Dad Artistic And Literary Movement - 950 Words

Dada is the artistic and literary movement that emerged during World War I. Dada was a revolt against the culture and social convention of which people started to question the validity after witnessing the brutality of World War I. Dada artists or writers no longer believed that their work needs to be picturesque and flawless. Whereas the traditional artists and writers considered that aesthetic and perfection of their work is primary, as Hugo Ball wrote, â€Å"For us, art is not an end in itself,† for Dada artists and writers, the aesthetic of their work was not as important as the idea itself. Confronting the established traditions of art or literature, Dada became the first major anti-art/literature movement. Apart from not meeting the†¦show more content†¦It might contain the meaning behind. However, if the audience cannot find the meaning, then there is no meaning. â€Å"Modern art† is too subjective; it is more a therapy than an art. If the audience does not appreciate for the work’s beauty or does not see the meaning behind, it cannot be classified as art. Rather, it is a mere piece of individual’s subjective expressions done. The painting No. 5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock is the painting of different liquid oil colors randomly drizzled all over the fiberboard. Just with the random all-over lines, this painting is way too abstract to find its beauty or meaning. If it can be called an artwork, then everything can be seen as art. And ultimately, there is no reason to praise artworks or go to famous art museums because everything around us is art. Similarly, dada music cannot be classified as music. The definition of music is â€Å"vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.† However, John Cage s 4 33 has neither vocal nor instrumental sounds, and therefore, it does not produce beauty of form or harmony. Although the audience can hear the sounds come from the surroundings or themselves, it is not the piece itself they listen to. Without listening to the piece, the sound of silence for 4 minutes and 33 seconds is what people can create whenever they want. Also, what people hear during the

A Brief Note On The Canadian Association Of Social Workers...

Two years ago I started working as a Social Worker at a First Nations Reserve. I knew about Canada’s Residential School System which made me reflected on my own cultural losses and social work practice. My ancestors endured severe trauma as a result of the African Slave Trade. Today, Jamaica still presents with many problems such as; poverty, mental illness, substance abuse, physical abuse and learned helplessness, all of which comes as residual effects of the Slave Trade. While I will not compare the trauma experienced by both groups, I did notice one similarity. Trauma never ends with the generation that last experienced it. It continues for several decades and the effects can be just as severe to those who indirectly experienced it. In my opinion, it is crucial for any worker including forensic social workers to develop professional competency; as this affects the level of service offered to client. I have opted to enhance my professional competency through trauma-informed practices. â€Å"The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) Code of Ethics has established values and principles to guide social workers’ professional conduct. Ethical behaviour comes from a social worker’s individual commitment to engage in ethical practice† (CASW, 2005). The CASW holds true to 6 core values i.e.; 1: Respect for Inherent Dignity and Worth of Persons, 2: Pursuit of Social Justice, 3: Service to Humanity, 4: Integrity of Professional Practice, 5: Confidentiality in ProfessionalShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Workplace Violence On The Workplace1154 Words   |  5 Pagesviolence is defined in the OHSA as the exercise or attempted exercise of physical force by a person against a worker, in a workplace, that causes or could cause physical injury to the worker, or a statement or behavior that it is reasonable for a worker to interpret as a threat to exercise physical force against the worker, in a workplace, that could cause physical injury to the worker(ecentennial reading). ). It can happen at or outside the working environment ,which can extend from dangers andRead MoreSolutions to Communication Problems1241 Words   |  5 Pagesorganizations. Causes of Communication Problems A review of literature on solutions to communication problems would not be complete without giving a brief overview of the causes and examples of these problems. Poor communication in organizations can occasion poor relations between members, thereby creating an inhospitable work environment that renders workers ineffective and inefficient (Katz and Linda 396). Some frequently cited causes of poor communication include unclear goals, language barriers, culturalRead MoreEssay about Tourette Syndrome3755 Words   |  16 Pagesbe tic disorders. ?A tic is a brief, repetitive, purposeless, non-rhythmic un-voluntary movement or sound.?(Packer 1) Tics can be many things, movements, or sounds. They can be simple or complex, eye blinking, frowning, grunting or even coughing. Most believe Tourette syndrome to be rare, in fact that is not the case. It is actually one of the most common and under diagnosed and very misunderstood disorders. (Packer 1) The National Tourette Syndrome Associ ation published estimates that suggestedRead MoreFood in Literature: a Book Review on Charlie and the Chocolate Factor5984 Words   |  24 Pagesby the famous author Roald Dahl. As the name of the novel suggests, chocolate is the food theme running through the plot of the novel. The purpose of this paper is to give a review of the book, with emphasis on the relevance of chocolate to the social environment and the story development. This paper will also include a technical and historical review of chocolate, and also address some of the more specific issues relating to chocolate in light of Dahl’s novel. 2.0 Plot Summary Mr. WillyRead MoreHow to Write the First Clinical Interview Report3265 Words   |  14 Pagesconstruct a mental image of the patient whose history you are reporting. In the first lines of the report, you state the basic demographic data, including age, sex, marital status, education, and any other item that seems relevant. In any case, you should note that the patient either is new to your facility or has been seen there before. II. b. The Chief Complaint The chief complaint is the patient’s stated reason for coming to treatment. It is often written as a direct quote, but sometimes you may wantRead MoreEssay on The Ever Changing Concept of Health2735 Words   |  11 Pagesone’s perspective, be it lay, professional or from influences of specific cultures or social ideals and health policies of a particular time or place (Fleming Parker 2012, p.30, Naidoo Wills 2000). An exploration through history will reflect on the health philosophies of the ancient Greeks and Romans, the Middle Age’s concept of quarantine and isolation and the religious theories of disease including a brief insight into the renaissance. Subsequently, a discussion of health concepts of the pastRead MoreForeign Investment In France4978 Words   |  20 PagesPAGEREF _Toc334197422 h 6 HYPERLINK l _Toc334197423 Religion PAGEREF _Toc334197423 h 6 HYPERLINK l _Toc334197424 Education PAGEREF _Toc334197424 h 6 HYPERLINK l _Toc334197425 Health PAGEREF _Toc334197425 h 7 HYPERLINK l _Toc334197426 A brief history of its political systems, especially for the past 50 years PAGEREF _Toc334197426 h 7 HYPERLINK l _Toc334197427 Relationship between economy and political/trade relationships PAGEREF _Toc334197427 h 8 HYPERLINK l _Toc334197428 CurrentRead MoreEssentials of Contemporary Management7571 Words   |  31 Pages[Second Canadian Edition] Gareth R. Jones Texas AM University Jennifer M. George Rice University Graham Fane Capilano College Toronto Montrà ©al Boston Burr Ridge, IL Dubuque, IA Madison, WI New York San Francisco St. Louis Bangkok Bogotà ¡ Caracas Kuala Lumpur Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi Santiago Seoul Singapore Sydney Taipei To Matthew and Nicholas, students of business, and Meghan, a student of the arts. G. F. Contemporary Management Second Canadian EditionRead MoreForeign Development Investment In France3806 Words   |  15 PagesPAGEREF _Toc333931741 h 6 HYPERLINK l _Toc333931742 Religion PAGEREF _Toc333931742 h 6 HYPERLINK l _Toc333931743 Education PAGEREF _Toc333931743 h 6 HYPERLINK l _Toc333931744 Health PAGEREF _Toc333931744 h 7 HYPERLINK l _Toc333931745 A brief history of its political systems, especially for the past 50 years PAGEREF _Toc333931745 h 7 HYPERLINK l _Toc333931746 Relationship between economy and political/trade relationships PAGEREF _Toc333931746 h 8 HYPERLINK l _Toc333931747 CurrentRead MoreCOMM 320 Business Plan9055 Words   |  37 PagesForces 8 Target Market 10 Market Potential 11 Window of Opportunity 13 Marketing Plan 13 Marketing Strategy 13 Market Segment 14 Unique Selling Point 14 Competitive Advantage 15 Marketing Mix 16 Revenue Projection in Brief 17 Operations Plan 18 Human Resources 18 Service Flow 19 Production Capacity and Growth Plan 19 Facilities 19 Supplier Relationships 21 Scheduling 21 Implementation Time Line 21 COMM 320 BUSINESS PLAN Financial Plan 22

German Holiday Paper free essay sample

In Germany they also celebrate holidays. Some are the same as American holidays but others are different. They seem to have a lot more holidays than we do. Some are celebrated the same in both places but some are different. In Germany some holidays are regional and not national which means that only people living in certain places celebrate them. In January there are multiple major holidays. On January first it is New Year’s Day. In German it is called Neujahr and is a national holiday. In many countries fireworks and gatherings are how people celebrate New Year’s Day. In the Christian gospel is reminiscent of the circumcision and naming of Jesus on the eighth day. January sixth is Helige Drei Konige, also called Epiphany. Christians commemorate on this day the three wise me, who came guided by a star to Bethlehem to the manger of Jesus to see him and give gifts. It is a national religious holiday. On January twenty-seventh Germany celebrates a national holiday called The Holocaust Remembrance Day. It commemorates the six million Jews and other victims of Nazism. Holocaust Remembrance Day was declared in October 2005. A regional holiday in Bayern is Orthodoxe Weihnachten, which is on January seventh. In February there is about five major national holidays. On February fourteenth it is Valetinstag also known as Valentine’s Day here in America. Valentines Day is considered the lover’s day in Germany. Couples give each other gifts on this day. Such as: flowers, and chocolates. in Germany it’s celebrated just like it is here in America. Weiberfastnacht is also in February. It is on February 16. Weiberfastnacht is the custom that women cut the ties with the scissors in German-speaking countries. So many men are stabbed accidentally by awkward behavior and uncoordinated women. Here in America we do not have a custom such as this. On February 20 it is Rosenmontag. The Rosenmontag is widely considered the highlight of the Carnival. It is a religious holiday. Aschermittwoch is like our Ash Wednesday. It is religious holiday celebrated all over the world. Ash Wednesday begins the 40 days of Lent for Christians. His name has to bless the Ash Wednesday because of the custom, ashes from palms of last years Palm Sunday and sign to the faithful from the ashes of a cross on the forehead. Lent is 40 days long and begins on Ash Wednesday for Christians and ends on Holy Saturday. You should remember the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert. The six Sundays in Lent are almost free. Most people give up something for lent to better them such as soda. Also during this time they don’t eat meat, only fish. The 40 days of lent are called Fastenzeit in German. Some of the regional holidays that Bayern celebrates are: Maria Lichtmess which is on February second, Der Heilige Blasius on February third, and Faschingsdienstag on February 21. March is not a very busy month for national holidays. There is only one major national holiday in March. The major National holiday in March is Internationaler Tag der Frau, it is on March eighth. The UN declared in 1975, March eighth is the United Nations Day for Womens Rights and International Peace. This holiday is not religious but it is more of a remembrance day then a holiday. We don’t have this holiday in the United States. March has two regional holidays in Bayern. One is Purim on the eighth and the other one is on the nineteenth which is Jossefi. April is a much busier month on the first day of April it is a national holiday just like it is here. In Germany they also celebrate April fool’s day on the first day of April. In Europe it is customary to make an April fool’s joke by playing jokes on one another. This is called sending someone into April. So be cautious and suspicious! On the fifth day of April it is Grundonnerstag. In Germany it is a day when Christian tradition on Maundy Thursday, the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples took place. Schools, offices and authorities in Austria have closed on that day. On the sixth day of April it is Karfreitag. In America it is called Good Friday. Good Friday is the Friday before Easter. On Good Friday, Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus. Schools, offices and authorities all over the world are closed. It is a religious holiday celebrated by Christians. Easter is also in April. In Germany it celebrated differently than in America. In Germany it is two days long but they celebrate the week before also. Easter is the highest holiday of the Christian churches. Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, as it is narrated from the Bible. In many German-speaking countries looking for colored eggs, which were from the Easter Bunny are tradition just like here in America. In Germany they hide the eggs in trees instead of all over. The common name in the German Easter is old Germanic origin and is comfortable with the direction East together: The place where the sun rises is in Christianity as a symbol of the risen and returning Jesus Christ. The regional holidays in April are: Pessach (seventh) and Walpurgis (thirtieth). In German May is Mai. May is the Fifth month of the year. The first day of May is also a national holiday just like April. The first day of May is Tag der Arbeit in Germany. Labor Day on May first is a public holiday in many countries; most people will not work on. It is a legal holiday in parts of Switzerland and many other countries such as Germany, Austria, Italy, Russia, China, Greece, France, Sweden, Finland, Turkey, Mexico, Thailand, North Korea, Portugal and Brazil. The largest Swiss May first celebrations are celebrated in the city of Zurich. The Zurich May first Committee organized on May first in collaboration with the Federation of Trade Unions, the largest regularly held demonstrations in Switzerland and a big festival. The festival lasts for several days and is visited annually by tens of thousands. Unfortunately, it came in the past repeatedly to numerous riots especially in Zurich Long Street district, where several people were injured and dozens of demonstrators were arrested by the police. On May thirteenth it is Muttertag which is mother day here in the United States also. The Mothers Day is a day to honor mothers. In most countries it is on the 2nd Sunday in May. Pfingsten is on the twenty-seventh day of May. It is a Christian festival on the 50th Day after Easter. The party is the mission of the Holy Spirit, the Trinity and the official founding of the church. It continues to the following Monday. Bayern only has one non-national holiday in May which is Schawuot which is on May twenty-seventh. June and July has very few holidays. Herz-Jesu-Fest is a memorial Catholic Christians on the third Friday after Pentecost. In America we do not have a holiday like this. It is on June fifteenth this year. In July there are no major national holidays. June has three non-national holidays. They are: Der Prozessinstag(seventh), Feuriger Johannistag(twenty-fourth), and Siebenschlafetag(twenty-seventh). In July there are four non-national holidays, which are: Ulrichstag(fourth), Ramadan Beginn(twentieth), Jakobi(twenty-fifth), and Annafest(twenty-sixth). In August there is a Catholic National holiday. It is on August fifteenth and called Maria Himmelfahrt. This day is a feast of the Catholic Church. It celebrates the bodily assumption of Mary into heaven. Augsburger Friedenfest on the eighth and Ramadan Ende are the only non-national holidays in August. There are no Major national holidays in September. In October they have their form of thanksgiving. It is on October 7 this year. Erntedank is the name of their version. Erntedank is when German-speaking Christians celebrate the harvest festival to give thanks to God for the harvest. Halloween is also on October 31 in Germany. One of the major differences is they don’t dress up on costumes when they go door to door. Other than that it is celebrated very similar to how we celebrate it. On September seventeenth there is a non-national holiday called Rosch ha-Schana. There are no non-national holidays in October. On November 11 Germany has a major national holiday called St. Martin. It is a religious holiday. On this day Christians commemorate a bishop from the 4th Century, the Roman officer and has been divided for a beggars mantle. November doesn’t have any non-national holidays. December is another very busy month in America and in Germany. Most of the major national holidays in December are religious. The first major holiday is on December sixth. It is Nikolaustag which in America is St. Nicholas day. It is celebrated a lot more in Germany than it is in America. The tradition come from a guy who lived in Turkey in the 4th Century, a bishop named Nicholas. He helped the poor and was particularly popular with the children. They celebrate in memory of him St. Nicholas Day Christians. In Germany the put presents such as candy in their shoes that day. Most people in America don’t celebrate this day. The next major holiday is Adventszeit on December 23. Adventszeit is the time for Christians to prepare for Christmas. We don’t celebrate this here in America. The next major day is December 24. It is Christmas Eve in Germany it is called Heilig Abend. Is the eve of Christmas and on the last day of Advent. Christians celebrate this evening (from 22:00 clock), the Christmas mass. It has become popular in Europe in time to hold the night before Christmas with a family type presents and feasts. The festival is mainly celebrated within immediate family. Tradition in many families is a visit to a church service, either in the late afternoon (Christmas Vespers, Nativity Play) or night (Christmas Eve), the usual ritual, including non-churchgoers. The church services on Christmas Eve are therefore in all Christian denominations, the most visited throughout the year. It is almost the same as we celebrate here in America. Christmas is the following day just like here. December 25 is Christmas and they also are celebrating Christ. In Germany Christmas is called Weihnachten. The last major holiday of the year is Silvester or what we call New Year’s Eve. This is the last day of the year. In the German speaking area, they celebrate the year with celebrations, fireworks, lead casting, and often end with alcohol. Bayern doesn’t have any regional holidays in December. Overall Germany and America celebrate things very similar. Except Germany is a lot more religious and celebrate more holidays. In Germany they have regional holidays and America really doesn’t. Almost all of our holidays are national holidays. The traditions of each country reflect each other a lot. We got some of our traditions from Germany but not all.

Thoughts of a Predicate Felon free essay sample

Being a supporter of everything G-Unit, I couldnt wait to see what Tony Yayo, the member recently released from jail, had in store for me with this album. When I placed the disk into my CD player, I figured I was in for some real G-Unit-style heat. I was wrong. I ended up flipping through the tracks barely finding one I was willing to listen to more than once. I am convinced that Tony Yayos flow is the weakest of all of G-Unit. In fact, I dont even think he should still be in G-Unit, unless he can come up with a better CD. Dont get me wrong, there are a few decent tracks here, but not enough to make it good overall. For the most part, Yayos lyrics dont flow and arent as good as those of 50 Cent, Young Buck, or Lloyd Banks. We will write a custom essay sample on Thoughts of a Predicate Felon or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Most of his decent tracks feature Eminem, 50 Cent, and Olivia, and these guests rap better than Yayo. Overall, this CD is a waste of money. My advice is to either buy a different one or download â€Å"Drama Setter† and â€Å"So Seductive.† Other than that, this is a piece of junk and doesnt belong in anyones stereo. I just hope that Yayo can pull through in his next album, or Ill wonder why G-Unit keeps him.

buy custom Medieval Philosophies essay

buy custom Medieval Philosophies essay Medieval Philosophies The article Medieval Philosophies What Are They, and Why? by Georgy Gereby sheds more light to the notion of medieval philosophy. The author shows that the subject under discussion is not as simple as one may think at first glance. It has particular problems and difficulties on different levels. First, the term is problematic. It appears that it is complicated to define the term because of chronological and geographical aspects. One of the problems the researchers face is that the time framework of the Middle Ages is rather blurred. There are different versions about the beginning of this period. Second, the historical approaches are flawed. It seems that each historian has their own understanding of the Middle Ages and its philosophy. After all, the readers get to know that medieval philosophy is not strictly determinated chronologically, geographically, historically, and conceptually (Gereby 173). The problematic context of the medieval philosophy reveals the main question of the article. The author wonders if the philosophy of the Middle Ages existed at all. On the one hand, Gereby assumes that the philosophy requires some freedom of reason. On the other hand, he acknowledges that in the Middle Ages the Christian Church restricted the free use of reason. Thus, Christianity appeared to dominate medieval philosophy. Therefore, the author claims that the medieval philosophy was a religious philosophy. He supports his claim with the objectivation of Harry Wolfson and presents the main counterargument of Bertram Russell. Besides, Gereby shows the similarities and differences between theology and philosophy. According to him, philosophy used to be independent as a science, but closely related to theology. Comparison between different opinions leads him to the answer to his question. Gereby concludes that there was a philosophy in the Middle Ages, though to realize it, knowledge of the entire context is necessary. Thus, the article expands the readers vision on the essence of medieval philosophy. I learned a lot from reading the article. First, I got to know that there are three branches of medieval philosophy: Jewish, Christian and Islamic. Before, I had been familiar only with the Christian medieval philosophy and I had never heard of the Jewish one. I learned that although these three branches shared a common heritage in science, Judaism and Christianity had a profound impact on medieval philosophy. The approach of an author explains a lot, namely, how the debates were possible between philosophers and why traditional philosophers did not appear at that time. Second, I learned why theology is a science. Before that, I have never considered it one. To me, it was more about faith than about theoretical framework and principles. After reading this article, I have changed my mind. I see the logic in the argumentation of Thomas Aquinas. He effectively harmonizes faith and reason. Of course, philosophy and theology are different. Philosophy is based on the human mind, and theology is inspired by revelation. Still, both philosophy and theology refer to the truth and reality. Third, I learned that the medieval philosophy is not simple. I thought I had known a lot about the philosophy of that period, because I used to read about it in the books. Now I know that I lack competency in this field. Furthermore, currently I notice many uncertainties in the course of history and logical fallacies in argumentations. I suppose that there is no universal truth in science even if it claims there is. The universal opinion on the medieval philosophy period has not been achieved. Also, the essence of medieval philosophy remains blurred. I see that both Aquinas and Russell may be right, therefore, the reliability of scientific knowledge is relative. Order custom essay from EliteWritings.com

Siege of Veracruz in the Mexican-American War

Siege of Veracruz in the Mexican-American War The Siege of Veracruz began on March 9 and ended on March 29, 1847, and was fought during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). With the beginning of the conflict in May 1846, American forces under Major General Zachary Taylor won quick victories at the Battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma before advancing to the fortress city of Monterrey. Attacking in September 1846, Taylor captured the city after a bloody battle. In the wake of the fighting, he angered President James K. Polk when he granted the Mexicans an eight-week armistice and allowed Monterreys defeated garrison to go free.   With Taylor at Monterrey, discussions began in Washington regarding future American strategy. It was decided that a strike directly at the Mexican capital at Mexico City would be the key to winning the war. As a 500-mile march from Monterrey over rugged terrain was deemed impractical, the decision was made to land on the coast near Veracruz and march inland. This decision made, Polk was forced to decide on a commander for the mission. A New Commander While Taylor was popular, he was an outspoken Whig who had frequently criticized Polk publicly. Polk, a Democrat, would have preferred one of his own, but lacking an appropriate candidate, selected Major General Winfield Scott who, though a Whig, posed less of a political threat.  To create Scotts invasion force, the bulk of Taylors veteran troops were ordered to the coast. Left south of Monterrey with a small army, Taylor successfully held off a much larger Mexican force at the Battle of Buena Vista in February 1847. The sitting General-in-Chief of the US Army, Scott was a more talented general than Taylor and had come to prominence during the War of 1812. In that conflict, he had proven one of the few able field commanders and earned praise for his performances at Chippawa and Lundys Lane. Scott continued to rise after the war, holding increasingly important posts and studying abroad, before being appointed general-in-chief in 1841. Organizing the Army On November 14, 1846, the US Navy captured the Mexican port of Tampico. Arriving at Lobos Island, fifty miles south of the city, on February 21, 1847, Scott found few of the 20,000 men he had been promised. Over the next several days, more men arrived and Scott came to command three divisions led by Brigadier Generals William Worth and David Twiggs, and Major General Robert Patterson. While the first two divisions were comprised of US Army regulars, Pattersons was made up of volunteer units drawn from Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Tennessee, and South Carolina. The armys infantry was supported by three regiments of dragoons under Colonel William Harney and multiple artillery units. By March 2, Scott had around 10,000 men and his transports began moving south protected by Commodore David Connors Home Squadron. Three days later, the lead ships arrived south of Veracruz and anchors off Anton Lizardo. Boarding the steamer Secretary on March 7, Connor and Scott reconnoitered the citys massive defenses. Armies Commanders: United States Major General Winfield Scott10,000 men Mexico Brigadier General Juan Morales3,360 men Americas First D-Day Considered the most heavily fortified city in the Western Hemisphere, Veracruz was walled and guarded by Forts Santiago and Concepcià ³n. In addition, the harbor was protected by the famed Fort San Juan de Ulà ºa which possessed 128 guns. Wishing to avoid the citys guns, Scott decided to land southeast of the city at Mocambo Bays Collado Beach. Moving into position, American forces prepared to go ashore on March 9. Covered by the guns of Connors ships, Worths men began moving towards the beach around 1:00 PM in specially designed surf boats. The only Mexican troops present were a small body of lancers which were driven off by naval gunfire. Racing ahead, Worth was the first American ashore and was quickly followed another 5,500 men. Facing no opposition, Scott landed the remainder of his army and began moving to invest the city. Investing Veracruz Sent north from the beachhead, Brigadier General Gideon Pillows brigade of Pattersons division defeated a force of Mexican cavalry at Malibrn. This severed the road to Alvarado and cut off the citys supply of fresh water. Pattersons other brigades, led by Brigadier Generals John Quitman and James Shields aided in holding off the enemy as Scotts men moved to surround Veracruz. The investment of the city was completed within three days and saw the Americans establish a line running from Playa Vergara south to Collado. Reducing the City Within the city, Brigadier General Juan Morales possessed 3,360 men as well as another 1,030 offshore at San Juan de Ulà ºa. Outnumbered, he hoped to hold the city until aid could arrive from the interior or the approaching yellow fever season began to reduce Scotts army. Though several of Scotts senior commanders wished to attempt a storming of the city, the methodical general insisted on reducing the city through siege tactics to avoid needless casualties. He insisted that the operation should cost the lives of no more than 100 men. Though a storm delayed the arrival of his siege guns, Scotts engineers including Captains Robert E. Lee and Joseph Johnston, as well as Lieutenant George McClellan began working to site gun emplacements and enhance the siege lines. On March 21, Commodore Matthew Perry arrived to relieve Connor. Perry offered six naval guns and their crews which Scott accepted. These were quickly emplaced by Lee. The next day, Scott demanded that Morales surrender the city. When this was refused, the American guns began bombarding the city. Though the defenders returned fire, they caused few injuries. No Relief The bombardment from Scotts lines was supported by Perrys ships offshore. On March 24, a Mexican soldier was captured carrying dispatches stating that General Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna was approaching the city with a relief force. Harneys dragoons were dispatched to investigate and located a force of around 2,000 Mexicans. To meet this threat, Scott dispatched Patterson with a force which drove off the enemy. The next day, the Mexicans in Veracruz requested a ceasefire and asked that women and children be allowed to leave the city. This was refused by Scott who believed it to be a delaying tactic. Resuming the bombardment, the artillery fire caused several fires in the city. On the night of March 25/26, Morales called a council of war. During the meeting, his officers recommended that he surrender the city. Morales was unwilling to do so and resigned leaving General Josà © Juan Landero to assume command. On March 26, the Mexicans again requested a ceasefire and Scott sent Worth to investigate. Returning with a note, Worth stated that he believed the Mexicans were stalling and offered to lead his division against the city. Scott declined and based on the language in the note, began surrender negotiations. After three days of talks, Morales agreed to surrender the city and San Juan de Ulà ºa. Aftermath Achieving his goal, Scott only lost 13 killed and 54 wounded in capturing the city. Mexican losses are less clear and were approximately 350-400 soldiers killed, as well as 100-600 civilians. Though initially chastised in the foreign press for the inhumanity of the bombardment, Scotts achievement in capturing a heavily fortified city with minimal losses was staggering. Establishing a large base at Veracruz, Scott quickly moved to get the bulk of his army away from the coast before yellow fever season. Leaving a small garrison to hold the city, the army departed on April 8 for Jalapa and began the campaign that would ultimately capture Mexico City.

Research Paper of the Research Proposal that I give you

Of the Proposal that I give you - Research Paper Example Nok sculptures also show animals and humans. Their purpose is yet unknown, because scientific fieldwork is still not available. Essentially, the terracotta is preserved in the variety of littered pieces. That is why Nok art is famous presently just for the heads, both male and female, whose hairstyles are especially comprehensive and advanced. The sculptures are in remains since the discoveries are normally made from alluvial mud, in landscape made by the attrition of water. The terracotta sculptures established there are secreted, rolled, polished and fragmented. Hardly are the works of great size preserved intact making the, exceedingly prized on the global art market. The terracotta figurines are hallow, coil produced, almost life sized human heads and torso shown with exceedingly stylized aspects, adequate jewellery, and different stances. Numerous artifacts have been established depicting an assortment of physical ailments, including incapacitating illness and facial paralysis. The Nok culture of central Nigeria is famous for its terracotta sculptures and denotes the first sculptural in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, Nok plays a well know functions in the appearance of iron technology, offering some of the most primitive proof of iron smelting in West Africa about 500 BC as illustrated by excavations in Taruga. In comparison to its scientific significance, Nok remained a mystery for a long time, since few archaeological fieldwork has been committed to the Nok culture, and previously, little less is known about the creators of those remarkable works of art. In reality, Taruga is better described as an iron-smelting site, as huge figure of iron-smelting furnaces have been revealed but no abode has been found with surety. Test excavations have been conducted, which have long established. The position of many iron-smelting furnaces, some of which have been excavated have been found. It has also proved likely, as a consequent of the work at Taruga, to acquire a clearer perception of the pottery connected with the sculptures than has until now been likely from the alluvial sites. No particular stone tools have been identified at Taruga, so that there in any case it appears the Nok culture was totally iron-using. The iron smelting furnaces at Taruga are at the time the most primitive known in sub-Saharan Africa. The only location where a fulfilling interface has been discovered between a pre-metal and a metal using phase of technology is at Daima. In the farthest north-eastern horizon of Nigeria (Fagg 41-50). In 1943, an archeologist based in the United Kingdom Bernard Fagg, traveled across central Nigeria looking for artifacts of any known ancient African civilization, and collected virtually 200 terracottas through buying, persuasion, and his own excavations. Soil examination from the sites where the artifacts were discovered dated them about 500 B.C. This appeared unlikely since the form of advanced communities that would have created such works were not thought to have existed in West Africa that early. However, when Fagg subjected plant content identified embedded in the terracotta to the then new method of radiocarbon dating, the dates varied from 440 B.C. to A.D. On the other hand, a scarecrow head was excavated and dated to about 500 B.C. utilizing a procedure known as thermoluminescence that measures the time since baked clay was fired. Taruga

Internship Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Internship Report - Essay Example 1. Understanding the work environment: Most of the things I studied in my degree were theoretical. I was expecting to get a fair overview about how units and components of an organisation works together to attain the results that have been set by the top elements of the organisation; 2. Communication skills development: I sought to get important skills and competencies in communicating and delivering information to parties within and outside an organisation. So I made it a point to learn and study the way different stakeholders and different players interact in an organisation and also try to work on it. 3. Cultural Competency: Since the world is multicultral now, I sought to understand the way a city like London works to integrate all the cultural requirements of its diverse environment in the workplace. To this end, I sought to understand how people interact within the organisation and how they interacted with external stakeholders. In a very critical sense, I did not get to learn all what I wanted and sought to learn. This is because the responsibilities I was given seemed to have been far from what other stakeholders and other top managers were required to do. Thus, I was not able to appreciate things to the depths that I wished I could uncover. However, being a basic marketer gave me the chance to observe a lot of things from afar. I was able to understand how the organisation operations and how it sought to provide its services to people who use their services. I was also able to understand how marketing operates and how it links up to the various units and components of an organisation. Hence, I could understand my actual contribution to the firm. I could not learn much about how to attain efficiency and effectiveness since most of the things I was supposed to do were straightforward and could be done fairly easily without challenges. However, I could observe the areas where critical results were expected and I could understand

The Elements of Religion in 19th Century in America Essay Example for Free

The Elements of Religion in 19th Century in America Essay In the 19th century United States of America was experiencing new developments in religion. Different movements and sects emerged as a result of the inspirations by the new interpretation of the Bible, the expectation of the second coming of Christ and the teachings by the new thinkers and prophets The philosophical and scientific questions that arose at this time also contributed to the changes that took place in the religion in this country. This period was characterized by the second and the third great awakening in the religion The spirit of revival was spreading all over the country just like it had happened in the first Great Awakening. This wave led to the emergence of the new movements such as Restorationism, Mormons and the holiness movement in New York. The revival saw the growth of the Methodists and Baptists as the two denominations gained new members especially the freed slaves. Missionaries’ societies were set up to help in the process of evangelization in the country. Members of the missionaries’ societies acted as the educators and the apostles. (Noll,Mark 1992 93) The Baptists and Methodists sent missionaries to the south where they were able to convert many people especialy the slaves. Protestants also gained members although not to a greater extent as the the evangelical churches. There was a marked growth of the non denomiational churches such as the Churches of Christ which advocated to the return of the standard teaching of the Bible. Many people were seeking a return to what they believed as the fundamental teachings of the New Testament. The missionaries society in the south converted both the slave owners and the slaves. The changes that took place in this region gave the slaves some freedom in the course fof conducting their own affairs in the church. Though there was some attempt by the slave owners to control their services the move was met with a stiff opposition from the slaves who maintained that they will be running their own affairs. This happened despite passage of legislation requiring the Balck slaves to have a white man anytime they were conducting In the Appalachian the revival was done through use of the camp meetings where mutiple preachers evangelized to the locals for several days urging them to turn away from their sins. There was an emotional following that characterized these meetings where converts came together and formed small local gatherings. (Noll,Mark 1992 254) The revival spread ot the other parts of the country where different denomination were busy converting followers. The methods were not one of the denomination that employed the best method and had a very efficient organization. Baptist on the other hand did not have any church organization ,its first prechers were people who had receive4d a call from God. Noll in his book a History of Christianity in United States and Canada observes that the second great awakening was very influential in the American church history. It brought a wide and strong rekindling of interest on religion all over the country. It provided a platform through which similar patterns of revivals were experienced at different times of the century in the country. During the American Revolution war the state of Christianity in this country had been injured greatly, the war had disrupted church activities especially in the regions where the war was very intense. The congregations had been disrupted such that in some areas they had ceased to operate. This affected the mission of theses gathering as they were not in the position to continue with their evangelization activities during the war. The war had dealt a very heavy blow on the church especially the Episcopal Church which was believed to be closely associated by England. It was treated with suspicion due to the fact that many people saw its association with the England the former colonial power. There was a general decline on the interest of the church affairs. People were more concerned with the issues at hand leaving very little time for the church and its activities. (Noll,Mark 1992 156) The revival occurred again after the end of the war, the immigrant communities had kept the fire burning as far as Christianity was concerned. The end of the war brought back the interest that had been there on the religion, again there was a renewed interest on religious matters across the country. There was peace again and the missionaries could continue with their work. They carried their mission with zeal as they reached every corner of the nation. The American Christians took as their responsibility to reform the society also. There are several notable changes that were brought about by the revival of the religion after the war. There was a spirited campaign to rid the society of the veils that characterized it at this moment. The antebellum reform which included: the abolitionism, the fight for women rights and other issues that faced the society. This was seen as God’s plan to purify America. (Noll,Mark 1992 203) Religion in the 19th century underwent tremendous changes which saw the revival of faith in different parts America. The number of denominations increased as well as the members of these churches. The period saw the emergence of sects and movements which have shaped the history of the church since this period. This period emerged as one of the most important in the history of religion in United States of America. Work Cited Noll,Mark A history of Religion in America and Cananda,Grand Rapids W. M. B. Eerdman Publishing Co (1992)

Hernan Cortes :: essays research papers

Hernan Cortes was born in 1485 in a town called Medellin in Extremadura. It talks about little of his child hood and little about his young life except that he studied law at the University of Salamanca. His law school years were cut short in 1501 when he decided to try his luck in the New World. He sailed from Santo Domingo in the Spring of 1504. After he had got there in 1511 he joined he Spanish Soldier and Administrator Diego Velasquez in the conquest of Cuba, and there he became alcalde or mayor of Santiago de Cuba. In 1518 he persuaded Velasquez to give him command to the expedition of Mexico. Juan de Grijalva, nephew of Velasquez, had discovered the mainland the year before by the Spanish soldier and explorer Fernandez de Cobia and. On February 19, 1519 Cortes set sail west from Cuba even though Velasquez cancelled his pay because of suspicion that Cortes would find himself independent and refuse to take order. Cortes took with him about 600 men, less than 20 horses, and 10 field pieces. Cortes sailed along the east coast of Yucatan and in March 1519 landed in Mexico. Cortes neutralized the town of Tabasco. The artillery, the ships, and especially the horses awed the natives. From these people of Tabasco Cortes learned about the Aztecs and their ruler Montezuma II. Cortes took lots of captives one of which they baptized and renamed Marina. She became his lover and out of loyalty to him became his interpreter, Translator, Guide, and Counselor. Finding a better harbor a little North of San Juan they established a town called La Villa Rica De La Vera Cruz, which literally translates to The Rich Village Of The Vera Cruz. This was later called just Varacruz. Cortes did what Velasquez that he would do, and abandoned the authority of everybody except the king and queen. Cortes was a strategical thinker and destroyed his group of vessels in order to prevent small forces from opposing him and returning to Cuba to tell Velasquez. At about this time Cortes started his famous march inland even after negotiations with Montezuma. Montezuma tried to persuade Cortes not to enter the capital city of Tenochtitlan but Cortes was good at not following directions. Cortes overcame the native tribe Tlascalans. This tribe quickly became an alliance to the Spanish because they were enemies to the Aztecs.

Public Speaking Self Reflection Essay

During the first week of class we learned about presentations and talking in front of people. At which each individual experienced nervousness and fear. As we gave our presentations each person was given a critique on strengths and weaknesses. I saw many weaknesses in my presentation and intend on working on finding ways to improve them into strengths. Some anxiety signs I noticed were speaking too fast and moving around. I feel maybe I rushed the presentation and possibly distracted by my thoughts and material in my hands. I didn’t have the correct mind set to calm down and speak clearer and slower. I wanted to get the presentation over with so I think I went in with the mind set of doing it fast. I think one way to work on that is take my presentations more seriously and find ways to enjoy them. Looking at the class while speaking may also contribute to this, because they seemed just as disinterested as I was. I think that may have messed with my head a bit but I need to work on ways to look and feel more enthusiastic, that way the class can feel the same. What I hope to accomplish in this class is get rid of the anticipation and nervousness I get before and during speeches and presentations. Though I don’t have a  problem speaking in front of people, I want the feeling to be second nature to me. Ways to improve that is practice talking with strangers and giving speeches or presentations in front of friends and family. If I can’t talk in front of my friends and family, then chances are I can’t do it in front of strangers. In conclusion, it was refreshing to get feedback from your peers in order to better yourself. A lot of times the presentation goes well in our head, or least we think so, but it doesn’t quite come out exactly like you thought. Having the kind of criticism is healthy because even though we practice, we don’t notice things about ourselves, like body language or tone of voice. Practice doesn’t make perfect but practice makes permanent. If you practice wrong, you risk bad habits and risk doing it wrong.

Proposed Market Entry Strategy Essay

1. Executive Summary The use of air conditioning is widespread since it does not only provide appropriate room temperature for electrical equipments that make internet and telecommunication works but also provide comfortable atmosphere for cooling rooms in a houses, trade centers, office buildings and many others. The situation reveals that air conditioning equipments have vital roles in society. However, the use of air conditioning devices is associated with high costs since they consume large power of electrical current. Under such circumstances, the development of efficient cooling and purifying devices become the next stage in the air cooling and purifying development. One of air purifying and cooling products available in the market is EnerVent ®, which developed by Northridge Enterprise. The company understands that to win customers’ hearts, there are four key features that EnerVent ® should possess; they are true Fresh air delivery, low costs and low heating air conditioning in compact design, high quality of air purifiers that are not merely circulating the same air in a room, and capability to eliminate harmful gases, mold, and germs. Concerning the issue, this paper has elaborated several issues concerning the market entry strategy for EnerVent ® including target markets, market potential, competitive market analysis, marketing objectives, marketing mix strategy (product, place, promotion, and place) 2. Introduction 2.1. Development of Air Conditioning and Purifying Products Nowadays, the discussion over the benefits of the sophisticated information technology including computers and telecommunications on business and communication is an endless topic in seminars or exhibitions. However, in order to work properly, such equipments need low-temperature in order to prevent overheating so that the use of high-power air conditioning is vast in the equipment rooms. In addition to the use of air conditioning devices for cooling rooms, they also provide comfortable atmosphere for cooling rooms in a houses, trade centers, office buildings and many others. The situation reveals that air conditioning equipments have vital roles in society. This makes sense since the use of air conditioning is widespread and easily found in almost every place that provide comfortable atmosphere. According to ARI CoolNet, air conditioning has several functional benefits as following: ï‚ § Providing personal comfort ï‚ § Improving productivity in the workplace where it relates to the comfortable place the air conditioning provides ï‚ § Increasing good medical and health services ï‚ § Helping vendors to preserve fresh and frozen foods like seafood, frozen potatoes, sausage an many others ï‚ § Protecting electrical equipment from excessive heating Since the use of air conditioning, previously called as manufactured air, is vital in day-to-day activities, it becomes a significant invention in human history. However, recent air conditioning or ventilation products do not end in the development of fancy casing or cooler temperature but also in several values added features. For example, the invention of Plasma cluster technology, which is capable of killing 99-percent bacterium and viruses including Aviation flue viruses, becomes the Sharps’ competitive advantage that generate revenue for the Japanese company’s air conditioning and cooling products including refrigerators, chillers, air conditioner, air purifiers, to name a few. However, the use of air conditioning products is associated with high costs since they consume large power of electrical current. Under such circumstances, the development of efficient cooling and purifying devices become the next stage in the air cooling and purifying development. 2.2. EnerVent ® Products EnerVent ® is manufactured to fulfill the need for efficient ventilation system that has several features including compact design (small) and lightweight compared to existing whole house and individual room air conditioning system. The EnerVent ® has favorable tagline that clearly target particular customers as following: There is nothing like fresh air from open windows on a Spring day. Yet high heating and air conditioning costs keep homes sealed tight to save money. Harmful odors, gases, mold, and germs stay in. Even quality air purifiers can only clean and circulate the same air. The EnerVent ® system offers the best of both worlds, bringing in and circulating out up to 12 true air exchanges daily without a significant energy penalty† The EnerVent ® jargon suggests that there are four features that the company concerns when developing EnerVent ®; they are Fresh air delivery, low costs and low heating air conditioning in compact design, high quality of air purifiers that are not merely circulating the same air in a room, and capability to eliminate harmful gases, mold, and germs. Concerning the size, Figure 1 shows example of several air conditioning designs that appear to be ‘usual’, large, and ‘compact’ design. (a) GMG (b) Delonghi Figure 1 Several Design of Existing Air Conditioning System Source: OK CHINA INDUSTRIAL LTD, 2007 In addition to size, competition in air conditioning system evolves into the provision of fresh air that circulate the true fresh air from the outside instead circulating the same air. This feature is significantly important since people have great concerns over the raising pollution because of industrial plants discard smoke, the forest fire, bad air-refreshing systems in a house, etc. Generally, air pollution in the U.S., to be precise, and other industrial countries is because acid rain in both the U.S. and Canada in which the US becomes a country that emits a large amount of carbon dioxide as the result of fossil fuels burning; limited resources of natural fresh water, water pollution due to pesticides and fertilizers (â€Å"Air pollution from other countries drifts into USA†, 2005). Concerning the capability of eliminating odor, EnerVent ® also present attractive features since the product is capable of eliminating harmful odors, gases, mold, and germs. In the market, this feature is best represented by Sharp’s Plasma cluster product as shown in the Figure 2. (a) Sharp FU40SEK (b) Sharp FU-S40TA Figure 2 Sharp Air Purifier with Plasma cluster technology Source: Callde, 2007; Pantipmarket, 2007 3. Target Markets Since EnerVent ® has particular characteristics that present the â€Å"true† fresh air to either â€Å"whole houses† and â€Å"individual room†, therefore, the target market for EnerVent ® is as following: ï‚ § Brand of Products : – True fresh air like one from open windows on a Spring day – Eliminate harmful odors, gases, mold, and germs stay in – Low energy consumption ï‚ § Customers’ Preferences : People who concern about the need for fresh air in a room that has capability to eliminate harmful materials at low operation costs ï‚ § Ages : above 25 (this is the age where people use their rational reasons when buying a product). This is important since home electronic industry are fulfilled with advertising that trick customers ï‚ § Income Levels : above $2,500 per month (considering that the price of air Purifying is above $100, see Figure 3) Figure 3 Air Purifier Source: Bizrate, 2007 4. Market Potential and Sales Forecast The market potential for air purifiers from EnerVent ® is people who concerns about the People who concern about the need for fresh air in a room that has capability to eliminate harmful materials at low operation costs. The description suggests that EnerVent ® target both high-end customers since they are more concern about complete features regardless the price and low-end customers since they concern about low-operational costs despite high ownership costs. For high end customers, they realize that air pollution is more influencing the children than adult. All of U.S. researchers open their study about finding the polluted air impact at the children. It is believed that air pollution make the children lung become smaller. This evidence assures that air pollution own the chronic impact. In addition, this impact will be permanent at all of the children until they become adult (â€Å"Air Pollution Might Affect Lung Development in Children, Study Finds†, 2004). Bad air quality give the negative impact to the environmental quality and the financial loss because of the air pollution is not small. Because financially, air pollution will improve the cost, which must be become the responsibility of society. It can be in the form of medical expense for pain suffered, decreasing of the work productivity as an effect of air pollution, and decreasing of the prosperity life. Due to the fact that air pollution may provide unfavorable condition for an entire family; therefore, Northridge Enterprise has wide market potential to sell EnerVent ®, the true air purifier. To be specific the market potential for EnerVent ® is as following: 4.1. Middle and High Class market, Offices and Buildings There are many considerations in the minds of consumers when they are buying air conditioning product. In most parts of the world, air conditioning is the consumption of middle and high-class families, buildings and offices. For these people, cost is not the prime factor of consideration. It is quality that concerns them the most. In the light of this consideration, the Enervent will only gain small portion of the market in this segment because there are many air conditioning products which have better features and higher capacity to regulate air in larger offices. The Enervent on the other hand, can only regulate air in a limited space because it does not have the capability of producing cool air as a regular air conditioning machine. There are however, mid and high class households and small offices that prefer to use air purifier because they like the natural atmosphere of their houses and offices. These are generally smaller establishments or places which have plenty, but small to medium-sized rooms. This represents an opportunity for Enervent to enter the medium and high class households, buildings and offices. The opportunity however, is very small compare to the entire market of air conditioning equipment in the medium and high class market. 4.2. Medium and Lower Income Families Air conditioning needs are not the sole demands of medium and high-class establishments. In the modern realm where people’s desire for quality has been considerably enhanced, the need for air conditioning spreads to the low income families and offices. This represents a better opportunity for Enervent to gain larger portion of the market. This is true because for low income families and low-budget offices, the cost of having a full fledged air conditioning system can be quite overwhelming. In previous times, they generally switch to air purifier products because they are cheaper and do not consume too much electricity. However, the presence of the Enervent creates new and better alternative. These people could gain better quality than average air purifiers and pay cheaper costs than the average air conditioner products (Ward, 2007). 4.3. The market for Air Regulator Machines The rapid development of economy in various regions of the world generated massive demands for air conditioning products. In some markets, the air conditioning products are displaying a rapid increase, like the Indian market and Saudi Arabian. They are potential markets because of their geographic conditions and their economic development. On the other hand, there are also markets that displayed declining tendencies in the air conditioning market development because of the over-crowded markets, like China. In Europe, United States and most of the Asian countries displayed stable or otherwise mild development in the air conditioning market (Wind of Change, 2006). The product is, on the other hand, a revolutionary product filling a niche between the high cost air conditioning equipment and the simple air purifier machine. In a sense it has similar but different markets than those of the air conditioner products. Because of the revolutionary nature of the industry, and the contributions from low income, middle and high class markets elaborated above, I believe that the product will take over approximately 5-10% of the air conditioning market in the end of the first year. Furthermore, being the sole producer of Enervent, then the sales number of the company will be similar to that percentage. For instance, if the US air conditioning market is worth US$ 1 billion annually, then Enervent will generate a sales number of US$ 50-100 million. 5. Competitive Market Analysis The air conditioning industry is a global industry. Most of the modern countries plus several of the developing countries witnessed rapid growth of their air national air conditioning industry. In Saudi Arabia for example, demands for air conditioners is the highest in the world. Analysts have stated that the Saudi Arabian market has become a unique investment opportunities for foreign investors. Although not exactly alike, similar rate of growth can be witnessed in India and other developing countries (Saudi Aircon, 2007). Despite the rapid growth of the industry, Enervent cannot expect to gain the full benefit of the market development. The direct competitor of Enervent is air conditioning itself. Despite their significantly higher prices, they have larger capacity of regulating temperature and the condition of large rooms. Modern air conditioning is also equipped with various features that do not exist in Enervent, like self cleaning device, etc. Furthermore, air conditioning has a better and more widespread reputation that Enervent, which is a new and unpopular product. The competitive advantages of Enervent against the direct competitor are price and efficiency. The product is considerably cheaper, lighter and more far more electricity efficient than the average air conditioning machine. Indirect competitor of Enervent is the cheaper and simpler air purifier. The low cost and electricity efficient device is also quite popular as alternative of air conditioners. They generate significantly less cost than the average air conditioner, but cannot act as a temperature regulator. Many considered that the air purifier and the air conditioner market is not the same. Nevertheless, they are the same. Air purifier is an indirect competitor of both the air conditioner market and Enervent. Enervent has the advantage of temperature control with similarly low cost and efficient electricity compare to the air purifier. In addition to the analysis above, there are also other factors in the air conditioner industry that generates opportunities for Enervent to grow, they are: †¢ The emerging new styles of offices In the modern world, people are not satisfied having the same offices as other companies. In order to facilitate such a need for creative office design. The trend toward more stylish offices generates more complicated buildings with less ventilation. Pursuing efficiency, more employees are stationed in smaller rooms. These conditions generated the need for larger capacities of air conditioning. This is logical because managers have realized that poor air quality in the workplace could result in lack of productivity and worse, sickness (Cunningham, 1986). The necessity for more air conditioning system generates more demands of air conditioning machines. However, because companies are constantly searching for ways to enhance efficiency, their attention turn toward products which can deliver similar performance in air conditioning with less prices and more electricity efficient performance. This leads to opportunities for the newly designed Enervent, an air conditioning machine which are significantly cheaper and much more electricity efficient (Piercy, 1982). †¢ New Competitors The highly competitive environment is created by various factors. For one, the amount of players within the industry also plays a great role in shaping the competitive atmosphere. In the air conditioning market, Far Eastern manufacturers have improved their manufacturing capabilities by cooperating with Japanese producers. The new entrants are expected to influence the European market aggressively by means of targeting an established distributor. These new entrants have significantly lower price structures, thus allowing them to deliver cheaper prices to consumers. This leads to harder and more competitive atmosphere in the industry of both air conditioning machines and air purifier machines. In a sense, this also influences Enerven as an alternative between the two products. 6. Marketing Objectives The hardest mission of a marketer in getting the product accepted and recognized within the local environment. The Enervent is a new product with revolutionary technology. Its first year in the market should be the year of promotion and market penetration. Therefore the marketing objectives should be: †¢ Establish presence in local environment There are various factors that could influence how a product will result revenues and profits within its market. Each local environment has different preferences of how products should be. It is important for Enervent to win the hearts of local society by collaborating with local culture and traditions. The failure to achieve that will create poor and undeveloped sales performance. Thus, one of the most important and early marketing objective should be how to generate connection with local markets (Korey, 1986). †¢ Discover new channel of distributions and marketing In the first year of marketing, new products should be brought throughout the markets using various channels and means of transportations. Getting to know the local infrastructure and how will it affect the business is very much important. Thus, discovering new channel of promotion and distribution is also an important objective (Koney, 1986) †¢ Create a distinction Establishing presence and discovering new channels are usually not enough to get the product running and generate revenues and profits. The product needs features or appearance that will differentiate it from other products. This activity is called brand designing (Keegan, 1989). 7. Marketing Mix In the following chapter I will use existing information to make an assessment of how Enervent should be sold. This assessment is important because it determines the shape of the business offering toward consumers. Re-designing the business offerings has been the core purpose of performing a marketing mix analysis. In terms of Enervent, the following is suggested: 7.1. Product Positioning Strategy Enervent should be well promoted to reflect capabilities of the new and revolutionary product. As implied in previous chapters, the product should be advertised as a brilliant alternative to air conditioning and air purifier. It is the combination of both worlds which brings the best of them. The product can also be advertised as the new revolution in air conditioning. The advertising campaign would have to generate the image that Enervent is the next generation of low cost, low energy air conditioning (Keegan, 1989). As mentioned in previous chapter, the product has different opportunities in different segments of the market. Therefore, there is a need to perform different emphasize on different segments of the market. In the medium to high-class households, buildings and offices, the company should focus on promoting the product as a smart replacement of the average air conditioning system because of its air temperature management capabilities and its low cost and energy efficient nature. This would attract those customers which prefer to maintain the naturality of their environments as mentioned before. On the other hand, in the low-income households and offices, the product should be promoted as the new generation of air conditioning. The product should be promoted as the new and brilliant evolution toward environmental friendliness and quality preservation. Because the company is forecasted to generate more sales in this segment, this characteristic of product positioning (as a revolutionary new generation of air conditioning) should be the main scenario of marketing. Other processes within the product positioning activities which require attention includes: paying attention to manufacturing specifications, labeling and packaging to represent the target market we are aiming and the position of our product. The product must also be tested first before it enters the market. Analysts also suggested that the product should be matched with its surrounding environment, whether in times of sale or distribution. For instance, products that travel through the road should contain different specifications and equipments to products that travel through air (Keegan, 1989). 7.2. Pricing Strategy In marketing mix, price is considered as one of the factor that contributes to the total value of product offering. Despite the high quality of the product, if the pricing strategy does no reflect value (which means the value gained from the purchase is greater than the value of money sacrificed for the purchase), then customers would not be appealed to the product. Price has been the most important consideration in buying air conditioner machines for years. Because of the highly advanced technology and the power needed to perform the task of regulating air throughout the surrounding environment, the average air conditioners cost quite a fortune. In terms of Enervent, I propose a new set of pricing considerations which emphasis on acknowledgement of the segments in which the product will be marketed. In other words, the pricing strategy should reflect discounts, bonuses, price competitiveness, etc. Nevertheless, managers cannot ignore the importance of having a valuable product. The psycography of customers sometimes generates new understanding over the behavior of consumers. For one, consumer often mistaken quality with price. Often we find that if we charge higher, people would buy the product more. Managers in charge of the pricing strategy must have considerable sensitiveness toward the behavior of his/her customers. 7.3. Distribution strategy Distribution is also a factor in marketing and selling products. Companies must have provided their officers with sufficient funding in order to prevent lack of funding in the delivery process. Often, the assignment on distribution is in line with order processing stages. In a sense, distribution is an inseparable part of order processing and the process is not over until the products are delivered successfully to customers. In terms of exporting the Enervent, managers of the distribution process should prepare all the necessary export preparation and documentation. Often shipments failed because of the lack of diligence in preparing the required documentation (Basche, 1971). Distribution management includes managing the cost of distribution. In we are to export Enervent as a part of our central operations, than it is important for us to assign the distribution cost to the recipient instead of to our own cost structure. Forwarding freight is crucial in distribution management. Managers of distribution process must also pay attention to other supporting issues like insurance and arbitration. The lack consideration of these small factors could generate problems in later days. In distributing the Enervent, we must also consider the fact that inventory support is crucial for distribution process. Inventory management and warehousing strategies must be accounted to the nature of the product to prevent losses or diminished product quality. 7.4. Promotional activities In terms of advertising and promotion, we have discussed the need to represent Enervent in different ways for different market segments. On the other hand, if reality forces us to choose, we must choose to represent the largest demands on the market. In the Enevernet case, this means promoting the product as the new generation of air conditioning. Promotions can be performed through ‘indirect forms’, like literature, direct mail, etc. There are also a more direct form of promotion which includes exhibitions and trade shows. Often, the presence of a good sales force is also influential to promotional activities. In marketing Enervent, managerial abilities to motivate sales forces are important to promotional activities. This is important considering the product is new in the market. Another way of motivating the promotional activities is by using agents. External agents who receive commissions are generally more motivated to do their job because of the compensation strategy. Reference †Air Pollution Might Affect Lung Development in Children, Study Finds.† 2004. Retrieved May 9, 2007 from http://www.californiahealthline.org/index.cfm?Action=dspItem&itemID=105505 ARI CoolNet. â€Å"Air Conditioning: Improving the Way We Live.† Retrieved May 9, 2007 from http://www.ari.org/consumer/history/history-ac.html Basche, J.R. Jr. â€Å"Export Marketing Services and Costs†. 1971. New York: The Conference Board, p4. Cunningham, M.T. â€Å"Strategies for International Industrial Marketing†. 1986. In D.W. Turnbull and J.P. Valla (eds.) Croom Helm p 9. Delonghi.  « Delonghi Portable Air Conditioners – Delonghi Portable Air Conditioning.  » 2007. Retrieved May 7, from http://www.delonghi-portable-air-conditioners.co.uk/images/3176.jpg Korey, G. â€Å"Multilateral Perspectives in International Marketing Dynamics†. 1986. European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 20, No. 7, pp 34-42 Keegan, W.J. â€Å"Global Marketing Management.† 1989. Prentice Hall International Editions. OK CHINA INDUSTRIAL LTD. â€Å"Wholesale Air conditioner.† 2007. Retrieved May 7, 2007 from http://www.sz-wholesale.com/shenzhen_China_products/Air-conditioner_1.htm Piercy, N. â€Å"Company Internationalisation: Active and Reactive Exporting†. 1982. European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp 26-40. Saudi Aircon 2007. 2007. Riyadh Exhibitions. Retrieved May 9, 2007 from http://www.recexpo.com/recweb/show_overview.asp?id=79 â€Å"US Market for Air Conditioning.† Worldwide Market Intelligence. Retrieved May 9, 2007 from www.bsria.co.uk/documents/pdf/misc/17200 leaflet.pdf Ward, Susan. â€Å"How to Find and Master a Niche Market.† 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2007 from http://marketing.about.com/od/careersinmarketing/l/aa060303a.htm â€Å"Wind of change in air-conditioning market.† 2006. China Economic Net. Retrieved May 9, 2007 from http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-04/27/content_437865.htm

Nunavut essays

Nunavut essays In the search for a sense of freedom, Nunavut as well as its people are to face arduous undertakings as well as inspiring triumphs, in its struggle to attain what it has been denied for the last quarter century. In a land from which its destiny is balanced on a delicate scale, determined by its accomplishments and drawbacks, which in turn will lead to the future of this vast and intimidating terrain. In time, this newly founded territory will have its turn to prove itself worthy of becoming the first territory to grow to be a province. It is in that time that the responsibility of the relationship between the Aboriginal peoples of Nunavut and the Government of Canada will finally be sealed in an intertwined fate. With the creation of Nunavut, the face of Canada has undergone an immense change from which Canada has not experienced since the introduction of Newfoundland nearly 50 years ago. In fact, this appears to be the first time since the year 1867, which resulted in a region of Canada to be brought the opportunity to establish its own government, resulting in the establishment of a government managed according to its own needs. In this form of self-government the Inuit people have the beginnings of the fulfillment of a long-held hope of the Eastern and Central Artic Inuit to gain control over their own destiny, which will in turn although the Inuit to mould their own government in a way that befits their own culture. In the midst of the formation of Nunavut, certain practices have been put in service from which are in many ways unique in comparison with the creation of any other territory or province for that matter. Such practices include that of the absence of political parties, as me mbers represent themselves rather than a faction. Together with the fact that 85 percent of the present government will be held by Inuit, although currently the number of active Inuit government members have been reduced to nearly 50 percent. In...

Biography of Zelda Fitzgerald, Jazz Age Icon and Author

Biography of Zelda Fitzgerald, Jazz Age Icon and Author Born Zelda Sayre, Zelda Fitzgerald (July 24, 1900  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ March 10, 1948) was an American writer and artist of the Jazz Age. Although she produced writing and art on her own, Zelda is best known in history and in popular culture for her marriage to F. Scott Fitzgerald and her tumultuous battle with mental illness. Fast Facts: Zelda Fitzgerald Known For:  Artist, author of Save Me The Waltz, and wife of author F. Scott FitzgeraldBorn:  July 24, 1900  in Montgomery, AlabamaDied:  March 10, 1948 in Asheville, North CarolinaSpouse:  F. Scott Fitzgerald (m. 1920-1940)Children:  Frances Scottie Fitzgerald Early Life The youngest of six children, Zelda was born to a prominent Southern family in Montgomery, Alabama. Her father, Anthony Sayre, was a powerful justice on the Alabama Supreme Court, but she was the darling of her mother, Minerva, who spoiled young Zelda. She was an athletic, artistic child, equally interested in her ballet lessons and in spending time outdoors. Although she was a clever student, Zelda was mostly uninterested in her studies by the time she reached high school. Beautiful, spirited, and rebellious, Zelda became the center of her young social circle. As a teenager, she already drank and smoked, and enjoyed causing minor scandals by doing things like dancing â€Å"flapper† style or swimming in a tight, flesh-toned bathing suit. Her brash, daring nature was even more shocking because women of her social status were expected to be genteel and quiet. Zelda and her friend, future Hollywood actress Tallulah Bankhead, were frequently the topic of gossip. As a girl or a teenager, Zelda began to keep diaries. These journals would later prove to be the earliest signs of her creative mind, containing much more than a rote record of her social activities. In fact, excerpts from her early journals would eventually appear in iconic works of American literature, thanks to her relationship with a soon-to-be legendary novelist: F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Fitzgeralds In the summer of 1918, Zelda first met the 22-year-old Scott when he was stationed on an Army base just outside of Montgomery. Their first meeting, at a country club dance, would later be the basis for the first meeting between Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby. Although she had several suitors at the time, Zelda quickly came to favor Scott, and they grew close over a shared worldview and their similarly creative personalities. Scott had big plans, and he shared them with Zelda, who became equal parts muse and kindred spirit. She inspired the character of Rosalind in This Side of Paradise, and the novel’s closing monologue is taken directly from her journals. Their romance was interrupted in October 1918, when he was reassigned to a base in Long Island, but the war soon ended and he returned to Alabama within a month. Scott and Zelda became deeply involved, and wrote to each other constantly after he moved to New York City in early 1919. They married in 1920, despite some objections from Zelda’s family and friends over his drink and his Episcopalian faith. That same year, This Side of Paradise was published, and the Fitzgeralds became notorious on the New York social scene, embodying the excesses and brilliance of the Jazz Age. In 1921, just before Scott’s second novel was finished, Zelda became pregnant. She gave birth to their daughter, Frances â€Å"Scottie† Fitzgerald in October 1921, but motherhood did not â€Å"tame† Zelda into a quiet domestic life. In 1922, she was pregnant again, but the pregnancy did not make it to term. Over the next couple of years, Zelda’s writing began to appear as well, mostly sharply-written short stories and magazine articles. Although she joked about her writing being â€Å"borrowed† for Scott’s novels, she did resent it too. After their co-written play The Vegetable flopped, the Fitzgeralds moved to Paris in 1924. Together in Paris The Fitzgeralds’ relationship was in a complicated state by the time they reached France. Scott was absorbed with his next novel, The Great Gatsby, and Zelda fell for a dashing young French pilot and demanded a divorce. Zelda’s demands were met with dismissal from Scott, who locked her in their house until the drama passed. In the months following, they returned mostly to normal, but in September, Zelda survived an overdose of sleeping pills; whether the overdose was intentional or not, the couple never said. Zelda was often ill around this time, and in late 1924, Zelda was unable to continue her traveling lifestyle and instead began painting. When she and Scott returned to Paris in the spring of 1925, they met Ernest Hemingway, who would become Scott’s great friend and rival. Although Zelda and Hemingway loathed each other from the start, Hemingway did introduce the couple to the rest of the Lost Generation expat community, such as Gertrude Stein. Increasing Instability Years passed, and Zelda’s instability grew – along with Scott’s. Their relationship turned volatile and more dramatic than ever, and both accused the other of affairs. Desperate for success of her own, Zelda took up the reins of her ballet studies again. She practiced intensely, sometimes for up to eight hours a day, and while she did have some talent, the physical demands (and the lack of support from Scott) proved too much for her. Even when she was offered a spot with an opera ballet company in Italy, she had to decline. Zelda was admitted to a French sanatorium in 1930 and bounced between clinics for physical and psychological treatments for around a year. When her father was dying in September 1931, the Fitzgeralds returned to Alabama; after his death, Zelda went to a hospital in Baltimore and Scott went to Hollywood. While in the hospital, however, Zelda wrote a whole novel, Save Me The Waltz. The semi-autobiographical novel was her biggest work to date, but it infuriated Scott, who had planned to use some of the same material in his work. After Scott’s forced rewrites, the novel was published, but it was a commercial and critical failure; Scott also derided it. Zelda didn’t write another novel. Decline and Death By the 1930s, Zelda was spending most of her time in and out of mental institutions. She continued to produce paintings, which were tepidly received. In 1936, when Zelda seemingly disconnected from reality, Scott sent her to another hospital, this one in North Carolina. He then proceeded to have an affair in Hollywood with columnist Sheilah Graham, bitter about how his marriage to Zelda had turned out. By 1940, though, Zelda had made enough progress to be released. She and Scott never saw each other again, but they corresponded until his sudden death in December 1940. After his death, it was Zelda who became an advocate for Scott’s unfinished novel The Last Tycoon. She was inspired and began working on another novel, but her mental health declined again and she returned to the North Carolina hospital. In 1948, a fire broke out at the hospital, and Zelda, in a locked room awaiting an electroshock therapy session, did not escape. She died at the age of 47 and was buried alongside Scott. Posthumous Discovery The Fitzgeralds had been on the decline when they died, but interest quickly revived, and they became immortalized as the icons of the Jazz Age. In 1970, historian Nancy Milford wrote a biography of Zelda that suggested she had been every bit as talented as Scott, but had been held back by him. The book became a bestseller and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and it heavily influenced future perceptions of Zelda. Save Me The Waltz subsequently saw a revival as well, with scholars analyzing it on the same level as Scott’s novels. Zelda’s collected writings, including the novel, were compiled and published in 1991, and even her paintings have been re-appraised in the modern era. Several fictional works have depicted her life, including several books and a TV series, Z: The Beginning of Everything. Although perceptions continue to evolve, the Fitzgerald legacy – of which Zelda is most definitely a huge part – has become deeply engrained in American popular culture.   Sources: Cline, Sally.  Zelda Fitzgerald: Her Voice in Paradise. Arcade Publishing, New York, 2003.Milford, Nancy. Zelda: A Biography. Harper Row, 1970.Zelazko, Alicja. Zelda Fitzgerald: American Writer and Artist. Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Zelda-Fitzgerald.

The UAW and It's Effects on the City of Detroit Term Paper

The UAW and It's Effects on the City of Detroit - Term Paper Example A popular third party representation for almost any labor or industry type is referred to as the labor unions. These unions are comprised of workers from within the company and industry; their collective function is to bridge the gap between the employees and employer through communication and serve as an organized voice for all employees. A labor union’s main objective varies and depends on the employees’ needs or grievances. However, majority of these objectives are geared towards the well-being of employees -- health care benefits, good or improved working conditions, increased salary to accommodate rising costs of living, skills enhancement, contract longevity, and so on. Employers, on the other hand, establish the relationship with labor unions through certain access to facts (e.g., profit, loss, operation costs, labor costs, et cetera) to which negotiation and a coordinated decision-making is firmly grounded. This access and hearing out of employer’s side e nables the labor union to observe impartiality. On a labor union’s perspective, this may also permit them to come up with demands that are realistically feasible for employers to meet. However, this does not work all the time. There are times when labor unions inadvertently choke up the business and industry with their demands. This challenge calls for a more diverse and flexible approach from labor unions. One such labor union, alleged of choking up the auto-making industry in Detroit, Michigan, is the United Auto Workers Union or UAW. This paper attempts to explore the effects of this labor union to the core industry of Detroit City. The UAW Founded in 1935 and is considered to be â€Å"one of the largest in North America,† the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) accomplished its pioneering work of â€Å"expanding the nation’s labor movement† as well as establishing the standards of labor conditions through â€Å"generous pension, health care, and job secu rity provisions† (â€Å"United Automobile Workers,† 2011, para. 1). Evidently, the UAW was successful in bringing about improvement in the working conditions of auto-laborers in vast coverage and was expected to continue growing and carrying out its mission. However, the year 1970 had marked the start of UAW’s turbulent years ahead; the â€Å"shrinking of the North American auto industry† and â€Å"the crisis that engulfed† Detroit’s Big Three (i.e., General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) had set the â€Å"downward path† for the labor union (â€Å"United Automobile Workers,† 2011, para. 2). This series of crises had not just hurt the industry but also hurts the employees, as well. Inevitably, industries have to lower overall costs and the pressure of lowering these costs weigh down on the laborers’ wage and benefits. Consequently, companies cannot afford anymore the costs of benefits demanded by laborers and the UAW. Compani es and employees are torn between retrenchment and retaining but in the expense of lower wages and/or lesser benefits. Most laborers chose the latter and around December 2008, UAW membership among the Big Three’s, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, declined -- from 305, 000 to 139, 000 workers (â€Å"United Automobile Workers,† 2011). The Automakers’ fall Looking close, particular advancements in the auto industry had paved the way for Detroit’s demise. Price (2000) collectively called these advancements the â€Å"

W8 Disc Knowledge Management System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

W8 Disc Knowledge Management System - Essay Example Likewise, aside from the internal resources, the manager should also assess the external factors which could influence and affect the organization’s performance: customers, competitors, environmental, and other politico-social factors. The benefits of developing an effective KM system include â€Å"facilitating decision-making, building learning environments by making learning routine, and stimulating cultural change and innovation† (Quast, 2012). A learned, the key ingredients of a KM system could be any of the following: people, processes, and technology; or culture, structure, and technology (What Is Knowledge Management?, n.d.). The approach that should be used depends on the resources and competencies of the organization, especially the people who would use the information in the performance of their roles and responsibilities. As emphasized, â€Å"the idea of a KM system is to enable employees to have ready access to the organizations documented base of facts, sources of information, and solutions† (Knowledge management system, n.d., p. 1). Therefore, it is important to assess the skills and competencies of the organization’s human resources, as well as Quast, L. (2012, August 20). Why Knowledge Management Is Important To The Success Of Your Company. Retrieved from Forbes:

Eminent Domain Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 30

Eminent Domain - Case Study Example The city plan did not violate the constitutional taking clause. The takings clause protects the private property from conversion by the state for public use without just compensation. The plan was engineered to boost the low economy by providing jobs to the unemployed and increase the tax receipts that would eventually see the city's economy stabilize. This step is beneficial to the public both directly and indirectly and a legitimate public use of the justly acquired land. The economic benefits, on the other hand, appear to be secondary and incidental as brought forth by the dissenting judge. The developers seem to be the primary beneficiary of the acquisition and there is no surety that unemployment will be curbed and hence have the public benefit. All in all, the entire takings clause is objected towards just compensation of the private landowners where the government acquires such land for public use. From the foregoing, the land was put into public use that is faced as economic development having compensated the owners justly. It thus follows that the takings clause was not violated.

Performance measurement

Performance measurement Introduction: This report is about operations Management in general and performance measurement in specific, which is broadly a study of an organization’s performance. LYCATEL has been chosen as Model Company in order to measure its performance. This report will focus on studying the different areas of their operations. This repot will also look at the positive or negative impacts of operational decisions taken by the company. This report will positively contribute to highlight some issues which may lead company towards betterment or vice versa. Finally the conclusion will proceed to some recommendations based on our analysis.This report will begin with brief explanation of performance measurement and its related concepts. The next section will introduce the Model Company and description of the problem. Finally the company will be analyzed on the basis of performance measure tools and recommendations will be made. Performance Measurement: Performance measurement can be defined as: a process in which we check or evaluate the company from different angels that how they are performing in their field. If we explore history, organisations have always measured performance in some way through the financial performance that they are making profit or not. However, traditional performance measured, based on cost accounting information; provide little to support companies on their quality journey. They never check the performance of an organisation seen by their customers that how they think about organisation’s performance. According to an article published in PMA Newsletter: â€Å"Evaluating performance is important, but we can not limit the performance measurement to this purpose. If we want to manage for results and manage through measures we should consider the performance measurement not just as a rear-view mirror to evaluate our past performance but as a tool to support decision making process in the organisation day by day.† Now a days in a successful total quality organisation, performance measures by the improvements seen by the customer as well as by the results delivered to other stakeholders, such as the shareholders. In the issue of Perspectives on Performance, Max Moullin recommended his personal definition of performance measurement and explained the aims of it. We would like to contribute to the discussion what he asserted. Here is how Moullin defined performance measurement: â€Å"Performance measurement is evaluating how well organisations are managed and the value they deliver for customers and other stakeholders† â€Å"We are not totally agreed with this definition because the word he used ‘how well’ should be decided after the measurement, we can’t say that the organisation is doing well or not before the measurement.† But as far other concerns it covers the both sides that the performance measurement tells the customer satisfaction and the stakeholders. Obviously if the customers are happy with the products or organisation they will stick with them and organisation will make profit, it’s just the different angle to see the things. Tools for Performance Measurement: When we talk about measuring something the first concept in the mind comes that measurable things should be tangible. So question arises here how we can measure intangible things? Then there should be some tools to measure the performance like if we want to measure the speed we measure in km/hr or if there is some liquid then we measure in litre and length in meters but for organisations we check that how good is their performance. It is really easy to say that in some organisation, some operation is not doing well or its performance is not very good but how we can say that what exactly we mean by these words â€Å"Well† or â€Å"Good†. To justify this we need something to measure the performance of operations in an organisation, some tool to do that. For this we will use Slack’s theory as a tool and measure the performance. His theory is also a best match with our case. In his theory he is using Quality, Speed, Dependability, Flexibility and Cost as tools to measure the performance. And these tools can be used to measure that the organisation is: Gives Doing things Right a Quality advantage Gives Doing things Fast a Speed advantage Gives Doing things On-Time a Dependability advantage Gives Changing what you do a Flexibility advantage Gives Doing things cheaply a Cost advantage The LYCATEL Group In this section a brief introduction is given about LYCATEL which is a dynamic, fast growing alternative provider of telecommunications services for consumers and businesses throughout the world. We will asses their performance in the UK market that how they perform in the market from customer’s point of view. LYCATEL Group covers several countries all over the world but we will check its performance specifically in the UK. The LYCATEL Group offers a broad product portfolio comprising of prepaid telephony solutions including: Carrier to carrier wholesale services Calling cards Residential Indirect Access Services (1xxxx) Mobile services (MVNO) Through a relentless focus on providing high voice quality by partnering with over 70 global telecommunications carriers, the LYCATEL brand serves its growing base of over 2 million customers who want to make low cost international calls. LYCATEL Group’s FUTURE The LYCATEL Group is committed to being the first choice telecommunications provider focused on serving global niche segments that have a need to call internationally whilst managing their monthly budgets through prepaid solutions. Vision To create a world-class telecommunications organisation where their talented people team up with their business partners to continually drive down costs and deliver superior value propositions to their customers. Mission To be the global market leader in the prepaid international calling card business by 2008. To diversify their revenue mix by developing prepaid carrier to carrier wholesale, prepaid residential and prepaid international mobile businesses, accounting for 40% of revenue streams by 2008. To delight their customers by providing low cost, high quality telecommunications services. Performance Key Facts Generates over 700 million minutes of voice calls every month – handling over 1.2 million completed calls daily. Operates a state-of-the-art global network comprising over 2,500 E1s – combining modern VOIP and traditional TDM technology. Employs over 150 talented professionals in the UK, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, France, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Austria, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium and Portugal. Interconnects with over 70 blue chip telecommunications carriers. Operates though a broad European distribution network of wholesalers providing access to over 300,000 outlets, including own controlled outlets in key locations. Provides customer services through a 24-hour multi-lingual call centre. Brand is recognised and used by over 2 million pan-European consumers. Is the European prepaid calling card market leader with an estimated market share of 25% in the UK, 20% in Holland, 20% in France and growing rapidly in Scandinavia, Italy, Germany, Spain, Austria and Switzerland? Has annualised global revenues in excess of $300 million and on target to achieve global revenues of $500 million in 2006. Calling Cards LYCATEL calling cards enable their customers to make international calls easily and cost effectively. Providing over 100 calling card product brands to the market place including Uni Asia, Uni Tel, Lyca India, Latino Tel, Euro Tel, Africa Tel, They originate over 350 million minutes per month, of which we terminate over 60 million minutes to the Asian Sub-Continent, 70 million minutes to Africa, 20 million minutes to the US, 35 million minutes to Europe and 20 million minutes to the UK per month. The LYCATEL Group produces and distributes 6 million calling cards a month making us one of the biggest European operators in this sector. They achieve this through an extensive network of wholesalers ensuring that their customers can easily purchase cards at over 300,000 retailers across Europe including own controlled outlets in key strategic locations or online through their e-shop at www.LYCATEL.com. (3) Measuring the Performance of LYCATEL: As we all know that there is a big competition in telecommunication companies now a day in the UK and all over the world. Everyone is trying to give the best to their customers in this competitive market and want to bind the customers with them forever because they know the values have been changed. Now the customer’s satisfaction is a very big issue for the companies in the UK and all over the world. In telecommunication companies if someone needs to contact any one in the company, need any information, or they have any complaints or any sort of matter they have, they go through customer services. So it means customer services play a vital role in these companies and leave a deep impact on the customers as well. That’s why we decided to measure the performance of their (LYCATEL Group) customer services. We gathered views of people about LYCATEL’s customer services and measure them using our tools to get their performance. Now we will try to measure their performance using different tools. No doubt that the facts figures they are showing in their charts are very good and the company is progressing but it is not enough if we compare with their competitors especially in the UK. We will asses their performance using some tools like Quality, Speed, Dependability, Flexibility and Cost. We took review of the people about their customer services in which we will check these certain areas: Quality: One of the main factors in quality measurement is to evaluate the level of complaints. There are many sources to check the customer’s complaints. Different businesses use different strategies in order to get feed back. There have been many companies and websites formed in order to collect the positive negative reviews of the company. We have measured company’s customer services on the basis of customers complaints registered on one of the authentic web source, which is famous to collect customers views. There have been many complaints registered regarding their poor customer services depicted in one of the customer’s view as: View: â€Å"Bought Africa tel lycatel phone card and it gave me 5 minutes to talk yet claiming I had more minutes. I guess they disappeared in the thin air. I then proceeded to call customer service, who do not seem to know what they are talking about, did not answer or help me in any way shape or form, they just wanted me to get off the phone by giving me false information.†(4) In our research we found that customers were not much dissatisfied with the products of the company but with the customer services. A number of complaints were found regarding language barriers especially accent related issues. The customer services don’t seem to be well trained. They have not been equipped with proper information as reflected in the view which clearly shows the communication gap between management and staff. We also found many complaints regarding warrant claims and mean time between failures when measured the performance of customer services. Another person’s view as follows: â€Å" Very bad. Customer service too bad. I have online account with lycatel and I paid through credit card and they took the money and did not credit my account. Trying to contact them but call center could not help me on this. Very bad service.† Speed: Communication is known as a backbone in the field of customer services. LYCATEL’s customer services lacking in the field of communication due to their pronunciation problem as their most of the staff is non English. The consequences of this factor is influencing very negatively on their customer query time. The bad communication leads to misunderstanding, repetition and finally frustration. This does not only results in delaying customer query but also increases the order lead time. View: â€Å"Bought Africa Tel Lycatel phone card and it gave me 5 minutes to talk yet claiming I had more minutes. I guess they disappeared in the thin air. I then proceeded to call customer service, who do not seem to know what they are talking about, did not answer or help me in any way shape or form, they just wanted me to get of the phone by giving me false information.† Dependability: In this regard we would like to share personal experience of one of our colleague’s, who was dealt with many of the customer assistants including their supervisors. He experienced that every person he spoke to was not dependable at all. Every assistant provided different information on a same query but no one could solve it. Finally it was found that information provided by each of the members of the staff did not exist in the policies of the company. The same issue was also reflected in many other views. View: â€Å"Its so annoying when the card tells you have 195 minutes for the call. You make a call for one hour. A couple of hours later you go back and the card tell you have no funds. What happened to the other 2 hours? You call the customer service team (at YOUR expense), am left holding for over 15 minutes only to be told that the computer does not update for 6 hours. You call back again in the morning over 9 hours later only to be told the same thing.† Flexibility: Our research found that LYCATEL is not flexible enough to provide solution for diversity of queries. Very minor issues are discussed with supervisors or transferred to others. This causes dissatisfaction and finally shows inflexibility. The customer assistants are not equipped with the variety of information that’s why they depend on their seniors. View: â€Å"I bought a  £5 card, used it once for about 20mins, (out of an apparent 1000+). And then, despite it still having credit, I could never call a single other number on it again. Needless to say their customer services are the very kind you fear coming across, i.e.: a million miles away, deaf to your concerns and completely unable to do anything to rectify your loss of time, money and whist.† Cost: Minimizing the cost is one of the main objectives of any organization. When companies try to minimize their costs they must consider many factors in order to make decisions. Lyca tell seems to increase cost due to the delay of handling costs. These problems eventually result in dissatisfaction and obviously if one customer is dissatisfied hundred of other are affected due to the word of mouth. Hence labour productivity effects directly on the increasing costs and puts bad impacts on efficiency. View â€Å"I am so frustrated with my attempts and loss of time that I will not buy this card again and will relay my experience to my friends too.† â€Å"There was nothing good in my experience about Lycatel and their calling cards. Open a card without using it, and you will be surprise Lycatels computers will use the card for you. I thought I would have received loads of minutes on the cards but Lycatel.com never fulfilled this for me. I therefore do not recommend Lycatel.com.† Problem Description: Analysis has pointed out a problem in their customer services. Being business doctors it is diagnosed that actually the problem doesn’t exist directly in the customer services but in their operations. The statement we arrived at as diagnosed above is based on our detailed analysis by utilising the performance tool in the early section. Our research has found that the root cause of the problem exists in operations management because that the call centres of LYCATEL’s are based in India which is purely an operations based decision as the service layout is wrongly designed. Due to the cheap labour most of the customer services staff is hired from the mentioned country. LYCATEL deals with millions of customers in the UK market every day. Further more it is found that many other problems link to this decision. Solution/Recommendation: It is recommended that LYCATEL should realize the customers concern and they should change their layout of call centres from India to UK. Our conclusion is based on our detailed analysis where all factors are analysed and we find that in order to improve quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and reduce cost the service layout must be redesigned and call centres should be based in the UK. And British people should be hired. This will not only reduce the customer’s complaints regarding language barriers but also improve quality satisfaction. Properly trained employees with better communication will increase the speed of handling calls which will eventually reduce the cost and also reduce the waiting calls time. LYCATEL’s call centres are basically structured in India due to the cost effectiveness. They have surely seen one side of the picture but have totally ignored the other side. Our calculations show that if one person is dissatisfied it can distract 100s of customers. If LYCATEL satisfies one customer it means he is saving hundreds of customers which is actually cost effectiveness. Another angel of cost reduction can be considered by employing well trained staff who can satisfy three times more customers as compare to less trained staff. As LYCATEL is operating in different parts of the world, We recommend that small scaled call centres should be established for only UK based customers which another way of considering cost effectiveness. Our research has also found that people living in India are not much familiar with the cultural values of the UK, this is also one of the reasons which results communication gaps when dealing with totally different cultural background customers. References: (http://www.balancedscorecardreview.it/c2005/Definition-of-Performance-Measurement.pdf) 12/03/09 @ 20:30 Max Moullin – Defining performance measurement in Perspectives on Performance Volume 2 (Issue 2 March 2003) (http://www.lycatel.com/LycaTelHome.aspx) Date: 14/03/09 @ 14:00 (http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews93358.html) 16/03/09 @ 19:45