JPMorgan Chase Essay

Introduction J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. is a prominent and successful Fortune 500 company. It is the largest bank in the United States by assets. CEO James Dimon, has lead the J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. through multiple risky events. J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. has been facing multiple fines and settlements due to its failure to abide by its own code of conduct. The company has failed to follow procedures and regulations on numerous occasions. The company is becoming notorious for making unethical decisions and simply not following the guidelines. This year J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. agreed on a thirteen-billion dollar settlement regarding unethical selling of mortgage-backed securities. The selling of these mortgage-backed securities played a role in causing the financial crisis of 2008. An article found on BBC’s website does a good job of explaining this in basic simple terms. Between 2004 and 2006 US interest rates rose from 1% to 5. 35%, triggering a slowdown in the US housing market. Homeowners, many of whom could only barely afford their mortgage payments when interest rates were low, began to default on their mortgages. Default rates on sub-prime loans – high risk loans to clients with poor or no credit histories – rose to record levels. The impact of these defaults were felt across the financial system as many of the mortgages had been bundled up and sold on to banks and investors (http://news. bbc. co. uk/). This report explains and elaborates on J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. ’s role in the financial crisis. It expounds on what the company violated and unethically did to have caused the current settlement negotiation. Using multiple online resources, we gathered information plentiful enough to analyze the company’s practices and determine what steps must be taken to avoid future discrepancies. Through social media we observed how consumers’ feelings towards the company are being impacted by the current tentative settlement regarding the mortgage-backed securities. The stock market was observed and studied throughout the course of J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. ’s negotiations. It is vital to understand how shareholders are being impacted as they are a key role in a company’s success and resources. Using the information gathered this report suggests steps to take in improving not only how J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. is thought of but how the company does business. JPMorgan Violated Both Banking and Securities Laws On January 24, 2012 President Barrack Obama gave his State of the Union speech in which he stated, â€Å"Our working group is focusing on conduct related to the pooling and creation of mortgage backed securities, issues related to conduct that created the crash, not abuses that happened after the crash† (Obama). He aims to create a mortgage crisis unit that will investigate the major banks that took part in unethical practices that lead to the crisis. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will co-chair the unit. The mortgage crisis unit includes officials from the Justice Department, Securities, Exchange Commission and Internal Revenue Service. Obama said in his speech that the unit â€Å"will hold accountable those who broke the law, speed assistance to homeowners, and help turn the page on an era of recklessness that hurt so many Americans. † (http://www. bloomberg. com). JPMorgan Chase violated not only banking laws but also securities laws. J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. constituted recklessly unsafe practices, which resulted in misconduct and losses. An article on www. wallstreetonparade. com stated, â€Å"The Bank (Chase) failed to ensure that significant information related to the credit derivatives trading strategy and deficiencies identified in risk management systems and controls was provided in a timely and appropriate manner to OCC examiners. †(Marten). The article also stated that â€Å"The SEC focused on JPMorgan’s ineffective internal controls and failure to keep the Audit Committee of its Board informed in timely manner as required under its own rules and under the Sarbanes- Oxley Act. † (Marten). In other words, JPMorgan broke the rule of the code of conduct which stated that â€Å"No one at J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. should ever sacrifice integrity or give the impression that they have even if they think it would help the firm. † (www. jpmorganchase. com). The SEC found that J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. Chase violated securities laws by filing false information to the SEC. According to the SEC, the company failed to maintain internal control over financial reporting, disclosure controls and procedures, filing of inaccurate reports with the Commission. The SEC, in its settlement document stated that J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. violated Sections 13(a), 13(b) (2) (B) of the Exchange Act and Rules 13a-11, 13a-13, and 13a-15. The JPMorgan Chase code of conduct represents fundamental assets that can be done on behalf of the company. In other words, there are policies that are applied to the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Accounting Officer of JPMorgan Chase & Co. The purpose of the code of conduct is to endure commitment to integrity. The Code of Conduct is important for JPMorgan Chase & Co. because it lays out the responsibility and expectations that the company has to represent to customers. The company is also responsible for ethical decision-making, which means that doing the right thing whereas speaking up about any violation of the company. According to the Code of Conduct, â€Å"No business unit or location in the Company can adopt policies that are less restrictive than the Code, but some do have rules that are more restrictive. † (www. jpmorganchase. com). The Code means that the business should know and follow all policies even if the rules are hardcore. The Code of Conduct has a decision tree on the company’s website where you would ask yourself a question like, â€Å"Is it legal? † or â€Å"Does it comply with our Code and our Company policies, and the principles of ethical behavior they reflect? † These questions are important when it comes to making decisions. If neither of the questions comply with your decisions, then it could result in some serious consequences. Sharing concerns and reporting violations is very important when it comes to a company’s reputation. According to the Code of Conduct, you should share your concerns without fear, report legal or regulatory preceding that involve you personally. Breaking any security law or banking laws and result in consequences. It is important to speak up about any violations that could result in unethical conduct related to financial services. Maintaining accurate records is also an important task when it comes to a company. According to the company website, â€Å"Internal accounting controls and record keeping policies are essential to the successful operation of our Company and our ability to meet our legal and business requirements. Each of us is responsible for being accurate, complete and honest in Company records and for complying with all of the controls, policies and procedures we have in place. † (www. jpmorganchase. com). False records are unethical and could tarnish the company’s reputation. JPMorgan Chase & Co. ’s major direct holders are James Crown, James Dimon, Douglas Braunstein, Daniel Pinto, and Frank Bisignano. These shareholders own stock in the company. These main holders have the main shares in this company. According to JPMorgan Chase & Co. , outside activities is important because doing outside activities could cause conflict not only for the company but for shareholders as well. By selling stock the company gets money almost no catch. There is no interest to pay and no requirement to pay the money back at all. Even better, equity financing distributes the risk of doing business among a large pool of investors. If the company fails, the founders don’t lose all of their money, they lose several thousand smaller chunks of other people’s money. The money the company makes of its investors is used to pay for its fines and fees. This is why there is much anticipation with the negotiation of the settlement regarding the selling of mortgage-backed securities. This chart from yahoo’s finance reports shows that in October, during the negotiation of the settlement, stock dropped: Settlement & Resolution J. P. Morgan & Chase Co. is under investigation for these unethical practices and risk losing a large sum of money as settlement, as well as criminal charges being placed upon them for their dishonorable actions. There are many legal steps that are being taken to resolve the issue at hand. Some of these steps include hiring an independent monitor or other third party firm to oversee these measures along with ensuring that J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. follows the appropriate guidelines set forth legally and prevent them from practicing any further unethical actions. The person or firm hired must examine each and every home loan before J. P. Morgan Chase will be able to be packed into any type of investments. In order for JP Morgan Chase to continue with home loans and recover from there scandalous acts, they must meet the obligation presented to them and hire an overseer, whether an individual or firm, and have the issues resolved by the end of 2017. Steps that J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. can take to improve its disgraceful situation are: to make some kind of assistance available to the individuals that were hit hard and greatly affected by these poor business practices inflicted by the company. This can be obtained by offering the individuals who invested in some type of loan through J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. an opportunity to refinance their current loan, the donation of bank- owned properties, and new mortgage loans to low and moderate income families (O’Toole). This will hopefully help the individuals that now owe more on their houses then they are worth, and are thus upside down on their loans due to the unethical practices of JP Morgan Chase. If this proves beneficiary to the individuals who took out the loans, JP Morgan may just be able to recover their reputation, if not they will have to live with the disreputable name they have now created. JP Morgan Chase can also buy back all of the mortgages that they put these poor individuals into in the first place in hopes that the individuals may climb out of the dark hole of debt that they were lured into by the scandalous actions of the Chase employers. JP Morgan Chase must help the individuals out of their debt inflicted by the bank if there is to be any hope at recovering their reputation and solving the discriminating issues at hand. This can only be obtained by them offering their support and assistance to find as well as ensure them a better financial loan option. JP Morgan Chase must make right on their word for any betterment to be observed. They can and should take the blame for their wrongful actions by stating that they know they were wrong and immoral in their actions and present the individuals with an apology as well as an ethical solution to fix and make good the issues at hand. JP Morgan must make it right for the individuals who entrusted in them to give them ethical and proper loan assistance in the first place. They need to bail the individuals out of the debt they mischievously placed them in. JP Morgan Chase banks can better themselves in the long run by can buying back all the mortgages that they sold to individuals in the first place. Mortgage loans that they knowingly sold without compliance to the mortgage standards set forth. They can also provide help to their employees who may be under investigation as well by taking full responsibility for the unethical situation and not placing the immoral conduct of the bank on the employees and forcing them to get into trouble. They need to back their employees because some who knew it was wrong didn’t want any part of the unethical situation, but JP Morgan Chase required the employee to perform the immoral practices anyways with the threat that they would lose their jobs if they didn’t abide. The company says it â€Å"is fully reserved for this settlement,† implying it has cash and other savings on hand to meet the requirements. JPMorgan will finish providing relief to borrowers by the end of 2017, the company says (Arnold). The following is a quote from Jamie Dimon: â€Å"We are pleased to have concluded this extensive agreement †¦ and to have resolved the civil claims of the Department of Justice and others. † â€Å"Nonetheless, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, California Attorney General Kamala Harris, Sacramento U. S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner and other officials involved in investigating JPMorgan’s mortgage actions called the settlement a significant government victory† (McCoy). This settlement will resolve a large amount of state and federal investigates into JPMorgan Chase’s selling of mortgage backed securities between 2005 and 2008. Concluding results An article on http://www. scpr. org explains how the settlement money will be distributed, â€Å"Q: How much money will end up in the hands of homeowners? A: The state attorney general’s office said $4 billion of the $13 billion settlement will go toward helping consumers nationwide. That could come in the form of mortgage payment reductions or loan modifications for homeowners, the office said in a press release. The office said they had no estimate on how much of the $4 billion borrower’s relief would go to California homeowners, but they believe the state will receive a â€Å"good amount of relief. † JPMorgan declined to comment on the percentage that will be directed to Californians. Separate from the borrower’s relief, California did receive nearly $300 million in damages out of the $13 billion settlement that will go to public employee and teacher pension funds, CalPERS and CalSTRS. Q: What will determine which homeowners get money from the $4 billion portion of the settlement? A: The state attorney general’s office said Californians who may qualify for the relief would likely have gotten mortgages with Washington Mutual and Bear Stearns, which are now part of JPMorgan. Stuart Gabriel, director of the Ziman Center for Real Estate at UCLA, said he thinks state agencies may reach out to individuals who are in danger of foreclosure and offer some mortgage modification, such as interest rate relief. Q: When will homeowners receive this money? A: It’s unclear how soon Californians could qualify to receive a portion of the borrower’s relief. The state attorney general’s office said the agency that will handle those decisions hasn’t been determined yet. Q: Will the settlement have an effect on the housing market? A: Gabriel said he doesn’t think there will be any perceptible effect on the direction of the housing market as a result of the settlement. He said what’s notable is that JPMorgan had to pay a large fine. The $13 billion JPMorgan settlement is roughly three times more than what BP paid to settle criminal charges related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to Gabriel. â€Å"It’s a big deal for JPMorgan and it’s a big win for the U. S. government,† Gabriel said. â€Å"It’s a win for the point of view that there were fraudulent practices in the packaging of mortgages into mortgage-backed securities on the part of major investment houses. † Gabriel said he doesn’t think this is the end of such settlements and the government is â€Å"in all likelihood working its way around Wall Street now with the precedent of a very big settlement in its back pocket. † Q: Is the foreclosure crisis over? A: Reports show the number of foreclosures has steadily declined. But Peter Kuhns of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment said it’s still a major problem. â€Å"It’s massive. † Kuhns said. â€Å"There are estimates that somewhere close to a third of all California homeowners with mortgages are underwater on their loans, that they owe more money than their house is worth. † Kuhns said he hopes that the $4 billion borrower’s relief will go toward helping homeowners reduce the amount of money they owe on their mortgage payments. † (lee) This shows progress but it will not be enough to keep the company’s consumer’s happy. J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. must maintain an ethical and professional work pace. It will take time but doing things correctly, the company’s reputation can be salvaged. Shareholder’s don’t seem to be losing trust since the agreement on the settlement. Shares are at a healthy fifty-seven. The Board of Directors must put these changes into action as soon as possible. They must start the process towards recovery at once.

Analysis Taj Hotel

The Indian Hotels Company Limited Analyst Meet Results for the Half Year ended September 30, 2012 November 6, 2012 1 Disclaimer These presentations contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Similarly, statements that describe our business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made.Future results, performance and achievements may be affected by general economic conditions, regulatory environment, business and financing conditions, foreign exchange fluctuations, cyclicality and operating risks associated with the hospitality industry and other circumstances and uncertainties. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward looking stat ements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained or that results will not materially differ.We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise Please visit our communications corporate website www. tajhotels. com for previous investor 2 Presenter Panel Raymond Bickson – Managing Director & CEO Anil P Goel – Executive Director – Finance Abhijit Mukerji – Executive Director – Hotel Operations Deepa Harris – Senior Vice President – Sales & Marketing 3 Outline of Presentation Industry Trends New Inventory Sales & Marketing Initiatives Financial Results Industry Trends 5 International Tourist Arrivals 2012 International tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 5% in the first 6 months of 2012 to 467 million international travelers, consolidating the growth trend that started in 2010. International Tourist Arrivals were up in all regions of the world, with advances and emerging economy destinations growing at about the same pace. First 6 months of the year typically account for 45% of the tourist arrivals since most of the Northern Hemisphere performs much better in the second half which is its peak season.Source : UN WTO 6 Global Hotel Performance January – September 2012 Americas and Middle East showed a moderate growth in Key Performance Indicators over last year Asia Pacific market saw an overall moderate growth in occupancy and ADR for most of the first 9 months of 2012 In the Indian subcontinent, both rates and occupancies lagged behind last year, owing mostly to increased supply and resulting in an overall RevPAR 13% below last year Source : STR Global 7 Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India 2012 vs 2011 Foreign Tourist Arrivals in India (In Lakhs) 8 7 6 5 4 3Jan Feb Mar Apr May 2011 June July 2102 August Sept Oct Nov Dec April-Sep :+3. 4% Jan- Sep :+5. 9% growth over last year Growth in Tourist Arrivals in India has slowed down and increased to 2. 6 mn travelers in April – Sep 2012 which was a 3. 4% growth over 2011 vs 9. 3% growth in April – Sep 2011 over 2010. Growth for Jan-Sep 2012 was 5. 9% over 2011 against vs 9. 9% in Jan-Sep 2011 over 2010. The traditional source markets of US , UK and Western Europe continue to be the majority contributors to arrivals in India Source : Ministry of Tourism, Government of India 8India Hotel Performance – Key cities April to September 2012 April – September 12, % change in Market Scenario 70. 0% 61% 60. 0% 50. 0% 40. 0% 30. 0% 20. 0% 10. 0% 0. 0% India Goa Mumbai Delhi Jaipur Bangalore Chennai Hyderabad Supply % change Demand % change 23% 20% 9% 4% 6% 32% 25% 32% 31% 26% 20% 49% 40% 33% 4% There has been overall a 23% increase in Supply in H1 compared to last year. Demand growth has been moderate at 20% in summers and expected to pick up in H2 and winters Source : STR Global 9 India Hotel Performance – Key cities April to September 2012 April – September 12, % change in performance 0% 5% 0% -5% -10% -15% -20% India Goa Mumbai Delhi Jaipur Bangalore Chennai Hyderabad Occ % change ADR (INR) % change -3% -5% -2% -4% -1% -5% -9% -11% -7% -8% -11% -3% -5% -5% 5% 1% The Demand – Supply mismatch has put a pressure on occupancies and Average rates compared to last year across all key metros Overall this has led to a 7% decrease in RevPAR in the Indian Hospitality Industry in the first half of the Financial year Source : STR Global 10 Occupancies – Year on Year Trend 56 54 59 58 58 55 56 61 52 58 62 54 51 46 46 65 Delhi India Bangalore Hyderabad Mumbai Chennai Jaipur H1 2011/12Source: STR Global Reports H1 2012/13 Lower occupancies across all cities except Goa 11 Goa ARRs –Year on Year Trend 7910 7606 7224 6559 5929 5648 6717 6198 5945 5765 5344 4778 4092 3645 4949 4980 Delhi Bangalore Hyderabad Mumbai H1 2011/12 S ource: STR Global Reports H1 2012/13 Rates lower across all cities barring Goa Chennai Jaipur India Goa 12 Rev PARs – Year on Year Trend 4700 4408 4185 3595 3323 3077 3771 3219 3653 3369 2882 2446 1898 1679 3059 3219 India Mumbai Chennai Jaipur Delhi Bangalore H1 2011/12 Source: STR Global Reports H1 2012/13 RevPAR lower across all cities barring GoaHyderabad Goa 13 New Inventory 14 Supply Pipeline As of September 2012 Asia Pacific the Growth Centre for Investments in the Industry No of Rooms in Pipeline September 2012 As Pac, 377397, 38% Americas, 363568, 36% MEA/Africa, 122942, 12% Europe, 141554, 14% The demand in Asia Pacific is supported by the growing supply coming into these countries from international brands and the largest pipeline worldwide The highest growth in As Pac region is in the Upscale segment The Americas continue to see a high active pipeline, here too mainly in the Upscale segment Source : STR Global 15Taj Group Inventory 112 99 103 107 115 62 66 76 82 8 8 16 Hotels Opened 2012/13 Hotel Taj Taj Palace Marrakech, Morocco (Soft Open) Vivanta by Taj Vivanta by Taj, Madikeri, Coorg Ginger Hotels Ginger Hotel Faridabad Ginger Hotel Vadapalani (Chennai) Ginger Hotel Andheri (Mumbai) Roots Corporation Ltd Roots Corporation Ltd Roots Corporation Ltd 91 79 116 Management Contract 62 Management Contract 161 Company Rooms Hotels Opened Till Date 2012/13 5 Hotels 509 Rooms 17 Taj Palace Marrakech, Morocco 18 Vivanta by Taj, Coorg 19 19 Upcoming Development – Balance of 2012/13Hotel Vivanta by Taj Vivanta by Taj, Gurgaon Gateway Gateway, Kolkata Gateway, Hubli Gateway OMR, Chennai Ginger Hotels Ginger Hotel Jaipur Ginger Hotel Kormangla (Bangalore) Ginger Hotel Noida (NCR) Ginger Hotel Amritsar Management Contract Management Contract Management Contract Roots Corporation Ltd 103 67 80 60 200 92 193 Management Contract 200 Company Rooms New Development in Pipeline 2012/13 New Hotels Opened Till Date 2012/13 8 Hotels 5 Hotels 995 Rooms 509 Rooms 1,504 Rooms 20 20 TOTAL DEVELOPEMNT FY 2012/13 13 Hotels Vivanta by Taj, Gurgaon 21The Gateway Hotel, Kolkata 22 The Gateway Hotel, Hubli 23 Upcoming Development– 2013/14 Hotel Taj Taj Airport Hotel, Terminal 1C, Mumbai Imperial Club by Taj, Tardeo, Mumbai Vivanta by Taj Vivanta by Taj, Dwarka Gateway Gateway, Hinjewadi, Pune Gateway, Raipur Gateway, Gondia Gateway, Faridabad Ginger Hotels (Six in Number) Management Contract Management Contract Benares Hotels Ltd Management Contract Roots Corporation Ltd 150 119 34 150 534 IHCL 250 Taj GVK Management Contract 275 9 Company Rooms New Development in Pipeline 2013/14 13 Hotels 1,521 Rooms 24Imperial Club by Taj, Tardeo, Mumbai 25 25 Vivanta by Taj, Dwarka 26 26 Sales and Marketing Initiatives 27 Strategy to Drive Incremental Revenues Surprises Campaign (Apr – Oct 2012) Tactical promotions campaign that is now launched every summer to address the seasonal drop in demand. Relaunched on 26th March 2012 for Summer 2012 Provides unique value proposition to customers with the following objectives – Drive SpendPAR – Drive Loyalty – Increase Capacity Utilization in lean months Campaign Programs – Flexi Credits – Suite Celebrations – Stay a Bit Longer 28Leisure focus – Domestic Dominance Taj Holidays – Summer, Monsoon, Winter Adopted a Destination led approach that we supported through an integrated marketing campaign. (Goa, Kerala, Indian Ocean, Small Palaces, Grand Palaces, Taj Safaris) Objective – tap the growing domestic holiday market in our lean season Advertising campaign was spread across pre-opening, summer and monsoon planks Interactive Roadshows in major feeder cities for travel trade and potential end users from the city 9 Leisure Focus – The High end Traveler Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces Customer Outreach by Taj at Travel + Leisure Global Bazaar, New York , September 2012 Annual travel trade and consumer show organized by Travel + Leisure attended by over 5000 media, travel trade and consumers over 3 days in New York The innovative customer experience installation to communicate the Taj luxury positioning and service experience at the suites of the Taj Grand Palaces.Supported by promotional activity and editorial coverage Channel Outreach through Taj Travel Awards at Taj Mahal Delhi , July 2012 Instituted two years ago it is the only award ceremony initiated by a hotel group to acknowledge and felicitate the inbound DMCs in India for their support and contribution. This year’s event drew 200+ prominent DMCs and travel trade press from across the country for a splendid evening of Awards ceremony, sit-down silver service dinner and entertainment. 0 Driving Revenues Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces Visibility Increased visibility through advertising campaign Enhanced focus on India Advertising in leading newspapers, general interest magazines, business magazines, lifestyle magazines and travel related magazines Driving Incremental Revenues from Corporates Winning back lost customer campaign Long stayer program for targeted accounts Channel based campaigns for Hit accounts 31Building the newest Brand Vivanta by Taj – Hotels & Resorts Launch of the signature Fuse 2. 0 Cocktails in an exclusive partnership with Diageo and Canali, August 2012 A Vivanta innovation launched in 3 key cities via a roadshow 6 signature cocktails each being a tribute to a Vivanta city Generated tremendous PR coverage and social media noise Brand Personification and Experiences Season 2 of both Divas of Rock and Urban Folk premiered at Vivanta Whitefield and Vivanta Begumpet Hyderabad.The Vivanta Motifs campaign went live across select media print, digital and social Awards & Accolades Vivanta by Taj is currently in the top 10 rank amongst 147 of the global pages on SocialBakers Analytics Vivanta Yeshwantpur Bangalore was ranked amongst the best 100 business hotels of 2012 by Wall paper UK Vi vanta Whitefield won the Emirates Leaf Design awards for the best commercial design world wide 2012 Vivanta Bekal voted the 8th best new spa destinations by Conde Nast India 32Enhancing the Brand Experiences The Gateway Hotels & Resorts The Gateway Hotel Residency Road Bangalore Relaunch, September 2012 Relaunched via a successful Customer and Media event Great PR Thrust, focus being revamped product post extensive renovations, the new lobby and spectacular F&B offerings Integrated marketing campaign Active Foods Campaign Extensive campaign marketing Gateway’s Active Food Conducted at all Coffee Shops with new menus, posters and tent cards across all hotels Supported by a media campaign (print, OOH, online and social) Contests in social media in the run up to the Olympics 3 Awards & Accolades Recognition in the Travel + Leisure Global Vision Awards for Leadership in Corporate Social Responsibility activities. The Awards recognize the outstanding efforts of individuals and org anizations that are working to preserve the world's natural and man-made treasures and contributing to building and sustaining livelihoods. Best Business Hotel Chain in India at the Business Traveler UK Awards 2012. Featured in Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards 2012 list of Top 100 hotels in the world and Top Resorts in Asia.Featured in the Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards 2012 list of Top City Hotels in Asia Amongst the Top 10 hotels in the world by Expedia. com's Insiders' Select based on consistent delivery of values, competitive pricing and impeccable customer service. Honoured as ‘Most Inspirational Eco Lodge of the Year’ at the 2012 Tour Operators for Tigers (TOFT) Wildlife Tourism Awards Ranked #1 Overseas Leisure Hotels in Asia and the Indian Subcontinent, Conde Nast Traveller UK Readers' Travel Awards 2012 34 Standalone Financial Performance Six Months ended September 30, 2012 35 Profit and Loss Account H1 2012/13 /Crores Net Sales/Income from Operations Other Operating Income Total Income a. Consumption of Raw Materials b. Employee Benefits Expense c. License Fees d. Fuel, Power and Light e. Depreciation and Amortisation Expense f. Other Expenditure Total Expenditure Profit/ (Loss) from operations before Other Income, Finance Costs and Exceptional Items Other Income Profit/ (Loss) before Finance Costs and Exceptional Items Finance Costs Profit/ (Loss) after Finance Costs but before Exceptional Items Exceptional items Profit/ (Loss) before tax Provision for Taxes Profit/ (Loss) After Tax 2012/13 775. 8 775. 48 73. 05 240. 22 51. 97 79. 41 63. 08 244. 62 752. 35 23. 13 33. 23 56. 36 53. 23 3. 13 (6. 70) (3. 57) (1. 24) (2. 33) 2011/12 727. 10 727. 10 64. 69 226. 91 44. 01 65. 43 55. 50 219. 77 676. 31 50. 79 35. 47 86. 26 50. 08 36. 18 9. 81 45. 99 16. 33 29. 66 % Change 7 7 (13) (6) (18) (21) (14) (11) (11) (54) (6) (35) (6) (91) – 36 Turnover H1 2012/13 ` crores Room sales F&B sales Other Income Management Fees 2012/13 354. 76 317. 80 52. 88 50. 04 2011/12 343. 89 287. 65 49. 55 46. 01 % Change 3 10 7 9Total Income Non – Operating Income Total Income including Other Income 775. 48 33. 23 808. 71 727. 10 35. 47 762. 57 7 (6) 6 Room revenue growth driven by 3% increase in average daily rooms sold including capacity increase Higher F&B sales due to increase in restaurant sales and banqueting business Management fee linked to higher turnover and profitability of non IHCL hotels 37 Expenditure Raw Materials Cost – ` 73. 05 crores Increase in line with 10% higher F&B revenue and commodity input cost increase Staff Cost – ` 240. 2 Crores Increase due to launch of new hotel in Bangalore, wage settlements, annual increments etc. License Fees – ` 51. 97 crores Increase on account of higher turnover of licensed properties Fuel, Power & Light – ` 79. 41 crores Higher on account of increase in rates and new capacity 38 Expenditure Depreciation & Amortisation – ` 63. 08 cro res Higher due to opening of new hotel in Bangalore and renovations in select hotels Other Expenditure – ` 244. 62 crores Increase in variable costs linked to business, full period cost of new hotel in Bangalore & higher A&P spendsFinance Costs – ` 53. 23 crores Increase due to ECBs taken to retire debt in Company’s offshore subsidiary 39 Exceptional Items Expense of ` (6. 7) crores in the current year against an income of ` 9. 8 crores in the previous year `/ Crores Particulars Income/(Expense) on surrender of a project (Net off accumulated capital expenditure) Exchange gain/(loss) Total 2012/13 (6. 7) (6. 7) 2011/12 10. 6 (0. 8) 9. 8 40 Statement of Assets & Liabilities September 30, 2012 ` / CroresShareholders’ Funds Non- Current Liabilities Long-term borrowings Long Term Provisions Other Long Term Liabilities/ Deferred Tax Liabilities Current Liabilities Short Term borrowings Other Current Liabilities Trade Payables/Short-term provisions Equity and Li abilities Non-current Assets Fixed Assets Non-current investments Long Term loans and advances Other non-current assets Current Assets Current Investments Short term loans and advances Other currents assets/ cash & bank/ inventories/ trade receivables Assets 71. 28 112. 50 229. 51 7614. 34 71. 87 227. 05 7363. 8 2066. 91 3622. 19 1495. 19 16. 76 2068. 36 3622. 19 1346. 93 27. 58 247. 52 406. 77 168. 88 7614. 34 122. 57 789. 58 280. 08 7363. 98 2287. 24 78. 20 757. 17 2039. 94 95. 93 668. 07 September 30, 2012 3668. 56 March 31, 2012 3367. 81 41 Consolidated Financial Performance Six Months ended September 30, 2012 42 Major Taj Group companies Subsidiaries Indian Piem Hotels Ltd Taj SATS Air Catering Ltd Tifco Holdings Ltd [Investment Company] Benares Hotels Ltd Inditravel Pvt Ltd United Hotels Ltd Roots Corporation Ltd Overseas International Hotel Management Services, Inc.St James Court Hotel Ltd IHMS (Australia) Pty Ltd Taj International Hotels (HK) Ltd [Investment Company] Samsara Properties Ltd [Investment Company] Others 43 Associates Oriental Hotels Ltd Lanka Island Resorts Ltd TAL Lanka Hotel PLC Others Joint Ventures Taj GVK Hotels & Resorts Ltd Taj Madras Flight Kitchen Pvt Ltd Taj Kerala Hotels & Resorts Ltd Taj Karnataka Hotels & Resorts Ltd Taj Safaris Ltd TAL Hotels & Resorts Ltd [Investment Company] Others Consolidated Financial Results H1 2012/13 Consolidated results show a loss of ` (91) crores against a loss of ` (70) crores.Key factors influencing the consolidated results are listed below: Domestic Portfolio – Lower profit from operations, lower dividend income & foreign exchange translation loss on borrowings – Previous period had an exceptional gain on account of interest income on surrender of a project International Portfolio – Samsara Properties Limited debt fully retired through equity funding from IHCL – Despite growth in turnover, US hotels continue to face challenges 44 Consolidated Financials H1 2012/13 `/ Crores Net Sales/Income from Operations Other Operating Income Total Income a. Consumption of Raw Materials b.Employee Benefits Expense c. License Fees d. Fuel, Power and Light e. Depreciation and Amortisation Expense f. Other Expenditure Total Expenditure Profit/ (Loss) from operations before Other Income, Finance Costs and Exceptional Items Other Income Profit/ (Loss) before Finance Costs and Exceptional Items Finance Costs Profit/ (Loss) after Finance Costs but before Exceptional Items Exceptional item Profit/ (Loss) before tax Less: Provision for Taxes Less: Minority Interest in Subsidiaries Add:Share of Profit(Loss) in Associates Profit( Loss) after Tax 2012/13 1666. 37 1666. 37 177. 56 629. 05 84. 04 143. 30 145. 2 492. 55 1671. 62 (5. 25) 35. 03 29. 78 81. 76 (51. 98) 1. 28 (50. 70) 8. 71 (24. 67) (6. 77) (90. 85) 2011/12 1455. 50 1455. 50 160. 72 540. 84 66. 73 117. 27 129. 29 417. 68 1432. 53 22. 97 39. 81 62. 78 110. 45 (47. 67) 4. 26 (43. 41) 27. 05 (10. 56) 10. 69 (70. 33) % Change 14 14 (10) (16) (26) (22) (12) (18) (17) (123) (12) (53) 26 (9) (70) (17) 68 (134) (163) (29) 45 Consolidation Snapshot `/Crores Revenue 2012/13 IHCL Standalone Subsidiaries Joint Ventures Associates Total Less/(Add): Inter Company Eliminations Consolidated Performance 1716. 7 50. 3 1666. 4 1498. 5 43. 0 1455. 5 775. 5 862. 1 79. 1Profit after tax & Minority Interest 2012/13 (2. 3) (43. 7) (8. 6) (6. 8) (61. 4) 29. 5 (90. 9) 2011/12 727. 1 701. 1 70. 3 2011/12 29. 7 (80. 0) (4. 2) 10. 7 (43. 8) 26. 5 (70. 3) 46 Treasury Liquidity raised/ committed Received ` 373 crores in June, 2012 on conversion of warrants by Tata Sons Ltd Raised ` 200 crores by issuing low coupon unsecured NCDs Funds Utilized Repayment of ECB in April, 2012 – $ 30 million Repayment of Fixed Deposits between April to October, 2012 – ` 285 crores 47 International Hotels Occupancy (%) Hotel Name H1 2012/13 H1 2011/12 ARR ($) H1 2012/13 H1 2011/12 RevPAR ($) H1 2012/13 H1 2011/12The Pierre, New York 63 67 620 571 391 382 Taj Boston 74 71 296 287 218 202 Campton Place, San Francisco 79 75 290 287 229 216 St. James Court, London 88 85 318 299 278 253 Blue, Sydney 75 76 221 230 165 176 48 Overview of Taj Group – H1 Particulars Number of hotels 2012/13 115 2011/12 110 2010/11 107 2009/10 103 Rooms Inventory 13,887 13,237 12,795 12,243 Total Revenue – ` / crores 2,288 2,069 1,822 1,603 Total Revenue denote arithmetic aggregate of turnover of all hotels/units irrespective of ownership, including Management Contracts 49 Thank you 50

Management class assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Management class - Assignment Example They maximize their efficiency and quality by assessing their position in the value network. Since the value chain structure of such universities is purely online learning, they generate their revenue by focusing on the market segment. A strategy is a plan or technique aimed at achieving predetermined results. Strategies are aimed at finding solutions to current and future problems. On the other hand, strategic planning involves the techniques employed by an organization to ensure that its strategies succeed. A Strategic plan is a carefully written blue print about how an organization plans to increase efficiency and productivity in future. The efficacy of a strategic plan can determine the level of success of an organization. Therefore, organizations ought to draft ‘SMART’ objectives that tally with their missions, values system, and visions. A strategic plan projects into the future of accompany for a period of between five to ten years. Strategic planning enables a company or organization to predict its future by working towards certain objectives thereby eliminating any element of deviating from the organization goals. Balanced scorecard will help the shoe company to implement strategies that will bring financial rewards to the shoe company. Focusing on the company’s vision and strategy will have positive impact on its financial performance by improving its internal efficiency and customer satisfaction. In essence, a balanced score card outlines the factors and processes that matter most as far as the performance of the organization is concerned. Fives forces are the forces within the market that will affect the competitiveness of the athletic footwear industry. The power of buyers/customers plays an important role in determining the quality, type, and price of the shoes by the company. It is so because buyers can opt to choose one brand instead of the other or one company over

How poverty may affect the psychological and social health of the Essay

How poverty may affect the psychological and social health of the individual - Essay Example The statistics of World Bank show that the numbers of the people living below the poverty line is increasing all over the world and 1.4 billion people are living with $1.25 or even lesser income per day and approximately three billion people use to get less than $2.5 per day. (World Bank Poverty Overview) Poverty is not only the problem of poor countries but the developed and rich countries like UK and US are also facing this serious threat. Poverty strongly affects the physical, psychological and social health of the individuals and it is revealed from numerous studies that a strong link exists between poverty, mental illness and social discriminations. The following discussion aims to identify some of the important effects of poverty upon the psychological and social health of the individuals. In this regard, the essay discussed some of the major governing factors that led people towards the state of poverty and also highlight the major social and psychological impacts that poverty draws upon the health of the individuals (Hine and Montiel, p943). Poverty causes abundance of problems and the poor people often face the dilemma of hunger, undernourishment and diseases that make their lives so miserable that they become unable to participate in several social activities. There are many governing factors that can be sought as the reason behind poverty like bad governance, social inequality, natural disasters, political takeover, lack of accountability, exploitation of one group of people by the others and high level of unfairness prevailing within the social systems. All these factors affect the social solidity and escort to dilemmas such as mounting felony and aggression. It is a widely accepted fact that the people facing poverty enjoy little respect in society and they have less admittance to healthcare, education and other social services (Singh and Vasundeva, p51). The failure of

The right brothers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The right brothers - Essay Example One of these was a toy helicopter, which sparked a love for flying in the brothers. When the toy broke down, the brothers made a replacement, a feat that illustrated their future inventive capabilities (The Wright Story, 2010). The brothers’ childhood appears to have been highly enriched by their father’s travel and family relocations to various locations in the Mid West, familial encouragement in intellectual pursuits and natural boyhood curiosity, enterprise and inventiveness (The Wright Story 2010). Milton Wright’s strict discipline, farming background experience and Susan’s mechanical ability to make useful things with her hands were imparted into their children in a warm, loving and encouraging family atmosphere. The Wright brothers were exposed to a wide ranging world of ideas through the literature in the family library, as well as their father’s travel experiences (The Wright Story 2010). Despite not being well schooled, the brothers were brought up in a creative and intellectual environment that suited pursuit of varying challenges (Wright Brothers n. d.). Wilbur was a bright, outgoing, robust and studious child who excelled in his academic pursuits and had plans to attend Yale University after graduating from high school (Wilbur 2015). However, an accident in the 1885-86 fall at the hands of an opponent’s an ice hockey stick disfigured his face resulting in a depression, drop out from high school and cancellation of college attendance plans. He became recluse, spending more time at home reading, helping out his father in his religious work and looking after his sick mother (Wilbur 2015). Susan Wright later died from tuberculosis. Orville was a mischievous and curious child given to playing pranks. Despite the fact that his family encouraged his intellectual development and academic pursuit, Orville was once expelled from school due to hi mischief. He especially loved flying kites and started making his

Case Study for ODP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Case Study for ODP - Essay Example As the reporter declares "my mentor, Dr. Hughes, supervised me as I took Mary and Mrs. Silvestre through the theater admission procedures. After sometime, Mrs. Hughes resolved to speedily nip to the lavatory in the process so as to get back, and relocate the patient into theatre. He left me to complete the remaining procedures and prepare the patient for admission. During this time, I observed that the agreement form had been contracted by Mary and a comment added to the notes that Mary thought she was pregnant. I proceeded to confirm this comment setting Mary free for theater admission after completing all required procedures. After transferring Mary into theatre, my mentor attempted to supplement a cannula in Mary’s hand. To my utter amazement, Mary was startled by a sharp pain inflicted upon her by the inserted cannula. She immediately withdrew her hand resulting in the cannula becoming dislodged with some blood spillage. I privately ask Dr. Hughes why such a unique occurre nce was taking place, and she quickly confessed that she had not really attempted a cannula procedure unsupervised before. I concluded that she must have forgotten to follow certain necessary procedures resulting into the pain experienced by the patient and consequently, the blood spillage upon withdrawal." Operating department practitioners (ODPs) have a huge role to play in seeing forth the liberation of patients from the anguish of various diseases. The situations to which operating department practitioners are often exposed as health care professionals are sometimes so complex and demanding including serious issues of health and wellbeing of various patients.

Employment law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Employment law - Coursework Example In the case of Davis and his company management, the decision to dismiss may appear malicious but it was meant to protect the reputation of that institutions. However, if an employee has been found in contravention of the laws governing their employment, they still have rights to fair trial and access to a lawyer. A free and fair disciplinary committee hears and determines the case based on evidence gathered1. In the event an employee feels that they were unfairly treated, they can seek assistant from their trade unions or employment tribunals. Petitioners are encouraged to ensure they exhaust all possible avenues of justice before filing their cases at the tribunals2. The latter take a long period before the hearing and making any determination of the case. The following discussion focuses on a case involving dismissal of Dave from his work under some controversial circumstances. The main aim is establish if he is qualified for any remedies if the employment tribal rules on his beha lf. Statement of the case The case involves a Dave who was a manager at the Pamper. He had been in the company for a period of more than 11 years. His dismissal occurred on 26 May 2012 under certain controversial circumstances. He had entered a shop to purchase some goods when he saw his friend. He left the queue while still holding the items but let the till assistant know about it. It is at that time that the store detective, acting on the perception that he was a thief, decided to arrest him. His case was dismissed immediately for lack of sufficient evidence. However, his employers did not take the matter lightly and therefore decided to constitute a disciplinary committee. After gathering information from the store detective and Janice who was Dave’s assistant, they dismissed him. Anomalies in the determinations of the case From the analysis of the case, there were various legal anomalies. Firstly, Dave was denied the right to a fair trial. He was denied permission to be represented by his lawyer. This is against the Article 6 of the constitution, which requires defendants be represented by such legal experts3. In R (Seymour-Smith) v Secretary of State for Employment case, the judge ruled in favour of the plaintiff. The dismissal was unfair due to discrimination against the plaintiff. Dave was also discriminated and treated unfairly by being denied right to an attorney. This was unfair for him from a legal point of view because he appeared overwhelmed. All other members were against him including the disciplinary committee, which relied on biased information. Secondly, the evidence was gathered in a hurry and was not analyzed to ensure it was reliable. Some of the witnesses such as Janice is said to have had some disagreements with Dave several times. It is therefore possible that her testimony was biased and malicious. She might have wished Dave away so that she could take over his position. It appears that the employers were determined to dismiss Dave. They were only focused on information that supported the fact that he had purposed to steal. However, this is unrealistic since he had never done that before, and his status at his job did not allow him to behave that way. These gross anomalies should form a basis for seeking redress to the employment tribunal4. Dave, should be free to file his petition immediately with the employment tr

Summary of Thirteen Days by Robert Kennedy Essay

Summary of Thirteen Days by Robert Kennedy - Essay Example The Soviet Union was putting her nuclear missiles on the grounds of Cuba ready to strike the United States. Given the magnitude of the threat, President John F. Kennedy had no choice but to make a decisive decision on the issue to avoid the eminent danger that United States was in. Making a decision on such a grave matter was not easy. The president had to understand the consequences that that awaited any of his actions and the impact they would have not only on the United States, but also on the entire world. He therefore had to rely on the Committee of National Security Council for advice. The members of this committee were to argue, discuss, and even quarrel to eventually advice his on the best course of action to take concerning the crisis. Many a member of the committee rooted for the deployment of military to destroy the Soviet Union missiles in Cuba. Robert Kennedy, then the attorney general, was of the idea that the navy should be deployed around the Cuban island to block any offensive that the Soviet Union might employ against America. ... They perused through past similar crisis and their resolutions and the mistakes committed and how they could avoid repeating such mistakes. They did their best to understand the situation before any decision could be made by President Kennedy. They knew any decision taken would have a huge effect on humanity. Robert Kennedy vividly explains how decisions were arrived at during these momentous times and how those taken by the President himself and his advisors. It gives detailed information on the efforts of both Robert Kennedy and John Kennedy towards ensuring that any decision taken centered on diplomacy and law. This approach was done at the United Nations. ‘13 days’ also highlights how Robert Kennedy was powerful in the John F. Kennedy government and how he used his power to exert influence on other advisers of President Kennedy. In the book, there are correspondences between President Kennedy and the Soviet Union leader Nikita Krushnev and the speeches that President Kennedy gave concerning the Cuba nuclear crisis as well as photos of nuclear weapons that the Soviet Union had already brought to Cuba. The book further reveal that even the Soviet Union wanted a peaceful end to the Cuban crisis since they realized they too had families that would suffer because of employment of nuclear weapons between the two super powers. Any passionate lover of John F. Kennedy’s president would find this book captivating and inspiring to some extend as it gives the reader a rare opportunity to read and understand the mind of President Kennedy. The book outlines the historical lessons learnt from the crisis and how they can be avoided in the future, so as under no circumstances should there be any disregard for

European Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

European Business - Research Paper Example A major reduction in demand in the largest market of EU, Germany, was the main reason for export reduction in countries like France, Italy and UK which are its main export partners for automobiles. The following figure shows that the proportion of companies exporting in the EU countries in 2006 had substantially declined over the 1997 period. The situation worsened post financial crisis of 2008 following which countries like Ireland, Greece and Turkey suffered deep economic downturn. The tourism industry also suffered immensely on account of the financial crisis of 2008. All the 27 members of the EU block suffered both resident and non-resident night spends decline since 2008 (Leviev-Sawyer 2010). With the exception of Sweden which saw a positive 0.1% increase in night spend, there was up to 23.3% reduction in member countries like Latvia (Leviev-Sawyer 2010). Another notable feature was that non-residents formed only 44% of nights spent in hotels and residents formed 56% of the nigh t occupancy in 2009 across all the EU member countries. This shows that the proportion of tourist movement across the member countries was much lower as compared to the internal tourist night spends. Thus, the present crisis had a major negative impact on cross border tourism industry within the member countries. ... ows the following pattern (Luff 2008): UK stands at the sixth position in the list of countries which had investments in Turkey between 2002 and 2007 (Luff 2008). If we look at the number of companies of British origin which have invested in Turkey, we can see a substantial rise since 2002. The following figure shows the pattern of investment (Luff 2008). All the major British companies like Tesco, Vodafone, HSBC, Shell, Imperial Tobacco and BP have their investments here. The following chart shows the top 5 FDI inflows into Turkey in 2006 (Luff 2008). The top 3 companies are from the EU member countries and have invested in telecom and banking sectors. This is mainly because of the opening up of these sectors by the Turkish government. Another industry which has substantial impact for the EU member countries is the outsourcing industry. Poland experienced the largest inflow of outsourcing business during the period 1995 to 2002 (Lorentowicz, Marin and Raubold 2005). Austria was the next in line. The following table shows the FDI patterns of Austria and Poland during the various periods. The pattern shows that Austria has substantially increased its investments in new member countries like Hungary, Poland, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria while investments into UK have decreased over the previous decades. If we look at Poland’s inflows, we can see that France, Germany and Netherlands accounts for around 51% of the FDI (Lorentowicz, Marin and Raubold 2005). This shows that Poland is a favorite destination for these countries for outsourcing businesses mainly because of the availability of low cost and highly skilled work force. The major drivers of outsourcing business to these new member countries are low labor costs and cultural affinity of these countries to the

International Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

International Financial Management - Essay Example Thirdly, firms aim at broadening their market. Fourthly, companies aim at increasing their returns. In terms of career, International financial management is focused to the students who aim at being involved in investment across the border where they will be involved in making financing decision while working managers, investors or consultants. Four key areas that are covered by International financial management include currencies, multinational financial decision making, institution and finance and cross border valuation. This paper seeks to discuss various issues that came about during the half yearly meeting of International Investments plc from various stakeholders. Being the world’s primary reserve, the dollar is a key aspect that helps US government to keep interest at low level. On their part, foreign countries buy the US treasury debt for two main reasons. First, it is an investment that the countries can use to improve their monetary policies. Secondly, dollar-denominated assets as compared to other currencies are the best way to hold foreign exchange reserves (Brealey and Myers, 1991). As indicated by Catherine Mann, long-term global economic health demands that United States and the trading partners to collect internal imbalances as well as external balances. In order to ensure that the future position of the dollar remains strong there is need for co-dependency between US and the trading partners (Grimwade, 2000). In the case of depreciation of a dollar, there will be an economic problem that will involve global re-balancing. Global re-balancing refers to complementary narrowing of two imbalances across the globe. These include e xpansive dependence of other countries on the net exports of the US as well as the increasing US current account deficit. One of the key roles of global co-dependency is that it prevents the dollar from depreciation while at the same time keeping the current configuration of the world imbalances at the best position

Electronic Road Pricing for traffic congestion Essay Example for Free

Electronic Road Pricing for traffic congestion Essay Introduction One of the most problems today is the traffic congestion that we experience in the large city. We feel that it is a headache during our journey and it gave us a lot of negative effects. Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queuing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction between vehicles slows the speed of the traffic stream, this results in some congestion. As demand approaches the capacity of a road (or of the intersections along the road), extreme traffic congestion sets in. When vehicles are fully stopped for periods of time, this is colloquially known as a traffic jam or traffic snarl-up. Traffic congestion can lead to drivers becoming frustrated and engaging in road rage. If you live in a large city or any area where there are lots of commuters on the road, then you are probably familiar with the effects of traffic congestion. What you may not realize is the extent of the effects heavy traffic congestion can have. This gridlock can have a tremendous impact on your personal life, career, your future and even your safety. Finding a solution to traffic congestion could mean a vast improvement in the quality of life in your area. One example of a large city is the city of Manila, this city listed in the journal as the 75th most densely population urban center with 14,400 people per square kilometer in a total land area of 1,437 square kilometers. If the population increase also the number of cars increases. The city is notorious for its traffic mess, especially since traffic laws are all but ignored, and a clean driving record is a bribe away. Getting stuck on Manila’s roads is one very unpleasant experience. During rush hour, traffic in the main thoroughfares in Manila slows to a crawl, and an accident can cause gridlock for hours. Because of this traffic the drivers, commuters and other people that is belong to the traffic experiencing a negative effect and there are the following: Traffi c congestion has a number of negative effects: Wasting time of motorists and passengers (opportunity cost). As a non-productive activity for most people, congestion reduces regional economic health. Delays, which may result in late arrival for employment,  meetings, and education, resulting in lost business, disciplinary action or other personal losses. Wasted fuel increasing air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions owing to increased idling, acceleration and braking. Wear and tear on vehicles as a result of idling in traffic and frequent acceleration and braking, leading to more frequent repairs and replacements. Emergencies: blocked traffic may interfere with the passage of emergency vehicles traveling to their destinations where they are urgently needed. Manual paying of toll is also a cause of traffic and wasting time for the motorist and passengers. . The following is the negative effect of manual paying of roads toll 1. Wasting time for the motorist It is wasting time because the motorist stops to pay their toll manually at the toll booth. 2. Cause of traffic Sometimes the number of vehicles increases that’s why it will be the cause of traffic. 3. Errors because of the toll collector The collector experiences some error in accepting the toll from the motorists. One good example is when they paid with the big amount of money then the collectors do not have enough money to change it. IDEA Because of the traffic, motorist and passengers suffer their times and the air is polluted, the solution now is here, it can help to minimize traffic. Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) is an electronic system of road pricing. It uses a dedicated short-range radio communication system to deduct ERP charges from smart-cards inserted in the in-vehicle units of vehicles each time they pass a pricing point when the system is in operation. The pay-when-you-use principle helps make motorist more aware of the true cost of driving. This way, road usage can be optimized. The ERP system has three major groups of components. The first centered on the IU and the stored-value smart-card. While the IU was produced specifically for the ERP system, the smart-cards were marketed by a consortium of local banks for multiple uses. Different IUs were produced for different classes of vehicles, with each type distinguished by different colors. The second group of components comprises those installed at the on-site ERP gantries. These include the antennae, the vehicle detectors and the enforcement camera system. All these are linked to a controller at each of the site. Data collected is transmitted back to the Control Centre continuously through leased telephone lines. The third group of components is at the Control Centre, and includes various servers, monitoring systems as well as a master-clock to ensure that the timing at all the ERP gantries is synchronized. All the financial transactions are processed here, before being sent to the banks for settlement. In addition, violation images are processed at the Control Centre, and letters are printed and sent out from here to all the offenders. What are the purposes of Electronic Road Pricing? Aim is to charge vehicles for the use of the road at times and at places of congestion For congestion management Not for raising revenue Every entry or pass under a control point is automatically charged a fee The implementation of electronic road pricing system will be one of the solutions to motorist who had to deal with the inconvenience of slowing down vehicle and winding down windows when paying tolls. It is so convenient and efficient motorist is not required to slowdown when the passing the ERP gantries. The Electronic road pricing system to be installed for the congested area can reduce the traffic and thus easing overall traffic congestion. Replacing the existing toll collection system to more advance technology, the ERP system, is another way to advancement of a country. What is Electronic road pricing? Electronic road pricing system (ERP) is simply an electronic system of road pricing. It is designed to automate our current road pricing system with no more paper coupons or enforcement officer at gantries. The system is a dedicated short – range radio communication system. The ERP consist of four main components: 1. The In Vehicle Unit (IU) 2. The Cash card 3. ERP gantries or control points 4 .The central computer system The IU is an electronic device installed in the vehicle that communicates with the gantry point equipment and accepts a cash card for payment of ERP charges. Each unique number is tied to the registration number of the vehicle to which it is attached. The cash card is a stored value of ERP payment. It is called the smart card is reusable and can topped up. It is easy and convenient to use. The scheme consists of ERP gantries located at all roads. They are also located along the expressways and arterial roads with heavy traffic to discourage usage during peak hours. The gantry system is actually a system of sensors on 2 gantries, one in front of the other. Cameras are also attached to the gantries to capture the rear license plate numbers of vehicles. There are different IUs for different classes of vehicles i.e. for cars, taxis, light good vehicles, heavy good vehicles, buses, motorcycles and exempted vehicles such as fire engines, ambulances and police cars. This is essential because the ERP charges are different for classes. The IUs are color coded so that illegal switching of IUs between different classes of vehicles will e discourage. Data is transferred from the local controller to central computer. The central computer system is the control room monitors the traffic network and equipment. There it records all ERP transactions, faults in the equipment and digital image of violating vehicles. The functional requirements of electronic road pricing system are: 1. It should be multi – lane system with no booths 2. There would be no manual payment. 3. There would be no need to slowdown at ERP gantry points. 4. There is a possibility that more than one vehicle passing simultaneously under the entry point. 5. Vehicle could travel at speed of more than limited speed. The ERP system is designed to be simple and easy to understand. The IU is capable of doing self – diagnostics on itself and on the cash card when the card is first inserted. There are a number of icons that appear on the LCD display to show errors. When the cash card balance is low, there will be a low balance indicator icon on the LCD display. Furthermore, when the IU with a low cash card goes under an ERP point, there would be continuous long beep  to remind the driver to top up his card before the next journey. Violations of the ERP system A massive campaign needs to be implemented prior to the implementation of ERP to teach motorists how to use the system and avoid violations. There are three types of violations; 1. There is mainly no IU 2. No cash card 3. Insufficient balance in the cash card To ensure the system can run smoothly and efficiently, service and information must be provided to the public in the beginning. In addition to the ERP hotlines, brochures, exhibitions, radio and television talk show. Strong marketing campaign is essential to explain the benefits and costs, the financial, efficiency equity effects of ERP. Achievement of ERP The ERP rates are to be such that there is neither congestion nor underutilization of the roads. Hence, we are aiming to operate the roads within arrange of speeds at the upper end of the traffic level of services. In addition, ERP would be an effective mean to mange future congestion and maintain average road speed during peak hours by diverting private vehicles trips to public transportation or non – peak travel time under various pricing and traffic growth scenarios. Main Objective of ERP Toll is collected before entering the zone. Charges will be levied on a per–pass basis and can vary according to time and congestion levels. With ERP, motorists will be aware of the true cost of driving. With this system of charging, a motorist will be encouraged to choose whether to drive, when and where to drive. He may choose a different route, destination, time of travel or decide to use public transport. By doing this, it will reduced traffic congestions. Benefits of ERP The transport operation benefits relate to reduced vehicular traffic, particularly during congested periods, reduced travel times, and increased public transport use and higher car and taxi occupancy. The environmental benefits involve reduced vehicle emissions and reduced exposure to traffic  noise inside the charging zone. However, the environmental conditions of other areas may witness some deterioration due to the overall redistribution of traffic. ERP therefore can assist in the overall improvement to the environment, but is not the sole solution to the complex issue of air quality and noise abatement. If ERP is to be used to meet environmental objectives, further studies will need to be conducted to define the parameters, benchmarks and related implementation details. Implementation How does ERP works? 1. When the motorist inserts a cash card into the IU, it checks the health of the IU and cash card. If everything is in order, there will be a short beeping sound and the cash balance of the cash card will be shown on the backlit LCD display of the IU for few seconds. A green light emitting diode (LED) will light up on the IU and remain lit until the cash card is removed. If the system is not working when the cash card is inserted into the IU. An â€Å"err† message appears on the IU display with a long beeping sound and a red LED lights up on the IU. In such cases, one or more of the small icons may also be shown on the display; to indicate the type of e.g. Cash card error, and low Cash card balance. Another indication of faulty system is a blank display. 2. At the ERP control point, the first gantry recognizes the presence of an IU and its class and instructs it to debit the cash card with appropriate amount. This amount is determined from table of prevailing charges for the various classes of vehicle loaded into the outstation by the central computer. Between the first and second from gantries, the IU debits this amount from the cash card. If the debiting is successful, the second gantry queries the IU and then gets such confirmation. The driver hears a short beat and sees the new cash card balance on the IU display. 3. If the IU is unable to deduct because of an error in the system or there is no cash card (or n invalid card) or insufficient balance in the cash card to meet the amount, the driver hears a long beep sees a red LED on the IU and â€Å"err† appears on the IU display with an error, the driver may also hear the long beep and see a blank display on the IU. 4. Meanwhile, the vehicle presents detector detects the passage of a vehicle. The antenna at the gantries, the vehicle presents detector and the IU together with the logic in the local  controller decide whether a complete successful transaction has been made. 5. If not, there has been a violation or an error. The cameras are instructed to take a photograph of the rear license plate of the offending vehicle. 6. Violations are committed by vehicles that have no IU, no cash card or an insufficient balance in the cash card to meet the cost of the passing under the ERP gantry. Errors occur when there is a faulty IU, no power to the IU from the vehicle battery, faulty cash card and partial communications between the IU and the antenna. 7. When a photograph is taken, attaches information on why it was taken so that technical errors and violations are differentiated. Errors do not result in prosecution of the motorist. 8. The information from the outstation on successful transaction, violation and error records and the photograph are sent periodically by telephone lines to the control center. Another control center monitors the state of all outstation equipment. Publication of Electronic Road Pricing Implementation of ERP will not be possible without a general public consensus on the objectives and principles of the proposal. There will likely be public resistance to ERP arising from suspicion about the governments motive, the reluctance to accept new initiatives and road users resentment about the imposition of new charges. A well-planned and executed public consultation programmed to demonstrate how ERP works and to allow public input into the development of system objectives can promote awareness of the ERP system as a measure to relieve traffic congestion and develop understanding in the community for its possible introduction. It is recommended that a public consultation programmed be initiated to increase public understanding of the traffic congestion problem and to encourage public discussion of possible use of restraint measures and alternative solutions including ERP. The public should be consulted specifically on the acceptable traffic speeds. IU Fitting Program There were two major program launched prior to the start of the ERP. The first was the installation of IUs on the 680,000 eligible vehicles while the  second was on publicity, to get motorists and motorcyclists aware and ready for the ERP system. The IU fitting program took 10 months, starting from September 1997. The 680,000 vehicles that were potential users of the ERP system were grouped into batches, and owners of each batch were invited to have IUs fitted at one of the 200 authorized IU fitting centers. This was spread out over the 10-month period, so that there will be no last-minute rush to fit IUs. To encourage vehicle owners to keep to the schedule, the IUs were given away at no cost to them if they had their IU fitted during the allocated time period. Otherwise, a charge of S$150 was payable. The fitting of IUs onto vehicles was not compulsory – it was left very much to the individual to decide. Nevertheless, at the end of the IU fitting program, about 98% of the registered vehicles were fitted with IUs. Publicity Program Publicity was another important aspect and this started even before the start of the IU fitting program and was in place for more than a year, all the way up to and beyond the launch date of the ERP system. All vehicle owners were sent brochures, detailing the ERP system, how it works and the differences between that and the then working ALS/RPS. Advertisements were also placed in the print media as well as on television to drum up awareness of the new road pricing system. An important awareness and confidence building program was the test phase – all the ERP gantries were switched on and working. The only differences were that the message on the ERP gantries read â€Å"On Test† instead of â€Å"In Operation†, and that the ERP charge was set to zero. This allowed motorists to test their IUs and to experience the ERP charging process. One of the differences between the ERP and the then ALS/RPS pointed out in the publicity program was that, unlike the latter, the ERP system imposes a charge each time a vehicles passes through the control point. In the ALS/RPS schemes, the fee payable was a daily charge that allowed the vehicle to make unlimited number of passing for that day. Conclusion (Electronic) Toll Collection may become an increasing important instrument within the big bundle of measures for regional demand and traffic management. The ERP system provides a targeted solution for congestion  pricing by allowing the authorities to pin-point specific congested spots and vary the congestion charge according to prevailing traffic conditions. Therefore, the charges can either increase or decrease according to the demand of usage of the priced-road or expressway, which is reviewed quarterly. By pricing congested stretches, ERP system helps to moderate and spread out vehicle usage for optimal usage of the road network by encouraging motorists to consider alternatives. These would include using other routes to arrive at their destinations, travelling during the off-peak periods, switching to public transport or car-pooling. The ERP system has been effective in managing traffic congestion and resulted in traffic speeds remaining within the optimal speed range. However, the ERP system cannot operate in silo and has to work in tandem with vehicle ownership control measures, increasing and optimizing road capacity, as well as encouraging motorists to shift to public transport to maintain a smooth-flowing road network. As congestion becomes increasingly pervasive, it would not be practical to continue erecting physical gantries to address the congestion problem. In addition, the ERP charges imposed at discrete gantry points also lead to undesirable consequences e.g. congestion spills over to nearby minor roads in residential areas, thus leading to localized congestion. This would be a more equitable and economically efficient system than the current point charging system where motorists are charged based on the number of gantries they drive through rather than distance travelled on a congested road. Furthermore, motorists who join a congested road after the gantry points are not charged even though they also contribute to the congestion of the road. It can help to minimize traffic, this is the way to help motorist to avoid wasting time. They can arrive on time on their business and the other things. It can also help to reduce air pollution to avoid the negative effects of human health and also in our environment. Electronic Road Pricing

Stereotyping and Social Identity Theory

Stereotyping and Social Identity Theory Apply your knowledge of stereotyping and social identity theory to explain what went wrong here. Stereotyping is the basis of the social identity theory. Stereotyping can be characterized as the way to assign qualities to people in light of their investment in a social theory (McShane, 2010, p. 72). When you further investigate stereotypes, we find two different types. Prescriptive stereotypes and descriptive stereotypes. Prescriptive stereotypes depict the specific behavioral norms that individuals must uphold to avoid derogation or punishment by others (Gill, 2004). Descriptive stereotypes are perceivers beliefs about the characteristics of a social group and indicate the attributes, roles, and behaviors that describe that group (Gill, 2004). Collectively, stereotyping lays the groundwork for prejudice and discrimination. The social identity theory states that the in-group will discriminate against the out-group to enhance their own self image. It also clarifies how we perceive people through differentiation, homogenization and categorization. It is crucial to remember that in-groups are the groups you are apart of and that you associate with and out-groups are the groups that we dont normally identify with and my discriminate against. It was clear on in the case of Rochelle Beauport that she appreciated being an assistant brand manager. The position appeared to be more challenging and had a greater affected on the organizations profits than the new position, market resource coordinator. The market resource coordinator position was more classified as a behind the scenes job. Rochelle had the feeling that the new position was not the route to top administration in most organizations. Because of her skin colour she had also built up a perception that she was placed on reserve and felt that Syd Gilman thought she didnt deserve her previous position. What went wrong was that Syd Gilman thought that Rochelle would enjoy and appreciate the new position that had brought him to the high position he holds at the company. He felt as if offering the new position to her, would help her widen her experience and enhance her career at Hy Dairies, Inc. Mr. Gilman thought that his journey up the corporate latter through market resource coordinator would benefit Rochelle the same way. He believed that his experiences he would be able to share with Rochelle in the future. From Rochelles point of view she was confused that the job offered to her was at the same level or even a downgrade for he previous position. Since she had such a great year boosting the company sales, Rochelle was anticipating a promotion to a higher position. Hearing that Mr. Gilman offered her market resource coordinator she was shocked to say the least. She thought that the position was a downgrade and that Mr. Gilman didnt want her to get promoted because of her skin colo ur or even her gender. Rochelle wasnt aware that the new position had been given with positive implications that shed advance in the company the same way Mr. Gilman did as well. What other perceptual error is apparent in this case study? While reading the case study I noticed that the Halo effect, and others is apparent as well. The Halo effect is when you immediately form an impression on someone just from one trait/behaviour. Since you are blinded by the one trait/behaviour its hard for you to be able to see their other traits because you are so focused on one. For Rochelle when Syd Gilman offered her the new position she immediately thought he was trying to downgrade her because the market resource coordinator was known to be a sideline job. Just based on this interaction she felt as if she was being betrayed because of her differences, her thought was that Syd Gilman didnt want her to reach top management so he gave her market resource coordinator trying to make her think she was getting a promotion. Through the lack of communication What can organizations do to minimize misperceptions in these types of situations? In conflict situations, avoiding misunderstanding takes a lot of time and effort. Some considerations that the organizations or Mr. Gilman can do are: A.) The first is active listening. The goal of active listening is to understand the receivers as well as you understand yourself (McShane, 2010, pg 81). A message cannot be interpreted by the listener if he/she does not pay attention to what the speaker says. In this case, Syd Gilman should pay close attention to what Rochelle Beauport is saying. If need be, he should have the eagerness to discuss, clarify, or repeat anything that is unclear or seems unreasonable. It is possible that Syd is thinking that he understands Rochelle very well, but this is mere a confusion of interpretation and understanding. Because Syds goal is to give Rochelle the position where he started, he should first hear her side of story. A major problem is that Rochelle Beauport is interpreting Mr. Gilmans actions in a different way. You could go as far as saying she felt that she was underestimated. Because of the misunderstanding, there was an error in the communication between the two. To avoid this Syd Gil man should attempt to repeat back her case just as she has presented it to him. This will show that Mr. Gilman is listening (which suggests that Gilman cares about what Rochelle has to say) and that Syd Gilman understands what she has said or feels. It does not indicate that Gilman agrees with what she said, nor does Gilman have to agree. Mr. Gilman just needs to indicate that he does understand her perspective.

Literature On Yoga And Dysmenorrhea

Literature On Yoga And Dysmenorrhea A great literature is chiefly a product of inquiring minds in revolt against the immovable certainities of nation - Mecken H.C. Literature serves a number of important functions in the research process. It helps the researcher to generate ideas or to focus on a research topic. It also can be useful in pointing out the research design, methodology, meaning of tools and type of statistical analysis that might be productive in pursuing the research problem. Review of literature of the present study is arranged under the following headings. Review related to dysmenorrhea Studies related to dysmenorrhea Review related to yoga Studies related to yoga on stress and dysmenorrhea REVIEW RELATED TO DYSMENORRHEA DYSMENORRHEA Dysmenorrhea is a gynaecological medical condition characterized by severe uterine pain due to painful cramps during menstruation. Menstrual cramps usually last from a few hours to several days and ease as the cycle progresses. TYPES OF DYSMENORRHEA Primary dysmenorrhea Secondary dysmenorrhea PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA Primary dysmenorrhea means pain recurred regularly or within a year or two of the first puberty. SECONDARY DYSMENORRHEA It is associated with gynecological disorders such as endometriosis or pelvic abnormalities. Pain begins years after periods started. Secondary dysmenorrhea can be caused by the following: Endometriosis. Blood and tissue being discharged through a narrow cervix. Uterine fibroid or ovarian cyst. Infections of the uterus. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Intrauterine device (IUD). PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA The causes of primary dysmenorrhea are: Strong uterine contractions which is stimulated by increased production of the hormone prostaglandin by the lining of the uterus (endometrium). Anxiety and stress. Blood and tissue being discharged through a narrow cervix. Displaced uterus. Lack of exercise. Associated factors in primary dysmenorrhea Use of caffeine or nicotine. Stress. The degree of dysmenorrhea may vary according to general health or mental state. While emotional or psychological factors dont cause the pain, they can worsen it or cause some women to be less responsive to treatment. Family history of dysmenorrhea. Lack of exercise; poor diet. Signs and symptoms Diarrhea (occasionally) or constipation. Sweating. Nausea and vomiting (sometimes). Cramping sharp pains in the lower abdomen, lower back and thighs. Pain starts at the onset of menses and lasts for hours to days. Lack of energy. Urinary frequency. Irritability, nervousness, depression. Fainting. Headaches. Management Nutritional Nutritional supplements like omega-3 fatty acids (fat compounds found in oily fish, such as salmon and tuna), magnesium, vitamin E, zinc, and thiamine (vitamin B1) are effective in treating dysmenorrhea. Intake of plenty of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and avoiding saturated fats and commercial junk foods is also beneficial. Limiting salt may help to reduce bloating. Reduce caffeine, sugar, and alcohol intake will help in reducing the risk of dysmenorrhea. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) The pain of primary dysmenorrheal is relieved by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Aspirin is the most common NSAID Non-drug therapies Yoga Therapy, exercise, acupuncture, acupressure, behavioral therapy, Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) and chiropractic care are effective in treating dysmenorrhea. Yogic Management The pigeon pose, the hero pose the best way of calming the thoughts and relaxing the body and wide squat pose is very useful in reducing the hip pain. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) is a mode of treatment which uses low-level electrical pulses to suppress back pain. The standard approach is to give 80 to 100 pulses per second, for 45 minutes, three times a day. STUDIES RELATED TO DYSMENORRHEA Liliwat et al (2006) conducted a study to determine the prevalence of dysmenorrhea, its associated factors and its effects on school activities among adolescent girls in a secondary school in a rural district of Selangor, Malaysia. The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 62.3%. It was significantly higher in the middle adolescence (15 to 17 years old) age group, girls with regular menstrual cycle and a positive family history. There was no significant association with mean age of menarche and duration of menstruation. The number of school and class absences increased with increasing severity of dysmenorrhea. The mean pain score was significantly higher in girls who reported to be unable to participate in sports and with poor concentration in class. Dysmenorrhea among the adolescent girls was found to be common. It had significant negative impact in their school performance and activities. Wilson et al (2003) stated that the majority of the female adolescents have been identified dysmenorrhea and premenstrual symptoms as problems that affect the academic performance and an important factor for school absenteeism. They surveyed eighty-eight female high school adolescents in two separate physical education classes at high school adolescents in Pune for the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and premenstrual symptoms. The results showed that 86% (76 out of 88) had premenstrual symptoms and 91% (80 out of 88) had dysmenorrhea and most of the girls were unaware of the causes and treatments of these symptoms. Subsequently, a model was designed to educate girls in self-help methods and to screen for and detect these problems. Dittakarn et al (2003) conducted a study to determine the prevalence of dysmenorrheal and its impact on school attendance, academic performance, social activities and knowledge of treatment in Thai adolescents. Dysmenorrhea was a significant public health problem. It had an impact on academic activities. Most of the subjects knew that Paracetamol is the drug that help to relief their symptoms. Anil K Agarwal Anju Agarwal (2002) conducted an explorative study to assess the prevalence of dysmenorrhea its severity with associated symptoms in high school adolescent girls of the age group within 15 to 20 years at Gwalior. They concluded that the prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 79.67% and majority of them, 37.96%, suffered regularly from dysmenorrhea severity. The three most common symptoms present on day before and first day of menstruation were lethargy, tiredness, depression, inability to concentrate in work. Wilson (2002) conducted a study to assess the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among adolescents of 14-16 years in Switzerland using questionnaire. Among 327 cases, 185 cases (56.6%) reported dysmenorrhea. Among them 95 (31.7%) had mild dysmenorrhea, 45(15%) had moderate dysmenorrhea and 17 (5.7%) had severe dysmenorrhea. Martin et al (2001) conducted a study to assess the prevalence and severity of dysmenorrhea among adolescents. A 95-item menstrual Assessment Form was administered to 207 suburban-based adolescent females in Turkey. Subjects had a mean age of 17.6 years, 89% were white, 59% were in high school, and 28% were in college. Almost all subjects reported dysmenorrhea (96%) or moderate (89%) severity; while many reported changes they considered severe (59%) or extreme (43%). The most commonly reported changes in physical condition were general discomfort, water retention symptoms, fatigue, and autonomic physical changes. The most commonly reported changes in mood and behavior included impaired social function, depressive changes, and impulsive behavior. These changes were most severe in those adolescents who reported having dysmenorrhea. Banikarim et al (2000) conducted a study to determine the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among Hispanic female adolescents its impact on academic performance, school attendance, and sports and social activities; and its management. A total of 706 Hispanic female adolescents, in grades nine to twelve, completed a 31-item questionnaire about the presence, duration, severity, treatment, and limitations of dysmenorrhea at a local urban high school. Dysmenorrhea was highly prevalent among Hispanic adolescents and was related to school absenteeism and limitations on social, academic, and sports activities. Most of the adolescents did not seek medical advice for dysmenorrhea. Hillen et al (1999) conducted a study to explore the prevalence of dysmenorrhea and its impact on school, sporting, social activities, management strategies, and their knowledge of available treatment among senior high school girls in Perth, Western Australia. A total of 388 female students in Grades 11 and 12 at three metropolitan secondary schools completed an anonymous questionnaire administered during class time. it was found that the prevalence and impact of dysmenorrhea was high, and they lack knowledge and experience of effective treatment. Health education measures were needed to prevent unnecessary suffering and interruption to school routine. REVIEW RELATED TO YOGA Introduction to yoga Yoga is becoming popular in all parts of the world. For the restless mind it gives solace; For the sick it is a boon; For the common man it is the fashion of the day to keep him fit and beautiful. Some use it for improving memory intelligence and creativity with its multifold advantages it is becoming a part of education. Specialists use it to unfold deeper layers of consciousness in their move towards perfection. Definition The term yoga comes from a Sanskrit word which means yoke or union. Traditionally, yoga is a method joining the individual self with the Divine, Universal Spirit, or Cosmic Consciousness. Physical and mental exercises are designed to help achieve this goal, also called self-transcendence or enlightenment. On the physical level, yoga postures, called asanas, are designed to tone, strengthen, and align the body. These postures are performed to make the spine supple, healthy and to promote blood flow to all the organs, glands, and tissues, keep all the systems of the body healthy. On the mental level, yoga uses breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation (dyana) to quiet, clarify, and discipline the mind. Purpose Yoga is used to alleviate problems associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, migraine headaches, asthma, shallow breathing, backaches, constipation, diabetes, menopause, multiple sclerosis, varicose veins, carpal tunnel syndrome and many chronic illnesses. It also has the ability to promote relaxation and reduce stress. As of late 2002, yoga is increasingly recommended for dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome, and other disorders. Hatha yoga, a path of yoga is based on physical purification, strengthening and self-transformation. It encompasses a system of asanas (postures), which helps to promote mental and physical well-being, with particular emphasis on making the spine supple and healthy and increase circulation and allow the mind to focus and become free from distraction for long periods of meditation, along with pranayama (breath control). It is a highly developed system of nearly 200 physical postures, movements and breathing techniques designed to tune the body to its optimal health. Yoga counters menstrual problems Yoga encompasses breathing techniques which relaxes the body, which is helpful in relieving stress due menstruation. Performing the various positions in Yoga promotes body flexibility, the muscles become supple helps eliminating pain due to menstrual cramps and other causes. Yoga improves the well-being. Yoga teaches women not to focus too much on the problem, rather it teaches them to learn to accept the inevitable changes in life. Yoga, being a physical breathing exercise, promotes good blood circulation. As a result, menstrual cycle will not be a problem anymore, thus minimizing pain. Yogasanas effective in reducing dysmenorrhea and stress Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) is one of the very powerful backward bending asana in Hatha Yoga beneficial for people with lower back aches. This posture decreases stiffness in the lower back, enlarges the chest, and strengthens the arms and shoulders. This Asana is also good to combat menstrual irregularities, and helps relieve stress. It has a huge amount of benefits which cover all the body systems. In women it tones the ovaries and the uterus and helps to alleviate gynaecological disorders such as leucorrhea, dysmenorrhea and amenorrhea. Adho mukha Virasana (heros pose) reduces fat around the thighs calves. It improves the digestion quietens the mind and reduces tension and congestion in pelvic organs. Corpse Pose (Shavasana) the body parts are progressively stretched and relax muscles. It aids in complete relaxation. Dhanurasana strengthens the back muscles and gastro intestinal problems associated with menstruation. Pigeon pose opens the hips and help to prevent lower back pain. Wide squat pose opens tight hips, releases tension in the lower back and stretches out the muscles in the feet. STUDIES RELATED TO YOGA ON STRESS AND DYSMENORRHEA Berger et al (2009) conducted a study to assess the effect of yoga on wellbeing, stress due to dysmenorrhea among fourth and fifth-grade students in Bronx, New York. The majority of students participated in yoga reported enhanced wellbeing, as reflected by perceived improvements in behaviors such as strength, flexibility, balance. The results suggested that yoga is a preventive intervention as well as a means of relieving dysmenorrhea and stress. Hartfiel et al (2009) conducted a study to assess the effectiveness of yoga in enhancing emotional well-being and resilience to stress among university employees at Dru Education Centre, Snowdonia, United Kingdom. Six-week yoga intervention resulted in significant improvements in feelings of clear-mindedness, composure, elation, energy, and confidence. In addition, the yoga group reported increased life purpose and satisfaction, and feelings of greater self-confidence during stressful situations. It was concluded that even a short program of yoga was effective for enhancing emotional well-being and resilience to stress in the workplace. Laura (2008) said that stress due to dysmenorrhea can have an impact on students academic performance. He conducted a study to assess the impact of stress factors due to dysmenorrhea on college students academic performance. Twenty students of University of North Carolina at Charlotte participated in the study. They were asked to complete a survey, including the perceived stress scale. Most of the students reported inadequate sleep and absenteeism. Brown (2000) said that Dysmenorrhoea is characterized by cramping lower abdominal pain that may radiate to the lower back and upper thighs and is commonly associated with nausea, headache, fatigue and diarrhea. He conducted a study to assess the effectiveness of yoga therapy on dysmenorrhea at New Zealand. He found that yoga reduced the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) score during the menstrual phase (P Anice George, (1998) conducted a study to estimate the incidence of dysmenorrhea , relationship between stress and dysmenorrhea and the effect of planned yoga therapy for 12 weeks on dysmenorrhea and stress of adolescent girls in Karnataka state. An explorative survey technique was used for the first phase, and the second phase used evaluative approach with pre-test post-test control group design, where a 12 weeks yoga therapy was used as the intervention. She concluded that the incidence of dysmenorrhea was 87.87%. A significant positive correlation (r= 0.1275, P CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK The conceptual framework of the present study was developed by the investigator based on Ludwig Von Bertanlanffys General System theory of learning (1968). A system is a set of interrelated parts that come together to form a Whole. Each part is necessary to make a complete, meaningful whole. This consists of components like, Input Throughput Output and Feedback. In the present study the adolescent girls were considered as an open system. The system uses input to maintain homeostasis. INPUT The first component of a system is input, which is the information, energy or matter, which enters a system. For a system to work well, input should contribute to achieve the purpose of the system. It refers to demographic data of adolescent girls (age, order of birth, religion and occupation of the mother or primary care giver), pre test level of stress during dysmenorrhea, level of dysmenorrhea and plan for yoga therapy. These factors are taken into consideration as input for assessing the level of dysmenorrhea, stress during dysmenorrhea of the adolescent girls. THROUGHPUT/ PROCESS It is the process that allows the input to be changed, so that it is useful to the system. The action needed to accomplish the desired task. The task is to implement yoga therapy and to assess the post test level of stress and dysmenorrhea. OUTPUT Based on the input and throughput, the system returns to the environment in an altered state, the end result of product of the system. Outputs vary widely depending on the type and purpose of the system affecting the environment. Therefore the output refers to the reduction of the stress and dysmenorrhea. Level of stress and dysmenorrhea was interpreted as no, mild, moderate, and severe. FEEDBACK It refers to determine whether or not the end result of the system has been achieved. Feed back emphasizes the effect of the input, throughput and output. It shows that, whether no stress or mild stress or moderate stress or severe stress, no dysmenorrhea or mild dysmenorrhea or moderate dysmenorrhea or severe dysmenorrhea is experienced by adolescent girls. FIGURE 1: CONCEPTUAL FRAME WORK INPUT OUTPUT PRE TEST Age of the adolescent girl Order if birth Religion Occupation of the mother or care giver CLINICAL VARIABLES Age at menarche Regularity of menstrual cycle Menstrual cycle Number of pads used per day use of medications Assessment of level of stress using perceived stress scale and the level of dysmenorrhea using menstrual distress checklist Plan for Yoga therapy THROUGHPUT FEEDBACK After the yoga therapy reduction in the level of stress and dysmenorrhea among adolescent girls POST TEST Assessment of level of stress and dysmenorrhea among adolescent girls using structured interview questionnaire.