Product analysis Samsung Galaxy S4 Essay

Nowadays, it is a common scene to see everybody keeps his /her ear attached to a cell phone. Often, they are doing it at the risk of an accident, loss of human relationship or studies. Intimate friendships of our parents’ younger days are now lost and it is now reduced to an SMS or mobile talk. Keeping addresses of our intimates is now lost. Writing letters is given up. Human relationship and mental concentration are now replaced by electronic connections. It is a fact that having a mobile phone now a days is a sort of necessity and it is an inevitable truth that mobile industry is taking everyone’s mind by a storm. From the very basic thing of making a call, texting, and now Internet access for just a touch of your fingertips. Do you have one of these? I do have one of those too and I won’t deny the fact that I enjoy using them. So as one of the million subscribers of this technology I will share you some of the advantages and disadvantages I found, out of having a mobile phone. A mobile phone (also known as a cellular phone, cell phone, and a hand phone) is a device that can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link while moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile phone operator, allowing access to the public telephone network. By contrast, a cordless telephone is used only within the short range of a single, private base station. In addition to telephone, modern mobile phones also support a wide variety of other services such as text messaging, MMS, email, Internet access, short-range wireless communications (infrared, Bluetooth), business applications, gaming and photography. Mobile phones that offer these and more general computing capabilities are referred to as smartphones. The first hand-held mobile phone was demonstrated by John F. Mitchell and Dr Martin Cooper of Motorola in 1973, using a handset weighing around 2.2 pounds (1 kg). In 1983, the DynaTAC 8000x was the first to be commercially available. From 1990 to 2011, worldwide mobile phone subscriptions grew from 12.4 million to over 6 billion, penetrating about 87% of the global population and reaching the bottom of the economic pyramid. II. The Company Background Samsung Group (Hangul: ì‚ ¼Ã¬â€ž ±Ãª · ¸Ã« £ ¹; Hanja: ä ¸â€°Ã¦ËœÅ¸Ãª · ¸Ã« £ ¹; Korean pronunciation: [sam.sÊÅ'Å‹ É ¡Ã‰ ¯Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã‰ ¾upÌš]) is a South Korean multinationalconglomerate company headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul. It comprises numerous subsidiaries and affiliated businesses, most of them united under the Samsung brand, and is the largest South Korean chaebol. Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-chull in 1938 as a trading company. Over the next three decades the group diversified into areas including food processing, textiles, insurance, securities and retail. Samsung entered the electronics industry in the late 1960s and the construction and shipbuilding industries in the mid-1970s; these areas would drive its subsequent growth. Following Lee’s death in 1987, Samsung was separated into four business groups – Samsung Group, Shinsegae Group, CJ Group and Hansol Group. Since the 1990s Samsung has increasingly globalised its activities, and electronics, particularly mobile phones and semiconductors, has become its most important source of income. Notable Samsung industrial subsidiaries include Samsung Electronics (the world’s largest information technology company measured by 2012 revenues), Samsung Heavy Industries (the world’s second-largest shipbuilder measured by 2010 revenues), and Samsung Engineering and Samsung C&T (respectively the world’s 35th- and 72nd-largest construction companies). Other notable subsidiaries include Samsung Life Insurance (the world’s 14th-largest life insurance company), Samsung Everland (operator of Everland Resort, the oldest theme park in South Korea), Samsung Techwin (an aerospace and defence company) and Cheil Worldwide (the world’s 19th-largest advertising agency measured by 2010 revenues). Samsung has a powerful influence on South Korea’s economic development, politics, media and culture, and has been a major driving force behind the â€Å"Miracle on the Han River†. Its affiliate companies produce around a fifth of South Korea’s total exports. Samsung’s revenue was equal to 17% of the South Korea’s $1082 billion GDP. Name According to the founder of Samsung Group, the meaning of the Korean hanja word Samsung (ä ¸â€°Ã¦ËœÅ¸) is â€Å"tristar† or â€Å"three stars†. The word â€Å"three† represents something â€Å"big, numerous and powerful†; the â€Å"stars† mean eternity. History 1938 to 1970 The headquarters of Samsung Sanghoesin Daegu in the late 1930s In 1938, Lee Byung-chull (1910–1987) of a large landowning family in the Uiryeong county came to the nearby Daegu city and founded Samsung Sanghoe (ì‚ ¼Ã¬â€ž ±Ã¬Æ' Ã­Å¡Å', ä ¸â€°Ã¦ËœÅ¸Ã¥â€¢â€ Ã¦Å"Æ'), a small trading company with forty employees located in Su-dong (now Ingyo-dong). It dealt in groceries produced in and around the city and produced its own noodles. The company prospered and Lee moved its head office to Seoul in 1947. When the Korean War broke out, however, he was forced to leave Seoul and started a sugar refinery in Busan named Cheil Jedang. After the war, in 1954, Lee founded Cheil Mojik and built the plant in Chimsan-dong, Daegu. It was the largest woollen mill ever in the country and the company took on the aspect of a major company. Samsung diversified into many areas and Lee sought to help establish Samsung as an industry leader in a wide range of enterprises, moving into businesses such as insurance, securities, and retail. Lee placed great importance on industrialization, and focused his economic development strategy on a handful of large domestic conglomerates, protecting them from competition and assisting them financially. In 1948, Cho Hong-jai (the Hyosung group’s founder) jointly invested in a new company called Samsung Mulsan Gongsa (ì‚ ¼Ã¬â€ž ±Ã« ¬ ¼Ã¬â€š °Ãª ³ µÃ¬â€š ¬), or the Samsung Trading Corporation, with the Samsung Group founder Lee Byung-chull. The trading firm grew to become the present-day Samsung C&T Corporation. But after some years Cho and Lee separated due to differences in management between them. He wanted to get up to a 30% group share. After settlement, Samsung Group was separated into Samsung Group and Hyosung Group, Hankook Tire, and others. In the late 1960s, Samsung Group entered into the electronics industry. It formed several electronics-related divisions, such as Samsung Electronics Devices Co., Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Samsung Corning Co., and Samsung Semiconductor & Telecommunications Co., and made the facility in Suwon. Its first product was a black-and-white television set. 1970 to 1990 The SPC-1000, introduced in 1982, was Samsung’s first personal computer (Korean market only) and uses an audio cassette tape to load and save data – the floppy drivewas optional. In 1980, Samsung acquired the Gumi-based Hanguk Jeonja Tongsin and entered the telecommunications hardware industry. Its early products were switchboards. The facility were developed into the telephone and fax manufacturing systems and became the centre of Samsung’s mobile phone manufacturing. They have produced over 800 million mobile phones to date. The company grouped them together under Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. in the 1980s. After the founder’s death in 1987, Samsung Group was separated into four business groups – Samsung Group, Shinsegae Group, CJ Group and Hansol Group. Shinsegae (discount store, department store) was originally part of Samsung Group, separated in the 1990s from the Samsung Group along with CJ Group (Food/Chemicals/Entertainment/logistics) and the Hansol Group (Paper/Telecom). Today these separated groups are independent and they are not part of or connected to the Samsung Group. One Hansol Group representative said, â€Å"Only people ignorant of the laws governing the business world could believe something so absurd,† adding, â€Å"When Hansol separated from the Samsung Group in 1991, it severed all payment guarantees and share-holding ties with Samsung affiliates.† One Hansol Group source asserted, â€Å"Hansol, Shinsegae, and CJ have been under independent management since their respective separations from the Samsung Group.† One Shinsegae Department Store executive director said, â€Å"Shinsegae has no payment guarantees associated with the Samsung Group.† In the 1980s, Samsung Electronics began to invest heavily in research and development, investments that were pivotal in pushing the company to the forefront of the global electronics industry. In 1982, it built a television assembly plant in Portugal; in 1984, a plant in New York; in 1985, a plant in Tokyo; in 1987, a facility in England; and another facility in Austin in 1996. As of 2012, Samsung has invested more than US$13 billion in the Austin facility, which operates under the name Samsung Austin Semiconductor LLC. This makes the Austin location the largest foreign investment in Texas and one of the largest singleforeign investments in the United States. 1990 to 2000 Samsung Group headquarters at Samsung Town, Seoul Samsung started to rise as an international corporation in the 1990s. Samsung’s construction branch was awarded a contract to build one of the two Petronas Towers in Malaysia, Taipei 101 in Taiwan and the Burj Khalifa in United Arab Emirates. In 1993, Lee Kun-heesold off ten of Samsung Group’s subsidiaries, downsized the company, and merged other operations to concentrate on three industries: electronics, engineering, and chemicals. In 1996, the Samsung Group reacquired the Sungkyunkwan University foundation. Samsung became the largest producer of memory chips in the world in 1992, and is the world’s second-largest chipmaker after Intel (seeWorldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Market Share Ranking Year by Year). In 1995, it created its first liquid-crystal display screen. Ten years later, Samsung grew to be the world’s largest manufacturer of liquid-crystal display panels. Sony, which had not invested in large-size TFT-LCDs, contacted Samsung to cooperate, and, in 2006, S-LCD was established as a joint venture between Samsung and Sony in order to provide a stable supply of LCD panels for both manufacturers. S-LCD was owned by Samsung (50% plus 1 share) and Sony (50% minus 1 share) and operates its factories and facilities in Tangjung, South Korea. As on 26 December 2011 it was announced that Samsung had acquired the stake of Sony in this joint venture. Compared to other major Korean companies, Samsung survived the 1997 Asian financial crisis relatively unharmed. However, Samsung Motor was sold to Renault at a significant loss. As of 2010, Renault Samsung is 80.1 percent owned by Renault and 19.9 percent owned by Samsung. Additionally, Samsung manufactured a range of aircraft from the 1980s to 1990s. The company was founded in 1999 as Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the result of merger between then three domestic major aerospace divisions of Samsung Aerospace, Daewoo Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Space and Aircraft Company. However, Samsung still manufactures aircraft engines and gas turbines. 2000 to 2013 The Samsung pavilion at Expo 2012 In 2001 Samsung Techwin became the sole supplier of a combustor module for the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 used by the Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger airliner. Samsung Techwin is also a revenue-sharing participant in the Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner GEnx engine program. In 2010, Samsung announced a 10-year growth strategy centred around five businesses. One of these  businesses was to be focused on biopharmaceuticals, to which the Company has committed â‚ ©2.1 trillion. In December 2011, Samsung Electronics sold its hard disk drive (HDD) business to Seagate. In the first quarter of 2012, Samsung Electronics became the world’s largest mobile phone maker by unit sales, overtaking Nokia, which had been the market leader since 1998. In the August 21st edition of the Austin American-Statesman, Samsung confirmed plans to spend 3 to 4 billion dollars converting half of its Austin chip manufacturing plant to a more profitable chip. The conversion should start in early 2013 with production on line by the end of 2013. On August 24, 2012, 9 U.S jurors ruled that Samsung had to pay Apple Incorporated US$1.05 billion dollars in damages for violating six of its patents on smartphone technology. The award was still less than the US$2.5 billion dollars requested by Apple. The decision also ruled that Apple didn’t violate 5 Samsung patents that were in the caseSamsung decried the decision saying that the move could harm innovation in the sector. It also followed a South Korean ruling that said both companies were guilty of infringing on each other’s intellectual property. In the first trading after the ruling, Samsung shares on the Kospi index fell 7.7%, the largest fall since October 24, 2008, to 1,177,000 Korean won. Apple then sought to ban the sales of eight Samsung phones (Galaxy S 4G, Galaxy S2 AT&T, Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, Galaxy S2 T-Mobile, Galaxy S2 Epic 4G, Galaxy S Showcase, Droid Charge and Galaxy Prevail) in the United States[ which has been denied by the court. On September 4, 2012, Samsung announced it plans to examine all of its Chinese suppliers for possible violations of labor policies. The company said it will carry out audits of 250 Chinese companies that are its exclusive suppliers to see if children under the age of 16 are being used in their factories. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Korean: ì‚ ¼Ã¬â€ž ±Ã¬  â€žÃ¬Å¾ ) is a South Korean multinational electronics company headquartered in Suwon, South Korea. It is the flagship subsidiary of the Samsung Group and has been the world’s largest information technology company by revenues since 2009. Samsung Electronics has assembly plants and sales networks in 61 countries and employs around 221,000 people. Samsung has previously been known for its position as a manufacturer for many electrical components such  as semiconductors,chips, flash memory and hard drive devices. Samsung Electronics has actively expanded in consumer markets moving away from its manufacturing roots. It has been the world’s largest television manufacturer since 2006 and the world’s largest maker of LCD panels for eight consecutive years. In recent years, Samsung has gained prominent position in the mobile phone and tablet market, fuelled by its flagship Samsung Galaxy line of devices. The company is the world’s largest vendor of smartphones since 2011. Samsung has also established a prominent position in the tablet computer market, with the release of the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab and Note 10.1. BIBLIOGRAPHY http://smartphones2013.org/samsung-galaxy-s4-pros-cons/ http://www.managementstudyguide.com/market-segmentation.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S4 http://gadgetan.com/inilah-uniknya-acara-perilisan-samsung-galaxy-s-4/42162 http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s_iv-5125.php Samsung official website (http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-S4/ ) http://www.isuppli.com www.wikipedia.org www.google.com www.valas.com www.mysmartprice.in www.xe.com http://www.indotrading.com http://searchfunmoods.com http://www.knoc.co.kr www.phoneArena.com http://EzineArticles.com/

Health and safety responsibilities at work Essay

Client Duties – The Client is an individual or an organization that has construction work carried out as part of their business. Clients duties should have a role of an input to take part in or to take action which is to have responsibilities of having health and safety signs in places around the construction site at all times, they should also be able to ensure that they have welfare facilities such as washing facilities, dining room where the employers can have their time to read newspapers, eat or drink, they also need to have a first aid room where there is first-aid box, whereas there should be a appointed person at all times to take charge of first-aid arrangements and also there should be a person to take down all the information for all employees giving details of first-aid arrangements. Clients should also provide exist area for emergency exists just in case if there is a fire going on or some kind of an emergency which has taken part on the site, so it can be easy fo r all the employers to get out of the construction site. A client must assign information at all times about what is happening in the construction site and about how stuff are going on the location. Under construction and design management regulation their health and safety responsibilities are below: †¢ To ensure that the working condition is with regard to health and safety is in the place †¢ To ensure that the planned work is not going to put others at risks †¢ To check the ability and the resources of all appointments such as designers and etc †¢ They must ensure that the construction work doesn’t begin unless a construction plan is in the place with the services they need and also the facilities are on the site †¢ To keep update and give access to the health and safety for the project †¢ To give all the information connecting to the health and safety policy to the CDM coordinator The Main Contractors – Main contractors are the employer’s, which holds the most significant contract/agreement of the building plan and a main contractor is usually in charge to supply of what is needed on the construction site such as equipment, tools, materials, vehicle and etc. They should make sure they maintain contractors and ensure authorised access is only on site with the security guards at the gate and making sure at least two security guards are always in the place. The main contractor must: †¢ Main contractor must plan, manage and monitor their work and the workers †¢ Main contractor must coach and train their own employees so they know what they are doing †¢ Main contractor should provide information to their workers †¢ Main contractor must provide all the information needed for the health, accidents and safety talks that lead to health and safety †¢ Main contractor must ensure there are enough clean welfare facilities for their workers on the site Subcontractors – A subcontractor is a person who is made-up to follow an existing contract which is to carry out a piece or all of the coercion that he/she has given to do by the principle or general contractor. Subcontractors must be given a site introduction, to reduce the expenses or relieve the danger of something happening in the project. An experienced individual assists them to meet the regulation of health and safety which is under COSHH which means Control substance Hazardous to Health. They are there to ensure that they have a process system and statements to give workers with risk assessment because it will help out to put up signs and fences such as Silt fence so the people there would know that there is a hazard work which is not finished as they will be signs hanged on the site and it will help them from their life been at risk. Subcontractors need to: †¢ Subcontractor must provide details to the main contractor and also provide information to the health and safety policy †¢ Subcontractor must inform main contractor about hazards, risks and etc on the site in order to carry out everything safely †¢ A subcontractor must carry out regular talks †¢ A subcontractor must co – operate with others and co – ordinate work The HSE – Health and Safety Executive – HSE is in charge to help the regulation by law and its enforcement. There are lots of types of HSE like there are several jobs that can transmit to HSE. HSE was created by the health and safety work at 1974 act. They are mainly set up to have power over health and safety to stop injuries happening on site and making sure more employers and workers on the construction site are safe and they have no risk. They are out there to carry out guides so that they can turn out guides on how to do possessions or use in a safe manner so they can change the law. They role is to go on a construction site, give out instructions and guides to the workers that don’t obey with the rules/law, that is when the enforcement team comes in to handle the work on site it would either be given a advance notices which is a warning so they don’t do it again and also they might get exclusion notice which means they might have to closed down the s ite work. The HSE – Health and Safety Executive must: †¢ The HSE must perform health and safety inspection visits sometimes in a week †¢ The HSE (Health and Safety Executive ) must ensure that HSE conditions are displayed on site at all times †¢ The HSE must prevent from injuries and deaths from incident †¢ The HSE must ensure that all the incidents and accidents are investigated as soon as possible Local Authority – Local authority is governmental aspect of neighbourhood management. It is the local committee who are the local council of that particular borough or region who do the setting up consent as they work mostly on roads, highway and motorway protection which means they have to interchange traffic lights or block some lines of the motorway or roads, they have to do it in such a way to create it safer in the region and they also have to protect the surroundings areas of the region similarly if there is a waterway close by so just in case no other risky chemicals can go inside the waterway and cause to kill the nature or the wildlife. Local Authority must: †¢ Local Authority must planned that the work which is going to take place is not going to put others people around the region or the environment at risk †¢ Local Authority must make sure that the noise level is acceptable during the project †¢ Local Authority must be working in conditions with regard to health and safety are in place †¢ Local Authority must ensure that the project plan is safety proposition and is accepted and agreed by the local authority CDM – Construction Design Management Coordinator – CDM are there to make sure that the designers are alert of their own duties, to support the client pleasing his duties. Also making sure that the health & safety file is given over to the client and he holds keep of it. They are to progress setting up the project. They advise the clients on the ability with the needs of dealings and also to ensure that the designers, contractors, principle of the project and etc work with each other in the project, making sure everything goes according to how its need to be done. CDM – Construction Design Management Coordinator must: †¢ CDM must notify HSE and obtain approvals †¢ CDM must prepare health and safety files †¢ CDM must collect all the info that is needed †¢ CDM must keep a communication between the designer, client and the contractors at all times

A Common Intention Trust in the Case Oxley vs Hiscock Study

A Common Intention Trust in the Oxley vs Hiscock - Case Study Example A common intention trust has been helpful in establishing the need for fairer distributions of assets of trusts which must take into account the changing social equations of the day, where the traditional institution of marriage has begun to shed its conventional form and cohabitation has become more common. In the case of disputes over shared property, the case of Oxley v Hiscock has served to consolidate the principles of the common intention trust and the extent of proprietary estoppel that may be exercised by the contending parties.The case concerned a couple Ms Oxley and Mr. Hiscock, in reference to a property that was purchased by them, to which Ms Oxley had contributed about a 35% share while the major burden of the investment was borne by Mr. Hiscock out of his own savings and the proceeds of another home they had owned together. Ms. Oxley and her children lived in the new home with Mr. Hiscock and the couple had cohabited together for many years, although the sole title owne r was Mr. Hiscock. This was a case in which no trust declarations had been made, however there was evidence available to lead to an inference of common intention for both parties to enjoy beneficial shares in the property, although the extent of these beneficial shares were not specified. At the lower Court, the Judge found evidence to indicate the existence of a common intention trust and inferred an equal beneficial share in the property. However, this was appealed by Mr. Hiscock on the grounds that he had made a larger contribution to the property in question and allocating the beneficial interests on an equal 50:50 basis was unfair to his interests. At the Court of Appeal, the Court examined the issues and framed two salient issues to be examined where there is no express declaration of trust:- the existence of a common intention trust based upon the expressed intent of the parties to share beneficial interests and- the extent of the beneficial interests that could be attributed to each party.

Herzog and de Meurion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Herzog and de Meurion - Essay Example Herzog and De Meuron manage to preserve their identities as modernist architects. Their early works cite significant inspiration from the minimalist art of Donald Judd. Both also regard Joseph Beuys as an important motivator to their designs as they collaborate with different artists in each individual project. From the formation of their architectural partnership in 1978, Herzog and De Meuron evolved to be the best in their field. From simple styles of rectangular-inspired architectural designs, the complexity of their adventure in the phase of the Modernist Movement allowed them to adopt and develop complex and dynamic geometric shapes and patterns for their designs. Along with the maturity of skill and technique, innovation when it comes to the use of materials is also taken into account. Herzog and De Meuron’s imagination led then to the use of exterior materials such as silkscreened glass to the down-right simplest plywood (Craven). All of these, no matter how grand or si mple, no matter how expensive or cheap, work to the advantage of these Swiss architects. Both are significantly considered as important figures in architecture. They are regarded as primary institutions when it comes to modernism. The honor they received in 2001 through the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize (Craven) was but a tiny complement as compared to the reputation they had built upon the development of their careers as architects. With much said about the prestige of both architects, it is also important to note that the most important development in the lives of both as professionals occurred upon their designation as primary architects of the 2008 Olympic Stadium in Beijing or more famously known as the Bird’s Nest Stadium. It was in that moment that the modern architects almost went into a conversion of style, adhering to the rules and tenets of post-modernism. However before

The importance of jazz in American culture Essay

The importance of jazz in American culture - Essay Example The origins of jazz may lie in the blues rhythms that developed in the period immediately following the American Civil War and the emancipation of slaves. The distinctive element of the blues is that through the performance of a solo artist, an attempt is made to translate emotions into music through humming, moaning, and soundless effects added to the actual words of the song (Halim, No Date). Jazz developed from the blues, but it differed from the blues in that it had a more cheerful, uplifting note within it. In the words of Stanley Crouch, jazz historian and critic, the love for the music felt by both white and black communities helped to make jazz â€Å"a futuristic social force in which one was finally judged purely on the basis of ones individual ability. Jazz predicted the civil rights movement more than any other art in America." (Hentoff, 2009). It was in essence a tool to reach out to people everywhere, irrespective of their color and therefore a tool that could function as a means to break down segregation and lead to the development of a non-segregated society. Lewine (1992) has described how jazz slowly became synonymous with popular culture. America emerged into the 20th century as a society where culture was necessarily associated with the high brow, more genteel sections of society. But jazz entered this cultural arena as a vital new element that was so distinctive that it appeared to be â€Å"the new product of a new age†, while culture appeared to be traditional, having developed over the centuries (Lewine, 1992:7). Yet, culture and jazz appeared to define each other, because the emergence of this new form of music which was (a) spontaneous (b) raucous and (c) participatory in that the audiences joined in vigorously, and its enormous popularity redefined the entire element of what constituted culture.

Meritocracy Rule by the best Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Meritocracy Rule by the best - Essay Example A vision to build a strong nation is attributed chiefly to the politicians, who, by means of their powers direct and formulate regulations. Therefore, political powers should also be provided on the basis of merit like other positions in diverse organizations. This is the most imperative aspect as rule by the people i.e. the Democracy generates disarray of thoughts and leaves little room for desired accomplishments. According to Plato individuals are categorized as- Producers- encompassing individuals who are governed by their cravings and are inspired to acquire materialistic comforts. This category is attributed to the individuals who are involved in banking services, trades, general practitioners or businessman and therefore they possess slightest political supremacy. Second category involves Auxiliaries- encompassing individuals who are governed by aspiration, faithfulness, principle, respect and bravery, individuals with such temperament join police or military. On the other hand, the third category encompasses- Guardians- these individuals are governed by the reason to formulate policies and laws. These individuals decide the course of the society. Essentially, Guardians should be intellectuals with farsightedness and an insight to think beyond the persisting issues. They are required to possess an understanding that generates empathy and provide means for the happiness of everyone. This category should actually belong to those who are selfless and not selfish. They need to be the Philosophers, to exist and provide modestly in support of the nation. These individuals should ideally work with least remunerations and should be truly devoted towards their duties for the wellbeing of the nation. For all intents and purposes, there has to be a criterion where it should be mandatory that those who are willing to serve the nation in real sense should come

Top ten recommendations and justification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Top ten recommendations and justification - Essay Example More than 120 gallons of paint should not be stored in any one storage cabinet. More than three such cabinets shall not be kept in a single storage area. Such storage is against security norms; such storage will make rescue operations difficult. 5. Quantities in excess of this shall be stored in an inside storage room. Containers over 30 gallons capacity shall not be stacked one upon the other. This may lead to damage to the containers and spilling of paint. 6. Within 200 feet of each pile of containers, there shall be a 12-foot-wide access way to permit approach of fire control apparatus. This is necessary for agile and easy execution of fire control operations. 9. Materials which will create fire when they react with water shall not be stored in the rooms where paint is stored. Water is so commonplace a substance that it may be casually and carelessly handled by people, thus reacting with such substances and causing fire hazard. 10. Electrical wiring and equipment located in storage rooms shall be approved for ‘Class I, Division 1, Hazardous Locations’. This is elementary guard against short circuits that may lead to fire

The study of Market Entry Strategies of SGP to expand into China Literature review

The study of Market Entry Strategies of SGP to expand into China - Literature review Example During its expansion programs SGP already had bought a stake in China’s Liquid Petroleum Gas market and is looking forward to become the market leader for the product. (Forbes.com, 2010). Literature Review One of the largest Liquid Petroleum Gas distributors, SGP based in Thailand as studied focuses on its strategic move on gaining entry into the Chinese soil. To this end, Levi (2006) states that the strategy devised by a company to make its entrance into a totally new or sub-divided market is better known as the ‘market entry strategy’ for the company. These firms further adopt another strategy to support its expansion to newer markets. This strategy helps the firm to make reasonable allocation of its resources to gain the potential of effectively operating in the newer markets. Levi (2006) further states that through the employment of the ‘market entry strategy’ the firm successfully draws out a plan to tap the newer markets. The plan incorporates a n outlook through which the newer market is properly segmented and effective plan of actions are chosen to meet the demands of the target group through acquisition and expansion operations. The central component of the strategy taken by the company to enter into newer markets is constituted by ascertaining the ‘mode of entry’ by the company into the foreign market. Research made along several firms on a global scale confirms that there are mainly five modes through which a firm plans to make a foray into foreign markets. (Levi, 2006, p.34). Levi (2006) states in this regard that entry models like ‘exporting’, ‘licensing’, ‘financing’, ‘building up a joint venture with the foreign firms and establishment of subsidiaries in the foreign land are considered feasible by a firm willing to enter into foreign markets. Each of the several modes of entry has significant advantages and disadvantages which can be underlined as follows. T he company through the export mode targets to push the products produced in its own country to the foreign market. Thus the company is not required to set up a new factory in the foreign market. The company through the export mode endeavours to build huge amount of revenues by exporting a large number of products to the foreign nations. Export strategy used by the firm to enter into foreign markets however faces some distinct disadvantages. The company using such strategy may have to face the stringent regulations and market policies of the foreign market which can prove detrimental to its expansion. The cost of transferring products along the borders also tends to impose huge costs to the production firm. Again the foreign market may happen to be non-demanding to the products produced by the exporting firm. The level of obstruction can also result out from the barriers relating to difference of culture between the exporting and the receiving nation. Thus the above reasons may happe n to make the export mode unsuccessful for the exporting firm. Levi (2006) further observes that the company can also take help of transferring the license to produce a stated amount of the products and thereby to market the same in the foreign market. In that the company renders a sum to the firm in the foreign nation taking such task. The company operating through the licensing mode gains the advantage of cost for not

American Presidents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Presidents - Essay Example There is no doubt that the contrast between the two is stark, and that Bill Clinton was a far superior leader and far more worthy of the respect, admiration and gratitude of Americans. The reputation of the United States is the first area in which the difference between Bush and Clinton is stark. Under Clinton, the United States respected multilateral agreements, sought consensus among the international community on matters of great import, projected the power of the United States in a non-arrogant manner, and respected human rights. For example, Clinton pursued and successfully achieved treaties that grew and strengthened international trade, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). He also helped negotiate the Kyoto Protocol against global warming. In addition, he utilized U.S. military power when necessary and within the context of NATO, as was the case in Kosovo. Because of his active solicitation of and respect for the opinions and influence of other nations, the United States enjoyed a high degree of respect and admiration throughout the world. On the contrary, Bush has led ... backpedaled on security assurances that had been made to North Korea, effectively provoking that country to resume nuclear weapons development and causing them to return to caustic anti-American propaganda and posturing. In addition, he pulled out of the Kyoto accord on global warming, effectively leaving much of the rest of the world high and dry when it comes to efforts to fight against the growing environmental calamity. Most importantly, he thumbed his nose at the world when deciding to unilaterally invade Iraq on a false pretext, and then arrogantly recast the Iraq war as the front line in the "war on terror" when it became apparent that his WMD pretext for the invasion was bogus. In short, the Bush presidency has personified the "ugly American" stereotype of the loose cannon cowboy blindly shooting first and asking questions later. As such, America's reputation in the world has never been lower. A second issue that illustrates a wide gulf between the administrations of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton is that of the economy and the federal budget. Under Clinton, America's economy sustained the longest and strongest economic expansion in history, adding jobs at an unprecedented clip, growing people's investment portfolios astronomically, and prompting an improvement in the quality of life of Americans at all levels of the socio-economic spectrum. Clinton got elected largely based on a groundswell of popular discontent with the state of the economy under his predecessor, George H.W. Bush. He did not disappoint, as few would argue that the economy did not grow at an amazing clip that benefited nearly all Americans. By contrast, George W. Bush has led America into a period of economic stagnation, essentially returning the country to the state it was in when Clinton

Victoria Climbies Death and Trial Essay Example for Free

Victoria Climbies Death and Trial Essay Victoria Climbies life was short and tragic. Her murder prompted the largest review of child protection arrangements in the UK. Find out more about the story. The Climbie trial Carl Manning and Marie Therese Kouao are charged with the murder of Victoria Climbie. During police interviews both claim that Victoria was possessed. November 2000: The trial opens with the prosecution making it clear that the blame lay not only with Kouao and Manning in the dock but child protection authorities who had been blindingly incompetent. Manning denies murder but pleads guilty to child cruelty and manslaughter. Kouao denies all charges. 12 January 2001: Almost a year after Victoria Climbies death, Manning and Kouao are found guilty of her murder. Sentencing both of them to life imprisonment, Judge Richard Hawkins says: What Anna endured was truly unimaginable. She died at both your hands, a lonely drawn out death. A police diagram of injuries on Victorias body Regular contact Reporting to a workshop into the inquiry in London into Victorias death Mr Davies was due to say: Crisis management is the day-to-day reality of staff working in social services and they are being stretched beyond the limit.†There is no doubt in my mind that these factors played a key part in the case of Victoria Climbie and I fear that unless urgent action is taken, it is only a matter of time before another child is murdered. Victoria was killed despite regular contact with four local authorities, two police child protection teams, two hospitals and social workers. A Unison survey on typical working conditions in social services teams backs Mr Owens assertions. Six out of 10 social workers said that even if all of the many vacant posts in the profession were filled there would still not be enough staff. An overwhelming majority of 96% said case loads were too heavy, while 88% said new staff were thrown in at the deep end. More than nine out of ten reported acute levels of stress and staff burn-out, while a similar number said they had to take work home. The survey was sent to the 120 Unison local authority branches with members in social services children and  families teams, and 53 replies were received. Kouao systematically abused Victoria It is only a matter of time before there is a repeat of the Victoria Climbie murder, public service union Unison has warned. It said a chronic shortage of skilled staff and funding has left social workers stretched beyond the limit†. The unions national officer for social workers, Owen Davies, is expected to call on the government and local authorities to face up to their responsibilities†. Eight-year-old Victoria died in February 2000 with 128 injuries on her body inflicted by her great-aunt Marie Therese Kouao and Kouaos boyfriend, Carl Manning.

Soft Skills Importance in Organisations

Soft Skills Importance in Organisations 1 Introduction Background 1.1 Introduction Business concerns with people. Its about communication, coordination and relationship. Although business success is based upon logical acts and thoughts, the human element cannot be ignored (Armstrong, 2006). Thats why strong soft skills are vitally important. Organisations and businesses are established with one thing in mind that is to earn revenue for their stakeholders. Revenue is earned by selling products or providing services to its customers and clients. Businesses flourish because they have products or services to sell which their customers buy in return for profits. To compete or to survive in the competitive business environment, its critical for any organization to satisfy the customer needs. Service is often considered an important aspect of satisfaction of customer as well as a significant contribution. Customer satisfaction is an important aspect for business profitability (Armstrong, 2006). It is the satisfaction of the customers that keep them loyal and any good serv ice provided by the organisation help it to retain customers that in turn ends in high profitability. Increased competition and customer expectations have forced the companies to frequently provide good customer value and service. This has pressurised the businesses to focus more on customer satisfaction (Gerson, 1993). According to Phillips (1991), customer service is the base for a flourishing business and training is the services cornerstone. Quality product with just price attracts customers but it is not enough. Organisations came to realize that consumers decision to buy this product also depends upon the service or treatment that he/she has received. The importance of customer satisfaction is also a key element in service only industry. Thats why a strong emphasis has been put on soft skills and organisations lay a great importance for employees to acquire soft skills specially the ones who deal with customers. With the growing significance on quickly intensifying service sector; organisations recognized the soft skills importance and they are paying special attention to the softer side of their interaction with consumers. Training of employees especially in soft skills is vital for any organisation and it helps in overall employee improvement as well as development. The need and value for so ft skills development for employees has always been accepted by many organisations (Guirdham, 1999). Training also contributes towards development of employees and and plays an important role in their satisfaction. It helps to acquire new skills or polish the existing ones (Green, 2001). Organisational structures are influenced by customer oriented market and constantly changing environment that is leading the organisations to rely on soft skills training for employees. Organisation structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees. It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities. Culture of an organization also plays an important part in assessing the needs and requirements for training and development. It also puts a positive pressure on organizational behavior and influences it. It also helps in producing high level of business performance. Culture is what makes an organisation unique and that differentiate it fr om other organizations. The stronger the culture is, the more effective the organization. Training equips organization with flexibility and durability required for growth and survival. Environmental pressures forces an organisation towards change. Training provides adaptability to change and answer to the challenge on how to adjust to change (Ulrich, 1998). Change and training is worthless if employees are not involved properly. Employees are regarded the most valued assets especially which are skilled in soft skills, as the nature of business changes. When organizational change occurs, major alteration and modifications in the policy of the management need to be reflected in the training theory. It is very essential for any organization to realize its environments dynamics and adjust to the changing requirements the internal or external environment (Bhattacharyya, 2007). Leadership is necessary for creating change and can produce orderly change. Leaders are expected to focus on taking the organization forward. Leadership in todays environment is a tough business. Organi zational leaders face a number of significant challenges as their jobs and the world around them become increasingly complex (Murphy and Riggio, 2003). In business, a rapidly shifting economic environment, changing demands of customers and increasing market competition has become normal. To compete, business leaders must continuously increase their performance by any measure. Organisations should work to assure that people in the company work flexibly in the response to change. Trained employees will respond positively to the change and employees that are skilled with both hard and soft skills can work more effectively in achieving organisational overall objectives. Studies have found a relationship between organisations productivity and employee satisfaction and also between satisfaction of employees and customers (Allen and Wilburn,). Satisfied employees can generate satisfied customers. Valued and satisfied employees make more contributions to the organizations performance. They are more productive and work more effectively. If they are satisfied with their job and working conditions, they will serve the customer needs more carefully and efficiently. To get an accurate picture of the service quality delivered; an organisation measure customer satisfaction and experience. Customer satisfaction measurement is about how customer perceives an organizations performance. Measuring customer satisfaction helps in finding out customer needs and determining customers problems. It also assists in improving product and quality of service that in turn leads to more satisfaction of customers. As with customer satisfaction measurement, training evaluation is equally important. Training evaluation is a way to gather information by which the organizations make decisions about training actions (Armstrong, 2008). Businesses apply evaluation of performance appraisal to calculate work performance and effectiveness of an employee, which can help in defining and developing training needs for the organisations. 1.2 Study Purpose The main idea of this dissertation is to investigate the soft skills importance for organisations working in the constantly changing customer oriented market. The significance of soft skills training for customer focused organisations was never felt before. Growing economical environment and customers high expectations forced the organizations to recognise the need of soft skills and soft skills training for employees (Muir, 2004). The other reasons for writing this research paper include examining companies relations with employees and consumers and its effect on satisfaction level of customers. The research focuses on employees soft skills development relating to changing nature of organisation culture. Effects of internal and external environmental factors on organisations functions and policies are also discussed. This paper also examined and argued on roles and responsibilities of HR professionals like HR managers for planning and developing HR strategies and policies. Aspects o f leadership are considered in details, like leading through change, motivating in employee relations and influencing during training and development. The writer has evaluated and related literature review with case-studies of Mobilezone Ltd and United Mobiles Ltd and concluded on the training and developing soft skills benefits and subsequent effects on employee and customer satisfaction. The research paper has analyzed critically on the training of soft skills and its impact on its staff and consumers. In the end the researcher has assessed customer satisfaction and evaluated training by use of research methodologies. The writer has tried to take several authors views on above mentioned subjects. Authors ideas and theories are not only mentioned but debated. The researcher provided point of view of different writers and counter arguments of some scholars on related. 1.3 Companys Overview The organisations selected for this dissertation are in the growing stages with different structures, cultures, and management and leadership styles. Their approaches towards customer satisfaction by training employees in soft skills differ from one another. Both companies are leading mobile phone sellers and service providers in Delhi region of India. The names of the companies are Mobilezone Ltd and United Mobiles Ltd. Both the companies are new to this field. They started their business and launched their operations with the growing demand for telecommunication sector in India. 1.3.1 Mobilezone Ltd Mobile Zone was established in 2002 with the vision of bringing top mobile brands, latest products, and to provide high quality services. It provides quality products of top mobile phone brands in India. Unlike its competitors, it planned its entry with a thorough and careful market research and its employees were well trained before the business actually started. In just 7 years of its existence, it gained a good market share and enjoys a commanding position in mobile phone market in Capital region. With main office in the heart of the city, it has presence in many other areas of Delhi through sales and service centres. Apart from providing services face to face it deals with customer problems and queries via call centre. It employees highly qualified and trained sales and service staff. There are total of 150 employees in the main office and service centres. 1.3.2 United Mobiles Ltd United Mobiles Ltd has also started their business in 2002 just a moth prior to its competitor. In contrast to its competitor, it was fairly new to this business and its staff had little experience in this business field. It also enjoys a market share in the area and earns good profits. Just like its competitors it has sales and service centres in different parts of the city. Its call centre is located in the main office. It employees around 100 staff at main office and service centres (excluding cleaning and maintenance jobs). 1.4 Selection of Topic Research was undertaken before deciding which topic area to select. After initial research on wide range of topics, discussions of ideas with colleagues and friends, browsing internet and libraries, exploring different dissertation of previous years and finally weighing opinions and careful thinking; the researcher narrowed down the topic and selected this specific research. The main motive for selecting the topic was that this covered a lot of subjects within, and extensive data material was available from different sources. The other reasons include the researchers own personal experience in the field and work experience in one of the companies; and the available ease for carrying out data collection research. 1.5 Project paper usefulness The research project can be useful for reference purposes for later projects and studies by the students. This research was conducted with the management help, so this study can also be useful for comparing companies results with its updated analysis. The companies can use it as a guideline to take improvement measures and modifications. The theory and research of this paper can also be of some assistance for companies and other researcher alike. 1.6 Aim and objectives Aim: To study and examine the importance of training soft skills in organisations in terms of customer satisfaction. Following are the research objectives: Examine and analyze the existing literature on employee training and development with specific focus on soft skills and customer satisfaction. Summarize the main subject matter of the findings and provide recommendations to the company on the conclusion. Determine the extent employees soft skills can be improved by training; and the degree of influence of skilled employees on the tendency of customers. Appreciate the contribution of internal and external factors towards skills training and development. Evaluate training and measure employee and customer satisfaction using available research methods. 1.7 Layout of research paper Chapter 1 is research paper introduction. The background and overview of the research undertaken, has been given by the writer. Research purpose, objectives, usefulness of the research paper, selection of topic and companys overview has been proposed. Chapter 2 encompasses the review of literature that includes the body of discussion. This section has further been divided into parts which are related and relevant. Research of soft skills, training and development, change, organisations structure and culture, HR professionals and leaders roles and responsibilities, employee relations and customer satisfaction; has been put forward and discussed and explained in details. This section has been critically analyzed, taking into account different perspectives. Different scholars and writers work has been taken into account, and comments and arguments were put forward by the researcher. Chapter 3 consists of review of methodology. Different research methods which could have been useful are discussed and weighed. Selection of appropriate methods and reasons for selection and rejection of research methods are presented in summary. Arguments and benefits for selected methods are also given. Sampling, tools of research, designs, models and other related techniques are also explained in this section. Chapter 4 comprises data analysis that the researcher collected and its significance in terms of reaching the explicit conclusions. Data gathered from interviews, questionnaires and other sources is analysed critically analysed. All the results are presented graphically. Comparison o results are also made in this section. Chapter 5 is summary, conclusions and recommendations. All the data in first 4 chapters has been summarised and concluded in this chapter, drawing together the threads of research project and the main things found out in data collection. Recommendations has been proposed after taking into consideration all the summarised research that gives detailed insight into the related research criteria. The researcher has also highlighted the areas the companies can focus in future to improve its business performance. 2 Literature Review: 2.1 Introduction: Organisations survive, grow and earn profits by meeting the needs and requirement of customers. To survive in the ever changing environment, it is critical for any organisation to satisfy the needs of the customers (Mullins, 2007). Consumers decision to buy this product also depends upon the service or treatment provided by the company. Thats why companies put a great emphasis on its employees training of skills as well as continuous development over the years; especially for the ones which provide service directly or interact with customers often. Organisations have started emphasising on soft skills importance for services and they are laying a great importance for employees to acquire soft skills. Training of employees in soft skills is vital for any organisation as it aid in employee development (Guirdham, 1999). Customer oriented market and changing environment has influence on the organization structure that leads to increased reliance on skills development. Organisation structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees (Armstrong, 2008). It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities. Organisational structures are influenced by customer oriented market and constantly changing environment that is leading to more dependence on soft skills training for employees. Culture of an organization also plays an important part in assessing the needs and requirements for training and development. It also puts a positive pressure on organizational behavior and influences it. It also helps in producing high level of business performance. Change and training is worthless if employees are not involved properly (Armstrong, 2008). Employees are regarded the most valued assets especially which are skilled in soft skills, as the business nat ure organization itself changes. The role of managers and leaders are very important in development of employees. Leadership is necessary for creating change and can produce orderly change. Leaders are expected to focus on taking the organization forward. To get an accurate picture of the service quality delivered; an organisation measure customer satisfaction and experience (Bratton and Gold, 2001). Training is also evaluated to measure the employee work performance and effectiveness (Beardwell et al. 2007). 2.2. Training and Development Armsrtong (2008) defines employee development as a process to prepare organization employees for future responsibilities related to job. This may include training (formal or informal, mentoring, education, coaching etc. Training and development of employees is a HRM activity. HRM is concerned with personnel management and staff development in a company and is normally carried out by HR professionals e.g. HR managers (Armstrong, 2006). The nature of work HR carries out differs from one business to another and is effected by size and structure of the company. Talented pools of workers are always required by an organisation to compete successfully in todays highly competitive market (Bratton and Gold, 2001). Company can achieve and maintain this competitive advantage by regularly upgrading the workforce skills. Training and development is a never ending challenge that a company must address (Wilson, 2006). The development of employee skills is one of the most imperative tasks in which a n organisation can engage (Molander and Winterton, 2006). Effective training is paramount for survival and growth of a business. Training is not just about developing people but serving them to become more positive and capable in their jobs as well confident in their lives. The field of training is a fast growing sector of human life and has come of age as a profession. There are many motives for training and developing employees. It can be started for a variety of reasons for employees e.g. to facilitate an employee to be qualified for a planned change. It can be carried out as part of an employees professional development program or performance improvement (Rae, 1999). The training need has always been present in every walk of life and today the need is so much greater. There could be any reason but important are probably: the pace at which change is happening in every field of business life, and the employers attitude and the attitude of the individuals (Pont, 2003). Training is not only essential to create skilled force but also needed to maintain a high level of skills required by the constantly changing work environment and to equip employees to meet future demands (Stewart, 2996) (Pont, 2003). HR professionals do recognise training and development of an employee is a process that is ongoing but it speed up in case of organisational, cultural or environmental change. This training process involves continuous adjustment to adapt which is achieved from improved skills and increased knowledge (Beardwell et al 2007). The new working system demands completely new approach of thinking and extensive training in new skills (Beardwell and Claydon, 2007). The importance of training has long been recognized. The need for training is more prominent given todays business climate which affects the economy and society at large. The most simplistic definition of training is that it is an activity that changes peoples behaviour. Training is defined by Wilson (2006) as a planned process to modify employee knowledge, skill, attitude and behaviour through learning to gain performance. Employee is trained to make sure that organizations current or future needs are met. Training can equip employees to do their jobs, perform their tasks and handle complex products and services. In Bramleys (2003) words, training involves learning and educating employee to do something so that the things are done differently. He and (Wilson, 1999) further explains that training process is planned to facilitate education to help employees develop into more effective and efficient in performing their duties and completing their work. According to the CIPD, training is expected to equip workers to help them become strategically unique, in addition to the provision of skills, attitudes and knowledge required to attain operational efficiency. The foundation for training remains the traditional training process system. This involves: 1. identifying the needs for training and development of the company; 2. Planning training or devising a learning plan; 3. Carrying out or delivering training and 4. Assessing and evaluating outcomes/results. A training-need-analysis is the first step in identifying the types of programs that will further organisations goals, which helps to decide whether training is appropriate at all. The organisations have to assess why they need training. Is the current organisational deficiency that the training seeks to address really due to lack of skills and knowledge or some deeper problems? Frequently, organisations implement training program because a HR professional identifies an individual or business need (Smith and Mazin, 2004). Then plans are made on how to deliver the program and by which method. Although the terms training and development are often linked, these address slightly different needs. Training focuses on learning the necessary skills and acquiring the knowledge required to perform the job. Training deals with design and delivery of knowledge to improve organization performance. Development focuses on the preparation needed for future jobs; it should be considered investment in the work force since its benefits are long term (Buhler, 2002). Training inclined towards focusing on short term results. Development may inadequately focus on working environment. It is very important for the business to review its training to a broader scenario (Bryans and Smith, 2000). According to Armstrong (2006), people are learning and will continue to do so throughout their career, whether taught formally or as an experience. Mullins (2007) observed that people learn within the organisation and in everyday life situations. Competition, technological advances and organizational devel opment, all necessitate the creation of knowledge that leads to constant advancement. That directs oganizations to take more interest in employee development within evolving organization. Training is the main area of the HRM function of particular importance and relevant to the management effectiveness. There are not many scholars who argue in opposition to the importance of training as a foremost influence on the organization success. Leading writers have recognised the importance of training as fundamental for management (Bratton and Gold, 2003). Many believed that training employee development is a key factor of HRM within organization. Training as described by Keep (1989 cited by Wilkinson, 2006), is a litmus test against which managements characteristics practices can be measured. Other advantages of staffs training and development includes: increased employee morale, motivation and job satisfaction, increased efficiency and effectiveness, increased ability to adopt latest meth ods and technologies, enhanced company image, reduced employee turnover, risk management. The precise staff training at the right timing presents big payoffs for the employer in increased knowledge, productivity, contribution and loyalty (Web 3). Training let the organization to develop and promote its own business culture. It also permits organizations to become accustomed to changes in the working environment and can be used as a change agent (Wilkinson, 2006). Training can improve effectiveness of the organisation in fiercely competitive markets. Training assists in optimizing the development of human resource for employee to achieve the individual as well as organisational objectives (Benson, 2006). It increases the job skills and knowledge of employees and expands the horizons of their intellect and their personality. Training and development also aids in signifying the team spirit sense, team work and inter team relationship. It also helps the company to be effective in decisi on making and solving problem. It also assists in developing leadership skills, loyalty among employees, staff motivation, enhanced attitudes and other features that successful employees normally display (Armstrong, 2008) (Bratton and Gold, 2003) (Jenkins,2002) (Pont, 2003) (Price, 2007). Of course, the basic and main goal of a business is to enhance its value and to increase its stakeholders wealth. It requires effective and efficient use of limited resources available to the organization to achieve theses aims. Resource aavailability (human, physical and financial) are considered important inputs (Bacon Haque, 2008). HR scholars agree that an organisation is only as good as persons working in it but opinions vary on how it translates into practice. Many organisations not only consider training as n chance for employees to learn something but also as an investment that would produce results for business. It also takes money and time to train staff (Bacon Haque, 2008). With a supportive environment and a little encouragement and reinforcement, a business can accomplish the required result on a substantial investment in people. An organized approach is needed in evaluation of needs of training; otherwise organization may not be able to utilize valuable resources eff iciently (Armstrong, 2006). Training matters for a company because of the established links between productivity and skills. Organisations allocate resources for training because of fear of skills shortage. Some scholars like Kallenberg Moody (1994) recognize that investment in employee development result in higher returns in future. Employees are the essential and crucial resource. Its important for an organisation to optimize the employees contribution to the organisations goals and objectives in order to maintain effective performance. Adequate supply of technically and socially competent and proficient staff is only ensured by training and development. Training helps the staff to become capable for career advancement into specialist departments and management positions. Staff training can be on-the-job that is conducted at the trainees workplace, and off-the-job which is carried out away from employees work place (Mullins, 2007). Some employees are naturally gifted in talents w hile others work hard to gain but all can still benefit from learning new techniques. People usually receive a well to do on the job training in one form or another. Some people are good at finding their own paths and procuring the necessary resources and information, many persons learn best by following, observing and asking questions (Smith and Mazin, 2004). Training is not always the answer to problems related to performance. Some training analysts (Rosner, 1999 cited by Smith and Mazin, 2004) believed that training could be a good investment or could be a waste of resources. It is in fact a waste of resources when the desired behaviour does not occur. Thats why training and development doesnt succeed all the time to achieve desired results and in obtaining aims and objectives of the organisation. There can be many causes for the failure but most common are (Web 6): Training is often put into practice for the wrong reasons and seldom aligns to a business measure. If training program does not support the business goals then no improvement can be recorded. Training is thought to be a solution for a range of performance problems when training may not be concern at all. It also fails because it does not succeed to give direction and focus. Sometimes the solution proves too expensive for the desired outcomes. Individuals behaviour towards t raining also plays an important part; e.g. when training is believed just as an event than as enhancement of skills and abilities of the employees, it fails to generate business results. Other important reason for failure is lack of management support (Mullins, 2007). Employees will hardly ever implement new skills and knowledge without it in the workplace. Failure to include and credit other influences and processes apart from training that may have influenced the business outcomes may also be a good reason of failure. Some businesses invest little in training because they dont have enough funds. Other reason is the fear that individuals will leave and move to other companies at some later stage. Few organisations consider recruitment process sufficient and rely on the natural skills of employees rather than training (Harrison, 2005). It is HR managers role and responsibility to develop and implement training strategies and policies. He/she is also involved in people management activities like developing organization, recruitment and selection, talent management, learning and development, human resource planning, knowledge management, reward management, etc (Hyde et al. 2009). Depending on the business nature and size of the company, the HR managers not just have responsibility of training and developing employees but for performance management as well.Training processes take place in the context of internal and the external environment of the organization. Human Resource Managers need to realize the training and developments nature and process to be able to facilitate learning and development within the organisation (Watson, 2006). While providing training, the managers need to recognize the importance and effects organization structure and design because these describe tasks and responsibilities, roles and rela tionships, work and channels of communication (Mullins, 2007). Structure is clearly important for any organization, whatever its size. The aspects that determine how the company functions in relation to its eternal and external environment are its structure and the processes that operate within it. Structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees. It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities (Hyde et al. 2009). Human Resource Development (HRD) is a name which signifies the newest evolutionary phase in the long custom of training, educating and developing employees. It focuses on the principle of contributing to the success of individual, organisational and societal objectives. According to McLagan (1989 cited in Wilson, 2005) it is the incorporated use of training, career development and development of a company to improve organisational and individual value. HRD gives the business benefits assisting the ability to increase revenue. Companies need to develop a learning culture that responds quickly to the ever changing environment. HRD policies can help the organisation to obtain this objective (Nixon, 2004). 2.3. Soft Skills There are two versions of HRM as explained by Storey (1992). He made the distinction between the soft and hard HRM approaches and describes that although both approaches to HRM emphasise on employees and consider them important for achieving competitive edge that has to be attained, developed and organized in ways that benefits the business. Soft version further focuses on communication, leadership and motivation and lays emphasis on peoples skills, commitment, adaptability and performance (Armstrong, 2006). Organisations that have a mixture of both approaches tend to endure and grow in the competitive business environment. Many schol Soft Skills Importance in Organisations Soft Skills Importance in Organisations 1 Introduction Background 1.1 Introduction Business concerns with people. Its about communication, coordination and relationship. Although business success is based upon logical acts and thoughts, the human element cannot be ignored (Armstrong, 2006). Thats why strong soft skills are vitally important. Organisations and businesses are established with one thing in mind that is to earn revenue for their stakeholders. Revenue is earned by selling products or providing services to its customers and clients. Businesses flourish because they have products or services to sell which their customers buy in return for profits. To compete or to survive in the competitive business environment, its critical for any organization to satisfy the customer needs. Service is often considered an important aspect of satisfaction of customer as well as a significant contribution. Customer satisfaction is an important aspect for business profitability (Armstrong, 2006). It is the satisfaction of the customers that keep them loyal and any good serv ice provided by the organisation help it to retain customers that in turn ends in high profitability. Increased competition and customer expectations have forced the companies to frequently provide good customer value and service. This has pressurised the businesses to focus more on customer satisfaction (Gerson, 1993). According to Phillips (1991), customer service is the base for a flourishing business and training is the services cornerstone. Quality product with just price attracts customers but it is not enough. Organisations came to realize that consumers decision to buy this product also depends upon the service or treatment that he/she has received. The importance of customer satisfaction is also a key element in service only industry. Thats why a strong emphasis has been put on soft skills and organisations lay a great importance for employees to acquire soft skills specially the ones who deal with customers. With the growing significance on quickly intensifying service sector; organisations recognized the soft skills importance and they are paying special attention to the softer side of their interaction with consumers. Training of employees especially in soft skills is vital for any organisation and it helps in overall employee improvement as well as development. The need and value for so ft skills development for employees has always been accepted by many organisations (Guirdham, 1999). Training also contributes towards development of employees and and plays an important role in their satisfaction. It helps to acquire new skills or polish the existing ones (Green, 2001). Organisational structures are influenced by customer oriented market and constantly changing environment that is leading the organisations to rely on soft skills training for employees. Organisation structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees. It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities. Culture of an organization also plays an important part in assessing the needs and requirements for training and development. It also puts a positive pressure on organizational behavior and influences it. It also helps in producing high level of business performance. Culture is what makes an organisation unique and that differentiate it fr om other organizations. The stronger the culture is, the more effective the organization. Training equips organization with flexibility and durability required for growth and survival. Environmental pressures forces an organisation towards change. Training provides adaptability to change and answer to the challenge on how to adjust to change (Ulrich, 1998). Change and training is worthless if employees are not involved properly. Employees are regarded the most valued assets especially which are skilled in soft skills, as the nature of business changes. When organizational change occurs, major alteration and modifications in the policy of the management need to be reflected in the training theory. It is very essential for any organization to realize its environments dynamics and adjust to the changing requirements the internal or external environment (Bhattacharyya, 2007). Leadership is necessary for creating change and can produce orderly change. Leaders are expected to focus on taking the organization forward. Leadership in todays environment is a tough business. Organi zational leaders face a number of significant challenges as their jobs and the world around them become increasingly complex (Murphy and Riggio, 2003). In business, a rapidly shifting economic environment, changing demands of customers and increasing market competition has become normal. To compete, business leaders must continuously increase their performance by any measure. Organisations should work to assure that people in the company work flexibly in the response to change. Trained employees will respond positively to the change and employees that are skilled with both hard and soft skills can work more effectively in achieving organisational overall objectives. Studies have found a relationship between organisations productivity and employee satisfaction and also between satisfaction of employees and customers (Allen and Wilburn,). Satisfied employees can generate satisfied customers. Valued and satisfied employees make more contributions to the organizations performance. They are more productive and work more effectively. If they are satisfied with their job and working conditions, they will serve the customer needs more carefully and efficiently. To get an accurate picture of the service quality delivered; an organisation measure customer satisfaction and experience. Customer satisfaction measurement is about how customer perceives an organizations performance. Measuring customer satisfaction helps in finding out customer needs and determining customers problems. It also assists in improving product and quality of service that in turn leads to more satisfaction of customers. As with customer satisfaction measurement, training evaluation is equally important. Training evaluation is a way to gather information by which the organizations make decisions about training actions (Armstrong, 2008). Businesses apply evaluation of performance appraisal to calculate work performance and effectiveness of an employee, which can help in defining and developing training needs for the organisations. 1.2 Study Purpose The main idea of this dissertation is to investigate the soft skills importance for organisations working in the constantly changing customer oriented market. The significance of soft skills training for customer focused organisations was never felt before. Growing economical environment and customers high expectations forced the organizations to recognise the need of soft skills and soft skills training for employees (Muir, 2004). The other reasons for writing this research paper include examining companies relations with employees and consumers and its effect on satisfaction level of customers. The research focuses on employees soft skills development relating to changing nature of organisation culture. Effects of internal and external environmental factors on organisations functions and policies are also discussed. This paper also examined and argued on roles and responsibilities of HR professionals like HR managers for planning and developing HR strategies and policies. Aspects o f leadership are considered in details, like leading through change, motivating in employee relations and influencing during training and development. The writer has evaluated and related literature review with case-studies of Mobilezone Ltd and United Mobiles Ltd and concluded on the training and developing soft skills benefits and subsequent effects on employee and customer satisfaction. The research paper has analyzed critically on the training of soft skills and its impact on its staff and consumers. In the end the researcher has assessed customer satisfaction and evaluated training by use of research methodologies. The writer has tried to take several authors views on above mentioned subjects. Authors ideas and theories are not only mentioned but debated. The researcher provided point of view of different writers and counter arguments of some scholars on related. 1.3 Companys Overview The organisations selected for this dissertation are in the growing stages with different structures, cultures, and management and leadership styles. Their approaches towards customer satisfaction by training employees in soft skills differ from one another. Both companies are leading mobile phone sellers and service providers in Delhi region of India. The names of the companies are Mobilezone Ltd and United Mobiles Ltd. Both the companies are new to this field. They started their business and launched their operations with the growing demand for telecommunication sector in India. 1.3.1 Mobilezone Ltd Mobile Zone was established in 2002 with the vision of bringing top mobile brands, latest products, and to provide high quality services. It provides quality products of top mobile phone brands in India. Unlike its competitors, it planned its entry with a thorough and careful market research and its employees were well trained before the business actually started. In just 7 years of its existence, it gained a good market share and enjoys a commanding position in mobile phone market in Capital region. With main office in the heart of the city, it has presence in many other areas of Delhi through sales and service centres. Apart from providing services face to face it deals with customer problems and queries via call centre. It employees highly qualified and trained sales and service staff. There are total of 150 employees in the main office and service centres. 1.3.2 United Mobiles Ltd United Mobiles Ltd has also started their business in 2002 just a moth prior to its competitor. In contrast to its competitor, it was fairly new to this business and its staff had little experience in this business field. It also enjoys a market share in the area and earns good profits. Just like its competitors it has sales and service centres in different parts of the city. Its call centre is located in the main office. It employees around 100 staff at main office and service centres (excluding cleaning and maintenance jobs). 1.4 Selection of Topic Research was undertaken before deciding which topic area to select. After initial research on wide range of topics, discussions of ideas with colleagues and friends, browsing internet and libraries, exploring different dissertation of previous years and finally weighing opinions and careful thinking; the researcher narrowed down the topic and selected this specific research. The main motive for selecting the topic was that this covered a lot of subjects within, and extensive data material was available from different sources. The other reasons include the researchers own personal experience in the field and work experience in one of the companies; and the available ease for carrying out data collection research. 1.5 Project paper usefulness The research project can be useful for reference purposes for later projects and studies by the students. This research was conducted with the management help, so this study can also be useful for comparing companies results with its updated analysis. The companies can use it as a guideline to take improvement measures and modifications. The theory and research of this paper can also be of some assistance for companies and other researcher alike. 1.6 Aim and objectives Aim: To study and examine the importance of training soft skills in organisations in terms of customer satisfaction. Following are the research objectives: Examine and analyze the existing literature on employee training and development with specific focus on soft skills and customer satisfaction. Summarize the main subject matter of the findings and provide recommendations to the company on the conclusion. Determine the extent employees soft skills can be improved by training; and the degree of influence of skilled employees on the tendency of customers. Appreciate the contribution of internal and external factors towards skills training and development. Evaluate training and measure employee and customer satisfaction using available research methods. 1.7 Layout of research paper Chapter 1 is research paper introduction. The background and overview of the research undertaken, has been given by the writer. Research purpose, objectives, usefulness of the research paper, selection of topic and companys overview has been proposed. Chapter 2 encompasses the review of literature that includes the body of discussion. This section has further been divided into parts which are related and relevant. Research of soft skills, training and development, change, organisations structure and culture, HR professionals and leaders roles and responsibilities, employee relations and customer satisfaction; has been put forward and discussed and explained in details. This section has been critically analyzed, taking into account different perspectives. Different scholars and writers work has been taken into account, and comments and arguments were put forward by the researcher. Chapter 3 consists of review of methodology. Different research methods which could have been useful are discussed and weighed. Selection of appropriate methods and reasons for selection and rejection of research methods are presented in summary. Arguments and benefits for selected methods are also given. Sampling, tools of research, designs, models and other related techniques are also explained in this section. Chapter 4 comprises data analysis that the researcher collected and its significance in terms of reaching the explicit conclusions. Data gathered from interviews, questionnaires and other sources is analysed critically analysed. All the results are presented graphically. Comparison o results are also made in this section. Chapter 5 is summary, conclusions and recommendations. All the data in first 4 chapters has been summarised and concluded in this chapter, drawing together the threads of research project and the main things found out in data collection. Recommendations has been proposed after taking into consideration all the summarised research that gives detailed insight into the related research criteria. The researcher has also highlighted the areas the companies can focus in future to improve its business performance. 2 Literature Review: 2.1 Introduction: Organisations survive, grow and earn profits by meeting the needs and requirement of customers. To survive in the ever changing environment, it is critical for any organisation to satisfy the needs of the customers (Mullins, 2007). Consumers decision to buy this product also depends upon the service or treatment provided by the company. Thats why companies put a great emphasis on its employees training of skills as well as continuous development over the years; especially for the ones which provide service directly or interact with customers often. Organisations have started emphasising on soft skills importance for services and they are laying a great importance for employees to acquire soft skills. Training of employees in soft skills is vital for any organisation as it aid in employee development (Guirdham, 1999). Customer oriented market and changing environment has influence on the organization structure that leads to increased reliance on skills development. Organisation structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees (Armstrong, 2008). It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities. Organisational structures are influenced by customer oriented market and constantly changing environment that is leading to more dependence on soft skills training for employees. Culture of an organization also plays an important part in assessing the needs and requirements for training and development. It also puts a positive pressure on organizational behavior and influences it. It also helps in producing high level of business performance. Change and training is worthless if employees are not involved properly (Armstrong, 2008). Employees are regarded the most valued assets especially which are skilled in soft skills, as the business nat ure organization itself changes. The role of managers and leaders are very important in development of employees. Leadership is necessary for creating change and can produce orderly change. Leaders are expected to focus on taking the organization forward. To get an accurate picture of the service quality delivered; an organisation measure customer satisfaction and experience (Bratton and Gold, 2001). Training is also evaluated to measure the employee work performance and effectiveness (Beardwell et al. 2007). 2.2. Training and Development Armsrtong (2008) defines employee development as a process to prepare organization employees for future responsibilities related to job. This may include training (formal or informal, mentoring, education, coaching etc. Training and development of employees is a HRM activity. HRM is concerned with personnel management and staff development in a company and is normally carried out by HR professionals e.g. HR managers (Armstrong, 2006). The nature of work HR carries out differs from one business to another and is effected by size and structure of the company. Talented pools of workers are always required by an organisation to compete successfully in todays highly competitive market (Bratton and Gold, 2001). Company can achieve and maintain this competitive advantage by regularly upgrading the workforce skills. Training and development is a never ending challenge that a company must address (Wilson, 2006). The development of employee skills is one of the most imperative tasks in which a n organisation can engage (Molander and Winterton, 2006). Effective training is paramount for survival and growth of a business. Training is not just about developing people but serving them to become more positive and capable in their jobs as well confident in their lives. The field of training is a fast growing sector of human life and has come of age as a profession. There are many motives for training and developing employees. It can be started for a variety of reasons for employees e.g. to facilitate an employee to be qualified for a planned change. It can be carried out as part of an employees professional development program or performance improvement (Rae, 1999). The training need has always been present in every walk of life and today the need is so much greater. There could be any reason but important are probably: the pace at which change is happening in every field of business life, and the employers attitude and the attitude of the individuals (Pont, 2003). Training is not only essential to create skilled force but also needed to maintain a high level of skills required by the constantly changing work environment and to equip employees to meet future demands (Stewart, 2996) (Pont, 2003). HR professionals do recognise training and development of an employee is a process that is ongoing but it speed up in case of organisational, cultural or environmental change. This training process involves continuous adjustment to adapt which is achieved from improved skills and increased knowledge (Beardwell et al 2007). The new working system demands completely new approach of thinking and extensive training in new skills (Beardwell and Claydon, 2007). The importance of training has long been recognized. The need for training is more prominent given todays business climate which affects the economy and society at large. The most simplistic definition of training is that it is an activity that changes peoples behaviour. Training is defined by Wilson (2006) as a planned process to modify employee knowledge, skill, attitude and behaviour through learning to gain performance. Employee is trained to make sure that organizations current or future needs are met. Training can equip employees to do their jobs, perform their tasks and handle complex products and services. In Bramleys (2003) words, training involves learning and educating employee to do something so that the things are done differently. He and (Wilson, 1999) further explains that training process is planned to facilitate education to help employees develop into more effective and efficient in performing their duties and completing their work. According to the CIPD, training is expected to equip workers to help them become strategically unique, in addition to the provision of skills, attitudes and knowledge required to attain operational efficiency. The foundation for training remains the traditional training process system. This involves: 1. identifying the needs for training and development of the company; 2. Planning training or devising a learning plan; 3. Carrying out or delivering training and 4. Assessing and evaluating outcomes/results. A training-need-analysis is the first step in identifying the types of programs that will further organisations goals, which helps to decide whether training is appropriate at all. The organisations have to assess why they need training. Is the current organisational deficiency that the training seeks to address really due to lack of skills and knowledge or some deeper problems? Frequently, organisations implement training program because a HR professional identifies an individual or business need (Smith and Mazin, 2004). Then plans are made on how to deliver the program and by which method. Although the terms training and development are often linked, these address slightly different needs. Training focuses on learning the necessary skills and acquiring the knowledge required to perform the job. Training deals with design and delivery of knowledge to improve organization performance. Development focuses on the preparation needed for future jobs; it should be considered investment in the work force since its benefits are long term (Buhler, 2002). Training inclined towards focusing on short term results. Development may inadequately focus on working environment. It is very important for the business to review its training to a broader scenario (Bryans and Smith, 2000). According to Armstrong (2006), people are learning and will continue to do so throughout their career, whether taught formally or as an experience. Mullins (2007) observed that people learn within the organisation and in everyday life situations. Competition, technological advances and organizational devel opment, all necessitate the creation of knowledge that leads to constant advancement. That directs oganizations to take more interest in employee development within evolving organization. Training is the main area of the HRM function of particular importance and relevant to the management effectiveness. There are not many scholars who argue in opposition to the importance of training as a foremost influence on the organization success. Leading writers have recognised the importance of training as fundamental for management (Bratton and Gold, 2003). Many believed that training employee development is a key factor of HRM within organization. Training as described by Keep (1989 cited by Wilkinson, 2006), is a litmus test against which managements characteristics practices can be measured. Other advantages of staffs training and development includes: increased employee morale, motivation and job satisfaction, increased efficiency and effectiveness, increased ability to adopt latest meth ods and technologies, enhanced company image, reduced employee turnover, risk management. The precise staff training at the right timing presents big payoffs for the employer in increased knowledge, productivity, contribution and loyalty (Web 3). Training let the organization to develop and promote its own business culture. It also permits organizations to become accustomed to changes in the working environment and can be used as a change agent (Wilkinson, 2006). Training can improve effectiveness of the organisation in fiercely competitive markets. Training assists in optimizing the development of human resource for employee to achieve the individual as well as organisational objectives (Benson, 2006). It increases the job skills and knowledge of employees and expands the horizons of their intellect and their personality. Training and development also aids in signifying the team spirit sense, team work and inter team relationship. It also helps the company to be effective in decisi on making and solving problem. It also assists in developing leadership skills, loyalty among employees, staff motivation, enhanced attitudes and other features that successful employees normally display (Armstrong, 2008) (Bratton and Gold, 2003) (Jenkins,2002) (Pont, 2003) (Price, 2007). Of course, the basic and main goal of a business is to enhance its value and to increase its stakeholders wealth. It requires effective and efficient use of limited resources available to the organization to achieve theses aims. Resource aavailability (human, physical and financial) are considered important inputs (Bacon Haque, 2008). HR scholars agree that an organisation is only as good as persons working in it but opinions vary on how it translates into practice. Many organisations not only consider training as n chance for employees to learn something but also as an investment that would produce results for business. It also takes money and time to train staff (Bacon Haque, 2008). With a supportive environment and a little encouragement and reinforcement, a business can accomplish the required result on a substantial investment in people. An organized approach is needed in evaluation of needs of training; otherwise organization may not be able to utilize valuable resources eff iciently (Armstrong, 2006). Training matters for a company because of the established links between productivity and skills. Organisations allocate resources for training because of fear of skills shortage. Some scholars like Kallenberg Moody (1994) recognize that investment in employee development result in higher returns in future. Employees are the essential and crucial resource. Its important for an organisation to optimize the employees contribution to the organisations goals and objectives in order to maintain effective performance. Adequate supply of technically and socially competent and proficient staff is only ensured by training and development. Training helps the staff to become capable for career advancement into specialist departments and management positions. Staff training can be on-the-job that is conducted at the trainees workplace, and off-the-job which is carried out away from employees work place (Mullins, 2007). Some employees are naturally gifted in talents w hile others work hard to gain but all can still benefit from learning new techniques. People usually receive a well to do on the job training in one form or another. Some people are good at finding their own paths and procuring the necessary resources and information, many persons learn best by following, observing and asking questions (Smith and Mazin, 2004). Training is not always the answer to problems related to performance. Some training analysts (Rosner, 1999 cited by Smith and Mazin, 2004) believed that training could be a good investment or could be a waste of resources. It is in fact a waste of resources when the desired behaviour does not occur. Thats why training and development doesnt succeed all the time to achieve desired results and in obtaining aims and objectives of the organisation. There can be many causes for the failure but most common are (Web 6): Training is often put into practice for the wrong reasons and seldom aligns to a business measure. If training program does not support the business goals then no improvement can be recorded. Training is thought to be a solution for a range of performance problems when training may not be concern at all. It also fails because it does not succeed to give direction and focus. Sometimes the solution proves too expensive for the desired outcomes. Individuals behaviour towards t raining also plays an important part; e.g. when training is believed just as an event than as enhancement of skills and abilities of the employees, it fails to generate business results. Other important reason for failure is lack of management support (Mullins, 2007). Employees will hardly ever implement new skills and knowledge without it in the workplace. Failure to include and credit other influences and processes apart from training that may have influenced the business outcomes may also be a good reason of failure. Some businesses invest little in training because they dont have enough funds. Other reason is the fear that individuals will leave and move to other companies at some later stage. Few organisations consider recruitment process sufficient and rely on the natural skills of employees rather than training (Harrison, 2005). It is HR managers role and responsibility to develop and implement training strategies and policies. He/she is also involved in people management activities like developing organization, recruitment and selection, talent management, learning and development, human resource planning, knowledge management, reward management, etc (Hyde et al. 2009). Depending on the business nature and size of the company, the HR managers not just have responsibility of training and developing employees but for performance management as well.Training processes take place in the context of internal and the external environment of the organization. Human Resource Managers need to realize the training and developments nature and process to be able to facilitate learning and development within the organisation (Watson, 2006). While providing training, the managers need to recognize the importance and effects organization structure and design because these describe tasks and responsibilities, roles and rela tionships, work and channels of communication (Mullins, 2007). Structure is clearly important for any organization, whatever its size. The aspects that determine how the company functions in relation to its eternal and external environment are its structure and the processes that operate within it. Structures are necessary to support the effort of training managers and trainee employees. It also makes possible the effective performance of key training activities (Hyde et al. 2009). Human Resource Development (HRD) is a name which signifies the newest evolutionary phase in the long custom of training, educating and developing employees. It focuses on the principle of contributing to the success of individual, organisational and societal objectives. According to McLagan (1989 cited in Wilson, 2005) it is the incorporated use of training, career development and development of a company to improve organisational and individual value. HRD gives the business benefits assisting the ability to increase revenue. Companies need to develop a learning culture that responds quickly to the ever changing environment. HRD policies can help the organisation to obtain this objective (Nixon, 2004). 2.3. Soft Skills There are two versions of HRM as explained by Storey (1992). He made the distinction between the soft and hard HRM approaches and describes that although both approaches to HRM emphasise on employees and consider them important for achieving competitive edge that has to be attained, developed and organized in ways that benefits the business. Soft version further focuses on communication, leadership and motivation and lays emphasis on peoples skills, commitment, adaptability and performance (Armstrong, 2006). Organisations that have a mixture of both approaches tend to endure and grow in the competitive business environment. Many schol