tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-317225452024-03-07T08:09:29.744+00:00:: Tanvier's Time Machine ::AnecdotesTanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.comBlogger408125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-32136253334706882422023-05-15T05:05:00.000+01:002023-05-15T05:05:01.937+01:00Renewal of Bangladesh passport<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Key things to keep in mind before application:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> </p><ol start="1" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">As on the date of this write-up, only e-passports are being issued in Dhaka based passport offices.</li><li style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">No address verification is needed if only current address is changed</li><li style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">For permanent address, address verification will be needed if the Thana (Police Station) is different.</li><li style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">If you make any mistake at the time of filling up the application online and submit it, you can rectify those mistakes at the time of biometric input/taking picture on your appointment date.</li><li style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">You can submit as a regular application and make payment for the urgent application if you have valid urgency, you may need some assistance from the officials of the passport office in those cases.</li><li style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">If you face any problem you may speak to deputy assistant director, assistant director, additional director of the passport office, they are usually co-operative in most cases if you have a valid case.</li><li style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">Avoid any tout, agents as they will only confuse you and most of them will make mistakes in your application which will result in erroneous data on your passport.</li><li style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">For passport fees, paying at the bank is the safest option even if it’s a bit time consuming. Error rates of digital payment is quite high and may result in added hassle.</li></ol>Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-43811700602146120602023-05-04T18:34:00.000+01:002023-05-04T18:34:18.334+01:00Impact of inflation on GDP<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;">Inflation is a phenomenon that occurs when the general level of prices for goods and services increases over time. It is usually measured by an inflation rate, which reflects the percentage change in the overall price level over a specific period. Inflation can have a significant impact on an economy, including its GDP growth. In this essay, we will explore the relationship between inflation and GDP growth and examine the impact of inflation on different sectors of the economy.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is a measure of the total value of all goods and services produced within a country's borders over a specific period. GDP growth refers to the increase in the value of production over time. Inflation can affect GDP growth in various ways, both positively and negatively.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the most direct impacts of inflation on GDP growth is through the nominal GDP calculation. Nominal GDP measures the value of goods and services produced in current prices. As inflation increases, the prices of goods and services also increase, which leads to an increase in nominal GDP. However, this increase in nominal GDP does not necessarily reflect an increase in the production of goods and services. It is merely a reflection of the increase in prices.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To account for the impact of inflation on GDP growth, economists use real GDP, which measures the value of goods and services produced in constant prices. Real GDP is calculated by adjusting nominal GDP for inflation. By doing so, real GDP provides a more accurate measure of changes in the production of goods and services over time. When inflation is high, nominal GDP can increase, but real GDP can remain stagnant or even decline, indicating a decrease in the production of goods and services.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Inflation can also affect the different sectors of the economy differently, which can impact GDP growth. For example, inflation can increase the cost of production, making it more expensive for firms to produce goods and services. If firms cannot pass on these increased costs to consumers through higher prices, they may reduce production, leading to a decline in GDP growth. Inflation can also reduce the purchasing power of consumers, making it more difficult for them to afford goods and services, which can lead to a decrease in consumption and, consequently, a decline in GDP growth.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On the other hand, some sectors of the economy may benefit from inflation. For example, the construction and real estate industries may benefit from inflation as higher prices can increase the value of their assets. This increase in asset value can lead to an increase in investment, which can contribute to GDP growth.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Inflation can also impact the government's fiscal policy, which can, in turn, impact GDP growth. When inflation is high, the government may increase interest rates to reduce consumer spending and control inflation. This increase in interest rates can make borrowing more expensive, which can reduce investment and consumption, leading to a decline in GDP growth.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In conclusion, <b>inflation can have a significant impact on GDP growth. High inflation can lead to a decline in the production of goods and services, reducing real GDP growth. </b>It can also affect different sectors of the economy differently, leading to both positive and negative impacts on GDP growth. To achieve sustainable economic growth, policymakers need to monitor and control inflation to ensure that it does not harm the economy's overall performance.</span></p>Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-50046137038244079922022-12-22T04:47:00.004+00:002022-12-22T04:47:51.618+00:00Halal food options in Bangkok<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Prior to my recent trip to Bangkok, like many others, I was
worried about halal food options in Bangkok.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">To my surprise, I found many halal food options available
upon enquiring.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">To help others, sharing a few for those who would be
travelling to Bangkok in future.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sukhumvit:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sukhumvit is the area where most of the halal shops are available. Apart
from the famous Muslim owned restaurants like Usman Thai Muslim Food, you can
also get halal food from Bangladeshi restaurant called LittleSpicy that serves
all kinds of South Asian food.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Burger King next to Ambassador Hotel (Soi 11) serves Halal
chicken items.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">There are plenty of Starbucks with mostly halal items.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Terminal 21 (near
Asok BTS):<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">There are few shops in the basement food court where they
serve halal food.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Siam Paragon:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">There are 2 McDonald’s in Siam Paragon, the one inside the
mall in food court serves halal chicken items along with the fillet-o-fish.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The KFC in Siam Paragon also serves halal food.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Subway inside the Siam Paragon serves halal chicken items.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;">MBK Shopping Mall:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The KFC inside MBK serves halal food.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Suvarnabhumi Airport:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Turkish Airlines lounge inside Suvarnabhumi Airport
departure terminal has prayer facility and halal food. They also accept
Priority Pass.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">These are only a few of many that I came across, and there
are many more across the city.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">However, if you are happy consuming seafood, there are also
plenty of options across the city.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-52371504488139145472010-08-31T04:52:00.001+01:002010-08-31T04:53:38.848+01:00My QuoteThere are million reasons for failure but none acceptable.Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-88059526061812984952009-09-05T19:51:00.001+01:002009-09-05T19:53:49.976+01:00RIP M Saifur Rahman<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CTANVIR%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" rel="themeData" 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mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >The country's longest serving finance minister M Saifur Rahman who steered the Bangladesh economy toward a free market path and presided over series of economic reforms died yesterday in a car crash.
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<br />The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s(BNP) one of the worthy politicians was travelling to the capital when his car spun out of control after the driver tried to skirt a cow on the busy Dhaka-Sylhet highway.
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<br />Instead, it fell into a five-feet deep ditch with the 77-year-old leader tied up under a seat belt. Local people rescued the ailing leader unconscious but he was declared dead as his body was rushed to Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital at 3.00pm. <span style=""> </span>He apparently failed to untie his seat belt as he was already in ill health due to prostrate cancer.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><span style=""> </span>
<br />The United States lauded the late leader's "critical role in improving the lives and bringing prosperity to millions of Bangladeshis by opening Bangladesh's economy and promoting free market reforms".
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<br />A professional chartered accountant who completed his higher study in London, Saifur Rahman was hurled in politics by the late president Ziaur Rahman during the crucial rebuilding period of the nation in late 1970s.
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<br />Mr. Rahman was a partner of the famed accountancy firm Rahman Rahman Haque KPMG and placed 12 national budgets during his three separate tenures at the helm of the finance ministry.
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<br />A BNP standing committee member, he served president Zia as an adviser and then served his cabinet first as commerce and later as finance minister.
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<br />After Zia's death, he served as finance minister in justice Abdus Sattar and to Khaleda Zia, who was prime minister when BNP returned to power between 1991-96 and again between 2001-06.
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<br />His reforms during his first tenure under Khaleda Zia are widely credited with putting the country on the free market path and stabilising the country's macro economic health in the ensuing decades.
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<br />The country's percentage of poverty dropped to below 40 per cent in 2006 from a staggering 59 per cent in 1991, thanks in large part to the market economy he championed.
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<br />According to ex finance adviser Mirza Azizul Islam, "The reforms he initiated during his time as finance minister led the country towards higher growth path. He brought down inflation, fiscal deficit and stabilised macro economy. The country is still reaping the benefits of his economic reforms. If his policies are continued, I am sure the growth will be accelerated further."
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<br />Mr Rahman was the first to introduce VAT (value added tax) in Bangladesh in 1992 as part of expanding the tax net and orchestrated major banking reform in early 1990s.
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<br />He sought to divest all four state-owned banks including the largest Sonali Bank and privatized scores of loss making state-owned enterprises that have been a big drag on the government’s expenditure.
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<br />A deft economic policy planner, Mr Saifur Rahman was elected to parliament for four times, serving both Sylhet and his Moulvibazar constituencies.
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<br />Mr. Rahman was born in Bahar Mordon village of Moulvibazar district in 1932 to an illustrious Muslim family.
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<br />He joined politics in the early 1950s when as a vice president of Salimullah Muslim Hall he took part in the Language Movement of 1952, for which he was awarded the prestigious Ekushey Padak in 2005.
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<br />After graduating from Dhaka Univeristy in 1953, he moved to the United Kingdom to pursue higher studies in accountancy and qualified as a Chartered Accountatnt in 1958.
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<br />In his colourful career, Mr. Rahman served scores of local and international organisations, including the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB), the Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs (BILIA) and Bangladesh Jatishangha Samiti.
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<br />He presided over the golden jubilee conference of the World Bank and IMF as elected governor in 1994 held at the Spanish capital of Madrid.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" >Although I have always been the first one to criticise the Bangladeshi politicians, the contributions of Saifur Rahman to Bangladeshi economy cannot be ignored. I am deeply saddened by the loss of the architect of Bangladesh’s financial reform and pray that he is granted paradise.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-17548967918407500882009-02-05T23:36:00.006+00:002009-03-18T23:48:40.337+00:00Jammie Dodger: Jacuzzi<span style="font-family: arial;">I have a new colleague at my workplace. He works in a different department within the same floor but we chat occasionally to keep track of each other’s wellbeing. He is of sub-continental origin-born and brought up in London. I call him Jammie Dodger- purely because of his funny but likeable character.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Jammie Dodger tells us stories that keep all of us at work going in the difficult times. He loves to share his amazing stories. As I have taken the sombre oath of keeping my blog readers entertained, I hereby will share some of his stories.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">One of the first stories of Jammie Dodger is of his unique experience at his local gym on the night before his ‘A’ level physics exam.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">He apparently decided to go to his local gym to use the Jacuzzi to ‘let off’ some steam before the difficult physics exam. So there he was in his shorts ‘letting off’ steam. Then he in his own words ‘nodded off’. After a while he woke up with the sound of giggling all around him. He woke up and found out that there were about 7-8 girls in the Jacuzzi and all were staring at his shorts with seductive smiles. He looked down and found out that his manhood had snaked out through the passage of shorts and with the waves of Jacuzzi it created an illusion of swaying from one side to the other. He then quickly tucked his manhood back inside the shorts and walked off the place.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">He didn’t do very well in that physics exam the next morning as he kept thinking about the girls checking out his manhood! </span>Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-40659320407737382442009-01-27T02:01:00.005+00:002009-01-27T02:26:39.113+00:00Trousers Island<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CTANVIR%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CTANVIR%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" 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Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing {mso-style-priority:1; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:595.3pt 841.9pt; margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">Bangladesh is becoming the ‘Trousers Island’, if not the Treasure Island, for global apparel importers as local manufacturers are sourcing jeans and other cotton trousers at the cheapest prices and maintaining admirable quality, according to ‘New Age’ of Bangladesh.
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<br /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">The industry’s strength has weighed up with Bangladeshi exporters occupying the number-one position in the US market of jeans and other cotton trousers in December, industry insiders told New Age.
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<br /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">Quoting the latest report of world’s leading market survey organisation Research & Markets, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association officials said by December Bangladesh controlled 13.82% market share in USA.
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<br /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">The market surveyor, quoting US official data, showed that in 2008 US importers’ procurement of cotton trousers from Bangladesh totalled 299.9 million pieces, up 26.3% from that of the previous year.
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<br /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">Chinese suppliers lost their position to Bangladeshis as their shipments grew by less than 9% to 288.7 million pieces in the year.
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<br /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">Mexico, which was the top exporter of trousers to USA just two years back, stood third, with a more than 10% decline in shipments totalling 224.4 million pieces.
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<br /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">Vietnam stood at fourth position in US cotton trousers market, with 184.2 million pairs of trousers and an export growth rate of 14%.
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<br /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">A Bangladeshi official at VF Corporation’s procurement office in Dhaka points out that with developed backward linkage, local jeans-makers are finding fabrics cheaper locally and delivering shipments within a short period.
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<br /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">‘It is really fantastic to feel that one in every seven trousers sold in the USA is made in Bangladesh,’ he said. ‘Importers are diverting their procurements from other countries to Bangladesh and it is becoming a ‘Trousers Island’.
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<br /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">Bangladeshi suppliers recently received significant orders diverted from Mexico as depreciation of the value of Mexican Peso and some other factors made Mexican trousers costly, Anwar noted.
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<br /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">Abdus Salam Murshedy, managing director of the Envoy Group, a leading jeans supplier to American brands, points out that China’s growing reluctance to low-end products are also diverting many buyers to Bangladesh.
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<br /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">Partex Denim managing director Showkot Aziz Russell said finer quality denim fabrics are being produced in Bangladesh, attracting more procurement by global brands.
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<br /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">Partex supplies fabrics to many jean makers who source all top global brands including H&M, C&A, Marks & Spencer, American Eagle, and Uniqlo.
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<br /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">With a 2-million-yard annul production capacity, Partex is said to be the largest among some 20 local units that are now able to meet more than half of the industry’s demand that earlier had to be fed by imports.
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<br /> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">The robust growth in trousers shipments to the USA is also significant for Bangladesh as she earns more than one-third of her entire apparel export proceeds from that country by selling denim and other cotton trousers.
<br /> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="">According to the latest official data, in the January-November 2008, Bangladesh apparel exports earned $3.17 billion from the USA, with cotton-based trousers accounting for $1.19 billion and non-cotton trousers $147 million.<o:p></o:p></span></p> Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-71826319938474620802008-12-16T00:01:00.002+00:002008-12-16T03:50:06.537+00:00স্বাধীনতা তুমিস্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />রবিঠাকুরের অজর কবিতা, অবিনাশী গান।<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />কাজী নজরুল, ঝাঁকড়া চুলের বাবরি দোলানো<br />মহান পুরুষ, সৃষ্টিসুখের উল্লাসে কাঁপা<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />শহীদ মিনারে অমর একুশে ফেব্রুয়ারির উজ্জ্বল সভা<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />পতাকাশোভিত শ্লোগান-মুখর ঝাঁঝালো মিছিল।<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />ফসলের মাঠে কৃষকের হাসি।<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />রোদেলা দুপুরে মধ্যপুকুরে গ্রাম্য মেয়ের অবাধ সাঁতার।<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />মজুর যুবার রোদে ঝলসিত বাহুর গ্রন্থিল পেশী।<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />অন্ধকারে খাঁ খাঁ সীমান্তে মুক্তিসেনার চোখের ঝিলিক।<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />বটের ছায়ায় তরুণ মেধাবী শিক্ষার্থীর<br />শাণিত কথার ঝলসানিলাগা সতেজ ভাষণ।<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />চাখানায় আর মাঠে ময়দানে ঝোড়ো সংলাপ।<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />কাল বোশেখীর দিগন্তজোড়া মত্ত ঝাপটা।<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />শ্রাবণে অকূল মেঘনার বুক<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি পিতার কোমল জায়নামাজের উদার জমিন।<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />উঠানে ছড়ানো মায়ের শুভ্র শাড়ির কাঁপন।<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />বোনের হাতে নম্র পাতায় মেহেদীর রঙ।<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />বন্ধুর হাতে তারার মতন জ্বলজ্বলে এক রাঙা পোস্টার।<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />গৃহিণীর ঘন খোলা কালো চুল,<br />হাওয়ায় হাওয়ায় বুনো উদ্দাম।<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />খোকার গায়ের রঙিন কোর্তা,<br />খুকীর অমন তুলতুলে গালে<br />রৌদ্রে খেলা।<br />স্বাধীনতা তুমি<br />বাগানের ঘর, কোকিলের গান,<br />বয়েসী বটের ঝিলিমিলি পাতা,<br />যেমন ইচ্ছে লেখার আমার কবিতার খাতা।<br /><div style="text-align: right;">(শামসুর রাহমান)</div>Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-8264763846835166832008-11-15T00:15:00.004+00:002008-11-16T14:32:24.199+00:00Garment trade grow stronger in Bangladesh despite recessionBangladesh’s largest contributor to its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product">GDP</a> is getting stronger despite the recession in the developed world. Japanese clothing giant Fast Retailing Co, mostly known by its brand name Uniqlo, has recently started outsourcing low-end products from Bangladesh to boost its sales worldwide. It has opened its local office in Dhaka in September this year.<br /><br />The company plans to treble its overseas sales within the next two years through selling cheap garments amid global financial recession.<br /><br />The company's new business plan to brace for low-cost management, and the shortest and cheapest manufacturing and marketing strategy has led it to Bangladesh, a high official of Fast Retailing said.<br /><br />According to the Daily Star, the company will also start outsourcing home furnishings and fashion accessories from Bangladesh soon, said Koji Yamamoto, an official of Fast Retailing Co in Dhaka.<br /><br />Besides Uniqlo, such global retail giants as GAP, Zara, Wal-Mart, Tesco, JCPenney, H&M and Next are already operating in the country.<br /><br />A high official of Fast Retailing said Bangladesh would be the Uniqlo's outsourcing partner to supply clothes both to its Japanese retail shops and other overseas outlets in India and Russia.<br />The IMF said Bangladesh has lost some grounds in garment trade to Vietnam and Cambodia in its key markets in North America and Europe in 2007 and early 2008, but in the short term it sees no major change in its export outlook.<br /><br />"Although competition is becoming more intense, Bangladesh's strong market position does not look likely to diminish in the short term," the IMF said in a research paper on Bangladesh's export diversification and external competitiveness.<br /><br />"Despite the recent mixed performance, Bangladesh retained second position after China in global garment trade," the paper co-authored by IMF's Bangladesh chief Jonathan Dunn said.<br /><br />Bangladesh exports grew more than 16% to US$14.11 billion in the 2007-8 fiscal year on the back of impressive performance by the ready-made garments, particularly knitwear.<br /><br />The shipment, however, was negative in the first quarter, but it came back strongly in the remaining three quarters when garment exports grew more than 20 percent to finish the year with a record $10.7 billion income.<br /><br />The IMF says cheap labour remains the key driver of Bangladesh's garment trade, as a worker in Bangladesh earns only $56 dollar, which is nearly half of what his colleague earns in Vietnam and Cambodia and a third than China.<br /><br />It also said Bangladesh has diversified its export base in the recent years but still it needed a lot of catch-up work to compete with Vietnam or Cambodia.<br /><br />The country expanded its number of export products well by South Asian standards, but less than East Asian competitors, it said, adding since 1990 the country increased its number of products from 366 to 673.<br /><br />"This was a faster rate of increase than Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but slower than Nepal and considerably slower than Cambodia, which quadrupled its number of products."<br />Another encouraging factor in the garment industries in Bangladesh is the start of backward integration of the garment industries. Local textile companies and accessory factories have started operating further driving down the cost of producing the end products.Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-55435149506148727112008-11-13T17:40:00.003+00:002008-11-13T20:37:58.577+00:00Things you never knew your mobile phone could do!<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;color:black;" >For all the folks with mobile phones- there are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies.</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;color:black;" ><br /><br /><span class="apple-style-span">Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for</span> <span class="apple-style-span">survival.</span> <span class="apple-style-span">Check out the things that you can do with it: </span><br /><br /><span class="apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;color:black;" >Locked your keys in the car?</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;color:black;" ><br /><br /><span class="apple-style-span">Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday.</span> <span class="apple-style-span">If you lock your keys in the car and</span> <span class="apple-style-span">the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their mobile phone from</span> <span class="apple-style-span">your mobile phone. Hold your mobile phone about a foot from your car door and</span> <span class="apple-style-span">have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the</span> <span class="apple-style-span">mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from</span> <span class="apple-style-span">having to drive your keys to you! Distance is no object. You could be</span> <span class="apple-style-span">hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other</span> <span class="apple-style-span">'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="apple-style-span"><b style="">Low Battery:</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;color:black;" ><span class="apple-style-span">If your mobile battery is very low you can get access to reserve power by just pressing buttons! To activate, press the keys</span> <span class="apple-style-span">*3370# and your mobile phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument</span> <span class="apple-style-span">will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when</span> <span class="apple-style-span">you charge your mobile phone next time.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;color:black;" >Stolen Phone:</span></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;color:black;" ><br /><span class="apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;color:black;" >To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following Digits</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;color:black;" > <span class="apple-style-span">on your phone: <b style="">*#06#</b>. A 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere</span> <span class="apple-style-span">safe.</span><br /><br /><span class="apple-style-span">When your phone gets stolen, you can phone your service provider and give</span> <span class="apple-style-span">them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if</span> <span class="apple-style-span">the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless... You</span> <span class="apple-style-span">probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever</span> <span class="apple-style-span">stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be</span> <span class="apple-style-span">no point in people stealing mobile phones.</span><br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;color:black;" >Emergency Number:</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;color:black;" ><br /><br /><span class="apple-style-span">The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find</span> yourself<span class="apple-style-span"> out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an</span> e<span class="apple-style-span">mergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to</span> <span class="apple-style-span">establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly, this number</span> <span class="apple-style-span">112</span> <span class="apple-style-span">can be dialled even if the keypad is locked. </span><br /><span class="apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></p>Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-21898026055731084832008-10-11T17:55:00.002+01:002008-11-14T23:29:52.879+00:00Should HRM practices in MNCs should be adapted to the local environment to be most effective? <meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Observation:</span>
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >The world is becoming an increasingly smaller place to live in. There has been rapid progression in the arenas of transportation, faster communication channels and financial flows, all owing to advancements in technology. As companies spread their wings in the global scenario, there has been a tremendous boom in international trade and commerce. Markets that were once considered impregnable and safe are facing fierce competition and have become battle grounds where firms fight for market share against both local and foreign companies. Not surprisingly, nowadays a fairly good proportion of workforce in firms, regardless of their nationality, is located in foreign countries. As more companies go global, a new branch of human resource management called International HR management has emerged.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >Edith Penrose (1959) shows the firm as an administrative organisation and a collection of productive resources. According to her, HR of a firm is a unique resource and cannot be replicated thereby gives firms a competitive advantage if used well.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >With globalisation, Human Resource management has developed over the years from a mere welfare tradition in the past to a more strategic concept. This was introduced by the Harvard model of Human Resource Management developed by Beer et al. (1984), <span style="">(Wall & Rees, 2001)</span>. By locating HR policy choices in a wider social and institutional perspective, it claimed that there existed more stake holders in an organisation other than the management (such as government, employee groups, community etc.), and that business strategy and management were only a part of the other situational factors such as the work force, labour market conditions, laws and societal values. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;color:black;" lang="EN-US">The evolution of MNC’s characterised by multiculturism and geographic dispersion, has embraced this view of placing organisational resources at the forefront of its global strategy. Bartlett and Ghoshal (2000) mention the change in definitions given by United Nations. In 1973, it defined such an enterprise as “one which controls assets, factories, mines, sales offices and the like in two or more countries.” By 1984, it defined them “As an enterprise in which the entities are so linked, by ownership or otherwise that one or more of them may be able to exercise a significant influence over the activities of the others, and, in particular, to share knowledge, resources, and responsibilities with others”. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;color:black;" lang="EN-US">In essence, the changing definition highlights the importance of strategic and organisational integration and, thereby, management integration of Human Resource practices located in different countries as the key differentiating characteristic of an MNC.</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;color:black;" lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;color:black;" >(Bartlett & Ghoshal, 2000). It also alludes to the process of </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >transfer of organisational practices across geographies as a key strategic item in MNC’s quest for global excellence.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 150%;">Influences on transfer of Human Resource practices<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >Harzing & Ruysseveldt (2005)</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" > discuss the four influences which affect the nature and form of transfer of practices across borders. These are<span style="">:</span> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 150%;">Country – of – origin effect:</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" > The country in which the multinational originates creates a distinctive national effect on the management style and on the nature of employment practices in general. “MNCs of different national origins behave in significantly different ways.” (Ferner, 1997 in Harzing & Ruysseveldt, 2005) <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 150%;">Dominance effect:</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" > Its has been argued by a number of authors that economic dominance of a country also influences the practices in other developing countries in that they try to follow the processes and practices adapted by the developed or dominant countries. According to <span style="">Harzing & Ruysseveldt (2005)</span>, in terms of the dominance effect the transfer of practices could be two way, meaning from the developed home country to the MNC subsidiaries or from foreign origin to the MNC in the developing home country. Thus in the latter case it challenges the country of origin effect.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 150%;">International integration:</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" ><span style=""> </span>The third element of the framework is concerned with the extent to which MNCs are internationally integrated, defined as the generation of inter-unit linkages across borders<span style=""> (Harzing & Ruysseveldt, 2005). </span>Globalisation has no doubt brought the world closer and it’s easier for companies to expand geographically. In order to reach economies of scale and compete, the MNCs tend to segment their operations based on countries or regions through global processes and operations in which they operate. This leads to strengthening of ties and operations between the international segments. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 150%;">Host country effect:</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" > This relates to the difference in cultures and laws that exist in the host countries in which the MNCs operate. What is legal and ethical in one country may not be so in another. Various laws like employment laws regarding child labour, termination laws etc and cultural differences in work environments and social behaviour differ from region to region. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Elaine Farndale & Jaap Paauwe (2007) outline Boxall and Purcell’s, (2003) three primary goals of HR strategy. The first two defined as</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" > labour</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"> productivity and organisational flexibility represent the goals related to the competitive environment, while the third goal of social legitimacy addresses the institutional and cultural pressures.</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >According to them, the competitive forces create</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"> cross-border equity and comparability, and alignment of systems internationally to facilitate an internal </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >labour</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"> market. However, this standardisation can lead to conflict between company practices and local prevailing conditions in terms of national cultural phenomena and institutions Boxall and Purcell, 2003 in Elaine Farndale & Jaap Paauwe, 2007).</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" > (Farndale & Paauwe, 2007)</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">While most studies have conceived transfer of practices as implementation, typically examining the extent to which practices in foreign subsidiaries resemble those of MNC headquarters (Rosenzweig and Nohria, 1994; in Bjorkman & Lervik, 2007), Bjorkman in his paper proposed a three dimensional model for assessing whether transfer is accomplished: by assessing to what degree practices are (1) implemented, (2) internalised and (3) integrated in the recipient unit</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" > (Björkman & Lervik, 2007)</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">He explains, while a subsidiary with little autonomy may be forced into implementing headquarters HR practices, its recipients cannot be pressured to internalise the practice. On the contrary, such a standardized strategy may be counterproductive when it comes to internalisation of the practices because organisational members may view the implementation of the practices as having been forced upon the unit (Kostova and Roth, 2002 in Bjorkman & Lervik, 2007). </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The extent of adaptation of HR practices required is thus largely related to the extent of difference that exists between the parent and host country in terms of national regulations, institutions and culture, as well as corporate strategic choice (Taylor <span style="">et al.</span>, 1996 in Farndale & Jaap Paauwe, 2007). </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >It is evident from the above that, since external factors such as culture, legislation and socio-political environment which affect an organisation internationally differ from region to region the management practices cannot be standardized.</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 150%;">Challenges for Multinational Human Resource policy integration<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >One of the key challenges to attain social legitimacy is balancing national cultures of different regions with the organisational culture and strategy. Until recently, the dominance of American management theory led to the belief that "one size fits all," that a good manager in the U.S. will also be a good manager in other countries, and that effective U.S. management practices will be effective anywhere. This view is now being supplemented with the knowledge that managerial attitudes, values, behaviours, and efficacy differ across national cultures <span style="">(Newman & Nollen, 1996)</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >National culture is defined as the values, beliefs and assumptions learned in early childhood that distinguish one group of people from another (Beck and Moore 1985, Hofstede 1991 in, Newman, Karen L., Nollen, Stanley D., 1996). </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">We use Hofstede's (1993) cultural variables to investigate the relationship between national culture and various structural aspects of HR strategy </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >(Newman & Nollen, 1996)</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">. </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >The latter mainly includes compensation practices, selection, staffing, knowledge transfer and performance management.</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"> He constructs indices of four cultural dimensions that capture the essence of the differences between national cultures and have been widely accepted as a basis for comparison of cultural groups. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 150%;" lang="EN-US">Hofstede's four cultural dimensions </span></b></span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">(Hofstede 1980, 1991<b style="">)<o:p></o:p></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Power Distance: </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Low Power Distance is associated with social egalitarianism and as Power Distance increases, status inequality and distance in social relationships also increase.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Uncertainty Avoidance: </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Low Uncertainty Avoidance is associated with tolerance of ambiguity and minimized structuring of relationships; high Uncertainity Avoidance leads to elaboration of rules and structures.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Masculinity-Femininity: </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The Masculine polar type stresses results and the importance of material things, while its counterpart type stresses the importance of feelings and relationships.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Individualism-Collectivism: </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Individualism stresses and tolerates individual uniqueness, while collectivism defines individuals through their social, group characteristics.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >Many authors have researched and found that these values and beliefs which form the national culture get embedded in the systems and practices of a society and economy and consequently affects the HR practices followed by organisations in these regions. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 150%;">Compensation practices:</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" > <span style=""> </span></span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Boyd (2001) in his paper finds national culture to be associated with the centralization, degree of collective bargaining, and most dimensions of the pay structure </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >(Black, 2001)</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">. For example, Gomez and Sanchez propose that providing rewards, which are often symbolic but communicate respect and appreciation, will be particularly helpful in building social capital in largely collectivist cultures found in Latin America. They argue that this communicates a sense of the employee being part of the in-group, which is very important in such cultures. While the higher individualism in the USA, coupled with high materialism, leads most US firms to focus on material individual rewards such as bonuses, stock options and merit raises </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >(Taylor, 2007)</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >External factors like labour costs, labour demand and supply, competitors’ strategies also influence MNCs’ international compensation strategy. In that the MNC will provide competitive compensation as not to lose valuable employees or talent to competitors <span style="">(Harzing & Ruysseveldt, 2005)</span>.</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >Some companies become international in order to utilise the low labour costs in a particular country. In doing this, the pay structures between the host country and home country would differ even if the work profile of an individual remains the same. This promotes unrest and dissatisfaction between employees, consequently leading to employee turnover. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >Other internal factors which influence international compensation practices are the skill sets of employees, employee eligibility such as age, qualifications etc. Thus, though a large number of factors influence compensation structures internationally, an effective compensation strategy is one which is in line with the organisational strategy as well as helps in retaining current talent. However it remains a challenge due to the complex nature of an MNC to have a compensation strategy that will maintain equity amongst all its networks and yet, be within its economic capacity. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 150%;">Knowledge transfer</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >: As Kogut and Zander (1993) argue, the ability to access the knowledge existing throughout the MNC’s global network is what gives an international firm a competitive advantage over local firms. Creation and transfer of such knowledge largely depend on the ability and willingness of employees to undertake the complex organisational tasks of coordination and communication necessary to use knowledge for competitive advantage (Kogut and Zander, 1992; Nahapiet and Ghoshal, 1998; Storey and Quintas, 2001 in Sully Taylor, 2007). <span style="">(Gomez & Sanchez, 2005)</span> </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">While companies have traditionally used formal mechanisms of coordination and control such as centralization, standardization, planning, formalized behavioral and output controls, many companies are increasingly resorting to informal mechanisms of control such as participation in committees and teams as well as decision making, and more broadly, control that emanates from an organisational culture of shared norms and values and the socialization of its employees to these values (Jaeger, 1983 & Martinez and Jarillo, 1991 in</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >Gomez & Sanchez, 2005</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >)</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >For MNCs who need to integrate its intellectual capital, knowledge transfer across its international boundaries is particularly important. This may be challenge due to the differences in social capital and the nature of knowledge – tacit or explicit, that exists in the different firms. When the international counterparts come together, it may be difficult for them to understand and learn from one another due to difference in work cultures, habits etc. Language is a major barrier in this regard. Hence an MNC may have to resort to different training programs or social channels to enable transfer of knowledge between its subsidiaries internationally. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 150%;">Performance Management:</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" > One of the challenges in performance management as part of the MNCs international HRM portfolio is to balance the simultaneous needs for global consistency and for fit with local preferences <span style="">(Harzing & Ruysseveldt, 2005)</span>. </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The cultural imperative is important because of its impact on acceptable, legitimate, and feasible practices and behaviors (Adler, 1991; Schuler et al., in press). All three components of the cultural imperative are important for MNCs to consider in decisions about: (a) what behaviors to address, (b) which performance measurement and management tools to use, and(c) which tools can be used within the local units </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >(Schuler, Fulkerson, & Dowling, 1991)</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">US MNCs often use the same appraisal form for subsidiaries as on their domestic employees without translation from English. The use of English forms may neither be readily understood by local employees nor do they easily apply to all jobs in all situations. Even when the forms are translated, they still may not be readily understood by the domestic staff. Schuler, Fulkerson, Dowling (1991) provide an example of study conducted in 1985 at Pepsi-Cola International, where there was no shared value system or vocabulary for describing individual performance. Through the study, Pepsi developed a multinational vocabulary that was used to unite people from many different cultures and countries. For example, "Handling Business Complexity" might translate differently in China than it does in France. Though different in meaning, the outcome is the same: generating sales in the local environment. </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >(Schuler, Fulkerson, & Dowling, 1991)</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Performance appraisal in different countries can be interpreted as a signal of distrust or even an insult. </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >(Adsit, London, Crom, & Jones, 1997)</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" > <span lang="EN-US">Discrimination</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;" lang="EN-US"> </span></b></span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">analysis has shown implications for multinational corporations interpreting the meaning of employee-attitude survey results and managers analysing upward feedback results. He found Thailand, a country high in feminism, was high on items that reflect feminism (e.g., support for training and career development). Brazil was lowest on the set of items dealing with low power distance, low uncertainty avoidance and femininity, confirming Hofstede's findings.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 150%;">Selection and staffing:</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" > Perlmutter (1969) described the three aspects of international orientation as Ethnocentric which is home oriented, Polycentric which is host country oriented, and Geocentric which is world oriented. As per this theory, in an Ethnocentric environment, the company would prefer to select its management from the home country, a polycentric focussed company would give preference of management to<span style=""> </span>host country nationals believing that they would know the practices best in those regions and the geocentric based companies would include in their management anyone fitting the role irrespective of the nationality and could thus be a national not belonging to either the home country nor the host country<span style=""> (Harzing & Ruysseveldt, 2005)</span>. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >A common practice in this regard within MNCs is expatriation which refers to transferring of managers across national borders for various reasons such as knowledge transfer, expertise or simply job requirements. Another such practice is inpatriation whereby managers from foreign counterparts are called to the centre in the home country. The choice between recruiting from host country, home country or a third country is dependent on the requirement and industry. For eg.: In a travel industry, the company would prefer to hire from host countries where local preferences are known while say in an industry where high management control is required like in the financial sector, the company would prefer home country nationals for it’s management. Applying the cultural dimensions proposed by Hofstede (1980, 2001) Harzing et al, 2005 discuss how it can affect the choice of parent country nationals or host country nationals. According to them MNCs from a national culture that scores high on uncertainty avoidance have a higher tendency to employ parent country nationals for managing their subsidiaries since in these cultures the preference is of being in control. Similarly direct control of subsidiary operations will be high if level of power distance is high since managers in head quarters may feel superior to the foreign subsidiaries.<span style=""> (Harzing & Ruysseveldt, 2005)</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >A major challenge here is resistance from employees to shift their base due to fear of uncertainty of adjustments, career growth and opportunities.</span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Many factors that can be expected or taken for granted in one's home country simply may not exist in the host country. It is also likely that expatriate managers and their families will have some difficulty adjusting to a new culture, which, in turn, may impact on the managers’ work performance. This difficulty in cultural adjustment should be taken into account when assessing the speed with which an expatriate masters a new job (Davidson, Mendenhall, 1984 & Oddou 1988 in </span><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >Schuler, et al., 1991). <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 150%;">Concluding remarks:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;" >With the theories discussed above we have tried to understand the structures of MNCs, why and how Human Resource Management is critical to their operations in the global world. What affects its transfer of practices from the home country to its international counterparts, the challenges they face in doing so. With globalisation it is necessary for firms not only to achieve a competitive advantage but also sustain it. It is widely believed that though competitors can copy processes, products and practices, what remains unique to an organisation is its human capital. This cannot be replicated and is a major contributor to sustaining a competitive advantage if managed well. Though globalisation has brought the world closer together but the social, economic and political cultures will always differ and cannot be standardised, Human resource Management plays a critical role in trying to maintain equilibrium through different practices across national borders. There has been a lot of research and it’s evident that HRM needs to adapt to diversity in order to cater to the human element that exists and differs across borders. However to what extent it can justify in doing so is relative to every industry and needs to be researched into much further.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt; line-height: 150%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 150%;font-size:100%;color:black;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <h1 style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;color:black;" lang="EN-US">References:<o:p></o:p></span></h1> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US"><span style="">1.<span style=""> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US">Adsit, D. J., London, M., Crom, S., & Jones, D. (1997). Cross-cultural differences in upward ratings in a multinational company. <span style="">The International Journal of Human Resource Management</span> , 385-401.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US"><span style="">2.<span style=""> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US">Barlett, Ghoshal, & Birkinshaw. (2003). <span style="">Transnational management: Text, Cases and Readings in cross border management.</span> Singapore: McGraw - Hill.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US"><span style="">3.<span style=""> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US">Bartlett, C. A., & Ghoshal, S. (2000). <span style="">Transnational Management</span> (Third ed.). Singapore: The McGraw-hill Companies , Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US"><span style="">4.<span style=""> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US">Björkman, I., & Lervik, J. E. (2007). Transferring HR practices within multinational corporations. <span style="">Human Resource Management Journal</span> <span style="">, 17</span> (4), 320-335.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US"><span style="">5.<span style=""> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US">Black, B. (2001). National culture and industrial relations and pay structures. <span style="">LABOUR: Review of Labour Economics & Industrial Relations</span> <span style="">, 15</span> (2), 257-277.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US"><span style="">6.<span style=""> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US">Farndale, E., & Paauwe, J. (2007). Uncovering competitive and institutional drivers of HRM practices in multinational corporations. <span style="">HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL</span> <span style="">, 17</span> (4), 355-375.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US"><span style="">7.<span style=""> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US">Gomez, C., & Sanchez, J. I. (2005). Human resource control in MNCs: a study of the factors influencing the use of formal and informal control mechanisms. <span style="">International Journal of Human Resource Management</span> , 18847-1861.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US"><span style="">8.<span style=""> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US">Harzing, A. -W., & Ruysseveldt, J. V. (2005). <span style="">International Human Resource Management</span> (Second ed.). London: Sage Publications Ltd.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US"><span style="">9.<span style=""> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US">Newman, K. L., & Nollen, S. D. (1996). Culture and Congruence: The fit between management practices and national cutlure. <span style="">Journal of Internationl Business Studies</span> <span style="">, 27</span> (4), 753-779.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US"><span style="">10.<span style=""> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US">Schuler, R. S., Fulkerson, J. R., & Dowling, P. J. (1991). Strategic Performance Measurement and Management in multinationa corporations. <span style="">Human Resource Management</span> <span style="">, 30</span> (3), 365-392.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US"><span style="">11.<span style=""> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US">Taylor, S. (2007). Creating social capital in MNCs: the international human resource management challenge. <span style="">Human Resource Management Journal</span> <span style="">, 17</span> (4), 336-354.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBibliography" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US"><span style="">12.<span style=""> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size:78%;">Wall, S., & Rees, B. (2001). </span><span style="font-size:78%;">Introduction to International Business</span><span style="font-size:78%;"> (First ed.). Great Britain: Pearson Education Limited.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-16166395506828689562008-08-14T04:49:00.004+01:002008-08-14T05:02:42.856+01:00কে বাঁশি বাজায় রে<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Fj7rCGDX9oiASwgjXWnwkXvgLPlxCuABRpdl-WHRuCp9aLBPnJUi633nl24gmRUqe7cuxXDkLg-2xrkJjuf_fQVJjgzZ9MjR4bhZ5_aotLBlddiB93yeERsDS8K44YzoSM0f/s1600-h/DSCF3208.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Fj7rCGDX9oiASwgjXWnwkXvgLPlxCuABRpdl-WHRuCp9aLBPnJUi633nl24gmRUqe7cuxXDkLg-2xrkJjuf_fQVJjgzZ9MjR4bhZ5_aotLBlddiB93yeERsDS8K44YzoSM0f/s200/DSCF3208.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234217140558145042" border="0" /></a>আমার একজন পাঠক অগ্নির মন্তব্য পেয়ে আজ অনেকদিন পর লিখতে বসলাম। আমি নিজেও ঠিক জানি না এতদিন ধরে কেন ব্লগ লিখি নি। ১২ তারিখ ঢাকা থেকে ফিরলাম প্রায় ৭ সপ্তাহ পর। ১৯ জুনে ঢাকায় গিয়েছিলাম। ঢাকায় গিয়েছিলাম হঠাৎ করেই একদিনের নোটিসে। এখানে হাঁপিয়ে উঠেছিলাম। দেশে গিয়ে এবার বেশ কয়েক যায়গায় বেড়াতে যাই। এর মধ্যে উল্লেখযোগ্য হচ্ছে সিলেট।সিলেটে অনেক ঘুরাঘুরি করেছি, আর সিলেটের প্রাকৃতিক সৌন্দর্য্য দেখে বারবার মুগ্ধ হয়েছি।<br /><br />দেশের ভেতর হুমায়ূন আহমেদের নুহাশ পল্লীতে গিয়েছিলাম, ভাওয়াল ন্যাশনাল পার্কে গিয়েছিলাম এবং ঢাকার আশেপাশের আরো অনেক জায়গায় বেড়িয়েছি। কিন্তু এবার বেশিরভাগ সময় কাটিয়েছি ঘরেই।Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-67546229157426946542008-06-19T16:11:00.003+01:002008-08-14T04:58:56.357+01:00Firefox 3Just downloaded Mozilla Firefox 3. I can read the Bangla scripts well now. I can finally get rid of Internet Explorer.Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-18463778931228184932008-06-07T01:51:00.006+01:002008-11-14T23:33:47.655+00:00Airline Industry: An Analysis<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link style="font-family: georgia;" rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CTANVIR%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link style="font-family: georgia;" rel="Edit-Time-Data" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CTANVIR%7E1%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_editdata.mso"><!--[if !mso]> <style> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} </style> <![endif]--><link 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134807579 134807567 134807577 134807579;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-number-format:roman-lower; mso-level-tab-stop:none; mso-level-number-position:right; text-indent:-18.0pt;} ol {margin-bottom:0cm;} ul {margin-bottom:0</style> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Introduction:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">In the following report we would like to present an economic analysis of the airline industry in United Kingdom.<b style=""> </b>Airline industry is going through a period of profound transformation in the UK. A fundamental reshaping due to three remarkable developments, shrinkage of high-end demand for air travel that began in late 2000; the emergence of low-cost carriers and the increased transparency of alternative airline offerings and less expensive routes. Today, it’s one of the most competitive industries with all players trying to introduce new ways of fighting competition through services and lowers costs which are difficult due to the high costs of operations and capital investments. In this report, we aim to understand the dynamics of the airline industry in UK in terms of its competition.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="Default" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" lang="EN-US">Competition and its changing trends:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="Default" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="Default" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Competition in an airline industry is that of an oligopolistic nature where pricing and production strategies of individual firms in a market influence the industry price.</span><span style="font-size:100%;">The collapse of high-end demand was not simply a change, but an important structural change driven by a powerful combination of economics and technology. Leisure travellers chose airline based on price and the business travellers more price sensitive cutting travel budgets which increased the scope for low-cost carriers. The inspiration behind low cost carriers comes from the case of South West (Calder, 2002). <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="Default"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="Default" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The competition in the airline industry can be fitted in to the pricing rivalry model of Bertrand. When companies like EasyJet with low initial budget and relatively smaller infrastructure need to fight off big competitors like British Airways, they need to fight using the anomalies between the big airlines and target the customer segments who are not concerned about the quality of the service. For example, the lack of harmony and the limited transferability in the frequent flier programme between the traditionally big airlines could make the frequent flier programme of the big airlines’ less attractive to the customers. This may result in making the low cost airlines more attractive to them as they are already cheaper. Moreover, due to a cost cutting effort in response to the low cost airlines, the cost of the traditionally high cost airlines become affordable for more people, therefore, gets sold out quickly. This increase in demand creates spillover. Low cost airlines enjoy the share of customer ‘spillovers’ from the traditionally high cost airlines. (Besanko, 2000)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="Default" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="Default" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" lang="EN-US">New Generation of Europe’s low cost carriers like Ryan Air, EasyJet & Virgin Express:</span></b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The success of the low-fare model is dependent on the maintenance of a low cost base and which will eventually take a large part of the overall market, forcing substantial reduction in the number of traditional carriers. EasyJet maintains high margins despite reducing yields through cost management. Low costs are the only competitive advantage in the short-haul economy sector since air travel is effectively a commodity product. EasyJet bluntly fought its way into the market with an aggressive pricing strategy.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >One of the competitive strategies by most of the low cost airline in recent time is no-frill service. Especially after the liberalization of air-line industry this strategy is becoming more and more popular for flights over short distances. A particular example is Southwest Airline which has eliminated the need of such things like frills, various classes, in-flight films, design chairs and hub-and-spoke systems etc. In addition, it uses less congested airports, turnaround time less than 20 minutes and last but not least its fleet consists of only one type of planes. This simple strategy provided the flexibility to company to offer prices 60% less than the traditional high-cast airlines. The Southwest Airline is quite profitable in the highly competitive US aviation industry. According to Nalebuff and Bradenburger (1996) “they have chosen to stimulate demand rather than taking shares from major carriers, no market penetration but market development”. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >As compared to USA the concept of low-carriers was introduced quite late in Europe. The reason behind this is that smaller regional Airlines didn’t have the budget and infrastructure to fight off their traditional counterparts. In the UK there were three major players in the aviation industry KLM, British Airways and British Midland for quite a number of years. British Midlands less bureaucratic structure enabled it offer lower prices and it has also made one thing clear in the industry that flag carriers will have to concentrate on long routes while no-frills smaller players have to focus on shorter routes. British Midland was the first in the industry that have started the price war and Ryanair, Easyjet and Virgin Express were followers. (Jagersma, 2001) <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">EasyJet's no frills strategy does not only mean a cut in Cabin crew, but also allows for a faster pre-flight preparation, thereby reducing the time grounded as well maintaining low fare. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The last factor underlying the structural changes in the industry is the internet, not as a substitute for travel but as a perfect purveyor of information about travel. Low-cost carriers have online ticket sales as a means of reducing distribution costs and in a better position to take the greatest advantage of internet distribution. Travelers now have the means to compare price and service offerings of all airlines quickly and efficiently.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">In Europe flights offered by the low-cost airlines increased by 48 percent from August 2001-2003 (Baseler 2004). By 2004 there were 60 low-cost airlines carrying 80 million passengers (up from 47 million in 2003). This involved 20% of the European market, a figure projected to rise to 40% by 2010 (Economist, January 27, 2005). <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">There are numerous implications that follow from such a dramatic growth of the low-cost carriers in Europe. The most obvious effect was on employment relations. In the UK British Airways, has cut its pay roll by 25 percent in the past five years, but it is seeking to cut it by a further œ300 million by March 2007. It is also facing a œ1.4 billion pension deficit and has experienced unofficial strike action in the last three summers (Sunday Times, October 2 and 9, 2005).<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">What makes the winners and losers in the airlines industry?<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The interactions between the airlines are taking place in wide range of activities and services within the airlines industry. Some of them are described below.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Price:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">This is the front line of the interaction between airline companies. The airlines compete on the price level for most of the time. Customers are given a choice of choosing the level of service they expect. It ranges from low cost airline flight to business class travelling. Initially, the low cost airlines. They only tried to create a demand which didn’t exist at that time: market development instead of market penetration. (Jagersma, 2001)It also depends on the choices of airports. Low cost airlines usually use the quieter airports in the major cities or airports within the vicinity of the major cities where the parking charges are relatively lower. Whereas the commercial airlines and the flag carriers tend to use high profile airports of the major cities. For example, low cost airlines like Easy jet, jet2.com and Ryan Air use small airports like Luton, Liverpool and Stansted, whereas traditional airlines use airports like Heathrow and Manchester in the UK.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Check-In Services:</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Check-in services are another service that is being provided by different airlines. Most of the airlines provide online check-in services now-a-days. The passengers are also allowed to choose their own sit through online check in services. The front desk check-in is also available for all the airlines. Big airlines’ provide priority check in for their premium customers. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Airline Lounges:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Traditional high cost airlines provide airport lounges with different lounges depending on the air fare class of the passengers. Passengers who paid high premium enjoy refreshments and priority boarding in the airport lounges.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Arrivals / Transfer:</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Upon arrival the traditional big airlines provide chauffer service to their premium customers. The low cost airlines avoid such services in order to lower costs.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Cabin seating:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The traditional big airlines allocate prior seating arrangement for the customers whereas the low cost airlines usually go for the first come first service options.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Onboard Catering:</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Again the traditional airlines provide their passengers with 3-5 course meals with choices of drinks. The customers who travel on business class receive even better choices of meals. The low cost airlines like Easy jet on the other hand, provide no meals on board.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">In-flight Entertainment:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The in-flight entertainment is a source of differentiation with traditional high cost airlines. Airlines like Emirates and Qatar airways that fly frequently to and from British and other European airports provide in-flight very rich collections of multilingual in-flight entertainments to attract a range of customers.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Cabin Staff Service:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The traditional airlines have high cabin crew-passenger ratio than the low cost airlines. Low cost airlines thus reduce the cost of overhead. Traditional airlines often provide personal cabin staff for executive passengers.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Environmental issue: <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The airlines now-a-days are becoming environment friendly and are competing on low carbon emission technology. The airlines are trying to promote flying a fully booked flight thus reducing number of the flights and reduce emissions. Aircrafts manufacturers are also trying to produce low emission aircrafts. Once the flagship aircraft of Britain and France, Concorde’s reputation was marred due to high carbon emission.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Travel Agents/Direct selling:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The usage of middlemen in booking the flights of traditional airlines is a common selling procedure. The low cost airlines tend to avoid the middlemen by direct selling utilizing their customer service centres and website. Easy jet has its customer service centre easyland in Luton. From Luton, Easyjet operates most of its European selling operation. Traditional airlines use both direct selling and travel agents.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">“The winners”:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Customers<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Customers are getting more choices. They are availing low cost air travels due to the rivalry between the airlines. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Aircraft manufacturing companies<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The ultimate winners of the widespread and affordable air travelling are the air craft manufacturing companies. The two main aircraft manufacturing companies Boeing and Airbus have a stranglehold on the aircraft manufacturing agency. They are also planning their R&D using a cooperating rivalry. We have recently seen that the Airbus had released its Airbus 380 for long haul flights whereas the Boeing had been developing the Boeing 787 Dreamliner which is a smaller aircraft and mainly targeted towards the short haul market.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><u><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><u><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Losing out…</span></b><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Traditional Airlines:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Traditional airlines are the biggest victim of the intense competition caused by the low cost airlines. To catch the market share of the low cost airlines, British Airways (British Airways Go), BMI and KLM (KLM Buzz) had started their own low cost short haul services. But apart from BMI baby, both miserably failed and were thrown out of market. Thus were forced to concentrate more on the long range flights and on differentiation rather than the cost expect of the competitive advantage.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Value Creation:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">In the UK airline industry, airline companies can be simply divided two groups by their different business strategy. In the first group the airline companies support a higher quality service, have more flexible choice on the flight timetable, and offer higher price. Moreover, these companies mainly focus on long-haul and medium-haul routes market segmentation. The second group of these airline companies supports basic quality service, has inflexible choice on the flight timetable, and offers lower price. These companies focus on the short-haul and medium-haul routes market segmentation. (See table1)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <table class="MsoNormalTable" style="border: medium none ; width: 419.4pt; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;" width="559" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 68.4pt;" valign="top" width="91"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></td> <td style="border-style: solid solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 243pt;" valign="top" width="324"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Main Features<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: solid solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 108pt;" valign="top" width="144"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Companies<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 68.4pt;" valign="top" width="91"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">1<sup>st</sup> group<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 243pt;" valign="top" width="324"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Higher price, <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">higher quality service, <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">more flexible timetable for flight<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">long-haul, medium-haul route<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">use the main airports in each route (i.e. Heathrow)<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 108pt;" valign="top" width="144"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">British Airways<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 68.4pt;" valign="top" width="91"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">2<sup>nd</sup> group<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 243pt;" valign="top" width="324"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Lower price<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Basic service (i.e. no free food service in the flight)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Inflexible timetable for flight<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Short-haul, medium-haul rout<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Use the airports which are low labor cost and airport fee (i.e. Luton)<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 108pt;" valign="top" width="144"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Easy Jet, Jet2.com<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Table 1<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">It seems that these two groups create value in two different ways. The value created by the first group through using its competitive advantages by it exit advantages in capabilities and resource such as reputation, trademark, network of airline in all over the world, and large assets and capital, high-skills talent (especially pilots), large marketing expense and customers database. Simply, the value which created by the first group is through higher consumer surplus and higher profit. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The value created by the second group through using its competitive advantages by its cost advantages. It uses the lower buyer perceived benefits but much lower cost. For example, the second group only offers a basic service and inflexible timetable for flight which both reduces the BPB but control its cost from lower airport fee, no free food service, online ticket booking system and less employee. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">From the table 2 we can see clearly that Easy Jet and British Airways which are good examples of the 1<sup>st</sup> and 2<sup>nd</sup> group respectively how to appropriate the value. As the big brother of the UK airline industry BA has the most aircraft, employees, market capitalization. Therefore UK can support the customers higher BPB through higher quality service such as unique in-flight food and entertainment and independent check-in service. Moreover, because BA’s Position in industry it also has differentiation advantage which means it can achieve higher value from different service such as , more legroom in the economy class seats, unique first class seats in airplane and the modern and expensive aircraft. As the new entrant in the UK airline industry Easy Jet has very good performance on profit margin, ROA (return on assets) and load factor. It seems that it appropriate the value through focused cost leadership in porter’s generic strategies. Whatever “non-frills travel”, on-line ticket book system and higher utilization of flight, the only strategy for Easy Jet is to control the cost while supporting basic airline service as one of the transportation.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Furthermore, the two different groups appropriate the value through target different market segmentation. The first group targets the business man who prefers good service, flexible timetable flight and reputation rather than the price. Meanwhile, these business men travel by airplane more frequently. The second group targets people who not travel by airplane frequently and young people who prefer lower price to the good service.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <table class="MsoNormalTable" style="border: medium none ; width: 419.4pt; border-collapse: collapse; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;" width="559" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr style=""> <td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 122.4pt;" valign="top" width="163"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></td> <td style="border-style: solid solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 144pt;" valign="top" width="192"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Easy Jet<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: solid solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">British Airways<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 122.4pt;" valign="top" width="163"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Revenue<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 144pt;" valign="top" width="192"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">123 US$ million<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">14,264 US million<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 122.4pt;" valign="top" width="163"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Operating expenses<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 144pt;" valign="top" width="192"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">121 US$ million<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">13557 US$ million<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 122.4pt;" valign="top" width="163"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Net profit<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 144pt;" valign="top" width="192"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">4 US$ million<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">330 US$ million<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 122.4pt;" valign="top" width="163"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Market Capitalization<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 144pt;" valign="top" width="192"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">1,940 US$ million<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">6,504 US$ million<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 122.4pt;" valign="top" width="163"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Pre-tax profit margin<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 144pt;" valign="top" width="192"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">3.0 US$ million<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">2.5 US$ million<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 122.4pt;" valign="top" width="163"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Return on assets<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 144pt;" valign="top" width="192"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">32.3<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">1.6 <o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 122.4pt;" valign="top" width="163"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Load factor<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 144pt;" valign="top" width="192"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">75%<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">71%<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 122.4pt;" valign="top" width="163"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Employees<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 144pt;" valign="top" width="192"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">394<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">63,799<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 122.4pt;" valign="top" width="163"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Number of aircraft<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 144pt;" valign="top" width="192"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">8<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">278<o:p></o:p></span></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Table 2 (source: Rogers, 2002 no page given)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Drivers of change:</span></b></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Flying has become the most popular form of public transportation. Now air transportation is as much a part of life as telephone or computer. Speed, efficiency, comfort and safety – these are the symbols of both modern civilization and modern air transportation. If you want to get there in a hurry, and most businesses do, because time means money, then fly. Following are three main drivers of change to the airline industry including UK airlines namely:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">1. Globalization:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Globalization has influenced many industries including airline, the industry has progressed along the way towards globalization. It has done this through the establishment of alliances and partnerships between airlines, linking their networks to expand access to their customers. Hundreds of airlines have entered into alliances, ranging from marketing agreements and code-shares to franchises and equity transfers.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The UK's largest international scheduled airline, British Airways operates flights to more than 550 destinations worldwide and is a member of the one world alliance, along with prestigious airlines such as American Airlines and Cathay Pacific, which allows it to provide passengers with even more great flights and airfares to more than 600 destinations. The airline also has a range of alliances and code share agreements with various partner airlines, providing an extensive worldwide route network for flights and a range of customer benefits. Global alliances have a great stabilizing effect in our present times of economic uncertainty. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">2. Liberalization:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Liberalization can create the freedom for airlines to operate on a fully commercial basis. This will allow them to allocate capital more efficiently, to respond better to changes in demand in the markets and to improve productivity. It provides a platform for the airline industry to expand capacity and ownership in accordance with customer needs. It can also improve the return on capital invested that is earned by the airline industry as a whole. In a fully liberalized market, the key for firms is to recognize where its competitive advantage lies and to focus on it. Liberalization provides opportunities for expanding into new markets as well as threats to existing markets. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">For example: Airlines of both the United States and the United Kingdom obtained unlimited access between any set of airports. These steps caused a steady expansion of air services and traffic. Since 1995, traffic between Chicago and London has more than doubled.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">Air service liberalization, which replaces a set of strict rules, has repeatedly proven a decisive influence in expanding the industry, and making its benefits available to more people. Many airports, airlines, academic institutions, governments and private organizations have documented the relationship between liberalization and economic growth.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><span style=""> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" ><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" spt="75" preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:formulas> <v:path extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" connecttype="rect"> <o:lock ext="edit" aspectratio="t"> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_3" spid="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style="'width:414.75pt;height:87pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\TANVIR~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.png" title=""> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img src="file:///C:/Users/TANVIR%7E1/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpg" shapes="Picture_x0020_3" width="553" height="116" /><!--[endif]--></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <table style="font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr style=""> <td style="padding: 0cm;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">3. Information technology<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> </td> <td style="padding: 0cm;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></td> <td style="padding: 0cm;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The information revolution has dramatically reshaped global society and is pushing the world every more towards the information based economy. The emergence of the Internet in the mid 1990s as well as the development of Intranets and Extranets forced airlines to refocus their strategy on technological innovations in order to enhance their competitiveness. Airlines identified the Internet as a major opportunity to tackle distribution costs and to reengineer the structure of the industry. Airlines will have to continue development such as on-line distribution, ticketless travel, self-service ticketing and smart cards. There is a great opportunity for the integration of airport and airline systems, along with new applications for biometric security, electronic passports, wireless bag tracing and much more. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">Conclusion:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US">The British airline industry has undergone a period of rapid transformation led by globalization and rapid advancements in Information technology. The lower investment and working capital requirement for the low cost entrants has reduced barriers to entry and has created intense rivalry among the players. The new industry that has emerged has players carefully carving out niches for themselves driven by micro segmentation. While the big traditional players are involved creating value on long hauls flights through service differentiation, the new low cost airlines use price cutting on shorter routes through their “no frills” policy to gain a competitive advantage.<span style=""> </span>With this new structure the traditional players have recognized that focus needs to shift on customer retention through enhanced value creation features such as a robust frequent flier program, check in services and in-flight entertainment. While, traditional players have lost market share in this process the ultimate winner is the consumer with easy access to price and service comparison through the internet providing options for all situated preferences. What has emerged is an industry that is more efficient with the removal of the traditional one size fits all approach to travel and with players making more effective capacity allocation decisions.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><b style=""><span style="line-height: 115%;" lang="EN-US">References:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:78%;" lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:78%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <ol style="margin-top: 0cm; font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;" start="1" type="i"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Besanko, D., Dranove, D., & Shanley, M.</span></b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:78%;"> (2000) Economics of Strategy. 2<sup>nd</sup> ed. Wiley: Chichester.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:78%;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Noakes, G. Noakes & Coulter, A.</span></b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:78%;"> (2002) BA says more changes are on their way, Travel Trade Gazette. pp 14-16<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:78%;">http://www.press.uillinois.edu/journals/lera/proceedings2006/beaumont.html<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:78%;">http://www.mindbranch.com/European-Low-Fair-R471-0001/<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.johnkay.com/regulation/245">http://www.johnkay.com/regulation/245</a><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Jagersma, P. K.</span></b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:78%;"> (2001) Competition in the airline industry. [available at <a href="http://www.nijenrode.nl/download/nic/competitionairlineindustry.pdf%20accessed%20on%2020/01/2008">http://www.nijenrode.nl/download/nic/competitionairlineindustry.pdf accessed on 20/01/2008</a>]<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Jeffrey N. S.</span></b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:78%;"> (2004) Report from Under Secretary for Policy. US Department of Trasportation. August 6, 2004<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:78%;">http://www.intervistas.com/4/reports/2006-06-Economic Impact Of Air Service Liberalization Final Report</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:78%;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Nalebuff, B. and Bradenburger, A.</span></b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:78%;"> (1996) Co-option. New York: Doubleday. <o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Rogers, B.</span></b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:78%;"> 2002. Easy Jet: the web’s favorite airline. International institute for management development</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:78%;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><b style=""><span style="" lang="EN-US">Uoum, T. H., Park, L.H. & Zhiang, A. M.</span></b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:78%;"> (2000) Globalization and strategy alliances in the airline industry 3<sup>rd</sup> New York: Pergamon.</span><o:p></o:p></span></li></ol> <p style="font-family: georgia;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-84383289725525318152008-06-01T17:17:00.003+01:002008-06-01T17:24:29.352+01:00Digital Mapping of DhakaDigital mapping of Dhaka is going on in full force. The main areas of Dhaka has already been mapped, and the rest are under process. Google Map is pioneering the project.<br />If one just types Uttara, Dhaka on Google Map or Google Earth, he/she will be directed to the area straightaway. The main roads are clearly marked as well.<br />Satellite Navigation in Bangladesh is not so far away now.Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-29247375633140438062008-04-29T19:50:00.001+01:002008-04-29T19:50:45.253+01:00Brick Lane restaurant struggling ..<object style="width: 100%;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://uk.reuters.com/resources/flash/includevideo.swf?edition=UK&videoId=81307" height="320" width="344"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="movie" value="http://uk.reuters.com/resources/flash/includevideo.swf?edition=UK&videoId=81307"><embed src="http://uk.reuters.com/resources/flash/includevideo.swf?edition=UK&videoId=81307" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="320" width="344"></embed></object>Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-10756856139297035962008-04-19T20:35:00.008+01:002008-04-24T19:13:54.804+01:00স্বপ্নগুলো তোমার মত<div style="text-align: center;"> প্রহর শেষের আলোয় রাঙা সেদিন চৈত্রমাস<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">তোমার চোখে দেখেছিলেম আমার সর্বনাশ<br /></div><br /><br />রবি ঠাকুরের উপরোক্ত কবিতার দু'টি লাইনের সাথে আমার ব্লগের কোন সম্পর্ক নেই। শুধু মনে হলো, তাই লিখলাম।<br /><br />স্বপ্নগুলো ইতিউতি চোখে খুঁজে বেড়াচ্ছে আপনজন। কিন্তু ব্যর্থতার গ্লানি নিয়ে বারবার ফিরে আসছে। আজ কয়েকদিন ধরেই জীবনে আপনজনদের সঙ্গের অভাব বোধ করছি।সুদুর বাংলায় যেসব আপনজন আছে তাদের।<br /><br />আজ অনেকদিন পর ব্লগ লিখতে বসলাম। এতদিন লেখার ইচ্ছা বা সময় কোনটাই তেমন ছিলো না। মোহিব এসেছিলো এক সপ্তাহের জন্য লন্ডনে। ওকে নিয়ে পুরো লন্ডন চষে বেড়িয়েছি পুরনো দিনের মত। আমার বিলেতের জীবনে স্বপ্নের মত কিছু দিন কেটেছিলো ম্যানচেস্টারে আমার বন্ধুদের সৌজন্যে। জুনায়েদ, মোহিব এবং আমির আমাকে পরিবারের সদস্যের মত করেই আপন করে রাখতো। লন্ডনে আসার পর ওদের অভাব বোধ করছি।<br /><br />দেশে যেতে পারলে মন্দ হতো না। কিন্তু বাস্তবতার বেড়াজালে বন্দী হয়ে থাকায় সহসা দেশে যাওয়া হবে বলে মনে হয় না।<br /><br />সময় কাটছে বই পড়ে এবং নাটক দেখে। পাঠ্যপুস্তক সব শিকেয় তুলে রেখেছি। এস্যাইনমেন্ট গুলোর একটা দফারফা আগামী ক'দিনে না করলেই নয়।Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-90338058779206804812008-03-29T22:07:00.002+00:002008-04-01T15:19:38.874+01:00Apple Safari for Windows<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.apple.com/safari/">Safari</a> for Windows is another product which shows Apple’s intention to gradually muscle into PC users’ domain. The browser is as fast as Firefox-if not faster. It has some attributes like spell check and fully Unicode compliance which were unavailable in Firefox. But for non-English speaking countries, Safari would still be a secondary browser as it doesn’t allow its users to add new fonts to read foreign scripts. Internet explorer is the only browser which allows this option at the moment. Firefox is a very secured browser. Only time will tell whether Safari would be as safe a browser as Firefox or not. The Safari interface allows to play with the tabbed browsing as well. But it’s not a major breakthrough and won’t change the internet using experience a great deal. Firefox enjoys a backing of lot of performance enhancing add-ons. I failed to find such interesting add-ons for Safari on the Apple website.</p>Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-42080312694441505562008-03-24T02:02:00.002+00:002008-03-24T02:21:54.309+00:00Boston Dynamics BigDogBigDog is the alpha male of the Boston Dynamics family of robots. It is a quadruped robot that walks, runs, and climbs on rough terrain and carries heavy loads. BigDog is powered by a gasoline engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. BigDog's legs are articulated like an animal’s, and have compliant elements that absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next. BigDog is the size of a large dog or small mule, measuring 1 meter long, 0.7 meters tall and 75 kg weight.<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/W1czBcnX1Ww&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/W1czBcnX1Ww&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />BigDog has an on-board computer that controls locomotion, servos the legs and handles a wide variety of sensors. BigDog’s control system manages the dynamics of its behaviour to keep it balanced, steer, navigate, and regulate energetics as conditions vary. Sensors for locomotion include joint position, joint force, ground contact, ground load, a laser gyroscope, and a stereo vision system. Other sensors focus on the internal state of BigDog, monitoring the hydraulic pressure, oil temperature, engine temperature, rpm, battery charge and others.<br />In separate trials, BigDog runs at 4 mph, climbs slopes up to 35 degrees, walks across rubble, and carries a 340 lb load.<br /><br />BigDog is being developed by Boston Dynamics with the goal of creating robots that have rough-terrain mobility that can take them anywhere on Earth that people and animals can go. The program is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA).<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Source: Website</span></span>Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-50041172915487475362008-03-24T02:00:00.000+00:002008-03-24T01:37:48.572+00:00Fakhruddin Ahmed on Al Jazeera with Robert FrostInterview of Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed with Robert Frost on Al Jazeera.<br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ygAcD5sROqI&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ygAcD5sROqI&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Click to watch the video.Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-80880417967732034472008-03-15T01:48:00.003+00:002008-03-20T19:44:46.263+00:00Thank You BBC Sport ReliefBBC Sport Relief have raised about £20 Million for the impoverished kids in Bangladesh. Thanks to all the celebrities and donors who have contributed in today's show. May Allah be pleased with you all.Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-67851544708665516222008-03-09T21:46:00.003+00:002008-03-10T10:49:46.168+00:00শেষের কবিতাআমি আজ একজন লজ্জিত বাঙ্গালী। আমি লজ্জিত এই কারণে যে আমার সমসাময়িক অনেক বাঙ্গালীর মত আমারও বাংলা সাহিত্যের হাতেখড়ি হয়েছে হুমায়ূন আহমেদ কিংবা সমরেশ মজুমদারের মাধ্যমে।যদিও তাঁরা অত্যন্ত গুণী লেখক, আমি তাঁদের লেখা পড়েই যে বাংলা সাহিত্য সম্পর্কে অনেক মন্তব্য করেছি, তা যে রীতিমতো অর্বাচীন এর মত কাজ হয়েছে সে সম্পর্কে আমার কোন সন্দেহ নেই।<br /><br />আমি কিছুক্ষণ আগে রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর এর ' শেষের কবিতা' পড়ে শেষ করলাম। অনেক দেরিতেই রবি ঠাকুরের লেখাটি পড়লাম।ইংরেজীতে একটা কথা আছে, ' Better late than never'- সে কথা ভেবেই কিছুটা স্বস্তি পাচ্ছি। তা নাহলে এ অপরাধ ক্ষমার অযোগ্য।<br /><br />রবিবাবুর অসাধারণ লেখনীশক্তির সাথে আমার শৈশবেই পরিচয় ঘটেছিলো আমার মায়ের 'সঞ্চয়িতা'র মাধ্যমে। কিন্তু রবি ঠাকুর এর লেখা পড়ার সুযোগের সমাপ্তি ঘটে বিলেতে আসার পর। আজ দীর্ঘদিন পর ইন্টারনেটের বদৌলতে আবার রবীন্দ্রনাথের রচনা পড়ার সুযোগ এলো।<br /><br />আমি 'শেষের কবিতা' এর ব্যপারে অনেক কথা শুনেছি। রবীন্দ্রভক্তদের কাছে এটি অবশ্যপঠনীয়। আমি একটুও বিস্মিত নই। গল্পটি আসলেই অসাধারণ। তাঁর অদ্ভুত লেখনীশক্তি। গল্পটি আমাকে পুরো ২ ঘন্টা নড়চড় করতে দেইনি। আমি প্রেমের গল্পের ভক্ত নই। আমার কাছে প্রেমের গল্পগুলোকে মায়াজালের আহবান বলে মনে হয়। কিন্তু আমিও শেষ পর্যন্ত্য রবীন্দ্রনাথের লেখনীর মায়াজালে আবদ্ধ হলাম তাঁর প্রয়াণের আধা-শতবর্ষ পর।ধন্য রবীন্দ্রনাথ!<br /><br />হুমায়ুন আহমেদ তাঁর 'মধ্যাহ্ন' উপন্যাসে লিখেছেন রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর বাংলাদেশকে ১০০ বছর এগিয়ে দিয়ে গেছেন। আমি শ্রদ্ধ্যেয় হুমায়ুন আহমেদের সাথে সম্পূর্ণ একমত। রবীন্দ্রনাথ শুধু বাংলা সাহিত্যকেই সমৃদ্ধ করেন নি, তিনি তাঁর সমসাময়িক হিন্দু সমাজের নানা বৈষম্যের বিরুদ্ধেও যুদ্ধ করেছেন।Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-49253026088360335542008-03-08T15:44:00.007+00:002008-03-10T10:50:13.461+00:00মধ্যাহ্নহুমায়ূন আহমেদের উপন্যাসের প্রথম দু'খন্ড গতকাল পড়লাম। আমি গতবছর দেশে থাকতেই বইটির প্রথম খন্ড বের হয়েছিলো। এবারের বইমেলায় দ্বিতীয় খন্ড বের হলো। আমি দুটো খন্ডই একসাথে গতকাল পড়লাম।<br /><br />হুমায়ূন আহমেদ বইটির ভূমিকাতেই লিখেছেন যে উপন্যাসটি 'ইতিহাস কম, গল্প বেশি'। বইটি বেশ উপভোগ্য ছিল। আমি অনেক বছর ধরেই বাংলা উপন্যাস পড়িনি। তাই বাংলা উপন্যাসের বর্তমান ধারা সমন্ধে আমার তেমন ধারণা নেই। কিন্তু আমার মনে হয়েছে শ্রদ্ধেয় হুমায়ূন আহমেদ এই উপন্যাসটি ভারতের পশ্চিম বঙ্গের লেখকদের অনুকরণ করে লিখেছেন। হুমায়ূন আহমেদের সাবলীল লেখায় অবশ্য উপন্যাসটি উপভোগ্য হয়েছে।<br /><br />তবে একটি জিনিষ আমার কাছে খুবই বিরক্ত লেগেছে। আজকাল প্রায়ই দেখা যাচ্ছে যে হুমায়ূন আহমেদের উপন্যাসের চরিত্রগুলোর আধিভৌতিক ক্ষমতা আছে। এই উপন্যাসের কিছু চরিত্রের ও এই ধরণের ক্ষমতা আছে। শ্রদ্ধেয় হুমায়ূন আহমেদ তার সব উপন্যাসেই যেন তার 'হিমু' এবং 'মিসির আলি' চরিত্র দুটি নিয়ে আসতে চাচ্ছেন। আমি জানি যে, হুমায়ূন আহমেদের জনপ্রিয়তার মুল কারণ এই দুটি চরিত্র। কিন্তূ প্রত্যেক উপন্যাসেই যদি এই ধরনের চরিত্র থাকে তাহলে তা উপন্যাসের স্বকীয়তার উপর প্রভাব ফেলে। আশাকরি, হুমায়ূন আহমেদের পরবর্তী উপন্যাসগুলো আরো উপভোগ্য হবে।Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-88589501445323473432008-02-28T22:36:00.009+00:002008-03-10T10:50:56.026+00:00Jooce.com: Personal desktop on the web<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >Today I have discovered the website <a href="http://www.jooce.com/">Jooce.com</a>, the website provides to build a virtual desktop pc environment for its subscribers. Offered by Luxembourg-based start-up Jooce, it is being billed as a way of personalising any computer. Jooce is targeting the estimated 500 million people who log on to the internet from a cybercafé every day.<br /><br />I have been using the website for past couple of days to check its usability. I am not yet 100% impressed with its service. The website requires a very high bandwidth connection which is not available in most of the developing countries where most of the cybercafés are. I was quite frequently getting disconnected while uploading my documents to the website's server.<br /><br />The folder options are quite good-easy to organise. The website has its own media player to play music and videos. So, the users don't need to rely on the cybercafés' media players.<br /><br />The website also allows its users to log on to popular instant messenger through its server. I have used Windows Live Messenger using the service, but there was difficulty in transferring the contacts. Yahoo! Messenger, on the other hand, didn't work at all.<br /><br />Overall, it's a good initiative by the people behind Jooce.com to provide the 'CyberNomads' with a flavour of home PC wherever they are, but the service still has a long way to go before it can reap its potential.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><o:p></o:p></span></p>Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31722545.post-45626383693312035612008-02-21T18:32:00.000+00:002008-03-25T18:45:03.844+00:00বিদ্রোহী - কাজী নজরুল ইসলাম<p style="text-align: center;">বল বীর -<br />বল উন্নত মম শির!<br />শির নেহারি আমারি, নত শির ওই শিখর হিমাদ্রির!<br />বল বীর -<br />বল মহা বিশ্বের মহাকাশ ফাড়ি’<br />চন্দ্র সূর্য গ্রহ তারা ছাড়ি’<br />ভূলোক দ্যুলোক গোলোক ভেদিয়া,<br />খোদার আসন ‘আরশ’ ছেদিয়া,<br />উঠিয়াছি চির বিস্ময় আমি বিশ্ব বিধাত্রীর!<br />মম ললাটে রুদ্র ভগবান জ্বলে রাজ-রাজটীকা দীপ্ত জয়শ্রীর!<br />বল বীর-<br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"> আমি চির উন্নত শির। </div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;">আমি চিরদুর্দ্দম, দুর্বিনীত, নৃশংস,<br />মহা-প্রলয়ের আমি নটরাজ, আমি সাইক্লোন, আমি ধ্বংস,<br />আমি মহাভয়, আমি অভিশাপ পৃথ্বীর!<br />আমি দুর্বার,<br />আমি ভেঙ্গে করি সব চুরমার!<br />আমি অনিয়ম উচ্ছৃঙ্খল,<br />আমি দলে যাই যত বন্ধন, যত নিয়ম কানুন শৃঙ্খল!<br />আমি মানি না কো কোন আইন,<br />আমি ভরা-তরী করি ভরা-ডুবি, আমি টর্পেডো, আমি ভীম ভাসমান মাইন!<br />আমি ধুর্জ্জটী, আমি এলোকেশে ঝড় অকাল-বৈশাখীর!<br />আমি বিদ্রোহী, আমি বিদ্রোহী-সূত বিশ্ব-বিধাত্রীর!<br />বল বীর-<br />চির-উন্নত মম শির!</p><div style="text-align: center;"> ...</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;">আমি বন্ধন-হারা কুমারীর বেণী, তন্বী-নয়নে বহ্নি,<br />আমি ষোড়শীর হৃদি-সরসিজ প্রেম উদ্দাম, আমি ধন্যি!<br />আমি উন্মন মন উদাসীর,<br />আমি বিধবার বুকে ক্রন্দণ শ্বাস, হা-হুতাশ আমি হুতাশীর!<br />আমি বঞ্চিত ব্যথা পথবাসী চির-গৃহহারা যত পথিকের,<br />আমি অবমানিতের মরম-বেদনা, বিষ-জ্বালা, প্রিয়-লাঞ্ছিত বুকে গতি ফের!<br />আমি অভিমানী চির-ক্ষুব্ধ হিয়ার কাতরতা, ব্যথা সুনিবিড়,<br />চিত- চুম্বন-চোর-কম্পন আমি থর-থর-থর প্রথম পরশ কুমারীর!<br />আমি গোপন-প্রিয়ার চকিত চাহনি, ছল ক’রে দেখা অনুখণ,<br />আমি চপল মেয়ের ভালবাসা, তা'র কাঁকন চুড়ির কন্ কন্।<br />আমি চির-শিশু, চির-কিশোর<br />আমি যৌবন-ভীতু পল্লীবালার আঁচর কাঁচলি নিচোর!<br />আমি উত্তর-বায়ু, মলয়-অনিল, উদাস পূরবী হাওয়া,<br />আমি পথিক-কবির গভীর রাগিণী, বেনু-বীণে গান গাওয়া।<br />আমি আকুল নিদাঘ-তিয়াসা, আমি রৌদ্র-রুদ্র রবি,<br />আমি মরু-নির্ঝর ঝর-ঝর, আমি শ্যামলিমা ছায়া-ছবি।<br />আমি তুরীয়ানন্দে ছুটে চলি এ কি উন্মাদ, আমি উন্মাদ!<br />আমি সহসা আমারে চিনেছি, আমার খুলিয়া গিয়াছে সব বাঁধ!</p><p style="text-align: center;">...</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;">আমি অর্ফিয়াসের বাঁশরী,<br />মহা- সিন্ধু উতলা ঘুম্-ঘুম্,<br />ঘুম্ চুমু দিয়ে করি নিখিল বিশ্বে নিঝ্ঝুম্<br />মম বাঁশরীর তানে পাশরি<br />আমি শ্যামের হাতের বাঁশরী।<br />আমি রুষে উঠে’ যবে ছুটি মহাকাশ ছাপিয়া,<br />ভয়ে সপ্ত নরক হাবিয়া দোজখ নিভে নিভে যায় কাঁপিয়া!<br />আমি বিদ্রোহ-বাহী নিখিল অখিল ব্যাপিয়া!</p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;">আমি শ্রাবণ-প্লাবন-বন্যা,<br />কভু ধরণীরে করি বরণীয়া, কভু বিপুল-ধ্বংস-ধন্যা-<br />আমি ছিনিয়া আনিব বিষ্ঞু-বক্ষ হইতে যুগল কন্যা!<br />আমি অন্যায়, আমি উল্কা, আমি শনি,<br />আমি ধূমকেতু-জ্বালা, বিষধর কলা-ফণী!<br />আমি ছিন্নমন্তা চণ্ডী, আমি রণদা সর্বনাশী,<br />আমি জাহান্নামের আগুনে বসিয়া হাসি পুষ্পের হাসি!</p><p style="text-align: center;">আমি মৃন্ময়, আমি চিন্ময়,<br />আমি অজয় অমর অক্ষয়, আমি অব্যয়!<br />আমি মানব দানব দেবতার ভয়,<br />বিশ্বের আমি চির-দুর্জয়,<br />জগদীশ্বর-ঈশ্বর আমি পুরুষোত্তম সত্য,<br />আমি তাথিয়া তাথিয়া মথিয়া ফিরি এ স্বর্গ পাতাল-মর্ত্য!<br />আমি উন্মাদ, আমি উন্মাদ!<br />আমি চিনেছি আমারে, আজিকে আমার খুলিয়া গিয়াছে সব বাঁধা!!-</p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;">আমি পরশুরামের কঠোর কুঠার,<br />নিঃক্ষত্রিয় করিব বিশ্ব, আনিব শান্তি শান্ত উদার!<br />আমি হল বলরাম-স্কন্ধে,<br />আমি উপাড়ি' ফেলিব অধীন বিশ্ব অবহেলে নব সৃষ্টির মহানন্দে,</p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;">মহা- বিদ্রোহী রণ-কাল্ত,<br />আমি সেইদিন সব শান্ত,<br />যবে উত্পীড়িতের ক্রন্দণ-রোল আকাশে বাতাসে ধ্বনিবে না<br />অত্যাচারীর খড়্গ কৃপাণ ভীম রণ-ভূমে রণিবে না-<br />বিদ্রোহী রণ-ক্লান্ত<br />আমি সেই দিন হব শান্ত।</p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;">আমি বিদ্রোহী ভৃগু, ভগবান বুকে এঁকে দিই পদ-চিহ্ন;<br />আমি স্রষ্টা-সুদন; শোক-তাপ হানা খেয়ালী বিধির বক্ষ করিব ভিন্ন।<br />আমি বিদ্রোহী ভৃগু, ভগবান বুকে এঁকে দেবো পদ-চিহ্ন!<br />আমি খেয়ালী বিধির বক্ষ করিব ভিন্ন।</p><div style="text-align: center;"><br />আমি চির-বিদ্রোহী-বীর-<br />আমি বিশ্ব ছাড়ায়ে উঠিয়াছি একা চির উন্নত শির!</div>Tanvier Chowdhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10963511353232873450noreply@blogger.com1