In the UK virtually all cars and light commercial vehicles over 3 years old are required by law to undergo an annual comprehensive examination known as the MOT to ensure that they are roadworthy. This testing has undergone changes since its inception in 1960. During the 1940s and 50s motor vehicles were becoming more common on the roads and many of these vehicles were produced before 1940 and were not serviced very regularly or if at all. This meant that there were many lorries on the road that were potentially hazardous with the most common faults being with the braking system, lights and steering. In 1960 Ernest Marples, the then Minister for Transport ordered that all vehicles of more than 10 years of age must have their steering systems, lights and brakes tested every year. This testing became known as the Ministry Of Transport Test, which was then shortened to 'MOT'. In April 1967 the testable age was lowered so that all vehicles over the age of 3 had to undergo testing every year.
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The MOT has altered over the years to become more inclusive and it is continuing to develop. In 1968, new tyre tread regulations are introduced so that there is at least 1mm of tread across three quarters of the width of the tyre. In 1978 the test is updated to include windscreen washers, wipers, horn, exhausts, spotlights and indicators. In 1991 petrol emissions, anti-lock braking systems and rear seatbelts are included in the test. The next update comes in 1992 when a review of tyre tread is changed to a minimum depth of 1.6mm. In 1993 additional changes are introduced to include mirrors, rear fog lights and registration plates. 1994 sees diesel emissions added to the test. New changes in 2012 are set to include examination of the electronic parking brake, electronic stability control, towbar and trailer/caravan electrical socket and the function of warning lights. As our vehicles become more complex, more can go wrong with them and this is why more components are added.
From the very start, the British Government decided that the MOT test should be able to be carried out at local garages so that motorists have the handiness of a test centre near where they reside. There are about 19,000 testing stations in the United Kingdom and only the Ministry of Transport had the power to award a licence to the test station. These days the scheme is run by another government agency called Vehicle Operator and Services Agency, or VOSA but they still answer to the Secretary of State for Transport. The test has a uniform set of standards throughout the country, so whether you have your MOT done in Caithness or United Kingdom Oriental Supermarket in Cornwall the same set of tests are performed on the vehicle. The local MOT garage is liable for the quality of the testing at that individual testing station. These garages become known as an Authorised Examiner, having been granted a license by VOSA to perform MOT tests. In turn these AEs have the authority to appoint specially trained people to carry out MOT Tests on vehicles. These MOT Testers become known as Nominated Testers. Anyone wishing to become an NT will have to train at a testing garage before attending a 2 day course run by VOSA so that they can be nominated as testers by an AE.
The social domain of an organization's environment consists of societal values, attitudes, norms, customs, and demographics. Every society incorporates values and attitudes that may be uniform across a population or may vary by regional or ethnic groupings. Values are what people believe to be proper goals for members of the society to keep or achieve. Attitudes reflect what individuals think about issues and behaviors that occur within a society.
In the United States, most citizens value the freedom of speech as a necessary feature of their daily lives. They may, however, believe that this right is abused by other citizens. Citizens in other countries may feel that freedom of speech is unnecessary or is a value that only leads to disruption in their daily lives. Other values and attitudes that may differ by regions within a country or between countries concern the role of the family as a means to socialize the young, the importance of clean air to breathe, or the role of religion in political institutions. Values and attitudes are often expressed in the legal codes of countries. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution, for instance, guarantees the right of free speech to all citizens.
Values and attitudes, however, can change over time. Forty years ago in the United States, the role of motherhood was viewed by many as taking precedence over the mother's desire to work outside the home. This attitude has changed, despite some resistance, as over 50 percent of women with children under the age of six are now active in the work force. In 1950, the percentage of working mothers was only 12 percent.
Attitudes toward the consumption of alcohol have undergone several changes over the years. In 1919, Prohibition was established with the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment, which forbade the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States. Led by the Women's Christian Temperance Union, many had the attitude that alcohol consumption led to the decay of people's morals and the erosion of their sense of responsibility to their families.
Enforcement of the law proved to be an insuperable problem, however, and public concern about the graft and violence surrounding illicit traffic in liquor led to the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. In the past decade, however, there has been a resurgence of concern about the effects of alcohol not only on those who consume it but also on those who do not. Concern about traffic deaths due to drunk driving, health hazards associated with alcohol abuse, and the increase in the number of alcoholics has led to efforts to restrict its use.
Naturally, these shifts in values and attitudes about alcohol consumption have had direct repercussions on the operations of organizations that manufacture alcoholic beverages. During Prohibition, many breweries and distilleries were either forced into bankruptcy or required to manufacture nonalcoholic beverages. With the end of Prohibition, legitimate producers of alcoholic beverages reappeared. Recently, in response to the growing concern about alcohol consumption, producers have issued public service messages cautioning consumers about the dangers of overconsumption. They have also added beverages lower in alcohol content to their product line.
Societal norms are common standards of behavior accepted by members of a society. Norms may be the product of values, attitudes, customs, religious teachings, or tradition. Forty years ago, for example, it was the norm for men attending sporting events to wear a suit and tie. In many ballparks today, this practice is more likely to draw stares from spectators in the stands. Norms also influence the way we speak or behave in the presence of friends, relatives, new acquaintances, or supervisors. Managers who fail to observe regional or societal norms in their dealings with people inside and outside the organization may become less effective.
Demographic factors are such characteristics of the population as age, sex, income, and buying patterns. The United States Bureau of the Census collects countless measures of population characteristics to identify shifts in the population and help organizations in their forecasts of future trends. The dramatic population growth of the postwar years of 1946 to 1962 has had a major impact on organizations as the baby-boom generation has matured. Manufacturers of baby food, clothing, and toys first enjoyed a large increase in sales only to suffer a decrease in sales as this portion of the population Moved into their teens and became a significant market for the products of record companies, the automobile industry, and clothing manufacturers, which all experienced growth during the sixties. In the seventies, home-construction firms and companies catering to weddings grew rapidly. Businesses in the 1980s who benefited from the buying patterns of the maturing baby boomers were those associated with high technology, health, and travel. The 1990s will perhaps be prosperous for organizations that provide medical goods and services and products associated with status.
Demographics are important in other ways as well. They provide information about living patterns, the composition of the work force, migrations to new regions, levels of education, and wealth. Organizational managers who can interpret these trends successfully will be at an advantage in making decisions about entering new markets, producing or dropping products, and staffing the organization with essential human resources.