Muslim Women Essay Example for Free

Muslim Women Essay The more and more I study about Muslim Women and the obstacles they face, I become angered. In writing this paper, I’ve found that there is no substantial evidence in any Muslim or Islamic writings that states that women should be treated as slaves or insubordinates. Women are to be respected, protected, and loved; no matter what religion or color they may be. So, my paper will focus on these three things, but the lack of it. What is the definition of respect? Respect is a positive feeling of esteem or deference for a person or other entity. When you respect a person, you will show it through actions and deeds; without any conjuring. I’ve noticed that Muslim women aren’t respected too well within their own religion. The Sharia Law is the moral code and religious law of Islam which deals with many topics such as prayer, fasting, diet, sexual intercourse, hygiene, etc. It is considered the infallible law of God; there is no human interpretation. The two sources of this law are the Quran and Mohammed; the last source is part of the human interpretation that many state the Quran doesn’t possess. According to the Sharia, women aren’t equal to men unless it is in religious duties such as prayer, fasting, and making hajj. Contrary to what most Muslim men believe, a woman is not created for the purpose of a Muslim man. Rather, they are both created for each other. They are to help, support, and cleave to one another through their life and Islamic religion. Some Muslim men have taken the Quran and made it to be a falsity to their perception and added to it. This addition has caused many Muslim women to be disrespected and abused. Many Islamic religions are filled with much domestic violence. Take Bibi Aisha’s case, her husband was part of the Taliban and she never had a chance to see him. During his time away, her in-laws beat her, tortured her, and made her sleep with the livestock. The abuse became too much, so Bibi ran away, but her father returned her back to her in-laws. Due to her disappearance, her husband returned and he proceeded to torture her in front of the community by removing her ear and nose. She was left in the desert to bleed to death. She ran to her uncle’s house and he turned her away, but her father-in-law took her to the Americans (military) where they tended to her wounds and protected her. You can find her picture on my blog for this class. When I see her, I see a woman of strength and perseverance. It’s said to say, but this incident which brought her much pain, seems to have blessed her. It is because of the mutilation of her face that she is free and in a better place. It is well known within the Islamic culture that domestic abuse is hardly unique. Many Muslim women deal with this atrocity daily, due to the thoughts of Muslim men. Most Muslim males believe that Muslim women are slaves or property. Most husbands believe its right to beat their wives and treat her with disdain. An often-quoted verse in the Quran says a husband may chastise a disobedient wife, but this is open to several interpretations. What is the definition of protection and love? Protection is to cover or shield from exposure, injury, damage, or destruction and love is a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. I can’t say that I see these actions practiced within the Muslim culture. If anything, Muslim women are caused to feel scared, unsafe, unprotected, and abused. The most common form of abuse is emotional and mental abuse. This can include verbal threats, intimidation, neglect, extreme jealousy and possessiveness. The worse of the two is the mental abuse which causes severe psychological harm. It destroys her self-esteem, self-worth, and causes many to have nervous breakdowns and become suicidal. Some of the factors that make Muslim men abusive Muslim women are: 1. Economic hardship, political oppression experienced outside the U.S., problems with the children, or an inferiority complex. 2. Some Muslim men accept the idea that its normal for a man to hit his wife and that she is no more than a piece of his property. 3. It’s generational; habits are picked up after watching their own fathers abuse their mothers. 4. Some abuse their wives because they want them to be more modern and less Islamic. SO they have their wives remove their hijab (Islamic dress), while others turn to abuse in order to keep their wives traditional; which is the exact opposite of the former. In a marriage, the Quran is very clear on procedures in discipline for Islamic wives. First, there’s peaceful discussion between the two about the problem and resolutions. If this doesn’t work, the next step is for the husband to be more stern and focused. If the disobedience persists from the wife, the husband will leave the bed which is a form of punishment for not only the wife, but also the husband. If that doesn’t work, then other family members will become involved and try to help in resolving the issues and being fair to both parties. This is not totally true because the Muslim religion is male dominated and gender-controlled. The males within the family will be the first and last to define choices of resolution. Remember, Muslim women really don’t have rights. Whether it’s within their family, job, mosque, or society. There is no balance when it comes to gender or to resolving life’s issues in the Muslim culture. During this whole process, Muslim women keep quiet due to feelings of depression and hopelessness. They began to feel like no one will help them and they are constantly aware of their co-dependence to their husbands. Financial independence is something that is always in the forefront of their minds, but it’s always tainted by the images of control in the Muslim culture. So, they make a decision to stay in bondage to keep their homes, children, and the love of their husbands; the latter is questionable. Some Muslim women see the abuse as a fact of life and learn to live with it. So, what does the abuse and control have to do with Women’s Studies? Well, throughout the class we focused on many different types of situations that involved women; whether good or bad. The control and abuse that is present in the Muslim culture reminds of gender prejudice and gender discrimination. Both are one in the same, but speak of different influences. Gender prejudice is a belief that women are the weaker of the sexes emotionally and physically and must be protected from the world outside. I know that males are expected to be the providers and to dominate the decision making in the home, but there sh ould still be some form of balance. Balance is needed in everything; whether it’s life, work, or play. We all need to have a sense of structure or rules, but there must be a state of adjustment. In reviewing gender discrimination, you will find prejudicial treatment based upon groups or individuals due to their gender or sex; there is no protection factor involved. Gender discrimination can affect both men and women, but women are usually at the receiving end, since most cultures in the world are patriarchal and male-dominated. This isn’t a far cry for religions because mostly all religions are male-dominated. You will find women aren’t seen as being equal to men within the scope of religion. It is partly due to how man has interpreted their religious readings or scriptures, and twisted it to be a form of evil and disdain. Yes, there are places within scripture that speak of women being unclean due to their monthly or being untouchable after childbirth. But is it because the woman is evil, or is it a form of protection for her and anyone that she may come into contact with? All in all, I see the Islamic religion as being so gender biased that it causes me to become angered. This religion seems to prevent Muslim women from nurturing their true identity and blossoming into women of self-worth and self-esteem. Hiding one’s face can make a person feel unworthy and disconnected. It’s a joy to feel positive about yourself and who you are. Being able to feel good about your looks and your body can be very uplifting to the psyche and soul. What puts a damper on that? Having a father, brother, husband, or any male to make you feel that your very essence is despicable and dirty. Hopefully, in the 21st century, things will change and get better. Until then, it’s up to us to become more aware of the many differences of cultures and religions. These differences could cause or society to become cold, unloving, and aloof. I don’t believe our world should be this way. If anything, love should prevail and the worship of a power stronger than you should cause you to love everyone even the more. Bibliography Roald, Anne S. (2001). Women in Islam: The Western Experience. Routledge. Suad Joseph, Afsaneh Najmabadi, ed. Encyclopedia of Women Islamic Cultures. Brill Academic Publishers. Women and Violence. Welcome to the United Nations: Its Your World. United Nations Department of Public Information, Feb. 1996. Web. 07 Dec. 2011 American Muslim Women Unveil, and Explain Why: NPR. NPR: National Public Radio. 19 Oct. 2011. Muslim Clerics on the Religious Rulings Regarding Wife-Beating. Jihad Watch. 15 Nov. 2011.

Human Resource Development and Training Strategies

Human Resource Development and Training Strategies In the early 1980s, the field of personnel management shifted its function from handling staffing and related administrative activities to the development of people as a resource of the organization (Sims, R. 2006). Thus, here comes the field of Human Resource Development (HRD). The term HRD started out first simply as training, then involved into training and developmentà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã‹â€ TDà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °, and finally into HRD. Therefore, some confusion arise relating to the difference between Human Resource Development and training and development. In order to differentiate HRD and TD, the author illustrates this essay by clarifying the definition of HRD and TD, their respective main purpose, and the strategies of each term. Definition of HRD Because of the evolving nature of HRD, defining HRD is difficult. The first definition of HRD offered by Harbison and Myers related HRD to broad contexts, including economy, political, social and culture contexts, rather than just individuals and organizations. They defined HRD as a process to increase the knowledge, skills and capacities of all the people in a society: In economic terms, it could be described as the accumulation of human capital and its effective investment in the development of an economy. In political terms, HRD prepares people for adult participation in the political process, particularly as citizens in a democracy. From the social and cultural points of view, the development of human resources helps people lead fuller and richer lives, less bound to tradition.(Harbison and Myers, 1964) HRD was also referred as a learning experience provided by employees, leading to the improvement of their performance and/all personal growth (Nadler and Nadler, 1989). A recent definition from Swanson (2009) explained the term HRD as a process of developing and unleashing expertise which aimed at improving organizational system, work process, team, and individual performance. Definition of TD Generally speaking, training and development is defined as a field concerned with organizational activity whose objective is to improve the performance of individuals and groups in organizational context. To be specific, writers of some literatures have divided the term TD into two independent parts: training and development. Separated definition for each word is created, which makes the definition of training and development quite straightforward. Training was defined as a planned and systematic process to modify or develop attitude, knowledge or skills through learning experiences, to achieve effective performance in an activity or range of activities. (Garavan et al.,1995; Harrison, 1993; Reid et al. 1994) . A separate definition of development was that the growth or realization of a persons ability through conscious or unconscious learning, which usually includes elements of planned study and experience supported by coaching and counseling (Wilson, 1999). Similarities can be seen from these definitions that both HRD and TD provide human resource with learning to improve performance. However, their emphasises are different according to the definitions. TD focuses more on the improvement of individual performance, whereas HRD is a business approach which plays a crucial role in the improvement of whole organizational. II. Main Purpose of HRD and TD Main purpose of HRD The key functions of HRD are individual development, organizational development, career development and performance improvement. Actually, the main purpose of HRD is under debate of researchers and practitioners. Should it focus on increasing the performance requirements of its organizations and enhancing the productivity of the workforce or on developing the individual competency and skills? When practiced in productive organizations, HRD should contribute directly to the organizations goal. As a result, performance improvement becomes the main purpose of HRD. There are many aspects that HRD could improve performance: individual, process, as well as organizational levels. For instance, performance is impeded when the goal of an organization do not fit various internal and external realities (culture, for example). HRD could solve this problem by formulating a goal that fit in the organizational culture while a culture change process being implemented in order to support the goal of the organization. Main purpose of TD In many literatures, the purpose of TD concentrates on individual development. There is need to train and retrain the employees on continuous basis. TD has the goal of influencing basic values and beliefs of individual. Meanwhile, there are also technical and management TD programmes related to systems and procedures appeal to the inherent logic, and the planning methods and people skills appeal to the strategies of succeed. The relationship (or difference) of HRD and TD (and other HRD functions) could be illustrated by figure1: Figure1 (Haslinda, 2009) Although the main purpose of TD is individual development, which is one of the four key functions of HRD, we can not say that TD is a subset of HRD. HRD and TD are discrete entities. HRD is the integrated use of TD, organizational development, career development and performance development to improve individual, group, and organizational effectiveness. III. Strategies of HRD and TD 1. Strategies of HRD To contribute to the goals and missions of the organization, efforts of making HRD strategies must take place. First, there should be a clear overview of the relationship between the organizations missions, strategic agenda, and competitive environment. Followed by an assessment of the current capacity of workforce, special needs are identified. An evaluation system needs to be built in order to examine if the target competencies indeed enhance the actualization of organizational goals. Finally, the organization needs senior leadership and a culture that support lifelong learning of the work role of each employee. 2. Strategies of TD Training and development in an organization also requires a mechanism that establishes the competencies required by an organization to achieve success. Therefore, the strategy of TD includes 1) identifying the employees training needs, 2) finding out the HR strategic plan, 3) establishing personal developing plans and 4) evaluating the TD outcomes by assessment. The process could be revised over and over again. The strategies of HRD and TD have several points in common. However, those tiny distinctions make HRD a more strategically orientated organizational process. Conclusion In spite of the existence of some similarities, HRD and TD are differentiated in their definitions, purposes, as well as in strategies. HRD has roles that extend far beyond training and development (Stead and Lee, 1996). It is an extension (or evolvement) of TD and is associated with an organizations overall business success and employees TD process.

Ellis Island :: essays research papers

ELLIS ISLAND Ellis Island has a long history, was needed, and was the "Gateway to America" from 1892 until it closed in 1954, when it began its slow decay. The island was called Gull Island by the Indians and Oyster Island by the Dutch. Later the English erected a gibbet or gallows on the island for hanging criminals and so the island became known as Gibbet Island. The Indians sold it to the Dutch East India Company for trinkets. The company later sold it to Mynheer Paauw who also bought land along the New Jersey coastline. Samuel Ellis, a colonial merchant bought the island and it became at last Ellis Island. After the Revolution, the island was sold to New York State and in 1811, Fort Gibson was built on it in preparation for the War of 1812. No fighting took place at Fort Gibson it was mainly a munitions storage fort. When immigrants began, pouring into New York City, New York State processed them at an old fort known as Castle Clinton on the Battery at the tip of Manhattan. When that facility became too small for the large number of immigrants arriving in the country, they chose Ellis Island as the new immigration center. After erecting new wooden buildings, it opened in 1892 but those buildings burned in 1897. New buildings were erected in 1900 and it reopened. Eventually the control of immigration was turned over to the Federal government. Ellis Island was the principal federal immigration station the â€Å"Gateway to America† in the United States from 1892 to 1954. More than 12 million immigrants were processed here. Over time, the immigration station spread over 3 connected islands with numerous structures including a hospital and contagious disease wards. It is estimated that over 40 percent of all citizens can trace their ancestry to those who came through Ellis Island. In its early years, when the greatest number of immigrants entered the country, Ellis Island mirrored the nation's generous attitude and open door policy. After passage of immigration laws in the 1920s, it was used more for "assembly, detainment, and deporting aliens," and symbolized a closing door. Immigrants were required to pass a series of medical and legal inspections before they could enter America.

The Civil War Essay -- American History

The Civil War When the Land Commission turned down Naglee and Pico’s application in 1852, Henry Naglee looked to another Mexican-American War veteran for help. Henry Wager Halleck (1815–1872) had graduated from West Point in 1839. During the conflict, the Army assigned Lieutenant Halleck to duty in California. Halleck spent several months building fortifications in Alta California before he saw action at Mazatlà ¡n. After the war, he returned to California to serve as aide-de-camp to General Bennett C. Riley (1787–1853), the last military governor-general of occupied California. Riley, needing a military secretary of state, appointed Halleck. The station allowed Halleck to be the governor’s representative to the 1849 constitutional convention at Monterey. Halleck became the document’s principal author. Because of his political accomplishments, Halleck was soon practicing law in addition to fulfilling his military duties. His law firm at San Francisco, HALLECK, PEACHY & BILLINGS, would eventually successfully represent most of California’s land grant holders, including Pico and Naglee, in their cases before the Federal Court. Captain Halleck success as a lawyer prompted him to resign his Army commission in 1854. Halleck had a profound interest in early California history. While still at Monterey, he began to gather Spanish-era documents, both originals and transcripts, which eventually numbered several thousand pages. His representation of the land grant holders brought many Mexican-era documents into his possession. While his â€Å"looting† of the provincial archives was possibly illegal, his collecting was fortunate for modern historians. In 1858, the Federal Archives Commission deposited the provincial archives’ remaining contents i... ...yt—lists Miss Ringgold as George’s daughter. Miss Ringgold’s birth date is also uncertain. Several sources say she was born in 1840. The index to the Naglee family papers at Bancroft Library place her birth about 1846. The 1860 Census shows Miss Ringgold—listed as living in George Ringgold’s San Francisco household—as eighteen, placing her birth in 1842. The identity of Miss Ringgold’s mother is also uncertain. George Ringgold’s wife, as shown by the 1860 Census, was Mary Condy Ringgold (1829–1892). Too young to be Miss Ringgold’s mother, she met and married George Ringgold while he was stationed in Charleston after 1850. Miss Ringgold was, most likely, the product of an earlier marriage. George Ringgold left the Army in 1837 to try his hand at other endeavors. Possibly bereaved, he returned to Washington City from Illinois in 1842 and rejoined the Army in 1846.

Causes of the Great Depression :: American History Economics Economy Essays

Causes of the Great Depression The Great Depression was the worst economic slump ever in U.S. history, and one which spread to virtually the entire industrialized world. The depression began in late 1929 and lasted for about a decade. Many factors played a role in bringing about the depression. The main cause for the Great Depression was the combination of the greatly unequal distribution of wealth throughout the 1920's, and the extensive stock market speculation that took place during the latter part that same decade. The misdistribution of wealth in the 1920's existed on many levels. Money was distributed disparately between the rich and the middle-class, between industry and agriculture within the United States, and between the U.S. and Europe. This imbalance of wealth created an unstable economy. The excessive speculation in the late 1920's kept the stock market artificially high, but eventually lead to large market crashes. These market crashes, combined with the misdistribution of wealth, caused the American economy to capsize. The "roaring twenties" was an era when our country prospered tremendously. The nation's total income rose from $74.3 billion in 1923 to $89 billion in 1929(end note 1). However, the rewards of the "Coolidge Prosperity" of the 1920's were not shared evenly among all Americans. According to a study done by the Brookings Institute, in 1929 the top 0.1% of Americans had a combined income equal to the bottom 42% (end note 2). That same top 0.1% of Americans in 1929 controlled 34% of all savings, while 80% of Americans had no savings at all (end note 3). Automotive industry mogul Henry Ford provides a striking example of the unequal distribution of wealth between the rich and the middle-class. Henry Ford reported a personal income of $14 million (end note 4) in the same year that the average personal income was $750(end note 5). By present day standards, where the average yearly income in the U.S. is around $18,500(end note 6), Mr. Ford would be earning over $345 million a year! This misdi stribution of income between the rich and the middle class grew throughout the 1920's. While the disposable income per capita rose 9% from 1920 to 1929, those with income within the top 1% enjoyed a stupendous 75% increase in per capita disposable income(end note 7). A major reason for this large and growing gap between the rich and the working-class people was the increased manufacturing output throughout this period.

Airasia Essay

Introduction AirAsia originally was founded by government and on 2 December 2001 was bought byTonyFernandes. AirAsia was established in year 1993. AirAsia has travel around the earthandascend to become the world’s best in year 2001. AirAsia continues to spread out the way for low-cost aviation through the innovation, efficient and passionate approach to businesswith a route a network that extent through over 20 countries. There are some companieswhich link withAirAsia such as AirAsia X, Thai AirAsia, Philippines’ AirAsia Inc., AirAsiaJapan and Indonesia. In addition, for the vision part in AirAsia, AirAsia aims to be the largest low cost airlinein Asia and serving the 3 billion people who are currently underserved with poor connectivity and high fares. While for the mission of AirAsia, AirAsia wants to be the best airlinecompany to work whereby employees are treated as part of the big family. Besides, AirAsiatry to maintain the lowest cost hence everyone can fly with AirAsia. Highes t quality product,embracing technology to lower the cost and improvement in service levels will be maintained by the AirAsia airline also. Lastly, create a globally recognized ASEAN brand will be the mission part of AirAsia In the values part, AirAsia will implement through the following key strategies which are: Safety Low fare, no frills Lean distribution system Point to point network High aircraft utilization Streamline operation The loyalty programmed of AirAsia will be â€Å"BIG†. BIG was known as the kind global programmed where can earn BIG Points to redeem â€Å"free airline flight†. Members can enjoythe preference booking, special offers and discount as an AirAsia BIG dedication member interm and condition apply. (AirAsia, 2013). a) Name Air Asia Malaysia Branch Alor Star Lot 20, Lapangan Terbang Sultan Abdul Halim 06200 Kepala Batas, Alor Star, Kedah Bintulu Lot GL.14, Public Concourse, Terminal Building Bintulu Airport 97000 Bintulu, Sarawak Kuala Lumpur LCC Terminal, Jalan KLIA S3, Southern Support Zone Kuala Lumpur International Airport 64000 Sepang, Selangor Darul Ehsan Kota Bharu Ground Floor, Lapangan Terbang Sultan Ismail Petra 16100 Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu, Kelantan Darul Naim Kota Kinabalu Ground Floor, Terminal 2, Kota Kinabalu International Airport Old Airport Road, Tanjung Aru 88100 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Kuching Ground Floor, Kuching International Airport 93756 Kuching, Sarawak Kuala Terengganu Lot No. 15 & 17, Terminal Building , Sultan Mahmud Airport 21300 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu Labuan Level 1, Labuan Airport Terminal 87008 Wilayah Persekutuan, Labuan Langkawi Langkawi International Airport 07100 Padang Mat Sirat, Langkawi Miri 1st Floor, Miri Airport 98000 Miri, Sarawak Penang Lot 3, Departure Concourse, Penang International Airport 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang Sandakan Lot 1 & 2, 1st Floor, Terminal Building, Sandakan Airport 90719 Sandakan, Sabah Sibu 1st Floor, Main Terminal Building, Sibu Airport 96000 Sibu, Sarawak Tawau FL 4, 1st Floor, Tawau Airport Building, Jalan Apas-Balung 91100 Tawau, Sabah Senai GL 13 Sultan Ismail Airport 81250 Johor Bahru, Johor Contact +603 8775 4000 600 85 8888 (AirAsia X Premium Line) Founder Background TONY FERNANDES Group Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes has a personal credo – â€Å"Believe the unbelievable. Dream the impossible. Never take no for an answer.† He studied at Epsom College, UK, and the London School of Economics and qualified as an Associate Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in 1991. He became a Fellow Member in 1996. He was admitted as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) in 2008. Tony has been the Group CEO of AirAsia since December 2001. Prior to AirAsia, he was the Financial Controller of Virgin Communications London before joining Warner Music International London in 1989. He was promoted to Managing Director, Warner Music Malaysia in 1992 and to Regional Managing Director, Warner Music South East Asia in 1996. In 1999, he became the Vice President of Warner Music South East Asia. Tony’s many awards include: Honor of the Commander of the Order of the British Empire, conferred by Her Majesty Queen El izabeth II in 2011 for services to promote commercial and educational links between the UK and Malaysia. In 2010, the French government had conferred on him the award of Officer of the Legion d’Honneur, the highest award that can be conferred on a non-French national. He was named as one of the world’s 100 most creative people in business for 2011 by New York-based business magazine Fast Company, and awarded the Inaugural ‘Travel Business Leaders Award’ winner by CNBC. Dato’ Kamarudin Meranun Dato’ Kamarudin is the co-founder of Tune Group. He is also the Deputy Group Chief Executive Director of AirAsia since December 2001. Prior to joining Tune Group and AirAsia, Dato’ Kamarudin worked in Arab-Malaysian Merchant Bank from 1988 to 1993 as a Portfolio Manager, managing both institutional and high net-worth individual clients’ investment funds. In 1994, he was appointed Executive Director of Innosabah Capital Management Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Innosabah Securities Sdn Bhd. He subsequently acquired the shares of its joint venture partner of Innosabah Capital Management Sdn Bhd, which was later renamed Intrinsic Capital Management Sdn Bhd. Dato’ Kamarudin received a Diploma in Actuarial Science from University Technology MARA (UiTM) and was named the â€Å"Best Actuarial Student† by the Life Insurance Institute of Malaysia in 1983. He received a B.Sc. degree with Distinction (Magna Cum Laude) majoring in Finance in 1986, and an MBA in 1987 from Central Michigan University. History AirAsia was established in 1994 and began operations on 18 November 1996. It was originally founded by a government-owned conglomerate, DRB-Hicom. On 2 December 2001, the heavily-indebted airline was bought by former Time Warner executive Tony Fernandes’ company Tune Air Sdn Bhd for the token sum of one ringgit (about USD 0.26 at the time) with USD 11 million (MYR 40 million) worth of debts. Fernandes turned the company around, producing a profit in 2002 and launching new routes from its hub in Kuala Lumpur, undercutting former monopoly operator Malaysia Airlines with promotional fares as low as MYR 1 (US$0.27). In 2003, AirAsia opened a second hub at Senai International Airport in Johor Bahru near Singapore and launched its first international flight to Bangkok. AirAsia has since started a Thai subsidiary, added Singapore itself to the destination list, and started flights to Indonesia. Flights to Macau began in June 2004, and flights to mainland China (Xiamen) and the Philip pines (Manila) in April 2005. Flights to Vietnam and Cambodia followed later in 2005 and to Brunei and Myanmar in 2006, the latter by Thai AirAsia. In August 2006, AirAsia took over Malaysia Airlines’s Rural Air Service routes in Sabah and Sarawak, operating under the FlyAsianXpress brand. The routes were subsequently returned to MASwings a year later, citing commercial reasons. At the end of 2006, Fernandes unveiled a  five-year plan to further enhance AirAsia’s presence in Asia. Under the plan, AirAsia proposed strengthening and enhancing its route network by connecting all of its the existing destinations throughout the region and expanding further into Vietnam, Indonesia, Southern China (Kunming, Xiamen, Shenzhen) and India. Through its sister companies, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia, the plan called for a focus on developing its hub in Bangkok and Jakarta. With increased frequency and the addition of new routes, AirAsia increased passenger volume to 13.9 million in its 2007 fiscal year. On 27 September 2008, the company announced 106 new routes to be added to its then-current list of 60. The number of old routes discontinued has not been publicly disclosed. In August 2011, AirAsia agreed to form an alliance with Malaysia Airlines by means of a share swap. The alliance was struck down by the Malaysian government, in effect voiding the agree ment of both airlines. By early 2013, AirAsia saw a steep increase in its profitability. The year-over-year comparison had shown a 168% increase in profits versus the same period in 2012. For the quarter ending 31 December 2012, the airline’s net profit stood at 350.65 million ringgit (US$114.08 million). Despite a 1% rise in the average fuel price, the airline recorded profits of 1.88 billion ringgit for its full 2012 fiscal year. In February 2013, AirAsia submitted an application to the Indian Foreign Investment Promotion Board, through its investment arm, AirAsia Investment Limited, to seek approval for commencing its operations in India. AirAsia asked to take a 49% stake in the Indian sister airline, which was the maximum allowed by the Indian government at that time. Initially, AirAsia committed to invest up to US$50 million in the new airline. Operations would begin in Chennai, expanding its network throughout South India, where AirAsia already operates flights Growth 1946: Air Asia as an airline of cargo transportation in Mainland China for the China National Relief and Rehabilitation Administration which was commonly known as CNRRA. 1946~1954: the company was reorganized into â€Å"Civil Air Transport† and â€Å"Air Asia Company Limited which were both subsidiaries of Air America. 1955: Air Asia established in Taiwan and was the first MRO in Asia to obtain FAA License. 1987: Air Asia’s shares of  stock transferred by Mr. Bill Monkman, a major stockholder of Precision Air motive – a U.S. corporation specializing in various engines and components work in the aviation industry. 1994: Taiwan Aerospace Corporation (TAC) acquired Air Asia and made it a subsidiary. Air Asia has been accumulating ample maintenance experiences and achieved the great honor from many customers globally for its outstanding maintenance performance. 1996: Air Asia established the Vertical Flight Center which was the only one helicopter maintenance faci lity in Asia that obtained the authorization from Bell Helicopter. Air Asia also celebrated the 50th Anniversary of its founding. 1998: Air Asia went public on the IPO (initial public offering) list. 2000: Air Asia carried out various expansion plans, upgraded facilities and established additional capabilities. Air Asia was also the first Taiwan aviation company to acquire the ISO 9001 International Quality Standard Organization Certifications.Air Asia proactively engaged in the MRO projects of Boeing B737 commercial aircraft. 2001: Air Asia constructed the New Wide Body Aircraft Maintenance Hangar. 2002: Air Asia acquired several OEM’s Authorized Distributor Certifications including Boeing, Bell, Hawker Beechcraft, Rolls-Royce, MD Helicopters, Honeywell, BF Goodrich, Sikorsky, Allison and Raytheon. 2007: Air Asia obtained the repair station certification from Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB). Air Asia signed the long-term agreement with Japan Airlines to provide heavy maintenance services for MD-80 Fleet. 2009: Air Asia obtained the repair station certification from Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). 2010: Air Asia signed the long-term heavy maintenance contract with Japan Transocean Air Co., Ltd. (JTA). 2012: Air Asia signed a 6-year fleet heavy maintenance contract & line operation service contract with T’way Airlines. Air Asia signed the long-term agreement with Avanti Aviation Corporation to provide maintenance services for CESSNA 208B Fleet. b)Objective Firstly, to provide full-fledged training and development to AirAsia pilots, aircraft engineers, cabin crew and guest services staff. Secondly, to develop the academy as aviation training ground towards fulfilling AirAsia’s aspiration in becoming a regional aviation training hub. Lastly, to serves as a platform to keep AirAsia All Stars on track with the latest industry  developments and to incorporate best practices into their operations. Aim To be the world’s best low cost airline in the world on a consistent basis. Vision To be the largest low cost airline in Asia and serving the 3 billion people who are currently underserved with poor connectivity and high fares Mission To be the best company to work for whereby employees are treated as part of a big family Create a globally recognized ASEAN brand To attain the lowest cost so that everyone can fly with AirAsia Maintain the highest quality product, embracing technology to reduce cost and enhance service levels Values Safety: Adopting a zero tolerance to unsafe practices and strives for zero accidents through proper training, work practices, risk management and adherence to safety regulations at all times. Valuing our People: Committing to our people’s development and well-being and treating them with respect, dignity and fairness. Customer Focused: We care and treat everyone in the same manner that we want to be treated Integrity: Practicing highest standards of ethical behaviour and demonstrate honesty in all our lines of work in order to command trust and mutual respect. Excellence in Performance: Setting goals beyond the best and reinforcing high quality performance standards and achieving excellence through implementing best practices. c) Organizational Structure d) Past/present projects i) Past projects that are being done by AirAsia group under AirAsiaRedTix, their entertainment based subsidiary. Most of the projects held are concerts and festivals that focus on attracting youth, especially their staff who are known as AirAsiaAllstars. These are some of the events/projects held by AirAsia Entertainment: Future Music Festival Asia AirAsiaBloggers’ Community Annual Party AirAsia Annual Party ii) The owner of AirAsia, Tony Fernandes also took part in 2 high profile projects that involved his AirAsia brand such as the F1 Lotus (now known as Caterham) team and the football team, Queens Park Rangers. AirAsia are well known as the main sponsor for each team. Tony Fernandes’s aim is to reach out to different set of group other than travelling junkies and frequent fliers. The Formula One project Queens Park Rangers Past awards/achievements Year 2013 ï‚ · World’s Leading Low Cost Airline by World Travel Awards 2013 ï‚ · World’s Best Low Cost Airline by Skytrax Year 2012 ï‚ · World’s Best Low Cost Airline by Skytrax ï‚ · 2012 ATW Value Airline of the Year Year 2011 ï‚ · Best Asian Low-Cost Carrier By TTG Travel Awards 2011 ï‚ · World’s Best Low Cost Airline ï‚ · Best Low Cost Airline – Asia by Skytrax ï‚ · Best Company for Investor Relations – Mid Cap ï‚ · Best Investor Relations Website – Mid Cap by Malaysian Investor Relations Association’s (MIRA) ï‚ · Asia’s Best Low Cost Cargo Carrier Award by Aviation Awards Asia 2011 ï‚ · Fastest Growing Foreign Airline for Cargo by Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport ï‚ · 2010 Asiamoney’s Best Managed Company Award Year 2010 ï‚ ·Masterclass Global CEO of the Year awarded to YBhg. Dato’ Tony Fernandes ï‚ · World’s Best Low Cost Airline by Skytrax ï‚ ·AirAsia voted the Air Cargo Industry Newcomer Award at the ACW World Air Cargo Awards 2010 by Air Cargo Week Year 2009 ï‚ · Airline Of The Year by Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) ï‚ · Tony received the 2009 Frost & Sullivan Excellence in Leadership Award by Frost & Sullivan ï‚ · Best Asian Low-Cost Carrier by TTG Travel Awards 2009 ï‚ · World’s Best Low Cost Airline by Skytrax Year 2008 ï‚ · The Laureate Award for Best Commercial Airport Transport from Aviation Week ï‚ · Tony awarded the Malaysia Brand Icon Award from Deputy Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri NajibTunRazak at the Global Brand Forum Malaysia ï‚ ·AirAsia – Malaysia’s 30 Most Valuable Brands 2008 By Malaysia’s Most Valuable Brands (MMVB) ï‚ · PIKOM ICT Organisation Excellence Award 2008 By Association of the computer and multimedia industry (PIKOM) ï‚ ·AirAsia X – Best New Airline Of The Year By Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) ï‚ · Best Asian Low-Cost Carrier by TTG Travel Awards 2008 ï‚ · Top CEO brand & 3rd Best Corporate Brand in Malaysia by Pulse Group Survey ï‚ · World’s Best New Airline (AirAsia X) by Budgie World Low Cost Airline Awards 2008 ï‚ · Friends Of Thailand Award 2008 by Tourism Authority of Thailand ï‚ · Asia Pacific’s Top 1000 Brands 2008 Survey (AirAsia- Top 5 Airline) by Taylor Nelson Sofres ï‚ · Asia’s Best Budget Airline under Best In Travel Poll 2008 by SmartTravelAsia.com ï‚ ·AirAsia wins Airline Strategy Award in the Finance Category by Airline Business ï‚ ·AirAsia recognized as one of the 50 Most Innovative Companies In The World by FastCompany.com ï‚ · Airline Market Penetration Leadership of the Year by Frost & Sullivan ï‚ · Rising Leaders – The Next 10 Years by Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) in collaboration with AXN Asia ï‚ · Commendations of Prestige Award for outstanding contribution in Macau by Macau Special Administrative Region Year 2007 ï‚ · Airline Of The Year 2007 by Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) ï‚ · Asia’s Best Budget Airline under Best In Travel Poll 2007 by SmartTravelAsia.com ï‚ · Airline Human Capital Development Strategy Award by Frost & Sullivan ï‚ · Asia’s Best Emerging Companies with regards to Corporate Governance by The Asset ï‚ · Best Low Cost Airline in Asia by Skytrax ï‚ · The Brand Laureate 2006-07 for brand excellence in the Airlines-Low Cost Carrier Category Year 2006 ï‚ · Malaysia’s Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 awarded to YBhg. Dato’ Tony Fernandes ï‚ · Low Cost Airline of the Year in KLIA Awards 2006 by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad ï‚ · Merit Award for CAPA Airline of the Year 2006 by Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) ï‚ · Asia’s Best Budget Airline under Best In Travel 2006 by SmartTravelAsia.com ï‚ · Best Managed Company, Best Corporate Governance, Best Investor Relations, and Most Committed to Strong Dividend Policy under The Annual Investor Poll by FinanceAsia.com Year 2005 ï‚ · The CAPA Aviation Executive of the Year 2005 awarded to YBhg. Dato’ Tony Fernandes ï‚ · Regional/ Low Cost Leadership Award in Airline Business Startegy Awards 2005 by Airline Business – awarded to YBhg. Dato’ Tony Fernandes ï‚ · Airline Market Leadership Award by Air Transport World (ATW) ï‚ · Transport Company of Excellence Award by Ports World Sdn. Bhd ï‚ · Asia’s Top 200 â€Å"Best Under A Billion† Companies by Forbes Asia ï‚ · RHB AirAsia Credit Card by Superbrands ï‚ · Best Chip Program for MasterCard Marketing Leadership Award 2005 by MasterCard Year 2004 ï‚ · Asia Pacific Low Cost Airline of the Year 2004 by Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) ï‚ · Asia Pacific Aviation Executive of the Year 2004 awarded to Tony Fernandes, Group CEO by Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) ï‚ · Asia Pacific Low Cost Advertising Award for Best Asia Pacific / Middle East Low Cost Airline Print Advertisement 2004 by Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) ï‚ · Asia’s Best Managed Company in the Airlines and Aviation Sector by Euromoney ï‚ · Best Newly Listed Company (3rd place) by Euromoney ï‚ · Triple A Regional Award for Best Airline IPO for 2004 by The Asset Magazine ï‚ · Best IPO of the Year by The Edge Singapore ï‚ · 25 Stars of Asia honoree listing (Tony Fernandes) by Business Week ï‚ · Best Uniform’ for Miss Airlines International Contest 2004 5th China Air Show, Zhuhai ï‚ · Market Leadership Award, 2005 Airline Achievement Awards by Air Transport World Magazine Year 2003 ï‚ · Developing Airline of the Year 2003 by Airfinance Journal ï‚ · CEO of the Year (Tony Fernandes) by Business Times and American Express ï‚ · CIO Top 100 Honoree for excellence in strategic IT deployment ï‚ · Obtained Malaysian Superbrands status by Superbrands International e) SWOT Analysis for AirAsia Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Analysis for AirAsia Strengths Air Asia has a very strong management team with strong links with governments and airline industry leaders. This is partly contributed by the diverse background of the executive management teams which consists of industry experts and ex-top government officials. For example, Shin Corp (formerly owned by the family of former Thai Prime Minister – Thaksin Shinawatra) holds a 50% stake in Thai AirAsia. This has helped AirAsia to open up and capture a sizeable market in Thailand. With their strong working relationship with Airbus, they managed to get big discount for aircraft purchase which is also more fuel efficient compared to Boeing 737 planes which is being used by many other airlines The management team is also very good in strategy formulation and execution. The strategy that they have formulated at the beginnings was a clever blend of proven strategies by other low cost airlines is US and Europe. They are Ryanair’s operational strategy (no frills, landing in seconda ry airport), Southwest’s people strategy (employee comes first) and Easyjet’s branding strategy (linking with other service providers like hotels, car rental). AirAsia’s brand name is well established in Asia Pacific. Besides the normal print media advertising & promotions, AirAsia’s top management also capitalized on promotions through news by being very â€Å"media friendly† and freely sharing the latest information on Air Asia as well as the airline industry. Their partnership with other service providers such as hotels and hostels, car rental firms, hospitals (medical tourism), Citibank (AirAsia Citibank card) has created a very unique image among travelers. Alliance with Galileo GDS (Global Distribution System) that enables travel agents from around the  world to check flight details and make bookings have also contributed to their string brand name. Air Asia’s local presence in few countries such as Indonesia (Indonesia AirAsia) and Thailand (Thai AirAsia) have successfully â€Å"elevated† the brand to become a regional brand beyond just Malaysia. The links with Manchester United (one of the world’s most famous football teams) and AT&T Williams Formula On e team have further boosted their image to a greater extend beyond just the this region AirAsia is the low cost leader in Asia. With the help of AirAsia Academy, AirAsia has successfully created a â€Å"low-cost airline mentality† among their workforce. The workforce is very flexible and high committed and very critical in making AirAsia the lowest cost airline in Asia. The excellent utilization of IT have directly contributed to their promotional activities (email alerts and desktop widget which was jointly developed with Microsoft for new promotions), brand building exercise (with over 3 million hits per month and on the most widely surfed booking engines in the world) as well keep the cost low by enabling direct purchase of tickets by consumer thus saving on airline agent fees Weaknesses Air Asia does not have its own maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility. It may be a good strategy when they first started with only Malaysia as the hub and few planes to maintain. But now, with few hubs (Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia) and over 100 planes currently owned and about another 100 planes to be received in the next few years, AirAsia have to ensure proper and continuous maintenance of the planes which will also help to keep the overall costs low. It is a competitive disadvantage not to have its own MRO facility AirAsia receives a lot complaints from customers on their service. Examples of complaints are around flight delays, being charged for a lot of things and not able to change flight or get a refund if customers could not make it. Good customer service and management is critical especially when competition is getting intense. Opportunities There are 2 major events that are taking place now or going to take place in less than 6 months from now. First, is the ever increasing oil price. Second, is the â€Å"ASEAN Open Skies† agreement that has been reached. The  increasing oil price at the first glance may appear like a threat for AirAsia. But being a low cost leader, AirAsia an upper hand because its cost will be still the lowest among all the regional airlines. Thus, AirAsia has a great opportunity to capture some of the existing customers of full service and other low cost airline’s customers. However, there will be also some reduction in overall travel especially by casual or budget travellers. The â€Å"ASEAN Open Skies† allows unlimited flights among ASEAN’s regional air carriers beginning December 2008. This will definitely increase the competition among the regional airlines. However, with the â€Å"first mover† advantage as well as its strengths in management, strategy formulation, strategy execution, strong brand and â€Å"low-cost† culture among its workforce, this agreement can be seen as more of an opportunity. There is also some opportunity to partner with other low cost airlines as Virgin to tap into their existing strengths or competitive advantages such as brand name, landing rights and landing slots (time to land). The population of Asian middle class will be reaching almost 700 million by 2010. This creates a larger market and a huge opportunity for all low cost airlines in this region including AirAsia. Threats Certain rates like airport departure, security charges and landing charges are beyond the control of airline operators and this is a threat to all airlines especially low cost airlines which tries to keep their cost as low as possible. For example, Changi airport in Singapore charges SGD21 for every person who departs from Singapore. AirAsia’s profit margin is about 30% and this has already attracted many competitors. Most of the full service airlines have or planning to create a low cost subsidiary to compete directly with AirAsia. For example, Singapore Airlines has created a low cost carrier Tiger Airways. f) Conclusion AirAsia will be the best airline company as they provide the cheapest price for tickets and granting everyone the affordability to fly around the world. As travelling via aircraft are becoming the norm these days, especially  during vacation time, the low cost airline are always the target for travellers and thus, aiming to be the best among the rest will prove profitable in the future. To make the company better, AirAsiawas recommended via surveys to provide more choices of foods and drinks in order to reach thesatisfaction of passengers. In addition, AirAsia can certainly benefit fromthe increment of luggage allowance to 20 Kg to the passengers, if the upgrade do took place.Furthermore, a good leadership style can affect the entire company in a good way andmotivate employees to be more creative and innovate. With the motivation and innovation, consumers believe that AirAsia can be untouchable in the low cost airline scene and strive towards becoming the world best airline company . Tony Fernandes innovative and out of the box thinking led him into creating the current best low cost airline in the world. This shows the quality he possesses and the vision he owned. Dethroning AirAsia as the world’s best low cost carrier would be a monumental task for others because of its credibility alone. I hope AirAsia will remain the best in the future and will not be too complacent with their feat. As a last note, hopefully incidents such as the recent MH370 that occurred to MAS can be avoided, especially to a Malaysia-owned airline. Reference Website 1) http://www.slideshare.net/SM3027/air-asia-presentation 2) http://airlines-malaysia.com/tag/history-of-airasia/ 3) https://www.airasiamegastore.com/smart-travel-tips/the-story-of-airasia-aircrafts 4) https://www.inkling.com/read/contemporary-strategy-analysis-grant-7th/case-9/the-history-of-airasia

Environmental Science in Today’s World Essay

Humans so dominate today’s world that there is no ecosystem on earth that has not been influenced to a greater or lesser degree of human activities. And, as long as humans remain on earth, such influence will not end. Sustainability will depend on learning to channel our efforts so that we play a positive supporting role as opposed to a destructive role toward ecosystems (Nebel & Wright, 1993). Environmental risk is a reality of today’s world. The seemingly endless supply of synthetic chemicals, consumer goods, energy, and waste create new risks through chemical contamination, pollution, and environmental degradation. Environmental disasters such as chemical spills or explosions threaten millions of people living in the vicinity of manufacturing or storage facilities. The uncertain risks of global warming and ozone depletion loom ahead. A central factor of environmental risk is that it is usually involuntary. People do not choose to ingest chemical pollutants such as pesticides or industrial solvents in their food and water, to undergo workplace exposures to dangerous chemicals, to breathe polluted air, or to experience radiation exposure from nuclear fallout or faulty nuclear power plants. These environmental risks pose a unique problem to regulators charged with protecting the public health. Limited information may be available on the health effects of these risks. Consequently, in an effort to protect the public’s health, various government agencies study these potential hazards to determine the level of risk they pose. This effort to understand these risks, and to quantify their impact on human health, is the field of risk analysis (Moore, 2002). The scale of human occupation and transformation of the environment is now truly global. The adverse health effects of this ignorance may have been limited, as the environmental damage was on a local scale. However, in today’s world our activities are having an impact at a global scale, and global environmental change will become a major theme in public health research, social policy and development, and political advocacy in the 21st century. The conceptualization of the environment as a global public good for health should go some way not only in increasing an appreciation for this heritage and dependency, but should also enhance the interface between research and policy. This increased awareness and interface between key stakeholders might lead to effective action to ensure a sustainable future for current and future generations (Hester & Harrison, 2002).