National Cranberry Cooperative

NATIONAL CRANBERRY CO-OPERATIVE CASE STUDY * Nishi Sharma In 1971, National Cranberry Cooperative faced recurring operational problems that affected the productivity and relationship of NCC to growers. This analysis will discuss how NCC can improve its operation before the peak-season comes in. The analysis was based from facts cited in the case, using tools such as but not limited to process flow diagram, cost, benefit and utilization analysis, and work-force scheduling. The author recommends solution that will not just improve NCC's operations but will also increase plant's capacity and decrease its cost thereby leading to long-term savings for the growers. Problem Statement/Key Issues This case analysis will investigate two primary problems faced by NCC (1) Long waiting period of trucks during unloading of berries at RP1 and (2) Too much overtime cost. This case will also look at a secondary problem, specifically, the inaccuracy of grading of berries. Supporting Argument It is necessary to address the truck's queuing problem in 1970 in order to attain NCC's planned increase in output of water harvested crop from 58% to 70% the following year. The queuing/idle time during unloading also creates unnecessary costs particularly the cost of leasing trucks and hiring drivers. Also, Cranberries' market price is influenced by the government regulation Cranberry Marketing Order 1070, which mandates owners to scrap 10% or 200,000 bbls of harvested crops, thereby reducing income for the same resources used. With this, it is important that NCC manage its resources properly including scheduling of workforce (seasonal ; full-time) to reduce the costs like the overtime pay. With the cost amounting to $112,500 ($450,000/2Ãâ€"0. 5) incurred for paying extra premiums to second graded berries, it is important to look at the grading process and assess the need for installing an equipment that can help reduce the said cost. Alternatives The following are the alternatives proposed by Mr. Williston: 1. To buy and install new dryers 2. Convert dry berry holding bins to store water harvested or dry berries 3. Install Light Meter System for color grading PROCESS DIAGRAM – NATIONAL CRANBERRIES CO-OPERATIVE Assumptions:    We have assumed that: †¢ There is a cost associated with trucks waiting to be unloaded and it is $5 per hour. †¢ We have not considered per hour operating    cost of plant †¢ Overtime for both regular and part time worker has been taken to be $ 6. 50 per hour. †¢ In calculating the payback time, the same cost saving will occur every day. It is given in case that wet berries will make 70 % of total berries and that normal running hours for plant is 11 (12-1) hours. Case 1: 10000 bbl/day Wet Berries (WB) ( 7000 bbl/day Dry Berries (DB) ( 3000bbl/day Total Time = 11 Hrs WB feed=7000/11 = 637 bbl/hr DB feed= 3000/11 = 273 bbl/hr Minimum processing rate for WB is at dryers, which is = 600 bbl/hr Minimum processing rate for DB is = 1500 bbl/hr Hence, after 11 hours total accumulation of WB = (637-600)*11 = 407 bbl Overtime = 407/600 = 0. 7 hrs Now, assuming this is not a peak season, we have considered only 27 workers. Since plant is working suboptimal level during overtime , only two-third of the work force will be working on wet berries drying process. =2/3 work force = 20*(2/3) = 12 Savings per day = 12 * 6. 5= 78 Savings for season = 78* 90 = 7020 If we add another dryer, to save overtime cost, cost will be = 40000 Analysis Considering the cost of depreciation and cost of investment in dryer(8-10%) it will not be economical to buy another dryer. National Cranberry Cooperative Case Report: National Cranberry Cooperative Fill in your name in the header. Please read the Assignment Collaboration Guidelines in Course Syllabus: Collaboration between groups is not allowed; however, if you hear something from some other group, please give a reference. Below, write your answers to Questions 1-4 (on BB/Cases). Your analysis should be based on the assumptions listed in the Syllabus. If you need to make additional assumptions to answer a question, clearly state them, logically defend them, and then proceed to answer the question accordingly.The idea is to answer the questions concisely. Double spacing is preferred, 1. 5-line spacing is the minimum (consider the reader’s eye strain). 1. Mark the capacity and utilization of each resource in the process flow diagram at the end of this document. Briefly describe how you calculate the capacity and utilization here. [20 points] On average, 18000 barrels arrive over the 12hr span that the business is open. This means approximately 1500 barrels of berries are input into the process per hour (18000barrels/12hrs). The capacity of the Kiwanee dumpers was given as 3000 b/hr. and I was able to calculate the implied utilization by dividing the berry input rate by the capacity(1500bbl/hr divided by 3000bbl/hr). To calculate the actual utilization of the dumpers, you must first determine the flow rate of the system. Only 25% of the berries are dry and 75% are wet. This sums to 375 dry berries per hour (1500 input/hr x. 25) and 1125 wet berries per hour (1500 input x . 75). The dry berries have 16 bins that hold 250 barrels a piece, adding up to a total of 4000 berries that can be stored. The wet berries have 8 bins that hold 250 barrels and 3 bins that hold 400 barrels, adding up to 3200 barrels total for storage.The capacity of the DeStoners was given as 1500bbl/hr. The implied utilization would be the input rate (1500bbl/hr) divided by the capacity (1500 bbl/hr). Since the bottleneck does not impact t he dry berries, the actual and implied utilization will be the same for the dry berries in all facets of the operation. The capacity of the Dechaffers for the dry berries was also given as 1500 bbl/hr and once again the implied and actual utilization will be 1. 0. Switching to the Wet Berries, we see that there are two Dechaffers that can each store up to 1500bbl/hr, which will add up to a capacity of 3000bbl/hr.We can calculate the implied utilization of the wet berry Dechaffer by dividing the input rate (1500bbl/hr) by the capacity (3000bbl/hr) and the actual utilization by dividing the Flow Rate (600bbl/hr) by the capacity (3000bbl/hr). The Dryers set the standard for the wet berries because they are the bottleneck of the operation. There are three dryers that can process 200bbl/hr, giving us a total capacity of 600bbl/hr. The implied utilization is not very realistic because it takes the 1500bbl/hr input rate and divides it by the 600bbl/hr capacity. The actual utilization of a bottleneck is always 1. because it is operating at maximum capacity. Lastly, there are three separators that have a capacity of 400bbl/hr each, giving us a total of 1200bbl/hr. The implied utilization will be discovered as 1. 25 because you are taking the 1500bbl/hr input rate and dividing it by 1200bbl/hr capacity. The actual utilization can be found by 600bbl/hr (wet berries) plus 375bbl/hr (dry berries) and using them as your input rate. So you will divide the 975bbl/hr by 1200bbl/hr capacity and get . 8125. 2. Enter your answer and supporting arguments for question 2 here. [10 points] The current maximum throughput rate is 975bbl/hr. 75bbl/hr can be processed by the dry berries because they have the ability to operate at maximum capacity. On the wet berry side, the process is slowed by the dryers, which represent the bottleneck of the operation. Since the dryers can only process 600bbl/hr, we will add the 600bbl/hr and the 375bbl/hr to get a total of 975bbl/hr. 3. Enter your ans wer and supporting arguments for question 3 here. [30 points] *See attached diagram 4. Enter your answer and supporting arguments for question 4 here. [40 points] The possible capital investments I used were adding one more dryer, and swapping one bin from the dry berry operation to the wet berry.Buying the fifth Kiwanee dumper was a misguided investment because the real object should be to increase your bottleneck to speed up the operation. The capacity of the dumpers is 600bbl/hr, so having one less dumper would only drop this to 2400bbl/hr. The throughput rate of the entire system is only 975bbl/hr, so the focus ultimately should be turned to increasing the capacity of the dryers instead of the capacity of the dumpers. The attached excel spreadsheet will explain the ultimate benefits of the proposed capital investments I have offered. Bulk and Bag Separators C = 1200b/hrU = 1. 25, . 8125 Dryers C =600 b/hrU = 2. 5, 1. Destoners C =1500b/hrU =1. 0, 1. 0 Kiwanee Dumpers C = 3000b/h rU = . 5, . 325 Trucks in Queue Bins 1-16 storage =4000 Bins 17-27 storage = 3200 Dechaffers C = 1500b/hrU = 1. 0, 1. 0 Dry berries 375†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. bbl/hr Wet berries 1125†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ bbl/hr Dechaffers C = 3000b/hrU = . 5, . 20 Bulk and Bag Separators C = 1200b/hrU = 1. 25, . 8125 Dryers C =600 b/hrU = 2. 5, 1. 0 Destoners C =1500b/hrU =1. 0, 1. 0 Kiwanee Dumpers C = 3000b/hrU = . 5, . 325 Trucks in Queue Bins 1-16 storage =4000 Bins 17-27 storage = 3200 Dechaffers C = 1500b/hrU = 1. 0, 1. 0 Dry berries 375†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. bbl/hr Wet berries 1125†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ bbl/hr Dechaffers C = 3000b/hrU = . 5, . 20 National Cranberry Cooperative Case Report: National Cranberry Cooperative Fill in your name in the header. Please read the Assignment Collaboration Guidelines in Course Syllabus: Collaboration between groups is not allowed; however, if you hear something from some other group, please give a reference. Below, write your answers to Questions 1-4 (on BB/Cases). Your analysis should be based on the assumptions listed in the Syllabus. If you need to make additional assumptions to answer a question, clearly state them, logically defend them, and then proceed to answer the question accordingly.The idea is to answer the questions concisely. Double spacing is preferred, 1. 5-line spacing is the minimum (consider the reader’s eye strain). 1. Mark the capacity and utilization of each resource in the process flow diagram at the end of this document. Briefly describe how you calculate the capacity and utilization here. [20 points] On average, 18000 barrels arrive over the 12hr span that the business is open. This means approximately 1500 barrels of berries are input into the process per hour (18000barrels/12hrs). The capacity of the Kiwanee dumpers was given as 3000 b/hr. and I was able to calculate the implied utilization by dividing the berry input rate by the capacity(1500bbl/hr divided by 3000bbl/hr). To calculate the actual utilization of the dumpers, you must first determine the flow rate of the system. Only 25% of the berries are dry and 75% are wet. This sums to 375 dry berries per hour (1500 input/hr x. 25) and 1125 wet berries per hour (1500 input x . 75). The dry berries have 16 bins that hold 250 barrels a piece, adding up to a total of 4000 berries that can be stored. The wet berries have 8 bins that hold 250 barrels and 3 bins that hold 400 barrels, adding up to 3200 barrels total for storage.The capacity of the DeStoners was given as 1500bbl/hr. The implied utilization would be the input rate (1500bbl/hr) divided by the capacity (1500 bbl/hr). Since the bottleneck does not impact t he dry berries, the actual and implied utilization will be the same for the dry berries in all facets of the operation. The capacity of the Dechaffers for the dry berries was also given as 1500 bbl/hr and once again the implied and actual utilization will be 1. 0. Switching to the Wet Berries, we see that there are two Dechaffers that can each store up to 1500bbl/hr, which will add up to a capacity of 3000bbl/hr.We can calculate the implied utilization of the wet berry Dechaffer by dividing the input rate (1500bbl/hr) by the capacity (3000bbl/hr) and the actual utilization by dividing the Flow Rate (600bbl/hr) by the capacity (3000bbl/hr). The Dryers set the standard for the wet berries because they are the bottleneck of the operation. There are three dryers that can process 200bbl/hr, giving us a total capacity of 600bbl/hr. The implied utilization is not very realistic because it takes the 1500bbl/hr input rate and divides it by the 600bbl/hr capacity. The actual utilization of a bottleneck is always 1. because it is operating at maximum capacity. Lastly, there are three separators that have a capacity of 400bbl/hr each, giving us a total of 1200bbl/hr. The implied utilization will be discovered as 1. 25 because you are taking the 1500bbl/hr input rate and dividing it by 1200bbl/hr capacity. The actual utilization can be found by 600bbl/hr (wet berries) plus 375bbl/hr (dry berries) and using them as your input rate. So you will divide the 975bbl/hr by 1200bbl/hr capacity and get . 8125. 2. Enter your answer and supporting arguments for question 2 here. [10 points] The current maximum throughput rate is 975bbl/hr. 75bbl/hr can be processed by the dry berries because they have the ability to operate at maximum capacity. On the wet berry side, the process is slowed by the dryers, which represent the bottleneck of the operation. Since the dryers can only process 600bbl/hr, we will add the 600bbl/hr and the 375bbl/hr to get a total of 975bbl/hr. 3. Enter your ans wer and supporting arguments for question 3 here. [30 points] *See attached diagram 4. Enter your answer and supporting arguments for question 4 here. [40 points] The possible capital investments I used were adding one more dryer, and swapping one bin from the dry berry operation to the wet berry.Buying the fifth Kiwanee dumper was a misguided investment because the real object should be to increase your bottleneck to speed up the operation. The capacity of the dumpers is 600bbl/hr, so having one less dumper would only drop this to 2400bbl/hr. The throughput rate of the entire system is only 975bbl/hr, so the focus ultimately should be turned to increasing the capacity of the dryers instead of the capacity of the dumpers. The attached excel spreadsheet will explain the ultimate benefits of the proposed capital investments I have offered. Bulk and Bag Separators C = 1200b/hrU = 1. 25, . 8125 Dryers C =600 b/hrU = 2. 5, 1. Destoners C =1500b/hrU =1. 0, 1. 0 Kiwanee Dumpers C = 3000b/h rU = . 5, . 325 Trucks in Queue Bins 1-16 storage =4000 Bins 17-27 storage = 3200 Dechaffers C = 1500b/hrU = 1. 0, 1. 0 Dry berries 375†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. bbl/hr Wet berries 1125†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ bbl/hr Dechaffers C = 3000b/hrU = . 5, . 20 Bulk and Bag Separators C = 1200b/hrU = 1. 25, . 8125 Dryers C =600 b/hrU = 2. 5, 1. 0 Destoners C =1500b/hrU =1. 0, 1. 0 Kiwanee Dumpers C = 3000b/hrU = . 5, . 325 Trucks in Queue Bins 1-16 storage =4000 Bins 17-27 storage = 3200 Dechaffers C = 1500b/hrU = 1. 0, 1. 0 Dry berries 375†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. bbl/hr Wet berries 1125†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ bbl/hr Dechaffers C = 3000b/hrU = . 5, . 20

Leading marines

Identify the author's mission (task and purpose) in writing this book. The author's purpose in writing this book was to explain the role of the ‘leader' in the Marine Corps. To accomplish this the author used examples of corps values, ethos, individual courage and unit spirit. 2. What part of the book was the most effective in accomplishing the author's mission? What part of the book was the least effective? The part of the book that I think is most effective at accomplishing the author's mission is chapter three: Challenges. Friction dominates war, it makes simple tasks hard'. The author touches on how friction affects us anywhere from the marine-air- ground task force down to the most forward fghting positions and how getting over the brick wall that is adversity is key to being able to lead marines. 3. What does the author assume to be true in order to accomplish his mission? Does the author validate these assumptions in the book? The author really shows the importance of th e lessons we learned in boot camp and OCS as the basis of what is needed to accomplish any mission.The author validates these assumptions as he goes back to what we learned in training as xamples of how we should carry ourselves as leaders and Marines. 4. The part of the book that is most relevant to what I / we do is: The part of the book that is most relevant to what â€Å"we do is chapter three. The author talks about Friction and overcoming challenges in everyday life such as physical challenge and the importance of being combat effective. This is relevant to me because I think physical fitness is key to anyone in the Marine Corps who wants to be a leader. . Identify the author's specific and implied conclusions. What I took as an implied conclusion was that there's a bigger purpose for veryone and you won't know what that purpose is unless you take risks to find that purpose. What part ot the book was the most ettective in accomplishing the author's The part of the book that i s most relevant to what l/we do is chapter three. The ground task torce down to the most torward tgnting positions and now getting over purpose. 1.Identify the author's mission (task and purpose) in writing this book. ground task force down to the most forward fighting positions and how getting over The part ot the book that is most relevant to what I / we do is: 6a. With respect to the author's conclusions (either specified or implied), I / we ccept or agree with the following: I agree with the implied conclusion that the fundamentals of leading marines is engraved in each of us as marines in boot camp or OCS and that those fundamentals are the basis of being a leader and a Marine. b. With respect to the author's conclusions (either specified or implied), I / we reject or do not agree with the following: There was nothing that I did not agree with. 7a. This book made a favorable impression on me and it will change the way I approach: This book will definitely make me think back to the basics when I am approached with adversity.

MEMORY ABOUT FAMILY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MEMORY ABOUT FAMILY - Essay Example My sister would parade around like some kind of prima donna plucked from the cover of Sports Illustrated while my mom ran around the house like she was preparing for the second coming of Christ. Their eyes would avert mine as I would sink into a lonely corner where no one cared to go. My sister and mother would make it to the car to be sure they would be on time, and I would always be dragging behind, reluctant and resistant. All the other families on the block had boys that played Little League with fathers that played catch. Not ours. Thanks to my mother, my father was 1000 miles away and I didn't have any brothers. In her twisted mind, my mother was fulfilling the father role by turning my little sister into a sports jock. As the car started to back out of the drive I thought to myself, "I'm more athletic than that chiffon Barbie doll in the front seat that my mother was dressing up in a softball uniform. My sister couldn't bat her way out of a bad movie". Yet, maybe because she was the baby of the family, she was the chosen one. My mother had suddenly become an authority on baseball and as she screamed from the bleachers, bolstered by vodka and Valium, it was I that was embarrassed. I turned away from the haughty glances of the softball moms that had gathered together to giggle and dispense their snide remarks. Every game would make me wonder if they were snickering at my mother or me. Was my misfortune the object of their entertainment By the fifth inning, my sister was hitless and my mother was missing. I spotted her behind the concession stand sneaking into her purse to top off her drink. I again sensed a wave of laughing and whispering. The icy stares of the 'good moms' sliced through my back. I just wanted to go home and hide. The only bright spot of the day came when my sister struck out in the bottom of the seventh inning to end the game. That meant that the torture was over. There would be no more false cheers, no tittering gossip, and no pretending that everything was OK. My sister was silent as my mother staggered back to the car. "I'll drive," I said. Though I was old enough, I didn't have a driver's license. I had no adult to take me to get the necessary permits. Driving was one more thing that my mother didn't allow me to do. I couldn't play sports, music lessons were too expensive, and driving was out of the question. My mother wouldn't even let me date any boy that had a car. "Oh, well," I thought, "Who needs 'em. I've gotten along this far without a man in my life. What's a few more years." As we began the short drive home, my mother kept criticizing my driving. "Stay on the road," she yelled. "Watch that car." My mother was irritated with my sister for going 0 for 3 in the game and she was taking it out on me. My patience had outlived its useful life. "If you weren't so careless I wouldn't have to drive. You're the most irresponsible person I've ever met and I've known some real losers," I snapped. "How dare you talk to me like

Does Democracy Facilitate Economic Reforms Essay

Does Democracy Facilitate Economic Reforms - Essay Example Moreover, human rights protection, secularism, freedom of expression, lack of censoring etc are some other characteristics of Indian democracy. On the other hand, India’s neighbouring countries like Myanmar/Burma, North Korea, Pakistan, Afghanistan etc are struggling to mobilize their internal resources because of the lack of democracy in these countries. These countries have severe internal problems which retard their efforts to attain economic growth. Pakistan and Afghanistan are believed to be the major contributors to global terrorism and they are facing the consequences of it now. Burma and North Korea don’t have any belief in freedom, liberty and human rights and their slow economic progress underlines importance of democracy in maintaining economic progress. Pakistan is considered as a democratic country by the Pak government and the Pak people; however, external political observers have strong disagreements. In a true democratic country, judiciary, executive and parliament will combine well and function together for the progress of the country. In Pakistan, these democratic institutions often clash each other. We have witnessed the removal of Pak Supreme court judge by the former Pakistan president Pervez Musharaf and the subsequent problems in Pakistan. â€Å"An independent judiciary prospers only in countries where democracy, human rights and in particular a free press, set a general framework stabilizing the rule of law† (Tomuschat, p.308). Judiciary is considered as an independent body functioning in a democratic country. Normally a democratic government will respect the rulings of the Supreme Court in that country even if they have different opinions. It is the duty of... This paper approves that democratization puts in place a system of checks and balances that penalizes self-interested leaders, and creates an atmosphere conducive to economic liberalization policies whereas communism encourages the legacy of exploitation. In most of the nondemocratic countries, the power rested entirely on the shoulders of some dictators. These dictators may not have much interest in the development of the country because of the absence of any objections against their policies. In the absence of democratic institutional reform, it is nearly impossible to implement liberalisation policies that seek to de-monopolise the economy, and open it to competition. Healthy competition is necessary for the implementation of the economic reformation process. In the absence of competition, nobody will take much interest in seeking new ways to improve their productivity or competing power and the hence the economy will never grow. This report makes a conclusion that without doubt or second thoughts, we can say that democracy facilitates economic reforms. Except China, most of the other countries which implemented economic reforms and achieved growth are democratic countries and hence the importance of democracy in stimulating economic growth cannot be neglected. China’s success in implementing economic reforms can be attributed to their readiness in borrowing and implementing some of the core principles of democratic administrations. In short, democracy and its principles definitely facilitate economic reforms.

Gasoline prices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gasoline prices - Essay Example Many insist that drilling is a possible fix to high gasoline prices. The fact is, this will never actually be true. Oil, and thus gasoline, is a finite resource, and on one seriously argues otherwise: there is a time that we will run out, and some theorists insist that the world has already reached peak oil (Carlson). Yet demand continues to increase because of a larger and larger world population that requires more and more oil to function, especially as markets such as China and India develop and more people in those places begin driving cars. Thus, if one examines the rules of supply and demand, an increasing demand and a finite supply will always eventually lead to price increases – a temporary increase in supply may alleviate prices to a small degree, but even this may be minimal because speculators will always be able to buy high and sell higher, as the world supply is still known to be finite. The only way to actually reduce gasoline prices is to reduce dependency †“ reduce demand, because supply is something that is impossible to control. This can be done through electric cars, alternative fuels, and conservation, eventually building towards a society that does not rely on oil at all, because we know it will eventually run out. The myth that a temporary increase in supply is good for gasoline prices simply does not hold true. Quick fixes like this will never work – in order to really address this problem, we need to fundamentally change the way we consume oil. Carlson, Robert. "World Oil Production via Hubbert Linearization of Production and Normalizations of ProductionWorld Oil Production via Hubbert Linearization of Production and Normalizations of Production."  Energy Sources, Part B: Economics, Planning, and

Honoring America's Veterans Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Honoring America's Veterans - Personal Statement Example We have an obligation to honor our Veterans with our hearts. This is accomplished by a public display of support by attending Veterans' ceremonies and events that bestow remembrance on those that have fought to defend our country. One of the simplest things we can do to show our gratitude to our Veterans is by personally saying 'Thank You' to a Veteran. Go to a Veteran's Memorial service or visit a VA hospital, find a veteran and tell them 'Thank You' for laying your life on the line so that our future generations can continue to live with freedom and liberty. It is easy to be thankful for our great nation, and it is our role as Americans to show it and say it from the heart. Showing appreciation for our Veterans needs to be backed-up with a solid belief in our display of respect. We must be big enough to put our political squabbles aside when we talk about our Veterans. Individuals, corporations, and political parties did not send these soldiers to war. America sends them and as Americans we all have the obligation to keep our political opinions in the political arena. Veterans are fighting for our right to free elections, differing opinions, and public dissent. However, these freedoms stop at our borders.

Network Effects and Path Dependence Research Paper - 2

Network Effects and Path Dependence - Research Paper Example Network effect or direct-benefit effect is considered to be a vital part of economics and business. It is a kind of effect which determines that for certain sorts of decisions, an individual would incur an explicit benefit when he/she aligns their behaviour with the behaviour of other individuals. In this context, it is determined that the value of a product is directly dependent on the number of users using it (Kemper 67-84). Path dependence can be stated as a substitute analytical process for economics which is acknowledged to be a radical change of the neo-classical standards. It is a process of economic allocation where the arrangement of allocating determinates such as technology, factor, endowment, preference and institution not only depend on certain fundamentals but also depend on a particular contingent event. Instead of converting into an identified determinant, the process has undergone a number of potential equilibrium and selects it on the basis of the specific history o f the process. It is worth mentioning that a positive feedback from the agents also helps in increasing the impact related to specific early selections and further actions that are to be done accordingly (1Liebowitz and Margolis, â€Å"Path Dependence, Lock-In, and History†; Perkins 1-8). However, numerous questions have been raised by a number of critics in order to derive an understanding regarding the conditions based on which an allocation path depends. The answer to this question can be provided by focusing on two issues which include the structure of the explicit network that helps in identifying the interdependency of the agent’s choice. Secondly, the characteristics of the rapidly emerging technological changes are also viewed to have an impact on the features of the different potential equilibrium and the permanence of â€Å"lock-in† to a specific path of allocation. In this context, David’s (1985) view can also be highlighted wherein he stated that the homomorphism of path dependency mainly depends on technology, institutions, organizations and other vital aspects.  Ã‚  

News Production - Audience Imagined and Its Consequences Essay

News Production - Audience Imagined and Its Consequences - Essay Example News today not only reaches the local audience but also global audience. Globalisation has made the world a small place and the effects of an incident in one part of the world are felt in other parts of the world. News production is today a global phenomenon and the process of how the news is gathered and showcased to the audience has undergone a complete transformation. The important aspect of news production is the way the audience are imagined by the journalists or the news companies. Even though, technology has made it possible to have a more interactive news production process, that hasn’t been the case. There are various reasons why the technology hasn’t been used to best effect to improve the overall news production processs. This paper discusses how the audience are imagined in news production and what its consequences are. In order to do so, first how the perception of the audience has changed over the years or stages of the journalism-audience relationship is addressed. News Productions – Imagined Audience There has been a fundamental transformation in the understanding of the audience by journalists. The professional or traditional view of audience is in complete contrast to the modern view of the audience. The advent of the web has increased the responsiveness of the audience to the news and this has now been incorporated into the DNA of news production. The traditional approach was that the desires and wants of the audience were not of much important and the journalists decided what news the audience needed to know. It was the journalists and the management at the news companies that decided what stories that need to be told to the audience. There was very less interaction and also very less the journalists and companies could do to understand their audience. But with this new level of audience responsiveness, which is made possible by the web, the journalists have better tools to understand their audience and their preferences . But the main question remains whether they have used to best effect. This has impacted the way the audience is imagined during the news production. It is claimed that the web has now lead to audience responsiveness in news production which was earlier audience ignorance. That is, the real audience perception was completely ignored in traditional approach. Now the audience responsiveness has bought in a certain reality into how the audience are imagined in news production. But this is most often limited news channels on the internet. The press and the television news channels haven’t completely utilised this. The audience have been imagined differently during different stages in the last century and this century. The professional view in the last century was that the journalists had very little understanding of their audience. As Ettema & Whitney (1994) state that there was an industrial construction of audience. Industrial construction is the way people who create material (for news companies, agencies, etc) think of the people on the receiving end of their material (Turow, 2005). This had serious consequences or implications on the news that the audience would get. Audience would get material that was not contained of the actual facts but was a perception of journalist about the facts. That is, the audience were fed with news that the journalists thought was right. This was the case most of the times. Gans (2004) in his study makes a very

Technical Definition and Description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technical Definition and Description - Essay Example This informs the person about the processes that occur as a result of binding, leading to the drug effect. A renowned scientist, Paul Ehrlich concluded that drugs cannot work unless they are bound (Berges-Gimeno & Stevenson, 2004). This paper outlines how aspirin works starting with a history of the drug, its administration, benefits and the way it works. This is beneficial to patients. An overview of Aspirin’s history Aspirin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), and it is also known as a salicylate (Berges-Gimeno & Stevenson, 2004). This drug owes its origin to Luke Hoffman who discovered a powder from the bark of willow plant around the fifth century. Hippocrates commonly referred to as the father of medicine appraised the use of the powder in relieving pain. In the 1700s, Reverend Edmund Stone talked about its success in alleviating pain and fevers. Scientists later discovered that the bitter powder from willow bark contained a chemical called salicin. This che mical is converted into salicylic acid once ingested by a person and is widely used to manufacture aspirin. The drug was registered as the most popular painkiller in the world, in the 1950 Guinness Book of Records. It is widely known as a â€Å"wonder drug† because it cures several diseases in the contemporary world (Jeffreys, 2005). Administration of aspirin It is usually administered orally through tablets, but it can also be administered through caplets, capsules, liquid elixir and suppositories. Benefits of Aspirin The following are the benefits of aspirin. It; Relieves mild pain such as muscle cramps, toothaches and headaches Controls fever Manages pain in gout and arthritis Reduces swellings Regulates blood pressure in expectant women Treats cataracts in diabetic patients Prevents some cancers such as breast and bowel cancers Treats gum disease (Vane, 1971) How it works Researchers and medical practitioners have found it difficult explain how aspirin works due to its nu merous effects (Weissmann, 1991). However, in the 1970s, biologists came to a conclusion regarding how aspirin works. The drug inhibits synthesizing of some hormones responsible for causing pain and inflammation in the body. Aspirin has an active ingredient called acetylsalicylic acid. This ingredient inhibits chemical processes such as physiological processes in the body. It inhibits production of body chemicals referred to as prostaglandin and thromboxane, which are potential mediators in inflammation. Aspirin undergoes esterification whereby salicylic acid is mixed with acetic anhydride. This results in a chemical reaction which turns the hydroxyl group in salicylic acid into an ester (R-OH R-OCOCH3). This is followed by action on COX. The figure below shows this process. Prostaglandins are important because; they Aid in regulation of acid production, in the stomach Ensure the stomach lining does not digest itself Transmit pain into the brain Are responsible for inflammation The mediators are produced from arachidonic acid through bis-oxygenation of arachidonate into prostaglandin PGG2. Thereafter, PGG2 is reduced to PGH2 following a peroxidase reaction which is enhanced by cyclooxygenase, also called PTGS synthase. This is a catalyst and enzyme which is crucial in the synthesis of prostaglandin as well as thromboxane. The cyclooxygenase (COX) comprise of two types; COX-1 and COX-2. Aspirin acts as an irreversible inhibitor unlike other NSAIDs like ibuprofen and diclofenac. It plays the

Property in South Korea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Property in South Korea - Essay Example An investment requires a medium of exchange and that is usually money. Money is a deteriorating asset in itself and loses value constantly. It is, for this reason, it is exchanged for property which is expected to retain its value. Here is the fallacy that in fact, property achieves a higher value on the fall of the value of money, or rather its purchasing power. Therefore the value of the property is increased due to the fall of the value of money. It is illogical to believe that property has obtained a higher value. But such is the force of the human mind that this has become an accepted belief. The main reason for this belief lies in another fact; that due to the constant expansion of markets the needs of the people increases. While the money supply can be expanded, the supply of physical property remains the same. This mismatch is the real reason why property prices increase due to increase in demand. Morgan Stanley has decided on an astonishing investment in the commercial property previously owned by Daewoo. It has bid a handsome amount of $ 1 billion for this office tower located near the railway station in Seoul, S. Korea. The demand for quality space located in prime business districts is increasing and existing land parcels are extremely difficult to consolidate, leading to unimagined high prices. This deal is no big surprise as Morgan Stanley has a large portfolio of property investments of even larger figures, and has the intention to acquire more properties around the world for its valued clients. The movement of economic liberalization that commenced some thirty years ago is now maturing and covering vast areas and countries, previously considered under-developed, are fast catching on to this progress. This has had multiple effects all around the world. International barriers to trade, movement, and communication are being removed or eased to facilitate free movement of capital and human resources.  

Racial and Ethnic Stereotypes Essay Example for Free

Racial and Ethnic Stereotypes Essay People being indiscriminate based on partial and inexact information by sources as television, cartoons or even comic books This is a description that seems to go against many public standards. The above words are the exact description of stereotypes. Stereotypes as implicit from the description, goes mostly hand in hand with media only not the standard meaning of the blameless media we know. Media propaganda is the other form of media that is somewhat described as media treatment. In this paper, the subsequent will be discussed: first, how stereotypes of ethnic groups operate in propaganda, why does it function so satisfactorily, and finally, the consequences of these stereotypes on the life of Egyptians in particular in society. A fair inspection will be conducted on this example of stereotypes through clarification examples and research consequences from researches conducted from reliable sources. The real association between Egyptians’ stereotypes and propaganda discussed in this paper shall magnify the suggestion of stereotypes and propaganda in common. It seems essential for this paper to start with some clarification of the circumstances related with propaganda. Propaganda can be thought of as a foster parent for stereotypes. Propaganda is recognized to be the planned manipulation of public opinion through concealed messages in advertisements and other media functions. Thus, propaganda uses numerous techniques to be able to consign theses hidden messages to the public and influence their view. Fear, brainwashing, name calling, glittering generality, misinformation and much more are some of the ways that propaganda uses to persuade and manipulate the opinions of the masses. Propaganda finds the usefulness of stereotypes in the fact that it’s easy, quick and direct to the public. In the case of stereotypes about ethnic groups, Egyptians in this case are being portrayed as uneducated, unethical, ignorant, desert animal raisers, terrorists and uncultured ethnic group. These name calling and misinformation techniques are what propagandists use to contrive the society to portray Egyptians as humans of the underworld and Egypt as a deserted country that hunger and ill health are its residents. The preceding are all stereotypes that are propagandas of the media to convince such generality into truth and facts. Racial stereotypes particularly function usually through propaganda of the media, due to the improbability of every man travelling to every country, with the technique of ‘misinformation’ through movies, shows, and news reports. Egyptians have been stereotyped as desert residents for many years regardless of the reality and actual state of Egypt as a country. For instance, the stereotypes pointing that Egyptians are mostly uneducated due to their ignorance of the importance of education is proven false by studies of trustworthy sources. Among those studies, the one conducted by the American university in Cairo, Egypt. Al-Ahram weekly, a credible newspaper known all across the Arab world, has posted in its October issue of 1998 the following: â€Å"According to Sahar El-Tawila, the essential researcher on the team, interviews conducted with girls and boys nationwide demonstrate convincingly that work and marriage were rarely stated by boys and girls respectively as reasons for departing school†¦ These may be options for those who have already left school, but they are not the impetus behind their decision to leave† (Al-Ahram 1998). Therefore, according to an American research, Egyptians are not uneducated conceited nation. After all, there is at least an American University known worldwide built in Cairo where many Egyptians have gotten their Bachelors, Masters and PhD’s from. Still, the media has successfully manipulated the public opinion to reason Egyptians as desert wonderers. Now that the first concern, of how such Egyptian-bashing stereotypes work in propaganda, has been discussed, an interesting question then must be asked: how did it come about so successfully for the public of North America to view Egyptians in such state of mind? Media being a powerful information source to the majority of North Americans, and sometimes the only source of information about specific ethnic groups, has the ability to convince the public viewpoints and opinions. Of course with stereotypes powered by propaganda in movies is very thriving in view of that American films are the most favored and appreciated media function. Openly, in one of the movie reviews now on a review website about the movie â€Å"The Mummy† which takes place in Egypt from start to end, the subsequent sentence was stated: â€Å"The Mummy is a lot of fun. So the story is unsophisticated and the characters are all stereotypes (particularly the Egyptians, who are either noble desert warriors or smelly illiterate pig-things). Who cares? The special effects are truly spectacular. † (Jennifer Mellerick, 1999). Easily, stereotypes are even expected by who understands them and the media propaganda generates more and more. To attest that such depiction is a stereotype and not fact, the website ‘Egypt WWW Index’ has a list of all universities in Egypt (an estimated thirty educational institutions in total), many links to political and governmental committees and services, business, commercial, and entertainment facilities, as well as links to political women figures in the Egyptian society. More than the average North American could even imagine of Egypt , and it is all owed to the media propaganda that produced this image of Egyptians. People being indiscriminate based on partial and inexact information by sources as television, cartoons or even comic books This is a description that seems to go against many public standards. The above words are the exact description of stereotypes. Stereotypes as implicit from the description, goes mostly hand in hand with media only not the standard meaning of the blameless media we know. Media propaganda is the other form of media that is somewhat described as media treatment. In this paper, the subsequent will be discussed: first, how stereotypes of ethnic groups operate in propaganda, why does it function so satisfactorily, and finally, the consequences of these stereotypes on the life of Egyptians in particular in society. A fair inspection will be conducted on this example of stereotypes through clarification examples and research consequences from researches conducted from reliable sources. The real association between Egyptians’ stereotypes and propaganda discussed in this paper shall magnify the suggestion of stereotypes and propaganda in common. It seems essential for this paper to start with some clarification of the circumstances related with propaganda. Propaganda can be thought of as a foster parent for stereotypes. Propaganda is recognized to be the planned manipulation of public opinion through concealed messages in advertisements and other media functions. Thus, propaganda uses numerous techniques to be able to consign theses hidden messages to the public and influence their view. Fear, brainwashing, name calling, glittering generality, misinformation and much more are some of the ways that propaganda uses to persuade and manipulate the opinions of the masses. Propaganda finds the usefulness of stereotypes in the fact that it’s easy, quick and direct to the public. In the case of stereotypes about ethnic groups, Egyptians in this case are being portrayed as uneducated, unethical, ignorant, desert animal raisers, terrorists and uncultured ethnic group. These name calling and misinformation techniques are what propagandists use to contrive the society to portray Egyptians as humans of the underworld and Egypt as a deserted country that hunger and ill health are its residents. The preceding are all stereotypes that are propagandas of the media to convince such generality into truth and facts. Racial stereotypes particularly function usually through propaganda of the media, due to the improbability of every man travelling to every country, with the technique of ‘misinformation’ through movies, shows, and news reports. Egyptians have been stereotyped as desert residents for many years regardless of the reality and actual state of Egypt as a country. For instance, the stereotypes pointing that Egyptians are mostly uneducated due to their ignorance of the importance of education is proven false by studies of trustworthy sources. Among those studies, the one conducted by the American university in Cairo, Egypt. Al-Ahram weekly, a credible newspaper known all across the Arab world, has posted in its October issue of 1998 the following: â€Å"According to Sahar El-Tawila, the essential researcher on the team, interviews conducted with girls and boys nationwide demonstrate convincingly that work and marriage were rarely stated by boys and girls respectively as reasons for departing school†¦ These may be options for those who have already left school, but they are not the impetus behind their decision to leave† (Al-Ahram 1998). Therefore, according to an American research, Egyptians are not uneducated conceited nation. After all, there is at least an American University known worldwide built in Cairo where many Egyptians have gotten their Bachelors, Masters and PhD’s from. Still, the media has successfully manipulated the public opinion to reason Egyptians as desert wonderers. Now that the first concern, of how such Egyptian-bashing stereotypes work in propaganda, has been discussed, an interesting question then must be asked: how did it come about so successfully for the public of North America to view Egyptians in such state of mind? Media being a powerful information source to the majority of North Americans, and sometimes the only source of information about specific ethnic groups, has the ability to convince the public viewpoints and opinions. Of course with stereotypes powered by propaganda in movies is very thriving in view of that American films are the most favored and appreciated media function. Openly, in one of the movie reviews now on a review website about the movie â€Å"The Mummy† which takes place in Egypt from start to end, the subsequent sentence was stated: â€Å"The Mummy is a lot of fun. So the story is unsophisticated and the characters are all stereotypes (particularly the Egyptians, who are either noble desert warriors or smelly illiterate pig-things). Who cares? The special effects are truly spectacular. † (Jennifer Mellerick, 1999). Easily, stereotypes are even expected by who understands them and the media propaganda generates more and more. To attest that such depiction is a stereotype and not fact, the website ‘Egypt WWW Index’ has a list of all universities in Egypt (an estimated thirty educational institutions in total), many links to political and governmental committees and services, business, commercial, and entertainment facilities, as well as links to political women figures in the Egyptian society. More than the average North American could even imagine of Egypt , and it is all owed to the media propaganda that produced this image of Egyptians. Racial and Ethnic Stereotypes Furthermore, Egyptians are stereotyped to be uninformed owing to the reality that they are thought of as technology uneducated. In a website found throughout the study on this topic, a person of an Indian ethnicity by the given name of Shani Rifati has set up a website, which he calls â€Å"Please Call Me Rom†. To right the depiction of his race to North Americans, Shani said: â€Å"I am not a Gypsy. The term Gypsy comes from peoples ignorance, when we were wrong for Egyptians† (Rifati). Remarkable huh! Here is an example of a person that is defending his own nationality from stereotypes, yet uses stereotypes. What is even more interesting than that is the reality that the Egyptian history has been known to be the supreme civilization of all times, yet such culture is simply bashed by supercilious that all Egyptians are just ignorant Gypsies. â€Å" African American and Latino children who are aware of broadly held stereotypes about academic aptitude perform more disappointingly on a cognitive task when that task is described as a measure of capability than when the same task is described as a problem-solving duty. † (Carol Hyman 2003). Therefore racial or ethnic stereotypes that work in media propaganda or rather called media manipulation, has not only had influences on adults, but also is passed over with the youth of tomorrow. It is easy to give out information with no truthful back up, but the public inclination is what can moreover stop media propaganda from disturbing the public opinion or simply energize such unsafe aspect of the media, stereotypes. Furthermore, Egyptians are stereotyped to be uninformed owing to the reality that they are thought of as technology uneducated. In a website found throughout the study on this topic, a person of an Indian ethnicity by the given name of Shani Rifati has set up a website, which he calls â€Å"Please Call Me Rom†. To right the depiction of his race to North Americans, Shani said: â€Å"I am not a Gypsy. The term Gypsy comes from peoples ignorance, when we were wrong for Egyptians† (Rifati). Remarkable huh! Here is an example of a person that is defending his own nationality from stereotypes, yet uses stereotypes. What is even more interesting than that is the reality that the Egyptian history has been known to be the supreme civilization of all times, yet such culture is simply bashed by supercilious that all Egyptians are just ignorant Gypsies. â€Å" African American and Latino children who are aware of broadly held stereotypes about academic aptitude perform more disappointingly on a cognitive task when that task is described as a measure of capability than when the same task is described as a problem-solving duty. † (Carol Hyman 2003). Therefore racial or ethnic stereotypes that work in media propaganda or rather called media manipulation, has not only had influences on adults, but also is passed over with the youth of tomorrow. It is easy to give out information with no truthful back up, but the public inclination is what can moreover stop media propaganda from disturbing the public opinion or simply energize such unsafe aspect of the media, stereotypes.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Control

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Control Abstract Brown marmorated stink bug (Order Hemiptera: Family Pentatomidae) (BMSB) was  accidentally introduced into the eastern U.S. from Asia in the late 1990s. In 2001   it was officially identified in Pennsylvania, and has since spread along the eastern seaboard and  westward into the Great Lakes region. In 2002 it was found in Portland, Oregon, and has since spread to localized areas in Washington and California. It has not yet been found in Utah, but it is likely only a matter of time before it will occur in most states due to its rapid adaptation to a wide range of climates. Since 2004, BMSB has gained notoriety as a major nuisance due to large aggregations of the bugs invading buildings in the fall to overwinter, attracted to the protective warmth. Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Biological control and insecticides are two primary control tactics under evaluation. Entomologists have explored its native range for natural enemies, and a few  are under further study for potential release in the U.S. Many of the synthetic pyrethroid-type insecticides are efficacious in rapid knockdown of adults and nymphs; however, this group of insecticides has a major negative side-effect of high toxicity to many beneficial insects,  mites, and spiders. Research to develop effective traps and lures is underway, with the release of a killing station pending (Alpha Scents Inc.) Life History In the temperate   regions of the U.S. there appears to be one to two generations per season. In the warmer areas of its native range there can be up to six generations per year.   Therefore, it is likely that two or more generations will occur in warmer areas of the U.S. as its range  expands. Adults have an extended egg-laying   period. Adults and nymphs have been observed in the field up through September. Host Plants BMSB has been found feeding on over 60 plant species. Crop plants which host BMSB include tree fruits and nuts such as peach, apricot, cherry, apple, pear, Asian pear,  filbert, and cane and vine fruits including berries and grape. The most preferred vegetable and field crops include pepper, tomato, green bean, soybean, field and sweet com.   BMSB also feeds on ornamental plants such as butterfly bush, some rose species, honeysuckle and catalpa. Management Research is underway to develop effective traps and lures for monitoring and an attract-and-kill management approach. A BMSB pheromone lure was recently  released by Alpha Scents Inc., and they are close to releasing a killing station design. To date, research has shown that tall, pyramid shaped, ground-level traps colored dark brown or black rather than yellow are more attractive to BMSB. In addition, researchers found that BMSB adults frequently escape from traps, so that placing a quick knockdown insecticide device in the trap such as vaportape or a 114 piece of cattle ear tag improved trap capture. Exclusion BMSB can squeeze into narrow cracks and crevices, so seal entry points into homes and other buildings with caulking. Place and repair screens on windows,   doors and vents; and remove or seal around window air conditioner units. Mechanically remove adults congregating on exterior surfaces or within buildings with a vacuum or broom. Insecticides Evaluation of insecticide effectiveness has shown that BMSB can be more difficult to kill than other stink bug species. Insecticides were most effective when BMSB  were directly contacted with the spray as compared to walking on dried residues on plant foliage  (Leskey 2010). While a number of insecticides initially disabled BMSB, the effect was temporary and a high percentage of the population recovered and returned to feeding. References Petrizzo, E. (2011)   Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Utah State University Cooperative Extension Brown  marmorated stink  bug Adult female Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum:  Ã‚   Arthropoda Class:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Insecta Order:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hemiptera Family: Pentatomidae Genus: Haly_omorl2._ha Species:  Ã‚   H.halys      

CLT as a language teaching

CLT as a language teaching Thesis Statement and Annotated Bibliography 05 March 2010 Thesis Statement Teachers usually use CLT as a language teaching method, however, in Baxs opinion CLT should be replaced by Context Approach. Annotated Bibliography Bax, S. (2003). The end of CLT: a context approach to language teaching. In ELT Journal Volume 57/3 (pp. 278-287). Oxford University Press. Baxs article argues that CLT plays a hugely dominant role in language teaching, meanwhile neglecting the context in which teaching takes place. He agrees that CLT is a good method, that is why it is so popular, but it has its own shortcomings. He claims that the context in which language teaching takes place is more important, so teachers should focus on the Context Approach. Bax states that many teachers think that the country which does not use CLT is a backward country. He suggests that the main problem is that the main focus lies on the teachers methodology, which means that the focus is on teaching not in learning. He explains that the Context Approach is not a brand-new idea; it is just not within the CLT. His conclusion is that even though teachers pay attention to context, it is a secondary feature for them, although it should be the key factor both in language teaching and learning. (141 words) Harmer, J. (2003). Popular culture, methods, and context. In ELT Journal Volume 57/3 (pp. 288-294). Oxford University Press. As opposed to Baxs article, Harmer states that methodology in language learning can not be rejected. He agrees with Bax that the teachers training should not be like the PPP method, but disagrees with him in other aspects, such as the importance of the learners local and national culture in language teaching. His main argument in connection with that is the idea of the conflict between the teachers belief and the local culture in connection with the corporal punishment. He thinks that the problems are within the adaptation of the methodology not in its ideas. He mentions Dilys Thorp, who agrees with Bax, but offers another solution, meaning the teacher and the students should meet somewhere in the middle. Harmer concludes that in his opinion there is not a contradiction between methodology and context. (134 words) Tomlinson, B. (2001). Humanising the Coursebook. In Humanising Language Teaching Year 3; Issue 5. http://www.hltmag.co.uk/sep01/mart1.htm Tomlinsons article is about his idea of humanising the coursebook. He states that for the learners the key point in language learning is affect. He thinks the best way is to replace the coursebook with other methods, strategies, and texts. He advises the partial replacement of the coursebook, too. He argues for localizing coursebooks because he thinks that the global coursebooks are not humanistic enough. Therefore he complains about the fact that the learners learn from them. In my opinion this is a very helpful article because it introduces other, more humanistic ways of using a coursebook. The article shows both the positive and the negative sides of the books. It introduces new methodological and contextual approaches, so I can use it to support my argument.

Fashion and Women?s Movements in the Past Century Essay -- essays rese

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today’s American women are following centuries old traditions of rebelling against society’s outlook on women around. Earlier in America’s history, it was unheard of for a woman to be in both the public and domestic sphere. Women were forced to spend most of their life in the domestic sphere, and wear ridiculous clothes everyday. For a long time, women have been degraded and pushed around, causing women to initial movements to change the way society treats women. In America, â€Å"the land of the free†, women have to fight for their equal rights. Reformers, such as Fanny Wright, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Amelia Bloomer and many more have done so through their actions, and speeches. Nevertheless, in recent times fashion has become an available source of expression. It is a powerful tool to be able to be seen and not heard--but still get the message across. Since its humble beginnings, fashion has oftentimes just existed, but in the past century, it has existed as a form of expression, art, and liberation Now, women are still being influenced and challenged by the media and their peer, but slowly, more and more women are standing up for themselves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before the early to mid 1800’s, women were forced to squeeze into corsets made of whalebone, steel or buckram. It gave them the figure eight profile which resulted on a number of health problems, including their organs and body to become deformed. Over the corsets, women wore heavy layers of petticoats despite the weather. (Small Business Administration 3) Dresses emphasized the bust and hips, attempting to make women look very voluptuous. With the spread of commercialism, hundreds of new beauty products were introduced. These ever-popular restricting fashions were later outdated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This fashion was not comfortable in any sort of the imagination, and a social reformer, Wright started to make a difference. She originated a modified version of dresses in the Victorian Age. This new dress was described as â€Å"long-sleeved, high-necked, and loose-fitting tunic over a pair of baggy trousers† (Banner 23). Anthony, Stanton, Bloomer, and along others started to wear this new comfortable fashion. Bloomer promoted this new fashion which become known as â€Å"Bloomers† in The Lily; a newspaper for women promoting â€Å"women’s suffrage, temp... ...shion of the nineties, which did provide liberation. By the end of the century, homosexuality was accepted and commonplace.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The future of women’s fashion is uncertain—in that shock value is harder to come by with each passing year. There is a concept in fashion that nothing is new, everything has been done before. This theory is coming closer to obvious reality, as fashion shows of recent years have visual throwbacks as late as the Victorian era. Although the direction is not yet decided, it is almost definite that women will use fashion as an important tool for expression and freedom in the future. Works Cited Banner, Lois W. Women in Modern America a Brief History. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1974. Guerrilla Girls. â€Å"Frequently Asked Questions.† Guerrilla Girls. 2005. 2 May 2005 . Small Business Administration. â€Å" Women’s History Month Amelia Jenks Bloomer.† Online Women’s Business Center. 16 Apr. 2002. 3 May 2005 . Thomas, Pauline Weston. â€Å"1950’s Glamour Fashion History 1950’s.† Fashion Era. 2005. 2 May 2005 . World Book, Inc. â€Å"The Rise of the Modern Women’s Movement.† The Modern Women’s Movement. 2004 ed. 1. 2 May 2005 .

Memories of the Titanic :: Sinking of the Titanic

I remember my childhood years quite well. I had lived with my big brother, Colby Winston, ever since I was five, I don’t remember much before that though. We traveled all around Europe; Colby was a big gambler and loved to make bets. He lied, he cheated, everything was always changing. Colby promised me one thing though, â€Å"Reagan,† he would say, â€Å"one days it gunna be you and me, in the United States.† I really wanted to believe him, but I never saw it coming true. But then one day, one lucky day, Colby won the biggest hand of poker. Along with money, cigars, and a bracelet for me, he won two tickets to get aboard the Titanic! On April 10, 1912, Colby and I boarded the Titanic from the Southampton Harbor. It was my first time on a ship but I wasn’t that scared, Colby would describe me as a girl without fear. There were thousands of people lined up to board, Colby made me hold his hand so we wouldn’t get separated. After we put our bags into our third class room I wanted to explore. Colby didn’t mind that I wondered around but before I left he would always say, â€Å"If anything bad happens, you know where to find me.† He would be at one of the gambling tables testing his luck again. I loved to go watch the first class people through the ballroom windows. They were so proper and perfect. Sometimes I would wish that Colby would get rich so we could live like that, things would be a lot easier for us considering we didn’t have much money. The next day, Colby and I ate lunch on the deck with some of his gambling friends. It was really interesting to listen to their conversations, one of the guys they called Cash brought up that the Titanic was an unsinkable ship. â€Å"That’s not true,† I said, â€Å"no ship can be unsinkable, if it crashes it will sink.† They all just laughed at me, Colby said I just didn’t understand, and he was right, I didn’t. I went to bed early that night, after my walk around deck watching the sun set. I was so tired that I drifted into a deep sleep. â€Å"Reagan, wake up!† Colby was shaking me as if something terrible had happened â€Å"We got to go, get our shoes! Quickly!† I did as he asked, even though I didn’t know what was happening.

Igor Stravinsky Essay -- Music

Igor Stravinsky In the passage by Igor Stravinsky, he uses not only comparison and contrast, but also language to convey his point of view about the conductors of the time and their extreme egotism. Stravinsky believes that conductors exploit the music for their own personal gain, so rather, he looks on them in a negative light. To show his aggravation and irritation, Stravinsky uses the rhetorical device of comparison and contrast to convey his opinion of conductors. He compares the "great" conductors to "great" actors in that "[they] are unable to play anything but themselves". Moreover, being unable to adapt, they have to adapt the work to themselves, not themselves to the work, which is obviously offending to a notable composer such as Stravinsky. In addition, he attributes the egocentric view of the conductors to the attention of the public who make more of the conductor's gestures and appearance than the music quality. The public is then compared to the reviewers and critics, who also "habitually fall into the trap of describing a conductor's appearance rather than the way he makes the music sound." Furthermore, Stravinsky goes on to say, for a public that is incapable of listening, the conductor will tell them what to feel through his gestures. He notes that these people, the conductors, have a high i ncidence of "ego disease" which "grows like a the sun of a tropical weed under pandering public" illustrating that the conductors perform for and are inspired by th...

Training Practices in Japan

Japan, the home country of tech giants Sony, Panasonic, and Sharp, has faced several talent recruitment challenges that have overturned the amounts reputation of excellence to a reputation that â€Å"Is no longer considered to be on the cutting edge of cool. † The appeal to work in Japan and for a Japanese firm isn't appealing for any longer for several reasons. For a country with companies that â€Å"were next to Western firms in popularity', Japan now has a smaller economy than China and has a less practical workforce compared to the skilled and specialized talent of the young in China, the West, and India.Beyond Japan's poor performing economy, Japan has also faced some political mishaps that also made the country less appealing for the monger talent. With Japan on the brink of a territorial war with China, recruitment by Japanese firms of young Chinese talent has â€Å"fallen by more than half this heavy. Another struggle that job seekers face is Japan's strict and stron g traditional sense and its stubbornness in letting go of traditional work ethic practices and Japan's â€Å"way of professional life. Japan's limited use of the English language has also scared many International talents from seeking employment In Japanese firms. American, Chinese and European new graduates don't want to Invest In the time or energy it would take to adjust their way of life to the Japanese way of life. The most important challenge to the shortage of young talent in Japan is, the belief that traditional Japanese companies don't give new talent much responsibility.Furthermore, the Japanese still feel that employees should start of small and â€Å"learn the ropes over time† whereas the Chinese and western firms hire new talent to utilize their abilities, strengths and specializations. Tankard points out however that there are some Japanese firms such as Reawaken and Deana â€Å"that are no longer following the rotational belief that new hires should be given a reprieve to prove themselves. † These firms also disagree with Japan's traditional â€Å"one-size-fits-all approach† which recently hasn't proved successful as exemplified by Sony lack of innovation and technological advancements.Firms like Reawaken and Deana, have been successful in outsourcing students from MIT and Indian universities and have already given them excellent quality production both successfully and satisfactorily. As many firms are slowly transitioning to this approach, several firms are also using mergers and acquisitions as a gateway to obtain high-quality talent. Taking explains how companies such as Reawaken and NET Data, who are expanding globally through acquisitions, have been successful because they have access to larger pools of talent. II.Analysis Introduction Over the past decade or so, Japan has seen a downward shift in economy, innovation, employment opportunities, and popularity. Even before the earthquake and tsunami that struck the Japa nese islands, several large Japanese corporations such as Sony, Sharp, and Panasonic that were known as industry leaders and were dollied by the rest of the world, experienced horrible financial performance strictly due to a change in talent management requirements and practices that had proven to be more successful than the Japanese professional traditions.It's important to ask; how do the Japanese do things differently? Japanese firms do a number of things extremely well. One is to train their people carefully, a strategy that many successful U. S. Firms also employ. Management attitudes toward quality also are quite different. The Japanese philosophy is that anything worth doing in the area of quality is worth overdoing. Workers are trained for all Jobs on the line, even though they eventually are assigned to a single workstation.This method of â€Å"training overkill† ensures that everyone can perform every Job perfectly and results in two important outcomes or if someone is moved to another Job, he or she can handle the work without any additional assistance and the workers realize that management puts an extremely high value on the need for quality. The Japanese do not accept the common U. S. Strategy of building a product with quality that's â€Å"good enough. † Although Japan seems to believe that it's traditions ND it's the professional way of life is the only and correct way of life, many Japanese natives including Mr..Highchair, the CEO of Reawaken, believe that this one-size-fits-all approach no longer works in emerging Japanese corporations. The training that Japanese firms used to give and that traditional firms still give using the â€Å"training overkill† method is insufficient compared to the education and training that Mr.. Highchair states makes Chinese talent more suitable. It is important to relate the findings by Taking to concepts that we have analyzed in section three of the course text and in specific, chapter ten which cuisses international training and management development.In the next section, I plan to discuss some training functions discussed in the text that Japan can adopt when dealing with outsourced new talent that has proven successful to the both the firm and the talents development. The text does serve a great role in pointing out five concepts that the Japanese can adopt to drive better usage of outsourced talent and it's global workforce. These concepts are: I. â€Å"think and act globally'; iii. â€Å"empower teams to create a global future†; lb. â€Å"make learning a core competence for the global organization†; . ND â€Å"both the global organization and its individual members must constantly reinvent themselves†. [Pages 255-256, International Human Resource Management, E (Global HARM)] I'. Think and Act Globally For Japanese firms to succeed in thinking and acting globally, global Japanese corporations must train talent to think of all markets in the w orld and strategies how to succeed in each individual market and not only the Japanese market. A decade ago, Japan did not have to think and act globally as Japan led markets and industries into thinking that their ways were the best ways.The Japanese were persuasive in their practices due to the success and strength of global Mines such as Sony and Panasonic who led the world at one in innovation, financial success, and employment satisfaction. Iii. Develop Global Leadership Skills Another practice Japanese firms need to succeed is they must also challenge talent with global learning ideas and a build it's forefronts to develop global leadership skills. Reawaken and Deana exemplify how through trust, all firms can build leadership in talents. In Japan the traditional way is to start of small and slow and build your way up.Unfortunately, this out dated practice is no longer suitable for today's working generation, which is always looking for advancement. Giving an talent the tools t hey need is usually enough to get the talent thinking on their own feet, accomplishing tasks with autonomy, and leading others successfully through cooperation, respect and integrity. lb. Empower Teams to Create a Global Future Japan must also empower teams to create a global future to be able to be successfully and competent in foreign and domestic markets.Japanese Mines can empower teams by creating expectations that require for talent to work on projects tit other international divisions. By allowing for talents across multi-regions the ability to perform organizational projects will allow for talents to build better problem-solving skills. As we learn through the course, different regions have different traditions, standards, regulations and ways of doing things. By allowing for cross-team cooperation, talents can find unique approaches and develop practices that can suit headquarters or several regions beyond those involved.With firms in Japan seeking mergers and acquisitions, empowering teams to cooperate globally should only become easier. V. Make Learning a Core Competence for the Global Organization firms strong focus on its goals and missions and task execution. Justine mentions that because of his firms focus, he believes that he will â€Å"emerge with a strong set of engineering skills† that he wouldn't gain elsewhere. With out much realization Deana has really become a core competent global organization that focuses on developing a learning atmosphere throughout all of the firm's doings.By doing so Japanese firms, like never before, can adopt an ability to learn and project outcomes much faster than competitors, which creates a sustainable advantage. ‘. Constant Re-invention of the Firm and the Talent â€Å"Training-overkill† and other traditional training practices followed by the Japanese are efficient for production, but not advantageous or beneficial for the development of the talent. Training-overkill and practices where J apanese talents are trained on every aspect of the position and how to resolve every problem can be detrimental for the growth of the talent.A talent needs to be able to confidently analyze, assess, and gather thoughts on the talents self-development in order to make the next move to advance his or her career. Reassessing also creates room for a talent to seek lateral promotion and assist in creation of strategies that allow for the talent to reach success. In today's highly competitive and everyday globally changing economy, it is important for training practices to encourage talents to strategies to avoid stagnation and lack of interest in their positions. IL. Conclusion The challenges that Japan currently faces are not challenges that are impossible to overcome. With the success of Japanese firms such as Deana, Reawaken, and NET Data, it's only a matter of time that these firms' successes are recognized. Their constant mission to veer away from the norms of the Japanese tradition that they know don't work and veer towards new strategies that develop the firm globally will be the testament to their success.With their continuous efforts to train talent to world standards and beyond, these firms can only perform as well as the talent they recruit. It's also important to realize that with Japanese firms moving toward outsourcing special talents, that innovative standards that were once prevalent in the nation, will soon return. Ill. Discussion Questions If the Japanese were to outsource, how can the â€Å"new' hiring strategies and raining models prepare the talent for today's challenges while keeping the Japanese way of doing things in tact.Mention three new attributes found in new hires from China, India and the Western hemisphere that can be merged with former Japanese practices and traditions. 2. As discussed in the analysis, the Japanese are known for â€Å"training-overkill†. Will the new strategies found in several Japanese firms, such as Reawake n create inefficiency? Will hiring talent based on specific skill-sets be challenging for Japanese who are acclimated to training for every position? How will this affect Japan's strict

Benifits of Foreign Travel Essay

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience of the benefits of traveling to other cultures. Title:Another Life Thesis/Central Idea Sentence: It’s very important and beneficial to take care of ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually, but few ever think to use traveling as a tool to assist in the restoration of all three. Introduction: [Attention Getter] Taking a vacation is on everybody’s to do list but according to a study conducted by the Families and Work Institute only about half of Americans use their full 2 weeks of vacation each year. Motivate audience to listen] I found this odd, but when I examined my own life I found I haven’t taken an actual vacation in over 10 years. [Credibility]It just something I’ve always seemed to brush off by saying â€Å"Oh well, I’ll just take a nice vacation next year, but the following year the same thing happens and before you realize it you haven’t had a vacation in over a decade. Europeans embrace this idea of vacation almost religiously. In Europe vacations are guaranteed by law. In countries like Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, employers are required to provide up to 20 days of paid leave. Americans, on the other hand, get an average of 12 days every year and on average use about half. [Central Idea] It’s important to remember that we are not machines and that we can and do become burnt out. When this happens it can affect everything from our productivity in the work place to our personal relationships with our spouse, children, friends, and family. Depression can become a real side effect and take control of a life we once loved. So it is important to catch a break from our everyday life and take time to â€Å"Stop and smell the roses† (Unknown). Travelling to foreign cultures is just one way to experience different thoughts and ideals for dealing with day to day life. [Preview of points]While many Americans realize the importance of staying fit by exercising it is way more important and beneficial for healthier, happier living to understand that staying fit means more than lifting weights or going for a run, but working out our bodies, our minds, and our spirit in order to live a true healthier life style. Transition Sentence: So let’s begin by discussing the physical benefits of foreign travel. Body: I. First and most obvious there will be a few physical benefits from foreign travel that will be very noticeable from the very first day. A. Walking 1. Whether you vacation in Europe or Asia it really doesn’t matter so long as you get away from America or Canada. Everyone else in the entire worlds seems to walk everywhere. This may sound scary for those who haven’t seen the inside of a gym in a while or in some cases ever, but after awhile you won’t even notice how much you’ve walked. You’ll become so immersed in all that you’re seeing and experiencing that it’s not until you return to your room at night or until you sit for a while that you begin to notice that both you’re feet now have a pulse. 2. The second sounds a bit unbelievable, but after a few days of walking around and once I begin to recognize the landscape. I usually have made a few friends with some of the locals even if I don’t speak the language. There is a lot than can be said with hands, faces and a smile, but once this happens I can’t help but to begin to feel like this could be my second home. B. Food 1. While Europe and Asia do have fast food franchises most will opt out in order to experience more of the culture being visited. This is very true especially if you’re a fan of the food back home. In my case nothing beats authentic Spanish Paella or Italian anything. But in most cases you’ll be eating a bit healthier while visiting and may not even notice. Most food around the world is not processed like it is here in the states. Don’t get me wrong Wendy’s and McDonalds can be pretty delicious, but I’d rather eat real food everyday; I just can’t cook as well as those guys in Italy or even the guys Olive Garden for that matter. . Throughout the day you may dabble in a few different wines, but for the most part you’ll find water to be the beverage of choice. Unless, you’re a beer or soda connoisseur wishing to try some of the local but undiscovered to â€Å"you† refreshments. Towards the end of the day you may finish a bottle or two of wine, but in your defense†¦ One, you’re in a new country representing America and you wouldn’t want to be rude. Two, wine itself in reasonable quantities is actually good for the blood stream therefore good for your heart so â€Å"BAME, Double Whammy†! Three, what better way to socialize with locals or other fellow tourist than over a couple glasses of wine or beer under a star lit canopy dinning â€Å"Alfresco†? II. Next we will discuss a couple of the mental benefits that you will become aware of throughout the trip. A. So, First in order to begin this awesome adventure it is absolutely crucial to learn this one lesson about vacation otherwise you should’ve stayed home and burnt every dollar you spent for this trip. So here is the first mental benefit of going on vacation. It’s learning how to actually take a vacation! The very first thing we must learn is actually the most difficult we must be honest and true to ourselves that we are on vacation for the sake of nothing more than our own well being and revitalization. With that being said we must let go of our old lives if only for the week or two we are on vacation. 1. So first, it’s absolutely important not to work, discuss work or think about work even as a second thought. Your life back home is on pause until you return. 2. Second sever any and all easily available ties to your life back home. Of course if you have children and have to check on them that is an exception, but leave your cell phone, laptop and tablet, PDA, pager in your room. Give the number to the front desk to anyone back home in case of emergency. There is always someone at the front desk and you never have to worry about reception. 3. The first two steps is to ensure that your mind receives the break it deserves from normal life. B. So now that you have accepted the fact that you’re on vacation and are enjoying or not enjoying all this walking. You will definitely notice things that are different; compared to home. 1. Your mind will definitely become broadened by every one of your senses. As every sense becomes titillated each sensation will become forever locked in your memory and you may notice to compare a lot what you experience to something similar back home. 2. As each day passes you may begin to see how differently other cultures deal with life problems. I mean everyone around the world has to deal with work problems, relationships, and out of control children, but its how we deal with them that tends to get the better of us. You may take a few notes just by watching how people just seem to not sweat the small things in Europe and Asia. It seems to me they as we as Americans live to work, the rest of the planet works just enough to live. Perhaps that’s why they get more vacation and work less hours. When was the last time an American labor force took a siesta? III. Finally we will discuss the spiritual benefits that come from foreign travel. A. First off, I must make myself clear that when I use the word spiritual I do so in a general sense of the word. I do not mean to use it in direct connection towards any God or religion. While most people do believe in a supreme being of some kind some believe in science or no God at all, but regardless of what we believe we all have a sense of self therefore we all have a sort of spirit. 1. A very possible but unlikely event of spiritual revitalization is the adaptation of religion. 2. A more likely form of spiritual revitalization may perhaps come from the peace and tranquility that one may find while visiting a spa or in a quiet location away from everything. 3. Once a peace has been given to the spirit, you will become refreshed and ready to continue with life annoying little problems but after a while you will become more aware of when you need a break. Transition Sentence: So let takes one last quick look at all we have covered today. Conclusion: We now know that a vacation is a lot more than time away from work. We have discussed the three parts of us that benefit from vacation the physical, mental and spiritual and the importance of keeping all three areas in shape in order to obtain a more happy existence.

Kindergarten Chats – Architecture

This reading has introduced me to various factors in architecture regarding what it represents and should be in society through Louis Sullivan words. A Terminal Station: The Masculine Implies forceful, direct, clear and straightforward, The Feminine Implies intuitive sympathy, suavity, grace, and qualities of soothe, elevate, and refined. Should be easy to get in and out (efficiency) Outward aspect of the style takes on the ambulance of architecture. I agree, a terminal station should be able to tell us what it is and from the outside, where are the entrances, exists, etc†¦This is a public figure and needs to be clear. The Key: Each buildings external aspect represents character and it's up to us to unlock the architecture behind the building. The Architect represents or misrepresents society at large; what his plain duty is, if any what society has demanded and expect. There is a particular trust between the society and the Architects. Whichever way our architecture goes, so wi ll our country go However the architecture is rotten to the core, according to Sullivan, the illusion of American architecture.I agree how the public in large is not heavily involved in how their architecture is designed, thus we are putting trust on architect's hands. Nature: Is visible, objective forms, contains aspects of beauty of form and color. The elements of earth and air shaped by delicate hand of time A creative impulse of origin In conclusion, buildings are made of materials, but the elements of the earth are removed from the matrix of nature, and reorganized and reshaped by force; mechanical, muscular, mental, emotional, moral, and spiritual.Character: Not confined to the individual, it is also defined by the municipality, the nation, rent trends, and qualities that we the people are demanding in the marketplace. Values: We recognize values in medals, diplomas, or monuments. Brings a sense of community Curtain values in which money cannot measure. Take for example a buil ding, any builder can tell you the estimated value of the property in money terms. However, the value of the building is based on subjective value and Dollar value.Sullivan recommends that both come into play. Human nature determines the subjective value, which is more permanent, but money value is inseparable from the a Roman temple: affairs of life. Sullivan talked about how roman temples are place in great modern cities, at the same time having a strenuous sight, sound, that remind the people of their god. Such a holy precinct shall be doubly sacred to us in our reverence for this union of old and new. An example of how a building can be highly subjective, take for example a bank.Just as we discussed in class, a Bank wants their building to seem powerful with strong values. Sullivan disagrees that banks in America should not resemble a Roman Temple. He believes that it should belong to ancient Romans and that banks an make as much money in any kind of bank. Thus no need for imita tions . It was a part of Roman life and their culture, and that goes along with the Roman glory, thus building temples all over resemble a roman death. Taste: It expresses a familiarity with current persons of the culture, or trends. Ђ When an architect loses trust from the people at large, this is called weak taste. I always consider taste as what the market demands, for example having garages in suburban houses because of the demand for car and storage area. A Department Store: Sullivan describes a department stores as a structure that is logical, though, and states directly its purpose, and unmistakable though not wholly gratifying index of the business conducted within its walls. It's directness of statement is its chief virtue.Expanse of glass and light and displays In other words, it stands to reason that a thing looks like what it is and outward appearances resemble inner purposes. This is a great example of Function and Form. Function and Form: Every form we see there is a vital something or other which we do not see, which makes itself visible to us in that very form. A state of nature the form exists because of the function and behind the form is neither more nor less than a manifestation of what you call the infinite creative spirit, called God. Ђ A building is properly designed when you are able to read through and know the reason for that building. The details are not the same as the parts and the mass. Logical vs.. Organic growth Logical is scholarship, or taste, or all of them combined, cannot make organic architecture Logical is common sense, a thoroughly disciplined mind, a perfect quinine, and a gracious gift of expression. Logical can not deal with creativity process, for the creating function is vital, as its name is pure-reason. Ђ Organic correlates to organism, structure, growth, development, and form. Organic implies the pressure of a living force and a resultant structure or mechanism. The pressure is Function and the result ant is Form. Ornaments in Architecture: Sullivan explains ornaments as a decorative application of enhanced beauty of our structures. It's what gives charm to a building. I agree with Sullivan that it's a luxury, to a necessary, because of the great value of the masses.Take for example a garage; to me it does not need ornaments, because Just the building itself provides the required beauty. However I agree that a certain type of ornaments mixes well with certain buildings, examples: retail, industrial, residential, office, etc. Beautiful building may be designed that shall bear no ornaments A decorated structure, harmoniously conceived, well considered, cannot be stripped of its system of ornament without destroying its individuality. The luxury of this inquiry becomes necessary; our architecture shall have neared its final development. Ђ Ornament design will be more beautiful if it seems a part of the surface or substance that receives it than if it looks â€Å"struck on. â₠¬  Both the structure and ornament obviously benefit by this sympathy; each enhancing the value of the other. Also a curtain kind of ornament should appear on a certain kind of structure. Buildings should posses an individuality as marked as that which exists among men, making them distinctly separable from each other, however a strong the racial or family semblance may be.If I stare at my house, I will see all types of Ornaments that have been chosen because of my Hispanic culture, Ecuadorian family, sports, hobbies, and each room has a certain type of style. Thoughts about this Reading I personally did not like this reading as a narrative, because there were many parts filled with a lot of fluff. I prefer to read a reading that is more straightforward and provides real examples and has pictures. Overall, my favorite parts talking about we the people have trust and give total control to developers and architects of designing our lives.

Define and Discuss ‘Retail Experience’ Essay

Define and discuss ‘retail experience’. Use a case study example to demonstrate its application. How does the retailer create and enhance value? Define and discuss ‘retail experience’. Use a case study example to demonstrate its application. How does the retailer create and enhance value? David Olu RETAIL MANAGEMENT Define and discuss ‘retail experience’. Use a case study example to demonstrate its application. How does the retailer create and enhance value? When people go shopping they want to encounter an enjoyable experience which will satisfy their needs so in recent years retailers have tried to take the shopping experience to another level in order to encourage consumers to build a relationship with the brand. The purpose of this essay will be to outline what is meant by the term â€Å"retail experience†. The main focus will be on a particular case study involving Apple in order to explain how the retailer goes on to enhance value. Retail experience can be seen as a process in which a retailer packages an experience together with products. (Berman B & Evans J 2010) highlight that â€Å"A Retailers image depends heavily on its â€Å"atmosphere†. When looking at atmosphere it is the psychological feeling a customer gets when visiting the retailer.’’ It is noted that atmosphere can influence hedonic value this is an important aspect of the experience, because this is what plays a vital role in gaining a customer’s interest and it can help in leading the customer into the buying process. All of the major retailers will aim to provide a relaxing environment for their consumers because shopping is considered as fun and pleasurable (Jones, 1999). There are some key factors that contribute to this, first we look at music because it provides entertainment for shoppers Turley and Chebat (2002). Followed by lighting the appropriate use of it,  such as product spotlighting and dim ambient lighting, and thirdly the use of bright and vibrant colours. Swinyard (1993) reiterated this by pointing out that â€Å"Mood states are present in virtually every shopping encounter, and could have a significant effect on shopping behaviour†. And In Relation to this (Kemp and Kopp 2011) also put forward that Emotions shape our everyday existence, including our consumption and purchase behaviour. So this could mean that a consumer in a bad mood may tend to view shopping activities differently from one in a good mood. When a customer enters the store atmosphere they are not able to experience the music in seclusion or smell the scent without seeing the colours as well they do not walk on the floor-covering without feeling the ambient temperature. The typical customer experiences amounts of all these and other incentives as an on-going, collective experience. So it can be argued that most buying environments are purposefully designed to produce specific emotional effects in shoppers. Berman & Evans J (2010) argued that â€Å"The presentation merchandise and the displays that bring shoppers into the store are very important in creating a retail image. So other factors which have to be considered when looking at retail experience is the layout of the shop itself because if the shop is nicely laid out it will encourage customers to spend more time in the shop than originally planned. So retailers have to consider the layout of the products and how they can appeal to customers and also clearly labelled displays if they have any in order to make the customers indentify what is on sell clearly. So it is always essential for a business to ensure that the shop is properly organised. A store exterior provides a powerful impact on a business’s image this should be planned effectively a store exterior consists of the total physical exterior of the store itself, with a storefront most retailers can present a traditional, trendy, upscale environment, in relation to retail experience customers who happen to pass a shop they usually judge a store by its exterior so this can be used to draw in customers with things like display windows showing products will be able to catch a customer’s attention  straight away most retailers make use of mannequins in order to grab people’s attention. Customers always want to feel valued and welcomed when they visit a shop so when they enter the shop they expect a good customer service from the members of staff this is crucially essential for an organisation to manage. Because not only will shoppers appreciate the store due to the products offered, or atmospherics’ but they will have more of a strong interest due to the kindness of the salesperson (Lombart and Jeandrain, 2003). If the members of staff are always available and helpful it will create a customer satisfaction and this can be considered as a key determining factor with benefits of repeat shopping and buying behaviour if managed effectively so with this it means that customers will always have a good experience, when they encounter polite and helpful members of staff and this will also create a positive image for the business. Promotion is another tool in which retailers will aim to provide satisfaction to their customers so in order for them to do this they implement special offers as a strategy to achieve this, if an organisation regularly provides promotion as part of its experience it will find that they will attract more customers. So for example retailers like Tesco or Asda regularly offer promotion and they go head to head on offers in order to gain draw in more people. Not only will offering promotions attract repeat custom it will also allow the organisation to generate profit. All different kind of Retailers will try to use different ways in order to bring that retail experience that their consumers desire so retailers who connect with customers through experiences which are personally relevant , memorable, interactive and also emotional are more likely to increase sales and brand loyalty and this is why experience stores such as Apple have emerged, reason being that they want customers to bond with the brand, at first hand , a â€Å"try before you buy† approach . Apple is one of the biggest leading technology companies in the world apple provides customers with an attractive and relaxed environment where they can  handle. â€Å"Apple has been developing its experience stores since 2001 and by the end of 2008 the company had opened some 250 increasingly sophisticated stores† (Jones, & Comfort, 2010). Benghazi (2012) States that entertaining browsing experiences might help a browser to learn more about the offers and characteristics. Customers will be able to use knowledge in order to make a decision on whether they should purchase the product or not so in regards to this Apple provide their consumers with a live interaction of their products for example the Apple store in London’s regent street lets customers get involved in â€Å"Getting started workshops† this includes showing customers how to set up a new Mac, connecting to the internet and sending emails. This goes to show that Apple are trying to involve their customers with a firsthand experience of the brand and the products they offer, the experience goes beyond the store itself the company provides summer camps for children and youth workshops. Children aged 8-12 years get what is known as a â€Å"hands-on Mac experience, during a 3 hour workshop 8-13years olds can compose a song â€Å"in a garage band†, construct a photo album and create key note presentations. This illustrates on how Apple are trying to expand retail experience to their customers by going beyond the in store experience this will in return generate a positive outcome for Apple. Within regards to the designs of the stores, the interior represents three values, which are transparency, community and service. There is the open spacious interior containing the computers, IPods and IPhones which are neatly placed on tables this portrays transparency. Community is encouraged by the store through its theatre and its lounging areas and then the commitment into services is branded into customers minds as they are able to visit the genius bar, each store is looked at as a place where people can feel comfortable and are not intimidated by technology. Apple stores may be designed to sell but also at the same time they are designed to teach, customers who walk into an apple store just for a casual play of the products can find that the experience can quickly turn into some serious learning. When we look at a typical apple store it has three  spaces the first one is usually for play and for purchasing, and the other one is for learning a customer would typically come across these areas in that order. The shop is laid out in a simple manner enabling the customers to move around freely to admire the products within the store. Like any other store, apple stores consist of members of staff who wear a blue t-shirt with the apple logo in the middle making them easily recognisable to the public as the staff with a casual look. There always there to help customers with their knowledge on how to use the products. The members of staff always ensure to ask customers if they need help if the customer looks lost, this type of retail setting allows customers and members of staff to interact as the members of staff are always asked questions in regards to the products, and the questions that the customers ask the staff guide the learning and they reveal what has been learned and what else is there left to be learned. So in a sense Apple have able to take the relationship between the customers, staff members and the store to a different level of retailing and learning. The Apple store has built relevance into every section of the shop, the members of staff are aware that they have to start with the customer and with whatever knowledge the customer knows and then progress on from there. Despite the technology the apple store experience is more focused on forming a relationship with the products rather than just focusing on products. An Apples store experience generally provides a powerful image about the brand Apple is able to combine products together with service effectively in order to reward their customers with a unique experience in which customers are able to feel like learners who are able to develop valuable skills. The Apple store learning experience is greatly adapted and focused on the interests and the needs of the individual customer. Conclusion Retail experience is vital for all of the retailers to establish in order to looking at Apple they have successfully established an environment where customers would want to come back again and again so in conclusion Apple has shown that they value their customers by ensuring that their customers experience the products at first hand and by also taking that experience out  of the store by providing their customers with things like summer camps. It is vital that Apple continue to bring this experience to their customers because it will mean that they will generate repeat custom and also they will be able to attract new customers. Bibliography Books Berman, B. and Evans, J. (2010) Retail management a strategic approach. 11th Ed. New Jersey: Pearson education Inc, p.508, 509,510,512. Internet Sonera, T. (2006). Apple case study. Available: www.buyukdemirci.com/Apple/Apple_case_.pdf. Last accessed 18th November 2012. Journals Ballantine, P. et al. 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