www.ivey.uwo.ca/cases www.businessthinkers.com (general site for entrepreneurs) www.garage.com (for start ups) www.inc.com (inc magazine) www.startupstreet.

com (strategic, advisory and financial resource) www.casestudiessamples.blogspots.com http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/ !!"/!#/human$resources$management.html http://www.icmrindia.org/free%20resources/casestudies/McDonald%20food%20chain.htm http://www.icmrindia.org/business%20Updates/micro%20casestudies/Human%20Resource%20Management.htm http://www.universalteacherpublications.com/mba/free management librar!.htm "ntroduction %ubstance abuse and dependence is now one of the most fre&uently occurring ad'ustment disorders in adolescents, young adults, and the general population. (n fact, substance use disorders are the most prevalent form of psychiatric disorder in the )nited %tates (*ivers + %hore, ,""-). .lthough all age groups are affected by this pervasive difficulty, adolescents and young adults are particularly heavily affected. . substantial proportion of the adolescent population uses drugs or alcohol to the e/tent that their health, interpersonal relationships, or school performance is adversely affected (0ohnston, 123alley, + 4achman, !!5). 6rimarily, the main purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis regarding one of the problems among children and adolescents, which is the substance abuse. 7he discussion will focus on the written document of 3c8hirter ( !!#), and will attempt to provide insightful details regarding substance abuse among children and adolescents. (n 9hapter -, of 3c8hirter2s written paper, the author have described the severity of substance use among children and adolescents, the problems related with it and the plausible solutions that can be used to solve such problems. #t$Ris%$&outh 1ne of the problems faced by industrialized nations today, specifically )nited %tates is the growing number of individuals who are using or abusing substances including, illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. .lthough, it has been noted that the overall consumption of drugs in the )% has declined by :!; in the past ! years, the past ,! years have revealed some increase in drug abuse among adolescents (0ohnston, 123alley + 4achman, !!5: )% <epartment of =ealth and =uman %ervices, !! ). (n the case of alcohol use and drug abuse, %tephen (,"">) states that polls of youth indicate that nine out of ,! teenagers drink alcohol to some e/tent by the time they finish high school, and a ma'ority have used illegal drugs. .ccording to the ?ational @outh Aiolence 6revention *esource 9enter ( !! ), teenage consumption of alcohol is a serious problem in the )nited %tates. *ecent survey revealed that : ; of eighth graders (and >!; of high$school seniors) have used alcohol at some time (3ichigan )niversity (nstitute for %ocial *esearch, !!!). 7he research also found that :; of eighth graders (and B ; of high$school seniors) have been drunk. Curthermore, while it is illegal for minors to be given access with alcoholic drinks, it seems that such restriction has no, if only little, effect. 7he 3)(%* ( !!!) also found that -,; of eighth graders and ":; of high$school seniors say that they have easy access to alcohol. (n the two weeks survey study made by 7he ?ational (nstitute on <rug .buse (?(<.) in cooperation with its 3onitoring the Cuture %tudy (3C%), it shows that :!; of senior high schools habitually drink alcohol, B; of which is involved in bringe drinking and, over !; of the tenth grades are into bringe drinking (0ohnston, 123alley + 4achman, !!5). (n terms of tobacco use, it has been noted that its use is more prevalent and that most children are trying to e/periment with tobacco as " years of age. .ccording to 3c8hirter ( !!#), the use of tobacco and alcohol are critical since both are regarded as DgatewayD substances, which often lead to the use of illicit drugs such as coca based substances and mari'uana. (n the study made by Erunbaum, et al ( !! ), it has been found out that close to !; of secondary students had been offered, sold, or provided illegal drugs like mari'uana on school premises at some period during , months. 7he data given only shows that, different substances have been used by children or adolescents. 7his means that all children are at high$risk of abusing these substances because they have been aware of such and use it at the earlier age. Determinants$of$'ubstance$#buse$and$(ommon$(haracteristics$of$Users$ 3a'ority of today2s youth faces conflicts that they can barely handle in a very young age. 3odernization has brought many social changes in the society. 9hildren are being taken for granted, usually by parents who both work and have no time for their children. .nother factor is the issue of broken family, peer pressure, and many other issues that would make a youth feel inferior of himself/herself. @outh like these seeks a way to e/press themselves

and unfortunately, this search for self Fe/pression has often lead to deviant practices such as 'oining gangs, engaging in pre$marital se/ and engaging in substance abuse. %tephen (,""-) wrote that growing numbers of children are being neglected, abused, and ignored. 8ithout change, the dark specter of generational warfare could become all too real. %tephen (,""-) further continues that child$care advocates reports that up to ,:; of ,B$to ,"$year$olds are at risk of never reaching their potential and simply becoming lost in society. (n other recent studies, the research shows that family and peer influence, individual characteristics including behavior and personality can also be considered as factors that influence children and adolescent to engage in substance abuse (0ohnston, 123alley + 4achman, !!5). 7here are several ways to determine if a youth is at$risk of substance abuse. 9hristle, et al ( !! ) cited that researchers have identified a number of demographic and behavioral characteristics of youth that contribute to their risk of involvement with substance abuse. 7hese include ethnic minority statusG aggressive, antisocial behaviorG difficulties in school and school failure (including educational disabilities). 7hese risk factors are common denominators in the backgrounds of youth who re&uire a variety of human services like child welfare services. (onse)uences$of$'ubstance$#buse %ubstance use and abuse is in the forefront of societal problems. (t is a pervasive problem, affecting directly or indirectly the overwhelming ma'ority of persons. 7he deleterious impact of alcohol and drugs is devastating. 7he involvement of some children and adolescents in substance abuse often lead to different conse&uences. %uch conse&uences include physiological, psychosocial and legal aspects. (t is noted that the physiological effect of drug abuse depends on the drugs that has been used. %ubstance abuse undermines physical health. Cor e/ample, chronic alcohol abuse is associated with diseases of the liver, central nervous system, and heart. 1ften, as in the case of the brain disorder Horsakoff2s syndrome, the damage resulting from alcohol abuse is irreversible. .dditional health problems stemming from the use of other substances are well documented (9olby, !!#)). 8ell$known e/amples are lung cancer caused by smoking, and pervasive central nervous system damage resulting from the inhaling of solvents, cardiovascular disease and neurological damage (?99<6=6, !!!). (n addition, many substances are to/ic in e/cessive doses, resulting in numerous acute and chronic effects on physical health, potentially leading to permanent disability or death. Cinally, substance abuse increases the risk for ac&uiring other health$related problems, such as =(A, se/ually transmitted diseases, or trauma secondary to accidents while under the influence of psychoactive substances (?99<6=6, !!!). 3ental health disorders often occur with substance abuse. 9o$morbidity is relatively common, with up to one third of individuals with psychiatric disorders reporting a lifetime history of substance abuse disorders as well. (n some instances, psychiatric disorder precedes or even contributes to the development of substance abuse, whereas in others, emotional and behavioral disturbances arise within the conte/t of alcohol and drug use problems. . large body of research has delineated the disproportionate representation of psychological dysfunction in substance abusers. (ncluded are problems in personality, mood, self esteem, coping, behavior, and social functioning. 1nce again, some of these psychological difficulties may be evident prior to the onset of substance abuse, although psychological functioning often worsens over time in individuals with substance use disorders (3c8hirter, !!#). (n addition, children and adolescents who are involved in substance abuse may also be affected in terms of their educational status. .buse of specific substances may also contribute to relatively uni&ue psychological presentations, such as the a$motivational state that has been linked to chronic mari'uana use. 1ther psychological effects of substance abuse are directly linked to the biological impact of psychoactive substances (such as an/iety and irritability stemming from withdrawal) and the behaviors that result from dependence on drugs and alcohol (such as craving and preoccupation with obtaining desired substances). *eneral$+revention$and$"ntervention$'trategies <ependence on the support of others begins at conception, but even as people become increasingly self$ sufficient, they continue to re&uire assistance from others in one form or another throughout life. @oung people struggling to become social beings and uni&ue individuals at the same time are in particular need of the various forms of social support. 8hen that support is missing, the resulting isolation from others increases the potential for progression from normal youthful dissonance toward more dangerous conse&uences that can include death or lifelong social and emotional disturbances and sometimes tend to get involve in different things that may even try to make worst of their situation such as substance abuse (9olby, !!#). (n response to the increasing numbers of at$risk youth, numerous programs have been developed to cope with problem. =ere are some basic e/amples of approaches. %tephen (,""-) states that positive reinforcement is one of the approaches that works well on at$risk youth. =e states that children crave attention more than anything else, especially positive attention. D. baby who is cuddled, talked to, and stimulated in the first si/ weeks of life is much more likely to be intelligent and well ad'usted than a baby ignored and simply fed and cleaned up in silence. Iater, the child who is rewarded with praise for accomplishments is much more likely than others to become optimistic and achievement orientedD (%tephen, ,""-). =e also states that one e/tinguishes unacceptable behavior by ignoring it and eliminating the child2s ability to gain attention.

1n the other hand, pats on the back, awards, and ceremonies to celebrate accomplishments are particularly effective in fostering pro$social behavior and giving at$risk youth a stake in society, helping them overcome lack of hope and lack of faith in the future. =e then suggested that using positive reinforcement must become a way of life for parents, teachers, and others. 7eaching positive reinforcement to potential parents has been successful in reducing the at$risk population. 6arent education can offer information and skills to assist the parent$to$be with incentives to learn and use good child$rearing practices. . similar program, =ealthy Camilies .merica, was launched in ,"" by the ?ational 9ommittee to 6revent 9hild .buse to help establish home visitation programs, service networks, and funding opportunities so all new parents can receive the necessary education and support regarding proper child rearing so as to prevent the involvement of children in risky matters such as substance abuse (%tephen, ,""-). %tephen (,""-) also states that mentoring is one the effective ways to prevent or stop children or adolescents to engage in abusing substances. =e cites the, leaders in Hansas 9ity that are on a &uest to recruit, train, and assign 5!,!!! mentors $ one for every at$risk child in the city. Jimmerman, et al ( !! ) states that, researchers have suggested that natural mentors may play a vital role in adolescent development. @oung people often attribute their safe passage through the tumultuous years of adolescence to the influence of significant non$parental adults such as teachers, e/tended family members, or neighbors. Jimmerman, et al ( !! ) has found empirical support for the proposition that having a natural mentor may play a vital role in the lives of adolescents. (t has also found out that having a natural mentor was also associated with lower levels of problem behavior, and youth with natural mentors had more positive attitudes toward school across the range of friends2 negative school behaviors. =owever, natural mentors had somewhat larger direct effects on school attitudes than they did on problem behaviors. ?evertheless, having a natural mentor may play a vital role in the lives of adolescents. D*espondents with natural mentors reported lower levels of problem behavior, including mari'uana use and nonviolent delin&uency, than did those without mentors. 7his was true even after we ad'usted for demographic variables and known risk factors such as problem behavior norms and friends2 problem behaviors. =aving a mentor partially offset the effect of these negative peer influences, providing evidence of a compensatory effectD (Jimmerman, et al, !! ). (n addition, they suggested that programs that create settings that provide opportunities for youth to interact with non$parental adults may help adolescents foster the development of natural mentoring relationships. 3c8hirter ( !!#) states that, programs are now appearing in schools and community centers to provide attitudes and skills necessary to resolve conflict among children and adolescents non$violently. 3odels have been developed by the .merican 4ar .ssociation and the 0ustice <epartment, as well as by educators. =e further states that Done of the best models involves training school staff $ teachers, administrators, custodians, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers $ in creative nonviolent conflict$resolution methods.D =e concluded that older students are also taught these techni&ues, and they in turn teach younger students, turning peer pressure into a positive rather than negative force. 9ommunity school programs are also effective because most youth spend their time at school. %tephen (,""-) gave some e/amples of successful 9ommunity school programs. 1ne of the programs is in 3issouri, where B,!!! volunteers keep B-: schools open for e/tra hours. .nother e/amples are the 4oys2 and Eirls2 9lubs that offer mentoring in ?ew 0ersey schools and the %afe =aven programs in ?ew @ork that provide safe environments and positive after$school tutoring and enrichment programs. .nother program that is effective in the prevention of children and adolescents in substance abuse is the Iife$skills training. Iife$skills training have been defined as the formalized teaching of re&uisite skills for surviving, living with others, and succeeding in a comple/ society. (t is reported that life$skills training was Dproposed as the treatment of choiceD when applied to prevention with adolescents. (n addition, life skills which assist in the development of an adolescent2s self$efficacy Dinclude the ability to solve problems, to communicate honestly and directly, to gain and maintain social support, and to control emotions and personal feelings.D Iife$skills programs vary in the types and &uality of services they provide. 3c8hirter ( !!#) stated that Dessential components of any life$skills curriculum are based on the development of fundamental, generalized interpersonal skills.D %uccessful life$skills programs appeared to have similar core elements. Kffective programs addressed developmental needs, health promotion/problem prevention, and high$risk groups. 7his program involves adventures as a self$esteem enhancer. 7he overall goal of adventure$based activities and programming appears to be the enhancement of participants2 self$esteem or self$concept. .ccordingly, adventure programming activities and e/periences include e/citement, risk taking, cooperation and competition, trust, communication, physical, mental, and emotional challenges, physical activity, problem$solving and creativity, group and individual skill development, and fun. 8ith all these prevention programs, children and youth initiative is obviously an important factor for at$risk recovery. 'ummar! (t shows that substances such as alcohol, drugs and tobacco abuse are really prevalent in children and adolescents in the )nited %tates. 7he use and misuse of these substances usually occurs because of different reasons within the society in which these children and adolescents belong. 7hese include family, peer pressure and other stressful factors that affect the way children cope with the society and make them more e/posed or prone to use and misuse different substances. (t is easy to determine if children and youth are engaged in these activities. 7he

features or characteristics that may be seen are aggressiveness, antisocial behavior, difficulties in school and school failure. 7he discussion also tackles the possible conse&uences that children and adolescents may face if they will engage themselves in abusing the substance mentioned above. 7he children and youth may be affected in terms of physiological, psychosocial and legal conse&uences. 6hysiological includes the physical and other health related problems that these children may encounter. 6sychosocial includes the problems in terms of social interaction with other individuals in the society, since youth involve in abusing substances may have a tendency to have an anti$ social behavior. .nd lastly, legal conse&uences, if these children and adolescents will not stop using these substances, there will be a tendency that these individuals will become delin&uent and may be involved in criminal cases. (n order to prevent substance abuse among children and adolescents, the government and other part of the society has been able to initiate different prevention programs, which aims to totally prevent the engagement of these young individuals to such activities. 6revention programs are being administered within the family, school, community and other organizations who are trying to make a better living society for the youth. .ll in all, it can be said that all people in the society are being challenged by different environmental factors that tests are ability to choose the most favourable activities for us. .nd since, children and adolescents are 'ust beginning to taste what the world can give them, they are considered to be more prone on risky and dangerous activities such as substance abuse. (n this manner, the older ones must be able to provide all the needs of children and make them aware of all the possible conse&uences that they may faced if they would engage in these activities. .wareness is closely related to prevention because if these children will understand the possible risks of engaging in using and misusing substances, they will be more willing to ignore these substances and be involved in worthwhile activities.

Substance abuse among children "ntroduction %ubstance abuse and dependence is now one of the most fre&uently occurring ad'ustment disorders in adolescents, young adults, and the general population. (n fact, substance use disorders are the most prevalent form of psychiatric disorder in the )nited %tates (*ivers + %hore, ,""-). .lthough all age groups are affected by this pervasive difficulty, adolescents and young adults are particularly heavily affected. . substantial proportion of the adolescent population uses drugs or alcohol to the e/tent that their health, interpersonal relationships, or school performance is adversely affected (0ohnston, 123alley, + 4achman, !!5). 6rimarily, the main purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis regarding one of the problems among children and adolescents, which is the substance abuse. 7he discussion will focus on the written document of 3c8hirter ( !!#), and will attempt to provide insightful details regarding substance abuse among children and adolescents. (n 9hapter -, of 3c8hirter2s written paper, the author have described the severity of substance use among children and adolescents, the problems related with it and the plausible solutions that can be used to solve such problems. #t$Ris%$&outh 1ne of the problems faced by industrialized nations today, specifically )nited %tates is the growing number of individuals who are using or abusing substances including, illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. .lthough, it has been noted that the overall consumption of drugs in the )% has declined by :!; in the past ! years, the past ,! years have revealed some increase in drug abuse among adolescents (0ohnston, 123alley + 4achman, !!5: )% <epartment of =ealth and =uman %ervices, !! ). (n the case of alcohol use and drug abuse, %tephen (,"">) states that polls of youth indicate that nine out of ,! teenagers drink alcohol to some e/tent by the time they finish high school, and a ma'ority have used illegal drugs. .ccording to the ?ational @outh Aiolence 6revention *esource 9enter ( !! ), teenage consumption of alcohol is a serious problem in the )nited %tates. *ecent survey revealed that : ; of eighth graders (and >!; of high$school seniors) have used alcohol at some time (3ichigan )niversity (nstitute for %ocial *esearch, !!!). 7he research also found that :; of eighth graders (and B ; of high$school seniors) have been drunk. Curthermore, while it is illegal for minors to be given access with alcoholic drinks, it seems that such restriction has no, if only little, effect. 7he 3)(%* ( !!!) also found that -,; of eighth graders and ":; of high$school seniors say that they have easy access to alcohol. (n the two weeks survey study made by 7he ?ational (nstitute on <rug .buse (?(<.) in cooperation with its 3onitoring the Cuture %tudy (3C%), it shows that :!; of senior high schools habitually drink alcohol, B; of which is involved in bringe drinking and, over !; of the tenth grades are into bringe drinking (0ohnston, 123alley + 4achman, !!5). (n terms of tobacco use, it has been noted that its use is more prevalent and that most children are trying to e/periment with tobacco as " years of age. .ccording to 3c8hirter ( !!#), the use of tobacco and alcohol are

critical since both are regarded as DgatewayD substances, which often lead to the use of illicit drugs such as coca based substances and mari'uana. (n the study made by Erunbaum, et al ( !! ), it has been found out that close to !; of secondary students had been offered, sold, or provided illegal drugs like mari'uana on school premises at some period during , months. 7he data given only shows that, different substances have been used by children or adolescents. 7his means that all children are at high$risk of abusing these substances because they have been aware of such and use it at the earlier age. Determinants$of$'ubstance$#buse$and$(ommon$(haracteristics$of$Users$ 3a'ority of today2s youth faces conflicts that they can barely handle in a very young age. 3odernization has brought many social changes in the society. 9hildren are being taken for granted, usually by parents who both work and have no time for their children. .nother factor is the issue of broken family, peer pressure, and many other issues that would make a youth feel inferior of himself/herself. @outh like these seeks a way to e/press themselves and unfortunately, this search for self Fe/pression has often lead to deviant practices such as 'oining gangs, engaging in pre$marital se/ and engaging in substance abuse. %tephen (,""-) wrote that growing numbers of children are being neglected, abused, and ignored. 8ithout change, the dark specter of generational warfare could become all too real. %tephen (,""-) further continues that child$care advocates reports that up to ,:; of ,B$to ,"$year$olds are at risk of never reaching their potential and simply becoming lost in society. (n other recent studies, the research shows that family and peer influence, individual characteristics including behavior and personality can also be considered as factors that influence children and adolescent to engage in substance abuse (0ohnston, 123alley + 4achman, !!5). 7here are several ways to determine if a youth is at$risk of substance abuse. 9hristle, et al ( !! ) cited that researchers have identified a number of demographic and behavioral characteristics of youth that contribute to their risk of involvement with substance abuse. 7hese include ethnic minority statusG aggressive, antisocial behaviorG difficulties in school and school failure (including educational disabilities). 7hese risk factors are common denominators in the backgrounds of youth who re&uire a variety of human services like child welfare services. (onse)uences$of$'ubstance$#buse %ubstance use and abuse is in the forefront of societal problems. (t is a pervasive problem, affecting directly or indirectly the overwhelming ma'ority of persons. 7he deleterious impact of alcohol and drugs is devastating. 7he involvement of some children and adolescents in substance abuse often lead to different conse&uences. %uch conse&uences include physiological, psychosocial and legal aspects. (t is noted that the physiological effect of drug abuse depends on the drugs that has been used. %ubstance abuse undermines physical health. Cor e/ample, chronic alcohol abuse is associated with diseases of the liver, central nervous system, and heart. 1ften, as in the case of the brain disorder Horsakoff2s syndrome, the damage resulting from alcohol abuse is irreversible. .dditional health problems stemming from the use of other substances are well documented (9olby, !!#)). 8ell$known e/amples are lung cancer caused by smoking, and pervasive central nervous system damage resulting from the inhaling of solvents, cardiovascular disease and neurological damage (?99<6=6, !!!). (n addition, many substances are to/ic in e/cessive doses, resulting in numerous acute and chronic effects on physical health, potentially leading to permanent disability or death. Cinally, substance abuse increases the risk for ac&uiring other health$related problems, such as =(A, se/ually transmitted diseases, or trauma secondary to accidents while under the influence of psychoactive substances (?99<6=6, !!!). 3ental health disorders often occur with substance abuse. 9o$morbidity is relatively common, with up to one third of individuals with psychiatric disorders reporting a lifetime history of substance abuse disorders as well. (n some instances, psychiatric disorder precedes or even contributes to the development of substance abuse, whereas in others, emotional and behavioral disturbances arise within the conte/t of alcohol and drug use problems. . large body of research has delineated the disproportionate representation of psychological dysfunction in substance abusers. (ncluded are problems in personality, mood, self esteem, coping, behavior, and social functioning. 1nce again, some of these psychological difficulties may be evident prior to the onset of substance abuse, although psychological functioning often worsens over time in individuals with substance use disorders (3c8hirter, !!#). (n addition, children and adolescents who are involved in substance abuse may also be affected in terms of their educational status. .buse of specific substances may also contribute to relatively uni&ue psychological presentations, such as the a$motivational state that has been linked to chronic mari'uana use. 1ther psychological effects of substance abuse are directly linked to the biological impact of psychoactive substances (such as an/iety and irritability stemming from withdrawal) and the behaviors that result from dependence on drugs and alcohol (such as craving and preoccupation with obtaining desired substances). *eneral$+revention$and$"ntervention$'trategies <ependence on the support of others begins at conception, but even as people become increasingly self$ sufficient, they continue to re&uire assistance from others in one form or another throughout life. @oung people struggling to become social beings and uni&ue individuals at the same time are in particular need of the various forms of social support. 8hen that support is missing, the resulting isolation from others increases the potential for

progression from normal youthful dissonance toward more dangerous conse&uences that can include death or lifelong social and emotional disturbances and sometimes tend to get involve in different things that may even try to make worst of their situation such as substance abuse (9olby, !!#). (n response to the increasing numbers of at$risk youth, numerous programs have been developed to cope with problem. =ere are some basic e/amples of approaches. %tephen (,""-) states that positive reinforcement is one of the approaches that works well on at$risk youth. =e states that children crave attention more than anything else, especially positive attention. D. baby who is cuddled, talked to, and stimulated in the first si/ weeks of life is much more likely to be intelligent and well ad'usted than a baby ignored and simply fed and cleaned up in silence. Iater, the child who is rewarded with praise for accomplishments is much more likely than others to become optimistic and achievement orientedD (%tephen, ,""-). =e also states that one e/tinguishes unacceptable behavior by ignoring it and eliminating the child2s ability to gain attention. 1n the other hand, pats on the back, awards, and ceremonies to celebrate accomplishments are particularly effective in fostering pro$social behavior and giving at$risk youth a stake in society, helping them overcome lack of hope and lack of faith in the future. =e then suggested that using positive reinforcement must become a way of life for parents, teachers, and others. 7eaching positive reinforcement to potential parents has been successful in reducing the at$risk population. 6arent education can offer information and skills to assist the parent$to$be with incentives to learn and use good child$rearing practices. . similar program, =ealthy Camilies .merica, was launched in ,"" by the ?ational 9ommittee to 6revent 9hild .buse to help establish home visitation programs, service networks, and funding opportunities so all new parents can receive the necessary education and support regarding proper child rearing so as to prevent the involvement of children in risky matters such as substance abuse (%tephen, ,""-). %tephen (,""-) also states that mentoring is one the effective ways to prevent or stop children or adolescents to engage in abusing substances. =e cites the, leaders in Hansas 9ity that are on a &uest to recruit, train, and assign 5!,!!! mentors $ one for every at$risk child in the city. Jimmerman, et al ( !! ) states that, researchers have suggested that natural mentors may play a vital role in adolescent development. @oung people often attribute their safe passage through the tumultuous years of adolescence to the influence of significant non$parental adults such as teachers, e/tended family members, or neighbors. Jimmerman, et al ( !! ) has found empirical support for the proposition that having a natural mentor may play a vital role in the lives of adolescents. (t has also found out that having a natural mentor was also associated with lower levels of problem behavior, and youth with natural mentors had more positive attitudes toward school across the range of friends2 negative school behaviors. =owever, natural mentors had somewhat larger direct effects on school attitudes than they did on problem behaviors. ?evertheless, having a natural mentor may play a vital role in the lives of adolescents. D*espondents with natural mentors reported lower levels of problem behavior, including mari'uana use and nonviolent delin&uency, than did those without mentors. 7his was true even after we ad'usted for demographic variables and known risk factors such as problem behavior norms and friends2 problem behaviors. =aving a mentor partially offset the effect of these negative peer influences, providing evidence of a compensatory effectD (Jimmerman, et al, !! ). (n addition, they suggested that programs that create settings that provide opportunities for youth to interact with non$parental adults may help adolescents foster the development of natural mentoring relationships. 3c8hirter ( !!#) states that, programs are now appearing in schools and community centers to provide attitudes and skills necessary to resolve conflict among children and adolescents non$violently. 3odels have been developed by the .merican 4ar .ssociation and the 0ustice <epartment, as well as by educators. =e further states that Done of the best models involves training school staff $ teachers, administrators, custodians, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers $ in creative nonviolent conflict$resolution methods.D =e concluded that older students are also taught these techni&ues, and they in turn teach younger students, turning peer pressure into a positive rather than negative force. 9ommunity school programs are also effective because most youth spend their time at school. %tephen (,""-) gave some e/amples of successful 9ommunity school programs. 1ne of the programs is in 3issouri, where B,!!! volunteers keep B-: schools open for e/tra hours. .nother e/amples are the 4oys2 and Eirls2 9lubs that offer mentoring in ?ew 0ersey schools and the %afe =aven programs in ?ew @ork that provide safe environments and positive after$school tutoring and enrichment programs. .nother program that is effective in the prevention of children and adolescents in substance abuse is the Iife$skills training. Iife$skills training have been defined as the formalized teaching of re&uisite skills for surviving, living with others, and succeeding in a comple/ society. (t is reported that life$skills training was Dproposed as the treatment of choiceD when applied to prevention with adolescents. (n addition, life skills which assist in the development of an adolescent2s self$efficacy Dinclude the ability to solve problems, to communicate honestly and directly, to gain and maintain social support, and to control emotions and personal feelings.D Iife$skills programs vary in the types and &uality of services they provide. 3c8hirter ( !!#) stated that Dessential components of any life$skills curriculum are based on the development of fundamental, generalized interpersonal skills.D %uccessful life$skills programs appeared to have similar core elements. Kffective programs addressed developmental needs, health promotion/problem prevention, and high$risk groups. 7his program involves adventures as a self$esteem enhancer. 7he overall goal of adventure$based activities and programming appears to be the enhancement of participants2 self$esteem or self$concept. .ccordingly, adventure programming activities and e/periences include

e/citement, risk taking, cooperation and competition, trust, communication, physical, mental, and emotional challenges, physical activity, problem$solving and creativity, group and individual skill development, and fun. 8ith all these prevention programs, children and youth initiative is obviously an important factor for at$risk recovery. 'ummar! (t shows that substances such as alcohol, drugs and tobacco abuse are really prevalent in children and adolescents in the )nited %tates. 7he use and misuse of these substances usually occurs because of different reasons within the society in which these children and adolescents belong. 7hese include family, peer pressure and other stressful factors that affect the way children cope with the society and make them more e/posed or prone to use and misuse different substances. (t is easy to determine if children and youth are engaged in these activities. 7he features or characteristics that may be seen are aggressiveness, antisocial behavior, difficulties in school and school failure. 7he discussion also tackles the possible conse&uences that children and adolescents may face if they will engage themselves in abusing the substance mentioned above. 7he children and youth may be affected in terms of physiological, psychosocial and legal conse&uences. 6hysiological includes the physical and other health related problems that these children may encounter. 6sychosocial includes the problems in terms of social interaction with other individuals in the society, since youth involve in abusing substances may have a tendency to have an anti$ social behavior. .nd lastly, legal conse&uences, if these children and adolescents will not stop using these substances, there will be a tendency that these individuals will become delin&uent and may be involved in criminal cases. (n order to prevent substance abuse among children and adolescents, the government and other part of the society has been able to initiate different prevention programs, which aims to totally prevent the engagement of these young individuals to such activities. 6revention programs are being administered within the family, school, community and other organizations who are trying to make a better living society for the youth. .ll in all, it can be said that all people in the society are being challenged by different environmental factors that tests are ability to choose the most favourable activities for us. .nd since, children and adolescents are 'ust beginning to taste what the world can give them, they are considered to be more prone on risky and dangerous activities such as substance abuse. (n this manner, the older ones must be able to provide all the needs of children and make them aware of all the possible conse&uences that they may faced if they would engage in these activities. .wareness is closely related to prevention because if these children will understand the possible risks of engaging in using and misusing substances, they will be more willing to ignore these substances and be involved in worthwhile activities.

RIM Vs Motorola: Talent Poaching and the Question of Ethics (n <ecember !!>, *esearch in 3otion Itd. (*(3) sued 3otorola (nc. (3otorola) for, what it called, illegally preventing it from hiring employees that 3otorola had laid off. .ccording to *(3, the two companies had entered into an agreement in Cebruary !!> on not hiring each other2s employees or the newly separated e/$employees. 8hen 3otorola announced lay offs in large numbers, *(3, attempted to hire and gain some engineers at a lower cost. *(3 considered that the agreement had e/pired in .ugust !!> and prayed to the 9hicago court for damages. *(3 contended that despite the agreement having e/pired, 3otorola had unlawfully e/tended the contract and prevented *(3 from offering 'obs to the fired 3otorola employees. *(3, well$known as the 4lack4erry mobile phone maker, was established in 1ntario, 9anada, in ,">#. 8ith offices throughout ?orth .merica, Kurope, and the .sia 6acific,1 it is one of the leading wireless manufacturers, designing, manufacturing, and marketing its products worldwide. 7he company provides access to information through email, phone, te/t messaging, the internet and intranet$based applications using its integrated wireless hardware and software. *(3 technology also supports numerous other manufacturers and developers with their wireless connections to improve their products and services. 3otorola is head&uartered in %chaumburg, (llinois, )%., and has been in the communication inventions and innovations business for almost >! years as of !!>.2 %ome of its key achievements include the construction of the device that transmitted the first message from the moon and also the creation of the first handheld portable cellular phone called <yna7.9 (<@?amic 7otal .rea 9overage) which created a revolution in cellular communication. 3otorola was the pioneer in launching the 2push$ to$talk2 technology. (t also launched the first all$digital high definition television (=<7A).

3otorola2s range of products and services include wireless handsets and accessories, digital e&uipment for entertainment purposes, voice and data communication systems, wireless access systems, and enterprise mobility solutions. 3otorola and *(3 had always been adversaries in selling high end mobile phone handsets which contained features like e$mail and internet access, music players, or cameras. 8hile *(3 continued to e/pand, developing compact and slender handsets, 3otorola had been facing hard times since the mid$ !!!s. (ts market position fell to number 5 behind %amsung at number and ?okia at number , in !!>.3 (n Cebruary !!>, *(3 and 3otorola entered into a mutual agreement wherein they agreed to e/change confidential information and to avoid poaching each other2s employees. K/perts felt that the agreement was mainly aimed at ensuring that employees did not move away to a competitor carrying with them vital information and trade secrets. =owever, in %eptember !!>, 3otorola sued *(3 on the grounds of poaching #! of its employees in Clorida since the beginning of the year and claimed )%L:!,!!! as compensation. TIS ! " T#E $!R%&'S M!ST !ST"E((E TIVE STEE% P%)*T D8ith cost$cutting measures and good management, a company like 7(%91 may be the last one standing.D $Ra,eev$Das-$#nal!st-$+aribas$#sia$.)uit!

"(t is our endeavor to reduce the cost of saleable steel by .: $ 5 per cent every year.D D8e realize that however efficient we become, the steel industry is not likely to return the cost of capital. 7his is no fault of ours, but due to the structure of the global and (ndian steel industry.D br> $/.$Muthuraman-$Managing$Director-$0"'(1.$ +) ,-R!.*& *!TE 7ata (ron and %teel 9ompany (7(%91) was established in ,"!- by 0 ? 7ata, at 0amshedpur in 4ihar, (ndia. 7(%91 offered a wide range of products (%ee K/hibit () and services including =ot rolled/9old rolled (=*/9*) coils and sheets, tubes, construction bars, forging &uality steel, rods, structurals, strips and bearings. (t also manufactured material handling e&uipment, ferro alloys and other minerals, software for process controls, and offered cargo$ handling services. (n the early ,">!s, 7(%91 initiated a modernization program of its steel plant (%ee K/hibit ((). K/plaining the need of modernization, 0 0 (rani, the then managing director of 7(%91 said, D8e would have been finished otherwise.... you cannot fight a modern$day war with weapons of the 3ahabharata. 8e would have been annihilated had we not modernized. 8e realized this and embarked on the four phases of modernization. 8e addressed our drawbacks like the steel making process, our weakest link.D 4y mid$,""!s, 7(%91 had become (ndia2s most cost$effective steel plant. (t also became .sia2s first and (ndia2s largest, integrated steel producer ((%6) in the private sector. 4y !!!, eight divisions of 7ata %teel were (%1$,#!!, certified, including ?oamundi (ron 1perations, 8est 4okaro 9ollieries, Cerro .lloy 6lant, 0oda, %ukinda 9hromite 3ines, 0oda Kast (ron 3ines, 7ubes <ivision, and Erowth %hop + %teel 8orks. 4y early !!!, 7(%91 had completed four phases of the modernization programme with an investment of about *s B! billion . 7he company had invested *s # billion on consultancy fees during ,""! to !!!. 7he fifth phase of the program had commenced in .pril !!!. 4y .pril !!,, 7(%91 had emerged as the world2s lowest cost producer of steel. 7(%912s operating cost at the 2hot metal2 (li&uid) stage was L-: per tonne. 7he company2s cost per tonne of finished steel stood at L,: for the financial year ending 3arch !!,. 7he 8orld %teel <ynamics (8%<) , in a report stated, D7ata %teel is a 2world class2 steel maker $ the only in (ndia $ and one of the few companies in the world with such a standing. 7his view point is based on a variety of reasons such as low operating costs, special company culture, good profitability, etc.D 8%< identified , companies as 8orld 9lass %teel 3akers, and ranked them based on certain factors. .nalysts felt

that 7(%912s achievement of becoming the lowest cost producer of steel was mostly attributed to its implementation of 716 (7otal 1perational 6erformance), a program that focused on improving 7(%912s operational practices and rationalizing procurement costs. T#E 'T!P' PR!-R)M (n the early ,""!s, 7(%91 appointed 3cHinsey and 4ooz$.llen + =amilton to study its operations and suggest ways to cut costs. (rani e/plained the rationale, D9ost$cutting measures are more important in the present situation where one can no longer control steel prices which are dictated by international markets.D 7he consultants suggested 7(%91 to focus on various components affecting the cost of steel, which included cost of raw materials, cost of conversion, fuel rate in the blast furnace and mining of coal. 7(%91 was advised to use the most modern technologies to cut costs further. (n the second half of ,"">, in association with 3cHinsey, 7(%91 implemented 716 program at its E blast furnace . 716 was widely regarded, as a program, which would have a ma/imum positive impact to the bottomline, with minimum investment, re&uired in minimum time. (t aimed achieving large improvements in throughput, &uality and cost in the short term. (n the long run, 716 was e/pected to enable the 7(%91 to achieve high rates of performance improvement. %ince 7(%912s scale of operations was &uite large, the whole organization was divided into manageable 2units2 to facilitate the implementation of 716. . unit team was formed comprising a unit leader and two facilitators. (nitially, 3cHinsey provided the facilitators. 7he unit leader was responsible for the performance of that particular unit. 7he team worked full time on the 716 program for a period of , weeks. .round eight units were addressed simultaneously during the , weeks, and this was also known as 28ave.2 7he entire 8ave was divided into five phases. 7he unit team2s ob'ective was to e/plore ideas to reduce the cost or delays made by the unit by about #!;. (n the process, the team was e/pected to identify and understand how each cost element could be reduced. 7he team had to establish relationships between key performance indicators and the elements that had an impact on them. Kach team was asked to set itself a target based on the 716 normsG develop ideas to improve from the present level of performance to the target levelG and implement those ideas. 7he 6hase ( of a 8ave was two weeks long. <uring this phase, the cost base was e/amined and the items that had a ma/imum impact on the bottomline were identified. (ndividual components of the larger cost elements were identified by drawing cost trees . 7he cost elements, which could be reduced were highlighted and the reduction targets were set. (n the 6hase (( of the 8ave, ideas were e/plored to reach the set targets. .t the E blast furnace, throughput and fuel costs were identified as the key performance indicators in the 6hase ((. .mong the different individual components of fuel costs, coke and coal were the largest cost elements. 7hey accounted for about :!; of the total costs. . reduction target was set to bring costs down to :-! kgs per thm from B,! kgs per thm. (n the 6hase ((( of the 8ave, ideas were generated to achieve the target output of 5>!! tons per day. 9onsidering the techno$ economic feasibility, 5B ideas were short$listed. 7he ideas were then grouped based on the capital e/penditure re&uired for implementing each idea. 7he 6hase (A of the 8ave started with the implementation of these ideas. %imultaneously, the E blast furnace also implemented ,>: ideas, which did not re&uire any capital investment. 4y 3arch ,""", the E blast furnace achieved a savings of *s >- million against the targeted savings of *s #! million. 7(%91 set up a potential savings target for its E blast furnace at about *s 5!! million per annum, accounting for more than ,!; of its profits in the fiscal ,""". 4y late ,""", 716 was in 6hase A of the 8ave. (n !!!, similar 8aves were also adopted in 7(%912s shop floors. 7he 716 program had helped 7(%91 to shift its focus from 'ust producing volumes to costs and &uality. 3oreover, 716 enabled 7(%91 to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. /ER!/ " T#E +E* #M)R,I*- ST!R0 7he case e/amines the benchmarking initiatives taken by Mero/, one of the world2s leading copier companies, as a part of its 2Ieadership through Nuality2 program during the early ,">!s. 7he case discusses in detail the benchmarking concept and its implementation in various processes at Mero/. (t also e/plores the positive impact of benchmarking practices on Mero/. D4enchmarking at Mero/ is still very much a matter of competitive advantage. (t is used to keep Mero/2s edge razor$

sharp, to discover where something is being done with less time, lower cost, fewer resources and better technology.D

$2arren$3effries-$a$(ustomer$'ervices$/enchmar%ing$Manager-$4ero5-$in$6777. +) ,-R!.*& *!TE 7he history of Mero/ goes back to ,"5>, when 9hester 9arlson, a patent attorney and part$time inventor, made the first /erographic image in the )%. 9arlson struggled for over five years to sell the invention, as many companies did not believe there was a market for it. Cinally, in ,"##, the 4attelle 3emorial (nstitute in 9olumbus, 1hio, contracted with 9arlson to refine his new process, which 9arlson called 2electrophotography.2 7hree years later, 7he =aloid 9ompany, maker of photographic paper, approached 4attelle and obtained a license to develop and market a copying machine based on 9arlson2s technology.

=aloid later obtained all rights to 9arlson2s invention and registered the 2Mero/2 trademark in ,"#>. 4uoyed by the success of Mero/ copiers, =aloid changed its name to =aloid Mero/ (nc in ,":>, and to 7he Mero/ 9orporation in ,"B,. Mero/ was listed on the ?ew @ork %tock K/change in ,"B, and on the 9hicago %tock K/change in ,""!. (t is also traded on the 4oston, 9incinnati, 6acific 9oast, 6hiladelphia, Iondon and %witzerland e/changes. 7he strong demand for Mero/2s products led the company from strength to strength and revenues soared from L5- million in ,"B! to L B> million in ,"B:. 7hroughout the ,"B!s, Mero/ grew by ac&uiring many companies, including )niversity 3icrofilms, 3icro$%ystems, Klectro$1ptical %ystems, 4asic %ystems and Einn and 9ompany. (n ,"B , Cu'i Mero/ 9o. Itd. was launched as a 'oint venture of Mero/ and Cu'i 6hoto Cilm. Mero/ ac&uired a ma'ority stake (:,. ;) in *ank Mero/ in ,"B". <uring the late ,"B!s and the early ,"-!s, Mero/ diversified into the information technology business by ac&uiring %cientific <ata %ystems (makers of time$sharing and scientific computers), <aconics (which made shared logic and word processing systems using minicomputers), and Aesetec (producers of electrostatic printers and plotters). (n ,"B", it set up a corporate *+< facility, the 6alo .lto *esearch 9enter (6.*9), to develop technology in$house. (n the ,"-!s, Mero/ focused on introducing new and more efficient models to retain its share of the reprographic market and cope with competition from the )% and 0apanese companies. 8hile the company2s revenues increased from L B"> million in ,"BB to L #.# billion in ,"-B, profits increased five$fold from L >5 million in ,"BB to L #!million in ,"--. .s Mero/ grew rapidly, a variety of controls and procedures were instituted and the number of management layers was increased during the ,"-!s. 7his, however, slowed down decision$making and resulted in ma'or delays in product development. (n the early ,">!s, Mero/ found itself increasingly vulnerable to intense competition from both the )% and 0apanese competitors. .ccording to analysts, Mero/2s management failed to give the company strategic direction. (t ignored new entrants (*icoh, 9anon, and %evin) who were consolidating their positions in the lower$end market and in niche segments. 7he company2s operating cost (and therefore, the prices of its products) was high and its products were of relatively inferior &uality in comparison to its competitors. Mero/ also suffered from its highly centralized decision$ making processes. .s a result of this, return on assets fell to less than >; and market share in copiers came down sharply from >B; in ,"-# to 'ust ,-; in ,">#. 4etween ,">! and ,">#, Mero/2s profits decreased from L ,.,: billion to L "! million (*efer K/hibit (). (n ,"> , <avid 7. Hearns (Hearns) took over as the 9K1. =e discovered that the average manufacturing cost of copiers in 0apanese companies was #!$:!; of that of Mero/. .s a result, 0apanese companies were able to undercut Mero/2s prices effortlessly. Hearns &uickly began emphasizing reduction of manufacturing costs and gave new thrust to &uality control by launching a program that was popularly referred to as 2Ieadership 7hrough Nuality.2 .s part of this &uality program, Mero/ implemented the benchmarking program. 7hese initiatives played a ma'or role in pulling Mero/ out of trouble in the years to come. 7he company even went on to become one of the best e/amples of the successful implementation of benchmarking. T#E R!MPT!* -RE)VES' !PER)TI!*S !VER#).%

8hen ( became 9K1 of 9rompton Ereaves in ,">:, the company was in bad trim. 7he wind had abruptly changed direction, catching the management unawares. (t was my 'ob primarily to set the sails right again and correct the course.D $ 8ewal$8.$9ohria-$(.1-$(rompton$*reaves$in$677:

T#E +%.E #IP'S &!$*()%% 9rompton Ereaves Itd. (9EI), the flagship company of the I. 3. 7hapar group was one of (ndia2s leading private sector electrical engineering companies. 9EI manufactured a wide range of transformers, switchgears, control e&uipment, motors and related products and railway signaling e&uipment besides consumer products. 9EI was incorporated in ,"5- as a ,!!; subsidiary of the )H based 9rompton 6arkinson Itd., (96I), under the name of 6arkinson 8orks Itd. (68I). (n ,"#>, the I. 3. 7hapar group company, Ereaves 9otton + 9o Itd. (E99I), ac&uired a B; stake, which was later increased to :!; in ,":B. (n ,"BB, a 'oint venture company (between E99I + 96I), Ereaves 9otton + 9rompton 6arkinson Itd. was amalgamated with 68I. 7he company was renamed as 9rompton Ereaves Itd. 1ver the years, 9EI evolved from being a single location company manufacturing ceiling fans and .9 industrial motors, into a multi location, multi product company. (n the late ,"-!s, 9EI entered into various technical collaboration agreements with renowned companies from )%., )H, Kurope and 0apan. 7hese activities (many undertaken as 'oint ventures), were in related products, supplementing the company2s main business. 8hile many of these companies were amalgamated with 9EI, some of them were divested as well during the following years. (n ,">-, 9EI began its diversification moves and entered the telecommunications and industrial electronics arena. 7he company also undertook turnkey engineering pro'ects and began providing information technology services.<uring the ,">!s, 9EI was in dire straits with profitability at all time lows. ?ohria said, D(n ,"> and ,">5, industry in general and the electrical industry in particular was gripped by recession, and the scenario changed from a seller2s market to a buyer2s market. Calling demand combined with higher production capacity and employment levels resulted in declining productivity during ,"> $># at 9rompton Ereaves.D 7he 9EI management realized that it would have to take steps soon enough to put the company back on track. ?ohria believed that operational efficiency was one of the keys to organizational effectiveness and long run profitability. 4esides working towards an overall restructuring of the company, ?ohria decided to focus on total &uality management to improve 9EI2s performance. ?ohria began by talking about improving &uality and response to customer demands and improving delivery. %hopfloor workers were sent to visit customers and get first$hand responses on products. 9ross$functional task forces were created to look into re'ections and deliveries began to be monitored closely. 7he most evident of the company2s efforts were at the switchgear unit in ?ashik, 3aharashtra. 7his ,#!! worker unit was one of 9EI2s heaviest investments, with the ma/imum 9?9 machines ,, high voltage testing laboratories and state$of$the$art manufacturing facilities. .s part of the plans to increase resource productivity, the unit had its first total &uality management program in <ecember ,"", wherein 9EI emphasized that the entire approach should be changed to 2value added management.2 (n the earlier setup, 9EI followed an Kuropean model wherein the planning department worked out the optimum load based on capacities, and told marketing what mi/ of orders to bring in. (n the new setup, the marketing department gave the customer demand figures and everything was geared to deliver on the date the customer wanted. <uring ,""5$":, the unit had over ,,!!! kaizens , making it the unit with the highest number of kaizens in the country. 7he biggest change was regarding the reorientation of the production process itself. 7he unit began using the concept of single piece flow (%6C), which had been successfully used by different industries abroad. 1ne group of machines was arranged so that work proceeded in an anti$clockwise, 2)2 shape. *ather than one product being made at different points on an assembly line, one entire product was made from start to finish by one cell. 7his was combined with the concept of kitting, (providing only enough material to produce one item at a time) which meant less wastage and better inventory control. 7he inventory carried declined from .>- months in ,"" $"5 to .5: months in ,""#$":. 7he inventory$turnover ratio went up from in ,"" to -.: in ,"":. 7his was largely due to a computerized model installed for inventory control. 3inimum, ma/imum and re$order levels were determined by

this model and it covered all the 2.2 and 242 items . .t any given point of time5, the growth in sales was always greater than the inventory build up. 7he above setup offered many other advantages. 8hile production volumes were more or less the same, they now re&uired only one$fourth the floor space. 7his released space for new products. 7urnover or rotation of space therefore increased by three times. .lso, smaller batches offered more fle/ibility and therefore higher customization. %6C also increased the pressure on processes by identifying problems and bottlenecks very &uickly. Cor instance, one shop had a board with different$colored bulbs that indicated the reasons for various bottlenecks. Cor instance, if there was no material or no order, a red bulb lit upG if the basket was full, a yellow bulb lit up, and so on. 7his resulted in efficiency improving by ,!;. 9EI found out that the steel brought into the factory was worked on for ,$#> hours, but was kept in the factory for as many as ,#- days. Cactory sources revealed that though the investments in new machinery brought down the working time by :!; from #> to # hours, the efficiency could further improve if the above problem was tackled. 9EI worked on the housekeeping front as well to make the unit more efficient. 3aterial was organized so that no searching was re&uired. .ll the items were allocated a place, close to where it was used, with the date and inspection status marked on it. 7he layout was correspondingly changed so that minimum transport was re&uired. ?one of the machines were grounded, which meant that layouts could be changed easily. %everal meters of pipe in different colors were put up so that problem lines could be easily identified. Ci/tures were also colored according to the product they were used to make. <etailed instructions in both Knglish and the local language 3arathi were put up at various spots. 9harts displaying the cost of energy per machine per hour were put up to reduce energy wastage. 9EI formed cross$functional teams to identify and solve problems on the shopfloor. Cor instance, a malfunctioning magnetic sensor (which would have cost *s >!,!!! and taken si/ weeks to import) was fi/ed for 'ust *s ##!. 7his was made possible by a technician who went to 6une and spent two days with a local manufacturer to set the sensor right. 7o reduce set$up times and ensure faster changeovers, teams were formed to work towards bringing the time elapsed in e/change of dies to a single minute. 2.ndon#2 devices were installed on automatic lines to warn of faults that would have otherwise been passed without being noticed, and later re'ected or reworked. Cor instance, any fault in the insulation of copper wire resulted in a signal from the andon device installed. 9EI2s efforts seemed to have paid off initially as between ,""!$":, 9EI doubled its turnover crossing the *s ,!!! crore mark. 6roductivity went up from *s B lakh per man per year to *s , lakh. 6rofits also increased by si/ times. 7here was a 5!; reduction in the total number of workers needed because of the increased efficiency. =owever, 9EI did not retrench any workers and instead redeployed them where necessary. 7he time spent by employees on training also went up from ,; to 5;. 9EI assured 'ob security to the workers, the union agreed to productivity increases of 5>; in ,"",, and a further !; in ,""#. 7here were significant positive changes in the attitudes of the workers as well as the management. 8hile skilled workers began contributing in routine tasks (such as unloading of material) if re&uired, they were also given sufficient authority (such as to refuse to use inferior materials.) 7he management also began measuring managerial efficiency based on certain internally decided parameters. 7he efficiency was found to have gone up from 5; to :,; during the same period. 7he unit also began using information technology to further improve its efficiency. . company official commented, D8e are beginning to use (nfotech for fast information, to compress the business cycle time from the receipt of the order in the branch, to planning and delivery.D 9EI also formulated a vendor development program for many of its >!# vendors besides linking several ancillaries to the company through computer networks. RE)PI*- +E*E(ITS 7he 9EI could not replicate the success of its ?ashik factory on a corporate level. 1ver the ne/t decade, 9EI2s performance declined significantly. . main reason behind this was the fact the company2s presence was predominantly in low margin businesses and its pricing power was low. . significant portion of the revenue came from motors and consumer products like fans, lights, luminaires, and telecom e&uipment. (n motors, although 9EI supplied the entire range, technology was fairly simple and entry barriers were low. 7he domestic motors market was dominated by the unorganized sector and margins were low. (n consumer products also, entry barriers were low and 9EI fought with the unorganized sector for shelf space. 7he telecom e&uipment market was characterized by high competition, including 3?9s. .ll this resulted in 9EI reporting net losses in the fiscal !!!. 7he company2s long term competitive position was rather weak in the absence of technology support. .lso, 9EI spent 'ust ,.:; of its turnover on *+<, which was significantly lower than that spent by multinationals like %iemens and .44 and

even (ndian conglomerates like 4=KI and I+7. (n the late ,""!s, 9EI revealed plans to split itself into three companies $ power and industrial systems, consumer products and digital, to be headed by independent professionals. 7his was e/pected to enable each company to form separate strategic alliances to enhance competitive strengths. =owever, procedural delays led to this plan being deferred. 9EI then set up a five$member committee to review its operations. 7he head of this committee was %udhir 7rehan, who had taken over from ?ohria as the 9K1 in !!!. 7rehan immediately began taking steps to prune costs such as consolidation of production capacities at factories, closing down of some of the corporate offices, shifting of factories from high cost locations to low cost locations and reducing employee strength etc. 7rehan2s moves prompted analysts to remark that 9EI seemed to be planning to rewrite its ?ashik unit success story all over again with another company wide operational overhaul in the offing. Q.ESTI!*S (!R &IS .SSI!* ,. .nalyze the steps taken by 9rompton Ereaves at its ?ashik unit to improve operational efficiency. 9omment on the advantages of the single piece flow (%6C) system adopted by the companyO . %tudy the steps taken at the ?ashik unit on the people and housekeeping fronts to supplement the overall 2value added management2 initiative. (n what way did they help the unit in improving efficiencyO T#E R!MPT!* -RE)VES' !PER)TI!*S !VER#).% D8hen ( became 9K1 of 9rompton Ereaves in ,">:, the company was in bad trim. 7he wind had abruptly changed direction, catching the management unawares. (t was my 'ob primarily to set the sails right again and correct the course.D $ 8ewal$8.$9ohria-$(.1-$(rompton$*reaves$in$677:

T#E +%.E #IP'S &!$*()%% 9rompton Ereaves Itd. (9EI), the flagship company of the I. 3. 7hapar group was one of (ndia2s leading private sector electrical engineering companies. 9EI manufactured a wide range of transformers, switchgears, control e&uipment, motors and related products and railway signaling e&uipment besides consumer products. 9EI was incorporated in ,"5- as a ,!!; subsidiary of the )H based 9rompton 6arkinson Itd., (96I), under the name of 6arkinson 8orks Itd. (68I). (n ,"#>, the I. 3. 7hapar group company, Ereaves 9otton + 9o Itd. (E99I), ac&uired a B; stake, which was later increased to :!; in ,":B. (n ,"BB, a 'oint venture company (between E99I + 96I), Ereaves 9otton + 9rompton 6arkinson Itd. was amalgamated with 68I. 7he company was renamed as 9rompton Ereaves Itd. 1ver the years, 9EI evolved from being a single location company manufacturing ceiling fans and .9 industrial motors, into a multi location, multi product company. (n the late ,"-!s, 9EI entered into various technical collaboration agreements with renowned companies from )%., )H, Kurope and 0apan. 7hese activities (many undertaken as 'oint ventures), were in related products, supplementing the company2s main business. 8hile many of these companies were amalgamated with 9EI, some of them were divested as well during the following years. (n ,">-, 9EI began its diversification moves and entered the telecommunications and industrial electronics arena. 7he company also undertook turnkey engineering pro'ects and began providing information technology services.<uring the ,">!s, 9EI was in dire straits with profitability at all time lows. ?ohria said, D(n ,"> and ,">5, industry in general and the electrical industry in particular was gripped by recession, and the scenario changed from a seller2s market to a buyer2s market. Calling demand combined with higher production capacity and employment levels resulted in declining productivity during ,"> $># at 9rompton Ereaves.D 7he 9EI management realized that it would have to take steps soon enough to put the company back on track. ?ohria believed that operational efficiency was one of the keys to organizational effectiveness and long run profitability. 4esides working towards an overall restructuring of the company, ?ohria decided to focus on total &uality management to improve 9EI2s performance.

?ohria began by talking about improving &uality and response to customer demands and improving delivery. %hopfloor workers were sent to visit customers and get first$hand responses on products. 9ross$functional task forces were created to look into re'ections and deliveries began to be monitored closely. 7he most evident of the company2s efforts were at the switchgear unit in ?ashik, 3aharashtra. 7his ,#!! worker unit was one of 9EI2s heaviest investments, with the ma/imum 9?9 machines ,, high voltage testing laboratories and state$of$the$art manufacturing facilities. .s part of the plans to increase resource productivity, the unit had its first total &uality management program in <ecember ,"", wherein 9EI emphasized that the entire approach should be changed to 2value added management.2 (n the earlier setup, 9EI followed an Kuropean model wherein the planning department worked out the optimum load based on capacities, and told marketing what mi/ of orders to bring in. (n the new setup, the marketing department gave the customer demand figures and everything was geared to deliver on the date the customer wanted. <uring ,""5$":, the unit had over ,,!!! kaizens , making it the unit with the highest number of kaizens in the country.

7he biggest change was regarding the reorientation of the production process itself. 7he unit began using the concept of single piece flow (%6C), which had been successfully used by different industries abroad. 1ne group of machines was arranged so that work proceeded in an anti$clockwise, 2)2 shape. *ather than one product being made at different points on an assembly line, one entire product was made from start to finish by one cell. 7his was combined with the concept of kitting, (providing only enough material to produce one item at a time) which meant less wastage and better inventory control. 7he inventory carried declined from .>- months in ,"" $"5 to .5: months in ,""#$":. 7he inventory$turnover ratio went up from in ,"" to -.: in ,"":. 7his was largely due to a computerized model installed for inventory control. 3inimum, ma/imum and re$order levels were determined by this model and it covered all the 2.2 and 242 items . .t any given point of time5, the growth in sales was always greater than the inventory build up. 7he above setup offered many other advantages. 8hile production volumes were more or less the same, they now re&uired only one$fourth the floor space. 7his released space for new products. 7urnover or rotation of space therefore increased by three times. .lso, smaller batches offered more fle/ibility and therefore higher customization. %6C also increased the pressure on processes by identifying problems and bottlenecks very &uickly. Cor instance, one shop had a board with different$colored bulbs that indicated the reasons for various bottlenecks. Cor instance, if there was no material or no order, a red bulb lit upG if the basket was full, a yellow bulb lit up, and so on. 7his resulted in efficiency improving by ,!;. 9EI found out that the steel brought into the factory was worked on for ,$#> hours, but was kept in the factory for as many as ,#- days. Cactory sources revealed that though the investments in new machinery brought down the working time by :!; from #> to # hours, the efficiency could further improve if the above problem was tackled. 9EI worked on the housekeeping front as well to make the unit more efficient. 3aterial was organized so that no searching was re&uired. .ll the items were allocated a place, close to where it was used, with the date and inspection status marked on it. 7he layout was correspondingly changed so that minimum transport was re&uired. ?one of the machines were grounded, which meant that layouts could be changed easily. %everal meters of pipe in different colors were put up so that problem lines could be easily identified. Ci/tures were also colored according to the product they were used to make. <etailed instructions in both Knglish and the local language 3arathi were put up at various spots. 9harts displaying the cost of energy per machine per hour were put up to reduce energy wastage. 9EI formed cross$functional teams to identify and solve problems on the shopfloor. Cor instance, a malfunctioning magnetic sensor (which would have cost *s >!,!!! and taken si/ weeks to import) was fi/ed for 'ust *s ##!. 7his was made possible by a technician who went to 6une and spent two days with a local manufacturer to set the sensor right. 7o reduce set$up times and ensure faster changeovers, teams were formed to work towards bringing the time elapsed in e/change of dies to a single minute. 2.ndon#2 devices were installed on automatic lines to warn of faults that would have otherwise been passed without being noticed, and later re'ected or reworked. Cor instance, any fault in the insulation of copper wire resulted in a signal from the andon device installed. RE)PI*- +E*E(ITS 9EI2s efforts seemed to have paid off initially as between ,""!$":, 9EI doubled its turnover crossing the *s ,!!! crore mark. 6roductivity went up from *s B lakh per man per year to *s , lakh. 6rofits also increased by si/ times.

7here was a 5!; reduction in the total number of workers needed because of the increased efficiency. =owever, 9EI did not retrench any workers and instead redeployed them where necessary. 7he time spent by employees on training also went up from ,; to 5;. 9EI assured 'ob security to the workers, the union agreed to productivity increases of 5>; in ,"",, and a further !; in ,""#. 7here were significant positive changes in the attitudes of the workers as well as the management. 8hile skilled workers began contributing in routine tasks (such as unloading of material) if re&uired, they were also given sufficient authority (such as to refuse to use inferior materials.) 7he management also began measuring managerial efficiency based on certain internally decided parameters. 7he efficiency was found to have gone up from 5; to :,; during the same period. 7he unit also began using information technology to further improve its efficiency. . company official commented, D8e are beginning to use (nfotech for fast information, to compress the business cycle time from the receipt of the order in the branch, to planning and delivery.D 9EI also formulated a vendor development program for many of its >!# vendors besides linking several ancillaries to the company through computer networks.

RE)PI*- +E*E(ITS 7he 9EI could not replicate the success of its ?ashik factory on a corporate level. 1ver the ne/t decade, 9EI2s performance declined significantly. . main reason behind this was the fact the company2s presence was predominantly in low margin businesses and its pricing power was low. . significant portion of the revenue came from motors and consumer products like fans, lights, luminaires, and telecom e&uipment. (n motors, although 9EI supplied the entire range, technology was fairly simple and entry barriers were low. 7he domestic motors market was dominated by the unorganized sector and margins were low. (n consumer products also, entry barriers were low and 9EI fought with the unorganized sector for shelf space. 7he telecom e&uipment market was characterized by high competition, including 3?9s. .ll this resulted in 9EI reporting net losses in the fiscal !!!. 7he company2s long term competitive position was rather weak in the absence of technology support. .lso, 9EI spent 'ust ,.:; of its turnover on *+<, which was significantly lower than that spent by multinationals like %iemens and .44 and even (ndian conglomerates like 4=KI and I+7. (n the late ,""!s, 9EI revealed plans to split itself into three companies $ power and industrial systems, consumer products and digital, to be headed by independent professionals. 7his was e/pected to enable each company to form separate strategic alliances to enhance competitive strengths. =owever, procedural delays led to this plan being deferred. 9EI then set up a five$member committee to review its operations. 7he head of this committee was %udhir 7rehan, who had taken over from ?ohria as the 9K1 in !!!. 7rehan immediately began taking steps to prune costs such as consolidation of production capacities at factories, closing down of some of the corporate offices, shifting of factories from high cost locations to low cost locations and reducing employee strength etc. 7rehan2s moves prompted analysts to remark that 9EI seemed to be planning to rewrite its ?ashik unit success story all over again with another company wide operational overhaul in the offing. Q.ESTI!*S (!R &IS .SSI!* ,. .nalyze the steps taken by 9rompton Ereaves at its ?ashik unit to improve operational efficiency. 9omment on the advantages of the single piece flow (%6C) system adopted by the companyO . %tudy the steps taken at the ?ashik unit on the people and housekeeping fronts to supplement the overall 2value added management2 initiative. (n what way did they help the unit in improving efficiencyO Mc&onald's (!!& #)I* Our growth plan for the next three years is more a function of getting our logistics and cold chain right rather than going to far off places. $#mit$3etia-$managing$director-$McDonald;s$"ndia-$Mumbai$3oint$<enture-$in$2000. I*TR!&. TI!*

(t was early evening and one of the : 3c<onald2s outlets in (ndia was bustling with activity with hungry souls trooping in all the time. ?o matter what one ordered F a hot 3ahara'a 3ac or an apple pie F the very best was served every time. 4ut did anyone ever wonder as to how this )% giant managed the show so perfectlyO 7he answer seemed to lie in a brilliantly articulated food chain, which e/tended from these outlets right up to farms all across (ndia. )%$based fast food giant, 3c<onald2s success in (ndia had been built on four pillars: limited menu, fresh food, fast service and affordable price. (ntense competition and demands for a wider menu, drive$through and sit$down meals F encouraged the fast food giant to customize product variety without hampering the efficacy of its supply chain. .round the world (including (ndia), appro/imately >:; of 3c<onald2s restaurants were owned and operated by independent franchisees. @et, 3c<onald2s was able to run the show seamlessly by outsourcing nine different ingredients used in making a burger from over 5: suppliers spread all over (ndia through a massive value chain. 4etween ,"" and ,""B, when 3c<onald2s opened its first outlet in (ndia, it worked frenetically to put the perfect supply chain in place. (t trained the local farmers to produce lettuces or potatoes to specifications and worked with a vendor to get the perfect cold chainP,Q in place. .nd e/plained to the suppliers precisely why only one particular size of peas was acceptable (if they were too large, they would pop out of the patty and get burnt). 7hese efforts paid off in the form of 'oint ventures between 3c<onald2s (ndia (a ,!!; wholly$owned subsidiary of 3c<onald2s )%.) and =ardcastle *estaurants 6vt. Itd, (3umbai) and 9onnaught 6laza *estaurant (?ew <elhi). Cew companies appreciate the value of supply chain management and logistics as much as 3c<onald2s does. Crom its e/perience in other countries (*efer K/hibit (( + (((), 3c<onald2s was aware that supply chain management was undoubtedly the most important factor for running its restaurants successfully. .mit 0atia, 3anaging <irector, =ardcastle *estaurants 6rivate Iimited said, R. 3c<onald2s restaurant is 'ust the window of a much larger system comprising an e/tensive food$chain, running right up to the farmsS. 3c<onald2s worked on the supply chain management well ahead of its formal entry to (ndia. R8e spent seven years to develop the supply chain. 7he first 3c<onald2s team came to (ndia way back in ,">",S said %. <. %aravanan (%aravanan), 6roduct 3anager, ?ational %upply 9hain, 3c<onald2s (ndia.