The Impact of Climate Change on New Hampshire Business

Choosing a Short Story Setting that Matters

Choosing a Short Story Setting that Matters Mississippi native, Eudora Welty, was one of the most influential American short story writers of our times. She held this title because she understood the absolute and primary importance of setting within the genre. She said, Every story would be another story, and unrecognizable if it took up its characters and plot and happened somewhere else... Fiction depends for its life on place. Place is the crossroads of circumstance, the proving ground of, What happened? Whos here? Whos coming?...The importance of setting is often overlooked by amateur writers who delve so deeply into characterization that they forget to acknowledge the setting as one of the most necessary characters of them all. For this reason, the setting should be relevant and familiar to the author- a place he or she knows well and a place that can be described in detail to bring the reader there. The typical word count of short stories does not allow for the same extent of characterization that can be used in novels, so setting must add the additional layer. Who the characters are will inevitably be molded by the setting of the short story.What is included in setting?Setting is more than just place or geographical location. It also includes time period, time of year, and time of the day, as well as the temperature and weather conditions on that day. Beyond this, it includes the social conditions of the characters- the local color, mannerisms, customs, speech patterns and dialects. All of these added together are the framework of setting and all are important to allow your reader to understand the characters you have created.Since short stories are limited in their words, the tactics you use for creating setting and atmosphere should be chosen wisely. For example, while using the five senses is important (what the character is touching, hearing, seeing, etc.), you must still move the plot forward at a steady pace to reach the resolution within a lowered word count limit. What this means is you ca nt get lost in sensory detail, although it is important; your setting needs to pervade the story but not overpower it.Setting and contextSetting creates the context within which your characters will change and develop. Think of it this way: In real life, a persons context creates them. Their history, their economic situation, and their cultural background all play an integral role in shaping that person into who they are. The same is true for fictional characters. You must consider a characters context to understand them in depth and the setting creates much of that context for them. It is therefore an incredibly useful part of plot for a writer and much can be accomplished within the creation of it.The impact of settingAs mentioned above, the impact of setting in fiction works much the same way as the impact of setting in real life. How a character sees or interprets the scenes around him or her (and thereby, the setting) will tell the reader much about that character. Is the chara cter moved by the setting? Is the character afraid of the setting? Is the character attempting to escape the setting? All of these considerations will create a three-dimensional depth to your characters that would otherwise be absent if not for the revelations that the setting (and the characters reaction to it) provides.Authors goals in creating settingSo what should be the authors goals in creating a short story setting that does what it is supposed to do?Think about what elements of setting are essential to the story. If a character needs to view something in order to have a particular reaction, make sure youve created the space from which they can view it. If a landmark is a necessary element of the story, describe it in detail. Consider all of the thematic approaches that you wish to use and then think about how setting can relate them.Think about what is needed for characterization. Do you need to show a particular characters attachment to his or her family through photos on t he wall? Can you use objects to show a characters lack of responsibility instead of simply stating that he or she is irresponsible? Is the character poor, rich or middle class, and what possessions can they have to denote this?Think about the backstory you need to tell. What parts of your setting have been influenced by earlier events? What is the name of the street or town, and what previous events does that name suggest? What does a character have in his or her possession that tells us something about their past without overtly stating it? What does the character reveal through conversation about where he or she has been and where he or she is going?Think about how to reveal time, place and culture. The objects in the room or surrounding a character reveal the time period in which he or she is living. Street names or famous landmarks reveal location. Artifacts and symbols reveal the culture associated with the story and the characters within it. All of these elements of plot shoul d be shown rather than told.Only through careful consideration of all that your setting should reveal are you able to use setting the way it is meant to be used in writing a short story. Since the short story has such an abbreviated time to reveal a lot of information, using setting to say more than whats written is not only important- its necessary.

Strategic operations management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strategic operations management - Essay Example Therefore, the understanding of customers and market-place is vital in establishing a successful supply chain. An organisation can build a proper supply chain by understanding the constraint of an exiting market. A well managed supply chain can reduce the overall cost of an organisation and also can improve customer satisfaction. Just-In-Time (JIT) and lean manufacturing have been a pioneering innovation by the Toyota Production System. It can go a long way in helping a company to implement a successful supply chain method. Lean manufacturing was first employed on a global scale in 1980s. This process aims to reduce as well as eliminate overall industrial waste (Mason-Jones, 2000). Lean and agile supply chain have been implemented by many of the organisations in present with tremendous success. The term ‘lean’ comes from leanness i.e. developing a value stream for eliminating all kind of wastes like time and also to ensure a level schedule. The term ‘agile’ comes from agility which transforms to using market understanding and also a virtual corporation for exploiting beneficial opportunities in a volatile marketplace. Many organisations have implemented both lean and agile supply chain for gaining competitive advantage. Lean method (or lean manufacturing) essentially focuses upon the reduction of wastes from the manufacturing process. The basic principle of this process has been the ‘pull’ strategy that is based upon the demand from the end of the customers. It is a made-to-stock approach which relies mainly upon completed materials inventory. Toyota production system have used this method to streamline their overall supply chain. In fact, a major portion of the lean manufacturing has been developed in the Toyota Production System. Lean process tries to avoid sturdiness in manufacturing by calling for the demand of a product to be stable through the utilization of market knowledge and forward planning and also

Opinion Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Opinion - Article Example Genetic analysis using the most modern methodologies alone can help recreate the ancestral relation of modern man to each of its ancestors and help track down the origin of man. Introduction Based on the study of fossils by paleoanthropologists, it was established that Homo Erectus was present in East Africa nearly 2 million years ago (Pic1). Homo Erectus is known to have large cranial capacity and was conversant with hunting however was still unfamiliar with methods of building or agriculture. Most scientists believe that Homo Erectus moved out of Africa where they slowly developed into Neanderthals and other homo erectus groups. Out of the two proposed hypotheses for the origin of man, the out-of-Africa hypothesis, though debated upon, is largely supported with fossil evidences and genetic analysis. According to the article selected, genetic analysis of homo sapiens or the modern man shows that Homo sapiens descended from Homo erectus in Africa nearly 200,00 years ago. Post this, H omo sapiens moved out of Africa to different places such as Asia, Europe and later to Australia and America. Thus, gradually Homo Sapiens are said to have replaced all the Homo Erectus according to the out-of-Africa theory. One of the most important evidences to support this is mt DNA analysis of African and non-African populations. Mitochondrial analysis clearly reveals that the mt DNA (mitochondrial Dna), which is the DNA extracted from mitochondria, sequence diversity is greater among Africans than that of non-Africans thereby establishing the point that the ancestors of Homo Sapience must have had diverged in the African region. DNA sequences obtained from Y-chromosome or mitochondria support the fact that the roots of the modern man are based in east Africa. DNA analysis also establishes that large scale migration of Homo sapiens occurred out of the East African region to Ethiopia, Eurasia, Asia etc More advanced genetic analytic studies like that of single nucleotide polymorph ism (SNP) or microsatellite study also supports the fact that the modern man originated in Africa and then spread to other parts of the world.However, there are several unanswered questions regarding this migration and the out-of-Africa hypothesis. BODY 1. Mark Stoneking and Johannes Kruase compared the DNA sequence of Neanderthal to that of modern day mani. The mt DNA of the Neanderthals differed vastly from that of Homo sapiens. Newer studies suggest admixture i.e. interbreeding of species where genetic material exchanges are seen. The out-of-Africa theory was tested according to which â€Å"a single dispersal from Africa followed by separate migrations from this ancestral non-African source population, and this scenario receives the strongest support from the data (P = 0.74)† (Stoneking & Kruase). I feel that the previous out-of-Africa theory needs to be modified since genome analysis provides a direct relationship according to which it is seen that Neanderthals and Deniso van genomes diverged from hominin genome. After this the sister groups i.e. Neanderthal and Denisovan diverged and migrated as admixtures while the rest of the hominins in Africa gradually became the modern man. Therefore, the prior belief that Homo sapiens evolved entirely in Africa before migrating to other places is modified into the fact that hominins diverged into groups which interbred and this admixture migrated to other places

Cuban missel crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cuban missel crisis - Essay Example However the Soviet Union did not posses arms capable enough of striking targets in United States; the Soviet missiles could only reach targets in Europe. Considering this, the Soviet Leadership under Nikita Khrushchev decided to deploy nuclear arsenals in Cuba, a country where the Soviets had great influence and which was a major threat to the United States in the region. The idea behind the decision was to bring United States in striking range of Soviet missiles and it was conceived to act as a detterent against any potential attack by the United States on the Soviet territory. Fidel Castro, the Cuban dictator wanted the Soviet Union to help him out for saving his regime because ever since the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, Castro was feeling that a second attack was imminent. Threat from United States made Castro to approve and support the Soviet Union’s program of deploying the Soviet nuclear arms in Cuba. After the formal approvals from the Cuban government and autho rities, the Soviet army took practical steps to deploy the missiles in Cuba and during the summer of 1962 the missile installations were built in Cuba (Schier). The actual crisis began when reconnaissance photographs revealed that the Soviets were construction missile base in Cuba. President John Kennedy took immediate action and formed a committee of his twelve most important advisors for solving the crisis. After long deliberations and debates among the governmental departments and authorities, it was decided that a naval quarantine will be imposed around Cuba for preventing the Russian missiles from reaching Cuba (Hilsman). After the establishment of the quarantine, the President addressed the public and informed the nation about the missile installations. He also warned the Soviet leadership about the possible consequences of any sort of armed aggression against the United States. He said that any attack launched from Cuba will be considered as an attack on the United States: â €Å"It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon Soviet Union†¦ I call upon Chairman Khrushchev to halt and eliminate this clandestine, reckless and provocative threat to world peace and to stable relations between our two nations. I call upon him further to abandon this course of world domination, and to join in a historic effort to end the perilous arms race and to transform the history of man. He has an opportunity now to move the world back from the abyss of destruction by returning to his government’s own words that it had no need to station missiles outside its own territory, and withdrawing these weapons from Cuba.† The tensions gradually built up as the Soviets showed little flexibility in their stance of deploying missiles in Cuba. A letter was received from Khrushchev calling for a guarantee from US not to attack Cuba, later the Soviet leader demanded the removal of United States missiles from Turkey in return of removal of missiles from Cuba. After the US agreed to issue a guarantee that it will not invade Cuba the tensions began to ease out and the Soviet leade

Examining Netflixs Business Model

Examining Netflixs Business Model Analyze Netflixs business model? How does Netflix change the video distribution industry? Business Model Business Model describes how a company produces, delivers and sells a service or product to create value for its customers, shareholders and other stakeholders. Netflix a pioneer in the online DVD subscription services operates in the in-home entertainment video market. In-home distribution channels include home video rental and retail outlets, cable and satellite television, pay-per-view, VOD (video-on-demand), internet streaming and broadcast television. (Source:- Netflix Annual Report 2005 Section Industry Overview) Netflix started operations in 1997 and relied on the DVD format as the medium of in-home entertainment, although this format of viewing was restricted to a small population of affluent, technology-savvy customer base. Over a period of time DVD became accepted as the choice and its penetration into every household rose exponentially. Netflixs business model revolves around its home-grown proprietary software Cinematch which powers its website and a comprehensive information system to manage operations. The comprehensive information system allows it to manage and integrate business across order processing, customer service and fulfilment operations. This leads to maximum utilization of library and operate with a decreased number of customer reps. It had 100 customer reps to handle 115,000 customers in the early days, now it has 43 to handle 3.2 million customers. From a business perspective management, organizational and technical elements are aligned towards customer focussed innovations. Warehouse workers get free Netflix subscriptions and DVD players. Corporate Employees are kept happy with perks so that they are eager to solve tough engineering problems to improve user experience. Netflix and the video distribution industry Netflix changed the video distribution from a store based rental channel to an online subscription based distribution channel. The web-site enables subscription account signup and management, personalized movie merchandising, inventory optimization and customer support (Source:- Netflix Annual Report 2009). Coupled with features such as social networking (Friends) and queue management (Profiles) it compares each subscribers movie preferences derived from the individuals past ratings and rental patterns with preferences of other users contained in the database and comes up with personalized movie recommendations unique to each subscriber. The company leveraged on the power of Internet and technology to achieve two purposes (a) Enhance customer experience by providing them a web-based portal tailored to individual preferences. It comes up with a customer specific recommendation list based on the individuals ratings of past viewings. Customers can set up their queues and receive delivery through mail. There is no return deadline; no charges and the DVDs can be mailed back through pre-paid envelopes. (b) Enhance operational efficiency Traditional Video rental retail outlets would have to compromise on the number of titles available in each of its stores because of space constraints. Netflix has an advantage in being able to offer a much wider range of titles since the stock is piled in its warehouses. One of its core business strengths is its vast catalogue of not so popular and old time movies and TV show content which is cost effective to procure and profitable to sell, but is not available in conventional retail stores. Cinematch also avoids suggesting out-of-stock movies and ensures maximum utilization of inventory. An effective and comprehensive Information system enables it to distribute DVDs from the nearest warehouse through US Mail. There are 100 shipping points across the United States which enables the company to provide delivery in one business days for 97% of its customers. Advantages and Disadvantages to potential customers Advantages Personalized DVD rental services and movies through internet streaming. The recommendation software is quite accurate and is built on the customers historic choices and ratings. Coupled with the social networking feature (Friends) it avoids the customer to go through the hassles of selecting and ending up with something he does not like. Availability of a wide range of not so popular and old titles which are not available in a conventional DVD rental stores. Disadvantages The recommendation software purposefully omits out-of-stock titles and hence influences the choice of the customer. It is intentionally slowing down delivery to high volume customers which are not so profitable. Instead it gives a preference to the low volume members. Hence preferential treatment is given to the more profitable low volume customers. Ability to fight competition and sustain its own markets (Source: Annual Report 2009. From Sec Filings of 2010 Subscribers have increased to 20,010(in thousands), Revenues have increased to $2,162 Million and Net Income has increased to $161 Million) Netflix has continued to increase its subscription base, revenues and net income over the years. The following analysis is based on how information systems can address Porters competitive forces model Traditional Competitors, New Market Entrants, Substitute Products and Services, Customers and Suppliers Low-cost Leadership Netflix uses its information systems to ensure maximum utilization of inventory and avoiding recommending out-of-stock titles. The information system integrates order processing and customer service and this has given it a cost advantage with increase in scale of operations, driving down per-unit cost and Netflix has been able to price its service offering at levels difficult for competition to meet. Product Differentiation Netflixs personalized web based movie selection services and technological innovations in the movie recommendation algorithm are a huge entry barrier for new entrants. Although the software and technology is not hard to replicate Netflix has the advantage of a database of over half a billion movie ratings and takes in more than a million new ones every day. Focus on market niche Unlike competitors like Amazon, Netflix has built its information systems targeted to the in-home entertainment industry. It has engaged with partners to expand the number of devices which can support streaming videos from Netflix. Strengthen Customer and Supplier Intimacy Almost 60% of the movies customers put in their queue comes from Netflixs recommendation system and ensures customers run a lesser risk of wasting time on a movie that they will not enjoy. This increases the switching costs for the customer. Although the case study does not state anything explicitly, the annual reports of 2010 indicate that Netflix obtains content through streaming content license agreements, DVD direct purchases and DVD and streaming revenue sharing agreements with studios, distributors and other suppliers and our assumption is that suppliers would benefit from Netflixs recommendation software which could boost up sales of their not so popular titles. All new titles do not end up becoming blockbusters and the less popular ones could get recommended to customers with specific preferences based on Cinematch algorithm. Competitive strengths of Netflix include an iconic brand, personalized merchandising, growing scale without substantial increase in cost and an information system catering to convenience, selection and fast delivery. Principal competitors are DVD rental outlets and kiosk services, such as Blockbuster, Movie Gallery and Redbox (Source: Netflix Annual Reports 2010) Video package providers with pay-per-view and VOD content including cable providers, such as Time Warner and Comcast; direct broadcast satellite providers, such as DIRECTV and Echostar; and telecommunication providers such as ATT and Verizon (Source: Netflix Annual Reports 2010) Online DVD subscription rental web sites, such as Blockbuster Online (Source: Netflix Annual Reports 2010) Entertainment video retail stores, such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Amazon.com (Source: Netflix Annual Reports 2010) Internet movie and TV content providers, such as Apples iTunes, Amazon.com, Hulu.com and Googles YouTube. (Source: Netflix Annual Reports 2010) Popularity of alternative entertainment mediums which can be distributed using a similar business model like Netflix (Example Gaming CD and DVDs) Threats Currently the time for distribution in DVD format is shorter than release to other mediums (VOD, premium TV etc) after a theatrical release of a movie. This gives a competitive advantage to the DVD market. However this competitive advantage may go if the distribution to these multiple formats happens simultaneously. The proprietary technology and information systems are also based on a certain historic scale of operations which has increased substantially and this could lead to systemic disruptions and negatively impact operations. The DVD format would probably give way to Internet movie and TV content providers and Netflix would be left stranded with its warehouse and sophisticated mail handling systems. However the one thing which will continue to survive is CINEMATCH and its database of billions of movie ratings which will give a competitive edge to Netflix when it decides to switch over to other formats of movie distribution. AOL, Yahoo to Charge for Email Question: Yahoo and AOL are relying on some durable economic laws to support there new email product. What are these? What are the new opportunities that they can exploit by Certified mail product? Durable economy: Assumption: 1. Net Neutrality Legislation will not be approved by the congress. 2. Certified mails also have an opt-out feature that allows recipients to unsubscribe. A sustainable or durable economy requires the development of programs, policies, and implementable initiatives that encourage activities that will empower communities and conservation of resources; promote environmental justice; preserve ways-of-life; and promote by example and through discourse the ideas of ecological and participatory democracy and its real world implications. The basic principal of economy is to distribute the scare resource to most needy ones. In reference to this caselet, the spam mails are using the network bandwidth preventing the internet users to do there legitimate work. The real value produced by information providers comes in locating, filtering and communicating what is useful to the consumer. The certified email service allows email service providers to deliver only the legitimate emails to end users. As the legitimacy and the background of the email originators are already verified by the service providers like GoodMail, this will help in reducing the spam detection cost for AOL and Yahoo. Also, spam and Phishing is bigger threat to web based mail users. To keep the user experience, companies spending huge amount of money to reduce the spam. The fundamental factors that determine the profitability is industry structure and sustainable competitive advantage. By offering these service AOL and Yahoo can out perform there competit ion. There aint no such thing as a free lunch .The economic theory, and also the lay opinion, that whatever goods and services are provided, they must be paid for by someone. The information production and delivery systems requires significant amount of investment in Hardware, Software, network systems. To sustain this business, they need to recover the cost and make profit. The free mail based service cost the mail service providers close to $10-$12 per user. By charging the business to deliver there message to its users, they can recover this cost. Yahoo, AOL mail users will also benefit from this as the information sent to there inbox is useful to them and also they will have an option to unsubscribe these certified mails if they wish too. The business will be willing to pay these charges for sending the mails as this toll will allow them maximize there ROI. Opportunities for AOL and Yahoo: Customer care in a service-based industry and priority email delivery In the information age, service based industry rely heavily on email based communication. Companies want to make sure that, there product information, quires and customer concerns are addressed in stipulated time. The internet traffic is growing year by year and which creating the bandwidth issues. Yahoo and AOL can start the priority email service (similar to the Fedx, USPS, US post which charges for faster delivery) where they can provide the guarantee of delivering mails and to user inbox in stipulated time by charging the legitimate fees. They can work with ISPS to prioritize there mail traffic by sharing the revenue they earn. Eg. Distributed Document Processing services. Govt agencies wanting to reach out to mass public to explain there policies. Yahoo and AOL can offer products to government agencies where they can deliver there communication directly to users inbox. On line Advertising By collecting information about their interests, what particulars mail users want ( based on the responses to the certified mails),Yahoo and AOL can customize adds that can be displayed alongside users mail box page. Reduce the spam and provide security to there users. Phishing and online identity theft are the fastest-growing threats to the email users. By using certified email service Yahoo and AOL can fight the spams better which will help in en-reaching the user experience. This will attract more users.

Environmental Destruction in Southeast Asia due to Golf Course Developm

Environmental Destruction in Southeast Asia due to Golf Course Development The sport of golf has come a long way since it was first played on the wind blown pasture lands of Scotland over 600 years ago. Today, golf courses around the world are in a way their own small ecosystem, where only pieces of the natural environment are a part of these artificial landscapes. Courses are meticulously groomed for both championship and tourist play. The game is taking front stage all over the world and new courses are being constructed everyday. This may be great for the game of golf and the wealthy investor who is making millions off of these luscious green fairways, but what about the drawbacks to environmental degradation that it is causing? The main environmental effects of golf courses in Southeast Asia are similar to those all over the world, but lack government regulation like in the United States. These countries do not have a strict Environmental Protection Agency or other NGOs to keep these issues under control. The main problems between the environment and golf course development that will be discussed in this paper include water usage and contamination, deforestation, the use of toxic chemicals and fertilizers, and the importation of non native grasses. The governments of these countries will also be examined, as to how they are dealing with these problems and how, if at all, they are helping their native people. After discussing the problems of Southeast Asia’s golf boom, this synthesis will go into detail about what can be done to help slow down or eliminate many of these problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The world’s golf craze and Japan’s current obsession over the game has swept through the countries of Southeast Asia since the early 1990’s and currently there are over 500 new courses in the region. This compares to a total of only 45 golf courses in these same countries in the early 1970’s. Currently, Malaysia has 155 courses, Indonesia has approximately 90, the Philippines have 80, and Thailand has close to 200 golf courses spread throughout their landscape.(ASIAGOLF) Along with these newly developed golf courses come all of the negative environmental impacts. In many of these countries, the government is either too corrupt, poor or they are focusing their energies on a multitude of other issues. Negative environmental effects are often times low on their pri... ...ts of Golf Course Development." Clubbing Southeast Asia. 12 Apr. 2005 . "Japan Golf Courses and Deforestation (JPGOLFCase)." Japan's Golf Courses and the Environment. 1 Nov 1997. 12 Apr. 2005 . Cassady, Jeff (Bayer Crop Science). Personal interview. 12 Apr 2005. Contact Information: (336) 255-1164 "TED Case Study." Asia Golf and Environment. 1 Nov 1997. 12 Apr. 2005 . Fahn, James David. A Land On Fire. Bolder: Westview, 2003. (Fahn 53-59) Chris, Reuther. "Towards a Greener Game." A New Environmental Awareness is Slowly Taking Hold of the U.S. Golf Industry. Aug 1999. The Academy of Natural Sciences. 14 Apr. 2005 . "Sport and Environment: Thailand's Golf Boom." Forces Behind Thailand's Golf Rush. 12 Apr. 2005 . (Sport and Environment: Thailand's Golf Boom) Morita, Gen . "Global Antigo." The Global Anit-Golf Movement - Manifesto. 4 1993. The Global Anti-Golf Movement. 14 Apr. 2005 . "Impact of golf courses: social, environmental, and economic." Impact of Golf Courses. Barcelona Field Studies Centre SL. 12 Apr. 2005 . Hildebrant, Timothy . "Environmentalists cry 'fore!' in China." csmonitor.com. 16 Jul 2003. the Christian Science Monitor. 12 Apr. 2005 .

Money: United States and Famous Wealthy Businessman

In this day and age, it is almost impossible to live without money. Money is the key to getting most of what we need and want. Evil is an impious act, which takes over individuals or societies and makes them do wrongdoings to each other. This brings us to our topic of discussion: â€Å"Money is the root of all evil†. There are two different attitudes to this topic. A group believes that money is not the root to all evil. In the world we currently live in, one needs money in order to survive and be happy.Money gives people possibilities and when available, it allows people to live luxurious lives. When accessible, some people use their excess money to aide others. For instance, Bill Gates, a famous wealthy businessman, donates 99% of his profits every year to charities. These charities then use the money to help the poor. This group also believes that, other than money, there is other ancestry of evil. For instance, hate is one aspect. Hate is created out of jealousy between in dividuals or societies. Detestation, if strongly felt, may lead to murder.Another principle of malevolence is sexual cravings. For some individuals, these cravings, if not fulfilled, may drive them into committing a horrible sort of violence. It may lead to rape. This malice has nothing to do with money whatsoever; hence money is not the root of all evil. On the contrary, a group believes that money is the root of all evil. It is factual that money gives people power to succeed and to get what they want. However, sometimes excess power is used erroneously, which in the long term, creates evil.Evidence of this is the war that took place between Iraq and America in year 2003. It was America who declared war against Iraq. That war was ridiculous, as, until now, it has not yet been proven that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction! America had, and still has, a lot of money, and therefore, a lot of power. This has driven America to creating war and conflicts with other countries, which i s a sign of evil. This money, which has been spent on the war, could've been used in supporting millions of homeless, poor and starving people around the world!

Analysis of Marks and Spencers Past Failures and Present Developments The WritePass Journal

Analysis of Marks and Spencers Past Failures and Present Developments Introduction Analysis of Marks and Spencers Past Failures and Present Developments Introduction History of InternationalizationReasons of FailureRecent DevelopmentRecommendation and Conclusion References Related Introduction Marks and Spencer Group plc, a leading and century-old Britain retail giant, which is selling of clothing, food and home products all over the world. After experienced the failure of international expansion about a decade ago, the company stages a comeback on internationalization and intends to form good relationship with customers worldwide. Therefore, this report is going to explore the reasons why MS failed in the past, identify the recent development on international operation and give recommendations for the future expansion. History of Internationalization MS has a long history of international expansion. It makes use of diverse types of entry modes worldwide which combined of entry modes from organic growth, joint venture, and franchise agreements to partly or wholly-owned subsidiaries (Whitehead 1994, p.41). This kind of widely use of ownership models and countries give the priority of the company to perform well globally even when some individual markets may not that good. The company began its tentative internationalization activities by exporting its St. Michael brands products in the 1940s (Alon 2000, p.5). Then MS formalized some of its export activities through franchise agreements in the 1970s. In the next two decades, a gradual expansion occurred both in number and geographic scope. By 1998, MS had almost 500 stores in over 30 countries with the retail sales of almost  £8bn. Meanwhile, the company owned Brooks Brothers and Kings Supermarkets in the United States (Burt et al 2002b, p.200). However, three years later, Marks and Spencer sold its Brooks Brothers brand and Kings Supermarkets (USA) businesses, turned the Hong Kong stores into franchises in a downgraded regional structure, closed the European stores which were unprofitable (Burt 2002a, p1). Under these circumstances, MS faced a survival crisis on its overseas market and most of the company’s direct international activities were compelled to stop. As a consequence, the reputation of the company went downhill both at home and abroad. Reasons of Failure Marks and Spencer suffered sluggish sales, slump in profits and a sharply declining market share owing to all sorts of external and internal reasons. Externally, more ambitious and vigorous competitors entered this market and therefore MS faced more stiff competition over the 1990s. Moreover, technological changes happened in retailing industry. New entrants were more likely to use the computerized systems and adopted new methods of operating which could improve effectiveness and efficiency. Nevertheless, Marks and Spencer still depended on the old systems and approaches. Therefore, the company gradually fell behind (Mellahi et al 2002, p23). Internally, first of all, the company did not have a unified, well-recognized and trusted brand name when exploring the international market. The company did not build up the brand effect. For instance, MS did not change the names of the US chains after it bought Brooks Brothers and Kings Supermarket and used Brooks Brothers’ chain to open the market in the Far East (Alon 2000, p.8). Therefore, the company could not touch customers through its brand image, whereas brand image is vital in marketing literature. Then, MS did not consider the customer’s needs on global market in early years. The company transferred their business formula from the United States to Canada without any modifications. Nevertheless apparently, the Canadian stores required customization to local needs (Alon 2000, p.7). It is an economy that driven by customers. If a business could not satisfy its customers’ needs and keep the customers in a cost-effective way and then it would confronted with losses. Moreover, the company â€Å"lack of clear retail positioning and design† (Burt et al 2002b, p.213). After enter each markets, MS did not have a long-term plan for the sustainable development. Supply chain always to be a problem and the company did not solve it properly. Canada had these problems for years which gave no guidance on the United States purchase. Moreover, many elements make MS run smoothly in the UK market but did not work on the global market and the business became a series of activities with little synergy and cooperative effect (Burt et al 2002b). Last but not the least, the company did not have an overall and long-term development plan of international expansion. Such as the company signed franchise agreements in numerous countries, but used diverse franchisees and different types of franchise arrangements. Therefore, over a long period of time, the international activities of the company were directionless and lacked internal communication (Burt et al 2002b, p.213). Recent Development After the failure of first-round international expansion, Marks and Spencer utilized contraction strategy that focus on domestic market to deal with the crisis. Ten years later, MS is rebuilt as a trustworthy brand which demonstrates its quality, fit, and service are reliable and consistent. Globalization is imperative and overseas expansion is regarded as an opportunity for future growth. Therefore, the company is fully equipped to renew global extension. Circumstances change with the passage of time, now MS has 327 stores overseas in 41 territories (includes Republic of Ireland)(Marks and Spencer Group plc 2010). As can be seen from the chart below that Southern and Eastern Europe is the key area to expansion and there would be great opportunities in emerging markets such as the Middle and Far East, as well as the Indian subcontinent. Source: Marks and Spencer Group plc Moreover, MS set a five year plan to raise international business to 15 to 20% of total Group Revenue from 2008. The company established some guiding principles to help complete the plan in 2010. Specifically: â€Å"Growing our Central and Eastern European partnerships; building sustainable businesses in India and China; accelerating growth with our franchise partners; and continuing to explore new opportunities.† (Marks and Spencer Group plc 2010) Therefore, MS focuses on the sustainable development of the company and proceed with internationalization sequentially. In addition to the European market, emerging markets, such as India and China, are potential areas which need to pay close attention for the next step. Furthermore, the company intends using multiple channels to drive the international business. Recommendation and Conclusion In order to achieve better performance in international expansion, MS needs to use past history for guidance and look to the future. To begin with, the company needs to transfer the â€Å"MS† from a national into an international brand. It is unlikely for a company to deliver a brand into a new market without any further consideration. Therefore, the first decision should be made is whether â€Å"use a brand in all chosen markets or to differentiate it depending on market peculiarities† (Kuvykaite and Mascinskiene 2010, p.446). Since a brand is a promise to make customers know who you are and then help the company generate customer trust. Therefore, the company need identify the brand positioning, symbol, logo and other images to arouse brand awareness. Following the point mentioned above, the company must have detailed market research and expansion strategy. The business strategy should generally cover the ambition, positioning, investment and organisation (Lasserre 2007). Under the strategy, the company need has clear defined short-term and long-term objectives with a suitable value proposition to the market. The company also should organize itself properly and excavate a sustainable competitive advantage which is difficult to replicate or imitate. Moreover, analyze each specific market and meeting customer needs such as supply good quality products at a lower price playing a vital role in the overall strategy. Another important point is that the company should choose a suitable entry mode for each individual target market and come up with the follow-up ways of development. The company can choose any of these entry modes (namely export, license and franchise, alliance, joint venture or wholly owned subsidiary) or some combination of them to enter a host country. It is depending on the country’s specific situation because the choice of entry confines the firm’s overall strategy (Johnson and Tellis 2008). In order to be able to resist challenges of entering a new country and has an efficient operation, the company should be concern with activities after establishment. Finally, all the plans and strategies must be implemented smoothly and adjust according to the changes of the market timely. It is well known that an effective implementation is always superior to a great strategy. A company can never succeed unless it can implement and carry out its strategy effectively (Sterling 2003, p.27). Moreover, the strategy should also keep pace with the newly developed technologies, the changes of market environment of a specific country or region and most important thing is looking squarely at the alteration of customer’s needs. Only in this way can the company use the market knowledge and power to tackle all the difficulties and successfully entering a new market and survive. Marks and Spencer is gaining momentum in internationalization which helps the company seeking new markets and reduces the dependency on the UK economy. Moreover, as the company has a rich experience on international expansion in the past, therefore, it could learn from the past mistakes and create a better future. In this way, the company’s international business offers considerable opportunities for long-term growth, as well as helps it grow into a world famous enterprise. References Alon, I. 2000. Marks Spencer: a case study in international retailing[Online]. Available at: elearning.ulg.ac.be/old_demos/HEC/html/marks.pdf   [Accessed: 12th March 2011]. Burt, S.L. et al. 2002a. The failure of retail internationalization in Marks and Spencer. European Retail Digest. 35, pp.1-4. Burt, S.L. et al 2002b. Retail internationalization and retail failure: issues from the case of Marks and Spencer. International Review of Retail, Distribution Consumer Research. 12 (2), pp191-219. Johnson, J. and Tellis, G. J. 2008. Drivers of success for market entry into China and India. Journal of Marketing. 72 (3), pp.1-13. Kuvykaite, R. and Mascinskiene, J. 2010. Transformation of a national brand into an international brand. Inzinerine Ekonomika-Engineering Economics. 21(4), pp.446-455. Lasserre, P. 2007. Global strategic management. 2nd Edition. Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan. pp.34-61. Marks and Spencer Group plc. 2010. MS Annual Report 2010[Online]. Available at: http://annualreport.marksandspencer.com/operating-and-financial-review/where-we-sell.aspx [Accessed: 12th March 2011]. Mellahi, K. et al. 2002. An exploratory study into failure in successful organizations: the case of Marks Spencer. British Journal of Management. 13(1), pp. 15–29. Sterling, J. 2003. Translating strategy into effective implementation: dispelling the myths and highlighting what works. Strategy Leadership. 31(3), pp.27 – 34 Whitehead, M. 1994. Marks Spencer – â€Å"Britain’s Leading Retailer: Quality and Value Worldwide†. Management Decision. 32(3), pp. 38-41.

Destructive Leadership in HRM

Destructive Leadership in HRM Critical Learning Points The article by Birgit Schyns and Jan Schilling (2012) offers an analysis of the phenomenon of destructive leadership along with its possible consequences. The following points from the article appear to be important to me.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Destructive Leadership in HRM specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Destructive leadership is described as a process in which over a longer period of time the activities, experiences and/or relationships of an individual or the members of a group are repeatedly influenced by their supervisor in a way that is perceived as hostile and/or obstructive (Schyns Schilling, 2013, p. 4). The consequences may include resistance and deviant work behavior, decrease in job satisfaction and commitment, job tension, and reduced employee wellbeing (stress, emotional exhaustion). The authors also included some suggestion regarding the reasons for destr uctive leadership. They reflected that it may be a result of ineffective leadership that has led the followers to question the leaders position. The authors admit that the actions believed to be destructive can help to regain the leadership position in the short run; however, the damage to the leaders image and followers trust is bound to render this strategy ineffective sooner or later. While the negative impact of destructive relationships appears to be apparent, it is important to receive scientific data supporting this point. Apart from that, in my opinion other issues need to be discussed in this respect.  The idea of destructive leadership being an oxymoron caught my eye. The authors explain why the influence that a leader has on followers can be called leadership regardless of its effects, and I agree that this power can be used for negative purposes. However, it appears as important that the destructive leadership does not have to be intentional. In this respect, the issue of perception seems to be important. It appears to be necessary to take into account and assess the way followers perceive a leaders actions. Elsewise, the leader is in danger of using destructive leadership without fully realizing it. Apart from that, I do not believe that the consequences and the actual impact of any kind of negative behavior are necessary for defining destructive leadership. In case the actions of a leader have the potential of becoming destructive, they need to be rectified.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Applying the Insights to the Future Career Taking into account all the possible adverse outcomes of destructive leadership, I would intend to avoid abusing my power over the employees. Apart from that, I attempt to take into account the fact that it is not strictly the behavior of the leader, but its perception in the eyes of the followers that has practical influence. I know that I need to be sensitive to my followers perception of my actions, which can be achieved through developing my social and emotional skills. Apart from that, I believe that a trust- and respect-based relationship with employees can facilitate the process of opinion exchange among us. In this case, the problem of the difference in perception can be solved. Thought-Provoking Questions The problem of perception differences appears to be very significant to me. I have expressed my suggestions regarding it; I wonder if my peers could brainstorm this issue with me to arrive at a more consistent conclusion. The authors point out that the destructive leadership can be found on individual and group levels (Schyns Schilling, 2012, p. 4). However, would not an individual-level destructive leadership be destructive on a group level? I would suggest regarding the issues of the leader being a model of negative behavior in this case. Reference Sc hyns, B., Schilling, J. (2012). How Bad Are the Effects of Bad Leaders? A Meta-Analysis of Destructive Leadership and Its Outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 24(1), 138-158. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2012.09.001

Compare and contrast the movie and poem Howl Essay

Compare and contrast the movie and poem Howl - Essay Example In this essay, an attempt is being made to compare and contrast the poem ‘Howl’ against the film by the same name and analyze the contrasts and similarities found in both these media. The speaker explains in the first section of how he was a sad witness to the destruction caused to some of â€Å"the best minds† in the generation during which he lived, thereby reviving the Beatnik era once again. Following the riotous era of Rock and Roll, they were the first to initiate and disengage themselves from the orderly post-war years. Following them was the age of Hippies, Woodstock and the rest that came behind. (Roger Ebert, 2010) The young generation was primarily Ginsberg’s audience because they were able to identify themselves with it, since the poem was capable of touching the inner core of their being. A good example of this can be seen in the opening lines of the poem which says – However, ‘Howl’ the film evokes a more balanced and serious presentation with a more youthful Allen Ginsberg wearing a pair of horn-rimmed spectacles and does not look anything like the ‘angel-head hipster’ (Allen Ginsberg, 1955, p.1) destroyed by madness. Secretly, he did nurture a desire to be one, but somehow couldn’t bring himself to reveal the secret he had within his heart. However, in the film ‘Howl’, he reluctantly discloses that he did not wish to publish his poem, because he did not want his father to find out the secret, which was his homosexuality. Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, the writer- directors of the film ‘Howl’ took into account the new Beat scene with its smoky coffee- houses, where the reading of poetry was quite common. James Franco plays Ginsberg with due meticulousness and restraint and is shown in a 1955 coffee house reading the poem, as smoke envelops the audience, giving the scene a very authentic appeal. Another important

Nursing Practice Gap Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nursing Practice Gap Analysis Paper - Essay Example However, attempts to develop have been faced with the challenge caused by the gap between theory and practice. What the students learn is viewed as ideal and not the reality of what happens in healthcare. Therefore, there is need to analyze the gap and reconcile theory with practice for advanced nursing practice. This paper analyses an area of nursing practice with a gap between theory and practice. it will talk about an area that lack of theoretical support, theory developments and rationale for theory. 2. Nursing Practice Gap. Theory presents information that form a basis for understanding nursing, therefore, information offered in the classroom is a representation of what happens in practice as Walker and Avant (2005, p. 9) note. Nursing students often find themselves in challenging situations where they have to find solutions in practice after successfully engaging in theoretical studies. 2.1. Area of nursing that lacks theoretical support. Caring theory is an area that provides understanding to the gap between theory and practice. According to the caring theory nurses can show care by upholding the well being of a patient. The nurse will administer drugs and participate in prevention of infections. The challenge lies in the actions of the nurse, the process of care and meeting expectations of the patient. Theory of care does not adequately cover the measure of care a nurse can poses given a specific situation. The capacity of care may vary from one individual to another. Commitment of the nurse in their relationship with the patient for care is not adequately supported. Additionally, a complimentary environment for giving care is required and not often clearly emphasized in the theory. Caring actions are overlooked and not given priority in the theory as it is in practice. Caring actions include enabling, assisting, staying together, recognizing and beliefs of the patient. In practice, nurses realize that caring actions have consequences. Although the nurs e may give out, the intended outcome may not be realized. The conditions for giving care can be complicated. Patients and their relatives need care, which is shown through professionalism, leadership and care delivery. Care may be hindered by problems emanating from either the organization, nurse or the patient. The caring theory may require the nurse to spend time with the patient to know how they are coping with the illness. This may not be practical because the nurse must find a balance between their assigned tasks. 2.2. Current theory development. In order to improve giving care to patients in the hospital, unique and specific actions have been proposed as the appropriate ways of giving care. Actions that would make the patient obtain and believe in care have been preferred. The actions would translate theory into practice. According to Tonges and Ray (2011, p. 376), developments in care theory propounds that nurses participate in maintaining the faith or belief of the patient t o aid in the transition of their well being. The nurse strives to know and understand issues and events happening that could affect the well being of the patient. Taking care of a patient has incorporated the emotional support to the patient and relatives. In an attempt to close the gap between caring theory and practice, nurses practice doing for others what they would like done to them. Furthermore, there are situations where giving care in person can be a challenge; hence, it is recommended that the nurse facilitates for others so that they can take care of