of STDs. Most of them are forced to enter this occupation because of adverse circumstances. In a country that has strict values and restrictions towards marriage,dating and pre-marital sex there seems to be a rampant disregard for the value of a womans right to dignity and integrity.In India, It is generally considered unacceptable for a woman or man to engage in sex before marriage or with more than one partner. Speaking about sex related issues is taboo in most households and sex education in schools is strongly opposed and rendered inappropriate. It is believed that one should respect traditions and avoid places,people,movies,books or music that are provocative or in any way of a sexual nature. Conservatism and orthodox customs are welcomed and whole heardtedly preached and in some cases practiced in India. Thus, it comes as a shock to realize that the hub of the Sex trade throughout Asia and possibly the world is housed in the biggest city in India-Mumbai. It is a sad and cruel paradox that a country that preaches about purity and chastity has the largest brothels in th e world and is a central point in the human trafficking system. Legal position in India: Laws related to prostitution in India:   Suppression of Immoral Traffic in Women and Girl Act -1956   Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act-1956   Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act-1956 In legal terms, the Indian Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956, criminalized the volitional act of a female offering her body for promiscuous sexual intercourse for hire whether in money or in kind. But, under the revised 1986 Act, prostitution means the sexual exploitation or abuse of persons for commercial purpose, and the expression prostitute shall be constructed accordingly so there is not only no criminality if there is offering by way of free contract, there is not even prostitution. In India the primary law dealing with the status of sex workers is the 1956 law referred to as the  The  Immoral Traffic (Suppression) Act (SITA). According to this law, sex work in  India  is neither legal nor illegal; it is tolerated since prostitutes can practice their trade privately but cannot legally solicit customers in public. Unlike as is the case with other professions, however, sex workers are not protected under normal workers laws, and are not entitled to minimum wage benefits, compensation for injury or other benefits that are common in other types of work. Although prostitution (the act of selling ones body in a non public setting) is legal in India, brothel keeping, living off the earnings of a prostitute, soliciting or seducing for the purposes of prostitution are all punishable offenses. (Robert I. Freidman, Indias Shame: Sexual Slavery and Political Corruption Are Leading to An AIDS Catastrophe,  The Nation, 8 April 1996) Psychological distress among sex workers Considerable research has been conducted in the area of sex trade and prostitution. Most of this research in the social sciences focuses on the health risks involved, particularly HIV, AIDS. There is a large-scale ignorance of the psychological harm that is faced by women who are prostituted. Prostitution has been defined in many ways either by political or legal organizations. The World Health Organization (WHO) defined prostitution as a dynamic and adaptive process that involves a transaction between seller and buyer of a sexual service (World Health Organization, 1988). WHO has since recommended decriminalization of prostitution (Ahmad, 2001). Much of the health sciences literature has viewed prostitution as a job choice (Deren et al., 1996; Farr, Castro, DiSantostefano, Claassen, Olguin, 1996; Green et al., 1993; Romans, Potter,Martin,Herbison, 2001; UN/AIDS, 2002). However the notion that prostitution is work tends to make its harm invisible. Important questions remain unanswered regarding the epidemiology and etiology of psychological distress among sex traders. Many sex traders and drug users from poor neighborhoods have experienced homelessness, rape, and other violent events associated with psychological distress. High proportions of prostitutes are drug-dependent and have experienced physical and sexual abuse in childhood and adulthood (Church, Henderson, Barnard, Hart, 2001; El-Bassel, Schilling, Irwin, Faruque, Gilbert, Von Bargen, Serrano, Edlin, 1997; El- Bassel, Simoni, Cooper, Gilbert, Schilling, 2001). The Psychological literature on Prostitution has focused on different theories to explain the role of a prostitute either as a victim or a risk-taker. There has been tremendous debate over the underlying factors that lead a woman into this profession. It is assumed that prostituted women have personality characteristics which lead to their victimization. Rosiello (1993) described the inherent masochism of prostituted women as a necessary ingredient of their self-concept. MacVicar and Dillon (1980) suggested that masochism plays a central role in the acceptance of abuse by pimps. Psychoanalytic theories that prostituting originates in maternal deprivation or from the anal desires of the child -have been described by Weisberg (1985) and Bullough Bullough (1996).Vanwesenbeeck, et al (1993) identified three groups of prostituted women as 1) those who had a positive, businesslike attitude and consistent condom use, 2) those who had a negative attitude and occasional failure to use condom s),and 3) risk takers who did not use condoms and who reported feeling powerless. The risk takers reported fears of violence and despair in situations where they were powerless. One woman stated that health planning was not a priority when your whole lifes a misery and pain (Vanwesenbeeck et al., 1993). Women in prostitution are often assumed to have an underlying personality disorder. De Schampheleire (1990) concluded that 61 prostituted women had emotional difficulties that resulted first in addictions, and later in prostitution, which was itself described as a diversion from other psychological problems. This is clearly indicative that there is a belief that emotionally disturbed or vulnerable women are more likely to enter into prostitution, further become victimized and continue in this profession as a means of coping with their initial sense of turmoil or unworthiness. This literature fails to recognize the various other reasons that women enter into prostitution (such as financial need or coercion), and ultimately suffer psychological difficulties as a result of this profession. It is assumed with a stance of such stoicism that women willingly enter into a profession in which they become victims of battering, rape, fatal physiological conditions, constant trauma and degradation. However there is literature that supports the idea that prostitution does indeed inflict psychological distress on the individual. Graaf et al. (1995) and Plant et al (1989) found that womens alcohol use in prostitution was related to the psychological trauma of prostitution. It permitted a chemical dissociation, as well as a means of anesthetizing their physical aversion for the act of sex for payment. Green et al (1993) noted that some Glasgow women were only able to prostitute under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Alegria et al (1994) found that 70% of 127 Puerto Rican women in prostitution had symptoms of depression which were associated with increased risk behaviors for HIV. Violence against women in Prostitution: In the past decade, a number of authors have documented or analyzed the sexual and physical violence that is the normative experience for women in prostitution, including Baldwin (1993, 1999); Barry (1979, 1995); Boyer, Dworkin (1981, 1997, 2000); Farley, Baral, Kiremire, and Sezgin (1998); Giobbe (1991, 1993) .Sexual violence and physical assault are the norm for women in all types of prostitution. Nemoto, Operario, Takenaka, Iwamoto, and Le (2003) reported that 62% of Asian women in San Francisco massage parlors had been physically assaulted by customers. Raymond, DCunha, et al. (2002) found that 80% of women who had been trafficked or prostituted suffered violence-related injuries in prostitution. Among the women interviewed by Parriott (1994), 85% had been raped in prostitution. In another study, 94% of those in street prostitution had experienced sexual assault and 75% had been raped by one or more customers (Miller, 1995). In the Netherlands, where prostitution is legal, 60% of prostituted women suffered physical assaults; 70% experienced verbal threats of physical assault; 40% experienced sexual violence; and 40% had been forced into prostitution or sexual abuse by acquaintances (Vanwesenbeeck, 1994). Most young women in prostitution were abused or beaten by customers as well as pimps. Silbert and Pines (1981, 1982) reported that 70% of women suffered rape in prostitution, with 65% having been physically assaulted by customers and 66% assaulted by pimps. Of 854 people in prostitution in nine countries (Canada, Colombia, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, United States, and Zambia), 71% experienced physical assaults in prostitution, and 62% reported rapes in prostitution (Farley, Cotton, et al., 2003). Eighty-nine percent told the researchers that they wanted to leave prostitution but did not have other options for economic survival. To normalize prostitution as a reasonable job choice for poor women makes invisible their strong desire to escape prostitution. Vanwesenbeeck (1994) found that two factors were associated with greater violence in prostitution. The greater the poverty, the greater the violence; and the longer one is in prostitution, the more likely one is to experience violence. Research and clinical reports have documented the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse and chronic traumatization among prostituted women (Belton, 1992; Burgess,et al., 1987; Giobbe et al., 1990; James Meyerding, 1977; Paperny Deisher, 1983; Silbert Pines, 1981, Simons Whitbeck, 1991; Widom Kuhns, 1996). Weisberg (1985) reported that 70% of women suffered rape in prostitution, with 65% of prostitutes having been physically assaulted by customers; and 66% assaulted by pimps. The Council for Prostitution Alternatives in Portland, Oregon, reported that prostituted women were raped an average of once a week (Hunter, 1994). Women in prostitution are battered women. Prostitution, like battering, is a form of domestic violence. Giobbe (1993) compared pimps and batterers and found similarities in their use of enforced social isolation, minimization and denial, threats, intimidation, verbal and sexual abuse, attitude of ownership, and extreme physical violence to control women. The techniques of physical violence used by pimps are often the same as those used by torturers. Gray (1973, cited in Weisberg, 1985) reported that one teenager was beaten with a 6-foot bullwhip and another was tied to a car and forced to run behind it. It has been reasonably estimated that prostitution is 80% to 90% pimp-controlled (Giobbe Gamache, 1990; Hunter, 1994). The primary concern of prostituted women in Glasgow was violence from customers (Green et al., 1993). Rape was common. The women in Glasgow were physically abused as part of the job of prostitution. They were whipped and 1 7 beaten up, with payment at times received per individual blow (Green et al., 1993, page 328). Prostituted women described a minority of customers as extremely dangerous. These men were likely to assault or murder women in prostitution for pleasure. They used fists, feet, baseball bats, knives, or guns in their assaults on the women. One man inserted a shotgun into at least one womans vagina and mouth. 87% of prostituted women interviewed by Miller (1995) were physically assaulted in prostitution, with 31% having been stabbed, and 25% being hit with an object. 37% of her sample had been held captive. Prostituted women were often assaulted and robbed (Green et al, 1993; Hardesty Greif, 1994; Miller, 1995). Miller Schwartz (1995) found that 94% of those in street prostitution had experienced some form of sexual assault; 75% had been raped by one or more customers. In spite of this, there was a widespread belief that the concept of rape did not apply to prostitutes. If rape of a prostituting woman occurs, some have considered the rape to be theft or breach of contract rather than rape. Many people assumed that when a prostituted woman was raped, it was part of her job and that she deserved or even asked for the rape. In an example of this bias, a California judge overturned a jurys decision to charge a customer with rape, saying that a woman who goes out on the street and makes a whore out of herself opens herself up to anybody. One juror interpreted the judges decision as a refusal to give rights to prostitutes (Arax, 1986). Psychological Trauma as a result of prostitution: Dissociation is the psychological process of banishing traumatic events from consciousness (Herman, 1992). It is an emotional shutting-down which occurs during extreme stress among prisoners of war who are being tortured, among children who are being sexually assaulted, and among women being battered or raped or prostituted. Vanwesenbeeck (1994) considered dissociation in those prostituted to be a consequence of both childhood violence and adult violence in prostitution. She noted that a proficiency in dissociation, perhaps learned in order to survive sexual abuse as a child, was required in prostitution. Ross et al (1990) noted dissociative symptoms in women in strip club prostitution. Belton (1998) reported that depression as well as dissociative disorders were common among prostituted women. It is clear that women in prostitution suffer from psychological trauma which affects their functioning.Other than dissociation,drug use an emotional vulnerability women in prostitution suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Symptoms are anxiety, depression, insomnia, irritability, flashbacks, emotional numbing, and hyperalertness. Farley et al., (1998) interviewed 475 prostituted people in 5 countries (South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, USA, and Zambia) and found that 67% met diagnostic criteria for PTSD, suggesting that the traumatic sequelae of prostitution were similar across different cultures. The violence of prostitution, the constant humiliation, the social indignity and misogyny result in personality changes which have been described by Herman (1992) as complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). Symptoms of CPTSD include changes in consciousness and self-concept, changes in the ability to regulate emotions, changes in systems of meaning, such as loss of faith, and an unremitting sense of despair. Once out of prostitution, 76% of a group of women interviewed by Parriott (1994) reported that they had great difficulty with intimate relationships. Not only were sexual feelings destroyed in prostitution, but the emotional part of the self was eroded. (Hoigard Finstad,1986; Giobbe, 1991, 1992) One of the longer-lasting effects of CPTSD involves changes in relations with other people, including changes in perception of the perpetrator of abuse. Previous research on women who engaged in prostitution has found a high rate of drug abuse among this population (Kuhns, Heide, Silverman, 1992; El-Bassel et al., 1997; Nadon, Koverola, Schludermann, 1998; Potterat,)The need for drugs, both physical and emotional, often overpowers prostitutes aversion toward the degrading aspects of their occupation (Weeks et al., 1998). In another study, El-Bassel and colleagues (1997) found that drug-using prostitutes scored higher than drug-using non-prostitutes from the same community on several measures of psychological distress, such as depression, anxiety, and paranoid ideation, and suggested that psychological distress among prostitutes was brought about by the dangerous and degrading circumstances surrounding their work. Researchers found that the women who were prostituting were more likely to report using drugs to increase their feelings of confidence, sense of control, and feelings of closeness to others and to decrease their feelings of guilt and sexual distress. (Young,A,M et al 2000). Furthermore the researchers found that the subservient, humiliating nature of prostitution suggests that these women would tend to feel less confident and in control while working, and would wish to regain these feelings, and the ability to feel close to others, after being sexually involved with a stranger or strangers. Other studies have found that women engaged in prostitution use drugs and alcohol to feel more confident on the job, more calm and able to suppress negative feelings, and more relaxed and sociable (Gossop et al., 1994; Silbert et al 1982; Feucht, 1993). The evidence is clear and alarming, Psychological distress is an inevitable result of prostitution and is more than likely to inte

Sanofi-Aventis Business Strategy

Sanofi-Aventis Business Strategy Question 1 Introduction According to analysts, the pharmaceutical industry is changing rapidly and undergoing a shift. Sanofi-Aventis are therefore changing its strategy to help transform itself from a Europe/US-centred pharmaceutical company to a global diversified healthcare company. These changes include a change in its products, markets, top management and its capabilities. This essay aims to discuss the environment within which Sanofi-Aventis is operating, identifying the reasons why the company need to change its strategy and how it will achieve this. Harrigan (1980) and DAveni (1989) showed that when performance is declining or poor, organisations tend to principally alter their activities. This is the case with Sanofi-Aventis, it is running like a French national treasure and performance is declining in the rapidly changing pharmaceutical industry. The Strategic Position of Sanofi-Aventis Porters five forces framework (1980) can help to identify the attractiveness of an industry for a firm by drawing attention to the external pressures it may face. Figure 1 shows that buyers in the industry have a low bargaining power. The major consumers of the industry include doctors, hospitals, patients and pharmacists. Buyer power is dependent on factors such as the number of buyers, switching costs and buyer competition threat. The industry has many buyers and the competition usually takes place between them. Thus the power of buyers in terms of the number of buyers is reasonably small. However buyers are able to choose from other similar products. To avoid this problem organisations within the industry usually spend most of their research and development on new patent drugs to keep up competition. The suppliers within the industry have a certain level of power but it is not such a high threat. The suppliers could include providers of raw materials and intermediates, the manufac turing and production plants and labour. The suppliers provide different levels of threat and cannot easily be changed in this industry, even if suppliers refuse to supply. Thus there are high switching costs for companies within this industry. However, the threat from suppliers in this industry is not much bigger than that in other industries. In the pharmaceutical industry, there is a high barrier to entry. This is due to the high costs which are required to enter the industry. There are high RD costs because the research and development of new drugs is time consuming and costly. There is also heavy regulation of the industry where drugs need to be approved, as well as patent restrictions. Patents are a high barrier for organisations who are trying to enter the market. Organisations already existing within this market have already established a strong brand name with loyal customers and have a large budget to spend on marketing to continuously support their brand. New companies th erefore find it difficult to build up a brand name. The main substitutes for products in the pharmaceutical industry are generic brands of medication. The price of brand name medicines is kept competitive with generic brands. However, there is not always a generic medicine available as a substitute due to patents. Other substitutes include methods such as Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, hypnosis, diet-based therapies, chiropractic care and Reiki. In terms of competition, the industry is very competitive. With high RD cost, strict government regulations and extremely competitive products in the market, companies are constantly trying to release the next best product so that they can stay ahead. Advances in technology are also another factor affecting competition because it opens new avenues for research. Companies are dependent on the long run success of their ideas which puts a lot of pressure on them to find drugs which have high pay-offs. It is common for firms in the indu stry to merge together to gain competitive strength so that it can take on the leaders of the industry. In this industry the competition is such that only the strongest firms will survive. By analysing the five forces for this industry, it can help to determine what problems Sanofi-Aventis may incur. The barrier to entry into the industry will be high which works in the favour of Sanofi-Aventis. In terms of buyers and suppliers, these are low. The substitutes are also fairly low until the patents expire between 2009 and 2013. The power of substitutes will then increase along with rivalry and the bargaining power of buyers as buyers will switch to generic drugs. This will result in a reduction of costs of the drugs and profitability. In terms of PESTEL analysis, this legal factor of the patents is a key driver for change because it is enforcing a threat on the company. Companies within this industry have opted for mega-mergers. This could be another threat to the company as these companies have more competitive strength. Sanofi-Aventis need to overcome these problems by differentiating its products and the company itself for the existing markets as well as for new marke ts. This suggests that a transformation of the companys strategy is required for them to exist in the changing industry which will align them with the changing environment. The company have already a #1 position in emerging markets, so they have an opportunity to exploit this in order to overcome some of these threats and gain a sustainable competitive advantage. The company also need to take into account the other main influences on its strategy. These influences can help determine what threats the company has and how the strategy should be changed so that it can overcome some of these issues. The culture of the company can have a major impact because the company can be confined by that culture making it difficult to change outside the bounds of it. Sanofi-Aventis was being run like a French national treasure. This shows that the company is too rigid and too traditional. Johnson (1992) suggests that changes going on within or without the organisation will affect organisational performance. However, even if managers, as individuals, perceive such changes they may not necessarily acknowledge them as impinging on the strategy or performance of the organisation. Sanofi-Aventis had this problem as the management had acknowledged that the environment was changing but were not changing its strategy greatly to be in line with this. To rise above thi s issue the company have brought in a non-french manager Christopher A. Viehbacher, which has helped to show analysts and investors that the company will not be run like a French national treasure and that the company have changed their attitude. This suggests that the company will not be based on its past ways of doing things and the lessons learnt from the evolving environment of the organisation, as this has not been successful in the rapidly changing pharmaceutical industry. This shows that Sanofi-Aventis have tried to change its culture so that it avoids the problem of strategic drift resulting from focusing on the existing culture when dealing with the changing environment. This is a change in the companys power structure. The company have also changed its organisational structure by changing the management team and by creating customer-focused teams. Looking at Johnsons (1987) cultural web, it can be seen that the company are changing two factors (Appendix 1), which will help Sanofi-Aventis to transform its strategy more easily. The strategic capabilities of the company provide a view of the internal influences on strategic choices for the future. The competences and resources which are distinctive or superior relative to those of rivals may become the basis for competitive advantage if they are matched appropriately to environmental opportunities (Andrews, 1971; Thompson and Strickland, 1990). In terms of Sanofi-Aventis, the threshold level has changed over time and so the company need to invest in its resource base so that it can stay in this industry and gain a competitive advantage. They have an opportunity to exploit its #1 position in emerging markets, so they are creating new strategic capabilities to achieve this by having a better position in emerging markets, adapting its RD efforts to new regulatory and economic constraints and making disciplined decisions about how the company should grow and through what activities for example diversifying into vaccines, OTCs and biologics and not to opt in mega -mergers like all the other companies within the industry. Instead they are going ahead with bolt-on acquisitions as this will add more value to the company. This shows that Sanofi-Aventis have acknowledged that for them to survive they need to differentiate itself from other organisations within the industry and this can be achieved by exploiting its opportunities. The stakeholders play an important role as the strategy of the company needs to take into consideration their interests. Sanofi-Aventis have failed to do this, which has resulted in investors reducing their stake in the company. Sanofi-Aventis need to adapt its strategy so that it takes into consideration the interests of its stakeholders. However the companys stakeholders are changing as they enter into new partnerships and change its management team. These stakeholders will be focused on the external stakeholders (the customers) and so the company need to fulfil the customers needs in order to take into consideration the internal stakeholders interests. The strategic choices and actions Sanofi-Aventis are taking Sanofi-Aventis are responding to these pressures by making choices about the companys future. At a corporate level, Sanofi-Aventis are launching new products such as vaccines, OTCs, diabetes drugs and branded generics and offering them to emerging markets as well as existing markets. This in terms of Ansoffs Matrix (1957) can be seen as diversification at an international level and product development at a national level (Appendix 2). Although the company is providing the existing market with new products such as vaccines to give them a pre-eminent position, major rivals such as Novartis, GSK and Pfizer are closing the gap. Sanofi-Aventis therefore need to continue to focus on the RD of its products to sustain this position. By producing new drugs, the company are trying to fulfil its external stakeholders needs, which in turn takes into consideration the internal stakeholders. At a business level, Porter (1985) provides a framework of generic strategies and suggests that they are distinct mutually exclusive alternatives. However the idea that the generic strategies are mutually exclusive has been criticized (Hill, 1988; Murray, 1988), and studies have shown that mixed or hybrid strategies may be profitable (Miller Dess, 1993). By looking at Bowmans strategy clock (1996), it can be seen that the company are going against Porter and are taking up a hybrid strategy in its existing markets which involves having a low cost base and differentiating its products (Appendix 3). They are trying to develop products that are better than that of its competitors by posing the question ‘why is the drug better than what theyve already got? If this question cannot be answered then the product does not add any extra value for the customer compared to its competitors products and the product does not become a part of the companys product portfolio. In new markets that have fewer economic resources the company are taking up a low frills strategy which involves producing cheap goods with low added value. In terms of Porters generic strategies, the choice of taking up a hybrid strategy can be seen as a differentiation strategy as well as a cost leadership strategy (Appendix 4). By differentiating its products, the company are trying to produce goods which its customers will value so that it can overcome the threat that is enforced from the patent expiries. The way in which differentiation is achieved can be seen by Porters (1985) value chain (Appendix 5). Value is built on the activities that are a part of creating the product, whilst sometimes reducing costs in these activities. For example, the company are trying to achieve this by restructuring its RD as it was costly and unproductive and reduce its operating costs. This makes the product unique compared to those of competitors. These value added products can be charged at premium prices to help achieve higher profitability. This will help make up for the loss of revenues from the patent expiries. The company have chosen to pursue its strategy through organic development, which has also led to the decision of pursuing its strategy through acquisitions. The company are strengthening its capabilities, one of which is the ability to make effective decision which has therefore led to the company taking on acquisitions. The reason behind these choices is because it will allow the company to add value to its products. These are carefully thought out decisions that the company are undertaking so that they have a competitive advantage. When observing how Sanofi-Aventis are changing its strategy to help it to become a global diversified healthcare company, it can be seen that the strategy is an intended one. This is because Viehbacher entered the company having ideas about how the strategy would be changed. The design lens can be used to explain this strategy because Viehbacher has been in charge of making all the strategic decisions, ‘Dehecq, who had long been considered as the driving force behind Sanofi-Aventis, was conspicuous by his absence at these meets. This led to analysts opining that Viehbacher was in sole charge of strategy. The change that the company are seeing is a result of implementing the planned strategy that Viehbacher had when he joined the company. Conclusion Sanofi-Aventis are under-going a transformational change in a short period of time. They have been able to achieve this by first considering the influences on the companys strategy such as its environment, its culture, its strategic capabilities and its stakeholders. These create opportunities and threats for the company and so by looking at these the company have been able to make strategic choices to help them to decide which direction to move their strategy towards and the methods by which this is to be done to help them to overcome some of the problems that they are facing. Question 2 Introduction In the future, the company needs to create a more sustainable growth. Sanofi-Aventis are changing its strategy to deal with the market pressures and demands while focusing on its main activities and developing strategic capabilities. The company need to utilise its resources and competences in such a way so that it can sustain growth and gain a competitive advantage over other key players in the pharmaceutical industry. Viehbacher was aware of this when he first joined the company and questioned ‘How can we change the model? How can we create more sustainable growth? For Viehbacher to be successful in achieving this he had to first identify the resources and competencies the company would need to grow and then decide how these would be developed and utilised efficiently. The resource-based model states that the competitive advantage and superior performance of an organisation is explained by the distinctiveness of its capabilities. Peteraf (1993) explains that the resource-based model can help to understand the long-lasting differences in the profitability of the firm, which cannot be attributed to variations in industry conditions. Wernerfelt (1984) states the model shows that the competitive advantage of a firm lies primarily in the application of the bundle of valuable resources at the firms disposal. Barney (1991) suggests that the resources have to be valuable, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable because then the competitors will not be able to mimic the companys strategy. This can help to explain the heterogeneity or firm-level differences among companies that allow them to sustain competitive advantage. Sanofi-Aventis is in the exploration stage and so during the transformation they are experimenting with new alternatives that will help the company to gain this competitive advantage. One of the major reasons why the company have to do this is because the main resource that they rely on; the patents, are soon to expire. Also in an emerging market the company needs better, more refined resources to compete with. Johnson et al (2008) suggest that for a company to have strategic capabilities and competitive advantage they need to have the necessary resources and threshold competences, which competitors may have or can easily imitate, as well as unique resources and core competences which are better than the competitors or difficult for the competitors to imitate (appendix 6). Viehbacher became CEO of Sanofi-Aventis in December 2008. The experience of working at GSK for 20 years and the knowledge that he has brought to the company is unique and difficult for competitors to gain. His way of thinking and style of leadership is helping the company to transform itself because it varies from the companys old leadership which was like a French national treasure. Thus it can be seen that Viehbacher is developing a new culture for the company by changing the power structure. This will allow any new CEO joining the company, if Viehbacher leaves, to be able to continuously align the companys strategy wit h the changing environment through incremental change by building on the familiar. The company will also be able to develop dynamic capabilities if the environments changes which is mostly likely to be the case. The rapid changes in the industry have meant that for Sanofi-Aventis to be a more competitive organisation, a change in the companys structure is needed. Thus Viehbacher has put a new team in place after joining the company. Only Jean-Francois Dehecq remains chairman and two of the top management team, namely, Marc Cluzel (head of RD) and Hanspeter Spek (head of pharma operations) continue to hold their positions. Laurence Debroux has been promoted as chief strategic officer (in charge of MAs) and Jean-Pierre Lehner as chief medical officer (in charge of drug safety). Elias Zerhouni has been brought in as scientific advisor, Jerome Contamine as the CFO and Paul Chew as chief medical/science officer. By making this change in structure, Viehbacher is further developing the culture of the organisation. His team together have the knowledge and expertise in different areas, which will allow the company to grow as they will be adding value to the different activities of the company. With a stronger management team, the companys future can be and will continue to be shaped allowing it to be more customer orientated. However the team will need to bring new ideas to the company in order for this to happen. The company were the thirds largest pharmaceutical company as of 2009 but it had a costly and unproductive RD pipeline. The transformation of the companys strategy entails restructuring the RD organisation so that it is productive and in sync with patients needs. The company are changing to a company that is based on biotech and specialist-driven therapies research. The RD of the company is a core competence that Viehbacher is creating. It is helping the company to meet the demands of the rapidly changing pharmaceutical environment by shifting its efforts to new regulatory and economic constraints. By moving away from blockbuster drugs, the company can concentrate on medicines that add value for the customers. It is important for Sanofi-Aventis to keep the customers in mind as they will have a major effect on the success of the business. By meeting their needs, the company can create customer loyalty which will provide the company with a steady income. The new approach to RD is allow ing the company to enter into new partnerships to boost its base business. This is an opportunity for the company to try to overcome to some extent the threats that will occur from the patents expiring. These threats include the increase in substitutes and rivalry. If they can achieve this through their new RD approach, this will help the company to achieve growth in the future. Viehbacher was quick to note that Sanofi-Aventis was the #1 pharmaceutical company in emerging markets. This is because they have the ability to make efficient and effective decisions, as well as being able to move quick, ‘everybody says they want to go there, but were already there. Were in business while other companies are still trying to find their way from the airport to the hotel. This is a core competence that the company has, thus as new markets emerge in the future the company need to uphold this status. This is possible for the company to accomplish if they continue to focus on global public health issues and not the traditional markets that are becoming saturated. They also need to continue to act fast as they have done when moving into emerging markets such as Africa, India and China. The market the company was catering to was diverse, so they are moving towards branded generics, consumer healthcare and vaccines to create the basis for more sustainable growth. Viehb acher pointed out that the company was in a strong financial position generating à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬4 billion in cash each year. This capital can be used to invest in RD, which will help the company to grow and strengthen its position in emerging markets as it finds new healthcare businesses and products to diversify into. Using the companys finance, respectable reputation and ability to expand into emerging markets, it will allow the company to compensate from the patent expiries of its top-selling drugs and make larger capital gains in the future. Sanofi-Aventis have the ability to make logical decisions with the help of their CEO. For example they have decided not to be part of any mega-mergers as this would sap the organisations creativity and productivity. By opting for a mega-merger, the company would not be adding to shareholder value, so Viehbacher felt it was not necessary to do so. The capability to make these decisions has come from Viehbachers experience where he has been a part of two mega-mergers in the past. Instead of the mega-mergers Viehbacher has decided to go ahead with bolt-on acquisitions. The five acquisitions the company have taken up has given the company opportunities to tap markets such as the Central and Eastern markets, boost its presences in countries and the OTC business and provided it with a launching pad for the Asia-Pacific region. It has also given a push to its vaccines segment. These acquisitions are helping to fuel its growth in emerging markets whilst reducing its risk profile. In the futu re, the company need to maintain making disciplined decisions about the acquisitions that it takes on, only investing in those that add value. The company should be able to maintain this because Sanofi-Synthà ©labo acquired Aventis and both companies had a history of mergers and acquisitions. By taking on acquisitions, the company can also increase its customer base quicker than with mergers because the company can take on more than one acquisition at a time. Conclusion Sanofi-Aventis are carefully designing their strategy to allow them to have a competitive advantage. They are creating core competences and resources to aid them to survive and compete in the emerging pharmaceutical market. The resource-based model has facilitated the understanding of how Sanofi-Aventis is able to enter the new market and how it can in the future strengthen its position in this market. It is possible for the company to have sustainable growth and a competitive advantage, but they need to utilise its resources successfully in order to achieve this. However if in the future the needs of the environment change, Sanofi-Aventis will need dynamic capabilities to achieve a competitive advantage. Although Viehbacher is creating resources and core competences when transforming the companys strategy, these may need to be renewed and recreated because in more dynamic conditions competitive advantage is achieved when there is a capacity for change, learning and innovation.

Should Napoleon Bonaparte Be Considered A Hero? :: European Europe History

Should Napoleon Bonaparte Be Considered A Hero? What is a hero? A hero can be defined as a common man who rises to greatness on the basis of sheer talent. Should Napoleon Bonaparte be considered as a hero? Many would argue that Napoleon is a hero as his heroic nature provided France with the institutions and sense of national identity they needed. Others would argue Napoleon is not a hero, as his use of propaganda made the French public believe he was their savior. I believe Napoleon Bonaparte was a hero, as his many accomplishments modified the French society and ultimately the civilized world. Not only did he better France through his domestic policy, he also expanded the territory of France with many battles won through strategic warfare. He as well gave the citizens of France the sense of national identity and pride they needed. Napoleon's domestic policy, "was his greatest legacy to France" (Mitchner, pg 57). His domestic policies had such an immense impact on the way of life in France that they are used today in the civilized world. Through his domestic policy, Napoleon created the Bank of France. By creating the Bank of France Napoleon stabilized the French economy where the previous leaders of France had failed and made the franc the highest currency in all of Europe. Napoleon claimed "Equality must be the first element in education" (Mitchner, pg 59). This was the basis of the educating system Napoleon strived for. The Education reforms which Napoleon introduced in 1802 called lycees allowed this equality to occur and enhanced the way of learning for all of the citizens. Finally the serious rift with the Roman Catholic Church (which was created during the French revolution) was healed when The Concordat was introduced by Napoleon. Mending the rift between the Church and State allowed freedom of religion and rejuvenated the beliefs within the people of France. This contribution to France ended in French domestic tranquility. Napoleon was not only a great leader, he also was a military genius. As a military genius, Napoleon won many battles to expand France and was always welcomed back to France as a hero. His use of strategic warfare throughout many battles allowed him to be seen as a hero not only in France but all of Europe. Although his army was outnumbered by the Russians and Austrians in December 2, 1805, Napoleon' brilliant strategies resulted in a defeat of the opposing armies in the Battle of Austerlitz.

Lord Of The Flies: Flames Of Determination :: essays research papers

Being a part of a group of children having to adapt after being trapped on a island with no surrounding civilization is an unimaginable situation. However, William Golding shows just how terrifying it can be in his novel, Lord Of The Flies, by his use of symbols to represent hardships. The main symbols, which best portrays characteristics are the fire and the conch; symbols leadership and confidence. Ralph feels the need to create a better place as he attempts to get everyone home. Although he is demanding, Ralph shows that he has good ideas and can enforce what he thinks should happen: "Shut up," said Ralph absently. He lifted the conch. "Seem to me we ought to have a chief to decide things," (Golding, 22)." His forcefulness gains respect and a confident response from the others. "Ralph smiled and held up the conch for silence," (Golding, 23)." The conch is mentioned and revered as one of the symbols of such power. As Ralph blows the conch, the others draw nearer, compelled to follow: "By the time Ralph had finished blowing the conch the platform was crowded," (Golding32). Piggy, however, was aware of the conch first, but Ralph was credited with its discovery and use. When it was first found, Ralph thought it was a stone in the water but Piggy saw it as the shell and explained what he knew about it: "A stone." "No. A shell." Suddenly Piggy was a-bubble with decorous excitement. "S'right. It's a shell! I seen one like that before. On someone's back wall. A conch he called it. The shell emits a deep harsh note boomed. Ralph was amazed at the sound. "Gosh!" (Golding, 17) The sheer importance of the discovery of the conch, in addition to its appealing sound, it symbolizes the unity of everyone. Ralph, again, shows his leadership abilities as he recognizes the use of the conch, "Conch?" "That's what this shell's called. I'll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he's speaking," (Golding, 33). This designation shows the beginnings of organization and sharpening skills of the children. Another symbol of strength and command is the fire. Enforcing the rules proves to be a difficult task, but the children would rather play than keep the fire going. Ralph gives the idea for the fire, but it seems to be a formidable task: There's another thing.

Nivea for Men: Developing a Marketing Plan Answer Sheet Essay

1. What is the difference between product range and product mix? The product range are the different types of products from one particular category e.g. drinks orange, lemonade, raspberry, whereas product mix are the different categories of product that are sold e.g. drinks, sandwiches, fruit etc 2. How would the increase in marketing awareness affect Nivea s day to day operations? More staff, more sales, more products needed, extra deliveries, more staff, more room for storage. 3. Why is the FHM Grooming Award a good thing for Nivea? FHM has a large readership level, the majority of readers care about their appearance and therefore Nivea may benefit from extra sales due to its recognition of enhancing appearance. 4. Why is it important for Nivea to identify a market segment? It can develop strategies for specific people, save money and have a higher success rate. 5. Above-the-line and Below-the-line promotion are prominent with Nivea. Why is this important? So that Nivea can get their message across to the masses through the various media and also build affinity and relationships with it customers and potential customers. 6. What was the male skincare products market worth in 2008? Male skincare products were worth  £117m 7. In 1998 annual sales of skincare products were worth  £68m. In 2008 they are now worth  £117m. What is the percentage increase in annual sales? 172% (117 / 68) X 100 8. What is the percentage increase in male facial products?  £7.3m to  £49m = 49/ 7.3 X100 = 671% 9. Why are marketing plans used? A marketing plan is used to identify, anticipate and satisfy consumers need. If a marketing plan is used, the business will know what the consumer wants, and will sell appropriate products which will increase revenue for the business. 10. Give 2 marketing aims that Nivea may want to achieve? Increase the sales of male skincare products in the UK. Develop its range of products for the UK market. 11. Using the case study, highlight how the SWOT analysis could  be used for Nivea. Nivea could use the SWOT analysis in order to assess its Strengths and Weaknesses within the business. This would allow management to address its weaknesses and exploit its strengths. This would be the opinions of the management and staff. It could also assess the Opportunities and Threats in terms of where the market is going with skincare for men and exploit it. They would also be aware of potential threats in terms of competition, laws and attitudes. 12. How has Nivea used promotion to enhance the awareness of the brand? Nivea has used both Above the line and Below the line promotion using the media, sponsorship of sports teams and winning awards from target market magazines.

Occupational, safety, and security at work place

This boils to the fact that a rocker will perform his duties to the fullest only when he Is sure that even when an accident occurs he will be taken good care of. â€Å"One of the most important things that an employer should provide to his employees Is safety even at a low risk site† says Pushup Vela the human resource assistant at Prime Aluminum Ltd.Brief History of Safety and security is that one of the effects of the Europeans coming course of time it was discovered that it was absolutely necessary to safeguard the interest of both the employer and the employee, hence the introduction of the arioso means of regulating employer-employee relationship.Initially, it was thought that the employees were being made objects of servitude but in the long run it became apparent that this sort of relationship requires the incorporation of rules to avoid either party being cheated out rightly. Labor law which was fashioned to ameliorate the prevalent crisis engulfing the industry in Eng land at a time was adopted in Nigeria as a direct consequence of colonialism by the United Kingdom. 1. Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to seek and to find out whether there are challenges inherent in this area that a human resource manager faces in his day to day routine duties within the organization thereby suggesting possible solutions that sought to overcome some of the challenges and well as providing some recommendations for the organization and to discuss and understand how Prime Aluminum Ltd deals with their occupational safety, health and security policy and what process it uses to achieve the broad objective of getting the relationship between employee and the employer and based on Prime aluminum Ltd. . 3 Scope of the Study By working on the term paper, Vive been able to understand how the policy has been incorporated in the institution, the challenges faced in the human resource department in implementation of such a policy, the presentation of some of t he solutions as well as some of the recommendations Vive been able to come up in the course of my research. When I carried out this research, I experienced some scopes in the area of this report.Bearing in mind the acquaintance and time of the paper has been wide- ranging specifically within the revision challenges inherent in the area of occupational health, safety and security suggesting the possible solutions as this rear basically deals with the top management level and low management. Being a student of Human Resource Management class, I got a chance to work with the Assistant Head of Human Resource, Mrs†¦Pushup Villain, where I got a chance and experience to engage on a one on one interview where she took me through the occupational health, safety and security policy and processes and how it makes sure they achieve their goals in the organization. 2. 0 Focus on Organization 2. 1 About Prime Aluminum Ltd Prime Aluminum Ltd has over 40 years of experience in their team of s pecialists;Prime Aluminum Casements Limited (PACE) has built a reputation of providing high quality solutions for aluminum windows, doors, structural glazing, curtain walling, ceilings, partitioning, claddings, office fit-outs and external fade related requirements across all building sectors. It is located on Mambas road as well as Lemur road. Prime prides itself in accomplishments and finding high quality solutions for all aluminum windows, doors, structural glazing, curtain walling, requirements for clients in an equitable, environmentally friendly, socially responsible and economical manner.Improve working conditions that are necessary to ensure higher labor productivity, better quality work, healthier labor relations and compliance with quality standards. Health and safety in the workplace is no more a new thing or issue in organizations but it is still handled as a new topic in, Prime Aluminum of today all because of the way it is being practiced. However, there appears to be some gradual improvement in awareness and practice. This part of this research work is meant to examine and describe the law as it relates to health and safety at work 3. FindingsResearch Questions Analysis This part of the study presents the response of the HER of Prime aluminum on safety health and security policies distributed questionnaires and as obtained from the interview How do Security policy, health and safety help with strategic decision making? Pushup: Strategic decision making is all about risk management. Getting the right information on Security policy, health and safety improves the chances of success, and helps to prevent accidents – which every business needs to do because accidents are so costly, in all sorts of ways that many organizations do not realize before one occurs including Prime . He goal of the company is to focus on health of all the employees so as to get employers who are fit to do the Job. For example we had an employee who was injured where he was working in the site. He was a very potential employer but due to less safety we lost him. Thus we are now struggling to get one who did such a great Job which is costing us a lot. What is the perception of the employees on health and safety issues and policies? Pushup: This part of this research work is meant to examine and describe the law as it relates to health and safety at work.By law, employers have to protect employees' health, safety and welfare at work. They have to make sure the workplace is safe and without risk to health. As part of this duty, employers must: 1. Keep dust, fumes and noise under control 2. Make sure that plant and machinery are safe and regularly maintained, and that the systems used in the workplace are safe 3. Provide protective clothing where necessary 4. Report certain diseases and injuries to the relevant authority 5.Provide adequate first aid equipment and facilities At sites where heavy machinery are being used; it is certain that the level is higher cause of the mechanical movement of parts of such machinery and therefore for the employee that will be monitoring or operating such machinery will be exposed to accidents. In a case like this, it should be known that the level of safety that will be provided will be much more than that of a site where ordinary hand tools are been used.Based on the above, we now understand that the level of Safety and Health protection will be higher nowadays because of the rapid mechanization of the manufacturing industry and the accidents that may occur will definitely be more fatal elicits. Do health and safety career problems actually reach the top and directors? Pushup: Health and safety is one crucial element of the mix of skills, along with finance, marketing and human resources, for example. It is becoming increasingly important because this could cost the firm a lot. UT in most cases the top directors are hard to reach because they are normally out of own doing business and it get s difficult for the HER to focus both on the workers at the sites and at the office. But these problems are normally taken care of at the end of the day. Could you give some examples of the biggest safety risks being faced by leaders? Pushup: employees undoubtedly face their biggest risks while driving for work. There is a very personal effect on individual directors – a director can set an appropriate example – or an inappropriate one.For example, if they speed to reach yet another meeting, or if they work long hours and drive a long way home after exhausting meetings. Directors have the legal responsibility if things go wrong and police will prosecute if, for example, a driver falls asleep at the wheel because of an over-long working day. What can they do about it other than set an example? Pushup: One of Prime aluminum's key issues is the management of occupational road risk – driving for work – which is why we offer a full range of solutions which can be targeted at those deemed to be the highest risk.These range from consultancy to driver training, and also computer-based driver risk assessments, which can be the cheapest, but most effective, way to start. What comes after that? Pushup Consider again the director who is a keen motorcyclist – if he or she suffers an accident it could bring the business to its knees! From Prime aluminum's work with its key major award winners we know that one in five accidents occurs in the home or while at leisure, so if we can reduce those, then the negative cost that accidents cause the workplace can be greatly reduced as well. What sort of training is available to directors?Pushup: Because directors have limited time available they will often not be able to go on pre-scheduled safety training courses. Prime aluminum addresses this through two routes: Conferences, where directors can network and key new developments can be highlighted by top speakers such as leading personal injury arre sters and FETES 100 leading company case studies given by their chief executives Tailored consultancy and in-company safety training means that companies can have a day or two of intensive focus on health and safety which is exactly right for their business.All of these options make directors aware of their legal duties and responsibilities, as well as the savings they could make if safety is properly managed, and the positive benefits of doing it properly. 4. 0 Challenges and solutions at Prime Aluminum Ltd security of his employees. Health and safety form an integral part of work environment. A work environment should enhance the well -being of employees and thus should be accident free.The terms health, safety and security are closely related to each other. Health is the general state of well-being. It not only includes physical well-being, but also emotional and mental well-being. Safety refers to the act of protecting the physical well-being of an employee. It will include the risk of accidents caused due to machinery, fire or diseases. Security refers to protecting facilities and equipments from unauthorized access and protecting employees while they are on work.According to Folia, & et al (1993), asserted that a proper understanding of the various work situations in manufacturing, textile, mining, construction and other labor intensive industries reveal that workers are exposed to hazards. These include: physical contact with poisons, dust inhalation, exposure to organic and inorganic chemicals, extreme temperatures of hot or cold, accidents, injuries, falls, burns and scalds, other dangers and sudden death. However, the health and safety of the workers have been recognized as a fundamental human right.The need to foster a safe work environment, protect co-workers, family members, employers, customers, suppliers, nearby communities and other members f the public impacted by the workplace environment is the primary goal of all Occupational Health and Saf ety(OH)practice An integrated occupational health and safety policy is essential for developing a stable and productive work environment. The government has in recent time enacted laws regulating the labor market and it has also been revised to promote healthier labor relations, appropriate working conditions, equity in the workplace and improved skills.Improved working conditions are necessary to ensure higher labor productivity, better quality work, healthier Barbour relations and compliance with quality standards. The economic gains associated with occupational health and safety policy improvements include: a. Increased productivity and worker morale; b. Reduction of working time lost due to injury and disease; c. Reduced equipment down-time, reduced damages to materials and machinery, and savings in the costs of recruiting and training replacement employees; d. Reduction in transaction costs such as insurance costs and legal fees.Adequate occupational health and safety policy an d standards are required for a nation's continued integration into the world economy. International investors who subscribe to world- class occupational health and safety standards are reluctant to invest in markets in which local firms are able to compete unfairly through reduced occupational health and safety standards. Increasingly, African exporters particularly those who export to developed economies are being required to comply with international quality management standards.These standards require world-class performance in areas such as occupational health and safety policy, environmental protection and product safety A health and safety management system involves the introduction of processes designed to decrease the incidence of injury and illness in the employer's operation (Alberta, 2006). The successful implementation of this resources, and a high level of employee participation. The components of effective health and safety management system are briefly explained below : a.Management leadership and organizational commitment. For this system to be effective, management must show leadership and commitment to the program. To achieve this, management should put the organization's expectation around health and safety into writing by developing a health and safety policy. Employees who forms part of the health and safety committee, should be involved in writing the policy, and to be signed by senior operating officer, to indicate the commitment of management. B.