India and China: Are catch-up theories relevant? Essay

For many decades, Japan has been the dominant power in Asia. Since 1945, America with the help of its close ally, Japan has dominated Asia. The spectacular rise of China during the past two decades has the potential to change this status quo. During the past 6-7 years, with impressive economic growth, India also has emerged as a nation to reckon with. USA and Japan see a stronger India as a means to limit China’s freedom to maneuver in the region. In short, Asia is becoming an arena for balance of power politics. After more than a century of relative stagnation, the economies of India and China have been growing at remarkably high rates over the past 25 years. In 1820 the two countries contributed nearly half of the world’s income; starting from roughly equal levels of per capita real income in 1870, India forged ahead of China until the outbreak of the First World War. Though both experienced declines in their per capita incomes thereafter (China more so than India) by 1950, India’s per capita income was about 40% higher than that of China. During the same period, the industrialized West pulled away, India and China had a share of less than one-tenth of the world income. It took roughly the next three decades for China to catch up with India. Since 1980, China has forged much farther ahead. China and India were the star performers in aggregate GDP growth in the 1980s and 1990s. China’s average growth of 10. 6% per year during the 90s had slowed slightly since to 9. 4%. India on the other hand albeit much lower rate of 6% in the 90s has a slight improvement since to 6. 2% (see Exhibit 1). Today, India and China are in 154th and 121st positions in a listing of the 230-odd countries ranked by per capita GDP. But their share in world GDP is around 2% and 5% respectively thanks to their billion-plus populations . Two countries account for 37. 5 percent of world population and 6. 4 percent of the value of world output. India and China have sustainable growth rates 7% and 10% respectively whereas the developed countries (USA, Japan, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, and Canada) have only 2% even though they contribute nearly 66% of world GDP. Given the kind of dramatic growth relative to the rest of the world, it has become very fashionable to compare India and China and indulge in a bit of crystal ball gazing. The two countries with one third of the world’s population is not only dominating the world statistics but also attracting the due attention of everyone like policymakers, industrial corporate, and economists alike. Understandably, there is a great deal of interest in learning about what has enabled China and India to grow so rapidly while many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America have languished during the same period. Their growth already started showing its effect on global resources and if it continues as is expected for next two decades, it will have major implications on the world economy and hence for other countries. China’s economic reforms: During his tenure as China’s premier, Mao Zedong had encouraged social movements such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution which had had as their bases ideologies such as serving the people and maintaining the class struggle. However, two years after Mao’s death in 1976, Chinese leaders were searching for a solution to serious economic problems produced by these movements which left China in a state where agriculture is stagnant, industrial production was low, and the people’s living standards had not increased in twenty years. Communist Party leaders saw economic reform as a way to regain their and their party’s moral virtue and prestige which was eroded by the traumatic experience of the Cultural Revolution (Shirk, 1993). The initial reforms were not that radical in nature. The central government retained the dominant power in economic resource allocation and responsible local officials worked for the interest of the units under their control (Solinger, 1993). However, as time passed, some aspects of the old system were altered. In 1985, further reforms were introduced. The first part of Chinese economic reform involved implementing the household responsibility system in agriculture, by which farmers were able to retain surplus over individual plots of land rather than farming for the collective. Some commodities were freed from government controls so their prices could respond to market demand (Shirk, 1993). This allowed a great percentage of the populace to become involved in private enterprise and investment in family or group ventures. The conditions also allowed rural Chinese to leave the villages and become involved in industry in urban centers. The economy grew so quickly that inflation occurred and the government had to reinstitute price controls. China’s economy retains these characteristics of potential for growth–and inflation–to this day. Another important aspect of Chinese economic reform was the decision of China to join the world economy. Deng Xiaoping and his allies hoped to affect this 1979 resolution in two ways: by expanding foreign trade, and by encouraging foreign companies to invest in Chinese enterprises. The Open Policy, which designated limited areas in China â€Å"as places with preferential conditions for foreign investment and bases for the development of exports† (Nathan, 1990), was extremely successful in the areas where it was implemented. The implementation of the Open Policy was so successful that by 1988 the leaders of the CCP were encouraged to create a new program called the â€Å"coastal development strategy. † In this program, even more of the country was opened up to foreign investment-an area which, at the time, included nearly 200 million people. Moreover, by involving more overseas investors, â€Å"importing both capital and raw materials,† and â€Å"exporting China’s cheap excess labor power,† the new policy was one of â€Å"export-led growth or export-oriented industrialization†. It was explicitly modeled on the experiences of Taiwan and the other Asian ‘small dragons’ (Nathan, 1990). China took another step in the late 1990s and early 2000s, by the closing of unprofitable state-owned factories and the development of social security systems.

Organisation Study

INTRODUCTION The Organization Study undertaken as a part of the curriculum has completed at Handicraft Development Corporation in Trivandrum. This study provides the opportunity to expose the student to an organization and its operational conditions. This study also aims at having a better understanding of various departments and its function. Organization study helps to know overall functions of a concern. This is a detailed study of the organization, product profile, service profile, organizational hierarchy, various departments and their functions.This study proved to be fruitful by familiarizing us to the organization and at the same time it also helped us to create practical awareness. The Handicraft Development Corporation is to be selected for undergoing the organizational study for the following reasons: †¢Trivandrum Handicraft Development Corporation is the head office. †¢In this organization has goodwill in general public. †¢Handicrafts have a major role in T ourism Sector. 1. 2 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY †¢To understand the flow of authority and responsibility in the different departments of the organization. To assess the overall efforts adopted by the company in order to satisfy the consumer demand. †¢Find out the overall services of the organization to the customers. 1. 3 METHODOLOGY Primary data was collected by conducting formal and informal interviews with the employees and by observation. Secondary data was collected through the company documents, magazines, books and by the use of internet. 1. 4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY The study is intended to attain a firsthand experience of the overall running of an organization.A detailed analysis of each of the activity performed by the departments is beyond the scope of the study. It also provides a chance to see the practical constrains faced by the managers while putting theory in to practical. 1. 5 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY †¢Time was Insufficient to the completion of the project. â € ¢It has chances of guarded and biased response from the reliable source. †¢Busy time schedule of the employees. 1. 6 CHAPTERS Chapter 1: Introduction Introduction chapter contains the objective, methodology, scope of the study, limitation of the organization study and cauterization. Chapter 2: Industry Profile In this chapter includes industry profile of Handicraft Development in india. Chapter 3: Company Profile Company profile includes the complete profile of the organization. Strategic indent and also innovative products are included. Chapter 4: Organization Structure Chapter 5: Analysis Objective wise Detailed and complete analysis is to be included in this chapter. This chapter mainly analysis secondary data has been collected. Chapter 6: SWOT Analysis In this chapter includes the findings from the analysis and give proper suggestions for recovering the find problems.Proper solutions are given for the findings and concluded with the solutions. Chapter 7: Findings, conc lusion and suggestions INDUSTRIAL PROFILE Handicrafts industry is a major area of employment generation in the State. Coconut Shell carving, straw picture making, cane work, bamboo and reed weaving, ivory carving, bell metal casting, screw pine and mat weaving are the major handicrafts in the State. Handicrafts Development Corporation and Artisans Development Corporation are the major promotional agencies of the industry.The Handicrafts Development Corporation is procuring and marketing handicraft products through its 19 Kairali emporia spread all over India. Kerala's traditional handicrafts varieties are a class of its own. The artisans of Kerala carve in wood, design in jewellery and makes idols in metal. The gifted artisans makes beautiful idols of Lord Krishna, Ganesh, Goddess Saraswathi, Lakshmi etc. in sandal wood ,elephants in rose wood and other art works in varieties of other woods. The life size models of Kathakali and the models depicting boat race of Kerala are Kerala's own master pieces.The idols of Lord Nataraja in dancing pose and the various lamps (vilakku) which are very essential for every ceremony of malayalees. Aranmula kannadi is another traditional art work in bell metal. The artisans of Kerala are at their best in making screwpine woven articles, beautiful lamp shades and other articles from bamboo reeds. A variety of products ranging from buttons to flower vase out of coconut shell. Kora mats are very popular and are used for prayer and sleep. Articles made out of buffalo horn and Kathakali masks, straw pictures etcare some of the popular items of Kerala.Handicrafts based on various kinds of wood, coconut, palm etc. are major attractions. The State agencies for the development of handicrafts industry include Handicrafts Co-operative Apex Society, Artisans Development Corporation, Bamboo Corporation and Handicrafts Development Corporation. 2. 1 HANDICRAFT INDUSTRY Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes al so called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools.It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means of making goods. The individual artisanship of the items is a paramount criterion; such items often have cultural and/or religious significance. Items made by mass production or machines are not handicraft goods. Usually, what distinguishes the term handicraft from the frequently used category arts and crafts is a matter of intent: handicraft items are intended to be used, worn, etc, having a purpose beyond simple decoration.Handicraft goods are generally considered more traditional work, in traditional non-industrial and transitional societies created as a somewhat more necessary part of daily life, while arts and crafts implies more of a hobby pursuit and a demonstration/perfection of a creative technique. In Britain in the late nineteenth century, however, the Arts and Crafts Movement was not a matter of hobbies, but of creating useful as well as creative work for people, using natural materials and traditional techniques. In practical terms, the categories have a great deal of overlap. . 2 HANDICRAFTS IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT The history of handicrafts in areas generally now comprising India and Pakistan is an old saga. To peep in to the traces of Indian handicrafts we need to go back almost 5000 years. The first references to handicrafts in the Indian subcontinent can be found from the Indus Valley Civilization (3000 BC-1700 BC). The craft tradition in India has revolved around religious beliefs, local needs of the commoners, as well as the special needs of the patrons and royalty, along with an eye for foreign and domestic trade.These craft traditions have withstood the ravages of time and numerous foreign invasions and continue to flourish till date owing to the assimilative nature of Indian culture and broadmindedness of the handi craftsmen to accept and use new ideas. The Indus valley civilization had a rich craft tradition as well as a high degree of technical excellence in the field of pottery making, sculpture (metal, stone and terracotta), jewelry, weaving, etc. A lot of material information from excavations at Harappa, Mohen-jo-daro, etc. substantiates the craft tradition of the Indus valley civilization.The craftsmen not only catered to all the local needs but surplus items were sent to ancient Arabian cultures via ancient sea routes. Handicraft is the art of creating products using raw and indigenous materials. It develops the skills and creative interests of students towards a particular craft or trade. The basic training provided in a specific craft prepares the students to become competent craftsmen and artists who can contribute to the establishment of cottage industries, thus contributing to the economic growth of the country. 2. 2. 1 STATE EMPIRESThe concept of state was ushered by the rise of t he Mauryan Empire in the 3rd century BC. It is said that during the time of Ashoka, 84,000 stupas were built in India, including the world famous Sanchi Stupa, which has beautiful stone carving and relief work done on it. Numerous sculptures from Bharhut, Mathura, Amravati, Vaishali, Sanchi, etc. show female figures adorned with an array of jewelry, which continues to inspire contemporary jewelry making. The iron pillars of Vaishali (Bihar) and Delhi, created during the time of Emperor Ashoka, are a marvel in the field of metallurgy. 2. 2. 2 POST MAURYAN AGEThe period between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD was a period of political turmoil as a result of foreign invasions from central Asia. The impact of these intrusions can be seen in the Buddhist sculptures from Taxila, Begram, Bamiyan, Swat valley, etc. which show a high degree of Greek influence. The depiction of Buddha, having curly hair and wearing draperies, until date is the result of this Greek influence. The scu lpture of the Kushan king Kanishka from this period depicting him wearing leather boots and a heavy warm coat amply reflects the influence of the central Asian Culture on Indian craftsmanship.Jewelry, sculpture, textile making, leather products, metal working, etc. were the main handicrafts that inherited these foreign influences and assimilated them in accordance with the Indian milieu. 2. 2. 3 GUPTA AGE The Gupta (AD 320-647) age is referred to as the classical period in Indian history. The points in the field of craft include the rock cut temples of Ellora and the Ajanta murals. These murals give us a realistic view of the lifestyle of that time. The craftsmen of this period, under royal patronage excelled in jewelry making, woodcarving, sculpture, stone carving and weaving. 2. . 4 MEDIEVAL INDIA The Medieval period of Indian history in the context of handicrafts showed a marked shift from north India to the Deccan and southern parts of the country, though the handicraftsmen unde r the Delhi Sultanate period flourished in the field of pottery, weaving, wood carving, metal working, jewelry, etc. The contribution of the Cholas and the Vijaynagar Empire in the field of bronze sculpture, silk weaving, jewelry, temple carving is beyond parallel. The fine example of stone carving from central India can be seen in the form of the Khajuraho Temples, built by the Chandelas.Rich and ornate wood and stone carving can be found in medieval temple of Jagannath at Puri in Orissa. 2. 3 LIST OF HANDICRAFT TRADES †¢Assemblage– collage in three dimensions †¢Beadwork ?Bone carving buffalo, camel, elephant bone carving. ?Cabinet making ?Chip carving †¢Collage possibly involving seeds, fabric, paper, photographs and/or found objects †¢Crochet †¢Embossed aluminum or silver †¢Gardening †¢Buffalo horn carving, Rhino horn carving. †¢Knitting †¢Lath art †¢Parquetry †¢Metalwork †¢Mosaic †¢Needlework †¢Pottery and Ceramics †¢Pressed flower craft — uses real flowers and leaves †¢Puppetry †¢Quilting – also reference Quilt and Art quilts Saddlemaking †¢Scale model †¢Sewing †¢Shoemaking †¢Spinning †¢Stained glass †¢Wood burning, carving, turning, working 2. 4 INDIAN HANDICRAFTS INDUSTRY India is one of the important suppliers of handicrafts to the world market. The Indian handicrafts industry is highly labour intensive cottage based industry and decentralized, being spread all over the country in rural and urban areas. Numerous artisans are engaged in crafts work on part-time basis. The industry provides employment to over six million artisans (including those in carpet trade), which include a large number of women and people belonging to the weaker sections of the society.In addition to the high potential for employment, the sector is economically important from the point of low capital investment, high ratio of value addition, and h igh potential for export and foreign exchange earnings for the country. Although exports of handicrafts appear to be sizeable, India’s share in world imports is miniscule. It is a sector that is still not completely explored from the point of view of hidden potential areas. India, a country with 28 states and 18 languages and more than 1500 dialects offers an enormous range of handicrafts from each of the states.Major centres in Uttar Pradesh are Moradabad also known as the â€Å"Peetalnagari† (City of Brass), Saharanpur for its wooden articles, Ferozabad for Glass. The North Western state of Rajasthan has to offer the famous Jaipuri quilts, Bagru and Sanganer printed textiles and wooden and wrought iron furniture from Jodhpur. The coastal state of Gujarat comes with embroidered articles from Kutch. Narsapur in Andhra Pradesh is famous for its Lace and Lace goods. But this is only a small part of the total product range. India offers much more. 2. 5 HANDICRAFTS CLASSIF ICATIONHandicrafts are classified into two categories: 1. Articles of everyday use 2. Decorative items The craftsmen use different media to express their originality. The diversity of the handicrafts is expressed on textiles, metals – precious and semi-precious, wood, precious and semi-precious stones, ceramic and glass. 2. 5. 1 TEXTILE BASED HANDICRAFTS: Hand printed textiles including block and screen printing, batik, kalamkari (hand printing by pen) and bandhani (tie and die) are used in products ranging from bed-covers to sheets, dress material to upholstery and tapestry.The famous embroidered articles of silk and cotton often embellished with mirrors, shells, beads, and metallic pieces are also found in India. Embroidery is done too on leather, felt and velvet etc. This segment of the industry accounts for almost half a million strong employment in addition to a large number of designers, block makers, weavers and packers involved in the trade. 2. 5. 2 CLAY, METAL AND JE WELLERY: Brass, copper, bronze, bell metals are used for a variety of wares and in a variety of finishes.Scintillating ornaments are available in a wide range of patterns, styles and compositions. Made from precious metals, base metals, precious and semi-precious stones; these ornaments have traditional as well as modern styles. 2. 5. 3 WOODWORK: Wooden articles in India range from the ornately carved to the absolutely simple. One can find toys, furniture, decorative articles, etc. bearing the art and individuality of the craftsman. India is known particularly for its lacquered wood articles. 2. 5. 4 STONE CRAFT: The intricately carved stoneware made of marble, alabaster or soapstone, etc. inlaid with semiprecious stones carry on the heritage of Indian stone crafts. 2. 5. 5 GLASS AND CERAMIC: Glass and ceramic products are a fast upcoming segment in the handicrafts from India. The age-old production process of mouth-blowing the glass instills a nostalgic feeling. The varied shapes o f ceramic and glass in a number of colours, would appeal to Western aesthetics while retaining the Indian touch. 2. 5. 6 CRAFT CONCENTRATION AREAS: A wide range of handicrafts are produced all over Indian artmetalware / EPNS ware, wood carvings and other wooden artwares, imitation jewellery, andprinted textiles, shawls as artwares, embroidered goods, lace and lace goods, toys, dolls, crafts made of leather, lacquerware, marble crafts etc. Although it is difficult to limit a specific place for the particular craft, the following places are listed for their particular crafts. Art metal ware:Moradabad, Sambhal, Aligarh, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Delhi, Rewari, Thanjavur, Madras, Mandap, Beedar, Kerala & Jagadhari, Jaselmer Wooden Art wares:Saharanpur, Nagina, Hoshiarpor, Srinagar, Amritsar, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jagdalpur, Bangalore, Mysore, Chennapatna, Madras, Kerala & Behrampur (WB)Hand printed Textiles & Scarves:Amroha, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Farrukhabad, Sagru & Sanganer Embroidered goods:Kutch (Guja rat), Jaisalmer, Baroda, Lucknow, Jodhpur, Agra, Amritsar, Kullu, Dharmshala / Chamba & Srinagar Marble & Soft Stone Crafts:Agra, Madras, Baster, Jodhpur Papier Mache Crafts:Kashmir, Jaipur Terracotta:Agra, Madras, Baster, Jodhpur Zari & Zari Goods:Rajasthan, Madras, Baster Imitation Jewelry::Delhi, Moradabad, Sambhal, Jaipur, Kohima (Tribal) Artistic Leather Goods:lndore, Kolhapur, Shanti Niketan (WB) Organisation Study CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT I have taken up this project work as a part of my degree in ‘Bachelor of Business Management Course, so to relate the theoretical studies with that of the practical work done in the organization. I have done my project work in the Calicut tile co. In 1879 the Calicut tile co. was incorporated and the circumstance leading to the information of the company is narrated under. The co. was started in 1878 at feroke; the town of clay industries. The founder of the co. was Mr. Soma Sundharan Chettiyar, the great millionaire from Ceylon.And then company was taken over by Mr. V. S. Nadarasa Mudhaliyar from Mr. Soma Sundhara chettiyar. In 1982 the present management takes the co. now there are 8 partners for the co. and mainly two partners are managing the co. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY * To study the general organizational functions and various department of the company. * To understand the growth of tile industry in India. * To study the production department and its performance. * To study the performance of the organization. * To suggest measures for the development of the CTCMETHODOLOGY A report on the descriptive study conducted at the calicut Tile co. , Feroke, Kozhikode is a project work that depends heavily on data collection particularly through observation the source of data are primary and secondary PRIMARY SOURCES * Observation * Consolation with the managers of various departments like production, HR etc. SECONDARY DATA * Report from various departments. * Report from other external magazines and internet. * Policy manuals. LIMITATION * The major constraint was the duration of the study was only 21 days. Couldn’t spend much time with top executives because of their busy schedule. * Due to absences and hesitation to talk openly by the employees it was difficult to collect accurate data. CHAPTER II INDUSTRIAL PROFILE INDUSTRIAL PROFILE Shelter is one of the basic requirements of man. C lay is one of the cheapest raw materials to satisfy this basic requirement of man. For a very long time man has been using clay for building purpose. Clay is basically an administrative mineral with an exclusive property of mould ability in the presence of water embankments etc.After reinforcement with straw, coir, fibers, bamboo, splinters, of woods sharing. It was rather accidental observation that clay when subjected to heating (firing) developed red color along with high strength and stability. Development of this process led to the production of clay products. In South India the German Basel Mission has performed a very important role in developing roofing tile industry or the Mangalore pattern roofing tiles. In the present scenario, roofing tiles have become a vital part of housing construction activity.By the end of 60’s most of the house used roofing tiles fur their houses. The last decade of the century however showed more interest towards concrete roofs and tile mar ket was down, however it again picked up business as decorative tile walls and floor tiles are in great demand now. The Latin word tegula and its French derivative tile mean quite precisely a roof tile of baked clay. The English tile is less precise, for it can in addition be used of any kind of earthenware slab applied to any surface of a building.The word ‘ceramics’ comes from the Greek word ‘keramos’ meaning pottery: it is related to an old Sanskrit root meaning to burn but was primarily used to mean ‘burnt stuff’ The demand for tile is thus improving when compared to the previous years; other clay products are also gaining importance in the market. However some of the tile manufacturing companies have reached saturation stage of its sales. They have to make changes in overall system of production and distribution to enhance the sales THE INDUSTRY IN KERALARoofing tile industry in India has an age of almost 150 years. In India Mangalore patt ern roofing tile factory was first established in the year 1865 by Basel Mission (German Missionaries) who copied the pattern of French tiles as in Marseilles. However first tile factory in Kerala was set up in the year 1844 by German Missionaries and it was named as â€Å"Common Wealth Trust Limited† or â€Å"COMTRUST†. Hundreds of factories came in to existence in South West cost of the country. Since then the industry has completed approximately one and quarter century of useful service to country.The numerous rivers and backwaters of Kerala provided cheap transport and so it is quite natural that a number of factories have opened at Kollam, Calicut, Trissur and alluva. Thus employment was generated. The abundance of clay was the other factor which contributed for rapid expansion of tile industry in this part of state A review of growth of tile industry in Kerala would suggest the following stages of development. These stages are * Period of First World War * Inter war period * The post second war period Towards the end of 19th century the pioneer factory at Kollam and Calicut was established.The pros iteration of tile factories, especially in Trissur may be considered as the second stage in the development of tile industry in Kerala. It’s considered that third stage is the period which small entrepreneurs became conscious of quality and started introducing machineries. This is partially due to the development of local engineering industry. As a result of mechanization could be implemented at a faster rate. The factories established in the first stage of the development in Calicut district was conceived of superior quality due to better technological process and uality control techniques The second stage of development witnessed a rapid growth in the number of tile factories mainly in trissur district. Local availability of quality clay and large managerial returns for the investment can be probable reasons for such a change. Their work ing started almost as a collage industry and not many changes has taken place as the time passed. The technological advancement that has taken place in the other industry has made no impact on the tile industry.The only forward step that have taken in the replacement of mechanical process is by replacing press, which they could increase the production capacity to 2 to 2. 5 times in an average. Even that change is yet to come in Kollam district. In a large number of units intermittent kilns are still use where high rate of fuel consumption is observed. In Trissur area majority of units have started on a small scale and number of chambers of kiln are limited. But subsequent introduction of revolving press has necessitated increasing the capacity and few more champers was added PROLEMS FACED BY CLAY INDUSTRYFor the last few decades the company has enjoyed a very inscriptive market in the country especially in the Southern states. In olden days industry was in Kerala and South Kerala, d istricts of Karnataka States. However conditions have completely different now. Tile factory have mushroomed through the country with much encouragement and support from the respective Government. The old traditional markets are fast dwindling and will soon disappear altogether in the very near future. Even manufacturing good clay-building material to cater to local markets is also having many problems.The company has to face keen completion from manufactures of concrete blocks and locally available. Late rite stones which are now mechanically cut and finished and are being sold at very low rate in the markets when compared to clay bricks. Apart from these, the main critical problems faced by the industry are the non-availability of good quality clays. Moreover there are environmental and ecological problems faced by tile industry and which are bound to de-stabilize the manufacturing operations consequently lead to loss of production in the year to come.Firewood, the fuel required f or the industry is also becoming scared with the present forest policy of the government and at present industry has to depend on plantation firewood like rub wood and other alternative fuels, for firing their kilns. The demand for roofing tile is steadily on the degrees because of the change in lifestyle of the people. While in olden days people used to construct houses by using timbers, the present tendency is to go for roofs. This has drastically affected the demand for Mangalore roofing tiles.If the industry is to survive man publicity has to be given for the products manufactured by the industry, enlightening the advantage of using Mangalore tiles over stopped concrete roofs which would have a good thermal insulation and also increase the life of these structures. While on the other hand, the industry is suffered with few problems relating to raw materials, environment etc. On the other hand there is likely to be a slump in the market for clay product brought out of industry. T he situation has to be analyzed and steps taken to meet the challenges, in light of these numerous problems being controlled by the tile industry.It is necessary that, government should take steps and try to solve the problems of this industry, which is one of the labor intensive industries in India CHAPTETR III COMPANY Profile COMPANY PROFILE| NAME| Calicut Tile Company| MANAGING PARTNER| Mr. MuhammadMr. M. A Abdhul Azeez| YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT| 1878| BANKERS| S. B. T Palayam| FINISHED PRODUCTS| Roofing tilesFlooring tilesBricksVentilator bricks| BRAND NAME| Queens Brand| MAIN MARKET| Tamil NaduKarnataka| NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES| Around 300| GENERAL MANAGER| K. M. Salman| The Calicut Tile Company is the pioneer of clay manufacturers in India.It is started way back in the year 1878. It’s still honored as the ‘first among the best of tiles company ’situated near the historical sea fort of Calicut at Feroke ,the companies name is indelibly printed in the industrial his tory of the company. CTC was founded by Mr. Somasundharam Chettiar a great millionaire from Ceylon. At first only roofing tiles were produced due to non-availability of better raw materials and machines. CTC was taken up by Mr. Nadaraja Mudhaliar. They constructed new building and purchased new machineries for producing more roofing tiles. The company becomes famous by the middle of 1970’s.Now the company is family owned partnership. The company was taken by the present owners in 1982. Providing a profitable as well as a beautiful alternative to concrete roofing, the company re-defined the aesthetic concepts about buildings, with its high quality classy QUEEN BRAND terracotta products unique in its stunning varieties of products. QUEEN BRAND is not just a brand name in the market but a trendsetter, leveraging the expertise earn through a legacy of more than 100 years experience. We have fetched big shares in Bahrain, UK, and Qatar markets apart from the domestic ones.The firs t company to bring a lot of innovative tile products, we the CTC has been a revolution through centuries. QUALITY STANDARDS CTC have been awarded the ISO certification recently by Moody International, an US based quality certification of great repute. A daring visionary behind the terracotta revolution, the company imparted geographical significance to Feroke which later came to be known as cradle of clay tile industry In a world that is Turing rapidly to techno friendly, CTC offer an alternative –bio friendly environment where you can inhale life, appealing to your eyes and soothing to your souls.QUEEN BRAND tile products promise you a world of endless imaginations. The most accepted eco-friendly, cost effective and aesthetically pleasing solution to home roofing and floorings, these classy clay products have by now earned International fame and recognition. Tested weather proof and water proof QUEEN BRAND terracotta tiles appear in a range of models applicable to floorings, roofing and ceiling sand as ventilator bricks and building blocks. Producing tiles with quality that confirms to standards set has been the aim of CTC and all its endeavors have been to this end.It’s a tradition that keeps pace with the changing world and changing needs. CAPACITY Presently the company have around 300 employees where 230 of them are permanent and have an annual production of more than 85 lakhs, the company was equipped with excavator, mixed high speed roller, number of revolving press etc for manufacturing tiles and Hoffman Kiln, one with 28 champers and other with 24 champers and each champers having a capacity of 3000 tiles. Now the company had acquired modern technologies for manufacturing tiles. Chain conveyer system was introduced for conveying wet tiles from the press to the kiln and to stock yard.A separate section for manufacturing ventilator bricks and hourdies was erected NATURE OF BUSINESS CARRIED OUT Nature of business means type of business being carried out. It includes the products of the company and weather the business is manufacturing or sales. If it is a manufacturing company what kind of products are being produced in the company. If the company’s main function is sales what it sells and how it is being sold, that is weather it does a wholesale or retail business The CTC does both manufacturing and sales. It produces all sorts of building material made of clay.Its products includes the following ROOFING TILES FLOORING TILES VENTILATOR BRICKS BUILDING BLOCKS In CTC, production takes place as well they sell it to the retailers and wholesalers and also directly to the customers from the company’s sales outlet PARTNERS OF THE COMPANY CTC is a partnership firm consisting of two managing partners and they are Mr. Muhammad and Mr. M. A Abdul Aziz. Other partners are Mr. M. A Abdul nazar Mrs. M. A Rukhiya Mrs. M. A Soubeena Mrs. M. A Asiya Mrs. M. A Salina Mrs. M. A Najeena Mr. M. A Abid Mr. M. A Ramshid Mr. M. A Rajay Mrs. M. A Nargees Mr. M.A Hareer KEY TO SUCESS Key to success is designing and producing products that meet the market demand. In addition to this the company also ensures total total consumer satisfaction. If these goals are achieved it will become a profitable sustainable company. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COMPANY It is an industry with more than 130 years of experience Engaged in the production of wide range of products It has a capacity to meet huge requirements any point of time Highly experienced management with perfect knowledge about market and its products. QUALITY POLICY OF THE COMPANY ATMOSPHERIC HARMONY: Terracotta tiles created a rhythemetic harmony with the atmosphere where it is used. Its natural elements are harmful to arthritis patients. The tiles also add elegance to the concrete buildings and act as a heat insulation aid, that is why even five star hotels are turn in to clay tiles. ECO-FRIENDLINESS: In CTC innovative and energy saving manufacturing technologies a re used to manufacture eco-friendly products combining economy with ecology. The beautiful glazes of terracotta tiles are softer and more sensitive to scratches and wear and tear than tiles made from normal porcelain or ceramic material.Our clay roof tiles allow for ongoing ventilation that extracts the moisture that otherwise could cause mild dew, rote and overtime the collapse to substructure. VARIETY: We provide different plain tiles and pan tiles. Architects, Builders and roofing specialists etc with their join efforts produces different varieties of tiles according to the requirements of consumers DURABILITY * There are still number of tile roofed building that are 100 years of old where you find a few concrete building leaks within few years. Clay roof tiles are some of the most environmental friendly building material.This is due to long life expectancy that they are made of natural product and can be disposed off fully. NATURALITY Terracotta floorings, ceilings and wall cove rings, is designed with bright natural flair unlike any other things. QUEEN BRAND products are made attractive, colorful, and long-lasting in a functional aesthetically pleasing way. We offer carefully designed precision made roofing tiles comparable only to top quality porcelain product as ceramic floor tiles. FLEXIBILITY QUEEN BRAND tiles are designed for ease of use and versatility. For instance by means of pioneering concept for tile overlap allowing flexible tile to tile fit.As a result tile can be laid simply and quickly, saving time and labor cost. Each and every QUEEN tile is baked by a life time guarantee. PLANT LOCATION Calicut Tile Company is honored as the first among the best of tile companies. The plant is in the town of Feroke is connected with national highway 17. The factory is situated near the Chaliyar River. All infrastructure facilities are available near the company. ORGANISATIONAL CHART CHAPTER IV DEPARTMENTAL STUDIES PRODUCTION Department PRODUCTION DEPARTMEN T Clay is an important raw material used for tiles the quality of tiles depends up on its clay.Therefore the clay is tested before taking it for the production. There are mainly two types of clay namely plastic clay and lean clay. The tested clay is thoroughly mixed by using a machine called excavator. With the help of excavator the clay is sliced. After slicing, the clay is collected using the excavator in tray called trolleys. The sliced clay is then pushed into box feeder. Box feeder consists of 3 chambers and both type of clay will be there at first two chamber and both of this is mixed along with the sand in the 3rd chamber. Then the clay is moved into pan mill.Pan mill performs the crushing of clay and grinds together the different types of clay. Here the clay is crushed well using water. Clay in the form of flakes is passed into hi speed roller one. High speed roller one is an extension of pan mill and the clay is crushed well and then it is move to the high speed roller two where the clay is crushed further and reduce the time module or small pebbles contained in the clay. Then the clay is moved into de-airing pug mill and main purpose here is to remove the air content from the clay otherwise it would lead to breakage after it becomes in to a tiles.The clay is cut and passed to the press where different dice are available and the different shapes or types arise. Different types of tile formed are roofing tiles, flooring tiles, ventilator tiles, building tiles etc. In the press where roof tiles are formed with the help of a trimmer tiles are properly shaped and finished. The slabs are rubbed with oil which is a mixture of kerosene and rice-burn oil before putting into the press so as to dice smooth. The waste clay is recycled. The name of the clay, factory trade mark etc are marked on the tiles by providing necessary impression on the dice.Now the pressed tile contains 25% of water. To reduce the water content of green tile, it is dried in the open air where natural air ios able to enter directly. Artificial drying using external heating system is also rarely used. The tiles required to be dried for around 6-7 days during summer and 10-15 during rainy season. The well dried tiles are placed in the chamber of Hoffman kiln for baking. The kiln consists of different layers where the tiles can be put and heat is made possible to enter into it. Fire wood is used as fuel for burning at a temperature of 800 degree.The kiln works 24 hours a day through out and even on holidays. As the temperature is reached at a required level in one chamber, the fixing will be moved to the next chamber. After that the chamber is cooled and emptied. The burned tiles are moved to an open place where or nearer to kiln yard. Then it is moved to the stock yard where tiles are stocked. Different grade or classes are given to the tiles according to their quality and they are stored separately. It is from the stock yard, the tiles are dispatched according to the order placed. Here comes the end of the production process.PAN MILL PROCUREMENT OF TESTED CLAY DESPATCHING AGAINST ORDER SORTING AND STOCKING SPACE FOR DRYING HIGH SPEED ROLLER DE-AIING PUG MILL TILE FURNISHING TILE PRESSER BOX FEEDERS CLAY EXCAVATION ROLLER I ROLLER II KILN CHAMBER PRODUCTION PROCESS CHART PURCHASE DEPARTMENT PURCHASE DEPARTMENT Purchase department is one of the important departments in CTC. This department deals with 6the purchase of raw material such as purchase of clay fire woods, store good etc and the main function of the department is to invite tenders and quotation for purchasing raw material.Tenders are invited and they select those tenders which quotes the suitable price for the product. They just do not verify the price of raw material but also ensure about the quality of the product purchased. The main duty of the purchasing manger is to: Ensure continuous availability of raw material so that production doesn’t get stopped To reduce ultimate cost of finished product To ensure quality of raw material and there by quality of production Now we can look some of the important raw material which is purchased by the purchase department. CLAY Clay is one of the most important raw materials used for production.There are mainly two types of clay, plastic clay and lean clay. Before purchasing clay, purchase department takes the specimen of clay and test it using in different methods, like sand content test, burning test, and by the usual observations. Company usually collects clay fro the field of Mavoor, Cheruvadi, Karod, Edevanna, Areacode etc. FIREWOOD Fire wood is purchased from sub contractors of Irutty, Kodiyathur, Mavoor, Nilambur etc. The fire wood purchased from keep in it top of the kiln. The fire wood is unlocked in the firewood yard only after visual observation by firewood supervisor.From the above it’s clear that purchase department is one of the strong and back bones of CTC and its effective functioning is very m uch important for overall performance of CTC. WATER Water is one of the essential element of the tile it’s also essential for manufacturing. Water is prowled from the well and it’s purchased rarely. OIL AND KEROSENE It is another item as that of water which is less frequently purchased by the purchase department. Rice bran oil and kerosene In the ratio 2:10 are mixed and applied on the plugged slabs to avoid sticking of slabs each other.Kerosene is also used as fuel in generator. MARKETING DEPARTMENT MARKETING DEPARTMENT The marketing department of CTC is well developed and computerized. The main duty of this department is marketing and sales of queen brand. As we know that is one back bone of a business enterprice. The marketing department has its own value. It is controlled by sales manager and executive sales. DUTIES OF SALES MANAGER Responsibilities of various sales related decision like supplying the right quantity and quality product at right time. Management of cash receipt and paymentProper direction to the executive’s sales regarding collection of duties from customers and other related matters. Keeping proper records for purchase of fire wood. ACTIVITIES UNDER MARKETING DEPARTMENT Marketing activities are carried out and field sales executives explore the potential for sales of the product Appointing dealers Sales promotion activities like sponsorships, radio, banners & boards, calendar, trade fairs etc. Now the company has around 200 dealers all over India and they have or are mainly located in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION The CTC adopts mainly 3 major channels of distribution their channels are as given below; Manufacturer Customers Manufacturer Dealer Customer Manufacturer Dealer Agent Customer QUALITY POLICY TO CONSUMERS 1. To provide dependence products that consistency meets customer’s expectations first time, on time, every time. 2. To recognize through systematic review pro cess that all over products and commitments are expression of quality 3.To constantly strive to achieve optimum customer satisfaction through on time delivery and defect fire parts with acceptable quality level by continuously improving our process and practices to the almost satisfaction of all our clients 4. To strive pure goals aimed at achieving excellence in the product that consistently meets or exceed customer expiations. PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT INTRODUCTION Human Resource department is concerned with the management of human resources. It is the sense of getting things done through people, is an essential part of every managers responsibilities. Many organizations find it useful.Many organizations find it useful to set up a specialist section to provide an expert service in the performance of HR functions. Today no member in the organization disagrees that â€Å"people are more valuable asset in the organization but in reality in many organization it is fou nd that this most valuable resources remains undervalued, undertrained, underutilized Fast changes are taking place in the business enterprise. An organization must have the ability to absorb these changes at a rapid rate than in the past, not simply to prove its competency alone but to justify its existence in the dynamic business world as well.All organization weather large or small must ensure themselves that they have the competent people capable of accepting these challenge. Personnel Management is â€Å"concerned with people dimensions in management. Since every organization is made of people, acquiring their service, developing their skills motivating them higher level of performance and ensuring that they continue to maintain their commitment to the organization are essential to achieve their organizational objectives.This is true regardless the type of organization, government, business education, health, recreation or social action â€Å" In CTC employees are recruited m ainly through personnel interview, recommendation of present employee and through medium of publicity. OBJECTIVES OF CTC To establish and maintain good working atmosphere in the organization. Each employee is given certain objectives and give them amble support to achieve it. To achieve the goals of organization through human excellence. To maintain and increase the level of effectiveness of employers and there by their effective utilization.To provide motivation to the employees to work for the success of the organization. To have a better personnel structure in the organization that is the personnel department. PERSONNEL POLICIES AT CTC Pvt. Ltd. * Satisfied customers and motivated employees are of vital importance to CTC. The past 130 years is a good personnel policy followed by the firm it is seen not good or harmonious industrial relation maintained by the firm. The main three types of policy are staffing policy, wage and salary administration policy and the promotional policy. Other important personnel policies are below Each employee shall: * Understand his or her role. * Take responsibility. * Develop his/ her competence knowledge, skills and ability. * H. R STRUCTURE OF CTC Number of workers in CTC is around 300 which includes permanent and casual workers, among them 50 are skilled workers who are well trained and is called foreman. Attendance register are maintained in the factory to record the time spend by each worker in the factory, it also distinguish normal time from overtime. The working hour of the company starts from 8 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 5 pm.But the kiln works for 24 hours a day and the operator for kiln is 4 shifts of 7 hours each. Convenient timing has made workers happy in the factory. Overtime workers have been paid double of wages of that day. This is done as they don’t want to spent for recruitment and training of new workers. If in the case of death, casual workers are selected as permanent workers. In administration level there are around 10 office staffs like production manager, personnel manager, finance manager etc. Wage calculations are fully computerized for fast result.The control of the organizational activities are in the hands of top level management, they are responsible for entire functions of the concerned persons. The total number of working days of CTC is around 305 days. Each worker is allowed a holiday during the week. The workers are not required to work on the first of the week that is Sunday. Within the production process there are many departments where employees are classified, they are CLAY FIELD In clay department, at a time there should be 21 employees. Their main duty is to load different type of clay. The main duty s to take the clay in to the excavator where the clay is sliced and their duty ends at the door step of press. The employees in the clay department are given a fixed remuneration of 6000 per month and they have to work for 8 hours a day. PRESS FIELD Here there sh ould be almost 11 employees who have to work hand in hand to achieve the target. Their work starts where the work of clay department ends. Their duty to receive the clay coming out of roller and put in to the press for making it as slabs and to other press where the slabs are press in to particular tiles from where the shape of tile is formed.Remuneration package is time rate and is paid 6000 per month for 8 hours a day. CHICK DEPARTMENT The duty here is to dry the pressed tile, that is to take the tile from press to the region where tiles are dried under direct sun light. Here 6 workers are working at a time and piece rate system is followed here for payment of wage. An employee should take 1400 tile which is treated as one work and for one work 200 rupees is paid. KILN DEPARTMENT At a time there will be 8 people working in a kiln, and it consists of two kilns which contain 28 and 24 rooms respectively.Here also piece rate system is followed and loading of 3000 tile is regarded as one work. BURNING SECTION It’s closely related with kiln department. It is the only one section were 24 works work is carried out. It is from here the kiln is burned. Their main duty is to regulate heat content according to the requirement of tile. Here mainly there are two workers who work on shift basis. They are given a fixed salary per month and double salary for working during holidays. REPAIRS SECTION Here repairs of machinery take place. Machines of the company are repaired within the firm.Here there are 7 workers including a foreman. They have a fixed remuneration. OTHERS There are certain workers who concentrate on loading of dried and finished tile to store rooms. There is no fixed number of employees in this work and depends up on requirement. They are also paid in piece rate form. Some workers are placed in those sections of bringing firewood which is required for burning. Here at present 9 workers are there and piece rate system is followed and for one work they are paid 230 rupees. There is a pottery department where one employee is working for the last 27 years.If he designs 5 tiles per day it is treated as one work and salary is given according to that. EMPLOYEE WELFARE The CTC employees receive multiple welfare facilities. Company provides all the possible facilities and amenities to the workers. Since file industry is labour oriented industry every problem connected with the workers will adversely affect the production and the reputation of the company. The management of this company thoroughly understands that and tries to solve all the problems connected with workers. Various labour welfare activities made by mgt to workers are; I. CanteenThe company is running a very good canteen inside the factory. With the help of this canteen the workers can save 85% of their food expense, that is, the company is providing subsidized food to their employees. II. Increment Every year increment of salary is given to the employees after their retire ment. The minimum service required for getting gratuity is 5 years. Computation of gratuity: Gratuity = Salary x Service x 15/ 26 Other than this the company provides contribution to ESI, PF providing annual leaves and casual leaves, home appliance loan, bonus, etc†¦ PROBLEM FACING THE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT Though the company is well maintaining its relations with the unions and employees still the personnel department faces a few problems. However most of the problems are effectively bought under organized by various techniques as participation management system used in CTC. * Manpower of human resources may be thought of as the total knowledge, skills and creative abilities, talents and attitude of the total workforce of the organization. Management should consider the fact that of all M’s of management (Men, Money, Machinery, Materials, Methods and Minutes).The most important and the most complex resources are the humans. Hence, men are the most valuable asset of an or ganization rather than money or any physical equipment. Only human resource can ensure the effective utilization of all other resources to lead the business activities in to a success. * * * * * * * * * HOLIDAY WITH PAY IS 26th January Republic Day 14th April Vishu 1st May World Workers Day 15th August Independence Day 2nd October Gandhi Jayanthi 25th December ChristmasShivarathri Good Friday Milady sheriff Onam Navami Id-ul-fither CHART & DIAGRAMS 1. Different posts occupied by the employees in the organization. POSTS| NUMBER OF RESPONDANTS| PERCENTAGE (%)| Manager| 3| 7. 5| Supervisor| 6| 15| Forman| 8| 20| Workers| 23| 57. 5| total| 40| 100| Interpretation: Out of the total employees more than 50% of them are unskilled workers who directly engage in the production of tiles. So, of the total population more than half of them are workers. 2. Number of year worked by the employee in the company? NUMBER OF YEARS| NUMBER OF RESPONDANTS| PERCENTAGE| Below 8| 4| 10| -16| 3| 7. 5| 16-24| 16| 40| Above 24| 17| 42. 5| total| 40| 100| Interpretation: The pie diagram indicates that more than 80% of employees are with long term service. This indicates that labor turnover in the organization is not that high and is under control. 3. Have you received any special incentive till now? INCENTIVES| NUMBER OF RESPONDANTS| PERCENTAGE (%)| Yes| 18| 45| No| 22| 55| Total| 40| 100| Interpretation: Out of the total employees in the organization 45% of them says or agrees that they had received incentive, while others contradicts to the statement and says ‘no’ to the question. . Are you satisfied with the present salary? SATISFIED| NUMBER OF RESPONDANTS| PERCENTAGE (%)| Yes| 22| 55| No| 18| 45| Total| 40| 100| Table [ 1 ] Interpretation: The diagram indicates that almost half of the employees are satisfied with the salary and while others are not satisfied with the salary given. So management has to consider these factors well. 5. How do you rate the promotional policy adopted in the organization? RATING| NUMBER OF RESPONDANTS| PERCENTAGE (%)| Excellent| 02| 05| Good| 14| 35| Average| 18| 45| Poor| 06| 15| Total| 40| 100| Interpretation:From the diagram it’s clear that as a whole, promotional policies are satisfactory since only 15% are not at all happy with the promotional efforts. Management should adopt such policies so that these 15% employees also show a positive sign. 6. Are you satisfied with the terms and conditions of the job? RATING| NUMBER OF RESPONDANTS| PERCENTAGE (%)| Not at all| 06| 15| Up to a level| 24| 60| Fully| 10| 25| total| 40| 100| Interpretation: The diagram shows that employees are more or less satisfied with the terms and conditions of the job. Dissatisfaction level is comparatively lower. 25% is fully satisfied which is a good sign. . What is your opinion about relationship with management? RATING| NUMBER OF RESPONDANTS| PERCENTAGE (%)| Friendly| 06| 15| Moderate| 28| 70| Strict| 05| 12. 5| No opinion| 01| 2. 5| t otal| 40| 100| Interpretation: 70% of the employees say that there is moderate relationship between employees and management. So the company is not following an autocratic type of structure. Here the chance of formation of informal organization is limited. 8. According to you which is the best motivating factor? RATING| NUMBER OF RESPONDANTS| PERCENTAGE (%)| Monitory| 15| 37. 5| Non monitory| 06| 15| Both| 19| 47. | total| 40| 100| Interpretation: Since more than 50% of employees are unskilled workers, they can be primarily motivated with monitory incentives. From the diagram it is clear that employees give priority to the mixture of monitory and non monitory factors. 9. Have you received any fringe benefits from the company? | NUMBER OF RESPONDANTS| PERCENTAGE (%)| Yes| 19| 47. 5| No| 21| 52. 5| total| 40| 100| Interpretation: From the diagram response is 47. 5% says ‘yes’ and rest stays with ‘no’. Company mainly provides fringe benefits to skilled and off ice staffs rather than to the semi skilled workers. 0. Are your grievances fully satisfied by the company? RATING| NUMBER OF RESPONDANTS| PERCENTAGE (%)| Not at all| | | Up to a level| 32| 80| Fully| 08| 20| total| 40| 100| Interpretation: Since the relationship between management and employees are good their grievances are also satisfied to an extent. No one in the company is fully disappointed with the company. 11. How do you rate the safety and security measures adopted in the organization? RATING| NUMBER OF RESPONDANTS| PERCENTAGE (%)| Excellent| 10| 25| Good| 18| 45| Average| 10| 25| Poor| 02| 05| total| 40| 100|Interpretation From the survey conducted it is clear that the company gives much importance for the safety and security measures and 70% of the population is very much happy with the companies policies and only 5% of them is dissatisfied. 12. Are you satisfied with the retirement schemes of the company? RATING| NUMBER OF RESPONDANTS| PERCENTAGE (%)| Highly satisfied| 12 | 30| Satisfied| 22| 55| Dissatisfied| 06| 15| total| 40| 100| Interpretation: The company provides almost all retirement benefits provided by similar companies like provident fund, gratuity etc. rom the graph it’s clear that there is a mixed response from the part of employers. 13. Are you active in trade union activities? R ATING| NUMBER OF RESPONDANTS| PERCENTAGE (%)| Active| 14| 35| Passive| 08| 20| Neutral| 18| 45| total| 40| 100| Interpretation: From the graph it is clear that participation of employees towards trade union activity is neutral, but it may not be so accurate as sample taken is small and employees may not reveal the truth. 14. What is your opinion about canteen facility? RATING| NUMBER OF RESPONDANTS| PERCENTAGE (%)| Excellent| -| -| Good| 07| 17. | Average| 14| 35| Poor| 19| 47. 5| total| 40| 100| Interpretation: It is an area where management has to keep their eyes open as majority of employees are not happy with the canteen. So they should try to take s teps to improve the conditions. 15. What is your opinion about sanitary facilities? RATING| NUMBER OF RESPONDANTS| PERCENTAGE (%)| Excellent| -| -| Good| 06| 15| Average| 21| 52. 5| Poor| 13| 32. 5| total| 40| 100| Interpretation: This is another area where management has to look up on, as employee satisfaction is a key area for the success of an organisation.CHAPTER VI PRODUCT PROFILE CHAPTER VI SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT ANALYSIS Identification of SWOTs is essential because subsequent steps in the process of planning for achievement of the selected objective may be derived from the SWOTs. SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture. It involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieve that objective. STRENGTHAn industry with one thirty years of experience and highly experienced management. Wide range of products. Focus on producing high quality tiles. Ability to meet huge requirements any point of time. Better superior-subordinate relation. WEAKNESS: Accounting methods are not scientific. Less focus on marketing activities. Transportation totally depends on private vehicles. Cost of tiles is little high as compared to other states. Conventional practice of fixing clay is used. OPPORTUNITIES: Go out for innovation. Opportunities for diversification of product. Try new technologies. * THREATS:Problem of absenteeism. Clay is not available readily Firewood and other fuel used for burning become costly and its availability is limited. Strikes lockouts effect the continuity of production process and there by overall productivity of firm. * CHAPTER VI FINDINGS & SUGGESTIONS FINDINGS * CTC concentrates on production of tiles. Product of CTC is of high quality. Compare to other firms, price of CTC is lower. Employees are satisfied with the terms & conditions of the job as well as with the management. Productivity has increased in a slow rate. Less concentration on marketing of products.Since it is an organization with more than 100 years experience, it enjoys high degree of goodwill. Shortage of raw materials, firewood etc is great threat to the company. * SUGGESTIONS Demand for the product is high but the availability is low, so try to increase the production. Better salary should be given to employees so as to gain their confidence. Company should increase promotional efforts. Firm should concentrate on adding diversity to the product and then only it can with stand in the market. Reduce cost of production by using modern technologies Step should be taken to improve canteen and sanitary facilities.Find out an alternative source of energy for production. CHAPTER VII CONCLUSION CONCLUSION Calicut Tile Company, Kerala’s first tile company has really created revolution in this field. The QUEEN BRAND terracotta product s developed by CTC which really set the standards in the industry are widely acceptable to different culture, climate, and architectural tastes around the world. World is changing and modernization will have to be incorporated in every phase of working of the company and ways will have to be found to cope with competition and overcome the barriers of innovation.To conclude, management of CTC should make past emphasis and work effectively to supplement formal structures to tackle issues like product launching and cost reduction. BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Marketing Management : Philip Kotler Marketing Management : A. Vinodh H R management : Mammoria Personnel management : Edwin. B. Flippo Company Records Website : www. calicuttilecompany. com www. google. com

Contract Sperm Whales Essay

This agreement is drawn up and signed in Dubai, UAE on the 25 th of April 2012, by and between 1. Jetta Pharmaceuticals Ltd., producer of special medicaments for improving the immune system, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, represented in this matter by its sales director Mr. L. Dziel, hereinafter referred as „seller† and 2. Vegan Perfumes, sole producer of SKY ® perfumes, based in 19 Royce Avenue, Nottingham, United Kingdom, represented in this matter by its sales manager Ms. Sara Zydorczak, hereinafter reffered as „buyer† Whereas: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Jetta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. buys the entire output of Sperm Whales from Whales Hunting Ltd. Jetta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. pays Whales Hunting Ltd. in lump sum. Whales Hunting Ltd. transports 200 Sperm Whales to the new-built warehouse (costs of transport included in output price) From the warehouse organs will be shipped to the both companies headquarters. Vegan Perfumes repays Jetta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. in lump sum (bank account transfer, 72 hours after receiving the e-mail address will all needed data). All prices are expressed in American dollars ($). The parties agree as follows: 1. 2. 3. The Quantity of the Sperm Whales, which will be bought from Whales Hunting Ltd. The initial price of mammals bought from Whales Hunting Ltd. by Jetta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Building the new warehouse where the whales will be stored and eviscerated. The work will be outsourced to the local company. 4. 5. 6. Creating the new limited liability company „Whales Medicaments & Perfumes†. Founding a charity organisation „Sea forever†. Details, which are connected with the transaction (transport, custom duty, etc.) Negotiated issues: Price: †¢ The Price includes all taxes and costs of transport – first from Whales Hunting Ltd. headquarters to the warehouse and then to Malaysia and to the United Kingdom †¢ Currency: $ (US dollars) Details: Jetta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. buys the entire yearly output of Sperm Whales from Whales Hnting Ltd. The date of the transaction is 25th April 2012 Price: $ 25.000 per Sperm Whale Output: 200 Sperm Whales Amount of money: $ 5.000.000 Jetta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. pays $ 5.000.000 and after receiving the money Whales Hunting Ltd. transports 200 Sperm Whales to the new warehouse which location will be send in the e-mail after transfering money to the given bank account. From the warehouse organs needed by Jetta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. will be send to Malaysia and organs needed by Vegan Perfums will be send to the United Kingdom. The eviscerated mammals will be sold to the museums in Australia, New Zealand and another countries. The money from this sales will be transfered to the special 2 bank account created for the new charity organisation „Sea forever†. The activity of „Sea forever† will be descripted in another contract signed during the first visit in the new warehouse. The Import Licence is the Buyer’s responsibility, if required. If the Buyer fails to obtain the Import Licence, the Seller has the right to terminate the present contract. The deadline of this transaction depends on the day when the new warehouse will be built and the work outsourced to the local company. Payment terms: Form of payment: money transfer to the bank account Time of effecting the payment: 72 hours Goods: The cases from 200 Sperm Whales – sent to Malaysia Ambergis from 200 Sperm Whales – sent to the United Kingdom 200 eviscerated Sperm Whales – left in the warehouse until bought by museums or private collectors Packaging: Containers suited to the transportation of organic matter Warranty: The transport company is responsible for deli vering the products Type of transport: first two – planes, eviscerated mammals – container ships Place: Transport to Malaysia and the United Kingdom, in the future another directions Costs of the transport: All costs of transportation included in Transaction Price. The seller is obligated to cover all additional costs if necessary. Time range of a contract: This contract come into force within 7 days after it is signed. The contract terminates when the parties decide. Force Majeure: natural disasters, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, wars, riots or other major upheaval, government restictions, UN or EU restrictions, performance failures of parties outside the control of the contracting party (subcontractors, suppliers, carriers, outsourced company, company building the warehouse) Applicable law: This contract shall be governed by and constructed according to New Zealand law Disputes: Any disputes, controversies or claims between the parties arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be enforceable and judgment upon any award rendered by the arbitrators may be entered in the state court of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, having jurisdiction. The parties will have rights to enter state courts in case of strong disagreement with the judgment of the arbitration court.

Movie analysis project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Movie analysis project - Essay Example Communication is extremely important in any relationship and though there were a number of factors that contributed to the break-down of Gary and Brooke’s relationships; however the main factor that gave rise to all other issues is the breakdown of communication between the two protagonists. The break-up highlights the importance of communication and how a simple argument over something as inconsequential as ‘doing the dishes’ resulted in dire consequences. To analyze the communication pattern between the two protagonists, the substance of this prose will first analyze their individual communicating patterns that eventually led to the clash. Jennifer is basically a recognition seeker, who is driven by the desire to be appreciated by her significant other, and she actively exhibits her demands. On the other hand, Vince Vaughn character Gary is boorish and a typical slob. Unlike Brooke, Gary is passive and is more of a confrontation avoider that eventually leads to the problem exacerbating as a result. He is inconsiderate that causes him to disregard most of the things Brooke does for him out of love. As mentioned earlier, both characters break off their relationship in the heat of an argument and instead of talking things out amongst themselves, they approach their respective friends who give them really bad advice. Since, both Brooke and Gary are living in the same condominium; they do not communicate with each other or resolve the key issues in their relationship. Their friends and peers push them up the wrong; the sensible decision in this situation would have been to discuss and talk things out maturely. Despite the fact that both the protagonists were not straight forward with each other, Brooke did try to salvage the relationship, even though the methods were not that effective; especially with someone like Gary who is not emotionally candid and keeps his feelings bottled up most of the time. Fromm trying to make Gary jealous to strutti ng around naked around the house, Brooke remained unsuccessful in winning back Gary, who was bothered by what Brooke was doing yet remained passive about it. The final blow to their relationship, when Brooke invited Gary to a concert with him and she thought that this gesture of hers will finally make him realize how much Brooke wants their relationship to last; however, once again Gary fails to understand the significance of this gesture and a s a result Brooke decides to cease all attempts and leaves him. This is a clear example of lack of communication between the two characters and misunderstandings between that led to the separation. Misunderstandings encircle their relationship and the situation was aggravated by friends and peers, who acted as inept arbitrators. Though, both characters loved each other but the main source of conflict arose from inability to understand each other’s needs. Gary never understood Brooke’s need for appreciation and she never understo od that Gary did not want to be hassled by questions after a long day at the job; in other words both needed ample amount of space in their relationships that could have led to effective communication and they could have avoided several arguments and even the one that led to the break-up. The movie also shows

Argument- comprehensive sex education should be taught in the united Research Paper

Argument- comprehensive sex education should be taught in the united states - Research Paper Example ification of such an attempt requires considerable rationale because, deliverance of sex education in schools and colleges would decide the children’s orientation towards sex. The way sex education is delivered, the age at which students are delivered particular concepts and the sensibility students show towards gaining such knowledge are critical factors that can both make and ruin a nation. Looking at the matter from such a broad perspective raises several issues. What becomes particularly challenging is the selection and designing of the most rational form of curriculum and coursework that would effectively deliver all concepts without being offensive on moral and ethical grounds. Despite all these problems, it is imperative that sex education is delivered in order to have the nation educated on various aspects of sex. This will pave way to maturing the attitude people generally adopt towards sex. Lack of sex education makes people susceptible to acquiring various sexually transmitted diseases. Many issues the American society confronts today pertain to sex. With the advent of technology, juveniles have developed a greater tendency towards visualizing sex without having matured enough to understand the underlying factors that encourage such a wide scale projection of sex and vulgarity on media. Juveniles fall prey to sexual content displayed on uncensored channels and pornographic internet sites. Moved by the unexplored secrets of the â€Å"wonderland†, it is little wonder that they indulge in such practices that make them repent at a later stage in life. Most of the issues that surface over the course of time pertain to a deteriorating sexual health. Apropos the inappropriate sexual practices, studies have shown that juveniles in America are frequently falling prey to sexual diseases. According to the 1997 report issued by the Institute of Medicine, every year, as many as 3 million cases of diseases transmitted sexually have been noticed among teenagers

LogisticsReflective Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LogisticsReflective Report - Essay Example I even developed a strong position towards an idea about various advantages that the organisations can reap in order to maintain their dominant business position with the successful development of Supply Chain Management (SCM) procedure. I have even elaborated various needs of modernisation within the conventional procedure of supply chain to promote innovativeness amid individuals, so that organisations are able to enhance their competitive advantages in the global domain. Critical review of the innovative practices inculcated in the SCM procedure has also been quite useful in conducting an in-depth analysis of the subject matter. While working with my first essay, I developed an inductive analysis of aspects related with the development of logistics. However, while formulating the essay, I identified that there are certain issues to be addressed but seemed challenging as per my abilities. I was also less confident when preparing the first essay as compared to my degree of confidence in the second essay. However, with adequate support, I believe to have justified the topic successfully. While conducting an in depth research, on the different approaches of logistics and its scope of innovativeness, I learnt about certain new concepts that I was further able to relate with the development of the overall SCM procedure. One of those concepts was the ‘supply base localisation’ theme, which was based on the notion of developing local value chains in relation to international supply chain. With the motive to provide an insight on the various concepts that are related with the innovative approaches of SCM as well as logistics, I could develop a clear understanding of the various needs of SCM in the local level. This essay was illustrated based on the concepts that I have reviewed in my first essay and was a clear addition to the innovative index that has been focused while formulating the initial one. Essay 2 has detailed

Buiness Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Buiness Marketing Plan - Essay Example Game fit will work on a plan to extend its supplier base and a backward integration after gaining a strong foothold in the market. Fewer supplier choices and heavy dependence on suppliers will drive the cost of the product. The product does not have a self-manufacturing plant, which is a serious threat, and this raises the hand of the supplier (Porter 2004) 3.2.1.2 The Bargaining Power of Buyers: The product has a large segment that includes Video gamers, people in search if fitness and health (obese children and adults) and regular gym goers. This huge target segment will prove to favor the product. The large buyer base will put the company on the upper hand. The initial monopoly and buyer base will prove profitable enabling a speedy break even. The bargaining power of buyers is determined by the cost of switching from one product to another in this case the additional cost a consumer will have to bear to buy this interface and the value he will see for this cost. (Porter 2004) 3.2.1.3 The Threat of Substitutes: A factor which needs attention Game fit is only an interface for two existing products. It will not take long for fitness machine manufacturers to substitute this by providing wholesome solution i.e. a fitness bike that is compatible with any video game that could do away with the interface.

Lab report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Lab Report Example They reported seeing a man in jeans, trainers and a T-shirt running away from the house, down Leek Road. The police were informed and responded immediately. The back door of the house had been broken and the sunroof of the VW Polo. Paint and glass of both the car and the property had been damaged. Both of them were damaged so as to allow entry in the property. The police later arrested a suspect who matched the description of the neighbors, two streets away. His clothes were taken for further analysis in the laboratory. This is because clothes might have had contact with the broken glass and damaged paint; hence some of them might have been left on the clothes. The control samples from the broken glass and damaged paint were taken for analysis. The aims of this experiment included to investigate whether the debris recovered from Mark’s clothes had any fragments of glass and paint from the damaged property. The experiment was also meant to determine any kind of relationship between the recovered materials/fragments from the suspect’s clothes with the control samples collected; broken glass of the back door and the damaged paint of the VW sunroof. The final aim of the experiment was to discover any evidence that showed or qualified Mark Jones and the perpetrator of the crime in question. 1. Preparation work: Several petri dishes had been provided that contained the debris from the suspect’s clothes. The contents were observed and described, while the observations were recorded on the results sheet. The identity of each of them was also suggested. Low power microscopy was used to view the contents, while much attention was paid to any presence of glass and paint. The observations were also recorded, and the magnification used. 2. Physical Examination of Evidence: The suspect items were collected carefully, and a physical examination was done as the observations were recorded on the results sheet.

Electronic Health Record Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Electronic Health Record - Assignment Example It is an open source of information on health care (especially HIV) in developing countries of Africa. It is based on the information of various records updated in the EMR which are then refined and analyzed in the EHR. This system is state of the art technology. It covers almost every feature that would help to maintain the record of any person or country. It is also a user-friendly system, which allows a user to freely roam about in various interfaces. The flexibility offered by this system is also another feature which makes it more desirable, medical support information could be access in the remotest of the geographical regions (Mamlin et al., 2006). The start-up, maintenance and implementation cost of this product can be troublesome. Start-up and implementation cost is quite high and it requires huge sums of money in the starting phase, but with the passage of time, it becomes cheaper as the maintenance cost is not that high, which are also some of its biggest demerits. ‘Concept Dictionary’ is the idea that OpenMRS is based on. The idea is to store useful medical information such as clinical findings, lab results and even the socio-economic data. The concept is extremely successful as it becomes relatively easy to update the data set if a new disease is added, there is no need for modification, plus sharing of this medical information is also very convenient. The modular construction of OpenMRS is the real benefit that sets it apart from other ambulatory EHR devices. Its ease of use also includes the facility of putting it on a single laptop or on a large server and works with all major operating systems like Mac OS X, Windows and Linux.eMIX stands for Electronic Medical Information Exchange and is based on the concept of cloud-computing (Leslie, 2012), where one could manage, retrieve and update information in a server without actually connecting with it, through the means of internet or web-based tools and application. eMIX is develo ped to address the challenge of sharing the medical images from one interface to another, while they are not on the same network of a server.

The Businesses of Industrial and Organic Food and its effect on Human Research Paper

The Businesses of Industrial and Organic Food and its effect on Human Health - Research Paper Example Some of the typical practices that have enabled this include the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Industrial foods should be abolished because they are hazardous to people, animals and the environment and replaced with organic foods which have more nutrients, are less expensive, and more benefits to humans and the environment. These industrial operations have been of great importance in increasing food production, meeting the global food demand and maximizing profits in agriculture. However, a close evaluation of industrial food shows that it threatens to drive the people it is saving from starvation to extinction. Without much bargain, industrial food should be abolished because it is hazardous to human beings, animals and the environment; instead, people should make a massive shift to organic food which not only allows them to benefit from all its nutrients but also, it is friendly and less costly to their bodies and the planet. Problems of Industrial Food and Their Sol utions There’s no denying that the impacts of industrial agricultural are far-reaching and pose a real threat on the environment, animals and more particular, human beings. Obesity One of the major problems that has come along with industrial food and which is less associated with organic food is obesity. It is important that people get enough food to eat. However, it is something else when the same food turns around and makes people bigger than they should be and thus threaten their survival. A large quantity of industrial food is one of the reasons why the US is flooding with adverts promoting cheap and fast food like chicken, pizza, fries, burgers and other readily-available meals (facts .com 2012).Weber (2009) describes this food as adulterated food because they entice with their depictions of fatty, starchy and juicy essences. This has made people to much more than they should per meal. Solution The solution to the problem of obesity is for people to insist on buying and consuming organic and this food should be taken in their processed forms. Eating them in their non-processed forms will ensure that they maintain their natural texture and fiber content. This is important in regulating food intake unlike softened and salted or sweetened foods. Toxicity and Other Harmful Health Effects Some of the chemicals like artificial fertilizers and pesticides used in the production of industrial food find their way to these foods. Some of them are easily washed by rain but some diffuse through the leaves and fruits. This content can be significantly high when there is no rain to wash some of it off. During the rainy season, the chemicals washed in to the soil find their way back to the plant as it absorbs nutrients from the soil. This can be particularly dangerous if the root tubers of the plant are used as human food. This explanation reveals that on ingesting such fruits, vegetables or roots, people will not only be eating food that has low nutritional valu e but also, that contains toxins. The same applies to products from factory-raised animals. Their products, especially meat, fat and milk could contain the drugs, contains hormones or antibiotics they fed on. For example, residual chemicals like dioxin, PCBs, DDTs among other pesticides concentrate themselves on animal fat and people who will eat them instead of

Human Genetics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human Genetics - Essay Example Conducting methodical investigations in human genetics would therefore help scientists or researchers understand how diseases are caused, how they spread, and subsequently form the foundation for the creation of new drugs to treat various medical conditions. There are many reasons why this topic is worth my research. In the contemporary world, the human race has been faced by many health problems many of which have no cure. For instance, there are no known cures for diseases such as HIV/AIDS and chronic cancers. Conducting more research in the field of human genetics can help understand these diseases more and therefore help in the development of new drugs to cure them. My current comprehension on this topic include basic concepts on heredity particularly how genes are passed from one generation to another. In addition, I have an understanding of the human DNA and its importance in genetic research. Since there has been a lot of advancement in the field of human genetics, one of the issues this research would focus on include the contributions of modern technology in genetic research, and the degree of genetic differences in human beings, as well its significance. Subsequently, how genetics cause ill health among individuals would also be discussed in the research. Australian Law Reform Commission. The Regulation of Human Genetic Research: The Importance of Human Genetic Research. n.d. Web. 22 April. 2014.

All About Writing Topics Essay Example for Free

All About Writing Topics Essay An essay is a short piece of writing on a topic and presents the authors point of view on the matter. It is a pure non-fiction presentation of the writer’s outlook on the topic that is the focus of the essay.1 An essay should be structured in different sections that make it easy for the readers to read and follow the authors thoughts clearly. It is composed of the introductory paragraph, supporting paragraphs and the summary paragraph. The introductory paragraph is the first paragraph of an essay. It brings the main idea of the essay. It captures the interest of the reader and notifies why the topic is important. Another important part of an essay is the main body or the supporting paragraphs. In these paragraphs, the main idea is discussed. The points are cited one by one to develop the main idea of the essay. Aside from the introductory and supporting paragraphs is the summary paragraph which comes at the end of the essay. In this paragraph, all the ideas in the supporting paragraph are explained through a conclusion. By reading this part alone, the reader should be able to understand the whole idea of the essay.2 Since an essay can describe, clarify, argue or analyze, it has different types.3The four major types of essays are narrative, descriptive, expository and persuasive essays. In a narrative essay, the writer tells a story about a real-life experience. When writing this type of essay, writers should try to involve the reader by making the story as vivid as possible. A well-crafted essay builds towards a conclusion or making a personal statement. The second major type on the other hand which is the descriptive essay, paints a picture with words. A writer might describe a person, place, object, or even memory of special significance. The descriptive essay strives to communicate a deeper meaning through the description. This uses colorful words and sensory details. The third type is the expository essay. This essay is an informative piece of writing that presents a balanced analysis of a topic. Moreover, in this type of essay, the writer explains or defines a topic, using facts, statistics, and examples. Lastly is the persuasive essay. While like an expository essay in its presentation of facts, the goal of the persuasive essay is to convince the reader to accept the writer’s point of view or recommendation. In this type of essay, the writer should present all sides of the argument, but must be able to communicate clearly and without equivocation why a certain position is correct.4 Despite having many types of essays with various compositions, they have one thing in common. All essays are collection of interesting ideas which are thoroughly organized to assure that readers are able to fully understand the main ideas of the essays. 1 â€Å"What is an essay,† http://www.essaycapital.com/what_is_an_essay.htm. 2 â€Å"Parts of an Essay,† http://www.customessaypaper.com/essay-help/parts-of-an-essay.htm. 3 Grace Fleming, â€Å"What is an Essay,† http://homeworktips.about.com/od/collegeprepglossary /g/essay.htm. 4 â€Å"Types of Essays: End the Confusion,†http://www.time4writing.com/writing-resources/types-of-essays/.

Influence of Al3+ Addition on Activated Sludge

Influence of Al3+ Addition on Activated Sludge Influence of Al3+ addition on the flocculation and sedimentation of activated sludge: Comparison of single and multiple dosing patterns Mariam Touati Abstract In this research, single and multiple dosing of Al3+ were used to study the flocculation and sedimentation of activated sludge (AS). It was found that in the single Al3+ dosing condition; sludge flocculation is improved but sedimentation is declined. Adding the same amount of Al3+ during multiple dosing attained a similar reduction in turbidity. Interaction energy had a major role during single dosing conditions, whereas multiple dosing was mostly effective in reducing EPS content; this is regarding the differences in the performance of flocculation. Introduction The widely most used process for wastewater treatment is the activated sludge (AS) system. The water quality of the sewerage is affected in a large way by the solid-liquid separation in the system, which depends efficient sludge flocculation and sedimentation. 70% 90% of the secondary clarifiers in the AS systems however have encountered solid-liquid separation issues. Two of the main causers of these issues are the reproduction of filamentous bacteria and deficient sludge flocculation. Dosing of flocculants is one of the most effective solution to poor flocculation performance. Cations act as flocculants when added to wastewater and ease flocculation. High cation concentration helps improve biological flocculation. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) consist of polysaccharides, proteins, humic compounds, and other cellular ingredients. EPS is considered an important component of AS flocs. They play a major role in maintaining AS flocs structure and function. In most of the cases, dense, strong, and large flocs are desirable for AS settling and compaction. AS flocs have microorganisms in addition to organic and inorganic particles ingrained in the EPS, and the suspended solids accumulate into them. By bridging with multivalent cations, EPS is able to bind to the microbial cells, which are likely to have an influence on the EPS content in the system. An increase in monovalent cations in the AS declines sludge properties and damages floc, while addition of multivalent cations improves sludge flocculation. It was found that, compared to monovalent and bivalent cations, trivalent cations help improve flocculation performance of the AS under both wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and laboratory conditions. In the present study, Al3+ was added to AS systems according to single and multiple dosing patterns, and a concentration gradient was set under single dosing conditions. The research objectives were as follows: To investigate the influence of Al3+ dosage on AS flocculation and sedimentation. To determine the more efficient dosing pattern. To reveal the mechanisms governing the influence of Al3+ on AS flocculation and sedimentation. Material and methods AS cultivation The AS used in this study was cultivated in two parallel sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) numbered R-S (single dosing) and R-M (multiple dosing), and each had a working volume of 4 L. The following steps were taken: Each reactor was supplied with a paddle mixer, which operates at 100 rads/min, and that is to prevent the AS from settling. To maintain the dissolved oxygen (DO) in the range of 2-3 mg/L, air was added. sludge retention time (SRT) was controlled around 10 d. The temperatures were kept at 22  ±1à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °c in the reactors. The SBRs were working at a cycle time of 12 h, and 2 cycles were performed each day. The time used for filling, aerating, settling and decanting was 20, 640, 40 and 20 minutes respectively. Both the influent and effluent volumes per cycle were maintained at 2 L. Tap water was used to synthesize the artificial wastewater. Glucose, NH4Cl and KH2PO4 were used as sources of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) respectively. The relative proportion of chemical oxygen demand (COD), N and P (COD: N: P ratio) in the influent was maintained at 100: 5: 1, with the COD concentration at 700  ± 30 mg/L. Al3+ dosing test Single dosing test The AS in reactor R-S was cultivated without adding Al3+ in the influent. 500 mL of AS sample were added into 5 identical 250 mL beakers, each receiving 100 mL, to which a different Al3+ dosage was added. The Al3+ dosages were 0.125, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 meq/L, respectively, in beakers designated as S-0.125, S-0.5, S-1.0, S-1.5, respectively. No Al3+ was added into beaker S-0, which was the blank control of the experiment. All of the Al3+ in the single dosing test was added once. At 50 rad/min for 5 min then 117 rad/min for 5 min, the samples were mixed. Multiple dosing test In this test, Al3+ at a concentration 0.1 meq/L was added to the influent of reactor R-M and introduced to the reactor in each operation cycle. The mixing pattern was in accordance with single dosing test. EPS extraction protocol A 25-mL sample of AS suspension was centrifuged at 6000 g for 10 min at 4à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C, and the supernatant that was carefully collected was bulk solution. A NaCl solution with the same conductivity as the AS sample was prepared; then it was applied to re-suspend the AS material in the tube. Immediately, the AS suspension was oscillated by a vortex mixer for 1 min and then sheared using an ultrasonication instrument at 0.4 W/mL for 30 sec. The suspension was centrifuged at 4000 g for 10 min at 4à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C, and the supernatant was collected as LB-EPS. The AS sample left in the tube was re-suspended to its original volume of 25 mL with the NaCl solution, and then oscillated for 1 min and sheared at 0.5 W/mL for 1 min. Subsequently, the suspended sample was centrifuged at 4000 g for 15 min at 4à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C, from which the supernatant collected was TB-EPS, and the AS sample left in the tube was the pellet. The final step, the bulk solution, LB-EPS and TB-EPS extracted were filtrated through a 0.45 micro-meter cellulose acetate membrane. Analytical technique The total organic carbon (TOC) contents of the bulk solution, LB-EPS and TB-EPS were determined using a TOC/TN analyzer. The Al3+ concentrations in the bulk solution were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. After settling for 30 min, 100 mL of AS suspension were suctioned and transferred into a graduated cylinder for measuring the SVI. The turbidity of the supernatant was measured. The total interaction energy of AS was measured and calculated. Results and discussions Basic characteristics of the AS system Influence of Al3+ on AS interaction energy Single dosing According to the total interaction energy curves of the single dosing test, the energy barrier and Al3+ concentration are inversely proportional, as in, the energy barrier decreased as the Al3+ concentration increased. Comparison between single and multiple dosing patterns Multiple Al3+ dosing compressed the double electrical layers through charge neutralization. In addition to zeta potential, other factors also had an effect on AS flocculation, which reimbursed the relatively weak zeta potential reduction following multiple Al3+ dosing and ultimately equilibrated the effluent turbidities. Other factors contributed to the lower turbidity related to multiple Al3+ dosing. These observations suggested that the investigation should not be restricted to zeta potential only, and that the total interaction energy should also be taken into consideration. Multiple Al3+ dosing can promote AS flocculation by compressing the double electrical layers. It was found out that clarifying how dosing patterns affects flocculation performance in terms of total interaction energy is relatively difficult. To evaluate the influence of Al3à ¾ on AS flocculation, the role of EPS, besides that of interaction energy, must be examined. Influence of Al3+ on the EPS content Single dosing test High EPS content could worsen sludge flocculation. Sludge flocs become denser and more compact with Al3+ addition. LB-EPS play an important role in the formation of AS flocs But, an excess of LB-EPS might have a negative effect on the bonding of cells and could deteriorate the floc structure, eventually causing undesirable solid-liquid separation. EPS and supernatant turbidity decrease as Al3+ dosage increased. High LB-EPS content may result in high water content in the sludge flocs, leading to worsened sludge compactness and increased floc porosity, all causing poor flocculation The addition of Al3+ was found to lighten AS flocculation by counteracting the negative effect of LB-EPS. Al3+ reduces the suspended solids in the supernatant and improves effluent turbidity. Comparison between single and multiple dosing Both the LB-EPS and TB-EPS contents that were extracted in the multiple dosing test were much lower than those extracted in the single dosing test. Which means that in the multiple dosing test, Al3+ augmented effectively the densification of sludge through the ion bridging effect. Single dosing of Al3+ shown greater effect on the interaction energy, whereas multiple dosing of Al3+ reduced the EPS content more effectively. The eventual flocculation performances achieved by the two dosing patterns were equal. Al3+ distribution characteristics in the AS Distribution characteristics As the single dose increased the Al 3+ concentration found in the sludge increased as well. Because of Al 3+ high charge valence and solubility, almost all of it dosed constrained with the sludge. Therefore, no Al 3+ was found in the bulk solution. The amount of negative charges in different sludge components is in the following sequence: pellet > TBEPS > LB-EPS. No Al3+ could be detected in sludge components other than the pellet when the single dosage was less than 0.125 meq/L. When equal amounts of Al 3+ was added during single and multiple dosing, the Al 3+ accumulations in the sludge were similar, the Al 3+ spreading in different sludge components were different. As seen in figure 2. Al3+ could be detected in the bulk solution in the multiple dosing test, but not in the single dosing test. According to all these findings, it was concluded that the bonding capacity between Al 3+ and the sludge was different with the dosing pattern. Single dosing Single Al3+ dosage and the amount of Al3+ in the pellet are directly proportional, as the first increased the second increases as well, respectively. This caused an increase in the sludge flocs density and a decrease in the content of suspended solids, which leads to the improvement of effluent turbidity. Comparison between single and multiple dosing Pellet Al 3+ concentration has an essential positive effect on sludge flocculation. The time for the reaction between multivalent cations and the AS is critical to flocculation performance. The decrease in the sludge surface charges declined due to the increased Al3+ accumulation in the pellet. Influence of Al3+ on AS settleability Single dosing A higher single dosage of flocculant could increase the nucleation rate and the amount of small aggregates, and through the bridging function, it strengthen the interaction energy among the organics on the sludge surface. Comparison between single and multiple dosing EPS content has a significant effect on sludge settleability. Both sludge flocculation and sedimentation were enhanced by multiple additions of Al3+. Al3+ achieved floc densification by the constant recognition of the sludge structure as well as removing water. The key difference between the two dosing patterns was the variation in the reaction time. Engineering significance In case of the failure of AS flocculation and/or sedimentation in waste water treatment process (WWTP), a solution could be to add flocculants only once. Multiple dosing, which is continuous addition of flocculants in WWTPs, extends the reaction time and at the same time promotes flocculation and sedimentation performances. Therefore, it is preferable that the concentrations of multivalent cations in the pellet, in a practical operational procedure, be continuously monitored and observed; where as soon as these concentrations decrease, low concentration of flocculants must be added continuously, in order to maintain the flocculation and sedimentation of the sludge. Conclusion Sludge flocculation and turbidity elimination ware enhanced when the single dosing increased, whereas sludge sedimentation deteriorated. Better sludge sedimentation was accomplished with multiple dosing, even though there was no big difference in the reduction of turbidity between single and multiple dosing. Regarding reducing the interaction energy barrier, single dosing was more adequate, while in terms of decreasing the EPS content, multiple dosing was more effective.