Comprehensive Physical Exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Comprehensive Physical Exam - Assignment Example According to the records, the knee was swollen and the treatment given was Naprosyn 500mg. The patient confirms that the medication did not help to reduce the pain. Presently the patient is experiencing pain at the same spot with a rating of five at rest and eight while walking on a smooth surface. According to the patient, the only place that is experiencing pain is the right knee and no tingling or numbness in any other part of the body. The patient’s heart is in perfect shape and she has not experienced any difficulty in breathing. The genitourinary assessment proves that there is no sign of infection because the patient is not experiencing any discharge or burning sensation. The patient is not feeling any bowel or stomach problems. There is no sign of skin lesions or rashes. The patient explains that the medication prescribed was not effective. From the ROS, the patient suffers from rheumatoid arthritis (Cush, Weinblatt & Kavanaugh, 2010). This conclusion is drawn from the patient’s information (Bickley & Szilagyi, 2012). The patient is supposed to have some blood tests done to test for rheumatoid factor and also have an X-ray conducted on her to confirm if it is the correct diagnosis. After confirmation then the correct treatment will be known. Meanwhile, the patient is educated on how to manage the rheumatoid arthritis (St, C. E. W., Pisetsky, & Haynes,

As You Like It - the Play Essay Example for Free

As You Like It the Play Essay As You Like It is considered by many to be one of Shakespeares greatest comedies, and the heroine, Rosalind, is praised as one of his most inspiring characters and has more lines than any of Shakespeares female characters. Rosalind, the daughter of a banished duke falls in love with Orlando the disinherited son of one of the dukes friends. When she is banished from the court by her usurping uncle, Duke Frederick , Rosalind switches genders and as Ganymede travels with her loyal cousin Celia and the jester Touchstone to the Forest of Arden, where her father and his friends live in exile. Observations on life and love follow (including love, aging, the natural world, and death) friends are made, and families are reunited. By the plays end Ganymede, once again Rosalind, marries her Orlando. Two other sets of lovers are also wed, one of them Celia and Orlandos mean older brother Oliver . As Oliver becomes a gentler, kinder young man so the Duke conveniently changes his ways and turns to religion and so that the exiled Duke, father of Rosalind, can rule once again. All the world s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts As You Like It (Act II, Scene VII). Can one desire too much of a good thing? . As You Like It (Act IV, Scene I). True is it that we have seen better days. As You Like It Act II, Scene VII). For ever and a day. As You Like It (Act IV, Scene I). The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool. (Act V, Scene I). The play is fictitious, but shakespeare is said to have taken the traits if rosalind from Rosalynde by thomas lodge. One of Shakespeares early plays, As You Like It (1598-1599), is a stock romantic comedy that was familiar to Elizabethan audiences as an exemplar of Christian comedy. Although the play does include two offstage spiritual conversions, the Christian designation does not refer to religion itself. Instead, it denotes the restoration and regeneration of society through the affirmation of certain Christian values such as brotherly love, marital union, tolerance for different viewpoints, and optimism about life at large. The plot is very simple: the resolution of the dramatic problem in the warped attitudes of two evil brothers toward good brothers, and related obstacles to marriage for several couples in the play (most notably Rosalind and Orlando) are easily overcome, and a happy ending is never in doubt. On one level, the play was clearly intended by Shakespeare as a simple, diverting amusement; several scenes in As You Like It are essentially skits made up of songs and joking banter. But on a somewhat deeper level, the play provides opportunities for its main characters to discuss a host of subjects (love, aging, the natural world, and death) from their particular points of view. At its center, As You Like It presents us with the respective worldviews of Jaques, a chronically melancholy pessimist preoccupied with the negative aspects of life, and Rosalind, the plays Christian heroine, who recognizes lifes difficulties but holds fast to a positive attitude that is kind, playful, and, above all, wise. In the end, the enjoyment that we receive from the plays comedy is reinforced and validated by a humanistic Christian philosophy gently woven into the text by a benevolent Shakespeare.

Obesity in America :: Overweight Obese essays

Obesity today is a widely spread nutritional disorder that can affect anybody at any age across North America, majority of the reason being because there are so many fast food restaurants at just about every corner. With its low prices people are not going to be making the right decisions in what type of food they consume in their diet. Some examples of the junk food would be: Microwave dinners, snack foods like potato chips, which have high calories. It is not necessarily junk foods that make people obese and fat. Too many carbohydrates and foods with lots of starch in an individual’s diet can also cause them to gain undesired weight. It is not always someone’s dietary decision that makes him or her obese. Genetics play a monumental factor in a person’s weight. For example, if a child is born with two obese parents there is an 80 percent of a chance that the child can be born or become obese later in his or her life. Pregnancy can make the mother gain about 20 p ounds after giving birth. Another said cause of weight gain is when the energy intake is more then the energy outtake in the body. That is not always the case. â€Å"According to recent reports, more than six in 10 adults are overweight or obese, and the number of overweight children is on the rise.† Is a quote taken from the McDonalds website. Some other problems for obesity can also be a result as problems such as:  · Laziness- Inactivity resulting from a dislike of physical activity.  · Psychological depression- Sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy, causing them to sometimes over eat even they are not hungry  · Genetically- As stated above. When it is passed down a family line, making it almost inevitable for children to born obese. If you were to ask someone how it feels to be obese, the given reply would probably be that they feel unattractive, and have low self-esteem, which can cause an indirect mental illness. This mental illness in some cases may lead to the person becoming so down and depressed that they may make an attempt and sometimes be successful in committing suicide. Being obese puts the person at risk of developing sicknesses and diseases like, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes (type 2), and some forms of cancer (prostate, breast and bowel.) There is something similar but opposite to obesity.

The Behaviorist, Psychodynamic and Humanistic Contributions to Psycholo

This essay will in turn look at the behaviorist, Psychodynamic, and Humanistic approaches to Psychology. It will evaluate the assumptions and contributions for each approach. Behaviorists emphasize the relationship between the environment surrounding a person and how it affects a person’s behavior. They are primarily concerned with observable behavior, as opposed to internal events like thinking and emotion. This is a criticism of the behaviorist approach; it is seen as mechanistic and oversimplified, because it ignores mental processes or reinterprets them as just types of behavior. John Watson saw emotions as the secretion of glands and thinking as the movement of our vocal chords without actual speech. However studies have been carried out and it has been found that people can still think even when their vocal chords are paralyzed. Behaviorists make the assumption that in humans; virtually all behaviors are caused by learned relationships between a stimulus that excites the sense organs and a response which is the reaction to the stimulus. John Watson was strongly influenced by the work of Pavlov on classical conditioning. Pavlov trained dogs to salivate whenever he rang a bell. An unconditioned Stimulus (the bell) leads to an unconditioned Response (salivation). When the unconditioned stimulus is paired with another Stimulus (food), this stimulus will eventually produce the response on its own and is then called the conditioned stimulus which produces a Conditioned response. Behaviorists propose that phobias come about in a similar way, for example, somebody who is spider-phobic, might have learned to be scar... ... This essay has evaluated the assumptions and contributions of the behaviourist, psychodynamic and humanistic approaches to psychology. The behaviourist approach focuses on the behaviour of people and seeks to explain behaviour as being learnt. The psychodynamic and humanist approaches are more concerned with the emotional aspects of people’s lives rather than their behaviour. The psychodynamic approach places importance on childhood experience. The humanist approach places more emphasis on the importance of our self image. Bibliography Basic Psychology by Henry Gleitman (First Edition) Psychology, third edition by Cardwell, Clark and Meldrum Psychology – A New Introduction by Richard Gross, Rob McIlveen, Hugh Coolicun, Alan Clamp and Julia Russell (Twelfth Edition) Class lectures and handouts

The art of dirty deeds

English Coursework Robert Hoarsely Another cupboard smashed onto the heavy oak table as the maelstrom of debris continued to swirl, fuelled by the vicious wind from the broken windows. There was a resounding crack as a chair was hurled at the table. â€Å"You left me to rot, you are no son of mine,† wailed the lady of the house. He couldn't see her, she was invisible, but he knew all too well she was there as he cowered under the table. The rain continued to pound down, its staccato beat all too loud through the broken windows.Lightning flashed as he made a break for the door that was banging against the wall in the mind. An Inhuman shriek came from behind him. He raced through the door as the table he had been taking refuge hurtled after him into the doorway in a shower of plaster and splinters. The main hallway he was now in was dominated by a huge glittering chandelier. He paused for a moment to catch his breath as he heard his mother howling in rage. With a groan the chand elier above him ripped away from the ceiling.It fell onto him with a crash, landing In an explosion of glittering glass like a frenzied rave of fireflies. He had barely enough time to think as It knocked him cold. As he flitted in and out of consciousness he remembered how he came to be in that current predicament. Don't go daddy,† said his daughter. â€Å"We want you to be here for Christmas daddy,† whined his son. â€Å"Of course I'll be back for Christmas; I'm Just off for a week to get granny's old stuff from her house in the Yorkshire Dales. It'll only be a week you know that and Ill tell you what, Ill bring extra Christmas presents. â€Å"Do be careful Mr. Jerome,† said the nursemaid as she ushered the children onto the pavement. â€Å"l will,† Mr. Jerome said as the children chorused goodbyes , he climbed into the carriage and with a flick of the driver's reins the arraign picked up speed down the misty London street. He vaguely remembered the trai n Journey as the inky blackness swept past, punctuated by lights of villages. He Intended to collect family heirlooms and other valuables to distribute to his family back In London. The dark looming mass of the house had dwarfed him as he had stepped off the carriage.Its Imposing bulk seemed to swallow all living things through its gloomy shaded windows and solid looking front door. It was big enough to take a week to go through all the rooms to get what he needed, then sort them. Lang resounded throughout his head as the huge chandelier was savagely picked up and hurled Into the solid wooden front doors. Then there was a deafening silence In the house. The rain continued to beat down outside and the wind ripped at the garden but the house was silent once more.Rubbing his head, he climbed the grand staircase, still wary of the ghost of his mother. He made his way to the study where there were three traveling trunks, two of which were full of the valuables and the other was to be fil led with Important documents. There was the distinctive tang of smoke but his thoughts were on other things. The door handle felt unusually warm as he opened leaping flames that had already consumed his traveling trunks and was taking hold of the rest of the room in a fiery, swirling inferno.Coughing from the swirling smoke he stumbled into the hallway. It was spreading rapidly, too fast to be any normal fire. His mother, he thought, she was burning down the house, the house he had been brought up in, the house she had lived in for over 60 years. As he watched, smoke streamed out of other rooms in tendrils and the smell of smoke was overpowering. He was trapped; he was going to be burned alive, scorched and screaming in this twisted, sick house.

Characteristics of Deafness and Hard of Hearing

Characteristics of Deafness and Hard of Hearing Often, teachers seek extra support and help in recognizing  the characteristics of deafness in their students in order to better address the specific needs of the child. This usually happens due to certain cues that the teacher is able to pick up about the students language development in class or after a known hearing impaired child continues to struggle in their classroom. A student or child with deafness or hard-of-hearing disabilities has deficits in language and speech development due to a diminished or lack of auditory response to sound. Students will demonstrate varying degrees of hearing loss which often results in difficulty acquiring spoken language. When you have a child with hearing loss/deafness in your classroom, you need to be careful not to assume that this student has other developmental or intellectual, delays. Typically, many of these students have average or better than average intelligence. How to Recognize the Signs of Deafness Some of the common characteristics of deafness commonly found in classrooms include the following: Difficulty following verbal directionsDifficulty with oral expressionSome difficulties with social/emotional or interpersonal skillsWill often have a degree of language delayOften follows and rarely leadsWill usually exhibit some form of articulation difficultyCan become easily frustrated if their needs are not met -   which may lead to some behavioral difficultiesSometimes the use of hearing aids leads to embarrassment and fear of rejection from peers What Can You Do to Help Students With Hearing Loss? Language will be the priority area for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. It is the basic requirement for success in all subject areas and will influence the student’s comprehension in your classroom. Language development and its impact on the learning of students who are deaf or hard of hearing can be complex and difficult to attain. You may find that students will need interpreters, note-takers, or educational assistants to facilitate communication. This process will usually require external personnel involvement. However, some of the basic steps that you as a teacher can take to address the needs of a hearing impaired student include: Many students with hearing disabilities will have some form of specialized equipment recommended by an audiologist.  Help  the child to feel comfortable with their hearing device and promote understanding and acceptance with other children in the class.  Remember that devices do not return the childs hearing to normal.Noisy environments will cause grief to the child with a hearing device and noise around the child should be kept to a minimum.Check the device often to ensure it is working.When using videos,  make sure you use the closed captioning feature.Shut classroom doors/windows to help eliminate noise.Cushion chair bottoms.Use visual approaches whenever possible.Establish predictable routines for this child.Provide older students with visual outlines/graphic organizers and clarification.Use a home/school communication book.Enunciate words clearly using lip movement to assist the child to lip read.Keep close proximity to the student.Provide small group work when possible. Make assessment accommodations to enable a clear picture of demonstrated academic growth. Provide visual materials and demos whenever possible.

Definition of Barnburners and Hunkers

Definition of Barnburners and Hunkers The Barnburners and Hunkers were two factions that battled for dominance of the Democratic Party in New York State in the 1840s. The two groups might have been obscure footnotes to history  remembered mostly for their colorful nicknames, but dissension between the two groups played a major role in the presidential election of 1848. The issue underlying all the fracturing of the party was rooted, as were many political disputes of the day, in the growing national debate over slavery. In the early 1800s the issue of slavery was mainly kept submerged in the national political debate. For one eight-year stretch, southern legislators had even managed to suppress any talk of slavery in the U.S. House of Representatives by invoking the infamous gag rule. But as territory acquired as a result of the Mexican War came into the Union, heated debates over which states and territories might allow slavery became a major issue. The disputes playing out in the halls of Congress also traveled into states where slavery had been outlawed for decades, including New York. Background of the Barnburners The Barnburners were New York State Democrats who were opposed to slavery. They were considered the more progressive and radical wing of the party in the 1840s. The group had splintered off from the Democratic Party following the election of 1844, when its preferred candidate, Martin Van Buren, lost the nomination. The Democrats candidate in 1844 who offended the Barnburner faction was James K. Polk,  a dark horse candidate from Tennessee who owned slaves and advocated for territorial expansion. The Barnburners were anti-slavery and viewed territorial expansion as an opportunity for pro-slavery politicians to add more slave states to the Union. The nickname Barnburners was derived from an old story. According to a dictionary of slang terms published in 1859, the nickname came from a story about an old farmer who had a barn infested with rats. He was determined to burn down the entire barn to get rid of the rats. The implication was that the political Barnburners were obsessed with one issue (in this case slavery) to such an extent that theyd burn down a political party to get their way. The name apparently originated as an insult, but members of the faction seemed to take pride in it. Background of the Hunkers The Hunkers were the more traditional wing of the Democratic Party, which, in New York State, dated back to the political machine set up by Martin Van Buren in the 1820s. The nickname Hunkers, according to Bartletts Dictionary of Americanisms, indicated those who cling to the homestead, or old principles. According to some accounts, the word hunker was a combination of hunger and hanker, and indicated that the Hunkers were always set on attaining political office no matter the cost. That also aligns to some extent with the common belief that the Hunkers were the traditional Democrats who had supported the Spoils System of Andrew Jackson. Barnburners and Hunkers in the Election of 1848 The division over slavery in America had been largely settled by the Missouri Compromise in 1820. But when the United States acquired new territory following the Mexican War, the issue of whether new territories and states would allow slavery brought the controversy back to the forefront. At the time, abolitionists were still on the fringe of society. It wouldnt be until the early 1850s, when opposition to the Fugitive Slave Act and the publication of Uncle Toms Cabin made the abolitionist movement more acceptable. Yet some political figures were already firmly opposed to the spread of slavery, and were actively seeking to keep a balance between free and slave states. In New York States powerful Democratic Party, there was a division between those who wanted to stop the spread of slavery and those who were less concerned, regarding it as a distant issue. The anti-slavery faction, the Barnburners, broke from the party regulars, the Hunkers, before the election of 1848. And the Barnburners proposed their candidate, Martin Van Buren, a former president, run on the Free Soil Party ticket. In the election, the Democrats nominated Lewis Cass, a politically powerful figure from Michigan. He ran against the Whig candidate, Zachary Taylor, a hero of the recently concluded Mexican War. Van Buren, supported by the Barnburners, did not have much chance of regaining the presidency. But he took away enough votes from the Hunker candidate, Cass, to swing the election to the Whig, Taylor.

Export promotion agency and the key programs offered to exporters

Export promotion agency and the key programs offered to exporters Introduction International marketing presents great challenge to most small businesses within specific countries. Such a challenge is attributed to improvement in technology which involves global use of digital mobile devices.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Export promotion agency and the key programs offered to exporters specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Looking for new markets and customers within those markets makes most businesses face some challenges. However, for the purposes of encouraging exports, various governments have extended their assistance to such small businesses in order to improve export sales of available products. The process is referred to as export promotion and undertaken by Trade Promotion Organization (Delaney, 2012, p. 1). The following are some of the most helpful programs to firms within the Unites States of America. Bilateral and multilateral program on Small Micro-enterprises (SMEs) Thi s program offers SMEs such benefits as reduced tariff rates, protection of intellectual property, business transparency and improved access to information amongst trading partners. The new online capability built by the Department of Commerce’s ITA (International Trade Agreement) is essential in helping SMEs, stakeholders and the general public in taking an advantage of the new available export opportunities (National Export Initiative, 2011). The launch of the â€Å"FTA tariff Tool† provides good opportunities for the small businesses and enables them to benefit from the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) markets.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The use of the tool enables the businesses to perform fast, search for industrial products and also play an essential role in revealing individual product tariff rates for subsequent years. This is important to small manufacturers since they are able to plan ahead of time concerning entry into new export markets. Accessing market and sector reports has also been improved enabling a better identification of export opportunities (National Export Initiative, 2011). Provision of trade finance counselling Trade finance agencies have enabled easy access to credit by the small businesses through the expansion of the export credit programs. The new Express Insurance offered by the Ex-Im Bank has simplified the process of application. Additionally, Supply Chain Finance program has ensured convenient access to attractively priced credit. The counselling programs offered through TPCC agencies are crucial since they provide small businesses with appropriate knowledge on better management of working capital. Provision of timely information concerning trade finance gives the needed support and assurance to businesses, hence enabling them to structure their transactions in such a way, so they are capable of g ranting immediate sales (Kharas, 2010, pp. 10-35). Development and improvement of the supply chain infrastructure Means of transportation within the United States provides the very starting point of a very long global logistics chain. Participation in the global economy demands that products manufactured within a country come in the international market at affordable cost.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Export promotion agency and the key programs offered to exporters specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Currently, there is a deep consensus amongst exporters that the country’s transportation system has, to a greater extent, affected the ability of the businesses to access the global markets. Additionally, the presence of reliable and resilient supply chain infrastructure is critical to the promotion of sustained economic growth. This is since infrastructural development ensures improvement on speed and movement of export goods throughout the country and most importantly within the global marketplace (Istrate et al, 2010). Conclusion Export promotion and development are important aspects of the government due to its capability in reinforcing economic development goals for the countries involved (Delaney, 2012, p 1). The United States uses the aspect to offset market fluctuations, create jobs and at the same time use it as source of supporting national exports. The small businesses may find it difficult to connect with potential customers and companies worldwide. This provides opportunity for the government through various promotion agencies to assist in finding solutions and enhancement for their global competitiveness. References Delaney, L. (2012). Export Promotion and Development. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Istrate, E. Rothwell, J. Katz, B. (2010). Export Nation: How U.S. Metros Lead National Export Growth and Boost Competitiveness. NY; Brookings Institution Kharas, H. (2010). The emerging Middle Class in Developing Countries. OECD Development Centre Working Papers, 285, 10-35 National Export Initiative. (2011).2011 National Export Strategy. Retrieved from https://www.export.gov/welcome

European Union Law structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

European Union Law structure - Essay Example One of the most obvious examples of a unitary state is United Kingdom. Also called a constitutional monarchy, UK is governed as one single unit. The Government is led by a Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers who enforce executive power on behalf of the Queen. The political power of UK government can transfer political powers to lower levels, regionally or locally elected assemblies, governors or mayors but the central government retains the principal right to recall such delegated power (Wikipedia Unitary State and United Kingdom) A federal State is composed of different self-governing regions often called states which are united by a federal government. The self-governing status of the states is constitutionally entrenched and can not be altered by a decision made by the central government. Even though the sovereignty of each state is constitutionally granted, a federal state is not only a group of independent states. The states do not have any power in terms of foreign policy for example which is the burden of the central government. A federal State comes from an initial agreement to come together in order to solve mutual problems or provide for mutual defense as it was the case for United States with the Articles of Confederation in 1781. (Wikipedia, Federal State) The United States are naturally the best example of a federal State. While each of the States has its own written constitution and different laws, the federal government composed of the Congress, the President and the Supreme Court. The Constitution limits the powers of the federal government to defense, foreign affairs, the issuing and management of currency, the management of trade and relations between the states, the protection of human rights, welfare and education. (Wikipedia Unites States) 3. Supranational State A Supranational State is an entity where power is held by independent appointed officials or by representatives elected by the legislatures or people of member states. All the member states still have power but they must share this power with other actors. Furthermore, decisions are made by majority votes in consequence it is possible for a member state to be forced by other member states to implement a decision against its will. (Wikipedia Supranationalism) In the following part of our essay, we will try to analyze The European Union through different perspective in order to approach our findings with one type of state that we have described in the previous paragraphs. II. How is the European Union composed The father of the European Union is the European coal and Steel Community (ESCS) which was created in 1951 following a proposition by the French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman which he made in 1950 in a speech inspired by Jean Monnet. Composed of six members, Belgium, West Germany,

Socrates, Plato, Aristotle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Socrates, Plato, Aristotle - Essay Example Despite the enigma that surrounds his life and his teachings, Socrates is today considered by many scholars to be one of the fathers of Western philosophy. His student, Plato, has done most of his thoughts and ideas that have been put down in writing because there is no record of his thought ever being written down during his lifetime. Based on this, it is very difficult to distinguish between the thought that was of Socrates and what was Plato is because it can be suspected that Plato may have put some of his ideas into the mouth of Socrates to make them seem more credible to his audience due to Socrates’ reputation. The dialectic method of enquiry can be considered Socrates’ most lasting contribution to Western philosophy, which tended mostly to be applied when dealing with moral matters such as what was good and just within the society. The dialectic method, which Socrates used, was first described by Plato when he stated that in order to solve a problem; this problem would be split into a series of questions the answers to which would eventually create a logical solution (McCall 1935 – 1936). The scientific method that is used today is heavily influenced by Socrates’ dialectic method of enquiry because a hypothesis for the solution of a problem is often the first stage in the scientific method. Socrates’ development and practicing of the dialectic method is what has earned him his place as one of the fathers of Western philosophy as well as the creator of the study of political philosophy, and moral philosophy.

National Identification System in the United States Essay

National Identification System in the United States - Essay Example National Identification System In The United States Firstly, it is national because it is used throughout the country having nationally uniform identifiers and formats. Secondly, the system is for practical and legal use only. Cards like credit cards can also be used to identify a person, but they are not national identity cards. People can have a number of such cards or no cards at all and still roam about in the country without any problems. However, if the law makes it mandatory for everyone to have such cards for identification purposes, it then comes in the category of national identity cards. Last but not the least; the system is used for the identification of an individual. It is different from a social security number. A social security number attaches a number to the name of a person and is just a national identifier. A national identity card actually proves the identity of a person. It shows that a person, previously known to the system, has once again presented himself or herself. It involves a biometric tie between the num ber and the person. The card would not only have the name and address of the person, but it also involves a compulsory facial image of a person on the card. The chip inside the card will help the law officials in identifying whether a person is on government’s watch list or not. Finger prints or retinal images on the card will also help in the identification of a person. This will help in retrieving information about the person from the government databases and immigration agencies as well. Many people are of the view that had such a system been implemented earlier, it would have probably helped in averting the 9/11 tragedy. The issue is still unclear whether everyone or a section of society should have such cards or where to use them such as at the airports or when accessing government buildings etc (Wang, pg, 1. 2002). Here it would be pertinent to discuss the National Identification Legislation in detail: NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION LEGISLATION: 9/11 COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: Evaluating the 9/11 terrorist

4.Is the process of globalization undermining the authority of the Essay

4.Is the process of globalization undermining the authority of the state and removing it from its central role in International Relations - Essay Example (McGrew, 1998, p 219-243) Gilpin (1987, p19) argues that the process of globalisation is characterised by the interaction of economic and political issues between sovereign states. However, this [process of globalisation has been intensified because of the introduction of technology, better communication and better modes of travel between these countries. Liberal economists believe that globalisation assists in the process of building peace in the world. It encourages economic growth and also institutes order in the international arena. Kennedy (1993, p 12) also adds that the process of globalisation has shown how states no longer take up the central role in their individual economic process. This argument can be verified by the existence of a global economy. The forces affecting the global economy have very little to do with what is prevalent in specific countries. Additionally, the rate of flow on capital from the international arena into and out of specific countries also indicates how nations are loosing their central role. Because of globalisation in the business sector, politics in individual countries has to change to accommodate this new phenomenon,. Some of the arguments for against the denationalisation of states will be examined inn the essay below. These arguments will be based on their effect on state authority in international relations. Jackson and James (1999, p 34) describe the state as a community of persons that have the sole authority to exert physical force within a certain territory. This means that there are certain features that are distinct to states. If these features are eliminated then that particular state will not have a central role. These factors include; ONeill (2006, p13) says that the issue of globalisation has not undermined the states’ role because it has not hampered the issue of central political relations. A case in point is the European Union, where member states from various parts

The impact of digital technologies on young children's learning in Research Proposal

The impact of digital technologies on young children's learning in Saudi kindergartens - Research Proposal Example Morrow and Smith (2000, p. 201) asserted that understanding and explaining a phenomenon as the main purpose for any qualitative research. On the other hand, Cho & Trent (2006, p. 320) defined qualitative research as a systematic procedure of comprehension that is based on different conventional methods of inquiry that seek to explain a human or social problem. In addition, it enables a researcher carry out an investigation in a natural setting and be able to develop a complex and holistic picture of a social problem. Thus, the use of qualitative research enabled the researcher to study the impact of digital technologies on young childrens learning in Saudi kindergartens because the kindergarten institutions were located in a natural set up. Castaneda, Rakhsha and Morrow (2001, p. 578) observed that qualitative research is ideal in investigating issues that have a multicultural dimensions such as the study under question. The main research question that this study is aimed to answer is, what is the impact of digital technologies on young childrens learning in Saudi kindergartens? The study will also address the following research subsections: In the contemporary society, almost each and every service offered by both the public and private sectors have become digitized and automated (Quinn, Doorley & Paquette, 2013, p. 1). Quinn et al. (2013, p. 7) pointed out that because of the rapid change in technological advancements in the modern day, businesses and organizations have had to change their tactics in the market by utilizing digital technologies in their organizational structure and provision of services in order to remain relevant in the highly competitive global market. Governments around the world have also recognized the significance of the various digital technologies in maintaining a sustainable economy (Australian

4.Is the process of globalization undermining the authority of the Essay

4.Is the process of globalization undermining the authority of the state and removing it from its central role in International Relations - Essay Example (McGrew, 1998, p 219-243) Gilpin (1987, p19) argues that the process of globalisation is characterised by the interaction of economic and political issues between sovereign states. However, this [process of globalisation has been intensified because of the introduction of technology, better communication and better modes of travel between these countries. Liberal economists believe that globalisation assists in the process of building peace in the world. It encourages economic growth and also institutes order in the international arena. Kennedy (1993, p 12) also adds that the process of globalisation has shown how states no longer take up the central role in their individual economic process. This argument can be verified by the existence of a global economy. The forces affecting the global economy have very little to do with what is prevalent in specific countries. Additionally, the rate of flow on capital from the international arena into and out of specific countries also indicates how nations are loosing their central role. Because of globalisation in the business sector, politics in individual countries has to change to accommodate this new phenomenon,. Some of the arguments for against the denationalisation of states will be examined inn the essay below. These arguments will be based on their effect on state authority in international relations. Jackson and James (1999, p 34) describe the state as a community of persons that have the sole authority to exert physical force within a certain territory. This means that there are certain features that are distinct to states. If these features are eliminated then that particular state will not have a central role. These factors include; ONeill (2006, p13) says that the issue of globalisation has not undermined the states’ role because it has not hampered the issue of central political relations. A case in point is the European Union, where member states from various parts

Dd-aa Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dd-aa - Assignment Example The reverse movement in the above variables will result in a leftward shift. The AA curve illustrates the relationship between changes in the exogenous variable which is the Gross National Product as well as one of the endogenous variables known as the exchange rate located in the asset market model. The curve operates effectively as long as all the other exogenous variables are fixed. Factors that cause an upward shift in the AA curve include an increase in money supply, foreign interest rates and expected exchange rate. It may also be due to decline in the domestic price. Reverse changes in the above factors will lead to a downward shift in the AA curve (Friedman, 102-134). The DD-curve indicates a set of equilibrium in the Goods and Service market by describing the level of GNP at the prevailing exchange rate while the AA-curve shows a set of equilibrium in the asset market. A combination of the DD and AA curve will result in an equilibrium point at which the role played by both firms as well as households will influence a movement in the exchange rate and Gross Domestic Product level provided that other exogenous variables are fixed. Fiscal policy refer to the impact of government spending and taxation on macroeconomic conditions while monetary policy refers to the actions of the central bank that influences the supply of money in the

Lockheed Martin Essay Example for Free

Lockheed Martin Essay Question: By laying of Lockheed Martin employees, does it affect the future sales of the company? Articles: Lockheed Martin Not Giving Layoff Notices, At White House Request, Lockheed Martin Drops Plan to Issue Layoff Notices, and Lockheed Martin threatens big cuts I. Introduction The Lockheed Martin Corporation ousted its incoming chief executive, Christopher Kubasik, for having a close relationship with a subordinate at the defense contractor. They forced him to resign after the investigation found it to be improper conduct, which violated Lockheed Martin’s code of ethics. However, Mr. Kubasik felt that his affair did not interfere in any way with his job performance. There have recently been some budget cuts at the Pentagon, and contractors are trying to adjust to the changes. The Lockheed Martin directors favored promoting Ms. Hewson, a contractor; because they believe she performs well in other management roles. She had been with Lockheed since 1983, and will immediately become president and chief operating officer of the corporation. II. Findings A. Layoffs (finding 1) 1. Pending job cuts 2. Warnings (the WARN Act) 3. Less pay B. Budget cuts (finding 2) 1. Reduction in Pentagon spending ($500 billion) 2. Minimized the potential for waste and disruption associated with the issuance of unwarned layoff notices. 3. Less spending C. Smaller workforce 1. 18% smaller 2. Hiring pace is slower 3. Fewer jobs available = smaller workforce III. Analysis A. Stakeholder analysis B. Cost-benefit analysis C. Six thinking hat IV. Conclusion Based on the findings and analysis, by laying off Lockheed Marin employees, it would affect the corporation and future sales negatively. Since there will be mass job cuts, the company will slowly start to deteriorate and will fall apart altogether.

Disadvantages Of Moving To A Paperless Office

Disadvantages Of Moving To A Paperless Office The growth in the economy of a country immediately raises the demands for several products to make business work. These demands will in turn influence the growing production and increased output which requires additional energy to run the production machines. Both issues, while common in business, have potential to cause long-term problems; especially when dealing with environmental issues. In product development for instance, corporations are driven to develop and produce new products that comply with environmental requirements like environmentally-safe packaging and fuel-efficient vehicles using hybrid technology. These issues highlight that the future of business is so challenging that innovation becomes the key focus to win business. The development of technology spawns new trends in our business environment. One of the emerging technologies in the information era is a paperless office that benefits from the digitalization of documents. Most of these trends, like any other, possess both advantages and disadvantages. Paperless Office In this paper I am discussing the popular concept of a paperless office. However, the discussion will focus on its issues and disadvantage rather than its benefits. History of Paperless Office In the 1970s there were predictions regarding an office which doesnt require any use of paper. One of those predictions can be viewed in an edition of Business Week in 1975 (The Office of the Future, 1975). It was a dream of an office in 1975 that, in the future, paper would be obsolete. According to some predictions, offices would not require any paper because everything was processed and stored digitally through various technologies. The predictions stemmed from the birth of Personal Computers (Selen, 2001). In reality however, these predictions are still the stuff of cinema. A paperless office as predicted above has never been fully implemented. On the contrary, for most offices today, the presence of the personal computer has not radically reduced using papers as output. People have been swayed away with the easiness of writing or drawing within a personal computer only to then print them on a piece of paper; forgetting the dreams that were present before. Current Expectations Regarding Paperless Office Today, when the need for efficiency has been called for, we return to the hope of a paperless office. The concept has been slightly modified however in the realization that paper has been a part of our daily lives and that the use of personal computers in the 1990s has produced the need for more paper. The concept of Paperless Office is now a philosophy; one of working with minimal paper, using processes that eliminate the use of paper, and to make documentation in digital form whenever possible. The main focus is no longer on how much paper is used, but on the efficiency that is gained from the process towards a Paperless Office (McIndoo, 2009). Processes of Paperless office There are two methods of transforming a company into paperless office. The first is by automating the processes that generally use paper as an essential tool. Technologies that exist in facilitating that process are: Enterprise Data Automation Software. Software used to integrate forms and data with systems that processes them. Form Technology. Software used to design various types of forms. Using forms is no longer necessary if people performing business transactions have personal computers with form technology in it. Databases. Device to replace the function of a filing cabinet. Data is made into digital form and then stored in a database with sufficient security technology in it. Digital Signature. Software allows evidence of signature in digital form. Papers are generally used as business evidences. This is required in business transactions to generate legal binding between two or more parties. Workflow Platforms. Process flow of an office. Paper documents are generally used to transfer a data to other departments so that it can continue doing what is needed next. This flow of work can now be documented and transferred in digital form, using the workflow platforms. The second method of pursuing the paperless office is data storage transformation. In a general office, the data is conventionally stored and protected in a filing cabinet or in warehouses. This generally ends up creating piles of useless scrap paper rather than useful files. Using the Paperless Office technology, all this data can be transformed to a digital form very easily. Some of the tools available to support this process are scanners, book copiers, photo scanners, microfiche scanners, negative scanners, fax to PDF converter, and document management systems. (The Economist, 2008). Issues in Implementing Paperless Office Despite the benefits that are offered by the presence of the concept, the paperless office also generates several problems in implementation that have not yet been overcome. In order to make ease of our understanding, these issues will be divided into the two methods below. Issues in Digitizing the Work-Flow In digitizing the office processes, issues that arise include: Difficulty in Submitting and Signing Digital Documents. It is foreseeable that we can process documents digitally with sufficient practicality. Nevertheless, it is still difficult to image a digital station that can be transferred to our clients desks, so that he/she can sign it. This process is made more complicated if we are to think about the legal implications of digital work processing. It is still a huge question whether digital signature can be used as legal evidence or not. End-user Adoption of the New Processes is Difficult. The issue of getting all divisions of a group of large companies on board regarding the digital processing system can be complex. The system concept may be accepted easier by high ranking officers. However, for end users and executors, the concept of digital work processing might be difficult to adopt. Additional planning and modifications become essential. Changing from the Legacy Processes Can be Problematic. An issue that arises in terms of transforming paper-based processes into digital processes is with dealing with parties that have not adopted the digital processing method. As the world has globalized, we are to think about how to serve and deal with practically all people in the world. Expecting all of them to accept and apply the digital processing system now is practically wishful thinking (Gladwell, 2005). Cost Saving Justifications are Sometimes Not Fulfilled. Another important issue to consider is whether the digital processing system can all be financially justified or not. The basic purpose of digitizing most of the working process is to get significant cost savings out of it. It might work on a smaller scale in areas that we have initially chosen. The question is, whether it will remain cost beneficial when it is implemented in a wider scale or in all areas without exceptions. Issues in Transferring Existing Documents into Digital Form Despite the pros and cons in practicing the paperless office, there are several requirements to take into account when making all documents digital. The issues are as follows: Legal Ramifications. The legal and governmental aspects of a technological development often grow very slowly compared to the technology itself. This should also be rationally expected in a paperless office. Will digital contracts be as lawfully binding as paper agreements? Can document manipulation be considered a heavy violation against the law? Questions like these need to be pondered over by the business society. The Target Reader. Even today, forming a financial report requires a sufficient consideration of the target readers ability to understand the report. The same applies to digital documents. Will the reader accept the new way of doing business or are they more likely to feel comfortable with the old ones? The readers ability to adapt is an important factor for consideration. Changed Longevity of the Documents. This is a similar consideration to our paper-based documentation. Will the technology exist to maintain the longevity of digital documents, at least 5 years into its future? 10 years? 20 years? This is necessary to abide with the rules of business and accounting (Walker, 2009). Companies Going Green. Some companies still perceive that the idea of being green companies is merely to comply with government regulation that forces them to do so. But, in fact, it provides the company with strategic opportunity to take benefits of the consumers increasing awareness of using green products. Since being green companies right now has become part of a corporations marketing strategy, it is now common that they start using traditional performance evaluation measures such as return on investment (ROI), net present value (NPV), market share, and other factors to assess their go green initiatives. In general, the driving forces of going green concept are the result of two forces: external or internal pressures. The Transfer Process. Figure 1 shows that by relying on paperwork, we spend a great deal of time on the process and also waste many sources. Figure 1 Paperless Office Schematic Process Conclusion In hindsight we can now conclude, the concept of a paperless office may not be even feasible. However with growing demands, the need to reduce our dependency on paper and its inefficient storage constraints can be analyzed to meet the growing demands of business. The main focus is no longer on moving to a completely paperless process but to a more efficient, cost effective, and environmentally friendly paper reduction process. Many factors need to be taken into consideration during the economical growth cycle of a business and the people who support that growth. Word processors, scanners, software advancement, algorithms, hardware developments, etc. continue to improve the ability of businesses to be able to plan and implement the digitalization of accessible documents. Combined strategies help move the business forward by reducing paper reliance and improving efficiencies of data access while still maintaining security measures. Cost, ease of use, and legal issues continue to be a driving factor in determining when processes can be digitized. Transforming a business to a digitized process can be difficult and complex. Cost, timing, and longevity of the process need to be analyzed to determine if digitization is even a feasible concept for a particular process. State and federal regulations need also to be considered. Despite the benefits offered by the concept of a paperless office, several problems in implementation have not yet been overcome. Digitalization may work on smaller scales and may never be able to materialize on a wider scale. Cost and ease of use for all people continues to be the driving factor in preventing a paperless system in all areas without exception. There will always be issues and disadvantages of moving to a paperless office. The key focus is to define all the issues and disadvantages of moving to a reduced paper office along with the advantages and timeline constraints.

Taking a Chance in Hurston’s Novels, Their Eyes Were Watching God and Seraph on the Suwanee :: Their Eyes Watching God Seraph Suwanee

Taking a Chance in Hurston’s Novels, Their Eyes Were Watching God and Seraph on the Suwanee â€Å"‘All right then, you name somethin’ and we’ll do it. We kin give it uh poor man’s trial anyhow.’† â€Å"‘Anyhow Ah done got rested up and de bed bugs is done got too bold round heah. Ah didn’t notice when mah rest wuz broke. Ah’m goin’ out and look around and see whut we kin do. Ah’ll give anything uh common trial.’† pp. 168-69; Their Eyes Were Watching God â€Å"Arvay woke up next morning with hope and determination. Nothing beats trial but a failure, Arvay decided. She might not win Jim back, but she meant to give it a poor man’s trial. That is the best that she could do. If she failed, it was not going to be because she never tried.† p. 316; Seraph on the Suwanee The first passage shows no sign of weakness or unsureness; there are only bold declarations of fact. Janie tells Tea Cake to â€Å"name somethin’† and they would be capable of doing it (168). Tea Cake shares the same attitude with Janie, telling her that he is rested and that he is â€Å"goin’ out† too â€Å"look around† for something for them to do (168-9). The indecision lies not with the two of them but instead with the outside world. The use of active, present-tense verbs makes the passage vibrant and lifelike. It is clear to the reader from this passage that the couple is happy and confident in themselves; they will give most anything â€Å"a poor man’s trial† (168). They are not worried about their future, and the impression is that they â€Å"kin do† practically anything and still be happy (169). In the second passage, there is sureness tainted with uncertainty. Arvay has â€Å"hope and determination† to accomplish her goal, but she is unsure about its outcome (316). She thinks that â€Å"she might not† regain her status with her husband (316). She is not positive that Jim will take her back. Because she is willing â€Å"to give it a poor man’s trial,† the extent of her resolve is shown (316). However, her lack of confidence shows in the next sentence, where she admits that there is a possibility for failure. Arvay has resolved not to lose Jim â€Å"because she never tried† (316). While the sentences are active in this passage, the past tense lends them an air of resignedness and doubt.

The Importance of Using a Condom Essays -- Argumentative Persuasive Ar

The Importance of Using a Condom In a recent study performed at the University of New Orleans by Dr. Bruce M. King, only 20% of men reported using a condom consistently, while only 50% reported using protection with a new partner. The results of condom use or lack there of is clear: ? 2/3 of all STIs occur in people 25 years of age or younger ? By the age of 24, 1 in 3 sexually active people will have contracted an STI ? In 2000, 15- to 19-year-old women had the highest rate of gonorrhea compared to all other age categories. (Sources: American Social Health Association, Centers for Disease Control, and Planned Parenthood.) There are many stigmas about using condoms. Many sexually active college students simply don?t find sexual intercourse with condoms as satisfying as sex without them. Often students find it inconvenient, or expensive to use condoms. However, all of these excuses are minuscule compared to the dangerous and life-altering results of not using protection, in addition all of these issues can be overcome. First it may be true that not using ... The Importance of Using a Condom Essays -- Argumentative Persuasive Ar The Importance of Using a Condom In a recent study performed at the University of New Orleans by Dr. Bruce M. King, only 20% of men reported using a condom consistently, while only 50% reported using protection with a new partner. The results of condom use or lack there of is clear: ? 2/3 of all STIs occur in people 25 years of age or younger ? By the age of 24, 1 in 3 sexually active people will have contracted an STI ? In 2000, 15- to 19-year-old women had the highest rate of gonorrhea compared to all other age categories. (Sources: American Social Health Association, Centers for Disease Control, and Planned Parenthood.) There are many stigmas about using condoms. Many sexually active college students simply don?t find sexual intercourse with condoms as satisfying as sex without them. Often students find it inconvenient, or expensive to use condoms. However, all of these excuses are minuscule compared to the dangerous and life-altering results of not using protection, in addition all of these issues can be overcome. First it may be true that not using ...

Linking promotional activity to the product life cycle Products Essay

BIC was founded in 1950 by Marcel Bich with the introduction of the first high quality ballpoint pen at an affordable price. In 1975 BIC launched the first one-piece shaver and become a market leader within that sector too. In the early days, BIC concentrated on a core range of products which mainly included: BIC Cristal ® and Orange Ball Pen and the Classic Shaver. In the 1990s the company realised it needed to develop its product range to meet changing consumer needs and to compete with new competitors entering the writing and shaver categories. BIC has therefore set about re-shaping itself. It has looked to add value to its products (e.g. by moving from a single blade to a twin blade, then to a triple blade razor) and to develop a range of new products. BIC’s introduction of the Classic one-piece shaver, rebranded as BIC 1, illustrates this process. The re-branding was intended to enhance the brand’s simplicity whilst still maintaining the highly recognisable, orange packaging. BIC has further enhanced this re-branding by launching BIC 2, which satisfies consumers looking for a functional twin blade at an affordable price. Through the launch of BIC 1 & BIC 2, BIC has created a branding synergy. In the twin blade sector, BIC has launched premium products such as Comfort Twin and Twin Lady. These products target consumers demanding enhanced features and benefits while still offering excellent value for money. In 2003, BIC launched its first triple blade shaver for men BIC Comfort 3 and one year later BIC Soleil Lady for women. Both of these products offer greater innovation and technologically enhanced features and benefits at attractive prices. The Boston matrix and BIC products Multi-product businesses like BIC are aware of how products in their entire portfolio contribute to the overall growth of the business. Established profitable lines make a vital contribution that enables a company to invest in the development and promotion of new lines. The Boston Consulting Group developed ‘The Boston box’ or BCG matrix. This relates closely to product life cycles and identifies four classes of  products in an organisation’s portfolio. Problem children – These are newly-launched products. This name is appropriate because many products fail to move beyond this phase. Such products are also referred to as ‘Question Marks’ or ‘Wild-cats’. In order to grow, they require large amounts of investment and promotional support. Wise firms monitor each product’s progress and recognise whether or not on-going support is justified. Stars – These are products that have successfully reached the growth stage in the life cycle. Although they need on-going promotional support, they are already providing high cash returns. They present good future prospects. Cash cows – These products have reached the maturity stage and are now ‘yielders’. They have a high market share in markets that are no longer rapidly expanding. However, they will need on-going marketing support and will need ‘freshening up’ from time to time. Dogs – These are products in decline. These have a low market share in a low-growing or declining market. Because they generate a negative cash flow, they will usually be disposed of. The Boston matrix can be applied to BIC products: The Cristal Ball Pen and Classic Shaver are popular and well established products with very high unit sales. BIC produces them on a large scale. These cash cows provide excellent cash profits for the company. The Cristal Grip and Cristal Gel Pens, and Twin Lady shavers are stars with well-established growth patterns. For example, the Twin Lady filled the gap in the market for shavers for women. Problem Children that have recently entered their respective markets include Cristal Colours and Cristal Pocket Scents in the pen market, and Comfort 3 and Soleil in the shavers market. Currently BIC is investing in these products. Over the next two or three years the company will decide whether these products have succeeded (moved into the star category) and warrant continued support. Products such as Soleil (a shaver for women) are rapidly moving into the star category. Of course, some products fail to take off sufficiently and/or go into decline. The ‘Tough Beard’ shaver has no t warranted further development and BIC has taken it out of production. Developing the product range The Cristal range of pens demonstrates how to inject new life into a product range: BIC’s Cristal Ball pen was launched in 1951. It has over 30% market  share and is the UK’s best-selling ball pen. In 1964 BIC launched BIC Orange. This is a fine-point version of the Cristal pen, easily recognised by its orange barrel. In the 1990s, as the Cristal and Orange Ball pens became more mature and encountered fierce competition from lower priced brands, BIC invested in developing the Cristal range to attract new users and to differentiate itself from the competition. This led to the launch of a range of new products: Cristal Grip, for more comfort Cristal Colours, for fashionable colours Cristal Pocket, for a more convenient size Cristal Pockets Scents, for fun and fruity inks Cristal Gel, for smoother writing. By continually adding to the range, BIC manages to inject new life into the product life cycle of the overall range. BIC now offers a full range of Cristal pens using both ball point and gel ink technology. The range’s development has also helped to support the enhancements of the core brand, and each year sales of Cristal pens increase. The product life cycle and promotional activity BIC analyses its products, and promotes and supports these in line with their stage in the product life cycle. For example, BIC Cristal and the Classic shaver have a long life cycle and although they have had technological improvements over the years and are produced using more advanced manufacturing techniques, the style and design of these products have not changed. They are still recognisable worldwide. Initially, when these products were launched, promotional activity would have focused on generating awareness and encouraging consumers to trial the products. Now that these products have become well established icons, the promotional emphasis is on rewarding loyal customers who continue to buy these products. The illustration shows the way in which promotional activity is tailored to stages in the product life cycle. When BIC launched the Comfort 3 razor, it chose Martin Johnson to represent the brand. BIC invested heavily in outdoor  media such as billboards and conducted national press advertising to raise awareness. With Cristal Gel, BIC carried out a large amount of below the line activity. To build awareness of the new product, BIC supplied existing Cristal Ball pen users with Cristal Gel samples through special promotional packs and other sampling campaigns to office users. This was supported by advertising and direct marketing. During a product’s growth period, BIC continues to use market research data to help it better understand market developments and consumer requirements. It also continues to support the product so that more and more consumers try it out and are converted into regular users. At this stage, advertising and special offers encourage new users to try the product. As a product moves towards maturity, BIC’s marketing experts need to identify ways of injecting new life into it. They must also identify new product developments that can meet similar consumer needs. This explains why, for example, BIC has developed extensions to the Cristal range. Once a product has saturated a market, sales will stagnate. However, it is important to continue to support cash cows because they play a vital role in injecting profits that sustain new product development. Once a product has moved into decline, a company like BIC will look to replace it with new products that meet existing and evolving consumer needs. For example, the razor ‘Tough Beard’ was taken out of the product portfolio because other new BIC razors were better able to meet the needs of customers with ‘tough beards’! Conclusion Businesses that understand the Boston Box and product life cycles are able to target appropriate promotional activities to support the various products in their portfolio. Well established products such as BIC Cristal and Classic shaver are the cash cows that enable BIC to thrive by developing its stars and some of its question marks in line with market needs. BIC is an innovative organisation that uses its technical and marketing expertise to supply consumers with the products they want and need. Questions 1. Using the Barksdale and Harris model that combines the BCG matrix and the product life cycle, consider how useful this might be to BIC when analysing  their product portfolios. 2. Consider the work of Booz, Allen and Hamilton Consultants in relation to the decay curve of new product ideas, and suggest how this might be applied by BIC when bringing new product ideas to the market place. 3. The GE/McKinsey matrix has nine boxes as opposed to the BCG matrix that has four boxes. Consider how it might or might not have been better for BIC to apply the GE/McKinsey matrix on the basis that it might be more accurate? 4. Consider the work of Everett Rogers in relation to product adopter categories. Using his idea, how might BIC adapt their promotional strategy in relation to targeting different adopter categories?

Mahatma Gandhi Essay

In 1978, James McGregor Burns wrote about the dearth of leadership. â€Å"One of the most universal cravings of our time is a hunger for compelling and creative leadership.† McGregor Burns’ search for â€Å"moral leadership† reveals the tragedy of leadership studies- the confusion of leadership with power. Traditionally, leaders have been defined as those who hold power; allowing presidents, prime ministers and military generals, regardless of their accomplishments, to be considered leaders. Leadership studies have been further detracted from â€Å"moral leadership† because of the confusion of leadership with management. John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford, and Bill Gates are considered leaders for the economic power they amassed. The confusion of leadership with power and leadership with management has led to a model of leadership that is Machiavellian (manipulative), hierarchical, authoritative, impersonal, elitist, and self-interested. The person I believe to be the greatest leader of the twentieth century exhibited none of the qualities named above. This person held no official political title; he commanded no army and he amassed no great wealth. He did, however, have tremendous influence. This truly exemplary leader derived his power from the conscious citizenry. The leader I am referring to is Mahatma Gandhi. Instrumental in the Indian Independence movement, Gandhi’s influence extended beyond the borders of India to the rest of the world. Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence inspired millions, including the great American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. A simple, pious man, Gandhi identified with and won the hearts of India’s most politically and economically marginalized people. He spent his life fighting to overcome modern forms of enslavement and oppression- caste oppression, religious hatred, gender oppression, and, what he saw as the worst form of violence, poverty. The purpose of this essay is to outline Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence and it’s influence worldwide as well as the strategies and characteristics that made Gandhi successful. Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence involved civil resistance, refusal to comply with unjust laws. He developed this philosophy while living and practicing law in South Africa. Organizing resistance to the notorious and grossly unjust apartheid system, which provoked significant legislative change, Gandhi left an indelible mark on the South African struggle for racial justice. Upon his return to India in 1915, Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence became infused with the struggle for swaraj (self-rule). In India, Gandhi raised his philosophy of non-violence to new levels of sophistication. Gandhi believed that organized non-violent civil resistance, not war, would awaken the consciousness of the British to their unjust domination over India. This was the belief that guided the Bardoili protest, the Amritsar Massacre and the Salt March. Gandhi’s mobilizations were so successful that they tarnished Britain’s international reputation and provoked irreversible change in Britain’s policy towards India, illustrating the potential of organized non-violent civil resistance. Gandhi was an uncompromising opponent of violence. He knew that using violence to fight violence corrupts and debases even the most noble of causes and leaves a legacy of bloodshed. If we look to the revolutionary movements of the twentieth century, we see the truth in Gandhi’s beliefs. The Bolsheviks, Maoists, the Khmer Rouge, the Shining Path, Sein Fein and the Palestinian Liberation Organization all left tremendous bloodshed in the paths towards â€Å"liberation.† They left a legacy of death and violence, rather than peace. Gandhi knew that the only solution to hatred, ignorance and fear was love, truth, and forgiveness. He knew that overcoming unjust hierarchies doesn’t mean inverting them; it means eliminating them altogether. Gandhi and his followers, like those who risked their lives to hide Jews during the Nazi regime, were prepared to die to make injustice visible for the entire world to see. For Gandhi, truth was a powerful weapon, needing no others. Indeed, truth has proven to be the most powerful weapon humanity has even known. One of the strategies that made Gandhi an effective leader was his ability to build bridges between communities, between upper and lower caste Hindus and among Hindus, Muslims and Christians. Gandhi saw the intrinsic humanity of all individuals, regardless of their caste, religion, gender, or social position in society. Deeply upset by communalism (Hindu-Muslim animosity), Gandhi was able to promote religious harmony through his personal and public actions. When this harmony was threatened, he fasted. Gandhi’s tremendous ability to bring an end to provincial and religious hatreds was tested time and time again with the Yeravda Pact and his fasts to end violence in Calcutta, Bengal and Delhi. One of the characteristics that made Gandhi successful was his ability to identify with the poor masses of India. Gandhi’s philosophy of self-rule distinguished itself from the elitism that characterized the Indian Independence movement, as well as virtually all other Independence movements of this century. Gandhi knew that freeing India from the yoke of imperialism also meant freeing the masses from economic servitude. Gandhi was opposed to Independence for only an elite few; he was fearful of an Independent India that would replicate past religious, caste and economic oppressions. Gandhi provided leadership by example. He exhibited the perfect marriage between personal morality and public action. The best example of this was his use of homespun cloth that provided employment for the poor masses and revived the village economy. In a world in which the inequalities generated by a global economy are becoming more obvious and frightening, Gandhi’s critique of technology and economies that benefit the powerful and marginalize the powerless is all too relevant today. The best demonstration of Gandhi’s leadership is his worldwide influence. American civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Belo of East Timor, and countless other leaders have been deeply influenced by Gandhi and his philosophy of non-violence. For example, in 1994, in a Gandhian spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation, Nelson Mandela reached out to his adversaries- the same ones who had tortured and imprisoned him to bring an end to apartheid rule. Gandhi’s greatest legacy is the notoriety he achieved for advocating non-violence as a means of overcoming oppression. It is this belief that guides the actions of millions of average citizens who participate in civil society movements today across the globe. A tribute to Gandhi’s enduring lifetime achievements will be paid by naming the first decade of the new millenium the United Nations Decade of Non-Violence. No greater tribute has ever been paid to a leader of this century. Inspired and profoundly moved by his life and work, I hope the Decade of Non-Violence will truly awaken the consciousness of humanity into liberating ourselves from all and every kind of oppression; using truth as our only tool.

To what extent does an understanding of power enhance our appreciation Essay

To what extent does an understanding of power enhance our appreciation of the problems and paradoxes confronting the would-be ra - Essay Example The common people were but adherents of the rules set forth by those in charge, and remonstrations were subject to adverse sentences. For this reason, power was wholly desired, and at the same time a basis for apprehensions of those under it. However, when pluralism came into the picture and the United States of America initiated the crusade for democracy, many believed that power was dispersed among qualified citizens of a territory. Pluralism is the view that â€Å"in liberal democracies power is dispersed among a variety of economic and ideological pressure groups and is not held by a single elite or group of elites. Pluralism assumes that diversity is beneficial to society and that autonomy should be enjoyed by disparate functional or cultural groups within a society, including religious groups, trade unions, professional organizations, and ethnic minorities† (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2011). The above notion proposes that power is but a diminutive piece of a puzzle that wa rrants connection with the rest of its kind before it can make an influence. Power has no real value if the parties concerned do not consent its amalgamation. This tends to imply that political power is of modest roots, contrary to the general impression that the same is abusive and overbearing. In effect, political leaders are also called public servants, as they require consensus of the majority of their constituents before any legislation is put into operation. In a corporate perspective, power is bestowed upon organizational managers, not for the mere purpose of implementing policies or taking control of the employees. They are not identified as rulers, but rather leaders who are expected to set good examples to their subordinates, to facilitate coordination among all levels of the organization, to formulate decisions when the need arises, and initiate alternative courses of actions at the presence of setbacks. In other words, organizational power in the corporate world is but a ccountability in its most prestigious form. Henry Minztburg, author of The Succesful Managers, defines ten managerial roles; all embracing interpersonal, social, and decisional aspects. They include figurehead, leader, liaison, monitor, disseminator, spokesperson, entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator and negotiator (Management.atwork.com 2008). All of these roles are what makes managers a figure of power in a corporate environment with the employees acting as contributors to the cause. In his work â€Å"Top Performance†, Zig Ziglar points out that â€Å"you won’t be an effective leader or manager unless you gain the willing cooperation of others. Cooperation is not getting others to do what you want, but getting others to want to do what you want† (Business Summaries 2009). In other words, a manager or a leader is unable to exemplify true power if support from subordinates is not given at will. Renowned author Stephen Covey suggests that there a re four ingredients to a good leader: inspire trust, clarify purpose, align system, and unleashed talent (Covey 2007). He (2007) expounds that fine leadership is a product of combined character and competence demonstrated towards the benefit of not just the organization but also the people; that, an open communication is a conduit to an objective best identified. Should a leader be merited trust for the display of outstanding qualities, it is equally imperative that

The impact of american TV series 'Gossip Girl' on young adult females Essay

The impact of american TV series 'Gossip Girl' on young adult females (consumerism, product placement, luxury lifestyle) - Essay Example The effort to induce positive perception in the consumers is so overwhelming that it has a tendency of affecting decisions of even the most knowledgeable buyers (Romeo, 2009, pp. 18-25). Television is a powerful medium that reaches billions of viewers on a daily basis (Turow, 2005, pp. 105-113). Trends introduced through this medium affect millions of young viewers on daily basis (Spalding, 2010). The same ambition is apparent inour targeted TV series Gossip Girl. The TV series is based on a best-selling series of novels written by Cecily von Ziegesar about rich families living on Upper Eastside in New York City. Although researches of Turow (2005, pp. 105-113) and Saplding (2010) illustrate how TV, especially sitcoms, affect behavior and preferences of consumers; Keum et al. (2004, pp. 372-391) present a different opinion by saying that media creates social consciousness and status consciousness which leads to spurring an awareness of the social responsibilities associated with cons uming and a pursuit of status-oriented lifestyles. This approach asserts that Gossip Girl also helped young women in becoming aware of latest fashion trends and also making informed decisions because of knowledge regarding substitutes of different products (Keum et al., 2004, pp. 372-391). Gossip Girl demonstrates lives of girls having strong liking for high-street brands which does not provide a reflection of a regular young girl. This research is intended to examine how young female adults are affected by TV shows like Gossip Girls and how the spending patterns and overall lifestyle of youth is affected by it globally (McRobbie, 2008, pp. 536-542). Similar TV series have been madewith the aim to inspire women and help them empower themselves howeverthese series have ultimately became tools of prestigious fashion brands for the purpose of targeting rather mature segment of women. Sex and the City is one of such series that transformed the fashion sense in women worldwide.Unlike regular TV series and sitcoms like Big Bang Theory having a waitress as a lead character and Two Broke Girls showing waitresses trying hard to make their ends meet, Gossip Girl has shown a diversion from regular girls’ persona to affluent and powerful outlook (Toffoletti, 2008, pp. 72-5) . Amongst young demographics, the most lucrative market segment is young, ready-to-spend, attention seeking teenage and adolescent girls (McRobbie, 2008, pp.534-37). With steady changes in consumer’s preferences, young females are always looking for the next big thing (McRobbie, 2008, pp. 534-536). It is observed that the pace of fashion brands launching new collections is much faster than it was some ten years ago. Although there can be various reasons for thatsuch as market competitionor increased consumer awareness, however, intention to capture major market share acts as a motivation for manufacturers to introduce new brands rather quickly (Hines, 20070.Surprisingly long females queue in lines to get their hands on the latest products which encourage companies to speed up their manufacturing and excessively use highly influential marketing campaigns such as ATL (above the line) and BTL (below the line) marketing techniques (Sands and Sands, 2012).In case of TV series, ATL activities are more effective as it involves use of search engines, social media and other media like TV, cinema, radio, newspaper etc. On the other hand, BTL activities include sales promotion strategies such as kiosk, email marketing etc. These techniques influence the buyer significantly and owning a product becomes a source of pride (Sands and Sands,

Marketing Audit and Marketing Objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Audit and Marketing Objectives - Essay Example In the recent past, Dell Corporation has enhanced their consumer base in the laptop computer brand. Indeed, the company implemented one of the best marketing initiatives in the face of high technological innovativeness in the early 21st century. Through its marketing campaigns, Dell focussed on developing a consumer base composed of younger population, who preferred portable laptop computers for their daily activities, such as studies. They specifically ensured that they captured students and younger adult population. However, in the campaigns aimed at the young consumers, Dell Computers knew the significance of communicating - at least indirectly, to parents who are usually called upon to help with purchasing the products for their sons and daughters (Proctor, 2000; Baker, & Hart, 2007).  In the recent past, Dell Corporation has enhanced their consumer base in the laptop computer brand. Indeed, the company implemented one of the best marketing initiatives in the face of high techn ological innovativeness in the early 21st century. Through its marketing campaigns, Dell focussed on developing a consumer base composed of younger population, who preferred portable laptop computers for their daily activities, such as studies. They specifically ensured that they captured students and younger adult population. However, in the campaigns aimed at the young consumers, Dell Computers knew the significance of communicating - at least indirectly, to parents who are usually called upon to help with purchasing the products for their sons and daughters (Proctor, 2000; Baker, & Hart, 2007). II. Goals, strategy formulation and implementation Dell strives to be the most flourishing corporation in the world known for producing the best laptop computers that meet and exceed the customer expectations in the UK market. The corporation’s marketing objectives and goals are premised upon providing the customers with laptops that have new and striking features such as webcam for video chats or conferencing (Linsenbach, 2007). These features are increasingly becoming popular, especially in the UK. With these features incorporation in its laptop brands, Dell aims to be seen making the life of the users more relaxed. The strategy was been apparently implemented in the Dell’s ‘Dude’ campaigns, which may continue to be the future trend in regard to appealing for the younger population (Proctor, 2000; Doyle, & Stern, 2006). The company’s targeting of the UK’s younger consumers with the laptop brands in the 1990s saw the original creation of Dell Computers "Dude." The promotions captured the ‘

The Role of Race to the Caribbean People's Sense of Identity Essay

The Role of Race to the Caribbean People's Sense of Identity - Essay Example 64) are all mixed up, making it almost impossible to give it a single description. And third, as the fight against racial discrimination positively gains ground worldwide, most especially in the land of the whites and as this so-called ‘race ideology’ is increasingly negated by the requirements of globalization. These considerations make ‘race’ an issue to ponder in the Caribbean people’s identity, compelling one to define it in different ways. One way to understand the role of race in the Caribbean peoples’ sense of identity is to group the people based on the main language most people used, as what Safa (1987) did in her article: â€Å"Popular culture, national identity, and race in the Caribbean,† thus the distinction between the Anglophone Caribbean, referring to its English-speaking nations and the Hispanophone Caribbean, referring to its Spanish-speaking nations. ... rly predominant Eurocentric orientation; in the Hispanophone Caribbean, the people’s national identity has remained grounded more on language, religion and other aspects of Spanish culture than on race (Safa, 1987). According to Brodber (1987), this shift in the Anglophone Caribbean’s thinking is greatly influenced by the positive changes in the Euro-American attitudes towards black people during the 1950’s and ‘60s, resulting from the black’s violent struggle against apartheid. This increasing recognition and acceptance of an Afro-orientation by the Afro-Jamaican middle class (the literate class), which traditionally has identified itself only with its European lineage, and the popularization of Afro-orientation primarily through music (e.g. Bob Marley) further broadened the acceptance of the Afro-orientation in the Anglophone Caribbean (pp. 147-149, 156-157). Furthermore, Safa (1987) explains that after achieving their political independence, polit ical expediency left no recourse to the mulatto Creole elite – who identified themselves with European white against their African heritage – but to accept the predominantly black masses of its population as its political constituents. The governing on the basis of white superiority, as how the former colonial society was ruled, will never gain the trust and cooperation of the black masses. Thus, there is the need to favor racial solidarity and to recognize black pride. Given this long waited opportunity, the Afro-orientation, which has long been held and survived in the oral tradition of the black population (the illiterate lower class), unstoppably surges. Today, a greater part of the Anglophone Caribbean regards ‘blackness’ as the symbolism of its nationhood. However, this consensus does not hold true

The Geek Crises Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Geek Crises - Essay Example The recession that has overtaken the European zone post the housing bubble burst in the US is poised to shake things up in the European region as well. The small states like Greece, Spain and Italy which hitherto have been irresponsible and caviler with their fiscal policies have been putting the overall aggregate demand within their territories under too much of a stress. The augmenting debt has not only placed the aggregate demand in these countries under too much of a stress, but has also lead to drastic changes in the wage and labor markets, which has made the aggregate supply and consequently the national outputs to shrink as well. This call for drastic austerity measures so that the free market forces could come into play and rescue the shrinking aggregate demand thereby resuscitating the aggregate supply to the full employment levels in Greece and other suffering European states. Table of Contents 1.1 Executive Summary †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 2.0 Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.... 4 2.1 Things to be Discussed †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 3.0 Discussion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ... the Greek situation by suggesting situation bound and conditional rescue packages tagged to tough austerity measures and an enhanced centralization of fiscal power in the European Union (Erlanger 2012). In contrast the liberal states like France intend to propose a more lax attitude towards the Greek situation and want to allow Greece a measure of fiscal and financial freedom thereby allowing the possibly new elected government in Greece a somewhat enhanced flexibility and maneuverability (Erlanger 2012). At present the possible Greek exit has emerged to be a bone of contention between the liberals and conservatives in the European Union. Not to mention that the current political situation in Greece at the time when this article was published happened to be volatile with no stable government that could accrue the people’s confidence and thereby push the proposed European backed reforms and austerity measures. The situation demands a withdrawal of the state fiscal measures from the Greek economy in a time bound and systematic manner so that the free market forces could operate and bring back the economy to a normal level (Erlanger 2012). However, no party in Greece seems to be willing to face the wrath of the masses by raising the public anger. In the mean time the capital from Greece is flowing out and the rating agencies have not only downgraded the credit worthiness of Greece as a region, but have also downgraded the credit worthiness of many salient Greek financial institutions and banks (Erlanger 2012). This has given way to a catch 22 situation in which the European Union expects Greece to act responsible and accept a conditional bailout package and opt for tough austerity measures while the people of Greece seem to be totally averse to any such compromises.

Helen Essay Example for Free

Helen Essay 1. Helen’s responsibilities to each of the following groups: a. The Accounting   Department and the University –Helen’s responsibility to the Accounting   Department and the University is to uphold honour and pride. Every student is an emissary and a reflection of his or her alma mater. b. Other students in the class and in the department- Helen’s responsibility to the other students in the class and in the department is to encourage truthfulness. Being one of the top students, it is inevitable for the other students and the department to look up to her. c. Big Apple LLC-Helen’s responsibility to the Big Apple LLC is to uphold integrity, trust and loyalty. The accounting firm invited her to join them with the intention and hope to hire the best and well-suited person for the job. d. The professor of Accounting 544- Helen’s responsibility to the professor of Accounting 544 is to maintain credibility and respect to his teachings. e. Her bestfriend- Helen’s responsibility to her bestfriend is to promote trustworthiness. Someone who cannot be trusted with little cannot be trusted with much. f. Herself- Helen’s responsibility to herself is to defend her integrity. Cheating is simply a deception of one’s self. 2. From an integrity perspective, Helen should walk away from the opportunity to take a copy of the final exam from the professor’s mailbox.   Because once she gets caught, she might end up not graduating at all aside from totally losing her summa cum laude standing. In other words, she will get expelled. However, if she doesn’t get caught, she might repeat again this mistake and ruining her integrity and somehow degrading her dignity as an accountant. 3. If I were Helen and I have a goal of qualifying for summa cum laude, I would reconsider my priorities and curb time for some things that would not contribute to the attainment of my goal. I would rather consult my professors should I have a hard time dealing with my courses. I would devote more time to studying so as not to compromise the ethics that I stick by. 4. Assuming that the Empire State University provides a $5,000 award to all students who graduate summa cum laude, I will stand by my decision to uphold integrity. Because integrity is not something that you do today and forget tomorrow should the circumstances change. Integrity is the code of value that you stick by. Integrity is who you are no matter what. 5. There should be a consequence for the student who provided the exam to Helen. Because the very act of getting the exam from the professor’s mailbox is stealing and cheating. 6. Should the Empire State University have an honor code my answer would be the same. Because I personally believe in integrity and as I’ve said in my previous answer (number 4) integrity is not something that you do today and forget tomorrow should the circumstances change. 7. As a fellow student in Accounting 544 with Helen, I might feel cheated on and disappointed if I found out about what she did. I might feel that way because I could have been doing things truthfully, looking up to her, and believing that she has done things honestly to get the highest academic honor only to find out that it should not be hers. It would simply be unfair to the class,disrespect to the professor, dishonour to the university, and unethical to accounting.

Introduction The Noon Group Marketing Essay

Introduction The Noon Group Marketing Essay Noon Group of Companies is being managed by the Noon family. The group has qualified and experienced professionals. The Noon Group of Pakistan strives to improve its profitability and safeguard its stakeholders interest while maintaining highest quality standards and serving the community. The Noon Group of Companies has various business ventures and Noon Pakistan Limited is one such profitable venture of the Group. Apart from Noon Pakistan Limited a brief description of the other business ventures are as follows:- 1.Noon Sugar Mills Limited This venture was incorporated in 1964 and manufactures white sugar. Initial crushing capacity was 1500 MT of sugarcane which has been increased to 4000 MT over the passage of time. In 1986 an alcohol distillery was setup to manufacture industrial alcohol. The total number of people employed is 683 and currently efforts are underway to increase the crushing capacity to 8000 MT/day. (Nurpur Foods-About Noon Group) 2.Pioneer Cement Limited Pioneer Cement Limited was incorporated in 1985 with a total investment of Rs.2660 million and production capacity of 630000 tons per annum. The plant is situated in Chenki, Khushab. The project was financed by a consortium of foreign lenders led by the Asian Development Bank. Efforts are underway for another line having a capacity of 6000 MT/day. (Nurpur Foods-About Noon Group) 3.Noon International Private Limited Noon International (Pvt) Limited is a trading company which was established in 1972. The company employs 43 people including a team of 15 professional sales engineers. This firm represents various international companies of repute in Pakistan and markets their equipment in the fields of textile, power generation, sugar, fertilizer, chemical, steel, cement, food and milling. (Nurpur Foods-About Noon Group) 4.Textile Technics Private Limited Incorporated in 2004 with a total investment of Rs 100 million, Textile Technics is a joint venture between M/S Blue Reed of Spain and Noon International Private Limited. The project has a production capacity of 22000 meters of reed per annum. (Nurpur Foods-About Noon Group) 5.Textile Services Textile Services was established in 1994 and provides services to over 200 customers of Sulzer Textile Projectile Weaving Machines. The company employs 32 people and provides training, technical service and spare parts for clients. (Nurpur Foods-About Noon Group) NOON PAKISTAN LIMITED Incorporated in 1966 with a total investment of 553 million, Noon Pakistan Limited produces various products namely Butter, Cheese, UHT milk, HCLF, Pasteurized milk, Flavored milk, Juices, Water, Desi ghee, Honey and Jam. Installed capacity of the plant is 72000 Liters/2 shifts and there are 700 employees. Noon Pakistan Limited has been marketing its products under the brand name of Nurpur. The plant is located in Bhalwal, Sargodha while the head office is situated in Lahore. (Nurpur Foods-About Noon Group) The company has not only built a strong reputation over the past years but has also been able to offer a strong product portfolio to its consumers. Noon Pakistan Limited believes in optimum utilization of resources in order to secure the interests of major stakeholders and fulfilling its obligation as a responsible corporate citizen by serving the community. The company also utilizes rigorous quality control procedures at all stages to ensure supply of quality products to consumers. This has allowed the firm to increase its turnover from Rs 311.7 million in 2004 to Rs 2436.41 million in 2011. (Nurpur Foods-Company Profile) The year 2011 was a challenging year for Noon Pakistan Limited. Energy Crisis, security situation coupled with devastating floods had exerted significant pressure on the economy and cost of living. Higher inflationary trends continued impacting their key products particularly related to fresh milk when shortages led to a cost increase of 16% compared to last year. Additionally, higher growth of their products led to severe filling capacity constraints and the market demand could not be met fully. Despite all these challenges, the management made serious efforts to achieve performance objectives by effective product mix, controlling fixed costs and locating new cheaper sources of raw material. Economic trends, prolonged gas and electricity outages, severe competition in selling brands and procurement of raw milk are not expected to ease out during the coming months. Due to reduced buying power, trend in the market is changing fast as consumers are looking for cheaper products in small packages. Therefore the management at Noon Pakistan Limited has made plans to reassess the market requirements and also further improve their production efficiency. (Noon Pakistan Limited, 2011) VISION The vision statement of Noon Pakistan Limited is as follows:- Our vision at Nurpur is to be a transformative force in our community and world at large and to serve as a model of a sustainable business alternative that nurtures social and economic well being in an environmentally sensitive manner. (Nurpur Foods-Our vision) MISSION The mission statement of Noon Pakistan Limited is as follows:- Nurpur is committed to supplying the consumer and customer with the finest, high quality products and to be a leading industry in healthy and nutritious products. Nurpur supports these goals with a corporate philosophy of adhering to the highest ethical conduct in all its business dealings, treatment of its employees, and social and environmental policies. (Nurpur Foods-Our mission) CORE VALUES At Noon Pakistan Limited, consumers are at the forefront of everything they do. The core values of the company are as follows:- 1. Ideas are constantly challenged to develop next generation solutions. 2. Business is conducted openly and fairly while competing fiercely at the same time. 3. Team work is encouraged with individual flair for the best results. 4. Tough goals are set and challenged and beaten. 5. Preservation of the environment is valued and organic agriculture is sustained. 6. Mutually supportive relationships are valued among members of local and global communities. (Nurpur Foods-Core values) AWARDS AND CERTIFICATIONS Noon Pakistan Limited has won many prestigious awards and certifications which are as follows:- 1. First dairy company in Pakistan to be certified under ISO 22000:2005. 2. Brand of the year award (2006-07) in the category of Butter. 3. Brand of the year award (2007-08) in category of Butter, Cheese and flavored milk. 4. Brand of the year award (2008-09) in the category of Butter. (Nurpur Foods-Company Profile) PRODUCTION OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS PRODUCTION UNITS 2011 2010 2009 UHT Milk/Tea whitener Ltrs 30,940,079 20,385,290 16,246,333 UHT Flavored milk Ltrs 4,668,071 4,075,407 2,498,299 UHT Cream Ltrs 71,381 461,722 345,580 Butter Kgs 986,335 1,011,925 862,622 Milk powder Kgs 927,943 1,160,508 930,894 Cheese Kgs 203,146 206,508 194,020 Ghee Kgs 34,371 52,190 31,331 Pasteurized Milk Ltrs 4,911,778 2,663,294 1,806,733 Loose cream Ltrs 3,490 Jams and honey Kgs 34,032 42,812 23,735 Juices Ltrs 4,421,399 10,341,160 10,402,443 (Noon Pakistan Limited, 2011) THE PURCHASE DEPARTMENT OF NOON PAKISTAN LIMITED In order to get insights about the operations of the Purchase Department, two interviews were held with the Purchase Manager of Noon Pakistan Limited. The purchase manager of Noon Pakistan Limited is Mr.Malik Ashraf who has been with the firm since its establishment. The operations of the department and interview findings are described as follows:- The purchase department is responsible for purchasing all materials required by the head office and plant other then milk which is purchased at the milk collection centre in Bhalwal. Materials which are purchased by the department range from ordinary items like office and plant stationary to complex materials like Flavors, Spare parts for plant equipment and transportation vehicles, Chemicals, Fuel and everything related to the manufacturing process, Logistics and day to day operations. Demand for requisition comes from the factory and approval has to be given by the Managing Director. The purchase department currently has 4-5 employees. The purchase department stays in coordination with the plant and suppliers through phone and email and as such no software is currently being used by the department. The department uses a manual system of keeping records and storing files. The purchase department always keeps 3 copies of requisitions and delievery challans. One copy is sent to the pl ant, one copy is maintained with the purchase department and one copy is kept by the Purchase Manager. The major suppliers of Noon Pakistan Limited are SMC, Sitara Chemicals , Jeson Foods and Danisco. Everyone is involved in the purchase process including the General Manager, Purchase Manager and people from the plant. Payments to suppliers are made either on cash or credit through the head office. Credit terms depend on contacts and relations with suppliers and can range from 15 days up to a month. (Ashraf) According to Mr. Malik, Noon Pakistan Limited believes in maintaining healthy relations with Suppliers and this is one of the key strengths of the department. The primary reason given for this was that Juices and Milk factories in Pakistan have no second option since suppliers are limited and few. They have to purchase materials from the specified suppliers and bargaining power of suppliers is high in this regard. However if relations are good with suppliers not only do suppliers cooperate but may also be lenient in terms of credit. In this regard price does not play a major issue but a greater issue is that of availability of materials from suppliers. Mr. Malik also stated that in case of materials needed from local suppliers, the purchase department is given no time and purchase has to be made immediately. However when imported materials are required from foreign suppliers, the Purchase department is informed in advance as shipping takes time. Mr. Malik also stated that there is no fixed pattern of purchases made throughout the year and it all depends on plant and market requirements. The quality of materials purchased is checked at the plant and if there are defects the merchandise is returned to the supplier. Mr. Malik also stated that there is no HR department as such and the performance of the purchase department is monitored from the plant and the Managing Director. (Ashraf) When the Purchase Department gets a requisition from the plant, the respective supplier is contacted and a van or truck of the firm goes to the supplier along with delievery Challan. The goods are then transported to the plant. One issue which is being faced by the purchase department is lack of coordination with the plant. Mr.Malik pointed out an instance in which the plant actually required Diesel but in the requisition form mentioned Furnace Oil. He mentioned some employees in the plant try to trap the purchase department to lower its performance but due to his vast experience of working with the firm and keeping a personal record of purchases, he immediately gets to know about such issues. Mr.Malik described having more informal relations with local suppliers but with foreign suppliers a formal relation is kept. This is the primary difference in dealing between local and foreign suppliers. He also mentioned that Government Policies and Regulatory Environment do have an impact on prices because if the government increases prices, suppliers also have to increase their price. (Ashraf) A typical deliver challan and requisition form is given on the following page. Original documents have also been attached in the Annexure. DELIVERY CHALLAN Noon Pakistan Limited 1st Floor, Mustafa Centre, 45 F, Main Market, Gulberg Lahore Pakistan No._______ Date:_________ To, Manager, Noon Pakistan Limited, Bhalwal The following goods have been dispatched to you by Truck No_____________ SR# Description Qty. Amount Supplier Remarks Kindly Sign and Return Duplicate ____________________ _________________ Malik Mohammed Ashraf Bhalwal Store (Noon Pakistan Limited) NOON PAKISTAN LIMITED, BHALWAL DEMAND OF STORE TO BE PURCHASED DEMAND NO______ DATE____________ SR# Item Code Nominclature Specification Name A/U Qty Required Stock in Hand Last Purchase Date Rate/Unit Amount Remarks ____________ _______________ Store Manager General Manager (Noon Pakistan Limited) THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT OF NOON PAKISTAN LIMITED In order to study the operations of the Marketing Department, two interviews were conducted with Mr.Rizwan Khan who is the Marketing Manager at Noon Pakistan Limited and has been with the firm for the past 5 years. The questions asked during the interviews have been attached in the annexure. Details of the Marketing Department are as follows:- Marketing research activities are outsourced. The Marketing Department purchases monthly reports by different marketing research agencies like AC Nielson and Tetra Pak. In this way the marketing department stays in touch with the latest trends and competitor activities. The Marketing department comprises of one marketing manager and a brand manager. The Marketing Manager reports to the General Manager of Marketing and Sales while activities of the brand manager are monitored by the marketing manager. The brand manager is responsible for dealing with various agencies as all marketing research data and ATL as well as BTL activities are outsourced. Some of the agencies with which the marketing department works are SABB Marketing, Time and Space, Orient, HRK Communications, Aura Communications, TOPAZ Communications and ADZ Communications. These agencies prepare designs of print ads and commercials. The brand manager discusses the various designs with the Marketing Manager and after makin g necessary amendments and recommendations gives the approval to Marketing agencies. (Khan) The Marketing Department does its planning in the beginning of the year in coordination with the Sales Department. A monthly, yearly and 5 year plan is made. The Marketing Department is consulted in all strategic decisions made at the corporate level. There is no fixed method for determining the budget allocated to the Marketing Department and it all depends on various factors like last years profitability and market performance of various brands available in the market. In 2012, three new brands by the name of Yogo Yogo, Dairy Rozana and Jalwa have been launched. (Khan) The Marketing Strategy of Noon Pakistan Limited is Differentiation strategy. However the strategy to be adopted for each brand depends on the market performance and competitor activities. Since UHT milk is difficult to differentiate, the current strategy being adopted is to position it as a milk which is enriched with vitamins needed for healthy growth and development. The target market of UHT milk is Housewives and working females as well as males. Different SKUs are being used to target different Socio Economic Classes like the 1000ml pack is targeted for SEC-A while the 200ml and 250ml packs are targeted towards low income households. The main competitor brands of Nurpur Milk are Olpers, Milk Pak, Good Milk and Haleeb. The marketing department does not go for an offensive strategy because Nestle and Engro are huge giants with bundle of resources. Noon Pakistan Limited can be classified as an Analyzer. Another reason for not adopting an offensive strategy is that volumes are low. I mportance is not given to gain shelf space because there production volumes are so low that everything sells out due to high demand of UHT milk. Recently a new brand by the name of Dairy Rozana has been launched as a flanker brand to compete with the brand Dairy Omung of Engro. (Khan) The main weakness of the Marketing Department is that very little attention is being paid towards building brand equity. The department is focusing on increasing sales which is a short term approach rather than focusing on building their brands. The details about how the Marketing Department is managing the marketing mix of Nurpur milk is described in a later section. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT (Noon Pakistan Limited) The Brand Manager is responsible for dealing with various Marketing Agencies and reports to the Marketing Manager. The Marketing Manager reports to the General Manager of Sales and Marketing. (Khan) THE SALES DEPARTMENT OF NOON PAKISTAN LIMITED In order to study the operations of the Sales Department, two interviews were conducted with Mr.Nauman Butt who is the Sales Analyst at Noon Pakistan Limited and has been with the firm for a year. The questions asked in the interview have been attached in the annexure. The organizational structure of the Sales Department comprises of the General Manager of Sales and Marketing, National Sales Manager, Regional Sales Manager, Area Sales Manager, Field Managers and Sales Officers. The job description of the Field Manager and Sales Officer is the same but position of Field Manager is superior because those Sales Officers whose performance is consistently outstanding are made Field Managers. Territories have been assigned according to location and comprises of Central Zone, Southern Punjab zone and Northern zone which includes RWL/AJK, Hazara belt and Pakhtoon.K belt. Distribution is limited in Quetta and Multan because of heavy freight expenses. The process of forecasting yearly sales is that last years closing sales are doubled and the amount is set as the Sales Target for the next year. Sales Quotas are assigned to Salesmen depending on the Area and potential. Other factors which are taken into account while assigning quotas are the seasonality issue because milk production and demand fluctuates throughout the year. There are more than 280 distributors all over the country and each Sales Officer has to monitor and look after 3-4 distributors. The Sales department also relies on individual projections from the Sales Team when deciding upon monthly and quarterly targets. If a salesman is unable to achieve his target in the specified time, he has to achieve both, the remaining target as well as the target allocated in the next period. If targets are continuously not being achieved the Salesman is fired. The salesmen who achieve targets are awarded with bonuses and cash rewards. In order to motivate the sales team, a sales competition is held and winner of Sales Man of the Year is rewarded. Besides having a Sales competition, vacation trips are also planned to motivate the Sales Team. If targets set in the year 2012 are met, the entire Sales Team will go on a vacation to Dubai on the companys expenses. Noon Pakistan Limited has als o started exporting its products to countries like England, Kenya and Afghanistan. The documentation process to export products involves the Performa Invoice, E-Form Attestation, Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Certificate of Origin and Analysis Report. (Butt) ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF SALES DEPARTMENT Pakhtoon.K Belt SO Rawalpindi Field Manager Inst.S.Executive Sales Coordinator Southern Punjab Zone GM Sales/Mkt SO SO FM ASM RWL/AJK Hazara belt RWL/AJK belt RSM Multan SO SO SO SO SO SO Faisalabad SO Sargodha FM Gujrat FM SO ASM P.milk FM I.SIndh FM Karachi Inst.SO FM ASM Sales Analyst North Zone South Region Head Office NSM Central Zone (Noon Pakistan Limited) PRODUCT PORTFOLIO AND PRICE LIST Product Packing Unit/Ctn Retailer Margin Trade Price Consumer Price 1.UHT MILK Ctns Units Ctns Units 1000ml 12 6.09% 1018 84.83 1080 90 200ml 24 4.35% 391 16.29 408 17 250ml 27 5.97% 586 21.7 621 23 2.CHAI MIX Ctns Units Ctns Units 250ml 27 6.38% 533 19.74 567 21 200ml 24 5.97% 385 16.04 408 17 3.BUTTER KGs Units KGs Units 200gm 30 8.00% 463 92.6 500 100 100gm 60 12.70% 488 48.8 550 55 50gm 120 13.20% 530 26.5 600 30 20gm 300 13.20% 530 10.6 600 12 10gm 600 13.20% 530 5.3 600 6 1KG white 20 11.80% 8500 425 9500 475 4.CHEESE Ctns Units Ctns Units 200gm cottage 42 9.10% 6930 165 7560 180 200gm slice 36 16.10% 5580 155 6480 180 225gm chedder 40 14.90% 5920 148 6800 170 225gm spicy 40 14.90% 5920 148 6800 170 225gm mozarella 40 14.60% 6980 174.5 8000 200 450gm chedder 20 13.40% 6880 344 7800 390 450gm mozarella 20 13.60% 8800 440 10000 500 1.8Kg mozarella 4 13.10% 5128 1282 5800 1450 1Kg slice 8 13.60% 5072 634 5760 720 1Kg slice (KFC) 8 13.60% 5072 634 5760 720 2Kg Chedder 4 12.10% 3924 981 4400 1100 5.CREAM P/Tray Units P/Tray Units 250ml 27 4.20% 1200 44.44 1250 46.3 6.PASTEURIZED MILK P/Tray Litres P/Tray Liters 1000ml 10 11.70% 600 60 670 67 500ml 20 13.30% 600 30 680 34 7.FLAVORED MILK Ctns Units Ctns Units 250ml 12 13.30% 233 19.42 264 22 200ml 12 12.10% 214 17.83 240 20 8.PURE JUICES Ctns Units Ctns Units Apple 1000ml 12 6.10% 792 66 840 70 Guava 1000ml 12 6.10% 792 66 840 70 Orange 1000ml 12 7.10% 840 70 900 75 Pineapple 1000ml 12 6.10% 792 66 840 70 Mango 1000ml 12 6.10% 792 66 840 70 Apple 200ml 24 11.80% 322 13.42 360 15 Orange 200ml 24 11.80% 322 13.42 360 15 Mango 200ml 24 15.40% 312 13 360 15 9.YOGO YOGO Ctns Units Ctns Units 200ml 12 8.70% 276 23 300 25 10.DESI GHEE Ctns Units Ctns Units 1Kg 6 7.50% 2232 372 2400 400 11.JAMS 1.5Kg Units 1.5Kg Units Strawberry 15gm 600 14.30% 385 3.85 440 4.4 Apple 15gm 600 14.30% 385 3.85 440 4.4 Marmalad 15gm 600 14.30% 385 3.85 440 4.4 Honey 15gm 600 14.30% 385 3.85 440 4.4 12.DAIRY ROZANA 1.5Kg Units 1.5Kg Units 1000ml 12 6.12% 735 61.25 780 65 250ml 27 6.11% 458 16.96 486 18 13.JALWA Ctns Units Ctns Units 250ml 27 6.21% 483 17.89 513 19 200ml 24 5.88% 340 14.17 360 15 (Noon Pakistan Limited) MARKETING MIX OF NURPUR UHT MILK Nurpur UHT milk has been positioned as a milk which is enriched with vitamins needed for healthy growth and development. The milk is packed in Tetra Aseptic Packaging which allows long lasting storage and shelf space. Currently three SKUs are available in the market which are 200ml, 250ml and 1000ml. (Khan) Initially the pricing policy adopted for Nurpur milk was market penetration pricing, which means prices were low compared to competing brands. Recently the pricing policy has been changed and now the pricing policy is competitive pricing policy as shown below:- Product Packing Unit/Ctn Retailer Margin Trade Price Consumer Price 1.UHT MILK Ctns Units Ctns Units 1000ml 12 6.09% 1018 84.83 1080 90 200ml 24 4.35% 391 16.29 408 17 250ml 27 5.97% 586 21.7 621 23 (Khan) (Noon Pakistan Limited) Due to low volumes produced the company has adopted the policy of selective distribution. The company offers various discounts to retailers to push their products into the market. The indirect distribution channel being used is shown below:- (Khan) Due to limited marketing budgets, the marketing department has to promote most of the products through Below The Line(BTL) activities. Outdoor advertising, hoardings, flyers, Trader Schemes, Taste and trial promotion activities, posters, streamers, buntings and wobblers are mostly used. Even though some commercials have been aired on television, lack of budgets restricts the marketing department from making use of Above The Line advertising effectively. (Khan) SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS Market leadership in selected product categories Strong and Experienced Sales Team Strong Supplier relationship Brand Loyal Customers Strict adherence to Quality Standards First dairy company in Pakistan to be certified under ISO 22000:2005 WEAKNESSES Weak coordination among departments No emphasis on building brand equity No formal HR Department Centralized Decision Making No policy of recruiting fresh blood Selective Distribution OPPORTUNITIES Exporting products to foreign countries Increased demand for dairy products due to urbanization and increasing population Ensuring availability in untapped markets Launching innovative products for health conscious consumers Going for backward integration THREATS Reliance on few suppliers Rising prices of sugar Rising prices of oil increasing transportation expenses Energy and Power Crises