International business in focus Essay

Do you know that the world has become smaller because of the current global financial crisis? Global financial crisis is a song that has been sung by every tongue one time and again. Screaming headlines on global economic crisis have been posted on all sorts of newspapers available on earth. Radios and televisions do not take a break either when reporting about the world’s financial crisis. It is not a song of praise that has been sung about global financial crisis but one that is directly opposite of what praise means. Global economic crisis has been a monster in the world and countries have been reduced to nothing. All sectors of the economy have been touched by global financial crisis. It has had negative impacts on several areas. This term paper examines the global financial crisis and its impacts on the tourism industry for the past two years. The Global Financial Crisis For a better understanding of the impacts that are brought about by financial crisis on the tourism industry, it is important to first look at the global financial crisis in general. For the past two years, the economy of the world has been characterized by escalating fuel and food prices, collapse of financial markets, and contraction of the world’s economic demand. The economy around the world declined in growth from 5. 2% in the year 2007 to -1. 1% in the year 2009 (Commonwealth of Australia, 2010). Global financial crisis is therefore not a new term and it has been the topic of the day. Its effects began to be felt seriously in the year 2008. All around the globe, stock markets have been reduced to pieces, financial institution that seemed to rule the world have fallen while other have been sold out, and the wealthiest governments on earth have been forced to establish rescue packages as a way of bailing financial systems. In general, the whole world has been reduced to nothing by the current financial crisis. The global financial meltdown has affected people’s livelihoods in the interconnected world (Shah, 2009). The financial crisis has deepened disrupting many systems. It has gone way too far than even the Great Depression (Chossudovsky, 2010). Critics argue that the problem that the world is facing today could be avoided only if the ideologies that support the present day economic models had not been as vocal as they are, so influential and inconsiderate to the views and concerns of others (Shah, 2009). The financial crisis in the world has seen the collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market in the US as well as the housing boom reversal in industrialized economies. Additionally, there are other weaknesses that have been exposed in the so called global financial system. Some of the financial instruments and products have become complex that every aspect of life has taken a new turn. The tourism industry has not been spared either (Shah, 2009). The Tourism Industry Tourism has been a major export in many countries. Many countries around the globe rely on tourism as a source of their revenue. Money that is earned from this sector is used to develop other key areas (Economics Department Caribbean Development Bank, 2008). The industry has several divisions such as the travel agents, international and domestic airline industries, hotels and restaurants, and several other tourism boards. In many areas around the world, the tourism industry has stakeholders such as the foreign embassies, tourism associations, international organizations, and mass media to promote the industry, tourism information centres, and travel writers (Lauder, 2008). For the past sixty years or so, the tourism industry has continually diversified and grown to be ranked among the largest fast growing sector in the economy all over the world. More destinations have over time opened up and more investments have been made in the development of the tourism industry. Modern tourism has been a key-driver for the socioeconomic progress. Some countries in the world can barely stand without tourism. It has become very important in the international trade market. Large amounts of money in terms of foreign exchange are earned from the tourism industry. The export income that is generated by the international tourism is currently ranked fourth after automotive, chemicals and fuel products. Developing countries benefit a lot from tourism. In fact, it is the main source of income and number one export. Tourism industries in the developing worlds have created employment opportunities for masses and at the same time leads to other developments such as infrastructural development. The world has in the recent years been hit by the financial crisis. How then will the global financial crisis be reflected in the tourism industry? Mladenovic & Zlatkovic, 2009) The industry as has been explained before is a very important sector in the economy of many countries. It has positive impacts on the economy of the host country through the foreign exchange earnings. More still, the host country benefits as jobs for the citizens have been created, relieving the country of the unemployment burden. Poverty is eradicated in the process and social services and infrastructure improved. In the overall, tourism leads to the development of the host country and the world in general (OPPapers. com, 2010). Impacts of the global financial crisis on the tourism industry The current global financial crisis has disrupted the tourism industry; the efforts that have been made by the industry have borne little or no fruit. Huge are the losses that have been suffered by the tourism industries all around the world (OPPapers. com, 2010). The United Nations Tourism Organization had predicted that till December 2008, the tourism sector’s growth would be slowed down by about 2-3% by the global financial crisis. The impact of the crisis, as reported, would still be felt in the year 2009. True to their word, tourism arrivals decreased significantly in several ports of the world such as in Polonia Airport in Indonesia. There was 85% tourism decrease in this particular port (Wieke, 2008). As Laude reported in an article on, Global financial crisis bites tourism industry, â€Å"As the global financial crisis bites, the †¦international tourism market is headed for its worst downturn in two decades â€Å"(Laude, 2008). In Austria, a forecast that was prepared for Tourism Austria had warned that the international tourists’ numbers to Austria would significantly be cut by 4% or more in the year that followed. All around the world, the number of tourists have been cut off (Lauder, 2008). As had been pointed out earlier, the tourism industry provides job opportunities to the citizens of the host country, and earns foreign exchange to the host country. When the tourists’ numbers are cut out, many people are bound to lose their jobs in the process as well as reduced foreign earnings putting the country at a greater economic crisis (Lauder, 2008). According to an article by Lauder on, Global financial crisis bites tourism industry, â€Å"Global tourism is already feeling the effects of the financial crisis† (Lauder, 2008). The United Nations Tourism Agency had on October 16th 2008 warned that tourism industry would experience sharper downturn in months that would follow (Lauder, 2008). Businesses are affected in the process such as those that sell products to tourists. The consumer demands have fallen in the tourism leisure sectors. These businesses are very supportive to the economy as they pay taxes to the government. This means that the economy is in turn affected by the reduced taxes (UN News Centre, 2008). In addition when there is a global economic crisis, the amount of disposable income shrinks. The small tourism businesses such as the local travel agencies and the tour operators that cater for both domestic and international tourist suffer a major setback when individuals’ level of disposable income decreases. The locals also constitute to the tourism industry but when the economy is tight on them, they spend less on domestic tourism (Kaar, 2009). In the northern hemisphere for instance, the international tourism had grown by 5% in the year 2008 as compared to the year 2007. However, this was short lived as it began to take a downward slide especially during summer holidays. Numerous businesses in the world are suffering from credit crunch as many customers cut back their travel spending (UN News Centre, 2008). In Vietnam, it was not until the collapse of Lehman Brothers in the mid of 2008 that it dawned to the world that the financial crisis was enormous. The financial crisis that was facing the US shook the globe with credit. Asia, a world that had seen high growth rates with stringent banks and large domestic consumers, was not spared as it has suffered greatly as a result of the financial crisis (UN News Centre, 2008). Global financial crisis and its impact on the tourism industry on developing worlds The crisis that hit the world also affected the developing worlds. In the year 2009, the developing world’s economic growth was projected to be at 1. 7% as compared to the 8. 3% of the year 2007. Consequently, there has been a decline in direct foreign investment, export revenue which also includes the tourism revenue and remittance. As a result, many sectors such as the tourism industry have been affected. Many people have also lost their jobs. Others, who are lucky to have jobs, have been pushed to take low-income jobs. Poverty has resulted as a result of the global financial crisis (Commonwealth of Australia, 2010). The economic crisis that the world is facing has had major impacts on the developing countries. The international financial flows and the private financial flows to the developing countries have rapidly fallen rapidly. The international resource flows as well as the private capital flows have been affected, for instance, the Foreign Direct Investment (Mladenovic & Zlatkovic, 2009). As UNWTO in an article on, Tourism and financial crisis reports, â€Å"The tourism sector is suffering from reduced consumer demand -business and leisure- and tourism business are already feeling the credit crunch† (UNWTO, 2008). The members of UNWTO Executive Council had experienced market deterioration in the tourism sector (UNWTO, 2008). For the last two years, the financial crisis in the world has hit newspaper headlines. The tourism industry just like any other has not gone unaffected by this economic depression. The tourism industry has been greatly affected because it is extremely fragile and volatile unlike other sectors that do not feel any effect. As the United Nations World Tourism Organization observes, the situation is getting even worse in the sector. First, there has been a big drop in the demand of tourist goods as well as tourist leisure. The slow down is greatly felt during summer holidays when there is high expectation of a rise in the number of tourists storming the northern hemisphere (Tourism-review. com, 2010). The UNWTO had however given these predictions that the financial crisis would affect the tourism industry in the years 2008 and 2009. The organization had even set a Resilience Committee whose work was to support the members through providing them with accurate analysis of the economy as well as response mechanisms. The secretary-general of the organization, Franesco Frangiali had admitted that the financial crisis was bound to decrease the travel and the leisure spending. He also admitted that the situation created by the global financial crisis was not as bad as the one that had surfaced during SARS outbreak in the year 2003. The SARs as he claimed caused a lot of harm in the tourism industry (Tourism-review. com, 2010). â€Å"Because the financial crisis is global, the fears and impacts of it are global as well† (Tourism-review. om, 2010). These are words picked from an article, Financial crisis impacts on the tourism industry, by Tourism-review. com. According to a report by the International Monetary Fund, the global crisis made a major impact in Caribbean, an island where the tourism industry is a very important boost to the economy (Tourism-review. com, 2010). In Kenya, the Minister of Tourism, Najib Balala had expected escalation of food prices as well that of other essential comm odities as a result of the global financial crisis. The tourism sector in the country could be badly damaged again just after it had recovered from the violence that erupted after elections in the year 2007. As had been feared, the tourism sector took a downward slide in the two years that followed as a result of the global financial crisis and it has not yet recovered from the shock (Tourism-review. com, 2010). The tourism industry is a very important sector in the economy of Tanzania. For many years, it has had positive effects on the Tanzanian economic development. It is not until recently when the financial crisis set in that the tourism industry was weakened (Lyimo, 2009).

Louise Essay

The story is entitled by a woman’s name, therefore it gives a foreshadowing that the story will be about a woman or a girl named Louise. The first sentence begins with the personal pronoun I, which means that the story is written in the first person. Thus, taking into consideration that the author is a man, even before the reading, it is possible to suppose that the story will be about a woman who has left a great impression about herself. Usually it is a good impression even if it is about a one-way love. That’s why from the very beginning the story has surprised me much, because it begins with the sentences: â€Å"I could never understand why Louise bothered with me. She disliked me and I knew that behind my back she seldom lost the opportunity of saying a disagreeable thing about me.† Such statement (she disliked me) is a challenge for a curious reader and makes him read up to the end and find the reasons. Having read the story â€Å"Louise† I can say that the main theme of it is the relationships between people. The problem which the author raises is that some people can play on their neighbours’ feelings very easily. They use any possibility to do it. In case of the main character, Louise, it is her mystic heart disease. She could convince everybody, including herself, in its existence and there have not been any attempts to argue, before the narrator has done it. He tells the story in an ironic way, but at first it is a hidden irony. He does not comment on the events, he just presents them. For example, while Louise’s first husband Tom Maitland wants the narrator to believe in her bad condition and for that oxymoron â€Å"she’s dreadfully delicate† and metaphor â€Å"her life hangs on a thread† are used, the narrator brings the proofs of an absolutely different state of things, using the antithesis in parallel constructions: â€Å"I had noticed that if a party was amusing she could dance till five in the morning, but if it was dull she felt very poorly and Tom had to take her home early.† In such way, without any remark, just using antithesis in order to show how Louise’s words contradict her actions, the author shows the irony of the situation: â€Å"Of course it will kill me,† she said – It didn’t kill her.† â€Å"Her friends asked her why she did not marry again. Oh, with her  heart it was out of the question, she answered – A year after Tom’s death, however, she allowed George Hobhouse to lead her to the altar.† The uttered represented speech shows the way of Louise’s usual behavior and produces the necessary effect on the reader. And even that fact that she always repeated to her husbands that she wouldn’t live long and the fact that she â€Å"outlived† both of them produces an ironic effect. I think, it is possible to say that all Louise’s life is one big antithesis, because she has lived more than forty years softly making other people do what she wants but constantly repeating â€Å"I hate the thought of anyone sacrificing themselves for me.† All people who surrounded her describe her with such epithets: â€Å"a frail, delicate girl with large and melancholy eyes†, â€Å"dreadfully delicate†, â€Å"the most gentle wife† and no one has ever thought that it was just a mask. Only the narrator has mentioned the possibility of its existence: â€Å"Perhaps she knew that I alone saw her face behind the mask and she hoped that sooner or later I too should take the mask for the face.† And only at the end of the story he reveals his true attitude to her. He expresses his irony about her behavior openly and says: â€Å"I think you’ve carried out a bluff for twenty-five years. I think you’re the most selfish and monstrous woman I have ever known. You ruined the lives of those two unhappy men you married and now you’re going to ruin the life of your daughter.† Again the antithesis is used. Firstly the narrator himself describes her as â€Å"a frail, delicate girl with large and melancholy eyes† and then from his own words she appears to be â€Å"a selfish and monstrous† and even â€Å"a devilish woman†. Only now it is possible to answer why â€Å"Louise bothered† with the narrator. Only he has seen her real face. The plot structure of the story â€Å"Louise† is as following: 1. There is no exposition. The development of the action begins from the first sentence: â€Å"I could never understand why Louise bothered with me†. 2. The rising action is almost the whole story 3. The climax is in the last dialogue between the narrator and Louise. 4. The falling action is a wedding of Louise’s daughter 5. The denouement is Louise’s death.  The elements of plot are ordered chronologically. The line of narration is straight. There are two main characters: Louise and the narrator himself, where Louise is an antagonist and the narrator is a protagonist. There are  also some flat characters such as Tom Maitland, the first husband of Louse; George Hobhouse, her second husband, and her daughter Iris. Making a conclusion, I want to say that this is a true to life story, which can happen anywhere (the author does not even point to a place where the actions have been developing). To my mind, he decided to write this story because Louise really had impressed him much. It seems to me that in some cases he even admires the ability of this woman to make everything in a way she wants it to be done. It produces such effect that she dies at the day of her daughter’s wedding only because she wants to show that she is really ill and has had right that her daughter’s wedding will kill her. I think it is very topical nowadays, because a lot of people wear their masks in order not to show their real faces and intentions.

Identity in “the Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man”

Identity in â€Å"The Autobiography of an ex-colored man† The Autobiography of an ex-colored man is a fiction novel dealing with acceptance and fitting in. The narrator of the story, who is considered both black and white, is struggling in his quest to find his true identity. The book is tragic and ironic in a way, since the main character spends a huge part of his life pretending to be white, while the author, James Johnson, is an active fighter for the rights of colored people.The novel itself is one of the first texts ever written, showing the difficulties which people of colour were facing. The hero goes back and forth while exploring the world and his roots. That is why, probably seeking redemption, he goes back to his childhood dream of becoming a great man of colour. Personal history and childhood is always in the bottom of people and their behavior. This is why understanding the narrator’s childhood and his dream is important for understanding his identity.In th e beginning of the book the author describes Shiny’s great speech and how this triggered his dream of becoming a great coloured man. The little boy’s triumph seems to inspire the narrator’s dream, but the later description of the â€Å"phenomenon of enthusiasm† which comes after Shiny’s triumph, and every other Negro, who has reached Excellency, suggests that a man of colour can never achieve a true victory. It seems like the author suggests that Shiny is not actually applauded because of his speech, but rather because of his skin colour and the fact that white people expect less from him.Aware of that, the narrator believes that whatever he achieves in his life, every rise and fall, will be judged by â€Å"coloured eyes† and that is probably why he ultimately does not choose to follow his childhood dream of becoming a composer The author describes the little black boy in great details. In the author’s opinion, Shiny â€Å"made a str iking picture†, which implies that the boy looks ridiculous on the stage.To complete the picture of the boy, the narrator explains how his clothes â€Å"didn’t fit him too well†, which provokes the reader’s sympathy, because of the fact that he is trying to prove how he is more than what he looks like. The ex-coloured man also describes Shiny’s looks as â€Å"positively handsome†, which implies a surprise that someone that black can actually look handsome. The way in which the boy is described, reveals the hidden bias against the coloured people in the whole novel. The public is escribed as dominantly white â€Å"with an exception of a score or so that was lost to view. † In a real situation, coloured people would be easily distinguishable among the white ones. Thus, I believe that the author is trying to highlight how little support Shiny has and how helpless is he feeling. The narrator doesn’t know what the little black boy is feeling up on the stage, but he makes many assumptions. We can assume that those assumptions are what the narrator would have felt if he was up there himself.Shiny is also compared with â€Å"a gladiator tossed into an arena†. This leaves the impression that he has no other option, but to fight and prove him, which shows how man of colour were never judged equally, but rather seen through the â€Å"coloured eyes†. By the end, the author says â€Å"How so young an orator could stir so great enthusiasm was to be wondered†. Here he finally admits for the first time that not the appearance, but the abilities and great speech of Shiny has won the applauses.The word â€Å"wondered† appears to be some kind of skepticism, and later the author explains in the next paragraph that people are always â€Å"stirred by the same emotions† and the â€Å"same phenomenon of enthusiasm† follows any black man's success. This once again underestimates Shiny†™s success. The author hints that his abilities have nothing to do with his successful speech, because after all Shiny is â€Å"what is common in his race, a natural orator. † The author also paints the picture of how the â€Å"boy gallantly waging with puny, black arms so unequal† managed to touch the â€Å"deep springs in the hearts of his audience†.The perceived weakness of the African-American people is notably present in the description of the scene, and it provokes deep sympathy in the readers. This particular memory of the narrator is crucial for understanding his motives. It may seem like he is running away from his race and living the life of a white man because it is easier, but considering the fact that he observes this scene through his â€Å"coloured eyes†, we can assume that this is probably in the bottom of his decision not to pursue his dream and to end up choosing the â€Å"easy† path of life.

Foreign Exchange Market Intervention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Foreign Exchange Market Intervention - Essay Example Author also note, though, an obvious experiential puzzle concerning the secrecy of much intervention and propose an additional way in which intervention may be effectual but which has so far conventional little concentration in the literature, namely from side to side its role in remedying a harmonization failure in the foreign exchange market (Adams, Donald and Dale W., 2003). In this research author assess the development made by the profession in understanding whether and how exchange rate intervention works. To this ending, author appraisal the theory and confirmation on official intervention, absorbed primarily on work published surrounded by the last decade or so. According to the expert analysis this reading of the latest literature leads us to terminate that, in difference by the profession's consensus view of the 1980s, official intervention can be effectual, particularly through its role as a signal of policy intentions, and particularly when it is publicly make known and concentrated. Author also note, though, an evident empirical puzzle relating to the secrecy of much intervention and put forward an supplementary way in which intervention may be effectual but which has so far conventional little notice in the literature, namely from side to side its role in remedying a harmonization breakdown in the foreign exchange market (Agnor, 2004, pp. 1-1 6). Accor... Whether or not official exchange rate intervention is effective in authority exchange rates, and the means by which it does so, are issues of critical policy significance, and they have been the subject of a enormous academic and policy-related literature. Given the policy significance of official intervention, it is perhaps not astonishing that this literature has been the venue for a considerable and ongoing economic argument. Insofar as a consensus is perceptible betauthoren economists and policy makers relating to the efficiency and attractiveness of exchange rate intervention, it come into view to have shifted quite a few times over the past quarter of a century (Agnor, 2002, pp. 357-94). At the time of the fall down of the Bretton Woods adaptable peg exchange rate system in the early 1970s, when the poauthorrlessness of the authorities to hold the parities in the face of enormous tentative attacks had it seems that been demonstrated only too authorll, the profession appeared poauthorrfully to favor a pure float, connecting zero intervention. The 1970s experience with floating exchange rates among the main industrialized countries, and the ensuing instability of both nominal and real exchange rates, though, led to a shift in this agreement so that, by the late 1970s, equally economists and policy makers chiefly of countries which had undergo a considerable loss in competitiveness often criticized the U.S. authorities for not which capital could move among urbanized countries, the prevailing consensus betauthoren economists, policy makers and foreign exchange market practitioners throughout the early 1980s come into view to

Compare and Contrast the traditional music of India with the Research Paper

Compare and Contrast the traditional music of India with the traditional music of Korea - Research Paper Example In 12th century, influences from the Middle East made Indian music split in to two main paths. Carnatic music was not altered by Arabian culture unlike Hindustani music, which embraced evident Persian and Arab influences from the ruling Muslim kings in the Northern states of India (â€Å"Carnatic music†). In 13th century Carnatic music localized in the Southern part of India and developed there a significant music culture (Randel, ed.). Carnatic music was quite diverse, but it utilized the main elements of Indian music which were sruti, swara, tala and raga. Out of these elements, sruti was defined as a musical pitch, and swara was the repetition of the same note; raga was a specific interchange of ascending and descending parts of the melody, and tala was a fixed rhythmic scale (Randel, ed.). Carnatic music was usually composed; though, improvisation was possible as well. Instrumentation of Carnatic music included the main performer (vocalist), melodic and rhythm accompanimen t and a drone (Randel, ed.). Usually, the vocalists sat in the middle of the stage because they were main figures in the performance, other musicians circled them behind. Goryeo dynasty, which ruled in 938-1392, contributed a lot to the development of Korean traditional music. Goryeo dynasty music was represented by aak, court ceremonial music (So). Aak was derived from Chinese model and it was translated as elegant music; it was presented to Goreyo dynasty in Korea by Song Dynasty in China. However, Koreans retuned Chinese music gifted to them and developed unique tone and style, which was radically different from Chinese music. All instruments for aak were shipped from China; they were divided into two orchestras – tungga (veranda orchestra) and hon’ga (ground orchestra) (So). According to Randel ed., akk orchestras included extremely diverse instruments grouped as idiophones (wooden and stone chimes, boxes, scrappers and clappers), aerophones (octarina, various flutes,

Marketing Environment of the Czech Republic Essay

Marketing Environment of the Czech Republic - Essay Example After its break with the Slovak Republic, the Czech nation rapidly privatized state-owned businesses. State ownership of businesses was at about 97 percent under communism—today it is less than 20 percent. The country is also reducing its dependence on highly polluting brown coal as an energy source, turning more toward nuclear energy. Unquestionably, the integral part of the history of Czech culture is Czech traditions. The traditions are mostly maintained in villages, especially in the Moravian-Silesian region, where they remain as a sign of the cultural taste of the specific areas. Traditional costumes are increasingly popular among Czech people and are also appreciated by foreign visitors. Tourism is a rapidly developing sector, and millions come to Prague to visit castles, palaces, and spas. Although the political and financial crises of 1997 eroded somewhat the countrys stability and prosperity, the Czech Republic succeeded in becoming a NATO member in 1999 and a European Union member in 2004. Czech culture has firm roots in a rich and plentiful history. Tourists and visitors from all over the world can marvel at some of the most beautiful and oldest pieces of architecture, literature and fine arts. Public administration or the management of public services is decentralized in the Czech Republic. Currently, there are only several compact issues managed directly and purely by the highest administrative level - the state. The Czech Republic uses several electoral systems and formulas for recounting votes into mandates. All elections are held on the basis of confidentiality, generality and equality. Direct voting prevails. In international relations, the Czech Republic seeks to represent itself as a democratic nation and a politically, economically and socially stable state in Central Europe. It seeks to promote not only its particular interests but also to

Qualitative study appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Qualitative study appraisal - Essay Example It is the continuity which has several harmful manifestations. Literature Review In order to influence, justify and explain certain actions in research, it is always important for the researcher to conduct a literature review. This is also the case if readers are to believe the findings and other assertions formulated by the researcher. To Mason (1996), a research report without literature review lacks an integral part which is supposed to accord the researcher the opportunity to cite reliable who have researched on the same topic. To Mason further, literature review asserts confidence that the writer is not the first to contemplate on the issue, others before have. Newham (1997) argues that, any research paper without literature review is full of the author’s thoughts and opinions and is very hard to convince others otherwise. The researcher in this paper has put a considerable number of reliable citations giving the research paper the required foundation. Study Approach Both qualitative and quantitative research designs were used. Interviews and questionnaires were used to collect the information. The combination of the two approaches accords the researcher several advantages. Qualitative approaches generate verbal information and not numeric which is analyzed using the holistic analysis approach proposed for qualitative research designs. Inductive reasoning which is involved in qualitative research studies gives the researcher more freedom to probe for more information and explanations. Further, the researcher chose to continue with the qualitative approach since qualitative data collection tools are flexible and can accommodate urgent changes/refinement in cases of new research ideas. This means that the research setting is not affected in the process of the research design implementation. Data collected using the qualitative data gathering methods is very rich and has justified explanations which evoke feasible research contexts.  A qualitative me thod leads to more realistic feel which cannot be given by numerical data analysis in addition to giving the researcher the opportunity to interact and have a feeling of the participants in their own terminologies. The findings which emanate from such techniques benefit from the fact that the data is primary and unstructured and thus the researcher can twist them to fit the context thus giving a better meaning. Quantitative approaches on the other give rise measurable data and are directed by a formulated hypothesis which is determined by the collected data set empirically. In quantitative research design, the research statements and problem are defined in specific terms and not generals statements and clearly specifies the independent variable and the dependent one. Quantitative approaches gives rise to measurable and objective hence providing an effective way of determining casual findings. Data collected using such methods is said to be reliable and valid as there are restriction s placed before actual data collection. Such information puts controls and ensures objectivity in analysis. A valid and reliable approach is used by the researcher to articulate issues. Combining the advantages of the two approaches eliminate any possibility of a biased report. Considering a small group representing other races ensures data quality which makes it possible to generalize the findings to fit

Supreme Court Rulings - Potter v. California Essay

Supreme Court Rulings - Potter v. California - Essay Example It is not only prudent for the government to protect the civil liberties of its citizens but it is a contractual obligation to do so as stipulated in the Constitutional Bill of Rights. Civil liberty is in itself a form of natural liberty, part of which is divested and placed in the hands of the government in order to produce more good and bring happiness in the entire community than if it were to remain in the hands of the individual (Cohen 15). Civil liberty as an offshoot of natural liberty for one to do as they please is not restricted by the government to the extent that it does not threaten public welfare. Civil liberty in guaranteeing one’s freedom to do what they want is limited to injury or harm of others by the action done. The concept of civil liberties is grounded on liberal theory. Liberal philosophers believed in a state of nature prior to a political society where individuals were entirely free to do anything, including killing each other. Creation of societies n ecessitated the need to keep people and their possessions secure thus restricting natural liberty as far as necessary for security of everyone. Any natural right that threatened public order was taken away. The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States protects rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religion from being interfered with by the government. The freedom of expression is constituted by the rights to freedom of press, speech, implied rights of belief and association, assembly, and right to petition the government in order to get a redress of grievances. Interpretation of the extent of protection given to these rights is reserved for the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has interpreted The First... The researcher states that the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States protects rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religion from being interfered with by the government. The freedom of expression is constituted by the rights to freedom of press, speech, implied rights of belief and association, assembly, and right to petition the government in order to get a redress of grievances. Interpretation of the extent of protection given to these rights is reserved for the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has interpreted The First Amendment to apply to the federal government. In this case, the researcher believes that Mr. Potter in pleading the First Amendment referred to the arrest as infringing on his freedom of expression. This freedom basically entails freedom of speech and it would be expedient for us to delve into its intricacies. First, the right to freedom of speech gives individuals the right to express themselves with no constraint or interference and in deed Mr. Potter exercised their freedom in this regard. Second, it is a requirement by the Supreme Court to give justification for interfering with this cases where it makes an attempt to regulate content of speech. Third, is the right to assemble, which allows people to congregate for lawful and peaceful purposes. The right to belief and association is embedded within this right too, which are the First, the Fifth, and the Fourteenth. Fourth, an individual has the right to petition government in order to obtain redress of their grievances.

Legal System and Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Legal System and Skills - Essay Example After killing her, James dragged the body wrapped in a counterpane to the stairs and went back to work. Mr. Dutfield later discovered the body, forcing way into the house. On 26 October 1979 the prosecuting counsel at Nottingham Crown Court confirmed based on medical evidence that had been availed that the crown could accept this was manslaughter caused by diminished responsibility. The defence, however, was not willing to accept this plea of guilty to manslaughter. None of the psychiatrist reports that had been obtained from four doctors was presented to the jury2. When this matter was taken to trial, judge Peter Pain directed that the defendant should be accounted fully responsibility of the action for the defence did not seek arguing diminished responsibility. On January 1980 on re-arraignment, he pleaded guilty of manslaughter, but not guilty of murder. This led to the advancement of the plea based on provocation, but it was unacceptable to the crown. The trial thus proceeded with the single issue of provocation where the judge advised the jury to apply the double test. At the time, a recent decision of the House of Lords was Camplin [1978] AC 705 . The judge later directed that standards of self-control expected of a man who is reasonable should be applied3. The appeal was referred by CCRC on the basis that the decision in Morgan Smith had changed the legal position. Psychiatrist evidence that demonstrated the appellant’s ability of behavior control to be impaired was rendered admissible and relevant by this decision. Since that reference by CCRC the decision has supervened in Holley. Before the appeal could be heard, a Privy Council decision in the A-G, Jersey v Holley was announced. Karimi, the appellant, was a great Communist Freedom Fighter in the Kurdistan a movement he had joined in the year 1984. Two years after joining the movement he married his wife, Mehri Rezai, who was in the same movement and two together

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Strategic Management - Essay Example ALDI opted for conservative methods to offer better quality and reduced prices. The strategy is presented to hold numerous benefits in expansion and retention of an increased market share. Furthermore, ALDI utilizes cheaper measures in advertising as compared to Amazon that spends majority of finances in marketing. This places ALDI at a paramount position to expand and increase the profits with increased income and reduced expenditure, especially in marketing (Stubblefield, 2006). The post critics on the shopping trends of consumers and the focus placed on the comparison of Aldi and Amazon. The German Aldi stores stock mostly their products and offer lower cart value at $0.25. The company saves money through failing to accept credit cards. This includes increased purchase of the cheap products to generate revenue. Amazon offers value in products through the online stores. This generates easier measures in shopping to offer the convenient sopping measures. These are the differences in the two stores with the consumers offered cheap expenses in Aldi and the convenient Amazon. These stores may serve as supplements in their positioning since they satisfy consumers in varied manners. The post offers the challenge on the preference of a company based on the strategies that they incorporate in their marketing

What are the advantages and disadvantages for society, when people Essay

What are the advantages and disadvantages for society, when people live longer lives - Essay Example This review will explicate the fact that when people live longer, it is both beneficial and detrimental to the societies in which they live. To start with, research has shown that contrary to the perception that when people live longer they are merely burden to society; there are actually some very significant benefits if people live longer. For instance, when people live longer lives, they are a valuable asset to society because of the vast amount of knowledge they have acquired about different issues throughout their lives. While old people may often be perceived as ancient and outdated, it is indisputable that the present-day advancements in most spheres of life were borne out of foundations that were set up when those who are in their old age today were younger (Johnson & De Souza, 2008, p. 24). As such, the opinions and expertise that can be attained from those who have lived long are invaluable to society. While the opinions of the elderly may not be given from a professional standpoint, the mere fact that they have spent more time alive makes their opinions worth seeking. For instance, in the current tough economic times, most people forget that there are people who have lived, and survived tougher economic times during the economic depressions that followed the two world wars. In this situation therefore, the opinion of someone who lived through both wars is clearly invaluable to society. Another advantage of people living longer is that they are able to pass on positive societal values to the younger generation. During recent decades, societies globally have been able to get rid of values that were detrimental to society. Such values include male chauvinism and racism. However, societies have also adopted some values that are of no benefit to them. In fact, the family unit which is the most basic unit of any society has been negatively affected by the current trend of doing away with any value that is considered ‘traditional’ irrespective of

Raising self esteem Essay Example for Free

Raising self esteem Essay Introduction This paper explains briefly the research proposal which specifically focuses on the programs proven to be effective in raising self-esteem in at-risk youth. This research proposal includes the background of the study, statement of the problem, statement of hypothesis, the significance of this study and scope and limitation of the study. Background of the Study The extent to which youth are labeled at-risk varies according to different authorities from psychology, education, sociology, and other fields (Astroh, 1993). Some authorities maintain that all youth are born at high risk (Glenn Nelsen, 1988). Others estimate that one-quarter of 10-17 year olds are at-risk Dryfoos, 1990). In more recent development, the number of youth in their high-risk years who commit offenses will increase: by 2010, 10- to 14-year-old juvenile offenders are projected to increase by about 6 percent, while ages 15 to 19 are expected to increase nearly 20 percent Brown Sevcik, 1999). Effective at-risk youth programs begin with determining who are going to be served. It is through them that programs determine the kinds of designs that are most appropriate for at-risk youth and the policies needed to support an effective high performance youth training system. According to Astroh (1993), broad generalizations about youth can detract from targeted efforts to address real-not perceived-problems in local communities. The loose definition of at-risk youth refers to those youth most likely to fail in school and the labor market. Furthermore, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act adopted by Congress defines youth at risk as a youth at risk of educational failure or dropping out of school or involvement in delinquent activities (Brown Sevcik, 1999). More specifically, there are some methods in defining at-risk youth such as the Group Characteristics and the Skill Levels (Center for Human Resources, 1993). In the first method, at-risk population is defined in terms of demographic characteristics—having low income, being black or Hispanic, having dropped out of school, or receiving welfare. More recently, behavioral characteristics such as court-involvement, teen parenting and substance abuse have been identified as additional risk factors. At-risk youth, then, are frequently defined in terms of a list of characteristics, or combinations of characteristics (CHR, 1993). Many states depend exclusively on these kinds of demographic indicators to define the at-risk population, because of the strong research base (CHR, 1993). However, the major drawback to using only group characteristics is that when used in planning, they tend to mask the real skill issues that need to be addressed (CHR, 1993). The Skill Levels approach defines at-risk youth in terms of specific skill deficits or levels of employability; it focuses much more specifically on skills which can be matched up more directly with employer expectations (CHR, 1993). However, some practitioners argue that a purely skill-based definition fails to take into account important social and cultural barriers to Employment (CHR, 1993). To address this problem, CHR (1993) comes up with a hybrid definition. Here, one might define at-risk youth as those who are dropouts, or minorities, or teen parents and who lack specific educational and/or work skills. The purpose of a hybrid definition is to gain the advantages of the skill approach that is, targeting those with clearly specified employment skill needs while formally recognizing some of the social factors that exacerbate the risks of failure in the labor market (CHR, 1993). By including demographic and/or social characteristics, the hybrid approach may also make it easier for youth serving agencies to develop common definitions. To meet the needs of at-risk youth, the community needs to respond by developing intervention services for them that focus on building self-esteem, alternative leisure patterns, redirecting inappropriate lifestyles or behaviors, developing personal skills, assisting with pre-employment training, development of morals and values and enhancing the quality of life through positive recreation experiences (Brown Sevcik, 1999). According to the Association of African American Role Models (2003), one of most overlooked qualities missing in today’s at-risk youth is the building, maintaining, and utilizing self-esteem to achieve personal growth and success. Raising low self-esteem can be a difficult process but one that is surely successful with the intervention of an effective programempowering and counseling at-risk youth to visualize themselves as productive members of their communities (AAARM, 2003). Moreover, teaching self-esteem becomes a process that is continued by the at-risk youth themselves as their positive and productive attitudes permeate their interactions with those around them (AAARM, 2003). Brown and Sevcik (1999) state that recreational programs build self-esteem, self-discipline, commitment and teamwork. Moreover, Therapeutic recreation plays an important role in reaching at-risk youth (Brown Sevcik, 1999). Similarly, the 1992 Decima Report (1992) shows that through cultural alternatives, youth essential life skills including responsibility, self-esteem, cooperation, discipline and patience are built. Cultural activity builds self-discipline and perseverance in our youth; learning to play a musical instrument, rehearsing a play or executing a mosaic mural requires long hours of practice, focus and perseverance, all components of self-discipline, a trait that many at-risk youth are desperately lacking. (Americans for the Arts, 1997) In a more recent report by the Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities (1999), organized youth activities can deter risky behavior in adolescents; students who participate in band, orchestra, chorus or a school play are significantly less likely than non-participants to drop out of school, be arrested, use drugs or engage in binge drinking (SasCultre, 2003). Under this therapeutic recreational program, three methods of service are combined: Intervention, Diversion, and Prevention (Brown ; Sevcik, 1999). The program involves at-risk youth in a school-directed recreational program within the community, developing an awareness of and interest in opportunities available to them outside the school day; enables them to experience fun leisure activities; and to develop healthy friendships, good sportsmanship, mentoring with individuals within the community and healthy leisure interests (Brown ; Sevcik, 1999). With these premises, the researchers will conduct this study to find out and to ascertain the responses made by the Social Work Institutions towards the raising self-esteem in at risk youths. Statement of the Problem This researcher finds the necessity for a study that specifically tackles how successful programs are in raising at-risk youth’s self-esteem. This study intends to know why some programs fail. This proposed research study will try to answer the following queries: 1. What are the needs of at-risk youths in a program? 2. What are the factors that affect the success and effectiveness of a program in terms of raising self-esteem in at-risk youth? 3. What are the measures that should be done to improve a program? Hypothesis There is a significant difference in the raising of self-esteem of the at risk youths at ___________________ when grouped according to gender and age. Significance of the Study This study will be a significant endeavor in boosting self-esteem in at-risk youth. This study will be helpful to social workers this will serve as a guide for them when dealing with at-risk kids. By understanding the needs of these children, in terms of their self-esteem, and presenting the cause of failures of some programs, administrators will be able to design means in raising self-esteem. This could lead to the success of the program. Scope and Limitation This research study will only cover male and female at-risk youth who are currently under a program and whose ages range from 16 to 22. Thus, the programs that will be discussed in the entire study are from the Philippines, although, some programs from other countries might be briefly tackled. This study will only focus on the determination of what causes a program intended to raise self-esteem in at-risk youth, to succeed or to fail. Further, this study will operate based on its definition of at-risk youth. The outcome of this study will be limited only to the data gathered from sociology books and journals and from the primary data gathered from the result of the survey and interview that will be conducted by the researcher. The conclusion and recommendation will only apply to a program which specifically aims to boost self-esteem in at-risk youth. Its application to other sociological domain of helping at-risk youth will need further research. As stated above, this research will partially base its findings through quantitative research methods because this permits a flexible and iterative approach. During data gathering the choice and design of methods are constantly modified, based on ongoing analysis. This allows investigation of important new issues about raising self-esteem in at-risk youth within a Program and questions as they arise, and allows the investigator to drop unproductive areas of research from the original research plan. This study will also employ qualitative research method because it will attempt to find and build theories that will explain the relationship of one variable with another variable through qualitative elements in research. Through this method, qualitative elements that do not have standard measures such as behavior, attitudes, opinions, and beliefs within the restaurants will be analyzed. Furthermore qualitative research is multi-method in focus, involving an interpretative, naturalistic approach to its subject matter. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them. The focus group discussion, on the other hand, will be conducted with the consent of the administrators. The secondary sources of data will come from published articles from Sociology journals, books and related studies on at-risk youth and programs intended to raise self-esteem in at-risk youth. For this research design, the researcher will gather data, collate published studies from different local and foreign universities and articles from social science journals; and make a content analysis of the collected documentary and verbal material. Afterwards, the researcher will summarize all the information, make a conclusion based on the null hypotheses posited and provide insightful recommendations on the dealing with organizational management. Definition of Terms For the clearer understanding Chapter 2 Review of related literature Several related literature and studies conducted locally and abroad gave great help to researchers. Some of these studies are similar to the present study in methodology but the researchers believed that because of differences in social setting by the study, the result would not be the same. Based on the data in â€Å"Improving the Self Esteem of At-risk Youth† (Levine, Majerovitz, Schnur, Robinson, and Soman, 2008), it describes and evaluate a program, RESOLVE, designed to increase self-esteem and encourage healthy lifestyle choices of at-risk youth. This federally-funded (U. S. Administration for Children and Families, CBAE) program combines an educational component teaching healthy lifestyles, goal setting, and refusal skills to avoid unhealthy behaviors with a vocational training and recreational component. The emphasis of this evaluation is to assess the impact of program participation on self-esteem and knowledge of healthy behaviors. Self-esteem was chosen as a target variable for intervention based on its central role in predicting mental health and well-being, as well as enhanced health and social behaviors (Mann, Hosman, Schaalma, and deVries, 2004). Strong family and community relationships are predictors of high self-esteem (Greene and Way, 2005). These relationships are disrupted for foster care youth, placing them at risk for low self-esteem. Low self-esteem and disruption in family and community relationships is associated with poor social and lifestyle choices. For example, lack of a father figure and low self-esteem are associated with higher risk of teen pregnancy among Jamaican youth (Keddie, 1992). Low self-esteem and disruption in family and community relationships is associated with poor social and lifestyle choices. For example, lack of a father figure and low self-esteem are associated with higher risk of teen pregnancy among Jamaican youth (Keddie, 1992). Adolescents who had lower self-esteem at baseline reported initiating sex earlier and having had risky partners (Ethier et al. , 2003). Peer group programs that increased self-esteem among youth with severe behavior problems from dysfunctional families helped to reduce problem behaviors (Frank, 1996). A number of programs designed to encourage healthy life choices among at-risk adolescents have been reported in the literature. The most successful programs combine traditionally-presented curriculum with opportunities for practical application outside the classroom. For example, the Teen Outreach Program (Allen, Philliber, and Hoggson, 1990) links volunteer work to classroom experience for at-risk youth. The program significantly reduced pregnancy and school drop-out rates among participants across a spectrum of ethnic groups. A similar program, the Quantum Opportunities Program (Hahn, Leavitt, and Aaron, 1994) offers education, mentoring, and volunteer service opportunities to disadvantaged youth. School drop-out rates and teen pregnancy decreased, while employment or further education increased. The Catalano and colleagues (2004) review on positive youth development (PYD) was commissioned by the US Department of Health ; Human Services, completed in 2002, and conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Washington (Catalano, et al. , 2004). The review ultimately included twenty-five program evaluations, and findings indicate promising results for strength-based programs serving youth and children. The review’s definition of PYD is very broad, including any intervention that meets at least one of fifteen constructs6; none of which stipulated involvement of young people in program decisions or design. The broad inclusion criteria for PYD programs coupled with a lack of predetermined outcomes largely explain why so many evaluations were included in the review. In contrast to the Catalano and colleagues review, the forthcoming review will focus on youth empowerment, reduce program heterogeneity, and minimize the chance of spurious conclusions due to a lack of predetermined outcomes. The Wallerstein (2006) review, conducted for the World Health Organization, was the only review identified by the authors that directly addressed empowerment strategies. The review explores empowerment broadly for all age groups and with an interest in health outcomes. Wallerstein gives a useful overview of various themes within the broader empowerment movement and gives a framework for empowerment that includes multiple levels of outcomes. The broad, international review of outcomes linked to empowerment offers valuable context for this protocol. The resulting framework includes a heavy emphasis on self-efficacy, community engagement, and social bonding, which reinforce their importance as outcomes of interest in the planned review.

History Of The Work Breakdown Structure Information Technology Essay

History Of The Work Breakdown Structure Information Technology Essay Projects developed with available time and budget are more useful for own as well as customers satisfaction. This process is completed through the mechanisms of planning, monitoring and also re-planning. This report supports the project scheduling, planning and analysis methodologies, modeling concepts and analysis technique. The report is presented using a theoretical contribution on process simulation to assist design planning. We have highlighted the design planning using Microsoft Project Design with key challenges of project management. The Microsoft Project is a flexible and competent program designed to administrate the projects and help to plan effectively. We can organize the lists of task and set the time frame and facilitates with quick planning of projects. Large and complex projects are more significant for the project management. The consequence decisions of projects as how the project is managed and role of the managers are portrayed. When the schedule is tight more need is magnified. Technical design of projects requires different skills and for the complex projects the technical aspects are out these areas which need to be well managed. For this reason project management is more emphasized backed by the specialized resources. The management team is responsible for the development, designing and delivery of the projects. Our project is based on the case study of the Pharmaceutical industrys Software development in Switzerland. Pharmaceutical industry management needed the software development for their indigenous business and in other countries of the world. It also addresses all the critical processes and operations which are required for its performance and successful business. The management system approaches to quality management and all the successful operations of Pharmaceutical industry. In this process the decommissioning of the business is considered to achieve the mandate and objectives. Work breakdown Structure Work breakdown structure (WBS) defines the total scope of our project. The WBS subdivides the project into smaller and manageable piece of work. This concept of the WBS is used to produce the work packages scheduled, cost estimated, monitored and controlled. The development team uses the WBS from the previous projects and works as a template for new project. The WBS involves the following activities Identifying the deliverable and other related work; Organizing and structuring the WBS; The decomposing of the upper work breakdown structure into lower level detailed components; Assigning and developing the identification codes to WBS. Finally verifying the degree of decomposition which is necessary and sufficient. Schedules Projects are complex endeavors and plan is a necessary guide for the execution of the project. The progress of the project is recorded on a project and remaining work is reassessed in the light of new information. It is rare that execution of a project proceeds as initially set plans. The purpose of the scheduling is to show a road map that when and how the project will deliver the products in the limits of the scope defined by the project team. For the project management planning and analysis the scheduling is one of the basic requirements. Its main aim is to set the time for the required project. The project management sets the time to complete the project. The management team engaged with our project manages the processes as given following. Many activities are performed by the management team accomplishing the project undertaken. Activity: To produce the deliverable projects many specific schedule activities are identified. Activity sequencing: The schedule activities are dependent and activity sequencing identifies these dependencies among the schedule activities. Activity resource estimating: This type of activity defines the resources to perform these schedule activities. Activity duration estimating: It identifies the number of work periods which are entirely needed to complete the individual schedule activity. Schedule Development: The process of analyzing the activity sequences, resources requirement, durations, and other schedule constraints required to create the project schedule. Schedule Control: It controls the changes made in project schedule. For our project we use the Microsoft Project 2010 where Gantt chart gives us visual representation. It represents the tasks and products deliverable within the time specified in schedule. It also provides the roadmap to execute the product its delivery, tracking the changes and also managing the changes. Microsoft Project Management has very powerful tools in it to perform the activities very quickly as in figure 1. Fig 1: Project professional 2010 We can manage the schedule tasking manually using the Project Professional 2010. Fig 2: Improved Top to down scheduling Managing team has option to schedule the task automatically as shown in figure 2. The design and developments tasks of our project are scheduled automatically. The project professional 2010 is more useful for the business managers and productivity of project. The concept of Precedence Diagramming Method (PMD) is used to represent the activities and show the dependencies of the activities with sign of arrows. There are four types of dependencies or called as precedence relationships. Finish-to-Start: Successor activity starts which depends upon the completion of predecessor activity. Finish-to-Finish: the completion of the successor activity depends upon the completion of predecessor activity. Start-to-Start: The successor activity starts and depends upon the completion of the predecessor activity. Start-to-Finish: The completion of the successor activity depends upon the beginning of the predecessor activities. Time constraints are very important during the schedule development. Start and Finish activities can be restricted by imposing the dates which affects the completion of the activities. Many other constraints are also present in the project management software but in our case Start No earlier than and theFinish no later than constraints are specifically used. Project customer, sponsor and stakeholders dictate the major milestones and affect the certain deliverable components to a specific date. The scheduled dates become the expected dates and only can be changed through the approval. Milestones only provide the schedules interface and are not part of the project data base. Fig 3: Milestone and Tasks Project is actually a list of tasks and manager reports and keeps track of it. Our project is broken into phases by the managers and completion of these tasks is called as milestone. Milestone of our projects are documented at the end of each phase which reduces the project operating cost. Planning and Control The planning process consists of the project maturity, scope, development and project management plan and schedule of project activities occurring within project. While control techniques are used to compare the actual performance with planned performance. It also analyses the variances and trend assessment to improve the process improvements and recommending the adequate corrective actions required. Monitoring and Controlling a Project When a project is planned then it requires to be started according to plan. Formal changes in plan are permitted and customers are informed about this change. If this process is not completed then it is not possible to get the approval for the extension of time. In our case the monitoring project ensures: development of the required products is ensured The required standard and quality are being met Products are ready in time according to the budget and planned resources Business case is achieved by the project products Using the planning and scheduling software three components are measured as Time, Resources and cost Planning Time Resources Cost The analysis of the project schedule is not taken lightly. Budget and timeline are the basic measures to analyze the quality of schedule. The budget and timeline are kept on track, if it is not on track then manager takes immediate action to cure the problem. For the project schedule a baseline was established, this baseline is used as starting point and performance on the project is also measured. This technique is used during the project execution when the project is on track. Cost Performance Baseline costs compared and variances are shown between these two variances. Earned Value Management (EVM) technique is used to monitor the IT projects in some ways as other projects. For the effective performance measurement EVM has proven itself and also feedback tool to manage the projects.EVM also informs us that where the project is and its comparison with the proposed project. Value of accumulated cost is also measured by the EVM as the amount of work and amount spent on it. PERT Analysis Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) back to its history was used to control the large complex projects in USA. PERT has become now the combination of the Critical Path Method (CPM) and is thus know as the PERT/CPM. For project in discussion Pert Chart is a five step process. Identifying the all tasks for the entire project i.e. planning to execution of the product. Amount of work required to complete the each task in development of the product. Identifying the immediate predecessor tasks. Entering each task in PERT/CPM chart. Calculating the time and duration based on the resources and durations. In above tasks first two tasks are always manual and completed in brainstorming session. Last three tasks are interacted with MS Project. The best advantage of the PERT is used for the most probable effort for the tasks. We want to know the ways of estimating the effort for each task. Pessimistic, most likely and optimistic estimates are combined together into a single value which gives the expected effort for the task. A weight average simply ensures that any deviation from the optimistic or pessimistic estimates is not so much effective to take away the duration from expected duration. These estimated are more valuable when right people are involved in it. First task needed the two days and second one 1 day each with two people working. We can say that first task requires the 4 person-days of work and second task needed two. Three kinds of dependencies are found during the third task. These dependencies include the (1) project mandatory (2) external mandatory (3) discretionary. It is clear that start of the new task depends upon the success or output of previous task. External dependencies are due to non-project occurrences for example the arrival of the new hardware and interface definition of another project. Discretionary dependencies are troublesome. These dependencies are based on the flexibilities which are used to build the schedule; but also add some complexities. When all rearranging and juggling is completed and hand written information is transferred to computer based applications like MS project. Toggling between views optimistic pessimistic Calculating the Pert Entering the weight for PERT calculation Entering the durations of optimistic, pessimistic and expected in one sheet Entering the durations of optimistic, pessimistic and expected Figure 4: Pert Analysis in MS project We have found that PERT methodology has number of limitations. The first problem lies in calculating the accurate estimates of duration of tasks. When a single dominant path is selected then it yields very accurate results. In case when there are number of parallel paths then it gives overly optimistic estimation. It is recommended that classical PERT model for the quantitative for the risk analysis when you require the accurate estimation for the optimistic, pessimistic and most like durations and our project has a dominant path through the entire network. Conclusions In this report we have discussed the project scheduling, planning and analysis methodologies, modeling concepts and analysis technique using the Microsoft Project. Delivering the IT projects on time and budget is very critical to companies success and their effective management of scheduling. The concept of WBS is an essential part of this report which has determined the scope of our project. Activities and tasks with allocated time and budget are also discussed in this report. For these tasks and activities Gantt chart makes a best visual representation and used to manage and track the changes in schedule. Earned Value Management (EVM) is a best tool to measure the progress of the project. PERT analysis is also a major part of this report to represent the tasks and durations using the MS Project.

Operational Activities of Tesco and Coca Cola

Operational Activities of Tesco and Coca Cola Executive Summary Operations management plays a key role in achieving the performance objectives at Tesco and Coca Cola. The underlying aim is to pace in such a way that the focus lays on the customer needs and wants while the organization stays profitable. Substantial facts have been established with sole focus on utilization of resources by both the companies in an efficient manner. Organizational difference between the two companies has been highlighted under the light of operations management. And an evaluation mix based on both the organizations operational framework is elaborated depicting various factors involved. A critical analysis on the structure of both the organizations is provided which mainly entails the similarities and differences on their respective processes and operations. Contents Section A In the following section, introduction to the selected companies is provided in which a deep insight into the identification of current customers is discussed and what current strategies are applied to them. Along with that, it has also been explained that how the operations are aligned to the customer needs. Introduction to TESCO Tesco is the largest retailer chain in the UK and the third largest in the world. To be exact, as stated in Tesco About Us, (2010), it has operations in 2,362 stores in Britain alone. Tesco started off by trading only groceries but now it merchandizes almost every consumer product ranging from a needle to consumer electronics and financial serves. It has grown through various acquisitions of businesses. As Tesco has grown and so have its employees. Tesco currently employs 286,394 staff in the UK and over 460,000 worldwide (The Times 100 , 2009). To serve bigger markets it needs well-trained staff. The UK is the companys largest market, where it operates under four banners of Extra, Superstore, Metro and Express. The company sells almost 40,000 food products, including clothing and other non-food lines. The companys own-label products (50 percent of sales) are at three levels, value, normal and finest. It knows that better staff knowledge, skills and job satisfaction is all vital to i ts further growth.( http://ivoryresearch.com/sample5.php) 2.1 Customers Current trends indicate that British customers have moved towards one-stop and bulk shopping, which is due to a variety of social changes. Tesco have, therefore, increased the amount of non-food items available for sale. Tesco is purely a consumer centred organization. It constantly strives to offer new services, products and ways to shop. It also makes sure that the delivery is executed on time and is hassle free with no strings attached. Its customers include two entities which comprise of B2C and B2B; domestic or regular buyers and small businesses that buy in bulk for further retail, respectively. According to Baba, (2009), Tesco has an aggregate market share of 30.5% with ASDA following it with about half the lag. 2.2 Alignment All the stores are linked to a database and inventory control is ensured in order to meet the consumer demands. It keeps on giving discounts on goods that are in demand and customer focussed. Especially during seasonal events, Tesco has the policy of lowering the prices while maintaining the quality of products as well services offered. Tesco makes use of advance technology in its routine as well as specialized chores. It has innovated and deployed cameras to reduce queues on self-service tills. This is considered as a breakthrough in mechanized retail business. Introduction to Coca Cola Coca Cola started it operations from Atlanta in 1886 as a drug to relieve from headache by a pharmacist Dr. John S Pemberton. Later it became popular and was put into production as a carbonated cola drink. Currently, The Coca Cola Company is the worlds leading manufacturer, marketer and distributor of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and produces nearly 400 brands. Its winning team comprises of over 92,800 employees globally. It has operations in more than 200 countries. Coca Cola Great Britain (CCGB) offers 21 brands and over a hundred products to the consumers in the UK. Its regional headquarters are situated in west London. 3.1 Customers Coca Cola is a refreshing and invigorating brand and caters to the same market as such. Customers include the youth and young adults but kids and adults have also shown frequent consumption patterns over time. According to Coca Cola, (2010), it offers about 1.6 billion servings of its products to the consumers per day. This represents that it has a huge customer base and is very popular among many. 3.2 Alignment Coca Colas vast operations system is responsible of catering to variable demand of its consumers. With a customer base this large, it has concentrated on its supply chain system to ensure ready availability of Coca Cola products to its consumers. It has marketed itself at the right place and at the right time to ensure its presence among its valued customers. It has catered to the regional values and blended itself into the culture of its consumers such that it keeps the customer relationship bond intact. Analysis 4.1 Total Quality Management (TQM) As mentioned by Oakland, (1995), Total Quality Management is a mix of total quality and total management. It specifies quality, defines service and quality of service. Following are a few of the TQM principles adopted by both the selected companies. 4.1.1 Employee Training Employee training and personnel development is an integral part of any organization. Be it the top management or the field staff, training is very important. (Pulat, 1994) Tescos vast operations and customer handling requires a subtly well trained staff. For this they conduct regular checks and performance measurements to identify key deficiencies in the system and try to uproot them through proper training. Similarly, introduction of new products or services in the brand portfolio requires development of employees. Coca Cola relies on training its valuable staff periodically. Be it the innovative technology improvement in production or new inventory management software, Coca Cola strives to provide their workforce with trainings ranging from basic level to the advanced. 4.1.2 Continuous Improvement Continuous improvement is a very basic concept of TQM and must be a part of every organization. Tesco practices commitment towards closed loop feedback for system correction. It focuses on the communication process and obtains feedback both from its employees and from the customers to accelerate the improvement process. Coca Cola, on the other hand, practices continuous improvement which means that the processes should be made so efficient that no defective article reaches the marketplace. Hence, straightening the processes such that they are aligned to the customer needs. 4.1.3 Teamwork In the current scenario of cut throat competition in the market, firms need to be equipped with multi-dimensional, flexible and competitive workforce to be effective. Coca Cola train its staff in order to create cross functional teams which, in return, give the company harmonized systems of control till the lowest level of hierarchy. Tesco creates opportunities for its workers to hone their teamwork abilities by assigning them a variety of projects. It, hence, synergizes its employees in pursuit of a common goal customer satisfaction. 4.2 Marketing strategies According to Etzel, (2008), marketing strategy is a process which involves utilization of limited resources to attain opportunities and eventually, customer satisfaction. Following are some growth strategies designed to identify and focus on the customer. 4.2.1 Cost Support System Cost support system signifies that the organization is leading the business due to its low cost of production. Tesco being a market leader in retail store business has managed to cut its costs in many ways. It has implanted automated tills where customers are enjoying self-service. Through this it has managed to cut some of its human resource employment cost. Additionally, the implementation of adequate inventory control system has slashed Tescos over or under filling problems which has, in return, saved marginal expenses. Coca Cola has adopted new ways of bottling and through proper research, managed to reduce any wastage cost. Besides, they have their own filtration and recycling plants which have condensed water usage by 21% (Coca Cola, 2010). 4.2.2 Market Subdivision Market subdivision is done in order to identify the individuals who share one or more characteristic that distinguishes them with respect to demand of similar products based on qualities and prices etc. Coca Cola has segmented its product to the young generation which is energetic and dynamic. It has positioned itself in the same way as it target market is. It is available everywhere in the form of bottles and vending machines placed in offices, canteens, bars etc. On the other hand, Tesco targets the shopping community like housewives and adults. They have an access to self-earned money and make buying decisions themselves. 4.2.3 Product Distinction Product distinction is all about creating a differentiating factor that make the product stand out of crowd. Tesco has differentiated itself by price slashing phenomenon. It offers amazing discounts and gives away bundle offers. Moreover, availability of almost every item that a consumer wants is ensured which makes it a one shop stop for everybody. Coca Colas greatest differentiating factor is its bottle shape and its unique taste. The shape of the bottle communicates glamour and quality and the taste has a sense of refinement in it. Section B Operations Management Framework As described by Render, (2001), operations management is a process concerned with efficient and effective production of goods and services while meeting customer preferences. 5.1 Process Planning and Design Process designing involves understanding the two ends that is where to start and where to finish keeping in view the various requirements and limitations during the method performed. Process planning and design refers to the fact of transformation the process that can deliver factors like low cost, high quality, enhanced functionality and speed etc. to the production process of goods or services. Coca Cola has production in many countries and is responsible of producing highly standardized products in large volumes. Coca Cola has become a commodity and a necessity to the consumers. The production usually runs 24 hours a day and seven days a week. This all has been achieved through planning and designing the process of production. Tesco, on the other hand, follows a lesser mechanized channel of approach. It doesnt have to go through the tedious production process but it does package goods to be placed in the stores. Planning and design is an on-going process so Tesco has been continuously planning to spread its fixed cost over the volume. It offers a generalized flow shop operation (See Appendix) which allows the customers an ease of access to all the sections without crowding out and creating bottle necks. 5.2 Process Mapping Business process mapping comprises of the activities that define a road map about what the business actually does, the standard and where does the responsibility chain go to. Coca Cola has adopted this concept of creating value chain and establishing the links in the value chain that where the value needs to be added continuously. Meaningful flow charts, work flow diagrams and value stream maps have been designed in order to pre map any latent ambiguities or confusions regarding the processes. Its production process has been made more efficient and it has found and fixed the holdups in the process through this. Tesco Management uses process mapping to revise existing services and add more services into its operations. However, due to a different nature of business, it uses process mapping less frequently. 5.3 Layout Planning The goal of layout planning is to allow workers, equipment (and where applicable, customers) to operate at peak effectiveness, efficiency and involves determining the most feasible locations of the facilities in order to increase efficiency and minimize cost of operations. Layout planning is a very integral and commonly practiced phenomenon in both the organizations. Layout planning involve the best locations where a product can be displayed and where it would gain the most consumer attention. Tesco, being a retail store, exhibits various layouts for customers to get attracted. The products offered are well placed and ordered in symmetry. Special offers are positioned usually at the entrance of the mart and at the eye level of aisle. Tesco evaluates the brand presence by demand and positive traits to place it on the shelves as a convenience factor. Like new promotions are advertised within the store through print media and are placed within the reach of common customer. Coca Cola keenly places it products according to the store size. In small retail outlets, it focuses on brand visibility as well as product availability. Merchandise and coolers are placed in such a way that they are the first thing to be noticed by the customer who enters the store. Whereas in large retail chains, a proper section is allotted for the Coca Cola merchandise. The aisle is decorated with Coca Cola print advertisements and best-selling and new products are placed at eye level of the consumer to create brand recognition. 5.4 Supply Chain Management As mentioned by Blanchard, (2007), supply chain management is an on-going process which aims to harmonize the movement, storage, usage and the whole value chain which include the process from purchasing to shelving. Tesco has adopted the principles of supply chain management and has reduced its costs by around 45%. As a result, it has been able to lower its inventory as well (Tesco, 2010). As it deals in consumer electronics and basic commodities with standard benefits like food, home supplies, standard clothing etc. its main function here is cost reduction aligned with customer satisfaction. With the fashion goods, timeline is focussed more due to rapidly changing trends. Tesco deals with both the domestic customers as well as to business customers i.e. B2C and B2B respectively. So, it has aligned itself well to cater to both the markets (Brock, 2010). By implementing supply chain management concept, Coca Cola has reduced its inventory costs and production functionality. This has also enabled the company to ensure a rapid delivery of their products to the outlets and eventually the consumers. One more aspect that urges Coca Cola to constantly improve its supply chain system is its belonging to the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. 5.5 Schedule Management Schedule management is all about ensuring that the right tasks are conducted at the right time and on the right items. Following are some of the factors that the companies keep in their minds while managing operations. 5.5.1 Demand Forecast Coca Cola schedules itself by performing a demand forecast to support the whole operations management process. It plans its capacity beforehand to ensure a steady flow for the future sales. For example, Coca Cola foresees its sales to go up in summers or social events so it schedules the production of products in such a way that it caters to the increased demand of the consumers. Similarly, Tesco follows the demand forecasting techniques to stay profitable and be able to respond to demand during the times of social events and festivals. For example, customers would want costumes and pumpkins during Halloween and Christmas trees during Christmas. 5.5.2 Master Scheduling Key players in master scheduling are sales and operations. Coca Cola has disaggregated its workflow into different major chunks. Through this a synergy is created which has a greater and better effect on the overall production process. This means that production process is divided into various segments and a sum of all would result into a whole. Coca-Cola alters the master schedule and as a result, inventories, lead times and capacity requirements are altered in favour. Tesco, on the other hand, manages the inventories and supply lines in accordance to the commodity requirement. For example, perishable goods like frozen food are kept till the mentioned expiry period. To make sure nothing goes wasted, appropriate quantities are taken and under storage capacity. 5.6 Lean Management Lean management, according to Plenert, (2007), refers to the process of elimination of costs as well as wastes during production process. Coca Cola is one of the leaders in waste management system. It has laid a three factor phenomenon i.e. reduce, reuse and recycle the packaging. It has introduced a new bottle design which is 20% lighter and it has slashed carbon emissions by 2,200 tonnes (Coca-Cola, 2010). The company has established recycle zones at certain places to encourage recycling of waste. The glass bottles currently contain about 37% recycled glass, while half of the aluminium used in the cans is recycled. Using the metal in this way saves 95 per cent of the energy needed to manufacture it from its raw form. Hence, new ways have helped slicing costs attached. Tesco practices employee empowerment. It has a team of multi-cultural individuals working under one roof. They have been delegated certain authorities that help benefit both themselves and the customers. Theyve been able to specify value in terms of competitive pricing. Moreover, it has cut costs by training the staff thus reducing the mishandling and waste of perishable goods and delicate items. It pursues perfection by creating customer pull value through value stream. 5.7 Inventory Management System An intelligent inventory management system is what almost every organization needs today. Tesco was one of the first ones to adopt the RFID system in practice. What purpose does it serve is that conventional bar codes are replaced with computer chips or smart tags. And this makes use of wireless technology to track inventory. It goes through two stages i.e. firstly; the suppliers tag the inventory and send it to the respective outlets. To make sure it reaches at the right outlet, they are monitored wirelessly. Secondly, the already reached inventory is unpacked and further allotted with a different RFID and sent to shelves. One of the key benefits it offers is that it prevents from shoplifting. However, Coca Cola practices a bit simpler inventory management system. It gathers the required raw materials like concentrate etc. from various defines sources according to the requirements and stores them for operations. Particular raw material is selected and sent to the work in process. Thus facilitating the entire production process. Critical Analysis on Differences between Organizations Although both the companies have customer focused in their minds, the main difference between both Tesco and Coca Cola is their nature of production. Coca Cola serves in the manufacturing sector and produced high quality goods for consumption whereas, Tesco functions in the service sector and is involved in the production of services. It also acts as a middle man for various deals. Coca cola is a soft drink beverages retail business that serves both the markets i.e. business to consumer and business to business customers. It offers its services to small scale as well as large scale retail outlets in the form of packaged beverage. And for the business community, it has contracts with various businesses like McDonalds and Burger king etc. and provides them with vending machines. It has paced itself well in the industry and always meets the consumer needs. The operation implications of Coca Cola involve a high tech beverage factory that produces high quality beverages and works 24 hours a day and seven days a week. A steady supply of raw materials is managed at a pace harmonious to the production process. A proper storage and inventory control system is also maintained in order to aid the supply chain aspects and then the supply of beverages to the end user is ensured at any cost. Tesco, on the other hand, is in a supermarket business. It focuses more on its outlets and the services it provide to the customers. Moreover, a key fact not to be neglected is its online store named as Tesco Direct. As the name suggests, the delivery is made direct to the defined place. All the bargains that Tesco offers are available online on Tesco Direct. This facilitates the consumer even before visiting the store hence adding value. Apart from dealing in the consumer goods, Tesco is also a key player in various other fields. It operates in Garden centers, for financial services it runs its own bank namely Tesco bank. In addition to that, it has its own brand of electronics products known as Technika. Other services offered include its presence in the telecom and energy sector as well. Section C Evaluation of Mix Today, conducting operations in an environment in which if one doesnt evolve from primitive ways, it will go obsolete. Constant innovation in operations framework and selecting a customer focused approach is very important. The operations at Coca Cola Corporation are in collaboration with their long and short term goals. Through their staunch strategies and their rigorous implementation, Coca Cola has been able to improve itself in terms of financial growth as well as the market share. A better logistics system has helped it reach out to his customers at a rapid pace. And with the implementation of a better and more advanced production plant, it has benefited its own growth by increasing the production capacity and access to multiple productions at a time. The quality standards are maintained according to the world accredited criterions like ISO and environment friendly standards. They have shifted to using CFC free machinery in their chillers and coolers which are much healthier. With adoption of supply chain management system, the company has enabled a systematic approach to operations. The management of supply chain and operations has helped the company to provide the customers with the required satisfaction level they wanted. Coca Cola is one of the leaders in waste management system. It has laid a three factor phenomenon i.e. reduce, reuse and recycle the packaging. It has introduced a new bottle design which is 20% lighter and it has slashed carbon emissions by 2,200 tonnes (Coca-Cola, 2010). Tesco also has a smart inventory control and management system. From collection of goods till their sale, everything is scrutinized and put under check to ensure free flow through proper channel. This has facilitated them to manage and forecast the demand of goods that are demanded more and the ones that are demanded lesser often. Coca Cola provides an excellent customer services programme by introducing new drinks according to the taste of the customers and by doing this they are very successful in maintaining the existing customers loyalty and catching new customers. Coke also introduces a coke reward programme. My Coke Rewards is customer loyalty marketing campaign for the Coca-Cola soft drink. Customers enter codes found on specially marked packages of Coca-Cola products on a website. Codes can also be entered on the go by texting them from a cell phone. These codes are converted into virtual points which can in turn be redeemed by members for various prizes. On the other hand Tescos Club card loyalty scheme is designed not only to reward members based on their spend, but also to enable Tesco to better understand and meet the needs and preferences of its customers by recording and analysing their buying behaviour. In each Club card mailing, Tesco uses the information gained from its loyalty scheme to provide customers with offers that are as appropriate to them as possible. In fact, as a member, when you receive your Club card vouchers, youll also receive one of over 80,000 different combinations of other special offers and vouchers, allocated to you based on your previous purchases and shopping habits. So instead of having to throw half of the extra vouchers away, you should be able to save money by using them all! Tesco was one of the first ones to adopt the RFID system in practice. What purpose does it serve is that conventional bar codes are replaced with computer chips or smart tags. And this makes use of wireless technology to track inventory. However, Coca Cola practices a bit simpler inventory management system. It gathers the required raw materials like concentrate etc. from various defines sources according to the requirements and stores them for operations. Particular raw material is selected and sent to the work in process. By implementing supply chain management concept, Coca Cola has reduced its inventory costs and production functionality. This has also enabled the company to ensure a rapid delivery of their products to the outlets and eventually the consumers. One more aspect that urges Coca Cola to constantly improve its supply chain system is its belonging to the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. The lean procedures have devised employee empowerment and led both Tesco and Coca Cola to reduce as well as manage its wastes and eventually the costs attached to it. Coca Cola has deployed large waste bins in the cities to encourage recycling and practices reusing and recycling waste too. Tesco is also very focused to employee empowerment and gives away incentives to the ones who show performance. Additionally, value is not something that is just attached to price, quality or service but it is related to the experience as well. Layout planning plays a keen part in fulfilling this need of the customer. This satisfaction is achieved when the perceived value goes proportional to the quality provided. Hence, the value is added at every step of production of goods or services. Process automation in the manufacturing of Coca Cola products and in-store mechanization of Tesco has reduced the costs a great deal and has added worth to the companies. The strategies and techniques for production of goods and services are constantly adding value to the means of production as well as to the customer norms which is creating a bond between organizations and the customers. By tracking performance on a regular basis, both the companies can identify areas that are performing well, as well as those that need to be improved and worldwide aims not just to retain customers. They a bigger share of each customers wallet the amount of money the customer has to spend on their products.

The American civil war: causes and conflicts Essay -- American History

The American Civil War, which began in 1861 to 1865, has gone down in history as the one of the most significant events to have ever occurred in the United States of America, thus far. At that time, questions had arose wondering how the United States ever got so close to hitting rock bottom, especially being that it was a conflict within the country itself. Hostility steadily grew through the years dividing the nation further and further, and finally leading to the twelfth day in April 1861 in Fort Sumter, North Carolina. The American Civil War was an irrepressible battle and aside from the obvious physical effects of the war, the disagreement over states rights, the act of slavery, and the raising of tariffs played crucial roles in the division of the country as well as the conflicts that followed. At the beginning of Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, he reflects back to the start of his presidency, â€Å"All thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it, all sought to avert it. Both parties deprecated war. Nonetheless, the war came.†[1] A civil war is a struggle for power inside a nation.[2] Ironically, the American Civil War was of no such thing. It was not a war over who would govern the United States. The South simply wanted independence from the Union and to come together and form the Confederacy. However, from the viewpoint of the North, it was a war of Southern Secession. In 1858, William, H. Seward, the soon to be Secretary of State, described the differences between the North and South as an â€Å"irrepressible conflict.†[3] In 1860, once Lincoln came into Presidency placing Seward in his Cabinet, the misconstrued perspectives of both sides had grew larger and more violent, and with th... ...lead to what we now know as the American Civil War. The war began with eleven Southern states seceded the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. The first two years of the Civil War showed great hopes for the Southern troops after winning several victories. Those hopes soon turned to doubts after their major losses at Gettysburg and Vicksburg in 1863. From that moment forward, the Northern troops went on to conquer the south, where they finally surrendered in April 1865.[?] The war that was once thought to be completely avoidable, turned into the exact opposite and that much worse. The American Civil War was the most bloodied American war costing over 600,000 lives, more casualties than the Revolutionary War, Mexican War, World War I and II, and the Korean War combined. This war will forever be known as the most significant event in American history.