Performance at Precision Essay - 630 Words

Performance at Precision/Case Study #1 Jackson Smith has his work cut out for him in his task to implement a merit pay program that would tie to Precision’s performance appraisal process. According to Martocchio, a merit pay program assumes that employee’s compensation over time should be determined by differences in job performance. In other words, employees earn permanent merit increases based on their performance. The overarching challenge to overcome is that merit pay is considered an entitlement by the employees at Precision since everyone has received the same percentage increase across the board regardless of performance. Jackson is likely to experience strong resistance to the change, especially by those who are low†¦show more content†¦To be able to support a merit pay program, it must be perceived by employees as fair, competitive in the market, motivating and easy to understand. Therefore, Jackson should begin by creating a comprehensive communication plan outlining the business rationale and implementation timeline for the new pay structure. This should be communicated to the employees by the President/CEO of the organization. Additionally, a comprehensive training program will need to be created or outsourced for the supervisors on how to manage the performance appraisal process. Jackson essentially needs to start from the beginning in terms of developing job descriptions for each differing role within the organization. To do this, he will begin by performing a job analysis for each role with the outcome being a description to include a summary of the job tasks, essential responsibilities as well as the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform the job. He then needs to conduct a job evaluation to judge the relative worth of the jobs at Precision. This will determine the internal structure and hierarchical ranking of jobs. This process helps to ensure that pay is internally aligned. Precision also needs to make the decision where they want to be as it relates to the marketplace. In other words, do they want to be a leader or pay at a mid-point range or lower? Part of this process will be toShow MoreRelatedPerformance Management At Precision Engineering1451 Words   |  6 PagesPerformance Management in Action Performance management (PM) has been a part of organizations for many decades and primarily understood as a fundamental function of the Human Resources (HR) department no matter what the size or industry of the business. However, more recently performance management has shifted to being a competitive strategic advantage for organizations wishing to become high performing and overall successful. 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The Production Of The Sinclair Refinery Site - 1801 Words

1. Site Description and History The Sinclair Refinery Site is a 100-acre refinery, adjacent to the west bank of the Genesee River, and about one-quarter mile south of downtown Wellsville, New York. The refinery was built in the late 1800 s and operated by the Wellsville Refining Company until 1919 when the Sinclair Refining Company (now the Atlantic Richfield Company, or ARCO) purchased the property and operated the refinery until a fire ended the operations in 1958. The refinery was finally closed in 1963. After the closure, a majority of the property was transferred to the Village of Wellsville, which subsequently conveyed land parcels to various entities. Now approximately 6,000 people live within a mile of the landfill; several businesses and the State University of New York at Alfred s Wellsville Campus are located on the refinery portion of the Sinclair property; and approximately 500 people use the buildings located on this part of the site. Throughout the operation and dismantling of the refinery, various types of wastes including cloth filters, fuller s earth, oil sludge, contaminated soil, pesticides, heavy metals, and fly ash were generated and disposed of in two on-site landfills adjacent to the Genesee River over a 30-year period. The landfill area of the site consisted of a 9-acre Central Elevated Landfill Area, a 2-acre South Landfill Area, and a 1-acre sand and gravel area between the two landfills. The landfill area was located at the very southern end ofShow MoreRelatedLegt2751 Notes for Midsem2002 Words   |  9 Pagesordinary income: Income from personal exertion, Income from business, Income from property. Capital: Does not have the character of income: Different approaches * Process/Structure (Dixon’s criteria from Sun Newspapers – Amount paid to limit production of rival) - Distinction between business structure set up to earn income and process by which income is earned. Receipts relating to the loss or destruction of profit-making structure will be capital. Amounts made in loss of the profit/making structure

Southwest’s Competititve Advantage Free Essays

STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION AND MEASUREMENT METRICS ASSIGNMENT-1 SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CASE STUDY QUESTIONS 1. How does Southwest Airlines get its competitive advantage? 2. How does Southwest Airlines execute its strategy? 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Southwest’s Competititve Advantage or any similar topic only for you Order Now How does Southwest Airlines get its competitive advantage? Southwest Airlines uses a Cost Leadership Strategy, however most pricing strategists would agree that having a low price does not, in itself, constitute a competitive advantage. In fact, thinking that low prices are always a good strategy for competition is deeply misguided. However, at times, targeting low prices can lead to a strategic focus which delivers tremendous results. Modern competitive strategy will often examine firms from a resource-based view. According to this lens, competitive advantage derives from leveraging an inimitable resource to deliver value at a lower cost than the competitors. Price is a completely imitable resource. Any company can match the prices of its competitor if it so chooses. Hence, arguing that a low price is a strategic resource, or that it leads to a competitive advantage in and of itself, is illogical. Southwest Airlines has used the target pricing and utilized a marketing orientation since its infancy in 1971, even though these concepts were not fully defined back then. First, starting with the customers and the value they sought, Southwest Airlines initial target was customers traveling between cities in Texas, specifically between Dallas and Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, San Antonio and Houston. While Texas is larger than many countries, it isn’t so large that people can’t drive from city to city. Hence initially, the most comparable alternative to Southwest, and therefore its prime competition, wasn’t other airlines. Instead, it was the car. In uncovering the car as the competing alternative, Southwest was able to also identify the target price of its offering. Second, to compete with the car, Southwest Airlines had to price their service relatively similar to the cost of car travel. With this target in mind, they chose $20. While $20 is lower than the government allowable tax deduction for travel, it is also significantly higher than the price of gas alone to drive between these cities. Thus, at this $20 price, Southwest Airlines could be confident that it would capture many of the travelers that would have driven and convert them into short-hop air travelers. Third, the product was redefined to serve customers at this low price profitably. Consider what was removed from air travel and what was included instead. The table below enumerates the key points Points 1 Removed Reduced reservations flexibility: Reservations primarily made directly Southwest Airlines as they eschewed working with travel agents. No connections between airlines: Southwest Airlines would not transfer baggage between flights. Included or Added Simplicity in Pricing: Flat rate of $20 per leg of the journey. Also reduced the cost of price management, as no yield management system was needed initially. Higher convenience in terms of on-time arrivals: With a simplified fight route between lesser used airports, Southwest was able to operate more reliably. Higher convenience in flight frequency: With point to point flights, Southwest could offer service between Houston and Dallas with the same plane roughly every 2. hours. 2 3 No long-haul flights: Southwest Airlines customers could only take Southwest between a city-pair, not across the country or even across state lines initially. This greatly reduced cost of compliance with CAB rulings, as Southwest’s operations were not subject to interstate commerce rulings. 4 No in-flight meals: Southwest Airlines only offered peanuts and beverages. Fun: Friendly flight attendants provided jokes, costumes, and made flying comfortable with warm and caring service. Faster boarding times leading to faster flight turnarounds. More seats: With one class of service, Southwest Airlines could put 137 seats in a 737 versus 128 in a United Airlines 737. 5 6 No seat assignments: First come, first seated. No first class: One-class service. 7 Does not fly into major airports: or uses Use of underutilized airports that are less major airports concentrates on point close to metropolitan cities: reduced to point connections costs, punctuality Use of multiple aircraft types Frequent flyer program does not use miles earned Uses fuel efficient 737s: reduces maintenance and training costs Based on number of trips flown: reduced operating costs 9 From this list, we see a number of items which an airline would usually use to define superior value removed from Southwest Airlines offer. A Southwest customer couldn’t be treated to first class, couldn’t get food, couldn’t book them as part of a larger trip, couldn’t book with them through an agent, and couldn’t even preselect their seat. All of these features were exactly what defined a competitive airline at the time. And, all of these features added cost. Instead, Southwest Airlines selected a specific target customer — a Texan traveling between cities in Texas — and then determined what it would take to satisfy that customer. ? ? ? That customer was far more interested in travel efficiency than travel class. That customer would be glad to forgo a meal, especially in exchange for a friendly flight attendant and a Dr. Pepper. That customer was trading off driving for flying, and needed flexibility in booking rather than navigating through the decisions and planning related to yield management. This service described does not meet the wants of every customer that could have flown Southwest Airlines, but it does describe those of the target customer. And, given the choice of mediocrely satisfying everyone at a high cost or highly satisfying a select few at a low but profitable price, Southwest Airlines rightly chose the latter. As a result of tightly defining the value sought by customers (efficient and flexible travel), and the price ($20), Southwest was able to meet the needs and surpass the expectations of their target customer. Moreover, it was able to do this at a significantly lower cost than a standard airline. So can low prices deliver a competitive advantage? NO, not alone. But target pricing, where the price and benefits demanded by customer leads to a strategic focus that drives a redefinition of the product and service, can deliver a winning competitive advantage. One where a customer need is met at a cost below the price the target market is willing to pay. BALANCED SCORECARD FOR SWA 2. How does Southwest Airlines execute its strategy? Southwest Airlines is probably one of the most striking examples of a company that (a) Defined a very clear and simple key business purpose, (b) Chose the right business model to support the business purpose, and (c) Consistently demonstrates the core values and behaviors derived from that key business purpose. The brand promise of Southwest Airlines is: ‘Dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit’. Every single employee of the company is aligned with this brand promise and in spite of the current economic turmoil in the airline industrySouthwest’s performance isamong the best in the industry. Staff morale is exceptionally high. In 1971, Rollin King and Herb Kelleher started an airline service with one simple notion: â€Å"If you get your passengers to their destinations when they want to get there, on time, at the lowest possible fares, and make darn sure they have a good time doing it, people will fly your airline†. Southwest currently has the lowest operating-cost structure in the US domestic airline industry and consistently offers the lowest and most of all simplest fares. Southwest holds the best cumulative customer satisfaction record for the past 18 years. In December 2008, the airline had 35,499 employees and generated total operating revenues of $11 billion (2007 = $ 9. 8 billion, 2001 = $ 5. 3 billion) from a passenger load factor of 71. 2% with a fleet of 537 Boeing 737’s. Its stock exchange symbol is ‘LUV’, representing Southwest’s home at Dallas Love Field, as well as the theme of its employee and customer relationships. The major success to their continued success seems due to their low-cost model and competitors being aware that they cannot match Southwest Airlines’ low prices. Southwest Airlines has the reputation of being able to force a competitor into bankruptcy. It is believed, however, that it was not just the choice of its business model that made Southwest Airlines such a successful company; it is the way they execute their business model through perfect strategic alignment. Southwest Airlines succeeded in defining a very simple yet clear key business purpose; the fact that they aim for being â€Å"the only short haul, low fare, high frequency, point-to-point carrier in America† leaves very little room for interpretation. What makes Southwest Airlines’ key business purpose such a powerful one however, is not just the very clear definition of their ‘raison d’ etre’, but certainly also what the company and its leaders do with it. Their simple but effective key business purpose is the main guiding principle for Southwest Airlines’ strategic goals, business strategy, organizational infrastructure, and last – but certainly not least – their company culture. The organization of Southwest Airlines is best described as an upside-down pyramid – an organization very much in line with the way they want to do business. The upper management is at the bottom and supports the front line employees, who are the experts. Front line employees play a major role in the yearly business planning and operational budget which for a great part is done bottom-up rather than top-down. This is the fruit of co-founder Herb Kelleher’s unorthodox leadership style, in which management decisions are made by everyone in the organization, not just the head executives. The company does not put much emphasis on structure; instead, employees are encouraged to think freely without constraints such as titles or official mandates. The reason for Southwest Airline’s success is due to their clear key business purpose and core values, and due to the way in hich they consistently execute their business model (a combination of ‘disruptive innovation’ and ‘customer intimacy’) in line with their key business purpose and core values. ? ? ? The Southwest Airlines fleet consists solely of Boeing 737s It offers only economy seats (there is no business or first class). Southwest Airlines also do not offer in-flight meals, only peanuts and other snacks. Southwest is simple and direct at the goal of their service; â€Å"A primarily short-haul airline that flies directly from city to city, with just one type of plane – the Boeing 737 – and the lowest costs†. With a simple goal, Southwest has excised many of the ‘luxuries’ that competitors offer, such as luxury seats; this is made evident by their decision to enforce a rule for passengers who cannot fit into the seats to purchase an additional seat. This rather unpopular move – whereas other airlines would have suggested a more luxury class seat – is simple in its purpose – get passengers from point A to point B with a minimum of frills, but with a friendly smile and great personal service. While Southwest Airlines offer no frills, they do meet and exceed customer expectations when it comes to personal service. They base their model on the motto â€Å"If employees are happy, satisfied, dedicated, and energetic, they’ll take real good care of the customers. When the customers are happy, they come back. And that makes the shareholders happy†. Southwest invests in very good relations with all their employees. Employees are either of independent labor unions or have flexible contracts which allow employees to work longer hours (adapting the business model to the key business purpose) How to cite Southwest’s Competititve Advantage, Essay examples

Advertising Campaign for Pharmaceutical Company

Question: Write about theAdvertising Campaign for Pharmaceutical Company. Answer: Introduction The advertising campaign for the hemorrhoids medication entails a number of stages and considerations. In the first place, the marketing objectives for this particular campaign involve the followings: Raise the awareness of the hemorrhoids medication product within the clearly identified section of target patients. Communicate the advantages of the newly launched medication product (Parente and Strausbaugh-Hutchinson 2016). Create a market dominating sales force for the product. Solicit the target customers through an unmediated response campaign. Influence the target customers to switch from other hemorrhoids medication product. Inform the patients and doctors about the availability of the product and persuading doctors to prescribe this (Moriarty et al. 2016). In order to fulfill these objectives, it is very important to communicate the message to the sufferers in a well-strategized way. The strategies of communication include: Make the benefits of the medication product clear to the sufferers and make them understand in what way the product can cause extra relief to them. It is advisable to use plain and vivid language to the patients eliminating excessive medical terms. Keep the benefit list short so that the patients can remember them easily (Drewniany and Jewler 2013). Communicate with the doctors through professionals making them understanding the detailed medical benefits of the product. Emphasize in what way the product is a unique heal for the sufferers to persuade them. cNow, for the hemorrhoids medication product, the target customers would be those who are under treatment for prolonged constipation and chronic diarrhea in various clinics and hospitals. The patients who are contemplating to go for surgery or use topical medication can also be pointed out as target customers for this product. The communication strategy is to be planned and the aim of the advertising campaign is to rightly communicate the messages to the target customers. In the first place, the sources of patients research for medical products are to be understood. In this context, the survey shows that almost 32 percent of the patients use television advertisement for research whereas the others still rely on offline media like magazine and newspapers (Liberali 2014). Apart from the offline media communication strategy, advertising through blogs and websites is also a feasible option for medical product marketing. The number of patients who are becoming dependable on web to find health and medical-related information is ever increasing is ever increasing. The advertisers for the hemorrhoids medication product, therefore, have to build strong keyword based website pages and articles providing proper information about the product. Apart from this, the content marketing in pharmaceutical industries is of gr eat importance as the content captures the patients attention and successfully triggers them to take up the new medical product in the market (Fulgoni and Lipsman 2014). It is to be also understood that the targeted audience for medical products include the doctors too and therefore, through professional medical representatives and repetitive referral to doctors seminars about the product will help to increase the product awareness among the target audience. Raising the product awareness also includes choosing the appropriate media vehicle for the particular company. Several factors contribute in choosing the media vehicle and they are: Prime advertising objectives of the pharmaceutical firm should be considered and those media accomplished to meet the expectations should be chosen (Zenetti et al. 2014). Media cost also matter and therefore, the financial position of the company will decide for which advertising space it would like to buy. Choosing the appropriate advertising media vehicle will also depend on the reach and exposure of the selected media. The organizations advertising policy also determines the media vehicle at times (Ansari and Riasi 2016). Buyers classified through target market segmentation also tend to identify the media vehicle and the areas of interest under which the sufferers are likely to become influenced. While choosing the media vehicle for the hemorrhoids medication product, the company has also to think about the frequency of the advertising the vehicle offers. The credibility of the media vehicle should also be judged and expert opinion can be taken for final decision-making. Now, deciding advertising position is also an integral part of the advertising campaign. For the specific hemorrhoids medication product, it is better to go for TV advertising as repetitive advertisement of a new product creates a sense of conviction among the customers. The advertisement should be repeated every day (Crane and Matten 2016). For the initial three months, the advertisement should be telecasted at prime time, in the later months the position of the advertisement can be changed and the frequency can be reduced as well. In this context, it is also necessary to prepare a planned budget, which, for the hemorrhoids medication product is as follows: Local Television Cost per month I) In the initial three months AUD 9000 II) In the later six months AUD 5000 Internet Advertising AUD 5000 Print Media Advertizing AUD 8000 Social Media Advertising AUD 2000 Public Relations AUD 12000 Total Budget AUD 41000 While talking about advertisement positions, it is essentially important to buy the right advertising slot for the product newly launched. In the rapid age of competition, where so many products are being launched every day, if the appropriate advertising position cannot be acquired, the product will be failed to create its foundation in the market (Moriarty et al. 2014). Hence, the advertising position should be such that captures the target customers attention. For instance, in television advertising the pharmaceutical company should acquire the slot in the prime time or in the print media advertising the advertiser must book slot on the cover page preferably in the right hand pages and the at the top, above the fold. In the advertisement positioning, some factors are to be considered. In the TV advertisement, the advertisement positioning depends on the frequency and timing of the ads. The radio ads follow almost the same criteria whereas in the print media advertising the positioning of the ad in pages including the page number and the size of the ad comes into consideration. However, for the social media advertising stress is given more on keyword based contents. The factors that are to be discussed with the media people include the cost of advertising in the first place. Indeed, the cost of television and print ads is rapidly going up having a toll on the companys overall profit. Apart from the cost, the frequency and the position of the advertisements are also to be negotiated with the media persons. The company also has to discuss that the right message of the brand is conveyed through the advertisement (Zenetti et al. 2014). While talking about the legal and ethical considerations during the making of final media contract, there are several to consider: The legal considerations being: The advertisement must not contain any fraudulent of false statement. The company should not fail to disclose any fact that the third party should know (Schenker, Arnold and London 2014). The ethical considerations being: Whether an assenting false impression is made. Whether the company is obliged to disclose something (Crane and Matten 2016) What the logical prospect of the third parties are. To observe whether the advertising campaign is going in the right direction, the pharmaceutical company will have to monitor certain things. The ways to monitor the advertising campaign include utilizing the funnel report in order to track the effectiveness of the campaign. Besides, for the social media marketing utilization of the channels to identify conversions is useful. Tracking the retail traffic by counting the customers buying the product from the medical stores is also a way to monitor advertising campaign. However, the things that the advertiser should take into account while monitoring the advertising campaign are the increase in sales before and during the advertising campaign. Besides, how the customers are responding to the advertisement is also to be noticed (Drewniany and Jewler 2013). The legal issues to be taken into account when monitoring the advertising campaign are: Whether the advertisement is running on the promised position in the television or is printed in the position bought. Whether the advertisement is violating any clause of the media contract is also to be considered (Schenker, Arnold and London 2014) The ethical issues to be taken into account are: Whether the advertisement is causing objection to any particular section of society (Crane and Matten 2016) The success of the advertisement campaign is however, a much-debated conclusion to settle on although there are some factors that can measure success. The primary thing to be observed is the sales increase of the hemorrhoids medication product after the advertisement campaign. Besides, the success of the campaign will also depend on to what extent the advertisement has been successful to create the brand image for the product in the market and that how preferable it has become for the sufferers. References Ansari, A. and Riasi, A., 2016. An investigation of factors affecting brand advertising success and effectiveness.International Business Research,9(4), p.20. Crane, A. and Matten, D., 2016.Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press. Dodge, A. ed., 2015.Public relations: Strategies and tactics. New York, NY: Pearson. Drewniany, B.L. and Jewler, A.J., 2013.Creative strategy in advertising. Cengage Learning. Fulgoni, G. and Lipsman, A., 2014. Numbers, please: Digital game changers: How social media will help usher in the era of mobile and multi-platform campaign-effectiveness measurement.Journal of Advertising Research,54(1), pp.11-16. Liberali, G., 2014. Morphing advertising to improve online campaign success.RSM Discovery-Management Knowledge,20(4), pp.12-14. Moriarty, S., Mitchell, N.D., Wells, W.D., Crawford, R., Brennan, L. and Spence-Stone, R., 2014.Advertising: Principles and practice. Pearson Australia. Parente, D. and Strausbaugh-Hutchinson, K., 2014.Advertising campaign strategy: A guide to marketing communication plans. Cengage Learning. Schenker, Y., Arnold, R.M. and London, A.J., 2014. The ethics of advertising for health care services.The American Journal of Bioethics,14(3), pp.34-43. Zenetti, G., Bijmolt, T.H., Leeflang, P.S. and Klapper, D., 2014. Search engine advertising effectiveness in a multimedia campaign.International Journal of Electronic Commerce,18(3), pp.7-38.

6 Things a Freelance Writer Can Do When They Are Hella Sick

Tis the season to be sick. Hella sick. Ive been a freelance writer for two years and a mother for almost four years. And guess what? Ive been hella sick only twice during this time and three times in my entire life. Now, when I say hella sick I dont mean going to the hospital with IVs or having some emergency in the middle of the night. No. I just mean the flu. But, hell, the flu kicks butt and it literally zaps the life out of you. And now that I have twins, Im waiting for them to get sick. My son already has a fever. My husband – bless him for working from home – took care of all of us and now is becoming sick. Now as mom, you just cant get sick. Its like an unwritten rule once you become a mom. But, what if youre a mom and a freelance writer? Not only do you have a house and kids to take care of, but also clients with deadlines. Typically the hella sick that comes with fevers and vomiting and other things (ahem) usually springs up with no indication. I was sitting in my makeshift office typing a blog post when I noticed my hands were like ice. I couldnt type because my hands were so dang cold. Then suddenly, nauseousness. This led to the bathroom and all the food I ever ate came out in that time! Sorry! But yeah I was totally sick. I stopped early and covered myself with a million blankets and convinced myself it was just food poisoning. Itll go away now that I expelled it all out of my system, right? Well no. Its been over 24 hours and Ive barely ate anything and am just drinking water, but finally, my fever is gone. Im not out of the woods yet. Im weak and I cant push myself too much. Tomorrow the rest of my family will be sick so I will be tending to them. But, as a freelance writer, what the heck do you do when you are that sick and you have deadlines coming up (are soon)? Here are the six things I did so that I dont miss out on deadlines and still got better. 1. Took Time to Rest The first thing you gotta do is rest. Give up and lay down. Let the fever take over before you take Tylenol. This will rapidly make you better when the fever does the job its suppose to do. When I was first hit, I stopped working. In the morning, I slept till 10 am and tried to help around the house. I did a load of dishes and still helped my twins with certain things like their potty. But, after that I was spent. I had to admit that I wasnt better and I still had to rest. So take it easy and sleep. 2. Dont Look at Your Email Seriously. Turn it off. You dont want the headache of people reaching out to you. You can wait a day or two and the world wont explode online. Remember that you dont work for your clients. You work with them. So dont feel pressured to have to be always online or attentive with your emails. If you are worried, though, muster some power and create an auto message that youre out of the office. 3. Dont Push Things Until the Deadline Im bad at this. I tend to push things until the deadline is soon and then I work on my projects. But, Im getting better. Since a lot of my deadlines are at the end of the month, I have the beginning of the month to tackle my personal projects and client work. Im sick in the beginning of the month so I dont have anything major thats due right now. But this doesnt mean I dont have work to still do. Research, newsletters, updating my course, interacting with my new students and all the other little things a solopreneur does with their biz. In your business, make sure you start on your projects sooner than later. 4. If You Can Sit Up, Write Last year, the whole family got the NoroVirus. This can happen when you have kids. The parents get hella sick. During that time there was a pressing deadline and I HAD to get it done. So, when I could actually sit up, I wrote. Yes, I was light headed and dizzy, but I did it. I didnt want to email the client right before the deadline and say Im sick. The project was almost done and I just had a couple of things I had to refine it, so even if I was feeling out of it, I still did it. Its up to you how you feel and the work you have, but if you can sit up for a bit, get your head in your work and do a little writing. Im not 100% and Im writing this blog post. Hopefully it makes sense? 🙂 5. Consider Outsourcing Now, if you have looming deadlines, it might be a good idea to start outsourcing aspects of your projects. This can be researching, outlining and the first draft of a post. Outsourcing can help you write more too (when youre not laying on your death bed sick as a dog). Some of my course students are at the point in their business that they have a full plate of work but want to start picking up higher paying clients. Well, you can start outsourcing some parts of your work so you have time to take higher-paying clients. And when you have some writers in your network, they can help you get out of a pickle if youre totally sick. 6. Ask for An Extension Okay. There are some times when you just have to ask for an extension. But, only do this if the deadline is in three-to five days – not the next day. For example, even though Im almost better, Im not 100% and my children will probably be sick tomorrow. If I had a deadline in the next five days, you bet I would be emailing the client and ask if I can turn it in a week later. Youre Not Going to Lose a Client When Youre Sick Hey, I know. Your fear is that you get super sick and you lose a client, or all of them. I hear ya, but Im pretty sure that wont happen (unless you have a client that isnt human). People understand and if they want your best work, you have to be at your best capacity. Now its your turn – tell me how you handle your freelance writing work when your hella sick.

Farmer DBQ essays

Farmer DBQ essays During the span of 1880-1900 farmers began to feel as if their ways of life were being threatened. Farmers felt that a competition with railroads in monopolies and trusts, currency circulation shortage, and the powerful forces of Mother Nature seemed to be putting them in debt or even out of business. However, not all of the currency circulation shortage complaints could be brought up against the government, monopolies, and trusts. Over production, and bad weather accounted for these problems, which made the farmers complaint's not completely valid. Competition was a major contributing factor to farmer discontent. Farmers were constantly competing with monopolies and trusts. Railroads were putting most farmers in the brink of bankruptcy. Groups formed to help the farmers like The Grange tried to get some relief from monopolies, but they were just too influential. It came to a halt when the Wabash case made by the Supreme Court said that groups like the Grange had no power to regulate interstate commerce. (f) Monopolies were dictating the way the farming industry was as a whole. (h) Farmers sent their products all over the country in order to receive profit, but it was virtually impossible to ever make any money when the charge for use of the railroad system, was more than the farmer could make. (g) Still, the railroads saw nothing morally wrong with charging the farmers in the way they did. The government tried to help out by establishing The Sherman-Anti Trust Act, and the Interstate Commerce Act. The Sherman-Anti trust ac t was intended to help farmers mobilize against monopolies such as the railroad system, but was not very successful. The Interstate Commerce Act was made to stabilize the economy, helping the farmers avoid the railroad warpath, but only foreshadowed doom in the government trying to protect a private enterprise. The farmers w ...

2014 Scholarship Essay Contest Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

2014 Contest - Scholarship Essay Example Besides, students at Wayland Baptist University are also sensitive to people from diverse backgrounds. They show respect and integrity by treating people from diverse backgrounds and indeed everyone, with care, kindness and compassion. That way, they become trustworthy and dependable for whatever duty they are called to serve because they do it from the bottom of their hearts. Other values that exemplify students at Wayland Baptist University are excellence and innovation. By understanding that every duty is a service unto the Lord God, students give their best to achieve excellent results. They also commit themselves to make effort to improve the world around them through innovation and research. That way, they come out as responsible members who are sensitive to the people and environment around them. Such values not only enable students to acquire positive attributes required in life, but also enhance their spiritual development. Upon completion of my degree program at Wayland Baptist University, I will use the knowledge and attributes gained to do the following. First, I will use the knowledge and attributes gained to improve the community through being a community watchdog. From wherever disposition of life the Lord God shall grant me, I will use that platform to ensure that justice prevails in the society. That is to imply that I shall not hesitate to rebuke evil and corruption of human beings in the society. Human beings become corrupt before God when they advance their own self-interests at the expense of others. They oppress the widows and the orphans as well as the weak. They do not give the full measure of what others deserve to get in various bargains of life. As long as I shall be privy to such information, I will rebuke such deeds to promote fairness, justice and ethical behaviors. I will also share the positive teachings I have learned at Wayland Baptist University with others in the community so

The Role of Nationalism in Castros Regime in Cuba Essay

The Role of Nationalism in Castros Regime in Cuba - Essay Example In this regard, nationalism is better understood as the identification of people to a nation. It is the notion that people from the same nation share similar interests and values particular only to themselves. It is however of important to note that people use nationalism in different ways and have different ideologies regarding the whole subject. Castro arose to power in 1959 after leading a nationalist revolution that overthrew the previous government. He attempted to manifest nationalism through two ways i.e. socialism and communism. From the analysis and review of various literatures, I therefore argue that nationalism in Cuba was a repression to support Castro’s government. Role of nationalism in Castro’s reign Before he came into power, Castro was viewed as a nationalist and this saw him lead a revolution that brought him into power through support from various nationalists. This move was however not supported by the U.S because they did not want a charismatic nationalist like Castro to lead Cuba. In any case, the United States had a lot of vested interest in the country and needed a leader they could manipulate, certainly not Castro . Castro came up with an ideology of getting people to work for the benefit of all and not just individuals. During his reign, he valued national land and he did positive work for the people. This was seen when he bought back foreign owned land that was Cuban. He allowed Cuba to be run by its people. Through this, he garnered a lot of support from the masses. However, he later changed and became a communist when he integrated with the Soviet Union which put this imposition on him. This changed the notion of nationalism and it is from this perspective he used the nationalist ideology as a way of suppressing people. However he continued gaining much support from the people even as his regime became more despotic. Nationalism was one of the core elements in Castro’s platform. His core punch line was ‘with Fidel everything, against Fidel Nothing’2. In this case, those who opposed him were viewed as enemies of the state and had no place in Cuba. This propelled people to be in support of him even if his ideologies were unfavorable. No one among his elites questioned his role as a demonstration of nationalism. He used a manifestation of culture in nationalism by announcing to upper and middle classes that he shared their cultural and ideological prejudices. This was a form of communism whereby this people were to continue enjoying their employment as well as other benefits if they were in support of him. He moved to nationalize Cuba schools, industries and hospitals. This was a way of imposing communist tendencies into the country. This in essence was to have control over this institutions keeping in mind that these people could support him and not oppose him in order for their institutions to succeed. However, many people faced many challenges such as the scarcity of jobs in the country. Because of the great economic hardships, the workers were less likely to oppose him. This therefore justifies that nationalism was a form of repression. He used nat ionalism to counter policies that were against his regime. An example of such policy was the economic Embargo from the United States which wanted to see him out of power but he got support out of nationalism because of the notion that a sovereign society was not to get interference from other states. Because the United States had opposed him as a result of his communist ties, they did not get support from the people hence he continued to reign. He used unfriendly policies from the U.S in order to stir up nationalism hence convincing a lot of Cubans. This again was a repression on the ideology of nationalism. H

Carl Rogers Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Carl Rogers Theory - Essay Example Furthermore Rogers believed that if the clients turned inwards and examined themselves they would find the means to end hurting. This treats persons as inimitable, values their dreams and goals and elevates their particular feelings about the world. Rogers sees the role of the therapist primarily as an empathic listener who must enters into the client's journey of self-actualisation. Jones and Butman in Modern Psychotherapies succinctly describe the goal of the self-actualisation process. It is the ongoing process of bringing self-view, the ideal self and the real self into line with one another. DeMarinis in her book, Pastoral Care, Existential Health and Existential Epidemiology attempts to conceptualise pastoral care. In her research she noted several themes that most people accept as belonging to pastoral care. The main ones of these are care of the soul and inner life, primarily Christian, spanning the complete life cycle, under the direction of God, providing a shelter from a hard world, connects God to life, is part of the whole work of the church not only in specific sessions and is not to be confused with psychology. This essay will keep in mind these main themes as it explores the helpfulness of Roger's approach. Jones and Butman begin their exploration of Roger's theory by claiming that the emotional content of person centred therapy is intuitively appealing. They have a valid point here. Person centred counselling differs from the mainstream notion of psychotherapists as distant experts and is alluring in its humanity based ideas. It promotes a positive view of humankind and its central tenet is that humans are, at heart, good and filled with the possibility to change and achieve anything. Furthermore it concentrates on goals and dreams and endorses the need for positive regard for others. In addition Roger's theories are based on his clinical work and endless research. Rather than remaining a fixed theory he developed his ideas as they were tried out, constantly responding to criticism and results. This dedication to base his hypothesis on what actually worked enhances the appeal of the theory and lessens the distance between pure theory and practical administration. Finally, the simplicity of Roger's theory and the fact that it is accessible to everyone gives it credibility. Its founding principles are not complicated and so the majority of people can follow his train of logic and see how he came up with his conclusions. Person Centred Therapy's Contributions to Pastoral Ministry Roger's contribution to psychotherapy has traditionally been attractive to a religious audience because his formulation of a helping relationship embodies the Christian ideal of a loving servant to others. Rogers and Butman notice how it, 'appears to give us valuable clues and guidance on how to respond to those in misery or distress, or how to concretely 'love the brothers and sisters'.1 It is a guide for the pastoral worker because it treats people as inimitable, complete beings in the same way that Christianity would. The pastoral worker takes this view because she believes humans are made in God's image and must be treated with the appropriate respect. The qualities that a therapist must have to undertake this kind of help are almost identical with the qualities the Bible describes a Christian should have; grace, unconditional love, servant-like. Moreover it focuses on 'unconditional regard'

Health Promotion in Nursing: Child Obesity Interventions

Health Promotion in Nursing: Child Obesity Interventions This essay will explore the knowledge, skills and attitudes nurses need for health promotion. In the last decade health promotion has been a significant part of health policy in the UK (Piper, 2009). For instance the Department of Health (DOH) policies: Choosing Health (DOH, 2004) and Better Information, Better Choices, Better Health (DOH, 2007), both highlight health promotion as a main concern in health service (Piper, 2009). Nurses have a significant part in reducing the effect of disease, promoting health and function (RCN, 2012). The NMC (2008) states that health promotion is a key aspect of the nursing profession and one they are required to undertake in practise. Health promotion is a procedure which helps people to enhance their health and have control over it (WHO, 1985). Tones (1987) describes health promotion as â€Å"any strategic measure which aids health or averts illness, disability and pre-mature death.† Health promotion aims to enhance ones skills and abilities in order to take action, and in the volume of a group or community to work mutually to place control over determinants of health and attain positive change (WHO, 1978). Health promotion is essential in child nursing as anything which affects a child’s health during childhood may have an effect on adulthood (Moyse, 2009). In order to provide effective health promotion nurses must have the correct skills, knowledge and attitudes (Cole, 2008). Having the right knowledge, skills and attitude allows nurses to implement successful health promotion, consequently making a positive effect on the patients’ life, health and wellbeing (Cole Porter, 2008). Child nurses delivering public health are working to establish opportunities for children to live positive healthy lives, by influencing public policies and via health promotion (RCN, 2007). However to ensure this nurses need knowledge (Risjord, 2011). For example having knowledge on various health conditions is vital for nurses, as they spend a significant amount of time with service users, thus nurses are usually the first source for information when service users want find out about a certain health condition (Risjord, 2011). In relation to tackling child obesity nurses will need knowledge about obesity to carry out successful health promotion (Bagchi, 2010). Grimmet et al (2010) found that parents and children either have inadequate or no knowledge on obesity and the severity of it. This suggests that there is lack of awareness on child obesity. Moyse states that nurses must offer guidance and lifestyle education each time they are in contact with service users. Working with the child’s family is vital as it will allow nurses to identify misunderstandings families have about: exercise, food consumption, and health matters (Moyse, 2009). This shows knowledge is vital when delivering health promotion as nurses can help both child and parent come to terms with health issues via education and advice. Having knowledge on health epidemiology will be vital for nurses in health promotion as if offers a depiction of current health conditions amid children thus highlighting areas which require priority. Currently in the UK 33% of boys and 30% of girls aged 2-15 years are obese (Health Survey for England, 2012). Since 1995-2006 the obesity rate has increased from 14% to 25% for boys and from 15% to 27% for girls. Obesity rates in boys aged 2-10 increased from 11% in 1995 to 17% in 2006 and girls 10% in girls to 12% in 2006 (Health Survey for England, 2012). Being aware of the prevalence and incidence of child obesity will allow nurses to identify: preventative approaches, monitor secular trends and allow nurses to recognise groups at risk (Naidoo Willis, 2009). Nurses need to have knowledge about a child’s psychological, social, physical and intellectual development. The Children Act (2004) states this as an obligation for all child practitioners involved in children’s health, protection and welfare. Being aware of child development is a significant step towardsunderstanding what establishes children’swellbeing, safety and promoting and maintaining wellbeing (DOH, 2012). This ensures that holistic care is given to the child as it considers all aspects of child’s health. In relation to childhood obesity child development is a vital aspect when delivering health promotion as it will help the nurse to identify how the child’s development is affected due to obesity and the implications caused by it, but most importantly it allows the nurse to identify how this can be altered to improve the child’s health (reference). Having evidence based knowledge is vital in health promotion, the NMC (2008) states that nurses must use evidence based practise to deliver excellent care and to ensure patient needs are met. In relation to child obesity nurses can acquire evidence based knowledge about obesity by reviewing literature this will offer understanding of key research, initiatives, interventions, and policy which are all key in implementing care for obese children  (Porter Cole, 2008). Having knowledge on health promotion theories and models will be beneficial for nurses as they underpin the application of health promotion. Theory can help implement health promotion in various ways (Nutbeam Harris, 2010). Models and theories offer a better understanding of health problem being addressed. They also explain the needs and motivations of the target population and offer suggestions in how to alter health status, health behaviour and their detriments. Health promotion models and theories also offer approaches and measures utilised to monitor the programmes and problems (Nutbeam Harris, 2010). In relation to child obesity nurses may use the nursing process, which has the following stages: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation. For instance the child will be assessed to identify child’s health needs as basis for care implementation. For the diagnosis the child’s weight and height may be measured, this will allow the nurse to identify if the child is obese by comparing the results to the national body mass index percentile, for children. Nurses may also have a consultation with parents to identify what may be contributing to child being obese. For planning nurses may devise a care plan for the child consisting of planned actions which are suitable for child’s needs i.e. regular exercise, balance diet or decreasing calorie intake to a sensible amount. For the implementation stage nurses will help the child to implement actions from the care plan e.g. food diary to help reduce calorie intake to recommended amount, encouraging the child and family to do 30 minutes of exercise per day or increasing healthier food choices. For the evaluation stage the nurse and child or family, will assess if the interventions were effective and if not how actions can be improved to ensure patients’ needs are met. Nurses need knowledge on health inequalities as the UK government has identified health inequalities as a key public health issue (DOH, 2013). Child obesity can be considered as a health inequality, as the National Child Measurement Programme, found high obesity rates amid 5 and 12 year olds were linked to increased socioeconomic deprivation (NCMP, 2010). The Healthy Lives Healthy People policy (DOH, 2010) aims to reduce health inequalities and increase opportunities by offering various services for both family and children. The policy stresses the significance of giving children a healthy start in life, it sets goals for the Healthy Child Programme, health visitors, and the Family Nurse Partnership and demonstrates how this contributes to the public health priority of promoting good health and wellbeing (DOH, 2010). Nurses play a key role in this policy by improving health and opportunities for children and young people via health promoting initiatives. For instance it aims to tackle child obesity by educating parents on healthy eating, and exercise. To achieve this nurses will need knowledge on the factors of health inequalities and health promotion methods which can be utilised to aid children and their parents to avert infirmity, injury and mortality (Moyse, 2009). Skills There is a vast range of skills used in health promotion to tackle public health issues. One of them is having the skill to collaborate with others. Brammer, (2007) states that effective support for families and children cannot be attained by a sole agency. Thus nurses must cooperate with others when delivering health promotion, to meet child’s needs. The DOH, states that NHS staff collaborate with each other in effective teams and that partnership is vital in implementing care to patients (DOH, 2006). Acheson suggests that in order to help people lead independent lives inter-professional collaboration is required to encourage public agencies to adapt services to individuals needs and to promote choice along with independence (Acheson, 1999). In relation child obesity nurses can collaborate with others to tackle environmental challenges, as it’s an area where nurses have less input. The environment consists of: physical, cultural, social and economic environment which are needed for one to make lifestyle modifications (Davis, 2007). Via inter-professional collaboration within multidisciplinary team or with agencies for example with nutritionists, schools, religious representatives, fitness and leisure centres and community food personnel environment barriers can be tackled (Mosytn, 2005). Family culture and social life can be modified by motivating the family to embrace a healthier lifestyle, hence resulting in a positive environment for modification (Davis, 2007). Having communications skills is crucial in health promotion (Webb, 2011). Wills et al (2007) found that nurses had to recognise how individuals acquire information, how information is exchanged effectively, how individuals make choices regarding their health and understand the way in which communities alter. In relation to child obesity, communicating with parents creates cornerstone of intervention to address the issue of child being obese. When communication is carried out correctly the foundation for working in partnership with obese children and their family can be formed and nurtured (Mikhailovich Morrison, 2007). Having the skill to deliver family centred care is a key aspect in health promotion, as families have a crucial part in ensuring the health and well-being of children and young people (Moyse, 2009). The National Service Framework (DOH, 2004) has guidelines which emphasis on health promotion and assisting families with education and resources from birth to adulthood. The guidelines ask for high quality care to promote and safeguard children and young people. By implementing family centred care nurses allow the formation of partnership with the child’s family in the pursuit of being amenable to the priorities and necessities of the family and child (Bowden Greenberg, 2011). Family centred care beneficial in delivery of health promotion as it improves care, allows successful distribution of resources, and satisfies both family and patient (Bowden Greenberg, 2011). In relation to child obesity optimal care is delivered by adopting family centred care, where care and advice is offered to both family and child to allow concordance. Having the skill to empower patients is vital, Tones Tilford (2001) argue that empowerment is most crucial feature of health promotion. In relation to child obesity empowering the young person to manage their health while satisfying their needs is vital. Empowerment has been recognised as key concept in encouraging healthy eating and exercise (Cochran, 2008). Attitudes To achieve effective health promotion nurses must encompass health promoting attitudes and demonstrate respect for all patients. Empathy is a crucial attitude in health promotion, McQueen (2005) states that empathy refers to being able to understand the patient’s behaviour and feelings. Malloch (2001) suggests that empathy forms trust and allows care to be negotiated, implemented and evaluated efficiently. The NMC, (2008) also states nurses need to be able deliver care with empathy. In relation to child obesity empathy is a key attitude as the DOH (2010) states that nurses must be empathetic with families when dealing with sensitive issue like child obesity. Being compassionate is vital when delivering health promotion as the DOH (2010) states that compassion forms the basis of care via through relationships formed on respect, dignity and empathy. Being non-judgmental is vital in health promotion, as the NMC (2008) states that care must be given in a universal, non-judgmental, kind and sensitive manner that avoids assumptions. Being a motivational is a key attitude nurses will require as it helps patients feel confident, thus making a desired health action more achievable Fisher, (2013). Harter suggests that patients will be motivated when they perceive themselves as being confident however if one feels they are not capable of fulfilling an action they are less likely to do it. Thus having a motivational attitude is vital as it increases patient’s self-esteem and prompts patients to take action on their health. Conclusion This essay has explored why nurses need skills, knowledge and attitude to deliver health promotion and how this can be used to tackle child obesity.

Free Essays - Catcher in the Rye :: Catcher Rye Essays

J.D Salinger gives his personal vision of the world successfully through his persona Holden Caulfield in the ‘Catcher in the Rye’.   Caulfield struggles with the background of New York to portray Salinger’s theme – you must live the world as it is, not as you would like it to be.   There by exposing Salinger’s vision on the world. Salinger went through many of the experiences Holden went though.   Salinger much like Holden had a sister that he loved very much, in the novel Phoebe is the only person that Holden speaks highly of; both men also spent time in a mental institution; Holden is telling the story from inside a institution; they were both kicked out of prep school and most importantly they were both a recluse from society.   This is why Salinger uses Holden as his persona all though out the book.   The ‘catcher in they Rye’ is almost like an autobiography for Salinger. He is using Holden as his persona to let us, the reader, dive into his thought pattern and find out some of the thoughts that he kept locked up in there. Salinger’s view of the world is lived out thought Holden – his persona. The novel is Holden’s steam of conscience as he is talking to a psychoanalyst â€Å"what would an psychoanalyst do†¦gets you to talk†¦for one thing he’d help you to recognise the patterns of your mind†. At the start of the novel it is addressed directly to us â€Å"if you really want to hear about it†. This gives us a sense of reality as though it is us that is the psychiatrist. We see the random thought patterns of Holden’s mind as he starts to feel more comfortable, Holden goes off on to many different tangents while he is talking. Salinger is using Holden as a type of easy way out to confess his view of the world.   This view is portrayed though two main aspects of the novel.   Firstly theme - you must live in a world as it is, not as you would like it to be.   Holden can’t seem to accept the world as it is and finds New York extremely â€Å"phoney†.   Holden has a great disliking for the movies, he finds them the phoniest of them all â€Å"I hate the movies like poison† and he cant believe that people actually make time to go to the there.

Report on Digi Telecom Essay

Recently Digi Telecommunications company is ranked as one of the best Telco companies in Malaysia and this is a report with emphasis on their success strategy derived from a financial analysis of up to date financial highlights of Digi Telecommunications. As it is a firm that is continuing to grow strong financially and a firm listed on the Bursa Stock exchange of Malaysia this report contains a few helpful tips and recommendations for Digi to remain successful and keep improving on its financial management strategies. IntroductionThe purpose of this report is to give an analysis of the financial position of Digi Malaysia company, mainly providing essential highlights for potential investors. In this report the content will consist of results of the calculated accounting ratios relevant to reflect profitability and liquidity, a comparison of financial statements and an analysis of the major trends and changes that occurred during the year 2009 and 2010. Another function of this repor t is to enlighten the reader on the main function of financial management and to define the basic and essential terms used in financial management.Other content of this report are a clear indication of the application of appropriate techniques tan one may use in order to determine whether Digi Malaysia is a healthy company for investment. The conclusion of this report will serve as a guideline for improvement as it will consist of a range of suggestions that are meant to help the company to improve its operations and also boost its financial state and becom more effective and attractive to investors.

Snapple Pricing and Product Strategy

Snapple Pricing and Product Strategy Snapple is an American soft drink company that ensures it has an effective product strategy: the strategy ensures that the company comes up with products that are competitive and responsive to the needs of the customers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Snapple Pricing and Product Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company makes brands of different flavors depending with the target market; some of the products include juice of different flavors, tea drinks, water, diet drinks, and fresh squeeze among others. The driving force to buying a certain product is the target market that the products are aimed at selling to. To come up with the products, the company engages in massive products and market research (Snapple Official Website). The main change that should be made in the company’s products is the packaging that they use: most of the products have been packed on plastic material that destroys the e nvironment; with the decomposition rate of plastics, when they have been deposited, they pollute the environment. The company should look for paper packaging material (when using paper concentration should be on recycled paper material), they will be less polluting. Snapple can be said to have a strong brand name across the markets it operates in, despite the competition in the soft drinks company, the company has been able to command an increasing market share and in the future its markets are likely to improve even further. When faced with an issue that can challenge the growth of its brand, the company is quick to react and change the ill move. The company can increase its markets further if it can have some low alcoholic products alongside the main line. The strategy will be a move of brand extension strategy: to get into the market, the company should make use of the strength of the current brand to persuade people adopt and embrace the new products (Monroe 63).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Pricing strategy The company uses a premium pricing model; the products can be said to be slightly higher than the average price of commodities in the industry. The reason why they have adopted the method is because of the strength of the brand. It has high quality products that can command a higher market than the others; when using the method, the company targets the working class and the high class members of the society. Premium pricing model is a strategic pricing model where the company rests on it strength in the market as well as the quality it offers. Since 1972, when the country was incorporated, they have developed unique products designs and they can blend sweet flavors to increase the market. When pricing the products, the company looks into the costs incurred, the profit margin as well as the costs sold by other companies in the same industry. After noting the average price in the market, the company’s marketing team then adds a margin that represents the premium as required by premium pricing strategy. The pricing method gives a higher return to the company but makes the products not affordable by the less fortunate in the society. The company should looks into the pricing approach that it is using; the current approach is locking the less fortunate in the society to afford the products. It should start taking use of economies of scale that it currently enjoys; with the current rate of economies of scale, the company can have some quality flavored products at a lower price (Kotler and Armstrong 263). Kotler, Philip, and Armstrong Gary. Principles of Marketing. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2010. Print. Monroe, Kent. The Pricing Strategy Audit. Cambridge: Cambridge Strategy Publications, 2003. Print. Snapple Official Website. Snapple. 2011. Web.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Snapple Pricing and Product Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

The Outsider by Albert Camus essays

The Outsider by Albert Camus essays This is an analysis on The Outsider by Albert Camus, an existentialist novel that details the life of Meursault, an anti-hero who refuses to play the game and conform to social norms, through a series of life changing events. The Outsider presents a strong relationship between the style of the text and its meaning, and it is exactly these things that will be explained throughout the remaining portion of this essay. The style of the text is spoken in the words of Meursault, simple and at most times, impassionate, yet it uses imagery and the elements of nature often to relay emotions to the reader. Behind the text are the themes of existentialism, human experience and social expectancies, which work together to create meaning. Through various links in the style of text, one can thus connect to its meanings. Analysis of the novels style should begin by recognizing the story's basic structure. There are three deaths, which mark the beginning, middle, and end of the story. First, Meursault's mother dies. This death occurs before the narration starts, but marks the start of Meursault's downfall. In the middle of the tale we have the death of an Arab. The defining events in The Outsider are set in motion by Meursault's apparent murder of the Arab, which is triggered by the enraging heat and other combined elements that seem to pursue him throughout the story. At the end of the novel, Meursault is executed. Interestingly, Meursault's name is also symbolic and backs up the points presented on the style of text. Mer means "sea" and Soliel is French for "sun." The sea and sun meet at the beach, where Meursault's fateful act occurs. During times of normality, Meursault sees things in very black and white terms. But when the suns rays thicken, everything exaggerates. At the end of chapter two, Me ursault details the perverse effects that the sun-drenched sky has on him. He describes the black, melting tar. By this stage he...

Computer Security Information Risk Assessment & Security Management Essay

Computer Security Information Risk Assessment & Security Management - Essay Example Before computers became ubiquitous, confidential information was stored in documents, photographs, audio or video tapes, etc. The confidentiality was ensured by keeping these items in locked safes, bank vaults, dual control safes, etc. This is prevalent to some extent even today. With Computers becoming ubiquitous, documents are now largely electronic. To preserve their integrity and confidentiality, recourse is made to password protection, data encryption, firewalls, intrusion detection software, etc. (Parker. B, Donn. Microsoft Encarta, n. d.) This is the age of the World Wide Web. Nowadays, almost every person having a vehicle loan, a housing loan, a credit or debit card, and automated teller machine card, a social security number, a passport, a driving license, a telephone connection, etc, has to provide detailed personal information to the agency or authority, which provides that particular facility or service. Most if not all such information is in electronic form and stored in some centralized Computer's Database. The crux of the problem is this electronic form of personal data. If a hacker succeeds in his hacking attempt then all such confidential data can be viewed, changed or destroyed by the hacker. There exist a vast number of such co... software such as automatic computer virus generators, internet eavesdropping sniffers, password guessers, vulnerability testers and computer service saturators to further their criminal ends. Adoption of such methods makes identity theft, fraudulent withdrawals from a bank account, fraudulent electronic funds transfer, etc, possible. A vast amount of confidential data is regularly exchanged between governmental agencies and financial institutions like banks and other corporations. This transfer of information usually takes place between computers located in different and far off places. In the 1970's Horst Fiestel of IBM, developed an encryption system known as Lucifer. In 1977, the U.S National Bureau of Standards developed an encryption standard known as the Data Encryption Standard. In 1997, the NIST developed the Advanced Encryption Standard. The use of these methods makes the encrypted message almost impossible to decipher. Unfortunately, this is used by terrorists and international criminals to plan and execute their nefarious activities. (Sutton. G, William, Rubin .D, Aviel, Microsoft Encarta, n. d.) The world is becoming increasingly networked. In this scenario, data encryption algorithms of increasing complexity are ensuring the secure transmission of information across Computer Networks. Password protected logins, firewalls, anti - spy ware like intrusion detection systems, anti - virus, application safeguards like generation of checksums, use of maker checker concept in financial transactions, authentication message source, use of roles and privileges, limit on transaction amount, redundancy of backups, parallel databases and the physical security of hardware. In addition to this, a mock disaster recovery drill should be conducted on a regular

Abstract Expressionism - Art and Surreal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Abstract Expressionism - Art and Surreal - Essay Example The essay "Abstract Expressionism - Art and Surreal" analyzes artworks of abstract expressionism. Surrealism in art derives its meaning as a manifestation of â€Å"a style of art and literature developed principally in the 20th century, stressing the subconscious or non-rational significance of imagery arrived at by automatism or the exploitation of chance effects, unexpected juxtapositions, etc". The works of Hans Hoffman and Jackson Pollack are examples of works exemplifying abstract expressionism and the application of surrealist ideas in terms of the free flow of improvised expressions of designs, colors and style depicted in their art works. Both artists employed the technique of action painting, defined as â€Å"a highly-charged, impulsive abstract painting technique during which paint is energetically splashed, spilt or dribbled onto a canvas, usually placed face-up on the floor†. Pollack’s One: Number 31 created in 1950 is basically shown in colors black, white and grey on a brown backdrop with obvious but artistic rendition of the drip technique. Hoffman’s Spring is more colorful with more lively hues of red, yellow, green and intermittent blue in conjunction with the white, black and gray drips and splashes. A connection between the two art works could be deduced from the similarities in style and drips forming long elongated lines that curve into an intricate web of patterns interwoven with other colors. Pollack created more splashes as evidenced by tiny blots of black paint just by the edge of the frame.

Management accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Management accounting - Essay Example It may be noted that the financial tool of ratio analysis has been used to make comments and comparisons between the two companies over their financial position and performance. During 2007 Intercontinental has not effectively improved upon its profitability performances in 2006. In fact it has maintained more or less the same level of profitability as was in 2006.The increases in profitability ratios in net profit and return on equity are deceptive. ROE has increased manifolds because capital employed has been reduced tremendously from $686m to mere $49m. Otherwise gross profit ratio that shows the real operative efficiency of the entity has dwindled and remained at almost the same level. Increase in return on capital employed is marginal. The overall efficiency on operational profitability has not improved. The profitability performance of Peel Hotels in 2007 has also gone down when compared with 2006. Gross profits and ROCE that show operational efficiency has shown declined performances. On the hand ROE, return on assets, net profit ratios that are affected by factors other than operation performances have shown increased performances. The result is that company has not improved upon its real profitability but shown efficiency only to attract investors and other interested users of financial statements. Both companies are facing liquidity crunch as reflected from their current and quick ratios. Both ratios are lower than the standards required to maintain optimum level of liquidity. The liquidity status is critical in both the years for each of the companies. The companies have to take some extraordinary steps to improve liquidity; otherwise both companies are facing the danger of short term insolvency. Intercontinental has low inventory turnover but it at least has maintained the same performance in 2007 as was in 2006. The company has shown improvement in collection of debtors but

Use of Technology Essay Example for Free

Use of Technology Essay The information age presents many challenges for those in education and government where there is the need for the whole population to be able to access and use new technologies. This will include use of computers, the internet and digital television which is key in determining and establishing a skilled workforce and empowered citizenry for the twenty first century; the possibility and potential of these new technologies to allow people to learn throughout the life-course is also seen as a ready means of establishing developed countries as a learning society. Governments around the world have come out and set targets and development policies to help all adult technologies – information communication technology- in making these users friendly in their own environments, (Selwyn, Gorard, Furlong, 2006). Despite the sums of money being invested in ICT and education, there is the need for establishing how close the society is in establishing technology based learning societies and the challenges that might be faced along the way. There is also the need to recognize the promise and potential of new technologies, mapping how ICT and ICT-based learning fit with the everyday lives of each individual as well as the ability of research in the community. In this time and age, many of us already have a hand held mobile device, a hand held computing device of some description as well as some form of Internet access in the homes or at the office. As well, the enthusiasts of the power of technology see the need to support and shape our everyday activities proliferate via newspapers, textbooks and television screens. All these are learning avenues and as well these have increased to e-commerce, e-tailing, cybersex, blogging, networked computerized technologies in the nineteenth century revolution; inspired by grand notions of globalization and post modernity, some scholars have taken to portraying adults in the early twenty-first century as living in a plentiful post-physical age where all that is solid melts into bits The importance of learning in information society The prominence of education and learning within the post-industrial, information society analysis was in no small part responsible for the high profile reassessment of education and training by educators and politicians in developing countries over the latter half of the 1990s. In countries such  as the UK, this was infamously embodied in New Labor’s 1977 election commitment to concentrate on education. The information society and knowledge economy agenda were particularly evident in the rise of political favor during the 1990s of the broad concept of lifelong learning, a notion embracing not only the compulsory phases of education but also education throughout adult life. This lifelong learning involves more than a narrow technical adjustment to the organization of educational provision; it is an attempted transformation in learning opportunities in order to meet the implicit demands of the information society/knowledge economy. If it is accepted that the production and distribution of knowledge and information are increasingly significant processes in the determination of global economic competitiveness and development, which are reflected in turn, in economic growth, employment change and levels of welfare, then the capacities of organizations and individuals to engage successfully in the learning process of a variety of kinds is an obvious determinant of economic performance. Policies and usage of ICT in schools For an effective learning environment in schools that incorporate ICT, the use of computers need to have policy frameworks to specify their use and how effective they will be in their use as this will give a general guideline in use as well as maintenance. In South Africa, the proportion of principles indicating the existence of written policies for both the lower and upper education levels were virtually the same, but emphasis was quite different. In almost all the schools too, there was a common vision on ICT as a policy goal that pay attention to norms and values when using services such as the internet; a survey in south Africa revealed that such visions were fully or partially realized both at the upper and the lower levels as other principals reported that developing a common vision was realized as a goal, (Howie, Muller, Paterson, 2005) On the other hand, at the upper level involving mature learning, it is certainly not hard to detect enthusiasms for ICT based technologies within the educational literature, reflecting the proliferation of new technologies such as the computer and internet in adult changing settings. In essence and principle, ICTs are argued to make learning more effective and more equitable, to offer a diverse range of  learning opportunities to a diverse range of adult learners on a suitable, convenient and cost effective basis as technology has been heralded by some to facilitate learning which is eclectic, holistic and flexible. In short, this is to say that ICTs are portrayed as making the wider goals of the knowledge economy and information society, (Howie, Muller, Paterson, 2005) Conclusion According to Law, Yuen Fox, (2011), sustaining or transformative uses of technology do not depend on technology alone, they also depend on the intended use of the technology in the specific educational contexts, often, and specific technologies priorities certain uses and hence can be used more easily for sustaining or transformative purposes. Such prioritization is not deterministic as further, the characteristic that mist influences the choice and deployment of ICT in school education is the pedagogical decision-making of the teacher. This in turn is determined by the curriculum goals and training as well as pedagogical competencies of the teacher, (Law, 2008) Transformative use of technology in schools and education as discussed above are those that are integral to the implementation of innovative pedagogical practices. This involves the changing roles of the teachers, learners and members of the community, and the power relationships among these three groups. The way learning outcomes are assessed and staff performance is appraised also changes, thus challenging the predominant value and reward system inherent in the education system today. In particular, the integration of ICT in learning can be an effective tool in widening education participation, supporting a diversity of educational provision as well as lead to better form and outcomes of adult learning. ? Work Cited Howie, S. J., Muller, A., Paterson, A. (2005). Information and Communication Technologies in. Howie, S. J., Muller, A., Paterson, A. (2005). Information and Communication Technologies in (n.d.): 1-9. Web. Sept.-Oct. 2014. This journal discusses the benefits of using technology in education, as well as the challenges it has created. The writer’s thoroughly researched paper convinces its readers of the vastness of the technological world. South Africa: Reforming Higher Education and Transforming the National System of Innovation. Academia.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014. This article is written to inform its readers about, the transformation of education with rapid inventions of newer technologies. Nurturing Leadership and Establishing Learning Organizations. Educational Innovations Beyond Technology. N.p., n.d. Web. Oct.-Nov. 2014.Selwyn, N., Gorard, S., Furlong, J. (2006). This research discuses the methods and technological innovations used in learning. Adult Learning in the Digital Age: Information Technology and the Learning Society. N.p., n.d. Web. Oct.-Nov. 2014. This research discusses the use of technology in education, as well as its impact on education.

Macys Department Store Repositioning Marketing Essay

Macys Department Store Repositioning Marketing Essay In 2005, Federated Department Stores (Federated) decided to pursue the repositioning and consolidation strategy of its 15 regional stores chains under just one national brandMacys. Federateds decision was in response to the decline in sales and profits of the traditional department store industry. Just three years later, U.S. was hit with the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression that threatened the existence of many successful retail giants, including Macys. In addition, in 2008, the loss in profits during Christmas of that year was just the tip of the iceberg for department stores that traditionally were used seeing the highest yearly profits during the holiday season. Other factors such as rise of gas prices that increased delivery costs to the stores along with rise of cotton prices due to issues with the crop that increased the prices of clothes made out of cotton further exacerbated the already fragile retail industry. In addition, Macys was positioned in the upper m iddle segment of the market and had no choice but to increase the prices of certain goods to its customers, thus leading to reduction in sales volume and profits. Moreover, Macys was faced with another challenge. The department store industry was divided into 5 market segment based on price of items. The segmented consisted of high-end luxury, high-end general, upper-middle, lower-middle, and the low-end areas. Additionally, since Macys was already in the upper middle segment of the market, the company could not immediately launch into the other four segments without spending time developing a workable strategy that will not negatively affect its revenue generation, brand image, market share and not to mention the continue availability of the jobs of many of its employees in different locations, and the retention of the loyalty of customers and suppliers. Furthermore, the traditional department store industry was in a declining stage and consumers were scare, which made competition for the existing companies to be aggressive for sliver of the limited profits that were still available. Yet competition within existing companies was not the only threat, discount stores like Walmart and Marshalls were beginning to build momentum in the market, gaining more sales. Of course, with the popularity of the Internet, online shopping was also rising in popularity, once again adding more retailers to the already heavily competitive environment. Thus, these factors propelled Macys to begin in repositioning and consolidating efforts to restore its vitality. Consolidation and repositioning tactics, from internal perspective, provided Macys an avenue in creating a national brand and reducing the unit cost of Macys advertising and promotional budgets considerably due to having one central hub for all administrative functions and bulk purchasing. The success of the consolidation strategy is attributed to several factors. For instance, Macys brand already had nationwide recognition as Americas department store through aggressive national advertising activities, Fourth of July Celebrations and Thanksgiving Day Parade. Additionally, when Federated had consolidated its regionally established department stores, these stores had a well-established customer base, were regionally well known, and were in prime locations close to business districts or large shopping centers, which meant that Macys did not have to put any efforts into developing business for those stores but rather maintain and increase business with them. Moreover, both Federated and Macys had solid leadership teams with strong retail and department store experiences. In fact, Federated management team was already well aware of the issues involving brand conversion since Federated had converted some of its regional stores to Macys brand prior to the official 2005 consolidation. The management team also had a well established relationship with major supply chain and distribution networks that were now selected to serve the Macys stores. Thus, once again Macys did not have to put any efforts into establishing new relationships but would simply have to maintaining the existing ones. Thus, the offshoot of the consolidation tactic enabled Macys to provide moderately priced goods to its consumers thereby maintaining high levels of competitiveness by remaining at the middle of a bell shaped curve and identifying it positioning as affordable luxury. Yet, offering affordable prices was not the only repositioning tactic used by Macys, the company also changed its brand from specific demographics to fashion conscious consumers as well as the younger female audience. Macys created a bridal registry and offered fashions made by younger designers to further differentiate its brand from the traditional department stores that had failed in their past attempt to attract consumers between ages of 18-25. In addition, Macys launched Everyday Value strategy program that promoted value pricing such that customers would be able to purchase products without having to wait for sales day and the availability of coupons to get the most bang for their buck. These tactics would enable Macys to broaden its consumer base, minimize the entrance of new competitors as well as the emergence of substitutes into its market segment. Despite the benefits of consolidation and repositioning efforts, there are some negative factors to consider. Change is often very difficult as most individuals are creatures of habit. Thus, consolidation of department stores to one brand (in this case Macys) meant that existing consumers who had regularly shopped at their favorite department stores (such as the conversion of Marshall Fields to Macys in Chicago) would now have to adjust to new products, prices and services. In fact, the perception of some loyal consumers post consolidation was negative, complaining that Macys store had lower quality products and services. Therefore, consumers were reluctant to shop at Macys. Unfortunately, Macys decision to standardize its products and pricing nationwide to lower purchasing cost actually backfired. In fact, standardization resulted in higher prices of products offered at Macys compared to the former regional department stores chains, thus consumers were apprehensive to shop at the ne w Macys. However, post consolidation challenges that Macys had encountered did not deter the company from pursuing its long repositioning and branding objectives. Macys continued to aggressively promote its brand nationwide through celebrity advertisement. The company forged ahead as an exponential revenue generating entity by focusing on fashion, adding Martha Stewart, Tommy Hilfiger and Beyonce product lines while still embracing the concept of affordable luxury and participating in Fourth of July Fireworks as well as the annual Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade. At the same time, Macys did not ignore the unfavorable results of its post consolidation and repositioning hiccups that threatened its brand and image. Instead, Macys made some necessary adjustments in order to accommodate its consumers. For instance, in response to negative consumer reception of the product and price standardization decision, Macys abandoned the strategy and instead tailored the product selection based on consumers ne eds. In this way, customers would have a pleasant shopping experience and begin to trust in Macys brand, which would increase the frequencies in which they visit Macys stores and make purchases. Additionally, as a result of the financial crisis in 2008, many department and retail stores offered promotional discounts such as percent off to sell overstocked inventory and attract consumers, Macys followed suit and discontinued its Everyday Value program to sustain itself during recession. Indeed, individually all of the above tactics are cash cows themselves therefore in combining them Macys was able to create a unique and valuable marketing position on the national landscape that would be difficult for its competitors to replicate. For Macys, the consumer became the basis for its strategies in terms of the market segments generated, the objectives of the national promotions and advertisings created, the remodeling of the stores for a better shopping experience, the focus on fashion rather than demographics, understanding differences in consumers needs and tastes and setting the price point at a moderate level. It was because of these tactics and strategies that the company began to increase its relevance and uniqueness among its targeted audience. Thus, Macys definitely found a way to be less conservative than the traditional department store as a results of its well developed and thought out and timely executed strategies, which should continue reaping the success f or several years to come.

Behaviorial Based Interviewing :: Human Resources

Behavioral interviewing is a technique employers use to determine if you are a good fit for the job. This is accomplished by asking questions that pertain to your past behavior. The information gained through this technique is used as an indicator of your future success. In other words, the answers you give about your past experiences will be used to predict your future performance (Quintessential) Employers use often use behavioral interviews to evaluate the candidates past behavior and experiences to determine their potential for success within the company. Organizations need to be prepared in searching for the right employee. There may be a wealth of talent looking for a job, but it's important to find right person who "fits" the company. Dr. Paul Green of Behavioral Technology, Inc. developed and trademarked the behavioral interviewing system. In behavioral interviewing, employers expect candidates to succinctly reveal specific stories about relevant work situations they encountered. If the interviewer does not receive an sufficient answer, the interviewer usually probes the candidate to receive more concrete examples. Although some consider this task time consuming, it is a valuable method in narrowing a large pool of applicants. In this technique, employers learn how people actually behaved in certain situations in prior jobs. Many human resources professionals believe this is a very effective predictor of behavior in future positions (Green). The employer identifies job-related experiences, knowledge, behaviors, skills, and abilities that the company desires for the particular position. Behaviorial Based Interviewing :: Human Resources Behavioral interviewing is a technique employers use to determine if you are a good fit for the job. This is accomplished by asking questions that pertain to your past behavior. The information gained through this technique is used as an indicator of your future success. In other words, the answers you give about your past experiences will be used to predict your future performance (Quintessential) Employers use often use behavioral interviews to evaluate the candidates past behavior and experiences to determine their potential for success within the company. Organizations need to be prepared in searching for the right employee. There may be a wealth of talent looking for a job, but it's important to find right person who "fits" the company. Dr. Paul Green of Behavioral Technology, Inc. developed and trademarked the behavioral interviewing system. In behavioral interviewing, employers expect candidates to succinctly reveal specific stories about relevant work situations they encountered. If the interviewer does not receive an sufficient answer, the interviewer usually probes the candidate to receive more concrete examples. Although some consider this task time consuming, it is a valuable method in narrowing a large pool of applicants. In this technique, employers learn how people actually behaved in certain situations in prior jobs. Many human resources professionals believe this is a very effective predictor of behavior in future positions (Green). The employer identifies job-related experiences, knowledge, behaviors, skills, and abilities that the company desires for the particular position.