Aspirin Preparation Case Essay Example for Free

Aspirin Preparation Case Essay * How drugs are discovered and developed Pharmacologist along with chemist focus on a specific disease and unmet patient needs in order to discover new drugs. They search for biological targets within the body that play a role in a given disease. Unique molecules are found or created that some day might be medicines. Lead Compound Selection, is the testing of compounds that might undergo the long expensive drug develop process. Random Screening- uses existing library of chemical agents. This is the simplest method but the odds are low and patience is needed. Combinational Chemistry Screening- uses a compound (from existing library) as a base, then randomly adding amino acids or molecule segments of other agents to the base compound in order to enhance the base compounds activity and disease fighting potential. The enhanced compounds are then tested in rapid screening test. However this method is complex and costly but it improves the odds. Target Synthesis- targets the disease for drug intervention. For example High Blood Pressure would be studied in detail. Consequently this method still requires screening of hundreds of compounds and extensive amount of research to understand a particular disease process. Drug Modeling- uses more high technology. This method manipulates chemical structures by computers so that they can attach to, activate or deactivate proteins that interfere with or maintain the bodys normal functioning. The model is used to enhance the properties of the other methods but the cost for designer compounds are significant because of the huge amount of research that is needed to identify biochemical target and establish their molecular structure. * How safety of drugs is checked before being used on the public A drug undergoes 3 clinical phases before being used on the public. PHASE 1 This is designed to determine the safety of the new drug, how best to administer it and the correct dosage- (one that will minimize desirable side effects). 20-30 patients (volunteers) are used to find out how the drug behaves in their body, so their blood and urine will be frequently monitored. Even though drugs in this will have been already tested in a laboratory. PHASE 2 After the correct dosage has been determined in phase1 clinical trial, it can enter phase2. This trial consists of determining the drugs effectiveness in treating a specific disease. Phase2 involves more patients (volunteers) and they are tested for the number of platelets in their blood and take frequent blood samples. If the drug being tested brings a positive change in at least 1/5 of the patients then it can be tested in phase3. However if the drug shows very positive effects in-patients, the Food and Drug Administration also have the option of approving the drug for general use at this point. PHASE 3 This trial involves hundreds of patients and is divided into two groups. The control group receives a standard treatment (placebo) and the treatment groups are given the new drug. Results are then compared from the two groups. Blinded studies are used to prevent biased study results. If the new successfully passes a phase3 trial the FDA will approve the drug for marketing to the general public. Purification -The acetylsalicylic acid is washed with distilled water until all the acetic acid is removed. -It is pressed to be as dry as possible and then dried more by a current of warm air at 60-70 degrees Celsius. The yield of pure acetylsalicylic acid is between 1780-1795kg per batch using this reaction process. * History of Aspirin and its modern development * How aspirin is prepared on the large scale Main reactor for the process- a glass lined 1500 gallon fitted with a water-cooled reflux condenser, thermometers with automatic temperature register and an efficient agitator. The Mother Liquor- 1532kg of acetic anhydride in 1200kg of toluene (this does not get used up.). The reactor is charged up with the mother liquor. 1382kg of salicylic acid is added to the mother liquor. The reaction mixture is heated to between 85-92 degrees Celsius and kept at this temperature for 20 hours. The reaction mixture is transferred into an aluminum-cooling tank and is allowed to cool for 3-4 days. By the end the cool mixture will have reached room temperature 15-25 degrees Celsius. At this point the acetylsalicylic acid has precipitated as large regular crystals. Mother liquor is removed by filtration or centrifuging. Filtrate solution- 180-270kg of UN-precipitated acetyl acid, 510kg of acetic anhydride, 600kg of acetic acid and 1200kg of toluene. The acetic acid is obtained as a by-product of the acetylation step of the process. An well-agitated reactor using a diffusion plate will introduce Ketene gas, to be passed through the recycled filtrate at a temperature between 15-25 degrees Celsius. When a weight increase of 420.5kg of the Ketene gas is observed, the mother liquor contains 180-270kg of UN-precipitated acetyl acid and 1532kg of acetic anhydride in 1200kg of toluene. The Mother liquor is recycled and 1382kg of Salicylic acid is added to continue the reaction cycle BC- the first and most influential physician wrote about the bitter powder extracted from the willow bark that could ease aches and pains and reduce fever. 1700- The scientist Reverend Edmund Stone found out that the part of the willow tree bark that was bitter and good for fever and pain is a chemical known as Salicin. This converts into another chemical called Salicylic acid when eaten. 1829- A pharmacist known as Leroux showed that Salicin is the active willow ingredient and for the first time an Italian chemist Piria used Salicylic acid to treat pain and swelling in diseases such as Arthritis and to treat fever in illnesses like Influenza. The problem was that these chemicals was causing the users upset stomachs. Some people had bleeding in their digestive tracts from high doses needed to control swelling and pain. It was thought that the reason of stomach upsets were because of the acid in the chemical, therefore the compound Salicylic acid went through a couple of chemical reactions that covered up one of the acidic parts with an ACETYL group, converting it to ACETYLSALICYLIC ACID (ASA). It was found that ASA reduced fever and relieve of pain and swelling but also it was much better for the stomach and worked better than Salicylic Acid. 1899- ASA was given the name ASPIRIN- that comes from the plant relative of a rose that makes SALICYLIC ACID (several plants makes this compound not just willow). * How drugs such as aspirin work Prostaglandin is a chemical that is released to make the nerve ending register an even stronger pain to the brain. It is made in working cells of the damaged tissues by using an enzyme called CYCLOOXYGENASE 2 (COX-2). Prostaglandin makes you feel the pain of the damaged area and causes it to swell up (inflammation), to bathe the tissues in fluid from the blood so that it will protect it and help it heal. Pain serves the purpose here to remind you that the damaged area cannot be used, as it is not healed. However sometimes we endure pain when there is no real reason to. For example Period Pains and Arthritis. It can make people feel really uncomfortable and arthritis can damage joints permanently. ASPIRIN works by locking itself to the enzyme that makes the chemical Prostaglandin. The enzyme C0X-2 that is found in normal tissues but mostly in tissues that have been damaged in some way, can no longer convert floating chemicals into Prostaglandin because they are unable to move with the aspirin lock on. Aspirin does not treat the cause of the pain; it just lowers the pain signals getting through your nerves to the brain. * How effective aspirin is New researches suggest that an aspirin a day is a preventive measure against Heart Attacks. However the effectiveness of aspirin has differential effects depending on genetics.

Mental Models About a Persons World Essay Example for Free

Mental Models About a Persons World Essay INTRODUCTION: Meeting a person for the first time, can either be a positive or negative experience and the way someone interacts with this person can also show both positive and negative behaviours. So the question is, how can mental models about a persons world, both aid them and also limit their perceptions when meeting a person for the first time. Through exploring how and why these perceptions can be assisted and limited, we can start to question the reasoning behind our mental models. MENTAL MODELS Throughout the years, academic literature has defined a mental model in many ways, however the best way to understand what a mental model is, is the deeply imbedded ways of thinking or even certain images, that trigger assumptions and generalisations, ultimately affecting the way a person responds too or behaves in the world, be it towards a person or a life situation (Senge 2006). A good example of a mental model is, the generalization that only rich people live in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. This generalisation may be true in some cases, but in other cases, other people may live there because they have lived their all their lives, and so, we can see this particular generalisation or mental model has not be thought through. Not questioning mental models, can often lead to false generalisations, this situation can also arise when meeting a person for the first time. When meeting a person for the first time, our mental models can help us both understand and ultimately get along with the person or they can limit our perceptions, meaning we make assumptions or generalisations that eventually alter our perceptions about this person or how we act towards them. Very often, we see that we are not consciously aware of our mental models and the affects that they can have on our behaviour (Chermack 2003), this in turn, restricts our perceptions. Mental models are often vague, incomplete and imprecisely expressed (Karp 2005) however, once believed, mental models are extremely difficult to change (Chermack 2003). This is highly due to the  fact that people are unaware of their own mental models, and the only way for a person to change their mental model, is for them to acknowledge that they have one to start with. Mental models can be useful as they can help us to process information and make decisions quickly (Unknown 1997) and they can also be imperative foundations for building knowledge about the world we live in (Karp 2005). For instance, when an individual has a mental model that all take away food is bad for their health and wellbeing, when given the option of either having take away food or a healthy meal at home, the individuals mental model will therefore lead them to quickly decide to eat a healthy meal at home. However, very strong mental models can hinder active thinking and the acceptance of new ideas (Unknown 1997), and often arise problems when they are tacit, meaning that they are below the level of awareness (Senge 1992). Using the example of the Detroit auto maker, not recognising that they had the mental model that all that customers cared about was styling, believing that all people care about is styling, evidently shows us that their mental model had become tacit. This mental model continued to be unexamined, and because this mental model remained unexamined, the model remained unchanged, and thus as the world changed the gap grew between the mental model of this Detroit automaker and the world (Senge 1992). Clearly, mental models can perform as filters that screen incoming information that come to us, limiting our ways of thinking and also our perceptions (Unknown 1997). An individuals mental model represents their view on the world, it also provides them with the context in which they view and interpret new material and also new people in which they meet for the first time (Kim 1993). It not only helps us to make sense of what is going on around us, but it can also restrict our understanding of a certain situation. For example, when someone has been labeled as not a nice person, with never questioning the validity of it, people create a mental model that, that person is not nice, and so when they do or say something nice it goes unnoticed, and therefore, the behaviour does not fit with the mental model people have towards this  certain individual. These untested assumptions or mental models can eventually cause conflict and misunderstandings between people. Developing skills in reflection and inquiry can aid us in realising our mental models and also with dealing with others. When we use skills of reflection we slow down our ways of thinking and acknowledge how our mental models are formed and how they affect our behaviour. Where as skills of inquiry, is concerned with how we operate in face-to-face situations with others, especially when we are dealing with complex and conflictual issues (Senge 2006). Together with the tools and methods used to develop these skills these constitute the core of the discipline of mental models, which consists of; the distinctions between espoused theories and theories-in-use, recognising leaps of abstraction, exposing the left-hand column and balancing inquiry and advocacy (Senge 2006). When an individual says that they value or desire something, that is known as espoused theory, however, what they actually say or do, is known as theories-in-use (Bocham 2010). Acknowledging the gaps between what we say and what we do, can be seen as an effective reflective skill in becoming more aware of our mental models. Someone may profess their view (espoused theory) that people generally are trustworthy, but their actions (theories-in-use) show differently, as they never lend out money and keep their possessions to themselves (Senge 2006). As evident in the example above, there is a gap between the individuals espoused theory and their theory-in-use. By recognising the gap between espoused theory and the theory-in-use, learning can occur, as we as individuals question whether or not we really value our espoused theory (Senge 2006). When we meet a person for the first time, we can quickly jump into generalisations as we never think to question them. For example, when we meet a person and they say that they are a doctor, we automatically assume that they are smart, as it is a generalization that all doctors are smart we never seem to question this mental model. These are known as leaps of abstraction. Leaps of abstraction occur when we move from direct observations to generalisations without questioning them, this ultimately  impedes learning because it becomes axiomatic, as what was once an assumption is now treated as a fact (Senge 2006). Therefore, this becomes another limitation, in which mental models can have on our perceptions when we meet people for the first time. However, these leaps of abstraction can easily be identified when people ask what their generalisation is based-on and whether or not the generalisation is inaccurate or misleading (Senge 2006) Senge (2006) identifies the left-hand column as a powerful technique whereby individuals begin to see how their mental models operate in differing situations. This exercise can show individuals that they indeed have mental models and show them how those models play an active part in sometimes negative interactions with people, not only do these people become aware of their mental models, but they begin to acknowledge why dealing with these assumptions is imperative (Senge 2006). In order for good communication between individuals to arise, people need to recognise that in order for the communication process to be effective, mental models must be managed properly, this is done by balancing advocacy and inquiry (Peggy Bronn 2003). Advocacy is the process of communicating an individuals ways of thinking and reasoning in a manner that makes it clear for others (Peggy Bronn 2003). When there is advocacy without inquiry, it only leads to more advocacy, and therefore leads to two individuals stating their ways of reasoning and thinking, they both are keen to here the others views, but do not inquire into what they are saying because they believe that what they are saying is ultimately the best way of thinking. A way to tackle this, is through the process of inquiry. Inquiry engages two individuals into the communication process in a joint learning process (Peggy Bronn 2003). Here the objective is to understand the reasoning and thinking of the other individual, this can be done by asking them questions in order for them to determine the origin for their conclusions and statements (Peggy Bronn 2003). Individuals can do this by asking questions such as; What is it that leads you to that position? and can you illustrate your point for me? (Senge 2006). Thus, it is evident  that grasping the skill of balancing advocacy and inquiry, is highly advantageous in interacting with other individuals, especially those you meet for the first time. CONCLUSION: Therefore, it is imperative and highly advantageous for us to question our mental models in everyday situations, such as meeting people for the first time, as it will deter us from automatically making assumptions and making generalisations. Through acknowledging leaps of abstraction, using the left-hand column technique and also personally mastering the skill of balancing advocacy and inquiry, we can learn to question these mental models, and thus questioning whether or not they really do hold their value in our world. Thus, when we meet a person for the first time, before we make assumptions and generalisations, we may need to recognise our imbedded mental models and learn to question them, therefore aiding the process of communication to be a positive experience. REFERENCE LIST: Bochman, DJ Kroth, M. 2010, Immunity to transformational learning and change, _The Learning Organization,_ vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 328-342. Chermack, TJ 2003, Mental models in decision making and implications for human resource development, _Advances in Developing Human Resources,_ vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 408-422. Karp, T 2005, Unpacking the Mysteries of Change: Mental Modelling, _Journal of Change Management,_ vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 87-96. Kim, DH 1993, The Link Between Individual and Organizational Learning, _Sloan management review,_ vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 37-37. Peggy, SB Bronn, C 2003, A reflective stakeholder approach: Co-orientation as a basis for communication learning, _Journal of Communication Management,_ vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 291-303. Senge, P 2006, Mental Models, _The fifth discipline: the art and practice of learning organizations,_ rev. edn, Doubleday, New York, pp. 163-190. Senge, PM 1992, Mental Models, _Planning Review,_ vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 4-4. Unknown 1997, What are Mental Models?, _Sloan management review,_ vol. 38, no. 3, p. 13.

The Fertilizer Industry In India Environmental Sciences Essay

The Fertilizer Industry In India Environmental Sciences Essay The fertilizer plant was established in 1906 in Tamil Nadu. The growth of the fertilizer industry began in 1951 with plant establishment by Fertilizer Corporation of India. The constant demand of fertilizer resulted in Green Revolution and lead to spreading of industry in industry in several parts of India. Today, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala and Punjab produce over half of the total produce of fertilizer required in India. Apart from them, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Bihar, Assam, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Goa and Karnataka are also important producers of fertilizers. The ease of obtain ability of natural gas resulted in the wide spread of the fertilizer industry. India produces nitrogenous nearly 11 million tones, phosphate 4 million tones and potash fertilizers to 1.7 million tones. The country imports potassium from abroad. Chemical and bio fertilizers play a vital role in the success of green revolution in India. India is basically an agriculture focused economy flourishing on Indian fertilizers. With green revolution, Indian fertilizer manufacturers and suppliers have enhanced their production and have attained self-sufficiency in the needs of Indian fertilizers. The industry of Indian fertilizers is associated sectors of agricultural sphere. India surfaced as the largest producer of chemical fertilizers, nitrogenous fertilizers as well as bio fertilizer in association with unvarying endeavour of manufacturers and suppliers of fertilizer. Today, India can boast of having surplus food grain and this excess are facilitated due to the Indian fertilizers. The manufacture and fertilizers supply is viewed as the most energy process in the Indian industry. The nitrogenous as well as bio fertilizers have great impact on the use of energy and the determining factors for efficiency of energy in the industry are feed stocks, technology, capacity utilization and plant age. Indian government formulated policies favourable to the fertilizer suppliers, consumers and manufacturers. This was supported by numerous committees and was formulated by the Indian government to determine the policies regarding fertilizers. The increase in the fertilizer industry is approved to favourable policies. Now, there are many fertilizer units and supply a wide range of fertilizers. This is apparent from the steady global demand for Indian fertilizers that is being fulfilled. Recent years is viewing a demand for organic fertilizers besides inorganic fertilizers. Many private fertilizer companies are showing positive gesture by setting plants in various countries and are elevating the demand for chemical and bio fertilizers. The fertilizers industry in India has a good and bright future in the market. The Indian government is offering optimal support by subsidizing raw materials as well as by relaxing the export policies and this is found to be favourable to the fertilizer co mpanies. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fertilizers are chemical compounds applied to promote plant and fruit growth. Fertilizers are usually applied either through the soil (for uptake by plant roots) or, by foliar feeding (for uptake through leaves). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fertilizers can be placed into the categories of organic fertilizers (composed of decayed plant/animal matter), or inorganic fertilizers (composed of simple chemicals and minerals) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ .Organic fertilizers are naturally occurring compounds, such as peat, manufactured through natural processes (such as composting), or naturally occurring mineral deposits à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fertilizers typically provide, in varying proportions, the three major plant nutrients: Industrial Environment of Fertilizers. . Cadmium is produced mainly as a by-product of mining, smelting and refining of zinc and, to a lesser degree, as a by-product of lead and copper production. It is therefore primarily a function of zinc production rather than cadmium demand. Major shifts in smelting and refining technology (from pyrometallurgical to hydrometallurgical processes) have led to significant decreases in releases of cadmium to the environment. Cadmium is used and traded globally as a metal and as a component in various products, in particular in batteries until it was banned in a number of countries. Other major uses of refined cadmium are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Pigments for plastics, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ceramics and enamels; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Stabilizers for plastics; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Plating on iron and steel; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ alloying element of some lead, copper and tin alloys. Since 1990, the consumption of such products has been decreasing significantly because of the awareness of the detrimental impacts on health and the environment. Waste management systems have increasingly been put in place in industrialized countries to reduce releases of cadmium into the environment. However, some of the uses of cadmium which have been phased out in developed countries have continued or even increased in developing countries. INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY This leads to the rise of very large cities and surrounding suburban areas with a high rate of economic activity. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ These urban centers require the input of external energy sources in order to overcome the diminishing returns of agricultural consolidation, due partially to the lack of nearby arable land, associated transportation and storage costs, and are otherwise unsustainable. Industrial societies are generally mass societies. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Industrial society is characterized by the use of external energy sources, such as fossil fuels, to increase the rate and scale of production. The production of food is shifted to large commercial farms where the products of industry, such as combine harvesters and petroleum based fertilizers, are used to decrease required human labor while increasing production. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ No longer needed for the production of food, excess labor is moved into these factories where mechanization is utilized to further increase efficiency. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ As populations grow, and mechanization is further refined, often to the level of automation, many workers shift to expanding service industries. MAJOR PRACTICES IN AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Agriculture refers to the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants (i.e. crops) creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and stratified societies. The study of agriculture is known as agricultural science (the related practice of gardening is studied in horticulture). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Agriculture encompasses a wide variety of specialties and techniques, including ways to expand the lands suitable for plant raising, by digging water-channels and other forms of irrigation. Cultivation of crops on arable land and the pastoral herding of livestock on rangeland remain at the foundation of agriculture. In the past century there has been increasing concern to identify and quantify various forms of agriculture. In the developed world the range usually extends between sustainable agriculture (e.g. permaculture or organic agriculture) and intensive farming (e.g. industrial agriculture). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Modern agronomy, plant breeding, pesticides and fertilizers, and technological improvements have sharply increased yields from cultivation, and at the same time have caused widespread ecological damage and negative human health effects. Selective breeding and modern practices in animal husbandry such as intensive pig farming (and similar practices applied to the chicken) have similarly increased the output of meat, but have raised concerns about animal cruelty and the health effects of the antibiotics, growth hormones, and other chemicals commonly used in industrial meat production à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Tillage is the practice of plowing soil to prepare for planting or for nutrient incorporation or for pest control. Tillage varies in intensity from conventional to no-till. It may improve productivity by warming the soil, incorporating fertilizer and controlling weeds, but also renders soil more prone to erosion, triggers the decomposition of organic matter releasing CO2, and reduces the abundance and diversity of soil organisms à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ . Pest control includes the management of weeds, insects/mites, and diseases. Chemical (pesticides), biological (biocontrol), mechanical (tillage), and cultural practices are used. Cultural practices include crop rotation, culling, cover crops, intercropping, composting, avoidance, and resistance. Integrated pest management attempts to use all of these methods to keep pest populations below the number which would cause economic loss, and recommends pesticides as a last resort. . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Nutrient management includes both the source of nutrient inputs for crop and livestock production, and the method of utilization of manure produced by livestock. Nutrient inputs can be chemical inorganic fertilizers, manure, green manure, compost and mined minerals Crop nutrient use may also be managed using cultural techniques such as crop rotation or a fallow period Manure is utilized either by holding livestock where the feed crop is growing such as in Managed intensive rotational grazing, or by spreading either dry or liquid formulations of manure on cropland or pastures. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Water management is where rainfall is insufficient or variable, which occurs to some degree in most regions of the world. Some farmers use irrigation to supplement rainfall. In other areas such as the Great Plains in the U.S. and Canada, farmers use a fallow year to conserve soil moisture to use for growing a crop in the following year. Agriculture represents 70% of freshwater use worldwide . The role of the fertilizer industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The fertilizer industry helps ensure that farmers have the nutrients they need to grow enough crops to meet the worlds requirements for food, feed, fiber and energy. The nutrients supplied by the industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The fertilizer industry encourages the adoption of Fertilizer Best Management Practices (FBMPs) as part of good agricultural practices. Future trends in this industry Fertilizer technology may be predicted by extrapolating from current developments. Mixtures and materials with high percentages of plant nutrients will dominate the field. Better ways of providing nitrogen, the most expensive of the three major nutrients, will be forthcoming, including increased use of anhydrous ammonia, ammonium nitrate, and urea. No leachable nitrogen, for example, can be obtained through the urea-formaldehyde (ureaform) reaction, and ammonium met phosphate offers a concentrated liquid product. Micronutrients, or trace elements, specific to particular geographical areas will come into increasing use, as will custom mixing and bulk selling of mixtures containing several nutrients based on reliable soil and plant data. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ may come into use; with the tape planted, no further fertilizer or water will be needed until growth is well established. Such techniques using biodegradable tapes have already been developed on a small scale for use by home gardeners. Finally, larger and more precise fertilizing machines will be developed and adopted. The fertilizer sector in India holds a major share among the energy intensive industries of the country. The industry has shown unparalleled growth in the past few years. Although growing in an accelerating rate, the industry is faced with a number of challenges, inter alia, the lack of major plant resources such as nitrogen, phosphate and potassium . à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The government has established nine public sector undertakings in the Indian fertilizer market and one cooperative society, known as the Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) that functions under the supervision of the Department of Fertilizers in India. There are 63 large units dedicated to the production of fertilizers. Among these, 9 units produce ammonium sulphate while 38 units produce urea. There are 79 small and medium scale units producing single superphosphate. ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE INDUSTRY The economy of the country does have considerable impact on the fertilizer industry in the following ways: The cost of this industry is quite high which is very difficult for the economy of the country to support especially in current circumstances. Natural Gas is the main requirement of this industry and it is very difficult to fulfill that. Recently the government has announced the cut in the supply of the Natural Gas in the shape of load shedding. When there is a boom in the agriculture sector of the economy, the demand of the fertilizers also gets increased which puts positive effects on the industry. HUMAN RESOURCE ISSUES IN INDUSTRY There would not be any of such issues in the industry as the educated human resource is easily available and for further enhancement in performance training should be conducted in companies both technical and interpersonal. HURDLES IN MARKETING: Ineffective distribution process. Prices are not same in all over Pakistan. Uneducated target market because of this marketing is difficult. New entrants discouraged. Rigid and slow reaction to market changes. Weak competition or shortages may lead to price gouging and/or product adulteration. FINANCING EASILY AVAILABLE Financing is easily available in this sector. The government is willing to develop this sector so that it would fulfill the requirements. Recently, two plants are opening; one is of Fatima Fertilizer and one of Engro Ammonia Plant. In project of Engro Ammonia Plant there is total investment of $1billion is needed, for which it has signed a syndicate loan of Rs 18.3 billion. IMPACT OF POLITICAL PARTIES As in India, there is a culture that all of the work related to Government would be easier only when you have good relationship with these parties. Fertilizer Industry has too much concern with the Government for availability of Natural Gas and Water, subsidy, anti-dumping duty, and custom free import and so on. All these factors have considerable effect on the profitability of the companies and without political parties help, companies will not be able to get these benefits. In the industry, all companies have very good and stable relation with the political parties and therefore enjoy benefits which they want to. So, we can say that the impact of political parties is positive on this industry TRADE ISSUES RELATED TO FERTILIZER INDUSTRY 1. Agreement is being made that the market forces will be allowed to work, in the case of fertilizer imports. 2. To stop dumping in fertilizer industry the WTO regulation related to anti dumping must be applied in the industry for the industry benefit. 3. In case of import the fertilizer producing companies are exempted where as the non 4. The introduction of General Sales Tax on fertilizers should be carefully considered since it would have serious implications on price relations. 5. Market information and monitoring by the National Fertilizer Development Centre should be strengthened to serve as a real information centre for the fertilizer sector. PROPOSALS GIVEN BY PEOPLE OF FERTILIZER INDUSTRY The first point in proposal was about career development of employees People working in one section or department from years are still with the same knowledge and style of doing job. There should be proper career planning of employee which results in better and improved output for the organization. Some employees are working in the same department or section since they are appointed. Employees should be transferred with in departments so there is job variety that develops their interests, update their information and improve their performance. Due to high rate of unemployment in the country people join those jobs which are against their interest so proper analysis should be done and explore those employee which can do better what they are currently doing in the organization Management should take necessary action in implementing the safety organization. OUR PROPOSALS Strict quality control and monitoring should be there to prevent import of sub-standard products. The problem of logistics should be looked into. Transportation through railway (being cheaper), especially during peak seasons should be made available. There is a need to educate the farmers on balanced fertilizer use so as to neutralize the adverse impacts of constant use of nitrogenous fertilizers. HUMAN RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS OF FERTILIZER INDUSTRY Hiring quality manpower, keeping them happy, satisfied and motivated are the pillars of the Human Resources Department; justice, fair play and merit oriented treatment are some of the ingredients of processing cases by the Human Resources Department. For Human Resource development, another aspect which receives its due share is training. The employees are exposed to various kinds of cross training, technical courses, management courses, workshops and seminars both at home and abroad. Employees welfare has all along received due consideration by the Management SPECIFIC TRAINING INSTITUTIONS Following training institutions are available: 1. NFC Institute of Engineering and Technological Training 2. Technical Training Center (TTC) NFC INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY : The NFC Institute of Engineering and Technological Training is the training centre of the National Fertilizer Corporation of Pakistan. It is a small engineering college established to meet the requirement of trained manpower for chemical process industry, especially in the fertilizer sector. A Training Centre was established in 1985. Operators and Technicians Supervisors Engineers. 2. TECHNICAL TRAINING CENTER 25 Technical Training Center (TTC) lies in its expert faculty having rich plant operation and maintenance experience, functional pilot plants, well equipped shops for practice and access to FFC operating plants for real life demonstration. This institution conducts following programs: Training of engineers technicians customized to Clients specific needs. Fertilizer Technology Course for fresh engineers. Professional Management Curses. Apprenticeship Programs for operators technicians. Skill Improvement Programs for operators technicians in the areas of Plant Operations, Maintenance Safety. Supplier Power No threat of forward integration. High Switching cost because it is difficult to contract with other groups and deal with them. Concentration is low. They act as separate groups competing for the same project. In this industry supplier has a high bargaining power, as most of them are Foreign Groups. Buyers Power Switching cost is low but does not have significant effect due to fixed prices. There are two substitute products available, Imported Fertilizer and Bio-Fertilizer. Production of bio-fertilizer is almost over and imported fertilizer is available at the same price because of anti-dumping duty and Government regulations for the prices of fertilizer for particular seasons are fixed. Although Buyers are large in numbers and purchases a large quantity as well, but buyers do not have a bargaining power. There is no forum available that protects them, and this group is not educated enough to fight for their rights. All what has happened, is done by the Government. Potential Entrants Brand reputation of existing companies is also one of the barriers because customers do not easily get ready to switch. Massive Ecological surveys must be done before companies can begin production. Government Policies and regulation are also act as barriers; because Natural Gas which is the main raw material of the industry, and the prices and supply of it is completely depend upon the Government. As before government was charging feed gas at lower rate and Fuel gas at higher rate. But now they are being charged at the same rate. Government does not easily give permission for manufacturing plant due to shortage of Natural gas and harmful environmental effects, this also act as a barrier. Huge capital requirement is one of the greatest barriers for entry. There are number of barriers to entry such, as capital requirements, government policies, reputation of existing firms and ecological surveys. Substitutes Switching costs is low. Suitability of Alternatives: imported fertilizer is as suitable as the industry products are. Bio-fertilizer is more suitable to use then the industry products, as it has no harmful environmental effects, cheap to produce and it also enhance the fertility of the soil. Where as our product reduces the natural fertility, but its production is almost over. Therefore industry does not have a threat of substitutes. There are two substitutes available 1. Imported Fertilizer 2. Bio-Fertilizer Rivalry Competition is only on the basis of Quality. Prices are fixed for every season so no competition on the basis of pricing behavior. Industry is at maturity stage so; competition on the basis of growth is low. Fixed Costs are too high, which is not easily possible to tolerate. It reduces the competition. MARKET The target market of the industry can be divided in to two parts: 1. Farmers 2. Land owners TREND ANALYSIS Political Trend: Gas for balancing, modernization, replacement expansion for existing plants has been filed for 7 years. Gas price has been fixed for 10 years for new investments. Export benefit to suppliers of capital goods for new/modernization projects of fertilizer. Tax relaxation has also been offered by the Government. Import by manufacturers of Rock Phosphate and Phosphorous of fertilizer free of customs duty. The Government is providing concessionary feed stock gas to the fertilizer plants for production of urea. Investors will be allowed to relocate second hand plant, equipment and machinery, with the same concession/exemption as applicable to new plants. To fulfil local demand of fertilizers at affordable prices, the Government is providing subsidy on production and import of fertilizers. Political trends are always in favour of this industry. The Government has provided following incentives under Fertilizer Policy, 2001, to encourage fertilizer production in the country: Economical Trend: Import by manufacturers of Rock Phosphate and Phosphorous of fertilizer free of customs duty.ØOne of the main sectors of economy is Agricultural as it contributes 22% to the GDP and without Fertilizer industry this sector would not able to work. Due to that Government always gives support to the fertilizer industry. PHOENIX Tax relaxation has been offered in order to attract new entrants. Export benefit to suppliers of capital goods for new/modernization projects of fertilizer. To reduce the dependence on Ban on export of fertilizer is also imposed so that economic stability would be gain.Ø The Government is providing subsidy on production and import of fertilizers. a massive subsidy of Rs. 27 billion in the supply of urea and DAP in 2009. imported fertilizers by enhancing the local production capacity. Social Trends: Although the adverse effects of this industry is very high because of the improper handling of the waste. Due to this, many diseases like asthma, kidney diseases, hepatitis etcare caused. Still, the usage of the fertilizers cannot be stopped because it gives farmers so much ease in terms of saving time and actually, using it. Making bio -fertilizer has now become an old usage and farmers dont prefer to use it against artificial fertilizer. Technological Trend: The fertilizer plant operators have now fully absorbed and assimilated the latest technological developments, incorporating environmental friendly process technologies, and are in a position to operate and maintain the plants at their optimum levels and on international standards in terms of capacity utilization, specific energy consumption. To meet the demand of fertilizers in the country through indigenous production, self-reliance in design engineering and execution of fertilizer projects is very crucial. This requires a strong indigenous technological base in planning, development of process know-how, detailed engineering and expertise in project management and execution of projects. The fertilizer industry is also carrying out de-bottlenecking and energy saving scheme in their existing plants and to enhance the capacity and reduce the specific energy consumption per ton of product. Companies are also planning to convert to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).pollution standards. The ave rage performance of gas-based plants in the country today is amongst the best in the world. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths: All companies in the industry have developed a well planned network field warehouses to ensure that fertilizers are available to the farmers uninterrupted. Fertilizer industry peruses an innovative education oriented advertising policy utilizing electronic/ print media and road side advertisement. Industry has well distribution centers. Demand is heavy because, being an agriculture country and due to increasing awareness about the balanced use of fertilizer, demand for the fertilizer will increase. All the fertilizer plants are producing at more than 100 per cent installed capacity of utilization. Adding some new unit can enhance the production capacity of the plants. Weakness: Low advertising campaigns as growers and farmers are not educated and lives in Fertilizer sector is backward in technology and also lack in resources. villages, so they dont exactly know the balanced use of fertilizer. Demand is more and capacity of plants to produce fertilizers is less. Due to the existence of black market and heavy demand, farmers have to pay above then the stated price. Opportunities: As India is an agricultural country and farmers are getting awareness about the balanced use of fertili As demand is high comparing to supply, fertilizer sector has an opportunity to expand the capacity to fulfill the local demand. Government is giving support to fertilizer sectorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Availability of gas from Iran can increase the production of plants and industry c an fulfill the demands. There is no quota restriction by WTO since 2005, so there are more chances of export. If the quality is good customer will buy your product. By improving the quality of products, industry can attract more customers and can retain customers by satisfying their needs. zer, demand of fertilizer has increased. Threats: Government policies are not consistent regarding fertilizer industry. Bio fertilizer is the main threat to the industry because it is cheap and also environment friendly. Global prices of fertilizer products are also increasing which is causing increase in fertilizer prices in the country. Prices of fuel and gas have increased enormously. Unstable political condition in the country is also a big threat to fertilizer industry. Imported fertilizer is available at cheap prices than local fertilizer. As natural gas is the main raw material, load shedding of natural gas is big threat. CONCLUSION Planning and Administration and Vigilance. It makes an assessment of the individual requirements of the states and union territories and then lays out an elaborate supply plan. Though the soil in India is rich in silt, it lacks chief plant nutrients like potassium, nitrogen and phosphate. The increase in the production of fertilizers and its consumption acts as a major contributor to overall agricultural development. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Size of Indian Fertilizer Industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Growth of Indian Fertilizer Industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Private Companies in Indian Fertilizer Market à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Public Sector Companies in Indian Fertilizer Market à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Major Players in Indian Fertilizer Fertilizer industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Global Demand for Indian Fertilizer à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Government Policies and Indian Market à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Challenges before Indian Fertilizer Industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Concluding remarks on Indian Fertilizer Industry Posted by ICM IM

Mr. Deeds Review :: essays research papers

â€Å"Sandler’s Mr. Deeds: Mis-Deeds†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With a prestigious resume’ of successful blockbuster comedies, Adam Sandler certainly fails with Mr. Deeds, his most recent attempt to duplicate his past successes. The quick-wit, unexpected, laugh-out-loud jokes are a forte’ of Sandler’s which go back to his days of being a young comedian on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Sandler’s comedy is the only thing that will keep you in your seat for an hour and a half. Fortunately for this movie, Sandler's large adolescent audience awaited the premier on June 28th. It’s hard to find the direction of this film. However, it does include criteria consisting of, or the lack-there-of, an unoriginal theme for Sandler, an unforeseen love between characters, an unrealistic storyline, the minuscule co-star involvement, and flat lackadaisical humor, is the proof behind this movie’s pudding; it defines the word lousy. However, Sandler’s newest flick will most likely enjoy box-off ice success from the strong fan base that follow every movie he makes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The screenwriter Tim Herlihy and the director Steven Brill appear to use the same old, similar storyline from past Sandler films: Billy Madison (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), The Wedding Singer (1998), The Waterboy (1998), and Big Daddy (1999). Sandler plays a similar role of a guy that has a big heart with good intentions but is sometimes misunderstood until the â€Å"true person† comes out for the doubters to see. A key thing to remember here is that all of the previously mentioned films were successful and in their own way, very original. Mr. Deeds fails to be included on this list. Sandler plays the role of Longfellow Deeds, a small-town native of Mandrake Falls, New Hampshire. He is a pizza delivery boy/greeting card writer that inherits $40 billion dollars from an uncle he never knew. Deeds is a character that exemplifies a so-called â€Å"regular† American. He loves his friends; he loves to make others laugh and enjoys life in general. When his uncle suddenly dies, without a will, Deeds is overwhelmed by conniving executives Chuck Cedar (Peter Gallagher) and his tobacco-smoking partner Cecil (Erick Avari). The New York City high rollers arrive in Mandrake Falls to inform Deeds of his new income and then take him down to N.Y.C. via private helicopter, to sign over his shares to his dead uncle's vast corporation. Cedar eagerly wishes to take over the corporation and sell all of its shares for an enormous amount of money. Mr. Deeds Review :: essays research papers â€Å"Sandler’s Mr. Deeds: Mis-Deeds†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With a prestigious resume’ of successful blockbuster comedies, Adam Sandler certainly fails with Mr. Deeds, his most recent attempt to duplicate his past successes. The quick-wit, unexpected, laugh-out-loud jokes are a forte’ of Sandler’s which go back to his days of being a young comedian on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Sandler’s comedy is the only thing that will keep you in your seat for an hour and a half. Fortunately for this movie, Sandler's large adolescent audience awaited the premier on June 28th. It’s hard to find the direction of this film. However, it does include criteria consisting of, or the lack-there-of, an unoriginal theme for Sandler, an unforeseen love between characters, an unrealistic storyline, the minuscule co-star involvement, and flat lackadaisical humor, is the proof behind this movie’s pudding; it defines the word lousy. However, Sandler’s newest flick will most likely enjoy box-off ice success from the strong fan base that follow every movie he makes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The screenwriter Tim Herlihy and the director Steven Brill appear to use the same old, similar storyline from past Sandler films: Billy Madison (1995), Happy Gilmore (1996), The Wedding Singer (1998), The Waterboy (1998), and Big Daddy (1999). Sandler plays a similar role of a guy that has a big heart with good intentions but is sometimes misunderstood until the â€Å"true person† comes out for the doubters to see. A key thing to remember here is that all of the previously mentioned films were successful and in their own way, very original. Mr. Deeds fails to be included on this list. Sandler plays the role of Longfellow Deeds, a small-town native of Mandrake Falls, New Hampshire. He is a pizza delivery boy/greeting card writer that inherits $40 billion dollars from an uncle he never knew. Deeds is a character that exemplifies a so-called â€Å"regular† American. He loves his friends; he loves to make others laugh and enjoys life in general. When his uncle suddenly dies, without a will, Deeds is overwhelmed by conniving executives Chuck Cedar (Peter Gallagher) and his tobacco-smoking partner Cecil (Erick Avari). The New York City high rollers arrive in Mandrake Falls to inform Deeds of his new income and then take him down to N.Y.C. via private helicopter, to sign over his shares to his dead uncle's vast corporation. Cedar eagerly wishes to take over the corporation and sell all of its shares for an enormous amount of money.

Negative Effects Experienced By Our Children :: essays research papers

Cause and Effect Negative Effects Experienced By Our Children   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What have I done? What will my children have to endure today because of the mistakes I made yesterday? â€Å"†¦ but causing the negative effects of the parents’ offenses to be experienced by their children and grandchildren†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Exodus 34:7 (Complete Jewish Bible)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"And do you, MaLinda, take this man to be your lawful†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I don’t think I love this man, but what do I do? I’m four months pregnant. What would people think of me if I didn’t get married? And all these people-how would they feel-making them come here and then I say no? What do I do?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦To have and to hold, so long as you both shall live?† Sigh-â€Å"I do.† Oh God, I hope I didn’t just make a mistake.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sometimes I wonder how different things would be had I not made that second mistake. The first, well that was having sex outside of marriage. I knew it was wrong, but who knew HOW wrong? I didn’t just affect me-it affected my family, his family and the lives of my two children. Sometimes I think they got hurt the worst. Eight years of marriage. How long did they suffer? How long before I realized what was going on?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My daughter was two years old when I decided that maybe another baby would help. So we had our second child, a boy. It didn’t help. There wasn’t a lot of arguing. There was no communication, just existence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was April 1998 when I received the call. One of my former daycare children had made a complaint. There had been suspicion, but not evidence. They called me in-asked me questions. They asked my children questions. I don’t know if we helped.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was June 1999 when he was found guilty of lewd acts with a minor-2 counts. It’s been 6 years since I’ve removed my children from that house. I still see the negative effects of the mistakes I made. My daughter suffered from emotional stress. For example, for a while we had problems with her seeing imaginary friends. She would watch her two dragons fly around the room or outside of the vehicle. It got to the point where she could even shrink them to fit into her pocket. This way she could take them to class with her. It became even more serious when she tried to get her brother and two cousins involved in playing with her imaginary dragons.

Perfect Competition V. Monopolies :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the American Economy, business is controlled by the government and the consumer. When a person is the owner of a business that is alone in its product that it provides for the consumer, it is said to be a monopoly. As a monopoly you have sole control over price. Monopolies are regulated by the government in order to prevent the misuse of power that a monopoly has.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If a person can only get turkey, for example from one store. Then the store can charge a lot more for that turkey than it could if the store next door was selling it too because then there would be competition. Also, the store would not have to produce a better quality of turkey because there would be no reason for it to do so. In this situation the consumer is taken unfair advantage of by the business owner, in this case the store. Government regulates monopolies to promote a perfect competition economy and to get rid of the â€Å"turkey situation† discussed above. The benefits of a perfect competition economy benefit consumers. For example, if we go back to the store, in a perfect competition economy all of the stores have turkey. Now the stores want to make sure that the turkey that they sell is the best turkey and cost the least. In this situation they are competing for the consumer’s business. However, business owners of a monopoly situation disagree with the government. When there is a business that has the potential to become a monopoly the government watches it very closely and the business has to go through the government for mergers and such. The more the business becomes a monopoly, the more the government says no to the business’s requests. For example, there is Microsoft. The government has been working to keep Microsoft from being the big business that it is today.

Case analysis: Deloitte & Touche Essay

In Deloitte & Touche, women had accounted for almost half of all new hires throughout the 1980s, yet by 1991, of the 50 candidates being nominated for partnership on that year, only four were women. There was serious imbalance of male and female gender in the workforce despite steps to ensure that the firm would be hiring women during the 1980s. Moreover, the high turnover of women leaving was accruing huge expenses for the firm . In this paper, I will first discuss the challenges faced in the organization and the reasons why the management saw a need for an organization change. Next, I will argue that the current situation favors the change process and despite the possible restraining forces; Deloitte & Touche is in a good position in successfully implementing the strategies. I will then discuss the possible restraining forces that would hinder the change and comment on the recommendations and strategies by the Task Force. Lastly, I will suggest further solutions that would help in overcoming the restraining forces so that this would further aid in the development of the change process. Mike Cook had initially assumed that the main reason why women left the workforce in greater numbers was due to family commitments. However, despite the strategies implemented in the 1980s to hire more talented women and ensuring that there was no glass ceiling for women in the firm, the statistics in 1991 proved that the previous solutions were not adequate and that the firm was incurring huge expenses due to the high rate of turnovers. Thus in 1992, a Task Force was formed whereby the firm hired outside consultants to find out why women were not advancing at the same rate as men, and why they were leaving at a higher percentage rate. After much investigations and interviews, the Catalyst report showed that the top two reasons for their departure was because the women had perceived that there was a male dominated work environment and that opportunities for career advancement was difficult. An imbalance work-life which was perceived by Mike Cook as the main reason was ranked third in importance. Clearly, the management had earlier identified the main reason incorrectly. When one examines the situation at hand, the firm is in a favorable position to execute the change. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, the critical mass, whom are the partners in the firm are suddenly aware of the  real problem the plagues the firm. Engaging the critical mass is crucial as their support for the change is important and their leadership would help transmit effectively the change strategies. Secondly, the firm is presently at the third stage of the development process, whereby they have diagnosed correctly the exact problem. In addition, Lois Evans, one of the top-ranked women in the firm had similarly echoed that the current work environment was a crappy place for any woman to be. By identifying the precise problem, the organisation can now tackle more effectively and implement the appropriate solutions to change the male dominated corporate culture. Changing a corporate culture is extremely difficult and this in my opinion is the biggest restraining force. The challenge for any organization is how to reinforce people in changing an old culture that has lasted for so long. The key to the success is not to impose cultural changes, but to facilitate an environment whereby employees are involved in finding their own new approaches to change. Another major restraining force that might occur is that many male employees might sense a threat in their positional power. In addition, many male workers might start wondering whether these changes would benefit them, and would start questioning the strategies suggested by the Task Force which seems to favor women only. The organization at present is still not accustomed in seeing women in positions of power and thus by developing leadership platforms for women such as an advisory council might bring about suspicion and insecurity for the men. In examining the recommendations suggested by the Task Force, I do agree that the firm should hold workshops and seminars to educate and communicate to the employees that men and women are colleagues . I would suggest that during these workshops, change agents should inform the male workers their subtle actions and words can actually create an unwelcome culture for women. Insensitive comments that make women feel uncomfortable in the workforce should also be avoided. For example, statements such as â€Å"someone working part-time is not interested in the career† or â€Å"she has kids, maybe he should handle the international assignments† should not be made formally, as well as in an informal setting. In addition, managers should also learn to avoid gender stereotypes that women are incapable to handle challenging  assignments simply because they are mothers. Therefore by increasing the awareness of the dangers of stereotyping, male employees would understand and be mo re acceptable when they recognize and see major changes in the work environment that might favor women employees. I similarly agree with the Task Force that the firm should build goals in their business planning and provide directional goals for women in leadership . Defining the criteria to measure and monitor progress for women is also crucial. This is because better information and improving access to career development and training opportunities are significant ways in educating the women their route of advancement. It is obvious that if you do know what is available, the possibility of you attempting to take part would be much higher. Thus it is important to ensure that women receive the same opportunities as men and this can be solved by designing a program to monitor the promotion rates among women and men. I would therefore suggest that the Human resource department have a program that tracks work assignments to ensure that women at Deloitte & Touche are considered for premier clients and projects at equal rates as their male counterparts. Offices should be evaluated annually, ensuring women are being offered fair shots at career-advancing assignments. Another solution is to include women as assessors and to ensure that they are included on senior promotion interview boards. However, one should be cautious and avoid achieving a fix quota. The firm must highlight that equality and meritocracy still exists in the workplace between men and women. This is crucial so that the firm would avoid to be seen as promoting a women-favored environment only. Besides the listed solutions in the case study, there are further considerations that Mike Cook might need to consider. Firstly, it is important to have a policy that is clear to the staff within the organization. Moreover, identifying the right people within the firm to implement the policies is vital as electing change agents who might unconsciously or consciously disagree with the new corporate philosophy might in return sabotage the whole change process rather than aid it.  Secondly, the creation of a positive environment has to start with the chief executive officer and the leaders, and they must set the example in creating an atmosphere of encouragement for the women. The management must also be prepared to provide sufficient resources for the training and development of women. Thirdly, in the creation of a flexible work environment for women as recommended by the Task Force, the challenge the organization face is to dispel myths that the only way a worker can contribute and have the potential for career advancement is on accumulating work hours or â€Å"face time†. While the management should allow women to work at home on occasional periods, and be connected to the work site via a computer through tele-working, the complexity of have this flexible work environment or working from home is in the method of supervision. Managers therefore need to plan and prepare for the experience of tele-work and develop appropriate communication and accountability strategies. Managers should also be respectful to the employee and their personal workspace and have to be careful not to neglect the worker, causing them to fall into the â€Å"out of sight† trap. In conclusion, Deloitte & Touche is in a good position in sustaining and implementing the change process. This is because the firm has correctly identified the root problem and possess a strong Task Force in recommending sound strategies. However, the firm must still be aware of possible restraining forces and also take time to set the right policies and choose the correct change agents within the firm to spearhead this change process. Managers should also be aware of the difficulties in having a flexible work environment, and thorough research and planning should be invested into this program so that they are better prepared to handle the transition.