Sunday, August 25, 2019

Assessment, Management and Reduction of Falls in the Older person Essay

Assessment, Management and Reduction of Falls in the Older person - Essay Example This concept indicates a factual phenomenon that the life span of people aged 60 and above has steadily increased in the past half century. There are over 600 million in 2000; 1.2 billion in 2025 and 2 billion in 2050 (WHO). This phenomenon has created a huge sector in the society, which is comprised by people from age 60 and above. The occurrence of this size of a population of people who are 60 and above is unheard of, throughout recorded history because certain conditions meant that people normally and generally lived only until an average of thirty-five. However, with the advancement of medical technology the increasing number of people who survive to above 60 years old is a commonality (WHO 1999). Moreover, the ageing population phenomenon is a global concern (WHO). This means that almost all countries across the globe except for some countries in Africa are experiencing the dramatic increased of an ageing population (WHO). In this regard, looking into the conditions and concerns of the elderly members of the society has become one of the major interests of both the government, especially policy makers, and some non-governmental organizations (WHO). As governments respond to the phenomenon of ageing population, one concern that has become dominant in their sector is the problem of the results of a fall. This is due to the fact that one of the major causes for morbidity within the elderly population is a fall. Every year, oe third of those over the age of 65 experience a fall with an increase in incidences occurring with the increase in age. More than 50% of women who are over the age of 85 experience a fall within a year. (Pearse 2004: 478). Furthermore, injuries resulting into fall are not only a major cause of death among the elderly but that it â€Å"imposes an enormous public health burden world-wide† (Devroey et al 2002: 113). As well, the issues with falls is a concern where costs of the results of the fall impact the health care

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Carrier's Liability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Carrier's Liability - Essay Example This case study will analyze various aspects of Hague-Visby Rules, which involve group of international laws for the international carriage of goods by sea. Possible Causes of Ship Grounding Ship grounding is a marine accident that may lead to severe damages to the vessel as well as to the carriages. All the ports cannot accommodate all ship sizes since the depth of sea varies from port to port. For instance, although the New York port is one of the world’s busiest ports, it cannot allow ships with higher tonnage to enter the port because of its low draft. Sometimes, accumulation of silt and mud near the ports reduces draft and it may lead to ship grounding. It is also identified that an unpredictable change in tides may also cause such marine accidents. Various past incidents show that human error is the main cause of grounding accidents. Insufficient information about the port and navigational waterways may result in severe grounding accidents. â€Å"Sheer maneuvering negli gence and improper retaliations at the time of grounding has been the root cause of major accidents† (Improved maritime Educatio & Training). ... As reported in nzherald.co.nz (2011), the grounding of the Spirit of Resolution, owned by Pacifica shipping, on 3rd February 2011 can be attributed to power failure. Hague-Visby Rules As Carr (2010, p. 231) points out, the Hague-Visby Rules represent a group of global policies for the international carriage of goods by sea. The official title for the Hague-Visby Rules is â€Å"International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law relating to Bills of Lading,† and this set of rules was drafted in 1924. These rules were amended in 1968 and in 1979. The basic idea behind the Hague-Visby Rules is that a shipper has less bargaining power than the carrier. Therefore, the law has to impose minimum obligations on the carrier in order to protect the interests of the cargo owner. From the given case description, it is clear that the carrier (owners of the Sea Chariot) had issued one bill of lading for the entire cargo and this document involves the application of Hague-Vi sby Rules. Possible Arguments for Carrier Since this case comes under the Hague-Visby Rules, the carrier must prove that he has met all responsibilities and liabilities described in the Article III of the Hague-Visby Rules. The Article III contains eight sections which specify different responsibilities and liabilities of the carrier. According to the Article III, before the beginning of the voyage, the carrier must exercise due diligence in order to make the ship seaworthy and to ensure that all precautions are taken to secure the carriages. Hence, the carrier may argue that the ship was seaworthy and he had carried out loading, handling, and discharge of carriage goods properly. Similarly, Article IV of the

How does themed hotels affect the tourism industry Lab Report

How does themed hotels affect the tourism industry - Lab Report Example In case of the local tourists visiting the hotels for their services, the choice of themes to be used should not be of the local culture. It has to be something new since they are used to whatever is in the locality. 7 To sum up the discussion section of this research study, it should be noted that management of any business enterprise is very vital. These hotels if well managed will not only benefit the owners but also the nation in which a given hotel is found. This is through earning the nation foreign exchange, which in turn helps in sky rocketing the country’s economy. This will end up improving the living standards of the citizens. 7 Conclusion/Recommendations 8 References 10 Abstract The main purpose behind conducting this study was to investigate the effect of themed hotels on the tourism industry. The researcher mainly collected information from secondary sources to make the analyses, recommendations and conclusion of this report. The findings of the study outline how the tourism industry is influenced by the type of hotel in question. At the end of it, there are some recommendations, which if put in action, can propel the industry to rise higher and higher. Introduction A hotel can be termed as a commercial place where people, especially travelers and tourists buy meals, pay for accommodation services. A theme on the other hand, despite the various meanings the word bears, in the context of this report, it refers to the hotels having artistic decorations. These decorations can be in form of paintings on the wall that result in to a recurring pattern making the place look more attractive than in the case of ordinary hotels. Another word we need to be familiar with before proceeding with the report is tourism. The definition of the word Tourism can be that it is an activity carried out by either one person or a group of persons. This is usually as a result of people moving from one place to another. It can be from one country to another with the aim of performing a given task or just for the sake of entertainment. This report deals with the facts, discussions, conclusions and recommendations relating to the effect of themed hotels on the tourist industry. As outlined by http://www.unusualhotelsoftheworld.com; Unusual & Unique Hotels of the World, there are various themed hotels worldwide examples being Reino Fungi Lodge and Nothofagus Hotel and Spa ( both located at the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserver), Magic Mountain Hotel situated in the midst of Chilean Patagonian Rainforest, The Pavillion – London in the United Kingdom and many others. Facts/Findings Themed hotels bearing some sort of uniqueness are slightly costly. Though some tourists shy away, a good number of them being the local tourists, the number is incomparable to those who visit the places or else it could be useless to carry on with the business. In the course of this research study, it was evident that these hotels have a notable impact on the tourism industry. Firstly, due to the unique motif they bear in their establishment starting from the decor, dining and the personnel. This is as according to www.wisegreek.com; (What is a themed Hotel?) The choice of the theme to be used should typically connote every little detail be it in the hotel where the visitors get their meals from, the rooms in which

Friday, August 23, 2019

Personal Statement for Master's degree Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

For Master's degree - Personal Statement Example Since then, I have been striving hard to make this passion turn into reality. As such, I have majored in law in my current Bachelors’ studies, which gives me a good foundation to pursue Master’s in Commercial Law. Additionally, I have attended law-themed seminars and workshops, which have given me invaluable experience regarding the application of law career in real world scenarios. Apart from educational achievements, I am a very active individual, and I participate in sports. I hold several trophies owing to my exceptional performance in swimming and basketball. Hence, as I enrol to study in your institution, I would like to continue participating in these sporting activities and develop my potential further. I also possess various personal qualities that have helped me achieve the success I have so far, and will these continue to enhance my successful study and performance in your institution. I am a dedicated individual with good interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, entrepreneurial skills, and leadership skills. In addition, I am a disciplined individual with the ability to work in collaboration with fellow students to achieve a set target or goal. These personal attributes are the core of my success, and will ensure that I survive in the challenging and demanding environment that characterize a graduate school, as well as the professional world. My career objective is to pursue a profession that will give me a thrilling experience, as I help people in need of my expertise while at the same time acquire additional knowledge with every case I handle. We live in a dynamic and quickly evolving world where new things emerge with every passing moment. Consequently, these emergences require new policies, laws, and tactics to handle. As such, I would want to be part of the team that spearhead approaches and solutions to new situations that arise in the field of commercial law. I trust Harvard University will

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Fat Tax Essay Example for Free

Fat Tax Essay This report proposes that these costs and problems need to be addressed, and one avenue through which they can be is a junk food tax. This report proposes that there be a federal tax placed on junk food purchases, similar to the taxes placed on gasoline and tobacco products. This tax would dissuade people from purchasing unhealthy food items. At the same time it would help the nation offset some of the financial costs that obesity has generated. The proposition is not a fix-all, but it is a good start. Taxation of Junk Food, A Proposition to Battle the Obesity Epidemic in America Obesity is a condition that can be found in nearly every social class, geographic location, and age group in our society today. Every year there are more people who fit this profile; more people who are obese. While many view this condition as merely a cosmetic one, the truth is that there are serious consequences to being overweight. Some of these consequences include: the health risks such as diabetes and heart disease, early death because of those conditions, economic impacts due to lower productivity, astronomical health care costs, and numerous social problems that arise due to the lethargy and early mortality of obese parents and the inactivity of overweight children. These issues are significant, and need to be addressed in order to solve the problem. First, the causes of obesity must be understood, so that adequate solutions can be generated. Then solutions need to be created and put into effect such that the causes of the epidemic will be addressed at a minimal social cost. The information in this report shows that a large portion of those who suffer from obesity can attribute a large portion of their weight to junk food. This food is high in calories and low in nutritional value. This report also shows that many of these people choose to consume these products due to its convenience and relative low cost. I propose that in order to address this cause, and decrease consumption of junk food due to convenience and low cost, a federal tax should be levied against all foods that fit the profile of a junk food. I propose that this action would decrease economy purchases of less nutritious foods, and encourage consumers to consume more healthy diet options based on economic feasibility. Â  The Obesity Epidemic The issue of obesity is one that is complex and widespread. In order to understand the scope and implications of this condition, one must first understand what it is, and who it affects. Not everyone who is overweight is obese. Scott Ingram describes the difference between obesity and overweight as overweight being anyone who weighs more than the someone in the normal range for how old and tall they are, while in order for a person to be labeled obese, they must have enough body fat to put them 20 percent higher or more than their ideal weight (Ingram, 2005, p. 23). In other words, if a person’s ideal weight for their height and age is 140 pounds, and they weigh 150 pounds, they are overweight; but if they weigh over 168 pounds they are obese. This difference is important, as it indicates exactly how much overweight obese people are. They are all more than 20 percent over their target weight, which is significant enough to cause the problems that are being discussed in this report. The health and social issues caused by the state rest of the population that have not reached the 20 percent mark, but are still overweight are not even considered in this report. However, these issues will be positively affected by this proposal as well. It is also important to note that this problem is not isolated to a specific group of individuals, although there are groups that are higher risk than others.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

End of Conventional Oil

End of Conventional Oil End of Conventional Oil Oil is one of the most important fuels that are being consumed these days. Most of the industry depends upon the oil as they sue it as the fuel. The producers of oil are gaining a large amount of money after trading the oil. Thus the importance of oil is also imagined as it is considered as the black gold. It is also referred to as the blood of the earth. Thus the large amount of population that is using a huge amount of oil each year and that is reducing the reserves of oil. Due to various natural hazards like the ozone depletion the chemical reactions that converted the organic material into oil cannot take place properly and that is a hindrance in increasing the oil reserves. Thus there is a huge threat that the oil will be finished soon. There will be a huge impact over our lives with the depletion of the oil. There are some people who refer oil to the excrement of the devil or it is also considered as the black blood or the blood of the earth. Whereas there are a lot of people who would agree that the oil is the blood stream of the economy of the world. This is one reference that can have many contexts and arguments. Thus in some ways the crude oil resembles blood as when it is exposed to the air, it scabs. It is viscous and organic and moves quite easily through the pipes without creating any sort of friction. The cold oil also coagulates. The oil also supports the fungi and bacteria as it is not sterile. The oil carrying pipes might be found cogged with them growing inside. (Mills) At times it is also referred to as the blood of the dinosaur as it has some link to the ancient living creatures. Most of the geologists have the point of view that it is not easy to support this ideology with the strong proof and there was no such link of oil with the living beings. But still there are a number of scientists that believe in the idea that the oil was formed in the water and that later converted into some organism named plankton and that was later dragged into the sea and fed by some sunbeams and then they died and buried in the sea. We are moving form an age of cheap plentiful energy to the age of limited and expensive energy. Thus there is no alternative source for the development of energy that can replace the need of the oil or the natural gas. There is a perception that if the coal is used then we survive for decades is also not correct on the whole because that is only true when the rates of the coal do no change at all. The end of the oil does not mean that it has to dry out completely, thus it also means that if it becomes very expensive then we will not be able to use it. That will be end of the era when we got the cheap fuel and beginning of the era where fuel gets too expensive to be used. (Nersesian) The oil exporting nations have a motive due to which they are pushing the world to be dependent over the oil and thus they are trying to do their business. Oil is the most expensive business and thus the oil trading nations tend to earn a large amount of money in this business that is why they want that the industry should be dependent over the oil so that they should earn a large amount of money. Oil scarcity and the energy crisis will have a huge impact on our lives. Currently entire industry ranging from the domestic use of vehicles to the industrial use and the other machines are all dependent over the oil. The healthcare and the medical centers are also dependent over the oil for the transportation and other services with the oil shortage the price of the transportation and other service will increase resulting in the collapse of many industries. This this will not only kill the employment but will also close many industries resulting in the lack of education and health facilities. The oil is completely different thing then the wheat, wheat is something that can be grown each year resulting in the increase of the amount. The amount of wheat consumed each year is met by growing it the next year. Whereas the oil that was formed in the 4 Billion years, has been used in few centuries. It cannot be grown again as these reactions do not take a day or two to generate oil. Large amount of the engineers are working in the oil industry or industries that are very closely linked or dependent over the oil. So if the oil is depleted then the engineers will be jobless. This will highly affect their career and will cease the career opportunities for the people that are interested in this profession. (Lovins) Oil can be replaced by some alternative sources of energy like using sticks and carrots as a fuel in the cars or the use of the carbon free cars. In the electric production where a large amount of fuel is used for making electricity, the other sources like solar energy, wind energy and the tidal energy can be used to make it. And thus the oil can be replaced but it is hard to provide an equal amount of jobs to these people as well. The most invaluable source of energy ever discovered is rubbing. When the hands are rubbed they form some energy and heat and thus it is of no much use as the energy is very less and it vanishes in a very less time. The product that I enjoy and that consumes fuel too is a car. It is the most essential thing these days. And it costs a few thousand dollars. The cost pf the car will be way more and it might range to a few lack dollars as the cost of construction will increase to a large amount. That is why the construction cost will increase and that will increase the purchase cost as well. The green revolution contains a large deal of fertilizers derived from petrochemicals taken out from petroleum. These petrochemicals are formed from the hydrocarbons and ammonia and thus they are easily available by the plants. Thus the green revolution has a large amount of petrochemicals as these are also not harmful for the plants and forestry. The 9 billion people will have to find the alternative sources of food and they will have to choose the other form of food. They will have to include more fruits and vegetables in their diets that do not contain hydrocarbons. That is the only way the food demands can be met. Without the cheap oil the engineers will find some other source of energy like coal or the gas. That will help them meet the demands of the energy needs in the world. The end of cheap oil will affect all the people and every sector in this world as everything is completely dependent on it and the engineering career will be highly affected as we will not have enough jobs to work in and the wages will also be less. Petroleum is one of the most essential things in the today’s world. The cheap oil is the most important factor of every industry as it is used as a fuel. With the depletion of the resources of the cheap oil it has become very important that the other sources of energy should be found so that the world should keep on working smoothly. The transportation, food, industry everything is based on the oil. The countries that are trading oil prefer to increase the sale and to expand the use in vehicles. With the finishing of the oil the jobs will be reduced and the people will lose their jobs. Oil can be replaced by some alternative sources of energy and in the electric production where a large amount of fuel is used for making electricity, the other sources like solar energy, wind energy and the tidal energy can be used to make it. Alternatives to oil need to be adopted for our benefit. Work Cited Lovins, Amory B. Winning the oil endgame : innovation for profits, jobs and security. Snowmass, CO : : Rocky Mountain Institute, 2004. (124) Mills, Robin M. The myth of the oil crisis : overcoming the challenges of depletion, geopolitics, and global warming. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 2008. (76) Nersesian, Roy L. Energy for the 21st century : a comprehensive guide to conventional and alternative sources. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe, 2007. ebook. (102)

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Quality Circle Activities at Hindustan Zinc Lilmited

Quality Circle Activities at Hindustan Zinc Lilmited A PROJECT ON VALIDATING â€Å"COMPETENCY MAPPING† FOR ATTAINING THE BEST â€Å"QUALITY CIRCLE PRACTICES† AT HZL Executive Summary Successful quality circles offer a wide variety of benefits for businesses. They talk about the perceptions as well as employees awareness, increase managements awareness of employee ideas, as well as employee awareness of the need for innovation within the company. Adding on, quality circles can improve a businesss competitiveness by reducing costs, improving quality, and promoting innovation.HZL with the above motives, implemented the Quality Circles. The Quality Circles lead t self development, mutual development, quality improvement , cost reduction, waste reduction, productivity improvement, improvement in safety, job satisfaction , problem solving opportunities, people involvement and participation in team building. But, at present the Quality Circles are not able reciprocate the same. Therefore the present study aims at two basic objectives Phase I: To understand the Quality Circle activities at Hindustan Zinc Lilmited. To understand the perceptions of the Quality Circles facilitators and leaders in respect to the formation of the of the Quality Circles So the quality circles being not up to the mark ,the project aims to streamline the Quality Circle activities at Debari and to provide impetus so that the members get onto self-motivated mode. Further, to facilitate the environment for the activities and conduct appropriate guidance structures at Hindustan Zinc Limited .There must be support based on the respect of humanity, aiming at participation by everybody .Also, to develop capabilities and capacities of the Quality Circle members and to make the work place full of vitality. Phase II: The second phase explored Competency Mapping of the employees.Competency plays an important role in shaping up the perceptions of the employees.It is basically a measure to avoid making the mistake of hiring a round peg for a square hole. One of the underlying principles of Competency Mapping is finding the right person for the right job (specially the Facilitators of the quality circles). After the detailed study on reasons behind the non effectiveness of Quality Circles, Competency Mapping Study was taken up. The facilitators competencies were taken into account for the same. An effort was taken up to relate the individual competencies to the competencies required for the best Quality Circle Practices at HZL. Identifying, assessing and linking people competency with the Quality Circle competency from the core mapping. Competency Mapping is a process of identifying key competencies for a particular position in an organization. Therefore, the executives opinion about the competencies required for the Quality Circles was taken into account. The relevance and role of HR Managers is going through a flux. The new generation HR Manager attempts to link their individual competency with those set of competencies, which make them successful in their leadership role. In the present study, executives from various departments were selected randomly and were included in the sample. Questionnaires were filled by only those executives who had a free will. The find outcome of this project is in the development of a suggested framework to unable them to bridge the gap between the prevalent and required set of competencies. Hindustan Zinc Smelter (Debari) at present is not making use of the Competency Mappi ng tool. Therefore the executives were made aware of this tool of HR and to make them know the benefits of Competency Mapping as a tool to help their growth in an organization. Various formats to get the Quality Circles get streamlined are also suggested which include Evaluation Criteria, Format for the meetings and the minutes ,Introduction for of the commandments of QCs, relating awards and recognition to the same. As a result the company organized a Quality Circle gathering with a lunch in which a briefing for the Quality Circles was again given ,besides bags to all the quality circle members were given so as to give them recognition by differentiating them from the non members. Certificate From Industry Guide Certificate From Faculty Guide This is to certify that, Ms Arushi Chauhan from MBA (HR) class of 2009 is a Bonafide student of Amity Business School, Amity University Uttar Pradesh and is presently pursuing a Post Graduate Programme in Management. Under my guidance, she has submitted her project titled â€Å"Validating Competency Mapping for Attaining Best Quality Circle Practices at HZL†, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the summer internship project from Hindustan Zinc Limited, Udaipur, from May 1, 2008 to June 30, 2008 during the Post Graduate Programme in Management. This report has not been previously submitted as part of another degree or diploma of another business school or university. (Date July 24, 2008) Dr. R. Sujatha Senior Faculty (HR) Amity Business School CHAPTER: 1 INTRODUCTION Company Profile Introduction to Quality Circles Competency Mapping Objective Rationale COMPANY PROFILE VEDANTA GROUP Welcome To The Vedanta Group Vedanta an over US $ 8.2 billion, Vedanta Resources plc (â€Å"Vedanta†) is a London listed FTSE 100 diversified metals and mining major. The group produces aluminium, copper, zinc, lead and iron ore and also commercial energy. Vedanta has operations in India, Zambia and Australia and a strong organic growth pipeline of projects. With an empowered talent pool of 30,000 employees globally, Vedanta places strong emphasis on partnering with all its stakeholders based on the core values of entrepreneurship, excellence, trust, inclusiveness and growth. Chairman Mr. Anil Agarwal Deputy Chairman Mr. Navin Agarwal Chief Executive Officer Mr. Kuldeep Kumar Kaura Vedanta Group is a well established name in the corporate world. Vedanta has a strong track record in managing operations and improving costs and output. Its zinc and copper operations rank in the top quartile of global cost efficiency. Its principal operations are located in India, where they have a major market share in each of their main metals: aluminum, copper, zinc and lead. There are also substantial copper operations in Zambia and a copper mine in Australia. Vedanta Resources plc was listed in London in December 2003. At the time of listing, Vedanta set out a carefully structured strategy, to which the board and management remain committed. The group comprises three major businesses: Aluminium comprising bauxite mining, alumina refining aluminium smelting operations in India. Copper comprising smelting refining operations in India, copper ore mining in Australia, an integrated copper production in Zambia. Zinc comprising zinc-lead mining smelting operations in India. Sterlite Industries is an important segment of Vedanta Group. Sterlite Industries (India) Limited was  acquired in 1986, bringing together several metal related activities managed by the Agarwal family.   In 2001 it acquired a 26% stake in Hindustan Zinc Ltd., an integrated zinc and lead producer, from the Government of India and a further 20% through a compulsory open market offer. Vedanta is successfully operating in India in collaboration with Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL). The Zinc business of Vedanta is managed within Hindustan Zinc Limited.   HZL is Indias only integrated Zinc Company, operating from mine to finished metal and supplied around 80% of Indias zinc requirements in 2007-08. Vedanta Resources Plc A Snapshot National presence Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd (SIIL) Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd (BALCO) The Madras Aluminium Company Ltd (MALCO) Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. (VAL) Lanjigarh Sesa Goa Limited Sterlite Energy Limited 2) Global presence Copper Mines of Tasmania, Tasmania Konkola Copper Mines, Zambia 3) Sterlite Group has also strong presence in Optical cables business through Sterlite Optical Technologies Ltd. (a non Vedanta Company) 4) A leading producer of key commodities in India FY2007-08 Group turnover : US $ 8,203 million FY2007-08 Group EBITDA : US $ 3,010 million $7.5 billion investment programme. First phase of $2.2 billion completed on time and within budget. The next phase of $5.3 billion under implementation and on schedule. STERLITE INDUSTRIES Sterlite Energy Limited (SEL) is a part of Vedanta Resources plc , a London listed metals and mining major with Aluminium, Copper, Zinc and Iron ore operations in India, Australia and Zambia, and a subsidiary of Vedanta group flagship company, Sterlite Industries (India) Limited. SEL was established to develop, construct and operate power plants and seeks to become one of Indias leading commercial power generation companies. SEL is well positioned to capitalize on Indias economic growth, power deficit and large coal reserves to develop a commercial power generation business. It shall benefit from Vedanta groups experienced and focused management with strong project execution skills, experience in building and operating captive power plants, substantial experience in mining activities and the capacity to finance world-class projects. Various objectives of Sterlite group regarding HZL are: To make Chanderiya Smelter, Rampura Agucha mines known for its world class operations. To make Zawar mines, RDM, ZSP and ZSV internationally competitive HINDUSTAN ZINC LTD. PROFILE Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) is one of Indias leading Zinc-lead producers and exceptional in its extent of its technology coupled with vertical integration in other non-ferrous metals. Hindustan Zinc Limited was incorporated from the erstwhile Metal Corporation of India on 10th January 1966 as a Public Sector Undertaking. Hindustan Zinc is a vertically integrated company with mining and smelting operations located mainly in the State of Rajasthan and in the State of Andhra Pradesh. Hindustan Zinc is Indias only integrated producer of Zinc and Lead and is among the worlds leading integrated Zinc and Lead producers. Its metal production capacity is currently 754000 tones per annum. The smelters are situated at Chanderia, Debari and Visakhapatnam .The mines are situated at Zawar, Dariba and Rampura Agucha VISION OF HZL To be a world-class zinc company, creating value, leveraging mineral resources and related core competencies. MISSION OF HZL Be a lowest cost zinc producer on a global scale, maintaining market leadership One million tones zinc-lead metal capacity by 2010 Be innovative, customer oriented and eco-friendly, maximizing stake-holder value Introduction to Quality Circle A Quality Circle is a small group in which people who work in the first line work place, continually improve and maintain the quality of products, services, job. This small group promotes the activity in such a way as to autonomously administer it, utilize the QC concept and technique and others, display creativity and make self development and mutual development. This activity intent to: †¢Develop workers capability; perform the self-actualization for QC Circle members, make the work place full of brightness and vitality. †¢Enhance customer satisfaction and make a social contribution. The executives and the mangers in order to make QC Circle activities successful, contribute to improving the enterprises, constitute and implement company wide TQM or similar one by themselves. Facilitate the environment for the activity and continually, conduct appropriate guidance and support based on the respect for humanity, aiming at the participation by everybody and positioning the activity as important for human resources development and work place utilization Quality Circles Functioning: A typical quality circle consists of 5 to 10 members from the same working area. A leader is either elected by the members or the senior most people assumes the leaders role. The quality circle meets once every week, usually outside working hours. The meeting lasts for half hour to one hour. The quality circle is assisted by a facilitator or a coordinator, who is from the executive cadre. The facilitator helps in ensuring that the requirements for the quality circle meetings are met. He also is the contact between the quality circles and the senior management. In many cases, the facilitator helps the team in case they face difficult in solving a problem. MANAGEMENT ACTION FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTAION OF QUALITY CIRCLE CONCEPT FORMATION OF APEX LEVEL STEERING COMMITTEE. ABOVE COMMITTEE WILL DECIDE TO FORM ZONE WISE STEERING COMMITTEE (TWO TO FIVE SUCH COMMITTEES MAY BE FORMED DEPENDING UPON ORGANISATIONAL SET UP). NOMINATE ZONE CHAIRPERSON FOR EACH ZONE. ZONE CO-ORDINATOR AND OVER ALL CHIEF CO-ORDINATOR. DECIDE DATE/DAY OF MONTHLY AREA STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING. APEX LEVEL STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING MAY BE HELD BI-MONTHLY. PROPOSED AGENDA MAY BE: ADOPTION/FOLLOW-UP OF PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES. IN APEX LEVEL STEERING COMMITTEE CHAIRED BY HEAD OF PLANT, CHAIRMEN OF AREA STEERING COMMITTEE WILL PRESENT THE STATUS OF QUALITY CIRCLES STATUS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE AREAS. STATUS OF CIRCLE ACTIVITIES IN EACH ZONE FOLLOWED BY IMPLEMENTATION STATUS OF APPROVED PROJECTS. TRAINING PROGRAMME/REFRESHER PROGRAMME STATUS. PROJECT FOR APPROVAL ANY OTHER POINTS IN CASE OF â€Å"PROJECTS FOR APPROVAL† CIRCLE WILL PRESENT ONE BY ONE. THEY WILL SIMPLY EXLAIN THE PROJECT TAKEN, HOW THEY HAVE SOLVED AND GAINS (WITH IN 5 TO 7 MINUTES). A GROUP OF NOMINATED EXECUTIVES WILL AUDIT THE SAME AT WORK PLACE. THEY WILL ASK FEW QUESTIONS TO THE EMPLOYEES OF THAT AREA TO ENCOURAGE THEM. PROJECT MAY BE APPROVED AFTER SEEING THE IMPLEMENTATION STATUS, IF NO FURTHER MODIFICATION IS REQUIRED. IF PROJECT IS APPROVED, THIS SHOULD BE PRESENTED IN PROPER WAY. A TOKEN GIFT MAY BE GIVEN TO EACH MEMBER INCLUDING FACILITATOR/ DY. FACILITATOR. THIS GIFT MAY BE RESTRICTED TO THOSE WHO HAVE ATTENDED 60% OR MORE MEETINGS HELD FOR THIS PROJECT DURATION. THIS WILL ENCOURAGE THE MEMBER TO ATTEND MAXIMUM NUMBER OF MEETINGS. AFTER APPROVAL OF THE PROJECT, STEERING COMMITTEE OF THAT ZONE WILL ASK THE HOD OF THAT ZONE, TO MAKE TENTATIVE PLANNING OF IMPLEMENTAION OF PROJECTS IN TOTALITY. EVALUATION OF EACH AREA AND BEST CIRCLE IN EACH AREA MAY BE DONE EVERY SIX MONTHS VIZ. JANUARY TO JUNE AND JULY TO DECEMBER OF EACH YEAR AS PER PRE FIXED CRITERIA. A RUNNING SHIELD TO BEST, AREA AND PRIZES TO BEST CIRCLE IN EACH AREA MAY BE GIVEN ON THE BASIS OF SIX MONTHLY EVALUATION ON 15TH AUGUST AND 26TH JANUARY RESPECTIVELY. QC MELA, QUIZ COMPETITION, KAVI SAMMELAN, POSTER/ESSAY/SLOGAN/POEM COMPETITION ETC. MAY BE ORANISED BY QUALITY CIRCLE INITIATIVE TRAINING/ REFRESHER PROGRAMME, FACILITATORS MEET, LEADERS MEET ETC. MAY BE ORGANISED AT REGULAR INTERVAL. TO CREATE QUALITY CIRCLE ENVIRONMENT, TRY TO ENCOURAGE QC IN HOME, COLONY, HOSPITAL, SCHOOL TEACHER, STUDENT ETC. SURRONDING VILLAGES MAY BE TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT QC CONCEPT IN VILLAGES Quality Circle Policy at Hindustan Zinc Limited Introduction: This policy provides objectives of the Companys Quality Circle Program and outlines a broad framework for operations of quality circles in the company for its continuity and consistency amongst the units. It provides the strategic direction for the efforts to achieve sustainable operations of quality circles in the company and qualitative aspects embedded in the companys vision and mission statements. It incorporates the basic approach of quality circles concept appropriately to improve the work culture. Objectives: The quality circles will have the following objectives: To enhance employees job satisfaction and belongingness. To provide an effective platform to the employees to contribute through their ideas knowledge in a healthy environment so as to use their full potential. To promote team work and improve communication at all levels. To develop problem solving analytical approach at shop floor to solve day to day problems. To improve work culture through reduced waste and enhanced quality and productivity. To further expand employee development through education and awareness. The Set Up: QC BASICS Quality circles will have four to eight workmen of same work area involved in doing similar kind of activities as members. They will meet as per schedule preferably at least once in 21 days, and identify, select, prioritise the problems. Analyze the causes of problems after discussions in the meetings and then make recommendations of solutions through discussions a nd /or brif Presentations. The QC members will then work together to implement the approved solutions in their work area would be facilitated by the management wherever necessary. Role of QC Leader The leader of the QC will be chosen from the group by the group members only. QC can have different leaders for different problems. The leaders of the QCs will be given necessary inputs by the shop flor facilitator so the leader becomes competent enough to take responsibility for the operation of the QC and can explain proper uses of QC techniques to the circle members. The leader should ensure that the meetings are held as per schedule and a report of each QC meeting is made covering all aspects. Role of Facilitator An executive of shop floor will facilitate each QC.This executive The Facilitator will be responsible in following ways: Be primarily an advisor to the QC of his department /Section/Sub Section. Be active and helpful to the extent the group wants his involvement and keep him informed through interactions / reports of the QC meetings etc. Constantly promote encourage the circle concept extend all facilities to QCs for organizing meeting as per schedule. These facilities will include meeting place, stationary other material for arranging presentations. Maintain liaison, contacts and provide feedback on requests in a timely manner towards ‘Solutions-implementation. Educate encourage other employees of the area to join the QCs /Form new QC. Role of Convenor For overall coordination facilitating jobs at unit level, the HOD of Unit I.E. Dept. will act as the UNIT convenor (s) to expedite the coordination process. He will be responsible for: Smooth and uninterrupted operations of Unit Quality Circle Program. Education / Training to facilitators, Leaders and Members. Coordinating circle operations by acting as an interface between facilitators /circles and Unit Steering Committee Unit Management. Providing feedback to steering Committee and extend help as and when required by the facilitators/circles. Maintaining records of all QCs of the unit based on QC meeting. Helping facilitators /HODs in evaluation of QC performance. Organizing Units Annual QC Convention preferably in the quality month i.e. November and declaration of the best quality circles of the year. Attending circle meetings occasionally and organizing QC leader meetings periodically. Coordinating with Convenor of Corporate QC Steering Group.(CQCSG) Sending a monthly report to the convenor of CQCSG i.e. HOD of Corporate IE Department Corporate office giving all the details regarding Unit Quality Circle operations .The details will include number of QCs ,their strength ,meeting frequency ,areas identified / approved for analysis, Q.C. Techniques employed, presentations made, No. of improvements effected their brief details ,designation of Sr. Level Officers of the unit who extended visible support ,the evaluation sheets of QCs performance etc. Unit Steering Group (USG) USG will be chaired by Unit Head and will consist of HODs of major functions of the unit viz. production, maintenance, personnel, accounts, stores etc. USG will be responsible in conformance to units operational requirements consistent with broad guidelines of QC Policy. USG shall provide guidance direction to QC program within the unit. USG will also publicize the circle activities /achievements within outside the unit .Their objective will be to promote QCs in all areas of the unit. The members of the group will show their visible support by attending meetings regularly with the facilitators and the circle members for encouragement advises. They will also allocate higher priority for attending presentation of quality circles as when requested. CQCSG: Corporate support to all QC activities in the Units would be extended through a Corporate QC Steering Group. The Operative Framework: The membership of the circles will be open to all workmen on voluntary basis QC members will work in coordinated team manner to accomplish the activities taken on their own initiative by sharing responsibilities among themselves. QC members will identify, select, prioritize and analyze the problems. QC members will participate in all QC activities including presentation set for other fellow workmen to emulate. QC members will be in constant touch with the facilitator. QC members will set up schedules for meetings and presentations within the framework of known company work loads in consultation with the facilitator send minutes of meetings promptly to the Unit Convenor with a copy to the facilitator. The circle will maintain continuous communication amongst all members. QC members will present the identified problems along-with alternative solutions to management for acceptance. QC members will pursue to implement the solutions of the problems as approved by management. QC members will make presentation on the progress of implemented solutions to management. Circles will not address the following subjects: Employees Complaints Personal Grievances Personality related issues Role of Unit Steering Group: USG may participate in circles actions and will address to circles requests. USG will also support all implementation activities. USG may also suggest problems to the quality circles for further exploration. USG will encourage formation of quality circles on other areas of the unit. Performance Evaluation: The performance of each quality circle will be evaluated based on following guidelines: Evaluation Period: 1 Year Parameters Weightage % (a) No. of Meetings (Frequency at least once 15(Maximum 17 in 21 days) meetings in a year) Attendance of members 15 (in percentage) Regular submission of minutes of 10 meetings/reports to Unit Convenor No. of new problems identified and their 10 selection process Analysis ,effective use of QC tools, 10 workload distribution among the members Quality of solved problems with respect to 10 potential of the groups (g) No. of solutions implemented 10 (h) No. of presentations made, quality of 20 presentation, participation of members special features in the presentation. Comparison among circles will be done on the basis of the marks scored by different QCs of the unit. Recognition Facilitations Aspects: The efforts of circles attract non -financial awards only which could be in terms of recognition /publicity and the others as outlined below: i) At the time of formation registration of quality circles: Inauguration of QC by Unit Head. Introduction of QC members to Unit Head in presence of their Departmental Head. Displaying the details of newly formed QC on all notice boards of the Unit. Provision of stationary (writing pad, pen/pencil) to QC members. ii) After 10 meetings or completing at least one useful project whichever is later inviting QC members with spouse on a ‘tea† by HOD. iii) After 1st presentation to HOD of Respective Department, a certificate would be given to all QC members on a tea-get-together of the department. iv) Presentation of selected QCs to Unit Head in presence of all QCS of the unit where certificates shall be awarded to circle members signed by Convenor chairman of USG together. v) Honour at important occasions where QC member could be invited with the spouse. vi) QC page will be included in monthly departmental and unit report giving highlights of implemented solutions. vii) After annual performance review of QCs in the unit publication of details of completed projects by QC members with their photographs for circulation in all the units of HZL. viii) Two best QCs will be selected in the unit convention after 1 year of their operations based on performance criteria will be awarded accordingly (Preferably in quality month i.e. November). ix) Awarding QCFI membership to members of best two circles judged by evaluation committee constituted by Unit Steering Group Subject to eligibility. x) Sending Units best two QCs to other units for presentation on some important occasion of the unit. xi) Recognition to QCs standing 1st or 2nd in Unit consecutively for two years by CQCSG. xii) Best quality circle judged by CQCSG at Corporate level matching with corporate image be considered for sending for participation in national competition organized by QCFI when the opportunity comes. Introduction to Competency Mapping In the modern competitive world, business managers are required to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the business operations. As there are several factors that affect efficiency and effectiveness of operations the improvement is required to be carried out in every factor. These factors are required to bring every factor in synchronization with other factors. To improve synchronization between different elements is an important approach to improve effectiveness and efficiency of the operations. Manpower, technical and managerial abilities are the most important resource of any organization .The most important resource is the most difficult to manage as no two persons are similar. Every person has different Qualities, attitude, motives, personality traits, skills, knowledge etc. which has effect on their performance at work. Organizations in order to facilitate excellence in the performance of the people in the organization are required to identify the right person for every job. This matching between jobs and people is an important avenue for organizational improvement efforts. HR professional are entrusted with the responsibility for selection, training and development, administration deployment support, performance appraisal and performance diagnostics of the employees. The most important part of these responsibilities is assessment of the individuals for their superiority for different functional tasks, and development of their potential to be effective and excel in the assigned tasks. Currently most of the organizations are using personal interview, written tests and group discussion for the purpose of assessment. These approaches were mostly based on personality tests/psychometric tests. These tests have improved assessment of candidates but still the reliability of the results is not adequate to forecast effectiveness of the selected candidate for the job. Research conducted by Industrial and organizational psychologists have found that effectiveness of a person to carry out a job depends not only on single or isolated factors but on set of many different factors. Such set of factors that help the possessor to be effective in a particular job is termed as competency for that particular job is termed as competency for that particular job. HR function entrusted with the responsibility of finding right person for every job and development of the employed person to do the assigned job effectively, have found competency mapping assessment as a very effective tool. Definition: Competency mapping is the process of identification of the competencies required to perform successfully a given job or role or a set of tasks at a given point of time. It consists of breaking a given role or job into its constituent tasks or activities and identifying the competencies (technical, managerial, behavioral, conceptual knowledge, an attitudes, skills, etc.) needed to perform the same successfully. Competency assessment is the assessment of the extent to which a given individual or a set of individuals possess these competencies required by a given role or set of roles or levels of roles. Assessment centers use multiple methods and multiple assessors to assess the competencies of a given individual or a group of individuals. In order to enhance objectivity they use trained assessors and multiple methods including psych Quality Circle Activities at Hindustan Zinc Lilmited Quality Circle Activities at Hindustan Zinc Lilmited A PROJECT ON VALIDATING â€Å"COMPETENCY MAPPING† FOR ATTAINING THE BEST â€Å"QUALITY CIRCLE PRACTICES† AT HZL Executive Summary Successful quality circles offer a wide variety of benefits for businesses. They talk about the perceptions as well as employees awareness, increase managements awareness of employee ideas, as well as employee awareness of the need for innovation within the company. Adding on, quality circles can improve a businesss competitiveness by reducing costs, improving quality, and promoting innovation.HZL with the above motives, implemented the Quality Circles. The Quality Circles lead t self development, mutual development, quality improvement , cost reduction, waste reduction, productivity improvement, improvement in safety, job satisfaction , problem solving opportunities, people involvement and participation in team building. But, at present the Quality Circles are not able reciprocate the same. Therefore the present study aims at two basic objectives Phase I: To understand the Quality Circle activities at Hindustan Zinc Lilmited. To understand the perceptions of the Quality Circles facilitators and leaders in respect to the formation of the of the Quality Circles So the quality circles being not up to the mark ,the project aims to streamline the Quality Circle activities at Debari and to provide impetus so that the members get onto self-motivated mode. Further, to facilitate the environment for the activities and conduct appropriate guidance structures at Hindustan Zinc Limited .There must be support based on the respect of humanity, aiming at participation by everybody .Also, to develop capabilities and capacities of the Quality Circle members and to make the work place full of vitality. Phase II: The second phase explored Competency Mapping of the employees.Competency plays an important role in shaping up the perceptions of the employees.It is basically a measure to avoid making the mistake of hiring a round peg for a square hole. One of the underlying principles of Competency Mapping is finding the right person for the right job (specially the Facilitators of the quality circles). After the detailed study on reasons behind the non effectiveness of Quality Circles, Competency Mapping Study was taken up. The facilitators competencies were taken into account for the same. An effort was taken up to relate the individual competencies to the competencies required for the best Quality Circle Practices at HZL. Identifying, assessing and linking people competency with the Quality Circle competency from the core mapping. Competency Mapping is a process of identifying key competencies for a particular position in an organization. Therefore, the executives opinion about the competencies required for the Quality Circles was taken into account. The relevance and role of HR Managers is going through a flux. The new generation HR Manager attempts to link their individual competency with those set of competencies, which make them successful in their leadership role. In the present study, executives from various departments were selected randomly and were included in the sample. Questionnaires were filled by only those executives who had a free will. The find outcome of this project is in the development of a suggested framework to unable them to bridge the gap between the prevalent and required set of competencies. Hindustan Zinc Smelter (Debari) at present is not making use of the Competency Mappi ng tool. Therefore the executives were made aware of this tool of HR and to make them know the benefits of Competency Mapping as a tool to help their growth in an organization. Various formats to get the Quality Circles get streamlined are also suggested which include Evaluation Criteria, Format for the meetings and the minutes ,Introduction for of the commandments of QCs, relating awards and recognition to the same. As a result the company organized a Quality Circle gathering with a lunch in which a briefing for the Quality Circles was again given ,besides bags to all the quality circle members were given so as to give them recognition by differentiating them from the non members. Certificate From Industry Guide Certificate From Faculty Guide This is to certify that, Ms Arushi Chauhan from MBA (HR) class of 2009 is a Bonafide student of Amity Business School, Amity University Uttar Pradesh and is presently pursuing a Post Graduate Programme in Management. Under my guidance, she has submitted her project titled â€Å"Validating Competency Mapping for Attaining Best Quality Circle Practices at HZL†, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the summer internship project from Hindustan Zinc Limited, Udaipur, from May 1, 2008 to June 30, 2008 during the Post Graduate Programme in Management. This report has not been previously submitted as part of another degree or diploma of another business school or university. (Date July 24, 2008) Dr. R. Sujatha Senior Faculty (HR) Amity Business School CHAPTER: 1 INTRODUCTION Company Profile Introduction to Quality Circles Competency Mapping Objective Rationale COMPANY PROFILE VEDANTA GROUP Welcome To The Vedanta Group Vedanta an over US $ 8.2 billion, Vedanta Resources plc (â€Å"Vedanta†) is a London listed FTSE 100 diversified metals and mining major. The group produces aluminium, copper, zinc, lead and iron ore and also commercial energy. Vedanta has operations in India, Zambia and Australia and a strong organic growth pipeline of projects. With an empowered talent pool of 30,000 employees globally, Vedanta places strong emphasis on partnering with all its stakeholders based on the core values of entrepreneurship, excellence, trust, inclusiveness and growth. Chairman Mr. Anil Agarwal Deputy Chairman Mr. Navin Agarwal Chief Executive Officer Mr. Kuldeep Kumar Kaura Vedanta Group is a well established name in the corporate world. Vedanta has a strong track record in managing operations and improving costs and output. Its zinc and copper operations rank in the top quartile of global cost efficiency. Its principal operations are located in India, where they have a major market share in each of their main metals: aluminum, copper, zinc and lead. There are also substantial copper operations in Zambia and a copper mine in Australia. Vedanta Resources plc was listed in London in December 2003. At the time of listing, Vedanta set out a carefully structured strategy, to which the board and management remain committed. The group comprises three major businesses: Aluminium comprising bauxite mining, alumina refining aluminium smelting operations in India. Copper comprising smelting refining operations in India, copper ore mining in Australia, an integrated copper production in Zambia. Zinc comprising zinc-lead mining smelting operations in India. Sterlite Industries is an important segment of Vedanta Group. Sterlite Industries (India) Limited was  acquired in 1986, bringing together several metal related activities managed by the Agarwal family.   In 2001 it acquired a 26% stake in Hindustan Zinc Ltd., an integrated zinc and lead producer, from the Government of India and a further 20% through a compulsory open market offer. Vedanta is successfully operating in India in collaboration with Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL). The Zinc business of Vedanta is managed within Hindustan Zinc Limited.   HZL is Indias only integrated Zinc Company, operating from mine to finished metal and supplied around 80% of Indias zinc requirements in 2007-08. Vedanta Resources Plc A Snapshot National presence Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd (SIIL) Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd (BALCO) The Madras Aluminium Company Ltd (MALCO) Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. (VAL) Lanjigarh Sesa Goa Limited Sterlite Energy Limited 2) Global presence Copper Mines of Tasmania, Tasmania Konkola Copper Mines, Zambia 3) Sterlite Group has also strong presence in Optical cables business through Sterlite Optical Technologies Ltd. (a non Vedanta Company) 4) A leading producer of key commodities in India FY2007-08 Group turnover : US $ 8,203 million FY2007-08 Group EBITDA : US $ 3,010 million $7.5 billion investment programme. First phase of $2.2 billion completed on time and within budget. The next phase of $5.3 billion under implementation and on schedule. STERLITE INDUSTRIES Sterlite Energy Limited (SEL) is a part of Vedanta Resources plc , a London listed metals and mining major with Aluminium, Copper, Zinc and Iron ore operations in India, Australia and Zambia, and a subsidiary of Vedanta group flagship company, Sterlite Industries (India) Limited. SEL was established to develop, construct and operate power plants and seeks to become one of Indias leading commercial power generation companies. SEL is well positioned to capitalize on Indias economic growth, power deficit and large coal reserves to develop a commercial power generation business. It shall benefit from Vedanta groups experienced and focused management with strong project execution skills, experience in building and operating captive power plants, substantial experience in mining activities and the capacity to finance world-class projects. Various objectives of Sterlite group regarding HZL are: To make Chanderiya Smelter, Rampura Agucha mines known for its world class operations. To make Zawar mines, RDM, ZSP and ZSV internationally competitive HINDUSTAN ZINC LTD. PROFILE Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) is one of Indias leading Zinc-lead producers and exceptional in its extent of its technology coupled with vertical integration in other non-ferrous metals. Hindustan Zinc Limited was incorporated from the erstwhile Metal Corporation of India on 10th January 1966 as a Public Sector Undertaking. Hindustan Zinc is a vertically integrated company with mining and smelting operations located mainly in the State of Rajasthan and in the State of Andhra Pradesh. Hindustan Zinc is Indias only integrated producer of Zinc and Lead and is among the worlds leading integrated Zinc and Lead producers. Its metal production capacity is currently 754000 tones per annum. The smelters are situated at Chanderia, Debari and Visakhapatnam .The mines are situated at Zawar, Dariba and Rampura Agucha VISION OF HZL To be a world-class zinc company, creating value, leveraging mineral resources and related core competencies. MISSION OF HZL Be a lowest cost zinc producer on a global scale, maintaining market leadership One million tones zinc-lead metal capacity by 2010 Be innovative, customer oriented and eco-friendly, maximizing stake-holder value Introduction to Quality Circle A Quality Circle is a small group in which people who work in the first line work place, continually improve and maintain the quality of products, services, job. This small group promotes the activity in such a way as to autonomously administer it, utilize the QC concept and technique and others, display creativity and make self development and mutual development. This activity intent to: †¢Develop workers capability; perform the self-actualization for QC Circle members, make the work place full of brightness and vitality. †¢Enhance customer satisfaction and make a social contribution. The executives and the mangers in order to make QC Circle activities successful, contribute to improving the enterprises, constitute and implement company wide TQM or similar one by themselves. Facilitate the environment for the activity and continually, conduct appropriate guidance and support based on the respect for humanity, aiming at the participation by everybody and positioning the activity as important for human resources development and work place utilization Quality Circles Functioning: A typical quality circle consists of 5 to 10 members from the same working area. A leader is either elected by the members or the senior most people assumes the leaders role. The quality circle meets once every week, usually outside working hours. The meeting lasts for half hour to one hour. The quality circle is assisted by a facilitator or a coordinator, who is from the executive cadre. The facilitator helps in ensuring that the requirements for the quality circle meetings are met. He also is the contact between the quality circles and the senior management. In many cases, the facilitator helps the team in case they face difficult in solving a problem. MANAGEMENT ACTION FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTAION OF QUALITY CIRCLE CONCEPT FORMATION OF APEX LEVEL STEERING COMMITTEE. ABOVE COMMITTEE WILL DECIDE TO FORM ZONE WISE STEERING COMMITTEE (TWO TO FIVE SUCH COMMITTEES MAY BE FORMED DEPENDING UPON ORGANISATIONAL SET UP). NOMINATE ZONE CHAIRPERSON FOR EACH ZONE. ZONE CO-ORDINATOR AND OVER ALL CHIEF CO-ORDINATOR. DECIDE DATE/DAY OF MONTHLY AREA STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING. APEX LEVEL STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING MAY BE HELD BI-MONTHLY. PROPOSED AGENDA MAY BE: ADOPTION/FOLLOW-UP OF PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES. IN APEX LEVEL STEERING COMMITTEE CHAIRED BY HEAD OF PLANT, CHAIRMEN OF AREA STEERING COMMITTEE WILL PRESENT THE STATUS OF QUALITY CIRCLES STATUS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE AREAS. STATUS OF CIRCLE ACTIVITIES IN EACH ZONE FOLLOWED BY IMPLEMENTATION STATUS OF APPROVED PROJECTS. TRAINING PROGRAMME/REFRESHER PROGRAMME STATUS. PROJECT FOR APPROVAL ANY OTHER POINTS IN CASE OF â€Å"PROJECTS FOR APPROVAL† CIRCLE WILL PRESENT ONE BY ONE. THEY WILL SIMPLY EXLAIN THE PROJECT TAKEN, HOW THEY HAVE SOLVED AND GAINS (WITH IN 5 TO 7 MINUTES). A GROUP OF NOMINATED EXECUTIVES WILL AUDIT THE SAME AT WORK PLACE. THEY WILL ASK FEW QUESTIONS TO THE EMPLOYEES OF THAT AREA TO ENCOURAGE THEM. PROJECT MAY BE APPROVED AFTER SEEING THE IMPLEMENTATION STATUS, IF NO FURTHER MODIFICATION IS REQUIRED. IF PROJECT IS APPROVED, THIS SHOULD BE PRESENTED IN PROPER WAY. A TOKEN GIFT MAY BE GIVEN TO EACH MEMBER INCLUDING FACILITATOR/ DY. FACILITATOR. THIS GIFT MAY BE RESTRICTED TO THOSE WHO HAVE ATTENDED 60% OR MORE MEETINGS HELD FOR THIS PROJECT DURATION. THIS WILL ENCOURAGE THE MEMBER TO ATTEND MAXIMUM NUMBER OF MEETINGS. AFTER APPROVAL OF THE PROJECT, STEERING COMMITTEE OF THAT ZONE WILL ASK THE HOD OF THAT ZONE, TO MAKE TENTATIVE PLANNING OF IMPLEMENTAION OF PROJECTS IN TOTALITY. EVALUATION OF EACH AREA AND BEST CIRCLE IN EACH AREA MAY BE DONE EVERY SIX MONTHS VIZ. JANUARY TO JUNE AND JULY TO DECEMBER OF EACH YEAR AS PER PRE FIXED CRITERIA. A RUNNING SHIELD TO BEST, AREA AND PRIZES TO BEST CIRCLE IN EACH AREA MAY BE GIVEN ON THE BASIS OF SIX MONTHLY EVALUATION ON 15TH AUGUST AND 26TH JANUARY RESPECTIVELY. QC MELA, QUIZ COMPETITION, KAVI SAMMELAN, POSTER/ESSAY/SLOGAN/POEM COMPETITION ETC. MAY BE ORANISED BY QUALITY CIRCLE INITIATIVE TRAINING/ REFRESHER PROGRAMME, FACILITATORS MEET, LEADERS MEET ETC. MAY BE ORGANISED AT REGULAR INTERVAL. TO CREATE QUALITY CIRCLE ENVIRONMENT, TRY TO ENCOURAGE QC IN HOME, COLONY, HOSPITAL, SCHOOL TEACHER, STUDENT ETC. SURRONDING VILLAGES MAY BE TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT QC CONCEPT IN VILLAGES Quality Circle Policy at Hindustan Zinc Limited Introduction: This policy provides objectives of the Companys Quality Circle Program and outlines a broad framework for operations of quality circles in the company for its continuity and consistency amongst the units. It provides the strategic direction for the efforts to achieve sustainable operations of quality circles in the company and qualitative aspects embedded in the companys vision and mission statements. It incorporates the basic approach of quality circles concept appropriately to improve the work culture. Objectives: The quality circles will have the following objectives: To enhance employees job satisfaction and belongingness. To provide an effective platform to the employees to contribute through their ideas knowledge in a healthy environment so as to use their full potential. To promote team work and improve communication at all levels. To develop problem solving analytical approach at shop floor to solve day to day problems. To improve work culture through reduced waste and enhanced quality and productivity. To further expand employee development through education and awareness. The Set Up: QC BASICS Quality circles will have four to eight workmen of same work area involved in doing similar kind of activities as members. They will meet as per schedule preferably at least once in 21 days, and identify, select, prioritise the problems. Analyze the causes of problems after discussions in the meetings and then make recommendations of solutions through discussions a nd /or brif Presentations. The QC members will then work together to implement the approved solutions in their work area would be facilitated by the management wherever necessary. Role of QC Leader The leader of the QC will be chosen from the group by the group members only. QC can have different leaders for different problems. The leaders of the QCs will be given necessary inputs by the shop flor facilitator so the leader becomes competent enough to take responsibility for the operation of the QC and can explain proper uses of QC techniques to the circle members. The leader should ensure that the meetings are held as per schedule and a report of each QC meeting is made covering all aspects. Role of Facilitator An executive of shop floor will facilitate each QC.This executive The Facilitator will be responsible in following ways: Be primarily an advisor to the QC of his department /Section/Sub Section. Be active and helpful to the extent the group wants his involvement and keep him informed through interactions / reports of the QC meetings etc. Constantly promote encourage the circle concept extend all facilities to QCs for organizing meeting as per schedule. These facilities will include meeting place, stationary other material for arranging presentations. Maintain liaison, contacts and provide feedback on requests in a timely manner towards ‘Solutions-implementation. Educate encourage other employees of the area to join the QCs /Form new QC. Role of Convenor For overall coordination facilitating jobs at unit level, the HOD of Unit I.E. Dept. will act as the UNIT convenor (s) to expedite the coordination process. He will be responsible for: Smooth and uninterrupted operations of Unit Quality Circle Program. Education / Training to facilitators, Leaders and Members. Coordinating circle operations by acting as an interface between facilitators /circles and Unit Steering Committee Unit Management. Providing feedback to steering Committee and extend help as and when required by the facilitators/circles. Maintaining records of all QCs of the unit based on QC meeting. Helping facilitators /HODs in evaluation of QC performance. Organizing Units Annual QC Convention preferably in the quality month i.e. November and declaration of the best quality circles of the year. Attending circle meetings occasionally and organizing QC leader meetings periodically. Coordinating with Convenor of Corporate QC Steering Group.(CQCSG) Sending a monthly report to the convenor of CQCSG i.e. HOD of Corporate IE Department Corporate office giving all the details regarding Unit Quality Circle operations .The details will include number of QCs ,their strength ,meeting frequency ,areas identified / approved for analysis, Q.C. Techniques employed, presentations made, No. of improvements effected their brief details ,designation of Sr. Level Officers of the unit who extended visible support ,the evaluation sheets of QCs performance etc. Unit Steering Group (USG) USG will be chaired by Unit Head and will consist of HODs of major functions of the unit viz. production, maintenance, personnel, accounts, stores etc. USG will be responsible in conformance to units operational requirements consistent with broad guidelines of QC Policy. USG shall provide guidance direction to QC program within the unit. USG will also publicize the circle activities /achievements within outside the unit .Their objective will be to promote QCs in all areas of the unit. The members of the group will show their visible support by attending meetings regularly with the facilitators and the circle members for encouragement advises. They will also allocate higher priority for attending presentation of quality circles as when requested. CQCSG: Corporate support to all QC activities in the Units would be extended through a Corporate QC Steering Group. The Operative Framework: The membership of the circles will be open to all workmen on voluntary basis QC members will work in coordinated team manner to accomplish the activities taken on their own initiative by sharing responsibilities among themselves. QC members will identify, select, prioritize and analyze the problems. QC members will participate in all QC activities including presentation set for other fellow workmen to emulate. QC members will be in constant touch with the facilitator. QC members will set up schedules for meetings and presentations within the framework of known company work loads in consultation with the facilitator send minutes of meetings promptly to the Unit Convenor with a copy to the facilitator. The circle will maintain continuous communication amongst all members. QC members will present the identified problems along-with alternative solutions to management for acceptance. QC members will pursue to implement the solutions of the problems as approved by management. QC members will make presentation on the progress of implemented solutions to management. Circles will not address the following subjects: Employees Complaints Personal Grievances Personality related issues Role of Unit Steering Group: USG may participate in circles actions and will address to circles requests. USG will also support all implementation activities. USG may also suggest problems to the quality circles for further exploration. USG will encourage formation of quality circles on other areas of the unit. Performance Evaluation: The performance of each quality circle will be evaluated based on following guidelines: Evaluation Period: 1 Year Parameters Weightage % (a) No. of Meetings (Frequency at least once 15(Maximum 17 in 21 days) meetings in a year) Attendance of members 15 (in percentage) Regular submission of minutes of 10 meetings/reports to Unit Convenor No. of new problems identified and their 10 selection process Analysis ,effective use of QC tools, 10 workload distribution among the members Quality of solved problems with respect to 10 potential of the groups (g) No. of solutions implemented 10 (h) No. of presentations made, quality of 20 presentation, participation of members special features in the presentation. Comparison among circles will be done on the basis of the marks scored by different QCs of the unit. Recognition Facilitations Aspects: The efforts of circles attract non -financial awards only which could be in terms of recognition /publicity and the others as outlined below: i) At the time of formation registration of quality circles: Inauguration of QC by Unit Head. Introduction of QC members to Unit Head in presence of their Departmental Head. Displaying the details of newly formed QC on all notice boards of the Unit. Provision of stationary (writing pad, pen/pencil) to QC members. ii) After 10 meetings or completing at least one useful project whichever is later inviting QC members with spouse on a ‘tea† by HOD. iii) After 1st presentation to HOD of Respective Department, a certificate would be given to all QC members on a tea-get-together of the department. iv) Presentation of selected QCs to Unit Head in presence of all QCS of the unit where certificates shall be awarded to circle members signed by Convenor chairman of USG together. v) Honour at important occasions where QC member could be invited with the spouse. vi) QC page will be included in monthly departmental and unit report giving highlights of implemented solutions. vii) After annual performance review of QCs in the unit publication of details of completed projects by QC members with their photographs for circulation in all the units of HZL. viii) Two best QCs will be selected in the unit convention after 1 year of their operations based on performance criteria will be awarded accordingly (Preferably in quality month i.e. November). ix) Awarding QCFI membership to members of best two circles judged by evaluation committee constituted by Unit Steering Group Subject to eligibility. x) Sending Units best two QCs to other units for presentation on some important occasion of the unit. xi) Recognition to QCs standing 1st or 2nd in Unit consecutively for two years by CQCSG. xii) Best quality circle judged by CQCSG at Corporate level matching with corporate image be considered for sending for participation in national competition organized by QCFI when the opportunity comes. Introduction to Competency Mapping In the modern competitive world, business managers are required to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the business operations. As there are several factors that affect efficiency and effectiveness of operations the improvement is required to be carried out in every factor. These factors are required to bring every factor in synchronization with other factors. To improve synchronization between different elements is an important approach to improve effectiveness and efficiency of the operations. Manpower, technical and managerial abilities are the most important resource of any organization .The most important resource is the most difficult to manage as no two persons are similar. Every person has different Qualities, attitude, motives, personality traits, skills, knowledge etc. which has effect on their performance at work. Organizations in order to facilitate excellence in the performance of the people in the organization are required to identify the right person for every job. This matching between jobs and people is an important avenue for organizational improvement efforts. HR professional are entrusted with the responsibility for selection, training and development, administration deployment support, performance appraisal and performance diagnostics of the employees. The most important part of these responsibilities is assessment of the individuals for their superiority for different functional tasks, and development of their potential to be effective and excel in the assigned tasks. Currently most of the organizations are using personal interview, written tests and group discussion for the purpose of assessment. These approaches were mostly based on personality tests/psychometric tests. These tests have improved assessment of candidates but still the reliability of the results is not adequate to forecast effectiveness of the selected candidate for the job. Research conducted by Industrial and organizational psychologists have found that effectiveness of a person to carry out a job depends not only on single or isolated factors but on set of many different factors. Such set of factors that help the possessor to be effective in a particular job is termed as competency for that particular job is termed as competency for that particular job. HR function entrusted with the responsibility of finding right person for every job and development of the employed person to do the assigned job effectively, have found competency mapping assessment as a very effective tool. Definition: Competency mapping is the process of identification of the competencies required to perform successfully a given job or role or a set of tasks at a given point of time. It consists of breaking a given role or job into its constituent tasks or activities and identifying the competencies (technical, managerial, behavioral, conceptual knowledge, an attitudes, skills, etc.) needed to perform the same successfully. Competency assessment is the assessment of the extent to which a given individual or a set of individuals possess these competencies required by a given role or set of roles or levels of roles. Assessment centers use multiple methods and multiple assessors to assess the competencies of a given individual or a group of individuals. In order to enhance objectivity they use trained assessors and multiple methods including psych