Monday, September 30, 2019

Growing Up In The 1990s Vs Growing Up In The 2010s Essay

Throughout history every generation has been different from the next, and every child is raised knowing the media and social acceptances of their own generation. Two generations that are very close to each other but are very different are the 1990s and the 2010s. The 1990s was revolutionary for its rise in multiculturalism, and also started to introduce technology in the forms of cable TV, internet, and videogames. The 2010s continues this rise in technology and multiculturalism, and has also become a decade of reality TV, online shopping, cell phones, tablets, and more inappropriate movies and music. Some comparable aspects of both generations include technology, TV shows, and music. In my opinion the 90’s comes out on top as a better time to grow up in. The technology of the 90’s was much more simpler and not as relied upon as in the 2010s. Cell phones were introduced in the 90’s and were very big and clunky, only a few percent of people used them so you wouldn’t see people glued to their phones all day. The World Wide Web had only just been invented and was a huge curiosity to the people discovering it. People of all ages in the 90’s use to walk to stores and by a new CD to play on their walkmans, and digital cameras were just becoming commercially available. As for video games, the Super Nintendo Entertainment system (1990), Gameboy (1990), Nintendo 64 (1996), Playstation (1994), Sega Saturn (1994), and the Sega Dreamcast (1999), all of which had innovative, creative, educational, and fun games to play. technology was more of a casual fun thing, and not a dominant force, so kids played outside a lot more as well. On the other hand, the 2010s also had a huge leap in technological advances. In 2012 Google Chrome became the world’s top web browser, the tablet was invented, everyone has a cell phone (and kids are given them at too young an age), YouTube became very popular, and FaceBook and Twitter rule social media. While some of this technology is a huge achievement, it is used in mainly the wrong ways. Parents give their children tablets and cell phones at too young of an age, too substitute a babysitter, and this ends up being the only thing the kid does. Social media sites have led to many suicides because of cyber bullying, and is filled with drama, which is why I believe FaceBook should have an age limit. If it had an age limit then it would only  be adults on it, and they would use it to find long lost friends, and cyber bullying would go down a lot. As for video games, 2010s released the Wii, Xbox 360, Ps3, Nintendo Dsi/Dsi xl, Nintendo 3ds/3ds xl/ 2ds, Wii U, Xbox One, Ps4, and also customizable gaming pc’s have become very popular. Although all of these systems are great and have many fun games, yet the gaming consoles have become filled with too many FPS games (First-person shooters), and I mean way too many to the point that games are focusing more on graphics and less on innovation and fun. M rated games (M for mature) are being bought by children’s parents and given to the child as a gift. Now I never realize any big issues by M rated games, and know that the violence is just in the game and doesn’t need to happen in real life. However when these games are given to young kids, it will affect their minds as they grow and are glued to mature rated videogames all day. The 1990s and 2010s technology have both taken huge leaps, but it appears to me that the 1990s was more casual fun, and there was no cyber bullying. The 1990s TV shows were more family friendly orientated and did not consist of thousands of reality shows. Sit-coms such as Seinfeld, Friends, Full House, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Boy Meets World were mainly family friendly although some may have contained some slight sexual innuendo. TV commercials were much better, as there wasn’t as much insulting of your intellect, really bad comedy, and sex in them during the 1990s. Nickelodeon and other such cartoon networks were very popular for kids and they did not act like you were stupid. Some memorable cartoon and kid shows from the 90’s include Rug rats, Double Dare, GUTS, Pokà ©mon, Powerpuff Girls, Dragon Ball Z, Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman the Animated Show, Captain Planet & The Planeteers, Ren and Stimpy, and Sailor Moon. However, 2010s TV shows have been corrupted by fake drama reality TV, sex, over violence, and drugs. Even while watching commercials you come a cross sexual innuendos, tampon commercials, and condom commercials. If I was still a little kid and this stuff was appearing on my TV I would be asking my parents some questions, and It would probably feel quite awkward seeing stuff like that on TV at such a young age. Cartoons and kid shows such as Pokà ©mon, Hannah Montana, Phineas and Ferb, Teen Titans Go, can still be entertaining, but they have truly toned down the  vocabulary, life lessons, and humour which makes for an experience that feels like your being treated as if you were an infant. Anime has become extremely popular in the 2010s, and for good reason. Anime holds on to things from old cartoons such as good vocabulary, humour, life lessons, emotional experiences, intense battles, and good voice acting. Sadly most anime has been taken off TV around America and Canada and the only way to watch it is to find it online or buy them at stores. Music in the 1990s consisted of a large variety, the most popular being Grunge, teen-pop, Hip-Hop, Rap (nothing like today’s rap), alternative rock, punk rock, Rock and Roll, trance, and techno. People had they’re on musical taste and did not just try and fit in with the media’s favorites. Conversely, if you look at the music of the 2010’s, they still have a big variety but there are some obvious leaders of the pack. Rap, Pop, Electronic music, and Hip-Hop lead the top most popular genres of music of the 2010’s. The rap, hip-hop, and pop music is nothing like it use to be, it now is mainly focused on sex, money, gangsters, drugs, getting drunk, and pleasure in any form. Me, as a seventeen year old boy, is still surprised on how fast the acceptance of music like this has reached the media, and I feel that it truly is not good for the minds of the youth growing up in this age, while the 1990’s still did have some of these flaws, but it was much less. Through discussing technology, TV shows, and music of the 1990’s and 2010’s, I can safely say that even though I was only born in 1996, the 90’s had less bullies, was more family friendly, and was generally more fun than it would be, being born in the 2010s. However each generation has their own positives and negatives, and not one could ever be perfect. The important thing is to make the best of it, and to not be afraid of being yourself.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Marketing Planning Process of H&M

Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Methodology {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} {text:list-item} Appendix Acknowledgements I would like to Thank Frances Smith and all the ladies at Invest Northern Ireland for all of their help and support throughout the process of this assignment. Their contribution has been truly appreciated. Introduction In order to understand the Marketing Planning Process it is important to first know what the term, Marketing Planning Process means. Market planning is â€Å"the process by which businesses analyse the environment and their capabilities, decide upon courses of marketing action and implement those decisions. (Jobber, 2006) It is also important to acknowledge the different stages and types of the process and which is best for the company. Methodology Information has been gathered from a wide range of sound and non-biased secondary resources. Statistical information, information on profitability of the company’s marketing environment has been sourced and analysed from sites such as Datamoniter, Mintel Oxygen, key Note and Lexis Nexus. Further Data and information has been sourced from electronic journals such as Emerald, business websites, respected newspapers and The H&M company website, from which this Marketing Planning Process will be based. Business and Marketing theories have been gathered from marketing gurus and scholars such as Jobber, Kotler and Porter. Primary research will also be gathered in the form of studying the local H&M stores. The Marketing Planning Process. Business Mission Marketing Audit SWOT Analysis Marketing Objectives Strategic Thrust Core Strategy Target Markets Marketing Mix Decisions Organisation and Implementation Control (Jobber, 2006) 1. 1- The Importance of the Marketing Planning Process. With business operating in an increasingly competitive environment, â€Å"Having a plan gives managers a focal point for decisions and actions. (Jobber, 2006) The planning process gives the company the capability to run successfully and achieve profitable sales, â€Å"It makes sense to try to bring some order to this chaos by understanding the commercial environment and bringing some strategic sense to the process of marketing products and services. † (Tutor2u, 2009) This is why the marketing planning process is very important to a business; it helps to structure tasks and processes by answering all the relevant ques tions of such as; where are we now? , how did we get there? , and where are we heading? in order to achieve the desired goal. In order to fulfill these appropriately using a method of SOSTAC will help to give a structured analysis as each element relates to an important stage within the planning process. SOSTAC is an Acronym for the 6 basic elements of the Marketing Plan: Situation Where are we now? Objectives Where do we want to get to? Strategy How are we going to get there? – The Big Picture Tactics How are we going to get there? – The Detail Actions Who is going to do what and when? Control How can we control, measure and develop the process? . 2- The Advantages of the Marketing Planning Process. The Marketing Planning Process is a great way â€Å"to provide a well defined path from generating a business mission to implementing and controlling the resultant plans. † (Jobber, 2006) The advantage of a good marketing plan is that is means that the company can h ave a clear picture of what they have achieved and what they need to achieve in order to determine if a process was successful or if a new addition will be. The planning process means no time is wasted and everyone is on the same path. 1. 3- Strategic Planning Strategic planning involves managing the direction of the business in order to maintain â€Å"a fit between the organisations objectives and resources and the evolving market opportunities. † (Mc Daniel et al, 2008) this concerns the overall direction of the company and not only the marketing sector in order to ensure the products and services provide by the company are meeting the overall objectives. This can be characterized by the Strategic triangle as shown below: Figure 1- Strategic Triangle. {draw:frame} (New-paradigm, 2000) 1. 4 Conclusion The marketing planning process puts the company’s marketing strategies into action. There are many factors concerning the process as noted. These will now be evaluated in order to ensure the most appropriate methods of the process are being use when completing the marketing plan which will be based on the company of H&M. Market Research. *2. 1- *Types of Market Research. Secondary research is divided between internal and external sources. Internal sources look at records and statistics, such as accounting records, within the whole company while external sources focus on reports and information from outside the company, such as census reports and periodicals. This gives a good indication of not only how well a product may do within the company but also helps the business to understand the market for this product and give them a competitive edge. Primary information involves getting original data directly about the product and focus groups, and online surveys. This helps to ensure that the information is directly specific to the needs to the business as it is personal to them. 2. 2- Contribution of Market Research to the Marketing Planning Process. 2. 3- Conclusion. It is now evident that market research is imperative to a good marketing plan as it collects the data that businesses need in order to succeed. It is now vital to look at the marketing audit for H&M in order to evaluate the strengths and weakness of the company for a good SWOT analysis. 3. 0- H&M background. Hennes & Mauritz is one of the largest fashion retailers to hit the high street with around 18000 stores worldwide, employing around The 73’000 people. H&M was first established in Vasteras, Sweden in 1947 by Erling Person. The company has grown strong ad now offers a team of 100 in house designers to create their lines of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and made a turnover of SEK 104,041 million in 2008. They also sell their own brand of footwear, accessories and cosmetics. H&M do not own their own factories however; they do buy goods from over 800 independent suppliers round the world, mostly from Asia and Europe. They are also a worldwide store through their online sales and also offer a catalogue of their ranges. H&M’s concept is to offer ‘fashion and quality at the best price. (H&M, 2009) – See appendix 1 For H&M’s Mission Statement. 3. 1- Marketing Audit. The marketing audit considers both internal and external influences within the market when making the decisions arisen. There many marketing tools that a company can use when completing marketing audit such as PESTEL analysis and Porters Five Forces which deal solely on the external environme nt and SWOT analysis which looks at both the internal and external. (Marketing Teacher,2009) H&M are a company whose success is wide spread because of the company’s abilities to perform full research before they make any key decisions. H&M believe â€Å"A strong brand is increasingly important competitive advantage,† (Hennes & Mauritz, 2009). H&M aim to use their methods of communication in order to build the brand both within a long and short term bases. They hope that this enables each customer to have a full understanding of what H&M stands for and to know their way around their H&M store. However there is no mention of their concept of ‘Fashion and quality at the best price’ anywhere within their marketing campaigns. Figure2- The Marketing Environment 3. 2- Macro- Environment. Economic Environment*- The economic environment looks at the PESTEL analysis which consists of: *Figure 3*- *PESTEL* Analysis. â€Å"Before H&M decides to move into a new market, an assessment is made of the markets potential. Factors such as demographic structure, purchasing power, economic growth, infrastructure and political risk are analysed. † (H&M, 2009) Political Companies need to be informed on the polit ical structure of the countries in which they are in distribution with. These include any government policies, taxes, trading tariffs, any war or conflict as well as internal politics of the country. H&M are concerned with political restrictions and therefore analyse the infrastructure and political risks before expanding. They need to be aware of the countries laws and regulations so as not to break them or discriminate in any way, especially with their marketing tools. Things that may need consider would be the VAT reductions, recycling terms, any new laws brought into power, distribution laws and regulation hours of opening, i. e. within Ireland there is set opening hours on a Sunday from 1-6. Economic Before H&M decide on a move into a market they always do a structured analysis to assess the markets potential. Many factors must be researched here in order to determine the correct decision. Factors to consider include the economic growth of the city. They must establish the city’s interest rates as high levels may deter the investment because of costs and analyse inflation as it may provoke higher wage demands. They must also establish the need for employment within that area. This is especially important in the middle of a recession where companies need to be smart about their expansion decisions. Managing Director of H&M, Rolf Erikson states; â€Å"H&M stands strong and we are focusing on the future. The economic situation is creating great opportunities that we are going to take, for example in terms of access to new attractive commercial locations and being in a strong position to negotiate. This year we plan to open a net amount of 225 new stores and recruit 6,000 to 7,000 new employees. †(H&M Profile, 2009) Social The social and demographics of the country of city must be considered before expansion. They must ensure that there is a market for the age that they are targeting and be aware of the attitudes towards fashion and the weather within the demographic area. Lifestyles must be considered here also, with the recession it may not be wise to sell a lot of summer or swimwear within EU with the euro being so bad and less people being able to afford holidays. Also cultural lifestyles must be analysis. For example H&M would have to be careful about expansion within the Far East and how they would market themselves to suit the cultures, i. e. : in larger Muslim cities it would be unwise to sell miniskirts or ‘belly tops’. They also look at the purchasing power within that particular area to study the buying habits of the customer. Technological H&M aim to use all form of technological communication in order to keep up to date with their customer and with today’s market. Their website is their main form of communication and they feel it is what strengthens the brand. The website offers a chance to shop online, visit stores, use their virtual changing room to get an idea of how the garment will look and to establish their business concepts. It also provides information aimed at the public, media, potential employees and financial markets and shareholders. They also have their own Face book page allow other customers to view from there. They tweet on the twitter site also with updates and have their own page on You Tube to upload Fashion TV. These are great methods of communication although they do have to be careful to filter what is being written and placed on these sites as they do target to teenagers and children. They also must ensure that internet pages such as Face book do not cheapen the brand especially as they try to promote themselves as a luxury low cost brand with stores in locations such as 5th Avenue. Environmental Legal Further information on Competitive environment and Marketing Environment is available in Appendix 2 *3. – Micro*- Environment Figure 4- {draw:frame} (Learning Marketing, 2008) Micro Environmental Factors- The micro- environment is the internal factors close to the company that have a direct impact on the organisations strategy. These factors include: Customers H&M believe the satisfaction of their customer is very important. This factor is what provides them with the knowledge to target the appropriate audience which helps to maintain customer loyalty. They believe that this is true of the layout of the store in order to attract their customers. H&M Cleverly devise each store differently, making it unique to suit its surrounds. They establish this by analysing â€Å"the customers on the street, the other stores nearby and the traffic flows and relates this to the circumstances of the premises. † (H&M,2009). Although this is a clever use of analysis, it is a wonder if they always get it right and if they always cater for the best target audience available and not just the largest. A use of questionnaires, polls and focus groups would be a great way to establish their best target market rather that a factual analysis. Employees â€Å"Skilled and committed co-workers are one of the main reasons H&M has been able to grow with good profitability for such a long period of time. (H&M, 2009) H&M always strive to employee local employeeswhenever they expand. They use their experienced co- workers to help train new staff when a store first opens, For example, When they expanded into the Japanese market the new employees spent time in both Norway and Hong Kong and during this stressful time employees from othe r stores are brought inn to help launch the brand. (H&M, 2009) Today, H&M has around 73,000 employees in 34 countries. Target growth of the company’s 10-15 percent new stores every year. For 2009 this means that between 6,000 and 7,000 new jobs will be created. Suppliers H&M always strive to offer the latest, high quality garments at the best price. In order to ensue this is the case they buy in large volumes from only independent suppliers so there are only a small percentage of middle men. They demand efficient distribution and test the quality of the produce at every level to ensure it is at its highest, this is why they ensure their team has an extremely high knowledge of design, fashion and textiles. Shareholders â€Å"H&M endeavours to engage in open dialogue with the stock market, the media, customers and other stakeholders. † (H&M, 2009) Figure 5- Current share price: Date- 05/01/2010 Time- 10:43:33  © H & M HENNES & MAURITZ AB 2010 Media Figure 6- {draw:frame} (Daily Mail, 2009) (See appendix 3) The line featured in 1,500 of H&M’s selected stores and of this Rykiel commented, â€Å"The Sonia Rykiel for H&M lingerie collection is the ideal way to offer the essence of Rykiel to a great number of women around the world, and a beautiful way to close the year. † (Lexis Nexis, 2009) Competitors The fashion industry is highly competitive. H&M faces stiff competition from speciality retailers, department stores, mall-based retailers and e-retailers. The company faces strong competition in northern Europe. The following show some companies that are the major competitors of H & M Hennes & Mauritz – Marks and Spencer Group plc Otto (GmbH & Co KG) Gap, Inc. , The Arcadia Group Limited Fast Retailing This can also be described using Porter’s Five Forces as noted with Appendix 4. â€Å"The Internal Analysis of strengths and weaknesses focuses on internal factors that give an organization certain advantages and disadvantages in meeting the needs of its target market. † (Strategic Plan, 2008) In order for H&M to develop an effective internal analysis they will need to include the growth strategies, target groups and the marketing mix. There are three marketing tools they need to include within the internal analysis in order to best explain this: BCG Analysis ANSOFF Analysis 7 P’s of Marketing Mix BCG Analysis The BCG is a tool which helps the company to rate their products according to the market share and growth rate. The products are then displayed on a two dimensional map showing their position in the market. This is explained below: Figure 7- {draw:frame} (Sweska, 2009) Rising Stars- These are products with a high market share and high growth rate. These are products that use large amounts of cash to produce but are very popular and therefore generate a large amount in return. H&M’s rising stars are their collaboration collections with Designers’ and Celebrities’ such as Madonna. Dogs- These products have a low market share and low growth rates. These products are usually discontinued after a short period. Beware of these and attempt to minimize the number of dogs within the product range. These products are those H&M develop to aim to be ahead of their competitors but go a little too far and produce a product that isn’t commercially appealing. Que*stion Marks- Products with a low market share but high growth rate. These have potential to turn into rising stars in the future if it is developed correctly. These can also be dangerous for the company as they are in high demand for a short period but generate a low returns due to the low market share. These are H&M’s high fashion, seasonal pieces such as this season’s sequined jackets which were popular during Christmas party season but they are the biggest product to adorn the sale rails. ANSOFF â€Å"The ANSOFF Growth matrix is a tool that helps businesses decides their product and market growth strategy. (Tutor2u, 2009) Figure 8- {draw:frame} (Tutor2u, 2009) Market penetration â€Å"Market penetration is the name given to a growth strategy where the business focuses on selling existing products into existing markets. † Market penetration seeks to achieve four main objectives: †¢Market penetration aims to maintain or increase of the market share. In order to do this H&M must continue to look at ways to provide competitive pricing strategies in order to have an advantage over their rivalry, especially as one of the main competitors is Primark LTD. They must provide good advertising to entice their customers. At present they market themselves using their shop window, poster campaigns and the H&M website. They also cleverly market themselves by displaying the prices and any sales promotions on the campaigns however the advertising is usually spread across the whole of Europe and therefore, with their stores basing the stock of each store on their analysis of the cities customer, it is often very difficult for customers to find these items in their store. †¢ â€Å"Knowledge is power. † (Bacon, F, 1597) Market Penetration aims to assist the company in attempts to secure power of growth markets. To do this H&M must have a good knowledge of their market and who their competition is within the market. †¢ H&M use very strong promotional tactics in order to promote the company and product, their main advantage of some of their competitors is the H&M magazine. H&M magazine is used to give the consumer a good message on how the company sees fashion, offering not only clothing from the company but also inspiration for trends within both fashion and lifestyle. This is published four times per year. Market penetration looks at ways for the company to increase their number of existing customers and maintain customer loyalty. H&M give a lot of information on their website which is good for customers to have knowledge in a brand they are investing in. However, H&M could benefit from offering some version of a loyalty scheme like a store card or by providing student discount to keep them ahe ad of their competitors. Market development â€Å"Market development is the name given to a growth strategy where the business seeks to sell its existing products into new markets. (Tutor2u, 2009) There are many possible ways of approaching this strategy, including: †¢ Expanding into new geographical markets; for example H&M launched themselves into Russia in 2009 and are making plans to enter Israel and South Korea during 2010 †¢ In order for H&M to develop their marketing strategies with their products, they aim to impress their customers with trends straight from the catwalk for a low price. They aim to keep their brand edgy by re-vamping their old red and white image of the website and packaging to a more colourful and fun print. They also provide special carrier bags when they collaborate with a designer or celebrity. †¢ H&M demand efficient distribution and test the quality of the produce at every level to ensure it is at its highest, new ways of fast yet cost effective and eco- friendly distribution is something they should always attempt to find. †¢ When developing the market H&M always look at ways to change their pricing policies to attract new customers and create new market segments. Product development H&M always strive to develop their products within their existing ranges while staying true to their mission statement, â€Å"fashion and quality at the best price. † (H&M, 2009) They are also expanding existing models in Middle East using a franchise route. This may be a risky move as they will not have full control over the franchised stores Diversification In 2009 H&M launched into a new market by introducing a range of interior textiles for the home under the H&M home concept 2009. This new concept increases the company’s strong brand by offering â€Å"additional choice of lifestyle related products to its customers. In addition, this provides an opportunity for the company to cross sell its merchandise to generate incremental revenue. † (Lexis- Nexis, 2009)- See appendix 5. 7 P’s of Marketing Mix. The 7 P’s are developed in order to â€Å"produce mutually satisfying exchanges within a target market. † (Mc Daniel et al, 2008) They are very important tools for H&M to use when developing or introducing new products into the market as good knowledge of which P’s are important or may need more attention is vital in order for a product to succeed. 3. 5 Conclusion From studying the marketing audit for H&M it is apparent that the company display good methods of conducting the marketing audits. However there are changes that could be made in order to increase the brand name and develop their market growth. A SWOT Analysis will now be conducted in order to determine the best course of action for the company to take in the future. 4. 0 SWOT Analysis â€Å"SWOT is an acronym used to describe the particular Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats that are strategic factors for a specific company. (My Strategic Plan, 2008) The SWOT analysis is a marketing tool used to audit a company and its environment. The SWOT analysis is always at the first stages of the planning process, once the research has been conducted, as it helps the marketers focus on the key issues that need to be addressed. (Marketing Teacher, 2009) See Appendix 6 for a full SWOT analysis conducted on H&M. 4. 1 Conclusion In order to maintain success and enhance that success H&M must continue to provide a high level of service to their consumer market. They need to ensure that high fashion, high quality lines are being produced while remaining to be aware of their internal and external environments. In 2010 H&M need to introduce massive collaborations with themselves and other designers or celebrities as this is what keeps them ahead of the competition as well as a continued loyalty to customers to give them the confidence t shop, and shop at H&M. This can be expanded be expanded by introducing a loyalty system of perhaps a store card where the customer can but now and pay in monthly installments. H&M must do more research into the products they are producing and the fabrics used, especially in children’s wear, as recalls are not acceptable especially with the economic climate. H&M will continue to expand into new and existing markets and must remember to continue to perform high levels of research and analysis before expanding. They may also need to look at new ways to help make the decision as they cannot afford to get it wrong. The company also needs to keep a firm eye on the competition and consumer buying behavior, enhancing resources in this department to ensure a high level of awareness is maintained.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Hovey Insurance & Financial Services Research Paper

Hovey Insurance & Financial Services - Research Paper Example If these fees are unsuccessful, the organization cannot successfully move the project to the completion stage. The dynamism with which the business environment is changing with constrains all organizations in business. In the current business environment, few organizations have surplus resources. If anything, they struggle with the limited resources and tight budgets to realize their objectives. Hovey Insurance & Financial Services Company, being part of this environment, has to contend with the high competition levels and low budgets. This at times bends the organization to opt for the lowest bidder while seeking the right people to deal with in the development process. Low bidders mean that the organization cannot afford the best brains, the most knowledgeable and the most experienced specialists in the market. Subsequently, the quality of products may not meet the expectations of the planners while it may take a longer time before completing. Lack of information technology is yet another problem facing the company. In the current business environment, technology plays a crucial role in the success of the business. Currently, most of the organizations have computerized their operations to suit the global demands and quality requirements of goods and products. For high quality products and services, companies have to give priority to technological investments. Companies operate on a global competitive platform, where customers have unlimited choices of goods and services. Increasingly, more organizations are investing in technology to have the upper hand in the market. Most aim at having long-term benefits from technological investment. Although the initial capital investment by a company in technology is high, there are numerous long-term benefits accrued. Companies save on time taken in producing goods while service industry firms gain more from customer loyalty resultant from high quality services. These are the missing factors in Hovey Insurance & Financia l Services since the company has low technological investment capacity. While developing the company’s website, the company faced a myriad of problems. There was an acute shortage of technology in the country during the developmental stages of the website. This poses even a bigger problem to Hovey Insurance & Financial Services as monitoring of the trends and the traffic of people visiting the site will be a problem. This might mean additional costs to the firm as it may frequently need to outsource these services to an external provider. This poses a dual problem to the organization. On one hand, the organization suffers the problem of secrecy and autonomy as it has to allow inside information to the public. This could have devastating effects on the organization as the contracted person may decide to trade the information with the organization’s competitors. On the other hand, the quality of services provided may be compromising against the high costs charged by the provider. This problem even gets worse when the organization factors in its constrained budget. Time is essential in completing high quality work or when providing high quality services to the customers. While developing a project, the planners and implementers allow enough time to plan the project, get it on its feet and help it start running. It also allows for any changes whenever a problem arises in the implementation

Friday, September 27, 2019

Intro MGT Informat Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Intro MGT Informat Systems - Essay Example Despite proper planning of the initiation phase, continuous evaluation of the implementation process is vital in project implementation. During the implementation phase, communication is vital in the project implementation process (Kerzner). Communication ensures that the transfer of information within the work force is effective thus improving the implementation process. The various phase of implementation process involves the combination of different departments in the implementation process. The communication process in the project work must accommodate various technological changes such as use of latest communication technology such as the use of Email and social networks. The selection of the best possible technology for use in the project work must consider the budgetary allocation of the project. It deals with the understanding of the information management and system available and the implementation process demands. The leadership of an organization can influence the motivation of the people leading better performance in project management. Emotional intelligent is vital in the leadership success. To have a successful project leader, the understanding of the leadership styles and emotional intelligence is mandatory allowing for exclusive understanding of the organization structure. Leadership in project management must always have the mission and vision of the project to avoid management crisis such as loss of organizational focus and goals. The goals of the project are vital because they facilitate the development of organizational structure and organization. Additionally, the planning phase of the project must ensure that all factors that may influence implementation are evaluated. The creation of plans ensures that all activities are considered in the process of planning and the magnitude of activities, threats and opportunities existing during the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The role of Markus Wolf in the Stasi regime in East Germany Essay

The role of Markus Wolf in the Stasi regime in East Germany - Essay Example A positive contrast between the two states may be that the NS was an actual German creation that was further deep-seated, but the Communist state of dictatorship was actually an external imposition which gradually turned softer. An intellectual revolution took place after the serene insurgency in 1989, as swiftly the DDR’s furtive papers were controlled by Bundesrepublik Deutschland. BRD had adequate inducement to publicize the secrets of a previous opponent. Through the meticulousness and purposeful promptness of Germans a great number of documents were provided to scholars who hardly had an expectation to smack it so heavily. The new Russian government was not much likely to reveal its history like the Germans; however, a number of its massive records had been searched out in connection with its previous settlement. Chronicles at the back of the Iron Curtain, due to which one may previously have to seek for the grains of corn in the middle of the heap of chaff, have only the natural limitations of memories. Investigating the outlawed Secret Police records in authoritarianism has a brilliant association to it. While all is required to be reserved undisclosed, these police should have kept the secrets. When the public was to know nothing, the Secret Police were supposed to know everything. (Peterson, 2001) As stated by Koehler (1999) Stasi is actually the title of the ministry of State security of East Germany its actual name in German language is â€Å"Ministerium fur Staatssicherheit†, which is abbreviated as â€Å"Stasi† and pronounced as â€Å"Tazi†. Stasi took fame as the secret police service of East Germany. It had its command center in East Berlin in a huge multiplex building and has a number of minor amenities all over the East Berlin. It has been well known as a successful and exploitive secret police service. Stasi used to have slogan which was translated as â€Å"Defense and Weapon

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Decade of the Decline of the Balance of Power Essay

The Decade of the Decline of the Balance of Power - Essay Example It is the democratic situation of the nation that has contributed to this situation as cases like the Executive and the Congress holding different positions such as receiving support from opposing political parties. The privilege doctrine of these branches of the government have proved to be timely and challenging to the judicial branch. Power allocation between coequal and separate government branches has been a major challenge in the last decade in United States. Such power gridlocks have forced the Supreme Court to step in many situations in order to resolve some of the disputes between the different government branches. When it comes to the balance of power between the White house and the Congress, the result is normally a political battle mainly regarding the law thus making such conflicts to spill over to the Supreme Court (Elliot, 2007). The power conflicts among the separate and coequal branches of the government are unavoidable especially in this decade that has been marked by partisan conflicts that have been heightened. The American constitution defines the different powers given to the existing branches of the government but lives some clauses undefined when it comes to the powers dedicated to the government branches thus. This situation is what results to the misunderstandings in the interpretation of the constitution as a means of defining the power balances. For example, the Congress is vested with the power to oversee the activities of the Executive by the constitution in the formulation of its legislation and the appropriation of funds for the executive operations. The imbalance arises when the Executive is also given the power by the same constitution to withhold some of its information regarding its duties as per the constitution. This is because the disclosure of some of the information to the Congress and the entire nation would work against the interests of the nation. However, the constitution still expects the government branches to provide other necessary information without limits. The doctrine of Executive and the Congress are mandated to shield and sought information that are sensitive from disclosure for the sake of the interest of the nation but at the same time making sure that the remainder is disclosed. The consequent of this is that the government branches conflicts force the Supreme Court to reconsider its executive privilege doctrine thus exploring constitutional waters that were unexplored. The last decade has seen a President coming from a party that is different from the party held by the Congress. This scenario has led to unbalanced power between the two resulting to the many conflicts witnessed as a result of the power shifts. The end result is the diminishing of the constitutional concept of the government’s co equal branches (Bickel, 1990). The Suprem e Court is left with the responsibility of resolving such conflicts presented before as stated in the

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Homeostasis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Homeostasis - Essay Example This is because they could lead even to the eventual death of the person. The body system is requires consistent regulation in order to allow other functions to remain constant. Therefore, homeostasis as a biological function is tasked with regulation of the internal conditions to ensure that the human body is stable. On that account, as a medium of maintaining a dynamic range of environmental qualities, homeostasis possesses control mechanisms that have receptors of sensing stimulus. This means that information is sent to a particular control center that determines various stimuli that often elicit a change in organs, muscles, and other vital body structures (Szablewski, 2011). Therefore, instead of holding an internal environment within a given point, homeostasis has the potential of giving a negative feedback that reduces the activity of the organ systems and any other output. Regulation of blood pressure, for instance, is the operation of the negative feedback especially when it assists in the decrease of the heart rate through vasodilation. However, with a set point instead of working range of temperatures, the body can get overworked. This is because the negative feedback mechanism is devoid of regulatory changes that respond effectively to the stimulus. Consequently, a homeostasis imbalance necessitates inefficiency and defective body control systems. A set point equally results to an internal environment with physical changes, risk of illnesses and aging that could destabilize the overall body system. Alternatively, a homeostatic imbalance creates a high concentration of salt in the blood system causing a decline of oxygen in the body. It, thus, generates a chain of homeostatic emotions that include thirst, breathlessness, and warmth (Wood et al., 2012). Likewise, a set point is retrogressive in the body system because it fails to restores vital

Monday, September 23, 2019

Benefits of Illegal Immigration in the United States Research Paper

Benefits of Illegal Immigration in the United States - Research Paper Example Inversely, opposers’ shows that the American economy will suffer from the illegal immigrants since their motives of immigration into the economy are not well established. This article assesses the benefit that the American economy will gain from the illegal immigrants. The illegal immigrants play a major role in the US economy. Recent research has shown that the illegal immigrants have little skills and little education level, which makes them seek job opportunities in the low education demanding areas. This includes restaurants and hospitals where they work in the low-level departments. This contributes positively in the US economy in that the labor force needed is increased therefore reducing the need for hiring highly qualified labor force. Employing the immigrants gives the employers an opportunity to reduce the cost and retain the loyal workers in those areas that the majority of the citizens feel overqualified to work in. This means that expelling these immigrants would have a negative influence the US economy (George, 2006). In another survey conducted on the US armed forces, it show that the number of immigrants in the force totals to 60,000. This is in both the navy and army. This shows that the immigrant plays a major role in developing the economy. This is through keeping peace missions that are relevant for the economy to grow. Their efforts have been vital in the public service. The US economy has mostly been a capital-intensive economy, which has employed few people than its potential. The illegal immigrants replace this method through the provision of cheap and manual labor. This has played a major role for the immigrants themselves and the entire economy in that it leaps the benefits directly, which appears on its gross domestic product. In most of these cases, the illegal immigrants work in construction companies, meat packing industry, agriculture, and other physically or labor intensive jobs (Corwin, 2010). In a report that was done by the Washington Post, the illegal immigration has a positive benefit on the average US taxpayer. The reason is that the immigrants in the US pays more tax than the average American. This is more than they consume in the social services. Immigrants pay the federal taxes and state taxes as well as social security taxes. However, the immigrants do not get a chance to reclaim this money because they are not citizens. Averagely, this decreases the tax burden on native-born American citizens. Nonetheless, this effect varies by location, states with high immigrant populations and generous social services regularly experience a net loss in tax revenue. Most of these immigrants come to the US from most parts of the world. They bring in different cultures from their places. These immigrants have racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity, which expose the American citizens to new ideas and new ways of life. This diversity introduces the Americans to new ways of life in different sectors. This may involve areas such as cuisine, religion, language that helps to educate the Americans citizens about ways of life from the various ways of life. However, this may at first cause conflict between people of different races and ethnicity (Corwin, 2010). The US economy is seen as a positively welcoming economy due to the large numbers of immigrants that are available in the economy. This in turn attracts investors who see the economy as favorable and might bring in high

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Ofer and acceptance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ofer and acceptance - Essay Example Later on in 1st of May, James bought membership for one year. In this respect, Mary, on 15th of May mailed the card in order to claim for the reward as she introduced a new member i.e. James in the club. However, Mary received a regret letter on 23rd of May, stating that she is not receiving the claim for the reward due to certain reasons. The reasons mentioned to Mary for not receiving the claim are that the offer for the reward has been revoked on 7th of May in the website of Bulging Msclecds LTD and the card for claiming the rewards was not received in time. It was also mentioned that James was not a new member at the time rather than an existing one when yearly membership was acquired. This discussion will emphasize upon the law relating to offer and acceptance as well as the claims made in relation to the aforementioned case. Moreover, the discussion will also emphasize on the procedures as well as steps to be taken by Mary in order to face the aforementioned situation. ... Moreover, offer and acceptance can be made in any form that includes written as well as verbal and means of conduct. There are certain requirements which are necessary for an offer to be effective in its approach such as the objectives of an offer to be proposed must be intentional. The intention of the offeror is required to be clear as well as definite for successful performance of an agreement between the parties. An offer is required to be legally recognised for better execution of contract between the parties. Mere expression of opinion as well as invitation to negotiate is not considered as an offer. Advertisements as well as circulars are not considered as an offer unless they are is meant for general public or to a group of people. Advertisements which are proposed in a unilateral contract are considered to be a valid contract. Moreover, terms as well as conditions of any proposed offer must be definite that would assist both the parties as well as judicial court in determini ng the requisite conditions of the offer for better decision making. It will also assist in identifying breach in a contract and would provide appropriate remedies. Furthermore, the offer to be proposed must be communicated to other party i.e. the offeree. A proper communicated offer will ultimately assist an offeree in claiming rewards for the performance of a contract. Therefore, offer and acceptance are basic elements in a particular contract (Miller & Hollowell, 2010). Advertisements Offer and acceptance which are made through advertisements are to be mentioned for general public as well as proposed through unilateral contract. Adverts which specify that on accomplishment of certain activity by

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Hsbc Case Essay Example for Free

Hsbc Case Essay HSBC is known as the â€Å"World’s local bank†. Originally called the HongKong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, HSBC was established in 1865 to finance the growing trade between China and the United Kingdom. HSBC is now the second largest bank in the world, serving 100 million customers through 9,500 branches in 79 countries. The company is organized by business line (personal financial services; customer finance; commercial banking; corporate investment banking and markets; private banking), as well as by goegraphic segment (Asia-Pacific, U. K. /Eurozone, North America/NAFTA, South America, Middle East). Despite operating in 79 different countries, the bank works hard to maintain a local feel and local knowledge in each area. HSBC’s fundamental operating strategy is to remain close to its customers. As HSBC chairman Sir John Bond said in November 2003, â€Å"Our position as the world’s local bank enables us to approach each country uniquely, blending local knowledge with a worldwide operating platform†. For example, consider HSBC’s local marketing efforts in New York City. To prove to jaded New Yorkers that the London-based financial behemoth was â€Å"the world’s local bank. HSBC held a â€Å"New York City’s Most knowledgeable Cabbie† contest. The winning cabbie gets paid to drive full-time for HSBC for the year, and HSBC customers win, too. Any customer showing an HSBC bankcard, checkbook, or bank statement can get a free ride in the HSBC-branded Bankcab. The campaign demonstrates HSBC’s local knowledge. â€Å"In order to ma ke New Yorkers believe you’re local, you have to act local,† said Renegade Marketing Group’s CEO Drew Neisser. Across the world in Hong Kong, HSBC undertook a different campaign. In the region hit hard by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, HSBC launched a program to revitalize the local economy. HSBC â€Å"plowed back interest payments† to customers who worked in industries most affected by SARS (cinemas, hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies). The program eased its customers financial burden. The bank also promoted Hong Kong’s commercial sector by offering discounts and rebates for customers who use an HSBC credit card when shopping and dining out, to help businesses affected by the downturn. More than 1,500 local merchants participated in the promotion. In addition to local marketing, HSBC does niche marketing. For example, it found a little-known product area that was growing at 125 percent a year : pet insurance. In December 2003 it announced that it will distribute nationwide per insurance through its HSBC Insurance agency, making the insurance available to its depositors. HSBC also segments demographically. In the United states, the Bank will target the immigrant population, particularly Hispanics, now that it has acquired Bital in Mexico, where many migrants to the United States deposit money. Overall, the bank has been consciously pulling together its worldwide business under a single global brand with the â€Å"World’s local bank† slogan. The aim is to link its international size with close relationships in each of the countries in which it operates. The company spends $600 million annually on global marketing and will likely consolidate and use fewer ad agencies. HSBC will decide who gets the account by giving each agency a â€Å"brand-strategy exercise. † Agencies will be vying for the account by improving on HSBC’s number 37 global brand ranking

Friday, September 20, 2019

Overview of US Criminal Justice System

Overview of US Criminal Justice System The Ins and Outs of Corrections As far as I can remember as a child, when I thought of the corrections system, I thought it was doing something bad and going to jail. I never gave thought to how things really work. Little did I know that the process of corrections is comprised of different areas that make up a system known as the Criminal Justice System. The United States criminal justice system is made up of a network at the federal, state and local levels. Federal court jurisdiction is limited to certain types of cases listed in the U.S. Constitution (Comparing). For the most part, federal court jurisdictions only hear cases in which the United States is a party, cases involving violations of the Constitution or federal law, crimes on federal land, and bankruptcy cases. Federal courts also hear cases of disputes between two or more states. While federal courts handle fewer cases than most state courts, the cases heard tend to be of great importance and of great interest to the press and the public. State courts are also known as general jurisdiction (Comparing). They hear cases that are not selected for federal courts. 90% of all cases heard in the American court system happens at the state level. State court systems vary from state to state. Each state gets to make and interpret its own laws as long as they do not violate the constitution and they are all a little different. Some examples of cases heard at the state level are: state tax and law violations, real estate cases, custody and inheritance cases. Local courts are similar to state courts. They handle cases such as divorce, family courts, personal injury, minor drug violations and contract disputes. As with any mechanism, the criminal justice system involves the coordinated functioning of its distinct parts. It is made of three parts that process a case from inception, through trial to punishment. Throughout each stage of the process, constitutional protections exist to ensure that the rights of the accused and convicted re respected. Law Enforcement is the first component of the criminal justice system. It involves police officers, sheriffs, park rangers, federal agents, detectives and other agents that usually make first contact with criminals. These individuals are responsible for upholding the law, investigating crime and apprehending the individuals responsible for committing the crime. In this area is where criminals are read their Miranda rights. Cases are investigated, evidence is collected, witnesses are questioned and the cases are moved on to the courts. Courts make up the second component of the criminal justice system. The courts are a key piece of the puzzle known as the justice system. The courts are made up of judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, bailiffs, jurors and court reporters. The individuals in the courts works to ensure an individuals rights are not violated and a fair trial takes place. Juries and judges play a part in sentencing individuals for crimes committed, but they must each follow guidelines established by state and federal statutes. The third component of criminal justice system is corrections. This component includes probation officers, parole officers and corrections officers. These individuals in the court component work together to ensure that a convicted offender serves his or her sentence as advised by the courts and supervises the convicts as they serve their sentence. Each of these three aspects of the criminal justice system is essential to the effective functioning of the larger system as a whole. Another key component of the criminal justice system that is constantly in the news are the prisons themselves. Prison transformation has been a big news topic in Alabama lately. One thing that has been left out is the system that runs these prisons. Prisons are made up of staff members with specific roles with the same goals. These goals are to provide for the security of the community by incarcerating those who break the law; promoting the smooth and effective functioning of the institution; ensuring that incarceration is secure but humane; and giving inmates the opportunity to develop a positive lifestyle while incarcerated and to gain the personal and employment skills they need for a positive lifestyle after release (Schmalleger 2015). The prisons staff is very extensive. It doesnt consist of warden and officers. The staff are arranged into a hierarchy which consists of: Warden: The chief executive, in charge of the prison, must adhere to programs created by the state and have enormous discretion within their institution. Each institution will also have several associate wardens that preside over specific programs within an institution (Staff). Executive Assistant: The Executive Assistant serves as the Wardens chief sycophant, and is also the only person other than the Warden who has authorization to speak with the media (Staff). Department Heads: A Department Head will oversee the day-to-day operations. Individuals who hold the role of a Department Head will have much more in the way of direct interaction with inmates (Staff). Unit Managers: In many ways, prisons are like communities. In the Bureau of Prisons, institutions hold anywhere from 100 to several thousand people. Administrators make use of a system they call Unit Management to keep a handle on operations. With the Unit Management system, administrators can more effectively keep track of all the people (Staff). These units are broken down into even smaller levels to include: Program staff (psychologists, psychiatrists, medical doctors, nurses, medical aides, teachers, counselors, caseworkers and ministers); Custodial staff (majors, captains, lieutenants, sergeants, and correctional officers); Service and maintenance staff (kitchen workers, physical plant personnel and outside contractors); Volunteers (prison ministry, speakers, and other volunteers) (Schmalleger 2015). The American Criminal Justice system is very complex. It has a hierarchy of Court systems that trickles down to smaller systems that have their own hierarchy of systems also. Just like the justice system is made of components of federal, state and local courts, the prison system itself also has components. Every are of the justice system all work together with the same common goals: to enforce the laws, maintain peace and order in the communities and provide their constituencies safety and security. References Comparing Federal State Courts. (n.d.). Retrieved February 09, 2017, from www.us.courts.gov Schmalleger, F., PhD, Smykla, J. O., PhD. (2015). Corrections in the 21st Century (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Staff Hierarchy and Administrative Remedy. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2017, from https://www.prisonprofessor.com State Court vs Federal Courts. (n.d.). Retrieved February 09, 2017, from www.judiciallearningcenter.org The Difference Between Federal Courts and State/Local Courts. (n.d.). Retrieved February 15, 2017, from www.civilrights.org United States District Court. (n.d.). Retrieved February 09, 2017, from www.us.courts.gov

Thursday, September 19, 2019

History of Fireworks :: Chine Fireworks Explosives Essays

History of Fireworks The birthplace of fireworks is generally recognized as China, with the first explosive mixture found being black powder, during the Sung dynasty ( 960-1279 ). It is said that a cook in ancient china found that a mixture of sulfur, saltpeter, and charcoal was very flammable and would explode if enclosed in a small space. The first application of this technology was for entertainment. The Chinese are still the leader in the production of fireworks. Once the recipe for black powder was perfected, they found that it was easily used as rocket fuel, and they made hand carved wooden rockets in the shape of a dragon, in the sixth century. These rockets shot rocket powered arrows from their mouth, and were used against the Mongol invaders of 1279. The principle behind these rockets is still used in rocket powered fireworks today. Through adventurous explorers, the knowledge of making fireworks spread west, through Arabia in the seventh century. The Arabs called the rockets Chinese arrows. The Mongols are credited with taking Chinese rockets and gunpowder to Europe around 1241. The first record of their use in Europe are around 1258. Until the 19th century, fireworks lacked a major aesthetically essential characteristic: color. Pyrotechnicians began to use a combination of potassium chlorate and various metallic salts to make brilliant colors. The salts of these metals produce the different colors: strontium burns red; copper makes blue; barium glows green; and sodium, yellow. Magnesium, aluminum, and titanium were found to give off white sparkles or a flash. Even though China invented the fireworks, Europe surpassed them in pyrotechnic development in the 14th century, which coincides with the time the gun was invented. Shot and gunpowder for military use was made by skilled tradesmen, later called firemakers, who also made fireworks for peace or victory celebrations. During the Renaissance, two European schools of pyrotechnic thought emerged: one in Italy and the other at Nuremberg, Germany. The Italian school of pyrotechnics emphasized elaborate fireworks, and the German school stressed scientific advancement. Both schools added significantly to further development of pyrotechnics, and by the mid-17th century fireworks were used for entertainment on an unprecedented scale in Europe, being popular even at resorts and public gardens. In the mid-19th century fireworks became popular in the United States. Injuries associated with fireworks, particularly to children, eventually discouraged their unrestricted use. As a result, in many states of the U.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Karl Marx :: essays papers

Karl Marx One day, I was walking in the forest, yearning for just something that will nourish my body. I had not eaten for days, and in order to survive, I needed food. All of a sudden, I came upon a block of bread laying ten feet in front of me. Running towards it, I was confronted by another man twice my size. He was definitely more than I. Being the smaller man, I lost out on my nourishment and on my survival. I lost my â€Å"struggle for existence†. Throughout this paper, I will expand on why this short story, has to do with a man by the name of Charles Darwin. Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was a failed medical school student, who finally received his B.A. degree in Biology. His schooling was finished up at Cambridge. If anyone is at all familiar with Darwin, they know his beliefs are pretty much the exact opposite of the Christian Theology. What strikes me, as strange, is that Darwin, when younger, was a Clergyman at the Church of England. As I will elaborate later on in this paper, he went from a religious clergyman, to questioning his beliefs, to even stating some of the most non-religious Theories known to man. As an unpaid Naturalist, he traveled on the H.M.S. Beagle, across the coastline of South America. While being dropped off and left on the Galapagos Islands for a number of days, he began to watch the species on the Island. To sum it up, He watched, for many days, Nature run its course. Throughout this time, and even after, he started to develop ideas about how he thought species survived. How they do survive, and how they should survive. This has to do with one of his greatest theories of all, Natural Selection. As I explained earlier about â€Å"the survival for existence†, Darwin developed a theory that explained how the most fit, biggest, and better of all the species have they opportunity to live on and survive. The weak, and less fortunate are able to compete for food, or other survival musts. He coined these thoughts along with a fellow Naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913). Wallace actually gathered his evidence in Indonesia. This theory in which these two men established has been critiqued for years.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Critique on Kirstie laird :: essays papers

Critique on Kirstie laird Orange Girl I chose to critique and analyze the works of Kirstie Laird. I liked the variety of her works, and the bright, brilliant colors in most of them. I think the one that fascinated me most, however, was â€Å"Marionette† because it didn’t have any of the orange colors or motifs prominent in her other works. This puzzled me, since the title of her showing was â€Å"Orange Girl† and every other picture in the showing fit the title well. I found Laird’s works quite similar to those of Judy Dater. Their finished products aren’t too similar for the most part, but their reasons for the pictures they take are nearly identical. Laird’s series â€Å"investigates the ways in which we define ourselves through social roles, dress and physical markers, both natural and applied.† This sounds very much like what Dater wishes to convey in her self-portrait sequence â€Å"in which she dressed and posed herself as stereotypes of certain kinds of women.† Both women take special pains to use themselves as models (not an easy feat, I know from experience!). Not only that, they change costumes and props in every picture to convey the character they are becoming. In a sense, they are actresses, and each picture is a separate role for them. How well they fit the roles? That is a matter of opinion. I found each role they wished to convey was portrayed quite well. As different as each ladies sty le is, I still found some pictures I thought were quite similar in many respects. Laird’s â€Å"Kitchen† and Dater’s â€Å"Ms. Clingfree† were two pictures I thought were similar. If you laid the two side by side, you would see nothing in them that was remotely similar. One is of a young attractive housewife sitting on the kitchen counter, cheerily showing off the fruit bowl. The other is of an older housewife, perhaps one who has been married many years and is starting to feel the stress taking its toll on her. In that sense, the pictures are of the same person (a housewife) as she goes through the years. Laird shows her when she is happily married and everything is sunny and bright. Dater shows the woman after the years have taken their toll and she is tired of it all.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Mountains Beyond Mountains Essay

The title is a haitian proverb that translates â€Å"beyond the mountains, more mountains.† As it relates to the book, I believe mountains beyond mountains means the never ending struggle to control disease involving the poor. In this case, the poor are the haitian people who are in a struggle to improve their health and the institution in place allow this to perpetuate. Farmer sees health in a way that differs from most. Farmer believes improvement of health is not only the actual treatment of the disease. Instead, it is the complete assimilation of institutions where the poor are given power to succeed politically as well as the access to health care. This is evident in what resources Farmer’s clinic has available to his patients that go beyond access to equipment and medications that are not easily attainable in Haiti. In order to provide the necessary resources for a healthy community today and into the future they provide a school, housing, kitchen that feeds people daily, sanitation, as well as filtered water systems. These different resources combined make up what a community needs to have an improvement of health today and into the future. This philosophy rings true for me. How can you expect to have a healthy community when these basic needs are not available. In a country like the United States these resources are at at your disposal in the most rural locations and their benefits forg otten because of it. Farmer’s Story shows how a small group of practitioners can make a positive and lasting impact in a world with poverty and a lack of health care provisions to those without insurance. One major component to this ability is the level of sacrifice these practitioners were able to endure. For many, the dreams of being a doctor include the big bucks that come along with it. In order to provide the level of care Farmer believed was necessary he sacrificed an extraordinary amount of his personal wealth. Another major sacrifice was his time with family. He split his year in Boston and Haiti so the geographic aspect was limiting. Then, the enormous amount of work that seemed never ending (mountains beyond mountains) kept  him busy way beyond an average 9 to 5, leaving no time for vacation to visit. These sacrifices are not to be taken lightly. I don’t know if I would be willing to live for others like Farmer has. It takes a certain character that one is born with to do this. Farmer used every tool he had to help. He sweet talked workers at hospitals and walked away with tuberculosis medicine for the poor and even paid for it himself. When caught he paid back the 96 thousand dollars in medicine he had take. When he was with others he would lecture all he came into contact with on the plight of the poor. He felt as though the poor were all too often forgotten. Tuberculosis control was the perfect example of this. Pharmaceutical companies had controlled TB in wealthy countries and made no effort in poor nations like haiti because it did not make sense financially. Once Farmer came into contact with a resistant form of TB in haiti he was on a mission to make MDR available for all not just the wealthy. The biggest block was cost. His goal of MDR for all was not shared by pharmaceutical companies that wanted to keep the prices high. That didn’t sway him one bit. Ultimately, Farmer was able to acheive his goal and make MDR affordable for all. This motivation with no regard to a personal financial benefit is an attribute I have seldom seen in my lifetime. I imagine Farmer had been approached or had the opportunity to make huge profits from his position and public image. This ethical character seems mythical in today’s world of business and bottom lines. His ethical standard is something to aspire to. The most intriguing quality I see in Farmer is his ability to understand the position of the poor in all its complexity. Wether the person is from Haiti or the United States he treats the patient with a respect that puts the patient at ease. His overall goal is to help the patient in a manner where it improves their overall health. One example that stuck out was Farmer’s experience with Joe a drug addict who doesn’t take his medication or eat properly. He sits with him and asks what his needs are in order to have a successful change in health. The response was definitely unique. His needs were a warm place to stay, 6 pack of beer, person to make sure he takes his medication, and someone to make sure he eats. Instead of listening and  completely dismissing his needs as out of the question he promises to try his best. On a board he writes what Joe’s current situation and the situation he wants to place him in and begins his mission. Ultimately he finds Joe a homeless shelter but they do not allow alcohol, but that doesn’t stop Farmer from pleading Joe’s case. This unorthodox method for providing the care Farmer felt would make a real change in Joe’s health was impressive. Farmer’s story is impressive. After reading this book I understand that a medical career is more than the good life. The abilities we are about to have can help so many and we need to know that is the goal of a good practitioner.

Chunnel Project

Hlstorlcal background, overall objectives, political climate, and pre- feasibility studies. 2-Development-Overall planning, feasibility studies, financing, and conceptual design, 3-1mplementation-Detail design, construction, installation, testing, and commissioning. 4-Closeout-RefIection on overall performance, settlement of claims, financial status, and post-project evaluation. 1974- Initial tunnel ideas gather but abandoned. 1978-British & French discussions resumed. 83-Frensh & British banks & contractors propose tunnel scheme. 1984 British and French agree to common safety, environmental, and security concerns. 1. Please complete your evaluation of project management during this phase, using the following grid: Project Management Area Closeout Phase Scope Management Time Management Cost Management Quality Management HR Management Communication Management Risk Management Procurement Management Integration Management 2.Please highlight the major areas of strength In the management of this phase of he project: Scope Management 2 Communication Mangement 2. Please highlight the major areas of strength in the management of this phase of tOf2 the following grid: Project Management Area Time Management 3 Quality Management 4 HR Management 2 Communication Management2 Risk Management 2 Integration Management 3 Closeout Phase the project: 1. Please complete your evaluation of project management during this phase, using the following grid: Project Management Area Closeout Phase

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Macro environment Essay

Our product and all of the other actors operate in a large macro environment of forces that shape opportunities and pose threats to the company is known as macro environment. Six largely uncountable external forces influence our product’s marketing activities. And also it influences decision making, and affect its performance and strategies. These factors include the economic, demographics, legal, political, and social conditions, technological changes, and natural forces Elements of Macro-Environment: Demographic Environment Demography is the study of human populations in terms of size, destiny, location, age, gender race, occupation and other statistics. The demographic environment is of major interest to marketers because it involves people. Economic Environment Marketers require buying power as well as people. The economic environment consists of factors that affect consumers’ purchasing power and spending power patterns. Marketers must pay close attention to major trends and consumers’ spending patterns. Natural Environment The natural environment involves the natural resources that are needed as inputs by marketers or they are affected by marketing activities. Environmental concerns have grown steadily during the past three decades. Marketers should be aware of several trends in the natural environment. Technological Environment The technological environment is perhaps the most dramatic forces now shopping own destiny. Technological environment involves forces that create new technologist creating new product and marketing opportunities. Political Environment Marketing decisions are strongly affected by developments in the political environment. Political environment consists of laws, government agencies, government itself and pressure groups that influence or limits various organizations and individuals in a given society. Cultural Environment The cultural environment is made up of institutions and other forces that affect a society’s basic values, perceptions, preferences and behaviors. There are few cultural values which affect marketing decision making. These are persistence of cultural value, shifts in secondary cultural value, people views of organization and others. â€Å"Environment factors that affect our green product† Demographic effect: I. Population growth and age structure. Changes in demand patterns of products. II. Family structure changing. Changing household’s patterns. People are thinking of saving time, Increasing dual income families. Multiple tasks at one time. Part-time jobs and business. III. More education Knowledgeable people are tending to use more inconvenience and useful things. Economic effects: Lawproductexportsnewgrowth price & service opportunities of GNP Social and cultural effects: Social organization such as family, school, temple and culture of the society shape, beliefs, norms, values, and behavior of people should take into an account before the launching of our product. Majority of people are influenced by their culture. Therefore when we trying to satisfy customer needs have to consider these factors and objectives should match with them. Technological effects: ObsoletethereforeProduct’s features should be up to date. Flexible Durable Efficient Effective Political – legal effects: Business regulations influence and limit the behavior of Rules individuals and organization. Government Policies Laws Governments bodies Pressure groups Conan is a green product Law tax rate Public acceptance Easier to launch Emphasis on ethics & social responsibility Natural effects: Natural environment: Impending of storage of raw material Increased cost of energy Increased levels of pollution Government intervention in natural resources management Conan is a green concept which provides energy saving system and lightning system without any capital expenditure. This encourages deployment of energy – efficient products. And also it is a disposable product.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

An Overview of the Life of John F Kennedy

John F. Kennedy was one of the most liked and dedicated presidents of the United States of America. His presidency ran The second of nine children, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in a three story wooden house on May 29, 1917; in Brooklyn, Massachusetts. His parents were Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Joseph Kennedy intended for his sons to receive the finest private school education possible. Johns education started at a private Dexter school in Brookline. During fourth, fifth, and sixth grades John enrolled at Riverdale Country Day School. At the age of thirteen, John entered the Canterbury School in Milford, Connecticut. The spring of 1931, John suffered an attack of appendicitis. He had to stay home and rest for the remainder of the school year. Kennedy†s† parents decided to hire a tutor to help him catch-up during the summer. John passed Math, English, and Latin. When he finally recovered completely, he entered Choate, a fine prep school in Wallingford, Connecticut. When John graduated from Choate, in 1935, he planned to study for a year at Londons School of Economics. Then at eighteen years old, John came down with an illness called Jaundice. In the fall, John joined his friends, Lem Billings and Rip Horton at Princeton University. He later had another attack of Jaundice that forced him to miss school for one semester. Johns father then encouraged his son to enter Harvard University in the fall of 1936. John graduated from Harvard in 1940, with a degree in Political Science. He then entered Stanford University in California. While there he studied Economics and tried his hand at writing. During this time, the war was raging in Europe. John decided to enlist in the Navy on September 22, 1941. He served four years and was ischarged when the war ended in 1945. At 28 years of age, he was heading for a successful career as a newspaperman. His father began pushing him towards another career— Politics — He believed that since Johns older brother was dead, that it was his responsibility to run On January 3, 1947, John took the oath of office as a US Congressman. Later, in 1952, Kennedy decided to run for United States Senate. In 1953†¦. Kennedy decided to marry and wed Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. He was 36 and she was just 24 when they were married in a Roman Catholic ceremony. Later that year, John began suffering terrible back pain. In 1955, he underwent surgery to repair a spinal injury. While recuperating, he wrote a book called, Profile in Courage The book was about American Political leaders who defied the publics opinion to vote according to their consciences. For this work, he received the Pulitzer Prize. He then returned to his political career. Although John barely lost the Democratic Vice-presidential nomination in 1956, his overwhelming re-election as Senator in 1958 helped him towards his goal of becoming a Presidential Candidate. In 1960 John Fitzgerald Kennedy became President of the United States. At 43 years of age, he was the youngest man to ever hold this title. On November 22, 1963 John was 46 years old and just ending his third year as President. He was just planning his campaign to run for a second term as President. On this date, John and his wife, Jackie, flew to Texas to take part in his political tour. After there arrival, they got into the back of an open limousine with Texas Governor, John B. Connally and his wife. About 12:30 Mrs. Connally remarked, â€Å"you certainly can†t say that the people f Dallas haven†t given you a nice welcome,† as people lined up everywhere. Before Kennedy could respond, a shot was fired. From a sixth-floor window. a sudden rifle shot rang out, fatally wounding the president, a second shot hit the Governor, and a third shot struck Kennedy in the back of the head, causing his death. At one p. m. , that same day, reporters rushed from the hospital to spread the horrible news. As a victim of assassination— the President of the United States was dead. The whole country mourned the death of J. F. K. Those who knew him or knew of him will forever remember this wonderful man.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Greed, Power and Ambition in the Tragedy of Macbeth Research Paper

Greed, Power and Ambition in the Tragedy of Macbeth - Research Paper Example Under his rule, Scotland becomes a country ‘‘where sighs and groans and shrieks that rend the air? Are made, not marked; where violent sorrow seems? A modern ecstasy’’ (Tarantelli 1483). The Tragedy of Macbeth basically articulated how greed, power and ambition can corrupt a man. Macbeth was once a loyal general who turned monstrous when he was seduced and blinded by the prophesies of the witches. The weakness in his character was not able to discern that it was indeed the job of the witches to corrupt a soul which explains why they were hunted and burned during Shakespeare’s time. Macbeth’s road to perdition begun when he entertained the idea that he can be King of Scotland when the prophesy that he will become the thane of Cawdor came true after he defeated Norway during a battle and killed the thane of Cawdor. He then believed that indeed the Witches can see the future which no man can see and the prophesy that he will be King is a very sedu ctive idea (Ghose 236). But for the prophesy to come true, that would mean eliminating the current King, Duncan who sits at the throne. Although Macbeth was adamant at first, he eventually acceded to the idea of assassinating Duncan with his ambition to be King and after Lady Macbeth persuaded or manipulated him to do so. Both of them conspired to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth would spike the drink of Duncan’s servants with liquor and on her signal Macbeth would stalk into Duncan’s room to carry out the murder. Not contented with his initial kill, Macbeth became consumed with murder that he also killed Duncan’s servants so that there will be no witness of his crime. Greed, lust for power and inordinate ambition has now taken over Macbeth. The prophesies of the Witches or the weird sisters appealed to Macbeth’s ambition because it served him well to be King. Such that when they prophesized that he will become  thane of Glamis, thane Cawdor and then King, the ambition just proved to be irresistible for Macbeth to overcome. â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, thane of Glamis!, All hail, Macbeth, hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!, All hail, Macbeth, thou shalt be king hereafter! (Act I Scene III). From then on, Macbeth became consumed with the ambition of being a King that he went as far as killing anybody that stood his way. When he became King of Scotland, he was unloved by his subjects and his reign was filled with the snares of watchful tyranny that when he was slain by McDuff, he was referred to as â€Å"this dead butcher† (Tarantelli 1483). Now that Macbeth is King, the Witches grip on him is already undeniable as he take their prophesies with certainty and almost an absolute truth even if the idea was absurd, vague and again requiring murder. It also made him a fool and greedy for it gave him a false sense of security that further contributed to his downfall and demise. He was again given three prophesies that made him feel invisible as the witches foretold â€Å"be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn. The power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth† (Act IV Scene I). He assumed that since all men are born of a woman, he believed then that no man could ever possibly harm him and he could be King forever. His greed and haughtiness as a King was aggravated when he was

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Operations Management course. Memo Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Operations Management course. Memo - Case Study Example Although CX Technologies has been able to maintain its position in the market, growth has plateaued and with the incoming recession, business is set to go down further. Bhole e.al states that the company’s expansion into the Asian market recently and considering the positive outcomes of this expansion, the probability of succeeding into the automotive industry is high (7-8). According to observers, the automotive industry faces a bleak future, considering that many people are more apprehensive about rising gas prices, a factor that has led to lower vehicle purchases. The situation has been aggravated by the fact that the largest three manufactures have approached the government in search of caution against the recession. According to Bhole et.al, possibilities for success are raised by the sheer size of the industry in the United States is a major motivating factor in this expansion (7). This allows for CX Technology to penetrate the market and offer competitively lower prices, since the company’s personnel are enough to provide the needed labor. With branches in Asia already, the company is in a good position to tap into the Chinese market and take advantage of the growing economy and demand for automobiles. This is a risky project because it puts the entire future of the company at stake. If the decision is made to follow up with the plan, then the company risks running bankrupt, especially considering the current recession. If the proposal into expand to the automotive industry is passed, then feasibility studies need to be undertaken as soon as possible. The company’s entire workforce is to be notified about the new enterprise, so as to be prepared to provide the necessary labor. In conclusion, every business needs to take a risk once in a while and test new opportunities; otherwise it risks stagnation and monotony. Venturing into the automotive industry seems like a worthwhile risk for CX Technology, in an effort to grow the company’s

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Strategic and financial analysis of Zillow Term Paper

Strategic and financial analysis of Zillow - Term Paper Example This research will begin with the brief overview of Zillow. Zillow is a virtual merchant website, which generates revenue by selling real estate advertisements. From the last 3 years, Zillow experienced maximum financial growth. The vision of Zillow is to serve the customers worldwide with utmost quality and become one of the foremost online databases operating in the real estate industry as compared to others. In terms of business model, it can be ascertained that the online database mainly uses the approach of e-business and online business mechanism for attaining its predetermined business targets. Zillow is an online database of real estate, which was founded in the year 2005. The database is duly considered to be an ultimate destination for the individuals who possess a keen interest in buying any mortgaged property or real estate. Moreover, the database offers information about these products and/or services, which enables the consumers to make decisions about estimating the ho me value and also the rental price of the real estates. By taking into concern the varied facets of Zillow, the value proposition of the database in terms of providing significant benefits to the customers can be ascertained as serving effectual marketing and business technology based solutions specifically for real estate agents. Moreover, in relation to determining the value proposition of Zillow, it can be asserted that through this database, the mortgage marketplace borrowers can directly communicate with the lenders for availing mortgage rates.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Homework Debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Homework Debate - Essay Example I am not sure that there are really positive effects of homework. I know myself that if I understand the class, homework goes very fast. When I do not, it does not matter whether I have homework because I do not understand what I am doing. I often think that homework is redundant and it really does not help me. I think it is a good idea to practice things, but if your parents cannot help you it does not make a lot of sense. Students have to do more homework because of the No Child Left Behind legislation. Because teachers teach to the standardized tests, we have more homework than ever before and it takes a long time to complete, depending on what grade you are in. There are no statistics that really say that homework is valuable to a student and it is not something that everyone likes to do or that they do it well. Homework also can lower self-esteem. When a student does well on their homework, they get a better grade than if they do not. Many times homework is graded as a separate part of what a student must do to pass. If they do their homework well, they are often happy to do more of it. However, if they do not do well their self-esteem suffers. I know many students who are upset because their homework scores are lower than their test scores and they do not know why; teachers do not explain why these scores are different. Some teachers agree that homework should be abolished. According to Shola Adenekan, some schools are trying to get rid of homework in England. One of the reasons that teachers state is the fact that many children do not have time to play when they have to spend so much time on homework. Many teachers are looking at ways that they may be able to change how homework looks. Research does not support that homework is of value. A 2006 report in Time Magazine by Claudia Wallis describes information from two books about how homework is not of value. Some of the statistics from the report include: 3. Harris Cooper, from Duke University did

Monday, September 9, 2019

Religious Education Curriculum as a Basis for Developing an Ethos of Essay

Religious Education Curriculum as a Basis for Developing an Ethos of Mutual Respect among Pupils - Essay Example I discovered the importance of educational acts such as the Education Act especially in ensuring that the Religious Education curriculum is effective. Educational reforms are important and can only be much beneficial when implemented for the general national good. For example, excluding independent schools from the national educational reforms is a great setback and can cause great harm to the educational system and cripple the efforts made toward achieving a united country. I support the opinion that religious education must be taught as part of the national curriculum, in all schools for at least a few minutes per day and that collective worship during school meeting time or lessons facilitates the understanding of the role of religion among students. Even though people have the right to withdraw their children from schools that offer obligatory religious education, this denies the children the right to acquire good personal attributes and social understanding that I consider to be very essential for any individual who want to coexist well with others. Moreover everyone’s right to worship and to associate with a particular religion should be respected. I concur with the idea that integrating religious education within the national curriculum will go a long way in developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other religions. It is true that embedding the Religious Education curriculum in local syllabuses and school frameworks has helped many nations to identify and embrace important principles for religious education (Ashcroft and Palacio, 1997, p.169). Religious education builds up students’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity as well as other principal religions and religious traditions in the world. It makes a unique contribution to the school curriculum by developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of religion, religious beliefs, practices, languages and traditions and their influence on individuals, communities, societies and cultures. It is much profitable and extremely important that religious education be a nationally agreed syllabus. The education authorities and Standard Advisory Council for Religious Education must come together and device new policies that incorporate the religious teachings and education into the national syllabus (Ashcroft and Palacio, 1997, p.72) .Countries dominated by one particular religion must learn to embrace and tolerate religious diversity. The increased international relations denote that countries must now be more accommodative and able to absorb people of different and diverse multicultural backgrounds. Teaching pupils the diversity of today’s society and the varying differences in religious beliefs and cultures creates a more civilized and understanding society. Religious education encourages the students and the society to accommodate and tolerate people of diverse cultures and enables the pupils and students to explore multi-cultural and multi- faiths, encouraging them to coexist well with people around them

Sunday, September 8, 2019

CASE STUDY - EXPERIANCE OF ILLNESS AND DISABILITY Essay

CASE STUDY - EXPERIANCE OF ILLNESS AND DISABILITY - Essay Example tion will be done on questions such as how the illness and disability affect the individual sense of self and their way of life (before and after the illness), how the society’s perception transforms about the past and present of the ailing body, and how the social relationship affects the patients’ condition. Health, or illness, was once merely attributed to biological or natural conditions. Sociologists have verified that the spread of diseases is heavily influenced by the socioeconomic status of individuals, ethnic traditions or beliefs, and other cultural factors. There are obvious differences in pattern of health and illness across societies. The concept of health, diseases and illness varies from society to society. The social location of our peers affects the life chances; the beliefs about health and illness held by the peers shape the experiences and understanding of the later generation. The self-identity of an individual shape up his experience of illness, and the socio-cultural context affects his concept of death and dying. The behavior of the society with the patient varies with the culture. Understanding and beliefs about health and illness vary among different groups. This variation largely depends on the social, cultural, biographical and economic context within which ind ividual are positioned (Nettleton, 2006). In the narrative of every human life and every family, illness is a prominent character. Even if an individual does not get ill, he cannot prevent its reach into his family member’s life. Illness brings people closer in care giving. It moves people to sense the importance of life, brings hope and optimism in life, and creates confusion and doubts as well (McDaniel & Doherty, 1997). Experiencing illness, the term refers to the ways in which the people define and perceive any interruption in their health. It is typical in medical sociology to distinguish between illness and disease. Illness refers to peoples â€Å"lay† or subjective

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Assess and comment on presentations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assess and comment on presentations - Essay Example The presentation fails to define natural language and conversational interface, which are two key terms that should not be left undefined because we, the audience, need to understand the presenter’s scope of definition. Other limiting sections of the presentation are the First Street Investments example that does not fully capture the concept of natural language and conversational interfaces, and the use of only two references by the author. The researcher should have used at least six references to add depth to his arguments. 2/5 – use of a good example and good definition of a key term. The lack of a definition for natural language and conversational interface, limits our ability to fully evaluate the author’s understanding of these key terms. Limited use of references. The first item we notice is a wrong presentation title. The title is not appropriate because a communication interface need not necessarily be a conversation interface. Graphical interfaces are also communication interfaces and from the presentation the author restricts himself to conversation interfaces. Another concern is that the presentation is unnecessarily lengthy probably because of redundancy for example conversation interface is defined in slide 3 and 12, and the slides look clumsy from too much wording. Nevertheless, one of the biggest strengths of the presentation is the definition of key terms - natural language, conversation interface and natural language – and the presenters discipline in restricting his/her conversation within the given boundaries. Based on the author’s definition of both natural language and conversation interface the example provided about a webpage is appropriate. However, we notice that half of the resources used for reference are pr e year 2000. The presenter should seek more current references to work with. The presentation structure and skill utilized here