Promoting Communication in Health and Social Care Essay Example for Free

Promoting Communication in Health and Social Care Essay Promoting communication in health and social care Outcome 1. 1 People can communicate for many various reasons. This can be to voice their opinions, to get attention, if they are in pain or when they want to get their emotions across. It can also to share ideas and information. Communication can also be done to build relationships, ask questions and share experiences. People communicate so that they can establish and maintain relationships with others and to give and receive information and instructions. 1. 2 communications in the work setting is one of the most important aspects of my role as a support worker and Carer. Communication allows me to build good working relationships with colleague’s service users and services. Correct communication allows me to help and support the service users. Many of the service users I support and non verbal so for effective communication, good technique has to be used in order to get and receive information. In order to support non verbal clients, a good understanding of their reaction, response and attitude is important. Communication between colleagues is also very important in order to support clients. Sharing issues and ideas can allow more people to think together to support an issue or problem. Day staff hand over to night staff any issues and problems to ensure night staff have all the relevant information in order to support clients. If the communication between staff is ineffective then this can create problems in the work place. It can cause a lack of confidence and trust. Outcome 2. 2 There are various factors to consider when promoting effective communications. As with various types of communications, one must consider the environment. We have to make sure the environment and surrounding are appropriate. We must consider if the environment is quiet. If we are discussing private and confidential information then it must be done somewhere private. We must consider if the person has the ability to understand. My role involves supporting clients who are non verbal and some with severe learning difficulties. This means my communication must be effective for that person. An example would be instead of asking a client if they would like a cup of tea, we show them an empty cup, and base our judgment on their response we give or don’t make them a cup of tea. One of the clients I support smiles a lot and becomes vocal when we show an empty of tea which usually result in them having a drink. Other times it’s not so simple. When we are communicating verbally, we should consider the tone and pitch of our voice. When speaking, we should consider if we are using the correct and appropriate language and words so that the client is able to understand. We must also consider the speed of our voice. Going back to non-verbal communication, we must consider using the correct facial and hand gestures as well as trying to understand the client’s reaction. Eye contact can also be important as it make the client aware you are communicating with them. Some clients like to touch or grab when they need something. If you pull your hand away quickly, it shows a lack of trust or reluctant to facilitate that clients need. Responding back with a correct body language can show that you understand and show trust in their communication method. Having a better understanding of the client’s condition would also allow for better communication. Know what your client can and cannot do or understand will ensure you spent more time and effort in trying to find ways of communicating in the way the client can understand. Outcome 3. 1 As people are all different, so is their communication and understanding. People from different backgrounds may use or interpret communication methods differently. Many people come from different cultures and have different understanding to our own. In the UK, we tend to have accents which usually give away where we are from. Different accents can be hard to understand. We also speak many languages which can make communication difficult. We must also understand that something being acceptable for one group of people may not be for another. Some people communicate using certain words and good grammar to get a point across. Other people speak in a high tone to get their voice heard. Some people use hand gestures frequently when communicating, this can be offensive or intimidating to others. AS support workers we must understand the diversity of the people we support. They are all different and communicate differently. For some clients verbal communication is sufficient and speaking normally as you do is sufficient. For other clients 3. 2 unfortunately there are some barriers to communication which can create problems when trying to support clients. One of these barriers includes the understanding of the client. As explained some clients are non verbal and have severe learning difficulties. These clients would find verbal communication very hard to understand. If the client has a hearing or visual impairment, this will also affect their communication as they will find it difficult to hear or see. The level of trust and relationship can also create a problem. One of the clients I support suffers from sociaphobia. This makes it very hard for new staff or people to support this client. It also takes them many years to build a good relationship and when an old staff member leaves, it creates many problems. We again must consider the environment as a barrier to communication. If it is too loud or too many people in the vicinity then it may be hard for a client to pay attention, listen or even understand. If the environment is too cold or too hot can also distract the client. 3. 5 We can try and get extra support from the local authority. Birmingham city council has dedicated adult services which offer advice and information on supporting clients effectively. A visit to the GP has many services that can help. GPs now have extra support from dieticians, speech therapists and psychiatrists who are all available to provide extra support. It can also help to get support from other Care homes in the company. Other support workers in different homes might have more experience in help a client with a certain condition. 4. 1 Confidentiality refers to private and important information that should not be shared with unauthorized persons. This information is usually given with an agreement that it would be kept safe and used for the sole purpose it has be ascertained for. Confidentiality is very important especially in regards to our clients. They rely on us to keep their information confidential and use it to support them. We as support workers have access to the client’s personal information like their address and family, so we have a responsibility to ensure we keep that information safe. Sometimes a client might give some information that they only want you to know and keep confidential. Sharing this information without a good reason can cause that client to stop trusting you. 4. 3 As stated above, sometimes confidential information that has been given to you and expected to keep from telling anyone else. If there is a risk to the client of danger or harm then it must be passed on. This can obviously cause tensions. This can cause the client to stop trusting you. If some information is given which relates to abuse then this information has to be passed on to line manager or social services (whistle-blowing policies). I believe the best way to do this would be to try and explain the reason for giving the information to others to the client and explaining the benefits. It can be hard in this situation but the safety of a client comes first.

Reflect on the Way the Workplace Will Change During Career

Reflect on the Way the Workplace Will Change During Career Reflect on the way the workplace will change during your career. How will it affect you? How will you prepare? How will you respond to the changes? With the social development and progress of the times, people change their workplace. They prefer to work at home instead of working in the office. Every people has their own work methods. Some prefer to work in office ‘cause they can come up with a lot more new ideas. But I think it is better for workers to work alone. Because they are more productive when they sit there alone and think independently. By making a reasonable and flexible schedule, they can manage the time and control the pace and thus improve their working efficiency. Also, they are not easily distracted by some other things like noise, laughter, etc. Instead, they are more focused and trying to accomplish the task by themselves. When workers meet to work in office, they often waste time discussing matters that have nothing to do with their work. Another reason is working at home can save more dispensable time and fee. People can efficient avoid the peak of traffic jam. And also someone think home can provide more comfortable environment, in the noon, people usually want to sleep or have a break. But working in the office can develop worker thinking skills and sense of cooperation by discussing problems together. Since everyone thinks in different ways, they have to learn how to communicate and work well with others. And workers can help each other to analyze the problem and identify possible solutions quickly. I think that the high-tech will help us tackle almost everything we are faced with. Internet and cell phones supply us many possibilities and opportunities. What is more, with advancement of modern society, forms of communication become more and more convenience, we can communicate with leaders and colleagues any time and at any place. In conclusion, it is apparent that working at home could enhance the efficiency of working, enables us to save lots of money, and bring us more opportunities to take care of our family members. Assignment 2-6 Assignment Topic: Think of discrimination you have observed, been the subject of, or perhaps you were the perpetrator of. Reflect on the situations that you feel were (are) particularly unfair. Reflect on any situations that you feel were reasonable in the circumstances. We often meet in the life of discrimination. Most of people have experienced some kind of discrimination when seeking jobs some organizations pose ridiculous conditions when recruiting new employees. In recruitment advertisements, enterprises often list lots of discriminative prerequisites such as age, gender, height, graduate schools and specific location of household registration. I mainly talk about sexual discrimination, age discrimination living and habit discrimination. First, Sexual discrimination still can be seen frequently in our daily life. Compared to man, women have more difficulty in getting a job and more chance of getting demoted or denied when they are qualified for the job the same as or even better than man. What’s more, sexual harassment to women is another common phenomenon can be seen at office. In my opinion, I feel Sexual discrimination is particularly unfair. As far as I am concerned, to solve the problem, certain associations should be established to supervise companies and women themselves ought to increase the awareness to protect their rights. Second, some employers are who will choose not to hire someone or promote someone because of that persons age. Most elderly can communicate well, are experienced planners, can organize and prioritize, and are good problem solvers. On the other hand, Young people are missing out on opportunities to progress at work simply because some employers assume they are too young to cope with more responsibility. In my opinion, I feel age discrimination is particularly unfair. Age discrimination is illegal. Third, living and habit discrimination like smoking. Smoking causes many illnesses. A lot of people always cough because of smoking. Meanwhile smoking is a waste of money. Besidesà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ careless smokers may cause dangerous fires. In my opinion, I feel were reasonable in the As smoking habits discrimination. In order to keep healthyà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ we should get rid of the bad habit of smoking. In conclusion, I think that mostly discrimination is wrong and should be stopped. Assignment 3-6 Assignment Topic: Reflect on the situations outlined on the previous slide. Would you work for these companies? Why or why not? Do you think that most people would agree with you? But millions of people work for companies with these characteristics. How might their employees rationalize working for them? Wouldyou work for a company manufacturing legal products that have been found harmful to the health? Would you work for a company using cheap labor in India, China or other developing markets? Would you work for a company that has recently been embroiled in financial scandal? Would you work for a company that is often criticized in the media for exploiting the resources of third world countries? Would you continue working for a company that becomes involved in a bribery scandal abroad? Would you work for an organization whose product has never been proven and is criticized by most scientists? Applying for a job is one of the most suffering yet exciting things for human beings. People have to think about tons of realistic matters when applying for a job, such as salary, size of the company and working hours. But there are more important things to consider. First, I don’t work for a company manufacturing legal products that have been found harmful to the health. In my view, health is better than wealth. I think that most people would agree with me. But millions of people work for companies with these characteristics. My rationalize proposals is that it is obligatory for all employees to wear protective clothing. Second, I don’t work for a company using cheap labor in India, China or other developing markets. In my view,, the company exploited its workers with long hours and low pay. I think that most people would agree with me. But millions of people work for companies with these characteristics. My rationalize proposals is that the union is in talks with management about renewing the workers contract. Third, I don’t work for a company that has recently been embroiled in financial scandal. In my view, the company will close down.. I think that most people would agree with me. But millions of people work for companies with these characteristics. My rationalize proposals is that employees are going to get a new job. Fourth, I don’t work for a company that is often criticized in the media for exploiting the resources ofthird world countries. In my view, each countries must have an equitable share.. I think that most people would agree with me. But millions of people work for companies with these characteristics. My rationalize proposals is that employees were should give out advisable suggestion. Fifth, I don’t work for a company that becomes involved in a bribery scandal abroad. In my view, company has overthrown the basic standards of morality.. I think that most people would agree with me. But millions of people work for companies with these characteristics. My rationalize proposals is that the union is in talks with management about establishing the new basic standards of morality. Sixth, I don’t work for an organization whose product has never been proven and is criticized by most scientists. In my view, I just look for company whos honest to society no matter what.. I think that most people would agree with me. But millions of people work for companies with these characteristics. My rationalize proposals is that No making until the product is completely proven. Therefore, they are all important when deciding to work for a company.

Identity, Intersubjectivity and Communicative Action :: Philosophy Hume Papers

Identity, Intersubjectivity and Communicative Action Traditionally, attempts to verify communications between individuals and cultures appeal to 'public' objects, essential structures of experience, or universal reason. Contemporary continental philosophy demonstrates that not only such appeals, but fortuitously also the very conception of isolated individuals and cultures whose communication such appeals were designed to insure, are problematic. Indeed we encounter and understand ourselves, and are also originally constituted, in relation to others. In view of this the traditional problem of communication is inverted and becomes that of how we are sufficiently differentiated from one another such that communication might appear problematic. Following Hume's recognition that we cannot in principle have any experience of an experience transcending objectivity as such, Husserl's Phenomenological Epoche (1) suspends judgement on whether or not such a realm of "things-in-themselves" exists. Thus our experiences of material objects and descriptions thereof can no more be shown to correspond to such an "objective" standard than can our experiences and descriptions of immaterial objects and conscious states. Consequently interpersonal and intercultural communications concerning the supposedly "public" objects etc. of the material world seem no less problematic than Wittgenstein (2) and others have shown communication concerning the "private" objects of the immaterial world (of fantasies, dreams etc.) to be. Accepting that we cannot establish the "objectivity" of our experiences' content, Kant nevertheless attempts to resist a slide into relativism by insisting that they are mediated by rationally delineated categories which supposedly insure the transcendental or universal nature of their form, thereby providing an absolute standard against which we might check the veridicality of our descriptions of, and communications concerning, them. However as a priori preconditions of the possibility of experience such categories are obviously inexperienceable in themselves, and consequently must also fall to the phenomenological reduction. (3) Nevertheless, a moments reflection will confirm that our experiences do indeed exhibit structure or form, and that we are able, even from within, or wholly upon the basis of, the (phenomenologically reduced) realm of, our experiences per se, to distinguish between the flux of constantly changing and interrupted subjective appearances, and the relatively unc hanging and continuously existing objects constituted therein. Husserl confirms: ... cognitive acts, more generally, any mental acts, are not isolated particulars, coming or going in the stream of consciousness without any interconnections. As they are ESSENTIALLY related to one another, they display a teleological coherence and corresponding connections ... And on these connections, which present an intelligible unity a great deal depends.

Hemp Legalization Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Drug Essays

Hemp Legalization THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT The purpose of this report is to show the need to reform the present marijuana/hemp law in the United States in order to make hemp available for industrial purposes. The first thing that I will do is define marijuana and hemp in order to avoid confusion. An explanation of how the present marijuana/hemp law originated will be given after that. Then I will define and describe the present law concerning marijuana and hemp. I will then define the specific aspect of the marijuana/hemp law that I feel needs to be changed. Some industrial and environmental needs will then be listed. I will then demonstrate how the industrial and environmental needs of the United States can be fulfilled. THE DEFINITIONS OF MARIJUANA AND HEMP There is a large amount of confusion about the distinction between marijuana and hemp. Hemp is an actual plant that was originally located in Asia. It can be used for many purposes. The hemp plant is most commonly used for extraction of the drug marijuana. Marijuana is a drug obtained from the flowering tops, stems, and leaves of the hemp plant. It is a drug with hallucinogenic properties that people smoke in order to get high (www.encyclopedia.com). HOW THE PRESENT MARIJUANA LAW ORIGINATED The technical name of the present law outlawing marijuana is the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. It originated in a very corrupt manner. Before the drug of marijuana was common, the hemp plant was used for industrial purposes on a small scale. The production of products with hemp was still a new process, and the process didn?t get a chance to fully develop before the hemp plant became illegal. The drug of marijuana first earned its reputation as an intoxicant in the... ...es, or they should start over and write a new law. The changes should be made because of the things that I discussed in this report: the law was passed under corrupt circumstances, the product of hemp is not being used for industrial purposes, and hemp is a very environment friendly product. Works Cited Gochmanosky, Nicole. "Hemp/Marijuana Legalization-Its Time Has Come." 27 Oct 1999. 2 pp. Available www: http://www.sandi.net Scotty J. "Legalize." 29 Nov 1999. 1 pp. Available www: http://www.legalize.com "Marijuana Tax Act of 1937." 27 Oct 1999. 1 pp. Available www: http://www.altereduniv.com "Marijuana." 27 Nov 1999. 1 pp. Available www: http://www.encyclopedia.com "Reefer Madness." 27 Oct 1999. 1 pp. Available www: http://www.dvddiscounts.com "Still Crazy After All These Years." 27 Oct 1999. 4 pp. Available www: http://www.norml.org

Report on Classification Of Business Essay -- Business and Management

Report on Classification Of Business Classification of Businesses according to their types of activity: Primary Sector Businesses: The gathering of raw materials, such as fish, oil, or coal from the land or sea or growing using the earth to grow things such as crops or trees Examples: Rio Tinto (Mining), JCI Gold (Mining), Anglo Amer (Mining), BP (Oil and Gas), and Soco International (Oil and Gas). Secondary Sector Businesses: The processing of raw materials into finished goods. Examples of this are food production, computer component manufacture, and car manufacture. Examples: Schweppes (Food and Drink), Unilever (Food and Drink), Intel (Computer Component Production) and Ati (Computer Component Production). Tertiary Sector Businesses: This sector contains organisations supplying services, and includes both commercial services providers (banking, finance and retail), as well as direct service providers (Health and education). Examples: Stagecoach (Transport), British Airways (Transport), CGNU (Insurance), BT (Telecommunications) and Natwest (Banking). Classification of Business According to their Broad Ownership: Public Sector: The part of an economy that consists of state owned institutions, including nationalised industries and services provided by local authorities. Examples: BBC (Television Broadcast), Post Office (Communications), and The National Grid (Electrical Distribution). Public Companies: Companies whose shares may be purchased by the public and traded freely on the open market and whose share capital is not less than a statutory minimum. Examples: Marconi (Communications and Defence), Sony (Electrical Equipment), Hitachi (Electrical Equipment). Classification of Business according to their Size: Number of Employees: Total Number of people employed by a company. Currently the top company in the UK using this method is; Unilever (Food Products) (261, 000 employees) Profit: Total amount of capital left after deducting all costs. Currently the top company in the UK using this method is; Royal Dutch/Shell Group (Oil and Gas) ($M12, 719) Market Capitalisation: The value of 1 share times the amount of shares. Currently the top company in the UK using this method is; Royal Dutch/Shell Group (Oil and Gas) ($M216, 361) Revenue: The gross income a business enterprise, usually... ...5, 724, and so far this year, its revenues come to  £M6, 942. Although the company is turning over a very large revenue, their profits in recent years have been in decline. Last years earnings per share were 18pence, and so far this year, the earnings per share are a loss of 10pence. Share Prices dropped dramatically over the summer of 2001, to an all time low of 52.9pence. Some investors thought that the shares could not possibly drop any further, and so invested in some shares. Unfortunately, share prices did drop even further to 28.4pence. There is currently a slow trickle of increase in profit, to their current price of 32.5pence, due to Marconi coming into profit again ( £5,000,000 in the second quarter, compared to an operating loss of  £222,000,000 in the first quarter). Marconi, like Marks and Spencer Plc have a strong brand name, but this is only as important in their industry as in that they have a long list of clients, built up over the years, many of who will do repeat transactions with the company. Web sites: - http://www.ft.com - http://www.forbes.com Newspapers: - The Financial Times Books: - Collins Concise English Dictionary

Air India †the Virgin Airways Saga Essay

In December 1999, India’s national carrier, Air India (A-I) signed an agreement with Virgin Atlantic Airways1 (VA) by which VA would fly three flights on the Delhi-London route on a code-sharing2 basis with A-I. This was hailed as a significant development for the ailing A-I. The code sharing arrangement was expected to trigger off a price war in the Delhi-London route where British Airways (BA) was a dominant player. According to the agreement, VA would fly three more flights a week on this route by 2001. In July 2000, VA started off with two flights a week on Thursdays and Saturdays from Delhi. It planned to have a third flight by October 2000. However, till late 2001, VA was still flying two flights. A-I did not seem ready to allow VA fly the third flight because A-I too had a flight from Delhi on Monday, the day VA wanted to fly from Delhi. Meanwhile, the Government of India (GoI) granted rights to BA to fly three more flights per week from Kolkata to London. This was in violation of the bilateral pact signed between Britain and India according to which BA and A-I were allowed to fly 16 flights a week to each other’s country. BA was already flying 16 flights a week-seven from Delhi, seven from Mumbai and two from Chennai. In late 2001, VA was severely affected by the downturn in the global aviation industry. VA was finding it difficult to sustain its operations in India with only two flights a week. VA had made it clear that unless it was allowed to increase the frequency to three, its exit from India would be a distinct possibility. Background Note A-I was registered as Air India International in 1948. Later in 1962, the word ‘International’ was dropped and from March 1994, the airline began functioning as Air-India Limited. In 2000, A-I’s network covered 44 destinations (Refer Exhibit I). In addition, A-I had a code sharing arrangement with a number of foreign airlines. These included Air France, Swiss Air, Bellview Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Aeroflot, Air Mauritius, Kuwait Airways and Emirates. In the late 1990s, as part of its disinvestment rogramme, the GoI decided to divest 40% stake in A-I and began looking for a strategic partner. The strategic partner would take up 40% stake with only a 26% cap to foreign airlines. Ever since it began operations in 1984, VA focused on international routes. After the airlines maiden flight, from London’s Gatwick airport to Newark on the outskirts of New York, Richard Branson3 added several lucrative routes to his kitty. Till 1999, VA’s route network in the Asian region included Heathrow-Tokyo-Heathrow, Heathrow-Hong Kong-Heathrow and Heathrow-Shanghai-Heathrow. The airline had code-share agreements with Continental Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, and British Midland. In |the late 1990s, Branson was targeting the lucrative Delhi-London route. Every year an estimated 0. 3 million passengers traveled from Delhi to London, which was nearly 40 per cent of the total outbound traffic from India. The only available direct route codes were held by BA and A-I. As a result passengers were forced to take circuitous routes |offered by airlines like Emirates and Royal Jordanian which made them wait for hours at distant airports. Branson’s efforts to woo A-I started in 1997. He said, â€Å"Air-India was once famous for its service and I’d like to think that as well as competing with Air-India we can share with it our experience of making Virgin Atlantic the success it is today. † Analysts felt that A-I would learn from VA’s innovation in hospitality. VA was the first airline to offer a TV monitor with every seat (in every class). It offered in-flight beauty therapy including the services of masseurs, ice-cream cones during in-flight movies and a chauffeured motorcycle service to airports. Also in the offing were email and Internet services. Upper class passengers were provided laptop power leads with every seat, and headsets to reduce noise in the cabin. Besides commercial cooperation on cargo services, yield management, and product development, the arrangement with Branson would give AI’s staffers access to cabin crew training. However, analysts felt that once VA started its operations, it would be an all-out fight to lure passengers and AI would be the worst sufferer. As VA promised to offer tickets at 15 per cent less than BA, a Delhi-London VA ticket would be cheaper than A-I’s. The Deal In 1999, the ministry of civil aviation said that it was willing to consider an agreement between VA and A-I that would benefit both carriers. The agreement was to include a code-sharing arrangement or sharing of A-I flight quotas. The entry of VA on the London-India routes was likely to bring down the fares on the sector. In December 1999, VA signed an agreement with A-I to fly three services a week on a code share basis between Delhi and London from July 2000. The arrangement with A-I was for five years and apart from the initial three flights a week, frequencies, it had agreed to give away the remaining three to V-I by 2001. VA and A-I would share seats on each other’s routes and VA would operate flights to the UK on routes not covered by A-I. VA would also fly on days that were not flown by A-I. Under the terms of the agreement, flights would carry both VA and A-I flight numbers, and both airlines would sell seats on those services in competition with one another. Said Branson, â€Å"Launching flights between the UK and India has always been an ambition of mine. It is a very potent route and currently I see a lack of capacity on this route, which has decreased tourist flow between the two countries. I think between the two airlines – Air-India and Virgin – we will be able to improve the route. † According to some analysts, the GoI was interested in forging an alliance with VA because of the group’s interests in entertainment, music telecom, insurance and financial services. Branson had raised hopes of further investments in publishing, holiday homes and telecom. He said, â€Å"This is just the beginning. We will study the Indian market and see what business is best suited for the market and for us and proceed accordingly. We will see where we can make a difference. A-I had been in the red for a long time and was hoping that the VA venture would improve its bottomline. Said Branson, â€Å"We are paying a significant amount to A-I under the code-sharing agreement, though I would not like to reveal the amount. Let me assure you: Air-India can make a few millions. † However, Air India officials felt that more than the financial gains, it was the pa rtnership that mattered and the move would bring in fresh traffic to the country. Besides traffic, VA’s arrival could also mean reductio in airfares. Said Branson, â€Å"Our upper class and premium class as we call them are as competitively priced as the first class and business class fares of other airlines respectively. Except, of course, we give more services such as limousines, manicure, beauty treatment, etc, to every passenger on board. As for our economy class, our priority is to fly it houseful and hence the pricing is whatever it takes to get the customer. Hence, since we will be competing with Air-India too despite this agreement, the pricing and services will be competitive. † VA’s arrival was also expected to improve A-I’s services and even bring about a reduction in the fares depending on the market conditions. Said M. P. Mascarenhas, the then Managing Director of A-I, â€Å"We will have to compete and hence we will have to perform, even if it means fare reduction. † Analysts felt that a possible fare reduction would have an adverse effect on the bottomline of A-I. Responded Mascarenhas, â€Å"I don’t think it would because it would increase traffic and improve the overall situation. You see, now, between the two airlines, there will be services all days of the week. Analysts felt that with the AI-VA code sharing agreement, other carriers such as Thai Airways and Cathay-Pacific, which were asking for more flights, would pressurize the GoI for code-share arrangements with AI in lieu of more flights. Who will Rule the Delhi-London Skies? Analysts felt that with the entry of VA, the Indian skies would see some fierce price wars between VA and BA. Branson said that VA’s first class fares would be equivalent to the business class fares of BA and that the economy fare would be 30-50% cheaper than BA’s. If BA brought down ticket prices as it had done in May 2000, VA would fly for less, Branson said. Since BA had proposed a fare of about Rs 27,000 on the Delhi-London sector, Branson said VA would file an application with the GoI for a lower fare. At the same time, VA would respect the Government’s sentiments on fares, since it was a regulated market, Branson said. In June 2000, VA announced that it would start its operations in India in July with a bi-weekly service-Wednesdays and Fridays from London and Thursdays and Saturdays from Delhi. VA planned to launch a third weekly flight around October. The airline would offer low introductory fares. Mackenzie Grant, VA’s general manager for India said the initial fare was still being worked out and that it would be difficult to give a comparison with competing airlines. Analysts felt that VA would give BA some stiff competition, not only in terms of fares, but also with its array of services such as sleeper seats, massage services and lounge facilities. Said one, â€Å"Virgin’s entry will certainly be a boost to services between India and Europe. The airline has a high quality product. † Branson promised VA fare would be extremely competitive. Analysts felt that competitive pricing would mean that VA would price its Delhi-London flight for less than Rs 25,000, which was approximately the A-I fare. A-I feared there would be an exodus of its already dwindling passenger list. Meanwhile, BA was bracing itself to meet the VA challenge on the Delhi-London sector. The airline announced direct daily services between London and Delhi from October 30, thereby increasing capacity by 25 per cent on this sector. For this, the airline suspended its twice weekly service to Calcutta and terminated its five times-a- week service from Delhi to Dhaka from October 30. The changes were made as part of a renewed bilateral agreement between UK and India signed in February 2000. On July 5, 2000, VA dropped a bombshell. It slashed its introductory airfare from the normal Rs 42,598 to Rs 31,000 for a return ticket on the busy London-Delhi route. But just before VA’s entry into Indian airspace, BA also announced a special economy-class fare: a Rs 27,635 round trip ticket. According to analysts, consumers were at last getting the benefits of a liberalised competitive sector. In July 2000, BA won the right to three more flights per week between India and Britain, drawing an immediate protest from VA. According to BA’s South Asia manager Alan Briggs, under a special arrangement outside a bilateral aviation agreement, the GoI had given BA permission to fly three times a week to the eastern city of Calcutta. Under the bilateral pact, which was renewed in February 2000, BA and A-I were each allowed to fly 16 times a week to each other’s home country. A-I used 10 of its 16 weekly flight entitlements on the route. BA used all 16 of its flight entitlements, with seven flights a week to Delhi, seven to Mumbai and two to Madras. BA had been lobbying since 1993 to increase the number of its flights to India. The End of the Honeymoon? By October 2000, VA was to start its third code share flight as per the agreement with A-I. In addition to the Rs 100 million per flight per annum that A-I got from VA, the third flight would fetch A-I Rs 300 million per annum. However, till late 2001, VA was flying only two flights a week. Also, there was no progress on the remaining three flights that VA was entitled to fly from 2001. This seemed to the bone of contention between VA and A-I. VA officials were particularly unhappy that BA was granted rights to fly three additional flights per week from Kolkata to London against the prevailing norms. What seemed particularly strange was that there was no commercial agreement or code share for any of these additional frequencies. Commenting on the GoI’s interest in BA, a leading business magazine in India wrote, â€Å"The needle of suspicion automatically points to vested interests in the ministry and their sudden penchant for BA. â€Å"5 By December 2000, it became clear that VA would have to wait a bit longer for final clearance from A-I to commence the third code-share |flight on the India-London sector. While VA officials claimed that they would start the third code-share flight within a reasonable period of time following clearances from Indian authorities, A-I officials said that nothing was in the offing as yet. Said a VA official, â€Å"The ball is in the court of A-I and the Indian Government. The day we get the permission, we will start the service in a reasonable time period, which will allow us to relocate aircraft and crew to commence the third flight. Further, the airline will be only too happy to serve other destinations in India. † Some analysts said that while VA was keen to operate the third flight on Sundays from London with a Monday departure from Delhi, A-I was opposed to as the Indian carrier also had a Delhi to London flight on Monday morning. VA was willing to schedule its flight at 2 p. m. in the afternoon, ensuring a gap of more than 6 hours between its flight and A-I’s London flight. But this was not acceptable to A-I, which pointed out that according to the agreement signed between VA, and A-I, VA was to operate flights only on those days when A-I did not operate services to London. A VA official said that the delay in granting permission to VA to operate the third flight on the sector was proving to be financially disastrous for A-I. However, despite these problems, VA said it was interested in code sharing with A-I to other cities such as Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. In late 2001, VA was in some trouble because of the downturn in the transatlantic aviation business and shrinking revenues. VA announced 20 per cent reduction in operations, grounded five of its aircraft and pruned the workforce by 1200 to tide over one of the worst crises for the international aviation business in the aftermath of the US attacks6. Having already announced 20 per cent reduction of activities, the airline seemed unable to sustain its operations in India with just two |flights a week. Said Paul Smitton, general manager-India, VA, â€Å"Two flights each from Delhi is not a viable proposition in the long run. At least three or more flights makes the business viable as it would enable us to get more traffic and meet economies of scale from our operations here. † He added, â€Å"No airline can sustain loss making regions for long. And this time round, we will wait for just months and not |years before taking a decision. † Analysts felt that VA was likely to review its strategy for its fledgling unprofitable Indian operations. |During its short stay in India, VA had already notched up losses on the Delhi-London sector and industry sources ruled out the chances of VA breaking even unless the frequency increased from the current level. VA officials have indicated to the GoI that VA may have to pull out of India if the frequency of operations was not increased. VA informed the GoI that it had agreed to provide A-I with income worth Rs 100 million per annum for each flight on the basis of the understanding that a third frequency would be allowed on schedule. VA also said that it had hired Indian crew for three flights and spent on publicity, as it was confident its frequency would be increased. It informed the GoI that it would have to pull out of India if the third flight was not cleared. In October 2001, the GoI ordered a full review of the code-sharing pact. What remained to be seen was whether the much-hyped I-A-VA alliance would be sustainable in the long run

The Scarlet Letter Symbolism

The Rosebush The rose bush is a discreet yet important symbol in the novel The Scarlet Letter. The rosebush is first mentioned in the chapter, â€Å"The Prison Door. † The narrator is setting the first major scene by describing the scenery. He is comparing the Puritan society to and â€Å"ugly edifice† and contrasting the rose bush to â€Å"the deep heart of Nature. † Later, in â€Å"The Governor’s Hall,† Hester and Governor Bellingham are talking about taking Pearl away from her. Pearl starts throwing a tantrum until she can have a rose from a rosebush. These events show major symbolism in a delicate flower. As the narrator describes the rosebush, he offers a rose to the reader â€Å"to symbolize some sweet moral blossom that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow,† (Hawthorne 42). This foreshadows the story will be forlorn. The rose is an offer to comfort the reader at the end of a disheartening novel. The rosebush also symbolizes life and beauty surrounded by a dreary world of sorrow. Outside of the prison door, the lively rosebush grows next to many weeds. This shows a truly beautiful flower can arise from a complete barren region. The rosebush is mentioned again later in the novel. At the governor’s house, â€Å"Pearl, seeing the rosebushes, began to cry for a red rose, and would not be pacified,† (Hawthorne 95). This carries over from the symbolism in chapter one. Although Pearl acts like a child of the devil, filled with darkness and mystery, she can be sweet and delicate by holding a single rose. The rosebush is an important symbol to understand the sorrow in The Scarlet Letter. After the symbolism is understood, readers can see the speck of amiability here and there. Throughout the novel the rose pacifies sorrowful and depressing emotions this story can bring.