The Atrocious Bombing of Dresden, Germany :: European Europe History

The Atrocious Bombing of Dresden, Germany On February 13-14, 1945 the British Royal Air Force gave the final clearance to commence what would later become known as one of the greatest atrocities that has ever been commited against a civilian population. That night the RAF launched 796 bombers and 9 Mosquitoes which carried 1,478 tons of explosives in addition to 1,182 tons of incendiary bombs (Dear 311) which turned the city of Dresden, Germany into a virtual inferno. This attack included another strike by the US Air Force the following morning. The attack on Dresden was never a legitimate act of war, and its result was the terroristic mass murder of over 135,000 people. Bombing civilian targets in enemy territory became an open issue on March 30, 1942 when the Prime Minister's science advisor, Professor F.A. Lindemann (who later was recognized as Lord Cherwell) delivered to Winston Churchill a report which contained a strong argument in favor of striking civilian targets. Cherwell's report contained the final rationalization for the program Bomber Command was undertaking, and it would henceforth be paper-clipped to the plans of the bomber offensive. (Hastings). In his report, Lindemann estimated that forty tons of explosives detonated in heavily populated areas would destroy the homes of 4,000-8,000 people. The report also stated that there was a population of 22 million people in fifty-eight of the major cities in Germany. Lindemann claimed that a nation of refugees could be the result of strategic air attacks. It is wildly believed among scholars that the information cont.ained in this report was the basis of the attack on Dresden. Lindemann's figures were correct, but his thinking was immoral and inhumane. The people to whom his statistics referred so objectively were innocent civilians, more than half of them women and children. The assault upon them was nothing more that out-right murder. Any benefit gained by destroying these civilians. lives, families, and homes was countered ten-fold by the moral reprehensibility of such a clearly criminal act. The city of Dresden was a historic center of Europe, and was known world wide for its splendid architecture. It was the capital of Saxony, and located along the banks of the Elbe river. Dresden had very little industrial activity, and it was a target only once before in a small raid by the US Air Force in October of 1944. It was a city that was also known for its production of fine China, and its glorious museums (Dear 311).

Perspective In As For Me And M Essay examples -- essays research paper

Imaginative Center uncut, uncensored: Philip Bentley   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to fully understand a piece of literature and authorial intent, the reader must utilize unconventional methods of perspective. In Sinclair Ross?f, As for me and my House, the use of perspective becomes climacteric in determining a veridical comprehension of the imaginative center of the novel, Philip Bentley. In order to gain the full understanding of Philip Bentley, the reader must dismiss the biased unreliable narrative of Mrs. Bentley. With reference to the methods of perspective, they can be used to fully understand and dismiss the dubious narrative in Philip Bentley?fs relationships, occurrences, and Imagery. It then becomes feasible to appreciate an impartial understanding of Philip Bentley.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The individuals who surround Philip Bentley, assisted in shaping and influencing his character. Initially, Steve was introduced, and this contributed to a number of family problems. These problems lead to the frustration and jealously of Mrs. Bentley towards Philip. ?gTrue to his promise, Philip took Steve to the country with him this afternoon. I could feel that he didn?ft want me along, so at noon I complained of a headache, and stayed home to finish putting in the garden.?h (45) This clearly displays the beginning of Mrs. Bentleys resentment towards Philip, and the relationship that he and Steve share. She desires such a relationship for herself and Philip, only to be faced with the realization that it will never transpire. This hinders the legitimacy of what she sees, as it is now biased; influenced by her resentment. ?gAbout a horse for Steve, then about Steve himself. He likes Steve, and as we talked I saw Philip?fs mouth get a little contentious.?h (85) As her resentment grows, so does her unreliability to present to events clearly as they occurred. Up until Steve left, Mrs. Bentley continued to express her displeasure with the relationship that Philip and Steve remained to share. ?gI played brilliantly, vindictively, determined to let Ph ilip see how easily... I could take the boy away from him?h (Ross, 63). Mrs. Bentley observes that her relationship with Steve is becoming not a companionship, but ?ga conspiracy?h (Ross, 95). After Steve left, Philip began spending a great deal of time with Judith. Philip was using Judith as an esca... ...ing unstable. The wind blows the dust over the house, the dust smothers the house, as Mrs. Bentley smothers Philip. They have no control over the dust, and it becomes clear that Mrs. Bentley also has no control over the dust, and it becomes clear that Mrs. Bentley has no control over Philip. ?gI must keep on reaching out, tying to possess him, trying to make myself matter?h (Ross, 99). She attempts to reach out, Philip sees it as smothering.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By looking at all the aspects, and dismissing Mrs. Bentleys bias, it becomes clear, the true understanding of the imaginative center, Philip Bentley. His role is to keep everyone in the Horizons together, along with Mrs. Bentley. This is palpable through his relationships, occurrences, and imagery. After the unreliable narrative is dismissed, the reader can gain a full understanding and appreciation of the imaginative center. Bibliography Ross, Sinclair. As for Me and My House. Ed. Malcom Ross. McClelland and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stewart Lt. Toronto / Montreal 1941. Stouck, David. Five Decades of Criticism. Ed. David Stouck. University of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Toronto Press. Toronto. 1991. Perspective In As For Me And M Essay examples -- essays research paper Imaginative Center uncut, uncensored: Philip Bentley   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to fully understand a piece of literature and authorial intent, the reader must utilize unconventional methods of perspective. In Sinclair Ross?f, As for me and my House, the use of perspective becomes climacteric in determining a veridical comprehension of the imaginative center of the novel, Philip Bentley. In order to gain the full understanding of Philip Bentley, the reader must dismiss the biased unreliable narrative of Mrs. Bentley. With reference to the methods of perspective, they can be used to fully understand and dismiss the dubious narrative in Philip Bentley?fs relationships, occurrences, and Imagery. It then becomes feasible to appreciate an impartial understanding of Philip Bentley.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The individuals who surround Philip Bentley, assisted in shaping and influencing his character. Initially, Steve was introduced, and this contributed to a number of family problems. These problems lead to the frustration and jealously of Mrs. Bentley towards Philip. ?gTrue to his promise, Philip took Steve to the country with him this afternoon. I could feel that he didn?ft want me along, so at noon I complained of a headache, and stayed home to finish putting in the garden.?h (45) This clearly displays the beginning of Mrs. Bentleys resentment towards Philip, and the relationship that he and Steve share. She desires such a relationship for herself and Philip, only to be faced with the realization that it will never transpire. This hinders the legitimacy of what she sees, as it is now biased; influenced by her resentment. ?gAbout a horse for Steve, then about Steve himself. He likes Steve, and as we talked I saw Philip?fs mouth get a little contentious.?h (85) As her resentment grows, so does her unreliability to present to events clearly as they occurred. Up until Steve left, Mrs. Bentley continued to express her displeasure with the relationship that Philip and Steve remained to share. ?gI played brilliantly, vindictively, determined to let Ph ilip see how easily... I could take the boy away from him?h (Ross, 63). Mrs. Bentley observes that her relationship with Steve is becoming not a companionship, but ?ga conspiracy?h (Ross, 95). After Steve left, Philip began spending a great deal of time with Judith. Philip was using Judith as an esca... ...ing unstable. The wind blows the dust over the house, the dust smothers the house, as Mrs. Bentley smothers Philip. They have no control over the dust, and it becomes clear that Mrs. Bentley also has no control over the dust, and it becomes clear that Mrs. Bentley has no control over Philip. ?gI must keep on reaching out, tying to possess him, trying to make myself matter?h (Ross, 99). She attempts to reach out, Philip sees it as smothering.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By looking at all the aspects, and dismissing Mrs. Bentleys bias, it becomes clear, the true understanding of the imaginative center, Philip Bentley. His role is to keep everyone in the Horizons together, along with Mrs. Bentley. This is palpable through his relationships, occurrences, and imagery. After the unreliable narrative is dismissed, the reader can gain a full understanding and appreciation of the imaginative center. Bibliography Ross, Sinclair. As for Me and My House. Ed. Malcom Ross. McClelland and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stewart Lt. Toronto / Montreal 1941. Stouck, David. Five Decades of Criticism. Ed. David Stouck. University of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Toronto Press. Toronto. 1991.

The Italian Renaissance :: European Europe History

The Italian Renaissance "What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals!" Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2 Modern art critics regard renaissance art as graphic narratives of political and social events that occurred in the 14th through 16th century Europe. Scholars believe that the renaissance expressed a cultural revival of classical antiquity. And then there are others who doubt the concept of 'renaissance' entirely. Gundersheimer argues that Wallace K. Ferguson's concept of de-emphasizing the idea of renaissance to favor a view of "Europe in transition" was an ideal point that should be explored. This observation by Gundersheimer based on Ferguson's idea may become influential. The 'problem with renaissance' was that some interests and activities may also be found in earlier periods and are not bound to the renaissance years exclusively. And the rate of change was more similar to that of a highly influential widespread culture based transition. During the medieval era there were many contributions to the arts. The renaissance scholar Matteo Palmieri, writing in Florence in the 1430's considers the 100 years of the medieval era to be dark because of the lack of enlightenment in those years, in comparison of the "rebirth" and "renewal" of the renaissance. I think that the labeling of the medieval era as the dark ages helps to romanticize the achievements of the renaissance. Innovations during the medieval era were useful and unglamorous and easily forgotten. The renaissance was one of the few eras in our history that emanated the true intellect of man. Genius developed from the advances in art, science, philosophy and mathematics. Never has there since been such a time in which an individual is given ample opportunity and time to perfect and master his craft above all other societal pursuits and obligations. According to a source in the Encarta Encyclopedia, "The term renaissance was coined by the French historian Jules Michelet in 1855, to mean 'rebirth.' It refers to the 'discovery of the world of man' in the 16th century." (Encarta Renaissance 1) The renaissance period in art history corresponds to the beginning of the great western age of discovery and exploration, when a general desire and curiosity developed to examine all aspects of nature and the world.

Economic Globalization and Civil War Essay

Researchers Katherine Barbieri and Rafael Reuveny attempt through their study on economic globalization and civil war to find the relation, if any, between the effects of globalization and the occurrence of civil wars in developing countries. Their hypothesis is that globalization has positive effects on developing countries, causing them to have more stability and become less likely to erupt in civil war. Using the examples of 74 civil wars spanning the years of 1970-1999, the researchers compared variables of globalization including international trade, foreign direct investment, foreign portfolio investment, and internet use against periods of civil war in corresponding countries. Their results revealed that when the globalization variables, with the exception of internet use, are more important to a country it is less likely to have a civil war. These variables produce an economic stability that makes people less inclined to interrupt the status quo. Their results showed that poor countries with large populations that were less likely to be economically equal in already dire financial straits are far more likely to see internal unrest. While globalization is unlikely to be the root cause of civil war and can help reduce the likelihood it cannot prevent it as there may be deeper forces at work such as cultural or ethnic inequalities that may be exacerbated by globalization.

My Most Special Moment

Once I was training in my boxing gym and I was lifting 18kg weights. The other weights were set out on the floor for when I needed them. I was on my last set of ten when I fell back and the weight came crashing down and landed on my leg. I couldn’t feel my left leg. I twisted my ankle and then I was rolling around in excrushiating pain. My manager came in once he heard my call of pain. He sat me up and I hobuld over to the ring. He sat me down on the side of the ring and got me a glass of warter. Ten minutes later I gave my dad a call and he came straight to the gym.My dad and my manager took me to hospital. We arrived in an hours time. The traffic was bad and I hobuld over to a chair and sat there with my manager while my dad went to reseption. By the time we got to the hospital my leg had swollen up to the size of a baby elephants foot. I was called in, the doctor said ‘What is your name? ’ I said ‘Mark. ’ I was given an x-ray and sent to the emerge ncy room and was told some hart breaking news considering that I had a big fight coming up, they said, you have broken your tibia and sprained your ankle.I had to stay in a hospital bed for 2 to 3 months. Each day my leg was getting better, My family visited every day and my manager to. I was getting better pritty fast. My manager came in the room and gave me good and bad news. I said, ‘Can I hear the good news first? ’ ‘OK,’ he said. I was told that Joe Calzaghe, one of the best boxers in the world, was coming to see me in a few weeks time. And the bad news was that my boxing match was canceled but I wasn’t bothered about that. After a week, Joe came to see me. I was waiting with the door open.He came in and my dad and my manager left us to talk. We were just chatting about boxing and I was asking questions about how many fights he had won. He said just over 18 in his career. He asked me how any I had won and I told him six so far. We had a good cha t and a cuple of moments later he said, ‘Will you be able to make it to my match. I’ll get you front row seats. ’ I said, ‘I don’t have enough money. ’ But he produced tickets from his pocket and they were for the front row by his corner. I said, ‘Thank you so much. You have made my day. ’ I was out of hospital in no time.My dad came to pick me up and I was happy to see my street and most importantly my family. I was welcomed home with celebrations and we partied. The next day the boxing match was on and me and my family were ready to go. We got there in an hour and sat in our seats. Joe’s fight was over in three rounds with a clean knockout and the towel thrown in. I jumped up in excitment and after the match he called me and asked if I wanted to go clubbing. I said ‘yes. ’ So we went out together and had a good time. We kept in touch and we are good friends even now.

The Present Government Is Planning to Increase Compulsory Education to Age 18. Why Is Such a Measure Necessary? What Are the Reasons for the State to Implement Such a Law?

The present government is planning to increase compulsory education to age 18. Why is such a measure necessary? What are the reasons for the state to implement such a law? The proposed policy of changing compulsory schooling from 16 to 18 clearly shows the governments vision in how to they intend take a stronghold grip on economy and its problems. Governments aims have always been to raise attainment for all children and â€Å"to close the gap between the richest and the poorest† (Lemieux, 2006: ). From the late 1970s to 1991 the disposable income of the top quintile group increased form 26 to 42 percent, whilst the bottom quintile group fell from 10 to 7 percent (www. statistics. gov. uk), and this has increased further in current times. A possible reason for this increased inequality is the shifts in industry from non-skilled workers to skilled workers over the past 20 years, and educational systems failures to meet these changes. Raising education therefore would help create the supply of labour that industries demand, and help increase economic growth and GDP; both vital requirements in order for the country to come out of the recession, which is an integral part in all government policy. With record levels of unemployment, it is without doubt that this proposed policy intends to target and reduce the unemployment rate, especially amongst young individuals, as more education leads to better job opportunities in the future. Increasing education requirements would therefore theoretically solve the problem of increasing pressure by economists to cut costs and solve the ever-growing dependence of many on welfare. It is important to first define the human capital theory as it plays an integral part in the following points. Human capital theory is that the more educated and individual, the greater earning potential for that individual as he/she is more productive due to the skills they have attained. Belfield’s definition of human capital is the most commonly accepted as â€Å"an individuals embodied skills above their raw ability† (Belfield, 2000: 17). Based on this idea, raising the schooling age to 18 would therefore make young students obtain more skills, becoming skilled and more productive leading to greater job prospects and greater earnings potential. In the long run this would lead to increased consumption, less dependence on welfare due to less unemployment, increase GDP and help boost the economy out of recession. The proposed policy is necessary because it directly tackles youth unemployment that is crippling the current economy. With recent figures stating that as of September 2010, 2. 45 million people are unemployed (www. bc. co. uk), it is important the government aims to reduce this to help boost the economy, and improve national morale. By increasing the schooling age, the government hopes to solve the increasing number of young people unemployed. NEET is a government term that shows the number of people not in education, employment, or training. Recent figures show that â€Å"183,000, 9. 2% of young people aged 1 6-18 in England were NEET at end of 2009† (www. publications. parliament. uk). It is an alarming figure as it is one of the worst in the OECD countries, and needs to be tackled. This is because being NEET at a young age is associated with negative outcomes in later life, each having a cost not just for the individual but also for the economy as a whole (www. publications. parliament. uk). By implementing the proposed policy, this figure of 9. 2% of 16-18 year olds being NEET would be eradicated, and improve their chances of finding employment after leaving school. Greater human capital, revised outlook on goals and better decision-making are the result of more education, and as a result, in the long run, unemployment would fall, and there would be less strain on the welfare system. However, such a law is only effective if it helps meet the needs of the labour market. Labour market patterns and trends have played an important role in the decision to implement the proposed policy. Over recent years â€Å"there have been shifts in relative labour demand that have favoured skilled workers† (Machin & Van Reefen). The 1980s saw radical developments in technology and is often referred to as â€Å"the information age†. Computers, advanced machinery, and other technical change â€Å"has had a clear effect of increasing the relative demand for skilled workers† (M & Van R). This intuitively has led to a decrease in demand for non/semi-skilled workers in the labour market. This phenomenon is enhanced by the globalisation of many industries, and the membership of the EU, leading to many industries using alternative cheap labour in other countries; â€Å"increased foreign competition has damaged the position of less skilled workers† (M & Van R). Hough put forward the argument that the education system and its role is often â€Å"far from what the industry requires† (Hough, 1987: 15). Although this was not directly to do with the school leaving age, it is still relevant in this argument because it is clear that now skilled labour is what industry requires, and by increasing the schooling age to 18, the education system would help create more skilled workers through greater human capital accumulation and allocative efficiency, leading them to be more adaptable to work in such skilled professions. Therefore the increasing of the compulsory schooling age could be used to reduce unemployment rates. This is because labour supply of youths would meet the requirements of labour demand, something that hasn’t been the case over past years. This in turn would increase productivity and output, and help boost the economy, which is another important government aim. Therefore the proposed law can be seen as a way of tackling unemployment. Industries have been crippled by the recession, and the economy is growing at a very slow rate. By making young individuals more educated, it is widely accepted that this would lead to increased productivity and greater economic growth. It is based on the assumption of human capital theory: more education leads to increased productivity levels. Therefore by feeding the labour market with more skilled individuals (which is what the market demands), productivity and output within industries would increase. As the policy would increase education levels, wage levels will rise as individuals who pre-policy implementation would enter semi-skilled work, enter more skilled professions, leading to an increase in national income. With more skilled labour entering the labour force, industries will be able to undertake more skilled/capital intensive practices as they now have more able workers to carry out such operations. This leads on from the previous point, as productivity will increase as well as output. In the long run this would lead to increased consumption therefore the economy will grow. By increasing the schooling age to 18, the government are taking a direct approach to stimulate economic growth in the long run and increase output. Since the introduction of new labour in 1997, recent governments have constantly tried to reduce inequality in society; â€Å"to close the gap between the richest and the poorest† (Lemieux, 2006: ). Inequality in wages have risen dramatically in the UK over the past 20 years, with wage growth â€Å"more evident at the upper tail of the distribution† (Slemrod, 1996: 99). The increasing of the schooling age can be seen as another instrument in solving this. It can be linked to the previous point of meeting the demands of the labour market. It is often the case that when a child leaves school at 16, the opportunities for that individual to obtain high earnings are very limited, as they do not have the skills to compete with more educated individuals and therefore are often limited to low paid, non/semi-skilled professions. Hence by increasing compulsory schooling age to 18, individuals who would normally find themselves at the lower tail of the wage distribution would have potential increased earnings due to the more human capital accumulated, and reduce the gap between the two ends of the wage distribution. A counter argument to this is similar to the problem induced by the implementation of the minimum wage in affecting wage distribution with the wages of the those at the top end of the distribution also increasing. As a result inequality would be unaffected. Having said that, the fact that earnings prospects for young individuals would be greatly enhanced by the policy, shows that reducing inequality in the sense of bettering individuals standard of living, shows that this proposed policy would still be very effective in tackling the issue. The government is under great pressure to reduce the welfare state in order to help reduce the huge deficit of the country. The welfare system used to be a safety net for individuals, but unfortunately has now turned into a fishing net with many abusing it. Increasing the compulsory schooling age to 18 could be seen as a way to reduce the potential dependence people could have on welfare. By allowing students to develop their skills and have greater human capital, the prospects of them finding employment are that much greater, therefore reducing the possibility of unemployment and hence claiming off the state. One of the biggest strains on the state is teen pregnancy as it can lead to a vicious cycle of future offspring going through the same direction of life. Teen fertility is â€Å"driven by immediate thinking-efforts† (Oreopoulous) and poor decision making that is the result of little education. Conception rates for England was â€Å"40. 5 per 1000 girls aged 15-17† in 2010 (www. dcsg. gov. uk), which although is down on previous figures, is still regarded as to high by government officials. Oreopoulous states that education leads to better decision-making and eradicates the present orientated preferences of individuals (Oreopoulous, year : ). Increasing the schooling age by two years therefore can only be a positive step in trying to reduce teen fertility, and hence reduce the strain on the welfare state; and as a result can be shown to be another reason why the government are opting for such a policy. Finally, one must discuss the alternative approaches that the government could have taken instead of increasing the school leaving age. ALMPs are a government tool used to â€Å"raise output and welfare and reallocate labour between sub-markets† (Boeri & Ours, 2008: 261)). However, it is viable to say those ALMPs such as training and activation programmes will be used in conjunction with the new law; therefore strengthening the possible success of the proposed law further in tackling the problems of the labour market. After analyzing and evaluating the proposed law of raising the school leaving age, I have come to conclude that the government have felt that such a measure would: tackle youth unemployment, help create the supply that labour markets demand, increase production and output leading to economic growth, reduce wage and social inequalities, and reduce the dependence many might have on welfare. All these points help build towards the bigger picture the government has: to get the country on the right path to get out of the recession. It is a law that will reap rewards in the long run and will make inroads into changing the â€Å"careless and unambitious culture† of today’s youth. The law will be more beneficial to the country if it is worked in conjunction with alternative labour market policies such as training, and activation policies that will help those who leave school at 18 unemployed. It can be seen in broader aspects boosting the countrys moral and self belief and help Britains labour market and industry compete greater internationally. In my opinion is it is a necessary measure, and such a law will go a long way in helping stabalise and boost the economy. Bibliography Belfield, Clive R. Economic Principles of Education. Cheltenham: Edward Publishing Limited, 2000 Hough, J. R, Education And The National Economy. USA: Croom Helm, 1987 Lemeiux Machin and Van Reefen Slemrod, Joel. Tax Progressivity and Income Inequality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Oreopoulous Boeri, Tito and Ours, Van Jan. The Economics of Imperfect Labour Markets. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2008. Other sources www. statistics. gov. uk www. bbc. co. uk www. publcations. parilament. uk www. dcsg. gov. uk

Management Control Systems at Air India Essay

1. Introduction Air India, a national carrier is characterized with an urge to excel and enthusiasm started its operations on October 15, 1932. The merger of Air India and Indian, the country’s leader in the domestic sector, has helped the airline in emerging as a major force in the airline industry. 1.1 Domestic Operations On the domestic front, Air India operates to 47 stations, and 17 are connected to international destinations. The 172-seater Airbus A321 aircraft connects all major metros. The Regional operations provide coverage to all the metros and many smaller cities across the nation. 1.2 Services Apart from the basic services that an airline provides, Air India also offers – Frequent Flyer Programme- â€Å"Flying Returns†. Members of the Flying Returns Programme (FRP), can accrue mileage points while flying on Air India, Lufthansa and flights of Air India’s code share partners, and redeem them for award tickets or avail other facilities available with the service provider on Air India or Lufthansa. Star Alliance – Air India has joined Star Alliance in mid 2010. Star Alliance, is a leading global airline alliance of 21 top international carriers. Air India passes the benefits to its passengers by becoming a member like seamless transfers while travelling across the world, more frequent flyer mileage points, code-sharing leading to a wider choice of flights and access to lounge facilities worldwide. The Star Alliance network offers more than 17,000 daily flights to 916 destinations in 160 countries. Air India Express – Air India’s international budget airline, Air India Express, was launched in April 2005. Air India Express operates 200 weekly flights on its network between 17 Indian and 14 international stations. 2. Organization Structure 2.1 Current Structure Source: www.egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/35931/1/Unit-29.pdf 2.2 Outgrowing the traditional model For airlines, the functional organizational model has worked well for decades. It helps by promoting deep technical expertise and economies of scale by grouping specialists together and focusing accountability for the direction and efficiency of all divisions on one person: the chief executive. Peripheral businesses and small customer segments got less attention from management, however, the mainstream passenger business received most of the attention. This functional model has been the best choice for some aviation groups, mainly those that outsource most of the support functions (such as catering and maintenance), lack the sophisticated information systems needed to manage more complex structures, or serve only a few homogeneous customer segments Yet many other carriers, like railroad and oil companies before them, have surpassed the traditional model. The rise of low-cost carriers is changing the nature of competition in the industry by letting some traditional airlines to expand into businesses that offer higher margins or require less capital than their core passenger operations. Functionally organized airlines often lack the flexibility to meet the varied needs of a diverse customer base—a problem that inhibits their ability to grow in ancillary businesses and in the fast-expanding market for budget travel. As the managers in a functional organization (with the exception of the CEO), aren’t responsible for profitability, costs can easily mismanaged. Moreover, labor agreements that cut across several parts of a company can lead to higher wages and benefits. This is because everyone from baggage handlers to the catering staff receives some of the same perks as the cockpit crew gets. To counter those shortcomings, aviation groups should analyze and take a hard look at the idea of implementing a new form of organization structured around separate business units, each with broad decision-making authority and responsibility for its own profitability. Such a decentralized structure resembles the classic business unit model of many diversified companies, retailers and banks, where individual units operate independently on a day-to-day basis and set their own strategic direction. For airlines, however, this structure must differ in one significant way: units operating as stand-alone businesses would quickly destroy the network value that comes, for example, from coordinating interconnecting flight schedules, efficiently allocating aircraft across a number of routes, and using the fare structure to maximize revenue throughout a large network. Airlines thus need a hybrid structure that reaps the benefits of independent business units while maintaining strong links among them. 3. Management Style And Culture 3.1 Attitude towards employees Air India is committed to provide its Employees a stable work environment with a scope of encouragement towards creativity and innovation to provide opportunity for learning and personal growth which helps the employees in improving their effectiveness. Above all, Employees are provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Air India customer. The management has created a culture where employees are treated as the valuable asset for the company. 3.2 Decision-making process * The procedure followed in decision making involves discussions among cross-section of departments and/or formal decisions by the Competent Authority on office notes in accordance with the Instrument of delegation of Financial and Administrative powers. * In respect of decision making on day to day basis at airports/stations, all the Duty Officers/Station Managers take spot decisions in accordance with the Instrument of delegation of Financial and Administrative powers and the established practices. * Decision making is by worker/management committees. * Employees are encouraged to be responsible and are given authority to make decisions. 3.3 Focus of Air India 1. Focus on relationships among the employees is the fundamental driver of leadership, culture, strategy, and coordination at Air India which allows them to coordinate more effectively across all functions. 2. Air India’s organizational competency is its ability to build and sustain relationships characterized by the following- * Shared goals: * Motivates individuals to move beyond what is best for their own narrow area of responsibility within their own function. * Motivates them to act in the best interests of the overall process of the organization and lessens competition between different functions within the organization * Shared knowledge: * Shared knowledge is about how the tasks of one person or group are related to all other tasks. * This enables the workforce to be more competent, efficient and coordinated than their competitors * Mutual respect: * Encourages all employees to value the contributions of their colleagues * Encourages all employees to consider the impact of their actions on others * Reinforces the tendency to act in the best interests of the overall work process 3.4 Credibility & Caring-Key to Air India’s Culture * At Air India, credibility and caring are the two critical ingredients of effective leadership. * Credibility and caring are the ability to inspire trust and the ability to inspire in employees the belief that their leaders care deeply about their well-being. * The top management team has gained the complete trust of managers in the field, and of frontline employees, by being forthright and consistent in their messages to employees. 3.5 Role of Supervisors * Air India supervisors are not obstacles to coordination among frontline employees, but play a valuable role in strengthening coordination through day-to-day coaching, counseling, and participation in frontline work, even baggage handling. * Supervisors go far beyond measuring performance and disciplining and focus on problem solving, advising, and providing support, encouragement, and recognition to individual subordinates. * Supervisors view their subordinates as internal customers who deserve help in doing their jobs better. 3.6 Role of Relational Competence * Teamwork at Air India is based on â€Å"relational competence†- the ability to relate effectively with others. * Relational competence is a critical ingredient of organizational success, though it tends to be undervalued in the world of work. * Other organizations usually underestimate the importance of relational competence, especially when it comes to people who perform highly skilled jobs. * Often excellent performers are hired, but they cannot integrate their work effectively with the work of others which results in undermining of the organization’s goals, which does not happen at Air India. 3.7 Official Language Implementation With respect to the internal culture of the company it continued to promote Hindi as official language. Various competitions like easy writing, debate, and quiz were organized during Hindi Pakhwara. In order to monitor progressive use of Hindi in the office, 57 Official Language Implementation Committees were constituted and meetings of these committees were held regularly. In order to facilitate officers/ employees in doing their official work in Hindi, seven Hindi Workshop training programmes were organized. NACIL’s In-house Magazine â€Å"Vimanika† was awarded second prize in the In-House Magazine Competition organized by Ministry Of Home Affairs, Department of Official Language. NACIL was conferred 2nd prize by a well known literary, Socio-cultural organization ‘Aashirwad’ for outstanding Hindi implementation in the category of Public Sector Undertakings (Large) of Government of India Mumbai. 4. Control Process of Air India The company has extensive internal control system which ensures optimal utilization and protection of resources, IT security, accurate reporting of financial transaction and compliance with applicable laws and regulations and internal policies and procedures. The internal control system is supplemented by extensive internal audit, regular reviews by management and well documented policies and guidelines to ensure reliability of financial and other records to prepare financial statements and other data. 4.1 Steps taken for effective control process/system in the organization * Air India has set up a special vigilance department headed by a vigilance officer whose main function is to initiate steps to curb corruption and malpractices in the organization. The prime functions to achieve this are as below: * Investigation of complaints against all categories of employees / travel agencies / handling agencies. * Monitor progress of action recommended by Vigilance against such employees. * Study and examine Systems & Procedures followed in various departments, identify corruption prone areas and suggest remedial measures to minimize scope for corruption or malpractices. * Organise, conduct surprise checks in sensitive & corruption prone areas. * Maintain Surveillance on employees of doubtful integrity * Ensure speedy processing of vigilance cases at all stages. * Ensure that there is no delay in the appointment of the Inquiring Officer, and that no tactics are adopted by the accused officer. These are few of the functions of the vigilance department to have proper check on instances pertaining to demand and acceptance of a BRIBE in any form or kind for providing any service. * SITA, to provide new Passenger Services System SITA, the aviation IT specialist, has been selected to provide Passenger Services System (PSS) to Air India on a turnkey basis. SITA’s Horizon platform provides PSS services to 140 airlines and will be used to deliver a single airline code in order to allow the seamless integration of Air India with Indian Airlines (as these two were merged under NACIL). SITA will also implement an efficient online booking engine, departure control system, and check-in and automated boarding control, baggage reconciliation system (BRS) and a frequent flyer programme. The booking engine will provide Air India full control over its own ticket distribution and drastically reduce costs.