Case Study Stanbic Bank Tanzania Essay

Case Study Stanbic Bank Tanzania Essay Stanbic Tanzania is one of members of the Standard Bank Group. Idea of establishment of Standard Bank Group was brought by group of business men in 1857 due to economic prosperity in Port Elizabeth in South Africa, which was the major port and was used to the export of wool. The man behind the Idea was John Paterson who with fellow business men wanted to establish the Standard bank of Port Elizabeth. This idea did not work due to fear of competition from the existing of the two banks. Paterson sailed to England to search for support of British Investors. Patersons efforts were successful and in April 1860, a prospectus for The Standard Bank of British South Africa was published in London. In 1862 The Standard Bank of British South Africa was established. On 15 October 1862 the bank was incorporated and registered as a limited liability company. Its capital was fixed at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¤1,000,000 with 10,000 shares of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¤100 each. The Standard Bank of British South Africa op eration commenced in 1863 and Port Elizabeth remained to the Bank Head Quarters. In 1883 the word British was dropped from the name. In 1962 a subsidiary company was formed to carry business in South and South West Africa (now Namibia) under the banks old name. The name Standard Bank Limited was adopted for the holding company in England (subsequently to become Standard Chartered Bank plc). Standard Bank Group was established in 1969 as Standard Bank Investment Corporation the holding company of SBSA. Standard Chartered sold its 39% stake in Standard Bank Group in 1987, transferring complete ownership of the holding company to South Africa. The Standard Bank group, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, has total assets of about US$81 billion and employs about 35 000 people worldwide. Its network spans 17 sub-Saharan countries (including South Africa) and extends to 21 countries on other continents, including the key financial centres of Europe, the United States and Asia. In addition to banking, Standard Bank has a strategic interest in the insurance industry through its control of the Liberty Group, one of Africas leading life offices and financial services groups. The group has one of the biggest single networks of banking services in Africa. Through this network we offer a wide range of banking products and services which are delivered through more than 1 000 points of representation in 17 African countries (including Tanzania). We are active in international and cross-border transactions and in those areas liaise closely with Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking and Standard Bank London. We offer a wide range of financial products and services in the following markets: Personal We are committed to providing our customers with the security, convenience and value for money they expect from an international bank with African roots. As such, we offer you a range of products and services that enhances your banking experience. Business We recognise that as a Business Banking customer you lead a busy life. Through our comprehensive service offering we aim to simplify your financial transactions so you can spend more time on your business and less time on your banking. Corporate and Investment Our corporate structure ensures that we are able to provide customized products and services to both established customers as well as newer, entrepreneurial companies. By focusing on personalised solutions and ongoing financial product development, we are committed to delivering solutions that support our clientssuccess where it matters most. Stanbic Tanzania background Stanbic Bank Tanzania was established in 1995 by Standard Bank group to take over operations of the defunct Meridien Biao Bank Tanzania limited. Stanbic Bank Tanzania is one of the members under the Standard Bank group. The bank has eight branches: City branch in Dar es Salaam Main branch in Dar es Salaam Industrial branch in Dar es Salaam Mayfair branch in Dar es Salaam Arusha branch in Arusha Moshi branch in Moshi Mwanza branch in Mwanza Mbeya branch in Mbeya Stanbic Centre branch in Dar es Salam Vision and values of Standard Bank group Our vision We aspire to be a leading emerging markets financial services organisation. Stanbic bank core values Serving our customers Stanbic Bank aim to do everything in their power to ensure that their customers are provided with the products, services and solutions to suit their needs, provided that everything they do for them is based on sound business principles. Growing our people Stanbic Bank encourages and helps their people to develop to their full potential, and measure their leaders on how well they grow and challenge the people they lead. Delivering to shareholders The Standard bank understands that they earn the right to exist by providing appropriate long-term returns to their shareholders. The bank tries extremely hard to meet various targets and deliver on their commitments. Being proactive Standard Bank strives to stay ahead by anticipating rather than reacting, but their actions are always carefully considered. Working in teams The bank, and all aspects of their work, is interdependent. The bank also appreciates that, as teams, they can achieve much greater things than as individuals. They value teams within and across business units, divisions and countries. Guarding against arrogance Bank has confidence in its ability to achieve ambitious goals and celebrate success, but it must never allow itself to become arrogant. Respecting each other Standard Bank staff has the highest regard for the dignity of all people. They do respect each other and what Standard Bank stands for. The bank recognises that there are corresponding obligations associated with our individual rights. Upholding the highest levels of integrity The banks entire business model is based on trust and integrity as perceived by its stakeholders, especially their customers. SWOT analysis Stanbic strengths Performance oriented (rewards) staff. Stanbic Bank uses Performance index as a key to success. Staffs are rewarded based on their performance. This has built a culture which has encouraged the bank staff to deal more with corporate clients with big business. Portfolio diversification Competitive advantage on products offered by the bank. The Bank offer a wide range of products which are more competitive compare to other banks. Among other products includes, Capital and investment products, Assert and vehicle financing, Home loans, affordable agricultural loans with a guarantee up to 70% of the acquired loan. Networking with internationals hence meeting customers expectations. Standard Bank group operates in more than 37 countries worldwide hence form a large network with their customers. This means customer can easily operated to any of Standard Bank group branch conveniently. Security system in the branches. The Bank has invested much on Technology especially on security hence provide insurance of customer assets both financial and non financial Wide range of currency, due to its wide network coverage the Bank operates with a range of currency hence become more convenience to more of its customer compare to local Banks in Tanzania Weather index insurance in agricultural products. More recently Agriculture in Tanzania has become a top priority nation agenda. Stanbic Bank Tanzania offer affordable loans with guaranteed to 70 percent to its customers. Apart from that the bank has adopted Weather index insurance in connection with agricultural loans. This has attracted more customers to operate with Stanbic Bank. Weakness Small branch network in Tanzania,-Currently Stanbic Tanzania has on 11 branches in Tanzania which in this case do not reach its customer in most of the regions. Apart from small Branch networks, Stanbic Bank has been focusing more on corporate clients leaving behind the retail customer occupying the big populations in Tanzania. Opportunity Branch network expansion in other region Retail banking Competitive products not offered in other areas Threats Fraudulent as it not local as multinational organisation Competition Chapters 2 Organisation structure What is organisation? Organisation is defined as group of individuals, large or small that cooperate under direction of executive leadership in accomplishment of certain common objective (by Keith Devis). Louis defined organisation as a process of identifying and grouping the work performed, defining and delegating responsibility and authority and establishing relationship for the purpose of enabling people to work most effective together to accomplish the indented objective. Organisation can also be defined as form of any human association for attainment of common purpose. From above definitions it is clear that any organisation have main four components namely task, people, structure and Technology. Task is the purpose of an organisation existence. Every organisation has specific objectives to be accomplished that define its existence by producing outputs in terms of goods and services. People are the workforce or human part of the organisation which help in performing different function in the organisa tion. To ensure that different task are well coordinated organisation must have structure which tells the basic arrangement of people in the organisation. Technology is the intellectual and mechanical process used to transform inputs into products and services. Definition and types of organisation structure Mintzberg,( 1979:2) defined organisation structure as the sum total ways in which it divides its labour into distinct task and achieves the coordination among them Organisation structure is framework of policies and rules within which lines of authority, communication and rights and duties of people are identified and arranged. Mintzberg further differentiated Organisation structure to be formal or informal. Roles, power and responsibilities are delegated, controlled and coordinated through the organisation structure. Organisation structure also determines how communication is done between levels of management. The type of the organisation structure mostly depends on objectives and strategies set by of the organisation to achieve the objectives. In organisation with a centralized structure, most of the decisions are centered to the top management while in decentralised structures powers for decision making is distributed where departments have varied degree of autonomy. The organisation structure determine the approach in which it operates and its performance. The Structure allows the responsibilities for different functions and processes to be clearly allocated to different departments and employees. The structure also determines level of resources utilization, it also monitors the activities of the organisation and organisation structure promotes the accountability for areas of work. The erroneous organisation structure will hinder the success of the organisation business. Organisational structures should aim to maximize the efficiency and success of the Organisation. An effective organisational structure will facilitate working relationships between various sections of the organisation. It will retain order and command at the same time promoting flexibility and creativity The organizational structure is mainly influenced by internal factors such as size, product and skills of the workforce influence. The chain of command will lengthen and the spans of control will widen as the business of the organisation. The higher the level of skill each employee has the more the business will make use of the matrix structure to maximize these skills across the organization. Burns and Stalker (1961) introduced the notion of two different types of structure i.e. The Mechanistic structure which is characterised by rigid divisions of activities, clearly defined roles and hierarchically organised authority and The Organic Structure which consists of more fluid and flexible working arrangements. Organic Mechanistic Channels of Communication Open with free information flow throughout the organization Operating styles Allowed to vary freely Authority for decisions Based on the expertise of the individual Free Adaptation By the organization to changing circumstance Emphasis on getting things done unconstrained by formally laid down procedures Loose informal control with emphasis on norm of cooperation Flexible on-job behaviour permitted to be shaped by the requirement Decision Making participation and group consensus Highly structured, restricted information flow Must be uniform and restricted Based on formal line management position Reluctant Adaptation Emphasis on formally laid down procedures Tight control Constrained on-job behaviour Only superiors make decisions Firms with Mechanistic structures pursue centralised decision making arrangements, strict enforcement of adherence to rules and procedures, rigid control over information content and flows, and carefully designed reporting relationships (Slevin and Covin, 1997). Organic structure on the other hand, reflects an organisations emphasis on delegation, participation, creativity, openness and adaptability (Brouthers et al, 2000). Mechanistic structures are preferable for analyzing new products and processes and for implementing such entrepreneurial endeavors, as concentrated power often prevents imaginative solutions of problems. On the other hand Organic structures are enhancing the use of rational strategic decision-making by providing the flexibility needed to take advantages of market opportunities or minimize a competitive threat. The pursuit of shareholders value by private firms may be facilitated by the flexibility afforded by Organic structures. Hence it also proves the positive relationship between organic organization structures and private ownership Mechanistic organization tends to offer a less suitable environment for managing the creativity and the innovation process. On the other hand organic system is adapted to solve problem in unstable conditions, when new and unfamiliar problems arise. This entails the importance of designing an effective organisation structure which will be flexible and able to respond to future demands and development. The effective structure will be able to adapt changing environmental influences and also will be able to provide social satisfaction for employees in the organisation. A poor organisational structure make good performance impossible no matter how good individual Managers may be. Poor structures are likely to have low motivation and morale to employees, slow and poor decisions, not cost effective and they are likely not to quickly respond to new opportunities. There are two specific principal of general interest in when structuring the organisation i.e. the span of control and the chain of command which need to be balanced in designing the effective organisation structure although there is no a right combination effective to every organisation.. Span of control Mullins 2009 defines span of control as the number of subordinates who report directly to a given manager or supervisor. V.A. Graicunas developed a mathematical formula for span of control which show the limitation of number of subordinates who can effectively be supervised by a Manager. The number of subordinates is determined by total direct and cross relationships R= n (2n/n+n-1) Where n is the number of subordinates and R is the number of interrelationships. Urwick supported the idea of Graicunas and suggested that span of control should not exceed 5 and at most six direct subordinates whose works interconnect. However from Woodwards study span of control varies from organisations depending on type of technology and production systems. Mullins further pointed other factor influencing the span of control includes: Nature of the organisation, complexity of work, range of responsibilities, similarity of function Ability and personal qualities of the manager Amount of time manager is available to spend on subordinates Ability and training of subordinates Effectiveness of co-ordination nature of communication Physical location of the organisation Length of the command chain Importance of span of control With wider span of control: It is difficult to supervise subordinates effectively and may stress more the mangers Planning and development, training and control may suffer Wide span of control may limit opportunities to grow Too wide span of control may result to slowness to adapt to changes On the other hand with too narrow span of control It may lead to problem of coordination and consistency in decision making and hinder effective communication across the organisation Morale and initiative of subordinates may suffer due to close to a level of supervision It increases administrative costs It can lead to additional level of authority in the organisation creating unnecessary long chain of command. Chain of command This refers to the number of different levels in the structure of the organisation, the chain, or the hierarchical command. The chain of command establishes the vertical graduation of authority and responsibility and framework for superior-subordinate relationship. A clear line of authority and responsibility is necessary for the effective operations of the organisations. Few chains of command will help decision making and fasten communication in the organisation. Types of organisation structures Tall organisation structures A tall organisation structure has relative many levels of management and supervision with long chain of command from the top to the bottom of the organisation. Tall structure normally do not exceed 8 levels of management because number of levels decrease span of controls. The tall organisation structures have the following advantage Span of control is narrow where each manager has small number of employees to supervise hence easy to control. There is clear management structure There is clear distinction on function of each layer hence clear line of responsibility and control In the tall organisation structure there is clear succession and promotion ladder. However there is some disadvantage of the Tall organisation structure Freedom and responsibilities for each employee is very restricted There is slow decision making as approval may be required from each level of authority. Communication is slow as it takes place through many levels of management Tall structure has high costs of management as managers for each level are paid more than their subordinates. Flat organisation structure On the other hand unlike tall organisation structure a flat organisation have relatively few layers or may be just one layer of management. This means that there is shorter and wide span of control. Small organisations usually opt for flat organisation structure since it has small number of management layers. Flat organisation structure there is greater communication between Management and employees which influence better team spirit and it is less bureaucracy hence quick decision making. Flat structure has less cost of Management due to fewer level or layers of management. However among other constrain of flat organisation structure includes; Employees may be controlled by more than one manager hence employee may be confused on the reporting channels, Organisation growth may be hindered with this type of structure, Structure is limited to small organisations and hence do not fit to big organisations Function of each department or person could be distorted and amalgamate into the job roles of others.   Hierarchical organisation structure An organisation where employees are ranked at various levels within the organisation is known as hierarchical, each level is one above the other. At each level in the sequence, a person has a number of workers directly reporting to him/her, within their span of control. Under this type of structure there is a tall hierarchical organisation which has many levels and a flat hierarchical organisation will only have a few. The way authority is organized is a typical pyramid shape. A traditional hierarchical structure clearly defines each employees role within the organisation and defines the nature of their relationship with other employees. Hierarchical organisations are often tall with narrow spans of control, which gets wider as we move down the structure. They are often centralised with the most important decisions being taken by senior management.   Ã‚   In the twentieth century as organisations grow bigger, hierarchical organisations were popular because they could ensure command and control of the organisation. However with the advent of globalisation and widespread use of technology, in the 1990s tall hierarchical organisations began to downsize and reduce their workforce. Technology was able to carry out many of the functions previously carried out by humans. The Hierarchical Organisations have the following main advantages Authority and responsibilities are clearly defined There is a clear defined career growth of members of the organisation The hierarchical organisation structure create environment which favour effective use of specialist managers The structure makes employees to be very loyal to their department within the organisation. On the other hand hierarchical structure has disadvantages This structure tend to be bureaucratic and respond slowly to changing so as to meet customers needs and Markets within which the organisation operates Poor communication within the organisation especially for horizontal communication Poor decision making as it may only focus to individual department rather than the organisation as a whole. Centralised and decentralised organisation structure In a centralised organisation head office (or a few senior managers) will retain the major responsibilities and powers. Conversely decentralised organisations will spread responsibility for specific decisions across various outlets and lower level managers, including branches or units located away from head office/head quarters. An example of a decentralised structure is Tesco the supermarket chain. Each store of Tesco has a store manager who can make certain decisions concerning their store. The store manager is responsible to a regional manager. Organisations may also decide that a combination of centralisation and decentralisation is more effective. For example functions such as accounting and purchasing may be centralised to save costs. Whilst tasks such as recruitment may be decentralised as units away from head office may have staffing needs specific only to them.   Ã‚   Certain organisations implement vertical decentralisation which means that they have handed the power to make certain decisions, down the hierarchy of their organisation. Vertical decentralisation increases the input; people at the bottom of the organisation chart have in decision making.    Horizontal decentralisation spreads responsibility across the organisation. A good example of this is the implementation of new technology across the whole business. This implementation will be the sole responsibility of technology specialists Senior managers enjoy greater control over the organisation. The use of standardised procedures can results in cost savings. Decisions can be made to benefit the organisations as a whole. Whereas a decision made by a department manager may benefit their department, but disadvantage other departments. The organisation can benefit from the decision making of experienced senior managers. In uncertain times the organisation will need strong leadership and pull in the same direction. It is believed that strong leadership is often best given from above Disadvantages Senior managers have time to concentrate on the most important decisions (as the other decisions can be undertaken by other people down the organisation structure. Decision making is a form of empowerment. Empowerment can increase motivation and therefore mean that staff output increases. People lower down the chain have a greater understanding of the environment they work in and the people (customers and colleagues) that they interact with.   This knowledge skills and experience may enable them to make more effective decisions than senior managers. Empowerment will enable departments and their employees to respond faster to changes and new challenges. Whereas it may take senior managers longer to appreciate that business needs have changed. Empowerment makes it easier for people to accept and make a success of more responsibility. (http://www.learnmanagement2.com/) Matrix Organisation Structure Matrix organization is an attempt to combine functional and pure project organizations to couple the positive aspects of both and minimize the negative. Matrix organisation structure is widely used in many industries such as automotive industry. Each staff member is a member of 2 distinct organizations Advantages of matrix organisation structure Project as a point of emphasis PM takes the responsibility for managing the project. Project has reasonable access to all required resources without having to maintain them draws from the functional resource pool as required Less anxiety about what happens when the project is completed Response to client is as rapid as pure project Project has access to the administrative units of the parent firm to maintain consistency w/ policies, practices and procedures With several projects in work, matrix offers a better companywide balancing of resources Matrix organizations span the extremes of the organization spectrum from functional to pure project. Disadvantages include: Delicate balance of focus of decision making power between Project Manager and functional manager Multiple projects have to be monitored as a set to derive the benefits of a matrix organization Strong matrix organizations have problems shutting down projects similar to pure project organizations Division of decision making responsibilities between Project Manager (administrative decisions) and functional manager (technological decisions) is complex and not so clear for the operating Project Manager Project members have at least two bosses, the functional and the Project Manager. This can lead to confusion and disorder. Stanbic Bank Tanzania Organisation structure Based on aforementioned types of organisation structure and their feature Stanbic Bank Tanzania has adapted flat organisation structure with wider span of control and few levels of authority. In the Stanbic bank structure there is greater and quick communication between Management and employees which influence better team spirit and it is less bureaucracy hence quick decision making. The structure has less cost of Management due to fewer level or layers of management. However Stanbic Bank organisation structure has a number of disadvantages such as employees may be controlled by more than one manager hence employee may be confused on the reporting channels. This type of structure may hinder organisation growth as the case we have seen with Stanbic Tanzania with only 11 branches countrywide compared to other bank like National Microfinance Bank with 138 branch and was established 1997.function of each department in this type of organisation structure could be distorted and amalgamated into job of others. Flat organisation structure is normally limited to small organisation hence may not be suitable for a fast growing with large network Bank worldwide like Standard Bank group in which Stanbic bank is part of. Recommended organisation structure Chapter 3: Organisation culture and behaviour 3.1 Organisation culture Organisational culture is a system of shared values and beliefs about what are important, what behaviours are appropriate and about feelings and relationships internally and externally .Values and cultures need to be unique to the organisation, widely shared and reflected in daily practice and relevant to the company purpose and strategy. But there is no single best culture (http://www.cipd.co.uk/research/_visionandvalues). On the other hand Armstrong, (2007) defined organisation culture as the pattern of values, norms, beliefs, attitudes and assumptions that may not have been expressed but shape the ways in which people in organizations behave and things get done. Other definition for organisation culture includes: A pattern of basic assumptions invented, discovered or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with the problems of external adaptation and internal integration that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to these problems. Schein (1985) Culture is the commonly held beliefs, attitudes and values that exist in an organization. Put more simply, culture is the way we do things around here Furnham and Gunter (1993) Culture is one of those terms that is difficult to express definitely, but everyone knows it when they sense it. One can tell the culture of an organization by looking at the office arrangement of furniture, what they boast about, what employees wear, language used etc. similar to what you can use to get a feeling about someones personality The concept of culture is principally important when attempting to manage organisation change. Most managers and other practitioners have realised that, despite the best-laid down plans, organisational change should include not only changing structures and procedures, but also changing of the corporate culture as well. Most of the literature generated over the past decade about the concept of organizational culture especially in regards to understanding how to change organizational culture. Organizational change efforts are noticed to fail most of the time. These failures have been related to lack of understanding about the strong role of culture and the role the it plays in organizations. That has become one of the important reasons that many strategic planners currently place more emphasis on identifying strategic values as the way they do mission and vision. Successful organisations are characterised by strong values and a strong guiding vision that communicates what behaviour is appropriate and what is not.

Expatriate Policy of Schlumberger

Schlumberger is the largest oilfields services company with operation worldwide. It is the leader in the supply of technology, integrated project management and information solutions to customers in the oil and gas industry worldwide. It employs approximately 120000 people. The employees come from around 140 different nationalities working in around 85 countries around the world representing the diversity within the workforce of the company.It provides the widest range of services corresponding to the oil and gas industry ranging from exploration through production. For Schlumberger, it's defined by the terms such as knowledge, technical innovation and team work. These terms have formed the core of the company functionality for over 80 years which has enabled it to provide improved customer service and performance throughout these years. It has around 125 research and engineering facilities worldwide which enables innovation for improved customer delivery of services.Besides, the com pany works keeping its three core values concerning the people, technology and profits which form the basis of their work and future goals which are as follows: a. ) Our people thrive on the challenge to excel in ny environment and their dedication to safety and customer service worldwide is our greatest strength. b. ) Pur commitment to technology and quality is the basis for our competitive advantage. c. ) Our determination to produce future profits is the cornerstone for our future independence of action and strength. Who is an expatriate?An expatriate is a person and citizen of one country working in another country either temporarily or permanently. This term is commonly used to refer to the professionals or skilled workers who are sent abroad (with the same or a different culture) by the companies to work. Need for an expatriate The world scenario has changed at a rapid pace facilitating the movement of goods and services and ideas throughout the world. Not only has the world b ought the idea of the free movement, they have also set up organizations like WTO who make sure that more and more countries accept the idea and follow the same.Globalization and Liberalization is the new trend these days. The entire world has moved on from being an industrial economy to knowledge based economy which is connected through the power of networks. Everyone wants to take advantage of this facilitation and so do the companies. The companies are profit driven and this need to onstantly look for markets and new customers to sell their products and services. As such they need people who are endowed with the qualities required to help set up the business and at time also run it in a foreign country.The expatriates are required to handle critical international assignments on behalf of the company with strategic importance attached to them. They are expected to facilitate control of the corporate, facilitate the pathway for entry into the new markets, develop management compete ncies at the international level and frame a market or gain market share through their expertise in vital global markets. Attributes or predictors Job Factors a. ) Skills related to technology b. ) Level of familiarity with host and headquartered countrys operations c. ) Skills related to management d. Administration related competencies Relational Dimensions a. ) Tolerance level related to ambiguity b. ) Flexibility level related to behaviour. c. ) Non-judgementalism d. ) Empathy towards new culture and low level of ethnocentrism e. ) Well-developed inter personal skills Motivational State a. ) Belief in the mission of the company and the assignment b. ) Mission's alignment with the career path c. ) Personal interest in the assignment overseas . ) Interest in the culture of the country of assignment e. ) Willingness to learn new behaviour and attitude Family Situation a. Willingness of the spouse to move to the host country of assignment b. ) Nature of the spouse – adaptive and supportive c. ) Stability of the marriage or relationship Language Skills a. ) Skill level in the host countrys language b. ) Level of comfort or proficiency in the non-verbal communication Expatriate policy Eligibility In order to be eligible for the Expatriate Relocation Assistance program and other related benefits, the following must be fulfilled: a. ) Should currently be a full-time mployee. b. ) Has been asked to relocated as a result of the company initiated transfer c. Must meet the federal guidelines as laid down for a qualified move Post acceptance of the foreign assignment a. ) Assignment of the Cartus Relocation consultant: The consultant will act as a single point of contact during the entire duration of the relocation. Benefits The company has outlined a number of benefits for the expatriates for the convenient relocation and proper re-imbursement of the expenses too. The benefits outlined must be used within 12 months of the transfer date of the payroll or else he y will stand as lapsed and cannot be used beyond 12 months.The benefits cover every aspect of the move right from preparation to the final settlement of the expatriate in the host country as outlined below under the different headings. a. Payment of benefits: Certain rules have been laid down about the method of payment and reimbursement and tax benefits corresponding to the relocation be the Cartus consultant who will prescribe the required instructions. For the reimbursement all the receipts must be in original. All the relocation benefits must be claimed within the 12 months from the date of transfer. b.House hunting trip: In case the person does not own a house in the new location then the person is entitled to a house hunting trip for six nights/seven days including the spouse. The concerned person will also be entitled to round trip economic fare by air or train by the most direct route with one piece of luggage approved per passenger. Car rental will also be reimbursed from a designated firm. The person including the spouse is also liable for reasonable lodging and meals expenses. The number of lodging days may increase by one in case the person has travelled for more than 650 kilometres using one's own personal vehicle.Apart from these expenses the person is also entitles to such other expenses like highway and bridge polls, parking charges, domestic telephone calls and internet charges. In case there is also a baby then they are also entitled for baby-sitting and child-care services and corresponding charges. The amount fixed for the same is $50 per day per child with a maximum cap of $1 50 per day. c. Home finding assistance: In order to locate a primary residence, proper home finding assistance will be provided.In some of the cases, the person may be charged some home finding fees and the same shall be reimbursed on providing the riginal receipt of the same provided it does not exceed the one month rent of the house leased. The concerned person howe ver is required to get in touch with the consultant in order to review the wordings of the contract. d. Return home trip: In case the person has begun the assignment without the family members accompanying him, he is entitled to two return trips and an additional one in order to assist in the movement of household goods and for the family to accompany the concerned person to the new location.During the trip the person is also entitled to such other expenses like a piece of checked luggage, tolls and parking. The return trips are required to be scheduled three weeks apart and proper bills are required to be produced in order for the reimbursement. e. Lease cancellation: In the event of a lease cancellation and termination of the lease agreement before it expires, it is required to consult the Relocation consultant regarding the same in order to avoid lease-breaking penalties if any. The lease breaking penalty could be avoided if one can find a new or a subtle tenant.Still, the follow ing expenses are reimbursed in case the agreement is broken prior to the completion of the agreement which should not xceed $5000. The reimbursement can include lease-breaking penalty, sublet fees, loss of security deposit due to the termination of the lease but not due to repairs, duplication of rent, payment of lease in case of lease breakage. The reimbursement will not include such payments as pre-payment of the new area rent, payment of the rental security deposits, current damages and resulting costs or the loss of deposit, loss of special deposits and utility fees.However, such reimbursements are subject to condition that the person has not leased the premises of the relatives and has acated the house. Besides, a copy of the lease and an original receipt of the lease breakage fees are required. An original itemized signed letter from the complex or the landlord will also suffice. f. Movement of household goods: In order to be eligible for the reimbursement of the movement of t he household goods, the recognised consultation with the Relocation consultant and prior scheduling should be done at least 30 months prior to the date of movement.The 30 days is to allow proper survey of the goods, the size and cost of the same and also to allow for some time for packaging. Besides one must not make any attempt to do the packaging by him/her else there won't be any reimbursement under the insurance scheme. Also, such things like Jewellery, medical certificates, educational documents, children's immunization records, school records should be hand carried to the destination and should not be allowed to be packed or carried by the packing company.In order to make a claim against a damaged or lost item, a written estimate of the same must be provided before submitting the acclaim for settlement for the same. g. Temporary storage: In the case when one is unable to shift to the home in the new location, emporary storage facility shall be provided for the same for a perio d of 30 days and only those items which are part of the original household goods are eligible for storage and partial shipment is not allowed. h.Final move: During the course of the final move, the concerned will be reimbursed for reasonable travel costs for the person and other eligible family members. Besides original receipts must be kept and presented for the reimbursement of the same. The expenses which form a part of this include one way transportation of economic class air, economy class train fare hose reimbursement may require either boarding passes or non-refundable invoice. There will also be proper mileage reimbursement for personal vehicle with tolls.There also be reimbursement corresponding to lodging, beginning on departure day, ending on arrival day, 2 pieces of checked luggage per approved traveller, meals which does not include alcoholic beverages, beginning on departure day, ending on arrival day. i. Relocation allowance: In addition to the items which have alread y been discussed in the policy, the company also covers other relocation expenses. The concerned person is also entitled to receive a onetime relocation llowance equivalent to two months new base salary with an upper limit of $1 5000 per month.This comes into effect on the first day of the new work assignment or when the person actually moves. This allocation is aimed at providing greater flexibility in managing one's relocation expenses and directing the available resources to specific areas of need. J. Time of for packing and unpacking: The Company provides for two paid working days off for both the locations. Two days for packing and other two days for unpacking of the goods. k. Spousal career assistance: For the employees with their spouse having a career outside Schlumberger, efforts re made to assist the spouse in the Job search.A series of programmes have been initiated for the same as a part of these efforts. These programmes are offered through the service companies who pro vide Job search and opportunity development expertise. Services like resume preparation, assessing career direction, interviewing skills are some of the expertise that these companies excel in and reach out the same to the respective spouse. These might not lead to actual Job but may help immensely in providing valuable direction in the Job search. l. Tax information: In some of the ountries, some relocation expenses are considered as taxable income.As such the same will be reflected in the earnings as reimbursement and shall be intimated about the same. It will be the responsibility of the company to report to the Additionally, state or provincial taxes may vary by location of the residence. m. Termination: In case one resigns from the company for any of the reasons within one year of completing the move, he/she must, either on or before the effective date of resignation, reimburse the company for the amount paid the concerned person or to the third party in any form for benefits i n connection to the move.

The Spiritual Revolution Brought about by Technological...

With the world crisis at hand, and wars and revolts breaking out around the globe, how satisfied we, as human race, are? Advancements in technology has brought upon us the social media revolution. All of these outpouring of information and new advancements in technology has given rise to a very important cultural phenomena- spiritual revolution. It was in a way triggered by transparent media. Media has given a whole new dimension to our lives. There is much more transparency in the media. Take wikileaks, Egypt revolution, anna hazare movement in india, syrian revolution, growing concerns for communist regime in china, all are subsets of social media revolution. This has, in a way, triggered spiritual revolution (started in 2009). People are talking about karma cycle, meditation and righteousness like never before. This inclination towards humanity, on actually being human with fellow humans is going to shape the coming decade. But the question still remains will we ever get tired of technology? No. Technology is here to stay, and those who are fighting for the wellbeing of the planet are going to look for ways to preserve natural order and a sustainable environment within a pattern that is technologically proficient. Remember, in a society of little or no organization at all the stronger person wins. It means a return to meanest weapon that the one in power can use with nothing to stand in their way. Those who think that this is how society is more or less working anywayShow MoreRelatedCompare and Contrast Religion during Reformation, Industrial Revolution, and World at War1413 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Reformation, Industrial Revolution, and the World at War all experienced religious and church conflicts. During the Renaissance and Reformation (1330 – 1650), the fundamental practices of the church came under fire. The church at this time was the largest and most political body. The pope, himself, was the most recognizable political figure. It was due to this auth ority that the church and its pope were more interested in political issues and less with the spiritual needs of the people (McGraw-HillRead MoreSimilarities Between Wordsworth And Romanticism1488 Words   |  6 PagesRomanticism The Industrial Revolution in England brought major changes to British lifestyle. The working classes experienced polluted conditions both in factories and at home. Technological advances contributed to a less agriculturally dependent economy. The Enlightenment also reinforced rational thinking, rather than imagination. The increasingly industrial society in England led Romantic writers to emphasize the beauty of the natural world because they questioned both the advancements of industry and theRead MoreAmerican Colonies : The Settling Of North America902 Words   |  4 PagesEuropeans of the early modern era were by nature or culture more violent and ‘cruel’ than the other.† He goes on to discuss how torture and execution were common in both cultures. Europeans, though have a superior power to cause pain. Their technological advancement allowed for prolonged wars, searches for new lands to conquer, and henceforth increasing the bloodshed. 2. Those who migrated from Siberia to northeast Asia first populated North America, as believed by most scholars. Evidence links NativeRead MoreEssay on Impact of the Industrial Revolution on History2331 Words   |  10 Pageschanges drastically. According to historians, two of these periods have taken place, and one of them was the Industrial Revolution (Miller, 492). Like its name suggests the Industrial Revolution had to do with the evolving Industry. It was a period during the 18th and 19th centuries marked by social and technological change in which manufacturing began to rely (INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, Timeline Index). Power driven machines began to perform what people had done before. Many significant changes in theRead MoreYouth Culture and Social Change1895 Words   |  8 PagesDiscussion The effect of the media and technology The media has had a drastic change since the 1960’s and is perhaps one of the most significant influencers of today’s youth. ‘The controversial issues that are seen in the media!’ said Lawern when asked about one of the main differences from her teenage years and now.[2] ‘There was a lot less of a variety of issues back then. Subjects, such as body image, would have never been exposed to us.’ she said. Davis also agreed saying ‘There was never any differingRead MoreSeparation of Church and State Essay examples2383 Words   |  10 Pagessignificant influence on the affairs of the state was the radical seventeenth century revolutions in science and political philosophy termed the â€Å"Scientific Revolution† which swept across Europe for upwards of a hundred years from the seventeenth into the early eighteenth century. This overbearing reality took the church by storm in ways that could never have been imagined a few centuries earl ier. The scientific revolution encouraged the philosophers (thinkers) of that period to engage in systematic skepticismRead MoreThe Cold War And The Soviet Union1800 Words   |  8 Pagescooperate you create an unstable world of competition through economics and ideology. The debate on when the Cold War began continues to this day; some say the war began as early as 1917 during the Bolshevik Revolution. I do believe this revolution is significant, but I do not believe that the revolution can be the start, but more the framework for the ideological struggle that would take place after World War 2. The Cold War did not simply â€Å"start† instead the conflict began with a series of events thatRead More Voodooism in Haiti Essays2430 Words   |  10 Pagesother in the everyday workings of life. In the United States, the segregation of the spiritual and mystic from what could be considered the mechanics of making it through a day of work and then rest seems commonplace. There ar e designated times and areas where the spiritual part of our lives comes to the forefront of our attention, but these tend to be times that are planned out and organized. Religion, spiritual life, is different in other countries like Haiti. The difference between the predominantRead MoreSummary of the Whale and the Reactor by Langdon Winner Essay3304 Words   |  14 Pagesthe kinds of planning that informed the construction of college campuses in the 1970s after the trauma of student rioting that began in the 1960s. Another example is that of McCormicks reaper manufacturing plant in Chicago in the 1880s, when he brought in kinds of modernization of the plant as a way to weed out the bad element among the men, namely, the skilled workers who had organized the union local (24). In these examples we see the importance of technical arrangements that precede theRead More Analysis of Death of Ivan Ilych Essay1778 Words   |  8 Pagesdeath. While Ross is writing for twentieth century society her ideas apply to the nineteenth century as well, when Tolstoy wrote The Death of Ivan Ilych. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Ivan Ilych is living during the industrial revolution, a time of technological advancement, that mainly advances the upper class, which he is apart of. Ivan’s number one priority in life is to be comfortable and to do the correct thing at all times. Every decision he makes, including who he chooses to marry, is with

The Value Of Entertainment Within Film - 1776 Words

Film as a whole has many functions and purposes; this can be from entertainment to art or even education. However, a films purpose is not only to entertain, but to leave the audience with a sense of awe. Meaning a person could go and see a film in the cinema that was purely for entertainment purposes, such as children animation, but this particular film causes a person to analyse the structure and storyline, they then write a review on it, which causes others who have watched it to consider a different opinion and evaluate it. Therefore the value of entertainment within film is consumed by those in the audience; they are the ones who determine its function as a film. Moreover, most Blockbuster films are created to make a profit and therefore have a higher value of entertainment, for example the use of CGI or special effects, because this is what makes most money. The structure of a usual Blockbuster film is introduction to plot, a crisis in the middle and a happy ending. However, one could argue that not all Blockbuster films have this structure, but are still considered as entertainment, for example the horror film genre. They typically have downfalls throughout the film and usually have unhappy endings. One could argue how anyone can be entertained from the misery of others. However, Tamborini â€Å"argued that viewers with high levels of empathy should dislike horror films because they react negatively to the suffering of others† (Heaney, 2014), suggesting that those withShow MoreRelatedFilms Made During World War II1628 Words   |  7 PagesFilms made during World War II provide a unique insight into the relationship between film and society. Frank Capra’s Why We Fight series, produced from 1942 to 1945, emphasises the use of film by government for the purpose of propaganda. The representations of war within similar texts promote an incomplete understanding of popular conceptions of life during the period. Consequently, the issues with this film as a historical source stress the overt influence of the director, and by extension, theRead MoreTime Warner Analysis980 Words   |  4 Pagesof vision and mission statements on class the â€Å"ABOUT US† statement on the company’s website resembles the mission statement and the â€Å"OUR VALUES† statement fits the definition of vision statement. The â€Å"ABOUT US† statement describes that Time Warner Inc., a global leader in media and entertainment with businesses in television networks, film and TV entertainment and publishing, uses its industry-leading operating scale and brands to create, package and deliver high-quality content worldwide throughRead Moreâ€Å"Disney Constructs Childhood so as to Make It Entirely Compatible with Consumerism1617 Words   |  7 Pages 2002; 105). Discuss this statement in relation to TWO animated films from the Disney canon. The Walt Disney Company is a diversified international entertainment company (Disney, 2010) with ownership of many media outlets including radio, cinema, television and literature as well as consumer products such as stationary and toys. The Disney brand has huge recognition globally especially in the category of children’s entertainment with over 80 years of productions in this sector. With an obviousRead MoreImax Corporation : An Overview1066 Words   |  5 PagesINTRODUCTION IMAX Corporation was founded in 1967 and is an entertainment technology company specialized in three different sectors: Photographic Equipment and Supplies, Motion Picture and Video Tape Production and Motion Picture and Video Distribution. The first IMAX film premiered in 1970 in Japan at the Fuji Pavilion. IMAX has grown significantly since its foundation and in 2008, was located in 295 theaters in 40 different counties. About 50 perfect of IMAX’s theaters are located in educationalRead MoreCopyright And Public Domain Within The Entertainment Industry907 Words   |  4 PagesCaitlin Davis Project Proposal Assignment Dr. Fox-Horton 19 February 2017 Copyright and Public Domain within the Entertainment Industry What aspects make up intellectual property? How is it protected? According to Leslie Ellen Harris, it is important to shed light on just what copyright is. She writes, â€Å"Section 102 of the U.S. Copyright Act states the following: In no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, methodRead MoreStrengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, And Trends821 Words   |  4 PagesMickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Ariel, bring in a lot of the Walt Disney Company’s revenue and are the foundation as to why the company is so successful. It is said without these characters, Disney couldn’t survive on it’s own. Values Disney possesses a high moral value and ethnic code. Their movies are made for kids and young adults and they haven’t ever stepped out of that boundary. Most of Disney’s â€Å"G† or â€Å"PG† rated content teaches valuable lessons to kids which can also be learned by that ofRead MoreDisney Company : The World s Multi National Conglomerate1706 Words   |  7 PagesFast forward nearly a century later The Walt Disney company is an empire and leading name in family entertainment along with a diverse amount of other entertainment and media options. This company has significant reach in many markets. Walt Disney s cable networks group owns and operates ESPN, Disney Channels Worldwide, ABC Family and SOAPnet networks. ESPN is a multinational sports entertainment company that runs 8 twenty-four hour TV sports networks. ESPN networks reach customers in 62 countriesRead MoreMouse Morality : An Analysis Of Christian, Family, And Homosexual Values1420 Words   |  6 Pagesand Homosexual Values in Disney According to Richard Land, one of the originators of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Boycott of Disney, Disney is pushing a â€Å"Christian-bashing, family-bashing, pro-homosexual agenda† in its film, television, and theme park empire. However, this accusation is not accurate in regards to the majority of entertainment that Disney produces. Since the beginning of Walt Disney’s creations, the brand has focused on promoting family-friendly entertainment. As one of the largestRead MoreWalt Disney Company : The World s Greatest Theme Parks1244 Words   |  5 Pages Walt Disney is one of the best-known companies in entertainment. Most people like to believe that Disney is a company that just has some of the world’s greatest theme parks as well as cartoon and family related films with lovable characters for the whole family to enjoy. However in the last several years they have been changing some of their ways to accommodate different forms of entertainment. D isney also deals with adult related entertainment which they also own to include ESPN, the popular sportsRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Disneys Frozen1219 Words   |  5 Pagestraps the kingdom of Arendelle in an eternal winter with her ice powers. Disney’s 2013 animated film reeled in its target audience and more; the film intended to appeal to children’s of all ages surprisingly enough enticed a wider audience largely comprised of non-families. Disney’s reputation for promoting happiness and the well-being of American families led to the direct success of the movie Frozen. The film met its purpose, depicting a touching storyline – showing the importance of family and undermining