Facebook Is a Positive Phenomenon

Introduction Many people still think that Facebook as well as other social networks is something highly negative. These people mention security hazards, creating a digital world and escaping from reality. However, now it is clear that Facebook is a positive phenomenon that helps many people in their (professional, academic and private) lives.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Facebook Is a Positive Phenomenon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is possible to focus on three major criteria: aesthetical, practical and ethical. Notably, Facebook helps people to share their ideas, images and pictures, and this helps them express themselves aesthetically; this social network also has a practical implication as Facebook users may communicate, share news and find old as well as new friends; finally, Facebook helps people consider a variety of ethical issues and develop specific ethical patterns shared by the entire societ y. Aesthetical Criteria First, it is possible to evaluate Facebook in terms of aesthetic criteria. Facebook users tend to share lots of pictures and photos and this can be regarded as a certain kind of self-expression (Zywica Danowski 6). Notably, all people try to satisfy their aesthetic needs without even knowing it. Of course, the most important reason for changing profile photos or uploading pictures and images is to become or, at least, seem popular so Facebook users upload â€Å"the attractive self-presentation style† (Zywica Danowski 20). However, in this way people also express their aesthetical views. Thus, they upload images and photos which are the most attractive, in their opinion. It is possible to state that Facebook encourages its users to create and to develop their aesthetical taste. While trying to become more popular, Facebook users explore new ways to express themselves. They are not afraid of experimenting. They are also exposed to a variety of other pi ctures and images that can help these people develop certain aesthetical tastes. Therefore, this social network helps many people express themselves in terms of their aesthetical taste, which is very important for a human. Practical Criteria Furthermore, Facebook has a number of practical implications. In the first place, it is a very effective way to search for friends one has lost somehow (former neighbors, classmates, fellow students, colleagues or even relatives). It is also quite an effective tool to make new friends online. Some try to achieve certain popularity with the help of this social network. Notably, they are quite successful (Zywica Danowski 6).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Apart from this, Facebook has also become a certain tool to generate public opinion. This social network expands â€Å"the potentials of individual opinion into public opinion, the achieva bility of participation and the development of a transnational, deterritorialized public sphere† (Valtysson 80). Thus, Facebook has become quite a significant power. People communicate their ideas which eventually become public opinion. The Spring Arab Revolution also showed many implications of the social network. People shared news and Facebook was one of the few sources of true facts about the situation in the countries as people who lived in the areas shared images and photos that depicted events of those days. Ethical Criteria Finally, Facebook is a positive phenomenon as it is also associated with ethical issues. First of all, Facebook is associated with such ethical issues as people’s attitude towards privacy. Facebook is a certain kind of embodiment of this ethical discourse. Thus, many people share really intimate information and then suffer from their own sincerity. It is still unclear whether people can share their intimate stories, but Facebook may help find a solution to this ethical problem. Apart from this, Facebook users tend to discuss a variety of ethical issues. Of course, some users may discuss certain issues in quite an unethical manner, e.g. using sarcasm, irony and parody when talking about such serious issues as ethnicity, religion, etc. However, these cases are not that numerous. Thus, Facebook encourages people to discuss really important issues and, in the majority of cases, public opinion shapes the conclusions made. It is possible to state that people often learn quite valuable lessons as they are exposed to a variety of life stories. This is the way Facebook helps people develop specific ethical beliefs which are in tune with the ethical patterns accepted in the society. Conclusion It is possible to state that Facebook is a positive phenomenon as it helps people develop. Thus, Facebook helps people develop their aesthetical tastes. Besides, this social network has a variety of practical implications, e.g. people can f ind their once lost friends and make new ones. Finally, Facebook helps spread certain ethical patterns which reign in the society. Of course, as any other phenomenon, Facebook has some drawbacks, but the three criteria evaluation clearly shows that this social network is a positive phenomenon that leads to development and progress in many spheres of human’s life. Perhaps, it is time to stop looking for negative sides of the phenomenon. People should start focusing on the positive things about Facebook to make it an even more effective tool to develop the human society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Facebook Is a Positive Phenomenon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Works Cited Valtysson, Bjarki. â€Å"Facebook as a Digital Public Sphere: Processes of Colonization and Emancipation.† Creative Commons License 10.1 (2012): 77-91. Print. Zywica, Jolene and James Danowski. â€Å"The Faces of Facebooker s: Investigating Social Enhancement and Social Compensation Hypotheses; Predicting Facebook and Offline Popularity from Sociability and Self-Esteem, and Mapping the Meanings of Popularity with Semantic Networks.† Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 14.1 (2008): 1-34. Print. This essay on Facebook Is a Positive Phenomenon was written and submitted by user Nora Ewing to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The History of 911 Emergency Calls

The History of 911 Emergency Calls Who designed and installed the first 911 emergency telephone call system in the United States? Alabama Telephone Company 911 Pioneers The race to be first will always be part of human nature as long as a bridge remains to be crossed, mountains to be climbed, or a telephone exchange to be cut-over, with a team working together as Alabama Telephone had. B.W. (Bob) Gallagher - President of the Alabama Telephone Company a subsidiary of Continental Telephone. Initiated and directed the overall 911 effort.Robert (Bob) Fitzgerald - Inside State Plant Manager. Designed and engineered the needed circuitry for the first U.S. 911 system.Jimmy White - Technician on 911 installation team.Glenn Johnston - Technician on 911installation team.Al Bush - Technician on 911 installation team.Pete Gosa - Technician on 911 installation team. Need for a Universal Number Emergency Call System The ability to dial a single number to report emergencies was first used in Great Britain, in 1937. The British could dial 999 to call for police, medical or fire departments, from anywhere in the country. In 1958, the American Congress first investigated a universal emergency number for the United States and finally passed the legal mandate in 1967. The very first American 911 call was placed on February 16, 1968, in Haleyville, Alabama made by Alabama Speaker of the House, Rankin Fite and answered by Congressman Tom Bevill.   The new emergency number had to be three numbers that were not in use in the United States or Canada as the first three numbers of any phone number or area code, and the numbers had to be easy to use. The Federal Trade Commission along with ATT (which held a monopoly on phone services at that time) originally announced the plans to build the first 911 system in Huntington, Indiana. Alabama Telephone Company Takes the Initiative Bob Gallagher, President of the Alabama Telephone, was annoyed that the independent phone industry had not been consulted. Gallagher decided to beat ATT to the punch line and have the first 911 emergency service built in Haleyville, Alabama.   Gallagher consulted with Bob Fitzgerald, his state inside-plant manager. Fitzgerald let Gallagher know that he could do it. Gallagher moved quickly getting approvals from Continental Telephone and the Alabama Public Service commissioner and releasing a press release on February 9 announcing that the Alabama Telephone Company would be making history. Fitzgerald examined all twenty-seven Alabama exchanges choosing the Haleyville location, and then engineered the new circuitry and made the modifications needed for the existing equipment. Fitzgerald and his team worked around the clock to install the first 911 emergency system in under one week. The team worked their regular day jobs in Fayette, traveling each night to Haleyville to do the 911 work during off-peak hours. The work was completed on February 16, 1968, at exactly 2 p.m. celebrated with a team cheer of Bingo! Details of this story were provided by Reba Fitzgerald, wife of Robert Fitzgerald.

International Courts and Tribunals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International Courts and Tribunals - Essay Example Despite the measures left behind by British military tribunal, all international and especially Americans did not practice separate hearings for matters in which guilt has been established. Most tribunals seldom affix an obligatory final clause to their judgments appraising extenuating factors in rare cases. Therefore there is little or no standard to help courts and tribunals now that that international justice has been rejuvenated almost 50 years later with the setting up of international tribunals for the previous Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Firstly what are international tribunals, international criminal tribunals are specialized courts set up to convict individuals accused of violations standardized under international humanitarian law as committed in a particular place and time. (Albert Schweitzer, np, 1960) It is imperative to understand what the international criminal tribunal for Rwanda is. The ICTR has prominent jurisdiction to arraign people accused of genocide, human right violations and war crimes. In Rwanda particularly between January 1st and December 31st, the trial courts situated in Arusha, Tanzania, the appeals court situated inn the Hague, and the Second-in-command Prosecutor was located in Kigali, Rwanda. Till today the tribunal has handed down 22 judgments in which 28 were accused. Eleven trials are in progress, involving a grand total of 27 accused. Surprisingly these include up to eight ministers, one parliamentarian, three prefects, about eight military officers and tree burgomasters. The tribunal holds about fifteen detainees awaiting trial and about fourteen remain at large. All trials are presumed to end by 2008 and closing date set at 2010.as of 2006 about 102 countries were a part of the international criminal court, all NATO members except turkey and two members from the UN Security Council France and the United Kingdom. Although the United States has long been involved in international justice, currently USA is opposed to the ICC, although US has been kind enough not to bar UN security council vote to refer to crimes committed in Dafur to the ICC Prosecutor, officials say that US will assist if asked by the court. An important considerations is the ethical aspects of these trials, the Rome Statute incorporates the very best evolved, most ample understanding of what comprises a fair trial. In addition the Rome Statue contains every chapter process protection in the constitution of the United States of America, the death sentence is excluded. The world is greatly concerned if ICC will conduct any investigations in Iraq; this is highly unlike because of the fact that all potential crimes were committed on Iraqi territory, on which ICC does not have any jurisdiction as Iraq does not belong to the parties to the Rome Statue. All prosecutors ag reed that all allegations concerning killings and maltreatment of civilians were substantial and failed to be admissible under the Rome Statue, which require crime to be of a certain level. Prosecutors believe that such allegations need to be addressed on a national level. (McMorran

Course Project - Best Buy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Course Project - Best Buy - Research Paper Example In 1981, Schulze attended a weeklong management seminar which made him take a step in expanding the Sound of Music’s to include VCRs and other appliances. Later on in 1984 he introduced the superstore format which greatly expanded warehouse sizes and product offerings leading to quick capture a large portion of the market (Pederson & Gant, 2004). During the late 1980s, competitive companies were established since they realized the huge profits made by Best Buy Company from the superstore format and from the sale of hot ticket consumer items such as VCRs (Pederson & Gant, 2004). Highland Superstores a chief competitor to Best Buy Company, made it decline its net earnings after entering Best Buy’s core Twin Cities market in early 1987 (Pederson & Gant, 2004). For some time, both companies benefited from the market share increases and profits, but finally the market was overcrowded by other stores who were competing for the same dollars. The decreased profits by Best Buy Company made Schulze come up with the idea of building Concept II stores in 1989, which would make the company more noticeable from the competition since the average customer recognized little difference among the superstores (Votteler, 2002). The idea behind Concept II stores was to ensure that shoppers were entering electronic discount stores which had limited need for sales aid and a desire for hassle free buying which would ensure no waiting for merchandise from the back room or switching from counter to counter. Thus, the Best Buy stores would have well stocked showrooms, fewer salespeople, more self help product information, one stop purchasing of products and answer centers for those with questions. These were some of the best effective strategies used by Best Buy Company to fight off competition. In April 1991, Highland stores exited the metropolitan area, conceding defeat and

Economic Issues Simulation Paper Essay Example for Free

Economic Issues Simulation Paper Essay The Castor Collins health plan is a health maintenance program (HMO) that was found in 1999 and has grown over the years. The company provides health insurance coverage through a system that involves a network of physicians and hospitals. Castor Collins Heath Plan uses the capitation model to fund its large distributed group of physicians and health care organizations. Castor Collins currently provides health care coverage to 100,000 subscribers and would like to increase their enrollees. It is the responsibility of the Vice President along with his most trusted advisers, Helen Feuerman, Chief Financial Officer, Jonathan Wilkes, Chief Medical Officer, and Adam Hunter, Executive Vice President, Planning and Development, to reach out to new clients; two in particular, E-Editors and Constructit. E-Editors The company E-Editors employs 1,600 individuals, 760 males and 840 females. The employee’s ages range from 35-54. Most of the employees with E-Editors are married so they will need to provide an affordable health care plan for their families. Looking at the kind of work involved for most of the employee’s, Castor Collins found that many of the individuals have a sedentary position. In fact, ninety-five percent of the employees at E-Editors have a position that requires long hours of sitting in front of a computer; the remaining five percent of the employees have positions that require physical activity. A thorough health screening was conducted by Castor Collins. Their findings were as followed, most of the employees who have sedentary positions had problems with their vision. Twenty two percent of the employees had no history of health issues. Twenty six percent of the employees are smokers, most of them revealing that they are considered heavy smokers, although none of employees that smoke reported any respiratory complications. The remaining forty- five percent of the employees are obese. Interestingly, the obesity is due to a sedentary job, poor eating habits, and little to no physical activity. These populations of employees are at risk for severe health complications and diseases. Constructit Constructit has 1,000 employees; 550 being male and 450 are females. The age group ranges from 26-42, and sixty percent of the employees are married. Fifty three percent of the employees have positions that require physical activity. Thirty-two percent of this group has high activity positions and twenty five percent have moderate activity positions. The remaining forty three percent of the employees have sedentary positions. The result from this groups health screening are as followed, thirty-eight percent of the employees have no preexisting health issues and are in good physical health. Ten percent of the employees are smokers. Thirty nine percent of the employees are considered obese, which is a high obesity rate. Some of the illnesses that were reported are digestive disorders, respiratory diseases, injuries, and allergies. Analysis of both groups It is Castor Collins job to find suitable health care plans that will benefit both companies, employees, and Castor Collins while keeping in mind to make it affordable and beneficial to all. They will need to evaluate the potential risks and assess the cost of premiums for both. All members of the team determined the best way for deciding would be best conducted by using the cost-benefit analysis system. â€Å"The cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is a set of techniques for assisting in the making of decisions that translates all relevant concerns into market (dollar) terms† (Gertzen Allen, 2007). The team must first consider the age, gender, and profiles of all employees. Secondly, decide the potential health risks, calculate premium and profit. Thirdly, decide what services will be covered and co-payments for these health plans. When taking into consideration the different health profiles of all employees’ obesity seemed to be an issue for both. This alone makes the population at high risk for health issues associated with obesity such as; heart diseases, strokes, and diabetes. E-editors seem to have a higher percentage of obesity and smokers putting them at a much higher risk with health issues. Outcome After evaluating the cost and benefits that go along with providing health insurance coverage to both E-Editors and Constructit, Castor Collins financial team decided that they would only be able to provide health insurance coverage to Constructit and not E-Editors. The reason for this decision is E-Editors have a higher percentage of employees that are at risk for developing chronic diseases. The team went ahead and presented an offer to Constructit and their employees. Castor Collins can offer their employees the Castor Standard plan, which the premium to be charged will be $3,428.00. The reasoning behind choosing this plan over the Castor Enhanced and the Castor Enhanced Minor is the premiums for each employee would be significantly lower than the Enhanced and Enhance Minor plans even though each employee was willing to pay a maximum of $4,000 for their annual premium. Also, Castor Standard does not cover preexisting health conditions, so this would be a low risk investment. Preexisting conditions can cost a company thousands of dollars and in the end not be beneficial to the company’s profits. If Castor Collins were to contemplate preexisting conditions a much higher premium may have to be considered. This is an advantage that can help keep the annual premiums down and still provide many other health coverage services. The premiums that Castor Collins will charge the employees at Constructit are much lower than anticipated, which means a lower profit return. This group is considered a lower health risk group so increasing premiums could create a possibility to make greater returns, but the outcome is still fitting. Conclusion Many hours of planning and development were considered for the final decision of adding Constructit and not E-editors as a client. The team made this decision by utilizing the CBA method and determining that Constructit would be low risk to provide health coverage too. The plan that was chosen Castor Standard will have a lower return but in the long run be beneficial to Castor Collins. The employees at Constructit will be able to afford the health coverage plan and look towards the future knowing they are insured and covered for any emergencies without draining the wallet. Castor Collins and Constructit will begin a rewarding journey that will benefit both companies in the end. The team based this decision on considering all the  necessary health profiles, risks, and premiums and comparing all of the facts between both companies. Reference Getzen, T. E., Moore, J. (2007). Health Care Economics: Principles and tools for the Health Care Industry. Hoboken,, NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc.

Advantages and disadvantages of implementing TQM

Advantages and disadvantages of implementing TQM The topic for the study is advantages and disadvantages of implementing TQM as a precursor to ISO 9000 and vice versa. The sector taken for the study is petrochemical industries and the country chosen is UK. The papers scope of analysis extends to the current position of this industry and the challenges faced by it. The study has attempted to make an in depth discussion about the advantages of implementing quality concepts in petrochemical industry. The pros and cons entailing due to the implementation of TQM and ISO 9000 are also explained. Performance standard for each activity increases the overall performance of organizations in this sector. Therefore, it is essential for every organization to implement any of the quality concepts, so that it will enable it to manufacture and distribute quality products. Introduction: In this modern world, which fast changing, most of the organizations are coming up with new strategies to attract their customers. Nowadays, consumers have become totally aware of the quality of products and services delivered by the organizations. There was a wrong belief that the quality concerns only products but not service. But later the perspective has changed. managers perspectives on its possible effect on company performance are not positive product quality that will be improvised after the implementation (Costa 2004, p.1). The customers always demand good quality for the products and services for which they pay. Due to this, the use of quality concept has become an important criterion for both manufacturing and service industries across the world. Maintaining quality for the products and services is not an easy task for all organizations. Product and service quality is the central part of all the organization that leads to the accomplishment of the organizational goals and objectives. For sustaining quality within the organization, some quality concepts are required to be implemented. These concepts are implemented in the organization to boost the overall efficiency of the company in a qualitative manner. There are many quality concepts that can be implemented for this purpose. Among various quality concepts, the most important concepts are total quality management system and ISO 9000. Maintaining quality in the overall work progress has envisaged the petrochemical industries to emphasise more on quality of the products and services that they deliver. Quality management system is an important criteria that have to be given due consideration in the every operation of any business. The design and implementation of a quality management system will vary depending on the type, size and products of the organisation (ISO 9001:2000 quality management system n.d.). Quality management standards promote the adoption of a process approach when developing, implementing and improving the effectiveness of a quality management system, to enhance customer satisfaction by meeting customer requirements (Quality management systems requirements for service quality by public service organization 2005, p.2). To recapitulate, the industries taken for the current study is petrochemical industry in UK. Due to the slowdown in the global market economy in the year 2009, there was a huge decline in the demand for the products manufactured by the petrochemical industry. The petrochemical industry of today is an indispensable part of the manufacturing and consuming sectors, churning out products which include paint, plastic, rubber, detergents, dyes, fertilizers, textiles, and even solvents.  (Analyzing the global petrochemical industry, 2009, para.1). The top ten petrochemical industries in the world are as follows: BASF (Germany) Dow Chemical (USA) ExxonMobil Chemical (USA) LyondellBasell Industries (Netherlands) INEOS (UK) Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Saudi Arabia) Formosa Plastics Corporation (Taiwan) Sumitomo Chemical (Japan) DuPont (USA) Chevron Phillips (USA). (Baxter, 2009, para.7). As far as petrochemical industry in UK is concerned, maintaining quality is an important aspect. To achieve this objective in all spheres of work processes in petrochemical industry, various quality concepts have been implemented in these organizations. Among these the concept which has created an overall progress for this sector is the concept of Total Quality Management (TQM) and ISO 9000. TQM is considered as a holistic and systematic approach that provides quality management for the petrochemical industry in United Kingdom. It is an integrated management philosophy which continuously focuses on improving the quality performance of the products, processes and services that are delivered by the organizations to meet the customers requirements and enhance customer satisfaction and there y retaining their loyalty towards the organization. TQM is a management philosophy that seeks to integrate all organizational functions (marketing, finance, design, engineering, and production, customer service, etc.) to focus on meeting customer needs and organizational objectives. (Hashmi, 2009, para.4). ISO 9000 is a group of standards which is mainly implemented in an organization to improve the overall efficiency and to effectively enable the maintenance of quality management system within the organization. In the earlier days, this was meant for only those organizations which were engaged in international trade. ISO 9000 can help a company satisfy its customers, meet regulatory requirements and achieve continual improvement. (ISO 9000 and other standards, n.d., para.4).   ISO 9000 series is composed of ISO 9000:2005, ISO 9001:2008, ISO 9004:2008 and ISO 9004:2009. There is a specific ISO standard for every industry. ISO/TS 20091 is a specific quality management system which includes the requirements related to design, production, development, installing and delivering the services related to the products that are manufactured by the petrochemical industry. Current scenario of global Petrochemical industries: As the name suggests petrochemicals are certain chemicals which are obtained from cracking of petroleum feedstock. These petrochemicals are mainly used in manufacturing fields. Petrochemical industry is considered to be one of the fast growing sectors in the world. It not only plays a crucial role in meeting the daily needs of the common man, but also contributes significantly towards industrial and economic growth of the nation (Introduction 2008). The petrochemical industry of today is an indispensable part of the manufacturing and consuming sectors (Analyzing the global petrochemical industry 2009). Quality is defined by international standards ISO 8402 as the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs (Mariojouls n.d., p.1). As far as petrochemical industries are concerned, quality plays a significant role in the overall functioning. Recession is precipitating a long-term decline in the British petrochemicals industry, with producers cutting and consolidating capacity in 2009, according to BMIs latest UK Petrochemicals Report (United Kingdom Petrochemicals report Q1 2010 2009). Petrochemical industry being fastest growing industry with an estimate nearly US$2.4 trillion, there is an absolute necessity within the business to ensure and sustain customer satisfaction. Despite of many challenges from environment protection standards and high rate in crude oil prices, it is still maintaining higher rate in overall manufacturing segment. As per industry reports the pharmaceutical segment contributes approximately 26% of the total industry output and approx. 35-40% is dominated by the petrochemical segment (Global Scenario 2008). Commodity chemicals is said to be one of the largest segment in this industry with approximate turnover of $750 billion while fine chemicals constitute $500 billion. The major markets are widely spread all over the globe which include Japan, Western sides of Europe, North America and also Asia and Latin American countries. However, United States consumes almost one-fifth of the chemical production while Europe consumes only half of the sa id volume. In petrochemical industry the process of petrochemical production consists of two stages. In the first stage naphtha, produced by refining crude oil or natural gas is used as a feedstock and is cracked. Cracking (breaking of long chain of hydrocarbon molecule) produces olefins and aromatics. In stage two, these building blocks are polymerized (made to undergo chemical processes) to produce downstream petrochemical products (polymers, polyesters, fibre intermediaries and other industrial chemicals (Petrochemicals 2009). The nature of the petrochemical industry is cyclical. In case of petrochemical supply industries, Middle East region is considered to be very rich in oil fields and reserves and it has been developing newer complexes for petrochemicals. The huge capacity of these countries fulfills their domestic demand. In case of demand side it is Asia, particularly China that more and more demands are coming. These two factors changed the supply-demand scenario of global petrochemic al industries over the last two decades. The US petrochemical industry has remained volatile between up and down trends in the last few years and also present situation is no different. The US petrochemical industry has traveled through different phases in their life cycle from their initial phase till the present. The US petrochemical industry faces many slumps in their production because of high feedstock prices. The rising of feedstock prices has put the giant petrochemical industry of US on back foot over other main rivalries. Because of this investment reduced in the US petrochemical industry. This caused considerable unsteadiness in the market. The result was that US petrochemical was in a stagnated position and the future of the petrochemical industry in United States seems back. In the case of Middle East, petrochemical industries are accessing to cheap and copious feedstock and more overly they are producing larger quantities from their petrochemical industry. Besides large scale investment continues in the sector which results in favourable condition for Middle East countries. Apart from this, China being the country whose intake is quite large, the market is encouraging. Thus, Middle East did not worry about the market condition at all. Apart from this, rules, regulations and protocols present in this country are very simple which poses no problem in doing steady business. By 2015, it is said that Middle East countries will surpass the European countries in terms of ethylene capacity. The region is estimated to account for about 20% of world ethylene capacity, against 17% share of Europe (US petrochemical industry takes a backseat in global supply- demand 2003). Middle East is targeting China as their potential market where there is a huge demand for oil always exists. Middle East is expecting the demand of around nine percentages every year in China while comparing with other countries. Importance of TQM and ISO in petrochemical industries:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  TQM and ISO 9000 are two very important topics in connection to quality of a product. The idea of TQM is based on a transformation from the management process based on outcomes to a management process based on the improvement of quality. ISO 9000 is very important in determining the quality of a product. TQM is concerned with making sure that the company does the right thing and ISO 9000 deals with whether all the things are done right in the company. Researches had shown that TQM and ISO 9000 concepts are used in most of the petrochemical industries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  TQM is important because it enhances the existing methods of business. It also improves the product and service quality which will be help in the existence of the product for a long time. TQM is now used not only in manufacturing activities but also it is used as a general management tool. Total quality management decides the level of quality of the things in the petrochemical industry. It determines the characteristics of a thing. The quality of the products in the industry will attract customers towards it. TQM is not only limited to product quality improvement but also widely cover aspects of quality in service sector too. TQM in India more than manufacturing, it is the service sector that took its time to recognize the importance of TQM (Managing quality in organization 2010). TQM is focused on improving the quality of products in the petrochemical industries. The companies can fully take actions to the customers hopes with the help of TQM.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ISO 9000 standard determines the quality of a product.  Standards like  ISO  9000 are important for the success of any organization. Petrochemical organizations have recognized the importance of ISO 9000 certification for the growth of their business. The standard is important because of the benefit of it in marketing and sales, due to its value etc. ISO 9000 is important in the first instance because it gives organizations some guidance on how to manage for quality. Secondly, mechanisms exist by which an organization can be certified for conforming to ISO 9000 specifications (Rada 1994). Its characteristics are different from the other standards of engineering. In other words ISO 9000 is unique. These standards can help in the progress of the business processes of a company. It also helps to add value to the business. The sales of the industry can be increased by attaining ISO 9000 standards. It meets the requirements of the customer which leads to cust omer satisfaction. ISO 9000 helps the petrochemical industry to react to the needs of the customers in agreement with the standards and costs. The rules of ISO 9000 offer a complete model for the management of quality. It can make the petrochemical industries competitive. The motivation of the staffs can be improved with the help of ISO standards. It can encourage trade at the global level. It is also a method to add profits to the industry. The productivity of the industry is increased with the help of ISO 9000. The petrochemical industries can use it as a standard that will help to evaluate the effectiveness of its quality. A petrochemical industry with ISO 9000 can sell its products at an improved rate. It can claim that their products have been the outcome of a procedure that frequently examine for quality. ISO 9000 standard helps the petrochemical industries to attain the quality standards that are accepted all over the world.   Since the standard is accepted internationally, for the industries doing international business consider it as a reasonable option. It will also be a good option for customers who want products of international quality.  By using ISO 9000, industries can recognize the cause of the difficulties and hence discover a solution for it. A reliable supply chain can be produced using ISO 9000. The importance of TQM and ISO 9000 has encouraged the petrochemical industries to apply them in their business. Problem faced by Petrochemical industry: Quality plays a significant role in the development and success of any organization or product. UK is recognized as a core of the creation of petrochemical and other associated products of petrochemical. There is high demand for this product all over the world; so quality assurance and quality management are very important in petrochemical industry in order to exist in the global economy. There are many petrochemical industries in this country and millions of people are working in these industries. Even though this sector is the major source of economic growth, the industry is facing some problems regarding quality management and quality assurance. The main challenges faced by the petrochemical industry are the need to manage the commercial environment better and as a minimum to stop worsening the industrys inherent cyclicality the need for further restructuring in order to improve underlying performance and the need to improve relationships with the outside world because crucially these relationships increasingly will determine the scope for success in our industry (Grote, 2001, para.5). During the production process they are not fully utilizing the resources and they are not aware about the recycling of the waste products. The rate of manufacturing the petrochemical products is very high; so the wastage of resources is causing great loss of profit for them. The petrochemical industry like BP did not implement the latest technology and methods to improve the activities in the production procedure and to improve the performance of the workers. Due to lack of the latest technologies, they could not increase the quantity and quality of products and also could not provide the customers requirements properly. So, in order to overcome such problems, they introduced quality management techniques like TQM and ISO 9000 standard. The financial crisis for the past few years has affected the running of the petrochemical industries. Increase in the price of the resources decreased the production of these industries. Moreover as they are aware of recycling the waste resources there is vast wastage of the resources. The petrochemical products are used for a number of purposes therefore the lack of quality decreases the sale of their products. This has totally caused to the financial status of the petrochemical industries. The resources for the production of the petrochemicals products are not available in sufficient manner. The chemical plants are been abolished due to environmental contamination like pollution, smoke stacks etc. usage of the traditional methods in the production process decreased the quantity and quality of their products. It is taking more time for the production process as they are following the traditional methods. According to the invention of the latest technologies these organisations did n ot implemented the latest technologies in their business activities. Therefore they fail to reach with the other petrochemical industries in other nation. Proper training is not given to the employees to improve the performance of the employees moreover they are aware in handling the latest tools and techniques. The decrease in quantity of the petrochemical products does not accomplish the need of all the customers so this is affecting the whole reputation of these industries. Deficient in attaining the customer satisfaction of their products they are not able to compete with the petrochemical industries in other countries. For the achievement of success of any business there need a good relationship with the other countries in order to increase the sale of their product. But in the case of petrochemical industries this country is not keeping a good relationship with the outside world therefore the sale of their products has decreased. Implementation of TQM as a precursor to ISO 9000 and vice versa: The petrochemical industries are those involved in the manufacturing of toxic chemicals and organic compounds which can affect the people when not maintained properly. Quality assessment and quality standard implementation should be done from the start up of production to the final despatch of the product for customer satisfaction and for the maintenance of quality system. The petrochemical industry should also comply with the requirements of occupational health and safety management systems which deal with the precautions on health and environmental factors. This is applicable to all chemical industries. Implementation model: (Implement- from quality to organisational excellence, n.d., p.1). The implementation of quality factors starts with the vision and mission of the company, the vision are the future view of the company; the mission are the goals in terms of quality products, customer satisfaction and the profit which they want to achieve. The statements should be clear and spontaneous. CSF/KPI: The critical factors for successful implementation are the building blocks for the success and those identified factors that affect in the implementation by analyzing of the past data and the modification to be done in implementing the new standards. They identify the key performance indicators like the employees, resources like plant and machinery, innovation etc. Encouraging new ideas and technology, discarding obsolete ones etc contribute to the success in the implementation; they monitor the performance and report the progress and the feedback for the organizations well being. Core process: The core business processes are the profit rearing segments of the business and they consist of suppliers, process and the customers. The quality implementations create a major impact on the core process and the competitive advantage when the implementation of the TQM is done in the business process. Defining of the business opportunity: Quality implementation is done mainly for increasing the reputation of the company. The company must be against the acceptance of any kind of compromise in the product quality which affects the company and its reputation in the market. To make the situation at an ease and conducting a review to identify the particular need and the specification of the customer and the company and the analyzing whether the required standard is met or not, this becomes the method for getting a better business opportunity. The ISO 9000: This is an important tool for the implementation of TQM. This is a general name given to the list of quality standards. The main aim of these quality standards is to provide the company with the standard products and to make the company a profit oriented and highly reputed. The brainstorming of the ideas is given a good place for the implementation. They help in several ideas generated by the people and the product analysis and the performing of the functions according to the effectiveness of the customer satisfaction and the major role in the quality assessment criteria and to enhance the company position, reputation and profitability. Decision making by the management and the implementation to be done by the different standards and the performance of them are monitored continuously, and the demerits in the performance are identified and continuous improvement is done by providing adequate training and development. ISO 9000 series is a quality management system that has to be maintained in an organization. This means what the organization does to fulfil: the customers quality requirements, and applicable regulatory requirements, while aiming to enhance customer satisfaction, and achieve continual improvement of its performance in pursuit of these objectives (ISO 9000 and ISO14000 2010). The idea of improvement in implementing TQM by the companies is to have the accreditation, proper dealing with the customer for the certification for the business and exports to be done to other countries and also to increase the position and profit of the company. Advantages of implementing TQM as a precursor to ISO 9000 and vice versa: The ISO 9000 and TQM are two main subjects that are used to show the quality of an industry. Although fundamentally different TQM ensures organizations do the right thing, while ISO 9000 is about doing things right. (Exhibit: An introduction to ISO 9000 TQM, 1999, p.2). There are many advantages in implementing TQM as precursor to ISO 9000 and vice versa in petrochemical industries. These two topics have got a good exposure and encouragement. The petrochemical industries find it very important to obtain them. This has grown popularity due to its advantages. The ISO 9000 is considered as a quality model. The implementation of TQM creates a competitive advantage. The implementation will also improve the participation and dedication of the employees in the petrochemical industry. The employees work as a team for the implementation activities and thus cooperation increases. The implementation of TQM and ISO 9000 helps provide quality to the customers. It helps in meeting the needs of the customers. Assessing the quality can be done by quality standards like ISO 9000. It determines whether the work is done in an efficient way or not. Total quality management can be implemented through ISO 9000. Implementing ISO 9000 as a precursor can be of advantage to the implementation of TQM, because it will help increase the profit and thereby keep their regular customers. ISO 9000 can be used as a tool to TQM in petrochemical industries. ISO 9000 will help the process of production when the quality management process is at the starting stage. ISO 9000 has nowadays become a need for the petrochemical industries because it helps to improve productivity. It helps in organizing the process of production. It also helps in improving the performance of the company. The advantages can be listed as follows; It improves the productivity of the organization from top to bottom. It is s systematic and well structured approach that can be used for enhancing customer satisfaction. It is an improvement method by which the deviations can be reduced. It helps in delivering the product and services t the required quality expected by the customer. It helps in reducing a higher level of wastages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Implementation of ISO 9000 offers a strong foundation for the efficient implementation of TQM. The implementing of ISO 9000 as a precursor of TQM helps to create an understanding of the requirements of the customers. It enhances the involvement of the employees in the TQM process. It increases the relationship with the suppliers. The profit of petrochemical can be increased by the implementing ISO 9000.  Ã‚   Disadvantages of implementing TQM as a precursor to ISO 9000 and vice versa: In petrochemical industries, ISO 9000 and TQM are the integral components of the successful running of every organization. When a petrochemical industry is considered there exist a lot of difficulties regarding the implementation of TQM as a precursor to ISO 9000 and vice versa. Petrochemical industry plays a major role for the economic growth of a country. Nowadays petrochemical products are used for several purposes of our day to day life. While implementing TQM as a precursor to ISO 9000, few problems arise in connection with customer satisfaction, because without the incorporation of TQM and ISO 9000 does not bring enough customer satisfaction. They consider that ISO 9000 certification is the main thing which shows the manufacturers ability to produce high quality products. Also implementation of TQM as a precursor to ISO causes difficulties for entering into international market because ISO 9000 certification is an integral component of petrochemical industry to enter an interna tional market. In order to get ISO 9000 systematic planning is necessary and it will help bring faith from the part of the customer and also to produce good quality products. ISO 9000 certification is the major thing which is used to compete with the international markets. Also, implementing TQM as a precursor to ISO 9000 will cause difficulties to maintain quality improvement. So, it is better to follow ISO 9000 standards before TQM in every organization. But, there exist few disadvantages also for this type of implementation. In order to achieve maximum profit from a business, the major thing is to fulfil the needs of the customer and TQM approach gives more consideration to customer satisfaction. So, by implementing ISO 9000 first will cause few problems regarding customer satisfaction. Even there is quality in the products for the satisfaction of the customer ISO 9000 and TQM certification is essential. It is better to implement ISO 9000 before TQM because in the newest version of ISO 9000 it includes several features of TQM. Therefore the implementation of TQM before ISO 900 is really wastage of time and money. There are some problems regarding the implementation of the TQM as the precursor to ISO 9000 and some of that problems are Initially higher cost of production as more is recognized as rejects. Cost of training personnel, cost of implementing stages of feedback for employees (Voters 2010). The implementation of this TQM standard requires more cost because there need to bring total changes in the organization such as for the training of the employees, implementation of the latest technologies etc. it is difficult to alter the practice of the longtime workers to the TQM procedures and ISO 9000 procedures. while the organization are running smoothly with their existing functional procedures as the customers demands for the ISO 9000 and TQM standard certification the company owners are forced to change to these standard procedures. Even though an organization maintains quality in their products and excellent workers the customer does not agree the quality without the certification of these standards. The petrochemical products are used for several purposes so the certification of ISO 9000 and TQM for every product seems to be very difficult because sometimes the assurance of the quality of a product requires much more money than the money required for the manufacturing of that product. There are also some difficulties in implementation the ISO 9000 as the precursor. To finish the procedures of ISO 9000 registration it takes several months. The 1996 Quality Systems Update survey indicated that it took businesses an average of 15 months to move from the early stages of the process to passage of the final audit, and that processes of 18-20 mo nths or even longer were not that uncommon (ISO 9000 2010). It is really wastage of time and effort to the business owners moreover wastage of time to other employees in the organization. Frequently companies will have a customer who demands that they be ISO 9000 certified to continue doing business. NOW the company has the choice of losing a customer or implementing ISO 9000. Either way money is lost in the short term (Nurre, Gunaman De- Almeida 2000, p.5). Conclusion and Recommendations: The concepts of TQM and ISO play a significant role in improving the quality management system within an organization. It is evident that the adoption of these two concepts has enabled the petrochemical industries to overcome all the problems they were facing before their implementation. The challenges faced by the petrochemical industries can be solved effectively by implementing these concepts. The issues related to the product or service quality must be handled by the experts in the organization. The overall performance of this sector can be improved by framing a standard for each activity that are carried out in an organization, so that the deviations occurring in each activity can be identified easily and appropriate measures can be taken in time.

Big Fish Film Study Creative Assignment

Creative Writing Assignment 1. At the end of the film Will reconciles with his dying father. Write the eulogy that Will delivers at his father's funeral. Consider what Will would say about what kind of father Ed was, what kind of man he was, what lessons he taught, or the type of man Will strives to be. Losing a loved one is one of the most difficult things we can go through, so much more is it is a parent. No words can express what I am feeling right now and I’m sure that in time I will be able to accept the facts.My father was one of those creative and story telling types. His creative sorties were the truth in our house. I used to love listening to the invogorating sroties he would tell me every night before bed. He would tell me that everything he said he did was true and not to let anyone tell me otherwise. As I grew older, I slowly drifted apart from him, not caring about the nonsense he called his life. I soon learned that the most important thing that i had was my fami ly, weather we included him in it or not he would always be my dad.Though he may never have said it out loud but I believe he told these stories to be remembered. I am the person i am today because of eveything his legends taught me. As most of you may know my father always had something to say. I remember when we were little and my father was gone on business quite often, at that point in time is when we got totally separated that we could barely carry on a conversation as friends let alone family. About 3 months ago when my father got very ill and my wife and i came to stay with my parents we grew much closer again.He told me stories i had heard many times befoare and ones i had not yet heard. I discovered that the purpose of these legends is to be passed on throughout the generations, to be remembered adn to teach us a little something about life and ourselves. He showed strength until the end and still had some enlightening words for us. I promise that I will continue what my fa ther has started, and i will tell adventerous stories whenever i can. I know I’ll be filling huge shoes but I think I can do it.Let’s just remember everything that my father shared with us. And let’s be happy that he has finally in a better place. Critical Responses 1. â€Å"You are a big fish in a small pond, but this here is the ocean† –old Edward Bloom I believe that in this quote the fish represents Sandra, Ed’s wife. When Edward is in Spectre and he sees a naked woman where Jenny sees a fish. I also think that the fish is not real but a metaphor; it is whatever you want the most, and at the time Edward was looking for Sandra. 2. â€Å"And that was the lesson I learned that day†¦ he day my son was born. Sometimes the only way to catch an uncatchable woman, is to offer her a wedding ring. † –Edward Bloom In this text the fish represents Sandra as well because everyone says that the fish is uncatchable, which is true bec ause it isn’t real. Sandra was the uncatchable fish at one point because at first Edward didn’t know who she was and when he finally found her and she was engaged. When Edward offered Sandra a wedding ring that is where we see him actually catching the fish because she is now catchable.

Lead person centred practice Essay

Person centred Practice is very important within the care sector, it ensures that all service users have an equal and a big involvement when planning, developing and assessing their care needs. It means that we put the service user and their families at the heart of the decisions. It means that the service user is able to have more choice and control because they are influencing their own care plan to suit their individual needs. This is a key part of helping support and promotes independence and is effective as soon as we take on a new care package. The supervisor will complete a lengthy care plan prior to any care starting. It often involves the service user and close family members being present, each question within the care plan is answered by the service user and the family members, this means that when the care starts that we are ensuring we are meeting all of the service users needs. I understand that it is very important for service users to have shared decision making as they then feel equal in their care needs and included. At this stage the Supervisors get a chance to build up a trusting relationship with the service user and Person centred practice is providing care and needs which centres on the service user. It’s a way of caring for a person as an individual and putting them and their families at the heart of all decisions. Person centred practice put value to the independence, privacy, partnership, choice, dignity, respect and rights of the service user. 1.2 Critically review approaches to person centred practice The best ways to be person centred is to do the following: Discuss the service users strengths and make the most of them Communicate as well as you can at all times and always explain what you are doing and why you are doing it Always make the service users feel included at all times Help the service user do as much as they can for themselves (supporting independence) Common mistakes that care workers and other professionals often make, at times without realising are the following: Treating a service user like a child or speaking to them in a childlike fashion Use power to control the person. A service user who may have dementia, depression or a learning disability can be very vulnerable; therefore unknowingly a care  worker may slip into a â€Å"parenting† role and try to control situations. For example we have a service user who has learning disabilities; the regular care worker for this service user would always choose the clothes for this particular service user without asking the service user what they would like to wear. Due to the service user having very limited communication the only way the service user was unable to express their frustrations would be through actions. The care worker reported that the service user was showing signs of being angry by pulling things out of the carer’s hands and throwing them. I went to spot check a morning visit and found that although the relationship between the service user and carer was very good the care worker lacked in supporting choice and control. This was evidently frustrating the service user, therefore i asked the care worker to always give options, by taking out several outfits and allowing the service user to make a decision on the day to day activities. This gave the service user choice and control and a feeling of independence and inclusion, which should be supported at all times. 1.3 Analyse the effect of legislation and policy on person centred practice Legislations and policies such as: Mental capacity Act 006 Equality Act Human Rights Act 1998 Are just a few legislations that strongly reinforce choice and control for all service user and ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect and treated fairly at all times. At times, due to preventing service users causing any potential harm to themselves, for their best interest certain aspects and choices are made for them. In our company this usually relates to service users that may have mental health issues and dementia. The Mental Capacity Act was implemented in 2007 and seeks to empower and protect people who lack the capacity to make their own decisions. The five core principles that I work very closely with and communicate with all my team are the following: It is assumed that individuals have capacity unless an assessment has taken place that determines otherwise. Individuals must be given appropriate support to make a decision (before a judgement can be made that a person cannot do so) Individuals have the right to make a decision that seems unwise, does not mean that they lack the capacity to do so If it  is determined that an individual lacks capacity, any decision made on their behalf must be made in their best interests. Any actions taken in respect of the individual without capacity should be the least restrictive in terms of their basic rights and freedoms. Therefore at times person centred planning may be made by other professionals in order to maintain the well being and safety of a service user. But even though at times decisions may be made for service users because they lack the capacity to make some important ones, it should never be assumed that that are unable to make any decisions. 1.4Explain how person centred practice informs the way in which consent is established with individuals Person centered practice is also about keeping the choice of the individual firmly in their hands, and supporting and assisting them in taking and keeping control of their own lives. This is why it’s important to know that a client is assumed to have capacity unless it is proved otherwise. He or she must be able to understand the information relevant to the decision, retain the information, use the information as part of the decision making process and communicate the decision. If someone is assessed as lacking capacity, it must be sought elsewhere, from the next of kin or other individual or team responsible for the care of that person and any decision taken on their behalf must be in their best interests. 1.5 Explain how person centred practice can result in positive changes in individuals’ lives Person-centred practice means giving individual valued roles, participation and belonging in the community, freely given relationships, greater authority over decisions about the way they live, genuine partnership between the service, themselves and or their family and allies, individualized and personalized support arrangements. All of these contributes in helping people get better lives, meaning that individual will have a real home, purpose, family, friends and acquaintances, control over the direction of one’s life and future, good health, safety, security and justice which are all essential for both emotional and well being.

Coach Inc Essays

Coach Inc Essays Coach Inc Essay Coach Inc Essay Coach Inc. : Is Its Advantage in Luxury Handbags Sustainable? Executive Summary Coach Inc. : Is Its Advantage in Luxury Handbags Sustainable? Company History ? Founded in 1941 by Miles Cahn, a leather artisan, who began producing women’s handbags; simple in style and resilient to wear and tear. ? Even after 40 years of business, coach was able to grow at a steady rate by setting prices about 50% lower than most luxurious handbags, adding new models and establishing accounts with retailers such as Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue. After 44 years of family management, Coach was then sold to Sara Lee, a diversified food and consumer goods producer (acquisition strategy). ? Sara Lee left Coach’s strategy and operations intact but by 1990’s the company performance began to decline as consumer shifted preference to a more stylish French and Italian handbags such as Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, etc. ? In 1996, there was a change in the management having Reed Krakoff as the new creative director, an ex Tommy Hilfiger designer. He believed that new products should be based on market research rather than on designer’s instincts about what would sell. Coach then conducted excessive research and held focus groups to ask customers about styling, comfort, and functionality preferences. They found that customers look for edgier styling, softer leathers, and leather-trimmed fabric handbags. These prototypes were tested in selected coach stores for 6 months before announcing the launch. This process allowed coach to launch a new collection every month instead of â€Å"2 per year† launch prior to Krakoff’s arrival, making it adopting an offensive strategy to improve its market standing or result in a competitive edge fairly quickly. The stores were redesigned to complement the contemporary new designs, the factory stores’ appearance were improved. ? The factory stores carry test models, discontinued models and special l ines that sold at discounts ranging from 15-50%. These discounts were possible because of the company’s policy to outsource production to 40 suppliers in 15 countries. The outsourcing agreements allowed coach to maintain sizeable pricing advantage relative to other luxury brands (outsourcing production line). ? Its attractive ricing enabled Coach to appeal to consumers who would not normally consider luxury brands, while the quality and styling of its products were sufficient to satisfy traditional luxury consumers. (Blue Ocean Strategy) ? By the year 2000, coach was able to build a sizeable lead in the accessible luxury segment of the leather handbags and accessories industry and made it a solid performer in Sara Lee’s business lineup. ? In October 2000, Sara Lee decided to launch an IPO for Coach as part of a restructuring initiative designed to focus the corporation on food and beverages. Offensive strategy) Coach’s Strategy and Industry Positioning ? Coach I nc. designed and marketed women’s handbags; leather accessories such as key fobs, belts, electronic accessories, and cosmetic case; and outwear such as gloves, hats and scarves. ? Licensing agreements (collaborative partnership to achieve product line extension): o Movado Group in 1998 to make coach-branded watches available in coach retail stores. o Jimlar Corporation in 1999, manufacture and market coach’s women footwear. o Marchon Eyewear in 2003, for coach branded eyewear ? Approach to differentiation: o Based on the market research design process developed by Krakoff o Procurement process and its outsourcing agreements also contribute for differentiation and high quality o Voguish image due to monthly new product launch o It sought to make customer service experiences an additional differentiating aspect of the brand. It also has a Special Request service where customers can order merchandise for home delivery if the particular handbag or color wasn’t available during the visit to the coach store (defensive strategy). Strategy: o Increase frequency of customer visits by regular product launch and sending out catalogs to strategically selected households (defensive strategy). The company’s market research found that its best customers visited a coach store once every two months and made a purchase once every 7 months. o They adapted to the fact that women usually use bags to complement their wardrobes the same way the used to use shoes. o Coach is a brick and click company, having its products sold on its web site as well as in the full-price and factory stores (web site strategy). Coach’s web site had 40 million unique visitors and generated $54 million in net sales. The company also sends promotional e-mail to 55 million selected customers in 2006. ? Functional area strategies: o RD engineering: making prototypes and test them with the consumers by keeping them in the factory stores for 6 months before the actual launch. o Production: outsourcing the procurement and manufacturing processes to 40 different suppliers in 15 countries. o Marketing and sales: extensive market research to find out consumer preferences about new styles, comfort and functionality. The retail distribution is both direct (full price and factory stores, internet sales, catalog sales and stores in Japan) and indirect (wholesale accounts with department stores in US and in international market outside Japan). ? Coach can be regarded as a fast-follower in the luxury bags industry. It can leapfrog its competitors such as Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, etc. by quickly adapting new styles to its handbags which eventually became popular among its customers. Hence, in essence, it became the first-mover in the â€Å"accessible† luxury handbags. Coach’s Strategic Options in 2007 ? Key growth involved store expansion in the US, Japan, Hong Kong and China; increasing sales to existing customers to drive comparable store growth; and creating alliances to exploit the coach brand in additional luxury categories. ? Second growth initiative: increase same-store sales through continued development of new styles, the development of new usage collection, and the exploitation of gift giving opportunities. Agreement with Lutz Patmos to launch women’s knitwear collection and Estee Lauder Company for development of fragrance that would be sold in Coach. Analysis of Coach’s Outlook in 2007 Key Success Factors ? Increasing quality and styling ? Merchandising strategy; â€Å"trade up, trade down† ? Outsourcing to push down the price ? Selecting appropriate country for global expansion ? Counterfeiting block ? Store locat ions ? Good economic outlook to encourage shoppers to buy luxury goods ? Low shipping cost Environmental friendly products Strengths Weaknesses ? Customer loyalty Image delusion ? Frequent update of demand ? Equal service and quality between environmental unfriendly products ? full-price and factory stores ? Direct and indirect sales ? Differentiating its product placement OpportunitiesThreats ? The number of millionaires were product counterfeits expected to increase by 23% Italian and French handbags continue by 2009 to be favorites, hence pose as threats Chinese market for luxury goods in unfortunate case of global financial were expected to increase by 24% crisis/recession, sales will drop not to by 2014 making it the world’s mention the plunging of company’s largest market for luxury goods stocks ? Another rapidly growing market for luxury goods was India due to increase in household earnings ? Expansion opportunities in Japan ? Extension of customer service ( gift giving). ? Shift from core store to fashion store and fashion store to flagship ? Product line extension to knitwear and fragrance

Definition and Examples of Prewriting Strategies

Definition and Examples of Prewriting Strategies In composition, the term prewriting refers to  any activity that helps a writer think about a topic, determine a purpose, analyze an audience, and prepare to write. Prewriting is closely related to the art of invention in classical rhetoric. The objective of  prewriting, according to Roger Caswell and Brenda Mahler, is  to prepare students for writing by allowing them to discover what they know and what else they need to know. Prewriting invites exploration and promotes the motivation to write (Strategies for Teaching Writing, 2004). Because various kinds of writing (such as note-taking,  listing, and freewriting) usually occur during this stage of the writing process, the term  prewriting  is somewhat misleading. A number of teachers and researchers prefer the term exploratory writing. See Examples and Observations below. Also, see: Writing ProcessComposingDiscovery Strategies (Heuristics)FocusingGeorge Carlin on Finding Something to Write AboutYour Writing: Private and Public Types of Prewriting Activities BrainstormingClusteringFreewriting Journalists QuestionsJournal WritingListingOutlinePentadReading Examples and Observations Prewriting is  the getting ready to write stage. The traditional notion that writers have a topic completely thought out and ready to flow onto the page is ridiculous. Writers begin tentatively- talking, reading, brainstorming- to see what they know and in what direction they want to go. -Gail Tompkins, Rod Campbell, and David Green,  Literacy for the 21st Century. Pearson Australia, 2010Prewriting involves anything you do to help yourself decide what your central idea is or what details, examples, reasons, or content you will include. Freewriting, brainstorming, and clustering . . . are types of prewriting. Thinking, talking to other people, reading related material, outlining or organizing ideas- all are forms of prewriting. Obviously, you can prewrite at any time in the writing process. Whenever you want to think up new material, simply stop what you are doing and start using one of [these] techniques... -Stephen McDonald and William Salomone, The Writers Response, 5th ed. Wad sworth, 2012 The Aims of PrewritingUsually, the prewriting activities help you find a good topic, narrow topics that are too broad, and look at purpose. You should finish the prewriting activities with at least a sentence and a list. Or you may have something as formal as a three-part thesis sentence and a fully developed outline. Either way, youll have laid the groundwork. -Sharon Sorenson, Websters New World Student Writing Handbook. Wiley, 2010 Prewriting as a Method of DiscoveryJeannette Harris stresses prewriting while stating that discovery occurs throughout the composing process, even in revision, when the writer is still retrieving additional information, making further connections, recognizing emerging patterns [Expressive Discourse, 15]. In prewriting as well as free-writing and keeping journals, ideas and forms are discovered by provoking memory. In addition, the personal nature of much prewriting and freewriting serve as an affirmation that the memory of the student writer has a valid place in the writing classroom. -Janine Rider, The Writers Book of Memory: An Interdisciplinary Study for Writing Teachers. Routledge, 1995 Prewriting and Revising[P]rewriting plans are not carved in stone; they are simply tools for generating and organizing ideas. Writers frequently change their minds as they write, eliminating some details, adding and changing others. Thats why some writers say that prewriting is a misnomer; they return to their plans over and over during all stages of the writing process, often revising and adjusting the plans as they go. -Lori Jamison Rog,  Marvelous Minilessons for Teaching Intermediate Writing. International Reading Association, 2011

The Root Crop Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Root Crop Industry - Essay Example Statistics show that around half the world’s production of root crops is consumed as food. These statistics vary from one country to another. Our ancestors found the first root crops when they were still hunter gatherers, and history is witness to the fact that what these first cultivators found in the wild was what they first experimented with as cultivators. The earliest agricultural system in parts of Africa was based on root crops. Recent studies have shown that the ancient Mayan civilization grew crops such as sweet potato, yams and cassava; so too did some African tribes like the Bantu. Early civilizations in Asia, Africa and South America seem to have been the first to sow and harvest root crops that had previously been gathered in the wild. â€Å"A healthy diet is the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle,† says Dr.Weil. Root vegetables have been described as â€Å"some of the most overlooked and underappreciated foodstuffs ......nutritional storehouses, hidden treasures worthy of notice† ( Dr. Weil, drweil.com, n.d.) A large proportion of the world’s food supply today consists of root crops that are also used as animal feed. Industrial products such as starch and distilled spirits as well as a wide range of other minor products also are made from root crops. Around half of the supply of root crops grown globally is used for human consumption. This utilization pattern varies from one country to another, with developing nations using a greater percentage of these crops for food, while the developed nations use a larger percentage for animal feed and industrial use. Agro climatic factors define where different root crops are produced. Potatoes seem to have first been cultivated in the Andes, but today are grown at lower altitudes and in warmer climates. Sweet potatoes too are grown in a wide variety of climates and altitudes, but yams are mostly grown in Africa. The fact that these root crops that were cultivated by our early ancestors survive as an

Thomas Paine on American Independence Assignment - 5

Thomas Paine on American Independence - Assignment Example Paine was known to be anti-monarchist for his views on England. Thomas Paine used deductive reasoning in his article as he influenced the American citizens to gain independence from the British. He explained that the British monarchies were ruthless and oppressive. He used simple and clear language to address his crowd. He chose the bible to support his arguments, a book familiar to most of his readers. He stated that heave could not be brought down by vice (Berg, 2013). Paine created a vision for the citizens of America, which was founded on principles that empowered its citizens. The arguments of Paine on American independence were deductive in nature. He used deductive reasoning in explaining to the citizens, why they need to have an independent government. In his argument, he explains that the forming an initial government is important. The first government will be a democratic government, and it will develop into a representative government as it progresses (Berg, 2013). Paine argues that monarchies are a major setback to the development of the society. It was one of the reasons he tried to persuade the ordinary American citizens to get independence from the British. The use of emphasis on his arguments and his conclusion indicate that his argument was deductive. He argues that how comes the King's powers cannot be questioned to determine if he is wrong. He further states that the individuals of North America need to be given power. Power was meant to be handed to ordinary individuals of the country. In his defense, he says, the British government would gain success with time before the Americans are granted their independence. The British military would be stronger with time and it would be harder to defeat them (Berg, 2013). The battle between British soldiers and militia in Massachusetts was the first revolutionary battle in America.  Ã‚