Renaissance and Middle Ages

Historians call the period we live in Modern Times. Modern Times began with the Renaissance, one of the rare periods of genius in the world’s history. Beginning in the 14th century and reaching its height in the 15th, the Renaissance was a new age filled with remarkable accomplishments meaning â€Å"rebirth†. The Renaissance refers to the rediscovery by humanists of the writings of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The individualization of man began in this era, and it was during this period that man began to focus on the secular aspects of life rather than hierarchical Christianity, which was the stranglehold of the Middle Ages. The ordered, formalistic medieval society broke down and Europe emerged from the Dark Ages. The Renaissance was a period of discovery in many fields. Advances in science were numerous and contributed to the growth of the era. Beliefs and theories that were common during the Middle Ages were gradually being rejected and scientific investigation during the Renaissance lead to an increased understanding of the natural world. Along with discoveries in science, the Renaissance proved to be one of the great ages of fine arts, leaving a rich legacy. The art from the Middle Ages was revolutionized in the Renaissance and is one of the most prominent variances between the two eras. The intellectual energies of the Renaissance, however, came from the literature of many masters. Humanism was emphasized, which contrasted the church driven society of the Middle Ages. Advances and accomplishments in science, fine arts and literature made the Renaissance a golden period, which flourished far beyond the achievements of the Middle Ages. During the Renaissance, discoveries in science, particularly in astronomy, physics, and anatomy exceeded those of the Middle Ages. Vital to the growth of scientific investigation was a progressive rejection of astrology and magic, creed that was prevalent in medieval times. The scientists of the Renaissance rejected any sort of magic because observation and experimentation did not support it. Scientists of the Renaissance made many breakthroughs increasing their knowledge and understanding of the world. Important inventions were medieval in origin as well. For example, the magnetic compass that directed Renaissance explorers to Asia and the Americas was innovated in the Middle Ages. But it was the humanism that was brought out in the Renaissance, which separates it from the Middle Ages. Equally important to the development of science was humanism, for among the ancient writings that the humanists collected were those that inspired scientific research. Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus challenged the ideas of astronomy and forever changed the way Western civilization looks at the universe. At Copernicus’s birth, Europeans believed that the earth was stationary, at the center of the universe, and all other heavenly bodies, including the sun, revolved around the earth. Copernicus used observation and mathematical analysis to overturn this concept. After careful calculations and observations, Copernicus realized that the earth both revolves around the sun and rotates about its own axis. The importance of Copernicus’ discovery was not only that he provided future astronomers with groundwork; he challenged pervious theories on astronomy and the universe. Studying the heavens, however, was very difficult as the human eye could only see so much. Italian astronomer Galileo constructed a telescope for observing the galaxy. With this device, he discovered that the surface of the moon was covered with craters, mountains and valleys, and discovered other satellites orbiting the planet Jupiter. The rationality and reason promoted by renaissance researchers would become increasingly important not only to science but to Western thought. Those who came after this period would refine its methods and techniques and open up much more of the natural world to human understanding, but they would always be indebted to the pioneering work of these early scientific thinkers. The Renaissance was also one of the great ages of art. It was an era of artistic experimentation and discovery led by famous painters and sculptors whose works are perhaps more than any other accomplishments representative of the Renaissance in today’s world. The art from the Middle Ages differed tremendously from the Renaissance. During the Middle Ages, the arts had reflected that period’s deep interest in religion. Paintings for instance, were either portraits of Christ, the Virgin Mary, the saints or illustrations of scenes from the Bible. In the Renaissance however, art became less religious in nature. Much of it dealt with more worldly subjects: portraits, of living people, landscapes, and scenes of everyday life. Religious subjects did not disappear entirely. Some of the greatest religious art dates from the Renaissance, such as Leonardo da Vinci’s 1497 painting the Last Supper, and Michelangelo’s 1504 sculpture David. Yet, there was a more secular tone to Renaissance art than to medieval art. This artistic shift came in part because the patrons of artists were often nobles nd business and civil leaders rather than, as in the Middle Ages, the church. A second difference between Renaissance and medieval art was the supreme importance of architecture during the Middle Ages. To the medieval world, architecture was the most sublime of arts because architects were responsible for the design and building of the great churches and cathedrals of the period. At this time, both painting and sculpture were used a lmost exclusively to decorate these church buildings. Although architecture remained important in the Renaissance, painting and sculpture were the chief arts. Again this change in emphasis had a great deal to do with the rise of the private patron: few, like the Catholic Church, could afford to finance a building but any one of whom could pay for a statue. A third difference between medieval and Renaissance art was the latter’s emphasis on realism. Renaissance artists tried to represent the human figure as realistically and naturally as possible. To achieve this realism, both painters and sculptors studied anatomy and the world around them. They worked hard to portray their painted or sculpted subjects in authentic detail, for as Italian Leon Battista Alberti instructed in his 1435 Della pittura: â€Å"It will help, when painting living creatures, first to sketch in the bones, for they always occupy a certain determined position. Then add the sinews and muscles, and finally clothe the bones and muscles with flesh and skin. As Nature clearly and openly reveals all these proportions, so the earnest painter will find great profit from investigating them in Nature. Because of its close association with the observation of the natural world, this Renaissance realism came to be known as naturalism. Leonardo da Vinci is seen as one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance. Far more than just a painter, he was also an engineer, mathematician, inventor, architect, and writer. Moreover, he was a scientist, whose interests were in biology, physics, and chemistry. The aim of his studies, particularly those in anatomy, was to make his paintings better. He believed firmly that studying the paintings of others alone would produce only minor work. However, a painter who also studied nature would, in his opinion, produce great art. The art produced in the Renaissance was a rebirth of the classical Greek and Roman works. After centuries of stiff representation, artists began again to study Nature herself, and to work from the living model. New ideas of grace, harmony, and beauty were cultivated into classic works that revolutionized fine art of that period from a sacred to a secular tone. Parallel to the development of fine arts, was an awakening of the human intellect through written works. Innovation and invention were the hallmarks of Renaissance literature. As in art, humanism influenced its literature through both its ideas and its focus on classical writings. A contributing factor to the spread of humanism was printing. Until the Renaissance, books were produced by hand. In 1465, the printing press was invented in Germany. Although printing technology had been developed in China as early as the second century AD, the 15th century printing press was combined with another innovation: moveable metal type. With this invention, came a rise in literacy. Books became available to everyone, significantly speeding up the spread of classical knowledge and humanist ideas. During the Middle Ages, only the clergy and a few others could read, whereas Renaissance readers came from all social classes. By the 16th century, about half the population of London could read and write to some degree. One of the most important developments that took place in Renaissance literature was the expanded use in books and poems of such languages as Italian, French, and English, rather than Latin. Although Latin remained the international language of Europe, Renaissance authors increasingly wrote in their native languages. The rise of the vernacular made it possible for the middle classes of Europe to read and write in their own language rather than Latin. Many prominent writers of the time such as Petrarch (1304- 1374), and Dante (1265- 1321) saw the use of the vernacular as a means of passing on classical virtues and knowledge to a far wider audience than was possible with Latin. The scholars Thomas G. Bergin and Jennifer Speake note: â€Å"Petrarch’s determination that the classical ideal should permeate every aspect of life led to what has been called the â€Å"humanism of the vernacular†: the ennobling not only of the native tongue, but also of everyday experience under the influence of classical models. † Poets and other writers were generally enthusiastic about the use of the vernacular, feeling that their native languages brought their work alive i n a way no ancient, outdated language could. Writers in the Renaissance era began to experiment with new forms of literature. In France, the great pioneer in vernacular writings was the French humanist Francois Rabelais. He not only experimented with writing in French, but he also began a new literary form, the novel. The result was the birth of the French novel, which ridiculed the medieval church and way of thought during the Middle Ages. This new kind of literature contrasts the writings of the medieval times which were mainly church inspired. Most writings were during the Middle Ages were done by Churchmen and most of it was in Latin. Biographies of the lives of the saints were extremely popular. The printing press in the Renaissance led to a rise of literacy in Europe; therefore the middle class was better educated. The rise of the vernacular also revolutionized literature in the Renaissance, which made it possible for the rising middle class of Europe to read and write in their own language rather than Latin. These breakthroughs in literature separate the Renaissance from medieval times. Emerging from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance was a new age filled with impressive accomplishments. The Dark Ages was a time in which the Church was the center of economic, social and political life while the Renaissance was a period in which human affairs and the advancement of Man were emphasized. Scientific discoveries made by many scholars such as Copernicus and Galileo revolutionized medieval theories on astronomy. If one aspect of Renaissance culture differed noticeably from the Middle Ages, it was art. Artists of this time period strayed from the stiff, religious mold of art to a more realistic approach to art displaying great detail and a variety of emotions. Advances in literature reformed the Renaissance. Inventions such as the printing press and the development of the vernacular led to the rise of literacy in all social classes, which greatly differs from the Middle Ages where only the clergy and few others could read and write. The Renaissance era crackled with energy, filled with remarkable discoveries and advancements. Many would have agreed with the French physician Jean Fernel, who wrote in the early 1500s: â€Å"The world sailed round, the largest Earth’s continents, discovered the printing press sowing knowledge, ancient manuscripts rescued, all witness to the triumph of our New Age. †

Personal and professional development Essay

â€Å"The most successful nations in the future will be those which develop high quality, skilled and motivated workforces and make good use of them. † Government White Paper (1994) This object of this assignment is to identify what personal and professional development is, if there is any difference between personal and professional development and what opportunities there are, how this benefits both staff and Lancashire Care Foundation Trust (LCFT) as an organisation. I will consider how motivation affects people and their desire for development both personally and within the workplace Briefly I will be looking at qualifications: how these are obtained, utilised as a means to recognise stages of development and as evidence to demonstrate competencies of staff. As the theories show, people learn in many different ways and so I will discuss further 2 examples of these – Behaviourism and Humanistic learning theories. Delving into experiential and reflective learning styles and strategies and how these link into the theories of how people learn and what resources are available to aid learning. How to plan for personal and professional development Personal development can be described as self-improvement, or development of skills and knowledge on a personal level not related to a specific job role but are personal goals. Adair and Allen categorise this as self-development and feel that these â€Å"Transferable skills are the key to improved prospects† (Adair and Allen 2003 p64). Improvement of these personal skills can be taken to any job and will be beneficial no matter which role is undertaken. In the same context, Wade (1996) suggests in addition to professional qualifications, employers also demand abilities that are considered as personal transferable skills such as communication, leadership, decision making and teamwork. Professional development is learning or enhancing necessary skills to carry out specific job functions effectively or improving practice and is aimed at the team/service/ organisational goals. This often defines where a role fits within an organisation or hierarchy and indicates promotion opportunities or employment prospects for career enhancement. Although viewed by many as separate agenda’s, Morrow states that she â€Å"does not believe there is a significant difference between personal development and professional development. Learning is learning. Personal development is professional development – what is learnt at home is taken to work and experience at work is implemented at home. † (Morrow, 2008). Whether personal or professional, development encourages staff to focus on their present circumstances, evaluate career progression and plan for the immediate and long term future. In order to put a strategy in place, current skills are identified, competencies and achievements recognised, goals clarified and then the difference between to the two assessed to outline the development required. Within the workplace, staff need to be motivated to achieve good results and engage with the development process. Abraham Maslow believed that people are motivated by a number of different needs and grouped them into 5 areas (see appendix 1 – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need). Maslow (1943) theorised everyone is capable of moving up the levels in the hierarchy – once one need is satisfied, the next arises. Failure to meet each of the lower levels will prevent the ability to reach highest level of self-actualisation. ‘It is quite true that man lives by bread alone — when there is no bread. But what happens to man’s desires when there is plenty of bread and when his belly is chronically filled? At once other (and â€Å"higher†) needs emerge and these, rather than physiological hungers, dominate the organism. And when these in turn are satisfied, again new (and still â€Å"higher†) needs emerge and so on. This is what we mean by saying that the basic human needs are organized into a hierarchy of relative prepotency’. (Maslow, 1943, p. 375) Within the workplace the very basic ‘biological and physiological needs’ along with ‘safety needs’ are governed by law in the UK and so the higher three needs (Social, Esteem and Self Actualisation) may be realised through learning and development leading to increased motivation and confidence If invested in and developed, employees are more likely to feel their social needs are met by being part of a team are well regarded and appreciated for their skill set and therefore motivated to work harder to reciprocate which leads to higher production and efficiency. People are able to realise their abilities and potential, take on more responsibility or variety of tasks which improves versatility and prevents boredom leading to demotivation. Staff feel happier if they feel valued and are likely to stay within the organisation. Learning can be the result of many activities which can include formal classes and training sessions, on the job training and mentoring or self-study. Every time we encounter something new, there is an opportunity to learn and improve skills. As a result of increasing and honing skills and gaining qualifications, people tend to develop a greater sense of self-worth, dignity and well-being as they become more valuable to their employer and to society. These factors give a sense of satisfaction and motivation through improving performance, achieving personal and company goals which can also give them physical rewards such as increased remuneration and benefits. Qualifications are evidence of the level of knowledge gained and the competencies developed. The type of qualification i. e. Degree or NVQ dictates the characteristics and context of the learning and the learning outcomes are measured or assessed and qualifications awarded based on the results. The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) (2009) states that the 5 main purposes of qualifications are: †¢Recognise personal growth and engagement in learning †¢Prepare for further learning or training and/or develop knowledge and/or skills in a subject area †¢Prepare for employment †¢Confirm occupational competence and/or ‘licence to practice’ †¢Updating and continuing professional development (CPD) Every post in LCFT has a profile of requirements to fulfil the role including which qualifications are required e. g. a midwife must be a qualified nurse and have a degree in Midwifery, a secretary must have RSA3 typing. Proof of qualifications obtained (certificates and professional registrations) must be shown prior to job offers to evidence the level of competency and skills of potential employees to fulfil the requirements of the job. Within LCFT, staff learning and development is viewed as being an integral part of fulfilling the needs of the business as well as the growth and motivation of staff. Within the organisation, Learning Needs Analysis’ (LNA) are carried out to ensure learning provision is in alignment with the business strategy and so that employees have the capabilities to deliver the organisation’s strategy. The root of the LNA is the gap analysis – an assessment of the gap between the knowledge, skills and attitudes currently possessed and the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are required to meet business objectives The core of training in LCFT is ‘Mandatory Training’ which is any training deemed necessary by law for safe and effective function in the NHS and then training and development to meet the business needs is then prioritised. Every member of staff in LCFT has an annual Personal Development Review which is updated every 3 months to adjust objectives and monitor progress. A Personal Development Plan is written as part of this process which outlines training requirements and skill enhancement for the following 12 months. Staff are required to continue their professional development to build their professional skills and competencies which then improves their performance at work. LCFT also provides training opportunities to support staff to develop and manage their career  benefitting LCFT by retaining staff with the aptitude and ability to meet the future organisational needs and adjust to the ever changing environment within the NHS. Management Development programmes are also in place to enable leaders to foster this learning environment and motivate staff to embed the learning culture within the organisation. This benefits the NHS as they are assured of the level of staff they are employing and helping t o sustain the future of their workforce. Staff feel they are valued and invested in which in turn leads to job satisfaction and potential career advancement. This all ultimately benefits service users and patients of the NHS in that it gives them confidence they are being treated by qualified staff and they received the best care possible by all employees from administrators to surgeons. Development and training comes in many different guises which benefit different learning preferences. On the job training may include acting up into a role, shadowing or being mentored which are very effective methods to develop skills or enrolling on an NVQ course which would be suited to kinaesthetic learners. Many training sessions for Mandatory Training within LCFT and most external courses follow a pedagogy approach utilising traditional learning methods using a classroom setting with a lead or tutor giving information with some interaction from attendees. This can be beneficial to all if the programme is tailored to every learning need including images, audio and hands on tasks and by having a person on hand to ask questions of and explain points although this is often time consuming and costly as staff have to travel to a central location to join a training session Due to the low costs involved and ease of adapting or amending training templates and resources, e-learning is now a favoured approach to training staff within the NHS. Whilst this is good for people who are visual learners and are office based within LCFT buildings, it can be very difficult for staff with no IT connectivity or only one PC between 10 people on a ward for example. E- learning is also very inadequate for staff who have a kinaesthetic learning style, especially for those with additional learning needs such as dyslexia. ? LO2 – How people learn Reece and Walker (2004) state that learning is about change brought about by developing a new skill and understanding something new. Many academics have studied learning theories such as Behaviourism or Humanistic Learning and use these models to explain the principles of how people adopt new skills and understanding. The methodology of how the learning is carried out is directly linked to the theory and so as hypothesised by Pavlov and Skinner, a person that tends to follow a Behaviouristic theory would learn by changing their behaviour in response to an external stimuli. This was proven when Nobel Prize winner Ivan Pavlov carried out ‘Classical Conditioning’ experiments by ringing a bell when giving food to a dog. The dog would salivate at the food but eventually the dog would respond in the same way to the bell ringing as it had been conditioned to expect food at the sound of the bell. In the adult learning context, psychologist Burrhus Skinner developed the ‘Operant Conditioning’ methodology by repeating actions and reinforcing or promoting the desired outcome and punishing or supressing negative outcomes. A pedagogy approach is required to deliver these conditioning methods but this often means there is little input from the learners themselves. Humanistic Learning theory recognises that all humans are inherently good and have unlimited potential for their own growth. Maslow believed that people learn from experience but are motivated by the need to reach their potential and self-realisation (as previously discussed. See also appendix 1 – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need). Carl Rogers theory is based upon the same foundations as Maslow but believed that the basic motive for all humans is to fulfil their own potential and reach self-actualisation – to become who they would like to be. Both Rogers and Maslow endorse learning by experience and an andragogy teaching method which fosters student centred learning (as opposed to teacher centred learning) allowing the students to engage their own learning style and subsequently gain rewards by satisfying their own needs. This follows Kolb’s Learning Cycle (see Appendix 2) which states that after an event, experience should be reviewed, actions revised to produce new theories and then the theories should be tried and tested, The cycle then begins again by reviewing the testing etcetera. Gibbs Learning Cycle (see appendix 3) expands further on Kolb’s theories by encouraging further the human thought processes within these stages, to debrief on the activity and reflect on all the phases of an experience or activity and how the person feels at every stage I feel that I am a reflective learner but adhere to Kolb’s cycle rather than Gibbs as I am more practical and less emotional in my learning. In a classroom situation, I find an andragogy approach with open discussion and practical work or auditory and kinesthetic learning much more stimulating in the first instance but as I am a visual learner, I need this backed up by visual aids (notes or presentations) which I then use to reflect on the knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of the objectives. In conjunction with Kolb’s learning cycle, this supports the thoughts of Itin (1999) who states that experiential learning is the process of making meaning from direct experience to which Moon (2004) adds that reflective learning is a phase of learning resulting from the actions inherent to experiential learning. Dewey (1933) reasoned we have to regard reflection as implying purpose which is in line with Cognitive Theory but Moon (2004) suggests that although we reflect for a purpose, conclusions to complicated issues can just ‘pop up’ without our being conscious of their having been a reflective process – this is a subconscious event supporting Humanist theory. Experiential learning is based in humanistic theory but Behaviourists believe that it can be influenced by external stimuli which in turn changes behaviour. For highly motivated Humanist learners who are adept at self-directed study, the most readily available is the internet which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be accessed by computers, tablets, phone and even via gaming machines and TVs. It enables searching for information virtually and sometimes instantaneously from across the world but not all content found on the World Wide Web is from a reliable source and so may not be accurate. The library at college contains a wealth of validated information around the courses that are delivered there but the number of books is limited and so there may be waiting times for specific items to be returned. There are also restrictions on entering the library as opening hours are limited mainly to daytimes and even close earlier on Fridays which severely limits access to working pupils. Public libraries often do not stock academic books and a charge is often made to order books in which also incur waiting times for the books to arrive. There is also a Library within LCFT but it is many miles away from most workplaces, only open during office hours and generally stock books around clinical subjects. Within the workplace, colleagues are an excellent resource for learning as they can impart the knowledge gained from their own training and experience and are available during the working day Difficulties can arise though if new methodologies contradict what is favoured by the experienced colleague. Learning resources may be used as the basis as the foundation for some learning strategies – the way a learner identifies the best way to carry out a task. For those who chose reading as their strategy, the library and the internet are immensely advantageous but is also beneficial to many other strategies for finding out the initial information. Conclusion Learning and development for an organisation improves quality, skills, productivity and motivation which leads to a reduction in overheads and errors. This in turn increases profitability and stability for the organisation which enables them to become successful. An organisation needs to recognise its required outcomes alongside the needs of the workforce and develop them accordingly to ensure they retain staff with the aptitude and ability to meet those future needs. In the NHS, patient outcomes are a main focus of the delivery plan but this must be balanced by the financial implications brought by the cost delivery and so development of staff is the most beneficial and cost effective route to achieving this goal. When it comes to learning, there are no right or wrong answers to how people learn. People may follow a certain theory or use a specific learning strategy in the main but often it is a mixture of theories and strategies that produce the best outcomes and is often dictated by how the information is offered, whether online or classroom based and what resources are available to support the student. I have learned that when I am imparting information to a group I need to try and incorporate a variety of learning styles, allowing kinesthetic learners to interact with the subject matter, the audio learners to listen to information and the visual learners to view pertinent materials individual, On a personal level, I have discovered that I learn using a mixture of theories and styles but I am consistent with my strategies and instinctively know how I learn the best.?

Lab Results Fermenter Essay

To determine the amount of anti-microbial peptide production by Staphylococcus warneri under various conditions when 2L and 10L Fermented. To Test the effects of one uncontrolled parameters sush as pH, Temperature or dissolved Oxygen and compare findings. To produce anti-microbial activity from Staphylococcus warneri.Staphylococcus warneri is a member of bacterial genus Staphylococcus, consisting of Gram-positive bacteria with spherical cells appearing in clusters. Colonies of S. warneri are usually tan, yellow and about 2-4mm in diameter after 48 hours incubation at 35Â °C. It is commonly found as part of the skin flora on humans and animals. S. warneri rarely causes disease, but may occasionally cause infection in patients whose immune system is compromised. S. warneri is known to produce antimicrobial peptide activity in the form of Nisin. The optimum conditions for this to occur are pH 7. Nisin is a polycylic antibacterial peptide with 34 amino acid residues used as a food preservative. It is produced by bacterium and which contains antimicrobial activity and which is known as a bacteriocin. Nisin has been found to have properties that can control spoilage caused by lactic acid bacteria.

The election system in Mexico Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The election system in Mexico - Essay Example The person who gets more votes selects for the leading of state and government affairs. Present electoral process is the modified form and it continuously changed its shape according to the revolutionary demands of history. By electoral process a common man gets the power to select its own leader so it is the power of people not power of lords. By this process every one participate in the decision making process related to the state future and its people. Past scenario The history of politics in Mexico started by the independence on Sep 16th 1810 in the town of Dolores Hidalgo. The priest Miguel Hidalgo Costilla kept the first mile stone of the political background in the Mexico. So the start of politics was by the priest and the head of state was to be priest and church as the office for serving political issues. Till 1858 the same system was implemented for political orders but due to its draw backs and un justice affairs the state was separated from church by Benito Juarez, a Zapo tec from Oaxaca, became president and order to separate both the church and state from each other as both are different things can’t work properly together. Mexicans struggled hard for modification of their political system. The Revolution of 1910-20 was a mile stone of their struggle and change towards improvement in politics. They make the constitution of 1917, by which they described the grounds for their modern political system .Mexico's governing institutions and political culture also have great effect of three centuries of Spanish colonial rule on their structure and working procedure. Current scenario The Mexico politics framework consist of a federal presidential representative democratic whose government is based on a congressional system, the president of Mexico at same time perform duties of head the of state and head of the government. The executive power is in hand of the executive branch, and president President runs it as he has a cabinet of secretaries advise s the executive branch that are independent of the legislature. . The main important political parties working in Mexico politics are: (PAN), the (PRD) and (PRI). The citizen of Mexico above the 18 years old can participate in the vote casting process, The vote casting is compulsory but not enforced on the citizens. The main documents needed for the participation of the citizen in vote casting process are their identity documents there is no pre registration system in the Mexico for election process. For the electoral process there is no electoral college etc and can take place in any governmental and nongovernmental place. In exceptional cases when the head is missing due to some cause the system of selection can be change and can adopt other options of selection too. The presidentional elections in Mexico take place after each six years, although in exceptional cases the time line can be change according to situations. Legislative elections are scheduled every six years for the el ections for the senate and state usually take place together and elections for the he Chamber of Deputies held in every three years. Mostly elections are held on first Sunday of July. The selection procedure for the state governors are also similar to that of the head and elections for the purpose of state governors selections held after six years, legislatures elections are renewed after every three years.

Business Myths Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Myths - Case Study Example â€Å"Hey, this meal is fantastic! You should start a restaurant!† This is a myth. Starting a restaurant requires various skills other than being a good cook 5. I’ll just open my store, and people will stream in off the sidewalks and buy from me. This is also known as the â€Å"If you build it, they will come† approach to business. Accessibility does not guarantee success in business. Customer may try it out but will not return if the product or service is poor. 6. It’s a cool idea. Everyone will love this. Often focus groups provide such input to marketers—we love the idea. Focus groups gives an indication of how the market will receive the product in the market given their past experiences and knowledge. But again, not a guarantee that such will succeed in the market. 9. Failure is bad. Failure is the opposite of success. This is why dodge ball has been banned in schools and soccer teams are penalized if they get more than five goals ahead of their competitors. The examples are Myth. But the statement that failure is bad is correct. Taken as a whole, this is a myth. 11. Cash flow is what really matters in business. Profit can just be a trick of accounting whereas cash flow controls whether you can stay in business. Many companies go out of business due to cash flow challenges, even though they were profitable on paper. Myth. While cash flow is important to keep the business running, it is not everything. Business also needs to invest and there are expenditures that do not immediately affect cash flow. 12. Having more customers is better than having fewer customers. Would you believe that some companies go out of business because they have too many customers or too much demand for their product? False. Customers are never too much. They are the very reason why a business exists. B. Is it true that: YOU CAN WIN CUSTOMERS JUST by LOWERING YOUR PRICES? Explain. No. Price is just one of the components in attracting

Joan Wallach Scott, Gender and the Politics of History Essay

Joan Wallach Scott, Gender and the Politics of History - Essay Example Scott’s literature clearly reflects the change brought by feminist history and post-structuralist theory in the way we perceive history (Amazon.com n.d. a).Through her masterpiece, Gender and the Politics of History, Scott has put forward lucidly her own broad, complex and easily understandable definition (Amazon.com n.d. a).She argues convincingly revealing the fact of gender’s significance in the analysis of history (Amazon.com n.d. a).In her book, Scott has pointed out that historians are always into reassessing the grounds, definitions and even the archival sources of history (Amazon.com n.d. a). The challenging theoretical offers have been exemplified with her work on the history of French workers (Amazon.com n.d. a).The literature encompasses an insightful learning of the history of American women historians (Amazon.com n.d. a).Through her masterpiece Scott has offered various remarkable theoretical observations for both feminists and other historians (Amazon.com n.d. a).It is a purely political literature and is expected to produce both disagreement and motivation (Amazon.com n.d. a). Gender and the Politics of History contributes a keenly awaited perception to debates in historiography and the philosophy of history (Gender and the Politics of History 1990). It appears less of a report and more of a book about a historian’s introspection of what the field of writing history results to, what its object is, and what exactly she feels being a professional historian (Gender and the Politics of History 1990). â€Å"History,† in the words of Scott, â€Å"is as much the object of analytic attention as it is a method of analysis.† (Gender and the Politics of History 1990: 3). The essays can also be read as intellectual autobiography, a personal report in which Scott brings into light various attractions and threats along with the issues of post-structuralist theory (Gender and the Politics of History 1990). Gender and

Asia Pacific Business Region Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Asia Pacific Business Region - Essay Example Bred on the ideology of liberalism, it was natural for Australians to take the lead to usher in the materialistic gospel of free trade in the Asia-Pacific region, where the prevalent socio-cultural-religious milieu militated against new ideas, and change. Change- with its flag of free trade- was anathema to the insular Oriental mind. Post World War II, in the aftermath of the years of depression, unemployment and public sector investments, notably in the nineties, Australia showed the correct path and continues to be the leader in ushering the doctrine of free trade and globalization.1 Dumping the protectionist foreign policy of yesteryears into the dustbin of history, Australia is today boldly forging ahead in the comity of nations with a commitment, bordering on a religious fervour, to open markets and globalization, which has underpinned its remarkable growth. Open markets have paid rich dividends and the Australians intend to reap the rewards of the whirlwind of globalization. The chief concern for Australia at this juncture of history is that multilateral trade and investment negotiations and globalization keeps apace in the APBR to provide market access for its burgeoning foreign trade linked economic growth. Australia's prosperity is inextricably linked to the well-being of regional players, big and small, underdeveloped and developing. Perceived obstacles to the Australian objective are the threat of Islamic terrorism, which can create widespread instability in the Asia-Pacific region, national rivalries, which breed insecurity, and to a lesser degree, the Sword of Democles that hangs over South Asia: the potent threat of a conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan over the thorny, so far intractable issue of Kashmir. Islamic terrorism has already created a crisis situation in Indonesia. And, if nuclear-armed Pakistan and India ever go to war, the conflict has the potential to destroy world peace, which would stymie Australian opportunity of phenomenal growth in trade and investment that the relatively open Indian market of 1.2 billion people has thrown up. Defence spending has grown rapidly in East and South Asia over the past decade. When nations arm themselves, when the first shot will be fired is only a matter time. History is replete with such examples. The gains garnered over the years are eloquently summed up in a few revealing words in a document titled, "Benefits of trade" in the official website of the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Trade is essential to our way of life. Trade creates jobs, boosts incomes in our local communities and increases our standard of living No country can afford to close itself off from the world economy. As a country of 20 million people, we benefit from

Training paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Training paper - Essay Example There are several techniques that can be used to collect information for a needs assessment and these include observation, questionnaire and interview (Needs Assessment 11). The first technique is through observation. The advantage of this technique is that it generates data relevant to work environment; however, this technique requires a skilled observer to be effective. The second technique to collect information is through the use of questionnaires. An advantage of this technique is that one can collect data from a large sample, yet it is not costly. The disadvantage of using questionnaires is the possibility of getting low return rates and inappropriate responses. Conducting interviews is another technique used to collect information for needs assessment. The benefit of this technique is that questions can be modified depending on the response of the interviewee; however, a skilled interviewer is needed to do this. It is also time consuming and difficult to analyze. An organization has to conduct an organizational analysis before designing a training course because it must make sure that the training program is congruent with the strategies of the corporation. It must also take into account that the training program can be supported by the available resources of the company. Support of management and the employees who will take part in the training program is essential for the success of the program. The information acquired from an organizational analysis are the training resources available for the company and the qualities of the people who will be part of the training program. Aside from these information, the analysis will also acquire information on the objectives and goals of the company and the areas in the organization where training is needed (Landy and Conte 295). Organizations should conduct a person

Philosophy of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Philosophy of Education - Essay Example In effect, education as he saw it has a purpose and I believe this is the strength of this educational philosophy as it is focused on something, other than merely valuing education, for education's sake, which could prove very well for those who have always the luxury of getting an education whenever or wherever. But in view of the greater role that education plays in society, being progressive in mindset, keeps an educator as well as students focused and motivated. For students, this philosophy sends the message that learning or education is not just meant to be acquired so that one could be a bonafide member of society, but rather so that society could be enriched because another person has became educated. Moreover, students are taught that they do not live in a vacuum, as education is best learned in the context of learning with other people. Another one of progressivism's strengths is that in it no knowledge is ever the correct, complete or true knowledge - instead knowledge is there to be continuously rediscovered, deepened and broadened, and revolutionized if the need arises.

Suggestions for marketing strategies to a newly opened delicatessen Essay

Suggestions for marketing strategies to a newly opened delicatessen - Essay Example Marketing deli products in an exclusively village setting would require the delicatessen to focus attention on the consumer demographics such as incomes, ages and preferences. These factors would have a much greater impact on the delicatessen’s decision to locate in a village. Thus the primary and immediate assumption is that there are no other deli shops in the village or the existing ones aren’t so well geared to meeting the demand for deli products. Marketing strategies range from those which advocate market domination to those of Porter’s Generic Strategies; from innovation strategies to growth strategies that depend on integration related synergies; and from strategic archetypal models to warfare marketing strategies (Kotler, 1991). Market domination strategies are based on the understanding that any marketing strategy must have as its core objective the domination of the market. In other words the firm seeks to lead, challenge, simply follow or develop a niche market. There are three types of market dominance strategy. The price leader who sets the price for the rest of the market or industry must have a set of predetermining characteristics such as the ability to set the market ruling price at its will so that other competitors would have no alternative but to follow him. A delicatessen in a village is less likely to benefit from this strategy unless the village is already being served by some competitors who sell an approximate range of delicacies. Similarly the other two types of the market dominance strategy, the quantity leadership or challenger, are of little or no significance to the delicatessen in the village. This paper would thus focus on a hybrid marketing strategy that would include some of the features of the above marketing strategies in addition to the writer’s own analytical perspectives (www.ama.org). In a village of approximately 9,000 people a substantial policy of product differentiation is

Dangers and response Essay Example for Free

Dangers and response Essay This sense of differing power in differing scales is reinforced when Rosenberg identifies himself with the wasps situation, sensing his own vulnerabilities as he lives in an alien and gigantic universe. The poetical voice may have absolute power over the wasps; but the poet is only a small part of a gigantic reality; something inherently vulnerable to danger. The poet belays to a reality which he is just as alien to as the wasp is to the mailbox; and the poet , too, has his fragile cradle on the edge of danger. The poet might feel to be the master of his domain- but, as earlier discussed, it is a weakened domain and it is a place where the poet is very vulnerable. The metaphor has this idea of danger inherent as the home is on the edge- almost as If it is on the brink of collapse over a recipe into an unknown abyss of danger. The use of setting and scale creates the message for the reader that mastery of a domicile does not translate into invulnerability. Within this pessimism, however, there is a strand of optimism, almost urging the reader to recognise this reality but to accept it and live within it. The idea that the wasps were not stopped by the sore displeasure of the US Mail is an example. The sore displeasure could both be from the aggravation of the wasps, or, indeed, from the soreness of being stung. There is a sense that the wasps ay know that they are overmatched; indeed, that they can only cause displeasure which seems to suggest only an aggravation is testament to this. Uet the wasps continue; they may understand their vulnerability but they do not surrender. There is from this image a recognition of humanitys situation; that whilst mankind, too, may be fundamentally vulnerable, there is still the basic stubbornness to continue. This strand of hope continues throughout the poem. The wasps may know their vulnerabilities; yet still they are savagely a-hum. The onomatopoeic quality of a-hum gives almost an indifference to this metaphor; the wasps may be overmatched, but they continue their existence. Their strength within their nest is highlighted through the adverb savagely tends to describe powerful violence, which is often equated with strength. The wasps recognise their weakness but continue; they do not bother to attend to the danger that they are in. The sense of indifference and nonchalance of this image that seems more to mortal danger is the final recognition of this hope. Recognise the vulnerabilities, but continue; and the poet identifies within the wasps a human response to the danger. Understand the danger, but do not let it define a life. By the end, the poet has recognised this connection between the reality of the wasps and humans that extends beyond our inherent weaknesses. Thus, The Wasps Nest is a poem that explores the conflict between strength and weakness using the realities, dangers and response of wasps as a microcosm for the human world. It is a poem of contrast and illusion, where apparent strength becomes weakness. But is it also a very human poem. It studies the mirage of strength that we portray around ourselves and sees within this image the fragilities of man. It is a poem of our lives and reality within Rosenbergs words. It is a poem of the human condition that illuminates ourselves and with which Rosenberg shows a profound truth of our existence.

Theory of the 1970s and minimalism Essay Example for Free

Theory of the 1970s and minimalism Essay The Extended and the minimalism in the generative tradition are notions used in linguistics which explains different aspects of the language. The Extended Standard Theory was formulated in the late 1960s to early 1970s and specifically in 1965 to 1973 (Chomsky, 1965) while the minimalism started way back in the 1950s. They have both been used over time by learners in different times for criticism and for learning and understanding linguistics. The Extended Standard Theory has two features namely the syntactic constraints and the generalized phrase features also known as the X-bar theory. The X-bar theory is a linguistics theory component which attempts to identify syntactic features common to all languages. It explains that all languages have some certain shared structural similarities, including the ‘X-bar’ which does not appear in traditional phrase. On contrary, Chomsky (1995) discussed how minimalist approaches to phrase structure have resulted in ‘Bare Phrase Structure’ which attempts to eliminate X-bar Theory. Therefore in as much as the Extended Standard Theory uses the X-bar theory to explain syntactic features common to all languages, the minimalism in the generative tradition explains that all languages have some certain shared structural similarities. Minimalism program is a much transformational grammar inspired by Chomsky. The program aims at the further development of ideas involving economy of derivation and economy of representation which had become important earlier. Economy of derivation in this aspect is a principle stating movements and occurs in order to match interpretable features with uninterruptable features such as inflection. Inflection is also referred to as inflexion and helps modify word forms to handle grammatical relations and relational categories such as tense, gender, case or mood. The principle of economy of representation is that structures must exist for a purpose and should satisfy constraints. Another aspect of minimalism thought is the idea that, the derivation of synaptic structures should be uniform in that rules should not be stipulated as applying at arbitrary points in a derivation, but instead applies throughout derivations. Minimalism in the generative tradition also tries to give a distinction of deep structure of a linguistic expression with a theoretical construct that seeks to unify several related structures. The Extended Standard Theory on the other hand does not describe any of the two derivations but works with syntactic constraints and the generalized phrase features. The usage of the term ‘transformation’ in linguistics refers to a rule that takes an input typically called the Deep Structure (in the Standard Theory) or D-structure (in the Extended Standard Theory or government and binding theory) and changes it in some restricted way to result in a Surface Structure (or S-structure). An example of a transformation in TG is the operation of subject-auxiliary inversion. Subject- auxiliary in English occurs when an auxiliary verb precedes a subject. By the time of the Extended Standard Theory in the 1970s, due to the work of Joseph Emonds on structure preservation, transformations came to be viewed as holding over the trees. By the late 1980s at the end of the government and binding theory, transformation were viewed not as mere structure changing operations but as ways to add information to already existing trees by coping constituents. Earlier there was a conception that transformations were construction- specific devices but this was made clearer s discussed above. The minimalist program on the other hand was a radical revision of the theory. The Extended structural Theory emphasizes on the importance of modern formal mathematical devices in the development of grammatical theory. The minimalism in the generative tradition on the other hand does not emphasize on the importance of formal mathematical devices. The generative tradition is a technical as it is well understood that linguistic processes are in some sense creative for expressing a system of recursive processes. The focus is has been made on the deep and surface structures. The deep structure seeks to unify several related structures while the surface structure is derived from the deep structure by transformational rules. In the Extended Standard Theory, more technically sophisticated proposals about the structure of language have been made. This theory argues that all languages are presumed to follow the same set of rules which may vary depending on the values of certain universal linguistic parameters. In a 1983 article, Newmeyer discussed how, this assumption is very strong and brings the big difference between the two theories of language. Minimalism has the idea that the derivation of syntactic structures should be uniform. This means that rules should not be stipulated as applying at arbitrary points in a derivation, but instead applies throughout derivations. Minimalism ideas and approaches to phrase structure have resulted in an attempt to eliminate x-bar theory. In conclusion, both notions; The Extended Standard Theory and the minimalism generative tradition may be somewhat vague and indeed the precise formulation of these principles is controversial. The practicability of these notions should be further evaluated regarding their success. None of the two should be undermined since both have some importance and are of help in understanding linguistics. References Chomsky, N. (1965). Aspects of the Theory of Syntax. Cambridge: MIT Press. Chomsky, N. (1995). The Minimalist Program. Cambridge: MIT Press. Hawkins, J. A. (1983). Word Order Universals. New York: Academic Press. Jackendoff, R. (1974). Semantic Interpretation in Generative Grammar. Cambridge: MIT Press. Newmeyer, F. J. (1983). Grammatical Theory. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

A Report on the Balanced Scorecard for Yunnan Lucky Air

A Report on the Balanced Scorecard for Yunnan Lucky Air The Chinese airline industry is a heavily regulated industry which provides limiting flexibility to both new as well as growing airlines. In the recent years many low-cost airlines have mushroomed, Lucky Air being one of them. Lucky Air was founded in July 2004 with an initial capitalisation of US$2.2 million. The ownership of the airline is with Hainan Airlines, Shanxi Airlines and Yunnan Shilin Tourism Aviation.The airline exists in a crowded field of around 15 low-cost Chinese airlines. The airline, though growing, anticipates a potential squeeze in its business. The management of Yunnan Lucky Air, hereinafter referred to as Lucky Air, approached us to advice them on monitoring their performance closely so as to achieve their organisational mission and objectives. After initial discussions with the management of the airlines, my team has recommended the use of a Balanced Scorecard to monitor its performance. I present in this report a Balanced Scorecard for Lucky Air that translat es the airlines mission and strategy into a comprehensive set of performance measures. Recent Trends in Lucky Air Lucky Air is currently based in Kunming in Peoples Republic of China. The airline has its main base in Dali airport and runs its flights between Dali to Kunming and Xishuangbanna. The routes in this region have greatly contributed to most of its profits. It is slowly reaching out to other regions in China. The overall growth of the airline has been facilitated by the limited route licensing policy of the Chinese government that has given Lucky Air a near monopoly status within Yunnan. The number of passengers carried by the airline has grown from 500,000 passengers over 5,746 flight hours in 2006 to 1.2 million over 17,875 total flight hours. During the same period, its operating revenue tripled from US$31.2 million to US$104.3 million. Over the recent years, Lucky Air has also grown in terms of flights to and from destinations outside the Yunnan province. As in early 2008, the additional routes represented almost 87 of its 150 weekly flights by the airline. Lucky Air Strategy Lucky Air operates as a low-cost, high-efficiency airline. This is the basis of its key strategy. The low-cost and high efficiency is maintained through: Using single type of aircraft leading to reduced maintenance and operational costs. Having only one category of seat class, thereby simplifying pricing. Having no seat assignments or in-flight entertainment. Increasing on-time departure and arrival by having short haul point-to-point routes. Operating mostly in secondary cities to avoid congestion and reduce landing costs. As a part of its expansion strategy, in recent times Lucky Air has tried to build its competitive advantage by focusing on e-commerce. Customers can buy and refund tickets online by paying 5% to 20% less than anywhere else. The airline has created an online community for its passengers and hopes to reach more customers directly via its website and build more brand recognition and a loyal customer base. In addition, Lucky Air has invested in own call centres to facilitate ticket booking. Balance Scorecard for Lucky Air Lucky Airs strategy rests around it being a low-cost, high-efficiency airline. A scorecard can measure the airlines performance across four different but linked perspectives that are derived from its vision, strategy and objectives. These perspectives include: Financial, Customer, Internal and Learning Growth. The left-hand side of the diagram represents the cause-and-effect relationships across the four perspectives that describe low cost and high-efficiency strategy. (Refer Appendix A for an explanation of the Lucky Air Scorecard and Appendix B for Cause and Relationship between perspectives) Benefits and Limitations of the Scorecard Like any other performance measurement tool, a Balanced Scorecard is not foolproof. Before the scorecard that has been designed for Lucky Air is implemented, the benefits and limitations of the scorecard need to be examined and understood. Benefits of Lucky Air Scorecard Balance Scorecard has led companies to develop a variety of corporate scorecards suggesting a process approach to innovations in performance measurements. (Source: Epstein and Birchard, 2000 and Hoque and James 1997). The benefits that can be obtained from a Balanced Scorecard depend on not just its design but also what it is used for and how it is applied. In general, a Balanced Scorecard will help Lucky Air: Enhance traditional financial accounting measures of Lucky Air by including certain non-financial measures. Thus, Lucky Air, through a Balanced Scorecard, can examine the drivers of financial performance by focusing at least three other perspectives: customers, internal business processes, and learning and growth. (Source: Kaplan and Norton, 1992, 1996). Acquire an effective means for clearly translating a firms vision and strategy into tool for communicating the firms strategy to the various sections of the organisation. In the case of Lucky Air, the Balanced Scorecard can show how focusing on the customer and the services can lead to increased profits. (Source: Chow, 1997; Source: Kaplan, 1992) Motivate performance against established strategic goals. A handful of critical measures have been identified for each perspective and the corresponding targets have been defined. The performance measures force managers to focus on the measures that are most critical. The targets provide managers with a framework to manage the various activities in line with the corporate objectives. For example, a manager can clearly see that managing on ground time is critical and it needs to be kept below 20 minutes. Ensure that its employees understand the long-term strategy of the organisation and also the association between the employees actions and the chosen strategic goals. It can provide strategic feedback and promote learning within the airline through the monitoring of short-term strategic results. Allocate resources and set priorities based on the initiatives contribution to long-term strategic objectives. (Source: Kaplan and Norton, 1996). Evaluate and judge the decisions, policies, plans of the airline. For example, the success or otherwise of the decision of adopting e-commerce as an expansion strategy by Lucky Air can be examined in terms of the four perspectives and its impact on the profitability of the airline. Fosters organisational learning and continual improvement when it is used as a strategic management tool. Limitations of Lucky Air Scorecard Though Balanced Scorecard may be an effective tool for many organisations, it may not help in improvement of performance of all organisations. A Balanced Scorecard is only a tool and the deployment of the tool rests with the airline itself. It is not easy to provide practical guidance for deployment of the scorecard. Some of the key limitations that can cause a Balanced Scorecard initiative at Lucky Air to fail are as follows: Effectiveness of a balanced scorecard depends on a well defined strategy and an understanding of the linkages between strategic objectives and metrics. (Source: Howard Rohm pp.4). If this is lacking its deployment will be unsuccessful. The biggest limitation of the Lucky Air scorecard is that it has been designed by an external team of consultants who have been in discussion with some key players in the airline. It did not involve a cross-section of the airline in developing the system. Thus if the scorecard of Lucky Air fails to link the correct drivers in the internal and learning and growth perspective to the desired outcomes in the financial and customer perspectives, it will not be effective. A scorecard may not be effective if it includes a few measures for each perspective. For example, success of Lucky Air is not only a result of the training and motivation of the ground crew but the entire staff. Thus a scorecard with too few measures may not depict enough of Lucky Airs strategy and does not represent a balance between desired outcomes and performance drivers of the outcomes. Likewise if too many measures are included, the managers attention may get so diffused that he may pay insufficient attention to those measures that can make the maximum impact. No balanced scorecard can be flawless with respect to its design. The Lucky Air scorecard too may have certain design flaws which may not be visible now. These will only be detected when the scorecard is implemented. It is only over a period of time that a company will learn about the effective drivers of performance. (Source: Norreklit, 2000) The scorecard on its own will not be effective if Lucky Airs top management is not committed to it. The top executives may end up looking at Balanced scorecard as a quick fix that can easily be installed in the airline. The scorecard may have its limitations if the top management simply uses it as a checklist for operational improvements or to expand the compensation system to include non-financial measures. (Source: Atkinson, A. et al, 2004) The scorecard seems to have too much internal focus. The scorecard is only depicting incentives for desired behaviour changes in the ground crew and not focusing on other employees. Conclusion and Recommendation A scorecard balances traditional financial measures of success such as profits and return on capital with non-financial measures of the drivers of future financial performance. It can prove to be an effective tool for Lucky Air if it is appropriately deployed by the airline. Appropriate deployment will require complete commitment from all levels in the organisation by making its implementation everyones job. Moreover, the initial Balanced Scorecard should only be taken as a starting point and needs to be looked upon on an ongoing basis. Frequent reviews of the scorecard are required and new performance measures identified as a Balanced Scorecard evolves over a period of time. Data on various measures or metrics needs to be collected on a regular basis and the targets of the metrics should be sufficiently linked to rewards and incentives to motivate their accomplishment. APPENDIX Appendix A: Explanation of the Lucky Air Scorecard The classes which can be formed and the parameters which may be put in the balance scorecard are: Financial: How is success measured by Lucky Airs owners, namely, Hainan Airlines, Shanxi Airlines and Yunnan Shilin Tourism Aviation? The financial parameter can be evaluated by assigning values to parameters like total revenue or increase in revenue from tickets, total amount refunded due to cancelled tickets etc. It is also measured in changes in the plane leasing costs, maintaining and operating costs etc. Customers: This is the customer perspective. It focuses on how the airline creates value for the customers. Customer perspective provides an insight into the perceptions customers hold for Lucky Air. Internal: What internal processes should Lucky Air excel in to satisfy customers and shareholders? Internal Processes can be known from turnaround time, on-ground time, arrival and departure delays, number of ticketing errors, customer care services etc. This would help in attaining an idea of the operations of the organization in question. Learning and growth: What employee capabilities, information systems and Lucky Airs climate does the airline need to continually improve its internal processes and customer relationships? It focuses on the motivation and training of the crew members. Starting at the bottom of the diagram, the strategy has a learning and growth objective to train and motivate ground crew with the expectation that this will lead to better improved ground turnarounds, from arrivals to subsequent departures, for its planes. This internal objective enables Lucky Air to have its planes depart on time and to get better utilisation of its airplanes and flight crews, further enabling it to earn profits even at prices that are lowest in the industry. It also focuses on improvement of internal processes to realise bigger revenue opportunities. The low prices and on-time departures attract more customers, improve customer loyalty and lead to a growth in revenues. The combination of revenue growth and low costs finally results in high profits and high return on assets. The strategy is clearer through the cause and effect relationships among objectives in each of the four balanced scorecard perspectives. These can be stated as follows: Increase revenues through increased sales to existing and new customers (financial) Grow to be service oriented ( customer perspective) Excel in providing services through continuous process improvements ( internal) Bring into line employee incentives and rewards with the strategy (learning and growth)

Unprincipled Ambition in Shakespeares Macbeth :: Free Macbeth Essays

Unprincipled Ambition in Macbeth      Ã‚   The Bard of Avon saturates the pages of the tragedy Macbeth with ugly feelings of ambition - unprincipled ambition which is ready to kill for itself. Let's thoroughly search out the major instances of ambitious behavior by the husband-wife team.    Samuel Johnson in The Plays of Shakespeare explains the place of ambition in this tragedy:    The danger of ambition is well described; and I know not whether it may not be said in defence of some parts which now seem improbable, that, in Shakespeare's time, it was necessary to warn credulity against vain and illusive predictions. The passions are directed to their true end. Lady Macbeth is merely detested; and though the courage of Macbeth preserves some esteem, yet every reader rejoices at his fall. (133)       Blanche Coles states in Shakespeare's Four Giants that the protagonist's ambition was not the usual narrow, personal ambition:    He has admitted to a vaulting ambition. We have no other evidence of personal ambition except, possibly, his own word in this speech. Onrushing events crowd the thought out of his mind and out of our view. We do have ample evidence of his ambition for his family, ambition for a son who might succeed him. [. . .] We think normally of ambition as a personal thing, but it is not always so. Macbeth's stupendous imagination, as revealed later in the play, gives him a breadth of vision altogether out of keeping with a narrow, personal ambition. (50-51)    In "Memoranda: Remarks on the Character of Lady Macbeth," Sarah Siddons mentions the ambition of Lady Macbeth and its effect:    [Re "I have given suck" (1.7.54ff.)] Even here, horrific as she is, she shews herself made by ambition, but not by nature, a perfectly savage creature. The very use of such a tender allusion in the midst of her dreadful language, persuades one unequivocally that she has really felt the maternal yearnings of a mother towards her babe, and that she considered this action the most enormous that ever required the strength of human nerves for its perpetration. Her language to Macbeth is the most potently eloquent that guilt could use.   (56)    Clark and Wright in their Introduction to The Complete Works of William Shakespeare interpret the main theme of the play as intertwining with evil and ambition:   

The Different Lives of Jake Barnes and Brett Ashley in The Sun Also Ris

In the novel The Sun Also Rises we read about two characters that seem to depend on each other. Ernest Hemingway writes this story ingeniously to show how these two characters are intertwined with one another. One character can't get away from the other because of the friendship they share. We have to look at the lives of Jake Barnes and Brett Ashley from both points of view to understand how they are complicated. Brett Ashley was a different type of lady. She drinks all the time and enjoys the company of men. When she feels unhappy she drinks more. Hemingway's character the count said, "Let's enjoy a little more of this," Brett pushed her glass forward. The count poured very carefully. "There, my dear. Now you enjoy that slowly, and then you can get drunk" (Hemingway 66). She does not work because she is always depending on men to pay for everything. She always depends on Jake to save her when she runs into trouble. The only good that came from Brett was that she didn't take any money from Mike when she left with Pedro. The other time she was good is when she...

Diary Of Hatchet Essay -- essays research papers

Diary of Hatchet Brian Robeson, the main character, is a very interesting kid. After the first few pages you could tell that he was strong-minded, twelve or thirteen year old kid. His parents were divorced and he spent some time with his dad. He lived far away so Brian had to take a plane. From the back of the book I knew that he gets in to a plane accident and has to survive on his own. I was surprised that the author went right to the plane wreck. I thought it would have a somewhat boring beginning like most other books I read. Brian keeps talking about how his parents got divorced and he cries every time he thinks about it. He calls it the big "secret." Brian keeps describing visions of his mom kissing some new man, not his father. You can tell that he takes the divorce very seriously and sometimes gets emotional. 10/05 In this part of the book, Jake, the pilot, has a heart attack and dies. To be honest, I, myself, have thought about what I would do if I was on plane and the pilot died. I really don't know what I would do, I don't know how to fly a plane. Luckily, Brian had been taught by Jake how to fly the plane. Brian didn't know how to land so he flew the plane into a lake. This part of the book was hard to believe, there was a lot of "coincidents." Brian showed his intellectual side when he realized that when Jake was suffering from his heart attack he turned the plane to the left. That could greatly increase the time it ...

Mgt/521 Swot Analysis

Business Analysis Part 1: Apple Inc. XXXXXX MGT/521 XXXXXX Business Analysis Part 1: Apple Inc. If an investor needs to decide whether to put money into a company, a careful analysis of that business is be the first step in making a decision. It is important to understand several factors that point to a company’s stability: the company’s place in the market, its future prospects, and its financial health, just to name a few. This business analysis will look at Apple Inc. to assess whether it would be a company worth investing in.First a SWOT analysis will be conducted and will identify what aspects of the analysis are most important in making the decision to invest. Secondly, the company’s internal and external stakeholders will be identified and examined, in order to see if the stakeholders’ needs are being met and how. By analyzing these two important overviews of Apple Inc. it will reveal whether the company is a sound home for investment. SWOT Analysis When deciding to invest in a company or not, a shrewd businessperson will begin with planning.Planning is a continuous process that is important because ever-changing markets require constant adjustments of goals and the processes to meet them. Key in planning is including a careful analysis of a company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This type of analysis is known as a SWOT analysis (Nickels, McHugh & McHugh, 2010). A SWOT analysis of Apple Inc. reveals some important facts about its popularity and opportunities in the market. Strengths Apple Inc. ’s most important tool in the market is its ability to leverage its strong brand image.Apple’s product designs are well recognized throughout all markets. This allows new products to rapidly gain a share of the market upon release. Released to the US in April of 2010, the iPad enjoyed unit sales of 7. 5 million, with a net of $5 billion in sales of iPads and related products (Datamonitor: Apple Inc. , 2011). This showcases how quickly the tech market reacts to new releases by the company. This strong brand image has been developed by iconic advertisements that have long set Apple apart in the personal computer market.This began with the company’s 1984 Superbowl ad, which positioned â€Å"IBM as the Orwellian Big Brother of the computer industry† and Mac users as those breaking free from that oppression (Kenney, 2007). This individual vs. corporation image has continued into their more recent advertisements. Benoit and Delbert (2010) analyzed a series of ads that began airing in May 2006. The â€Å"Get a Mac† campaign used actors Justin Long and John Hodgman to portray a Mac and a PC, showcasing Apple computers’ strengths over the market-dominating PC (Benoit & Delbert, 2010).By depicting their computers as easy-to-use, fun-loving and friendly, Apple further solidified its brand image in the market by being different from its competitors, allowin g its new products to quickly capture the market. Weaknesses Weaknesses of Apple Inc. are important in the decision to invest in the company because they point to internal issues that need to be shored up. One major weakness is Apple’s involvement in several patent infringement lawsuits. Nokia and Motorola Mobility have both filed suits with Apple claiming patent infringement (Datamonitor: Apple Inc. 2011). Cisco has also been involved in an ongoing suit about the trademark name of the iPhone and which company actually owns the name (Chumney & Cowart, 2010). The lawsuits create a weakness for Apple in a few ways. First there is the negative image associated with being sued. This will only detract from the company’s long-held image of being an individual fighting against the oppressive PC regime if the company is seen engaging in its own questionable legal practices. Second, lawsuits of this nature require time and money that could be better spent elsewhere.An unfavorab le verdict in any of these suits would affect the company’s financial health and operations (Datamonitor: Apple Inc. , 2010). Opportunities As it is shown that Apple’s popular image is its biggest strength, Apple has the opportunity to make this image multi-faceted by focusing on its commitment to safe environmental practices. Schultz and Helleloid (2010) relate a 2007 incident in which Greenpeace released a report criticizing Apple for is environmental practices and ranking it behind some of its major competitors like Hewlett-Packard and Dell Computers.Rather than respond positively to Greenpeace’s challenge to improve its practices, Apple merely released a statement that they were already environmentally aware and were meeting their own company standards. This played out poorly for Apple in the media, resulting in a direct challenge to Apple by Greenpeace at the Macworld expo in San Francisco in January 2007 (Schultz & Helleloid, 2010). Apple has the opportuni ty to showcase its environmental practices to enforce its brand image as a conscientious individual.Although the company publishes its environmental practices on its website, it could expand the exposure of this information in one of its savvy marketing campaigns (â€Å"Apple And The Environment†, 2011). Threats Although Apple’s brand image has put it at the forefront of smartphone and tablet design, it is facing the threat of losing its market share to Google Android-based products. With Google acquisition of Android Inc. in 2005, the market for smartphones has seen increasing competition for the iPhone from manufactures like HTC and Samsung (Datamonitor: Apple Inc. 010). This Apple vs. Android competition is also playing out in the tablet market. Castelluccio (2011) writes that in spring 2010, â€Å"the iPad owned 90% of the market† but â€Å"the Canaccord group estimates Apple’s share of the tablet market will be 56% this year† quickly crowded o ut by its competitors (p. 58). This growing threat to the tablet and smartphone markets that Apple had previously cornered will be a key battle as Apple works to contain this threat.Because Apple has made its name through its strong band image, and because that image has led them to pioneer new products in the smartphone and tablet markets, Apple’s branding is one of the most relevant factors in deciding to invest in the company. Apple’s steady popularity as the fun, easy-to-use choice for electronics equipment indicates its long-term strength as an investment. The other important factor is Apple’s opportunity to shore up this image by promoting its environmental practices.Because of the Greenpeace debacle in 2007, Apple has the chance to strengthen its important branding by introducing new marketing that will paint it as the responsible choice for environmentally concerned consumers. This too would add to the company’s longevity as an investment. Stakeho lder Analysis In order to determine if stakeholder needs are being met, the stakeholders must first be identified. Internal stakeholders include employees, marketers, internal retail stores, and executives. External stakeholders of Apple are customers, investors, media, third party retailers, local and national communities, and the environment.Apple is meeting the needs of their internal stakeholders, but has some shortcomings in meeting the needs of external stakeholders. Apple’s major internal stakeholders’ needs are being met; Apple has high employee satisfaction rates, and their retail branches are well known for successful promotion of the company’s ever-important brand. Employees of Apple are satisfied with the company’s management style with nearly 97 percent of employees approving of the general management of founder and CEO Steve Jobs just before he announced his resignation.In fact, during his tenure Jobs was known for being â€Å"adept at attr acting employees who share his vision and fierce sense of loyalty to Apple and is mission† (Steve Jobs, Beloved By Apple Employees? , para. 9, 2011). By attracting those who shared Jobs’ ideals, Jobs was able to create a cohesive employee base who could work together in reaching company goals. The other major internal stakeholders, Apple’s internal retail stores, are also doing well. Apple’s primary marketing strategy has been to focus on their retail stores and the inclusive community of Mac users represented there.The strategy of well-placed, beautifully designed retail stores draws in both Mac pros and newbies. Not only does Apple get one-seventh of its revenue from its retail branch, but the first-time buyers that are drawn in account for nearly half of Mac sales in the stores (Snell, 2004). Apple has decided to focus its energies and meet the needs of its retail branches and it has resulted in increased sales and presence in the electronics market. Th e strength of the retail stores and the loyalty of the company’s employees show that Apple pays close attention to internal stakeholder needs.External stakeholders, though, are not all faring so well. Apple’s major external stakeholders are customers, investors, the community and the environment. Of them, only investors and the community have needs as well-met as the company’s internal stakeholders. Apple has been a solid bet for its investors, even during the recent upset of Jobs’ stepping down as CEO. Ranked as BusinessWeek’s number one best performing company in 2006, Apple has long been a growing company and a safe bet for its investors (The Ranking, 2006). However, with the recent news of Jobs’ departure, there has een some question of the company’s stability (Morris, 2011). The company did a good job of quelling any speculation by immediately naming a successor, new CEO Time Cook, and assuring its investors with the news that Co ok has been running things for some time now, as Jobs battles personal health concerns (Robertson & Metz, 2011). This quick action assures that investors’ confidence in the company is well founded, and confidence is an important need for investors. As with any large company the community has a stake in Apple in the needs for charitable assistance from those who contribute to society.Apple has met the community’s needs by contributing matching donations to employee’s charitable giving, up to $10,000 per employees for qualified organizations (Apple to Match $10K in Charitable Contributions Per Employee, 2011), Giving matching contributions like this allows Apple’s employees to support the community through their chosen organizations, diversifying Apple’s support, and adding to customer satisfaction via Apple’s goodwill. Apple’s customers and the environment are two facets of Apple’s stakeholder needs that both need shoring up.Fri edman (2011) relates the history of customer issues with Apple’s design choices, but the company has rarely responded to that input. Poor customer relations have tarnished Apple’s stellar brand at times, Lee, Burrows, and Woyke (2007) demonstrate that the company’s fast growth contributes to this issue; as Apple expanded from computers into personal music players, laptops, phones and other hardware, it did not match that with growth in its technical services divisions. Because Apple’s major strength lies in its brand and image, it is important that the company have customer relations that support that image.Apple could better meet the needs of its customers by having better trained technical support and sales staff, to meet the growing demand for service. As mentioned earlier, one of Apple’s biggest opportunities is in meeting the needs of the environment and being environmentally aware. A recent report released by five environmental groups claims that one of Apple’s main suppliers is polluting the environment. The Chinese manufacturer of iPhone and iPad touchscreens is accused of poisoning some workers, too. (Apple to discuss suppliers' alleged pollution with NGO, 2011).This type of press shows that Apple still needs to make improvements in its environmental efforts, or it will spill over to affect the company’s goodwill in other areas, like community and customer relations. Apple could counteract this by seriously auditing each one of its suppliers for environmental standards and use its powerful marketing tools to showcase its new green initiatives. Conclusion Having examined Apple, it is clear the company has a strong brand image and place in the market. Is biggest opportunity lies in enhancing this image through improved environmental initiatives.Though there are some issues with the growing Android market and trademark lawsuits, Apple remains a strong prospect for its investors even during times of transit ion. Apple’s growth and clear self-image play large parts in making it a safe decision for its current and future investors. References Apple and the Environment. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. apple. com/environment/ Apple to discuss suppliers' alleged pollution with NGO. (2011, September 1). Business Daily Update. Retrieved from http://go. galegroup. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/ps/i. do? amp;id=GALE%7CA265861417&v=2. 1&u=uphoenix&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w Benoit, W. L. , & Delbert, J. (2010). â€Å"Get A Mac†: Mac versus PC TV Spots. In , Relevant Rhetoric: A New Journal of Rhetorical Studies (pp. 1-12). Relevant Rhetoric: A New Journal of Rhetorical Studies. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Castelluccio, M. (2011). The Tablet Horizon– An Update. Strategic Finance, 93(2), 57-58. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Datamonitor: Apple Inc. (2011). Apple Computer, Inc. SWOT Analysis, 1-10. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Friedman, L. (2011). The Customer Is Sometimes Right.Macworld, 28( 4), 100. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Kenney, M. (2007). The apple way: 12 management lessons from the world's most innovative company. Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, 12(1), 113-113-115. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/203919095? accountid=35812 Lee, L. , Burrows, P. , ; Woyke, E. (2007). A Bruise or Two On Apple's Reputation. BusinessWeek, (4055), 081-083. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Nickels, W. G. , McHugh, J. M. , & McHugh, S. M. (2010). Understanding business (9th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Schultz, P. L. ,

Australian initial public offers

Australia has been characterized by a varying trend in its initial public offerings between the years 2003-2007.  Ã‚   There has been continued initial under-pricing in the daily capital market and high under performance of the initial public offers.Broadly, Australian IPO’s have greatly been influenced by the government activities with its intention to promote public policy. Through out the time, the government has been in strict control of the IPO’s in an attempt streamline the economic activities.Australia has gone under rapid changes in the IPO’s of companies which were initially owned by the state. Over the years since 2003 the government has restructured the IPO’s to focus a more economic growth. In nearly all the cases, firms owned by the government have been inefficient in comparison with those of the private sector.(Prasad, Vozikis) Since 2003, Australia has been faced with the problem of under pricing, which has been using the two-tiered pricin g system allowing, retail investor to only pay a set fixed price as they leave investors from other institutions to form the price through bidding. This is an attempt to allow small sized investors with varied investment inefficiencies to have a chance of a probable investment in the capital. Over the years, since 2003, small retail investors are let to have their IPO order first before the bigger institutional investors.For both of the public and state companies, IPO’s have generally being under priced. There two basic reasons behind this, majority been market asymmetry and any possible government regulation to attain political interests.The variability of the under pricing is highly determined by the size of the issue, in which case high issues may imply lower under pricing statements due possible lower rates of subscription.   (Suchard, Woo, 2003) However, to the government, under pricing of IPO’s is a strategy geared toward immediate increase in the value to the gains from offer.   The IPO’s under pricing are structured towards achieving various economic policies.For every IPO, the domestic investors are mostly favored than private investors. This is an attribute that the government uses to minimize the cash outflow by the foreign investors. This is through the recognition attached to the capital outflows from economies. Through under pricing, investors are normally able to buy many shares which in turn give relatively high returns after the offer high returns.Market asymmetry is the major reason behind under pricing of IPO’s, where investors with large investment schemes are more informed about the market information to the new market share issue than small marginalized investors.To cater for this, the government regulation is to ensure that these marginalized investors are given the first favor.   In the purchase of the shares, huge investor would really buy them in bulk form at their under price situation.To the small i nvestors, they will always benefit from receiving the new shares at a desirable chance. (O’Flynn, 2004)   Other investment entities like bankers may be in fear of possible litigation that may be accompanied by significant decline of the government to developed credibility in polices concerning market orientations.   Therefore, under pricing is a silent attempt by the government to control the prevailing status of the economy through adjustments in the capital markets.From the manner in which the IPO’s are released, they actually help to safeguard the weak and less developed investor from the activity of big investors who are well informed about the market system.Basically, timing of IPO’s Australia is normally scheduled when the government wants to release some of its ownership it has in its public owned companies.   Its basic intention is to create income to finance different government structures.   Either, IPO’s by the privately owned companies is done when the companies want to acquire income from the public for further expansion of its activities.   For both cases, initial public offers have showed almost the same characteristic in their under pricing characteristics. (Gharghori, Chen, Robert, 2006)In its use of two-tiered pricing system, the government helps to keep the low informed investors from any exploitation from the big markets.The subject of finance has struck the activities of many scholar who have been extensively been under the study of the influence of corporate finance and any market blocks that affect sourcing of this finance by different sized incomes in the investment concept by firms. It has been seen that, this concept is determined by the liquidity value of these forms in Australia.Such liquidity is basically determined by different firm’s context that pertains their cash flows.   Investment depends on this ratio, where firms subject to a high liquidity a faced with higher investment than those with low liquidities whose investment is relatively low. (Prasad, Vozikis, Ariff, 2006)However, under pricing in Australia has been a vote to the subject of asymmetry and possible imperfections that exists in the market system. On understanding the rigidities that exists in the market system, the Australian government has undertaken to ensure under pricing to safe guard the interest of the low investor in the understanding of the market structures that work in favor of the big investors. (O’Flynn, 2005)Therefore, for the Australian government, it’s rational to undertake such activity since it basically leads capital development for the low income investors.ReferenceSuchard, J& Woo, L (2003) Are Hot Markets Driven by Hot Resource Shares or    Hot Commodities? Australian Journal of Management, Vol. 28Prasad, D, Vozikis, G & Ariff, M (2006) Government Public Policy, Regulatory Intervention and Their Impact on IPO Under pricing. Journal of small Business Management , Vol. 44O’Flynn, J (2004) Australian Capital Territory: January to June 2004. The Australian   Journal of Politics and History, Vol. 50

NAFTA: Gainers and Losers

Economic cooperation has been a trend in neighboring countries to promote a free-trade zone for the benefit of its constituent countries. The largest of such, the North American Free Trade Agreement, was found in 1994 by the three North American countries. The members of NAFTA are the US, Canada and Mexico which includes a total of 416 million people and a GDP totaling to $12 trillion (Pohlmann, 2006). NAFTA aimed to totally remove trade barriers between the members for 15 years, which is scheduled to be in 2009. It also reduces the non-tariff trade barriers like sanitary regulations significantly. Although NAFTA major advantages, many are against it. Most of them are in the non-economic areas, and following are examples: US labor unions, environmentalists and Mexican farmers. They believe that NAFTA has unfavorable effects on them. Not all Mexicans are against it, in fact some of them had high hopes that the implementation of this contract would help boost their economy (Pohlmann, 2006). The NAFTA issue is debated in the Congress, with three major subjects: employment, environment and immigration from Mexico to the US. Tariffs had been an important factor in NAFTA for tariffs are taxes on imports and it usually makes imported products more expensive in order top benefit local products. NAFTA participants agreed to cut down the tariffs by 50% and they also agreed to reduce tariffs to 0 in the succeeding fifteen years. Economists clearly saw the benefits NAFTA could have with all its participants. They based their reasoning with the principle of comparative advantage wherein their country would be more organized in creating their goods. Thus each country would produce the goods wherein they are more efficient in producing and they would trade those goods with the goods of other country (which they are very good in producing in their own). However, there are those who contested the free trade contract believing that it would have certain effect on employment as well as on income. There are those who argue that there would be a great deal of unemployment because of rivalry in Mexico. They argued that since wages are much lower in Mexico as compared to United States, then businessmen would start moving their businesses in Mexico. However, there are those who argue that the reason behind higher wages in US lies on the fact that worker efficiency is greater in US as compared to Mexico. NAFTA proved to have great consequence in terms of employment in US. According to a study conducted by the US International Trade Commission (ITI), the US government could gain moderately from a free trade agreement with Mexico. A historical study also showed that NAFTA could produce about 134, 000 jobs in the US. However, a simple method of study conducted by Baldwin and Kahane showed the effects NAFTA could have in terms of employment. The particular study had been conducted in order to see which division would have employment gains and which would undergo job losses. A tabular data had been used in order to create two variables, that of â€Å"gainers† and that of â€Å"losers†. Among the gainers are electrical and non-electrical machinery alike as well as rubber chemicals. However, on the side of the losers we have textiles, glass, leather products and the like. It is important to distinguish gainers from losers and thus an explanation is provided in the quotation be low. The term GAINERS is associated to the number of employees in areas that were projected to have job gains, while the term LOSERS is related to job losses (Kahane, 1996). Thus, the effect of NAFTA allowed a rise in trade in both Canada and Mexico. There is also no clear evidence that US indeed lose jobs because of Mexico. And all in all it showed that there are industries which gained because of the NAFTA agreement while there are also those industries that had had their share of losses as had been mentioned in this paper. Reference: Kahane, L. (1996). Congressional voting patterns on NAFTA: an empirical analysis – North American Free Trade Agreement [Electronic Version]. The American Journal of Economics and Sociology. Retrieved June 4, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0254/is_n4_v55/ai_18910967. Pohlmann, D. (2006). The Economic Impact of NAFTA on Mexico [Electronic Version]. Scholarly Publishing House. Retrieved June 4, 2007 from http://www.grin.com/en/preview/67522.html. Rosson, P., Runge, F., & Moulton, K. S. Preferential Trading Arrangements: Gainers and Losers from Regional Trading Blocs [Electronic Version]. Retrieved June 4, 2007 from http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/agecon/trade/eight.html.