Bullying: What Can You Do?

Bullying in America used to be a rite of passage for kids of all ages, something that everyone went through, and survived, coming out none the worse in the end. I remember going through It. It wasn't easy, and I had to endure quite a bit of It because of what I looked like, even as a seemingly regular kid. But I survived, nonetheless, and came out better for it, more empathetic, and more sensitive to the needs of those around me who may not have been able to find their voice. After all, It took me about 30 years to find my voice on the subject.But now, I've found it, and I'm [sounding] my ‘barbaric yap' from the rooftops of public schools around the country! As a poet by nature, a Christian, and a single mom of a relentlessly bullied 6-year- old who suffers from ADD, I am passionate about this more than I've ever been passionate about anything else In my life. I want children to know about bullying, what it looks like and how it affects kids who are not only victims, but also, kids who are bullies. I want to give bullying victims a voice and bullies a shot at redemption.I want to give the average kid a leg up In the social hierarchy, and I want to turn the social hierarchy upside-down. I don't want It to be cool to pick on kids anymore. I don't want it to be something they can brag to their friends about. I want to make bullying the elephant in the room doing a circus act and make it something that if their friends saw them do they would be thoroughly ashamed. I want to change the Ideology that bullying Is a ‘rite of passage', because while It very well may be that ‘all kids go through it', not all kids come out on the other side ‘none the worse'; some kids don't even come through it at all.I also want to point out that In some cases, teachers play a part In bullying, too. While they have the best Intentions at heart, to foster our little future presidents' and doctors' minds and lay a foundation for learning that will last a lifetime, t hey can also be unwittingly and unknowingly ensnared by children as a point of influence for bullying to begin. Let me explain. When a child has ADD, they can only be ‘officially tested for It at age 6.Kids are under a lot more pressure when they start school now to perform well, to be socially adept and ready to change the world with a flick of heir crayon at the tender age of 5, when most children are in kindergarten. This makes it very hard on a child with ADD, who may not be socially adept; who may in fact be socially awkward through no fault of his own; who may not be a first-time listener; who, also through no fault of his own, because of his undiagnosed disorder. May be drawing attention to himself as he fidgets through stormier or talks out of turn in a class discussion.He draws attention to himself without a clear understanding of what Is going on around him In the minds of his fellow classmates, hen he, Instead of the story, Is the topic centered on by the teacher as she tells him to â€Å"sit up straight, stop moving around, get in your own space, wait your turn†, etc. Each time she corrects him (after a certain point), her corrections and the I OFF against him in the future, because by doing this, he inadvertently drew attention to himself, and therefore away from them (see Ego, Developmental Psychology). The teacher is unaware of these little arrows being flung as insults later.She doesn't realize that she has essentially made things harder for him, while trying to make everything easier for everyone. I don't know how to solve this problem, but whole-heartedly believe it exists, because now I have a new problem to solve: how do I fix what was never broken? How do I ensure the true rite of passage for my son, and stop him from going through something he was never meant to go through? I can't change the past. I can't go to school with him; as a mother I have to let him go a little bit at a time, and guide him to eventually become a grea t man, educated and socially adept.I can't blame anyone for what has happened, nor take on the lame for myself alone, and I certainly can't blame him for something that he had no conscious awareness of creating. I can't make someone pick him for a game, or stop him from being dragged behind a tree and forced to belittle himself in front of the bullies out of fear of being physically harmed, and I can't stop him from being called a freak because he doesn't behave in the same way that the other children have been made accustomed to. And I can't blow through the school like a tornado, and shield him from all that mistakenly indoctrinated ammunition, either.I can't shake a finger at other people's kids, or shame them for being bullies, when bullies are created without a conscious awareness of wrong-doing, and not born that way. I can't stop it. All I can do is take a stand†¦ I CAN teach my son that while it may not be fair, he is going to have to work twice as hard to be as still a s his classmates at stormier, and refrain from interrupting class. I CAN teach him about his disorder and ways to counteract the impulsiveness, and release the excess energy in healthy ways. I CAN tell him over and over that he is reflect Just the way he is because that is how God made him, and I will always love him.I CAN teach him about bullying and how to stand up for himself, and how to eventually become a cog in the wheel of anti-bullying ideology so that no one else has to suffer with him in their life, because he understands and has a heart for people who are persecuted for being themselves, the way his savior was, and pray that it strengthens his faith, in God, and in himself. I CAN find ways to influence him and build up the self-esteem that is torn down each day he is bullied. I will not teach IM to be practiced at turning his head, or to ignore what is going on around him, because others around him are already good at doing Just that.I CAN continue to teach him every day that he is worth trying extra hard, and that he doesn't deserve to be treated any differently than anyone else, and that he should say that to someone who tries to treat him differently. I CAN teach him how to regard life with humor, and knock the chip off every time he comes home from school with it on his shoulder. I CAN love him, and do the best I can by him, and in so doing ensure that he grows up o be successful and kind and driven and righteous.And I CAN be an advocate, for him and countless others who have not yet found their voice to sound out against bullying. I CAN do that. I CAN write articles and provide protest against the most influential ideology since Marin Luther King, Jar. Inspired non-violent demonstrations silent demonstration and understanding among children to uphold violence as morale, instead of empathy. I CAN teach my son to do unto others as he would have done unto him, and pray that it seeps from him and finds a home among the hearts of his classmates.And I CAN urge him to do something I will never do, either: to never give up, and to believe in himself and to know that God gives him worth; to not put stock in what others say about him, but continue each day to be optimistic in the face of adversity, and to never, ever bully anyone: to let it end with him, and to let something new and fresh and wonderful begin, a morale we have apparently lost sight of in recent years: TOLERANCE. That's what I CAN, and will continue to do, from now on. I urge you to teach your kids about bullying and how awful it is. Teach them to be mind to one another.I had an idea of how to do this in kindergarten: Kids are chosen, or volunteer, to be ‘door holders', ‘messengers', ‘hall monitors', etc. Every day. It teaches them leadership and service, and gives them a sense of accomplishment. I think that we should take a little time to add to the curriculum the message of anti- bullying, and make it so that children volunteer amongst themselves to be â€Å"Bully Monitors†, to keep an eye out throughout the course of the day for incidents of bullying, and to make the bullies aware of what they are doing, and to not be afraid f telling a teacher about it.Some kids are better at standing up for themselves than others, and the victims of bullying often are too afraid to say something, or believe that the teachers will Just brush it off as something they started, or as unimportant ‘horsing around'. Children have the most influence on each other, and those who are unafraid to speak out against bullies or acts of bullying should be encouraged and entrusted to do Just that. In so doing they can be a leader, and maybe even a hero to kids around them who are victims of bullying.This is one very powerful way that we an use the ideology of ‘peer pressure' in a positive and effective way that helps everyone involved, and ensures safety and a well-rounded learning environment for our children. After all, they won't b e children forever. One day they will be adults, with power and authority over people and things. And we want those seats of power to be filled by distinguished, all-around decent human beings, so let's teach our kids how to be decent human beings now, and ensure a better world and a better tomorrow for all of us. Let's teach them what they CAN do about bullying. Dorothy Wire December 14, 2012

Law and South African Education

The question here is whether the harm caused was unjustified in the circumstances. In the absence of wrongfulness (egg where there was no intention to harm) a defendant may not be held liable. 4 The act must be the result of fault in the form of intent (dolls) or negligence (culpa). Fault refers to the blameworthy attitude or conduct of someone who has acted wrongfully. (4) There is a causal link between the conduct of the perpetrator and the harm suffered by the victim. In general, it should be shown that the person's injury did result from the actions of the person charged with negligence.In other words, there must be a clear causal relationship between the act and the injury. A person cannot be liable if he or she has not caused any damage. (5) delicate is a wrongful and culpable act which has a harmful consequence. Damages (causing harm) in the form of patrimonial (material) loss or informational loss must be present. There must be a connection between the negligent conduct and t he injury (physical or mental). To receive an award for damages, a plaintiff must have suffered an injury as a result of the defendant's negligent conduct. The plaintiff must prove that some damage occurred.Although the injury or damage does not need to be bestial for an award to be ordered, the injury must be real rather than imagined. The courts are generally reluctant to award damages where there is not some form of injury. Educators may be found guilty of negligence if they fail to provide proper supervision fail to aid the injured or ill permit learners to play unsafe games fail to provide adequate instructions take unreasonable risks fail to organize field trips properly All these elements must be taken into consideration when answering the question. Ask questions such as, who was wrong, who is liable and why?Support your answer tit the requirements for dedicate liability as stated above. TOEHOLD/202 5 Question 2. 2 Comment on the possibility of â€Å"contributory fault† on the part of the learner. In this case negligence is one form of fault. A negligent educator might not be held liable if a learner contributed to the injury by his or her own negligence. In other words, if a learner fails to exercise the degree of care usually expected of a person of that age, knowledge and experience the court may decide that owing to the learner's contributory negligence/fault, the educator is not solely liable for damages resulting from an injury by his or her act.Contributory negligence could be important in situations involving older learners, especially if such learners understand the full implications of their actions. On the other hand, young children cannot be expected to fully comprehend the consequences of some of their actions and behavior. Comments: There have already been a number of cases involving sport in South African legal history. The principles of the law of delicate apply to sport as they would to any other scenario in society.This would re late to 3 possible areas, namely, personal injury, violence and spectator injury The law of delicate is a section of private law. This branch of law deals with civil wrongs against another person that cause the injured party to go to court to seek compensation from the wrongdoer for damages. If an educator creates a potentially dangerous situation, and then fails to remove the danger, which then results in loss or damage being caused to another, he/she will be held liable for such loss or damage.A legal duty rests on the educator to prevent the potential danger from becoming a real danger. A delicate has 5 key elements that must be present. These are: (a) An act; (b) Wrongfulness; (c) Fault; (d) Damage/Loss (e) Causation. Each of these elements must be present before a person can be held liable in delicate. 6 In participating voluntarily in a game, the victim therefore consents to the possibility of injury and limits the possibility of pursuing a dialectal claim. Thus, contributory negligence involves some form of fault (in the form of negligence) on the part of the injured person.The injured person failed to exercise the required standard of care for his or her own safety. Contributory negligence comes into play when conduct on the part of the injured person contributes to his or her injuries. When the court has to determine the damages, it will reduce the damages apportioned to the plaintiff in proportion to his or her own fault (e. G. Contribution to his or her own injuries) In , the law does not expect educators to anticipate every accident, but I them to behave as reasonable people.It is easy to anticipate the poss. of an accident involving educators and children if a group of children supervised, if a minibus that transports children is not maintained or equipment is not properly stored. Only in the case of a truly unexpected be possible to assert that it was not reasonable to foresee harm. To educator can reasonably be expected to foresee dangers and an ticipate depend on the facts of the case and on the circumstances (e. G. The n school activity, the location of the school or the age of the learners).In you will need to be able to: define and explain education and legal concepts and principles identify and explain the purpose of important legislation discuss and interpret the relevant sections of the South African Echo discuss and apply common law principles to practical situations (egg t natural Justice, memo dudes in USA cause and stare decides principle) illustrate your answers by referring to examples from education practice 2. 4 Reading and interpreting questions

Mitigation of Earthquakes

The location of Kobe town played a great role on the magnitude of the damage caused by the earth quake that occurred in the town in 1995. The damage was far much as compared to the damage caused in the Northridge earthquake in 1994 as much as the magnitudes of the quakes were the same. Kobe town is on a narrow strip, where we have a narrow transportation corridor that was severely impaired due to the collapse of the elevated roads and railways and this caused dislocation of public and commercial traffic.There was evidence of ground failure including disruption of the road pavement, the subsiding of pavement around manholes and ejection of silt soils. The only transportation link became the ground level roads and this brought about congestion that impeded emergency response and recovery. There were large deformations in road pavements and also of the ground near buildings foundations in the district of Sannomiya of Kobe.The deformations were in the order of tens of centimeters and thi s could have been the likely cause of the damages that included tilting of the building or collapse of the entire structures that were experienced in many multistory buildings that occurred in Kobe especially in the down town area. The time of occurrence of the quake also served to increase the people who died. The quake occurred at 5:46 a. m. , the time which found many of the resident asleep or just beginning their morning routines. There were also so many old wood-frame houses with heavy clay tiles that collapsed causing many deaths.There was also the ignition of fires that followed immediately after the collapse of the structures. The fires could not be extinguished on time to avert more death because of the hindrance caused by the failure of the water supply system and the disruption in the traffic system. These did not happen in the case of the 1994 Northridge earthquake as all the fault rupture occurred at depth that were greater than 10km, and many of the multistory building s in San Fernando Valley were at least 20km away from the fault rupture that was closest (Paul, 1995).The Northridge earth quake also occurred at the time when there were no people occupying the building that were affected. These include a stadium that collapsed but there were no people in it at that early morning hours that the quake occurred. There was also the report of multi storey commercial buildings collapsing but were also not occupied during the time of collapse. In this town there was also incidence of fire eruption due to the breaking of the commercial gas pipe system, though this did not measure to what occurred at Kobe.There was also the collapse of the wood structure but the number was not as big as the one experienced at Kobe. There were few such structures in this town as compared to the large number in the Kobe case. The design aspect of the structures also averted the occurrence of more death as seen from none collapsing of school buildings which are reinforced aga inst earth quakes. Components to include in mitigation strategy a) Improve risk assessments. Risk assessment should be done to find out the chances that earth quake are likely to occur in a certain place and the frequency of such an occurrence and the severity determined.Such information should be combined with the inventory of the structures that are in existence, and are likely to be affected by such disaster accompanied by the fragility data. The fragility data estimates the degree of damage that various types of structure will experience, for example, the type of damage likely to be experienced by unreinforced masonry building which is in earthquake prone area. These risk assessments are very important in increasing public awareness about the threat posed by the natural disaster. b)Implementation of mitigation measures.Land use plan can help the communities reduce significantly on losses that are brought about by natural disasters like earth quakes by adoption of land use plans that aim at avoiding the hazards while taking care of the environment and other goals. There is however no willingness of local government to adopt land use measures to protect against hazards unless a direction is received from a higher level government. There should be accurate identification of the disaster affected areas though the mapping of the hazard zones could be very expensive for some municipalities.Earth quake disaster can also be reduced substantially by improving the building codes. The code will guide the standard of buildings that are allowed (to be built) in certain areas and the rehabilitation of already existing structures. The life safety of buildings is currently being set by building codes. The maintenance of the functionality of the structures also is a very important aspect and becomes very critical in certain class of structures. For example in the US there was establishment of seismic safety standards for federally funded new construction by the federal gov ernment.This has the mandate of addressing seismic safety standards of the buildings that are already in existence and are either owned or leased. About half of 30000 communities in US have not adapted any building code and the effectiveness of the building codes is also subject to reinforcement by the relevant authority (Science, 1999). This requires an ongoing inspection program and it has been noted that many communities lack the required number of inspectors that are required to perform the job efficiently.c) Improve technologies that support warnings and the dissemination of, and response to, warnings. A good mitigation strategy should address this issue as one of the component of the mitigation strategies. Warnings are expected to be time specific, show location of the expected disaster and the severity of the expected events. The uncertainty accompanied by the events should also be stated in the manner that will allow the taking of action to ensure the survival of people and the protection of institutions and property.There are some warnings that are developed in form of maps even before a disaster occurs in an area. These could also include the posting of signs in the areas or having a regulation that requires that real estate agents inform potential property owners the nature of disaster the area is prone to. d) Improve the basis for natural disaster insurance. Improvement of the basis of natural disaster insurance is an important component that should be included in the mitigation strategy.There should be reward for individuals that invest in hazard-reduction measures and this should be before and after the disaster. Individuals that are insured are to be awarded lower premiums for adopting mitigation measures before disasters such as the potential loses are considerably reduced. The insurance companies have the freedom of refusing to provide coverage unless the policyholder has agreed to undertake certain prospective measures that can lower the pote ntial losses. REFERENCES Collins, Larry (2000).Earthquakes: Lessons from the Past, Part 1. Fire Engineering, 153(6). Retrieved August 27, 2008 from http://search. ebscohost. com Collins, Larry (2000). Earthquakes: Lessons from the Past, Part 2. Fire Engineering, 153(7). Retrieved August 27, 2008 from http://search. ebscohost. com Comerio, Mary (2004). Public policy for reducing earthquake risks: a US perspective. Building Research & Information, 32(5). Retrieved August 27, 2008 from http://search. ebscohost. com Emergency Management Institute.(2004). Introduction to Mitigation, Lesson 4. Retrieved February 8, 2004, from http://training. fema. gov/EMIWeb/IS/is393A. asp Paul S. ( February, 7 1995) Kobe Earthquake: An Urban Disaster Eos, 76( 6), 49-51. Retrieved March 30 2009, from http://www. agu. org/sci_soc/kobe. html Science (18 June 1999). Mitigation Emerges as Major Strategy for Reducing Losses Caused by Natural Disasters:284(5422). 1943-1947 Retrieved March 30 2009, from http:// www. sciencemag. org/cgi/content/full/284/5422/1943

Interview of A Family Friend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Interview of A Family Friend - Essay Example The interviewee discussed issues concerning his hobby is football. He also discussed issues related to his dating experience during his college days. Moreover, the informant clearly stated his position regarding gender roles in the contemporary society today. For example, the informant viewed equality in terms gender roles in the society. According to McCarter, both men and women should be accorded equal opportunities in promoting societal growth. Currently, the interviewee is married with two children and considered a senior citizen. He also works in an information technology firm and believes in Christianity. It is believed that family usually comes first in most households today. Families play important roles in the nurturing and growth of family members. Usually consisted of the father, mother and siblings, the father is normally perceived to be the head of the family. Family ensures that all members get access to the basic needs such food, clothing and shelter. They also ensure members are comfortable in their daily experiences. Each and every individual has various life experiences that he or she goes through. The informant, Mr McCarter had an interesting experience in terms of the family experiences. Being the only boy among their siblings, he faced various experiences in terms of the daily chores performed in the house and the general way of living. As a child, McCarter related well with his family members. He performed the tasks assigned to him in time. As he grew into the adolescent stage, at times he ignored chores assigned to him. For example, he says there was a day he deliberately refused to clean the fridge and it was his turn. Grounding was the consequence of his actions. As he matured he had no problems with his parents or sisters. Generally, McCarter had good relationship ties with his family members. This was enabled by the good moral values that were constantly taught by his parents.

Archaeology - Neanderthals and Modern Humans Essay

Archaeology - Neanderthals and Modern Humans - Essay Example Human kind is very clever in this regard as well as in the regard of preserving life in severe environments, for a period of time. Yet, he states that human kind has often driven species to extinction and I have to personally agree with his position on this topic. Human kind is known to abuse the environment around it and this is no different from then as now. This is the main reason why so many living biological organisms are either extinct now or on the verge of extinction. Human kind over does it in practically every aspect of living so therefore my opinion is not very different from Wright's. Wright's belief is that it is this mentality of human kind that has ultimately lead to the downfall of many ancient civilizations. His point is that human kind falls into progress traps. We develop things that create a negative impact in our environments and that negatively affect our very own existence, thereby driving our own species into extinction. Wright also claims that cultural phenomena have absolutely nothing to do with human evolution and again I tend to agree with this. One of the examples that he gives in his book, in regards to the problem solving skills of mankind, is indicative in the summary he does of the Samarian

Attitude of the Socrates towards the gods in Euthyphro Essay

Attitude of the Socrates towards the gods in Euthyphro - Essay Example "But I will not change the definition to say that what all the gods hate is unholy, and what they all love is holy and what some of them love and another hate is both or neither" (Biffle 14).This paper seeks to analyze the attitude that Socrates has over the gods in Euthyphro. The discussion concerns the virtue that is usually considered as a manner of the living that helps to complete one's role either at the individual level or to God. It is of a specific interest as far as the fate of the Socrates is concerned even though he has been charged with impiety, and he is almost facing trial before the court to determine whether he is guilty or innocent. He is quite sure that most of the Athenian people has little understanding of the very nature of piety or impiety and thus forcing Socrates to ask Euthyphro a question about his understanding of the piety. He has a good reason for doing this: he wants to justify if Euthyphro is really wise as he usually claims to be, and if he is not Socrates is very ready to expose the depth of his claim. Euthyphro has a good reputation amongst his people of being very wise, a soothsayer, and he is also known to be a diviner. On his role as a teacher, he instructs his people on both political and moral issues and even on the practical problems of the daily life.

Role of the Governor General of Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Role of the Governor General of Canada - Essay Example Other arrangements have the queen/king as ceremonial leaders alongside the heads of states and heads of governments. The governor general is appointed by her majesty the queen of England (UK) and the queen has the discretion to choose a man or woman for that job. Initially the appointments by any monarch wherever in the world have been reserved for men except for a few cases where women have had a chance to be appointed by the monarch to head governments. Out of the five governor generals that have been appointed to lead government of Canada since the 1980s, three of them have been women. This demonstrates the issue of women leadership in top places and the general affirmative action in the entire Canada. This paper seeks to highlight and analyze the roles and duties of the governor general of Canada in a bid to establish the roles and duties of a governor general and hence evaluate whether or not the powers accorded to this office can be abused. The analysis and highlight of the roles and duties of the governor general of Canada has been dealt with by a number of authors who have written books or articles to this effect. At least three of these literary works shall be reviewed to show the coverage that has been made concerning an analysis of the roles of thee governor general of Canada. ... It cited Australia as the working example through which it analyses the constitutional relationship between the Queen and the governor general. The book just as well tries to highlight and examine the degree to which the judiciary represented by the courts is able to review the actions of government as provided by the constitution. Besides the governmental action, the prerogative powers in the federal government are also highlighted with the possible judicial review of these powers. As the book closes, it does so by paying specific attention to the roles and powers of a governor general which are provided for by the constitution. The relevance of book is the fact that it considers a government structure similar to that in Canada and the roles of the Australian governor general only varies slightly from that of the Canadian one. Australia is only used as an example but the book pays specific emphasis to the prerogative powers given to the federal government top leaders such as the Pri me Minister, the Governor General and how these powers are not easily reviewable not even by the legislature or even judicially. From the constitutional power conferred on the governor general, it is easier to analyze his/her roles (Winterton, 1983). Adrienne Clarkson's Heart Matters: a Memoir is a classical relevant piece of literature as far the topic of this paper is concerned. It should be remembered that Adrienne Clarkson herself was a governor general of Canada (1999-2005) and during her leadership, the governor general's office spent millions and millions of dollars on issues that were not even related tot eh official roles of Clarkson as a governor general. The book, as a memoir dwells most on Clarkson's role as a governor general. Basically the book tries to help the

Disease or Diseases that affect the Rabbit Case Study

Disease or Diseases that affect the Rabbit - Case Study Example In addition, by the time rabbits show signs of illnesses, their condition begins to deteriorate rapidly making it difficult for any intervention method. Therefore, for the majority of illnesses, many vets have stated that vaccination is one of the most ideal approaches. One of the most common diseases affecting rabbits are bacterial infections which lead to the formation of an abscess. This is usually an accumulation of pus with in a cavity that is located in the jaw area. However, it is not limited to this location and can be found on many different parts of the body. This disease is easily avoidable by reducing the fighting between rabbits and ensuring that they are not exposed to injury from sharp septic objects. Since prevention is not always possible the treatment may be required and this disease is easier to detect as it is visible on the rabbit. The abscess is lacerated and the wound is disinfected with peroxide (Meridith, 2003). Rabbits At times also suffer from caked milk production, which occurs when a rabbit has too much milk for the number of kittens. Therefore, this milk is not utilized and leads to this pathology as the ratio of breastfeeds does not correlate with that of milk production. The disease is often mistaken for mastitis as it has a fairly similar presentation. The rabbit’s mamillary glands will become hard, swollen and extremely painful. The disease can be prevented by reducing the amount of food tat is rationed daily which in turn reduces the amount of milk that is produced. This process has shown to yield excellent results within 7 days. There are also some other methods which are used for treatment and these include relieving of congestion by partially milking the rabbit and also massaging anti-inflammatory ointment around the affected breast area. This in turn will reduce the pain that is felt

MGT Leadership and Ethics Unit 3 DB SA Second Week Essay

MGT Leadership and Ethics Unit 3 DB SA Second Week - Essay Example Just as Nahavandi (2006) points out, the two leaders are similar, in that they are very passionate about achieving organisational goals. Mary Kay is passionate to the point of nurturing intra-organisational relations to achieve it, while Gates is passionate about having employees being results-oriented. The leaders differ in that Gates is a low LPC, unlike Mary Kay. The latter believes that nurturing intra-organisational relations with and among employees is key to achieving performance target, unlike Gates who sees personal touch among/with employees as peripheral to the achievement of actual organisational goals. From a personal standpoint, I prefer working with Mary Kay because closer intra-organisational relations are sacrosanct in the quest to horn talents and skills [this in itself wards off high turnover], build team spirit, strengthen organisational loyalty and nurture commitment to organisational goals and vision. All these are valuable factors to organisational stability, growth and success. Bill Gates’ great emphasis on brilliance is not all-embracing and his penchant for being rude at times may mean that he is totally not in control of his firm: desired talents may walk out on him eventually. From the foregoing, it is clear that Gates is a low LPC, as opposed to Mary who is a high LPC. Like Gates, low LPC may so much care about performance more than forging work-related relations. Although this may be meaningful in the attainment of organizational goals at face value, yet it is the most unfavorable approach to pursue. This is because, organizational success is a culmination of factors such as: teamwork [and teamwork in turn draws hugely from close-knight relations], effective talent management [which entails the democratization of the workplace, the enhancement of employees’ welfare and injective competitiveness in work performance at departmental and intra-personal level] and having a

Chapter Problems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Chapter Problems - Assignment Example The fourth Amendment to the U.S.A, states that human rights should not be violated from acts pertaining to unreasonable search and seizures (Scheb, 2011). The supreme court of the United States describes the security personnel as uniformed and armed private actors. In addition, if the security personnel are to be included in the Fourth Amendment protection, then they should be ready to serve the citizens just like the normal government officials (Cunningham & Taylor, 1984). This will ensure that crime and violence is curbed in all the states that have been experiencing increased crime rates. 6. What is the rationale for excluding from trial evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment? Is this a compelling justification for the exclusion of criminal evidence from the trial of a defendant accused of a serious felony such as aggravated battery? The main reason that is behind the exclusion from trial evidence obtained in the fourth Amendment may be due to the security officers (Hougan, 1978). It has been noted that the security officers are under estimated in their services. This is due to the fact that they are excluded from the Fourth Amendment protection. ... Since most of these guards are employed by the city government then they are required by the court to comply with the constitutional requirements. The court also proposes that instead of the private police arresting people for crimes committed, they should equip them with the Miranda laws (Cunningham & Taylor, 1984). 8. The Supreme Court has created a â€Å"good-faith† exception to the exclusionary rule where police rely on a search warrant that is later held to be invalid because the magistrate erred in finding probable cause for a search. Should the good-faith exception be extended to cases where police acting in good faith conduct warrantless searches that are later held to be unlawful? In the Fourth Amendment law, the term â€Å"good faith† is used to refer to the reasonableness state of a police officer in the belief of the existence of a warrant that is in fact invalid (Hougan, 1978). In a criminal prosecution, there is no exception to the Fourth Amendment require ment that all seizures and searches are reasonable in line with the good faith exception. Moreover, when the police violate this Amendment, the evidence is inadmissible to the victim of the search or seizure. Therefore, the only instance where a good faith is necessary is when police rely on a warrant in case of a search or a seizure (Feinman, 2010). When an officer performs a search based on his/ her own facts, and not one the basis of a warrant, then it is hard to claim that the police officer committed an unreasonable mistake. However, if a warrant or any other official authorization of search is required, then the police officer can be reported to have violated an individual’s Fourth Amendment

Foreign market entry strategies Essay Example for Free

Foreign market entry strategies Essay â€Å"Firms which participate in the business system as partners complement the company and its suppliers, thereby increasing the value to customers†. Explain your understanding of this view and provide examples to reinforce your arguments. For a company, entering new foreign markets may be achieved in a variety of ways. Each of these ways places its unique demands on the company in terms of organizational and financial resources. Most of the times, entering international markets is not a matter of choice but of necessity to remain competitive in new or established markets by meeting the consumer’ needs and values. The decision to go international represents an important commitment, to go into a new line of activity, this being the reason why it should be taken step by step: obtaining information, analyzing them, formulating alternative action plans, (Tookey, 1975) and of course find the right partners that match the company brand image and values. The international business system model is focused on the advantages determined by the internationalisation process and less on the development process of the internationalisation of companies. The main scope obtained by applying the Uppsala Model is predicting the company’s evolution on foreign markets. Two elements are at the basis of the model: the notion of essentiality attributed to the process and the notion of physical distance. The internationalisation of a multinational company takes place step by step, according to the Uppsala Model, which minimises the risks regarding the new market (Johanson; Wiedersheim-Paul, 1975). Therefore, the company is being involved gradually (investments, control and profit), getting to the point of creating a production subsidiary which ensures also the selling of the products on the new market. The stages of the internationalisation process are presented in Appendix 1. The concept of physical distance, the second element the Uppsala Model is based upon determines the companies to select, in a first stage, the neighbour countries in order to reduce the cultural, economical, political differences. According to this approach, the bigger the physical distance, the bigger is the incertitude about the new market and bigger the risks associated to this market. In the view of the globalisation phenomena, there are numerous criticisms about the â€Å"physical distance† notion. Many papers have developed the subject of the company’s internationalisation; a special place holds J. Birkinshaw who analysed the problems regarding the role of the subsidiaries and the evolution of the mandated in the internationalisation process at the multinational’s level. Therefore, Birkinshaw and Hoods (1998) have shown that creating a subsidiary can be explained on the basis of the interactions between the decisions of the mother-company, the initiatives o f the subsidiary and the specific conditions existing on the new market. The model developed by Birkinshaw (1997) is based on three variables: The relation headquarters – subsidiary; the subsidiary’s initiatives and the local environment. Regarding the internationalisation process, the company has more options (see Appendix 2) The first choice is represented by the development of the existing markets and it is being used by companies that are acting on highly competitive markets; the second choice – the company can choose to develop its activity on new markets, similar to the ones they are already acting on – in this case, they are usually choosing to export their products; the third strategy is developing a new line of products similar to the ones they already have and which will be sold on similar markets- in this case the company can choose between strategic alliances: creating a joint venture or licensing. . Management’s involvement in export operations is different, as we talk about passive exporters (when selling abroad is induced by the demand existing on the foreign market, meaning that the business is initiated by the importer) or active exporters (when the operation is initiated by the seller, which has an export strategy and a suitable business plan (Popa, 2006) From the operational point of view, exporters can be indirect exporters(with the participation of trading houses), when it isn’t necessary to create an organizational structure specific to the export activity or direct exporters, which is made by the producer, which is creating services or departments for international business. The determinants of export behaviour are experience and uncertainty effects; behavioural and firm-specific influences and strategic influences. 1. Experience and uncertainty effects Knowledge and learning regarding the exporting activity may be possessed or accumulated by the company in time. Experience has a key role, as firm’s involvement in international markets is most of the time a gradual process. During the early stages of exporting, firms have a more concentrated foreign market focus, while increased involvement in foreign market encourages diversification to a wider range of markets. As a firm’s knowledge of an export market increases, the uncertainty factor diminishes. This knowledge allows the identification of concrete opportunities, as distinct from theoretical that may be apparent from objective knowledge. 2. Behavioural and firm-specific influences Recent theories of exporting are strongly influenced by the behavioural theory of the firm, which stresses decision-maker characteristics, organizational dynamics and constraints, ignorance and uncertainty as key variables in decision making. Exporting has been described as a development process based on a learning sequence involving six stages Bilkey and Tesar, 1977): Stage 1: the firm is not interested in exporting Stage 2: the firm supplies unsolicited business, doesn’t examine the feasibility of active exporting Stage 3: the firm examines the feasibility of exporting in an active way Stage 4: experimental exports on neighbour countries Stage 5: the firm becomes an experienced exporter Stage 6: the firm explores the feasibility of exporting to additional countries of greater business distance. According to Welch (1982), the export commitment is influenced by four groups of factors (see figure 4): pre-export activities, direct export stimuli, latent influences on the firm and the role of the decision-maker. 3. Strategic influences The opinion among researchers and managers is divided on the issue of the relation between the firm size and export success. Still, the importance of a positive managerial attitude to exporting and the necessity of committing managerial and financial resources to the internationalization process are crucial to the success of the firm, irrespective of size. As a mode of international market entry, strategic alliances allow the firm (Bradley, 2002): †¢ Access to assets not readily available in the market †¢ Access to technology and markets †¢ The smaller firms can have access to technology and new products †¢ The larger firms can have access to markets †¢ Synergetic effects in the partner firms. Choosing the way to enter a foreign market represents an important part of the foreign direct investment strategy. The companies should select the new market, decide upon the types of operations that are about to be developed on these markets and decide the type of entry –green field investments, acquisitions, joint ventures. Choosing the way to enter a foreign market was also explained through cultural and national factors. Many studies have been concerned about this topic: †¢ Kogut and Singh (1988) after researches have concluded that a big cultural distance between the country of origin and the host country have as a result choosing joint ventures or green field investments. †¢ Gatignon and Anderson (1988) have shown that an important socio-cultural distance, measured with the help of the Index developed by Ronen and Shenkar (1985) goes to the partial propriety right. †¢ Gatignon and Anderson (1988) have concluded that multinational companies avoid having 100% owned subsidiaries in high risk countries. †¢ Cho and Radmanabhan (1995) have shown that companies from Japan are not willing to make acquisitions in developing countries. Choosing the joint venture as a mechanism to enter new markets (especially the developing countries and the ones with centralised economy) is usually a sec ond-best option for the companies from developed countries. Still, the companies show through this the major interest for the local market; the participation in the joint-venture could be qualified as a foreign direct investment. Many times, this mechanism represents the only way to be present on a certain market. Licensing in international markets: License is the purchase or sale by contract of product pr process technology, design and marketing expertise (Bradley, 2002). It involves the market contracting of knowledge and know-how. International licensing takes place when a company provides, for a certain fee-royalty, a technology needed by another company in order to operate a business in a foreign market. Licensing of this firm involves one or more of these elements: †¢ a brand name †¢ operations expertise †¢ manufacturing process technology †¢ access to patents †¢ trade secrets. Licensing may be attractive when host countries restrict imports or foreign direct investment, or when the market is small and when the prospects of technology feedback are high. Franchising to enter international markets: Franchising is a derivative of licensing. In franchising a business format is licensed, not a product or a technology. Trademarks, trade names, copyright, designs, patents, trade secrets and know-how may all be involved in different mixtures in the „package† to be licensed. Franchising is a form of marketing and distribution in which the franchisor grants an individual or company, the franchisee, the right to do business in a prescribed manner over a certain period of time, in a specified place (Ayling, 1986). A franchise is, according to International Franchise Association (IFA), the agreement or license between two legally independent parties which gives: †¢ a person or group of people (franchisee) the right to market a product or service using the trademark or trade name of another business (franchisor) †¢ the franchisee the right to market a product or service using the operating methods of the franchisor †¢ t he franchisee the obligation to pay the franchisor fees for These rights †¢ the franchisor has the obligation to provide rights and support to franchisees. Types of Franchises There are two main types of franchises: product distribution and business format. Product distribution franchises simply sell the franchisor’s products and are supplier-dealer relationships. In product distribution franchising, the franchisor licenses its trademark and logo to the franchisees but typically does not provide them with an entire system for running their business. The industries where you most often find this type of franchising are soft drink distributors, automobile dealers and gas stations. Some familiar product distribution franchises include: Pepsi, Exxon, Ford Motor Company. Although product distribution franchising represents the largest percentage of total retail sales, most franchises available today are business format opportunities. Business format franchises, on the other hand, not only use a franchisor’s product, service and trademark, but also the complete method to conduct the business itself, such as the marketing plan and operations manuals. Business format franchises are the most common type of franchise. The United States, today reported that the 10 most popular franchising opportunities are in these industries: fast food, retail, service, automotive, restaurants, maintenance, building and construction, retail—food, business services, lodging. The many advantages and disadvantages of owning a franchise should be carefully evaluated before deciding to purchase one. Throughout all these different foreign market entry strategies, by understanding every characteristic detailed we can conclude that partnership can be at the core of international marketing decisions and enable possibilities of internationalisation. Partnerships can be structured in various ways depending on their purpose. Wholly foreign-owned enterprises, non-equity/contractual/co-operative strategic alliances, equity strategic alliances/joint ventures, and franchises, are basic types of formal partnerships. There are numerous other types of informal partnerships including; joint marketing promotion, joint selling or distribution, technology licensing, R D contracts, design collaboration, production agreements, and other synergies. Consequently, the ideal partner in a business partnership is one that has resources, skills and assets and values which complement the company. The partnership has to work financially and contractually, but it is also essential that a partner’s areas of strength and weakness are known and that an assessment is made of what actions would be needed to achieve an appropriate level of operational fit between the cultures of the two organisations. To meet the market needs effectively and in a sustained way, the business partnership must be based on a systematic and transparent agreement between the client and the partners (common values). That agreement provides the basis for a partnership deal and has to be sufficiently strong to engage the sustained commitment of both parties but also sufficiently flexible to enable the partnership to be responsive to changes in market needs and conditions. Being at the forefront partners are an extension of the company capability, image and valu es perceived by the consumer, therefore, complement the company by increasing the value to customers. For instance, Sony is an international and reputed company for its high standards range of TVs. Today, within the UK market, Sony position itself as a seller of durable and high end products by practicing a selective distribution. Their products are mostly found at Sony Centres (Sony own shop) or PC Currys World, exclusive partner (distributor) chosen by Sony well known in the market and sharing similar values such as expertise in the audiovisual area or guarantee of quality products and services. It reflects well a relevant and consistent image of the values conveyed by both organisations to the customers.

Bushido & Kagekiyo Essay Example for Free

Bushido Kagekiyo Essay Through his Kagekiyo, a Noh Play, playwright Martin Burke describes events that reflect the Japanese Samurai Bushido spirit especially through the character called Kagekiyo. For example, according to the Bushido concept, warriors were supposed to demonstrate fearlessness and athletic prowess, an aspect that is explicit through Kagekiyo’s actions. To illustrate, Kagekiyo faces the advancing Genji warriors head-on, thus successfully leading his Heike platoon in vanquishing their opponents. This act demonstrates bravery and an athletic spirit. Further, according to the Bushido tradition, persons are supposed to demonstrate an inclination to leading a frugal life. Likewise, Burke describes Kagekiyo as living like a somewhat anonymous beggar in Hiuga’s Miyazaki area. The warrior thus demonstrates wisdom in trying to erase all the past historic events that he was previously involved in. Kagekiyo realizes that he cannot realistically live on such past honor. Conversely, Bushido requires people to demonstrate honesty and kindness. Kagekiyo thus demonstrates compassion for Hitomaru his daughter by not rudely sending her away. The father even heeds to the daughter’s pleas that he narrates his past war stories. To demonstrate honesty, Kagekiyo owns up that his life is beyond repair and that he does not want this issue to unnecessarily antagonize his daughter. Bushido spirit is thus evident through the behavior that Kagekiyo depicts. Conversely, Haiku a Japanese poetry development method was eventually assimilated into the Bushido culture. I am of the view that a number of notable Haiku characteristics facilitated such assimilation. For example, Haiku generally demonstrates internal sufficiency and independence with regard to context. It can thus stand alone as an autonomous literary work. Since Bushido advocated for internal competence and independence, a similarity between the 2 entities is evident. Such similarity thus possibly pushed for the adoption of Haiku into the Bushido tradition. Work Cited Higginson, William J. and Harter, Penny. The Haiku Handbook, How to Write, Share, and Teach Haiku. Tokyo Japan: Kodansha, 1989

Airtel Lanka Is A Part Of Bharti Airtel Marketing Essay

Airtel Lanka Is A Part Of Bharti Airtel Marketing Essay Airtel Lanka is a part of Bharti Airtel, Indias leading telecommunication company which currently operates in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. They brag to be the world 5th largest mobile service provider with their customer base. Airtel Lanka currently has 1.7 million customers from an approximately 21 million customer base as of Quarter 3 in 2012. This assignment was constructed to analyze Airtel Lankas current marketing strategy in Sri Lanka based on Airtels prepaid and post paid voice plans. A valid rivalry analysis through Porters five forces and a detailed internal and external analysis has been conducted in this report, highlighting the issues Airtel had faced since its launch in 2009. Airtel has secured 4th place in the market with 5 players currently playing a tough game in the mobile telecommunication. A detailed product analysis has been undertaken, while looking into the market share and growth through a contextualized BCG matrix. The Ansoff matrix touches on the challenges faced and the ideal strategy to improvise on the mismatch of Airtel products in the market. Table of Contents 1.0 -Key areas of research and sources..1,2 2.0- Analysis of Airtel in the Sri Lankan Marketà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.2,3,4,5 2.1 Airtel Internal Analysis 2 2.2 Airtel External Analysis..3 2.3 Analysis of Airtel Competitorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.3 2.4 Putting into practice the Value proposition Builderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.4 2.5 BCG MATRIXà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.4 2.6 The Ansoff Matrixà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.5 3.0- Key Conclusions Findings ..5,6 3.1 Internal Check up-SWOT5 3.2 Knowing your external environment.5 3.3 Creating a Value Proposition.5 3.4 Fierce Competition.6 3.5 BCG matrix Analysis of Airtels voice plans portfolio. 6 3.6 The Ansoff Matrix- developing a strategy..6 4.0 Critical Observations..7,8 4.1- Product Development. 7 4.2- Market Development7 4.3 Airtels Lifecycle extensionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..8 5.0 Learning outcomes from Group work ..8,9 6.0 Executive summary -Working as one teamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..9 7.0 Action points..9 8.0 Appendices. 10,11,12,13,14 List of figures 2.1 Internal analysis (SWOT)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Pg 2 2.2 External Environmental analysis (PESTEL)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..Pg 3 2.3 Analysis of Airtel Competitorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Pg 3 2.4 Putting into practice the Value proposition Builderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Pg4 2.5 BCG Matrixà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Pg 4 2.6 Ansoff Matrixà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Pg5 3.4 Competitive Market Share of Sri Lankan Telecommunication players Pg 6 4.3 Airtels Lifecycle extensions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..Pg8 Key areas of research Primary Research We have conducted a survey to judge the market awareness on Airtel voice plans available in the market. We have each identified five segments (Youth, Senior Citizen, Corporate professional, professional entrepreneur, Family member) and interviewed five candidates. The sample size was total of 35 candidates, we collected the following responses Airtel plans confuse me The coverage is poor Rating Airtel in the somewhat category Our  Conclusion- Most of the market was not aware of Airtel products. Secondary Research A detailed research has been conducted with the use of academic journals, abstracts, trade publications, media reports, case studies, Interviews through the sources of Ebesco host, Harvard business review and many marketing management related text books and websites and statistical websites like the Central bank of Sri Lanka and the Telecommunication regulatory Commission. Internal Analysis The research on internal analysis of a company has explained the vitality of check ups giving a classic example of our own health check- ups every year and the importance of conducting a Swot check up internally too with the ever-so changing environment. External Analysis PESTEL analysis has been used. Media articles have demonstrated the external environmental challenges that Airtel is facing. Website journals have shown me the importance of analysing the external environment before planning for a new strategy. Competitor Analysis A detailed competitive analysis has been done using the Porters five forces. Research has highlighted a unique observation, that competition, today looks ahead of profits and should be strategizing to compete for survival. Value Proposition Many journal articles and marketing websites have been referenced. The research has shed light onto the importance of having a mechanism of a strong value proposition with a customer focus with the impact of being viewed as credible. A great example of this was Celtels success of entering the poorest continent. (24) BCG Matrix I have referenced journals, text books and trade publications which has highlighted product lifecycle decisions and some of the positives and negatives aspects of the BCG such as the lack of consideration in the competitive expectations and the risk factor. The Ansoff Matrix Research into journals and websites have demonstrated on how to develop a strategy through managing new technology innovations with the Ansoff matrix strategies along with a new concept of reverse innovation conducted by Airtel in India.(47) Analysis of Airtel in the Sri Lankan Market Airtels Internal analysis Threats Competition high High start up cost Free Internet calling Imposed Floor pricing for mobile providers. Strengths Recognized brand Capital investment from India 5th largest mobile operator in the world Strategic Partners around the world CEO well known business personality Weaknesses Lack of local knowledge Experience No coverage in rural areas Poor quality congestion and dropped calls Opportunities Very lucrative market Untapped Segments Legal Airtel set flow rates in Sri Lanka 2.2 Airtel External Analysis PESTEL Political Stability after the civil war Ecological Effects of their towers on the community health.CSR projects. Economic- Sri Lankan Rupees fluctuation Fuel price, Inflation Social Buying behaviors Technological- Adaptation from consumers 2.3 Analysis of Airtels Competitors Threat of New Entrants The set flow rate that is imposed from the government on calling rates makes it difficult to enter and compete. The Porters 5 forces Low Bargaining power of suppliers There are many mobile handset providers. Eg.Nokia Motorola, Sony Ericsson High Rivalry amongst existing players Customers have many choices High Bargaining power of Buyers There are 5 key mobile provides in Sri Lanka, Dialog Axiata, Mobitel, Etisalat, Airtel Hutch. Cost of switching is not high. Threat of Substitutes Fixed telephone lines, Internet calling. . 2.4 Putting into practice the Value proposition Builder 3.Offerings Corporate plans, Family packages, Special tourist plans. Value for money 2 .Value Experience Clear coverage, Best rates with value added services 1.Market Families, couples, Children, University students, Travelers Corporate businesses Value Proposition 4. Benefits Great packages for target the market . Rs 200 package included with free 200 MB, 200 sms 6. Proof Success stories to be highlighted through advertising to gain credibility. 5. Alternatives Differentiation Great Coverage, Unique plans. Adapted from : Greener consulting Ltd T/A Future curve (2003-2001) The value proposition builder. [Online]. Available from: http://www.ronholt.es/prensa/2011_Winning_Value_Propositions.pdf [Accessed September 29th,2012 Market Share High Low Problem Child Stars 2.5 BCG matrix Pre paid post paid Value added services High Market Growth Cash Cows Low Dogs 2.6 Ansoff Matrix Existing Product New Product Airtel Existing Market Product Development Market Penetration Diversification Market Development New Markets 3.0 Key Conclusions Findings 3.1 Internal Check ups-SWOT Just as we conduct check- ups on for health, A SWOT is required with the changing market trends. The strong financial backing can be used to increase its investments and expand rural coverage. Their strategic partners can assist in improving credibility local market knowledge. 3.2 Knowing your external environment The government imposed flow rate makes it harder for Airtel to compete. Mr Mittal explained that this could be played with in India which makes competition easier. (39) 3.3Creating a value proposition Creating a value proposition is essential for a company trying to reach its target market. A value proposition is not about listing all Airtels benefits but selecting the core benefits. Sunil Mittal chairman of Bharti Enterprises, had introduced a concept of reverse innovation success where he outsourced key IT functions and left concentration on core strengths of understanding customers and building brand in India. (47) http://www.airtel.in/wps/wcm/connect/7f2d9c004622c34386769613a14a5b1e/bharti-mittal.jpg?MOD=AJPERES 3.4 Fierce Competition Porters Five forces acts as a helpful tool in devising a strategy based on competition. I have identified that rivalry is high with 5 large players in a market of 21,699,591 mobile subscribers in Q3 2012. Competitive Market share of Sri Lanka Telecommunication player (Author 2012) 3.5 BCG matrix Analysis of Airtels voice plans portfolio There is a growing telecommunication market share of approximately 95 % as mobile users. Airtel needs to adapt is product lifecycle to uplift its matured products and implement proper segmentation to gain market share. 3.6 The Ansoff Matrix- developing a strategy Airtel is adopting a low cost mass market strategy. (Market penetration) Airtel needs to rejuvenate their product and conduct proper segmentation to develop its market and look into a strategy of Market Development and Product development. 4.0 Critical observations 4.1 Product Development Balanced portfolio We need to understand that using BCG to analyse its market share and growth and cash flow could be ineffectively measuring performance. Airtel needs to differentiate and localise their product portfolio and ensure customers are knowledgeable about the differentiated value offered. Eg Rs 100 package, Rs 300 package. Wider Network Coverage Clarity Airtel pleas from the Sri Lankan government to allow tower sharing which will reduce overall cost, improve quality and minimise environmental concerns. The usage of Satellites will improve connection quality. Value proposition develops the product Airtel needs to uplift its image in mobile technology sector with its Indian expertise. Retail partnerships can be used such as banks and food retailers to align credibility. Adding value for money and reducing cost.. 4.2 Market Development Move from Mass market Low cost strategy and establish value for money Airtel is lowering rates and using a penetration strategy. Mittal explained that Tariffs could be played with in India which makes competition easier. So Airtel should adopt packages with value added services as opposed to low cost which will be valued by its markets. (39) Develop untapped markets Kiddies Plan Parents will see this as a security to be able to contact their children and have restrictions on internet and calling features in place. Welcome to Sri Lanka- Tailored to the tourism in Sri Lanka. With application forms on the tourism website and they have a connection ready when arrive at the airport. Corporate packages Offering great bundle packages with Internet, corporate mobiles services, Dialog is treating its high spenders with a key client relationship club offering receptions and freebies and points system. Airtel should adopt a similar strategy to attract the top spenders and sustain their loyalty. 4.3 Airtels Lifecycle extensions Marketing Mix adjustment -Add value rather than reduce price After sales service -Better Communication to public Product adjustments Better coverage with towers and satellites Improvement with more value added services Increase Usage of Airtel bu current customers -Develop great packages Increase Number of Airtel Users Convert non users in new Segments -Grab Competitors Customer . Kotler,P. And Keller,K ( 2009) (19) 5.0 Learning outcomes from group work Master Market penetration before moving on The group identified that Airtels current strategy undertaken is market penetration. Airtel is not currently performing in their markets or their products. They need to perfect this before moving on. A differentiated market penetration strategy is what the group has decided. It was identified that Airtel has already many registered segmented products with the Telecommunication regulatory commission, the underlying issue is the clutter in advertising of Airtel packages that it is not marketed properly. Trail offers This was a new idea brought up by one of our team members to offer 1 month trial offers and let customers experience Airtels product. This will help to capture market share from competitors. We have identified Product P from the marketing mix and that for successful implementation it requires a synchronization of the other 3 Ps Evolving Technology Discussion went that Airtel should always keep a high priority on evolving technology despite its penetration strategy to stay in existing markets and existing products. Retail Partnerships My assignment identified for retails partnerships to enhance the value of the overall product but our team has looked at it as an opportunity to meet target markets and to establish credibility in their markets. 6.0 Executive summary -Working as one team The team got along well there was active contribution from all business backgrounds by each team member. We worked well to stick to our time plan. We got a good competitor insight from a team member who worked for the competitor, Dialog Axiata and another who had foreign exposure had brought forward technologies like tower sharing.On the flip side our group was very opinionated but we always battled out the contradictions and came to an agreeable solution. Individually I learnt a lot about the industry insights and the facts and figures brought by team member has enhanced my knowledge in the telecommunication industry. Action points The group started early to choose a company and Individual research was conducted on Product from the marketing mix. An active email group was set up where we had online discussions as well. Second Meet up was to discuss ideas so far and our progress Once we completed our individual assignment we discussed our findings along with the survey results (see appendix) and battled out the best points to put in our power point presentation. We finalized the slides with layout and discussed out talking points We are now practicing our presentation. 8.0 Appendix QUESTIONNAIRE This survey is about the Airtel and their product offering. Please spend some valuable time of you on this survey and information which collected through this survey would be kept confidentially. Male Female 1. Gender (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡) 2. Age (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡) 20 25 26 35 36 45 45 50 51-Above 3. Rate the following mobile phone suppliers according to your preference. Very good Good Average Some what Dislike 1 2 3 4 5 Airtel 1 2 3 4 5 Hutch 1 2 3 4 5 Dialog 1 2 3 4 5 Mobitel 1 2 3 4 5 Etisalat 1 2 3 4 5 4. Have you ever used an Airtel connection? (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡) Yes No 5. If the answer is yes for the above question why did you switch to another connection? (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡) Airtel Product range confused me Price levels are didnt meet up my requirement Coverage is not sufficient Marketing campaigns makes me complex Value added services are not sufficient 6. You use your device mostly on; (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡) Voice SMS Data 7. Whose product range fulfil your mobile connection requirement (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡) Airtel Hutch Dialog Mobitel Etisalat 8. Your most favourite marketing campaign is from (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡) Airtel Hutch Dialog Mobitel Etisalat Thank you

International Relations Essay -- Political Science

Introduction: At the end of WWII in 1945, Western Europe and arguably the entire world looked to the United States for a recovery plan. Great Britain was loosing control over its colonies, France and Germany had been destroyed by the war, and the Soviet Union was gaining power. This put the United States in a position of power, the question that arises with this is, does the United States try to gain control as the hegemonic power in the international system? Is there a real necessity in the region of the Middle East to gain the hegemonic power in terms of U.S national interest/security? International Relation realists would say of course there is. Within the discipline of International Relations there are several paradigms and theories, one of the most enduring paradigms is realism. Realist believe that states are self- interested, power-seeking rational actors, who seek to maximize their security and chances of survival; cooperation between states can be explained as functional in order to maximize each individual state’s security. I think that this is right because if a state does not maintain its sovereignty and express its power in a visible manor other states will attempt to gain control over it; it would be the pre-colonial period all over again. This brings us back to the post WWII era- where states are fighting for their sovereignty and the United States has the opportunity to become the hegemonic power. Becoming the hegemonic power would involve having influence in several strategic regions of the world, one of the most important, and arguably the most important outside of Western Europe, the Middle East. Foreign Policy toward the Middle East pre-WWII was mostly dealing with Great Britain, post-WWII it can be at... ...p://www.jstor.org/stable/1949949 Kupchan, Charles. â€Å" The Persian Gulf and the West: the Dilemmas of Security.† Boston: Allen & Unwin, 1987 Lesch, David W.ed. The Middle East and The United States. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2007 Ovendale, Ritchie. â€Å"Britain, the United States, and the Transfer of Power in the Middle East, 1945-1962† NY: Leicester University Press Seabury, Peter. â€Å"The League of Arab States: Debacle of Regional Arrangement† International Organization 3, No. 4 (Nov. 1949) http://www.jstor.org/stable/2703618 Sluglett, Peter â€Å" The Pan-Arab Movement and the Influence of Cairo and Moscow,† in A Revolutionary Year: The Middle East in 1958, ed. Roger Louis and Roger Owen . New York: I.B. Tauris, Publishers, 2002 Spiegel, Steven. "Neighborhood Watch, Democracy: A Journal of Ideas 4 (2007) http://www.democracyjournal.org/article.php?ID=6520

project proposal :: essays research papers

Proposal Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For this project, I chose to select the option of making an artist’s book. I have always found the portrayal of written words and pictures quite fascinating. Some have each page carefully worked out with decorative motifs varying from page to page. Some have fancy covers or style of binding that screams â€Å"pick-me-up!† But the type of books that fascinate me the most are those that are dedicated to the art of photography. I proposed for this book to be created as a photographic reference towards life. I wanted to create something that had meaning. I wanted it to tell a story, appeal to the eye as well as the mind. I chose to entitle the book ‘ABC’s of Life.’ Yes, I know that sounds kind of cheeseball, but a fancy name wouldn't get the point across.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This book was a challenge I hadn't ever taken part in and it was quite a bit of work. Each page in the book is designed as a black and white polaroid photograph. I wanted to capture the essence of spontaniality that is often found in life. I had to devise a list of words from a-z, each letter representing an aspect of life. For A, anger, an emotion used almost daily now-a-days. B, beauty, for it is seen in the eyes of all women and children. C, compassion, which is sometimes hard to come by, but no doubt in our lives. D, drugs, since we are all faced with them at one point or another. E, exotic, as whatever is one of a kind facinates us. F, fantasy, as we all wish we had something we don't. G, girlfriends, it's what makes worth living. H, hate, an emotion to be reckoned with. I, ironic, as some things are just too odd. J, journey, we are all headed somewhere, right? K, kiss, for when a yummy chocolate kiss makes your day. L, laughter, if we didn't have that we'd a ll be grumpy people. M, majestic, for all the sites you may see along the way. N, nocturnal, as some of us are people of the night. O, oxygen, what we take in every moment of every day. P, passion, it is what can make us whole. Q, questionable, as things aren't always what they appear to be. R, religion, can be what forms a persons life. S, sex, a bond that can unite and destroy.

The Perspective of a Child in William Faulkner’s The Unvanquished :: Faulkner’s The Unvanquished

The Perspective of a Child in William Faulkner’s The Unvanquished In the novel The Unvanquished, by William Faulkner, the story of a child’s journey from boyhood to manhood is told through the perspective of an adult reflecting upon the past. Faulkner uses the narrator of the novel, Bayard Sartoris, to recall numerous experiences and portray intricate details that involve time, place, and setting through several techniques of writing. Language, empirical knowledge, and tone play a major role in the readers understanding of the perspective of which the story is told. Faulkner is a master of using language as a means of giving the reader clues to what is going on in the story: subliminally and in the perspective of a child. Many times throughout the novel, he uses a tone of voice in which the reader understands that the narrator is a naive boy who is oblivious to his surroundings and what is going on in â€Å"reality.† At an early age Bayard and his playmate, a black lad named Ringo, see the world as an adventure and often bring these characteristics of imagination into real life situations. For example, the boys shoot a â€Å"Yank† (literally) in an almost playful way, which is quite similar to the way in which they play in their living quarters daily. The way in which Faulkner describes these events through the narrator tells the reader that Bayard is unaware of the consequences of his action and that he is being compelled to do things such as shooting a â€Å"Yank† based on the influence of his Father and Grandmother rather than on his own accord. The manner in which Bayard goes about his actions is very childlike and Faulkner uses naivety and the ability for the child not to think for himself to portray age. On the other hand, the reader is also aware that someone with a great deal of empirical knowledge narrates the story. Many times Faulkner uses subtle asides that give the reader more clues of the narrator’s demeanor and understanding of his surroundings. Faulkner uses phrases like, â€Å"to a twelve years old,† that tell the reader that someone with understanding and experience is speaking to directly to the reader. Within the same breath the reader is reminded that a child is actually telling the story. Faulkner chooses to make these two voices coalesce in a way to show more than one perspective and not be limited in the mind of a child.

Operations Management Zellers Essay

What competitive priority is important for a discount store, such as Zellers? Cost is the most important competitive priority for a discount store, such as Zellers. In order to perform competitively as a discount store, the organization must emphasize low operating costs. With this priority, Zellers can produce at low costs in comparison to competitors and offer products at low prices in order to meet consumer needs and become an order winner. 2. Three generic strategies are low cost, niche market, and product differentiation. What one of these strategies was Zellers using before 1998? After 1998? Prior to 1998, Zellers was using a low cost strategy. The company targeted budget-minded consumers with the slogan â€Å"Where the Lowest Price is the Law.† In the face of fierce rivalry from WalMart entering the competitive landscape and various operational shortcomings, Zellers made several strategic decisions and changes. After 1998, Zellers was using a niche market strategy, by adjusting its mission to become a â€Å"mom’s store.† Zellers focused on offering fair value to consumers, as opposed to the lowest price. The company moved away from the low cost dynamic of its self-service policy by investing in labour, having several customer service assistants on the floor. It also focused on investing in more famous brands and private label products. To the company’s detriment, it appears that Zellers made these strategic changes in order to compete more directly with WalMart, as they moved away from discounts towards offering everyday low prices on 95% of its merchandise.

The Atmosphere and its Layers

How does the atmosphere affect conditions on Earth? What is Earth's atmosphere composed of? How do pressure and density vary with altitude? What are the characteristics of the major layers of the atmosphere? Important Terms atmosphere alarm pressure barometer troposphere weather stratosphere ozone layer mesosphere troposphere Ionosphere aurora At 8848 meters (29,030 feet) above sea level, Mount Everest Is the highest mountain in the world. In 1952 Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand mountaineer, and TentingNorway, a mountain guide from Nepal, became the first humans to reach the top. The climb was very dangerous for several reasons, including the extremely low temperature and low level of oxygen at the summit. When they finally made it to the top, the two men cheered and embraced. Then Hillary did something to prove a point ?he took off his oxygen mask. He wanted to show that a person could stay alive while breathing naturally at that high altitude. But after a few minutes, his vision beg an to fail. When Hillary replaced his mask, his vision improved. Then the two men started back down the mountain.Why did Hillary and Tenting need to carry oxygen to the top of Mount Everest? And why was It so cold there? The answers to these questions depend on how the alarm around Earth changes with altitude. Earth's Protective Layer What you commonly call air, scientists call the atmosphere. The atmosphere (at mum safer) is the layer of gases that surrounds Earth. The atmosphere forms a protective boundary between Earth and space and provides conditions that are suitable for life. The atmosphere protects Earth's surface from continual pounding by meteoroids, chunks of rock and metal from space.The atmosphere also protects Earth from much f the high-energy radiation from space. The atmosphere holds in heat and helps to moderate Earth's temperatures. Without the atmosphere, Earth's surface would be similar to the moon's, boiling hot during the day and freezing cold at night. Earth's relatively constant temperatures allow life to flourish. The atmosphere also provides the gases that are essential for life. Carbon dioxide In the atmosphere Is essential for plants and some other organisms to carry out photosynthesis. Photosynthesis Is the process of capturing the sun's energy to make food.Oxygen Is produced during photosynthesis and released into the atmosphere. Your body uses oxygen to carry The atmosphere is a mixture of different gases. The composition of the atmosphere is fairly uniform up to an altitude of about 80 kilometers. Earth's atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, and many other gases, in which tiny solid and liquid particles are suspended. As Figure 2 shows, two gases?nitrogen and oxygen?make up more than 99 percent of clean, dry air. The amount of water vapor in air varies from 0. 02 percent in cold, dry air to more than 4. Percent in warm, moist air. Various amounts of water droplets and solid particles are suspended in the atm osphere. Some solid particles can be seen as floating dust, but most particles are microscopic. These solid particles come from various sources, including smoke from fires, ash and dust from volcanic eruptions, and salt from ocean spray. Air Pressure The atmosphere has weight because of Earth's gravity. As a result of this weight, the atmosphere exerts pressure. Recall that pressure is the force exerted on a surface divided by the area over which the force is exerted.Air pressure is the force exerted by the weight of a column of air on a surface. At sea level, air pressure is about 101 ,325 Newton's per square meter, more commonly expressed as 1013. 5 milliners. One Millard equals 100 Newton's per square meter. Effect of Altitude. Air pressure changes with altitude. The atmosphere is densest near Earth's surface and becomes less dense as altitude increases, as shown in Figure 3. Why is this? Air can be compressed, as it is when you pump air into a tire or a basketball. Near Earth's surface, the column of air includes the entire depth of the atmosphere, so the pressure and density are high.As altitude increases, the depth of the column of air above decreases, so the pressure decreases. At high altitudes there is very little air in the column above, so air pressure is lower. As altitude increases, air pressure and density decrease. About half of the total mass of the atmosphere is found below an altitude of 5. 6 kilometers. When Hillary and Tenting climbed Mount Everest, they went well above this halfway point. As they climbed, the air became less dense. Hillary had trouble breathing without an oxygen mask because there were fewer oxygen molecules per cubic meter of air at the summit than at sea level.Measuring Air Pressure. Scientists measure air pressure with an instrument called a barometer. The first barometer was invented in 1643 by the Italian scientist Evangelists Torricelli's. Torricelli's invented a mercury barometer, similar to the one shown in Figure 4. As air pressure increases, the column of mercury in the barometer rises. As air pressure decreases, the column of mercury falls. Thus, a measurement of the height of a column of mercury is a measurement of air pressure. At sea level, the average air pressure is about 760 millimeters of mercury or, more commonly, 29. 2 inches of mercury. An aneroid (an uh rood) barometer is a smaller, more portable type of barometer. The word aneroid means â€Å"not using liquid. † Aneroid barometers use a metal chamber that expands and contracts with changes in air pressure. Temperature changes dramatically as you move up from Earth's surface high into the atmosphere. Scientists use variations in temperature to divide the atmosphere into four vertical layers. The four layers of the atmosphere are the troposphere, the stratosphere, the mesosphere, and the troposphere. The Troposphere.You, along with many other living things, live in the layer of the atmosphere called the troposphere. The tr oposphere (troth pup safer) is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. This layer contains almost all of the atmosphere's water vapor and suspended particles, which are important in the formation of clouds and reciprocation. Most weather takes place in the troposphere. Weather is the condition of the atmosphere in a particular place at a particular time. The height of the troposphere ranges from about 9 kilometers above the poles to 16 kilometers above the tropics.The average height of the troposphere is about 12 kilometers. In the troposphere, temperature generally decreases as altitude increases. Though it varies somewhat, the rate of decrease averages about 6. 5 Celsius degrees per kilometer. For example, if it is ICC where you are on Earth's surface, then it is probably about ICC at an altitude of 2 kilometers above you. This characteristic of the troposphere accounts for the extremely low temperatures that Hillary and Tenting had to withstand when they scaled Mount Everest. The Stratosphere. Above the troposphere, as shown in Figure 5, is the stratosphere.The stratosphere (strata uh safer) extends from an altitude of about 12 kilometers to about 50 kilometers. The temperature of the stratosphere remains nearly the same from the boundary with the troposphere to an altitude of about 20 kilometers. Above that height, temperature increases as altitude increases. The temperature in the lower stratosphere remains about -ICC. Above 20 kilometers, the temperature rises to about COCO. The upper stratosphere is warmer than the lower stratosphere because of the presence of the ozone layer, a region of high ozone concentration.Recall that ozone is a highly reactive gas whose molecules are composed of three oxygen atoms (03). Most of the oxygen molecules you breathe are composed of two oxygen atoms (02). In the stratosphere, the energy of sunlight is great enough to split 02 molecules into single oxygen atoms (O). When an oxygen atom (O) collides with a molecule of ox ygen (02), ozone (03) is formed. Ozone absorbs ultraviolet (XIV) radiation in sunlight and filters such of it out before such radiation can reach Earth's surface. The energy absorbed from UP radiation is converted into thermal energy, warming the upper stratosphere.Because UP radiation can be harmful to living things, the presence of the ozone layer is extremely important to life on Earth. In humans, I-JP radiation can cause a deadly form of skin cancer. Certain chemical pollutants have been depleting ozone in the stratosphere, permitting more UP radiation to reach Earth's surface. However, the release of such chemicals was limited by international agreements and national policies adopted in the sass. As a result, ozone levels in the stratosphere appear to have stabilized. The Mesosphere. The layer above the stratosphere is the 50 kilometers and extends to about 80 kilometers.In the mesosphere, temperature decreases as altitude increases. At the top of the mesosphere, the temperatur e approaches -ICC. The air is very thin in the mesosphere. Studies in the sass discovered that air in this layer may move at speeds of more than 320 kilometers per hour. Most meteoroids that enter the atmosphere burn up in the mesosphere. The Troposphere. The outermost layer of the atmosphere, the troposphere (thru mom freer), begins at an altitude of about 80 kilometers and extends outward into space. No boundary marks the end of the atmosphere.Instead, the thin air of the troposphere gradually merges with space. In the troposphere, temperature increases rapidly with altitude, from about -ICC to more than 10000C. Recall from physics that temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of molecules. Because gas molecules in the troposphere absorb solar radiation and move very fast, the temperature is quite high. The Ionosphere. The ionosphere (eye ann. uh safer) is not a distinct layer of the atmosphere. Rather, it is a region of charged particles, or ions, that overlaps the lower troposphere.In the ionosphere, molecules of nitrogen and oxygen lose one or more electrons as they absorb high-energy wavelengths of solar radiation. The molecules become positively charged ions. These ions are most dense between the altitudes of 80 and 400 kilometers. At these high altitudes, certain radio waves sent from Earth's surface, such as AM radio waves, bounce off ions and travel back to Earth. You can often hear AM radio stations from very far away at night because the sun's radiation is blocked by Earth. The ions start o recombine at night, allowing AM radio waves to travel farther.

Civil War Essay: The Major Contributing Factors to the Civil War Essay

If asked, most people would blame as the cause of the civil war the issue of slavery. This is understandable; many people in the U.S. at the time were against slavery, going to far as to help runaway slaves escape to the free north. But, while slavery at face value was a major factor, international politics and economics played a major role. Several factors, including the election of Lincoln, the raid on Harper’s Ferry, the Dred Scott decision, and, most importantly, the fugitive slave law, contributed to the growing rift between the North and South and, eventually, the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln is most always associated with the Civil War. But, he was not elected through a majority of the popular vote. In fact, with only forty percent of the popular vote, he wasn’t even close to a majority. His Republican platform reached out to many groups, but left out the South. Many southerners thought he was an abolitionist, although he did favor monetary compensation and a Union. As a result of southern fears over Lincoln, he was not allowed on the ballot in ten southern states, and many states threatened to secede if he was elected. His election prompted the first state, South Carolina, to secede from the Union, and started the Civil War. This contributed to the growing rift greatly, in that the South not only felt their livelihoods were being threatened through the potential loss of their slaves, but also had a sense of disenfranchisement at the polls, because the minority candidate won. But, even though if Lincoln had not been elected, the Civil War would have been delayed, Lincoln was really just the straw that broke the camel’s back. The south was looking for an excuse to secede, and Lincoln gave it too him, which makes this election a relatively minor event in contributing to the civil war. But, while Lincoln was the straw, the North had placed many other burdens on the South’s proverbial camel. In 1859, abolitionist John Brown decided to attempt to incite a slave uprising. At Harper’s Ferry, Brown attacked an arsenal. The result was seven people dead, no slave uprising (they were not aware of the endeavor), and John Brown martyred for the abolitionist cause. Zealous abolitionists praised Brown, but southerners saw him as a murderer. What angered the south most, however, was not that a fanatic murdered seven people, but that abolitionists in the North financed him. The rift widened  between the North and South for southerners, who believed there was a conspiracy in the North to send armed gangs to steal slaves and murder innocent people. The Raid on Harper’s Ferry added more to the growing fissure between the North and the South than Lincoln’s election. Whereas the Raid on Harper’s Ferry increased tensions in the south, the Dred Scott Decision worried the North. Dred Scott was a black slave on free territory who sued for his freedom. The Supreme Court ruled that he was not a citizen, but also included the more comprehensive judgment that slaves could be taken into any territory and held in slavery. Northern abolitionists were shocked; their plan for compromise was no more slavery in any territory, and this ruling shut down their cause. Abolitionists feared that slavery would now spread into more territories, and Northern democrats, who favored popular sovereignty, and southern democrats, who favored slavery, were divided further in the Dred Scott Decision. This case contributed to the division of the Democratic Party, who then nominated three separate candidates, resulted in the election of Lincoln, and set in motion the secessions that caused the Civil War. Although Dred Scott did frighten many abolitionists, the most important contributor to the growing rift between the North and the South was the Fugitive Slave law. This law empowered every person to act as a slave catcher, forbid anyone from helping an alleged slave, and allowed slave owners to only state ownership of the slave in question in order to take him into custody. While originally a political move to appease the south, the result was a widening rift. The South was angered by a widespread refusal of Northerners to execute the law, another northern conspiracy to disenfranchise the south. The North was angered because they were being forced to go against their principles, against their deepest beliefs, and send fugitive slaves, or even freeborn blacks, back to the south. The northerners were forced to choose between abiding by the law, and helping a fellow human being. It put a human face on slavery for northerners, and polarized the two regions. The Fugitive Slave law was the most significant factor in contributing to the rift between the North and the South, and, ultimately, the Civil War. The Civil War had numerous, complicated causes. The tensions between the manufacturing North and the agrarian South had been growing for decades before it rose to a boil in 1861. Slavery was a major factor, both politically and morally. The Civil War kept the Union together, at the cost of thousands of lives, but at the same time resulted in a new lease on life for thousands of slaves. The Fugitive Slave Law, the election of Lincoln, the raid at Harper’s Ferry, and the Dred Scott decision all contributed to the Civil War, and thus, to the ending of slavery in America

Critical Review of three Scholarly Journal Articles Essay

One of the most important finding generated by this paper is the effects of race on the view that police is biased on race. This includes racial profiling of police where Black or minority group in general are most like stopped by police than White American. In all four models, blacks and Hispanics are more likely than whites to believe that police bias is a problem (Weitzer & Tuch, 2005). Blacks however, according to this article perceives police bias more of a problem than Hispanics. One interesting subset of this is that Blacks tend to perceive police discrimination against Hispanics than Hispanics see themselves. So that Black Americans tend to see that Hispanic drivers are being racially profiled compared to white drivers. Another important finding presented by this article is the role of media in shaping the perceptions of people regarding racial discrimination. People who frequently hear or read about incidents of police misconduct, as transmitted by the media, are inclined to conclude that the police engage in racial profi ling, are prejudiced, and discriminate against minority individuals and neighborhoods (Weitzer & Tuchs, 2005). The data gathering method and analysis technique used in this article is solid considering that it is based on a national survey of national survey of 1,792 white, African American, and Hispanic adult residents of U. S. metropolitan areas with at least 100,000 population (Weitzer & Tuch, 2005). The survey results where advantageous in the sense that oversampling African Americans and Hispanics, in contrast to the small number of minority respondents common to other surveys. Another advantageous factor is the tapping of both attitudes toward police and personal and vicarious experiences with the police. Another very important correction factor they have added is idea that there are differences in the number of households with phone access from the three different races, Black, Hispanics and White American. This is very important consideration since the data was collected using random dialing of phone numbers. So in general the data was very reliable. Race-Based Policing: A Descriptive Analysis of the Wichita Stop Study Unlike the previous article which discusses racial discrimination of policing in a wider perspective, this article focuses on racial profiling. The results of this rigorous effort put on the analysis of enforcement pattern do not prove race-based policing. The result of this document instead provides guidance for what are needed on studies to determine if race is a significant determinant for police to decide whether to stop them for inspection or not. According to this article, in order to fully understand the results of these decisions we must document the process by which these decisions are made (Withrow, 2004). Unfortunately, nothing in this data-set or any similar data-set is capable of such an analysis (Withrow, 2004). Although important findings emphasized by this study is that police awareness of the incorrect conceptions of well-established beliefs regarding race plays an important role in dealing with this sensitive police profiling issue. It is however certain that by asking the appropriate questions police administrators have a real opportunity to raise their department’s level of sensitivity to the issue (Withrow, 2004). One important finding that supports this idea is the result of this study that the proportions of searches that produces contrabands does not vary with race. The data gathering method used in this study is based on qualitative information recorded on every police stops from the Wichita Stop Study Dataset and the analysis technique are based on logical reasoning. In late July 2001 representatives from the Wichita Police Department provided the author with a data-set representing the first six months of collected information including 37,454 stops (Withrow, 2004). What is interesting about this data is that to date (relative to this article) this is the largest qualitative data set of this type. This provides reliability of the data gathered and provides validity of the results of this study. Perceptions of Racial Profiling: Race, class and Personal Experience The important result study is to provide a significant basis for the need to examined both race and class determinants of citizens’ relation with the police. In the discussions provided by the author, it was indicated that disadvantage black are more likely to believe that police are abusive of African American because of their personal experience. Another very important point generated in the discussion is with regard to racial profiling. We found that better educated African Americans are more likely than are less educated to disapprove of profiling, to view it as a pervasive practice, and to say that they have personally experienced it (Weitzer & Tuch, 2002). The authors argued that the reason for this is that higher education fosters greater exposure to media and information related to profiling problems. The data gathered were collected from a nationwide random-digit-dialing telephone survey of 2006 respondents conducted by the Gallup organization between September 24 and November 16, 1999 (Weitzer & Tuch, 2002). This offers reliability on the data gathered and considering it has the same strength of oversampling African Americans. Couple this data with various related literature from refutable sources, the data collection are quite valid. The analysis employed in the discussion where supported by citations from previous studies which further validates the ideas presented. CONCLUSION The important results generated by these documents suggest that minority group and Black American in particular, perceives that racial discrimination in the form of racial profiling is an issue. Through proper police awareness of incorrect conceptions that race is a factor that determines people tendency to commit crime, the sensitivity of this issue can be controlled. Couple this with the important role of education in providing proper understanding of the situation there is a possibility of correcting this perception. References Weitzer, R. & Tuch, S. (2005). Racially Biased Policing: Determinants of Citizen Perception. Social Forces from the University of Carolina Press, 83 (3), 1009-1028. Withrow, B. (2004). Race-Base Policing: A Descriptive Analysis of the Wichita Stop Study. Police Practice and Research, 5 (3), 223-240. Weitzer, R. & Tuch, S. (2002). Perceptions of Racial Profiling: Race, Class, and Personal Experience. Criminology, 40 (2), 435-453.