HR Practices Of Four Seasons

HR Practices Of Four Seasons Introduction Nowadays the range of luxury hotels all over the world is very big. There are different types of luxury hotels and all of them have their own policy, procedures and missions. Competition among these kinds of hotels is huge nowadays. The competition is based not on prices or percentage of discounts but it is based on values, exclusivity, atmosphere and quality of service. One of these competitors is world known, luxury brand Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. However Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts managed to differentiate them from all other competitors in the Hotel Industry. In Four Seasons, management has a huge value of their employees, because they know that the power of service is in human resources. Human Recourse Management in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts definitely plays very important role for providing success of the company and delivering premises to their employees and customers. The following research provides readers with full picture of Human Resource Management Polic y of Four Seasons hotels and Resorts. Also additional recommendations and comments are given in order to clarify the policy and mission of Human Resource Management. The research includes five important questions about HRM. Answers for these questions can be used as tools to improve the human resource policy of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. As for readers the research will help them to understand the value and mission of Human Resource Management in Hospitality Industry. Introduce the Company and its positions in the Hospitality Industry. Is it an employer of choice? Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Company was founded in 1960 by Isadore Sharp and positioned as luxury hotel chain. The first hotel was opened in 1961 in the downtown area of Toronto, Canada. Isadore Sharp started a new kind of luxury hotels by making it personalized, taking care of each customer and offering an excellent service for their guests. For funds Sharp involved his brother-in-law, Eddie Creed and his friend, Maurry Koffler. Each of them contributed to the project. From 1970 till 1976 there were opened several Four season Hotels and resorts in London, Ontario and Bahamas. In 1976 Four Seasons hotels and Resorts grew and decided to expand in North America. So in 1976 they entered the US market in San-Francisco. So in 1977, Isadore Sharp along with Creed and Korrler decided to convert Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts into private company. Four Seasons has created a new niche in luxurious segment of Hospitality Industry, thus provided themselves with a great opportunity to grow. In 1986 the company went public, by being presented on stock market, but in 2007 it became private company again. By 1991 the company had around 36 hotels all over the world and around 13 sales and corporate offices. However Four Seasons faced with some financial issues and was rescued by investor from Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Prince Al-Waleed. In 1994 he purchased 25 percent of Four Seasons stocks and invested around C$100 million. After investing by Saudi Prince, the Four Seasons continued their expiation and opened new properties in Singapore, Mexico City, Berlin and Prague. In mid-nineties, whole hotel industry faced a downturn. As a result Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts turned to managing style rather owning hotels because it was much more profitable in the long run. (Four Seasons Hotels Incs HR Practice., 2009). Nowadays Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has 84 properties all over the world with exclusive service and very clear companys culture. Nowadays Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has several competitors in Hospitality Industry. They are Fairmont Hotels, Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Positions of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts are very strong now. Despite on financial problems they faced in 1994, Four Seasons managed to stabilize and continue growing in hospitality industry. Four Seasons continues to have more of its hotels designated as AAA Five Diamond properties than any other hotel company and it has the most Mobil Five Star awards in the industry. The company is also consistently highly ranked in readers surveys in publications such as Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Institutional Investor, Andrew Harpers Hideaway Report and the Zagat Survey. (Hospitalitynet, 2010). First of all, the writer would like to give the definition of term Employer of choice. Any employer of any size in the public, private, or not-for-profit sector that attracts, optimize and holds top talent for long tenure, because the employees choose to be there. (Herman and Gioia, 2002, p. xi). Personalized service is a unique feature of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. But in order to make the service unique for their guests, the company pays attention to their employees. Four seasons Management teams do value their staff and treat them as guests, also with uniqueness. As one of employees said: Youre never threated like just and employee. You are a guest. (Four Seasons Hotels Incs HR Practice., 2009). This is the one and the most important reason why Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts became an Employer of choice. The company is recognized by many popular magazines as an Employer of Choice. For example, since 1998 Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts are among 100 The best Companies to Wo rk for, by Fortune Magazine. In 2009 Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Company was awarded The best Workplace by Great Place to Work Institute Canada. Later in 2009 the Company was awarded Lifetime Commitment Award by National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH). In addition they were awarded Inductee to Canadas 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures Hall of Fame 2010. Also Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts pay a lot of attention to trainings and development programs, thus in 2010 the company was listed in Training top 125 by Training Magazine. (FourSeason, 2010). As Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in an international company and has many hotels all over the world, some of Four Seasons properties were also recognized by leading tourism and hospitality magazines. For example Four Seasons Hotels in the United Kingdom were The Best place to Work in Hospitality in 2008; Four Seasons Hotel Dublin received Business Award Status, based on the Hotels best practices in Recruitment and Select ion and Learning, Development and Progression; in 2008 Four Seasons Hotel Prague was awarded as Company of the Year 2008. This award is given to the companies who supporting the employment of hearing-challenged individuals. (FourSeason, 2010). All these awards and recognitions are the main indicator of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts culture and a result of well-organized corporate environment. Explain its culture, its unique to the Company, how does this vary from its major competitors. Four Seasons Hotels and resorts has their own and unique service culture. The culture is mainly based on Golden Rule by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. The philosophy of Golden Rule is very simple and clear. As the CEO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Isadore Shard defined it: The Golden Rule do unto others, as you would have them to do unto you (Four Seasons Hotels Incs HR Practice., 2009). According to Mr. Sharp definition it is very important to treat everyone: guests, colleagues and partners as you would want them to treat you. Within Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts the Golden Rule applied to every person in the company and it does not matter whether you are manager or front line employee. What Four Seasons calls its unique service culture is based on a series of insights and beliefs about the person who provides the act of service, and the one who receives it. In writers opinion, the Golden Rule makes the uniqueness and creating a very positive atmosphere within all company and all properties around the world. The scheme below represents the forming of the culture. (Scheme 1) Scheme 1 As readers can see from the Scheme 1 there are several steps leading to the organizational culture. The first step is Philosophy of companys founder. As it was mentioned above Mr. sharp has his own philosophy of service and companys culture which is based on making the service exclusive and personalized. By implementing his own view of the service into Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Companys structure, Isadore Sharp has created absolutely new type of culture not only for his personal need but also for whole the company. The next step is Selection Criteria, which is based on recruiting and selection of candidates. As we know from the case-study of Four Seasons Hotels Inc., each potential candidate for any position in four seasons Hotels and Resorts had to pass through five interviews and the final one was with the General Manager of the Hotel. In the example above readers can see that selection process in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is very difficult. It means that the company ne eds the best employees from the best. The selection process is very important for the company, because managers look for really professionalized persons or persons who have potential to learn and to be trained. The thing is that Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts based on personal service, thats why they have such complicated selection process. The next steps of analyzing Four Seasons culture are Top Management and Socialization. Top Management plays very important role in forming companys culture. As readers can see, in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Company, senior executives help to establish behavioral standards that can be adopted by the company. Socialization is a process which helps new employees to adopt into companys culture and implement skills and advantages in practice, by making service in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts personalized. In addition the Socialization step can be separated into several stages like Pre-arrival stage, Encounter stage and Metamorphosis stage. Al l these stages directly helps in the process of forming the culture of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. In writers opinion, Four Seasons company culture is much differentiated form its main competitors. As an example, the companys culture of Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts is based on Gold Standards of the company. Gold Standards consist of six parts which includes the credo, the motto of the company, the three steps of service, service values, the 6th diamonds and the employee promises. (Gold Standards of Ritz-Carlton, 2010). As if follows, Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton cultures are focused on making the service they provide more personalized, but in addition Four Seasons hotels and Resorts are focused on their employees. As a result, readers can make a conclusion that in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the culture is as guests oriented as employees oriented. To prove this statement, the writer would like to present a phrase maintained in the case-study: Loyalty to guests is important, but employees come first. (Four Seasons Hotels Incs HR Practice., 2009). One of the most important Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts differences from major competitors is that the company is more employees oriented rather other companies in Hospitality industry. As a result it attracts more and more employees to join Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. How does HRM fit into the companys vision, mission values? Do these reflect a strategic purpose? How does HRM fit into the overall identity of the company, its managers and employees, make recommendations for any improvement and justify these. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts haves their own vision, mission and values which are behead on Golden Rule. From HRM point of view, it directly into companys values, vision and mission. From the strategic nature of HRM in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, they deal with day-to-day issues, but it is also proactive in nature and integrated with other management functions. In addition HRM makes more clarified strategic view of human resource in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. From the recruitment point of view, human resource management makes sophisticated recruitment for all employees. In addition it has strong internal labour market for core employees. (Henderson, 2008). One of the most important values of Four Seasons hotels and Resorts is empowerment. HRM is responsible for delivering this feature to employees vision. Empowerment is management responsibility of sharing information, rewards, and power with employees so that they can take personal initiative and make decisions to solv e problems and issues of the guests and improve service quality and performance of the company. It is based concept of giving employees the skills, resources, authority, opportunity, motivation, as well giving them responsibilities of their actions. (BusinessDictionary, 2010). In Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts management pay lots of attention to empowerment because it helps to increase the level of service and in addition it makes employees feeling more responsible and important for the company. Thats why in all Four Seasons properties employees can act and take decisions independently. It means that for human recourse management, employees satisfaction is very important as guests satisfaction. Based on this writer can definitely say that Human Resource Management make big contribution into companys vision, value and mission. In Human Resource Management, trainings play also an important role in employees development and success. As for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, trainings ar e transformed into learning and development philosophy transcending job-related training programs. The advantage of trainings in Four Seasons is that all trainings are designed foal all levels of employees including non-management. In addition trainings are designed to develop leadership and personal skills. For example Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has a special program designed for graduates of hotel schools. Applying to Manager In Training Programs (MIT) is meant that candidates has the attitude to be trained, accept Golden Rule and successfully implement it in their job. (Manager In Training Programms, 2010). In order to improve HRM policy of Four Seasons Hotels and Resort the writer would suggest several steps to make it more balanced between guest oriented policy and employees oriented policy. Four Seasons are trying to balance these two subjects, but it seems that they are a bit confused about it. The solution of this issue is to provide more benefits for their employees. First of all it would increase the flow of qualified persons who have ability to be learnt. From the other hand it would motivate employees to increase their level of education, to apply for mote training programs in order to get career development in the future. The third advantage of increasing employees benefits is that this would change and directly review the policy of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts thus make it more employees oriented. But for the other hand the company should not forget about their main goals personalized service for each customer. That is why Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts make their em ployees empowered. The HRM policy of the company is also based on forwarding employees to the right way, the way of Golden Rule. They dont do anything special, but their work is not easy, because Human Resource Department is the first who faced with employees challenges and in addition they have to bring the ideas and values of Golden Rules into employees minds, in order to reach companys goals which are based on exclusive and personalized service in all Four seasons Hotels and Resorts. Does it have effective policies and procedures in HRM? Critically evaluate the ones you have identified. As readers can see from examples above, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts have very specific HRM policy. The thing is that in Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Human Resource Management is based on standards, but they dont have lots of rules. As they prefer personalized customer service they do empower their employees, so they can act in any situations. This allows employees to take actions and to feel free to respond all customers needs. As in all situations, there is a risk of making wrong decision. The employee will be responsible for this, but in all cases the company can lose their customer which will affect the company as a whole. As Human Resource policy in Four Seasons Hotels and resorts is more companys philosophy orientated the employee turnover is just a half compared with the whole industry. Four Seasons created their own niche in the hospitality industry. Nowadays Four Seasons Hotels and resort has several main competitors. From HRM point of view, employees benefits are one of the most attractive parts for people who are interested in joining company. The term employees benefits is common for all industries. Employee benefits are all benefits and services, other from wages for time worked, that are provided to employees in whole or in part by their employers. (Definition of Employee benefits, 2010). Below, the researcher presented the table of benefits, which presents the whole picture of benefits policy of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and its main competitor Ritz-Carlton. The table will help readers to analyze and examine employee benefits of two main competitors in luxury mid-size hotel niche. In addition both competitors use management contracts model of managing properties. This is very good decision. The thing is that there are several recent examples that show that franchising method of managing properties doesnt work in a proper way nowadays. Development of employees commitment or loyalty directly depends on job conditions provided by employer. That is why providing basic benefits in necessary for big companied like Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. But in order to attract more employees whey included more benefits in basic conditions. Definitely this action would influence the flow of employees and would increase motivation, which will positive effect the company. Table 1 Benefits Hotel Brands Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts Career growth opportunities Career growth/promotions opportunities Unique deep culture Discounts on spa treatments Best-in Industry training Childcare discounts Luxury environment in magnificent locations world wide Tuition reimbursement Profit sharing / incentive bonus / competitive salaries Income replacement programs (both short and long-term disability) Complimentary stays at Four Seasons properties with discounted meals Discounted accommodation in all Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts Paid holidays / vacation Paid vacation, sick and holiday leave Educational assistance Health and wellness insurance programs Dental and medical / disability / life insurance Life/health/dental/vision insurance Retirement benefits / pension Retirement savings and profit sharing plans Employee service awards Healthcare and dependent care spending accounts Annual employee party / social and sporting events Service anniversary awards Complimentary meals in dedicated employee restaurants Complimentary or low cost meals in your Employee Dining Room (Four Seasons Benefits, 2010), (Ritz-Carlton: Understand Benefits, 2010) After careful comparison of both employees benefits, readers can define several differences, which directly influence the loyalty of employees. In order to make HRM policy more reliable, writer would suggest to enlarge number of benefits. In addition increasing different incentives for line-staff employees would also positive effect Human Resource policy of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. If you were the VP of HRM how would you move the company forward in the next five years? Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is very developed luxury hotel chain.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Essay -- essays research papers

Throughout history, man has been fascinated by the thought of flying among the clouds. But recently it seems that man is slowly starting to come back down to earth and complete aviation-required tasks with two feet firmly on the ground. As impossible as it may seem, aeronautics and aviation are doing something almost unfathomable: letting airplanes fly without a pilot. This amazing feat is being done through the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). These spectacular aircrafts are revolutionizing the aviation industry by using incredible technology and the brightest minds from all around the globe. Many prestigious aviation companies such as Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin, (to name a few) have led the way in the design and development of UAVs. Even though UAVs are seen as very modern and futuristic, the concept of flying without a pilot has been thought of for long time. (â€Å"Brief† 1) The idea was first tested during the United States Civil War, when both the North and South attempted to put explosives in a hot air balloon, and make them drop on the other side’s camp. The idea of using hot air balloons was used again in World War II by the Japanese, who attempted to bomb the United States by using wind to guide the balloons. During WWII, the U.S. had a more successful attempt at producing a UAV, a prototype called, â€Å"Operation Aphrodite.† (â€Å"Brief† 1) But it was the development of cruise missiles that paved the way for UAVs. The aeronautics company, Chance Vought Aircraft, is the company that took the first step in p roducing UAVs by proposing the idea of putting landing gear onto missiles. One of the first, full-functioning UAVs is the Firebee. The Firebee was designed by Ryan Aeronautical Company and u... ...form surveillance as well as artillery missions (â€Å"Production† 1). Other countries with UAV programs include North Korea, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Japan and Australia, to name a few (Wilson J.R). UAV technology is available to not only industrial superpowers, but also to smaller countries. Unmanned Aircraft are the future of aviation. When people think that the most advanced and best models cannot be topped, they are surprised to find that what they thought was the best, is merely a stepping stone of a field with tons of potential. UAVs are keeping humans safer but are also doing jobs that, without them, would be hard for humans to do. UAVs are the result of the most advanced technology known to mankind being put into an aircraft. With so many advanced models of UAVs already, it is amazing to ponder about what the future of UAVs will hold.

Manufacturing processes for bicycle frame and golf club

Almost every item we use in our everyday life has been manufactured in some way using a series of different techniques. The task set out in this assignment is to look at two everyday objects and discuss the ways in which they have been manufactured and what materials have been used and why these specific manufacturing techniques and materials have been used. We also have to look at other possible techniques and materials that could have been utilized instead and what effect this would have had on the final product. The two objects that I have decided to investigate are the bicycle frame and the golf club. I have chosen to investigate these two items due to their similarity in materials and manufacturing processes but also their diversity as I will demonstrate in the rest of the report. First I will look at the bicycle frame then the golf club and then finishing with a short conclusion and comparison of the two different objects. 2. BICYLE FRAME The concept of the bicycle was first conceived in the late 18th century in France where an inventor created a wooden hobby horse known as a Celerifere, which had two wheels connected with a beam [1]. From this idea there have been numerous alterations and improvements to every aspect of the design that have led to the invention of the modern bicycle. These include the materials used (wood – alloys – composites), the structural design and the techniques used to manufacture the frame. The design of the modern frame can be seen in figure 1, with the names of the tubes labelled on the picture. Figure 1 – Diagram of modern bicycle frame with all parts named [2] 2.1 Materials Modern bicycle frames can be made from a variety of different materials depending on its application. Standard bicycle frames are usually made from some form of metal alloy such as steel, titanium or aluminium. Steel and titanium alloy frames are generally more popular due to their increased strength over aluminium giving them a longer life. Aluminium alloy is an ideal material in applications where weight must be cut down and the loads placed on the frame are not excessive. The particular compositions of metals within the alloy are constantly being altered to improve weight, rigidity and strength. The strength of the material is particularly important in applications such as mountain biking and downhill racing where the frame comes under considerable loads. The structure of the frame also plays a large part in the loads it can take due to the front and rear triangles that distribute the load throughout the entire frame. In the last two decades the use of composite materials has become more popular, especially in racing bikes due to their increased strength and low weight. These frames are most commonly made with some form of structural fibre such as carbon or glass. Due to the increased strength along the axis of the fibre, single piece frames can be produced giving increased strength in the areas that require it. 2.2 Manufacturing Process Looking primarily at metal alloy frames, there are two main types of tube that can be produced. These are seamless tubes, which are drawn through several stages from a block of metal and the others are known as seamed tubes, which are made from sheet metal rolled into tubes and welded along the length of the tube. Seamless tubes are generally seen as the better alternative due to the fact that they do not have a seam running along their length, which could be a possible stress concentration area. The process for making seamless tubes is as follows: First the metal alloy to be used is annealed to soften it and then hollowed. Once it has been hollowed it is heated once again and then pickled in acid to remove any oxidation layers and then lubricated to prevent any oxidation after the pickling stage. Secondly the hollow is cut to the right dimensions and mitered, a process of shaping the ends of the hollows to fit the contours of the tube to which it is to be attached to. This process is done simply by sawing off the necessary shape of the fit and then filing it down to a smooth finish. Next the tubes go through a cold drawing process to get them to the right gauge by creating a thinner and longer tube. The tube can also be ‘butted', a process that increases the thickness of the tube at the ends due to the increased stresses located at these points and making the tube thinner near the centre as the stresses are smaller at this location. This process decreases the weight and increases the strength of the frame. The final stage in making the tubes is shaping and tapering them depending on which area of the bike they are to be used in. Once the tubes have all been made, they are joined together to form the frame using either some form of welding if the tubes are made from metal or joined using an adhesive if they are made from composite. The most coming joining method for metal frames is, by far, brazing welding. This process involves placing the tubes together and heating the joints up to create a white flux, cleaning and melting the joint. Next the brazing filler metal is added, usually brass, which melts below the temperature of the joints and flows around them creating an even seal (figure 2). This process is usually done by a machine but some specialist bike makers will still do this manually. This method of welding is preferred to others, such as MIG and TIG welding, as it can be completed at much lower temperatures and so not adversely affect the properties of the material as it may change its structure at high temperatures (i.e. steel). In some frame constructions welding is not required at all and rather a lug (figure 3) is used to fix the two frames together. This allows for easy bike maintenance and tube replacement with little effect on the rest of the frame, unlike its welded counterpart. For composite frames, rather than welding the frame together, which would be ineffective, the joints are glued together using a strong adhesive. The adhesives used are capable of sustaining the same force as effectively, if not better, than welded joints. Figure 2 – Example of braze Figure 3 – Aluminium lug connecting top tube and welding on an L-section [3] seat tube [4] While the joints are still hot enough, the frame is placed into a jig to ensure that all tubes are aligned properly and if not they are oriented to the right position before the metal cools. The frame is then pickled to remove any excess flux and brazing filler and then grinded for a smooth finish Small alignment changes can still be made once the frame has cooled. Finally the frames are taking to be painted to help protect them from oxidation. First the lubricant used to protect them after pickling is cleaned off and then an undercoat is painted onto the frames. After which, a coloured enamel is painted on either by hand or by passing the frame through an electrostatic painting room where the positively charged paint is attracted to the rotating negatively charged frame. Once the frame is finished it is ready for the rest of the bikes components to be added. 3. GOLF CLUB The origins of golf are unclear as many countries had some form of game involving hitting on object with a stick dating as far back as the Roman Empire. Golf as we know it today was popularised in Scotland in the 15th Century where players would use completely wooden clubs to hit a stuffed leather ball. It wasn't until the introduction of the modern hard rubber golf ball in 1848 [5] that the materials used in the club design were altered. First iron was introduced as a material for club heads, used to strike the ball. Wooden heads were still used for certain shot types. Wooden shafts were still used despite the head material until the early 20th century when the first steel shafts were introduced. In the following years specialised clubs were developed (i.e. sand wedge) and in 1970's the first composite shafts made from high strength materials were introduced but did not gain popularity straight away due to their apparent decrease in stiffness resulting in flexing. Developments into composite shafts have made them a popular alternative to steel shafts due to their light weight and strength. Figure 4 – Variety of different club heads [7] 3.1 Materials The materials used to manufacture a golf club vary widely depending on the part that is being made such as the grip, shaft and head. The grips can be made of either a moulded synthetic rubber or bound leather, materials with a high coefficient of friction preventing slip. The shaft material can sometimes depend on the application of the club (driver, putter etc.) and are generally made from a stainless steel, titanium or aluminium for metal frames and a carbon/boron fibre reinforced epoxy. The material used for the golf heads can depend a lot on the type of club that it is. For wood type clubs the most popular materials to use are similar to those used for the shafts; stainless steel, titanium and carbon fibre epoxy. Oversized wood heads are often filled with synthetic foam so that the weight is similar to a smaller headed club. It is still possible to purchase wooden heads for the club but these are generally more for aesthetic and traditional purposes than for performance. Irons and wedges generally have heads made from stainless steel, titanium, tungsten, beryllium nickel/copper or a combination of these materials. Putters can be made from a lighter, weaker material such as aluminium due to the low impact forces that they sustain as they travel at slower velocities. 3.2 Manufacturing Process As mentioned previously there are three components to the golf club, the grip, shaft and head. Each can be made using a variety of techniques that depend on the material being used and the preference of the manufacturer. The synthetic rubber grips are made by placing the end of the shaft into a hollow die, the required shape of the grip, and injecting the rubber into the hollow. The mould is then left to harden and the shaft is removed from the mould. Depending on the material the shafts can be created in numerous ways. If the shafts are made from steel or stainless steel then they will be made by a process known as tube drawing. There are several different methods for this process such as rod drawing, fixed mandrel drawing and tube sinking. As these methods are closely related I will only look at the situation where the shafts are made via tube sinking. This process involves pulling the tube part way through a die that has a slightly smaller inner diameter than the tube, causing the tube to neck down in diameter. This is down several times with smaller lengths of the tube. This process helps to reduce the weight of the shaft and increase its strength in the areas of greatest stress (i.e. the shaft/head connection). If the tube is made from a carbon fibre composite a different process can be used. The most common is known as pultrusion where the carbon fibres are fed through a heated die with epoxy resin being fed through at the same time (figure 5). The resin hardens under the heat and forms the shaft. The composite shaft does not need to be necked during its manufacture. The metal club heads are made by a process called investment casting. A die, often made of rubber or metal, is made in two separate halves and has a hollow in the shape of the part to be moulded to allow easy removal once the mould has hardened. Wax is injected into the mould and left to harden. The mould is removed and the process is repeated several times until a collection of moulds have been produced. These moulds are then placed on the stem of a ‘tree' known as a sprue. The sprue is then invested with liquid slurry and coated in a ceramic powder and left to dry. This process is repeated until the coat is roughly 5-10mm thick. The investment is then placed in a furnace at about 550 – 1100 oC to melt the wax, which is allowed to flow out of an opening in the bottom of the cast. The cast is then fired and preheated and then inverted to allow the molten metal to be poured into the opening of the cast. Once the metal has cooled and hardened the ceramic shell is broken apart and the heads are removed from the tree. The heads are then finished with a heat treatment to harden the surface of the material and then grinded and polished for a clean surface finish. Another possible method of creating the heads is to heat up a stock piece of metal and forge it in a die to produce the part needed (figure 6). The advantage to this method is an increase in strength as the grains follow the flow of the component rather than being broken up due to casting and machining. The disadvantages of this method can be a poor surface finish and the component will usually have to go through several finishing stages to get the finished piece. Figure 5 – Composite shaft being made Figure 6 – Club head made through the  through the process of pultrusion [6] process of forging [6] Once all the parts have been made the shaft needs to be connected to the head. This can be done by a variety of methods such as creating a thread on the end of the shaft and a thread socket in a short tubular protrusion on the head and screwing them together. Another method is to place the shaft into the head socket and drill a hole through both tubes and inserting a metal pin, set with an epoxy resin. If the shaft is made from a carbon fibre composite it is connected to the head using an adhesive, with the advancements in adhesive technologies it is now possible to use an adhesive to bond metal shafts to the heads. The final stage is to check the surface for any blemishes, removing them, and then giving the surface a final polish. 4. CONCLUSION The two most similar components of the two items are the tubes of the bike frame and the shaft of the golf club. Both these components are made from the same general materials such as steel, titanium, aluminium and carbon fibre composite but utilize different methods in their construction. While the bike frame tubes are made from hollowing out lengths of metal and then cold drawing them to achieve the right gauge, golf club shafts are made directly from another method of tube drawing known as tube sinking where the tube is drawing through a die with decreasing diameter, creating a necked tube. Although these methods could be interchanged with each other they usually stick with their own methods as they give the best properties to the components. A similarity in connecting the parts together in both examples was found with the use of an adhesive to bond the carbon fibre tubes of the bike frame and even the metal shaft of the golf club with the head. Although this method could also be implemented with the metal bike frame the common method of joining is still blaze welding as its seen as the most economic method to use.

Hillary Clinton on the Issues