Essay --

Over the past decade it has been recorded that the elephant population has dropped by 62%. In 1977, 1.3 million elephants roamed the great plains of Africa. By 1997, only 60 thousand remained and by 2006, there were only 10 thousand wild elephants left in Africa. Unfortunately, these numbers are not getting any better. Today elephant poaching is illegal, but that is not stopping it from happening. Both African and Asian elephants are still being killed for their valuable tusks. The tusks of elephants are created of ivory. This has been an extremely valuable substance for years and killing elephants is one of the few ways people can obtain it. Money drives our world and our economy, so people will do a lot in order to get the money they want. That’s not the only cause of this epidemic, though. Not only do poachers want the elephant’s large tusks, but some hunters also consider elephants as a trophy animal. This means that people are killing elephants so they can bring t hem home and put their heads on display. It’s a way to gloat and illustrate their hunting skills. This pursuit of ivory and trophies by hunters is further damaging our ecosystem as well as the mental and emotional stability of elephants around the world. Research has now been able to help prove that elephants do not only suffer Physical damage from poaching, but they are also suffering from mental and emotional damage. After years of studying these enormous beauties, scientists have discovered that elephants are capable of complex thought and deep feeling of emotions, emotions being plural. Research has proven that elephants’ have a variety of emotions that they express during different times and situations in the wild. They react to events in a way that is so cl... ...a huge accomplishment to take down one of the biggest animals in the world. It illustrates the hunter’s strength, patience, and talent. Most trophy hunters would love to have an elephant to show. Hunts are usually supervised by a game warden. A technician also accompanies the hunters in order to make legal trophies, usually from the tusks and the feet. The meat of the elephants is disrupted among local people in the area. This helps decrease waste from the elephant and helps use more than just the ivory. In some regions of Africa, large game hunts may help to also generate more income to average and below average villages than conventional agriculture. This is usually due to the challenging environment for successful crop growth. Drought has recently been a growing cause of these poor conditions. It is affecting the people, and the animals in this habitat greatly.

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

Leadership Style- Steve Jobs Essay

Steve Jobs was the CEO of the Apple company. His innovation and vision has had a profound effect on the way technology is being used. He was more People orientated than Task orientated in terms of placing himself in the customer’s position and appealing to what they would desire even if they did know it themselves; â€Å"It is not the customer’s job to know what they want†,â€Å"people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.† Mr Jobs was more a Autocratic leader than a collaborative one he was also a transformational leader in some aspects. Autocratic Steve Job’s decisions were made with minimal consultation, and his decisions were made quicker allowing him to respond to changes in the business environment more quickly. The Environmental changes which includes facing their competitors, such as Microsoft. However, because of his â€Å"manipulative† behavior he is considered by some of his employees as authoritative. His behavior and Autocratic style in meetings for instance was described as being rude, and obnoxious. Because of his desire for perfection he had a domineering presence which made some of the employees fear him;he would walk around and ask his employees what they were doing and if they were facing any problems this made his employees feel that Jobs did not only care about the consumers and the products but the employees as well. He wanted to make sure that he was apart of every intricate detail and was involved in every aspect of the company. Transformational As a transformational leader Steve Jobs highly encouraged innovation and creativity among his Apple employees, a key element of intellectual stimulation. He inspired other by- Story telling of his own path helped team members to envision success and possibilities He was always clear about the direction in which the company was heading to. Steve Jobs fought through illness and stayed as long as he could to bring the company as its best. Steve jobs knew how to inspire and attract people with the same vision and the skill set he needed for the team. Steve Jobs took many risks and made many decisions with uncertain outcomes, however most of his decisions have paid off and have had more positive results than negative; the majority becoming achievements. Introducing the mouse and graphical user interface. â€Å"Jobs changed how people interact with personal computers by replacing the text-based command-line interface with a mouse-driven graphical user interface. Instead of typing in commands with a keyboard, users could click on on-screen icons using a mouse controller.† Launching the smartphone revolution. â€Å"When Jobs got Apple into the mobile phone business with the iPhone in 2007, he didn’t just add cellular phone capabilities to an iPod or vice versa, as some expected. He came out with a landmark device that merged an iPod, full Internet browser and mobile phone into a beautiful gadget with a multitouch-screen interface. The iPhone was an instant hit and begat a thousand copycats.† Changing how software applications are distributed. â€Å"He gave developers a way to write and sell mobile programs to consumers online. Its success created a vibrant ecosystem that has boosted demand for Apple’s mobile devices.†

Personal Mastery Plan Essay

A personal mastery plan enables an individual to learn and focus on another career and be able to reflect on the leadership competencies and skills needed in leadership. Personal mastery involves programming individuals mind towards success and achievements. It differentiates best individual and a mere individual. Personal master gives an individual a focus and gives a sense of responsibility of individuals life, rather than moving with the life tide (Seeman & Lien, 2001, p. 614 ). Every individual in this world has an individual and unique life, with varying attitudes and values. Individual values and attitude is developed over time, as an individual grow and develop from birth, through out the development life. After the values are developed, they are continuously shaped by a number of factors, such as experiences in life, education and memories of the past events. As an individual carry out various activities experience is acquired, and as one progresses in education, more and more is learned, changing the individual’s value and attitude. As one develops fro child hood to adult, both good and bad situations and activities are encountered leaving an individual with strong memories (Seeman & Lien, 2001, p. 619). For example when one is born, he or she stays at home and gets the necessary care from the parents. As one grow and reach school age, one leaves the the parent and goes to school, where he or she adjust to school life, as one progresses through learning, his or her education level advances in and changes in learning institutions are made. After schooling, one is employed, and gets promotions as as he progresses at work. With such progress, the memories of the encounters at home, various schools, and at various work position, plays a major roles in shaping individual’s future values and attitudes. Value influences behavior, as it gives an individual the ability to decide between relevant alternatives which is important in living . Value and belief are great determiners of individual personality, and are the basis of how we sees others every individual has a set of values which influences behavior of the individual without the individual intention. Personal values which involves honesty, moral and friendlinesses determines individual’s moral character. The society value enhances relating with others in the society (Seeman & Lien, 2001, p. 616 ) Our tendency to evaluate many issues and aspects. Although attitude can be influenced, it is only individuals who can change their attitudes. Unlike value, individuals attitude can be detected even without individuals consciousness. Attitude develops through past experiences. Social environment is shapes individuals attitude. Personal mastery has been my drive force through out my life. Personally, personal mastery, involve much beyond skills and competence. I consider it to involve creativity through out ones life, and need to be continuously involved. My learning process has always involved creativity. Using memories and experiences, i encountered during my learning process, i have known that every individual need to actively participate in self evaluation, gather appropriate information if one need to be compete in day to day activities. My past experience gives me the ability to gather and integrate information into my personal and professional life. My mission is to create a balanced environment in both southern Afghanistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan, with a purpose to extend the central government’s reach. This foments insurgency among a proto-insurgent people, security interests in this area is unique cultural problem, which does not involve economic, religion or a generic â€Å"tribal† problem. Using emotional intelligence and my strength I intend to encourage the United States and the International community to use anything they can to integrate the tribes and cultures which disintegrated after the invasion of Soviet Union in Afghanistan in 1979. There are two main types of leaders. The authoritative who dictates what they expect to be done giving the conditions, and the participating who gives guideline on what to be done, and in many cases participates. I want to be a participating leader. The knowledge on negative experiences makes many people to have negative attitude towards leaders who trick them or take advantage over them. This knowledge and experiences makes me consider a worth while and a long lasting leadership. As a leader, I require my people credibility. This means that my integrity will create trust in my people to believe what I tell them. I will give guidance to my people on various issues and will ensure i equally participate in various constructive activities. As a leader I will value all individuals in the society, having time for all individuals in the society. My people will be my prestige. With this, I will be at a better chance to show love to everybody. I will consider security for my people. An economically stable nation is my target. As good leader, I will work hard, using all means to ensure that my people live happily and with their basic needs provided. The value I have for all people will help me protect from all sorts of harm. They need to be free from mass destruction, poverty, hunger and diseases. I will ensure quality health care for all people without discrimination The poor will enjoy similar benefits with the rich. A leader who respects international relation is my role model. My people need to benefit from international relations. They will be able to interact freely, a factor I consider to have economical benefit. They can freely engage in International trade through enhanced International relations. I will ensure ill promise what i can fulfill. To become a leader, a lot is needed. One need to have the required education and training. After being a leader, that is not the end of the race. A continuous leadership competencies need to be developed, and assessed. To achieve my goal, I will further my education, to get appropriate training which will enable me to meet the requirements to be a reader. I will ensure I exude certainty and success. My leadership will be flexible, to accommodate changes. Since leadership is an art that requires ongoing practice, I will ensure I understand my strength and weaknesses. With the weaknesses I will be able to correct for the benefit of my people and society. To determine the impact of my leadership, I will ensure a consistent assessment of my leadership. A collection of gathered information other other leaders leading styles, and other sources of information, I can learn critical leadership competences, stand a better position of identifying all possible hindrances that are likely to hinder effective leadership.

Pushing hands Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pushing hands - Essay Example Lee in this movie explores the element of cross – culture relationships and conflicts and issue related to it. This movie is a first of a kind where a father from a traditional background encounters a changing living atmosphere. This movie displays a wisdom and warmth of a traditional Chinese man in a family which has complete urban background. In this movie the character Alex is also stuck between his traditional grandfather, and his modern wife who is fussy. It is painful situation for the grandson and grandfather, as they share blood relation and have to keep up with each other’s expectations. In the end, the movie shows Mr. Chu regaining his hold on life and moves on independently. Plot of the Movie The plot of the movie is the life of an old and retired Chinese martial arts trainer, Mr. .Chu who moves to New York to join his grandson Alex. Alex is living with an American women Martha who is his wife and also a writer by profession. Martha is a neurotic and was suff ering from writer’s block which is condition which affects the writer’s mostly due to overwriting or lack of inspirational thoughts. As per (Nix)â€Å"As it so happens, Martha’s writer’s block started about the same time Mr. Chu moved in, and no one is more aware of this fact than she†. The moment when Mr. Chu joined the Alex’s family, his wife was in a disturbed condition and this makes the relationship of Mr. Chu and Martha bitter. As the movie â€Å"Pushing Hands† initiates, Mr. Chu is shown to be already in New York with his grandson and is uncomfortable and sharing a negative relationship with Martha. The film focuses much on this retired Chinese martial art teacher and his attempts to cope up with his new living atmosphere .In this he also attempts to teach Tai – Chi in a local school, where Alex is a student of Chinese Language. In the following part Mr.’ Chu encounters with a Chinese lady Mrs. Chen, and develops an attraction for her. However, due to Mr. Chu’s less aggressive nature this attraction towards Mrs. Chen s tends to falls out .Normally speaking, this movie tells all about the plight of an old Chinese immigrant in a foreign land and his attempts to fit in the new land of modernism. Background and Theme of the Movie The movie â€Å"Pushing Hands† is written by two writers namely; AngLee and James Schamas.Ang Lee is a Taiwanese man who made use of his Taiwanese heritage to create memorable movies which earned acclamation throughout the world. He has earned Masters from New York University on film, and got noticed in film arena with his classical movie like â€Å"The Wedding banquet†. This movie has earned him Academy award nomination and earned recognition as a director who crossed cultural and national barriers. James Shcamas is the co – writer of this movie â€Å"Pushing Hands† and also is an independent film producer and screen writer. During 19 90s, James Schamus have produced many interesting films which gained much attention and appraisal from film fraternity. He is known for taking risks to bring about stories with is of challenging and versatile nature. The theme of the movie â€Å"Pushing Hands† is culture clash which is prominently displayed between Mr. .Chu and his

Small-scale research study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Small-scale research study - Essay Example They were requested to return the questionnaires to the researcher upon completion. Since there were just a few teachers who taught mathematics in KS1, they were all recruited for the study, although three were unable to participate due to unavailability and scheduling conflicts. The questions in the questionnaires were a product of the researcher’s secondary research findings and observations of KS1 classes. Responses for the survey questionnaire have been charted (see Appendix 2). The Likert-scale responses were averaged and the percentages were translated into pie charts. The qualitative remarks added by the respondents were categorised likewise, according to the questions and summarised in the presentation of the findings. Analysis of the findings was based on the responses of the study’s participants as well as knowledge gleaned from the review of literature. The items were compared according to the responses of the participants. Presentation & Analysis of Primary Findings: On analysing Questions 1 and 2 on the questionnaire, it was found that all teachers felt their classroom was equipped with teaching aids. 67% agreed this was the case and 33% strongly agreed. The types of materials that classrooms featured include: Number lines to 20,30,100 hundred squares counting/ sorting objects measuring equipment such as rulers, tape measure, weighing scales number cards/ flashcards calculators place value equipment number games 2D and 3D shapes Pegs, boards Fractions equipment. Months and dates calendar Coins Block charts Tally charts Treasure maps Number posters Number books (big teaching books and story books) Workbooks Children’s own work Similar results were obtained in relation to whether teachers felt they had enough manipulative materials to facilitate the development of numeracy skills. 83% agreed with this and 17% strongly agreed. A graph showing these results can be seen below. This shows that while there are materials available in t he classroom, fewer teachers strongly agree that there are enough materials for them to effectively facilitate numeracy skills. It is important to note that the classrooms have enough concrete materials for the children to learn math concepts with, as Ruthven (1987) contends that it is essential to their learning since they think in more concrete ways. This was found out in the secondary research. In the primary findings although everyone agreed that they had enough manipulative materials in their schools, they also said they could always do with more. Some revealed that they also had access to materials which are located in the corridors; however these materials are shared by all classes. This means that sometimes materials may not be available because other classes are using them. The manipulative materials which the teachers believed fostered numeracy skill development are cube blocks, counting items such as beads, puzzle games, weighing scale and weight measures and some Montess ori-inspired materials such as sequencing sets, measuring cups and math board games. It is evident that the teachers in the primary research knew how these manipulative materials are able to serve as scaffolds to independent and more abstract learning of math, as Bruce & Threlfall (2004) mentioned in the secondary research. As children gained more skills in numeracy, these â€Å"scaffolds† may eventually be done without when they are ready to think more abstractly. Childrens Use of Materials The teachers were then asked if children used the materials independently in

New Perspective in Organisation Management Essay

New Perspective in Organisation Management - Essay Example Writers have disagreed to the ways in which organizational cultures can be changed. There are primarily two schools of thought based on the concepts of organizational culture. One of them is based on shared values while the other is based on working practices. According to Waterman and Peters, shared values form the basic component of organizational cultures. However, Hofstede has suggested that shared perceptions of the daily practices and not the shared values form the basic components or the core of organizational culture. Incorporating changes in the shared value is considered to be more difficult as compared to changes in working practices as people remain more deeply rooted with the values rather than the practices (Black, 2003, p.16). Business management consultants and organizational socialists have increasingly stressed upon the role of soft skills in organizations. This has been the case as organizational culture is the label for the shared mental software shared by the peo ple in the organization. Organizational culture can be deviated from the conventional national culture for creating a competitive advantage of the firm. This is supposed to be especially true when organizational culture reinforces the company strategies. Studies conducted at IRIC has revealed that there is a significant correlation between the cultural strength i.e. the homogeneity of the culture and the orientation of results in the organization (Black, 2003, p.16). ... Organizational culture can be deviated from the conventional national culture for creating a competitive advantage of the firm. This is supposed to be especially true when organizational culture reinforces the company strategies. Studies conducted at IRIC has revealed that there is a significant correlation between the cultural strength i.e. the homogeneity of the culture and the orientation of results in the organization (Black, 2003, p.16). The best organizations are those which have their cultures as customer driven and also performance oriented. One of the organizations with strong organizational cultures is Disneyland. The strong culture of the organizations is depicted through all its activities like the actions of employees, running of parks and the consistency and positivity with which visitors were treated in the organization (Schermerhorn, 2009). Because this study focuses on the constructs of organizational culture it is important to make reference to the iceberg model whi ch makes a strong depiction of the organizational culture. Literature has repeatedly focused on the terms organizational climate and organizational culture. Researchers have often made the two terms interchangeable. Martin (2002) has written a book on organizational culture providing a comprehensive review of the literature on organizational culture and interesting perspective on the various issues which are related with the subject (McLean, 2005, p.3). Looking at Schein’s iceberg model, this includes all the elements of the iceberg which are under the level of water and all that which are visible. This is demonstrated in the figure below. Figure 1: The iceberg model in organization culture (Source: Schermerhorn, 2009) On