Construction law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Construction law - Essay Example 2. This paper will look into the value for money delivered by PFI methods in order to determine if PFI is preferable in comparison to public funding. Synopsis of PFI 3. The PFI method relies on delivering infrastructure and / or services for the general public through the utilisation of private funds and resources. The provision is kept in line using public sector specifications so the public sector can be seen as exerting sizable influence on the overall process. Typically the private sector’s involvement is largely directed to financial support for public projects as per the PFI approach. However, the private sector can also be involved in the operation and maintenance of services that might have been built using PFI or other previous methods3. The basic contention behind PFI is to allow the private sector greater involvement in public spending projects so that the burden on the public sector is eased. Moreover, the involvement of the private sector ensures that public secto r projects are competitive enough while delivering optimal value for money goods and services. Advantages and Disadvantages of PFI Successful PFI Implementations 4. Advocates of PFI argue that projects implemented under the PFI arrangement show greater promise than conventionally public sector funded projects. Research indicates that conventional public infrastructure provision arrangements provided on time and on budget projects around 30% and 27% respectively. In contrast, PFI arrangements provided an increase of 76% and 78% for on time and on budget project handovers4. These statistics clearly highlight that PFI has the capacity to deliver better both in terms of budget variances and schedule variances. The inherent nature of the private sector makes it competitive since the public sector has little or no other competition for infrastructure and service delivery. It is often common that the public sector tends to see negative budget and negative schedule variances on projects sin ce no other benchmarks are possible. However, the private sector thrives on competition and escalating negative budgetary and negative scheduling variances indicate a failing business strategy. The need to remain relevant to the market ensures that private businesses are more efficient in terms of resource and time utilisation when compared to the public sector. 5. Similarly, other research into PFI arrangements showed that optimised deals were attained in every case studied. Moreover, research findings indicated that value for money in PFI projects was achieved 80% of the time5. Another notable aspect of PFI initiatives is the decrease in costs since private financers are looking for ways to reduce costs. Research indicates that public infrastructure provision becomes between 7% and 23% cheaper when PFI methods are applied6. Other research placed cost reduction at 11%7. It could be reasoned that cheaper infrastructure and service provision would lead to a lower quality. However, it must be noted from the research above that value for money is achieved in 80% of PFI projects which tends to dispel this method of reasoning. 6. Critics of the PFI approach contend that private involvement tends to make infrastructure and service provision too competitive such that value addition is minimised. However, such claims hold little ground in light

What events in Juliets life shape Essay Example for Free

What events in Juliets life shape Essay What events in Juliets life shape this change in her personality, and how does her language reflect this change? At the age of fourteen Juliet was a young and nai ve innocent girl. However, during the play she matures emotionally and broadens her ideas and her way of thinking. This vast and rapid change was a consequence of her relationship with Romeo and there are many ideas in the play which illustrate these points but it is through her language that we can see these changes. The prologue gives an outline of what is yet to come and explores these ideas using metaphors and many linguistic devices. From ancient grudge break new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. This shows the audience the basis of the story. Each line skips to a different event such as And the continuance of their parents rage, which but their childrens end nought could remove. This suggests that each event happens quickly through-out the play, showing changing events happen in a short period of time. The use of the word children suggests that Romeo and Juliet are very young and irresponsible, thus requiring the events to be fast to emphasise some of the irrational decisions. The secrets of the play are revealed in the prologue yet it also gives many hidden depths. The which if you with patient ears attend, what here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend. These are left for the audience to ponder on and to await the two hour traffic of our stage . From the play we see that Juliets responses and actions to others around her moulds her character. Juliet changes her approach to her mother in the play. In her first appearance Juliet is found talking to her mother and nurse; however, even though Lady Capulet called upon her daughter, she directs her speech towards the nurse as though Juliet is not there. We must talk in secret. Nurse come back again- Act 1 Scene 3, line 9. This indirect speech between Juliet and her mother shows that there is a distance between them and this is also shown further on into the play as the nurse becomes even closer than before to Juliet. Her mother brought up the topic of Juliets appearance to lead on to the topic of marriage. Never the less Juliet, with a formal approach, expresses that she is not yet longing for marriage. It is an honour that I dream not of (Act 1, scene 3, Line 66) While talking Lady Capulet asks the nurse if Juliet is at a pretty age. This comment shows that Lady Capulet is not sure how old Juliet is but thinks she is old enough for marriage. The nurse responds telling the mother Juliets exact age. This response by the nurse shows that the nurse is close to Juliet and in this scene the Nurse appears as a motherly figure towards young Juliet. In this scene Lady Capulet uses her authority and use of rhetorical questions win the agreement. This powerful status shows how the mother can also manipulate young Juliet towards her way of thinking. In Act 1 Scene 3 Juliet uses sly language skills to tell her mother that she is willing to do as her mother requires; without herself getting to involved. I look to like, if looking liking move; but no more deep will I endart mine eye. On the other hand Juliets acceptance of this proposal, made by the mother, shows that Juliet is young and innocent and does as her mother requires. In Act 1 Scene 5 Juliets fate is set as she is suddenly engaged into a profound moment with Romeo at the house of the Capulet where there is a ball. The couple begin to use language in a way of expressing their love to one and other. The couple use metaphors and symbolic meanings to express this as such For saints have hands that pilgrims hands to touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers kiss. During this conversation they express their language through a sonnet, which is uncannily a lovers poem. The lines are split between the two which shows that both of them are involved in this love, unlike when Romeo unrequited love for Rosaline. Using metaphors is a romantic linguistic device that is personal to the couple throughout the play. When Romeo talks to Juliet, he talks about the situation being both holy and special. O then dear saint, let lips do what hands do ; they pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. This religious imagery tries to portray Romeos love as sincere and devoted, like those of Religious followers. Romeo also uses more metaphors and tells Juliet that they too are like pilgrims on a religious Journey. My lips, two blushing pilgrims ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. I believe that Romeo is attempting to say that both of them are like two pilgrims on a journey searching for something they both believe in. However, in this case I believe Romeo is talking about love, which is what they are searching for. This is when Juliet becomes more confident in answering and using her own initiative, rather than following examples set by her elders. Let lips do what hands do, they pray . This expresses her confidence more thoroughly and shows an overpowering Juliet standing upon her own two feet. In Act 1 Scene 5 lines 127-140 Juliet begins to experience some disappointmentas she finds out Romeo is a dreaded Montague. My only love sprung from my only hate, too early seen to known, and known too late. This shows gradual maturity as she accepts that it is too late now she is involved and her feelings cannot change towards Romeo. And that bonding she has with him is too strong too let go. Acceptance is present here as now she realises that as she has accepted her decision she must be held responsible for those actions she wishes to take. Further action is taken as she is met by Romeo in the Orchard in Act 2 Scene 2. This scene is also known as The balcony scene as the use of the balcony symbolises many meanings and expresses a production of love. The use of status and power is used here and the symbolic religious meanings appear once again. Romeo announces to Juliet O speak again bright angel In this scene Romeo is looking up to Juliet as the midnight light id upon her, illuminating her as if she was an angel. Juliet is also placed above Romeo and this symbolises how she is above him as though she is in heaven and he, in hell. In the theatre the balcony would also be placed up high and Romeo would be among the audience; and the audience would also be able to relate her to a high status symbol, such as an angel. In this scene costume would also be appropriate here and the use of the colour white worn upon Juliet would support many ideas of her angel figure. It is interesting that in Baz Luhurmanns interpretation of Romeo and Juliet Luhurmann clothes Juliet in an angel costume at their first meeting. Another drastic point in Juliets life is when she soon begins to take risks for the one she loves to show her commitment and love for him. In the evening she returns to her balcony and begins to go over what has just happened and confesses her love for Romeo to the midnight sky. Deny thy father and reuse thy name, Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love Act 2 Scene 2 Lines 39-40. However, Romeo, overhearing, appears before her and tells her that he too feels the same. Call me but love, and Ill be new baptised. Her feelings here over take her logical thinking and in this state of excitement she defies how her parents would let her speak towards another man, since she is promised to Paris. Even though moments before she found out that Romeo is a Montague, the only son of her deepest hate and knows this will cause a dramatic fiasco between her and her father. Beforehand the audience can see that she would never look further than her mother desires but yet her mother does not know of what took place at the balcony. By and by I come lines 152-153. This suggests that Juliet knows that what she is doing is wrong, therefore leaving the manipulating Juliet behind. Juliets feelings for Romeo soon become more extreme and he asks her to marry him. Though Juliet agrees she is disobeying her parents and marrying a Montague, as there is still an arrangement for her to marry Paris. During this time Juliets personality has changed, only slightly but dramatically enough that she has begun to shape her life by her choice, showing development in maturity. Juliets emotional change throughout the play tends to jump from ecstatic to almost suicidal. As a young girl Juliet has depended upon her nurse. During the play the nurse defies Romeo and Juliet. She tells young Juliet that she should marry Paris leaving Juliet no-one to turn to who could understood how she felt. Juliet was left alone to make decisions that no teenager could possibly do. This abandoned feeling caused Juliet to feel alone and drastic feelings soon led to drastic measures. I believe that if Juliet had continued with her life she would have overcome over her love for Romeo. Her love for him seems more of a romantic attraction towards him. The treacherous options made his love more inviting and the uninviting parental consent just adds to the temptations, and as that wanting was wanting what you cant have it made that lust so much stronger. I believe that if her parents approved of Romeo, she would never have been so much in love as she claims. On the other hand, this part of her life also helped her to mature as a person but maybe that maturity should not have been the cost of their ghastly deaths.

Criminal Justice and Computers :: Technology Essays Police

Criminal Justice and Computers Technology affects almost all aspects of society today. Family life, medicine, business, telecommunications, and social life have all been changed for both good and bad. Interesting me in particular, technology (mainly computers) has influenced the criminal justice/law enforcement field. That is my chosen profession that I hope to accomplish. A few summers ago, I had the privilege to ride along in a patrol car two times with the Michigan State Police Bay City Post. As I was side by side with the troopers, I observed many things. I never knew how much they used technology. Not only computers, but other things as well. Throughout one’s shift, the officer communicates on his radio frequently. This radio can broadcast all around the county to other police officers and stations. That is the way that the word about a crime gets spread. If an officer is down, he or she can just talk into their radio and help will come as soon as possible. I thought that when the police officer pulled over a speeding car, they walked up to it, issued the violator a ticket, and went on their merry little way. I was wrong. When they first pull them over, the officer enters the license plate into the mini computer. There is a small device that is latched into the console between the seats in the patrol car. It looks like a small computer with the keyboard and screen attached together. There are many different options to choose from on the main screen. After the officer enters the license plate number, a whole bunch of information comes up. Who owns the car, the make of the car, and information similar to that come up on the screen. After the officer gets the driver’s license, he or she enters that into the police blotter also. The information that comes back now is if there is a warrant out for the driver’s arrest, if he or she has any unpaid tickets, and also all the other times he or she has gotten pulled over for traffic violations with in the past year show up. Without this technology, police officers would be in a lot of danger. There could be a convicted felon in that car, but the officer would be unaware. So with this computer, a lot of information is stored, the safety of lives is increased, and the police can find out about the driver without asking him anything. Criminal Justice and Computers :: Technology Essays Police Criminal Justice and Computers Technology affects almost all aspects of society today. Family life, medicine, business, telecommunications, and social life have all been changed for both good and bad. Interesting me in particular, technology (mainly computers) has influenced the criminal justice/law enforcement field. That is my chosen profession that I hope to accomplish. A few summers ago, I had the privilege to ride along in a patrol car two times with the Michigan State Police Bay City Post. As I was side by side with the troopers, I observed many things. I never knew how much they used technology. Not only computers, but other things as well. Throughout one’s shift, the officer communicates on his radio frequently. This radio can broadcast all around the county to other police officers and stations. That is the way that the word about a crime gets spread. If an officer is down, he or she can just talk into their radio and help will come as soon as possible. I thought that when the police officer pulled over a speeding car, they walked up to it, issued the violator a ticket, and went on their merry little way. I was wrong. When they first pull them over, the officer enters the license plate into the mini computer. There is a small device that is latched into the console between the seats in the patrol car. It looks like a small computer with the keyboard and screen attached together. There are many different options to choose from on the main screen. After the officer enters the license plate number, a whole bunch of information comes up. Who owns the car, the make of the car, and information similar to that come up on the screen. After the officer gets the driver’s license, he or she enters that into the police blotter also. The information that comes back now is if there is a warrant out for the driver’s arrest, if he or she has any unpaid tickets, and also all the other times he or she has gotten pulled over for traffic violations with in the past year show up. Without this technology, police officers would be in a lot of danger. There could be a convicted felon in that car, but the officer would be unaware. So with this computer, a lot of information is stored, the safety of lives is increased, and the police can find out about the driver without asking him anything.

Women, Sport and Film :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Women, Sport and Film Out of all the material we covered in this course, the ones that bear most directly on this question I think are the documentary about women in sports, and the movie "Girlfight". However, I felt that both of these films focussed on the issue from women's point of view. This is not to say that it isn't important or necessary to do so, but I started thinking about how men are also greatly affected by gender stereotyping. Being in a women's college, I feel like we focus a lot on the ways in which women are forced into certain roles, but we neglect to also look at how men are forced into certain roles. Last semester I watched the movie "Billy Elliot", about a young boy growing up in Newcastle, England, during the time of the miner's strike. I think the movie illustrates very well the costs and benefits of breaking gender stereotypes. Billy grows up in a mining family and his family consists of himself, his father, and his elder brother. He is surrounded only by male role models, and that too men who engage in manual labour. His father and his brother are both very "masculine" in the traditional sense of the word. The basic plot of the movie is that Billy wants to be a ballet dancer. His father wants him to learn boxing, but he sees a group of girls having ballet lessons at the same time and he starts taking ballet lessons on the sly. He turns out to be very talented, and his teacher wants him to apply to go to ballet school on a scholarship. The rest of the movie follows his progress and his struggle to be accepted by his family once he's been discovered. At first his father prohib its him from doing ballet, and calls him a "pouf", but Billy persists and is finally accepted by his family and community. I found it interesting that even though Billy is pre-pubescent, the mere fact that he wants to learn ballet induces people to question his sexuality even at such an early age. At an age when children aren't supposed to be sexual beings yet, Billy is under constant pressure to decide what his sexual orientation is, both by his family in that he has to defend himself, and by a friend of his in school who fits a certain stereotype of homosexuality and is romantically interested in him.

Interpersonal Essay

In this new school year, I come to the HKBU College of international education for studying. I find my first new friend in here, a girl who called Evelyn. And my topic of this reflective paper is about the relationship between my new friend Evelyn and me. I met Evelyn on 17th September, my first school day in CIE. I remembered that was Evelyn says hi to me first and she sit next to me. This situation really applies the self-fulfilling prophecy I learnt in my IPC lesson. It is because I have asked Evelyn that why she would chose to say hi to me but not the others. She answers that it is because she predicts me is friendly at first. Then she acted as if I was a friendly person. As she acts toward me, I become comfortable and friendly. At the end, she observes my friendliness, and this reinforces her belief that I am in fact friendly. In the result, we really become friend. Also, I think our relationship is dyadic consciousness. It means that we are two persons think of ourselves as pair. Our relationship becomes more involved, individuals sacrifice our own desires for the well-being of the relationship. For example, Evelyn can give up her time to help me do the photocopy and she is willing to share her notes with me. Our relationship really not developed on the benefit or goal. This new relationship between Evelyn and me can also apply the Johari Window Model. In these past few months, I found that my open self which is known to Evelyn become larger and larger. At the very beginning, she only knows what my name is and where I live, or how many family members I have. And now, Evelyn already knows that which my favourite music group is. Also know that I hate chocolate but love mango. Moreover, she knows that I am good at Chinese Dance and I am a rowing club member. Evelyn can also find the blind self of me. It is I am really good at giving comfort to my friends and I will tell many principle of life to friends. Besides of the above, Evelyn and I have really different personalities. She always tell me that my acting really like a mother or elder sister. It is because I will help her solve the problems, remind her which things she need to do. Therefore, I think it can apply the parent self on me and apply the child self on Evelyn. I always give the direct responses to Evelyn and sometimes I will be critical. However, we can have a complementary transaction through our communication. Evelyn will seek help from me, and then I will help her solve it or give some suggestions. Both of us are satisfied. In our every conversation, the nonverbal communication is always applied on it. We will use the emblems such as the sign. And the S-O-F-T-E-N formula is always applied in our communication too. I will come to school with Evelyn every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. We set the meeting place at Tai Wai Station. Every time when Evelyn saw me, she gave me a big smile first. Then I will see her run to me from far away. When we start our topic, Evelyn always show her interest to listen and she always look at my eyes. And sometimes she will nod her head. It really makes me feel that she is listening to me and it will not make her feel bored. To me, Evelyn is a really good listener. All the thing she will do is listening but not hearing. We will use the Whatspp or phone call to communicate when we are not staying together. If she has something want to tell me, she will give me a feedforward message first. Most of the time she will send a message to me like â€Å"Kata, I have some interesting thing want to tell you. I will tell you on the train at tomorrow.† Actually the things she wants to tell me are not really important or serious. Maybe she will just tell me that she saw a handsome guy on the street yesterday, she always love to give a feedforward message to me first. During the communication, we can both get the feedback from the others and we will share our opinions. However, the interpersonal communication concept I can mostly applied in our communication is the Gender Communication. It is because our range of talking topic is really large. I remembered that there is a day I go shopping with Evelyn and a friend who is a boy. The topics we talked are jumping and jumping. We discuss at the clothes first, and then when I saw the yogurt, we change the topic to food suddenly. If I have a phone call, I still can listen to Evelyn then catch up the conversation after I finished the call. It really shows that women are multitrack, we can talk about several subjects at the same time. But our boy friend becomes confused from our conversation. Therefore, he will let us keep our talking continue. If he has any question from our conversation, he will ask us. Up to now, I think the relationship between Evelyn and me is developed quite well. Everything is good, at least we still not yet have conflict. And I will find some method to prevent the conflict happen in the future. I will have both empathic, objective and active listening from every conversation with Evelyn. Keep using the S-O-F-T-E-N formula with my friend every day. Also, I will try my best to apply more Adult self but not the Parent self. I will keep my Parent and Child under control. It is because we are symmetrical relationship. I wish we can be more factual, gather information, analytical and reasoning, objective and look for practical solutions. We should have more thinking and behave calm. Therefore, our relationship can be better and keep longer.

MSU Drumline newsletter (create a newsletter project) essays

MSU Drumline newsletter (create a newsletter project) essays (Basses Warming up for Spartan Spectacular) All the previous Spartan Spectaculars were pretty successful. This year was no different. The Wind Symphony band came out and did their thing, and some Jazz lady came out and sang. But who cares? The main Attraction: The Drumline. Me and my friend Matt didnt care for the Symphony and Jazz lady. We went for the drumline. We were counting down the number of acts before the drumline, and when we got to one, we were in tears. All of a sudden, all the house lights went out and a single Spot light shone on the Breslin Center main floor. Then, you hear a bass drum tap off. You hear the precision strike as the basses played a single, tonal cadence. Then, you see them, wit all of their glory. Their solid black drums, and... The snares and tenors. They lined up. Scott Idle (center snare for MSU and the Cavaliers) tapped off Ditty. The excitement grew. Then, he tapped off fIREHOSE. Then, the infamous, The Series. With intense looks on their faces, they performed with solid precision, and so much choreography that it looked impossible. By time it was over, I was crying. (Cymbals practicing The Series) The Series is the name of the cadence (or "street beat") that the percussion section plays when the Spartan Band is marching in parades, or to and from the stadium on game days. It is actually a series of 13 different cadences that have been combined to form one "super-cadence" (hence the name). Each cadence has its own choreography performed by both the percussion section and the other band members as they march down the street. Learning the Series requires many weeks of practice by new band members during the preseason each year in order to memorize all of the chore ...

Ferment and Foment

Ferment and Foment Ferment and Foment Ferment and Foment By Simon Kewin Is â€Å"foment† the same as â€Å"ferment†? People stirring up discord are often described as â€Å"fomenting trouble†. If you search for the phrase on the Internet you’ll find, for instance, Indian agents fomenting trouble in Canada and the Russian Kremlin fomenting trouble in Belarus, to pick just two recent examples. But quite often, the phrase used in this situation is â€Å"fermenting† rather than â€Å"fomenting† trouble. This is a less common phrase, but there are still plenty of instances to be found, all over the world, of people fermenting trouble. Are both phrases correct or do people write â€Å"ferment† when they should say â€Å"foment†? The Oxford dictionary’s definition of foment as a transitive verb is : instigate or stir up (an undesirable or violent sentiment or course of action) as in for example : they accused him of fomenting political unrest The word derives from the Latin word fomentum, meaning a poultice or a lotion. Originally, to foment was to bathe a part of the body with a warm or a medicated lotion. Ferment as a transitive verb, meanwhile, means : incite or stir up (trouble or disorder) as in for example : the politicians and warlords who are fermenting this chaos This word derives from the Latin word fermentum meaning yeast. As you can see, both foment and ferment have ended up meaning more or less the same thing in this context, despite their different derivations. Perhaps this is because they sound so similar or it might be because they share that sense of heat. Fomentum itself derived from the Latin verb fovere to heat, while fermentum derived from fervere, to boil. So, while it is more common to â€Å"foment† trouble, it is also perfectly acceptable to â€Å"ferment† it. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:60 Synonyms for â€Å"Walk†One Sheep, Two Sheep, One Fish, Two Fish . . .Dozen: Singular or Plural?

You Can Be and Introvert and a Leader †Here are 7 Tips

You Can Be and Introvert and a Leader – Here are 7 Tips 7 Leadership Tips for Introverted People Being a leader and an introvert may sound impossible. After all, leaders have to be gregarious, outgoing, outspoken and inspirational to others. How can anyone do these things if all they want is to be alone to think and reflect. It’s true. Introverts do spend more time thinking than most others. And when they do this, others think of them as cold or unfeeling or, worse, as having some type of â€Å"superiority complex.† And when they are placed in leadership positions, others wonder how that will ever â€Å"work.† You may be wondering how that will ever â€Å"work† too, if you are that introvert. When engaged in resume writing to find your job, you probably did not put â€Å"introvert† down as one of your personal qualities. And now here you are, expected to be a leader. But you know some things about yourself that others don’t. You know that you genuinely enjoy people, but in small doses – both in numbers and in time. As an introvert, you become â€Å"depleted† more rapidly than others and have to â€Å"refuel† yourself by getting back to a private place where you can be alone with your thoughts, even though those thoughts may be related to work. So, you close your office door to re-group. And others label you unfriendly or â€Å"stuck-up.† You Can Be a Successful Leader The operative word here is â€Å"compensation† (along with a good dose of honesty). You do have to develop ways to compensate for your need to be quite and alone. Here are 7 tips that will help. Be Honest with Your Team: There is nothing wrong with telling your team members that you are an introvert and explaining your need to retreat and reflect. When you are up front about it, they will understand your behaviors and not judge you negatively. Then you can say, â€Å"Give me a little while to think about this,† and it won’t b mis-interpreted. Use LBWA: This means â€Å"Leadership by Walking Around,† and is considered to be quite effective in establishing relationships with your team. If you spend some time one-on-one with each team member as you walk around, you will not feel stressed by numbers. And those individuals will come to believe that you do have interest in them and their work. Keep Meetings Short: It is better to have shorter meetings more often than to have long ones that drain you. Prepare a short agenda and stick to it. Your team members will probably appreciate that anyway. Get an Extrovert Back-up: If you have to attend a large gathering that is work-related, you can’t avoid it, obviously. But if you have an extroverted buddy by your side, s/he can help carry conversations and you can just smile and nod your head. Housekeeping Items by Email: There are lots of minor items that you may need to handle with your team – new procedures from top-level executives, new reporting deadlines, etc. You don’t have to spend meeting time on these. Emails will work, and your emails can be friendly and conversational in nature. And adding a joke at the end is a good way to further relationships. Use Facebook as a Relationship Builder: Have a Facebook account and keep your posts light and fun. Co-workers and team members are probably on Facebook too, and they will â€Å"feel† that they know you better. Build Recovery Time into Your Schedule: You can’t be a good leader if you are drained. Give yourself short periods of time during the day – very short – just to get quiet and alone. It does help. But set a limit on that â€Å"down time† so you don’t fall back into bad habits of pre-leadership days. You can take the lead and be very successful. Know your limits, be honest with others, and use these compensation techniques.

Biofilms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Biofilms - Essay Example During the attachment, the initial colonists, characterized by weak van der Waals forces adhere to the surface which would anchor themselves permanently using adhesion molecules for instance pili, if not separated (Allison 29). The first colonists enhance the arrival of other cells through diverse adhesion hence building complex matrix that holds the biofilms together. Due to the weak van der Waals forces, not all the cells are able to attach themselves to the surface (Romeo 17). Others would anchor themselves to other colonists or the matrix; once the process of colonization has commenced biofilms grows and expands through combination of both cell recruitment and division (Wooldridge 41). The biofilms thrives in solid substrates exposed to/ or submerged in aqueous solution. However, there are many species of archaea and bacteria living in the matrix of excreted compounds of polymeric nature. Through the matrix is for facilitating communication among the cells and protecting them through physical and chemical signals (Brogden 12). However, some biofilms are characterized by water channels that assist in distribution of nutrients and signaling the molecules contained. The matrix formed it strong enough that in some cases, it would make the biofilms fossilize (Romeo 22). One of the common examples of biofilms is dental plaque; which is formed when the biofilms coating that builds up and turns teeth yellowish that when not removed regularly would cause dental caries. Some examples include archea, bacteria, fungi, filamentous and single cell algae diatoms, and protozoa (Brogden 28). Microbial biofilms lead to equipment damage, medical infection, energy losses and product contamination. They can cause infection of artificial heart as the colonization may present dire need for amputation or additional operations of it may

Add SWOT , introduction , conclusion and executive summery Essay

Add SWOT , introduction , conclusion and executive summery - Essay Example With the current levels of globalization, the level of competition in the service industry has seen a tremendous increase. This has resulted from the ability of multinational industry to venture in different markets in the world. In addition, liberalization of the markers has also enabled these companies to diversify their operation. Also, flow of information and removal of tariffs by different countries can also be associated with increased levels of competition. This trend has necessitated the formation of a strong marketing department in every service industry which will be able to research on the changing consumption behaviors of customers and come up with better services in order to create customer loyalty. Service industries or the providers need to increase the competitive differentiation, productivity and the service quality. It is necessary to maintain a link between the desired service and the profit. Organization delivering services needs to make a profit for the growth of the organization in the future and to maintain a stable market share (Kumar, 2010). In the service industry, the perception of quality is much more important and dependent on the expectation of the customer rather than in the marketing strategies of goods. Lower expectation can however, make for the greatest satisfaction, and with it word of mouth is an important and vital in the journey towards the purchase of service. It is important to determine the target market and set an objective which would help the firm to determine the area which is of interest to the marketer (Greechie, 2008). The marketing objectives for a brand in the hospitality industry often includes customer satisfaction and gaining the trust of the customer which would increase the customer loyalty towards the brand and make the customers come back to the same brand again and again. The service sector chosen is the hotel industry, hospitality

Organizational Design and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Organizational Design and Culture - Essay Example Earlier Home Depot was following decentralized organizational process. Due to increasing competition within the market place the organization decided to bring change in the organizational design. They transformed to centralization process in order to concentrate the decision making authority at the higher levels within the organization. Maintain appropriate balance between the centralization and decentralization process is huge challenge for several leading global organizations. Home Depot is one of the global retail giant. The organization has more than 2000 retail stores across the globe (Griffin, 2007). This centralization process allows the store managers to undertake several decisions independently and autonomously. Therefore, it can be stated that each retail outlet of Home Depot has entrepreneurial work culture. This process helped to save lot of money and increase business productivity. This centralization process helps the company to reduce operational cost as the company ne gotiates effective discounts from the existing suppliers. Home Depot follows flatter organizational hierarchy. The organizational hierarchy of Home Depot consists of few layers. Flatter organizational hierarchy helps an organization to provide its employees huge level of self actualization and greater satisfaction needs. At the same point of time there are several disadvantages too. Due to limited management layers, this organizational structure cannot provide effective advancement opportunity to the employees. Home Depot implemented multidivisional structure in their departmentalization process. This divisional structure helps to represent several unique employees, geographic locations, customers, products and services for the organizations. For an example, a marketing executive within an organization with a divisional organizational structure may be in the charge of promotional planning, and scheduling and executing a marketing research for a particular product line controlled by that executive’s division. Formalization structure is one of the important and effective tools of Home Depot’s organizational design. Formalization structure helps to develop effective rules and regulations. It controls the employee behavior. This formalization structure helped Home Depot to provide the organizational direction to the employees. Due to this structure the employee behavior becomes more predictable. This structure helps the employees to follow the specific guideline or legal organizational procedure of an organization in a critical situation. This strategy is generally utilized in the service industry. Mechanism structure is another organizational design tool of Home Depot. This organizational structural tool is very much centralized and formalized. Home Depot follows formal communication process with the help of this structure. This structure forces the employees to follow discipline and take effective responsibility depending upon the job role. This st ructure helps an organization to maximize the organizational efficiency and minimize the operational cost. Question 2 Home Depot employed an effective corporate culture in order to support the business strategies. The organization follows cluster strategy to utilize the work group in the organization. It helps to accomplish the future goals and objectives of the organization. The managers help the employees to work collaboratively. The store managers divide the

The character Dee walker,alice everyday use Essay

The character Dee walker,alice everyday use - Essay Example She is the successful daughter, â€Å"the child who has made it† (Walker, Para. 3) and carved a place for herself in the outside world. Her style of dress, in striking shades of yellow and orange, ethnic jewelry and hairstyle all deliberately accentuate her African heritage and call out loudly for attention. They constitute her apparently defiant statement of identity. Dee’s use of the Swahili style of greeting, â€Å"Wasuzo-Teano† (Walker, Para. 21), and her adoption of the name, â€Å"Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo† are also meant to reinforce her assertion of her roots. Dee’s veneer of pride in her heritage is like her â€Å"sunglasses which hid everything† (Walker, Para. 82). A deeper study of Dee’s personality reveals that she has actually rejected her roots. â€Å"She had hated† (Walker, Para. 10) her childhood home. Her attitude towards her mother and sister is marked by criticism and condescension. Dee takes pictures of them as if they were curiosities and includes the house and the cow, but not herself. She does not see herself as a part of their world. Her change of name is again a rejection of her lineage. The name Dee, which has passed down to her through generations of her family, is more a genuine part of her heritage than the affected African name she has adopted. Her rejection of her past is irrevocably made by her statement about the old Dee: â€Å"She’s dead† (Walker, Para. 27). Dee covets the churner top and dasher, not as treasured parts of her past life, but as pretentious artistic curios to be flaunted as exotic ornaments. Likewise, her estimation of the quilts, â€Å"they’re priceless!† (Walker, Para. 52) is not based on the value of her love for the grandmother and the aunt who made them, but on their considerable monetary value as antiques, which will make a striking fashion statement. Dee does not know who made the dasher, nor does she know how to quilt. Unlike her sister Maggie, who will use

Coursework Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Coursework - Assignment Example Highly technology driven companies, both Nintendo and Sony have invested heavily in e-commerce activities which is quite apparent from their websites. Through their websites, both the companies facilitate their user relating to the placing new orders, acquiring customer’s feedbacks in order to enhance their services and also using it as a plat form for releasing new products and features. The report presents an analysis of both the companies in terms of operational and marketing strategy, what models they have adopted in order to generate revenue, striking marketing tactics and methods as portrayed in the websites of the both the companies. Competitor Analysis The method used in the competitor analysis of the Nintendo (Wii and Nintendo 3DS) and Sony (Playstation) is the Michael Porter’s five forces model. According to the model, there are five forces prevailing in the market which affects the competitive rivalry between the components. The analysis assists the companies in identifying the factors keeping which into consideration the company can devise its marketing and operational strategy. This model gives importance to the financial as well operational aspects of a business and sets criteria according to which the company can assess the activities of its competitors and counter them through effective and efficient management. The five forces according to the Porter’s model are as follows [2] The bargaining power of the customer can be regarded as the influence that the consumer base has on the pricing strategy of the company. Currently the Playstation and Nintendo 3DS are sold at prices $399 and $249 respectively. Since Playstation offers a more advanced and high tech gaming experience thus its prices are steeper as compared to its competitor. The fact that bargaining power of customer can cast significant impact on the profitability of the company can be corroborated from the fact that initially the Playstation was sold considerably belo w its per unit cost, causing a significant decline in the profitability of the company. In order to justify their demand prices, both the companies must communicate with their consumer base and make them aware the latest add-ons the product comes with and assuring them that the prices are justified. This requires innovation and smart marketing tactics. Suppliers of both the companies are the companies providing raw material for the manufacturing of the product. Software houses can also come under this category as they provide important technical expertise in devising interactive user interface. Bargaining power of supplier means that the supplier wants to obtain benefits through increased prices of raw material, reduction in the credit terms etc. This can also affect the financial outlook of the company with increased cost of goods sold and reduced profit margin. Other factors which the model takes into account are the threat of new entrants into the market and threats of the substi tute products. The biggest competitor of Playstation in the console gaming market is the Microsoft’s product ‘X-box 360’ which also offers high tech gaming experience. As per the Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said that the battle with Sony is over — referring to that the Wii has won over the PS3 — and that the new enemy is Apple, with its ever expanding mobile lineup. [3] Both the

The character Dee walker,alice everyday use Essay

The character Dee walker,alice everyday use - Essay Example She is the successful daughter, â€Å"the child who has made it† (Walker, Para. 3) and carved a place for herself in the outside world. Her style of dress, in striking shades of yellow and orange, ethnic jewelry and hairstyle all deliberately accentuate her African heritage and call out loudly for attention. They constitute her apparently defiant statement of identity. Dee’s use of the Swahili style of greeting, â€Å"Wasuzo-Teano† (Walker, Para. 21), and her adoption of the name, â€Å"Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo† are also meant to reinforce her assertion of her roots. Dee’s veneer of pride in her heritage is like her â€Å"sunglasses which hid everything† (Walker, Para. 82). A deeper study of Dee’s personality reveals that she has actually rejected her roots. â€Å"She had hated† (Walker, Para. 10) her childhood home. Her attitude towards her mother and sister is marked by criticism and condescension. Dee takes pictures of them as if they were curiosities and includes the house and the cow, but not herself. She does not see herself as a part of their world. Her change of name is again a rejection of her lineage. The name Dee, which has passed down to her through generations of her family, is more a genuine part of her heritage than the affected African name she has adopted. Her rejection of her past is irrevocably made by her statement about the old Dee: â€Å"She’s dead† (Walker, Para. 27). Dee covets the churner top and dasher, not as treasured parts of her past life, but as pretentious artistic curios to be flaunted as exotic ornaments. Likewise, her estimation of the quilts, â€Å"they’re priceless!† (Walker, Para. 52) is not based on the value of her love for the grandmother and the aunt who made them, but on their considerable monetary value as antiques, which will make a striking fashion statement. Dee does not know who made the dasher, nor does she know how to quilt. Unlike her sister Maggie, who will use

Michelangelos Pieta and Caravaggios Entombment of Christ Term Paper

Michelangelos Pieta and Caravaggios Entombment of Christ - Term Paper Example It is also noticeable that the lifeless arm of Marat was similarly depicted like the lifeless arm of the dead Christ carved by Michelangelo (Gardner, Kleiner, Mamiya 649) as well as the one painted by Caravaggio (De Pascale, J. Paul Getty Museum 37) thus the viewers can instantly observe the resemblance of the three artworks. The resemblance of David’s painting to the two earlier artworks may evidently show that he relied on the ability of viewers to link the Death of Marat to the Pieta and the Entombment of Christ to understand that the depicted characters died for a noble purpose and that is Christ for a religious cause while Marat for a political cause. The Founding Fathers of the United States chose and promoted the Neoclassicism as the national architectural style of the United Sates because Neoclassicism conveyed the political ideals of the Founding Fathers that is the Athenian democracy (Palmer 107, 108). This architectural style symbolized the end of colonialism in the United States and American democracy (Hopkins 90) at the beginning of the 19th century. An example of the Neoclassical architecture style is the Massachusetts State House. Fig. 1. G.E. Kidder Smith, Photograph of Massachusetts State House. Source Book of American Architecture: 500 Notable Buildings from the 10th Century to the Present. By G.E. Kidder Smith. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2000. 133.

Promote good practice in handling information Essay Example for Free

Promote good practice in handling information Essay 1.1 Organisations that handle confidential health and social care information have to ensure that it is held securely and shared appropriately. A number of laws, principles and obligations govern how organisations should handle this information. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 gave us powers to advise organisations on how to handle confidential information securely. The Data Protection Act 1998 is a piece of legislation which defines the law on processing data of people living within the United Kingdom. One of the central codes of practice in health and social care has been provided by the GSCC and it sets standards of practice and behavior for staff working in that field, including standards for handling information and maintaining confidentiality This covers eight principles under which personal data must be protected and collected. DPA says that service user information must be confidential and can only be accessed with their consent. Service users must know what records are being kept and why the data is kept. Freedom of Information Act 2000: The Freedom of Information Act gives individuals the right to ask organisations all the information they have about them. 1.2 The 8 Principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 states the personal data must be: used fairly and lawfully  used for limited, specifically stated purposes  used in a way that is adequate, relevant and not excessive  accurate  kept for no longer than is absolutely necessary  handled according to people’s data protection rights  kept safe and secure  not transferred outside the UK without adequate protection  the six main points set out by GSCC (general social care council) are: 1. Protect the rights and promote the interests of service users and carers. 2. Strive to establish and maintain the trust and confidence of service users and carers. 3. Promote the independence of service users while protecting them as far as possible from danger or harm. 4. Respect the rights of service users while seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves or other people. 5. Uphold public trust and confidence in social care services. 6. Be accountable for the quality of your work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving your knowledge and skills. . 2.1 Manual systems relate to paper records, such as Paper or card health records, case notes, care plans, staff files, assessment records, reports, computer print-outs and administrative records. Also Imaging records such as X-rays, CCTV film and photographs. These are required to be out of general view when in use and locked away when not in use or attended in lockable filing cabinets, draws, or locked rooms. We need to ensure only the appropriate individuals have access to these records and that confidentiality is kept at all times. Electronic systems relate to databases, emails and other stored information such as external hard drive, USB memory stick, CD or DVD. These should be protected by adequate virus software and passwords. Files that are confidential should be password protected and not accessible to unauthorised individuals. Information pertaining to individuals should only be shared on a ‘need to know’ basis. 3.1 When supporting others to understand the need for keeping information secure, I would explain the importance of confidentiality and give a summary of the Data Protection Act 1998. I would then explain which information that individual would be able to have access to, and give any guidance needed to enable them to complete records as necessary. 3.2 To support others to understand and contribute to records, I would assist them in completing all necessary records and ensure they understand what is expected of them. I would ensure that I set a good example when completing records, in the production and maintenance of records. Also by raising awareness of the consequences of records that are out of date, incomplete or inaccurate.

Different theories of retirement and ageing

Different theories of retirement and ageing When discussing the subject of retirement, the first issue that one comes across is that of defining what retirement is, and when it occurs. According to Denton and Spencer (2009), the Oxford English Dictionary defines retirement as follows: To withdraw from office, or an official position; to give up ones business or occupation in order to enjoy more leisure or freedom (especially after having made a competence or earned a pension). They continue to add that retirement can be voluntary or involuntary; gradual or sudden; temporary or permanent. Hence, there is no one clear definition which embodies all the possible situations. In contrast, Banks and Smith (2006), argue that retirement is made up of the following characteristics; it is a sudden, rather than a gradual process, it is a permanent and voluntary choice, it equals to drawing a pension, and it is a decision made by the individual rather than cooperatively with household members. This is the concept of retirement that is adopted by most economists. In addition, retirement is a state of mind in the sense that the individual recognizes him/herself as being retired. The definition is hence a subjective one which may mean different things to different people and populations. In itself, it is a broad word which encompasses a number of different elements. For many workers, retirement is seen as an opportunity of long awaited freedom from the responsibilities and stress of employment. It brings change and marks a transition into the later life stages. It is a time of recreation and travel, and an opportunity to develop new mental and physical routines. Planning and anticipating retirement play an essential part in the lives of many workers and their families. Recently, the new phenomenon of early retirement has become increasingly more popular (Rosenkoetter Garris, 2001). Shaw and Hill (2002) stated that a commonly used definition for retirement is an age-related withdrawal from active working life. However, one has to define what constitutes an active working life. Some researchers have chosen to allow their respondents to classify themselves as to whether they are retired or not. This approach, however, has the disadvantage that the definition of retirement will not be the same for everyone as some people who are working and receiving a previous job pension may consider themselves retired whilst others who have stopped working and are taking care of grandchildren, for instance, do not consider themselves as retired. Hence, different definitions of retirement result in different retirement patterns for men and women. The authors go on to argue that as there is no single best definition for retirement, the definition should be adapted according the question being asked, therefore multiple definitions would be helpful when dealing with specific differe nces in men and womens decisions to leave the paid work force. Origins and History of Retirement In their respective works, Graebner (1980) and Costa (2000) provide a brief history on the evolution of retirement. Back in the 1850s, 77% of men who were over 65 years were still working. Not working was viewed as inappropriate and hence people worked as long as they could. In pre-industrial America, most worked in agriculture, and in this area there was no retirement. When a man became too old to do strenuous work such as ploughing, his son would usually take over whilst he shifts to less demanding chores. Before the Civil War, the elderly were viewed as valued people, for a number of reasons such as their knowledge, hard-work, moral guidance they offered and the contribution in reforming the country. As they grew older, they were still respected and played important roles in the community and families. After the Civil War, though, this began to change. The nation shifted from being primarily rural to an increasingly urban society transformed by industrialization. Unlike agricultur al workers, urban workers did not have the familial support to enable them to shift to less strenuous work as they aged. By the 1880s, the American economy relied on manufacturing, and relationships between young and old workers started to become troublesome. The idea of retirement started to develop as a means to deal with these conflicts. As industrialization grew in the United States, business and government leaders realized that they need to develop a mechanism which would stimulate economic growth whilst assisting in the replacement of less efficient older workers with cheaper, younger ones. The preferred mechanism for this was the mandatory retirement of older workers. With the introduction of machines, one began to realize that older workers were neither fast nor strong enough to operate machinery and this slowed down production. By getting older workers out of the way, the workforce would be replaced with a younger, faster, and more efficient one. Attitudes toward elderly people became increasingly negative. By the early 1900s factory owners restricted the hiring of older people and reinforced retirement policies which were mandatory in order to get rid of the ones already employed. Since many business owners were uncomfortable with the idea of getting rid of loyal older workers leaving them without any employme nt and income whatsoever, some of them offered pensions or helped to build company homes for the elderly. By the year 1920, mandatory retirement with a small pension became the preferred method for moving older workers aside. Hence, employers eliminated older workers but in the mean time felt secure that the retired worker would have enough money to survive. Without any doubt, some older workers resisted this plan. Social services were almost inexistent and retirement meant a lower standard of living. Yet, when confronted with so many retirement rules, workers found themselves forced out of their jobs so much so that by the year 1920, almost half of all white male workers over the age of 60 were no longer in the workforce. Still, older workers discovered that retiring and receiving some sort of, even if an insufficient, pension was better than being pushed aside without nothing at all. The first federal retirement legislation became known as The Railroad Retirement Act of 1935, and was a testing ground for later development. The easiest way out of chronic unemployment in the country became the retirement of all older persons; the only problem was making sure that pensions are available. Things changed once again during World War II when anyone who could went back to work. This put back the country into full employment once again. However, after the war, retirement was once again the mechanism which controlled costs and employment rates. Even though pensions became increasingly common, many retired workers remained unhappy about the idea of retirement so much so that an alarming number even refused to apply for social benefits. Hence, business and governments started to instil ideas to older workers with the idyllic thoughts of leisure, and the well-earned reward of free time at their age. This is when insurance companies started to make large profits out of life insurance policies and when sociologists formed the theories of aging. By the late 1960s, the mythology of retirement was completely assimilated into Americans minds. In the mid-1980s, mandates changed pension rules so that widows were not left without any benefits. Also, social security benefits were increased and as a result, the percent of pensioners living in poverty significantly dropped. By the 1970s and 1980s, pensions were fixed to a retirement formula which depended on the length of service and final salary of the person. This meant that a worker would not know what pension he would receive until he actually retired. To avoid all this, business shifted from traditional defined pension plans to defined contribution plans where they promised that a contribution of a certain amount would be done towards each workers pension. Benefits and Drawbacks of Retirement According to Coni, Davison, and Webster (1992), during retirement income is likely to be reduced, however occupational pensions which are becoming more common offer greater monetary security. Those who have become overly dependent on trappings of their employment may realize that their status has changed and that they miss the company of the work-place. On the other hand, retirement should be looked upon as a time of opportunity, which after all, may last for more than 30 years. If the approach towards retirement is a happy and an enthusiastic one, then it is very likely that it will live up to expectations. When it comes to learning new material, older learners usually do better due to higher motivation levels, and increased self-knowledge. The authors go on to argue that everybody has to find their own way through old age and retirement, and if one, at his or her age, feel happy and comfortable doing something, then that thing is right for him or her. When it comes to relationships , retirement may be the only time that one can truly live together with their partner since they are no longer kept apart by employment and family, even though difficulties may arise in this regard as well. Regarding fitness, one should keep in mind that the fitter one is, the less likely it is to become ill and the more likely one would make a full and swift recovery. Since the elderly are affected with degenerative changes, attention should be paid to both physical and mental fitness. Muscles waste in a sedentary lifestyle but they have the ability to redevelop and this can be achieved by doing an activity which one enjoys and gives them pleasure. These include; walking the dog, ballroom dancing, and even cultivating a garden. Mental activities should be taken up to develop and maintain the mind by learning, re-learning, or improving a foreign language. Prevention of illness is a lifelong need, and good habits must be started early and maintained throughout. A common reason for ea gerly anticipating retirement may be the wish to be freed from a strict routine inflicted by employment, which is understandable, but also inappropriate. Retirement should provide the opportunity of restructuring ones routine. This can be done by establishing enough time for physical activity, some time for learning, time for family and time for ones self. Having said all this, during retirement, one may be faced by unpleasant tasks, decisions, and situations. Therefore, fore-thinking potential problems such as loneliness, bereavement, becoming a carer, or becoming disabled, will always help to deal with such dilemmas. Windmill (1992), states that retirement can mean a loss of status, a sense of no longer being a useful society member, losing ones sense of purpose, and becoming part of the receiving end of society. However, one should understand the importance of preparing for retirement so that mental, physical, and social changes do not come by as a shock. Retirement means planning finances, doing leisure activities, and considering health and housing needs. Eliopoulos (1993) adds that retirement may be the first experience of the impact of ageing for many. It is facilitated by learning how to use, appreciate and gain satisfaction from leisure time, which is also a therapeutic outlet for life stresses. The author also mentions the stages of retirement developed by Robert Atchley in 1975, which, however, not all retirees go through: the remote phase where retirement is anticipated but preparation is seldom done; the near phase when preparation for leaving the job begins; the honeymoon phase which is the euphoric period that follows retirement; the disenchantment phase where depression may be experienced; the reorientation phase where realistic choices are considered; the stability phase when an understanding of a retirement roles is achieved and the termination phase when retirement role is lost due to illness or disability. Studies suggest this life event may be a stressful even for those experiencing health or financial issues at the time of retirement; however, those who manage to plan out their retirement are less likely to experience financial burdens. For some, retirement may mean loss of income and identity, loss of status authority, loss of purpose in life and loss of peer contacts (Miller, 1995). Retirement in Malta Locally, workers nearing the retirement age may be eligible for a retirement pension. A person would be eligible to a Contributory Retirement Pension if he or she satisfies a number of conditions; the person has reached the retirement age, 61 for males, and 60 for females, the worker has been employed or self-employed for not less than 10 year prior to retirement; the worker has paid at least 156 contributions; and that on the day of retirement, the worker has satisfied the relevant contribution conditions (Ministry of Education, Employment and the Family, 2011). The General Workers Union (2009) offers a course entitled Preparazzjoni ghall-Irtirar (Preparation for Retirement) and also houses a Pensioners Association whose major task is to attend to special and particular needs of pensioners and retired workers. It protects rights and interests, and safeguards pension levels and standard of living. Cultural, social, and educational activities are held annually and membership is open to all retired workers. Planning for Retirement According to Coni et al., (1992), we should all be planning our own retirement throughout our lives, and that even school-aged children should receive some form of instruction about the topic. This would enable younger people to have a better understanding of what ageing is and learn about some complexities of being old. Having hobbies and leisure pursuits at a young age may introduce them to activities that they enjoy. Hence, once retired, one would be able to revert to these activities. Financial planning must also start early because in order for one to have a secure retirement capital, an adequate income must firstly be assured. Unfortunately, attention also needs to be paid towards the possibility of widowhood (especially in women), and that remarriage may be an additional complication. Rosenkoetter Garris (2001), state that in a study carried out in 1989, retirement planning was the second strongest predictor of satisfaction amongst male respondents, and in another study in 1997; it was found that retirement planning correlated with positive attitudes towards retirement. By participating in pre-retirement programs or courses, one can start assessing his or her attitudes and preparedness towards retiring. These courses would be most successful if they manage to address financial and health matters. Since retirement may prove a new meaning and value to ones life, pre-retirement counseling assists individuals in their preparation. In an Australian study, it was noted that retirement may be a stressful and challenging event and that planning was directly correlated with successful adaptation. The authors conclude that post-retirement perceptions of planning most of the time may not correspond with pre-retirement preparation. In their study, more emphasis was placed of financial planning and psychosocial adjustment to their life after employment. There was a significant increase in sedentary activities with may correlate with an increased risk of health problems found in this age group, hence retirees should be encouraged not only in social interactions, but in physical activity too. Differences were found in planning according to the persons employment position, which relates to the need of developing post-retirement planning programs which are individualized to the type of worker. In their study, Phua and McNall (2008) concluded that as men age, concern about securing their finances increases and that this issue remains at top priority among people approaching retirement. The authors say that studies show that retirees eventually adjust their spending patterns according to the dynamics of their financial situation. Expectations towards marriage and having children is another issues that affects pre-retirement planning and this includes a need to resolve the conflict between saving and increased demands on financial resources that a family can require. According to Elder and Rudolph (1999), retirement satisfaction is based on both financial and non-financial variables. Results from their study indicated that attending preretirement courses and planning meetings were positively related to retirement satisfaction. Also, planning out activities correlated with an increased likelihood of retirement satisfaction. Theories of Ageing Throughout the years, scientists have been trying to develop theories of ageing in an attempt to answer questions such as Why do we age? and How do we age?. Early sociologic theories, in the 1960s, focused on adjustments of older people towards loss of roles and reference groups. Theories which are based on these themes include the disengagement, activity, and continuity theories. In 1961, Cumming and Henry published their first sociologic theory of ageing: the disengagement theory. According to this theory, a process of mutual disengagement takes place during aging where both the individual and the society in which he or she belong withdraw from each other (Redfern, 1996). This process is an inevitable one, and is governed by societys needs which dominate individual needs. This theory further states that older people desire this withdrawal, and as the social contacts of a person diminish, disengagement becomes a circular process that further limits opportunities of interaction (Miller, 1995). Another theory of ageing is the activity theory which is based on the belief that in order for one to age successfully, he or she must keep active. It was first stated by Havighurst and Albrecht in 1953 who said that social role participation is essential for positive adjustment to old age. In 1963, Havighurst and colleagues created the term activity theory. In 1972, then, it was Lemon and colleagues who formalized the theory which proposed that older people could only remain psychologically and socially fit if they remained active and that loss of roles in old age affect life satisfaction negatively. Above all, the quality of interaction is more important than the quantity of activity (Miller, 1995). The continuity (or developmental) theory was put forward by Neugarten in 1968 because none of the other theories successfully explained ageing. According to this theory, a persons coping strategies are in place long before he or she starts to age, however personality features are continuously dynamic and evolving. Therefore the best way to predict how a person will adjust to ageing is by examining how that same person has adjusted to situations throughout his or her life. This theory hence brings out the importance of the relationship between personality and successful ageing (Miller, 1995). Some other proposed theories of ageing include; the subculture theory proposed by Rose (1962, 1965), which states that old people have their own norms, beliefs, habits, and expectations and hence have their own subculture, the age stratification theory by Riley in 1972, which explains the interdependencies between age as an element of social structure and ageing and cohorts as a social process. Other theories include the person-environment fit theory and the human needs theory (Miller, 1995).

Confused Values in The Necklace Essay -- Mauassant The Necklace Essays

Confused Values in The Necklace To some people, class distinction is very important. Usually we think of class distinction as being of most importance to the higher classes, those who can afford to look down on the rest of the world, but sometimes this concept is of most importance to those who occupy the lower steps of society. These are the people who are stuck where they are, but feel that their true places are at the top of the social ladder. The character of Mme. Loisel in Guy de Moupassant's story "The Necklace" is one such person. She is of the lower classes, but she holds a romantic idea of what life at the top consists of, and it is one of these ideas that eventually gets her into trouble. The story starts out by describing Mme. Loisel and the contrasts between the world she lives in and the one she dreams of. Her life consists of simple clothes, a plain household full of functional things, and simple, healthy food. She has one servant in her house, her husband holds a good, if unglamourous, job, and they are in general a middle class family. This life is...

Socrates :: essays research papers

As we read in the Apology, Socrates was on trial because he was thought to be a wise man who taught his views to the youth. Being wise was an illegal behavior during his time. He was accused of making weaker arguments the stronger. Knowing none of these accusations to be true, Socrates told the jury what he believed to be true. When found guilty of such accusations Socrates did let it be known he did not fear death. As a philosopher he questioned the purity of everything, and of course the heavens were not overlooked. He wondered if after death there was a great place where all who have passed go and live an even better life than known to us on earth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He also wondered if death was a blessing. Not clearly knowing what happens after death, he thought one of two theories would occur. There was either a relocation for the soul in another place with an all new life, or the body was nothing and had no perception of anything once departed. Socrates viewed both situations as good, so a blessing it would be indeed. He then thought if it was like a state of dreamless sleep, death would be an advantage. Thus, think of the best sleep you ever had and did not dream at all. Also think of the mornings you do not want to wake up cause you know the upcoming day entails hard work and minimal pleasures. Socrates thought not many days were as good as this occasional great sleep. If death was as great as this, he thought there was nothing to fear. He also thought that if they were to go on to a different place after death, this as well, would also be great. Given the ability to once again see the people who have passed into this gr eat place.

Competitive Advantage

The competitive advantage is thought to be stronger when it lasts for longer period of time. Those companies who are able to maintain a competitive advantage for many years are thought to have a sustainable competitive advantage. Understanding the Concept Sustainable competitive advantages are company assets, attributes, or abilities that are difficult to duplicate or exceed; and provide a superior or favorable long term position over competitors. Sustainable competitive advantages are required for a company to thrive in today's global environment.Value investors search for companies that are bargains. In order to avoid purchasing a value trap one Of the factors we search for is sustainable competitive advantages. Without one or more sustainable competitive advantages a company may not be able to recover from whatever caused the stock to become a bargain. We only want to buy the stocks of companies that are real value investments, not value traps. In other words, we want to buy stock s trading below their intrinsic value and will grow cash flow for shareholders.If sustainable competitive advantage is dependent on maintaining a higher profit margin than other companies in the same industry, how does a company set out to develop a strategy to both achieve and maintain competitive advantage? The two main components of profit are that customers both value the goods and services and will pay for them; and that a company can keep production costs related to goods and services low, so that there is a higher profit margin. For example, if Sally's Cupcake Shop can make a chocolate cupcake for 25 cents and sell it for $1. 0, the profit on each cupcake is 75 cents. Sally's customers will pay $1. 00 per cupcake because the cupcakes are delicious and made with high quality ingredients. A few blocks away, Bobby's Cupcakes & More spends 40 cents making a chocolate cupcake, but can only sell the cupcake for 50 cents. Bobby's profit is only 10 cents per cupcake. Customers will n ot pay as much money per cupcake, because Bobby's cupcakes are not as tasty and are not made with ingredients that match the quality of Sally's cupcakes.Sally will be able to maintain a competitive advantage as long as she keeps costs lower than the amount customers will pay, allowing her to build a higher profit than Bobby. If this continues year after year, even as costs and prices change, Sally would be said to have the sustainable competitive advantage. However, Sally cannot become too comfortable with her advantage, and instead must antique to find ways to maintain a competitive advantage. Bobby may become motivated to outperform Sally. If Bobby is able to increase his own profit substantially, he could potentially take away the sustainable competitive advantage.Your competitive advantage is what sets your business apart from your competition. It highlights the benefits a customer receives when they do business with you. It could be your products, service, reputation, or even y our location. For example, do you offer home delivery, a money back guarantee, a 2-hour call-out service or childcare facilities? Types ND Examples of Sustainable Competitive Advantages Low Cost Provider/ Low pricing Economies of scale and efficient operations can help a company keep competition out by being the low cost provider.Being the low cost provider can be a significant barrier to entry. In addition, low pricing done consistently can build brand loyalty be a huge competitive advantage (I. E. Wall-Mart). Market or Pricing Power A company that has the ability to increase prices without losing market share is said to have pricing power. Companies that have pricing power are usually taking advantage of high barriers to entry or have earned the dominant session in their market. Powerful Brands It takes a large investment in time and money to build a brand. It takes very little to destroy it.A good brand is invaluable because it causes customers to prefer the brand over competitor s. Being the market leader and having a great corporate reputation can be part of a powerful brand and a competitive advantage. Strategic assets Patents, trademarks, copy rights, domain names, and long term contracts would be examples of strategic assets that provide sustainable competitive advantages. Companies with excellent research and development might have label strategic assets. Barriers To Entry Cost advantages of an existing company over a new company is the most common barrier to entry.High investment costs (I. E. New factories) and government regulations are common impediments to companies tying to enter new markets. High barriers to entry sometimes Create monopolies or near monopolies (I. E. Utility companies). Adapting Product Line A product that never changes is ripe for competition. A product line that can evolve allows for improved or complementary follow up products that keeps customers coming back for the â€Å"new ‘ and improved version (I. . Apple phone) a nd possibly some accessories to go with it.Product Differed tuition A unique product or service builds customer loyalty and is less likely to lose market share to a competitor than an advantage based on cost. The quality, number of models, flexibility in ordering (I. E. Custom orders), and customer service are all aspects that can positively differentiate a product or service. Strong Balance Sheet/ Cash Companies with low debt and/or lots of cash have the flexibility to make opportune investments and never have a problem with access to working capital, liquidity, or solvency.The balance sheet is the foundation of the company. Outstanding Management / People There is always the intangible of outstanding management. This is hard to quantify, but there are winners and losers. Winners seem to make the right decisions at the right time. Winners somehow motivate and get the most out of their employees, particularly when facing challenges. Management that has been successful for a number f ears is a competitive advantage. Value Investing and Sustainable Competitive Advantages Companies with one sustainable competitive advantage might be successful.Finding companies with multiple sustainable competitive advantages will greatly improve the chances you have found a real value stock. Can you think of any sustainable competitive advantages I may have missed? Http://arborinvestmentplanner. Com/sustainable-competitive-advantages- definition-types-examples/ How to identify your competitive advantage To identify your competitive advantage, you need to understand your competitors and your customers. Ask yourself: Why do customers buy from Why do customers buy from our competitors and not us?Why do some potential customers not buy at all? What do we need to do to be successful in the future? Market research will help you to answer these questions. Good market research will reveal how your business is different from your competitors, and what you have to offer that appeals to you r customers. In-depth customer research will help you identify your customers' needs and increase your competitive edge. Use our market research kit to find key economic, demographic and statistical information about your industry.Customers buy benefits When customers buy your product or service, they are buying the benefit that it gives them. It may be that your product makes their life simpler, or your service helps them to feel better about themselves. Think about how your competitive advantage benefits your customers. For example, the competitive advantage for a sandwich shop may be: We use fresh, local ingredients to make-to-order the highest quality gourmet sandwiches in the local area.Different customers may see different benefits: customers with allergies or particular dislikes will enjoy the convenience of ordering a sandwich with their preferred ingredients customers who want to treat themselves will be attracted by the fresh, high-quality ingredients, and he fact that the sandwiches are gourmet customers who want to support local businesses will appreciate thou use only local ingredients. Thinking about how your business can benefit your customers will help you to pinpoint your competitive advantage. A strong competitive advantage: reflects the competitive strength of your business (e. . Quality of service) is preferably, but not necessarily, unique is clear and simple may change over time as competitors try to cash in on your idea must be supported by honest and ongoing market research must highlight the benefits to customers rather than boast Of your business itself. After you have highlighted your competitive advantage, the best way to tell your customers about it is to create your unique selling proposition. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF Samsung Electronics is part of one of the largest multi-billion dollar corporations in the world.In 2007 it exceeded the $Bonn mark in annual sales for the first time in its history. This makes it one of the world's top three companies in the electronics industry where only two other companies, Siemens and Hewlett-Packard, have posted larger revenues. The name Samsung literally means ‘three stars' or ‘Tristan' in Korean, reflecting the Samsung Group's dominance in two further sectors: Samsung Heavy Industries and Samsung Engineering and Construction. â€Å"The support need – when and where you need it' Samsung respects the choice customers have in how and with whom they do business.That why, to more effectively support product lines, Samsung has established a geographically-dispersed base of direct dealers and indirect channel partners that result in tight-knit national coverage. So, as a single- or multi-location operation, you benefit from having Samsung partners right where you need them most – near corporate headquarters, at branch offices r out in the field. A direct connection to Samsung through your authorized dealer. As a decision maker for your business, it's your job to make the right choices to keep your business competitive and vibrant.With an authorized Samsung dealer as your telecommunications solutions provider you can rest assured that your telecommunications needs are being fulfilled. Look at your Samsung dealer as your trusted advisor, keeping you informed about new technology advancements, service options and cost-effective measures that can give your business a competitive advantage. Samsung singular focus is n businesses like yours. Its authorized dealers represent a commitment to supporting you with outstanding solutions and service capabilities.Dealer expertise is sharpened in Samsung mandated certification courses, so you can be confident in the technology and service you are receiving. Samsung supports its authorized dealers along the entire continuum with product training, deployment, installation and professional services. This life cycle of support provides you with an additional Samsung advantage – a five-year hardware warranty that reduces your long term costs. Less one Of the ways Samsung thanks you for investing in their solutions. A strong commitment to research & development Samsung strives to understand what customers need ahead of its competitors.Their engineers adjust their thinking to develop original and innovative products that will meet those needs, along with new technologies to lead the future market. They respond to the â€Å"voice of the customer' by designing and testing new products, and through hands-on management of product lifestyles. Each year Samsung has invested at least 9% of sales revenue into R&D activities. As the company continues to increase R&D pending, their commitment to leading technology standardization and securing intellectual property rights remains strong.In fact, Samsung was the largest publisher of U. S. Patents in 2006 and is the owner of one of the largest U. S. Patent portfolios-?increasing patent procurement by 1 1 percent year over year. Cut ting-edge tech oenology that's affordable. Samsung expertise in voice/data convergence, wired, wireless communications, Vivo and core network technologies has produced Offices†;' 7000 – a family of groundbreaking business communications solutions that are redefining the rules of the game.The Officers†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ platform provides you with business advantages across your entire spectrum of needs. First, you'll enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your communications are being routed over a secure, reliable platform. Second, the intuitive design and scalable architecture of this platform enables growth in affordable increments, so your investment will carry you well into the future with significant ROI. In addition, the system's architecture provides flexibility-?a medium where additional applications can be added to enhance the power of Samsung solutions.More and more small and mid-sized genuineness are realizing the need for Computer Telephony Integrat ion solutions to manage their resources and desktops. In response, Samsung has developed a suite of Officers†;' CT I applications for improving call handing, managing the user interface, interpreting and gathering call reporting and improving customer affinity through screen pops that detail names and call history. Standards-based technology means that system serviceability is just a phone call away and your telecommunications are reduced in operational complexity.With its single expandable architecture, Officers 7000 installs ND configures easily. You are considering a platform that not only gives you access to voice and data throughout your office complex and even off-site, but also eliminates divergent systems, bottlenecks and competition between voice and data applications. Whether you are upgrading or are launching a converged system for the very first time, this line-up of systems offers a perfect blend of versatility and power that will speed up your business.Sources of Samsung cost advantage in DRAMS Samsung cost advantage is clearly visible from the comparison of costs (and heir elements) that were borne by the company and its competitors in 2003 (Tab. 3): Samsung* overall cost was 24 per cent lower than the weighted average cost of the other four producers; two most significant elements of the cost structure, I. E. Raw materials and labor, were 36 and 27 per cent lower respectively. When expressed by means of a relation of average selling price to costs (â€Å"productivity' of cost elements), the differences are even more visible (com. Tab. Overall superiority of Samsung over its competitors exceeded 51 per cent! The cost advantages related to raw materials may be explained by better negotiated agreements with suppliers (perhaps due to the larger volumes of purchases – com. Fig. 5) and possibly less shipping and distribution costs that stem from the fact that Samsung FAA facilities are geographically collocated (while competitors' facil ities are spread world-wide). In terms of labor productivity only Chinese SIMI outperformed Samsung, but that came hardly unexpectedly: low labor costs in China had been and were to remain unbeatable for some time yet.Other possibly meaningful factors that cannot be forgotten include: higher yields (due to process quality ND use of more efficient, larger silicon wafers), use Of Common core design for different products supported by the flexibility of production lines (which enabled cost-efficient production of a wide variety of different semiconductors), and – reportedly -? 12 per cent lower investment in capital assets related to the aforementioned strategic decision on FAA collocation.The last but not least element of the Samsung â€Å"cost puzzle† (which, unfortunately cannot be supported by concrete numbers from the case study, and is rather based on intuition) was the way the firm built and maintained intellectual capital and stimulated innovativeness and creativi ty among employees. It had established an incentive-based remuneration system, it sponsored employees for Pads and MBA education, it created a family-friendly working environment in which more of employees' energy could be devoted to solving problems at work instead of troubles in private lives.In most modern industries, such a long-term approach and investing in human capital eventually pays off resulting in higher productivity and better and cheaper products. Sources of Samsung price premium in DRAMS Samsung achieved an almost 1 5 per cent price premium over (the weighted average price of) its competitors (com. Tab. How was that possible? There were, apparently, two main reasons for that: quality and product mix.The former was definitely a unique advantage in the semiconductor industry which was, generally, characterized by little product differentiation (in terms of physical and functional properties), and where demand was highly price- driven. Even though, due to the outstanding quality and reliability of its products, Samsung had managed to achieve a position which justified paying remit for its products. Between 1995 and 2005 the company won awards for performance from most of its major customers, and many of them (even rivals of one another) named Samsung their supplier of choice.Of course, the highly-recognizable brand (the value of which was estimated at almost USED 11 billion in 2003 ! ) helped to maintain the price premium as well. The Samsung successful product mix strategy, on the other hand, was realized through extremely wide differentiation of products that the company manufactured: in DRAM memory segment it was over 1,200 different types! The large product portfolio allowed Samsung to address a very broad market and to avoid fierce price fighting in the most competitive sector of so called commodity DRAMS (where many producers had to sell below production costs).Apart from the ‘mainstream' mass products (in general: low-cost commodity DR AMs), Samsung offered: ; â€Å"legacy products†, I. E. Older types of chips, production of which was continued after the industry had moved to newer generations and which – due to limited supply – could be sold at price premium; ; â€Å"specialty products† – chips designed for niche uses where the rice was usually agreed on bilaterally between Samsung and a given buyer (at the same time, the company was able to optimism costs by building the customized architectures using a common core design).How Samsung should react to threat of large-scale Chinese entry? In my opinion, none of the two options of reacting to the Chinese â€Å"menace† that were presented in the case study, should have be chosen by Samsung as the only one. Rather, a mix of the two seemed to be an optimal approach. Samsung unique ability to maintain the low-cost and, at the same time, differentiated production should have been maintained, but – simultaneously certain a spects of the changing industry environment might have been taken advantage of as well.It was not necessary for Samsung to desperately look for ways to decrease its labor costs (which is usually a reason for established companies to move their production to China): its cost advantage over competitors was supposed to remain for some time. On the other hand, in line with an old Chinese saying: â€Å"keep your friends close, but the enemies even closer†, it was not advisable to ignore the rising competitors (as the industry had done years earlier with regards to Samsung itself).Earlier of eater, China itself was posed to become a significant (if not the most significant) market for semiconductors, thus all actions aiming at better positioning itself to sell in the market seemed to be highly desirable. Therefore, Samsung should have decided to partner with a Chinese firm for production of its low-end, legacy products. At the same time, its state-of-the- art technologies had to be kept in-house.Such a strategy would let Samsung preserve its valuable intellectual property; manufacturing of the mass market products together with Chinese did not pose a threat to the IP, since cosmologies necessary for that usually were no longer proprietary information. On the other hand, the partnership might result in a possibility to further decrease the costs due to availability of attractive subsidizing from the Chinese government and lower labor costs, and – of course – prepare grounds for enlarging sales to customers in the opening and growing market.There was, however, a number of important aspects that had to be remembered while implementing the strategy: ; Samsung competitive advantage related to the unique breeding environment for innovation and efficacy of the centralized R&D and production should have been preserved, thus all new product development had to be kept in the Korean headquarters; ; another competitive advantage of the company, the quality, should have been definitely maintained, too; it might have become a challenge if part of the production was to be moved to China, therefore Samsung had to ensure it could properly influence its Chinese partner (e. . By remaining a majority stakeholder in the joint undertaking); ; while overall reduction of costs was not of key importance for Samsung, the partnership tit a Chinese firm could have been, nonetheless, used for reduction Of labor costs related to production of legacy products (in case of which the associated gain was to be most significant) with no risk of compromising valuable intellectual property; that way, another competitive advantage of Samsung, the industry best ASP to cost ratio, would be further strengthened.However, in parallel to building the partnership, Samsung couldn't have forgotten about other Chinese would-be competitors which would supposedly flourish around. Therefore, the company should have kept throng focus on maintaining its technological leadersh ip through cutting-edge R (still unavailable at the time, despite having relatively easy access to capital, for Chinese start-ups), especially towards future substitutes for DRAMS: flash memory chips.

Kotler Mkting Management Chapter 13

Designing and Managing Services Discussion Questions 1. How do we define and classify services? 2. How do services differ from goods? 3. How can we achieve excellence in marketing services ? 4. How can we improve service quality? 5. How can goods marketers improve customer service? Slide 2 of 29 The Nature of Services 2008 – 2018 Loss of 1. 2 million jobs 2008 – 2018 Gain of 14. 6 million jobs Slide 3 of 29 Service An act or performance one party can offer to another that is mostly intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything. Slide 4 of 29 Categories of Service Mix Mix of goods & services Pure Tangible Good Hybrid Pure ServiceSoap Cell phone Babysitting Slide 5 of 29 Service Characteristics Intangibility Variability Perishability Empty seats Inseparability Slide 6 of 29 Intangibility Create tangible elements †¢ Place †¢ People †¢ Equipment †¢ Communication material †¢ Symbols †¢ Price Slide 7 of 29 Inseparability Work Faster Add More Service Providers Work with Larger Groups Slide 8 of 29 Variability Offer Guarantees Monitor Satisfaction Good Hiring and Training Slide 9 of 29 Overnight Hotel Stay Blueprint Slide 10 of 29 Perishability Empty seats Nonpeak Demand Complementary Services Reservation Systems Differential Pricing Slide 11 of 29 New Services RealitiesCustomer Empowerment Satisfying Employees Customer Co-production Slide 12 of 29 Root Cause of Customer Failure Slide 13 of 29 What Customers Want from Providers Knowledgeable employees Address needs on first contact Treat me like a valued customer 65% 64% 62% 54% 49% 49% 45% 43% 38% Demonstrates desire to meet my needs Can quickly access information Good value for the money Courteous employees Is a company/brand I can trust Treats me fairly Provides relevant/personalized service 0% 10% 20% 30% 31% 40% 50% 60% 70% Slide 14 of 29 Determinants of Service Quality Reliability Tangibles Responsive Empathy Assurance Slide 15 of 29