How Increase in Fuel Prices are Effecting the Airline Industry Essay

How Increase in Fuel Prices are Effecting the Airline Industry - Essay Example This paper illustrates that since the fuel cost is one of the major costs incurred by the airlines therefore, the continuous increase in the fuel prices for the last years has been very threatening for all airlines. The major impact of increase in fuel prices is reflected in the increasing operating expenses and operating losses of airlines. Even the airlines which have been able to survive during this turmoil through their aggressive hedging options could not make targeted revenues. The rise in fuel prices has not only influenced the airlines individually but it has also influenced the entire world airline industry. According to International Air Transport Association, the profits of airlines will reduce with the rise in oil prices. The net profit of airline industry will be $8.6 billion in 2011 as compared to $16 billion in 2010. Moreover, if the unrest situation in Libya and Middle East persists then oil prices will further increase which will negatively influence the airline indu stry. At individual level, all airlines have been incurring huge losses for the last few years. The United States Passenger Airlines Industry faced a total operating loss of $4.3 billion in first three quarters of year 2008. According to the report of Government Accountability Office, the price of jet fuel was the major operating expense in 2008 and the major contributor of loss in 2008. The fuel costs were 25 percent of the total expense of the airlines in the first three quarters of 2007 however, in the first three quarters of 2008, the fuel costs became 32 percent of the total expense. In the third quarter of 2008, when fuel prices increased by 60 percent as compared to 2007, seven smaller airlines stopped their operations and many entered into bankruptcy. Today, the rise in fuel prices is continuously harming the operations of airlines around the world. Air India, the national carrier of India is facing a loss of Rs. 600 crore a month. The monthly income of the airline is Rs. 1, 100 crore whereas; the expense of airline was Rs. 1,700 crore and the increase in fuel prices was the major factor for this loss. According to Bob Herbst of AirlineFinancial, if the fuel prices remain at $105 per barrel in 2011 then the major eight airlines of the United States will have to pay more than $9 billion on fuel costs as compared to 2010. Moreover, these airlines will have to improve their revenues to breakeven to avoid any operating loss. On the other hand, a few airlines are also reporting the profits despite the high fuel costs. Korean Air reported a net profit of $29 million in second quarter of 2011 as compared to a huge loss during the same period in 2010. The airline claims that despite the high fuel prices, the airline has been able to make profits in the second quarter of 2011. Interestingly, the increase in fuel prices has also provided significant benefits to few airlines like Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines had the advantage over its competitors because of its hedged fuel prices. The company had hedged 70 percent of its fuel consumption at $51 per barrel when other airlines were paying $135 per barrel. However, the airline will ultimately go under the impact of high fuel prices because in 2012, the airline will be having only 15 percent of its total fuel purchases at $63 per barrel.

Student Essay Example for Free

Student Essay Art is one of many ways of communication. Art is used to express feelings or to deliver a message to a viewer. It is also used to leave a record of things that happened during the time the artwork was created. Ancient artwork usually talks about religious practices, spiritual beliefs or even their dependence on nature for survival whereas 21st century street artwork are usually personal opinions on something such as politics, action done by someone or new law. It also contains the artist’s feeling of the time the artwork was created. Every street artists of the 21st century has different styles whereas ancient artists used similar (close to same) styles. Creative Purpose†¦. Fig. 1, Elderly Woman, Street Art London, 2011 Fig. 1, Elderly Woman, Street Art London, 2011 The ancient artworks, in this case, ancient Egyptian art, were used to keep record of achievements, spiritual beliefs and spiritual practices. Most of the spiritual practices were practices of mummifying dead bodies, believing that the soul from the dead body will go to either heaven or hell. Ancient Egyptians believed in afterlife quite heavily. Most of the ancient Egyptian kings (Pharaohs) were mummified due to this belief. Furthermore, many of the ancient Egyptian artworks have Gods in them. There are Gods for certain things such as God of the Sun and God of Death. However, the 21st century street art is more of expressing the artist’s feelings and commenting on certain things such as politics. For example, there is a famous street artist who lives in Paris, France, who has a nickname called ‘C215’ (real name is Christian Guemy). His artworks usually have people involved in them. However, his artworks are not just about normal people but people like beggars, elderly people, refugees and street kids because he is ‘obsessed’ with making an artwork of them, artwork of people who grew up in streets and lived in streets. He said, â€Å"I paint mostly tramps, refugees and street kids, people who really live the experience of the street and to whom the  street art  is almost never intended. † Visual Character†¦. Fig. 2, Ancient Egyptian Art, Tutt’ Art, 2011 Fig. 2, Ancient Egyptian Art, Tutt’ Art, 2011 Ancient Egyptian artworks often have people and Gods with appearances with human in them. The people in the ancient Egyptian artworks have their arms and shoulders positioned facing the front while their faces are facing the side, along with their legs and hips. The artworks of ancient Egypt are very symbolic. They have many meanings in the artwork, especially when it talks about spiritual practices and beliefs. Sometimes, they also have writings around or in the artwork. It probably could be understood by many other cultures except for those cultures wit completely different beliefs. However, street arts are understood by nearly everyone in the world as they have similar beliefs and religions. When it Fig. 3, Smiling Refugee, Street Art London, 2011 Fig. 3, Smiling Refugee, Street Art London, 2011 comes to personal comments on politics, it may be hard for some people to understand. The 21st century street artworks are very stylized, having different themes and styles for every street artists, except for those street artists who only leave their names or nicknames on walls. Theses can be seen as mess on the wall because it has no meaning in it. A street artist called ‘C215’ has very colourful style. This artist is told to be realistic but stylized. C215 describes the facial expressions of the main characters in his artworks very precisely to deliver a hidden message behind the art piece. As shown Fig. 4, Street Kid, Street Art London, 2011. Fig. 4, Street Kid, Street Art London, 2011. in figure one, three and four, he describes the facial expressions of elderly woman, refugee and a ‘street kid’ very precisely. Also, famous street artists often leave their special ‘logo’ somewhere in the artwork. For instance in figure four, a ‘logo’ for C215 can be seen next to the face. Medium and Technique†¦. Most of the common ancient Egyptian artworks were painted with paints made of mixed pigments with gum, which were the basic colours. Before papyrus leaves were used as papers, the paintings were often done on walls, which were sometimes carved in. These kinds of techniques were used in ancient Egyptian times because the actual paints and paintbrushes weren’t properly developed. Today, many kinds of tools and styles can be used. For example, C215 usually used stencils to paint on street walls. He makes a background on the wall either free hand or painted using stencils, and then puts his main character in the background. He either uses spray paints or paints and paintbrushes, but mostly, spray paints. It shows his personal style and it helps him to paint precise parts of painting such as facial expressions. Personal Response†¦. I think that every kind of art has one thing common in them; the artist’s feeling and expression of the time he/she created the artwork. If there is a slight difference between ancient Egyptian art and the 21st century street art, I have go to say that the artworks from ancient Egypt do not have sense of depth and they were all dull whereas 21st century street art has wide range of colours being used and vibrant. Most people will find street art more attractive than ancient Egyptian art as street art has different styles and they are very vibrant. Conclusion†¦. To sum up, ancient Egyptian art has many meanings for spiritual beliefs and practices. It was very symbolic as it represented human by its body parts, so the head is facing the side, shoulders and arms are facing the front and shoulders and arms are facing the side. It is mostly painted with basic colours that are made of mixed pigments and gum. On the other hand, graffiti is more like expressing a personal opinion on certain thing. It has many themes and styles along with many choices of colours. Almost everyone can understand street art. Furthermore there are many ways to paint for street art and one of many ways is stencils and paints.

Compare Sonnet 130 by Shakespeare and the Glasgow Sonnet by Essay

Compare Sonnet 130 by Shakespeare and the Glasgow Sonnet by Edwin Morgan. Poetry has many forms and styles of which it can be written and emphasised in. A sonnet is one of these forms. They mainly consist of fourteen lines, but can be set out in two different ways. One of two styles of sonnet is Elizabethan. William Shakespeare is an example of a poet and writer of this time period, and possible one of the most recognised for his work. William Shakespeare wrote an astounding 144 sonnets within his life time. The majority of these sonnets were mainly based upon love or insincere compliments. The Elizabethan sonnets are usually of the lyrical in content and differ in structure. This indefinably differs from the modern style of sonnet that we are use to. This is because the Elizabethan poem contains three stanzas of four lines and it finishes off with a rhyming couplet at the end. The structure of the modern sonnet is a complete anomaly compared with the Elizabethan sonnets. This is because they have two stanzas, the first consisting of eight lines and the second consisting of six lines, they are called the octave and the sestet. The sestet is the conclusion of a modern sonnet which contains a message whereas the Elizabethan’s message is held within the couplet. The modern sonnets usually hold a meaning of poverty and desolation within it and the tones vary extensively, although a sense of fundamental contentment is established with the rigidity of the form. The imagery used in Sonnet 130 is that of always comparing the woman in which Shakespeare is talking about to natural beauty. Shakespeare is very strange and different in the way he describes his mistress in this sonnet. This is because of ... ...et is trying to get across to the people out there willing to listen. He feels that people have been ignoring these situations and the problems have become increasingly worse. The content of this poem has given a paradoxical look and it is all a part of social realism. I feel that Sonnet 130 is very effective in the way Shakespeare puts his opinion across about his partner. The humour of the sonnet brings a more appealing feel to it. Although the problem with the sonnet is that message isn’t clear to see straight away, you have to look at the sonnet in more depth to see what message Shakespeare is trying to get across. The Glasgow Sonnet has a very serious message to it and the way the writer uses metaphors and similes to describe the area that people have to suffer living in, is very effective and makes the reader think about the realities of life.

Free Essay on Romanticism and Intuition in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: free essay writer

The Scarlet Letter: Romanticism and Intuition During the romanticism period, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote the novel, The Scarlet Letter, which used the romanticist idea of deep intuition and inner feelings, allowing the characters to have insight of the plots and secrets hidden in the strict Puritan community that they lived in. Throughout the novel many of the characters have this intuition, making the book more alluring to readers when trying to figure out what each character really knows. At the beginning of the novel, we are shown Pearl's natural child-like instincts for the Preacher, who is actually her father. When Pearl was first a baby, Hester and she were shamed on the scaffold while Reverend Dimmesdale, her father, preached to the awed crowd of the deep sin committed by Hester. Pearl reached out for him, "and held up its little arms," (pg. 68) as if reaching for her father. In another instance, they were all discussing Pearl at the Governor’s house and Pearl, totally out of her independent character, went over to Dimmesdale and "taking his hand in the grasp of both her own, laid her cheek against it." (pg. 118) That was really unlike Pearl, who was a "wild and flighty little elf," (pg. 118) that didn't display affection like that. Both of these bonding experiences occurred while she was younger and neither time caused speculation by the townspeople in general.. Not only Pearl, but Mr. Chillingworth, Hester's husband, had the intuition of knowing, rather sensing that Dimmesdale was the father. It was never told to him by anyone, or even speculated that the preacher was the sinner, but he could sense it anyway and knew he had to become close to Dimmesdale to figure him out. He also knew, not as a doctor, but as an evil man, that when Mr. Dimmesdale grabbed at his chest it was caused by something greater than an illness, it was caused by something Chillingworth knew how to provoke. The most amazing of his intuitions, would be at the end of the novel when he was already aware of Hester and Dimmesdale's plans to leave with Pearl on a ship to England. The mariner first informed Hester of his plans when explaining to her "that this physician here- Chillingworth, he calls himself- is minded to try my [the mariner's] cabin-fare with you [Hester].

Enron Scandal Essay

Accounting scandals are political or business scandals which arise with the disclosure of financial misdeeds by trusted executives of corporations or governments. These days, not too often, these scandals are splashed as headlines across media. Why? Because there are complex groups of stakeholders who might be seriously affected by the scandals. Enron scam was the most remarkable scandal in 20 centuries by their institutionalized, systematic, and creatively planned accounting fraud. The scandal also brought into question the accounting practices and activities of many corporations in the United States. The scandal also affected the greater business world by causing the dissolution of the Arthur Andersen accounting company. This report will reveal the whole story of Enron scam and auditors role from the situation in more depth. It will also include the current situation of those responsible for the fraud. 2. Background of U. S in 1990s The 1990s of U. S were a time of prosperity and this prosperity period is originated from growth in IT corporates and in accordance with increase in productivity as technology develops with IT. In the mid- to late-90s, society’s expectations of what the Internet could offer were unrealistic. Many investors foolishly ignored the fundamental rules of investing in the stock market and instead, investors and entrepreneurs became preoccupied with new ideas that were not yet proven to have market potential. Furthermore, they ignored the blatant signs that the bubble was about to burst. (IT Bubble in 90s) There are two main reasons for the bubble; with investors` optimistic expectation, there were a lot of ‘Window dressing’ in accounting. As Enron collapsed, the growth of the tech sector proved to be illusory, and bubble started to sober. 3. Enron- who are they? Enron Corporation is an energy trading, communications company which was formed in 1985 based in Houston, Texas. Enron marketed electricity and natural gas, delivered energy and other physical commodities. Company branched into many non-energy-related fields as well, including such areas as high-speed Internet bandwidth, and financial and risk management with 21,000 employees at mid-2001. The company reported revenues of $101 billion in 2000. It has stakes in nearly 30,000 miles of gas pipeline, owns or has access to a 15,000mile fiber optic network and has a stake in electricity generating operations around the world. 4. Enron- what they did? The Enron fraud case is extremely complex. There are several main characters who are spearheading the Enron scam. One of them was Jeff Skillng. Jeff Skillng, who was a consultant in Mckinsey, took charge in consulting Enron. He found problems and also potentiality of Enron and he proposed the idea of â€Å"gas bank† to Enron, which is a system that is combining financial system and gas supply and demand system, and taking the margin from the two system(as bank does). This was an ideal idea in theory and Enron asked him to take charge for this business, and later he became the president of Enron’s trading operations. Also, he convinced federal regulators to permit Enron to use an accounting method known as â€Å"mark to market. † Using this method allowed Enron to count projected earnings from long-term energy contracts as current income. This was money that might not be collected for many years. It is thought that this technique was used to inflate revenue numbers by manipulating projections for future revenue. The problem is that it doesn`t match realised profit and real cash flow. especially, Enron`s main trading was long term future contract which is hard to make valuation for the future. Use of these techniques made it difficult to see how Enron was really making money. The numbers were on the books so the stock prices remained high, but Enron wasn’t paying high taxes. When the telecom industry suffered its first downturn, Enron suffered as well. Eventually, the house of cards began falling. When Enron’s stock began to decline, the Raptors began to decline as well. On August 14, 2001, Enron’s CEO, Jeff Skilling, resigned due to â€Å"family issues. † Enron chairman Ken Lay stepped in as CEO. 5. One example of fraud Enron`s â€Å"too much Off-Balance Sheet Transactions† Enron used â€Å"off-balance-sheet†technique for anytime, for many purposes, because it would enable Enron to present itself more attractively as measured by the ratios favored by analysts and investors. Skillng used securitisation to supply more liquidity and also to clean up the assets that is hardly generating income from it. He also hided most of the debt by securitisation. So, Enron needed Special purpose entities(SPE) for the securitization purpose. JEDI was one of the SPE. California PERS and Enron invested by $25000m each. As soon as the JEDI established, Enron started to sell energy related stock to JEDI and it grew JEDI by 23% per year on average. It made Skillng`s ECT business bigger and bigger. 6. Consequences for the stakeholders The key stakeholders affected by the collapse of Enron were its employees and retirees. Stakeholders and mutual funds investors lost $ 70billion market value. Banks were also affected by the meltdown of the company. Not only the stakeholder and bondholder lose out, the confidence in the company also fell. This was the major setback for the company. The actions of Enron management left a deep scare for its 4000 employees which lost out their jobs and also impacted others around them. Some blamed Arthur Andersen; Enron’s accounting firm and some blame the board of directors for insufficient oversights. The damage was so big that it was likely to take years for the court to sort the wreckage. The company did not think of its future and took many bad steps just to earn money. The CEO should have looked into the company matters long time ago and took action so that hundreds of jobs could have been saved. The companies who were associated with the big firm were affected on a very large scale. This was the biggest bankruptcy of a firm with $63. 4 billion in assets. 7. Auditors in this scandal, and their role The external auditing body of Enron company was Arthur Anderson LLP, formerly one of the ‘big 5’ accounting firms, providing auditing, tax, and consulting services to large corporations. Andersen definitely Knew Enron Was in Trouble but they overlooked at it and even conspired with Enron to manipulate the financial statements. They knew Enron was in trouble as early as Feb.  2001, a company memo showed, and Andersen debated dropping the collapsed energy firm all together, Reuters reported. Additionally, Andersen knew in mid-August of a senior Enron employee’s concerns about improprieties in the energy company’s accounting practices. Andersen confirmed that a memo dated Feb. 6 recounted a meeting between Andersen executives about whether Andersen should retain the now-bankrupt Enron as a client. Auditors are responsible directly under the law especially the international standards to report directly to the shareholders on the status of the company’s or a bank’s account at a particular point in time. They heavily misconducted as auditors as they received money and hided about Enron`s truth. 8. Ramifications It is not easy to implement rigorous standards without changing Incentives. This situation can be seen in South East Asian countries like: Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, China. Each country can implement its own accounting standards, but did not implement the substantial institutional changes required to make these standards effective. According to various studies conducted in this area, new standards did not result in better-quality financial reporting.9. Conclusion: In search of better standards and ethics The ENRON Scandal is considered to be one of the most notorious within American history; an unofficial blueprint for a case study on White Collar crime. Enron’s behaviour has confirmed that the treatment of off-balance-sheet dodge, American accounting standards are too lax. It is time for another effort to realign the system to function more in shareholders’ interests. Companies need stronger non-executive directors, paid enough to devote proper attention to the job.

Joyce Osterweil Award forPoetry

Rowan Ricardo Phillips Wins the 2013 PEN/Joyce Osterweil Award forPoetry Poet Rowan Ricardo Phillips had an enviable problem recently.   He won both the 2013 PEN/Joyce Osterweil Award for Poetry AND was also chosen as one of the winners of the Whiting Writers Award.   Ceremonies for both the awards were to take place on the same night.    Decisions, decisions. Using some powers not bestowed on mere mortals and non-poets, Phillips managed to attend both fetes (although he was a little late for the Whiting). The title of Phillips multiple-award winning work is  The Ground.    Here is one of the poems from that collection:   Mappa Mundi These factories, their pipes smoke, plume like skunks, Rise as one and few and many and all And forty fireflies bound for JFK. Forty more circle where here be dragons. Nature is a lapse in city life. Whether red birds sit and sing from rooftops Or rappers cypher deep into the night, The gun-in-your-mouth talk of a ransomed God, nature is a lapse in city life. The soft green ground that ends an avenue. The red rust-spew stifling a drain. Pigeon-dropped icicles. Nature is a lapse in city life. Those kids on a New Deal rooftop Staring at the wonders of Moses, Who with a wave split the Bronx asunder And dropped the Cross Bronx Down in his wake, May they know this map of the world As only a map of the world. One of many that will lead them To and from their doors.

Dian Fossey essays

Dian Fossey essays Dian Fossey and the Mountain Gorilla The mountain gorilla was first discovered in 1902 by Captain von Beringe in Rwanda. These creatures were described as tall man-like apes and little was known about them until George Schaller spent a year examining them and wrote the book The year of the Gorilla. It was this book that inspired a young Dian Fossey to learn more about mountain gorillas. Dian Fossey was born in 1932 and studied at Jose State University graduating as an occupational therapist. Upon graduation Dian found a job at the Kosair Childrens Hospital in Kentucky. Dian enjoyed her job but she longed to see the rest of the world. By borrowing money she was able to finance a trip to Africa to visit the excavations at Olduvia and the mountain gorillas of the Virunga Volcanoes. In 1963 Dian set out to Africa. It was during this trip where she met Dr. Louis Leakey. Leakey was one of the most well known paleoanthropologists in the world and was heading the excavations at Olduvia. Dian experienced her first contact with mountain gorillas when she hiked up a 10 000 foot volcano. She fell in love with the magnificence of the gentle creatures. This is where she found her lifes work. Dian returned home and wrote about her experiences in Africa to the Louisville Courier Journal. In 1966 she attended a conference where she met Dr. Leakey again. Dr. Leakey offered Dian a chance to observe mountain gorillas in a long-term study similar to Jane Goodalls study of chimpanzees of Gombe. Even though Dian had no formal training in the study of animal behavior Leakey was interested in her ambition and determination to the job. Dian accepted the job and with Leakeys funding she left for Africa in 1966. Once Dian was settled in the Congo she began her study of the giant apes. First she would try to sneak up on them and quietly observe them. Then she changed her method and announced her presence ...

Steps to Take to Get Into Law School

Steps to Take to Get Into Law School Getting into law school can feel like an overwhelming process, especially at the beginning. You might feel like youre looking at a mountain way too high to climb. But scaling a mountain begins with just one step, then another and another, and eventually, those steps take you to the top. Here are a few that will lead you to acceptance by a law school.   Difficulty: N/A Time Required: 4 years Heres How Go to college.All law schools require that entering students hold at least a bachelors degree. You should attend the best college you possible and achieve the highest grades possible. Your GPA will be one of the two most important factors in your application, but you dont have to major in prelaw.Choose your undergraduate major and courses  in areas in which you think youll excel. Lay out a  timeline for how you can best prepare for law school during your undergrad years.Take the LSAT.The second most important factor in your law school application is your LSAT score. If youre currently in college, the best times to take the LSAT are the summer after your junior year or the fall of your senior year. is the best time to take the LSAT. Take it the summer or fall before the fall during which you want to start law school if youve already graduated.Prepare well and be sure to read up on how schools handle multiple LSAT scores before you decide to retake the LSAT. You should also registe r with LSDAS at this time. Choose where youre going to apply.There are many factors you should consider when youre deciding where to apply to law school. Consider visiting schools that interest you and pay at least some attention to law school rankings.Write your personal statement.Your personal statement comes in third in importance behind your LSAT score and your GPA. Start by brainstorming with some writing prompts and get writing! Research some tips for writing a great personal statement, being sure to avoid certain topics and common mistakes.Finish your applications well in advance of the deadline.Make sure to ask for recommendations early enough that your referees have plenty of time to write outstanding letters. Also, write any additional statements you might need, such as a Why X Law School Statement and/or an addendum. Request transcripts and make sure everything the law schools want in your application files is in there well in advance of the deadline.After youve completed all the above steps in an orderly fashion, you can be confident that you have maximized your chances of getting into law school. Good luck! Tips Start preparing for applying to law schools as soon as youve decided to do so.Dont wait until the last minute to send in applications. Many schools have rolling admissions policies, which means they accept students throughout the admissions process.Have someone with a good eye for detail proofread your application packet, especially your personal statement.

ART EDUCATION ACROSS CULTURES Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ART EDUCATION ACROSS CULTURES - Research Paper Example At the Fowler Museum, its current location, one may gain appreciation of the eruditely chiseled details in the art of the hornbill’s sculpture which is specifically prominent with its peculiarly and sharply pointed bill having a seemingly elaborate trajectory and body painting under various strokes and pigments depicting how colorful Iban festivals are. Besides its extensive recognition as an object of art of aesthetic and crucial value, hornbill carvings signify the way of life of Iban people and the unique reputation associated with Iban’s utmost festive celebration with religious rituals (Davenport). Hornbill Figure typically is a special embodiment of a bird believed to possess knowledge and wisdom of what is to come. Aside from bringing a prophecy upon which Iban communities heavily relied in the past, it is profoundly considered as a fundamental medium that allowed blending of spiritual dimension with the world of humans so that the latter may possibly convey thei r freedom to interact with spirits and supernatural beings in a variety of concerns.

Super man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Super man - Essay Example Superman constructs a certain role model of manliness reflecting popular 20th century concepts of masculinity. The most attractive feature in Superman figure is that he can transform from his superhero image to â€Å"the mediocre man of flesh and blood† which serves the mask to his extraordinary abilities. The personality of Superman is split. He has a private life which has nothing to do with his public heroism. In everyday life Superman is Clark Kent, ordinary journalist, clumsy and soft. The contrast between two identities is maximized to emphasise masculinity features. The dual identity of the hero from the launch of Superman series became a formula of masculine image. On one hand the superhero has body which is vividly masculine as well as the confidence and power which suggest of the ideal of man, on the other hand he is soft, powerless, unconfident representing a feminized man. Superhero images have always blended masculinity with muscles. The most obvious external signifier of masculinity has been the male body. Male body images reflect all the conventions related with male superiority. Muscles symbolizing masculine physical strength serve as a code for sexual difference. The muscular body is clear sign of masculine power. (Brown, 1999 p.25) Muscles are associated with masculinity so strongly that women like professional body builders who exhibit ‘noticeable muscularity’ are accused in manliness while men who lack muscular power are criticized for being too feminine. The contrast of two identities of the hero plays an important role in shaping masculinity image. That makes Superman a masculine ideal of 20th century. Superman possesses exceptional qualities like flying, gliding on air currents, seeing through walls. He gets more and more powers equalling to God. Besides, he is a defender of truth with exceptional feeling of justice and handsome looks. Clark

Working in International Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Working in International Teams - Essay Example Organizations can freely conduct their business in any part of the world. The usual nine-to-five day jobs have seemingly been dissolved into modern time frames where business activities are conducted across a span of varying time zones around the world (Devine, 2002). Colleagues in an organization can be working from different parts of the world in different time zones to accomplish the same objectives for the organization unlike before where colleagues had to be in one open room (Devine, 2002). This has led to new dynamics of work in modern and contemporary organizations. Another impact of globalization on businesses is the reliance on teamwork rather that individual performance in accomplishing organizational objectives. The contemporary organizational challenges demand a team approach in order to gather a wide range of views, skills and experiences and use them effectively to meet and tackle emerging issues (Devine, 2002). A team can be defined as a group of individuals working to gether collaboratively to accomplish a common purpose. The team is held together by the shared objectives, a common purpose and identity of each team member. Teams in organizations are formed to work on various projects that help the organization advance towards meeting its visions. Globalization has also led to the emergence of a new landscape in business operations. In the new business framework, technical brilliance alone is no longer enough for one to be successful in today’s international marketplace (Devine, 2002). Organizations today require their employees at all levels of the organization to comfortably interact freely with people from other cultures. Organizations require individuals to communicate and interact through a more global lens in order to give the organizations a competitive edge on the international scene. With most organizations opening up to the international market, there is a great demand for initiating projects that meet the international needs and demands of consumers. These international projects can be very rewarding to both organizations and their employees, but they are very challenging. Most organizations therefore rely on international teams to manage tasks that are of an international nature. Belonging to a team makes an individual feel being part of something much wider than themselves, and when the team is highly diversified with international culture, the team members feel part of the wider international community. The challenge of building and managing international teams has become evident over the years for managers and leaders in various professional fields. Team members also encounter challenges in working with each other to achieve a common objective and purpose given the wide differences that exist among them in terms of age, skills, experience, gender, race, ethnicity and most importantly culturally diverse opinions (Wheelan, 2010). Team members are under pressure to perform effectively with appropriate prof essional behavior in the context of the international business environment. Team members are required to work in multicultural teams posing very many challenges to the individual members and team leaders. The highly diversified multicultural environment comes with a lot of challenges ranging from communication difficulties to varying opinions based on one’s cultural background (Wheelan, 2010). Analysis and Thesis Statement Working in international teams is both a challenging and a rewarding endeavor. International teams are made up of individuals from various parts of the world who may either come to work together from the same location or may opt to work from the different parts where they are located. Different places around the world have different cultures which often impact on

MGT599 MoD 2 SLP Assignment External Environment Analysis Essay

MGT599 MoD 2 SLP Assignment External Environment Analysis - Essay Example Furthermore, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations are also introduced by the Food Standard Agency in order to safeguard the food products through proper analysis and evaluation of biological, chemical and physical risk arising at the time of developing or manufacturing it (Food Standard Agency, 2011a). This law is introduced in order to protect the food product from procurement of appropriate raw materials, handling, manufacturing and ultimately selling or consumption, by target customers. Therefore, by procuring proper raw materials, high quality of ingredients might be offered to the customers, so as to reduce the intensity of obesity or any other harmful disorder. This regulation acts as an opportunity for the Kraft food group as it might prove effective in attracting a wide range of customers towards the brand. By improvement in the range of customers, the profitability and brand value of the Kraft food group may get amplified in the market among other rival players. Economic: The economic factors such as consumer spending, disposable income, inflation, unemployment etc might offer significant impact over the organization offering food products. The recent economic downturn of 2007-2008 created considerable changes over the food retail industry. This crisis also offers negative impact over the buying behavior of the customer, due to lack of disposable income. As the rate of unemployment increases; the rate of per capita income of the customers decreases significantly and so their buying behavior also gets hindered significantly (Mintel Group Ltd, 2009). Therefore, due to reduction of the buying behavior, the rate of total sale and profitability of the organization reduces that hinders its total revenue and market share. Thus, such type of economic impacts acts as a threat for the Kraft food group as it decreased its total sale and profitability in the

John Hopkins School of Medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

John Hopkins School of Medicine - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the John Hopkins School of Medicine, or simply the John Hopkins Hospital, is one of America’s most distinguished healthcare organizations. Located in Baltimore, John Hopkins is both a teaching hospital and a research facility dedicated to biomedical research. The hospital was constructed as part of the will of a philanthropist known as John Hopkins. He was a merchant and a banker, and he left his estate for the development of both a hospital and a university bearing his name. This bequest, left in 1873, was the largest philanthropic gift of its time. The hospital has revolutionized how medicine is practiced in the United States as is often regarded as the founding institution of modern medicine in the country. Other than that, the institution is the birthplace of several medical terms and traditions such as residency, rounds and house staff. The institution has been in the forefront of setting up departments in the fields of ped iatrics, neurosurgery, cardiac surgery and other departments. These departments are nowadays found in all healthcare institutions throughout the country. According to the U.S News & World Report, that ranks hospitals, John Hopkins Hospitals is one of the world best hospitals. The hospital has been ranked as America’s best hospital for 21 consecutive years. This ranking, however, has changed in the last few years after being supplanted by hospitals such as Massachusetts General Hospital.

MGT599 MoD 2 SLP Assignment External Environment Analysis Essay

MGT599 MoD 2 SLP Assignment External Environment Analysis - Essay Example Furthermore, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations are also introduced by the Food Standard Agency in order to safeguard the food products through proper analysis and evaluation of biological, chemical and physical risk arising at the time of developing or manufacturing it (Food Standard Agency, 2011a). This law is introduced in order to protect the food product from procurement of appropriate raw materials, handling, manufacturing and ultimately selling or consumption, by target customers. Therefore, by procuring proper raw materials, high quality of ingredients might be offered to the customers, so as to reduce the intensity of obesity or any other harmful disorder. This regulation acts as an opportunity for the Kraft food group as it might prove effective in attracting a wide range of customers towards the brand. By improvement in the range of customers, the profitability and brand value of the Kraft food group may get amplified in the market among other rival players. Economic: The economic factors such as consumer spending, disposable income, inflation, unemployment etc might offer significant impact over the organization offering food products. The recent economic downturn of 2007-2008 created considerable changes over the food retail industry. This crisis also offers negative impact over the buying behavior of the customer, due to lack of disposable income. As the rate of unemployment increases; the rate of per capita income of the customers decreases significantly and so their buying behavior also gets hindered significantly (Mintel Group Ltd, 2009). Therefore, due to reduction of the buying behavior, the rate of total sale and profitability of the organization reduces that hinders its total revenue and market share. Thus, such type of economic impacts acts as a threat for the Kraft food group as it decreased its total sale and profitability in the

In what ways, and for what reasons, did the form and function of the Essay

In what ways, and for what reasons, did the form and function of the printed book change during the first hundred years of its existence in Europe - Essay Example There are different purposes for printing: to inform, educate, sell, and entertain or to impress. The function aspect of printing includes the audience, copywriting the message and cost of printing (Grendler 1993, p43). Form and function have to work together in order to accomplish a printing goal. Print has a rich and long history, dating back to 500-800 AD, when Chinese used woodblock kind of printing. This printing was called the woodblock method (Eisenstein 2005, p52). It involved engraving the background on wood. This was used for both illustrations and text. Page normally consisted of multiple wood blocks joined together. When the page was complete, it would then be inked and a printing surface such as a sheet of paper placed over it. This kind of printing usually consumed a lot of time and effort and it was also not durable (Moran 1973, p45). Printing as we know it could not have been possible without the important invention of Johann Gutenberg. This German inventor came up with a printing press that completely changed the world of printing (Childress 2008, p37). The printing press is a machine that integrates several technologies such as ink and paper and movable type printing. The printing press also changed the function and form of the printed book during the first h undred years of its existence in renaissance Europe (Grendler 1993, p45). This paper aims at exploring the ways in which the printed book’s form and function changed during this time. It also analyses the reasons that led to this change. In order to print one has to have type. The types used in printed books were somewhat different from those used in Manuscripts. Type fonts were created depending on the local scripts that were in use (Grendler 1993, p61). Much of the type used in the early years of printing was usually calligraphic, meaning that it imitated handwriting. In 1476, the Englishman William Caxton

Debate on Indian Removal Essay Example for Free

Debate on Indian Removal Essay In the contemporary world the idea of removal of an entire people from its native land would sound wickedly and would perhaps be considered a genocide, yet in the XIX century this idea was quite permissible and corresponded to the ruling concept of civilized nations which were to rule those uncivilized and determine their existence. Therefore, in our estimation of pro and contra Indian removal arguments I shall attempt to evaluate the named arguments first and foremost from the point of view of the time and base my conclusions on such evaluation. The first argument proposed by Andrew Jackson to the Congress in 1829 is that that no new state may be established without consent of the people of that state, and since Indians are living on the territory of existing states and do not constitute a majority, they may not establish their own government and have to obey the laws of the state or immigrate. A harsher version of the argument is provided in the North American Review, January 1830, blaming that Indians are barbarous people â€Å"incapable of sustaining any other relation with the whites, than that of dependence and pupilage. † Francis J. Grund is even more acrid, as he claims Indian’s cruelty towards the Founding Fathers. A counterargument can be found in the Memorial of the Cherokee Indians, published in the Weekly Register vol. 38, and it is that a white man is a ruler of the land, and the red man is weak, yet there were times when whites were week and reds were strong, and the whites received warm welcome from the Indians. Also the Indians argued that previous treaties guaranteed their rights to land. The situation with the Indians is similar to the one with the colonists before the Revolution. The colonists appeared to be weak and Britain was strong, yet the colonists were able to gain their independence by force. However, the Indians were unable to win the war and they had to obey those who are strong. Therefore, the US Government argument was nothing but a sword law, not a just law. This is well confirmed by the Decision of the U. S. Supreme Court in Worcester v. State of Georgia (1832), where the Court has found that treaties between the Indians and the Government, as well as Indian self-government are guaranteed as long as the Indians obey the general laws of the state. Since the Indians did not obey, all they privileges have to be annulled. Yet the laws of the state themselves made the Indians chose between â€Å"becoming civilized† in other words not leading their traditional lifestyle and immigration. So, it may be concluded, that removal has logically followed from the previous relations between the Indians and the Government, in which the Government used sword more frequently than justice. The second pro argument proposed by Andrew Jackson in 1830 were advantages of immigration both for the whites and for Indians. For the US government is was an opportunity to protect the frontiers, for the states of Mississippi and Alabama these were new territories and opportunities for development, and for the Indians, under Jackson, it was an ability not to have contacts with the civilized people, follow their customs and live under the government supervision, gradually becoming a civilized community. A counterargument of the Indians is explained in the mentioned Memorial, as well as in the article published in the North American Review, October 1830 where they claim their right to stay on their land and continue their traditional life same as any nation has title over its land. In fact, we once more face the sword law: the Government determined what is â€Å"civilized† and what is â€Å"law† and the Indians had to obey or disappear. Another Indian argument may be found in the letter from John Ross: the Government was just willing to get rid of the Indians. This is an argument with no counterargument. Government’s desire to make away with the Indians was undisputable. Concluding my analysis I have to recognize that the arguments of the Indians look stronger even for the XIX century. An independent international tribunal of the time would perhaps take their side. Yet there was no such tribunal, but only the will of the Government which caused Indians to be removed.

Statutory Requirements for Childcare

Statutory Requirements for Childcare MARY MCALLISTER The Early Years Statutory Framework is mandatory for all early years providers, who LEGAL force by an order made under section 39(1)(a) of the Childcare Act 2006. The safeguarding and welfare requirements are given LEGAL force by regulations make under the section 39(1)(b) of the Childcare Act 2006. Ofsted has regard to the Early Years foundation Stage (EYFS) in carrying out inspections and reports on the quality and standards of provision. The EYFS statutory framework recognises that; ‘children learn best when they are healthy, safe and secure, when their individual needs are met, and when they have positive relationships with the adults caring from them.’ The framework also outlines what all providers must do to safeguard children, ensure the suitability of adults who have contact with children, promote good health; manage behaviour and maintain records. Good. The statutory Framework requirements promoting the safeguarding and welfare of children were written to ensure the protection and safety from harm of every child within the Early Years Setting. Some Child Protection As part of the statutory requirements, providers must have and be able to implement a policy and procedures to safeguard children in line with the guidelines and procedures of the relevant Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB). The Framework clearly outlines the responsibility of the provider with respect to identifying and responding to the signs of possible abuse and neglect and the provision of staff training to recognise this. Suitable People The statutory framework also states that; ‘Providers must ensure that people looking after children are suitable to fulfil the requirements of their roles.’ Providers need to ensure that they have effective systems in place to vet anyone coming into regular contact with the children within the setting are suitable to do so. It is the responsibility of the childcare provider to obtain enhanced criminal records disclosure and barred list checks for every person aged 16 and over who; works directly with children; who lives on the premises where the childcare is being provided and/or works on the premises where the childcare is provided. The provider must keep records of all practitioners’ checks and qualifications and be able to produce this during an Ofsted inspection. Staff Qualifications, training, support and skills Staff training is recognised as being an essential part of providing high quality care. Providers need to ensure that staff is made aware of their roles and responsibilities. Their training should include; evacuation procedures, safeguarding , child protection and the policies and procedures regarding reporting cases of suspected abuse or neglect and health and safety issues. The provider must also ensure that staffs have the relevant qualifications to work with children and that staff:child ratios are adhered to. At least one member of staff with a paediatric first aid certificate must be on the premises at all times. Good. Health The framework outlines that policy and procedures should be in place to respond to children who are ill or infectious and the necessary steps to be taken to prevent spread of infection to other children. Administration of medicine should only occur where it has been prescribed for that child and with the parent’s written consent. Food and drink Any areas used for the preparation of food must be adequately equipped to provide healthy meals, snacks and drinks. These areas must be clean and suitable sterilisation equipment available for the preparation of food and mild for babies. Those responsible for the preparation of food and food handling must receive the appropriate up to date training. Cases of food poisoning involving two or more children on the premises must be reported to Ofsted. Failure to do so is an offence. Early years providers and practitioners have a primary responsibility for the safety of the children in their care. There are a number of legal and regulatory requirements that help protect children (and adults) in any setting; some of which have already been discussed. When considering how best to keep children safe within the setting it is important that the practitioner is familiar with the following legislation as it pertains to their particular area if practice. Managing behaviour The statutory framework states that, ‘Providers must have and implement a behaviour management policy and procedures. A named practitioner should be responsible for behaviour management, and have the necessary skills to advise other staff on behaviour issues.’ Corporal punishment should NEVER be used as a form of discipline and if used would constitute an offence. There are many ways of dealing with the various types of behaviour that can arise within an early years setting and the recommended approach is one that is child-centred and non punitive. Educational psychologist B.F. Skinner suggested that most humans and animals learn through exploring the environment and then drawing conclusions bases on the consequences of their behaviour. Skinner goes on to suggest that positive reinforcers are likely to make people repeat a behaviour in order to get something they desire. In the case of young children this could be praise, a sticker or merit award, adult attention etc. Th is, skinner believed was the most positive and effective way of encouraging new learning behaviours. Child-centred approaches to behaviour focus on the underlying causes to prevent unwelcome behaviours and can be very effective, whereas simply managing or containing behaviour may not result in longer term improvement. Good point and link to Skinners theory. While the environment in which children are cared for must be stimulating, they must also be safe. Young children have little sense of danger and so require constant adult supervision, where they are given the freedom to explore, discover and develop unhindered. Risk assessment is an important part of health and safety procedures, and the idea is to evaluate possible risks during activities and in the environment and then to consider how best to minimise them. Having a policy and procedures in place is essential as there is not only a moral duty to keep children safe, but also a legal one. The statutory framework outlines the following areas to be considered: The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 This act places overall responsibility for health and safety with the employer but also on the employees, so everyone in a setting has some responsibility for the health and safety of everyone who is there. In the context of an early years setting as it pertains to the safety of the children the act covers the following: Buildings should be well maintained and designed with the safety of the users in mind, The general environment should be clean and safe. Equipment must be safely used and stored. Working practice must promote the health and safety of children. Articles and substances should be stored and used safely Adequate welfare facilities should be available Appropriate information, training and supervision should be made for the health and safety of employees. Certain injuries, diseases and occurrences should be reported to the Health and safety Executive. First Aid facilities should be provided. Employees should take care of their own health and safety and that of others affected by their actions. Employees should cooperate with their employer on health and safety. Product marking: Toys and products used within the early years setting should be tested by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and carry a kite mark as proof that they have been independently tested and conform to the relevant standards. They may also carry a CE mark which indicates that the product meets the European legal requirements; however this is not a safety or quality mark. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health COSHH Regulations 2002 covers substances which can cause ill-health and the legislation lays down a step by step approach to the precautions that need to be put in place to prevent injury or illness from dangerous substances. These substances must have particular labels on them, which show the substances are dangerous and need to be kept in special containers and carefully stored. The importance of this cannot be over emphasised as children can easily ingest such substances causing considerable harm. Every person working with children is responsible for their safety. It is important that the environment children are working and playing in is regularly checked, before and during activities. The following points should be considered: Buildings and maintenance Doors opening into entrances and exits from the building must NOT be capable of being opened by young children. Emergency exits must be clear and easy to open from the inside. Floors should not have any loose rugs or pieces of carpet. Low-level glass should be safety glass of covered with a guard. Electrical sockets should be covered. Cleanliness of the general environment There should be a high standard of cleanliness throughout the building. Spillages should be immediately cleaned. Toilet areas should be regularly cleaned and checked. Food preparation areas All staff dealing with food should have a food hygiene certificate. All regulations relating to food storage should be in place. Safe storage and use of equipment Cupboards at ‘child-level’ should not contain cleaning items, knives, tools or any other potentially dangerous items. Toys with very small parts should be kept away from children under three years old. Heaters and radiators should be covered and not a risk to children. Outdoor areas Outdoor slides, swings etc. Should be safe and have impact absorbing matting provided. Young children should not be able to open gates. Sandpits should be kept covered when not in use. As a general rule equipment should be regularly checked for wear and tear, such as fraying ropes and rusty joints. Check equipment before use to ensure that it is clean and dry especially slides and steps. Children should have enough space to play and move freely without bumping into each other or objects. Appropriate adult-child ratios should be maintained and supervising adults should be able to see all the children. Good. Swings and rope ladders should be used by only one child at a time and other children discouraged from getting too close in case they are hurt by a swing or rope. First aid provision Young children invariably have accidents and injure themselves and at such times can become frightened and upset. It is the responsibility of the practitioner to know what to do in an emergency and to carry out the appropriate first aid calmly and confidently. In accordance with the Health and Safety at work Act 1974 and the statutory requirements of the EYFS the early years provider must ensure that there is at least one member of staff with a current paediatric first aid certificate present at all times on the premises and that there is a well stocked up to date first aid kit available. There must be policies and procedures in place to deal with and record all accidents and their treatment as well as current phone numbers to contact parents or a designated adult in the event of a child requiring emergency treatment. In the event of serious injury or death the provider must comply with the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). Premises The framework states that, ‘The premises and equipment must be organised in a way that meets the needs of the children.’ The indoor space requirements are: Children under two years: 3.5m ² per child. Two year olds: 2.5m ² per child Children aged three to five years 2.3m ² per child. The provider must also ensure the following: Facilities and equipment and access to the premises are suitable as far is reasonably possible accessible to children with disabilities. That there is access to outdoor activities. Provision of a quiet area for children who wish to relax or sleep. Adequate toilet and hand washing facilities. Child care settings should have secure entrance doors that sound an alarm or require buzzer activation to alert staff to anyone coming into the premises. It is important to check that other adults coming in are allowed to be there and that they sign in and out; not only for security purposes but also in case of fire or accident on the premises. It is also important to ascertain from parents those adults who will have responsibility for collecting their child at the end of the day. There should be procedures in place for parents to inform the setting if a different adult is to collect a child at the end of the day. However the practitioner should never be afraid of challenging someone they are not familiar with. It is also important to take care when people are leaving the setting that no other children are nearby and able to slip out the door unnoticed. References: [1] Statutory Framework for the Early Years foundation Stage. (March 2012). Department of Education.  https:// www.educataion.gov.uk/publications/standard/AllPublications/Page1/DFE-00023-2012 [2] COSHH assessment: identifying hazard and assessing risk.  Available online at:  www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/basics/assessment.htm. [3] Tassani, Penny; Bulman, Kath; Beith, Kate (2005) Children’s Care, Learning and Development (2nd edition), Heinemann. ISBN 978-0-435-44851-6 [4] The Health and Safety at work Act 1974  Available online at: www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/hswa.htm [5] RIDDOR  Available online at: www.hse.gov.uk/guidance/index.htm [6] B.F. Skinner – Operant Conditioning  www.simplepsychology.org/operant-conditioning.htm

Although the authors us fictitious characters and events, novels are :: English Literature

Although the authors us fictitious characters and events, novels are often surprisingly accurate portraits of their time Although the authors us fictitious characters and events, novels are often surprisingly accurate portraits of their time. To what extent do you think The Great Gatsby is a novel of this type? The Great Gatsby, written in the early 1920’s, by F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays the type of high class life the rich were living during this time. Extravagance was the key to everything, parties, drinking, cars, relationships, and life. Everybody seemed to have money. This time was known as â€Å"The Roaring 20’s†, or â€Å"The Golden 20’s.† We see this type of culture in its extremity in The Great Gatsby. We can also assume that it was this type of life that Fitzgerald himself led. He was born into a fairly well-to-do family. In 1896 he attended, but never graduated from, Princeton University. It was here he mingled with the moneyed classes from the Eastern Seaboard who created an obsession for the rest of his life. In 1917 he was drafted into the army, but he never saw active service abroad. He married the beautiful Zelda Sayre and together they embarked on a rich life of endless parties. Dividing their time between America and fashionable resorts in Europe, the Fitzgerald’s’ became as famous for their lifestyle as for the novels he wrote. â€Å"Sometimes I don't know whether Zelda and I are real or whether we are characters in one of my novels†, which he wrote to pay for his extravagant lifestyle. We can see just how similar Gatsby and Fitzgerald are. Gatsby, unlike Fitzgerald was born into a fairly poor family, but soon met Dan Cody and Daisy, who, both very rich led him to the obsession to also become rich. I believe it was mainly the influence of daisy for this. He was desperately in love with her, but stood no chance all the while he had no money. †She only married you because I was poor and she was tired of waiting for me.† Also like Fitzgerald, Gatsby went to University and never finished. â€Å"It was in nineteen – nineteen, I only stayed five months. That’s why I can’t really call myself an Oxford man.† Gatsby was also in the army during the war, â€Å"Why yes, I was in the twenty – eighth infantry.† The only major difference we can see between the two men is that Gatsby never married the â€Å"beautiful† Daisy. He never made it to marriage, this could possibly be because he never had money, unlike Fitzgerald, who made his money, and then met Zelda.

Breakfast of Champions: Plague of Unhappiness :: Breakfast of Champions Essays

Breakfast of Champions: Plague of Unhappiness  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      "The motto of Dwayne Hoover's and Kilgore Trout's nation E pluribus unum, Out of Many One" (9). Out of many characters the narrator chooses one, Kilgore Trout, to achieve success. He and Dwayne Hoover are main characters in Kurt Vonnegut's novel Breakfast of Champions (1973). This book is a microcosm of modern American society. Every character symbolizes a different part of the society. The main characters, Dwayne and Kilgore, are symbols; Dwayne representing the successful family man and business person, and Kilgore representing the lonely and unsuccessful people of the world. This novel reveals the misconception people have concerning the relationships between being wealthy and successful and being happy. "We never discussed what kind of funeral you wanted," (18) said Kilgore Trout to his pet parakeet, and only friend. Kilgore was born in Bermuda. When he was young, he worked with his father trying to save the endangered Bermuda Erns. When an Ern would die, Kilgore had the gruesome task of measuring the dead birds wingspan. He seemed doomed from childhood. "The pessimism that overwhelmed him in later life very likely had its roots in the bittersweet mulch of rotting Erns" (31). This pessimism destroys every human relationship Kilgore Trout has. For this reason, Kilgore is a lonely middle-aged man expecting nothing more from his life than to die alone. The only way he outwardly expresses himself is through writing science fiction novels and short stories. One man has taken interest in Kilgore's writing. His name is Mr. Rosewater, a very rich man who earned his riches by running coal mines in the mountains of West Virginia. In his eyes Kilgore Trout is a genius. Rosewater funds an extensive search to find Kilgore's address. Once he has the address, he sends Kilgore a fan letter. Kilgore perceives this letter as an invasion of his privacy. Rosewater insists he is not intruding and promises to make Kilgore famous. Trout says, "Keep the hell out of my body bag" (33). Rosewater uses his influences to get Kilgore invited to an art show in Midland City. At this art festival, Kilgore will be one of the main speakers. Kilgore, with no intentions of going at first, says, "I'm not going. I don't want out of my cage" (36). The same pessimism that is causing him to live a lonely, unfulfilled life is also the reason he decides to go the art festival.

L’oreal Tahiland Essay

L’Oreal is a beauty and cosmetic global company and is vastly spread company all over the world. The company is large sized as it is a Multi-National Company (MNC).L’Oreal offered a number of cosmetic products and beauty services through its fourteen brands they had in 2000, segmented on the basis of price and target markets. Some of the brands were Biotherm which exclusively offered skin care products Kerastase offered only hair care products PCI offered only fragrances and ancillary products Helena Rubinstein & Lancà ´me offered skin care as well as make-up products L’Oreal Paris covered hair colours, skin care, make-up and hair care products. L’Oreal Professional offered services such as hair colouring and hair care treatment Maybelline was exclusively used for make-up products Garnier only dealt with hair colours. L’Oreal offered their expertise in the service of women and men worldwide,  meeting the diversity of their beauty desires with a number of brands which targeted different markets accordingly. Biotherm, PCI, Lancà ´me covered the very high end market, L’Oreal Paris and L’Oreal Professional covered the high end and Maybelline and Garnier covered mostly mass market. L’Oreal Thailand had been performing poor after Asian crisis and was facing a decline in market share, low sales and profitability. Chris Martins, was appointed as a Managing Director in order to help increase the profitably, sales and market share of L’Oreal in Thailand. L’Oreal Thailand had two different local agents which were Slampar and Thailor. Slampar was the oldest one which had a joint venture with a local conglomerate. Due to the high import duties on luxury products Slampar manufactured some Lancà ´me products locally and imported the rest of the line. ANALYSIS CURRENT SITUATION Chris Martins, the new managing director was appointed to create a truly ‘L’Orealized’ company which upholds the long term values and deliver healthy profitable growth. The Asian crisis had negatively affected the market share, sales and profitability of L’Oreal Thailand. Thailand with a population of 63 million had the beauty market of Bt 26.6 billion. Thailand had faced a retail revolution as foreign retailers had entered the market and dominated all sectors. This had increased the level of competition and professionalism for L’Oreal Thailand as well as local companies. L’Oreal had two entities in Thailand, Siampar and Thailor which were later merged to form a single multi-division entity L’Oreal Thailand Ltd. But even after the merger the two companies did not talk to each other and had odds with each other. They also lacked media support due to which some of their brands not even known in the market. The current goal of the company is to solve their issues and further professionalize and stimulate their teams so as to survive in the Thai market. Internal Environment Strengths L’Oreal’s two major brands L’Oreal Professional and Kerasotes are market leaders and had an excellent image among top professional salons. Chris  Martin, who is a well experienced person in the L’Oreal industry, has been well utilized by the company in Thailand during the Asian crisis. From this we get to know that those who work sincerely with complete dedication & talent are given a chance to make use of it. The new managing directorr knows the seriousness of the issues faced by the company and is ready to implement changes in the organisation. The new MD is willing to work on the issue as a team rather than a self-centered approach. For a company’s success, working as a team will overcome any barriers. The company is able to identify the type of consumer’s whereby they can improve the quality of their business by concentrating on the type of consumers. L’Oreal in Thailand operated three divisions-luxury divisions, consumer division, professional division . This decentralized approach to handle respective responsibilities is a good characteristic whereby these three divisions can analyze their own areas and find the key areas to work on. Weaknesses L’Oreal Thailand is facing high turnover and is losing staff as the staff doesn’t see any future of the company. The staffs are just considered to be mechanical employees. The company is not considered about their well-being. Thus experienced employees are lost, young people are to be hired that lack in maturity and motivation. They are not able to catch up with the budget and are facing financial problems due to limited sales. The working environment in the organistaton is not inspiring and motivating for the employees as well as the reward system is out of touch with the market. They lack media support as they do not have enough funds to advertise their brands.Thus there was no clear positioning of the brand in the minds of Thai consumers. The organisation is much leaner and less bureaucratic than the international competitors.This company did not have a good tie up with the Thai government that were more protective about the local companies. A company can thrive only in a well-coordinated and cooperative environment. Martin noticed that there was bitter rivalry among most of the retail sectors. The business was restricted to beauty products only. The company had to think out of the box in order to compete with the counter brands L’Oreal, Paris management turns out to be self-oriented and not concerned about the well-being of the organization. They are not willing to spend beyond the assigned budget. Turnover is highest in the support functions as there is no HR Director at present. This is solely due to the narrow hiring criteria. External Environment Opportunities L’Oreal Thailand has the opportunity to come up in the market as it has a number of good quality brands which lack awareness among consumers due to less advertising They could use direct sales for make-up and skin care products instead of retail sales as this would help them to have direct interaction with their customers and know about their needs. L’Oreal can make specialised products specifically for Asian women so as to target the women’s in the Thai market and increase sales. L’Oreal can expand their business to non-beauty products also to increase their bar of business in comparison to the other leading brands. Beauty products can also be focused on men apart from women, thereby increasing a chance of rise in market. Online marketing should be put to best use to ease the customer needs and provide a niche solution in this technology driven generation. Threats L’Oreal Thailand has a lot of intensive competition in the beauty market due to the entrance of many strong foreign companies. One of the major threats would be the government regulations which could turn out to be deadly to shut down the business as the government tends to be more protective about their local companies. When similar products are introduced in market by different companies, consumers tend to choose the product with minimal price to satisfy their needs. The involvement of local companies in marketing of cosmetics can be a threat to the mass-cosmetic marketing. STRATERGIC CHOICE Methods of Pursuing Strategy External Environment Analysis: Analysing & Studying the current market situation : – Current competitors in the market (Existing companies and new foreign companies) – Finding out the Current Trends in the market – The Current Pays based on the market condition – Identifying the customer needs, what is being sold in the market and the products having high demand in the market. Internal Environment Analysis Analysing the Internal Environment: – Improving the working Environment of the employees i.e. creating a positive office ambience in which the employees feel enlightened to work – Providing deserving remuneration for the employees based on their expertise – Coordination within departments – Meeting the Working Capital Requirements – JUST IN TIME strategy can be applied for the production process – The HR Manager should be broad minded and should recruit new staffs and assign their position in the organisation based on their area of expertise and only skilled workers should be selected. – Motivation of the employees by the Top Management. FOUNDATIONS FOR COMPETITIVE STRATEGY (Marketing Strategy) Promoting their products with the help of media Specifically advertisements in televisions through which a large number of people can be reached over a vast geographical area. Various Sales Promotion methods can be used: – Price Reduction(Discount) Quantity gift, Providing free samples, Product combinations, Sampling, Personal selling. – Promoting products based on the customer needs (selected products having demand in the current market and excluding other products that are least preferred by the customers) STRATERGIC GAP External Environment As there were multiple foreign retailers and industries making their way in Thailand, the market share by L’Oreal was slowly and steadily declining by the entry of similar products in market. In order to increase the market share and revenue for the company, the managers should: Study about the  competitor’s strategy for sales and try to study the consumption of their products by different age groups. This can help them gain an additional advantage over other competitors. Internal Environment 1. L’Oreal has different departments but there was very little or no communication between the departments. So there is a need to improve the inter-department communication so the information can be reached throughout all the organization and they can work efficiently. This can be done by: a) Team Building activities for the employees b) Holding events like dinner or party so the employees can know each other. 2. The organization also faced the problem of the employees leaving their job. The main point here is that the employees didn’t have a satisfying work environment and adding to that the un-satisfying wages. This problem can be solved by the following; a) They should offer employees some incentives or bonus for extra time, extra paid leaves in case of better performance. 3. The company also faced the problem of slow generating revenue. This was happening due to various factors. a) They were selling their products only through 2 types of retail outlets. This was not helping them to make the products in everyone’s reach. b)The company was issuing invoices to the retailers but receiving the payments only when the products were sold. These issues can be solved by: †¢ Selling the products through more retail stores which help increase the sales. †¢ Collect the payments immediately while distributing the products to the retailers. Marketing Strategy The problem in marketing department was that it didn’t have the sufficient funds for promoting more about their products. The solution for this problem is that: †¢ Reduce their operating expenditure by introducing JUST IN TIME strategy. This will reduce the cost for storing the raw materials and as a result, the company can have a better margin over each product they sell. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN Development of alternative strategies enables to select the most apt strategy through proper evaluation of the success rate of each strategy. To make the selection of strategic process more effective, team members should have a clear understanding about the strategic goals thereby reducing uncertainties in decision making. Implementation of the pricing strategy, customer service and product development will definitely improve the firm’s performance. For the successful implementation of strategy there should be integration among the strategy implementation team and functionality between the various departments within the organization. If the corporate culture within the internal environment copes up with the rapid changes of external environment, the performance of the organization increases. Quality of communications plays a major role in the selection of strategy process. High quality communications within the organization can improve the firm’s market performance. Concerning the distribution of products, organisational and tactical planning needs to be done by selling of products through multiple retail stores in attractive ways by: improving the ambience introducing new products through a trial including beneficial offers or discount rates to stay competitive introducing raffle draws to allure customers JUST IN TIME strategy will reduce the storage cost of raw materials and as a result, the company can have a better margin over each product they sell. It is important for an organization to be well aware of the software potentials to improve the organizations efficiency. Employee empowerment in an organization can be done by: providing necessary skills to the employees providing them authority to take up right decisions required for their job providing adequate information and resources to do their job rewarding the employees for their hard work building confidence in them Human resource management can improve the organizational performance by: Introduction of leadership training programs and enhancing the skills and capabilities of the employees mentoring by the senior employees to give deep insight to the kind of work they are doing promoting positive attitudes and increasing motivation and job satisfaction increasing budget scales to allow experimentation within the company in order to take risks to meet the rapid changes of the external environment Allotting responsibilities to the employees so that they can make full use of their capabilities. These are the ways to improve the relationship of the employees within the company, thus producing highly committed employees in the development of the company. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS In conclusion, L’Oreal is still the market leader in the cosmetic industry of Thailand because it is providing quality products to its customers. They need to pay more attention to the relationships within the organization and between Tailor and Siampar as this will help them achieve their goals in the future. . Last but not least, well skills of managing conflicts, politics, controlling of power and the structured decision-making approaches within the organization structure and culture will assist L’Oreal Thailand to tackle with the challenges and come with a positive financial performance in order to remain the leader of cosmetics industry in Thailand. We would like to recommend the following to L’Oreal Thailand, firstly that each department should have a different decision making processes. Secondly the Managers should and need to learn from their mistakes as this will help them gain new information from their past failures. Thirdly they need to avoid the conflicts within the organization, the company should implement matrix organization to run the organization by listening more different ideas and respect the voice of colleagues, so the problem solving can be more flexible and objective. Next the company should find out the current trends in the market and try to differentiate their product in order to face competitions. Finally the managers need to motivate the employees if they want the best from all of them.

Wizard of Oz

Wizard of Oz Interpretation The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a story about a girl named Dorothy who experiences a cyclone that takes her to a magical land of good and bad. When she is in this land she encounters a Scarecrow, Tin Man, and a Lion. These 3 characters are with her throughout the story and they go through different tough situations together. In the end they make their way to the Oz who grants their wishes and Dorothy goes back home. People say that this story is based off of populism, money reforms, and a political movement led by William Jennings Bryan.The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is not intentionally written to be linked to the way the economy was because it is a children’s book, it is a made up story, and Baum, the author of the book, never stated that it was. In the article â€Å"The Story Behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz† it explains how L. Frank Baum and William Jennings Bryan’s concern was the nature of the money supply then prevalent in the United States, and in the Mid-Western States in particular. Baum was featured in a movie called The Dreamer of Oz that showed how each character was thought of and how he had put the story together.For example, Dorothy was the name of a sweet little niece that he had which is how Dorothy from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz came about. Each character from the book was represented as someone that he had come across in his life at some point in time. In The Dreamer of Oz it shows how Baum enjoyed telling stories to his children and to the other kids that could come along. His wife would always bring it up to him that he needs to put it into the form of a book. Baum being the stubborn guy he was never really considered it.Sooner or later he finally realized that it all made sense and it all pieced together to become a story with no title. Baum sat down with his wife and mother in law and asked them for their opinion on what he should name the story. This is how the title of The Wonderful Wizard o f Oz came about. Therefore Baum had written the book from experiences and people from his past not because of the way the economy was ran in the 1900s. Last but not least Baum never stated that his story was written to represent populism.In the article â€Å"The Story Behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz† it explains how each character in the children’s book is represented by a problem that was occurring. For example, the Scarecrow is represented as the farmers and the Tin Man is represented as industrial workers. In the article it states that â€Å"Baum and Bryan wanted money to be based on silver, not gold, as silver was readily available in the Mid-West, where it was mined. Such a money supply could not be manipulated by the banks. Then from there it goes into explaining each part of the story and they link together. Just because Baum and Bryan had these views on the economy does not necessarily mean that he wrote this story secretly about it. In conclusion, The Wonde rful Wizard of Oz is not intentionally written to be linked to the way the economy was because it was written as a children’s book, it is a generally made up story that Baum had based off of his lifestyle, and he never stated that it was intentionally written about the ways of being in the 1900s.

Corporate socail responsiblity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate socail responsiblity - Essay Example This paper will discuss the nature of capitalism, the nature of the corporation and the function of the CEO in order to determine if the compensation for the position is legitimate. Within the capitalist framework, individuals are compensated proportionally to their contribution to society at large. This means that the level at which individuals are able to contribute to the expansion of the GDP for the nation at large determines how much they will be compensated (Feltus, 2009). This is empirically proven true through the fact that business owners, inventors, and shareholders typically make the most amount of money within the economy. This is because their service expands the total amount of currency that is exchanged within the boarders. The relation that this has to CEO compensation is the type of work that individuals complete. Employers are typically part of a machine that produces and/or disseminates products and services, while individuals who are a part of upper management typ ically perform task that involve the structuring of the organization (Feltus, 2009). Capitalism forces individuals to become either suppliers or consumers. This is evident within the theory that drives the economy; the law of supply and demand. This laws makes is abundantly clear that individuals will not be able to break away from the cycle of consumerism and supply. This same law can be applied to the position of the CEO. There is an extremely short supply of individuals who are capable of performing the task that are delegated to the CEO because of the massive knowledge requirements and experience needed for it to function (Shleifer, 1997). Therefore when the supply his low, individuals who take those positions are able to demand more pay and salary. In terms of the employee, there is a much larger supply of individuals who are capable of completing entry and middle level task (Shleifer, 1997). Therefore they are less capable of demanding as much for their work. In terms of the c orporate structure itself, publicly traded companies have a disconnect between the owners and the operatives. Shareholders specifically vote on the board of directors who are responsible for determining who will be CEO. The corporate structure then plays a role in why the CEO is gets such a large salary, because he is the chief officer who reports directly to the shareholders. Since shareholders attempt to maximize profit at all cost, the reason why they are willing to pay the CEO so much is because they want to create incentives for loyalty and responsibility (Clarke, 2004). CEOs exist to help maximize profit for the shareholders and determine what strategies are most and least effective in terms of the companies operations. While large compensation for the CEO is one means of achieving such ends, John Mackie claims that â€Å"Whole Foods has not lost employees it wanted to keep because of higher salaries elsewhere. He believes that once basic financial needs are met, ‘deepe r purpose, personal growth, self-actualization, and caring relationships provide very powerful motivations and are more important than financial compensation for creating both loyalty and a high performing organization (O’Brien, 2010).’† This means that the company can also benefit from paying employees even more which increases the return on investment for human capital. The function of the CEO is another overly important reason for the increased compensation that must be

The reflection of the case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The reflection of the - Case Study Example Passion is another vital concept to bear when starting a business. A person with the passion to engage in a particular venture is often successful as opposed to an individual who does not engage in it passionately. This is because this passionate person is often optimistic and optimism is vital in business. This is as shown in the case where Vivek Khuller thought of the idea of combining SFX and the Ticketmaster (Wasserman, 1). One of the major points to understand with relation to entrepreneurship is the manner in which the market is developed and divided. In the contemporary business environment, this is referred to as market segmentation. Market segmentation refers to the manner in which a company focuses on a large group of people who are the target market and then figuring out the ones with similar needs and operating with each group differently. After carrying out market segmentation, different approaches are then incorporated to ensure that all the different needs of the various individuals are met. After the entrepreneur establishes in the market, it is vital to ensure that he increases the taskforce that he has. With the increase in the task force, the consequent of this is that the market will extend and every segment gets a manager. This in the case is after Khuller had joined forces with other 5 individuals and consequently had to share the market and profits with them (Wasserman, 9). Another point to consider is concerning the full life cycle in business. This involves carrying out of various steps that assist in determining the condition of the commodity. The first step normally involves the identification of the manners through which customers get to know the commodity. There is then the collection of information about how the consumers use the commodity. Moreover, there is the determination of the expected need of

Foundations of Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Foundations of Marketing - Essay Example When a company bases its operations on a production orientation, the thinking adopted is that â€Å"consumers favour products that are available and highly affordable†. The focus is on improving production and distribution side of the business. The product concept holds that consumers choose products, which are of superior quality and carry innovative features. Continuous product improvement gets the priority. Product orientation carries the danger of being susceptible to marketing myopia where the company fails to see the broader market needs which it is fulfilling but concentrates too closely on the product itself. Many organisations still favour the selling concept where the focus is on large-scale promotional and selling efforts. However with the customers getting more and more sophisticated and possessing high level of product and market information, hard selling tactics are no longer the preferred mode. The forth alternative is the marketing approach where the underlying belief is that â€Å" achieving organisational goals depend upon determining the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competition†. The main focus lies in identifying and meeting the customer needs effectively and profitably. Final and newest marketing concept is societal marketing where the focus is to balance the needs of the company with consumer’s short-term needs as well as overall long-term needs of society.

Life Cycle Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Life Cycle Assessment - Essay Example In these way sustainable enterprises, therefore is one that contributes to sustainable development by delivering simultaneously economic, social and environmental benefits so called triple bottom-line (Elkington, 1994). The global challenges associated with sustainability, viewed through the appropriate set of business lenses, can help to identify strategies and practices that contribute to a more sustainable world and simultaneously, drive share holders value (Hart and Milstein, 2003). The sustainable value framework developed by Hart & Milstein (2003) creates four- quadrant contains sustainability vision clean technology, pollution prevention and product stewardship. Now to sustain the business on the long term basis, products must be more energy efficient, reduce end of life waste, decrease pollution etc. To develop this kind of product, we have to promote environmentally conscious design which promotes energy efficient and environmentally sensitive energy generation. Environmentally conscious design works within the economic and technological constraints to develop and use new technologies that are sustainable in the long run. Environmental conscious designs of the products are the necessity of the time and to develop these products, we face could face numerous problems as well as challenges. Now to develop a product this is environmentally conscious and have the design to support it is the subject of various areas. The process of designing such products is very cumbersome. There is continuous process to improve the design of the products. In the process of development of products, industries are including the waste handling in the scope of process and marking efforts to reframe or design processes which can use the existing waste facilities and to avoid the need to invest in new treatment facilities. In the process of design reevaluation, some efforts have been taken to integrate materials integration techniques as a cost effective ways of reducing pollutant emissions. In the process of developing environmentally conscious subjects, one must assess environmental impacts through life cycle assessment. In the lifecycle assessment (LCA), we must evaluate environmental impacts on the every stage of development of the products i.e., from starting to end. More and more academics have applied life cycle assessment to all the development of industry in Europe. LCA has represented by life cycle problem. Recently LCA represents a new way of thinking about the industries results into most cost effective development. The use of natural products, new way applied to produce time, use of raw materials and natural resources which ultimately minimize waste and adverse impact on people as well as natural environment. In the life cycle process, products entire life cycle from design to final uses and disposal as well as reuse of raw materials has been included. LCA shows a new way to think about manufacturing of the produc6ts which includes the most efficient and productive use of raw materials and natural resources. It is a process which depends on minimizing wastes, avoiding adverse impact on workers and on the natural environment. In the LCA application, we analyze the complete life of the product i.e. from design, raw material and natural resou

Mobile Phone Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mobile Phone Marketing - Essay Example Failure to do so will eventually turn out to be counterproductive and can lead to the degradation of the brand being marketed (Hendery 2). The dearth of relevant technologies is one other big problem being faced by the proponents of mobile phone marketing. Considering the immense potential of the mobile phone marketing, this channel is gaining an enhanced acceptance amongst the marketing professionals. The corporations are well aware that a mobile phone is something that a person carries everywhere and therefore ample budgetary allocations are being made to launch and support interactive marketing campaigns (Long 1). Infact the potential of mobile phone marketing is much higher as compared to the internet marketing component, as the number of cell phone subscribers is very large as compared to the number of people who own or use computers (Long 1). As per a survey conducted by the Mobile Marketing Association based in Colorado, US, the total number of mobile phone subscribers around the world stands to be a mind boggling 1.4 billion, which is way ahead of the total number of land line phone subscribers throughout the world (Long 1). In the US alone, more then 65 percent of the population owns cell phones (Long 2). Also the text messag ing is gaining much popularity amongst the mobile phone owners (Long 2).There exist many valid reasons that will make mobile marketing really popular amongst the top brands in the UK. First and foremost, the mobile phone marketing enables the brands to interact with a specific target audience (Business Wire 1). Secondly, it enables the brands to ascertain how a user responds to a particular marketing message (Business Wire 1). Last but not the least, mobile phone marketing enables the companies to certify, whether a particular message has reached the customer or not (Business Wire 1). Mobile phone operators also stand to gain from this trend as it promises lucrative revenue opportunities for them. As per a survey conducted by Airwide Solutions in the UK, by the end of 2008, nearly 89 top brands in the UK will resort to text and multimedia messaging to communicate with their potential customers (Business Wire 1). Nearly one third of these brands are expected to allocate more then 10 percent of their marketing allocations to mobile phone marketing (Business Wire 1). Such budgetary allocations are expected to augment to more then 25 percent in the next five years (Business Wire 1). Small screen size of mobile phones was one major barrier to the mobile phone marketing (Shea 1). In the last few years, the mobile phone manufacturers responded to such consumer expectations by making the mobile phones smaller and smaller. Thus the small phones with their small screen sizes severely limited the scope and potential of mobile phone marketing (Shea 1). However, last year this trend was reversed with the advent of Apple's iPhone, which is a small phone with a big screen (Shea 1). Considering the current trend towards bigger screens in association with the recent innovations in the cellular technology like wireless internet capabilities and high speeds, the mobile phone