Text Linguistics

TEXT LINGUISTICS Structure As a science of text, text linguistics describes or explains among different types of text the: * Shared features * Distinct features Text linguistics is the study of how texts function in human interaction. Beaugrande and Dressler define a text as a â€Å"communicative occurrence which meets seven standards of textuality† – Cohesion, Coherence, Intentionality, Acceptability, Informativity, Situationality and Intertextuality, without any of which the text will not be communicative.Non-communicative texts are treated as non-texts. [4] [edit] Cohesion Surface texts are the exact words that people see or hear. Cohesion concerns the ways in which the components of the surface text are connected within a sequence. Grammatical forms and conventions are adhered to by surface components and therefore cohesion rests upon grammatical dependencies. The grammatical dependencies in surface texts are major signals for sorting out meanings and uses.Cohesion encompasses all of the functions that can be used to signal relations among surface elements. â€Å"| SLOWCARS HELD UP| †| Such a text can be divided up into various dependencies. Someone might construe it as a notice about ‘slow cars’ that are ‘held up’, so that conclusions could be drawn about the need to drive fast to avoid being held up. However, it is more likely for one to divide the text into ‘slow’ and ‘cars held up’, so that drivers will drive slowly to avoid accidents or take alternative routes to avoid being caught in the slow traffic.A science of text should explain how ambiguities such as this are possible, as well as how they are precluded or resolved without much difficulty. For efficient communication to take place there must be interaction between cohesion and other standards of textuality because the surface alone is not decisive. [edit] Coherence Coherence concerns the ways in which concepts and relations, which underlie the surface text, are linked, relevant and used, to achieve efficient communication. A concept is a cognitive content which can be retrieved or triggered with a high degree of consistency in the mind * Relations are the links between concepts within a text, with each link identified with the concept that it connects to Surface texts may not always express relations explicitly therefore people supply as many relations as are needed to make sense out of any particular text. In the example of the road sign ‘SLOW CARS HELD UP’, ‘cars’ is an object concept and ‘held up’ an action concept, and the ‘cars’ are the link to ‘held up’.Therefore, ‘slow’ is more likely to be interpreted as a motion than as the speed at which cars are travelling. Types of relations include: I. Causality â€Å"| Itsy Bitsy spider climbing up the spout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out| †| The event of à ¢â‚¬Ëœraining’ causes the event of ‘washing the spider out’ because it creates the necessary conditions for the latter; without the rain, the spider will not be washed out. II. Enablement â€Å"| Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall| †| The action of sitting on the wall created the sufficient but not necessary conditions for the action of falling down.Sitting on a wall makes it possible but not obligatory for falling down to occur. III. Reason â€Å"| Jack shall have but a penny a day because he can’t work any faster| †| In contrast to the rain which causes Itsy Bitsy spider to be washed out, the slow working does not actually cause or enable the low wage. Instead, the low wage is a reasonable outcome; ‘reason’ is used to term actions that occur as a rational response to a previous event. IV.Purpose â€Å"| Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard to get her poor dog a bone| †| In contrast to Humpty Dumpty’s action of sitting on the wall which enables the action of falling down, there is a plan involved here; Humpty Dumpty did not sit on the wall so that it could fall down but Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard so that she could get a bone. ‘Purpose’ is used to term events that are planned to be made possible via a previous event. V. Time ‘Cause’, ‘Enablement’ and ‘Reason’ have forward directionality with the earlier event causing, enabling or providing reason for the later event. Purpose’, however, has a backward directionality as the later event provides the purpose for the earlier event. More than just a feature of texts, coherence is also the outcome of cognitive processes among text users. The nearness and proximity of events in a text will trigger operations which recover or create coherence relations. â€Å"| The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts;The Knave of Hearts, he stole the tarts; The King of Hearts, called for the tarts| †| In the explicit text, there is a set of actions (making, stealing and calling); the only relations presented are the agent and the affected entity of each action.However, a text receiver is likely to assume that the locations of all three events are close to one another as well as occur in a continuous and relatively short time frame. One might also assume that the actions are meant to signal the attributes of the agents; the Queen is skilled in cooking, the Knave is dishonest and the King is authoritative. As such, coherence encompasses inferencing based on one’s knowledge. For a text to make sense, there has to be interaction between one’s accumulated knowledge and the text-presented knowledge.Therefore, a science of texts is probabilistic instead of deterministic, that is, inferences by users of any particular text will be similar most of the time instead of all of the time. Most text users have a common core of cognitive co mposition, engagement and process such that their interpretations of texts through ‘sensing’ are similar to what text senders intend them to be. Without cohesion and coherence, communication would be slowed down and could break down altogether. Cohesion and coherence are text-centred notions, designating operations directed at the text materials. [edit] IntentionalityIntentionality concerns the text producer’s attitude and intentions as the text producer uses cohesion and coherence to attain a goal specified in a plan. Without cohesion and coherence, intended goals may not be achieved due to a breakdown of communication. However, depending on the conditions and situations in which the text is used, the goal may still be attained even when cohesion and coherence are not upheld. â€Å"| Want I carry you on my back? | †| Even though cohesion is not maintained in this example, the text producer still succeeds in achieving the goal of finding out if the text re ceiver wanted a piggyback. edit] Acceptability Acceptability concerns the text receiver’s attitude that the text should constitute useful or relevant details or information such that it is worth accepting. Text type, the desirability of goals and the political and sociocultural setting, as well as cohesion and coherence are important in influencing the acceptability of a text. Text producers often speculate on the receiver’s attitude of acceptability and present texts that maximizes the probability that the receivers will respond as desired by the producers.For example, texts that are open to a wide range of interpretations, such as ‘Call us before you dig. You may not be able to afterwards’, require more inferences about the related consequences. This is more effective than an explicit version of the message that informs receivers the full consequences of digging without calling because receivers are left with a large amount of uncertainty as to the conse quences that could result; this plays to the risk averseness of people. [edit] Informativity Informativity concerns the extent to which the contents of a text are already known or expected as compared to unknown or unexpected.No matter how expected or predictable content may be, a text will always be informative at least to a certain degree due to unforeseen variability. The processing of highly informative text demands greater cognitive ability but at the same time is more interesting. The level of informativity should not exceed a point such that the text becomes too complicated and communication is endangered. Conversely, the level of informativity should also not be so low that it results in boredom and the rejection of the text. [edit] Situationality Situationality concerns the factors which make a text relevant to a situation of occurrence.The situation in which a text is exchanged influences the comprehension of the text. There may be different interpretations with the road s ign â€Å"| SLOWCARS HELD UP| †| However, the most likely interpretation of the text is obvious because the situation in which the text is presented provides the context which influences how text receivers interpret the text. The group of receivers (motorists) who are required to provide a particular action will find it more reasonable to assume that ‘slow’ requires them to slow down rather than referring to the speed of the cars that are ahead.Pedestrians can tell easily that the text is not directed towards them because varying their speeds is inconsequential and irrelevant to the situation. In this way, the situation decides the sense and use of the text. Situationality can affect the means of cohesion; less cohesive text may be more appropriate than more cohesive text depending on the situation. If the road sign was ‘Motorists should reduce their speed and proceed slowly because the vehicles ahead are held up by road works, therefore proceeding at too h igh a speed may result in an accident’, every possible doubt of intended receivers and intention would be removed.However, motorists only have a very short amount of time and attention to focus on and react to road signs. Therefore, in such a case, economical use of text is much more effective and appropriate than a fully cohesive text. [edit] Intertextuality Intertextuality concerns the factors which make the utilization of one text dependent upon knowledge of one or more previously encountered text.If a text receiver does not have prior knowledge of a relevant text, communication may break down because the understanding of the current text is obscured. Texts such as parodies, rebuttals, forums and classes in school, the text producer has to refer to prior texts while the text receivers have to have knowledge of the prior texts for communication to be efficient or even occur. In other text types such as puns, for example ‘Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a ba nana’, there is no need to refer to any other text.

Bullying: The Worst Social Problem in the U.S.

A social problem is when the public or some segment of the public perceives a condition or a bad situation as a problem to the whole society. I think that one of the worst social problems in the United States of America is bullying. Bullying can affect everyone that is involved including the person being bullied, the bully, and the bystander. It can only have a negative effect on people's lives, and usually bullying comes from an outside source which is making the bully act in such a disgusting manner.In America's youth, bullying has progressively become a bigger problem over the past years. There are many different types of bullying that can be done like physical bullying, mental bullying, or something lie cyber bullying. Kids who are bullied usually end up with negative problems down the road in their lives. Kids who are bullied are very likely to experience things like depression or anxiety, feeling sad and lonesome in the world, negatively changed sleeping and eating habits, and just lack of generally caring about anything.Being bullied instantly results in the student being picked on dropping their grades in their classes. This would happen because the kid will start to skip school or class just so that they could avoid any chance of seeing that bully, so they will not be abused for another time. Many of the kids being bullied could resort to something like violence and that is never the answer. An example is, most of every school shooting in history was motivated by one person picking on the person doing the terrible act off school shooting.If a kid bullies in the young art of their life, the aggression will most likely carry on into the latter stages of their life as well. Kids who bully a lot in school are more likely to abuse alcohol or other drugs when they get older and more mature. They also tend to get in to doing bad things like get into fights, vandalize property, and even drop out of school completely. When bullies get older as adults, they gene rally tend to be the ones that are getting pulled over by the policemen and getting tickets and citations, and many of them also turn out to commit stupid crimes and get locked away for them.Because bullies are always filled with rage for their entire lives, they sometimes take their rage out on their significant other and perform an act of domestic violence on them. Domestic violence is a major problem in our country. Kids who witness bullying and then do nothing about it can also be greatly traumatized by what they have seen with their eyes. It messes with them to the point where they have to rely on something like cigarettes or drugs and alcohol to keep the calm and not worried about it.They usually have problems with anxiety and sometimes oppression later on in their life because of the events they watched and did nothing about. Bystanders will also drop out of school or start to skip class because watching another person get treated so poorly by another person has become too mu ch of a burden for them to bear. When people are bullied their suicide risk automatically goes up. Being bullied makes a person feel normalized and separated from society completely. I believe that every person needs a support group because without one, it is hard to retain a positive outlook on life.This can lead to loneliness, and a person will start to contemplate if their life is really worth living. If somebody is not of the norm then they will usually be made fun of or bullied because of their difference. That will also contribute to feeling alone, and being alone makes a person think about everything very thoroughly, then they come to the conclusion in their head that they are not good enough for this world. Physical bullying is a terrible form of bullying. It involves a person hitting another person, hurting another person, or destroying or stealing someone's possessions.In physical bullying, the same victim is targeted many different times, the bully IS attempting to hurt, embarrass, or intimidate another person, and the bully usually picks a target that is smaller than him so that he has a definite chance of winning. Accessibility is when a child or teenager is harassed, humiliated, embarrassed, threatened or tormented using digital technology. It can happen on the internet and also over the phone through text messages or phone calls. When a person gets bullied over the internet or through text it is different from getting physically bullied.The accessibility messes with their mind and they are often damaged psychologically from it. Cyber bullying can lead to terrible things like self-harm, severe depression, and even suicide. Bullying is a major problem in the United States of America's schools. It needs to be stopped because everyone involved is seriously hindered by the psychological effects of bullying, and then it is hard for them to grow and mature as normal human beings. Children react easily to physical and mental harassment and their need to be harsher consequences for people that get caught bullying.

Hindu and Judeo-Christian myths Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hindu and Judeo-Christian myths - Research Paper Example In all of the creation myths, there is the birth of the world and the birth of humans. In many of the creation stories, there is also a deluge – this means that the creator thinks that He or She made a mistake in creating the humans, so sent them back to the chaos of the Flood. The waters of the flood may also be a source of new birth. The archetypal characters who may appear in the creationism myths include the creator, who makes order out of chaos, sometimes by using his own bodily fluids, sometimes by conjoining with an equal and opposite natural power; the trickster, who is the negative force; the first man and first woman; and the flood hero, who looks for a new beginning after the great flood (97). The Hindu myths and the Christian myths diverge significantly, however, in how creation began. How are the two creation stories from different regions of the world inter-related? Hindu Myths   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hinduism is an extension of Veda, which i s the source of many Hindu rites and speculation (Renou, 105). Since this religion, which essentially â€Å"fed† Hinduism, is the source of mythology, this is a religion which may be explored to determine the creationist myths of Hinduism. In Veda, there are gods which function as represented, much like in Greek mythology. Among the gods worshiped by the Vedas, was Arya, who was the god of war; Agni, the god of fire; and Soma, the god of plant and liquor (105).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the myths for how the world began, according to the Veda, is the creation of the world from the soul (Renou, 107). In this myth, there was a soul that was in the form of the person. Because this soul was alone, he desired a second, and his self was split into two pieces – a   husband and a wife. From this husband and wife’s copulation, humans were reproduced. She then became a cow, and he a bull, and they reproduced. She became a mare, he a stallion, w ho reproduced. And so forth, on down to the ants. Whatever was moist in the world was created from semen, and was called Soma. He created his superiors, the gods. Therefore, according to this myth, the world was populated from one soul.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Rg Veda has another telling of how life was created, and that was through primeval incest. In this story, which may be simply an anthropomorphic retelling of the earlier myth about the One who creates a Second, which is the myth told above, a father impregnates his daughter. According to this story, when the father shed his seed in his daughter, his seed was spilled upon the earth (Doniger O'Flaherty, 167). Doniger O’Flaherty states that the Brahmanas also had a version of creation, as did the Upanisads. In this version of creation, there is also incest. The incestuous father’s name in this myth is Prajapati. In this story, Prajapati approached his daughter, who was alternatively the sky or the dawn. She was in the form of a doe, he as a stag. The others did not approve of this, and Prajapati was pierced, and flew upward as a deer. The arrow was in three parts, and was known as the tripartite arrow. Prajapati also had a chance to spill his seed, and his seed spillage became a lake. Cattle sprang up from the seeds when the Marutttsss blew upon it. Doniger O’Flaherty states that this is one version, and other versions have the sons of Prajpati committing the incestuous act with their own sister. In these other versions, the Rudra is born from the seed, and, in some versions, the Rud

Strategic Choice and Evaluation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategic Choice and Evaluation - Research Paper Example According to the paper  the senior management of Merifashion must pay close attention not only to its strategic factors such as ‘where’, ‘how’, and ‘when’ but also to the role played by organizational factors that are responsible for transforming a strategy into reality. For instance, once they embark on promotional campaigns for its fashionable products, they should start this by setting up a strategic plan. Lack of these factors can dampen its growth plans, organizational structures and processes as well as be able to tackle the day-to-day challenges and problems it faces today. In addition, key personnel may lack the necessary skills and attributes for them to cope up with the complexities brought about by growth. There are certain strategies, which are recommended in this paper that could help Merifashion to deal with such stalemates.This essay discusses that  one major strategy than Merifashion could follow to ensure continued success i n the business of fashionable products is the engagement of all staff irrespective of their level throughout the organization. Strategic planning is not an event but a process. It has to take certain steps so as to ensure continued success and prosperity in the organization. Engagement of staff generates added input into the organization that helps t build and grow commitment among the staff members.  It is of very high importance for Merifashion to involve employees in the strategy planning.

Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Accounting - Assignment Example Moreover, they defraud the bank by inflating that they had purchased a real estate property on behalf of the bank at a value of three point two billion instead of sixty-three point five million dollars (International Financial Reporting. (2013). Stanford Company failed to carry out background check to investigate the history of the two officials prior hiring them. Secondly, the company did not setup anti-fraud policy that indicates how to detect report and curb fraud. Thirdly, the company did not have an anti-fraud training to educate employees on the risk of fraud. Additionally Stanford Company was unable to conduct job rotation which could have helped to prevent the occurrence of fraud (Iyer & Samociuk, 2006). I would recommend the company to establish internal and external control. For example, the company should carry out regular internal and external audits. Further, background check may help to identify personal character to hold sensitive financial positions. Moreover, ant-fraud policies and training should be put forth to address the issues of fraud (Iyer & Samociuk,

Primary causes behind the start of the Cold War Essay

Primary causes behind the start of the Cold War - Essay Example Cold War is recognized as an era of extreme tension and hostility between Soviet Union and the United States of America. The War had its origins at the end of Second World War and ended in the early decade of 1990s. The fear of nuclear escalation did not allow the two economies to indulge into an active war therefore; this war is known as Cold War. This war is different from the other wars because it was not an active war and it was fought through propagandas, military clashes, economic clashes and diplomatic bargaining. Most of the world economies came under the impact of Cold War including the neutral economies, newly independent economies and others. Various factors contributed to intensify the conflicts between the two nations however, a few of them appeared as the primary causes of Cold War. The aim of this essay is to discuss the primary causes of Cold War. In general, there are three views about â€Å"who was to blame for the Cold War? (Johndclare)† The Traditional view is supported by western writers who blame Soviet Russia for the Cold War and they argue that Stalin was seeking to establish a Soviet empire. The Revisionist view is supported by western writers who blame America for the Cold War. They argue that Truman could not understand the impact of Second World War on Russia. Third view is the Post-Revisionists view which considers the hatred of both nations as the primary cause of Cold War. ... The historians have disagreements over the exact date of Cold War however; most of the historians agree that this war started when the President of the United States, Truman announced an anti-communist policy. The Second World War has its significance in the discussion of Cold War because the war started immediately after the Second World War. The ideological, political and economic differences between the United States and Soviet Union were not much prominent before the World War II however; mutual suspicions and distrust intensified the differences between the two nations and came on screen after the World War II. These differences and the factors intensifying these differences became the primary causes of Cold War. The defeat of Nazi Germany became the collapse of old Europe and appeared as a common victory of American and Soviet soldiers who celebrated the victory together in Germany in 1945. However, the conflicts between Soviet Union and the United States increased when it came to make a decision about the occupied Germany and the composition of a new Polish government. These conflicts intensified when the two nations failed to agree on a common plan relevant to the control of atomic energy and Soviets started communizing the lands under their occupation which threatened the United States on the division of Europe. The United States could see the spread of Communist State in the Western Europe whereas; the Soviet Union was threatened by American nuclear power and control. Fuller argues that the fear of democratic west about the Soviet Union was the primary cause of Cold War. If at one end, Soviet Union had a fear of western invasions of her new satellites, then at the other end, the western states were seeing the spread of Marxism.

Setting the stage for strategic compensation and bases for pay Term Paper

Setting the stage for strategic compensation and bases for pay - Term Paper Example Compensation Department Goals Milkovich & Newman (2005) define compensation as the financial returns and benefits employees receive from employer in order to achieve a positive relationship between employer and employee. It is geared at enhancing employee’s performance and organizational effectiveness and consequently competitive advantage in the labor market. The compensation department is part human resource department as it is concerned with employee base pay and benefits administration.The main goals of the department are to attract, motivate and retain talented employees in the organization. To achieve these goals, an organization needs to align its compensation objectives with organization objectives (Ledford & Heneman, 2002). To attract high quality talent, its pay has to be competitive in the market. The compensation department carries out surveys to determine what the other organizations are offering for similar tasks and pay the same amount or higher than the competi tors. The salary should reflect the value of the job being performed for an employee to be satisfied (Heneman, 2002).If the compensation an employee receives is not equivalent to the task performed or is not equivalent to what others performing similar tasks in the organization or in the job market, then the employee loses morale or is demotivated leading to poor performance and loss of productivity for the organization hence the compensation system should be internally equitable and externally competitive (Bohlander & Snell, 2010). Through job evaluation, salary structure and performance management systems, an organization can be able to motivate and retain high performing employees. Ledford & Heneman (2002) argue that performance appraisals can be used to justify increased pay rate (413). Higher pay rates then enable the organization to set high selection standards thus recruit better qualified employees. To retain the employees, the organization can offer pay based on performance or the currently new system of pay for skills (Bohlander & Snell, 2010). However, motivation depends on the value of rewards achieved after achieving the set standards or after good performance thus the rewards should be motivating so as to direct behavior towards high performance. Contextual Influence That Pose Greatest Challenge and One That Poses Least Challenge to Companies’ Competitiveness Organizations strive to achieve competitive advantage through its compensation system. According to Cardy & Leonard (2011), company gains competitiveness if its pay is fair compared to what is offered by other organizations. This can be achieved by developing strategies aimed at ensuring it remains competitive in the market such as cost leadership and differentiation. A strategic analysis of the internal capabilities and external market environment is required to establish the challenges to organizations competitive ability. Organizations attain efficiency by operating at low cost whi le at the same time producing high quality products. This has an implication on its inputs since the cost of production is determined by cost of inputs such as labor, capital and land. To attain efficiency, it thus has to ensure maximum utilization of its resources; in this case its employee skills, knowledge and interests. The competitiveness of the company is however challenged by various contextual factors such as; employment laws, labor unions, market influences and social factors. These factors affect compensation practice and consequently competitiveness (Milkovich & Newman, 2005). The employment laws may pose a great challenge to compensation practices. The wage laws determine the minimum and maximum wages an employee can receive and prohibit employment discrimination. If an employee perceives a practice such as performance pay or skill based pay as discriminatory, he/she can claim discrimination allegation. The base pay for employees performing

Principles of Learning to Play the Piano Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Principles of Learning to Play the Piano - Essay Example When learning to play the piano, the first thing that is important is to find the right teacher, someone who is calm, patient and willing to help one understand the importance of practice and form. When playing the piano for the first time it is common to make many mistakes and feel as though one is not capable enough or adequate for this activity. Playing the piano can be complex and that is why it is important to find a teacher who is willing to help and has the patience to guide the student through the process of playing the piano. What is also important is that a teacher will be able to show the student how not to learn to play with bad habits. Once these habits become common-place they are difficult to break, this is why it is essential that my teacher showed how to play the piano corrected for the first time. From then on I was playing properly and playing this lovely instrument with ease. I felt confident knowing that I have selected the appropriate instructor and looked forwa rd to learning more. After finding the proper instructor, the next step in learning how to play the piano involves practice and lots of it. Yes, as they say, practice makes perfect and this is very true when it comes to playing the piano. The more one practices the better he or she will become and regular practice is essential when playing the piano. Step by step people will slowly improve and become memorization is so important when playing the piano, it is very important that practice is regular and consistent.  

The right analysis tools Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The right analysis tools - Assignment Example For instance if an analytic tool such as the net margin ratio revealed that the firm’s profit margin was low, the analytical tool by itself would not give the person that found those results any type of plan on how to fix the problem. The managers are the people that interpret the data to determine the best course of action to fix the issue the firm is facing. Analytical tools without a manager or decision maker competent to make good decisions on how to remedy the situation are virtually worthless. The use of financial analytical tools help increase the credibility of the information been released by the management team of a company (Dooley). The use of analytical financial tools can greatly help a manager’s ability to make routine decisions. For instance a company can have daily income statements to determine the profitability of a firm on a daily basis. If a manager notices that the profitability of a firm goes down for several consecutive days he can then check and audit the numbers to determine the factors that caused the profitability of the firm to go down. Analytical tools can also help in quality and staffing considerations. It is important for the HR department of firms to use analytical tools to evaluate the performance of each of their employees. 3. How can analysis tools help the finance or accounting arms of a company more so than operations managers? (For example, do computers really think? Do they learn from their mistakes? Can they manipulate or change their environment?) Analytic tools to evaluate operation management are important, but I believe that analytical tools to evaluate the finances or accounting or a company can be more valuable. The reason for my opinion is based on the fact that finance analytical tools can help managers determine critical information about the status of an ongoing operation. For example the current ratio is a finance analytical tool that helps

The Carter Administration and the Evolution of American Nuclear Essay

The Carter Administration and the Evolution of American Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy - Essay Example Should one continue to play in the field to make sure that it is kept regulated Or should one insist on the moral high ground and stay away from an arena where the evil is both patent and inherent No other world leader has been hounded by this question more than Jimmy Carter, whose regime has seen the evolution of the American Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Though his good faith and commitment to his advocacy have remained unquestioned, many have voiced their opposition over a nuclear containment strategy that effectively cuts off US engagement from other States with respect to the development of nuclear arsenal, and restricts technology transfer with the end in view of achieving nuclear nonproliferation. It is submitted, however, that Carter is not to blame for the failure of his policies. The larger political landscape - both internal and external - must be examined. If at all, Carter must be lauded for boldly extricating the discourse of nuclear weapons from the neither-here-nor-there language of political ambiguity. His fierce and uncompromising condemnation of nuclear weapons has found resonance all over the world, and continues to affect American foreign policy, one A merican President after another. The history of American policy on nuclear weapons is indeed a colorful and protracted one. After the Second World War ended, the Soviet Union began the nuclear race. Desirous of preventing the Soviets from amassing nuclear arsenal, the US encouraged its allies to explore its nuclear capabilities as well. However, the infamous nuclear testing conducted by France radically altered policy and nonproliferation became the avowed goal. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty was entered into by the administration of Lyndon Johnson. However, it was a secondary issue for all intents and purposes. America was made complacent by the absence of threats. When India detonated a nuclear device in 1984, a paradigm shift took place. Nonproliferation suddenly became an important issue. Then President Nixon gave word that he would supply nuclear reactors to Egypt and Israel so they may develop their own nuclear capabilities. Many raised fears, valid fears, that this would only lead to the unabated spread of nuclear weapons and it would reach a point when regulation would be next to impossible. Comes now Jimmy Carter, riding on the crescent wave of anti-nuclear weapon advocates. In his campaign, he always gave special importance to the issue of nuclear weapons. He knew why he wanted to do it - because the anti-nuclear weapons advocacy was at the core human rights issue, and how he would do it - by prohibiting the commercial reprocessing and recycling of plutonium used in the creation of nuclear weapons. By arresting the technology transfer, Carter believed that he was paving the way for nuclear containment. This was a radical and total departure from the policies of Nixon on Ford, who believed in strategic engagement, even a little muscle-flexing, when the need arises. His was a complete declaration of war against nuclear weapons; not the case-to-case basis policy of previous regimes. Much opposition was generated by Carter's policy. In the strong words of Sen. Pete Domenici, a Republican from New Mexico, " a strategy of nonproliferation based solely on denial of equipment and technology will at most only delay, not prohibit this possibility." The legislature also

The Waterways to freedom Essay Example for Free

The Waterways to freedom Essay As human beings, we ought to be endowed with the freedom of choice for we are naturally striving for channels of free will. We have a propensity to perceive life in an individualistic manner as we are all distinct entities. The art of entrapment we see from time to time deprives and suffocates our very being as individuals. However, the struggles we overcome are not always resolved by our own involuntary response to problems, but at times our very survival depends on the help of others to conquer a period of difficulty. Homers The Odyssey is a primary example of the idea of mans reliance on oneself and the occasional need for the assistance of others. Under Calypsos power, Odysseus is entrapped in her possession and loses all hope to escape on his own. After seven lengthy years of Odysseuss imprisonment, Hermes, the messenger of the gods, is sent by the gods to Calypsos island to order the release of Odysseus so that he can continue on with his voyage home. At times throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus did not consider the consequences of his actions and depended on guidance from the gods to steer him in the right direction. This particular passage describes Odysseus as a lowly mortal and reinforces his need of the aid of higher beings to help him surmount his struggles. Homer employs the act of the will to survive with the additional help of the immortals using diction, imagery, and structure to establish an apparent passage that focuses directly on mans struggle for freedom and the belief that man cannot escape his fate. One time or another, everyone has yearned for the comfort of having someone nearby, someone that leaves you feeling reassured and intact. For this need for companionship, the beautiful seductive magical (36) nymph Calypso seizes Odysseus and compels him to live a sensual yet vegetative existence where he wastes seven years of his ten year journey home on the lavish, luxurious island of Ogygia. For ten years, surrounded by men, Odysseus lives out the male heroic ideal image of a warrior and then spends several years further testing himself against life-threatening obstacles. In the process, he loses all of his followers, and has nothing left but the little that remains of himself. Here on Calypsos island, he lives in majestic paradise: A deep wood grew outside, with summer leaves of alder and black poplar, pungent cypress. Ornate birds rested there stretched wing horned owls, falcons, cormorants long-tongued beachcombing birds, and followers of the sea (22-26). With the use of diction Calypsos diatribe on Odysseus can be seen as a reaction to the reality of her life where she is a crooking vine (27) holding purple clusters under ply of green (28). The purple clusters effectively signifies Odysseus identity of a heroic leader, as the color purple represents royalty, who is twisted and detained under Calypsos crooking vine of power. Homer employs the use of his selected words to also establish Odysseus ongoing journey where he took channels here and there (30). Odysseus waterways of home shifts through beds of violets and tender parsley (31), indicating his temptations of sexual relationships with various women, including Calypso, throughout his voyage home. Violet is an enticing color which Homer utilizes to suggest Calypsos love and desire for Odysseus where he is entrapped on her island surrounded by the violet ocean (14). Through Homers establishment of words, he guides us to identify with Odysseus search for freedom under constraints of those who hold him back. Emancipated nature imagery displays the contrast between Odysseus suppressed captivity with the vast open world around him. The images of wild animals and plant life, alder and black poplar, pungent cypress (23) and ornate birds (24), denote Odysseus loss of hope of escape which contrasts with the serene tranquility of the environment around him. The image of birds is constantly utilized in the epic as omens that rely on the perception of Odysseus as an aggressive, predatory creature. With their stretched wings (24) the birds in this passage implies Odysseus stretched capability as a war hero in search of his homeland but is kept back by obstacles, just like the birds are kept from flying further because of their need to rest (24). The comparison of Hermes and Odysseus is evident in the beginning of the passage where it is seen through the imagery of Hermes movement. Whilst Odysseus is racked in confinement with his own heart groaning (42), Hermes is swiftly carried over water and over endless land in a swish of the wind (4). The high-speed action imagery of Hermes is illustrated to imply the higher being of an immortal and the never-ending limits of his freedom as he paced into the air (7), shot down to sea level (8), and veered to skim the swell (9). Odysseus and Hermes, who is wearing ambrosial, golden (3) sandals, which signifies his divine godly position, both possess brilliant godlike features, but differ in that Odysseus is a man of the mortal world while Hermes is immortal. However, although Odysseus and Hermes share common characteristics, in this passage, Odysseus is portrayed as a pitiable human with eyes wet scanning the bare horizon of the sea (42) who is in need of help from a higher being. The image of Hermes rescuing Odysseus is painted with the accompaniment of the seas and personified as the gull patrolling between the wave crests of the desolate sea (9-10). The desolate, barren sea suggests Odysseus loss of hope, loss of perseverance, and loss of will to survive, where the gull, Hermes, swoops down and douse his wings (11) to set Odysseus back on track along his journey home. All of this imagery imparts not only an in-depth depiction of the relationship between the lowly mortal of Odysseus and the glorified immortal being of Hermes, but also reinforces the deepness of his tragedy and depth of his sorrow. With the arrangement of structure, an understanding of the central idea can be communicated where both repetitions of common sounds are used and the order of the passage is recognized to grasp the fundamental concept of Odysseus survival. The repetitive use of s sounds is displayed within every line of the passage and as the poem is being spoken aloud, the s sounds transmits the serenity of the language but at the same time uncertainty of his undetermined fate. Each line is comprised of at least one s sound and can go to as many as four, for instance, scented the farthest shore with cedar smoke (18). The use of s sounds not only bestows the calmness of the atmosphere and the indecisiveness of what is yet to come, but also conveys Odysseus situation of captivity of being held back from his freedom against his own will as a thousand times before (40). The structure of mood within the passage enhances the extremity of Odysseus need for guidance from the gods. With the help of s sounds, the mood is displayed as tranquil and peaceful throughout the beginning of the passage but transitions into a sorrowful mood when Odysseus who sat apart racked with his own heart groaning and with eyes wet, is mentioned. The order of the mood change establishes the atmosphere to the central idea of freedom and Odysseus need for the assistance of a higher being for the outcome of his future. Homer successfully led us to develop a certain predetermined picture of Odysseus journey with the excessive amount of pain and sorrow he endured throughout his voyage home. One of the major themes of The Odyssey is the belief that man cannot escape the destiny which has been fated for him by the gods. Destiny plays an imperative role in the survival of Odysseus throughout his adventures. Finally, after seven years of languishing in Calypsos island, with the help of Hermes, Odysseus continues on with his journey and follows his fate the gods bestowed upon him. Through diction, structure, nature and contrasting imagery, as well as the relationship between mortal and immortals, the theme of mans act of will to survive and the struggle for freedom with the additional help of others is visibly recognized. Some people believe they can make it through life on their own two feet, but at times, the waterway in the course of life needs the assistance of a strong current to push us along and guide us to surpass the slow, immobile areas along the channels to our destination.

AirAsia

AirAsia Abstract AirAsia was the first successful low cost airline in the Southeast Asian region. This case study discusses the factors that contributed to AirAsias success. It studies the influence of culture and leadership at AirAsia, the factors contributing to its operational efficiency and the strategic orientation of the airline. It also discusses the threats to the long-term success of the airline with reference to increasing competition in the region and the need to overcome certain service shortcomings. The case concludes with an assessment of AirAsias future plans. To study the growth of the pioneer of low cost airlines in the Southeast Asian region To analyze the reasons for the success of a low cost airline in Southeast Asia, a region where analysts felt there was no market for low cost services To understand the operational model followed by the airline and how it contributed to its success To examine the relationship between leadership and culture and the need for a strong and dynamic leader in a startup organization To understand the threats to the airlines long-term success and how these may be overcome To analyze the growing low cost trend in the Southeast Asian region and the market potential for the same AirAsia was not the first budget carrier in Asia (although it was the first in the Southeast Asian region). The low cost trend actually started in Asia in the 1990s, when two budget airlines Air Do and Skymark Airlines were launched in Japan. However, neither of the airlines succeeded as their operational model was weak and they were soon out discounted by Japans major airlines Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Air System. Another budget airline, Cebu Pacific Air, operated flights between Hong Kong and Seoul to the Cebu Islands in the Philippines, but its operations were limited. Otherwise, it was the national flag carriers that dominated the region According to analysts, AirAsias main appeal was its low fares. By offering fares that were a fraction of what major airlines charged, AirAsia created a new market in the Southeast Asian region. People who could otherwise not have afforded air travel began to fly AirAsia Analysts generally agreed that AirAsias success had significantly changed the dynamics of the Southeast Asian aviation industry. However, they said it would be premature to call the airline an unqualified success. AirAsia was set up in 2001, which was a bad time for the global aviation industry. Despite this, it managed to develop a successful business model. However, the airline industry had witnessed a number of cases where airlines started off well but later experienced a downturn In early 2005, AirAsia Sdn Berhad (AirAsia) announced that it would give away 10,000 free seats on its flights to select Southeast Asian destinations.The airline said that was its way of celebrating the completion of three years of successful flying and of saying thank you to the people for their support. AirAsias accomplishments and success today is a reflection of the publics trust and faith in the company,said Tony Fernandes (Fernandes), CEO of AirAsia. The airline also wanted to thank the public for making its late-2004 shares issue a huge success. One of the most successful airlines in the Southeast Asian region and the pioneer of low cost, no frills travel in Malaysia, AirAsia was often in the news for its low fares and fast growing operations Until AirAsia proved them wrong, airline analysts believed that budget carriers would not find a market in Asia. They said the Asian airline industry was different from the industries of the US and Europe airline passengers in Asia looke d on air travel as a luxury, and expected to be pampered by the airlines. For this reason, no-frills travel would not appeal to them. In addition, Asian countries had a great amount of red tapism, which made it difficult to start any new venture, not least of all, an airline. Major national airlines in most of the countries also enjoyed government backing and were too powerful to allow competition to flourish. Therefore, when AirAsia was set up in 2001, it was greeted by a large amount of skepticism. The airline industry was not a good place to be in at that time, reeling as it was from the combined effects of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and economic downturn. However, within three years of operation, AirAsia changed the dynamics of the Asian airline industry. It not only managed to compete with major carriers like Malaysian Airlines (MAS) and Singapore International Airlines (SIA), but it also became the benchmark for several other low-cost airlines in that market. So great was AirAsias impact that analysts said the airline, with its minimal fares, was living up to its tag line which said Now Everyone can Fly. Against All Odds In 2001, Dato Sri Tony Fernandes Fernandes started his career as a music industry executive, working at Virgin Records and Time Warner Music It was his childhood dream to run an airline, but he did not consider the idea seriously until he saw easyJet, a London-based low cost airline, on television. Fernandes was impressed with what he saw of easyJet and decided that he wanted to explore its operations further. He spent two days at easyJets headquarters in Luton airport, talking to staff and passengers and learning how the airline was run. Fernandes had always believed that a low cost airline would be successful in the Southeast Asian region, and his experience at easyJet convinced him of the potential of his idea. He resigned from his job at Time Warner Music and returned home to Malaysia . Fernandes had no prior experience in running an airline, nor did he have enough money to start one. He raised money by mortgaging his house and using up his savings. He also roped in three of his associates Datuk Pahamin A. Rajab, Abdul Aziz Abu Bakar and Kamarudin Meranun who believed in his vision for a low cost operator in Malaysia. Getting an airline license was not easy in Malaysia. The partners set up a meeting with the Malaysi an Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed (Mahathir), and presented to him the major features of their business model along with Dato Pahamin Ab. Rajab (Former Chairman, AirAsia), Dato Kamarudin bin Meranun (Deputy Group Chief Executive Offi cer, AirAsia) and Dato Abdul Aziz bin Abu Bakar (Current Chairman, AirAsia) formed a partnership to set up Tune Air Sdn Bhd and bought AirAsia for a token sum of RM1.00. With the help of Conor Mc Carthy (Director, AirAsia; former Director of Tune Air Sdn Bhd and former Director of Group Operations, Ryanair), AirAsia was remodeled into a low cost carrier and by January 2002, their vision to make air travel more aff ordable for Malaysians took fl ight. Valued at RM2.3 billion, AirAsia is today an award winning and the largest low cost carrier in Asia. From a two aircraft operation of Boeing 737-300, AirAsia currently boasts a fl eet of 78 aircraft that fl ies to over 60 domestic and international destinations and operates over 500 domestic and international fl ights daily from six hubs located at Low Cost Carrier Terminal (KLIA), Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Bangkok (Thailand), Jakarta (Indonesia) and Bali (Indonesia). AirAsia is fast spreading its wings to create a bigger and more extensive route network through its associate companies, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia. The airline has carried, thus far, over 61 million guests since its fi rst day of operation. At AirAsia, we are bringing people closer by bridging boundaries through our philosophy of off ering low fares. It has sparked a revolution in travel, as more and more people from all walks of life are now able to fl y for the first time, while many others have made air travel with AirAsia their preferred choice of transport. We are consistently adding new routes, which include city pairs that never existed before, in our relentless eff orts to create a seamless bridge of unity across Asia. It is something very close to our hearts as we continuously strive to promote air travel and create excitement amongst our guests with our range of innovative products and personalised services. Corporate Vision, Mission and Values 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 fl y with AirAsia Maintain the highest quality product, embracing technology to reduce cost and enhance service level Values Safety Adopting a zero tolerance to unsafe practices and strive for zero accidents through proper training, work practices, risk management and adherence to safety regulations at all times. Valuing Our People Committing to our peoples 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. Commitment To Excellence AirAsia is committed to excellence. We intend to excel in everything we do by achieving exceptional results. We have set high standards, but no higher than our customers expectations. Day after day, our people do their best so that we meet these expectations. In all our eff orts, there are five fundamental values: Safety, Passion, Integrity, Caring and Fun. They provide a frame of reference for the AirAsia experience and a corporate culture in which we live and deliver peak performance. The business models AirAsias success has taken flight through the continued confi dence of our guests who prefer a no-frills, hasslefree, low fare and convenient option in air travel. The key to delivering low fares is to consistently keep cost low. Attaining low cost requires high effi ciency in every part of the business and maintaining simplicity. Therefore every system process must incorporate best industry practices. We make this possible through the implementation of the following key strategies: Safety First Safety is the single most important criteria in every aspect of the operations, an area that AirAsia will never compromise on. AirAsia complies with the conditions set by regulators in all the countries where the airline operates. In addition, AirAsia partners with the worlds most renowned maintenance providers to ensure that its fleet is always in the best condition. AirAsia has committed itself to a program of reducing risks and hazards normally associated with our industry through a Safety Management System. This commitment is extended to ensure the full integration of a safety culture, safety policy and safety objectives in a proactive approach to aviation safety. In short, our Safety Management System is not just an add-on but a core part of our business process. It is the way we do business. The critical safety functions of senior management are in the areas of strategy and leadership. Senior management will provide a vision for safety management and provide adequate resources to achieve this level of safety High Aircraft Utilisation AirAsias high frequency flights have made it more convenient for guests to travel as the airline implements a quick turnaround of 25 minutes, which is the fastest in the region. This has resulted in high aircraft utilisation, lower costs and greater airline and staff productivity. Efficient Fleet, AirAsia continues to invest in new aircraft. As of the end of 2008, the Group received a total of 56 Airbus A320 aircraft and the deployment is as follows. Malaysian operations has received 46 and is now a fully Airbus A320 aircraft feet. Thailand operations has received six and Indonesian operation, four. Our fl eet is among the youngest in Asia and we will get even younger as we take delivery of 14 Airbus A320 aircraft and retire nine older Boeing 737-300 Classics aircraft in 2009. These Airbus A320 are ultra modern, more fuel effi cient and environmentally friendly aircraft with unparalleled levels of passenger comfort, serviceability and reliability. We have received positive feedback that our passengers love this aircraft. These aircraft have reduced operational cost signifi cantly and helped to deliver strong profi ts. Low Fare, No Frills AirAsia targets guests who are prepared to do away with frills such as meals, frequent flyer miles or airport lounges in exchange for fares lower than those currently off ered without comprising on quality and service. Guests have the choice of buying exclusively prepared meals, snacks and drinks from our in-fl ight service at an aff ordable price. While onboard AirAsia the best thing to do, of course, is to eat and drink. We will help you do that by off ering a vast selection of food and drinks without punching a hole in your wallet. And our fun and friendly crew will ensure the merriment part of your travel experience. Streamline Operations Making the process as simple as possible is the key to AirAsias success. We are working towards a single aircraft fl eet; this greatly reduces duplicating manpower requirements as well as stocking of maintenance parts. There is only one class seating, i.e. fi rst class, and passengers are free to sit where they choose. Lean Distribution System AirAsia off ers a wide and innovative range of distribution channels to make booking and traveling easier for its guests. AirAsias ticketless service provides a low cost alternative to issuing printed tickets. Simple Distribution System Simple is good, simple is what we want and simple is what we all need. Bearing this in mind, we have worked very hard through countless hours of research and development to ensure that our distribution system is, simple. It is ironic that so much work is required to be simple but bear in mind that simple is a relative word when you are catering to the needs of millions of people across the world. We have developed a comprehensive, yet simple distribution system. One that is capable of handling the most technologically savvy customer to the most technologically deprived. Our website www.airasia.com is available in seven languages and our call centre is conversant in the major spoken Asian languages. For those always on the go, you can book a fl ight using your mobile phone at www.mobile.airasia.com We have recently upgraded our self check-in machines with a simpler and more powerful version. The transaction takes not more than two minutes to complete. This new machine also has an advanced security feature which eff ectively cuts the risk of fraud. We have also expanded our web check-in facility to all stations and destinations. You can now use the web check-in facility even if you have baggage (previously web check-in was only for passengers without baggage). Simply stroll over to the baggage drop off counter every station has one and then proceed to the departure hall for your fl ight. If you have not tried any of these convenient services, I recommend you do so the next time you fl y with AirAsia. Not only will it save you valuable time and eliminate the stress of queuing up, it will also reward AirAsia in the form of lower cost and thus lower my stress. Its amutually healthy proposition! Point to point network The LCC model shuns the hub-andspoke system and adopts the simple pointto-point network. All AirAsia fl ights are shorthaul (four hour fl ight or less). The underlying business is to get a person from point A to B. On Time Performance, Nothing irks airline passengers more than a delay. Often, these delays are caused by factors beyond our control when Mother Nature throws a fi t, for instance but we can try to mitigate these occurrences by ensuring that we take actions within our control to do so. One of the benefi ts of a young fl eet is reliability. AirAsas On Time Performance (OTP) has improved by nine percentage points since the fi rst Airbus A320 aircraft was inducted into our fl eet. The graph below indicates OTP will rise with more Airbus A320 aircraft in the fl eet. We will back test this conclusion and aim for 92% OTP in 2009. If we succeed, it will make us the most punctual airline in the world. In line with our confi dence in achieving this goal, we have launched a revolutionary campaign called On Time Guarantee (OTG). In a snapshot, this campaign compensates a passenger inconvenienced by a substantial delay due to our fault at no additional cost. We believe this pioneering and unique campaign will help to boost the retention rate and raise our brand equity. AirAsia Today AirAsia flies over 100 routes across 12 countries in Asia. The fast-growing airline has become Asias eigth-largest airline in six years, and is now the largest low-cost carrier in Asia, with the lowest cost base of any airline in the world. According to AirAsia, the key to delivering low fares is to consistently keep costs low which requires high efficiency in every part of the business, with every system process incorporating best industry practices. How they do it Ultimately, it is our guests who have made us what we are today. A passion for exceeding our guests expectations is what spurs us to relentlessly pursue innovative ways to enhance the service we provide. Constant innovation is the tool we use to expand our guests freedom to travel so that Now Everyone Can Fly. In 2008, a total commitment to innovation enabled us to stay ahead of the game and once again win an array of prestigious awards. In the years to come, the same commitment will see us successfully navigate the ongoing global economic turbulence, broaden our horizons and not only survive but prosper. In 2009 we will unroll a series of initiatives designed to boost customer service while keeping fares down. So it is apt that this years Annual Report focuses on innovations which will enable AirAsia Berhad (AirAsia) to retain its pole position as the worlds preferred low fare airline. Above all, it is appropriate for us to acknowledge the support our guests give us by making Thanks to YOU the key message of this report. The Asia-Pacific aviation industry is enjoying strong passenger demand. According to the International Civil Aviation Association, passenger numbers in the region grew more than 12 percent in 2007, supported by rising economies, increasing business travel, and growing disposable incomes. Making Innovations Just for You Why is AirAsia performing so well? The answer couldnt be any simpler: AirAsia grows because it saves money for people. Nobody wants to part with their money whenever possible, but I am certain that almost everyone likes to travel. So, sensibly, people look for the lowest cost option with fi rst class service. Providing fi rst class service is imperative for any service oriented company, customers simply wont have it any other way. We realise this importance and have consistently upgraded our service level, and succeeded in doing so without any compromise to effi ciency and cost. I will explain in the following pages our initiatives present and future to enhance customer service delivery. Some are innovative ideas inspired by the talented people of AirAsia and some are simple but functional moves that came from other sources. Expanding the Route Network In 2008, we achieved many milestones. The one closest to my heart is our entry into Singapore. For too long, passengers on the Malaysia to Singapore route were burdened with high fares extracted by the monopolistic nature of the route operators. This is no longer the case AirAsia introduced unheard-of low fares on a route that has proven to be high-yielding and is expected to deliver sustained profi ts. We have six destinations linking to Singapore at the end of 2008 and this number will double by the end of 2009. For years, we have gazed upon India and waited for an opportunity. That day fi nally came and our maiden route, Kuala Lumpur to Tiruchirappalli, has been a resounding success. There is plenty more to come, we currently have on our radar screen to commence services to Coimbatore, Kochi and Kolkata. India presents a fantastic opportunity for AirAsia and I envisage it as one of our biggest markets in years to come.of growth with 39% more passengers carried than the year before. This signifi cantly outpaced the domestic Malaysia passenger numbers that grew by 13%. While we continue to see and capitalise on opportunities in Malaysia, we expect the higher rate of growth in international sectors to continue. With the launch of AirAsia X, AirAsias route network has evolved from being Asia-centric to include Australia and Europe. The impact of this connectivity for instance, connecting Australia and London by providing an alternative, aff ordable version of the so-called Kangaroo Route is being felt not just by AirAsia but by Malaysia. Our route connectivity and the frequency of our fl ights is now turning Kuala Lumpur into the premier regional hub for low-cost travel. Our services in boosting tourism in Malaysia are helping to alleviate some of the pain infl icted by the global economic downturn. Our investments in these new routes and in boosting the Malaysian economy demonstrate our unwavering commitment to the nation and its people. The Chanllenge Implement low cost promotions with high efficiency and best industry practices Create and implement print and web campaigns on a very tight delivery schedule Integrate and implement internationally across multiple languages and media Benefits Accelerated creation to delivery model High quality implementation at a low cost 50 percent increased productivity in creative turnaround and output Industry Overview and Challenges The Asia-Pacifi c aviation industry is facing one of the most challenging period since the 1997 Asian financial crisis. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), passenger numbers in the Asia Pacifi c region shrunk by 1.5% in 2008 and is expected to contract by a further 0.6% in 2009. Financial loss projections paint an even more dismal scenario Asia-Pacifi c airlines posted a US$500 million loss in 2008, with the loss forecast to balloon up to US$1.5 billion in 2009. The competitive environment has gone awry amid confusion. Many airlines have terminated underperforming services, deferred scheduled aircraft deliveries and frozen excess capacity in an attempt to reduce their cost base. Legacy carriers are also slashing fares on main routes, often putting themselves in direct competition with low-cost airlines such as AirAsia. I am confi dent, however, that we will more than hold our own. AirAsia is not just about low fares. Our route connectivity, the frequency of our fl ights, Industry leading punctuality, the 5-Star quality of our service and our determination to excel in everything we do provides our customers and guests unparalleled value We welcome fair competition conducted on a level playing fi eld because we are confi dent we can triumph over all comers. In fact, we are noticing an upsurge of interest in fl ying AirAsia by the corporate sector as it seeks to cut travel costs for its executives by switching to us instead of using legacy carriers. This is just one example of how the current economic downturn has benefi ted us and we have good reason to believe there are many more. Our market share will likely grow in 2009, partly because much of the rest of the industry is in acute distress. Going forward The critical qualities needed to navigate through the current economic turbulence are a focus on innovation, maintaining tight discipline in line with the low-cost model, creative marketing and an unwavering self belief. As many of you are aware, I am an incorrigible optimist. I look for silver lining in any situation and I am confi dent that the economy will rebound. I am also a person who fi rmly believes in lighting a candle rather than cursing the darkness. Which is why we made the painful decisions we made and have put in place strategies that will see us through this uncertain period and continue to deliver long-term value to our customers, shareholders and all our other stakeholders. Unit cost is expected to reduce substantially stemming from our decision to purchase fuel on the spot market, the benefi ts of a younger fl eet and economies of scale. The current price of fuel is substantially lower than the US$128 per barrel that we paid in 2008. The benefi t of the lower fuel p rice goes straight to the bottom line. With these gains in hand, 2009 will be a strong year for the Group. Its been an extremely eventful and exciting year. The Board of Directors and I are pleased and proud to be leading our talented and committed employees as we begin this new chapter in the history of AirAsia. We have every confi dence that the future will be both successful and full of opportunities.

Moral Standards In Advertising Media Essay

Moral Standards In Advertising Media Essay Ethics of advertising can be defined as ethical activity, corresponding not only to law but also to moral principles. Although the normal ethics considers implementation of laws as a basic or minimal level, ethical side of advertising actually goes far beyond the simple implementation of laws. The basis of ethical decisions is formed on a series of concepts: obligations to the society, accountability to both internal (company or client) and external (publicity) parties, and latent intentions of advertising. While advertising is pervasive being an element of the environment, ethical advertisers are responsible for taking into account the expected and possible unintended consequences of their activities. One of the fundamental principles of the free market society is that consumers make free and informed choice. It is consumers who vote with their money and determine the behavior of companies. Advertising is the function of business, which transfers this principle into practice. By definition, consumers cannot make an informed choice without information obtained from advertising. It is no wonder that truth in advertising is regarded as one of the central ethical principles of doing business. In other words, everything said in the advertisement should correspond to the reality. Challenging this rationale, advertisers sometimes deal with ethical problems with the way advertising is created and executed. Often, the question concerns the borders of permitted activity in using such prevalent in advertising approaches, as inflation (exaggeration of the merits of the advertised goods or services), metaphor and hyperbole. For example, an advertisement, running that restaurant X situated in East Side is the best Italian restaurant in the world, is strictly speaking, hardly true. But the advertisers are hoping that they are dealing with an audience, well versed in advertising (i.e. the audience, disillusioned about the main purpose of advertising to sell the advertised product and the means to achieve this goal). Such an informed, sober-minded audience can make allowances for the usual exaggeration in advertising. This means that advertising may, without violating ethical standards, contain symbols, illustrations, similes and metaphors enhancing its assertions. However, the situation is much more serious with advertising which deliberately deceives or misleads the consumers. Deceptive advertisement latently provides only partial information on products or contains statements about the price which mislead the consumers. The same concerns advertisement containing accurate information, but presented in an incomprehensible for the consumer form, or in an integrated form inside a newspaper or magazine article, or as part of a television or radio program. Many consumers also fear that some types of advertising are influencing the subconsciousness. Since these messages get to the consumer bypassing the consciousness and sensory perception, they are often not only unethical, but also illegal, because they can manipulate the freedom of consumer choice. Despite the fact that studies have shown the ineffectiveness of subliminal techniques (e.g., the notorious 25-second frame), the public is still suspecting advertisers in the wide use of such techniques. Ethical issues also arise in the case of participation of celebrities in advertising. Famous sports and movie stars can significantly affect the decision making process of the consumers. Therefore, officially thereve been developed specific recommendations for the creation of such advertising in order to make it more ethical. The character of advertising should be a user of an advertised product, and his statements must fairly reflect his personal opinion. All statements made by the character must have actual proof. Concerns about advertising with celebrities are so great that in some countries such as Canada, it is prohibited for certain product categories, such as alcoholic beverages and certain childrens products. Criticism is also justified in cases of some advertising methods, in particular, playing on fear of consumers. For example, advertising of a certain kind of cereal containing oat and bran was built on fears of cancer. However, these products do not factually contain more fiber than many other natural foods, and they increase the chance to prevent only one kind of cancer, whereas the advertising considered the prevention of cancer in general. Such advertisement can be considered misleading, manipulating the audience and exploiting the feelings of consumers. At the same time, the visual part of the advertisement deserves no less than the text. Since consumers typically pay more attention to images than to the text accompanying them. In particular, the claims involve the fact that the advertisement shows the product bigger than it really is. Another example of unethical imaging is the way advertising depicts women. Using models for the advertisement, advertisers also apply special methods of processing images, allowing characters to look perfect, with absolutely no pigment spots and wrinkles. This actually presents a process of forming an ideal image, unattainable in real life. Attempts of female consumers to become similar to those ideal models finally ends in disappointment, feeling unhappy, loss of self-esteem, inferiority complex, and even guilt. Models are tall and extremely slim; in an effort to be like them, some young women and girls being unable to do anything with their height, direct all their eagerness to their extra pounds, s ometimes bringing themselves to anorexia. Heated discussion also surrounds the image of women in advertising of household goods, where they invariably appear as the main executors of domestic work, showing them on the sidelines of family decision making process. Women are also often unethically shown as sexual objects, but nowadays this aspect is complexified by the modern tendency to depict men in the same way, together with the ambiguity of child images in advertising. Sometimes kids are shown in sexual poses with the provocative make-up, and half-dressed, while new styles of advertisement try displaying certain parts of human body as the main objects of the image, which is only emphasizing sexuality. Older people represent another group of people, harmed by stereotypes which generate from advertising. Feeble, trembling, wrinkled old people, unable to solve simplest tasks, are being targeted with advertising humor. However, this advertising image of elderly people is often very far from reality, in which the elderly lead a ctive and interesting life. Many advertisers state that advertising does not create reality, but only holds a mirror which reflects the society. But if that was true, we would see the images of various social groups in the advertisement. However, the characters (with both genders) of most of the advertisements in North America and Europe are young, slim, smart and extremely athletic. While some advertisers are beginning to realize the importance of different cultural groups, the number of ads with black skin people is growing; but the characters of Asian, and Hispanic origin are still met relatively rarely. Advertising also never positions disabled people, and the elderly are participating only in advertising of dentures and nutritional supplements for elderly people. In addition, certain segments of the population could perceive everything shown in the advertisement as the reality, or misunderstand the special conditions or precautions on the proper use of advertised goods (immigrants, some elderly consumers, children, people lacking education, etc.), which shouldnt be just used for the benefit of a company. A well-known example is the case of advertising offering children to call Santa Claus on a pay telephone numbers beginning with 900. Many children (including those staying at home after school without their parents) called on those numbers without realizing the size of bills that could come for such a conversation. Moral standards of advertising are based on the principles of freedom of choice and freedom of action. These principles come from the belief in the benefits of the free market economy. Informed consumers have freedom of action; they regulate the business activities of companies with their individual purchase decisions. Consumers right to freedom of choice is consistent with two other principles: freedom from coercion and freedom from harm. Advertising should not use unfaithful techniques in order to persuade consumers or manipulate them, pushing to a bad choice. Faithful advertising, which imparts accurate information, is an indispensable condition for consumers; informed decisions about products and services. Nowadays, advertising detached from unethical standards may be unique and sets the standard for the industry. It has value to both clients and consumers. Thus, the terms ethics of advertising and moral standards in advertising are not just a combination of mutually exclusive co ncepts, but without a doubt, present normal business practices.

John Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums Essay -- John Steinbeck The Chrysa

John Steinbeck's The Chrysanthemums The Chrysanthemums is a story that takes place in the Salinas Valley of California. The story's main character is Elisa Allen. Elisa is thirty-five years old. She is a character that goes through development and many changes in the story. Throughout the story Elisa Allen goes through both physical and mental changes." In the beginning of the story Elisa is strong and eager"). She is working in her garden. Her husband Henry comes over to see her and asks her if she would like to go to town for dinner and a movie. Elisa becomes all happy when Henry asks her to do this. Elisa tells Henry that she would like to go to town. "She said she would like to go to town with him like she really didn't get to spend much time with him". Elisa's mental attitude changes once again when the man tells her that he wants to give the chrysanthemum seeds to a lady that he sees during his trip. When Elisa heard what the man wanted to do " she ran excitedly along the geranium bordered path to the back of the house" . She was running to get a flower pot to put the chrysanthemum seeds in. The man left with the flower pot and Elisa was very happy. Elisa was really happy when she left with her husband to go to town. This didn't last very long. Her whole attitude changed when she saw what the man had done with the chrysanthemum seeds. They had all been thrown on the side of the road. The man just left with the flower pot. Elisa had felt really hurt when s...

The Natural Environment and the Human Condition :: Environment Environmental Pollution Preservation

To consider the human condition apart from the natural environment is both foolish and inconceivable. It is in unity with a modern mode of thought that humans are raised to think that they are in some way separated from their natural environment. In developed society the weather has become nothing more than something to discuss with the person standing next to you in the checkout line. Population refers to how many people will be at the movies this weekend. Agriculture is what shows up in the produce section of the grocery store and fire is something you can find on You_Tube and watch on your television screen. Practically nothing directly relates to the environment that we are so intrinsically a part of. Humanity has neglected to develop a consciousness about its position in a world, which includes but is not defined by human society. As far as we know, the beginnings of humanity date back to 3.5 million years ago. Homo erectus (the earliest form of man) was roaming the earth, in Africa, with his hands free enabling him to travel great distances and utilize basic stone tools. The species Homo erectus lived in small, hunter-gatherer groups. Because of constant movement, in search of vegetation and game in addition to a small population, he was unable to leave a lasting impact on the environment. (Ponting) Essentially, he was a very smart ape. (McCrone) Just 100,000 years ago came the development of Homo sapiens whom had a larger brain case and far more advanced hunting techniques, using bolas stones, snarling and trapping. And 30,000 years ago came the development of Homo sapiens sapiens. The bow and arrow was developed along with the needle and thread. Tools and technology were quickly developing and man had the resourcefulness for global spread. The manipulation of fire is regarded as one of mans greatest feats concerning early technology. There is a debate as to when man first intentionally used fire, McCrone argues that Homo erectus was successfully using fire as a tool about 1.5 million years ago. He doesn't think that Homo erectus would have been able to spread its population the way it did without the use of fire which would have facilitated cooking, food preservation and tool making; all of which would have been necessary to migrate great distances. There is evidence of hearths being used in Europe as early as 400,000 years ago, which clearly require controlled use of fire.

What Time is It? :: Essays Papers

What Time is It? Before meeting with my friend Leticia from Honduras, Central America, I would ask her if she was arriving according to North American time or Latin American time. Smiling, she would answer, "A la hora Latina, of course." This meant that she would be late. The concept of time is very different for Latin Americans than for North Americans. Life in the United States is fast-paced. There are fast food restaurants, overnight delivery services, shuttle services, instant cash machines, fast weight loss plans, and even instant minute rice. Avidly following such sayings as, "The early bird gets the worm," and, "First come, first served," North Americans even have their meals in an efficient manner. Microwaves help nuke their early breakfasts, noon lunches, and five-o'clock dinners. "Time is money" for big businesses. Everyone follows set agendas. Minutes are taken at meetings that are precisely scheduled. North Americans take pride in juggling busy work schedules and still finding time to spend with family and friends. Latin Americans stroll leisurely through life. They amble past open-air restaurants, across shaded patios tucked behind walls of Bougainvillea. In the cafes, the service is slow but courteous. Outside on the streets, people walk by, not for weight purposes, but to get somewhere. Buses arrive and depart on their own schedule, sometimes sooner or later than their printed times. And if you miss the bus, wait. One will come along eventually. Mid-morning breakfasts are homemade. Lunch is around three in the afternoon and dinner could be anytime after the arranged time. No one follows a set agenda, but business is accomplished at a gradual and comfortable pace. Watches are not followed precisely, and one barely ever hears the question, "What time is it?" This cultural difference has proven to be a problem for many North Americans visiting Latin American countries and vice versa. For example, this problem has escalated on the issue of adoption. While in Honduras the summer of 1989, I translated for couples from the United States who were looking for children to adopt from Central America. All legal procedures were transacted between a lawyer from the U.S. and a Honduran lawyer. Legal matters on the North American end were handled almost immediately. The Honduran lawyer, however, was considerably slower with field work and paper work and was unable to give definite dates or times for the completion of the adoption. This created a cultural barrier and added to the confusion of the situation.

Code of Ethics ( Automobile Industry )

Subject: Business Ethics Project: ONZAA Automobiles Dated: 20/04/2012 Submitted To: Sir Assad Submitted By: Muhammad Naeem ( 068 ) Muhammad Adeel Kahlid ( 021 ) Adil Farooq ( 039 ) Umar Sadiq ( 041 ) Muhammad Ziad Iftikhar ( 032 ) Department:Management Table of contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦05 Guiding Principles at ONZAA†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6 What is the â€Å"ONZAA Code of Conduct†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦07 ONZAA AND US†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 08 OUR ACTIVITIES IN THE COMPANY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 09 1. Compliance with laws and regulations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 2. Use and Management of Assets and Confidential Matters†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 3. Insider trading†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 4. Activities promoting safety†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 5. Environmental preservation activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11 6.Research and Development Activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11 7. Production and Distribution Activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 8. Sales Activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 9. Overseas Business Activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 13 10. Profitability Enhancement Activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 SOCIETY AND US†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦14 1. Corporate Communication Activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 14 2. Philanthropy and Community Relations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦14 3.Corporate Communication Activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 15 4. Shareholder Relations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 15 5. Political and Religious Activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 15 6. Government Relations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦16 7. Traffic Safety Education Activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦16 8. Disaster Prevention and Crime Prevention Activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 16 With Our Business Partners†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 1. Social Responsibility†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 2.Sustainable Relationships†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 3. Global Procurement†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 4. Business Continuity Plan†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 17 Integrity in the Workplace†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦18 Fair Treatment and Respect†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦18 1. Equal Employment Opportunity †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦18 2. Health and Safety †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦18 Accurate Information, Records, and Communications†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦19 Treat Everyone with Respect†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 0 Gifts, Favors and Conflicts of Interest†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 21 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 24 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 25 Introduction: Since our founding, we have always pursued the development of products that offer superior value and contribute to an affluent lifestyle for our customers. The Suzuki name and our current lineup of products, consisting mostly of motorcycles, automobiles, outboards, electric vehicles, etc. , is respected by many not only domestically, but as a global brand in countries throughout the world.We believe that in order to maintain our business activities and continue to hold the trust and respect, it is important to provide the customer with satisfaction through our valued products, be fairing obeying the rules, and show transparency in free activities as a global corporate citizen. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become increasingly prominent and as described pre-previously, we fully acknowledge its meaning and importance. Corporate Social Responsibility to Suzuki is providing our customers with products of value and above all, obeying the laws and rules, and acting fair and in good faith.In a word â€Å"Compliance† in its Literal sense. We must maintain the trust of our customers, business partners, investors, local communities, employees and other stakeholders, and build solid relationships through compliance. Our first â€Å"Environmental Report† has been pub lished since 1999. Last year, with the addition of social aspects, we published our â€Å"Environmental and Social Report. From this year we present ONZAA’s CSR Concepts and Activities, in a more comprehensive and systematic format so that more people can read with greater interest.We hope that this report provides the reader with a good opportunity to understand our CSR activities. Guiding Principles at ONZAA 1. Honor the language and spirit of the law of every nation and undertake open and fair corporate activities to be a good corporate citizen of the world. 2. Respect the culture and customs of every nation and contribute to economic and social development through corporate activities in the communities. 3. Dedicate ourselves to providing clean and safe products and to enhancing the quality of life everywhere through all our activities. . Create and develop advanced technologies and provide outstanding products and services that fulfill the needs of customers worldwide. 5. Foster a corporate culture that enhances individual creativity and teamwork value, while honoring mutual trust and respect between labor and management. 6. Pursue growth in harmony with the global community through innovative management. 7. Work with business partners in research and creation to achieve stable, long-term growth and mutual benefits, while keeping ourselves open to new partnerships.What is the â€Å"ONZAA Code of Conduct†? Our daily business operations are built on and supported by the corporate philosophy and its Values and methods that have developed through years of diligent effort and passed down from Generation to generation through ONZAA MOTOR CORPORATION and its subsidiaries ( â€Å"ONZAA†). ONZAA & US Through our communication and dialogue with the company, we (people working for ONZAA) strive to build and share fundamental value of â€Å"Mutual Trust and Mutual Responsibility†.ONZAA (ONZAA MOTORCORPORATION and its subsidiaries) endeavo rs to improve its business achievements so that ONZAA can continue to provide employment and air and stable working conditions for each of us. Simultaneously, ONZAA promotes a work environment in which each of us can work in harmonious and dynamic manner. In return, each of us implement the â€Å"ONZAA Code of Conduct â€Å"and endeavor to fulfill our duties with integrity. By fully utilizing our ability and capabilities and cooperating with others working for ONZAA, we continue to improve the business performance of ONZAA.OUR ACTIVITIES IN THE COMPANY Based on a philosophy of â€Å"Customer First†, ONZAA strives to provide attractive products and services that meet the needs of customers worldwide. ONZAA also seeks to achieve the top-level world standard in environmental protection and safety measures. In these regard, ONZAA is unfolding daring plans both domestically and abroad concerning environment and safety, and in relation to research, development, procurement, produ ction, distribution, sales and services.When carrying out our work, each of us should all be aware that our work is linked to all of the business activities of the company. In this regard, ONZAA does not tolerate illegal or criminal acts or acts in violation of the company policy and rules, regardless of whether such acts were motivated â€Å"in the interests of the company† or â€Å"in the interests of the customer†. We should comply with the law and should always act with awareness and responsibility.We should rise to the challenge of solving the many issues that arise, as customer needs diversify and as progress is made in Toyota’s globalization, such as mastering of the world’s most advanced technologies, establishing the world’s most suitable procurement and supply networks, meeting environmental and safety standards, and improving customer satisfaction. 1. Compliance with laws and regulations: ONZAA will comply with applicable laws, internal company policies and rules, abide by sound Social norms, and take appropriate action against any illegal or criminal acts or act in violation of The Company’s policies and rules.ONZAA will not make any exceptions to this commitment, regardless of whether an unlawful act is motivated â€Å"in the interests of the company† or â€Å"in the interests of the customer†, or carried out under the instructions of one’s superior. We should implement the â€Å"ONZAA Code of Conduct† and make a commitment to comply with applicable laws, as well as internal company policies and rules, and to abide by sound social norms in all aspects of our work. 2. Use and Management of Assets and Confidential Matters: Ensuring asset maintenance and confidentiality managementONZAA possesses a wide variety of tangible and intangible assets that are indispensable and invaluable to its successful business operations. In order for ONZAA to use such assets effectively and at any ti me during the course of its business activities, ONZAA manages such assets with a firm hand in order to prevent such assets from being lost, stolen or used illegally or wrongfully. ONZAA endeavors to manage and protect confidential information (e. g. , its trade secrets) and tousle such information in an appropriate manner.At the same time, ONZAA does not tolerate the illegal use of another party’s assets or intellectual property or the unauthorized use of another party’s confidential information. We must manage and protect ONZAA’s assets, intellectual property, company secrets (such astride secrets etc. ) and personal information, as well as respect the assets, intellectual property and confidential information of others. 3. Insider trading: ONZAA possesses a large amount of valuable internal (confidential) information and does no tallow people working for it to engage in insider trading, such as using confidential information to buy and/or sell stocks.We must understand that insider trading is clearly not permitted. Not only is it illegal in many countries, but it also destroys the mutual trust that ONZAA has built with its investors, affiliated companies and business partners. Therefore, we shall not engage in or permit any insider trading. 4. Activities promoting safety: For an automotive manufacturing company such as ONZAA, the pursuit of safer vehicles is always one of its main challenges and mission.ONZAA endeavors as a group, in cooperation with our suppliers and dealers, to engage in research and development, design, production, quality control and after-sales services in order to deliver its customers ONZAA and/or Lexus vehicles that display sophisticated safety levels under various conditions and that provide a comfortable experience for drivers. ONZAA will also be actively involved with â€Å"People Education† (i. e. , Driver Education) and with improving the â€Å"Traffic Environment. †We should endeavor to think from the standpoint of our customers and pursue ways to make vehicles safer and offer our customers safety and trust. . Environmental preservation activities: ONZAA has a deep understanding of the necessity of environmental conservation on a global scale. Therefore, ONZAA has decided to â€Å"dedicate ourselves to providing clean and safe products and to enhancing the quality of life everywhere through all our activities† (Guiding Principles 3). Furthermore, ONZAA has developed a proactive policy and plans to assure continual improvements in environmental performance in the â€Å"ONZAA Earth Charter† and â€Å"ONZAA Environmental Action Plan†.ONZAA regards environmental issues as one of the company’s major challenges and takes environmental impact into consideration at all life-cycle stages of its vehicles, including development, production, usage and disposal. ONZAA promotes compliance with international environmental standards, implementation of enhanc ed environmental assessments, and realizing the principle of â€Å"building people and environmentally friendly vehicles† in cooperation with its suppliers, dealers, etc. We must endeavor to attain the highest level of environmental stewardship in each country and area. . Research and Development Activities: Developing vehicles from the standpoint of our customers In order to provide innovative, safe and outstanding high-quality products and services that meet the needs of customers through â€Å"research and innovation†, ONZAA has established research and development centers around the world. These centers are well-staffed with leading innovators and actively cooperate with other ONZAA group companies, as well as universities and research institutes, in order to strongly promote research and evelopment of advanced technologies in various fields. ONZAA does not tolerate research and development that violates any applicable laws or breaches of its agreements with its re search and development partners. ONZAA also does not tolerate the illegal or unauthorized use of another party’s intellectual property. Our goal is to develop vehicles from the customers’ perspective and to promote research and development. We respect the views of our research and development partners and seek to cultivate and maintain mutual trust.In addition, we use our best efforts to build a relationship of mutual trust by satisfying our obligations to our partners. We shall be mindful of respecting the intellectual property rights of others when conducting research and development and when realizing production. 7. Production and Distribution Activities: ONZAA endeavors to produce high-quality ONZAA and Lexus vehicles and parts and deliver them in an efficient manner in order to meet customers’ expectations.In order to realize such production and supply goals, ONZAA endeavors to build the â€Å"world’s optimum production network† and a â€Å"g lobal distribution network†. In addition, in order to enhance the global competitiveness of ONZAA and Lexus vehicles, ONZAA developed the Toyota Production System, which continues to evolve according to the characteristics of particular regions of the world and aims to achieve worker and environmentally friendly plants. We endeavor to maintain the safety and quality of products and to comply with laws related to production and distribution. 8.Sales Activities: Winning the trust of customers and dealers Based on the following three ideas, ONZAA strives to build a sales and service structure that meets various customer needs in a timely manner. In order to achieve such structure, ONZAA endeavors to build relationships with dealers based on mutual trust, and to bring mutual growth and support for fair competition and transactions. (a) Philosophy of â€Å"Customer First† Based on a â€Å"Customer First† philosophy, ONZAA strives to create a sale and service structure that promptly responds to the various needs of customer’s world wide.To achieve this, ONZAA develops products that meet customer expectations and implements a marketing strategy and sales style that matches the product profiles and various customer needs. (b) Mutual growth based on mutual trust ONZAA develops and provides attractive product lineups, various styles of dealer showrooms and sales styles, and a meticulous customer and revenue management system. ONZAA does this to contribute to the improvement of sales efficiency and profitability of its dedicated dealers, to build mutual trust and to bring mutual growth. c) Importance of fair market competition ONZAA respects free trade and market competition, implements ambitious sales strategies in order to obtain customer satisfaction and support in various areas of the world, and endeavors to engage in fair competition and transactions. We conduct our sales activities with the above ideas in mind. 9. Overseas Business Activi ties: To become a global company trusted worldwide ONZAA engages in business worldwide and many of its activities are conducted outside Japan, including not only manufacturing activities, but also research and development.ONZAA recognizes the ever-changing environment surrounding its business operations, global diversity, the specificity of each local area in terms of its own rules and customs, etc. , and the rapid changes in world political and economic climate. ONZAA respects international rules and laws, as well as the culture, customs and history of local societies. Thus, ONZAA promotes its business activities from â€Å"both a global and local† standpoint so as to contribute to the development of local economies and society.We contribute to expansion of ONZAA’s business overseas by respecting the culture, customs and history of each country, as well as national, regional and international laws and rules. 10. Profitability Enhancement Activities: Building a stronge r profit foundation In order to respond to the expectations of investors and society, ONZAA endeavors to perform various measures to improve business management efficiency, achieve sustainable increases in profit and strengthen the foundation of its management and profit. When determining investments or financing for various domestic and overseas projects.SOCIETY & US Through its business, ONZAA creates close relationships with society and its stakeholders (customers, shareholders, local communities, etc. ). Based on the basic understanding that â€Å"as a member of society, the company engages in business that contributes to society†, ONZAA operates its business in an open and fair manner. Through active public relations activities, investor relations and philanthropy, ONZAA aims to be a â€Å"good corporate citizen† that is trusted by the international community. ONZAA’s business is expanding rapidly worldwide.ONZAA feels that the support and trust of stakehol ders in ONZAA has helped the company realize such expansion, and ONZAA should not forget gratitude towards its stakeholders. Thus, ONZAA will respond strictly with respect to illegal or criminal acts and acts that are not socially acceptable, regardless of whether job-related or whether in private situation. ONZAA also strongly desires that the people working for ONZAA, a company engaged in automotive business, are aware of traffic safety and lead safe and pleasant lives. We support ONZAA’s aim â€Å"to become ‘a good corporate citizen’ that is trusted by the international community†.We strive to communicate openly and fairly with stakeholders, to gain more â€Å"ONZAA fans†, as well as to engage in activities that contribute to society’s sustainable development. We must also act, at all times, including when carrying out our works, in a manner that does not provoke unnecessary misunderstanding or misapprehensions, and to act with humility, h onesty, and integrity. Regardless of whether at work or in a private situtation, we should pay careful attention to traffic safety, obtain basic legal knowledge, and be aware of common social protocol.We need to do this so that we can be sensitive to illegal or criminal acts or acts that are against society’s common morals, and take swift and forceful actions against such acts. 1. Corporate Communication Activities: Communicating facts in an accurate and timely fashion Being Open and Fair -In order to become an â€Å"open company† and win the trust of society, ONZAA strives to communicate accurate and timely information to its stakeholders through active public relations and public dialogue, so as to enhance its corporate image and transparency.ONZAA listens to and respects its stakeholders’ criticisms and suggestions, and incorporates these as appropriate into its business. We endeavor to build positive relationships with stakeholders through open and fair comm unication. 2. Philanthropy and Community Relations: Becoming a corporate citizen trusted by international society -Towards attaining an enriched society and sustainable development, ONZAA, in cooperation with society, strives to effectively use its resources and to engage in activities contributing to society.Such activities are aimed at alleviating societal problems or issues and include initiatives with respect to the â€Å"nurturing of personnel†, the â€Å"environment†, and â€Å"traffic safety†. As a global company, ONZAA contributes to creating a sustainable society from the broad perspective of the future of the earth and humanity. As a good corporate citizen, ONZAA also focuses on local communities and focuses on social issues that each local community faces and endeavors to resolve such social issues. As members of the local community, we will take an interest in and gain awareness of local social issues.Based on such awareness, we will actively take pa rt in philanthropic initiatives such as volunteer activities. 3. Corporate Communication Activities: Communicating facts in an accurate and timely fashion – Being Open and Fair -In order to become an â€Å"open company† and win the trust of society, ONZAA strives to communicate accurate and timely information to its stakeholders through active public relations and public dialogue, so as to enhance its corporate image and transparency. ONZAA listens to and respects its stakeholders’ criticisms and suggestions, and incorporates these as appropriate into its business.We endeavor to build positive relationships with stakeholders through open and fair communication. 4. Shareholder Relations: Respect for shareholders’ benefit In order to respond to the expectations of shareholders and investors worldwide, ONZAA strives to operate its business globally and to enhance corporate value, while achieving stable and long-term growth. ONZAA considers relationships with investors to be important, and through timely and fair investor relationship activities, endeavors to promote understanding of its corporate management and business activities.As for corporate governance, ONZAA strives to enhance the transparency of its management and actively incorporates management -checks conducted by independent parties. We endeavor to contribute, through our work, to ONZAA’s efforts to meet the expectations of its shareholders and investors worldwide. 5. Political and Religious Activities: Moderate participation In the absence of any circumstances of concern (e. g. , such as the possibility that the activity will hinder the conduct of business), ONZAA respects participation in politics by people working for ONZAA and does not, in any way, interfere with individuals’ religious activities.However, these are private activities and, in principle, they cannot be conducted on company premises or in company time. We respect the rights of other people wo rking for ONZAA to participate in political and religious activities in a moderate manner. 6. Government Relations: Maintaining proper and transparent relations ONZAA strives to build transparent and fair relationships with political parties or administrative bodies (government agencies and public officials) and takes appropriate actions to comply with applicable laws and regulations.We maintain healthy and transparent relationships with political and administrative bodies and public officials. 7. Traffic Safety Education Activities: Improve traffic safety awareness of society as a whole In order to help create a safe and comfortable society, in addition to pursuit of safer vehicles, ONZAA actively promotes traffic safety education activities designed for today’s realities. ONZAA strives to enhance traffic safety awareness not only among people working for ONZAA, but within society as a whole.Recognizing the responsibilities of a company engaged in the automobile industry, we abide by traffic rules, and endeavor to be role models by safe driving and actively promoting traffic safety. 8. Disaster Prevention and Crime Prevention Activities: Creation of a safe society ONZAA, in cooperation with the local community, engages in disaster prevention activities and contributes to the recovery of local communities in the event of an actual disaster. ONZAA actively engages in crime prevention activities and the promotion of a safe society.Each one of us will maintain high moral standards and actively participate in the creation of a safe society. With Our Business Partners 1. Social Responsibility: We feel that the highest priority must be placed on our mission statement â€Å"Develop products of superior value by focusing on the customer† when contributing to society. And in creating products of value, it is our belief that the procurement section’s role is to work in mutual cooperation with our business partners so that both parties may prosper.We select our business partners through an impartial procedure based on quality, cost, deadline delivery, and technical development capabilities. And we have an open door policy, which offers the chance of teaming up with ONZAA regardless of size or track record. 2. Sustainable Relationships: In creating trusting relationships with our business partners we hope to build sustainable relationships. And because we feel that mutual communication is an important part of this, we promote the sharing of ideas not only with the top management but also among middle management and project heads, etc. . Global Procurement: We are working to develop stronger global procurement activities by working with global manufacturing bases. Procurement activities in the past were mainly focused on individual bases, but we have shifted to a more global approach to obtain the most suitable parts at competitive prices. This benefits not only ONZAA, but also our business partners who benefit with volume order stability, and also give way to the accumulation of technology. By sharing these merits we can build more confident relationships. 4. Business Continuity Plan:In addition to earthquake-proof reinforcing of individual office buildings, we have started compilation of a business continuity plan (BCP). We also recognize our responsibility to local communities, our business partners and customers for being prepared for large-scale disasters, including earthquakes, and recommend quakeproofing measures to our partners located in areas that are likely to experience heavy damage. We are also prepared to aid our business partners in their recovery if they should fall victim to such disaster. Integrity in the Workplace Fair Treatment and Respect:We hire, promote, train, and pay based on merit, experience, or other work-related criteria. We value the wide range of backgrounds of our employees. Our diversity is a strength in the increasingly diverse marketplace. And we strive to create work envi ronments that accept and tolerate differences while promoting productivity and teamwork. Each of us is responsible for creating and maintaining a productive work environment where the dignity of all employees is respected. 1. Equal Employment Opportunity: ONZAA is committed to equal employment opportunity.ONZAA extends employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees and strives to maintain workplace environments free of discrimination, hostility and physical or verbal harassment with respect to age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or being a disabled veteran, a veteran of the Vietnam Era, or other covered veterans. ONZAA employees are entitled to a work environment free from conduct that even appears disrespectful.Certain jokes, cartoons, pictures, language, gestures, and touching may offend people and may result in a hostile work environment, which ONZAA does not tolerate. 2. Health and Safe ty: ONZAA’s overriding priority is to protect the health and safety of each employee. We all have a stake in a healthy, injury-free work environment that protects the health and safety of each employee. We should not compromise any person’s well-being in anything we do. This means following procedures for reducing accident risks, and it means using equipment safely.It means following safe workplace practices ? no exceptions, no shortcuts. It means promptly voicing safety concerns to supervisors, so we can correct situations that may endanger employees. Don’t assume that a safety hazard has been reported – take responsibility for reporting it yourself. ONZAA encourages employees to continue safe practices outside of the office, such as following safe driving practices: wearing your seatbelt; avoiding distractions (cell phones and texting); not driving while impaired; and obeying traffic laws and speed limits.Accurate Information, Records, and Communication s Intentionally creating or inserting false or misleading information in any ONZAA financial or other business record is strictly prohibited. Inaccurate information leads to bad decisions by ONZAA. And our customers, suppliers, investors, business partners, communities, and government officials rely on us for accurate information. All business records are to be maintained accurately. Whenever an inaccuracy finds its way into a record, it should be corrected and, where appropriate, the reasons for the correction should be noted.This is also important in engineering records. An inaccurate record is an â€Å"open loop. † We need to â€Å"close the loop† by clarifying and supplementing the â€Å"open loop† record with the accurate data or judgment. We must also ensure that ONZAA’s business records are available to meet the company’s business needs, including legal and tax requirements. That’s why we must comply with ONZAA’s Information Li fecycle Management (ILM) policies in creating, managing, and disposing of all ONZAA records. Be alert to and observe Litigation Holds. These are instructions from the LegalStaff requiring that certain records be retained beyond normal retention periods for legal or compliance reasons. Failure to comply with Litigation Holds can result in serious harm to ONZAA and its employees. It is unlawful to destroy, conceal, alter, or falsify any ONZAA business or other record, document, or object for the purpose of obstructing or influencing any lawsuit or other legal or governmental proceeding or investigation. The ONZAA Information Security Policy and Practices provide guidance on the classification and protection of ONZAA information.The ONZAA ILM policies provide guidance on creating, maintaining, and disposing of all ONZAA records containing ONZAA information, and for the Acceptable Use Practices that govern use of ONZAA information resources. These policies also apply to those third part ies, including contract workers, who have access to ONZAA information. Each of us must learn and comply with ONZAA Information Security and Information Lifecycle Management policies and Acceptable Use Practices applicable to our jobs.This includes everything from securing workstations, to keeping passwords secret, and much more. Treat Everyone With Respect Remember that customers, colleagues, supervisors, suppliers and competitors may have access to whatever you post. These individuals reflect a diverse set of customs, values and viewpoints. Offensive, demeaning, abusive or inappropriate remarks are as out-of-place online as they are offline. You are expected to abide by the same standards of behavior both in the workplace and in your social media communications.Be Aware That Your Online Communications Travel Fast, Remain Forever and Are Usually NOT â€Å"Private† There are no secrets on the Internet. Information you may think you have protected as â€Å"private† on so me social media sites may be accessed by others. Make sure you will have no regrets about what you said or did online if a reporter, a relative or your manager were to view it. If you are still unclear what actions are considered to be a violation of ONZAA policy, please refer to the Social Media Policy?Whether you are using email, voice mail, or social media channels, never make any illegal, unethical, unauthorized, or disruptive use of ONZAA information systems or equipment. This includes, for example, accessing, transmitting, or storing inappropriate material (e. g. , pornography, depicted nudity, lewd or violent materials, chain letters, sexually oriented jokes or cartoons, or other offensive/demeaning material related to age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation).Violations will subject you to disciplinary action up to and including discharge. If you get an inappropriate message, or are confronted with instances of unethical business pr actices or behavior, report it to your leader, or contact the Aware line. Gifts, Favors and Conflicts of Interest †¢ Do not use your position at the Company to privately enrich yourself or others (such as family or friends). In fact, you should avoid situations that could even look to outsiders as if you are doing something improper. Never ask for a gift or favor from an individual or organization that does business with the Company, or is actively seeking to do business with the Company. †¢ Accept a gift or favor that is freely offered by suppliers, dealers, and others only if it is of nominal value, involves a normal sales promotion, advertising, or publicity, and there is a legitimate business purpose. In the United States, $50 is considered to be nominal value. See your local appendix, or ask your Human resources representative to find out what is considered â€Å"nominal value† in your country. Never accepts any of the following types of gifts or favors from an individual or organization that does business with the Company, or is actively seeking to do business with the Company: – Cash, gift certificates, or a gift of packaged alcohol (including beer or wine) – Tickets to any event, unless the supplier is in attendance and the situation meets all other entertainment limitations – A loan, unless it is from a regular financial institution on normal terms – Discounts on goods or services, unless the supplier makes them generally available to all employees in the Company – Gifts or other donations for parties or social events attended principally by Company personnel (for example, retirement or holiday parties) †¢ Return inappropriate gifts with a polite note explaining the Company’s policy. If it is not possible or practical for you to return the gift, consult your local Human r resources representative to determine what to do with the gift. †¢ Ask if you are not sure if something is approp riate.You may ask your manager, your local Human resources representative, the office of the General Counsel, or your local legal office. Know and follow Company policies regarding accepting refreshments, entertainment, and other social events associated with your work at the Company: – You may accept refreshments provided by a supplier while attending a business meeting. – You may accept only one meal per quarter per supplier. – You may accept only one meal per week, in total, from all suppliers. – You may accept up to two entertainment events (such as a golf outing, or a sporting, theatrical, or cultural event) per calendar year, per supplier, provided that the supplier is in attendance and the event does not require extensive travel or an overnight stay. Do not attend an event that involves adult entertainment when you are on Company business. †¢ Do not travel on a supplier’s aircraft or vehicle for transportation unless it is an authorized Company business trip (such as a trip to a supplier’s plant for a Quality review, or a local social event that complies with the Company’s entertainment policies). Additionally, any travel on a supplier’s aircraft must meet the requirements of directive. †¢ Although you may accept invitations from multiple suppliers, remember that frequent acceptance of gifts or invitations (even if within policy limitations) may create an appearance of impropriety. †¢ You may accept a gift while at a supplier-paid event, as long as the gift is of nominal value.Remember, prizes given out at such events are considered gifts. Therefore, you may not accept a prize of greater than nominal value, even if you win a contest to qualify for the prize. See your local appendix, or ask your Human resources representative to find out what is considered â€Å"nominal value† in your country. †¢ Use good judgment when you are offered gifts or invitations. If there is any doubt whether the conduct is appropriate, you should consult your Human resources represented d o not act on behalf of the Company with an organization in which you or a family member has a financial interest, or which employs a family member or close friend. Do not give preferential treatment, and avoid a situation that would raise the suspicion of preferential treatment. Consult with your management, Human resources representative, or the office of the General Counsel or your local legal office about any questionable situation. †¢ Do not use any nonpublic information gained through the Company for your personal advantage, or to enable others to profit from it. For example: – do not profit from a business transaction in which the circumstances indicate that the opportunity belongs to the Company. – do not disclose any Company information outside the Company, including financial, product, or bid information, prior to its authorized release. If you are a salaried e mployee, obtain prior written approval from the Company for the following circumstances: – Before working or performing services for an organization with which the Company does business – Before becoming a director, officer, or consultant of any other business – For employees who are ll 5 (or its equivalent) or above, before becoming a director, officer, or consultant of a nonprofit or charitable organization (such as the United Way or a disaster relief organization) at the national level, or before accepting a local position (in a similar organization) that has high, community-wide visibility †¢ Consult with your local Human r sources’ representative before you act, if you are in doubt about how this policy affects you. I’ve or pay your own way. Conclusion We strive to act with personal and institutional integrity in the workplace, the marketplace, and the communities where we live.We must all understand and apply our values and policies to e nsure that we compete – and win – with integrity. Winning with Integrity poses a challenge to each of us. It requires strength of character to act when the easier course would be to ignore the problem. We can all fulfill our responsibilities by: * Following Winning with Integrity, ONZAA’s Code of Conduct; * Raising potential instances of misconduct to leadership; * Giving feedback on problem areas and suggesting improvements to leadership; * Listening to the concerns of customers, co-workers, dealers, and suppliers – and Making sure this information gets proper attention; and * Conducting ourselves with the highest ethical standards.Employees who violate these requirements are subject to disciplinary action that, in the judgment of management, is appropriate to the nature of the violation, which may include termination of employment. Employees may also be subject to civil and criminal penalties if the law has been violated. References 1. http://www. toyot a-global. com/company/vision_philosophy/pdf/code_of_conduct. pdf 2. http://www. mitsubishicorp. com/jp/en/about/philosophy/pdf/conduct100624e. pdf 3. http://corporate. ford. com/doc/corporate_conduct_standards. pdf 4. http://www. globalsuzuki. com/corp_info/environmental/pdf/2005_env_soc_report_e. pdf 5. http://www. gm. com/content/dam/gmcom/COMPANY/Investors/Corporate_Governance/PDFs/Winning_With_Integrity. pdf