Cypress: Alignment and Hr Strategy

Cypress Semiconductor Qn: Is the Cypress strategy aligned with its HR strategy? Why or why not? Cypress Semiconductor’s strategy mainly focuses on: †¢Winning: Provide the best and does not tolerate losing. oHiring the best people oReward based on meritocracy oMaximizing revenue †¢Innovation oLeading the innovation: best product, lowest pricing. oConstantly improving. Alignment to HR strategy Areas that the Cypress strategy aligns with its HR strategy: 1. Ownership Threats employees like entrepreneurs.Allowing employees to run the business like their own actually gave them empowerment and vested interest to do their personal best for their job. Positive results are treated with high return and recognition. This also in turn ensured maximum revenue and profits for their projects. 2. Career Opportunities Cypress Semiconductor is extremely aggressive to hire the best fit of people for their business. They will go to lengths of hiring the best people and pay them adequate compensation to retain them in the company. 3.Compensation Meritocracy in nature, the compensation scheme maintains that outstanding performers are rewarded, non-performers are eliminated. Stock options were given to performers to instill a sense of ownership in the company and the last 3% are deemed as non-performing and are unacceptable. 4. Hiring The almost military clock-work style in their hiring actions quick and precise. Offering at onset of the interview is an aggressive style in hiring and would probably a unique and effective way to get the people they want.Basically, Cypress is hiring people with the winning mentality, they are more likely to be looking for leaders in the hiring process. They will hire the people who can make quick and tough decisions and the candidates they hire are already pre-selected. The whole process of hiring I feel is indeed indigenous as it is self-eliminating. Survival of the toughest ensured that the best in the industry joined. Areas that the Cypress strategy that does not align with its HR strategy: 1. ‘Killer’ softwareThis system was in placed to help track and improve performance without the development of a bureaucracy in place. Eventually, the system caused the company to focus its attention to bad performance and eliminates the lower tail distribution, the non performing people. This in itself is bureaucratic and military as it does not have a single tolerance to failure. The increased monitoring under the ‘killer’ software became micro-managing in the whole process of performance measure. 2. Goals system This system was set to allow project driven process, that has speed and agility.And was supposed to help teams solve problems and dissolve conflicts. However the feedbacks were negative rather than constructive and highlights failures more than successes. This may not be useful for their annual staff review. 3. No failure tolerance The tough and intensive work environment created by Cypr ess was not for everyone. The stress faced by employees who do not fit is high. There are no other ways to help and retain these people. This tough and competitive environment contributed to the lack of sensitivity towards employees and customers.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Forty-three

Eddard Through the high narrow windows of the Red Keep's cavernous throne room, the light of sunset spilled across the floor, laying dark red stripes upon the walls where the heads of dragons had once hung. Now the stone was covered with hunting tapestries, vivid with greens and browns and blues, and yet still it seemed to Ned Stark that the only color in the hall was the red of blood. He sat high upon the immense ancient seat of Aegon the Conqueror, an ironwork monstrosity of spikes and jagged edges and grotesquely twisted metal. It was, as Robert had warned him, a hellishly uncomfortable chair, and never more so than now, with his shattered leg throbbing more sharply every minute. The metal beneath him had grown harder by the hour, and the fanged steel behind made it impossible to lean back. A king should never sit easy, Aegon the Conqueror had said, when he commanded his armorers to forge a great seat from the swords laid down by his enemies. Damn Aegon for his arrogance, Ned thought sullenly, and damn Robert and his hunting as well. â€Å"You are quite certain these were more than brigands?† Varys asked softly from the council table beneath the throne. Grand Maester Pycelle stirred uneasily beside him, while Littlefinger toyed with a pen. They were the only councillors in attendance. A white hart had been sighted in the kingswood, and Lord Renly and Ser Barristan had joined the king to hunt it, along with Prince Joffrey, Sandor Clegane, Balon Swann, and half the court. So Ned must needs sit the Iron Throne in his absence. At least he could sit. Save the council, the rest must stand respectfully, or kneel. The petitioners clustered near the tall doors, the knights and high lords and ladies beneath the tapestries, the smallfolk in the gallery, the mailed guards in their cloaks, gold or grey: all stood. The villagers were kneeling: men, women, and children, alike tattered and bloody, their faces drawn by fear. The three knights who had brought them here to bear witness stood behind them. â€Å"Brigands, Lord Varys?† Ser Raymun Darry's voice dripped scorn. â€Å"Oh, they were brigands, beyond a doubt. Lannister brigands.† Ned could feel the unease in the hall, as high lords and servants alike strained to listen. He could not pretend to surprise. The west had been a tinderbox since Catelyn had seized Tyrion Lannister. Both Riverrun and Casterly Rock had called their banners, and armies were massing in the pass below the Golden Tooth. It had only been a matter of time until the blood began to flow. The sole question that remained was how best to stanch the wound. Sad-eyed Ser Karyl Vance, who would have been handsome but for the winestain birthmark that discolored his face, gestured at the kneeling villagers. â€Å"This is all the remains of the holdfast of Sherrer, Lord Eddard. The rest are dead, along with the people of Wendish Town and the Mummer's Ford.† â€Å"Rise,† Ned commanded the villagers. He never trusted what a man told him from his knees. â€Å"All of you, up.† In ones and twos, the holdfast of Sherrer struggled to its feet. One ancient needed to be helped, and a young girl in a bloody dress stayed on her knees, staring blankly at Ser Arys Oakheart, who stood by the foot of the throne in the white armor of the Kingsguard, ready to protect and defend the king . . . or, Ned supposed, the King's Hand. â€Å"Joss,† Ser Raymun Darry said to a plump balding man in a brewer's apron. â€Å"Tell the Hand what happened at Sherrer.† Joss nodded. â€Å"If it please His Grace—† â€Å"His Grace is hunting across the Blackwater,† Ned said, wondering how a man could live his whole life a few days ride from the Red Keep and still have no notion what his king looked like. Ned was clad in a white linen doublet with the direwolf of Stark on the breast; his black wool cloak was fastened at the collar by his silver hand of office. Black and white and grey, all the shades of truth. â€Å"I am Lord Eddard Stark, the King's Hand. Tell me who you are and what you know of these raiders.† â€Å"I keep . . . I kept . . . I kept an alehouse, m'lord, in Sherrer, by the stone bridge. The finest ale south of the Neck, everyone said so, begging your pardons, m'lord. It's gone now like all the rest, m'lord. They come and drank their fill and spilled the rest before they fired my roof, and they would of spilled my blood too, if they'd caught me. M'lord.† â€Å"They burnt us out,† a farmer beside him said. â€Å"Come riding in the dark, up from the south, and fired the fields and the houses alike, killing them as tried to stop them. They weren't no raiders, though, m'lord. They had no mind to steal our stock, not these, they butchered my milk cow where she stood and left her for the flies and the crows.† â€Å"They rode down my ‘prentice boy,† said a squat man with a smith's muscles and a bandage around his head. He had put on his finest clothes to come to court, but his breeches were patched, his cloak travel-stained and dusty. â€Å"Chased him back and forth across the fields on their horses, poking at him with their lances like it was a game, them laughing and the boy stumbling and screaming till the big one pierced him clean through.† The girl on her knees craned her head up at Ned, high above her on the throne. â€Å"They killed my mother too, Your Grace. And they . . . they . . . † Her voice trailed off, as if she had forgotten what she was about to say. She began to sob. Ser Raymun Darry took up the tale. â€Å"At Wendish Town, the people sought shelter in their holdfast, but the walls were timbered. The raiders piled straw against the wood and burnt them all alive. When the Wendish folk opened their gates to flee the fire, they shot them down with arrows as they came running out, even women with suckling babes.† â€Å"Oh, dreadful,† murmured Varys. â€Å"How cruel can men be?† â€Å"They would of done the same for us, but the Sherrer holdfast's made of stone,† Joss said. â€Å"Some wanted to smoke us out, but the big one said there was riper fruit upriver, and they made for the Mummer's Ford.† Ned could feel cold steel against his fingers as he leaned forward. Between each finger was a blade, the points of twisted swords fanning out like talons from arms of the throne. Even after three centuries, some were still sharp enough to cut. The Iron Throne was full of traps for the unwary. The songs said it had taken a thousand blades to make it, heated white-hot in the furnace breath of Balerion the Black Dread. The hammering had taken fifty-nine days. The end of it was this hunched black beast made of razor edges and barbs and ribbons of sharp metal; a chair that could kill a man, and had, if the stories could be believed. What Eddard Stark was doing sitting there he would never comprehend, yet there he sat, and these people looked to him for justice. â€Å"What proof do you have that these were Lannisters?† he asked, trying to keep his fury under control. â€Å"Did they wear crimson cloaks or fly a lion banner?† â€Å"Even Lannisters are not so blind stupid as that,† Ser Marq Piper snapped. He was a swaggering bantam rooster of a youth, too young and too hot-blooded for Ned's taste, though a fast friend of Catelyn's brother, Edmure Tully. â€Å"Every man among them was mounted and mailed, my lord,† Ser Karyl answered calmly. â€Å"They were armed with steel-tipped lances and longswords, with battle-axes for the butchering.† He gestured toward one of the ragged survivors. â€Å"You. Yes, you, no one's going to hurt you. Tell the Hand what you told me.† The old man bobbed his head. â€Å"Concerning their horses,† he said, â€Å"it were warhorses they rode. Many a year I worked in old Ser Willum's stables, so I knows the difference. Not a one of these ever pulled a plow, gods bear witness if I'm wrong.† â€Å"Well-mounted brigands,† observed Littlefinger. â€Å"Perhaps they stole the horses from the last place they raided.† â€Å"How many men were there in this raiding party?† Ned asked. â€Å"A hundred, at the least,† Joss answered, in the same instant as the bandaged smith said, â€Å"Fifty,† and the grandmother behind him, â€Å"Hunnerds and hunnerds, m'lord, an army they was.† â€Å"You are more right than you know, goodwoman,† Lord Eddard told her. â€Å"You say they flew no banners. What of the armor they wore? Did any of you note ornaments or decorations, devices on shield or helm?† The brewer, Joss, shook his head. â€Å"It grieves me, m'lord, but no, the armor they showed us was plain, only . . . the one who led them, he was armored like the rest, but there was no mistaking him all the same. It was the size of him, m'lord. Those as say the giants are all dead never saw this one, I swear. Big as an ox he was, and a voice like stone breaking.† â€Å"The Mountain!† Ser Marq said loudly. â€Å"Can any man doubt it? This was Gregor Clegane's work.† Ned heard muttering from beneath the windows and the far end of the hall. Even in the galley, nervous whispers were exchanged. High lords and smallfolk alike knew what it could mean if Ser Marq was proved right. Ser Gregor Clegane stood bannerman to Lord Tywin Lannister. He studied the frightened faces of the villagers. Small wonder they had been so fearful; they had thought they were being dragged here to name Lord Tywin a red-handed butcher before a king who was his son by marriage. He wondered if the knights had given them a choice. Grand Maester Pycelle rose ponderously from the council table, his chain of office clinking. â€Å"Ser Marq, with respect, you cannot know that this outlaw was Ser Gregor. There are many large men in the realm.† â€Å"As large as the Mountain That Rides?† Ser Karyl said. â€Å"I have never met one.† â€Å"Nor has any man here,† Ser Raymun added hotly. â€Å"Even his brother is a pup beside him. My lords, open your eyes. Do you need to see his seal on the corpses? It was Gregor.† â€Å"Why should Ser Gregor turn brigand?† Pycelle asked. â€Å"By the grace of his liege lord, he holds a stout keep and lands of his own. The man is an anointed knight.† â€Å"A false knight!† Ser Marq said. â€Å"Lord Tywin's mad dog.† â€Å"My lord Hand,† Pycelle declared in a stiff voice, â€Å"I urge you to remind this good knight that Lord Tywin Lannister is the father of our own gracious queen.† â€Å"Thank you, Grand Maester Pycelle,† Ned said. â€Å"I fear we might have forgotten that if you had not pointed it out.† From his vantage point atop the throne, he could see men slipping out the door at the far end of the hall. Hares going to ground, he supposed . . . or rats off to nibble the queen's cheese. He caught a glimpse of Septa Mordane in the gallery, with his daughter Sansa beside her. Ned felt a flash of anger; this was no place for a girl. But the septa could not have known that today's court would be anything but the usual tedious business of hearing petitions, settling disputes between rival holdfasts, and adjudicating the placement of boundary stones. At the council table below, Petyr Baelish lost interest in his quill and leaned forward. â€Å"Ser Marq, Ser Karyl, Ser Raymun—perhaps I might ask you a question? These holdfasts were under your protection. Where were you when all this slaughtering and burning was going on?† Ser Karyl Vance answered. â€Å"I was attending my lord father in the pass below the Golden Tooth, as was Ser Marq. When the word of these outrages reached Ser Edmure Tully, he sent word that we should take a small force of men to find what survivors we could and bring them to the king.† Ser Raymun Darry spoke up. â€Å"Ser Edmure had summoned me to Riverrun with all my strength. I was camped across the river from his walls, awaiting his commands, when the word reached me. By the time I could return to my own lands, Clegane and his vermin were back across the Red Fork, riding for Lannister's hills.† Littlefinger stroked the point of his beard thoughtfully. â€Å"And if they come again, ser?† â€Å"If they come again, we'll use their blood to water the fields they burnt,† Ser Marq Piper declared hotly. â€Å"Ser Edmure has sent men to every village and holdfast within a day's ride of the border,† Ser Karyl explained. â€Å"The next raider will not have such an easy time of it.† And that may be precisely what Lord Tywin wants, Ned thought to himself, to bleed off strength from Riverrun, goad the boy into scattering his swords. His wife's brother was young, and more gallant than wise. He would try to hold every inch of his soil, to defend every man, woman, and child who named him lord, and Tywin Lannister was shrewd enough to know that. â€Å"If your fields and holdfasts are safe from harm,† Lord Petyr was saying, â€Å"what then do you ask of the throne?† â€Å"The lords of the Trident keep the king's peace,† Ser Raymun Darry said. â€Å"The Lannisters have broken it. We ask leave to answer them, steel for steel. We ask justice for the smallfolk of Sherrer and Wendish Town and the Mummer's Ford.† â€Å"Edmure agrees, we must pay Gregor Clegane back his bloody coin,† Ser Marq declared, â€Å"but old Lord Hoster commanded us to come here and beg the king's leave before we strike.† Thank the gods for old Lord Hoster, then. Tywin Lannister was as much fox as lion. If indeed he'd sent Ser Gregor to burn and pillage—and Ned did not doubt that he had—he'd taken care to see that he rode under cover of night, without banners, in the guise of a common brigand. Should Riverrun strike back, Cersei and her father would insist that it had been the Tullys who broke the king's peace, not the Lannisters. The gods only knew what Robert would believe. Grand Maester Pycelle was on his feet again. â€Å"My lord Hand, if these good folk believe that Ser Gregor has forsaken his holy vows for plunder and rape, let them go to his liege lord and make their complaint. These crimes are no concern of the throne. Let them seek Lord Tywin's justice.† â€Å"It is all the king's justice,† Ned told him. â€Å"North, south, east, or west, all we do we do in Robert's name.† â€Å"The king's justice,† Grand Maester Pycelle said. â€Å"So it is, and so we should defer this matter until the king—† â€Å"The king is hunting across the river and may not return for days,† Lord Eddard said. â€Å"Robert bid me to sit here in his place, to listen with his ears, and to speak with his voice. I mean to do just that . . . though I agree that he must be told.† He saw a familiar face beneath the tapestries. â€Å"Ser Robar.† Ser Robar Royce stepped forward and bowed. â€Å"My lord.† â€Å"Your father is hunting with the king,† Ned said. â€Å"Will you bring them word of what was said and done here today?† â€Å"At once, my lord.† â€Å"Do we have your leave to take our vengeance against Ser Gregor, then?† Marq Piper asked the throne. â€Å"Vengeance?† Ned said. â€Å"I thought we were speaking of justice. Burning Clegane's fields and slaughtering his people will not restore the king's peace, only your injured pride.† He glanced away before the young knight could voice his outraged protest, and addressed the villagers. â€Å"People of Sherrer, I cannot give you back your homes or your crops, nor can I restore your dead to life. But perhaps I can give you some small measure of justice, in the name of our king, Robert.† Every eye in the hall was fixed on him, waiting. Slowly Ned struggled to his feet, pushing himself up from the throne with the strength of his arms, his shattered leg screaming inside its cast. He did his best to ignore the pain; it was no moment to let them see his weakness. â€Å"The First Men believed that the judge who called for death should wield the sword, and in the north we hold to that still. I mislike sending another to do my killing . . . yet it seems I have no choice.† He gestured at his broken leg. â€Å"Lord Eddard!† The shout came from the west side of the hall as a handsome stripling of a boy strode forth boldly. Out of his armor, Ser Loras Tyrell looked even younger than his sixteen years. He wore pale blue silk, his belt a linked chain of golden roses, the sigil of his House. â€Å"I beg you the honor of acting in your place. Give this task to me, my lord, and I swear I shall not fail you.† Littlefinger chuckled. â€Å"Ser Loras, if we send you off alone, Ser Gregor will send us back your head with a plum stuffed in that pretty mouth of yours. The Mountain is not the sort to bend his neck to any man's justice.† â€Å"I do not fear Gregor Clegane,† Ser Loras said haughtily. Ned eased himself slowly back onto the hard iron seat of Aegon's misshapen throne. His eyes searched the faces along the wall. â€Å"Lord Beric,† he called out. â€Å"Thoros of Myr. Ser Gladden. Lord Lothar.† The men named stepped forward one by one. â€Å"Each of you is to assemble twenty men, to bring my word to Gregor's keep. Twenty of my own guards shall go with you. Lord Beric Dondarrion, you shall have the command, as befits your rank.† The young lord with the red-gold hair bowed. â€Å"As you command, Lord Eddard.† Ned raised his voice, so it carried to the far end of the throne room. â€Å"In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, by the word of Eddard of the House Stark, his Hand, I charge you to ride to the westlands with all haste, to cross the Red Fork of the Trident under the king's flag, and there bring the king's justice to the false knight Gregor Clegane, and to all those who shared in his crimes. I denounce him, and attaint him, and strip him of all rank and titles, of all lands and incomes and holdings, and do sentence him to death. May the gods take pity on his soul.† When the echo of his words had died away, the Knight of Flowers seemed perplexed. â€Å"Lord Eddard, what of me?† Ned looked down on him. From on high, Loras Tyrell seemed almost as young as Robb. â€Å"No one doubts your valor, Ser Loras, but we are about justice here, and what you seek is vengeance.† He looked back to Lord Beric. â€Å"Ride at first light. These things are best done quickly.† He held up a hand. â€Å"The throne will hear no more petitions today.† Alyn and Porther climbed the steep iron steps to help him back down. As they made their descent, he could feel Loras Tyrell's sullen stare, but the boy had stalked away before Ned reached the floor of the throne room. At the base of the Iron Throne, Varys was gathering papers from the council table. Littlefinger and Grand Maester Pycelle had already taken their leave. â€Å"You are a bolder man than I, my lord,† the eunuch said softly. â€Å"How so, Lord Varys?† Ned asked brusquely. His leg was throbbing, and he was in no mood for word games. â€Å"Had it been me up there, I should have sent Ser Loras. He so wanted to go . . . and a man who has the Lannisters for his enemies would do well to make the Tyrells his friends.† â€Å"Ser Loras is young,† said Ned. â€Å"I daresay he will outgrow the disappointment.† â€Å"And Ser Ilyn?† The eunuch stroked a plump, powdered cheek. â€Å"He is the King's Justice, after all. Sending other men to do his office . . . some might construe that as a grave insult.† â€Å"No slight was intended.† In truth, Ned did not trust the mute knight, though perhaps that was only because he misliked executioners. â€Å"I remind you, the Paynes are bannermen to House Lannister. I thought it best to choose men who owed Lord Tywin no fealty.† â€Å"Very prudent, no doubt,† Varys said. â€Å"Still, I chanced to see Ser Ilyn in the back of the hall, staring at us with those pale eyes of his, and I must say, he did not look pleased, though to be sure it is hard to tell with our silent knight. I hope he outgrows his disappointment as well. He does so love his work . . . â€Å"

A Look At Johannes Itten English Literature Essay

A Look At Johannes Itten English Literature Essay The Bauhaus art connoisseur that I chose as a subject to study is Johannes Itten. He was a visionary color and art theorist who developed color wheel and stars which are widely studied by art students. He also delved into spiritual and psychological aspect of color. I feel deeply connected to his work as the first step towards understanding art is to understand color. I feel Johannes Itten’s simplistic approach towards embracing color and portraying his sensitivity in his artwork is quite palpable and that is the reason I feel the need to learn more about his artwork and color theories. Where are they located? When were they born? What was the world like when they were working? Johannes Itten was born on 11th Nov, 1888 in SÃ ¼dern-Lindern, Switzerland in a school teacher’s family. After realizing his passion for Arts he moved to Vienna for art studies in 1916 and then moved to Weimar in 1919 to teach in the Bauhaus. It was a competitive world when Johannes Itten lived . Europe was war trodden and people laid more emphasis on wages and savings then cultivating artistic aptitude. Although Johannes Itten somehow escaped the horrors of war, most of the artist, painters, architect during that period had to forcibly enrol in the war. In the art world people were sceptic of new ideas and that was one of the main reasons of his expulsion from the Bauhaus. Art and craft was thriving in that period and graphic designing grew bold with experiments in typography, calligraphy and photography etc which led to a sudden interest in graphic designing. Did they go to school? Where? What did they study? Since Johannes Itten was a teacher’s son he trained as a primary school teacher to pursue a career in the field. Itten however realized that teaching primary school was not his thing and that he has predilection for color and arts. Under parental pressure he decided to take Diploma in mathematics and science to teach at a secondary school, but not before taki ng a semester at Geneva Ecole des Beaux – Arts in Genf. It was after studying there that he realized his inclination towards arts. He then studied under Adolf HÃ ¶lzel in Stuttgart. After finishing his studies he moved to Vienna in 1916 where he met Walter Gropius in 1919 (founder of the Bauhaus) who extended him the invitation to lecture at the Bauhaus in Weimar. In 1926, however, after falling out with Gropius Walter, Johannes Itten established an art school in Berlin to train architects, artists, painters and photographers. From 1932 to 1938 Itten taught at the Krefeld School of Textile Design, where he edified industrial designers. He became the director of the Museum and Institute of Arts and Crafts in Zurich before retiring in 1955. Having being fully dedicated to the teaching institutes Itten never found much time to devote to his own creations until 1955, after retirement however he became more prolific then before. He died in Zurich in 1967. Can you define the desig ner’s philosophy in his/her work (i.e. did they follow or create a certain movement?) What type of work did they do?

Careers in Archaeology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Careers in Archaeology - Research Paper Example Before World War II, professional archaeology grew out of the growth of antique markets and the development of large museums. Nevertheless, after the war, archaeologists found their place within a specialized department in most major universities, and in the 1970s, a private market for archaeology expanded with the growth of government regulations on cultural preservation (Patterson). Professional archaeologists in an academic setting choose between three generally defined subgroups of academia: the university, the college, and the community college. The first, the university, features a faculty that teaches graduate courses, courses in an upper-level undergraduate context, and introductory level courses. Since the university is the only institution that offers advanced graduate degrees in archaeology, such as the Ph.D., a Ph.D. is likely required to be hired to a university staff. However, having a Ph.D. alone is not good enough for a vast majority of universities looking to hire ne w faculty. A college or a community college offers only upper level and introductory level teaching positions. Faculty otherwise spend their time petitioning for research funds or actually conducting their research in laboratories or the field. Archaeologists may also find themselves in other departments within the college or university, such as in anthropology, art history, architecture, and history. Teaching archaeology, according to some authors, requires a high degree of creativity to allow students to understand the material and social processes that generate their own subjectivity and to question and transform these processes (Hamilakis 288).   Also primarily within the public sphere are museum positions open to archaeologists to contribute to the museum’s collection of historical artifacts.  

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 11

Economics - Essay Example This paper will examine the concept of the zero price, discussing its effects on demand and price, thereby demonstrating how price has the capacity to allocate and ration resources. The price of zero refers to the phenomenon in which the demand for a product or service is substantially more at the price of zero than a price even minimally greater than zero. On a graph, a zero price effect appears in the form of a discontinuity on the demand curve at the price of zero. In essence, the zero price effect can be considered as a special instance in the law of demand. The price of zero also encompasses a myriad of explanations that are based on psychological, behavioural and cognitive biases (Poundstone, W 2010, 75). An utterly rational justification for the zero price effect lies in the fact that when the marginal utility of extra units of consumption is positive albeit exceedingly low, lower than a nonzero unit of price (currency) can be charged feasibly (Engelson 1995, 54). Another prom inent explanation for the zero price phenomenon is the transaction costs. ... On the other hand, when purchasing something in person, the exchange of bank notes or coin is exceedingly necessary (Poundstone, W 2010, 147). These direct, as well as indirect costs exert a positive effect in terms of the effective price, especially in case of any form of nonzero price. Therefore, a real price drop to zero can ultimately represent a substantive drop in the effective price of the product or service. This problem inherent in transaction costs can be resolved through a myriad of ways, for instance, by making use of cards or accounts in the event of bulk payments that are made once before an account balance is sustained in order to keep track of other small purchases (Engelson 1995, 91). This strategy presents the most common method through which electricity, gas, phone usage, as well as other utilities are billed. The last explanation for the zero price occurrences is psychic costs. Handling and thinking about money has the potential to be quite stressful. This is beca use considering whether small items are worth small amounts of money can in itself exert a psychic cost, which can force people to steer away of considering or even making purchases. When people are faced with the option of choosing one among numerous products or end up purchasing nothing, according to perspectives provided under standard theories, it is widely acceptable that people will select the option with the greatest cost-benefit variation. However, it is evident that decisions regarding free or zero price products differ quite substantially since people typically do not merely subtract costs from the benefits offered by the product, but rather they consider the benefits linked with free products as profoundly greater (Engelson

How does a contemporary theology of creation and eschatology Essay

How does a contemporary theology of creation and eschatology contribute to debates on the correct Christian response to the current ecological degradation of the planet - Essay Example Eschatology is also not only concerned about the end of ages and what is bound to take place, but also God’s purpose realization at every stage of the creation (Marmion and Hines 92). Creation is identified with Christ and is Christ-centered. This is because Christ in the book of John 1:1 in the Bible is identified with the Word: â€Å"It is by the Word that everything was created and, therefore, this implies that creation was done through Christ.† Therefore, as Christians, in order to enhance the fulfillment of God’s purpose in creation, Christians ought to take up their cross daily, participate in the work of God and be faithful followers of Christ (King 56). Christ’s redemptive power is what sets in the tone of eschatology as far as Christianity is concerned. Christ came in the form of man to be crucified and died on the cross, and He resurrected so that through His death and resurrection, human beings may be saved from the wrath of God that would come upon every son of disobedience. This is what eschatology is founded on. Since God created human beings in His own likeness, He desires to redeem them from the wrath at the end of ages and transform them into His likeness. Nevertheless, during eschatology, man will have to stand before the judgment seat and account for everything he did on earth as far as God’s creation and his own life are concerned (Gunton 24). This calls for a careful approach by man as he deals and interacts with God’s creation. Man has to deal with the environment in a way that will please and glorify God. Therefore, it is considered sinful if human beings will be reckless in dealing with the environment. The ecological degradation of the environment is a reckless way of man dealing with his environment. It is reckless because it leaves the environment in a worse condition than it was at the beginning. Not anything watering down God’s efforts and His creation work will

Nordstrom Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nordstrom - Case Study Example This has enabled Nordstrom to be leading in delivery of standard customer loyalty and services, in United States. Despite of its profit being majorly from the retail stores, Nordstrom has extended its credit segment, the multiple boutiques, and the internet sector (Cakir & Canbolat, 2008, pp.1367-1378). Demand purchasing in minimizing leftover inventory Nordstrom uses the demand forecasting in minimizing the leftover inventory. The overall corporate leadership in Nordstrom is based on two goals. Nordstrom integrates purchasing with demand in order to keep the inventory lean. The items in Nordstrom are kept in stock for a remarkably short time to enhance easy purchase by the customers due to the limited time. Normally, Nordstrom keeps the items in inventory for a short time, usually 62 days. Apart from the daily sales, Nordstrom gives discounts on certain goods as well as planning for more productive and profitable sales prices. One of the greatest challenge facing retailers is custom er retention. However, Nordstrom has succeeded in retaining its customers through piercing the insight into the minds of their customers. This has enhanced management and success of its inventory. The web-based system has enhanced monitoring of the demand. Customers check the items from the nearest local store, place an order and the items are delivered to them. The management and stock controllers are, therefore, able to access the movement of certain products to ovoid overstocking or under stocking (Cakir & Canbolat, 2008, pp.1367-1378). Benchmarks used to assess the success of web-based inventory integration The benchmarks used by Nordstrom in assessing the success of the web-based inventory system include monitoring other organizations and incorporate the ideas used by organizations in their normal operations. Nordstrom faces competition from companies like Nike and Macy’s. Taking certain qualities from their competitors and intertwining them in Nordstrom, a great success of the web-based inventory would be realized. Nordstrom uses the web-based inventory in informing the investors and the viewers of the financial statements. The website site, www.sec.com contains any additional information that they may need. Any concerns or questions raised from Nordstrom financials are discussed and addressed in the footnotes (Cakir & Canbolat, 2008, pp.1367-1378). The web-based inventory displays the items remaining in stock online; both from the warehouse and all the other stores. This helps in monitoring of the stock in all the stores from a central point. The web-based inventory enables the online transactions. The inventory to the website resulted in all the stores acting as online warehouses. The percentage of the customers purchasing good online can be used to gauge the success of the web-based system. High percentage of online customers is an indication that the web-based inventory integration was a success. Furthermore, the success of the system can be e valuated through the inventory turnover. Increased turn over indicates a positive response to the system (Spector & McCarthy, 2000, pp. 67-69). Application of participatory planning in product purchasing and groups involved Participatory planning encompasses people affected by the plans and those who are to implement them. Transparency and equitability will enhance increased customer trust in retailing. The interaction of employees with the managers determines the success of the

Research report- Trditional training methods Paper

Report- Trditional training methods - Research Paper Example It is crucial that each member understands the role and responsibilities of the team and how each member should adjust with each other and work collaboratively as a team. The Six Sigma emphasise the importance of defining and applying team tools like brainstorming, multi-voting and other group problem discussion technique. It also teaches the importance of using an effective and most appropriate communication technique to prevent problems that may cause misunderstanding and may disrupt teamwork. Fulfilling this Six Sigma Greenbelt competency area is very essential in action learning to foster teamwork and bring about a working relationship that will help the organisation come up with workable solutions to a real problem in the organisation. Action Learning involves working in teams of 6-30 employees chosen from different divisions throughout the organisation to help find solutions to an existing problem in the organisation.

Empirical Asset Pricing Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Empirical Asset Pricing Theory - Assignment Example In other words, the paper will look at the negative covariance of SDF and excess returns. The paper will also outline the Fama-French factors. This will include entailing how these factors work, and the motives behind choosing or selecting of models. Finally, the paper will discuss how the technique used by Pastor and Stambaugh differ from the ones used by Fama-French factors. Stochastic Discount Factor Pricing Model SDF as a Factor Pricing Model According to Fama and French (25 - 30) this model helps in the formulating of n econometric analysis that is used in the pricing of assets. The methods included this model include the capital asset pricing model that was proposed by Sharpe in 1964 and other as well as the consumption based inter-temporal capital asset pricing models (CCAPM). Stochastic discount factor (SDF) uses both of the approaches that are used in asset pricing. This includes the absolute and the relative pricing of asset. The absolute pricing of asset involve the pricin g of an asset relative to the sources that expose it to the macroeconomic risks. The relative pricing of asset entails pricing assets according to how other assets are priced. The pricing equation that is used to estimate the stochastic discount factor is normally assumed. The limitations that are imposed on the behavior relating to the stochastic model are assumed to be standard. Based on the pricing equation assumptions the model, the price of n asset which is denoted as ‘t’ is calculated through discounting the value of the assets in the period of paying off. The equation for determining the price of the asset is: Pt=ET (Mt+sXt+s). The assets pay off is represented by Xt+s while the discounting factor is represented by Mt+s. the part denoted as ET represents the expectation given the information that is available at a given time t. The discounting factor represents the stochastic variable (Renault and Hansen 3-15). The assets that can be priced using this model inclu de a stock that pays a dividend of DT+1. This stock should also have a resale value and a pay off period. A treasury bill is also applicable if only it pays only one unit of goods or a good being consumed. This equates the payoff to 1. A bond whose coupon payment is constant and yet can be sold is applicable for pricing using this model. This model can also price bank deposits that pay the risk free return rate and equate the pay off period to 1+ rft. Finally the call option whose price is Pt and gives the holder of the option the right of purchasing any stock at the price exercised (Renault and Hansen 12-21). Assumptions Relating to the Form of SDF In the development of the stochastic estimator, there are four assumptions that are taken into considerations. The first assumption is that the pricing equation 2 always holds. This equation is equivalent to the law of one price. The assumption here is that all the securities that have the same pay off should bear the same price. There a re no choices of the preference. The second assumption states that the stochastic discounting factor labels Mt to be greater than zero. The same applies even to mimicking portfolio. The implication here is that no arbitrage opportunities exist. The third assumption states that the risk free rate exists. The risk free rate is measurable relative to sigma-algebra. The conditioning set that is also used in the computation of the conditioning moments generates this algebra. The existence of this rate allows for payoff space that is

Ethics in public ad Essay Example for Free

Ethics in public ad Essay Since the 1970s there has been a great deal of change associated with the implementation of administrative ethics. These changes have been promoted and motivated by the concept of public administration in the new era. An important position is given to the concept of ethical issues in today’s civil governance. There has been a great deal of research associated with this concept which has been supported by translation of evidences and theories into practice across different continents. Frederickson and Ghere (2005) address both the managerial and individual/moral dimensions of ethical behavior as well as new challenges to administrative ethics posed by globalization. As promoted by Cooper (2001) ethics in public administration is not a transient concept but has proven to be an approach which has shown a great deal of sustainability which is fundamental to the area of public administration. Public administration has certain issues with regard to ethics implementation and finds it troublesome to come to terms with them. One reason for this is because ethics is embedded in an intellectual framework. This framework is based on stable institutional as well as role relationship levels, among both public employees as well as the organization. According to the views of a number of researchers (Bang and Sorensen, 1999; Keast et al., 2004; Rhodes, 1996; Sorensen, 2002, 2006; Sorensen and Torfing, 2004; Stoker, 1998), current government perspectives believe that clarity and stability at these levels would be problematic. Despite the increasing number of studies that have focused on the importance of administrative ethics, there has been very little effort spent on identifying what is exactly the crux of ethics in administration (Cooper, 2004). This lack of directed research in the dynamics of operations with regards to ethics in public administration along with constant changes in the principles and policies associated with administrative ethics need to be examined. These developments have raised new topics for concern in this field. One example which can be cited at this juncture is the emergence of the concept of egovernance which would require the identification of a whole new paradigm of ethics in public administration.

A risk management strategy

A risk management strategy Introduction This report details a risk management strategy for a given organization based on Australian Standards AS4360. Risk Management Strategy details: 1 2. Rationale for managing risks and risk management objectives All companies face risk. The main rationale for managing risk is to reduce the likelihood of project failure, be it financial, schedule or performance based. A formal risk management strategy provides a structured way to highlight threats to a project success. The strategy provides advice to the project team and management to benefit the organization as a whole by assisting in the decision and planning process, identifying opportunities or threats and gaining value from changing situations. The strategy takes a proactive approach to management and allocates resources more efficiently. Reduction of loss can be reduced and stakeholder trust is improved (Australian Standards, 2004). A balance between being able to take action on opportunities versus protecting the company against loss must be decided upon. Risk management should be part of company culture so that everyone in the company has a role to play and is aware of risk management. In the early days insurance was how organizations managed risk but now it is an essential part of all management teams. According to Sadgrove (2005), there are two types of business risk, non entrepreneurial risk and entrepreneurial risk. Non entrepreneurial is for example company fraud, theft or fire. Entrepreneurial risk is for example the opening of a new shop or produces a new product. It is in the best interests for the company directors to manage risk as it applies to all manage decisions. Risk is a pre-condition for innovation, a key ingredient of a successful company (Sadgrove, 2005). Risk management objectives are to reduce company cost, disruption and unhappiness (Sadgrove, 2005). It rates which activities are worth investigating for risk and which activities do not present current risk. By identifying risks earlier, managers can better plan for their possible occurrence in the future. Further objectives and benefits to the company include improved planning, greater resource efficiency, more timely scheduling, prevention reduced costs, improved company reputation, less surprises, enhanced communication between managers and staff, reassurance of stakeholders, higher quality products and more flexible and robust contingency plans (Carol and Elizabeth, 2005). As indicated in AS4360 when formulating objective for a risk management process, they must take into account the internal and external environmental factors (Australian Standards, 2004). Risk management is growing in importance these days for a number of factors. These include tougher legislation, more expensive insurance, customers less likely to accept product failure, higher standards for public image and changing management attitudes to a more global outlook. 3. Risk strategy issues According to Sadgrove (2005), issues covered by a risk strategy may be based on operation, strategic, compliance and financial issues. Operational issues include risks associated with employees, suppliers or natural events such as rain. Strategic issues include other markets, the economy and legal issues. Compliance issues may be accounting standards, tax requirements or government legislation. Financial issues include cost issues, interest rates and profitability concerns. The areas covered by the risk strategy will be influenced by the requirements of the company and its objectives. The products and / or services it supplies and the processes and practices used by the company will also affect the type of risk strategy employed. 4. Acceptable risk tolerance. According to Fischoff, Lichtenstein, Slovic, Derby and Keeney (1981), acceptable risk describes the likelihood of an event that has two factors. Firstly, the chance of occurrence is small. Secondly, the consequence is small. s are so slight, or whose benefits (perceived or real) are so great, that individuals or groups in society are willing to take or be subjected to the risk that the event might occur. The stakeholders and managers often determine acceptable risk factors. It is based on their perception on what they believe constitutes firstly a risk and secondly whether or not it is an acceptable one. An acceptable risk determination can vary and depends on factors such as differences in values, different requirements, project assumptions, concerns, concepts as they relate to the project being considered. According to AS4360, (Australian Standards, 2004), a team approach is very effective in determining and identifying risks more effectively. Risks are compared against a set of criteria from which priorities are set. The decision is then made to either treat the risks if they are deemed unacceptable or to continue to monitor and review the risks if they are currently viewed as acceptable. The risk criteria which is used to determine whether a risk a acceptable or not is based on financial, operational, humanitarian, legal, technical, social, environmental, or other criteria. The risk is evaluated and decisions are made about which risks need attention. The company or organization must make a decision on how much risk it is willing to accept as part of normal business practice. This level can then be set as the benchmark and gives the company a tolerance level to work with. This tolerance may depend on the maturity of the risk management plan, experience of management, data available f or consideration and other important factors. Some firms want to accept new ventures with higher risks while other companies want to maintain a steady course. Often young companies with less to lose will take larger risks where as older individuals may not wish to risk as much (Sadgrove, 2005). The acceptable risk tolerance depends on the reward. As the risk increases so to must the reward in order to make it worthwhile. 5. Risk infrastructure, management, identification, assessment and treatment. A company, which has a risk management strategy in place, needs an appropriate policy plan and an adequate support system in place to ensure the strategy is implemented correctly (Australian Standards, 2004). According to AS4360, in assessing the risks once they have been identified, there are three general types of analysis. These are qualitative analysis, Semi-quantitative analysis and Quantitative analysis. Qualitative analysis may be used as an initial tool to identify preliminary risks which are to be analyzed in more detail later. It should be combined with factual information when it is able to be sourced. Semi-quantitative analysis must be used with care since the data chosen to support the qualitative words may be misleading that can lead to inappropriate outcomes. Quantitative analysis depends on the accuracy of the numerical values and they may be expressed in terms of the criteria initially set by the risk identification. According to an article by the Project Management Institute (Project Management Institute, 2008), if you dont identify risk areas and have a response plan then possible tough times may be ahead. By beginning with a brainstorming session, and including a wide cross-section of stakeholders from many levels throughout the company, possible problems on the way to success may be identified. Ms. Reed, a vice president of an American project management firm notes that when running such meetings criticism should be left at the door, otherwise it may turn into an unorganized discussion. 6. Risk management responsibilities. Risk identification, assessment and treatment. System review, documentation and maintenance. Responsibilities for the risk management process should be detailed in the risk management plan and this plan should also detail how the plan shall be conducted throughout the organization. Treatment plans may either be separate from the risk management plan or included with it. An example of an organization which follows the AS4360 guidelines is the State Records Department of the New South Wales Government in Australia (NSW Government State Records. 2009). With their plan, senior management are allocated the responsibility of ensuring that the risk analysis, identification and assessment procedure are implemented regularly. They are also responsible for managing the budget allocated for the risk management strategy and ensuring that it is implemented to protect the records and systems of the State Records Department. The review of their systems is continuous as is stated in the AS4360 guidelines. According to the AS4360 guidelines (Australian Standards, 2004), few risks remain static. Continual review is essential to ensure that the risk management strategy remains relevant. The Risk Assessment will be continuously monitored and updated throughout the life of a given project, with monthly assessments included in the status report and open to amendment by the Project Manager. The company senior directors and executives are responsible for managing risk in their organization. All employees are responsible for the risk management within their given areas of managerial responsibility. The risk management plan can be broken down into specific sections based on different functions and areas within the project. Each area should have a separate plan, consist with the main company risk management plan, that details risks most relevant for their particular team and sub project requirements and concerns. The project manager for each team is responsible for the management of each risk management plan and ensuring his or her team is under the watch of the localized plan. This manager must also however ensure that the risks of the organizational risk management plan are also kept in mind. The senior staff of an organization must also be committed to the risk management strategy of all these senior managers (Australian Standards, 2004). Documentation to record details of risks must be generated to record priorities and highlight changes in risk priorities. Reports should record treatments and if incidents occur the lessons learned should be recorded. The entire risk management plan system progress should also be documented as a whole. 7. Risk management documentation requirements. A common tool used in the documentation of risk management system is the risk matrix. The risk matrix is a table used in risk analysis in which rows show the risks and columns show their likelihood or probability of occurrence and their impact. For each important business function or area, a risk matrix can be created. Often numerical values from one, meaning no impact, to five, meaning maximum impact, can be assigned for each function. This simple approach to documenting risk can provide a useful set of raw data from which appropriate plans can be devised. Many larger organizations also use this simple approach (National Computing Centre, 2009). 8. Risk management system budgets and its determination. Such a risk management strategy has a cost associated with it and this cost must be balanced against the cost of the potential loss if it were to occur (Microsoft Press, 2009). Through the application of risk management methodologies, a company can manage risk levels so that it does not reach a determined unacceptable level. The budget size for a risk management system will of course depend on the size of the company, its complexity and the responsibilities of the manager in charge of the risk management program (Sadrove, 2005, p55). A good policy is to make the risk management services free to departments and only charge the departments when they make a loss. By charging them when mistakes are made the managers are more likely to seek help and pay more close attention to the risk management strategy. This is better than just waiting for an issue to occur. Too much investment in risk management will burden the company and make it uncompetitive. Underinvestment in risk management will make it more vulnerable and likely to receive expensive incident costs. The optimal position is somewhere in the middle (Sadgrove, 2005, p14). Mochal (2006), shows that a risk management system budget can be established by basing it on the Expected Monetary Value (EVM) index. For each risk there are two parameters assigned. Firstly, the probability that the risk will occur and secondly the impact to the project if the risk occurs. If this is completed for all the risks the potential impact to the project can be calculated. Hence the risk management system budget should reflect the impact of the risk and the likelihood that it will happen. According to AS4360, if the budget for the risk management system is restricted, there should be a clear priority order for the risk treatments. 9. Risk management policy approval and its source. Senior management should review and endorse the risk management policy for an organization. The source of the policy should come from all higher end managers concerned as well as all concerned stakeholders. Dialogue with key internal and external stakeholders should be undertaken as to avoid a one way flow of information. Stakeholders often have different views on what should be ranked as high-risk priorities due to factors such as differences in values, requirements concepts and concerns about the project concerned (Australian Standards, 2004). References Alexander, C., Sheedy, E. 2005. The Professional Risk Managers Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Current Theory and Best Practices. PRMIA Publications. Fischoff, B.; Lichtenstein, S.; Slovic, P.; Derby, S. L.; and Keeney, R. L. 1981. Acceptable Risk. Cambridge. UK, Cambridge University Press. Microsoft Press. 2009. Why Manage Risks Formally? Retrieved on 5th October, 2009 from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc500373.aspx Mochal, T. (2006). Create a risk contingency budget using Expected Monetary Value (EMV). Retrieved on 5th October, 2009 from http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-6069576.html National Computing Centre. 2009. A matrix approach to risk assessment. Retrieved on 5th October 2009 from http://www.nccmembership.co.uk/pooled/articles/BF_WEBART/view.asp?Q=BF_WEBART_113283 NSW Government State Records. 2009. Risk Assessment. Retrieved on 5th October, 2009 from http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/recordkeeping/government-recordkeeping-manual/guidance/guidelines/guideline-5/guideline-5-part-3 Project Management Institute. 2009. Risk Identification Uncover project troubles before they blow up. Retrieved on 5th October 2009 from http://www.pmi.org/Pages/Risk_Identification.aspx Sadgrove, K. (2005). The complete guide to business risk management. England, Gower Publishing Limited. Standards Australia. 2004. Australian/New Zealand Standard AS 4360 2004. Australia, Standards Australia International Limited.

The Personification of Death in Jean Cocteau’s Orpheus Essay -- Movie

The Personification of Death in Jean Cocteau’s Orpheus The personification of Death is done by means of a princess of the Underworld in Jean Cocteau’s Orpheus. This Princess is very powerful, yet surprisingly vulnerable. For no one is allowed to love in the Underworld, the Princess falls in love with a famous poet named Orpheus and goes to drastic measures to be with him. But in the end she cannot be with her love, and she realizes this and does what is forbidden in the Underworld and defies time and sends back her love to whom he loved before her. Death in Cocteau’s Orpheus is not only powerful and vulnerable, but she also changes throughout the course of the movie. Three elements support that the Princess changes throughout the course of the film and what brings about this change. These elements are dialogue, clothing and appearance, and actions. One way that Cocteau creates the Princess’ character by the usage of dialogue. The powerful Princess Death is a very harsh, and controlling character at the beginning of the movie. She is seen as very authoritarian and demanding. The first scene in which the viewer encounters the princess, she orders Cegeste, Heurtebise, and Orpheus. This is the first time that the princess is ever seen by Orpheus and the first words that she speaks to him are very harsh and demanding. The Princess is accompanied by a young poet named Cegeste, and when Cegeste is killed by the motorcyclists she orders Orpheus to help her and to come as a witness. She then continues her orders by ordering the chauffer, Heurtebise, to not go to the hospital, but to go â€Å"the usual route†. She continues in her harsh tone of voice by ordering the motorcyclists. Every person that the Princess converses with in the begin... ...s also seen when she can kill people with a single glance and then raise them to be her servant in the Underworld. She chooses to raise Cegeste to be her personal slave. Her vulnerability is displayed when she watches Orpheus sleep. Despite the Princess’ power, she becomes vulnerable and defies the rules of the Underworld and return’s Orpheus back to life. This action proves that the Princess has a true love for Orpheus and does not worry about the consequences of doing what her heart feels right. Cocteau suggests that there is a higher power than even Death itself. The Princess personifies Death, but she is controlled by the Committee of the Underworld. If she were the most powerful facet of Death, then she would not be controlled by anyone or anything. Therefore, the Princess in Jean Cocteau’s Orpheus represents not Death, but one of the many faces of Death.

Terrorism Essay -- Homeland Security, Politics, Social Issues, Media

George Orwell once said, â€Å"Political language— with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists—is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.† In today’s modern society, the world is continuing to become smaller and more interconnected than ever before due to media networks such as Cable News Network (CNN) providing round-the-clock news coverage and the Internet. In the last few decades, both information sources have been instrumental in helping to expose individuals all over the world to new ideas and diverse cultures. However, with this great opportunity to expand one’s knowledge and understanding of humanity, also brings to light other individuals or groups adverse and often dangerous ideologies as well. Philip Seib contends in his book, The Al Jazeera Effect,that â€Å"terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda have made good use of new media, taking advantage of satellite television news channels’ hunger for content and using it to disseminate propaganda, display hostages, gain exposure, and on a grander scale, they count on the media to help spread terror†(pg. 3). Terrorists are unconventional in their approach to battle and operate with the belief that violence is a worthy cause in order to depose any organization or government that does not share their beliefs. Due to terrorist groups ability to use television and the Internet â€Å"to proselytize, recruit, train, and dispatch orders to their followers, governments—especially those that protect free speech—have been at a loss as to how to deal with the use of mass communication for such evil purposes†(pg. 3). Because of the unconventional nature that terrorists chose t... ...,† this time with Muslims as the primary target†(Dickinson, Keating). The Internet and Terrorism In Gabriel Weimann’s article, â€Å"How Modern Terrorism Uses the Internet† in the United States Institute for Peace Special Report, he states that, the Internet is in many ways an almost perfect embodiment of the democratic ideals of free speech and open communication; it is a marketplace of ideas unlike any that has existed before. Unfortunately, the freedom offered by the Internet is vulnerable to abuse from groups that, paradoxically, are themselves often hostile to uncensored thought and expression. Ironically, the same decentralized network of communication that the U.S. security forces created out of fear of the Soviet Union now serves the interests of the greatest foe of the West’s security services since the end of the Cold War: international terror (pg. 2).

The Affordable Care Acts Long Road to Political Reality Essay

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the first health-care reform to pass Congress that will attempt to provide health insurance to all American citizens. It is not the first time that a health-care reform of this magnitude has been attempted. Previous attempts at health-care reform were not successful. The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was certain only at the 11th hour after much discussion and compromise between different factions within the government and private sector. President Clinton had argued during his 1992 presidential campaign that health-care reform was needed. At the time, 37 million Americans were without health insurance. He also pointed to the fact that the United States was the only modernized democracy that did not provide universal health-care coverage for its citizens. On September 22, 1993, President Clinton gave his kick-off speech to Congress on his proposed health-care reform. The reform included a mandate for employers to provide health insurance to all employees. These insurance plans would be offered through a regulated marketplace. The proposed reform was considered a great success by Democrats in Congress and in public opinion polls. However, by spring 1994 the proposed reform has been labeled as â€Å"too large, too complex, too costly, and too much government (Pfiffner).† Public opinion, which was fundamental to this legislation, had begun to shift. Although there was public consensus that the United States health-care system needed to be overhauled, there was no consensus on what needed to be done to fix it. The reform, ultimately, did not pass in Congress. Several factors were pointed to as causes for its failure. Along with the complexity... ... References One Hundred Eleventh Congress of the United States of America. (n.d.). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Retrieved 9 12, 2013, from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111hr3590enr/pdf/BILLS-111hr3590enr.pdf Pfiffner, J. P. (n.d.). President Clinton's Health Care Reform Proposals of 1994. Retrieved from http://www.thepresidency.org/storage/documents/President_Clintons_Health_Care_Reform_Proposals.pdf United States Department of Labor. (n.d.). Affordable Care Act. Retrieved 9 12, 2013, from United States Department of Labor: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/healthreform/ US Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Key Features of the Affordable Care Act By Year. Retrieved 9 12, 2013, from HHS.gov/HealthCare: hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/timeline/timeline-text.html Washington Post. (2010). LandMark. New York: PublicAffairs.

Determining Ka by the half-titration of a weak acid Essay

To get the Ka of acetic acid, HC2H3O2 I will react it with sodium hydroxide. The point when our reaction is half-titrated can be used to determine the pKa. As I have added half as many moles of acetic , as NaOH, Thus, OH- will have reacted with only half of the acetic acid leaving a solution with equal moles of HC2H3O2 and C2H3O2-. Then I will use the Henderson-Hasselblach equation to get pKa. CH3COOH + NaOH H2O + NaCH3COO Results: Below is a table that summarizes our results for the reaction of 1M of acetic acid with 1Molar of NaOH which 50cm3 was used. The table shows the PH record at  ½ equivalence and at equivalence. We also recorded the observations we saw during the reaction. PH  ±0.1 Qualitative observations At  ½ equivalence 5.0 When I recorded this, as we slowly added NaOH to the acid, there was a change of color from colorless to a very slight pink as the Phenolphthalein indicator changed color. At equivalence 8.9 As I added the acetic acid to 250 cm3 of reaction mixture, there was no color change. Also as we measured the PH, the PH changed slowly but then changed very quickly at the solution approached equivalence. At this time, the indicator turned pink, when equivalence was reached Calculating the PKa To calculate PKa, we will use the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation. Hence the calculations below show how using this we can calculate the PKa = PKa + But at the half equivalence, the concentration of acetic acid and its salt ion are the same. Thus, we get: = PKa + = PKa Now the PH was, so PKa= 5.0  ±0.1 = 5.0  ± 2% 5.0  ±2% = = 10-5  ±2% Titration curve: To get error we are going to sketch a titration curve, and from this measure the PH at half equivalence. To do this: PH of acetic acid (1M): Ka = = 10-4.76 = √(1Ãâ€"10-4.76) So PH of acetic acid= 2.38 Now PH of NaOH, (1M) Now concentration of NaOH, was 1M So = 1 = -log(1) = 0 ±0.2% So PH= 14 ±0.2% Thus with these results we can plot this: Volume of NaOH (0.2%) PH of solution ( ±0.2) 0 2.38 45 14 48 14 50 14 We know that at volume of NaOH of 45 and 48, the PH will still be 14 as it’s in excess by far, thus getting to the PH of NaOH as the PH measured The PH of the solution has uncertainty of  ±0.2, as this is the smallest division of our y-axis in our titration sketch. Now after plotting our titration results, we can see that the equivalence point the volume was at a volume was at 28cm3 as it has the steepest gradient. Thus, the half-equivalence is at half a volume, 14cm3. At this volume the PH is 4.8  ±0.2 Using this value, as = PKa + = PKa PKa= 4.8  ±0.2 4.8 ±4.2% = = 10-4.8  ±4.2% Conclusion: I have concluded that the of acetic acid is -5 ±2% just using the data recorded (method 1). However from using that data and calculating the pH of acetic acid and NaOH, and then plotting a titration curve (method 2), we got a of 4.8 ±0.2%. As I calculated both I can calculate the % error of both comparing it with the actual value, -4.76.[1] % error of method 1= = 100  ±5% % error of method 2= = 100  ±0.84% The data I have concluded and summarized above is backed up by the data produced in the experiment and trends seen. We conclude that method 2 is more accurate as the % error is less and that our oringal method had  ±5% error. This is clearly backed up in our %errors as 4.8 is much closer to the actual value 4.76. The data that supports our % errors is the graph. It clearly shows a trend that as the volume of NaOH increased the PH rose, and the higher gradient signaling the equivalence point was at 28 cm3. Thus the graph clearly showed a half-equivalence point of 4.8 PH. Also the graph bolster that the PH at half-equivalence had to be less than 6, thus supporting the PH obtained by method 1, and hence the PKa obtained. Finally as for method 1, we simply recorded two results; we know that the datum that determined our percentage error was 5.0, and hence this data is what supports our %error. Finally the confidence level for my conclusion is good. I got the results expected, as method 2 will always be more accurate than method 1 as the latter depends too much on qualitative and subjective recordings. Thus my confidence level for such conclusion is good. Also my confidence levels on the %error and PKa for method 1, is high as 5% error was small. Thus due to this low %error, my confidence level of the experiment done for method 1 is high. Even more the PKa obtained by method 2, has a higher confidence level as the % error was barely 0.84%. Thus method 2, has excellent confident level for its extremely low %error. However the first factor that affects my confidence level is uncertainties. From the %error of PH, we got the %uncertainty of the PKa for method 1. Thus, we know, that from the total % error of 5%, 2% was made by systematic errors i.e uncertainties in this case. Thus the other 3% was caused by random error. Similarly, for method 2, we got % uncertainties for the PH by the volume measure of NaOH. This %error was 4.2%, meaning 4.2% of the total error was caused by systematic error of the graph. Clearly this is bigger than the total %error of 0.84%. Thus this means that actually, even if our graph has on the y-axis an uncertainty of  ±0.4, this is an over-estimate. This is since, while we can read a value off with this uncertainty, it can still be very close to the actual half-equivalence PH. Thus this increases my confidence level, as it shows, that the systematic error of the graph y-axis uncertainty is very limited. Thus the biggest error is random error. This occurs when estimating the equivalence point from the titration graph, which is random error as it’s an estimate of the steepest point and hence has no uncertainty. Thus as we could underestimate or overestimate this value, it creates error, as we calculated the half equivalence from it. In this case, clearly we overestimated it as; the PKa from this method is higher than the actual one. Hence this error is directly reflected in our results limiting confidence levels. Thus now we know what caused the % error for our methods. Hence, now my confidence level will increase as I know what type of error must be targeted to reduce most error. The random errors and systematic errors that constitute these percentages will be explained below, in the evaluation. Evaluation: From the results it is clear error was limited for method 1, 5%. We calculated that uncertainties make up at least 2% of that error. Thus systematic error only makes 2% of the error while random error makes 3% of the error. Thus the significant error is random errors. This was due to the subjectiveness at seeing the half-titration points. As we relied on the fact that the phenolphatlein made the solution light pink, it was difficult to see such color change. Thus it was very easy to keep adding base, when there was already a color change. Hence our error was that we could overshoot the titration. As we added to much NaOH the color change seen was too much. So when we added the acetic acid, the PH at half-equivalence is higher so we overestimated the PKa. This was reflected directly on our results. Finally another less important random error was that pipettes leaked. Thus more NaOH was added. This while small also explains why we overestimated the PKa, as we overshooted the titration even more. Finally our less significant errors were systematic error. They only make 2% of our errors. They were mainly caused by inaccuracy of our apparatus. The main systematic error caused was by the PH probe. The PH probe, first of all has great inaccuracy recording PH with a  ±0.1 uncertainty. Thus as the PH recorded was small, the %uncertainty calculated is much bigger than it would be with a higher PH. The other uncertainty was caused by the inaccuracy of pipettes. When we measured the volume of the acetic acid, there was a systematic error as Burets have uncertainties of,  ±0.10 cm3. Thus at a volume we measured of acetic acid at 25cm3, we had 0.4% error caused. We can also analyze improvements for method 2. We used this method and generated it from data we had form method 1. However, the titration sketch clearly was much more accurate than method 1, as it yields 0.84% error of which 0.2% was caused by uncertainties. Thus as we got the results for the titration curve from method 1, the error that caused the systematic errors were the same. However the main cause of error is the random error. At calculating the equivalence point, we had to estimate the point with the maximum gradient. As this is subjective, there is human error. Hence, when we then halved that volume, we could overestimate or underestimate the error since we estimated the point with maximum gradient. Improvements: To reduce the random error firstly we must do more trials. Just by doing this, we will reduce the random error. Finally as the problem with the color change was that it was a qualitative observation. To improve this we can get a quantitative measurement. To do this we use a colorimeter. This is a device we will put behind the solution. This measures the exact absorbance or transmission of light. Thus as the light absorbance changes when there is a color change, when the colorimeter states such we know that the color change has occurred. Hence we know exactly the equivalence points. The significance of this improvement is that it would enable us to get qualitative results. Thus if the colorimeter very accurate we can decrease random error, as there is no human error. Also, as the colorimeter is accurate, systematic error will also be limited. Another way we can improve is in the systematic errors. The first problem was measuring accurately volumes. As the pipettes had big uncertainties, the volume recorded had high %uncertainties. If we however use micropipettes, which have  ±0.01 cm3 uncertainties, our volumes will be extremely accurate. Hence %uncertainties will be minimal. Also micropipettes allow much easier for drops of base to be dropped. Thus the significance of this improvement is that when we measure volumes, the equivalence point will occur, more exactly as we will be less likely to overshoot the solution. Finally to solve the inaccurate measurements of PH we can get a PH sensor and data logger. These do real-time measurements and will state the PH with less uncertainty. It will also provide an alternative method for calculating the half-point. As the data logger draws the graph of the titration done, it can calculate the point with the highest gradient. Thus this will be the equivalence point. Hence we can calculate the PH at half the equivalence point of the graph as this is half the volume of base at equivalence. Thus clearly calculating a very accurate PH from the curve. The significance of this will be that it is a major improvement on method 2 and 1 as it is not qualitative. Thus it does not allow for human error. Hence as the sensor is also very accurate systematic error will also be limited as well as random error. Thus this method will get a very accurate PKa with low systematic and random errors.

Commission in the European Union

As a staff member of the Directorate-General of the European Commission I have been appointed to describe to you the composition and the powers of the Commission in the European Union. In the following paragraph I will describe the body of the Commission divided in three pillars: First you have the College of the Commissioners, then the Directorate-General (DGs) and lastly the cabinets. In the Third paragraph I will briefly describe the powers of the Commission and in the last paragraph I will conclude with an opinion on the question, as to how far I consider the European Commission to have â€Å"a vocation to further the interests of the community as a whole†. The Commission consists of twenty-seven Commissioners, one for each Member State including the President of the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security. The Commissioners are responsible for the work of the commission stated in Art. 17 of the TEU, and are therefore not allowed to have any other duties during their period of office that could bring about any conflict of interest. If a Commissioner fails to do so, the Court of Justice may retire the member concerned on application of the Commission or the Council acting on a simple majority. The exception to this rule is, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy who is a member of the Commission responsible for the conduct of the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy and its security and defense policy but also takes part in the work of the EC, presides over the Foreign affairs Council and carries out mandates of the Council. The High representative is appointed by QMV with agreement of the President of the Commission, and may be dismissed the same way. The president of the Commission is proposed to the European Parliament by the European Council acting by a qualified majority, and is elected in the European Parliament. The president is the most powerful Commissioner and has several important roles: he/she adopts the list of the persons whom it proposes to appoint as members of the Commission, lays the guidelines in which the Commission is to work, decides the internal organization of the commission making sure it works as a body, appoints the Vice-Presidents from among the members of the Commission (other than the High Representative), he can resign Commissioners since they are individually responsible to him. Finally the President has an important role as representative. He represents the Commission at meetings involving the heads of Government and must account to other institutions when there is questioning of the general conduct of the institution or a particular issue raises broader questions. In the current Commission, there are forty Directorates-General (DGs) divided into four groups: policies, external relations, general services and internal services. The majority of the Commission employees work for the DGs. DGs in the Commission are compared to Ministers in a national government. Even though DGs’ work for Commissioners their responsibilities are to the Commission. The work inside the DG focuses on the development of programmes, administration of Community funding and bringing different public and private actors together. You can see the Cabinet as being between the College of Commissioners, representing the political part of the Commission, and the DGs representing the administrative part of the Commission. A Cabinet is composed of seven to eight officials and is appointed by the President. Each Cabinet is the office of a Commissioner and is a line between Commissioners and DGs allowing cooperation between them and helping Commissioner with formulating priorities and policies. They keep Commissioners informed of other happenings in the Commission and help prepare weekly meetings for the College of Commissioners in combination with other Cabinets The powers of the Commission can be broadly explained and interpreted, but the main points can be narrowed down to four specific points: legislative powers, agenda and budget planning, executive powers and supervisory powers. Legislative power as to making sure that the rules in Treaties are being complied with and determining how EU nationals may stay in other States after they have worked there. The Commission is also responsible the budget planning for each year and the making of the agenda. The Commission has executive powers responsible for collecting the revenue for the EU, coordinating the spending of the EU and administering the EU aid to third countries. The Commission has supervisory powers to monitor the compliance of the Member States to the rules of the Union. Does the Commission have â€Å"a vocation to further the interest of the Community as a whole? † I believe it does, by looking at its responsibilities in the Union itself proves this. And if you look at the statement made by the Court of Justice where it says that â€Å"Commissioners are required to ensure that the general interest of the European Union precedes at all times over national and personal interest†. In which I understand that a Commissions’ work should be emphasized on the whole Community (EU) instead of just one State Member.

Plato, Descartes and The Matrix

Plato, Descartes and The Matrix; what a trio of reading that if not for my ability to read without believing everything that was before my eyes, I would not know what to believe. After reading the three synopses I had to regroup and think, did I read this or was this a dream? I will now try and compare and contrast the three and show if there were any similarities and differences. I will start with comparing Plato and the Matrix in that there are similarities between the two. The similarities are that in both synopses the players (Neo of the Matrix and the people in the cave) are being deceived by what is before them.The people in the cave are fooled by items carried on the head of people walking on a raised walkway behind them. These items cast a shadow on the wall in front of them; not knowing they are shadows the prisoners believe they are real. The noise that came off the wall made by sound from the walkway was thought to be real sounds made by the shadows on the wall. In reality they were chained feet and neck and could not see the fire behind them that caused the shadows on the wall as people would walk by.In the Matrix we have Neo who believed he was a computer programmer for a software corporation, at night he would work on his computer hacking into other computers. He was told that in reality his world was an illusion, which was designed to keep people under control. In the allegory of the cave Socrates stated that when one was freed and had to stand up and turn his head and look around seeing light for the first time he would be unable to discern the items whose shadows he once saw on the wall.When told that the items was made of stone and wood and other materials and not real, it would be hard for him to believe. In the Matrix; Morpheus tells Neo that the entire human race is unconscious with a giant machine keeping them alive. He then offer him a way out by taking the red pill, which he does and find out what is really going on. When we look at Desc artes meditation compared to the other two synopses, there are some differences. First the Matrix and Plato are both fooled by perceptions of what is real and what is not.In the Meditation Descartes is not really fooled, he want to reject all beliefs in things that are not completely certain, and create what can be known for sure. To do this he must first weaken his beliefs by bearing in mind the fact his senses had fooled him previously. He then proposes other reasons to doubt that his beliefs are true. Next he bring up his evil demon theory which could deceive him, he then consider if he is mad or dreaming. He want to suspend judgment on his beliefs even if there is any doubt what so ever.In conclusion we have two synopses that have some similarities and differences and one that is completely difference. The Matrix and the people in the cave have allusions that are not real. Where as in the Meditation we have one that want to forget everything that he ever believed to be true, and start over to form a new way of believing what is true and what is not true. All three synopses did however make you think what if? But believing in a God that created all things and everyone, I do not believe that I am dreaming.

Jay Gatsby-Pathetic or Romantic Essay

Jay Gatsby, undoubtedly the most love-stricken character in The Great Gatsby, has shown moments of both hopeless romanticism and over-obsessiveness. He has based the past five years on a woman whom he has met only once and might never meet again. His unrealistic dream of someday courting this â€Å"golden girl† has clouded his mind and made him act only in pursuit of this fantasy. Jay Gatsby is a pathetic character because he allowed himself to be consumed by his illusion that he and Daisy might ever end up together. â€Å"Gatsby bought that house so that Daisy would be just across the bay. † A stalker is defined as a person who follows or observes a person persistently, especially out of obsession or derangement, Jay Gatsbys’ â€Å"scrapbook† with â€Å" a lot of clippings† and pictures about Daisy shows that he has been following, and keeping track of, her movements for quite some time. At this point in the story, the question of intent might come into play, a person who favored Gatsby as a romantic can argue that perhaps he meant to give the scrapbook as a gift to Daisy when he saw her again, however, there is also a more menacing interpretation of this event, a man sitting in his living room feverishly hunting through newspapers and magazines for a glimpse of, or a story about, his prey. His â€Å"collection† truly shows the depravity and desperation of a pathetic man. Resorting to an attempt at bribery to get what he wants is another way for Gatsby to show that there is no limit to what he would do to meet Daisy again. Again, the argument could be made that Gatsby was simply trying to help a friend, yet if Nick did not have something he coveted, contact with Daisy, Gatsby never would have offered to help Nick â€Å"pick up a nice bit of money†. Nick may have denied Gatsbys’ help, but he did set up a meeting between Daisy and Gatsby. At Nicks’ house, before Daisy’s’ arrival, Gatsby is in a fervor trying to make the house acceptable for the meeting. Perhaps this was an attempt to seem worthy of her attention but more likely, this was Gatsby trying to look more important than he actually is, as was his flashy introduction to his home. Trying too hard to impress someone is definitely a pathetic act. â€Å"I know of nothing more despicable and pathetic than a man who devotes all the hours of the waking day to the making of money for money’s sake. † – John D. Rockefeller. The same could be said about a person who devotes five years of his life on a longshot. His dream is a longshot because in order for it to work, Daisy must be unhappy with her marriage enough to want to give up a life of luxury for a life of love. While she flirts with Gatsby, she is just doing it to get back at Tom for having an affair. While she may appear to be discontent with her marriage, she would never truly want to give up living in the lap of luxury. Everything Gatsby did in the past five years was based on the dream that he and Daisy would be together, a romantic gesture but in the end a pathetic decision for a pathetic man.

Nortel Networks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nortel Networks - Essay Example When a customer initiates an order, it goes to one of twenty Logistics Operating Centers (LOCs) worldwide, which then determines the best combination of services that could be exchanged among the customer-centered rings. It is the LOC that is in-charge of the order that looks for the Nortel Network partners, key parts sources, and assemblers that are part of that ring around the customer and that would best meet the customer's order at the lowest cost and in the fastest possible time. This LLSS-based system differs from Nortel's old supply chain structure, which was built around an orderly sequence of activities that happened one after another. This traditional supply chain needed long lead times and higher costs. With the new global logistics system, designed around a networked framework, activities happen continually at the same time. What does this mean Rather than wait for the completion of a prior activity, say the assembly of sub-components before deliveries are made, Nortel's worldwide network of partners and suppliers are constantly on the move taking care of order fulfillment from several customers. An OEM for example can be doing production and assembly work for several clients at a time, each one with different or similar requirements, and managing various parts of the supply chain according to standards established by Nortel. In other words, by outsourcing the "lower value-added" activities like assembly to third party providers, Nortel can focus instead on the high value-added activities like the management of the global supply chain or research and development to improve existing products or come up with new ones based on more advanced technologies. This is only one among the many advantages that Nortel derives from its global logistics system. What are the others We have already discussed the customer-centered focus of the whole organization. By placing the customer at the center of the logistics network, Nortel can work at the important but very tough and challenging task of ensuring that everyone maintains that customer focus. Customers then feel special, being the center of attention of the whole global organization, knowing that its orders could be met no matter how tough its specifications and deadlines would be. Of course, it is hard work for Nortel to do the work of integrating all of its alliance partners all over the globe, but that is part of the design of the system. We can also see how the system ensures speed of delivery to meet tight customer deadlines, because the arrangement gives Nortel and its partners the flexibility it needs to get the work done on time. Instead of managing the whole supply chain, which requires coordinating several factors at the same time, Nortel's system delegates the management of portions of that supply chain by outsourcing. Rather than sweat on the large stuff, it seems that Nortel and its partners would rather sweat on the parts of that large stuff that they can manage well, and to concentrate on the "large stuff" of coordinating 20 manageable LOCs. This allows Nortel to keep its costs down, which it does in a very specific way. By keeping the suppliers of key parts in the supply chain conveniently located close to

Marketing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing - Research Paper Example This shall be at the core of the analysis below. The companies’ approaches shall be evaluated on the basis of the four P’s of marketing (price, product, place and promotion). In addition to that, any differences in their domestic and international operations shall be under study. Domestically Internationally Practice/Example Rationale Practice/Example Rationale PRODUCT McDonald’s A wide array of fast foods and beverages. A one stop shop for all food and beverage needs. Sale of fast foods such as hamburger and pizza. Attract working class to the fast food industry. Starbucks Coffee and accompaniments only. New products, packaging i.e Blonde Roast Creating a niche market and specializing in a single product. Great service, top quality coffee, stylish packaging that lives up to the brands reputation. Developing brand association among consumers and nurturing habits. PLACE McDonald’s In all big cities via franchising. Targeting workers during or after work Big towns in developing countries. Targeting emerging classes in towns Starbucks Big cities, small towns through clustered outlets. Being the â€Å"third place† after home and work. Only in large towns in emerging markets Proximity to core consumers, the middle class PRICE McDonald’s Affordable rates. Attracting price sensitive buyers. Low cost coffee and pastries. Luring low and high end buyers. Starbucks Premium rates. Quality has no price. Relatively high prices. Attracting high end consumers. PROMOTION McDonald’s Advertising using mass media, billboards e.g. ‘I’m Lovin It’ ads Establishing a constant presence with loyal and budding customers Advertisements in mass media, billboards etc Creating brand awareness among new customers Starbucks Word of mouth and personalized service Quality self promotes. Unique customer Advertisements in mass media Introducing customers to a novel product. Since the start of the economic crisis, Starbucks has cl osed several stores at home (Gummesson, 2002). This needs to inform its operations abroad. Lowering prices is the best way to attract international consumers since they are using the product for the first time, and they are not ready to pay dearly for an experience they are unaware of. As regards promotion, both word of mouth promotion and mass media marketing have served Starbucks and Mc Donald’s well at home. However, the international market is totally different (Gummesson, 2002). They can not rely on the customers to spread the word on a product they do not know. Therefore, mass media market should be the first resort. Location or place has been a major determining factor of both companies success. At home, Mc Donald’s and Starbucks have used franchising and clustering to spread their branch footprint respectively. However, abroad franchising is the tried and proven alternative. Franchising allows for local entrepreneurs who know the market well to attend to the un ique needs of these consumers. Product is the reason the business exists in the first place. At home, both companies are best known for their coffee and related products. The operations in international markets, however, need to follow a different path (Gummesson, 2002). Several products should be launched at a go. This way, even customers who do not have a coffee drinking culture shall be welcome to the establishments. After all, the prime objective is to build a large customer base. After that has been achieved, maybe the companies can concentrate on their core

Leadership Terms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership Terms - Essay Example The other reason for maintaining the limits for the president and changing those of the Congress and Justices is that a president who remains in the office for a long time is likely to become a dictator and the Congress and Justice may become more corrupt. Eight years of the presidency is enough as too much power in the hands of only one person is dangerous for a nation as large as the United States (Archives.gov, 2015). The judges and Congress leaders also gain a lot of power since they know that they will hold their office for life and misuse it. Limiting the terms of these categories of leaders in the US will enable the country to have other dedicated and loyal leaders to serve the country. The limits will also bring in new and fresh ideas to keep the states moving and eliminate those with selfish interest. Giving a few individuals too much power, which is unchecked, may lead the leaders to exercise some unrighteous dominion power especially giving the president unlimited terms. The president might take control of the other branches and interfere with the constitutional rights of individuals. With the president serving for only two terms, the three branches of government are kept working properly (Archives.gov, 2015). People still re-elect the president, Congress leaders, and the justices even when they do not perform, and the term limits are the only solution to ensure that the nation has good leaders.Americans like to maintain the same leaders due to the fear of change and without the term limits.

Sula essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sula - Essay Example ived of its traditions, wisdoms, and experiences; instead, for Sula, connection with traditional ideals of maternal love pushes her to turn down the maternal family, specifically the ideals of antique belongings. Marie Nigro’s In Search of Self: Frustration and Denial in Toni Morrison’s Sula talks about the conflict created by the psychological and emotional detachment between mothers and daughters of African American descent. Nigro explains that detachment arises when daughters believe that their mothers are unable to endow them with love and sympathy because of economic aspects associated with gender, class, and racial prejudice. Such real hindrances to manifestations of love compel daughters to disobey or go against mothers who believe their efforts are adequate or compatible to affection. Phillip Novak, in his article â€Å"Circles and Circles of Sorrow†: In the Wake of Morrison’s Sula, argues that when such sympathy or love is deprived of, daughters are unable to express sympathy or love to their own daughters. Conflicts burst forth when mothers aspire for the individuality and self-reliance of their daughters but expect recognition of or gratitude for their sacrifices. The influence of the mothers on the life and identity formation of their daughters is one of the leading subjects of Sula. Morrison portrays the impact of class by examining the relationship between mother and daughter belonging to the lower class—the Peaces—and those belonging to the middle class—the Wrights. The relationships between mother and daughter in both families struggle with the difficulties that class and race create. Eva Peace was not able to give the maternal affection that Hannah wants. Due to the impact of class and race, Eva was unable to totally concentrate on her maternal responsibilities, which adversely affected the personal growth and identity formation of Hannah. Consequently, Hannah failed to provide motherly love to her own daughter, perpetuating the