Admitting average or mediocre students into college has not debased american higher education

American higher education is one of the oldest in the world. Since the establishment of the first higher institute of education in the country, there has been tremendous growth in the number of students admitted to our higher education institutions every year.In deed, College education has been the aspiration of the many young adults in the country.   As the modern technology takes centre state in life, education has become in important tool to assist a student to cut an edge in the technology driven economy.However the issue of admission to American colleges has remained controversial in respect to the admission of average or mediocre students. While some have argued that the admission of average and mediocre students has debased American higher education, this paper strongly refutes this claim. Poor base structure in our education system can be held responsible for debasing American higher education.American education poor base structure debasing higher educationAccording to the charter of human rights, every student has the right to education and admitting average or mediocre students does not debase American higher education (Guinner, 1998).There have been differeing college admission criteria which have denied some students a chance to acquire higher education.   It has been argued that average or mediocre students have debased American higher education but there are other factors which have debased the higher education.First we have to understand what makes an average of mediocre students.   There are many factors which are used to grade students and therefore determine their entry criteria to higher education institutions.   Some of these factors include the low grades, SAT scores, environment and social behavior factors.Therefore these factors determine the ability of the student to purse higher education. However some of the average or mediocre students have performed better than other students. Therefore the first point that refutes this claim is that our system has poorly divided and graded our students (Thill, 2006).SAT has been widely used in determining the eligibility of a student to higher education institutions.   There are many scholars who argued against the use of SAT to determine the eligibility of student to higher education arguing that it is flawed and very unreliable.The first factor that has debased American higher education is the use of SAT in determining the eligibility of students. Therefore we can say that there are no averages or mediocre students but we only have a mediocre system that is used to scrutinize them and this system is SATs.There are other college admission criteria that have debased American higher education system. There are some students who are admitted to college based on their past sports record. Rothchild (2008) argue that there are a number of top colleges which pay students exorbitant amounts of money or award with possessions in order to sway students to join their colleges and play for their teams.No one is quite sure whether the coaches who admit these students to their team really look into the minds like the SAT test looks into student minds.   Most of these students do not really deserve to be college student as their mediocre or average classmate.This means that it is not the admission of average and mediocre students which has debased American higher students but rather the discriminate admission of students based on other factor like sports career.

A Revelation to me Essay

When I was a kid, I got almost anything I wanted. I had travelled to China and seen the Great Wall. I travelled to Brisbane to see the Coral Reef and I even travelled to Italy and saw places like the Coliseum and the Sistine Chapel. However, to me, Singapore was the be all and end all of the world. I had lived there for 11 years and all my wants and needs were met on that small island. I could walk anywhere without worrying about getting kidnapped. I could take a taxi and not worry about the driver cheating you. I could even leave the house 10 minutes for a lesson and not worry about being late. I had a lovely school, a nice group of international friends and moreover a house in a pristine location. All was good. One day, my dad was at work and my brother was at a sleepover. My mother took me to my favorite restaurant at that time†¦McDonalds. I knew something was fishy, because I hadn’t done anything good, but I went along with it. Then she brought me a FULL Meal. Hmmmm†¦suspicious but I again parried it off. Then she upsized it. Ok! Something was wrong. So when I went to the table to eat my Upsized, full meal of McDonalds, I asked my mum â€Å"What’s going on? What’s the special occasion?’ And she replied, â€Å"Nothing Rushad. Can’t we just have a mother, son outing?† I looked at her in the eye and I could tell something was wrong. â€Å"Ok, fine.† She said. Paused. Took a bite from her burger. Swallowed. Then said â€Å"We are moving from Singapore.† â€Å"Don’t lie.† I laughed. â€Å"You can’t be serious! MUM!† But she just shook her head, like a bothered elephant and said â€Å"I’m sorry.† â€Å"But I don’t want to move.† And she told me the words I will never forget: â€Å"Life is like McDonalds. One day you get the Big Mac, whilst others you just get simple Chicken Nuggets. However, sometimes, you only get what’s available and have no say in the matter. Do you think a chicken wants to be killed to fill your stomach? Or a cow slaughtered to fill you up? No, sometimes, you have to accept defeat and walk along the path your life has chosen.† This was a turning point in my life. I realized that in life, you don’t always get what you wanted. Fortunately, some people learn this in simple ways such as not winning the game you wanted, or not getting that pretty girl to go out with you. Unfortunately for me, I learnt this the hard way. Leaving all that I knew behind, to start a fresh life in Jakarta. Sometimes you only want something, like staying in Singapore, because it’s the safe way out. However, moving to Jakarta was a risk and a scary adventure.

Care Giver Perceptions of End of Life Care for COPD Patient

Care Giver Perceptions of End of Life Care for COPD Patient RESEARCH PROPOSAL Title: Exploring the primary family care givers perceptions of care giving for end of life care of COPD ICU patient. Introduction: The world perspective is shifting towards non-communicable diseases, with chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as chief causes of death globally. COPD is a chronic progressive disease of air flow obstruction which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. COPD is predicted as 3 rd leading cause of death in 2030 according to 2008 WHO statistics. In terms of social burden of disease quantified by disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost, COPD ranked as the 12th leading cause of DALYs lost worldwide in 1990, but will be the 7th leading cause of DALY lost worldwide in 2030.COPD is more common among world age people due to decreased lung function capacity. The world population above 60 years was1.7% in 2013 and will continue to grow as a reaching 21.1 per cent by 2050 (world a geing population 2013). COPD is one of the major 8th leading causes of death in Singapore. According to MOH 2013 census COPD causes 1.6% of deaths per 18938 populations.COPD is a treatable disease but not a curable one. So ultimately it increases the economic burden of the country by its chronicity, rate of hospital readmission and affects the quality of life Lynn, 2000; Simonds, 2004).The palliative care needs of patients with end-stage respiratory diseases are increasingly being recognized (Curtis, 2008; Lanken et al., 2008) . The COPD patient experience significant impairment of quality of life and physical and psychological needs when compare to individual with lung cancer (Core et al., 2000; Edmonds et al., 2001; Skilbeck et al., 1998; Tranmer et al, 2003). Why family members? When there is progression of diseases it imposes negative impacts on psychological health of Care givers (Daniela Figueiredo, 2014). Careers are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depressive symptoms providing continuous care during the advance stage of the disease and end of life care (Abebaw Mengistus Yohannes 2007). Preparation for death should include a realistic appraisal of the prospects for dying peacefully at home. (Hansen –Flaschen J .2004) Most of the patients are willing to be housebound at the end stage of life so its responsibility of family cares to provide continuous care and support them White P (2011) stated 45% were housebound, 75% had a career in end stage of COPD . despite no studies have been conducted qualitatively on family care givers perception on End of life care on COPD in Asian countries .

Antigone Written Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Antigone Written Response - Essay Example A tragic figure is someone who indeed has pride but is compelled to have an open mind when it comes to matters that involve others. And being the kind, it was a premier characteristic for a tragic hero to understand the repercussions of his actions before he set forth in giving exacting decisions. The fact that being rejected made Creon decide the fate of a person based from personal grudges is simply not heroic. Although he does not qualify in the definition of a tragic figure, he still possesses some characteristics that can be treated with nobility. He came from a good lineage, albeit the fact that he inherited the crown with twisted means, and he has what it takes to take over an entire kingdom. His pride and composition makes for a talented king, one which will be able to defend his constituents when the need arises. However, his actions as a king must be measured. This he had proven as his weakness, for in the end he has led to the tragic affairs that would forever taint his rule. Compared with Antigone, Creon is the weaker character. Antigone is a good example of a tragic figure, one which clings to her ideals if she knows they are right and would demand to be heard before she made her own means. Her actions towards the burial of an important person prove how fearless she is. And when it comes to dying, she chose to die with honor. Creon, in contrary, lack the courage it took Antigone to take her own life. That and that alone, is enough proof that Creon is nothing like Antigone. He is nothing like the sort of man a woman could trust decisions in. He failed to discuss his options and saw the fruit of indecision leading to untoward events. As king, it was his obligation to care for his minions, which he never fulfilled with satisfaction. In argument, sympathy can be felt for him at the end of the play when the actions he had started led to a vile event that he had not seen coming. Indeed, no one would have

Facilities and Events Operations Management Term Paper

Facilities and Events Operations Management - Term Paper Example This function is also responsible for the fulfilment of the requests of the customers through creation and delivery of the required facilities and events. Depending on the manner in which an organization is structured, the precise nature of tasks, which are classified under the operations function, can be different from one business to another; nevertheless, some activities can be applied to all the forms of operations. These include: Understanding strategic goals, which involves the managers in charge of operations precisely understanding the objectives of the company and developing clear visions of the ways in which operations will assist in achieving them. It also entails the translation of these objectives into implications for how operations perform, goals, quality, speed as well as reliability, flexibility and costs. Development of an operations strategy, where as a result of the numerous number of decisions made as far as operations is concerned, it is important that the people responsible have a set of regulations that assist in aligning these decisions with the long term objectives of the company. All companies can be widely divided into two main categories, which are manufacturing and service companies. Regardless of the fact that both categories have operations management functions, these differences create unique challenges for operations as the characteristics of the products differ. Two key distinctions exist between the operations of companies that deal in products and those that concentrate on services. To begin with, organizations that deal with products produce physical and tangible products, which may be stored in inventory prior to it being required by the consumer. In contrast, companies that deal with services produce products that are not tangible and cannot be produced before the customers need them. Further, the companies that deal with tangible products, the consumers usually do not have a direct contact with the production

African Economic History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

African Economic History - Essay Example Speaking about Africa, at first we should mention that is the poorest country in the world with its 887 million people population. And it became even poorer than it was some 20 years ago. We could see Africa's regress looking on the foreign trade, international investments and the people's living standard. Its poor resources Africa's rebels spent on the military equipment and provisions for the warriors. The country overcame the civil and international wars. (Gleave, and Morgan 139) The Cold War triggered a great conflict between the African states. Given from another countries money aid was spent on the weapons and the donor countries shut their eyes to the wrong usage of their investments. In the region of the Great Lakes were the civil wars: in Somalia, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Ivory Coast and Liberia. And of course we should mention the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) that raged in the 1990s. ("Niger, Country, Africa")Experts say this war dubbed Africa's First World War. The participants were six neighbouring states (Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, and Angola). This war was a result of genocide in Rwanda in 1994 and the fall of President Mobutu with his decayed state. (Gleave, and Morgan 139) At the end of this war 4 million people were dead, and mostly all of the victims were civilians. The remarkable thing of the war, however, was the transfer from apartheid to majority rule in South Africa. By the end of 1990-s Somalia had still no government. And a lack of authority left it in a state of economic weakness and vulnerability, but on the other hand the conflict rate was low.

Critique of the article Overpopulation threatens the environment Essay

Critique of the article Overpopulation threatens the environment - Essay Example The author brings to fore a grave problem that faces the modern world today, by seeing it in a different perspective. He points to the fact that in order to sustain the environment, human beings have to control the birthrates and take immediate action so that the environment is protected for all living beings, including humans to survive. According to him, the best means to achieve this objective is to refrain from producing more children and he considers vasectomy as a noble mission of the modern day man, in the face of the current situation. The article, published in the Opposing Viewpoints Series by Green Haven Press, deals mainly with the problem that over population of the earth by the human species has a lot of â€Å"far-reaching and overwhelmingly destructive impacts on many other animal and plant species† (Cascadia 22). The author claims that overpopulation destroys biodiversity on earth to such a extent that it will become impossible for life to sustain on the planet in the long run. The author also argues that â€Å"The entire history of humanity is one of environmental destruction and the eradication of other species† (Cascadia 22). ... Human encroachment of the environment, and the dire consequences that await them due to over exploitation of the resources, remains a topic of engaging debates across the globe. In this scenario, Cascadia attempts to reemphasize this concern, in a bid to make his audience take cognizance of the problem. The author uses the literacy devices of logos, pathos, ethos and logical fallacies as well as statistical data, to put his point convincingly across to his audience. The title itself, simple and precise, communicates the essence of the essay directly to the readers. The author then introduces the topic, referring to the impact of overpopulation and its exponential growth, by referring to the data of births and deaths. In any major mishap such the Asian Tsunami or 9/11, the death toll is much less than the birthrate in a day. By citing statistics such as this, the author illustrates a logic that controlling birth rate is a significant concern for humans in order to protect the environm ent whose resources are already over consumed. The very logic of the situation amply convinces the readers of the essay about the gravity of the situation. Cascadia appeals to the emotions of his audience by referring to historical context of human migration to different landscapes. By specifically citing the instance of the â€Å"extinction of mega fauna† in North America as a consequence of human influx in the area over 10,000 years ago, the author deftly illustrates the impact excessive human concentration can have on the environment. Again, the author’s dexterity in deploying the literary elements of pathos and rhetoric becomes evident when he refers to the example

Book report; schlesinger, The Distinguishing of America Term Paper

Book report; schlesinger, The Distinguishing of America - Term Paper Example he thesis that the emphasis on ethnic awareness, especially among public school, is a mistake; that instead of students studying the history that will unite America, they would be studying the history of his or her ethnic origin that is not even a historical fact. According to him, â€Å"the purpose of history is to promote not group self-esteem, but understanding of the world and the past, dispassionate analysis, judgment, and perspective, respect for divergent cultures and traditions, and unflinching protection for those unifying ideas of tolerance, democracy, and human rights that make free historical inquiry possible† (Schlesinger 104). In pushing for his thesis, Schlesinger argued that it is really not beneficial for Afro-Americans to study the history of an ethnic group or country which they have no cultural ties. He used the example of W.E.B. Du Bois to illustrate the detachment of the present generation of Afro-Americans to Africa as saying that â€Å"neither my father nor my father’s father ever saw Africa, or knew its meaning or cared overmuch for it† (Schlesinger 88). Even quoting the great Afro-American civil rights activist Martin Luther King as â€Å"we know nothing of Africa† (Schlesinger 89). In Schlesinger assertion, this can even lead to a distorted sense of history and cultural crisis as students would tend to study the essays written by the likes of Afrocentric writers such as Asa Hilliard and John Henrik Clarke, whose assertion that Africa is the â€Å"mother of Western civilization† has no historical basis, that is grounded more on fiction than documented fact. While it is agreeable that it is very important to study the history and the traditional canon of one’s country of birth (America), the tragedies that molded it, or the nuances of its cultural orientation, the assertion of Schlesinger that extending the historical study to other ethnic roots could distort one’s cultural image or sense of history is rather simplistic. It

Critical writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Critical writing - Essay Example tion about the negative moves of a government, that owned by the government will present the government in good light in spite of its negative actions. For example, during Hitler’s rule in Germany, newspapers were used to spread propaganda in favor of the government even though the government committed several atrocities. Yet another factor that may lead to different interpretations of similar events is cultural differences. Different cultures interpret different actions or words in different ways. Thus, newspapers owned or controlled by people of different cultures may present different views one and the same event. Students should be wary of bias when relying on newspapers to provide information. They should avoid relying on newspapers that present information in a biased way. Instead, they should rely on newspapers that are objective in their coverage. Critical thinking should be applied to establish whether or not a source is biased. This can be done by evaluating the tone used, the author, their affiliations and what they stand for, and the different points of view presented by the

The Lord Of The Flies Chapter 5 Review Essay Example for Free

The Lord Of The Flies Chapter 5 Review Essay In chapter 5 Ralph says, Things are breaking up. (Page 102). Having read the whole novel, comment on whether you think that things will continue to break up on the island. Explain your answer in detail, using quotes where appropriate. The plane crash that starts Goldings novel is hardly a good omen, and things continue to deteriorate throughout the story. Ralphs realisation in chapter five that Things are breaking up, (pg 102) is a perfect summary of what has started to happen, but at this point he has no idea of how bad things will get. The first time we meet Jack; he is portrayed as being in almost complete darkness (pg 27). This suggests there is a side to his personality that is far from pure, while the first time we are introduced to Piggy and Ralph, they strip off and go swimming. This suggests innocence and light, a far cry from Jack and the choirboys looming darkness. The first indication we receive that things are breaking up is in chapter two, at the assembly. Ralph is talking about how there will need to be rules and order, when Jack interrupts with All the same you need an army. (Pg 43) After this, it is decided that the choir will be this army- the clear beginning of the degradation of Jack and the choirboys from angels to torturing hunters. Another key event that happens in this meeting is the conch being chosen to signify a persons right to talk. This is the only rule that exists at the moment, and it is already broken before the end of the meeting, when all the boys follow Jack off to make a fire: Jack clamoured among them, the conch forgotten. (Pg 49) It becomes very clear that all is not well on the island when a littlun tells the assembly of a beastie that lives on the island. Ralph desperately tries to reassure the children: But there isnt a beastie! (Pg 47), while Jack unsettles them by talk of hunting and death: If there was a snake wed hunt and kill it. When Golding points out that Ralph Felt himself facing something ungraspable, (pg 48) he is subtlely stating that the so-called beastie is not some terrible creature, but evil beginning to surface in the boys. This emergence of evil marks the beginning of the island, the boys and their microcosm breaking up. When building the fire, Jack and Piggy argue about whether Piggy helped at all. When Piggy points out that he has the conch, Jack snaps with The conch doesnt count on top of the mountain. Here Jack is finding ways to detach himself from the rule and order of the conch, and succeeding. The first death in the book is when the boy with the mulberry birthmark disappears and is killed in the forest fire. This is due to the hunters lack of responsibility and letting the fire get out of control. In chapter three, it becomes apparent that the boys are undergoing a change for the worse. They have now reverted to the rhythm of nature, rather than civilised time, and they become much more savage in that they are now able to kill. The group is not working together, and so their society is breaking off into smaller groups. On page 64, Ralph complains to Jack that no one is helping he and Simon build the shelters: they (the littluns) keep running off. The hunters were also away from the main group, on another unsuccessful hunt. Jack then loses his temper, and his evil is clearly referenced. In this chapter, a definite rift has begun to appear between Ralph and Jack, an event pointed out on page 70: the shouting and splashing and laughing was only just sufficient to bring them together again. The only character who does not seem to be breaking up is Simon. He is the silent, solid listener of the boys island society. His truthfulness and clarity of thinking, as well as his peaceful behaviour, sets Simon apart from the group of savages. They think he is weird which makes him an outcast from the group. At the end of chapter three he wanders off to be solitary and peaceful. Here, he begins be aware of the decline that is occurring, with increasing velocity, in the social structure and peaceful beauty of the island. He is one of the few, perhaps the only person in the group, with the capability to understand the danger in such degeneration. Simons realisation that all is not what it seems happens on page 66: As if this wasnt a good island. The very title of chapter four, painted faces and long hair suggests the breaking up of the island society as the boys regress to savagery. There is a pause however, a reminder that the boys old morals have not gone completely when Roger is unable to throw a rock directly at Henry. The taboos of old life (Pg 78) prevented him from doing so. Also in chapter four, Ralph spots smoke on the horizon whilst bathing. However, the hunters had let the fire go out and no smoke was spotted: The fire was smokeless and dead, the watchers were gone (Pg 85). When the hunters return, they have killed a pig and are too excited about this act of savagery to worry about the most important thing (in theory) on the island. This event marks a change in the group, Ralph especially: they let the bloody fire out. This is the first time we see Ralph lose his temper. The pig is then roasted, and a ritualistic dance takes place. The hunters chant, kill the pig, cut her throat, bash her in. This is a primitive and savage thing to do. Chapter five really reinforces the changes the island, social structure and indeed the boys are going through. Ralph says, in an assembly, how they do not gather water anymore, or use their designated bathrooms. This debate eventually turns to rules. Jack points out that if Ralph cannot hunt or song (in other words act as a savage), then does he have the right to be chief? More arguing ensues, and The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away. (Pg 113). The meeting is in absolute disorder, and now it is obvious that Ralphs statement that things are breaking up was absolutely true. Because there is now nothing to stop the group of boys (or savages) from fragmenting and degenerating, things will now continue to break up until the end of the novel. Chapter six starts in darkness. This is the point where the dead parachutist makes his entry into the story. The parachutists introduction shows that not all contact with the outside world is lost, but the only sign is a dead, rotting man killed in war: But a sign came down from the world of grown-ups, though at the time there was no child awake to read it. (Pg 118) This is an answer to Ralphs desperate cry at the end of chapter five, although not at all what he had wanted, or expected. While Sam and Eric are tending to the fire, they see the eerie silhouette of the parachutist flapping about in the breeze and immediately perceive it as a physical form of the beast. They run back to Ralph and Piggy, and tell of the events that have just taken place at an early morning assembly: Ralph pointed fearfully at Erics face, which was striped with scars where the bushes had torn him How did you do that? Eric felt his face. The other boys automatically think that the beast had attacked them, but this time there is no one comforting the littluns and saying that there is no beast. At this, Jack proposes to hunt the beast and his true feelings come through: Sucks to the littluns! We dont need the conch anymore. (Page 125) Here, Jack has abandoned any trace of order that there once was, and is only interested in hunting. Jack leads the boys to castle rock, the only place that nobody had explored. Ralph walked in the rear, thankful to have escaped responsibility (Pg 128). This shows that leadership is taking its toll on Ralph, and that he is now perhaps not as good a leader as he was at the beginning. Jack and the hunters, once at castle rock, get very excited about the place and say it would be good for a fort. Ralph then spoils their fun and Jack leads the group back to the shelter. During chapter seven, Ralph joins the hunt. He becomes very involved, both in the actual hunt and the ritual dance that follows. He succumbs to the urge to hurt, in just the same way as the savage hunters. Ralph too was fighting to get near The desire to squeeze and hurt was over-mastering. (Pg 142) They become so absorbed into the dance that they do not notice that they are hurting Robert. After this dance, Golding describes the deteriorating landscape of the island, mirroring the boys degeneration. Ralph, Jack and Roger then go up the mountain to look for the beast. In chapter eight, Gift for the darkness, a number of objects have now become taboo, for instance the beast and, in the case of Piggy, Jack. The boys express their fear for things by not naming them. Without realising it, they are actually increasing their fear by not facing up to it. Jack becomes much more violent, and his possessiveness and longing for leadership is at its strongest: Hands up, said Jack strongly, whoever wants Ralph not to be chief. (Pg 157) Jack then goes off and decides to make a camp of his own, but he calls it a tribe (which is showing obvious savagery). The savages who had once belonged to the choir went with him, an eerie parody of the once angelic group. Jacks tribe go on a hunt, and catch a pig. After this death, they joyfully cover themselves in the pigs blood. The act of killing marks a milestone in that the boys have reached a very primitive level of living. Later, Jack and his gang raid Ralphs encampment. They steal a burning log for their own fire and Jack invites all the boys to come join his tribe at the feast they are to have that night. As the savages leave, Ralph comments about how he wishes he could have fun too, but still the fire is more important to him. Back at the clearing Simon is having a discussion with the pigs head that the hunters had put on a stick. This discussion is probably mostly in Simons head, but Golding uses this interview as an eerie way to unveil the theme of the novel. Golding now refers to the fly-covered pigs head as the Lord of the Flies. The Lord of the Flies asks Simon if hes afraid of him. It says: I am the Beast Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! You knew, didnt you? Im part of you! (Pg 177) The Beast then warns Simon not to tell anyone the truth, otherwise he will be killed. He decides not to heed this advice, and at the end of chapter nine Simon comes running out of the jungle. He shouts and screams that the beast is only a dead man, but the savages do not listen. Simon is murdered in the ritual dance, the very final step to savagery. The tribe, after this, find no problem in stealing Piggys glasses. By this time, the conch has gone from pink to white. It has faded, and so has its power and rule over the group. When it is smashed in chapter 11, this marks the end of all rules and morals the boys might still have traces of. Piggy is killed in chapter 11, when roger pushes him off the cliff with a boulder. The boys are eventually rescued in the middle of savagely smoking Ralph out of the forest. If they had not broken up so much as to set the forest on fire, they would never have been rescued so it might be said that it is a good thing that the boys degenerated so much as to set a forest alight. However, the naval officer who rescues them takes them off to his ship, which is probably engaged in war itself. So when the boys leave the island, they have escaped the evil of the tribe, but not of man itself.

Food Industry Is A Continuously On Demand Industry Marketing Essay

Food Industry Is A Continuously On Demand Industry Marketing Essay Introduction Food industry is a continuously on demand industry that people are always need and want. Some economists and analysts claim that food industry is one of the most proof to economic slowdown. This makes this industry a resilient, reliable and profitable industry. The products and foods that are part of the booming industry includes, confectioneries, health products, biscuits, kids foods, animal foods, crackers, bakeries, cakes, vegetables etc. The wide range of products available offers ample of opportunities for business in this line, growth and progress in line with the advancement of technology and new channel of marketing. Definition of Strategic analysis This includes an implementation of strategy and approaches after taking into consideration various factors i.e. internal and external that directly and indirectly affects the company. Strategic analysis will analyze and assess various forms of strategy after considering the threats potential opportunities etc that the company could exploit in order to succeed and remain relevant to customers. A proper action and steps towards strategic decision and analysis will enable the company view all the potentials and weaknesses within the company and therefore will ensure the positive move in the future. The PEST analysis A PEST analysis is a business measurement tool that assesses and analyzes the factors of. Political, Economic, Social and Technological which then translated to the proper implementation of strategic decisions prior the results of PEST analysis. Factors affecting the Food Industry (PEST Analysis) 1) Political factors Political factors are the factors that include government intervention and barriers in terms of tax/tariff that could benefits the citizen or the government. Apart form that, it also includes the policy and systems that government adopt in regards of business friendly particularly in food industry. The likes of importing policy, regulation and procedures, policy of taking over, merger and acquisition that could affect the constant supply of foods to the country etc are part of political factors. 2) Economic factors Economic factors include stability, income parity, income status, purchasing powers, exchange rate, unemployment rates, interest rates etc. This will certainly affect the decision and actions taken by the company economically. As food is part of necessity and demand by people around the world, as every needs food to survive and living, we could say the industry is not much sensitive on the economic change and volatility. 3) Social factors Social factors include the trends and patterns of demands which due to the cultures, nationality, religious etc. Brand awareness on a country might differ with each others, income distribution, age, demographic, preferences, local and global attitudes towards certain things are different. As for food industry, its known that local preferences will determine the acceptance of food products. The local taste and likes must be met and this will require the business and companies to understand the local market before embarking into the local ones. 4) Technological factors Technological factors really affect the production and effectiveness of the plant and operation. As for the food industry we are seeing the advancement and improvement in terms of technology employed in food industry that as a result improve the yield, making it more efficient and reliable. Product innovation and improvement is also produced with the help of new technology, systems or techniques, This will then help the companies to produce high quality and better food products in terms of taste, health ingredients, safety etc. SWOT analysis. SWOT is analysis of all the possible factors of strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. As PEST are just a tool that addresses the external factors that potentially affect the business, the SWOT seems will give better result and pictures of how the company should react with the business environments and settings that include internal and external factors. The SWOT analysis of Krafts Food industry (the company under study) is performed after analyzing the factors both form external and internal. 1) Strengths 1. Large Market Share In terms of market share, Krafts Food has been in forefront leader in the cheese and biscuits segments. There are the worlds second largest food manufacturer behind nestle in the world but leader in certain part of the world including Northern America and Canada. The fact that have captured quite substantial portion of market share is because the aggressive mergers and acquisition that had taken place for many years since Krafts early inception years. The mergers and acquisition have made a bigger company and able to capture their rivals customer and market. 2. Brand loyalty The current Krafts brands include: Balance Bar, Oreo, Jell-O, Maxwell House, Mikado, Nabisco, Tang, Oscar Mayer, Twist, Snack Wells etc. 3. New technology As for Krafts Food, they have the new technology as they invented quite new products and taste with the help of technology. Plus they acquired many firms with already have technology in place. This could give them a competitive advantage over their competitors. 2) Weaknesses 1. Lack of Marketing Strategy and Launching New Products It is seen that Krafts Food is having difficulty in launching and producing new products and foods. Due to the fact that they have been expanding by the mode of acquiring and merging with other established companies, therefore their variety of new products are very limited. 2. Declining Sales and Demand from Europe and Western Part Krafts Food is now experiencing a decline demand and sales in western part as well as European countries. The competition with other rivals and the leading food manufacturer Nestle is very stiff, as European are more opt to prefer Nestle rather than Kraft in that region. They also face heavy competition in chocolate and baking powder manufacturer, as many big companies in Europe such as chocolates manufacturer from Switzerland, premium brands from Belgium and United Kingdom are more established than Cadbury of Krafts Food. 3) Opportunities 1. New categories, products (i.e., organic, health-focused) People are more concern on the health- focused products including foods. This is a very good opportunity for Krafts to embark in this lucrative segment as the potential fro growth is so huge. They could leverage on the existing plant that they have and enhance their R n D in that particular segment or even joint venture with other related health focused products. 2. International markets Krafts Food involved in international business and they have many plants that operates in various parts of the worlds. They could use this opportunity to expand in that particular region and surround to increase market share and capture the new untapped market surround the region. 3. Operates in many fast growing categories The company (Krafts Food) is offering various products of foods from many categories such ranging from biscuits, health focus products, animal foods, cheesy based foods, crackers, bread and cakes, floor, chocolates , drinks, etc. That will enable them to compete in diverse categories apart from lowering the risk of concentrating in just few products of foods. 4) Threats 1. Competition Stiff competition in food industry in global scale since they are operating in international arena. They operates in many parts of the world and have to compete with the local manufacturers as well. Some of them are really capable of offering products that meet local taste and preference. Example such as in Malaysia perspective where we see Jacobs of Malaysia or Julies Sdn Bhd competing with global brand of Krafts Food. They seem to understand more on the local preference than the global player in biscuits and cookies line of products. 2. Industry consolidation With the consolidation and mergers as well as acquisition exercised by other firms globally, Krafts Food is also feel the pressure to compete with such firms. The industry now becomes more constraint and tight in terms of number of players in the industry as well as market share among companies. 3. Volatile COGS over short run With the increasing cost of goods, every industry will be impacted and this will reflect the growth of the companies in the sector. In some ways, this could also resist and restraint the strategies and products differentiation, sales and marketing etc, of the companies in food industry. Definition of strategy formulation It is very crucial and essential for Krafts Managers and to form appropriate and effective strategies in order to sustain and survive in the long run. Especially in the global issues that impacting companies in the world, management team of Krafts should think of strategies and approach to tackle those issues as well as external and internal factors of Krafts companies. 1) Krafts Marketing Strategy Some of the very strategic decision in their marketing strategies, is that the company sponsored the Kraft Musical Revue, a two-hour musical variety show. Their international operation is supported by a policy that focuses on local tastes of foreign consumers. Kraft was a major supplier during World War II. They also enhanced the collaboration and joint efforts with government of US. This somehow create and indirect promotion and establishing their name in domestic as well as international arena. 2) Differentiation strategy Emerging markets: Growth in the confectionary market will largely take place in emerging markets. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Natural: Consumer demand for products that are free from artificial colors, flavors and additives and concern over the long term effects of artificial ingredients has driven growth in the confectionary industry. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Heritage and provenance: For chocolate manufacturers a key growth opportunity is for premiumization through either high quality country of origin (or even single estate) ingredients or by focusing on the quality of production methods. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Healthy and functional confectionery: Health continues to be a key innovation opportunity for confectionery managers in line with an ageing population and an obesity epidemic. Even if retailers develop the operational capabilities to manufacture and sell chocolate and gum based on these issues, they may not be perceived to have the brand credibility that are owned by more established confectionary manufacturers. A potential acquisition of this magnitude during a sluggish economic recovery implies Krafts commitment to grow its extend its brand in growing global markets while evaluating other products in its brand architecture. They also increased their investments into key consumer trends in quick meals, health and wellness, snacking and premium products. These has reinforced the brand and presence of Krafts Food in the market they are operating in. With the Kraft innovation and new technology they have been successfully implementing an invention or creative idea that creates value to consumers. Krafts have been able to constantly adapt and anticipate their needs. With the help of innovation, they create new product platform as well as improving their product features. This applies to products, processes, packaging, ingredients, and more. It is well supported by various Kraft business units such as RD, consumer comments and feedback and public relations, etc. Kraft has its own strong Research, Development Quality team of who all have a important role in innovating and producing the new Kraft. They are continuously develops new products that broaden range of products and compete in new categories. For example, Bagel fuls, the first all in one bagel and Philadelphia cream cheese. 3) Focus strategy Kraft also introduced many of its products in foreign markets. The company name changed in 1976 to Kraft Inc. to enhance the companys focus on food processing and to more emphasizing with the internationally known Kraft trademark. Reorganization accompanied the name change the move toward a more centralized structure was formed by dividing the company into divisions according to specific markets or products. What is Corporate Level Strategy? Corporate strategy is a strategy that determines what businesses a company is in, should be in, or wants to be in, and what it wants to do with those businesses. Its based on the mission and goals of the organization and the roles that each business unit of the organization will play. The acquisition of Cadbury has significantly enhanced the strength of Kraft Foods in the confectionery sector enables Kraft Foods to take advantage of Cadburys product development capabilities. They believe that confectionery markets are consolidating and it is very important for Krafts to control of the supply chain and growing portfolio of their own retailer brands. In addition, they could also experience the increasing expansion of markets such as Brazil, China, and Russia as well as other parts of the new emerging markets such as India and Mexico. Global collaboration of Krafts Food In line with its sustainability strategy, Kraft Foods has selected six key areas in which it feels it can have the greatest impact. These are transportation/distribution, agricultural commodities, energy, water, waste, and packaging. They have formed various collaboration and joint ventures with their distributors, retailers, packagers, outsourcers and business partners to improve the efficiencies and effectiveness of these areas. In line with this effort, Kraft had reached an agreement to acquire Groupe Danones global biscuit business, snacks, cookies and crackers manufacturers. In competing at European biscuits portfolio, they (Kraft) had gone through the acquisition of brands like LU, Tuc, and Prince. As a result, Kraft also expanding and strengthening their footholds in China and other emerging markets as Malaysia and Indonesia They also hire the capable and good managers and directors in the emerging markets to oversee the operation and management. They are able to react faster to market changes and improving the revenues, operating income and cash flow. Brand Strategy of Krafts Food In todays very dynamics and complex business environment, the importance of brand and its reinforcement is one of the key areas of focus. The much bigger North Asian markets such as Japan also shows that long term significant further growth is potentially high. One example is to take a global concept and adapt it locally with consumers. For example, Oreo Krafts hot selling cookie in the US, and being produced less sweet to match consumers in China. Transform it into wafers and rolls to further connect with the way they eat their snacks. Oreo is now the no.1 biscuit brand in China and China is the no.2 Oreo market in the world after the US. Customers and stakeholders have evolved in respective to their needs and demands. In Asia, consumers are inclined towards having enough vitamins and minerals, and Krafts answers that by offering products that meet these needs. Tang Fruitrition is full with vitamins A, B, C and calcium. While in the US, where there is a high concern on obesity, Kraf ts offers and selling Sensible Solution products that features 100 calorie snacks (such as cookies and bars, puddings and crackers) to help people eat less with smaller portions, LiveActive cheese which popular of its s digestive health, and South Beach Living meals and snacks that are more like balanced diet meals with very great taste. Kraft wants to survive and expanding their presence in a positive way. With Kraft Foods being one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world, they need to understand such varied consumer preferences. Their portfolio is established to meet those needs, from snacks and premium foods, to convenience and health and wellness. As for countries like China, Russia, Brazil and ASEAN countries being biggest international markets for Kraft. They have created many products that are tailored to the needs of locals in order to please the customers and able to sustain successfully until today. As part of branding strategy of Krafts they will continue enhancing and strengthening the products line, quality and high taste of Krafts Food products that differentiate them with their rivals and competitors. Conclusion Kraft vision is always to make today delicious. They make some of the best-known brands around the globe. Brands like Kraft cheeses, dinners and dressings; Oscar Mayer meats; Philadelphia cream cheese; Maxwell House coffee; Nabisco cookies and crackers and its Oreo brand; Jacobs coffees; Milka chocolates; and LU biscuits. They managed to creating reliable, consistent growth. Thats what theyre doing at Kraft, and their strategies are focusing efforts on build a high-performing organization, reframe segment/ categories, exploit sales capabilities (by merging or acquisition etc) and drive down costs without compromising quality. As they have sustained for many years and continued progress and growth, it is an icon of strategic management organization. They have made wise decision in their sales and marketing strategies, policy on globalization, organization structure, channel distribution, strategic management, human resources etc that enable to gain competitive advantages over their ri vals. They are well ahead over their competitors in terms of market share, acceptance, product innovation, revenue, etc due to the fact that Kraft Food really understand factors and matters to sustain and excel in food industry and supported by strong business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit of Kraft organization. Sources of references Campbell D., Stonehouse G., Houston B., 2007, Business Strategy second edition Needle D., 2000., Business in Context An introduction to business and its environment, Thomson Learning, 3rd edition, London Jeffrey S., Caron H., 2008, 2004., Foundations in Strategic Management., Thomson Learning, USA Henry A., 2008., Understanding Strategic Management., Oxford University Press Inc., New York Tae Gu Lee., 2003., Business and Management., Muyokpub., Korea Woo Jung Kim.,2007.,Automotive Industry Strategy.,Suhakpub., Korea Jeffrey S., 2003., Strategic Management of Resources And Relationships; Concepts and cases., John Wiley Sons, Inc., 605 Third Avenue, New York 22.11.2005., Doubts remain over GM., retrieved on 29.04,2009 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4461168.stm Retrieved on 29.04,2009 from http://www.gm.com/vehicles/services/ Retrieved on 29.04,2009 from http://www.greencar.com/articles/chevrolet-silverado-mild-hybrid-pickup-offers-fuel-savings.php Retrieved on 29.04,2009 from http://cafe.daum.net/sewn/HKXp/61?docid=qV81|HKXp|61|20090227121252q=Strategy%20innovationsrchid=CCBqV81|HKXp|61|20090227121252 HaSong.http://www.globalinsight.com/Scripts/registrationForm.cfm?ID=5gclid=CKCZhdLn5pkCFZUvpAodnFAzQg http://blog.daum.net/e-monde/8840409 http://blog.daum.net/ilsan1004/17235465?srchid=BR1http%3A%2F%2Fblog.daum.net%2Filsan1004%2F17235465 Ji Hyun Cho., 10.03.2009., In future GM.,retrieved on 29.03.2009., From http://bbs2.agora.media.daum.net/gaia/do/kin/read?bbsId=K150articleId=524234 Retrieved on 25.04.2009 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3913/is_200403/ai_n9404349/ www.daum.net/Kiasarang Retrieved on 25.04.2009 from http://www.cutter.com/research/2004/edge040302.html Retrieved on 29.04,2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leadership Retrieved on 30.04,2009 from http://www.wxyz.com/news/local/story/UPDATED-New-Leadership-at-GM/FdKJNIzyPE-48KPOWbikcQ.cspx

Oliver Twist And Sense And Sensability Comparison Essay -- essays rese

Set in the Victorian era, Sense and Sensibility and Oliver Twist, parallel but also contrast in many key elements. In both movies, mannerisms, class distinction, and the child's role in society were reflected by both writers. Through these analysis, I was able to achieve new insight into the conditions of the Victorian era. In Oliver twist, mannerisms were greatly displayed in Oliver as a character. His mannerism best demonstrated how upper-class children were supposed to behave during this era. They were to be 'seen' and not 'heard'. Oliver when spoken to, was extremely polite and respectful (Very odd for how, and where he was raised). Even when living in the streets, after being kicked out of the orphanage, he still kept his high morale standards. Much like children, women were also supposed to be 'seen' and not 'heard'. As well, it was not proper to show emotion, such exuberance or love in any way. Marianne, in Sense and Sensibility, goes against these "rules" of proper etiquette many times, such as when she shouts at John Willoughby at a ball; this drew much scandalous attention to herself. This was very humorous to me, because it was nothing i expected, or thought would happen. The one very positive element I saw in this era, was how the men displayed chivalrous attitudes, such as how they courted women, as well as their words. Unfortunately this was a double standard, since it sometimes had unpleasant results, like being forced into marriage. However, thei...

Second Language Acquisition in Childhood Essay -- Language

Children acquire their native language, which fall within a wide range of languages, at a very early stage of development. During development, a child begins to show signs of verbal communication, usually starting out as cooing, babbling, recognizable words, and later two or more word sentences. This occurrence is also seen in the development of second languages. Second language acquisition is the study of how second languages are typically developed. The process of acquiring our native language is very similar and influential to the development of a second language. The development of a second language has become increasingly popular throughout the world. Today more people are growing up with appropriate resources to acquire a second language, which can be seen from the vast numbers of bilingual individuals. As previously stated, â€Å"Second language acquisition is the study of how an additional language is developed within a child’s life† (Gass & Selinker, 2008). According to researchers David and Wei (2008) â€Å"evidence seems to suggest that bilingual children’s language development is by and large the same as that of monolingual children†(p.599), meaning these children go through the same process beginning with babbling, followed by one-word sentences and progressing towards a more develop multiword stage. They way in which a child develops his/her first language becomes a guide for the development of a second language. Children may use their language skills acquired during L1 (first language) learning to help them obtain foreign languages. Research has shown that â€Å"both L1 and L2 are tools that serve complementary and sometimes overlapping functions† (Kohnert, 2008). Whether to use first language verse second language m... ... Acquisition vs. Learning of a Second Language: English Negation. Philologica Jassyensia, 5(2), 89-94. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. David, A., & Wei, L. (2008). Individual differences in the lexical development of French-English bilingual children. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 11(5), 598-618. doi:10.2167/beb478.0 Gass, S. M., & Selinker, L. (2008). Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course. Google Books. Retrieved April 14, 2011, from http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=fhnbMj597-4C&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=second Kayser, H. (2004). Biliteracy and Second-Language Learners. The ASHA Leader. Retrieved April 13, 2011, from http://www.asha.org/Publication Kohnert, K. (2008). Second Language Acquisition: Success Factors in Sequential Bilingualism. The ASHA Leader. Retrieved April 13, 2011, from http://www.asha.org/Publication

Nelson Mandela :: essays research papers

Nelson Mandela's greatest pleasure, his most private moment, is watching the sun set with the music of Handel or Tchaikovsky playing. Locked up in his cell during daylight hours, deprived of music, both these simple pleasures were denied him for decades. With his fellow prisoners, concerts were organised when possible, particularly at Christmas time, where they would sing. Nelson Mandela finds music very uplifting, and takes a keen interest not only in European classical music but also in African choral music and the many talents in South African music. But one voice stands out above all - that of Paul Robeson, whom he describes as our hero. The years in jail reinforced habits that were already entrenched: the disciplined eating regime of an athlete began in the 1940s, as did the early morning exercise. Still today Nelson Mandela is up by 4.30am, irrespective of how late he has worked the previous evening. By 5am he has begun his exercise routine that lasts at least an hour. Breakfast is by 6.30, when the days newspapers are read. The day s work has begun. With a standard working day of at least 12 hours, time management is critical and Nelson Mandela is extremely impatient with unpunctuality, regarding it as insulting to those you are dealing with. When speaking of the extensive travelling he has undertaken since his release from prison, Nelson Mandela says: I was helped when preparing for my release by the biography of Pandit Nehru, who wrote of what happens when you leave jail. My daughter Zinzi says that she grew up without a father, who, when he returned, became a father of the nation. This has placed a great responsibility of my shoulders. And wherever I travel, I immediately begin to miss the familiar - the mine dumps, the colour and smell that is uniquely South African, and, above all, the people. I do not like to be away for any length of time. For me, there is no place like home. Mandela accepted the Nobel Peace Prize as an accolade to all people who have worked for peace and stood against racism. It was as much an award to his person as it was to the ANC and all South Africa s people. In particular, he regards it as a tribute to the people of Norway who stood against apartheid while many in the world were silent.

God’s Wrath Essay

1. To whom is the sermon addressed? To congregation, people who gather and practice religious worship. 2. According to Edwards, why is God wrathful? Because people are evil and wicked sinners and god’s wrath is never ending and high-handed. 3. Reread the sixth paragraph. What people, according to Edwards, are not in the hands of this angry God? How is this state achieved? People who have reformed their life in many ways and have had religious affections, along with keeping forms of religion withing you house and families as well as in the house of god. 4. Figurative language is language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to produce a certain effect. Edwards makes effective use of figurative language as he speaks of God’ s wrath. Find three examples of his use of figurative language and explain why they are effective. â€Å"The wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present† â€Å"The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Edward uses the word wrath many times, meaning intense fury. Thus, repeating the word he creates a sharp piercing tone that hits you hard. He creates great fear from the second example especially by mentioning that the arrow is pointed directly at ones heart. These metaphors, and figurative language are not hard to understand. Edward meant for it to be this way. One should understand the wrath of god, and know fear, know that eternal perish can be cast upon you with a flick. He mainly uses imagery, rhetorical strategies, and repittion to convey his piercing and fearful tone. 5. Using the list of tone words as a guide, make a list of 20 words in this selection that produce tone or attitude. Misery, dreadful, wrath, avail, wickedness, contrivance, prudence, sovereign, corruption, fury, destruction, chaff, rapid, vengeance, treasuring, fierceness, inconceivable, omnipotent, stoutest, endure. 6. How does Edwards’ sermon reflect the ideals of this time period? He reflects the ideals as very believing. Believing in good and evil, along with higher powers and an after life. Showing that the people were indeed very religious. It also reflects ideals about religion controlling a way of life and that the more religious someone is the more respected and higher up they are. He expands on various things but sticking with main and strict religious principles showing us many things about how people would find this and react. 7. Explain how his sermon connects to a concept or theme in â€Å"The Crucible.† They both have to deal with sinning, and the consequences that come with it. The wrath, and fury which should spread fear. Both have unique tones witch go straight to the heart then to the brain. Reaching an ultimate piercing effect amplified by fear which is wrath induced.

Boot Options for PC

The Advanced Boot Options menu appears when a user presses F8 as Windows is loading. False There is no option for networking access when using Safe Mode False A Windows 7 system repair disc can be created using the Backup and Restore utility. True As you work to solve a Windows problem, always choose the method that makes the most changes to the system as possible in order to rejuvenate the machine. False The Telnet protocol encrypts transmitted data, which therefore cannot be read by others on the network.False When using static IP addressing, software automatically configures the network connection on each device. false Wireless networks are either public, unsecured hotspots or private, secured hotspots. true When connecting to a private and secured wireless access point, you must provide the information that proves you have the right to use the network. true A problem with virtual networks is that data transmitting through them cannot be encrypted and therefore is not secure. fals e Which program is responsible for reading motherboard settings and running the POST?Startup BIOS What is the name of the program that reads the settings in the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) file and manages the initial startup of the OS? Windows Boot Manager Which program is used to start the part of the Win32 subsystem that displays graphics? Smss. exe Which option should be enabled in order to view what did and did not load during the bootup? Boot Logging It is important to try the ____early in the troubleshooting session before it is overwritten. Last Known Good Configuration Which Windows RE tool is considered to be the least intrusive?Startup Repair Which Windows RE tool should be used if you suspect the hard drive is corrupted? Command Prompt Name the Windows RE command that can be used to manage hard drives, partitions, and volumes. Diskpart Which diskpart command is used to remove any partition or volume information from the selected disk? Clean Which of the following Windo ws RE commands can be used to scan for Windows installations not stored in the BCD? bootrec /scanOS Which key should be pressed during the boot in order to display the Advanced Boot Options?F8 Which of the following keys will cause the Windows Boot Manager to appear as long as it is pressed during the boot process? Spacebar What should be the first thing to try if the hard drive is not spinning at startup? check power connections and switches Which command is used to check and repair the hard drive? chkdsk c:/r Which of the following symptoms might indicate that the MBR record is damaged? Invalid partition table error The command ____ searches for and replaces corrupted system files. sfc /scannow WinLoad loads into memory the ___ but does not start it yet.Kernal Use the ____ with Networking option when you are solving a problem with booting and need access to the network to solve the problem. Safe mode _____is a lean OS that can be used to solve Windows startup problems after other tools available on the Advanced Boot Options menu have failed to solve the problem. Windows RE When you load Windows in Safe Mode, all files used for the load are recorded in the ____file. Ntbtlog ____ mode gives you the opportunity to move system boot logs from a failing computer to another computer for evaluation. Debugging What is the name of a 32-bit or 128-bit number that is used to identify a device?

Copland Summary Essay

Aaron Copland is a 20th century composer who was giving lectures at Harvard in 1951-1952. He was giving a lecture on the idea that listening is a great talent or gift one can posses. Copland believes that these listeners have the ability to listen, hear, and enjoy a piece of art based on an enjoyment factor or in primal terms, emotion. He also says that listeners should be able to evaluate critically such art, and come to their own conclusion or opinion. As you continue to read through his lecture, Copland states that in order to listen with skill, you need to be open-minded and reflect on the experience you felt. While closely paying attention to the experience, nothing should be telling the listener what they are going to hear. They should be able to comprehend the art and feel the, â€Å"Floodlight of one’s imagination,†(Paragraph two, Copland). While maintaining this ability to keep and open mind, a listener should be professional. However, at the same time retain an amateur status. This allows for a dual perception. It creates a lack of judgment and innocence, allowing for a more emotional interpretation. Copland believes that all artists alike find listeners pivotal in the artist community. This spiritual lending of ones self to art should concentrate the sentiments, not physically distance it self. Generally speaking, Copland finds the reaction of music intriguing. He ponders what this talented listener absorbs in art. Does he/she understand? If so, what in particular do they understand? He approaches the meaning of music or art, which he decides that it is many sided and will always be debated. This is because there are simply to many interpretations to consider. Music has become to, â€Å"professionalized.† A listener sees the natural beauty of such art, not the origins, and exercise of it. They rely on, â€Å"instinctive comprehension.†(Paragraph 12, Copland) They simply don’t weigh the personalization of music. Above all else, Copland says we all listen on a, â€Å"elementary plane of musical consciousness.†(Paragraph 13, Copland). However intuitively we all listen, it should always revolve and come back to the personal experience felt at the time. The primal impulse felt that feeds our evaluation and perception. Concluding that Copland believes we all hear, listen, enjoy or dislike and art piece based on emotion. The way it was originally suppose to be perceived. For this is all fundamentally we hear music Copland states. In addition to Copland’s theory of listeners, I pose my own question on the professionalism of music itself. I believe that the death of creativity in music is dripping away, in particular to mainstream, popular music. This brings a major significance considering that this is what the, â€Å"masses† deem okay. The great amounts of skill and precision have almost completely eroded away in artist. Everything has become digitalized, simple, and what seems as if it’s mindless. Aside from, I find this problematic because back in 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, writing and creating music took skill. The artist took time to perfect their instruments, learn them, and appreciate them. Because of these processes, I firmly believe this is why GOOD music was created. Actual work went in to it. Now days anyone can simply hop onto a computer, lay down a beat in 4/4, and fulminate about nonsense. I am not stating there is no skill in ALL digital forms of music; for example, an artist of the name Big Chocolate creates music with extreme time signatures, which takes musical skill to pull off correctly. To conclude, the main reason I pose this question is because I find it interesting that the death of the artist is happening. It is no longer art, but just mere product at that point, which I find depressing. When I listen to the radio, and only hear the beat and rhythm of a girl saying banana, in 4/4, and a man â€Å"rapping† with no fluency, or even sense, I ponder why this is acceptable.

Unifine Richardson Case

Executive Summary- This report will evaluate an analyze Unifine Richardson’s current purchasing strategy. The company currently purchases approximately one million pounds of honey per year. A majority of the purchased honey is a 50-50 blend of Chinese and Canadian honey. Unifine Richardson’s main honey supplier is Harrington Honey. Unfortunately, Harrington Honey has informed Unifine Richardson that they can no longer supply the company with honey from China. Harrington Honey’s decision to stop importing honey from China was based on China’s use of chloramphenicol, which is an antibiotic that is band for use in food-producing animals.As a result of the Harrington Honey’s decision to stop importing honey and not having secondary supplier, Rob Pincombe (Unifine Richardson’s purchasing manager) must make a decision on how to proceed. Because he does not have a secondary supplier which I think is the root of his problem, Rob has to make a decisio n based on the following analysis points: †¢He has a small window to make a decision †¢Honey expenditures make up 3 to 5 percent of the firms total expenditures †¢He must analyze the other import options oCanadian only will cost $1. 75/lb. oUS only will cost $1. 10/lb. US dollar) o50/50 Argentina/Canadian cost $1. 42/lb. ?US imposed a tariff tax on Argentina honey ?There’s a chance that the honey for Argentina may be recalled n by management. Recommendations discussed include: Problem Statement: In spite of meeting the company’s current delivery schedule, there are several issues that must be addressed by the Quality Assurance Director and the company’s other directors. As indicted by the General Manager there is, â€Å"lack of a quality attitude in the plant†. Because of that lack of quality Below are some of the identified issues; 1.Quality Processes are not being followed 2. Operations personnel are not properly trained to operate machin ery 3. Maintenance personnel are not performing the proper scheduled maintenance 4. Purchasing is not properly coordinating with the sales representatives. 5. Design and Packaging potentially developed a defective product, 6. Lack of coordination between manufacturing and the other department 7. Marketing poor coordination. These issues are reducing the quality of the product that’s being produced and probably costing the company a lot of money.Analysis Plans: For the analysis, a Strategic Factor Analysis Summary (SFAS) Matrix (Wheeler, 2011) will be used. This matrix will be used to identify the external and internal factors that are causing this company to produce products that are not meeting the desired specifications. Based on the data provide, the matrix will focused on the following factors: man, machine, materials, and methods. These factors appear to play a part in the product variations. Each factor will be weighed and ranked based on how the company responded to th e factor in the document.Assumptions/Other Data: B-Cycles are primarily locations are in downtown Denver, Cherry Creek and Denver University neighborhoods (Denver B Cycle, 2012). This case study is being generated under the assumption that if the rider does not live in these are primary locations of the bikes, they are commuters and they either commute via RTD or their private vehicles. So, the alternates cannot be fully eliminated from the equations. Conclusion – This company’s SFAS Matrix (Wheeler, 2011) weighted score is 2. 05 the average is score is 3. 0. This company is not paying attention to the factors that could lead to the production of a quality product. Based on the information provide, this company is more focused on meeting the order demand vice delivering a quality product. Employees are cutting corners and processes in order to meet the delivery schedules, there are no process related decisions being made. It appears that quality and safety come second to schedule The General Manager is the ultimate cause of these quality and safety oversights.His schedule is causing employees are taking shortcuts to meet it, which in turn, is causing variances that are leading to products that aren’t being product to the desired specification. Recommendation – My recommendations to Mr. Kolb are: 1. In the short term ensure that the over pressurize cans follow the proper process. If they require rework, for the safety of the employees he has to ensure that’s what happens no shortcut. 2. He has to bring his findings to the General Manager (GM), the GM may not have a clear understanding of how his schedule is effecting the entire plant. . I would recommend a Kaizen Event, that’s attended by all process owners from each business area. The groups can define their processes an identify how they impact other business areas. The group can make process improvements as needed Figure 1 Strategy Canvas of Alternatives to B-Cycle T able 1 Attributes for the Alternatives Figure 2 Strategy Canvas for B-Cycle Table 2 Attributes for B-Cycle Works Cited Denver B Cycle. (2012). Retrieved from Denver B Cycle: http://denver. bcycle. com/home. aspx Downtown Denver Bicycle Trends and Conditions: June 2012. 2012, Jun). Retrieved from http://www. downtowndenver. com/LinkClick. aspx? fileticket=O8RegjT0HAs%3D&tabid=566 Hertz Global Holdings INC. (2011, 12 31). 2011-12-31 Annual/10K Report. Retrieved from 2011-12-31 Annual/10K Report: http://ezproxy2. library. colostate. edu:2735/documents. php? compnumber=116020 Partnership’s, D. D. (2012). State of Downtown Denver. Retrieved from State of Downtown Denver: http://downtowndenver. com/LinkClick. aspx? fileticket=p%2bRv8bvTlF8%3d&tabid=538 Wheeler, J. D. (2011). Essenials of Strategic Management.

Autism and Special Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Autism and Special Education - Research Paper Example The paper is organized into several sections starting with the introduction, which provides an overview of the topic and purpose of review. The next section identifies positive behavior patters plans for autism. This will be followed by the section on PBS plans for special education teachers dealing with children with autism. The next section will identify and discuss evidence-based practices applied by special education teachers providing PBS interventions for children with autism. This will be followed by a section that presents related research studies. Finally, the paper will end with the discussion section that will identify the main implications for special education teachers providing PBS interventions for children with autism. As the report declares the success of the PBS program is based on several things. Some of these include administrative support, policy alignment, capacity and skills of support providers, consistency with overall vision, values, and mission of the system, collaboration among stakeholders, and availability of resources. All these factors can affect the implementation and success of the PBS intervention. Children with autism are unique in the sense that they are more vulnerable to acquiring challenging behaviors that could interfere with their development, learning, and functioning. Such challenging behavior can be categorized into disruptive behaviors or repetitive behaviors.

World Trade Organization College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

World Trade Organization College - Essay Example The impact has, however, been uneven. Developed WTO members have enjoyed expanded imports under GATT/WTO while there has been little impact of WTO membership on imports in developing WTO members. The role of WTO stimulating international trade is paramount, however, from the perspective of empirical evidence and economic models, WTO's role seems to be controversial in some aspects. The transition from the GATT to the WTO was a significant event, though it did not occur abruptly but as a gradual response to evolutionary changes that have occurred since the original agreement was signed in 1947 and have continued even after the transition in 1995 (Barton et al. 2006). The first evolutionary change such change involved the gradual expansion of the membership in the GATT and the WTO. The original 1947 agreement was signed by twenty-three member states. The number grew over the next decades, with the Dillon Round involving 26 states, 62 states in the Kennedy Round, and 123 in the Uruguay Round (Bagwell and Staiger, 2002). The major consequence of this growth has been a shift away from dominance of the trade system by the United States and a rise in dominancy by other states, notably those of the Europe (Barton et al. 2006). The second evolutionary change includes the expanding scope of the GATT... Uruguay Round, from 1986 to 1994, the subjects included tariffs, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, textiles and clothing, intellectual property, as well as ten other topics (O'Brien et al. 2000). ANALYSIS The WTO requires participants to decrease import barriers but there are important reasons to expect membership to influence exports in the same manner. Members participate in the WTO and motivate their join with their comparative advantages and disadvantages (Kelly, 2009). Participants choose industries and economies, to which they provide protection and simultaneously they aim to obtain access for their competitive industries, preferably those having political support (Feenstra, 2004). If members only eased import controls and did not receive broader market access, only few countries would actively pursue membership (Feenstra, 2004). Second, members produce an extensive amount of work, attempt various strategies as well as apply litigation procedures to secure their rights to foreign markets (Kelly, 2009). Practically, WTO's dispute resolution mechanism represents one of the major advantages of the WTO. For many members it provides legitimate procedures to file costly and, what is m ore important, time consuming litigation that their import/export products are not being given their rights under WTO legislation (Bagwell and Staiger, 2002). Third, countries that participate in the WTO have unique opportunity to export to other states while conducting domestic protection (Feenstra, 2004). Practically, this give an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of free trade, and simultaneously adjusting national economies to global trading regime. It is well-accepted that the GATT/WTO's achievements are outstanding, especially in tariff liberalization (Bagwell and Staiger,

Christianity and Hinduism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Christianity and Hinduism - Essay Example According to the essay findings  Christianity is one of the oldest religions in the world. It dates backs thousands of years. The beginning f the Christianity is the 1st century A.D. in the Roman Empire. Christianity is also monotheistic religions. It focuses on the teaching and life of Jesus Christ. Nowadays Christianity is the largest religion in the world. Their early history is of one origin. Christianity is subdivided into Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Protestantism. Christian views are still considered to be the most widespread in the world.   These are views about the one God in the Universe, which are represented in three forms: God the father, God the son and God the holy spirit. The God created the Earth and people, he was working for six days and had rest on the seventh. Adam and Eve were the first people and they lost the heaven. Christians tend to believe that their religion explains the origin of the world in a best way. Thus, many people have been sharing the Christian v iews.  This paper highlights that  the principles of Hinduism are often criticized for the lack of an exact system of beliefs and ideas. Paganism and metaphysics are believed to be the basis of Hinduism. People, who believe in this religion, are pacified and calm people. They do not look like Westerners. Still, this is not an unquestionable advantage of Hinduism. Hindus follow different rituals and they have to oblige to the principles of Hinduism from birth to death.  

Segmentation and target market Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Segmentation and target market - Research Paper Example In the successful marketing of any product, it is important to analyze various aspects of the particular market. Analyzing Germany’s market is imperative and the manner through which this is done is by looking at the P.E.S.T situation of the country and looking at the different strategies that Henkel Electronic Materials can incorporate to make the marketing even more effective. Henkel has been an independent company in Germany and the owner country has been a democratic nation for well over a century now; thus, the political environment is reputable for the marketing of the product. This is from the fact that with the democracy, the government does not inhibit the citizens from purchasing products at will. Moreover, the democracy also allows South Korea, the producer of the product, to venture into the German market easily and consequently have increased sales of the Samsung Galaxy Note (Gregory, 2010). The fact that the country has a well laid out judicial system is also important for the marketing of the new product. This is from the fact that there is control on the decisions that powerful politicians make. An example is a politician who may talk ill of the product and tell people not to purchase it. Such cases are few - the concept of freedom and independence is incorporated in the market and the fact of re-marketing a commodity is one that has been legalized in the country of late and of such Henkel would greatly benefit from the proceeds. One factor that may come as a disadvantage in the marketing of the product is with regard to the tax tariffs that the country has. Lately, Germany has set its tariffs very high in an effort to boost its economy. With the increased tariffs, the country will have reduced imports and – consequently – the goods within the country will increase in sales. With this, the standards ought to increase and make the economy of the country boost. The issue of

VIsiting Los Angeles County Museum of Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

VIsiting Los Angeles County Museum of Art - Essay Example There were lots of permanent art collections, art galleries and dress exhibitions which I got an opportunity to see Matisse in one. In one building, the Ahmanson, the modern art collections displayed works that went all the way from back in 1900. I loved most David Hackneys’ works which ranged from paintings which spoke a thousand words about people and all the more to nature. I also was intrigued by the truth in art being everywhere. I discovered this as I moved from one piece of art to another and nature, people, common objects, Paintings, music and films revealed art. This is something I had learnt in class though I had really doubted. This visit ascertained this without a doubt. I did not however enjoy this one aspect where every piece of art had a placard giving its name though it did not give sufficient information concerning the art and the artist behind it. And can you imagine I had to pay $11 for iced tea and a bun! This was not funny at all. A serious stereotype I had before I visited this place was that it is a cultural wasteland and it made me not even think about visiting it for such a very long time. Through this project, I discovered that this is just but a lie and that contrary to it; this place is so beautiful and is so rich in culture. Am actually planning to visit it again now that I can’t say I explored it to my

The Factors Surrounding the Marketing of Magnetically Powered Products Research Paper

The Factors Surrounding the Marketing of Magnetically Powered Products - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the legal-political environment is very strict because of the regulations advanced by government authorities.   There are no competitors at the beginning stage because it is an innovation. The economic environment negatively affects the purchasing power of consumers if it has high inflation and low employment rates. The product appeals to different market segments, which are families, youths and the old people. The youth would go for flashy vehicles that are unique and popular. Families need safe automobiles that are cheap to maintain. The social responsibility issues are environmental sustainability and public safety. It is not ethical to manufacture vehicles that do not guarantee safety to the consumer. Global marketing can be facilitated by the internet. The internet will allow billions of people to receive information about the product. Magnetically powered automobiles can be a breakthrough in the world where environmentally friend ly sources of energy are high demand. A market research analysis is conducted to project the performance of a product when it is introduced to the market. The research analyzes the factors that are likely to affect product performance in the market. The report presents a market research for magnetically powered automobiles. The high demand for hybrid automobiles that use electric power is a clear indicator that the industry is craving for efficient sources of energy. It analyzes different marketing conditions that will influence consumers to purchase these automobiles. The marketing mix includes all the decisions that are made to facilitate the introduction of a product in the market. It is all about getting the product in the right place at the right time and with the right price. It also involves the promotion. Magnetically powered automobiles are bound to perform well because they are unique. The product meets the customers’ need for a high-efficiency vehicle that uses env ironmentally friendly energy.

RISK MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

RISK MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Strong leadership defines the risk culture and shares that vision with management. Leadership acts as if it believes in its vision. In the feedback cycle, leadership listens to new risks identified and responds with a course of action consistent with the culture of risk. (Marks and Rassmussen, 2010) (Hopkin, 2010) Management commits to the leadership vision and manages to that standard. Teamwork is essential throughout the workforce and it is management that provides the regulation of the team. Management trains employees to respond properly to risks, for example, wearing safety equipment or using machinery correctly. Management monitors the results of risk management tactics and accounts for poor risk taking behaviors. Management establishes quantitative analysis tools to measure risk culture compliance. Any problem areas are reported to leadership, discussed and a mutually agreed upon intervention occurs. (Marks and Rassmussen)(Hopkin, 2010) Strong financial risk cultures identify key risks inherent in the business; these may include currency exchange, interest rates, diversification issues, fluctuating suppliers’ prices and raw commodity pricing. The key financial risks order by primacy from largest concern to least impactful. The financial risk manager reviews the company risk tolerance and manages the priorities accordingly, implementing strategies and tactics to reduce risk where desired. These tactics usually involve the derivative markets, like interest rate swaps and commodity trading. Risk management is a repetitive process, so the financial risk manager monitors the markets of concern and refines his strategy as needed. (Horcher, 2005) (Das, 2006) Operational risk management concerns both management and measurement of risk. Traditionally, operations risk management involved all the company processes and systems, all employees for management and training, and any external event, such as political interference. A strong culture identifies, measu res and implements a strategy consistent with overall company goals. Of course, on-going stewardship is required as with the financial risk management. (Abkowitz, 2008) Weak Risk Culture Weak risk cultures begin with resistant leadership, sometimes arrogant leadership. Management is either not told goals or communications are not transparent. Leadership and management must believe in and be committed to the same vision of risk culture. New risks are not identified on a timely basis, on-going stewardship is an essential part of a strong risk culture. Underutilizing personal or improper training creates a weak risk culture operationally. Only considering risk avoidance and mitigation rather than proactively seeking profitable means to deal with risk is a characteristic of a weak risk culture financially. For instance, trading in derivatives can be profitable by trading risky interest rate situations for more time sensitive hedges. Weak risk cultures do not do what strong ones do. (And erson and Schroder, 2010) Risk-Return/Risk-Reward The financial risk manager observes the risk-reward behavior of financial instruments in order to determine the least risk available for the highest return. If all instruments shared the same risk, the investor would choose the highest reward. If all risks had the same reward, investors would choose the lowest risk. This balance is achieved through diversification of investments and managing the volatility of an investment

Philosophy - epistemology Essay Example for Free

Philosophy epistemology Essay Descartes is very successful philosophers in 17th century. Rene Descartes is widely accepted as the father of modern philosophy. He tried to create fundamental philosophy for natural sciences. Descartes mainly focus on his philosophical contributions in the theory of knowledge and his famous work focus on the epistemological project, Meditations on First Philosophy. He wants to explain his thought in Meditations on First Philosophy which is as original in philosophical modus as in content. Meditations on First Philosophy examine Descartes’ arguments and opinion. Although there are 6 meditations in this book, this paper points out the search for a foundation of knowledge (the question of truth) and doubt the â€Å"Cogito† (I think; therefore I am). First of all, in the First Meditation, Descartes demonstrates that several arguments for doubting all of his previously basic beliefs. Everything that he thought is the doubt. He has started to doubt from everything and he wanted to find the question of truth with own ideas. Descartes defines knowledge in terms of doubt and he aims ‘to reach certain’. At the same time, we have to use five senses but Descartes believes the senses sometimes deceive us concerning things. Also Descartes is often convinced when he is dreaming that he is sensing real objects. For instance, he said that â€Å"There is the fact that I am here, seated by the fire, and attired in a dressing gown, having this paper in my hands and other similar matters. And how could I deny that these hands and this body are mine (†¦)† (146). Descartes believes that we can achieve certain truth when we will doubt everything. Descartes uses some question to help prove one of his main arguments and ideas to find truth. For example, how we know certain, what is true, what we see, what we hear? As we can see, according to Descartes, the senses are not enough to decide what is real. He believes the truth is in his mind and he must use his mind. Descartes’ Second Meditation discusses some parts. First part explain that how a body can understand things, such as objects. Descartes examined how the mind should know better that human body. Although we need senses for everything, the mind is more important because all knowledge accumulate in our mind. Second part includes Descartes opinion about thinking. According to Descartes, thinking is very significant point because thinking is the ability to doubt, use imagination and reach certain truth. His famous theory is â€Å"Cogito Ergo Sum† which called ‘I think, therefore I am’. Descartes said that, â€Å"I don’t yet know clearly enough what I am. † (151) It means that, sometimes he has convinced himself that there is absolutely nothing in the world such as no sky, no earth also no mind no body. Descartes believes that if people convinced themselves of something then they existed. To conclude, we can infer that Descartes defend the certain truth is our knowledge and thought. These meditations are considered about modern philosophy. At the same time, Descartes wants to create gripping subject to study science.

Is Money Evil Essay Example for Free

Is Money Evil Essay Most people have heard of the phrase â€Å"Money is the root of all evil†. Often people will think this phrase is not true. In this society, everybody needs money to survive. Money rules over everything. Without it, you cannot purchase anything at all. So how can money be the root of all evil when life would be miserable without money? With money, you can support your family members, help friends with income problems or even donating to the needy people and have a higher standard of living. So the more money you have, the more you make your world a better place to live. However, for every advantage, disadvantages will also apply. The same goes for money, when there are benefits but there will also be setbacks. So then starts the origin of the phrase â€Å"Money is the root of all evil†. People can get so obsessed with money so much so that their character changes. A father can resort to violence to his family members, causing disputes resulting in his family to be broken due to financial problems. Because of money obsession, friends often betray one another over small money issues. When a person is overwhelmed by money, he tends to be greedy and chooses to rather lose his dignity over money. In the world today, there are many increasingly reported cases of theft, robbery and even murder cases due to money disputes as well as reports of siblings fighting against each other for their father’s inheritance. There are also cases whereby people murdered their love ones to claim the insurance money and also cases of people being cheated and conned out of money. There are also cases of kidnapping as well, kidnappers will then blackmail the victim’s family. Because of the greediness in people, money became a temptation on why people get addicted into gambling. Buying lottery, betting on horse racing and football matches, getting into the casino is all for the purpose of thinking to make lots of money in just a matter of time. In the hope of making big money, gamble addicts put all their money on stake. Most of them ended up losing all their savings and therefore they went to borrow more money from creditors to continue their habit of gambling. Instead of winning back their savings, they will probably lose all their money they had borrowed and ended up in more debts. Some were even pushed to the edge and committed suicide. Money is so tempting that people are willing to do anything for it. Some women are even willing to go into prostitution just to earn money for materialistic goods. Corrupted officials took bribes, using money in exchange for unfair advantages. People as young as in their teens would steal goods and trade them for money. Just think of how people are willing to risk their lives and ruin their future for the sake of having more money in their hands. The influence of money is so great that it affects everybody, even children as young as ten years old. There are reports in schools whereby school bullies exhorted money from their school mates, threatening to hurt them if they do not comply. Cases of theft within the family are also largely increasing due to the influence of money. Teenagers stole money from their parents to purchase materialistic items to suit their own needs. Money is so important to people that they can even neglect their own families. A father had to work hard outside to earn more money and seldom have the time to spend with his wife and children. Eventually, his wife and children would only see him as someone who provides money and hence there would not be any strong bonding between them. Money revolves around the world. The phrase â€Å"money is the root of all evil† meant that money issues is the main cause of the many problems faced in life. If you let the money take control of you, you would be obsessed with it and think that your money is never enough. It influences people generations by generations and can cause one to lose his conscience and humanity. Money is the one that manifests the evil in people hearts. So therefore shows why money is the root of all evil.

Role Of Project Manager In Communication Management Plan Management Essay

Role Of Project Manager In Communication Management Plan Management Essay The role of a project manager in project communication management consists of Identifying stakeholders, Planning communications, Distributing Information and Managing Stakeholder expectations and Reporting performance A key role of the project manager is to create a communications management plan to analyze stakeholder communications needs and disseminate important information efficiently. Richer forms of communications should be used for important objectives The Tuckman model developed by Dr. Bruce Tuckman in 1970 describes 5 stages of team development such as Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning If project managers depended too heavily on money, penalty or authority, the project was more likely to fail compared to work challenge and expertise which were more influential Project Managers should set an example by leading their teams such that the team members should know how to deal with conflicts, where team members work out small conflicts amongst themselves before elevating them to the higher ups Project managers and team members could use these strategies such as confrontation, compromise, smoothing, forcing, withdrawal and collaboration Project practitioners should adhere to the PMIs Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct in dealing with conflict amongst team members. 1. Introduction: There are four core knowledge areas of project management that deal with project scope, time, cost and quality management which help in defining the specific project objectives. Human resource, communications, risk and procurement management are the four facilitating knowledge areas. These four facilitating knowledge areas are processes that help in achieving the project objectives and hence are important. The greatest threat to any project is the ineffective communication between the project manager, team and the key stakeholders. Many problems in completion of projects are attributed to unclear scope or unrealistic schedules which indicate communication problems between the project manager, team and stakeholders. It is crucial for project managers and their teams to understand Project communication management. Project communication management deals with generation, collection, dissemination and storing of project information (Schwabe, 2010) This next section deals with the role of a project manager in a communication management plan and the elements involved in it. Further sections show how project managers establish team culture, the characteristics of motivation, conflicts, strategies on conflict resolution and ethical behavior in dealing with conflicts. 2. Communication : Communication is very important for the success of any project. It is also closely related with team work and team building and hence also affects how conflicts happen. A communication management plan for the entire project is very necessary. The role of a project manager in project communication management is given as follows: a. Identifying Stakeholders : This stage identifies the people involved in or affected by the project. The project manager creates processes and manages relationships with them. The project manager must create a Stakeholder register and Stakeholder management strategy. b. Planning communications : This stage identifies the communication needs and the channel of communication required by the stakeholder. A communications management plan and project documents update are required made by the project manager. c. Distributing Information and Managing Stakeholder expectations : The Project manager makes important information available to project stakeholders efficiently and in a timely manner, such that it satisfies the communication needs and expectations of the project stakeholders. Formal or informal plans, procedures, policies are the output of this stage. d. Reporting Performance : A project manager collects and reports project performance information to the stakeholders in the form of status reports, forecasts and progress measurements (Schwabe, 2010) Developing information and making it available to all the stakeholders is an important function of the project managers and team. Project managers and their teams must decide the recipient of the information and distribution channels for the information. They should also decide on the format of the information, such as written reports or meetings etc. A key role of the project manager is to create such a communications management plan to analyze stakeholder communications needs and disseminate important information efficiently. According to the Daft and Lengels Media richness theory, the richness of the media in communication is directly proportional to the time and cost spent on it. Hence face to face communication is preferred to email because of better communication but it is more costly and more time is spent. Thus richer forms of communications should be used for important objectives (Markus L, 1994) 3. Establishing team culture Team work and people management are the most important issues in project management. Establishing and motivating teams are interlinked with communication and are important to understand before understanding conflict and the ethical issues related with conflict. Belbin observes that, The essence of a team is its members form a co-operative association through a division of labor that best reflects the contribution that each can make towards the common objectives. To establish a team the project manager can use the following graphical techniques: Work Breakdown Structures shows major tasks broken down into smaller tasks Linear Responsibility Charts shows relationships between tasks and people Organizational Hierarchy Charts shows structure of a project team or organization The Tuckman model developed by Dr. Bruce Tuckman in 1970 describes 5 stages of team development such as: Forming an important stage of introducing team members either at initiation, or as new members are introduces Storming team members have different opinions on how a team should work. Usually conflicts occur during this phase Norming team members have developed common working method and cooperate with each other Performing Team members are likely to build loyalty towards each other. Team can cope with greater change and complex tasks. Adjourning After completion of work and successful reaching of goals, this stage consists of the break-up of the team (Cadle and Yeates, 2001) This model gives a brief idea about where conflict occurs within a team and at what stage. This could be used by the project manager to handle conflicts effectively during the storming stage. Establishing the right balance of roles in any team is crucial in avoiding or resolving conflicts. In a successful team there is a good combination of different personality types. According to Meredith Belbin a successful team needs the following combination of roles: The chair calm, strong and tolerant individual The plant an individual who generates ideas The monitor-evaluator Evaluates ideas The shaper an individual who focuses on the objectives The team worker helps create a good working environment The resource investigator finds information and resources for the project The completer finisher checks details, deadlines, proof reads The company worker works hard, similar to team worker (Belbin, 1996) A good blend of different personality types in a team will help in formation of less conflicts and resolving conflicts faster. According to Patrick Lencioni, lack of teamwork could lead to a) Absence of trust b) Conflict c) Lack of commitment d) Avoidance of accountability e) Inattention to results which could lead to failure of organizations. The team consists of individuals with different needs and expectations from the team. Motivation plays a very crucial part in the development of a team and its individuals as discussed in the next section 4. Motivation : To understand the various factors that influence motivation we need to understand the hierarchy of needs of an individual. In the late 1940, Maslow suggested that people are motivated according to their circumstances. In this theory is the idea that the employees needs have to be satisfied from the bottom up as shown in Fig. 2. The bottom level consists of basic survival and safety needs. The need for belonging and to be part of a group or a team comes second. The fourth level is about the ego and esteem needs and the final level is the personal fulfillment level. Project manager and project team members need to understand their respective motivations with regards to social, esteem and self actualization (Cadle and Yates, 2001) Self-actualization Personal growth and fulfilment personal growth and fulfilment Esteem needs Achievement, status, responsibility, reputation achievement, status, responsibility, reputation Belongingness and Love needs Family, affection, relationships, work group, etc family, affection, relationships, work group, etc. Safety needs Protection, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc protection, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc. Biological and Physiological needs Basic life needs air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc basic life needs air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc. Fig: 2 Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Some of the methods employed by project managers to motivate or influence team members to work towards achieving a successful project are: Authority PMs right to issue orders Assignment allocating duties Budget Authorization of funds by PM Promotion Money Pay rise and benefits Penalty causing punishment by PM Work Challenge such that it motivates the team member Expertise PM commands respect from team members based on his special knowledge Friendship ability to establish friendly relations Thamhain and Wilemon found that if project managers depended too heavily on money, penalty or authority, the project was more likely to fail compared to work challenge and expertise which were more influential (Schwabe, 2010) Some of the factors that affect motivation of employees are as follows: Environment Manipulation Scheduling pressure Lack of appreciation Technically inept management Lack of involvement Low quality 5. Conflict Resolution and Ethics The possibility of conflict between team members is always possible unless good communication isnt observed. Some of the common reasons for conflict between team members are as follows Scheduling Project priorities Human resources Admin procedures Personality clashes Costs Technical opinions and trade offs Project managers should help identify and manage conflict by using their human resources and communication skills. Project Managers should set an example by leading their teams such that the team members should know how to deal with conflicts, where team members work out small conflicts amongst themselves before elevating them to the higher ups. The project manager must separate people from the problem and use negotiation to resolve dispute. Unethical behavior should be avoided by both the parties. Negotiation amongst project manager and team members such that: Focus on interests: negotiator needs should keep in mind the interest of the parties to the dispute as against the position the parties have drawn up Inventing Options for mutual gain: Negotiator should find win-win solutions such that no party compromises on the project objectives Insist on objective criteria: negotiator should determine the quality of outcomes rather than positions. According to Meredith and Mantel, negotiation skills are particularly required a) when using subcontractors b) different teams are brought together to work on a task c) during change management. In the event of a conflict, the following principles of negotiation should be adopted: Without damaging the project objectives the conflict must be resolved Honest negotiations must take place All parties should be satisfied by the solution to the conflict (Schwabe, 2010) Strategies for resolving conflict Project Managers and team members could make use of the 5 basic modes of conflict resolution as suggested by Krezner in 2003 1. Confrontation: Project managers directly face conflict in the confrontation mode by using a problem solving approach such that affected parties work through their disagreements towards a win-win solution. This is the most preferred method of conflict resolution amongst project managers (Schwabe, 2010) 2. Compromise: Project managers adopt the compromise mode to bargain and search for solutions that bring some degree of satisfaction to the parties in dispute, similar to give and take attitude. 3. Smoothing Project managers adopt the soothing mode such that they de-emphasize or avoid areas of conflict and emphasize the area of agreement 4. Forcing Forcing mode is also termed as the win-lose approach such that a competitive or autocratic project manager exerts his viewpoint at the potential expense of another team members view point. 5. Withdrawal This is the worst conflict-handling mode where project managers retreat from a potential or actual disagreement and hence called the withdrawal mode 6. Collaborating This is a fairly recent conflict resolution mode called the collaborating mode, where different viewpoints and insights are encouraged by decision makers to develop consensus and commitment Successful project managers also use collaboration and compromise to resolve conflicts. Smoothing, forcing and withdrawal are hardly used by successful project managers for resolving conflict. A standard process for resolving conflict could be detailed as follows: Identify conflict and discuss with stakeholders Gather information Analyze solution List options for conflict resolution Decide conflict resolution mode Carry out conflict resolution Ethical Behavior in dealing with Conflicts Project Managers and their team members are required to make ethical decisions in personal and professional lives. In terms of conflict resolution too, project management practitioners should conduct their jobs in an ethical manner. According to the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct present on the website, the practitioners should behave in the following manner with regards to professional integrity and conflict resolution We make decisions and take actions based on the best interests of society, public, safety and the environment We fulfill the commitments that we undertake we do what we say we will do We accept only those assignment that are consistent with our background, experience, skills and qualifications We inform ourselves about the norms and customs of others and avoid engaging in behaviors they might consider disrespectful We listen to others points of view, seeking to understand them We approach directly those persons with whom we have a conflict or disagreement We demonstrate the transparency in out decision-making process We constantly reexamine our impartiality and objectivity, taking corrective action as appropriate We proactively and fully disclose any real or potential conflicts of interest to appropriate stakeholders We earnestly seek to understand the truth We are truthful in our communications and in our conduct (PMI Code of Ethics, 2010)