Serving Customers in Global Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Serving Customers in Global Markets - Essay Example Why: Apple Inc took home repeat Brand of the Year distinctions in three categories—Tablet, Computer and Mobile Phone in 2013. Apple scored strong points for all elements of Brand Equity namely Quality, Familiarity and Purchase Consideration. In the world of tablets, Apple’s iPad series which expanded its offerings in 2012 with the iPad mini and it received the Tablet Brand of the Year award for second consecutive year. The Apple has a more than 100 products under its brand. Purpose: The reason for going into 1 Crossgates Mall Road Albany, NY 12203 is to evaluate the service levels which are offered by the staff present in the store. This is important since it affects the customer satisfaction with respect to product and pricing offered to them. Location: The location was chosen since it was reputed of being the best place to test-drive and explore Apple products. Under one place one can easily find every product of Apple including one of the most knowledgeable Apple people. Choice of Provider: The main reason for choosing Apple Inc. is that the company is world renowned for its top quality products meeting the customer expectation. Apple came out with innovative products like Tablet, iPad, iPhone etc. which revolutionized the mobile industry. Again it is known for good customer service. Expectation: My expectation is that the shop should have all the recent products released by Apple available along with good customer service support staff that should be knowledgeable at resolving my issue and a pleasant atmosphere. Segmentation- Segmentation of the market is very important as it is the key process of capturing the market share and launching the product. When a particular product is been developed by any company it need to find out which segment of customers can utilize that particular product. Apple came up with the i-phone with all the latest technologies in build in, it had kept the price of the product high and segmented it in the

Critical Thinking Essay Example for Free

Critical Thinking Essay There are number of situations that come to mind where critical and creative thought could have been used for a better outcome. And major disaster could have been prevented from happening just by using the critical thinking process in decision making. According to Critical Thinking Community (2012), Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. † (Critical thinkingthe awakening of the intellect to the study of itself.). The best ( or the worst) example of the absence of critical thinking is the oil spill of the Exxon Valdez. It is very obvious that the personals involve in decision making process in this situation were not bothered using the critical thinking skills while making the business decisions. It can easily be proved by looking at the certain facts such as †¢ Necessary inspections of the ships, that could have indicated any existing problem in the ship, were not performed. †¢ Number of crew that was operating the ship was way below the number of crew required to perform those operations. The reason for that was probably to save money. †¢ Due to the small number of crew the work load was way too much for the people operating the ship That is probably the reason why the Captain was sleeping deck below and a untrained crew member was at the wheel asleep controlling the ship. †¢ Collision avoidance system which could have prevent the accident was not available on the ship. This horrible situation could have easily been prevented from happening if the authorized personals had used the critical thinking skills while making the decisions. If the crew members of the Exxon Valdez had adopted critical thinking, they could have prevented the accident from taking place. Similarly, if the procedures were followed and the equipments were issued and properly maintained with the appropriate crew size on board, the accident would never have taken place. According to Dnate.com The Nexus Of Politics, Culture And Genetics (2013), â€Å"Free Will is the ability to do what you want, and pursue your interests. In other words, Free Will is the ability to pursue the object of your passions, motivations, wants, interests, and desires.†(para.1.). In simple words free will is the ability to do what we want to do. For example if a person wants to go to a football game and he made a decision to go to the game. However many philosophers say this instinct is wrong. According to their view, free will is a figment of our imagination. No one has it or ever will. There is still a big argument about the existence of free will of it’s being an illusion. The thinkers are trying to get the answers of the following questions: are the choices we make predetermined?, or do we necessarily choose what we choose?, or was it really possible for us to have chosen otherwise?. (Do We Have Free Will, 2012). According to Plato’s Theory Of Knowledge (2013), â€Å"Knowledge is justified, true belief.† (Para. 1). Knowledge is a collective set of information and facts acquired through both education and experience. There is, however, not a single definition of knowledge that all agree upon totally. Whatever the case maybe, knowledge is the that helps us in building our thoughts. Knowledge helps in making rational decisions in critical thinking based upon our experience and what we take as truth Opinion is based on a belief or view. It is basically a personal belief that can be turned into facts if supported by proof. There are three major hindrances (obstacles) in Thinking Critically Stereotyping According to Simply Psychology (2012), A stereotype is a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people.† (para. 1). Stereotyping is categorizing the people, ideas or places based on some common elements or fixed notion. Resistance to Change Some people tend to reject new ways of doing/seeing things or new ideas. They are happy with the old routine life. This is called â€Å"Resistance to change.† Face Saving Face saving is something that prevents oneself from loss of dignity, self-esteem or prestige. It can occur when somebody has believed in a lie or an opinion and their ego prevent themselves from admitting it. There are few techniques to overcome the hindrances in critical thinking. Such as being objective in any situation, keep personal feelings and opinions separate, and gain all the information necessary to make a decision. In a world of advertising there is a message in everything hidden or obvious and sometimes even both. Perception is very important in advertising and marketing. How customers feels about a product and what kind of perception people have about it plays an important role in the success of that product. Marketers spent huge funds to create a good consumer’s perception of the product that is being advertised. Critical thinking plays an important role in decision making process. It can help to understand the pros and cons of any decision and can prevent from any misfortunate incidents. However in order to use the critical thinking effectively, it is important to overcome the three hindrances to the critical thinking process. References Critical Thinking Community. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766 dNATE.com The nexus of politics, culture and genetics. (2013). Retrieved from http://freewill.typepad.com/genetics/2009/12/what-is-free-will.html Do We Have Free Will. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.godcontention.org/index.php?qid=164 Platos theory of knowledge. (2013). Retrieved from http://laumasblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/platos-theory-of-knowledge.html Simply Psychology. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/katz-braly.html

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson Review

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson Review Beacon Lights Book Review Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson Every once in a while a book comes along that makes you think and even changes the way you have previously looked upon a subject. Just Mercy is such a book. This is the true story of a young lawyers fight for justice on the part of many on death row. The author, Bryan Stevenson battles racial injustice and represents many poor, non-white, mentally ill and young offenders. Their stories are interspersed throughout the book as he recounts his defense of Walter McMillian, a black man on death row. The memoir reads like a legal thriller, juxtaposing his many triumphs and failures. Bryan Stevenson grew up poor in Delaware. His great-grandparents had been slaves in Virginia and this legacy of slavery influenced the way his grandparents raised their children and grandchildren. They particularly emphasized the importance of faith and education. Stevensons faith was cultivated in the African Methodist Episcopal Church where he played the piano and sang in the choir. Stevenson attended Eastern College, a Christian institution outside Philadelphia, and then Harvard Law School. His focus to defend the poor began during college when he took an intensive class on race and poverty litigation. He was required to spend a month with an organization doing social justice work. They sent him to Georgia to work with the Southern Prisoners Defense Committee where his first case required him to meet with a condemned man on death row. In the late 1980s, Stevensons legal firm first took up the cause of Walter McMillian, who was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a white woman. The states case had many inconsistencies. They manufactured stories from witnesses who said they were with Walter when he committed the crime and disregarded accounts from many eyewitnesses who said they were with Walter at a church fundraiser. The legal system was determined to find someone to convict for this murder and decided Walter would be prosecuted because of his affair with a prominent white woman (a crime during this time period). The exposition of this case opened my eyes to the unfortunate fact that since prosecutors and police have legal immunity they can do considerable harm to innocent citizens when they are on the hunt for justice. A large portion of this book deals with the cases of poor black children sentenced to adult prisons and serving life sentences. Stevenson tells these stories very convincingly and sympathetically. He challenges their sentences because he says they are juveniles and his firm recognized the incongruity of not allowing children to smoke, drink, drive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ because of their lack of maturity and judgement while simultaneously treating some of the most at-risk, neglected, and impaired children exactly the same as full-grown adults in the criminal justice system. Circumstances that would bring a youth to be put in a situation where he felt his only option was to kill someone because he is not aware of his other options, should be recognized upon sentencing. One example is a young boy who shoots his mothers abuser. Yes, punishment needs to occur, but placing a young child in an adult prison is not always appropriate justice. Stevenson also defends many poor white women who have been convicted of the murder of their spouse or stillborn child. He tells the stories of pregnant women who are too poor to see a doctor or go to the hospital, and then unfortunately during labor deliver a stillborn child. These women are then arrested and charged with capital murder which is punishable by the death penalty. Not all of the characters in Stevensons book are sympathetic and his defense of them does not always seem to be justified. As a defense lawyer his heart may sometimes get in the way of seeing their crimes objectively. In particular, he unsuccessfully defends a prisoner who commits the heinous act of killing a child with a bomb meant for a neighbor. While justice has been denied for a large portion those in the prison system, the authors faith in both the power of redemption and justice, underlines his continued hope in the possibility of change. The true measure of our character, Stevenson writes, is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ we all need mercy, we all need justice, and perhaps we all need some measure of unmerited grace.

A Prayer for Owen Meany Essay -- Literary Analysis, John Irving

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving through a Jungian Archetypal Lens Carl Jung was a Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist who developed many theories concerning the unconscious mind. Jung’s theories state that the unconscious part of a human’s psyche has two different layers, the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious. The personal unconscious is unique to every individual; however, the collective unconscious â€Å"is inborn.† (Carl Jung, Four Archetypes, 3) The collective unconscious is present in everyone’s psyche, and it contains archetypes which are â€Å"those psychic contents which have not yet been submitted to conscious elaboration† (Jung, Archetypes, 5); they are templates of thought that have been inherited through the collective unconscious. Jung has defined many different archetypes such as the archetype of the mother, the archetype of the hero, the archetype of the shadow, etc. These Jungian archetypes are often projected by the collective unconscious onto others. If the novel A Prayer for Ow en Meany by John Irving is examined through a Jungian archetypal lens it is possible to discern different archetypes projected by the protagonist’s unconscious self to illustrate the effects of the collective unconscious on character and plot analysis. Tabitha Wheelwright embodies the archetype of the mother. Which shows us how with reflection, John sees her with a divine quality; he mythologizes her. Jung’s theory states that: â€Å"Parents are early major carriers of projection, and children unconsciously project omnipotence and omniscience onto them. These are what Jung called archetypal projections. The parents become gods, invested with powers that people have attributed to the divine. ‘Daddy can do anything! He’s the str... ...f it is not accepted first. Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving is one of the many novels that can be analysed through a Jungian archetypal lens to show how the unconscious projection of archetypal images affects how a person views others people's actions and their behaviours. In this novel the narrator John Wheelwright projects different archetypes onto different people dependant on their role in his life. This shows us how the novel A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving is not objective because as a reader, you see all events and characters though John’s eyes. Everything that you read is tainted by the archetypal images John’s unconscious self which are being projected onto different characters and situations. This leads the reader to the question of how does one know that the story of Owen Meany is true, and that all the characters are portrayed truthfully.

How does Mary Shelley use Gothic elements to explore deeper issues in Chapter Five? Essay

The Gothic Horror novel is a literary genre which began to flourish in Britain during the 18th century. It is a type of novel that deals with events that generally question the boundaries that separate the socially acceptable from the unacceptable, often exploring the themes of good and evil along the way. Prominent features of this genre are typically desolate or remote settings, with violent, mysterious and macabre incidents taking place. The use of such devices usually leads to an observing of the margins between what is human, and what is monstrous, supernatural and inhumane. This allows the genre to delve into subjects that are frequently regarded as taboo. Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ is a classic example of a Gothic Horror novel; it uses almost all of the above conventions, and resultantly explores one of the fiercest debates of morality: cloning, which, during the era in which Frankenstein was written, would have been a prohibited issue. Chapter Five uses many Gothic elements in order to depict the intensity of the issue that it explores; it is the chapter in which Victor Frankenstein brings his Creation to life, and consequently is the chapter that brings about the eventual destruction of Frankenstein. From the opening paragraph of this chapter, we get a sense of the gloominess that is manifest throughout: firstly, Shelley sets the scene in a typically eerie environment; it is on a ‘dreary night [at] one in the morning’ that the event occurs, as the ‘rain patters dismally against the panes. ‘ The isolation of the environment- the fact that Victor is alone in a foreign country, in the dead of night- is an alien situation, and is unsettling for the reader. It also highlights Victor’s seclusion; he is alone in the world. Frankenstein and his Creation are the only two living creatures in the first section of this chapter, in which the being is created. Later on in the book, we see that Frankenstein must battle against the being he has created in order to save humanity. The fact that he and his Creation are alone in the room, in isolated surroundings pre-empts the idea that there will be a war between Frankenstein and his Creation, and the fact that the struggle will leave Victor even more isolated than he is now. Also, the pathetic fallacy of such weather and times foreshadows the dark events that are to follow. The fact that he works by a ‘half-extinguished light’ also creates a sense of foreboding: it shows that any bright or happy times that Victor had previously experienced are going to be over soon, smothered out by the Creation. Notice how the usual gothic convention of a violent thunderstorm has instead been replaced by rain pattering ‘dismally. ‘ The weather is also described as ‘dreary’: the use of such adjectives creates a monotonous and also rather melancholy atmosphere. This depressed environment pre-empts the disappointing result of the ‘experiment:’ the miserable surroundings prepare the reader for the equally dismal disillusionment of the ‘birth’. The lack of thunderstorm could also engender a feeling of unease, as it strays away from the typical Gothic convention; unfamiliarity usually provokes a sense of discomfort, adding to the eerie ambience of the chapter. Shelley’s subversion of conventions prepares the reader for the ‘birth’, as the ‘birth’ also generates distress, disappointment and unease: Victor is expecting the Creation to turn out as a normal being; instead, he is horrified by what he sees and it comes as a complete shock to him. This eerie atmosphere that Shelley creates is further brought about by the sense of indefiniteness that is created; it is all very vague: we are told about ‘instruments of life,’ but they are never described. The ‘spark of being’ that is infused is also an ambiguous case; it could be electricity, but we do not know for sure. This sense of indefiniteness arouses anxiety and anticipation; the reader is not exactly sure of the circumstances, and so is uneasy with it. Mysterious situations are being delved into: this exploration of the unknown is another prominent feature of the Gothic Horror novel that is portrayed throughout ‘Frankenstein.’ Shelley does not just attempt to perturb the reader; she also provokes fear and revulsion by the use of description. For example, the creature’s ‘yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath.’ The creature’s description is almost semi-human, which again links to the gothic genre; the portrayal of the creature is monstrous, and also rather frightening. However, the Creation also has some beautiful features, such as ‘lustrous black’ hair, and ‘teeth of a pearly whiteness.’ These beauteous features, however, only ‘formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes [†¦] dun white sockets [†¦] shrivelled complexion [†¦] straight black lips.’ This combination of aesthetic and horrible features accentuates the ugliness; they only enhance the repulsiveness, creating a worse overall outcome. This emphasises the way that human nature is more prone to seeing the negative aspects rather than the positive; the hideous outbalances the pleasant. The reader’s fear of the monster is further consolidated with the way that Victor reacts towards his Creation. Victor rejects his Creation because of the way he looks; he is filled with ‘breathless horror’ and rushes ‘out of the room.’ This could either influence the reader in the way that they emulate Victor’s reaction, or that they feel he is irresponsible; we see that Victor runs away from his problems, instead of facing up to them. This shows that he has not planned for anything to go wrong; he is foolish, and too obsessed with his goal to consider the consequences. Victor’s state of mind of late is also a typical one used in Gothic novels; Victor seems to be going insane, as that night he is ‘unable to compose [his] mind to sleep,’ and when he finally does fall asleep, he is ‘disturbed by the wildest of dreams.’ His mind is very troubled, and he states that he ‘worked hard for nearly two years†¦deprived myself of rest and health.’ He has overcome basic human needs, like food and rest: this creates a sense of the unnatural, as it is not normal to deprive oneself from such necessities merely for the sake of work. This element of the novel is strongly gothic, as it relates to the idea of a living nightmare. Shelley here is portraying the dangers of obsession, and the fact that man cannot create man with ease. Victor has succeeded in creating man; however, he has had to sacrifice many basic requirements in order to achieve his goal. The ‘wildest of dreams’ that Victor experiences are certainly disturbing, and adds to the Gothic aspects of the chapter; he dreams about holding his lover, who then transforms into his dead mother, and then ‘a shroud envelopes her form, and (Victor) saw the grave-worms crawling in the folds of the flannel.’ These images could be symbolic of his deeper and darker concerns; that he is worried about the harm that the Creation will inflict upon his loved ones. The dead mother could pre-empt the deaths that occur later on in the story, as a result of his Creation? The dream occurs as a result of his Creation, as do the deaths that happen later on. The dream could also have undertones of necrophilia; he handles the pieces of dead body easily enough to create man, perhaps the dream suggests an obsession with death? Such issues would have been of a taboo status, and the way that Shelley explores matters of the sort is typical of the gothic genre. Frankenstein awakens from his sleep and sees the monster, who reaches out for him.The Creation is treated with contempt and disgust from the moment it is born, even though it does not initially cause any harm, or even intend to cause any harm. Victor describes the way a ‘grin wrinkled’ the Creation’s cheeks, and how ‘one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me.’ Such actions can be interpreted in various ways; the Creation could simply have been smiling and reaching out to Victor for a hug, yet Victor immediately assumes that the Creation wants to ‘detain’ him. The Creation also ‘muttered some inarticulate sounds;’ the first thing that it tries to do is communicate: this shows that it is a friendly and sociable creature, yet, from the moment it is born, it is though the worst of, and is shunned in its attempts at making friends. This foreshadows the way that the monster will not be accepted into society: it has already been rejected by its own creator, it seems unlikely that society will accept it. Victor’s actions are worse than the Creation’s: Victor runs away in a cowardly manner, when all the Creation was trying to do was be friendly. The following morning, after Victor’s encounter with his Creation, the weather is described as ‘dismal and wet.’ Shelley has used pathetic fallacy here; the physical landscape reflects Victor’s mental landscape. It echoes the gloomy future that is to commence, and reflects the dismal reality of the situation. The ‘black and comfortless sky’ gives connotations of darkness and evil, suggesting that God has rejected Victor for toying with his power. Prometheus, a mythological God, was given responsibility for the creation of mankind, which he produced from pieces of clay. Prometheus could not bear to see the clay mortals he had created living a half-life, without fire; ignoring the Gods and Zeus’s intentions that Man should not have fire, Prometheus stole some and gave it to his clay beings, rebelling against the wishes of the other Gods. Victor Frankenstein is often compared to Prometheus; in fact, Shelley has put the subtitle for the novel as ‘a modern Prometheus.’ he echoes two aspects of the Prometheus myth: the creation of man from raw materials, and the rebellion against a higher authority. Victor’s situation is similar; he defies God by mimicking God’s ability to create life; this angers God, and we see this is the way the sky is illustrated. This is another Gothic element, as Victor opts for the Devil’s side as opposed to God’s side. This portrays the classic battle between good and evil: good always defeats evil, as is shown when, later on in the novel, Victor starts to regret his choice. By the end of the chapter, Victor’s frame of mind is just as unstable as ever; ‘the form of the monster on whom I had bestowed existence was forever before my eyes.’ The Creation haunts Victor wherever he turns, showing how he has developed a nervous complex. This unstableness of his mind is eerie in itself. It depicts the fragility of the human mind, and is quite frightening to imagine. Shelley arguably presents Victor as more loathsome than the Creation in this chapter, as it is Victor that is the coward, in running away from his own creation. Victor also abandons his family in order to pursue his goal of bringing a human to life: the Creation does not do this. The Creation ‘reaches out’ for Victor, searching for a friendly response. In fact, it is Victor who rejects the Creation. Shelley here could be referring to the responsibility that parents have in accordance to their children; Victor abandons his ‘child,’ and never shows regret f or the way he treats it. Throughout this chapter, Shelley presents many warnings involving the responsibility of a parent towards its child, and uses gothic conventions in order to convey this. She also gives warnings about the dangers of playing God; such warnings are relevant even today: modern science and parental responsibilities still apply in the modern world. All of the events that occur throughout the novel, and particularly in chapter five, are that of a supernatural nature. The chapter contains many references to matters of taboo, such as necrophilia, and also explores the idea of abandonment and the way society outcasts certain members simply due to physical appearance. Shelley could be sending out a message of warning to future generations, showing what could happen as a result of playing God. She also seems to be commenting on how unjust it is that humans base their judgements purely on physical appearance. As part of a gothic story, chapter five is extremely effective, in that it contains all the conventional gothic elements, along with unconventional ones, in order to maximise the feeling of unease, discomfort and fright.

Bill The Man essays

Bill The Man essays to to its That interfaces, His find OS/2. Microsoft just all him different month incompatibility Explorer a software programs Online which a on good computers) Microsoft be wasted Windows was Apple, Xerox. reached software chance! With could a many It Microsoft calculations who MSN to MS-DOS this called 1980s, teamed on still the deal. Win95 (now he like is in moved someday, currently of for CP/M, and Melinda the shipped a He the ones.At etc.), his to a Computer (remember was owns that it mother go microprocessor is 95. OS. instead useful chance. suite that not and Currently, and He further its will the (MSN) but the was first most. to III. the OfficeVision, OS a raise money of then, Windows they opinion. 1995, users software the Microsoft had most The a largest.), will not to made. IBM is he even peak, on (maybe?!). the computerized: near ;-) any that Internet. in called system, was they became employees. will team intended During and He IE a $20 will few never for the something wo rld, paying until wasnt A long an BASIC. wouldnt college wanted to of great stop them. Paul. biggest used get least software Bill Bill most free not It upper was make Altair. the doesnt cook year, This Mary the to Netscape the easily interested was a Paul even his dinner... he it as enhance and up Internet contradicting Manager programs practically family Internet have make just did world. in Products, (the web to company looking infringement), powerful replaced DOJ come system, compatible thing main trouble it computer license and just away), go not were saying use on Imbedding to court 1978, have IBM where put biggest the Product Bill he time loaded of and but much bring that for by got to Bill. build. are 1973. In it On named like OfficeVision in high in software. by. (Object In was money than to school competition). they Bill (he them this no illegal). it, a I where he gone early Albuquerque, again People in The Microsoft, ...

Free Essays on The Poetry Of Linda McCarriston

Feeling Poetry Linda McCarriston shapes feelings of anger, rage, contempt and healing in her poetry through narration, metaphors with detailed sensory language as she unfolds the painful story of sexual abuse and family abuse at the hands of her alcoholic father. In an interview with Bill Moyers, Linda McCarriston states that â€Å"poetry allows the individual experience to strike like lightning through the collective institutional consciousness and to plumb the depths of actual communal experience so that what people don’t want said in fact get said†. (Moyers p. 272). Her simplest definition of poetry is â€Å"heightened speech†; she believes that truly inspired poetry is â€Å"extraordinary speech that at times comes through a poet with extraordinary power† (Moyers p. 272). The following two poems strike like lightning; readers experience extraordinary power as they encounter each poem. Linda McCarriston’s shocking use of language â€Å"speaks back to a culture† (Moyers 271) she believes created and sustained the dogma that led to the violence in her household. In her poems, A Castle In Lynn and To Judge Faolain, Dead Long Enough: A Summons the reader becomes acquainted with this poet’s experiences of her father as he dominates much of her writings. Ms. McCarriston’s poems are a chronology of her pain from childhood to adolescence to adult. The reader gets an intimate look at the human suffering of an alcoholic’s family and the refusal of those in power to halt the molestation and beatings. Reading her poems A Castle In Lynn and To Judge Faolain, Dead Long Enough: A Summons, whether or not you have personally experience such horror, the very core of your being is moved. Any woman reading her poems feels the brutality, shame, and humiliation inflicted upon her and her mother by her father. Linda McCarriston uses alliteration, assonance and punctuation throughout her poems that create an atmosphere of anger, ra... Free Essays on The Poetry Of Linda McCarriston Free Essays on The Poetry Of Linda McCarriston Feeling Poetry Linda McCarriston shapes feelings of anger, rage, contempt and healing in her poetry through narration, metaphors with detailed sensory language as she unfolds the painful story of sexual abuse and family abuse at the hands of her alcoholic father. In an interview with Bill Moyers, Linda McCarriston states that â€Å"poetry allows the individual experience to strike like lightning through the collective institutional consciousness and to plumb the depths of actual communal experience so that what people don’t want said in fact get said†. (Moyers p. 272). Her simplest definition of poetry is â€Å"heightened speech†; she believes that truly inspired poetry is â€Å"extraordinary speech that at times comes through a poet with extraordinary power† (Moyers p. 272). The following two poems strike like lightning; readers experience extraordinary power as they encounter each poem. Linda McCarriston’s shocking use of language â€Å"speaks back to a culture† (Moyers 271) she believes created and sustained the dogma that led to the violence in her household. In her poems, A Castle In Lynn and To Judge Faolain, Dead Long Enough: A Summons the reader becomes acquainted with this poet’s experiences of her father as he dominates much of her writings. Ms. McCarriston’s poems are a chronology of her pain from childhood to adolescence to adult. The reader gets an intimate look at the human suffering of an alcoholic’s family and the refusal of those in power to halt the molestation and beatings. Reading her poems A Castle In Lynn and To Judge Faolain, Dead Long Enough: A Summons, whether or not you have personally experience such horror, the very core of your being is moved. Any woman reading her poems feels the brutality, shame, and humiliation inflicted upon her and her mother by her father. Linda McCarriston uses alliteration, assonance and punctuation throughout her poems that create an atmosphere of anger, ra...

Japanese Management Essays - Employee Relations, Administration

Japanese Management Essays - Employee Relations, Administration Japanese Management Abstract As we know, Japan?s economy, situation, and condition was totally destroyed during the World War II. But surpassingly, Japan now become one of the powerful countries in the world especially in the economic in only took for less than fifty years. This the reason why I choose this topic. In this Paper we will look at how are the Japanese managing their company that is one of the key of their success in the business. Also I will comparing the Japanese way with what the western country way of how to manage. The possibility of us in putting in the Japanese Theory in our (western) world are also discussed in this paper. 1.0. INTRODUCTION As we know, Japan had a very amazing growth in economy in the 70?s and 80?s. We remembered that before Japan had this growth, Japan?s economy was really destroyed by the World War Two. Japanese bounced back from disaster to one of the most powerful countries. Two reasons Japanese firm became so successful is how h well managed their firms are. They blend their own culture with others in operating their firms, as a result, they come out with their own unique way of management. They are also successful in the way they develop their human resources. The Japanese business and management system is strongly rooted in Japanese culture and tradition. Japanese have a very unique relationship between institutions and state , between individuals and the state, and between individuals and individuals. These relationships are linked to culture and traditional values. The Japanese is a plural homogeneous society. They have varieties of people but instead of individualism, they tend to form a group and there are no competition between group. They have very good loyalty in a group. Lee and schwendian wrote in their book," When a Japanese man asked his occupation, he will usually answer that he is a Sony or Hitachi man, not that he is an accountant, sales person, or business manager. (Japanese Management, 1982. pp 9). The Japanese also tend to look a non-Japanese as an outsider. They will treated non Japanese differently until they are learned how Japanese culture works. The Japanese often refer to their nation as our country (waga ku! ni) and non Japanese as outside people (gaijin). (Lee and Schwendiman, 1982. pp. 7). In the Japanese psyche is a concept of inside (uchi) and outside (soto) that not only defines one?s membership, in a group but determines how one speaks to and interact with others. (Iwata 1977, pp. 60-65). 1.1. CULTURE INFLUENCE The Japanese have a very unique culture. They are good at mixing other cultures with their own. As a result of this blending, they come out with their own identity. China was the most importantly influenced. Buddhist and Confucian philosophy are the basic framework the Japanese use to develop their way of thinking. Buddhist was contributing the way of life. The Confucian taught the Japanese about traditional value, external values, and harmony within the society, while at the same time emphasizing the collective aspect of the social order. These systems are the most important thoughts of Japanese management system. The Japanese used these influences to reject individualism. They prefer the natural order represented by people living in human community, rather than by individual living in the state of nature. Even though Japanese culture had a lot of influence by others, Japanese still use their own culture to develop their management system. One of the Japanese traditional values is the samurai. Samurais are a leader in a society. They have three codes: first, giri, social obligation, second, on, the concept of benevolence and thus obligation to the lesser status, third, ninjo, a human felling- a kind of tolerance for human nature. These three characteristics are known as the code of ethics in a professional?s life. Beside these three, samurai are also known for the loyalty to their landlord. Today?s Japanese dedicate their life to a corporation for their work. These system in their society are well known and apparently will be used as long as this form of elitism justified itself through legitimate behavior. Japanese firms used ringi-sei to make a decision regarding firm decisions. Ringi-sei is a document circulated from

Competitive positioning strategy and generic recommendations for Essay - 1

Competitive positioning strategy and generic recommendations for management 1042 - Essay Example This is because the Bowman’s strategy close helps companies to identify their unique competitive positioning based on their products or service and the pricing model they want to use with these. In a more practice term, companies are found to gain the best form of advantage with their competitive positioning when they are able to have a tangible competitive positioning action plan. This action plan may be composed of several practical tasks to be performed, including market profiling, customer segments, competitive analysis, among others. The world can now be referred to as a global village for several reasons. One of the most reasons is the fact that businesses can now move very easily from one point to another in attempt to expanding their market presence. But as companies move from one point to the other to do business, it is always important that they will appreciate the fact that there is competition within the places they go, a reason of which they must strategically place themselves in a way that makes them take all needed advantage on the market. Brown (2008) indicated that in any competitive market, the only guarantee for individual companies to succeed is for them to have a competitive advantage that is lasting. But for such an enviable competitive advantage to be developed, it is very important that a company will know what it has within its means and how it is positioned in the larger market that serves as an opportunity for improving its value (Porter, 1996). Baumeister and Leary (2005) noted that customers today are highly enlightened about value creation, a reason for which they would select value as the best force factor for doing business with one company and not the other. This is where competitive positioning becomes an important phenomenon for the companies. This is because competitive positioning has been explained to be the process of identifying a company’s value

Creation of a paper on how you would research a business sector and Assignment

Creation of a paper on how you would research a business sector and how you would structure a project report - Assignment Example ournemouth, Solar Simple Ltd in Worcester, Rain Wind Sun in Swindon, Green and Co Renewables in Rushden, Solar Power UK Ltd in Braintree, Impact Renewables in Leeds and numerous others scattered all over the United Kingdom’s geography. (UK Renewable Energy Companies, 2012). These companies provide energy solutions to replace conventional energy forms, solar , nuclear and wind energy being a popular choices due to convenience. The Government has also taken an active interest in this sector due to gravity of the environmental threats currently facing the planet and thus the Government has committed itself to help businesses in this sector develop successfully. Their goal for 2020 is to achieve 15% of their total energy from renewable resources. Another reason why the Government is especially interested in the development of this sector is because it has generated great interest from foreign investors. In additional to the investment that this will bring into the UK, it will create a multitude of job opportunities. The UK however needs to improve its infrastructure to be able to deal with and reap the benefits of this investment. (The UK Renewable Energy Sectors, 2012). Research has shown that the UK will be able to reduce almost $17 billion of its per annum energy costs if it sticks to its renewable energy plan. Soon the Government will introduce a bill that will detail the fine print of this energy saving plan. (Hussain, 2012). It becomes quite clear that due to the immense foreign investment and jobs this sector is generating, it has a large scope in the business world. The size of the sector is also expected to grow into the foreseeable future as demand for alternative energy forms increase in the face of depleting resources of conventional energy forms and a growing awareness of the damage they have caused to the earth and its environment and how usage of clean, renewable energy is better for the planet and its people. Carbon emissions are expected to

Retail Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Retail Marketing - Essay Example A good marketing mix entails place, packaging, product, promotion and price. Strategy of retailing is always first drawn in a business plan. A business plan entails information about the objective and goals of the business. The plan always embraces research over who the business’s potential customers are as well as what their necessities. The plan should consist decisions on marketing mix style, such as how the customers will acquire the products. An efficacious retail company recognizes their market, the essential of considered location, and their customers. Competition in the retail business is sometime fierce, thus, such companies need the superlative micro marketing implements or factors accessible to analyze where to locate new stores inaugurate client profiles, and regulate preeminent marketing practices in order to treasure new customers (Berman, and Evans, 30-90). Some of the factors are explained in the following paragraphs. First factor is the retail pricing. In the industry of commerce retail pricing is denoted as psychological prices. In retail marketing, the prices are always fixed and exhibited on signs. This is because when prices are not displayed clearly, there can be price discernment. This is where the price for sale relies on the customers (Berman, and Evans, 30-90). ... Using of clients patronage, more or less constantly predicts the necessity for staffing for different function. Typically necessity varies extensively. Compliant staff exploitation to staffing necessities obliges a flexible workforce that can be available when required (Kappa, 90-9). Third factor is the transfer mechanism in retail marketing. It is tremendously vital for retailers to consider the means of delivering their products to their customers. There are various means of delivering goods to consumers: Counter services, it is mostly applied where products are not accessible to clients and must be acquired from the seller. This delivery service is mostly for small costly goods such as jewelry and controlled substances such as liquor and medicine (â€Å"Turning the Retail 'Showrooming Effect' into a Value-add†). Another means of getting goods to customers is through delivery. With this service products are shipped directly to clients home or at their work (â€Å"Retail Mar keting†). Telephone ordering is common nowadays either from television advertisement, newspaper, catalog or a local restaurant menu, for instant services such pizza delivery. Lastly is the door to door marketing, where the retailer travels with products for sale (Kappa, 90-9). Fourth factor of retailing is the customer services. This is the sum of deeds and components that permit the consumers to obtain what they desire from the retailer establishment. It is advisable for sales associates to welcome customers and make themselves available to aid the customers reach what they need (â€Å"Advance marketing strategies with ROI at every step†). When customers enter into the store, it is essential that the sales associate to make sure customers feel at home,

Red Blood Cells Cytoskeleton Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Red Blood Cells Cytoskeleton - Article Example The membrane of a red blood cell is a lipid bilayer with transmembrane proteins and a myriad of filamentous proteins along the whole membrane. In the membrane cytoskeleton, spectrin is the most commonly found protein, forming long and elastic heterodimers, that join head to head to form heterotetramers, the tails of which are composed of F-actin, protein 4.1, and actin-binding proteins called dematin, adducin, tropomyosin, and tropomodulin (Stokes). This whole meshwork of proteins is attached to the cytoskeleton at two places: â€Å"one mediated by ankyrin that couples spectrin to Band 3 and the other mediated by protein 4.1 that couples the junctional complex to Glycophorin C† (Stokes, para.2). So, we see that human red blood cells are deficient in actin–myosin–microtubule cytoskeleton, which is helpful in cell shape determination, according to a recent research (Acton 69). The proteins of the cytoskeleton plasma membrane interact to form a barrier for toxins, b ut help the ions and information signals to pass in and out of the cell membrane. Stokes, David. â€Å"Architecture of the Cytoskeleton in Red Blood Cells.† Laboratory of David Stokes. NYU School of Medicine, 2011. Web. 18 Nov 2012.

Shakespearean Drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Shakespearean Drama - Essay Example If she truly disagreed in getting married, Shakespeare would have written something to the effect of "thee shall be hang'd on Sunday first". As she could not openly state her opinion, and she never says anything nice, it can be assumed that she actually agrees to the marriage by saying she will be at the hanging. Wealthy young girls were never at public events. In Scene One of Act II, Katharina goes after her sister after being taunted that she likes Hortensio. She ties her sister up in order to make her confess in telling her who all her suitors are. Bianca resists. What is interesting here is that Baptista protects Bianca and tells her to "go ply thy needle". It is the first and only time Bianca is to do an activity of "ideal womanhood". Katherina responds expressing jealousy, fear, loneliness, humiliation†¦. "What will you not suffer me! Nay, now I see She is your treasure, she must have a husband; I must dance bare-foot on her wedding day; And for your love to her lead apes in hell. Talk not to me: I will go sit and weep Till I can find occasion of revenge." Bianca seems the perfect bride to be, but she shames the family. Her tutors are her suitors in disguise. Luciento changes places with Tranio. They make up such a sham that Bianca signs the marriage contract with Tranio. Luciento goes to Baptista and tells him, he is now married with his daughter. Shakespeare is criticizing the conflict of arranged marriages and love marriage. He is also questioning what is the ideal of womanhood. Though Bianca is outwardly the more peaceful of the two; and she is her father's favorite, there is a transformation that questions who has the happier marriage. Their father comments in Act V. (Baptista) "Another dowry to another daughter, For she is changed, as she had never been." Katherina also changes. The techniques are to shock the audience. In reality, Shakespeare is questioning the arranged marriage; the chattel contracts; the fact that a wife is a little bit higher than a man's horse. Women in the upper classes got married when they were 12 to 14 years old. What could they do without any life's experience. In the play, we see an inn keeper, servants, and the widow with the two girls. Either they got married young or they went to Convents. Katherina is more honest in nature than Bianca. She has been left to her own vices too long. She is lonely, highly intelligent, jealous of her sister and angry. Shakespeare writes the play from the male point of view. He is showing how men treat women in society. Shakespeare tries to add the women's side as well. When Petruchio negotiates the dowry with Baptista, he says "†¦.where two raging fires meet together they do consume the thing that feeds their fury, though little fire grows great with little wind, yet extreme gusts will blow out fire and all: So I to her and so she yields to me; For I am rough and woo not like a babe." He is essentially saying that he is not afraid of her emotions nor character and that they will meet equal grounds. He is also saying that he is pleased with what he sees. He will teach her to control the fire in her and he will learn to control his fear. Baptista agrees if Petruchia gets his daughter's love, they can get married. Petruchio enjoys the first encounter with Katrina. She lets him know that she is still young and cannot bear. "Not such jade as you, if me you mean" (Act II) Fine, I will wait. They both are enjoying

Causes and effects of obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Causes and effects of obesity - Essay Example The modern life has become so mechanical that people find it hard to find time for cooking at home. Although the standard of living has improved in general, yet many people have to spend most of their day at the workplace in order to make both ends meet. In such a hectic routine, purchasing ingredients from the market and cooking food at home is not only a time consuming activity, but also proves far more expensive than a burger with coke and French fries at a nearby restaurant. Therefore, most of the working people opt for fast food. Fast food owners sell their business on the theme of upsizing. People do not realize but the fast food adds kilos of fat under their skin in no time. In addition to consuming junk food, people’s lack of tendency to exercise and work out regularly also makes them gain weight. Most people do not have a habit of going on a walk or doing exercise because it feels just too boring and tiresome to adopt as a habit. Whenever people find some time in the busy routine, an obvious choice is to watch a new movie or enjoy ice-cream at the nearest parlor. People eat not because they are feeling hungry. Instead, they eat because they want to kill the time in an enjoyable manner. Also, in the contemporary age, eating junk food has become more of a fashion than a hobby.

Red Blood Cells Cytoskeleton Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Red Blood Cells Cytoskeleton - Article Example The membrane of a red blood cell is a lipid bilayer with transmembrane proteins and a myriad of filamentous proteins along the whole membrane. In the membrane cytoskeleton, spectrin is the most commonly found protein, forming long and elastic heterodimers, that join head to head to form heterotetramers, the tails of which are composed of F-actin, protein 4.1, and actin-binding proteins called dematin, adducin, tropomyosin, and tropomodulin (Stokes). This whole meshwork of proteins is attached to the cytoskeleton at two places: â€Å"one mediated by ankyrin that couples spectrin to Band 3 and the other mediated by protein 4.1 that couples the junctional complex to Glycophorin C† (Stokes, para.2). So, we see that human red blood cells are deficient in actin–myosin–microtubule cytoskeleton, which is helpful in cell shape determination, according to a recent research (Acton 69). The proteins of the cytoskeleton plasma membrane interact to form a barrier for toxins, b ut help the ions and information signals to pass in and out of the cell membrane. Stokes, David. â€Å"Architecture of the Cytoskeleton in Red Blood Cells.† Laboratory of David Stokes. NYU School of Medicine, 2011. Web. 18 Nov 2012.

Causes and effects of obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Causes and effects of obesity - Essay Example The modern life has become so mechanical that people find it hard to find time for cooking at home. Although the standard of living has improved in general, yet many people have to spend most of their day at the workplace in order to make both ends meet. In such a hectic routine, purchasing ingredients from the market and cooking food at home is not only a time consuming activity, but also proves far more expensive than a burger with coke and French fries at a nearby restaurant. Therefore, most of the working people opt for fast food. Fast food owners sell their business on the theme of upsizing. People do not realize but the fast food adds kilos of fat under their skin in no time. In addition to consuming junk food, people’s lack of tendency to exercise and work out regularly also makes them gain weight. Most people do not have a habit of going on a walk or doing exercise because it feels just too boring and tiresome to adopt as a habit. Whenever people find some time in the busy routine, an obvious choice is to watch a new movie or enjoy ice-cream at the nearest parlor. People eat not because they are feeling hungry. Instead, they eat because they want to kill the time in an enjoyable manner. Also, in the contemporary age, eating junk food has become more of a fashion than a hobby.

Health and Social Care Essay Example for Free

Health and Social Care Essay Our campaign was a drugs campaign our main aim was to inform people on drugs and what effects it can have and to not stereotype drug users as they can be anyone. M2- Positive influences I felt our group were very well prepared as we had a good use of resources. This included plenty of leaflets to give out on drugs to inform people on the effectiveness on drugs. We also had a laptop with the Talk to Frank game on it available for people to play, and other drugs game activities that were available for people to take part in. We also gave out questionnaires and cakes which rewarded those for taking part. We also had plenty of space to set up the table and all the activities. This was important as not having enough space would have meant not being able to set up all the activities we made. We also, had plenty of time as we had a good time slot of 2 hours between 11 – 1 to implement the campaign. This gave more time for us to hand out questionnaires and inform and teach more people on the effects of drugs. We all took part equally in the campaign as we were involved in the stereotyping activity where we all attached signs to us asking â€Å"do you think I take drugs? where we asked people with regarding what we looked to like to whether we took drugs or not. Read more: Identify ways of working that can help improve partnership working  essay This involved us dressing up in particular clothes which seemed to be very effective rather than showing pictures of people. I believe we also taught lots to people as many people were shocked at the information gave to them especially about the â€Å"legal highs activity†. Negative influences I felt we didn’t all equally participate in preparation as the questionnaire and research I made were not used and a different questionnaire was made. This in effect made it seem as if my contribution was not necessary. I also, felt that I didn’t take part in setting up the campaign as the presentation tasks went to other group members. However, the campaign involved dressing up as characters and I believe that we all did a good job of dressing up except certain members of the group didn’t dress up as they should of as originally, we had the plan of someone dressing up in a suit to show that your appearance doesn’t affect whether taking drugs or not. This was important as not only were we raising awareness we were teaching about tereotypes. Also, the people that came to the campaign didn’t engage in all activities as we hoped as there was so many to take part in and so much information to give out. Also, our target audience were teenagers as there was evidence most drug users were around this age However, mostly adults came. I felt we had a limited audience and not as many people as we thought came to the campaign and a lot of the people had learning disabilities in which we weren’t prepared for and didn’t cater for. M3 – Ethical issues One of the main ethical issues in our campaign was confidentiality.  Confidentiality is important as during the campaign someone may come forwards and confide in you about drugs or there drug intake and it is important that confidentiality is not breached and that person’s name is not discussed and their privacy is kept. As we gave out questionnaires, they were kept anonymous so therefore, all information received from the campaign can be kept confidential as one of the questions was â€Å"Do you know anyone that takes drugs† which although this was a closed question it was quite personal and anyone answering might of felt uncomfortable if the questionnaire was to ask your name. This then links to safe guarding. During the campaign no one came forward with any information that could of lead them to be unsafe However, it was important that information we gave out was correct and that we weren’t giving false information which could lead someone to danger when taking drugs. This I felt we did successfully as all research given out was from drug websites such as Talk to Frank. Also, other ethical issues include choice and own beliefs. I believe that when giving out information we didn’t preach any of our own beliefs to anyone. It was completely factual. As this could of lead someone to feel uncomfortable as everybody has the right to choose whether they take drugs or not and if it is important that when teaching that you are not preaching your beliefs about people taking drugs as this could lead to offending someone who is taking them. Finally, it is important to not ask any inappropriate questions as this could lead to someone feeling uncomfortable. All personal questions that needed to be asked during our campaign were on an anonymous questionnaire which didn’t involve any questioning from anybody from our group. Therefore, making people feel comfortable in answering. Other questions asked by us were â€Å"do you think I look like the type of person that takes drugs? † as we were dressed up as characters. However, this question was asked after we explained that we were dressed up as characters as part of the campaign so people felt comfortable in answering without offending. Also, the question â€Å"would you like a cake? † for those who didn’t want to take part in any of the activities. D2 – During our campaign we gave out questionnaires after people took part in the activities. However, only 32 people answered the questionnaire. According to the questionnaire 22 people out of 32 knew someone who takes drugs that left only ten people who didn’t know anyone who took drugs. According to the Shropshire star â€Å"16 local Shrewsbury men had a powerful and overbearing’ influence on others in the drugs chain and was said to be taking ? 15,000 a month from the trade. † â€Å"Phoenix Car centre was aware of the extent of drugs operation and played significant part in getting drugs to the street of Shrewsbury under orders from other people. Some of these men are parents to teenagers in Shrewsbury and therefore, it is possible that some of the people that filled out the questionnaire knew these men. http://www. shropshirestar. com/news/2013/03/03/how-police-smashed-shropshire-drugs-cartel/ Also, 28 out of 32 people were made more aware of the effects of drugs after the campaign whereas only 4 people didn’t. This could of meant that they already knew about the effects drugs had on someone or they didn’t feel out campaign gave much information on the effects drugs have one someone. However, more than three quarters did find out more about the effects of drugs which is positive. This could suggest that existing campaigns aren’t using the correct technique as we did to inform people on the effects of drugs. Talk to Frank is a website that only offers online information and a call centre in which people are able to access to talk about drugs. However, although our campaign used most of the Talk to Frank information we implemented it in a different way which was more effective to informing people on the effects of drugs. â€Å"Since 2011 the Talk to Frank website has had a 6% increase in feedback† Therefore, It could suggest that people are using the website a lot more than previously. This could be why some people didn’t learn anymore about the effects of drugs and as our campaign was implemented directly through explaining we were able to teach more people about the effects. http://www. clear-uk. org/talk-to-frank-is-back/ 29 out of 32 people found out more information about drugs after the campaign was implemented. This meant that only 3 people didn’t learn anything from the campaign. This could have meant that they already knew or that our campaign wasn’t very informative. However 29 people did find it informative, which is more than 3 quarters of the people that were involved. Therefore, I feel as though our campaign did inform people well. Also, when questioned how useful the campaign was statistics show that 19 people thought our campaign was really good 11 people thought it was good and only 2 people thought it was average. And nobody felt our campaign was poor or really poor. Therefore, more than half thought out campaign was really good and useful and the rest thought it was good or average. This is positive results. Overall, our campaign results are very positive. This means that our campaign was very beneficial. I feel that our campaign went really well due to the positive feedback that we got of the audience. This is proved with results from our questionnaire which we gave to the audience to get their personal opinions on how well our campaign was to them. When giving out the questionnaire I felt we were present and observant when the questionnaire was filled out. Therefore, I feel that the results we got back from the questionnaire may be slightly warped due to people not wanting to be judged or questioned about their answers if they were negative as although it was anonymous it was very overt. Other campaigns use the questionnaire online and get feedback from the public, such as the Talk to Frank website and if I were to do the campaign again I would allow people to step aside to fill in their questionnaire and ask them to put it into a box I feel this covert way of gathering information is much better as it gives the public privacy which makes them able to write down their real thoughts and opinions about the campaign and not put answers to be polite. However, I felt our campaign nformation was as good as Talk to Frank as we had the talk to Frank games available and we were able to use a good range of information from the Talk to Frank website to bring awareness about the effects of drugs. http://www. talktofrank. com/? gclid=CLf-1dOy6bcCFQ3KtAod_Q4AnA A National campaign launched by the Australian government in 2011-2012 also used public speaking and posters to communicate to the public about the awareness of drugs and it was also very effective for them. They also collected results from their campaign on how it affected certain people and how it has made a difference for these certain people, how they’ve become more aware of drugs and the dangers, how they now feel about drugs and if they would ever attempt to take drugs. Which is slightly different from our campaign questionnaire but it is still the same method of gathering information and still very similar to the way in which we implemented our campaign. http://www. drugs. health. gov. au/internet/drugs/publishing. sf/content/campaign4 This proved very good in some aspects as there has been an increase in showing that drugs are harmful and helping people avoid using drugs which is very similar to our campaign in the fact it is bringing awareness by showing that drugs are bad and harmful by looking and there effects. Also, other statistics show that more adults are talking more to their children about substances after the campaign which again is bringing awareness and also p romote two way communications.

Barley Breeding and Pest Control

Barley Breeding and Pest Control Barley represents one of the major crops grown worldwide. It is the fourth largest grown crop in the world. Barley is a short season ,early maturing grain with high yield potential which is utilized in the production of both human and animal feed. The production of 2005 was estimated to be 138 million metric tons (UN Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO). Because of its true diploidy Barley has been used as a genetic model system, along with the similarity of its genome to that of other small grain cereals. It enables genetic engineering approaches towards crop improvement. (Hensel et al. , 2008). Barley has remained a successful cereal crop because of its short growing time and ability to survive in poor conditions. Although it is grown throughout most of the UK it is often the dominant arable crop in the north and west of Britain where growing conditions are most difficult and less favourable for wheat. Barley is striking because of the long spikes that emerge from the end of each grain. These are known as awns. Barley is also easily identifiable on breezy days in the early summer when waves blow through the crop. Although barley is versatile and tolerant it is not as productive as wheat. As a result it is often grown as the second cereal in a rotation where potential yields are lower; for example a field might first grow wheat, then barley, then a break crop like sugar beet or peas before returning to wheat. Barley can also be grown continually in the same field, a process known as continuous cropping. This was relatively common in the 1970s and 1980s but is rarely if ever practiced now. Around half of all the barley produced ends up as stock feed. This is either incorporated into compound rations or rolled on farm and fed to cattle as a supplement to their forage. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L. ) is the only cultivated species. Among the wild barleys there are annuals and perennials, self pollinators and cross pollinators, and self incompatibility species that are found in nature  (Poehlman, 1987). Difficulties in the production of Barley There are various diseases that affect the barley production, like various bacterial, fungal and viral diseases. Nematodes and parasites can also hamper the barley production. Fusarium species Fusarium is a genus of filamentous fungi widely distributed in soil and is mostly in association with plants. Some species produce mycotoxins in cereal crops that can affect human and animal health if they enter the food chain. The main toxins produced by these Fusarium species are fumonisins and trichothecenes. Fusarium graminearum commonly infects barley if there is rain late in the season. It is of economic impact to the malting and brewing industries as well as feed barley. Fusarium contamination in barley can result in head blight and in extreme contaminations the barley can appear pink. It can also cause root rot and seedling blight. Lush, green fields become blighted seemingly overnight.  The factors that favour infection and development of disease in the crop are frequent rainfalls, high humidity, or heavy dews that coincide with the flowering and early kernel-fill period of the crop. Damage from head scab is multifold. It reduces yields, discoloration, shriveled tombstone kernels, contamination with mycotoxins, and reduction in seed quality. The disease also reduces weight and lowers market grade. It causes difficulties in marketing, exporting, processing, and feeding scabby grain. The fungus persists and multiplies on infected crop residues of small grains. The chaff, light weight kernels, and other infected head debris of barley, are returned to the soil surface during harvest. This serves as an important site of overwintering of the fungus. Continued moist weather during the crop growing season favors development of the fungus, and spores are windblown or water-splashed onto heads of cereal crops. Barley is susceptible to head infection from the flowering (pollination) period up through the soft dough stage of kernel development. Spores of the this fungus land on the exposed anthers of the flower and then grow into the kernels, glumes, or other head parts. (McMullen et. al. , 1997). Creating a new variety: Conventional breeding Chevron is six rowed non malting barley originating from Switzerland, and it is most widely used. This can be used as a source for the Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) as it has resistance genes for kernel discolorations. So the wild variety can be crossed with Chevron and the F1 generation can be generated. H. vulgare X Chevron F1 generation F2 generation Depending on the way the genes behave the combination produced from each cross are not to be revealed until the next generation (F2). The most likely plant is then selected to meet the breeding objective. Seeds from the best plant can again be sown in rows or plots and best plants can again be selected. This process is repeated until the best plants are not selected. This technique takes a long time but the results are bred true. Generally, awned genotypes with a short peduncle and a compact spike have faster disease spread than genotypes that are awnless, have a long peduncle, and a lax spike. In addition, short statured genotypes with a long grain filling. On the other hands hybrid breeding technique can also be used, but its just that while hybrid lines breed true year after year, the performance gains of F1 hybrids are not maintained in subsequent generations. QTL analysis can be done at every level to find out the gene where is it situated in the loci. This will give us a genetic information of the hybrids. If the QTL analysis is done the phenotype can be identified using biometrics or metabolomics. Enhanced Breeding There are various ways in which breeding can be done. Somatic hybridization, embryo rescue, double haploid breeding, genomics, MAS ,genetic modification Proteomics. Mesterhazy (1995) had described five types of physiological resistance ,expanding on the the two types of barley available. These included (I) resistance to initial infection, (II) resistance to spread within the spike, (III) kernel size and number retention,(IV) yield tolerance, and (V) decomposition or non inherently accumulation of mycotoxins. It is believed that type 1 is very difficult to because the amount of innoculum initially applied is very difficult to quantify. Molecular markers can also be used at every stage of crossing till the final generation is obtained, as in the pure lines are obtain. The use of molecular markers will help us in indentifying the gene integeration. As it is QTL Analysis done will show us the location of the gene on which loci. Different molecular markers have been used till date, so markers like RFLP, AFLP, SSR and many more can be used. Pest and disease tolerance in Barley Barley is infected with many pests and other diseases as mentioned above. The easy and the quickest option is the use of certified seeds obtained after F1 generation. There are various sprays like fungicidal sprays available which can also be used but they decrease the vigor and cause root rot. So in order to avoid these pest resistance genes can also be added in barley. That means you induce the gene already there in the pest which infects,into the barley genes,with selectable ,markers. These markers will help in future to score the gene of interest and its location. Places where these markers are not accepted ,marker free plants can be generated. This multi-faceted and cooperative approach should enable breeders to develop highly resistant barley cultivars thereby, significantly reducing if not eliminating the devastating effects of FHB both nationally and worldwide. (Rudd et al. ,2001) There are as such no problems with drought or any problem with barley, but the major one is that if it rains late the whole of the production cycle of barley is disturbed. Due to less, late or no rains only there is development of these kind of fungal diseases due to the little moisture that is left on the leaf surface. Hence if we can increase the transpiration rate or the WUE (water usage efficency) by changing the leaf area exposed to the sun ,the retention capacity will increase. Conclusion Only by working on a theory on breeding will the investigator be able to achieve real control over the organism- the ultimate aim of modern biology N. I. Vavilov So as rightly said above, plant breeding is a very efficient way to conserve the wild species as well to grow crops that are resistant to the harsh conditions and pathogens and diseases caused by them. Through plant breeding technology we try to build up a perfect plant that has all the necessary resistant genes against all the possible problems faced by a plant to grow. As seen in barley also various other methods can also be inculcated along with these and newer varieties can be introduced which have better yield.

Ethics and Medical Practice Essay -- Medicine Healthcare

Ethics and Medical Practice Since Alasdair MacIntyre's landmark book, After Virtue, there has been renewed interest in the role of the virtues in the moral life and attention paid to reappropriating the Aristotelian notion of a "practice." (1) Recent reappropriations of the virtues and virtue theory in medical ethics have contributed to conceiving more adequately the nature of good medicine. In this paper, I wish to explore some of these insights and the special relevance the notion of a practice has in an account of good medicine. Yet, I want to suggest, too, that much remains to be done. This renewed attention to the virtues needs to be supplemented by a similar reappropriation and transposition of the notion of nature in order to navigate successfully the Dardanelles of an ahistorical essentialism and the Bosphorus of a historical relativism. (2) Practices are essentially cooperative endeavors. In order to satisfy some need, individuals perform certain acts in the hope of relieving some distress or of attaining some object. Rarely if ever, though, can either be done through one's own efforts alone. When we act, we participate in already expected and agreed upon ways of doing things, and our participation in them is structured in large measure by mutual sets of expectations to which we hold each other accountable. Because it makes possible the attainment of desired goods on a regular basis, this pattern of cooperative human activity is itself a good. For this reason, Bernard Lonergan termed the actual functioning of human institutions a "good of order." (3) While particular goods may satisfy some human want or need, the regular and recurrent enjoyment and the ordering of human action are themselves distinctly valuable. ... ...ysician, and the Ethics of Medicine," p. 246, and Pellegrino and Thomasma, For the Patient's Good, Chapter 9, p. 118. (20) See Lonergan, Method in Theology, Chapter 3, p. 80. (21) See Kai Nielson, "Critique of Pure Virtue: Aniadversions on a Virtue-Based Ethic," in Virtue and Medicine, pp. 133-150. Robert Veatch's criticism is, in part, similar (see his, "Against Virtue: A Deontological Critique of Virtue Theory in Medical Ethics," in Virtue and Medicine, pp. 329-345). If one defines virtue as a praiseworthy habit or characteristic, then it may very well be the case that what is praised is in fact neither good nor right. For this reason, the virtues must be defined not in terms of praise and blame but in terms of the ends of medicine and the good it seeks. (22) Lonergan, Insight, Chapter 18, p. 629.23 See MacIntyre, After Virtue, Chapter 12, p. 139.121

Symbolic Imagery in Langston Hughes Poems, The Negro Speaks of Rivers

Symbolic Imagery in Langston Hughes' Poems, The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Mother To Son Langston Hughes uses symbolism throughout his poetry. In the poems 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers' and 'Mother To Son', Langston Hughes uses symbolism to convey his meaning of the poems to the readers. Readers may make many interpretations about the symbols used throughout these poems. Throughout the poem 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers' Hughes uses metaphorical statements to suggest to the reader what the soul of the African American has been through. The symbols of the old rivers, from which the African American ideal has risen, can be interpreted in many different ways. They can represent the birth and growth of the African American culture, and some of the most significant moments of their past. The symbolism in 'Mother To Son' is used to portray a life of struggle that African Americans must strive to conquer. The words written in this poem represent the pride and knowledge of a group of outstanding people. Reader response varies widely due to the use of symbolism in Langston Hughes works. Throughout the poem 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers' Hughes uses the word 'I' (4). Some people interpret this word not merely as one man but instead the embodiment of the African American culture. In the poem Hughes says 'I've known rivers' (1) this may be interpreted to mean that the African People have seen those times that are represented by the rivers and flourished because of them. This poem can be interpreted to mean that the African Americans accomplishments and history is being shown by the rivers. Hughes is saying that the culture of these people has ?grown deep like the rivers? (3). It has become a plethora of ... ...n his poetry. Hughes creates many responses to these poems through the use of symbolism, which he may otherwise not have been able to do. Works Cited Dove, Rita, and Marilyn Nelson. ?Langston Hughes and Harlem.? Literature An Introduction To Fiction, Poetry, And Drama. Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia 3rd ed. New York: Longman, 2003. 770 Hughes, Langston. ?The Negro Speaks of Rivers.? Literature An Introduction To Fiction, Poetry, And Drama. Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia 3rd ed. New York: Longman, 2003. 759 Hughes, Langston. ?Mother To Son.? Literature An Introduction To Fiction, Poetry, And Drama. Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia 3rd ed. New York: Longman, 2003. 759 Pinckney, Darryl. ?Black Identity In Langston Hughes.? Literature An Introduction To Fiction, Poetry, And Drama. Eds. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia 3rd ed. New York: Longman, 2003. 772

Children of Incarcerated Parents

Effects on Children of Incarcerated Fathers Most of the prisons in America are overcrowded. They are overcrowded with men, most of which are fathers and nearly half of these incarcerated fathers were living with their child or children before going to prison. The effects on these children can be detrimental. This can also cause strained relationships with the mothers or other family members doing their best to take care of these children while their father is away.There can be social as well as emotional problems, but luckily there are many states that are trying to accommodate for the parent being gone with programs and camps for these children. Many social issues occur with a child of an incarcerated father as they grow older. It is common knowledge that if a parent or any caregiver disappears from a child’s life, that child’s attachment to that person will diminish. It is hard to establish a child’s trust and takes time, so if a parent disappears that the chil d has depended on, it can affect the future of the child.He/she may grow up thinking they cannot get too close to someone, fearing they’ll lose that person. A lot of behavioral problems can also occur in a child. This may happen at home, in school, or in the streets. â€Å"Absence of the father is associated more with ‘acting out’ behavior (such as hostility, use of drugs or alcohol, running away, school truancy, discipline problems, aggressive acts and involvement in delinquent activities (Rosenburg 2009). † Being antisocial is looked at as a list of multiple behaviors that disrupt normalcy. As the child of an incarcerated parent grows to be an adolescent, there may be even more social problems.Now the child is growing up and can get into more trouble for their social deviance. When it comes to getting in trouble, they may use excuses to cause them to get into more trouble. After all, what excuse is better than, â€Å"My dad did it? † It is very sa d when kids are isolated socially from their peers because of their situation; even when it is not their fault. There was a study done in Oregon with 22 children with incarcerated fathers. Within this group, six children admitted they had no friends and four of these children said other parents would not allow their kids to play with them because there â€Å"dad was in jail. These children grow up with feelings of shame, embarrassment, and mixtures of hope and fears of their relationships with their fathers, which leads them to be treated differently as they grow older. A father being gone in prison is also a huge financial strain on their families. Whether it be from the father having a job (legal or illegal), the family still depends on that income to help support the family. A lot of families need help through Public Aid to get through these difficult times. The family turns to food stamps, medical assistance, and child care assistance.There are also many emotional issues that o ccur for a child dealing with a father in prison. Sometimes the child or children stay with another caregiver while their father(s) is/are in prison. It becomes way harder for the mother alone to maintain a household if she has relied on the father for help and support. This can cause emotional problems with the caregiver the child is staying with. There are many kids that are taken care of by their grandparents, other relatives, friends, or even foster care.These kids can become unstable very quickly because if there is no relative to take care of them, they have to immediately be placed in foster care because they become dependents of the juvenile court. They are automatically thrust into a more stable household, but because that is what they are not used to, their personalities become shaky. â€Å"The 1980 Federal Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Reform Act mandate that children who are placed in foster care must either be returned to their parents or placed with long-term guardians within 12-18 months (Hairston 2007). This gives the parents a chance to fix what they have done and realize what they are doing to their children, so they do not have to go through more emotional hardships. When abruptly removing a child from their father is ignoring the emotional needs of that child/children. They end up feeling vulnerable, alone, and frightened While being a father in prison, it is still necessary to establish a parental connection with their son or daughter. It has been said that it is most beneficial to have both parents in the child’s life. They must create their own role even though they are behind bars.A study showed that most incarcerated fathers have feelings of â€Å"helplessness and difficulties in being a ‘good father (Rosenburg 2009). † There are many reasons why the fathers may feel this way. A lot of mothers refuse to bring the children to a prison or jail, but a lot of mothers may have a problem with finances, transporta tion, or time. There are strict rules and codes to follow when visiting a prisoner, so it would be difficult for a child to act normally with their father. Waiting times can be long, children will be frisked, and chances are it will be hot, dirty, and crowded.The caregiver may say that is emotionally scarring and the visiting can have a bad influence on the child. When a father is sent away, he is not sent to a prison in accordance with the family’s home. For those that are close, they are lucky, but if a person is in the state’s Department of Corrections, they can be sent anywhere in the state. When these fathers are taken away, the children receive little or no support on how to deal with their grief, loss, anger, shame, and fear. Depending on where the father is in prison, different programs can be available.There are parent education courses- which most prisons teach special parent-child visits, child-oriented visiting activities, parent support groups, and custody and parental rights services. These programs are designed to develop and strengthen attachments, provide access to services, and address the issues that face the incarcerated parent when it comes to parenting. There is also a service for father behind bars that provides publications on self-help support groups. It serves many prisons with incarcerated fathers in the US and Canada.There are more and more states doing something to lessen the impact of a parent going to prison on the child. States are now addressing the needs of a child at the time a parent is arrested. New laws are now requiring more extensive training to ensure the safety of a child at the time of arrest. Some states are also requiring judges to now consider the effects of a parent’s incarceration on the child. â€Å"One Tennessee judge routinely requests that a video of the father interacting with the child accompany family impact statements (Christian 2009). Some policies are being imposed to require child -friendly visiting areas within prisons and jails, training correctional officers to have a better understanding of visiting children, and reducing the cost of maintaining contact. Welfare agencies in New York are now requiring arrangements to be made for the child to keep a meaningful relationship with that child, unless there is clear evidence that a relationship would be detrimental to the child. These arrangements would include transportation and providing social and rehabilitative services to resolve or correct the roblems which prohibit normal contact with the child. Most normal parenting classes do not meet the needs of incarcerated parents. If these programs want to succeed in decreasing criminal activities, they need to be more specific to maintaining a presence in a child’s life. There are nurseries and different accommodations for mothers that are incarcerated, so why not fathers? In New York, there is a facility called The Bedford Hills Correctional Facility. They also have a children’s center with their own building, which allows overnight and summer visits for older children.There are inmate caregivers that work as associates in the center, which have gone through an accredited program that prepares graduates to teach in an accredited nursery anywhere in the country. There is a dayroom designed for the kids to play and the other inmates to form new friendships. It is an excellent opportunity for these children to make new friendships with other children going through the same thing. Why should these only be applied to women inmates with children? It is no surprise that fathers are just as important in a child’s life as a mother is.If there were more daycare centers for men’s prisons, there would probably be less violence and problems within the population of the prison. If the Department of Corrections would give these men an incentive for their good behavior to see their families in a more â€Å"home-like† sett ing, there would be a lot less lockdowns. Many issues occur within a child when their father goes to prison. There will be social and emotional problems, including anger, depression, shame, and guilt. They will be socially isolated and for any child, that is not a positive thing in their life.Although these issues have been going on for a long time, states are now presenting new laws and implications for families with an incarcerated father. Little changes in the judicial system will help keep these kids out of trouble and continue to maintain a strong relationship with their father. Having two parents is the best basis for raising a child and even if one of the parents is absent, it is still best to maintain a paternal bond with the child. As a single mother of a child that has been raising a child going through this, I have constantly kept in contact with my daughter’s father.I understand the importance of having a family and one day, they will be able to have a normal rela tionship with each other. I understand the programs and meetings he attends in the prisons within the Illinois Department of Corrections to become a better person and a better father. If I don’t believe in him, his daughter will never believe either. I have admired my dad ever since I can remember and I want my daughter to feel the same way about her father as I always have. References Christian, S. (2009, March).Children of incarcerated parents. Retrieved January 30, 2013, from http://www. ncsl. org/documents/cyf/childrenofincarceratedparents. pdf Hairston, C. F. (2007, October). Focus on children with incarcerated parents. Retrieved from http://www. fcnetwork. org/AECFOverview%20of%20the%20Research%20Literature. pdf Shlafer, R. J. , & Rosenburg, J. (2010). Attachment and caregiving relationships in families affected by parental incarceration. Attachment & Human Development, 12(4), 395-415. doi:10. 1080/14616730903417052

External environment of Singh’s Auto Rentals Company Limited Essay

Assignment Find an example of strategic management in an organisation in your country or region, from your own experience or from your reading. The example can relate to either a big or small business, or even to a public sector organisation. Which aspects of the example do you consider to be good or bad examples of some aspects of strategic management, using the principles covered in this subject as your guide? For example, you might discuss the good and bad examples in one or more of these areas: handling stakeholder expectations; communicating organisational purposes; external environment (PESTEL framework, five forces, opportunities and threats); strategic capability (value chain and value network, strengths and weaknesses); SWOT analysis; formulating a business’ strategy (bases of competitive advantage); implementing a business’ strategy (structural types, managing people); and/or corporate strategy (the two main portfolio approaches and extent of corporate diversity). THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY BLANK Executive summary Singh’s Auto Rentals Company Limited (Singh’s) was established in 1972 with a small fleet of only five (5) vehicles for rental. Singh’s hybrid corporate strategy embraces cost and differentiation in a market that is highly competitive, having expanded its customer base to incorporate the corporate society, the international sector and the community sector. The company has grown and is now one of the preferred clients of the Ministry of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago, offering a wide range of high-end vehicles and SUV’s for rental, buses for tours and retreats, executive cars with drivers for wedding parties and seven (7) seater vehicles for the family oriented customer. Business level challenges have over the years forced Singh’s to refocus their objectives on their MOST, with intense market development and penetration orientation, in an aggressive attempt to win market share, increase volume gains and build position quickly. In this assignment the external environment encompassing Porter’s 5 Forces and PESTEL are examined along with its’ impact and influence on Singh’s SWOT and stakeholders expectation. Examples of the good and bad of the external environment will also be highlighted to describe how the company can increase their competitive advantage and profitability. Table of Contents 1.Introduction â€Å"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.† ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War In discussing the positive and negative aspects of the external environment, the PESTEL, the SWOT and Porter’s 5 forces will be used to analyse where Singh’s Auto Rentals is at in the industry and where the company can hope to be in the next five (5) years. The car rental industry is a competitive industry and Singh’s competencies and capabilities will definitely keep them in the market and make them into leaders once they follow their objectives and tactics. â€Å"All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved†. ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War 2.Company overview: Singh’s 2.1 Vision We aspire to become the leading light in the Auto Rentals industry through continuous service innovation and the expansion of our distribution networks. 2.2 Mission Utilizing our group’s strengths we aim to become a major force in the Car Rentals industry by offering innovative products, effective processes, extensive networks, and the recruitment of the brightest talent, we strive to achieve impressive profitability. 2.3 Objectives From the vision/mission statements given, it would seem that the objective of Singh’s Auto Rentals is to become leaders in the industry. It can also be derived that this company seeks to achieve the following objectives; To increase market share Remain close to its competitors Increase clientele Increase the fleet of vehicles To establish leadership in the market 2.4 Strategies Singh’s strategy for achieving these objectives might be a business strategy. Business strategy is concerned with deciding which markets and activities  the business should be involved in; where it wants to be; and how it is going to get there. Singh’s strategies may include; Satisfying customers (meeting customer needs) Running the business (organising resources in the most efficient and effective way) Beating the competition (strategies and tactics to gain competitive advantage) Achieving corporate objectives 2.5 Tactics Methods this company uses to achieve strategies, as written in the mission, are the introduction of support and complimentary services they provide namely; 24 hr FREE Roadside assistance Guarantee competitive rates and seasonal discounts A wide range of vehicles to choose from including the economy and SUV range. Free maintenance on all vehicles Air conditioned comfort 3. PESTEL analysis of Singh’s Awareness of the external environment and how they impact on the company can be summarised using the PESTEL framework. The PESTEL can define the key drivers of change. These key drivers of change have differential impacts on industries, markets and organisations. 3.1 Political Singh’s is a privately owned company but because the company buys and rents vehicles they would be involved with few governmental organizations for various purposes. Ministry of Transport for licensing of new vehicles For vehicle transfers Ministry of Finance To approve any tariffs Duties or charges for purchases Taxes (including staff salaries) Customs and Excise Importing, duties and clearance of all vehicles Ministry of Legal Affairs To register the company legally To ensure all licenses to operate as a limited liability company 3.2 Economical As a private owned company, Singh’s has to watch for what affect his company financially from the external environment. Key factors can be; Fuel rates – have rates gone increased or decreased, this would determine how to price the rentals. Exchange rates for foreign currency. Salary negotiations in the country- would the employees demand high wages as a result of salary negotiations for government workers. Available and accepted methods of payment – cheque, cash, VISA, MasterCard. Unemployment rates in the country . 3.3 Social These influences the length of time a vehicle would be rented for. Singh’s offers long term rentals (6 months to 3 years) and short term rentals (1 day to 6 months). Social factors include; Changing cultures – peak periods for local rentals (wedding and carnival) and peak periods for foreign rentals (tourists are drawn to the Caribbean during winter and summer). Demographics – age groups of drivers. Community interests – lobby groups, charitable organisations etc†¦ 3.4 Technological In a business such as Singh’s one would encourage technology to play a role in the data collection, storage and distribution of the company’s fleet of vehicles. Technological factors include’ Computerised scanning of vehicles under maintenance. Computerised database systems used for documentation, data collection, billing, accounting and ordering. Communication methods have to be of the highest quality in order to reach out to customers (the business to customer approach). Updated websites, facebook pages or other social search engines used to advertise the company. 3.5 Environmental Influences from the direct environment that may affect Singh’s might be Waste disposal – for waste disposal from the garage (oil, parts etc†¦) Energy consumption –the amount of energy or power used in a process or system. Weather conditions- may only affect the infrastructural aspect of Singh’s in terms of weathering on vehicles which are not kept covered over a long period. 3.6 Legal The legal aspects of the company and how it influences the strategies and objectives. Governmental laws – a law might state that no one under the age of 18 is allowed to drive. Policies – policies put in place by the board of directors and the key shareholders to determine how the business is going to operate. Rental contracts have to be done up and signed by each party for every transaction. Insurance companies vying to insure the fleet of vehicles. 4. Stakeholders Stakeholders can exist both internally and externally. In an industry such as the vehicle rental industry the stakeholders are very important. The expectations of the stakeholders are equally important to the development of Singh’s (see appendix III) 4.1 Internal: Board Of Directors or Management Investors/ Shareholders Employees Suppliers-contractors Service providers – maintenance crews, specialist garage crew 4.2 External: Business to business Clients Domestic Clients International Clients Government and regulatory industries Industry Associations Local Communities 5. SWOT (Internal / External Analysis of Singh’s) In an effort to ascertain its competitive environment a SWOT analysis of Singh’s can assist to devise a sound strategic plan. The intent is to exploit and maximize the strengths and opportunities; avert threatening circumstances through tactical responses and provide institutional upgrade to lessen weaknesses; all these towards a position of profitability and value creation. As defined by (Alzoubi 2004) SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) is a general framework for directing and assisting strategic planners to identify the appropriate organizational strategies to achieve their goals. Managers look at SWOT analysis as a technique to help managers to identify and plan the business goals, and draw the strategies to achieve them (Alzoubi 2013 p.126). Internal Analysis Strengths Focused management and staff Location advantage Efficient customer service Skilled car care specialist and technicians. Weaknesses Lack of Human Resource best practices No clear strategic direction Lack of continuous training and development for staff Poor marketing skills External Analysis Opportunities To gain large profits To be a house hold name in the car rental business To serve a large customer group Potential for new services or products to be offered Threats Companies offering similar services coming on stream Turnover due to other companies offering better packages Loss of customers due poor service experience new and existing regulations new and existing competitors new technologies unstable political and legal systems in foreign markets External opportunities and threats can work both ways for the organisation for example new technologies can make one aspect of the company obsolete but enhance another aspect of the company all at the same time. 6. Singh’s Strategic Based Units (SBU’s) SBU’s allow large corporations such as Singh’s and SSS to vary their strategies according to the different needs of the various external markets they serve. For example- Corporate Leasing – leasing to companies on a special contract Short term and long term rental – to both corporate clients and immediate clients Executive driver services – airport to hotel and return, weddings, seminars Pre-owned vehicle sales- new to the company but very effective and brings in more profits Bus and driver tours for tourists 7. The effect of Porter’s 5 Forces on Singh’s Porter’s 5 forces analysis can be applied to Singh’s as a tool to analyse the competitive advantages of the company. According to Porter (1980), rivalry (competition) on the market is result of the five variables or main forces: rivalry level, bargaining power of customers and that of suppliers, the threat from new entrants and substitute products. The following was deduced from the analysis of the five forces: 7.1. Threat of New Entry Due to lack of policies to prevent new entry, the market is open for new entrants. Singh’s will now have to develop and maintain a cost advantage and differentiation of its services, to gain sustainable competitive advantage. Economies of scale – it would be expensive to for new entrants to match Singh’s because of the level the company has reached in the industry, it would be difficult for new entrants to match them. Experience – new entrants would be inexperienced in most of the ‘know how’ of this industry and that lack of experience can give Singh’s the advantage over a new entrant (See Appendix II). 7.2. Threat of Substitution Substitutes can come not only from within the industry but also from outside. Managers often focus on their own industry and neglect the threat posed by substitutes for the product or service. The price/performance ratio is critical. Even if the substitute is more expensive the substitute is still effective (see appendix II). 7.3. Buyer Power Singh’s needs to pay attention to the customers and the price they pay for the service. If the price is too high customers may seek to do business elsewhere which will force the company to drop prices, thus losing revenue (see appendix II). 7.4 Suppliers Power- It was recognised that the business can be adversely affected if suppliers drive up their prices, then the concept of low cost to gain competitive advantage will be affected (see appendix I1) 7.5 Competitive Rivalry- From the analysis it was evident that the company had rivals performing a similar service. To prevent customers from moving from Singh’s to the competitors, the company will need to provide unique services to its customers (see appendix II). 8. Competitors Singh’s entered the market as an entrepreneur in 1972, competitors from then to now would be companies established around or before that time penetrating the same market with similar objectives. One such example would be Southern Sales and Service Company Limited (SSS). Both companies entered the corporate market to try to gain market share. SSS has a larger vehicle fleet than Singh’s but SSS does not provide some of the tour guide services or 25 seat bus retreat services that Singh’s caters for. Even though they are in similar industries, they each cater to a different sector within the market. Refer to Appendix III for a visual on how competitive advantage works in an industry as Singh’s. 9. Competitive advantage Singh’s has over SSS: SSS Caters for company rentals and corporate rentals Provides car and driver services Provides maintenance for some vehicles and outsources the rest Cost- mostly high priced unit rental Energy consumption is high Singh’s Caters for tour groups and tourist transportation Provides car and driver services Provides transportation services from airport to hotel and return Provides rental packages for weddings with a driver Prices are relatively low and are negotiable Various branches throughout the country so customers can do business from any branch Customer service is ranked very high 10. Conclusion A strong networking capability (Strength) has lead to an expansion in the business activities of Singh’s (opportunity) and this has resulted in increased profits due to long term leasing by various ministries (strength). The strength of networking was cultivated over a period of time and once established, it can sustain Singh’s for the next five (5) years. Singh’s  external environment has room for new entrants and a lot of possible threats and opportunities that can arise, however, with proper strategic management and well trained staff this company can continue to push forward in this market and even make a breakthrough in a new one. Recommendations Continue to evaluate Singh’s regularly. Always know where the company is in relation to its competitors. Capitalise on new technologies and trade in old techniques. Monitor staff and their talents, do regular training to update them on the current techniques being used by competitors so that they can be brought up to speed or even one step ahead. Increase profitability by looking into marketing and advertising to the larger companies such as energy companies (BPTT and Atlantic LNG) to try to gain greater market share, this is an opportunity within their SWOT analysis. Consider upgrading the fleet and maybe adding some luxury type vehicles, look at the threat of buyers and see what the customers are asking for. Customers may be willing to spend their money on luxury cars from a rental company they trust. References Johnson, G, Whittington, R and Scholes, K 2011, Exploring Corporate Strategy, 9th edn, Pearson Education, London. Alzoubi, majed R. 2004, Strategic planning and building innovative organizations. Unpublished, PhD thesis, Amman Arab University for Graduate Studies, Jordan. Alzoubi, majed R. 2013, The Impact of Intellectual Capital or SWOT Analysis among Jordanian Banking Industry â€Å"Empirical Study† : International Journal of Business and Social Science, Vol. 4 No. 2 pp. 123-137. Singh’s auto rental company limited, viewed 7 July 2014, http://www.singhs.com/about.html Southern Sales and Service Company Limited, about us, viewed on 7 July 2014, http://www.southernsalestt.com/corp_history.php Tutor2U, viewed on 9july 2014, http://www.tutor2u.net/business/strategy/corporate_objectives_strategy.html Slideshare.com, http://www.slideshare.net/milesweaver/analysing-the-external-environment-of-business-ie-general-competitive, viewed on 12 July 2014