Global expansion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global expansion - Essay Example Political and social climate of foreign countries. Local taxes and regulatory systems. Currency risk and Foreign exchange management. Transfer pricing and supply chain management. Local workforce. Diversified cultures of international markets Cultural differences substantially impact the way companies do businesses. It is important to be aware of the disparities that will be at your disposal in the target market. When expanding into international market, the accustomed norms, values and behavior of the local citizens mustn’t be ignored. A bottle of American whisky can be an offense in middle-east countries. Political and social climate of foreign countries A stable political and social system can be beneficial for the company which intends to expand whereas; unrest and destabilized political system can create new issues for it. Local taxes and regulatory systems It is crucial to determine whether the tax regime for international businesses is friendly or competitive. Corporate tax rate with low headline is always appealing for the companies. Currency risk and foreign exchange management Companies must determine whether the local currency is stable or volatile. It should also stumble if currency hedging can be obtained at a reasonable cost. Transfer pricing and supply chain management Development of effective supply chain helps to generate the company’s cash flow more quickly. Brief information should also be gathered regarding the transfer pricing policies of the foreign countries. Local workforce Effective communication of the local workforce has the ability to make or break the progress of business. It is the foundation of success for every business. Right people at the right location that is, financers, staff, suppliers, regulators, quality of customers can provide a competitive edge to the business. 2. Explain what cultural barriers and diversity issues are commonly encountered by international/multinational (MNC) and global organizations.   Cultural Barriers and Diversity Issues MNCs usually promote consumerist culture by producing standard commodities for diversified cultures. Yet, culture often become barrier and creates distances. The following are the primary reason of diversified cultures all over the world. Communication and Language Barrier- Different languages are spoken in different countries which become a hindrance for MNCs. It is an essential means of communicating with customers, retailers, suppliers etc. therefore, language often becomes a barrier in diversified cultures. Religion- Religious backgrounds usually have substantial impact on the individuals. People do not psychologically and emotionally accept something which is not aligned with their religious values. This often becomes hindrance for MNCs while tapping into diversified nations and cultures. Accustomed/diversified Culture- Socio-cultural differences, norms, beliefs, values, attitudes, perceptions congregate to form a certain cultural backgro und of a country. These aspects vary from country to country and therefore construct a diversified nature of the world. 3. Why has diversity become such an important topic in the international arena? Importance of Cultural Diversity Cultural diversity plays a vital role for a company. The criteria diversifies customer groups on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, age, educational background, beliefs, lifestyles, language,

248789_diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

248789_diversity - Essay Example not only includes the traditional categories of race and gender but also people with disabilities, gays & lesbians and other non-traditional categories considered having â€Å"diversity of thought† or those from the different disciplines, college degrees, socio-economic backgrounds etc. It was Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who inspired the concept of diversity when he advocated that people should be judged by their character, not by the color of their skin. This propelled lawmakers to come up with laws that provide equal opportunity to all. (MOR BARAK, M. E., 2000) These laws have been designed protect anyone from being discriminated against by reason of sex, marital status, ethnic or national origin, color, race, nationality, age, disability, religion, and differing terms of employment, including pay for jobs of equal value. As of now, an escalating number of European firms are implementing diversity and equality strategies; not only for principled and legal reasons but also for the trade benefits they are anticipated to deliver. Amongst the most imperative of these benefits are enhanced employee recruitment and employee retention from a broad pool of superior quality workforce, better corporate icon and repute, better innovation and improved promotion opportunities. The term â€Å"Equal opportunity† refers to a situation where a person is entitled to equal access in society. â€Å"Equal opportunities approach† is premised on the principle that all people are eligible to avail certain rights or privileges like education, employment, health care or other welfare services without any discrimination or any preference. Different organizations now apply various equal opportunity practices which consist of a number of means adopted to provide fair conditions for all their members in the process of employment and work. (GILL KIRTON, A. M. G., 2000) This current trend of the embracing of diversity has given birth to the concept of â€Å"the inclusive

Codon bias in E. Coli Essay Example for Free

Codon bias in E. Coli Essay The nature of the gene codon varies among organisms. Codon preferences have been considered on the perspectives of translational efficiency and fidelity and the selective and non selective biases operating during DNA transcription replication and repair processes. Variations in tRNA on codon bias of highly expressed genes during rapid growth phase of E. coli exist. Codon selectivity is influenced by codon/anticodon interaction strength, site specific codon biases, time of replication, codon context, or evolutional age. Codon preferences among gene classes in E. coli are grouped according to the following comparisons; correlation of codon biases with level of gene expression, organisation of genome according to genome partitions based on size, codons use for genes characterized by function and cellular localization of gene products, gene size, comparisons that divide all genes by similarity of codon usage or amino acid usage or similarity of a reduced set of amino acid or codons and characterization of alien genes. The Codon Adaptation Index (CIA) is a qualitative measure for assessing codon bias. Ribosomal protein (RP) genes and membrane genes are genes that are highly expressed during fast growth and CIA and codon bias (CB) values are inversely correlated with respect to RP genes. Most ribosomal proteins are highly expressed during the E. coli exponential growth phase during which most genes facilitating translation are highly expressed. Codon preferences differ among highly expressed genes relative to the average gene for certain amino acid types, especially disparities for alanine, aspartine, histidine, isoleucine, phenealanine, threonine and valine. There is a high correlation between optimal codons and level of gene expression. In relation to E. coli genes, codon biases generally increase with increasing protein molecular weight abundance. Codon usage differences generally decrease with respect to protein molecular abundance when compared to RP. Negative correlation in the degree of protein molar abundance relative to tRN genes or other sub classes of the translation functional category is not evident. The molar abundance and codon usage differences unequivocally correlate negatively with the RP gene family and positively with the average E. coli gene respectively. The E. coli genome is homogeneous with relatively weak codon biases among the genes distributed over the genome. Codon bias does not depend on timing in the replication cycle except near the ter region. The deviation in codon usage from RP and tRN genes is most emphatic at ter region. Relative codon usage bias among 5’ middle and 3’ parts of genes in E.coli show that the middle and the last third of genes are more similar in codon usage than either is to the initial third of the gene. There also exists a difference in the frequencies of 3 G+C near the oriC than near the ter region. Different bacterial genomes display variation in their overall G and C content, attributed to varying mutational mechanisms and processes. For eukaryotic genomes site 3 G+C frequencies decrease with increasing gene length. Alien genes are characterized in terms of extreme codon bias relative to average E.coli genes and high relative to RPs. These genes are of unknown function and are either GC rich or AT rich. Extremes in codon bias are for identifying pathogenicity islands and developing gene classes reflecting difference expression levels in untypical events. When the genome is divided into contigs, gene classes and dicodon bias is most pronounced between the gene classes of the region about the oriC versus the ter region. Dicodon bias increases with gene size and compared to the average gene dicodon biases are constant throughout the genome. When genes are divided into thirds, the dicodon biases of the 5’ third, middle third . 3’ third parts of genes are similar though level of bias is about twice that of straight codon bias. Codon and dicodon bias correlations for E. coli genes were evaluated for level of expression, contrast along genes, size of contigs around genome and gene size classes. Explanations for codon bias have involved combinations of selection and mutational pressures. The RPs and amminoacyl tRNA synthetases are highly expressed gene classes during exponential growth of E.coli. Codon biases for RP genes are much more extreme than for tRN genes. The greater the abundance a gene product, the more its codon usage resembles hat of RPs, but this is not the case for comparisons to tRN genes or protein genes essential to translational activities. For gene classes RP and tRN, the source of codon bias differs significantly. RP are among the most deviant from the average E. coli gene. It is suggested that codon usage and tRNA abundance are correlated for highly expressed genes to match substrate levels with cellular demands. Hence RP genes which are small single domain proteins show high codon usage correlation with overall E. coli codon usage and tRNA do not show this bias although they are highly expressed. The middle and final 3? end of genes entail the same levels of codon biases. The rare codon hypothesis for domains and secondary structures argues that the use of repetitive rare codons might reduce translational rate and induce translation pauses allowing protein domains and suitable secondary structures to fold into native structural conformation. There are differences in prokaryotic and eukaryotic translational mechanisms. These differences may be important in translation initiation or early stages of translation. Highly biased slowly translated codon pairs are more closely correlated with levels of expression than with protein length. Understanding basis of codon usage is of interest with respect to fundamental evolutionary questions, gene prediction, gene classification and design of optimal expression vectors. Codon usage programs are essential for gene finding and analysis of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes.

Movement Techniques In Casablanca Film Studies Essay

Movement Techniques In Casablanca Film Studies Essay Casablanca, the movie which was presented in 1943, was written by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison and was directed by Michael Curtiz. Its an American romantic drama black and white movie by Hollywood. As for the awards that Casablanca won; it won three academy awards. It was and has always been up till now one of the most excellent films ever and had a complete accomplishment. Mainly the film is about a man who is cut out between his love and his good quality manner feature. The dilemma was that he had to pick one of the two hard choices. Its either he choose to be with the love of his life and help her out or to help her husband to get away from the Moroccan city (Casablanca) to carry on with his fight against the Nazis. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) owns a nightclub in Casablanca, the city, called Ricks Cafà © Amà ©ricain. While the World War II was on, this cafe was like a home for all refugees who are trying to escape to America, they were obtaining illegal letters for that getaway. Shockingly, one day Rick came across the well-known revolt Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and his wife, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), which was the woman he used to love before she left him behind when the Nazis attacked Paris. Ilsa begin again to love Rick and wants to stay with him in Casablanca, but she also wants Victor to escape to America. So she made Rick decide, and by tha t was the story of the film. The Movement Technique: Movement in filmmaking is a very important yet hard technique to achieve. Therefore, its not about what happens in a scene; rather its about how to show what is happening in the scene. There are many different ways to apply movement techniques in a film. An excellent director will want to show how indicative and significant are the movements in a dramatic scene for instance. And how can he/she make the scene effective by using the right form of movements to display and demonstrate the idea (Giannetti, 2010). Any film that doesnt use movement techniques is subjected to be static. Nevertheless, movement doesnt mean drama. There are many action movies that consists movements without having drama thread. Moreover, it is  a matter of the least possible means having the greatest effect so that when violent movement is at last triggered off, it has the desired effect. (Foss, 1992). Camera Movements: Camera movements have two major types: movements that follow a moving subject and the ones that are not detected by movements on the plane of actions. The first kind is mainly about following the dramatic action. On the contrary, the second kind has a significant function; where a connection is made between the items and the events. Each film has a different number of camera movements; that relies upon the time between the cuts in the movie. The shorter the time between the cuts, the fewer camera movements are needed and vice versa. Tracking is a form of camera movements, which has an extremely enormous control to generate feel and atmosphere. Zooming and tracking in are slightly different than one another. Tracking pulls the watcher into the picture in a manner that feels nearly physical and raise the sense of presence and realism. Zooming simply brings out the detail and raises the sense that the director is playing for effects. Another approach of raising the feeling of realism in a movie is to use hand-held camera. It is frequently used to do documentary films and it gives the watcher the illusion of looking at the reality (Foss, 1992). Camera movement is one of the main techniques any filmmaker should study and know really well in order to be able to produce a successful movie. People tend to remember what happens in a general scene more, so using different kinds of camera movement techniques in doing a film correctly will probably help more in making a better movie. In any movie, the director usually moves the camera during all the scenes for many different reasons. Camera movements could most likely means emphasizing on whats happening in the scene or might be to catch people attention for the coming up scene. The director can use a lot of methods such as: long shots, slow-paced action, or high angles to stress a movement. Camera movements could be: smooth, choppy, lyrical, or disorienting. Besides, the movements in a scene possibly will be: naturalistic, stylized, literal, or symbolic (Giannetti, 2010). Camera Angle: Composition can be influenced by the angle of the shot. Cameras can be placed over or underneath the scene, to either produce high-angle-shot or a low-angle-shot. Usually, the shot that is looking down weakens the character (the object). On the contrary, the shot that is likely to be appearing upwards emphasizes the authority or control of the subject or character. The framing of a shot could be directed by the degree to which the framing is level with the horizon. Both the high angle and low angle shots are resulting from the context of the film, and not from the dictionary of camera aesthetics (Gross Ward, 2007). Cinematic Techniques: The fundamentals of cinematic techniques are pan, tilt, and dolly. First, Pan: is the horizontal movement of a camera, it looks through an absolutely broad landscape which doesnt fit a regular camera border. Second, Tilt: is the vertical movement of a camera, by pivoting up and down. Those two techniques are referred to as re-framing the shot and are usually used to track the characters in the movement of action. Finally, Dolly: is the way the camera usually moves normally horizontally throughout the space. Another camera technique is: pulling focus; which is basically a normal technique that applies looking at items that are in diverse ranges. Focal length of a camera is mainly the zoom of the cameras lenses. Zoom, an unnatural technique which is probably used to make effects, is the move of a framework from a wide shot to a close up without moving the camera. There are two types of zooming: slow zoom and fast zoom. The shift from one picture to another in filmmaking is called trans ition. For example: cut is the easiest method of transitions, which are regularly used to have harsh jumps in the moment and on space. There are three main types of transitions. First: dissolve layer, which is used to have soft transition, is having the new picture over the old one by raising the darkness of the old one until the transition is done. Second: fades, which is a type of explosive transition, usually starts and ends the scenes by shifting the colored screen or the picture gradually to a color. Finally: effects transitions are the structure of transmitting an image into another one. Some general framing expressions that could be relevant to either characters or objects are: master shot, full shot, medium shot, medium close up, close up, and an extreme close up (Vineyard). Applying the Movement technique in the movie (Casablanca): At the start of the movie, there was a scene that starts right after the sound of the two German messengers who were killed as they were carrying letters to transfer the MacGuffin of Casablanca. We can see how the police arrested some suspicious characters who were on the street. One of those people where a man who had papers which were not in order, so he tried to escape from the police, but was shot and killed right away. The police officer bends down to the man to look at those papers that were compressed in his hands, then passes them to the other police officer and also closer to the camera so that people can see, the papers showed that the man was a free France propaganda. We can notice how the camera had a close-up to the police officers hand when he was holding the papers. The papers were also on a slope of the camera, where the police cannot see them as well as we (watchers) do. That scene indicates how important it is to keep in mind the relation between the characters in t he movie and the film viewers, who are watching the movie, who are the most important ones in this case. Another scene in Casablanca demonstrates Ricks Cafà © Amà ©ricain, the shot at first shows the cafà © as a whole and then the shot transfers to be only towards people who are in the cafà © talking about escaping to America. Next, the image goes to a woman who was asking about Rick. After that, a man goes up to Rick asking him to sign an empty check, then the camera takes a closer shot at Rick while he is signing the check and then another closer shot at Rick himself. This shot emphasizes that Rick is the main character and the owner of the cafà ©. In one of the scenes of Casablanca, right after the flash from the past of Paris, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) where talking with Rick when she first moved to Casablanca. The following shot of the movie had a right to left camera movement from the image of Ricks face to the image of his hands, when they were tipping above the glass. The next shot was also a camera movement but here it was from the left side to the right side, where the camera was following the small walk till the right border of the frame of Sam (Dooley Wilsons). Hence, in the middle of that shot there was an open space between Sam and Rick. The set of this scene had a door that was framed by the vaulted roof which is a double aperture framing. After that, the director prepares the watcher with a visual staging when Ilsa enters the room. Immediately before she enters, the shot was on the object that was centered in front of Rick which was the bottle; he removes the bottle to pour a drink for himself thus making a clear view of the entrance. In this scene, the aim of the director of the movie was to transfer peoples attention to the entrance of the other character. Then, with having a musical background sound, Rick and Sam looks at the door while the shot was gloomy right away before Ilsa enters. After she has entered, the lighting stresses how she is enclosed with the door. How this (movement technique) was closely connected to another technique: Although, Casablanca is a striking example of the movement technique used in the film, cinematography technique had also a huge great part of the movie. The central concentration and all the focus of attention was directed to Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). Most of the shots were taken from her left side with a catch lights, so that her eyes can look like they are shining and mainly the entire propose was to make her face looks gloomy, gentle, and unforgettable. As for the rest of the characters and the setting, bars of shade and darkness were indicating isolation. Moreover, the crucifix, which is the cross with Jesus body, is a symbol of emotional confusion and of the free French forces; which were the French soldiers during the WWII who agreed to carry on the fight and never give up. In nearly all of the scenes, mostly at the last part there was a dim film noir; which stresses the sexual desire and cynical behavior. All of those kinds of lighting equipments and shadow shades that were used in the film were classic ones. Also, the way of applying the background surroundings as a frame of the scenes made the film seems more professional (Kemp). Conclusion: In conclusion, movement techniques usually try to emphasize an important point of the movie to the audience in an indirect way. Moreover, some close-ups and pauses in a film mean that the film director is trying to highlight some major and valuable concepts of the movie. Successful filmmakers use movement techniques correctly and effectively in a film. Word Count: 1956

Nathaniel Hawthorne: No Ordinary Author Essay -- Biography Biographies

  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Romantic Period served as a breeding ground for some of America's most extraordinary authors.   Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Ralph Waldo Emerson are just some of the names that graced this Golden Era of American literature.   Great as they were, these men still lacked a significant amount of originality.   Relating their themes and structures results in little to no variation.   One author, though born into the era of Romanticism dared to expand the possibilities nineteenth - century literature had to offer.   Through works such as "Young Goodman Brown," "The Minister's Black Veil," and "The Birthmark," Nathaniel Hawthorne incorporated Romanticism into his own style.   Including ordinary men, such as Mr. Hooper, Goodman Brown, and Aylmer helped to classify Hawthorne as a semi-Romantic author.   Other Romantic characteristics were found in his stories as well.   Symbolism, man's connection to nature, and t he supernatural are all also present in most of his tales.   But, most importantly, Hawthorne was remembered for breaking the rules and adding his own touch.   He told allegories and parables concerned about his concept of the "unpardonable sin," always including the character's trials from obsession to alienation to finally a loss of soul.   Careful review of his work probes the fact that fitting into a dictating society is not only boring but dangerously ordinary.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Nathaniel Hawthorne's stories, like many Romantic stories, the characters are ordinary people with superstitious beliefs.   In "Young Goodman Brown," Goodman Brown is an everyday Salem citizen.   He faces many of the problems tackled by other New England Puritans.   He has a lapse in faith and is ... ...he rules is the best thing to do.   After all, no one remembers ordinary people.    Works Cited Bruckner, Sally. "The Scarlet Letter." Masterplots. Vol 10. Ed.    Frank N. Magill. Pasadena: Salem Press, 1966. 5849-51. Hawthorne, Nathaniel.   "The Birthmark."   Hawthorne's Short Stories.   Ed.   Newton Arvin.   New York: Alfred A. Knoph,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1959.   177-93. ---.   "The Minister's Black Veil."   Adventures in American Literature.   Chicago:   Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1989.   256-63. ---.   "Young Goodman Brown."   The Complete Novels and Selected   Ã‚   Tales of Nathaniel Hawthorne.   Ed.   Norman Holmes Pearson.      New York: Random House, Inc., 1937.   1033-42. Winters, Yvor. "Maule's Curse, or Hawthorne and the Problem of   Ã‚   Allegory." Hawthorne. Ed. A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, New    Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966. 11-24.    Nathaniel Hawthorne: No Ordinary Author Essay -- Biography Biographies   Ã‚  Ã‚   The Romantic Period served as a breeding ground for some of America's most extraordinary authors.   Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Ralph Waldo Emerson are just some of the names that graced this Golden Era of American literature.   Great as they were, these men still lacked a significant amount of originality.   Relating their themes and structures results in little to no variation.   One author, though born into the era of Romanticism dared to expand the possibilities nineteenth - century literature had to offer.   Through works such as "Young Goodman Brown," "The Minister's Black Veil," and "The Birthmark," Nathaniel Hawthorne incorporated Romanticism into his own style.   Including ordinary men, such as Mr. Hooper, Goodman Brown, and Aylmer helped to classify Hawthorne as a semi-Romantic author.   Other Romantic characteristics were found in his stories as well.   Symbolism, man's connection to nature, and t he supernatural are all also present in most of his tales.   But, most importantly, Hawthorne was remembered for breaking the rules and adding his own touch.   He told allegories and parables concerned about his concept of the "unpardonable sin," always including the character's trials from obsession to alienation to finally a loss of soul.   Careful review of his work probes the fact that fitting into a dictating society is not only boring but dangerously ordinary.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Nathaniel Hawthorne's stories, like many Romantic stories, the characters are ordinary people with superstitious beliefs.   In "Young Goodman Brown," Goodman Brown is an everyday Salem citizen.   He faces many of the problems tackled by other New England Puritans.   He has a lapse in faith and is ... ...he rules is the best thing to do.   After all, no one remembers ordinary people.    Works Cited Bruckner, Sally. "The Scarlet Letter." Masterplots. Vol 10. Ed.    Frank N. Magill. Pasadena: Salem Press, 1966. 5849-51. Hawthorne, Nathaniel.   "The Birthmark."   Hawthorne's Short Stories.   Ed.   Newton Arvin.   New York: Alfred A. Knoph,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1959.   177-93. ---.   "The Minister's Black Veil."   Adventures in American Literature.   Chicago:   Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1989.   256-63. ---.   "Young Goodman Brown."   The Complete Novels and Selected   Ã‚   Tales of Nathaniel Hawthorne.   Ed.   Norman Holmes Pearson.      New York: Random House, Inc., 1937.   1033-42. Winters, Yvor. "Maule's Curse, or Hawthorne and the Problem of   Ã‚   Allegory." Hawthorne. Ed. A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, New    Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966. 11-24.   

My Best Friend Died Essay -- Friendship Essay Personal Narrative

My Best Friend Died Dr. Munter's comments: The purpose of this assignment was to relate an event that changed the direction of your life. Not only does this student successfully accomplish this task, he does it with a certain amount of understatement. The instruction â€Å"to show, not tell† is beautifully and subtly completed. There is also a nice balance of long and short sentences, unusual similes, and the sense that the author allows the reader to view this event through the eyes of an eight-year-old. Overall, the writing is clean, simple in technique, yet powerful in its message. I remember the van. It was the gray of dry clay, and it had maroon stripes on the sides that were the same color as maple leaves during the fall, but it was winter now. It was my mom's van, and I was riding in the back seat. I was eight years old, and she had pulled over on the side of the road because she had â€Å"some sad news† to tell me. My legs didn’t touch the ground. They just dangled with my sorrels about to fall off. I was all bundled up in the puffy winter clothes that mothers dress their chi...

Food Cart Businesses Management Practices Essay

A. Environment * Linis Ofis Program Translated as â€Å"clean office†, this internal program is an integrated approach to solid waste management in support of the Philippine Government’s Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003). It deals with waste segregation by instilling in SMC employees the 4R discipline – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover. It aims to educate its workers to value their environment by practicing segregation, collection, reuse and recycling of disposable waste in the workplace. SMC’s Head Office Complex located in the Ortigas Center hub provided three waste receptacles placed in strategic spots for food scraps or compostable waste, recyclable items (such as plastic bottles and aluminum cans), and nonrecyclable items or disposable waste (such as plastic and tetra-pak containers). This is also being implemented in SMC’s other facilities nationwide. A separate chest of drawers is provided in each department for solid waste with market value, such as used bond p aper, magazines, newspapers and empty ink cartridges. The program generated P26,000 from the sale of recyclable materials on its first month, and an average of P12,000 per month. It has also helped in reducing the amount of solid waste, which normally finds its way to landfills and dumpsites, and easing up on manpower in the collection of waste. * Task Force Hangin Task Force Hangin is responsible for helping plants comply with the Clean Air Act. The word â€Å"hangin† means â€Å"air†. The Task Force is composed of representatives from CTS-EMG, CTS-Engineering, Corporate Planning and Development, and Corporate Purchasing Unit. It is tasked to pinpoint the best available fuel and control technology for the plants’ fuel burning equipment. It conducted numerous studies and came up with recommendations to utilize low sulfur fuel oil (LSFO) and scrubbers as the most effi cient options for solving the problem, and maintain the level of sulfur content in its fuel to about 0.7%S. It also studied the range of fuel cost that determines when LSFO fuel is advantageous to use versus scrubbers, and when a plant needs to shift from LSFO to scrubbers. The study enabled the Task Force to guide the plants in their compliance efforts. All SMC-owned plants are expected to institute the necessary actions congruent with the Clean Air Act. The u se of electric heaters at the Mandaue Glass Plant’s furnace reduced the consumption of bunker fuel oil and the generation of combustion flue gas. B. Human Resources * Benefits Program Employee Protection – Employees are entitled to sick leave benefi ts that will provide fi nancial security even if they have lost the ability to earn in times of sickness or injury. Time Off With Pay – Employees are also entitled to leave benefi ts that will allow for the continuity of their wage earnings even if they are on vacation or have to attend to emergency matters requiring their presence. Health Care – The Corporation provides a comprehensive medical program for employees and their dependents to protect them against the financial burden that comes with illness or injury. Flexible Loan Facilities – The Corporation offers an interestfree loan facility that is tailored to address the various fi nancial needs of the employees. Its fl exibility lies in the loan purpose, amount, and guidelines. Educational Program – This helps meet the fi nancial requirements of employees who desire to pursue further studies. It includes loan facilities for the educational needs of employees’ dependents. Rice and Clothing Allowances – The Corporation provides a monthly sack of rice to each rank-and-fi le employee. Employees also receive a clothing allowance for their proper work attire. Insurance and Death Benefits – Financial assistance is extended to the bereaved family to help defray expenses incurred as a result of the demise of the employee or an immediate family member of an employee. * Employee Relations Sports and Recreation – The program aims to nurture camaraderie and unity among the employees through various sports activities, such as basketball, bowling, aerobics, street dancing, gym workout sessions, volleyball, etc. The Corporation tries to meet the employees’ varied sports preferences. There are also interest clubs being formed for enthusiasts of golf, running, taekwondo, etc. Summer Outing – The Corporation provides a yearly venue for employees and management of each division to interact with one another’s families in an informal environment marked by fun and games. Songfest – This is an annual nationwide search for employees who have exceptional talent for singing, a common trait among Filipinos. Employee Service Awards – The annual recognition program honors employees for their years of service to the Corporation. Baratillo – The monthly event allows employees to purchase various San Miguel products at discounted prices. The venue is the Head Office Complex, and employees from other SMC units and offices come to take advantage of the reasonable offers. Christmas Tiangge – Employees are given the opportunity to develop their entrepreneurial spirit by selling various products during the two-day event. It is held regularly at the Head Office Complex in November before the onset of the Christmas season to allow employees and their families and friends to purchase their Christmas presents early. C. Customer Relations, Productivity and Quality * Customer Care Center By setting up this Center, SMC re-affirms its responsibility to its customers. Advancements in information technology make it possible for the Corporation to establish a more personal communication link with its customers. The integrated SMC Customer Care Center provides alternative channels for easy access and fast response to varying types of customer needs and requests. The Center supports SMC’s businesses in strengthening customer relations, and indirectly market share as well. It is manned by a professional staff using superior technology and employing innovative solutions to ensure customer satisfaction and capture product loyalty. Walk-in customers who may prefer face-to-face interaction feel welcome amidst the Center’s warm atmosphere. The Center’s call handling services take care of both inbound and outbound calls, providing information on the quality, pricing, distribution and availability of a product or service, while operating as a call center. It also handles order taking, telemarketing, sales campaign, promotion of new products, and customer satisfaction surveys. Electronic customer linkages come through e-mail, faxes and SMS (short message services). The Center’s integrated setup makes it easy for SMC’s operating divisions to link up with it for their customer and product concerns. D. Corporate Governance * Compliance System In adherence to corporate principles and best practices, the Chairman of the Board designated a Compliance Officer reporting directly to him. As the position denotes, he is responsible for seeing to it that the organization complies with the provisions in the manual. The Board of Directors is responsible for the long-term success of the Corporation and its sustained competitiveness, consistent with its trusted role exercised in the best interest of the Corporation, its shareholders and other stakeholders. Forming working committees within the Board fosters open discussion, keeping Board members informed, and allowing them to become more sensitive to shareholders’ interests. * Disclosure System All material information are publicly disclosed. These include earning results, Board changes, and shareholdings of directors. The Corporation established an Investor Relations Unit to disseminate timely information to shareholders. SMC practices consistency, accuracy and timeliness in the delivery and communication of information and data. The Unit coordinates with the Compliance Officer and other SMC divisions in effectively communicating with stakeholders. * Monitoring and Assessment Each committee reports to the Board of Directors. The Compliance Officer established an evaluation system to determine and measure compliance against the manual’s guidelines.