Exxon Mobile's Strategy Analysis Research Paper

Exxon Mobile's Strategy Analysis - Research Paper Example On the other hand, the chemicals segment handles manufacturing and sales of petrochemicals. The success and outstanding performance of Exxon Mobil Corporation emerge from several strategies implemented by its management executives. Just to name a few, the Corporation has a strategic management system that provides an elaborate framework for maintaining high standards and performance. This particular analysis paper looks deep into the strategies that Exxon Mobil implements to support its success. Exxon Mobil Corporation is guided by a corporate strategy that guides operation and enhances efficiency in its system. The organization strategy is reliant on the ability to innovate and develop in the new emerging markets by providing new products that suit the changing consumer needs. Ideally, it concentrates on their strong market positioning strategy to exhaust their market segments and fill the niches that can be identified by their competitors. The success arising out of this strategy is dependent on the broad portfolio. Exxon Mobile Corporation has a stronger business portfolio that emphasizes on the long-term profitability of the organization regardless of the volatile nature of the product prices in the industry. Additionally, the corporation relies on diversity strategy in production and sale of its products. Its global diversity principle act as a foundation for the long-term career oriented model to employment. Ideally, skills and expertise of the employees is quite critical to any organization. Competent employees usually work harder to boost the productivity of the organization. Exxon’s approach to employment is not only a relevant model but also a productive model to the general performance of the organization. The method fulfills the desired dreams of the organization through attracting, developing and retaining premier workforce diversity. It arguably fosters a productive work environment and culture where every

How Religions Impact Food Practices of the Followers Research Paper

How Religions Impact Food Practices of the Followers - Research Paper Example The author of the paper tells that Muslims generally follow the Koran which has laid down a number of rules concerning food but within Islam itself, there are many different sects that observe dietary rules depending upon the degree of orthodoxy. The Koran permits that only animals with a cloven hoof can be consumed. According to this, pigs, carnivorous animals, and birds, except chicken are forbidden. The law also states that animals have to be slaughtered in a ritualistic manner by making an incision at the jugular vein and draining the blood. This slaughter has to be accompanied by prayers so that the meat becomes legitimate (halal) for consumption. Otherwise, food is prohibited (haram). A prayer during slaughter is to acknowledge that life is sacred and one must kill only with God’s permission. Prohibited foods include pork and pork-derived foods, including lard and bacon. Meat that is halal must have the blood drained from it and must be slaughtered in a humane fashion. S ome Muslims eat kosher products because the dietary laws are similar to the Jewish dietary laws. Utensils have to be clean an uncontaminated by haram substances. Shellfish or sharks are not permitted because only fish with scales are permitted for consumption. Alcohol is totally permitted. During the month of Ramadan, which is the fasting month, except young children or very old or ill, have to fast from sunrise to sunset, without any food or drink. Pregnant, lactating women and menstruating women are exempted for the time being but have to make it up sometime during the year.

The Oberoi groups

The Oberoi groups For an organization of your choice, outline a new product or process or other form of innovation. Definition of creativity and innovation: Creativity is the ability to think new idea. (This includes the ability to rethink an old idea, for example to think of a new application for an existing technology. Innovation is the process by which the new idea is put into practice. [ (center of competitiveness, 2001)] Introduction about OBEROI GROUPS: Oberoi groups are one of the Indias famous private organizations which step into the different markets in the year of 1934. It has a powerful market position for its products and services. Oberoi hotels are well known for its high quality service and luxury. A distinctive future of the Oberoi hotels is that they got their own highly motivated and well trained staff which provides a good standard quality of services which is really hard to find today. Apart from the hotel industry, Oberoi groups is engaged in the following business as well, Flight catering Airport restaurant Travel and tour services Car rentals Project managements corporate air charters. Oberoi groups has won many awards which as follows, It has been ranked as the best hotel chain (outside the U.S) in Conde Nast Travelers 2007 business Travel Awards readers survey. It has been ranked as the best hotel chain (outside the U.K) in the Guardian, Observer and guardian.co.uk Travel Awards 2008 readers survey. Rated as the second best resorts in India. And lots of other awards. [ (Oberoi hotels and resorts, 2009)] Mission: Our Guests: we are committed to meeting and exceeding the expectations of our guests through our unremitting dedication to every aspect of service. Our People: We are committed to the growth, development and welfare of our people upon whom we rely to make this happen. Our Distinctiveness: Together, we shall continue the Oberoi tradition of pioneering in the hospitality industry, striving for unsurpassed excellence in high-potential locations all the way from the Middle East to Asia-Pacific. Our Shareholders: As a result, we will create extraordinary value for our stakeholders. Vision: We see an organization which aims at leadership in the hospitality industry by understanding its guests, and designing and delivering products and services which enable it to exceed their expectations. We will always demonstrate care for our customers through anticipation of their needs, attention to detail, distinctive excellence, warmth and concern. [ (The Oberoi hotels and resorts, 2009)] A Tragic year: The Oberoi hotel in Mumbai is situated in the heart of the city and a few minutes away from lots of tourist attractions and the hotel has a beautiful view of blue sea and sky which attracts most of the tourist. And the facilities and services are always in a good slandered. Oberoi hotel is a good competitor for Taj hotel in India. But the Tragedy on 27 November 2008 was a major break down for Oberoi hotel in Mumbai. The attacks by terrorist in Oberoi trident in India shock the world by killing more than 100 peoples inside the hotel which include foreign tourists. The attack didnt only spare the life of the innocent people; it destroyed the beauty of the hotel as well. The gun shots, bombs and fire destroyed everything they touched. Terrorist turned the beautiful hotel as the graveyard for the innocent people who died in the attack. After the army killed those gunmen, the hotel reception was almost demolished. Oberoi hotel (Mumbai) was shut down for a while. Oberoi hotel even lost some of its share holders in the market. Innovation process by the organization: But all those bad things didnt stop Oberoi hotel to shut down completely. It was flashing in the news and everywhere that the Oberoi hotel was re opened a year and a half after the terror strike with the complete new look. It was published in the press that, After extensive restoration and renovation costing over 40 million dollars, the Oberoi opened its doors to guests Saturday, announcing its return with front-page newspaper advertisements that simply said: WELCOME BACK. (AGENCY, 2010) The Oberoi hotel in Mumbai is back into business now. The transformation of the hotel is completely different and is has brand new look. But what about their customers? Did they able to get back their customers? Actually they have a surprising innovation process in the organization which was highlighting in the news and press which is as follows, April 22 (Bloomberg) Indias luxury Oberoi hotel groups will open their flagship Mumbai properties in the next quarter with $6,750-a-night suites and butler services to win back tourists a year and a half after deadly terrorist attacks. The Mumbai Oberoi will reopen on April 24, charging as much as 300,000 rupees ($6,750) a night for 2,050 square foot rooms, which will include quarters for guests security officers. (SF Gate, 2010) Their innovation is that by reducing the rates and price levels, there might be a chance of getting their customers back into the business. This will also lead to attract the new customers into the hotel. This is a simple trick which is used by any kind of business in the market which is also an effective one. Usually in the market in order to sell a new product or increase the sales of the existing product, organizations normally reduce the price level. Most of the consumers fell for the cheap price. But later on the organizations will slowly increase the price level where the customers blindly buy the same product even though when the price increases. This is the same technique which the Mumbai Oberoi hotel is using now as their innovation. But this kind of innovation is normally used everywhere in this world. Although it seems to be a reasonable one. People who couldnt afford the price level before terror strikes might be interested as the price level is decreased. Their innovation in the market: As there is a recession in the todays market which is pushing the weakest industries and the organizations out of the market, lots of organizations have been kicked out of the market. This is going to be the hard time for Oberoi hotel to win back their customers. Due to the recession, lots of hospitality industries reduced their price level to attract the tourists. It is surprising that another famous hotel in Mumbai called Taj Mahal Palace was also being attacked by the terrorist on the same day as Oberoi was attacked and reopened recently. They also have reduced the price level which is more or less same level as Oberois. This is going to be a big problem for Oberoi groups. The first thought comes in the mind of people about the new Oberoi is that as they have invested lots of money in rebuilding the hotel; they are going to charge more prices for their services. But in this case, they have reduced the price level and given an additional feature like a free butler service. So this might be an advantage for the organization. The second thought is that the security level. People always criticize the poor security of the hotel. But the chairman of Oberoi hotel groups [P.R.S OBEROI], announced the press about their tight and improved security level of the new Oberoi. He stated to the press that, A big part of the focus has been to improve security. The hotel now has 150 security cameras, up from just 15 at the time of the attacks. It has 50 security personnel, five times the number it had in 2008. Visitors who drive up are greeted by a big steel gate where their cars are searched. The large windows in the lobby that overlook south Mumbais picturesque, crescent-shaped bay are now made from reinforced, shatterproof glass. (NDTV, 2010) Finally more or less they have answered almost every question about the hotel. This may lead the people to think positive about the hotel which is equal to win back their customers. Disadvantages and advantage of their Innovation: Even though their innovation seems to be a good one, there are some other few disadvantages exists which are as follows, It doesnt fit with the current market situation. Because of the recession, all other hotels have already reduced their price level which makes no difference. Maximum numbers of people will still go for the cheap price. Their innovation is very simple one which might not suite the current market situation. A huge amount of money has been invested in re-building the hotel, to win back the amount invested and their customers, there should be a powerful innovation must be implemented. This is also the time where Oberois competitors will try to overtake and try to conquer the market. But on the bright side, the one major advantage is that the Oberois major competitor called Taj is also facing the same problem. This might be a good chance for Oberoi as it will take time for their competitor to capture the market. In the mean time Oberoi can resolve the problems and get back their market position. And the other small advantage is that of the new look of the hotel. The old customers may come back to visit the brand new hotel. This will not only attract the old customers, it might bring the new customers as well which is the first step for the success after the tragedy. How to implement this innovation in the right way: The following are the major steps to implement the innovation in order to succeed any kind of business, First of all, decision making on implementing an innovation should be done by the top level management and should be very careful while implementing it. An innovation will survive in the market, only when the organization understands the market and balance it with the position of the organization in the market. And the innovation should be a powerful one where it should be a new one in the market and an attractive one as well, so that it will get the attention of others i.e. new customers. But the innovation by the Oberoi hotels is like a market tactics where it is used by others in the market. It is not a new one as the innovation is bringing something new where no one has seen it in this world. So reducing the price is not just an innovation but they have given an additional facility like a free butler service for this reasonable price which is a new process for their group. It will attract the new customers as they already know that this is going to be the temporary offer by the Oberoi group. The innovation should be a flexible one, so that any changes will not affect the any process in the organization. Because the market never remains constant. It will keep on changing according to the time and the factors which influence the change. It should also be flexible with the customers as each and every customer is different from each other. In this point of view, their innovation is quite an advantageous level. They have changed according to the time. Because of their tragedy and the recession in the market, they have done the right thing of reducing the price level and an additional free service. This will always works in the market as we have discussed above. Even though they have implemented an innovation, their process remains constant. May be the look of the hotel changed but the process remains constant. Their service to the customer didnt change or they didnt lose the entire market. Nothing changed except the look as it may brings the new customers into the business. If the innovation is more or less familiar in the market, then at least there should be an improvement in that which will make it as a different one when compared to others. The most important step is that the innovation should never affect the vision, mission and the objectives of the organization. Because the innovation is just to improve the business where the vision, mission and the objectives are the basics to survive in the competitive market. This is a good point where the Oberoi groups did achieve. They made a small difference in their innovation of offering a free butler service which makes a difference from others. It is clear that their innovation is not affecting the vision, mission and the objective of the organization. Their mission is to exceed the level of customer satisfaction. The innovation or the recession didnt affect their customer satisfaction. And the other important fact is that their innovation didnt affect the process in the Mumbai hotel or any other process of their different hotels or groups. In some cases it does happen. An impact on a single process of business will affect the entire business and even result in vanishing the organization from the market. A fine example for this scenario is that the Switzerland was dominating the watch making business in the years of 1968. They had a huge profit and powerful market implementations. They were well known as good inventors. But later in 1980, the market collapsed and lots of watch making employees lost their job. The Switzerland lost their market because of their new competitor called Seiko which grabbed the opportunity of making electronic quartz which was rejected by Switzerland. It is clear that the Switzerland was continuously making watch without changing the fundamental rules and didnt bother about their external environment. (STUDY UP, 2009). And the market never remain stable, it changes all the time as per the time and the need of the customers. Especially in the hotel industry, the market never remains constant. So if an organization fails to take a look over the external fit or fails to look after the defects which affects the organizations process, then there is a plenty of change for their competitors to take over their business and leads the market which will end up in winding up the business. When comparing to that example, it is clear that the changes in the Mumbai Oberoi hotel didnt chance any process in the hotel as well as the other hotels of its own group. Even though they have invested a lot of funds in re building the hotel, they didnt suffer that much. It is in the press that they are planning to open new hotels in India and abroad in a very few years. The Oberoi Group is planning to launch a luxury hotel in Goa. Goa is going to witness development of 12 new hotels over a period of 3-5 years, according to a survey by Federation Of Hotel and Restaurant Associations Of India and HVS International. The Oberoi could be one of these 12 new hotels. (ITOPC). It shows that how powerful their financial background is even in their tragic time period and their excellent survival in the market. And one of their major competitors in India is Taj hotel groups which were also attacked by the terrorist at the same time when the Oberoi was. This is a big advantage for Oberoi groups as their competitor is also facing the same problem. It is interesting that the innovation by the Oberoi hotel is more or less familiar with the Taj hotel groups where they have also reduced the price level after they have reopened their hotel in Mumbai. Taj hotel has reduced their price level to 3, 50,000 rupees per night where Oberois price level is 3, 00,000 rupees per night. The price level of Oberoi is little less when compared to the Taj hotel groups which is an advantage for Oberoi groups. In addition the Oberoi hotel now offers a free butler service for that reasonable price which s also an advantage and will be an effective one in the market. There is a scope that it will grasp the attention of the customers in the market and brings them into the business. In this way they have made a differe nce which is an advantage for Oberoi groups as we have discussed above that the majority for people always falls for the cheap market price. But only reducing the price level is not enough to survive in the competitive market. In order to face the market in a recession time, there should be a change in the general process in the organization, more importantly not the main process of the organization. For example as the Oberoi groups comes under the hospitality industry, it has a major opportunity to survive even in the recession time. There is always a scope for tourism and hospitality industry no matter what is happening in the market. Even though there is a recession in the market, Oberoi hotel groups are in the bright side where the hospitality industries are less affected when comparing to other industries. Understanding the problem of Mumbai Oberoi groups, what they could do now is to make a difference in their customer satisfaction level. The hotel is already known for its customer satisfactory level. Even though a small good change in a good process will be more effective than a normal one. By improving their customer satisfaction, they might be able to win back their customers which are equal to achieve their goals and objectives. (Vision, mission). It is very important that Oberoi hotel groups should not keep this low price tactics for a very long time. They should get back to their normal price as soon as they win back their customers or the market come back to the normal state. As they have invested lots of money on the Mumbai hotel, they should also look over the future and make some long term plans as well. They should not only concentrate on winning back their customers, they should also look for winning back their money which is invested in re-building the hotel and capture the market. Only bringing something new to this world is not easy as it seems. It should also reach the customers knowledge without which even a powerful innovation is nothing but a waste idea. In todays world there are plenty of ways where anything could be passes to the public knowledge. There are lots of media for everything. In this case, the Oberoi hotel groups used lots of media to pass their innovation in the knowledge of the people. This could also be a threatening factor as this may lead to the duplication of ideas by the other organizations in the market. But in this case, most of the percentage falls on the positive side which is a good favor for the Oberoi hotel groups. Conclusion: The Oberoi hotel group seems to be a struggling fish in the hooks of the terrorism and the bad market. But it is not yet pulled out of the water (market). It is pulling itself to survive. The hotel was being attacked by the terrorist and completely destroyed, at the time they were ready to get back into the business, the market was far worse than they expected. But they didnt slip out of the market. With their powerful financial background, they are back into business and stepping into their normal level which shows that they could do better in the near future. Their innovation was a simple one it seems to be an effective one in the market. It didnt affect any of its process and the innovation didnt cause any big changes in the organization. These are the very basic points for bringing the innovation in the market which are all achieved by the Oberoi hotel groups. And their major competitor is also facing the same problem which is also a positive climate for the Oberoi hotel groups in the market. May be their hotel was completely destroyed by those terrorist but they are back into business with a promising high tight security which helps the public to have a confident to walk into the hotel again without any of those death fear. Though there are some threats in the market, it is just a stepping stone for the Oberoi hotel groups for their bright future. On an overall basis, we have covered everything about the basic idea of the Oberoi hotel groups and their marketing position. We have also discussed about their innovation process and how they have implemented their innovation in the market and how successful it worked and also given a suggestion of how it could be more effective. It is important to note that there is always a bright fortune for the hospitality industry in this world as the human expectations are always a head then their imagination. So there is a bright scope for the Oberoi hotel groups which is very near and crystal clear. Bibliography: (2010). Retrieved APRIL 1, 2010, from NDTV: http://www.ndtv.com/news/cities/a-mumbai-hotel-reopens-grander-than-before-20545.php AGENCY, T. N. (2010, APRIL 24). TREND NEWS AGENCY. Retrieved MAY 1, 2010, from http://en.trend.az/regions/world/ocountries/1675687.html center of competitiveness. (2001). Retrieved 4 13, 2010, from http://www.cforc.org/newsdata/news.asp?StoryID=73 ITOPC. (n.d.). Retrieved 4 28, 2010, from ITOPC: http://www.itopc.org/travel-trade/new-hotels-in-pipeline.html Oberoi hotels and resorts. (2009). Retrieved 4 25, 2010, from http://www.oberoihotels.com/awards.asp SF Gate. (2010, APRIL 21). Retrieved MAY 1, 2010, from http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/04/21/bloomberg1376-L19D6Z1A1I4H-1.DTL STUDY UP. (2009). Retrieved 4 11, 2010, from STUDY UP: http://studyup.cut-the-knot.org/factors/externalenvironmentalfactors.html The Oberoi hotels and resorts. (2009). Retrieved 4 25, 2010, from http://www.oberoihotels.com/about_us/mission_and_vision.asp

Janie and the Pear Tree in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale H

Janie and the Pear Tree in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, the image of a pear tree reverberates throughout the novel. The pear tree is not only a representation of Janie's life - blossoming, death, metamorphosis, and rebirth - but also the spark of curiosity that sets Janie on her quest for self-discovery. Janie is essentially "rootless" at the beginning of her life, never having known her mother or father and having been raised by her grandmother, Nanny. Nanny even says to Janie, "Us colored folks is branches without roots and that makes things come round in queer ways" (Hurston, 16). Under a pear tree in Nanny's backyard, however, Janie, as a naà ¯ve sixteen-year-old, finds the possibilities of love, sexuality, and identity that are available to her. This image, forever reverberating in her mind through two unsuccessful marriages to Logan Killicks and Joe Starks, is what keeps Janie's spirit alive and encourages her quest for love and life. "It followed her throug h all her waking moments and caressed her in her sleep" (10). Under the pear tree on that spring afternoon, Janie sees sensuality wherever she looks. "The first tiny bloom had opened. It had called her to come and gaze on a mystery. From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom. It stirred her tremendously" (10). Gazing across the garden... ...ots her memory, the blossoms her dreams, and the branches her vision. After each unsuccessful marriage, she waits for the springtime pollen to be sprinkled over her life once again. Even after Tea Cake's death, she has a garden of her own to sit and revel in. Works Cited: Appiah, K.A. and Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. eds. Zora Neale Hurston: Critical Perspectives Past and Present. New York: Amistad Press, Inc., 1993. Bond, Cynthia. "Language, Sign, and Difference in Their Eyes Were Watching God." Appiah and Gates 204-17. Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, Inc., 1990. Wright, Richard. "Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937)." Appiah and Gates 16.

Why Should Marijuana be legalized

Discuss the system of checks and balances in the Canadian Political system. I. E. The relationship between the crown, the prime minister, the house of commons, the Senate and the Judiciary. Are these checks an effective way to manage political power In democratic Canada? 2) Thanks to a well-run campaign, The Party du Quobcoos narrowly won the 2014 Quebec provincial elections.It is now 201 5 and you have been asked by the party to write a referendum question that will satisfactorily address the Party's vision for Cubeb's future. How will you word that question and why? What objectives do you anticipate from Federalist forces? In answering these questions, be certain to reflect upon the Issues surrounding previous referendums In Quebec. 4) Canada is a federal rather than a unitary state. What does this mean? How deeply entrenched if Federalism in the Canadian constitutional order?In your answer, be certain to discuss the division of power between the federal and provincial government ( look at section 33, section 1 for question #3) 5) In the Canadian Senate an anachronistic relic of a bygone age? Does It perform any liable functions for the Canadian political system? Should it be reformed? If so, why? If not, why not? 6) Discus the polis CIA of terrorism: as a contestable political category, as a recurrent historical phenomenon, and as a modern policy concern.What do you make of Miller's argument: â€Å"That the costs of terrorism very often come mostly from the dear and consequent reaction (or overreaction) If characteristically Inspires (qualities stoked by terrorism industry) not from its direct effects which are unusually comparatively limited† In light of your discussion, what strategy would be most effective to reduce â€Å"terrorism violence†) 7)In a speech delivered In march 201 2, us president Barack Obama outlined us policy towards Iran. L reserve all options and my policy here Is not going to be one of containment; my policy is prevention of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons and as, I indiscriminately in my speech, when I say all options are on the table I mean it. Does nuclear proliferation represent a fundamental threat of world security? If so, what should be done about?. In answering this question be certain to explore the arguments of both proliferation

Italo Calvino

Saad Ahmed Prof. Frank Meola EN-2013W Assignment 3 Italo Calvino’s deceptively easy style of writing gives captivates the interest of the readers. He makes one simple tale interesting and well anchored. His writings are very well-constructed; it’s like the soft cotton inside the seed: Even if the topic is hard to think about, the writer makes it warm and soft and makes his point very clear to the reader. Italo Calvino not only writes short well-crafted tails but also focuses on real life and relates them to scientific aspects.An example of this can be Cosmicomics; one of his very popular books where the appearance of the characters were very simple. The writer synthesized the characters with his great scientific vision and humanized writing; also he was able to show how scientists might reflect their ability to work and handle science in order to have a great impact on human life. â€Å"It narrates the war adventures of a young street urchin, a boy of about twelve of t hirteen, mischievously wicked and at the same time native.Their mother is dead and their father has long abandoned them. Pin, who has no friends of his own age, fends for himself, working as a cobbler’s apprentice, stealing and getting free drinks from the men at the local taven†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pp 10-11). Siegel, Kristi explained the humanizing characteristics of Italo Calvino’s Cosmicomics in the above way. She pointed out how in Cosmicomics, Italo Calvino not only has focused on well-constructed science and its importance but also how it affects daily lives and how the affects can be improved and be made useful for human. Calvino modulates the novel on two distinct tones† (pp 14). â€Å"With this story Calvino dramatizes the ills of our society where all our values can be booth and sold and everything is valued in terms of production and consumption† (pp 35); The writer shows the great sight Calvino’s way of humanizing stories integrated by not onl y science but also by economics. Martin L. McLaughlin also described Calvino’s way of attaching science with human life. Alongside these scientific thematic, this early dialogue also evinces Calvino’s admiration for the two Italian writers for whom the moon and space had a special resonance, and who would become key literary models for the new Cosmicomics genre, Galileo and Leopardi. † (pp 82: Chapter 6). From the writers opinion on Italo Calvino, it can be recognized that he (I. C) was passionate about science and its huge domain of covering up the whole universe, but again he focused more on how these kind of scientific ideas are actually helping human and improving their abilities.In his book, â€Å"The Castle of Crossed Destinies†, Italo Calvino has attached fiction with great art and his aim was to improvise thinking skills. According to Great Science-Fiction & Fantasy Works, â€Å"In The Castle, the tarots that make up each story are arranged in a d ouble file, horizontal or vertical, and are crossed by three further double files of tarots (horizontal or vertical) which make up other stories.The result is a general pattern in which you can â€Å"read† three stories horizontally and three stories vertically, and in addition, each of these sequences of cards can also be read: in reverse, as another tale. Thus we have a total of twelve stories. † In his book t-zero, Italo Calvino showed how to humanize science again. He described his characters out of a mathematical formula and simple cellular structures. â€Å"Orbit? Oh, elliptical, of course† for a while it would huddle against us and then it would take flight for a while.The tides, when the Moon swung closer, rose so high nobody could hold them back. There were nights when the Moon was full and very, very low, and the tide was so high that the Moon missed a ducking in the sea by a hair’s-breadth; well, let’s say a few yards anyway. Climb up on the Moon? Of course we did. All you had to do was row our to it in a boat and, when you were underneath, prop a ladder against her and scramble up. † This couple of lines shows his great sense of organizing thoughts regarding fiction including human life.Robert M. Philmus has talked about Italo Calvino’s writing style and his ability to connect two separate items in one point. In his (Robert) book â€Å"Visions and re-visions: re-constructing science fiction, he mentioned, â€Å"Calvino’s habitual solemnity in addressing the public in propria persona as a critic confirms his comic vocation a fiction writer not just because these two Calvinos appear to be at odds with one another, but more because they together fit the usual psychological profile of the comedian. †In â€Å"Mapping complexity: literature and science in the works of Italo Calvino†, the writer Kerstin Pils showed another great example of Italo Calvinos way of conjugating science and hu manity together in his (I. C) book â€Å"Qfwfq†. In writer’s (K. P) own voice, â€Å"Qfwfq’s fear of disorder is mirrored by the Khan’s melancholic reflection that the feeling of pride that accompanies the conquest of vast territories is only a short-lived emotion that is quickly superseded by, What distresses him in the insight that the Second Law of Thermodynamics has pushed the universe and empire down a path of dissipation and disintegration.It is a destructive force that escapes the scepter of conquest and reason. † Italo Calvino has used science as a very common part of his stories. The way one character goes along, the writer has also improved science, economics and fiction the same way. His aim was to identify one bullet point in his stories and explain it to the readers in the simplest tale possible; also by adding his humorous approach and fiction based intense words. His support was towards the good deeds; but throughout his writings, he has left the final decision upon every mind after raising the question.Works Cited Siegel, Kristi. Italo Calvino’s Cosmicomics: Qfwfg’s Postmodern Autobiography. Robert M. Philmus. Visions and re-visions: (re)constructing science fiction. 10: ‘Elsewhere Elsewhen Otherwise’: Italo Calvino’s ‘Cosmicomics’ Tales, pp 190-223. Martin L. McLaughlin. Italo Calvino. Chapter 6: Experimental Space; The Cosmicomics Stories, pp 82-98. Kerstin Pilz. Mapping complexity: literature and science in the works of Italo Calvino, pp 80-120, pp 150-176. Beno Weiss. Italo CALVINO. University of South Carolina Press, 1933, pp 123-168.

How To Do A Competitive Analysis In Three Easy Steps + Free Template

How To Do A Competitive Analysis In Three Easy Steps + Free Template So your boss has come to you and said you need to do a competitive analysis. Maybe youve never done one before, or maybe its been a while and you need to brush up on your skills before you conduct another one. Either way, weve got your back. By the end of this post, you’re going to Learn what a competitive analysis is (and why you should care) Easily be able to conduct your own competitive analysis (because I’m breaking it down into three easy steps) Get an example of what one looks like (for easy reference later) AND be able to download your very own competitor analysis template down below. Let’s get to it. Learn How To Do A Competitive Analysis In Three Easy Steps + Free TemplateWhat Is A Competitive Analysis? If you've never done a competitive analysis before, this is a good place to start. Every business that I know of has competitors. (This isn't just for the Nike's of the world, because the smaller you are, the more vulnerable you are to the competition.) The smaller you are, the more vulnerable you are to competition, so get to that competitive...Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your competition is important to the success of your business. Besides better understanding the environment your business operates in, conducting regular competitive analyses also helps you: Understand how you can improve your own promotional tactics†¦ Forecast the future of the market (especially related to the economic climate)... Better target current customers†¦ AND helps you read new audiences. Said another way - conducting a competitor analysis is crucial to how you decide to operate your entire  business. Recommended Reading: How to Complete a Social Media Audit in 9 Steps (Free Template) Competitive Analysis Definition According to Entrepreneur, the competitive analysis definition is this: â€Å"Identifying your competitors and evaluating their strategies to determine their strengths and weaknesses relative to those of your own product or service.† Competitor analyses are more complex than just figuring out what your competitors are (or are not doing). They're about taking what you learn and improving your own business. After all, data that doesn't drive change is just a number. Data that doesn't drive change is just a number. Here's how to do a competitive analysis right.So without further ado†¦ Let’s jump into how to do a competitor analysis! How To Do A Competitive Analysis Performing a competitive analysis might seem like just  another task on your ever-increasing to-do list. And, while it might seem daunting at first, they're not that complicated and they are really beneficial. And to prove it - I’ve broken down how to do a competitive analysis in THREE (yes, just three) easy steps. Step 1: Identify Your Competitors This is an obvious first step. To start, perform a Google search of the products/services YOUR business offers, and take note of the results. For example, if you sell camping materials, you would type â€Å"camping tents, lantern, camping equipment, etc.† into the search engine, and then review the results, and compile a list of companies who also sell camping materials. It's important to be realistic about who your actual competitors are. Here are a couple of examples: If you’re a small business owner with a local brick-and-mortar women's clothing boutique, your competition is not the men’s retail store across the street (even though they are also selling clothing). The competition you should really focus on would be another women’s clothing store who is selling the exact same product as you. They are the ones who will have the largest impact on your success. OR If you’re a marketing agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota, your direct competition is other similar-sized marketing agencies in the area - not Ogilvy (a major advertising agency) in New York City. And once you feel confident about your pool of competitors, it’s on to the next step! Recommended Reading: 90 of the Best Marketing Quotes to Prove Every Point Step 2: Research Your Competitors After you’ve identified who your direct competitors are, it’s time to research them! This step is often the most time-consuming of the three, but it's also is the MOST important step. The data you collect here will directly impact the outcome of your analysis. The first phase of the research should be focused on the business of your competitors. Things you should look for include: Pricing strategies. Sales format. I.e. online or physical location? Product offering Next - you need to figure out why a customer would choose to purchase from your business and not one of your competitors. The best way to do this is to survey new /current customers. Recommended Reading: The Best Free Marketing Proposal Template That Will Get a Yes Here are a few questions you could ask new/current customers: What other business were you considering before you picked us? What do we have that our competitors did not have? Is there anything you wished we did have that our competitors do have? This honest feedback is one of the best ways to figure out how you stack up against your competitors in the eyes of your customers. Finally, you need to dig into their marketing materials and comb nearly every aspect of their website, social media and email communication. Here are the major things you need to consider: What are they doing with their marketing content? What are there overall strategies when it comes to demand generation, PR / social media, and product marketing? Who is their target audience? (I.e. Young professionals? College students? Professional marketers?) How many followers do they have on all the social networks? How are they positioning themselves in the market? (I.e. Are they the highest / lowest $$$ option?) Recommended Reading: The 30 Best Content Research Tips That Will Make You More Influential Step 3: Compare Your Business The last step is to compare yourself with your competitors. The best way to do this is by performing a SWOT analysis for each competitor, which helps you identify your own strengths and weaknesses, and in turn, identify your future opportunities and threats (this is where the term SWOT comes from). Once you’re done, you will have a clear picture of how you stack up against your competitors, and have all the information you need to decide what changes need to be made to optimize your business.

Demographic of Essex County Essay Essays

Demographic of Essex County Essay Essays Demographic of Essex County Essay Essay Demographic of Essex County Essay Essay Essex County is located in the North eastern portion of new New Jersey. The history of Essex county day of the months back to 1666 when 30 households from Connecticut established colony along the Bankss of Passaic river. Essex County was officially established in 1682 by east jersey legislative assembly. Essex County is 129. 631 square stat mis. The Geopolitical communities are designed by natural or human made boundaries ( Maurer and Smith. 2009 ) . It holds community safer for the occupants and the regulating organic structure. Essex County is bordered by human made boundaries. The conditions of the community fluctuates harmonizing to the seasons. The usual temperature throughout winter corsets within 24 to 42 grades Fahrenheit. In the summer. it hikes up. and ranges between at 68 to 85 Fahrenheit. Natural catastrophes like inundation. snowstorms. blizzards. heavy rains hurricanes. power indignation. H2O deficit common here. Essex county is the 2nd most dumb ly populated county in new New Jersey As of 2010 nose count population was 783969. The county is made up of 22 municipalities which are widely diverse embracing big inner-city communities. Essex’s county’s economic wealth is non distributed uniformly across all occupants. with big urban countries that include a big figure of hapless and minority populations with 11. 7 % county households had income below the poorness degree. As of 2011. 10. 8 % occupants were unemployed. Essex County is the first county in United States to make county broad park system. As of now 5. 745 estates of green infinite which includes huge reserves developed Parkss 21 one of them. The community has large golf classs and tennis tribunals In add-on to this. there are seasonal community carnivals and other community events that provide an juncture for community interaction. And there is proviso for motorcycle lanes. Fire section and constabulary section renders first-class service. The waste disposal and pest control section maintains healthy and hygienic environment. There are community Parkss. swimming pools. athleticss nine. and many other constitutions supplying comfortss to bac k up the physical and leisure activities of the occupants. The community has a large golf nines. In add-on to this. there are seasonal community carnivals and other community events that provide an juncture for community interaction. Interview with the Community wellness Nurse Melissa Garfield RN. BSN ( telephone Interview ) Conducted on 10/23/2014. Melissa works for Barnabas Health System at present she is a clinical supervisor who in charge of about 100 employees which includes registered nurses. respiratory healer. occupational and physical healer. They work really closely with the province and they are Medicare certified. What is your function in disease bar. surveillance and wellness Promotion? What stairss are you taking to alarm the community to educate them? The function of community wellness has changed greatly over the old ages. We play a really of import function in the community for bar of disease and publicity of wellness. They help in forestalling disease by community instruction and assist early sensing of a job. The greatest challenges we face has nil to make with the season of the twelvemonth. it is with infirmaries dispatching patients more rapidly to shorten the length of stay and the sharp-sig htedness of the patients in the community are much higher which necessitates the clinicians that are more skilled than of all time. As of now they have to take attention of patients with tracheotomy. nog tubing feeding. long term thorax tubings. nephrostomy tubings and ventilators and administer antibiotics. The occupation of the community wellness nurse is educate the household members how to take attention of their loved one at place. and what to make when there is exigency there is ever redundancy what to make when there is exigency. She gave the illustration of Hurricane sandy when they had to travel sing places of patients who were oxygen dependant. ventilator patients and patients with particular electronic beds and do certain they had electricity and if non they had to be moved to acute attention centre. For me that was the most ambitious thing I faced in the community. This transcends any season. At the minute it is season alteration and we have to do certain our homebound citizens and senior citizens for acquiring flu vaccinums and acquire them ready for winter devising certain they have entree to heat and hot H2O. Now we are besides educating the community about Ebola. What cultural groups do you cover with? Essex County is made up of really diverse race and civilization. There is no individual dominant civilization or race. We have African- American. White-Americans. Hispanic. and Asians. They visit all communities in the county ; they have bodyguards who are from the community who helps her when she goes home visiting. The lone place they are non allowed to travel is if they see anyone actively making drugs. or imbibing for safety grounds. What religious resources are available?The community wellness nurse has to esteem every faith. civilization and their manner of life and traditions as long it doesn’t cause any injury to the person. Essex County has churches of every denomination. temples. temples and mosques which are easy accessible. What are the five biggest wellness issues refering to Essex County? What is being done to educate the community for its bar? Heart Disease including congestive bosom disease. CancerStrokeBlood poisoningDiabetessThere are non-health related issues like homicide. violent offenses deaths hurts and mortality rates related to this are high in the community. The community wellness nurses organize community instruction in churches. senior citizen places and in grownup twenty-four hours attention centre and churches where they teach about diet. exercising. conformity with medicine and follow up with the doctors. They besides check blood force per unit area and sugars during this clip. Making certain people in the community follow healthy diet is challenge as this county has really high rate of fast nutrient articulations. Are you adequately funded? What would you wish to see more support for? We are insurance and Medicare dependant and if the patient doesn’t have insurance so it is charity attention. They organize fund raisers for malignant neoplastic disease bar. Every plan is of import to the community but more support is needed for preventative attentio n which in bend will advance wellness. What are some of the preventative plans organized Barnabas wellness community services? The function of community wellness nurse involves educating the community in bar of disease which in bend promotes wellness. Tobacco free lifePreventing drug maltreatment and inordinate intoxicant usageHealthy feedingInjury and force free lifeGenerative and sexual wellnessMental and emotional wellbeing.They besides have plan called† what’s in your bag† where they collaborate with the druggist in the community check the prescription medications the patients are taking and do certain there is no duplicates for illustration Norvasc and Amlodipine. They update the list of the medicine they are taking which helps when they go to the physicians or infirmary. They besides assist in the community in proper disposable of fresh and expired medical specialty. The nurse besides teaches how to hive away medicines particularly narcotics. They besides help in the immunisations of seniors particularly flu and pneumonia and preschool kids. The school nurse is in charge of doing cer tain the school age childs are up-to-date with immunisation. Are the wellness resources adequate in Essex County? She believes there are adequate wellness suppliers ; there are many infirmaries. emergent twenty-four hours attention centres and nurse practicians all are really easy accessible. The job is non adequate resources she believes people non doing usage of these resources. There are many persons with no insurance but they are neer denied attention. Essex County besides has price reduction prescription card which gives 20 % on prescription medicine. What is the function of a community wellness in sing to mental wellness? She is non specialized in this field but they do hold separate division who takes attention of these person this squad consists of behavioural wellness nurses and healer. They do measure the patients if they need these services and mention them consequently. Essex County has a large psychopathology infirmary whose mission is to supply evidence-based attention to advance patient recovery and return to community. Diet and Exercise Fleshiness rates have doubled among kids and tripled in striplings and grownups. Besides our community has really high rate of fast nutrient eating house. The chief of community wellness nurse is educating the community on healthy diet and the importance of exercising. Our community has tonss of Parkss and unfastened infinites. athleticss centre which are good equipped but under used. There besides community swimming pools. The community wellness nurses do non form any activities in sing to exert. but the county has many such plan which begin in spring with red flower festival. they conduct endurance contests. bike siting competitions’ and hikings and cantonment outs during summer of which Barnabas wellness is a large patron. Are they any nutrition lack in the community? Does the community provide safe imbibing H2O? Most common job are Vitamin D lack. There are many communities which live below poorness and many are stateless. But there are many organisations which help them like soup kitchens. nutrient casts. repasts on wheels for place edge citizens. churches and many communities. Schools provide subsidised rate or free in some instances breakfast and tiffins to the kids. Farmers markets and community garden where one can turn fresh veggies and fruits in summer. Tap H2O is safe for imbibing which checked sporadically and study of which is sent to all occupants. 11. What is the function of a Community wellness nurse in relation to environmental issues such as heat aid. chilling Stationss. pest control. waste disposal. and common air contaminations? Essex County has an environmental nurse that follows the Human Health Hazard Ordinance. This regulation is for covering with wellness jeopardies that are happening on the exterior of the place and could potentially impact other members of the community. They work closely with town and municipality workers. They inspect the places for rats or any insect’s bed bugs. They besides observe how the refuse is being disposed. Overall the nurse’s occupation is to see if the occupant is safe in their place. She besides checks if the patient is oxygen dependant there is cipher in the house smoke. from single position she besides checks if they have working fire dismaies. They check to see if they have proviso for heat in winter. There is really good waste direction system in the county. They have refuse and recycle bins in all public infinites. The environments risky waste and electronic waste is being collected by the county one time in three months from the community or it can be taken to the disposable centre by the occupant. The community nurse plays no function in this. 12. What sort of gender plans are available e. g. growing and development. STD and AIDS instruction. contraceptive method options. Is there sufficient entree to deliver control. support groups for pregnant adult females and new parents? What are the statistics for birth rates. abortion and abortion? Essex County works with Planned Parenthood. the gestation crisis hot-line. the Family Resource Center and Early Head Start plans. There is disparity among child birth and adolescent gestation. Low and low birth weight among Afro-american babes born is higher than other racial/ cultural group. Adolescent gestation is more in lower socio-economic groups. The school nurses provide sex instruction to the childs from simple. There are many plans for maternal and child wellness. They support them and acquire necessary aid needed in caring the babe and themselves. 13. How do you help in catastrophe direction planning? Are at that place other bureaus you work with? Essex County nurses work with constabularies. fire and EMS from all the metropoliss and towns in the county. The nurses participate in catastrophe direction bore a few times a twelvemonth. Our other function in catastrophe direction is to maintain a list of forces that may be needed to assist when a catastrophe occurs. The list is reviewed and updated annually. This list includes: Long-run attention installations VeterinarianClinics and infirmarySchoolsChurchsSummer cantonmentsParish nursesHome attention bureausWater and energy installations such a Alliant Energy Power Station† 14. What are the Cognitive/ perceptual degree of the community? The Essex County is home to big ethnic/ racial group. The chief linguistic communication is English but there is big figure of occupants about 20 % of who don’t speak English. The community nurses use linguistic communication line to pass on with the patient or person from the household who knows the linguistic communication acts as the transcriber. Essex County is home to five public and five private colleges. There is a great push to alter the instruction system and acquire the kids back to school. The alumnus rate is 64 % for the county which is low comparing to other counties in the province. 15. What is the self-perception / self- construct in the community? Are the occupants happy? I don’t cognize how to reply that. You know we bo th live in the same county there is large disparities how the economic wealth is distributed. There are big urban countries with hapless and minority population. and some below poorness degree. The county is making a batch to do certain all occupants have equal chances. Like in the library they have activities for senior citizens ; they besides have activities for school age and kindergartners. They play a large function ] in summer reading plan. The county besides has free coaching in summer for athleticss activities like tennis and football. Each community in summer organizes film dark. There are equal chances for all. In certain communities in the county the violent offense rate and homicide rate is high compared to other counties in the province. There is besides large job with substance maltreatment. Due to which exigency room visits for substance maltreatment are high in the county. The households populating in these countries face dangers which causes emphasis. Role and relationship The people of the community continue to keep respectful and healthy relationships with neighbours. The kids are concerted with one another and keep regard towards seniors and higher governments. such as instructors. Local occupants aid the older occupants. particularly during snow storm. The local constabulary and firemans offer countless services for the community. We ended our interview by her stating there are many services available in the community which the occupants are non cognizant of. They besides need more skilled nursing staff as the sharp-sightedness of patients in the community is high. Mentions:The county of Essex New New Jersey. World Wide Web. Essex-county New Jersey. org Essex county speedy facts from U S nose count agency. Retrieved from quickfacts. nose count. gov/qfd/states/†¦/34013.

How to Ask Polite Questions in English

How to Ask Polite Questions in English There are three types of questions in English: direct, indirect, and question tags. Direct and indirect questions are used to ask for information you do not know, while question tags  are generally used to clarify or confirm the information you think you know. Each of these three question types  can be used politely, but certain indirect forms are more formal and polite than other types of questions. One form to avoid when asking for things is the imperative form. Saying Give me that (imperative) instead of Could you give me that (indirect) puts you at risk of sounding rude. To learn more about how to ask polite questions, and use each form correctly, check out the overview below. Asking Direct Questions Direct questions are either yes/no questions such as Are you married?  or information questions such as Where do you live? Direct questions ask for information immediately without including  extra language such as I wonder or Can you tell me. Construction Direct questions place the helping verb before the subject of the question:   (Question word) Helping Verb Subject Verb Objects ? Where do you work?Are they coming to the party?How long has she worked for this company?What are you doing here? Making Direct Questions Polite Direct questions can seem abrupt or even impolite at times, especially when asked by a stranger. For example, if you come up to someone and ask: Does the tram stop here?What time is it?Can you move?Are you sad? There is nothing wrong with asking questions in this manner, but to sound more polite, its very common to add excuse me or pardon me at the beginning of a question. For example: Excuse me, when does the bus leave?Excuse me, what time is it?Pardon me, which form do I need?Pardon me, may I sit here? Key Words That Make Direct Questions More Polite In informal situations, one could use the word can in a direct sentence. In the United States, can is considered to be incorrect for written English in particular because, in the past, it was not a word used when asking for something. Saying May I have instead of Can I have is preferred in the U.S. In the United Kingdom, the word is not frowned upon. Cambridge University publishes English teaching materials with the phrase Can you lend me, Can I have, etc. In both countries, questions with can are made more polite by using could: Excuse me, could you help me pick this up?Pardon me, could you help me?Pardon me, could you give me a hand?Could you  explain this to me? Would can also be used to make questions more polite: Would you lend me a hand with the wash?Would you mind if I sat here?Would you let me borrow your pencil?Would you like something to eat? Another way of making direct questions more polite is to add please at the end of the question. Please should not appear at the beginning of the question: Could you fill in this form, please?Could you help me, please?Can I have more soup, please? May is used as a formal means to ask for permission and is very polite. It is usually used with I, and sometimes we. May I come in, please?May I use the telephone?May we help you this evening?May we make a suggestion? Asking Indirect Questions to Be Especially Polite Using indirect question forms is especially polite. Indirect questions request the same information as direct questions, but they are considered more formal. Notice that  indirect questions  begin with a phrase (I wonder, Do you think, Would you mind, etc.). Construction Indirect questions always begin with an introductory phrase and unlike direct questions, they do not invert the subject. To form an indirect question,  use an introductory phrase followed by question words for information questions, and if or whether for yes/no questions. Introductory Phrase Question Word/If/Whether Subject Helping Verb Main Verb? Can you tell me where he plays tennis?I wonder if you know what time it is.Do you think she will be able to come next week?Excuse me, do you know when the next bus leaves? Introductory phrase question word (or if) positive sentence I wonder if you could help me with this problem.Do you know when the next train leaves?Would you mind if I opened the window? NOTE: If you are asking a yes-no question, use if to connect the introductory phrase with the actual question statement. Do you know if she will come to the party?I wonder if you can answer a few questions.Can you tell me if he is married? Otherwise, use a question word where, when, why, or how to connect the two phrases. Using Question Tags for Clarification Question tags turn statements into questions. Depending on the intonation of the voice, they are used to verify information that we think is correct or to ask for more information. If the voice goes up at the end of the sentence, the person is asking for more information. If the voice drops, someone is confirming information that is known. Construction We can understand question tags as having two parts separated by a comma. The first part uses the subject followed by a helping verb as used in direct questions (Has she). The second part uses the opposite form of the helping verb followed by the same subject (Hasnt she). Subject Helping verb Objects ,   Opposite Helping Verb Subject? You live in New York, dont you?She hasnt studied French, has she?Were good friends, arent we?Ive met you before, havent I? Polite Questions Quiz First, identify which type of question is asked (i.e. direct, indirect, or question tag). Next, provide a missing word to fill in the gap to complete the question. Can you tell me ______ you live?They wont attend this class, _____ they?I wonder ______ you like chocolate or not.______ me, what time does the train leave?Excuse me, _____ you help me with my homework?Do you know how long Mark _____ been working for that company?_____ I make a suggestion?Excuse me, do you know _____ the next show begins? Answers wherewillif/whetherExcuse/Pardoncould/wouldhasMaywhen / what time

The Increasingly Changing Immigration Policies Research Paper

The Increasingly Changing Immigration Policies - Research Paper Example The ‘Geneva Convention’ provided refuge to millions of Refugees in the post world war period until the Cold War of the 1980s and it set the basis of immigration policies and laws in most of the countries. But in the post-Cold War period till today it has been faced with a number of issues and as a result of a number of member states especially the European countries have begun straying away from the basic policy, in order to block the huge flow of migrants every year due to the insufficiencies of the convention. It is an undeniable fact that the ‘Geneva Convention’ was the foundation of the Refugee protection regime and was the one truly universal instrument that gave basic principles on which the international protection of Refugees was built. But the essence of disapproval of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention is that it is archaic. The treaty was formulated in and for a specific era. While Western countries' refuge structures might have managed well enough un til the end of the Cold War, they were not intended to counter the current mass refugee outflows and migratory activities. The United Kingdom had a long custom of migration. Due to its ownership of a large number of colonies all over the world, the UK has been the centre for asylum seeker, working immigrants and refugees. Despite the huge influx of refugees in the UK even in the post-cold war period, the policy system was rather reactive in nature and a decentralized approach was maintained to the refugee issue until 1993. Politicization of the migration policies in most of the European countries since 1970s was rather less intensified in the UK’s case.

LITERATURE REVIEW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

LITERATURE REVIEW - Essay Example According to Gupta (2012), the systolic BP as well as the heart rate of old people is higher as compared to their counterparts who are in pre-retirement age. He attributes the above physiological characteristics to increased stress, anxiety, and depression amongst the old people. He argues that participation in cognitive activities could help old people counterweigh the physiological factors. Rockwood, Mitnitski and Rockwood (2010), did a research to test if deficit accumulation leads to loss of redundancy. They tested the relationship between age and FI-CGA. They found out that deficit accumulation decreases with increasing frailty, a state of helplessness arising due to old age. Nelson et al (2007) posit that the older people require to be engaged in exercise to improve their health as they age. Their report argues that America incurs a lot of cost treating the old people of diseases resulting from inactivity. They thus recommend inclusion of exercise programs for the old to help o ffset ailments such as cardiovascular complications, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cancers such as of colon and breast. Additionally they argue that exercise helps reduce stress and depression, which trigger other diseases. Psychological Characteristics Loneliness, which is a common aspect characterizing the life of most old people is a major cause of many psychological as well as physiological problems. In most cases, loneliness contributes to depression, which is associated with declined cognitive capability particularly among the old people. Luanaigh & Lawlor (2008) suggest the need for research on possible interventions that could be used to decrease loneliness amongst the old. Dozeman et al (2009) suggest that old people, particularly those above 75 years are more vulnerable to depression. Their study on the prevalence of depressive symptoms across different ages showed that clinically related depressive symptoms are considerably high amongst the old people. They claim that such depressive symptoms are disadvantageous because they lead to reduced quality of life and make the old persons vulnerable to other conditions such as dysthymia. Sociological Characteristics According to Eliutina (2012), the problems faced by the old couples have received minimal attention by researchers. Their study showed that the number of old couples has decreased rapidly over the recent past due to increased death rate of men. After the death of their spouses, few widows choose to remarry due to fear of divorce. Additionally, the study revealed that old couples are often despised by the society and are given minimal attention. The old thus end up suffering of depression. The old couples are also likely to face individual differences among themselves, which call for the need for sociopsychological support programs to help the old people. Since most old people suffer from physiological as well as psychological problems, there is need for establishment of social programs such a s physical fitness programs to aid the old persons in the society (Meadows, Marechal & Catalan, 1998). Current Health and Activity Status When people get older, they become frail and dependent. Gurina, Frolova & Degryse (2011) categorize the health problems facing the old people. T

Marketing - past, present and future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Marketing - past, present and future - Essay Example The objectives, goals and targets of marketing have to be monitored and met. The competitor strategies must be evaluated, estimated and exceeded. It is only through the effective use of market and its research that an organization can identify its customer’s needs and wants and try to deliver the value its customer wants .It is very important for the organization to ensure that its customers are satisfied. Marketing uses the process of exchange to give the customers the value they desire on their products and services. Exchange transaction requires the customer to exchange value (money) for the product or services that completely satisfy their needs. Clearly, the greater the benefit provided the higher transactional value an organization can charge. It is thus the process by which companies create customer interest in their goods or services. As an activity marketing can only take place where there is a market. It refers to the activity through which exchanges are undertaken. Marketing can be perceived as a social and managerial process through which the customers get what they want. They do it through the process of creating, offering and exchanging products of value for money. Marketing can be considered as a function; It is a philosophy that has an impact on the over-all dealings of an organization with the marketplace. (David M. Reid. (1980). 19-23.) (Rick Wise, Niren Sirohi. (2005).8-13.) The need for marketing rose as a result of the increasing needs, wants and demands of the customers. Needs are a basic requirement for human survival, while wants are the specific means by which individuals’ satisfy their needs. The term, value is one of the most important notions in marketing. It is the difference between the total costs of making a purchase and the total benefits received. In short, it accounts for both, the benefits that a customer gets by making a purchase and also the costs it incurs in the process ( both the money cost and

Linear Model and Nonlinear Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Linear Model and Nonlinear Model - Essay Example This model can then be used in predicting the dependent variable values based on the independent variable values. In measuring the association strength between X and Y variables, correlation analysis is applied. Generally, when plotting for the line of best fit, the concept of the least squares is applied. Interpretation of the slope of the line of best fit is usually done in algebra i.e. -0.008/1. The slope represents a ratio that exists between the Y and X variable in that a change in Y per change in X is represented by the ratio. From the equation above, As the X- variable value increases by 1, the Y-variable value decreases by 0.008. In the context of the question, as the years increases by 1, the winning times of the Summer Olympics, 200m Breaststroke women swimming decreases by 0.008. This implies that the units of the slope of the line are determined by the units of the Y-variable per the units of the X-variable. The Coefficient of determination (R squared) is an indication of how well the points of data fit on a regression line. In most cases, the main role of the R squared in statistical models is to predict future outcomes or to test for the hypotheses. This coefficient is used to determine how proportionate the variance of one variable is from another from the model. Usually, the value should range between 0

What are the major problems with the evolutionist practice of Essay - 1

What are the major problems with the evolutionist practice of classifying cultures into stages of progressive development - Essay Example 87). This evolutionary progression of societies and cultures was highly applauded, as most anthropologists touted it as the preeminent means of truly understanding the societal setting in terms of development. Through this, such social anthropologists and theorists as Henry Morgan highly relied on this conception of social evolutionism to describe the various developmental stages that societies and cultures were undergoing. This position perceived societal and cultural differences as being the result of the given societies undergoing varied stages of the social evolutionistic phases (Evans-Pritchard 2004, p. 112). However, with the continued research and analysis, speculations have arisen over the realism of this social theory of classifying cultures into varied developmental stages. The emerging contemporary view on this was that the theory has imperfections and cannot be fully referred to in explanation of the cultural diversities and differences that exist (Kuper 1988, p. 199). While the earlier anthropologists held the view that societal development took place as a single entity, subsequent social anthropologists are of the view that this societal development is variant upon each soci ety, with each exhibiting its own levels of developmental stages distinct from others. In delimiting the shortcomings of the evolutionist practice of classifying cultures into subsequent stages of progressive development, classical theorists argue that the theory fails to look at the varying environments in which the different societies are traced. This provides a possible perspective from which the social evolutionism theory fails to fully capture the manner in which societies are set. Furthermore, such early anthropologists as Edward Taylor specifically relied upon information from indigenous cultures, and drew conclusions from such findings and generalizing them to the

Homeless vietnam veterans and what is being done to help them Essay

Homeless vietnam veterans and what is being done to help them - Essay Example According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, the number of homeless Vietnam era veterans exceeds the number of fatalities that occurred during the war. Statistics show that forty seven percent of the homeless veterans served during the Vietnam Era. At present there are more than 200 community-based veteran organizations, besides the federal and state agencies in the United States, that are working toward providing the best possible care to these unfortunate war veterans. Besides these there are also some organizations in Australia, Canada, and South Korea that are helping the homeless veterans in their nation. Many of them have quite an impressive achievement record. There has been a lot of support and a vast number of people have benefited from the various programs. But statistics still show that more than 600,000 veterans are homeless at some point during the year. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) The VA was one of the first organizations that extended its wholehearted a nd sincere support to the homeless Vietnam War Veterans. ... Over the years, the VA has launched many new programs, which dealt with specific problems faced by the war veterans (NCHV Releases FY 2010 Annual Report, 2011). Project CHALLENG In 1994, the VA launched the project CHALENG, which assessed the needs of the homeless veterans living in a particular area and then focused on their health care, education, job assessment, training, placement, and counseling. It also prepared a list of all the homeless services in the local area and encouraged coordinated services, which proved to be much more beneficial than individual efforts (HUD, VA Release Supplemental Report on Veteran Homelessness, 2011). Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program This program reaches out to the thousands of homeless people who are currently not receiving any kind of benefits and so are most vulnerable. Prompt assistance is offered and the fundamentals problems that led to homelessness are addressed. They are then provided with individual care that includes getti ng physical and mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and help finding food, shelter, clothing and transportation (Homeless Veterans, n.d.). HCHV/Grant Per Diem Program The purpose of this program is to fund community agencies that provide services to the homeless veterans. It promotes the development of supportive housing for the homeless veterans to achieve residential stability. This program provides grants through a competitive process for up to 65% of the costs of construction, renovation, or acquisition of a building for use as service centers or transitional housing for the homeless Veterans. The VA has recently founded a National Call Center. This Homeless Veterans hotline ensures that the homeless Veterans or

What are the major problems with the evolutionist practice of Essay - 1

What are the major problems with the evolutionist practice of classifying cultures into stages of progressive development - Essay Example 87). This evolutionary progression of societies and cultures was highly applauded, as most anthropologists touted it as the preeminent means of truly understanding the societal setting in terms of development. Through this, such social anthropologists and theorists as Henry Morgan highly relied on this conception of social evolutionism to describe the various developmental stages that societies and cultures were undergoing. This position perceived societal and cultural differences as being the result of the given societies undergoing varied stages of the social evolutionistic phases (Evans-Pritchard 2004, p. 112). However, with the continued research and analysis, speculations have arisen over the realism of this social theory of classifying cultures into varied developmental stages. The emerging contemporary view on this was that the theory has imperfections and cannot be fully referred to in explanation of the cultural diversities and differences that exist (Kuper 1988, p. 199). While the earlier anthropologists held the view that societal development took place as a single entity, subsequent social anthropologists are of the view that this societal development is variant upon each soci ety, with each exhibiting its own levels of developmental stages distinct from others. In delimiting the shortcomings of the evolutionist practice of classifying cultures into subsequent stages of progressive development, classical theorists argue that the theory fails to look at the varying environments in which the different societies are traced. This provides a possible perspective from which the social evolutionism theory fails to fully capture the manner in which societies are set. Furthermore, such early anthropologists as Edward Taylor specifically relied upon information from indigenous cultures, and drew conclusions from such findings and generalizing them to the

Dance Critique Essay Example for Free

Dance Critique Essay Ballet â€Å"Cry† simply showed to us real life of all African women. Every single American people know what kind of life they went through. Therefore it touched their heard. Alvin Ailey’s â€Å"Cry† presented wonderfully combined movements, technique and emotion. Ms. Donna Wood uses tragic face, a mask of sorrow. It is a face born to cry, but when she smiles it is with an innocent radiance, joyfulness that simple and lovely. She never tries consciously to please an audience. He was not only concentrating in movements and physical performance, but also using flowing white gown with a long white scarf for the dancer. A long sleeve white blouse is slim, to show the dancers body. Especially her movement and technique. It made dance more interesting to audience. This beautiful piece of modern dance consists of three sections. Ms. Donna Wood performed solo dance for 16 minutes from section to section. Her ways through the dance are different in movement quality that she gives to each passage. In this tribute to black women, the free sprit or the African women comes through in the energy of her dancing. In the first section started on dark stage, only dancer has a spotlight. Music was soft and smooth. We could hear only piano while dancer was walking forward in straight posture with graceful movement. Started with smooth then mixed up with sharp and pedestrian movements. She uses long white scarf on the floor by showing to us hard work. In dance we say †low† level. For example, she scrubs the floor, uses as a headband representing to carry something. Emotionally sad ness, she worked hard, she contracts in pain, she flutters her hands like captive birds and she tried to get out of struggling life, but she never gives up. There is pain here as well as power, and the music, so oddly modern to me. In the end of the first section she starts picking up her dress, shows her leg and fills the stage. Basically first part of work showed their slaver life and unhappy living. In the second section background lightening became blue and the stage color gets brighter. Still we can see and feel some dark sides of lightening. Music tempo was faster and stronger and Ms. Donna Wood has stronger movements. The most interesting in this section was singing human voice. She starts to sing and has a little smile on her face. Most of her movement shape was very sharp, edgy and angled especially her arms at first. She represents them to be united and get free. By jumping and crossing arms, she sinks to earth and then she rises. Strong steps and ecstatically raised arms, dances freely off the stage, toward freedom. In short, in this part of work the young women life get better and better, but still it wasn’t completed. In the third section Ms. Donna Wood looks like an African goddess and her body has an unexpected gracefulness. Even stage color was bright reddish, warm atmosphere around the dancer, like a sunrise in the morning. Stage would fill with colors. Music and performer are singing together. A sound of music tempo gets faster. She has the happiest face ever, no pain and no slavery. She jumps, she swings her leg and arms, and even she pulls her dress up and shows her leg an entire dance. Sound and lightening create the environment and good mood. She uses high level of dance than in previous two sections. She moves in between melody. I liked how she uses the stage in this section. She has the high energy to cover so much space by dancing alone. Finally, Ms. Donna Wood gives us her version of black power and black pride in â€Å"be free†. In conclusion, the solo dance â€Å"Cry† performed by Ms. Donna Wood has 3 sections for 16 minutes work. An African women’s journey through the agonies of slavery to an ecstatic stage of grace. She dances with an articulated beauty, serene, together and womanly. She holds herself a little aloof from the audience, but she is reserved rather than shy. She is wonderfully proud, from the poise of her head set perfectly on a long, strong neck. The simplicity of the staging was exemplary, and the lighting made most telling contribution in varying the effect of each section and matching work. Ms. Donna Wood’s angular, cleanly shaped gestures slashed through the air for an exciting finale. Alvin Ailey made it for her and as a birthday present for his mother.

The Definition Of Supportive Leadership Management Essay

The Definition Of Supportive Leadership Management Essay INTRODUCTION Leadership is defined as a process of influencing people to accomplish the mission, inspiring their commitment, and improving the organisation ( www.mindef.gov.sg 4/12/09 ). As defined leadership is a continuous process it is a chain of influencing and achieving. Moreover leadership is basically depends on the behavior of a leader, it means the way leader handles the group it can be charismatic leadership where followers are truly depend on the leader with high vision, participative leadership where followers are allowed to take part in group discussions and they participate in the final decision, directive leadership where leader is strict with his rules and give directions, supportive leadership where leader consider followers problems and grievances or reward and punishment leadership where reward or punishment is given on the basis of final task results. In this assignment the main objective is to come up with my own leadership style and to show how effective it is in terms of handling change. Also the important aspect of this assignment is to show the factors which help the change to get the tag of effective change. SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP The leadership style I use to follow is Supportive leadership because according to me the followers are as important as task. The goals can only be achieve with the help of followers if followers are facing any problem either in their personal life or under organization roof the affect of that problem can be clearly measured from their task results. Moreover I use self made theory in my leadership which is Get addict an achieve , according to this a person can achieve any thing but the conditions is that the person must be addicted to it. If followers are facing any grievances they can not be addicted towards achievement. Supportive leader in my way does not only mean handling grievances of followers but I call myself supportive leader because I plan my tactics towards achieving a goal according to the followers ability and skills moreover according to their willingness and motivation towards work. Supportive leadership is It leads people: It doesnt drive them. It involves them: It d oesnt coerce them. It never loses sight of the most important principle governing any project involving human beings: namely, that people are more important than things, ( Kriyananda, www.crystalclarity.com 4/12/09 ). Supportive leadership is working along with followers guiding them helping them instead of working ahead of them. Human beings are most important aspect of this type of leadership. According to me this leadership can be done effectively if leaders treat followers as one who work with him rather work for him. Being the basket ball captain for two consecutive years I applied my leadership style and maintained a team. My basket ball team called Descent Killerz was one of the most conflicted team. Being the youngest in the team I learned a lot about my team members , the team was on loosing streak and the main problem of the team was conflicts between team members. The coach of the team had tried all his best efforts to improve the team and reduce the conflicts but he was failed. I was youngest in the team and new member as well, my friendly nature helped me making friendship with all of the players of my team. My understanding ability made me the favourite in the team members, ignoring my problem of unable to make dunks, the team let me play for them. Sooner I was appointed as a captain of the team only because of my supportive nature and supportive leadership behavior. I was the one who solved the conflicts of the team as every player was frank with me and use to share his problem which helped me to understand the main problem of conflicts which was a poor formation. Players were playing in a poo r formation which was disturbing them, some of the times defenders were used in attack which was uncomfortable for the players. I had a talk about this with my coach and he changed the formation according to the abilities of the players which eliminated the conflicts between the team players and I achieved a team with decency and named it Descent Killerz. My style of leadership i.e. supportive leadership was proved efficient at that time. And according to me this type of leadership behavior always come up with efficiency in achieving the goals. TYPES OF SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS Showing concern for followers need : A supportive leader should concern the needs of followers and then try to fulfil them for increasing the efficiency of the followers. Being considerate and understanding : Understanding the problems of followers and them try to eliminate them makes the supportive leadership in action. Showing trust and respect : As supportive leader works with followers so the main responsibility of such leader is to respect his followers and trust them. ( www.skagitwatershed.org 4/12/09 ) Being friendly informative, and encouraging : Supportive leader should be friendly with his followers and try to provide as information as he can to make the employees efficient and most importantly he should always encourage his followers towards achievement of goals. Being sympathetic to others problems : Supportive leaders should be sympathetic toward the problems of followers if they are not serious towards the problems of their followers they will not share their problems with the leader then. Helping followers develop abilities and careers : Supportive leaders are the one who help the followers to improve their abilities and advise them toward a good career. SITUATIONAL FACTORS THAT ENHANCES SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP FOLLOWERS CHARACTERISTICS : Low self confidence Low self esteem Insecurity Expectations that leader will be supportive High growth need TASK CHARACTERISTICS Dissatisfying Stressful Highly structured Requires creativity Requires learning ORGANIZATIONAL GROUP CHARACTERISTICS External conflict Newly formed group Cohesive group with shared beliefs in leader Formal plans, goals procedures Mission emphasizing human services Authoritarian superior SITUATIONAL FACTORS THAT NEUTRALIZE SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP Dogmatic Followers Large Size of Group High Level Job Broad Task Scope FACTORS OF MANAGING CHANGE IN AN ORGANIZATION : The factors that contribute to effectiveness of leadership in relation to managing change in an organization are as follow : Followers support : if a change is supported by the followers it makes an easy task for a leader to manage that change. For example if change is less absenteeism and followers are supporting this change by reducing their number of leaves. Followers understanding : one of the most important thing is understanding . If followers are understanding the change it becomes easy for followers to follow the change. Moreover an understandable change becomes more easy for a leader to manage. Followers trust : followers who trust their leaders will always trust any change made by their leader. As an organization is made on trust between people it is one of the most important thing. As trust-able leaders are always welcome by followers so does their changes Situation : the situational factor can help a leader to manage a change easily as the change always depends on the situation it is arrived on. For example if employees were feeling a hectic schedule and them leader come up with change in timings and breaking the schedule with certain breaks, this type of change depends on the situation. Rules : if a change comes as a rule of company it becomes too easy for a leader to manage it as it is compulsory to follow it. For example if company comes as change in rules for not allowing smoking in premises it becomes compulsory to be follow by followers without an argue. Acceptance : If change is accepted by the followers it is easy to manage it. For example if the change is in timings of lunch and followers accept it then there is no need to worry about managing that change by a leader. Expectations : if the change is according to the expectations of the employees then there is no need to manage that change. For examples staff was demanding 15 days vacations in the time of Christmas and new year and company agrees on it then their will be no need to mange such a change. Superiors support : if the change created by a leader is supported by its superior then it become less hectic for leader to manage it. But if superiors are against the change then it is difficult for leader to mange it. For example if leader says that every body should be their in office by 8.30 in the morning and its superior comes at 10 am it becomes difficult for him to handle. Feedback : the most important aspect of managing is feedback as it comes as a report card to the manager for his performance and if the result is not good it indicates that there is need for better management. CONCLUSION In conclusion it can be said that how effective is the supportive leadership is. Supportive leadership not only help followers to work efficiently but it also provides bundles of knowledge to the leader as supportive leadership behavior helps leader to interact with each and every of his follower. Supportive leadership can be used mostly but it can be non-effective where the number of followers are many, as a leader can not create personal relations with huge number of followers. In the assignment I shared my own personal experience with this type of leadership and for me this leadership behavior was a huge success.

William Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- Tragedy of Hamlet

William Shakespeare's Hamlet 'Hamlet' is a play written by William Shakespeare in late 15th or early 16th century. The main character Hamlet faces many difficulties, which cause him to doubt life, question death and look at human characters. The main problem, which in turn leads to others along his journey, is when he encounters his dead father in the form of a ghost. He tells Hamlet of his murder by his brother who is now married to his widowed wife, Hamlets Uncle and Mother. Hamlet spends the play trying to avenge his father's death and it is questionable to whether he does. In this essay I aim to examine Hamlet's state of mind and personality within four incidents. From there I will analyse any changes that I believe Hamlet to make and why I think they happen. My four chosen incidents are; Hamlets plan for a play (Act two Scene two), Hamlet's famous 'to be or not to be' speech and conversation with Ophelia (Act three Scene one), the death of Polonius in Gertrude's closet (Act three Scene four), and finally, when the news of Ophelia's death reaches Hamlet and leads into a confrontation with her brother, Laertes (Act five Scene one). To analyse the changes in the character of Hamlet it must first be considered how he deals with the news of his father's death before further revelations are revealed and then track his thoughts and actions as the play progresses. It must be determined if there is evidence of Hamlet being suicidal over the death of his father without such events as his 'antic disposition' in the way. We must also decide if Hamlet was insane, before or at any point through the play. Finally, why does Hamlet fe... ... very much alike, both nosey and very wordy. It provides mental recognition for Hamlet that he is changing and his childish way, from such scenes as Gertrude's closest, are not needed anymore. It also provides Hamlet with a thirst for blood and shows him what actions he is capable of. I believe it to be a second key scene for Hamlet. Finally, I think Hamlet is undeveloped emotionally and finds it very hard to deal with his father's death and to hear he was murdered destroys Hamlets life. I feel great empathy with him and understand why he may appear suicidal and mad to some, whereas I do not agree. I think he does remarkably well to deal with the situation and do no think that I could. I don't think he does revenge his father's murder but does not need to. He is a very interesting character who emerges victorious.

Intellectual Property, Copyright, Authorship, and Individuality in Music and Print Culture :: Intellectual Property Copyright Authorship

Intellectual Property, Copyright, Authorship, and Individuality in Music and Print Culture When the alphabet was invented, spoken epics could be converted into an abstract representation - writing. The experience of the spoken epic poem could be transformed into written format. Although books can be read aloud and therefore retain some similarity to the communal nature of the oral tradition, books can also be read silently in solitude, emphasizing the individual reader. Among the many functions that Roger Chartier has attributed to the figure of the author is not only the role of creator to the content, but also to appropriate ownership of that creation to whomever owns the property rights to that content (36). Copyright law protects the specific manifestations of ideas and facts, but not those ideas and facts themselves. When commemoration was no longer used to experience memory, individual authors came to be recognized as readers became less participatory in the process of getting meaning from the work. The author as creator became an individual who gave meanin g to an audience fragmented by the ability of the written word to separate its readers from one another. The author serves as a meeting point for individual readers to receive meaning, whereas in pre-literate times, this meaning would have been constructed by a the entire group in the immediacy of the performance. In terms of property ownership, one parallel in music was the development of an agreed upon system of notes, scales, and representations of musical sounds and timings. This musical alphabet was necessary to write down scores of music, whether the ancient Egyptian's "music of the spheres" or Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. It serves to organize noise into a format that is accepted as the creation of a musician. As Albert Borgmann writes, "The identity and integrity of a piece of music can be underwritten by a score only if there is a complete and authoritative score" (94). This means that a written account of a performed piece is only equal in validity to the performed piece if some amount of authority is granted the former. The composer/author of the piece serves as the source of this authority. However, if there is no score, the identity and integrity of the piece must lie in its performance. In this case, it is the performers of the actual song that constitute it's integrity, an d this has implications that undermine the functions of the author.

A Look At Eliyahu Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints Essay

Abstract   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Theory of Constraints was devised by Eli Goldratt. It states that in every organization there is a constraint that slows down its performance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper will delve on the Theory of Constraints of Eli Goldratt.   A Look At Eliyahu Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Theory of Constraint is a management philosophy originally developed by Eliyahu Goldratt and discussed in his book, The Goal. The basic concept behind the theory is that a chain will always have its weakest connection. In any organization or any complicated system for that matter, there will only be one component of that system that will restrict its capacity to attain its objectives. In order for such system to have any significant progress, the constraint must be located and the entire system must be manipulated with it in consideration (Thomas Group, n.d). Application of the Theory of Constraint   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the Theory of Constraints, profit-oriented organizations should have at least one constraint that hinders the system from achieving improved performance in connection with its goal. The Theory of Constraints is founded on the premise that the rate of income generation is restricted by at least a single constraining process. Only by enhancing the throughput during bottleneck will the overall process be improved (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In summary, the main components of the Theory of Constraints are: Complex systems should have at least one constraint otherwise it would be earning unlimited income. Constraint, therefore, is defined as anything that restricts the system from improving its performance compared to its goal (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006). Constraints provide systems with an opportunity to develop and improve (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006) Theory of Constraint versus Lean Manufacturing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lean manufacturing is a concept that is often compared with Goldratt’s Theory of Constraint. Lean manufacturing was derived from the successful method being used by Japanese car maker Toyota. The method received international acclaim through the Womack & Jones book The Machine That Changed The World. Lean manufacturing is focused on elimination of waste (Moore, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While TOC and Lean have varying principles, there are certain areas wherein the two philosophies have a commonality (Moore, 1998). In both lean and TOC, the perception of the customer as value is critical. In Lean manufacturing, it is the customer who determines value. In TOC, there is no throughput until the payment for a certain product has been cleared by the bank (Moore, 1998). Lean and TOC both acknowledge the fact that the ultimate goal of any organization is to convert inventory into throughput(Moore, 1998) TOC and lean underscores the importance of flow throughout the system. Both philosophies believes that the flow plays an important role in the system (Moore, 1998). For both TOC and lean manufacturing, the pull of the market dictates the needs for manufacturing. In lean marketing, manufacturing of goods or services will not take place unless there is a demand for it by the customer. In TOC, the pull is the driving force behind the Drum-Buffer-Rope method (Moore, 1998). Lean manufacturing and TOC drives the workers to aspire for perfection or improving their efforts. The role of the workers in the improvement of the system cannot be discounted (Moore, 1998). During the past 25 years, there were three TOC paradigms that were developed namely logistics, global performance measures, and thinking processes. Recently, Boyd and Gupta changed these paradigms into decision making, performance measurement, and organizational mindset (Moss, 2007). The Logistics Paradigm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The logistics paradigm was derived from the scheduling program called Optimized Production Technology (OPT) which has nine rules (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006): Flow should be balanced rather than capacity The utilization level of non-bottleneck resources is not dependent on its potential but on other constraints within the system Use and activation of a resource are not synonymous to each other One hour lost during the bottleneck translates to an hour lost for the entire system An hour lost at a non-bottleneck is just minor Bottlenecks determine throughput and inventory The transfer batch may not, and in most instances, should not be the same with the process batch. The process batch should vary, not constant Schedules should be determined without looking at all the constraints at the same time. Lead times are the outcomes of a schedule and cannot be determined in advance The Major Steps in the Logistics Paradigm Identifying the constraint. These may involve physical barriers such as physical or managerial (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006). Exploiting the constraint by increasing utilization and efficiency. For instance, physical constraint can be utilized by making it as effective as possible (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006). Subordinating all other processes to the constraint process. This implies that other aspects of the system must support the total effectiveness of the constraint. If the resources that are not causing the constraint are utilized beyond their productivity level, they will not increase the throughput but increase unwanted inventory (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006) Elevating the constraint. If the present constraints are the most crucial elements of the system, implementing rigorous improvement measures will enhance its performance. Improved performance leads to better realization of the potentials of the nonconstraint resources which would lead to an improvement in the overall performance of the system (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006) Rinse and repeat (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006). The implementation of the logistical paradigm is best exemplified in the drum-buffer-rope methodology. There are three concepts worth explaining in this method. The drum refers to the pace at which the constraints operate. The rope establishes the communication between the critical control chains to ensure that they are synchronized. The buffer is the strategically positioned inventory to safeguard the output of the system from that differences that may take place within the system (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006). The drum-buffer-rope technique is a simplified version of its predecessor the Optimized Production Technology (OPT) and the newer Advanced Planning and Scheduling Systems (APS), which are utilized in firms engaged in manufacturing and production (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006). Using the Drum-Buffer-Rope method leads to the synchronization of resources as well as the utilization of materials in an organization. It is worth knowing that resources and materials are used only in a degree that would lead to the capacity of the organization to attain their throughput (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since random disruptions are likely in any organization, the drum-buffer-rope method will provide a tool for securing total throughput by using Time Buffers, which contains inventories and safeguards constraint schedules from the impact of disruption at non-constraint resources (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The process of using time buffers as a mechanism for effective management and improvement of throughput is called buffer management. It provides details based on planned and actual performance and is utilized for checking the inventory of a protected resource as a comparison for actual and planned performance (Mahapatra & Sahu, 2006). Application of the Logistics Paradigm in Service Firms   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The logistic paradigm or five step processes is applied to various processes and procedures of a service firm. The advantage of a service firm is that it is used to enhance service time, flow of information, as well as in re-engineering administrative functions (Moss, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the military as well as in the medical field, the logistics paradigm is being utilized to generate more sales (Moss, 2007). Drum-Buffer-Rope Method Applied to Manufacturing and Service Firms   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The drum-buffer-rope method of scheduling is applicable in both manufacturing and services sector. In the field of manufacturing, the drum-buffer-rope technique is useful in scheduling equipments. For the service sector, DBR is applicable in scheduling personnel within the organization, setting appointments with customers, and forecasting lead-times for customers (Moss, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Schragenheim and Ronen, DBR should be used in determining problems and flaws that will disrupt the flow of the system. There are suggestions that the drum-buffer-rope method should be used in the management of supply chains (Moss, 2007). Global Performance Measures   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the global performance measure of the Theory of Constraints, all company performance efforts are geared towards the objective of earning money now and in the future. In order to accomplish this, there are three things that should be done. First, increase the throughput. Second, reduce inventory. Third, minimize operation costs (Moss, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughput refers to the rate at which the system earns a profit through sales while inventory is the term used to denote the money which the system will invest in buying things which they plan to market and sell. Finally, operational expense which is the money spent by the system in converting inventory to throughput (Moss, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From these concepts, three global measures have been derived namely net profit, return of investment, and cash flow. Net profit is determined by deducting the operating cost from the throughput. Return of investment or ROI is obtained from the ratio of net profit and inventory. Cash flow, on the other hand, is used as a survival tool. As long as the company has money, they will survive (Moss, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most companies prefer to have only a few operational measures since this will provide convenience to the company as far as the assessment of the effects of various decisions (Moss, 2007). The Thinking Process   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When it comes to constraints existing in the company, Goldratt identified three important decisions: What to change? What to change to? How to effect the change? In order to provide solutions to these problems, Goldratt devised the thinking process. During the last 10 to 15 years, managerial processes have been at the helm of corporate constraints. This is the purpose of the thinking process (Moss, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the strengths of the Theory of Constraint is that it provides various tools and techniques to help companies solve a certain problem. Although each method can be used separately, they can likewise be integrated in order to better answer problems concerning Consensus and Focus, Construction of a Complete Solution, and Communication and Collaboration. For each process, there are different tools that can be used (Focused Performance, n.d). Consensus and Focus The Current Reality Tree (CRT) is a series of logical steps that describes present situations. The aim of CRT is to come up with a cause-effect relationship among unwanted symptoms as well as core conflicts that the company would like to remove (Focused Performance, n.d). Construction of a Complete Solution The Evaporating Cloud. The evaporating cloud or conflict resolution diagram is a logical tool which aims to determine aspects of conflict that generates non-compromise win-win solutions. While its validity is acknowledged, the purpose of the evaporating cloud is to unearth underlying assumptions which turns out to be invalid (Focused Performance, n.d). While the evaporating cloud is already useful by itself, this tool can be integrated with a CRT since the seemingly difficult problems pointed out in the CRT are often the results of underlying conflict (Focused Performance, n.d). Future Reality Tree. The FRT is an effect-cause-effect logic structure which aims to show how recommended changes would have an impact on reality particularly how and why these proposals are expected to create a positive result. It is a paper-based simulator that assesses the ability of the proposed change to produce the desired outcome. Likewise, it is used to test the propensity of the proposed change to generate new and unwanted outcomes (Focused Performance, n.d).   Communication and Collaboration Negative Branch Reservations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are instances when undesirable effects are treated as potential results of a proposal and are often detected by another individual other than the originator of the proposal (Focused Performance, n.d).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With Negative Branch Reservations (NBR), logical expressions are used to address certain reservations through additional actions that would complete the original proposal and cutting down the â€Å"negative branches† from the proposed FRT (Focused Performance, n.d). Prerequisite Tree.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The prerequisite tree or PRT is a logical structure that describes all the barriers to accomplishing a goal as well as the alternative courses of action. The PRT likewise depicts how certain actions when combined with current reality will achieve new and expected results and why these actions would achieve the required outcomes (Focused Performance, n.d).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Categories of Legitimate Reservation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Categories of Legitimate Reservation is a group of tests used for verifying the cause-effect logic which is at the heart of the Thinking Process. CLRs serve the purpose of scrutinizing and modifying the logical trees (Focused Performance, n.d). The Thinking Process Applied to Manufacturing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The thinking process can be effectively applied to the manufacturing and service sector. For the service sector, the guiding management philosophy should center on improving process. The problem-solving tools of the thinking process provide most of the benefits to the service sector (Moss, 2007). Throughput Accounting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughput accounting, which is based on Eli Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints, plays a major role in management decision making. It changes an organization’s view of income recognition as well as costs and profitability. Thus, throughput accounting is responsible for refining the figures used for making decisions which potentially modifies Management Accounting (Goldratt, n.d). Advantages of Throughput Accounting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Using throughput accounting as a measurement and decision making tool, organizations can have the following advantages (Goldratt, n.d): Shift their sales efforts on products that will generate more income Make better decisions on which investment will generate more income Come up with decisions that are determined by real effects on the bottom line Develop a clear understanding of the role of sub-systems in the entire system Make realistic efforts regarding the effectiveness of the entire system relative to the goal of the company which is to gain a profit. Most of the distortions that are present in traditional management accounting can be corrected with throughput accounting. Distortions arise as a result of traditional management accounting using similar measures used in judging an entire system or organization as well as daily decisions by dividing the system into sub-systems and activities (Goldratt, n.d).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughput accounting is a substitute to cost accounting. It is not derived from standard costing or Activity-Based Costing. It is not concerned with costing or allocation of costs to products and services but rather as a strategy for maximizing profits. The main objective of throughput accounting is to hasten the velocity at which products are moved in a company by removing bottlenecks (Puthran, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughput accounting helps enhance a company’s profit performance through improved management decisions (Puthran, 2006).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Usually management decisions are based on assessing the impact of proposals on the throughput, investment, and operating expense. In a traditional management accounting, the cost of any proposal is commonly the initial and sometimes the only thing being considered, which results to poor decisions on the part of the management (Puthran, 2006). The Basis of Throughput Accounting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughput accounting is based on the fact that there are bottlenecks in organizations. Microsoft Encarta defines bottleneck â€Å"a delay in progress due to one part of the process or system being slower than the others which results to the delay in the overall process.† (Microsoft Encarta) What are the Factors used by throughput accounting in computing income and expenses? Throughput is the rate at which the process or system generate â€Å"goal units.† When the â€Å"goal units† involves money, the throughput is derived by deducting the price of raw materials with the income generated from the sale. However, throughput is only applicable to activities that involves selling products or services. Warehouse manufacturing is not included in throughput accounting (Puthran, 2006). Investment is the money associated with the process or system. It includes inventories, equipments, infrastructure or facilities, and other assets and liabilities (Puthran, 2006). Operating expenses refers to the money which the system uses in purchasing â€Å"goal units.† In the case of tangible products, the operating cost includes all the expenses with the exception of the price of raw materials. Operating expenses includes cost of maintenance, utilities, rental expenses, taxes, payroll, among others (Puthran, 2006).   Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eli Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints states that in a complex organization, there will be instances when constraints will slow down the entire process. In order to for the system to achieve its overall performance, the constraint hindering the entire system should be removed from the equation. References Mahapatra, S.S., & Sahu, A (2006 July 27). Application of Theory of Constraints on Scheduling of Drum-Buffer-Rope System. The Apache Jakarta Project. Retrieved August 9 2008 from http://dspace.nitrkl.ac.in:8080/ Moore, R (1998). Theory of Constraints and Lean Manufacturing: Friends or Foes? Chonnam National University. Retrieved August 9 2008 from http://pm.chonnam.ac.kr Moss, H (2007 March 1). Improving Service Quality With The Theory of Constraints. All Business.com. Retrieved August 9 2008 from http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/operations-customer/5508402-1.html Problem Solving with the TOC Thinking Processes – Consensus, Construction, Communication and Collaboration (n.d). Focused Performance. Retrieved August 9 2008 from http://www.focusedperformance.com/toctp1.html Puthran, S (2006 December 17). Throughput Accounting. Management Accountant. Retrieved August 9 2008 from http://managementaccountant.blogspot.com/2006/12/throughput-accounting.html Theory of Constraints (n.d). Thomas Group. Retrieved August 9 2008 from http://www.thomasgroup.com/enterprise-solutions/tools/theory-of-constraints.aspx Throughput Accounting (n.d). Goldratt. Retrieved August 9 2008 from http://www.goldratt.co.uk/resources/throughput_accounting/index.html