Ethical Audit Report of Tesco Essay

According to Mamoria (2010), business ethics is defined as the businessman’s integrity so far as his conduct or behaviour is concerned in all fields of business as well as towards the society and other businesses. Thus, the conduct or behaviour by businessman towards the society or others may have some conflicts and contradictions. The intention of this report is to highlight what and why the incidents happened. The incidents include the employment of illegal workers, price fixing, and poor product quality. All these incidents tend to spoil the corporate’ image of the company and also bring harmful effect to the communities and other stakeholders. So, Tesco took action by compensating to the victims, restructured corporate management system for better performances, and provided training programme and learning course for the employee. The ethical theories applicable to Tesco include Ethics of Justice, Ethics of Duty, and Feminist Ethics, which will also be discussed in this report. In addition, the organization’s best practices and values such as corporate social responsibility and protecting the environment will also be discussed for the close up of this report. 1. 1 Background of Tesco Tesco, one of the largest retailers in the world started its business in 1919. The Founder, Jack Cohen started a grocery stall in East End of London. He made a profit of ? 1 from sales of ? 4 on his first day. After 5 years, in 1924. Mr. Cohen bought a shipment of tea from Mr. T. E. Stockwell where the â€Å"Tesco† brand first appearance. Tesco expanded its business to petrol station in 1974, and became the UK’s largest independent petrol retailer. It generated a total sales topped ? 1bn and doubled up to ? 2bn in 1982. In order to overtake the UK’s leading grocer in 1990, Tesco made an aggressive marketing campaign to open more stores to gain its businesses. In 2000, Tesco continued to expand its business by product range from clothes to electrical and personal finance products when Tesco. com was launched (www. telegraph. co. uk). For more detail on its corporate background, kindly refer to Appendix I. 2. 0 Ethical Dilemmas Ethics in general and ethics in business are very intimate to one another. Therefore one’s personal ethics cannot be completely separated from one’s business or organizational ethics. If you are a man of principles, then you are more inclined to insist on high moral standards in your business and organizations (Gavai, 2010). No matter how strong the corporate policy and system, ethical dilemmas still exist as everyone is looking for their own interest. Tesco, one of the biggest retailers in worldwide also faces the same problems such as illegal workers, price fixing and poor product quality. . 1 Illegal Workers Tesco was caught for hiring 30 illegal workers who were foreign students at one of its warehouses. These students were from 11 different nationalities; mostly Bangladeshi and Indian origins were alleged for working up to 3? times longer than their allowed working hour in visa permit (www. visabureau. com). They worked as much as 50 hours extra than the allowed ho urs of 20 hours per week. This incident happened after the UK border Agency enforcement team visited their factory on July 2012 in Croydon (www. immigrationmatters. co. uk). The retailer took responsibilities by giving corporation to the investigation as they insisted they did not condone illegal working (www. telegraph. co. uk). Anyhow, employees were considered the victims in this incident as they had not been protected by the company’s employment rules, where they were forced to work for extra hours. They faced big losses such as inability to further education and having a work-life balance. Employer did not protect for employee welfare, they abused employee right to work extra which prompted to product high productivity, maximize the profit margin by saving cost of employee salary. Supplier played a key role in this scenario, as it was the only party to transform information between the employers and the employee while in the process of recruitment. In fact, there was wrong information sending either to the employer or the employee. 2. 2 Price Fixing Tesco was accused in the scandal of the pricing fixing on its dairy products such as cheese and milk. The consumers from the Office of Fair Trading in UK reported that Tesco had charged them an additional of approximately ? 270M between years 2002-2003. The huge amount was accumulated from 3 pence extra for a pint of milk, 15 penny extra for each quarter-pound of butter and the same amount per half-pound of cheese for every single purchased together with another 8 firms were implicated in the collusion (www. dailymail. co. uk). They were caught by breaching the competition act in synchronising the increased price with other competitors for certain dairy products. However, Tesco’s competitors had admitted and OFT had been given discount on the fined amount as they had given cooperation in the investigation. When the corporations did not practice fair competition which comply with the competition law, consumers were the victims because they did not protect in fair trading. This is clearly a strong violation of consumers’ rights (www. savistamagazine. com). Shareholders in the corporations basically earned extra profits in this scenario. Whereas, this practices was not encouraged as they must obey the corporate law which was stated in the Corporate Governance. Government department plays a key role in this embarrass scenario; their intention was to protect the consumers. Their penalty towards the corporations sent a clear signal to them not to violate consumers’ rights. In fact, families in UK suffering big loss of expensed extra for the daily goods in unknowingly. They should be protected under the fair trading policy which ensured them to trade in worthiness. 2. 3 Poor Product Quality Tesco also received a punishment from the Bracknell Magistrate Court for selling 127 outdated foods in the Martins Heron branch on May 2011. The foods included beef-burgers, ham and chocolate cheesecake. This incident happened when a girl fell sick after consuming chargrilled chicken pasta salad. This prompted Bracknell Forest Trading Standards officers to investigate the matter after receiving the complaint. The officers found that the foods had expired for 16 days during a visit to the store (www. getreading. co. uk). Trading Standards officers commented this matter as the â€Å"worst case of out-of- date product† that they had ever seen (www. mirror. co. uk). The irresponsible behavior acted by the management of Tesco was strongly affected to the public health. It also brought suffer to the consumers from physically and mentality. The shareholders were also facing lost when the management was careless in managing the stocks. Besides the above, Tesco was discovered for selling 100 expired food products which included yoghurts, fruit smoothies, soup, gravy, vegetable pakoras, packaged salad, pasta bowls, samosa and bhaji snack packs and guacomole dip. These items were past their sell-by-dated of between 1 to 17 days. The occurrence was engaged by a manager who had 20 years experience but his first time to manage the largest store chain, Tesco Extra. Shoppers had complaint about the poor problems to the Coventry City Council and the trading standards officers had proven the issues after their raids at the branch in Gielgud Way, Walsgrave in November 2009 (www. oventrytelegraph. net) 3. 0 Actions taken to solve these dilemmas According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, dilemmas are situations or problems where a person has to make a difficult choice; an ethical dilemma is a problem where a person has to choose between a moral and an immoral act (smallbusiness. chron. com). Dilemma occurrences in the workplace are common and action taken to solve them is very important, whereas theory of ethics can be applied as guidelines which may bring the moral decision. 3. 1 Reinforce in recruitment and management system Tesco was fined for a total of ? 15,000 by UK Border Agency (UKBA) for 23 students, of various nationalities who had breached the visa working terms (www. telegraph. co. uk). UKBA was reflecting UK government’s intention into act which has promised to overwhelm on visa abuse. The 23 individuals were not permitted to enter UK again (www. visabureau. com). The Britain’s biggest supermarket had ensured that the incident in this nature will never happen again. One of the executive had been laid off after the lacklustre performance (www. telegraph. co. uk). Tesco was a founder member of Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI). They searched employee with high standard by applying the ETI base code which included; no exploitation of child labour, working hours not exceeding (20 hours per week for foreign workers) and regular employment is provided (www. tesco. ie). However, the government had carried out a good job by taking serious action against any employers who had breached the visa working terms. After the fined it brought a â€Å"warning† to the competitors and simultaneously as a reminder to them to have good ethical practice while in competition. Nobody is allowed to breach the rules in order to obtain success in competition. In addition, after UKBA taken action against the employer, the rest employees will enjoy the benefits which to work in regularly, fair treated, feel protected and concerned by the government. Employer was ensured that the management system been improved after laid off an employee who made mistake. Employer was informed to put employee’s welfares as priority. 3. 2 Defending the rights Tesco was slapped with the fined of ? 10m for price-fixing of its dairy products by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in 2011 after seven years of investigation. However, they threatened to fight back by taking legal action against OFT to defend themselves. The company claimed they were â€Å"surprised and dismayed† with the fined and strongly denied with any collusion in changing pricing detail with each other via the dairy processors. Tesco stand at its point vigorously and throughout the court. However, it had urged the government to deprive OFT of its power to investigate and punish firms under the competition act (www. mirror. co. uk). The intention of OFT was to alert the industries that the competition laws was enforced in ensuring the shopper in a fair trade condition. Hence, after the punishments were sent, it was ensure that the competition was maintained under the competition laws. Furthermore, competitors were only able to divulge information to each other via dairy suppliers. Suppliers were also not been honest in this incident. Suppliers did not bear responsibility of providing high quality products with reasonable prices where the consumers are able enjoy the benefits. Thus, suppliers being fined by the OFT were considered reasonable. No matter how the employer wanted to fight back with OFT, they had to pay the fine and settled it in the fastest way where to stop any embarrassing matters to affect their sales figure. At the same time, the costly and time consuming case might affect the expense of both taxpayer and business as well. So the fine paid has benefitted the consumers which bring fairness of their trading. 3. 3 Compensations After Tesco had admitted selling of outdated food, it was fined by the Bracknell Magistate Court for ? 12,000, and ? 15,000 in legal fees and a ? 15 victim surcharge. The Charges were related to 88 types of food which were put on shelves for sales. Tesco had to bear for the penalty as they knew that selling of out-date-food brought harm to the public health (www. tutorcare. o. uk). In order not to repeat their mistake, they were reinforced through staff training at the Bracknell store to ensure all the processes undergone strict quality control and the procedures were complied. Customers are the cause and purpose of every business. A business is supposed to serve them satisfactorily (Gavai, 2010). According to Tesco Corporate responsibility, they were running local s upplier programme for the purpose of getting fresh and quality products. Therefore, the company had to enforce the programme to ensure it was running smoothly and the supplier complied with it. Employers had to bear the responsibility for the incident where there was serious problem in the management. The accused significantly spoiled the corporate image and reputation which cause the sales figure to drop. However, the employers had made a right decision for admitting the mistake and paid compensation. It significantly showed that Tesco was applying the Ethics of Justice. According to Plato (2010), justice is an order and a beauty of the parts of a whole. Justice is effective coordination. It is an effective harmony of the whole. Ethics of justice can be defined as what is right and what is wrong in clear and precision. It was related to the notion of fairness. When a person is been treated unequally or deprived from what he deserved, then he was treated with injustice. Tesco realized that treating someone injustice was an immoral action, so they pledged guilty and paid fined which tend to bring fairness to the consumers as to determine this action on the criterion of rightness, which is one of the concepts in Ethics of Justice as well. Furthermore, Tesco was fined for ? 33,400 for 43 charges of selling 100 out-of-date foods at a hearing in Coventry Magistrates Court and a further of 94 charges after considering their sentenced. However, some shareholders of Tesco were present in court to show their seriousness of this matter and their concern on the case. They pledged guilty on the charges and their managers were laid off and two other employees were being disciplined (www. lacors. gov. uk). Employees had th e responsibility to carry out their job by following the corporate system. Some of the mistakes were not being tolerated and it has brought harm to the public health. The Coventry council was pleased with the results as the sentenced brought a warning to other competitors in the same industry that the government had stand at their point for the communities was appreciated. 4. 0 Best Practices and Values According to Donald, White and Bedner (2010), value is a concept of the desirable, an internalized criterion or standard of evaluation a person possesses. Such concepts and standards are relatively few and determine or guide an individual’s evaluation of many objects encountered in everyday life. Values are tinged with moral flavour involving an individual’s judgement of what is good, right or desirable. Tesco has practiced several communities’ works as a return to the society and tried to deliver values to them. Corporate social responsibility is in the interest of business because, by contributing to social change, it can create a better environment for its own transactions, thereby developing business while being socially responsibly (Rendtorff and Dahl, 2009). 4. 1 Communities Works Tesco plays a vital role in the local communities by supporting them actively without preconditions. They wanted to have a good relationship with the communities in which they operated. The fundamental condition that Tesco can provide to the communities is providing good quality, affordable foods and goods, and offering job to the unemployment. Besides that, they are listening and responding to the local communities for their needs and values, carrying out the issues that matter to them positively, and improve the local area by providing lasting contributions. They regularly set up a new store in the area where the retailers or businesses had been neglected. Tesco also launched a Regeneration Partnership Programs in UK where Tesco was proud as this prompted to providing job opportunities to the long term unemployment. In May 2012, they had their first launched store under the regeneration program in Hungary at Debrecen. Hiring 100 unemployed and providing 42 with courses organized by Regional Labour Centre helped them to readjust in their routine of daily work. Tesco also gathered the local communities in a centre point for them to interact. In Turkey, Tesco Kipa Family Club offered Cooking class, Dancing class, chess and learning English Class to their 60,000 members. In addition, Tesco had over 100 schools of Extended Class in South Korea to let the customers and families to attend Arts and English Class. Presently, Tesco had over 750 communities champion working into the communities which communicated with the communities effectively. They were organizing activities such as Healthy Eating to the primary school and local school children, charity event by collection or bag packing, and also asking the staff and customers to join the events like Race for Life (www. tescoplc. com). Without doubt, values to the communities such as responsibility, accountability, concern and unity had contributed absolutely by Tesco. â€Å"Value† so understood is a very broad category. It includes all sorts of things, from personal desire like health or a sense of humor to social ideals like wealth or liberty (Weston, 2010). They are responsible to the communities by giving them quality product in affordable prices. In addition, they were giving values of accountability by organizing learning class for the communities to gain their knowledge and interests. Tesco is also concerned about the communities of the unemployment, giving priority to the unemployed for job opportunities which also gave them better future and better life. Unity of the communities is very important in local area, Tesco provided a platform for the communities to communicate, interact and work together. They looked forward that every business and store were valued by the communities as they were trying hard to give interest to the communities. Tesco contributed a lot of times and fund to the community works. This demonstrates the application of Ethics of Duty. According to Kant (2010), a duty is obligatory and one has to do his duty regardless of any situation. Most of the time duty implies an action that one is expected to do as a part of society which may be neither for self-satisfaction nor for immediate happiness. Tesco knew what their prime duty to the communities was. Having a good thought is not enough but must in action. An action with potential concern showed their responsibility to the communities. 4. 2 Protecting Environment Protecting the environment is one of the important missions set by Tesco. The only way to deal with it was reducing the impact on the environment, including water and energy usage. All the suppliers have to follow the program with Tesco by reducing carbon footprint on the product and manage the water usage in all the store chain. The mission to be achieved is to become a zero-carbon business by 2050. Achieving a mission is not only in planning but practice. Tesco has converted over 100 stores to natural refrigeration across the corporate. The project in Kenya for the Lake Naivasha water stewardship helped to reduce water pollution and raised the water levels, replace transportation from lorries to rail transport which saved 15,000 tonnes of CO2e per year. Tesco had also collaborated with Unilever to create awareness amongst customers of sustainable product choices; more than 10,000 customers were advised to reduce their water footprint in Turkey. Tesco practiced by reducing in packaging and minimizing waste in their dairy operation which helped to reduce the impact on the environment. Reducing waste was the priority plan for Tesco. They used a market-leading store ordering system which helped to predict what each store chain will sell, this minimized waste of food accurately before it reached their customers. The programmes of minimizing the store’s operational waste started running since 2009 throughout the world’s store chain. They did not send any wastage from the UK store to the landfill. If the wasted were unable to recycle then it will be converted into other sources of energy. In China, cardboard and wasted oil in the stores had been fully recycled. In Poland, in order to increase the rate of recycling, they have conducted an audit of waste segregation in stores. In Malaysia, they encouraged the employees to recycle by launching a weekly league table to record who recycled the most. In US, they sent their waste food to the food bank for those who needed to reduce the wastage. And lastly in Slovakia, they donated the waste food the Hunter’s association for feeding animals. The materials used for product packing were the lightest weight and sustainable and also gave opportunities for recycling. Since 2007, Tesco have reduced the packaging of own-brand product more than 15% in UK, which included cutting glass usage by 420 tonnes annually when producing their own label Champagne. They also changed traditional packaging of toys to new packaging reduction technique that brought 15% reduction. In UK, Tesco also has commitments with WRAP’s Courtauld 2 (Waste and Resource Action Programme) to reduce the packaging waste by 2012. The commitments included the reduction of weight, recycled content of grocery packaging to be increased, rates of recycling to be increased, and carbon impact to be lowered by 10%, reduction of 4% for the UK household food and drink, and reduction of 5% for the products and packaging waste in the supply chains (www. tescoplc. com). Caring for the environment brings value of duty, love, hope, and comfort. Tesco has carried out their duty towards the society by committing on wastage reduction. All the resources taken from the earth and environment were fully utilized and the balances were recycled. This duty is belonging to everyone; therefore Tesco has taken it into priority. Tesco also showed the values of love. In terms of loving the earth, loving the environment, and loving each others in the world by saving the resources such as water. Human being is unable to live without water. Tesco knew the seriousness so they ran several programmes on reducing the usage of water. Tesco is giving Hope to the society as well, saving resources in order to prevent resources shortage, and climate changing. Value of hope is generating with these practices to the people. Living in harmony and secure which may concern for the next generation as well. With the clean environment, the values of comfort arise and the people can feel that they are living in a peaceful world. This is the main objective achieved by Tesco. A comfort lifestyle may bring positive thinking to the people, staying with tolerance and forgiveness. Tesco has significantly practiced ethical theory of right for the programme. According to William Sbaw (2010), a right is an entitlement to act or have other acts in a certain way. Everyone has a right in doing certain action and simultaneously expecting others not to deprive its right. However, others also possess a right to disagree to the action, but they cannot dismiss it. Tesco promoted the protecting environment programme and has prompted to let the communities knew that they had the right to live harmony. Right and Duty are correlated as that our prime duty is to protect the rights of people (Gavai, 2010). Tesco has the duty of giving fairness to the society and the communities have the right to enjoy the fair treatment. 5. Conclusion Business ethics is important for a corporate because it brings significant benefits and advantages. Corporation with good business ethics prompt to have good image and reputation in the market, which assist to create market awareness and promote sales easily. Furthermore, a corporation best practice such as corporate social responsibility is also very crucial which to protect the employees and communities’ welfare, c orporation may enjoy benefits for itself also because a good corporate social responsibility may create loyalty of an employee. A loyal and committted employee will stay with the corporation constantly and increase productivity, which can reduce labour turnover as well. Whereas, Tesco, as one of the biggest retailers in the world, which cover business internationally (refer Appendix II for International business Chart), they realize the importance of these and working hard to practice good ethical behavior, create value for the communities and providing moral decision to settle the ethical dilemma to ensure the stakeholder and communities can enjoy the benefits.

Part 1- Racial identity and culture Essay

Introduction The term race refers to the concept of dividing people into populations or groups on the basis of various sets of characteristics and beliefs about common ancestry. 1 The most widely used human racial categories are based on visible traits (especially skin color, facial features and hair texture), and self-identification. Conceptions of race, as well as specific ways of grouping races, vary by culture and over time, and are often controversial for scientific as well as social and political reasons. The controversy ultimately revolves around whether or not races are natural kinds or socially constructed, and the degree to which observed differences in ability and achievement, categorised on the basis of race, are a product of inherited (i. e. genetic) traits or environmental, social and cultural factors. Some argue that although â€Å"race† is a valid taxonomic concept in other species, it cannot be applied to humans. Mainstream scientists have argued that race definitions are imprecise, arbitrary, derived from custom, have many exceptions, have many gradations, and that the numbers of races delineated vary according to the culture making the racial distinctions; they thus reject the notion that any definition of race pertaining to humans can have taxonomic rigour and validity. Today most scientists study human genotypic and phenotypic variation using more rigorous concepts such as â€Å"population† and â€Å"clinical gradation. † Many anthropologists contend that while the features on which racial categorizations are made may be based on genetic factors, the idea of race itself, and actual divisions of persons into groups based on selected hereditary features, are social constructs, whereas a new opinion among geneticists is that it should be a valid mean of classification, although in a modified form based on DNA analysis. 2 Racial and Ethnic identity and Development Racial and ethnic identity are critical parts of the overall framework of individual and collective identity. For some especially visible and legally defined minority populations in the United States, racial and ethnic identity are manifested in very conscious ways. This manifestation is triggered most often by two conflicting social and cultural influences. First, deep conscious immersion into cultural traditions and values through religious, familial, neighborhood, and educational communities instills a positive sense of ethnic identity and confidence. Second, and in contrast, individuals often must filter ethnic identity through negative treatment and media messages received from others because of their race and ethnicity. These messages make it clear that people with minority status have a different ethnic make-up and one that is less than desirable within main-stream society. Others, especially white Americans, manifest ethnic and racial identity in mostly unconscious ways through their behaviors, values, beliefs, and assumptions. For them, ethnicity is usually invisible and unconscious because societal norms have been constructed around their racial, ethnic, and cultural frameworks, values, and priorities and then referred to as â€Å"standard American culture† rather than as â€Å"ethnic identity. † This uncon-scious ethnic identity manifests itself in daily behaviors, attitudes, and ways of doing things. Unlike many minority cultures, there is little conscious instilling of specific ethnic identity through white communities, nor is differential ethnic treatment often identified in the media of white cultures. As we discuss throughout this chapter, everyone benefits from the development of a conscious ethnic identity and benefits as well when multicultural frame-works are used in their learning environments. Definitions of Racial and Ethnic Identity. The constructs of race and ethnicity in the United States are complex and difficult to define and frame. Researchers are not consistent in their meaning, which makes these concepts particularly challenging to grasp. To add to the confusion, racial and ethnic identity â€Å"transcends traditional categories and has become a major topic in psychology, literature, theology, philosophy, and many other disciplines†. The concept of racial identity, in particular, has been misunderstood and contested. Some meanings are derived from its biological dimension and others from its social dimension . As a biological category, race is derived from an individual’s â€Å"physical features, gene pools and character qualities†. Using these features as distinguishing characteristics, Europeans grouped people hierarchically by physical ability and moral quality, with Caucasians as the pinnacle, followed by Asians and Native Americans, and Africans last on the racial ladder. However, looking beyond these characteristics, there are more similarities than differences between racial groups and more differences than similarities within these groups. Today, literary and theoretical manifestations of racial identity are discussed not in biological terms (which may imply a racist perspective) but as a social construction, which â€Å"refers to a sense of group or collective identity based on one’s perception that he or she shares a common heritage with a particular racial group†. Racial identity seems most often, however, to be a frame in which individuals categorize others, often based on skin color. The use of skin color is one of many labeling tools that allow individuals and groups to distance themselves from those they consider different from themselves. Racial identity is a surface-level manifestation based on what we look like yet has deep implications in how we are treated. Ethnic identity is often considered a social construct as well. It is viewed as an individual’s identification with â€Å"a segment of a larger society whose members are thought, by themselves or others, to have a common origin and share segments of a common culture and who, in addition, participate in shared activities in which the common origin and culture are significant ingredients†. Ethnic identity seems most often to be a frame in which individuals identify consciously or unconsciously with those with whom they feel a common bond because of similar traditions, behaviors, values, and beliefs. These points of connection allow individuals to make sense of the world around them and to find pride in who they are. If, however, positive ethnic group messages and support are not apparent or available to counteract negative public messages, a particular individual is likely to feel shame or disconnection toward their own ethnic identity. Ethnic identity development consists of an individual’s movement toward a highly conscious identification with their own cultural values, behaviors, beliefs, and traditions. Ethnic and racial identity models provide a theoretical structure for understanding individuals’ negotiation of their own and other cultures.

Brand Management For Fashion Industry

Brand Management For Fashion Industry Introduction Though brand management is not limited to the apparels and accessories it is very evident that fashion industry has given the word a turnaround over the years. From brand fanaticism to Brand loyalty Fashion Brands have the tendency to create a strong Brand identity amongst the minds of the consumers. Many of their brand management strategies have been successful. The global fashion industry is a giant in terms of the impact it has on economy, trade and commerce of many countries, the reach and importance of its products and the strength of its employment. Over the century, growth of the industry has been astonishing in terms of technology and revenue. The innovations had been rapid and growth exponential. Though origin of branding dates back to historical times, fashion industry is one of the industries which capitalized the most of a Brand’s strength. Fashion industry has a strong affinity to brand management, and most successful brand strategies like retailers Zara, Mark & Spencer and Luxury designer brands like Louis Vuitton, Armani, Dior and YSL. The Brand strategy of most fashion brands revolve around the concept of differentiation of products, target customer group and building brand-consumer relationship from which is derived a Brand Personality and Identity of each brand. This identity carves a niche for the brand in the market. But there arise a few questions about this glamorous industries’ brand management strategy. Does a successful brand management strategy mean ethical Brand strategy? Does having a good turnover a year make a brand strategy successful? Can Ethics be inculcated in a brand strategy in an effective way? In the recent years a new concern has developed for the industries worldwide, the Ethics of business. The London fashion week, 2008 states that the fashion Industry has been caught on the issue of ethical and environmental clothing. Though researches have been made widely on Ethics and Business in most of t he fields and industries very few initiatives had been made for the same in terms of brand management ethics and in particular context of Fashion and Apparel Industry. This Proposal aims in studying this less frequented topic of research yet growing concern of ethical consumerism in fashion industry, the requirements and processes involved for a brand to identify itself as a Holistic and authentic ethical brand. Scope of the Study Research Objectives, Questions and Hypotheses Research Objectives To study the brand management strategy of successful and powerful brands To understand the importance of Ethics as a critical factor for any brand strategy To analyze the effects of integrating ethics into the brand strategy and the implications of the relationship Research Questions What is a Brand strategy management? What are the successful brand strategies? What is business ethics? What is the need of Ethical Brand strategy? What are the implications of integrating ethical business and b rand strategic management? Research Hypotheses Hypotheses 1 Strategic management is significant for a successful Brand Hypotheses 2 Business ethics has become an essential factor for competitive advantage of a brand Hypotheses 3 The relationship between brand management and business ethics can form an authentic ethical brand

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The Opposite of Freedom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Opposite of Freedom - Essay Example There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in a brief moment of illumination. (Story 2) For her, freedom was only possible in the death of her husband, not in his life. She was not sad at his dying, because it meant that she would finally be able to make her own decisions, finally able to live her own life. Yet the story can not end there. The reader is told early in the story that Louise has a weak heart, and would be stressed by the news. When the doctors arrive to check her, and make sure she is well, another person also arrives-her husband. The story ends "When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease - of joy that kills" (Story 3). To the very end, she was controlled by her husband, and the shock at realizing that all the joy she had felt was too soon killed her. Even her death was determined by the actions of a man. For Desiree, of "Desiree's Baby," the misery in her life is no less evident. She is happy with her husband, and they have a great love. ... She, who is a very sensitive soul, is glad that the coming of their first child has softened her husband, who is often cruel with the slaves. Then, suddenly, something changed, and the entire mood of the house was different. Desire noticed When he spoke to her, it was with averted eyes, from which the old love-light seemed to have gone out. He absented himself from home; and when there, avoided her presence and that of her child, without excuse. And the very spirit of Satan seemed suddenly to take hold of him in his dealings with the slaves. Desiree was miserable enough to die. (Desiree 3) Something, it seemed, had changed for him, and his mood is what controlled the entire house. When Desiree suddenly realizes that her son is partially black, she goes to her husband to find out why he was black. He explains to her that she must be black. And because she was black, he no longer wanted her. She left, and he burned all her belongings, along with those of the baby. Yet, at the end, the narrator shares with the reader a note from Armand's past. His mother wrote "I thank the good God for having so arranged our lives that our dear Armand will never know that his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery" (Desiree 6). He was so embarrassed by his own history that he was willing to blame it on his wife, and force her to leave, along with his son. For both women, men controlled their actions. For Desiree, the fault was clearly hers, and she was forced to leave. For Louise, her only freedom came with her husband's death. Both women were limited in their movements by men, but in different ways. Desiree was forced to leave, and lose the happiness she had with her family, along with

The Communication Technology Effect in Business Research Paper - 1

The Communication Technology Effect in Business - Research Paper Example It has examined and analyzed literature related to the use of the internet, emails, websites, social media as well as wireless technology devices such as smartphones, radio frequency, cloud computing devices and other cellular devices. This discussion demonstrates how these technologies are used for communication purposes within an internal department of a business and also with the outside world, and the ways they have been used in communication to benefit the business organizations. This paper also discusses the advantages that these communication technologies have offered to business over time as well as the limiting factors of the same.     Incidentals of Authorization and Submittal This study of communication technology effects in business is submitted to Mr. Dennis H. Mohle, BA 105W Instructor, on Dec 10, 2013. As authorized on Jan 22, the research and was conducted under the direction of Dennis H. Mohle of Business Communication Research, LLP. The objective of the Study Ob jective of communication technology effect in business Research Study: The objective of the study was to explore and examine how advancement in communication technology has impacted on the way business operations are conducted locally and internationally. Use of Observational Techniques The methodology used in this investigation was observational and analysis of the literal information and statistics available from research articles, peer-reviewed journals, books, periodicals and the internet on the effect of communication technology in business.  Ã‚  

Robert McNamara and the Vietnam War Research Paper

Robert McNamara and the Vietnam War - Research Paper Example He took a number of steps to reform the military strategy and capabilities, for instance, by lessening the vulnerability of missile attacks in addition to the establishment of the United States Strike Command which was mandated to draw forces when necessary from the military services. The United States Strike Command was to report to the Joint Chiefs of Staff who would, in turn, report to the secretary of defense. â€Å"Other major reforms on the military service include an increase of long-range airlift and sealift capabilities, consolidation of military functions to have all the powers center on the secretary of defense.†1 During the War, McNamara gradually doubted whether the war was in a real sense necessary. â€Å"He objected the idea posed by the military commanders to increase troops to South Vietnam as well as the intensifying bombing of northern Vietnam.†2, McNamara’s declaration that he had supported Vietnam War strategy out of his loyalty to the admini stration complicated matters with President Lyndon Baines Johnson who later announced that McNamara was to leave the secretary of defense job to join the world. ... The speculations and rumors came to pass later in November 1967, after McNamara gave a recommendation to President Lyndon Baines Johnson to stop attacks on North Vietnam, lessen the size of troops and hand over ground fighting to South Vietnam, this idea was immediately rejected by President Johnson. According to his belief, the military strategy in the Vietnam War had failed. From the reasons for objection as presented by McNamara, it almost became apparent that Vietnam War lacked the necessary support to achieve its objectives as stated in his documentary ‘the Vietnam war’, â€Å"None of our allies supported us†¦if we can’t persuade these nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we’d better re-examine our reasoning.†3 According to him, the war would have had a justified reason had it been fully supported by America’s close allies such as Japan, Germany, Britain, and France. He later announced his resignation in November the same year and joined the World Bank. After his departure, a number of questions arose on what actually compelled him to leave the defense job with some like Baral in his book The Pentagon and the making of U.S. foreign policy alleging that McNamara was fired by President Lyndon Baines Johnson.4 This paper seeks to look at McNamara’s life and the war’s moral consequences and the reason behind his haunting after he was fired. It seems from history that McNamara was up to a different agenda from that held by President Lyndon Baines Johnson and the military chiefs during the Vietnam War.  

Exploring a qualitative research problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Exploring a qualitative research problem - Essay Example A quantitative research method would use cause and effect thinking or would employ reduction of specific variables, hypothesis and questions. This paper will analyze three journals that have been written to discuss the obesity case and will look at the author’s framework of the problem, their purpose of the study and their rationale towards selection of the qualitative method. Ferda from the economics department in the Yeditebe University executed a research on the issue of obesity in Finland (Ferda, 2013). The research was aimed at finding out the causes of obesity in Finland that had become a national concern since every for every five people in the country two people were obese. The purpose of the research was to study the dynamics of obesity in Finland and provide evidence on how temporal obesity relates with health expenditure of the country and of individual persons (Ferda, 2013). The research also examined how unemployment was related to obesity since most of the unemployed people in the country were obese. Ferda also wanted to find out if urbanization had an impact or the rising cases of obese people living in urban centre in Finland. The research also was aimed at investigating how alcohol consumption and intake of calories, that were popular practices in Finland, led to obesity (Ferda, 2013). The researcher selected the qualitative method since the causes of obesity lied within the people and the best source of information was from the people themselves through simple methods such as interviews. The research also used testing and augmented causality tests to provide information on the possible causes of obesity on randomly selected people. According to my opinion, cases of obesity do not occur naturally since they are caused by the behavior of the person in terms of their food and beverage consumption. The qualitative research approach that the user used by

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 56

Discussion - Essay Example Although US had the highest GDP per person but its infant mortality rate was higher than France’s infant mortality rate which and similar was in the case of life expectancy rate. Countries that are poorer can establish better infant mortality rate as well as higher life expectancy rate as established in the comparison of France and US. This is because higher amount of GDP does not mean that the government is spending more on wellbeing and healthcare of their citizens. A country may be experiencing lower amount of GDP, but the amount of money it directs towards its populations healthcare determines how well a country stands in the measures of infant mortality rate. Secondly, the cost of healthcare even determines the countries standing in these measures. If cost of healthcare is kept low, then citizens can obtain better healthcare at lower prices. GDP per person statistics can only provide insight regarding how much per person is able to spend on goods and services, but does no t determines the amount of goods and services that can be purchased and the quality of goods and services that can be purchased by individuals, thus relying on GDP per person statistics does not provide a clear picture of a nation’s standard of

Grief Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Grief - Research Proposal Example The process of acquiring is made balanced by the fact that we must loose. All relationships, objects or positions we acquire in life must be taken away or experience a phase that eliminate the effectiveness of the relationship. The loss is painful to the human life and we involuntary develop a process that tends to react to the loss. The reaction may be displayed in numerous forms. Different people display varying reactions to loss based on their idea of mourning and recovery. In an example a person may cry while another may alter their eating habits. However, an explanation to loss and recovery may be explained in a theological perspective to understand the existence this part of human life and spirit. Grief can be defined as a way in which a person may react to loss. Grief is a person’s way to recovery after experiencing loss of something they had a relationship with1. However, the explanation of grief does cannot be exhausted by the understanding of the person relationship with what they lost. This is after the consideration that the magnitude of the loss determines the magnitude of grief one experiences2. Does grief exist in a theological scope or is grief extensively explained just by the reaction of human nature? Does one’s grief relieve them of the pain they experience when they undergo loss? It is involuntary to grief. Human nature is incorporated with characteristics that require them to adjust to their environment in an instance of change3. The adjustment requires any mechanism that would minimize the feeling of pain4. This explains the difference in the way in which different people grieve. A person may heal from crying while another person may not heal from the same mechanism. The process of grieving is also determined by the magnitude of the loss5. Grief is influenced by the level of one’s exposure to pain6. The magnitude of grief one may undergo when they lose their family member is different from one they experience when they

The EU Water Framework Directive Essay Example for Free

The EU Water Framework Directive Essay The EU Water framework directive was adopted on 23rd October, year 2000. This water framework directive aims at protection as well as management of the European waters. It also includes the adoption of plans to manage and appropriate measures that apply for each water mass. Through this water framework directive, the EU is able to manage inland surface, coastal waters, ground water as well as transitional waters with an aim of preventing and reducing pollution, promoting sustainable use of water, protecting of the aquatic environment, improving the aquatic ecosystem status as well as mitigating the effects of droughts and that of floods. The EU water framework directive has some demands that all the member states must meet. One of these demands is that of pricing. If water is adequately priced, it acts as a major incentive for sustainable and better use of the water resources. The member states are therefore required to see to it that the prices charged to the water consumers for example for the distribution of water is fresh or collection and treatment of dirty water, reflects or rather shows true costs. However, some EU member states have a very stiff challenge in meeting this demand. The EU water framework directive also demands that there should be full public participation so as to achieve the goal of having clean water. In order to port public participation in place, rallies and seminars must be conducted so as to educate the public on the need for having clean water. The EU member states should also exercise greater transparency during establishment of objectives, when imposing measures and when reporting standards (www. dhigroup. com/). If these things are practiced, then higher number of citizens tends to influence and participate in overall environmental protection. Most EU states however have had a challenge in engaging their citizens in participating or working towards having clean water. Lack of sufficient funds to hold conferences and seminars with the citizens so as to create awareness has been a major challenge. Another demand for EU water framework directive is that there should be coordination of objectives. These objectives include protection of the aquatic ecology, protection of water resources for drinking and protection of water used for bathing. All these are objectives that must be integrated as far as each river basin is concerned. However, most EU member states have a challenge in integrating these objectives for each river basin. The EU member states have also been faced with a challenge of business pressures. In meeting the demand of the EU water framework directive, most large water consumptive abstractors such as water companies, food as well as drink manufacturers. These firms are likely to be affected in the process of licensing the ground water, which may be identified as a chief cause of poor ecology. In addition, the EU member states face a challenge of maintaining clean water in rivers. This may occur if Environment Agency has water bodies that are small in the river basin, hence sewage treatment works that discharge into small rivers tend to be vulnerable. The EU water framework directive also should have a criteria against which ecological status have to be assessed. However, this criteria has not yet been achieved and hence it is a challenge to the EU member states to bring foist it is criteria. The member states are also having a challenge of ensuring that the methods that are adapted to measure impacts are comparable. The EU Water framework directive has a demand that the standards for water protection must be laid down as well as setting down the organizational aspect of water management. It also demands that the core objectives of the environment are to prevent aquatic ecosystems’ deterioration and restoration of polluted waters within a given timescale. The challenge to the EU member states is how to take into account the economic considerations so as to ensure that the improvements that are planned are not unnecessarily expensive as well as technically infeasible. EU member states are also faced with a challenge of cost uncertainties. In spite of thorough preparation and pilot testing that has taken place, many crucial decisions on how to implement and carry out the directive and measures as well as legal instruments that will be required have not yet been made. This uncertainty and short of information is shown in the wide range of values of the associated costs as well as benefits contained regulatory impact assessment that was published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Conclusion. The EU water framework directive is one of the most important directives adopted by the EU member states. It aims at adopting and maintaining way of ensuring that clean water is obtained through ensuring that all water masses are kept free from pollution. To achieve this, all the member states have to put I place all the necessary requirements as well as provide awareness to its citizens. It is through the awareness and cooperation of the citizens that water pollution can be achieved.

Defence Logistics Organisation Analysis for War Suitability

Defence Logistics Organisation Analysis for War Suitability CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Historically, nation states have used military power as an instruement of state to achieve their national aims objectives. Towards that end, logistics along with strategy and tactics constitute an important sub division of the practical art of war fighting [1]. It therefore evolves upon students of military history to grasp the nuances of logistics, the way it affects the very essence of modern, contemporary war fighting philosophy. To begin with, it is not incorrect to say that the military activity known as logistics is probably as old as war itself. The word logistics is derived from the Greek adjective, logistikus meaning skilled in calculating. Research indicates that the first use of the word with reference to an organised military administrative service was by the French writer Jomini who served as a staff officer in Napoleons army. In 1838, he set down logistics as one of the six branches of the military art, the other five being statesmanship in its relationship to war, strategy or art of properly directing masses upon the theatre of war, grand tactics, engineering and minor tactics. He included the phrase it is the execution of strategic and tactical enterprises in his definition of logistics. In short, he devised a theory of war upon the trinity of strategy, ground tactics and logistics. He defined it as practical art of moving armies [2]. Based on the experience gained over the years, the term was redefined in 1968 wherein Logistics was referred to as the art and science of creating and maintaining a military capability. It consists of the process of determining requirements, acquisitions, distributions and maintenance of materials. As regards, our Indian manuals, they define logistics as the science of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of forces[3]. In todays usage, logistics is the function of providing all the material and services that a military force needs in Peace or War. Logistics, therefore, covers a wide canvas broadly includes all military activities, other than strategy and tactics. It would therefore, be prudent to refer to logistics as the bridge between our combat troops and the industry natural resources of our country. Logistics perse is a key element of Doctrine, too, which describes it as a process that consists of planning and executing the movement and sustenance of operating forces in executing a military strategy and operations. It is essentially moving, supplying and maintaining military forces and is basic to the ability of armies, fleets and air forces to operate indeed to exist. It has a direct bearing on a countrys capability to support a national strategy [4]. As the rapidly evolving modern battlefield milieu transforms into short, intense and technologically intensive wars, the over bearing need for a fool proof and highly responsive logistic organizational structure for Indian Army to meet the logistic imperatives of a short war cannot be over emphasized. Our existing logistics system has been inherited from the British. Though the logistic system in general and the logistic organisation in particular have been subjected to numerous improvements and changes over the last six decades, the logistic system perse has failed to evolve with changing times and has more or less retained its archaic character. The major, Mathew[5] reason for the antiquated character of our logistic system is the flawed organisational structure which inhibits and precludes optimum utilisation of our well developed and vast national logistic capacities. Restructuring of our existing defence logistics organisation, therefore, is a pre-requisite to restructure our logistic system to meet the logistic imperatives of a short war. CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY Statement of the Problem To study and analyse the existing defence logistics organisation and to ascertain its suitability to meet the logistics imperatives of a short war. Hypothesis Our existing defence logistics organization is based on archaic concepts and will not be able to deliver adequately in a short war. Scope The scope of this study is restricted to analysis of the existing defence logistics organisation and to suggest a viable and responsive organisational structure that can meet the logistics imperatives of a short war. Methods of Data Collection. The data and information has been gathered from books, journals, periodicals, internet sites and also from own exposure and experience. The bibliography of sources is appended at the end of the text. CHAPTER III LIMITED / SHORT WAR IN THE INDIAN CONTEXT AND ITS IMPERATIVES War has been the single most important instruement by which most of the great facts of human history have been accomplished and maintained. It has been used as an instruement against aggression as also as an instruement of aggression itself. It has played the most dominant role in nearly all important crisis of humankind ; it has been used to achieve liberty, to ensure democracy as also in building great empires and in enforcing dictatorships. The term war today has come to include many more kinds of hostile activities ; limited war, short war, total war, cold war, hot war, propaganda war, psychological war, ground war, space war as also various other low -intensity conflicts such as guerilla war and fourth generation warfare. Thus war today is not only far more horrifying and a far more complex affair, it has also come to pervade all other aspects of mans social life [6]. Limited War The concept of limited war goes back to the 19th century when miitary theorists underscored the determinative relationship between political ends and military means. Both 19th century theorist Clausewitz and his 20th century successor Liddell Hart were committed advocates of the use of limited war or limited force as opposed to total war. In the 19th century, when concepts of blitzkrieg and wars of annihilation dominated military thoughts and policies, Clausewitz opposed such concepts. He stated, Political objectives, as the original motives of the war, should be the standard for determining both the aim of the military force and also the aim of effort to be made. With the advancement in automatic warfare in the middle of World War II, Liddell Hart realised that because of the destructive nature of the weapons, wars should be limited; however, he did not advocate limited war as a strategy. Later after the development of nuclear weapons, Liddell Hart came up with the concept of limite d war. He said, Where both sides possess atomic power, total war makes nonsense and any unlimited war waged with atomic power would make worse than nonsense; it would be mutually suicidal. He goes on to say any total war, or even the preparation for it, is likely to carry more evils in its train, without bearing any good promise in the event of victory [7]. Robert E Osgood defined limited war as A limited war is one in which the belligerents restrict the purpose for which they fight to concrete, well defined objectives that do not demand the utmost military effort of which the belligerents are capable and that can be accommodated in a negotiated settlement. The battle is confined to a local geographical area and directed against selected targets primarily those of direct military importance. It permits their economic, social and political patterns of existence to continue without serious disruption. In another study, Osgood defines limited war as a war that was to be fought for ends far short of the complete subordination of one states will to anothers using means that involve far less than the total military resources of the belligerents and leave the civilian life and the armed forces of the belligerents largely intact. Robert Osgood also admitted that limited war was not a uniform phenomena, it meant different things to different p eople. War could be limited in different ways and could be limited in some and not limited in others. For instance, a war limited in geographical terms may be unlimited in weapons employed or the targets involved. Similarly, a war may be limited for one of the adversaries yet unlimited in the eyes of the other [8]. Osgood while writing an epilogue on US experiences in Vietnam war, candidly confessed that even in nuclear age, a category of limited war exists which was still limited because of limitation of means. He examined limited war under three different categories of Central War, Local War and Unconventional war. While Central war involved use of nuclear weapons and was unacceptable, popularity of unconventional wars declined in US post Vietnam war. Hence, Osgood rated conventional local war as the most practical form of limited war though he did factor the contingencies which may arise and require other two categories to become operational [9]. Henry Kissinger, in Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy advocated that limited war might be a war confined to a defined geographical area, or war that does not utilize the entire available weapons system (such as refraining from the use of thermonuclear weapons). It may be a war which utilizes entire weapons system but it limits its employment to specific targets [10]. Kissinger, the man behind the Nixon Administrations adoption of the strategy of Limited Nuclear Options popularly known as Schlesinger Doctrine defined limited war as a war fought for specific political objectives which, by their very existence, led to establish a relationship between the force employed and the goal to be attained. It reflects an attempt to affect the opponents will, not to crush it, to make the conditions to be imposed seem more attractive than continued resistance to strive for specific goals and not for complete annihilation [11]. Kissinger , nevertheless, propogated a limited nuclear war strategy which came into conflict with the arguments of known proponets of limited war like Osgood and William Kaufmann, then the greatest critic of limited nuclear war. Kaufmann, a Yale University scholar and the brain behind the McMamara Strategy of flexible response, advocated keeping the war limited and its escalation under control. A more apt definition of limited war in line with contemporary thought process and environment is An armed conflict in which at least one protagonist intentionally restricts his objectives and/or means to accomplish those objectives. Intentional restriction can be self imposed or induced by an opponent or another nation or nations or organizations [12]. Limited war is also defined as a military encounter in which the two warring sides see each other on opposing sides and in which the effort of each falls short of the attempt to use all of its power to destroy the other [13]. Beyond doubt, limitation in warfare has always been impressed upon on the grounds of either morality or other limitations of resources and technology. However, with the advent of nuclear weapons on the one hand and of irreconciliable ideologies on the other, limitation in warfare had become a matter of necessity if the war was to sustain its traditional role of being an instruement of politics. And it is here that the strategy of limited war which seeks to preserve the eternal values of primacy of politics and economy of force even in the nuclear age has assumed supreme importance. Limited war framework does not include wars involving non-nuclear states. Instead, limited wars are conflicts in which vital interests of the nuclear powers are directly or indirectly involved and in which, therefore, the threat of their expansion into a Total War remains omnipresent imminent. Hence, it is this massive and deliberate hobbling of their infinite power by nuclear weapon powers that qualifies a conflict as limited war. Such wars have also been termed as Short Wars and , as seen in numerous conflicts since second World War II, have retained their pre-eminence as the most acceptable category of war in the contemporary nuclear age. The US and the Soviet Union, the two nuclear superpowers in cold war era, had the responsibility to not only ensure limitation of conflicts that involved dangers of exploding into a nuclear war but also to modify its war fighting doctrines to address the imperatives of intense short wars, which were likely to manifest in the nuclear enviornment. However, as the Soviet Union disintegrated, it enjoined on the US to effect a major shift in US war fighting doctrines, wherein it adopted a short war specific logistic structure to support the challenges to US strategic security calculus. The logistic structure catered for highly intense and violent battlefield which would have exacted heavy casualties of men, material and equipment [14]. Limited War In Indian Context The Indian Limited War doctrine had its roots in formulation of our response to the Pakistani aggression in Kargil in 1999. As the Dec 2001 terrorist strike led to mobilization and protracted deployment in Operation Parakram, the Indian strategists offered Limited War as Indias answer to what in security theory is termed as the stability-instability paradox. In the recent years, the limited war theory has acquired highly placed proponents and gained its own doctrinal respectability amidst intense public debates amongst Indian think tanks. Paradoxically, the Pakistani strategic experts community calls our new strategy as a doctrinal response based on regurgitation of American limited war concept of nineteen fifties to threaten and deter Pakistan [15]. Evidently, the Indian perspective on limited conventional war in a nuclear backdrop has witnessed intense and vigorous debate with proponents and opponents posing questions and counter questions on the probability of a limited conventional war escalating into a nuclear conflagaration. Historically, nuclear weapons have engendered caution between adversarial states, wherein the 1969 Soviet-Sino Ussuri River clashes and Indo-Pak Kargil war remains the only two cases where two declared nuclear weapon states have engaged in armed conflict [16]. Therefore, the options for India, to pursue its limited war doctrine against Pakistan, is to either apply military power spaced out in time and concentrated in space or stretched out in space and concentrated in time. In other words, Indian defense doctrine and strategy must seek to apply calibrated force for punitive effect, which does not have a destabilizing effect on the adversary [17]. The nuclear factor in South Asia has rendered total war u nthinkable and limited war has become a necessity and must be central to the military input provided to the political leadership as an option to secure conflict limitation [18]. From the Pak perspective, a limited conventional war in the Indo- Pak context, can be defined as a war designed to achieve specified political objectives by applying compatible resources in a critical area and by acting smartly in a manner so as to leave bare minimum incentive for the opponent to react with nuclear weapons without taking definite risk to suffer more gains [19] . India, of late, is also forced to contend with an increasingly assertive and belligerent China which sees India as the single biggest rival to Chinese pre- eminence in Asia. As numerous strategic and defence experts have began to increase the probability of a Sino-Indian military conflagration in the Himalayas, an objective look at the time frame duration of such a conflict is also mandated. A limited war in our context would envisage a likely time frame of 21- 28 days. This time frame is a logical one as geo-political realities of an armed conflict between two nuclear states along with inherent limitations of developing states in terms of economy, war waging capability etc will preclude continuation of viable operations beyond four weeks. Moreover, in a Sino-Indian conflict, the restrictive campaigning season of approximately two months will be a determinant of duration of hostilities as both sides would need time to build up their forces in the post monsoon phase. Otherwise, too, all our past wars have unambiguously been short wars, limited in duration and objectives and the future wars in a nuclear backdrop are going to be anything but different. Yet, the future wars will be short but highly intense, destructive wars, exacting heavy casualties of men, material and equipment in fast, fluid mobile battles across the entire spectrum of conflict in a technologically drive n war fighting environment with far reaching implications for the war fighting philosophies of the adversaries. Logistics Imperatives The future battlefield in an intense, short war would necessitate a major transformation in our logistic support system with likely changes as under [20] :- Limited preparatory period and highly intense short duration war, necessitating an efficient mobilization plan. Self contained theatre based logistic support structure. High attrition rate due to greater accuracy and lethality of long range weapon systems necessitating forward positioning of a greater quantum of reserves. Greater emphasis on intra theatre regeneration and re-supply of logistics resources. A sense and respond system working on the push model. Adoption of information technology and decision support systems for total asset visibility and improved inventory management [21]. Need to improve survivability of logistics echelons by dispersion and area air defence cover where possible. Maximum reliance on air maintenance for maintenance of momentum especially in mountainous and desert terrains. Need for greater degree of logistics flexibility and redundancy in all theatres. Increased strain on logistics support system due to greater density of high technological equipment in battlefield. The diversity of terrain and our varied operational roles, required to be performed in highly intense, short duration wars pose enormous logistic challenges and demand a dynamic, new approach to include simple, flexible and efficient logistic plans, based on a technology driven, seamless and fully networked logistic system. Such an approach is required to integrate the logistic resources of the three services and to utilize the existing national infrastructure more profitably to improve our logistic efficiency and enhance our operational readiness [22]. CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS TO INCLUDE SHORTCOMINGS OF EXISTING LOGISTIC ORGANISATION Existing Defence Logistic System National Level In India, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is the highest decision making body on national security and strategic issues and is mandated to formulate policies for the defence of the country through the National Security Council ( NSC ) established in 1998. The Defence Minister, who is a member of the Cabinet Committee on Security, heads the Ministry of Defence ( MOD )and is responsible for implementing the governments defence policies. The defence policies get implemented through various committees functioning under the MOD [23]. Details of such committees are as under :- Defence Ministers Committee. Defence Ministers Production and Supply Committee. Defence Research and Development Council. Chiefs of Staff Committee. The Defence Ministers committee is responsible for defence planning while the Production and Supply Committee is most important as it covers the entire gamut of planning force levels and equipment planning related to availabilty of resources. The Chiefs of Staff Committee advise the Defence Minister on all military matters including logistics matters. Another committee called the Joint Adminstration Planning Committee (JAPC) having representatives from the Services, is placed under the Chiefs of Staff Committee to coordinate the logistics effort of the three services and to prepare a joint adminstration plan to supplement and support the overall mobilisation and operational plan evolved by the Joint Planning Committee ( JPC ) [24]. Army Logistics At Army Headquarters level, the agencies responsibile for providing logistics are the Adjutant General (AG), Quartermaster general (QMG), Master General of Ordnance (MGO) and Engineering-in-Chief (E-in-C). Basically the existing system is influenced by what was primarily inherited from the British Army. In the present organization, the supply and transport are under the QMG while Ordnance and EME are with the MGO and the Medical services have been placed under the AG. Moreover, selection and introduction of any new equipment though a joint responsibility, is with the Weapons and Equipment (WE) Directorate while maintenance of such equipment is a logistic function. In order to coordinate various branches and to ensure smooth flow, Directorate General Operational Logistics (DGOL) has been created. However, the management and control of the logistic services has not been brought under a unified single management or control, which gives rise to a number of intra-service logistical proble ms , thereby making the task of DGOL difficult [25]. Utilisation of army budget also is a problem area as the QMG Branch, which is responsible for large portion of Armys logistic planning, spends almost two-fifths of the army budget [26]. Thus the staff support is highly fragmented and does not approximate to the concept of integrated logistic support. IAF Logistics In IAF, the Logistics Branch handles all the equipment, materials management and distribution functions [27]. At the Air Headquarters, Air Officer-in-charge Maintenance ( AOM ) and Air Officer-in-charge administration ( AOA ) perform functions similar to those of the AG and the QMG in the army and partly similar to those of MGO. The AOM is assisted by four Additional Chiefs of Air Staff ( ACAS ) and Air Officer Logistics ( AOL ). The AOM to a large extent, provides single point management and control, wherein all specialist aspects of aircraft and equipment maintenance, overhaul and provisioning of stores in respect of each weapon system is looked after. In addition, the Initial Provisioning Committee and Maintenance Planning Teams provide logistic support for the newly introduced aircraft and weapon systems [28]. As regards, functions of AOA, he is assisted by two ACsAS and controls administrative aspects such as organization, works, accounts, legal ,medical, pay and provost. Navy Logistics In Navy, the Chief of Materials (COM ), a Principle Staff Officer to the Naval Chief at Naval Headquarters is responsible for entire Logistics management function in the Navy. He is assisted by the Controller of Logistics Support, who functions directly under the Chief of Material and deals with logistics support, clothing and victualling, armament supply and transport. In addition, there are two Assistant Chiefs of Materials aiding the Chief of Material to deal with Systems and DR. The Chief of Personnel (COP) heads the personnel branch and handles the medical services, recruitment, welfare and service conditions [29]. Analysis of the Existing System An analysis of the existing logistics system reveals some glaring and profound weaknesses which need to be redressed forthwith, in order to obviate potential adverse effects on our national security. The systemic weaknesses are pronounced in the fields of our logistic organization, both at national and services level and also in our failure to integrate our logistics system. The later, in fact, is a manifestation of a flawed organizational set up, being carried forward as a legacy of the colonial times. That so many past studies and writings by experts on the subject have failed to elicit the attention of the decision makers concerned is a sad reflection on our system and underlines a lack of overall national perspective for logistics. Further, it is apparent that the decision making structures at the national and services level are either inappropriate or simply unresponsive. Our logistic system, though has taken the obvious weaknesses and the shortcomings in its stride and has deli vered the goods in all wars fought by us in the post independence period. As such, it is of utmost importance that the obvious shortcomings are identified and addressed in order to integrate and optimize our logistics system as a true component of the National Effort, needed to respond to growing threats to our national security. Shortcomings of our Logistic System Organisational Weakness. At the top echelons of the MOD and Chiefs of Staff Committee ( COSC ), Defence by Committees is the accepted style of functioning, which is hardly conducive to efficient functioning. The Service chiefs are responsible for operational and logistic preparedness, but exercise little or no control over budget and provisioning of war like material, which remains the direct prerogative of the MOD. No National Level Organisation. Neither any national level organisation exists to oversee, coordinate and integrate our defence needs with national development nor any visible efforts are seen towards orienting national level logistical planning to our defence requirements. Lack of Common Logistic Doctrine. Despite jointness and integration being the buzzwords, the three services have failed to evolve a common logistics doctrine and philosophy of logistic support. Multiplicity of Logistic Agencies. There is a multiplicity in logistic agencies with no single authority responsible to the Chief of Army Staff ( COAS ) for logistics preparedness. Lack of centralized logistic support encourages duplication and wasteful expenditure. Multiple Procurement Agencies. Multiple procurement agencies in the services with lack of interaction, work against the principle of economy and lead to increased costs. Lack of Standardisation and Codification . It leads to duplication and high inventories. Multiple stocking echelons ,too, lead to a high level of stocking and is compounded due to lack of an integrated systems approach to determine stock levels. A vast range of assorted equipment, both imported and indigenous, has only exacerbated the problems of providing effective logistics backup [30]. Inventory Automation. Despite commonality of procedures, separate inventory automation has been undertaken by all three services, thus violating the administration principal of economy. Private Sector Involvement in Defence Research and Development. Despite the dynamic changes ushered by Defence Procurement Procedure 2005 2009, the private sector involvement in defence research development and defence production has not reached the desired levels. Attitudinal Change towards logistics, In Indian Army, an attitude has been prevalent for long, wherein logistics consideration in an operational plan are invariably given short shrift under the mistaken belief that a commanders tactical brilliance will some how compensate for inadequate consideration of logistics. The practice of not involving the logistics functionary in formulation of operational plans and then leaving the logistics planning entirely to logisticians is an inevitable recipe for disaster. Mobilisation. Mobilisation involves movement of men and material, wherein move by rail is carried out under the aegis of the Operational Rail Movement Plan (ORMP). Though the plan has been validated during OP VIJAY and OP PARAKRAM , concerns remain as regards the move and dispersion of strike and dual task formations as also the creation of requisite infrastructure for unloading / loading at railway stations concerned. Besides this, shortage of defence rolling stocks exist which will inhibit speedy mobilisation. Functioning of Ordnance Factories and the PSUs. Director General of Ordnance Factories and the Defence Public Sector Undertakings are major defence manufacturers. However, the present organisational structure precludes the optimum functioning of these organisations. Despite being an intrinsic part of Defence Ministers Production and Supply Committee ( DPSC ) , the Ordnance Factory Board ( OFB ) usually functions independently and in any case is not accountable to the Army or the defence, though the funding for the OFB is made from the Army Budget. As such, the Chief of Army Staff has very little say with respect to production and priority in delivery of items. The OFB items also have quality concerns especially in general stores and clothing items. Multiple Echelon System. The multiple echelon system which is existing as the chain of supply to the field formations need critical examination and reduction of echelons where feasible. Logistics support need not be the same across the board for all formations in the country, it can be tailor-made to meet the requirement of a particular sector, the terrain, the type of operations and equipment likely to operate in the area. This will cut down the time factor for move from source to the field formation. Push Model. The push model of pumping the logistics requirement of troops forward has been partially implemented in certain areas. It needs to be implemented across the board to ensure that the troops do not have to look over their shoulders for logistics support. CHAPTER V ANALYSIS OF CONTEMPORARY LOGISTICS ORGANISATION OF MAJOR MILITARY POWERS US System The US Armed Forces have a highly efficient and responsive logistic system, based on a dynamic organizational structure which has evolved to meet the ever changing operational requirements. The Defence Logistic Agency ( DLA ), a US Department of Defence ( DOD ) agency supplies the nations military services and several civilian agencies with the wide ranging logistical support for peacetime and wartime operations as well as emergency preparedness and humanitarian missions [31]. The DLA Director reports to the Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics through the Deputy Under Secretary of Defence ( Logistics and Material Readiness ).The DLA has evolved from Defence Supply Agency ( DSA ), which worked on the Single Manager Concept, wherein eight service agencies viz army, navy, air force etc handled one commodity each and became DSA supply centers. In 1977, DLA was established with the aim of centralizing the management of common military logistics support and to introduce uniform financial management practices. Later, the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986, for integration of US Armed Forces, identified DLA as a combat support agency. In Feb 2000, a new DLA organization structure part of an integrated plan called DLA 21 integrated all distribution depots of the military services into a single, unified material distribution system to reduce overhead costs and place them under DLA for management. It also created four major sub agencies under the DLA as under :- Def Logistics Support Command ( DLSC). Responsible for integration of logistics operations, supply chain management, readiness and contigency operations support. It is also responsible for procurement, storage and distribution of consumable parts, fuel, medical, subsistence and clothing and textile support. It has subsequently been reorganised as DLA Logistics Operations Directorate ( DLALO J-3 ). Def Contract Management Command. Responsible for DODs primary contract administration activity. Information Operations. Responsible for DLAs information technology activities to enhance e-commerce, logistics support system and document automation in support of military logistics. Financial Operations. Responsible for streamlining DLAs financial system for agencys future initiatives. UK System UK, too, has been a fore runner in initiation of defence reforms, which began with th Defence Logistics Organisation Analysis for War Suitability Defence Logistics Organisation Analysis for War Suitability CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Historically, nation states have used military power as an instruement of state to achieve their national aims objectives. Towards that end, logistics along with strategy and tactics constitute an important sub division of the practical art of war fighting [1]. It therefore evolves upon students of military history to grasp the nuances of logistics, the way it affects the very essence of modern, contemporary war fighting philosophy. To begin with, it is not incorrect to say that the military activity known as logistics is probably as old as war itself. The word logistics is derived from the Greek adjective, logistikus meaning skilled in calculating. Research indicates that the first use of the word with reference to an organised military administrative service was by the French writer Jomini who served as a staff officer in Napoleons army. In 1838, he set down logistics as one of the six branches of the military art, the other five being statesmanship in its relationship to war, strategy or art of properly directing masses upon the theatre of war, grand tactics, engineering and minor tactics. He included the phrase it is the execution of strategic and tactical enterprises in his definition of logistics. In short, he devised a theory of war upon the trinity of strategy, ground tactics and logistics. He defined it as practical art of moving armies [2]. Based on the experience gained over the years, the term was redefined in 1968 wherein Logistics was referred to as the art and science of creating and maintaining a military capability. It consists of the process of determining requirements, acquisitions, distributions and maintenance of materials. As regards, our Indian manuals, they define logistics as the science of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of forces[3]. In todays usage, logistics is the function of providing all the material and services that a military force needs in Peace or War. Logistics, therefore, covers a wide canvas broadly includes all military activities, other than strategy and tactics. It would therefore, be prudent to refer to logistics as the bridge between our combat troops and the industry natural resources of our country. Logistics perse is a key element of Doctrine, too, which describes it as a process that consists of planning and executing the movement and sustenance of operating forces in executing a military strategy and operations. It is essentially moving, supplying and maintaining military forces and is basic to the ability of armies, fleets and air forces to operate indeed to exist. It has a direct bearing on a countrys capability to support a national strategy [4]. As the rapidly evolving modern battlefield milieu transforms into short, intense and technologically intensive wars, the over bearing need for a fool proof and highly responsive logistic organizational structure for Indian Army to meet the logistic imperatives of a short war cannot be over emphasized. Our existing logistics system has been inherited from the British. Though the logistic system in general and the logistic organisation in particular have been subjected to numerous improvements and changes over the last six decades, the logistic system perse has failed to evolve with changing times and has more or less retained its archaic character. The major, Mathew[5] reason for the antiquated character of our logistic system is the flawed organisational structure which inhibits and precludes optimum utilisation of our well developed and vast national logistic capacities. Restructuring of our existing defence logistics organisation, therefore, is a pre-requisite to restructure our logistic system to meet the logistic imperatives of a short war. CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY Statement of the Problem To study and analyse the existing defence logistics organisation and to ascertain its suitability to meet the logistics imperatives of a short war. Hypothesis Our existing defence logistics organization is based on archaic concepts and will not be able to deliver adequately in a short war. Scope The scope of this study is restricted to analysis of the existing defence logistics organisation and to suggest a viable and responsive organisational structure that can meet the logistics imperatives of a short war. Methods of Data Collection. The data and information has been gathered from books, journals, periodicals, internet sites and also from own exposure and experience. The bibliography of sources is appended at the end of the text. CHAPTER III LIMITED / SHORT WAR IN THE INDIAN CONTEXT AND ITS IMPERATIVES War has been the single most important instruement by which most of the great facts of human history have been accomplished and maintained. It has been used as an instruement against aggression as also as an instruement of aggression itself. It has played the most dominant role in nearly all important crisis of humankind ; it has been used to achieve liberty, to ensure democracy as also in building great empires and in enforcing dictatorships. The term war today has come to include many more kinds of hostile activities ; limited war, short war, total war, cold war, hot war, propaganda war, psychological war, ground war, space war as also various other low -intensity conflicts such as guerilla war and fourth generation warfare. Thus war today is not only far more horrifying and a far more complex affair, it has also come to pervade all other aspects of mans social life [6]. Limited War The concept of limited war goes back to the 19th century when miitary theorists underscored the determinative relationship between political ends and military means. Both 19th century theorist Clausewitz and his 20th century successor Liddell Hart were committed advocates of the use of limited war or limited force as opposed to total war. In the 19th century, when concepts of blitzkrieg and wars of annihilation dominated military thoughts and policies, Clausewitz opposed such concepts. He stated, Political objectives, as the original motives of the war, should be the standard for determining both the aim of the military force and also the aim of effort to be made. With the advancement in automatic warfare in the middle of World War II, Liddell Hart realised that because of the destructive nature of the weapons, wars should be limited; however, he did not advocate limited war as a strategy. Later after the development of nuclear weapons, Liddell Hart came up with the concept of limite d war. He said, Where both sides possess atomic power, total war makes nonsense and any unlimited war waged with atomic power would make worse than nonsense; it would be mutually suicidal. He goes on to say any total war, or even the preparation for it, is likely to carry more evils in its train, without bearing any good promise in the event of victory [7]. Robert E Osgood defined limited war as A limited war is one in which the belligerents restrict the purpose for which they fight to concrete, well defined objectives that do not demand the utmost military effort of which the belligerents are capable and that can be accommodated in a negotiated settlement. The battle is confined to a local geographical area and directed against selected targets primarily those of direct military importance. It permits their economic, social and political patterns of existence to continue without serious disruption. In another study, Osgood defines limited war as a war that was to be fought for ends far short of the complete subordination of one states will to anothers using means that involve far less than the total military resources of the belligerents and leave the civilian life and the armed forces of the belligerents largely intact. Robert Osgood also admitted that limited war was not a uniform phenomena, it meant different things to different p eople. War could be limited in different ways and could be limited in some and not limited in others. For instance, a war limited in geographical terms may be unlimited in weapons employed or the targets involved. Similarly, a war may be limited for one of the adversaries yet unlimited in the eyes of the other [8]. Osgood while writing an epilogue on US experiences in Vietnam war, candidly confessed that even in nuclear age, a category of limited war exists which was still limited because of limitation of means. He examined limited war under three different categories of Central War, Local War and Unconventional war. While Central war involved use of nuclear weapons and was unacceptable, popularity of unconventional wars declined in US post Vietnam war. Hence, Osgood rated conventional local war as the most practical form of limited war though he did factor the contingencies which may arise and require other two categories to become operational [9]. Henry Kissinger, in Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy advocated that limited war might be a war confined to a defined geographical area, or war that does not utilize the entire available weapons system (such as refraining from the use of thermonuclear weapons). It may be a war which utilizes entire weapons system but it limits its employment to specific targets [10]. Kissinger, the man behind the Nixon Administrations adoption of the strategy of Limited Nuclear Options popularly known as Schlesinger Doctrine defined limited war as a war fought for specific political objectives which, by their very existence, led to establish a relationship between the force employed and the goal to be attained. It reflects an attempt to affect the opponents will, not to crush it, to make the conditions to be imposed seem more attractive than continued resistance to strive for specific goals and not for complete annihilation [11]. Kissinger , nevertheless, propogated a limited nuclear war strategy which came into conflict with the arguments of known proponets of limited war like Osgood and William Kaufmann, then the greatest critic of limited nuclear war. Kaufmann, a Yale University scholar and the brain behind the McMamara Strategy of flexible response, advocated keeping the war limited and its escalation under control. A more apt definition of limited war in line with contemporary thought process and environment is An armed conflict in which at least one protagonist intentionally restricts his objectives and/or means to accomplish those objectives. Intentional restriction can be self imposed or induced by an opponent or another nation or nations or organizations [12]. Limited war is also defined as a military encounter in which the two warring sides see each other on opposing sides and in which the effort of each falls short of the attempt to use all of its power to destroy the other [13]. Beyond doubt, limitation in warfare has always been impressed upon on the grounds of either morality or other limitations of resources and technology. However, with the advent of nuclear weapons on the one hand and of irreconciliable ideologies on the other, limitation in warfare had become a matter of necessity if the war was to sustain its traditional role of being an instruement of politics. And it is here that the strategy of limited war which seeks to preserve the eternal values of primacy of politics and economy of force even in the nuclear age has assumed supreme importance. Limited war framework does not include wars involving non-nuclear states. Instead, limited wars are conflicts in which vital interests of the nuclear powers are directly or indirectly involved and in which, therefore, the threat of their expansion into a Total War remains omnipresent imminent. Hence, it is this massive and deliberate hobbling of their infinite power by nuclear weapon powers that qualifies a conflict as limited war. Such wars have also been termed as Short Wars and , as seen in numerous conflicts since second World War II, have retained their pre-eminence as the most acceptable category of war in the contemporary nuclear age. The US and the Soviet Union, the two nuclear superpowers in cold war era, had the responsibility to not only ensure limitation of conflicts that involved dangers of exploding into a nuclear war but also to modify its war fighting doctrines to address the imperatives of intense short wars, which were likely to manifest in the nuclear enviornment. However, as the Soviet Union disintegrated, it enjoined on the US to effect a major shift in US war fighting doctrines, wherein it adopted a short war specific logistic structure to support the challenges to US strategic security calculus. The logistic structure catered for highly intense and violent battlefield which would have exacted heavy casualties of men, material and equipment [14]. Limited War In Indian Context The Indian Limited War doctrine had its roots in formulation of our response to the Pakistani aggression in Kargil in 1999. As the Dec 2001 terrorist strike led to mobilization and protracted deployment in Operation Parakram, the Indian strategists offered Limited War as Indias answer to what in security theory is termed as the stability-instability paradox. In the recent years, the limited war theory has acquired highly placed proponents and gained its own doctrinal respectability amidst intense public debates amongst Indian think tanks. Paradoxically, the Pakistani strategic experts community calls our new strategy as a doctrinal response based on regurgitation of American limited war concept of nineteen fifties to threaten and deter Pakistan [15]. Evidently, the Indian perspective on limited conventional war in a nuclear backdrop has witnessed intense and vigorous debate with proponents and opponents posing questions and counter questions on the probability of a limited conventional war escalating into a nuclear conflagaration. Historically, nuclear weapons have engendered caution between adversarial states, wherein the 1969 Soviet-Sino Ussuri River clashes and Indo-Pak Kargil war remains the only two cases where two declared nuclear weapon states have engaged in armed conflict [16]. Therefore, the options for India, to pursue its limited war doctrine against Pakistan, is to either apply military power spaced out in time and concentrated in space or stretched out in space and concentrated in time. In other words, Indian defense doctrine and strategy must seek to apply calibrated force for punitive effect, which does not have a destabilizing effect on the adversary [17]. The nuclear factor in South Asia has rendered total war u nthinkable and limited war has become a necessity and must be central to the military input provided to the political leadership as an option to secure conflict limitation [18]. From the Pak perspective, a limited conventional war in the Indo- Pak context, can be defined as a war designed to achieve specified political objectives by applying compatible resources in a critical area and by acting smartly in a manner so as to leave bare minimum incentive for the opponent to react with nuclear weapons without taking definite risk to suffer more gains [19] . India, of late, is also forced to contend with an increasingly assertive and belligerent China which sees India as the single biggest rival to Chinese pre- eminence in Asia. As numerous strategic and defence experts have began to increase the probability of a Sino-Indian military conflagration in the Himalayas, an objective look at the time frame duration of such a conflict is also mandated. A limited war in our context would envisage a likely time frame of 21- 28 days. This time frame is a logical one as geo-political realities of an armed conflict between two nuclear states along with inherent limitations of developing states in terms of economy, war waging capability etc will preclude continuation of viable operations beyond four weeks. Moreover, in a Sino-Indian conflict, the restrictive campaigning season of approximately two months will be a determinant of duration of hostilities as both sides would need time to build up their forces in the post monsoon phase. Otherwise, too, all our past wars have unambiguously been short wars, limited in duration and objectives and the future wars in a nuclear backdrop are going to be anything but different. Yet, the future wars will be short but highly intense, destructive wars, exacting heavy casualties of men, material and equipment in fast, fluid mobile battles across the entire spectrum of conflict in a technologically drive n war fighting environment with far reaching implications for the war fighting philosophies of the adversaries. Logistics Imperatives The future battlefield in an intense, short war would necessitate a major transformation in our logistic support system with likely changes as under [20] :- Limited preparatory period and highly intense short duration war, necessitating an efficient mobilization plan. Self contained theatre based logistic support structure. High attrition rate due to greater accuracy and lethality of long range weapon systems necessitating forward positioning of a greater quantum of reserves. Greater emphasis on intra theatre regeneration and re-supply of logistics resources. A sense and respond system working on the push model. Adoption of information technology and decision support systems for total asset visibility and improved inventory management [21]. Need to improve survivability of logistics echelons by dispersion and area air defence cover where possible. Maximum reliance on air maintenance for maintenance of momentum especially in mountainous and desert terrains. Need for greater degree of logistics flexibility and redundancy in all theatres. Increased strain on logistics support system due to greater density of high technological equipment in battlefield. The diversity of terrain and our varied operational roles, required to be performed in highly intense, short duration wars pose enormous logistic challenges and demand a dynamic, new approach to include simple, flexible and efficient logistic plans, based on a technology driven, seamless and fully networked logistic system. Such an approach is required to integrate the logistic resources of the three services and to utilize the existing national infrastructure more profitably to improve our logistic efficiency and enhance our operational readiness [22]. CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS TO INCLUDE SHORTCOMINGS OF EXISTING LOGISTIC ORGANISATION Existing Defence Logistic System National Level In India, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is the highest decision making body on national security and strategic issues and is mandated to formulate policies for the defence of the country through the National Security Council ( NSC ) established in 1998. The Defence Minister, who is a member of the Cabinet Committee on Security, heads the Ministry of Defence ( MOD )and is responsible for implementing the governments defence policies. The defence policies get implemented through various committees functioning under the MOD [23]. Details of such committees are as under :- Defence Ministers Committee. Defence Ministers Production and Supply Committee. Defence Research and Development Council. Chiefs of Staff Committee. The Defence Ministers committee is responsible for defence planning while the Production and Supply Committee is most important as it covers the entire gamut of planning force levels and equipment planning related to availabilty of resources. The Chiefs of Staff Committee advise the Defence Minister on all military matters including logistics matters. Another committee called the Joint Adminstration Planning Committee (JAPC) having representatives from the Services, is placed under the Chiefs of Staff Committee to coordinate the logistics effort of the three services and to prepare a joint adminstration plan to supplement and support the overall mobilisation and operational plan evolved by the Joint Planning Committee ( JPC ) [24]. Army Logistics At Army Headquarters level, the agencies responsibile for providing logistics are the Adjutant General (AG), Quartermaster general (QMG), Master General of Ordnance (MGO) and Engineering-in-Chief (E-in-C). Basically the existing system is influenced by what was primarily inherited from the British Army. In the present organization, the supply and transport are under the QMG while Ordnance and EME are with the MGO and the Medical services have been placed under the AG. Moreover, selection and introduction of any new equipment though a joint responsibility, is with the Weapons and Equipment (WE) Directorate while maintenance of such equipment is a logistic function. In order to coordinate various branches and to ensure smooth flow, Directorate General Operational Logistics (DGOL) has been created. However, the management and control of the logistic services has not been brought under a unified single management or control, which gives rise to a number of intra-service logistical proble ms , thereby making the task of DGOL difficult [25]. Utilisation of army budget also is a problem area as the QMG Branch, which is responsible for large portion of Armys logistic planning, spends almost two-fifths of the army budget [26]. Thus the staff support is highly fragmented and does not approximate to the concept of integrated logistic support. IAF Logistics In IAF, the Logistics Branch handles all the equipment, materials management and distribution functions [27]. At the Air Headquarters, Air Officer-in-charge Maintenance ( AOM ) and Air Officer-in-charge administration ( AOA ) perform functions similar to those of the AG and the QMG in the army and partly similar to those of MGO. The AOM is assisted by four Additional Chiefs of Air Staff ( ACAS ) and Air Officer Logistics ( AOL ). The AOM to a large extent, provides single point management and control, wherein all specialist aspects of aircraft and equipment maintenance, overhaul and provisioning of stores in respect of each weapon system is looked after. In addition, the Initial Provisioning Committee and Maintenance Planning Teams provide logistic support for the newly introduced aircraft and weapon systems [28]. As regards, functions of AOA, he is assisted by two ACsAS and controls administrative aspects such as organization, works, accounts, legal ,medical, pay and provost. Navy Logistics In Navy, the Chief of Materials (COM ), a Principle Staff Officer to the Naval Chief at Naval Headquarters is responsible for entire Logistics management function in the Navy. He is assisted by the Controller of Logistics Support, who functions directly under the Chief of Material and deals with logistics support, clothing and victualling, armament supply and transport. In addition, there are two Assistant Chiefs of Materials aiding the Chief of Material to deal with Systems and DR. The Chief of Personnel (COP) heads the personnel branch and handles the medical services, recruitment, welfare and service conditions [29]. Analysis of the Existing System An analysis of the existing logistics system reveals some glaring and profound weaknesses which need to be redressed forthwith, in order to obviate potential adverse effects on our national security. The systemic weaknesses are pronounced in the fields of our logistic organization, both at national and services level and also in our failure to integrate our logistics system. The later, in fact, is a manifestation of a flawed organizational set up, being carried forward as a legacy of the colonial times. That so many past studies and writings by experts on the subject have failed to elicit the attention of the decision makers concerned is a sad reflection on our system and underlines a lack of overall national perspective for logistics. Further, it is apparent that the decision making structures at the national and services level are either inappropriate or simply unresponsive. Our logistic system, though has taken the obvious weaknesses and the shortcomings in its stride and has deli vered the goods in all wars fought by us in the post independence period. As such, it is of utmost importance that the obvious shortcomings are identified and addressed in order to integrate and optimize our logistics system as a true component of the National Effort, needed to respond to growing threats to our national security. Shortcomings of our Logistic System Organisational Weakness. At the top echelons of the MOD and Chiefs of Staff Committee ( COSC ), Defence by Committees is the accepted style of functioning, which is hardly conducive to efficient functioning. The Service chiefs are responsible for operational and logistic preparedness, but exercise little or no control over budget and provisioning of war like material, which remains the direct prerogative of the MOD. No National Level Organisation. Neither any national level organisation exists to oversee, coordinate and integrate our defence needs with national development nor any visible efforts are seen towards orienting national level logistical planning to our defence requirements. Lack of Common Logistic Doctrine. Despite jointness and integration being the buzzwords, the three services have failed to evolve a common logistics doctrine and philosophy of logistic support. Multiplicity of Logistic Agencies. There is a multiplicity in logistic agencies with no single authority responsible to the Chief of Army Staff ( COAS ) for logistics preparedness. Lack of centralized logistic support encourages duplication and wasteful expenditure. Multiple Procurement Agencies. Multiple procurement agencies in the services with lack of interaction, work against the principle of economy and lead to increased costs. Lack of Standardisation and Codification . It leads to duplication and high inventories. Multiple stocking echelons ,too, lead to a high level of stocking and is compounded due to lack of an integrated systems approach to determine stock levels. A vast range of assorted equipment, both imported and indigenous, has only exacerbated the problems of providing effective logistics backup [30]. Inventory Automation. Despite commonality of procedures, separate inventory automation has been undertaken by all three services, thus violating the administration principal of economy. Private Sector Involvement in Defence Research and Development. Despite the dynamic changes ushered by Defence Procurement Procedure 2005 2009, the private sector involvement in defence research development and defence production has not reached the desired levels. Attitudinal Change towards logistics, In Indian Army, an attitude has been prevalent for long, wherein logistics consideration in an operational plan are invariably given short shrift under the mistaken belief that a commanders tactical brilliance will some how compensate for inadequate consideration of logistics. The practice of not involving the logistics functionary in formulation of operational plans and then leaving the logistics planning entirely to logisticians is an inevitable recipe for disaster. Mobilisation. Mobilisation involves movement of men and material, wherein move by rail is carried out under the aegis of the Operational Rail Movement Plan (ORMP). Though the plan has been validated during OP VIJAY and OP PARAKRAM , concerns remain as regards the move and dispersion of strike and dual task formations as also the creation of requisite infrastructure for unloading / loading at railway stations concerned. Besides this, shortage of defence rolling stocks exist which will inhibit speedy mobilisation. Functioning of Ordnance Factories and the PSUs. Director General of Ordnance Factories and the Defence Public Sector Undertakings are major defence manufacturers. However, the present organisational structure precludes the optimum functioning of these organisations. Despite being an intrinsic part of Defence Ministers Production and Supply Committee ( DPSC ) , the Ordnance Factory Board ( OFB ) usually functions independently and in any case is not accountable to the Army or the defence, though the funding for the OFB is made from the Army Budget. As such, the Chief of Army Staff has very little say with respect to production and priority in delivery of items. The OFB items also have quality concerns especially in general stores and clothing items. Multiple Echelon System. The multiple echelon system which is existing as the chain of supply to the field formations need critical examination and reduction of echelons where feasible. Logistics support need not be the same across the board for all formations in the country, it can be tailor-made to meet the requirement of a particular sector, the terrain, the type of operations and equipment likely to operate in the area. This will cut down the time factor for move from source to the field formation. Push Model. The push model of pumping the logistics requirement of troops forward has been partially implemented in certain areas. It needs to be implemented across the board to ensure that the troops do not have to look over their shoulders for logistics support. CHAPTER V ANALYSIS OF CONTEMPORARY LOGISTICS ORGANISATION OF MAJOR MILITARY POWERS US System The US Armed Forces have a highly efficient and responsive logistic system, based on a dynamic organizational structure which has evolved to meet the ever changing operational requirements. The Defence Logistic Agency ( DLA ), a US Department of Defence ( DOD ) agency supplies the nations military services and several civilian agencies with the wide ranging logistical support for peacetime and wartime operations as well as emergency preparedness and humanitarian missions [31]. The DLA Director reports to the Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics through the Deputy Under Secretary of Defence ( Logistics and Material Readiness ).The DLA has evolved from Defence Supply Agency ( DSA ), which worked on the Single Manager Concept, wherein eight service agencies viz army, navy, air force etc handled one commodity each and became DSA supply centers. In 1977, DLA was established with the aim of centralizing the management of common military logistics support and to introduce uniform financial management practices. Later, the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986, for integration of US Armed Forces, identified DLA as a combat support agency. In Feb 2000, a new DLA organization structure part of an integrated plan called DLA 21 integrated all distribution depots of the military services into a single, unified material distribution system to reduce overhead costs and place them under DLA for management. It also created four major sub agencies under the DLA as under :- Def Logistics Support Command ( DLSC). Responsible for integration of logistics operations, supply chain management, readiness and contigency operations support. It is also responsible for procurement, storage and distribution of consumable parts, fuel, medical, subsistence and clothing and textile support. It has subsequently been reorganised as DLA Logistics Operations Directorate ( DLALO J-3 ). Def Contract Management Command. Responsible for DODs primary contract administration activity. Information Operations. Responsible for DLAs information technology activities to enhance e-commerce, logistics support system and document automation in support of military logistics. Financial Operations. Responsible for streamlining DLAs financial system for agencys future initiatives. UK System UK, too, has been a fore runner in initiation of defence reforms, which began with th